Wannabe Balanced Mom

Crystal Escobar

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· in happiness· Inspiration· Life of a Wannabe· Monthly Challenge· personal growth

February Challenge

14 Days of Loving Yourself
 

Thank you to my friend Heather who suggested that in honor of Valentines Day, we should focus on Self Love. I’m actually really excited about this and TOTALLY need to work on loving myself more.
To be completely honest, I lack confidence more than I’d like to admit. I struggle with self doubt due to the comparison game. I cannot seem to shake this one but determined to master it. I think most women can relate. One minute we’re feeling so confident and secure, then in walks a beautifully flawless women and suddenly you feel like the ugliest women in the room. This is what I do to myself in the blogging world.
February’s challenge couldn’t be more perfect for this time in my life. I want to love and appreciate my own unique gifts and talents. I want to be inspired by the success of others instead of allowing it to bring me down or make me feel inadequate. I wannabe CONFIDENT!
“You should never be the smartest person in the room. There’s always going to be somebody who’s smarter to learn from — and that’s a good thing.”
Jessica Alba
“Your piano teacher was right: practice does make perfect. “The best way to build confidence in a given area is to invest energy in it and work hard at it,” says Schwartz. Many people give up when they think they’re not good at a particular job or task, assuming the exertion is fruitless. But Schwartz argues that deliberate practice will almost always trump natural aptitude. If you are unsure about your ability to do something — speak in front of large audience, negotiate with a tough customer — start by trying out the skills in a safe setting. “Practice can be very useful, and is highly recommended because in addition to building confidence, it also tends to improve quality. Actually deliver the big presentation more than once before the due date. Do a dry run before opening a new store,” says Gruenfeld. Even people who are confident in their abilities can become more so with better preparation.”
-Amy Gallo
 
Do:
 
  • Practice regular positive self talk.
  • Say Exactly what you mean.
  • Stay away from negative people.
  • Let go of what you can’t control.
  • Be honest with yourself about what you know and what you still need to learn.
  • Practice doing things that aren’t always easy or comfortable.
  • Embrace failure! Failure IS success!
  • Stand tall and practice good posture.
  • Smile
  • Be grateful
  • Exercise
 
Don’t:
 
  • Worry about what other people think.
  • Be a people pleaser.
  • Speak badly about yourself.
  • Give up!
  • Be afraid to say “NO”.
  • Be afraid to say “YES”.
  • Focus on whether or not you have the ability, instead focus on the value you provide.
  • Hesitate to ask for validation if you need it. It’s OKAY to ask for honest feedback.
  • Be afraid to try new things.
  • Judge others, it’s a reflection of what you think about yourself.
 
Use the prompts below to participate in the challenge. Always use the hashtag #wannabeconfident so that we can connect with each other that way. If you have not done a Periscope before then be sure to introduce yourself and post your username in the Wannabe Balanced Facebook group.
1. Love Letter to Self (read daily)
Write a love letter to yourself. Be very detailed and write it as if God is saying these things to you. After all, God is the greatest source of love and we should be opening ourselves up to receive his love on a daily basis. So be sure to read this letter DAILY!
2. What are your Gifts and Talents? I want to hear what you know to be your God given gifts and talents.
3. Pamper Yourself, take a long bath with candles, give yourself a facial, manicure, pedicure, or go get a massage. Just do something that makes you feel good about yourself.
4. Go for a walk while saying positive affirmations. It’s always a good idea to be alone in nature and give yourself some positive self talk. Notice the beauty and thank God for all he has given you. Praise yourself for the challenges you’ve overcome, or the choices you’ve made that turned out to be a really good thing. Give yourself credit for a job well done and at the same time, thank God for guiding you and giving you the strength to endure.
5. Tell us about something you did that you’re really proud of.
6. Every time you look in the mirror today, give yourself a compliment.
7. Cultivate a morning routine that includes alone time with God. There’s nothing like the peace you find in the quiet hours of the morning. My day goes SO much better if I can wake up before the kids and have a little quiet time with God. I thank him for increasing my understanding and ask him to guide me as I go about my day.
8. What gives you purpose? What do you enjoy doing that gives you great satisfaction and fulfillment?
9. Exercise hard today! Push yourself extra hard to recieve the euphoric feeling that comes after a job well done.
10. Share a healthy habit you’d like to incorporate into your life. Could be something as simple as drinking an extra glass of water each day, or adding a new super food to your diet.
11. Enjoy the sunrise with positive affirmations. The sunrise is one of the most amazing things to witness. Most the time I’m too caught up in the book I’m reading, or my journaling that I don’t even look up to take it all in. 
12. Share a recent “Tender Mercy”. What kinds of little miracles have you witnessed in your life within the last week? Are you noticing all that God is providing for you? A lot of times God answers prayers through the voice of another person.
13. Listen to happy music and dance. Oh how I love listening to music. It’s an instant pick me up. I’ve kind of created a ritual in my house. I love to turn the fire place on, light a candle, and play some music. It instantly lifts my spirit.
14. Happy Valentines Day!!!! Share a picture that best describes “LOVE”. 
 
