Posted by terrepruitt on May 31, 2013
It is the end of May. Wow! May 31, 2013. I am still adding to my Goodie Jar. It has a lot of good stuff in it. Good things. I can’t wait to read it. I am excited. I am still using different colored paper and some prints even.
I hope that you are blessed and able to put some good things in your jar.
How is it going? Is your jar filling up?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: colored paper, good things jar, Goodie Jar, May 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 30, 2013
Nia Technique’s Outstanding Routine DVDs (Part 2)
Three years ago I posted about Nia Routines and I stated in that post that I would describe what the training DVD is like. Here I am with that information. Also, I want to share about the whole routine teacher training package that a Nia teacher receives. It is turning out to be three (sort of four) posts long. This is the second post. That is how much we get in our Nia continued education Routine Teacher Training package. I am just sharing briefly about it. These posts are to give you an idea of what you would receive. As a reminder you receive a CD, DVD, and pamphlet. The CD and DVD are shipped to you and the pamphlet you can view online, save to your computer, and/or print.
The DVD consists of the Focus, Move the Move, Learn the Move, Energize the Move, and the Music. In post one I talked about the Focus and the Move the Move section. Here you’ll learn a bit about Learn the Move, Energize the Move, and the music.
In the Learn the Move section they explain the move. The way they did this morphed over the years. I have some DVDs where they stood facing the camera and talked about the moves. Showing you the move and going into detail about each move. I also have some DVDs where the teacher is just dubbed over the actual class as shown in the Move the Move portion. So you are seeing the same thing over again and the creator is talking about the moves as the routine plays. The explanation includes both the physical description and little tips. Sometimes they might explain alternatives even if they have not done them in the Move the Move portion of the DVD. They also sometimes explain why we are doing a move. “‘Holding a ball’ allows a body to move systemically, connecting the upper body with the lower body.” This portion at times can help with figuring out how to do a move if it is a little challenging to you or your students.
With Energize the Move the creator explains the energy involved. For example “the energy at this part of the routine is meant to be focused and very intentional.” And, “the energy of connecting to your body and space around.” This section can help provide pearls and additional verbiage that you can use to get your class moving.
The last section of the DVD is the Move the Move with just the music. There is no teacher instruction. This is where you do the Nia Class without being told what to do. You get to watch and just listen to the music.
The music portion of the DVD always makes me remember I have always wanted an option in the Move the Move portion to be able to turn up the music. I have an exercise DVD (Turbo Jam) where you can “pump up” the music. You can still here Chalene Johnson giving you instructions but you can make the music much louder. I think it would be of great help to me if I could turn the music up on my Nia Routine DVDs but still listen to the teacher talking. I have yet to suggest that to Nia HQ. It would really be nice for me to hear the music louder so I could practice my listening to the cues, yet still get the benefit of the instruction. I’ve tried to time the music say from my iPod to the DVD so I COULD turn up the music myself, but I can never get it synchronized. 🙂
In my post Continuing Education – Nia White Belt Principle #12, I talk about the three stages of learning a routine. I mention there are steps in each stage. The Learn the Move and Energize the Move are couple of the additional steps. Watching and learning the information contained in each of these sections of the DVD can be very beneficial to leading a routine.
In my next post I share some information about the pamphlets and you’ll see how there is even MORE information to learn!
Are you getting a clearer picture of what is contained in a Nia Teacher’s Routine DVD? Can you somewhat understand that there is a lot of good information?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: Chalene Johnson, Energize the Move, Nia CD, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia continued education, Nia Music, Nia routines, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia training, Nia White Belt, Routine DVD, Turbo Jam | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 28, 2013
In my post about Nia Routines in February of 2010, I stated I would explain more about what we receive on a Nia Routine Teacher DVD. A comment with questions on a recent post (Nia Routines I’ve Learned), reminded me that I needed to do that. Over three years later, I am explaining what we get. I also wanted to share what is in the Nia Training/Continued Education package as a whole. We get a LOT. It is more than just music and routine. The amount of time and effort and all that goes into our training DVD/package is awesome. I know that even though I see the results and I think it is a lot, there is probably so much more that goes on in the background I would be even more impressed. Since we get so much I am finding as I type this that it is a longer explanation than I like to have in one post. So this will be part one of what is in a Nia Routine Teacher Training package. When a Nia Teacher receives a “Nia Routine” there is a CD and a DVD. We used to receive a pamphlet within the package, but now we have to print those out ourselves if we want a hard copy. But basically a training routine package is CD, DVD, and pamphlet.
