Love YOU

I think in all the different stages of our lives we are always trying to find where we fit, where we are happy, and how to feel and look our best.  I feel blessed that my parents have allowed us to figure it out for ourselves but also gave us an amazing sense of self.    Not matter what anyone says or thinks, I am happy to be me, and I know that I am blessed to have this state of mind, I thank my parents for their upbringing and our good happy genes in general, we persevere :)

Today a very nice lady asked me if I was pregnant again, and my little nephew did too when we were in Atlanta.  I just take a deep breath and tell them its just fat and that I am working on it.  I am one of those lucky ladies that has always had a little belly, and there was a time where it was firm and fit but still a belly was there.  May I state for the record that I am 41 years old and I am not interested in having any more children.  I feel so thankful for the ones I have and for the life I have and have found my balance and am content.

She is always jumping, my oldest loves to play hide and seek, and my baby loves to chill

I feel that I definitely have 30 pounds to lose, and most of it is in my belly, but I also feel stretched out from three babies in a row.  My baby will be two this March and I keep on thinking that my body will realize that I am not having any more babies and start letting go.  There is no magic ingredient, everyone has their challenges, and I refuse to go to any extremes to satisfy the way our culture feels women should look 24/7.  Thank God I am in the Yoga world where no make up is ok, I love make up, but for dress up and fun.  I know I am lucky to have eyebrows and features that allow me to wear no makeup, many women need something, and its all good.  I am happy to keep figuring it out, my health is the number one priority, my strength and energy get me through day by day.  I like wearing fitted clothes so I have accepted that in our community where Thank God we are good producers, I will still get the question from time to time.  No baggy clothes for me!

I feel so grateful that Shabbat is around the corner, I need this Day of Rest more than ever after our travels.  Everyone in my community is celebrating the beginning of the new moon and new month of Adar, which is the happiest month in the Jewish calendar.

My life revolves around happiness,
Fun is an important ingredient in everything I do,
Rest is essential without it there would be no balance,
Most importantly just enjoying the present is the best gift you can give yourself,
Enjoy your weekend,
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia 

Cardio and Water

Do I love cardio? No
Am I a workoutaholic? No
Luckily I have found exercises, equipment and classes that work for me.  This morning I had a wonderful community Yoga class, I met a new amazing woman with three kids a little older than mine, and she was telling me that now that they are all in full time school she is putting herself first.  She used to be a dancer, and her Yoga had great form.  She was telling us how she uses a body brush and eats sour kraut for digestion, and also smoothies with superfood.  I love learning what everyone is doing to keep themselves healthy and fit.  We were talking about how nice it is to have a sisterhood, and to respect and be happy for each other.  As much as I love learning new things, I also know that everybody must find the right combination hat fits their life.

My baby is almost two, I have started teaching more classes at the gym, so I am taking advantage of my circumstances, I am there anyone, I am doing cardio every time I am at the gym, that is three times a week.  The machine I like best is the elliptical, I like how it is like a stand up bicycle, easy on the knees, and I like the handles so your arms keep moving the whole time.  My goal is 20-30 minutes of hard core non stop movement.  I believe in consistency, our bodies are different every day, it is not better to spend three hours at the gym.  However if there is a certain athletic goal, that's a different story.  I am just focusing on adding cardio into my life, something which I wasn't getting enough of.  Please make sure you are fueling your body right, not eating makes no sense, and not having a plan if you want a goal makes no sense either.  I can talk about this stuff all day, so please do not hesitate to get in touch.  There is not one answer for everybody but I firmly believe if we keep talking and trying new things at different stages of our life, we will figure it out.  It really is a lifestyle and a journey that lasts a lifetime, a machine needs upkeep, and our body needs attention, care, and maintenance.  Our cells keep renewing, its up to us to keep them healthy, strong, and functioning properly.

I have a 16 ounce glass water bottle that I carry with me everywhere, my friend told me I should be drinking six of those a day.  I am up to the challenge, it is definitely something I have not done enough of.  A friend recently told me to drink when I am hungry, and sometimes it is not even when I am hungry, but I just want to snack, even healthy stuff like veggies and nuts, too much of a good thing is still too much.

Please share what you do, I love to keep learning and fine tuning.
Coach Yulia

I don't want change for the first time in my life



Love the 73 degree Fahrenheit weather in Los Angeles, Feels so good to be home
 

I am an adventurer, a free spirit and Thank God my parents let me fly and live life to the fullest.  I have travelled extensively and love it so much, hopefully we can do it more and more as the kids get older.  Each stage of my life has been so different, and I have been lucky to make close connections along the way, and I still keep in touch with many of my friends thanks to social media.

 

Usually once something didn't feel right, I have always listened to my gut, I would just drop it and move on to the next adventure.  I had no problem leaving things behind, I love change, I love new things and new experiences. 

 

This is the first time in my life that I really feel like I do not want to go anywhere, I like everything just the way it is.  I feel so blessed to be in an amazing community, I love my children's friends and their school, I love where we live, I love our life.  As my husband and I work on growing our businesses opportunities arise in different parts of town, and even family in different parts of the country would love us closer.  At this point I cannot imagine living anywhere else, I do not want to run, I just want to dig in my roots, grow, and blossom.  I see other people doing amazing things in their careers, especially in my Herbalife coaches, I am so happy for them, but at this time of my life I have other priorities and my gut tells me to stay put.

 

It is an interesting feeling, yes sometimes it is not easy, yes sometimes I reminisce about my wild and fun times and think about all of the amazing people that I really connected with.  I really feel like right now it is where I fit, my kids are happy, and my husband and I can work on promoting ourselves, and also on our own health and fitness. 

