Finding Beauty In To Do Lists: A Visual Journal

Ann Voskamp www.aholyexperience.com

Finding Beauty In To Do Lists: A Visual Journal

byArianne Segerman

Posted 03/10/10 6:25 am EST | Fit & Healthy

Topicsmental health, organization, peaceful living, to do lists

As moms we make constant to-do lists, always jotting down or typing out the many things going through our heads each day that we don't want to forget. Sometimes the crossing off of items can bring me a little sanity, while other times seeing the lists pile up and up can do the opposite.  Calgon anyone?  I knew when the Post-it notes and the to-do's in my email had gotten out of control that my mental health was the next to go.  I needed a solution that was more than just organization or efficiency, I wanted to make it interesting and something maybe even nice to look at.

I was inspired recently to make my to do list a little more inspiring by turning it into a visual journal. Have you ever seen these?

They can be just a journal for keeping thoughts and ideas, cataloging life, but I think adding the element of making it into a to do for each day as well, turns the mundane into something really impassioned. 

Each page will contain my to-do's, magazine clippings, inspiring quotes, thoughts, and more.

I'll be seeing my life in art, on the page.  Something that I can cherish and even keep on hand for my grandchildren to see someday.  I can only imagine if I had a visual journal from when my granmother was in her 30's and my dad was a young child.  Can you imagine what a lovely gift that would be to the family, even after the loved one is gone?

I think the best part is that I will be able to see my work getting done, while still remembering to find the beauty in it. 

Give it a try, I'm sure it will change your world!


Spring Training: Tips to Help You Go From Sweaters To Sleeveless

Spring Exercise Tips

Spring Training: Tips to Help You Go From Sweaters To Sleeveless

byAngela Logan

Posted 03/09/10 6:00 am EST | Fit & Healthy

Topicsexercise, Spring Exercise Tips, Swimsuit Season, Workout Tips

The S word is about to slip out. Swimsuit. And there’s more…Sleeveless, Shorts…Instead of getting seriously stressed, focus on a good S-word: Spring. Spring is the official preseason. Our chance to shape up before the regular season gets underway. I’ve got some stress free tips to get you out of your winter sweater and into something sleeveless just in time for summer.

The reappearance of the sun can get you stoked to step up your work out. The spring preseason lasts about two months. Use all of this time and ease into these tips. It’s important to remember that being sedentary for a while can leave your muscles vulnerable to injury. So it’s important to stretch before and after you work out. Gradually increase the intensity of your work out over time.

Simple Spring Training Tips To Help You Go From Sweaters To Sleeveless

Weight Train

Strength training has some serious benefits. From sculpting our arms for those sleeveless outfits to stablizing our weight, building stronger bones and protecting against diseases like diabetes strength training is a must. 3 Days, 3 Sets, 3 Muscle Groups. Begin with three weight-training sessions aim to target 3 muscle groups per workout like your arms, legs and back. For each exercise you do, try to perform three sets of 10 to 12 reps.

Daily Dose

You should allot 30 minutes at least 3-5 days a week for a dedicated workout. However, every day think about adding some level of exercise into your routine. From cleaning up more intensely to taking as little as 10 minutes to walk around your neighborhood or the the office will help. Participating with your kids during play time is a great way to kick start your heart rate and to get your muscles working. Break out the bikes and go for a ride in the neighborhood. Tag along with your husband on golf days. It is a low impact way to get your legs, arms and back in shape.

Have a Cold One

When you drink your 8 glasses of water a day it will speed up the body’s metabolism. Cold water also increases our metabolic rate as the body exerts effort to warm the water. And when drinking water, no calories are ingested but calories are used.

 


Good Morning Green Smoothies

Happy Foody

Good Morning Green Smoothies

byArianne Segerman

Posted 03/08/10 6:02 am EST | Fit & Healthy

Topicsenergy boosters, green smoothies, health, raw food

Have you ever wished you could have more energy in the morning?  I have been absolutely dragging these days, the combination of stress and less sleep severely catching up with me.  When I have less energy, I'm less likely to want to work out (even though that would provide said energy - doh!) and then less likely to meet deadlines, less likely to be patient with the kids, etc etc etc.

One thing that I did last year and I'm starting up again now is the daily green smoothie.  It may sound strange, and look even stranger, but I tell you what -- it's amazing boost of energy, it helps detox and it adds that "raw food" element that most of our diets don't have enough of. 

