tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90285643358325119842024-02-21T02:25:38.293-08:00Full-On Fit!This girl's journey to find physical, mental and emotional health.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-45484281702165121282013-04-23T08:08:00.003-07:002013-04-23T08:08:47.716-07:00Somewhere new<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ELARSCwaqbQ-OCxfFkVFVV49Xm45u6AwvenwIHjUx3rgAxmL1hy-CdjPOJbchwGjddAXmuN6buTGu0A0ACOYT5JbvsoFAmIv1veUS4TgioLkuVoABqiAnKFA3rQVH5n3YIVtEgmztmU/s1600/go+somewhere+new.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_ELARSCwaqbQ-OCxfFkVFVV49Xm45u6AwvenwIHjUx3rgAxmL1hy-CdjPOJbchwGjddAXmuN6buTGu0A0ACOYT5JbvsoFAmIv1veUS4TgioLkuVoABqiAnKFA3rQVH5n3YIVtEgmztmU/s640/go+somewhere+new.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
where will you go? ........<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-85138903506360605872013-04-01T10:26:00.001-07:002013-04-01T10:26:00.860-07:00Easter Love Yesterday was Easter, and I must say, was one of the best Easter's I can remember! We went away for the weekend to spend some time with the family and it was A-MAZING to get away and just spend some good 'ol quality time with the fam! Because this year has been a bit trying for us health-wise, we made sure to try and make it as healthy as possible while still making it fun and yummy!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
To get our exercise in, we went to a great Easter Egg Hunt with the kids and did a lot of running around! For the most part the kids at the egg hunt were really well behaved and looked like this:</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfNiTnBGA3UByYStOX7knFPRgYgkb-ENHNxlkqM5wA06eF1HLxZVlido3CSSeM1ri8XXb3zDUbYwqk5qEr1_Tg-GpdU3eazdOanJsIizGpzu44gs0nODwlFdKCElczcz1xVIDjTR9sUk/s1600/Easter+Egg+Hunt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHfNiTnBGA3UByYStOX7knFPRgYgkb-ENHNxlkqM5wA06eF1HLxZVlido3CSSeM1ri8XXb3zDUbYwqk5qEr1_Tg-GpdU3eazdOanJsIizGpzu44gs0nODwlFdKCElczcz1xVIDjTR9sUk/s320/Easter+Egg+Hunt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.unlockorlando.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Easter-Egg-Hunts-in-Orlando.jpg" target="_blank">the little ones are strollin' along...</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
while there were a number of older kids who decided to take charge, and it looked a little more like this: </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://media.al.com/birmingham-news/photo/2013/03/12502232-large.jpg" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgnrs2iC57kezepWBuZYXdxQtZKbBrjC5LIImr_CFr4NtxQZDEeqmeYsO7yKIWSOFA6wJQYQh-acETg4ibNmNOgF-bEIBXQZDJFjCmzAGbtnM6XYlrlGG5QrC2BnA5P8q-o9UNBGDVFMA/s320/competitive+Easter+egg+hunt+.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://media.al.com/birmingham-news/photo/2013/03/12502232-large.jpg" target="_blank">some of these kids mean serious business! </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Another part of our Easter festivities was, of course, food!!! We tried to eat as healthy as possible, but we also wanted the kids to be able to enjoy <i>some</i> candy from the Easter Bunny! While I'm sure the kids would have looooooved for their Easter baskets to be filled with this stuff:</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMwo9_9ODiybYspGiOfwq99ReAV9cJR-_JjqaXiA8H8rFOHK2tYs4hJrsvI2fFNonNnvOs18xo143_ccTU7sPtMfa62cJ7JuTdOy3A3oaOSgvBP8MDhFARB547rErruWsimCGxQZd_nM/s1600/Easter+candy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSMwo9_9ODiybYspGiOfwq99ReAV9cJR-_JjqaXiA8H8rFOHK2tYs4hJrsvI2fFNonNnvOs18xo143_ccTU7sPtMfa62cJ7JuTdOy3A3oaOSgvBP8MDhFARB547rErruWsimCGxQZd_nM/s320/Easter+candy.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://thedvrfiles.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/easter-candy-jan-2013.jpg" target="_blank">yikes! that's a lot of candy...</a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
....we made sure to balance them out a bit like this: </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIljxG_kEHCcSYpiU6Dsb4NyH6Lx0zaxlZwAr213zt90MpYbPdZr-7qiH2PaFKqfotloeqCC9uJ9OAbj_1lfcIEPQ0tfU1acs0bKVMtyrDxzb08Jw1fHoIFHKsCwZZ9nUtJoMwguaQuY/s1600/healthy+Easter+basket+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIIljxG_kEHCcSYpiU6Dsb4NyH6Lx0zaxlZwAr213zt90MpYbPdZr-7qiH2PaFKqfotloeqCC9uJ9OAbj_1lfcIEPQ0tfU1acs0bKVMtyrDxzb08Jw1fHoIFHKsCwZZ9nUtJoMwguaQuY/s1600/healthy+Easter+basket+.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.bewellbarroncounty.org/wp-content/uploads/Easter-Basket1.jpg" target="_blank">candy, stickers and toys! </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><br />Dinner of course was amazing. We had so much food-- we decided to do it potluck(ish) style and have everyone bring or come and make a different dish. The fiance and I looooove Green Bean casserole, so we found a healthy recipe version of the not-s-healthy dish and it came out awesome! Everyone was raving about it (to try it out for yourself, go <a href="http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/green_bean_casserole.html_0" target="_blank">here!</a>)! <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
How was your Easter weekend? Did you have any fun stories or activities with the family?!?<br /><div>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<br /><br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-59468408014254370502013-03-25T07:06:00.000-07:002013-03-25T07:43:17.558-07:00Wedding WorkoutsAs I was flipping through channels this weekend I ran across an episode of Bridezillas -- you know the show I'm talking about -- the one where they show the Bride being a total B**** to all of her closest family and friends?! Don't get me wrong, I'm sure as the time gets closer to my own big day and the stresses start adding up that I will have my own freakout moments, but I REFUSE to turn into anything that resembles the women on this show!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWTANreOfHPhiq2oqqDT574svA9pG-6jc7OcdL7HJtH_4ZqWSybHDAMD9_Aaj8aldHfYZqtRYsSeHuIUZmAu5LGLB0_DvnBYkOXkCaiSUUcPSJF6I0roojXgwrlOs5_ilcytUmGIAi0c/s1600/bridesmaids+bootcamp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAWTANreOfHPhiq2oqqDT574svA9pG-6jc7OcdL7HJtH_4ZqWSybHDAMD9_Aaj8aldHfYZqtRYsSeHuIUZmAu5LGLB0_DvnBYkOXkCaiSUUcPSJF6I0roojXgwrlOs5_ilcytUmGIAi0c/s200/bridesmaids+bootcamp.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://content.lostgirlsworld.com.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/blog_runway-bridesmaids.jpg" target="_blank">"bridesmaid bootcamp!"</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyways, back to my original intent... so I started to watch the show and was appalled at the "bootcamp" that this bride was putting her bridesmaids through in order to "look good" for the wedding day! Now, I am lucky that all of my bridesmaids are all classy ladies that take are of themselves and their appearances regularly -- but I couldn't imagine myself actually making them do bootcamp-type workouts so they look a certain way for pictures!<br />
<br />
Buuuut, this got me thinking about what I was doing for my own workouts for THE BIG DAY. I have been doing my normal workouts such as yoga, biking, skiing, and some running thrown in here and there, but I haven't been focusing much on actually toning, which is an oversight on my part! Now, I still want to look like <i>me</i> at our wedding, but I want to look like a toned-me if you get what I'm saying. So I scoured the internet and found what I think is a <a href="http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/your-wedding-dress-workout-plan" target="_blank">helpful workout plan</a> all based around the type of dress you are wearing. Now, I haven't gone dress shopping yet, but I <i>do</i> have an idea of what dresses I will most likely gravitate towards, and these all call for work on my arms, shoulders, core, back, and chest...<br />
<br />
<b>Shoulders:</b><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wsuNPBL71heTfjJjE51jU3fdjkoOTRugo-Gzr68KXOZtF04DapiygCHJVPfKVBi41bLbPThWIsHPy1eSK3ogP767uc9y3cCJ-3lm6-a9XTVAb4uXfHqqRH5ANtZK-X57kaJqoF9vDoM/s1600/military+press.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9wsuNPBL71heTfjJjE51jU3fdjkoOTRugo-Gzr68KXOZtF04DapiygCHJVPfKVBi41bLbPThWIsHPy1eSK3ogP767uc9y3cCJ-3lm6-a9XTVAb4uXfHqqRH5ANtZK-X57kaJqoF9vDoM/s200/military+press.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.womenshealthmag.com/files/images/0706_military_press.jpg" target="_blank">military press</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAU5PEoXiGfoPWJfb2ETPpPq1hB8gl8ub2jOEfThPKn-W-1ae6v7kAjD_gJFRY4esVaG2ykywdNOaDiYv0DjQZbUNdiw2YkF_sDkr7EgXFBuOftPwe24lH9SeVNocw_UaJ3e0rV6Zxck/s1600/lateral+raises.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAU5PEoXiGfoPWJfb2ETPpPq1hB8gl8ub2jOEfThPKn-W-1ae6v7kAjD_gJFRY4esVaG2ykywdNOaDiYv0DjQZbUNdiw2YkF_sDkr7EgXFBuOftPwe24lH9SeVNocw_UaJ3e0rV6Zxck/s200/lateral+raises.jpg" width="175" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m1ma2fma3G1qkuceao1_500.jpg" target="_blank">lateral raises</a><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Triceps:</b><br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhjXH7Y-ncBgNBQ455kjj0BQhYORGNgmZ2xym2ZukJYed2yXKEwkBhVPcagMNlgQ6Hz30SEvny_aC1_PZIWPmEeeJKCjxhhdulvvFoL2e6NXZ2oV3AF46xw2HmFLTBWnMbm7MmmbMqn4/s1600/triceps+kickback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYhjXH7Y-ncBgNBQ455kjj0BQhYORGNgmZ2xym2ZukJYed2yXKEwkBhVPcagMNlgQ6Hz30SEvny_aC1_PZIWPmEeeJKCjxhhdulvvFoL2e6NXZ2oV3AF46xw2HmFLTBWnMbm7MmmbMqn4/s200/triceps+kickback.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.katyproduce.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/0402-triceps-kickback_li.jpg" target="_blank">triceps kickback</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<b><br /></b><br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D7wAiOVmcG2ZdBoONjRmKOy2fV5-3dmXNW823VnBZ9q9dktjP51ayVac8hEoL_ERnUI8YFBRVYTHgU8KaWr99j-vADpiksAk8R-_xE-DFMGlmuiQd94DkRZJZQZuc6-7a2UZEG6Qy9Q/s1600/triceps+extension.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2D7wAiOVmcG2ZdBoONjRmKOy2fV5-3dmXNW823VnBZ9q9dktjP51ayVac8hEoL_ERnUI8YFBRVYTHgU8KaWr99j-vADpiksAk8R-_xE-DFMGlmuiQd94DkRZJZQZuc6-7a2UZEG6Qy9Q/s200/triceps+extension.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.kissandmakeup.tv/assets_c/2009/09/overhead-triceps-extension-thumb-392x340-96470.jpg" target="_blank">triceps extension</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
