Yup… we are building an ark. LOL. It has rained here for the past 3 days. And it has been so dark that we have had to use the lights in our house ALL day. Crazy, I know! Man, I hope it stops soon.

But, at least the flowers have water, right??? (That is my lame attempt at a silver lining… Ha! Please, sunshine… come back!!)

Well, today I am writing my first post as a Mamavation Sista & Cheerleader! I am SO excited!! I look forward to being part of this community as a source of fitness and healthy eating tips for moms that are trying to lose weight and get their family living a healthy lifestyle. So, for more information, check out Mamavation and see what the Sistahood is all about.

Okay, so here goes. My name is Amy and I am a 39 years old. Holy Poop. Did I just say that out loud? When did I turn 39? No, really, my age doesn’t bother me. It is just a number right? It isn’t how I FEEL. Heck, I feel better now than I did when I was 25. (That is probably mostly due to going to bed before 4 am   )

I have been married for (almost) 10 years to G. He is a very handsome, patient, funny, smart, loving (okay, yes, I am buttering him up a little. I really want a nice anniversary gift… HA!) But seriously, he is the best husband a wife could ask for.  And the thing is… I KNEW it the MOMENT I saw him. Yup, love at first sight.

We have 3 kids. Our son is 8 (we call him Squirrel) and our daughter (we call her bugga) will turn 6 next month. They are the LOVES of my life.

My son is a bright, funny, dramatic, challenging (at times), super cuddler with a super imagination. He is a kid that will make you crazy one minute and make you laugh the next. He LOVES History. He will watch, listen to or read ANYTHING about the Civil War. He wants to be a soldier and then an archeologist. Maybe he will be a History teacher? It is fun to predict, right?

My daughter is super smart (already reading and doing 2^nd grade work and she is only in Kindergarten), a fast runner (and super cuddler, too) that loves reading, math and writing notes, but she especially loves to make people laugh and feel special. She has a raspy little voice and she loves to sing and perform. She also LOVES animals. She wants to be a Marine Biologist and train dolphins. We predict either that or she will be a veterinarian.

In between our son and daughter, I delivered a stillborn son. Our little Angel in Heaven, Chickpea, was born premature at 7 ½ months gestation. It was undoubtedly the saddest and most awful day of my life. But, it was also the most spiritual day of my life, too. In that moment of delivery, the only people I saw in the room were my husband to my left and Jesus, accepting him into his arms and holding him just like the picture below. It was SO powerful.  A moment and vision I will NEVER forget. We miss Chickpea everyday but know that we will see him in Heaven again someday.

Keatonprints.com

Okay, so, besides being a wife and mother, what exactly do I do? Well, first off I am a Radiation Therapist (RTT). A Radiation Therapist is someone who treats cancer patients with Radiation. After starting and stopping and starting RTT school in the early 90’s, I finally figured out that being an RTT was the right thing to do and I finally graduated in 1998. Being an RTT has taken me in so many different directions. I have worked in many different hospitals/clinics all over the Northeast both full time and as a temp staffer (Locum). After that, I started my own temp (Locum) agency, doing that for 4 years. Then, I worked for a major Oncology company traveling all over the US, training other Therapists how to use their new equipment. And, I was lucky enough to continue working for this company from home for over 5 years after I had my kids. I promised (myself and) my kids that I would always be here when they need me and do my darndest to work from home. And, I have been truly blessed to be able to do that.

Now, after being laid off in January from an Oncology Sales Management position that I was in for almost 2 years, I am “doing what I love and love what I am doing.”

BLOGGING!!!

See, my true lifelong passion has always been fitness and wellness. Yes, my education and career is in cancer care, but I believe that by Investing in Yourself and living a balanced life – mentally, spiritually, and physically – you will truly LIVE your BEST life and you can prevent many life changing illnesses.

I remember being a teenager and getting up in the morning, throwing in a Jane Fonda workout video and getting my workout in before school… legwarmers and all.

It was always a dream of mine to own a fitness center, too. So, being the entrepreneur that I am, I looked at what was being offered locally, thought about what might be a good fit for a small town like the one I live in, and so I started a Cardio-boxing fitness center. Yup… Cardio-boxing.

                                                                          My kids LOVED coming to the studio to play Ninja!

Now, if you haven’t ever taken a cardio-boxing class, well, you are missing out. It is SUCH a great, total body workout! You use muscles that you didn’t even know you had. And, you burn LOTS of calories per class. AND, we had bags to hit. Hitting something = less stress!!

It was an instant hit (ok… pun intended). All of my classes filled up quickly and people really enjoyed the workout. The problem ended up being that because people can usually only take a class before or after work, the hours for a mom of two small kids was rough. My kids would just get home from school at 4, I would help with homework and play for a few minutes and then I would have to leave to start teaching classes from 5-8. I would get home in time to help get them into bed. It began to put a lot of stress on my family… stress that was NOT helped by hitting a bag.

So, in April I decided to close the boxing center and take my fitness passion online at spotonwellness.com. Now, I can truly say I have my cake and I eat it, too! (A gluten free, stevia sweetened, healthy carrot cake that is

I am also part of the FitFluential community where I have pledged to help others live healthier lives. So, my plan to be FitFluential is this:

Each week/day, you can come to my blog and read about many different topics and even do a Tabata boxing workout with me.

Mamavation Monday. What is it like being a mom that is addicted to working out and training for a triathlon? Oh, there are some exciting topics coming up, so stay tuned.

Tabata Tuesday – Boxing workout (only 4 minutes long)

Wellness Wednesday –Learn how to stay balanced with my Spot on Wellness Triangle

Tabata Thursday – Boxing workout (only 4 minutes long)

Favorites Friday – Anything from music, fashion, recipes, kids stuff, books or a giveaway. You name it, it may be on the list.

Speaking of Giveaways… Enter below for a Chobani Greek Yogurt Giveaway. You have until June 7th to enter!

I am also training for my first Triathlon (it is on August 11^th). I am very excited and I think it will be a LOT of fun.

So, tune into my YouTube channel, SpotonwellnessTV, to see more videos on my training or to join me in my Tabata boxing workout. Just beware: I LOVE to Vlog so… you have been warned

I am truly excited to be a part of the Mamavation sistahood. I look forward to reading all of your blogs and can’t wait to meet some of you at an upcoming conference.

Feel free to contact me anytime at Amy (at) Spotonwellness (dot) com.

Or follow me on

Twitter @Spotonwellness

YouTube – SpotonwellnessTV

Facebook – www.Facebook.com/Spotonwellness

Instagram – Spotonwellness

Pinterest – Spotonwellness

And, don’t forget to check back in next week to see a new and exciting addition to Spotonwellness!! Ooooo… I am SO excited!!

What topics would you like to read more about?

What is your favorite flavor of Chobani Greek Yogurt?

a Rafflecopter giveaway