Glamping Harkers Island, NC

     Tucked away on North Carolina's coast line at the end of Highway 70 is the little known fishing community of Harkers Island.  Known for their Duck Decoy festival every December   https://decoyguild.com/decoyfestival/schedule/  today it was our Spring Break destination with the kids!  https://www.crystalcoastnc.org/region/harkers-island/play/

Where To Stay
     Harkers Island RV Resort - beautiful, but small.  Reserve your spot WELL in advance.  Most of the spots are rented out for the entire season leaving very few nightly rentals.  Get on their books 2-3 months before arrival.  We were able to secure a water front spot for $85 a night in April.  Inland spots go for $75 nightly.  Absolutely beautiful views of the water!!

        

     The bathhouse has only 2 rooms.  Each had a large private shower and toilet that was heated.  There was more water pressure in the sink than there was in the shower and the shower was a push button that has to be restarted.  Twice when I restarted it, I got cold water.  But the shower was the only downside to this community.  It had a great play ground for the kids complete with a Pirate Ship and a clean, small pool to cool off in.  http://www.harkersislandrvresort.com/

Where To Eat on Harkers
     There are very few places on this hide-away GEM.  Here are a few we were able to experience.
Fish Hook Restaurant, within walking distance to the RV Resort was a delicious, local joint.  Fresh fish catches were the special each day.  Kid items available were chicken fingers, grilled cheese, and hot dogs.  There is an ice cream shop right across the street!

Billy's Groceries:  apparently they grind their own beef.  If you are looking for groceries, make grilling at the campsite a meal!  We made the best hamburgers one night with fresh beef from Billy's.  It is located at the main turn into the RV Resort.

Mr. Big's Seafood.  https://www.facebook.com/MrBigSeafood/  This converted shed is easily missed as you drive down the main road, but ALL the locals recommend it.  Unfortunately, when we stopped by to pick up fresh fish to cook at the camper they did not have any available.  There had been bad storms the Friday before (Monday) and they were not unable to go out fishing.....that is HOW FRESH IT IS!  No frozen fish here.


What To Do On Harkers
     Core Sound Water Foul Museum is recommended by all.  Check their website.  When we visited it was still closed due to Hurricane Michael damage and had not reopened.  https://www.coresound.com/

     Island Express Ferry Service - A MUST!!!  located at the end of Harkers Island is ferry service to Shackleford Banks and Cape Lookout.  We went with the kids to Shackleford Banks and saw the wild horses.  This was my favorite activity during our entire trip, a once in a lifetime memory.  Pack chairs, bug spray, sunscreen, swim suits, towels, and picnic.  Only 2 items are allowed per person: so a chair and a beach bag.  Shackleford Banks is a completely barren barrier island where the horses run free. The ferry ride is only about 17 minutes.  There is no dock to arrive at, so wear waterproof shoes to disembark from the boat, walk through the water, onto the sand. The water is perfect and there is a small beach area all around the island. Hunt for HUGE shells!  Hike inland or rest on the sand.  Plan to stay about 2-3 hours.  https://www.islandexpressferryservices.com/

     Fish:  there is a great little beach area and the tip of the RV Resort.  It was a nightly walk with the kids to find shells, fly kites, or fish.

OTHER THINGS TO DO
     Historic Beaufort, NC and Morehead City, NC are just steps away!!!!   https://www.crystalcoastnc.org/   Fort Macon...The Aquarium...just to name a few things that we ran out of time to do.

Beaufort,NC
     We spent a day exploring Historic Beaufort, NC with the kids and here is what we enjoyed!
The NC Maritime Museum is a FREE museum with a scavenger hunt for the kids!  Lots of great pirate artifacts for your younger explores to see!  https://ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com/
Black Sheep Restaurant.  We enjoyed the best shrimp pizza from a wood burning stove.  I recommend the Grapefruit Margarita!  There is mac and cheese and a grilled cheese sandwich on the menu for the kids.  https://blacksheepbeaufort.com/

Kitty Hawk Kites - when in Rome...you have to pick up a well made kite from Kitty Hawk Kites located downtown.  I let both Rex and Camilla pick out a new souvenir to take home from our trip.
Beaufort Ghost Walk.  I enjoyed it.  It is about 1.5 hours of walking with a real pirate telling ghost stories.  Wear good shoes, pack a stroller if necessary, maybe snacks for the kids.  Rex and Camilla did great.  It was Steve (the 46 year-old kid) that had to be pushed, LOL!  https://pctourco.com/beaufort-ghost-walk/

The Rum Bar at Still-water Front Street Grill was a great end to our long Pirate Walk.  We ended our night perfectly with calamari and their signature drink: Painkiller!  Amazing!!  Or either I was just tired from walking.  We let the kids share a chocolate tort for dessert to end the night.  https://frontstreetgrillatstillwater.com/the-rhum-bar/

What is the difference between a Serum and a Moisturizer?

What is the difference between a serum and a moisturizer?

Serums are light, fast-absorbing liquids used in addition to creams or lotions. The biggest difference between a serum and a cream or lotion is what the formula doesn’t include. Serums leave out occlusive, or moisturizing ingredients. Most serums are water-based, eliminating oils all together, and work better for oily skin.