 

So big change I am OK without, but making a wonderful healthy life and successful careers to be examples for our children, Bring It!

 

Coach Yulia

 

 

I'm doing what I haven't been doing

Woo Hoo!  A year ago my husband and I took a business cruise for five days out of Miami, left the kids with friends and had an amazing celebration of our five year anniversary as well as an excellent learning and growing experience.   I went to a seminar called the Ultimate Exercise and was blown away, I got the equipment and once I got home got side tracked and focused on my Doula certification, which was the right decision.  I finally finished all of the training and am a Certified Reboundologist, YAY.  What is that you ask?

A rebounder looks like a mini trampoline but it is designed specifically for exercise.  The reason it is called a rebounder because it has the same function as the springboard used in gymnastics, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Springboard_(gymnastics), below is a video of a springboard.



A trampoline used in gymnastics is large and for flips, the rebounder is for cell exercise, our body is made out of cells, and when we exercise up and down we are going against gravity and it gives us great benefit.  The Healthy Cell Concept is fascinating, cells need certain food, a certain environment, cell exercise, and cell communication.

I currently incorporate a rebounder with my Yoga clients, and all you need to clean your whole lymph system, which is connected to the immune system is 4 minutes on the rebounder doing a very soft bounce.  It is great for the elderly, pregnant women, and even people with injury or other physical circumstances.

It is easy on the joints, the strength bounce builds lean muscle, and it helps strengthen the pelvic floor which gets weak after child birth.

What is today's blog really about?  I realized what I haven't been doing, drinking enough water and doing enough cardio.  One of my clients said when you are hungry drink water, that makes total sense to me, I love to snack and I love food, but I do not drink enough.  Below is my cardio schedule, on Fridays I always do Yoga with my teacher, so far on track!

Monday      Rebounder
Tuesday      Eliptical
Wednesday Eliptical
Thursday     Eliptical
Friday          Yoga

If you are curious about the rebounder, get in touch, no matter where you live, I can tell you all about it, I LOVE TO JUMP.

Coach Yulia

Thank God I am Physically Strong

Good Morning everyone, so nice waking up in our own beds, the kids start school tomorrow after a nice winter break, so it is nice to have a day to just settle in.  This trip was so intense for my body, I really feel like I heavy lifted, was in an airport endurance race, the flights to and fro could not have been possible without activating my core and depending on my muscle to get me through, I am really not kidding.

I had to carry my 30 pound baby most of the way, plus we all had a carry on and a personal item, and a bag with all three car seats.  I know it is nuts, but our logic was not only to avoid the baggage fee but not to have to deal with going to the baggage claim, just in and out.  We did get lucky by finding carts literally anytime we needed them, so many people offered to help and many did, and because the planes were full the bags had to go under the plane, at no free, so we managed, and I really need a massage.

At one point my daughter wanted the bathroom, I have to take my baby with me everywhere, this was when we already arrived in Atlanta, my husband was waiting with my son while I squatted down, picked up my daughter on one side and my baby on the other, that is 30 pounds each, and got up with my core using my leg strength and took them to the bathroom around the corner, who needs a gym!  Lucky for me, right there waiting for me to see it was a bag cart that we were allowed to take out of the airport on to the train into the car rental area.  I was feeling so blessed for whoever designed that airport for visitors coming in.

Going out was not as pleasant, apparently strollers get a special family lane, but we decided not to take ours so we did not qualify even with our 4 bags, 3 kids, and car seats, Thanks Atlanta.  To top it off there were no carts allowed through security check or to the gate, so we literally had to take breaks because of course it was at the other end of the airport.  Luckily my baby walked most of the way then, my oldest was the biggest helper, and my daughter was just a cute little thing following along, she said when she turns four which is in March, she would help.  When we left Los Angeles for our trip everyone in United Airlines was amazing, they even got us a cart to take our stuff from security check to the gate.

Overall Totally Satisfied,
Feeling Blessed For My Strength,
Wish I looked as good on the outside as I feel on the inside,
Work in Progress,
Life is a work in progress,
Otherwise we would be bored,
Coach Yulia

We did it without and iPad or a TV!

All I hear about are iPads and how it is the best thing to keep kids quiet, and I even read that one mom was contemplating getting it for her child's first birthday.  We flew from Los Angeles to Atlanta, connecting in Chicago, crazy I know, but we got the deal of a lifetime and figured we would wing it :) love the pun.

Overall the kids were amazing on the plane, my oldest was a gem, he pulled his own carry on and had a backpack on, he enjoyed the whole experience and was a pleasure.  My daughter had her moments, but overall was OK, and my baby on the way there was sick and miserable, luckily slept during the long flight headed to Chicago before connecting to Atlanta.  On the way back they were all pretty amazing, my baby even walked most of the way throughout the airport, we did not bring our bulky stroller, we had three car seats, it is all kind of a miracle, we still found a cart everywhere we went.  Everyone was extremely helpful, from staff to strangers offering a hand and watching out for our kids, it was a wonderful feeling to see human nature at its best.  My baby was tired and a bit fussy on the last leg of the flight home from Chicago to Los Angeles, and everyone was so kind and just felt bad that he wasn't happy.

We had snacks, toys, enjoyed the drink carts, and just hung out, and believe it or not, our big plane from Chicago to Los Angeles on United Airlines had not TV!  I was a bit shocked, and the funny thing is that they allow all devices as long as they are on airplane mode, I guess they figure everyone brings their own entertainment anyway, except me that is.

