I know I'm late, but I've wanted to do this post ever since my November 14th workout. We did 100 Burpees that day, and during that I knew my post had to be about them. They're simple, nothing fancy or confusing, but a brutally thorough and complete workout. After 10 or 15 you hate them, but when you're done and feel your heart pumping and muscles sore you love them...you get the idea.
Ignore the end of the video; it gets into how to modify them to be more difficult. I love how they can be modified to be more easy. Just starting out? Only do the pushup from your knees. Can't get the umph you need to jump? Just stretch your hands up and don't. Can't do 10, no problem, do 5. If you've got 30 seconds to whip out 5 of these you're in much better shape than had you done nothing.
It's not a squat, plank, pushup, frogger, jump.....it's all of those in 1. Gotta love it :-)
While I have been pregnant I have really tried to keep up exercise. I love taking classes at the gym. I am so much more motivated to work out when I have someone yelling at me:) My favorite class is boot camp. I try to take it every friday. This has been our latest workout. I'll try to remember everything we do, but I will probably miss some things. Its amazing what these teachers can fit into an hour!
warm up: jumping jacks, running in place, straight cardio for about 5 min. to get the blood pumping, and short stretch
-alternate between holding plank, mountain climbers, and push-ups.
stations: We have 4 stations we alternate. I think each station we are at for a minute each.
-station 1-squats while holding a weighted ball, throw it in the air and squat again
-station 2-running in and out of a ladder placed on the floor.
-station 3- Abs on exercise ball
-station 4-running up and over a row of steps (can do one leg jumps or 2 leg jumps too)
...transition into the big gym which is the size of a basketball court.
-sprint 3 laps around the gym
drills: we are then put into groups of 3..we do each thing 4 times and go the full length of the court and back.
-sprints
-kareoke
-high knees
-tire runs
-barrel runs
Then we all lunge half the length of court then do inch worms the rest of the way (repeat to the other side)
wall sits
kicks across the court then kicks with a jump (hitch kicks across the court)
repeat all the drills (sprints, kareoke, high knees, tire runs, and barrel runs, but doing each one once (instead of 4 times)
transition back to the workout room
-repeat the stations from the beginning once
-4 sets of abs ( I usually just stick to plank since I can't really do ab workouts anymore)
-stretch...or just lay on the floor like you are dead...that's how I always feel after I do this class:)
-So it may seem a little much for being about 8 months pregnant...but I just do my best and try not to overdo it. I feel like I have a pretty good sense of my body and can tell when I need to stop for a break, but for the most part I feel like I keep up pretty well! I am just hoping this helps with the marathon of labor and delivery:) I just love how good I feel after I workout...I could obviously work on some of my eating habits, but feel for the most part we eat pretty healthy. My biggest weakness is chocolate and I just hope the exercise makes up for it!
Diet plan for the month of November...get the 24 hour flu and then stay in bed basically for the next day and a half- alas it happened. Mom said I looked a little bit more of the skinny side...not the way I wanted to lose any weight that's for sure! But down to business. I have several friends who happen to love the paleo diet(aka caveman diet). To me it's a bit extreme...actually all diets kind of do- It always just seems too hard to plan. However, I have had the luxury of tasting some things from the paleo diet due to my interactions with Ian Shields. There was this one meatloaf that was really good that he made. http://paleomg.com/italian-meatloaf/
Place a medium skillet over medium heat and add a tablespoon or two of olive oil. Then add your onions and roasted red pepper to the pan.
Cook until onions have become soft and translucent.
Once they are done cooking, add them to a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients for your meatloaf and use your hands to mix it all together.
Press ingredients into a bread pan and baking for 35-40 minutes.
Once your meatloaf is almost done cooking, add your sauce ingredients to a saucepan to heat up until slightly bubbly.
Let meatloaf cool slightly then add sauce on top. Top with some fresh basil.
Then eat it all up!
2.2.1
I really want to make it myself and just be able to tell myself I was putting good things into my tummy.
