Tennis Ball Love

I love tennis balls. Not to play tennis with, but to self massage with. No, it's not anything x rated. It is just yummy relaxing goodness. The beauty of tennis balls are that they can be used on every part of your body from your neck to the soles of you feet. You can place one between you and a wall and get an AMAZING shoulder and back massage. As my hubby can attest, he has walked in on  me "rubbing" against the wall on countless occasions.
You body is composed of a layer of soft tissue called the fascia. When you get massages from a massage therapist it is a type of therapy called myofascial release.  One of the reasons people like massages are because they get relief from trigger points.Trigger points are knots in the muscle. They can be cause from tension and stress, or from over use.
By using self massage you  can increase flexibility, relieve pain, and restore motion. The tennis balls allow a moveable constant pressure on the fascia (muscles) and  trigger points.  Self massage is an well know and used form of myofascial release.


Here are some of my favorite "moves".
1) Hold the tennis ball flat against the front/side of your neck. On the muscle, not the Adams Apple. With your hand open, using your palm "roll" the ball over your entire neck (both sides) in a circular motion. When you find a really yummy spot- give it a lot of love. You can move up onto your face as well.
2) Move the ball down onto you chest or pectoral area. Again, with an open palm "roll" the ball in a circular motion over your entire chest area. (You will get the best massage without any clothing, however if you are in public... keep your clothes on and "roll" over the fabric.)
3) Take the ball and place it against your shoulder blade closer to your spine on the muscle- not the bone. Now step back against a wall so that your body is holding the ball in place. Now slowly move your body up and down and side to side. you may need to readjust the ball periodically. When you find a spot that needs more love, try pressing the ball harder against the wall and holding the tension for 10 to 15 seconds. Wiggle and move. You may feel silly at first, but once you are done you will feel like jello.

 You can stand or sit for the next technique.
4) Place the tennis ball under the arch of your foot and start with little "stomps"or "walking" on the ball. Be careful not to lose contact with the ball. Next roll the foot over the ball, including the sides of the feet, toes, and heels.

I have had clients use golf balls (if you like deep tissue work), foam rollers, and racquet balls. A can of soup can work wonders on tired feet as well!

The idea is just to do what feels best on your body. Don't be surprised if you find different areas need attention on different days. Your body will tell you what it needs; all you have to do is listen.

Happy Rolling!

This post is loaded with links, so please explore them for more information.

Car Pilates

One of the most common problems in todays society is posture. If you take a moment and look around any public place, you will see most people are rounded forward through the shoulders with their heads jutting out like a turtle. This is because society spends all of it's time sitting at a deck on a computer. We "relax" in the chair to get more comfortable, but what we are doing is training the human body to adopt an incorrect body alignment.
In this post I will give you 2 very simple exercises that you can do anytime, anywhere. Not only will they help get rid of neck pain, lower back pain, shoulder tension, and possibly tension related headaches; they will improve you posture as well. (This is from my own personal experience and that of my clients.)

I know "Car Pilates" doesn't sound do-able or safe, but in actuality it is a form of body awareness what will assist you in your Pilates practice and everyday life.
 To find your correct lower body position, I would like for you to sit an a regular chair with both feet flat on the floor. If you are short like me, you will be forward on the chair.
1) Sit up nice and tall with your abdominal muscles pulled in towards the spine and lift the pelvic floor simultaneously.
2) If necessary move the flesh of your bum out of the way so you can feel the 2 "boney knobs" you are sitting on.
3) Once you find these landmarks, I would like you to slowly roll your weight backward (like a dog tucking its tail) until you feel the lower abdominal activate. This is a small movement.

THIS IS YOUR FINAL POSITION

Now the upper body position. This can be done in the car while driving. This section can also be done while pushing a shopping cart or stroller.

1) Place the palms of your hands onto the steering wheel at 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock.

2) Gently press your palms down onto the steering wheel. You should feel your shoulders dropping and your neck growing longer.

3) Think of you chest spreading wide as you take 10 deep breathes in and out.

4) Make sure your lower abdominal muscles are connected as listed above.

5) Release position.

6) Repeat.

All anyone will see is perfect posture. I like to tell my clients to do this exercise whenever they think about it. In the car it's a great way to avoid fatigue. In a store you look more like a ballerina than turtle because all anyone sees is perfect posture. 

Happy Anniversay

13 years ago...

one of my best friends made me go out to a local college bar with her.

(I didn't want to go, but she made me.)

she introduced me to all of her friends.

one was a cute guy.

the first thing he said to me...

"my god you have a beautiful smile."

9 years ago...

that same cute guy waited for me on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

he made me laugh 

he gave me 3 beautiful babies

Today...

that same cute guy STILL makes me laugh.

Happy Anniversary.

Now we're cooking

My family LOVES soup. My husband LOVES soup. I LOVE making soup. I LOVE what soup represents. Soup is warmth, comfort, caring and sharing. It can be simple or complex. It can be basic or exotic. It can be an appetizer or the main course. I love the fact that it can be low in calories, but high in nutrition. It can fill you up quickly.

I wanted to share a family favorite.

