Hoop Progress

I was in a huge hooping rut for months.  There was just never enough time, enough space, or enough energy to practice.  I was frustrated with my hoops (one too big to use in the house, and the other too small to learn new tricks with).  I was frustrated with myself.  I felt like I was in a complete standoff with my hoops.  I would watch videos and tutorials and just feel deflated.

 

But I'm past that now!  I've recently met a lady a few towns over who makes and sells hoops, and who is also a Hoopnotica certified instructor.  She has admitted that I am likely already too advanced for the classes she offers, but meeting another hooper who is somewhat local has given me motivation to get back into it.  I have purchased a couple of hoops from her.  Finally I have one that is in between my other two hoops in size which is perfect for me.  And I have also bought a couple of kids hoops from her (for my kids, who currently can't hoop, but who are trying.  Hey, I figured they could double as minis for me to practice my isolations with, win-win!).

 

So I'm back, and as with so many other things in life I have found that after this little hiatus I am better than I was before.  I'm learning new tricks and finding more flow.  The weather is nice so I can finally hoop outside where I have space to properly practice and not worry about hitting things or scaring Tyler with the loud bangs as my hoop flies across the dining room.  Slowly but surely I am getting better.

 

Now I need to find some people to hoop with.  It is surprising how difficult this has been.  I know a few ladies in Collingwood who do it, but haven't really connected with them.  The one I just met is about half an hour away or so, and while we had briefly talked about maybe getting together, that hasn't happened yet.  I am seriously considering posting flyers around town inviting people to join me.  We need more hula hooping in this town.

 

I've been back online too, watching hooping tutorials or just videos of some of the most amazing hoopers, trying to study their techniques and styles.  I find watching these talented people to be inspiring, but also a little depressing as they are just so fantastic that I can't even fathom being that good.  It also makes me wish I had started hooping when I was young, or at the very least had been more athletic so I wouldn't have to start from scratch now.  I wish I were stronger, more coordinated, more flexible, and had better rhythm.  I guess the good news is I know it is not to late to be all these things, it's just a slow process working exercise and practice into my schedule with a family and three kids.  But I know I will get there.  I also know that even though I'm not great, I'm still better than almost everyone I know, so that is something.

 

I'm getting pretty decent at the on the body hooping, and better at off the body stuff.  What I am finding particularly challenging are the different kinds of isolations.  I'm hoping that by working on strengthening my arms will help me master some of these moves.

 

Some of my favourite hoopers right now are Breken Rivera, Hoopalicious, Babz and Katie Emmitt.  I've watched some truly amazing videos from all of them, and I'll leave with you some now.

 

 

 

Update from the Moody Laptop

As usual I have been seriously slacking in the blogging department.  This is not helped by the fact that my laptop seems to be dying a slow and painful death.  This always happens to us, because we usually cannot afford to buy anything better than the cheapest laptop available at the time, and therefore it usually has a short life span.  This one is only three years old (and the battery itself died ages ago, it only works when plugged in).  I have a feeling it will not last much longer.  It is very temperamental and I never know when it is going to work.  Because of this, I figured that I had better write something since I don't know when the next chance I'll be able to post is.  I do have my tablet but it's not exactly great for typing long posts, so you won't catch me writing from there.  Luckily we do have another computer.  It's set up in the basement, aka the cellar, aka the dungeon, so you won't find me going down there where the house centipedes live to use it.  But we are brainstorming a way to somehow fit a mini 'office' into our living room and bring it up, so as soon as we figure out how to cram a small desk and chair into our already crowded upstairs, we'll move it.

 

It is February, and as with every other February in the history of my life I am starting to get tired of winter and feel ready for spring.  I don't mind winter, I really don't.  But it gets old around February.  Not helped by the fact that we just got buried in snow this past week.  Snow that will not likely be gone until May.  Woo hoo.  But on the upside the kids love it, and it's been great for playing in and skiing.  Yesterday I participated in the Romp to Stomp out breast cancer snowshoe walk for the second year in a row and it was amazing because of all the fresh snow.  So I guess I shouldn't complain.

 

We had the most perfect day for the Romp to Stomp and it was fantastic.  It was sunny and warm (well, warm for February).  We did the 5k walk at the Scenic Caves.  I loved it, but it seemed a lot harder than I remember from last year.  And last year I was 4 months pregnant.  I swear I'm in much better shape this year so I'm not sure why I found it so hard, but it was a good workout.  I think I should take up snowshoeing every winter, as it is a lot of fun and great exercise.  I think the kids would enjoy it, especially Tristan.  I'm thinking of trying to take him snowshoeing soon, maybe at the farm.

 

The Romp was the only exercise I got in last week (except for a bit of hooping at home here and there) because I had somehow managed to injure my shoulder.  I have no idea how it happened.  I woke up Monday morning and my shoulder hurt a lot.  I muscled through the day thinking it wasn't anything major, but around 2am Tuesday morning when I woke up to feed Lily I was in so much pain I had to go get Tylenol before going back to sleep.  When I got up that morning it had worn off and I was in much more pain, so I took some Ibuprofen.  I have been trying so hard to avoid painkillers all week but it's been so hard.  Just when I think it's getting better, it gets worse again, usually towards the end of the day.  The problem in my shoulder spread to my neck and has been affecting my arm as well.  I know it is related and aggravated by carrying Lily around on my left side.  My hip has been hurting as well.  My whole left side is a mess.  Now my shoulder seems better, but my neck has been in a lot of pain and very stiff.  If it's not one thing it's another.

 

I also got a cold last week.  It's been mild, but combined with my shoulder/neck issues it's been a rough week.  Plus Lily hasn't been sleeping well so I'm tired.  Plus Tyler has been working extra long hours trying to get work done before the rented equipment has to go back, so he has not been around.  Plus he is also sick, and his gut problems are flaring up, and he is tired and cranky, and spends all day huffing and puffing.  He still works hard and helps out, but I am annoyed.  Annoyed because just for once, I would like to get sick and/or injured on my own, and not have to 'share' the misery with someone else.  Seems like whenever I'm ill (which is rare), Tyler has it worse and then it's all boo hoo for him and no sympathy for me.  Bah!  I'm just being a complainer though.

 

Ranting aside, I do spend most of my days feeling incredibly thankful for the family I do have.  Tyler, sickness aside, has been the world's best husband this winter.  He has been around a lot and helping with the kids a lot, especially getting up in the mornings with him on really rough nights so I can sleep in (but only just a tiny bit, heaven forbid they let me stay in bed past 7:30am).  My kids are amazing and I am so grateful to have them here.  The older the get, the more things I hear happening to other people, the more thankful I am for my children.  Thankful that I got pregnant easily with them, that they arrived safely, that they are healthy, and that I have them to share every day with.

