We're loving the spring here at Southern Living. The flowers are popping, farmer's markets are getting ready to open and we're taking out our warm weather clothes (well, at least we will be once this rain stops).

April's issue celebrates this great time of year in the South. In Healthy Living, we give you some tips to help you energize, give back and even fight that stubborn pollen that's in the air.

Check out some of the features of this month's "Healthy Living" --

"Charity Made Easy" -- Looking for ways to make a difference without having to write a check? Find ways to give back in your own neighborhood with this handy guide to do-it-yourself philanthropy.


"Balancing Act" -- Simple ways to work out your core.

"Nature's Sugar Substitute" -- Did you know that unprocessed honey can inhibit respiratory symptoms during pollen season? Find out how to harvest honey's benefits and get honey-healthy recipes. 

"Clear Out and Clean Up" --  Streamline your spring cleaning with a simple four pile method.

Question: What are you doing to make the transition to spring? Cleaning out your wardrobe? Making vacation plans? Let us know in the comments section below.

Spring Color Around The South

Spring Has Sprung: Share Your Plans To Get Active Outside

And now for your Southern Mama Blogger of the week ...

Name:Michelle Densmore, a.k.a., Bella

Site: Southern Somedays

Why we're following:  Michelle shares her slice of Southern live, with tips on cooking, gardening, finding great beauty products, and of course, celebrating every day life and milestones of family life.

One of our favorite posts: Question For You Sporty Girls, in which Bella discussed the age old question: What to wear to the gym?

Question: What other Southern mom blogs are you reading? Please let us know in the "Comments" section below. We may choose your recommendation for an upcoming spotlight in our weekly feature.

Related Posts:

Southern Mama Blogger of the Week: he Southern Family

Southern Mama Blogger of the Week: Tales From My Tiny Kingdom

One of my favorite ways to experience a new city is to climb something. Towers, churches, whatever. It's relatively inexpensive and a way to make a place into an activity. So when my sisters came to visit me, I knew we should visit Vulcan. Vulcan is the world's largest cast iron statue and Birmingham's contribution to the 1904 World's Fair. You can't go all the way up to his head (as one of my sisters hoped), but you can climb up the base to an observation deck. I felt very secure, and apparently so did the several toddlers up there, though those afraid of heights might not enjoy it.

Now I didn't sprint up those stairs - in fact that's not allowed. But just the short walk up was a nice small way to get my heart rate up. An article in the New York Times last month mentioned climbing stairs at work during a lunch break or finding a stadium that's open to the public. (As always, check with your doctor before beginning a new workout.) If you really fall in love with stairs, there's tower running. The Empire State Building Run-Up is a well-known race, but there are events around the world. Some here in the South include Stair Climb Miami, Climb Atlanta and the Big D Climb in Dallas.

Sometimes though, it really is all about the small steps (no pun intended). And regardless of your fitness level, little activities can be great when you have to balance aspects of your life. For example, I was entertaining my sisters, who I don't see very often. I wanted to show them some Southern hospitality, plus it would have been no fun to ditch them while I exercised. This was a nice way to balance the two.

Let us know: What are some of your favorite small ways to be active? And how do you balance fitness and family or other obligations? Where do you run your steps?

Related Links:

Healthy Steps

Pair Up Everyday Activities with Fitness

Downtown Houston City Park

And now for your Southern Mama Blogger of the week ...

Name: Aubree Southern

Site: The Southern Family,  Tales of Southern Drama From a Southern Mama

Why we're following:  This Oklahoma mom shares stories of her family's adventures that we can relate to. She's proud of her two kids and enjoys connecting with other mom bloggers

One of our favorite posts: Gavin's Birthday Invite -- Aubree shares the funky invitation to her son's bowling birthday party.

Question: What other Southern mom blogs are you reading? Please let us know in the "Comments" section below. We may choose your recommendation for an upcoming spotlight in our weekly feature.

Related Posts:

Southern Mama Blogger of the Week: Tales From My Tiny Kingdom

Confession No. 2: I have gone three weeks without getting my acrylic set filled in.  And, I may go four....I wonder if I'm creating bad blood between my manicurist and myself. 

Without fail, every time I touch-up my nails at home, I get the eye-watering, nose-burning sensation that comes from being overpowered by a slick mixture of formaldehyde, dyes, and whatever else is found in my polishes.  Such irritation always causes my eyes to end up as red as fire-engine nail polish!

And, when I go to have my nails done, as we glamourous southern women do on a schedule that's so consistent our manicurists could come for Easter family dinner, I always wonder the following:  If the person doing my nails wears a surgical mask so that he or she is not getting "high" off the noxious vapors, shouldn't I be doing the same?  Or, should I even be putting this stuff on my hands and toes?  Yet, I do it anyway, reassuring myself that my French tips are worth it......