Please share this, heaven knows we ALL need it. Let’s help each other reach greater heights of confidence and self love. 

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· in Inspiration

The Power of Choice

“If today you are a little better than you were yesterday, then that’s enough.” –David A. Bednar.
Steven R. Covey teaches in his book that 10% of our lives are made up of things we cannot control, while the other 90% is determined by the way we respond to them.

I feel it helpful to share the things I’m learning because it creates a greater understanding for myself as I attempt to explain different concepts. It really expands my comprehension and in turn hopefully helps others in some small way. We need those constant reminders and positive affirmations. I’m not claiming to be an expert, I just love to share information that has helped me or inspires me in some way.

In Steven R. Covey’s book, he talks about a little girl and her dad having breakfast together. The daughter accidentally spills some coffee on her dad’s work shirt. He get’s upset, yells and storms upstairs to change his shirt. He comes down and realizes that she is still sad and hasn’t finished her breakfast. She ends up missing the bus so he takes her to school. When he drops her off she doesn’t say goodbye because she’s still upset.  So since he is now running late he exceeds the speed limit and gets pulled over and handed a ticket. Then of course he arrives late to work and realizes that he left his brief case at home.

We’ve all had days like this right?

It started from the spilled coffee and the way he responded. All of that could have been avoided if he had just responded in a calm, non reactive way to his daughter. After all, it was an innocent mistake. His response is what determined the rest of his day.
Now I want to share with you how this relates to ME. A few months ago I wasn’t having the best week and now I can admit that it was because of  the way I chose to respond to certain situations.
Basically, Sean and I had a conversation and I chose to get my feelings hurt and I let that affect the way I felt for a good 2-3 days. It affected the way I treated Sean AND the kids. It quickly became a downward spiral because I allowed it to.
We have all had those days where nothing seems to go right. Ninety percent of the time we have brought it upon ourselves. It’s the cold hard truth. Hopefully through out our lives and with a little practice, we will get better at this principle. It’s not an easy one to master that’s for sure.  I’m 34 years old and I still act like a child sometimes.
How many times have you ever said “Ugh…You’re making me so mad!” I say that to my kids sometimes and I hate to admit what I’m actually teaching them.
 That others have control over their actions and emotions. That it’s okay to blame others for the way they’re feeling. It’s simply not true!  Nobody can MAKE us feel anything. We ALLOW those feelings to take control. I’m not saying we should all be to the point where we never get mad or hurt. We should feel those feelings but not allow them to take over and consume us.  We should feel them, be hurt, be sad, be mad, but with the self control to remain calm on the outside until we work through those feelings on the inside. We need not fall into the blame game…

“Oh I’m no good at anything because my parents didn’t provide opportunity.” Or, “We were really poor growing up, so I couldn’t afford to go to college, so therefore I can’t find a good job.” Or, “I’m really overweight because we were taught really bad eating habits growing up.”
There are so many excuses we could come up with. Sometimes it’s easiest to blame others for our circumstances. We need to get really good at this principle, and defining where the true problem lies…within ourselves.
It’s hard being a mom, because we are still learning and feel pressure to be that perfect example. 
Even this morning on our way to school, I felt really bad because I snapped at Lily for getting gum out of my purse. I hate when she does that because then all the other kids want gum and she can’t have gum at school anyway. I was like, “Lily, stop it!”
She was wondering why I was getting so mad, and I was like, “oh sorry Lily!” 
Its so hard to be a good example. But I want to be the kind of example of someone who is humble enough to admit fault and say sorry.
We have been given a lot of control over our lives, 90%, that’s a lot!!!