The best part of a serum is that most of the fluid is eliminated, so what you are left with is a high concentration of active ingredients. Because active ingredients are more expensive than thickeners, they are also more costly. But when applied properly, a 1 ounce container of serum should last months. Those few drops are super efficient. Serum‘s are made of very small molecules so the skin absorbs them quickly and deeply. Therefore, serum’s are the best transportation for treating a concern: aging, brightness, sunspots, scares,...

Moisturizers are great for locking in water. Serums are a bad match for people with chronic skin conditions like eczema or rosacea, which can weaken the skin barrier. For these people, serum’s may penetrate too quickly. Others need hydration that a rich day or night cream provides. Mature or dry skin cannot get away with using only a serum. I recommend layering a serum under your moisturizer.

How to apply serum:
1. After cleansing your face, apply a pea-sized amount of serum, patting it evenly over your skin.
2. Allow 15 to 30 seconds for serum to soak into the skin. Then apply moisturizer.

You are never too old to start....

     At age 5, Dave's father died.  He had to raise and care for his younger siblings while his mother worked all day at a tomato canning facility.  At age 16 he dropped out of the 7th grade.  At age 17 he had already lost four jobs.  At age 18 he got married.  He falsified documents and joined the army.  In one year he was discharged.  At age 20 his wife left him and took their baby.  He became a cook at a small cafe and convinced his wife to return home.  In 1920, he founded a ferry boat company.  He cashed this business in to start a lamp manufacturing company.  It also failed.  At age 40 he was selling chicken out of a service station.  But, when World War 2 started this business also closed.  His recipe for chicken was rejected 1,009 times.  At age 65, he was finally able to franchise his chicken recipe and he worked until his death at age 90.  We know him today as Colonel Sanders.

     You are never too old to settle or too old to try something new!!

"I made a resolve then that I was going to amount to something if I could. And no hours, nor amount of labor, nor amount of money would deter me from giving the best there was in me," Colonel Sanders. "One has to remember that every failure can be a stepping stone to something better."

The word "Busy"....A Vocabulary Shift

"I'm so busy!" 

     How many times do you catch yourself saying that or hear your peers saying it?   Warren Buffet, Bill Gates, or Oprah Winfrey (who are probably also very busy) all have exactly what we all have = 24 hours every day.  Our most precious natural resources is time.  Once it is gone, it can not be replaced.  

     Let's look at a 7 day week:

There are 168 Hours in a week.

We should be sleeping 8 hours a night to function at top performance, so that's 56 hours.

Most of us work 40 hours a week at a job.

If we save 14 hours a week for eating, that still leaves.......

58 hours left over each week.  What are you doing with your 58 hours that is so busy?

In those 58 hours, are you spending extra time at work? are you with your kids? are you in a car driving? are you taking time out to nurture your spirit and body? are you working in a hobby?

     I'm not writing this blog to coach you on how to pick and plan your extra 58 hours, that would be a much longer entry involving goal setting, a time study of your life, and choices.  My goal is to shift your vocabulary.  Try this for one week.  Every time you are going to say the word "busy," which gives negative and stressful connotations that some people like to wear as a crown "Ohhhhh, I'm too busy to...." , switch to the word "Abundant." Abundant gives off a positive connotation which will in turn present a positive state of mind, resulting in reduced stress.  Abundant also makes you think about the things you are choosing to do with your 58 hours.  Are they bringing you joy?  I doubt anyone could truly to say to a friend, :"I'm too abundant these days to meet you for dinner.  Let's do it in March when I'm not so abundant."  I'm not arguing against a legitimate conflict.  Not being available because you have tickets to the Nutcracker is a choice you made with your 58 hours and is abundant blessings.  I am arguing us to change our vocabulary word and see if it results in a time study.  If you feel you are lying when you switch to the word abundant, then rethink that activity and schedule your abundance.  

Busy = Abundant

            Abundant in choices

            Abundant in people who want and need you.

            Abundant in liberties.

Say it with me, "I am so abundant this holiday season."

You will shift and become more positive and powerful!

Time Management

The business venture that has rocked my world this past year and a half was to start my own direct sales business.  Many people all around us have started various direct sales businesses, but few have really stuck with it....and even fewer have been successful enough with that business to change their lives with it.  The success I have had thus far has brought so much personal and professional development with it.  That success is due to the time management trick I have learned to master! Here is the excerpt out of Mary Kay Ash's Biography has has made such a big difference for me:  
🌸🌸🌸🌸

"Back around the turn of the century, Ivy Lee, a renowned efficiency expert, promised the president of Bethlehem Steel that he could increase corporate efficiency and sales within 90 days – if he were given a chance to meet with each executive. Lee asked them to list, in order of priority, the six most important things they had to do the next day; any tasks not completed were to be added to the following day's list. Three months later, the company president was so pleased with the results, he sent Lee a check for $35,000, a huge sum at the time. Writing a daily list of things to do is one of the smartest things I ever learned to do. The beauty of lists is that they require you to write things down. If you trust everything to memory, you may never get around to doing even a well-thought-out task. I value my Six Most Important Things to-do list so much, it has been passed on to every Mary Kay Beauty Consultant. Once you work it into your routine, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it. Try it for 90 days, and see for yourself."
– Mary Kay Ash🌸🌸🌸. 

