The Last Two Weeks in Pictures

Life has been filled with fishing, field days, last days of school, continuation, camping, gardening, school plays, basketball, Jordan's job, baseball, auditions, writing, sleeping, yoga, saying good-bye to Kevin for the summer,

Updated workout schedule

photo by Fiona Ayerst

The Corepower Yoga near my home changed the Hot Yoga schedule on me so now I won't be able to practice it in the early morning.

I will try to practice it at another location in the evenings.

My plan is to alternate the Corepower Yoga (Vinyasa yoga in a heated room) and running (weight training) in the mornings and then the Hot Yoga (Bikram) in the evenings.

I enjoy Vinyasa but I love Bikram. I love the way you know what pose you will be doing.

Vinyasa (flow) yoga's poses are dependent on what the instructor feels like doing for that particular session. It totally keeps your body guessing what's next. Which is all good.

I look forward to practicing both types of yoga for the summer.

photo by Richard

I did 1 hour of circuit training this morning, running on the treadmill and 3 sets of 15 upper body workout.

My gym membership is up next month and I'll wait til the fall to renew.

Weight training will take a break for a minute. This summer, I will concentrate on yoga and running.

Playing in the Epperson Garden

Mint

On Mother's Day, my hubbie, a few of the kids and I spent the day out in the backyard creating our garden.

We planted alot and still have a small area left to work with. I'm developing a major green thumb, I'm digging gardening, it makes me feel a bit more grounded.

Kale
I think today I'm going to pull weeds, just so that I have an excuse (like I need one) to play in the dirt.

We planted seeds and also started plants.

The started plants were:

Purple Kale

Swiss Chard

Tomatoes

Basil

Red leaf lettuce

After 7 days, I'm pleased to report that we already have spinach, arugula, kale and lettuce popping up. And the wheatgrass (planted a week before Mother's Day) is sprouting like crazy. Yeah!

I planted a couple of types of parsley in flower pots this morning. I'm on a parsley salad kick, it's pretty inexpensive in the stores but I wanted to see how they do in our garden.

There are a few other herbs I want to plant in pots but I haven't decided what yet.

Hubbie in the "love" shack. The only thing that sprouted here was the hickey on my neck. LOL!

We have mint from last year springing up (photo above) and we planted chocolate and pineapple mint in another location. I can't wait for that. Our compost is empty. My hubbie took it all and put in the soil before we started planting.

Pose of the Day

2. Ardha Chandrasana with Pada Hastasana

Half moon pose with hands to feet pose

photo by Tara's Bikram Experience

Benefits

Works into the whole skeletal and circulatory systems

Opens shoulder joints

Reduces or eliminates pain in the lower back

Good for abdominal obesity

Improves and strengthens every muscle in the central part of the body Increase the flexibility of the spine

Increases flexibility and strength of rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, oblique, deltoid and trapezius muscles

photo by dietnesstea

Alleviates anxiety and reduces mental stress

Stimulates pituitary gland

Exercises colon, pancreas, kidneys, muscular, skeletal, respiratory and glandular systems

Firms and trims waistline, hips, abdomen, buttocks and thighs

Terilynn says:
photo by Bikram Yoga-Takoma Park
This pose is in three parts. It gives a very nice side and back stretch. This is the first "back bend" in the series and the first chance to open the heart area a bit.

I particularly enjoy the forward bend (the third part of the pose) because I am flexible and it warms me up for what's to come.

When you bend forward, you place your hands (palm side up) under your feet at your heels and stretch forward, pulling your heels as your forehead touches your shins. Nice stretch.

My biggest challenge with this poses is keeping my palms "glued" together, but I'm sure with time they will happen.

info by Quick Fit Yoga

Bend it like Bikram

Camel pose photo by Leo Castillo

I've got three days of Hot Yoga (Bikram) under my belt and it's almost like I never stopped practicing. Sort of...

My first class (on Saturday) I did forget a few poses and I forgot what my body was capable of doing within those poses. But by the time I did Sunday's class and this morning's, I was in the flow and I was at where I left off 9 months ago.

I noticed the practice seemed lighter and a bit less constricted than previous experiences. Then it dawned on my that I'm practicing in a new and lighter body. Duh, that makes all the difference in the world.

