Home-Ec 101: A Book Review & Giveaway

*** This giveaway is now closed. Thank you for stopping by! ***

Don't you love a great book with which you can curl up and feel like the author is speaking directly to you? Well, Home-Ec 101: Skills for Everyday Living by Heather Solos isn't really like that. It does have a fabulous conversational tone, which I love because I've actually met Heather and hung out with her on several occasions. But it's not a curl-up-and-enjoy book.

 This is a book that motivates me. Or sparks my obsessive-compulsive tendancies. Whichever.

There are four sections to the book, just like the website Home-Ec 101 that Heather founded in 2007. Clean It. Fix It. Cook It. Wash It. Everything that you should have learned when you were growing up, or did learn and forgot, is in this book.

Basic chemistry lessons like don't mix ammonia and bleach. (I've blogged about that!) How to remove stains and odors in your clothes. Basic kitchen utensils. Yeah, it really DOES have a name other than "thing-a-ma-jig." Tips for reusing or re-purposing instead of throwing away. Menu planning advice.

All with Heather's wit and humor.

This book makes a great home reference for every one, including newlyweds and recent college grads. Unless they LIKE living like a slob. (And some do!) You can buy the book at Amazon, and it's also available for Kindle.

My only criticism of the book Home-Ec 101 is that I couldn't sit down and enjoy a leisurely read. Every time I opened the book, it made me realize that I SHOULD be cleaning, or doing laundry, or fixing something instead. (Back to those obsessive-compulsive tendancies.)

In all seriousness, Heather's book is a must-have. And courtesy of F+W Media, one of my lucky readers will win their very own copy!  Here's how to enter:

MANDATORY ENTRY: Leave a comment telling me in which area you need the most help: Clean It, Fix It, Cook It, or Wash It.

Additional Entries:
1. Sign up for the Home-Ec 101 newsletter. (This newsletter is not an RSS feed but notification of author appearances, sales & future publications.) Leave a comment telling me that you signed up for the newsletter.

2. Become a fan of Home-Ec 101 on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me that you did.

3. Become a fan of this blog Not a DIY Life on Facebook. Leave a comment telling me that you did.

4. Tweet about the giveaway. Copy & paste the following: "I just entered to win my very own copy of @HomeEc101 at Not a DIY Life @notdiyheather http://bit.ly/jULOEB"
Leave a comment including the URL of your tweet. You can tweet once per day for additional entries.

Make sure your Twitter ID or e-mail is in each comment.

This giveaway is open until Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 9:00 am Eastern time and is open for everyone (US, Canada, UK, & beyond!). The winner will be contacted on Saturday, May 7, 2011 and will have 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.

Disclaimer: F+W Media provided this blogger with a free copy of Home-Ec 101 for the purposes of sharing my honest opinion. All opinions are my own. F+W Media is also providing an additional copy of Home-Ec 101 for one of my readers to enjoy.

Celebrating Milestones

In last week's Mamavation post, I talked about the different ways to measure success while on this healthy living journey. Now the question is: How do we celebrate the milestones that we reach? Do you set goals and also rewards then those goals are met? You can bet I do!

For now, I do base my rewards on the scale. To improve my health, I need to lose weight. However, when I get to a place of weight maintenance, I'll have to find a different measure for goals & rewards.

For 10 pounds lost, my mom treated me to a pedicure. For 20 pounds lost, I bought a new swimsuit. I have now officially reached 30 pounds lost!! My reward is a RoadID shoe pouch (pink, of course!). Now, that may not seem very exciting, but I'm a practical person. I want a reward that is lasting and that will remind me of my accomplishment every time I see it. I decided on the RoadID for safety reasons & for practical reasons.

With the weather turning toward summer-like heat & humidity, I need to run in minimal clothing. A tank & shorts is as minimal as I can get with modesty. But most tanks & shorts do not have a place to stash a key. So I can carry my house key in my shoe pouch & wear clothing that will keep me cool during a run. Every time I run, I will be reminded of how far I've come!

