Now that we have worked on getting our fitness level up by increasing our cardio to 60 minutes 6 times a week, it is time to choose! And what fun it is. Chose what you ask? An event that will motivate you to train and continue exercising. An event that will challenge you and encourage you to push your limits.
Once we have signed up for an event, paid the money and made the commitment, it is a lot harder to back out.
This event may be your first 5K, a half marathon or even a marathon. It can be a bike ride. There are many women's only rides that consist of 30, 60 or 100 mile options. These types of rides are so much fun.
My favorites are the Little Red Riding Hood and the Wonder Woman rides in Utah. I am signing up for both rides as well as a new one...Goldilocks, that I have never ridden before. I only sign up for the 100 mile option because I hate paying for a shorter ride:) A couple of other fun events I am looking into are the Timp Trail Half Marathon, and the 5K Foam Fest. The options are endless....triathlons, duathlons, mountain bike events and a variety of mud runs. I am also signing up to do an adventure race in Moab. I have done an adventure race before and had such a great time!
Be brave. It is easy to let yourself think that we aren't good enough or that everyone is fitter than us, but the truth is that we are out doing something and no matter how slow we finish, we finish faster than the woman who didn't dare try:)
After choosing your event, sit down and put on paper your workout schedule. You will need one day of complete rest to recover.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Chore Chart
If your kids are like my boys they clean up after themselves without asking, keep their rooms spick and span and do their own laundry. Oh, wait...that only happens in my dreams!
I was visiting with my sister about what I could do to persuade my kids to be more proactive in doing their chores so that I did not hound them all the time or lose my temper. She came up with a great idea for a chore chart and so my sister-in-law and I each made one and put them to use.
The idea behind this chore chart is that they do their chores (it can be adapted for not fighting with siblings, doing kind acts for others, etc) and each day they can move their magnet one space on the chart or, like this chart add a magnet to the chart. In our house they get to move a space if they have done their chores and can earn an extra space if they do not fight with each other.
Here is my chart..I just need to add each child's name across the top.
Here is the one my sister in law did...
At the end of the chart is a magnet clip holding their allowance. Once they hit that square they get the money and we start over. (I do $5 for now and will adjust it as my kids get older).
Just get a magnet board...I bought one at Ikea for under $10... and using electricial tape I taped off squares for each child. The tape comes on and off so if you are a perfectionist, you don't have to worry about crooked lines being permanent...just rip it off and try again. (These can be made cuter by modge podging cute card stock onto the magnet board...my boys don't put much thought about it being "cute" so I save myself the time and trouble :) I have 14 squares on my chart so my kids can earn allowance each week if they do what they should:) Magnets can be found at any craft store or you can make your own.
Important rules for the chore chart:
1. Your child cannot lose a square once earned
2. The reward needs to be visible (I may also do a gift card, movie ticket or voucher for a date night with mom and dad). The great thing about this is that it can easily be adapted to each child's individual needs and personality.
3. Praise them when they get to move a square with things such as, "I knew you could do it", "Good job on your chores today" or "It was so nice not hearing any quarreling today...thank you." Positive reinforcement is a good way to let your kids know when they do a good job and they will be more likely to continue the positive behavior if they are receiving positive reinforcement about their behaviors.
4. Be consistent. Kids need consistency. If you are consistent in rewarding their efforts they will continue to try. If you are sporadic with the chore chart it will leave them wondering if they do what they are suppose to if they will receive their reward they are working so hard to attain.
5. Be very concise and clear on exactly what they are expected to do. Instead of telling my child to clean his room, I tell him that I want him to make his bed, put his dirty clothes into the laundry and pick up his toys off the floor putting them where they go. When simply asked to clean his room, my son does not make his bed, but he does pick up his toys. He never understands why I don't think his room is clean. We think differently from a child and need to be clear with our expectations.
6. Have realistic chores based on age and capability.
I find my chore chart to be a great motivator especially for my younger children. The older one lost interest until I decided to increase the reward and voila! his interest suddenly perked up again.