 

We have been doing a whole diet overhaul for the family this year.  Once again Tyler had had enough of his gut issues, and Finn had been suffering from awful eczema.  Determined to get to the bottom of all of this once and for all, we have been meeting with a naturopathic doctor.  She has agreed with Tyler's existing candida diagnosis, and as well has suggested a diet free of any foods he might be sensitive too (with his leaky gut, that means he is likely sensitive to almost everything under the sun).  She has put him on a strict paleo/candida hybrid type of diet for several months to get back on track.  For Finn she has agreed with my suspicions that his eczema is caused by a dairy intolerance and has recommended a dairy and gluten free diet for him.  So with Tyler and Finn's diets taken into consideration, we have been working hard as a family to eat healthier as a whole.  The paleo diet is made up mostly of meat, followed by vegetables, then fruits, then nuts.  So no dairy and no grains.  The candida diet is free of all starches, yeasts, and sugars which means that in addition to the restrictions of the paleo diet, Tyler can't have anything sugary as well (which includes most fruits). 

 

This all sounds very overwhelming, but we have embraced it and are actually finding it quite easy, and enjoyable, to eat this way.  Any other person in the world would be moping over the fact that their diet is so restricted, but Tyler has seen it as a new challenge.  He is always trying to come up with new and tasty paleo meals, and everything he has made so far has been amazing.  Giving up things like pasta has not been as hard as I thought.  If we want a pasta dish, we use zucchini sliced up like spaghetti, or spaghetti squash.  If we want something with 'rice', we use grated cauliflower.  We have done cauliflower mash instead of mashed potato.  We've had waffles and pancakes made with almond and coconut flours.  Everything has been fantastic.  We all feel healthier.  Finn's legs are slowly getting better.  Tyler feels better than ever.  And the best part is, the kids are eating better than ever.  By removing almost all carbs from their diets and most dairy as well, they are not filling up on that stuff and so they are eating all of their protein and vegetables at mealtimes.  It's brilliant. 

 

Tyler is also waiting on blood tests to see if there are any indications that he has celiac disease.  I really hope not, but there is a chance and so we need to know.

 

So it has been a rather exciting year so far, and we're only a month and a bit into it.  We're doing great and we're looking forward to so much in 2013. 

My Goal for 2013

Happy New Year!  My new years was not terribly exciting.  In fact we spent it at home, like we always do.  And I spent pretty much the whole evening watching hula hooping tutorials on my new tablet. 

 

Which brings me to my goal for this year:  To become a great hooper. 

 

Bet you thought I was going to say something like, to lose weight, or to eat better, or to be a better parent.  Here's the reason why I didn't mention those as my goals - I already feel like I've got a pretty good handle on that stuff.  Of course I'll continue to work on it, but I don't feel lacking in any way in those departments, only that I will continue growing forward.

 

But hooping, that is something I really want to get good at.

 

So for Christmas, I got some money.  I decided to register for some online hooping classes with Safire from Hoop City.  I have been working on my Hoopnotica stuff and have found it really helpful, but Safire's tutorials are really great and the unique part about taking her classes is that you can ask her questions and post videos to get feedback.  It's very interactive. 

 

I noticed that she had a boxing day sale and classes were 30% off, so I thought that was the perfect opportunity to sign up.  I registered for Seeding 1 & 2, and got a bonus class (Planting) for free.

 

Now I spend any spare minute I have watching all the videos.  There are tons!  The Planting class was more just information on hooping.  It was rather boring but I wanted to make sure I got it all covered, so I read all the information and watched the videos.  Now I am working my way through Seeding 1.  I already know how to do pretty much everything covered in this class, but again I like to be thorough so I don't want to skip anything.  Besides there may be some stuff that even know I already know how to do it, it could use some fine tuning.  Or I might hear of some little tricks I didn't know before.  It's also reminded me that I need to work on hooping both ways.  I have only been hooping and learning tricks with my dominant side, which is really not good because when the time comes to do reversals or when I get good enough to properly hoop dance, I will be limited because I won't be able to do things both ways.  It also keeps my body balanced if I can work both sides.  So even though I don't enjoy hooping my less dominant way, I have been forcing myself to do it and to practice the tricks that way as well, even though it's like starting from scratch because it's so much harder in that direction.

 

I'm really excited, and I've already learned how to do so many more things and am getting so much better.  Still a long way off from being able to properly hoop dance, but I am getting there.  I often feel like I'm never going to be that good, but when I look at where I started I know I'm already better than I was. 

 

I love the feeling of nailing a trick for the first time after trying for so long and not getting it.  It's like all of a sudden something click and my body and mind go, "Ah ha!!!"  I can do quite a few tricks now, and it's just a matter of putting it altogether and making it flow.

 

I just need to practice practice practice!

 

I think I might start making my own hoops as well.  I wanted to buy one but the lady who makes and sells them hasn't gotten back to me (and the ones online are just too expensive!).  It looks easy enough to make, I just need to get the right irrigation tubing and some tape.  Hoop tape isn't really cheap either, but I figure I could start small and build my collection of tape, and then I'll have lots of make as many hoops as I want.  For now I just want to make one simple one that is in between the sizes of the two I already have, and I'd like to make a couple of mini hoops as well so that soon I can start experimenting with mini-hooping off the body, because it looks so cool.

 

For now I'll just leave with a video of Safire hooping with mini-LED hoops.  I thought it was pretty cool, and I love the music too.

 

 

 

Looks easier than it is

I've managed to get my hands on the Hoopnotica instructional videos and have gotten back into hooping.  I try to get in a little bit of practice every day, though it is hard at home with my limited space.  When I can, I go to the Y where there is more space to practice some of the stuff I can't do at home.  But I find it hard to practice at the Y as well, where everyone is able to see me and I'm not able to just let go as much as I can at home.  So I make my best progress in the comfort of home.

 

These videos have been so helpful!  I was feeling a little bit in a rut as far as hooping was concerned, because I had learned a lot of new tricks and then hit a wall, and had no one around to teach me more tricks to work on.  Hoopnotica has not only brought some more new stuff for me to learn, it's also helped me refine all the stuff I already know. 

 

I tend to learn things really quickly, but breeze through them and don't always practice the individual moves until perfection.  I realized I had done this with a lot of hoop tricks, I had learned them yes but was too eager to just hoop that I didn't spend time practicing all of them properly.  After watching the Hoopnotica videos, I was really able to fix some small problems I had noticed. 

