Real Fitness Profile: Alaina Frederick’s Lifetime Challenge

Alaina Frederick is a wife and mom of three little boys. She also runs her own business as a web designer and Mommy Blogger. Alaina has decided to make a commitment to herself to lose weight and get healthier.

Wanting to look good for a family wedding sparked her desire, but she soon realized that it wasn’t just about a wedding—or any one event. Alaina decided to embark on a lifetime challenge to improve her own and her family’s health.

How will she fit fitness into her busy day? How will she have the energy she needs to tackle healthy meals that she—and the family—will eat? Alaina’s blogging about it and we can follow her journey here.

What about you? How do you struggle with living a healthy lifestyle? What works for you? How can we help with the tough parts? We’re all in this together! Let me know!

How to Start your Daughter with Makeup

I’m fortunate to have a friend who happens to be a professional makeup artist. Gina Pravlochak does the makeup for our TV show. Many of our viewers write to her for beauty help. Here’s a question I wanted to share here, from a mom who wants to help her daughter get started—the right way—with makeup:

Q. Hi Gina, at what age can I start introducing make-up to my daughter? She is 13. Some of her friends wear it and its dark and too much. Can this damage their young skin?

A. I get this question a lot on the web. There is no magic age for letting your daughter wear makeup. When you decide it’s right–for both of you—I would stress the importance of clean, clear skin first.

Start her on a cleansing, toning, and moisturizing routine. Then ease into the make-up one product at a time.This is so you can monitor and wait for her to master that before she moves onto another product.
Also stress the importance of make-up removal so she falls into the habit of thoroughly cleaning her skin before bed.

When to start with make-up is a topic that really seems to get people fired up! Some worry that allowing makeup means allowing their daughters to grow up too fast, look older than they are and causes long term skin problems. As a professional make-up artist, I feel that these are unnecessary worries if makeup is done properly! The key to beginner’s make-up is to look as natural as possible.

I would suggest clear or brown mascara, not waterproof. A lightly tinted lip-gloss. Look for the words sheer or tinted, that way they can’t overdo it. I would stay away from black eyeliners, foundations and bright shadows for now. The key to those products is learning to use them the right way. Makeup should always enhance and not try to take away from natural beauty.

Any of you dealing with issues like this?
j.

At Home Spa: Soften Up

Noticing some dryness or roughness in your skin? Here’s a great at-home treatment that you can do in minutes. I like how it makes my skin feel…I LOVE how the treatment smells! Gives a real energy boost!

Here’s how to make your own citrus-sugar scrub. In this blend, citric acid works to soften and loosen dry skin, and the sugar scrub removes it.

What Do I Need?

1 orange, lemon or small grapefruit
1/4 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of olive oil

How Do I Make It?

1. Mix the juice of one half of an orange in a bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1/4 cup of olive oil (an incredible year-round all natural moisturizer).

2. Rub the other half of the orange where you need it…elbows, kneels, heels, hands. Rub the organge-sugar mixture over those same spots.

3. Gently rinse and dry.

Give it a try and let me know what you think! Also, if you don’t have an orange but you do have a lemon, lime, or grapefruit—go ahead and use that. You’ll get the citric acid benefit and a wonderful, different scent. Enjoy!

j.

Ditch Debt!

The bills keep coming, the phone calls start. People want money and you don’t have it! Dealing with debt can cause a great deal of stress and feel extremely overwhelming.

In fact, new research shows that women suffer greater anxiety, and have more difficulty coping with the stress that money trouble brings.

You can’t run and hide from it; you need to be honest with yourself and motivated to face it and dig out of debt. Mary Ann Demchak, an accredited financial counselor, and financial education and community outreach advocate with Clearview Federal Credit Union offers this advice:

• Your gross may look wonderful on paper, but if your net is less than your bills, there will be problems! The amount of major credit card debt is testament to that. Keep a spending diary to track expenses for one month to get a clear picture of what you really need “to live.”
• Know what your net is and what you owe-this is a must! It’s amazing how many people have no idea how much debt they are actually in. Do you keep a log of your revolving and installment debt? Keep a chart of what you owe, who you owe it to, the APR, and the due dates for each.
• Learn to distinguish between your wants and your needs. Before you make a purchase, think it through. Does it fit into your plan for debt reduction?
• Identify your personal goals. Where do you want to be financially in the next five years? How will you get there?
• Know what your options are. What resources are out there to help? Explore all options: your credit union, outside agencies that specialize in debt management and/or counseling, using your own methods.
• Commit to making positive changes in the way you live. If you stay on the same course you can’t expect to get a different result!
• Save for the future as part of your basic financial routine. Saving is an important part of any healthy debt reduction plan.
• Create a plan and stick to it! Empower yourself to make a difference in your financial future.

j.

Real Money Resources

Me and numbers don’t have the greatest relationship. BUT, I’ve found that’s no excuse not to take control of your financial situation. Especially with this economy…arming yourself with information you need to make smart money decisions is extremely important!

Here are some helpful links:
• Changing long term investments during a recession

• 401k fixes at all ages

• Dealing with company cuts to 401k plans

• Emergency Money Management

• Dipping into your 401k

• Saving and planning for retirement

Get more smart money information in the Family Finance area at jenniferTVshow.com.
j.

Weight Loss & Wellness

I had the craziest dream that I did a TV show in my pj’s. And, that in another segment of the show, I took my pants off! When I mentioned it to my husband in the morning he said, “uh…that wasn’t a dream!” Have you ever been so excited about sharing something that it caused you to act a little, well, strange? I think that’s what was going on when we taped our Weight Loss and Wellness show at my house!