I was visiting with my sister about what I could do to persuade my kids to be more proactive in doing their chores so that I did not hound them all the time or lose my temper. She came up with a great idea for a chore chart and so my sister-in-law and I each made one and put them to use.
The idea behind this chore chart is that they do their chores (it can be adapted for not fighting with siblings, doing kind acts for others, etc) and each day they can move their magnet one space on the chart or, like this chart add a magnet to the chart. In our house they get to move a space if they have done their chores and can earn an extra space if they do not fight with each other.
Here is my chart..I just need to add each child's name across the top.
Here is the one my sister in law did...
Just get a magnet board...I bought one at Ikea for under $10... and using electricial tape I taped off squares for each child. The tape comes on and off so if you are a perfectionist, you don't have to worry about crooked lines being permanent...just rip it off and try again. (These can be made cuter by modge podging cute card stock onto the magnet board...my boys don't put much thought about it being "cute" so I save myself the time and trouble :) I have 14 squares on my chart so my kids can earn allowance each week if they do what they should:) Magnets can be found at any craft store or you can make your own.
Important rules for the chore chart:
1. Your child cannot lose a square once earned
2. The reward needs to be visible (I may also do a gift card, movie ticket or voucher for a date night with mom and dad). The great thing about this is that it can easily be adapted to each child's individual needs and personality.
3. Praise them when they get to move a square with things such as, "I knew you could do it", "Good job on your chores today" or "It was so nice not hearing any quarreling today...thank you." Positive reinforcement is a good way to let your kids know when they do a good job and they will be more likely to continue the positive behavior if they are receiving positive reinforcement about their behaviors.
4. Be consistent. Kids need consistency. If you are consistent in rewarding their efforts they will continue to try. If you are sporadic with the chore chart it will leave them wondering if they do what they are suppose to if they will receive their reward they are working so hard to attain.
5. Be very concise and clear on exactly what they are expected to do. Instead of telling my child to clean his room, I tell him that I want him to make his bed, put his dirty clothes into the laundry and pick up his toys off the floor putting them where they go. When simply asked to clean his room, my son does not make his bed, but he does pick up his toys. He never understands why I don't think his room is clean. We think differently from a child and need to be clear with our expectations.
6. Have realistic chores based on age and capability.
I find my chore chart to be a great motivator especially for my younger children. The older one lost interest until I decided to increase the reward and voila! his interest suddenly perked up again.
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Indoor Workouts
How are you doing at getting your 60 minutes of cardiovascular exercise in
6 days a week?
If you have putted off starting this challenge..start today!
A friend recently commented that she does not like the cold weather and was wondering how to work out inside without getting bored.
The key for me is variety. If I do the same thing everyday it becomes boring. I invested in a few pieces of equipment for my home. Weights, stability ball, weighted balls, dumbells, treadmill and an indoor cycling trainer (for my road bike). I also have a few different videos like 30-day blast. I recently joined an on-line yoga website so I can access different yoga videos in the comfort of my own home.
I rotate my cardio exercise between running (with different grades), walking and biking. I do 30-60 minutes 6 days a week. On the days where I do less than 30 minutes I will try to add in a workout video or yoga class because my ultimate goal for this month is to get at least 60 minutes of cardio in 6 days per week.
I play volleyball and count that as my cardio the one night a week I play. I also decided last week to play basketball with the ladies in my church. I have not played basketball for about 15 years and it was an experience :) First of all, the cardio workout was great. It is bouts of high intensity exercise which adds to my workout variety. Secondly, I laughed almost all the way home. I forgot how competitive some women are. So I not only got a great 50 minute workout, but a great laugh as well:) Thanks ladies!
Mixing up your routines and activities is essential to getting the most out of your workout. Our bodies are so wonderful that they are capable of adapting to the workouts we throw at it. If we always do the same workout, the body will learn to do those workouts more efficiently therefore burning fewer calories. BUT, if we are always doing a workout that is different from the previous one, it forces our body to continue trying to adapt and make changes in muscle mass, fat percent, lung capacity, etc.
