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Archive for the ‘Living’ Category

March 6th, 2012

Zumba® Fitness and My Quest for True Love

Growing up, I loved to dance. Most days after school, I grabbed a bus and headed to the studio for a class. Some evenings, I had two classes. I simply couldn’t get enough of them! When I was about 17 years old, I stopped taking classes and then moved away for university, where there were no classes offered. I didn’t realize then how big a loss that was … losing my true love.

Since then, I’ve tried rugby (played winger when they let me off the bench), ultimate (loved it, but managed to fracture my hip doing a layout), a variety of yoga styles including hot yoga, boot camp fitness, cross-country skiing, snow-shoeing, and jogging via the couch to 5k program. With the exception of ultimate, I can’t really say I ever felt even the least bit “hooked.”

So I’m still searching. I really want to find a form of exercise that I like – that I actually want to do – rather than feel obligated to do. This brings me to Zumba® fitness. People are totally ga-ga over this stuff!

In fact, I have a friend whom I would most definitely classify as “addicted.” One look at her Facebook status updates confirms it — after teaching a Zumba class or two a day, she goes back into GoodLife Fitness to take Zumba classes on the days when she’s not working!

Trish Roche, Zumba Instructor Extra-ordinaire!

Naturally, this intrigues me. I want that kind of love in my life. And since it’s dance-related, maybe it could be my true love too? I asked this same friend, Trish Roche, to answer some questions for the blog on Zumba fitness and she was kind enough to jump on board.

Julie: You are a woman possessed! Why do you think that you — and so many others! — love Zumba so much?

Trish: Well, Zumba Fitness says, “Ditch the workout; join the party.” The music is also a key success factor — it’s just fun to move to it, and because the moves are based on Latin dance styles, it doesn’t feel like a typical workout. Most participants come to have fun and walk out (as they gaze down at their sweat-soaked clothes) that they had a good workout! To me, that’s a huge upside.

Julie: I did try a couple of Zumba classes, but I couldn’t follow a lot of the choreography. Is this normal?

Trish: I think a few things come into play. First, if people are in their brains trying to figure out all the steps, it can be more stressful than fun. So, I always encourage people to try to relax and just enjoy the music. When they can do that, they are more likely to move the entire time, which is far better in terms of a workout anyway.

Julie: What was wrong with the old fashioned 80s aerobics classes? Why don’t people do those anymore?

Trish: I assume you mean, apart from the clothes??? You know, the fitness industry is really no different than anything else — there are trends and fads and “the latest thing.” You’d be surprised that some of the “old school” style classes, with high-impact moves are still around and are quite popular with certain crowds!

Julie: Do men ever take your Zumba classes?

Trish: I can say this, the men who come enjoy being in the company of women who are relaxed, having fun and know how to move their hips! We do have some husbands and wives for whom it is date night!

Julie: How many calories do you think a woman my size (5’6″ and 165 lbs) could burn in one of your Zumba classes?

Trish: Some online calculators exist, but the most accurate picture is to wear a heart-rate monitor with a calorie calculator. However, it all comes down to body weight, age, exertion level and some other variables. My typical expenditure in teaching a class is somewhere in the 400 to 500 range and I’m 5’4″ and 135.

Julie: Tell me the truth: Are your abs strictly from doing Zumba or do you also do sit-ups and other ab exercises?

Trish: Oh Julie. If I tell you then I’ll have to kill you*.

*I’ll share Trish’s full answer on the Coffee with Julie Facebook page.

Have you found your “true love” in fitness? (Last I heard, Oprah hasn’t either, so we’re in good company I guess.) If you have, tell me what it is and how it makes you feel! Also if you’ve got questions for Trish about Zumba fitness, just jot it down in the comments and Trish will respond!

Zumba® and the Zumba Fitness logos are trademarks of Zumba Fitness, LLC.

10 Comments »

March 4th, 2012

On Children, Travel, and Inclusion

In our North American society, children are often considered to be annoyances in air travel, restaurants, grocery stores, and even when they are quietly feeding. I think that as a parent, now used to life with young children, I have far more tolerance than I might have had when I was child-less. In fact, it barely even registers with me that a child is making loud crying noises unless it is the specific crying that I recognize as one of my children. But even still, I freely admit that I can empathize with some of the sentiment behind these movements.

So a piece in Saturday’s Globe & Mail by Bruce Kirby caught my attention. Kirby’s writing is almost poetic, and describes why traveling with young children is a rewarding experience. It was this one section that really struck me:

Take an infant to Buenos Aires, or Kathmandu, or Siem Reap, or any foreign land where children are woven through the strands of daily life. Here strangers will ceaselessly approach — poking, tickling and whispering to the baby — without so much as a sideways glance at you. [...] Within days, the infant has learned to seek the attention of strangers, basking in their affection.

To watch the process in reverse is heartbreaking. Board a plane bound for Canada with an infant, and the collective aversion of eyes is obvious. Ditto for walking into a restaurant once home. The child, of course, will continue to wave and coo at strangers in cafes and supermarkets, although far fewer will return the attention. Eventually, the baby gives up.

Isn’t this perspective, from the point of view of the infant, interesting?

Even though most of us will never be — or even aspire to be — the intrepid travellers that the Kirby family is, the article is definitely worth a read. You can access it in full here.