The CD and DVD are in a cardboard holder, one side has the list of songs with the 8BC and the time shown. The other side has the Focus and Intent that the routine was created with. The back of the holder states the name of the routine and the creator, along with a paragraph about Nia Technique’s thoughts on routines.
The CD is a typical music CD. It has music on it. But as a Nia Teacher or student you know there is nothing really typical about Nia routine music. 🙂 The songs play one after the other with no pause unless the song itself has a pause before the music begins or after the song ends. Or I guess the engineer putting the CD together could put a pause in.
The DVD consists of five sections: the Focus, Move the Move, Learn the Move, Energize the Move, and the Music. The “Focus” portion of the DVD is the creator (or one of them) talking about the focus and the intent of the routine. Often times they explain a bit about how the focus relates to the choreography. For example if the focus is “Steps and Stances” it might be mentioned that there are a lot of opportunities in the routine to experience all six stances.
“Move the Move” is the routine filmed almost as if you were taking a class. Sometimes they change the camera angle, but it is still basically as if you are taking a class.* The music is playing and the teacher is teaching. *There is one routine I have in which it was filmed with the class FACING the camera the entire time. I do not care for that at all. I like it when the camera is BEHIND the teacher with the mirror in the shot and it is as if I am standing behind the teacher taking a Nia class. I don’t know if there are other routines in addition to Birth that is filmed with the teachers and the class facing the camera, but I will inquire before I purchase additional routines.
Often times in addition to the teacher demonstrating different LEVELS of a move, they will demonstrate a lot of different moves that CAN be done while doing the routine. I always have to remind myself that just because they are showing us multiple ways to do the move or multiple ways in general to move to the music it does not mean I need to put them all into the routine when I am leading it. They are just showing examples as to what can be done. I find it very funny that a lot of the times Carlos was not even doing what he explained the choreography to be. To me, he often just let his spirit go and he danced to the music that he clearly loved. In his spirit dance he was able to show a lot of different things that could be done to the music.
As you can see this post is a bit long in itself. I have only touched upon two of the sections included on the training DVD. So stayed tuned for part two where I give a brief summary of the sections: Learn the Move, Energize the Move, and the Music.
Do you like to take lead follow exercise workout classes where the teacher is facing you? Or would you rather have the teacher’s back to you?
Posted in Nia | Tagged: "Steps and Stances", 8BC, Birth Nia Routine, Carlos AyaRosas, Energize the Move, exercise classes, exercise workout, focus and intent, Nia CD, Nia choreography, Nia class, Nia continued education, Nia Music, Nia routines, Nia student, Nia Teacher, Nia Technique, Nia training, Nia workout, Routine DVD, workout classes | 4 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 25, 2013
So I am not always a big fan of salsa. I am not always feeling the love for tomatoes and I am NEVER feeling the love for the hot spicy of most salsa. Most of the time I will just “wet” my chip in the salsa. Since tomatoes aren’t something I really like I don’t usually like Pico De Gallo. Recently I saw a pico de gallo recipe with cucumbers in it. Yes, I know there are a lot of different types of salsa and chunky “salsas”. You can make what people call salsa out of anything now a days, just like you can make “aioli” out of anything even though aioli is “traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and egg yolks” and salsa and pico de gallo are traditionally made with tomatoes. This was a tomato pico de gallo but it has cucumbers in it. I thought that would be cool. I saved the recipe with a plan to make it later.
Then one day, the day I was detoured by that little produce store on my way home from Nia Class in San Jose, where I bought my broccoli, I bought some tomatoes too. I was thinking I would make that pico de gallo. I knew I had cucumber and cilantro. Well, as sometimes happens, I didn’t get around to making it right away. I ended up using the cucumber I had for salads.
Of course, by the time I got some cucumber and decided to make the pico de gallo my cilantro was a bag of mush. That stuff goes fast and it was the bottom shelf so I hadn’t seen how bad off it was. So I ended up not having cilantro. But I had fennel. I thought I could try a “pico de gallo” with fennel tops. Not a traditional pico de gallo anyway because it has cucumbers in it.
Since it was not going to have any cilantro and fennel is not very strong I put in a lot of onions! A LOT. For me . . . too many. I think it made it too hot. But my husband liked it. The original recipe can be found here.
I made it like this:
________________________________________________
Pico de Gallo/Salsa Fresca
2 Roma tomatoes, finely chopped
1/4 medium onion, finely chopped
4 T finely chopped cucumber
2 T fresh fennel tops
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper (to taste)
Squeeze of 1/2 fresh lemon
I pressed the garlic in a garlic press, then combined all the ingredients. I let it chill for a few hours.