 

And I've learned so much new stuff!  I can hoop on my waist, hips, chest, shoulders, neck, and have finally got the hang of leg hooping (remember this post?).  I can do corkscrews with both hands, up and down and I can do hand off corkscrews which make it look like the hoop is a cyclone around me.  Most recently I have figured out angle hooping both forwards and backwards, and now I'm trying to figure out how to do a 180 turn with it.  I'm also working on ways to move through the hoop.

 

When I watch the videos on how to do all these cool moves, it looks so easy.  My brain watches and all the while it's saying, "I can totally do this!".  And then I go to try it and it's a whole different story.  I used to feel the same when I'd watch bellydance videos.  I'm trying not to get discouraged that I don't look like the girls in the videos (who have obviously been hooping for years).....yet.  Actually I should be impressed with myself for practicing so much, and I am mastering new tricks very quickly.  At this rate, I'll be a great hooper in no time.

 

Getting the Hoopnotica videos has given me lots to work on for now, but once I've gone through those and learned all I can I'd like to start purchasing the tutorials on Hoop City.  There are tons of classes there and the great thing is that you can post videos of yourself hooping plus questions and get them personally answered by the instructor.

 

I need to get a new hoop though.  I have two, and one is too big (great for learning new tricks, but too big for me to do angle hooping because I'm short and the hoop hits the floor) and the other is too small (good for high cardio hoop dancing, but not so good for practicing tricks).  Maybe after Christmas I'll buy a new hoop from my friend in town who makes them.  Though what I'd really like is a travel hoop.  Maybe in the new year!

 

I love hooping!

Crunchier by the Day

The word 'crunchy' gets tossed around a lot these days.  Especially in this little town we live in, people seem to gravitate towards healthier lifestyles, more natural diets, and living green.  It's nice to see the effort the whole community puts into these endeavours.  In the big city sure there are crunchy people, but there are just as many non-crunchy people so it's easy to blend in with the pack and get away with not trying so hard.  It doesn't make you feel so bad to not live healthier and greener when so many people around you aren't doing it either.  Here on the other hand, there's almost like a bit of 'pressure' to live a crunchy lifestyle.  It's not a bad thing in many ways, though I'm not a big fan of being pressured into anything.  Still, seeing the people around us make positive changes has helped us get on the bandwagon as well, and make more positive changes in our own lives.

 

When I look back to how I have lived my life over these past 31 years, I can see a definite upwards slope in the right direction.  It has been gradual though, the change has not happened overnight.  I think back to how much fast food we used to eat, and how much we used to eat at restaurants.  Then I think back to how much processed food we used to buy, and I would tell myself that we were 'eating healthy' because we were eating at home and not out at a restaurant, but the truth is all that boxed and packaged stuff was just as bad. 

 

It's hard to pinpoint such changes when they happen gradually, and only looking back can I really see how far we've come.  I know the first thing many people think of when they're faced with making  huge lifestyle and diet changes for the better, is that it is too overwhelming.  And so they do nothing at all.  I have felt that way too, I have felt that it is easier to stay on the path I'm already on than to tackle all these changes.

 

The thing is, you don't have to change everything at once.  Start small with just one thing, whether it is changing your household cleaners from chemical to natural ones, or cutting out one item of junk from your diet.  Then when that becomes second nature, make another change.  You'd be astonished to realize how much change can happen in a short period of time if you just take it one step at a time.

 

For quite awhile now I have been wary of calling ourselves 'crunchy'.  There are so many variations and levels of crunchiness out there, and it seems that the extreme people who run the pack set very high standards.  While we had done so many things to improve our life and try and leave the world a little greener, it always seemed like we still could not match those who went all out.  It can be a little discouraging to be trying as hard as *you* can and yet someone else is still doing so much more.  I have learned to use those people as a motivation to keep striving to be a better, healthier, greener family but not be setback because I'm not doing all the same things as them.  I am also happy and comfortable with all the positive changes we have made as a family, and I know there are still lots more to be made but like I said we are making them one step at a time.  Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say.

 

So I am going to do it, I'm going to officially say we are a 'crunchy' family.  And I'm proud of it.  We may not be able to tick off every single checkbox yet, but we can tick off more than most.  I'd put us on a 7 out of 10 on the crunchy scale.  Hey, that's not half bad!

 

I don't really believe in living in extremes, so we may never be there 100%, but I'm ok with that.  Extreme diets, extreme opinions, that kind of stuff isn't for me.  I just want to do what's right for my family.  And we'll continue to do more.  Like I said, when I look back at how our lives used to be, even just a few years ago, I can't believe how far we've come. 

 

We use cloth diapers, which I wish I had done from the start because I now cringe at the thought of all those disposibles lying in a landfill.  I try to hang all my laundry year round to reduce the amount I have to use the dryer.  I am very conscious of energy and water use.  We're working on buying more locally, and buying healthier food.  The amount of food that we buy organic has increased a lot over the years.  Most recently we have cut out about 95% of packaged and processed foods we were buying.  We have been doing well with avoiding junk food in general but were still buying a lot of packaged snacks like cereal bars, granola, crackers, and chips (sticking to natural and organic brands, but the bottom line is organic junk food is still junk food).  Now we are making much of this stuff our own.  The only thing I am still really buying in a box is cereal, just to have something on hand.  But I am ok with that. 

 

Next step is I want to look into the Collingwood Food Co-op that has been in the works here for a few months.  I've kept an eye on it with interest and I think it's something we will join in the not too distant future so that we can continue to buy locally.

 

And of course we have been growing a lot of our own food, and continue to do so with winter crops in our hoop house.

 

Let's not forget my ongoing mission to lead a more active lifestyle through daily fitness.  I want to be a role model for my kids so that they see how important exercise is to overall health.  I want them to grow up enjoying being active, and not being couch potatoes. 

 

Another aspect that has really brought us around to this whole crunchy lifestyle, is taking a very holistic approach when it comes to our overall health.  Over the past few years we have started using more natural health practitioners like chiropractors, osteopaths, and naturopathic doctors to help us with our goals of becoming healthier individuals.  We have learned so much about what it means to be healthy from the inside out, and now I am such a firm believer in taking care of your body and treating it with respect.  Too often we see the situation of people going to their doctors with problems and the doctors are treating the symptoms and not the causes, and therefore people's health issues are never really resolved.  This is what happened to Tyler with his digestive issues, for years doctors dismissed him and treated the symptoms, when the solution really came from within:  a better diet and taking better care of himself altogether.  And too often still I see people who suffer from multiple issues that they treat as separate problems, when really it is one big problem, for example a food allergy or intolerance.  But they refuse to believe that the problem could be the very food they are eating, and still seek medical advice and then are given medication after medication to treat the problems.  It actually makes me quite sad.