But speaking of exercise- I always feel better after I'm done! There is something fulfilling after swimming a lap, dancing some zumba, teaching choreography to high school students or stretching at the bar....I just feel good moving my body- I'm so grateful that my body can do what it needs to - to accomplish much good! Everyone in this family has had their own seperate health challenges...I've had a few...but right now, today, I'm grateful! How fitting this was around Thanksgiving! To give thanks for the bodies we have and for all of our many blessings!
So lets be honest...I haven't done any exercising or any cooking in the last 3 months, food being my archenemy right now (We've always had a precarious relationship, food and I).
And seeing how I get up to wash a dish or move something and I end up laying back down and falling asleep, exercise has been quite out of the picture.
BUT I have a treat that has agreed quite nicely with my stomach as of late, and it's a treat I've always enjoyed.
Avocados. But sweetened. My favorite way: in smoothies :).
I guess this isn't really a recipe, you can play around with it many different ways. But one smoothie we love is a creamy strawberry banana. The avocado makes it super creamy and super nutritious, and it doesn't even look green when you're done.
Try something like this, add more or less of things as you wish:
(serves 1)
3-4 ice cubes
3-4 strawberries
1/2 banana
1/2 avocado-not too ripe! If it's brown, it's yucky. Nice and green is what you want: firm, but soft enough to cut and pull apart from the seed.
Milk of choice (I do rice milk)
Sweetener of choice (I do stevia or honey)
If it's too thick, add some more milk and sweetener and blend again.
You can also do a banana peanut butter version (trade strawberries for a nut butter of choice)
The avocado really fills you up, and if you had toast or something with it, it would make a good lunch.
I had a lot of extra zucchini and I wanted to find a new way to eat it. So I thought I would try this recipe I found here. I combined this with another recipe that had more seasoning ideas. We really enjoyed these zucchini sticks.
Ingredients
1/2 cup Italian seasoned breadcrumbs
2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp Romano cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 medium zucchini
1-2 eggs (I saw another recipe that omitted the eggs and used olive oil instead)
Marinara sauce, ranch dressing, ketchup, etc. to dip them in (optional)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 425 F
2. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray
3. Combine the bread crumbs, cheese, and seasonings in a bowl.
4. Cut zucchini into slices (unpeeled and cut into about 3 inch long by 1/2 inch thick)
5. Beat egg in a bowl
6. Dip each stick in the beaten eggs and then dip into the bread crumb mixture.
7. Place on baking sheet.
8. Bake 20-25 min. or until light brown and desired tenderness.
9. Serve with desired dipping sauce or enjoy it all by its own deliciousness.
My fascination with Paul Blair aka "Dizzy Hips" began earlier this year when I stumbled upon a youtube video. Admittedly, though I will admit it unabashedly, I will occasional peruse the internet looking for videos of stellar hula-hooping. However, what I really have wanted to find through these searches never seemed to exist. Instead, I saw more of the same. (yes, the election jargon is finding its way into my blog posts). The elements of modern hooping is more flowing, artistic movement coupled with modern dancing and a dash of hippy. Nothing too exciting, but it can be beautiful. Something like this:
This is Lisa Lottie. She is one of the better hoopers out there. However, this type of hooping is common, and sometimes it can be dreadfully boring. I would normally begin my video search by typing in " hula-hooping dance," and videos like the one above would pop up. Then, eventually, I saw a violinist (Lindsey Sterling) doing hip hop violin on America's Got Talent. Change of plan for my search engine. I now included in later searches "hip-hop hula-hooping." Usually, the search ended as a fruitless endeavor and I was disappointed. I even thought of posting my own video, because even if I am not the best hooper, I could offer something different (more on that later). I began to think I was the only one out there who liked to let it loose and go crazy while hula-hooping. Did no one have any creative, original moves? I wanted fast - upbeat - something different.