One more thing I do is to listen to music, exercise with a friend, or if needs be, watch TV while I am on the treadmill.
Remember to keep variety in the exercises you are doing and that will help keep the boredom away:)
Carri
Monday, January 23, 2012
Paper Airplane valentine
 | ||
| Paper Airplanes - Valentine You SOAR high above the rest! |
OR... You are just "PLANE" awesome!
I bought a mini calendar with individual pages for each day of the year. This calendar happened to be one with a small paper airplane for each day. We had lots left over so I turned them into valentines. We made an airplane for each classmate, attached the saying (listed above) and then also attached an airplane for them to do on their own.
I bought a mini calendar with individual pages for each day of the year. This calendar happened to be one with a small paper airplane for each day. We had lots left over so I turned them into valentines. We made an airplane for each classmate, attached the saying (listed above) and then also attached an airplane for them to do on their own.
Great if you do not want to give candy. If I remember correctly I got my calendar 50-75% after the new year. They are all fun airplanes and most of them fly great. My boys loved this idea.
Friday, January 20, 2012
DIY Spice Organizer
I was on Pinterest the other day looking through all the ways people organize their spice drawers/cabinets. I was thinking about what I wanted to purchase...new bottles to fit in a drawer, ikea shelfs to hook to my wall or the back of my pantry drawer, etc. I came to the realization that now is not the time for me to spend money on something like this. Being a little bit down about it I decided to look around and see if I already had something that I could reuse for my spice cabinet.
As I searched around the house I came upon my boys wooden blocks. Perfect! I was able to use 3 of their blocks and create a pedestal so I can actually see my spices on the shelf. Here are some photos of what I did.
First level. I stacked the blocks to create a shelf...then added a lower block...
And finally...
I love it when I can re-use something at home to get the result I was looking for. After getting the "shelf" together I alphabetized my spices so they would be easier for me to find.
As I searched around the house I came upon my boys wooden blocks. Perfect! I was able to use 3 of their blocks and create a pedestal so I can actually see my spices on the shelf. Here are some photos of what I did.
First level. I stacked the blocks to create a shelf...then added a lower block...
And finally...
I love it when I can re-use something at home to get the result I was looking for. After getting the "shelf" together I alphabetized my spices so they would be easier for me to find.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Motivate with A Mystery Box
I have 3 boys and 2 of them are really close in age. I always thought it would be so fun... they would have a playmate all the time. As they started to get older I realized that I had to do something before I pulled my hair out! They fight and fight then have loads of fun followed by another fight. It is very exhausting always telling them to stop fighting or having to send them to their rooms.
After visiting with my sister I made a Mystery box. The name alone makes my boys want to participate!
My mystery box stays hidden and only comes out when there has been minimal or no fighting that day. The kids love to wonder what will be inside and it is its own motivator for good behavior. The fun part for me is choosing what goes inside. Sometimes it is a prize such as tickets to the dollar theater or something else they want, but often times I just put funny stuff in like old bananas or dirty socks. It makes for a good laugh and the kids never know what to expect so it keeps the excitement alive.
Mystery box content ideas:
- movie tickets
After visiting with my sister I made a Mystery box. The name alone makes my boys want to participate!
My mystery box stays hidden and only comes out when there has been minimal or no fighting that day. The kids love to wonder what will be inside and it is its own motivator for good behavior. The fun part for me is choosing what goes inside. Sometimes it is a prize such as tickets to the dollar theater or something else they want, but often times I just put funny stuff in like old bananas or dirty socks. It makes for a good laugh and the kids never know what to expect so it keeps the excitement alive.
Mystery box content ideas:
- movie tickets
- candy
- silly bands
- random household items
- roll of toilet paper
- old toothbrushes
- book to read aloud
- coupons for one free room cleaning
- coupons for them to do a certain chore (dust, wipe floorboards, mirrors, sweep porch, straighten books)
- socks to be matched
- gum
- fruit
- random objects with a note for them to use the objects to build a sculpture of some sort
- riddles
- jokes
Remember how fast kids grow up and enjoy them the short time we have them.
