Guest Blogger: Lindsey Pollack

Good Evening Mommies! How was your day? I have to say it was a full day for us and with the change in weather; I’m ready to curl up by the fire and decompress! Before doing so, I just had to post the latest guest blogger: Lindsey Pollack. 

Lindsey and I met in college and became friends during our student teaching. After an awesome senior year and the birth of her son, Lindsey and her family moved back to Georgia (ugh-that was hard).  Before having children of our own, Aaron and I took many notes from Lindsey.  She helped us in so many ways preparing for the twins’ arrival and has always been available to give us sound advice- I could have written a book from it all!  She is an expert in her field-for sure!

I asked Lindsey to be a guest blogger because I feel like we hardly get to see inside the world of a stay-at-home mom.  Yes, I know she is busy doing laundry, grocery shopping, running errands and taking the kids from here-to-there, but I wanted to get a closer look at how a stay-at-home mom “runs” her household and makes time for herself when she could easily get caught up in her family.  I know there has to be SO much more to these stay-at-home mommies; I just had to ask one, “How do you do it?”

 Lindsey is not only a stay-at-home mom, but she also juggles the role of a single mom throughout the fall while her husband, Davey, travels with College GameDay. I know what it takes to run my household on a weekly basis with Aaron’s help; I can’t imagine what type of frenzy I would be in without him! But that’s not all. Lindsey is a down to earth mom who has found a love for fitness and has a passion for keeping her children healthy too. She has some wonderful tips on “how she does it,” fun holiday traditions that will get you in the spirit, and lots of motivation for Mommies who want to be their best version!   

Enjoy!

FAMILY

KC&MO: Tell us about yourself and your family.

Lindsey: I'm a wife and mom of two.  Davey and I have been married for 9 years and we have Nicholas, age 6, and Leah, age 4.  I'm a stay-at-home mom who wears many hats other than just mom, just like a lot of ladies!

KC&MO: How do you cope when you become the single parent during football season? 

Lindsey: The first week or two is always difficult to get used to, and being on my own for 5 day stretches can be tiring, but we soon get into our groove and find a routine, and then it just becomes our way of life for football season.  I have family close by and neighbors if I'm ever in a bind and need help, but the kids are older and more independent, so not quite so much falls on me.  I will say, there is A LOT more planning ahead on my part when it is just me at the house.

KC&MO: What tips or tricks do you have for running your household during football season?

Lindsey:  I know I need to wake up 10 minutes earlier in the morning to get breakfast and backpacks going to get out the door on time.  We have our morning routine: eat, get dressed (including socks and shoes on), bag packed, and THEN you can play or do something before leaving for school.  We also lay out school clothes the night before so there is no trying to find something to wear or complaining about our clothes that morning!!

I try and plan out my errands at the beginning of the week to be most efficient with my time.  I tend to grocery shop from 4 or 5 different stores, dry cleaning, bank, etc… I try to plan out which days I will be in which areas and how I can knock them out in time to get back to carpool!  

We have sports at night, so I will make dinner early, put it in a to-go container, like the Ziploc plastic containers with 3 compartments and a lid, and if the kids aren't done eating before it's time to go, then into the car it goes so they can finish on the way or eat on the way home, but I don't like trying to feed them at 8:30 at night when we've just gotten back home.

KC&MO: With the holidays approaching, what fun family traditions do you have and look forward to?  How do you make them special? 

Lindsey: We always travel with Davey the week of Thanksgiving to wherever he is assigned because he always works a game on Thanksgiving Day, and we don't want to be without him.  This year we are headed to College Station, TX to visit Texas A&M, so that's always fun for all of us!

We ALWAYS put up Christmas decorations and outdoor lights before Thanksgiving! We go together and cut down the BIGGEST Christmas tree we can find!  I'm talking 14-16 feet!  We go to Stone Mountain Park and do their Christmas parade and train ride, Lake Lanier Islands Christmas Lights Tour and this year we are adding The Polar Express Train Ride on the Great Smoky Mountains Railway!  It's a surprise for the kids!

We have 3 family gatherings that we do every year with either side of the family, and the kids just love seeing their cousins.  We also will sponsor a couple of families in the "Secret Santa" project in our community and take the kids with us to shop for those families who would not otherwise have a Christmas.  As much as our family LOVES Christmas and all of its festivities (if you can't tell!), we also teach the true meaning of the gift of Jesus and Christ's love, and we are trying to teach it to our children through giving to others.

MOMMY FAVORITES

KC&MO: When you have time for yourself, what do you enjoy doing the most? 

Lindsey: Watching a good movie or reading a good book… and possibly working out at the same time! :)

KC&MO: What do you indulge in (not thinking just food-books, movies, pedicures, travel, shopping etc.)?

Lindsey: My favorite date night activity is going to the movies!  I love music and going to concerts!  And traveling has become a new favorite indulgence!

KC&MO: What are your mom must-haves?

Lindsey: Healthy snacks :)  Music (we are ALWAYS singing and dancing in our house and car!). Coffee (trust me; my kids want me to have this, too!)