My 6 List has been going strong now for over a year. I make it every night before I go to bed so I wake up with razor sharp focus for the next day of what needs to get accomplished. A lot of people ask me how do I teach school, sell Mary Kay, teach aerobics classes, have 3 children, sew clothes,…. Well, the 1st skill that I have, is that I want all of this to happen. When your WHY is pretty strong… Things get done! My 2nd biggest skill, is my list of 6. I’m so devoted to my list of 6 that now I have a new planner that incorporates the list of 6 already. You can see my older one was in a little notebook that I could put in my pocketbook and carry with me everywhere!!

I had to repost this Frittata Recipe!!

This post was originally written in May 2011.  With my dying garden and a bag of wilting spinach in the fridge, I looked up this recipe.  Sure enough, I was able to make four servings out of 1/2 a bag of wilting spinach, two bell peppers, and one onion..... a dream come true for teachers on a budget at the end of the month!!

I love Frittatas! It is a crust-less quiche that is easy to make and has limitless possibilities. It is also a great way to clean out all of the odds and ends of produce left in your refrigerator. Since you are using up produce that would otherwise be thrown out, it is also saving money.  I use to work with a person at Camp Tekoa who would always say, "Waste Not Want Not." That phrase has always stuck with me.

You can make up your own Frittata with any combination of vegetables and meat with this easy guideline:
8 eggs
1 cup of grated cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
chopped fresh herbs
Whisk these ingredients and then incorporate your cooked leftovers/odds and ends. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes in a 10 inch pie pan. Presto, a main entree four four or a side dish for six.

Here are two examples of how I cleaned out the fridge this month:
Zucchini Tomato Frittata:
I had one left over zucchini from the Mango Pasta Salad recipe that was one day away from mold and a pint of cherry tomatoes that I have no idea why I bought them almost three weeks ago.
I cooked two slices of bacon chopped up. Removed the bacon and used the grease to saute the chopped zucchini, 2 leaves of Bok Choy, 1 red bell pepper, and the pint of halved cherry tomatoes. I sauteed them for about five minutes and then added 1 teaspoon minced garlic and four leaves of basil chopped. I sauteed them for one more minute. Then combined the vegetables with the cooked bacon and the egg mixture and into the oven it went.

Sweet Potato Swiss Chard Frittata:
Last year in the garden we grew sweet potatoes. I still have some that we have not eaten but they are too small for baking. So, I pealed one and finely chopped it for a Frittata. Once again, I started off with two slices of bacon chopped up. Once they were crisp, I removed them and used the grease to saute the chopped sweet potato and 2 leaves of Swiss Chard from the garden. I sauteed them for about five minutes before adding the herbs. I used fresh rosemary this time along with the salt and pepper. Returned the bacon and added the egg mixture. FIN.

In preparing your vegetable filling, her are my suggestions. Start out with the thick vegetables in olive oil or grease from meat such as bacon or sausage. Adding bacon or sausage allows some people (men) to be convinced that this egg dish is actually a main serving. But, you can always keep it vegetarian by sauteing the vegetables in olive oil. Soft vegetables like green onions, broccoli, and spinach can go in towards the end of the sauteing time. Cook them for about 5-8 minutes until they all seem soft, then add your herbs and cook for one more minute.

My Garden Sucked This Year....

      Yes....you are seeing correctly.  That is a raised bed with overgrown okra plants amongst a sea of grass and weeds.  What happened?? This blog was started to celebrate how well I garden, cook, sew, and "momma" while working full-time.  The idea was to share tips and techniques with others to encourage Martha Stewart domestic diva status while living in a mundane, suburban community on a minimum income .  I haven't even posted on this blog in over a year!!  Another soft goal for the blog was to hold myself accountable, and make the ordinary extraordinary everyday and not succumb to excesses of why I live a "not so glamorous life." Have a failed my original goal? 

     I have not!  In fact, I think that in my absence from this original collection of thoughts, recipes, and simplified objectives I have actually gotten better and grown into a "multi tasking maven" who lives life "lipstick, heels, and a baby," waking up with a "hello sunshine" attitude.   A year ago, about the time of my last post, I decided to add to my buffet plate of life: entrepreneurship.  It has been amazing!  The personal growth and friendships that have come from this new adventure have magnanimized (I made that word up) my suburban lifestyle.  And....I am going to make it even bigger.  I have decided that God has big plans for me and ALL OF US and I am following his direction and working him into every inch of his plan.....So how about that garden? 

      The biggest lesson I have learned in the last year is time management skills!  I live and breath by a List of 6, every day (thats a separate post).  I set big goals, and then worked my plan backwards....Ok educators, you should be able to relate to the countless hours of CEUs you have spent on Backwards Design.  Apply those principals to your life!  We teachers spend so much time goal setting and planning, then working the plan, then celebrating the small wins....for our classrooms!  Yet, most have never attempted to apply the same template to the ONE thing in this world that should matter first - OURSELVES.  Mic dropped, and yes I am currently reading Girl Wash Your Face.   

      So getting back to this dead garden reflection.  How did I let this happen this summer?  To be honest, I forgot I had a garden in the back yard.  I never once wrote "Garden" into my goal sheet.  I never once, all summer long, listed a garden maintenance chore in my List of 6.  So, the big picture is that......I did not fail this summer!  I just no longer had the same goals.  But I also learned if I want my husband to feel like its nice to have a few plants in the yard, maybe some lettuce, that I will need to include it on my List of 6 or the garden will look like Petter Rabbit's Spa Vacation again. 

