Any guesses why Owen was doing this? :) and where.
Not a typical Feb
The weather from what I have heard, has been warm this year in GA. Last year they had lots of snow! I must say, despite not seeing snow this year… (I was secretly hoping for at least one snow day) it has however been nice being able to go outside without a jacket :)
Or even going out in Jammies :)
Hope those getting the warm weather are enjoying the blue sky days as well.
Nourishing what Counts
Well, its been a few weeks… since the Quaker Heart Health Challenge began… Some of you may have read my 1st post and what some of my goals were.
The question is, how has it gone?
Good! Maybe not 100%. I have however been making real efforts to live healthy and stay active.
One of my goals was to stop drinking caffeinated drinks… I have not fulfilled this totally :) – I have however stopped drinking all soda. In the mornings I do however drink some natural tea with a little bit of agave nectar to sweeten (hardly any really). Its just that little boost I need to get going in the morning, with out all the artificial stuff and calories in soda.
Throughout the day I drink A TON of water & thats it. I’m talking huge glasses filled every hour or so. My husband has taken notice of it lately too… and we joke I am part Camel :) – water is so good for us though, that it really is worth pushing yourself to drink more.
Besides those few things, I have been walking. I walked 6 miles last week – 2 miles, 3 days a week. I would of loved to have done more, but the weather didn’t allow it… and also I don’t like to walk alone, so when my walking partner can’t go, I’m sort of left to wait. I have a little bit of a phobia of being by myself, even in a safe neighborhood.
When I couldn’t walk, simply playing with the kids outdoors did wonders for my activity on days walking wasn’t happening. :)
What I am learning throughout this though, is that living healthy is a life style. It is something we really have to train ourselves to continually do… and after a while, it honestly becomes 2nd nature. When you get off that routine and revert back to old ways, you feel it… and its when you feel it, you realize how important it really is.
Join the Quaker Heart Health Challenge!
February is National Heart Health month. Even if it’s only 5 more minutes a day, what extra step will you take to stay fit?
For your chance to win $750 complete these two steps:
1.Share the challenge with your friends
2.Tell us that you’ve invited your friends to join the challenge AND share the extra step you’ll take to stay fit below
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Quaker Oats Company. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
Tea is my replacement
Since giving up Soda’s (more specific, diet coke. I was addicted to it!) – I needed a drink to replace this craving… and tea has been it. There are so many great varieties out there… but I honestly just stick with a plain tea bag by lipton and am good to go. I sweeten my tea with organic blue agave nectar. Its perfect for me.
Lipton has a new GREEN TEA with super-fruits.
I wanted to share one of my favorite things to eat, with tea.
A great whole grain slice of toast.
You really can’t beat it.
Before the toast is possible though, you need a good bread recipe :) – Here is the one we use. It has replaced store bread in our family. We love it.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups hot water
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup honey
2 tsp. real salt
1 egg (optional)
2 Tbs. Lecithin (optional)
1 tsp. gluten (we leave this out, so also optional)
4 – 4 1/2 cups freshly milled flour
(we use white hard wheat)
1/2 cup flax seed, ground in blender (optional)
1 Tbs. Yeast
Directions:
Combine water, oil, honey, salt and egg. Stir that up gently, you don’t need to beat the egg, it will break down as you stir in the rest of the ingredients. Add lecithin, gluten, half of flour & flax. Mix well. Add yeast and enough flour to make a soft ball of dough. Knead until smooth and elastic. The kneading time just depends on how heavy handed you are :) – for me about 3-5 minutes. If you knead this with your hands you may need to add a little more flour during the process… To keep the dough from sticking. Putting flour unto the surface you knead it on helps as well. Once you finish kneading and dough is a nice fairly firm ball of dough, set it aside in a lightly greased bowl (I just spray a bowl with a canola bakers spray) – and let it rise until doubled. Once risen, shape as desired, and then let it rise again until doubled.
This makes two, 1 lb loaves.
Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes.
This recipe is formally known as the Zojirushi Auto Bakery Bread Recipe. It is also the one Bread Beckers uses.
Serve this up lightly toasted with some great butter. With a warm or ice cold serving of the new Lipton Green Tea with Super Fruits. I prefer my tea cold btw ;-) – with a lot of ice. The colder the better.
Now that I have shared what I would pair with these refreshing Lipton Green Tea Superfruits, I want to know, how do you enjoy your tea?
Share your tea time must haves for a chance to win a year’s supply of Lipton Tea, a tea kettle, a tea box, a mug/saucer set, a travel tumbler and a $50 gift card to Amazon.com!
The 1st 3 commenters will also get a box of tea, from me as well! :)
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Lipton Green Tea Superfruit. The opinions and text are all mine. Official Sweepstakes Rules.
Taking time to Train
The other day I was at my friend’s house… and saw her 7 year old little girl sweeping the kitchen floor. She was doing a great job too! Even got the corners :) It reminded me how slack I had been on enforcing more chores with our boys… Ever since the move really. I guess maybe because I wanted it done a certain way & since this is such a nice home and not ours forever… I want it kept up really well. So I’ve been doing the brunt of the work as far as house hold chores go.
Obviously my boys are still young… they are however smart… and totally capable to do certain task. My expecting perfection is doing no one any good…
A few new chores I’ve recently added are.
Sweeping
Emptying the Dish Washer
(The boys IMO do not wash well enough with their hands :-\ – and since I cook most of our meals, I do rely on a dish washer right now… its an amazing blessing – since I am the sole washer otherwise. They can however EMPTY a dishwasher full of clean dishes.)
Add this to our normal few & I think we’re doing pretty good!
Clearing off the Table
Emptying the trash cans in all 3 bathrooms.
Taking recyclables out
Daily pick up of toys/clothes.
They put away their own laundry (I fold it as of now – placing it into baskets for each of them)
Making Beds
Now all this being said. Taite needs help sometimes with certain task. He did just turn 5. For him making a bed is really hard some times, esp. if he sleeps wildly :) – during those times I encourage Caleb to help.
Also Taite I do not trust with putting away glass cups or bowls. So we leave that to Caleb.
Sweeping also is really hard for Taite. I think its a height thing ;-) – he needs a shorter broom hah…
So Caleb as of now really does get more of the chores… but Taites catching up… and it really is all about training… something we have to put time into.
The other day Travis told me “you should teach Caleb to do that” – referring to something I was dreading… and I told him “It seems like such effort teach him some times… Id almost rather just do it.” He then said “Thats why its called training” :)
Its work.
But worth doing.
… and really is a good teaching tool.
Our boys as of now do not get rewarded for doing chores. One day we may pay allowance. For now, fresh baked cookies and breads from me is reward enough ;-) – at least I think so, HEHE. Not to mention TV privileges and ipad time. :-D
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