I think it comes down to 3 things:
1.    Being humble. Accepting fault and constructive criticism.
2.     Being proactive. Take action. Stop with the excuses. We need to build the kind of life we want.  We can create that with our 90%. It’s a matter of choice. Its how we use our time and how we choose to respond to things. Stop making excuses. Who says you aren’t talented, gifted, beautiful, creative, outgoing, smart, ambitious, determined, compassionate? Maybe you just haven’t learned all you need to learn. Get educated. Overcome those obstacles. Stop putting labels on ourselves.
3.     Being grateful. Anytime you feel like things are falling apart, in any situation, you can ALWAYS find the positive. It’s just a matter of looking for it and being grateful for the lessons within the trials. Enjoy the journey.
We have the choice to respond positively to any situation. It’s a life long process. But it’s good to have these reminders and work at being better than we were yesterday.

 Be sure to follow me on Periscope for regular messages via live video streaming! I love interacting with you all this way so leave comments!!! www.periscope.tv/crystalescobar

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· in Giveaways· Monthly Challenge· Weight Loss

Wannabe Lean Challenge

I’m so excited to reveal all the details for our Wannabe Lean Challenge this month. This is the perfect time of year to get back on track with healthy eating. The number one New Year’s Resolution goal is to lose weight! So come on, let’s do this together.  I’m giving away $100 Visa Gift Card to one of you lucky ladies. I want to add more incentive in order to motivate you all to achieve your best results possible. I will randomly select a winner at the end of the month from all who participate. See the Rafflecopter below for the 4 ways to enter. Be sure to use the hashtag #wannabelean when ever you post anything about being healthy, fit, losing weight, ect. I want to check out all your cool inspiring pics and this is the best way for me to see them all. Even better, you can tag me in them!!! Also by using the hashtag you will be able to connect with other women participating in this challenge. We’re creating a positive supportive community by liking and commenting on each others pics. We need regular encouragement from one another so this will help us all find and follow one another on the different social media platforms.

Step #1

Take your before pictures!!! You might not be too thrilled about doing this, but trust me, you will be SO happy you did once you have your AFTER pics to compare them too. I did NOT enjoy looking at these pics of my post baby belly, but I knew that my hard work and determination would pay off.
(For information on the 30 Day Nutritional Cleansing program I use, message me for details. You can find all the ways of contacting me in the top right hand corner of my blog.)


Step #2

Make sure you have downloaded the free Periscope app. Create a profile then look me up and follow so that you can catch my regular Periscope videos. I love to share tips and tricks on losing weight and staying fit and healthy. You will also be doing your OWN weekly Periscope videos. I will provide a list of prompts you can choose from if you’re not sure what to talk about.

Step #3

Use this daily and weekly checklist.

DAILY:

  • Watch the affirmations video. It’s important that you listen to, watch, and or read positive affirmations DAILY. We want to instill these beliefs and healthy habits within our brain to power us through each day. The mind is incredibly powerful so lets start at the source of success, our BELIEFS! This affirmations video I created covers everything you should be doing each day, including the practice of good posture, drinking lots of water, avoiding sweets, getting physical exercise, plenty of rest, eating slowly, ect. 



WEEKLY:

  • Do your Periscope video. I know you may be a little nervous about the idea of doing your own Periscopes, but lets step out of our comfort zones and try something new. Read my Wannabe Fearless post for information on how to get started on Periscope and a list of prompts you can choose from. If you’re in the Wannabe Balanced Facebook group then you can start connecting with this amazing group of women who are so very supportive. Let us all know your Periscope handle so that we can follow you and support you by watching your Periscope videos. Use a prompt I have provided for you, or choose your own. But be sure to always start by introducing yourself briefly, share your health & weight loss goals and progress. The purpose of this is to help hold you accountable and to feel the support from other women doing this Wannabe Lean challenge.
  • Meal prep
  • Plan your work outs!!!
  • Reward yourself! You deserve a little mini gift for a job well done. Go get a pedicure, buy some new workout shoes, outfit, headphones, music, water bottle, ect. The reward could even be something simple like getting a sitter to watch the kids while you take a nice long bath with lavender and candles. How nice does that sound. Give yourself something to look forward to, something HEALTHY though. Try to avoid rewarding yourself with treats.  a Rafflecopter giveaway
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· in business building tips· Inspiration