I can't wait to see where the practice takes me. I have a feeling that I will be doing this for awhile. I love the practice so much, I'm very happy it's back in my life.

I thought on my yoga days (Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday), I would talk about well...yoga. Each session I'll discuss a different poses, it's benefits and my experience with it.

On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I continue to 'learn how to run' and weight training, although, I'm changing up the weight training a bit, but I'll discuss that tomorrow.

I also want to talk about the garden. We bought seeds and plants last weekend and I planted some wheatgrass. No more spending $2.50 for a shot. I'm drinking my own brew, yeah! More on the garden, later.

With the poses, I'm going to start at the beginning of the series until I cover all 26 poses, including two breathing exercises and then I'll choose a random pose in the series and discuss why I'm feeling that Pose for the Day.

Pose of the Day
1. Pranayama ( prāṇāyāma)"Standing deep breathing"

Benefits
Good for lungs and respiratory system
Helps with mental relaxation
Helps high blood pressure
Relieves irritability
Good for detoxification
Exercises nervous, respiratory and circulatory systems

photo and info by Quick Fit Yoga

Terilynn's thoughts:

This is a great breathing exercise to kick start the practice it creates heat in the belly (just in case the 95-100 degrees room wasn't enough).

You breathe in through your nose and let the breath hit the back of your throat until your inner Darth Vader invades. And the louder the better, you should hear the 'Darth Vader' sound in your throat as you inhale. It's pretty cool.

When you exhale the breath, you open your mouth and let the breath escape. I think it's called the "breath of fire." I have a image of me being Puff the Magic Dragon and spewing out fire. It's fun.

You do two sets of 10 breaths during a 90 minute class.

Free Unlimited Yoga!

photo by teapartystudio

Yeah!

Just when you thought I was doing too much physical activities (if that's such a thing) I have the opportunity to take free unlimited Hot Yoga. Score!
You are reading the posting of CorePower Yoga's newest stocker! How are ya'll doing? Nice to meet you.

All that is required of me is, twice a week I windexed the glass and mirrors, clean yoga mats, wipe counters, re-stock items that need re-stocking and take out the trash. For that commitment on my part I will receive unlimited yoga at any CorePower Yoga studio.

Heaven, heaven, heaven.

I have been practicing Hot Yoga (Bikram) off and on for about 2 years.
Mostly off because of funds, but it was something that indulged in every single day when I had the chance. I absolutely L-O-V-E it.

It has been the only workout (for me) where I did the same poses over and over and over again and I never got bored or burned out. With each session something different happened to challenge me and I always learned something new.

A bit of history about the practice.
photo by TegMaru

Bikram Choudhury in Toe Stand (Padangustasana )
Hot Yoga, or traditionally known as Bikram Yoga, is a style of yoga developed by Bikram Choudhury. It is practiced in a room heated to 100°F -105°F.

Classes are approximately 90 minutes and are guided by specific dialogue including 26 poses. This is a beginning yoga class where people of all levels, ages and body types practice together.

Lesson over.

You just don't know how happy this makes me. I am over the moon happy! Getting this opportunity to further my practice is so important to me. I will be the best stocker CorePower Yoga has ever seen! Okay, I'm being a bit dramatic but hey, who cares, I've got free yoga!

Here is my new workout schedule to add Hot Yoga into the mix.

Monday: Running, Weight training
Tuesday: Hot Yoga
Wednesday: Running, Weight training
Thursday: Hot Yoga
Friday: Running, Weight training
Saturday & Sunday: Hot Yoga.

On the Menu

8:30A ---1 quart green smoothie (w/hemp powder, bee pollen and Maca)

Noon ---Collard Wraps with sunflower pate, vegetables, sprouts and olives

2:45P-----Nuts, coconut banana and pear mix

4 P-----Salad with leftover collard wraps, vegetables and sprouts

6 P-------1 quart green smoothie

Moving Forward

My husband and I are back on track so life around the Epperson household is peaceful and pleasant. So I'm slowly dipping back into blogging.

I did want to share what I have been doing for the last few weeks. I briefly discussed the running in the earlier post and I have continued to weight train. I still get up at 5:30 to be at the gym when it opens. Nothing has changed there.

