{ help ME }

Hey all of you Canadian readers that live near a Lululemon store. I NEED this bloom gym bag in the floral print. If you can find one for me, I'll pay for it plus shipping across the border plus send you all 4 of the new (soon to be released) lobotoME notepads!

{ national stationery show }

countdown: 18 days

Come visit us at the National Stationary Show May 18-21 in NYC! Booth #: 3867

{ mother's day gift ideas }

Hallmark storytelling books

Cleaning belt

momME planner (couldn't resist adding this in )

and check out:
Etsy's mothers day showcase items
photojojo's gift guide
and poppytalks mothers day gift guide

{ superHERO }

In sticking with the disneyland theme....Here is a great article from Gabby Reece's website about how to be a superhero in your own life. Here's an excerpt.

You are your hero. Think it, feel it, and believe it. Start living it. Don't abuse yourself or your hero body. Make the time to exercise and get your hero body in the best shape it can be. Put food in your tank that's going to enhance your hero self. I'm telling you, if you start living this way, you'll begin to feel better on all levels - physically, emotionally, and spiritually. And sure, look around and celebrate the gifts of the heroes around you, but be sure to put energy into yourself. After all, one of the few things we can control is whether we move and what we put in our mouths.

{And here is an awesome Superhero necklace too!}

{ priceless }

Airfare: $ 534.00
Hotel: $337.00
Shuttle: $76.00
Park passes: $300.00
Crappy food in park: $50.00
Bottled h20 in park: $4.00 each
6 princess figurines & glow in the dark magic wand: $23.95
Poolside cocktails after long days at disneyland: $17.00

The look on Sam's face upon seeing disneyland for the first time....PRICELESS.

More on our trip to disneyland later this week - trying to get unpacked & re-nested (my favorite thing to do after getting back home), catch up on laundry, catch up on emails & work. Suffice to say, Sam had a blast & Will and I survived! ;-)

{ off to you know where }

I'll be back blogging on Monday - with mothers day gift ideas, how to make sure your kids don't become couch potatoes, eco-friendly biz tips AND....drumroll please....a sneak peek at LobotoME's new notepads debuting at NSS (Booth #: 3867) in a few weeks!

{ road trips }

Introducing our new to us, but gently used by another family, home away from home. It's like camping, only being able to sleep in a bed (and use a shower, and a toilet, and a refrigerator). Okay, so it's like luxery camping (just my style). First desired stops: Buena Vista, CO (to pick it up); Arch Canyon in Utah with Julie & her family (they have a camper and have been super adventurous campers with their 4 year old son (Sam's buddy) and 2, 1 year old twins - I figure if they can do it so can we!); La Sal Mountains near Moab, Utah; and a fall road trip to one of my favorite places in the world, Zion National Park. Check craigslist for a used pop up camper near you (tons of great deals - found a lot we liked in California).

This surely will help us hit all the states. Download the cute map above courtesy of Freshie&Zero found via Sk*rt.

{ happy earth day & PA primary day }

cute image via Midwest Modern Girl.

Today, 2 very important events are taking place - Earth Day & PA Primary Day { VOTE }! We are going to spend as much time outside as we possibly can and we are going to clean up trash along our road...and then watch the election coverage unfold tonight. This is the only Earth we’ve got, let’s give her a lot of love {and elect someone who will give a darn}. For more information about Earth Day, visit Earth Day 2008.

Here are some great tips on ways you can celebrate Earth Day as a family via Crunchy Domestic Goddess.

• Plan a meal made only of local, organic foods - Use this as an opportunity to talk with your kids about where your food comes from.
• Plant a tree, a bush, a garden or even some herbs or flowers in a pot.
• Spend some time outside - on a hike, a walk, at the park - enjoying each other’s company, appreciating nature, and picking up any garbage you see
• Designate an “Earth Hour” every week where you turn off your lights in the evening for one hour to save electricity
• Encourage your kids to round up some of their toys or clothing they’ve outgrown and donate them to a local charity
• Visit a local charity or thrift store to see how items you no longer use can benefit others
• Take your kids to a local recycling center to see where all of the bottles, cans, newspapers, etc. go
• Print out an Earth Day coloring/activities book for your children and work on it together
• Take a trip to the library and check out some books related to nature - endangered species, water, plants and flowers, etc. - or books specifically about Earth Day
• Talk with your kids about water consumption and how turning off the water while brushing teeth helps conserve it. Encourage all family members to take shorter showers or consider filling up baths with a little less water.
• Change your incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs to conserve energy and encourage the kids to turn off lights/TV when they aren’t in use

And here are 2 great Obama videos! Donate! Vote! Get involved!