Silly Bandz Valentine
Valentine We Really BAND Together.
Win a Personal Trainer for a year
I just came across a contest to win a
personal trainer for a year.
Click here to enter.
I am not affiliated in any way with
the contest.
Good luck!
Fruit Pizza
Mmmmm! This was so good. I have never made fruit pizza so I had no expectations. This is a great recipe that my friend Mary Jane gave me.
Crust: (can use sugar cookie dough)
1/2 C butter
1/2 C shortening
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2-3/4 C flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add other ingredients and mix. Spread on a cookie sheet with sides and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool
The KEY: Do not overbake
Filling:
1 C cool whip
2/3 C powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese
1 tsp. lemon juice
Blend filling ingredients together and spread onto crust. Top with a variety of fresh cut up fruit. If using bananas soak them in pineapple or orange juice to stop them from browning. Keep refrigerated.
Serve and enjoy!
Did you get your 60 minutes of exercise in today? I did! Yay!
Carri
1/2 C butter
1/2 C shortening
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2-3/4 C flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
Cream together butter, shortening, sugar, and eggs. Add other ingredients and mix. Spread on a cookie sheet with sides and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool
The KEY: Do not overbake
Filling:
1 C cool whip
2/3 C powdered sugar
1 8-ounce package of softened cream cheese
1 tsp. lemon juice
Blend filling ingredients together and spread onto crust. Top with a variety of fresh cut up fruit. If using bananas soak them in pineapple or orange juice to stop them from browning. Keep refrigerated.
Serve and enjoy!
Did you get your 60 minutes of exercise in today? I did! Yay!
Carri
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Valentine, You're a real HAM!
 | |||||||||||||||||
| So I bought a pink round Hubba Bubba bubblegum and decorated it as a pig. This was very easy...basically a round body, nose, eyes, feet and a curly tail. If you have a silhouette machine there is a Chubby Pig design you can use. On the back I printed, Valentine, You're a real "HAM". I think they turned out cute. The Hubba Bubba was $1.47 with tax so it is a bit expensive to do for class valentines but would be so cute for close friends. |
The next valentine I made today is using a Kool-Aid drink. They were on sale at our local grocery store 6/$1. So I spent about .17 cents a piece. I made a bottle label (the top bends back and has a hole in it that hooks to the bottle) with a pocket on it. Inside the pocket is a tag that reads,
Valentine, You are totally "KOOL".
The heart on the front says Friend. I finished it off with a red ribbon tied on the top.
This same design can be used to hook on a water bottle and attach a single serving kool-aid packet.
 | ||||
I like to think of sayings to go with candy or treats, print them off on my computer and attach to the treat. This is always a quick and easy way to get my valentines or gifts off in a hurry. Click here to find some pre-made tags from Better Homes and Gardens you can use this valentines day.
I'm NUTS about you - small bag of Nuts
We make quite a PEAR - Pear
ORANGE you glad we're friends? - Orange, Orange juice, Orange candy
I go BANANAs over you! - Banana
We're just MINT to be! - Peppermint patties, Mint gum, Mints
You ROCK! - Pop rocks, Hand painted valentine rocks
You're SWEET! - Any type of candy, Pixie stix
You're GOLDEN delicious! - Golden delicious apple
I'm BURSTING with HAPPINESS that you're my FRIEND! - Starburst
I love you to PIECES! - Reese's pieces, a puzzle
Will you be mine NOW OR LATER? - Now and later candy
Our friendship is sealed with a KISS! - Hershey kisses
They are super cute. Enjoy!
Carri
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Homemade Valentine
With valentine's day just around the corner I want to share with you some cute ideas for homemade valentines. I will share 1 or 2 ideas each day this week.
I got this idea from a post on pinterest. Here is the link to the website. I changed it by making it a Valentine theme....red, white and pink bubble gum in a pint sized mason jar with a ribbon tied around the top and the saying, "Blow"ing Valentine Kisses your Way.