My 100% raw eating? Not so much. I love kimchi and I love my kimchi with rice. I don't go crazy but I do enjoy it. Also, I love soup. Broth soup in particular. So if the husband makes one of his delicious soups I do indulge. And along the way there has been a few glasses of vino. It's hard (not impossible) to eat raw when you have a family eating cooked. So I set a few guidelines for myself to make sure it doesn't get out of control.

1. Drink 2 quarts of green smoothies and one meal. Whether that meal is cooked or raw, it doesn't matter. Most of the time, it's a huge salad for lunch and I save my second smoothie for dinner. I just don't go over board.

2. Don't eat after 7 p.m.

3. Exercise at least 6 days per week. (Sometimes I find myself working out twice per day)

4. Drink at least 4 quarts of water per day.

5. If I am hungry before 7 p.m. eat a piece of fruit or nuts.

6. If I am hungry after 7 p.m. drink more water or drink some tea.

Do I follow this all the time? Hecky no! It's just a guideline, but pretty simple for me to take on.

I wanted to share my Plyometrics training. Using a series of jumps, hops, bounds and the likes, it is high-intensity, explosive muscular contractions that invoke the stretch reflex.

Plyometrics helps build speed, strength and power.

I just started a few days ago and it's super fun to do with the kids (What kid doesn't like jumping?).

Here is the Epperson Family Plyometrics Center. Now taking reservations. (I am so kidding)

Squat and Tuck Jumps done here.

Jump to Box and Lateral Jump to Box

This stick is used for the Zigzag Hops.

Box Drills (jump into each square)

I do Bounding in the entire yard. Towards the back, I bound over the dogs' poop which gives the exercise a whole new challenge.

My goodness with the weight training, the running, the Plyometrics (and yoga thrown in for good measure), you would think I'm training to become an athlete.

Oh, by the way. Thank you Stephanie for passing along information about The Raw Olympics in November. It's something we all should think about. ; )

Run Baby Run

photo by Thomas Hawk

As a child I hated to run in school. More importantly, I hated to lose. Especially to the cute, popular pig-tailed, Debbie. A girl who had the ability to run around the elementary track with ease and grace and always first.

I would watch as her two braids play chase each other behind her back and the rubber-banded ends lightly touched at her waist. Okay, I might have been obsessed with her hair, also. It was just so long.

photo by Sugar T

There was one time when I actually came in first and just when I was about to share the glory with the coach when she mentioned she was feeling sick and that's why I won.

B*****.

Okay, I'm over it.

I want to run again. I want the carefree abandonment I received before Debbie, before mom's smoking made life polluted and stinky, before having kids, yada, yada, ya.

About a month before I started my juice feast, I decided to give running a try on the treadmill. I would walk for 5 minutes, run for 1 minute. I would increase the running time every week, depending on my energy level.

I continued to do this through the feast, which worked to my advantage because I had wicked crazy energy.

When I completed the juice feast I was able to run 30 minutes straight on the treadmill without stopping. Yeah me! I'm a runner!

Not quite.

With the weather warming up a bit, I wanted to test the legs outside. I can run on the treadmill so the park should be a breeze, right? Wrong! So very wrong.

I'm pretty much starting over. I'm learning how to become a runner. Why? Just cause.

I'm at the point of my life where I have the energy, stamina, drive, passion and confidence to make anything possible. photo by mrhayata I want to help that kid (the one I was) realized that running is something we can do again for the sheer enjoyment.

But I tell you what. It's hard. I walked 3 minutes, ran for 1 minute and the wind, cold and hard surface, kicked my butt.

During the 3 minute walk of recovery, I felt winded, frozen and jolted.

During the 1 minute walk, I felt energized, focused and free. I had a ball!

I had to push myself to run those last 10 seconds the first few times but after that it was "Kool and the Gang."

For the first time in a very long time I didn't think of anything but my feet touching the ground.

I can't wait until Thursday when I do it all over again. photo by pinksherbet

Something to Think About

photo by marttj

"...your body also shows great resiliency and actually thrives on overload. In addition, your body can take much more than the brain gives it credit for;...There is a comfort zone in which we feel most at ease and it is beyond this zone we need to strive to train."

"Men's Health Power Training"

by Robert dos Remedios, MA, CSCS

Workouts for Weeks 5-6

photo by Mrflip

The next few weeks are all about unilateral training and increasing the cardio. You might notice that I'm training most of the body parts once but with a bit more intensity (and weight).

