It is hard to believe that the New Year is right around the corner! I know, we just began the month of December and here I am talking about 2015. However, we all know how time flies. We also know that the New Year is when most of us try to form a resolution to eat better and be healthier in general. As of late, I have been reevaluating my family’s habits, which explains my thoughts towards the forthcoming resolution deadline. Most people associate our family with living a healthy lifestyle, asking us how we do it with two boys and hectic schedules. I can honestly say it is takes diligence, especially when teens are involved! For Daniel and me it has always been about supplying the boys with knowledge, setting goals and encouraging a well-balanced lifestyle of smart nutrition with exercise. For the most part our boys are good about keeping up with how much they snack, staying hydrated after exerting themselves, be it surfing or biking, but let’s be honest: kids will be kids. Which is why the best advice to them is “please practice moderation. “ 
Two things that have noticeably changed in the past couple of years are age and accessibility. 
Once the decision making process falls into their hands it is not as easy as it once was to make sure that they are always making the best choices. That goes for just about anything involving teens, yes! I will not lie; it has been difficult to let go of the reigns and allow our oldest to take the lead. However, it has been thrilling to see how curious he has become on his own about the subject with a PED course he is taking at the local university. I think we forget sometimes how captivated young people can become when they are discovering information for themselves, rather than only hearing it from dear old mom and dad. Which is why as a parent I am intrigued by the American Beverage Association’s new program MIXIFY. Have you heard of it? 
Mixify is an initiative that is all about supporting parents’ efforts to balance what their family eats and drinks with the physical activity that they get. The idea for Mixify started when moms across the country told America’s leading beverage companies they wanted their support in educating their teens about balance, which included the need for information on how they could fit in all of the foods and beverages they might enjoy, such as soda and snacks, and still achieve balanced lifestyles. What I like the most is that Mixify was co-created with teens to make sure it would resonate with them, including features teens specifically asked for, like the opportunity to ask experts, dietitians and personal trainers for advice on how to fit balance into their busy lives. Digital resources for teens about Mixify can be found here at MyMixify.com. The American Beverage Association has a new goal to cut beverage calories consumed per person by 20 percent by 2025!!
If you feel like you could use a little help in keeping your teen, yourself or your whole family on a well-balanced track, check out DeliveringChoices.org to learn more. You can also find ABA Delivers on their social channels – Twitter and Facebook – to learn more about Mixifyand all the other efforts America’s Beverage Companies are undertaking to help families achieve balance.
“Coke, Dr Pepper and Pepsi understand that getting a balanced mix of foods, drinks and physical activities for your family isn’t always easy. That’s why they’re coming together for the first time ever to talk to teens about balancing what they eat and drink with what they do. With tools to help teens get active and information to help them think about when they’ve had too much, or maybe when it’s time for a treat—America’s beverage companies are supporting our efforts to find a balanced mix that works for our families.”
As a fellow parent who is always looking for the rabbit in the magician’s hat, I am curious: when it comes to achieving a balanced lifestyle for your family, what do you struggle with most? Let me know in the comments below and you will be entered into a BlogHer sweepstakes for a chance to win a $100 Visa gift card!
Hugs,
Shari
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Hi there guys I'm Shari, but y'all can call me Red.
Southern nut. Perpetual optimist. Food adventurer. Creative dabbler. Lovin' an impromptu surf life with my darlin' & two groms. We're so glad you stopped by! 
{ 75 comments }
To keep our family balanced we eat healthy and at home most of the time and we exercise. I struggle most with trying to find enough time in the day.
heather hgtempaddy@hotmail.com
Our family struggles with regularly eating dinner at home as a family!
When it comes to achieving a balanced lifestyle for my family, I struggle with getting a healthy meal on the table during the week, so we order out more. I would love to have more time to serve a home cooked meal.
My Tweet post: https://twitter.com/lil_lady_dz/status/542172849557893120
I struggle with balancing being a mother and a wife. My husband often feels neglected.
tweet–https://twitter.com/mami2jcn/status/542432845621252098
I do struggle with making sure to eat healthy meals every day! We are so busy that I feel rushed for time, and I sometimes have to eat take out. I set aside Sunday to make a week’s worth of meals, but sometimes I can not even do that!
Tweet Entry
https://twitter.com/JewelWood/status/542438089948286976
I struggle to have good, healthy meals when we are busy with work and school.
I struggle with finding time for myself
https://twitter.com/ElenaIstomina/status/542460418048811008
I struggle to find activities for my kids to do when the weather is very cold and it is snowing, like today.
tweet
https://twitter.com/Kellydpa/status/542472220229271552
tweet https://twitter.com/yarbr012/status/542497607314993153
When it comes to achieving a balanced lifestyle for my family, I struggle getting a healthy meal on the table sometimes, since we are a very busy family.
