Hello everyone! This has been a super busy week and I apologize for not posting the past couple of days :( We have had everything from school conferences to unexpected trips to the doctor's office going on and honestly, I am pooped!
School officially starts Monday for my kiddos and I think they are finally getting excited! We finished all our preparations and they are even back on track routine wise. But after a trip to the grocery store yesterday, I realized I was less prepared to begin packing healthy lunches again.
I stocked up on fresh fruit, veggies like baby carrots and celery, V8 Fusion drinks, and nuts. But I still have that nagging fear in the back of my mind that the kids will get bored eating the same ole healthy foods. So I decided to do what I do best - research!! I found a great food chart I had to share:
Decided maybe a food rainbow instead of the old food pyramid might be more entertaining to look at on the fridge! I even found another food plate, I love these!
And then of course, down to business! Disney's Family Fun Magazine offered a ton of good tips:
http://familyfun.go.com/back-to-school/back-to-school-lunches-snacks/
The ideas here are amazing! Everything from quick and healthy sandwiches in clever shapes to dressing up lunch boxes with Con-Tact paper to make an instant dry erase board! One of my favorite ideas was from a reader submission, she offered her daughter $10 a week to either buy a lunch at school or if she wanted to make a lunch at home she could keep the money every week! What a great idea to assist with older kids who would prefer to have a little say in what is going on in their life!
Another great site I found was http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/kid-friendly/lunchbox-ideas.aspx
Love all these ideas! The best part, they are all easy to do and the "lunch box jokes" will be a great surprise for the kiddos!
So I have concluded that after a few minutes of jotting down some fun and healthy recipes, a few cool new lunch box surprises (let's face it, us mums need new inspiration too) I think this years lunch box race will be a great success!
Another great aspect of back to school time, the cooler weather! Here in StL we are currently enjoying mild temps in the eighty degree range, and that means more time outside! Here are a few of our families favorite activities;
1. Backyard scavenger hunts - sometimes we hide things for them to find and other times we simply let them find the usual backyard bugs or plants, etc. Even better at night!
2. Family walks after school. Simple and funner than you might expect, family walks provide time for me and my husband to reconnect and talk about our day, the kids to burn off some extra energy, and very de stressing for everyone!
3. After school activities and sports. School is a great way for your entire family to become more involved, whether it's volunteering at special events or school provided sports, it can help the whole family become more active, so let the signing up begin! Just remember, you don't want to over do it, so set the limits on how many activities to keep everyone happy ahead of time.
4. Wednesday game nights. Pick a day of the week when everyone is going to be home and reserve that night for family game night. Not video games either! We bust out the board games or play tag in the backyard. Board games are great to teach kiddos important skills that video or computer games can not accomplish, mainly because kids play these games alone!
5. Bed time stories. How simple of a tradition is that? Knowingly, we all lead busy lives and at the end of a crazy day we just want to climb into bed in a pitch black room with soundproofing. But something as simple as reading to your child every night (even if not at bed time, do what works for your family) can help with everything from a good routine, reading skills for them, and better sleeping habits. Plus, you'll be creating memories they'll never forget!
Hope these ideas are helpful to you and yours! What are some of your secrets to a successful packed lunch?
Everyone has a unique outlook on their own health, a general concession on their children's health, and most agree the last thing they need to hear from anyone is what they should or should not be doing, they already know. Occasionally you might talk to your doctor or your friends, ask for advice, look up things on the net, even turn to a reality show or two and take notes. But what are you really doing to promote over all health and well being for yourself?
I awoke today feeling a little queasy, tried to push it aside and get on with my normal routine, and headed out to run some errands this morning. An hour later I am standing in line at the supermarket praying I don't blow chunks on the poor woman in front of me! Thankfully, I made it through checkout, the drive home, and unloading it all. I heard rumors of a stomach bug going around and evidently I am just another victim (at least according to my sister whom just dealt with the same scenario several days ago) who has to put life on hold for the next 24 hours and deal with it.