<b>Core:</b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkP4p_fGLKMmDCYoz6kiGNUVqDXLV5noBSE7BX1KF6regimsQFGVPS5-dTMZvB6cqJDDUHF-cKE6QVR_SVTw9yA0x5qiVCjhpcQSHHneUH6FjU9LiPAkXv8MBiG7yXgh1ddu4bfilku9Y/s1600/plank.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="73" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkP4p_fGLKMmDCYoz6kiGNUVqDXLV5noBSE7BX1KF6regimsQFGVPS5-dTMZvB6cqJDDUHF-cKE6QVR_SVTw9yA0x5qiVCjhpcQSHHneUH6FjU9LiPAkXv8MBiG7yXgh1ddu4bfilku9Y/s200/plank.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.eastbaytrainer.com/Portals/73022/images/plank1.jpg" target="_blank">plank</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr2zpv2jZWbqgJS6vJD0eiLrkXQMjGZMTImsuNpiCczC6Y9FkR366xd1ebf9bRmGzEi-XYuN_fr44yZ0X5KLB0SeVmJIW-6HK-ThvY34rflZH8rdIJiuV0sQrc_ZVPFlEjt8XOJb0sEI/s1600/superman+workout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwr2zpv2jZWbqgJS6vJD0eiLrkXQMjGZMTImsuNpiCczC6Y9FkR366xd1ebf9bRmGzEi-XYuN_fr44yZ0X5KLB0SeVmJIW-6HK-ThvY34rflZH8rdIJiuV0sQrc_ZVPFlEjt8XOJb0sEI/s200/superman+workout.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://img2.timeinc.net/health/images/slides/one-minute-plank-400x400.jpg" target="_blank">"Superman"</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />These are just a few examples.... anybody else have any great ideas for me on how to get toned for the big day?!<br /><div>
<b><br /></b></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-66456246638796348132013-03-11T09:27:00.005-07:002013-03-11T09:27:37.487-07:00Yoga AnywhereFirst of all, let me apologize for the lack of posts the last 2 weeks. I was feeling a bit under the weather and had other projects that I was trying to catch up on. Because of this, my blog -- and all of you -- was a bit neglected. For this, I am sorry, and promise to try harder to get back in your good graces :)<br />
<br />
With that said, when I was cuddled up under one of my favorite warm fleecy blankets, enjoying a hot cup of tea in the hopes of kicking whatever illness I had come down with, I was reading through some different online magazines and sites that offer up some great workout advice, I came across a piece from Shape magazine's website that centered around inspiration for people to get <i>out </i>of the yoga studio and try to do yoga anywhere and everywhere! They offered up some <a href="http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/16-coolest-yoga-photos-youll-ever-see" target="_blank">great photos of people doing just this</a>, and I thought it was a really fun idea.<br />
<br />
It got me thinking about my own yoga practice and how "in-adventurous" I have been with it -- why do I feel like I <strike>have</strike> want to go to a studio over bringing my practice with me wherever I go? Just a couple of weeks ago I wrote about h<a href="http://fullonfit.blogspot.com/2013/02/rave-yoga.html" target="_blank">ow I adore doing yoga at home or in a studio, but had heard about an event known as Rave Yoga that I thought sounded so amazing</a>... and yet, I haven't stepped out of my box to try <i>anything</i> new. I know what you're thinking... Carolyn, ease up, you <i>have</i> been sick since you wrote that last post. But still... I want to try and push myself to be more adventurous in my practice and start to get creative with it.<br />
<br />
Here are a few pictures of inspiration to get outside of your "yoga comfort zone" and start to spice up your practice a bit.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUp4WBaZ6QINnurLi9NSnEWuJ-cc4CxRKYTcI1AgTZLEPVB3YiFA24SjL5tD6RUeXRltJUDU_PaUKQg8iiGuKr4lUXcd0X0lLM9JtHNxWZtE7KJRSRqZ3kuJoTBK6r9VxnhX6S4WZxSA/s1600/sun+salutation+yoga+pose+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUp4WBaZ6QINnurLi9NSnEWuJ-cc4CxRKYTcI1AgTZLEPVB3YiFA24SjL5tD6RUeXRltJUDU_PaUKQg8iiGuKr4lUXcd0X0lLM9JtHNxWZtE7KJRSRqZ3kuJoTBK6r9VxnhX6S4WZxSA/s320/sun+salutation+yoga+pose+.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://foter.com/photo/upward-salute-urdhva-hastasana-person-performs-mystical-sun-salutation-yoga-stretching-exercise-on-morro-strand-church-of-kelp/" target="_blank">sun salutation on the beach </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlNrTHQmVDIW80A1v0CCSTvqfGiOlkeTGYAQcuPMFCQsBNSNXXpERAjPSRIyRa9I4s5NU3NSurJOEJn1wn8A05RCED8pUs_CUhxBq8fKfKK_ryjYGI3NC8ENrl_LOZJacMDeL4peBM0Q/s1600/mountain+yoga+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjlNrTHQmVDIW80A1v0CCSTvqfGiOlkeTGYAQcuPMFCQsBNSNXXpERAjPSRIyRa9I4s5NU3NSurJOEJn1wn8A05RCED8pUs_CUhxBq8fKfKK_ryjYGI3NC8ENrl_LOZJacMDeL4peBM0Q/s320/mountain+yoga+.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://foter.com/photo/yoga-in-the-mountains/" target="_blank">yoga in the mountains</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-PF7IcKL2yA369g8U81vbm4_yNLjUcZ13LphxBef0FeRoIBL6meMTO1ufW4sCpVqjeG4c29EgB0Bq-CXQ5rx7sROSJdguvlHpGXKQjK2rhAGiJTYviO2E-AoRuCxGwX5YjohY6JEcJs/s1600/rooftop_yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu-PF7IcKL2yA369g8U81vbm4_yNLjUcZ13LphxBef0FeRoIBL6meMTO1ufW4sCpVqjeG4c29EgB0Bq-CXQ5rx7sROSJdguvlHpGXKQjK2rhAGiJTYviO2E-AoRuCxGwX5YjohY6JEcJs/s320/rooftop_yoga.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0hUY7yoQWIiSUvBtdmRKXf6a3oz3t8hd79GNh7X0X2zXyn3onmfg7qNQp68Fe0I81QggDQDRDrngmhB6oRBWXNuJeP9F3Zz4-fyNrSnEz5l_hyphenhyphen-IuLdg-2rRuGrhRaW_8GrieDmAZPon/s1600/rooftop_yoga.jpg" target="_blank">rooftop yoga</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPe-0AHDnQVQyrCHUs4hPt6lSHVwE2zVRlv2CWl6pluEzrpaI0LuA_TnyGJ3N3Ht12jEMWUyBvWPkCfw0XFttFyNMkFEzO2GHOZVnEMEOwBZCBsPHW2rHLzNNxOT1tSr3gkU2a_JjFs8U/s1600/yoga+in+the+woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPe-0AHDnQVQyrCHUs4hPt6lSHVwE2zVRlv2CWl6pluEzrpaI0LuA_TnyGJ3N3Ht12jEMWUyBvWPkCfw0XFttFyNMkFEzO2GHOZVnEMEOwBZCBsPHW2rHLzNNxOT1tSr3gkU2a_JjFs8U/s320/yoga+in+the+woods.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://tumblrgymyoga.tumblr.com/post/23293292884" target="_blank">yoga in the woods</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvSiBJCHQzVCSk37QlxIvEnwsc0f33c9h92_FEyqdpXe8JOCbY-0q9WVv97WqhWtJ3hnmmStLXqKTDn-8nSocgjNurW87fBOWkhMOInXbUwdKdUxx1-fcWndjCmQHU5H_fmJYQ67TojM/s1600/yoga+in+the+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDvSiBJCHQzVCSk37QlxIvEnwsc0f33c9h92_FEyqdpXe8JOCbY-0q9WVv97WqhWtJ3hnmmStLXqKTDn-8nSocgjNurW87fBOWkhMOInXbUwdKdUxx1-fcWndjCmQHU5H_fmJYQ67TojM/s400/yoga+in+the+city.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.sadienardini.com/" target="_blank">yoga in the city </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Yoga is <i>supposed</i> to be about unifying yourself with the world, your spirit, and all of our beautiful surroundings, yet I have let myself be boxed in. Not anymore! My mission is to step outside of my own comfort zone and pishm myself to be more creative, daring, and adventurous in my practice.<br />
<br />
What about you? Have you been creative and daring in y our own practice? Any tips or pictures you would like to share? I would love to hear from you! Have a blessed day my friends :)Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-89016715974505108912013-02-18T07:38:00.000-08:002013-02-18T07:38:12.904-08:00Rave Yoga<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvQGIqe_w0H06mNLJvgU7usBrrsrHI5QZuQ6eQxBhxfVidi3UqK2yqJcZpSr1TbG2aGJPkj049FFK5drLUrpJLFHgOyGT6tzYQRPIRdFf4C4Yls205OFHNjUMq4vElnFg20iTS7Xrttg/s1600/studio+yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvQGIqe_w0H06mNLJvgU7usBrrsrHI5QZuQ6eQxBhxfVidi3UqK2yqJcZpSr1TbG2aGJPkj049FFK5drLUrpJLFHgOyGT6tzYQRPIRdFf4C4Yls205OFHNjUMq4vElnFg20iTS7Xrttg/s320/studio+yoga.jpg" width="289" /></a>This past weekend I went to a great yoga class at one of the local studios, and I have to say I was really impressed with the people who were there. I love doing yoga at home because I can just do it on my own schedule when it is most convenient, and I don't have to get all bundled up to go outside in the frigid cold, just to take most of it off as soon as I get to the studio! However, there is something even <i>more </i>special about taking a class at an actual studio. It must be a mix of the environment, the people who are there that are all coming together for the same purpose, and just the amazing power that comes from being a part of something that is greater than myself. I just love it, and it is so worth dragging my butt outside through the snowy weather to be able to feel something so powerful, both collectively asa group, but also on my own as well. I love it!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMR_XlaWpRpu7WNKRFoyJTzR-Jy-uMpYlLgk9jOuggm1JuF-AyLNgN_ja4bHd1VF7kxY204D1gTWy0ON8YR2ghSDa0g8YgBJLBh2vClFFxfjyINfIcqbTGIHJ2SM6H8yQiFOsvmnqHyk/s1600/yoga+rave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsMR_XlaWpRpu7WNKRFoyJTzR-Jy-uMpYlLgk9jOuggm1JuF-AyLNgN_ja4bHd1VF7kxY204D1gTWy0ON8YR2ghSDa0g8YgBJLBh2vClFFxfjyINfIcqbTGIHJ2SM6H8yQiFOsvmnqHyk/s320/yoga+rave.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=951800173367&set=t.626837123&type=3&theater">https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=951800173367&set=t.626837123&type=3&theater</a></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
However, as much as I love my studio classes, I ran across a great event that happened in Rochester back in January that I wished I had known about! There was a Winter Wonderland Rave Yoga workshop held that looked amazing!! I couldn't even imagine how awesome it must have been to come together with so many awesome yogis at such a large workshop, while also getting to practice in the dark with glow sticks, awesome music, and so many people having a good time. I will have to keep my eyes and ears open to see when something like this comes around again!<br />
<br />
<br />
Have any of you ever been to anything like a Rave Yoga workshop?!?<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-8714528187318905022013-02-12T08:33:00.001-08:002013-02-12T08:33:22.577-08:00Wedding Theme Ideas!!!<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: right;">
</div>
<br />
So we are still enjoying the "engagement honeymoon period" we are currently still in, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't starting to think about the kind of wedding I might wjavascript:;ant to have. I was never the kind of girl who had my dream-wedding picked out since I was 5 -- don't get me wrong, I have had lots of ideas bounce around in my head -- but I have never had something set in my mind that was ABSOLUTELY what I had to have. Besides, doesn't my fiance have any say into what kind of wedding we should have? I know a lot of guys aren't interested in a lot of the details, but I feel pretty lucky that my guy has expressed interest in the whole planning process. I don't care if it makes some decisions harder since there will be 2 of us deciding -- I like that he cares!!
