Two calendars update. The cute Advent calendar and the Colorful Daily Tracker. This picture of the daily log is better than the scan I posted a couple of days ago. Here you can see all the colors!
How is it going for you?
Archive for the ‘Misc’ Category
Calendars Update
Posted by terrepruitt on December 4, 2021
Posted in Misc | Tagged: 2021 progress, 30 minutes a day, Advent Calendar, Colorful Daily Tracker, daily log, December progress | Leave a Comment »
Fun Thing This Season
Posted by terrepruitt on December 1, 2021
I am one of those people that opens gifts right away. If you send me a gift, I am going to open it. In person, though, I am shy about opening it unless you ask me to open it. If I am asked NOT to open it, of course, I will wait, but without instructions I am digging in. I think my friend sent me an advent calendar to help me exercise patience and control. It is cute and I am excited.
Funny, it is like advent is in the air. I had thought to send them out this year to everyone. I couldn’t find ones with the idea I had in mind for everyone so I only sent a few and . . . I got one. So fun. I also have an idea to do one with my husband next year, but we will see if that actually happens.
Do you/your family have advent calendars?
Happy December!
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Advent, Christmas season, Christmastime, Holiday season, kitties, pets, puppies | Leave a Comment »
Daily Coloring
Posted by terrepruitt on November 30, 2021
It has been almost an entire year! I started with the idea to “move” at least 30 minutes a day and I was using a specific color for a specific movement, but then that first month became primarily just one color. So I decided to just use any color for any movement. Since I had received a set of gel pens for Christmas I was excited to use them. And I decided to use one type per month, I used each type twice. April and September are the fluorescent pens. March and July are the pastels. In November I used two types the fluorescent and pastels. Also . . . as you can see I went from coloring in the entire space to making designs or patterns. That helped speed up the process.
The pictures does not do the color of the pens justice. Some of the yellows, oranges, and greens are not showing, but basically every day is filled in. I have done some intentional type of movement at least 30 minutes every day. It is not always 30 minutes of the same thing, but it is at least 20 minutes of spinning and then a variety of yoga, stretching, and strength training. I did not count the time I teach because teaching is a little different than DOING in some cases.
One month to go!
I know there are so many variations of daily tracking calendars out there. Did you do one?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Colorful Daily Tracker, colorful tracker, coloring, daily log, daily movement, daily tracker, gel pens | Leave a Comment »
Exciting Times
Posted by terrepruitt on October 18, 2021
We recently got a new set of pots and pans. Crazy thing to post about, huh? But I like ’em and wanted to share, plus I wanted to see if anyone else had them and how they are holding up. I understand that non-stick pans may allow things to leech into your food, but I was led to believe that the newer coatings might be more safe. But . . . who knows . . . years from now they will claim they are bad. You know how things are. I am not good at cooking in pots and pans that are not coated. I have a very nice, very expensive set of pans that have no coating, but I rarely use them because it is difficult for me to cook in them. What had finally happen to the set we just replaced was ALL of the coating was coming off. I am pretty sure THAT was not good.
I, of course, was looking for BLUE pots and pans and I found a few sets. But the manufacturers of pots and pans are horrific in the sets they put together. As with anything, one gets used to cooking with certain sized pans so I was tasked with getting the exact sizes that we had. We had THREE pots – THREE, not two and for some reason most sets only came with two sizes. They had things I didn’t want like strainers and other sized pans but not the three sized pots we had.
But I kept searching and I found a set that had the three sized pots we wanted to have. It had more pans than we needed, but . . . it had the pots. Oh, another thing the set had to have was a good return policy. I was shopping online and need to be able to return it if we didn’t like it.
We ended up with a set that includes – 8” skillet, 10” fry pan, 12.5” fry pan, 1.5-quart sauce pan with lid, 2.5-quart sauce pan with lid, 3-quart chef’s pan with lid, 3-quart sauté pan with lid, 6-quart stock pot with lid. It was the 2.5 quart sauce pan (pot) that most sets were missing. And since I call sauce pans pots I wasn’t sure I was getting what I wanted. And none of my current pots had information on them as to what size they were. So I wasn’t exactly sure we were getting the EXACT same sizes (as I was tasked to do).
Anyway . . . so far so good. The bottom of one pan is already scratched up . . . but that is ok. They are not hanging out. It is the inside I am more concerned with. They are flat and sit on the stove . . . that was something I was missing as all of our pans were warped. These ones are light enough to pick up with something in them, but not so light they spin on the stove. So far so good. They are also truly non-stick. I have cooked without fat in them, although I do prefer the flavor and crispiness that one gets from cooking with fat or oil . . . but I can do without it sometimes.