I only have an hour in the gym in the mornings and I am experimenting with 30 minutes of weight training and the remaining 30 minutes of cardio, plus I will add an additional 45 minute cardio session in the evening.

My left arm is much stronger than my right. It's the side where I carry my 1 year-old the most so that makes sense.

In the next two weeks, I'll work the right side of the body a bit harder to increase its strength.

On cardio and Abs days I will also two 45-60 minute cardio sessions.

Week 5
Monday/Friday - Upper Body; Wednesday - Lower Body
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - Cardio and Abs

Week 6
Monday/Friday - Lower Body; Wednesday - Upper Body
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - Cardio and Abs

Upper Body
Chest
Incline DB Flyes: 15reps; 12reps; 10reps; 8reps; To Failure

Back
Two-Arm DB Rows: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Shoulders
Alternating DB Press: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Biceps
Alternating Hammer Curls: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Triceps:
Alternating Lying DB Extension: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Lower Body
Hamstrings
Unilateral Lying Leg Curl: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Quads
Unilateral Leg Extension: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure
Unilateral Leg Press: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Calf:
Unilateral Seated Calf Raises: 15; 12; 10; 8; To Failure

Did you know this summer Madonna will turn 50? That's a woman who knows how to take care of her body. Love her or Hate her, she is definitely a inspiration.

Mad Libs also turns 50 also.

Prayer Chain

photo by createsimona

Hello everyone,

My 10-year-old nephew has to have brain surgery very soon.

I am asking that you say a silent prayer (thought, mantra, etc.) for him and his family to give an extra boost of love and support during this trying time.

Thank you so very much.

Peace and love,
Terilynn

Workout for April 7-9

photo by Sameli

My friend Tai-Kiah has asked me to post something a bit more cheery to move forward with.

Please forgive the broken record, but again I want to thank all who have supported me and read my blog and even in my insane times have found inspiration in what I have written.

Thank you so very much.
Terilynn

So what have I been doing in the past three days? Well, for starters, I haven't stopped working out, my diet has been a bit laxed, more on that in a moment but I have worked out even more than before. Also, I have been speaking with my husband. This is a good thing since we haven't spoken a full sentence in about three weeks. We are working it out, slowly but surely.

Monday, April 7
Chest
Incline DB Press: 15reps/10lbs; 12reps/12lbs; 10reps/15lbs; 8reps/20lbs; 15reps/12lbs
DB Flyes: Push-ups (no weight) 15reps

Back
Incline DB Rows: 15/8; 12/10; 10; 8; 15
Straight Arm Pulldowns: 15/30

Shoulders
Lateral Raises: 15/5; 12/8; 10/5; 8/5; 15/5
DB Shrugs: 15/20

Biceps
Concentration Curls: 15/5; 12/8; 10/10; 8/12; 15/10
EZ Bar Curls: 15/bar

Triceps:
DB Kickbacks: 15/5; 12/8; 10/10; 8/12; 15/10
Lying EZ Bar Extension: 15/bar

1 hour rebounding in the evening

Tuesday April 8
AM - 1 hour Elliptical machine

AM- walk my daughter to school 1 mile total

Abs
50 crunches
100 side crunches
50 bicycles

PM - 2 mile (each way) walk to the library with my 8-year old daughter - 4 miles total

Wednesday April 9

Lower Body
Quads
Smith Squats: 15/65; 12/75; 10/85; 8/95; 15/95
Leg Extensions: 15/80

Hamstrings
Leg Curls: 15/10; 12/20; 10/30; 8/20; 15/10
Good Mornings: 15/EZ bar

Calf:
Seated Calf Raises: 15/90; 12/90; 10/90; 8/90; 15/90

I'm not going into great detail about my diet. It's been clean for the most part.

There might have been a few cooked indulges along the way. It's more in the lines of brown rice to go with my lettuce wraps and kimchi. I thought maybe the rice would make me feel full. Maybe a few cooked lentils and bowl of hot miso broth with fresh vegetables. Nothing major.

The more I work out the hungrier I have become and the salads and smoothies weren't satisfying me.

