How does a domestic goddess stay off the couch?

I just read an article that people who sit most of the day increase their risk of heart attack by 54%. The article is mainly geared toward people who work in offices and it doesn’t count if you exercise when you leave work after sitting all day. I don’t have an office job or work out or anything but I do have a home routine of my own to help me stay moving. The tips in the article I read are good yet obvious ones for business people but if you stay at home like I do, you have to be more creative in making yourself not sit for long periods. I’ll share with you what I do to stay up and going despite the temptations.

1 Buy furniture for looks. They are usually the most uncomfortable and you won’t want to be there all day.

2. Leave yourself tons of “little stuff” on your to do list. Like a dish or two or all of them in the sink after dinner so you can get up in a little while when you feel like it and wash it.

3. Don’t be a neat freak. If your house is always clean and you have everything in order, you may be forced to sit around all day Saturday with nothing to do.

4. Leave your cell phone on the other side of the house. Its best if you leave it in a different place each time. When it rings you have to jump up, run across the house and actually find it to answer it. You will probably miss some calls but you’ll increase your movement when they keep calling back.

5. Make sure you have some laundry piled up. You want to be able to do 3 or 4 loads in a given day. If you time it right, you would get up about every 2 or 3 commercial breaks from your soaps to change over or fold laundry. This is excellent movement.

6. Be forgetful. This is one of my favorite “moving” workouts. There is nothing better than forgetting what you went to the kitchen for. You have to go back to where you were and start over. If you are lucky enough to be extremely forgetful, you could repeat this process many times. It helps also to lose your keys or your wallet randomly to get in a quick workout in before sitting in the car.

There are so many other creative ways to keep yourself moving when you’re at home, the kids are in school , and you’re faced with that risky dilemma of me time.

The secret job you don't know you have.

The world of kids needs a few good mentors. Oh, wait, you are a mentor and you probably don’t even know it. Some of the best mentors in the world are the family members who are not a parent or sibling, but the person that doesn’t mind hanging out with you and sharing some good fun together. You have no idea what a great impact this has on a child or teenager. An Aunt or Uncle can bring new perspectives, ideas and interests that really add to the quality of childhood. Like getting an A in math AND all the extra credit answers right.

When I was young (er), I had a favorite aunt. And I say “had” only because of the child perspective. She’s still my favorite. I thought she was the coolest person ever. She was very outgoing and I remember all the hiking and exploring we would do. She loved to travel and I anticipated hearing about her adventures overseas and working with children. I knew for sure that one day when I grew up, I would be just like her. It gave me a new way at looking at life than what was only in front of me. Well, I didn’t grow up just like her, she’s still traveling or on a hiking trail somewhere and I’m sitting in front of a computer screen but I know she’ll always be there and still one of my favorite “grown ups”.
When I grew older and had a child of my own, I was a devout Tomboy. I was anti-dresses, no heals, could care less about my nails and pretty sure I could do whatever my brothers could. I was thankful that my daughter had aunts in the family to show her the frilly pink stuff, the hair bows and play dress up. Her being able to spend that quality time with them created bonds that will last a lifetime.

In working with so many kids lately, I noticed a trend in the lack of someone to talk to. They just might not know that they do have people in their lives that love them like parents and care about everything they do. You could be that person and you need to look around and let them know that you’re there for them. Non judgmental, just to talk to or hang out with or a person they can vent to if they ever need someone. My nieces and nephews know that I have a revolving door that is constantly open. Spending time with them is so much fun and I always look forward to seeing them.

Hikng, Hope and a Mission of Love

Last Saturday kicked off the Hike for Hope at the Cumberland Mountain State Park. Even though the weather was a little under the weather, we had a great time and a lot of people came out to hike, eat, chat, listen to live music and get a glimpse of what is involved in hiking over 2100 miles.


John Wigington gave us some insight as to how life was on the trail for days at a time. The amount of gear to carry was amazing since this included sleeping, cooking, emergency items and even extra shoes. This is not an undertaking for the weak willed or casual walker!

Thank you to all who came out and braved the cold. The two mile hike at the park was actually very refreshing and even amidst the mist, was very enjoyable.


I was touched as well by a story that had developed out of someone hearing about John’s quest to walk for the House of Hope. After John had been on the radio talking about this AT adventure, I received a phone call from Alex Horony. Alex was also a retired service man and told me the story of his brother John who had passed away in 2007 of cancer. John was an avid hiker, outdoorsman, and carpenter. John had hiked in Europe and also had a drive to complete the Appalachian Trail even after his diagnosis of cancer. John (Horony) carried with him a hiking stick that would mark the miles of the trail as he hiked it. Most hikers are “section hikers” and complete the entire AT by doing it in sections throughout the years. John had completed most of the trail until he was too weak from cancer treatments to go any further. Alex called the House of Hope and asked if John Wigington would be willing carry John Horony’s walking stick the rest of the way to complete the AT in his honor. I really teared up watching John W. accept this walking stick to finish a dream for someone that couldn’t.

Alex Horony handing over the hiking stick to John Wigington




John Horony 1953 to 2007