Wannabe Fearless Challenge

15 Days of Overcoming Fear! 
 
Most people are afraid of speaking in front of people and being on camera. My goal with this challenge is to help you overcome that fear by stepping out of your comfort zone and doing daily live videos via Facebook, Periscope, or YouTube.
You can find me at on YouTube at www.youtube.com/wannabebalanced
 

 Now Let’s Get Started

 

Day 1. Introduce yourself briefly
Day 2. Tell us your hobbies and or talents.
Day 3. What are your long-term goals and passions?
Day 4. Tell a story of when you pushed yourself to do something, even though it was scary.
Day 5. Share a helpful tip for moms.
Day 6. What are your fears?
Day 7. Tell us about your favorite motivational speaker and or book?
Day 8. Share one of your life altering experiences and what you learned from it.
Day 9. Give us a tour of your home.
Day 10. What is your favorite, can’t live without, product?
Day 11. Share your favorite recipe.
Day 12. What is keeping you from fulfilling your dreams?
Day 13. What are some of your greatest accomplishments?
Day 14. Tell us how you met your husband.
Day 15. Share an embarrassing moment.
 
If you would like to join in on this challenge and receive incredible support and followers, then let me know by leaving a comment below, or go join our Facebook group called Wannabe Balanced. Everyone is welcome!!!

Just be sure to use the hashtag #wannabefearless as part of your title and share your videos on Facebook and Twitter. I would love to support you through this challenge by watching your videos. I did this challenge last year with a great group of women and it was amazing to witness the growth in just 15 days. 
 
Reasons why Live Video is so great:
 
*Huge time saver! Doing live video is much faster than blog posts. Being a mom of 4 small children doesn’t really allow much extra time. So I like to utilize video mostly and blog when I can. 
 
*Great way to practice your speaking skills. It’s a little nerve racking at first, but I can see how much I’ve improved over the past year since starting. 
 
*If you are building a brand or business, it’s a great way to teach and share information in a more personal way. People can SEE you and hear your voice. It humanizes you. 
 
*Since you are live and people are able to comment, it just feels like you’re face-timing with friends. You can get instant feedback and answer questions on the spot. 

*It’s great self talk and a way to voice your positive affirmations and at the same time lifting others.

So come on everyone! Let’s work at overcoming fear one day at a time.

UPDATE!!! Just did my 200th Periscope!!!J Here’s a quick look back over the past 6 months of scoping! I started Periscoping as a way to overcome the fear of speaking in front of people, develop better communication skills and to just share the messages of my heart. I can honestly say that I DID overcome my fear and have seen a huge improvement in my overall speaking skills. Periscope has been great practice and I appreciate you all who have been so supportive throughout this growing process!!!


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· in homeschooling

Homeschooling VS Public Schooling

 

Today I am going to talk about my experience with home schooling. Most of you know that I no longer home school. I did it for a good solid 2 years, then I tapered off.  I started doing public school AND home school. I really think that’s the way to go because you get the best of both worlds.
The public school in our area was very supportive of home schooling and pretty much agreed to let me bring my kids to school how ever often I wanted, which is the way it SHOULD be right? I mean, they are OUR children after all.
So my kids would go to public school for part of the year when we were down in Southern Utah, St. George. Then the other half of the year in Salt Lake City, Northern Utah, I would home school them.
Every time we came back to Salt Lake, we would check them out of school and do home school for a couple months while we were up North. It was perfect!
This is the first year that I will be doing public school the entire year. We started school in St. George, and now we are in a public school in Salt Lake. They have adjusted just fine and so far it seems to be working out. They love the fact that they get to ride the bus now, You know, the important things.

