Thursday 19 December 2019

The Cranky Book Reviewer read Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster

A book review for Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster. Disclaimer: I was provided with a free copy of this book in return for providing a review. There was no payment involved. 

Image from Amazon.co.uk


I read Esme's Wish by Elizabeth Foster, a "highly-rated fantasy novel for younger teens," with trepidation. This is my first solicited book review; her PR firm reached out to me to offer me a copy if I'd review it, and my first thought (of course) was, "Hey! Free stuff!" My second was, "But what if I don't like it?"

I resolved to read it critically, and if I needed to remind myself that I wasn't the target audience, then so be it.

The Cranky Book Reviewer doesn't like feeling trepidatious. (Image credit: author's own.)


I needn't have worried. It's a wonderful book.

Summary (no spoilers)

It is Ms. Foster's first novel. The story follows Esme, a 15-year-old whose father has just remarried, her artist mother having disappeared -- presumed drowned -- seven years before. Troubled when her new stepmother's family tries to erase her mother's presence in her home, Esme discovers clues that lead her to Aeolia, a magical world where enchantment is part of every person, place and thing. As she explores this beautiful new setting, her friends help her learn that bravery and trust are essential as they search for the truth not just behind her mother's disappearance but in saving Aeolia itself.



What's good about this book?

Action? Yes. Magic? Yes, by the bucketful. Mystery? So much. There's even a possible romance hinted at (after all, the main characters are teenagers).

The language is beautifully descriptive, though a little high in similes for my taste, but Ms. Foster paints the two dramatically different worlds she has created vividly and ably. With her detailed -- but not heavily overdone -- descriptions, I could picture not only Esme's mom's artwork, but the otherworldly characters and settings as well. For me, however, the main characters could have used more development; the setting is definitely the star.

The story moves along at a good pace, with new magic revealed almost at every page as Esme explores her new surroundings. It's a strangely enchanting mix of magical creatures, teenage angst, adventure and even politics. There is foreshadowing, tension, unresolved issues and vaguely threatening characters that you just know will come back to do something evil... and Ms. Foster has left room for a sequel(s) to make sure they do.

Age recommendation

I tried, here and there, to read it through the lens of a younger reader, and I believe it hits the mark (I've given it to my ten-year-old for his opinion too). I'd recommend it to fantasy readers in the 12-14 year range. Younger readers might have a difficult time getting through the flowery language and some quite threatening, scary scenes, and older ones might want more danger or romance, but I think it hits a nice balance, and again, it's absolutely overflowing with magic.


My Rating

4 out of 5 stars
Overall, I enjoyed it very much, and look forward to reading the next book in the series.



Do you have a book you'd like reviewed? Contact me.



Monday 9 December 2019

Fitness App Review: My Workout Plan by Sosis Apps

I review My Workout Plan Daily Workout Planner Fitness App by Sosis Apps.
Screenshot of My Workout Plan App, courtesy of Google Play

Since my last foray into home exercise apps, I have branched out again. I'm still consistent to the point of insanity in my workouts (Sane person: "I have a fever. I'm staying on the couch." Me: "It's just 20 minutes of HIIT. The fever means I'm already warmed up."), but I decided that, as a fitness professional-type-person myself, I'd rather create my own balanced and effective workout... and then have an app tell me when and how to do it.

I come from a long past of carrying a workout notebook with me every time I went to the gym. Literally, ten years into lifting weights four to five days per week, I would set my workout for the day before starting, and record it faithfully in my little book as I went, checking it between sets, tracking my weights, and noting how little abs and cardio I did.

My gym buddies used to mock me for this. "Don't you know what you're doing yet?" But it was helpful, reassuring. If I had a drink of water and forgot what I was doing, it was there. If I had written it on the page, I had to do it, even if I no longer felt like it. It kept me focused and honest. It made sure that I lifted the right weight for each exercise, not the weight I wanted to choose. It helped me progress.

I haven't done that in years, though, entirely because I lost my Fat Little Notebook somewhere and am horrified by its replacement value. And, since this is 2019, I thought that I should try something new. Something digital.

There's a fitness app for that

Of course there is. There's a lot of them, in fact. The one I chose to try was My Workout Plan Daily Workout Planner by Sosis Apps. It's free (with ads) and was very well reviewed.

I sat down to play with it and was pleased to find a large variety of exercises, equipment options, and workout styles. You can create supersets, rest periods, timed sets... it's very versatile.

The pros

I set up my own workout

I'm a professional. I know what's good for me and how not to overtrain my shoulders or do a pushups-only workout. I chose exercises and variations that I wanted, arranged them as I saw fit, grouped smaller muscles into supersets and gave myself more rest with larger muscle groups. It's extremely customizable, which is a huge plus.

So many options

You want to do pushups, but different pushups? No problem. The only equipment in your gym is an Olympic bar and a Swiss ball? Great. This app has what seems like hundreds of exercises (with videos!) for each muscle group and piece of equipment; great for inspiration if you're comfortable weight training and want to try something new. 

Not there? No problem!

This app is just so customizable. You can rename an existing exercise to whatever you'd like ("Those lunges that Lisa hated doing") and add exercises that aren't in the (extensive) list. 

Relevant reminders

I sometimes need a bit of a push to get going. This app sends me motivational reminders I can appreciate, like "Sweat is just fat crying," and I can customize them to say something like, "Dammit Karen, get off the couch and do some pushups."

(I didn't, but I can.)

Adding exercises: simple, but time-consuming. (image courtesy of Google play)

The cons

Timing

I hate to admit, but I haven't mastered the timing of the rest intervals between sets. Sometimes, I get a full twenty seconds after a superset, sometimes between exercises within the superset, but not after. I've read through several of the app's reviews, but nobody else mentioned it as a problem, so it's probably just me. It's definitely just me. Never mind.

Cumbersome to set up

Compared to writing it down in my trusty old notebook (man, I miss my notebook - it has my entire history of heavy lifting in there, too, like that one time that I deadlifted 185 lbs. Yeah.), it took a while to set up. The exercise options are there, but each time you add a new move, you start fresh: equipment, body part, scroll down, set reps and sets and rest periods.