You could also put red and pink Hershey kisses in the jar.
This cute box was made with my silhouette machine. I love my silhouette! I used valentine colors and the saying "Valentine, You're A Hoot!" on the back. It can be filled with your favorite type of candy or other goodie. If you do not own a silhouette just choose an easy box design and the rest is simple to cut out on your own.
Stay tuned for more cute homemade valentines:)
Carri
Young Women Manual 1 Lesson 4
I am updating this post because.....
I forgot to tell you about my attention getting activity. I am going to pull one girl aside (or use my advisor) and ask her to sit at the back of the room and gently whisper to the girls before we get started (they are always very chatty before we start our lesson). I am then going to ask how many girls heard the whispers? I will ask them what they heard. (I will have my helper whisper things about reverence, help the teacher get set up, say hi to a new girl today, etc.) I will then use that activity to lead us into our lesson about the Holy Ghost.
Another idea: Blindfold one girl and lead her into the room. Instruct the other girls to talk as usual, laugh, etc. Have one girl be the still small voice that leads her to her seat.
 |
I found a talk called
"The Unspeakable Gift of The Holy Ghost"
in the Ensign that I am going to supplement the lesson with. It is by Elder Wirthlin and is a wonderful talk.
The quote I am focusing my handout on is:
The gift of the Holy Ghost or "the unspeakable gift...enlightens minds, fills our souls with joy, teaches us all things, and brings forgotten knowledge to our remembrance...The Holy Ghost will show unto us all things which we should do and is the greatest guarantor of peace in our unstable world."
Elder Wirthlin and Pres. Faust
|
I made a gift box and filled it with things relating to the quote. The almond joy mini candy bar relates to "fills our soul with joy". I included two small heart-shaped erasers to represent peace.
These cute scriptures are made by using two gold wrapped Hershey nugget chocolate bars glued side by side on card stock with a quote from the talk and a piece of ribbon glued on. They represent "brings forgotten knowledge to our remembrance" and
"enlightens minds".
I found the scripture idea here. What a creative thing to do.
I will hand these towards the end of class, have the girls open them and tell me what they think the objects represent after having talked about it in our lesson. The girls seem to love handouts and I love the girls:)
Unique Valentine Holders
This is the time of year when my kids will be coming home needing to make valentine boxes for their class valentine exchange. Here are a few ideas for making unique valentine boxes.
This first one is a toilet. My son thought it would be so funny to make a toilet for his box.
We started by gathering materials. We found some cardboard/boxes, white card stock, a red wire hanger, toilet paper, packing tape, a white lid (from a plastic container) for the top of the toilet and cut out decorations to decorate with.
First we put together the back of the toilet...
a rectangle box (or you can tape cardboard pieces together to make the rectangle). We made sure the lid would fit on the toilet before taping it together.
Then we formed the toilet bowl by fashioning pieces of cardboard together to make a shape resembling a half oval and we cut another piece of cardboard for the bottom of the toilet bowl. Cover everything with white card stock using the packing tape. And tape the pieces together.
We untwisted the wire hanger, folded it in half and shaped it so it would hang over the side of the toilet and hold a roll of toilet paper.
My son then decorated it on his own. We lucked out to find a clear piece of plastic that looked like a handle so we taped it to the opposite side of the toilet paper. Valentines go right into the toilet bowl.
My son was right. It was a huge hit at school. It was such a huge hit that he has used it for 2 years now and is taking it again this year (which makes it much easier for me:) This is one box that will definitely be handed down from brother to brother.
I do not have a girl, but this is such a cute and easy way to make a valentine holder. I mean, what girl doesn't love a new purse?
To Make:
I took a 12x12 piece of fun heavy weight card stock and brought the edges in so they slightly overlapped and stapled them together. Repeat on the opposite side. I then gently creased the paper to make the sides of the purse and stapled a ribbon on for the handle. The opening is perfect for kids to put valentines into. This project took me literally 3 minutes to complete. I love those kinds of projects!
