I've been without power due to an ice storm for four days now. I will return to posting as soon as my life is back to normal. If you'd like to know more, visit my other blog to see why I've not been around!
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Trying to juggle work, motherhood, and keeping a spark in your marriage can be a challenge. One way mates can show they still care is to give small, yet personal, gifts.
Around this time of year I get this terrible longing for flowers. When everything is brown and drab and I'm stuck inside, a cheerful spring mixture makes me feel so much better.
It used to be that if I dropped hints to my hubby that I wanted him to bring me flowers, he wouldn't get me any. That didn't make sense to me, but I finally got to the bottom of it a couple of years ago.
His reasoning was that if he gave me flowers when I asked for them, it wouldn't be special because it wasn't spontaneous. After some discussion, and me pointing out that he appreciates a meal he has requested, even though he asked for it, he finally got the point. Now, I can hint that I need flowers and few days later there will be a wonderful bouquet of flowers delivered to me. And it's easy for him too because all he has to do is pick up the phone, or go online to 1800flowers.com, and choose from an incredible selection of flowers including roses, tulips, carnations, calla lilies, (my favorite) and many others.
And remember, a gift for your spouse doesn't have to break the bank, it just has to have time, thought, and energy behind it. It's little things like this that keep a marriage strong and really touch the heart.
Today I ran into our local Sam's Club to pick up a few things. I only wanted to be there a few minutes, but I can't go into Sam's without walking down the book and video aisles. And of course, there were about 10 things I wanted, but I limited myself to just one. I chose to purchase a two DVD workout set. Weight Loss Pilates and Weight Loss Cardio Sculpt. (I'll review the Cardio Sculpt at a later date.)
I love the Pilates class at the gym, but since I've not been working outside of our home, and the gym is 15 minutes away, I've been working out at home instead of going to the gym. I'm not a huge, power lifter, so I can get a workout that is just as good as what I was doing at the gym at home, I just have to make myself do it. One thing I've missed though is my Pilates. Fortunately, Weight Loss Pilates is exactly what I was looking for!
Kristin McGee leads the workout, she is a Pilates master instructor who is cheerful, but not overly sappy or annoying. She explains how to do each exercise but does so quickly, which is important, because once you've done the workout multiple times, you won't need long instructions to hold you up.
The DVD contains two 20 minute workouts, but additionally it also has a 7 minute warm up and a 6 minute cool down that you can choose to do or not do, depending on the amount of time you have available that day. And as a bonus, there is a 5 minute Ab Blast workout.
Kristin amazes me. She can stand straight up from sitting on a mat with her feet in front of her, without rocking! My whole family tried to do it and we either fell backward, or couldn't even get our rears off the floor at all. It just goes to show what regular Pilates can do for you!
It's called Weight Loss Pilates because there are these great "cardio blasts" infused through the workout to keep your heart rate up. It will probably give a little bit of challenge to the beginner. And if you're advanced, just do both 20 minute workouts to get a complete workout.
If you love Pilates you'll be happy with Weight Loss Pilates. And, if you've never done Pilates you'll be amazed that such simple moves can be so effective.
I have horrible feet, so to me purse shopping is much more fun than shoe shopping. That doesn't mean I don't love shoes though. Last year I bought my friend a pair of Steve Madden wedges just because they were on clearance and I thought they'd be cute on her. It's just that for me, personally, I just have a hard time finding shoes that are wide enough. However, there is one shoe brand that I love. Uggs.
My husband calls them Uglies, but have you ever slipped your foot into a pair of Uggs? If so, you know why they are so popular! They are so soft and comfortable and even I can get my big feet into them!
There are quite a few new styles of Uggs out, many of which are very stylish. And, if you are looking for a great site to purchase them from, www.JildorShoes.com has a huge selection.
Right now they are offering free shipping on all orders involving Ugg's, and they offer a 100% satisfaction guarantee on all their shoes. If you are not satisfied, for any reason, you may return it. It's that simple!
Jildor has been in business for more than fifty-nine years, so you can be confident that the shoes you purchase from them are of exceptional quality. Visit today, and don't forget to bookmark their blog for the newest arrivals and latest discounts.
Well, you may have noticed that I never updated my weight stats. There are a couple of reasons for that. First of all, unless you're reading this from a Reader or through E-Mail, you've noticed that my site has a totally different look and feel to it. I've been wanting to change the template for a while, but was too lazy. When I realized that I was getting bored with writing strictly health and fitness topics, I decided a complete make-over was in order. (Plus I've been wanting to try out my newly found Photoshop skills!)
