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15 AUG

Kicking the Habit

“Kicking the Habit” is no easy task, at least that is what I’ve been told from several people who have tried. It seems like a very hard battle; a circle of trying to quit, starting back up, and then quitting again. However, I have also heard success stories of people who decided to quit and did just that. So I figured after last week’s blog about the dangers of smoking, I should also give you some information on how to stop smoking.
The following information was taken from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Web site.

Death by Smoking

Smoking is one of those habits I have a really hard time tolerating. It’s not that I don’t like people who smoke; it’s just that I really have a strong dislike for smoking itself. Maybe some of the problem is that I have never understood the reasoning behind smoking. How do people that smoke justify […]

31 JUL

Junk in the Trunk

A couple of months ago my husband and I were driving in the car discussing weight issues and workout tips. My husband was complaining about his "junk in the trunk." If you saw my husband, you would quickly realize he doesn't have any "junk in the trunk." And I quickly piped in saying," you think you have junk in the trunk, what about my junk in the front?"
O.K., so you have to know I'm not really talking about the mess in the back or front seat of my car. No, I'm talking to you about the junk in your backside, you know your derriere. Come on, you have to admit it that every now and then you catch yourself on tip toes peering into the mirror wondering how your butt looks. Does it look big? Does it look flabby or saggy? Or, maybe it just looks lumpy and bumpy. Women are especially good at asking how their butt looks. My famous line is: "Honey, does this make my butt look big?" My husband has finally learned the correct answer is "NO," and then I end up changing into different clothes anyway.
Read more about Junk in the Trunk …

23 JUL

Adventures in Grooming

With just a little over a week left in my pregnancy I decided it was time to give myself a little pampering. Over the past nine months I have pampered everything else in my life, so why not me? I have cleaned every nook-and-cranny inside and outside of my house that I can find, busily […]

16 JUL

Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity has gone wild! In fact, it has gone so wild as to be called an epidemic in the United States. I’ve recently gotten hooked on this summer’s reality T.V. show entitled Shaq’s Big Challenge. Any of you heard of it? Well, NBA basketball star Shaquille O’Neal has taken it upon himself to select […]

09 JUL

Just a Little R and R

Everyone needs a little rest and relaxation. A time to de-stress and decompress from the daily rat race in which we live. I would say for most people summer vacation is the perfect time to do just that. We plan most of the year for those precious few weeks when we are free from the […]

03 JUL

Fit Pregnancy Part 2: Spiritual, Mental & Emotional Health

So, the countdown has begun at our house. Only four weeks left until our new addition arrives. I’m starting to get excited and nervous all at the same time. You would think that with my second child I would feel more at ease, but I’m not. I’m actually freaking out! It’s ridiculous. I think what […]

01 JUL

Marrakech Roast

Ingredients:

2 c. Bulgur wheat
3 c. Water
1/2 t. Sage
1/2 t. Oregano
to taste Salt
2 16-oz. cans Garbonzo beans (rinsed and drained)
1 sm. Onion (diced fine)
1 med. Red bell pepper (diced fine)
1 c. Celery (diced fine)
2 T. Olive oil (optional)
1/2 c. Black olives (sliced)
1/2 c. Tomatoes (diced fine)

Fit Pregnancy Part 1: Diet and Exercise

Being pregnant is no easy task. Trust me on this one; I’m living proof. And trying to have a “fit pregnancy” sometimes seems like an unachievable goal. You might be saying to yourself, “Exercise and watching my diet for the next nine months is not what I signed up for.” However, having a fit pregnancy is so much more than just exercising and eating healthfully. It’s also about having a “fit” spiritual, mental, and emotional experience when you’re pregnant.

This week I’m going to focus on the diet and exercise part of pregnancy. Let me share a little of my own story. When I got pregnant with our first child I already had a firmly established exercise routine. I think I have mentioned before that I’m a little of a gym junkie, at least that’s what my husband says. So I was going to the gym two hours every night, probably about four times a week. Seems like a lot, I know. My husband and I had been trying for a little over a year to get pregnant with no luck. Then finally that sweet day arrived; I was pregnant!

18 JUN

My Date with Stress

Have you ever had one of those pull-your-hair-out, scream-at-the-top-of-your-lungs kind of days? One where all you want to do is just go to your room, close the door, crawl into bed and pull the covers up over your head, and hope that when you emerge it will be a new day. And maybe––just maybe––when you decide to re-enter the world it will be a “Mary Poppins” sort of day!

That is what I wished for every moment of the day I lived today. Let me share with you why I classified today as one of those stressful situation days. No matter where I turned there was another stressful situation just waiting for me. So picture this: I am now 8 months pregnant (aka: big, cranky, and tired) and I have a sick 18-month-old (aka: crabby, clingy, and whinny). My husband has planned a 60-mile “joy ride” on his road bike with some friends who share his mutual passion for the sport. Up until now my daughter had only had a fever and a stuffy nose. No big deal; “mommy nurse” can handle that with no problem! My husband said goodbye to us, and no sooner had he closed the front door when my daughter started vomiting. Oh, yuck! Then the diarrhea began! I knew I was in for it!