New You in 2009!

Change Your Health in 2009

“Starting this New Year, I’m gonna…” fill in the blank: lose weight, exercise more, quit a bad habit, stop eating sugar, etc. The unfortunate thing is that we usually make unrealistic, quick-set goals. As soon as they start to fail, the ego tells us to just forget it., and we go back to bad habits.
This year, let’s start off with a better plan. I will list for you today the things that most people need to do to lead a healthier life, lose weight, feel better, fend off disease, live with less stress, be more productive, and even sleep better. So, if any of the above things are the end goal, please find the things on this list below that you are not doing yet. Then, take out your calendar. Spend twenty-one days on each habit. It takes about twenty-one days for the body to start adjusting to a new habit. Do one at a time. If you slip up for a little bit, forgive yourself and keep moving forward. A slip up here and there will happen, and it should not mean the end of the road for your new healthy you.

Quit smoking. This is the number one thing on the list because you simply will not be healthy if you smoke. Period. Get a quit-smoking package from the doctor or your drug store, or see a hypnotist. Do what you need to do to make this a priority for your life and the life of those of us around you.
Move every day. If you do not move at all, start small. Start wearing a pedometer and start logging your steps per day. Make your goal 10,000 steps by building 500-1000 steps per day. When the end of the day gets here and you only have 8,000, take a walk. When you are ready to move forward, start power walking, jogging, or taking a class every day. Then, start doing some kind of weight-bearing exercise. There is a ton of information online and in DVD stores. Your local fitness club has classes and trainers to help you find something that suits you. Exercise IS fun, if you find your nitch. www.acefitness.org , http://www.youtube.com/user/ACEfitness?ob=1
Go to the store. This seems simple enough, but many people eat out so much that they miss the weekly shopping trip to get necessities for cooking and eating healthy. The perimeter of the grocery store is the most healthy section: fresh produce, fresh poultry, seafood, frozen vegetables, and the deli are great places to start. Search the middle for beans and whole grains. Don’t know where to start? http://www.simple-healthy-recipes.com/ Start simple!
Eat breakfast every day. Those who eat within the first two hours of waking in the morning consume fewer calories throughout the day. There have been numerous studies on this. Nutritionists say the body is still in sleep mode until food awakens the organs. Then, they work more efficiently and burn many more calories. The latest studies show the big morning eaters (600 kcal of food in the morning), weigh less than those who do not eat in the morning. What’s a good breakfast? A balance of protein and complex carbohydrates. For example, try a scrambled egg and a slice of whole grain toast with smart balance butter or natural peanut butter.
Prepare your own lunch and dinner. If you work or are away during the day, this takes some early preparation. This means preparing a lunch while you make your breakfast in the morning, or even fix it the night before. A simple sandwich, fruit, yogurt, and a handful of nuts should do. Come home starving? Become friends with a slow cooker or a quick-cooking apparatus like the George Foreman grill. A good dinner consists of a lean protein the size or your palm, preferably grilled or baked with olive oil, and a ton of vegetables, steamed, sautéed, or microwaved.
Plan snacks. Everyone has their low point in the day. Some of us are starving halfway through the morning, and some of us need something in the mid afternoon. Some of us even need both. This is fine, just prepare for it. Bring with you nuts and dried fruit, or snack bars. Products by All Bran, TLC, Fiber One, and Pria by Power Bar are all excellent. A good snack is 110-180 calories.
Drink water all day. Walk around with a steel water bottle or a thick-plastic bottle (recycle numbers 2, 4, or 5) and refill it all day.
Quit sodas. Drinking full-calorie sodas add hundreds or even thousands of calories per day. Diet sodas are loaded with chemicals. Some studies show that diet drink consumers eat more sugary snacks through the day than non-soda drinkers. If you are on full-calorie sodas, start mixing them with diet sodas. Eventually, you will be on diet sodas. Then, drink fewer diet drinks. Try fresh-brewed teas and lots of water. It does take some time, but you can get rid of sodas all together.
Balance the caffeine. Caffeine has health benefits. Some coffee in the morning, or midday tea is healthy. But if you find yourself drinking coffee all day, try alternating between coffee and water. You will find you don’t need so much coffee afterall. Have a cutoff time. Drinking caffeine too late in the day means less sleep at night.
Balance your alcohol intake. Alcohol also has health benefits. If you find yourself having more than 1 drink per day as a female, or 2 drinks per day as a male, then cut yourself back. If cutting back is difficult, please seek a professional’s help.
Work out the schedule. As you start making all these changes, a daily schedule should emerge. There are times to exercise, times to eat, and times to sleep. Try to stick with your schedule every day. Consistency is key. Rest is key.
Log it in! If you are not a member yet, join the team at www.peertrainer.com . Log in your goals and what you are doing for your health every day. Find a group or team that you feel likeness to. Studies prove that loggers stick to their goals! Check out this free meal and calorie planner, too. http://hp2010.nhlbihin.net/menuplanner/menu.cgi