This one was made the February after the winter olympics. My son and I were lucky to see some ski racing so he got the idea to make a ski jump as his valentine box.
Similar to the toilet it is simply fashioned out of cardboard, card stock and packing tape. I have a silhouette machine so the designs (snow flakes, trees, olympic rings) we cut out using the machine. He also wanted a ski jumper. We used wire to hook him to the ski jump. He is made from ribbon, pipe cleaners and a styrofoam ball for the head. We cut a hole in the jump for valentines to be dropped in.
Once again we had a winner!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Core Strength
How are you doing with getting your 60 minutes of exercise in 6 days a week? I admit that last week I only got 4 days in and that is not enough so I am recommitting myself for this week. I had a friend email me after reading the blog to say that she has lost 60 pounds by exercising one hour 6 days a week. Way to go! What an accomplishment. It is in our reach too if the commitment is there.
Today I wanted to touch on another subject...core muscles. Our core muscles give us stability, strength and balance. When they are strong we are strong, when they are weak we are weak and more prone to injury. Core muscles refer to the abdominal muscles and the back muscles.
Traditionally I think of having to do tons of sit-ups, crunches or similar exercises to strengthen the core. That thought makes me tired just thinking about it! While these exercises can be effective, too many can lead to injury. At the National Strength and Conditioning Conference I attended last year, I went to a seminar from a leader of "back safety". It was interesting for me to learn that in the military a high percentage of men and women are injured from doing too many sit-ups. The specific injury is occurring in their backs. So this post is going to give you some new or different ideas on ways to strengthen your core.
1. Plank - I like this exercise because I can see my improvement as I get stronger and am able to hold the position longer or progress to more advanced plank positions. To do this exercise, hold your body in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders keeping your body parallel to and off the ground. Abs are pulled in tight by pulling the belly button in towards the back and holding it there.The body is straight and is aligned with the head. Hold for 30 seconds and over time increase the time. Do 3 repetitions.
2. Kettle balls - A kettle ball is a weight shaped in a sphere with a handle. They are used for many exercises and can be used to strengthen core muscles. Hold the kettle ball in one hand and simply walk 30 steps across the room. Switch sides and return to the other side of the room. The kettle ball should weigh enough that it is challenging to keep your posture in alignment without leaning to one side or the other. This is accomplished by tightening the abs and using core muscles.
If you do not have access to a kettle ball use another heavy object or weight. Complete 3 sets on each side.
3. Squat Twist - Keep both feet about shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward. The movement you do next is to lower your body until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle. Important technique cues: knees do not extend past the toes, most of your weight is on the heel of your foot. The movement resembles sitting onto a chair. Keep your arms out in front of you and when you have mastered a squat add a twist with your torso or upper body. Do 15 repetitions on each side.
4. Superman - Lie on the ground face down with hands at your side and palms facing up. Lift your head, shoulders, feet and knees off the ground and hold the position for 15 seconds. Relax and then repeat 10 times. Work up to holding the position 30 seconds.
Ok...not the kind of Superman we are talking about, but darn he's a cutie:)
There are many more exercises and I will continue to add to them as we go. Practice these and get comfortable with them so when I add more you won't feel overwhelmed.
I'm off to bike and get my hour of exercise in.
Carri
Today I wanted to touch on another subject...core muscles. Our core muscles give us stability, strength and balance. When they are strong we are strong, when they are weak we are weak and more prone to injury. Core muscles refer to the abdominal muscles and the back muscles.
Traditionally I think of having to do tons of sit-ups, crunches or similar exercises to strengthen the core. That thought makes me tired just thinking about it! While these exercises can be effective, too many can lead to injury. At the National Strength and Conditioning Conference I attended last year, I went to a seminar from a leader of "back safety". It was interesting for me to learn that in the military a high percentage of men and women are injured from doing too many sit-ups. The specific injury is occurring in their backs. So this post is going to give you some new or different ideas on ways to strengthen your core.