Enter Dizzy Hips. I don't know how I missed this guy. Buried in the youtube search engine is perhaps one of the most intriguing and jaw-dropping hula-hoopers of our time. I was drawn in by a video of a guy setting the hula-hoops on one of his feet while rock-climbing with his three other limbs:
I had never seen anything like it before. Then came other videos. One with a tractor. One with a sledgehammer. The man clearly knew no bounds. He invented a square hoop. A triangle hoop. He hooped while snow-boarding. He hooped while running a 10k. But, most impressive were his stunts and dancing in his everyday show. I didn't think anyone like Dizzy existed. He does, and he is probably, without a doubt, the best hula-hooper in the world. You see, Dizzy doesn't just do stunts, he tries to break records. World records. The highest 2 honors in hula-hooping is being able to hula-hoop either the longest or hula-hoop with the most hoops at once. Dizzy owns the latter record by a whopping 25 hoops (132). No one is even close. He holds the record for the hooping while running a 10 k and the 1 mile. He used to have the record for fastest revolutions per minute, but he was passed by Xia Tao and Greg Dillon. Only one person has run a marathon by hooping (Sasha Kenney), though I wouldn't put it past Dizzy to try it.
It is difficult to to maintain these records, but Dizzy Hips has pioneered making hooping fun, making it creative, and ultimately carving out a new way to stay fit.
So enthralled by his hooping, I wondered where I could catch one of his shows. I searched and found, somewhat coincidentally, that he would be teaching a four-hour hooping class in Sedona, Arizona (1 hour away) in two weeks. I called the number to sign-up immediately. Unsurprisingly, Dizzy doesn't have the fan-fare of an NBA star, but I was still stunned to hear Paul Blair, Dizzy Hips himself answer my phone call. Apparently, I was the only one who had signed up so far, but he promised he would still hold the class even if I was the only one. At the end of the day, I dragged my wife up to Flagstaff (he had changed venue to his hometown, because, well, I really was the only one that signed up), and did the class there.
He came to the park where the class was to be held and showed up rolling his tire, carrying several hoops, and walking his yellow labrador to the park. Not only was Dizzy a great teacher, but he was genuine, down-to-earth, and fun to be around. Meagan spent much of the time studying for school while I endeavored to increase my hooping skills through a 3 hour class. It was awesome. Not only did he give me pointers, but his show was great, and he even dazzled us with a card-throwing trick. Apparently, he is second place in the world at being able to throw playing cards at long distances. We watched him nonchalantly toss a playing card over forty yards across the park, the street, and over a building. With all this said, one thing Dizzy told me stood out: his only workouts were some running, some swimming, but mostly hula-hooping. And let me tell you- for a short guy, he appeared rock solid and strong to the core. And he indicated he NEVER really weightlifts. My wife and I were extremely impressed. It dawned on me that hula-hooping isn't something that I could just do in random talent shows. Hula-hooping could be one of my workouts.
Talents have varied amongst my family members. But one talent is prevalent. We all hula-hoop. As kids we used to try and see if we could go at least an hour. We would try walking with them. My Dad caught on and put us in a talent show at church. We rocked it, even at young ages. We performed again in front of a larger audience. Then, for whatever reason, the hooping seemed to disappear, but only on occasion. I would win any contest I ever came across, but that was about it.
Then, in high school, I began to dance. I would go to every dance available. I didn't know how to dance at that time as I never had formal training. So, I would just make stuff up. And that's what I became good at- making stuff up and just going crazy on the dance floor.
Eventually, after my mission, I got the idea to use the hula-hoop while dancing. At a talent show for EFY counselors, I decided to give it a try. I went nuts. Absolutely flipping nuts. I did some crazy dancing while hooping. And tried other things. Hula hooping on the knees. Doing the cha-cha while hooping. Standing on a balance board while hooping. I honestly didn't hula-hoop much in my spare time, or ever practice much, but I reveled in any opportunity to enter a talent show. For years I had somewhat hidden my talent, but I have slowly climbed out of what I like to call the "underground hula-hooping community." Sure, my family knew. I'd win some hula-hoop contests in front of people I didn't know. I even did a talent show held at Creighton University while in law school. I didn't tell all but three people of the event, and none of my classmates had a clue. I took second place and won fifty dollars worth of prizes. I loved it. All of it.