This is the quickie version of my mothers " Chicken Cacciatore Soup".
She gets requests to make it at every holiday, family gathering, or un-special occasion.

What You Need
1 grocery store whole rotisserie chicken- plain, italian, or lemon pepper
1/2 jar organic marinara sauce
1 can organic NO SALT ADDED diced tomatoes
3 small cans or 2 boxes of low sodium chicken broth
2 cups water- plus more if needed
1/2 tsp "Better Than Bouillion" chicken base (picture below)
1 medium onion - 1/2 of the onion chopped finely the other 1/2 left whole
2 Tbsp minced garlic or 3 cloves minced
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 Tbsp italian seasoning
Frank's hot sauce, Tabasco, or your favorite hot sauce to taste (optional)
1 bag orzo pasta
grated parmesan cheese
1 bag organich baby spinach leaves
 I use ORGANIC everything when possible. I believe that organic is much healthier and better for the enviroment. So even if I didn't write "organic" if I had it, I used organic.


In a large stock pot or similar, pour in the water and chicken broth.
 Add the 1/2 of onion THAT IS NOT CHOPPED.
 Place the chicken and any juices into the pot.
You want to make sure the chicken is almost completely covered by liquid. If necessary add more water or broth; your choice.
Add the 2 bay leaves
Add Italian seasoning
Bring pot to a simmer for about 15- 20 min. You want the chicken to fall apart.
Using tongs or spatula; remove the entire chicken from he pot and place on a plate.
Remove the un-chopped onion
While the chicken is cooling, add the chopped onion,garlic, "Better Than Bouillion" base,  diced tomatoes, 1/2 the jar of marinara, and a few dashes of hot sauce to taste.
Remove all of the meat from the chicken, chop it into small pieces and return to the pot.
Let soup simmer for another 30 -40 minutes. taste test often to make sure the flavor is right for your preference.
In a separate pot bring water to a boil to cook enough orzo pasta for however many people are eating.

Now this is the fun part. This soup is all about personal taste from this point on. If it's bland- add a little more "better than bullion", but remember it is very salty so a little goes a long way. we like our with a kick so we add  a lot of hot sauce. My dad like tons of garlic...
you get the idea.

Serving:
Place some of the cooked orzo pasta in each bowl.  OR
Take a hand full of the spinach leaves  and rip them up. Then place into bowl.
Ladle soup into each bowl and top with a little of the grated parmesan cheese. serve with plain or garlic french bread.

Like many soups, this one always tastes better the next day so make sure you make enough to have left overs.




This stuff is a staple in both my house and my mothers. It works in everything from soups to gravy. you can buy it in several different flavors including a vegetarian "chicken". And yes, they have an organic variety.
Most stores carry it on the soup isle.

I hope you enjoy this soup.

Our East coast adventure

Now, as you can image, while we were living in the hotel

we had a lot of time for dress up

a lot of time 

for dress up

and Saved by the Bell.

We also spent a lot of time exploring these

the tire swing park

big grassy fields with sweet smelling clovers

and more swings

I know. The pictures are not super clear. It's an Iphone people

 The REAL camera is living in storage

With all of our other belongings

 Because our house fell through

And I had to spend 6 WEEKS finding another.

But I'm not upset. Just off. As in bang my head against a wall off.

 Why wouldn't I be after living in a hotel room with 3 kids for 6 weeks

With no privacy

Or kitchen

Or washer and dryer

Or child free time. I'm an only child folks... I NEED my alone time. Just ask any other only child; no matter what age and they will know what I'm talkin' about.

But during those 6 weeks we had this

Happy 4th birthday baby girl

Who got these

And we spent a lot of time

Here

at

Storybook

Land

It's a tiny amusement park  for young children based on all of the  Mother Goose children's stories. 

My 4 and 6 yr olds can ride all of the rides but 2 without me.

Which means I don't have to get motion sickness from all of the spinning

and spinning

and spinning

The baby loves it too.

I did get one night off

and went to the Viking Cooking School

It's a playground for cooks

It's how you wish you kitchen was

with everything prep'ed

and someone else to clean up

and an audience.

Thank you Jim and Sandy for they super stealth planning with hubby to get me out of the "house". I had a great time!!! (so when are we making the souffle again?)

My Life

 So many of you may have noticed that I've played with the layout of the blog. Let me know what you think.

I don't have an opinion yet.

I might need to borrow yours.

In a nutshell, this was my life for the last 2 months.

We did this 

We left here

And moved to here

We lived in a hotel for 6 weeks

Until we found this

Now I'm dealing with all of this

while my kids do this

and this

and this.

   

So in the midst of unpacking I have read this. I have to say it took a bit to get into, but once I did... (insert happy dance here.)

The End

I'm Back

For those of you who thought I was lost on the way from Las Vegas to New Jersey; I'm alive and well.
Well is not the correct word at the moment since my eldest daughter and I am having a contest to see who's temp is higher. Sadly, she is winning by 1.7 degrees.
Fear not fellow bloggers, when I am back to my (relative) normal self, I will share my adventure...

And what an adventure it has been.