Rainy Day Activity

We had a few rainy days this week, and it reminded me of a couple weeks ago when it seemed to be constantly raining. The boys were getting bored being cooped up in the house  and starting to drive me crazy, so I had to find something for them to do. Of course, all of their toys were soooo boring, so I had to come up with something new and exciting.

That led to the creation of our own little obstacle course around the living area. I didn't know how it would go over, but the boys had a blast. By the end, they were even coming up with their own obstacles to add.

We started with a tunnel that we have.

Then, they had to hop over a laundry basket. Since Brady's smaller, he hurdled over it with his hands. I put some pool noodles out, and they had to straddle around them.

Kinsey (my dog) got in on the action, too! They climbed over the ottoman, bounced on an exercise ball 10 times, and did 5 bicep curls with 2 pound weights (Jackson kept upping the amount).

They had to climb through another tunnel. I set up two chairs across the kitchen, and they had to hop on one foot from one to the other. Their last stop was the bear crawl along a carpet we have between our kitchen counters.

They didn't even realize they were getting exercise through all of this! I'm hoping they'll still be excited about it the next time we have multiple days of rain.

What have you done in the past to entertain bored kids? Feel free to add links back to posts.

Free Tools to Get in Shape

I have always been the lucky type whose metabolism keeps me thin and I've never really had to worry too much about the way my body looks.  Then, I turned 30.  Although I'm still not complaining too much about the way I look, I am having to work a little harder to make sure I stay this way.

Along the way, I have found some great resources.  The best part about them is the price tag... FREE!  I am determined to find the cheapest way to do everything, and staying in shape is no different.

The first tool I found to help me was {LoseIt}.  This allows me to track my meals and exercise.  It may or may not work for you.  My husband doesn't have the patience for entering the food, but if you use the app on your phone, you can just scan almost everything in.  (Plus, my husband doesn't have a lot of patience to begin with!)  It totals your calories and calculates how much you can eat based on your weight.  The best part is it lets you know how many calories you have left in your daily budget.  Talk about a reality check!

I don't go to a gym, and we have minimal equipment at our house, so I rely on running for my cardio.  I've signed up for the {Liz Hurley Ribbon Run} in support of Huntsville Hospital Foundation for a little extra motivation.  Brady gets all cozy in his little jogging buggy, and I push him around the neighborhood.  

Recently, I discovered a great tool to allow me to see my stats.  It's called {RunKeeper}, and it works on my smartphone.  It uses the GPS to tell your time, distance, and pace.  It also allows you to set goals and create training plans.

I also download music to my phone.  Get ready for this... Shape magazine has {FREE workout music} (It should be #4 on the selections.) you can download, and they update it each month!  They make it so that all of the songs have the same BPM to help you keep your pace as you exercise.

Another great resource is {Sworkit}.  It is a site that allows you to pick an area of concentration and the amount of time you have for your workout.  It then provides a circuit for you to complete that requires no equipment.
What websites or apps have you found helpful to stay on track with your health?

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Or check them out from the links here: The Prudent Pantry, Here Comes the Sun, Jane's Adventures in Dinner, Project: Inspire, Melting Moments, The Artsy Girl Connection, Confessions of an ADD Housewife, The NY Melrose Family, Someday Crafts, The Dedicated House, Adorned From Above, Organize and Decorate Everything, Six Sisters' Stuff, I Heart Nap Time, Positively Splendid, Heatherly Loves, Kayla Creations, Debbiedoo's, A Stroll Thru Life , The Thrifty Home, Beyond the Picket Fence, Stone Gable, Here Comes the Sun