I will still bring you many posts related to the subjects you originally visited for, but I'm also going to expand the subject base, focus more on Mom topics, and generally anything that has to do with taking care of yourself. What does this mean exactly? That you'll still find information on exercise, diet, supplements and fitness, but I'll also be writing on everything from cosmetics to clothing to romance to parenting etc.
Now that Vibrant Healthy U has become Happy, Healthy, Vibrant You, I hope that you'll continue to visit and pass the link on to other like-minded moms, and friends, interested in taking care of themselves.
On to the other reason I haven't posted my weight stats...
I'm not particularly thrilled with the results. Did I expect that I could workout a few extra days, cut a few calories and lose ten pounds overnight? Umm... No. But that would have made me happy! Honestly, I know I'm being too hard on myself, I have lost a couple pounds and my muffin top isn't nearly as big. It's nice to have your jeans not cut into your gut! And I'm sure in a few more weeks, I will start looking more toned. I was so sore for a couple days that I couldn't hardly squat to go to the bathroom! And this doesn't mean I've worked out too hard, it just means I'm out of shape! I can tell you that because the DVD that made me this sore I used to do and in addition, I'd also do half of another one. Now I can't make it through the first one without stopping to take breaks. I'm getting there though! So here's what's happened in the past two weeks. Check back for future updates... and to keep me on track!
weight: 151.6 (down 3 pounds)
waist: 33" (down 1.5" - told you my jeans fit better!)
right thigh: 24.25" (down 1/2 inch -- I didn't realize my thighs had shrunk!)
left thigh: 24" (down 3/4 inch!)
I'm adding my arms this week. I'd like to know if they are looking any better.
right arm: 12.5"
left arm: 12.5"
There's a new discount website that you need to know about! Whether you are looking for cosmetics or shoes, toys or handbags, nutritional supplements or jewelry, you can find a discount or maybe even free shipping by checking here first! Banbona.com is run by a stay at home mom who was always looking online for discounts for her family. Her husband, who had experience in computer science, developed the site when she came up with an idea that would make people excited to share their coupon and discount codes. After opening a free account, a member can submit any coupons they find on the internet and will earn commissions for sales generated through it. --Now that's a great incentive to share your discount codes! So what kind of stores will you find discounts on at Banbona.com? There's already too many to list! You'll see discounts for The Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, Avon, Foot Locker, Gap, 24 Hour Fitness and hundreds more! Save money, make money - visit Banbona.com and do both!
Read more...I'm amazed with Twitter! Not only has it been helpful to me in getting a little more traffic to my sites, I've also found hundreds of new and interesting sites and and people. Just by using the TweetLater keyword alert, I can find out what's being said about a certain subject by everyone using Twitter. One of the keywords I look at often is 'Health.' Here are a few of the articles on that subject that I've read, and thought they might interest you too. Hopefully you'll find something here that you can use in your endeavor to get healthy, happy, and vibrant! Around The Net Top 10 Fitness Myths You're Probably Wrong About was written by the editors of FITNESS magazine. The most popular fitness myths and why they are wrong. Did you know that cold water is better than hot at preventing sore muscles, or that frozen fruits have as many nutrients as fresh? Find out more about these two myths and what the other eight are, you might be surprised! The Facts On Hyperthyroidism. If my mom hadn't recognized the symptoms of hyperthyroidism in me, who knows how sick I would have gotten before I sought help! This article relays the basic facts of hyperthyroidism, the causes, symptoms and treatment options. Bicycle Your Way To Fitness gives a great training schedule for anyone wanting to seriously cycle. You don't just jump on a bike and ride or you'll burn out fast! Instead, set yourself some goals and a schedule and within weeks you'll be ready to race. Supercharge Your Metabolism In 24 Hours. Increase your daily calorie-burn by eating and drinking the foods listed here. The Cure For Blackberry Thumb and Other Tech Aches. Now that I'm home all the time, I tend to stay in the same comfy chair many hours in a row. If you have 'Laptop Back,' like I'm getting, the prescription is here, along with cures for 'Blackberry Thumb' and 'Shoulder-Phone Crunch.'
Read more...I can remember, when I was a kid, playing outside all day long. I loved my Hula Hoop, my jump rope, playing hop scotch and riding my bike. My son, on the other hand, goes outside and plays basketball a few days a week, but only because I've taught him to. If he had his wish, when he was younger, he would have stayed inside and played video games 24/7.
