Category: family

April 30, 2013

Weekly Workout Rundown

Monday:

25 min AM interval run, 2 miles, 377 calories
20 min circuit training at lunch

Tuesday:

30 min Insanity Cardio Recovery, 162 calories

Wednesday:

20 min solo walk at lunch
35 min PM run, 2.64 miles
14 min Sunkissed Abs x 2

Thursday:

15 min Bikini Strap Workout
20 min HIIT the Beach from the Beach Babe DVD

Friday:

35 min AM run

Saturday:

60 min AM run (45 min Bikini Cardio pictured below + 15 min extra)
15 min strength (TIU in Foam Magazine)

Sunday:

40 min AM run, 3.1 miles

15 min of Tara Stiles Slim Calm Sexy Yoga before bed

On Monday, my friend and I got schooled by a nice-looking boy at the gym on how to do pull-ups on the available equipment. Now, I know some people are averse to unsolicited gym advice, but my friend and I were grateful for the pointers. He may or may not have had his pretty looks on his side:) I’ve also been practicing pull-ups at the parks whenever I take Peanut. It’s one of my goals to be able to do 5 in a row by the first day of summer.

Tuesday was the start of the Tone It Up Bikini Series. I am one full week into the Tone it Up Bikini Series, and pretty much right on track. This week, I’m going full back into the Nutrition Plan, after Hubster does the grocery shopping. This morning I finally tried Perfect Fit pancakes (see Insta pic #1). I had been hoarding the one packet I got on Cyber Monday (ha!), and was dying to try the pancakes from the welcome packet, so I finally did.

The weekend finally brought temperatures in the 70s and our town came alive again. After battling winter temperatures for the past, oh, 6 months (no lie!), we were all more than happy to spend our entire weekend outside without jackets. Literally, if we weren’t sleeping, we were outside. We did some work in the yard, had a picnic at the park, worked out on the porch, did some meal planning in the backyard. Oh, it was beee-you-tee-fulll! Every window in our house was open to infuse it with that spring scent.

On Sunday, I realized I hadn’t hit my goal of incorporating at least 15 minutes of yoga into my week. Determined to reach that goal, I did 15 minutes of Slim Calm Sexy Yoga before bed. Oh, yoga right before bed is the most amazing thing ever. Maybe this is how I will incorporate more yoga into my routine, by doing it at bedtime. Sounds delicious.

I’m so excited to dedicate another week to my goals and dreams. Next weekend, I’m taking a mini weekend retreat, so this is a short week for me. Weee!

Images

TIU Perfect Fit protein pancakes with peaches
Meal planning in the backyard, TIU nutrition plan in-hand. Find my menu planner printable here.
My makeshift porch workout station. Dumbbells + picnic blanket + sunshine = best workout idea ever.
The kiddos played with chalk and bubbles while I worked out, natch!
Flowers growing in the gutter are special: A view from my morning walk.
My Tone It Up journal. Got a mini portfolio at work and decked it out. You’ll see my motivational quote and measurement printables tucked in there.
Practicing pull-ups at the park.
Glazed chicken and broccoli, a healthy meal at Ihop.
Peanut pretend fishing with a stick down by the river.
Peanut and I walking the trails after church.

How was your weekend?

April 22, 2013

Peanut Runs His First Race

Photo Credit, both pictures: Adam Jungwirth from the Oshkosh Northwestern

I couldn’t be more proud. My Peanut ran in his first organized race this past Saturday (and made it in the paper). It was 200 feet for the 4-year-olds. I originally asked if he was interested about a month ago and the glow and wide smile that came over him were signs that he certainly was interested. I didn’t hesitate signing him up with that enthusiasm. The last thing I want to do is force an active lifestyle upon him lest he resent and act against it later on. We’re doing things the natural way. I just try to be a good role model and have fun with exercise. It’s a normal part of our everyday routine. And he’s really picking up on that. His cousin seems to like running too:

I don’t see the official race results yet, but that’s ok. He finished in about the middle of the pack. A good place to be, I think. A place that’s humbling and a source of pride all at the same time. He got a medal at the end that he showed off to everyone after the race, including vendors at our local indoor farmer’s market that we hit up after the race. Haha!

I am so proud of that boy.

