I can’t tell you how many times people have asked me, “What do you do everyday? What do you eat? How do you get it all done? What’s a typical day in the life of Marilu?”
Well here it is! Our first ever What Would Marilu Do? Class.
This class will be 21 days of an “online reality show” (minus the cameras, of course). I will be filling in a template of a dozen entries that, collectively, will give you a full idea of what it’s like to be me…good and bad! You’ll see what I’ve eaten, hear the songs I’m listening to, read my to-do list, hear about my daily challenges, and more.
I want to inspire you to create your own version of whatever it is that gets the job done in your life. This is what works for me, and I hope you will take some of it to create what works for YOU!
Members * Jump into the discussion on the message boards and chat with me tonight at 10 PM Eastern / 7 PM Pacific.
If you’re not a member, register now, and you won’t miss a thing! I look forward to meeting you later today!
To prepare the stew, combine all the mushrooms and 1 Tablespoon oil in a single layer on a jellyroll pan. Bake the mushrooms for 30 minutes, stirring once, until tender and browned.
In a Dutch oven over medium heat, heat 1-1/2 teaspoons oil. Add leeks, fennel and carrots and cook 5 minutes, or until the carrots are softened. Sprinkle the vegetable mixture with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover, reduce the heat and cook 10 minutes. Uncover and add the mushrooms, stock, tamari, tarragon, thyme, agave and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer 5 minutes or until all the vegetables are tender. Stir in the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
In a small bowl, combine the arrowroot and 1 Tablespoon water. Stir the arrowroot mixture into the mushroom mixture and cook 1 minute more, to a nice thick stew texture. Serve hot.
Practice wonder and awe * If you’re not astounded, you’re not awake! Make an evening trek to a lonely place to gaze at the limitless sky. Contemplate the smallness of your life from the perspective as a star-scape, and be awed by the infinite intimacy it provides.
There’s nothing worse than a long weekend (or even a short weekend) of resentful faces because it’s time to clean the house or yard. So make it fun for everyone, and remember to plan lots of free time and play time, too.
Here are some ideas to make cleaning into a game.
How many minutes? * Whether you’re alone or working as a team, take a look around the designated room and decide how fast you can clean it. State it as a challenge: “I/We can clean this room in 10 minutes!” Then set a timer and try to beat the clock. (This is one of Marilu’s favorites.)
Theme cleaning * Assign each person one particular task to be done throughout the house – gathering all the garbage and recycling; cleaning mirrors and switchplates; collecting and sorting laundry; cleaning sinks and toilets; collecting dishes and washing or loading them in the dishwasher. Then set a timer for 15 minutes and get busy. Meet when time is up for round two. After two rounds, take a game break. Bigger tasks can be split by rooms or floors of the house.
Color cleaning * Write down all the tasks that need to be done on three different colored index cards – red for adult chores, blue for kids’ chores, and white for chores that require teamwork. Draw cards and race to see who can finish first (and still do a good job). First place gets a prize (such as choosing the dinner menu or the movie to watch later).
Divide and conquer * This requires a little planning by the adult in charge of cleaning. Write all the tasks that need to be done, dividing them into the same number of groups as you have family members (four family members means four lists; seven family members means seven lists). The lists should be balanced by the approximate amount of time and effort required. Post the lists on the fridge at night. First person up in the morning gets first choice of lists. Second person gets second choice. Last person up gets the last list. Family members are free to go about their own plans after their list is completed. This is particularly good if you have teens in the house.
Don’t take housecleaning too seriously. You’ll be doing it all again in a day or a week – so just do what you can, and enjoy the day.
“What Would Marilu Do?” is the next class at Marilu.com starting Wednesday, September 8th. This is a totally new class offered exclusively to members of Marilu.com!
If you’ve ever been faced with a choice in your eating, exercise or lifestyle habits, and wondered What Would Marilu Do?…
this is your chance to find out.
Marilu will be sharing the details of her life: her health and beauty routines, her food and exercise choices, the responsibilities of her career and her personal and family activities. Find out what’s on Marilu’s schedule, what’s on Marilu’s plate, what’s playing in Marilu’s ear…she’ll be sharing lots of her favorite inspirational music as it relates to a wide variety of topics!