This one & this one.

{ 12 ways to stay on top of stress }

So, it's 12:40am on Monday and I am wide awake working - not good - but I have a to do list a mile & a half long and need to get through some of it (put most of it off all weekend to have fun with the family). Came across this good advice that I think I will need this week...

This article is from Gabby Reese's website, Go To Gabby and contains wonderful advice on ways to stay stress free. I think it is a great way to start the week with these tips in mind! I think this is a fabulous article so I've posted it all here so you don't miss it and so you can go back to it again and again.

Here it is...

You know how you have those weeks (or maybe months or years) that just seem to be loaded with stress? I know it's all relative -- one person's stress is another's holiday. People with two children think having just one child is a piece of cake, and so on. I've had one of those weeks -- I've been on the road a lot and dealing with an injury, work hasn't been going my way, and my three-year-old has been possessed by an alien. And I'm not talking about a friendly alien that wants to know what this planet is all about -- no, I am talking about someone who wants to launch a full-scale assault, but only in public places. To be honest, this stress has even made it more challenging to relate to my husband in a free-and-easy "girlie" way. I've had more tones of "wife" in my voice during this past week than I've had in my entire 11-year relationship.

It takes a million years for one gene to change in our bodies. One million years! I'm bringing this up because, physiologically, we're the same humans we were 300 years ago. But look at how things have changed in that short time. Some things make life easier now: washers and dryers, transportation, abundance of food, electricity, etc. But some things make life today more insane: cell phones, traffic, increased population, fake food, TV, busy schedules. I heard a statistic from a doctor-friend that we make more decisions in one day than people used to make in a year. No wonder we're stressed out and reaching for doughnuts or alcohol to cope.

All this craziness and high-speed living isn't going away. Since we can't change our genes, we have to create a map to navigate this crazy life. What can you do to try and stay on top of the stress so it doesn't affect your health, happiness, or waistline?

1. Exercise. Amen for endorphins. Believe me, they've helped me many days with my perspective. If you have to work out, then go take a brisk walk and get that blood flowing. It isn't about working out to lose weight -- it's about being healthy and staying sane.
   
   
2. Eat the real stuff. Crappy food (fast, processed, and loaded with sugar) doesn't help your chemical brain and body handle stress. Living food, real food, helps support your mind and body while it's trying to deal with the million things coming its way. Every time I reach for the chocolate, I'm looking to feel something from it. Don't get me wrong -- if it's just a little here and there because I enjoy the taste of it, great. But if I'm using it the minute I feel overwhelmed, then that's when that food is no longer OK to eat. It doesn't make the problem go away, and then I just feel bad about eating the food to pacify myself. Grab green food instead. Put things in your mouth that are going to support your immune function and keep you levelheaded.
   
   
3. Notice. Try not to let the stress overtake you. Recognize the situations that cause the stress and notice them coming your way. You have a better shot at fending off the full effects of the stress when you can anticipate it.
   
   
4. Get it off your chest. Talk to a friend or partner about the stress. Sometimes just getting it off your chest can help unload some of the burden.
5. Keep your sense of humor. If you do have the chance to talk about it, try to see the irony and humor in the wacky bits. I think someone is dead in the water once they lose their sense of humor.
   
   
6. Stay grateful. My daughter has large lungs and verbal skills she likes to display. Just when I start to wishfully think about her being quiet, I remind myself to be grateful that she can talk to me at all. In almost all of our problems are boatloads of blessings. "Oh, I don't feel like going to the gym." Well, Amen that you have the means and the health to even be able to wrestle with the idea of going to work out. Make a habit of saying thank you. You will notice the sunny spots a lot more often, and not just the gray skies and storms.
   
   
7. Ask, "What's the hurry?" Have some fun. We're always so busy going somewhere, we miss just enjoying the moment. If an opportunity comes your way to do something fun, take it.
   
