Call me Madam Ambassador

These are the walking shoes I am supposed to receive as
 part of the 28-day Walkabout Challenge
 (photo courtesy of the Orthaheel blog).

A few weeks ago I was notified that I was chosen to be a Dr. Weil/Orthaheel Walkabout Ambassador.  What the heck is that, you ask? Well, it is a 28-day challenge whereby folks like me can walk for good health, tracking our activities by way of blogging, tweeting, Facebook-ing and more.

I am still waiting for my welcome kit (due any day) that will include some super cool walking sneaks, a t-shirt, a book by health guru Dr. Andrew Weil and more. As some of you may already know, I have been on a fitness journey in earnest for about a year now, in an attempt to get in better shape, and along with tons of grueling classes at the gym, I also walked quite a bit last summer (usually with Kim). For me, walking is about socializing with friends or family, clearing my head, and of course, burning some calories.

Stay tuned as I will be blogging a lot more about this after I receive my new kicks in the mail.

Sarah

Spinning: The workout I begrudgingly love.

I almost named this post “Spinning: The workout that I hate to love.” But the truth is I don’t hate to love it or love to hate it, in fact the opposite is true. Flash back to about a month ago, when Kim suggested I accompany her to a spin class at our gym. “I don’t even like riding a bike outside, so I can’t imagine why I’d like riding one inside,” I replied. Plus, the equipment and the participants intimidated me, almost like they were part of a secret society of some kind, one in which I certainly did not belong.

But….I was trying to ramp up my fitness routine a little, so I decided to give it one college try. During my first class, I thought, well this isn’t that bad, my legs hurt, but it is nothing I can’t deal with. Lights are out, music is blasting… this is actually not terrible. Plus, I figured with all that huffing and puffing and sweating, there had to be some serious calorie and fat burning going on. Hills, jumps, and sprints….Oh my! I have no clue what I am doing, but at least it’s not boring! 

So I started going to one spin class a week, then two, then sometimes (get ready…) three!  And then something weird and unexpected happened. I realized that not only did I not hate spin class anymore, I began to look forward to it. Approaching each class is almost like trying to get through childbirth with no medication… you need to look inward, block out the world, and breathe through the pain. That really does sounds unpleasant, doesn’t it?  Well, obviously it’s not as bad as childbirth and it is a great release of tension and stress. Have I been accepted into the secret society yet? Well, put it this way…I don’t have the special shoes or any plans to buy them. But I haven’t completely ruled it out either (wink).

Some facts about Spinning:

-You can burn up to 500 calories per class (yippppeeee!!!)

-It is easier on your joints than higher-impact activities, like running.

-It works the butt, the legs and the core (all good).

-It builds endurance, which is good for your heart.

-You can work at your own level. 

-Makes you feel like a Bad A** (one of my favorite benefits).

 For more info, check out The Advantages of Spinning on Livestrong.com.

Sarah

DQ Blizzard Maker: It's a Snow Job

Hi, this is Meghan, Sarah's daughter!

I just wanna tell you...... DON'T GET THE DQ BLIZZARD MAKER!

That is, unless you LIKE salty ice cream!

It's so much cranking and stirring for some junky, salty ice cream! You need to have like a cup of salt if you wanna make it! The salt isn't even supposed to get into the ice cream! I don't really get it, but it's has something to do with the freezing.....

My friend, my brother, my mom and I tried to do it and something went wrong and ice cream got all over the table! Like three times! Also, you have to stir and crank for literally ten minutes!

We were going to put pop rocks in the ice cream but didn't and I am glad we didn't! We put some Christmas chocolate in it instead. After that, we ate the pop rocks alone and they were mostly flavored dust! My friend said that the bubble gum one tasted like tooth paste! Ewww....

So, I come to my conclusion...

DO NOT GET THE DQ BLIZZARD MAKER, IT'S JUNK!

Meghan approves this message!

You Wish You Could Play Like a Girl

image courtesy of beagirl.com

I was behind a car tonight at a red light and a bumper sticker caught my eye. “Ski Like a Girl,” it said, with a picture of a female on skis. I quickly jotted down the website, www.beagirltoday.com as I felt my blood pressure starting to rise....Yes, I thought, this bumper sticker has it right! This is total b**sh**! Why is it acceptable to degrade girls when insulting boys, ie: You look, play, hit (you fill in the blank) like a girl, you're a sissy, a mary, etc.,etc. As the mother of a nine-year-old girl, this is super depressing. Insults like these are so common, they have become normalized. Curious about what beagirltoday.com is all about and hoping they would understand my frustration, I looked it up.

And what a great company it turned out to be! Calling their product line “inspiration ready apparel and accessories,” I was doubly thrilled to find out that this awesome company is actually located in Kennebunk, Maine. Stating on their website, “Girls are athletes, not tomboys,” they sell t-shirts, mugs, tote bags and bumper stickers that say things like,“You Wish You Could Ride Like a Girl,” “Play Like a Girl,” and other empowering messages. A line of hockey-related products is also in the works. I, personally would love to see "Think Like a Girl" added as well. Hell ya! Be a girl today and be proud.