Another place where there was no TV was at my brothers house and I kind of loved it, we did have our computers if we wanted to plug in.  We hung out at my parents house here and there and got our TV fix. My husband loves his news, and one of our connections when we first met was General Hospital :)  Other than that I enjoy the mommy escape of the PBS kids shows which are amazing, but besides that the TV is off in our house, the kids cannot just turn it on, and I am happy about that.  When it is on they are wide eyed deer, I call it zombie time, although I don't know why I call it that, I really don't know what a zombie really is being a nice Jewish girl and a Russian immigrant, I never really got the dressing up like a zombie thing and still don't.

Anyway, Happy to be HOME!
Looking forward to sleep in my bed tonight,
Hope to catch up with all of my LA people soon,
Missed you, Missed this gorgeous weather,
YAY,
Coach Yulia

some fun moments of our trip, my brother's back deck, bit chilly for what we are used to but sunny and beautiful

Last Night With Family

You know it was a great vacation when you are ready to go home, we had a great time, I am really looking forward to sleeping in my bed tomorrow night.

There are many wonderful clients ready for me to get home, and I am excited to Yoga and Doula, and d
o everything I love.

I hope everybody is having a fabulous weekend!
Shavua Tov,
Coach Yulia

Bedtime for us, Good Night :) My oldest is having a sleepover with his cousin, notice my packed bags in the corner

Cable Car

I wrote a few days ago about a cable car but forgot what it was called, and it came to me out of the blue yesterday.  I called it a line car that took us to the top of the mountain that we hiked down at Stone Mountain.

Sometimes that happens to me with people too, I may recognize their face but not remember how we met or how I know them.  Also sometimes on the phone, my brain is trying to figure out who I am talking to while they are in a full blown conversation.  It all gets figured out eventually, but it makes me think of a friend that I worked on cruise ships with.  We used to take the passengers on a tour bus when we would be in port, by the end of the trip he would know everyone by name, he had some kind of word association technique, it was amazing.

It is so interesting to listen to our kids and the way they express themselves.  In the picture below you see from the left our six year old cousin, then my son who is five, then our four year old cousin, and my daughter is 3, and my baby will be two in March.  It is so nice they are close in age and in friendship.  My kids have remembered all of our trips to visit family, and I know they will talk about this vacation until the next one for sure.

Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

Throwback Thursday

I moved to Los Angeles on June 1, 2000 and met my best friend in Los Angeles on June 2, 2000 in an acting class.  I came here with no plan, just decided to try a few things, my friend was a photographer and I loved to dress up and be fabulous, and I just got an email with this picture today. 

Brings back so many fun memories, I came here to see where life would lead me and Thank God I found Yoga and I met my husband.  Before that it was all about having fun and trying new things and always listening to my gut.

I feel so blessed to be married with wonderful kids and in a thriving community.  It makes me laugh to think that I vowed not to even think about marriage until I was 33, that is when my father got married.  At 33 I decided I was ready to meet someone, and Thank God met my husband at 34 through one of the students in my fitness classes.

I always love to see pictures that people post from their past, I don't know who started throwback Thursday, but it is fun to reminisce about what was and to feel gratitude for what is.

The only thing I miss about my single life is the dress up, not really the going out, and I do miss some of the wonderful friends I made along the way.   Thanks to social media I am still in touch with so many people that I have met through my adventures throughout my life.

It feels good when a picture really captures your mood, your look, and who you are.  That is what I feel when I look at this picture.

Excited for our final family weekend in Atlanta,
It has been wonderful,
I am trying to capture some of our special moments with pictures so my kids can look back and remember fun times with their cousins and grandparents.
Coach Yulia

Great Relaxing Day With Grandparents

Babushka and Dedushka, Grandma and Grandpa in Russian, enjoying their grand kids, my baby is eating out of the frame, and the oldest cousin is still in school.  It was chilly outside, high of 35, sunny, so we stayed in.  We have plans for the next two days to explore, so it was nice just to hang out and relax together.

I remember being here a few years ago at this time, there were snow flurries and icy roads, we are really blessed with the brisk, cool weather.

My husband has been making delicious dinners, we are all about to eat, my sister in law just got home from work, we are going to her museum tomorrow, http://www.high.org/, they have a toddler hour and a fun room for kids.

Life is Good,
Coach Yulia

Martin Luther King Jr.

A wonderful African-American friend of mine posted this article, and it was very powerful.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/08/29/1011562/-Most-of-you-have-no-idea-what-Martin-Luther-King-actually-did

Yesterday was the official holiday, and I am in Atlanta, Georgia, where Martin Luther King Jr. grew up, preached, and is celebrated every day.  I was enjoying the most beautiful weather with my family ironically at Stone Mountain, which has some historical sites of the confederacy era.

http://www.stonemountainpark.com/

We went there for the ride up to the mountain and the hike down, it was fun and great weather, great activity for kids. 

I love to keep learning about amazing figures in our history, and the article above really spoke to me.  I am a Russian immigrant, my family experienced extreme discrimination and Anti-Semitism in Soviet Union times.  In America we are white, in Russia we were Jewish, it was our nationality, it was written on our Passports which we had to show everywhere we went.  My parents had difficulty finding work once they showed their Passport, and once we decided to leave the country a bomb was slipped under my dads car, luckily he went out to take a look at what was glowing under his car, pushed it away with a stick, went up close to check it out, and when he walked away deciding that he was tired and wanted to go to bed, it blew up.

I bless my parents every day for taking my brother and I to a better life with freedom and opportunity.  Martin Luther King Jr. was a champion for African-Americans for a better life with freedom and opportunity.

Each person has a chance to thrive,
Thank God,
Coach Yulia

My Mama and Me

My baby is back

Thank God my baby is feeling much better, still a little fussy from time to time, but I really feel like the baby that has always been sweet, kind, and "easy is back.

