Tag Archives: Social Networks

Citrus Christmas Tree Platter {beyond easy} {no oven required}

I’m gearing up for a fabulous 2013 here at Don’t Panic Mom! In a few weeks you’ll find a redesigned site with easier navigation and more ways for you to get involved.

Let’s get caught up on some old business.

I was officially appointed to be on the City of Fort Morgan’s ad hoc Recreation Committee. I’m listed somewhere near the bottom of this article from the Fort Morgan Times. Wo hoo! Want to know more? Read my first post about the committee here or an in depth article from Jenni Grubbs at the Fort Morgan Times.
I hope you started following LiveWell Colorado while I guest pinned for them on Pinterest! I’m new to the Pinterest phenomenon – so it was quite entertaining for me. I loved how fast it was to find extraordinarily tasty recipes for Brussels sprouts! Toddler indoor games! Healthy swaps for traditional holiday foods! However, it’s just as easy to find the world’s unhealthiest foods. I was disappointed at how many recipes labeled “Kid Friendly” were laden with junk. So, Pinterest users beware. Remember how much your online community can effect your physical health.

Here’s your super late Christmas present. I found this little treasure waiting in my “Drafts” and thought you could pin it for next year. Hope your holidays have been full of family, friends, and of course, health! Thank you for supporting Don’t Panic Mom. You support this blog every time you decide to serve fruit and veggies. Do you have social functions coming up? Bring a tasty fruit platter that looks impressive, but takes 5 minutes to make. Another bonus: no oven required.

Coming up: The final FearLESS Friday post will be up soon. Check out the FearLESS Friday series over here!

Thanks, Mom.

I was wiping Little A’s nose today and she was obviously displeased. To make myself feel better about her squirmy rioting, I started to say a classic line, “One day you’ll thank me…”

But I stopped myself short from completing the rest of the line and laughed out loud. I am certain that I will never be thanked for wiping runny noses. Ever. What a silly phrase.

There are millions of nurturing tasks that mothers do that will never be acknowledged. But that’s just part of the job. We are awesome because we can do what is best for our kids without a high-five, thank you note, or cash bonus. This is especially true with health habits. How many times have you helped your toddler brush her teeth? How many times have you gone to the park? How many bananas have you helped her peel?

Health researchers know that you are powerful forces in the lives of your children. For example, Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., a professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, stated in an interview:

“We know that parents have tremendous influence over how many fruits and vegetables their children eat…When parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children.”

I loved how she said, “tremendous influence.” This can either make you panic under the pressure or feel empowered. I hope you feel empowered.

Thank you to all of the mothers in the Don’t Panic Mom Community. You are making your child’s world healthier. And you are making my child’s world healthier because you are part of my family’s social network.

Want to thank another Don’t Panic Mom for fearlessly serving broccoli? or for switching to brown rice? Leave some comment love below.

Read the rest of Haire-Josu’s study summary about working with parents to increase fruit and veggie consumption in toddlers at RedOrbit.

Social Media: My Weight Management Secret

366,682. That’s how many miles have been shared on DailyMile.com today when I started writing this post. 87,929,567 miles have been shared since its creation in 2008. I joined DailyMile.com after seeing the widget on my friend Sarah’s blog. DailyMile is a free service that helps amateurs and pros track their miles, log their workouts, find races, and connect to other active friends.

I have documented 10 workouts so far. I can honestly say that two of these workouts ONLY happened because I wanted to add more miles to my DailyMile log. This has been a great accountability tool for me. At the end of the day, I want to share on Facebook that I actually ran. I’m slow – but I am still moving! I also love to read what it says under my profile picture: “Athlete.” Ha! I’ll take it!

In the book Connected by Nicholas Christakis and James Fowler, they show how our social network impacts our happiness, health and even our weight. Their number crunching was impressive and compelling. Healthy people tend to hang out with healthy people. Another book that jumped on board with their findings was The Social Network Diet by Miriam Nelson and Jennifer Ackerman.

The take-home message from these books: You impact your friends. You are impacted by your friends. You are impacted by your friends’ friends. Not just in how you dress, but in big things like your health. You are powerful when you choose water at lunch. This extends to your online communities.

Let the Don’t Panic, Mom Community be part of your social network. Share your successes on Twitter and Facebook. It will only take a moment, and that moment will help another mom decide what she’s feeding her kids for lunch. It’s proven science, so come on!

I created Don’t Panic, Mom! because I needed a community of likeminded mammas. Thanks for joining me. I need you.

Alli
The Don’t Panic Mom
Fort Morgan, CO

P.S. Right now I have zero Facebook friends using DailyMile.com. I’d love to have one! Will it be you?
P.P.S. 372623. That’s the number of miles shared today on DailyMile.com when I finished writing post.