Fitness Friday, August 6 2010

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for another Fitness Friday post!  It must be what you look forward to all week, right? 

Well, this week’s workout of choice is Cardio Coach.  Here is the description from the website:

“

Cardio Coach™ is a downloadable audio workout program for your iPod / MP3 player / CD walkman -- and is designed for any type of workout (run, walk, bike, hike, swim) and cardio machine (bikes, treadmill, cross trainer, elliptical, stair stepper, rower etc.) & features a patented levels & zone system for any fitness level, from beginner to advanced.”

What I like about it is that I don’t have to THINK when I’m on the treadmill.  Normally, when I would do my regularly scheduled interval workout, I would have to constantly keep track of the time so I could know when to speed up and slow down.  Intervals always make time go by faster, but with Cardio Coach – time goes by even FASTER because I have no idea how long I’ve been on the treadmill (cuz I don’t have to look down at the monitor anymore!).  Trainer Sean tells me what to do and I do it!  And if I didn’t have him in my ear telling me to push my intensity level – I know I would be taking the lazy route – especially since I workout so early in the morning.  It’s easy to want to take it easy at that time of the day!  The music is definitely motivating as well.  I think these will be great for winter because you have to use them on a machine (treadmill, elliptical, etc) and not for outdoor runs.  It says you can use them on outdoor runs/walks, but I don’t know what you'd do when its time to add hills/tension. 

All in all, I’m really pleased with these.  I have Volumes 1-3 and I’m already wanting more!  I love how they push me to run faster and longer.  And the time seriously FLIES.  Even if you are a beginner or someone who just wants to walk, these would still be great.  You work at your own level and if you ever get too tired, its easy to just back off for a minute or two.  They have a buy 2, get 1 free special going on right now – so what are you waiting for! Do it up! 

PopFLOPS

First things first – VOO.  Better known as Vegan Overnight Oats.  My picture makes them look funny though (bad lighting + morning light = unflattering pictures).  But I swear, they are good.  Eric turned his nose up at them yesterday morning, but what the heck does he know?  He’s my worst customer!  I eat them almost everyday which is a nice change from my usual – peanut butter toast.  I like that they are COLD which is great in the summertime.  Especially since I work out at 5am and am all sweaty and hot when I am finished.  Having these cold oats for breakfast always feels really good to me.

 

Vegan Overnight Oats by Angela at Oh She Glows:

 

In my bowl this morning was this:

Rolled oats, chia seeds, Amazing Meal chocolate powder, banana, unsweetened almond milk, Peanut Butter and Co White Chocolate Dreams peanut butter and shredded coconut.  Delish!

Soooooo, anyone know why the heck my popovers won’t POP anymore?  I used to make beauuuutiful popovers (too lazy to find a picture of them cuz they are on my other computer) but for the past few months – they are flopovers.  Or PopFLOPS.  I don’t get it!  I haven’t changed a thing, so they should still work, right?  Apparently not!  It makes me crabby because I miss them!  They are so good and I deserve them!  Why won’t they work?  Surely there is someone out there who knows!  Tell me why they won’t pop anymore! That’s it for now.  Eric is gone for a week and we have a special guest arriving tomorrow.  So stay tuned for crazy shenanigans. 

Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who die?

Good morning!  I just had the news on like I do every morning. They were talking about some woman who left her baby in the car on a hot day and went to work.  I had it on for about 30 seconds before I quickly turned if off.  One – because I don’t like hearing those kinds of stories.  They make my stomach turn and my imagination starts to run wild with visions of bad things happening to my babies.  Don’t like it.  And two – because Dylan is obsessed with the word “die” lately.  We know that he doesn’t even know what that really means.  Its hard for a 3 year old to fully grasp the concept, I know.  He just says it A LOT.  “Avery fell down.  She’s dead.”  “Blake said his mom is dead.” (Blake is our neighbor’s grandson.  His mom is NOT dead, but apparently Blake is obsessed with the word too cuz he told Dylan this).  He seriously brings it up several times each day.  So I knew this news story would spark another long conversation about death.  And I was right.  It was too late – he had already heard enough.  So how fun was it trying to explain why a little baby would die in a hot car?!  Super fun, let me tell you!  He even looked worried at one point – like he was starting to “get” it.  I assured him that he didn’t have to worry about that happening to him because 1.  His mommy is super awesome and would never forget him no matter how tired I am! ; )  And 2. He would never let me forget him in the car.  So then he asked what happened to the baby after the baby died.  So we talked about how people are buried in the ground after they die.  Here’s where I knew it wasn’t really sinking in.  “Well, I’d just go dig em up!  Then they wouldn’t be dead anymore!” Sigh.  Guess we’ll keep working on that concept!

 

Anyone else’s kids obsessed with the word “die” or the subject of death?  How do you explain it? 

Ankle Biters

Ahhhhh, sweet relief.  The workday is winding down now as the final book is currently being read.  What?  I work!  You think working 12-15 hour days listening to crying, screaming, whining, wiping butts, making food, watching food you lovingly made go uneaten, picking up spit out food, scraping food off of various surfaces, doing copious amounts of laundry, cleaning up cat puke, cleaning up baby puke and many many many other things that are not so fun is not WORK?  Well, I beg to differ.  This is the CEO of Wikoff Industries and I’m the boss, so listen up!  Ha! 

