Author: Jessica Marie

Professional copywriter, NASM certified personal trainer, mom of 2

January 10, 2013

Birthday Banner DIY #2: Lace Doily Banner

The second installation in my birthday banner series is the Lace Doily Garland.

Thrift stores are littered with doilies, and they are often quite reasonably-priced. I always wondered what I could do to rescue those pretty little lace things. I would never put them under lamps or use them as coasters like in times past, but I thought they must still be good for something this day and age. Enter, the birthday garland.

I happened to find a stack of lace doilies that were all exactly the same. This works perfectly for a banner, but I think it would look neat with mis-matched ones too.

All I did was measure a piece of white thread the entire length of the banner. Simply place the doilies side-by-side to figure out how long you need the thread.

I then started at one side and folded each doily in half. Once halved, I sewed big stitches across the top. These don’t have to be perfect by any means, they should just do the job.

Continue on down the line until all doilies have been attached to the thread.

Leave extra thread on both sides to make loops for securing the banner later. I knotted mine in a loop.

Then, hang as desired. I made an actual “happy birthday” banner to go over the top using alphabet stencils and scrapbook paper, similar to my last one. I think something like this would also be pretty to use for DIY wedding decor too. Enjoy! Oh, and Save the Doilies!

January 6, 2013

Supreme 90Day Overview

Say hello to my newest secret workout weapon: Supreme90Day

I ordered it right after my favorite magazine touted it as comparable to P90X, something I’ve always wanted to try but was reluctant to spend so much cash on. Lo and behold, Supreme90Day is super inexpensive. In fact, you can sometimes find it at some Big Lots stores for like $4. People, that’s $4 for 10 workout DVDs. That’s 40 cents each! Oh yeah, baby!!! For the value of this system, that is one heckuva price.

Let’s get one thing straight. This system will bust your butt! In fact, if you don’t have a strength training base to build upon, you might not want to start this until you do. I am a serious exerciser, and this still caught me off guard. This is not for beginners.

From a person who thrives upon change when it comes to working out, this 90-day workout system is ideal because you’re doing something different every single day. This not only prevents me from getting bored but it keeps every one of my muscles guessing. I can already feel a change in my body. Carrying my son around doesn’t feel as hard but my abs definitely feel harder! Push ups get a little easier, dashing up the stairs isn’t as hard, and now some of my other workouts feel like child’s play.

I’m currently on Day 15 of the system, working on this in conjunction with the Tone It Up Love Your Body series. Whoa! I started at Day 1 (again!) toward the end of December because I had a looong Christmas vacation to get a strong start. In fact, a friend and I just decided to head to the gym on our lunch breaks and we do some of the S90D circuits there. I started jotting the workouts down as I was working through the DVDs, so I can do them anywhere and I won’t get off-track. Here’s a glimpse at the breakdown (most videos pack major power into just 30-40 minutes):

Chest and Back: lots of push up and plank-style variation exercises, presses and flyes.
Ultimate Ball: prepare to work your entire body on the fitness ball.
Tabata Inferno: prepare to sweat profusely! Each circuit is performed 8 times for 20 seconds on, 10 seconds rest. Some of the moves are strength-based (thrusters, lunges, etc), but you use lighter weights so you can power through them fast.
Shoulders and Arms: you’ll be shaking when you’re done and won’t want to lift your arms. Lots of traditional and functional bicep, tricep and shoulder exercises.
Cardio Challenge: Another sweat-buster. And you won’t do the same exercises twice in this powerful workout. Mountain climbers, plank jacks and burpees, oh my!
Legs: All different variations of lunges and squats abound in this leg circuit.
Core Dynamics: Sure, you’ll work your core, but you’ll also work your entire body. Don’t plan on doing crunches, though. You’ll be put through lots of plank variations and other powerful core exercises.
Total Body: Uses some exercises from the other videos and some new exercises to hit every major and minor muscle group.
Back and Bis: Many variations of what you’d expect with bicep curls, rows, and such. Some of the variations you probably haven’t tried before. Also hits the lower back.
Chest, Shoulders and Tris: Again, many variations on exercises you know like kickbacks, push ups, flyes and such.

