Thursday, July 9, 2015

Exercise!

EXERCISE!
I know that most of us have a love/hate relationship with it. We know it's good for us but have a hard time doing it especially before or after a loooong day at school.

One of my goals this summer was to start a regular exercise program, the problem was finding the right one for me. I love to walk but walking around the neighborhood early in the morning just wasn't enough and I wouldn't be able to keep that up once winter came. (I hate to be cold!) I've tried going to the 'gym'. When I exercise 'it ain't pretty'. Actually, it's pretty comical so the gym isn't for me. I've bought DVDs and love doing it in the comfort of my own home but I get bored doing the same DVD over and over. I have a treadmill but again BORING. In my search to find the perfect fit for me, I stumbled across it on YouTube at JESSICASMITHTV.

Jessica is a certified trainer with all kinds of training certificates and her goal is to make fitness FUN! The best part is: it's FREE! Just go to YouTube, search Jessica Smith TV and tons of workout sessions pop up. When you find one you like, just click 'like' and start creating your exercise playlist.

 The other thing I love: it's not BORING. There's a ton of variety. She does power walking (which is my favorite), yoga, strengthening & stretches, pilates, kickboxing, barre, zumba, and tons of cardio.

Another plus is the time issue. Sometimes I only have a few minutes and other days I have lots of time to spend exercising. Some of the videos last only 6 minutes while others are as long as 60 minutes, most are around 15 - 30 minutes. You can do a combination of whatever you want. Plus you can hit the pause button when you need a break.

She shows you how to ramp it up for advanced exercisers or how to take it down for the beginners.

You can also take it on vacation with you. All you need is the internet and a phone, iPad, or laptop.

Here's one I like to do after a looong day. It helps relieve stress.

She also has DVDs for sale on Amazon.com

By the way, I am NOT getting any kick backs for writing this post. I just found a cool thing that works for me and want to share hoping it might inspire someone else to get on the exercise train.
Happy EXERCISING!


Thursday, July 2, 2015

Story Behind the National Anthem

Happy Summer ya'all!
I hope everyone is enjoying their summer break! (I hope everyone is out of school AND ON break. I know except for our friend down under hang in there!)
I found the most AMAZING video on YouTube about the National Anthem. It's the story behind it and the events that happened to inspire Francis Scott Key to pen the words. 
Your kiddos really need to watch this! 
I am so grateful to live in this country with the freedoms that I enjoy. I am indebted to the brave men and women who fought and are fighting to preserve my liberties. 
(Clipart from Educlips)
Happy Independence Day to all my USA friends!