Max and I taking a feeding break during travels in January 2009.

6 Comments »

February 29th, 2012

Oh the Babies!

There is a huge influx of new babies arriving at our office. The first arrived last week. A beautiful little girl, who arrived early at just over six pounds. And I saw her. I touched her little toes. Oh my …

And there are more babies arriving! Three more on the way, to be precise.

I can clearly remember being a young 20-something gal and rolling my eyes so hard it hurt when the women at my office would rush out to greet a colleague bringing in their new baby. You could hear the oohs and ahhs from all the way down the hall. I’d sit at my desk and keep working. Come on, people! It’s just a baby. Don’t lose your mind!

Now, I am one of these silly women losing their minds over the little babies. It must be my age. Or the fact that I know we’re not adding any more children to our brood. Or at least my head knows this. Because if the way these babies are making me feel is any indication, maybe my body hasn’t been informed of this decision yet.

I feel clucky. This is an expression I acquired in Australia. It’s perfect, don’t you think? It goes well with the “nesting” phenomena, and all those other metaphors for the somewhat inexplicable behaviour brought on by female hormones.

So when I came across this video via Design Mom made to announce the arrival of a new baby (side note: some people are way to clever, aren’t they? I didn’t even do regular paper announcements, let alone a video announcement!) I nearly melted into a puddle on the floor. I challenge you to press play and not feel at least a modicum of misty nostalgia.

But really? It this whole baby-craziness related to me actually feeling “clucky” or is it just me getting closer in age to those people who get all kinds of desperate to have grandchildren? Goodness only knows. But it sure tugs at the heart strings. Do you ever feel like this?

And Everything Nice from John Jensen on Vimeo.

5 Comments »

February 26th, 2012

Free Money Monday! (and Canada’s Children’s Arts Tax Credit)

It’s Sunday, but I’ve already got the Monday blues. It’s not that I don’t like my job, it’s just that the longer winter goes on, the more I just want to do nothing but curl up with a book and a fresh pressed coffee. A beach sure sounds nice right about now. But I digress …

I’m actually here to write about the taxes. I kid you not. I really am. Specifically, Canada’s newly introduced Children’s Arts Tax Credit. You’ve already likely heard about the Children’s Fitness Tax Credit, which was introduced in 2007. But now, Arts can receive the same type of credit when you file your taxes for 2011.

Free money for me!

For me, this is the equivalent of free money, since we’ve been paying for Stella to participate in these kinds of programs for a few years now. So what kinds of activities are eligible? According to the Canada Revenue Agency‘s web page, eligibility seems fairly broad. It includes an activity that:

contributes to the development of creative skills or expertise in artistic or cultural activities;
provides a substantial focus on wilderness and the natural environment;
helps children develop and use particular intellectual skills;
includes structured interaction among children where supervisors teach or help children develop interpersonal skills; or
provides enrichment or tutoring in academic subjects.

By that definition, one would assume that anything from Girl Guides, to piano lessons, to painting classes would be eligible. Your best bet is to ask the organization itself and ensure you collect and keep your receipt.

Someone’s done the math, and apparently if you claim $500 worth of art credits, then you will save $75 when you file your taxes. To learn more and check the details, you can click on the icons below.

Free money for you!

What’s not to like about free money, right? So, I’m going to do a bloggy giveaway for this $50 bill. All you need to do is help me raise awareness about this new tax credit.

How can you help spread the word?

Tweet the following: “When you file your taxes this year, don’t forget to claim your child’s arts activities! http://ow.ly/9iBxg #freemoney @coffeewithjulie”
Email, phone, or tell a friend
Update your Facebook status to let your friends know
Share your thoughts on this Arts credit on your blog

Then let me know in the comments below (1) how you helped spread the word, and (2) what you would do with this free money. I’ll pick a winner randomly next Sunday at 5pm.

Disclosure: A PR agency has sponsored this post, but that $50 bill is actually mine. I will mail it to the winner.

Edited on Feb 29th to add: Um, people don’t seem to be following the instructions above for how to enter this giveaway! If you’ve already commented below, I’ll count your entry … but next giveaway I will be super-strict-teacher about it! You’ve been warned!

Edited on March 5th to add: And the winner of the Free Money Monday is Lisa Sansom! Congrats Lisa, I will be in touch to get your mailing address and thanks so much for helping to spread the word via your twitter!

15 Comments »

February 22nd, 2012

Let’s Get This Party Started

Dear Cassie,

Okay, so it’s no party. Or at least, it’s a party no one wants to get invited to. And it kicks off today.

But let’s get this chemo started up and get that cancer out of you. The sooner you start, the sooner you can “Ring the Bell.” The tradition of ringing a bell when your final chemo treatment is complete is something I didn’t know about. But I watched this short docu-video created by a Andrea Ross and Mark Blevis, a local Ottawa couple who have survived and thrived through and beyond Andrea’s cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery.

And I also watched the video below, and wanted to share it with you and with anyone else reading this blog who is starting on their own journey with cancer.

Today it starts, but there’s a tomorrow where you’ll be ringing that bell. In the meantime, we’ll be here. To provide support and celebrate all victories.

xoxo

Edited on Friday, February 24th to add: Cassie emailed me to share: “My poison party has been good so far…one day at a time. Can’t say enough about the care we are given.”