[Sponsored Post] What Propels You?

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A few months ago, I saw a picture of myself as taken by one of the kids. It showed me spinning my little girl around. It was a joyous moment. My little girl’s face was full of ecstatic delight. My face, on the other hand, showed strain and effort. I was not enjoying myself. I was struggling to keep up with the moment. Because I was in general poor health.

That made me realize a couple of things. First, I need to start exercising. Second, I need to do it for the kids.

It is hard to get out and moving when you are set into a routine. It is hard to break out of it. Human beings are generally very resistant to change and so it was with me. But I kept that photo in mind.

I started with a few jogs around the local park. The first day, I felt good. It was easy. I thought, why couldn’t I do this everyday? I realized the answer the third, the fourth and the fifth day. If the first day was easy, the next few days were like trying to move with bricks around my ankles. The body had realized what I was trying to do and it didn’t like it. But I kept that photo in mind.

Finally, after a whole month of daily punishing jogs, I felt that the body was ready to respond. It rewarded me by giving me more energy during the day and making the stomach line a little less noticeable. I was still tempted to relapse. There were days when it was raining and when the timing didn’t seem right. But I kept that photo in mind.

My goal is to take a similar photo in a few months time and see if I am enjoying the moment as much as my daughter is.

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Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Propel Zero via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Propel Zero.

Lots of Americans seem to think that May 5 is Mexican Independence Day, but that holiday actually falls on Sept. 16.

May 5 is the celebration of the Battle of Puebla, in which the Mexicans defeated the French in 1862. Independence Day marks the beginning of their fight for independence from Spain in 1810. That was the day of what’s known as El Grito de Dolores, or the cry of Dolores, for when the Catholic priest Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang the church bells at his church in Dolores and declared that Mexico should be free from Spanish rule.

They would fight for their freedom until 1821 when they finally gained independence.

Fabulous Classroom has a little of the history and ideas for celebrating the holiday for all age groups. There’s also a link to a good video in that post about the real story of Mexican Independence Day.

Twinkl also has a good tops about the history and different activities, discussion ideas, crafts and foods that can be incorporated into lessons at school or used at home.

I also found a few pins that no longer link to a website but include good information on Mexican Independence Day, including some questions for students to answer based on the reading. You can find more printables and questions for kids from TX Homeschool Mama on Etsy (also available in Spanish).

You can find a lot more paid resources about Mexican Independence Day at Teachers Pay Teachers.

Mexican flag crafts are a fun option for celebrating Mexican Independence Day (though the current iteration of their flag has only been in use since 1968). Kids Activities Blog has a free Mexican flag printable and a few different ideas for decorating it including dot markers and torn tissue paper.

You can also find some great Mexican crafts at Red Ted Art. The post includes all sorts of Mexican inspired projects including Day of the Dead crafts, Frida Kahlo pinatas and upcycled musical instruments. I love the giant paper flowers they shared from Honestly WTF.

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