Planning ahead is crucial for me to be able to squeeze in exercise. Unless I want to get up early, or work out late at night (not so much!), then there will always be things that get in the way of a workout. Finding "windows" in my day is what helps.
Today my 4 year old got out of preschool at 11:00 AM and I was due to help serve hot lunch at my older daughters' elementary school at 11:45. Going home for half an hour in between wasn't a great use of my time, so I decided to bike to the preschool, then bike uphill to the local library to return an (overdue!) Barney DVD. I knew that I'd have to really push it to make it there and back, so it was going to be a good workout.
Of course the return trip is a lot faster & involves a lot of coasting downhill - but my legs sure felt the burn on the way up! To make the bike ride even more exciting, on our way back from the school, after helping serve hot lunch it started hailing. Of course my four year old thought it was hilarious....I'm sure the drivers passing by thought this mom was a crazy woman, biking through the hail with her preschooler.
Getting out is possible - no matter what the weather is like!
P.S. Too bad I forgot my camera today. Biking in the inclement weather would have made an interesting photo.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Everyday Active #3 - Wii EA Active
It's been a while since I put in my EA Active Disk. Not because I don't like it....I think it's a great resource for busy moms!
I used it a lot last year and it's a great exercise resource to have on hand for days when getting out isn't a possibility. With a speech therapy appointment, school meeting, and small group coming over tonight it was a great option to be able to do a quick 30 min workout before we had to head out today. I don't even need to try to keep my preschooler occupied during this time, because she likes my preschooler dancing in circles around me. I picked an easy level, but the great thing about the EA Active is that you can pick different intensity & length workouts, or custom make your own.
Next time I'll up my game and go for a longer workout, but this one was perfect for today before I had to run out the door.
Anyone else every use this? I especially love the boxing exercises. :-) There's a newer version out there that I don't have, but I hear it's a gooder. I'd love to get your feedback if you ever use it.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Upcycled Vinyl Records into Funky Bowls
My 12 year old was given a great book for Christmas called, "DIY Divas". It's got tons of fun, simple crafts, jewlery making, sewing, beauty products and decorating ideas for preteen girls. She loves it!
After school today she made this simple craft in about half an hour - records into funky bowls!
Find a couple of old vinyl records. Garage sales, thrift stores, your parent's or grandparent's basement....
Place an oven proof bowl on a cookie sheet and centre record on top of bowl.
With oven at 200 F watch it carefully till the sides begin to droop over side of bowl. Remove from oven.
Working quickly use oven mitts to fold and press the record over the bowl shape.
It hardens pretty quickly. If you didn't get the shape you desire you can heat it some more and try again.
She tried a couple and here's the result! Pretty funky! I have no idea what she's going to do with them - maybe put chips in them for her upcoming b-day party.
It's great to find crafts that aren't too baby-ish or even girly for the preteens or teens in your life.
Linked to:
Today's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On
After school today she made this simple craft in about half an hour - records into funky bowls!
Find a couple of old vinyl records. Garage sales, thrift stores, your parent's or grandparent's basement....
Place an oven proof bowl on a cookie sheet and centre record on top of bowl.
With oven at 200 F watch it carefully till the sides begin to droop over side of bowl. Remove from oven.
Working quickly use oven mitts to fold and press the record over the bowl shape.
It hardens pretty quickly. If you didn't get the shape you desire you can heat it some more and try again.
She tried a couple and here's the result! Pretty funky! I have no idea what she's going to do with them - maybe put chips in them for her upcoming b-day party.
Linked to:
Today's Creative Blog - Get Your Craft On
Everyday Active #2 - Bike Ride
Today was one of those days where it seemed like a lot of work to get out the door for some exercise. I started the day with great anticipation for a post supper, sunny bike ride with my girls. But supper ended up later due to a play date that went longer than expected, chores seemed to take forever, children were whining, mommy was nagging, the sun was fading, and temps were dropping.
But we did it - we got out the door for a great bike ride.
We went over hill and through dale...
And stopped by the park for a few moments...
Even the big girls love a chance to climb around some playground equipment.
So it wasn't the biggest, most intense workout I could get, but I'm happy that I persevered and made it happen anyway It's usually always worth the effort to get out, isn't it?
But we did it - we got out the door for a great bike ride.
We went over hill and through dale...
And stopped by the park for a few moments...
So it wasn't the biggest, most intense workout I could get, but I'm happy that I persevered and made it happen anyway It's usually always worth the effort to get out, isn't it?
Monday, April 11, 2011
New Series - Everyday Active #1
It's been an awesome ride these last four months since starting this blog. I feel like I've been actually been able to take some steps into practical, sustainable life change, and my house has become decluttered, bit by bit along the way as well!
