Taking Steps for KIDS: Online Shoes Teams Up with Patagonia & Healthy Child Healthy World! WIN SHOES & SHAKLEE® SPORT PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS

They arrived!  I quickly dug out the packing and slipped them over my socks.  My legs have been itching to run as I just passed the two month mark after having my second baby.  These Patagonia forerunners will carry me as I start the ‘get my body back’ journey.  I chose the deep plum and pink because my eldest daughter has encouraged me to embrace the girlie-ness inside.   Exciting!

Surprising me, the shoes molded to my foot within minutes and provide the perfect comfort.  They are light, air and durable feeling as they supported my foot with every step I took on my first run.  Ah, the first run.  The freedom of being in solitude and running toward something is so satisfying.  What I love even more is that for every pair of Patagonia shoes purchased from Online Shoes between 4/10-4/23, Patagonia will donate $10 to Healthy Child Healthy World, one of my favorite non-profits.  So not only do I feel good because I am taking better care of myself and getting a break from mommy hood, I’m making a difference for kids and their planet!  Powerful stuff!

In 400 words or less, as a comment to this post, tell us what FUELS your exercise, what drives you to break through adversities in your fitness journey or why you strive to be fit.

 In addition, make sure you subscribe to The Searcy Life blog by email to the right of this page and you will be entered to
WIN your own pair of Patagonia Shoes AND 3 of the 5 Products from the
SHAKLEE® SPORTS PERFORMANCE LINE as you see below.  Visit our website to review our products and contact us for more information about the Shaklee Sports Line:  www.searcy.myshaklee.com

Both comments and subscriptions must be made by May 31^st, 2012 in order to participate.  Prizes will be mailed to the winner the first week of June and the winner who has the most compelling story will be announced by June 3^rd, 2012.  Feel free to email us at searcy12@gmail.com, your pictures if relevant to your story and we will post them on our blog with your permission.

OATMEAL ~ Not Just for Breakfast

My new favorite love, Shaklee’s Meadow Blend, soap-free, cleansing bar, just left this mommy’s skin softer and silkier than it has been in years.  WOW.  What a great feeling.  One of the magic ingredients has led me to re-appreciate the healing properties of one of my favorite breakfasts.  What is that ingredient you ask?  Oatmeal!




To my surprise, this paraben free, bathing bar had a pleasant lather, with a soft fragrance like country breeze that was quite refreshing.  Meadow Blend contains wholesome, good-for-you ingredients like yummy oatmeal, wheat germ oil and vitamin E.  No wonder my skin was left with a creamy suppleness!

Just like nourishing from the inside, oatmeal can nourish from the outside.  It has many soothing uses in addition to making the skin simply feel fantastic.  In a colloid form, oatmeal may provide relief from skin, minor burns and other icky, itchy rashes.  (Colloid means that the oatmeal has been pulverized into a fine powder.)  This allows it to be completely absorbed into the water.

To make your own:

1 cup Unflavored Oatmeal (slow or quick will work)

Place in a blender, processor, or grinder on a high setting.  Grind the oatmeal until it becomes a very fine powder.  To test it, stir 1T of the fine powder in a glass of warm or hot water and stir.  It will be milky and the water will feel silky if you have blended the oatmeal long enough. 

For infants, use 1/3 cup Colloid Oatmeal

For children, use 1 cup

With your finger, stir the mixture in the bath water in a figure eight direction but be careful as the tub will be slippery!  Soak as needed up to 15 minutes 1-3 times a day as needed if dealing with those nasty skin reactions.

And Three Become Six

Becoming a mother is nothing short of receiving the most precious gift to have ever been given.  From the first moment of questioning if you are actually pregnant, to the light exhilarating energy of the first moment you feel your child moving inside your whom.  Words cannot express the ever growing, loving bond that begins to form between a mother and her unborn child. Once born, your infant inspires and motivates you to strive to be the best possible mommy to them that you know they deserve.  Along the way there are undoubtedly bumps, stumbles, and barriers you must cross on your quest to mommy greatness.  Ultimately all that matters is the love that is shared between you and your child. 

As I struggle through my own quest as a mother, I find myself dwelling on the 'what ifs' and the 'why not mes'. I have forgotten to cherish the feeling and love that aunts are blessed with from their precious gifts given from siblings.  A mother of one, but an aunt to many.  I have received the second best gift that could be given.  To my siblings: thank you for allowing me to love and cherish your children and congratulations on our gifts to come! xoxo

Today's Scare as a Mother

Little feet scurry vigorously across the tile floor, heading from one room to the next. My attention is grabbed by the sound of a small child forcing up mucus from his throat. "Run to the bathroom quick honey!" I exhale after him. Merely focused on my child I return myself back to my phone conversation in the kitchen. A small wall is built in my mind from knowing that my son likes to make himself vomit when he doesn't like something. But what was he eating?