And if you'd like to get a RoadID, they gave me a coupon code to share with my friends. There are lots of styles to choose from, I got the shoe pouch so I could have the ID and a place to stash my key. The coupon code is ThanksHeather5294883 is good for $1 off any RoadID order. It can be used up to 20 times in the next 30 days.

How do you reward yourself for meeting goals?

And here's my weekly recap.

Fitness: I did cardio 6 days out of 7, for a total of 159 minutes. Some of you have asked how I stay so consistent with my workouts; I wrote about that on Friday. I am still working on the 100 Push Up Challenge and FINALLY feel ready to move on to week 3. I am also participating in Alysa's 300 Lunges Challenge. I am definitely seeing results with the added strength training!

Monday - running, 30 minutes
Tuesday - #easactive 2 cardio workout, 20 minutes
Wednesday - running, 28 minutes; push ups & lunges
Thursday - #easactive 2 cardio workout, 22 minutes
Friday - #easactive 2 full body workout, 24 minutes; push ups & lunges
Saturday - running, 35 minutes
Sunday - cardio rest day; pushup and lunges

Nutrition: I did well with my nutrition during the week. The weekend was tougher because of the Easter goodies. We do limit the amount of junk, but don't want to be total scrooges so we do allow some treats. Ladybug and I made Easter candy to share with her friends (a tradition from my growing up years), but we did enjoy a few treats too.

So I'll be focusing intently on my nutrition plan and keeping portions under control, in addition to lots of fruits and veggies!  Here's our healthy menu plan for the week.

The Scale: Woot! Down 1 lb this week for a total of 30 lbs in 16 months!

Blogging Carnival: Mamavation.com is this week's blogging carnival sponsor. The weekly question is Who is your world deserves a "shout out" this week for pushing you to better yourself? What did they do?

Oh, where do I start? There are so many people who inspire me! My husband - he noticed my MamaGuns this week, which inspires me to keep doing those push ups. Tracy, Lisa, Amy, Carla, Pamela, Stephanie, Janice, Rachel, Erin, Anne & Annie who are always there with an encouraging word. And I know there are so many others who share a word of encouragement and inspiration that keep me going on a daily basis.




I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mamavation Blogging Carnival for a chance to win My Trainer Fitness 100 Calorie+ Workout featuring MizFitOnline from Mamavation.

5 Tips for Making Exercise a Habit

I am not an exercise expert by any means. But after a year and four months of exercising six days a week, I think I can speak on the subject of making exercise a habit.

Experts say that is takes twenty-one days to make a new habit. So, if you want consistent exercise to be your new habit, here are a few tips.


1. Make an exercise schedule. What type of exercise and at what time of day? Then write it on your calendar! If you add to your schedule like a doctor's appointment or a hair cut, you will be more likely to stick to it!

2. Have all your workout clothes and equipment ready. Since I exercise first thing in the morning, I make sure my workout clothes are laid out the night before so it takes minimal effort to put them on. Sleep in your workout bra if necessary!

3. Share your exercise goal with someone. It can be your spouse, a friend, or on a social network. Sharing will help you stay accountable.

4. Set a reward for yourself. Whether your goal is weight loss or to get ready for swimsuit season, set a reward when you achieve that goal. For weight loss, I reward myself (a non-food reward!) for every ten pounds I lose.

5. Track your progress. Use can use pen and paper or an online resource. It will be a great motivator to look back over four or six weeks of exercise and see that you are improving. Track pace per mile, number of repetitions, etc.


Any other tips to share?

Good luck making exercise a habit!

How Do You Measure Success?

Do you measure the success of a "diet" by the scale alone? If so, you are missing a lot of other victories that can be celebrated along the journey to healthy living. While the scale didn't show me much love this week, I had several "awesome entree" (instead of awesome-sauce, thanks, Steph!) moments to share. If I was focusing solely on the number on the scale, I would have missed out.

First success: running. One of my goals for 2011 (there I go, talking about goals again!) is to run a 12:00 mile. I started the year with a 14:30-15:00 mile pace. My average pace at the 5k on April 9th was 13:36, and I am consistently running between a 13:45-14:15 mile pace. A big success to celebrate!

