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Fall into Fitness {Fitness in the Fall}

By Lisa Mullis

The morning air is crisp and cool, the leaves are showing their true colors, and the search for gloves lost in the land of mismatched winter gear has begun. Morning coffee tastes a little sweeter and I, for one, am tempted to stay in bed just a little while longer instead of putting on the extra layer of clothes necessary to exercise outdoors. Instead I look forward to the warmth of the afternoon sun when light dances in the lingering leaves and the ones that have already fallen to the ground crunch beneath my feet. Autumn is the perfect time for hiking.

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There is no shortage of beautiful trails to hike in Arkansas. Short and long, easy and difficult, scenic and secluded, the Natural State has it all. Hiking is a great way to stay fit or to continue working on your fitness level during the cooler months. It is accessible to most fitness levels from easy strolls while taking in the surroundings to speed hiking as quickly as possible and even hiking while wearing a weighted vest or full backpack to increase the intensity. Trails can be found within urban neighborhoods or city parks. Find a trail in an Arkansas State Park. A state park is a great place to start hiking since many parks offer guided hikes that will entertain and educate. Fall is the perfect time for multi-day backpacking trips too. The weather is typically warm during the day with cold nights that make a night time fire not just enjoyable, but necessary.

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We are lucky to have several trails that are long enough to spend days hiking out and back. There is always the option of leaving one car at the far end of the section of trail you want to hike and driving another back to your starting point, or hiring a shuttle to drop you at the start with your vehicle waiting at the end. Check the websites for the Ouachita National Forest, the Buffalo National River, or the Ozark Highlands.One of our family favorites is the Eagle Rock Loop near Glenwood in the Ouachita National Forest. Many hikers enjoy a few hours in the scenic Winding Stairs section of the loop without hiking the entire twenty seven miles of trail.

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Hiking is great for the whole family. It is an avenue for teaching children about nature, to instill an appreciation for the conservation of natural areas, and to practice good outdoor ethics like Leave No Trace. For families with young children, there are many types of carriers made for hiking. Carrying little one is a great way to get a good workout in for yourself and get the little ones outside. If you find that the young ones aren’t as enamored by the changing leaves as you are, give them a job. Geocaching is hiking with a goal, find the cache, perhaps be able to leave and take a little treasure trinket, or complete a series of cache finds like the Arkansas State Park Geocache Challenge. Kids love to use technology and geocaching will get them using technology outside the house.

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One of the reasons I love hiking in the autumn and winter months is the views. The lushness of our Arkansas summers can sometimes hinder the view. We have a family tradition for hiking during the holidays. Thanksgiving and Christmas Day become as much about which trail were are going to hike as what the menu for dinner is. We love to sit and watch the sunsets together.

Take advantage of the cooler weather to get outside and make a few trail memories of your own.

I’m a wife and mom. I’m a microbiologist. I’m a mountain biker, hiker, backpacker, sometime runner, and workout enthusiast all while being addicted to good food. I write about it at http://freneticfitness.wordpress.com. I also write for Arkansas Outside, a site dedicated to people who love to play outside in Arkansas. I’m fueled by pizza, red meat and goat cheese risotto. And sometimes I sleep.

Fall Fitness: 10 Tips for Staying on Track

By Danielle Kloap

Fall can be a tough time to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. There are holidays, parties, gatherings with family and friends and all of that holiday baking to get you off track when it comes to eating healthy and working some exercise into your busy schedule.

This year will be the first year I’m consciously trying to continue eating healthy and sticking to my fitness schedule through the holidays. Most years, by this point, I’ve long forgotten about my New Year’s resolution to lose weight. If you’ve gotten off track, or need some suggestions on how to stay motivated through a busy fall, there’s still time to get back (or stay) on track!

Here are 10 tips for staying on track during the fall:

1. Write down your plans/goals each month. At the beginning of every month, I make time to sit down and either make or re-evaluate my health and fitness goals. Every time I open my planner, I’m reminded of the goals I made for the month.