Beauty Buzz: I recently stumbled upon a company that just might change the world of manicures and   pedicures as we know it. No Miss Nail Care Products (www.nomiss.com), out of Boca Raton, rethinks nail care by using alternative ingredients.

Why It's Healthy: Their polishes are Formaldehyde and camphor-free and contain UV inhibitors that protect your nails from the sun. The dyes for the polishes, which come in a variety of shades, are made from earth elements.Their vanilla-scented polish remover contains no acetone or ethyl acetate.

Why I love it:The No Miss Nails natural nail strengthener contains plant and fruit minerals and extracts, including some from coffee beans. Who would've guessed?

When it comes to St. Patrick's Day, healthy activities aren't typically on the top of the list of festivities. And no, beer cannot be counted as a vegetable just because it's green.

Which makes me think about an Irish experience that is good for you: Irish dance. You don't have to be in "Riverdance" to do the steps -- the basics are easy to learn as this video demonstrates. I can attest to how fun it is -- last year for my mom's birthday we surprised her with a lesson. It's hard not to have a smile on your face when the sounds of the tin flute and fiddles kick in, and once you get going it can be some serious cardio.

So what are you waiting for? Try it for yourself. I can guarantee your friends will be impressed if you kick up a few steps tomorrow.

Let us know: what are you doing to celebrate St. Patrick's Day?

Related Links:

myrecipes.com: St. Patrick's Day Recipes

The History of Irish Dance

I am not an exercise person.I've never been athletic, and I didn't make working out a priority at all in college (Who did?). But now that I have a fairly regular work schedule, I decided to change that. I chose to start with Jazzercise for two important reasons: 1) There's a class offered in my office building, so I can just walk right down after work. 2) There was a promotion going on, so the cost was reasonable.

I'm now proud to say that since I started seven weeks ago, I have missed just one class. Only one other person in my class can boast the same thing, and it's a big deal to me given my humble fitness beginnings. This reminded me of  a post I read on lifehacker.com a little over a year ago about Jerry Seinfeld's motivation technique.

Jerry wanted to make himself write one joke per day, so he put a calendar on his wall and put a big red x on every day that he did it. The idea is that after several days you see a chain, and the goal is not to break the chain. It's actually a pretty compelling idea, especially because once you miss one day, it's easier to skip another.

You could easily adapt this to any size calendar, actual or virtual. There's also a Web site called dontbreakthechain.com , where you click on days to turn them red. You can view up to a year of dates at a time, and it calculates how many days non-stop you've met your goal.

My Jazzercise classes are only two days per week, so they don't lend themselves as easily to this strategy, but I could create one for exercise in general, even if it's just a long walk.

Some other goals I thought of are eating fruits and vegetables, meditating and reading.

Question: What are some other ways you could use this strategy for wellness?

Related Links:

Walking: A Great Way to Relax

Exercising Through the Holidays 

Amy's Workout DVD Picks  

I'm starting a new series that will answer every question you've ever had about living beautifully--the Southern way.  There are so many components that make Southern beauty unique--our climate and seasons (or lack thereof); our style and culture; our access to fresh ingredients--all of which combine to create a glowing natural essence.

Each week, the Beauty Buzz will cover some aspect of what we define as beauty--be it body care, body therapy (aromatherapy, etc), or healthy home care that benefits your overall well-being and beauty. We'll even feature people we think have it right (If you know of any you'd like to see featured, let me know in the comments section below or email me at healthyliving@southernliving.com).

It's only fair that we're in this together, right?  Great.  So, I'm looking forward to this series helping both you and me build a "beautiful" relationship between ourselves and our bodies--blemishes, wrinkles, discolorations, and all.

I'll start each post with a confession.  If I'm showing my skin, I'm sure you won't be opposed to showing yours (smiles).

Confession No. 1: I'm a product junkie.  I'm always in search of the miracle serum to heal my skin and hair woes, which usually results in a colorful collection of dozens of half-empty bottles under my bath sink (and that's half-empty if I liked them...many products never reach that half-way mark...). This weekend, I counted 6 different types of shampoo, 5 skin discoloration creams or oils, 6 nail polishes, 5 lotions.... I am ready to clean out the beauty clutter and streamline to products that I truly work and those that I truly love.

And now, what you've been waiting for...

Beauty Buzz:  I'm always going gaga over new scents that I can wear--here are some scents my sheets can wear.  Refresh your senses with these linen sprays from Gold Canyon. They add a kiss of fragrance to your sheets, slipcovers, and upholstery.