Second success: new clothes! I got new (smaller!) clothes for Christmas and have found more (smaller!) clothes at Goodwill. I feel GREAT when I wear these new (smaller!) clothes. And my older clothes are looking baggy and frumpy. Another success!

Third success: checking my measurements. I re-check my measurements every six weeks. This is another great way to measure success. My waist is down 1/2 inch, and my thighs are down 1.5 inches EACH! Thank you, squats & lunges!

So, I had a lot to celebrate this past week!

Fitness: I did cardio 6 days out of 7, for a total of 207 minutes. I'm still working on the push up challenge, and I started the 300 Lunge Challenge, although didn't get to 300 this week. I did have a few mornings this week when I had a case of the "I don't wannas" & that made it tough to get out of bed to workout. But I put the big girl panties on and just did it!

Monday - running, 30 minutes
Tuesday - #easactive 2 cardio workout, 20 minutes; push ups
Wednesday - running, 30 minutes
Thursday - #easactive 2 full body workout, 17 minutes, power walking, 23 minutes; lunges & push ups
Friday - exercise bike, 45 minutes
Saturday - running, 42 minutes
Sunday - rest day

Nutrition: I'll admit, it was a tough week fighting the PMS (pre-, present-, post-) cravings. I focused on my fruits & veggies, and that always gets me through a tough day. I am continually amazed at the amount of protein that I get on a daily basis. Much more with my professional nutrition plan than when I was doing things on my own. I love it!

My resolve will be much stronger this week with the lack of hormonal imbalance. My will power is always tested during that time of the month. Plus I slacked off a bit in keeping my food journal. But this week WILL BE better!  Here's our healthy menu plan for this week.

The Scale: As mentioned, it was a hormonal week. As of Monday morning, I am back down to my pre-PMS weight. But I'm so glad I have ways other than the scale to measure my success. I know I'm staying on track, some weeks are definitely easier than others, but overall, I know I'm doing the right things.

Meeting Goals

Where I do start? This was a great week! One of my goals for 2011 is to be able to run at a 12:00min/mile pace - I am halfway to that goal! I know that increased pace will come as I lose more weight, but I have also been strengthening my legs with the squat challenge, which I finished this past week. Looking at the goal list and marking them as "done" is a great feeling!

Fitness: I did cardio 6 days out of 7, for a total of 225 minutes. I finished the 200 Squat Challenge by doing 200 consecutive squats. I was going to start working on lunges this week, but put it off due to a killer #easactive 2 workout on Thursday. I was exploring some of the options on the #easactive 2, and I noticed that there was a "low impact" workout. I thought that would be great, since I had a 5k on Saturday. Although that "low impact" workout did not having any jumps or running, it had a bazillion lunges and squats, and by the end of the workout, my grumpy right knee was barking at me. Uh-oh. I also pulled something in my right glute.I was extremely sore on Friday, but wanted to keep moving to work out the soreness.

By Saturday, all was well with my knee and my glute, and I ran my third 5k race with stellar results! You've got to read my recap - don't want to spoil the ending!

So this week I will take it easy, but continue with the push up challenge and start on the lunge challenge.

Monday - running, 30 minutes
Tuesday - #easactive 2 cardio workout, 18 minutes; squats and push ups
Wednesday - running, 30 minutes
Thursday - #easactive 2 low impact workout, 35 minutes; pilates core work, push ups
Friday - yoga, 40 minutes, walking 30 minutes
Saturday - ran my 5k, 42 minutes
Sunday - a well deserved rest day!

Nutrition: I really tried to stay focused on my nutrition plan this week. I struggled a bit, but gave myself a little slack. Nothing huge, a few days with an extra carb serving. And Saturday, I ate extra carbs to replenish after my race, mainly in the form of bananas. I do need to look into electrolyte replacement after my runs, especially now that the weather is warming up.

Here's our healthy menu plan for this week. I'm very excited that my small container garden is producing lots of great salad greens right now, so it won't be any problem having a salad every day!

The Scale: I think the monthly bloat is starting to settle in; I'm up .4 lbs this week. I'll keep a careful watch on portions, carbs & water this week to help with that. Not that carbs are bad, but I know they are my weakness and tend to reach for them instead of fruits and veggies.

