Finding Fitness Motivation

I am, by default, a fairly lazy person. I get my stuff done but then I like to relax and just hang out with the boys. We watch movies or play in the yard or read books on the couch. Not that we are sedentary, just not as active as we probably could be. As active as I should be at the very least. All you have to do is look at my wedding photos to see that.

Of course I have my "reasons" for letting myself go over the years. There are the health problems, the pregnancies, and the stress over money, jobs, kids, etc. There have been instances in my marriage that cause my self esteem to plummet, the lack of support from those close, and being generally busy keeping up with the boys. All of those things can lead you to gain weight but a big part of it is just because I simply lacked motivation.

Motivation is a tricky one for me in the corny sense of the word. I roll my eyes at motivational quotes and posters ("Nothing will taste as good as being skinny will feel"? Screw that, pass the Ben & Jerry's.). I take compliments and turn them into something I need to change. Self doubt is a big theme around here.

Thing is, I don't want my boys to see that. I don't want them to see my lack of confidence or lack of motivation and think that is how life works. If nothing else, having to scratch and claw my way out of the gutter I was left in for 2012 has taught me that sometimes, the only motivation you need is in your heart. My heart wants me to succeed for their sake but also for my own.

So, I have been taking those snippets of time when I would normally sit around and check Facebook or just dazing out into space, and lacing up the new running shoes I got for Christmas. Or encouraging the boys to do push ups with me in the bedroom floor. Or turning on some loud dance music and having a crazy dance party with glow sticks. Going outside to play with the hula hoops Aunti got the boys for Christmas. Something to get us moving, which usually leads to some other kind of shenanigan.

So far: I've lost 3lbs in 2 weeks.

Bonus: The boys love it. They love acting crazy with Mama. K loves to dance and sing and play. The running and exercises not so much, but he does make for a great, giggly weight for some of mine. Nothing like a 40lb weight on your back during a brisk walk to burn those calories! D, on the other hand, loves doing push ups and crunches with Mama and let me tell you what, he can be as discerning a personal trainer as any I have ever seen. "Do more Mama! C'mon! Don't stop now!", all the while he is pounding them out like a miniature body builder. How can I stop with him cheering me on?

How's that  for motivation? How could I not let him encourage me. They don't even know the health aspect, they just thinks its another fun thing to do with Mama. Their favorite kind of thing even. Which means that they ask to do those things with circles back around to more motivation! Heres hoping we can keep it up. If we can encourage each other, we may just make it!

Home Made Gummies #HomemadeConvenience

For the first installment of the home made convenience foods that I promised last week, I figured we could start with the snacky type stuff and work our way up to the foods eventually. Convenience snacks, especially those for kids, are a huge money hole. Even with coupons they are generally much more expensive that the kind you can make yourself and they don't contain all the nastiness that the store bought ones do. Plus, you can get your kid involved in making them with you and they might learn a little something themselves.

I will say this though, don't go crazy making huge batches of this type of thing. It is different with the foods that you can freeze and keep fresh but if you make a gazillion pounds of home made gummies, and your kids don't eat them withing a month, you have to throw them out and you've wasted money. These are quick and easy, you should be able to make them every other week.

Now, I have said before I am crazy about ingredients but we are not vegetarians. So if you are, this recipe may not work for you. If you are vegan, it definitely won't work. Why? Because of the gelatin required to make these set. I did do a little Google- ing though and found this vegan recipe that looks almost as easy and uses no animal by-products.

Ok, time to gather your ingredients. If you are thrify like me, you should be able to get this stuff for pennies. Even if you aren't into the coupon thing, its maybe a couple of dollars. Here is a pretty good place to stock up like I was talking about.

What you'll need:

1/3c Frozen 100% juice concentrate
2-3 .5 oz envelopes of unflavored gelatin (found in the canning or jelly aisle)
Silicone mold

I usually buy variety of flavors and make two flavors at a time. I also almost always buy the Old Orchard brand because it has a lid that you can reseal. 1/3c is only about 2.5 oz and the juice is sold in 11 oz cans so being able to reseal it or transfer it to another container to keep in the freezer is a must. You could always just make juice with whats left too.

Your mold can be any size you wish your gummies to be but I tend to prefer smaller ones. You can usually find them in bakery stores or Walmart pretty easy.

Once you gathered your ingredients, get out a pot, put your juice concentrate in it, and then sprinkle the gelatin over the cold concentrate. Let it sit for a few minutes before you turn on the heat. I'm not sure why this makes a difference but it totally does. Science!

After it has sat for a few minutes, put the pot over medium heat and stir until the gelatin has completely dissolved. Then, pour or spoon it into your molds. I have heard of people pouring the liquid into a measuring cup with a spout to make this easier but I am too lazy to dirty another dish for gummies so I use a spoon and it works great.

Let them cool and set on the counter until they release from the mold easily and enjoy! I portion them out in to tiny plastic Ziploc bags (get them in the jewelry section) so they are more convenient to carry and portion out.

Personally, the boys and I like these a lot more than the store bought gummies. They have more flavor and a better texture. I think your kids will find the same and you will have saved money and made their snack a little healthier! Next time, I'll share my fruit leather recipe. Its a similar snack but a little more labor intensive.  A very little.

Let me know if you try these and what your favorite flavor is!

Re-Vamp

I just hired the fabulous Mrs. Holly to help me revamp RMM and I have to admit, I might have had a huge panic attack about it. Not that I doubt her ability at all, I just hate change. Even when I know its for the better. Still, I know its time to fix her up and make her pretty again. As much as I love the bright red and pretty flowers, I have done so many self tweaks to this design that it has almost given up one me.

The last straw was last week when I tried to update the 2013 page and it gave out. I just don't have the energy to fix it again either so you'll notice its still sad face up there.

Still, Blogger is my stride and you won't be seeing any changes there any time soon. Sorry mommy-blogger-mafia, not my thing. Don't laugh, they know who they are.

At any rate, Some things will be switching up around here in the next little bit so hang tight and I will post again when everything is new and shiney again. In the mean time, hold me...