 

We love our chiropractor.  We really believe it is part of helping our bodies be healthy.  A healthy body doesn't need medicine to heal itself, it is perfectly capable as long as we take care of it and let it do it's job.

 

I'm so happy to say that since we have started living this way we have had far less sickness in our house, and when a bug does pass through it passes quickly and without much issue.  My kids get the sniffles and that's about it.  None of them have every had a vomiting or gastro bug.  I know kids that are sick all the time, and even Tristan's teachers have commented on how he is rarely sick compared to other children.  Some people may say we are lucky, I say luck has nothing to do with it.

 

When it comes to products in the home, whether they are cleaning products or health and beauty ones, I used to feel so overwhelmed at the thought of changing over to more natural brands, especially because of the cost.  But again, we started changing one thing at a time and now we pretty much exclusively use natural products in our home.  When it comes to cleaning, I am far more afraid of chemicals in cleaning products than I am of germs.  When it comes to beauty, I believe less is more.  I used to buy and wear so much makeup, and buy so many skin care products.  Now I have hardly any.  I have stopped using nail polish because I can't see how having that toxic stuff around is any good.  I use very few skincare products compared to the past, and rarely wear makeup anymore.  And I'm ok with all of this, I'm comfortable in my own skin.  Even for my children, I put very little on their skin.

 

I think I could sit and think of lots of little changes we have made that I am proud of but I'm just about out of time for now.

 

Obviously I've had a lot to say on this topic, and I say it not with the intention of trying to change other people's minds (I actually don't care for people who go on and on about their healthier choices with the obvious intent of guilting others into doing the same), but because I am proud of what we have done for ourselves.  And I look forward to more 'crunchy' choices that we will make in the future.

Back At It

Wow how am I finding time for all this blogging with three kids?  I must be neglecting them or something.  Haha, just kidding!  They're all napping, and usually I would be too but it's Saturday and I had other stuff to do.  So now that I'm all showered and caught up on some housework (ok, maybe no so much housework as it's still a mess around here but it's the weekend so that makes it acceptable), I'm sitting down for a few minutes before it's time to get them up and move on to other things.

So pretty much the day after Lily was born I felt like I could run a marathon.  In reality that probably wouldn't have been a good idea, but that's how I felt.  Right away I felt like I wanted to get back into working out.  Of course common sense told me to give myself at least a few weeks for my body to rest, so I tried my best to listen.  I was out and about walking the town early on though, and managed to do a little bit of hooping at home (ohhhh, hooping!  That's what I could be doing now!).

When Lily was 2.5 weeks we went to a Mommy and Baby yoga class hosted by our new naturopath.  It was great and made me realize that I really miss yoga.

Last Wednesday I did my first fitness class since having her, it was the Outdoor Postnatal Bootcamp at the Y.  Tristan went to the farm with Tyler and I took Finn and Lily in the double stroller.  The class was supposed to be 45 minutes but was more like an hour, maybe even more.  It was great, we did lots of walking with breaks to stretch and do intervals of cardio and strength, and we did some jogging too.  I loved it.  I really felt it the next day though. 

Today Tyler braved watching all three kids so I could go to the gym and work out, and I was so thankful for that.  I walked there then did 25 minutes on the elliptical, and probably another 25 on the strength machines, before doing some stretching then walking home.  I wish I could have stayed and done more.  I'm hoping to meet with a wellness coach soon to discuss other machines I can incorporate into my workout now that I'm not pregnant.  I was limited with what I could do while pregnant but now I feel like sky's the limit!

I'm really excited to get back into exercise though I know I will have to start slow, mostly because I don't want to be putting the kids in childminding too much and I don't want to leave Lily too often either.  But I'm hoping to manage at least 3 workouts a week, the postnatal bootcamp one, a weekend trip to the gym, and hopefully a spin class as well to help lose the leftover baby weight. 

Now that I'm not pregnant I'm ready to pick up where I left off on my getting in shape crusade!  In the fall I'd like to take the learn to run 5k class at the Y and hopefully get into running.  I'd also like to start going to power yoga on Tuesday evenings again.  Hopefully soon Lily will be going to bed easily before then so I can go.  There's just so much I want to do!

I have so many fitness goals for the next year.  In addition to learning to run 5k, I plan on doing the Y Ride again, this time riding for 3 hours instead of just 1.  But my big goal for next year is to participate in Met Con Blue Mountain Race.  Never before would I have thought I'd want to do such a thing but now my goal is to train for it.  There is one in September of this year but I know that would be too soon after having Lily, so I'm planning to train for next year's.

If you had asked me 10 or even just 5 years ago what I did for fitness, I would have laughed at you.  Me at the gym?  Ha!  Now I can't imagine my life without it.  I know now how important it is to stay fit and active, and I can't believe how many years of my life I wasted being a potato.  If I could get to the gym every day I would.  Right now with 3 small children that's not realistic, and I know they come first, but as they get older I hope to find more time for the fitness activities that I love.

And of course how can I forget hooping!  I'll be starting that back up again soon too.  I need to find some pro hoopers in town to give me a few lessons so I can get back on track.

Regular exercise makes me feel great.  The goal of looking good is only a part of it, though it is a bonus.  The real benefits are what it does for the mind and the spirit, not just the body.  Since I have started exercising I have definitely noticed I have more energy and am able to cope with stress better.  It's win win, how can anyone not exercise?

So Lily is only 4 weeks old and I'm already getting back into the swing of things.  It took me almost a year after having both boys to do anything even remotely active, so I'm feeling pretty good about myself these days!

Hey, I might even have some time for some hooping before the kids wake up!

Y Ride

This time last year we had only just become members of our local YMCA.  I did not know much about the Y prior to then and had never been in one, but a friend had suggested we become members as we were still new in town and it was a great way to meet people.  It took several months to get around to it but finally last spring we signed ourselves up, and I must admit it was probably one of the best things we did for ourselves as a family since moving here (especially for me and the boys). 