Even when it comes to exercising the mind things are different. I played with Lincoln Logs. I loved to design houses, (Ah-ha! My true calling was an architect!) I could do the Rubik's cube in no-time-flat, and my Fisher Price people had a castle and a plane and a parking garage that I could act out many stories in.
One of the toys that I did like him to get were building sets. I remember one in particular that he was so proud of, it was a basketball court, with goals at each end and little guys on the court that could actually shoot the ball.
Now, though, my son is old enough that he no longer plays with toys. However, I have nephews and neices that do, and my-oh-my there are a lot of toys to choose from today! I recently saw a Medieval Building set and it reminded me of my Fisher Price castle and those stories my little people would act out in my head. I don't know if it would spark as much imagination in this generation as it did me, but it's worth a try, I guess.
In these days when even 4-year-olds know how to play Nintendo and Play Station, maybe a little more exercise, both mentally and physically, could alter a child's life. After all, the sooner they become obese, the sooner they get weight related diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Diseases that can be avoided through an active lifestyle and proper nutrition.
I Tivo™ the Oprah show every afternoon, but I don't actually watch but a small percentage of them. I mainly enjoy the ones that Dr. Oz is on, or the shows with Oprah's favorite things. However, this afternoon, as I was folding laundry, it came on and as I sat there listening to Oprah openly talk about her issue with her weight and how important it is to be honest about it, I thought, "I really need to be honest about my own body." Now, I'm not obese, actually according to NetDoctor.co.uk, my BMI is still in the healthy range. However, it does say, "If your BMI is between 25 and 30, you should do something about your weight before it affects your health." My BMI was, at a maximum, 25.8. (By that I mean I'm actually about a 1/2" taller and the weight I entered was rounding up on my worst day.) So, it's now or never. I know what to do. I have post after post here explaining it. Just three years ago, I was in the best shape of my life. I would work out for an hour or two at least 4 days a week. But now, I'm lazy. Yes, I'd like to say I'm too busy. But let's be honest, I make time for what I want to make time for. I've decided to post my weekly stats here as an incentive to hold myself accountable. I don't want to bore you with a diary of every bite that goes in to my mouth. Who would read that? But once a week, on Fridays, I will just do a quick post with the number of days I worked out, for how long, possibly a brief message about my diet for the week, and an update on my weight. Do I want to be 125 pounds like I was when I was 19? Of course! Do I think that's possible? Maybe. But is it a realistic goal? No. And making that my goal would probably cause me to never work out again. So, I'm setting my goal weight at 140 and hoping to get there by May 1. That's just 14.6 pounds to lose in 12 weeks. Which is just a mere 1.2 pounds a week. Very doable! But, remember, I, like Oprah, have an almost non-existent thyroid, so I'm climbing an uphill battle here. (Not to mention I turned the big 4 - 0 this year!) So, here are the stats that I am at today, in all their glory. (gag!) Since this is Monday, I'll give myself a little while to get into a regime before posting again, so my next stat post will be on Friday, January 16. Please feel free to comment and spur me on. You may be the only way I make myself do this! And, if you too want to confess and/or resolve to lose weight/get in shape, let me know in the comments and I'll come visit your blog, or email you, and hold you accountable too! weight: 154.6 lbs. waist: 34.5" right thigh: 24.75" left thigh: 24.75"
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Have you seen the infomercial for the P90X Fitness System? I have to admit, I've watched it at least twice. I'm dying to try it and the more I read, the more I want to order it.
Designed by the same people who brought us the Beachbody Power 90, this system is supposed to cover every angle, from fitness, to nutrition, to supplements.
What The P90X System Is
The P90X is a series of 12 intense workout DVDs that you can do in you home. By devoting just one hour a day to your fitness, it's said that in 90 days you can go from regular to ripped! In addition there is a 3-phase nutrition program, supplements and online support.
Why It's Said To Work
The P90X uses a technique called "Muscle Confusion" so your body never plateaus. By switching the exercises, not only will you not get bored, you will continue to gain muscle. This is something I learned early on, but many people may not be aware of, by constantly doing the same exercise, year after year, your body comes to a point that it just stops making gains, but by changing the exercise, this doesn't happen. That's what the P90X system does for you.
If you've ordered the system, I'd love to know how it's working for you. And, if your New Year's resolution is to get fit, put the P90X on your list of home fitness training systems to look into.
A study from the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha found that happiness is beneficial to your health. People who are satisfied with life are about one and a half times less likely to have chronic conditions, the study shows. And the best part? It doesn't matter how much you exercise or if you smoke, either way you'll still reap the benefits of joy!
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