Anyways, I have been scouring Pinterest -- no, I haven't gotten my own account yet-- I still like to bug my friend and use hers :) -- and some other wedding websites to get some ideas on possible themes. Here are a few ideas I have liked so far....<br />
<br />
1. BEACH<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNJn7AMU0WziYSwqaN7vJ8w7o3tsO8lRNgcdeQNDOjhlI1MBDhRwAXBJmJ4q64wnxSJFL5K_8AyRcY0WUoQ-NRFlOvpbee0TJcMmNFy_Cmk9BQMWXjq3uKgO4Bk2d5vm8Swdcz6nEzKI/s1600/beach+1+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLNJn7AMU0WziYSwqaN7vJ8w7o3tsO8lRNgcdeQNDOjhlI1MBDhRwAXBJmJ4q64wnxSJFL5K_8AyRcY0WUoQ-NRFlOvpbee0TJcMmNFy_Cmk9BQMWXjq3uKgO4Bk2d5vm8Swdcz6nEzKI/s200/beach+1+.jpg" width="125" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/22377329370234263/" target="_blank">love these colors!! </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMKrZbH8wmf2szFLmGcEKxfDZ_ieFltfQfIhKeSOnk4xWCgw_aWkpoYBjUy66ESjOodhcx8uWz-mz2Doa2cweyJs1ab0Yw30cj6BkblPDJytAQrFbEGycyrK-aCMWtAXwp3l1DH1CYws/s1600/beach+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDMKrZbH8wmf2szFLmGcEKxfDZ_ieFltfQfIhKeSOnk4xWCgw_aWkpoYBjUy66ESjOodhcx8uWz-mz2Doa2cweyJs1ab0Yw30cj6BkblPDJytAQrFbEGycyrK-aCMWtAXwp3l1DH1CYws/s200/beach+2.jpg" width="71" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/189573465536830705/" target="_blank">beautiful</a><br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05QgOOCwD2hHsHCRUePiUPrmz46MX2026e0Ay7tJc98GlKJb36QeHVpjS6ps85TgpjVQnRMpLz9jHuB0vGFNgP19lBDM50XJC9G6Ak7UCRcbZy850D34aIoNFeO5ZTP_rW09pq-xDfO0/s1600/beach+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj05QgOOCwD2hHsHCRUePiUPrmz46MX2026e0Ay7tJc98GlKJb36QeHVpjS6ps85TgpjVQnRMpLz9jHuB0vGFNgP19lBDM50XJC9G6Ak7UCRcbZy850D34aIoNFeO5ZTP_rW09pq-xDfO0/s200/beach+5.jpg" width="162" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/22377329370234263/" target="_blank">gorgeous setting</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew4wZ0DAZv_Ag15_KFqgkpDSmk5Z1CanABvGFYLfonva-6q7DLG780RXvsVaTu6nelr0zAt3SJp72iXxVkD5mq1ifBAkUgmpYJapleBVIC6Cwuqo6jbA9a21t67LQ1p1jot3MF-rttTg/s1600/beach+6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhew4wZ0DAZv_Ag15_KFqgkpDSmk5Z1CanABvGFYLfonva-6q7DLG780RXvsVaTu6nelr0zAt3SJp72iXxVkD5mq1ifBAkUgmpYJapleBVIC6Cwuqo6jbA9a21t67LQ1p1jot3MF-rttTg/s200/beach+6.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/558657528745991446/" target="_blank">groom's attire</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAZAGPmqPiefQpP07dhAx5Zk2-1wL-wzVPKSJAVL3ksE5ihhHaGZQ-9f4q7npw0Aq6SfZLvoktc0bvQGaUdnZ5hkwzwHavyXRR_erqR8EQbAiz3tJc6yvzzYM1t6g992VXFaCjLa0f0w/s1600/beach+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioAZAGPmqPiefQpP07dhAx5Zk2-1wL-wzVPKSJAVL3ksE5ihhHaGZQ-9f4q7npw0Aq6SfZLvoktc0bvQGaUdnZ5hkwzwHavyXRR_erqR8EQbAiz3tJc6yvzzYM1t6g992VXFaCjLa0f0w/s320/beach+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/2392606024091400/" target="_blank">neat idea! </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL27qQevao11cLzjrP4N84guZoQeXAnu8S0qkVyXr6SriUo_C2LHVBGwkhIEUAIB004sjR1rE3H6peiMn2Yb1xK_okM_Fmmeu6z4Xkkuwedxxtyhh_659bgWqppL3AnBswfjpoEhNZPrM/s1600/beach+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL27qQevao11cLzjrP4N84guZoQeXAnu8S0qkVyXr6SriUo_C2LHVBGwkhIEUAIB004sjR1rE3H6peiMn2Yb1xK_okM_Fmmeu6z4Xkkuwedxxtyhh_659bgWqppL3AnBswfjpoEhNZPrM/s200/beach+3.jpg" width="143" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/189573465536806942/" target="_blank">bridesmaid dresses?</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
2. RUSTIC<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg-z8_8plMqNM53M4wl6CVD_ThdYv8DNLpnlh6QHyoVlHnhnBDu4J0lYvjc1gYzYXfpKtpgseoqKZcRiH3uSxkhzj8jO-0a2MlOXFs_uSntBzTDlVol1V8sg5DHUqdGyCksJL3bxFS2M/s1600/rustic+1+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwg-z8_8plMqNM53M4wl6CVD_ThdYv8DNLpnlh6QHyoVlHnhnBDu4J0lYvjc1gYzYXfpKtpgseoqKZcRiH3uSxkhzj8jO-0a2MlOXFs_uSntBzTDlVol1V8sg5DHUqdGyCksJL3bxFS2M/s200/rustic+1+.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/184084703490641737/" target="_blank">table setting</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiGxRE2efWLrzQzaUyMwa0Hi7Y6BFguYXFP8d5u2oPgcRS9lB6AwDaPkRTF5oM9qekckx6d1mcQTjBxCTypP5npCebXfG4MfflPWi9cyvqJ9ym0oxyPgwBQxh0xJsfemV_GcuiFH3vz8/s1600/rustic+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiiGxRE2efWLrzQzaUyMwa0Hi7Y6BFguYXFP8d5u2oPgcRS9lB6AwDaPkRTF5oM9qekckx6d1mcQTjBxCTypP5npCebXfG4MfflPWi9cyvqJ9ym0oxyPgwBQxh0xJsfemV_GcuiFH3vz8/s200/rustic+2.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/158329743122000246/" target="_blank">table setting 2</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ9dmXCWIpd147726N9bSjVeQqvrSSkOtIJDrT-Vml2zn4HxTPZw3KZuJAquQcrgQsuBj5BnDadcyGKUPYdPFy-cSl5POOnKawH6AtgCw4bgkGoC8zYhVtnh82XVjRLNJEpr323ljTdE/s1600/rustic+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZQ9dmXCWIpd147726N9bSjVeQqvrSSkOtIJDrT-Vml2zn4HxTPZw3KZuJAquQcrgQsuBj5BnDadcyGKUPYdPFy-cSl5POOnKawH6AtgCw4bgkGoC8zYhVtnh82XVjRLNJEpr323ljTdE/s200/rustic+3.jpg" width="96" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/167055467399387062/" target="_blank">outdoor</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/167055467399387062/" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnGIj8XhqZLndAv-KwrqWG2_3voX-toumqPMtmf8evEDQ-QNdIq1dWky8VjSbsOZYoWGgsYHNigX3Ujoj_-x1uWK8B2ULOPYIr_9Gfk47k6hnM23Zfob3AYHF37zF0l1fCKa6SnB3qMH4/s200/rustic+4.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/167055467399387062/" target="_blank">ceremony</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
3. FALL<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzECKTKj8Rw5F_N42H8JS9t2LH6OreC7bc2vbhQF4yL2yGkfGYETiDKMpcAGOxL6XEkJmM2F8csuTRWY3Cp-_gCnOpxPwCp2iqEV0nMwXznj_gUKKSVU0KDfdfmjihi_hQiGUNJngdAk/s1600/fall+1+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEzECKTKj8Rw5F_N42H8JS9t2LH6OreC7bc2vbhQF4yL2yGkfGYETiDKMpcAGOxL6XEkJmM2F8csuTRWY3Cp-_gCnOpxPwCp2iqEV0nMwXznj_gUKKSVU0KDfdfmjihi_hQiGUNJngdAk/s200/fall+1+.jpg" width="167" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/205828645439820730/" target="_blank">season</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CNuCMqRVicc0uwL0eQ9cw4rrhbwMW5IVwyB3VI7ts10Du6cvwmEltJ8YwT9FNldWp32EiFwfqsJDoUrjaLEFgKkDSCr1Fqx6Kn7N9uhwoNKxhTWwef8bZUkStl73SVKROuVC-r1Ri4Y/s1600/fall+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-CNuCMqRVicc0uwL0eQ9cw4rrhbwMW5IVwyB3VI7ts10Du6cvwmEltJ8YwT9FNldWp32EiFwfqsJDoUrjaLEFgKkDSCr1Fqx6Kn7N9uhwoNKxhTWwef8bZUkStl73SVKROuVC-r1Ri4Y/s200/fall+2.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/221943087858088939/" target="_blank">colors!!</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo8BGEv5_LZ7feD46-XcttvmfAwfWOZXSlJnqwNFxPMzalKLGAZsYCPcVmIhvO5JTVcjUlLhPk7-5peaASuico25l6PZ1ZEvFP_BGyd7HPaPq7-cN6W37sKPtpwe9xfSWZbHf7GQUhHQ/s1600/fall+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgo8BGEv5_LZ7feD46-XcttvmfAwfWOZXSlJnqwNFxPMzalKLGAZsYCPcVmIhvO5JTVcjUlLhPk7-5peaASuico25l6PZ1ZEvFP_BGyd7HPaPq7-cN6W37sKPtpwe9xfSWZbHf7GQUhHQ/s200/fall+4.jpg" width="131" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/252412754087124129/" target="_blank">centerpieces?</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMYOSoLfRjrA0TgUmVGGZSb450DVMuUFK9rcGpD-YLVk0vh-3VAAcQoR3AzcYU7-Qmaw25Euf8Fu-DZUnPX2yxnv-cgwQWGuzjbszqxkPvmF_qzYTlTIJHE6xBSV5_kzdpj037UWDSOg/s1600/fall+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOMYOSoLfRjrA0TgUmVGGZSb450DVMuUFK9rcGpD-YLVk0vh-3VAAcQoR3AzcYU7-Qmaw25Euf8Fu-DZUnPX2yxnv-cgwQWGuzjbszqxkPvmF_qzYTlTIJHE6xBSV5_kzdpj037UWDSOg/s320/fall+3.jpg" width="108" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/130956301636284661/" target="_blank">so pretty</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4. MASQUERADE</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1KZe7I-d35eS7O7cOH_fjtl9LZD9FOkAknirb9h0JFl5JAA5wqS5ynRrwxLKfC2k4irQGAynlc-Lsfc-nIAa5uhSibHAP35FKH9ISSEhY62SHXoSV_ZP8bSOi5vnl86hiECmag4MnAw/s1600/masquerade+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL1KZe7I-d35eS7O7cOH_fjtl9LZD9FOkAknirb9h0JFl5JAA5wqS5ynRrwxLKfC2k4irQGAynlc-Lsfc-nIAa5uhSibHAP35FKH9ISSEhY62SHXoSV_ZP8bSOi5vnl86hiECmag4MnAw/s200/masquerade+3.jpg" width="130" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/271553052503463268/" target="_blank">so much fun! </a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoLDXyckqHGKdji110YTA5Eqk4eZiAmwwKDpSOxxl4cfyyRjV6avodUSFJ-r8Xv4aeRQvF29GV1hlOooFnSemfMlDQr2WfLEnpyS4HbiHWXKv7VKJlI3x7-M6jJDBHoAyZzYPXVCyPx4/s1600/masquerade+2+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGoLDXyckqHGKdji110YTA5Eqk4eZiAmwwKDpSOxxl4cfyyRjV6avodUSFJ-r8Xv4aeRQvF29GV1hlOooFnSemfMlDQr2WfLEnpyS4HbiHWXKv7VKJlI3x7-M6jJDBHoAyZzYPXVCyPx4/s200/masquerade+2+.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/98023729361391803/" target="_blank">so colorful</a> <br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Obviously there are some major differences among these, but I find myself drawn to all of them for different reasons. Of couse, I still need to ask the fiance what he even thinks of each of them, but hey, it's a start! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What are some of your favorite wedding themes? Any suggestions on wedding websites to use for inspiration?! </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-25513164205247435172013-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:002013-02-04T13:33:05.392-08:00Skiing!This past weekend we decided to get ourselves outside and enjoy the snowy weather. Yes, I did just say the words "enjoy" and "snowy" in the same sentence..... and the world isn't ending! Who knew?!<br />
<br />
I have been doing really well with my weekly routines of yoga and cycling. I throw some running into the mix now and then, but since I am not a big fan of running .... I'm sorry, no matter how hard I try I just. cannot. get excited about running. Although I've been doing well with my routines, I felt the onset of boredom coming on so I knew I had to do something a little different this weekend to change it up a bit! Boy, am I glad I did! The fiance and I got a group of friends together and drove to Lake Placid to hit up Whiteface Mountain. It was amazing! I haven't really gone skiing much this winter season, and definitely NOT on a hill as big as Whiteface. It took a little bit to get myself to feel comfortable with riding such a gigantic hill, but once we went down a few times it felt <strike>liken nothing</strike> awesome! <span id="goog_1700660189"></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3E86ohr81PlqP7xhJZrljo1uncUKzVi6GDqw8-j792fIHCRI4qmHBedjrnxIgNS0oerDYleE-pyLVAveAK_euAfAwTzrA0fjjaqWQXrgV-bMJNYci89uxFeDwKqxw_VLcLqe_rT-BTY/s1600/whiteface+mtn+skiing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI3E86ohr81PlqP7xhJZrljo1uncUKzVi6GDqw8-j792fIHCRI4qmHBedjrnxIgNS0oerDYleE-pyLVAveAK_euAfAwTzrA0fjjaqWQXrgV-bMJNYci89uxFeDwKqxw_VLcLqe_rT-BTY/s320/whiteface+mtn+skiing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
What was even better was the workout we got from going all weekend! We did 2 days (technically 1 1/2 since we had to drive home late last night) and it was such a great workout! I didn't even feel like I Was exercising, which is always the best kind! Plus, it was great to do a little getaway for the weekend with some of our friends -- we haven't really done much of that in a while since the engagement so it was definitely an awesome all-around trip!<br />
<br />
What are some of your favorite places to ski or snowboard?!?Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-89099770055425691392013-01-28T08:49:00.003-08:002013-01-28T08:49:50.023-08:00Vegan Apple-Cranberry Cobbler...Yum!! Although I don't consider myself to actually be a vegan, I have noticed that as I continue on my journey to eat and be healthier, I have started to become much more open to different lifestyles of eating than I ever thought I would. This past weekend I was with one of my girlfriends, and we decided to whip up a yummy dessert for a small get-tother on Saturday night. We got onto her Pinterest page (<a href="http://fullonfit.blogspot.com/2012/12/tis-season.html" target="_blank">I don't have my own page</a>) to look up some healthy ideas, and ran across<a href="http://thehealthyapple.com/2013/01/21/apple-cranberry-cobbler/" target="_blank"> this great recipe </a>for Apple-Cranberry Cobbler! It was amazing. We did add in a little more Cinnamon than the recipe called for because I. love. cinnamon.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOjaPuH1S7WzqQRyy-2_urFsC7YaGAIrkk_FIj9VYKloeQJw_6-YbL5GLPK2ZTo612F4O8cjaNv0HN1FZmQiIVciFk4TwhweRpNdp-MaO8mZ14licsVJZbNTOkeI3-Xhj9a0jAuOktqA/s1600/making+apple+cranberry+cobbler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqOjaPuH1S7WzqQRyy-2_urFsC7YaGAIrkk_FIj9VYKloeQJw_6-YbL5GLPK2ZTo612F4O8cjaNv0HN1FZmQiIVciFk4TwhweRpNdp-MaO8mZ14licsVJZbNTOkeI3-Xhj9a0jAuOktqA/s320/making+apple+cranberry+cobbler.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
And really, nobody AT ALL complained that it was too cinnamon-y. So it was perfect. And vegan! Who would have thought....<br />
<br />
Any great recipe ideas out there from any of you for healthy and/or vegan recipes?!?<br />
<br />
<br />