Hubster and I ran the coinciding local 5k on Sunday with our pit bull. I came in at 29:11 (in the middle of the pack too). Hubster and Pupster at 40:05, ranking #5 in their division. Hubster was coercing our pup to sprint to the finish line by telling him to “get the squirrel.” Hee! This has become a tradition for our family to run this local race. John and I have been running it together for the past several years, even setting up training running dates in the past. Last year was atrocious because we were suffering the aftereffects of food poisoning. This year, it was pretty darn chilly, but I felt pretty good throughout the race. We’re just glad to now include our Peanut in our yearly tradition.

You can see my Pupster and Hubster (white shirt) in the upper right corner of this picture:

Photo credit: Jeannette Merten for the Oshkosh Northwestern

It’s quite an amazing event to take part in. Especially considering the tragedies that happened in Boston this past week. It gave me goosebumps to participate in a run of this magnitude mere days after such a horrific event. But those cowards do not have the power to take away the satisfaction that comes with training hard, finishing races and the genuine camaraderie that the running community share. In fact, I think those monsters have made the running community stronger.

It was a good weekend:)

April 10, 2013

Healthy Acorn Squash Bowl

Squash was a pretty rare treat in my family’s household growing up. In fact, I never once had spaghetti or butternut squash until I made them for my own grownup self. Since squash only comes out during certain times of the year and mom only felt like making them on rare occasions, they were pretty special when we did have them. Mom liked to roast the squash and then fill it with butter and brown sugar. Oh, so yummy!

In order to relive that lovely memory, I decided to prepare some acorn squash for myself. Only this time, I didn’t want to drench it in fat and empty calories. I added cranberries and nuts to the healthy acorn bowl to amp up the nutrition content. It tasted like fall, even though we’re on the verge of spring, but it was excellent!

Acorn Squash Bowl

Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp sliced almonds
1 Tbsp dried cranberries
Drizzle of honey

Directions

Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Helpful hint: those serrated spoons used for eating grapefruit work perfectly for scraping out the pulp.
Wrap the squash halves in aluminum foil, leaving the cut edges open. Place the squash on a cookie sheet or roasting pan with the cut sides facing down. Pour a thin layer of water into the bottom of the pan. This will make the final product turn out moist and tender.
Roast the acorn squash at 450 degrees for about 45 minutes or until fork-tender.
Remove from oven and let cool to your desired temperature.
Sprinkle the remaining ingredients into one half of the squash and drizzle with honey. Use a spoon to scrape out the flesh and add-ins and enjoy.

For 1/2 of the squash with the indicated add-ins, the approximate nutrition content from SparkPeople is:
Calories: 208
Carbs: 51g
Fat: 3g
Protein: 3g

I mean, that’s a lot of food for 200 calories!!!

I love how some childhood memories revolve around the smells and textures of delicious food. I have a similar precious memory of eating grapefruit with my mom as a child. I will definitely be sharing this treasured tradition with my Peanut.

January 31, 2013

What’s Going on Here?

Things have been pretty peachy around here. A lot of fun, everyday things, caught on my camera phone, have been turning into remarkable memories. You know, things along of the line of your job getting an upgrade to manager and spending your evenings skiing instead of loitering in the living room.

Best things about this past week:

1. Got promoted to manager at my job. My title is now Web Copy Manager, and I am in charge of two highly talented interns. Thus, Hubster and I had reason to get dressed up and celebrate. Sangrias are one of my favorite ways to imbibe, on those rare occasions that I actually do.

2. Some days, you just feel like finding a hole-in-the-wall diner and eating there. There’s something so luring about outings with no expectations of you or your destination. You get that down-home feel and backwoods prices. And it’s been at least a decade since I’ve seen one of these rad dinosaur crayon holders:

And diners are the only place where it’s acceptable for your kids to stack all the jelly packets, right? Oh, is that just us?

3. This idea fascinates me. The library in a nearby city creates these little reading spots where you can grab a free book. Isn’t this the most charming little nook ever? Totally made my day.

4. My brother-in-law and nephew created this awesome snow fort at my mom’s house last time we got dumped on. It has three entryways/exits. This brings back so many memories from childhood. Most of us up here in Wisconsin dread the snow. But you have a choice: move away, dread it, or embrace it. This is a perfect example of working with what you’ve been given.

5. Another way to avoid the TV trap: go to Kwik Trip, buy two loaves of 50 cent bread, head to the park, and feed the non-migrating ducks. Oh, and you know, check out the beautiful sunset while you’re there.

