Molly Sims works out for a cause, gives advice to moms juggling kids amid coronavirus

LOS ANGELES -- Actress, model, humanitarian, blogger and, most recently, TikTok aficionado Molly Sims is keeping her fans fit and entertained, all while using her platform to give back.

In an attempt to keep her followers motivated, Sims started a "Workout Wednesday" challenge on her Instagram page. For every person that posts a video of themselves completing her challenge, she will donate five masks from Los Angeles shop The House of Woo.

"We picked The House of Woo. [It's] a local, small, women-backed company," Sims said. "[Staci Woo] is in downtown LA and she started making masks so we wanted to support her, but also give people masks."

After one week, Sims has already donated 150 masks from the challenge and will continue to donate masks for the duration of the pandemic. Fair warning to her followers: Sims plans to "up the ante" and make the next Workout Wednesday challenge even harder.

Like many other parents during this pandemic, Sims has faced the challenge of keeping her three children entertained and educated every day of the week. While being confined has been difficult, Sims tries to find innovative ways to keep things interesting, whether it's camping in the backyard or having spring break in her living room, quarantine style.

"We bake a lot, we cook a lot, we laugh a lot, we scream a lot, we cry a lot. But it's also fun," Sims said.

The actress has a "meal prep" approach to planning her kids' days and advises other parents to schedule diverse activities, so there is always something to look forward to. Of course, Sims also relies on Disney+ for their selection of family programming and nature documentaries to entertain her children.

"Structure planning for your kids instead of meal planning for yourself--it really does help a lot," Sims said. "Do things that you wouldn't normally do, say yes when you're stressed."

The actress urges those that are frustrated in self-isolation to alter their perspective and focus on the positive outcomes of this situation, including: increased quality time with family, a greater appreciation for health heroes and essential workers and the collective empathy we've forged as a community.

Sims relayed some advice from her friend, Child Development and Behavior Specialist Betsy Brown Braun: "You don't want your kids to remember this time as a bad time...Every day is really long for them. And it's extremely long for us, but it's really long for them. So, you know, try to make the most of it."