Oh, and we have <i>started</i> to think about wedding planning, just fyi. Nothing major, just started to think about some ideas. Will post later about them though!<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-75660158771778461672013-01-21T07:15:00.003-08:002013-01-21T07:15:41.769-08:00Great website to make your own granola! So I was reading<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/07/health/nutrition/07recipehealth.html" target="_blank"> this article</a> in the NY Times about different breakfasts that include all kinds of rich grains, and they mentioned an awesome website that allows you to create your own granola mix! I thought it was cool because you literally are able to choose your base and then add in any extras that you want with it. After you finished creating your own custom granola, the company ships it to you with your own customized label -- how cool is that?!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR2rjr1D_bPZKL8jXkPGWL5uwiQ3eUYxp1XOf1TYMoJxACIjk1EssHmXSLebbXPAVqB2Bn11EOqo5GBUjYclfGmODswc1t_KeN7pxmNnzXLV0hFwIeNHvJ4FvUPxwRTQkDCRhBK8Ts44/s1600/fruit+and+nut+granola.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR2rjr1D_bPZKL8jXkPGWL5uwiQ3eUYxp1XOf1TYMoJxACIjk1EssHmXSLebbXPAVqB2Bn11EOqo5GBUjYclfGmODswc1t_KeN7pxmNnzXLV0hFwIeNHvJ4FvUPxwRTQkDCRhBK8Ts44/s200/fruit+and+nut+granola.jpg" width="199" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pic from www.imafoodblog.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I know I sound a bit dorky at how excited I am with this, but I just think it's such a cool concept. In the grocery store I like to go to the bulk foods section and mix up my own granola/granola bar, but sometimes I feel like they don't have all of the options I am looking for (and they definitely don't have a cool customized label!!!). I decided to check out the website, called <a href="http://www.elementbars.com/" target="_blank">Element Bars</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
How it works:<br />
1. Pick your base: choose from chewy, crispy, oaty, fruit & nut, or datey<br />
2. Choose your fruits: cherries, cranberries, prunes, raisins, blueberries, apricots, or bananas<br />
3. Pick the nuts you want to add: peanuts, almonds, flaxseeds, soynuts, walnuts, cashews, or pumpkin seeds<br />
4. Pick any sweets you want ( I would suggest just skipping this step so you aren't tempted!): brown rice syrup, agave syrup, honey, maple syrup, fiber syrup, chocolate chips, SunDrops, pumpkins spice, or cinnamon<br />
5. Choose any boosts you want: egg white protein, whey protein, soy protein, immunity, Omeha-3, or fiber<br />
<br />
What is great is that all along the process, while you choose your different ingredients, there is a Nutritional Facts column that shows you the changes to the nutritional value depending on what I add. At the end, when you are done adding ingredients and are ready to check out, the site has a pop-up menu that displays recommendations from experts on things you might want to add or change depending on the core you had chosen! How cool is that?!<br />
<br />
Lastly, you get to name your creation, and if you are having a hard time coming up with your own name, the site gives you assistance if you ask for it. The last step is to checkout and pay for your creation! I'm still trying to decide whether I am actually going to order it, but I thought it was a great site worth sharing! Have any of you ever used this site before? Or are you planning to?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-16175373094835720562013-01-15T11:14:00.002-08:002013-01-15T11:14:55.137-08:00The Importance of Eating Together as a FamilyAlthough I don't have kids myself, I do spend a lot of time with my family, which has many cousins in it. After seeing this infographic and the information is presents, I don't understand how any parent could overlook the importance of something as simple as eating dinner together as a family! When I was growing up we always had to make sure that we were home for dinner so we could eat as a family. Now, us kids did play sports and were involved with other various activities, but that just meant that dinner time was a little bit different each night -- we still were required to eat together! I remember being annoyed by this at times, particularly when I wanted to go hangout at one of my friend's house but my mom made me come home early for dinner -- but I also learned to appreciate the bonding time we as a family had -- which sadly many of my friends didn't have with their own parents or families. I think this is a major reason why my family is still as close as it is today, because we made spending time together - and taking an interest in each other's lives -- a priority.
Take a look at the infographic below (found from <a href="http://onlineclasses.org/">OnlineClasses.org</a>) to see some eye-opening statistics about what eating dinner as a family can do as opposed to not eating dinner together...
<a href="http://www.onlineclasses.org/2013/01/14/family-dinners/"><img alt="Family Dinners Infographic" border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/121221FamilyDinnerFINAL.jpg" width="500" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-64078800104179672252013-01-14T13:40:00.000-08:002013-01-14T13:40:30.672-08:00Guest Post: Yoga for Today's KidsHey everyone! So I don't usually have many guest posts on this blog, but I wrote a piece for Janet over at her blog, and she in return, gave me a great post she wrote about today's kids and how they can all benefit from yoga. As you all know, I am very passionate about being active and healthy -- and yoga! -- and I thought this was a great post that you would all find insightful. So please take a moment to read and feel free to share with everyone you know!<br />
<br />
<br />
<!--[if !mso]>
<style>
v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>1045</o:Words>
<o:Characters>5958</o:Characters>
<o:Company> </o:Company>
<o:Lines>49</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>13</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>6990</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>14.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:PixelsPerInch>96</o:PixelsPerInch>
<o:TargetScreenSize>800x600</o:TargetScreenSize>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Calibri;}
</style>
<![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1030"/>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1"/>
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Children's
Yoga Can Help Families Focus on Fitness and Fun<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA">How
Things Used to Be – Only a Few Short Decades Ago (Only 4 Short Decades Ago!)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shapetype id="_x0000_t75" coordsize="21600,21600"
o:spt="75" o:preferrelative="t" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" filled="f"
stroked="f">
<v:stroke joinstyle="miter"/>
<v:formulas>
<v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"/>
<v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"/>
<v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"/>
<v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"/>
</v:formulas>
<v:path o:extrusionok="f" gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect"/>
<o:lock v:ext="edit" aspectratio="t"/>
</v:shapetype><v:shape id="_x0000_s1029" type="#_x0000_t75" style='position:absolute;
margin-left:306.2pt;margin-top:2.45pt;width:216.1pt;height:158.15pt;z-index:251659264'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/scwelch2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image001.jpg"
o:title="Kangaroo and Pregnant Mother"/>
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">When I
was young, my father used to joke around with us children and say “When your
mother was pregnant, she must have been <b><span style="color: #006600;">startled by a kangaroo</span></b> because you<span style="color: #17365d;"> </span><b><span style="color: #006600;">children never stop bouncing</span></b> around!” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyL7DpYkZf-HDgxRay43YCUy5oqUIPYkQTEPIzwuNk_Iwy64dldV40LlrFhgsS0s4Z42KKaLu0kOKNqfI_qFbsDjb8McBhYqGLpa3CGHUvidGmm4nzt780shrlkXNjOsMck8vxsjSZ2M/s1600/kangaroo+pregnancy+pic+.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqyL7DpYkZf-HDgxRay43YCUy5oqUIPYkQTEPIzwuNk_Iwy64dldV40LlrFhgsS0s4Z42KKaLu0kOKNqfI_qFbsDjb8McBhYqGLpa3CGHUvidGmm4nzt780shrlkXNjOsMck8vxsjSZ2M/s1600/kangaroo+pregnancy+pic+.png" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">All the children in my neighbourhood were
active. We ran endlessly around the
neighbourhood playing Hide & Seek, the older boys played Football on the
street in the summer and Hockey in the winter.
The girls did Gymnastics, swinging like monkeys on the Monkey Bars and
Swing Sets and doing cartwheels and handstands on the grass. What we all had in common was that <b><span style="color: #006600;">we never
stopped</span></b><span style="color: #006600;"> <b>moving</b></span> and we could all see our ribs. We would rather run than walk and were
constantly being told to “slow down”.
There was only 1 chubby child in my entire school - although ironically
by today’s standards, he would be considered a “standard size” child. There were only a few kids’ movies that you
could watch at the cinema and there wasn’t too much to watch on TV - not that
it mattered because we were only allowed to watch 1 hour of TV a week, and we
exercised that right by watching Saturday morning cartoons. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">During university I knew I wanted to be a
teacher and I worked and volunteered in different children’s programs. The children were as active as I had been as
a child – <b><span style="color: #006600;">nonstop
running around and having fun</span></b>.
There were 1 or 2 children whose parents packed their lunches with just
a few too many treats and they were a few pounds heavier than the other
children but still just as active. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA">How
Things are Now – The </span></b><b><i><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: 16.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Huge Generation</span></i><span lang="EN-CA"> Difference</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">What I find astonishing about children
today, is how <b><span style="color: #006600;">inactive
and unhealthy</span></b> they are. I
currently go into daycare centres, schools, youth groups and yoga studios, to
teach yoga to children. I have been
working with children my whole life and the trends in this generation of
children are disturbing. These are some
of the surprising things I have witnessed, heard and have been asked by
children:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA">In a
daycare at 9:30 in the morning, children ages 2-4 telling me <b><span style="color: #006600;">they are
tired</span></b> after doing 3 yoga poses – less than 5 minutes of
activity.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA">Children
ages 2-4, who I have been seeing on a weekly basis and who have learned
the names of the yoga poses from the "<a href="http://www.childrensyogabooks.com/products-book.html" target="_blank">What I Can See, I Can Be</a>"</span><span lang="EN-CA">yoga book - request the “Mouse Pose” (Child’s Pose)
before we even begin the yoga class.
When I ask why they want to do that pose, they inform me that they
are tired – and I can see that they <b><i>ARE</i></b> physically tired.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA">Children
ages 4-5, after a few minutes of moderately active yoga, <b><span style="color: #006600;">asking to
stop</span></b> because they are starting to sweat! This is something that they haven’t
experienced before and they are not use to sweating and find it
uncomfortable.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA">Going
into school classrooms and seeing children ages 6-9 with <b><span style="color: #006600;">stomachs
that look like “Muffin Tops</span></b>” or “Pot Bellies”, similar in size
to men who have well developed “Beer Guts”. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-CA">Going
into elementary schools and discovering 1/4 to 1/3 of the children are
either overweight or obese, have <b><span style="color: #006600;">laboured breathing</span></b> just sitting or
standing, and are inflexible. <o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=9028564335832511984" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><b><span lang="EN-CA">How
Did this Happen? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqc8eZzVCJ8zWXGaEUw3ftuhfCvBX3ese13qZMbbnGWwutYLqh9gIfH3OhyF3e311TNy4pvdRNT5T7VucpVnTXIxFxJSmdordNaMQfsfMwxFXp0jklc43T9Ec39Uf41yiZhPmchpMjUc/s1600/kids.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwqc8eZzVCJ8zWXGaEUw3ftuhfCvBX3ese13qZMbbnGWwutYLqh9gIfH3OhyF3e311TNy4pvdRNT5T7VucpVnTXIxFxJSmdordNaMQfsfMwxFXp0jklc43T9Ec39Uf41yiZhPmchpMjUc/s1600/kids.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-CA" style="font-size: small; text-align: start;"> </span><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: grey; font-family: Arial; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 13px; text-align: start;">Inactive children eating processed fast food, passively watching TV.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1026" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='position:absolute;margin-left:219.95pt;margin-top:6.75pt;width:311.55pt;
height:240.55pt;z-index:251656192'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/scwelch2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image003.jpg"
o:title="Kids watching TV"/>
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-CA">Children
today have to deal with a dramatic increase on society’s reliance on <b><span style="color: #006600;">technology</span></b>,
TV, the car, and processed and fast food.
