Have you heard of the fundraising website Kickstarter? Well, here is a new and interesting concept: post artistic nude images to raise money? I can't see myself personally taking advantage, but I can see this becoming a big deal.
I'm in mourning for the loss of Picnik happening in April…but I am sure that some awesome and amazing new website will pop up to fill-in the gap. Here are a couple free photo editing sites (not nearly as complete) for you to try out: Collages? Photovisi Fun Filters? Picfull
Looking for some new ipad/iphone apps to keep the kiddos occupied? Here are ten that have good reviews.
Did you know you could win some serious real estate on my blog this week? Enter to win here!
I thought I should warn you all now, that TBB {top baby blogs} will be resetting their votes on 1.31.12. Yep, get ready for a week of posts asking for your votes. Yes I'm listed, and no, I am not going to post about the reset, but I do want to share a great non-competitive fair directory of parenting/baby/life blogs in case you'd like to escape the popularity contest.
It is always good to be reminded that the Internet is hardly a harmless place to share info…I'd like to give a shout out to this great dad for the reminder.
Today, I thought I'd share a bit of how I'm burning extra calories each day, and how you can take advantage of some excellent free workout programs.
1. Pilates: Pilates is my ninja workout strategy. In order to have better form and strength in all of your other exercises, you need to have good core muscles. Your core pulls everything else in tighter. I recently had a chance to participate in a small group Pilates class with an awesome instructor, who taught me a few tricks that have improved my pilates workouts immensely. Of course I'm going to share one with you: while you are lying on your back doing a pilates workout, imagine you have a large bowl filled with water resting between your hips/on your pelvis. If your pelvis is tilted back or forward too much, that water is going to go everywhere, your goal is to prevent that from happening. This helps you to keep your hips and pelvis in the right position to utilize your abdominal muscles fully…I was absolutely amazed at the difference this makes. I use this free Pilates video by Denise Austin on Hulu. It will work every inch of your body, targeting muscles you didn't even know you had!
2. Strength Training/Toning: A lot of women I know are afraid to do lifting, thinking that it will cause their muscles to be bulky. This just isn't true! You don't have to lift heavy weights, but adding toning/strength building workouts to your routine will give you more muscle which burns more calories at rest than fat. Did you catch that? More muscle=more calories burned with less effort. I have one set of 3 lb. hand-weights, that is it. You don't even have to have that to get started, in fact, for the first couple of weeks that I started working out, I used only my body's natural resistance, and was still sore! I try to do at least 2 sessions a week, but plan on increasing it as I get stronger. I will eventually add heavier weights when the current ones get too easy. My favorite free toning workouts are about 20 minutes each and focus on different body workouts, not to mention these ladies are in fantastic (motivating) shape: Envy Girls: Arms, Buns, Legs, Body.
3. Cardio: Cardio is the biggest challenge during the winter…mostly because my number one choice for cardio is distance running. I have to huge setbacks right now with running, first: I don't own a jogging stroller, and second: I don't run in the dark. If you are blessed with an in-home elliptical machine or treadmill…you have no excuse! Ha! Because I don't have the best opportunity for cardio, yet I have vowed no excuses this year, I had to find a solution. So, there are a couple things I do: first, the Body workout listed above by the Envy Girls is a great choice…it is a superset workout, so your heart does get pumping. I own Shawn T's Hip Hop Abs DVD
so that is one way I can get a 45 minute cardio workout done. I also count brisk walking, especially pushing my daughter in her stroller for a mile or two. A couple of other good cardio workouts I like: Self: Dance Your Way Slim, Bikini Ready, Fast! and Slim & Sleek Fast.
Another thing you can try is a basic calisthenics workout (think P.E. exercises from your school days), like this one:
One last note…I believe that exercise is very important, but I've learned that eating is even more important! So even if you can only get in 1-2 exercise sessions a week, as long as you stick to eating well, you will continue to see a loss!
