Fitting fitness into your insane schedule

Moms do it all, but finding time in a busy schedule for you can be tough. I caught up with a couple local moms who are finding time for much needed fitness, and making it work for their schedules.

Check out Q13Fox.com to see the whole story and the video interviews!

Mandy Levenberg is running two businesses from her home, walking her kids to school, and still making it to a group fitness class at Strength Studio. She admits her schedule seems impossible, even for herself.

She says especially, “when my kids were infants, when I was nursing or when I was in a full-time position where my butt had to be in my seat every day and I didn’t have an option to sneak out.”

That’s why Levenberg loves the latest fitness craze, FitMob and ClassPass. The companies are in the middle of a merger, but both provide a membership to nearly every gym in Seattle. They provide people with flexibility and options.

Levenberg said, “I’ve never done spinning until recently and I’m gonna try a barre class. And then also just being able to check the night before and see what’s available and schedule on a last minute based on my work schedule and my kids schedule, is really making the whole process faster in terms of getting at the exercise instead of planning for it.”

Other local moms are hitting the pavement with their strollers and pumping up their biceps while they pump up the nursery rhymes. Chelsea Startup says Stroller Strides, by Fit4Moms gives her a chance to workout with her babe in tow, and join a community of new moms.

She says, “Even on those days where you’re exhausted, you see other moms and they’re going through the same thing… You’re in good company here. You have someone to share the great times with and the really tough times.”

Should a mom feel guilty about getting that time in? Both moms say, “no way!”

Levenberg says, “I always tell my kids that it’s like me having a playdate. I need to go do that too... I remind them that they’re going to go and do their activities and this is my chance to go and have her fun and get her ya-yas out.”

Levenberg adds that it’s more than just checking off another box on the never-ending to do list.

“You feel like you got exercise in, you feel like you’ve got the rest of the day for giving, whether it’s your job or your kids or your neighbors. You just feel like a better person.”

Local expert and Strength Studio owner Susan Slater-Cotter recommends making exercise the first thing you do in the morning.

"Get up early, get it done. Whether you're leaving the house early or going to the gym to take an early morning class or you get up and you're watching a video at home, get it done early. That way, the rest of the day, you've fueled yourself with that energy, you're going to have more energy throughout the day. "

Strength Studio is a group fitness and personal training gym in Portage Bay. Fit4Moms Stroller Strides has local franchises throughout the state and is offering free classes all week for new members, in honor of Mother’s Day.

We asked viewers on the Q13 Facebook page to submit their own ideas about fitting workouts in. Here is a complete list of their ideas. Check it out to find a location or group working out near you.

• Fit4Mom (local franchises): Stroller Strides, BodyBack, Stroller Barre, Fit4Baby, Running Club

• In Home Workout Programs: Beachbody, 21 Day Fix, p90x, Les Mills Pump, WiiU Fit, Bodyrocktv.com, PiYo, Pump, T25, Wraps, Jillian Michaels, Bikini Body Mommy, The Firm, Jackie Warner, Pop Pilates

• Local group fitness: Emily’s Extreme Water Aerobics, Christina Barnard’s Custom Training Solutions, Baby Boot Camp, Happy Hour by Marisa, Indo Yoga Board, Urban Boot Camp, Starting Team

• Gyms: YMCA, Fitness 19, Mommy’s Fit Zone, Whidbey Island Time Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, Fuelhouse, Cappy’s Boxing Gym, Limitless Fitness, Anytime Fitness, MI Athletic Club, Curves, Strength Studio, Community Fitness, Sync Fitness, Kokofit Club, The Fitness Lab, Running Evolution, The Fuel Plan, The Sweat Shop, The Valley Athletic Club, 20 Minute Fitness at Pacific Wellness, Milton Activity Center

• Crossfit: Composite Crossfit, Lake Washington Crossfit

• In Home Tips: multi-task, workout during lunch hour, workout before family wakes up, workout after work, walk stairs

Are you a helicopter mom? Or a free-range parent?

Starting today, I am going to be working on some parent-focused content for the station I work with, Q13 Fox News in Seattle. Although we are talking to Seattle families, the ideas and messages ring true to families across the country (and around the world). Today we aired a story about a family who some would describe as "free-range" parents. Take a look at the coverage and the expert who came on to answer questions. I would love to hear what you think!

Are you a helicopter mom? Or would you consider yourself a “free-range parent”?

