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May 24

8th Continent Soymilk at Fiesta Hermosa!

Article by: Sara Lopez

8th Continent Soymilk will be at Fiesta Hermosa again this year!

I attended the festival last year and was amazed at the wide variety of entertainment, arts, crafts and activities that were available and appropriate for kids of all ages. (Including adults who still consider themselves as kids.)

The festival takes place every Memorial Day and Labor Day Weekend (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) in downtown Hermosa Beach, California. Fiesta Hermosa is known as the largest arts and crafts fair in Southern California, and it isn’t hard to see why.

From the amazingly diverse food court to the charity Beer and Wine Garden and two stages of live music, adults can be entertained the whole three days.

And of course they didn’t forget the kiddies! The Kiddie Carnival features a 30 foot slide, mechanical rides, rock climbing wall and bungee jump, and games for kids from 3 to 10 years old. There are also Pony Rides, Petting Zoos and amazing Face Painters. I got an awesome piece of art brushed on my face last year while I was hanging out with my 8th Continent Fam!

So if you are near Southern California, make sure to come out to this awesome event and also make sure to stop by our booth, check out the new packaging, and slam some soymilk with us!

Did you go last year? What was your favorite part? Let us know on our Facebook Page or give us a shout on Twitter!

Events

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May 21

Helpful Technology for Cyclists

As the National Bike to Work Week wraps up I wanted to share with you some of the apps and websites that will help you get out and plan the commute on your environmentally friendly/ health improving bicycle.

Trails.com
This awesome website allows you to rate trails, see trails rated by other people according to what they are suitable for. For example, a trail is rated differently whether you select mountain biking or road biking due to the terrain. You can also track your trails and get some awesome tips for all-around outdoor activities.

Google Maps
Did you know that when you enter in directions from Point A to Point B there are four different transportation options? You can either select Car, Walk, Use Public Transit or Bike. Click bike and you will be shown the best route, distance, and expected time to lapse.

EveryTrail for the Iphone
EveryTrail is free and closely integrated with EveryTrail’s website. It allows you to track your trips, take pictures, and share them on EveryTrail’s site and also link them to your Facebook and Twitter account! You can download the app for free here.

iMapMyRide for the Iphone
iMapMyRide is another free app for the Iphone that allows you to track your trips, Create your own profile, add friends and record and log workouts. You can download it for free here.

So now that you have the technology for it, get ready to hit the road! Need any more tips about your cycling adventures? Hit us up on Twitter or Facebook!

Fitness

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May 18

Yoga Made Easy- Pose 1

Article by Megan Stremmick

Baddha Konasana (Bound Angle Pose or Cobblers Pose)

I have been a yoga instructor for 5 years now and truly believe that my daily practice, even if it’s just for ten minutes a day, has significantly contributed to being able to get back in shape after having a baby.

If you have ever watched a little kid sit down into what we usually call “Indian Style” and then observed in aw as they maneuvered this way and that into flexible positions that you didn’t think were possible and thought to yourself,  “wouldn’t it be great if I could do that”, then this is the pose for you. It’s a great pose for all degrees of flexibility, even if you’ve never done yoga before. This pose is also great for runners and bikers with tight hips as well because Baddha Konasana opens up our hips, groin, and inner thighs not only making it easier to sit on the floor and have tea parties with your daughter but help boost your athletic performance as well by lengthening the muscles that get ‘bound up’, from strenuous physical activities.

Baddha Konasana Benefits:

  1. Lengthens and strengthens the spine, inner groin, hips and knees.
  2. Stimulates and massages the internal organs of the abdomen, improving digestion and the function of the liver and kidneys
  3. Continuous practice of this pose during pregnancy is said to help ease child birth
  4. Creates flexibility in the hips
  5. Helps relieve symptoms of menopause

Baddha Konasana How To:

  1. Begin seated on the floor with your legs outstretched—placing a blanket underneath your tailbone if you have tight hips
  2. Pull the navel into the spine, bend your knees, and bring your heels toward your pelvis
  3. Drop your knees down toward the floor while keeping the soles of the feet together
  4. Place your hands on the same-side ankle and lift your chest by lengthening from the sternum as you work your outer thighs further toward the ground, opening up the inner groin
  5. Hold here for 1 to 5 minutes before slowly returning to the starting position

Baddha Konasana Caution:

Those with groin or knee issues should only perform this pose with a blanket underneath the outer thighs.