Planner, not a tracker

Once set up, the app works very well, but when I finished a set, I had nowhere to quickly keep track of how easy or hard it felt, and without manually changing it each time, I couldn't set my progression. You can add "notes" to each exercise, but I'd prefer something more intuitive.

Beginners, beware

If you're not really sure what you're doing, it's probably best to consult a certified (and educated) trainer. That way, you'll be sure that you've got a balanced workout and you have a plan in place for progressions as you get stronger. 


My own upper body workout. (Screenshot of My Workout Plan by Sosis Apps.)

The verdict

My Workout Plan is free and it's fantastic. It works great as a motivator and planner, and it's just so incredibly customizable that I have to recommend it as long as you know what you're doing. And have the time to play with it. But trust me, hire a trainer for a session or two first (and always consult your healthcare practitioner before you start an exercise program).

(Despite its many, many positives, this app fell just short of my precious, precious paper notebook.)


Do you use a workout app?  Which one?


Are you interested in becoming more active? 

You can read my article on Snacking on Exercise, and how Small Changes can lead to Big Results. Then, try this 5-minute workout or this 20-minute workout. (Consult your doctor first!) Don't forget to comment and leave me feedback!

Tuesday 3 December 2019

Winner/Victim: Potato/Potahto

The footnotes are the best part of this post.


I think my husband and kids should get "NaNoWriMo Survivor" badges.
(image courtesy of https://nanowrimo.org/

Much like getting married, having children, or even just being a grownup, the NaNoWriMo challenge is one of those things that seems like a really good idea at the time, but then when you've done it, you're... well, you're a grownup who's married with kids -- I think we can all agree that the idea of that is a lot more attractive than the reality. And yep, that's where I am now.

I did it. I won.*

I wrote a 50,058-word novel ("novella" if we must) in thirty days. In fact, I did it in twenty-seven days, because three of my writing sessions were replaced with "going to the pub". Those were good days.

My daily word count tally. Note the three "days worth living" out of the month.
Also, it took me till November 2nd to figure out the website, so that's why it looked like I wrote double on the 2nd.
Courtesy https://nanowrimo.org/stats

Every night, after the kids went to bed (or, as the month went on, as the kids were getting ready for bed), I sat down to bang out 1667 or more words. At the beginning of the month, I was keen. After the first week and a bit, I was incredulous. It was going too well. Writing a novel in a month is really easy!



And then.

And then the pub. The desktop. A pull in my shoulder from poor ergonomics in the desktop setup. The sniffles. I looked longingly at the couch and fluffy blanket from where people with sniffles should be writing, then put up my fuzzy hood on my camping/I have a cold hoodie, put on an extra pair of fuzzy socks, and typed on. Like an animal.

Last weekend, we had two outings on Friday and Saturday evenings, which meant I had to get my wordcount in during the day ("Don't even think about it," said Ziggy and the children), or try to do it when we got home, after possibly having a glass (or three) of wine.** So I did.

I had pretty much wrapped up the story part of the story on Thursday, or at least come to terms with the fact that I didn't have an "ending" for it per se, but thought that perhaps the journey could be the destination. I was possibly rationalizing.*** I still had ~2500 words to go, so I wrote long character sketches for each character.

That's not cheating. The idea is that, at the end of this challenge/exercise in the destruction of my soul, health, marriage and family, I'd have something you can work with. I'm not supposed to read through it for at least a month (not that I re-read it as I went - that was frowned upon, as was editing as you go), so I'll be interested to see how it actually went.

I don't have very high hopes. After all, it's the story of a woman following her scientist husband on a one-way trip to Mars and realizing that she hasn't lived her own life. This is not in any way any kind of reflection of my own life and experience.**** 

I am left with a permanent pain in my left shoulder and a giant document that I can edit, tear apart, re-order and maybe make into something good, or maybe not, starting January 1st.

For now, I'll take it as an exercise in writing and confidence (and a little bit of catharsis). I have no excuses for not writing now; after all, I just wrote a 50,000-word novel in less than a month.

And no, you may not read it. Don't even ask.





* "winning" this challenge just means completing it. I wrote 50K words, so I won. 
** it was definitely three.
*** I was totally rationalizing.
**** Don't worry: when the "Chris" character dies, it's quick and painless.

Tuesday 12 November 2019

Where Have I Been?

It's been suspiciously quiet on the blog lately, which usually means that my life is too busy to even, or that I'm pregnant.

That one was for you, Mom! I'm kidding!

I'm busy, but not super overwhelmingly so.* I have a list of excuses, though, which I'm sure you want to hear.

No laptop

To misquote W. H. Auden, "Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead/Scribbling on the sky the message ‘He is Dead’." Actually, that's a proper quote, but I'm misusing the sentiment behind it. My laptop has been with me a long time, and after a few false alarms, I can happily declare that it's just not going to make it this time. Well, hello, Black Friday! I'll be seeing you very soon!

In the meantime, I am chained to our computer desk (note: our refurbished desktop is even older than my refurbished laptop was) like some kind of respectable office worker. Shudder. Gone for now are the days of sitting at my own desk, on my couch with my lap desk, or at Starbucks, trying to look like a writer.

Here I sit.

New phone (who dis?)

In theory, this would improve my productivity, but one must remember to factor in the "over-40 effect" of trying to learn a slightly different interface as an elderly person. I went from a Samsung S7 to an S10 and I might as well have gotten one of those screens from Minority Report.

When I do this, it just doesn't work. Image credit

NaNoWriMo

"The biggest thing separating people from their artistic ambitions is not a lack of talent. It's the lack of a deadline." ~ Chris Baty, founder of National Novel Writing Month

I'm doing it. I'm twelve days in and I'm actually meeting my word count goals to write a novel.

