{rainy day}

Today is a yucky rainy day in Houston. It makes me want to stop at the store on my way back from the gym later to get the ingredients for this.

In the mean time, I've been thinking about chores lately. My twins turn 4 this summer and will *hopefully* be starting Pre-K 4 at a new school. We've always considered where they are now more of a daycare. They'll have to be there by 7:30 am! Eek! Lately I've been dropping them off closer to 8:30... or 8:45.

Speaking of late drop-offs, today was really bad because my son was up all night throwing up, but no fever. So I kept them later this morning to make sure he kept his breakfast down. I can't believe I still woke up to do Yoga X this morning! I might have to do these this afternoon to make it through the day!!

I have been doing good with my New Year's resolution to get in shape, workout-wise, but the eating has been a struggle. Down 2 lbs since New Years, but it's been slow. If I can get out in this rain, I plan on heading to the gym for some treadmill time this afternoon. I LOVE this blog on slow runners. I am very slow. Very.

I hope you have better weather wherever you are! Any tips on chore charts for the preschool crowd?

Image from here

{ mountain pose }

Mountain Pose happens to be how I start almost all of my at home asana practices (and in the interest of keeping it REAL people, this is what my home practice usually looks like - above). Mountain Pose also happens to be the name of an a.m.a.z.i.n.g NEW yoga + wellness festival happening the second weekend in July at Copper Mountain in Summit County, Colorado. Friends...who wants to meet me there? I'm heading in on Friday mid-day to attend yoga classes ALL day long and then drumroll please...Friday night's session is the ONE, the ONLY, KRIS CARR. I literally cannot wait to see her. So, who's in with me?

{ back to the mat }

LOOK at my new, amazing yoga mat that Tracie sent to ME! Tracie had LobotoME's Mantra Poster image made into a custom yoga mat for ME from Yogamatic (who I've waxed poetic about before)!

Thank you so much Tracie - its hard to imagine loving my yoga practice anymore than I already do, but with this mat, it is amazing...when my mind starts to wander to things beyond my yoga practice or my breathing, I look down and I read "Breathe." When I start to think about all of the things I should be doing instead of spending 75 minutes in a yoga class, I look down and read "practice self-care." When I start to think about all of the things there are to worry about, I look down and I read "energy flows where attention goes." And at the end of my practice I meditate on "my life is an incredible opportunity to laugh, love and play."

Thank you Tracie for brightening up my world! This is just what I needed this week...

{ heal soon nie nie }

Here is Stephanie's custom yoga mat from the {get your yoga ON giveaway}! We hope she gets better soon so she can use it! It turned out beautifully...

I want to thank Karen at Yogamatic for all of her help with this as well as all of the fine folks at Yogamatic for generously donating a custom mat. I hope you will all consider purchasing a mat from them in the future. Don't you all want one with your kids on it? I LOVE it! I'd also like to thank Wendy {Blue Lily Photography} for sharing with ME one of the beuatiful photos she took of the Nielson children last fall.

Get your yoga mats out and do a few poses for Stephanie...send healing thoughts & good energy vibes her way!

{ get your YOGA on giveaway }

photo credit: WholeLiving.com

Another Monday, another FAB giveaway - This week we are giving away tons of Yoga goodies! Over $300 in fact! 7 of you will win one of the following...

Grand Prize - First up is a custom yoga mat from Yogamatics and a Yoga for Athletes DVD!
You can pick from one of the many uber-cool designs (limited edition) on their site or upload your own photo or image to create your own, truly unique yoga mat! These go for $85 plus s/h. Could be yours for FREE. Here is one of my favorites and I am thinking about getting one with the LobotoME Mantra image on it! I've been testing one out for the past week and it is great...it is amazing to be able to look down at an image that is peaceful, inspirational, etc. during your practice and not just a boring mat. The mats are durable, non-slippery and no one will have one like it at your yoga class (guaranteed)!


1 Runner Up Prize: The 2nd name drawn will receive a gift certificate for a pair of Even Keel Yoga Shorts. Perfect for yoga, running & the gym! I wore a pair this past weekend for traveling, yoga, an evening run and even pj's - they are so soft & comfy! Even Keel gear is a must add to your workout gear!


4 Runner Up Prizes: To help get you into your yoga groove, I am giving away 4 Yoga For Athletes DVDs from the amazing Kimberly Fowler. Check out Kimberly's new blog at I Yoga Life too! This is my favorite at home yoga DVD and I can't wait to take a class from her in person someday! A former attorney, cancer survivor, triathlete, yoga teacher & NIKE spokesperson, her yoga video filmed inside her Venice, CA studio is great!

Runner Up Prize: One lucky commenter will receive a new copy of Hip Tranquil Chick. One of my favorite yoga books on how to live a yogi lifestyle ON & OFF the yoga mat (without moving to an ashram). Kimberly Wilson is a great yoga teacher, author, clothing & jewelry designer, blogger & more. Check out her site here.


Grand prize: Custom Yogamatics Yoga Mat & a Yoga for Athletes DVD! (Over $110)
1st Runner Up Prize: A pair of Even Keel Yoga Shorts ($40)
Runner Up Prizes: 4 Yoga for Athletes DVD by Kimberly Fowler ($24.95 each)
Runner Up Prize: 1 Hip Tranquil Chick Book by Kimberly Wilson ($16.95)

To register to win, leave ME a comment with why you need to get your Yoga ON. To get 2 additional {entries} subscribe to my FEED in the upper right hand corner of the blog (and let me know if you did are already are in the comments). I will chose the winners on Friday, August 29th at 9am MST. {note: extended one week}!

{ sacred space }

"You must have a room or a certain hour of the day or so where you do not know what is in the morning paper. A place where you can simply experience and bring forth what you are and what you might be. At first you may think nothing is happening. But if you have a sacred space and take advantage of it and use it everyday, something will happen. Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again." - Joseph Campbell.

I think it's important for everyone to have a place in their homes where they can go to sit, drink a cup of tea, practice yoga, meditate, read or relax. This is the space I created on one end of Sam's playroom. She practices yoga a lot with me there and helped me decorate it (note the flags).

Here are some tips on how to create a sacred space at home here, here and here.

{ give your weekend a good, calm start }

With this yoga routine.

{ 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.

{ 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}

{ do it MYself }

Daily Dose of ME:

Had a great day with the fam - Got a lot of little projects down around the house and a big project (I turned a closet in Sam's playroom into a little "house" for her...took off the doors, moved in her play kitchen, etc. It is adorbable..I will post pictures tomorrow). GO ROCKIES!!


Daily Dose of Fun:

Thinking of getting this book for moi - D.I.Y. Kids. (I figure if it features craft ideas that a 7 year old can do, I might be able to tackle some of them too!) Like these felt birdies -candidates for my first ever sewing project...














Daily Dose of Sanity:

Relax - Spend a few moments this evening disengaging from the busyness of the weekend by sitting quietly with your eyes closed for 5 minutes while you breathe slowly and deeply.


Daily Brain Buzz: Outblush.com diggin' the Brainiac note pads.