Moms – and women in general – need to have fun. Life gets so serious so fast, and we forget how to play. Play releases tension, allows risk-taking, builds self-confidence and creativity, improves problem-solving skills, and teaches cooperation and conflict resolution.
This weekend, get outside and have some fun. Play around. Some people may think you’re not “acting your age” – but they’re the ones not enjoying life.
On the playground * swing, slide, climb the monkey bars (or jungle gyms, or whatever they’re called in your neighborhood), run to get that merry-go-round started and then jump on for the ride.
Up in the air * a ropes course is just a more adventurous playground, really. A great family activity if you have older kids. A great activity for a group of friends (look – we can have fun without food and alcohol!).
Time for recess * jump rope, hopscotch, tag, tetherball, catch, touch football, chasing boys (what?).
On the road again * on a bicycle! Or roller blades, or skateboard. Heck, ride the grocery cart out to the car – you’ll get looks, but most of them will end in smiles.
In the ‘hood * tag, flashlight tag, starlight/moonlight, kick the can, touch football, freeze tag, capture the flag, bocce ball, croquet. Make it a neighborhood party for all ages.
Nothing says “I love you, Mom” like breakfast in bed. Or at least breakfast she didn’t have to make. Or clean up.
This family favorite is easy to put together, even if you’re doing it yourself. It’s also a very flexible recipe – you can use any vegetables you enjoy (or have around) rather than the ones listed here. For example, leeks are listed, but go ahead and use any onion you have in the house – white or yellow, scallions, or shallots, or even red onion. Use any mushrooms you have. Use steamed broccoli instead of asparagus. We don’t recommend subbing the tomatoes – other ones have too much liquid in them, and they make the quiche too wet.
Serve with muffins or fruit salad for breakfast, or a green salad for lunch or dinner. Also good cold the next day.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Mother’s Day Quiche Green * Serves 6
1 frozen whole-wheat pie crust
8 eggs
splash soy creamer or soy milk
1 handful fresh spinach
1 Tablespoon your favorite herb blend (like Penzey’s Sunny Paris) OR 1 Tablespoon parsley
2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 leek, white and light green parts only, sliced lengthwise (and rinsed), and then crosswise into half-moon slices
about 8 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced thin
about 10 stalks asparagus, ends trimmed, sliced into 1″ lengths
about 1 dozen grape tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
4 Tablespoons soy cream cheese (plain or herbed)
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 425F.
Put the eggs, soy creamer (or soy milk), spinach, nutritional yeast and herbs in the blender. Season with salt and pepper. Whiz to combine. Set aside.
In a saute pan, heat the olive oil. When hot, add the leeks, mushrooms, and asparagus. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the leeks and mushrooms are soft and the asparagus is cooked through. Add the tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes, or until the tomatoes release their liquid. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the vegetables into the pie crust, and spread them evenly. Divide the soy cream cheese into 16 small “balls” (or dabs) and place them around the vegetables. Gently pour the egg mixture over the top. Bake for 10 minutes at 425F, then reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for another 20-30 minutes. The top should be set and turning golden brown, and a table knife should come out clean when inserted in the center of the quiche.
Serve with muffins or fruit salad for breakfast, or a green salad for lunch or dinner. Also good cold the next day.
All members are automatically enrolled in class, and receive class emails with links to more, more, more – including a 21-day journal and menu plan to download, personal coaching (yes, just for YOU), daily challenges and activities, and loads of motivation from the Jills, our fabulous coaches for this class.
Don’t delay! Class starts today. You don’t want to miss any of the 21 days of BOOTY Camp!
Also?
Get up now and get bopping. Get that blood flowing from your booty to your brain. Movement gives you more energy than anything you’ll find in a vending machine or refrigerator.
Here’s a clutter challenge – spend 15 minutes today cleaning up one cluttered area in your home. Look for ways to make it happen (commercials, anyone?).
Pick one drawer, or one shelf, or your purse, or the door of your freezer, or the crisper of your fridge, or the corner of your desk, or that table by the door, or your nightstand. Yeah, we could go on, but you get the idea.
You may think all the stuff sitting around your house isn’t really hurting anything. But, really, it kind of is.
Clutter wastes your time. Spending time looking for the important things buried in the not-so-important and unorganized stacks and boxes. Did you know that 15 minutes a day looking for misplaced items adds up to 90 wasted hours in one year? That’s a lot of time to do something fun.
Clutter wastes money. When you can’t find the important and useful things, you (well, we) go out and replace them with new ones. Or if you lose receipts, you can’t return the things you don’t want. That’s money that could be spent on something fun.
Clutter wastes energy, both physical and emotional. You have to move, clean, and work around your stacks and piles – not fun and not easy. Then there’s the emotional drain of not having a clean, quiet living space. If you are not comfortable in your own home, where can you be comfortable at all?