There are professionals to help with any or all of these goals. Seek out nutritionists, sleep professionals, and personal trainers for extra help.
Let’s make 2009 the year to feel fantastic!

Carrie Harper
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
ACE Certified Weight Management Consultant
www.carriefit.com

New Week!

It is a new week! Besides the fact that I have caught constant viruses since October, I am starting to feel pretty good. I'm not exhausted or pukey any more.
BUT, this is NOT the time of year to be pregnant and wanting sugar. There is sugar everywhere. So, those of you with a sugar addiction out there, I am with you for the first time. I have to remove myself from the situation because I know that sugar won't make me feel better, but it seems to be a magnet these days! And these days, fake sugar won't do. So, again, I am trying to remove myself from the situation, and sugary gifts are being re-gifted! So, if a box of cookies shows up at your door, try one and REGIFT or leave them in the conference room! Bye Bye, Sugar!

Thanksgiving and Other Holiday Survival Tips

The average American consumes over 600 extra calories PER DAY in the holiday season, which can mean 6 pounds of fat, plus extra water-weight gain for the new year. That can be a tough uphill battle, so let's stop it before it starts.
For the big meal days, make sure you don't save up for the big event. In other words, eat light meals and snacks at your regular times. At meal time, just watch the portion size. And after the meal, enjoy one dessert. The alternative is overindulgence. All things in moderation makes for an easier holiday.
The other thing that packs on the calories is alcohol. One "serving" of alcohol is 100 calories. A margarita or long island iced tea can be 6 servings, plus the mixer. The body has to work pretty hard to get rid of the alcohol in the system, and in the mean time, the fat you had with the alcohol is NOT getting burned off.
Instead, opt for one glass of wine or light beer, and then try a spritzer of carbonated selzer water and cranberry juice. If you do decide to have a few drinks. Go double fisted, but with water in the other hand.

gearing up for holidays?

The treats are already around. They are sneaking up at work, at home (that big Halloween basket), and in the stores (Starbucks is shameless). So what should we do to not go totally out of control? Most people gain 6 pounds over the holiday. Do we want to work on that for the new year, to add to our already overwhelming goals? Of course not.
Allow yourself a treat at work once a week. You know, your best friend's birthday or it's your very favorite kind of cake. But leave it at that and enjoy what you get.
At home, GET RID OF IT. Give it away, and keep it out of the house. If it's not good enough for you, do you want to put it in your child's body, too? He's had enough Halloween, now be done.
Out and about: never go out hungry! Eat first, and eat sensibly. If you do decide to stop by Starbucks or any of the wonderful shops that are so enticing, always think "skim," "low sugar," "light," etc. You CAN request these things, and it is your right. For a special treat, a soy hot cocoa has the goodness of soy protein and flavenoids from the cocoa. Leave off the whipped cream, of course, and get a "tall" (ie. small). The lattes of the season are also available in skim or soy and are a better option than the big mocha drinks.
Wanting a little peppermint chocolate? Try a peppermint patty (about 100 calories), a mint 3 musketeers (about 150 calories), or the new 100 calorie york peppermint sticks. They taste like thin mints (and we LOVE those, yes?).
Ideas are welcome. Let me know what works for you this time of year.
Up next: The Thanksgiving dieters' nightmare!