I had only ever been a member of a gym once before in my life and I never felt comfortable there.  Getting another gym membership was not something I was interested in mainly because it was so expensive and intimidating.  But the Y is totally different, and it has been such an important place for me over this past year.  It has allowed us to do so many things as a family, and to stay healthy and active, without having to spend a lot of money.  There have been so many great programs there, both for me and for the boys, and it has allowed me to get out of the house with them and have a place to go, and keep my sanity in the meantime.  We've met so many great people and made so many new friends through our local Y.

Last spring I remember going one Saturday during the annual Y Ride and seeing all the participants cycling in the gym.  It looked like so much fun, I couldn't help but stand there watching and wishing I was a part of it.  I had never been on a spin bike before but that day I resolved that I would do it next year. 

It took me several more months after that to get up the courage to take a spin class, but once I did I was hooked.  And I have been going every week ever since.

This year I AM going to be participating in the Y Ride, at almost 6.5 months pregnant no less.  The Y Ride helps raise money to support the YMCA and all it has to offer.  Seeing as how the Y has given us so much, it only makes sense to give back.

I have to say I'm really excited for this event.  I have found a sense of community at the YMCA here that I have never experienced anywhere else.  It really is our home away from home.  The boys and I can be found there usually at least 5 days a week, and sometimes we go both in the morning and the afternoon.  Everyone is warm and friendly there.  We have always felt welcome. 

The Y Ride is on April 14th and it is a 6 hour event, though I have only signed up to cycle for 1 hour (not sure I could manage much more than that being pregnant!).  My goal is to raise a minimum of $75 but I would love to raise more. 

If anyone out there would like to donate to help me reach my goal, my personal page can be found here:  Martina's Y Ride Page

Life on the Bay These Days

You know, when I first started this blog I used to write a lot about random things that happened here, which was the point of starting it in the first place.  I still kind of do that, but I realized that there are often a lot of things going on that I would have written about before, but don't bother to anymore.  Which is kind of sad, afterall this is supposed to be about our life here.  Guess I've just gotten lazy.  I've also diverted a lot of that stuff to my other two more specific blogs.  Stuff about the boys gets put on my Dear Children, Love Mommy blog because I just found it easier to record everything about them in one spot, and also to write directly to them.  Stuff about this latest pregnancy gets put on my Doula Ambition blog.  I started that one as a place to keep all my pregnancy and childbirth thoughts, since I am very much into that kind of stuff, but since getting pregnant have also been journalling about my pregnancy there since it seemed appropriate.  So now I often feel like this blog is missing out on a lot of stuff that gets put elsewhere. 

Time for a little update on how Life on the Bay has been treating us.

It's still pretty awesome.

Life

Is good.  We have had a mild winter which has allowed us to stay active and not feel too cooped up in the house.  Tristan goes to school in the mornings and is doing very well there.  Finley enjoys his time with me in the mornings and we busy ourselves with trips to the YMCA or the Early Years Centre.  Rarely are we at home in the mornings and that's how we like it.  The afternoons are sometimes filled with classes for Tristan like skiing (which are now over) and junior chefs, but often we like to just stay in since the mornings are so busy.  I do look forward to the spring and summer though when we can just go play in the backyard or go for walks without having to worry about snowsuits, hats, mitts, and boots.  The boys are good, Tyler is good, I am good, the pregnancy is good.  I feel great and really can't complain about much.

Friends are the best

I'm still hanging out with the same wonderful group of ladies I met over the summer, and we've formed some great friendships.  Some of them have returned to work, and we don't see each other during the week for playdates as often since winter arrived but we make a point of getting together as much as we can otherwise.  We have been meeting for coffee every few weeks, and also planning girls' nights once a month or so as well.  Last time we went glow in the dark bowling which was fun.  This weekend we're having dinner and going dancing afterwards to celebrate one lady's birthday.  Well, not sure how keen I will be to go bar hopping at almost 5mos pregnant, but we'll see.  We also still plan playdates on the weekends, often meeting up for gymnastics, skating, or tobogganing with the kids.  In addition to the great close friends I've made, I'm also making new friends all the time.  When I first moved here and started looking for friends, I was always looking for people to connect with and hoping that it would turn into the kind of friendships where we hung out a lot.  I have been lucky to find that with my group of friends, but am also learning that I can be friends with a lot of different people, and those friendships can all mean different things.  Some women are other moms that I see at the same places every week, and we get a chance to talk there but don't necessarily plan anything outside of that.  Other people I've just become familiar with from running into around town.  It's been a really great feeling to know that I've met and connected with so many different people on so many different levels.

Fitness

This has been a big topic for me over the past year as I have strived to become more active, and I am still keeping up with it and going strong.  I always feel there is room for improvement in this department but then I also have to think about time constraints and that my family comes first, and also the physical restraints of pregnancy.  But there are times where I think I just want to spend hours in the gym working out and getting in shape.  Maybe one day.  I do manage to go to the gym about 5 times a week.  These days all I want to do is hoop and have been doing that as much as possible, but I have been doing spinning once a week still as well as some prenatal fitness and working out on the machines in the gym.  A friend of mine just sent me several great prenatal workout dvds in the mail as well so I am going to start incorporating those into my day as well at home while the boys are napping.  I think my hard work is paying off as I have been feeling great and I think I look fairly fit even for 20wks pregnant.  I do hope that I can stay in better shape for this pregnancy than I did for my last two, and also that I can snap back into shape quickly afterwards.

Down on the Farm

Progress on the hops farm has been great.  The mild winter has really been a blessing in that department because it allowed Tyler and John to get a lot of work done.  When I look back over the past few months I cannot believe how much they have accomplished together.  They have installed all the poles for the front 6 acres to be planted, built a barn, made a road, and built a bridge from the ground up.  Not just any bridge either, a proper bridge that will have to carry vehicles over the river.  A lot of time, planning, and money went into the design and construction of the bridge, and now it is almost complete.  It has been very exciting for Tyler to design and build it, and see it come to life.  I know he is very proud, and he should be.  I have gone through the seed catalogues and placed the order for all of our vegetable seeds, which should be arriving this week.  In the next few weeks our hoop houses will be built, and then we can begin starting our seedlings inside to get a head start on the growing season.  There is no way to describe how amazing everything is going on the farm, and we are excited to see what the next few months have in store as well.

Other Events

What other things have we been up to this year so far?  In January I participated in the Romp to Stomp out breast cancer 5km snowshoe walk with one of my new friends.  The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful day walking and raising money for breast cancer research.  That same weekend Tyler took Tristan on his very first overnight ice fishing adventure.  He had a great time, but it was still too much for him and by the end of it he was very tired and got a little sick.  Still, he loves to talk about the trip and how much fun he had.  In February Tyler's sister Rachael got married to her fiancee Scott.  The whole wedding was just lovely and we were happy to be a part of it.