The concept of free-range parenting is making headlines after a family in Maryland let their 6 and 10-year-old kids go to the park alone. A “concerned citizen” called the police, getting CPS involved and separating kids from their parents for hours.

In Maryland you can leave your child home alone at 8-years-old. In the state of Washington, there’s no law about children being left alone. The only guideline from DSHS is that they shouldn’t be younger than 10.

Scott Sciuchetti, from Covington, Washington, says he doesn’t love the label, but he says he’s been a free-range parent for years.

“It sounds like chickens, but more on the free-range side. I figure you need to give the kids responsibility when they’ve earned it. It’s part of parenting to teach them to be responsible adults.”

His oldest daughter, Gabi Sciuchetti, says this freedom is what encouraged her to start college at 13-years-old. Now she is a 15-year-old Sophomore at the University of Washington.

“I don’t think I would have been able to achieve anything, like I have, without very much freedom.”

Freedom for Gabi started at a young age. She was allowed to go the store, the park and the playground without her parents. Often with her little brother in tow.

When she was thirteen she began riding the light rail, train and bus alone, commuting up to an hour and a half by herself.

Her dad, Scott, says if he had been a helicopter parent, she wouldn’t have been so successful.

“Getting her and my son to learn what the world’s really like, how to make good decisions, and if I’m there hovering over them all the time, then they won’t figure things out for themselves.”

Critics say kids are snatched up, raped or hurt by strangers every day, which is why someone might call the cops on a child or a teen who is alone.

Scott says, “You might get struck down by lightening tomorrow, come down with some sort of disease, whatever, there’s those sorts of risks everywhere.”

Gabi admits that independence can be scary at times and she has run into trouble on her commutes.

“There have been lots of scenarios where people have tried to talk to me on the train, or talk to me on the bus, that I’m not completely comfortable with.”

But she says her parents have prepared her for the unexpected.

“Part of the really great things about the way my parents raised me is that I’m self-sufficient enough to say, ‘okay, I’m uncomfortable, here’s a way I can deal with this’ or ‘I can go talk to the bus driver.’ Or move away. Or switch buses.”

But she does agree, she isn’t ready for anything.

“Well I don’t know that my parents would agree with that, and I don’t know if I would agree with that universally to any situation, but I think in most situations, I have a way that I could get help if I needed to.”

Tracy Cutchlow, a parent and local Seattleite, answered viewers’ free-range parenting questions on Q13 Fox This Morning (5/1). She wrote an article for the Washington Post, “Would you call 911 on another parent?”. Her approach brings family and community to the forefront of how to handle a situation where you, as a parent, might feel uncomfortable, and how to help. Check out the Q13 Fox Facebook page to see the questions she answered after her live segment.

For more parenting advice, follow Tracy on twitter and read more about her book, Zero to Five.

A Mom's Take On Mormons and LGBT

In light of the LDS Press Conference on protecting religious freedoms, I decided to share an "essay" I started writing a couple of months ago. Today the leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints said,

• "We claim for everyone the God-given and Constitutional right to live their faith according to the dictates of their own conscience, without harming the health or safety of others.
• We acknowledge that the same freedom of conscience must apply to men and women everywhere to follow the religious faith of their choice, or none at all if they so choose.
• We believe laws ought to be framed to achieve a balance in protecting the freedoms of all people while respecting those with differing values.
• We reject persecution and retaliation of any kind, including persecution based on race, ethnicity, religious belief, economic circumstances or differences in gender or sexual orientation.”

I would love to hear your thoughts, rebuttals, comments, opinions of my article. Please feel free to share openly because, like the opinions of most of you, mine is also ever evolving and growing with personal experience and education.

Being a Mother in 2015; trying to navigate religion, politics, culture and my family

I don’t call myself a blogger. I am more of a writer, who dabbles in blogging. I tend to blog when I have free time on my hands or during major life transitions, like when I move. But today a thought came to me, in a very odd place. And it’s one that I want to write down, mostly because it may benefit others. 

For several years I have been trying to understand myself better. Not necessarily find myself. I know who I am, but sometimes that doesn’t always fit into the cookie-cutter categories life gives you.

I have a lot of titles these days: Journalist, Ballet Teacher, Youth Counselor, Mormon, Wife, Friend, Mother. The latter has become increasingly important as I just doubled my crew using the big M word (translation: I have two kids now). Maybe this is why I am coming to some important conclusions about how I want to present myself.

Religion and Culture

Religion and culture always seem to clash.