It was a gorgeous day in Atlanta, Georgia today, 64 degrees Farenheit and sunny, we went to Stone Mountain, rode a lift car called skyline up to the mountain that could hold upto 80 people and over 14,000 pounds.

It definitely was beautiful, but calm, good for kids, the really cool part was we hiked down that rock, my five year old and his cousin ran all the way down, I walked with my sister in law, and my brother had his daughter on his shoulders.  My other two kids fell asleep right before we arrived, and my husband was ok with hanging out in the car, and I am glad it turned out that way, none of them would have liked it.

After the hike we found an awesome playground and all the kids got to run around, we came back home and had pizza, I think it was a perfect kids day, and fun for the adults too.

Tomorrow my brother and family go to school and work, so we will spend the week hanging out my my parents, I am looking forward to it, and its supposed to be cold, so we made the most out of the perfect weather.  They are even forecasting snow flurries, Woo Hoo! Should be fun for the kids to see, but we have inside plans for the rest of the week.

Enjoy your week everybody,
Coach Yulia

Progress

The night was much better, but the morning was nuts, he did not eat or drink anything, cried non stop and we realized on top of everything else he has constipation, we gave him a bath and he took a nice long nap.  Woke up in a much better mood, drank, ate, and went to the bathroom, Thank God.

Overall the rest of the day was nice, lots of good home cooked food, my brother and family took the other kids to an amazing park, it was sunny and 50 degrees, nice and warm for this neck of the woods, everyone had their gloves and coats on.

Baby was fussy in the evening, but overall OK, now he is calm after I blog hopefully we will both get the best sleep yet.

For my kids this is the best vacation ever,
That is what matters,
They will remember this forever and ever,
I love it when family and friends get together,
Coach Yulia

ear infection, tooth coming in, head cold, cough, only wants to be in my arms 24/7

all the kids quiet, eating some leftover challa bread at my brothers house

Thank God our flight here was good, we are staying at my brothers house and it is amazing.  We are downstairs and have our own area, all the kids have a place to sleep, our bed is very comfortable, we have our own bathroom, but there is one thing that is off.l

My wonderful angel baby has everything you can imagine, everything the kids bring home from school they share with him, all the coughs, infections, and colds.

All the kids were a bit under the weather before we went on our trip, luckily everybody felt better except the baby.  I took him to the doctor the day before and she said overall he is ok but his cold will take time to pass and he will not be happy, understatement!  Also he had the beginnings of an ear infection, so I was prepared with everything I neeed to soothe him.

Who knows, maybe it is the time difference, maybe it is being in a new house that he doesn't know how to get a snack when he is hungry.  Maybe it is a lot of kids with tons of energy and everything is different, I just don't know.

Luckily my kids are having a blast with their cousins, they are a six year old boy and a four year old girl, and are very close.  All the cousins cannot wait to see each other and play together.

Friday night yelling, screaming only wants to be in my arms, yesterday all day fussy, sometimes in my arms would soothe him.  Thank God last night was a better night, I was able to put him back to sleep, but he did wake up a few times during the night.

Feeling blessed to be on vacation, do not have to be up at a certain time, do not have to be anywhere, hopefully he will feel better and better, and my husband and I can get a really good rest during our time away.

I apologize for not writing last night,
I ended up finally falling asleep with the baby at midnight eastern time,
Coach Yulia

The cool weather is refreshing

My daughter took her pink bunny on the plane, and was taking pictures with my phone

We are taking it easy, enjoying family, and just recovering from our day of travel.  Looking forward to a long weekend with my brother and his family they are all off of work and school for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, YAY.

Spent a nice day with my parents and my aunt who was visiting, and now going to make a nice dinner for my brother and family.  After our travels we felt like we had a workout, and the cool weather feels so nice, its a beautiful sunny day but we are happy staying inside and playing and chatting together.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone,
Shabbat Shalom

WOW! What a Travel Experience

I am in awe of my day, it really could have been quite insane and unbearable, but every step of the way was quite magical.  This is the first time we have travelled with three kids, four of us in our own seats, and baby in my lap.  We got a really good deal and decided to just go with the connecting flight, we knew it would be tough, but for a family of five its tough to find good deals out there. 

We arrived in Atlanta half an hour late, not bad, waiting at a bench, kids found a place to play waiting for rental car

We had way too much carry on luggage, plus car seats, how we managed, it really was a miracle, every step of the way we magically found a push cart, and everyone was so helpful, never judging or annoyed, just helping us along the way.  United Airlines gets FIVE STARS and a THUMBS UP from me.

 

 

We were running late due to traffic and a late start, luckily they didn't have a family security line but put us in to a shorter line, everything went smooth, they saw how much stuff we had and fetched us a cart.  Of course our gate was at the other end of the universe, I went ahead with the kids while my husband pushed all our stuff.  The gate attendant informed me that we had three minutes to board the plane and they were leaving on time.  I was looking out for my husband, luckily he came a minute later, now we had two minutes.  They all worked together to hurry us along, checked the luggage that wouldn't fit, put tags on all the car seats, ran after us to make sure we found our seats, we did leave on time and made it to Chicago with an hour to get to our next flight.

 

Unfortunately the weather there is not friendly, we left an hour late, the plane was small, and it felt like they had the heater on.  We were sweating although it was the telltale Chicago wind when we were boarding the plane.  Thank God everyone was once again so helpful, and we ended up only half an hour late.  It was a very long way to the baggage, but once again a cart appeared just before we went to the baggage claim, and our bags were the first to come out.  Then we were able to take the cart on the train directly to the rental area, it is all so perfectly designed, love Atlanta!

