Marilu.com – The Home of Marilu Henner’s Total Health Makeover®

Sep 02

Plan ahead

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.

Aug 27

Fitness Friday * Middle school solution for middle age pollution

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Reacquaint yourself with something that kept you fit in your childhood: a jump rope, hula hoop, pair of roller-skates, frisbee, unicycle, basketball, skateboard, stilts, inline skates.

Go easy at first if you’re a tad past your prime. It’s embarrassing for a middle-aged person to be waiting in an emergency room holding a pogo stick.

If you have kids, get them acquainted with these activities. They’re way more fun than video games.

Aug 20

Fitness Friday * Back to school

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Remember the “good old days” when we all walked to school? Okay, maybe we took the bus – but our parents and grandparents probably walked to school. And it didn’t hurt them to get that exercise every day.

So – if your kids live within a mile of their school, why not have them walk?

Now, we know it’s a different world. There’s a lot more traffic, and there are definitely dangers out there we don’t want our kids anywhere near. But what about a group walk? With adult chaperones (you see where this might be going for you, right?)?

In a town we know, the Walking School Bus is a very successful community fitness program. Retired folks have taken on most of the escorting, getting to know the kids in their neighborhood, and allowing the kids to get to know some of “those old people” who live nearby. The not-a-bus starts at the farthest point from the school where adults wait for the first kids to gather. As they walk toward the school, and past more homes, other kids join in. It’s kind of like a neighborhood carpool – without the car.

There’s safety in numbers. There are adults present to manage intersections. There’s community building. And there’s fitness. (And a way to get the wiggles out each morning and afternoon!)

Aug 10

Back to school countdown * School supplies

Posted in Budget & Finance, Family friendly activities, food, tips, Organizational tips for home and life | No Comments »

This is the time to get ALL your school supplies for the whole year. Even if you don’t have kids in school!

This is when all the pens and notebooks and binders are on sale at the cheapest price of the year.

You can also get crayons and simple watercolors and glue and markers – you never know when you might want some simple craft supplies (keep them together in one drawer or shoebox, and you’ll be prepared for an invasion of small children, too).

Restock your kitchen junk/utility drawer with tape and scissors.

You can also pick up a couple of zippered pencil pouches to use for all those crazy cords, chargers and flash drives you probably haul around when you travel.

If you have kids in school, check the store and the school’s website for supply lists. Teachers we know prefer that you stick to the list (no boxes of 1000 crayons when they specified 24, please). They also appreciate an extra pair of scissors or box of crayons or ruler for the kids who really can’t afford all the supplies, or to replace what gets lost, broken or used up during the year.

Photo by Cienpies Design

Aug 06

Fitness Friday * Everybody dance, now!

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We’ve attended a few weddings this summer, and -wow!- can we tell that our fitness routine is, well, routine, after a night on the dance floor! (We has some seriously sore calf muscles and hip flexors? Ouch!)

Add some dancing to your regular workouts. You don’t have to become the Dancing Queen or the Disco King. Find dancing that you enjoy – ballroom and Latin ballroom dancing, square dancing and folk dancing, hip-hop and crunk will all give you moves on the dance floor at the next wedding or street dance. Plus, you’ll still be doing your regular workout – so you have a net gain in fitness (and the fun) time.

You don’t usually need a partner to take beginner classes, and most community centers, park and rec departments and community education districts offer beginner classes. Take a class with a bunch of friends or neighbors, or gather an all-ages group for even more fun. It will be practice for an upcoming wedding dance.

Let’s get everyone dancing!

Jul 26

Featured recipe from Marilu’s table * Vegan fondue

Posted in Family friendly activities, food, tips, Healthy Kids, Menu suggestions, Recipes | No Comments »

It’s another Meatless Monday meal. This one is a favorite with kids (of any age) – because fondue means playing with your food! Set out a large platter of dippers, and give everyone a long-handled fork and a plate.

This recipe also makes a nice “cheese” sauce to pour over baked potatoes or steamed greens.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Vegan Fondue
from Vegan Lunch Box: 130 Amazing, Animal-Free Lunches Kids and Grown-Ups Will Love!, by Jennifer McCann
Green * Makes about 2 cups

1/2 cup chopped baby carrots
one 12-ounce package soft or firm silken tofu
1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1 Tablespoon mellow brown rice or white miso
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
pinch of white pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Place the carrots in a small saucepan and cover with a scant 1/2 cup of water. Bring to boil and lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the carrots are completely tender.

Meanwhile, place all the rest of the ingredients in a blender. When the carrots are done add them and their cooking liquid and puree until completely smooth.

Place the fondue back into the saucepan and heat on medium low heat, stirring frequently, until piping hot.

