Each week at Live Healthy we feature a Southern Blogging Mom whose writing has left an impression. This week we are thinking about special Southern Mom Blogger, Anissa Mayhew.

We don't know Anissa personally, but have followed her story. This Atlanta mom of three suffered a stroke earlier this week. Bloggers around the world have rallied around Anissa and her family, rallying in their support of her and her family.

Anissa has been through many challenges, including her daughter Peyton's treatment for cancer. From that experience she started Hope 4 Peyton, where she chronicled her family's journey, and writes about her life as a mom at Free Anissa.

Rachel at A Southern Fairytale has complied a list of bloggers who have written posts for Anissa here. It's clear when you read them how many people care about Anissa and her family, and it also speaks to the bonds that are formed between those who share their stories online.

As Rachel says, "We first connect with our hearts and later, often in real life.  Our bonds are truly powerful."

Anissa, please know that your friends at Southern Living are pulling for you. 

If you are interested in following updates on Twitter, search using #prayersforanissa.  

Related Links:

How To Help

Mommy Blogger Suffers Stroke: Support Shows Power of Social Media

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week is Katie Anderson of Growing Green, which she describes as a blog "written from the perspective of a Southern, small-town mom with good intentions to be green, but with a lot to learn."  

Katie writes that she is a thirty-something "Green Mama of 2 children, 1 dog, 2 turtles." She blogs about her attempts to help the planet and her family's through things like recycling, planting her own vegetable garden, and learning more about what foods she eats.

Growing Green chronicles Katie's burgeoning green adventure here in the South. She writes:

So, anyhoo, I’ve decided to go green.  Or, greener.  And, I’ve decided to blog about it.  Now, I know if you live in LA or New York, or any city, you are probably way greener than I am.  You were green, when green wasn’t cool.  And you may not remember or even know who Barbara Mandrell is.  But, now green is cool and it’s everywhere to you.  You’re probably going blue now, or some new environmental term I haven’t heard.    However, if you lived in a small town in Georgia like I do, you would not even have recycling curb pickup. 

Katie shares her tips and links to resources that have been helpful to her as she goes green. For that, and for the fact that she is sharing her journey of helping the environment Southern style, we recognize her as the Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week!

Want to recommend a Southern blogger to be featured on Live Healthy? Drop us a line here, or on our Twitter account:

@livehealthyblog

Related Links:

Southern Living: 22 Easy Ways To Save The Earth

Southern Living: Eco Friendly Kitchen

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week is Southern Fried Mama.

Trista is an Alabama mom who writes about her adventures of being a stay-at-home mom of two. She writes about her challenges -- and solutions -- of raising two young kids and managing a part-time job, with a husband who travels for work.

"I started my blog to keep a journal of what the kids were doing, but then  started connecting with other moms and being part of an online community," she says. "With my husband on the road and being at home there are days when I don't talk in person with another adult. Connecting with other moms helps me stay in touch with the outside world."

We like this post about how she makes time for herself by attending Friday night painting classes when she can. (Click here for Southern Living tips on de-stressing with art.)

Thanks for sharing your Southern Fried story Trista, and happy blogging!  

Want to recommend a Southern blogger to be featured on Live Healthy? Drop us a line here, or on our Twitter account:

@livehealthyblog

Related Links:

Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week: One Mom's World

Education.com: Staying Sane With Young Kids When Your Spouse Travels

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week is Jen Houck of One Mom's World. Jen (pictured at left with her family) is a North Carolina work at home mom of two girls ages four and six and has been blogging since 2005.

Jen's chronicles daily life, including her healthy weight loss journey. So far she's lost 55 lbs toward her 70 lbs. goal.

Here she is sharing a video update on how she feels healthier since making exercise a daily part of her life (she swears by EA Sports for the Nintendo Wii.)

"I'm just so happy with myself," she says. "I feel like I'm a better example to my girls."