Another thing to note with the exercises are I have switched to the Elliptical machine for my cardio.

photo by legolam
I'm trying to get rid of my baby pooch and so I'm upping the cardio to at least 45 minutes a sessions (time willing) and lowering the fat consumption a bit. Instead of one avocado with a salad, I'll eat half and save the other half for the next day.

I have read and heard so much different information about getting rid of that lower belly pudge, I don't know what to think.

Some places say no problem, just do a ton of cardio and eat a low fat diet, others say reduce your stress level and the fat will disappear and yet others say, it will never go away and liposuction is the only way.

Oy Vay!

It is safe to say I'm watching my fat, doing cardio like crazy, lifting weights, I'm not getting liposuction and I'm drinking tons of water so it's very possible I might float away.

No worries, I'm enjoying every step of the way. ;)

Feeling Alone and taking care of business

photo by Linda'smanymuses

With much thought and consideration I have decided to end my raw food fit challenge.

No, I haven't decided to stop eating raw foods nor have I decided to stop exercising. Both I will continue to do.

I just have decided not to make it a focus on my life right now.

If I don't feel like waking at 5:30 a.m. to go workout I won't. It's no longer a "have-to" to maintain a goal. More than likely I will continue to wake up because that's pretty much the only time I can workout.

But anyhoo.

My attention is needed at home.

My husband, the person I have gained the most inspiration from, and I are not playing well together.

The complications he and I are having are not going away and it's not making my personal goal fun anymore.

Our growing distance is not making anything fun anymore.

Feeling alone in a marriage is very disheartening and I can fairly say that my husband and I both have that in common.

It's time to take care of business on the home front.

I will continue to blog, maybe not on a daily basis but frequently enough.

Please feel free to continue to leave comments, send me emails, say hello.

I am still an Internet junkie.

Thank you to everyone for your continued support at Inspiration:Life I look forward to sharing more of my adventures with you.

Peace and Love,

Terilynn

photo by bridgepix

I'm such a creature of habit. Too much so from the looks of my menu. It makes life easier if I eat the same thing. I know what to purchase, how long it takes to prepare, etc.

But for the past two days, I'm a getting kind of bored with my menu. I guess it's time to take a look at The Daily Raw Cafe and find more dining options.

I want to be able to have some greens in every meal so I think wraps and rolls are in my future.

On the Menu:
5:30A: 1 quart lemon water with MSM

8:30A: 1 quart green smoothie (kale/celery/bananas/hemp protein powder/bee pollen)

Noon: large salad (green leaf lettuce/scallions/jalapeno/broccoli/sprouts/hemp protein powder/lemon/olive oil

2P: 1 quart green smoothie

3P: 3 oranges

4P: broccoli/carrots

6P: 1 quart green smoothie

Before bed 1 quart lemon water with MSM

Exercise:
45 minutes on treadmill total

1st session 20 minutes running

Abs 50x each
Crunches on Large Ball

Crunches (with 6lb medicine ball) on Large Ball

Legs on Large Ball Ab Crunches

2nd session 25 minutes

April 2 workout

photo by neloqua

On the Menu:
5:30A: 1 quart lemon water with MSM

8:30A: 1 quart green smoothie (spinach/celery/bananas/hemp protein powder/bee pollen)

11:30A: 1 quart green smoothie

1:30P: large salad (green leaf lettuce/scallions/jalapeno/hemp protein powder/lemon/olive oil.

3P: 1 avocado with lemon juice, sea salt and flax seeds

5:30P: Large bowl of Seaweed and Kimchi with Kelp Noodles

Chest
DB Bench Press: 15reps/10lbs; 12reps/12lbs; 10reps/15lbs; 8reps/20lbs; 15reps/12lbs
DB Flyes: 15reps/10lbs

Shoulders
Overhead Press: 15/5; 12/8; 10/10; 8/12; 15/10
Alt. Front Raises: 15/8

Back
Wide-Grip Pulldown: 15/40; 12/50; 10/60; 8/60; 15/40
Bent-Over Rows: 15/20

Biceps
Bicep Curls: 15/8; 12/10; 10/12; 8/15; 15/10
Hammer Curls: 15/8

Triceps:
Tricep Extensions: 15/10; 12/12; 10/15; 8/20; 15/10
Bench Dips: 15 reps (no weight)

20 minutes cardio (running on treadmill)

Workouts for Weeks 3-4

photo by WaiWai

I'm switching the exercises up a bit so I don't get bored and so that my body won't have time to get use to the workouts. Hopefully, promoting more growth.