Sarah

iPod Touch vs. Nintendo DS?

photo courtesy of apple.com

As my son's 7th birthday was fast approaching, I began contemplating which new tech toy we would invest in. For anyone who knows me, I take these things seriously and do my research!! I am not an impulse buyer and I take the time to analyze the best options on the market. I wasn't thrilled with the idea of a Nintendo DS. My son already has the Nintendo Wii and I felt like a portable version of the same thing was not necessary.  But, of course, my son felt differently and upon learning some of his friends were the proud owners a Nintendo DS, he was bound and determined this was his dream gift.

That being said, I also knew that my son LOVED to play with my husband's iPhone. It was against my better judgement to allow him access to our phones. but once you give in there is no going back.  I had an epiphany one day and realized the iPod Touch could be the answer to my gift dilemma!! It made perfect sense! Not only would my son have access to games (some of which are FREE!) he would also be able to download some of his favorite songs! This would be perfect!

And so the decision was made.  We purchased an iPod Touch for my son for his 7th birthday. He loves it and I love the fact that his favorite option is the music! We limit his time playing video games on it, but he is allowed to listen to music anytime he chooses. I am so thankful I do not have to pay $30-$40 for the most recent Nintendo DS games!! There are plenty of games to download on his iPod Touch that are both fun and educational. You can purchase some of the best for as little as $1.99!

Before we gave this "grown up" gift to our son, we set down some ground rules and input all parental controls on the device. I was able to set an age limit on all viewing that is done on iTunes. There is a parental password so no purchases can be done without our input. Although my son is not aware (at this point) of the internet function on the device, we have also set up a safe browser called Mobicip. You can download this app for $4.99 and it blocks any internet material that is not age appropriate. I feel we have covered all our bases and have truly turned the iPod Touch into a kid friendly device!!  Take a look at this option if your child is putting a new tech toy on his Christmas wish list!!

Happy shopping this holiday season!

Kim

Can't Remember Diddly? Meet Namerick!

I wanted to introduce you guys to a new friend of mine. His name is Namerick. He is an iPhone/iPod app that will help me (and you) to remember names. He is based on the science of human memory and not only will he help you to commit a name to memory using a cute little limerick called a “namerick,” he will also categorize and store your names and will then remind you at regular time intervals that are optimal for memorization. Having Namerick on your mobile device is almost like having your own little personal assistant. Cool, right?! Starting today (Wednesday, November 9), you can get Namerick for free on itunes for the next three days if you want to try it.

About Namerick :

• Allows you to quickly enter names and add notes and categories (work, friend, family, crush). Being married, I am not sure that I will be using the “crush” category, lol.
• Creates a “namerick” for you, which is a name limerick that will help cue your brain to remember, ie: “Jackson juggles jaguars.” Or, if you are feeling creative, you can make up your own, ie: “Sarah slurps sangria.”
• Reminds you of recently added names at regular intervals designed for optimal memorization.
• Reminds you to follow-up with contacts, if requested, via email, phone/text, Facebook message, etc.                                                                                                                                                           

Regularly priced at .99, Namerick will be free for three days only. I think you will like him too:)          


Sarah                                                                                                                                                                 

Veggie Monster: Real or Urban Legend?

image courtesy of Muppet Wiki

So, I had the good fortune to watch Puss in Boots last week with three nine-year-old girls and two six-year-old boys. And guess what? We had a blast (review to follow). Somehow, I managed to zero in on the topic of conversation coming from the rear of the car, which was along the lines of, “Can you believe Cookie Monster is now Veggie Monster?” What?!!! “Yeah, Cookie Monster is gone, they don't even sell the toys anymore,” one of them said solemnly. “Yeah, now it's a green guy,” she said. “All he eats is healthy foods!” “Oh, my God!” another yelled. Geez, I thought, talk about being out of the loop. And usually I try to stay on top of the pop culture headlines. Not having time to research this until now, it has been nagging at me just a little bit since then. Cookie Monster is now Veggie Monster? What is this world coming to? On the other hand, childhood obesity is such an epidemic that maybe it is true? Tonight, with a cup of tea in hand, I seek out the truth. This is what I found out:

1. Cookie Monster still exists, he is still blue and new toys and products are still being churned out and are still making lots of money (but hey, it's for charity).
2. There is no Veggie Monster, this stemmed from a rumor that started several years ago after Cookie Monster began making video segments and songs about healthy eating.
3. Other rumored name changes have been Fruit Monster and Brussel Sprouts Monster.
4. Cookie Monster has an official Facebook page and he has been known to tweet on
   Sesame Street's Twitter account. Who knew? Now following both, btw :)
5. There are plenty of websites,Youtube videos and Facebook pages devoted to people who (still) think this rumor is true and are VERY ANGRY about it. If you want to laugh, read some of the comments that these irate (and sadly misled) people write about the subject. Really, people?
6. If you want the truth, go directly to the source. In the words of Cookie Monster in a tweet from 2010, “Time to put end to rumors. YES, me eat vegetables. NO, not going to be called Vegetable Monster! Dis whole thing silly." Cookie Monster addresses the issue again in a 2010 Sesame Street episode saying, “But remember, me not Veggie Monster. Me still Cookie Monster. Just for record. Me got reputation to think of."

Amen!

Sarah