So . . . does anyone else have these Granitestone Pro Pots and Pans with Ultra Nonstick Diamond & Mineral Coating? If so, how are they holding up? If not, what kind of pots and pans do you have?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: ceramic coating, cook sets, cookware, Granitestone, non-stick coating, pots and pans | 8 Comments »
Fall Scent
Posted by terrepruitt on October 13, 2021
So what are your Fall traditions? I recently saw a friend post about one of her Fall traditions – Cinnamon Brooms – and I had to look it up. She said that it was the first but not the last of the season. I looked it up and found that Trader Joe’s has a decorative little broom that is scented with cinnamon. Pumpkin spice and cinnamon seem to be a “Fall-type” of scent. Something that might make a space feel more cozy.
And later look what arrived in the mail. Isn’t it cute? A little Cinnamon whisk. It is still in the package because I am following the tradition of my friend. It is very fragrant in the package so I’ll leave it in there until I can’t smell it any more then take it out and VOILA it is like it is renewed when in fact the removal of the plastic just lets the scent be free.
Have you heard of the Cinnamon Broom? What are some of your Fall traditions?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: autumn, cinnamon broom, cinnamon whisk, Fall, seasonal traditions, Trader Joe's | 2 Comments »
My Latest Favorite
Posted by terrepruitt on October 4, 2021
Lately I am loving this stretch. Looks yummy, huh? I have been stretching everyday for about nine months now and this is one I love. It gets a lot of the body. As you are more-than-likely aware the more often you stretch the more chance there is that your body becomes more flexible. There are always going to be days where the body is more tight than others, but if you have a daily or even a three-times-a-week stretching practice you will notice a difference.
There are all kinds of stretches, but I think a lot of people will agree that lying down stretches are nice. It gives you the air of resting while also doing something to help with flexibility. This stretch might be touted as a side stretch or a lower back stretch . . . but it really depends on where you need it because it has the potential of being a lot of muscles/area stretch. And with a modification the areas that can be stretch can increase.
So, let me explain what is going on. Keep in mind that I may not be perfectly posed as it is a hilarious feat to press the button then get down on the ground . . . once I get down I always manage to forget something (foot angle, arm straight, smile, etc.) in the short time of the timer then as soon as it clicks I think, “Oh . . . ”
First of all make sure there is enough empty space around you so you don’t hit or kick anything when you are fully lengthened.
—Then lie on your back. I will explain one side then just do the opposite to stretch the other side.
—Turn to lie on your right side, putting your knees together. Knees are slightly bent and thighs are at about a 45° angle.
—Straighten out the left (top) leg.
—Keeping your knees together, roll onto your shoulders creating a twist in your torso.
—Straighten your left (top) arm. The idea is to create a line from your left fingers to your left toes, like a slash or half of an X. Your right arm can be however it is most comfortable for you.
I gently lift my shoulders off the ground so I can reach my right shoulder more to the left and try to get both my shoulders and left arm on the ground.
For me, I feel the stretch in my left arm, my left side, my lower back, and my left hamstring.
In order to increase the intensity to sense “more of a stretch” I like to bring my left (top) foot/leg up closer to my right hand and hold it and really reach further away with my left hand. This moves the stretch a bit and I feel as if it gets more of the side I am stretching.
I often suggest to my students, to move their top arm around to see which stretch is best for them. As I said some days we are more tight than others and sometimes the areas of tightness change so it is sometimes necessary to tweak the stretches so we get the best out of our time.
So? What do you think? Is this yummy? I think it is.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: arm and leg stretch, reclined twist, side twist, yummy stretch | Leave a Comment »
Time Flies Fun Or Not
Posted by terrepruitt on September 29, 2021
I do not remember the significance of this shirt or why I was taking a picture of it. But, is one of the last ones I took of my dad so I am posting it today.
It is a nod to his birthday.
Posted in Misc | Tagged: birthday, Dad, shirt picture | Leave a Comment »
Ooooo, Dazzle Stick
Posted by terrepruitt on September 27, 2021
Yeowwwza! I always get such cool things from people and I like to share with you. If you are like me you like to keep your sparkly things sparkly. My friend gave me a jewelry cleaner pen for my birthday and initially I thought, “Well, I am sure my toothbrush and glass cleaner can do just as good of a job as this pen thing.” Especially when I read the directions and it said the brush will turn blue so I kinda assumed it was a glass cleaner type product. But it is so cool.
I tried it and it works great. I looked it up and it says the “cleaning gel contains micro-fine cleansers and polishing agents” and when you use it over time the special polymers will fill in scratches.
Now, I am wondering if that is what jewelry stores use too because jewelry never looks as good as when they clean it . . . well, now it does.
