Category Archives: Health

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Mommy’s Spa Day // Glen Ivy Hot Springs

A few other Mom friends and I needed a day to get away from the reality of our everyday. Being off for summer vacation sure has us spending loads of time home-bound & buried with kids & toys, well… aside from the quick city jaunts & daily swims & walks. 🙂

I kissed my Carseat Dancers and dear husband adios {He was getting ready to take the girls to my helpful mother-in-law’s for the day. Thanks Kay!} and hit the pavement heading a short thirty-five miles to Glen Ivy Spa & Hot Springs. Glen Ivy is a little jewel nestled in the foothills of Corona, CA. A beauty; well worth the trip.

This is the message on their site: “Whether your first or fiftieth visit, we wish you a day of healthful rejuvenation — to be yourself, to relax and renew, to celebrate and unwind, and above all, a day that leaves you feeling revitalized with a deeper sense of wellbeing.” Sounds fantastic, right? I couldn’t have said it better. {Hence my reasoning for posting their message.} This place is a must see; the results are extremely rejuvenating and oh so needed.

Here, the possibilities for relaxation are endless. Our first stop, the Terrace Pools were where we bounced back and forth from the Hot Pool to Cold Plunge to Hot Pool for capillary stimulation. An interesting feeling; tantalizing the senses.

Next, we headed toward the infamous Mineral “Baths.” {I’m emphasizing with the term “infamous” because of the Sulphur (eggy) filled steam that fills the air here. Pee you!} Glen Ivy’s geothermal hot springs who’s temperature were a relaxing 104°F truly are famous and oh so relaxing. Soaking in these waters was extremely calming and the perfect place to soak with my friends.

Just prior to lunch we headed to what ended up being our favorite spot, Club Mud. This pool is a red clay mineral bath that coats your exposed limbs, making everyone who enters appear tan. {You can’t help but chuckle at all of the mud bathers who exit the pool. LMAO!}
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After slathering our bodies with the “mud” we hit the sauna then lounged in the afternoon sun allowing the clay to harden. Having a hardened face sure makes smiling a chore. We took a few photos. Then, began to vigorously rube our arms and legs… exfoliating our dead cells and exposing soft reinvigorated skin, drawing out impurities and causing us to feel oh so smooth. Talk about leisure.

Ahhhh… {We brought our own cucumbers solely for this photo opportunity.} The other spa-goers found us hilarious. Pictured from left to right: Me, Rayna, Nicole & Jenny.
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We headed to lunch. The Mediterranean cuisine at Café Solé was Five Star quality and completely organic and crafted with local ingredients. Yum yum. My friend and co-worker, Nicole, said, “This food is one of the reasons why I love this place… My mom is going to be jealous.” LOL! We inhaled the delicious Chipotle BBQ Chicken Pizza- made with Grilled Free Range Chicken Breast, Smoked Gouda, Mozzarella, Red Onions & Chipotle Barbecue Sauce. Chatted a bit. Laughed.

With full bellies and sore cheeks we stormed the crowded Lounge Pool, waited a bit {well worth the wait} for the amazing Sunsation Pool Floats and cooled off for an hour or so. The following photo was borrowed from http://www.kootation.com. As we were so relaxed that we forgot to take pictures in this pool and almost forgot about our lives beyond the stone Grotto walls of Glen Ivy. Really. Almost.
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Such a fantastic getaway. We’ll be back Glen Ivy.

For those interested in Taking the Waters, the spa has some specials. My friends & I are teachers and to show their appreciation to us, for our teaching service, we graciously received a 10% discount on admission. To show appreciation to others who dedicate their lives to serving others, they also offer a 10% discount on Taking the Waters admission to Military (active and Veterans), First Responders (including nurses) and Seniors (ages 65+). {A valid ID and/or work badge is required.} If you’re celebrating your birthday at the Hot Springs call, in advance, to hear about their gift to you. {Reminder: Valid identification is required at check-in for proof of actual birthdate.}

Check out my previous blog entry {Mommy on the Go… | vol. 20} for thoughtful gift ideas that can be purchased in the Spa’s Lifestyle Store. A Glen Ivy gift card would be the perfect gift for any occasion.

Cheers to Moms & Rejuvenation!
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Follow me on Twitter & Pinterest @CarseatDancers

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Our Journey with Jenny {Jenny-Set-Go} | Health | vol. 7

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🎉As of today, I’m down 4⃣ more pounds with Jenny Craig!

I’ve been told that my weight loss journal {here on my blog} & my fairly noticeable results are inspiring. Two of my friends have even signed up for the Jenny Program. To top it off, there’s a deal going on this week. If you sign up Sept. 13 – 16 you’ll get a whopping 50% off ANY program. WOW! Call the number on the photo for details. ☎

Back to me… LOL. It’s kind of funny to think of THAT word… Inspiring. Often, Ive been referred to as inspiring. Hearing, “Jen, you are a confident plus size woman.That’s so inspiring.” always made me feel great. A bit ironic now though, considering this NEW journey of mine is one of weight loss. Super cool nonetheless. 💚

Here’s to hoping that you too are “inspired” by my journey. & ready to head down your new path.

My Program:
🍴•1500 calorie set meal plan via Jenny Craig
🙅•Insanity exercise DVDs for approx. 40 minutes 5-7 times per week.

🍓Cheers to feeling great!

xo, Jen

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Our Journey with Jenny {Jenny-Set-Go} | Health | vol. 3

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This is today’s grub. Just add salad. 😉

After doing the calculations, food for the Jenny Craig program costs around $15.00 per day… Yes, per DAY. That’s a bonafide STEAL! MmHmm, Especially for those of you who tend to eat out often. I can’t tell you the last time I spent $15.00 on my meal out.