 

My five year old was so helpful, he carried a backpack and pulled a luggage, he sat nicely on the plane, and really enjoyed himself.  My baby and my daughter took turns being super fussy but because everything about the travel went so smooth, it has really been a wonderful travel experience.

 

Excited to enjoy family,

Coach Yulia



Lady in Red

I love red, my skin looks good in red, and I love the attention it commands.  Here is a little reading about the power of red, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_string_(Kabbalah).  I am already in my pajamas, a bit of red lipstick left on my lips.  I went to an awesome community wedding, it was so much fun.  Dancing, socializing, and feeling all the happy energy, LOVE! 




I am finishing up packing for our trip for tomorrow, feeling good about it, we are just going to hang with family.  It is not freezing temperatures, but for us Los Angeles folk who have had 80 degrees all week, but I would rather stay in and absorb all the family love and conversation that I can.  We have done touristy stuff before, and if we get cabin fever there are awesome museums, as well as other fun stuff for kids.  Last time my brother took me and my oldest bowling, and they give kids something to roll the ball off of, and also shut the sides so the ball won't end up there, it gets bumped back, so cute.  My son remembered it from last time and told me he wants to go.

They love and miss their cousins so much, very close in age, and the baby has fun everywhere and with everyone.  I am just hoping the plane trip is smooth, the kids have their own seats, and hopefully their own TV screens, and we are taking some toys, books, and food.

Lollipops for the decent for those sensitive ears should do the trick.

Excited to get out of the routine,
See my family,
Celebrate my Father's 75th Birthday!
Bond with my brother and his family,
Enjoy quality time with my mother,
Atlanta here we come,
Coach Yulia

 

 

 

Day Before The Day Before We Go

Notice Gloves On, and Cleaning Suplies Ready (For Those That Know OCD Full Force)

My husband had a busy day, luckily we have a wonderful friend that is able to watch the baby from time to time.  The poor guy had a hard night, the cough sounds pretty strong, I called the doctor today and have an appointment tomorrow morning.  Many mommies told me to put Vics Vapor Rub on the feet, so I decided to do that with all of us, apparently it works wonders.

http://www.survivallife.com/2013/07/18/12-surprising-reasons-to-keep-vicks-vaporub-in-your-cache/

Luckily he felt a bit better this morning, so we went to the most awesome mommy and me Babyccino, then I dropped him at my friends and had to go teach one class after another.  Luckily my husband got finished early and got the baby early.  Lately besides not feeling so good he has been super clingy, especially to me, he was crying from the time I left until my husband picked him up, my little babele.

Once I got home he was happy to see me, and we went to get the kids from school together.  Even though he had a rough night, he didn't nap all day, so I decided to let him stay up until bedtime, put some vics on, and hopefully he will last the night and be much better tomorrow.

I just came back from my evening Pilates class and I met an amazing 25 year old guy from Atlanta, that just moved here to be a surgical assistant at Cedars! WOW.  He said he mother and grandmother were ER nurses, and he always knew it was his path, AMAZING.

When I got home my baby was already asleep, my oldest boy let me put vics on his feet, but my daughter didn't want it, I might sneak in later and do it when she is asleep.

I also put an onion next to everyone, have you heard about this?

http://thundermama.hubpages.com/hub/wacky-home-remedies-that-really-work

Apparently many other sites say it doesn't work, but I heard that the onion absorbs the cold and the bacteria, and then you throw it away, and in general it is not good to keep half an onion, its best to use the whole thing right away.

We leave on Thursday, overall we are ready, we are just going to hang with family, nothing fancy, just taking all of our warm things, and it is not like the Northeast or Midwest, it is chilly, but we will be OK.

Feel Good Everyone,
My Little Guy Apparently Picks Up Everything Everyone Else Has,
Drink Fluids,
Sleep,
Be Happy,
Health, Health, Health,
Coach Yulia

Poopology

Good advice for anyone searching for something in their childs poop:

" I will suggest if you go searching through their stool use gloves to take the poop out of the toilet and then immediately place it in a zip lock bag sealed with the air out...you won't smell a thing. And then you can pretend you are playing with mud incase you are a gagger like me lmao."

This is from a mommy friend of mine who had to search for something, and I sough out her expert advice.  Another friend of mind just had a baby, and he was saying that poop is the hot topic of conversation.  I let him know that poop and sleep would be the most interesting things to talk about from now on.

This morning I was talking about how lucky we are to have expanded our community by social media.  Before only people in your direct circle would be your go to when something happened, now you can go to Facebook, to other parents who are happy to share.  Also blogs are also fun to read, it is a way to connect with each other, especially as parents where there is not so much time to physically hang out.

I know for me, my blog is my inner voice, Thank You for listening.

Coach Yulia

The joy of staying home all day aka quarantined aka solitary confinement with kids

She is feeling better, Thank God

When I am out with my kids I am always looking for one of them, and today as I am home with them all day, all kinds of fun has been going on.

I cannot just have them watch TV or movies all day, I just can't do it, so we watched a few shows in the morning, then took a break to color and play, then when I needed a moment we watched a little more in the afternoon, and then it happened.

Baby was getting fussy so I put him for a nap, my daughter's fever is getting much better, but I decided to keep all the kids home so they feel good for school the next few days and then for our trip.  All was quiet, so I decided maybe to even sneak in my own nap with the baby, then my daughter walks in the room and tells me that her older brother has something in his neck, I didn't know what she meant at first.  Then jumped out to bed and ran to him to make sure he wasn't chocking, Thank God he wasn't, he swallowed it.  I finally figured out that it wasn't a penny or a dime, but it was from my daughters belt, an accessory, a jewelry.  I called my mother in law who was a nurse, and she told me that it will pass in a few days.  I started reading online and it scared me,
http://www.parents.com/baby/injuries/emergency/i-cant-believe-my-kid-swallowed-that/.