2. Schedule out your workouts and plan out your meals. I’m obsessed with planning and lists. Organization and planning is a great thing when it comes to staying on track! I write down all of my workouts each week in my planner so I know that it’s scheduled. I also plan out all of my meals for the week. I write down my meals, make a shopping list and I only shop on Sunday afternoon. I try to limit the number of grocery store trips I need so I won’t buy food I shouldn’t be eating.

3. Get an accountability partner. Find someone you trust who will hold you accountable. Make sure your tell this person your health and fitness goals, and be sure to check in with them periodically. Find someone you feel comfortable going to when you need to confess if you’ve gotten off track, reassess your goals and talk to them about how you plan to get back on track. It really helps me to have a workout buddy, someone who holds me accountable for showing up to workouts. Even though I schedule them, sometimes it’s easy to make excuses about how busy I am and use that as a reason not to keep the promises I made to myself about working out.

4. Mix up your workout routine. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut and get bored. Try doing something fun that doesn’t feel like a workout: a Zumba class, yoga, playing a game of football or soccer with a group of friends or another type of exercise class. Motivating myself to get up and go running at the track can be really tough, but when I have something fun to do for exercise, I’m much more likely to do it. If you go to the gym, try getting outside in this beautiful weather! Now that the weather is a lot cooler, it makes taking a walk or going running so much nicer. Plus, there’s pretty scenery like the turning leaves to look at while you work out.

5. Prep all of your meals. Meal prep is a huge part of being successful at staying on track. If you’re going to attend holiday parties or other gatherings where you know you will be tempted by unhealthy food, bring your own! I try to prep all of my meals (I eat five small meals three hours apart) at the beginning of the week, or at least at the beginning of the day, so I know that all of my food is ready to go so I’m not tempted by fast food. Having those meals prepared in advance also helps me stay on track if I know I’ll be somewhere with unhealthy food choices. One of my favorite foods that are easy to take on the go are Quest bars. They have great flavors like Cookies and Cream and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough.

6. Drink more water. Aim to drink half your body weight in ounces each day. It may sound daunting but my favorite trick is to get a Rt. 44 cup of water from Sonic and refill it throughout the day.

7. Start tracking your food and exercise. You could use an app like MyFitnessPal or try a cute tracking book like this one from May Designs. Tracking my calorie intake was very eye-opening for me. I just didn’t realize how many calories I was actually consuming in a day. Grazing all day and snacking can really add up!

8. Find some health and fitness motivation. I follow several social media accounts that provide tons of motivational tips and tricks: Chris Powell, Heidi Powell, Bruce Pitcher, Georgeanna Johnson, ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss and Kate at Finally Alive after 25. Surrounding yourself with positivity, both on the Internet and in real life, makes a huge difference when you’re trying to stay on track and be healthy.

9. Set yourself up for success. When you make your goals, don’t be unrealistic! If you don’t have time to work out for two hours a day, don’t make that a goal for yourself. You’re only setting yourself up for failure. Instead, start with small changes and make realistic goals. Start off with just changing your water habits and change one meal a day to be healthier. Those small changes will add up to be big changes that will be much easier to maintain as a lifestyle change rather than a “diet.” When you start meeting those goals and keeping the promises you make to yourself, that will motivate you to keep going!

10. Learn to fall without failing. You’re going to mess up. It’s inevitable. All of the planning and preparation in the world won’t stop you from going to a Thanksgiving dinner and overindulging, or skipping a workout when you’re tired from a long day, or grabbing fast food because that’s easier than cooking dinner. In the past, I’ve been the queen of the philosophy that if I mess up and eat poorly at lunch, the whole day is shot. Now I’ve learned that it’s okay if I mess up, I can get back up, keep going and get right back on track.