   
8. Take a deep breath. When you feel the stress getting to you, take a moment. Get away, even if it's just for an hour, to be with yourself and your thoughts. Some people like to take a walk, meditate, lock themselves away in a beautiful bath, or go to church. Find the peace and the silence.
   
   
9. Keep it simple. Simplify where you can. Does Junior really need to be in 78 activities at the age of 5? Do you have to go to every little party or gathering you're invited to?
   
   
10. Turn of the TV. A lot of it is bad news anyway, and it robs us of hours that we could use to be getting other things done. Since everyone complains that they have no time, get some by unplugging from the tube.
    
    
11. Sleep. If you're rested, you have a better shot at handling things. Not to mention, you may not stress out as easily if you have a chance to recover at night.
    
    
12. Drink water. I have said it before: Americans consume 21 percent of their calories through liquid consumption. Hydrate with water. Help you entire system function better just by drinking enough water. Oh, and by the way, if you don't think that weight loss and proper hydration have a relationship, think again. Shift the paradigm on its side -- don't think about exercise and nutritional eating just as something you have to suffer through to get into those jeans. Instead, think of them as armor that will protect you in this crazy world, with all of the bazillion details you deal with every day.

{ bday party recap }

This is what happens when you give a child sugar who doesn't get it very often.



Luckily they had plenty of opportunity to "burn it off" since we held it at the local gymnastics center.

{ happy 115th birthday edna! }

This woman turns 115 today! Some good genes, eh?
A widow since her husband, Earl, died in 1938 of a heart attack, she lived alone in their farmhouse until age 100 when she moved in with her son. Most of us aren't going to have 115 years on this planet- so what are you doing today to truly LIVE life to its fullest?

{ FUN }

Okay, so I know I posted this morning about living more fully with less stuff...But I had to make the 1.15 hour trip to Target today for supplies for Sam's super duper late birthday party on Saturday (long story short the gymnastics center where we wanted to have it was booked out way far in advance). So her party with her friends is on Saturday (only 21 days late)!

Anyway, found the adorable bag above on sale for $11.99.


Found some cute eco friendly journals and file folders for my office.

And got this book - will let you know what I think when I get around to reading it.

And, hello, dollar aisle at Target - princess crowns; wildflower seeds; magnets; arts supplies & cute journals. It really is a good thing there isn't a Target in my town because I would have a difficult time not accumulating stuff we don't need! :-)

This weekend I am going to do some spring cleaning (not fun); Sam's bday party festivities (FUN), devouring my new issue of Cookie Magazine (FUN); organizing LobotoME files (FUN); a bike ride with my friend Jamie (FUN); and catching up on accounting (not fun). Hope you all have a great weekend! Don't forget to build in some time for YOU, FUN, and PLAY!

ps - here is a great post about wholesome food & dinnertime family rituals on Mariel Hemingway's blog. hope it helps continue to inspire all of you to feed yourselves & your family good, organic, non-processed, healthy food.

{ live more FULLY with LESS }

I Tivo Oprah everyday and then when I have time I watch ones that are of interest to ME. I watched yesterdays episode last night after Sam was in bed. It was about shifting habits at home to waste less (to waste less energy, to waste less food, to waste less time on things that don't matter, etc.) and by doing that not only not waste money but gain back family time.

One of the families that participated in Oprah's experiment said, "I realized that we waste way too much time and money on unnecessary things," Kriss says. "I would just like to go back to basics, and maybe we will all learn how to talk again." Her 5 year old son was playing up to 5 hours a day on his video game! Her daughter had her TV on in her bedroom all the time. They weren't spending anytime together. Their honest approach to this process was refreshing in that they candidly admitted these things on national television. So Oprah gave them a challenge of no video or computer games for a week; only one hour of television a day per family, no eating out, no buying anything new, except food. They did great. After 3 days of their son going through immense withdrawl and being angry about not being able to play his video games, they found that the kids were playing together, reading together, drawing, playing together. Family time after dinner, instead of watching TV, was centered around going for bike rides, playing games together or just TALKING. After a week of this "experiment" and continuing on with many of the things to date, Kriss, says that she "gained her family back."

Want to try this experiment with your own family and take Oprah's Live with Less challenge, click here.