Children are given access to and are encouraged to play games on the
computer and on hand held electronic gaming devices. They have a plethora of TV shows and DVD
movies to choose from, which can act as a babysitting service for parents
needing time to get chores completed or supper made. Children are driven everywhere, with some
parents feeling like they are a limousine service. The convenience of fast food restaurants and
easy-to-pop-in-the-oven prepared foods</span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA">from the grocery store are too tempting
for tired parents to resist when they are in a hurry and need to feed hungry
children. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1027" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='position:absolute;margin-left:229.2pt;margin-top:32.5pt;width:269.2pt;
height:277.7pt;z-index:251657216;mso-position-horizontal:right'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/scwelch2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image005.jpg"
o:title="Janet and Children at Outdoor Festival"/>
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-CA">How We Can Ensure Our Children Stay Healthy for a
Lifetime<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEi-_lrdBNgaq0m3zWYKVj-4pcHTejmKJQS7dg8axaQpROCzO1u7pKahnyRLJXcAIkoppDQs_S7CaFpc64cfbxczI-GpHFVwR4ZeL25_-4-jhLENzgZE9Wn56l6jd-AM3UsvLAQB5ArA/s1600/yoga+in+the+park.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixEi-_lrdBNgaq0m3zWYKVj-4pcHTejmKJQS7dg8axaQpROCzO1u7pKahnyRLJXcAIkoppDQs_S7CaFpc64cfbxczI-GpHFVwR4ZeL25_-4-jhLENzgZE9Wn56l6jd-AM3UsvLAQB5ArA/s200/yoga+in+the+park.png" width="193" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: grey; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 13px; text-align: start;">Janet Williams doing Yoga with Children in the Park</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-CA">To turn this trend around, it is first
going to take a dawning of awareness and slowly awakening to the fact that there
is a<b><span style="color: #948a54;"> </span><span style="color: #006600;">current children’s health crisis occurring</span></b>. Once we are awake to the fact that “<b><span style="color: #006600;">Children being
overweight is Not OK</span></b>”, (just as it is Not OK for children to be
underweight and malnourished), we can then start to make some changes. It is going to take a conscious effort in our
homes and in our schools. It is going
to take conscious effort by every mother, father, grandparent, daycare
provider, school teacher, and youth leader. </span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-CA">Children are taught what to value and
children learn to value what adults’ value.
To save this upcoming generation from a life impaired and impacted by
obesity, Type II Diabetes and Heart Disease, it means that </span><b><span lang="EN-CA" style="color: #006600; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">adults are going to have to get active with
their children!</span></b><b><span lang="EN-CA"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape id="_x0000_s1028" type="#_x0000_t75"
style='position:absolute;margin-left:143.35pt;margin-top:0;width:183.35pt;
height:274.6pt;z-index:251658240;mso-position-horizontal:right'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/scwelch2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image007.jpg"
o:title="book cd 640 x 960 (6)"/>
<w:wrap type="square"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><b><span lang="EN-CA">How Adults Can Lead By Example<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ6lwOekLJsv62tQZi_QppS3eFHWozXMmljfq213E02WfAP__Y3bcGKgHgb4J1LvMwR242DMwyC70bTBtZ6MFnx5avZVOSWrbCiN7nj7805qwGpIr4KsmrpQ-Lsh_1WoF9y1jtdZ1HlE/s1600/book+cover.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ6lwOekLJsv62tQZi_QppS3eFHWozXMmljfq213E02WfAP__Y3bcGKgHgb4J1LvMwR242DMwyC70bTBtZ6MFnx5avZVOSWrbCiN7nj7805qwGpIr4KsmrpQ-Lsh_1WoF9y1jtdZ1HlE/s1600/book+cover.png" /></a><span lang="EN-CA">Yoga is an excellent activity to do as a
family because it can be a “Whole Family Affair” done by all generations –
children, parents, and grandparents. Children
as young as 2 and Grandparents as old as 102 can all participate. This intergenerational activity doesn’t
require any special equipment, can be easily done in the living room, and can
be easily incorporated into the daily routine. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA">Just like brushing teeth is taught to
children as a daily activity, starting or ending the day with “<b><span style="color: #006600;">Family Yoga
Time</span></b>” can be made to be part of the daily routine. Yoga
is the perfect activity, compared to what faces most Hockey Moms and Dads - getting up to drive their children to a 6:00am
hockey practice, standing in the cold arena holding onto a cup of hot coffee
trying to stay warm, and watching their child get pushed around the rink.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-CA"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-CA">Leading children by example and doing yoga
with them every day can help ensure your children stay <b><span style="color: #006600;">active and healthy for a lifetime</span></b>.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdDgetH7DonbhbwESAyIKeYTToQ2Cy5Asp3Sb3ewVCFWwaeY8djDk3k594A_NnQ8BYM0qDFX_zBmxTQUGuEJ7y7Kml3MD-wyE30Lu3qgxb_gesN-m4P5SAwfVvihAI_cRBiCx3_Oe4Fw/s1600/yoga+wiht+dog.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfdDgetH7DonbhbwESAyIKeYTToQ2Cy5Asp3Sb3ewVCFWwaeY8djDk3k594A_NnQ8BYM0qDFX_zBmxTQUGuEJ7y7Kml3MD-wyE30Lu3qgxb_gesN-m4P5SAwfVvihAI_cRBiCx3_Oe4Fw/s1600/yoga+wiht+dog.png" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-CA"><!--[if gte vml 1]><v:shape
id="_x0000_i1025" type="#_x0000_t75" style='width:293pt;height:168pt'>
<v:imagedata src="file://localhost/Users/scwelch2/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/msoclip/0/clip_image009.jpg"
o:title="Janet with Dog and Brooke Named"/>
</v:shape><![endif]--><!--[if !vml]--><!--[endif]--><br />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br />
<!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN" style="color: #4c4c4c; font-family: Arial; font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-CA">Bio:</span></b><span lang="EN-CA"> Janet Williams is a
Certified Primary/Junior Teacher, Yoga Instructor and the author of the book “<b><i>What
I See, I Can Be: A Guided Yoga Flow for
Children</i></b>”. She has created easy
to use kids yoga resources and training courses for teachers and parents so
that they can do yoga with their children in schools and homes. <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;">www.ChildrensYogaBooks.com</span> <br />
<br />
<b>Helpful Tips & Ideas at:</b> <br />
Facebook: <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/childrensyogabooks">http://www.facebook.com/childrensyogabooks</a></span><br />
Pinterest: <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/childrensyoga">www.pinterest.com/childrensyoga</a></span><br />
YouTube: <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/childrensyoga">www.youtube.com/childrensyoga</a></span><br />
Twitter: <span style="background: yellow; mso-highlight: yellow;"><a href="http://www.twitter.com/childrens_yoga">www.twitter.com/childrens_yoga</a></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com89tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-79930290649794493272013-01-04T09:11:00.000-08:002013-01-04T09:11:35.159-08:00BEST NYE EVER!!! <br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="text-align: center;">Hey everybody... guess what?!?! My New Years was FANTASTIC!!! Want to know why??? Because... </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZV0x_QjycWP0TfR_ZbDnrPQ5dYdFrjlcx8_fDBii_mho4me6urneyOJToY4qQdjh-ay9VcjG1HcPBiG9fIWgI01aZ39ZR1RKsEcczwSKOz7WdoMZN75f4MIQ3CjsE7vmuV3A0fX3aw4/s1600/we%2527re+engaged+message.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOZV0x_QjycWP0TfR_ZbDnrPQ5dYdFrjlcx8_fDBii_mho4me6urneyOJToY4qQdjh-ay9VcjG1HcPBiG9fIWgI01aZ39ZR1RKsEcczwSKOz7WdoMZN75f4MIQ3CjsE7vmuV3A0fX3aw4/s200/we%2527re+engaged+message.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Yup, it's true!! I know I was kind of (okay, not kind of, I just plain 'ol was...) whining about New Years Eve and how every year it seems like we make these grand plans, and every year I always feel let down because it was never as fun as I had conjured up in my head it would be. But this year was <i>better</i> than I could have even dreamed about!! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The Fiance (ah! I am still getting used to using that word!!) knows me so well -- he knows how much I love having my friends and family around me, but also knows that I woud have wanted this special moment to be a little more intimate, with just the 2 of us there. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Like I had said earlier, The Fiance had told me he was going to make the plans for NYE this year (which was pretty nice for me because I wasn't getting all stressed out about making grand plans that were supposed to be "the best ever"). He said it was going to be a little more casual, so I wouldn't have to worry about getting all done up for some elegant soiree. During the day we slept in a little, and then we got up together and went for a run together (he doesn't always run with me, but it's a nice surprise when he does!), and then came home to shower, and while I was showering, he made me a delicious omelet for breakfast. After that we lounged around for most of the day, but also spent some time de-Christmasing (I hate this part after the holidays!) the house so we wouldn't have to do it going into the new year. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Later in the afternoon he suggested that we could go on a walk in one of the parks we like to go to. It's not something that we normally do in the winter (unless I decide to go there to run), but there was fresh snow and we thought it would look really nice, so we went. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP7aZqDFRG6RT06qP503V8qXyKaqoRhbXu4hb0WiN1S6Jf2sXyznWUCxggI_uGGmvM76WsT5f2cJHbwebsOtnaQDs-8OZf7OuJTbOt3TliaGbZ3_zDl7SZpN5ycJGCc7MvMPrFRip9J8/s1600/winter+walk+in+the+park+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUP7aZqDFRG6RT06qP503V8qXyKaqoRhbXu4hb0WiN1S6Jf2sXyznWUCxggI_uGGmvM76WsT5f2cJHbwebsOtnaQDs-8OZf7OuJTbOt3TliaGbZ3_zDl7SZpN5ycJGCc7MvMPrFRip9J8/s200/winter+walk+in+the+park+.jpg" width="200" /></a> I had no idea he was taking this picture of me! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We stopped on one of the bridges that goes over one of the streams because it was just so calm and peaceful. The picture above was taken without me knowing, and when I turend around to look at him he had gotten down on one knee! I was completely surprised, and a little shocked at first, when I realized that he was proposing! He told me the sweetest message (I promised I wouldn't write it down for all the world to see - but it was amazing), and yes, I did cry a bit. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzvwpboeLC53bm3wxbS8AI-YNraVRxasaLhPV7_GFychzV4eCTyroGk43kZsEPAcbgvDlKeGJP946ow6olGaVjcPNsXNxVePnMgwjGLFDy-ClW7C2u4esgdQgMqdR8gulkd2vtC0-LWQ/s1600/engagement+ring+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="263" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHzvwpboeLC53bm3wxbS8AI-YNraVRxasaLhPV7_GFychzV4eCTyroGk43kZsEPAcbgvDlKeGJP946ow6olGaVjcPNsXNxVePnMgwjGLFDy-ClW7C2u4esgdQgMqdR8gulkd2vtC0-LWQ/s320/engagement+ring+.jpg" width="320" /></a> my beautiful ring!!! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
After I said "Yes" we were both excited and couldn't wait to call our families to tell them the news! I wanted to call them right away, but he suggested we wait until we got home and out of the cold because it would probably be a lengthy conversation...I agreed. Little did I know that he had already informed both our families of what he was planning on doing, along with a bunch of our friends, and there was a surprise party of them all gathered back at our house when we got home! It was such an amazing surprise, and I had absolutely no idea that he was planning this! The night is kind of a blur now that I look back it -- there were so many people who wanted to see my ring and hear the story of how it happened that I can't even remember everyone I ended up talking to. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We haven't set a date quite yet -- I am enjoying this engagement period and I think I want to relish it for a bit before I put a deadline on it! Thank you so much for letting me share my story with you! I couldn't wait to spread the news! I hope all of your New Years were amazing as well! I guess I won't be complaining about all of my past New Years' anymore!! :) </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: center;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-81189258910132033652012-12-27T07:37:00.002-08:002012-12-27T07:37:58.220-08:00Winter Wonderland Workout!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipR-U9h9nsstNhnR9zxpcpgU8s_03tRHaSaoHUGm1XMbPCb85iMdDPxPYAd-WbXercfW0xxdXD8eKvmNgaAhbNtowdA604EDbQJKPoN7Alq1TNRGvt7mmKmMwHsxEaW0rBA7N2ofokdo/s1600/snowy+NY+.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipR-U9h9nsstNhnR9zxpcpgU8s_03tRHaSaoHUGm1XMbPCb85iMdDPxPYAd-WbXercfW0xxdXD8eKvmNgaAhbNtowdA604EDbQJKPoN7Alq1TNRGvt7mmKmMwHsxEaW0rBA7N2ofokdo/s400/snowy+NY+.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I've got to say, after last year's <i>super</i> <i>mild</i> winter, I <u>almost</u> forgot what snow-- and a snowstorm -- actually look like. While it was in the 70's in mid-March last year, this morning I wake up to find that I actually have to shovel the walkway to the driveway (gasp!).<br />
<br />