Danielle started blogging at Dani’s Transformation in May 2014 after being selected as a finalist for ABC’s Extreme Weight Loss as a way to hold herself accountable for losing half her body weight at home this year. She hopes to help motivate others and help pay forward the experience she had during EWL casting week. Danielle lives in Monticello with her husband and two fur babies. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram at @danikloap and Twitter at @danikloap.

Miss November – Heather Disarro

Hello dear friends! My name is Heather Disarro, and I’m beyond excited to be the November calendar girl for Arkansas Women Bloggers! First I’m such a fan of this group of bloggers and just feel honored to share bits of my life with you, but also? November is one of my favorite months! I’m a big fan of fall and the changing weather, but I also love how November marks the closeness of holidays that bring loved ones together. It’s filled with thankfulness and, in spite of the fact that we’re entering winter, growth. Heather Disarro_1_Lowres2

My blog is Heather’s Dish, a food-centric life blog where I share bits of life and recipes from our family to yours. I love to talk like we’ve been friends forever, and I don’t mind a little oversharing when it comes to things that I’m learning in life.

I’m from Texas, and super proud of it. Honestly I miss home sometimes. But I also could never have imagined loving our life in Arkansas as much as I do. If I’m going to live anywhere but Texas, Arkansas is it! I’m a wife, a mother, a fur-mommy (it’s a thing), a writer and I love being as active as possible while doing it all.

I would love it if y’all followed along as I share little tidbits of how we stay active as we enter these cooler months that are filled with amazing and waistline-fluffing food. It’s not just about the physical side; there’s the spiritual and relational sides as well. And we’ll cover it all. I can’t wait to get started!

If you’d like to follow along on all the social media things, here you go! Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Bloglovin, and my blog!

10 Fall Guilty Pleasures

Fall has always been my favorite season. When I was a little girl, it was my favorite because I got to celebrate my birthday and Thanksgiving (within a few weeks of each other). As I grew older, I realized that there is something magical about the season- the crisp air, and seeing trees and leaves change colors to where they look like they’re on fire.

Here are my guilty pleasures that I enjoy during the fall, and I hope you try some of these if you haven’t already.

1. Layers

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Even though this picture was taken during the winter, layers are so much fun in the fall too! These days, my go-to outfit has been a long cardigan, dress, scarf, tights, and my favorite boots (you’ll see those later on in this post). Since I just had a baby, I am loving layers because they cover up little areas that I am still insecure about. 😉

2. Fall Drinks

coffee

{My favorite drink of all time, a honey latte from Mylo in Hillcrest. And my huband’s black coffee made it in the picture, too}

I think I have only met 3 people in the world who don’t like a Pumpkin Spice Latte. I’m also a huge fan of Caramel Apple Cider and Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate. Yes, these are calorie-laden drinks. But hey, those extra calories are necessary to keep us warm for the next few months, am I right?! 😉

3. Candy Corn and Peanuts

I had never heard of this little trick before I met my husband, but it tastes just like a Pay Day! We used to ALWAYS have this around our house, until our dog (Luna) ate all of the peanuts out of the bowl and licked the candy corn.

4. Taking the scenic route

fall tree

There’s nothing like listening to relaxing music while you drive on a highway that creates a “tree tunnel”. Extra bonus if the windows are down so you can feel the crisp air.

5. Hiking

I love hiking Petit Jean, and the colors during the fall are absolutely stunning! I haven’t been in a while, but I’m hoping to find the time to go before all of the leaves fall to the ground.

6. Camping out in the living room

My husband and I love moving the guest bed mattress in to our living room and having a movie marathon. We eat popcorn (covered with tons of butter, of course), and bundle up with quilts and pillows and watch movies. It’s even better if we’re using our fireplace and it’s raining outside.

7. Soup, soup, and then some more soup

I don’t think that there is a soup that I don’t like. One of my favorites is Panera’s Autumn Squash Soup (run, don’t walk, to your nearest Panera to try this if you haven’t already). A few other favorites include this Food Network Broccoli Cheddar Soup and Chili Stew. Give these recipes a try and let me know if you like them!

