My family and I spent Spring Break in Maui.  It was so nice to take my two kids there.  I have never been any where in Hawaii before so I was super excited to get my behind on some Maui sand.  My husband has been to Hawaii many times as a child but this was his first time back as an adult.  He could not wait to go to some of the attractions that he fondly remembered as a kid. 

Before we left, I spent days going over where we would be staying.  One of my main concerns was keeping up my fitness, as well, my family’s healthy habits.  The resort, Honua Kai Resort had everything and more.    I came up with the top tips to keep my trip as healthy as possible when choosing a resort/ hotel in Maui.

1. Kitchen.  This is a must for me when travelling with kids.  The place needs a full functioning kitchen.  Honua Kai had a beautiful brand new kitchen with every utensil you needed stocked.  Plus there where plenty of BBQ’s that we took full advantage of at the resort.
   

   Lap Pool that opens at 6 AM

2. There needs to be decent grocery store within walking distance.  Honua Kai has a great one right across the road.  Tip:  I brought a fold up bag with wheels for heavy items such as bottled water.
3. There needs to be gym at the resort.  Honua Kai had two gyms that were easily accessible and well equipped.
   

   One of two Gyms

4. There has to be some good walking/ running trails from the resort area.  Honua Kai had a fantastic paved trail that I walked every morning before the kids got out of bed.  You passed by other huge resorts and houses while the ocean was on the other side. This trail took you all the way to Black Rock and Whallers Village.
5. Barefoot running on the beach.  Yes, I did this once.  It was a hard run but so rewarding.
   

   Beauiful walkway for miles to Black Rock

6. Lap pool that opens fairly early.  Honau Kai lap pool opened at 6am for a peaceful swim.
7. Snorkeling right outside the resort.  You just needed to go to the ‘right’ for some great snorkeling outside of the Honau Kai resort to get away from the corral.
   

   Great stretch of beach for barefoot running

8. Wi-Fi inside the room so that I could do my YogaOnLine.com on the balcony or inside the room.  Yes, Honau Kai had that too.
9. Pools for kids to play at that were not super crowded.  There were plenty of pools plus a mini water slide for the kids to enjoy.
10. A restaurant that was close enough by when you did want to eat out that had some healthy options.  Dukes Bar and Grill right on the property had some great options plus the staff were very accommodating to our needs.  Plus there were even more options across the road such as Subway.  You can never go wrong with a Veggie Sub on whole wheat bread.

This resort was perfect.  I can not say enough about the staff and the room.  I went through many comments/ reviews on TripAdvisor and most of them were dead on.  I cannot wait to go back again!

In a time where TV, games and technology dominate, is it realistic to keep the family active, healthy and happy?

We all have good intentions at the beginning of the year after a period of festive over-indulgence. After all, the holiday period is a time to reflect on the past year and decide what’s best for ourselves and our family moving into the next year. But are New Year’s resolutions just something we do for the sake of it? Do we make them knowing we’ll break them? Or can we use them to make ourselves accountable and ensure that 2011 really is the best year yet for all the family?

A few facts for parents to consider over their mince pies and port:

• Recent research shows North Americans gain an average of two to five pounds per year from the age of 25. Scarily, 1.5 to four pounds of this gain happens between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve.
• Children born in the year 2000 or later are not expected to outlive their parents due to their poor lifestyles
  • Research also suggests that a poor diet in kids is more dangerous than alcohol, drugs, and tobacco combined
• 26% of Canadian children between two and 17 are considered overweight
  • An increase of 300% in 30 years

New Year’s resolutions

Last year, one-quarter of Western Canadians abandoned their New Year’s resolutions within 30 days. Not a great start. Another quarter of us kept on going for another couple of months…then broke them. 63% of British Columbians broke their specific fitness related resolutions. Why? A lack of motivation (42%) followed by a lack of time (25%), apparently.*

* Ipsos Reid online poll conducted on behalf of Fitness Town

Here are a few top tips from local fitness expert, Dai Manuel of Fitness Town, to ensure an active, healthy and happy 2011 for all the family.

• Make time. It’s as simple as that. You have to schedule your activity times otherwise they just won’t happen. Sadly, it’s always easier to not do something than it is to do it.
• Make it family time. Try and plan some activities that you can do as a family so that, not only do you get fit, you can also enjoy more time interacting together and build stronger relationships.
• Parents – lead by example. You can’t nag the kids then expect them to do something you’re not willing to do. Show them the benefits of exercise and they’ll soon follow.
• Start a journal or a blog. Make yourself accountable! When you have others tracking your progress, it’s hard to get out of it. Keeping a fitness and nutrition journal also allows you to analyze your progress at the end of each month. Consider investing in an expert to give you feedback, help you discuss areas for improvement and next steps.
• You are what you eat. It’s an old one but a good and true one. Cut back on sugar and sodium, eat lots of green, leafy veg, and remember to drink plenty of water. Sticking to a balance of unrefined carbohydrates like whole grain food, fruit and veg never fails.
• Be realistic, be gradual. What works for one person or family, may not work for the next. You have to decide what is realistic for you and your lifestyle. Set achievable goals, reassess them often and reward yourselves with a small treat when you smash your targets.
• Enjoy it! Getting fit and active doesn’t have to be a chore. Incorporate it into something you all love or have a passion for. Make it fun, competitive and set incentives. After all, it has been proven that laughter is good for us.
• Challenge yourself. It takes just 21 days to form a habit. In the grand scheme of life, that’s not long. So why not join hundreds of other Western Canadians and take part in the Family Fitness Challenge? The next one starts on January 1. For more information, visit: Fitness Town.

Of course, the oldest always gets to go first...

With the weather warming up and summer approaching it is a great time to get active out-of-doors.   As moms, we are role models for our children – whether we are sitting on the couch or running around outside or hitting the gym or squeezing in a power walk during one of their sports practices. We’re quite active together as a family, but I also encourage the kids to be active on their own time too, teaching them to balance DS and Wii indoor time with lots of fresh air.

So I’m always looking for toys that will encourage our four kids to be active and stay outdoors (and lets face it – if they’re outdoors, the house stays cleaner!)

The Whiplash scooter fits the bill quite nicely – starting with the boisterous wrestling match over who would get the honor of trying it out first.

The Whiplash scooter is not motorized (yay for that!), but it isn’t your old standard scooter either.  It truly is the “scooter with a twist” as it uses wave torsion technology and has a caster wheel. Both help it whip from side to side and allow you to do all sorts of tricks on it.  Drifting, carving….all sorts of terms that my kids know and I don’t.Here’s how the company describes it:

“The Whiplash™ is a self-propelling, revolutionary new ride. It is part scooter, part Wave board (caster board) and totally fun. The Whiplash Scooter’s flexing deck and handlebar fuse together to provide riders with a cool, side to side, whip-like ride. Riders can self-propel the scooter so that their feet never touch the ground or ride it like a a traditional scooter.”

The one thing I do know is that this scooter has been a big hit, with my youngest (five years old) all the way up -seven, nine and eleven year olds.  No wonder it was  named one of the best toys of the year!

Drawbacks…..not much, except that we only own one.

My kids’ comments:

“This is the BEST scooter EVER!!!!!”

“It rocks, Mom!”

and my favorite…

“…You’re the BEST mom EVER!!!”

…of course I am, until it is time to eat their spinach.

So there you have it.  The Whiplash scooter is a keeper and it keeps them busy- and better yet, active, for hours.

Aren’t I the best mom ever?