Here's where we are at with the things in this challenge:
We already use our Sigg Water Bottles. Remember to bring on road trips so we don't have to buy plastic water bottles at gas stations. Delight.com has some cute ones.
Turn down the thermostats to 69 degrees. done.
Got back out the clothes drying rack. Try to avoid using the dryer as much.
Aim for 5-8 minute showers - need to put a kitchen timer in the bathroom because I think we all go over that sometimes.
Turn off the lights, unplug the stuff we don't use. We replaced all of our lightbulbs with energy efficient ones, but that doesn't mean we get to leave them on when we leave a room! Be better about this!
I know for one, we are going to try to stick to the 1 hour of TV a day that we allow Sam (and one movie on the weekend). There are days she watches more than that. We've got to stop using the TV as a babysitter when we get busy. Now Will & I just need to follow this rule too (I wonder where the news (dreadful as it is to watch these days and NetFlix movies need to fall into this spectrum? lol). Maybe pick one show a night and save the movies for the weekends? I wish I had the gumption to just get rid of the TV all together. Maybe get rid of cable?
Now that spring has finally arrived here in Colorado and it is lighter out later, we've been either taking a family walk or hike or going to swim at the rec center after dinner each night.
I have been good about meal planning so I am only going to the store once a week and trying to use what I already might have in the freezer or pantry when making meals, but admit I am not good about eating leftovers (thank goodness Will will eat anything).
Reduce garbage - increase recycling. I really need to buy a composter for the kitchen - a cute one.
I am continuing to work on not bringing things into this house we don't NEED and getting rid of stuff we don't use. DE-CLUTTERING. My new favorite thing to do. I have 3 boxes in the laundry room at all times - one to give to friends (Sam's clothes, my clothes that I know will fit a friend and they will like, etc); one to donate to goodwill and one to sell on Ebay. I listed stuff on ebay last week that was just sitting in my closet untouched and made $600 (that pays for our hotel room & disneyland tickets!) It didn't take more than 2 hrs total to list & ship those items. I encourage you all to go through your closets this weekend - give away clothes that you or your kids no longer wear, list unique or in good condition items on ebay (my rule of thumb is that if I can't get $20 at least from an item it isn't worth my time to list it, thus it goes in the to donate pile).
They say it takes 30 days to create a habit, I imagine it takes at least 30 days to break bad habits at home. This weekend is a great time to sit down with the family and start the challenge. Let me know how YOU & your family are doing on this challenge and see if you can extend it past the 7 days.

{ a whole lot of YUCK }

Spent yesterday at Sam's school volunteering for their Health & Nutrition Week - I taught yoga to the kids & teachers and had lunch with them. The kids lunches made me CRINGE. See above photo of one little boy's lunch.

Contents of gross lunch #1:
1 cup of leftover mac & cheese - 8 grams of sugar
1 package of Yogo's (yogurt covered something) - 15 grams of sugar
1 box of Hi-C juice - 32 grams of sugar
1 Go-Gurt smoothie thing - 20 grams of sugar
1 peanut butter granola bar - 11 grams of sugar
1 lime jello fruit snack thing - 14 grams of sugar
Grand Total: 100 grams of SUGAR!

I don't mean this to be MEAN, but seriously, we wonder why Type II diabetes among kids is on the rise; we wonder why kids are hyper and prescribed ADHD meds; we wonder why kids are overweight....? We need look no further than the food that they are consuming!! I try to give parents the benefit of the doubt that they are doing the best they can, but can't we do BETTER than this!?!?! Afterall, the kids can't go grocery shopping for themselves.

In contrast, here's what was in Sam's lunch (see photo below). Note: This lunch took ME about 2 minutes to prepare.
1/2 sandwich - multi-grain, sprouted bread; turkey; provolone cheese; avacado; tomato and a bit of veganaise
1/2 cup of edamame beans & some baby carrots
1/2 cup of fresh, organic strawberries
1 bottle of filtered water

Here is a picture of Sam & I teaching the kids yoga.

{ BUY it }

don't just rent it, BUY it. you will want to own this little gem of a movie forever. it warms my heart just thinking about it.

{ the travel BUG }

I've got it bad. I want out of the office and out of work and to be on the ROAD for an ADVENTURE. Timing for this feeling isn't great as our busy race season just started and the NSS Tradeshow is about a month away. But we have been talking about our next trip (I know what you are all thinking - you travel all the time but trips for races, scouting for races, work, visiting family and weddings in the region just DON'T COUNT!)