Womens' "Health"

I don't like to get political on this blog meant for health, but when womens' "health" was brought up last night, I felt it was my responsibility to stand up for the "health" of women in our country.
I am referring to the last presidential debate last night. So, women, consider this before going to the polling booth in a few days.
Certain parties and candidates want to deregulate big business and Wall Street. The business people are smart enough to have their own regulations and make smart business decisions that impact the entire world, apparantly. On the other hand, according to the same party and candidates, a woman needs to be regulated by federal government, legislature, and a court system. According to these parties, the women of our country are not smart enough to take all options into consideration and make the best choice for her family, and her doctor must be a kill-crazy masochist, too.
Such little faith in the women, doctors, and families here make me so incredibly sad. God Bless any woman who has ever had to make such a horrible choice. I know it is not something anyone can take lightly, and it is something she has to live with forever. There is no right answer when it comes to making this decision for someone else, because with every story, there are many sides, and there is no way to truly walk in someone else's shoes. I cannot imagine a society where a woman is brought before a court and treated like an animal when she is going through the most painful time in her life....I think they called that Witch Trials in early American times. Do we still consider women to be creatures to control?
What an insult to every family in America. Whether we personally would make this choice or not, how can we sit by and let a government make that decision for our sisters?

Healing power

To add fuel to the fire, the eternal fire that fitness enthusiests burn at all hours, ACE's latest publication says there is definitive evidence, ladies and gentlemen, that moderate exercise can do more for diabetes than the drugs can. Yes, whether it is the weight loss itself or just the moderate exercise (we're talking a few minutes of walking per day, people!), the actual disease can be reduced or CURED through exercise and eating right.
Ha!
Now ask you insurance company why your gym membership and trainer fees aren't covered. It's gotta be cheaper than the drugs...and without all the side effects. Plus, you'll feel and look darned good doing it.
Long Live Long Life.

The Reality of Changing How You Eat

I counsel people all the time on how to eat with their health in mind. Today, you get to hear about how I'm handling a change in diet.
I first discovered the nutritious life in college. I realized that eating certain foods made me feel more alive and vigorous, and I slowly cut out all the typical college foods that made me lethargic or sick. That was when I first fell in love with the science of nutrition. And that was not hard for me to stick to. I knew too much sugar made me feel bad, and that the wrong kinds of fats made me feel even worse. I did have some habits that took a while to shake, but I was young, so it really wasn't that hard. And I allowed myself to continue eating my very favorite foods, like pizza, within reason. Then, I started reading diet books and discovered that I needed a better balance of protein and good fats. That was pretty easy, too. Balancing every meal made me feel great. I was out running everyday and playing with friends well into the evening. It was easy.
The next time I had to change my diet significantly was when I was pregnant with my daughter. Now, how easy is it to think about that child when putting something in your mouth? Remarkably easy. When I imagined that peanut butter and jelly sandwich or blueberry cereal entering my baby's body, I felt good about it. I kept tabs on myself because I was accountable to a little person's pure little body. I led an incredibly healthy pregnancy and felt great about it. That may be one reason why she is so incredibly healthy....even though she won't touch a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or blueberries. Ever.
Then it got hard. My breastmilk was making my child sick. No one knows such pain as a mother who realizes that she is her child's demise, or at least that is the mother's perception. When my child got sick, my doctor suggested cutting out all tomato products, dairy products, and raw vegetables. Now I had cut out things before, but this? No yogurt? Cheese? Spaghetti? You've GOT to be kidding! But I did it...and it still didn't work. About the time I was about to give up just about everything in my diet except grilled plain chicken, the people around me convinced me to try a formula. My child and I felt much better, even though I was still beating myself up about it. And I quickly gained 5 pounds, which I lost with the guilt as I saw her grow happily.
And now, I am faced again with a change in my diet. And this time, I sympathise with all of those folks who try a diet to get healthier and give up all the foods they have been eating forever. This time, I am on a diet to balance the minerals in my body. I am out of balance for many reasons. To balance myself out, I am supposed to cut out all my favorites: nuts, dairy, soy, chocolate, sugar, all alcohol. The alcohol is pretty easy, and I don't eat that much of the chocolate and sugar. But giving up my daily walnuts, yogurt, cheese, soy milk, and soy bars is terribly difficult. As I walk through my daily life now, I see the struggles of all of those who had to change their diet for their health, and I see how easy it is to slip up. It's like telling someone NOT to think about a white bear. You're thinking about it now, right? And then it becomes obsessive. So, just as I am not supposed to eat those things, just the mear suggestion makes it incredibly difficult. And I have slipped up a little ...even on things I wouldn't normally slip up on, because of the suggestion of it! I wish there was a way to take something out of the diet without having to know what it is....hmmm. If there is a way to do that, someone clue me in.
Readers struggling with changing your eating habits, let's try to think positive about all the wonderful things this new plan has for us. For me, I will balance my body and thyroid (and metabolism) with a new plan.
I will keep you posted.