Clutter is dangerous. Clutter can cause household accidents and injuries. Old boxes in a dank basement can become a breeding ground for mold, and cardboard and paper clutter is a possible fire hazard. Let’s not even think about the hazardous waste clutter that’s probably in the garage.
Fifteen minutes a day makes a big difference in cleaning up the clutter. Challenge yourself to take it on.
Marilu will be teaching The Role of Your Life workshop at the world-renowned Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health the weekend of July 2-5, 2010.
Treat yourself to an amazing health retreat and take the class with Marilu. There are also evening activities (a chanting concert and a salsa dance party are currently on the schedule for that weekend, as well as regular evening programs) and yoga classes for all experience levels. Oh, and the food is good, too. This is a great opportunity to experience one of the best health retreat centers in the world – with Marilu.
Register by calling 1-866-200-5203. Don’t delay – this is your perfect midsummer vacation!
Warm weather brings stronger nails (for some reason) and bare feet. Give yourself a manicure-pedicure at home. It’s easy; it’s budget-friendly; and if you invite some friends, it’s a party!
Remove any old polish. For natural nails, use a non-acetone remover. Cotton balls work better than tissues.
File your nails to desired shape. Try a shortish nail, straight across the top with rounded edges. File your nails in one direction starting at the edges and moving toward the top.
Soak your hands and feet in warm (not hot) soapy water for 4-5 minutes to soften cuticles. Use a pumice stone on your feet after they’ve soaked – get rid of the thicker skin and callouses.
Dot some olive oil (or almond oil or jojoba oil) on the cuticles and rub in.
Use an orange wood stick or popsicle stick to push back cuticles. Don’t cut your cuticles, which can cause infection and damage the nail.
Exfoliate your hands and feet with a body scrub or mixture of olive oil and kosher salt or raw sugar. Scrub for two to three minutes, then wash thoroughly. Don’t exfoliate newly shaved legs – yikes! Plan to shave later.
Massage your hands and feet with shea butter cream, or another favorite hand cream or lotion. Use the thumb and first finger of one hand to massage each finger of the other hand, starting at the base of the finger and massaging out toward the tip. Do the same with your toes.
Wipe your nails with a damp cloth to remove excess oils.
Apply a base coat and allow it to dry for 1-2 minutes.
Apply two thin coats of your favorite color, allowing them to dry between coats. Always apply polish by starting on the side of the nail. You should be able to cover the nail in three stokes, one on each side and one in the middle.
Apply a top coat and allow it to dry. Quick-dry top coats usually chip faster, so if you want your manicure to last longer, use a regular top coat.
Need a shorter routine?
Remove old polish, use olive oil on your cuticles, and massage lotion into your hands.
Need easy maintenance?
Choose a light color for the polish.
Marilu attended the Bogart Pediatric Cancer Research Program Luncheon and Auction on Wednesday, April 28. She attended with her friend Sharon Feldstein, who is also her stylist (and who chats with us at Marilu.com about wardrobe and fashion).
Marilu and Sharon are pictured with one of the event’s hosts.
Make this delicious cold soup today, and refrigerate it until Wednesday – Cinco de Mayo! Serve the soup as an appetizer, part of your own “at-home” tapas bar, or even as a light entree. Just be sure to make it at least one day in advance.
To prepare the tomatoes (not difficult, just a little extra time):
Cut an X in the blossom end of the tomato (opposite the stem) with a sharp knife. Plunge the tomato in boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove to a bowl of ice water. The peel should come off easily.
Then cut the tomato in half cross-wise (on the “equator” of the tomato). Squeeze with the seed side down, using your fingers to dig the seeds out of the pockets as necessary.
When all tomatoes are peeled and seeded, put them in a blender or food processor and puree them.
Strain out any solids by pouring the puree through a mesh strainer.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Mexican Gazpacho Blue * Serves 6
6 large organic tomatoes, peeled, seeded, pureed and strained
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 medium organic cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely chopped
2 Anaheim chili peppers, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
4 organic scallions, trimmed and minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 Tablespoons olive oil
salt
1 medium avocado, peeled, pitted and coarsely chopped
In a large bowl, stir together the tomato puree, vegetable stock, lime juice, cucumber, chilies, scallions, garlic and cilantro. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, until very cold. Just before serving, stir in the olive oil and salt to taste. Ladle the soup into individual bowls and garnish each bowl with some chopped avocado.
If you trust the ebb and flow of life – the ups, the downs, the yin and the yang – then you know you’ll get past whatever your current challenge is. It’s when you don’t have that intrinsic faith in life patterns that you can’t get out of a rut, or get past the setbacks.