Every workout incorporates major core work. In fact, many of them feature a core circuit before getting into the regular workout. The pace is pretty fast though, which is good in a way because you’re burning extra calories along with your strength training. But it can be difficult to keep up with.

You *could* do all of the workouts without a ball, but not without hand weights. And as you progress, you’ll need heavier and heavier weights. Most of the time, Tom Holland shows you how to do the moves without the ball, but there are a few instances where he doesn’t. I would highly recommend a ball. You can get one pretty cheap at Walmart.

In addition to the workouts, the system comes with a complete 90-day nutrition plan written by Tosca Reno. Be prepared for tons of lean protein like eggs and grilled chicken and eating every few hours. I am actually following the Tone It Up nutrition plan right now, but in some ways the eating plans are similar. Both emphasize lean, clean and green foods and eating every few hours. For those of you that don’t know, Tosca Reno is the biggest public personality behind eating clean. If she wrote this plan, I put my trust in it. To me, it seems similar to a bodybuilding diet, which makes sense since Tosca Reno is a fitness competitor.

As long as I keep at it–and I plan to–I will continue to update you on my progress. If you’re interested in learning more, please feel free to ask and I’ll do my best to answer.

*Disclaimer: I have no affiliation whatsoever with anyone or any system mentioned in this post. Nor am I a fitness or health professional (yet!). This post reflects my own thoughts and observations.

January 4, 2013

Green Tea Health Tonic

When life hands you lemons, make some lemon-spiked green tea. Of course!

Seriously though, lemons help your body absorb much more of the antioxidant catechin found in green tea. Don’t take it from me, take it from this study done at Purdue. What do catechins do? They sweep away DNA-damaging free radicals, helping prevent cancer and the common cold.

Here’s a recipe for green tea with a health kick.

Green Tea Health Tonic:

1 cup brewed green tea
1 slice fresh lemon
1 tsp honey
1 dash cinnamon

You know what to do. Mix it all together. Well, you’ll probably want to squeeze out the lemon juice into the tea and discard. But you know that, right? I have plans to drink this regularly and especially when I start feeling under the weather.

Such a simple drink, but here’s the amazing health scoop:

Green Tea: you already know green tea is good for you. But check out this article that outlines just how good it could be for you.

Lemon: As stated above, absorbic acid (vitamin C) helps your body absorb significantly more catechins from tea. Vitamin C itself is very beneficial to your immune system. Lemon is also used as a detoxifying digestive aid and has antibacterial properties. Read more here.

Honey: has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It could also hamper the growth of food-borne pathogens. The darker the honey, the higher the antioxidant content. Honey soothing for coughs as well. Read more here.

Cinnamon: Could help regulate blood sugar levels and fight inflammation.

Did I ever tell you that my little 4-year-old son loves tea? In the winter, you’ll find us poring over the selection at the grocery store and trying new flavors each week. We have lots of fun with it.

We’re really digging tea at our house this season. What are your favorite flavors/brands?

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or doctor, just an average person trying to eat and drink better. I’m simply presenting information as I have researched it, from what I consider reputable sources. Consult a professional before making any dietary changes.

January 3, 2013

Tone It Up Plan and Love Your Body Update

I finally did it! After all the time I’ve known about Tone It Up and wondered about the Nutrition Plan, I finally bought it. It took the Cyber Monday deal they were offering (and some nicely-timed bonus money) to finally push me over the edge. I got a TIU hat, water bottle, journal, Beach Babe workout DVD, packet of PerfectFit and a TIU decal for ordering that day. You know me, I’m always searching for a good deal! But really, I’m so glad I finally did it. I didn’t quite know what I would be getting, but it’s well worth it.

First, with the wealth of health information and recipes out on the web, I didn’t think I really needed to spend a significant amount of cash on this plan. However, once I got the plan, it was much more helpful and organized than I could have probably mustered on my own. You are given plenty of recipes and meal options for all six “meals” of the day. Plus, the girls have certain food groups timed throughout the day for optimal metabolism-boosting and sports performance. Every new season brings along new updates to the plan–all included for free! It’s super exciting whenever a new update comes out.