The Green Guide

Many of you know about my feelings about parabens in products. We are trying very hard to be a paraben-free house, especially for the health of my child. I just found out today that there are more products to look for beyond those ending in the word "paraben." Check out national geographic's new site, www.thegreenguide.com for information on chemicals found in sunscreens that can cause forms of cancer.
I still just can't believe the FDA won't regulate this stuff. We have to be on our guard when buying sunscreens and beauty products.
I do believe in sunscreen, used DAILY, to avoid skin cancer. But let's avoid all cancers in the mean time by avoiding dangerous chemicals that can permeate the skin.
While you are at it, go through your shampoos, lotions, and soaps, and look for these "paraben" words. Even diaper creams have parabens...THAT is scary. Get rid of your paraben items (yes, you have to toss them and then replace them with safer materials), write to your production companies for your paraben products (even Dove carries parabens; what an oxymoron), and then support those who care about the safety of your family, like Aveeno. No, I am not sponsored by Aveeno. I just believe in supporting companies that support our safety.

oops

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XxUGEN9kS9o
This is why I called the previous blog "back in the saddle." I meant to include this video. It's inspirational.

Back in the Saddle Again

This is the other time of year everyone starts up on their fitness routine or revives an old one. Of course, January would be the other time. For this new school year and new you, start thinking about where you want to see yourself in 5 years...1 year...by June...by Christmas. If you start writing these things down, you can start checking off your fitness goals.
So, if you are new to me or you are just getting started, make sure you review where I have been so far and then check out my new poll at the bottom. I look forward to hearing from you.

Olympiatic!

Are you getting into the craze of the Olympics? Time to unleash your inner Olympian and get out there. I am inspired by the grace and balance of our gymnasts, the power of the swimmers, and the bravery of the polo team (seriously!). Now, to translate to your life, take a look at the olympians at www.nbcolympics.com , or check out how they workout at http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/olympic-athlete-workouts . You can even find out what they are listening to.
Speaking of inner-athlete music, I happened upon some FREE workout music that can definitely get you moving on itunes! Look up the podcasts for Exercise-World Fitness. There, you will find a huge selection of music from yoga to cardio. Fantastic!

Next Step: Scheduling

So after you know where you want to go and when, let's talk day-to-day schedule. Most people live on a general schedule: when you wake, work, etc. Well, most people find that living on a daily schedule helps coordinate all things in life. For instance, what is the grocery shopping day? When do you do your regular hair appointments or other appointments? Do you have a scheduling software program or do you do a pen-to-paper style? Either is fine (check out www.plaxo.com for a free scheduling software). Pencil in your regular work, wake, play, etc. Schedule. Then, pencil in when you normally eat. And try to stick to it. Then, pencil in your workouts. Include what you plan to do, where, and how long. Get someone to make you accountable to this new schedule (a workout buddy, spouse, or peertrainer buddy), and start living on this schedule. Welcome to the end of the "I don't have time" lame excuse. No More!
Some people have to use several schedules, especially shift workers. That will take more planning, but it's worth it, and technology can definitely help.

new article

I have a new article on peertrainer about heart rate calculations and exercise. Check it out!
http://www.peertrainer.com/fitness/working_hard_or_hardly_working.aspx