This blog about a family of 4 who left their jobs, sold their house, etc. and who are traveling the world for over a year, hasn't helped me focus on work. I mean, if they can do it, we could too, right? Unfortunately, we didn't follow Tim Ferris's advice and build businesses that can be run by other people. Sure, we could hire people and train them and hope for the best but Gravity Play Sports is Will's baby - he's the guy behind the course design, permits, everything. Could he really leave it for a year in the hands of someone else? Plus, could I REALLY be gone for a YEAR? Away from my family & friends? I like to think I could but I don't know if I could do it.

The longest we've been away from home at one time is 3 1/2 weeks - when we did a road trip to Lake Powell, Zion National Park, Yosemite, etc. & back and we've spent 3 weeks in Mexico, 3 weeks rafting the Grand Canyon and 2 1/2 weeks in Costa Rica, etc. So to make the jump from 3 weeks AWAY at any given time to 52 weeks is a LOT of jumpin'.

We want to show Sam the world; we want her to grow up with a understanding of the global nature of all things - the environment, the economy, etc. and to help her develop a true sense of responsibility, empathy for those less fortunate in the world, and wanderlust! So, we've been talking about a trial run - wrap up post race season stuff in October; visit family; train someone to "oversee" our businesses and hire a house/dog sitter and spend the month of November in Australia or New Zealand (Will wants Australia- he used to live there and is dying to show ME all around that country but we've both never been to New Zealand so that could be a really fun, new adventure.) Sam would love either I'm sure (as long as there is a beach). That's our tentative plan but we need to get our act together soon if we are going to make it happen this year.

So, I ask all of YOU, what are your travel or road trip plans this summer or this year? I know there are some of you who haven't taken a vacation in years - waiting for the jobs to slow down or the kids to get older, retirement, etc....Time to get on the plane folks. Life is short! Carpe Diem! Share with ME your travel plans, goals or aspirations and I'll send my fav post a Pack ME pad and some other travel goodies!
Hi all ~ Yes, I think traveling/adventure can take many forms - it can be having a picnic in a park near your house; a family weekend camping trip a few hours away, a solo trip for a 40th birthday celebration, or a month long adventure with your family in a new place learning about a new culture. You are all right on with your plans/thoughts/ideas on this. Debbie - really like your advice about saving $ each month for that big trip. We all spend money on things that we don't need - what if we spend wisely over the course of the next year and save money for travel & adventure? What if we put a higher priority/value on that then on stuff we don't need from Target? Try it and let me know how it goes! ps - the winner of this post is Denise/dsmoms! Denise - email me your mailing address and I will get your travel bug prize package in the mail to you - LobotoME pack ME packing list, greenroom passport notebook, Kids road atlas & activities, receipt file, travel mouse doodle pad & more!

ps - a great post on how to travel the world with or without kids in 2008!

pps - my new suitcase from Pier 1.

"Time is not money. Time is the opportunity to live before you die."
(From "The Joy of Walking")

{ missing in cyberspace... }

A few of you have told ME you've posted comments to my blog lately but they have never appeared on the post....hmmm....I had it set up where it emailed me everytime someone posted a comment and then I hit "publish," but obviously some of them didn't make it to ME. I apologize - I publish everyones comments (good or bad) with the exception of the SPAM. So if you've sent comments along and they haven't appeared, please try again & don't hesitate to email ME if they don't appear right away! Thanks again for reading my blog!

{ live young...follow up }

Here are the answers to some of the questions that you sent in.

Does your husband take the same vitamins/supplements as you? Will takes Fish Oil Pills each evening and uses some of the Health-FX products when racing or training but he isn't as supplement obsessed as I am. :-)

Do you give your daughter vitamins? Yes, Samme takes 2 Animal Parade Kids Greenz vitamins each morning and a glass of PowerC (vitamin C drink, no sugar). I don't see the Power C on their website yet but you can try calling HealthFX at 505.310.2454 and see if you can order it over the phone.

Do you work out everyday? How do you find the motivation? Yes, it is super hard for me to get motivated some days to workout (especially in the winter). But, I write it down, I plan it and I do it. If I skip a day, I try to get back on track the next day. I aim for at least 5 days a week. But I'm not perfect.