Blogging Carnival: This week's Mamavation blogging carnival is sponsored by Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn. Our question of the week is: How would you like to alter your family's nutrition and eating habits? Do you have a plan for this?

One of my main concerns right now is helping Ladybug (almost 4 years old!) make good nutritional choices. She has been in a picky phase and not really interested in eating many vegetables. She is coming out of that, and we have a rule that she has to try two bites of everything on her plate. If she doesn't like it, she doesn't have to eat more. We continually offer different veggies so that she get used to seeing them and know they are an expected part of meals. This past week she ate a whole serving of steamed carrots without whining at all - yay!

Thank you all for your continued encouragement and support, especially with Saturday's race. Y'all are the BEST cheerleaders!!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the Mamavation Blogging Carnival for a chance to win an Orville Redenbacher’s Very Important Blogger Gift Basket.

SOS Autism Clinic 5k Race Recap

A year ago, I had barely started this running thing. Today, I ran my third 5k race. What a great day!

I woke up at my usual time around 5:30. I had been having a dream about running (of course). I didn't need to leave the house until about 7:30, so I wasn't in a rush. The race started at 9:00.

After talking with Hubby for a little while, and a few extra snuggles with Ladybug (almost 4 years old), I fixed breakfast. I had oatmeal with ground flax meal, peanut butter and half a banana, plus two eggs for protein. After the fact, I wondered if this was too much. I usually run before I eat, so pre-race breakfast is still an experiment. I also had a cup of coffee, since I've been reading about the benefits of coffee 60-90 minutes before a run.

Hubby and LB weren't able to come cheer me on for this race because of a super-packed Saturday, but my wonderful Mom-in-law volunteers with this charity and was going to be my cheering section for the day. Once I got to the race site and picked up my bib and timing chip, I chatted with her until race time.

I did find a porta-potty before checking in, and about fifteen minutes before the race, I wondered if I should make the trek back to completely empty my bladder. Hindsight is 20/20, they say. I should have made that second porta-potty visit.

The race started at the stroke of 9:00. It was a much smaller crowd than the previous two races, but I had to do a lot of weaving in and out of people, passing, trying not to get run over by a jogging stroller. I knew I was going too fast. My breathing was ragged, I knew I wasn't finding the right pace. At the one mile marker, I looked at the GPS on my phone. Thirteen minutes flat. Way to fast for me!

I started to give myself a few walk breaks. On the second break, I felt my bladder rebelling. I had already passed the porta-potties and started wondering where the trees were. The course was flat and wound around the lake at the park. During mile 2, the course turned up a street adjacent to the park with trees on the opposite side of the road.

There were baseball fields on my left and the street on my right. Then, I saw a pond with a culvert between two of the fields. It was lower than street level. I went for it. Not many runners or walkers around, and there was a break in the car traffic. Yes, I dropped trou, squatted, and peed. It had to be done!

After the bladder was relieved, I was able to continue the walk/run pattern, grabbed some water at the water station just past the 2 mile marker. The sun, which was behind the clouds when the race began, was now shining brightly. It was between 65 and 70 degrees, which to me was HOT! I'm used to running pre-dawn, not in the bright sun. It was getting tough.

There were volunteers all along the course to make sure everyone stayed on the course. Most of them cheered as runners went by. That was so helpful! I checked my GPS at 2.8 miles, and I saw that my goal of finishing under 43 minutes was still within reach, so I gathered all the strength I had left and ran the final .3.

I could see my Mom-in-law just before the finish line. I crossed the timing pad and noticed the clock said 43:something. I reached over to stop my GPS a few steps later. Since I started behind the start line, my GPS read 3.25 miles with a pace of 13:30. I was amazed!!  That is FAST for me. Even with the walk breaks and the heat, I was able to keep a good overall pace and I was pleased.

My official chip time was 42:13 - a Personal Record (my previous finishes were in the 46-47 range).