To serve, pour the fondue into a small crockpot or fondue pot and serve surrounded by vegetables and bread for dipping (see our list of favorites below). To pack for a lunch, pour hot fondue into a small thermos that has been preheated with boiling water for 10 minutes.

Some Favorite Fondue Dippers:

cubes of crusty wholegrain bread
boiled baby new potatoes
lightly steamed baby carrots
raw or lightly steamed cauliflower florets
raw or lightly steamed broccoli florets
steamed Brussels sprouts
blanched asparagus spears
bell pepper strips
apple chunks
cherry tomatoes
artichoke hearts
raw button mushrooms
raw zucchini slices
blanched whole green beans

Jul 23

Fitness Friday * Go baby, go

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Got babies? Trying to fit in a formal exercise program can be a challenge.

The easiest for you and baby is taking daily walks. Use a regular stroller or a jogging stroller – just get out in the fresh air and push that extra weight as you get in a workout. Pulling a wagon works, too, but can bang up your ankles a bit more easily.

If you love bicycling, try pulling one of the baby/child carriers behind you. Bring your bike to the shop and try it out before you buy. (You can even buy somewhere else, but do try it first.)

Sign up for a “baby-and-me” fitness class. Check your local gym, Y, community education and park & rec department for opportunities.

Jul 17

Project day

Posted in Family friendly activities, food, tips, Home | No Comments »

Summer Saturdays often get filled with projects – home improvement and renovation projects, clean-out-the-garage projects, move-the-kid-to-a-new-place projects, catch-up-on-everything-we-ignored-all-last-week projects – it can get tiring.

When you plan a day of projects, be sure to plan some fun, too. Take breaks. Stay hydrated. Have simple meals that replenish and recharge your body. Watch a favorite movie at the end of the day (settle in with pillows and blankets, in case everyone falls asleep).

Jul 17

Marilu at AIDS walk (San Francisco) tomorrow

Posted in Appearances and Announcements, Exercise and fitness, Family friendly activities, food, tips | No Comments »

See Marilu at the AIDS walk in San Francisco tomorrow, Sunday, July 18. She’s one of the opening speakers, and she’ll walk, too. Gather some donations today, and come join the fun!

The AIDS Walk begins and ends in Golden Gate Park at Sharon Meadow. Walkers should enter the venue at the intersection of Haight Street and Stanyan Boulevard to turn in their funds. The walk is 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) and takes roughly 2-3 hours to complete.

9 a.m. Sign-In opens in Mother’s Meadow. Walkers turn in donations, pick up fundraising awards, and receive their official 2010 AIDS Walk San Francisco walker button and AIDS Walk Guide. All donations support the San Francisco AIDS Foundation (SFAF).

9:30 a.m. Aerobic Warm-Up

9:45 a.m. Opening Ceremony in Sharon Meadow. Live from the stage: community leaders, musical guests, and celebrity speakers like Marilu!

10:30 a.m. AIDS Walk begins!

12:30 p.m. Post-Walk concert and family entertainment in Sharon Meadow with live music and the announcement of the fundraising total for AIDS Walk San Francisco 2010! The KidZone features a bounce house, face painting, and free carousel rides!

More information here.

Jun 26

Be prepared

Posted in Articles - Ten Steps and THM Basics, Family friendly activities, food, tips, Organizational tips for home and life | No Comments »

Saturdays are often errand days. Are you prepared to be out and about all day?

Did you eat a good, healthy breakfast? It really is the most important meal of the day – you’re breaking a fast (of 10-12 hours), so the first fuel of the day should be something that really starts your engine.

Are you wearing clothes that make you look good, feel good, and can move comfortably in? When we look good, we feel better about everything. So don’t go out looking like something the cat dragged in. You can dress casually and comfortably in clothes that fit properly and are in a flattering color and style. Don’t forget shoes you can walk in – again, they should look good and feel good.

Do you know where you’re going and what you’re doing? Make a list. Grab the things you need (reusable shopping bags, library books, movies, a basket or wagon or whatever for the farmer’s market, an umbrella if it looks like rain, clothes for the dry cleaner, a cooler if you’ll be out all day (for groceries), etc.). Figure out an efficient route before you leave.

Are you stocked with water and maybe a snack? You don’t want to be tempted by a drive-through or mall food just because it’s in front of you. Stay hydrated by carrying your own water, and have a simple snack you can keep in your purse or bag. Trail mix, a healthy granola bar or power bar, an apple, some carrot sticks… you get the idea. This is especially important if you have kids with you. You will all have a better day if the kids are happy, and that includes not letting them get too hungry.

Do you have a plan for dinner tonight? After a day of running around, the last thing you want to think about is what’s for dinner, but (try as you might) you won’t be able to ignore it. Figure it out before you go. Pick up anything you’ll need (that’s groceries, not fast food) while you’re out.

Now you’re ready. Have a great day.

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