Sponsor Spotlight: Eatsmart Bathroom Scale #GetMoving2013

One tool that helps me get moving is my bathroom scale.  See, I don't like the numbers it shows me sometimes.   I don't exactly see eye to eye with my new scale.  It arrived on a Thursday, and by Friday morning I was telling some friends about how awesome it is - and how much I don't like it.  I don't like it because I can't figure out how to get it to lie to me.

EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale

Let me tell you what I do like about this scale though.  It does not stop with telling me what my weight is.  I mean, I want to know my weight so I can see the numbers change as my body changes, but we all know that weight is only a small part of the picture of our health.

This new scale also tells me the percentage of my body fat (just over 1/3 right now - yikes).  It does not stop there though, it tells me how much muscle I have (just under 40%).  It also tells me my bone mass weight and how much of me is water.

Okay, the truth is, I think the scale is fantastic.  I love it that I can track changes, I can see that I am not getting enough water - I'm still working on that.  Even when my weight does not do exactly what I want, I can get a picture of what is going on inside my body.  It is not difficult to chart my changes with this fantastic new scale.

Another thing that I love about this scale: it can track up to 8 users.  It automatically knows which user is on it also (provided the users are not too similar in stats).

I am using the EatSmart Precision GetFit Digital Body Fat Scale.  This scale was provided to me for the purpose of review.  All opinions about the scale are my own.

One of my readers will win a scale from EatSmart as part of my awesome prize package during the Get Moving blog event this month!  Keep watching for more fantastic prizes!

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EatSmart is even on Pinterest.

Would a new scale help you get moving?  How does it fit in to your goals for 2013?

#GetMoving2013
#EatSmart
***Disclaimer: I have received a product or products free for the purpose of review.  All opinions are my own.*** 

Wordy Wednesday: Because sometimes pictures don't tell the story

Photo by Elizabeth Knost, My This N That Life

 This is the "old building".  It is the lodge at the Elkhart Conservation Club where our family began meeting 71 years ago.  My grandfather's big Carpatho-Rusyn family has always been close knit.  He and his siblings took great care to raise their families together, sharing in strong traditions, amazing food, and fellowship.  How blessed my father was to be part of a generation brought up with great family bonds.  I am also more blessed than I can begin to express to have been born into this family with the opportunity to know my cousins, great aunts and uncles, 2nd... 3rd... 4th cousins, the list goes on.

Photo by Elizabeth Knost, My This N That Life

 These are 4 of the 5 surviving Billey children.  Aunt Ann, front and center is the oldest of 10 children.  She is surrounded by Aunt Liz, Uncle Steve, and Aunt Vernie.  Aunt Marg was unable to attend this year. These people have committed to loving their family for a life time.  They have brought a heritage to us that I am incredibly thankful for.  I hope that as my children grow, we are able to continue gathering on New Year's Day to celebrate our loving, growing family.  Yesterday we numbered around 90 people celebrating the new year with singing, board games, chatting by the fire, sledding, and eating... and did I mention eating?  Wow - there are some amazing traditional foods that we share!

I wish that every year, all of my family could gather together.  Out of my 16 first cousins, only 5 were able to attend this year.  We had a fantastic time though.  My boys absolutely loved playing in the snow on the "big hill".  I love hearing stories about my grandfather's family as they grew up.  I really enjoyed sitting down with a second cousin and talking about our families.  It is so good to know that even though we live far apart and mostly talk through the internet, we still have a lot in common and hold many of the same values.

What traditions has your family passed down to you?

Mamavation, Sistahood, and Magic Dust

It's here!  December 31, 2012.  Tomorrow is the start of a new year.  We all know that this time of year we tend to get sentimental as we think over our past and hopeful as we look toward the future.  We like to make resolutions about what we plan to do to make our lives better in the coming year.  We start out great - and then... life happens.  Reality hits.  Change is not as easy as we were sure it would be this time. (again).

I sit in our newly rearranged "computer" room, looking at the mess on the floor, and thinking about the next year in my house.  There are a lot of things I want to happen, a lot of changes I want to make.  I know, however, that I don't have any magic fairy dust to instantly change my own behaviors.  I know it is a struggle to make real lasting changes in my own busy life.  I have 3 little boys, a full time job in the summer that I volunteer for the rest of the year - we are busy people.

For this reason I have decided that I want to join the "Sistahood" at Mamavation.  This is a group of bloggers that are ready to encourage and support each other as we reach toward the goals that we struggle for on our own.  I need help folks.  Change is hard.  The sistahood does not have magic fairy dust for me either - but they do offer regular help and encouragement.  I am looking forward to being part of this dynamic group in the near future!

Now: My resolutions for the year?
* Be more consistent in my daily schedule with the boys.  We have gotten our morning routine down pretty well, but there are a few things that we need to improve.
* Exercise at the gym at least 3 times a week.  We were doing very well until Thanksgiving - then after my miscarriage it was difficult to get back into the routine. 
* Organize, organize, organize.  I plan to share a bit about our steps toward organization in the home (and at work) in the coming months.
* Get back to good, healthy eating.  We have slipped and been eating some things that are not on our "good" list.  We will be returning to vegetarian - mostly vegan - eating on January 2.  Why the 2nd?  I have a family reunion tomorrow and want to be realistic.
* Enjoy some "me" time regularly, working on hobbies, getting in quiet time, refreshing myself so I can have better quality time with my family.

Do you have some goals in the new year?  I would love to hear about your goals and how you intend to reach them.  Please leave your comments in the space below!

One of my reasons for healthier living.

My Word

My sister shared a challenge with me this week.  She read something that a friend had written about choosing a word to strive for this year, instead of a goal or a resolution.  Simply a word.  It can be anything, as long as it is meaningful and you desire to achieve it.  I have thought about this for a couple of days and finally come to a decision about my word for 2011. 

GROW

It seems like I often end up in a rut, a dead place.  I look around and feel like we are back in the same mess, with the same problem, and no solution.  I frequently feel dull, unexcited, un-passionate, and lacking in areas that are so important to me.  I lack in faith, in family relationship, in kind words, in friendship, in energy, in health.  Oi!  I sometimes feel dead - like I am in the middle of winter.

In the coming year I want to focus on growing in all of those areas.  I want to grow personally, and with my family.  I am confident that I will grow in ways that I never imagined possible.  I am also certain that there will be times when I feel stuck and dead.  I hope that others will hold me accountable and ask about how I am growing.  Right now I am looking for the little bits of beauty popping up from the snow of my winter.  I am working to nurture these things with the help of my God and my family.  It is the start of a beautiful year.

My two little men, who started out so small are growing.  Crackers turns 1 on Saturday and Monkey will be 2 1/2 next week!  I look forward to helping them each grow in strength, independence, knowledge, faith, and wisdom.  I hope they grow in stature also - poor Monkey is going to be shorter than his brother by the end of the year if he doesn't hurry up and grow some.  These sweeties are a thing of beauty, a hidden nest, in the days that seem short and dark.

Now, I know that the word "grow" is not magical and that focusing on a word  is not going to make every day feel like 100%.  I also know that God is with me and guiding me.  As I grow in Him more over the next year, what some days feels like a cold, dead winter, will be a lush green forest of growth.  

Thank you, God for the opportunity to grow in you and in so many other ways.  I look forward to the coming year of growth that will bring so many surprises.  Help me to lean hard on you on the cold days and remember the beautiful things that I have seen around me.

What about you?  Do you have a word?  Do you want to grow?