One thing I have always noticed though is how remarkably exhausting hula-hooping can be for me. It is a combination of dancing and moving the hoop, which causes considerable more energy than just the dancing. I am usually quite winded, especially after an appearance at a talent show. Most recently, I MC'd a fair in Gilbert and pulled out the act. I was extremely tired, but had a blast nonetheless.
It has lately dawned on me that I can hula-hoop, not just for fun, not just for talent shows, but- for my own well-being. I have discovered that hula-hooping doesn't have to be a simple pastime. Hula hooping can be a workout. With some of the things Dizzy showed me, I have discovered ways I can turn it into a workout. It doesn't just have to be a cardiovascular activity. You can learn balance. You can learn some strength exercises. And if you follow the path of Dizzy, there is so much more.
So, in essence, if you don't want to go to the gym, and if you have that hula-hooping talent within ya; which, if you are a Hardy, then, you got it; then, I encourage you all to grab a hula-hoop. Put on some music. And just hoop it up. Hula-hooping doesn't have to be confined to a contest. It doesn't have to merely propagate pastimes. It doesn't have to be a fond memory of walking like an egyptian in front of a few hundred people in Michigan. Instead, it can be much more. You can hula-hoop your way to a healthy life.
And, then, perhaps one day, you can do at least one hula-hoop trick that Dizzy Hips can do. I know I want to.
Sometimes I get so down on myself for little mistakes that I make. It is comforting to see someone that had honestly hit rock bottom and was able to come out of it through the atoning sacrifice of the savior. There is hope for everyone, no matter what mistakes we make, to feel clean again through our saviors sacrifice. That is ultimately where happiness comes from is when we are consistently trying our best to stay clean and pure in the saviors eyes. This is done through making repentance a daily act. I have come to find that repentance is a blessing rather than a burden. Growing up I always felt that having to repent all of the time made me a bad person. That is how satan wants us to see it. Heavenly Father knew we would feel guilt when we made mistakes. That is why he sent his son for us so that we could feel relief from that guilt. Anyone can feel this if we humbly repent, desire to change, and are trying our best. I love you guys and hope this video touches someone in the way that it impacted me. Love and miss you all.
Hi everyone in this blog. I don't read books for the book club. . . aside from the MCAT prep materials I've been wandering through lately. And I didn't watch a Mormon video to share about, but I thought I'd take a moment to say thank you for all the prayers sent my way during a very difficult time dealing with a throat issue. It is starting to feel better and I'm happy to think I'm on the mend. So glad I didn't have to go to the hospital . . . especially without health insurance. Again thank you family for all the prayers. I love you all and Brittni and I miss you all too. Love, Bryce.
I love the Mormon Messages and the Bible videos; so picking just one was hard for me. This message from Elder Bednar is one of my favorite talks from him. I find myself, all too often, wasting time on Facebook, listening to talk radio, or looking at political news online and ignoring the needs of my family. I find myself doing those things instead of more important things like reading my scriptures. And I can't forget my son's love of the Wii, which we are trying to temper. I love the two questions that Elder Bednar asks.
1. Does technology invite or impede the Holy Ghost?
2. Does it enlarge or restrict your capacity to live, to love, and to serve?
How many times during a day will I be texting and one of my children will take the phone away from me? They recognize it as something that is taking me away from them. Or I will be on the computer and Pratt will hop up on my lap because he wants to be with me and participate with what I am doing. I can't notice the feelings of the Spirit when I have the radio blaring in the background.
I definitely have found good in the technology of today. I love seeing what family and friends are up to. It is a great way to keep in touch. However, I find myself Facebook stalking instead of actually interacting with friends and family. I know that as I pull myself out of the vacuum of technology and use it in a more structured and moderate way, I will feel closer to my family and the Spirit. I don't want to miss the little moments with my children. And I want to be closer to the Lord. I love the last line...that meeting with our Heavenly Father will be a real and not a virtual experience. Preparing for that reality is the most important.
