The Active Family

WooHooo!! Now that the 4th is over our Maine trip is closer than ever. I’ve started washing all the linens we are bringing, and tossing random items we’ll need into a box.

That’s actually one of my favorite vacation packing tips. Set aside a designated box for vacation items. As you are going through the house with normal activities, keep an eye out for items you’ll need to pack for the trip. If you come across something, toss it in the box. This was when you actually start packing, you’ll have all those little odds and ends all together. It’s a stress saver for sure!

Anyway, on the schedule today is to run to the warehouse store to purchase the stuff we’ll need to get through this week, as well as to pick up paper supplies, bugspray and sunscreen, life vest for the baby, dog supplies , and any other none food stuff that we’ll need for the week. Mom and I will hit BJ’s the night before we leave for the food.

This week I”m going to be finishing up our day to day plans, checking out the 10 day forecast, and working out our budget for the week. Stay tuned for our finalized plans!

I am so excited! I just paid down the final balance of our cruise! My husband and I are joining my cyber buddies from Sunshine Rewards for a weekend Disney Cruise in October.

We are soooo looking forward to this trip. It will be our first trip alone since our honeymoon years ago. So people may think it’s a bit cruel to go on a Disney Cruise while leaving your children home, but we really need a trip to ourselves, and the opportunity just presented itself!

Besides, for a truly relaxing vacation,cruises just can’t be beat. You can lie around all day, or shop, go to clubs, shows, eat your fill plus some, and not have to worry about transportation or lines or reservations! Since I tend to go a bit commando on vacation I think it will really help force me to just relax.

And on that note, my friends, let the countdown begin! 111 days and counting! WoooHooo!

This is one of my favorite dishes to make in the summer. I use fresh tomatoes, basil from my garden, and the best olive oil I can get.

This recipe takes a few minutes to prep, but it all falls in line easily, and it is a good item if you have to transport it.

Ingredients:

1 lb whole grain pasta, like penne
1 bag or a few large handfuls fresh green beans, snapped
1 carton cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
fresh basil torn in pieces
sea salt
2 minced garlic cloves, fine
1/2 lb baby red potatoes, cubed

First, get a LARGE pot of water boiling. You are going to want to cook the potatoes first, but not too long. You want them to still be firm, not mushy. It won’t take long!
After the potatoes are done,  remove them from the water and bring to boil again. Add the pasta and set for a couple minutes under the recommended cooking time. Again, you want firm pasta, not mush.
While the pasta is cooking, toss the potatoes with the minced garlic. the hot potatoes will soften the garlic enough so it isn’t too strong. You can also cut the tomatoes in half at this point.
A few minutes before the pasta is ready, go ahead and toss in the green beans. You want to time it so they are only in the water for about a minute. Any longer and you will lose the crunch!
Once the pasta and greenbeans are done, get a big ol’ bowl and toss ALL the ingredients together. I add a couple of drizzles of Olive Oil at a time, and toss. Add just enough to flavor and moisten, not saturate. Same goes with the salt, a little goes a long way.
That’s it! This salad tastes great at room temp, or slightly on the warm side.  If you want to  make it a bit more special, toss in some cooked shrimp.

Enjoy!

This has to be one of my favorite holidays. No one is expecting presents, everyone is looking for a party, we have the day off, and there are bbq’s, parades, and fireworks galore! Who couldn’t like the 4th of July?

The USA is celebrating it’s 232′nd birthday. Our family will be celebrating a wee bit differently this year. Normally we have a big cookout and everyone congregates at our house. We live right on the parade route, so it’s all hustle and bustle starting today to clean up the yard and get everything ready. What’s different this year is instead of partying all night, we are heading into Boston to watch the ginormous fireworks display! Since we are members of the Museum of Science, we received a special invitation to watch the fireworks from the roof of the garage. I have been waiting to see the Harbor Fireworks for years!

Needless to say, it means I don’t have nearly as much work to get done, since our party is being cut short. I already have some of the prep cooking done, and everyone is bringing a plate, so I don’t need to worry. My landlord just had the yard mowed, and everything looks great! Check and check.

The town has been busy all morning though. The street sweeper came by, and the crews are now working on putting flags on every electrical pole, and setting up the outdoor lighting displays. Part of my love for this town is how they go all out for the 4th!

I’ll be walking the 5k town race this year, and the kids are going to be dressed up for the children’s parade. So we’ll get our exercise in long before the burgers and dogs hit the grill!

