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Thursday, December 19, 2013

A rapid-fire update

Another month has slipped by since the last time I posted, and I have the standard excuses:
- Busy shopping for Christmas gifts.
- Busy doing homework with the kids.
- Busy shoveling poop out of the chicken coop.

As the last few weeks of 2013 come to an end, I can't help but want to kick this truly awful year to the curb. I'm usually not a pessimist, but this year it seemed that if something could go wrong, it did -- in both big things and small. While there is nothing magical about leaving one year for the next, I'm sincerely hoping that 2014 brings more good than bad our family's way.

With that, here's an (upbeat) update on what's been going on lately:

The Chickens
No news is good news with our four strong girls! These biddies survived an extreme cold snap a few weeks ago like champs. Three of the four lay eggs daily, and when I step out the back door they come a'runnin for me like they have something to tell me. We have a well-stocked egg carton with big, brown eggs.

See how bright red her comb is? In the mornings chickens get a
surge of hormone prior to laying their egg that makes their combs
and waddles very red. In late afternoon the color fades.
I still have no explanation for my love of these birds. My only complaint is that they are turning the beautiful deck that Zach built several years ago into a true "Poop Deck".

Gross, dude.
In the summer they hung out under the deck for shade, but now that it's cold they like to hang out under the patio table for warmth and protection. Pooping ensues. Yuck.

Workouts
From June to November Zach and I primarily used Focus T25 for our workouts.


We went through the Alpha, Beta, and Gamma phases of this program, and it's my opinion that T25 is one of the smartest, most efficient programs ever produced. Beachbody is on the cutting-edge when it comes to workout design, and the research has shown that the most benefits from a workout come within the first 30 minutes or so. This program takes that concept to heart and works you for 25 minutes straight. You do not waste one second! It's a program that will always be in our rotation thanks to the 25-minute time frame and the intensity of the workouts.

We're anxiously awaiting the delivery of P90X3, a program that is also going the 30-minute route.


P90X was our "first love" Beachbody program, so I'm excited to see what's up with X3. My guess is that it is going to be a more well-rounded program than T25, since Tony is all about diversity: strength training, cardio, yoga, there is even a Pilates workout in this program. It should arrive today; we will spend the next two weeks nerdily previewing the workouts and will start an accountability test group at the first of the year.

If you want to join the group, holler at me! X3 is NOT a graduate program -- it's for anyone who wants to commit to exercising 30 minutes a day. (Get your copy: www.SmellsLikeFitness.com)

Three recipes that have rocked my world recently

The Thanksgiving Champion Side Dish
Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/butternut_squash_apple_cranberry_bake/

Butternut Squash Apple Cranberry Bake Recipe | Simply Recipes


A Chile to Beat All Other Chiles
Pioneer Woman's Chipotle Chicken Chile
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2013/11/chipotle-chicken-chili/
chili2


A Homemade Granola Worth Gifting
Andy's Fairfield Granola from "Buttered Up"
http://butteredup.blogspot.ca/2013/03/homemade-granola.html


The kids
They are a delight.



I hope you and your family have a very Merry Christmas!

**************

Workout of the Day
We created our own mish-mash schedule to follow while we wait for X3. Today we did Insanity: The Asylum Speed & Agility. It hurt. I don't like that one very much!