Try a green smoothie a day for just a week, and you'll see what I mean!  Here's my favorite recipe, though if you do a search on green smoothie recipes you will find many more:

{all measurements are estimates because you really don't need to be exact, go by your own tastes}

 

Green Smoothie:

 

-Frozen banana (I just keep some in the freezer for smoothies, can be whole or cut up before freezing, this keeps the mixture cold)

-Frozen assorted bagged fruit (strawberries, peaches, etc. - the mix is best for yumminess) - 1 cup

-Chopped fresh pinneapple - 1 cup

-Fresh baby spinach - 1 cup

-Water - 1 cup

 

Throw all the fruit and water into the blender, blend until smooth.  Then add greens and mix.  Start with less greens as you get used to the flavor, then you can add more and more.

 

Enjoy!

 

 

 


Creating a Clean Air Environment at Home

Creating a Clean Air Environment at Home

byArianne Segerman

Posted 03/05/10 6:00 am EST | Fit & Healthy

Topicsair quality at home, allergies, asthma, kids health

Years ago my two older boys had breathing problems all the time, and were eventually diagnosed with allergy induced asthma.  We had the inhalers, the benedryl on hand, all of it was very upsetting and inconvenient, not to mention scary. 

After some research into dust and dander and all the things in the home that contribute to asthma and allergies, I decided to make some big changes and see if the boys' health improved.  I couldn't believe the response, after a few short months their asthma was greatly reduced (almost gone), as were those constant sniffles and sneezing and other annoying allergy symptoms. 

Here are my tips on helping reduce the dust in the home to create a more healthy air environment, these worked for us!

-Change the bedding:  We purchased hypo-allergenic mattress coveres and pillow covers after reading about dust mites (and getting the heebie jeebies) and how the only way to get rid of them for certain is to suffocate them in these zip on covers. 

-Say goodbye to Teddy:  Our boys had acquired an army of stuffed animals in their short little lives, and we knew it was an easy place for dust to collect.  We de-cluttered the animal chest and only kept a couple out for them to snuggle with at night.  It was hard to say goodbye, but we made a clean break with the furry friends in honor of our health.

-Clean the air:  We researched the best (which was not the most expensive) home and bedroom airpurifiers and noticed a huge difference in the air quality of the home.  Everything smelled better and I noticed taking deep breaths was just more pleasant.  It was a relatively inexpensive way to reduce allergies.

-Take the floor: A definite investment, this step was huge in the road to reducing allergies and asthma in our home.  Pulling up the carpet, putting down wood or laminate or tile or ANYTHING that wasn't fabric and therefore turned into a safe haven for all kinds of breathable junk, was simply another step we took to help our family.  We managed to shop around enough to find a great deal, a coupon for a great discount, and take this step without too much damage to our wallets.

These steps may seem insignificant on their own, but once we had done all of them I can't say enough how much different our quality of life was at home.  Breathing easier is so important, and so worth the effort.  Look into ways that can work for you to create a heathier breathing environment at home -- you won't be sorry!

 

 


BOB Revolution Stroller: Taking Fitness On The Go

BOB Revolution Stroller: Taking Fitness On The Go

byArianne Segerman

Posted 03/03/10 6:00 am EST | Fit & Healthy

Topicsexercise, fit moms, fitness, healthy moms, stroller reviews

You've heard all about Stroller Strides and the amazing classes they offer, now hear about the Stroller Strides BOB Revolution stroller that makes it a fun and efficient process for moms and dads alike.  When I was sent this stroller to try out and review, I was excited because I wanted to finally find a jogging stroller that lived up to the hype. 

Well, I can't say enough about how amazing this stroller is, and at risk of sounding cliche, truly it's the best one we've ever had.  I've tried and used  MANY strollers over the years, beginning when my almost 8 year-old was a newborn, through all my boys in their different ages and sizes, and through the years reviewing products for various websites.  I've had the opportunity to use strollers from all price ranges and various brands, and if you're looking for a jogging stroller or a stroller that has multiple features and "off road" capabilities, the BOB Revolution stroller is by far the best choice.