Can I lose weight doing yoga? Not an expert in this arena folks but I do think yoga is a great mind-body workout. That said, Power Yoga or Hot Yoga kicks my butt - I sweat, my heart rate gets up and I am sore for 2 days. I tend to do more Hatha (or gentle style) yoga classes for the MIND portion of it and focus on other cardio activities for my workouts - hiking, biking, etc.
So, the short answer is maybe. But most likely it will help if you combine it with healthy eating and cardio as well.

What is your favorite workout? Hiking; road or mountain biking; swimming & yoga are my favorites. Running is my least favorite but I still try to do it a few times a week. I am a SLOW runner though!

Are you the weight you want to be? This is a tricky question. To my daughter I would answer yes - I am strong & healthy & cancer-free. To my SELF I answer not quite - I would like to lose about 5-8 lbs & get more toned. But I don't weigh myself and I don't talk about my weight in front of Sam. I emphasize with her the importance of getting fresh air outside, getting exercise to keep our hearts healthy, doing yoga to be flexible and calm, etc. Additionally we have plenty of fresh, healthy food in our house and we can eat as much of that as we want/need.

What sneakers/workout clothes do you recommend? I love my Salomon XT Wings sneakers but wear whatever feels best on you. Love clothes from Lululemon, Athleta, Lucy & Title Nine Sports for working out.

Do you drink alcohol? Yes - I usually have 1-2 glasses of red wine per week at dinner or a beer. I love Tequila (peanut gallery - Lisa, Shane, etc. NO COMMENTS ON THIS) and will splurge on margaritas sometimes!

Thanks for your questions ~ hope these answers help!

{ happy birthday mikey }

My little brother turns 30 today! Thank you for being such a wonderful brother and a great Uncle to Sam! Happy Birthday Mikey!

{ week of the young child }

This week(13th-19th) is the "Week of the Young Child" - as if every week shouldn't be all about them. Nevertheless, a good reminder to have FUN with your kids this week. The best part of having kids is feeling young - join in the laughter, imaginary play, goofiness, dress up, hide & seek and kisses. Explore the wonder & innocence still so available in their spirits. Plan something fun, new or different to do with them this week & schedule a time to volunteer at your child's school. Appreciate the JOY they bring to the world.

{ GO grab your weights ladies... }

From Lea-Ann, hot mama of 2 {of Health FX & The Peoples Chemist fame}, a lower body workout for YOU. Repeat 4-5 times. Check out her new blog here.

{ i think he wrote this book for ME! }

Saw this book, Crazy Busy - Overstretched, Overbooked & About to Snap...checked out the author's website (lots of good info). Here are some tips on managing modern life. Here are 2 that resonated with me on Monday morning.

Don't waste time screensucking (a modern addiction - the withdrawal of looking at a computer/BlackBerry/etc. screen):
Break the habit of having to be near your computer at all times by changing your environment or structure - move your computer to a different room; schedule an amount of time you are allowed to be on the computer; plan mandatory breaks.

Screensucking! Love this term! How easy it is to be sucked in with all of the great blogs, resources, etc. on the internet. I have been trying to just check my blog roll once a day in the morning while I am waking up and not effective at much else.

And this week's tip from his site: At the heart of making the most of life today is the ability to treasure and protect your connections to what you care most about: people, places, activities, pets, a spiritual connection, a piece of music, even objects that are dear to you. But you must not have too many connections or none will flourish. Pick the ones that matter most to you and nourish them religiously; make that your top priority in life, and you can't go wrong.

Have a great Monday everyone and remember to take time for yourself - go workout, smile & breathe!

{ rave run }

An awesome photograph of my friend Julia trail running near Moab, UT was featured in this month's Runner's World Magazine. Check it out. Thanks Julia for the inspiration to GO running today!

{ sk*rt }

Thanks Suann of the delightful blog Simple Song for posting MY { live young } post as one of the Editors Picks on Sk*rt today! It was ranked #15 most popular spot. Not that I'm counting! :-) For those of you who haven't already spent HOURS, if not days on Sk*rt, GO. Now.

{ live young...part deux }

I've had a lot of questions from people about what vitamins I take or lotion I use to stay looking young { I photo shop out my wrinkles (just kidding) and I do have to get my hair highlighted to cover the GRAY! }

Anyway, here's what I do/take each day. Let me know if you have any questions.