**I am not a certified expert on nutrition or exercise, so please, do your homework/research, and as always consult your physician before making major lifestyle changes that include diet/exercise!**
This Week:
I'm proud of these choices:
Birthday Brownie Bites: I made chocolate fudge brownies for Jerry's birthday with applesauce and egg whites, eliminating virtually all of the fat…best part, they were DELICIOUS and still fudgy/chewy! {Okay, I admit they weren't entirely innocent, cause I added a few Reese's pieces to them! :)}
Consistent workouts: I've been really staying focused and on target with my almost daily exercise routines. I look forward to getting sweaty, and I'm starting to see my form and strength improve!
I'd like to work more on:
Water consumption: I slacked a bit this week.
Eating breakfast within the first hour of waking up, preferably before my first cup of coffee.
Doing my physical therapy exercises a minimum of once per day.
Cutting down to 1 cup of coffee a day {am I kidding myself here?}.
I totally cheated when:
I have been a little more tired so I've been chugging coffee like its beer at a frat party. I'm pretty sure chugging either is not a very healthy habit.
My One-For-One this week is: Water instead of my 2nd and 3rd cups of coffee!!
How did you do this week? I'd love to follow your success! Feel free to link up below!
I'd like to introduce you to a few more friends and sponsors for January! As I mentioned in my previous post, I asked these ladies a difficult question this month:
"If you could sit down for dinner with any three people {past, present or future?} who would you choose and why?"
I asked this question because it is the most interesting question I have ever been asked on a job interview. When I asked why the interviewer had asked me it, he explained that you can learn a lot about a person's character, interests and heart by the answer to the question. I think you will find that reading their answers with this in mind will be very insightful!
If I could have dinner with any three people, this is who I would choose: 1. My grandpa. My mom's dad specifically. He died when I was about 5. I know that he wasn't perfect, but I'm certain that we would have had a special bond if he had lived longer. I would have definitely been a grandpa's girl.
2. The band Lady Antebellum. They are one of my favorite bands to listen to. I've seen them in concert one time, and you can just tell how very talented they each are, and I would love to hear their stories (and music, duh).
3. This one I'm going to cheat a little and say I would love to have dinner with my husband!! It sounds silly, but he is in school full time and working full time. Some weeks I feel like we never see each other! We are in desperate need of a date night, and dinner would be a great place to start :)
If I could sit down to a nice dinner with any three people, I would choose my three great grandmas that I had the privilege of knowing. I grew up with them as a part of my life and all three of them passed in the past 10 years or so. I have so many fond memories of them and I wish my husband was given the chance to know them like I did. Family is so important to the both of us and I know he would have absolutely loved them. I know they would be so proud of the woman I have become and I would love to sit down and tell them all about my life...my husband, my job, and my son who will be here SOON!
If I could have dinner with 3 people I would have it with
1) My Great Great Grandmother. I've become infatuated with this woman as of lately. I've been doing a ton of family history research at the Brooklyn History Museum this year and it's been like I've re-connected with so many people (even if they are all not alive) particularly her. I bet she would have been a blast to hang out with, why wasn't I born a 100 years ago?
2) My best friend Helen who passed away 5 years ago. I miss her and wish I could tell her about everything I've done in my life, she would be proud, she "is" proud I feel.
(I didn't want to not include the lovely Nicole from Real Life Reality, but haven't received her answer just yet…so maybe you should go ask her on her blog??) :)
I'm just loving the answers to these questions!
In conclusion, here is the answer to who I'd love to sit down for dinner with now:
"My daughter Zion at age 30…It would be amazing to see a glimpse of her future self and hopefully see that she turned out okay with me as a parent, lol. I think I'd really like the chance to sit down with Jesus (and one day I will have that experience)…I don't think I would question him at all, I'd just want to be in his presence and enjoy his company…to know him more, to hear his laugh. Lastly, I'd like to sit down with my mother around the time she became pregnant with her first child, so that I could encourage her and tell her how much her daughters will love her, and to never lose touch with them."
