One of the really fun things about having this blog is that sometimes an opportunity comes up that lets me take off my educator hat and talk about other parts of my life more. That is one of the many blessings that being a Together Counts Energy Ambassador have gifted me.  I am super excited to say they have asked me to stay in the same role for 2013 and I was giddy to accept because I love working with them and writing for the Together Count Blog.

Why do I like Together Counts so much?

Their Purpose.

Together Counts was started by The Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation which is a coalition of CEOs who saw the need to bring the message of energy balance to the forefront. Calories in , calories out. It is that simple but Together Counts knows it’s not that easy.

Their Resources

Which leads to the second reason I am so proud to be a part of this initiative. They provide resources for teachers, school nurses and families on how to help their families balance their energy and lead healthier active lives. As well as the resources they recognize the disparity in school environments in this country and provide sweepstakes for new playground and sporting equipment annually. One sweepstakes is open only to Title 1 schools. I love that they see the great need for this.

Their Focus

Talking about serious stuff is easy over a family meal.

The third reason I love it so much is their focus on the family meal. I can not tell you how important I think this is for your family . A meal together is where you can make plans together, share the ups and downs of your day and model healthy eating so naturally.

Stretching together after a run.

For me being a part of this has kept me on my toes. When I sign up for something I live up to it the best I can. It was a huge part of me deciding to train and run a half marathon later this month. My kids have been tracking my progress with training and my daughter loves going for runs with me. Being a good role model is important and I am encouraged to be a better one with Together Counts.

For more resources check out their main site and for great tips, activities and advice check out their blog ( you might see a few kids you recognize ).