That pretty much sums up how our winter has been, and it's only been less than 2 months!  Needless to say life is busy, but it's a good busy.  We are always optimistic, always looking forward.  It feels good to be happy and to have a good attitude about life.  Onwards and upwards from here! 

Pregnant Hula Hooping

Inspiration.....

I don't look like this.  I wish I did, but not even close.  First of all, I'm not that cute when I'm pregnant.  I'm short and round and funny-shaped.  And second, I'm not even a fraction as good a hooper as this woman. 

But actually, I'm doing pretty good so far!  I've only been hooping for a month or so and am surprising even myself at the ease with which I am picking it up.  Ok, I don't have much finesse yet, but I can do a few tricks that are pretty cool.  In addition to basic hip and waist hooping, I am just getting the hang of chest hooping and leg hooping.  I can bring the hoop up from my waist over my head and back down again in several different fashions.  And I can 'walk' the hoop up my arms and shoulders and onto my neck, then back down again.  Not too bad for an amateur!  It's not usually pretty to watch as I'm sure I often look like a flailing chicken or a crazy penguin, but I can work on being pretty later.  For now I just need to learn the moves.  There are other little things I work on too like arm hooping and isolations. 

But it's SO much fun and SO addictive, and I'm SO glad I am able to do this while pregnant and seeing videos like the one above give me hope that this is something I can do right throughout this whole pregnancy.

So here are some pictures taken at last week's workshop.  I'm 19wks pregnant.

I've been getting to the Y to practice almost every day, because I really want to get good at this hooping stuff!

Hula Hooping - My New Obsession

I finally took my first hula hooping class today (after making sure it with my midwife that it was safe to do in pregnancy).  I loved it!  I knew I would.  I feel very much the same way I felt when I started bellydancing, so dare I say this might be my new obsession from now on.  It was so much fun.  I found the initial movement of waist hooping to be quite easy, but was surprised at how difficult just about everything else was!  Still, even with just an afternoon of practice, I've already started to get better (especially at hooping to the right, which is my weaker side!).  I even bought my own hoop through the ladies teaching the class.  The only problem is what I can do at home is very limited due to space.  But I can practice some stuff, and for the rest I can just go and practice at the Y.  I'm sure a lot of other ladies will be doing the same, it was a very popular class!

So I've already been watching hooping videos on YouTube and in awe at how amazing some people are.  It makes me want to practice and get better!  It's the same way I used to feel when watching bellydancing videos.  When I watch them, I see the movements and my brain thinks "I can do that".  But it's so much harder in reality!  As with anything though, you can only get better if you practice, so that's what I plan to do, as much as possible! 

I hope to be able to hoop as much in this pregnancy as possible.  I've already seen lots of videos online of pregnant ladies hooping right up until the last few weeks, so that gives me hope that I can keep up with it!

I'm so excited to have found this new hobby, and I think I'll be enjoying hula hooping for many years to come!

Another Dream

To add to the list of things I'd like to learn how to do......

How amazing is she?

I could seriously see myself enjoying hula hooping as much as I enjoy bellydancing and zumba.  Now, to get myself a hoop and find someone to teach me how....

Exercise

F's swimming lesson was cancelled this morning so I decided to squeeze in another spin class this week.  I already went to my normal Monday class, but I'm loving it so much that I didn't have to convince myself to go again today.  The energy is so great and it leaves me feeling so amazing.  When I am there my muscles are burning and all I can think about is it being over, but when I am not there I just want to be there.

On Mondays the instructor is amazing.  She has the most addictive energy, I can't help but smile through her classes.  She wasn't there this week though as she is in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii this weekend.  How amazing is that?  Go Claudia go!  Today's instructor was great too though.  She had a good energy too and I really enjoyed her class.

I like to see all the different people who turn out to spin class.  I used to avoid trying it, because I was worried about looking like such an amateur.  I figured the only people who did that class were hardcore cyclists, and that I'd totally look out of place though.  I was wrong, spin class is great for everyone, and I am in constant awe of the different people who join me there, of all shapes, sizes, ages, and fitness levels.

Like the guy in the back corner, a little overweight and not looking like someone who exercises, trucking along trying to keep up.  I'm so glad that he comes.  Or the lady who is almost 8mos pregnant who is always there, giving it her all and keeping up with the rest of us.  What an inspiration, I hope I can still keep up when I'm 8mos pregnant next time around!  Or the woman in front of me, who bobs her head back and forth to the music throughout the whole class, I don't even think she knows she's doing it.  I like watching her rhythmic bobbing, it looks like she is in the her zone.  I see other moms in there, people training for races, elderly people just trying to stay fit.  It's such a great mix of people.  I like to park myself at the back of the class and watch them all (plus no one has to watch my slow butt when I'm back there!).

It's fun to have this common ground with all these people I don't know.  I am there to stay fit and feel good.  Some of them are there for the same reasons, some are their to get in shape, and others are there to maintain their shape as they train for bigger things. 

There is something so motivating about being there with all those other people, and listening to the music.  Music is very motivating.  It gets me going, makes me feel good, and pushes me to work harder.

I'm still pretty novice in there, but I work at my own pace and keep up pretty well.  I'm glad I got to go a second time this week, and I plan on going again early Friday morning with Hillary.

I've made a commitment to get more exercise in.  I've been doing great with my 4 classes a week, but I think I need more.  I don't feel like I need to lose weight, but I'm still not looking how I want to be looking despite my current efforts.  So I've added a 20-20-20 class to my weekly routine, and will have to see where else I can fit stuff in.  I'd like to do one more spinning class at some point, just have to figure out when. 

I would love to get more yoga in too.  I really like Matt's yoga classes on Tuesdays and Fridays, but I wish there was another evening one.  I know there are some on Mondays and Wednesdays, but they are at 7pm which is too early for me because I have to get the kids in bed. 

Anyways, now I'm just going on about it with no real point left.  I love exercise, I guess that's my point.  I can't believe how many years I wasted sitting around and not doing anything.  Even when I was bellydancing several times a week, I thought that was sufficient but now I know that it wasn't.  If only I knew how much fun and exhilarating it is.

Oh well, at least I know now!

Two More Fitness Firsts

I'm on a roll this week.