1. Plank - I like this exercise because I can see my improvement as I get stronger and am able to hold the position longer or progress to more advanced plank positions. To do this exercise, hold your body in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders keeping your body parallel to and off the ground. Abs are pulled in tight by pulling the belly button in towards the back and holding it there.The body is straight and is aligned with the head. Hold for 30 seconds and over time increase the time. Do 3 repetitions.
2. Kettle balls - A kettle ball is a weight shaped in a sphere with a handle. They are used for many exercises and can be used to strengthen core muscles. Hold the kettle ball in one hand and simply walk 30 steps across the room. Switch sides and return to the other side of the room. The kettle ball should weigh enough that it is challenging to keep your posture in alignment without leaning to one side or the other. This is accomplished by tightening the abs and using core muscles.
If you do not have access to a kettle ball use another heavy object or weight. Complete 3 sets on each side.
3. Squat Twist - Keep both feet about shoulder width apart, toes pointed forward. The movement you do next is to lower your body until your knees are at a ninety-degree angle. Important technique cues: knees do not extend past the toes, most of your weight is on the heel of your foot. The movement resembles sitting onto a chair. Keep your arms out in front of you and when you have mastered a squat add a twist with your torso or upper body. Do 15 repetitions on each side.
4. Superman - Lie on the ground face down with hands at your side and palms facing up. Lift your head, shoulders, feet and knees off the ground and hold the position for 15 seconds. Relax and then repeat 10 times. Work up to holding the position 30 seconds.
Ok...not the kind of Superman we are talking about, but darn he's a cutie:)
There are many more exercises and I will continue to add to them as we go. Practice these and get comfortable with them so when I add more you won't feel overwhelmed.
I'm off to bike and get my hour of exercise in.
Carri
Saturday, January 14, 2012
DIY Clay Art Project for Kids
This project came by complete accident. Last year my son wanted to enter the Reflections contest at school. He decided to make a clay sculpture. He spent hours on his project. When he was done I suggested we put it in the oven on low so the clay would harden. I did not read the instructions (I am not an instruction person...I always open them up and hand them to my husband to read:) and was horrified to open the oven and find the clay sculpture melted all over the pizza stone that was on the bottom shelf. We happened to have more clay. My son decided that it looked pretty cool and so he arranged the clay where he wanted and we put the stone back in the oven. Here is the final result.
This project has been shrink wrapped for the reflections contest. Otherwise, when the project comes out and the clay cools it stays somewhat soft. We have since done this project a few times and the result is always fun. I suggest not using a pizza stone :) as they are expensive. (I learned the hard way). I went to our local home improvement store and purchased a cheaper piece of tile for the project. It is currently proudly displayed in our home.
This project has been shrink wrapped for the reflections contest. Otherwise, when the project comes out and the clay cools it stays somewhat soft. We have since done this project a few times and the result is always fun. I suggest not using a pizza stone :) as they are expensive. (I learned the hard way). I went to our local home improvement store and purchased a cheaper piece of tile for the project. It is currently proudly displayed in our home.
The Game I Just Can't Put Down
Toy of the year award for 2011!
Have you heard of Perplexus?
I hadn't either until I was browsing at the local toy store. It is a clear plastic ball with a maze inside. The object is to get the small metal ball through the maze without dropping it off the side during one of the many obstacles. Well, I am here to report that it is a hit with everyone who has come to our house. Need a gift for a friend, nephew, niece, co-worker? This is it.
A warning for you. It is addictive. Plan on having at least an hour to sit
down and play because when the ball falls off the maze I know that I can do better
and I just have to try again...and again....and again:)
Friday, January 13, 2012
Enjoy What You Do
In the last post, I mentioned that the way to stick with an exercise program is to do something you like to do. In this post I want to share some other ideas on things you can do to get your exercise in.
Snowshoeing. It is peaceful, tranquil and very fun to feel surrounded by the beauty of the snow and to feel calmness envelope me as I snowshoe with my family or girlfriends.Grab a few friends and go while the kiddos are in school or hook yourself up with a chariot and take them along.
