Page Title

The Front Porch

Text Box: succeeding. It feels so good to set goals for yourself and reach them. Now if I can’t workout at least 2 times a week I really miss it. If I don’t find time to read or write for at least a few minutes everyday, I find myself restless and distracted by the end of the day. Exercise isn’t the bad word that I used to think it was. It is a way to help your body and your mind deal with the world around you. It is a way to relieve stress and engage the brain in productive thought. If you have contemplated “adding an exercise room to your house” there is no better time than the present. A New Year’s resolution may not be the best solution. Sometimes a promise to yourself isn’t enough motivation. However, a promise to others that will keep you accountable can work wonders for your will power. Exercise is always more fun when you can do it with someone. And trust me, the

Text Box: Being a stay-at-home mom is not healthy. Stop! Put down the matches! I didn’t say it wasn’t rewarding, beneficial and sometimes necessary… I just said it isn’t healthy. At least for me it isn’t. For me it means poor physical health because I sit in a house all day surrounded by food that I buy specifically because I like it. I have no where to go and nothing to do and therefore no motivation to dress, shower, or wear anything that does not contain yards of elastic. For me it means poor mental health because the most intellectually stimulating questions I have to answer everyday involve the powers of various superheroes and why dogs can’t eat chocolate. When I was working as a high school Spanish teacher I was constantly on the go, had no time to eat except at meals, and spoke two languages all day long. For the last seven years I have been in a big physical and mental

Text Box: drought. But recently I have found the way out…exercise. When I finally decided to make a change (let’s face it being fat, lazy and dumb is fun at first) I knew that exercise was the key. For my physical health, dieting was a major component but it only took me so far. The addition of regular exercise really jump started my weight loss and propelled me to my goal. For my mental health I realized that I would have to home school myself. I made myself read novels in Spanish. I started an on-line book club that encouraged me to read “War and Peace”, the WHOLE thing. I did sudoku puzzles and wrote the curriculum for the MOPPETS program. I started blogging (on-line journaling). I found enjoyable and fulfilling ways to exercise my brain. The most amazing thing that I discovered was that I really like exercise! I like challenging myself, both physically and mentally, and

Mom of the Month: She Likes. . .

Text Box: Body spray better than perfume. Early mornings better than late nights. Reading the book better than watching the movie. Laundry better than dishes. Reveal on next page...

Inside this issue:

The Home Front News

Upcoming Meetings & Events:

· 1/18 Friday meeting, 9-11 a.m.

· 1/25 Special Event: Game Night

· 2/7 Thursday meeting, 6-8 p.m. (dinner provided)

· 2/8 Friday meeting, 9-11 a.m.

· 2/22 Friday meeting, 9-11 a.m.

· 2/29 Special Event: Mom’s night out at the Movies

Text Box: Hot Cocoa better than coffee. Gloves better than mittens. Cats better than dogs. Brownies better than cookies. Curling up by the fire better than playing in the snow. Driving better than flying.

Exercise: It Does a Mommy Good by Crystal Grove


Birthdays	2
Classifieds	2
Mom of the Month Reveal	2
Feature article continued	3
Bulletin Board News	3
Nursery announcement	3
Kitchen Corner Recipe	4
Steering Team Members	4