My answers are so different than when I had that interview! {P.S. I didn't get the job…it came down to me and one other person…and it was my DREAM job, or so I thought, at the time.} :)
Hey guess what!? I added a few entry options to the giveaway!!! Wouldn't you just love more chances to win that shiny 200x300 button featured on the top right corner of my blog?! Well, here is your chance!!! Good luck!
[You need to view this post on www.baxtronlife.com in order to enter the giveaway! Thanks!]
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I'd like to introduce you to my friends and sponsors for January! This month, I asked these ladies a difficult question,
"If you could sit down for dinner with any three people {past, present or future?} who would you choose and why?"
I asked this question because it is the most interesting question I have ever been asked on a job interview. When I asked why the interviewer had asked me it, he explained that you can learn a lot about a person's character, interests and heart by the answer to the question. I think you will find that reading their answers with this in mind will be very insightful!
When Courtney asked me this question, my mind immediately went to my grandma. She died when I was 11 years old, of Lung Cancer, from second hand smoke inhalation, while working at the VA as a nurse. She was 56 years old. Since that time, there have been countless times I've wished I could see her and talk to her or have her share a bit of my life. When I graduated from high school, when I went to college in the next town over from where she and my grandpa used to live, when I got married and with the birth of each of my children. I'd also love for her to see how much her family has grown! I've longed to share these moments with her and hear her perspective on my life and the choices I've made. I miss her, and with each passing year, I wish more that I had known her for more than 11 years. She is the person I would love to have a meal with. Outside of my immediate family, she is the one that I remember most as having a good understanding of who I was and what made me tick. I treasure all my grandparents and am so thankful for the fact that I'm blessed to know them as an adult, but somehow I feel I was cheated with the time I had with my Grandma Wiley.
I know Courtney asked about three people, but honestly, other than maybe great people like Mother Theresa or Mary Magdalene (I would love to hear more about her life and her perspective and story of Jesus!) my grandma is the one I want dinner with the most! I'm so thankful that we both shared that hope in Jesus and one day, I will be able to have that dinner with her! I hope she's cooking, too!
Matt Smith. He plays the current incarnation of The Doctor on Doctor Who. I'd love to pick his head regarding his experiences on that show and others. OR David Tennant, who played the 10th Doctor on Doctor Who. He'd been a Doctor Who geek all his life. He seems fun and silly and an awesome dinner companion.
Michael Jackson. He was SO talented and larger-than-life, but he was also silly and seemed like a lot of fun to be around. I think having him at the table would keep us in stitches and also keep any awkwardness at bay.
Sarah Dessen. She's my favorite author. I want to be like her. Her books capture the heart of teens in contemporary settings (no vampires in her novels!), and what I love about her is that she is down to earth and not afraid to share her insecurities with her readers. She has no problems telling us that she wonders if she's a hack. But she isn't. She's a great author and I love her books.
1. John F. Kennedy - mainly because it'd be kinda cool to meet a president. And if I were gonna meet one, I'd want it to be him. (runners up: Bill Clinton, Barack Obama)
2. Bettie Page - because I used to be obsessed with her back in the day and her story is pretty cray!
3. Tina Fey - because she is smart, talented and most importantly, funny! I'm in the middle of reading her book, Bossypants, right now and it's high-larious!
Such different answers right!? Can't wait to share part 2!
Before I go, I thought it would be fun to share the answer that I gave during the interview:
"Madonna, because she is a pop culture icon, and I wanted to be her when I was younger. Abraham Lincoln, because of his courage to go against the popular culture and stand up for what was right. And lastly, my Grandma Kris, {she died two weeks before my train was to depart for a long overdue visit to her in California} so that I could just spend one last time enjoying her company."
My answers are different now though! :) I'll share them with you in part 2!! Hey guess what!? It's that time again!! Anybody feel like having a nice shiny 200x300 button featured on the top right corner of my blog?! Well, you can win it, by entering below!! Good luck!
so that is one way I can get a 45 minute cardio workout done. I also count brisk walking, especially pushing my daughter in her stroller for a mile or two. A couple of other good cardio workouts I like: Self: 