One of our favorite posts on her blog is one about ice skating with her best friend and their families, which puts us in the mood for cold weather activities that are on the horizon:

"You see it has been about 11 years since we both had been. We went together with my church youth group at the time and how neat it was that we went back together 11 years later. This time we got to share in the experience with our children. Let’s just say the children way outdid us. There were falls into the puddles (that would be muah and her daughter M), there was plowing into the sides of the ice skating rink, there were times we wouldn’t let go of the rails, there were times we skated around with the Kid’s bar haha… it was just some plain ole genuine fun ..."

You've inspired us Jen, and for that, you are this week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week!

Also, kudos to the the women of MamaLaw, who organized the successful Blogalicious Conference held in Atlanta last weekend!

     Keep them coming ladies! If you have a mom you'd like to nominate for Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week, please let us know.

Related Links:

Lost: One Tiny Celebrity (Or the Equivalent Thereof)

Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week: The Wii Fit Mommies

Southern Living: Cool Weather Comfort, Warm and Hearty Stews

Turns out her insight about the potential of online connection was right.

Today Rachael, who lives in Naples, Florida, is in-demand as a consultant, building websites and working with businesses to design and manage their websites, as well as raising her 21-month old daughter Leila.

She's also one of the founding editors of BlueSuitMom, a website devoted to work/life balance issues. For her dedication to helping working moms we are naming her our Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week.

Rachael helped found BlueSuitMom in 2000, long before she was a mom. “BlueSuitMom has always been my passion. It was my first baby,” she says. The website features stories about parenting, career, and health, among other things that busy moms talk about.

Readers are encouraged to submit questions to BlueSuitMom's team of experts, a team that includes a career coach, child educators, and professional organizers.

We like this post Rachael did about her the "BlueSuitMom's Working Mom Top 10 Must Haves." Another great post is her book reviewof  "Life's Work: Confessions of An Unbalanced Mom" by Lisa Belkin. An excerpt from Rachael's review:

"This might have been the most powerful message I've read in a book -- ever. Because today I vow that this will change my life. From now on, I'm not going to stay awake until 3 a.m. stressing out about why I'm not good enough. Why do I have to spend countless hours worrying that it isn't good enough."

 

We love that attitude. Keep up the good work Rachael!

 

Related Links:

 

Southern Living Mama Blogger Of The Week: Mama Law

 

Southern Living Mama Blogger Of The Week: The Wii Mommies Cool Guide To Fitness

 

Southern Living: Healthy Weeknight Meals

You may have noticed that we haven't featured a Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week lately. That's because we're cooking up big things at Southern Living that you will soon hear more about.

We continue to be impressed by all the great Southern blogs out there. Like this one ...

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week comes to us from the fair state of Mississippi:

Mommy Cracked. It's written by Mandy, mom to a four-year old son and former teacher and librarian. She writes:

"I started Mommy Cracked in October 2007 as a creative outlet while being a stay at home mom. I had no idea what I was doing but have quickly learned that blogging is a great way to connect with like-minded others, offers me an opportunity to write (which I love doing), and also serves as an online diary of sorts about my life, memories, and experiences."

Two of her recent posts caught our attention:

Six Tools To Relive Your Child's Back To School Itis, with tips on helping your child relieve school fears (like teaching him or her how to breathe deeply for calm and concentration).

Another great post is Baby Safe Travel, which reviews a website by the same name that features hotel reviews by parents based on kid-friendliness and safety. 

Keep up the good work Mandy!

Also, please check out fellow Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week Megan's moving post to mark the four year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and her family's survival. 

As for us, stay tuned for big news in the coming weeks.

And please let us know if there are Southern mama bloggers we should be reading!

In the South school tends to start earlier than it does for our northern neighbors. So for some of us, kids are going back as early as next week. (Insert cheers from Moms and Dads alike!) These can be big jumps -- kids starting at new schools holding backpacks containing sharpened pencils, with nerves all over the place.

I remember being so excited and nervous the first day of school I passed out in homeroom. As in literally, right on top of my Earth Sciences text.