The emphasis of the plan is on Lean, Green and Clean foods. In other words, “real” foods or the closest to nature-made foods as possible. So far, I’ve noticed that when I eat on this plan for a week and then indulge in “unreal” foods for one meal (i.e. taco or burger + cookie), I get a stomachache. I guess that could be a good incentive to keep eating as healthy as possible. This is how we should be eating all the time anyhow, so I don’t consider it a “diet” per se.

You can tell that Karena and Katrina put a ton of work and manpower in putting the plan together. Plus, once you’re part of the team, you’re really part of the team. There are so many special “members-only” perks and challenges that once you sign up, you finally feel like part of the TIU “in crowd.” I didn’t quite realize what I was missing until I went all-in.

This week kicks off the Love Your Body series and I’ve been doing everything they tell me to and then some. Here’s a breakdown of what we were supposed to do to prepare.

List 5 Things I Love About My Body

*I should’ve added: “Strong pain tolerance.” I am so thankful for that. This was a tough exercise to do. It was hard to come up with five things and it felt vain, but really, it’s good to be thankful for what our bodies can do. I guess I’m also thankful for strong lungs, powerful abs (my baby doctor almost didn’t make it in time), and a kick-a$$ immune system.

Fitness Goals for 2013

Whoa whoa, what’s that you see? Become a personal trainer? Yep, it’s on my list of things to do before I turn a certain age (ahem) in June. NASM it is! I’ll keep you posted. I guess since I’ve finally written it now, it must happen right? Good incentive.

Workouts so Far

Monday: Rest day

Tuesday: 40 minute Tabata Inferno on the Supreme90Day system + 20 minute barefoot treadmill run (we’ll talk more about this later).

Wednesday:

AM: 35 minute shoulders and arms on Supreme90Day
Lunch: 30 min brisk walk w/ friend
PM: 45 Cupid’s Cardio interval run on treadmill w/ friend.

Thursday:

AM: 40 minute Cardio on Supreme90Day + 1 mile walk to work (in 20-degree weather)
Lunch: 30 min brisk walk with mom and sis
PM: 1 mile walk home + TBD

I already have plans to go with another friend to the gym tomorrow (Friday) at lunch for strength training along with cardio in the morning.
Pre-planning + Recruiting Friends = Success.

How are you doing so far this year? What are you Fit Goals for 2013?

December 27, 2012

On Finding Time to Work Out

When people say that they don’t have time to work out, they’re most likely wrong. I’ve been one of those people. Unless you’re an on-call ER doctor with a family at home and heavily-involved research in progress, it’s probably safe to say you do have pockets of time in your day in which you can fill with movement.

I know from experience that finding time to work out is possible. I’ve been a full-time college student with a full-time job and a social life before who found time to work out. I’ve been a newlywed with a new house to fix up, a new full-time job and a new marriage to tend to who found time to work out. I am now a full-time worker with many hobbies and goals (and at one time a side freelance job) and a son in the same fixer-upper who still finds time to work out. I do have days where I’m finally on the treadmill at 10:00 at night. I do have a million and one projects going on at one time that I have to set aside in order to get a sweat session in. But most days, I do have workouts scheduled into my daily planner–and I do them!

Source: Uploaded by user via Tiffany on Pinterest

How? I make them a priority. After family and work, my workouts are of the utmost importance. Not because I’m vain or obsessive, but because I understand the necessity of exercise for a healthy body. I like the extra energy I get from it, the strength, the endurance and the bodily benefits I get from it. I never sacrifice meaningful time with my family for workouts, but I do sometimes set aside other less meaningful projects to sneak in some treadmill time. I walk on my lunch breaks at work, I walk or bike to and from work, and I also sweat it out after work at least three times per week. This is about growing stronger physically and mentally, breeding good health and carving out a healthy future. Those things are so so important! I would like to share a few personal tips that I’ve used to “make more time” in my day, so I can work out and accomplish other goals.

Really, you can use these tips to find the time to do almost anything that your heart truly desires. If you want to find time to start your own business, learn a new language, go back to school, or some other life-changing event, you can use these same time-savers to tackle your dreams.

