Tag: family

The Key to Getting Kids Involved in Yoga (or any activity)!

If you are a parent of young children, you may have noticed that kids are naturally inclined to want to try any activity that you are participating in — whether it be an every day household task or your exercise routine.

Their attention span varies, however, and, oftentimes, it’s very short. So, what’s the best way to keep them engaged in an activity? Give them ownership — their own part/role in the process, their own gear/tools. If you make them feel like they own the activity, they will be more interested in not only participating, but completing the activity.

Case in point. . . Recently we received a delivery of some nifty kids yoga gear. All three sets of kids (seven in total . . .) were very interested. However, speaking for myself, my daughters completely flipped over this gear — there were mats, headbands, water bottles, yoga grippy socks — all specially made for kids.

The mats were rolled out in my living room. The girls’ headbands were on and they were ready to get their yoga on – or at least pretend to teach yoga to each other. It was very cute. While they were not actually practicing “yoga” it showed me that if you give them their own gear — their own ownership over the process — they are more likely to get involved and stay involved in the activity.

So, while purchasing kids yoga gear may not be a priority for you and your family’s budget, it may be something to consider if you are trying to get your kids involved in some physical activity. You don’t necessarily have to purchase new — you can hand down your gear.

This concept holds true for any activity. For example, if you are trying to get them to cook, give them their own apron or kitchen tools. If you are trying to get them to clean, buy them a vacuum – okay, well, this may not work LOL . . .

The super cool yoga kids mat and gear in the photo above is from Gaiam.

July 22, 2015
10 Simple Tips to Raise an Active Family
Now that the school year has ended, the kids are home, and the temptation to sit in front of the TV watching cartoons all day is great. It’s unbelievable that active, energetic children can turn into couch potatoes so quickly. The good news is that this is easily reversible. Children have a natural inclination to want to move, jump, fidget, skip and dance. Playing outside, swimming, running races and riding bikes are all forms of exercise, and kids looks forward to all of it. It’s all fun and games in their eyes.

The key to raising an active family is to set a positive example as active parents, to surround your children with opportunities to be active, and to harness your children’s natural playful spirit.

Here are a few of our tips to help you raise an active family. You can do this on a financial budget of any size!
1. Limit your kids’ time in front of the TV. One simple way to reduce TV-watching time is to pre-record your kids’ favorite shows. When it is time to watch a show, you can quickly fast forward through the commercials and cut back on the time that they are in front of the screen. We also recommend setting aside a specific time of day to watch TV. Pick a time that doesn’t interfere with physical activity—Maybe an hour before bed or an hour early in the morning before breakfast.
1. Set a good example. Let your kids see you exercising. If you disappear for each of your workout sessions, your kids are not seeing you being active. Don’t cancel your gym membership, but make it a point to do some form of exercise at home that your kids can witness. Pushups, sit-ups, squats and yoga are all great examples of effective exercises that are doable right in your living room.
1. Get active with your kids. Children get a kick out of seeing their parents playing, and it encourages them to join in. I have my own jump rope in the garage. When I take it out and start jumping in the driveway, the kids run and get their jump ropes, too. It’s just not possible for them to stand and observe. The urge to move is too great, and they join right in.
1. Make it a daily habit. Being active doesn’t mean that you must commit to long five-mile runs or day-long bicycle rides with your kids. You can raise an active family just by making it a habit to move every day. A ten-minute game of tag counts as movement!
1. Create a fun environment at home that encourages activity. Set up a volleyball net in your yard. Install a basketball hoop outdoors. If you don’t have the budget to install any sort of nets or goals, just keep a few different balls on hand in a large bucket. Kick a soccer ball around after dinner or play catch. The idea is that if you build it, they will come. Go ahead and create an inviting area for play.
1. Keep a ball/frisbee in your car. Be prepared for spontaneous fun! You never know when you might run across a large grassy field that is perfect for an impromptu game of catch, kickball or frisbee.
1. Blend inactivity with activity. Think about all of the inactive things that you do with your kids regularly, and find a way to make some of those activities more active. For example, instead of driving to the ice cream shop after dinner, walk there. Instead of parking your car right in front of the movie theater, park on the other side of the mall/parking lot.
1. Research your town’s recreational activities/programs. There are plenty of summer camps, private swimming clubs and sports camps that run all summer long, but if that’s not in your budget, contact your town to find inexpensive or even free activities for your kids. Playgrounds are free, some local zoos have free admission days, state parks offer great hiking trails, and some local bowling alleys offer free bowling for kids all summer long.
1. Build movement into their chores. This will obviously depend on the age of your children, but even little ones are happy to help rake leaves in the fall, plant flowers in the spring, and pull weeds in the summer. Older children can drag the garbage cans to the corner, get the mail from the mailbox each day, scrub bathtubs, etc. Allow your children to build a sense of responsibility while also moving their bodies and staying active.
1. Encourage your kids to get outside every day. With the exception of a few days a year that are dangerously cold or hot, your kids can dress appropriately and do just fine outdoors. What do they do once they get out there? Well, it’s a strange phenomenon, but they always find something to do.
June 24, 2015
Make Ahead Breakfast: Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake

Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of oatmeal in the morning — especially as the weather starts to get a bit chilly? But, who has the time to prepare oats in the morning — aside from the instant ones that tend to be full of sugar? If you want to get your oatmeal fix, but have little time to prepare them in the morning, consider making an oatmeal cake. You can make it in advance and enjoy it throughout the week. All you need to do is pop it in the microwave to heat it, and voila, a healthy breakfast is served!

I got this idea from Cooking Light that offers a baked oatmeal recipe. However, the Cooking Light recipe includes butter and brown sugar. I wanted to lighten up the recipe, so I swapped out the butter and the brown sugar, replacing them with safflower oil and maple syrup.

By now, you probably know that I use maple syrup a lot as a processed sugar replacement. Maple syrup is a natural sugar, and I find that I can easily replace an equal amount of white sugar (or brown sugar) with maple syrup. It works really nicely in this oatmeal cake recipe.

You can flavor the oatmeal cake any way you’d like. I decided to make a pumpkin oatmeal cake, because it’s fall, and I love pumpkin! You can also use mashed banana or applesauce in place of the pumpkin puree. If you don’t consume dairy products, try making the cake with almond or soy milk. I added raisins to the Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake, but you can throw in cranberries or currants or chocolate chips! You can also top it with a little extra maple syrup for some additional sweetness. It’s really a very versatile recipe. It’s also a great recipe for the non-oatmeal lover in your life.

If you happen to follow a gluten-free diet or have a gluten allergy, make sure to use oats that are labeled as gluten-free. While oats are naturally gluten-free, they are often cross contaminated with grains containing gluten during the growing process.

Pumpkin Spice Oatmeal Cake
Yields nine servings

2 cups of oats (not quick cooking)
1/3 cup of raisins
1/4 cup of chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/4 cup of maple syrup (grade B)
1/2 cup of pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons of safflower oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8 by 8 inch square pan. Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl. In a separate bowl, add the milk, maple syrup, pumpkin, oil and beaten egg. Mix to incorporate and then add the wet mixture to the dry mixture. Stir well. Pour the oat mixture into the greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until firm. Serve warm or refrigerate it and enjoy throughout the week!

Helpful hint: You can make the oat mixture the night before, store it in the refrigerator and bake it in the morning! I found the cooking time remained the same, but all ovens will vary.

September 25, 2014
My Morning Routine

Just like other moms out there, I always feel like there is never enough time in the day to get everything done! It’s hard enough to get yourself ready, but throw two kids into the mix, and the mornings are chaotic, to say the least. I have never been a morning person. If I had my way, I would stay up late and roll out of bed around 11am! Once you become a mother though, that plan quickly exits the building. So here is a glimpse into my morning routine and how I get my day going!