It is not going to be a good novel. There will be no story arcs unless they put themselves in there without my noticing, and the characters are so far fairly unlikeable (though they do keep surprising me with the stuff they do -- they're all sort of terrible people, which I just couldn't see until they started surprising me by doing terrible things), and also, it's set in space, so there's that.

But, as God is my witness, there will be fifty thousand words by November 30th.

I have a cold


If I do not have 50K words by November 30th, it's because I have the sniffles and should be in bed, or at least on my couch, not propped up at this desk like an animal.






* My baseline is "overwhelmed", so...

Wednesday 16 October 2019

Fitness App Review: Home Workout by Leap Fitness Group

The Home Workout App Icon: a drawing of a shirtless man in a plank position
Screenshot of Home Workout - No Equipment App, courtesy of Google Play


With my increased client base, travelling husband, rabid, overscheduled children, overanxious dog, no appreciable time-management skills, poufy hair and fairly steady work schedule, I thought a bit of extra motivation would be a good idea to help turn my sitting-on-the-couch-after-dinner into well, sitting-on-the-couch-but-then-doing-15-minutes-of-exercise-too so I'd feel less guilty about the first part.

The Fitness App: 

I downloaded Home Workout - No Equipment from Leap Fitness Group onto my Android device, just to try it out. It's calisthenic-based (no equipment), FREE (with ads), and was very highly rated on Google Play.

(UPDATED April 28, 2020: the Premium version is free until 1 July 2020.)

I followed their Full Body 7x4 Challenge (seven days of workouts for four weeks), and here's what I think:

Pros:

Simple to follow. 

The exercises are shown as little animated images, and if you really don't get it, you can tap on the image to see a write-up with more technique cues. As you're exercising, the app will suggest form notes and modifications to make it easier or harder.

Quick.

Each routine takes between about 7 and 19 minutes, and are adjustable by extending or skipping the rest breaks with a simple tap.

Variety of exercises.

I thought I'd done every exercise under the sun; I was wrong. There are lots of (mostly pushup) variations, including several that I'd never even seen before.

Incorporates stretches.

I don't stretch enough, but this app made sure that I got at least 30 seconds (or more) of stretching in, every session. This is possibly more than I would normally do. Don't look at me.

Motivating.

My phone lights up at 8 pm every night, telling me to work out, just for a little while. So, I do. I haven't done seven days in a row yet (and wouldn't recommend it - the body needs rest), but it always makes me feel a bit bad about it, so that's something?

Cons: 

So. Many. Pushups.

So many. Decline, incline, hover, inverse, reverse, Hindu (have to question the nomenclature on that one), staggered, wide arm, diamond, spiderman... I love pushups, but this is ridiculous. For those that, for some reason, don't love pushups, there is nothing to look forward to in life. Just more pushups.

Not really "Full Body".

There are jumping jacks as a warmup every once in a while, but the "full body" in this workout refers specifically to the part of the body found from the hips on up. So, if I'm really being picky, it's not really full body at all, but since I am ramping up my speed and distance with my running group and adding in some hills on the bike, I'll look past that. This time. But it's not Full Body.

Kind of not "Full Upper Body" either.

It's very hard to train your back or biceps without equipment of some kind. I get it. There are attempts made for the rhomboids and scapulae, but mostly, it's triceps, chest, shoulders and abs with a hint of lower back and one glute move. The shoulders are definitely overworked.

Starts too easy/gets too hard.

When you start the program, you choose your level by being honest-ish about how many pushups you can do, then they lull you into complacency with the first week of workouts. I was all, "man, I'm so fit, this isn't even a challenge" then BAM! they got me. Now in the last week of workouts, the pushups make this half-grown woman cry. And remember? I Love Pushups.

Not enough stretching.

Hey, I'll take 30 seconds of stretching when I can get it, but even on the Big Stretch days, you might get two minutes of stretching, total, and often not on the right areas. Nobody likes stretching, but nobody likes pushups either, so they might as well make us suffer in a balanced way.

Drawings of a male character doing jumping jacks and various types of pushups in a sample workout
Screenshot of Home Workout - No Equipment App, courtesy of Google Play

The verdict:

Home Workout - No Equipment has been an interesting experiment for me. Would I recommend it?  Well, it's free, which counts for a lot in my books. It's gotten me doing bodyweight strength training most days of the week, and I'm actually feeling leaner and stronger because of it (no empirical measurements, I'm afraid) (although I did cut out wine on school nights, so that probably helps too...and explains why I'm less content to just sit on the couch). It's quick and the instructions are clear, and is definitely a step in the right direction for those that just don't have time to work out. (Every little bit helps!) However, the program I tried claimed to be a balanced, full-body workout, and it isn't. 

I'd say, give it a try yourself if you want to do a bit of strength training but don't want to spend a lot of time or money, but listen to your body -- especially your shoulders -- and take a rest day when you need it. It will still be there for you when you come back.

If you're looking for at-home workouts, Fitness Volt has a great list of their five favourites.

I'm going to try the Lower Body challenge next, and possibly test out another app - happy to take suggestions of a new one to review!

Do you use a workout app?  Which one?

Are you interested in becoming more active? 
You can read my article on Snacking on Exercise, and how Small Changes can lead to Big Results. Then, try this 5-minute workout or this 20-minute workout. (Consult your doctor first!) Don't forget to comment and leave me feedback!


Wednesday 25 September 2019

Why I Write on Medium

DammitKaren: Why I Write on Medium. It's more than reading and writing about reading and writing.

Reading and writing about reading and writing

An open laptop, mouse and ceramic mug sit on a wooden desk
Photo by Anna Auza on Unsplash

I've been writing on Medium since June 2018.

From the beginning, I've been trying to pull away from my standard "bloggy" style to craft more professional articles, ones that will boost my portfolio and stretch my skills, so that I'm ready for the call, when it comes, and more honestly, to build my confidence so that I feel able to pitch, submit and query and all of that terrible, soul-destroying work that is so integral to this whole "being a writer" schtick.

