The weather may not be feeling all that summery, but trust me, summer is just around the corner.
That means it is time to clean house and get ready to head outside.
Cleaning house, as I have talked about before, can be a great way to exercise. I like to speed-clean my house and get as sweaty as possible while doing it.
At the end, I reward myself with a nice shower and perhaps and evening glass of wine sitting on the porch.
People always ask me how I fit exercise into a busy schedule. It is really hard. It has to be a priority. And, I am the first to admit that I don't always fit in an hour-long workout like I should to continue to shed pounds.
Having a baby and a family put so many demands on your time as a parent. And, there are always those moms who I wonder - how do they do it?
Again, it is about making time for yourself and making your health a priority.
If you are a regular reader, you have probably noticed my blogs have been slacking off. Well, that's one area that does tend to get pushed aside when life takes a busy turn. I will try to be better in getting my blogs posted on time...and let's all try to be better about fitting in 10 to 30 minutes a day for exercise. If you can manage an hour - go for it!
Much of my exercise these days is with child in tow. We enjoy walking and running - often with him pulling me by the hand. When he tires, grab the stroller and see how far you can power walk.
Back to cleaning the house - I recently reorganized our attic space and let me tell you I was sweating by the time it was done. If your kids are old enough, get them involved.
Put on some fun music, don some crazy work clothes and get dirty. Showers for all when finished.
Nothing feels better than a good shower after a dirty day. And, speaking of dirty - dirt is fun!
Take the kids outside - it's a great time to start planting a garden. Or, if you started plants early like I did, get out and transplant them. Shovels and dirt are a great way to have the whole family work on a project together.
Make any project into a race. Competition can be a great way to get the family into shape for summer. My family is always ready for a challenge. Set up a relay race to haul away broken twigs and branches. See which team can get them into the wagon or pile first.
Little kids can often feel left out during a project, so make sure the wee ones feel included. My son is great at small tasks; pretty much as long as he has a shovel or a screwdriver he is happy.
Just earlier today we moved a refrigerator to the basement and told Droolface to stay in the car to organize the bungee cords. After about 10 minutes we returned to find him happily "working."
Don't lose faith - the warm weather is coming. But, for now get to cleaning up the house or the yard, break a sweat and enjoy your family.
Happy weekend!
Here is my favorite smoothie of the moment. It's a great way to kickstart the morning or to enjoy as an afternoon snack.
Spinach Strawberry Smoothie
You will need:
Several large frozen strawberries
Handful of organic baby spinach
Handful of organic baby kale
Local Honey - about a teaspoon or so
1-2 organic apples (or regular apples) with the skin peeled off, cut into chunks
1 cup or more orange juice
Water to fill
2 tablespoons chia / flax seed mix, ground (optional)
Plain yogurt - about 2 tablespoons (optional)
Combine all washed ingredients in the blender. I usually defrost the strawberries a bit ( you can also microwave them for about 30 seconds) so they blend better.
Put in the orange juice first and decide if you will need extra water. I usually like the smoothie to be pretty liquidy so that Droolface can easily slurp it through a straw.
Blend on high. Pour into glasses and enjoy!
-
Real Parents. Real Food. Real Fun.
Welcome to Adventures in Drool! Talking about green living, getting rid of plastics and toxic chemicals in our homes and raising happy kids on a budget. Join the conversation (www.adventuresindrool.com) and don't forget to Like us on Facebook!
Rachel Swick Mavity, author of the blog, lives with a reformed drooler (Droolface), who at age 3 loves to get muddy, drink homemade smoothies, giggle and flirt with old ladies. Her current drooler (Birdy) enjoys spitting up on work clothes and leaving drool trails as a way of showing her love.
Mavity previously worked as a journalist for seven years at newspapers from Pennsylvania to Maryland and Delaware. In Sussex County she worked for several newspapers, including the Cape Gazette. She lives in Lewes with her husband, Ryan Mavity, their son, "Droolface," and daughter, "Birdy."
