Baby's Got Back

Do you sit a lot at work or are consistently bending over to pick up the baby or the kids toys? These 5 exercise today are definitely for you! Here are 5 different great back exercises you can do from the connivence from your own home to help strengthen a muscle that probably gets neglected most.

Superman:



Lay flat on your stomach with your arms and legs stretched out. Lift your legs and arms at the same time really focusing on contracting the back muscles. Hold for 2-5 seconds then release. Repeat 12 times, take a break and then do 1 more set of 12 repetitions.

Dumbbell Row:



Grab an 8 or 10 pound weight to do this exercise. Get a squat position and lean forward. Keep a straight arm to begin the exercise and then row the weight up to chest level. Repeat 10-12 times, twice in a workout.


Plank:



This is a great exercise that will strengthen your back and your abs at the same time. Hold plank for 30 seconds, 3 different times. So a total hold of a 90 secs. Take a 15 second break between each set. Make sure to keep a flat back, butt down, and pull your abs in.

Y- Raise:



This is a great exercise to do from home because all you need is a workout ball. Lie facedown on the workout ball so your back is flat and your chest is off the ball.To start your arms should hang straight down from your ball. Then bring your arms up to a 30 degree angle (or Y shape) contract the back muscles and hold for 2-5 seconds in that position. Then bring your arms back to the starting position. Do this exercise 15 times, twice, with a 30 second break between each sets.

Deadlift:



Grab some 10-12 pound dumbbells. Start in a squat position with your weights at the floor. Grab the weights with your palms flat on the weights. Without letting your back round stand up with the dumbbells. Then lower the weights back to the floor. Do this exercise 15 times, take a break, then do one more set of 15 repetitions.

The great thing about these exercises is that they don't take too much time to do. You get a great workout in a short amount of time!

Have a great weekend!

Facebook

I don't know if you have noticed, but we have finally joined facebook! Slowly we are figuring this whole blog thing out. Who knows, maybe someday we will join Twitter... maybe :) Feel free to like our facebook page. We would love to have you follow along!

German Pancakes

This recipes comes from my childhood. I can remember eating this super easy recipe a lot. The best part about it is that it only has 4 ingredients. Have too many eggs and milk about to expire? This recipe is for you. 

German Pancakes

1 cup milk

1 cup flour

6 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons butter

Preheat oven to 350°. Place butter in a 9x13 pan and put in oven. Let the butter melt while you mixing the rest of the ingredients. In a blender, combine the rest of the ingredients until smooth. Pour over the melted butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve with syrup and powered sugar for extra yumminess.

Travel Log

We’re back! Can I just say that I love taking the week off from blogging. When we take the week off it usually means that we are together! And this past week, we were! We all got together in Breckenridge, CO and played and ate and ate some more. We even got some sewing in, which we will share with you later. I love getting together with my sisters.

Since this past week involved traveling, I thought it would be appropriate to share a recent creation of mine that honors travel. This is a creation that both my husband and I really enjoy. Plus, it was super easy to create.

My husband and I enjoy traveling. We have been a few places in the three years that we have been married. We still have a lot more of the world to explore, but we have plenty of time to do so. Everywhere we go we pick up a magnet. Now this is just a collection of the places that my husband and I have been together. We have both traveled quite a bit more than this prior to knowing each other, but these magnets and this project just document our adventures together.

In addition to the fridge magnets, I wanted to create something else to document our travels together. I started with a corkboard sheet and a world stencil that I had cut out with my cricut.

I put my stencil in place and then stamped my bleached sand colored paint over the cork board on the stencil.

Next I took some chalkboard paint to the inside of a frame.

Then I painted the outside of the frame the same color as the map.

Then I added dots to the locations of our adventures.

Then I listed our travel dates on the chalk board(and wished that I had better handwriting.)

I love this little reminder of my husband and I‘s adventures together.

Handling Stress 101

Following this six simple steps can help you manage the stress in your life a little better.

1. Try to change how you perceive specific stress-inducing events

For example, the next time a person in another car does something foolish, try not to percieve him or her as the enemy who is out to run you off the road, but as a friend who has simply made driving a mistake.

2. Try to understand and deal with your anger

Acknowledge your anger to yourself. Learn to differentiate between levels of anger. Try to diagnose the threat that is causing you to be angry, it may result of a difference in values or in style and be no real threat to you at all. Finally, try letting go of anger through forgiveness and by try letting go of anger through forgiveness and by try letting go of anger through forgiveness and by canceling the charges against the other person.

3. Take time to relax or meditate

Try to manage your time more effectively so that you don't court stress through disorganized scheduling.

4. Expand your social support system

Contact and try to establish relationships with new individuals or groups who may be able to give you emotional support.

5. Regular exercise is an ingredient in reducing stress

Considerable evidence indicates that individuals who regularly exercise have lower arousal to stress than individuals who are less fit. Exercise aids in balancing and stabilizing the consequences of emotional stress. Allows you to handle stress effectively.

6. Good nutrition is vital

Eat regular, well balanced meal. Try to eat a small amount every two hours. 3 meals and 2 snacks. Breakfast is essential.


When stress is handled properly you will be able to live a healthier and more positive life!

Have a great weekend!