What is your favorite yoga pose? Let us know on our Facebook or Twitter!

Fitness

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May 17

May is National Bike Month

Article by Sara Lopez

I recently bought myself a beauty of a bike. It’s a street bike, crimson red, 14 gear and I named her Roxanne. I knew I wanted a bike that could go long distances, work best on pavement, and would be good for a commute in a city.

There a couple of great reasons to pick up biking. It’s great for your health and the environment. We’re not saying ditch the main ride for full time commutes, but try biking to work on the sunny days or planning weekend bike trips here and there.

That said, below is an intro on bikes for anyone on the fence.

The first step to choosing the right bike for you is deciding what you’re going to use it for and where you’re going to ride it. Check out the different types of bikes available so you can find your perfect match and get out there.

There are basically four main types of bicycles to choose from:

Road Bikes

Road Bikes are designed for riding on pavement and going fast and long distances. A road bike usually has a light-weight frame, skinny tires and a seat that has you positioned bent over the handlebars.

The frames of most road bikes are not particularly beefy in construction and generally won’t stand up well for extended periods under heavy loads or on really rough surfaces. Their light-weight is intended for long distance riding on pavement. They are about as well-suited for a path in the woods as you would be when wearing high heels.

Mountain Bikes

These bikes have wide tires, usually with knobby treads and a stout frame, and are designed to handle the rugged trails without disintegrating.

Mountain bikes do not go as fast as road bikes, which is a trade-off for their durability along with a more comfortable riding position. You sit higher on these bikes, more upright with the straight handlebars, which is often a happier choice for people with back problems than being hunched over as you are on a road bike.

Hybrid Bikes

Hybrid Bikes are a compromise between road and mountain bikes and offer the best features of both if most of your riding will be shorter trips on pavement. With skinnier, smooth tires, they typically can go faster than mountain bikes, yet feature the upright seat and handlebar position that many people favor.

Hybrids are a good choice for most city riding, and offer speed, durability and comfort.

Cruisers

Cruisers are bikes with wide tires, wide seats, upright handlebars and sometimes even just a single gear. These are the bikes that you’ll often see at the beach. Simpler mechanically, they are easy to maintain but work best with flat terrain and a rider whose main interest is more about being comfortable than with going fast. They’re intended for cruising on paved level terrain at the top speed of chill.

There are other variations and types of bikes like the Tandem, Tricycles and Recumbents, but these four are the most widely used. So now that you know which bike is right for you- get out there and enjoy the wind in your hair in the sunshine!

Do you already ride a bike? Celebrate Bike Month with us! Post a picture of your bike on our Facebook or send us a Twitpic on Twitter!

Fitness

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May 14

My First Mother’s Day

Megan Stremmick and Charlie

My First Mother’s Day
Post by Megan Stremmick

When you’re a mom, newbie or veteran, and the opportunity to have an adult weekend away presents it self and all of the logistics work out in your favor it’s hard to turn down. About a month or so ago that’s exactly what happened…

Opportunity:

*Napa–

My mom is available to watch the baby

Sharing a cottage on a vineyard with friends (shared cost fits our budget)

Friends are driving so we don’t have to pay for airfare

My husband and I can indulge in food and wine and more food and more wine

I check the calendar for the weekend that we are invited to go and while I see the bold words Mother’s Day written in the box on that Sunday of May 9th it does not even occur to me that this will be my first Mother’s Day and if we go I will not be spending it with my 11 month old, Charlie. I just keep asking my mom if she’s sure that it will be okay with her and assuring her we will be home in time to celebrate at dinner, after all she is the most important mom since she is the oldest (don’t tell her I said that or she’ll kill me).