I called my doctor and she said that we just have to watch him, make sure there is no pain, and then search the poop in three or four days, FUN!

I would rather be out with them looking for them,
The home is so much more challenging for me,
As you will see below, Thank God he is OK,
Mother Life,
Coach Yulia

Something is Going Around

Sleep was scarce, for some reason my baby falls asleep in his bed and in a couple of hours either cries or gets up and walks to our bed.  He was tossing and turning, everyone is overall ok but has a little runny nose or a dry cough from this dry weather like me, only in the morning.

I was excited to get up and go to synagogue and later on to celebrate someone getting married on Wednesday, there is always a gathering for all the ladies the Saturday before the wedding, it was great.  Luckily when I left my husband was asleep with the baby and my daughter fell asleep as well.  I told my five year old where I was going, gave him some food, and gave him snacks for the baby when he woke up.  When I got back my daughter had woken up from her nap and didn't look so good and felt really hot, it was a fever of 102!  She is better now, we are staying up late watching a movie and I will give her some Tylenol before she goes to bed, no a lot of fluids and some snacks.

Luckily my oldest is feeling great. Thank God, but the baby seems overall ok but not 100%.  We are flying on Thursday so I really need everyone to be healthy.  I remember when I flew last year with a head cold, and my sinuses were excruciating, I literally wrote that it was worse than labor, and I was not joking.

Me also, overall feel great, every night when I go to sleep dry throat, and when I wake up.  Luckily I can avoid Ricola and water for the night, but it is still uncomfortable.

Sleep,
Drink Water,
Be Happy,
Coach Yulia

40 is the new 20

I find myself saying that I wish I looked as good on the outside as I feel on the inside.  I am strong thanks to my Yoga, Pilates, and Weigh workouts.  I am very active, and love to eat nutritious food, and Thank God my body systems work without a glitch.  My Yoga teacher always said bodily functions should be pleasant, or something is wrong.

I got my hair color today and feel fabulous!  I was thinking what is considered young looking in our culture, and it really is body and hair related.

Health is my top priority, so my outside will catch up with my inside eventually, and I am OK with that.

I think we are all a work in progress for all the time we are on this earth, and I would not want it any other way.

Ahhh now to turn off the world for a day, bliss!
Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

Kids are people too

This may sound obvious, but as a mom of three under five, the child energy is really intense for me and I crave adult interaction.  I am really working on being present, listening, encouraging my kids to use their words, and being excited when they are excited about something.

 

I keep on running across interesting tips online today all about how to interact with our kids, and to let them be who they are, not to think for them or even help them.  Most importantly allow them to express themselves fully, it is such a gift to them and to yourself.

 

http://www.janetlansbury.com/2014/01/3-stories-that-could-change-the-way-you-parent/?fb_action_ids=10151972804072893&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_source=other_multiline&action_object_map=%5B1424518131118502%5D&action_type_map=%5B%22og.likes%22%5D&action_ref_map=%5B%5D

 

Also being present in a way that is not general, this next link really breaks it down.  Each child is so unique, and as much as we like people to be straightforward, so do kids.   I believe kids really appreciate being asked questions and recognized for who they are, what they feel, and love to feel like they are able to freely express themselves.

 

http://lifehacker.com/10-things-to-stop-saying-to-your-kids-and-what-to-say-474962146

 

It is non stop learning and growing process for us all for life.  Having kids really makes us face who we are, deal with it, and choose to transform and be an example.

 

Not Easy,

Easy is Boring,

Life is supposed to be a challenge,

How would we know how good the ups are if we didn't know the other side,

Feeling Blessed,

Coach Yulia

 

Finished writing, baby woke up, laid down with him, so hard to get up and find a picture, here I am half asleep :)

 

 

 

 

Calories In vs. Calories Out

I think we are always talking about getting fit, either losing a few pounds, or even getting stronger and exercising.  It really is not just a New Year phenomenon, it is a conversation happening at every moment of every day all around the world.

In America it is beyond because it is big business, everyone is trying to figure out what works for them, trying all the millions of options out there.  Also an important thing I recently noticed is the time frame of our eating.  Yes its good to eat every few hours if you are very active, but if your day starts at 6am and doesn't end until Midnight, that is way too many hours of eating.  General rule is three meals and two snacks, high protein is best with vegetables.  I love fruit too, yes there is sugar, so enjoy it and stop at 4pm.

Here are some facts that may help you figure it out for yourself:

80% Nutrition, 20% Exercise

Calories In vs. Calories Out

Portions are important

Variety and Nutrition are important

Sleep, Water, and Happiness are important


Hope this helps,
Coach Yulia


Trying to get a picture getting off my favorite cardio machine, the eliptical

DREAM BIG

Anything new and exciting originally came from a desire that turned into a thought that turned into an idea that turned into a conversation that turned into a brainstorm.  It blossomed, took form, and became the next big thing.  I am speaking very generally, but new ideas come from our brains, and I am always full of big ideas.

Many of my big visions never really had a plan to get there directly, efforts were made, but ultimately something else took precedence and I moved on.

For Instance, a few years ago when I was in the best shape of my life and performing, I really felt I would be the best pick to be Wonder Woman in a movie.  I did my research, found out who the director was, watched all his stuff.  Ultimately that movie never came about, they are still figuring out who should be the director I think, and no one has claimed the crown yet.

So my big vision for our community in the Los Angeles area is to gather all our women and support each other and do something together.  I am still figuring out details, but I always hear in person and online that women want a place for working out nearby and a place to hold their events, mommy and me, and I have an awesome plan for all the Doula's in our community.