On Tuesday during the day I wasn't feeling that great, so the thought of going to my first yoga class wasn't even on my mind by the time evening rolled around.  I put F to bed as usual, then changed into my pjs.  I went downstairs and happened to glance at my Facebook to see a message from Monica:  "OKAY MARTINA - GET READY FOR POWER YOGA!  I'M COMING TO GET YOU!"  I glanced at the clock - 7:50.  Yoga started at 8.  I hesitated for a moment, asked Tyler if I could go, then ran upstairs to get changed again.  Just as I came back down Monica was at my door.

I'm so glad she dragged me out!  I was quite nervous.  I had never taken a yoga class, in fact the only yoga I knew was from a Yoga for Beginners dvd that I have, which I've only done a handful of times.  What was I thinking going to POWER yoga for my first class?  Monica assured me I could do it, as she hadn't really done yoga before when she started the class awhile back but has caught on.

So I just jumped in.  I don't think anyone knew I was a novice.  And actually, I didn't find it that difficult.  It was challenging for sure, but not as overwhelming as I thought.  Everything was totally doable for me, even some of the more complicated poses.  I was surprised at my own flexibility.

It was a wonderful class, I will definitely be going back.  I really felt it the next day, in a good way though.  I felt it even more so than the spinning from the day before.  I was sore, but it felt great.  And I kept thinking I needed to do more yoga to counteract the soreness!

Tonight I took another chance and went to Pilates.  Again the only time I have tried it before was from a pregnancy Pilates dvd that I have.  And again I was a bit nervous.  But as with yoga, I found it challenging but not too hard, and I really enjoyed it.

I'm feeling rather proud of myself this week.  These are all things I have wanted to do for a long time but have been to scared or nervous to try for fear of looking like a fool.  But I surprised myself not only with how comfortable I felt, but also with the ease I was able to do the exercises.  It actually felt like I have been doing these things for awhile, and not that it was my first time taking a class.

I would love to go to spinning again tomorrow morning, but I think I should take it easy (plus I need to go easy on the childminding costs).  Saturday is cardio kick and I can't wait!

Fit and Active Lifestyle

Remember this post?  The one where I was down because I wanted to be a fit and active mom and do all sorts of fun stuff with my family?  Well, we are getting there!

First off we got bikes.  My dad gave us a couple of his old ones.  We still don't have a bike trailer, but hopefully soon we can pick one up so we can hit the trails with the kids in tow.  I still haven't even gotten on one of the bikes, but I keep meaning to get it out and make sure I can still ride it (I know they say you never forget, but it has been a really long time for me!).

We have been getting out a lot more with the kids.  Not doing anything particularly fitness related yet, but they are still little.  The point is we are feeling more comfortable getting out and doing family activities, so it won't be long before we'll be doing more things like biking and hopefully kayaking when they are bit older.  Definitely some skiing this winter.  We might even brave camping on the September long weekend!

But as for me, I am really starting to get into more fitness classes at the Y.  A few weeks ago I started a cardio kick class on Saturdays which I love.  It is hard, but so much fun.  I really feel it the next day. 

And today I took the plunge.  I did a spinning class!  Monica joined me to help me through it, and I did feel more comfortable having someone I know with me.  But I felt confident going in, and didn't feel too foolish asking someone to help me adjust the bike.  I did stay at the back so no one could see how novice I was, but felt comfortable being there which is a great start.

I was actually surprised at how hard it was!  I mean, I didn't think it would be easy by any means, but I tend to hold my own pretty well in new fitness situations (I'm totally killing that cardio kick class and I've only been twice).  This was a whole new ballgame for me though.  While I am in decent shape, muscles I didn't even know I had were being challenged, and I will definitely be feeling it later.  I actually spent most of the class with my butt on the seat while everyone else was up and at it.  I know today's class will have been the hardest, and hopefully after a few more classes I'll be able to keep up a little better.  I was certainly sweating up a storm, and it was a great workout.  Funny enough I didn't love it the way I love zumba or the cardio kick, but I love the idea of what it is doing for my body, and that is motivation enough for me to keep going.

I am starting to look pretty good again, and now that I am seeing the results it is pushing me more than ever to get in the gym and keep working at it.

Monica goes to power yoga on Tuesday evenings and I might join her.  There is a pilates class on Thursday evenings I am interested in.  I would love to be able to swing another spin class during the week, or a different one like 20-20-20 or total body conditioning, or even aqua fit, but we'll have to see.  It kind of depends on how often I can afford to put the kids in the childminding there.  Wouldn't it be great if I could go almost every day? 

Zumba has been on hold for the summer since the instructor left, and I haven't been able to make it out to the Wasaga Beach ones.  But I have been told it will be back in the fall, so I am looking forward to putting that back into my fitness routine.

I never used to think I was one of those people who were totally into fitness and getting in shape, but I'm really starting to get into it.  I love what it is doing for my body, and for my mind.  And I love the fact that I just feel.....healthy.  Dare I say, I'm getting a little obsessed with fitness!

So I am feeling really good and much more confident about working towards my goals and achieving the lifestyle I want, both for me and my family.  The boys are in active tots and in the fall we will start swimming with them again.  Maybe even some soccer for T.  Now, if only I could kick Tyler's butt into gear and get him into something just so he gets a little bit of exercise!

Belly(dance) Flop

You may recall I was super excited to have found a bellydancing class not far from me at a dance school called The Danceroom.  Last night was my first class and I must say I was hugely disappointed.

The teacher was horrible.  Ok, she wasn't a horrible dancer.  In fact she looked like she was probably a decent enough bellydancer.  But she was a horrible teacher. 

First off she had the music on so loud we couldn't hear a word she was saying.  Second, she was rather crude.  At one point she told us we sucked (obviously meant in joke but I didn't think it was funny).  The class was supposed to be fitness based and for beginners.  Well, she didn't teach any of the moves.  She showed a few of them, but didn't explain what they were or what they were called.  Then she just danced and expected us to follow her.  It was like all she wanted to do was show off her own dancing.

She was obviously really into herself.  She put on the music and just started dancing, but the problem was her choreographies were not repetitive.  I don't understand how a bunch of beginner bellydancers (and even an intermediate one like myself) were supposed to be able to follow her movements when they weren't consistent?  I don't think I saw her once take her eyes off her own reflection in the mirror to see what the rest of us were up to.  She kept throwing in all these little moves and singing along simply to show off.

I realize that I'm not a professional bellydancer by any means, but I have taken enough classes to know how it should be taught.  And seriously, I could have taught a better class than this lady.

Needless to say I did not enjoy the class at all, which was so disappointing for me as I was so looking forward to getting back into it.  I was originally going to buy a large package of classes, but only had enough cash for 5 and thank goodness for that because I don't think I'll be taking her class for too long!