Take aways:  As my personal growth continues to climb, I have realized this month that I need to return to a few elements that make me special:  exercise, cooking, and time management are my top skills.  I need to revisit this BLOG!  So, joining the 5AM club, I am working out more and I am going to BLOG.    Challenge for you:  What make you special?  How do you work that into God's plan for yourself?

2017 Tour de France Fitness Challenge Meal Plan

Who has a board on Pinterest with over 100 health recipes that you have saved, and never made?  Well, part of the Tour de France Fitness Challenge will be to try 5 new recipes from your own Pinterest Board.

Here are my 5 (all found on my Pinterest Board from years ago).

Honey and Cinnamon Drink for Weight Loss:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/honey-and-cinnamon-for-weight-loss.html

Zucchini and Sweet Corn Quesadillas
https://www.blessthismessplease.com/zucchini-and-sweet-corn-quesadillas-2/

Healthy Snack Bars
https://www.blessthismessplease.com/healthy-snack-bars-4/

Detoxing Drinks
http://skinnyms.com/flush-the-fat-away-with-these-5-delicious-drink-recipes/

Oatmeal Smoothies
http://www.marthastewart.com/951433/oatmeal-smoothies

2017 Tour de France Fitness Challenge

Every July the world turns its attention to one of the most physically challenging athletic events in the world: The Tour de France.  Twenty-Three days of challenges with only two rest days that traverse Europe's most beautiful countryside.   Last year I decided (to help kick off some baby weight) to create a 23 day challenge that followed the Tour de France.   It was so much fun I want to do it again....with new challenges!  My challenge will follow their course with modified workouts for a mom schedule.  I am going to start the challenge with the actual Tour on July 1st kicking off in Dusseldorf.  I will be blogging each workout on Instagram to hold myself accountable, but also to share my 17 years of Group Fitness and Personal Training experience with everyone.

Who's in?????    July 1st - July 23rd.  Wear as much yellow as possible during this challenge to symbolize that you are in the lead!   Print the schedule and check off the stages as you complete them.

Here is the actual tour schedule for 2017

Stage:   (Feel free to move around the stages to fit into your schedule)

1.     Dusseldorf:  Individual Time Trials.  14 km.  3 miles - anyway you like it to get a feel for how in shape or out of shape your are.  Record your time.  You will repeat this same workout on stage 20 and compare the time.

2.     Liège:  Flat.  203km.   Long walk/run/elliptical machine.  At least 45 minutes.

3.     Verviers: Hilly. 212.5 km.  10 minute cross-fit at home, followed by a 10-20 minute walk/jog https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/10-Minute-Intense-Full-Body-Workout-23065707

4.     Mondorf-les-Bains: Flat.  207.5 km.  Long walk/run/elliptical machine.  At least 45 minutes.

5.     Vittel:  Hilly.  160.5 km    Jillian Michaels Level One 30 minute shred workout. You will need a light set of hand weights.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9aJsr718Js

6.     Vesoul:  Flat.  216 km   Group exercise class.....spin, Zumba, water aerobics, step, cardio blast, Barr, etc.....  Whatever you want to do, but find a group class.  If you are not a member of a gym, call and ask the local YMCA if you can try a class.....or just walk for a really long time this day.

7.     Troyes:  Flat.  213.5 km  Long walk/run/elliptical machine.  At least 45 minutes.

8.     Dole:  Hilly.  187.5 km.  500 Calorie Burn at home or in the yard as the kids play.  40 jumping Jacks, 30 Crunches, 20 Squats, 10 push-ups....... 5 Rounds.

9.     Nantue:  Mountains.  181.5 km.  Every Mountain workout will be this same 10 minute full body toning workout.  It is a challenge the first time you do it....but this is the Tour De France Fitness Challenge... You will get better!   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPs3Vd7fp40

Rest Day

10.    Périgueux: Flat.  187 km  Long walk/run/elliptical machine.  At least 45 minutes.

11.    Eymet:  Flat.  203.5 km  Group exercise class.....spin, Zumba, water aerobics, step, cardio blast, Barr, etc.....  Whatever you want to do, but find a group class.  If you are not a member of a gym, call and ask the local YMCA if you can try a class.....or just walk for a really long time this day.

12.    Pau:  Mountains.  214.5 km   Your 10 minute video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPs3Vd7fp40

13.    Saint-Girons:  Mountain.  101 km  Do it again!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPs3Vd7fp40

14.    Blagnac: Hilly:  181.5 km  Repeat 10 minute cross-fit video followed by a 10-20 minute walk/jog.  https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/10-Minute-Intense-Full-Body-Workout-23065707

15.    Laissac-Sévérac:  Hilly.  189.5 km  500 Calorie Burn at home or in the yard as the kids play.  40 jumping Jacks, 30 Crunches, 20 Squats, 10 push-ups....... 5 Rounds.

Rest Day

16.    Le Puy-en-Velay:  Flat.  165 km  Group exercise class.....spin, Zumba, water aerobics, step, cardio blast, Barr, etc.....  Whatever you want to do, but find a group class.  If you are not a member of a gym, call and ask the local YMCA if you can try a class.....or just walk for a really long time this day.

17.    La Mure:  Mountain.  183 km.  Your 10 minute workout video.  It should be getting easier.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPs3Vd7fp40

18.    Briançon: Mountain.  179.5 km   This time, you are STRONGER.  So, do it twice. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPs3Vd7fp40

19.    Embrun:  Flat.  222.5 km  Long walk/run/elliptical machine.  At least 45 minutes.

20.    Marseille:  Time Trials.  22.5 km   Repeat the same 3 mile workout from stage 1 and compare your time for improvement!!