Anyone out there have more ideas lets brainstorm, anyone known someone that is excited in a new project, let them know about this. 

We have a beautiful sisterhood,
We are so blessed,
We need each other,
Thank God we have each other,
Coach Yulia

My hairdressers sink exploded!

Just in case some of you were wondering why I was flaunting my grey roots, no its not my new fashion statement, it is not laziness, it is just timing.  In the Russian community they are very frank and my mother in laws friend asked me if I knew I needed color.  God Bless my father he is 75 today, and over Skype he asked me when am I getting my hair done.

I guess in a world where everyone knows us through our polished pictures, when we look different in person, or are not the same cookie cutter everyday, it throws people off.

So here is the whole story, I have to color every three weeks, Thank God I am so healthy, my hair grows super fast.  I had planed to color the day before New Year's Eve and my hairdresser told me her sink exploded, her handyman was on holiday vacation, and she would keep me posted. 

On Friday you will see me looking twenty years old again with fabulous hair.  How come when I try to straighten it myself it never turns out as good?  My hairdresser also tells me that my hair is super dry and that to color it more often would make it break, So I decided why not way a week before I go out of town, and have nice hair for the weekend, and keep it healthy and nice as much as I can.

No I didn't want to get a box from the drug store.
No I didn't want to get a spray cover.
No I didn't want to get a mascara like color to put into the roots.

Do I love to look my best? YES

However I feel blessed to be in a community of moms who understand that sometimes you don't get to take care of mama.  Although many of the moms cover their hair and look fabulous all the time, God Bless them for their effort. 

When I win the lottery, I will have a team that pampers me, because I really enjoy being pampered.  I enjoy getting my hair professionally done, getting my hair washed, and getting a good therapy talk in with my amazing hairdresser that I have been going to for almost 10 years.

I love being serviced,
Coach Yulia

I Love To Swing on a Swing

Every time I go to the park it is all about the kids, and especially since there are three of them, I am trying my best to give attention to all and cheer them on as they show me how they climb and slide.  Today they were all on one fun large piece of equipment with ladders, slides, tunnels, it was huge, tons of places to run and play, even my baby was having a blast.

So I took a moment to go on the swing, it was a very high seating swing so when I tried to get off at the end it took me a while.  I was wearing sandals, it was wood chips instead of sand, I didn't want to jump off at the end, but ohh it was so much fun to swing so high.  There was a point where I thought that I might flip over, I have always loved swings.  Even at the carnival that ride that goes round and round with swings and they go further and further out, LOVE.

I love how my kids play together, this was in front of my house on Friday after school, eating icees, my oldest on a bicycle, enjoying our gorgeous weather.  Sorry cold weather folks, especially those of you going through freezing weather and blizzards, my heart really goes out to you.  I am a Miami girl, that is where I did most of my growing up, and when it was time to either go to New York or Los Angeles, my only decision making reason was the weather.  I was even cold for quite a while in Los Angeles, acclimating, never mind the fact that I was born in Moscow, Russia.  Also I lived in Denver, Colorado for the second seven years of my life.  For those of you that know Denver, it is a beautiful snow with great weather, I clearly remember walking to school through snow.

Don't miss it a bit,
No desire to play in it,
We are visiting family in Atlanta soon, not as cold as most places,
My brother in law works in Mammoth, ohhh I see the pictures, and yes it does look fun,
Maybe when my kids get a bit older,
All I think of is runny noses and me chasing them around,
Never say never,
Happy Winter,
Coach Yulia

Hide and Seek and Tag

I don't know about your kids or kids you know but mine can run all day, they wake up around 6am, and don't stop until we start getting ready for bedtime around 6pm.  Today my husband took them to synagogue and I really needed that quiet, my baby has had hard teething nights, so he usually ends up in our bed and takes over.  I had a wonderful nap, and actually felt the house was too quiet, and then they all came back :)

My baby fell asleep, so my husband went to relax with him, and I decided to hang with the kids outside not to make noise.  It is so funny with hide and seek at this age, they tell me exactly where and how to hide and then tell me how to count, and then laugh so much as I chase them.  All the kids love to run after each other, especially around the dining room table.  I heard once that asking a child not to run is like asking them to stop breathing.

They are all sleeping, and hopefully all for the night.

Focusing on connecting,
That is what my services are all about,
Relationships,
Sharing Positive Energy,
I am ready to go where I am needed,
I am ready to grow,
I am ready to work,
Change is good,
I don't want to change a thing, although I thrive on change,
Excited for what the future holds,
Our world is ready for preventive maintenance,

Taking care of Mama is the most important thing you can do,
and I am not talking about your Mama, I am talking about YOU,
Coach Yulia

Can I Please Write My Blog?

There is really no best time to write for me, it is either when inspiration hits, or ohh the day is almost over I better do it now, or today our Day of Rest starts at sundown, so by our calendar I have until 4:39pm to get this done.

Today started with a wonderful Yoga class with my amazing 81 year old teacher, and then had an appointment with my baby.  He fell asleep on the way home, and I also felt like I just needed to lie down.  Sleep has been interrupted by that cute chubby guy you see in the picture, he also wanted to interrupt my flow, but I got a good picture out of it, make the best of every situation, right?

I am just happy our Shabbat is around the corner, tomorrow I am definitely staying in while my husband takes all three kids to synagogue. 

I feel it is important to listen when your body just needs to stop, and I am blessed to have a day where stopping is the whole point.

Shabbat Shalom,
Coach Yulia

Opportunities Come, Opportunities Go - Take A Second Look

I took a second look at my photo shoot from a few months ago, and really liked this picture whereas before I didn't notice it

It is amazing what hair and makeup can do for the spirit, and the funny thing is that on a daily basis I prefer to wear absolutely nothing.  For special occasions and of course photo shoots or professional appearances, I love to go all out. 

