Author Archives: Julia Rogers

About Julia Rogers

Hi! My name is Julia Rogers. I am from the beautiful Bay Area of Northern California. I recently graduated with a teaching credential and enjoy teaching children of all ages. Prior to that I was a Health Science major doing extensive research in all topics of health and fitness. I also worked in a doctors office where I loved interacting with patients all day. I enjoy exercise, especially hiking, and I love to try new things like healthy cooking. I recently got married and now I spend a lot of time working on my house and garden. I am always looking for ways to save money and be a thirty spender. I love to write and share my experiences. I have dabbled in poetry and creative writing, and was published in my High School paper.

Mid-year Goals

I am in total shock that it is already August. Where did this year go? In a couple months the fall and winter holidays begin and before we know it, it will be 2012! Pondering this on a drive home from my camping trip last week, I decided to make some mid-year goals to help me get back on track. Earlier in the summer when my teaching job ended, I got back into major workout mode with spinning class, hiking 2-3 times a week, elliptical at least twice a week, etc. However, with some stress and other factors that creeped … Continue reading →

What I Like About the 2005 Food Pyramid

You may remember that six years ago the USDA (U.S. Department of Agriculture) came out with a new and improved food pyramid. Growing up I distinctly remember the old food pyramid (originating in 1992) because it was often found on the back of my cereal boxes. I pretty much had it memorized. It was a big deal to me when the food pyramid was updated in 2005 because I was a health science student at the time and a change like that was not only needed but a big deal. Visually the pyramid changed from having categories organized horizontally to … Continue reading →

Outdoor vs. Indoor Workouts

I sometimes wonder whether I prefer indoor or outdoor workouts. Where I live, weather isn’t usually a major factor. I guess it depends on what my schedule is like, how motivated I am, and if I am working out with someone. Outdoor Workouts I enjoy outdoor workouts because I love fresh air. Hiking and biking are great ways to get moving and see the world around. Hiking especially is a passion of mine because I love nature, especially tress and animals. Biking I also enjoy because you can go far in a short time. Walking can be a convenient workout … Continue reading →

Stove and Microwave Shopping

This summer my biggest house project has been a kitchen remodel. This has been quite a busy project, although very rewarding. We are in our sixth week on the project and are now down to the final days. From this major remodel, I have learned a thing or two about appliance shopping. Our two main appliances we needed to purchase were a gas range and a microwave. Previous to the remodel we had an electric stove. So when we decided to make the switch to gas I was really excited. Our stove before seemed to be tilted funny, which meant … Continue reading →

My Favorite Fitness App

There is one application that I simply love for keeping track of my outdoor workouts. It is called iMapMyRun. This has been a really helpful tool in my quest to live a healthy lifestyle. IMapMyRun is an excellent choice if you do a lot of walking, running, or biking (road or mountain). You have an option of recording a workout you are about to do or logging a workout you have already done. Recording a workout is a great to see your distance, elevation and a map of what you did. The program uses GPS signals to record these features. … Continue reading →

Why I Love to Hike

One thing I am passionate about is hiking. Simply stated I love to hike and would do it every day if I could. One reason I enjoy hiking is it can offer different intensities that you can set to your needs. You can keep your hike mellow and go for a casual nature walk. Or you can go on a major hiking adventure in the mountains. My favorite type of hiking is to go on a hilly trail for about four to five miles. My favorite trails are a dirt path that are used by bicyclists, hikers, and equestrian. The … Continue reading →

Adding a Little Sunshine to Your Home

As a new homeowner who is on a budget, I am always trying to find inexpensive ways to add some sunshine to my home. While I have a lengthy to do list of projects such as painting, bathroom upgrades, recess lighting installations, new windows, and other pretty major changes to make to my home, I know it is going to take awhile (maybe years) to get to all these ideas. In the meantime however, I would like my house to feel clean, fresh, and homey. I have found some ways to add color, cleanness and a warm feel to my … Continue reading →

Give Yoga a Try!

I hear so many times of people who didn’t think they would enjoy yoga but end up really liking it. There are many reasons why I think yoga is a great physical activity and worth giving it a try. Types of Yoga There are several types of yoga including some more commonly known styles such as hatha, vinyasa, iyengar and birkham. Hatha yoga is a great starting place for a new beginner. In this style of yoga, basic poses are introduced at a slower pace. I suggest this for beginners or individuals with physical limitations. Vinyasa yoga is a more … Continue reading →

Had a Great Bike Ride Today

Today I went on about a fifteen mile bike ride with a new friend. We did a trail that starts about half a mile from my house and rode for about an hour and a half. As we were biking along the trail, I realized how enjoyable biking is and what I like about it. One reason I like biking is because getting into biking won’t break the bank. I also like how you can use biking for exercise, leisure, errands or getting to work. There are lots of things you can do when you have a bike, even if … Continue reading →

Community College Workout Classes

If you’ve read some of my blogs, you will notice that I am a big fan of taking workout classes at community colleges. While my spinning (indoor cycling) class comes to an end tomorrow, I was thinking about how I really enjoy taking classes at my community college. Price If an organized class is your thing, then your best options when on a budget are community and college classes. My local college was $50 for one class spring quarter. With quarter being twelve weeks and the class was twice a week, making each class just a few dollars. What is … Continue reading →