Enjoy the 4th!

Today was an odd one. I had to get my truck inspected, and I overslept. By a few hours. Whoops.

So I had to bundle the kids into the truck and drive all around to find a place that still had availability for the day. Not an easy task on the first day of the month! I went to two places before settling on a third. The last place was situated on the highway, but thankfully there was a walkway so I could take the kids for a walk.

I figured we could go cool our heels at the nearby pizza shop, and then browse the shops in the strip mall. We were able to burn an hour there, and just as we started out to the shops it started to downpour!

Picture this, if you will. I’m pushing two kids in one of those mammoth sit and stand strollers, as fast as I can. I have two older boys goofing off and pushing each other into puddles, I’m screeching at them to get inside (it was beginning to thunder) and my little one is sticking his little arms out trying to catch the rain! Ugh.

We wandered around Staples for a little while, and found ourselves in the office furniture area. The kids amused themselves by trying out the chairs, and I was lucky enough to come across a demo chair that featured massage! How lucky could I get? I must have sat there for a good 20 minutes. That was some fine chair!

Whatever, I’m rambling today! I just got back from a cardio Pilates class and my mind is absolute mush. Talk about HOT! I do love working out in the heat though. And I took a nice cold shower when I got home. AAaaaaaaaahhhhh.

Now the only time I have is to through together something quick for dinner, and head off to work! I have a funny feeling I’ll be sleeping in again tomorrow…

Since summer is officially here and the temperature keeps rising, I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone the do’s and don’ts of working out in the heat.

First off, I want to recognize how hard it is to motivate yourself to move out from under the AC or fan, and go out into the sweat inducing, air suppressing heat outside, only to sweat more and get hotter! I personally LOVE IT! I don’t have to warm up as long, and there is nothing that feels better than a good sweat session.

That said, there are a few precautions you absolutely must take when exercising in warm temperatures. You have to make hydration an absolute priority. I make sure I have water available at all times. You might want to look into some products that assist with replacing electrolytes as well. My favorite is Propel. They are sold in little packets just like crystal light, and help with the electrolytes, but with far fewer calories and SODIUM than gatorade (I hate that stuff!) I recommend you check the nutrition facts on anything you add to your water, as they can sneak some major calories and crap into your otherwise healthy water.

Also, make sure you cover yourself in sunblock or spf treated clothing. I use the no rub spray by coppertone. It doesn’t need to be rubbed in, covers evenly, and most importantly, can be sprayed upside-down so I can cover my own back. It isn’t cheap, but it’s worth every penny.

Lastly, check the weather station before you hit the streets. If there is a heat advisory, think about staying in or going swimming instead. Never, ever put a workout ahead of your health. I know that sounds counterproductive, but your body reacts differently in heat than other times, so be smart. Also, know the signs of heat stroke and dehydration, and pay attention to your body. Being a size 4 isn’t worth a trip to the ER when you pass out cold on the street.

In the end, working out in the heat has it’s pros and cons. Be sure to do your homework, and play smart.

Have fun!

I’m deviating a touch from my normal posts. I’m jumping on the bandwagon of current social economics, and I am joining the throngs of bloggers that say…I’m scared!

I’ve mentioned in the past how I make it a point to check the news online everyday. I’ve also gotten into the habit of scanning the paper on my lunch breaks. What I’ve been reading has me quaking in my boots, so to speak.

Everywhere you turn, disasters are prevalent. Whether they be in Sudan, Iraq, or Mississippi, there is front page news happening everyday. I can be callous and ignore the systemic killing of innocents in Darfur, but I’m not that type of person. Even if I only paid attention to what directly affects me and my family, it would appear the world was in a downward spiral.

Okay, okay, maybe I’m being dramatic. Let me give you a few examples of what has been keeping me up at night. In the Boston Sunday Globe this weekend, a large article detailed the seriousness of the situation regarding people’s heating bills here in New England. Apparently there are hundreds of THOUSANDS of people that are in the midst of having their heating shut off due to inability to pay their bills. While they don’t really need the heat on right now, they do need the gas to cook food, and take hot showers. I feel for these people, we could find ourselves in their shoes this winter. The article went on to say that if the prices of oil keep going up and up, people could be looking at a home heating bill upwards of $7K! That is insane! The past few years, people may have been forced to choose between heating and eating, but this year, the choice will be taken completely away.

