One Thanksgiving Down ..... two to go!?

Yep, you read right... a total of three Thanksgivings. This is what happens when all your relatives live in the same city. Finally, last year my Mom stepped up to the plate and said, "Next year I'm not doing Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving Day." We all gasped and then felt a little relieved! At lest I know I did, can't talk for my brothers or sister. So, my Mom held her Thanksgiving this last Sunday... and it was GREAT! We didn't have to rush, everybody just hung out and the kids played. Peter even took a cat nap :) Here is a little look at all the fun we had. Enjoy-


This is little Heath ... or rather her eye. She is not really little due to the fact that she's got 5 inches on me, but it makes me feel good to call here "little" since she is my little sister- Here is my eldest brother, Bill, I've blogged about him once before. He is married to a beautiful Lady named Jennifer. I love having her as my sister-in-law we can chit chat about anything :) and he took all of the tall genes. Bill stands about 6'3" tall... yea- that is just NOT fair if you ask me.


This is my second eldest brother, Karl! He has a heart of Gold, both of my brothers do, but he has a true caring spirit. Karl put out a film, which you can rent it at Blockbusters, Hollywood Video, and I think you can even get it on Nex Flicks... The name of the Film is call Bit Parts



This is my mom carving the Turkey. It came out very nicely. :)





Here are the little MONSTERS... just when you think you have a quite house... the garage Band comes in FULL Attack! They were really going at it. (sorry not a great picture of Noah... lol )




And of course, this is what Big Cousins are for- Setting up T-ball. Noah, like to make up rules as the game goes on... he will tell you where to stand, how to stand, and where to go next.... and if he figures that something doesn't work to his advantage, he will say, "wait, wait, wait, let me start over. You ...."




Here is the "gang"! as my mom calls us. I guess all we are missing is our spray cans-starting from the bottom left to right: Me, my mom, BJ, Karl. Behind me is Peter and behind Karl is Heather. Up top covering my brother's face is Noah and Ethan, and next to them is the baby, Owen, and my sister-in-law, Jen.



Uncle Billy, and Noah, who took my camera without me knowing and took a picture.. LOVE IT:)



This would be eating the pumpkin pie I baked... and yes, I had two pieces... but fyi- I always eat two pieces, with or without being pregnant.



Little Ethan, being the fun 3 year old that he is... He always says to me when I come over to their house, " Tante Heidi, where's Noah? the next question is, " where's Uncle Pete." I reply, and then say, "you better give me kiss.... then he softly comes to me and plants on my lips. God, I love this Kid!

It was wonderful. For the most part my family is every close to one another. It must of come from all the moving around we did as kids. We kinda have a "pack" closeness. As my mom says, "why would I move away from my kids, if they didn't move away from me-"
Next up Peter's Mom's house Thursday!

Sciatic..... NERVE!

anybody who has had any experience with this big bother raise your hand and say "I"! "I" that was me saying I. I've talked some about the SI joint... if you missed that blog look over to your left <-------- and scroll though and you will find SI joint, click on that and in that blog you an idea of where the SI joint is in your body. Here is a picture of where "middle" point is for the Sciatic nerve. The Sacrum.

Going with that we have a nerve that runs through this joint, which we call Sciatica. It is the longest and largest nerve in our body measuring the thickness of our thumb at it's largest point... that is NO JOKE- It starts at about L4-5 (lumbar area) to the top of the S1-2 (sacrum).

The cause of pain can come from this like a disc herniation, any type of irritation of it or inflammation of the nerve (aka nerve compression).

Typically, you find your self in pain from the low back all the way to you feet (or rather foot). You can experience burning, numbness, tingling or just straight up electric shock. It makes things like walking, bending at the waist, twisting... just plain moving difficult. Lying down is your best bet till things start to settle down. Then go to your nearest Chiropractor.