(That's me to the left with the Strawberry Shortcake ensemble and bowl cut.)

Granted, this was also Florida, where it's in the mid-90s at the beginning of the school year.

Yeah, I didn't earn any cool points that day. What can I say -- I was excited about diagramming sentences and competing in the science fair. Go ahead, laugh. It's kind of funny.

The moral of the story: sometimes that first day doesn't go as smoothly as we plan.

But, here are some tips and resources to help you minimize first day of school drama:

5. Prepare The Teacher -- Some schools offer tours and "meet the teacher" sessions. Regardless, make sure your child's teacher knows of any special needs or medical issues. Here's a list of ten things to ask the teacher about your child's academic experience.

Let us know: What's your favorite back-to-school memory? What are your family traditions to get your kiddos ready for the start of a new year?

My mom took our picture on the first day of school in front of a tree in the yard. We can't be the only ones who did something like this!

Please share your memories and back-to-school tips.

Related Links:

BlondeMomBlog: Back to School Traditions

KidsHealth.org - Going Back to School

MSNBC: Tips To Calm Your Child's First-Day Jitters

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the week is The Big Mama. Big Mama has lived in Texas all her life, and writes with a distinctly Southern voice. 

We love this post about making plans for her 20 year high school reunion. An excerpt:

"About this time last year I received an email about plans for my twentieth high school reunion. And I thought, bless their hearts, it hasn’t been twenty years since we graduated from high school because that would mean we’re old and all drive minivans and wear sensible loafers. Then I did the math and realized that yes, as a graduate of the class of 1989, it has been twenty years since I teased the crap out of my bangs in the hopes they would be higher than my mortarboard cap when I walked the stage to receive my diploma and hugged all my classmates while a cassette tape of Whitney Houston belted out “One Moment In Time” over a mediocre sound system."

Seriously, I am laughing out loud.

"...this is about me trying to live the life of motherhood with some semblance of grace and dignity, yet still somehow managing to knock over large quantities of produce while grocery shopping."

Can't we all relate? I know I can.

Happy Friday mamas, with a very special shout out to those of you who are attending the BlogHer conference today. If you would like to nominate a Southern Blogging Mama for our feature please leave your suggestion in the Comments section below.

 Related Links:

Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week: Fabulously Frugalicious

Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week: This Ain't New York

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the week is Trina, whose blog, "Fabulously Frugalicious," is an account of her creative ways to live frugally and with style.

In addition to writing about her family (she's an Alabama mom of two), Trina shares tips on how she looks and feels good -- all while watching out for bargains.

What's the connection to health? Money is one of the top stresses for Americans (American Psychological Association), and we're interested in learning about how women are keeping that stress level at bay.

We like this post in which Trina writes re-organizing her garage and giving unwanted items to charity - a good way to be eco-friendly and help someone in need at the same time.

And in this post Trina gives tips on how she made custom artwork for only $13. It features her "trademark" item -- peacock feathers. Trina explains how you can do the same thing -- sounds like a fun project for a weekend afternoon.

We love Trina's suggestions for looking and feeling good for less, and for that she's our Southern Living Mama Blogger of the week.

Do you have a suggestion for a Southern mom blogger who should be featured in Southern Living or on "Live Healthy?" Leave us your suggestions in "comments" below.

Related Links:

Southern Living Live Healthy: De-Stress With Art

Southern Living: Garage Organization

Health Magazine: Green Guide To Cleaning

It's almost July 4th, and whether you are going to the beach, the mountains, or your own backyard, we're wishing everyone a happy and safe holiday.

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week is a Southern ex-pat who is spending her vacation in beautiful Destin, Florida.

This Ain't New York is written by Melanie, a Georgia native who describes herself as a "dislocated Southerner" living in New Mexico with her husband and daughter.

We've chosen Melanie for her spot-on description of that stress reliving moment when you arrive at your favorite beach:

As a Florida native, this description rings true, and I can practically feel the sand in my toes reading her blog. This post describing summers shelling peas with her grandmother also evokes memories.