1. Cut out TV. If there is one life lesson I’ve learned, it is this: if you have enough time to watch TV, you have enough time to take over the world. I’m not exaggerating. I would like this quote to go down in the quote history books with my name attached. The things you can accomplish in the time it takes to watch two full-length episodes of Grey’s Anatomy would probably astonish you. Honey Boo Boo is not going to get you any closer to your dream body or fulfilling life, believe me! If you do feel the need to watch TV (ahem!), you should pull up a mat or a treadmill and multitask. That’s even a rule that I’ve set for myself. If I’m going to watch some frothy reality show (Big IF), I make sure my butt is being productive while I’m at it. It’s perfectly OK to be a little indulgent if it’s your reward for breaking a sweat.

This is our new giant of a TV that I try not to spend time in front of, unless it’s a workout DVD.

2. Be intentional with your time. Take a good hard look at what you’re really spending your time on. Maybe record every activity you do for a week, or even one day. Then, see where you can prune your free time. Cruising Pinterest, reading gossip mags, and lying on the couch present prime opportunities to get moving. My guess is you’ll find many 1/2-hour or even 15-minute pockets of time when you could take a walk or even dance to the radio. Make a separate list of all those important tasks that would fulfill you, make your dreams into reality, or make your biceps pop. Work on weeding out the time suckers and substituting them for pieces of your wish list. Make a promise to yourself to be more intentional with your time rather than letting circumstances control it. Many of the things we spend our free time on are highly unnecessary.

3. Multi-task: If you really do love those gossip mags, give yourself permission to read them only on the treadmill. Or listen to some podcasts or book recordings while you’re pedalling away. Steal away for a few squats in the bathroom. Do your workout on your work lunch break. Jump rope while your dinner is simmering. Do three laps around the mall before you start your Christmas shopping. Do whatever it takes to blend your workouts into your daily life.

4. Schedule it in: Schedule workouts into your day as you would a work meeting. Then, schedule your other things around it. I usually work out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So, I normally schedule doctor and dentist visits, play dates, dinner dates and other things on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Or I just switch workouts around a bit. They don’t get removed from the schedule, just moved. The point is that workouts should become a non-negotiable item in your planner. Once those habits are formed, they will be difficult to break.

5. Tunnel vision: At-home workouts are a danger zone for some people, including me sometimes. You start tidying up a corner of the house, folding laundry and suddenly you don’t have time to work out anymore. If working out at home is your only option, I suggest acquiring tunnel vision. You need to walk into your bedroom with purpose, change into your workout clothes, and plant yourself in your workout space while ignoring your peripheral vision. Just do it, as Nike would say. Don’t let all those familiar distractions deter you from obtaining a healthier body.

6. Go to bed a tad bit earlier: and then work out first thing in the morning. Check exercise off your list before too many other items overtake said to-do list. We all could stand to go to bed 15 minutes earlier.

7. Incorporate the Kiddos: Mommas, I hear ya. It’s difficult to work out while the kids are around. Well, there’s no reason why working out and spending time with the kids need to be mutually exclusive. Hook up the bike trailer and go for a family bike ride. Have your Peanut throw punches too while you’re doing your TurboFire, like mine does. Sneak in a playground workout while your little one is running around. Find a reformer workout you can do on the trampoline. Or just workout next to your children as they’re playing. You’ll really be doing your kids a favor by showing them that working out is something normal, that we should be doing. My Peanut is learning this well. Fitness is just something that we do at our house. And hopefully one day he’ll never have to “find the time” to do it, he’ll just do it without thinking.

I hope this post has enlightened you to work out with what little time you think you have. This is especially helpful if your New Year’s resolutions are fitness-involved. Do you have any other secrets for sneaking in fitness?

December 26, 2012

Super-Power Roasted Chickpea Salad

Take a whole bunch of amazingly vital nutrients and put them into a single dish and you might get something close to this Chickpea Salad. It’s chock-full of clean ingredients that boast healthy levels of vitamins and nutrients to help keep your body in tip-top shape.

According to a fun book* I got per request for Christmas, this is just a handful of the beautiful things that the ingredients could do for your body:

Garbanzo beans: Since chickpeas are a legume, they reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. Their high fiber content makes them aces at slowing sugar absorption, reducing cholesterol levels, keeping you feeling full, and lowering colon cancer risk.

