Feathering the Nest

Fall and football go hand in hand.  This week let's focus on some football fun! Fall Health Focus :  Play a game of football in the backyard.  Grab your family, your neighbors and friends and have a friendly game of football.  It will be a great and fun way to burn some calories. Perhaps for added fun make a trophy for the team that wins.   Fall Family Fun : Host a tailgating party.  Remember all those people you were just playing a game of football with, invite them in for some food and football on the tube.  Ask those you are inviting to dress up in their team colors.  Decorate in a football theme.  Make up cheers.  Sit around watching football while eating yummy food.     Fall for Foodies :  Speaking of yummy food, here are some great healthier recipes for football season.  If you love hot wings, try this pulled buffalo chicken recipe.  It's easy to make in the crock pot and then throw ...

Can you believe Halloween is just three weeks away!! It will be here before we know it! I thought this week we could focus on some Halloween fun to get you in the spirit! Fall Health Focus :  Have a Halloween Dance Party in your living room to burn off some calories.  What's not to love about dancing and to Halloween themed songs?  Check out the fun songs below that the whole family can dance around to.   Fall Family Fun : Make your own Halloween trick-or-treat bags.  I went to the local Hobby Lobby and they had orange and black canvas bags in the Halloween section (40% off). I was able to find some fun things to glue onto the bag, as well as some glow in the dark puffy paint.  I also picked up some random sheets of felt - which you can make more shapes and things with.  I made my son a Jack Skeleton to glue onto his bag.  My son had a blast making his bag and is excited to use it this year.   Fall for Foodies :  The tempe...

“I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers." - L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables. I love that quote and I love October.  What's not to love about October?  This month we get more fall weather, we get to carve pumpkins, go trick-or-treating, and have ghoulish get-togethers.   Here are some ways to kick off your first week of October! Fall Health Focus :  Pumpkin Squats.  You heard that right.  Do you have a pumpkin sitting out on your front porch?  Grab it and start squatting. Start day one with maybe 15 or 20 squats.  Increase your reps each day by 5.  Get that booty into fall shape! Fall Family Fun : Decorate for Halloween and let the whole family help.  Decorating doesn't have to be expensive.  You can make homemade decorations, hit up the dollar store or even the dollar section of your closest Target.  Then allow everyone in the house to help hang up the cheesy jack-o-lantern faces, the flying ...

It is officially Fall which is my favorite time of year.  There is nothing I dislike about fall.  I love the amber skies, the bright leaves, the crisp air, school spirit, cups of warm tea, cozy blankets and yummy fall recipes. I decided to try to mix things up a bit.  I am going to try to blog each week with some fall themed fun.  Since I love fall so much, why not incorporate it into some healthy routines, fun times and tasty recipes. Each week will feature 5 areas - health, fun, food, nature and a photo challenge.  So, let's give it a try for week one! Fall Health Focus:   This week is finally a little cooler.  I wouldn't call low 70's exactly fall weather, but we are getting there.  This is the perfect temperature to get outside and walk.  I'm currently in a step challenge with my dad so each day I have been aiming at getting 10,000 steps.  Most days I make it, but there are plenty of days that I don't.  This week's goal ...

Weekly Check-In: Week Four fared much better than Week Three, thankfully.  I have to admit I didn't pull my S#%$ together until Monday, but I at least got it back together.  Since Monday I've been on track and trying to do well. Things I Loved This Week -  Seeing People Post Recipes -  I have a few friends who posted some new recipes online.  I love this because I am always looking for something new to try and work into our meal rotations. Please, if you have recipes to share - do so!  There are people out there like me that are saving them! Skinny Pop Popcorn   - This is a super great low calorie snack.  It kind of gives you that - I'm getting more bang for my buck feeling.  I slowly eat it piece by piece to make it last longer - haha.  It comes in a variety of flavors and the best part is the flavors are great.  I mean even my dog likes it. Week Successes -   Getting my ass back on track in general .  Basically...

Weekly Check-In: Well this was my third week of trying and I don't feel like it's even valid to say those words this week.  I didn't try so much this week.  This week was busy and a bit stressful with school starting.  I know, however, these are not excuses for how my week turned out how it did.  There will always be things going on in our lives.  I was just lazy this week.  After running around all day I didn't want to work out and I could have.  I didn't want to make the best food choices and I should have.  It's done and over and I move on. Things I Loved This Week -  Our Home Garden  - My husband is wonderful and puts in a small garden for us every year.  He tends to the garden and takes care of it so we can get some fresh produce at home.  We don't plant much, but there is still nothing as wonderful as a homegrown tomato.  This week we were finally getting some ripe tomatoes and peppers.  I loved being able ...