Harvest "the act or process of gathering in a crop"

Pop on over to Faith Hope & a whole lotta Love to share in Wordless Wednesday xx

This week I am grateful for.... a healthy living challenge

Earlier this week, I blogged about an exciting offer from Soup Marketing to take part in a new program hosted by the Heart Foundation. Mums United is encouraging Mums across Australia to unite in their quest to raise a healthy, active family. This project couldn't have come at a better time and for that I am very grateful! I have been ummmming and aaaaaahing for months now about returning to a healthier and happier lifestyle. With a burgeouning business and two little cherubs I just haven't been able to set a date and commit. Oh how simple in form motivation can sometimes be!

When my Soup pack arrived I excitedly set a number of healthy living challenges for myself and my family for the month of November. Starting with me, and my dream for months now: getting off the couch and into running 5kms. The C25K program is very simple in premise, and amazingly simple in execution. Start with 20 minutes, three times a week and alternate 60 seconds of running with 90 seconds of walking. The program follows the concept of interval training and promises to have you running 5 km in just nine weeks. 

If you're like me and feel a little allergic to running, I guarantee you will be surprised! I downloaded the C25K iPhone app (there's many, I chose the one from Bluefin software) and it gives me handy prompts while pumping out my favourite tunes. Early Monday morning I pulled on my trusty joggers and set out for my first run in........ erm five years....? By Wednesday I was already addicted to the rush of early morning exercise. Ahhhhh adrenalin, how I have missed thee! Week 2 of C25K is much the same as Week 1 and I'm secretly hoping that this fresh burst of exercise will help me in my ultimate goal of shedding some unwanted kilos just in time for summer.

I hope you too are having a week to be grateful for. Why not pop on over to Maxabella Loves and share in the fun xx

Wordless Wednesday: grey skies are gonna clear up!

Pop on over to Faith, Hope and a whole lotta Love to join in the delight of Wordless Wednesday xx

Mums United and a healthy heart challenge

Life, in the most part, has been overtaken lately with a flurry of fabric, needles and thread. Miss Goodie Two Shoes has been a life changing and exciting challenge, but as my business has evolved my healthy living has been the first to drop off the list. Gone are my early morning walks and weekly sessions at the gym, to be replaced with bleary eyes, a strong coffee and evenings spent sewing arms and legs. Healthy lunches for the family have been slowly replaced with muesli bars, peanut butter sandwiches and arrowroot biscuits... beans and spaghetti have featured on the dinner menu more often then I would like to admit. With the weather warming I have been promising myself a return to healthy eating and daily exercise, but where is the motivation and enthusiasm when bedtime is rarely before 1am?

Then came a very exciting offer from Soup Marketing to take part in an exciting new challenge hosted by the Heart Foundation. Mums United is encouraging Mums across Australia to unite in their quest to raise a healthy, active family. Through my project with Soup I have been asked to set some healthy living challenges and to report on my progress, the perfect opportunity to remain motivated! We got off on a good start today, replacing our usual sugar laden morning tea with some sliced fruit and these delicious raspberry muffins from the Heart Foundation website.

Raspberry Muffins

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup caster sugar

1/2 cup blueberries

60g (1/4 cup) margarine spread, extra

1 cup (250mL) reduced fat milk

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla essence 

Directions 

1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line a 12-cup non-stick muffin tin with muffin cases.

2. Sift flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a bowl. Mix in sugar and blueberries. In another bowl, combine margarine, milk, egg and vanilla. Mix the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until just combined, using no more than 16 strokes. Spoon mixture into prepared tin. 

3. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out cleanly. 

I hope you too are having a healthy start to the week. Be sure to keep an eye on my blog for details of how you can join me in Mums United, and be in with a chance to win $350 in Myer giftcards thanks to Soup!

Life in the country

Grey skies in November and the thunderous roar of a lightning storm  aren't something to celebrate when you live on a farm, but there is something about the magical landscape. Golden crops against the blackest of skies, pitter pattering of rain and that delightful smell of wet gravel roads.

Harvest will be upon us all too soon, for now I am drinking in the peace, quiet and tranquility.