I feel blessed that I know that ultimately that everything will turn out as it should in every situation.  Recently a few times something new and exciting that I thought was a sure thing and the right fit, just didn't work out for whatever reason, and I was really OK with it.

I think the key to happiness is gratitude, we are really blessed and most of us have only first world problems.  Yes its not easy, yes the cost of living and the economy are tough, but all we can do is work on it and ourselves day by day.

It is so interesting that every day and every moment we have a different perspective based on what is going on NOW.  There is always a different NOW, and I would like to take it on this year to feel blessed with my NOW.

Luckily no matter what happens, my wonderful genetic, passed on through my ancestors positive view keeps me balanced, sane, and just dealing and moving forward.

Adding marriage and kids to your life is definitely a blessing, but also more of NOW to deal with at the same time.  Oh how I love when they are all sleeping :) My father would always say that we are the best, he would pause, and then continue to tell us we are the best when we are sleeping, now I really get it.

BE NOW,
Coach Yulia

I stayed in last night

Happy 2014

I had plans to go out, even had somewhere to go, friends were throwing an amazing house party that I went to a few years ago.  I have always loved to be social, and I would love to go out even for a little while to make sure I am not missing out on anything.

My hairdressers sink exploded and her handyman was out of town for the holidays, my hair needs a dye job badly, and honestly, part of going out for me is dressing up and looking fabulous.  Since fabulous wasn't going to happen last night, I was OK to just stay home, because I knew it would be fun, but I wasn't missing anything.

Also my husband had a great opportunity to work last night, so without him I also didn't want to go out, and most of my friends I see on a weekly basis on our Day of  Rest, which is full of socialization.

I did not get much sleep however, it is like my baby sensed my husband was not there, and he was tossing and turning, and when he got home quite late, we all finally fell asleep.

I am feeling tired from a long and amazing first day of 2014.  I met and booked an amazing new Doula client, went to a Brit Mila, circumcision ceremony, of a wonderful friend, then off my baby, Matisyahu and I went to a party for the cutest one year old ever.

Then I got called in to my daughter's school to help out for an hour, my baby fell asleep from all the fun, and they asked me to do some Yoga with the kids, we had a blast.

Once we got home, I finished cleaning out the kids closet, it is so amazing to see everything that is in there, and even the things that are not organized yet, are in boxes that need to be organized.

Went on another Doula interview and then to teach an awesome Yoga class to hard working mommies that love to meet, chat, and Yoga once their babies are asleep.

Feeling blessed for my calling,
Feeling blessed for being needed,
Feeling blessed for being placed in the exact place I need to be,
It's all just going to get better and better,
Woo Hoo!
Here is Cheers in languages from all over the world,
Coach Yulia

Albanian:        G?zuar
Arabic: Fisehatak ("to your health")
Armenian: Genatzt, Genatsoot ("Life")
Austrian: Prosit - Prost (German)
Bahasa: Pro
Baluchi Vashi
Basque: On egin
Brazilian Portuguese: Saude, Viva
Bulgarian: Na zdrave ("to your health")
Catalan: Salut
Chinese: Nien Nien nu e. Kong Chien
Chinese: Yung sing ("drink and win")
Chinese Cantonese: Gom bui ("dry the cup")
Chinese Mandarin: Gan bei ("dry the cup")
Croatian: Zivjeli
Czech: Na zdrav? ("to your health")
Danish: Skaal
Dutch: Proost. Proost, Geluk, or Gezondheid
Egyptian: Fee sihetak, Bisochtak
Esperanto: Je via sano ("to your health")
Estonian: Tervist (Teie) terviseks ("to your health")
Ethiopian: T'chen chen
Finnish: Kippis, Maljanne, Pohjanmaan kautta ("bottoms up")
French: A votre sante
Flemish: op uw gezondheid
Frisian: Tsjoch
Gaelic (Ireland): Sl?inte (to your health), Guid forder! ("good luck")
Gaelic (Scotland): Slaandjivaa ("to your health")
Galician: Sa?de
German: Prost (beer) Zum Wohl (wine) ("to your health")
Greek: Eis Igian, Stin ijiasas Jamas
Hebrew: L'chaim ("To life")
Hungarian: Kedves egeszsegere ("to your health")
Icelandic: Sk?l
Indonesia: Pro
Japanese: Kampai
Kikuyu: Rathima andu atene
Korean: Chukbae Kong gang ul wi ha yo
Latin: Sanitas bona ("to your health") Bene tibi
Latvian: Uz veselibu
Lebanese: Kesak
Lithuanian: I sueikata, I sveikas
Macedonian: Na zdravje! ("to your health")
Mexican: Salud (Spanish - Latin American)
Maori: Kia ora
Norwegian: Skal, Sk?l
Persian: salam ati ("to your health")
Polish: Vivat Na zdrowie ("to your health")
Portuguese: A sia saide
Romanian: Noroc ("Good luck")
Russian: Na zdorovje ("to your health")
Serbian: Zivio Ziveli ("live long")
Slovak: Na zdravie ("to your health")
Slovenian: Na zdravje ("to your health")
Somalian: Auguryo
Spanish: Salud
Sinhala: Seiradewa
Swedish:  Sk?l, Skaal, Helan g?r ("Everything goes")
Tagalog: Mabuhay ("Long life")
Thai: Choc-tee
Turkish: Serefe ("To honor")
Urdu: Djam
Uyghur: Hoshe ("Cheers") Salametlikingiz ucun ("For your health")
Vietnamese: Chia
Welsh: Iechyd da, Iechyd da