EmpowerMoms

One of the free activities for the Fit Family Challenge has been PlayFitStayFit gym classes, located at Tanglewood Mall.

Jason-the owner-has offered a total of 5 free classes over the last 2 months, each on a different day of the week at 6pm.

According to the online schedule (located here: http://www.playfitstayfit.net/playfit-schedule.html) each night has a different theme-Move it Monday, Strong arms Thursday, etc.)

We made it to “Move it Monday” class workout on Monday May 9th.

and “Hump Day” Wednesday workout on May 25th.

Jason was the instructor for the Wednesday class and I was very impressed with the workout he had planned and how he clearly demonstrated the exercises and the rules of the gym. Although it was a mixture of kids and adults, he had a variety of weight options available for all fitness levels.

I had hoped to go to more than just the 2 workouts, but I really enjoyed the ones I went to and was pleased with the facility and variety of classes offered.

What Fit Family Challenge activities have you and your family been able to go to?

**3, 30-Minute Fat Blasting, Strength Building Workouts!
**Metabolic Conditioning Circuits With A Variety of Low Impact [no jumping] Exercises
**Build Muscular Endurance, Functional Strength, Boost Metabolism
**Prevent (Even Reverse) Bone Loss

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

If weight loss is one of your fitness goals, these strength routines may be just what you need to bust out of a plateau!

Studies show that regular strength training increases your overall calorie burn not only during your workouts but in everyday activities too – even while you sleep!

These 3 varied, metabolic conditioning circuits are designed to help you build muscular endurance, functional strength, boost your metabolism, prevent and even reverse bone loss.

Feel free to mix and match these workouts into your weekly schedule (we recommend alternating them with your favorite cardio and flexibility training routines 2-4 days a week).

Check out our other titles in this series, our “Walk STRONG: Burn Fat and Have Fun” and “Walk STRONG: Build Balance and Inner Strength,” for some great options! You can also use these workouts in conjunction with our “Walk STRONG: Total Transformation 6 Week System!”

Visit walkonwalkstrong.com/phase3 to download our free, printable “Phase III” calendar which includes our suggested 6 week schedule.

CIRCUIT 1: UPPER FOCUS – This circuit utilizes the entire body with a main emphasis on the upper half.

CIRCUIT 2: LOWER FOCUS – This circuit works your entire body with extra emphasis on the lower half.

CIRCUIT 3: TOTAL FOCUS – These full body moves target the major muscles throughout your entire body.

EQUIPMENT NEEDED: A mat and two sets of dumbbells – one lighter set for smaller muscles like the arms, shoulders and a heavier set for larger muscles like the legs, chest and back. Only have 1 set of weights? No worries! Follow our modifier Debbie, age 60, for options.

About Your Instructor:
Jessica Smith has over 15 years of experience as a certified trainer, instructor and wellness coach.

This summer, you can join Adventures in Odyssey’s Clubhouse Magazine and help children in the Middle East go to school and learn English. It’s Adventures in Odyssey’s Clubhouse Magazine Exercise to Educate summer challenge!

The Problem

Nearly 7,000 miles away from the United States, there’s a war going on in the country of Syria. Many families have been forced from their homes. Parents have had to leave their jobs, and children have had to leave behind toys and friends.

Many of these families now live in refugee camps in nearby countries. They have tents instead of houses. Clean water is hard to come by. This war has put 2.6 million children out of school – some for more than four years already.

The Solution

Our friends at Focus on the Family Middle East know many families who don’t have the money to buy a school uniform and pay for their children to go to school. They also know people who would love to teach children English in local churches.

You may not have a lot of money to help, but you probably have time, energy and excitement. Here’s what you can do:

1. Go to to Whitsend.org/summer.

2. Print a sponsor sheet and exercise to earn points. You can do it for a week or the whole summer – just remember, the more you exercise, the more points you’ll earn!

3. Ask your family and friends to sponsor your efforts.

4. Beginning in July, tell us how you did and receive a digital bundle from your friends at Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family. The deadline to submit your information is August 31, 2016. 

For participating and submitting your information, you will get a free Adventures in Odyssey episode from Album 51. You will also get 101 Surefire Ways to Strengthen Your Child’s Faith – eBook and the audio book of Imagination Station #1, “Voyage with the Vikings.”

Make the most of your summer—exercise for your health and help other kids in need while you do!

Don’t Be Bored This Summer!

Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with over 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Odyssey Adventure Club today for just $9.99 per month at OACLUB.org.

I can not believe how fast this challenge and the past several weeks have gone! My family and I had a couple of trips in May so I apologize for the lack of updates from The DeVaughn Family!

How is the challenge going for you? Are you finding fun ways to stay active for you and your family?

Our family has been going to the YMCA gym 1-2 times per week for gym time, fitness classes and free play like swimming and basketball. I have been very impressed with the instructors and child care at both Kirk and Salem so far. I completed the “fit start” with Salem which is a free program with the wellness instructors. They showed me how to use all the weight machines and helped me set weekly goals.