I don’t know how long this will last, but I do know that it does a great job. I don’t know how many times I have asked to see a person ring and the response it, “Oh well, it is so dirty.” If you wear jewelry you know that it can’t help but get gunked up with soap and lotions and everything so yes, it is going to be dirty unless you clean it. I usually just brush mine with an old toothbrush and soap and/or window cleaner, but now I have this cool tool.
YAY.
It is fun and fabulous and I thought I would share.
What do you use to clean your jewelry?
Posted in Misc | Tagged: Connoisseurs, Diamon Dazzle Stick, jewelry, jewelry cleaning pen, shiny, sparkly, wedding ring | Leave a Comment »
Homework
Posted by terrepruitt on September 22, 2021
I give my students homework. Ugh, right? I mean no one likes homework and here I am not even an academic teacher and I assign homework! It is not something my students have to turn in, but I know whether they have done it or not. You may have read my last post about Sitting Uncomfortably, well, that is the homework assignment. I encourage all of my students to sit like that during the week.
It really is an easy assignment. You don’t even have to set aside specific time to do it, it is one of those things that you can do while you are going about your day. If you have a pet and you get down to say hello, do it in a toe squat. If you have a grandchild that you lower down to say hello to, do it in a toe squat. If you have to look for something or get something on a low shelf, do it in a toe squat. If you watch commercial TV and you are suffering through the commercials anyway, why don’t you do it in a toe squat? If you do any type of social media surfing on a phone or tablet . . . . do it in a toe squat. Of course you need to make sure you are safe in any of these instances, but these are easy ways you can work a toe squat into your day — you don’t even have to plan it specifically.
When this pose is included in a class I can tell by the faces who has been doing it and who has not. It gets easier the more you do it, so pained expressions give people away.
I also encourage my students to balance on one leg . . . again, in a safe manner. But there are so many times when we are standing that we could easily do it on one leg. I am not talking about having to lift one foot up entirely off the ground. You can just casually put one foot on the other or put your heel up on the opposite ankle. You can be in line at the grocery store, bank, post office, wherever and practice your balance. You can be doing dishes. You can be talking to a neighbor. Again, this is something that does not need a specific time.
I want to add core engagement. In our Core & Light Weights class we have been talking about core engagement and I would like to have people think about that all the time. A million years ago the phrase used to be “suck it in”, well, I guess many people took that literally and sucked in their belly and that is not really what is supposed to be happening. The sensation you are after is one that you have when you brace yourself – engage the core. Imagine someone is going to punch you in the abdomen or you’re bracing yourself for a pet or child to jump on you . . . that is what the engaged core feels like. You are not only engaging the abdominal muscles, but you are engaging the stabilizing muscles in the back and the sides. You are ready to hold yourself steady. I don’t even have to tell you how easy it would be to do this all the time because I am sure you know. Sometimes it is just a matter of being reminded.
So, if I were to check with you on this type of homework assignment how would you do?
Posted in Core Muscles, Misc | Tagged: abdominal muscles, balance, core engagement, Core Muscles, exercises, fitness homework, icky pose, stabilizing muscles, toe squat | 2 Comments »
Not As Bad As I Thought
Posted by terrepruitt on August 23, 2021
One of Nia’s principles is Awareness, with that we think of things like “Dancing Through Life”. Any movement you do could be considered a dance. Everyday tasks can be thought of as a dance. It is somewhat the same for exercises. I am always encouraging my students to incorporate stretches and poses into their everyday life. One can be standing in line or doing dishes and balancing on one foot. Instead of bending over one can squat or even do the bend more in the shape of a forward fold. Three times a week I set up my studio and I am always reminded that I am not tall enough by about 2 inches to comfortably untangle the hooks for my curtain. This got me thinking about having to reach and stretch to do things.
What an opportunity we have. I would imagine that pretty much everyone has experienced being exactly not tall enough to reach something. Some of us have the experience more often than others and when I think about it, I think it has provided us with a lot. I know that I am constantly balancing on my toes to try to do things. My feet get a workout by being on the ball of my feet. Also when I am balanced on my toes (balls of my feet) my ankles get to practice stability.
Most of the time when I am reaching for something I am lengthening my spine and reaching my arm (or arms) out so they are getting to practice flexibility. All of these things are incorporated into Nia routines with the Nia 52 Moves, but I am talking about everyday life when I just need that extra inch or two to reach something.
I get to add that extra “exercises” or “stretch” or practice of stability into my day. Just this past week I thought of this and it made me laugh because I always (used to) complain about not having that extra height.
I also get extra movement in when I have to just give up and go get the step stool. All of that adds another level of movement.
Where do you stand on this? 🙂
Posted in Misc | Tagged: ankle stability, ankle stabilityement in, dance exercise, Dancing Through Life, extra movement in, extra movNia principles, just out of reach, Nia 52 moves, Nia principles, Nia routines, not quite tall enough | 8 Comments »
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