It's a safe space, without (much) rejection, with the added validation of (sometimes) clapping and (sporadic) curation. It also pays me--though I admit that some months, it's not enough to even cover the membership fee--which means I can add "professional" to my "writer".

Half by accident (as I do), I tend to write what I know: health and fitness, then more and more about grammar, writing and freelancing as I read and write and research for my own purposes. In this way, I feel that I've fully succumbed to Medium, which at times, feels very meta: writers writing about writing for writers. But, if I've put all this energy into researching these things for myself, then other writers might appreciate my help...at least enough that they clap for me.

At times I howl with frustration when I see how many claps a writer gets for putting out another piece on how much money they make through this site, and how publishing something every day is key and how to have your stories curated. Other days I read such articles feverishly, bookmarking and taking notes and trying to remember everything that it takes just to be a real writer.

Medium, at times, feels very meta: writers writing about writing for writers.

I find that, when I stop just reading about writing, there is every kind of article and viewpoint under the sun, all in one beautiful, accessible place.

The more I delve in and explore the site, the more I find. I find great writers, good writers and mediocre-at-best ones, which, respectively, inspire me and make me fear that perhaps I'm no good after all. I am motivated to "do the work" and to write more often, but pressured to do so as well; writing more for Medium means that my blog is neglected or my WIPs stagnate.

On Medium, I find writers that bill opinion pieces as fact and call fact reporting "opinion", and both of these are sometimes curated. I read articles by writers for whom English obviously isn't their first language and am offended that their work is curated if mine isn't, and awed at how well they can express themselves, errors and all, in a foreign tongue. I read more intolerant and misogynistic views than I expected, but I also read well-researched and thought-provoking pieces. I read ignorance and brilliance.

It's not perfect, of course. I'm reading humans, all of whom feel, like I do, that what they have to say is important.

That, I think, is the essence of Medium. It's not a group of like-minded people, but we all have the same goal: to be relevant; to be heard; to write. And we have the perfect medium to do it.

Monday 2 September 2019

Tuscany for a Family of Five

Dammit Karen takes the family to Tuscany and it is SPECTACULAR (travel review).
Two girls in long dresses and a boy in shorts walk up an olive-tree-lined path
Under the Tuscan sunset: a magical evening (all photos author's own)
Our fortunate family of five recently had the opportunity to explore Tuscany for a week in August. We are very grateful to be able to access a set of subsidized chalets across Europe for our holidays (over the last two years here, we've discovered Austria and Croatia as well), and were excited to experience Italy, especially in "farmstay lodgings" on an estate winery, the Castello del Trebbio.

(note: if you're reading this on a mobile phone, turn it sideways - the formatting's gone wonky)

A good start

Within a few days of booking, we received an email from Alberto, the manager of the estate, with a comprehensive welcome package attached. He gave us recommendations for activities, dining and touring. He asked us to confirm the number of occupants (five) and ages (our kids are 6, 9 and 10), and offered to set up some activities and reservations for us. We responded fairly promptly, and then all we had to do was eagerly await our trip!

Getting there

Three children sit on a big rock overlooking a Tuscan hillside
What a view.
Chris wanted to drive (hey! it's only 19 hours in a car with three kids!), but when we crunched the numbers (food, gas and hotel), it was cheaper to fly and rent a car. Thank God for math. We flew into Florence via Zurich (with a 5-hour stopover)(see? cheaper). While waiting for the next flight, I spent a lot of time on a website called visitflorence.com, which had walking tour suggestions, driving-in-Florence information, parking queries...really everything we needed was there. I referred to it several times over the week, and highly recommend it.

We arrived in suffocating heat - it was 36 degrees when we landed, and 37 degrees the next day - which made sightseeing unbearable (without gelato, that is - something that was quickly remedied, and of course, became an almost-daily experience). After a few hot, sweaty hours of exploring old Florence, we took the tram back to the airport, picked up a bright blue Jeep Renegade (practical for a family of five, unless you're in the skinny streets of Florence!), and drove out of the city, up steep, hairpin-turning hills, to the Castello del Trebbio.

A woman stands in front of a family in bright coloured floaties in a pool
Green water? No problem.

The Castello del Trebbio


Set in the Chianti Rufina region, the beautiful 12th century castle has been witness to historical battles, family dramas and conspiracies. It is still an active winery and is inhabited, though the owner allows tours at set times. Several stone outbuildings have been converted into five apartments and two stand-alone villas.

Our apartment (Panicale B) slept the five of us nicely, with a large loft containing a queen bed and ensuite, a second, main-floor bedroom with two twin beds and an ensuite, and a pullout couch. And air conditioning, thank God! The kitchen was modern enough to feed us breakfast and lunch every day (grocery stores were a twisty 15-minute drive away), wi-fi was included, and there was a large TV with Netflix. As well, we found puzzles and games in various cabinets to occupy us in quiet times.

The view was breathtaking from every window and door: hills, valleys, vines and olive groves. We ate our meals outside on a covered porch with spectacular views, not least the entertaining little geckos that frolicked in the sun. Out the back door, the pool and deck again boasted stunning views. The pool was a good size, holding about eight people and their floaties. The water was bright green for the first three days of our stay, but by the fourth day, it was blue again. It didn't slow our kids down at all!

Exploring Castello del Trebbio

Three children stand in front of wine bottles in a cellar
Hufflings stand in front of their respective vintages
We took a long walk around the property, up and down the steep hills, through olive groves and along paths to the grapevines. We couldn't walk through the vines (the estate had electrified fences to stop wild boars from eating all the grapes), but it was still very cool. We even found wild boar tracks!

Alberto had made a reservation for us at the Castello's restaurant (La Sosta del Gusto) at the first seating, 7:30 pm. (This is very early to eat in Tuscany, we discovered repeatedly.) We sat on a large patio with fairy lights strung overhead as the sun set over the mountains around us. It was magical. The children were served first (from a basic children's menu of burgers, chicken nuggets and pasta), so became bored well before we finished our prima, then secondi, then dolce. They rallied when we told them to explore some more, and especially when we said they could (gasp!) go get their tablets while we finished our quite-probably-could-have-been-romantic meal.

