This post is part of my job duties as an Energy Balance Ambassador for Together Counts, for which I was compensated.
2013 was great for my family for a lot of reasons. Jonah started speech therapy, Sophie kicked butt in kindergarten, and Joshua made some really awesome (mom-approved!!) new friends.
Another reason it was great? I had an extra reason to focus on being healthy with my family through my role as an Energy Balance Ambassador for Together Counts.
Together Counts was started by the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation and encourages families to eat together, be active together, and be intentional about energy balance – calories in, calories out! Being an Energy Balance Ambassador inspired me to be intentional about making good meals for my family, making sure we had dinner together, and about spending time being active together, whether indoors or out. And, it’s helped us develop healthy habits together that we can keep up for years to come!
Over the course of 2013 I enjoyed writing for the Together Counts blog and sharing some of my family life and culinary tips and experiences. In June, I conquered the topic of Meal Planning with Food Restrictions, since 2013 was the year both Jonah and I developed wheat allergies/gluten intolerance. Planning our menus ahead of time really helped me get used to cooking foods that were allergen-free for Jonah and me but that the whole family could also enjoy.
In July, I shared some of my very favorite Fourth of July Memories, including bonding with Emily over our fear of fireworks, and the Fourth where I realized that Sophie was truly conquering her developmental delays.
In October, I wrote about one of our very favorite family traditions – Trick-or-Treat with cousins! – and also shared 5 tips for a Safe and Memorable Halloween.
In December I covered two topics – my favorite post for Together Counts all year long – Celebrating School Achievements as a Family and my favorite wintertime treat (which we just happened to have last night!) – What’s for Brinner? 3 Easy Breakfast-for-Dinner Ideas.
I had a great year working with Together Counts and being intentional about living an active, healthy lifestyle TOGETHER with my family. If you haven’t checked out their many resources and ideas for great family activities and opportunities to win grants from your school, make sure and check out their website today!
What are your favorite activities to do with your family and your favorite meals to share together? I’d love to hear about them in the comments!