Here’s a list of some of my FAVES:

BREAKFAST:
Scramble
LUNCH:
Cheesy Potatoes & Chicken
SNACK:
Lemon Cooler Cookies
DINNER:
Salisbury Steak
VITAMINS:
Oatmeal Raisin Anytime Bar

Off to exercise…
Cheers to Health!
xo, Jen

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Mommy on the Go… | vol. 24 | @So_SoHappy t-shirt {Giveaway}

Last weekend I was given the opportunity to work in the Backstage Creations Celebrity Gift Suite at the 2012 Teen Choice Awards. What fun! Three of the items in this collection, plus loads more, were gifted to each performer and presenter on the show as a thank you for participating. Ooohh… and one of you, my valued readers, will have the opportunity to win this So So Happy t-shirt! (Size M) Please locate the “How to Enter” section at the bottom of this post for details.

::Items in this Set::

  • So So Happy Womens Tshirt: Ozzie Burn Out, Blue

    ** $26 – happysix.com     So So Happy Womens Tshirt: Ozzie Burn Out, Blue

::How to Enter::

GIVEAWAY: One lucky reader will receive the above pictured So So Happy t-shirt (in size Medium) to add to their wardrobe.

Mandatory Entry: Leave a Comment along with an email to contact you —
What is your favorite recipe for healthy eating?

1. Additional Entry: Share this post on Facebook. (Comment back here that you did this.)

2. Additional Entry: Tweet about the Giveaway. (Comment back here that you did this.) Example Tweet: “I entered the @so_sohappy t-shirt #Giveaway from @CarseatDancers & @BackstageEvents! Check it out: http://wp.me/p29KZ7-9p”

3. Additional Entry: Follow my blog.

4. Additional Entry: Follow me on Twitter. 

5. Additional Entry: Follow my Pinterest boards. http://pinterest.com/carseatdancers/

The Giveaway will run from today until Wednesday Aug. 1st at Midnight PST. It is only open to US Residence. As always I use random.org to select the winner. Good Luck!

*I was not compensated for this post I just received the So So Happy t-shirt as a thank you and chose to use it in a giveaway*

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Our Journey with Jenny {Jenny-Set-Go} | Health | vol. 2

It’s been one week with Jenny|Set|Go and I’m down 6 pounds.

Old school diet brain washing is SOOO not what’s happening with this new Jenny lifestyle of mine. I get to eat! {Wow, I hadn’t realized the reality of a portion. But, now I do and I’m conscious about my food.} I get to snack! {I have to protect my stash from my 2 and 3 year-old daughters though. 🙂 } And to top it off, the food is good!

::FOODS::

Breakfast                              Lunch                          Dinner

::MY FAVE::

My favorite meal happened to be Jenny’s Florentine Breakfast Pizzas. OMG! This new found love is ironic considering I am NOT an egg fan– at all. But, after devouring this perfectly-flavorful-fluffy plate of goodness I wanted to do nothing but LICK my plate! Yum. {Well, the calories are measured out for me… I didn’t want to leave any behind. LOL! Really.}

With this meal I added a cup of plump blueberries and a latte.  The blueberries were picked, by my CarseatDancers and me, fresh from our local patch… the Temecula Berry Co.  Yummy! It’s a good thing we went pickin’ when we did since Blueberry season has officially come to a close. My next meals will be accompanied with whatever seasonal fruit is available.

 

::GOODS::

This Jenny grocery bag is HUGE! For $6 and some change it’s sooo worth getting. My Jenny consultant and I were actually able to pack one week’s worth of food in and we had room to spare.  Once I got home I unloaded the dry foods and placed the whole bag into our freezer. FULL!

 

Jenny’s Metabolic Max FIT Armband and Activity Manager by BodyMedia™ I’ve been eying the Metabolic Max accessory package which includes a plethora of online tools that work simultaniously with the Jenny Craig food and fitness goals. It measures calories consumed and burned and gives accurate insight into metabolism of the person wearing it. It suggests what you’re lacking and what is working.  In the high-tech media world that I call reality this tool is such a cool addition to the Jenny program. Maybe I’ll pick one up next week.

::MOVES::

I’ve been doing a 45 minute walk daily and have tried the warm-up for the Insanity workout twice.  My hubby and Carseat Dancers have even joined me. Who knew working out would be so invigorating?

 

 

 

:: VIDEO Message::        Our Journey with Jenny | vol. 2

::Carseat Dancers::

AKA3: “Mommy your food looks really good and healthy.”

xo, Jen

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Our Journey with Jenny {Jenny-Set-Go} | Health | vol. 1

Hi, I’m Jen! Welcome to DancingInCarseats. My sister Kristin & I are happy to have you join us on our “Journey with Jenny.” (Jenny Craig) With support from our Jenny|Set|Go consultants and each other we (& you) will be able to stay motivated, share weight loss tips, exercise routines and updates on our transformations.

Dear Body,

We need to start eating healthier! It’s time to exercise regularly by taking the Carseat Dancers on a daily walk (& trying a bit of Yoga & a dash of this Insanity madness too.) We’ll start by visiting our local Jenny Craig facility and sticking to their RULES. I vow to check in weekly (on the BLOG & with my sister) to stay up-to-date & motivated as Jenny will give us that “extra kick in the pants that we need” to rock this temple. Ok, it’s time to let this journey toward a healthier lifestyle begin. Ready or not? Jenny-Set-Go!

Cheers to better health!

xo, Me

P.S. Oh, and we don’t even need to count calories… Jenny has done all of the counting and measuring for us.  Whoo hoo!

 

 

 

This is vol. 1 of my video blog. Enjoy!