Next Step: Goal Setting

So, if you've been to the doctor and you know your body, it's time to take a good, hard look at where you are now and where you are going. First, look at the big picture. Sometimes, the words can be a little vague. "I want to feel healthy" "I want to reduce stress" or "I want to lose weight" are all abstract ideas. So, start with the abstract and move on from there. Let's look 5 years from now. Where do you see yourself? A new job? A new feeling? What about the little things that you want to make easier? Run up a flight of steps without stopping? Play with your kids on the playground? Do you want to find your true inner self? There are so many connections between our personal life, spiritual life, career life, and our health.
OK, so you see yourself in 5 years. Now, how are we going to get there? Baby Steps, like in the movie "What About Bob." Take the first baby step. Where do you need to start? Is the problem eating? Exercise? Both? For most people, it is both. For most people, finding little fixes in those two departments works wonders for the whole picture.
SO, if that's the case, Step 1: throw stuff out. Go through your kitchen and find anything that you KNOW does not belong in your body (don't use the kids as an excuse). If it does not have nutritional value, it's gone. Of Course, dump the food in the garbage disposal and then put the packaging in the recycling bin.
Step 2: where are you going to workout and how? If you know that you are not going to workout without going to the gym, then it is time to join. If you know your time to exercise is 5 AM running/walking the dog, then set your alarm, my friend, and don't look back. Home exerciser? Time to check out the plethora of DVD's available at amazon.com (or createspace.com), Target, or any local sports store. Get workout clothes and shoes.
Step 3: schedule. Schedule your exercise within your day. AND, start noticing when your body requires food and schedule your meals and snacks around that.
So, you have a schedule, you have perused your farmer's market, and you know where you are going to start your exercise. How do you know where you will be and what you should expect? The norm is 2-3 pounds of weight loss per week. This is a roundabout and depends on many factors. Use it as a round number and set a weight goal for 2 months from now, if weight loss is the issue. If stress or general health are the issue, find a place you want to be at in 2 months. Can you make a little headway on your cholesterol? What about sleep? Do you want to be able to sleep for a solid 6 hours in 2 months? This is possible!
NOW, after you set that long term goal and that 8 week goal, make it to the 8th week and then start setting more goals. It gets easier. You will find that with a goal and a lot of self-motivation, you can get up early, make it to the gym, or eat that spinach salad instead of the TBone steak. You just have to remind yourself. A lot. And you have to be realistic with yourself. If you slip up, just get right back on that horse! A tiny slip up, you will find, really won't hurt that much in the end. It's the snowball effect that hurts. So, you just have to let it go and don't be so hard on yourself. Remember, if you don't allow yourself a piece of cake today, you might eat the whole cake tomorrow.
Finally, remember in kindergarten when you got a gold sticker for meeting a goal? We are all still that kid. We need a little external motivation. So, if you meet that goal, give yourself a gold star. What's a gold star? A spa day? A pair of shoes you have been eyeing? The clothes might be a necessity and a nice bonus. Tickets to the Astros game?
Keep a journal and hold yourself accountable. If you can't be accountable to yourself, be accountable to a workout buddy or a peertrainer group (www.peertrainer.com). It takes 3 solid weeks to make a new habit, and then you will find it's harder to live without your new healthy lifestyle. So, give it 3 weeks and then make it to your 8 week goal. Surprise yourself. Anything's possible.

CoQ10

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/coenzyme-q10/NS_patient-coenzymeq10
This is the Mayo article on CoQ10 that I found, for those of you at the class Monday night. I am not convinced that CoQ10 does much, based on the research that I can find. When looking at the bottle, it appears that it is a soy product meant to replace human CoQ10. So, I wonder if just increasing soy products in the diet could produce the same results. Soy products would be soy milk, edamame, or tofu.

New Opportunity

Real quick post: find my new article on peertrainer
http://www.peertrainer.com/fitness/why_spend_money_on_a_personal_trainer.aspx
If you live in LJ and are a member of the "Biggest Loser" class through Brazosport College, I will see you Monday night, July 14, for my seminar on beginning nutrition!

Happy Summer Holidays!

Before the next post, I want to briefly pause and wish everyone a Happy 4th; the big summer holiday. Along with big holidays come big travel plans, big plans, sometimes a loss of schedule, and some big eats. Here's how to keep it from getting out of hand:

1. Try to stay as close to your regular schedule as you can. In other words, if you usually eat breakfast at 7, continue to do so. If you eat lunch at 11, continue to do so. Do NOT try to "save up" calories for later by not eating all day. That will backfire in several ways, but mostly in that you will probably end up doubling your calories in one sitting. The body doesn't do well under that kind of pressure. Instead, on the party day, keep your blood sugar balanced with regular meals and snacks. At the dinner or snack time that coincides with the party, you are more likely to make better choices. Go for the cake? Sure! But if your blood sugar is under control and you don't feel panicked for food, you are more likely to eat one piece instead of the left hand side.

2. Move. You may not be able to keep up your normal exercise routine while out of town, but an opportunity will present itself, even if it is just moderate. Moderate is better than sedentary, yes? Strike up a family game of frisbee or offer to take the dogs out. If it is a pool party, the more movement you do in the pool, the more non-sweaty calories you will burn.