A chef teaches kids to roll out pasta on a marble slab
Alberto also booked us on a castle tour, in which our charming-and-multilingual guide Constanza showed us around the beautiful building including the Conspiracy Room where the assassination of Lorenzo di Medici was planned, then took us down through the cellars and dungeons where their winemaking operations are in progress.

More activities

After the tour, one group stayed in the courtyard for wine tasting, while the rest of us went into the Castello's kitchen for a hands-on pasta-making class with a very large, gruff chef named Jerry. The kids were delighted by him. We all donned the provided aprons and learned how to make our own pasta (from scratch) and two simple sauces. Once everything was prepared to Jerry's satisfaction, Constanza led us into the Castello's ancient dining room for good conversation and a delicious dinner with wine pairings (the kids got sips, too!). We did their bottles justice, and took the recipes home with us.

Three children sit on a white horseConstanza was kind enough to call a local stable to set our children up with a horseback riding lesson. Sylvia from Tenuta dei Cavalieri gave each of our beginners exercises and drills that had them literally turning in circles while their horse walked around the ring. They're already pestering us to go back next year so they can go to their camp.

Other spot-on recommendations from Alberto:

Old stone statues line a path beside a stone wallDay trips:

Grotto of Santa Brigida - we couldn't find it on a map, but a local man kindly led us to the ruins of a church bombed in 1944. It's a quiet, magical place surrounded by stone and statues.
Collodi and Pisa - blog post here.
Florence - again, I recommend relying on visitflorence.com, but there's so much to see! We also did a Florence city trail from Questo.

Restaurants: 

Toscani da Sempre - the best meal we ate in Tuscany (and that's saying a lot!)
Pizzeria da Nappino - relaxed, family-friendly pizzeria (and wine, of course)
Ristorante al Trebbio - the perfect meal for our last night in Tuscany


Conclusion

We're tempted to make the trip again! Although we know our time in Europe is limited and want to explore as much as possible of this part of the planet before we move back to Canada, it was truly a perfect holiday. We brought home wine and olive oil (and lots of mosquito bites - pack bug spray!) and so many good memories. Our hosts (and, indeed, everyone we met) were so helpful and gracious, that we are considering another trip to Castello del Trebbio next summer.     ~Ciao!


A woman drinks a glass of wine under vines full of grapes
La dolce vita! Saluti!


Friday 23 August 2019

5 Exercises You Can Do Right Now to Feel Fit and Energized

5 Exercises in 5 Minutes
A woman in exercise gear planks on concrete
Photo by Ayo Ogunseinde on Unsplash

A five-minute routine to feel better

Nodding off at your desk? Feeling guilty and slothful as you lie on your couch to watch the telly? Feeling too overwhelmed or too busy to commit to a longer workout? Take five minutes right now to rev up your metabolism, wake up your body and mind and (maybe) justify sitting down for another hour or two.

Equipment needed:

A timer on your watch or phone. (This is my favourite timer app.) If you're fancy, you can grab a yoga mat and a 5-lb hand weight, but it's not necessary at all.


A screenshot of a timer app with work and rest intervals
Tabata Timer by Eugene Sharafan

How to do it:

Set a timer for five minutes in one-minute intervals (or just watch your watch).

Start with the first exercise and perform it correctly for as many good reps as you can do, then rest for the remainder of the minute. When the timer goes off, start the next exercise. (As you get stronger and fitter, you'll be able to do more (perfect) repetitions and get shorter rest intervals, which is great for progressive overload training.)

The five exercises:

1. Rainbows
Start from an upright, wide stance (feet twice as wide as your shoulders), knees and toes turned out about 45 degrees. Keeping your right leg straight, bend your left leg and lunge over to touch the ground on the outside of your left foot with both hands, sitting back into your heels. Pushing through your heel, come up to standing, drawing the biggest arc possible with your arms until they are stretched above your head. Continue the arc as you lunge down to the right (this time with your left leg straight) to touch the ground beside your right foot. (Dial it up: hold a 5-lb dumbbell)

2. Pushups
Make sure that your body is a straight line from your shoulders to your toes (or knees) - do this by pushing your hips forward and squeezing your glutes. Look about a foot in front of your hands (don't tuck in your chin). Your hands should be a little wider than your shoulders, so that at the bottom, you have a 90-degree bend in your elbows and your neck is straight. Dial it down: drop to your knees to finish the set, as needed. If you're struggling, but still up for of a challenge, keep your legs extended for the lowering phase of the movement, and only drop your knees down for the pushing UP part.

3. Burpees
Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart. Squat down (hips back) and place your hands flat on the ground, between your feet. Brace your core and jump your feet back to that you’re in a strong plank position. Jump your feet back in to the outside of your hands, keeping your hips low. Stand up and jump with your arms up. That’s one. Keep your head up, looking forward the whole time. (Option: walking burpees.)

4. Mountain Climbers
Start with a strong high plank, with your core tight and braced, and jog your knees in and out. Left in, right in - that counts as one rep.

5. Bicycles
Lie on your back, pushing your lower back into the mat, drawing in your bellybutton, and lift up your knees to a tabletop position (knees and hips bent 90 degrees, thighs perpendicular/shins parallel to the floor. Place your fingers at your temples. Twist through the torso, bringing your elbow to the opposite knee, extending the other leg out straight. Switch. Keep this movement controlled.

Video of moves here

And in five minutes, you're done!

Just five exercises for five minutes will have your heart pumping and your muscles activated again; you'll feel fitter and energized for whatever comes next.


Related Articles:
Does Snacking on Exercise Really Work?
KISS workout

Try it! How do you feel?