Tweeted – https://twitter.com/lil_lady_dz/status/542723686021595136
balancing working at home and quality time pryfamily5@gmail.com
I struggle with not enough of time the most when it comes to achieving a balanced lifestyle for my family.
tcarolinep at gmail dot com
-https://twitter.com/tcarolinep/status/542879036205453313
There’s never enough time to do what needs to be done.
We try to make sure our kids get exercise when possible and eat healthy meals together as a family.
We struggle the most with holidays when the amount of less nutritious food in the house is overwhelming, and you still feel bad letting it go to waste!
Tweet link: https://twitter.com/shala_darkstone/status/543579915350999040
We focus on drinking mostly water and staying active! truckredford(at)Gmail(Dot)com
https://twitter.com/eliza_elliott/status/544695844772282370 truckredford(at)gmail(dot)com
TRYING TO BALANCE WHAT EVERYONE ELSE EATS & DOES IS NOT ALWAYS THAT EASY… THAT’S WHERE WE STRUGGLE…
https://twitter.com/kytah00/status/544705788984696832
Making healthy meals.
https://twitter.com/618mom23boys/status/545054695627440129
I sometimes struggle with having the time to properly prepare healthier meals and end up going for a less healthy, easier option. I try to prepare fresh cut veggies/fruits ahead of time for snacks but when it comes to the bigger meals, sometimes I just don’t have the time.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/PrettyHotPink6/status/545073095611273216
We struggle the most with time so we try to spend time together, playing games and taking walks. We also eat dinner together every night.
https://twitter.com/susan1215/status/545236101808791553
I struggles with finding time between my job and kids
https://twitter.com/HappyTina0115/status/545321301158547456
It hard to come up with meal ideal that are healthy and fast .
https://twitter.com/purplelover04/status/545683737464147968
we struggle with finding time at night to be a family and eat together; hectic schedules.
We had a baby this year so finding time has been hard. We were so used to our freedom. Now, everything is scheduled — that’s the only way we can find time to exercise.
tweet https://twitter.com/LuLu_Brown24/status/546326421988470785
My son has no problem being active! He usually eats really good foods too. My struggle is that as he gets older, he learns about (and wants to try) all the junk foods I’ve worked so hard to keep from him. I realize now that it’s ok for him to have those foods occasionally as long as the bulk of his diet is nutritious.
tweet – https://twitter.com/dmarie824/status/546530314256781313
Tweet: https://twitter.com/OneFrugalGirl/status/546534424909991936
onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com
Taking time to exercise!
onefrugalgirl AT gmail DOT com
Every where we go treats and terrible food are offered! I have always made sure my kids know that staying healthy means eating a balanced diet.
tweeted: https://twitter.com/KerryBishop/status/546699707305558016
I struggle with our busy schedules and waiting until the last minute to fix dinner only to then make poor choices!
Link to tweet:
https://twitter.com/catholicfanatic/status/546540364367007744
Thank you!
Wishing I could have dinner for everyone every night but everyone comes home on Sunday for a good dinner.
gmissycat at yahoo dot com
Tweeted
https://twitter.com/gmissycat/status/546831827886157824
We serve a lot of home-cooked meals (from scratch).
We struggle the most with getting away from our screens. We are in the horrible habit of laying in bed each facing away from each other doing our own things on our own screens. We make a point of having screen-free days each week!
I tweeted here: https://twitter.com/MsTofuFairy/status/547441810361294848
We struggle with finding time during the week to just relax and take a break
tweeted -https://twitter.com/neiddy_ruiz/status/547494918093299712
we struggle to make sure we eat healthy meals and get our exercise regularly
i posted a tweet here:
https://twitter.com/bellows22/status/547537527612375040
I struggle with having the time to make fresh meals every night
https://twitter.com/aes529/status/547757117202264065
we struggle with eating healthy meals ; we love chocolate !
My tweet https://twitter.com/AurelieRed/status/547766816722796544
We struggle with balancing time for work, school, and sports.
tweeted
https://twitter.com/thomasmurphy40/status/547831858730651648
I try to create meals that are quick and still nutritious.
Making a meal for my family with limited time and eliminating electronics at the table
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
tweet https://twitter.com/ChelleB36/status/547884890524364801
tbarrettno1 at gmail dot com
I struggle a lot with keeping a balanced head on my shoulders. Sometimes myself (and my family) get too involved with the “details”.
Tweeted! https://twitter.com/pixel_berry_pie/status/547899781641949185
My biggest struggle is finding the time for all of our family activities. So I do my best to manage our schedules so that the kids have enough down time and get enough rest.
eswright18 at gmail dot com
tweeted
https://twitter.com/eswright18/status/547906394461339648
I try to serve a fruit snack each day and always serve 1-2 vegetables with every meal!
Tweet: https://twitter.com/electricstar/status/547908487658102785
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