So when the time came we set the GPS for Napa and off we went. We had a blast with our friends—two of which used to live in that area so it was like having a private tour since the rest of us had never been. We stopped at Joseph Phellps, Frog’s Leap, Keenan, (a couple of others that I admittedly don’t remember the names of) and we stayed at the Anderson Con Valley winery. We were nestled amongst the vineyards with our own bocce ball court, wood burning pizza oven, yard of wild flowers, and of course plenty of wine. My husband and I woke up Saturday morning and went for an hour long jog on windy roads with nothing but grapevines surrounding us on all sides and the weather was picture perfect.

Sunday morning crept up sooner than we were all hoping it would and it was time to go home. As we were making coffee and packing our things my husband handed me a card, I opened it and it read Happy Mother’s Day on the front. I started to tear up and it hit me then that this was my first Mother’s Day and I wasn’t with my little Charlie. I had been missing him all weekend since this was the longest we had been away from him but at that moment I missed him even more. Next thing everyone noticed was me heaving all the bags into the car, tossing all of their coffees into the sink and honking the horn to hurry them up so we could start our journey home. They were all surprisingly understanding considering none of them have any children.

The seven hours it took to get home seemed like an eternity but we passed the time with childish games and conversation that left everyone knowing a bit too much about each other. We arrived home, said our goodbyes to our fellow winos and got our selves ready to go to my parent’s house for dinner. We arrive at my folks place and race up the walkway, fly through the door and spot Charlie in the family room sitting with a couple of his cousins watching a nature show on TV.

“Charlie, momma and dada are home”! He turns his head to see us, gives a big smile and turns right back around to keep watching his show.

“Charlie, we missed you so much”! I say as I pick him up and hug him tight. He keeps smiling but now he’s bobbing and weaving his head to keep his eyes on the lions and tigers and bears on the TV. While I admit it took the wind out of my sails just a tad that he did not squeal in delight and come running toward me with open arms (even though he’s not even walking yet) it felt so good just to hold him. This is what home feels like, I thought to myself, no matter where we live, home is with my husband and my son.

The evening celebration of Mother’s Day gave me a chance to take it all in. We all had a gift for our mom and she gave each of us moms tank tops with a picture of a wine glass on it that read “Mommy’s Sippy Cup”, perfect, just perfect. At dinner we gave a toast to ourselves as moms and to all of the moms out there doing it on their own—may they receive the strength, energy, and love they need everyday to be the best moms they can…and a weekend getaway to Napa doesn’t hurt either.

How was your Mother’s Day? Share your stories on Facebook or let us know on Twitter!

Family Megan Stremick

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May 7

An Open Letter to Moms- Especially Mine.

You don’t wear a cape.

There are no gold stars on the side of your car for every amazing thing you do.

But you are nothing less than heroes.

From the soup when I was sick, to the thoughtful notes you used to put in my brown bag lunches.

You made me eat my veggies, even though I didn’t want to.

You gave me those awesome tasting Flinstone Daily Chewable Vitamins… and that hideous tasting Robitussin.

You knew how to calmly and gently put me to sleep when I had nightmares; and you knew how to wake me up from sleep when I had school- at times not so calmly.

You were shocked when I got a tattoo- but eventually you told me you could see the art in it.

When everyone at school said my freckles looked like dirt you explained to me how they were actually kisses from angels.

And when I was in kindergarten you let me wear my purple Pepe Le pou Chucks with my pink rolled up sweatpants and my bedazzled LA Gear jean jacket because I thought I looked super cool.

And no matter how little sleep you got, or how stressed work made you, or if you got a sunburn from standing in the park too long because I was determined to reach the stars from a swingset- you have always been the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Here is to every mom out there that still has stains on her favorite shirt from cleaning up our dirt pies, finger-painting projects, teaching us how to cook, rolling around with us in the grass and simply loving us.

We love you too.

Happy Mother’s Day
Sara Lopez

Tell us how much you love your mom on Facebook or Twitter!

Family Sara Lopez

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May 6

Great Workouts to do at the Beach!

I don’t know about you, but when I think of summer- my mind goes right to the beach. Playing in the sand, running around, wading in the water.  And do you ever notice at the end of the day you are exhausted and crash out earlier than normal?