Pratt & I enjoy the new Bible Videos a lot. I love this video. I love seeing the visual interpretation of body gesture, intonation, and subtle cues that help me "feel" the way these individuals did. When I watch this one alone I can even cry...and I'm an emotionally constipated personality type :-)
I love how John the Baptist, a man with a solid testimony, who knew his mission, who was related to the Savior, is still just another normal guy baptizing those who wanted to make the covenant. But when he sees Jesus, his cousin, walking towards him in the water, he stands stunned, timid, unbelieving, and unsure. His voice quivers as his first words are "I have need to be baptized of thee...Comest thou to me?"
My take-aways:
Even the most awesome can be humbled at a task given them. John did not know if he was right for the job. I've felt that :-)
When something in our life has become routine it is possible for events to bring us back to the magnitude of their importance. John had baptized many, and I'm sure he never took it lightly, but still he had a moment of reconnection with it's purpose when even Jesus came to him for it. Does walking into church while holding my sons hand have significance beyond what I feel? Can I reconnect with the magnitude of what I do as a husband, father, and priesthood holder?
Obedience really is simple, and pure elation can come from simple obedience. John sees a man wanting baptism, who he's convinced he should be baptized by, but for going ahead himself and performing just one more baptism, despite his doubts, he experiences an awesome outpouring of Heavenly Father's approval.
That's just the beginning, but I'm getting longwinded. Hope you all enjoy this clip as much as I!
Recently someone told me that I like to create moments. I think that's true. I think moments are important to me...Having Charlie run into my arms with the biggest smile on his face, having girls night out during Priesthood session(with Stashernaeena Salon), watching dad play with mom's hair and cuddle with her, holding bridget for the first time when she was only a few hours old, doing a treasure hunt with Pratt, choreographing with Serena (several months pregnant) and seeing her in her element,doing a treasure hunt with Elijah and watch him help Charlie find the next clue, having mom hold me and tell me that "I still fit",talking on the phone with Nate, Bryce, Brit, Ryan, Meagan, Megan, seeing Tom and Serena on Sunday's and playing games, exchanging cooking recipes, and always calling Janae for directions when I'm lost, and coming home to tell mom and dad my "story of the day". There are many moments that mean a lot to me.
I know that there have been times in my life when I was too busy, too distracted, too troubled, too selfish to see what was right in front of me- a loving family that will always be there for me. Other things in my life come and go- a show, a boy, friends, and even where I live- but I know that no matter where I go, my family is always there for me. I can do better at being in touch. I need to take the time and invest more in our relationships! I'm sorry I'm not always as present in your lives as I should be. But I do think about all of you, where you are at, and what you are doing.
I think capturing moments and holding onto them is an important part to who we are. We begin to see the eternal perspective and enjoy the little time we have with one another. In a spiritual sense...this is why we go to church, are involved in our church callings, read our scriptures, go to general conference, attend the temple....to place ourselves in a position where moments can be readily available to us. There are moments in my life found in prayer, music, worship, and the peace of the spirit that I don't want to forget!
I listened to a few of the newer Mormon Messages, but the one that I always come back to as my favorite, is this special one with the background voice of James E. Faust. First, let me say that President Faust has delivered some of my favorite sermons, so it is unsurprising that I am drawn to one of his messages. I love this message, because the way society is shaped it is so easy to get distracted. With news, blogs, facebook, games, texting, etc., there is so much media. Then there is our busy lives. We want to be in a play. But we also want to join a running club. But, oh wait, how about this book club. But I also have to join another book club. There are so many things I want to be involved in.
Then there is work. And the time it consumes. And balancing that with trying to start a family. But then I am distracted because the Tigers are in the World Series. And then I am mad because the Tigers lost the World Series. And then I want to play sports to forget about the Tigers losing the World Series. Admittedly, this analysis comes off as distracted and disjointed, but in reality that is what life does to us sometimes. We live in a convenient yet complex world. We live in a time where things are simpler, yet ultimately our lives are more complicated. We live in a time where it is easy to be lazy, but we always feel busy.