Now, I'm not going to lie. Seeing that much snow <i>did</i> make me want to crawl right back into my bed and curl up under the covers for the rest of the day. I certainly did not want to be putting my Under Armor running gear on so that I could go for a nice run in a foot of snow. But, my body is not going to run itself, and therefore I somehow found the motivation enough to step one foot into the leggings instead of back into my nice, warm, comfy pj pants. Oh, to be a kid again...<br />
<br />
By the time I finally was dressed I had forgotten about the fact that I actually needed to shovel a walkway for me to be able to get to the driveway, and thus, the road! But lucky me, the boyfriend was sweet enough to head out there early and work on it so I would have to....I think he's a keeper :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2W1OeNpH0O79iTBPtD5M7VvDq-UQbfog0dI7QJD_xxfZR9GlEMLsMdgwaEvgEdagZ9sl-my1UKlvydTkTvO_4OgraYqFmc2P69aLpuZS4AJjK9YiDnjftg7yTAS-2UelKKlY4MODNcY/s1600/woman-running-in-snow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr2W1OeNpH0O79iTBPtD5M7VvDq-UQbfog0dI7QJD_xxfZR9GlEMLsMdgwaEvgEdagZ9sl-my1UKlvydTkTvO_4OgraYqFmc2P69aLpuZS4AJjK9YiDnjftg7yTAS-2UelKKlY4MODNcY/s320/woman-running-in-snow.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />http://www.sheknows.com/health-and-wellness/articles/821441/tips-to-keep-your-fitness-on-track</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
No, the girl above is <i>not </i> me (I don't have my own photographer to follow me around while I run and look active, and as much as he loves me, the boyfriend is <i>not</i> going to follow me around taking pictures of me either!) -- but I would like to think that this is what I look like while I am running. Cool, calm, collected, and leisurely. In reality I probably look like a mess, but hey, it's the workout that matters, right?! <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By the time I got done with my morning run, the boyfriend had plowed out the driveway so I would have to worry about it while trying to leave for work. The run in the snow was a little strenuous since many of the roads and sidewalks weren't fully plowed yet, but the more effort takes the better the results! Well, that's what I kept telling myself as I kept trudging on through the foot-high snow...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
On another note, we are starting to try and plan our New Years Eve plans. I always tell myself I am going to think of something fun and unique way ahead of time, and then I always put it off and wait until a few days before to try and think of something. I think part of that is that people I have too high of expectations and I always feel "let down" by New Years Eve. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
In my head, New Years will be like this: </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic95-blmpf0S6h-mx_j4A6jgkh0lEqBO3CZZ6gkC2l995GZby3-IsyBzryIrmpkYAE1vFg0HYB7QJ0j-0Ro5h-rvt89cz45d_3QOKHeO4-MrzLoa-8uhdneJ2urw24qNzt_jGaM-mjlXA/s1600/fun+NYE+party+.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic95-blmpf0S6h-mx_j4A6jgkh0lEqBO3CZZ6gkC2l995GZby3-IsyBzryIrmpkYAE1vFg0HYB7QJ0j-0Ro5h-rvt89cz45d_3QOKHeO4-MrzLoa-8uhdneJ2urw24qNzt_jGaM-mjlXA/s320/fun+NYE+party+.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
but in reality, it usually ends up feeling something like this:</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytS0Wk6y7J0iEi4pElCei-gyOmaMEZDhY0bQDtxczCmWhaX329lWxUquOqIoZhQqy5cbCg4VZAwBl30nS58-HU26YliYAsjcx5MvH9odRQJTak0LPLE5qqJl251hl66R9zmIZb59I0S8/s1600/bad+NYE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiytS0Wk6y7J0iEi4pElCei-gyOmaMEZDhY0bQDtxczCmWhaX329lWxUquOqIoZhQqy5cbCg4VZAwBl30nS58-HU26YliYAsjcx5MvH9odRQJTak0LPLE5qqJl251hl66R9zmIZb59I0S8/s320/bad+NYE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Okay, Carolyn -- stop being so melodramatic. In all honesty we have had some pretty good New Years Eve's, but I still can't help but feel a bit "let down" each year. I don't know what I want to do this year -- the boyfriend seems to want to plan this one and he's not letting me in on what he's thinking. I guess if I don't plan it, I won't have any expectations to fall short of :) We shall see what he comes up with....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
How about any of you -- do you ever feel like your NYE is everything you want it to be? Or am I not alone in feeling like it's a little too hyped up? What are your plans for NYE this year? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-19959810169114165812012-12-17T10:36:00.003-08:002012-12-17T10:36:53.796-08:00Finding balance....<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">"Next to love, balance is the most important thing."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
- John Wooden</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhushl1TlAdsaRRZjuaYLYW85BLQOI929FKOoZAVX2Zt6E66JCGhAalRuSplKrwTN932ElYHgtJTELacCVUKSUF2lMLMB4b3uBv6Yflo3jkMDAuaprGl4PYJ2IJrVO3jKsCSSzDKvrGAHc/s1600/yoga+&+life+balance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhushl1TlAdsaRRZjuaYLYW85BLQOI929FKOoZAVX2Zt6E66JCGhAalRuSplKrwTN932ElYHgtJTELacCVUKSUF2lMLMB4b3uBv6Yflo3jkMDAuaprGl4PYJ2IJrVO3jKsCSSzDKvrGAHc/s400/yoga+&+life+balance.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">*original photo from: http://bluemountainfitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Yoga-e1330480168268.jpg</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />I ran across this quote a little while ago and loved it. I loved it so much that I wrote it down on a notepad in my kitchen. I thought because I "wrote it down," and because it was in my kitchen -- <i>the place I am in every. single. day... multiple times</i> - I would see it and be reminded to create and maintain some sort of balance in my life. <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wrong. Very wrong.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What happened to that little note I had made for myself? It got covered with papers and mail from that week. And from the next week. And the next. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I like to say that I am organized, but I am not sure if that is a lie or not. Maybe I "pretend" to be organized. What's that saying? Organized chaos? Yes, that's me.... definitely me!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So yesterday I took some time to go through my "organized" chaos pile of papers that have been sitting on my kitchen counter for what seems like forever (in reality, it has not been that long... but with all the junk mail and credit card offers, its a pretty large pile that makes it seem like it MUST be longer than it really has been). I sat down in front of the fireplace with a nice glass of wine and just started to pour through all the paperwork. It wasn't until the end that I saw that little note that I had written to myself WEEKS earlier... yeah, the one that I was supposed to read over every day to remind myself to try and find some balance? </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Well, needless to say, I found my note. And this time I got smart, and I taped it to my mirror in the bathroom (so I can look at it every morning as I am getting ready for the day). </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So....balance. What does it mean to <i>have</i> balance? To me, it means I am able to have enough time in my day to do the things I have to do and to do the things I want to do. That sounds a little bit like prioritization, but that's because I think the 2 go hand-in-hand. Balance and prioritization mean that I actually <i>take the time</i> to do what's important. I have to work so I can pay my bills. But I also have to leave time for myself to do things in my life that I want to do. Yoga and other physical activities have become some of those things. Spending time with my family, friends and boyfriend are others. Getting time to work on my hobbies, or read a good book, are some more. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We spend a majority of our awake hours (on average) with our co-workers. My co-workers are pretty great, so this isn't a big deal to me. And ya know what, work isn't too bad either. But what IS a big deal is how that means I don't spend as much time with the other people and activities in my life.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So now, with that little note taped to my bathroom mirror, I am set to remind myself of finding and maintaining balance in my life. Balance between what I have to do and what I want to do. Balance between who I have to be, and who I want to be. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Does this make sense? Does this sound too lofty? Or too "easy?" </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
What are your tips for creating balance in your life? I would love to hear them! </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
xoxo Carolyn </div>
<div>
<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-29906870434977643102012-12-03T09:16:00.001-08:002012-12-03T09:16:07.779-08:00'Tis the Season!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdos3o0lFCJXK5xi63pagsb8mRdAYpbK7v2JBBgiX3Jw3y4Gw0t7J6CxZnZVqEL2801C9x6z8SbozTVxxXGM0qKqK6GoaHhBxXCVbBHo6Rm0-UdcBod5u_xZN5OBRHK_dPdHKvgzlcGI/s1600/tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdos3o0lFCJXK5xi63pagsb8mRdAYpbK7v2JBBgiX3Jw3y4Gw0t7J6CxZnZVqEL2801C9x6z8SbozTVxxXGM0qKqK6GoaHhBxXCVbBHo6Rm0-UdcBod5u_xZN5OBRHK_dPdHKvgzlcGI/s400/tree.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
So I am usually waaaaay more on top of my game, but this year I just feel like I am way behind on everything having to do with the holidays (am I alone in this?) Usually I go out and get a Christmas tree right after Thanksgiving, but I just felt like I had so much other stuff going on that I kept finding excuses for not going to get one.<br />
<br />
FINALLY, I told myself enough is enough, I want my tree! I called my friend up that was also going to get her Christmas tree and I ended up going with her and her fiance (I must admit, it was very helpful having him there as my man had to work and wasn't able to help with the "heavy lifting")!<br />
<br />
The weather wasn't too bad -- we did get lucky that it wasn't a blizzard out, and we were able to get the tree before all the rainy, crappy weather started!<br />
<br />
Now I have the tree sitting outside my house, because although we beat the rain when we went to cut it down (I loooove cutting down my tree -- I had a fake tree in college, and although I understand the practicality of a fake tree, I just can't bring myself to not go out and cut my own down each year), I did NOT beat the rain by the time I got home, and therefore my tree was way too wet to put up! I'll wait until the bf can help too -- have to make him do <i>some </i>of the work! I must say, I am super glad that I went out and got it, and am really looking forward to decorating it! I don't have my own Pinterest account (like facebook, I am afraid I will spend waaaay too much of my time on it and I am already so busy as it is!) but I was looking at it with my friend the other day (who does have an account) and I have to say, I saw so many things I loved and want to do!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzYYud5ouSrCNXMPnOzxJitpwbq6hB7d1qnB0SeL-WoCg5oJshde4xFn1kuPuabblmBLLO3bIPUGrsAqG68vP7FFW-ZYUL_mvkWDZ2ehEuNHFB6xPWVRq7sNQtVIUbzjRvXqSyq_LI7c/s1600/tree+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtzYYud5ouSrCNXMPnOzxJitpwbq6hB7d1qnB0SeL-WoCg5oJshde4xFn1kuPuabblmBLLO3bIPUGrsAqG68vP7FFW-ZYUL_mvkWDZ2ehEuNHFB6xPWVRq7sNQtVIUbzjRvXqSyq_LI7c/s200/tree+2.jpg" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtSCCBsWRaGCh_sysLpbX8i3TbePX-ld2w7uMdNpsvtSkPLGHnmxlaD_CDllX0XxPUK3tP-0hUnbzJuvkqR_YgURa-PfjsdoaKFUi2YO7_46B5Mcud6oeCb5DoZsex9oK4BGtSv75SII/s1600/christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhtSCCBsWRaGCh_sysLpbX8i3TbePX-ld2w7uMdNpsvtSkPLGHnmxlaD_CDllX0XxPUK3tP-0hUnbzJuvkqR_YgURa-PfjsdoaKFUi2YO7_46B5Mcud6oeCb5DoZsex9oK4BGtSv75SII/s200/christmas.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
<br />
I love the warm, rich colors of this tree! (found at: http://pinterest.com/pin/155514993352255507/)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I also like the look if this window-decoration - it's kind of rustic while also being festive! (found at: http://pinterest.com/pin/176907091582218588/)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I found a lot of other ideas too, but I thought I would share a couple with you. I always grew up doing multi-colored Christmas lights but I really like the look of the white lights on the tree above, while incorporating lots of warm-colored ornaments and decorations! What kinds of color-themes do you usually do? Are you changing it up this year, or are you sticking with your yearly-traditions?<br />
<br />
<br />
On another note... I am proud of myself -- although in the past I would have considered helping to carry 2 Christmas trees my "workout" I made myself to an at-home yoga workout. I love that I feel comfortable enough with yoga now that I can do it at home and feel that I am truly getting a good workout. Although I do love to get to classes and be a part of the experience with everyone else, it's nice that on the days I don't feel like going back out to go to a class I can just stay at home and still get a great workout! I am thinking of adding pilates into my exercise routine -- what do you all think? I tried if a few times in college with a roommate but never really stayed with it. What are your favorite at-home workouts?!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-81037327489484240322012-11-20T11:46:00.001-08:002012-11-20T11:46:23.472-08:00Happy Tuesday!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