That’s because a trip to the beach is a great way to get a work out! Here are some tips and exercises you can do at the beach to get in shape and still have a blast.

Stretch
Make sure to take several extra minutes to stretch before and after your breach workout, especially your legs. Even someone in great shape will be working muscles not normally worked due to the sand’s natural resistance. Quick tip: swimming is a great stretching exercise!

Running in the Shallow Sand
This is a very powerful workout.  It is much more effective than free running because not only are you planting your foot in the sand, but you also have to use strength to pull your feet back out.

Arm Sifts
This exercise is great for the arms
Sit on your bent knees in the sand
Bury your palms facing outward in the sand
Now start sifting and lifting sand with your palms to throw it away
Do this vigorously and you will be able to feel the burn

Leg Sifts
With this exercise you use your legs to force sand out. You can vary the leg action of lifting and throwing away the sand from front to sideways.
Stand with your legs shoulder width apart
Bury your ankles in the sand, and try to lift the sand and throw it away using your leg
Repeat this movement with the other leg
Repeat using alternate legs as quickly as possible

After the post-workout stretching make sure to also allow yourself some “cool-down” time. The natural cooling effect from being by water will be refreshing! So not only did you have a great day at the beach- but you are also working on your beach body!

How do you get prepared to shed those winter layers? Let us know on Facebook or on Twitter!

Fitness

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May 4

Great Crafts to Make for Mother’s Day!

As Mother’s Day quickly approaches remember that any gift-giving holiday can be a great time to teach kids about the customization and personalization of a gift. So daddies- this is a great time to step up to the plate and help the kiddies make something awesome for Mother’s Day!

And even I still get all excited to make something for my mama on Mother’s Day. I am 24 and the feeling of nostalgia that making a macaroni shell frame for her never goes away! After all, it is a great way to remind her that no matter where we go- we will always be mama’s little girl/boy.

Here are a few crafts that will be sure to make any Mother’s Day special.

Memory Keeper
By WomansDay.com Staff
Materials

  • Small/Medium box
  • Long colored paper/ construction paper
  • Photos
  • Markers
  • Glue
  1. Find a small box. Then cut a piece of paper the width of the box and 20 inches long.
  2. Fold paper accordion-style into 5 equal-size sections.
  3. Add photos or paper cutouts to each section.
  4. Glue the first section of paper into the box bottom, and the last section to the lid.
  5. Let dry, and close box with paper folded inside.

Curlicue Card
By WomansDay.com Staff
Materials

  • Colored Construction Paper
  • Scissors
  • Glue
  • Cardboard
  • Decorative Ribbon
  1. Cut colored construction paper into 1/4″ strips. Roll the strips into round shapes.
  2. Glue the end of each strip to its roll so it doesn’t unwind.
  3. Arrange the shapes on a piece of colored cardboard as desired and glue into place.

Love Note Flip-Book
By Disney Family Fun Staff
Materials

  • Colored 3- by 5-inch index cards
  • Hole punch
  • Scissors
  • Card stock
  • Small metal binder rings
  1. Fill a number of colored 3- by 5-inch index cards with poems, drawings, and heartfelt messages. Use a hole punch to make 2 holes at the top of each card, making sure the holes in all the cards line up.
  2. To prepare a stand (above, right), cut a piece of colorful card stock into a 5- by 10-inch rectangle, then fold the rectangle in half widthwise. Punch 2 holes just below the fold, using one of your punched index cards as a guide. Fold each end of the card stock 2 inches in from the edge, then use scissors to cut a 1-inch slit in the center of each flap.
  3. Stack together all of the cards, placing the folded card stock at the bottom of the pile, then bind together all of the pieces using 2 small metal binder rings (available at office supply stores). To set up the flip-book, just interlock the slits in the flaps of the card stock to create a triangular display stand.

Now that you have made the perfect gift for Mother’s Day make sure to share your pictures with us! You can send them off on Twitter or post them on our Facebook Fan Page!

Also, are you looking for the perfect recipe to make for Mother’s Day? Check out our amazing selection of simple recipes here!

Crafts

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