Sunday 18 August 2019

Pisa, Italy (and the beauty of a Tuscan highway)

Dammit Karen appreciates the journey to Pisa, Italy as much as the destination.
The Baptistery and Campanile in Piazza del Duomo, Pisa, Italy.
The Piazza del Duomo and Leaning Tower of Pisa (Photo credits: Author)

The Road to Pisa, Italy

First, let me be clear: it is terrifying to drive in the Greater Florence Area. Let me be even more specific: by "drive" I mean, "be driven", and by "GFA", I'm talking about the area from Pisa to Collodi to Florence and up the hills into Sieci and Pontassieve. I'm referring specifically to the super-skinny, hairpin-turny, crazily steep-and-surrounded-on-both-sides-by-very-old-and-tall-stone-walls streets that Google Maps sent us down (and up).

Fis has a theory that Google Maps sends us down such tiny roads (even in London) because it's learned that those are the kind of roads we prefer, and each time we accept such a route, this learning is reinforced.

I have two theories. One is that -- and hear me out -- that's what kind of streets there are in very old cities. The other one is that Google can hear what Fis says about it, and is punishing him and by extension, me.

To sum up, when driving (being driven) through the gorgeous hills around Florence, do not rent a large vehicle that is big enough for a family of five and their luggage and thus not at all made to hug a curve. Do not be in a rush. Do not drive angry.

Oh well, too late now.

But we survived, and this post is not about that. It's about a highway.

A Tuscan highway

Our last day in Italy was a beautiful day for the 90-minute drive to Pisa, all blue-skied and sunny, and the A11 highway between Florence and Pisa is possibly the most interesting one I have ever seen. It's a toll road (5.90 saved us 40 minutes -- worth it), and seemed to be kept in impeccable repair. Once we were out of the cities and towns and well underway, I relaxed my Unblinking Navigator Stressball persona, and gazed out the window at the ever-changing variety of plants and forests drifting by. After a few kilometres, I noticed that the plants and trees, flowering and coniferous, were in orderly rows and groupings. This continued for kilometre after kilometre, and repeated most of the way to Pisa. Once in a while, a large sign indicated the name of these commercial nurseries and tree farms (interspersed with cornfields).

It was beautiful to see. What an ideal way to use the land beside a highway: property there would be less attractive to developers (who wants to live right behind the highway?), but I'd bet the land on the far side of the nursery is prized. The expanse of trees and bushes (and the distance) would mute the noise of the traffic, beautifully, and I'm pretty sure science would say that plants help to clean the air from the emissions as well. Their visibility from the highway would be advertisement enough - it's a win/win for everyone involved.

A child poses behind a wooden cutout of Pinocchio in Collodi, Italy
This was not the strangest thing we saw at Parco di Pinocchio. Not by far.

A quirky theme park

We stopped in Collodi for a few hours to take in the Pinocchio Park, a quirkily enchanting combination of a sculpture garden and adventure park, with a hilarious puppet show that I bet would have been even funnier if I understood more than "pescecane!" (shark!) and "oh nooooo!". The reviews had run hot and cold, but we're glad we went. It was, as most of the reviewers noted, no Disneyland, but it was full of magic and art. Then, with time a-ticking, we got back on the road to Pisa with an ambitious goal: to get to the famous leaning tower, see it, and be back in the car driving homeward within 45 minutes.

We drove 130 km/hr (the speed limit) all the way there, and I became The Navigator again to get us to the closest free carpark (as we had spent all our money on tolls). The shuttle was waiting, and drove us the five minutes for 4. We stepped out into the heat and the crowds and vendors, winding our way through a seeming maze of old city walls and stalls selling cheap reproductions of leather purses and miniature towers. We stepped through an arch, and ... there it was.

Three children pretend to push the Leaning Tower of Pisa upright
"Push harder, kids! It's still leaning!"

The Leaning Tower of Pisa

Some iconic landmarks are disappointing in real life.

When I saw the Statue of Liberty, it was smaller than I expected. After all the hype in movies, it just felt, well, small. I wasn't too keen on seeing this tower, either, as it meant a long drive on the last day of our holiday, and how great could it really be? Was the "lean" even noticeable? I was surprised that Chris was so insistent on us going so far to see it, but... wow. 

The baptistery and the tower (and boy, does it lean) set against a backdrop of dazzling photoshop-blue sky took my breath away. I didn't expect to be so moved (as I was at Stonehenge, another awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Site). It was something I've only seen in books and movies ever since I was little, and there it was. It was beautiful.

Maybe it made me appreciate again the distance we are from home, seeing something that I never really thought I'd see in real life. We gazed at it for a few minutes, took the required pushing-the-tower-back-up photos, then stopped for gelato (again!) before walking only nine minutes back to the car (instead of waiting for the next five-minute shuttle in 14 minutes). (And we saved 4, which was enough for a pretty good half-litre of wine with dinner.)

The drive back was pleasant (till we got off the highway and back onto properly terrifying Tuscan roads) and although I still had the beautiful, historical image fresh in my mind, I appreciated the highway design again.

Bella Italia, indeed.

(more travel notes to come, I promise)
A family leans away from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, creating the illusion that the tower itself is straight.
More Fun with Perspective!



Saturday 3 August 2019

Life Lessons from parkrun

Dammit Karen: parkrun and Life Lessons. Discomfort is just part of life.
(They're not just running and crying; they're ALSO building character.) (Photo credit: author)

The things we do for love

When we moved to London, I wondered what I was going to do with myself, having left my full-time career behind to follow my husband.

"Maybe you'll become an avid runner," he suggested.

And we laughed and laughed and laughed.

Chris is the runner, has been one since his twenties. When we met, he was training for his second Boston marathon (his fifth-ever marathon) and hoping for a(nother) sub-three finish. So yes, he's a serious runner with a six-day-a-week habit. When we were dating, I "happened" to take up jogging a few times a week, in hope of "accidentally" crossing him on the path at lunchtime, and getting a kiss as my reward. (Speaking of the things we do for love.)