21.    Montgeron-Paris:  Flat.  103 km  You have finished the challenge.  Show off your new health with a Power Walk - 3 miles.  Then go drink champagne.  Why champagne?  That is what they drink in Paris while cycling around the Arc de Triomphe!!!  

Ada's First Birthday and Mother's Day Pineapple Party

Be A Pineapple.  Stand Tall, Wear a Crown, and Be Sweet.

To be honest, I walked in to Target and saw all of these accessories in the Dollar section when you first enter the door and thought "How can I use all of this?"  or rather "What excuse do I have to buy all this cute stuff?"   Ada's Birthday!!!  

    

Door Hanger from Target and I wrote on it with chalk.

Pineapple Lights and Pillow also from the Dollar section at Target.

The gold banner, also from Target.

To also celebrate mother's day, as a party favor, all the mother's in attendance took home a yellow plant and note.

Happy Mother's Day, love Ada.

The plants did double duty as the decorations.

Simple yellow cupcakes with green toppers.  The cupcakes came from Sam's Club and were awesome.  30 cupcakes for $14.

You have to serve Pineapple!!!

We all had matching shirts made (Mom, Camilla, and Ada).

Seasons Changing

Time to switch it UP!!!  Change out the kids clothes, put away the winter coats, plant the garden!!

Here in North Cackalacky, it is time to plant the summer garden.  We put in tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and zucchini.  In about another week or two, we will plant the seeds for okra and green beans.  

Our spring garden looks awesome.  The big red stuff you see in the top right corner is red roman.  Salad Time!!

Fall Entertaining

I'm getting ready for a neighborhood toy drive and I am getting my Baking On!  Here are some of my recipes:

That is real pumpkin...straight from my front step, not a can.

Foster's Market Pumpkin Muffins (where I used to work while at UNC)
http://www.food.com/recipe/pumpkin-bread-fosters-market-or-muffins-or-bundt-cake-385177

Williams-Sonoma Pumpkin Dessert Squares (where I worked for my first 8 years of teaching)
http://www.food.com/recipe/williams-sonoma-pumpkin-dessert-squares-263086

Trader Joe's Blondie Bar Baking Mix.  It comes in a box!  Check it out.

Chex Mix.  Open the bag....and pour.  No party is complete without it.

Sweet Potato and Chorizo Sausage Bites from this month's Southern Living:

http://www.southernliving.com/recipes/sweet-potato-chorizo-sausage-bites

Say's Bread Pudding....once you eat this, you will have a new favorite.

http://www.fostersmarket.com/recipe/says-bread-pudding-with-bourbon-icing/

The bread pudding was a hit!

All of this was for a toy drive to help our neighbors in Kannapolis. Thanks to everyone who came. 

Mom Hack for the 2016-2017 School Year

"I need motivation to stay fit for this new school year! I'm going to be driving more

kids around to after school activities, my husband is commuting and not getting home till late,

and I have weight that I need to get off!

I am busier than ever before and I need to find an easy way to take care of myself!"

 - said every woman in America

Here is my "mom-hack" for this year!  I found a new APP for my iphone and iPad.  It is not free.  But I have tried it for you and here is my consumer report:

• I love it!
• It is 4.99 per month, cheaper than a gym membership.
• The app provides workout videos that you stream.  Once you have completed the workout, you can add it to a list of favorites if you want to repeat it.
• It provides videos from many celebrity trainers, including my "goal-model" Jillian Michaels.
• You can browse through videos by trainer name or by style
• Styles include Cardio, HIIT intervals, Barre, Cycling, Total Body, Yoga, Abs/Core, Pilates, Dance, Stretch, Kickboxing, Buns and Thighs, Chest Arms Back, Postnatal
• Videos vary in length from 10 minutes to 60 minutes so you can find the exact type of workout you need each day.

I have downloaded it to my phone and to my iPad.  I have tried many of the videos already in my own home.  I hope to use the phone at school once a week when Camilla has to be at school early (making me arrive 45 minutes early to my job, great time to complete one of the shorter Barre routines).   Are you ready for it?    FitFusion          Your welcome.  I might only keep my membership for one year and then I'll need something else....but for this school year, this App could be the game changer to get me working out more than just two times a week.  Comment at anytime if you decide to try it.

Week 5 and 6: Maps and Dinosaurs

Mother Hen's Summer Survival Guide: 12 Summer Themes

Thank you Crafting Chicks for providing these awesome resources for planning a great summer schedule for kids at home.  

http://thecraftingchicks.com/mother-hen-summer-survival-guide-2016/

On to weeks 5 and 6!

Week 5 was a little hard for me to implement for a 5 and 4 year-old since their sense of directions  and geography are not developed.  However there are some great ideas for older kids on The Crafting Chicks website:

http://thecraftingchicks.com/me-on-the-map/

I took one of their ideas and made my own modifications to create a science lesson in map awareness.  It was also free and in the backyard.  This activity helps kids to understand how maps are made and make one of their own.  

1.  The first thing we did was make a legend.  I explained to the kids how legends are symbols that represent everything in our backyard.  So, we had to explore and observe everything in our yard and we picked a shape to represent that item.  In our legends we drew the shape and then I wrote the word for them.  I had to really help Rex with his map (call this an introduction to focus - HA).  