________________________________________________
My husband liked it. But he is really easy to cook for because he likes pretty much everything. But he said it was good. I think the onions carried it. I am not sure the fennel was strong enough to add that much of a flavor. But I know it was very different than pico de gallo with cilantro.
The next day there was some left over and I added avocados to it. I didn’t even taste it because I don’t like guacamole, but my hubby enjoyed it.
I might actually try this again with the actual fennel BULB! I really like fennel! And I LOVE the idea of cucumbers in pico de gallo!
***(Added June 19, 2013) According to Wiki: “In Mexican cuisine, pico de gallo (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈpiko ðe ˈɣaʎo], literally rooster’s beak), also called salsa fresca”***
What do you put in you pico de gallo? Do you make chunky salsa?
Posted in "Recipes", Food | Tagged: broccoli, chips and salsa, chunky salsa, cilantro, Cucumbers And Fennel, fennel bulb, garlic, Nia, Nia class, Nia San Jose, pico de gallo, Rooster's Beak, Salsa, San Jose Nia, Tomatoes | 10 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 24, 2013
Still adding to my good things jar. Et tu? Recently I received a card from a friend and she put stickers on the envelope. Yes, even in our 40s we are putting stickers on envelopes! LOVE IT! Often times I peel the stickers off and stick them on something else so I get to enjoy them long after the envelope is thrown away. This time I decided to cut them out and put them in my goodie jar.
Yes to me it was a good (actually GREAT) thing that my friend sent me a card. And I love the extra added joy of stickers so I just cut them out to be added to my jar! When my hubby and I go through the jar at the end of the year I will pull the stickers out and they are their own documentation of a good thing! It is like a double bonus. I get the joy of the sticker AND I am reminded that someone loves me and sent me a card! AWESOME!
What about you? What good things are you putting in your jar to remind you of the good things?
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: et tu, good things jar, Goodie Jar, Goodie Jar check in, stickers | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 23, 2013
A friend of my communicated with me that the company she worked for was going to be volunteering at RAFT. She asked me if I wanted to join them. I didn’t know what RAFT was. So I looked it up online and I saw what it stood for so I said yes. RAFT is Resource Area For Teaching. I showed up not knowing what they really did. I didn’t look at the website beyond the meaning of the acronym. After listening to the short orientation about what RAFT is I was very impressed. I was excited to learn that there is this type resource available to teachers. I know many teachers work way more than the school day hours and put a lot of their own money into supplies. I thought that RAFT might be something to help them out. RAFT is as a non-profit organization that supplies teachers with Idea Sheets, materials and other resources. RAFT also holds workshop for Educators.
RAFT understands that the hands on approach is a very powerful way to learn. Their mission is to “inspire the joy and discovery of learning” through hands on learning. The website has hundreds of “Idea Sheets” that teachers can print at no charge. These sheets are guides on lessons that correlate to the subjects and things that need to be taught in California. But anyone teaching kids can use them because they are on a variety of subjects. The sheets can be searched by subject or grade/level. The sheets state the materials needed, how to assemble the learning tool, the grade it corresponds to as well as the California Standard, the science behind it and alternative lessons that can be taught. Some of the idea sheets also have actual kits you can purchase through RAFT. But you can always obtain the materials yourself. Some things needed could be stuff you have around your house.
RAFT receives surplus “stuff” from businesses and they create learning tools from these spare parts. These are the Activity Kits that can be purchased. It is really cool because RAFT takes stuff that businesses more than likely would just be throwing away and they create a learning project from it. I thought that was so cool. RAFT is recycling by using things in a different way than was originally intended. When I was there we were using a CD/DVD Spindle, a CD/DVD, a CD/DVD case to create kits. We kept saying as we were assembling the kits that we would have to see what it was that we were putting together, but then we never did. And I was at the front of the assembly line so I don’t even know what else was in it except I saw sticks, straws, and string. I looked online and I don’t see the kit available yet so I can’t try to figure it out from the website.
In addition to the Idea Sheets, Activity Kits, workshops, and mentoring RAFT also has common classroom supplies available to teachers as a discount. So overall RAFT sounds like a great resource for teachers. I love that RAFT uses stuff that would just end up in the garbage. That the materials they are keeping out of the landfills actually go to making a project for children to learn from is just super delicious icing on the cake! Then having all of this help teachers. I was just so excited and impressed I had to share. I didn’t know this place, this type of thing existed. I am really glad I agreed to volunteer even though I had no idea what it was about.
