Category Archives: Kids

PARTNER WORKOUT CHALLENGE

My Daughter TAYLOR has taken over my Youtube Channel!!!

She follows Youtuber Cassey Ho → Blogilates ← and wanted us to try her PARTNER WORKOUT. It was so fun and I was laughing so hard I could hardly talk… But we did it! We mastered almost all of these exercises.

NOW IT’S YOUR TURN!!!

Share with a friend and give it a try!

Subscribe HERE to my YouTube Channel so you don’t miss the next videos. I have a feeling this won’t be the last Taylor-takeover 😳

MOM & DAUGHTER GYM TIME

 It’s hard for me to believe I have a 13 years old!!!!  EEEK!  Really, she is the best and I’m so happy with who she’s growing up to be.  Taylor is smart [er than me], funny, fun, witty, respectful, honest, beautiful, generous, talented and displays self-controll beautifully.

She is at the perfect age for me to introduce her to the fitness world… And that’s SO EXCiTING to me!  When I was about her age, my dad started taking me to the gym and taught me how to squat with proper form with a poll on my back, and now I get to pass this along to Taylor.  At this age, girls are so impressionable and are forming an opinion about their body that will stick with them for the rest of their life.  I am responsible, honored and excited to speak truth into the lives of young girls.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made”  Psalm 139:13

 

I love the way this scripture is worded in the The Message translation of the Bible:   
“…body and soul, I am marvelously made!”

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POSTPARTUM EXERCISE

Guest Post:  David Smith
Having a baby can be a very exciting time, but the toll it takes on your body is not likely something many women embrace. The body’s process of preparing to give birth (not to mention the actual birthing process itself) can make even the fittest woman feel like she took a giant step backwards in terms of fitness.
 
How can a new mom get back into her fitness groove? 
When is it okay to start exercising?
Which exercises should a new mom choose?
 
Those are the questions we answer in this Guide to Postpartum Exercise. This step-by-step plan will help new moms ease back into exercise and then work their way towards your pre-pregnancy shape. The chosen exercises are safe and especially effective for developing core strength (which is crucial for any mom, especially those who had a cesarian section or difficult time giving birth). 

Be sure to listen to your body and to have patience as you progress through each of these 6-weeks stages. Enjoy!
 
 
 Dave Smith has been a personal trainer since 2001 and was recently named “Top Fitness Professional in Canada”. Dave offers free online fitness training at Make Your Body Work and also spends much of his time helping other personal trainers improve their training techniques and business success. Check out his free resources, videos, and fitness programs at makeyourbodywork.com.

BABYSITTING & CHILD SAFETY CPR CLASS

SATURDAY MORNING THESE GIRLS TOOK A BABYSITTING AND CHILD SAFETY CLASS AND I WANT TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES AND SHARE HOW VALUABLE THIS WAS.  

FIRST, IT WAS EASY TO SIGN UP – LOTS OF OPTIONS FOR CLASS TIMES AND WAS VERY INEXPENSIVE.   SECOND, THE CLASS WAS TO THE POINT.  KIM McCRAVEN, RN, TAUGHT THE CLASS AND DID A GREAT JOB PRESENTING THE INFORMATION WITHOUT IT OVERWHELMING THE GIRLS.  


               A FEW TOPICS

* QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE BABYSITTING 
* ADULT, CHILD, INFANT CPR/AED
* KNOCKED OUT TEETH 
* ALLERGIC REACTION/ EPI PIN
* BITES & STINGS
(SNAKE, SPIDER, TICK, BEE…)
* CUTS/WOUNDS
* CHOKING
* ASTHMA
* POISON

 
 
 
NOW WATCH THIS SHORT INTERVIEW WITH THE GIRLS AND SEE WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE CLASS



“NOW I CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN BABYSITTING BECAUSE I AM PREPARED IF SOMETHING HAPPENS.  AND I THINK MY MOM FEELS BETTER ABOUT ME WATCHING MY YOUNGER BROTHER. “  – Taylor Benson

 
“THAT IS CORRECT.” – Mom
 

VISIT CodeOneCPR.com FOR MORE INFO

READ ANOTHER POST I WROTE WITH MORE DETAILS ON THIS COMPANY HERE

TO DECREASE THE RISK OF YOUNG PEOPLE GETTING POISONED, CONSIDER SWITCHING YOUR HOUSEHOLD CLEANERS TO A CHEMICAL-FREE OPTION.  CHECK OUT MY DIY RECIPES – HONESTLY TOO CHEAP AND EASY NOT TO DO.

ALSO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS HOMEMADE PLANTAIN TINCTURE FOR BITES, STINGS AND CUTS.  IT WORKS SO GOOD!  

HERE IS ANOTHER GREAT OINTMENT TO HAVE ON HAND.  IT’S A KIT YOU CAN BUY TO MAKE THE SALVE, AND IF YOU REALLY DON’T WANT TO MAKE IT YOURSELF, BUY IT FROM SISTER SALVE!

OK.  THAT’S ALL FOR NOW.
THANKS FOR READING!