3. Keep the drinky-drink under control. Too many drinks, and you may find yourself back at the snack bar, grabbing uncontrolably. You may also end up dehydrated, which is dangerous in the summer heat. And, no one enjoys the morning hangover. Instead, enjoy a great cocktail slowly. If it does become more than one, spread them out with water in between.

Have a great holiday. Here's to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Step 1: Know Thyself

And to thy own self be true, yes? How would we ever start on a fitness journey without knowing from where we come? So, start here. THEN, we'll talk goal setting.
If you haven't seen your doctor in a year, it's time to plan a visit. Take a fasting blood test and ask your doctor to supply you with your stats. Then, ask him how your numbers appear to him. Here are the really important ones:
-fasting blood sugar
-cholesterol
-triglycerides
-blood pressure
-thyroid
For any of these numbers, there are solutions. Most problems are solved through diet and exercise, HOWEVER, if your doctor sees that you need medication for your problem, take his advice into consideration. After all, heart disease and diabetes are major killers in the United States. You may have to go on medicine for a while, but you may be allowed to go off later if you get it under control using diet and exercise.
Another topic to really discuss is the thyroid issue. Men have thyroid problems, but women are far more likely to have a problem after having a child or changing hormones in some part of life. Many doctors may try to convince you that your thyroid numbers are fine because there is a very large range of "normal." "Normal" may not be your normal, so if you experience any of the following, you must tell your doctor while going over your thyroid number:
-lethargy
-fatigue
-excessive weight change
-hair loss
If he or she is not listening to you, seek the advice of another doctor. Thyroid issues are serious, but unfortunately, they are largely ignored because the symptoms appear so vague.
Also, if you feel normal, hold on to your thyroid number. This way, if you do have a life change, you can revisit that number to see if it has indeed changed.
Once you have gotten your medical advice, and your ok from the doctor we can move on to step 2: goal setting
See you soon.

up and running

Not that it's perfect (I mean, who ARE those people on my page?), but my page is up and running. I will get in there and improve, but at least now you can get to my information.

New Blog Format

Well, I am starting my health, fitness, nutrition blogging today. This is for members of my peertrainer team and group, as well as viewers of carriefit.com and friends and family who know me as a fitness professional.
I just want to start today with a howdy, and let you know that it is my personal goal to make our world a healthier place. I want to help kids, parents, professionals, groups, businesses, and everyone simply lead healthier lives. For if we all feel better, the world will simply be a better place.
From the inside out, yes?
Feel free to comment and ask questions, and if you are not a member, please join Team Carriefit at peertrainer.com.
There will be more info coming soon, and I plan to podcast and do videos as well. I will keep you posted!

Whoa nelly!

My face is huge and I can't make it smaller!
The scrapblog is not coming up, unfortunately. Maybe the video makes it too big.

Out

OK, so I have to be out of the class, which makes me sad. BUT, I have learned so much and I am looking through some of the things. I love scrapblog! I am excited that I can put it straight on my blog and that I can save it. It does video and pictures, which is so cool!

Jade scrapblog

Thing 25: letter pop

http://letterpop.com/newsletters/?id=90122-b0acc6

Yes, this is an exceedingly creative newsletter. I am sure I can do better with more of a mission. I just threw together some family pictures. So, now that I know about letterpop, I can do a music monthly newsletter or a fitness newsletter. Good to know.

Thing 24: Zamzar

OK, so I was very excited to see this free site to convert stuff. I mean, how often do we say "shoot" when we are required to use a certain file type and we can't convert? My husband recently bought software to fix this problem between mp4 and mp3.
I uploaded an mp4, which took a long time, and I am nervous now about where it is. They are going to email me to tell me where to find that file. That sounds a little iffy.

2.1 intro

I'm starting 2.1 this week. Sounds like fun to me. I just added my blog to the summer partner list. It took me a few minutes to figure out how to make it a link, but now I'm in.

CreateSpace

What a great idea! Amazon now offers createspace.com, where people can create music or DVD's, send them to the company for professional processing, and sell them!

Week 9: Thing 23

So I guess this is the end of the course. I explored things I never thought of and discovered some great new sites and ways to communicate. I really appreciate the opportunity to learn this stuff so that I can use it to my advantage. We should always be bettering our education, yes?
I hope the next course includes how to podcast and how to have an effective website. While I am going to branch out on my own and try to discover, I would love to be led a little to the right places. Technology is changing so fast that I don't want to start something and have it already be obsolete.
Thanks again for the opportunity. I won't shut this blog down. Hopefully, I will start my new section on health and hopefully it will be linked up to a website before too long.