If you teach kids I hope that you will take a moment to look at this GREAT resource that is available to you.
Did you know about RAFT? Have you ever used one of their Idea Sheets?
Posted in Helpful Hints, Misc | Tagged: Activity Kits, California Education Standards, classroom supplies, hands on learning, Idea Sheets, lesson plans, RAFT, teacher mentoring, teacher resource | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 21, 2013
My husband works with Little Sheba the Hug Pug. They both are a part of a very dog friendly company. Actually the company is pet friendly. But the main pet around is dogs and the main dog breed is pug! Every year Little Sheba and her little brother, Rio Bravo, participate in the Los Altos Pet Parade. The owners of the company gather all their pug friends to walk as a group. This past weekend was the 66th Annual Los Altos Pet Parade. My hubby was thrilled to have been asked to walk a bit with Rio and he asked me to come along. I kept thinking of it as a pug parade. Then even as I remembered it was a PET parade I was somewhat surprised to see chickens, lizards, cats, bees, and various other pets along the route. I was so busy taking pictures of the pugs, I didn’t take any pictures of the other pets except the chickens.
I was kinda on the sidelines taking the pictures and letting all the pug parents get the best positions for shots of the pug children. I didn’t want to get in the way of that. They were eagerly documenting the event. Such proud happy parents. Here are a couple of images where all the pugs were at attention due to a promise of a treat.
I was able to get in a quick shot while Rio and Sheba happen to be next to John.
Rio and Sheba were ready to go.
They were a group of seven pugs. (I didn’t get them all in this shot.)
In addition to trying to stay out of the way, I was walking and snapping, I was not focusing on the people holding the leashes and I did not get many full bodies in the shot. I did concentrate a few shots on my hubby because he was really very excited and honored to walk his little buddy in the parade. So I wanted to make sure I got a few to document that. But still I didn’t do a great job with that, but I managed to at least get a few. Here are some of the photos I was able to get.
Since we live in a neighborhood where it often sounds as if some of the dog owners don’t spend a lot of time with their dogs I was really happy to see so many proud dog owners strutting around with their beautiful and really well-behaved dogs. I actually only saw ONE dog out of at least a hundred, that seemed to think he needed to bark at every dog that walked by as if he was possessed. And, as you would expect from a dog with that behavior the owner just dragged him off without any instruction or conversation. Sad to say, no lesson learned there.
Participating in the parade were big dogs, little dogs, medium sized dogs, old dogs, young dogs, you name it a lot of different types of dogs. As, I said, it was nice to see them all so happy and getting along. It was obvious they knew they were the stars and the parade was in their honor as very loved pets!
Maybe next year you will bring your pet down to the pet parade. Or if not just come watch. Wouldn’t you like to spend the morning in beautiful Los Altos watching a parade of pets? C’mon it’s fun!
Posted in Misc | Tagged: dog breeds, dog owners, Hug pug, Little Sheba, Los Altos Pet Parade, pugs, Rio Bravo, well- behaved dogs, www.HugPug.com | 2 Comments »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 18, 2013
The other day we were out of vegetables. OH MY! On my way home from Nia in Willow Glen I was going to go to the store to get some. For some reason there’s a street in Willow Glen that has been closed for quite some time now so I was unable to take that street home. So the detour had me going past a different store than I was planning on going to. It is a produce store. Maybe kind of more like a small market because they have dry goods also. The produce there is not that great so I decided not to get lettuce and salad fixings. I thought I could just grab a veggie for that night’s dinner since I was going to be going to the store the very next day after my Nia class at the community center. All I bought was broccoli. When I got home I decided to have a sandwich. I like lettuce on my sandwiches or cucumbers or bell peppers something like that. I usually put at least one of those vegetables, sometimes all three, or a combination on my sandwich. But I didn’t have any because I didn’t buy any salad ingredients. Argh! I had only the broccoli I had bought. I started thinking. I’ve had shaved broccoli on pizza before and it was good but I didn’t think the shaved broccoli would go that well on my sandwich. I remember having posted something about broccoli before and people saying that you could use the stocks or stems so I thought, “Can I do that?” So I peeled a stock of broccoli and sliced it thinly and put on the sandwich was pretty good. I was happy I had a vegetable on my sandwich.
I guess I could do that all the time. In the comments of the post where I spoke about broccoli the one in which people told me to use the stems I said I would start and I haven’t. I have left more of the stem on when using broccoli but haven’t necessarily used the stocks. I suppose I could begin making my sandwiches with broccoli stocks in them. It is a good way to get additional vegetables and use broccoli stocks.