From my experience, it was the most horrible pain I felt.... and I hate to say worse than giving birth, but I say that only because while giving birth... I was on drugs :) Gotta love the epidurals! My experience went something like this: I was 16 years old, bending over in dance class, stretching my hamstrings... as I was coming up this shock came about and this pain in my butt down to my leg was like a fire shock wave. I tired to walk over to my spot to start dancing, but the pain was unbearable. I ended up on my back with my legs on a chair. My older brother, Bill, had to come pick me up carry me to the car... Carry me up the stairs to the chiropractor's office to get an adjustment. That was the most painful adjustment I have ever had, but thankfully, after about two weeks of adjustments, I was much better. You know what that Chiropractor said to me.....???? He told me if I wanted to continue to dance I better learn how to use my CORE! NO JOKE. I was all quad and butt back then. All through High School and up until I went to UC Irvine, where I had GREAT dance training, I always had this underlying pain from the inflammation. So, it takes a while for the pain and damage a while to go away :( When it was time to graduate it was gone. I believe that with my practice of Pilates, my spine is able to hold in it's right place. My core is supporting it.

The best way to prevent it to happen is by doing major core conditioning... I.E. PILATES. If you have gone through this pain, and have gone to a chiropractor, it's time to do some rehabilitation.... Pilates, with me as a certified Pilates instructor, I can help you with that. :)

On a Personal note-

Finally, after, three long years of living in my house, finally, finally, I started the painting projects. In Feb, 2007 we bought our first home, we were so blessed to buy a BRAN SPANKING NEW townhouse. The first thing I painted was the garage, due to the fact that the studio once lived there, and then Noah's room. He wanted fire engine red.... of course, so I did it. Well, little did I know that fire engine red was going to take like 10 thousand coast of paint, but it did and , sadly, it still needs a boarder.. which, I'm sure will hopefully get done :)~

( I can't believe Noah was 4 in this picture, it was right before his 5th birthday... he is now 6.5)

So, I've had an idea of the kitchen color for about a year now. I saw it in my minds eye every time I was in the kitchen, so with the help from my dear friend Eve we found the perfect color. Peter told me under NO CONDITION was I to paint the kitchen..... he seems to always bring up the red wall.... never mind that the garage looks ok and my studio looks fine lol ;) So, I did as was requested got a painter to come over and paint my wall!!!! oh I have to mention, it was a half way surprise to Peter.

Well, we are both sooo impressed by how Tony did, he did the work all free hand, which is amazing to me. It brings in so such happiness to me when I walk in from either the garage, or coming downstairs from the bedrooms.... It pops and says, "HELLO HEIDI!"

At this moment if I could I would just do everything in the kitchen. So, now Peter is on the band wagon to paint more. Call it nesting, or just sick of white walls, I'm bringing color into my family's life ;)

Yoga VS Pilates

This is a very common question in my field, weather it is people walking off the street or my clients that I have. And it is a great, reasonable and important question. I actually like the question. The question however; shouldn't be which one is better, or which one should I do. I think those are very personal questions. I also don't like when hear, "oh I don't like ...." whichever one they are talking about. It like comparing apples to oranges or kick boxing to Zumba. They are all good for you, you just may like one more than the other... and maybe you have had them prepared differently. So, I'm just going to hit the differences about the two, in my view, then try at lest 6 weeks of each and then you decide which you like.
1) BREATH: while both practices use it, they differ from one another greatly. Yoga uses more different types of breath for different types of yoga. I find though, that most of them are using the belly. Pilates, uses it's breath from the lungs inflating and deflating the ribcage, while contacting the Pelvic floor.
2) Focus: yoga brings together mind, body and spirit, to find harmony within the whole body- this in turn brings in mediation that one some level can be healing. Pilates, on the other hand, brings in a consciousness, with every movement you do. Focusing on alignment, breath, and moving your extremities with the emphasis on your core. I would say that the focus for both of these are similar, yet while yoga tends to be in quite and low dim light environment, Pilates tends to be in well lighted space with an awaken environment.
3) Classes: Yoga is more class oriented, I am sure and positive they have one on one sessions available, however; I believe that it is most common to find yoga as a class. Pilates, is more individualized. You tend to hear more about a Private, Semi-Private (two people) or Trio ( three people). These are done with the apparatus Joe Pilates designed himself. There are Mat Classes, that work with either classic Pilates exercises, and also the use of props that give you more of a challenge. yes, Yoga uses props too :)
4) Stress: Ask yourself how do I like to handle my stress? Do, you like to get a glass of wine and sit quietly with a good book, or do you like to blow off the steam by cleaning your house or walking? I think this makes the difference of those who like yoga vs. Pilates. Both practices are a workout, and when you are done with either of them you are going to feel less stressed. I would say with Yoga, you are challenged to hold a pose for some time, breathing through these positions. This makes you take your mind off of your stress and focused more on your flexibility and the position at hand. Pilates is not so "hold" focused. Yes, you are holding your pelvic floor, however; you are moving through movement. For the most part, once you start your class, you are in constant movement, till the end.
5) Body Toning: The bottom line is that both practices you are working and toning your body- no doubt about that. Yoga pretty much uses your own body weight, and your own resistance. Pilates, uses that too, however; when doing your session with the apparatus you are getting more resistance than just your own body weight. With Mat Class you are using your own body weight and own resistance, however; you may get a challenge to use a prop to take your mat exercise to the next level.

