Viter Energy Mints Review: Boosts Energy & Freshens Breath #goviter

I received these Viter Energy Wintergreen mints to review and I super love them! At first I was like, "There is no way I would spend that much on mints" ...

but then I actually tried them and I have to say they are a real pick-me-up for those afternoons when I have all the kids at the pool and I just want to fall asleep but I CAN'T fall asleep because I am responsible for many lives so what can I do?

So I gave them a try. And they have caffeine AND vitamins AND they freshen my breath so they are a triple whammy of awesomeness. There are 20 in a flip-top tin and I really only need one a day six days a week (Sunday Mr. Kerrie is always home so I can take a nap if I am truly dying of exhaustion). This means a tin will last me a month.

I tried one as I was going to the pool on a hot, nap-inducing day. And I felt picked up within about 10 minutes. The next day was church and I was super tired and popped a Viter Energy mint and, again, within about 10 minutes I was not dreaming of napping on the floor during the homily. SCORE!

Oh, and they are sugar-free so they fit into my Weight Watchers plan just perfectly. Usually when I am tired I would consume sugar for a small, short-lived boost of energy but lately I am trying to get healthy and just can't do that anymore. I have to find healthier ways to boost my energy, and these Viter Energy mints do the trick. Give them a try!

Update April 24, 2016: I was DYING for a nap today and looking forward to it but we went to a park instead. I ate one of these mints instead and I was good to go in no time!

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Runs/Walks in Kansas City: Get Your Rear in Gear September 20, 2015

Before I was the homeschooling writer mom of 5, I used to love to walk all the time as a stress reliever and to stay in shape. Walking is something you can do as a parent anytime, but now that my youngest is 5 and my oldest is 14, it's a lot easier for me to fit in time for my own fitness. Over the winter I walked some at the gym on the treadmill and track. Now I can walk the neighborhood or the field at the school by my house. I'm not a jogger or a runner yet ... special equipment needed for my upper lady parts ... but might be someday! For now I walk in my OOFOS sandals because they are the most comfy thing I have ever worn and work perfectly for summertime.

Because I love walking so much, I'll be posting upcoming walk/runs in Kansas City as I find them. This does not mean I'll be participating in all of them, so don't show up expecting me to sign autographs or anything. I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT be there, depending on household funds at the time, Mr. Kerrie's travel situation, my sanity level, etc. Enjoy the race info, and go out and find some in your town!

What: Get Your Rear in Gear

When: Sunday, September 20, 2015
Registration and packet pick: 7:00 AM
Kids Fun Run: 8:30 AM
5K Timed Run: 9:00 AM 
5K Walk: 9:05 AM
Awards Ceremony: 10:00 AM

Where: Zona Rosa, Kansas City, MO

Fun facts: my uncle used to coach track at a high school in Lee's Summit for many years and my dad has taken up jogging ... it's in my blood!

Check the link (above after WHAT) for more info!

P.S. I get my info from the fabulous KC Running Company website.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!

Your Body Isn't Going to Make Sense #WW #DoItAnyway

The longer I do Weight Watchers the more I notice when people say depressing and wrong and damaging things about their bodies. Why do we punish ourselves like that?

Recently someone said to me that they like to do Weight Watchers also but they like to go hungry (meaning maybe only use their daily points and nothing extra) so they lose the weight fast and get out. I personally have tried that and it's not sustainable. It doesn't build good habits for a lifetime. What's your rush? To look good in a dress for a wedding for one night? To look good in a swimsuit for one summer? Then after the event or when fall hits you go back to your regular eating habits.

Nope, I'm in this for the long haul. I'm not going to lie to you. Sometimes it sucks. Sometimes I want to give up like I always have. Sometimes I don't want to go for a walk outside in July. Sometimes I want to eat an entire cake and don't really want a salad. Instead, I keep on making better choices and they are becoming ingrained in my brain and lifestyle.

Sometimes when I go to weigh in (weekly) I have worked hard all week and the scale shows a 2-pound gain.

Yes, I get a little depressed. It doesn't make sense. Am I gaining muscle even though I'm in my 40s and that's hard to do? Or is it that when you work out a lot your muscle holds water (as a WW leader told me once when I was working out and kept gaining even though I stuck with my points)? Who knows?

It doesn't matter. They are numbers on a scale and as long as they slowly decrease I know my back won't hurt and my knees can take me further on a walk and in my life. I know when I eat well I am a nicer person to be around and by focusing on my health I focus a little bit less on the drama of other people around me.

Sometimes I weigh in after having a peanut M&M binge of 16 points at a movie and a drive-in binge of Twizzlers (1 point each) and too much food that tasted good. And I lose weight. It doesn't make sense.

I used to look and feel bloated after eating poorly or before my period and it would prompt me to give up on any healthy eating or exercise I had been doing. What was the point?

The point is that you do it anyway. The bloat won't last. The period won't last. Your body might be holding onto whatever it's holding onto for whatever reason and it's not your job to guess at that. It's your job to be consistent, which is harder for some of us than for others!!!!

Your body won't always make sense but you have to keep going anyway. Keep at it. You are worth it.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

Runs/Walks in Kansas City: Run for Purple Peace September 12, 2015

Before I was the homeschooling writer mom of 5, I used to love to walk all the time as a stress reliever and to stay in shape. Walking is something you can do as a parent anytime, but now that my youngest is 5 and my oldest is 14, it's a lot easier for me to fit in time for my own fitness. Over the winter I walked some at the gym on the treadmill and track. Now I can walk the neighborhood or the field at the school by my house. I'm not a jogger or a runner yet  ... but might be someday! For now I walk in my OOFOS sandals because they are the most comfy thing I have ever worn and work perfectly for summertime.

What: Run for Purple Peace

When: Saturday, September 12, 2015 at 8 a.m.

Where: Unity Village, Lee's Summit, MO

Purple Peace Foundation was founded in March 2012, in memory of Amanda Brady. It is the mission of  our Foundation to raise awareness about epilepsy and provide support to those living with epilepsy. It is our goal to raise funds in order to provide tools which may improve the quality of life for someone living with epilepsy, to support epilepsy research, and to increase awareness and education about epilepsy.

Fun facts: my uncle used to coach track at a high school in Lee's Summit for many years and my dad has taken up jogging ... it's in my blood! 

Check the link (above after WHAT) for more info!

P.S. I get my info from the fabulous KC Running Company website.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!

Food Lessons Learned at #IHOP

I took my five kids plus Jake to International House of Pancakes for their 57th anniversary and 57-cent short stack of pancakes recently (and then our friends the Joneses also came with their dad). Being on Weight Watchers myself, you would think a place like this would be like a landmine field for me. But it was fine. Here's why and some lessons I learned about food I want to pass on to you:

1. Plan. I had planned for this visit for a few days so I had time to prepare in my mind what I was going to eat. If I had just been dropped into an IHOP by an airplane and had been starving and unprepared, I would have definitely ordered one of everything on the menu. But that wasn't the case, thankfully.
2. Treat. I didn't deprive myself. I was there for the short stack, after all, so I decided to figure out the Points value of a pancake (4) plus syrup and have one. I took the other two home to Mr. Kerrie.
3. Know. I got a side of scrambled eggs for some protein and to offset the sugar. I find that when I eat pure carbs/sugary items I can feel my mood change and I get grumpy. I also got some bacon for the kids so they could have some protein.
4. Stop. When I was done, I stopped eating. I couldn't eat all the eggs so I passed the rest on to one of my kids who wanted them (usually my 14-year-old growing-like-a-weed son!).

Eating out can be a real challenge but if you plan ahead you can handle it!