Thanks for sharing Melanie, and keep blogging!

Question: What's your favorite Southern summer memory?

Also, if you have a Southern blogging mama you would like to recommend for this weekly feature, please leave your suggestion in "comments."

Related Links:

Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week: Serenity Now

Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week: Rocks in My Dryer

Happy Friday Mama Bloggers!

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the week is Amanda from Serenity Now, A Mommy's Solution To Staying Sane.

Amanda is a Virginia stay-at-home mom of two. We've enjoyed reading about her sister's challenge to run a 5K as an alternative bridesmaid get together (her sister is getting married and wanted to find a fun, healthy way for her bridesmaids to bond).

Her sister has challenged her to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon in March 2010. The idea is that the bridesmaids, who live in various places, would all train to run the race. Kind of a fun alternative to a traditional bachelorette party, don't you think? Then, post-race, they could celebrate at Disney.

Amanda writes:

"If she can find a training plan that involves a stop at the Starbucks drive-thru window, sign me up!"

    We think this sounds like a great idea for a girls' trip. What do you think? Have you had a similar healthy girls getaway? Let us know in the "comments" section.

    And Amanda, we think you should do it. In fact, we're cheering you on, lattes in hand.

  Today's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week is Shannon of "Rocks In My Dryer."  

Shannon is a "30-something mom" of four kids who hails from Arkansas and lives in Oklahoma.

We love this post about her relaxing anniversary weekend with her husband at a bed and breakfast called  Aaron's Gate outside Guthrie, Oklahoma.

And if a bed and breakfast is not in your weekend plans, her photos will inspire you to at least take a little time off for some unplugged fun.

Another one of our favorite posts from Rocks In My Dryer is:

Works For Me: Organizing Bedroom Clutter 

Here's an excerpt:

"Each boy now has his own treasure box, about twice the size of a shoe box.  All of their treasures (rocks from the playground, a letter from their beloved uncle, unused Chuck E. Cheese tickets and anything else they CAN'T POSSIBLY throw away) belong in the box.  When the box gets so full that the lid won't close, it means it's time to go through and throw some things away.

I love this, because it teaches them to prioritize and to understand that some things (a postcard from Yosemite) are not.  It helps keep loose pieces of clutter contained.  And the best part?  With their permission, I like to poke through their treasure box.  Seeing what they hold dear helps me treasures, while other things (an empty wrapper from their favorite candy bar) are really know them a little better."

Shannon shares great tips for busy moms. And really, is there any other kind? Hats off to Shannon and all of the Southern Living Mama Bloggers!

If you have a Southern Mama Blogger, please let us know in "comments" below. Your nominations are important in helping us choose our weekly honoree.

Related Links:

Southern Living Mama Blogger Of The Week: Joshilyn Jackson, Faster Than Kudzu

Southern Living Mama Blogger Of The Week: We Are That Family

101 Free Things By State - Oklahoma

You might know Joshilyn Jackson from her novels. This Atlanta-based novelist, is the author of "Between, Georgia," "Gods in Alabama," and "The Girl Who Stopped Swimming."

She's also a mom and blogger who, among other things, writes about trying to make better eating and exercise choices not just to fit into her favorite jeans but for her health.

Jackson, whose blog is called "Faster Than Kudzu" is the Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week

Joshilyn, 41, has joined the American Heart Association as one of their "Better for You Bloggers." Starting next week she and three other "Better For You Bloggers" will write about what they are doing to reduce their risk for heart disease.

In this video for the AHA she shares that she is taking small steps to health so she can be around for her two children.

You can join Joshilyn in a 12-week challenge to lower your risk of heart disease (not to mention a ton of other health benefits by signing up here). This free program, called "Go Red For A Better U"  includes tips on nutrition, stress management, and exercise from national experts, as well as an online journaling tool to keep track of your progress.