But as a busy stay at home mom, there's no way to really, "Do it all - have it all!" In order to lessen the chaos in my home I did have to sacrifice time to do it. And the main thing that got cut out to create the time was daily exercise. I'm by no means a fitness buff, but I do love getting outside, going for power walks, and getting my heart pumping. So now, at the start of a long, rainy winter, and the hopeful beginnings of spring, I'm feel a little soft. A little out of shape. A little sluggish if you will.
Time to get my game on. And as I discovered with the motivation that blog posting encouraged for my daily declutters, and Sunday Stew Specials I decided to do the same for a new series called Everyday Active.
There's no time like the present to get going on it!
Everyday I will make sure to do at least 30 minutes of exercise - power walking, Wii EA Active, bike rides with the family, etc. And to keep myself accountable I'm going to make sure to take a picture doing it and post it daily on the blog. Eeek! I've weighed myself and taken measurements but I'm not going to post them....I'm not THAT transparent! However, I will weigh and measure again in 4 weeks time and let you know what the changes were. I have faith that there will be!
Fortunately for me, today was a great day to start. Sunny skies, and the big girls had a one hour dance class that happens to take place in an area with quiet, tree lined roads. So while they danced, I put on shoes and took a one hour power walk. Here's what I experienced along the way...
Obviously, not every "Everyday Active" will involve flowers and scenery, but I'll post at least one photo anyway. I'd love to hear what you've been doing to keep your heart healthy. Feel free to comment what you did that day - it's always encouraging to know we're in it together.
But as a busy stay at home mom, there's no way to really, "Do it all - have it all!" In order to lessen the chaos in my home I did have to sacrifice time to do it. And the main thing that got cut out to create the time was daily exercise. I'm by no means a fitness buff, but I do love getting outside, going for power walks, and getting my heart pumping. So now, at the start of a long, rainy winter, and the hopeful beginnings of spring, I'm feel a little soft. A little out of shape. A little sluggish if you will.
Time to get my game on. And as I discovered with the motivation that blog posting encouraged for my daily declutters, and Sunday Stew Specials I decided to do the same for a new series called Everyday Active.
There's no time like the present to get going on it!
Everyday I will make sure to do at least 30 minutes of exercise - power walking, Wii EA Active, bike rides with the family, etc. And to keep myself accountable I'm going to make sure to take a picture doing it and post it daily on the blog. Eeek! I've weighed myself and taken measurements but I'm not going to post them....I'm not THAT transparent! However, I will weigh and measure again in 4 weeks time and let you know what the changes were. I have faith that there will be!
Fortunately for me, today was a great day to start. Sunny skies, and the big girls had a one hour dance class that happens to take place in an area with quiet, tree lined roads. So while they danced, I put on shoes and took a one hour power walk. Here's what I experienced along the way...
 |
| Off I go! |
 |
| No makeup, windblown hair, lingering cough & cold....but happy to be outside! |
 |
| One of my favourite sights of spring. :-) |
 |
| Golden blossoms |
 |
| These ducks were happy in a puddle right in someone's front yard. |
 |
| Wild Rose starting to bloom. |
 |
| Lengthening Shadows |
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Sister Week
What a fabulous I week I have had. My sister and her two kids took a 10 hour bus ride just to spend part of their spring break with us. We didn't have any tremendous vacation plans laid out for them, it was mostly just hanging out in our jammies till late in the morning, drinking coffee & tea together, feeding the children (frequently!), washing their muddy clothes from their daily trips into the back woods & creek, and enjoying a sunny hot dog roast by the river.
My beautiful sis - proving that 40 is fantastic!
My sister is a huge source of inspiration for me in regards to healthy living, shopping with conscience, and knowing how to stretch a dollar by cooking from scratch. I made sure to ask lots of questions this week and here are a few new things I learned:
1. You can pretty much freeze anything! Cook a big batch your dried beans in a slow cooker, spead them out on a cookie sheet to air dry a bit, then put them in a freezer bag. It's so easy to just get as many as you need for a salad, soup, or stew and toss them in precooked & frozen.
2. If you've got an old sewing machine that was given to you - learn how to use it! Get it serviced if you need to. If it's old that means it has a metal motor and some serious sewing power! Those $100 machines from Walmart will be made entirely of plastic.
3. Rice will stretch any leftovers into a meal for the whole family. We had some leftover sweet & sour pork & honey garlic chicken from our lunch at the food court. She diced it up, cooked some rice, and made a fried rice meal for six!
4. Quality sheets from the thrift store make great duvet covers. She made a duvet cover for my daughter's bed with a couple pretty sheets, and filled them with two old blankets that were too ratty for words.
It's a lot easier to make a top bunk bed just with a simple duvet, rather than fussing with top sheets and multiple blankets.
5. Borrow movies from the library. Even if it means that you have to wait to watch them because you've had to place a request.