Tomatoes: Tomatoes cooked in oil are rich in lycopene, which means they provide some protection against certain cancers. Eating tomatoes with fat makes them more easily absorbed by the body. Tomatoes are also a good source of lutein, which is beneficial for the eyes in a number of ways. Not to mention all the vitamins that the red veggie offers.

Onions: Onions are a potent cancer-fighting food. Onions “contain a whole pharmacy of compounds with health benefits.” They are also antiinflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral in nature.

Button mushrooms: They are a nutrient powerhouse. Get the book. Read page 51 and start adding these mushrooms to your daily meals.

Spinach: A great source of vitamin K and calcium, which together help build strong bones. No wonder why Popeye popped those cans like a pill! It is also a great source of flavanoids, which are antiinflammatory and anticancer agents. It’s great for women because of its folic acid and iron content. There are too many benefits to list!

Olive Oil: The phenols in olive oil are powerful antioxidants. The oil may have a significant effect on lowering blood pressure and reducing the risk of certain cancers.

Garlic: The medicinal qualities of garlic are astounding: “Garlic is lipid-lowering, antithrombotic, anti-blood coagulation, antihypertensive, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral and antiparasitic. In other words, it helps lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels, helps prevent plaque, helps protect against cancer and even helps prevent the common cold. Garlic is nutritional gold.

This week, I needed to make a light lunch that I could easily grab and munch on in between holiday events and preparations. I’m off of work for the holidays, which means plenty of non-nutritious foods are always within easy reach. Putting this salad within easy reach instead gives me a healthy alternative. For me, Christmas lunch is a free-for-all. Not so the rest of the week.

Superpower Roasted Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

2 cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1/2 c fresh sliced mushrooms
1/2 medium onion, diced
2 c fresh spinach
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions:

Drizzle olive oil in a saucepan. Heat the onions, garlic and spinach over medium heat until onions start to look translucent and the spinach wilts. Add the rest of the ingredients and roast for another 5 minutes or so. Enjoy the salad, warmed or chilled, for at least another four days.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or doctor, just an average person trying to eat better. I’m simply presenting information as I have researched it. Consult a professional before making any dietary changes.

December 26, 2012

A Quick Christmas Peek

We indulged in way too much food (with NO guilt involved), ripped through a living room full of gifts, celebrated the birth of Christ, surrounded ourselves with family and cherished every minute of it.

On a funnier note, there seemed to be some epic snowman-making in a small nearby town (Omro, WI) where we visited family. OMG!!! Check out these pictures. The epic snowmen are bigger than the houses that stand behind them! One snowman has hubcaps for buttons. These totally made my day!

Hope you’re having a fabulous Christmas!

December 24, 2012

Advent Activities: Done!

The days leading up to Christmas have been filled with activity, generosity, creativity, meditation and anticipation. With the creation of our family’s Advent calendar, I made sure we had plenty of meaningful activities to do up until today, Christmas Eve.

I served up tea for two, because my Peanut happens to love tea:

We visited Santa Claus and told him what we wanted for Christmas (Spiderman gloves:)

We wrote a letter to Santa and sent it. We even braved the mall just to get to the official Macy’s mailbox.

Peanut excavated (from the attic) and decorated his very own Christmas tree in his own room.

We cut down a real tree for our living room, a regular family tradition.

We even decorated an outdoor tree for the birds:

We went out looking at Christmas lights.

We made traditional paper chain link garland:

And so many more things this Christmas season. We accomplished everything listed in our Advent calendar and then some…

We are all ready for Santa tonight. And right now we’re getting ready for my favorite thing of the entire year: the candlelit Christmas service at church.

From our family to yours–have an extra-special, warm and fulfilling Merry Christmas!!!

December 23, 2012

Four Simple Goals Update

Things I always push myself to keep up with:

1. Tweezed eyebrows
2. Inbox, sent items, and deleted items all sorted away
3. Checking account balances
4. The stack of bill papers that need to be filed
5. Making the bed
6. Reading 15 mins to my son for school
7. Daily cleanup after son/hubster mess up the place.
8. Dishes
9. Updating my blog
10. Keeping up with phones and cameras full of pictures
11. Getting enough daily water
12. Getting up from my desk at hour intervals
13. Reading several chapters of the Bible
14. Planning out each snack and meal before work
15. Wiping up the counters
16. Keeping the stove-top spic and span (you can clean ANY of it with baking soda)
17. Three cardio and three strength sessions per week

…and on and on and on…

Sometimes I get so tied up in these small things that I forget to focus on the big things. Until everything is clean, I’m fed and watered, and my son has everything he needs for school the next day, I can’t concentrate on anything else. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is in full effect once I get home from work. I’m trying to reach self-actualization, but get caught in the bottom two rungs most days.