2.  Then we walked the perimeter of the yard and drew the symbols we needed. 

3.  Finally we filled in any additional items in the middle to complete our detailed map of the backyard.

Treasure Hunt:  I then took it to the next level.  I hid two pieces of candy in the backyard.  I drew on Rex's map where the treasure was.  He and Camilla had  to follow the map to find the candy.  The entire activity took about 30-45 minutes all outside and they learned a little science.  This activity will also make a great rainy day activity to make a map of the living room or their bedroom and do a similar hunt.

Books  At the library this week I found books about North Carolina: T is for Tarheel, and some non fiction about North America.

Week 6  Dinosaurs are easy and beloved.  At our house there is no shortage in dinosaur toys.  This is a great theme to pull together.

http://thecraftingchicks.com/dinosaurs/

Books  At the Kannapolis library, there are pre-bundled books on various topics ready for moms to pick up.  I walked right in and grabbed one of the dinosaur bundles and walked back to the counter.  Easy!

Movies Ice Age Two comes out next week - Perfect tie into your week of dinosaur projects.

Science Project  I am going to do this before we see the movie Ice Age 2 about an asteroid hitting the earth so the kids understand better the theories in how the dinosaurs actually died.  

1.  I'm going to simple take an aluminum roasting pan and fill it with flour about 1 inch thick and sprinkle cocoa powder on top.

2.  Then the kids need to find a collection of rocks ranging in sizes.

3.  Starting with the smallest, I will drop the rock from up high into the pan so they can observe how the rock leaves a crater.

4.  We will continue until we drop the largest rock, observing how the flour and cocoa changes each time the surface is hit with a rock.

This observation will help them to understand how rocks from outer space have created craters on the moon and the Earth and why the dinosaurs in the movie are scared of them.

My Three Favorite Breakfast Smoothies

Chocolate Mint Chip Smoothie by Daphne Oz (Dr. Oz's daughter)
Serves 1
1/2 banana
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1/4 avocado
1 tablespoon shredded coconut
1 teaspoon psyllium husk powder or chia seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil or coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1/2 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
3/4 cup ice
2 tablespoons chocolate chips

Put it all in and blend.


Strawberry-Banana Trim Time Smoothie also by Daphne Oz
Serves 1
1/2 banana
1/2 cup strawberries
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 teaspoon almond butter
1/4 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
3/4 cup ice

Blend it all together.

My Own - Use What You Got Recipe
Serves 1
1 banana
1 scoop of Trader Joe's Protein Powder
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup frozen berries
1 tablespoon flaxseed oil
1 teaspoon psyllium husk or chia seeds

Blend it up!

My Favorite Substitutes on a Budget

Eating natural can get expensive...and my budget can't always hang.  However, after years of trying to eat well and reading every label, I have found my favorites that don't break the budget.

I try to avoid eating items that have enriched flour, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup listed within the first five ingredients.  Initially, a diet like this would sound like a bread and pasta free diet.  Not true!

Aldi (my budget friendly store, and the closet store to my house...therefore where most of our food comes from)
Here are some staples that you will always find in my house and their first five ingredients:

Bread  2.99                             Pasta   2.99                                  Peanut Butter 1.49
Whole Sprouted Grains        100% Durum whole wheat flour     Peanuts
Water                                                                                            Evaporated  Cane Juice
Whole Wheat Flour                                                                       Palm Oil
Vital wheat gluten                                                                         Salt
Honey                                                                                           Molasses

And then there is Trader Joe's.  I would shop there every week if it wasn't 30 minutes away.  However, since my closest Joe's is so far, I travel once a month to stock up on healthier foods for myself and the kids.  Here are three things that I have to buy every month to help ME stay on track and on budget:

Yogurt   4.99                                     Flax Oil   7.99                                    Peanuts 3.29 

Pasteurized Mild                            Flaxseed Oil                                        Peanuts
Cream                                            Milled Flaxseed                                   Vegetable Oil
Nonfat Milk                                   Rosemary Extract                                 Salt
Honey                                            Tocopherols
Cultures

The Tour de France Fitness Challenge 2016

Every July the world turns its attention to one of the most physically challenging athletic events in the world: The Tour de France.  Twenty-Three days of challenges with only two rest days that traverse Europe's most beautiful countryside.    I have decided (to help kick off some baby weight) to create a 23 day challenge that follows the Tour de France.  My challenge will follow their workout but will be modified for a mom schedule and modified to fit into a breast feeding mom's needs.  I am going to start the challenge with the actual Tour on July 2nd kicking off in Mont Saint Michel (one of my favorite places).  I will be blogging each workout to hold myself accountable, but also to share my 16 years of Group Fitness and Personal Training experience with everyone.

Who's in?????

Here is the actual tour schedule for 2016:

The qualifying rules (sounds official, right.  LOL)

1. Don't count calories. "Ain't nobody got time for that!"  Eat as many calories as you need to feel full but change the type of calories.  Do not eat any foods with enriched flour, sugar, or high fructose corn syrup in the first five ingredients listed - That is a Dr. Oz rule.  You can cheat on the two rest days.  

Remember this is only for 23 days, you can do this and learn some new habits in the process that might last longer than the actual challenge.

2.  You can switch the workouts around to fit into your schedule as long as you do them all in 23 days.

3.  Record your starting weight and take a picture.  Keep it on your phone for privacy.  I have mine and I'll only post at the end.  I'm too ashamed now - LOL.  I will share my starting weight: 165, yikes!