This concept is an odd one for me, since religion and culture should be one in the same. Maybe they clash because people have religious and cultural differences, and that frightens us.

That said, for the past several years, the Mormon and LGBT communities have been in an interesting place. In fact, when the congregation I attend sent a letter to members who have not been attending for the past couple months, and mentioned that we were inviting a gay Mormon to speak, we made a splash in a couple of media sources. Probably because mixing the words "Gay" and "Mormon" is taboo.

Finding Understanding

That’s where my search for “understanding” comes in. I have been Mormon since birth, well, logistically since I turned eight years old and I decided to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am not gay, but I have had gay family, friends, neighbors, co-workers for as long as I can remember. As a child and teen, I never sat around thinking, “I wonder how I should feel about my friend who is gay.” And I never thought they were sitting around thinking, “I wonder how I should feel about my friend who is Mormon.” We just lived, worked, acted, played, danced in sync, like there wasn’t a difference between us.

Then all of a sudden I started worrying, I started wondering about the differences between myself and the people around me. It may have started because the country went up in arms about propositions to legalize all marriages. It may have started because members of my church and my extended family began feeling uncomfortable with the choices other people were making. It may have started because I work in an industry (news) that dramatizes every fight and protest that happens on every corner.

I’m not saying any of these things should or should not have happened. The country will vote, people will protest, and everyone will find differences with those around them, despite how much we try and convince ourselves we are unbiased.

Fielding Tough Questions

With these ideas and thoughts swirling, I started having to explain myself to everyone. Some would ask,

“How are you Mormon, while one of your best friends is recently engaged to her girlfriend?”

“How do you go to work every day and interact openly with people who are legally married to their same-sex spouses?”

“How are you a member of a religion that claims a homosexual lifestyle is a sin?”

“How could you believe that a family raised by parents of the same sex is wrong, when there are millions of families with a mother and father who beat or starve or ignore their children?”

These are heavy questions. Most of them are based on assumptions of how I feel or what I believe. I realized I needed a simple answer to not only share with my friends and family, but to share with my children.

I Choose to Love One Another

I choose to believe that I am a daughter of God. I believe there is a higher plan for me and for my family. I chose to make promises based on these beliefs. One of those promises is that I will have a family with my husband and raise my children with a love of God and a love for one another.

I realize other people haven't made the same choices, the same promises, or the same commitments that I have made. That's okay. That's part of this higher plan, that's one of the most important parts of life. We all have the opportunity to make our own choices. And God would be the first to say He wouldn't want anyone to take that ability to choose away from us. So I choose to live my life a certain way AND I choose to love everyone no matter how they live theirs.

So the next time someone asks me one of those heavy questions, this is how I will respond:

I believe God gave us all the ability to choose. I chose to make commitments to God to have and raise my family in a certain way. Other people haven't. But I can still choose to love everyone, no matter what choice they make. We are all children of God.

A Deacon's remarks

A friend of mine responded to my post Pope resigns. Elect a nun? and I wanted to share it here. I have known him since childhood and recently found out he is a Deacon for the Catholic Church and will be ordained a priest this summer. This is a lengthy response, but he provides a very well constructed defense for women and their role in faith and the history of the Catholic Church.

Enjoy the words of Deacon, soon to be Father Kurt Perera:

"Hi Darien, coming across your post, and being Catholic myself, I found your thoughts and those of this person that wrote the article interesting. While I completely disagree with the premise that is presented, I am delighted that many non-Catholics and others are thinking and discussing about these topics that pertain to the Catholic Church.

The major point I would ask those who share the opinion expressed in the WP article is “Why do we degrade women in thinking that their only influence and power comes from holding what is perceived to be a structural or hierarchical construct?” Are we only then reinforcing the stigma and widespread belief in our modern world that a woman only possesses power when they hold some sort of title?

If we look at the course of history, there have been many influential, powerful women in the world, especially within the Catholic Church. For example, look at the prior pontificate of Pope John Paul II. During the time of his pontificate, while he was indeed a very visible figurehead of the Church, there were many who would argue that the face of Catholicism did not rest on the Pope, but rather an Algerian nun working in the slums of India. 

The woman I am referring to, is of course, Mother Teresa. Besides winning the Noble Peace Prize, and speaking at various conferences and groups such as the U.N. – Blessed Mother Teresa was revolutionizing the face of Catholicism to the world by feeding and helping the most vulnerable of society. Where was her title? Where was her office? Was she even a priest or the pope? No. Yet she possessed tremendous power and influence over the entire world.