8. Wearing Boots

boots

I am a boot girl… I love the way they look, I love that I don’t have to get a pedicure, and I think that every fall outfit is complete with a fabulous pair of boots.

9. Dark Nail Polish

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I used to be one of those gals who would shy away from dark nail polish out of fear to look too “goth”. It turns out that there is something fabulous about the perfect dark shade. This is OPI’s Russian Navy with a matte top coat.

10. Thanksgiving

There’s nothing like being surrounded by the people you love, delicious food, and football. I am always reminded of how blessed I am around this time of year.

I hope that this post makes you as excited for fall as I am!

Leslyn has been blogging at Leslyn’s Lovely Life for about 3 years, and she calls it her free therapy. She is married to her college sweetheart, DJ, and they just had baby Emmett this summer. Leslyn is a lover of all things social media, and would love to connect with you! Here’s where you can find her:
Instagram/Twitter: @leslynjacks
Pinterest: pinterest.com/leslyn
Facebook: Leslyn’s Lovely Life Blog

Stealing A Little “Me” Time {Guilty Pleasures}

By Rhonda Bramell

Having three small children, it should be no surprise that I have very little free time to do what I want. I come home from work and start working some more; there’s dinner to cook, homework to supervise and bath time for the brood. Once the kids are in bed and the kitchen is clean, then it’s my time. Sure, there are plenty of things that need to be done around the house. But on the occasions that I get to do what I actually want, I retreat to the couch to cuddle up with a blanket and the iPad to catch up on Glee.

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Yes, I admit it. I’m a gleek. It’s true; it’s a real thing! According to Wikipedia, a gleek is a fan of the TV series Glee. In full disclosure, I have not been a fan from the beginning. I tried to watch the very first season with all of its hoopla and was not drawn in. However, I gave it another chance in the second season and was immediately hooked. Maybe it’s because I’m a sucker for musicals, or maybe it’s because I can totally relate to feeling a little nerdy and left out in high school, but I love this show.

If you don’t check out the show for its mean-girl cheerleader fights, or for its message of equality and anti-discrimination, at least watch it for the snarky humor of the kids’ nemesis, Principal Sue Sylvester.

The sixth and final season will air on Fox in January. Truthfully, I’m a little sad that this will be the end for Glee. I’ve had a good time hanging out on my couch with Rachel, Artie, Kurt, Santana, Brittany and the gang. But, just like high school, nothing lasts forever. May we all be so lucky to find a group of friends who stands by us and encourages us through the ups and downs in life.

Rhonda Bramell is a member of Arkansas Women Bloggers. Find her at Bramell, Party of Five, where she writes about a busy life with twins + 1.

The Frosted Coke {Guilty Pleasures}

By Dorothy Johnson, Reflections from Dorothy’s Ridge

I must admit I have several guilty pleasures. There’s eating more Dove Dark Chocolate at one time than prescribed by those wonderful people who declared it heart-healthy. And, of course, that shoe thing.

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However, lately my biggest indulgence involves a childhood treat: The Frosted Coke (aka Coke Float.) I’m not sure what got me started, but this summer, it became my comfort food of choice.

It’s not as if I consume one every day—more like weekly. (Except when we’re at the beach.) I must admit that I looked forward to fixing one to photograph for this post. And once I made it, I couldn’t let it go to waste.

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I don’t really remember the first time I tasted the sweet, fizzy concoction, but it goes way back to when I was growing up in Searcy. We always had Coca-Cola in those little bottles in the fridge and Yarnell’s Vanilla Ice Cream in the freezer. (I know that dates me, but I am a grandmother.)