4.  Make a reasonable goal for 23 days: 2-6 pounds.  But, you will be jump starting some new habits that will stay with you.

Each day I will also provide some food tips to help you (and me) stay on the plan.  I will continue to add and update to this post so that the entire workout is easy to find for anyone who wants to join late.  I'm providing only the first few days now so I could get this out there and get started tomorrow. I'll update it as the week progresses.  Follow me on Instagram to get daily pictures and reminders also (maybe even a video of the workout).

Stage 1: July 2nd, 188 km Mount Saint-Michel to Utah Beach.  Flat.  This is a great beginning to start the challenge.  Let your body warm-up and build endurance for the days ahead.  Walk or cycle 45-60 minutes.  This first day needs to be low impact cardio.  If you are already a runner you can do a light jog.  Nutritional Tip: Cheap, ready to eat foods available at the discount grocery store Aldi that fit into the plan.  Eating right and natural doesn't have to cost a fortune:  http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2016/07/my-favorite-substitutes-on-budget.html

Stage 2: July 3rd, 183 km Saint- Lô to Cherbourg.  Flat.  Getting back into the swing of things.  Again walk or cycle 45-60 minutes.  This workout is the same as the first in order to build your endurance for the challenge.  You can do the same workout you did yesterday or you can switch.  Other ideas for low impact cardio include elliptical trainer with little incline, light jogging, or mowing the yard without breaks.   Nutritional Tip: The Trader Joe's List.  More ready to eat affordable options to stay on the plan and to stay on a teacher's budget. http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2016/07/my-favorite-substitutes-on-budget.html

Stage 3: July 4th, 223 km Granville to Angers.  Flat but long!  You're off today from work, its a holiday.  Get up early and walk or cycle longer - 60-90 minutes.  You could also do a combination of other cardio but get in an hour to an hour and a half of moderate exercise.  This needs to feel harder than the first two days.   You have started to build your endurance, now push it.  Walk longer or walk harder.   Wherever your current fitness level is, push today 10% harder than you did the first two days.    Nutritional Tip:  I love drinking breakfast.  Especially when I'm getting everyone dressed and trying to run out the door.  Here are my favorite recipes: http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2016/07/my-three-favorite-breakfast-smoothies.html

Stage 4: July 5th, 237 km. Saumur to Limoges. Flat and long again! Happy Birthday to me.  Repeat yesterday's long workout.  Another idea would be to get on an elliptical machine at the gym for 45 minutes.  Once again, this workout could be the same as stage 3, but the point is to go harder than stages 1 and 2.  Today I'm switching it up with 45 minutes of step aerobics for cardio.  Nutritional Tip:  Yogurt has lots of sugar in it.  Read your labels, it is always listed in the first five ingredients.  BAD! To find yogurt that does not have sugar, you have to eat plain, yogurt - bitter and yuck.  That is one of the reasons I make my own in the crockpot.  It turns out smooth and creamy! http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2012/09/diy-yogurt.html 

Stage 5: July 6th, 216 km.  Limoges to Le Loran.  The Mountains.  The honeymoon is over - time to work!    Today's stage in the Tour is a long ride through the mountains, but not the Alps (so its not super steep).  So, we are doing a 20 minute leg workout, 10 minute upper body, and 5 minute ab workout.   Do each exercise 40 seconds pretty quickly and then rest for 20 seconds.

Legs:  Alternating Lunges, Squat and Shoulder Press, Plié Tricep Press, Dead Lifts, Star Pose Left, Star Pose Right.  Rest one minute. Repeat circuit 3 times

Arms: Cross Over Push-Ups, Wide and High Left, Wide and High Right, Bicep Curl Shoulder Press.  Rest one minute and repeat 1more time.

Abs: 30 seconds each, only one circuit.  Double Crunch, Dolphin Plank, Side Plank Left, Side Plank Right, Russian Twist, Crunches, Reverse Curls, Hover.  

Camilla helped me demonstrate each exercise with a video, and she did AWESOME!  The link is password protected because I wanted only readers of the blog to be able to view it.  The password =  TDF  https://vimeo.com/173552520

Nutritional Tip: Summer Vegetables are in full abundance right now.  Here is one of my easiest (doesn't not include canning) way to preserve some extras - AND - have a head start to dinner once school starts back and things get crazy!  Its a win win, healthy and made ahead.  I'll probably put three bags in the freezer this week with all the squash and zucchini that I have: http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/07/mediterranean-vegetable-stew.html

Stage 6: July 7th, 190 km. Apron-Sur-Cère to Montaiban.  Flat.  Cycling class or walk 60 minutes.  Nutritional Tip: Here is one of my favorite summer recipes with cucumbers and tomatoes:  http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2015/06/cucumber-and-tomato-salad.html

Stage 7: July 8th, 162 km.  L'Isle-Jourdan to Lac de Pauolle.  We are in the Mountains again and for only 162 km.  So, get ready to work those legs.  Repeat the toning workout from Stage 5.  Nutritional Tip: Another great recipe to stock the house with is homemade Granola that omits the added sugars and preservatives that store bought granola has.  I love it as a snack and on my homemade yogurt for a very filling breakfast.  http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2012/10/granola.html

Stage 8:  July 9th Both Stages 8 and 9 are two short distances through the mountains.  We are going to mimic that workout with a power jolt to the legs.  We are doing 5 rounds of: 10 Squat Jumps, 10 sets of alternating lunges, then a 15 second wall sit or squat and hold.  Time each round and try not to get slower. Nutritional tip:  I completely forgot about this old recipe for zucchini.  But, I'm going to get started on making dinner for this week and stocking up on three extra batches for the fall when school, dance lessons, and aerobics classes are in full swing: http://thesuburbanchallenge.blogspot.com/2011/06/summer-meatball.html

Stage 9:  July 10th Repeat the same 5 rounds of power leg exercises for faster times than you did them yesterday.  Nutritional Tip:  Need something sweet?  3 cups of oats, 1 cup of natural peanut butter, and 1 cup of local honey mixed together and pressed into a pan for a healthy Peanut Butter Power Bar.  

