It's certain fall is just around the corner! Friday night's lights are blazin' stadium stands, and Saturdays are action-packed days of cheering at youth league events. This time of year parents' schedules are more kid-focused, leaving fitness to fend for leftover energy and summer's by-gone best laid plans to stay fit. No need to fret, the seeds you planted this summer to be a fit-parent are budding a harvest of healthy habits. All of the work you put into action (even if on paper) wasn't in vain. You just need a bit of watering to sprout up some. Here are a few seasonal refreshers.  Get back…

With the age of phone apps and Internet dieting, having tools at your fingertips to make healthy choices is getting simpler by the day.  In fact, the clearer and simpler the tool, the easier it is for people to make good choices.  I think that’s what the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) had in mind when they unveiled a new and “innovative” tool to help people eat healthier. A dinner plate. Yes, that’s right, a dinner plate.  And while I am kicking myself for not thinking of it first, I take my hat off to the USDA for coming up with such a simple way to help people make healthy choices …

"Whatever you attach consistently to the words 'I am,' you will become." - John Mason  I had some fun during the Royal Wedding addressing fictitious invites using the honorary title "LADY" followed by my grandmother's first name, my first pet's name and representing the street I grew up on. My personal invite was addressed to... Lady Ella Gizmo of Dueber.   Even with such a regal name, I didn't get an invite. But you know, I'm ok with that, besides as Miss Catherine Middleton so eloquently put it when asked if she realized how lucky she was to actually be dating the Prince, she stated, "he's …

This one thing I do...forgetting what's behind me, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me. ~Philippians 3:14  As we're all preparing for road races this season, including the Mableton Day 5K Race, regardless of the cause or distance, we'll go through the necessary training,  mental prep, sneaker break-in and proper breathing techniques. The ritual or regimen differs person to person. For me, it's always been more of  a mental prep than anything. Sure I physically train. Cardio. Clocking miles. Strength and core training. But if I haven't mentally prepared …

Spring break, graduations, CRCT testing, taxes... I'm sure these are just a FEW possible causes for the exhaustion some parents are feeling. As the spring break hours countdown, the words "stay focused" have become the mantra around my house as spring fever has caused a tad bit of "antsy pants." Boy am I hoping this rain lets up, an entire week of kids being out of school requires clear skies and movement!  It's hard to believe it's spring. Weren't we just celebrating the beauty of the weather? Well as the saying goes, April showers bring May flowers, but April's calendar is now flooded with …

Seriously? It hasn't even been a full week of spring yet, and temps are telling us it's gonna be a blazin' summer.  One sure sign of the season's change is the abundance of power-walkers and trail-runners gearing up for this year's warm-weather road races. It's certain that warmer weather triggers the desire to open a few windows and get rid of clutter, and it tends to break the monotony of any workout simply because we get a surge of energy from brighter skies, the sounds of chirping birds and weightless bulk-free clothing.   With spring's bright colorful blooms, sprouts a freshness of …

By Amia Freeman It’s official! Girl Scout cookie season has come, well and, is almost gone!  The other day I found myself responding to a friend's Facebook status addressed "Dear Girl Scout Cookie Bakers." She honestly wanted to know if they could reconsider the delivery date of cookies to one of the feasting seasons rather than at a time when most people are trying to "do right" with their eating habits.   Jokingly I obliged a reply, “It’s all relative, in fact did you know this is also National Nutrition Month, AND it’s the most notable time of year when most folks who made resolutions …