6. Either we can complain about getting dumped on with loads and loads of snow, or we can go out and play in it. Plus, after awhile, you start to feel warm and don’t get all bummed by that I-can’t-stand-this-cold attitude. It’s also a great way for the whole family to embrace fitness in a non-fitness-y way. The best part? Finding the most adorable little set of skis and poles for a four-year-old. I can hardly stand it!

7. I’ve been on a mission for months now to keep on trying new foods, and after a funny comment made by a friend about how I eat all these weird “tofu” things, I thought, what the heck? It was only $2 at the grocery store. It wasn’t quite as gross as others had led me to believe. It had an egg white-like texture and egg whites are a staple for me. I tried the tofu in a teriyaki stir fry and it was just fine. Such a great alternative source of protein!

So, what have you been up to lately? Any particularly troublesome areas in your life that you’ve learned to embrace or have turned into something you love? Or any ways in which the ordinary has turned into something much better?

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 21, 2012

DIY Spray-Painted Christmas Pinecones

This year, while getting into Christmas spirit mode, I decided that instead of making paper chain links with my son, we would make something that was a little more “grown up” and suitably matched to the rest of our holiday decor. Not that there’s anything wrong with paper links; we just wanted something a little different but equally budget-friendly. Thus, the spray-pained pinecone project was born.

First, we grabbed a bottle of gold spray paint at the hardware store.

Scavenging for pinecones was another story in itself. It was not as easy as it seems, unless you know for sure where a pinecone tree is in your neighborhood or if you can easily identify that type of tree like a true naturalist. I couldn’t do either. Peanut and I went to one park that was a complete bust. We found one lone pine tree in the acres that we scoured, and that tree didn’t yield pinecones.

I decided to try one last spot just before giving up. We drove through our county park, and just as we turned a bend, I spotted a litter of pinecones below a small stand of pine trees. Peanut got excited about the find, especially since there was a playground behind the trees.

We gathered a whole tote-load. I tried to grab pinecones that looked pretty similar instead of a hodge podge.

Feel free to run after the geese and play on the trees and other natural fixtures while you’re there. It just makes it that much more fun.

Once at home, we laid the pinecones out on cardboard. While Peanut was busy playing, I gave each pinecone several layers on gold paint (it’s an adult job after all). He came back intermittently to check on the progress and give me a few encouraging “these are beautifuls.” The effect of gold spray paint on pinecones is indeed beautiful.

After the paint dried, I tied each pinecone with some matching gold ribbon that was left over from my wedding pew decorations (7 years ago!!!). Then, I let the decorating instinct kick in.

Some pinecones ended up on a cake stand that now holds our Nativity scene.

Some pinecones were strung through Christmas-y string to create a beautiful garland. Some were hung from a braided garland I made last year, giving it a refreshing new purpose and look.

It’s fun to take some simple spray-painted pinecones and turn them into a house-full of coordinating decorations.

What are your ideas for spray-painted pinecones?

December 18, 2012

The Birds Need A Christmas Tree Too!

One of our advent activities this month was to decorate a tree outside for the ~~birds~~ squirrels. After we found, cut down, and decorated our family indoor tree, we thought it would be fun to make one for our neighborhood critters too.

I had some pinecones leftover from a pinecone project I’ll be posting about soon. We decided to coat each pinecone in peanut butter and roll it through bird seed.

Grandma also helped Peanut make a popcorn garland earlier in the day to up the festive factor. We hung the bird feeders and popcorn garland on a small, reachable tree in the backyard.

Later the next day, daddy watched a squirrel cut through the ribbon with his teeth and haul off a pinecone bigger than his head. That little bugger. I wish I had a picture! Watching how the pinecone treats were being consumed through the window made for a good laugh, a good story and a good feeling.

I hope to continue these decorating antics every year at Christmas. I’m pretty sure decorating an outdoor tree is going to become a family tradition we stick to as closely as we do our visit to the tree farm for our indoor tree. It’s so much fun! A simple way to bring a little extra brightness to these regular days as we continue counting down to Christmas. Plus, the whole experience made for some pretty special family time.

Any tips on how to feed a little more bird, a little less squirrel?

December 15, 2012

Life in a Northern Town Part Two

On a recent trip to the Northern Woods of Wisconsin (read Part One here), we had the prime opportunity to tour a cluster of freshwater waterfalls. Now, I knew this trip was going to be good. But I didn’t realize just how “alive” I would feel being in some of the most beautiful places in the state, hearing that rushing water, feeling the crisp air, and hearing the low thuds under our feet as we navigated the soft ground was beyond compare.

