However, about two years ago I noticed I wasn’t as strong as I’d been in the past, and I was getting minor injuries from doing normal tasks. I kept getting back pain from gardening or from lifting boxes during organizing projects. I also had Tennis Elbow from throwing the ball for my dog. I decided it was time to do something about this loss of strength.

I knew I wanted a fitness class as opposed to joining a gym and working out on equipment. I wanted to be taught how to properly do the exercises and I wanted the class atmosphere for motivation. I also knew I didn’t want a ‘Boot Camp’ style class. Boot Camp classes remind me too much of High School Phys Ed, plus I didn’t want someone pushing me to do movements beyond my capability. My goal was to build strength and flexibility without injury. I’ve never been a fan of Yoga, but Pilates seemed interesting.

It turned out that most Pilates classes on equipment, which was what I was looking for, wanted you to first have some private lessons if you were new to Pilates. I signed up for three Pilates classes with a Pilates trainer to see if Pilates was right for me. It may have been my instructor, but I found Pilates to be boring. There was so much concentration on breathing (which I know is important) and the progression of the workout felt very slow moving — an hour workout felt like an hour, or longer. I learned that Pilates was not right for me (at least not from that instructor). And, I learned the importance of breathing, posture and connecting with my body.

Photo by Patrik Sklenar

I was still determined to find some type of fitness class that would work for me — that’s when I stumbled upon TRX (Total Body Resistance Exercise). TRX, as seen in the picture (courtesy of The Fuse Fitness, Kensington, CA), is a suspension training tool that uses your body weight as resistance against gravity.

I liked the fact that all levels of experience and all body types could do TRX. The straps adjust, and you adjust your body to change the difficulty of each move. There are so many different moves/exercises you can do with TRX. You can get strength training, flexibility and aerobics all out of one class (dependent on the instructor).

I have to admit it was intimidating going to my first TRX class. It was the first time I had been to any type of fitness class as an adult. After feeling a little stupid and uncoordinated, I began to get how the TRX straps worked. I’m glad I listened to my body and pushed myself to go. I also learned that not all instructors are the same and some may push students more than others. It is important you know your body, your limitations and remember your reasons for taking the class. I did and it saved me from injuries.

I found TRX classes to be fun and to go by really fast – an hour class can seem like only a few minutes. And for me, the best part is that I see improvement relatively quickly and without doing a million reps of the same thing (which would be boring). For instance, the first time I did a Side Plank I could not do it without using my free arm for support. Then after about a month, even though the classes I had been in had not incorporated a Side Plank as one of the exercises, I was able to do the Side Plank without support, and I was even able to hold a weight with my free hand. The fact that all the exercises work your core means you can improve on a specific movement without doing that movement a gazillion times.

I have been taking TRX classes for almost a year now and I am not bored yet. I am more fit now than I ever was, and I’m having fun keeping fit. So me, the non-gym/fitness person, now looks forward to fitness (TRX) class.

Keratin Treatment Week Two

Keratin Treatment Week Six

I have been on a quest for quite some time for a solution for my frizzy hair. I thought Argan Oil might be it, and it helped, just not enough. I finally succumbed to a Keratin Hair Treatment (Brazilian Blowout). I have straight (with some waves and now lots of frizz), processed (graying) hair. My hair has always been weather sensitive, which means it tends to be pretty flat when the air is dry and very frizzy when the air is humid, misty, foggy, etc.  However, in the last few years my hair had been more on the frizzy side, even on non-humid days.

As more gray hair grew in, I started having more issues with my hair. My hair’s texture was changing and becoming more wiry and frizzy. In fact, the reason I went with the Keratin Treatment was I had a section of hair near my face that would poof up no matter how much product or styling I did, and the rest of my hair would lay relatively flat. I was also finding that I was having a lot more hair in the shower drain, on my pillow and on the bathroom floor. I kept thinking I was going bald. Every time I had my hair cut I would ask my stylist if I was balding. Of course she said no, but it was hard to believe with the amount of hair I was seeing everywhere.

My hair stylist recommended the Express Keratin Treatment to make my frizzy hair more manageable, and told me it would last about six weeks. I was also told that my hair might be very limp/flat for a week or so after the treatment. The original Keratin Treatment lasts up to 5 months, but is much more expensive and the treatment takes much longer to do. The Express sounded good. If I hated my hair after the treatment it would only be a matter of weeks, not months, before it washed out.

The Express treatment at the salon goes like this: wash hair with a clarifying shampoo that opens the cuticle, towel dry hair, apply Keratin Complex, blow dry and then flat iron the hair. The treatment added maybe another twenty minutes onto my regular color/cut appointment.  It is recommended that you use a sodium chloride free shampoo after the treatment so you don’t strip the keratin from your hair.

My hair was definitely flat/stick straight and super shiny after the treatment My hair stayed flat and stick straight for about a week after treatment (I wash my hair everyday). After the first week I got some body back in my hair, but without the frizz.