Let me tell you why I chose to home school in the first place. Basically what happened was, Lily (my first) started Kindergarten. It was kind of a wake up call for me. I was like, “Oh my, the time really IS going fast.” People always tell you to cherish those times with your kids because it goes by so quickly.  The fact that Lily would now be going to school every day really freaked me out.  I was worried I didn’t teach her enough or spend enough time with her.  I didn’t want to have any regrets.
During Lily’s first month of kindergarten at public school is when I started having those thoughts.  I started researching everything about home school.  One night I met up with a bunch of home schooling moms so I could ask them all my questions. I decided right then and there that homeschooling was what I wanted.

Lily ended up getting sick with a cold the very and I saw it as the perfect opportunity to jump right into homeschool. I didn’t tell her we were officially homeschooling and she never even asked about her public school class.

We went on field trips, read lots of books, did crafts and art projects. Those are the things that I wanted to do together.  I felt best and most fulfilled about myself as a mother when I was home schooling. I was really giving it my all and I was proud of myself. It was a great year. We had so much fun family time with no distractions from friends.
Then the second year came along, it was equally as beautiful, if not, more so because I was preparing for a natural home birth, with Brooklyn, my third baby. It was so amazing that Lily got to be so much a part of that pregnancy. She went with me to all of my appointments, got to hear the baby’s heart beat and learn about the process of the baby growing inside me. Those times were moments that I will cherish forever. She got to be there when Brooklyn was born, and all day, everyday with her new born baby sister. I just loved it and felt so happy and content.
Towards the end of that school year is when I started to get overwhelmed. Brooklyn wasn’t sleeping so much during the day, and Oliver wasn’t napping anymore. The nap time is what gave Lily and I time to spend and focus on school work.
I ended up putting Lily in public school the last month of her first grade year, basically for me and for her because I wanted her to have these experiences. The end of the year is all fun and games so I wanted her to go on field trips and have “hat day” and “pajama day” and enjoy all the fun parties and games they do at the end of the school year.
Then the third year came, I was like, “Okay…what am I going to do? I am really stressed.” Brooklyn was 18 months and that’s a busy time right? So I felt a little worried that I couldn’t handle it. I knew that I was capable of handling it, and I know many other moms do it with more kids and more babies. I just didn’t feel that I was up for the challenge. So I put her in public school for that third year but still home schooled her a few months of that year when we were up North.
I got pregnant with my fourth baby, Owen, and life continued to get busier. I even quit blogging because I got too busy. I just felt that I was going to pull my hair out.  I didn’t have time to do everything I needed and wanted to do.  I had to let some things go. Even though I totally believe in home schooling, and I love it.  I’m just at a point where I feel like maybe I’ll come back to it sometime, but for my own sanity, I have to be okay with putting them in public school.

I pride myself in having leadership qualities, but to be completely real, I’m not always a leader. The natural side of me wants to fit in, I love being social and love being in social settings. So for me to be the only one in the neighborhood (in Salt Lake and in St. George) home schooling, was really tough on me. I wanted to fit in. I didn’t like the feeling I was having among my friends. They didn’t intentionally leave me out, but it just happens.
I just always felt a little awkward talking about home schooling. I didn’t ever want to come across self-righteous, or that I thought I was better than anyone.   I believe that we as mothers know whats best for our children.

I feel that if more people were home schooling, it would be much easier for ME. I could see myself pushing through the chaotic part of home schooling if I had more people in my close neighborhood who were doing it as well.
I loved home schooling, and I love public school for all the reasons that I mentioned. I didn’t home school when I was growing up, so I had great memories of being in public school and elementary.  If anything, I would skip the junior high years, and hopefully I can talk Lily into home schooling for junior high. Those were not good years and I hope to protect her from of all the negative influences.
Lily and I butt heads naturally. Kindergarten and first grade were great, but as she is getting older, it’s becoming more difficult. She is more willing to do her work for her teacher, but not so co-operative for me. I don’t enjoy doing the school work, I want to do the fun stuff.  The creative art projects, and field trips. Time together was my motivation behind home schooling.  It wasn’t because I felt I could give my kids a better education, or because I wasn’t impressed with the teachers, or the classes or the school system. It had nothing to do with that. I simply wanted to make sure I had that TIME with my kids while they are still young and actually WANT to be with me.
I can see myself home schooling Owen and Brooklyn when they get to that age. Because I love those beginning years of kindergarten and first grade, and its something I can handle, education wise.  To be honest, I was getting a little confused with the 3rd grade math…
 

I have definitely gained a lot more respect for teachers through this experience. It is kind of nice to hand that responsibility over to the public school so I can focus on the fun stuff, like life lessons and spiritual growth. When it comes to math and grammar, that’s just not fun for me.