We did a self-guided waterfall tour of the waterfalls in Crivitz, WI. There really isn’t ample information on the web about the tour, but we happened to find an area activity pamphlet at a local business that provided directions. Otherwise, there isn’t much info available anywhere. Not even from the locals we asked. And when we tried to go by our own directions, we failed. Use the pamphlet!!!

Much of our drive around consisted of either dirt or gravel roads. That’s how far away from civilization we were. It looked like the primary bulk of the population was weekenders with “cabins” set deep in the woods. For one weekend, I loved it! You could tell that even the trails that led to the waterfalls were pretty scarcely travelled. I abhor touristy destinations, and this was about the least touristy that one could get. “Rustic” is even putting it lightly (don’t worry, our motel had cable, internet and running water, ha!).

When grandma used to shoo us out the back door to get some “fresh air,” she never knew she was preparing me for an appreciation of things like this.

I can’t wait to make this a yearly fall tradition

Neither can he!

When I was a kid, we used to travel “up north” somewhere every year for a big family reunion. I’m not even sure how we were related to those people, but it was the time of my life. My all-time greatest memories revolve around breathtaking color-changing trees, investigating long-abandoned cottages and motor homes in the woods, canoeing on the tiny nestled-in lake, eating all the food we could ever imagine, imagining conjured ghosts, feeling so warm and connected, almost staying overnight there (until someone mentioned wolf howls) and playing with other kids on the beautiful screened-in porch. I decided I could either remain nostalgic and regretful about this lost tradition forever or begin a new one with my family. Hence, this autumn “up north” road trip was born.

What are your greatest childhood memories? Did you ever wish you were Huck Finn too?

December 13, 2012

DIY Advent Calendar Ideas

I love the idea of Advent calendars because they present a way of bringing Christmas to the entire month of December. The anticipation that accompanies the countdown is unmatched–especially for a little boy at age 4. Typically, we mark X’s on calendars when we’re counting down the days to things like vacations and hunting season. For Christmas though, an Advent calendar does the counting for us, with plenty of fun and deliciousness built in.

Done a little differently, Advent calendars can also serve as an intentional way to make family time a priority. This year, we devised little activities or treats we could enjoy as a family. This way, every day in December produces the chance to make meaningful memories. Not only that, but we’re also generating new yearly family traditions (decorating a tree for the birds, picking out a new Christmas album, etc).

Our simple advent calendar was made with supplies from the Dollar Store or craft store. My Peanut and I simply went to town painting an $0.89 art canvas with acrylic paints I already had around the house.

Then, I cut 25 change rolls in half and arranged them in a Christmas tree shape.

We glued the rolls to the canvas and voila!

I printed a list of activities on a standard sheet of paper, cut them out, rolled them up, and put one in each roll. These are the activities we have been/are enjoying this December. Wouldn’t it be fantastic to make one of these for every month of the year just to make each day of the year a little extra special?

Downtown Art Walk: Morgan House, carriage rides (December 1, 6-9)
Enjoy a warm cup of apple cinnamon tea
Take a ride and look at Christmas lights
Rent Christmas music/books from the library
Go to the Dollar Store to pick up a new ornament
Play in the snow with hot chocolate after
Festival of Lights (December 4)
Take a walk around the neighborhood to look at Christmas décor
Put up lights/Santa stuff outside our house
Write a letter to Santa and send it
Visit Santa and tell him what you want for Christmas (Dec 8)
Decorate a Christmas tree outside for the birds
Make a new Christmas wreath together
Watch a Christmas movie together
Make/Decorate Christmas cookies
$1
$1
$1
Read the Christmas story in the Bible
Go buy a new Christmas CD/record
Donut Date
Find a special gift we can give to baby Jesus like the three kings did.
Camp out under the Christmas tree
Make hot chocolate (from scratch?)
Snowball fight!!!

Some of these activities had to be strategically placed on certain days when community events are happening. Due to the time involved and weekday constraints, some had to be relegated to the weekends (camp-outs, etc). As much as we love Santa, we tried to incorporate the real reason for the season as much as possible, such as renting Nativity books from the library and pointing out all the manger scenes among the decorated houses.

We have also been enjoying a piece of chocolate out of this good ol’ traditional Advent calendar.

How are you preparing for Christmas? Do you have any interesting Christmas traditions?