True love right here.... right on my work desk </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig66t844cOfTC_AioKYlfpL24w4PyKt7Y_MfuYcS3-YpqKe4iEyYmYLxxHo2pKOnzuCuVx5OVDqIxaywWtqJeBbR8UAnTeu9i-7t81EfTDAgxKqI1HMIxjcnFuzE3sfwnw2v3Jt5h81ww/s1600/starbucks.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig66t844cOfTC_AioKYlfpL24w4PyKt7Y_MfuYcS3-YpqKe4iEyYmYLxxHo2pKOnzuCuVx5OVDqIxaywWtqJeBbR8UAnTeu9i-7t81EfTDAgxKqI1HMIxjcnFuzE3sfwnw2v3Jt5h81ww/s1600/starbucks.jpeg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Okay, so I know it's only Tuesday but I must admit that it <i>feels</i> like a Friday since we have a short work week this week! I LOVE that we have a short week this week, that my family starts to arrive tomorrow, and that I get a long weekend to spend time with family, eat lots of yummy food (I know, I know... Carolyn...make sure to at least <i>try</i> and eat in moderation because we all know you will regret it come Monday and it's time to hit the gym again....) and of course, work on my Christmas shopping. I took a stroll to the local Starbucks today on my lunch break and it just put me in the perfect holiday mood! I love when the holidays cups come out in coffee shops, it just makes me feel all smiley and happy no matter what kind of day I am having before I step into the shop. I ordered my regular drink when I go there, a Grande (sometimes I still call it "medium" but try to remember the correct term when I actually order) Skinny Carmel Macchiato (heavenly!) and because I had a light lunch before I went on this coffee run, I allowed myself to get a piece of pumpkin bread that I have been eyeing for weeks! Let me tell you, it was absolutely delicious -- and totally worth the extra time I will make myself run on the treadmill for tonight!<br />
<br />
As the holiday season continues you will probably get more posts from me that reflect upon all things holiday. I absolutely LOVE this time of year -- I love the music, the decorations, the shopping, the movies, the food, etc. It just puts me into a great mood whenever I start seeing Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations because they represent a time of the year when people always <i>seem</i> to at least be happy (except when it comes to shopping, which seems to make people grumpy for some reason, but more on that in a later post).<br />
<br />
What are you favorite parts of this time of the year?<br />
<br />
Or what are your least favorite parts?<br />
<br />
It's always interesting to see different people's experiences and views about the holiday season. I'd love to hear what you have to say!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
P.S. Here's my outfit inspiration for Thanksgiving dinner (I found the picture on Pinterest and am going to try my bet to replicate) . What do you all think? What's the "dress" like at your Thanksgiving dinners?<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnOhXboFcJ1uSDx_YmagApfvJSn7C_digwOzwzHkqr6D03MRJXJiLwmtwRh6XPvEyKSy3PhoFFVeKNcd0oCzBZV5k9uweVjCaCW9kK_V-kQk3_auCALTsjpbSdMTcbUrcd6ESQuxKGfQ/s1600/fall+outfit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwnOhXboFcJ1uSDx_YmagApfvJSn7C_digwOzwzHkqr6D03MRJXJiLwmtwRh6XPvEyKSy3PhoFFVeKNcd0oCzBZV5k9uweVjCaCW9kK_V-kQk3_auCALTsjpbSdMTcbUrcd6ESQuxKGfQ/s320/fall+outfit.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
xoxo.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-12850336783323404122012-11-07T11:54:00.000-08:002012-11-07T11:54:43.420-08:00Guest Blogger: A New Mom’s Journey to Getting Back on Track with Fitness <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:DocumentProperties>
<o:Template>Normal.dotm</o:Template>
<o:Revision>0</o:Revision>
<o:TotalTime>0</o:TotalTime>
<o:Pages>1</o:Pages>
<o:Words>641</o:Words>
<o:Characters>3656</o:Characters>
<o:Company>Terakeet</o:Company>
<o:Lines>30</o:Lines>
<o:Paragraphs>7</o:Paragraphs>
<o:CharactersWithSpaces>4489</o:CharactersWithSpaces>
<o:Version>12.0</o:Version>
</o:DocumentProperties>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>
<w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>
<w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
</w:Compatibility>
</w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276">
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoQD6aiq3A7WO646sZD37vQpyZRsfiODAv3Ylc9qQnzKG8TXv3e0XUvjyMGmQB-VvcKC_lrxGa8lifobtOOeiQj4HZYEbwVsclCJlV5gVmXEUS-UcReOEFYoGW2aRCxuTgbBo09gk4dM/s1600/bike.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOoQD6aiq3A7WO646sZD37vQpyZRsfiODAv3Ylc9qQnzKG8TXv3e0XUvjyMGmQB-VvcKC_lrxGa8lifobtOOeiQj4HZYEbwVsclCJlV5gVmXEUS-UcReOEFYoGW2aRCxuTgbBo09gk4dM/s320/bike.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*photo courtesy of http://www.google.com</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I had my son almost 3 months ago. I had a great pregnancy that allowed me to continue working
out till a month before I gave birth.
These workouts were less intense than what I could do before my
pregnancy, but being able to do something each day made me feel good as I grew
bigger and bigger. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After 2 weeks postpartum, I started walking. At first I could only do 10
minutes. Each day, I would
increase the time little by little and soon I was up to an hour walk. At my 6 week appointment, I was given
the okay to work out like usual. Leaving
that appointment, I knew I needed a plan to burn the 20 pounds of weight
gain. I got my pen and paper out
and I started writing out a plan, which I have outlined below: </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Workout 6x a week, NO EXCUSES. The 20 pounds to lose is to get my body
back to when it was at its best and when I felt the best about my body and had
amazing energy. I knew I would need
to feel good and be energized for my little guy. So, 6 days worked for me. It was enough to get my body moving and burn the fat off of
me. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
I workout to DVDs and have always
been a morning person, so I asked my husband if he could take care of the baby
during my 4:30am workout sessions, which he agreed to. So, Sunday- Friday at 4:30am I had an
appointment with my TV. Some days,
I just did not want to get out of bed, but I made myself get up, get into
workout clothes and press play.
Once I started my workout, I felt better and got the workout done!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->PREPARE for the week. Since time is even more precious now, I needed to get
organized with the meals for the week.
I decided that along with writing out a grocery list, I would also write
out the meal plan for the week.
This way, I knew exactly what to eat to keep me on track. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in;">
Saturdays are for grocery
shopping. Sundays are for
preparing meals, so cutting up veggies, cleaning fruit, baking sweet potatoes
(I love cutting up sweet potatoes and having them on hand for snacks or to add
to salads) and defrosting the next night’s dinner. Each morning, after my workout, I’d make my breakfast, a
shake, the baby’s bottle, and lunch for the day (usually a salad that I’d keep
in the fridge and pull out adding chicken and vinegar). WATER! To stay hydrated throughout the day, I carry a jug of water
wherever I go so I make sure to get my daily amount in.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->SNACK TIME is in-between breakfast and lunch and
in-between lunch and dinner. I
snack to keep my blood sugar level and to keep my energy going through the
day. But since I’m running around
with a little one, I keep the snacks super simple. Here are some examples: no salt rice cakes w/laughing cow
cheese; apple w/natural peanut butter; nuts with fruit; English muffin
w/natural peanut butter and sugar free jelly, etc.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]-->4.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->ACCOUNTABILITY. I can say I’m
going to do all these things but I need to be accountable, so I have a group on
Facebook that I post daily with my workout and foods for the day. I also comment on how I’m feeling, any
weight loss and frustrations, etc.
It’s great because we all support and encourage each other. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Now, I’m 2 months into making
workouts a part of my life again and almost back to the intensity I’m use
to. My results for the first month
are in and I lost over 7 pounds and 4 inches. I was surprised at first because I hadn’t felt any
difference in my body but after taking pictures from when I started, I could
see a huge difference in my stomach and back. It felt great to see these results and I can’t wait to see
how I do in month 2. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
My plan for this month is to
continue what I’ve been doing. I
do allow myself a cheat meal once a week, which will be tougher come the
holiday season but I’m going to do my best. I’ve already started thinking of desserts to make for
Thanksgiving that are healthier than the real thing but just as yummy. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
Change can be tough, but start out
slowly. If you only have 10
minutes to work out, then do 10 minutes and then build on that. If you can’t figure out what to change
in your diet, think about what you eat on a day to day basis…what’s the worst
thing you eat? Try cutting
that. Losing weight is a process
and will take time, but you can do it.
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<i><span style="color: blue; font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Stacy Rudman</span></i><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">, is an Independent Beachbody Coach.
Her passions include fitness, eating clean, and helping others reach their
personal fitness goals. </span></i><em><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;">Look for her on Facebook under Stacy’s
Health & Fitness and check out her blog at www.stacysfitnessfocus.com.</span></em><i><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-31254486887369944472012-11-07T10:03:00.001-08:002012-11-07T10:03:23.226-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7GeoTdm9YKB1ZOnXNNtV6NVoHktZpwDv-yeHLUJvNgfM4Z31hmLhnVPjruXulnDKD2E1Xn_UnTvhV5LzqNg9iHZSZBfTNfvOP2gwXDxhpwHvLp7l1UuEVx8kIv9t-5pXNDCmuB226Us/s1600/diabetes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA7GeoTdm9YKB1ZOnXNNtV6NVoHktZpwDv-yeHLUJvNgfM4Z31hmLhnVPjruXulnDKD2E1Xn_UnTvhV5LzqNg9iHZSZBfTNfvOP2gwXDxhpwHvLp7l1UuEVx8kIv9t-5pXNDCmuB226Us/s320/diabetes.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
Friends!! It's American Diabetes Month!! Being that this blog is largely dedicated to fitness and living a healthy life, I thought it appropriate to post this awareness that it is in fact American Diabetes Month --- I'm sure that most of you out there know someone who is, or has struggled with diabetes and/or obesity. It's time that we start spreading the word on ways to get fit that EVERYONE can do to try and live a healthier lifestyle. A few examples would be yoga, pilates, running, hiking, kickboxing, biking, swimming, and even walking! We all know there are TONS of things we can do to live healthy on a day-to-day basis -- so help spread the word so we can help other people as they fight this battle! I'd love to hear ideas from people on how you are planning on spreading awareness this month!<br />
<br />
<br />
xoxo Carolyn<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y_7ifP1sKkKTt_giFGlUk7P_pPDmck9lqOnlA8chIj-fWE1e2O-utrN0VXT2K0bqqnY7e5-kKcGORWITCLUDExSp8cmI5JN6Xw3lculwyxwjp8AlR1akwsV5FNX89CqgC-TQby3jRd0/s1600/yoga.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0y_7ifP1sKkKTt_giFGlUk7P_pPDmck9lqOnlA8chIj-fWE1e2O-utrN0VXT2K0bqqnY7e5-kKcGORWITCLUDExSp8cmI5JN6Xw3lculwyxwjp8AlR1akwsV5FNX89CqgC-TQby3jRd0/s200/yoga.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-JfX6jZgZuqXCWGw7GIqQSjTd3PIsuidd2Uk5uwm1enEQG9DPvFrOblsbkb6gHzbiQ0p7AVsnr7KVxz5K3LkigSC7cMFUcSWne5VMLVrTsgy4NvDIIjac1juj5vfNpI1MGq9WMby50k/s1600/run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-JfX6jZgZuqXCWGw7GIqQSjTd3PIsuidd2Uk5uwm1enEQG9DPvFrOblsbkb6gHzbiQ0p7AVsnr7KVxz5K3LkigSC7cMFUcSWne5VMLVrTsgy4NvDIIjac1juj5vfNpI1MGq9WMby50k/s1600/run.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1-JfX6jZgZuqXCWGw7GIqQSjTd3PIsuidd2Uk5uwm1enEQG9DPvFrOblsbkb6gHzbiQ0p7AVsnr7KVxz5K3LkigSC7cMFUcSWne5VMLVrTsgy4NvDIIjac1juj5vfNpI1MGq9WMby50k/s200/run.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR3l2HZ7yvEZpqpe993P2j7GX4dYm1kF16bazEpWzyKr1H1SlkhoLyliDriuTdB8Zjr5AYFJmPcQMWbCnnYGIkzIrQ1q59dZcG5TCRh-8v3ypd4qUw2h8CeCSs1RFpQJUfnDk4AwAqb0/s1600/walk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyR3l2HZ7yvEZpqpe993P2j7GX4dYm1kF16bazEpWzyKr1H1SlkhoLyliDriuTdB8Zjr5AYFJmPcQMWbCnnYGIkzIrQ1q59dZcG5TCRh-8v3ypd4qUw2h8CeCSs1RFpQJUfnDk4AwAqb0/s200/walk.jpg" width="200" /></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-70905490279472650052012-11-05T13:14:00.004-08:002012-11-05T13:14:42.130-08:00Starting the week off right! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTu3rk50l9r_ExxrNZtR8oQwqEzStjLv7XvE8lGFfQi9llRto3d9Zcy61jV2yenIqo5Z7u9v33-84gV5KhBJ75XXsJtFrrM4C1H2v7fHbieBOqVE85G0Lvyt-h-uxM55mAoLcTuzC24I8/s1600/Believe_In.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTu3rk50l9r_ExxrNZtR8oQwqEzStjLv7XvE8lGFfQi9llRto3d9Zcy61jV2yenIqo5Z7u9v33-84gV5KhBJ75XXsJtFrrM4C1H2v7fHbieBOqVE85G0Lvyt-h-uxM55mAoLcTuzC24I8/s320/Believe_In.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