We used to have a dog that ate broccoli stocks. She loved them. She loved salad too!
Speaking of salads . . . . I didn’t use all the stocks in my sandwich. So the next night when I did get around to making a salad I decided to add some of the stocks to our salads. To me the stocks are a bit fibrous and stringy so I chopped them up pretty small. I tossed it on the salads as an added veggie. I think that worked out well. My hubby didn’t say, “Ewww. What is this? A broccoli stock on my salad???” So it must have been ok. I liked it.
At first I was not happy that I didn’t buy any produce that I would normally put on my sandwich. But now I am glad that I didn’t. I caused me to think of using the stems. And since my friend had shared that she eats the stems it encouraged me to try something new. Lovely. It has only taken me three years from when I originally posted! 🙂
What about you? Do you like produce on your sandwich? What do you prefer? Do you make use of broccoli stocks?
Posted in Food, Vegetables | Tagged: broccoli, broccoli stocks, Community Center Nia classes, Nia, Nia Classes, Nia in Willow Glen, salad fixings, sandwich fixings, sandwich produce, Vegetables, veggieless, Willow Glen Nia | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 17, 2013
Yowza! I almost forgot about my Friday Goodie Jar Check In. I remember last night just as I was falling asleep and I thought I would do it when I got home. This morning I was volunteering at a REALLY cool place I didn’t even know existed until this week when I was invited to join the volunteer group.
I was going to write about it in this post, but I think it deserves a post of its own. You know me (maybe, from my posts?), you know when I get excited about something I want to share and I thing this place is worth sharing in a blog post!
I got home a little later than I expected. But here I am posting the check in. Are you still with me? Are you still putting notes of good things in your Goodie Jar? I am!
Posted in Good Things in the Goodie Jar | Tagged: good things, good things jar, Goodie Jar check in, volunteering | Leave a Comment »
Posted by terrepruitt on May 16, 2013
Recently I was doing some quick cleaning. As I started I felt an itch on my arm but I had just started cleaning and I was on a roll so I didn’t want to stop and look so, I kept cleaning. I have kept my box of essential oils on my coffee table for ease of use, so as I was moving them to clean the table I remembered that one of them states it helps with bug bites. I assumed without looking at my arm that it was a bug that had bit me. It kept itching! So I decided to sit down to find the one that helps. I had to read every bottle. I don’t yet know which oil does what so I have to read each bottle each time I want to use one. I found it. It is Eucalyptus Oil. I put it on the spot and the itch stopped instantly. IMMEDIATELY!!!!! I was a little taken a back. It was amazing. I tipped the bottle onto my arm again. I wanted that effect to last!
According to the bottle it says:
“Fantastic on skin ailments such as burns, blisters, wounds, insect bites, lice and skin infections, as well as to combat the effects of colds and the flu. There is also a history of Eucalyptus essential oil being applied to sore muscles and joints.”
I thought it was pretty cool that I remembered an essential oil would help with the bite. I also thought is was really cool that it took the itching away instantly. I am not sure if the swelling went down and the bite disappeared faster, but I do know the itching stopped and that is huge to me. I mean I have had bites before and because they continue to itch I continue to scratch them and I know that does not help them go away any faster. So this was great to me.
Other common uses for eucalyptus oil are for allergies, asthma, bronchitis, congestion, cough, emphysema, hay fever, pneumonia, and poison ivy.
I have not tried Eucalyptus Oil for any of the other things listed on the bottle. I have also not tried if for most of the things listed as common uses. I usually just breathe it in. I have allergies and hay fever, so I think of it as helping clear my sinuses a bit.
As to the other uses I can not attest, I am not an essential oil expert nor a medical professional. I am not stating here that eucalyptus oil will assist with or cure any of the issues as stated under common uses or any of the things on the bottle. I am just here telling you what I used it for and how amazed I was at the result. It was great. The itch was gone!
Eucalyptus oil is also associated with opening and/or balancing the Heart Chakra as I mentioned in my post Chakras and Single Essential Oils, you can read that post by clicking here.
So there you have one of my experiences with essential oils.
How about you? Have you had an experience with eucalyptus oil you want to share?
Posted in Essential Oils, Misc | Tagged: Allergies, balancing chakras, blended frozen fruit, essential oils, eucalyptus oil, hay fever, heart chakra, help with colds and flus, insect bites, skin ailments | Leave a Comment »
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