Source: Uploaded by user via Sherri on Pinterest

How are you doing on your Four Simple Goals?

I am actually doing really well on the checking account thing. At first, I started out in bad shape, letting receipts pile up and transactions slip by (which is not like me at all). By now, I’ve been checking my account balance at least once a week and keeping up pretty well with the daily ebb and flow of the budget. It feels good to always know right where we’re at.

I also have been trying to keep up with all those little messy spots in my house. I can’t say I’ve been tackling one per week, but I am doing great things with my space. We recently got a new TV, which required a new TV stand. I got to choose an antique-looking horizontal dresser from the thrift store that fit everything I needed it to fit and doesn’t block the windows. A simple sanding and re-finishing (we actually had the right color at home) of the top and it was perfection! These small projects have given me much more breathing room. And I have to say, I’ve been taking loads of unneeded items to the thrift store and I haven’t really been buying anything new lately, so the house cleansing is balanced in favor of extra space.

The last two things I have admittedly not been very committed to. I do move around throughout the day at work, and I always walk on my lunch break, but getting up from my desk at certain intervals just seems anal. I’m ok with not being anal about this goal.

I have also been neglecting my Art Journal. I love the idea of an art journal, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day. Cliche, I know. But with all those expectations of myself that I listed above, art journaling does not get the attention it deserves. I also have a different, more purposeful journaling idea in mind that I want to tackle first.

Since I’m off of work now until after the new year, I will be setting my eyes on some new goals for the coming year. I am not the type of person that thinks the only time to plan goals is in on New Year’s Day. And I never abandon my goals by mid-January. I just think it’s a great time to evaluate the culmination of one year and use the accomplishments of the year past to perpetuate even better things in the coming year.

I will also be ordering an Etsy print and a new checkbook cover because I think I deserve them for dedicating so much energy to keeping our home and finances in order.

What are you New Year’s Resolutions? Did anyone else complete Elsie’s challenge?

December 22, 2012

Walking Mantra Meditation

Since I’ve been delving into the land of mantras, I thought it would be fun to talk about walking mantra meditations. Now, I’m not a huge meditator. I know all about how good it is for you, and I always have good intentions of meditating, but the practice of silent meditation often falls to the wayside.

After reading an article about walking meditation by friend Nancy Monson, I decided I really like the idea of walking and meditating at the same time. After all, I walk to work a lot, and what’s better than multitasking while doing it?

One day, on my way home from work, I selected a word to focus on for the entire trip. The results were actually pretty amazing. Focusing on the word “beauty” made so many lovely and heartwarming things stand out to me. I had covered the non-picturesque territory so many times before, I didn’t think anything would really strike me as particularly beautiful, but I was wrong. Turning a simple walk into an opportunity for awareness, wellness, and gratitude is just genius to me. It makes every walk quite a bit more special.

I noticed a squirrel carrying a whole corn cob (funny!)
A sign for “Pleasant Street”

A family decorating their Christmas tree in front of the window (so special!)

Particularly aesthetically-pleasing arrangements of apartment electricity lines (weird, I know!).

And interesting architectural details

And I really can’t believe I never noticed this adorable bird treehouse display after living in the same neighborhood for over 7 years!!! It’s amazing what you pick up on while you’re being intentionally mindful.

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This type of walk was so energizing, I plan on doing it much more in the future.

I’ve taken walks before where I focused on how fast I was going to the point that my face got really tight. I’ve taken walks where I focused on a recent fight and used the walk to get away from home, process what happened, and prevent welling rage from erupting. This idea of a walking meditation is much more pleasant and productive, don’t you think? And why would you ever take another walk again without focusing on what’s truly beautiful? Just another simple way to turn an ordinary everyday task into something a little more special…

Try it! And then leave a note to tell me what you think.