I am happy to say that I was recently able to lose 36 pounds in just two and a half months! And, on this new show, I introduce you to the women and the programs I used to do it…PLUS a beautiful Work At Home Mom/Mommy Blogger on a mission to make healthy changes in her life!

I’m wearing my pj’s in the first segment [see below] -what do you think about those leopard jammies?!?- to prove the point that with my friend, Leslie Sansone’s Walk at Home program, you can get an incredible workout in your home anytime you want–wearing anything you want! In this segment, we get to meet Leslie’s brand new Walk Leader, Brittany Ullrich—the energetic host of WALK NOW!

For the second segment I’m more normally dressed, but it’s not long before my pants come off (!) again, in the name of a helpful demonstration!!! The pants I walk out of are the pants I wore the first time I interviewed Dr. Bridget Chufo of Healthy Performance on my show. Now, they look like clown pants on me…so big that I can put them on over pants that actually fit and slide them right off without unbuttoning or unzipping a thing!!! It’s a great feeling! Dr. Chufo explains how the nutritional supplements and the protein shakes I used work in the body to bring it to a healthy place where the extra weight can come off!

Then in the third segment I stay fully clothed to talk with my friend Alaina Frederick. She’s a wife and mom of three boys who decided to make taking care of herself a priority (yay)! She’s started a lifetime challenge to lose weight and feel better–for an upcoming family wedding—and beyond! We’ll be able to track Alaina’s journey right along with her by following her Lifetime Challenge blog posts.

If you are looking to lose weight I hope you can watch the show on Father’s Day—this Sunday morning at 11 on WTAE-TV, Channel 4 (ABC) Pittsburgh. If you’re out of the Pittsburgh viewing area, no worries! The clips will be posted on jenniferTVshow.com after it airs.

Leopard pj’s…oh man…

Last Minute Holiday Hot Picks

Hello there! Scrambling for last-minute ideas for the hard to buy for? Some of our friends at the Westmoreland Mall have some great ideas! Check out their holiday hot picks:

Happy Shopping!
-j

Smarter, Easier Holiday Shopping with Special Offers, A Bed Giveway, and Great Gift Ideas

Hi, there! Despite the shaky economy, it’s estimated that Americans will still spend billions of dollars during November, December, and January. What we buy for the holidays this year may be different though. Practical gifts for the home are expected to be very popular. Here’s the scoop on some great gift ideas from our friends at Sleep Number by Select Comfort:

ENTER TO WIN a BED!
We’ve partnered with Sleep Number to bring you information on the importance of sleep and how to achieve quality sleep. Get sleep tips now at our brand new jenniferTVshow.com! Sleep Number is also offering our friends special offers, and a chance to win a Sleep Number Memory Foam bed! Click here for more information to to enter to win!
Also…Print this out before you head to the mall! Take it to a Sleep Number by Select Comfort store near you and get a special Free Gift! Please feel free to share with your family and friends. (Pittsburgh area locations include: Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills, The Mall at Robinson, Monroeville Mall, South Hills Village, and Westmoreland Mall. For the store nearest you anywhere in the country, call 1-800 SLEEP NUMBER or visit sleepnumber.com)

JC Penney stores have so many new product lines, and they are having fantastic after-Thanksgiving sales. Look at some of the cool stuff:

And, I’ve always been a big Macy’s fan. Check out some of the latest trends (that you can get now all on sale)! :

I’ve gotta run in there to get a cozy for me! How cute!

Also, learn how to be a smart spender, how to use the holiday shopping season as a teaching opportunity for your children, and more in our new Family Finance area in the Money Matters tab at jennifertvshow.com.

And, if you’re in the Pittsburgh area, it’s worth a trip to the customer service desks at the Monroeville and Westmoreland Malls: they are giving out Free Treat Yourself Holiday Coupon Books that contain $850 worth of savings in mall stores and restaurants! Take advantage of that!

Happy Holiday Shopping!

j.

Halloween/Fall Treat

With the five kids, we have a party pretty much every day at my house…
but, imagine what it’s like when my friend Gina and I get together with our kids! She also have five, so it’s two moms—ten kids and a lot of fun!
This picture of us was from a visit to a pumpkin farm. We fit in well with the school groups there that day!
If you’re gathering friends and family for a party this season, you’ll appreciate having this easy dip recipe. I got if from a man dressed as a conehead (honest, I did) who brought it to a family Halloween party. Everybody loved it! It would be perfect to make and set out for Thanksgiving guests either before the meal, or for the football after.

Have Fun, Help Others

If we saw each other and started talking and I asked, “Guess where I was today”? I’ll bet Rock Star Challenge wouldn’t top your list. That’s where I was though.
I did not compete in the event (I still need my kids to practice with me a little bit more before I’m ready to take that show on the road!) but I did get to see and meet many of the people who did. Most were very young, and besides having fun trying to win a real electric guitar; they were helping to do something very special for someone their age. The Rock Star Challenge at the Monroeville Mall benefits the Make-a-Wish Foundation. Many of the young people there used their own ten dollars to register. I spoke with Stephanie from Make-a-Wish, and Mindy from the mall about the event:

Again, you can catch the next Rock Star Challenge to benefit Make-a-Wish on October 11th at Westmoreland Mall. Hope to see you there!
j.

« Previous Page — Next Page »