Fitness, Friends & Food

Going Wild for the "Wildcraft!" Game

2011-01-16T18:26:00.000-08:00

It's amazing the things you can find when you aren't even looking for them. I was researching a web host a while ago for a possible website, and while checking out a list of some of their more successful clients, I found a company called "Learning Herbs." Their name caught my attention. So, I clicked on their link, and found a WONDERFUL website full of free, educational information about medicinal herbs and wildcrafting. Written for people like me, who do not have an extensive background in this area. I completely forgot what I was supposed to be doing, and became immersed in their website. It was very enjoyable.

As I read, I found a wonderful game that they sell, called the "Wildcraft!" game. As I read the description, I knew it was something that our family would enjoy, and would be a terrific way to interest my children in herbs. One of my daughters had recently decided she wanted to learn the art of cake decorating, and though my husband and I appreciated the artistic side of this hobby, we were concerned about the kinds of, um, foods, if you can call them that, that she would want to have on hand to practice her art.

You can't imagine how thrilled I was as the lightbulb went on inside my head, realizing my husband had just asked me to get "something fun" (translation: NOT just books, which are my favorite gift for our children) for our daughter who was about to have a birthday. So I ordered the "Wildcraft!" game right away.

It took just a few days to arrive, and when we opened it and played it, it did not disappoint. The first time we played, my husband, two oldest daughters and I all sat around our dining table and had a blast. When we first told my husband the rules, how it is not a competitive game, but a game where all players are hikers, racing the clock to get to a berry patch and back before sunset, he scoffed in a fun sort of way. I guess it's good that men like to be competitive. What a dull world it would be if men and women were wired just the same.

When we told him that each player, at certain points in the game, picks "trouble" cards, listing an ailment that an herb can help, he thought it was funny that each player would search their own inventory of herb cards, trying to find ones to help the player in need. But by the end of the game, he was very respectful towards it. We all had fun, laughed a lot, and each learned some new things about what medicinal herbs look like and can do.

The first thing my daughter, the birthday girl who received this game noticed was how beautifully illustrated the game board and herb cards are. I love the fact that the herb cards are drawn in a very realistic, traditional, botanical style. They are so lovely, you could frame them! So detailed, they could be illustrations in a field guide. I also like the fact that most of our children are old enough to play this. I think it is recommended for age 4 or 5 and up. It is rare to find a game that is simple enough for a smaller child, yet rich enough for adults to enjoy.

Oh, and did I mention the game is made in the U.S.A.? Yes, it truly is.

Well, as you can probably tell, I could continue to go on and on about this game. If you want more details, check out the Learning Herbs website. Also, if you just want lots of free information, but aren't ready to buy, check out their site. They have some free e-mail courses and ebooks that might interest you.

Dawn's Raspberry Smoothie

2008-12-11T21:31:00.000-08:00

I interviewed our family's premier smoothie maker, my 10 year old daughter, to learn her secrets to a great smoothie. Here is her favorite smoothie recipe to make, in her own words:

1 can of coconut milk
1/2 can of water
3 bananas
3 handfuls of frozen berries
honey, to taste

Put the can of coconut milk, & bananas in the blender. Blend. Then put the frozen berries in with the water on top. Then put the honey in, and you blend it up. Add more water if needed. Then you have a good smoothie.

Money saving hint: to find raw honey at the best prices, call around your area to find a beekeeper. We get raw honey this way, at a far lower cost than the processed (heated) honey at the grocery store.

Recipes are Coming...

2008-12-08T21:34:00.000-08:00

We are pretty serious smoothie drinkers around here. We like to invent new, healthy recipes quite often. Some of us have food allergies, so we have to be creative. What types of recipes are you most interested in? Please let me know in the comment section...

Inch Loss versus Weight Loss

2008-11-29T08:53:00.000-08:00

Conventional wisdom says weight loss, a number on a scale, is the ultimate measure of success with a fitness program. This past year, this idea has been challenged in my mind by Teresa Tapp, the creator of the amazing T-Tapp workouts.

With my last pregnancy, I gained sixty pounds, and was very sedentary. SIXTY POUNDS! Yes, you read that right. And I didn't have twins. Just one baby. Because I had been moderately successful in losing weight after previous pregnancies, I was more careless than I should have been with my eating. Unfortunately, most of my past postpartum weight loss success came through restricting the types of foods I ate, and not primarily through exercise. After six pregnancies, and little exercise, my muscles were very weak, especially my abs and back muscles.

I had first read about T-Tapp in the Spring of 2007 on one of my favorite blogs, "Large Family Logistics." It's author, Kim Brenneman, called T-Tapp her favorite brand of workout videos. That caused me to spend some time looking up the T-Tapp website. When I saw the price of the DVDs, and learned that Teresa spoke during each entire workout, without music, I was a bit put off. I was very skeptical about whether I would like this type of workout, and had a hard time believing that it could be that much better than many of the workout videos I already owned.

But then in January, I learned that one of the new ladies at our church sold T-Tapp DVDs on ebay (her ebay user id is "mexmarr," and I highly recommend her as an excellent source for T-Tapp products). I asked her how she liked them. She gushed about the results she had with T-Tapp, and before I knew it, she showed up at church with a copy of the Basic Workout Plus for me to borrow. It took me a while to actually get around to trying it, but once I started, I realized that this short, 15 minute workout was not only providing me with the stretching I needed for my back to heal, but it also was building strength in my stomach and back, strength that was absolutely crucial for keeping up with my six young children.

I was hooked. I knew I needed to take my measurements and follow the program as directed by Teresa Tapp. So I did. She said to ignore the numbers on the scale, and instead focus on inch loss. I had hoped I could do both, lose inches and weight, but decided to listen to what she said, and relax about what the scale said. Boy, am I glad I did. Though I have lost only about 10 pounds so far this year, I have lost over 41 inches! Clothing that I could wear when I was about 20 -25 pounds lighter, fits me again!

What about you? Is this the first you've heard of T-Tapp, or have you been using it yourself? If you do use T-Tapp, how long have you used it, and which workouts are your favorite? Leave a comment and tell us your experience!