So sadly, it looks like I still haven't found any proper bellydancing.  I'm thinking of focusing mainly on zumba now.

Which brings me to more disappointing news.  The fabulous lady who teaches my zumba classes at the Y is moving away, and this week is the last week of classes with her.  They have not found anyone to replace her yet so there will be no zumba at least for the summer until they train someone new. 

It appears the Wasaga YMCA is still offering it so I might try and drive out there once a week.

Otherwise, looks like I'm going to have to search elsewhere for zumba, or find new classes at the Y to satisfy my fitness kick.

Ho hum.

The Fit and Active Family

I'd like us to be one of those.  That was one of our main deciding factors for moving out here, so that we can instill a love of outdoor activity in our children.  Afterall, how could you not live in a town like this and not enjoy all it has to offer?  Neverending bike and hiking trails, ski slopes on one side and the bay on the other.  We'd be silly not to get involved.

But it's not that easy!

When I go to the Y I am surrounded by all these fit moms.  I listen to them talk about their cycling marathons or discuss how intense their latest spinning class was.  I watch them drop off their kids at the childminder's then hit the gym.  I see them drive off in their SUVs with bike racks on the back and kayaks on top.  In the winter they'll trade them for ski racks.  Outside the bikes lined up all have trailers attached to the back of them.

Did you know that bike trailers aren't just for bikes?  You can buy attachments for jogging and cross country skiing as well! 

I do want us to be one of those families.  I want to be able to go on long bike rides with the kids in tow, throughout all the amazing trails around here.  Kayaking looks like great fun, and I definitely want to be a skiing family as my dad used to take my brother and I skiing when we were kids and those are some of my fondest childhood memories.

Well all that stuff is bloody expensive.  I looked at bike trailers when I was checking out double strollers, but we don't even have bikes and they're certainly not in the budget for this year, or next for that matter.  Kayaks, skis, are you kidding me?  Maybe one day.  We'll have to work up to that.

But what about me?  I want to be a fit and active mom!  Ok, I got my stroller and so you will find me marching all around town.  I pretty much refuse to drive anywhere, even when it's raining.  And twice a week I put on my workout gear to hit up zumba.  But for now, that's about it. 

The gym is not my thing, mostly because I feel lost in amongst all that equipment.  I much prefer group fitness.  I really want to try a group cycle class, it looks like so much fun and a great way to get fit.  But I am so intimidated by them.  When I walk by and peek in and see all the super strong people in there, spinning away with sweat dripping off them, I can just picture myself in the back looking like a fool struggling to keep up.  I had a wellness coach show me how to adjust the bike, but I'll be darned if I can remember how!  If only I had someone to go with me and walk me through the process, I'm sure a few times into it and I would feel more comfortable.

There is also a 20-20-20 class on Monday mornings that I think I would do well in.  Right now though we have only budgeted so that I can put the kids in childminding for one hour a week, for my zumba class (the other one being in the evening so Tyler watches them).  So it's not looking like I will be trying cycling or any other weekday classes any time soon.

On the weekends there is a yoga and a pump circuit I want to try.  It just seems like we are always rushing off to do something.  Or like in the case of this weekend, Tyler isn't even around to watch the kids for me.  Hmpf.

So being fit and active is not as straightforward as it seems!  But it is yet another goal to work towards as we build our life here.

I do look forward to when the boys are older, and hopefully we can enjoy all these activities together as a family.

Zumba kicked my a**

Today was zumba day.  I need to get in shape.  Not that I've ever really been much of a super fit person, but there was a time when I was in pretty good shape.  It's funny because before I had kids I had some small insecurities about my body.  Looking back, it was pretty damn near perfect!  Oh how I wish I had appreciated it when I had it.  Oh well, what can you do.  It's a small price to pay for having such wonderful children.

But even after having the boys I've never really been bothered by the state of my body.  The weight was easy enough to lose, it's just the shape that needs rearranging.  I always thought I looked decent enough.  That is until I went bathing suit shopping a few weeks ago.  Those changeroom mirrors are unforgiving!  So I decided it was time to make more of an effort to get my body back.  Well, let's face it, it will never look like it did before pregnancy.  But there is certainly room for improvement!

I've never been overly athletic.  Before having the boys my main activities for staying in shape were horsebackriding and bellydancing.  Both past times that I miss dearly and hope to get back into one day.  But that is for another post.  Horsebackriding will have to wait until I have more money, and as for bellydancing, well I'm still trying to find that out here!

But I have discovered zumba.  And oh my am I loving it!  But it's kicking my ass.  Seriously, I can't move today.  Tuesdays are zumba days for me.  I go to the Y and drop the kids off at the childminder's.  It's the one hour a week I get to myself (for now anyway), and it's a whole hour of letting go, having fun, and feeling good.  The instructor is fantastic and I'm really enjoying the class.  It is a hard workout, but for someone who loves dancing it's the perfect way to get fit.  Ok, it's no bellydancing, but for now it's filling the void rather nicely.

A mom on a thread I read recently was asking how others get motivated to get in shape and stay motivated.  Now I'm not one for fitness, like I said.  The gym is no good for me, and I'm not coordinated or confident enough for team sports.  But give me dance any day and that's all the motivation I need.  (Well, that and the thought of my image staring back at me in the changeroom mirror while trying on bathing suits!)  For me, the way to stay motivated is to choose an activity that you really truly enjoy.  If you don't enjoy it, you won't do it.  It's as simple as that.  I love dancing, and if I could take a dance class every day of the week I would!

Zumba has been great because it's dance, but it's also an amazing workout.  I'm certainly feeling it today!  So it's right down my alley and I'm glad to have found something that I enjoy enough to keep up with.  It's making me feel like getting my bikini body back really isn't such a scary task!

There is a Thursday evening class that I'm hoping to take as well.  It's after dinner but before the kids go to bed, so Tyler can do their bath and bedtime stuff and I'll be home to tuck them in.  It will be tight, but totally worth it!

As for bellydancing, well I miss it so much.  I have found a dance studio about 30mins away that offers it, so I'm hoping to be able to afford classes there soon as well.  Between that and zumba I should be able to get my fitness and dance fix, and get in great shape just in time for bikini season.  Good thing too considering we live near a beach.

So if anyone is looking for the motivation to get in shape I have two pieces of advice.  One, go bathing suit shopping.  And two, find something you really love and enjoy, and stick with it.  You don't have to be a fitness guru to enjoy a good workout!

That's how this mom plans on getting her body back!