Lessons learned:

1. Make sure the bladder is COMPLETELY empty before a race!
2. Research electrolyte replacement. I had a headache by mid-afternoon even though I was hydrated.
3. Get some racing tanks/singlets. Have I mentioned that it was HOT today?

On Being Stretched

Picture an ordinary rubber band sitting on the table in front of you. Nothing special about it. Sitting there as an amorphous blob. But that simple rubber band is capable of great things when stretched.

I've been feeling a bit like a rubber band lately. Some stretching beyond my comfort zone. Some stretching to include more things into the family schedule.  Some of it comfortable stretching. Some of it not.

But just like the rubber band, sometimes we do our best work when stretched. Sometimes we are more useful when asked to perform outside our comfort zone.

The key is learning to stretch while being useful without stretching to the point of breaking. A broken rubber can no longer perform in any way. It is useless.

How do we stretch without overstretching? For me, the answer includes prayer, time to slow down, time with family.

Unfortunately, with busy family schedules, there isn't always blocks of time for that. I'm learning to snatch those moments on the fly.

Yesterday, it was ten minutes to sit on the back porch and eat a snack while reading a few pages of a book. But sometimes, ten minutes is all it takes for this rubber band to feel "normal" and useful again. I was able to breathe, soak in the sun, gather myself.

Do you feel stretched? Is it becoming painful? How do you take time to recover from the stretching so that you can continue?

In Which I Make Up a New Word

It was a pretty good week! Nothing stellar to report, just lots of "back-on-trackness," which is always good.

Fitness: I did cardio 6 days out of 7, for a total of 183 minutes. I finished week 2 of the 100 Push Up Challange, but I think I'm going to repeat week 2 because my form isn't the greatest, and I don't feel confident moving on to more reps per set. I also tweaked my left wrist a little, doesn't hurt to do push ups, but it can be a little tender. So I don't want to push through and injure myself.

I finished week 6 of the 200 Squat Challenge, so all I have to do this week is complete the final test. Can I really do 200 squats in a row?  I think so! Once I finish that, I am planning to tackle Alysa's lunge challenge. And I have a 5k on Saturday! Definitely a reason to continue the back-on-trackness.

Monday: running, 30 minutes
Tuesday: #easactive 2 cardio workout, 28 minutes; squats and push ups
Wednesday: running, 36 minutes
Thursday: #easactive 2 cardio workout, 23 minutes; squats and push ups
Friday: #easactive 2 full body workout, 24 minutes
Saturday: running, 42 minutes
Sunday: cardio rest day; squats and push ups

Nutrition: Full of back-on-trackness! I was very disciplined all week. It's not that I indulged too much last week, but I wasn't getting enough servings of fruits and veggies. It makes a HUGE difference for me when I fill myself with fresh produce!

My garden is producing fresh greens, so I will be enjoying those this week. Here's our healthy menu plan for the week.

The Scale: Back-on-trackness paid off! I'm down 1.8 lbs this week, a total of 29 lbs in 15 months! Very pleased. :-)

Don't miss the Mamavation Twitter party tonight! Two new Mamavation Moms will be crowned and will start their 7 week virtual bootcamp.

Meet Mia Cupcake

Today, I'd like to introduce you another wonderful finalist for Mamavation Mom Campaign 8. She is also very deserving of your votes. If you haven't cast your vote yet (once per computer), please consider both Andrea and Mia Cupcake.



Hi, my name is Libby...but on the internet (and in my "roller derby life") I am known as Mia Cupcake. I had my fiancé ask me a few questions because I am notorious for talking too much and getting totally off track :)

1. Tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, I am a mom to two fantastic kids; "Short Stack" is 11 and so smart, he's already doing homework far beyond my capabilities, and "Chuck" is 17 months and has learned that you can open the cabinets in the kitchen to create stairs so you can climb onto the counter. They're giving me grey hair, but I honestly
wouldn't have it any other way.

I am engaged to an extremely patient, uber supportive man who happens to be a world-class chef and an amazing video game player. Everything he attempts, he succeeds in mastering. It makes me a WEE bit jealous sometimes, but it's really fun to watch.