For me, the best part of a run is the shower afterwards. I found, though, since I worked out and taught classes and I married that runner, I didn't see any real reason to continue running. I found excuses to shower at other times.*

However, since moving here two years ago, I've fallen in with a group of runners. Women Running the World have changed my life and possibly/probably saved my life as well. I've written about them before; we run three times a week for set distances, routes and paces, and work up to an annual girls' weekend half marathon somewhere in Europe.

Although I still won't run without the motivation and companionship of a friend, my dog, or Chris -- I do not run alone -- I now define myself as a runner. One might say that I'm a reformed non-runner.

So, when I heard about parkrun (and junior parkrun), I was so excited to share this experience with my children.

parkrun* puts on weekly 5km timed runs around the world, for free. These events take place in "pleasant parkland surroundings" and they are open to everyone: people of every ability take part, from those starting to run to actual Olympians; juniors (aged 4-14) run 2km.

I immediately registered my children. They are like me in a lot of ways, in that many things come easy. But they tend to complain, whine, and quit when things get hard. They are soft.

This is normal, and not just for kids, of course. But because their lives have been so...easy...I felt that they needed to face a challenge. To be uncomfortable.

Character building for free

I was the only one who was excited! We had downloaded their barcodes, set our alarms on Saturday night for 7:30 am, and rode our bikes the mile to the park. It was going to be awesome.

parkrun was a disaster for two out of the three. Crying, gasping, clutching at their throats, it was 2 km of sheer hell, tantamount to child abuse. I suggested once or twice that if they put half the effort into breathing that they put into screaming "I CAN'T!", they'd do better. They were not amused. We all recovered with brownies from Starbucks.

This was not the lesson I wanted them to learn.

A few weeks later, we tried it again. This time, it was raining, and Chris stayed home in his bathrobe, sick. Vaughn tripped right at the start line and was screamily refusing to keep going. I could see Tamsin jogging in fits and starts ahead of us, struggling and crying, because I had told her I'd run with her; but I couldn't leave Vaughn, who needed me more (and hated me more) with every step. At Starbucks afterwards, Tamsin was limp from crying. Vaughn was just angry. Ailsa was strutting around bragging about being the first girl to finish, and the third kid in her age group. She wasn't reading the room. It was a full-on parenting fail.

I told the story to some of the WRW runners the next day, of course hoping for support and commiseration. They all said, "Maybe running isn't their thing. You could find something else that they like."  The consensus was that, even though Chris and I are runners, it's ok that our children are not.

And I fully, totally, 100% agree.

My point of forcing them to participate in the 2-kilometre, no-more-than-15-minute exercise wasn't -- and isn't -- to turn them into runners. They're kids. Of course they'll find sports and activities that they enjoy more. They don't have to play football or baseball like Chris, or softball and swimming (with a hint of late-onset cheerleading) like me. But they have to understand the difference between discomfort and pain. They need to realize that discomfort means that there's a challenge to overcome and that it's worthwhile to put your head down and work through it. These are important lessons that (hopefully) all of us will understand if we live long enough.

Discomfort is just part of life.

So, yep, if you go to parkrun on Sunday, I'm that mom with between one and three sobbing kids, shouting over-cheerful words of encouragement to keep going, to not stop, because if we keep doing these every few weeks or so, I know I won't have to.



* Showers taken after not running are, admittedly, not as fantastic as post-running ones, but I got past that by feeling joy in not running. 

** As an editor, I despise proper nouns that are intentionally not capitalized. Why can't parkrun just admit that Parkrun is so much better at the start of a sentence? e.e. cummings, don't make me come after you next. 

Sunday 28 July 2019

DG presents a Brilliant Hummus Hack

Hummus Recipe: Dammit, Karen's gone and improved on her Yummus recipe!
Carrot sticks and hummus on a plate
A colourful new take on (non-vegetarian) hummus


Jamie Oliver has given us so much.  By "us", of course I mean our family, which has enjoyed several recipes from his 5 Ingredients cookbook (except for one -- spoiler alert, it is not fabulous).

One of our favourite "company dishes" is his Moroccan-inspired lamb shoulder, which is easy, delicious, fancy, feeds eight, and, because it cooks for six hours, I get serious cred and kudos, even though the actual work part is about 15 minutes. We pair it with couscous (preseasoned, just add boiling water) and either a (very) simple, parsley-based salad or, last time, another five-ingredient recipe (which I reduced to four by omitting the broad beans) - a nice minty-yet-spicy dish of peas.

The only drawback: not enough lamb and too many chickpeas
Each time, the lamb is a hit, the chickpeas underneath are tender and tasty (Ziggy agrees), and we end up with leftovers: usually enough lamb for one or two people for lunch, and enough chickpeas to feed all five of us for a week. If we ate only chickpeas.

So good. But so, so much.


So, I took my classic Yummus!(TM) recipe and gave it a twist.

Warning: this is not for vegetarians.

By taking the leftover chickpeas, tomatoes and preserved lemons (which, as you recall, have been slow-braised in lamb fat for six hours to make them extra succulent), and whirring them in the blender with some lemon juice (fresh is best, but any port in a storm, no?), peanut butter (aka "the tahini of my kitchen"), two cloves of garlic and a handful of fresh parsley, I have transformed "leftovers" into "even more delicious yummus than usual".

Ta-dah! 
The Hufflings adored it, even though it was a "funny" colour.

Try it, and let me know what you think!

Friday 19 July 2019

On boredom and blogging and beginnings

A hand hovers over a laptop with an image of a street sign at the junction of "work," "life" and "balance"
Dammit Karen, Your Life has Been Busy of Late and Your Blog is Suffering. My life is not boring.

It's summer holiday, and with three Hufflings underfoot for nine weeks in a row, plus Ziggy the Office Dog, I have a lot going on. Chris is home this week. My parents are flying in for a visit on Monday. I am busy.


Even when none of this is happening, and it's just me and Ziggy (when the children are happily and safely at school for seven hours of the day), I still have running group and book club (both of which totally make me sound entitled), but also two boot camps that I run, a weekly fitness class to teach, training a client or two, and my increasing number of writing/editing contract products and hours to fulfill, as well as the writing that I am really trying hard to do for myself and for publications like Medium. And don't get me started on SEO and social media presence for myself. (Actually, please get me started on SEO and social media presence for myself - what's the old saying about shoemakers' kids going barefoot?)