Pilates and Yoga go every well together. They complement one another every well. I think that those who do the cross over find ways to take their workout to a new level. From gaining flexibility to reach further in your next Pilates move to holding your pose longer and more steady in yoga. I would say though- don't knock one or the other if you've never tried.... they could help your in more ways than one :)

Office Protection!

Flu season has been here for awhile now.... or if you are in my family... pink eye is in season! Either way, it is important to try to stay germ free as much as possible. If you are in an office, you know that not everyone stays home while sick. I am a believer of staying home and taking care of yourself, but sadly not everyone feels the same way. So, continuing on with our topic of office smarts I have some idea's for you to protect yourself against those who bring the germs into the office.

Disinfectant wipes! Keep them at your desk. When thinking about it you are sharing a multitude of germs with your co-workers at your own desk, they say that your keyboard, mouse pad and desktop have a higher bacteria count than the bathroom. The bathroom gets cleaned every night.... your desk?? Only you can answer that question. Once a day wipe everything down with disinfectant wipes and you have a better chance from getting sick from the one co-worker who is still coming in with some illness, that you DON'T want to have ;)

Downward- tilting keyboard. One of things that I hear the most about is wrist pain which turns into numbness cause by carpal tunnel. The best you can do is position your keyboard below your elbow level or a negative slope keyboard. This is one of the best ways to prevent occupational carpal tunnel syndrome. Also, stretch your neck! You may not realize that you are lifting your shoulders up while typing away. Every so often roll your shoulders back, do a some neck stretches and some head rolls. This will help keep everything less tense.

To sit on a Chair or to not sit on a Chair? I personally say don't sit on a chair- Get a ball. Why you may ask. Well, you want your feet flat on the floor, you want your hip flexors relaxed, and it helps with your posture. Your back will be happier and every once and awhile you can hop.... bonus your are burning calories :) But if you think people will look at your weird or laughed at or whatever your insecurity may be..... you can always just get an adjustable chair and a footrest for your feet. A 65 cm. ball is the size you want if you are between the height of 5'6 and 6'0.

Get off your Butt! It amazes me how many times I hear, "I didn't move from my desk at all today." or " The only time I got up today was to eat lunch." People please your poor little hip flexors are being tortured! Your joints are screaming, your circulation is crying!!! and your muscles are slowly dying. ... no no wait stay like that... more for me to fix ;) The best thing you can do for yourself is GET UP!!! set a timer, or an alarm on your phone that will go off every half hour ( the best) to an hour. Walk around or stretch. Here are some great stretches to do.

Make sure you do BOTH sides. Sitting up straight, feeling even in your sitz bones 1) take one ear to your shoulder ( not shoulder to ear) feel heavy in your elbows. Hold for more than 30 Sec.

2) take your nose and move it towards your armpit, roll the opposite shoulder back. Again hold for more than 30 Sec.
Take a BIG stretch back. opening everything to ceiling, exhale everything out to release all tension.

Take your body forward and hang there like a rag doll, breath deeply into your back.

A screen for you screen. You would never go to the beach and lay out with no sunglasses or sunscreen... well you shouldn't do it to your eyes at work. The glare is making your eyes work so much harder than they have to. This can lead to eye strain with the result to eye glasses and headaches. Best thing to do for your relationship with your screen is to have dim lights overhead, a lamp that will brighten only your documents and put an anti-glare filter over your monitor.