Her empowerment came from something more than an office or being part of ordained ministry. Her empowerment came from someone - God, whose face she showed daily to the people she loved and cared for. This is where true empowerment begins. A man can hold whatever titles he want – be it “Father,” “Bishop” and even the “Pope.” Yet he would not have any true power and influence if he did not reflect the love of God for others in his life.

I can provide other examples of Catholic history where women have played instrumental, powerful roles that are often remembered more so than the men who have held ecclesiastical power. Other examples include Teresa of Avila who set the world aflame with her reformation of religious life, Terese of Leseiux who was a cloistered nun who practiced the simple way of “love,” to even Joan of Arc who garnered and enthused an entire nation to fight for their freedom. The Church honors and celebrates these women as “saints” and some as “doctors of the Church.”

Be careful on what you read as well as “Pope Joan” is not an accurate account of Catholic history. There are many who try to discredit the Catholic Church by presenting it as a hierarchical structure that oppresses people who do not fit within their schema. Be wary of these sources… the truth is at times harder and not as “sensational” to accept than falsity – so the media presents things according to what they want to see.

Another problematic area in this article is the false dichotomy between doing charitable works and following a doctrinal teaching of the church. Works of charity and love do not limit belief. Rather it is authentic belief that inspires one to works of charity. Yes, it is true that the “visible face” of those who hold ecclesiastical offices are not often seen “in the trenches” or “getting their hands dirty” with the poor in Africa, etc. I agree that it would be good to do more – as there is always room for growth and conversion. However, to say that a woman is more knowledgeable, would bring more attention to, and more likely to carry out such activities over men, reflects a certain sexism that is a form of discrimination. There are many men, clergy included, who are carrying out charitable work for the poor.

Same thing with the abortion issue presented in the opinion article. Sometimes what is needed in a situation is not someone who has necessarily experienced the same situations as the other, but one who can objectively look at the situation and offer a solution independent of one’s personal experience. This might seem cold and harsh at first, but the two do not have to be separate. A person can objectively look at a situation and still be compassionate. 

For example, why do people seek out the advice of doctors for their illnesses? Does it mean that I only go to a doctor if I know the doctor has experienced the same illness? Do cancer patients only go for treatment to a doctor who has had cancer herself? No. They go to a doctor because she is specialized in treating whatever illness it is, independent of whether she has had it or not. The argument that women would bring awareness to issues that only a woman can, is false. Once again this actually promotes a sexist view of women. What is needed - is more men who are able to embrace and see the side of women in a compassionate, understanding way, yet also be able to objectively analyze the situation for what it is.

One day very soon God willing I will be a priest of the Catholic Church. I hope never to degrade or limit the role of women, but truly recognize their import within the church and within the world. The only way that we can bring about true empowerment and the betterment of society is when we recognize the proper roles of our particular calling whether one be a man or a woman. 

Confusion erupts when we are seeking a false “equality” that in the end destroys who we are in the very core of our beings (our ontology). Promoting and celebrating who we are and our strengths in being a “man” and being a “woman” and the roles proper to it, is where true harmony lies. This does not degrade who we are as “women” and “men,” but follows in harmony and nature to the way God intended it to be. It will not come about by confusing, switching, or neutering our particular roles in who we are as our particular sex. Thank you once again for your thought provoking article."

Pope resigns. Elect a nun?

"Throughout history, it’s not uncommon for women to be brought in to put right what men have put wrong."

A powerful statement from the Washington Post opinion writer E. J. Dionne Jr. in response to Pope Benedict XVI stepping down.

Having read the novel Pope Joan recently, I found this Washington Post article incredibly thought provoking. I worked with many nuns during my missionary service in predominantly Catholic Spain and would consider any of those women the heart and soul of the Catholic Church.

Read: The best choice for Pope? A nun.

Let's hear what you say:
Are you noticing a break in tradition with women's roles in religion?
What disruption (good or bad) would a female pope make in the Catholic Church? In the religious community at large? In your personal community/home?
Would this type of change play solely to social/gender issues or would it affect someone's faith?

'If you do good, you'll feel good.'

It has been six days since the shootings in Newtown, CT. Six days for you to cry. Six days for you to hug your children, your loved ones. What about six days to do some good?

I find myself coming to this blog during times of tragedy and loss. I never intended it to be that way. My sister sent me a text message the day of the shootings. All it said was "MOTUS". I knew that this was where I should share my feelings, but I wasn't ready to do so, yet.