5:30 am: Wake on up!

No…I do not jump out of bed for joy when my alarm goes off. There is usually some grumbling and moaning involved, and maybe a snooze button or two. But for the most part, my day starts around 5:30-5:45am.

6 am: Get my yoga on!

I do yoga everyday…EVERYDAY. Some days it’s for 30 minutes, other days I spend nearly two hours throughout the day. My main practice though happens in the wee hours of the morning before my minis get up. It’s just easier that way, and I don’t feel like a bad mommy for not paying attention to them later on in the day.

As for my yoga practice itself? Some days I wing it, some days I make up my own flows (such as the Two Fit Moms Good Morning Flow!). Other days, I take classes online so I don’t have to think too much. Unlike what most people think, my practice is done in the middle of my living room in peace and quiet. I do not practice out on my deck with a camera clicking away.

7 am: Make myself presentable!

I can’t lie, I love makeup! I will not leave my house without it! I know that probably sounds ridiculous to some people, but I feel completely naked without makeup. I do not pack on tons, but it’s a staple in my daily morning routine…foundation, powder, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner and lip gloss!

After my face is on? It’s time to quickly curl my hair with a 2″ curling iron. I get a lot of questions about my hair…I do not do anything special to it at all. I wash it every other night, and I never blow dry it because it takes like 30 minutes to do that.

7:30 am: Picture time!

It’s usually about this time that I’ll sneak out onto my deck and snap some pictures or videos for Instagram. Contrary to popular belief, I do not spend all day taking pictures of myself out on my deck. I usually have a list of what I want to shoot to make it easier and quicker. I use my trusty iPhone to take videos and my Nikon D5000 for the pics.

7:45 am: Coffee Break!

I like to save about 10-15 minutes in the morning to sit down and have my coffee and breakfast. I drink one cup everyday with agave and Vanilla Coffeemate. Yes, I know the creamer is not healthy…but it’s the only way I’ll drink my coffee. 🙂 Breakfast is usually in the form of a muffin and fruit.

8 am: Wake the minis up!

I’m pretty lucky right now. In my town, my kids do not start school until 9 am. My kids are sleepers too…so I usually have to wake them up around this time. This is where my rushing begins! I drag them out of bed, feed them, get them dressed and ready, and then get myself dressed and ready.

8:40 am: Out the door!

I leave my house, drop the minis off at school and head to the office on the days I work. Things will shift a bit once I am done with my office job, but for now, this is how my day begins.

XOXO

September 22, 2014
Yoga For Everyone

When you gather nearly 200 people for a free yoga event in New York City, you realize that the concept of “yoga for everyone” is possible. In fact, it’s happening. We see this message unfold on Instagram daily. People of all ages, sizes, ethnicities — all walks of life — have embraced yoga. But being able to see this in real life is truly amazing.

As we debriefed after the event, the first topic of discussion was the amazing demographic of our yoga community. It really made us feel proud that we have helped bring so many different people together for the same purpose — yoga!

The event was intended for all levels of yoga experience—Inversions were optional! Whether you were a beginner or a more seasoned yogi, you were welcomed. Many attendees tried AcroYoga for the first time or attempted their very first headstand! It was amazing to see so many people take a leap of faith and soar.

We created this event to help inspire, to build confidence, and to build an even greater comradery. We think we achieved this — and maybe more.

As we sort through all of the pictures we took during FamJam, we see lots of smiles beaming back at us. Pure happiness exudes from everyone in attendance. Meeting the yogis we’ve been following on Instagram, achieving a yoga posture we never thought was possible, learning to trust others to the extent that you’d let them balance you on their feet — all of this was achieved on Saturday.

Thank you to Gaiam, our gracious event sponsor. Thank you to our partners, Claudine and Honza, of YogaBeyond. And, most importantly, thank YOU for making it such a memorable day!

To see the full album of photos from Yoga FamJam, please visit our Facebook page.

Namaste.

July 1, 2014