My treatment lasted over 9 weeks, however during the last few weeks my hair was not as smooth and shiny, and the frizz was starting to return – it was still way more manageable than before the treatment. The best part for me was (and is) that I no longer am seeing gobs of hair in the shower drain, on my pillow or on the bathroom floor. My hair is back to what my hair was like before all the crazy gray hairs invaded. It is definitely worth the week of super flat, straight hair.

Here is an easy recipe for spiced nuts:

2 Cups Raw Unsalted Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, etc)

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter

1/2 Tablespoon Water

1/2 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon

1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

1/4 Teaspoon Ginger

Heat the nuts in a cast iron skillet until they are toasted. Remove the nuts and wipe out the skillet. Add the butter, sugar, water and spices to the skillet. Stir the ingredients until the sugar and butter are melted. Add the nuts back and stir until well coated. Spread the nuts on parchment paper and let cool. Once the nuts are cool package in pretty, airtight containers. This is an easy homemade gift that anyone can do. You can change the spice mixture to make different flavored nuts — this is just a starting point. Enjoy!

If you plan ahead and allow a little extra time after you shop to package and prep items you will find you can shop less often and still eat great food.

Here are some tips for keeping items longer:

Bread: Buying local fresh made bread is great but it doesn’t last long. One trick I use is to freeze bread. If I buy a loaf of fresh bread I ask the baker to slice it for me and then I freeze it the same day I bring it home (minus what will be used that day). I usually freeze the slices in heavy ziplock bags, then when I need a couple of slices I take out what I need, wrap it in foil and pop it in the oven (toaster oven’s work great for this) at about 350 degrees for 5 – 10 minutes. I will also freeze baguettes. I will cut a fresh baguette into sandwich length pieces and wrap each piece in foil and then freeze the individual pieces. When I need a baguette for a sandwich, garlic bread or just to eat I pop the frozen baguette piece in the oven, and in less than 10 minutes I have fresh bread.

Bagels: Bagels freeze well in freezer bags. I usually do not pre-slice the bagels. I will put the frozen bagel in the microwave for about 15 seconds (just until it is soft enough to slice) then I slice and toast.

Pastries: I will also freeze muffins and scones that I have either purchased or made from scratch. Take the fresh (must be at room temperature before freezing) pastry and wrap each one in foil (remove any paper first) and freeze. Then when you want a fresh muffin just pop one in the oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Fresh Produce: Buy extra produce you really like when it is in season and at its peak. Take the extra produce and freeze, preserve, pickle and/or make sauces and soups with it.

• Fresh berries freeze well. Gently rinse and dry off the berries and then spread out on a flat tray that you can slip in your freezer. Once the berries are frozen you can store the berries in air tight containers in the freezer.
• Tomatoes can be slow roasted and/or made into sauce and then frozen.
• Carrots and celery can be washed and prepped for snacking on the go. Put the cleaned and prepped vegetables in a container with cold water in the fridge. The water will keep the vegetables fresh and crisp. Change the water every day or so.
• Bell peppers can also be cut in strips and stored in the fridge in a container between damp (paper) towels.
• Lettuce and leaves of fresh basil can be washed and dried then layered in (paper) towels and kept in a container in the fridge.
• Garlic is great when peeled and kept in oil in the fridge. You can use the garlic in cooking or just the flavored oil.

Fresh Herbs: Soft herbs like cilantro, tarragon, sage and basil can be pureed with (olive) oil and then frozen in ice cube trays. Once frozen the cubes can be stored in the freezer in labeled containers or freezer bags. Then when you need to flavor a dish just pop in a cube of the frozen herb. Hard herbs like rosemary and thyme can be frozen in ziplock bags. First clean and dry the herbs, then place in a small freezer bag and freeze on the stem. They can be kept on the stem or once frozen it is easy to remove the leaves from the stems and then seal the leaves in small bags or containers in the freezer.

Home Cooked Meals: Soups, sauces, casseroles and stews are all good items to make extra of and freeze. When freezing make sure the food is at room temperature, and it is best to freeze food in small quantities (one or two portions per container). If using freezer bags, squeeze out the excess air and then seal, label with the date and name of the item, then freeze flat with nothing stacked on top. Once the item is frozen it can be stacked. If using a container allow a little room for expansion (about 3/4 inch) and then make sure the lid is sealed, label and freeze. Here is a source for (Martha Stewart) freezer labels you can print at home with adhesive backed paper: Clip Art Freezer Labels

Remember to always label and date frozen food. Also, in the refrigerator and in the freezer make sure the older items are used first by keeping the older items in the front and the newer items in the back. Every week or so go through your refrigerator and throw out anything that is expired. Here is a basic guide to how long many items will last in the refrigerator: Storing Fresh Food Audit your freezer about every month.

More helpful tips at Every Day Food

Here are fun items for making unique and interesting gift packages. Click on the links to find online sources for the various products.

Decorative Tape 

Not your Mom’s Masking Tape

Twine

More Twine

Kraft Paper

Gift Packaging: Cello Bags, Pillow Boxes, Gift Boxes

Printable Labels