Check out Shannon's site,  Rocks In My Dryer, for lots of great tips!

This week's entry is a listing of some of the things I'm doing/attempting this summer in order to get more active and hopefully shape up a bit. 

1.  The Garden:  Raking and leveling have provided some good hard work, although my fingers sure feel the pain.  Gardening and yard work have been a great way to get myself and the kiddos outside and moving.

2.  Home Improvements:  DH started work on a patio last weekend, and the kids helped mix and pour concrete for the posts, while Mom held the ladder, handed nails, lifted beams, etc.  Everyone gets the satisfaction of having constructed, and the side benefit for all, great exercise (and sore muscles).

3.  The Pool:  We invested in a nice sized above-ground pool for the kiddos, and Mom and Dad are enjoying it as well.  It's a great way to get active.  I enjoy getting in and just moving...walking laps, swimming, dog-paddling, volleyball.  It's relatively painless, cool, and easy to keep moving for an hour or so with the youngsters, and we all have a blast in the process.  No programmed exercise, just fun.

4.  Roller Skating:  Our skating rink is a great place, and we go every other Friday, along with other homeschoolers.  There is a short tot-time with ride-on toys ahead of normal skate hours, and I noticed some of the Moms walking laps as they pushed toddlers on big wheels and such.  Another Mom donned skates and pushed her toddler around the rink in a stroller.  I figure that at a minimum, I can spend some of my time walking while the kids skate.  Last week, I actually rented my own pair of skates, and did a good number of laps.  Talk about "feel the burn"...my calf muscles sure hurt, but I got in a great half hour to 45 minutes of skate time. 

5.  Ignore The Scale:  Won't even touch it.  It's probably the most discouraging item in the house when I want to get in shape, so this summer, I'm not going to pay attention to it.  Instead, I'm getting active and enjoying the family.  The more active I get, the less time I spend snacking on useless junk food, and the less I crave that sort of stuff.  I'll be measuring success in loose jeans and shirts that are starting to fit better (yeah!) rather than in pounds and ounces and calories.  So far, I'm seeing/feeling results...which definitely works for me!