6. Less is more for beauty products on your face - she mostly washes her face with water and uses a little bit of baking soda as an exfoliant a couple times a week. And she gorgeous!
7. Laugh. Often. And we did!
I hope you have a sister as awesome as mine - and if you don't - then at least I've shared some of her wisdom with you. :-)
My beautiful sis - proving that 40 is fantastic!
My sister is a huge source of inspiration for me in regards to healthy living, shopping with conscience, and knowing how to stretch a dollar by cooking from scratch. I made sure to ask lots of questions this week and here are a few new things I learned:
1. You can pretty much freeze anything! Cook a big batch your dried beans in a slow cooker, spead them out on a cookie sheet to air dry a bit, then put them in a freezer bag. It's so easy to just get as many as you need for a salad, soup, or stew and toss them in precooked & frozen.
2. If you've got an old sewing machine that was given to you - learn how to use it! Get it serviced if you need to. If it's old that means it has a metal motor and some serious sewing power! Those $100 machines from Walmart will be made entirely of plastic.
3. Rice will stretch any leftovers into a meal for the whole family. We had some leftover sweet & sour pork & honey garlic chicken from our lunch at the food court. She diced it up, cooked some rice, and made a fried rice meal for six!
4. Quality sheets from the thrift store make great duvet covers. She made a duvet cover for my daughter's bed with a couple pretty sheets, and filled them with two old blankets that were too ratty for words.
It's a lot easier to make a top bunk bed just with a simple duvet, rather than fussing with top sheets and multiple blankets.
5. Borrow movies from the library. Even if it means that you have to wait to watch them because you've had to place a request.
6. Less is more for beauty products on your face - she mostly washes her face with water and uses a little bit of baking soda as an exfoliant a couple times a week. And she gorgeous!
7. Laugh. Often. And we did!
I hope you have a sister as awesome as mine - and if you don't - then at least I've shared some of her wisdom with you. :-)
Monday, April 4, 2011
Homemade "Special L" Cereal Recipe.
Our family was away for the weekend, so there was no Sunday Stew Special, so I thought I'd share a recipe that I created recently which my husband has jokingly named "Special L". The name has stuck!
Back when my Mom was visiting, she went shopping and happened to pick up a bag of puffed rice cereal...well, frankly because it was dirt cheap. But have you ever tried "Puffed Rice"?
It's like eating Styrofoam packing peanuts. I really can't imagine anyone actually eating this as cereal, I think most people buy it to use in puffed rice cereal bar recipes. I attempted to make a batch, from this recipe at Spark People, but they didn't stick together, and I didn't feel like trying another recipe that was loaded with corn syrup or melted marshmallows. Instead, I crumbled up the failed cereal bars, and used it as a cereal! It was a little on the chewy side, so I decided to give it another go see if I could make my own, yummy, healthy homemade cereal. Those Kashi and Muesli ones are crazy expensive. But if you really enjoy those, you can easily make something similar on your own! Here's what I did...
Homemade "Special L" Cereal Recipe
Mix together in a big roaster 8 cups puffed rice cereal with a cup each of your favourite add ins such as raisins, diced apricots, cranberries, slivered almonds, etc.
Melt a cup of melted butter & mix with half a cup of honey, stir until well blended.
Pour liquid over cereal mixture, fold gently till well coated.
Place uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, watching carefully and stirring every 5 minutes or so. Don't walk away from this one!
If you want to add coconut, add halfway through cooking time, since it burns quite quickly.
Obviously, this isn't very exact - you need to watch and stir so you don't burn this.
I really like my homemade cereal! It's a nice change from granola - a little lighter tasting. Of course there's tons of room for creativity in this recipe - make it less sweet or more sweet, and add all kinds of seeds, nuts, and dried or dehydrated fruits. Just toss in what looks good! If you try it, let me know how yours turned out.
Back when my Mom was visiting, she went shopping and happened to pick up a bag of puffed rice cereal...well, frankly because it was dirt cheap. But have you ever tried "Puffed Rice"?
Homemade "Special L" Cereal Recipe
Mix together in a big roaster 8 cups puffed rice cereal with a cup each of your favourite add ins such as raisins, diced apricots, cranberries, slivered almonds, etc.
Melt a cup of melted butter & mix with half a cup of honey, stir until well blended.
Pour liquid over cereal mixture, fold gently till well coated.
Place uncovered in 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, watching carefully and stirring every 5 minutes or so. Don't walk away from this one!
If you want to add coconut, add halfway through cooking time, since it burns quite quickly.
Obviously, this isn't very exact - you need to watch and stir so you don't burn this.
I really like my homemade cereal! It's a nice change from granola - a little lighter tasting. Of course there's tons of room for creativity in this recipe - make it less sweet or more sweet, and add all kinds of seeds, nuts, and dried or dehydrated fruits. Just toss in what looks good! If you try it, let me know how yours turned out.
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