This is a guest post from The Messy Baker.

One rainy summer day, unable to build blanket forts on the climbing bars or soar through the sprinkler on a tire swing, I decided my younger sister and I should do some baking. "Baking" meant raiding Mom’s pantry and dumping everything within reach into a bowl. Raisins, nuts, vinegar, flour, icing sugar, food coloring... There was no final dish in mind, just some frenzied sort of let’s-see-what-will-happen culinary experiment. If it looked interesting, we threw it onto the heap. Then stirred. More Here...

I served this fruit salad with the spicy Asian Chicken Sandwiches I made for dinner recently and they paired nicely together. The sweet and juicy fruit salad cooled down our mouths after bites of the spicy sandwich. I loved this combination of fruit together. The sauce was a combination of orange and lemon juice & zest along with some brown sugar and vanilla. It reduced down to a very flavorful sauce that topped the fruit perfectly. We all, kids especially, loved this fruit salad. More Here...

"Have patience in all things, But chiefly have patience with yourself." -- St. Francis de Sales

I know people have made it to the place I'm going, I hear the boasting of arrivals every day. I've seen them rejoice in their accomplishments and relax because their journeys have concluded. I taste the jealously of my heart with every passing mile marker, I feel the sense of urgency in my soul to continue on this road although I feel so alone. Every day I'm thinking of how to go faster without losing my grip, how to get there quicker; seems as though I'll literally never get there, but that won't stop me from giving it me all.

It seems when it comes to anything worth having and holding on too, that it takes an arm and a leg to get it. This goes for so many things in life, but for fitness especially. More Here...

*SYNDICATED*
We all know how important it is to stay fit and healthy. So why is it that when we prioritize what needs to get done in a day, making time to workout often gets bumped to the bottom of the list?

Whether it's the reality of your busy life, or an excuse you're hiding behind, it's important to look after yourself and put the time aside to make it happen.

I admit I'm guilty too! If the weather isn't great, or I'm not faced with the imminent threat of wearing a bikini, a workout slides off my to-do list quicker than an egg slides off a greasy pan. (Yet somehow I find time to get to the store if we're out of Nutella. Go figure!) So maybe a little help is in order?

AfterMom.com spoke to Shayla Roberts, a Wellcoaches® Certified Professional Health Coach who had some great tips. And according to Shayla, the FIRST thing you need to do is...

Connect with a reason that will drive you. Perhaps it's to be an example for your kids, to keep up with your kids, to ward off disease, or to feel good about yourself. Or, if you need a scare to light a fire under you, consider a recent study that states: Lack of exercise kills roughly as many as smoking. (Yikes.) Once you've connected with WHY you are working out, it's about fitting it into your schedule. More Here...