Make your internet searches count! By using Goodsearch as your primary search engine and selecting Mommies Network (Charlotte, NC) as your charity, you will donate a penny to
us for each search you make!
PhoenixMommies is always looking for guest bloggers. CLICK HERE to check out our guidelines.
Welcome to PhoenixMommies!
As part of The Mommies Network, PhoenixMommies.com is a free community for moms in Phoenix and surrounding areas of Maricopa County, Arizona. We realize that all moms need local support -- and who can't use another friend? PhoenixMommies.com offers a simple way to connect with local moms for friendship, support and fun. Members meet on our private discussion forums to share information on everything from where to get the best haircut to tips on transitioning to a "big kid" bed. Each month, we also offer many face-to-face events for our members, their children and their families.
Register today to access our discussion
forums, events calendar and more! It's free and we'll keep your info secure and private. PhoenixMommies Blog
Sponsor Highlight: Massage Envy Spa
A mom?s life is a constant juggling act. Between keeping the kids lives balanced ? nutrition, school, extra-curricular activities ? and trying to find time for herself, stress is bound to occur. Since many women are unaware of the amount of stress they deal with on a day-to-day basis, harmful symptoms can disguise themselves and lead to more serious problems.
Stress often appears in ways that most can?t readily identify and some of the more serious symptoms might not be detected without a trip to your physician. Heart disease, high blood pressure and an irregular heartbeat are three highly-common indications stress levels are too high, but most people are unaware that their body is trying to tell them something. We look to our doctors for guidance, but if we are unaware that there?s a problem, it?s hard to determine a solution.
Stress can surface itself in more than just obvious, physical symptoms like tension headaches or the inability to relax. Other not-so clear symptoms such as depression, anxiety and loss of memory can be signs that your stress level could be in the danger zone. When a person has a high stress level, the body goes into survival mode and is forced to reroute normal brain patterns and reactions. Since the body and mind are forced to react in an unusual pattern, mental health can suffer tremendously.
One way to control stress is through massage therapy. A bi-monthly 90 minute massage therapy session has tremendous benefits for those who suffer from stress. The immediate physical benefits after receiving a massage help aid in relieving the most noticeable symptoms of stress and the firm pressure of a massage allows the body to release toxins due to the increased blood flow. Directly after a massage therapy session, the body is more tranquil, relaxed and refreshed -- which also has an effect on one?s cognitive functions.
With a well-rounded wellness program, including massage therapy sessions, the body will begin to produce more serotonin, the hormone in control of the chemical in your body that releases positive, happy thoughts and lowers cortisol (stress hormone) levels. This chemical also creates a stronger immune system.
If adding stress relieving therapeutic massage sessions to your routine is something you?re interested in, Massage Envy memberships are an affordable way to aid in building your road to a more stress-free lifestyle.
Massage Envy centers provide carefully customized massage treatments that fit each individual?s needs, plus its affordable and convenient (open late, seven days a week). Massage Envy has 27 locations across the Valley. To find a Phoenix day spa near you or to schedule an appointment please visit Massageenvy.com or Facebook.com/MassageEnvyAZ .
This blog was created and is actively maintained by The Mommies Network, Inc. (TMN) Any and all information published is for informational and/or promotional use only. TMN receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product and/or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question. This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content will always be identified. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a user's prior visits to this blog. Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the advertising opt-out page(http://www.google.com/privacy/ads/). Any questions regarding this blog can be directed to The Mommies Network at blogs@themommiesnetwork.org.
Beware of Turtle
by Jessica Shenefield
first published in Crunchy Carolina, June 2008
I have a soft spot for turtles. Though I recognize that it?s based purely upon influence, I like to joke that it?s hereditary. My mother had red-ear sliders from childhood till college. My sister has had a chinese box turtle since 1989. We were stewards of four precious young desert tortoises in the early 90's due to an over-breeding at a wildlife center. Turtles, lizards, and snakes?oh my! I have an affectionate fascination with all of them?and I?m passing it on to the next generation.
For years now I?ve been encouraging my children to stop and smell the flowers, watch the ants, observe a spider, contemplate a wasp and photograph a butterfly. I point out vistas, pastures, yards, gardens, trees, hawks, vultures and livestock as we travel about on errands and road trips. I teach them to observe the wildlife but not harass it; including the vegetation. They are great about letting me know when they?ve happened upon something nifty and taking me to it for discussing, identifying and recording.