FAMILY HEALTH AND FITNESS

KC&MO: What's your parenting approach on food for your kids?

Lindsey: Davey and I are very healthy conscious.  I guess you can say eating healthy and exercise are passions of ours.  It's pretty simple, if we wouldn't allow ourselves to eat it, we aren't' going to feed it to our kids.  Now, we allow our kids to have treats occasionally because they are kids and parties and holidays a lot of times revolve around "treats" and we don't want to completely cut the fun out of these events, but overall, we don't allow sweets, candy, desserts, junk food, fast food, etc.

KC&MO: How do you get your kids to eat the 'good' stuff?

Lindsey: When they don't know any different, it really isn't as hard as you might think.  They kids know that we don't eat french fries, for example, so when we go out to eat, they just don't ask for them.  They know they are going to eat the fruit as a side instead.  Now, my kids are picky, too, and they don't just fall in love with every healthy food I sit in front of them.  However, we at least try.  We will make them at least try one or two bites of something ("two polite bites"), and if they absolutely can't take it, we don't force anymore.  We will try again in a week or two because sometimes things grow on you.  Neither of my kids used to like cucumbers, for example, now they eat them all the time because we tried them out over and over.

KC&MO: How do you keep your children active? 

Lindsey: My oldest, Nicholas, is just an active kid!  There is no stopping him, so I don't really have to do much to keep him active.  But, he does play sports (football, basketball, and baseball), so those keep him very busy.  Leah, on the other hand, does not like to be active.  We found early on that she liked gymnastics, so we have her enrolled in that, and she is going to try soccer in the spring.  Team sports are a phenomenal way to get kids moving!  

I also run a lot of 5K's, and I have started bringing the family so the kids can run in the Fun Runs.  As I said, Davey and I love to work out, so we will bring the kids into the basement with us, and the kids will do obstacle courses or "work out" with us while we are down there.  We never make them do weights or anything of that sort, but jumping jacks, "push-ups", bodyweight squats, there is so much that kids are capable of if we just teach them.

Finally, just get outside!!  We jump on the trampoline, ride bikes, go for family walks, and swim when it is warm.  If it is too cold to go out, we have a small indoor trampoline, play catch with soft balls in the playroom, and go to indoor jumpy places or gymnasiums to run around.  I think all kids like to be active, they just have to be shown all the many opportunities there are… If all they know is having a TV or an electronic device in their face all the time, they don't know how much fun they could be having doing other things!

KC&MO: How do you stay healthy? 

Lindsey: I work out (cardio and strength training) 5-6 days each week.  I also incorporate yoga and Pilates.  I have just fallen in love with working out and sweating.  It makes me feel good about myself and is a stress reliever! I also eat healthy.  I don't eat Paleo, I'm not even sure what "clean eating" is anymore there are so many definitions, but I try to eat things that I have cooked from fresh ingredients as much as possible.  We do limit carbs and added sugars, but we don't eat zero carbs.  I'm not afraid to treat myself to a piece of pizza or a dessert when we are out with friends or on a special occasion, but portion control and knowing when it is a special occasion versus an everyday occurrence is the key!

KC&MO: When do you find the time to work out?

Lindsey: Whenever I can!  I have found now that I love it so much, I will make time no matter what!  If I know in advance that my day is going to be crazy, I will just have to get up at 5am and get my workout in and shower before the kids ever get up!  I can work out after they are both at school on some days.  Then there are other days that my kids are eating dinner on trays down in the basement while I'm working out.  When Davey is home, we can take turns, but when he travels, they are used to being taken down to our gym in the basement!  I know it sounds terrible, but working out makes me a much happier Mommy, so I'm sure they are glad that I'm dragging them down there! :)  I have learned over the past few years that I cannot feel guilty about working out!  It truly makes me feel better and happier, and in turn I really can be a much better, more focused mom.

KC&MO: What keeps you motivated to exercise? 

Lindsey: Well, as I said above, it just makes me feel better and happier.  I know the benefits of it and I want to live a long, healthy life, so that's a huge driving force.  I've seen how a sedentary lifestyle has affected family and friends' quality of life, and I don't want that to happen.  I want to set a good example for my kids, my family, and anyone else who may be paying attention to our lifestyle.  God gave me this body, it is a gift, and I want to treasure it and honor Him.  And finally, truthfully, I want to feel good about how I look, too.

KC&MO: What would be one tip to share with moms on the go that would make them a little bit healthier? 

Lindsey: Working out- it doesn't take as much time or "stuff" as you think!  You can get in a great total body or strength-training workout in 30 minutes or 20 minutes of high intensity cardio.  You also can use your own body weight do get a very effective workout- no need for weights and a fancy gym with machines!  Anything is better than nothing!

Eating healthy- always be prepared!  I try and travel with a healthy snack on me at ALL times (for myself and my kids!!).  If I get hungry while I'm out, it keeps me from grabbing something unhealthy.

Thank you Lindsey for taking the time to share SO much with us!  Your tips and tricks are not only helpful, but practical. You are an amazing mom! Mommies, I hope you enjoyed!  Keep Calm (and WARM!) and Mommy On!

Xoxox,

Danielle