Vitamins/Supplements - I take quite a few. My opinion is that you never know what one vitamin might be the key to everlasting health. I avoid prescribed meds like the plague and avoid over the counter cold/flu medicines as well. I'm a big fan of many of Health-FX's products. They are a Colorado based supplement & sports nutrition company and 2 of the healthiest, fittest people I know. Shane also has a great, hilarious, say it how it is blog called the People's Chemist. I get my vitamins organized for the week and put them in these cute Muji pill containers.

First thing when I wake up I drink an e-boost drink (41,000 mg B12 - it gets me going like my previous diet coke addiction used to).
In the morning with breakfast I take:
3 Cardio FX (helps keep my blood pressure down)
1 Life FX (antioxidant & anti-aging)
1 Renew FX (increases cellular health & controls blood sugar levels)
1 Probiotic

In the evening I take:
3 Cod Liver Capsules

Diet: This is almost the same everyday except for the enchiladas & margaritas I had last night at my bday dinner! Yum!

bfast - One egg (either scrambled in coconut oil or hardboiled), half an avacado and a small cup of organic plain yogurt or banana. I hardboil a bunch of eggs over the weekend so we have those to eat if we are running late. Or I'll make a whey protein smoothie (with fresh squeezed orange juice, strawberries, bananas, blueberries, whey protein, ice). Cup of yerba matte tea or glass of Power C (a vitamin C charged drink that has no sugar).

lunch - turkey, lowfat cheese, avacado, tomato sandwich on sprouted multi-grain bread with a little bit of veganaise with a side of fresh fruit or small salad. Water with lemon & stevia.

snacks - almonds, apples, carrots, yogurt, etc.

dinner - steak, chicken or fish with brown rice & a big salad with peppers, goat cheese, almonds, cucumbers, etc. Sparkling water with root beer flavored stevia.

dessert - I'm not someone who needs sweets or chocolate everyday, but if you do, perhaps a small piece of organic dark chocolate will do the trick? I prefer to "bank" some splurge and have a guilt-free cupcake once in awhile. Or if I am craving something sweet, I'll slice up some strawberries, add a bit of water and a little bit of stevia.

how to make the switch to a healthier diet? THROW THE JUNK AWAY. Seriously, go get a garbage bag and go through your pantry & cupboards - throw away anything processed, anything with sugar (cereals, cookies, etc) right now. If it isn't in your house you can't eat it. We are human, we only have so much will power. If there are cookies in the house I will eat some. But if there aren't I won't. Don't buy the junk in the first place and if you have some in the house, throw it away. Your family will get over it. Replace that JUNK with fresh vegetables, big salads, fresh fruit (put a big bowl out on the counter with bananas & apples), etc. Plan out your meals each weekend for the following week and make one healthy shopping trip to the grocery store each week.

Exercise: Not as much as I would like although I try to do something everyday even if it is only 20 minutes of sun salutations. Movement of any kind is better than none at all. I hike, run, bike, swim, practice yoga, attend cardio sculpt class or do this exercise video. I mix it up depending on how I feel and what the weather is like outside.

how to get started or make the time? For those of you who have written who said they can't find time to exercise - I say, MAKE THE TIME! Turn off the TV or computer and go to the gym; go on a long hike with the family on the weekend; walk to work instead of driving; buy an at home exercise video and do it 3x a week. Schedule it into your organizeME planner. Post motivational pictures by your desk or on your refrigerator. I knew a 33 year old guy who was pretty fit who had a HEART ATTACK and DIED. You don't want to die do you? I've already had cancer...and certainly don't want it again, which is why I work hard to take care of my body and hope you will do the same.

Lotions, etc: Not much. I use this lotion on my face, this sunscreen, and pink covergirl lip gloss and occasionally black mascara. I use this in my hair. Less than 5 minutes and I'm good to go. I'm pretty low maintenance. Which I think is why Will still loves ME!

Sleep: Not enough. Never enough! If I could sleep for 10 hours a night I would and could. I try to go to bed by 10:30pm and I try to get up by 5:30am. Sometimes that works, sometimes it doesn't.

Here are some additional Tips from Go To Gabby about having younger looking skin.