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These days I drink more iced tea than colas, and when I do indulge, I choose Caffeine Free Diet Pepsi (who knows what’s in it). Consequently, that’s what goes in my Frosted Coke. Edy’s Slow Churned one-half-the-calories ice cream is in my freezer at the moment. It’s not quite as tasty as Yarnell’s, but it’s good enough. Both of those lower calorie substitutions salve my conscience enough to allow me to indulge occasionally.

I feel especially decadent when I enjoy a Frosted Coke while watching my favorite television show, NCIS. Mark Harmon is still a cutie, plus I like the entire cast. They have good chemistry and the writing is good. We record it every week.

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In the past couple of years, Terry and I have watched more NCIS reruns than I care to tell you, which made me especially glad to see the new season roll around. The next thing on my agenda—after I finish this post—is to watch this week’s show.

Maybe I’ll celebrate with a Frosted Coke.

2014 Handmade Holiday Ornament Exchange

Registration is now closed! Partner assignments will be coming soon!

Welcome to year three of the Handmade Holiday Ornament Exchange!

This is your chance to send a little token of the holiday’s to one of your ARWB sisters! And you will get a little something too.

Here’s how it will work!

AWB Handmade Ornament Swap {Secret Santa}

This week we’re inviting you to show off your craftiness and surprise an ARWB pal with a handmade ornament. The ornament need not be fancy or complicated but it must be handmade. It’s just a chance for you to share a little something with a fellow blogger.
Enter your information in the form below before midnight on Friday, October 31st.On Sunday, you will receive an email with the address of your secret pal. You will have until November 30th to mail your ornament to your secret pal. On December 15th, we will provide a Linky so you can link your post about the ornament you received.

If you’re not that crafty, don’t worry. We’ve created a Pinterest board full of handmade ornament ideas! Check it out here.

May I send more than one ornament or something extra to my secret pal?

Only one ornament is required. If you would like to send several you are more than welcome to. If you would like to include any extra little goodies you may, but this is not required! If you do include something extra, please keep the total cost of the box contents below $10.

When should I reveal myself to my partner?

Please let your partner know who you are by including a note in your package.

TRACK YOUR PACKAGE

Two years ago we had one ornament travel all the way to Florida before it made it to its new home only a few towns away from where it originated. We HIGHLY recommend that you track your package!

How do I sign up?

If you wish to participate, please sign up using the form below. Remember, the deadline to sign up is Friday, October 31st.

By filling out the form you agree to the following:

You will make an ornament and send it to your fellow blogger.
You will mail your ornament no later than November 30th.(You can mail it earlier!)
You will not publicly reveal (social media or blog) who you are sending to or whom you received from until December 15th.

If you fail to receive an ornament by December 15th please contact Julie immediately so she can get in touch with your secret pal.

Dog-Gone Crazy {Blogger of the Month}

By Miss October 2014, Deborah Brauser

I believe the world is made up of animal lovers and non-animal lovers. And that first group can be subdivided further by levels of love. My “guilty pleasures” confession this week is that yes, I am one of those crazy-about-my-dog people. But come on, look at those big blue eyes!

1.DakotaEyes

I’ve always loved animals, especially dogs. And I was lucky to have wonderful adventures with some really, really great doggy pals. But Dakota came into my life when both of us were at a low point and really needed each other.

I decided right before I moved to Arkansas that I was finally ready for another large dog after my last one passed away at the wonderfully old age of 17. Believe it or not, I found Dakota in a cute picture posted on a Craigslist forum in Oklahoma while I was still living in Orlando. It was estimated that he was about 2 years old back in 2010, but he’d had a rough life. Previous owners had abandoned or ignored him, and one had even shot him in his hindquarters.

Even worse, his last owner told me she almost gave him to a guy who seemed nice but then let slip that he wanted this sweet pup for dog fighting! That thought still makes me sick to my stomach and I had no problem jumping through several hoops to prove that I would be the one to give this dog, at the time named Kota, a loving forever home.

2.FirstMeeting Our first meeting. I’m keeping him!