So, I appreciate the words here. We need to tune into the Spirit. I love the quote, "Where is the wisdom that is lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge that is lost in information?" T.S. Elliot, albeit a usually enigmatic poet, delivered these questions beautifully. How much knowledge are we gaining from our perusals on the internet? Does our wikipedia searches really enhance our wisdom? I think these are poignant questions posed here. Are our habits inhibiting us from gaining better more in depth knowledge and wisdom? Are we leaving room for more enlightenment in our lives. I often wonder if I am a slave to the devices at my fingertips. Facebook. Liking Facebook Statuses. Browsing Facebook. Ok, I admit it, I am on Facebook a lot.
Amidst the busyness I often create for myself (or it is created for me), there are times where I recognize that spirit. Times, where I am told, "your Wife needs you, go home." "You need to make an effort to go to the temple today." "You need to answer that call from your brother Nate." "You need to write that message to that person you know is struggling." These are all distinct impressions I felt this last week. When I took a step back after watching the video, I tried to contemplate on whether I was in tune. It is important to recognize when we are following the spirit. It will give us strength. But, I also wonder, were there other whisperings I couldn't hear, because I was distracted with the World Series or Facebook or College football? Am I prioritizing the voices of the world over the voices of the Spirit? Despite all these distractions that we face, I feel comfort in knowing there is a voice out there. A voice that is a constant companion. A voice I can rely on. A voice that will guide me through sorrows, through decisions, and throughout my life. A voice that is clear, soft, sincere, and distinct from the other muffled, distorted, and distracting voices I hear daily. I am grateful for this voice. For the ephemeral, yet ever-flowing and enlightening- voice of the Spirit.
This video has special significance for me right now as I am going through one of the hardest academic challenges of my life. It helps me remember the eternal scheme of things and what I am really working for. I love the scripture quoted at the end. This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God. As I have reflected on that scripture I realized that when I go to meet God I want to look up at him with gratitude for the life he gave me including the challenges and with the confidence that I took advantage of every experience as a learning and growing experience. I want to look up at him knowing that I did my very best and that I can be pleased to know that he will be pleased with me and my efforts. It has taken the very best out of me these last few weeks not only to do all that has been required but also to keep myself focused on the things that matter most while doing it.
A few days ago I had a migraine to a degree that I don't remember experiencing before except maybe when I was in middle school in Arizona. I kept complaining and thinking poor me, but than I remembered that the Lord expects me to rejoice even in my tribulations. I told myself that I shouldn't let a migraine bring out the worst in myself but that I should seek to bring my best self to that moment. I must have passed the test because thankfully about 1 hour later the migraine almost completely subsided. I know that as we prepare ourselves to meet God by facing our challenges with faith and with rejoicing, that God will be pleased with us and we will be pleased with ourselves and know that we can return to his presence with complete confidence. I know that as we exert ourselves and remember to be watchful over the most important things that God will bless us during our mortal journey with happiness.
This video really impacted both Nathan and I. Here we are, 1,000 miles away from our families, raising 2 young boys, dealing with health issues, trying to live providently and frugally without getting into too much debt, but at the same time trying to provide for our boys and family experiences that make life wonderful, trying to earn a masters AND a phd at the same time!
Sometimes life just feels hard. It doesn't always go the way you thought it would.
But it's wonderful to know that a loving Father is not only watching over us, but is also carrying out an exact, detailed plan for us. Just as a gardner has a plan for his garden, so does Heavenly Father have a plan for our little family.
I really like how he talked about Heavenly Father's high expectations. To me, that doesn't make me feel discouraged. That makes me feel encouraged because that shows God believes I have high potential.
My first semester at BYU I had a dance teacher that was always correcting me. Every little detail was commented on. I felt discouraged with the constant "nit picking". I could tell I had more training than many of the students in the class. If I were executing the technique more clearly than they, why wouldn't they be receiving the critiques? I grew to realize, she gave me lots of fine tuned critiques because I already had a good technical foundation. And because of that I had potential. Others in my class were just starting out so their critiques were more simple and not as frequent as they worked to get the basics. I grew a lot technically and it was a great starting semester to earning my degree in dance.
I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father that wants us to reach our potential. I have been through so much with my stomach health problems. But I've sure learned a lot, my learning has far outweighed the pain.