There's even a downloadable coaching tool you can put on your desktop or phone, where you can access new information every day.

Kudos to Joshilyn for taking steps to take care of her heart and for sharing her journey with all of us. Also, check out MamaLaw, which we featured here just a few weeks ago. These three D.C. moms are also contributing to the "BetterU" Bloggers campaign.

Do you have a Southern mom blogger you would like to recommend for "Southern Mama Blogger of the Week?" Let us know in Comments.

Related Links:

American Heart Association Go Red BetterU

MyRecipes.com: A Month of Heart Healthy Recipes

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week Kristen hails from the great state of Texas: We are THAT Family. As she writes:

Each Wednesday Kristen hosts "Works for Me Wednesday," in which bloggers from around the country share links to their blogs, with an emphasis on tips that have made their lives easier. An upcoming "Works for Me Wednesday" (on June 3) will feature tips from moms with ideas to keep their kids' summer boredom at bay.

This is a great way to access a ton of great information from moms like you, organized in one spot each week. Now *that's* a time saver.

Do you have a Southern mom blogger you would like to recommend for "Southern Mama Blogger of the Week?" Let us know in Comments.

Related Links:

Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week: MamaLaw

Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week: The Velveteen Mind

This week's Southern Living "Southern Mama Blogger of the Week" is not one, not two, but three sassy D.C. moms.

MamaLaw is written by three attorneys who, between them, have seven kids. Their names are Fergie, Ny, and Jonesie.

Together they write about finding balance between home and work, all the while trying to take care of their health too.

Each Tuesday one of the moms writes a "Better Tuesdays" post in which she shares how she is taking steps to improve her health. In this post Ny shares that some of her changes include switching to whole grain English muffins, wearing a pedometer to make sure she gets in her 10,000 steps a day and, as she writes,

"The biggest little change that I've made is engaging my hubby in a discussion about healthy eating - that's what I'm most proud of."

In fact the MamaLaw writers are joining with the American Heart Association to promote healthy lifestyles, and have worked with Texas' Cooper Institute to assess risk factors (as seen in Healthy Living).

It's not all calorie counting. MamaLaw is about real women trying to figure out how to keep their careers, homes, and families running, all while having a little bit of fun. Rock it out mamas, and keep on posting your dispatches from the front.

Related Links:

Southern Mama Blogger of The Week: The Velveteen Mind

Southern Mama Blogger of the Week: The Wii Mommies Guide To Fitness

In honor of Mother's Day we feature a special Southern Mama Blogger of the Week - Mississippi resident Megan Jordan of The Velveteen Mind.

The Velveteen Mind has provided a place for Megan (mom of two toddlers with one on the way) to share her experiences of motherhood during challenging times. From her blog:

"I am a stay-at-home mom of two toddler sons, am married to a young lawyer, and am a former Hurricane Katrina refugee.  That means I get no sleep, have no money, and am rebuilding our lives from scratch.

I relish the velveteen of the golden plush days and revel in the threadbare fabric of our well-worn lives.  And I tend to do it using a lot of words. I hear that makes me a rather articulate mommyblogger  I think that means I need an editor.   

Please join me, along with my oldest son, Q,  my youngest son, Goose, and my harried husband, Maguire, as we discover what comes next."

    Megan explains that after she lost years of personal journals in Katrina she started her blog. Now it's a vehicle for her to connect with other moms (and help them tell their stories through social media). She writes from Bay St. Louis, sharing stories of life on the Gulf Coast (shrimp po boys and all).

    We like this entryabout how she has grown into her own as a mom in her 30s. An excerpt:

"I didn’t even know we had honeysuckle in this yard.  But this morning, it is blooming.  And filling our yard with the warm scent of simpler days, superseding the rich layers of the bayou, so close to our home.

I live in Mississippi.  On the Gulf Coast.  Not in New York.

Perfection here comes covered in powdered sugar and doused in sweet tea.  Our fingers hint at crawfish boils enjoyed with friends and the air wafts by with a hint of Zydeco."