Week9:

Week 9: Thing 21

I'm really interested in how TO podcast, so after this computer class, I will be working on that. I think it would be a great addition to my future website. That's a summer project for me. I'v been listening to several podcasts for a while: Pandora radio and NPR are pretty great. The Education Podcast website is really cool. Just in music education alone, there are tons of worthy podcasts. One from Quincy Jones, one by Gibson guitars, several on pedagogy, and studies of classical music. It's overwhelming. I tried to RSS the Quincy Jones one, but it failed. I usually get them through itunes, which is very simple.

Week 9: Thing 20

So I use youtube.com for my own family videos, and I love sending videos to family far away. www.youtube.com/johnericharper . I also search for music videos and interesting musicians on youtube. It is the era of indie music and plenty of exposure for lots of young musicians (and old). There is one guy who does the most incredible mouth percussion ever. His video is in the kitchen, where he "mixes" together sounds and does it all through his mouth. Pretty incredible. There is also a movie coming out on Bobby Bowden, so some of those clips have been on youtube. And I just found out this morning that my fitness certification company, ACE, also has a youtube channel, so I will check that out when I get home.
I like teachertube, though there is not much music just yet.
I found yahoo videos, which has some pretty funny ones, but not anything as good as you tube.
I also found out about yahoo teachers, thanks to this search, which is not quite up and running yet, but it looks like it will be a peertrainer but for teachers. That will be good. I look forward to that.

Week 8: Thing 19

Library Thing is cool. I won't use it very often, so I didn't sign up, but it's good to know it's there. I love books, of course, but these days, it's all about going to the library and letting my child pick out some great childrens books.
I'm always looking for books that I can use in the music room. Books that can be broken down into rhythm or that have some music to them are great for my kids. So, I will probably use the site to find other musicians who use books in the same way.

Week 8 Thing 18b

And zoho has lots of other applications that other sites charge for; it's worth it for people who do web meetings and such.

Week8 Thing 18

I could kick myself. I like this zolo thingie, but I accidentally deleted the confirmation email, so I won't be able to use it unless I start over again. It's good to know that this service exists for free! The google one, from what I can tell, is pretty much the same.
I created a wiki on wikispaces and deleted it a day later. I don't see myself keeping it up. I'll be checking in on others, though. What a great idea.

Week 7: Thing 17

I tried this whole wiki thing. It seems like a great idea, so we'll see if I actually do anything with it. I have an educators wiki on wikispaces, but it's a health ed one instead of music. I think it's weird that anybody can go in there and do what they want. It makes me think that kids can sabotage their teachers' wikis. Hopefully not.

Week 7: Thing 16

How cool. Distance learning is the thing now, which worries me a little. I mean, It's great for a class or two, or for teachers to learn new stuff, or for certain degrees...but I hope it's not getting close to the end of the college and university as we know it. There is so much more to school besides...school. And the kids these days are so virtual that they are starting to forget about the art of socialization.
Anyway, the teacher wiki is really neat. It is open, so teachers from everywhere can put their 2 cents in. Through there is teachertube.com , the video spot for teacher ideas. Very cool.

Wow Itunes

ITunes, as many of you know, is a go-to to find just about any kind of music, and now there are podcasts and videos available, some for free.
Have you checked out ITunesU? Click on that little link and find tons of FREE lectures, informational programming, and classes! It's fantastic! I am partial to the videos by Little Kids Rock, but libraries have arts and literature online and universities have lectures and information for the public. My husband's school, Texas Tech, has some great information about the music school and becoming a music major.
How cool!

Week 6: Thing 15

I read through the discovery project. It's true that tech stuff is changing faster than most of us can keep up. It's amazing and inspiring that we can now communicate across the world in real time for free. Much of what is new and upcoming is great. Of course, there are a lot of problems, too, especially with no control over what goes over the internet. I believe in free speech, of course, but when sites like juicycampus.com are allowed to slander people with anonymoty and no repercussions, there is a problem. There is also a problem, as discussed in this week, with peoples' property and copyright laws. I don't know if we can catch up with all of the problems, but there should at least be an agency that tries.