Anywho, the children had a pretty good day today I think.  Please tell me I’m not the only one with a living room that looks like this by the afternoon:

And this isn’t even all that bad!  Its definitely been worse!  They were having quite a time with the wagon.  He was instructed to “GO SLOW” with her in it but I bet you can guess how long that lasted.  At one point, I heard him asking her if she wanted to go slow and she’s big into shaking her head “no” right now, so of course she shook her head NO when he asked her.  So he yells to me, “Mommmm!  Avery said she wants to go fast!  I asked her and thats what she said!”   She didn’t seem to mind too much and it was all fun and games until he stopped short (to avoid crashing into something himself) and she came slamming forward and hit her head on the handle.  She was fine though.  She went right back to the wagon and said, “Riiiiiiiiiide?”  She kept saying that over and over again, which was pretty cute. She thought it was fun when he joined her in the wagon for oh – about 2.4 seconds and then she got mad.  He was being so loving until she started protesting… I think it was the sleeper hold that pushed her over the edge. Yep, that did it.  Avos is MAD. “Leave me alone!!!!” “Uh, Mother?  You gonna put down that damn camera and help me?!” “Ooooh whats that on your shirt?” (easily distractable) “Hey wait – don’t pull me with HIM in here!  This is ridiculous! I am the princess and I ride ALONE!”  "That’s it!  I’m out of here!”

And that was the end of their wagon fun. 

Oh and if you were wondering about the “Ankle Biters” title – yeah, Avery bit my ankle today.  No joke.  Apparently she was mad?  ; )

 

Anywho, that about wraps it up for today.  Join us again tomorrow, won’t you?

Motivation Monday

Greetings and good mornings! 

I started my day off the best way I know how – with a great workout!  Which has inspired me to try and inspire YOU!  Yes, YOU, person reading this blog (there are people reading this, right?  I’m not just writing this to entertain my husband and my mother who already know all this crap without me having to write it here, right?  Right?!?!).  I challenge you to this: sweat at least one time each day this week.  I don’t care what you do – just do it.  People are always looking for motivation to work out.  I don’t know where it comes from for me, but I just do it.  Nike was onto something with that slogan.  I don’t think about it, I just do it.  Try it.  Put on your workout clothes and sit around.  See if that helps you to get moving.  I think there is some statistic out there that if you put on your workout clothes, 75 percent of the time you will end up working out.  So try that people!  Do it up!  Get your sweat on this week!!

                                See all that sweat?!  Come on, people!  Get movin’!!!

Have a great (and hopefully, schweaty) Monday!

TTT Bars

The day began with another round of pancakes (saved from yesterday) and more work on the garage.  It must be all the work from last summer that has these kids “conditioned” to want to be out there “helping” and enjoying watching their dad work.  Oh and getting dirty.  And taking things they shouldn’t.  And asking a lot of questions. : )

And Princess she is.  I swear, at least once a day, she has a COMPLETE meltdown if she is told NO.  I really should tape her.  She’s nuts.  But we like it.  During today’s tantrum, Eric and I were giggling at her.  She goes into hyperventilating type breathing (gets that from me, I hear) that makes it so amusing.  Yeah, we’re mean.

Avos chasing her cat.  Milly was wanting to lead her into swampy territory so I tricked Milly into coming to me.  At even the slightest chance of a petting, she comes running.  Sucker!

Speaking of running, Avery is getting pretty fast these days!  All the better for her to get into trouble.

Daddy’s little helper.  He was pretty excited to get some use out of his shovel.  

Don’t worry, I bought her some “no-slip” clips for her hair today.  She was only in public like this for a very short amount of time.  Poor thing. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.  BEHOLD – Trishy’s Tasty Treat Bars:

I had tried a granola bar recently that I LOVED but had no clue on the recipe.  So after scouring the internet for what seems like FOREVER – I finally found a recipe that I could adapt using the ingredients that I know are in the tasty bar that I had tried.  So I fiddled with the recipe I found, inserted the ingredients that the bar had used and voila -Trishy’s Tasty Treat Bars were born.  I think they taste like a cross between a rice crispy bar and a Samoa Girl Scout Cookie – only with super healthy ingredients!  Awesome, right?  So without further ado -  

Trishy's Tasty Treat Bars     

Dry Ingredients:
2 cups rolled oats

1 cup crispy brown rice cereal

1/4 cup hulled sesame seeds

1/4 cup hulled hemp seeds
1/4 cup chia seeds
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

2 TB sucanat

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips, roughly chopped

 

    

Wet Ingredients:

1/2 cup brown rice syrup

1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:
Add all dry ingredients into a large bowl and mix together.  Put the wet ingredients into a microwave safe bowl and microwave them for 20-30 seconds and then stir them up.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix.  Keep mixing until the wet binding ingredients are evenly distributed.  Put the mixture into a shallow pan and press it down into the pan using a piece of parchment paper on top (so your fingers don’t stick).  Cut into 10-12 bars and put in the refridgerator.  They will seem crumbly while you are cutting them, but they will bind together as they get cold.  That’s it! 

You can either store them in the pan you made them in, or wrap them up into individual bars.  ENJOY!!