I didn’t even use a curriculum. Kindergarten  and first grade is pretty easy to figure out. You get a bunch of work books and do a lot of reading and writing.  It was stressful for me having that weight on my shoulders, trying to make sure that they are learning everything they need to know.
If I had to give anyone advice in going the home school route, I would see if you could do both?  I love home school AND public school for different reasons.

It’s hard to balance it all and I know we are just trying to be the best moms we can be. Hopefully we will look back on this time without any regrets.

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· in Weight Loss

Sick And Tired

Are you sick and tired of being sick and tired?

Weight loss has become a subject too commonly spoken of over the past decade. Things are shifting though.  We are becoming a more health conscious society rather than a “being skinny” obsessed people. Don’t get me wrong, losing weight is still a priority for most women, especially moms. We put our bodies through so much in order to bring these little babies into the world. Then we pretty much devote all of our time and energy into raising them. Needless to say, it takes a tole on our bodies and our health. More and more we are realizing that our health can NOT be put on the back burner while we raise our children. Our health is exactly what will power us through the many hours required for caring for our family.

Weight loss is great, but health is essential. That’s why I’m so passionate about Nutritional Cleansing!  Because it’s not just another diet that we do for a week then fall back to our old eating habits. It’s a lifestyle change that everyone can do. Just give it a week and you will see what happens. It’s the perfect way to jump start better eating habits. You will first cleanse out all the toxic junk that you’re body has become addicted to. Diet coke, fast food, energy drinks and sugar. Then you really are starting fresh. A clean slate. You will be amazed at how much easier it will be to do a whole 30 program, or go gluten free, or to get off that diet coke completely.

When I first did this program back 11 years ago. I had gotten to a point where I basically lost hope that I would ever be able to lose weight and keep it off. I had tried EVERYTHING! But what I didn’t know back then is that we are ALL toxic. It’s the sad truth but we are exposed to so many chemicals whether we like it or not. Our air is polluted, our water is polluted, our food is not only polluted but it is depleted of nutrients. These are all facts that I’ve learned over the years. There are multiple documentaries surrounding the subject. Sadly the majority of us are going about our lives in ignorance, just trusting the masses but not realizing that we all need to take reaponsibility and be proactive about our Health and get EDUCATED.
We wonder why we don’t feel good, can’t lose the weight, or overcome addictions. We are sick and tired of being sick and tired.

Like I said, I did my first cleanse 11 years ago before I even had kids. I was amazed with my results, but still believed that I would eventually gain the weight back. I was able to lose a total of 25 lbs and go from a size 10 to a 5. That’s even smaller than I was in high school. So, as time went on and I remained consistent with the program, I never did gain any weight back. Now after having 4 kids I’m STILL back in my size 5 jeans. It’s seriously a dream come true!

Here were my very first before and after pics.


And here are my most recent ones after baby #4

The weight loss is just an exciting side benefit to cleansing the body. Other things you will notice when cleansing out the junk is, getting a handle on your food cravings, increased energy, stamina, and mental clarity. We have coached thousands of people through a 30 day program and have seen all kinds of amazing results. What it all comes down to is the simple fact that it WORKS and that’s why my husband and I have been able to achieve tremendous success financially. We are living our dream all because we continue to share what we KNOW with others.



Click HERE to get started on your 30 day program!!!

Watch this awesome 5 minute video called “ARE YOU TOXIC?”

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Welcome!

Thank you for stopping by! I love connecting with other like minded women. This website is all about how to become the best version of yourself as you strive for balance in motherhood, business, and overall personal growth. Let’s work together! Email me at crystal@escoweb.net

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