Week 6: Thing 14

Technorati is not my thing. I really could care less about random peoples' blogs.

Week 6: Thing 13

I have a deli.cio.us button now. We'll see how well it organizes all my stuff.

Week 6: Thing 13

Neat sight lookybook. That's something I will be using. I have been wondering about this deli.cio.us thing, so I think I will work with that some more.

video online

You know we always have to circumvent youtube. A clean (as far as I can see) and really cool online video site is www.flixxy.com .

Week 5: Thing 11 or 12

Rollyo is very cool. And very fun. I am constantly looking through the same websites, and so now I can just go to my personal rollyo and find the info I need. I created three search lists: fitness, music, and kids' music. My name is carriexpress on there.

Week 5: Thing 11

I meant "GOYD" in the previous blog.
Anyway, I searched a lot of the award sites. It's great to see all this help for marketing and podcasting going on. I love pandora; I've been using that in the classroom. And I love peertrainer, which I have been on for a couple of years. My group is moms get fit. If anybody wants to start a "teachers get fit" or something, let me know. My group always gets free advice (whether they like it or not).

Week 5: Thing 10

Very fun playing with images. You have to watch out for copyrights, though, and I don't like throwing real pictures of myself and my family "out there." But I love my motivational poster. It's my new theme. GOYB can mean many things. It can mean be present in your life. It can mean move a little more. It can mean do something for this world. It can mean get off the meaningless TV or computer and live life. Whatever it means, I like it. I did a Warholism poster of my daughter and a ball. I like it because you can't really tell who she is, but it looks really cool.

Week 4 more RSS

I take classes at cnet.com every so often (they are great and quick, by the way), and now I am taking a course on getting search engines to notice and list your website. Very interesting information and places to go to list your own RSS and get a newslist going. If you have a website that you are already working on, I recommend this class.

Week 4

I've also discovered some great education websites.
www.artsedge.kennedy-center.com
www.free.ed.gov
www.educationamerica.com
It's almost impossible to see all the possiblities of these sites.

Week 4 edits

So, once I put in an avatar, it apparantly can't be changed. How annoying. I've been editing and uploading, but it won't change.

Week 4 Thing 9

Sorry to say it, but those sites listed to find blogs and news are a waste of time. I don't like to read random ramblings from idiots. I prefer news from news sources or expert blogs. I did, by accident, find www.totalmom.com and www.momcentral.com for all you moms who are looking for good mom-type resources. They have relevant blogs and information.

Week 4: RSS

Wow. OK; I am floored by this company. I can see why the technology world is following google's suit and why all tech people want to work for them. How inspiring.
I had seen RSS on my regular news sites before, but I figured it had something to do with that part of society that is actively involved in maintaining websites. What a surprise that it works for me, and it was so easy. It was pretty much automatically set up for me.
So, I have news, "fun," and my favorite fashion sites on my reader, plus a direct link back here to my blog!
Another thing that amazes me is that so many people sit around and read each others' blogs. It's like a resurgance of reading...though sometimes I'm sure it's not exactly literature. But, hey, if it gets kids reading something, it's better than nothing, right??

Week 3 Google Stuff

I'm just blown away, and a little intimidated by, all the google stuff I have come across lately. This GrandCentral thing sounds fabulous and a little scary, and I just noticed today that I have a button on my google toolbar that will send something directly to my blog when I am on a website. That's nuts!

Week 3 Flickr stuff

I really don't get it. I guess I'm not doing enough with it, but the posters and montagers are pretty blah...not impressive to me. I tried to do some musical stuff, but the pictures just don't look MUSICAL.

Week 3 Thing 6ish

I think I formatted correctly with word enabling, whatever that means. If I didn't enable words, what would the comments be? Pictures? Heiroglyphics?

Week 3 Thing 5

I found my way around Flickr. Well...I didn't know I am already a member with pictures up! That was a surprise! I guess I was working on another project or something. Anyway, it's pretty easy to set up Flickr with Blogger, so I went ahead and linked up!

Week 2?

Thing 4: registered with district

Week 1

I am blogging on setting up my new classroom 2.0 blog. So far, so good, except finding a blog name that wasn't in use!
I hope to be able to blog to a website. My clients have been waiting for me to set up my carriefit website for a long time. I want to be able to blog and podcast from a website, and hopefully be able to be in touch with clients and other fitness people this way.