Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

Holly and Grandpa Angevine, Seattle, Washington, February 2005

I just LOVE this picture... it makes me smile big and wide. In February 2005, Holly was 5 months old and Ronnie was deployed. So, I took Holly to Seattle to meet her great-grandparents, as she was the first great-grandchild to be born. This is her sitting on my grandpa's lap. If you ever wonder who Holly looks like, this should sum it up.

52-Week Challenge: Week 11

Week ten has come and gone...  Are you feeling more flexible?  I rather enjoyed last week's challenge and had fun doing a good stretch on my "off" gym days.  Especially because I increased my weight during my Body Pump class.  Streching has so many benefits not just physically but mentally.  I mean really, who doesn't feel good after they've had a good cat-like stretch? 

I'm looking forward to week 11 because it's another "hey, I already do that" challenge.  The focus of week 11 is reading the nutrition panel. The nutrition panel is mandated by the Food and Drug Administration and is there to help us "know" what is in our foods.

Back to the book, the author really breaks down what is on the panel and walks the reader through how to read it.  Being that I have been paying very close attention to nutrition panels for some time now, I got this in the bag.  I'll save my soapbox lecture for next week....  

So, challenge, read the panel...  pay attention to serving sizes, fat % per serving, and added sugars.  Read the ingredient list, it's listed by weight and tells you EXACTLY what is in the food you are about to eat.  I've included some links below to help you determine where your daily intakes should be and how to read a panel if you are new to this. 

So grab a box out of your pantry and read up...  it's pretty interesting what you'll find when you do.


Other resources:

Interactive Guide to Nutrition Facts: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/nutrition-facts/NU00293

If you really, really want to get into the weeds, here are the current Dietary Guidelines.  See Appendix 5 and 6 for the breakdown by age and gender: http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2010/DietaryGuidelines2010.pdf


The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

The girls at bedtime, Walt Disney World, Florida, September 2006

I still love this picture to this day!  Earlier that day we had gone to Sea World with the Olivers and had checked into our hotel at Disney World.  It was bed time and they were just giggling with one another.  I'm so glad I caught one of those great sister moments on camera....  

48 Hours

Not just a fantastic 80s movie....

Ronnie is busy getting fully trained for his new "job" meaning that we are in the midst of multiple training trips.  This weekend, he was home for a scant 48 hours before having to head back on the road.  So, with the weather in full cooperation, we made the most of our time with him. 

Weather in full cooperation up in these parts means that it isn't pouring down rain (drizzle is just fine) and it isn't blustery-cold (cold is fine, windy is fine, cold and windy not so good when coupled with rain).  Here's what I mean. Here is the typical forecast:  Chance of rain 90% with rainfall amounts near 0.3 in. possible.  Yep, it's going to rain, but it will be a slow drizzle.  You get used to it though. 

So, with the highs in the mid 50s, bright blue skies, and no rain, we headed for a typical Seattle tourist spot: Pike Place, the waterfront, and Seattle Center.

I loved going to the market as a kid.  So many nooks and crannies to explore, so many vibrant colors, so much activity.   Seems my girls enjoyed it as well.  We picked up some fresh fruits to snack on, had lunch at one of the many fishmonger stalls, and just enjoyed the eclectic nature of the market. 

We also sought out one of the "fun" things to do in Seattle, the gum wall.  Seems that someone put their gum on this wall many many moons ago.  Then someone else did.  And so, on and so on.  Yes, this is now a wall full of gum... and we were eager to add our little bit to the strange piece of artwork. 

After the market, we walked down to the waterfront and just enjoyed the sun.  How could you not enjoy green space on a sunny day that overlooks the Sound?

After the market we decided it was THE day...  the day to go up in the Space Needle.  So, we headed for Westlake Center, jumped on the Monorail, and rode down to Seattle Center. 

The Space Needle is the iconic image the world holds of Seattle and it is celebrating its 50th birthday this year.  We enjoyed beautiful views from the top, while also enjoying a local microbrew, and just were thankful for such a lovely day. 

52-week Challenge: Week Ten

Here we are... week 10...  we are almost a quarter of the way through this challenge.  Last week, the focus was on more alone time.  Ronnie was TDY last week, so alone time after the kids went to bed was no problem, but I wanted to do something more "active" for my alone time, something just for me.  I scheduled a sitter to come over so I could focus on my homework and worked in a quick trip to B&N to browse.  I bought myself a coffee and just went rack to rack seeing what looked interesting.  I wish I had more time to stay and look, but who are we kidding - I can spend all day in a bookstore and never be done. 

The second thing I did was I tried to focus on not just sitting and watching TV after the kids went to bed...  so I read.  I did download some titles from Project Gutenberg, but I also had a few freebies I wanted to burn through.  How great is just a good book and a cup of tea in front of the fire?  I'll tell you, the hour I wanted to read flew by quickly and I felt totally recharged. 

And yes, I did make that massage appointment.  I have a "Spring Break" coming up next week, so I made my appointment then.  I am really looking forward to it! 

Looking forward to week 11, which is "Take Time to Stretch."  The benefits of stretching are way to numerous for me to go into here.  Look for the links at the bottom of the page. 

The challenge is to stretch a minimum of 20 minutes, three times a day.  I personally stretch a few times a day.  It's a habit of mine stemming from my days as an office worker.  I tried to get up every hour or so and roll my neck, round out my back, and stretch my legs.  You would be amazed at how cramped up you get if you sit all the time.  I've had to refocus on it recently with all the papers I have had due for my classes.  I also do a small stretch when I get out of bed.  I am not a morning person and I have to go down the steps to get to the coffee.  Do you know how hard that is if you are stiff?  It takes just a few moments a day and you feel so good after you do it.  So this is a great reminder for me to get up and stretch, and stretch out right. 

Other resources:

Why you should stretch: http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/stretching_benefits.asp
And one more on the Why:  http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/HQ01447

How to strech: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stretching/SM00043

The book we're following: http://www.amazon.com/52-Small-Changes-Healthier-ebook/dp/B0056J4ER0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325722556&sr=1-1

Jenn's blog: http://thewoogies.blogspot.com/search/label/52%20Small%20Changes

Photo Friday

** Every Friday, I will post a picture from our life.... enjoy! **

 



Batting Cages, Insadong, Korea, April 2010

This was such a great night...  so great that I blogged about it.  Read it here and part 2 is here.  

The batting cages were soooo much fun!  As expected, Ronnie was hitting really well.  But Koreans don't play baseball like we do.  The entire batting cage came to a standstill as Ronnie finished his round.  Guess it was his 5 minutes of fame.  

Volcanoes Erupt!!!

A few weeks ago, a note came home from school.  But it wasn't "that" kind of note - it was announcing the science fair for this school year.  Of course, we jumped on it!  Yes, I am "that" parent who actually looks forward to science projects. 

After some hemming and hawing, Holly declared that she wanted to do a volcano project, complete with baking soda eruption.  We hit the library and the internet and read all about volcanoes.  Then Ronnie's portion of the project came up - to actually build the model.  I think it turned out rather good for her first project.  

The other students at the school had some very interesting projects - biology, chemistry, and physics were all present.  One student had a DNA project and extracted DNA from strawberries at the fair - so cool!  Another student had a bicycle-powered light bulb and back up battery cells that you could charge with your "extra" electrical output.  I swear kids these days are way too smart!  And Holly held her own, answering questions about her research on volcanoes and making the model erupt for her class.  I could tell Holly was really proud to show her teacher and class what she learned. 

Congratulations Holly on your first science project!  Now, time to make plans for next year.