Why It's healthy: The sprays are infused with essential oils which give you a healthy awakening sensation. They are beautifully packaged and add that extra touch of comfort to your linens.

Why I love it: Scent names, such as "Quiet Moments" and "Harmony," evoke a de-stressing sense of peace.

Grilled Artichokes and Asparagus 

We all have then: family heirlooms and sentimental treasures that are sitting in a closet because we're not sure what to do with them.

This morning on The Today Show Southern Living Features Editor Jessica Thuston demonstrated creative ways to repurpose these meaningful items.

Click on the video below to watch the segment.

At least in some parts of the South, where warmer temperatures are inviting us to get outside and enjoy one of the best things about living here -- the weather!

It seemed like everyone here in Birmingham was taking advantage of the warmer temperatures over the weekend (especially remarkable because we had snow just a week ago). Any excuse to get outside and we did -- working on our yards, taking walks with friends.

My son and I enjoyed our first jog of the spring, which got my heart rate up and him away from the television that we tend to gravitate to during winter months.

Now with Daylight Saving Time and longer evenings, there's even more time for us to enjoy the weather into the evenings. In the coming weeks and months, we'll be featuring ways for you to get active outdoors.

What about you? Help us by answering the following question. Your answer could appear in an upcoming issue of Southern Living!

Spring is the perfect time to enjoy the beautiful weather.  When it comes to keeping fit, tell us your favorite way to get moving outside.

Please send your tip to healthyliving@southernliving.com.

Your above submission to SouthernLiving.com, including contact information, gives us the right to modify, use, distribute, reproduce, publish and display the submission indefinitely in all media, means, and forms without any payment to you.  You hereby represent that you haven't copied the content from a book, magazine, newspaper, or other commercial source.

Related Links:

7 Reasons To Get Outdoors

Tennessee's Secret Outdoors

Downtown Houston City Park

Today we kick off a new feature on Live Healthy: The Featured Southern Blogger Mama Of the Week. Each week we'll spotlight a Southern mom's blog and why you should be following it.

Topics of the blogs we choose will range, but will focus on issues that we Southern moms are interested in. This includes blogs that address work/life balance, family friendly cooking, traveling with children -- you name it.  If moms are talking about it, we want to share it with you. After all, we moms have to stick together!

We hope that you will join in the conversation. If you have a Southern mom blogger you think should be featured, please leave a note in the "Comments" section below.

And now, for our first Southern Blogger Mama Of The Week:

Name: Anne Glamore

Site: Tales From My Tiny Kingdom

Why we're following her:  Anne shares her candid stories of raising three boys in the South, served up with a side of humor.

One of our favorite posts: He Shall Overcome, about helping her child overcome a fear.

Excerpt: "When you’re a mother, seeing a child overcome his fear is like winning the Super Bowl of parenting."

Question: What's your favorite post of Anne's? What other Southern mom blogs are you reading? Please let us know in the "Comments" section below.

Yesterday broughts a rare treat to many of us here in the South: a rare snow day. Since we hardly ever get snow that sticks in Birmingham, it seemed that the whole city was engaged in snow related activities that we seldom get to enjoy.

Snowball fights, snowmen building -- even a little sledding filled my my neighborhood with laughter of kids (and more than a few adults). I even participated in my first ever snowball fight, which turned out to be quite a workout.

Although the snow has melted here, it's still piled high in a number of Southern states. If you're staying at home today, here are some tips on making the most of your snow day. Bundle up, get outside, and have fun!

-Paint in the snow -- Mix food coloring and water into a spray bottle and unleash your inner Picasso.

• -Build a snow castle -- According to this guide on how to build a snow castle, wet and heavy snow is the best kind to use in building your snow castle.

• -Unleash your inner kid -- Check out this post about how many calories you can burn having fun in the snow.

Of course it's always important to put safety first. Here are some tips on staying safe when you're out in the cold.

What have you done to make the most of the snow? Let us know in the "Comments" section and send us your Southern snow photos to healthyliving@southernliving.com

Related Links:

Southern Living: Canaan Valley Resort

Southern Living: A Menu for Quality Family Time

It snowed here yesterday, as it did across several spots in the South.  In honor of the late-winter weather, I've researched the number of calories you can burn in snow-related activities (all of these estimates are for an average-size person).

You'll find that making snowballs is a healthier alternative to eating snowballs (you know, those coconut-covered dessert cakes). Okay, I tried to make a joke there..

According to FitSugar.com:

CBSnews.com says:

"If you shovel for 30 minutes, you'll clear away 200 calories along with the snow."

myfitnesspal.com says:

An hour of sledding burns about 476 calories.