I went in to work on Sunday morning at 3am to cover the event. I thought reporting on the tragedy might give me inspiration to address my friends and family (or whoever reads this blog), but I ended up just becoming more and more emotional as I sat and listened to interview upon interview of families and friends who had lost their loved ones. Even my boss, who came in to relieve me Sunday morning so I could go to church, told me he had never felt so emotionally connected to a story besides 9-11. He worked and lived in Washington, DC on 9-11, next door to the Pentagon. Of course, he felt a strong connection then. This time he felt that tug because he couldn't get the image of his 5-year-old son out of his head every time he looked at the TV.

Having dismissed all thoughts of ever writing something uplifting, my mom gave me just the inspiration I needed in a text message. We were on the phone together when she abruptly said, "Hold on. Hold on. Hold on!" (I was in the middle of a comment.) "I have to go. They're doing an important segment on the news." She hung up. The text message came a couple of minutes later. Here is what it said:

This was just the inspiration I needed, and apparently, the world needed. While reporting in Newtown, CT, Ann Curry wondered what she could do in order to help. Here is what she did, an excerpt from an NBC News blog:

"'What if? Imagine if everyone could commit to doing one act of kindness for every one of those children killed in Newtown.' So that's what I tweeted. And guess what? People committed. I said in my tweet, 'I'm in. RT if you're in.'"

She went on to write that people have taken the challenge and made it their own. Many have not only committed to do good for every child, but for the adults who were killed, even the mother of the shooter and the shooter himself. People have such huge hearts. They know that everyone involved is heartbroken.

My favorite part of her challenge is her promise:

"I know the truth: if you do good, you feel good. It's the most selfish thing you can do. Right now, this country wants to heal. I think the only thing comforting in the face of a tragedy like this is to do something good with it if you can. Be a part of that wave."

Isn't that the truth? I am committed to do good. Start your acts of kindness today, to help yourself and our nation heal.

Share what you are doing. #28actsofkindness #motus

Thanks Giving

Have you ever met someone who immediately reflects a certain light? The second you see them or speak to them you know they are just "good"? I have met many throughout my short life, but one person in particular is on my mind this week.

Rachelle Morris and I met during what BYU calls, "Y Weekend". It was a silly recruiting weekend where nerds, like ourselves, were invited to check out the college campus, attend a class, cheer at a football game, convince us to attend. (I'm not sure they really had to do much convincing, I think both Rachelle and I were planning on going there from the start.) Rachelle immediately made everyone around her feel like they were her best friend. She was eager to learn about each timid potential student and help them feel comfortable in their own skin. It is no wonder she quickly thrived in college and I always loved interacting with her any chance I had.

Fast forward to today. I don't know everything that is happening, but what I do know is that Rachelle is sitting in a hospital in Vegas. Unlike the rest of us, who are peeling potatoes for tomorrows dinner or cuddling up on a couch with our loved ones to watch our favorite holiday movie, Rachelle is sitting next to her brother who has undergone life saving surgery.

On Tuesday, a tragic car accident brought Rachelle to her current location. The accident took her younger sister's life. Her brother and his fiance were taken to the nearest hospital. The three of them were traveling to Arizona for the holidays. Rachelle immediately arrived in Vegas to be with her brother. Gratefully, her brother is expected to make a full recovery and his fiance sustained no serious physical injuries. This unexpected and horrifying event brought a small group of friends and family to Vegas to help these siblings through the experience.

What I also know is that to these siblings, Rachelle was like a mother. The older of the three, it was so apparent how proud she was of them. As I write this, I can't help but think back to a comment she made about an earlier MOTUS post. She posted,

"Totally love the #motus cause. One of these days I'll be able to join you. Keep it up!"

Rachelle, I am joining you my friend, you are a mother. You are an incredible example to me this holiday season as I think of you, the rock for your family, sitting next to your brother, holding his hand, as you both think how grateful you are to still have each other. And especially grateful for the beautiful years you shared with your lovely sister.

I received a short note from her in a group email last night that sent me to bed in tears. I am so thankful for my family, so thankful for my friends, so thankful for my faith that assures me life is eternal and families are forever.

Taylor and Madeline Morris

Please take a moment to be thankful for what you have and what you get to keep. And, if you are capable, please take a moment to give. I can't do much for Rachelle while I am a state away, but finances is the last thing we, as friends, want her to worry about on Thanksgiving day. Follow the link below if you would like to help.

Thanks giving for the Morris family.