You said it Megan. Happy Mother's Day. Keep writing mamas.

What are you doing for your mom this weekend to let her know you appreciate her?

Do you have a Southern Mama blogger you'd like to nominate for Southern Living's "Southern Mama Blogger of the Week?" Please submit your suggestions in "comments" below.

Related Links:

Southern Living Mother's Day Menus

Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week: The Wii Fitness Mommies

This week we're doing something different on our "Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week" -- featuring a site that features four contributors.

The "Wii Mommies Cool Guide To Fitness"is maintained by four women (two of whom are in the South) who write about their adventures in exercise with the Ninento Wii.

The site was started when South Carolinian Julie Maloney (left) shared how she lost 60 lbs using the Wii Fit. Several months later she was joined by three others moms (Jenn Hethcoat, Sarah Pinnix, and Cynthia Werry) to create the "Wii Mommies Cool Guide To Fitness."

From their website:

"Each of the four Wii Mommies writes a weekly blog post offering tips and tricks on exercise and diet. Fitness Friday posts are written by one of our forum members sharing how the Wii games are enhancing their lives on a daily basis."

Why we're following: These moms are finding ways to use new technology to fit activity and fun into their daily lives, and sharing tips with other busy women.

One of our favorite posts: Julie's Fitness Friday, describing how she got started with Wii Fitness and how it's improved her posture, strength, and helped her lose weight.

    Reading these posts has inspired me to try out Wii Fitness -- it looks like a lot of fun!

Question: Have you used Wii Fitness, or other video game technology, to get in shape? What other technology are you using to help you exercise -- applications for your iPhone? New heart rate monitors? We want tohear about it -- please leave your thoughts in the "Comments" section below.

And as always, we want to hear about Southern Mama bloggers, especially those who write about health, wellness, balance, and healthy eating. Please leave your suggestions below.

Related Links:

Healthy Living: Strengthen Your Core

Live Healthy: Maintain the Chain: Easy Tip For Exercise Motivation

Healthy Living: Amy's Workout DVD Picks

Our colleague Vanessa McNeil in the Southern Living Test Kitchen recently added this post to "Eating My Words," the Southern Living Food Blog.

The topic: how to get your kids to eat vegetables.

It's an age old conundrum that many if not most families go through at some point, even someone who is a culinary expert. Vanessa is looking for tips on how to get her six year old to eat veggies. (Side note: Vanessa, I will be more than happy to come over and eat any of your delicious food!)

So, all you parents and grandparents out there, what are your tricks to get children into eating their veggies?

Please share comments in the "Eating My Words" entry.

Related Links:

myrecipes.com: Kid-Friendly Recipes

myrecipes.com: Kid-Friendly Vegetable Recipes

As our Southern Mama Blogger of the Week feature grows, we're finding some amazing blogs out there. Thanks to everyone who is sending in suggestions -- please keep them coming. This week's blog comes from Nashville. Here's she is, the Southern Mama Blogger of the Week:

Name: Jamie Reeves

Site: Blonde Mom Blog

Why we're following:  This Tennessee native and 39-year old mom of two shares her experiences of raising two daughters, working as a writer and editor, and her adventures in retail therapy, among other things. She's funny and honest (her headlines will often make you laugh). Reading her blog is like hearing from a good friend.

Our favorite post:

We particularly like her post about the weekly hip hop class that she makes time to attend, and how important it is for moms to take care of themselves. An excerpt:

"There were only three of us in class Wednesday and the other two moms are SAHMs. They remarked that although it was a blessing to stay home with their kids, it was definitely a tough job. To which I gave a hearty Amen. They both said they really enjoyed hip hop class because it was a break and a chance to get out of the house. As one mom said, “I told my husband, this is my time!'"

Speak it sister! Reading about how other mamas make time for their health is inspiring. In fact, after reading this I am going to make plans to check out a new dance class I've been meaning to attend for weeks. Thanks Blonde Mom.

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.

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