It's Monday... which tends to bring on the Monday-blues, where we spend time wishing that it was still the weekend and dreading the week ahead of us. However, I came across this quote today and I couldn't help but post it -- I am making it a goal for myself to be more positive about the beginning of each week and to allow myself to "lose/find myself"in the things I love to do ANY TIME during the week, not just on the weekends! So here's my challenge to you -- what are YOU going to allow yourself to lose yourself in this week? So far I am loving my yoga classes so I am going to allow myself to go to a couple of classes this week that usually I don't allow myself to do because I "just have too much to do". Also, I love to cook and bake, so I may just allow myself to get lost in that as well! Happy Monday everyone!<br />
<br />
xoxo CarolynAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-58320872974831615312012-11-01T07:00:00.001-07:002012-11-01T07:00:55.508-07:00Trip to the Adirondacks <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Y0WG0GezokawRnyQmB_bd_IPJj0euwVwC15CKmuIkLzaVgZWJ_ZuT5Zq4f_nfUgMLrKxvvmL1wnxRHmMVY-p4sftbpnyQ2kDk_X7_qghuf_Dea0HdyvFzJOmP8FuGsVkD8TuEq4m8Ck/s1600/adirondacks+drive.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Y0WG0GezokawRnyQmB_bd_IPJj0euwVwC15CKmuIkLzaVgZWJ_ZuT5Zq4f_nfUgMLrKxvvmL1wnxRHmMVY-p4sftbpnyQ2kDk_X7_qghuf_Dea0HdyvFzJOmP8FuGsVkD8TuEq4m8Ck/s400/adirondacks+drive.jpeg" title="" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fall drive through the Adirondack Mountains! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /><div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello friends! I know it has been a while since I last posted and I am so sorry! I am really going to try and make an effort to blog more often as there is something calming about being able to share my experiences with all of you!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I took this picture a few weeks ago -- I took a weekend trip to the Adirondacks with a couple of friends -- we had a blast! I thought this picture was awesome because the colors are so amazing -- there is something so awesome about fall in Upstate New York -- watching the leaves change colors is definitely one of mu favorite things about this time of year! Unfortunately the leaves have all pretty much fallen off by now, so I just like to look at this picture and think of how beautiful all the trees were just a few weeks back! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We stayed in Lake Placid for the weekend and it was awesome! I have been there a couple of times before but it is such an awesome town that I always get excited to visit there no matter how many times I have been before. I think it's nice to have a few spots like that -- spots that are dependable on making you feel happy and good no matter how many times you have visited them. Do any of you have places that make you feel that way? Where are they?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I didn't do much for actual "working out" in any sort of way, but we did do a LOT of walking around the town, which I felt was a pretty good form of exercise! Here's a picture of the outside of the Olympic Skating Rink from the 1932 Olympics! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48ipsttP4Owx1UGbnsPqWFOZQdUf0ZG9t8Yka2JWvivsY__s5esGpULA7edsV8HudfF2ZmhOcKkzJk6w0FIqUAx8mZ-qdprVVabgI2-zuftP3fyxemIqpayjF7M2PaL2Z4uuZC5VT-3o/s1600/Lake+Placid+Olympic+Skate+Rink+.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi48ipsttP4Owx1UGbnsPqWFOZQdUf0ZG9t8Yka2JWvivsY__s5esGpULA7edsV8HudfF2ZmhOcKkzJk6w0FIqUAx8mZ-qdprVVabgI2-zuftP3fyxemIqpayjF7M2PaL2Z4uuZC5VT-3o/s320/Lake+Placid+Olympic+Skate+Rink+.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Now that it's November I suppose it's time to start really getting myself motivated to work out more than not. Anyone else out there find themselves struggling this time of year to stay with a workout regimen? I don't know if it's because the weather is cold and it makes me want to stay all snuggled up warm inside, or if it's all the amazing food that is being served during the holidays...I think it's probably a mixture of both! What kinds of things do any of you do to help keep yourselves on track during the holiday season? </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Until next time!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-81549512764683198812012-10-10T07:51:00.003-07:002012-10-10T07:52:38.253-07:00The Workout Blues.<span style="font-family: inherit;">The Workout Blues should be the name of a song. I should be the singer because for the past month or so, I had a bad case of what one could call "the workout blues." I had been neglecting my fitness regiemen that I once LOVED and kept making excuses. I know I'm not the only one guilty of this, but it has taken a toll on not only my physical health, but my mental health. I kind of felt like this:</span><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNDkn_RVh9lWpvox9EPATDr7SNwWRt6cqt3LH_HUmzkgl1S7eCu4aj3xrHOIRMAlgc3rPEinPbh6XIQApFXjoLLzETM6zzqALDPgDhk6JC7yt8csm1nj0eEW29I004BfhI-33OlTHQIU/s1600/iStock_000016304205XSmall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNDkn_RVh9lWpvox9EPATDr7SNwWRt6cqt3LH_HUmzkgl1S7eCu4aj3xrHOIRMAlgc3rPEinPbh6XIQApFXjoLLzETM6zzqALDPgDhk6JC7yt8csm1nj0eEW29I004BfhI-33OlTHQIU/s400/iStock_000016304205XSmall.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not me. I'm not a guy. But that's what I felt like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It seems easy for me to prepare healthy meals for the most part. I don't struggle with it nearly as bad as I struggle with keeping to an exercise routine. Even thinking about going to the gym frightened me. Maybe frightened isn't the right word. It was almost like seeing a friend who you haven't seen in years and you were meeting for dinner. I guess nervous is a better word.<br />
<br />
I know, get on with it Carolyn...<br />
<br />
This last weekend I finally cut the nerves and went to a spinning class. If anyone remembers my <a href="http://fullonfit.blogspot.com/2012/07/de-stressed.html">spinning post</a>, you'll remember that it takes roughly 30 minutes to get mentally clear when I'm in a class. Sure enough, about halfway into my class I felt GREAT! Exercising provides a high unlike anything else and I was reminded of how much I love a good sweat, burning thighs and having an instructor scream over the music..and the music was loud!<br />
<br />
It was all that I needed to get back on the bike. I've been back to the gym twice since then and found a workout on "Fit Fab Cities" that I can't wait to try. It's a 45-minute workout and accompanying music is provided! Check it out <a href="http://www.fitfabcities.com/2011/11/29/the-45-minute-500-calorie-burning-spin-bike-workout/" target="_blank">here</a>!<br />
<br />
I guess the lesson here is not to get nervous, and just do it. I have never regret working out, but I have regret not working out. Lesson learned!<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-43118423615982744642012-09-27T12:14:00.000-07:002012-09-27T12:14:02.278-07:00Groceries. <span style="font-family: inherit;">I'll be the first to admit it is so much easier for me to eat my meals at restaurants, or on the go. I'm so guilty of on-the-go eating lately that I finally had to stop myself. On Monday, I went grocery shopping at maybe one of my favorite stores on the planet, <a href="http://www.wegmans.com/">WEGMANS</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
If you're familiar with Wegmans, it doesn't need an introduction or explanation. It is one of the best, if not the best grocery store in the United States. This is my grocery store rank, incase you were wondering:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>1. Wegmans</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. The Fresh Market</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. Whole Foods</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Trader Joe's</span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Am I biased towards Wegmans because I grew up surrounded by them? Yes. Do I care? No.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm getting off topic.</span> Sorry.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Getting back to my original story...not only does eating out at restaurants cost A LOT of money, it's not the healthiest option. This week I've really worked hard at not spending money on food, and buying my groceries. I wanted to share with you my dinner last night! Take a peek:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgZuvuidMzln6qsEMPOiX0QdnjTesdYstFlXPRGooQ-3Yy8n3YiEpgeJA0wXUC8g1eLw84-q7SuWSYvJ7XfPDNJ6ZitP5OU2mTUJmQDdG-2wtK638V_aQkI71RbRsTpRBwgWz-B8gWrU/s1600/photo+(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWgZuvuidMzln6qsEMPOiX0QdnjTesdYstFlXPRGooQ-3Yy8n3YiEpgeJA0wXUC8g1eLw84-q7SuWSYvJ7XfPDNJ6ZitP5OU2mTUJmQDdG-2wtK638V_aQkI71RbRsTpRBwgWz-B8gWrU/s400/photo+(4).JPG" title="Pizza!" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrimp Pizza!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This was better than <b>any</b> pizza I could have
purchased and it was cheap too! It reminded me of a pizza I once had on
Cape Cod, with shrimp and clams..but this one may have been better :) I
followed <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/wolfgang-puck/shrimp-and-goat-cheese-pizza-recipe/index.html"><span style="color: blue;">this recipe from Wolfgang Puck</span></a> and tweaked it
to my liking.<br /><br />It was so great to prepare
food, experiment with ingredients and enjoy the fruits of my
labor. Plus, it saved me a pretty penny because I have leftovers!<br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I swear this little blog of mine isn't turning into a foodie hangout, and I have a killer spin class to tell you about next time. Until then...enjoy the pizza!</span><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-86170362408780838432012-09-17T06:49:00.000-07:002012-09-17T06:52:50.125-07:00Happy Fall!While I know the official start date for fall isn't until September 22, but waking up this morning I was COLD! It seems fall has started to arrive and I LOVE it. I am all about flannel, high boots, apple picking, pumpkin carving...I could go on forever!<br />
<br />
In my effort for Full-On Fitness, I decided to explore the idea of "clean eating." While I always try my best to eat as healthy as possible, I stumbled upon the idea of eating clean. Eating clean isn't so much a diet, as more of a way of life. According to the <a href="http://www.eatcleandiet.com/">EatCleanDiet.com</a>, while eating clean "You will eat lean protein, complex carbs, and healthy fats."<br />
<br />
ANYWAY- I picked up a wonderful recipe from <a href="http://www.heandsheeatclean.com/">HeandSheEatClean.com</a> for turkey chili! It includes sweet potatoes, lean turkey, black beans and so many vegetables. The best part about the recipe is the fact that everything is thrown into a crock pot and that is it- it's so simple.
I tried my best to get a picture of my chili and I'll warn you, it's not the most appetizing picture I've ever seen. Trust me- this chili is amazing. Try it out!
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J8AUSljugXcL85vnoV-7m9K0RaA1zW6g2qPATsclaPFNhXEQZC_Dz68_4Vr-ze8BJL7jKnBzXfilxc2KrTO6BQ8SB7dJ5-4srZlhb_ocvOP4RdCCkEs470T52MapuECiF-jpvaTSepk/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Mmmm...Deliciousness." border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5J8AUSljugXcL85vnoV-7m9K0RaA1zW6g2qPATsclaPFNhXEQZC_Dz68_4Vr-ze8BJL7jKnBzXfilxc2KrTO6BQ8SB7dJ5-4srZlhb_ocvOP4RdCCkEs470T52MapuECiF-jpvaTSepk/s200/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" title="Mmmm...Deliciousness." width="150" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-92195148428059110442012-08-17T09:28:00.001-07:002012-08-17T09:28:24.536-07:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzI82p6oNM-k_l2GN_NqI4BZN6ydm-qx7PZoUsen7OCLw6YLvGX1oYPDhX1uzedcBiDbnoIMY-6S2ZP8Q2IcNNzCx4fxMSwblrd2IJs8YHP31FemOywcHuqnsgOtRH97JI8PjEE8_0YM/s1600/551911_400750196658112_529654601_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="294" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVzI82p6oNM-k_l2GN_NqI4BZN6ydm-qx7PZoUsen7OCLw6YLvGX1oYPDhX1uzedcBiDbnoIMY-6S2ZP8Q2IcNNzCx4fxMSwblrd2IJs8YHP31FemOywcHuqnsgOtRH97JI8PjEE8_0YM/s400/551911_400750196658112_529654601_n.jpeg" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9028564335832511984.post-21942395581125899172012-07-27T08:08:00.000-07:002012-07-27T08:09:31.919-07:00Another New ChapterWarning: Nervous Post Ahead. You've been warned.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm starting to believe that from age 20-29 (not that I've reached 29) individuals are at the point in their lives where life is starting to come together, or you begin TRYING to make life come together. Is this too deep or philosophical? Maybe. But I truly believe that this is a time in my life where I am learning more about myself, and the world, and people in general. In my attempt to continue on my path to mental and physical fitness, I have done research (at length) and will now prepare for my first yoga class.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I've done the research. I've seen the yoga bodies. I've peered into the yoga studio windows enough to know that this is something I NEED to try. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I'm not going to lie- I'm nervous. I'm scared. Can you fall in yoga? Does that happen? What's acceptable and what's not? Am I going to be able to do a headstand? I could go on for hours...</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Maybe this is premature, and maybe by next week I'll have answers to these questions. Please feel free to comment and share you experience. I would love to hear about it. :)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
P.S. I'm not related to Jimmy Fallon. I get that question quite a bit these days. <b>I WISH</b>.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09608531263080242908noreply@blogger.com8