But one week after bringing him to my first place in Arkansas, I got the news that he had heartworms. The vet asked: since I’d only just met him, would I want to have him treated? Um, yes. This ball of fur had already stolen my heart! So after lots of vet trips and medications that actually contained arsenic, and spending roughly 45 days on house arrest (actually forced relaxation), he was cured. And we had become a tight team.

Renamed Dakota, my newly healthy dog loved (and still loves) adventures, walks, hikes, long drives, and meeting new people. This included a fun outing last year to Murfreesboro to go digging for diamonds…

3.DiamondSign

And to go wandering through the city’s antique stores.

4.Antiques

Seriously, these shop owners came out to the street and begged us to come in. I was kind of shocked just how pet-friendly these wonderful people were!

So now that Fall is here and the weather’s a little cooler, I’m ready for more animal adventures. I’ve heard that War Eagle Cavern in Rogers and Wegner Crystal Mine in Mt. Ida welcomes well-behaved dogs on leashes, and that there are several pet-friendly lodging options in Eureka Springs. Does anyone have other suggestions for places to go, check out, or stay? We’re all ears! 😉

5.Suitcase Where should we go next??

Chocolate, Chocolate Everywhere

By Miss October 2014, Deborah Brauser

I LOVE that October is “Guilty Pleasures” month for the Arkansas Women Bloggers. And what could qualify as the very top of that list? How about going to a Chocolate Festival?!

bon bons

Since moving to Arkansas 4 years ago, and its River Valley 3 years ago, I’ve been to a LOT of different annual festivals – including the wacky but soooo fun Elvis Haircut Day in Fort Smith.

But most of my favorites have centered around food. I’ve stomped competitively at the Altus Grape Fest, eaten a ton of bacon 2 years in a row at Petit Jean Meats’ Bacon Bowl, watched children chow down on can after can of gooey green stuff at the Alma Spinach Festival, and even tried a small (very small!) bite at the World Champion Squirrel Cook-Off in Bentonville.

But I’m afraid my guiltiest pleasure is chocolate. So I was excited for last week’s Friends of the Fort Smith Public Library Chocolate Festival, which was held at their Dallas branch to help raise funds for special library materials and programs.

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The organizers have nicknamed this yearly event the “Willie Wonka Festival” for good reason. As soon as I walked in, there were chocolates of all types everywhere I looked. Platters of cookies and brownies, jars of candies, elaborately stacked cupcakes, tiny parfait cups, and plates of bon-bons, truffles, cakes, and giant chocolate-dipped marshmallows were lovingly laid out in ways that made me want to dive in head first.

chocolate spiders

And the smell! Really, is there anything better than “Eau de Chocolat”? The set-up was pretty simple. One $7 entry ticket could be traded for 6 food tickets plus a plastic to-go box, and each chocolate sample cost 1 of the food tickets. However, this was the second time I had attended this festival and had learned a few lessons. The biggest was that trying to cut down my choices to just 6 wasn’t going to cut it.

So, my Mom and I bought 2 entry tickets each — for a total of 24 sampling tickets! And then we went to town, filling our first boxes with what we thought were the best options. We then took a break, took bites of a few of our own and each other’s choices, and then went back to fill our second boxes with (for me) repeats of the best or of interesting things I missed the first time around to take home or (for my Mom) samples to take home to my Dad.

samples

Each of the roughly 20 booths/tables was manned by a different local business or organization. In fact, I read that anyone who could provide 200 samples of a chocolate option could have a booth. (Which means I may try to get a client to enter this next year. What a sweet way to hand out tasty goodies along with a company brochure. 🙂

Were any of the samples I tried not great? Yes. One was pretty dry and another was a little too minty. But the others were absolutely divine, with my favorite being the dark chocolate and caramel drizzled popcorn with bacon sprinkles on top. And because all of the proceeds were going to such a nice cause, I didn’t end up feeling all that guilty after all!

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Why yes I am enjoying the chocolate-bacon popcorn!