Musings From My Minivan
Register now for the 7th Annual WTTW Kids Fun and Run! Meet your favorite WTTW Kids walk-around characters from Arthur, Sesame Street, and Curious George; dance to critically-acclaimed pop band Ralph’s World; enjoy performances from Miss Lori and the team from Miss Lori’s CAMPUS and get moving on the 3K Family Walk and 5K Fun Run – all for a good cause! [Read more...]
This Summer I am serving as the Ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women BetterU Program. It’s a 12 week program designed to help U be Better, especially where your heart is concerned. Week 8 is all about blood pressure and keeping it normal. Now I am a lucky person, I know, because I have always had very even, very normal blood pressure. 110 over 80. That’s what it has been for as long as I can remember. And that is within the recommended guidelines.
Optimal = below 120/80 mmHg
Prehypertension = 120-139/ 80-89 mmHg
Elevated = 140/ 90 mmHg or higher
I know that because I know my numbers. (Which is the first step towards being better.) Now even though I have never experienced a problem, I might be playing Russian roulette here. How will I know? Well I have to rate my risk. Your risk for high blood pressure is calculated by several factors- some that you can control and others that you can’t. [Read more...]
Your numbers are your friend, That is the overall lesson that I am trying to teach myself during my summer’s journey as an ambassador for the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women BetterU Program. Since I was a child, when someone has said “know your numbers” they have been referring to the numbers on the scale. And most of my life those “numbers” have not felt very friendly, particularly since the birth of my third child. But at age 40, the numbers that I need to be concerned about aren’t just restricted to the scale. As I learned in week 2 of the BetterU program, it’s important to know your cholesterol, blood pressure and body mass index. These numbers aren’t your enemy. Quite the contrary. They are your friend, even when they are off the mark. Why? Because knowing your numbers helps you be better, live better, and feel better. If you don’t know your numbers, you don’t know what you need to work on, or maintain.
When I had my heart screening earlier this month I found out my all-important numbers. (Unfortunately, I also found out my weight, even though I had my eyes closed and asked not to be told. UGH). The news was good regarding my cholesterol and my blood pressure. I’m managing fairly well in those arenas. But my BMI, (Body Mass Index), was a different story. Which wasn’t surprising to me. Even though I closed my eyes on the scale at the doctor’s office, I am well aware that I am carrying around extra “me” that I don’t need to. Which translates into a high BMI. That was one of the principal reasons that I embarked upon this journey to be BETTER. I don’t just want a Body Mass Index. I want a BETTER Mass Index! [Read more...]
IN ONE WEEK I WILL TURN 40! I am really excited! No really, I am. I know a lot of people step into 40 with trepidation, but I plan to step into it with energy, purpose, and most importantly a PLAN! Friday May 14th will not only be my birthday it is the launch of my Activate Summer initiative. [Read more...]
In five days my kids and I will fly to Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms conference. It still seems unreal even as I type this. Here’s why…
A little background:
Last year my youngest daughter was very ill. The whole year was about fear. Fear for her health. Fear of the medical bills that were overwhelming us. Fear of what would befall us next. It was very hard. Through it all my daughter remained positive. She consistently had a sparkle in her eye and light in her heart. That’s the way she’s always been, truthfully. A bundle of hopeful, creative, inquisitive energy. The illness robbed her of much of her daily energy, but she never let it take her smile, at least not completely. I ached for her because she was robbed of so much, particularly the magic of Kindergarten, which she had looked so forward to. She lost most the year to doctors visits and procedures. It was a disappointment. She is better now, though we are always watchful since the Doctor’s never did figure out what it was that she had.
Now for my story: [Read more...]
Saturday mornings through March 6th are a Comedy of Errors. No, not at my home, but on Navy Pier at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Now through March 6th the World famous Chicago Shakespeare Theatre is producing their wildly popular Short Shakespeare series, featuring The Comedy of Errors. This series sports family friendly 75 minute abridged versions of the bards’ famous works, easily digestible for minds as young as 8. I brought my 11, 8 and 6 year olds along. The story kept my kids’ attention fully. Eventhough the show is in verse the actors did such a beautiful job of playing the content of their dialog that my kids weren’t lost. It also helped that the show itself is filled with physical comedy that kept us all on the edge of our seats anxious for more. My 6 year old was cackling… while standing up, sitting on my lap and twirling around in front of her seat. (Yes, she had to move around a lot throughout the performance, so I suggest sitting in the balcony with younger viewers). [Read more...]
I started teaching when I was a teen-ager. I always loved working with children and felt that I had something special to share with them. However, I would teach for a session or two and then need to take a break for a few months. I would get burned out. Then I had children of my own and it was as if my DNA changed. [Read more...]
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