Waaaaay back in 'ought seven, it was just me and Chris. I had just started my first government job. It was in a fancy, important office, and I was on the lowest rung of the ladder, which I described as "Chipmunk* at the bottom of the office totem pole". I did some scheduling and document review, and had to be ready for more of the same -- always potentially urgent -- often until an hour or two after my scheduled workday. Due to the almost-everyday-regularity of the overtime requests, I asked if I could just come in at 10 am and stay till 6 every day, or 11 to 7 -- but no, I had to be there "just in case".  I asked for extra work and responsibilities, and only sometimes was given those. So, I sat.  I did my work quickly and well, and between tasks, had time to email friends, plan a wedding and start a blog.

With our moves, I often ended up with bottom-chipmunk jobs, and each time, I did the job well, took on extra, but always had -- and I'm not exaggerating -- at least three hours a day of Not Work (but usually five).

And thus the blog was born! I was away from friends and family, and decided that I had missed the "Facebook window", so the blog was how I showed our changing lives and growing kids, how I shared my experiences. How I told my story.

With harder/better jobs at higher levels (I think I can proudly state that, while my last position was definitely not at the Thunderbird/Raven level, it was safely at least at Bear) came more work -- which totally makes sense and helps explain the difference in salary -- my email, external planning and blog time was cut way back. And somehow, now that I'm freelancing upwards of four hours a day and in charge of my own schedule...and have three kids muppeting around my "home office" all day...I have little to no time to do this.

The difference between writing for my blog and writing for publications is simple. I want to write my blog. I want to write my articles, too, but I sort of "need" to write the articles to make money, so the blog falls on the wayside.

This feels like goodbye.

It sounds like I'm trying to tell you that my blog is over, or at least on hiatus. But, boy, is my tone off this time! I will try to do better. I will try to overcome myself, plan and schedule my posts in advance, all while upping my Twitter game and integrating SEO in a perfectly-natural-yet-effective way.

I just need to transfer writing for my blog over to the "life" side of my work-life balance.

Yeah. This totally could happen.

Do you have any tips or tricks to share to make my own writing a priority? 
(That don't involve plugging children into screens, please.)



* For the sticklers, no, chipmunks are not usually represented on totem poles. Thus was my importance.



Tuesday 2 July 2019

Fitting it in

Dammit Karen, How do you, as a personal trainer-slash-fitness instructor, fit your own workouts in?
Photo by Ravi Roshan on Unsplash

A reality check for a so-called "fitness professional"


"How do you, as a personal trainer-slash-fitness instructor, fit your own workouts in?"

The question came out of the blue from an acquaintance, and it threw me for a loop. I sucked in my stomach and wondered how I could cover up my arms without pulling them, turtle-like, into the top of my sleeveless dress.

The right answer, of course, is that I make time for myself.

That, despite my time-consuming "serious work" of writing and editing, and my one-hour-at-a-time "superhero work" of training clients -- which usually involves demonstrating correct form or partnering up for a move or two -- and leading boot camps (with more demos and partnering) -- and teaching a fitness class (or two) per week, I still have the focus and energy to get to the gym for proper strength-training sessions, and I never miss the time I set aside for my running group. Yes, all this and the kids and the dog too!

And my hair? Beautifully styled, of course!

Now that you're shielding your eyes from the glare off my halo, let me reassure you: the truth, of course, is different than the right answer.

I do demo moves for clients and participate whenever I can, but I am definitely not getting the same benefits from the workouts as my participants. I sneak in five to ten minutes of strength work before each session as I set up and practice the routines. I stay 15-20 minutes after my clients have left the gym or field and put myself through the same paces.

(In the case of my aqua fitness class, however, I am definitely working harder, since I'm jumping against gravity, while they are being buoyed up.  Also, they're all at least 60.)

And, when my kids are at swimming lessons, I sprint up the stairs to the leisure centre gym and work harder for 22 minutes than anyone else in the gym does for 60, so that I can be back down to greet them before they even get out of the pool.

My running group is sacred, too. It's time that I have scheduled into my calendar, three times a week, and I go, and I run 6-10 miles to wherever the group has planned for that day. If I need to, I choose a faster pace group that promises to be back to our neighbourhood even 10 minutes earlier than my usual group (and skip the coffee afterwards), but I do it. 

On days that I really can't do the run and give the dog enough of a walk, he comes along to Primrose Hill, and gets off-leash, run-like-crazy frolic time while I do hill repeats four to six times. Forty minutes, and we're both back home, sweaty, tired and ready for a shower or nap, respectively (lucky dog).

Lately, I've been adding in extra bursts of activity, especially on days when my kids need motivation. They absolutely abhor the monthly "fitness" days at their kickboxing class, and I've made them a deal to make the extra conditioning more mentally acceptable for them: for each pushup and burpee that they have to do, I will do the same number. As there are three of them and only one of me, it's really not a fair bargain; it adds up quicky, but I do it, and I usually let them watch. Sometimes, when I feel that I haven't lifted anything in a while, I'll drop and do a few sets of 25-30 pushups in the afternoon, or after dinner. Without having to think too much, I can do up to 90 pushups, which seems like bragging, but it's really not (this strength and endurance has been built by 30-plus years of doing pushups...with short-armed biomechanical efficiency).

Also, having been plagued with low-back issues for years (possibly exacerbated by pregnancy, my swayback is not making me look taller), I recently undertook a 21-day "fix" that involved repeating a short, low-intensity routine every evening. I completed it in only 26 days (ha!), and have realized that working my core daily (or almost-daily), even if I'm half-paying-attention-while-watching-tv really does make a difference to my posture, my pain and how I feel about my body.

So, there's how I do it.  A little piece here, a little piece there.

And no, my hair is not styled. Don't be ridiculous.

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