Things that are important to me in a stroller are ease of folding and unfolding, weight (lugging around something super heavy while shopping or traveling is just the pits), plenty of padding, ability to fully recline (hello, stroller naptime is a given), height (I'm tall), and extra bells and whistles like storage and a large canopy.  This stroller has every one of those things and MORE.  The swivel wheel means I can make a 360 degree turn in no time (awesome for going in and out of tight places at the store or on a walk in the forest).  Almost everything on this stroller is adjustable, from the canopy to the seat recline, and that means it can work for anyone.  The BOB strollers are made with superior materials, so it's WORTH the investment of the higher price tag just because it's actually going to last you through the stroller age of your child (up to 70 pounds!) and still be in top form for the next child to use. 

Not to go unnoticed are the fitness features, which is really the most FUN aspect of this stroller.  The locking wheel is of course a must when on a run, but even more amazing is the adjustable tracking so you can actually create some tension while walking -- creating a workout just by pushing the stroller.  The Stroller Strides model of the BOB comes with the Fitness Kit, which includes a console you add to the stroller to give you a zipper pouch for keys, wallet, etc and space for two water bottles.  The Fitness Kit also includes two exercise tubes, a coupon for one free week of classes and a fitness manual so you can do the exercises even if you don't take the class (or on the non-class days). 

I think this idea is so smart, and this stroller so awesome, that it actually makes me excited about fitness without leaving the wee one behind, and that is huge for a busy mom!  If you're like me and want to see this stroller in action, be sure to check out the BOB videos, there is a hilarious one with a mom on the go (called "I AM MOM", her tenacity cracks me up!), and my personal geeky favorite is the video (called "world's greatest stroller") with someone just simply going through the stroller from top to bottom showing you all the features and how they all work (I now know what that one strap is for...). 

Check out the Stroller Strides site on where to purchase the stroller, it's found in many stores online and locally.  Let me know if you get one and what you think!  I know you'll just love it.

 

This section of www.lifetimemoms.com contains blogs discussing products and services for which bloggers have received promotional consideration from Lifetime and/or Lifetime's third-party advertisers. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the opinions that you read on this section of www.lifetimemoms.com are those of the bloggers and not necessarily those of Lifetime. Lifetime disclaims any responsibility for the products or services described in any blog and for the opinions expressed by any blogger.


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True Confessions: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

FromSisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

Posted 02/23/10 11:33 am EST | Fit & Healthy

Yippee!  It’s Tuesday and I get to share with all of you, my friends, my internet peeps, my “confessions” for the week. 

For all it’s worth………………..


Motivation Monday: The Bank

FromSisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

Posted 02/23/10 11:28 am EST | Fit & Healthy

 When my husband was out of town last weekend, I missed a ride with my triathlon group because I didn’t have anyone to watch the kids. (I used the bike trainer in my living room instead.)

And that was just fine with me, it was freakin cold outside and after everyone got done with the ride, my e-mail lit up with a thread from all the riders talking about just how cold it was (and a few jabs at the one rider who wore shorts).


Last Chance TWORKOUT!

FromSisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

Posted 02/17/10 12:41 pm EST | Fit & Healthy

What you say? But the Biggest Loser isn’t on tonight, so that means no tworkout right?? WRONG.
The Olympics are on, and is it not the 2010 Shrinking Jeans Olympics?? So, get your workout gear on and join us at 8 p.m. Central!


Weigh-In Wednesday

FromSisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

Posted 02/17/10 12:32 pm EST | Fit & Healthy

What is that you say? The answer is no, we aren’t skipping a weigh-in just because we are in between challenges! Go ahead, head over to your scale, step on it, peek at your weight, and then come back here and tell us all about it.


Green Curry chicken Soup

FromSisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans

Posted 01/05/10 6:45 pm EST | Fit & Healthy

I LOVE Thai Food.

Unfortunately, it does not love my muffin top (or maybe loves it too much, it likes to hang out there, set up camp, chill). Thai food can be SUPER unhealthy. Lots of high fat ingredients, lots of frying. Lots of rice.


This section of www.lifetimemoms.com contains blogs discussing products and services for which bloggers have received promotional consideration from Lifetime and/or Lifetime's third-party advertisers. Unless otherwise expressly indicated, the opinions that you read on this section of www.lifetimemoms.com are those of the bloggers and/or the advertisers that commissioned or paid the bloggers and not necessarily those of Lifetime. Lifetime disclaims any responsibility for the products or services described in any blog and for the opinions expressed by any blogger.