From white to black

After 17 years of almost daily use, these hardworking appliances decided it was time to call it quits. The oven in particular gave up the ghost and would shut off midway through baking time. This became particularly bothersome at Thanksgiving while trying to roast the turkey. A repairman determined that the needed part was no longer available, so what else could we do but move on? Bye, Bye whities.




Hello blackies! Welcome to these new shiny beauties. Because I have black rugs and other black accents in the room, I decided to skip stainless and go with black. I know I'm going to LOVE the ceramic solid top range. I hope they serve us as well as the old white appliances did.

Weight Management II

OK, so I've been kind of busy lately since the first of the year. I had oral surgery. I changed jobs and I'll be starting the new job on Wednesday. We got a new oven and microwave. I started a health and fitness program with a coach. We went to 3 new movies. I've started organizing our files and going through closets. I went through CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) training in December and I'm going to start working with a 16 year old girl this week and see if I can advocate for her and hopefully help her improve her life. And the best of all - I'm going to visit Skippy and her parents on Saturday for a few days.

I haven't had a lot of time to blog.
BUT
I did read two very good articles about fitness and weight management that I wanted to share.
One in the Reader's Digest and the other is in Good Housekeeping. Check out the GH article here and take a look at these good tips from RD.

1. Pound protein in the a.m.
2. pump up your potassium
3. Stand up and count to 60
4. Early to bed, early to eat
5. Worship morning sun, seek refuge in the afternoon
6. Take a walk for better (and better) memory
7. Beware of diet candy
8. Get results with the 20-second rule
9. Hit the Yoga mat to relieve pain
10. Pick up some sleep shades
11. To feel better, imagine the worst
12. For a good night's rest, keep the room cool
13. Focus less on the kids, more on your spouse
14. Rev up with the spice of life (red chili peppers)
15. Kick off your day with a square of dark chocolate
16. Eat more quinoa
17. Snack on real energy foods
18. Switch to grass-fed beef
19. To boost esteem, get into your friends
20. Be nice to yourself

Weight management

Make Better Choices

When you compare what you eat to your Daily Food Plan, is there room for improvement? For example, do you eat many sweets or fried foods? Do you drink sugary drinks regularly? Do you eat too few vegetables or whole grains? Does eating out make it difficult to stay on track?

Everyone is different. Think about what YOU eat and drink. How can you make better choices? How can you be more active? The SuperTracker can help you identify changes you should make.

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Learn how you can make better choices from these sections. Making these changes and sticking with them can help you manage your body weight.

• Eat the Right Amount of Calories for You
• Decrease Portion Sizes
• Eat Fewer Empty Calories
• Focus on Foods You Need
• When Eating Out, Make Better Choices
• Cook More Often at Home
• Increase Physical Activity
• Decrease Screen Time

Check out this great information on choose my plate.gov. and this great system for tracking food intake, exercise and more. Good, good information.

important listening on MLK day

I was moved listening to this recording of a talk given by Dr. Martin Luther King on August 28, 1963. It is inspiring. I was 8 years old when the talk was given and the civil rights movement was in full swing. King was an amazing writer and a wonderful speaker and he lead a cause that was long over due raising awareness and helping to bring civil rights for all Americans. The phrase in our pledge of allegiance rings true "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
I'm very grateful that he and others sacrificed so much to make it happen.

The sanctity of the body

This talk explains so well why our bodies are important and why we should take good care of them. Susan Tanner does a wonderful job putting fitness and good health habits into perspective.