What time is it? Summertime, it’s a vacation!

YAY!  Summer is finally here!  I love most things about summer, the sun, the heat, the lake, vacations, no school!  It’s a time where many people take vacations, get to spend time with family, and spend time outdoors and are hopefully becoming active.

Everyone is busy making plans for the summer; trips they are going to go on, places they want to see, day trips to the beach etc. What you also need to do is have some goals in mind of how to get active outside and moving.  The best times are in the cooler mornings before work, or the evenings after work or dinner.

If you set yourself some weekly goals and write them down, you are more likely to actually do them.  Also, as I have mentioned before, getting a friend on board to get active with is a fantastic way to start and maintain activities.  Find a suitable friend or neighbour and get together to make a plan.       “What mornings/nights are good?, What do we want to do?  Walk, bike, run, swim?”

If you have children and/or a partner, get them involved!  The more we work together to get active, the better. Also, by being active as a family you are setting a good example for them, and those around you. 

If you live near the lake as I do, we have a waterfront pathway that is very well maintained year round, which therefore helps keep people active!  Having a beautiful, scenic, well maintained place to exercise is a huge advantage for me and I fully admit that many times that is what I am drawn to, to get me outside and keeping active.  For myself and my family it is all about fresh air and exercise to staying healthy.

But, I do realize that not everyone is blessed with a beautiful waterfront, but if you love your neighbourhood, or a park close by get out there and get moving!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, my goal with this blog is to motivate you to…….Get up, get moving, and live, love your life!

Is it working??? 🙂

 

 

“Mooooommm, where’s the cereal?” Sound familiar?

I like a good sale item as much as the next person, so when it comes to my regularly used/consumed items, I like to buy these in bulk when they are on sale.  This does mean though that I need a good, organized place to keep these items.

First of all, I believe it is a good idea to organize your shelves logically.  For example, keep most frequently used items at eye level.  This way when you go to get something from your pantry and have already forgotten what it is you were looking for, it will likely be right in front of you!  Also, put large items such as cereal boxes on a lower shelf.

Group like items.  For example, put all breakfast items on one shelf, baking items on another, canned items grouped by type, pasta together etc.

Here are examples of two of my organized shelves.  I have grouped canned goods together, soups on one side, pasta sauce on the other.

I like to keep all my baking supplies grouped together and in bins that I could bring up to the kitchen to bake, then return to the pantry when I’m done with them.

If you have children, you may like to keep a “treat bin” with readily available snacks just in case.  In some households, this may need to be placed out of view, but having the individual items ready to go is great for a quick grab anytime you may need it.

If you take the time to keep your shelves sorted, less time will be spent searching for needed items, and less food will go to waste.  For some, you could even go the extra step and label your shelves so you and others in your household will know where items are kept.

Another important tip is to go through your pantry items every 3-4 months and throw out expired items. (Remember that “best before” dates don’t always mean not good after…be wise and not wasteful.)  Also, as soon as an item is running low or as I use the last of it, I add it to my grocery list on my phone.

Believe me, it truly is easy to maintain after you have organized it in a way that works for you.

There you have it, an organized pantry, now if only your kitchen was just as organized. …………stay tuned  😉