Do you need a hand? stop looking down on your documents and no that is not a neck exercise when turning your head to the side and down.... that's a neck ache! Please go out and get yourself a document holder... you deserve it! If you are using larger documents, you can use a book stand... like those ones for cook books :)

Air Quality control! Now, I've only worked in an office once in my life, and found that the recycled air was NOT good for my sinus'. Had I looked up this every important information I wouldn't have had all of the issues I had while working between four walls. Get a desktop humidifier. Imagine that! It seems to simple that even a ..... ok bad joke, but here the thing- add a couple drops of lavender oil to the water, this will help calm your nerves... and everything will smell pretty- Eyes dry? get some artificial tears for a quick relief.

CANDY CANDY CANDY..... STOP!

Oh I know, now you have this leftover.... or big bowl that your kid just brought home and you are thinking..... why does turning the other cheek on sweets so hard! Well, my best advise is DO NOT take it to work, if that is where you are most of the time. If you are home all day, put it away that would take effort to get to it. Not saying you can't have any of it, you just want to use that evil little word.. LIMIT ....yourself.

So today's topic is Eating at work. Your goal is to try to keep your energy up and your Calorie count down. It is best for your metabolism to eat every 2- 3 hours. So, after your breakfast, you need a boost. What is the best energy booster out there? PROTEIN... Mixed nuts are one of the best natural pick-me-upper. ( no, not peanut M&M's... but good try) It is tempting to reach for another cup of Joe, or go to that co-workers desk that always has the candy just sitting there... BUT before you do either of those... be aware you will be a downer (with your energy) within a half hour to an hour. Keep a can of mix nuts on your desk- Protein helps gets your blood sugar up and you will feel satisfied till lunch. Don't like nuts? or think you may just get bored of them? Have couple slices of cheese or spoonful of peanut butter on half of a bagel will get do the trick too. Still need idea's? Here is a list!

Ok, so, your sweet tooth is like nobody else's and YOU HAVE to have the sweets. I'm not saying to turn your back on them, I'm just saying limit. Try to stay within the sweet budget of 100 calories. You do deserve that and you can go walk that off with a 30 min. walk :) (always thinking for you)

Raise your hand if you go out to lunch.... lol I hope you did raise your hand ... think anybody saw your hand up in the air? Well, let me tell you the hard truth about going out to eat, breakfast, lunch or dinner for that matter... you are eating WAY TOO MANY CALORIES. What's the solution to all that wonderful food? Take half of it home, or share your meal. Next time you are eating a meal at home, take a look at how much your serve yourself, look at your plate, and also look to see if you left anything on your plate or served yourself another helping. Now, next time you go out to eat, do the same observation and see if you see a difference. .... No, no you don't have to come back to me and say ...wow Heidi you were right!

Last thing that will separate you from the big peeps. Get a mini- frig. ok well, maybe they have one too, but the what's different about yours to theirs??? WHAT YOU HAVE IN IT. Keep things like carrot sticks, yogurt, slices of cheese, WATER.... any healthy snack you like and can think of. It will keep you away from the candy desk, the vending machine, the coffee maker and any other bad food choices that are out there just ready to TEMP you at any given moment.

Remember, only you have the power to control what you put in your month and in what ways you are going to burn it off.

Halloween!

Noah has the best imagination I've ever known. He's one of those kids that gets lost in his own world... I love listening to him and watching him go some place that you nor I can see or go, unless invited. He always has to have his closet door closed when he goes to bed, due to the monsters that are hiding out in there. I love is kid! So, you can guess what Halloween is like for him... IT'S ALL REAL! Peter and I asked him what he wanted to be this year- his reply.... a neja, the same as last, why??? Cause he did want to have to go into the Halloween store to see or hear the scary stuff.... (side track story, at target the beginning of this month, he made himself sick from the scary witch laugh.... he had to go on the opposite end till I was done lol.)

On Friday his class went to a pumpkin patch, the night before I said to him, "oh you get to pick out a pumpkin tomorrow! How exciting." He sweetly responded with, " I do!? And I can get a small one for the baby." At that point my heart melted and I had to rearrange that with his teacher. Friday night we get home from our LAST football practice, and it was time to carve the pumpkin, I asked," so what do you want carved in your pumpkin.... a face.... BOO....???" His reply, " I want.... 'I love mommy, baby, and daddy.' " I was like "HOLD up honey that pumpkin is not big enough for all of that .... so how about I love my family." Thankfully I got a ok.

On Halloween night, we went over to some friends who's son is the same age as Noah. These two boys have so much fun together. So, it was awesome to go out trick or treating together!

Needless to say, he enjoyed his night out in the neighborhood.