I love to bake. I love my roller derby people. I'm starting to REALLY enjoy exercise, despite the soreness in some mornings. I enjoy my job (I am a massage therapist), and I love my friends. I am loud sometimes, faithful always and fierce when I choose to be.

I am definitely cut from a different cloth than most.

2. Mamavation? Why?

I like people. A lot. I like to help them out even more. (Hence the reason I chose to become a massage therapist.) I think it honestly takes a village to raise a child....and I love it when people can gather in a group that's non-judgemental and solve problems. Mamavation is a stellar example of a problem-solving, non-judging group of women who are just there to help each other create and maintain a healthy lifestyle for them and their families.

Why wouldn't I want to be a part of that?

3. What in the world is roller derby, and why are you involved?

Here is a great explanation (and totally safe-for-work video) on how roller derby is played.The team I am involved with (as a non-skating official at this time) is the Bellingham Roller Betties.

I first got involved with roller derby when I lived in Seattle and was going through a really rough time in my life. I needed to be around women who could stand on their own two feet and be their own awesome selves, and someone at work mentioned I should check this "roller derby thing" out. So I did.

And I've only left once, for a "9 month injury" (when I was on bedrest when pregnant with my daughter).

The people are amazing. The group dynamic is (mostly) really positive...and the negative usually is weeded out quickly. It is another fantastic example (like Mamavation) of a group of women who can come together to build something amazing, rather than tear each other down. I've tried to quit three times. And I always feel like something is missing in my life when I do.

4.  Why did you choose Mia Cupcake as your roller derby name/online persona?

I used to be very self-punishing. VERY. I had an eating disorder for several years, and would bake endless amounts of cupcakes and NEVER EAT THEM. I still don't eat what I bake most of the time.

I was bringing yet ANOTHER load of cupcakes to a roller derby event and someone asked how I could have all of those baked goods and not eat any. I tapped my fist on my chest and said "Mea culpa, mea culpa."

Someone laughed and said "No, Mea CUPCAKE." And a "derby name" was born.

The reason it's my online alias? It was just easy. People I met at tournaments were searching for me under that name anyway...seemed a natural progression.

5.  What do you consider your biggest strength?

I am becoming extremely self-aware. I used to just ignore my shortcomings and treat a lot of my strengths as weaknesses...now I am realizing that I can use my weaknesses to my advantage and that being loud isn't bad. Being different isn't bad.

People don't like me? That's ok, because *I* like me. And my family likes me. And I'm ok if people don't find me amusing....everyone is entitled to their own opinion. I try not to dwell.

6. What is your biggest weakness?

I'm stubborn. I am super mondo bull-headedly stubborn. I decide I'm going to do something, and heaven help you if you try to stop me. In some instances, I'm like Charlie Sheen and I have one speed.....GO. (BTW, I think that man needs help.)

But like I mentioned above, weaknesses are only such if you allow them to be. Being mega stubborn has helped me quit smoking (without the use of cessation aids like gum or patches), has allowed me to quit drinking soda altogether, has helped me through workouts where I thought I was going to puke (and some where I actually DID puke) and has helped me start to turn my own health around.

So I guess my biggest weakness has also come to help :)

7. Why do you think you'd be the best choice for Mamavation Mom?

I honestly think that I would be a fabulous choice for Mamavation Mom because I am funny, I am determined, I am pretty inspiring.

I have already convinced the future in-laws (who we live with) and my fiance to get rid of the junk food in our house, and they quit smoking yesterday. Considering that they've been eating SO MUCH fast food and smoking for so long, I am incredibly proud of them for making this decision on their own (with only
the occasional mention from me!).

I would bring a whole new dynamic to Mamavation, and would even share some roller derby workouts. I have a chef in my house, so I would share recipes that he's been working on.

I am slowly working my way into being a more fit and more healthy person, and I want to show people that you can do it, no matter who you are. You just need to take small steps before you can run.

I am always one to tell people that if I can do it, you can do it too. And losing 18 pounds in 6 weeks is just the beginning for me :)

Please cast your vote for me as the next Mamavation Mom here and then enter the giveaway on my blog "Bruises in the Frosting." Thanks for reading!