My husband, on the other hand, will collect it and bring it to me. Such was the case with Snappy.
One sunny Sunday afternoon in April my dear husband was standing in the doorway of our outbuilding when, marching across the driveway in front of him?at its full one-inch of height?was a hatchling turtle with a tail twice as long as its body. Being fully aware of my turtle amore' he plucked it up and brought it inside for identification as he?d never seen a turtle with such a long tail (we both originate from the left coast).
It was a very young common snapping turtle and we started browsing big-box stores online for a terrarium to keep it in, then opted for CraigsList to find a used one instead. Snappy didn?t have time to wait for somebody to communicate via email so we put the turtle back where he had been found?and ten minutes later discovered another terrarium, with a phone number. Scooped Snappy back up (he hadn?t gone but a couple inches in all that time) and discussed it further; finally returning him?AGAIN?to the spot in the driveway where he?d been sighted. Snappy took the cue and bolted for the direction from whence he?d come. Twice picked up, once shy?
Perhaps we?ve unintentionally ensured that he?ll not venture into the populated portion of our property in the future. In hindsight, had my dear husband been as well-trained as the kiddos, keeping Snappy would never have been an option; and I admit to being embarrassed that we?d ever considered making a pet of a wild critter?we?d resisted the temptation with other wild turtles. I suppose it was the draw of an extended science project?the ability to observe a turtle growing up and learning about their habitat more personally as we attempted to recreate it within captivity, but with wild turtles there is no returning them to the wild when you get tired of them or when they become unmanageable. Once you start keeping them you have to keep them till their end. If you try to return them to their natural habitat they most likely will not survive and they?ll be taking your germs. Call to mind the devastation on native tribes by early settlers?same story with wild critters turned pet, and later returned to the wild.
That said, I still get tickled over the mental picture of a ?Beware of Turtle? sign at the top of the driveway. Perhaps we?ll install one anyway, and have the satisfaction of perplexing our neighbors?as well as a conversation starter that this is not our habitat alone.
About the author: Jessica Shenefield, LMBT (NC License #8367) is a nature-loving, four-wheeling, homeschooling mama of three. She occasionally paints, occasionally bakes, and occasionally blogs. When she isn?t tromping about the countryside with her kids, or providing chair massage at local farmers? markets, she is likely on Facebook. Find her at pauseNC.blogspot.com.
How Does Your Garden Grow? PhoenixMommies' fabulous Flower Power fundraiser is drawing to a close, so if you haven't placed your order yet, now is the time! It's never too early to plan to improve your curb appeal or beautify your backyard. From begonias to tiger lilies and everything in between, Flower Power is the place for quality flower bulbs with a 100 percent money guarantee.
This fundraiser runs until March 20, 2012, and your bulbs will arrive in April and May, just in time for beautiful summer blooms. Time is running out!
Save time, money, and gas by planning your perfect garden from the comfort of your computer. Spring over to http://www.flowerpowerfundraising.com/i/t/240233/lnUYphTWU4NP, and check out the wide array of lovely lilies and pretty peonies, among other bulbs. As a bonus, if you spend $40 or more, Flower Power will send you a free bag of 10 Twilight gladiolus, a $10 value.
So what are you waiting for? Don't delay: Grow with us today!
Profits made through our fundraising link go toward our chapter's operating expenses.
Ever wonder what's so special about Premium Access to the National Forum? For a limited time The Mommies Network is offering FREE access to premium content like Debate This and Buy/Sell/Swap to all members. See what you've been missing by logging on to http://www.themommiesnetwork.org/nationalforum/index.php and get started today.
Free Premium Access is available to all current and new members of The Mommies Network National Forum. It is available NOW through April 30th.
Bonjour! Ciao! Hola! Have you been checking the National Chapter and participating in Cultural Awareness Month? In our Multicultural Mommies forum, we?re talking about foreign languages and discovering fun facts about different cultures. Join the celebration, and add some new words and phrases to your linguistic repertoire!
Do you have something to add to the conversation? Share your knowledge with other moms who are learning a language with their children. Go global with TMN as we highlight the many languages and cultures that make our world wonderful!