Rest Day: July 11th in Andorre

Stage 10:  July 12th,  197 km of Intervals, Escaldes-Engordany to Revel,  If you have never taken a spin class, today would be a great day to try one.  Other ideas to get indoor intervals is to take any form of a group exercise class because the instructor is going to purposely push you hard, then let you recover, push you hard, followed by another recovery.  Make sure you clock 35-45 minutes of interval work today hard/recover/hard/recover etc......  Nutritional Tip:  Need something sweet?  Microwave 2 cups of mini marshmallows, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon cocoa, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1/8 teaspoon salt on high for 1 minute.  Stir with a rubber spatula.  Sir in 3 cups of a whole grain cereal and 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips.  Coat a 1/4 cup measuring cup with cooking spray. Scoop up cereal mixture and drop onto wax paper.  Freeze for 8 minutes.  The challenge, only eat 1 a day!

Stage 11: July 13th, 162 km  Flat and Short, Carcassonne to Montpellier, Easy cardio for 40 minutes.  Nutritional Tip:  Sample Eating Schedule from Dr. Oz would be egg-white omelet with juice or coffee for breakfast.  Veggies and dip for snack.  Healthy burger with lettuce and tomato for lunch.  Yogurt with fruit for snack.  Salmon with brown rice for dinner.  1 oz dark chocolate for dessert.  As much water, coffee, or tea as you wish.

Stage 12:  July 14th, 184 km Mountains, Montpellier to Mont Ventoux, Repeat the toning workout from stage 5.  Nutritional Tip: From You on a Diet, If you find yourself traveling and have to eat on the road a lot, rely on more snacks rather than gorging on big meals.  Travel with easy-to-carry (in plastic baggies) snacks such as nuts and cut-up apples and carrots to take the edge off your hunger.

Stage 13:  July 15th, 37 km of Time Trials, Bour St. Andeol to La Caverne du Pont d'Arc.  Tabatta!!!  This is a timed workout where you to a hard exercise for 20 seconds and recover 10 seconds 8 times without stopping to time exactly 4 minutes.  Do two Tabatta circuits today alternating between these 4 great exercises: Squat Jumps, Burpes, Mountain Climbers, and Speed Skaters.   Nutritional Tip:  Most power bars are horrible snacks!!!!  Don't grab them thinking it is a healthy substitute.  The only bar I have found that fits into the plan is Kashi.  

Stage 14:  July 16th, 208 km Flat and Long, Montelimar to Villars-les-Dombes.  60 minutes.

Stage 15:  July 17th, 160 km of Mountains, Bourg-en Bresse to Culoz.  Repeat the Stage 5 toning workout.

Stage 16:  July 18th, 209 km Flat and Long, Mourns-en Montagne to Berne.  60 minutes.

Rest Day:  July 19th, In Berne Switzerland.......eat some cheese!  HA

Stage 17:  July 20th, 184 km of Mountains, Berne to Finhaut-Emosson, Repeat the Stage 5 toning workout.  Or try this high impact interval 10 minute workout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6NSUvu2Bi8  

Stage 18:  July 21st, 17 km of Time Trials, Sallanches to Megene.  Repeat the Tabatta workout from State 13.

Stage 19:  July 22nd, 146 km of Mountains, Albertville to Saint-Gervais, Repeat the Stage 8, 5 sets of squat jumps, lunges, and wall sits.

Stage 20:  July 23rd, 146 of Mountains, Megeve to Morzine-Avoriaz, Repeat the Stage 8 Power Legs workout.

Stage 21:  July 24th, 113 km Flat and Celebrate in Paris!!  Today they circle the Arc de Triomphe drinking Champagne while riding.  So, after your flat 30 minute workout, drink some champagne and share your success....or at least a glass of white wine.

Update from the Finish Line: July 27th, 2016...... I feel great.  I only lost about 3 pounds in three weeks but that is because: 1. My age is above 35.   2.  I'm recovering from Baby Number 3 and still breast feeding.   3.  I have PCOS, making my body resistant to weight loss.   But I still lost a little! And, I feel like I have my pre-pregnancy endurance back.  Most importantly, this challenge got me back into the swing of working out more than 2 times a week and got me back into the habit of making my own yogurt and granola (something I have not done in 2 years).  So, I rededicated some great habits that will allow me to continue.  

I had so much fun following the Tour de France in real time and looking forward to a new routine every week.  So much fun I'm going to lead this online again next year.  I promise to have the schedule posted by June 1st so that we can generate an online team to complete together.  For 23 days we will go "balls to the wall" trying new activities and learning new habits that will hopefully last a full year.