See A Penny

See a penny pick it up; all day long you’ll have good luck. I was very familiar with this adage before I heard Frenchie excitedly utter it when she found a penny on the floor of the LA River basin before Danny raced at Thunder Road. When my parents go out for their walks each day they delight in how much change they can find on the ground to bring home with them. They are very good at scouting out the hidden gems of pennies, nickels, and dimes. No one seems to drop quarters. I guess people still find a … Continue reading

Doing the Jitterbug

This is not actually about doing the Jitterbug because I am not even sure how to do it. This concerns dancing, any kind of dancing just as long as you keep on moving to the music. You actually do not even need to have music if you have a good imagination. You can just hum along or remember the tune, as it plays in your head. Dancing is a great way to get in shape and stay in shape. It is easy. It requires no equipment. It burns calories. It burns about 340 calories in an hour. Granted, you might … Continue reading

For the Strength of Youth Series: Music and Dancing

Ahh, the memories of stake youth dances and the Book of Mormon distance between partners. Most of the time I didn’t have a particular boy I liked, so these dances were most often a time to go with my group of friends and have fun being silly and wearing funny clothes just for kicks. A bit nerdy, perhaps, but good clean fun. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet encourages youth (and adults alike) to choose good music and dancing for entertainment and to help you become closer to the Lord. Music is a fabulous way to share how you … Continue reading

Starting A Collection For Fun and Learning

When home schooling kids there are so many things you can do that incorporate fun and learning. Then again, not having a structured curriculum often leaves you coming up blank with something new to do. This is where starting a collection comes in handy. I always tried to get as much education out of even the smallest activity. Think about it, just baking a cake can incorporate math, nutrition, history, time management, safety, and even spelling. The educational value and fun factor involved with starting and maintaining a collection is unlimited. Each of my three home schooled girls started a … Continue reading

Excuses for Not Exercising: #3 I Hate to Exercise

If you are an exercise hater, you can learn to love it. All you need to do find something active that you enjoy doing. There is so much to choose from that will keep you physically active. By exercising 20 minutes a day you will be helping yourself to stay in good physical condition and keep your spirits high. Once you start becoming more active you will probably lose a few pounds at least. This loss of weight will have you feeling like a weight has been lifted from you. The loss of weight will also build up your confidence … Continue reading

Dancing Toddlers

My son loves to dance. Is this just a natural interest for toddlers? Do all toddlers love music and dance? I’ve been thinking about enrolling my son in some sort of toddler dance class. He is interested in all kinds of music and dances to anything. I’ve been reading up on toddler dance classes and looking for something to get him enrolled in. I found that they offer “Tiptoes & Tumbling” classes, which are designed to encourage creativity, coordination, skills, musicality and rhythm. Another class I found is “Pre-School Tap, Ballet & Tumbling” for ages 3 to 5. At another … Continue reading

Creating a Date Night

I regret the demise of wine and dine – those intimate little candle-lit restaurants that used to be around when Mick and I were young. You could have a meal,enjoy listening to someone sing romantic songs and play the piano, or get up and dance. I’m talking, the old time dances where partners actually held each other in their arms. Never having much money we only went to such places for an anniversary, birthday or special evening out. These days the win and dine seems to have disappeared. So the other night we created our own. We went out to … Continue reading

Motivate Yourself to Get Healthy with Fun!

A friend of mine got a Wii Fit as an anniversary present… and her excitement and enthusiasm was absolutely contagious! (Anybody have a Wii Fit they want to let me try?) I’ll be honest — I don’t usually feel excited and enthusiastic about exercising. I know it’s good for me. I know it helps my body stay healthy and flexible and strong. But exercise isn’t something I think of as fun. When healthy choices are chores, you’re less likely to stick with them (whether we’re talking about a diet or an exercise plan). But if you can make your lifestyle … Continue reading

An Interview with Beth Terrell about Her Dancing Puppy, Luca

People who are active with their pets intrigue me. And when I say active, I mean doing things like doing agility training or enrolling in therapy dog programs. Back in February, I participated on a panel with some fellow Middle Tennessee Sister in Crime authors, one of whom was Beth Terrell. We got to talking about things outside of writing, and she told me about how much fun she’d been having with her little puppy that she got about a year ago. Specifically, she was raving about the puppy dancing classes they’d been taking. I thought that’d make a fun … Continue reading

Dance Fitness – Wanna Dance?

So You Think You Can Dance is back on television and like last year, my daughter and I are totally hooked. This Thursday they will launch the actual contest. Whenever I watch the show, I’m reminded of just how physical is dancing (not that I needed the reminder), but with the show back on, it’s a good time to remind others as well. If you’re interested in switching up your fitness routine this summer, consider dancing as a way to invigorate your workout while also toning your body, burning extra calories and just overall feeling great. Think dancing can’t burn … Continue reading