Our youngest daughter is not a fan of hospitals. Not that anyone we know is all...yay, we're going to the hospital!!!!...or anything...but if she were to measure up with her three siblings, when it comes to being squeamish, Hope has succesfully unlocked the "Holy Crap, I'mma Throw Up!" achievement medal at the age of 8.

If it is associated in any way, shape or form to the medical profession, she will work herself into a full blown anxiety attack and then projectile vomit all over your nice, crisp, white medical lab coat -- you're welcome!

At fourteen, it bothers her to no end whenever someone suggests she is simply being dramatic and clearly that someone has never witnessed anyone projectile vomit...like a boss.

Long story short: I've been taking medication for hypertension and monitor my blood pressure, regularly. And Hope had a breakthrough while visiting my Dad at the rehab center, where she actually walked inside, passed all the medical equipment and headed straight into my Dad's room, without throwing up.

Hope: Can you take my blood pressure?

It's the little moments, when your child opens herself up and attempts to control her fears, that make me agree to do things without thinking on it, too much.

Me: Sure, pull up a seat!

I gently wrapped the blood pressure machine's cuff around her arm and reminded her that it would slowly inflate.

[turning machine on]

It began to inflate and my precious, beautiful and ever so brave daughter began to lose her shit.

Hope: It's not stopping...it's NOT stopping...MOM...IT'S NOT STOPPING...AHHHHHH...MAKE IT STOP...GAAAAAAAH!!!!!

10 seconds later, it stopped.

Hope: Huh, that wasn't soooo bad, how'd I do?

[leaning over the machine]

Me: All things considered, your blood pressure isn't too bad at all.

Hope: GRIN!

Me: You're heart rate, on the other hand, is 128.

Hope: Yeah, BUT I didn't throw up!

End scene.

I'm very proud to partner with the good folks at Sauder, a manufacturer of affordable furniture you assemble yourself, and participate in the Sauder challenge: to share our experience(s) with Sauder and, hopefully, inspire other families (like mine) who have very little extra and literally, no room, or time to spare.

I've been writing online for 11 years -- my first blog post went live on September 2, 2003 -- which is like forever ago, in the evolution of the blogging community.  Today, I enjoy working to help others find online publishing opportunities and, hopefully, help further their blogging endeavors, as well.

I also telecommute from home. Which, with 6 people living in our 7 room house, is no easy feat (especially, during the summertime, when the kids are ALL home and probably bored) trust me!

So, I've claimed a small area in the play room/laundry room/den and it's worked out pretty well -- my teens sharing an old folding table, because the legs on the old kitchen table we re-purposed as a desk finally broke, not so much.

I am very proud to once again partner with my friends at Kelloggs, Action for Healthy Kids and the Team USA athletes in helping to spread the word about the #GreatStarts program's effort to provide breakfasts to kids who might otherwise go without.

How?  By sharing ways in which you can help share breakfast with a child in need, too. This is my fourth year helping Kellogg's give childhood hunger the virtual bitch-slap it deserves. Why? Long story short, because my family is no stranger to hunger: 

One of the most memorable moments of the 2014 Sochi Olympics for our family was watching my fellow Team Kelloggs and Team USA athletes Meryl Davis and Charlie White skate their way to a gold medal in ice dancing.

You see, through our partnership with Kellogg's (an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams) I had the super-awesome opportunity of wishing Meryl and Charlie well and also allowed me the "once in a lifetime" chance to skate with them on The Rink at Rockefeller Center, while taping this segment for the TODAY Show  in NYC.

Okay, I lied. I was in charge of watching everyone's stuff (stupid borked-up back) and WOO-HOO-ing the loudest, take a look:

I am very happy to be able to tell you that Meryl and Charlie are just as down to Earth and awesome in person, as they seem on and off the ice. Both are proving to be really great role models for kids, too.

Especially young adults, who are struggling in school (Meryl was diagnosed with dyslexia and battled with reading until the 11th grade) and perhaps are having a hard time believing in their own aspirations.

I know, because each and every one of my kids has struggled with self-belief (still do, DAGNABIT!) and it doesn't get any easier in high school. 

As a mom, with 20+ years of experience in trying NOT to mess up her kids, I feel it safe to tell you that the secret to balance is really quite simple, because there is NO secret: balance is all a matter of perspective.  

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, for a family of 6, while running in twice as many different directions (sometimes, all in the same day) without one (or all) of us experiencing the proverbial crash and burn is a challenge my family and I face, every single day.

That is why I am very honored to have partnered with the good folks at  Together Counts -- a program inspiring active and healthy living through energy balance -- as a contributing blogger to the Together Counts blog for 2013.  In case you missed it, here's a quick recap of our contributions for the last year:

 

As a Kellogg's KChamps partner, I had the extreme pleasure of meeting with U.S. Olympic legends (that's me over there, standing with 1980 Olympic Hockey Gold Medalist...Jim Craig...seriously?!?) and athlete hopefuls representing Team USA to help kick-off the 100 day countdown to the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

I know, who ever thought a dork like me would EVER be able to say that, out loud, RIGHT?!?

Kellogg's is also an official sponsor of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Teams and, now that we are just a few days away from the opening ceremonies for the winter games (February 7th, whoot!!!), I am super-excited to join the Kellogg's Team USA athletes in kicking-off the Great Starts Program for 2014 AND help share in their Olympic journey!

This month, they've challenged me...personally...to share tips to help other families with teens get the best possible start to their mornings: CHALLENGE ACCEPTED!!!

Aaaaand, if you know me...personally and/or virtually...then you know how I like to keep it real AND snarky.

Like most families we know, the kids and I have our favorite holiday traditions: decorating Christmas cookies ranks right up there with tricking out a ginger bread house with leftover Halloween candy, if there's any left.  

Assembling said gingerbread house, not so much.

So, when our good friends at Kellogg's challenged us to put a twist on a family-favorite holiday tradition, I thought it would be REALLY fun to replicate This Full House (the house) in Rice Krispies, but then I broke it.