Week 3

Monday/Friday - Upper Body; Wednesday - Lower Body
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - Cardio and Abs

Week 4
Monday/Friday - Lower Body; Wednesday - Upper Body
Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday - Cardio and Abs

Upper Body

Chest
Incline DB Press: 15reps; 12reps; 10reps; 8reps; 15reps
DB Flyes: Push-ups (no weight) 15reps

Back
Incline DB Rows: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15
Straight Arm Pulldowns: 15

Shoulders
Lateral Raises: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15
DB Shrugs: 15

Biceps
Concentration Curls: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15
EZ Bar Curls: 15

Triceps:
DB Kickbacks: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15
Lying EZ Bar Extension: 15

Lower Body
Quads
Smith Squats: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15
Leg Extensions: 15

Hamstrings
Leg Curls: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15
Good Mornings: 15

Calf:

Seated Calf Raises: 15; 12; 10; 8; 15

Do you ever wonder why I use a head of lettuce in my salads? Yes, to fill myself with the tasty amino acids but more importantly to feed the kids.

99.9% of the time after I prepare lunch for my two youngest children, I settle down to eat my salad then tiny fingers manage to make their way to my bowl.

It never fails. One will call "mama" to get my attention then the other grabs my broccoli, lettuce or carrots. Then that one will get my attention and the other plays bandit.

It's cute and they get their vegetables, so it's all good.

On the Menu:
5:30A: 1 quart lemon water with MSM

8:30A: 1 quart green smoothie (spinach/celery/bananas/orange/hemp protein powder/bee pollen)

10A: 4 chickpea fritters

11:30A: 1 quart green smoothie (spinach/celery/bananas/hemp protein powder/bee pollen)

12:30P: large salad (green leaf lettuce/scallions/jalapeno/hemp protein powder/lemon/olive oil.
2:30P: Lara Bar

4:30P: Large bowl of Seaweed and Kimchi with Kelp Noodles

6P: 1 quart smoothie

Exercise:

45 minutes on treadmill total

1st session 20 minutes running

Abs 50x each

Crunches on Large Ball

Crunches (with 6lb medicine ball) on Large Ball

Legs on Large Ball Ab Crunches

2nd session 25 minutes

How many hours are in the day?

Thank you all for leaving such rawsome comments on my blog. They all are inspirational and make me strive harder.

A few folks wanted to know how I had time to make raw foods, eat raw, workout, raise kids and have a life.

photo by tonivc

Well, I have no clue. Just kidding.

Finding the time is the key. It's always there you just have to be creative and make the commitment.

I'm lucky in the fact that I am predominantly a stay-at-home mom. I do have an outside job but the majority of it is done at home and I'm only in the office twice a week usually in the evening and on weekends. The company I work for has a nice gym so I make sure after I work I go and exercise. No matter how late.

And for better or worse, I do have a husband who is more physically hands on with the children than I can be at times. He's the play basketball guy and I'm the play a board game gal.

My workout schedules work around the family's schedule. I work out at 6 a.m. at the gym and as long as I'm back before 7:10 a.m. kids can get to school on time. Bam!

My workout for the day is done. It ain't easy to get up at 5:30 in the morning, but once I hit that treadmill, I'm so thankful that I took the time for myself.

If I workout later on, it's when everyone is watching tv and instead of sitting, I rebound.

I take the opportunity as it arises.

Last night my eldest daughter and I talked while we walked around the park and one of my youngest daughter's rode her bike.

Eating the raw diet has help tremendously with my energy. I don't feel the same energy surging through me as when I was juice feasting but it's definitely more than I had when I ate cooked foods.

photo by fouramjava

I think my one weakness is the internet. Each day, I secretly promise myself I will not spend the day surfing the net. But I know my weakness for information and I'm a junkie who can never get enough.

So in between washing dishes, vacumming, chasing the kids, picking up the kids messes, doing laundry, et caetera, et caetera, I constantly check my email, read blogs, newsletters, my favorite websites, check on the latest discussion in forums, search for new recipes, look up the hottest ingredients, gadgets and it's simply madness.

And my butt is sitting down on a chair and not moving.