Hiking. Nothing beats being in the outdoors for me. This is where I can go to exercise and I always come away having had a great time and very refreshed. There is something about enjoying the creations around me while I hike or trail run. This picture of my husband and son is such a great visual to how I feel.
So I do not love this photo of me, but cross-country skiing and skate skiing are both high calorie burners and a fun activity once you learn to balance and move on the skis. This activity has a learning curve, but is attainable. A great form of exercise using the entire body for a huge calorie burn.
Try something new to see what you love to do. I will continue to post different types of exercises in the coming year.
Try something new to see what you love to do. I will continue to post different types of exercises in the coming year.
Favorite Mother-Friendly Gear
The
Chariot is by far my favorite purchase we have made over the years. I
have had it all. Baby backpacks, bike trailers, kids gear, joggers,
strollers, you name it. This is always my go to piece of equipment. It
is a jogger and bike trailer with the ability to adapt to a ski carrier
(with the attachment). I take the wheels off and put skis on the bottom
and a harness that hooks around my waist and we are off. It is great for
our little guy because when he gets tired we load him in the carrier
and he gets to ride in a warmer place and a nap is inevitable:)
Definitely worth the money. Ours lasted us through 2 boys and is still
able to rock n' roll.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
A New Year A New Challenge
Jump on the bandwagon. There is no time like the beginning of a new year to get me thinking about what it is I want to do better. This year, I am putting together 12 months of healthy habits. Each month we will focus on one habit to get us to our end goal of being healthy and fit. So jump on board and get started with me.
January - 60 Minutes of Exercise 6 Days a week.
I know it sounds like a lot so we are going to take baby steps. I want you to start with
10-15 minutes of exercise and then work up from there. By the end of the month get yourself to 60 minutes.
Sample Program:
Week 1: Monday 15 minutes, Tuesday 17 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, Thursday 15 minutes, Friday 20 minutes and Saturday 23 minutes, Sunday REST.
Week 2: Monday 20 minutes, Tuesday 25 minutes, Wednesday 20 minutes, Thursday 28 minutes, Friday 25 minutes, Saturday 30 minutes, Sunday REST.
Week 3: Monday 28 minutes, Tuesday 30 minutes, Wednesday 35 minutes, Thursday 25 minutes, Friday 40 minutes, Saturday 45 minutes, Sunday REST.
Week 4: Monday 40 minutes, Tuesday 45 minutes, Wednesday 50 minutes, Thursday 30 minutes, Friday 55 minutes, Saturday 60 Minutes, Sunday REST.
1. Plan your exercise time into your schedule. It is that important. You will feel better and will be able to accomplish more by taking time to get your exercise in everyday!
2. Workout with a friend. If someone is waiting for you it is a lot easier to get there.
3. Choose an exercise you ENJOY! This is such a key thing. If you don't like to run...don't run. It is amazing how much longer you will stick to something if you enjoy it.
4. This time is your time. Relax and enjoy the moment without worrying about all the other stress in life. Be thankful for what you have and pat yourself on the back every day during this time.
Keep on keeping on!
Crayon Art Work
We saw someone on Pinterest who used melted crayons to create a piece of art. My son decided to use this idea to make his own art. He made a city scape and then we melted away...this is the result. This is such an easy and fun activity for all age groups.
How to do it: Hot glue crayons to a canvas in a design that is appealing to you. Place the
canvas on an old towel or rag so it won't drip on your flooring. Get the blow dryer out and start melting. The crayons melt quickly and will start to run down the canvas. Move to the next set
of crayons when you are satisfied with how much "melt" you have.
New Year's Tradition
One of my favorite holidays is New Year's Day because of the tradition my family does. Each New Year's Day we choose something new that we have never done before and do it. Past years it has included things such as going snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, seeing a new movie, snowshoeing, having a new dinner such as fondue or maybe playing a new game. It is a day the whole family looks forward to and everyone brainstorming about what we can do. This year, with New Year's on a Sunday, we opted to stay home and play a game that we got and have never taken the time to play. The kids love this tradition as much as I do!