Gearing up for a Challenge

Okay...so I am not quite sure this is going to be fun. Not sure it will be a recess - at least the kind I have spoken of previously in this blog, but in some ways I think it will be good for me.

I am going to take a 24 day challenge to kick start getting my body back four and a half months after having my baby. It includes some type of cleanse, a healthy eating plan, and 24 days of workouts that are 24 minutes long! A few things to know about me and taking a challenge like this.

1) I have never done anything like this, so I think what I feel might be nerves.
2) I am partially motivated by the money I invested into the challenge products.
3) 24 days seems TOTALLY doable.
4) 24 minutes a day seems totally attainable.

Now, I am just waiting for the products to arrive. Would love to hear any stories you all have about the new year and starting a new challenge. I think this is going to be fun - not the kind of play with the kids in the snow fun, but fun because I will feel better when I have finished this challenge!

So...advice from anyone?

Resolutions

So...it is day two of 2013 and of course everyone is discussing their resolutions, lack of resolutions, inability to keep resolutions, and desire to ever follow through on any thing! Okay...maybe not the last part...maybe that is just...um...well...my one friend.

As I contemplate my resolutions - a 24 day challenge for health and the year long Alphabet Dating Adventure, I have been reading other posts. My favorite is from my friend Diana. It made me smile, which is what you better be doing when you embark upon any new adventure! Check it out here.

The Alphabet Dating Adventure

The premise behind the Alphabet Dating Adventure (ADA) is not unique. You and your significant other take turns planning dates beginning with A and ending with Z. Our first go around included a Choose your Own Adventure Date, Indulging, Jet Setting (surprise Babymoon trip to Georgetown for the weekend - not a typical date), and Kids' Play.

This time I decided we needed something to make it a bit more challenging. So, we developed the Challenge Cards. This box contains all 26 of our Challenge Cards.

My husband and I each took 13 slips of paper and wrote out the challenge to be drawn as we prepare for the next date.

So...what did the first Challenge Card say? Workout. Seriously...for January 1st and our first date of 2013, a workout must be included. Is God trying to tell me something?

Hope you enjoy following along with our adventure! :)

Looking forward to 2013

Look forward to more regular posts, a project I follow through for the entire year, and lots more fun to come! I cannot wait for 2013!

Our first mission: To define, explain, and prepare for the Alphabet Dating Adventure. Join us in our adventure throughout 2013!

A little bit of uncertainty...

So, I am struggling with this blog. Not because I don't know what to post, but because I have so many ideas. I want to have a focus, but it seems that my blog name, Recess Required, might not really fit what I want/need to write about.

I want to write about fun...recess...how to enjoy life. Here is what I know...that is a true struggle for me. I initially thought if I worked hard to write about it, it would make me more aware of what I was doing and help me find ways to have more fun every day. While that is true (made me feel like a success or failure depending on the day), I think that focus is too narrow. So...I am working on what recess/fun means in many different areas.

After all, I would assume those that run across my blog and actually read it, are women who are working moms. There are probably some stay at home moms, but I truly believe they are working moms as much as anyone else. They just have a different kind of job. Sometimes my fun is not really what most might see as stereotypical fun.

So...my point today is simply: I am struggling with this blog. Too many ideas, only so much time. How to make it work?

It's November?

Greetings to my little blog and anyone that follows it. Some might have noticed I have been gone. Totally. MIA. No where to be found. At least here on my blog. It is November and I just don't know how the time flew by so quickly!

However, three months ago today started yet another incredible journey for my husband and me. Our son was born! So...for the last three months recess has looked like a full night's sleep! And we are truly blessed and about a week or two before I went back to work our little Boss-man started sleeping through the night. He currently goes to bed at 7pm. We wake him at about 10pm to eat one more time and then he sleeps. During the week we wake him at 5:30am and during the weekend he sleeps until almost 7am! Did I hear some gasps from the readers? Yes...it is true - and I haven't bragged about it online until now. Didn't want to jinx myself!

So...I am determining what role this little blog will play in life now. I started it because - why not? Now...it seems that there are many avenues one could go. I have some ideas for this one, but not sure exactly where any idea will lead these days!

There is one thing to think about though: Recess Required. What does it really mean to me now? I hope you all think about what it means to you. After all it seems we all need time to play. I know I am allowing that to look differently these days. I am trying to let go of some things and be more thankful of everything. More on that coming soon...

Hidden fun....

So the summer has truly begun, and frankly, so has the madness. While many think summer means fun, rest, and possibly relaxation, I think there are many of us that know the truth. It is chaos and craziness. By no means am I saying that is inherently bad, but I think mothers in general are kidding themselves (and trying to fake out each other) when they say anything different.

There is a strange ease as summer begins...the lack of a concrete schedule run by school buses and bells can give the illusion of relaxation with no particular time tables to follow, but we soon crave those exact schedules we miss!

Once we get a couple of weeks into summer, we are running around with haphazard schedules that involve getting kids to camps and "special" classes with summer hours. We run to the library and "free" events. We find all kinds of special things to do because it is summer! After all, we should do some extra things, some special things to make the summer memorable. It is a lot of pressure to put on ourselves.

This summer is marked by a few events for me...my sister gets married, and I will have a baby in late August. Both are a pretty big deal! Both involve a great deal of preparation that seems to eat up my summer time.

My sister has been very busy planning a wedding and finishing up a school year. While this was going on, I was attempting to plan a bridal shower and bachelorette party with her friends. We had lots of ideas...apparently my sister had some of her own as well. It was quite a surprise to me when my sister wanted to do painting...really painting on a canvas with an artist. This was part of her bridal shower/bachelorette party day. I wasn't sure how I felt about it, or if I even wanted to do it. Let's be honest...I am a logical, precise, task oriented person. Painting really doesn't fit my personalty.

However, the group that was painting together had a great time laughing at ourselves, laughing at each other, and discovering we might have more artistic talent than we thought!



Yep...that is my painting. I had no idea while I was doing it that it would actually resemble a sunset. In addition, it looks much better from far away than it did sitting right in front of me. I was a little surprised - and pleased that it came out looking acceptable! Who knew there would be some fun hidden in this activity. I had a great time - and we all agreed we would love to do it again!