DIY BUG SPRAY

DIY Bug Spray : I made this bug spray for Taylor to take to camp last summer.  Not only did she use it, but it worked and her friends ended up using hers instead of theirs!  win win… win.  Anyway, it’s time to set up our line of defense against the pesky bugs. 
Gone to camp diy bug spray
BUG SPRAY
(I doubled this recipe for the bottle shown)

2 oz jojoba oil
20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
20 drops lemon grass essential oil
10 drops tea tree essential oil
You should also make TICK SPRAY (HERE) to keep close by.  
They were so bad last year!  

EW!

funny diy bug spray

If you don’t want to make it and just want to buy it, you can buy this bug spray from my daughters ♥ Of Eden ♥ online boutique.  She has all kinds of useful products that are chemical free and completely effective.  

→  SHOP NOW   ←

bubbleframe-collage-1 diy bug spray

 

SLEEPY TIME

First, I would like to start by saying “Thank you” to my dog- Apple– for modeling for us today.

When we sleep our body repairs!

 

 

 

Exercising:  during resistance training, the muscles actually tear.   While sleep, the muscle rebuilds stronger to adapt to the new load demanded of it.

Sickness: during sleep, extra protein molecules are produced that help the immune system to strengthen and mend after being compromised by pollutants and infectious bacteria.

Growth:  we can’t forget that kids do a lot of growing during those important hours of sleep.

 

New studys are suggesting that getting the right 
amount of sleep may…
  • improve memory the brain appears to restructure and reorganize memories- they become stronger
  • improve inflammation– research suggests that people who get fewer hours of sleep—six or less per night—have higher blood levels of inflammatory proteins
I look like I need sleep!

  • improve performance- A study conducted by Stanford University looked at college football players.  Those who got 10 hrs of sleep for 7-8 weeks had improved sprint time.  They also had less fatigue and stamina in the day.

  • improve grades- sleep deprivation impairs learning
  • improve attentionadults get sleepy with lack of zzzz’s, but kids get hyperactive, are inattentive and impulsive  (ADHD-like symptoms)
  • encourage a healthy weight when sleepy, hormones that increase appetite increase in the blood; studies also show that people who were well rested lost more body fat and those who were sleep deprived lost muscle mass

  • and decrease car accidentsin 2009, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported that being tired accounted for the highest number of fatal single-car crashes where the driver ran off the road. A higher number than crashes caused by alcohol! Lack of sleep affects decision making and reaction time.
So how much sleep do we need to get these wonderful benefits?
according to Better-Sleep-Better-Life.com
Newborns (0-2 months old) 12-18 hours
Infants (3-11 months old) 14-15 Hours
Toddlers (1-3 years old)l 12-14 Hours
Pre-schoolers (3-5 years old) 11-13 Hours
School-aged Children (5-10 years old) 10-11 Hours
Teens (11-17 years old) 8-9 Hours
Adults 7-9 Hours

 

 
So yes maybe I just want to show off my cute kids and my dog, but I also want us to look at our sleep time as HEALTHCARE!
 It’s necessary for us to be our best… to be on top of our game!
Apple seems to have sleep figured out.
 
Let’s take our cues from her and get some!
Sweet Dreams

BEFORE & AFTER story – Merry Sedlak

Meet my new friend, Merry.  The first time I met her I said, “WOW, YOU HAVE SO MUCH ENERGY!”  I couldn’t help but say that out loud (weird thing to say first off maybe… but I couldn’t help it… she DID).  She was overflowing with joy, passion, excitement and I wanted to know her story.  So many people seem to have a dark cloud over their life from stress, lack, sickness, depression and discouragement… but not this girl!  I found out this wasn’t always the case…

“January 17, 2012 – Physically, emotionally and financially we were broken we prayed for a solution.  We were introduced to Advocare from our dear friends and heard HOPE that our situation could be different!  We decided right then and there to make a change.  We started the Advocare 24 Day Challenge and had AMAZING results.  I lost 14 lbs and 17 inches and Anthony lost 20 lbs and 20 inches!  Needless to say we knew everyone could add value to their life, health and finances through this vehicle so we got very intentional to share our story and help as many people as we could.  Fast forward 2 years and a miraculous pregnancy (we struggled for 8 years and tried every medical intervention possible).  We had our son via IVF  in 2008 but had not been able to sustain a pregnancy until Advocare helped my body to do what it’s created to do.  Advocare does not make medical claims and I know that the Lord blessed us with Genevieve but I also know that Advocare enabled my body to do what it had previously not been able to do.  Anthony and I have lost over 100 lbs combine and have been able to help hundreds of people find physical and financial freedom.” Merry Sedlak

Thank you Merry for sharing your story and encouraging us!!! 

Merry lost 50 lbs in 2013 and she will loose 30-40 lbs in 2014 AND run a 1/2 marathon!!!  You go girl!

If you need a kickstart or maybe even a new start, take the 24 Day Challenge and start writing YOUR story.  We want to see you succeed.  Email ashley@ashleybensonfitness.com for a free evaluation and we will get you set up on what you need to reach your health & wellness goals!



 
MAY WE ALL HAVE AS MUCH ENERGY AND LIFE AS MERRY!  

A LOOK BACK ON 2013

Like you, I have been looking over the past year and feel very blessed at the growth that my business has taken.  I could not grow if not for my clients,readers family and friends so I want to say THANK YOU for visiting, sharing, participating, encouraging me and joining in this journey!  Achieving a healthier life is a process.  My goal is always to be further along today than I was last year.  
 
HERE ARE SOME OF MY PERSONAL HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2013
 

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