* Leave ME a comment about what your daily healthy tips are and you might be the lucky winner of a jar of Power C & a FeedME notepad + some other goodies. The winner is Jana - Check out her cute blog here. Be sure to check out the post where she & her whole family ran a 5K (even her little boys) a few weeks ago! I'll answer some of your questions you sent about this stuff (Sam's vitamins, etc) next week in a post.

{ 32 years young }

Yup, today I turn 32! When did that happen?!? Sometimes I feel like I am still in my twenties - figuring out who I am; who I want to be. And then BAM I'm reminded that I am in my thirties - 32 years young!

I've got a perfect birthday planned - Bike ride & lunch with Will & Sam, yoga class and then a massage at the spa with my friend Jamie who has a bday tomorrow and then dinner with friends & family.

Leave me a comment and tell me how YOUNG I look and I might pick you for a fab prize package of 32 of my favorite things! Yup, I am bribing you to boost my self-esteem! :-) A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do!

* Thanks for all of your sweet comments - you know how to make a girl feel GOOD! The winner is Lovely Lindsay who almost shares the same birthday as ME! Lindsay - email me your mailing address!

{ thou shalt not covet.. }

Easier said then done when it comes to IKEA.

Oh, Ikea, why oh why can't you come to Colorado?

Because I covet
this
and this and this and this and this
and this.

{ the creative family }

It finally arrived - my pre-ordered copy of The Creative Family by Amanda Soule! I can't wait to dive into this book & projects.

In Amanda's words...
"When you learn to awaken your family's creativity, wonderful things will happen: you'll make meaningful connections with your children in large and small ways; your children will more often engage in their own creative discoveries; and your family will embrace new ways to relax, play, and grow together. With just the simple tools around you — your imagination, basic art supplies, household objects, and natural materials — you can transform your family life, and have so much more fun!"

{ zen habits }

We are back from Moab and have a mile long list of things to get done today ~ I'm hoping some of these tips will help! Check out these great articles from Zen Habits on how to:

make time for your personal goals.

execute your to do list.

how NOT to multi-task & stay more sane.

simplify your life.

{ pack ME again }

We are off to our first adventure race of the season - looking forward to a fun weekend in the desert! I go through this pad like crazy! See below post for some cool online magazines (to keep you entertained while I'm away!) I'll be back on Monday with more sanity saving tips, tricks & treats. xoxo ~

{ online magazines }

The latest delightful issue of Small Magazine is here.

Found this other great online zine called LMNOP from the talented aussies here.

Seeing the Everyday, a beautiful, new online magazine that aims to cover the "in-between" moments of parenthood. The non-events that actually make up the bulk of the act of parenting.

I just wrote an article for the May issue (not yet online) for this new magazine, called Sekund, a mag dedicated to having or wanting a second child.

Design for Mankind Inspiration E-Zine's here.

{ living your yoga - a new perspective }

A great article on a mother living her yoga...she once had a daily 2 hour yoga practice and now she "lives her yoga" all day long as a mother of 2 young children. {via Sarah/Gaia Creative}

{ mantra cards }

Due to many requests, my mantra cards & coordinating envelopes are now available for sale in my etsy shop. Set of 10 cards with 10 envelopes delightfully packaged. They will be on my LobotoME website later this spring. Perfect for birthdays, notes to friends, invites, etc. Put a little OM in someone's mailbox this spring!

{ amazing grace }

I have a small card that reads { grace } posted above my desk. Most days I think it needs to be LARGER to help fill me with more grace. But then that feels counter-intuitive to be asking a sign that reads grace for something more... It was going to be my "word" for 2008 but then that gave way to "breathe" and "you only live once" in my quest for finding more space to breathe and living more mindfully in the present. Anyway, I just came across this amazing blog, Ordinary Courage, and today the author writes about "grace." A must read. Go. Now.

{ i don't want to be 4 anymore! }

All day long Sam kept saying, "I'm 4, I'm 4!" Which (all week long) we kept telling her meant she got to sleep in her big girl bed again all night long (and not come in with us from 11pm - 7am everynight - she's a thrasher so we don't sleep very well when that happens)...anyway, last night before bedtime she brings me a pile of birthday gifts she has received and says, "I don't want to be 4 - I still want to be 3 so I can sleep with you guys. I don't want to have anymore birthdays or get older." hmmm....hadn't anticipated that, although it is what I say on my birthdays! :-)