The funny thing, I thought I was just over stressed, usually for me stress leads to what I like to call "stress pains". The kids are returning to school in two weeks, cut backs at my husband's work, and changes to my own schedule are just a few of those little stressers. I have learned to cope with stress over the years in several ways to alleviate those stress pains and sometimes prevent them all together by working out and eating healthier. Simple solutions really. The more active you are the less time you (or your body) have to lay around and induce more worrisome thoughts upon yourself. But, once I realized that yeah, this is a virus, you have to call it a day and get well, it got me to thinking, how many other moms put their own health to the side thinking they are doing the right thing by taking care of everyone else first?
This was an excellent point brought up at a recent health seminar I attended at my gym, Ellipse Fitness St. Louis. The seminar is part of a 4 week program aimed at teaching you ways to rev up your metabolism and offering everything from group workout classes, nutrition support, to the online support. All of the resources you need to take those next steps at becoming a healthier version of yourself are right there at your disposal. I must say, what lead me to Ellipse was a horrible experience at a different gym. I was so humiliated when a trainer pretty well refused to assist me in reaching my goals I almost gave up on the whole sha-bang!
Luckily, Ann, a trainer at Ellipse, offered for me to come out and give it a try. She explained they were a "classes only" facility and it was a mix of strength training and kick boxing. Hesitant, I decided to just go and see for myself. The first class was amazing and hard! I had never kick boxed before and honestly hadn't worked out in years. At the end of the first class I could feel it head to toe and the adrenaline stuck with me well into the next day. Every class after has given me the same feeling and even better - a way to spend 45 minutes doing something important for myself.
At one time (until very recently) I would have thought it was selfish, taking 45 minutes out of my day just for my own pure benefit. Then I attended the first seminar and Ann spoke very clearly, "You have to take care of yourself first, if you don't, you aren't going to benefit anyone else either.." Those words struck a chord in me and for the first time it made a little more sense in my mind, it's okay to take care of me, I have to take care of me.
The biggest benefit I have received from classes at Ellipse; the support! Every trainer is readily available to answer any questions I have, they take the time to insure I'm performing the exercises properly so I get the full benefit from each class, and they offer encouragement. I never feel judged when I walk into class, we are all there for the same reason, to get a great workout! If you'd like to check out Ellipse, they have a great deal going on right now for a FREE WEEK, just visit their website: www.ellipsefitness.com and print the coupon :)
Other quick tips for healthier living:
~ Avoid soda! The carbonation in soda can reek havoc on your bones, your digestive system, and lead to unwanted weight gain.
~ Have fresh fruit and veggies readily available to snack on throughout the day. I cut up celery, add baby carrots, and peppers to ziploc bags so I can grab a bag anytime I am running errands. Of course making a fruitty bag is just as tasty.
~ Note that after a workout your body needs time to rest to recover, especially when doing strength training (weights) you are tearing your muscles and need them to repair in order to properly build muscle. Plus it helps train your body to continue burning calories while at rest, a huge point when trying to loose weight.
~ Attend yearly doctors appointments. A routine check up can catch signs of problems early and helps maintain your overall well being.
Hope this gets you thinking and as always, I am here for any questions or thoughts you may have!
A few Grocery deals this week:
Aldi:
$0.44 lb Bananas
$0.99 lb Strawberries
$1.49 lb Blueberries
$1.39 cantaloupe
$0.75 lb Red Grapes
Shop 'n' Save:
$2.98 Seedless Watermelon
$1.28 lb tomatoes
2/$0.88 cucumbers or green peppers
Dierbergs:
$0.99 lb purple eggplant
$0.99 lb zucchini or yellow squash
$1.99 Kellog's Cereal
10/$10 mix & match items:
Puffs tissue
Baby peeled carrots
mushrooms
broccoli crowns
Schnucks:
10/$10 mix & match:
Iceberg lettuce
turkey bologna
weber grilling spices
barlett pears
ocean eclipse seafood
2/$4 Jif Peanut Butter
3/$1 ears of corn