The housing market is insane as well. I’ve never in my life seen so many houses up for sale, and it saddens me to see all the short sales in the paper. Just a few weeks ago, Mayor Menino of Boston set up a TROLLEY TOUR of foreclosed homes! Can you imagine? There are so many homes in foreclosure, he was hoping to incourage buyers with a freaking trolley ride of them. Meanwhile, the rent is still beyond ridiculous, and forget about buying land. The cost of residential and commercial real estate makes it difficult for anyone to get ahead. It makes me perfectly content to stay in my somewhat small, yet still affordable apartment for just a bit longer.

Let’s recap. The cost of oil is making everything cost more money, to the breaking point for some. The floods in the midwest are starting to affect the prices of fresh food, will certainly affect the cost of food this winter, not to mention the lives lost and the communities that will have to rebuild. (Something our government isn’t very good at..cough…Katrina…cough cough) The unemployment rate is skyrocketing, corporate greed is sucking the life out of workers, and everyday more Americans are dieing in the war. Didn’t I mention the funeral of Sgt.Nelson Rodriguez Ramirez? He is a 22 year old soldier who was laid to rest this weekend in his hometown of Revere. Thousands came out for his funeral, but it seems like it is becoming common place for us to read it in the papers. What does that say about us?

Are you scared yet? I am. I’m a suburban stay at home mom, trying to stretch the food budget just a little bit more. I worry about sending my kids to school, and I keep one eye out for weirdos when we are playing outside. Am I the only one that feels like the sky is slowly falling? Piece by Piece.

Sorry for the extreme rant. What I meant to be a short commmentary turned into a full head of steam. Guess I have some stuff on my mind.

How cool is this? I just moseyed over to Helium.com where I had written an article forever ago. I looked up my article, and found it was ranked number 3 out of 223 other articles!

I had written about the birth story of my youngest son, and submitted it as part of an offer for Sunshine Rewards. So not only did I get the satisfaction of getting the offer, but I also have the pride of having a highly ranked story.

It’s inspiring me to write some more! Give it a shot, there are some pretty high priced gigs over there to write about.

Sorry for the harsh title, but I’m tired of hearing people complain about their bodies, all while scarfing down a Big Mac with Fries.

Take control of your life, and your body already! Choose the side salad over the fries, and cut your portions back. Get off the couch and go for a walk instead of watching All My Children Marathons.

The market is saturated with fast weightloss “secrets” potions, and quick fixes. Do yourself a favor and research diet pill reviews before you fall for any gimmicks. The proven way to lose weight and keep it off is to eat right and exercise!
By the way, I’m not just spouting off, I have a hard time managing my own weight, but I’ve stopped blaming outside influences for it. I’ve changed my lifestyle, added exercise wherever I possibly can, and make strides everyday to be a healthier person.

Sometimes I fail. We all do. But what really matters is that we take responsibility for our own mistakes and learn from them. I’m still at my heaviest weight ever, but I am also able to lift more than ever before, and I have more stamina than I’ve had in a long time. I even found the inspiration to start this blog, and try to help others!

Find something that inspires you, and just do it.

Oh yeah, and put the burger down for crying out loud!

There is nothing more that I love to do than take a Saturday morning by myself, grab a cup of tea from Starbucks, and hit the local yard sales. I haven’t had many opportunities this spring, but when I did go, I got some crazy deals.

For instance, I last went to a multi-street yard sale, where there were at least 10-15 houses involved. I scored a bunch of cheap paperbacks from some of my favorite authors for 25 cents each, 3 vintage children’s books that are in pristine condition that I’m looking to sell on Ebay, and a guitar case for my husband’s guitar hero III game. Grand Total? $5!

That’s not all. I also scope out the jewelry, and this time I walked away with a 14k gold bracelet, 2 pairs of gold earrings, and womens gold watches to sell for the gold! I truly hit the jackpot at the end though. One family was selling a child carrier by LL Bean, you know, the hiking kind? I got that for $4! The very last house I visited had a brand new, in the box bike carrier for vehicles. He had only used it once, and it still had everything intact. I snapped that puppy up for a cool $20.

So in one day, I had quite the haul. The gold I sold with other stuff and reaped a fine profit, and the bike carrier and baby carrier will certainly come in handy for our trip to Maine. I was so excited I just had to go back to Starbucks and show off my prizes to my friends!