Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Quote of the Day

 

 
"Nature has an unparalleled capacity to stir our emotions, fostering raw and powerful feelings of wonder, awe, mystery, joy—and, yes, fear. Smelling a wildflower in an alpine meadow, sprinting into the ocean surf, and sharing a face-to-face encounter with a coyote are all experiences that differ mightily from virtual alternatives." - Scott D Sampson

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Tiny Things: Magnolia Flowers

I love macro and still life photography. Ironically, the majority of my photographs are of busy children and scenery. That being said, once and awhile I get to photograph something tiny and beautiful.  In this case it was the stamen of a magnolia flower.
 
 
 
 

 

Fitness Friday: Getting back on track


It has been a glorious summer filled with camping,  backyard BBQ's, swimming, entertaining, and berry picking. That being said, fall is steadily approaching and I have been putting a lot of thought into how I am going to get "back on track". Ordinarily I aim to workout 4-5 times a week and religiously track my macros, but during the summer I stop tracking macros, eat boatloads of fruit and only go for the occasional run or hike.  In doing so, I have definitely lost some muscle tone and put on a little fluff. No big deal. I love the saying "just pick up where you left off". My dad recently started weight lifting at the age of sixty six and looks amazing!!!!


He is a great reminder that it is NEVER too late to regain lost strength or get into the best shape of your life. Making time to workout sometimes feels like a logistical nightmare with three children, but I KNOW that it is important for my health and my sanity.

I was at Michaels craft store the other day looking for a few items for a baby shower I was hosting when I found the perfect fitness journal!!!! It is a product by Me and My Big Ideas and I can't help but think, "where has this been all my life"! I tried to create a fitness journal awhile back using pintables from Pinterest but I lost half of them before I managed to put them into a binder. Gah! I like this system because everything is clearly laid out, is filled with beautiful graphics and provides place to document EVERYTHING. I love to journal and chart things so  this is a match made in heaven.

This is an example of one of  the "Get Fit" boxes you can purchase from Michaels. There are also smaller packs available as well for those that want to add them to their "happy planners".







I really like the one I purchased. I plan on starting it in September.



I look forward to charting my progress on the this pretty little chart.


A monthly page where I can plan out and  record all my  monthly workouts.


A weekly page where I can record  my meals, caloric info and water consumption.


This is probably my favorite page. I love that it provides space for a progress photo as well as reflections on how the month went.


Here is an example of someone's fit journal.

 
 
Until September, I will continue to use the following pages to record details about my workouts and meals. Once I start using my "fancy fitness journal",  I will have a place to record my macros and workouts in one place. It is going to take some time to get back to where I was after relaxing so much this summer, but I am confident I will get there.

Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Quote of the day

                                     

 
                                     "It is my personal approach that creates the climate. 
It is my daily mood that makes the weather... 
I possess tremendous power to make a child's life miserable or joyous. 
I can humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. 
In all situations, it is my response that decides whether the crisis will be escalated or 
de-escalated and a child humanized or de-humanized."
-Haim Ginott