This wall began crashing down within a single breath...

Racing back out of the kitchen, my child holds his hand to his mouth catching a fistful of clear slimy mucus. Alarms start ringing as I ease my son towards me. I hear myself telling him to spit it out, and that it is going to be alright. I urge him to stand still, now in the middle of the dinning room. Small gurgling noises escape his tiny throat, with this, falsely assuring myself he is fine. Within an instant his knees hit the cold smooth tile floor; his hands instantly grasping his throat. Now kneeling with him our eyes meet. Large fear filled brown eyes plead back at me as his tiny hands fall from his throat. I calmly beckon for him to spit it out, afraid to do anything. My mind races as I try to remember my CPR training....If they are making noises you do nothing right? Right!

His tiny back is arched forward one hand on his throat, the other cupping mucus as it flows from his mouth. I grab his left biceps, kneeling slightly to his side. My nails dig into my palm as I create a fist. Pushing the heal of my hand out I bring my hand quickly down on his back directly behind his sternum. Nothing, only the sound of a fluid filled gasp of air fills the now shrinking house. What seemed like a life time later his first deep breath of air was achieved followed by a strong deep cough. The clang of a small shiny coin echoes through the 11 room home as it collides with the cold green tile floor. My child and I reach for each other simultaneously, collapsing into each others' arms. As I clean his face gently with a clothe he looks up. His large brown eyes frozen in fear pleads for forgiveness. He begins softly crying, "Sorry to do that mom." Kissing him on the head telling him I wasn't mad; trying to explain my own fear to him. Kissing his head we begin talking about putting things in our mouths and the dangers of choking...

A large lesson was learned by both of us today......

Still uneasy about the way I handled the situation I decided to do some research and am signing up for the first available CPR course!

Rejuvenating.  Amidst a circle of women and one man, we share stories about our journeys.  We celebrate the energies that exist in each of our bodies and we drummed.  My time at the open house of the South Shore Holistic Moms Group was beautiful, refreshing and so welcoming.  It reminds me to be true to my instincts and passions.  I am so grateful to all of you that shared that experience tonight.

Mother's Day

There's a little bit of mother in all of us. 

Maybe it’s just a piece of your mother. 

You feel her, radiating love, tenderness and strength.  Part of her runs through your veins and perhaps brings tears to your eyes. 

Mother is a place of peace, a place to heal, a place to just be you. 

I find that being a mother has opened my eyes. 

I have learned to share in my selfish moments. 

I have learned to have patience at my wits end. 

I have learned to be more open to change and difference. 

Motherhood has made me a better woman. 

Thank you for that child. 

Thank you to all mothers’ who are making differences in their communities. 

Thank you for all the moms walking the road alone. 

Thank you for the opening your whole being to your child. 

I celebrate you all today!

A Moment for Me & Baby by Tracy Newton

As a serving “mother to be” I thought I would share with all of you the wonderful experience I had, after Kelly’s excellent referral, at Breathe and Flow Yoga.  Breathe and Flow is a fairly new, family run, Yoga studio in Freeport. They have an abundance of classes offered each week in two beautifully tranquil Yoga studios. I am a Yoga newbie and therefore, was a little apprehensive that my first Yoga class would be when I am 14 weeks pregnant. I arrived last night for the 7:15 class and was greeted with students from the previous class exiting the studio expressing how much they enjoyed their class, a great sign. 

Lea, the owner of the studio made me feel extremely comfortable right away, they showed me around the studio where the prenatal class was held, pointed out the props I would need for the class and let me get settled. Lea entered the studio and advised me that even if I was the only person to show up she would give me a private lesson. This is something Kelly had pre-warned me about, she knew Lea was someone who catered to anyone who came out to take a class even if you were the only one. Of course, I might not always get a private lesson, but it sure was nice especially for my first class. Lea was amazing, she is kind, and was an extremely knowledgeable Yoga instructor. She is reassuring and supportive; two things I really needed as I ventured out into this new Yoga world. She taught me so many of the positions that can be modified when pregnant and made adjustments to my positions when necessary. It is evident that Lea is dedicated to establishing her Yoga studio as a place that grows with the families of her patrons.

I really needed this experience…first for nourishment of my body, but most importantly for the nourishment of my soul and peace of mind. It was nice to just have something for me and my baby to share alone…for in a few months I know there will be rare opportunities like these.  During our session Lea gave me so many opportunities to connect with my baby; it was a wonderful experience. I can not wait for my class on Saturday morning.

Breathe N Flow Yoga -

361 Atlantic Avenue

- Freeport, NY -  t: 516.632.9626

http://www.breathenflowyoga.com/