Do you think you could benefit by spending a few weeks following Marilu throughout her day? Be sure to be with us on September 8th for a look inside Marilu’s daily life…and an incredible opportunity to make positive changes in yours! This will be a no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners, kickass class. You’ll be challenged to amp up your commitment to healthy living in every area of your life. Are you up for it?
Get ready to start class on Wednesday the 8th!
Members are automatically enrolled in online classes.
Not a member? Join now! Be part of this ALL NEW, EXCLUSIVE class with Marilu!
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Work that booty (glutes) and the backs of your thighs (hamstrings), too.
Kneel on the floor with your elbows and forearms flat on the floor. Keep your elbows directly below your shoulders, and your knees directly below your hips.
Straighten your right leg behind you, toes rested on the floor. Keep your back flat, your abs tight, and your hips square. Keeping your right leg straight, use your buttocks to lift the entire leg up. Slowly lower it back to the floor and repeat twice. Do not arch your back. The movement should be slow and controlled — powered by the squeeze in your bun area — not momentum.
Repeat for two sets of eight to 12 repetitions per leg. Rest for 15 seconds between sets. Once you get this thigh-and-tush-tightener down, you can add ankle weights to increase the challenge!
Make these bars for the holiday weekend and save some for your brown bag lunches.
Freeze the bars individually after they’ve cooled if a whole pan is too many at once.
It’s easy to make the bars vegan with egg replacer, and you can substitute dried cranberries for the chocolate chips if you’d rather skip the chocolate. The maple sugar is expensive, but worth it. Look for it in bulk bins and just buy what you need.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Oatmeal Coconut Squares with Chocolate Chips Yellow * Makes 16 squares
5 Tablespoons soy margarine, melted and cooled, plus more for the pan (try Earth Balance margarine)
1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup maple sugar
1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips (try Tropical Source)
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 large organic egg (or equivalent egg replacer, try EnerG)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9-inch square metal baking pan with a 12×14-inch piece of aluminum foil, letting the excess hang over the sides. Grease the foil in the pan with margarine.
In a large bowl, toss together the oats, flour, maple sugar, chips, coconut, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat the melted margarine, egg (or reconstituted egg replacer) and vanilla with a fork. Stir into the oat mixture until combined. Spoon the batter into the baking pan, patting evenly.
Bake in the middle of the oven until set, about 25 minutes. Remove from the pan by lifting the ends of the foil. Cool on a rack, then cut into squares.
What’s your plan for Labor Day weekend? If you’re in the US, the traditional marker of the End of Summer is coming up with this three-day weekend.
What will you be doing?
Taking a short vacation! Three-day weekends are the perfect opportunity to vacation in your home town (see what draws in the tourists!), or go a short distance to another tourist area. Quick getaways can be refreshing, since there’s not too much packing or traveling required. Don’t forget your sunscreen and water bottles!
Doing home improvements! For some reason, Labor Day is a huge home improvement weekend. If you have projects to complete (or start), check local stores for sale prices on materials. You can easily repaint a room or two, or replace the fixture on your kitchen sink on a long weekend.
Digging the garden! Get started on next year’s garden by digging it up now. It’s a great time of year to do the soil preparation and to plant bulbs, shrubs and trees. While you’re outside, clean up the rest of the yard, too.
Catching up on life! This is the “yay, I have another day!” catch-up program. It’s doing the laundry, buying the groceries, running errands, making some extra meals for the freezer, and paying the bills. If this is your plan, try to limit it to one of the three days – then plan something fun and different for one of the other days. It’s good to have a break.
Catching up on reading! Get in your comfy chair and read the magazines that have accumulated over the summer – then toss them into the recycling bin. Or read a library book that you’ve put off because you’ve been too busy.
Seeing a state or national park! Take a full day and pack a picnic lunch and the sunscreen. Fill up the water bottles, grab some blankets for the grass, and a backpack to carry it in. Then enjoy the hiking trails and the picnic area for a whole day. Don’t forget to stop by the visitor center to learn more about the location.
Dealing with the hurricanes! Okay, this doesn’t affect everyone, but if you’re in a hurricane zone this week, you may be doing emergency preparation or clean up over the weekend. Take care.