We have also been loving this weather (well, except for all the rain!) and being able to play outside! We go to the local parks a lot on the weekends and when I get home from work. I have also been using my new suspension straps outside on my swing set, which has been a lot of fun!

One of our family trips last month was a weekend camping trip with my parents to Camp Alta Mons in Shawsville. We hiked up to the falls which was fun. It is definitely a hike, not a walking stroll. There were at least 4 areas on the trail where we had to cross over rivers and steams and not on dry ground. My boys ages 6 and 14 did awesome, but I definitely wouldn’t recommend taking kids younger than 6 or 7 because of some very steep climbing and narrow pathways in some areas.

Camp Alta Mons isn’t that far from Roanoke and is a beautiful area! The weather was perfect and we only saw 2 snakes! 🙁

One thing that I love about summer is the price of produce tends to go down, which means we can eat more of it! I have discovered shopping weekly at Aldi’s for produce and other specialty items has been saving us some money. Our family tends to eat pretty healthy, so this has been helping us even more with healthy foods and snacks. I love making up fresh salads for work and dinners!

We also have a garden and strawberry patch at our house (so we can save money and eat healthy) which my boys love. My youngest is a great gardener!

One of our struggles this month has been getting our weekly workouts done as a family. My husband and I work different shifts which makes it difficult for the 4 of us to be in one place, but we have gotten to do some Fit Family Challenge workouts together which I will share in a later post.

I hope you all are having a good, happy summer so far. Keep working hard and logging those fitness points!

Readers are introduced to the city of Charm, Ohio and the characters in book 1 of The Charmed Amish Life series. “A Daughters Dream” is book 2, and although all the characters mentioned from book 1, it can be read as a stand alone story. I have read both of them in order and have liked the character developments and story line.

The story focuses alot on the characters wanting to find their life purpose and follow God’s will. The story mostly follows the life of Rebecca, Lilly, and Jacob.

I found it alot less “intense” than book 1, but still very enjoyable. I don’t read alot of “Amish fiction” books, but I have really enjoyed this series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

About the book:
A young teacher and farmer discover they have much in common, especially when it comes to healing old wounds from the past . . . and finding love in one another.

Rebecca Kinsinger has always dreamed of being a teacher. But when she’s given the opportunity she’s been waiting for at Charm Amish School, she’s dismayed to discover that teaching is hard work—work she’s afraid she’s not very good at.

That is, until Lilly Yoder joins the class. A thirteen-year old who’s just lost her parents, Lilly is in need of someone like Rebecca. For the first time since starting her new job, Rebecca feels a sense of purpose. But when she meets Lilly’s uncle, Jacob, his good looks and sweet, easy-going temperament are hard to ignore. How can she even entertain romantic thoughts of Jacob when his niece is her student?

Suddenly becoming Lily’s sole caregiver, Jacob Yoder never thought he’d be a single parent—or a farmer. Having been living in Florida as a carpenter, Jacob feels more at home wielding a hammer than a backhoe. The only bright spot in his life is Rebecca Kinsinger. As Lily and Rebecca develop a bond, Jacob’s fondness for the pretty teacher grows, too.

But when a fateful accident brings them together, Rebecca and Jacob must choose between duty and desire. Will they follow the path before them? Or set out to find true happiness . . . and true love?

Purchase a copy:

About the author:
Shelley Shepard Gray is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time HOLT Medallion winner. She lives in southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town’s bike trail.

GIVEAWAY LINK: https://promosimple.com/ps/9a93

MY REVIEW OF BOOK 1:
A Son’s Vow by Shelley Shepard Gray
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don’t read alot of Amish Fiction books because I find them to be too slow of a pace and hard to relate to. However, I have really enjoyed the last several Shelley Shepard Gray’s Amish fiction books. “A Son’s Vow” is book 1 of a new series called “The Charmed Amish Life”.

In this book readers are introduced to a new town called Charm, Ohio and several characters that live there- both men and women. This particular story focuses on Darla, her brother Aaron, and her friend Lukas. All three characters experienced a major loss three months prior when a tragic fire killed five Amish men in their town.

The chapters go back and forth between the three main characters and their interpretations of events and their feelings surrounding them. It was interesting how even though Darla, Aaron and Lukas all experienced the same type of loss; they were all dealing with it differently. I was very concerned with how the direction of Aaron’s character was headed, but fortunately he started to straighten out towards the end.

The story was very well written with a steady pace and plot with many emotions surfacing like guilt, anger, forgiveness, love, and understanding. I especially liked Lukas’s character and how patient and persistent he was with Darla and her family members.

I found “A Son’s Vow” very enjoyable to read and can’t wait to read more books in this new series!

I received a complimentary copy of this book from LitFuse Publicity in exchange for an honest review on my blog and social media-all opinions are my own.

View all my reviews