Have you met Shannon?  No?!?!  Allow me to introduce her to you then!  She’s fairly new to the Sistahood, but one thing I realized is that she is all about diving in – head first.  When she sets her mind to something, so goes for it with all she’s got and that is admirable.  She has been so supportive of all of the sistas and truly has what it takes to help foster a sense of community and support and that is what the Mamavation Sistahood is all about.
If you aren’t already, you should check her out at her normal bloggy home and follow her on twitter but without further ado – I’ll let her speak with her own voice:
Hello, Slightly off Kilter readers! My name is Shannon also known as Aries_Mommy.
I am a mother to four amazing children; Dee 11, Flee 10, Zee 6, and A 4; and a proud USMC wife. My husband and I are high school sweethearts, we have been together for 14 years and married for 10 of them. I grew up the oldest of four children, who were raised by a single mom. The caretaker role was one I embraced at a young age. It has defined me in so many ways. Recently, I realized that being a caretaker is only one part of who I am.
When I found Mamavation on twitter, the first thought was I NEED to do this. All that kept running through my head was, “No more using your role as caretaker as an excuse.” So, I faced my fear of the camera, made my application video, and dove into the Sistahood head first. My motto went from being, “Tomorrow I will (fill in the blank)” to, “Today I did (fill in the blank)”. It was one of those light bulb moments. I was ending each and every day with good intentions on what I would do tomorrow. Only, tomorrow never came. My excuses were usually my children. How could I use them as an excuse?!? Especially when we preach, “Monkey see, monkey do”. A saying we use to remind the older children that the little ones watch what they do, and pick up on good and bad habits. Yet, as a mother, I wasn’t showing them how to fully live a healthy life.
However, I applied for Mamavation Mom for me. This is my chance to prove to myself once and for all, that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to. Like completing an Iron Man one day; simply because someone said that I was too old to try. Go big or go home, right? I am completing this, regardless of whether or not I am chosen. It is not just an appearance change to me. It is a lifestyle and attitude change. 
My entire life, I wanted to be that girl. The fit girl, the one who didn’t fear cameras; the one who was rarely sick. The girl who knew what she wanted and went after it. The greatest immediate impact will be on me; rest assured that my family will benefit from them.
Becoming the next Mamavation Mom will mean no more excuses, no more tomorrows that don’t come. It also opens a door that I have dreamed about. The one where I can motivate other women to do it. Motivate them to make the changes that they need to make. Motivate them to get their children in the kitchen and teach them to have a healthy relationship with food. To remind them that 90% of this battle is in our own mind. Not to mention, to dance with them when they finally say, “Today I did what I set out to do.”
Please think of me (Aries_Momma) when you cast your vote for the next Mamavation Mom. Know that I appreciate all of the support.
Shannon
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