Moms don’t receive enough recognition for all of the wonderful and extraordinary things that they do, but we want to change that! Moms Who Rock will honor moms who are making a difference by creating a healthier home and community. We will share their stories and showcase their talents that have made them rock stars. Being a mom is a full-time job, and these moms have gone above and beyond and deserve recognition for all of their accomplishments.

The first recipient of our Moms Who Rock award is – Jen Palkovic!

Please watch this video to see why…

Making exercise fun and living a healthy lifestyle are the keys to preventing obesity and the health issues that follow. Childhood obesity is a disease that is preventable. With its rate increasing, promoting healthy living within your family is becoming more and more urgent, which is what we here at the Skinny Gene Project are all about. Playgrounds and parks help promote well-being by enriching your children’s mental and physical health. Playgrounds provide a place where children can have fun while they exercise, and they also create a space where the community can come together. Rolling Hills Park is located in Rancho Penasquitos, an area in San Diego. The park has become the central hub for the neighborhood with its convenient location next to the local elementary school. The Palkovic family loved to go there with their two daughters, Isabella and Sienna, and still frequent the park with Isabella. After the sudden death of Sienna, the Palkovic’s wanted to honor their daughter’s life and give back to the community that united to support them during their tragedy.

Sienna’s PlayGarden

Sienna loved the outdoors and Rolling  Hills Park was her favorite place to go. Jen Palkovic took it upon herself to form a committee whose mission was to renovate the outdated and unsafe park in memory of Sienna. The love and community effort put into this project will make the new playground completely unique. Even Sienna and Isabella’s friends are supporting the project in their own special way – some of the “Super Kids” have even donated their birthday or Holy Communion money. With the creation of Sienna’s PlayGarden, the Palkovic family and anyone who knew Sienna will feel her love and her light when they are in the park, and that is something that will live on forever. They are calling it a “PlayGarden” because the outcome will be a nature-inspired playground with ornamental trees, a community garden, and butterfly accents throughout.

Jen’s goal is for the park to commemorate Sienna’s playful, loving nature and create a happy place for Isabella to go to “be a kid” and lead a healthy life surrounded by friends. Isabella has also been a big part of the project by helping with the art and helping design the logo.

Facing the most difficult heartbreak that a parent can experience, Jen is putting her heart and soul into this project to help with the healing process.  She and her committee are renovating this rusty old park to create a safe place for the neighborhood kids. Their addition to the community is truly amazing, and will provide a new place for kids to have fun and be active.

Jen is emulating the values of healthy living that the Skinny Gene Project promotes; she is a Mom Who Rocks!!!

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The Skinny Gene Project is proud to support the Palkovic family and Sienna’s PlayGarden. To learn more about or donate to this much needed community project, please visit www.siennasplaygarden.isabellasgiraffeclub.org.

We all have those days when we feel like there is not enough time in the day to fit in everything.  For all the very active supermoms out there, busy seems like an understatement.  The days can be filled with taking the kids to school, going to work and/or school, picking the kids up from school, making sure they get to their after school activity on time, helping with homework, preparing a meal, and the list goes on and on.  So when in the day can a break be penciled in?  Another important question to ask is where do moms find the energy?

Though you don’t need to stop everything to fit in a break, you do need to refuel with something to eat to sustain energy throughout the day.  Eating snacks are the perfect way to provide energy in between meals. There are some quick, handy snacks that are not time-consuming in preparation and can be eaten on-the-go.

Here are 10 super simple healthy snacks for busy moms:

1)      Fruits and veggies.  Apples, bananas, baby carrots, celery sticks, cherry tomatoes, or any of your favorites that are in season.  You can slice and dice different fruits and vegetables, and store them in individual sandwich bags the evening before or on a weekend.  Another option is to get pre-packaged fruits and veggies. They can be eaten fresh, frozen, dried or from a can or cup (just beware of added sugar!).

2)      Consider some dairy.  Take along with you non- or low-fat yogurt, cottage or individually wrapped string cheese for your protein fix.

3)      Be nutty.  Nuts are another protein source that can be kept in your car or purse.  Take a handful of your favorite nut choice, such as unsalted almonds, pistachios, walnuts, peanuts, or a mixed variety.

4)      Get some whole grains.  Try 100% whole grain granola bars that are low in added sugars or low sodium, trans-fat free whole grain crackers.  Lastly, my personal favorite, avocado spread on top of whole grain toast.

5)      Trail mix.  A mixture of nuts, seeds, and naturally dried fruit like raisins or dried berries.

6)      Edamame.  These are pods of deliciousness.  Add a dash of sea salt for an alternative protein snack.

7)      Blend it up.  It’s the perfect time for a smoothie.  It’s refreshing, especially with the days heating up.  Blueberries, spinach, chia seeds, low-fat plain yogurt, fresh squeezed orange juice is one of my favorite mixes.

8)      Deli meats.  Choose low-sodium deli meats, such as turkey or ham and wrap it around apple slices for a sweet and savory snack.

9)      Rice cakes.  Way better than a cake, in my opinion of course.  Eat them by themselves or top them with peanut butter and honey or hummus and fresh veggies.

10)   Hard boiled eggs.  A complete protein.  Save some time by popping them into boiling water as you prep your fruits and veggies.

These 10 quick, easy snacks are great for moms with a busy schedule.  These are just helpful ideas for quick snacks, but it also allows room for creativity to help maximize the ingredients you already have. Just remember, not only are these snacks healthy and easy to prepare, they provide energy throughout the day.

Happy snacking!