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Jamie Fraser
BAM Strength Girls Work Out Playlist
Music inspires and motivates me to work out. The BAM Strength Girls held a #BooTEAlicious contest for January. I entered with a Work Out playlist. I really enjoyed reading everyone’s playlists. It was fun to see songs I had in common with others, for example, “Uptown Funk” Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars, “Take Me to Church” Hozier, “Peace of Mind” We Were Promised Jet Packs, and “Turn Down For What” DJ Snake and Lil John. I always like to get ideas for new music. I wanted to share mine with you.
Fight Camp’s John Valbonesi has been posting playlists on their Twitter page @F1ghtCamp. Thanks John for helping this My Peak Challenge participant! I added Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” after I saw it on his list.
I continue to look forward to my work outs and will start today with the BAMStrength Girls February challenge YoFlex. The girls will be doing a combination arm strength and yoga challenge.
The Salt Life Sassenachs are still meeting regularly to walk 5k, you can find us on Twitter @SaltLifeSassies. I’d love to hear your My Peak Challenge stories!
J Mc
inspiredbyoutlander@gmail.com
Jenny Mc @jennymcinspired – Twitter
Adventures of a Preschool Teaching My Peak Challenge Participant
I started writing this blog inspired by my BAM Strength Girls Day 19 work out. This teacher learned slacking off on BAM Change work outs is not advisable. I did complete the half jacks, climbers, jumping jacks, push-ups, plank jump-ins, jumping T’s, high knees, and alternate arm/leg raises. I wondered afterwards if I would be able to stand up after sitting in one of these teeny tiny chairs the next day at school.
The rainy day in Florida yesterday reminded me of other inside recess days at school. I’ll incorporate time travel into my own writing as I take you back to the Monday after My Peak Challenge Fitness Test #1 which as a conscientious My Peak Challenge participant; I completed Sunday evening.
On this fateful Monday morning, I’ve completed all 6 minutes 29 seconds of “Chicken Fat” routine with Bear Cubs when I realize I still have 14 minutes of recess time to kill, (“Chicken Fat”, Kimbo Records, 1961 with Robert Preston on vocals, http://youtu.be/af2j59zzX3Q). This particular video will educate as well as entertain. Some really interesting pictures in more ways than one.
I am very tempted to share this post with Henri le Worm as I describe next activity. It is called “Parade of Colors”. Hap Palmer’s classic song is featured in this link, http://youtu.be/lp5rJ2bgBuE.
If children’s music playlists are not your idea of fun, I’ll briefly describe. This listening activity requires each child to march around the room with a bean bag of the color of their choice. When their color is called, they follow directions in song and stand up or sit down. I also chose a bean bag and participated with the children. I’ll be honest, I did choose my color based on how many times the color chosen would require me to stand up and sit down. My quads were burning.
I co-teach with another teacher in the classroom. We are marching, music is playing, and we are listening for our color to be called. Mine is called, and I sit down, an audible groan passing my lips. I look up and catch the eye of my colleague who is trying to contain her laughter. I start laughing, and both of us dissolve into a fit of giggles. The children are clueless as to why we are laughing, “What’s so funny?”
If you’re interested in yesterday’s rainy day recess activity, we had a dance party. The children voted on the playlist which consisted of Cyndi Lauper’s “Girls Just Want To Have Fun”, Baha Men “Who Let The Dogs Out”, and Chubby Checker’s “The Twist”. I am working on my own playlist for the BAM Strength Girls “BooTEAlicious” January contest. The details can be found in their blog, https://bamstrengthgirls.wordpress.com/2015/01/11/ruth-reveals-all/. I’ll post mine here when I enter their contest.
Bear Strength is shipping first batch of pre-orders for My Peak Challenge Welcome Kits at the end of January. On their Twitter page, these wonderful bears responded to a customer’s question about ordering the Welcome Kit in February, “You sure can.” Smart bears. Go check out their website for all the information, www.bearstrength.co.uk/index.php/mypeakchallenge. You can follow them on Twitter @BearStrength.
Thank you again for reading! I celebrated 300 plus followers on Twitter this week by giving a sneak peak behind the kilt. The “J” stands for Jenny. I look forward to seeing you on Twitter @jennymcinspired. As always, I look forward to your comments!
J Mc
inspiredbyoutlander@gmail.com
Jenny Mc @jennymcinspired
Peaks and Valleys
Thank you so much for your kind comments about the last blog post! Blogging is a new endeavor for me so I really appreciate your thoughts. I’m just an early forties woman having fun writing and now getting fit.
I started My Peak Challenge on January 1, 2015, and I’d like to share some of my own Peaks and Valleys from the first week.
Peak – I began the 30 Days of change with the BAM Strength Girls with the Day 1 Work Out on January 1st, and completed 5½ out of 7 daily workouts. I say 5½ because I can’t in good conscience count the 10 minute Mickey Mousercise routine I did with my children in my class on Friday. You’d be surprised, Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are really good instructors. I had a fun “shaking a tail feather” with Donald. “Ducks Dance Too” appears as the name of a track on the CD, I kid you not.
Valley – Wall Sits are not my friend. I would rather do Burpees than Wall Sits. You wouldn’t notice if I substituted something else for them, would you?
Peak – I put batteries back in my scale.
Valley – I stepped on the scale this morning, and I’ve gained 2 pounds. I will operate under the assumption that muscle mass weighs more than fat. Right???
Peak – My children are doing My Peak Challenge with me. I’m fortunate, they would rather be outside than anywhere else. My daughter rode past me on her scooter, and said, “Look Mom, I’m doing my cardio!” It is gratifying to show them that good health and fitness should be a priority.
Valley – My daughter is quite the task master in the role of trainer. If you were a fly on the wall in my house, you would have heard, “You’re doing those Mountain Climbers wrong. You need to do them faster.” After Cross Climbers, I heard, “Ugh! Maybe you should just do something else.”
Overall, I experienced more highs than lows this week. My Salt Life Sassenach sister and I met three times, walking a 5K on two of those occasions. I found myself looking forward to the work outs. I loved reading all the encouragement from My Peak Challenge participants on Twitter and Facebook. You have all kept me motivated this week. Thank you!
My Peak Challenge Goals
- Complete the 30 Days of Change with the BAMStrength Girls, and stay in the habit of work outs.
- Run a 5K.
Allow me to offer some background on my second goal. I don’t run. As a matter of fact, I usually tell people, “If you see me running, someone is chasing me.” You are more likely to see me in a Zumba or a Yoga class. I figured it was time to try something new.
Thank you again for reading! I am off to go back to the Bear Strength web site. I discovered that even though I’m in Florida, I need a Bear Strength Hoody. There was a light dusting of snow in my area. Crazy! Apparently, I also need to order my cubs/trainers My Peak Challenge gear, www.bearstrength.co.uk/index.php/mypeakchallenge.
As always, I look forward to your comments!
J Mc
inspiredbyoutlander@gmail.com
@jennymcinspired – Twitter
My Peak Challenge 2015
Happy New Year! My New Year’s Resolution is to exercise more, (after I eat a traditional Southern meal of pork tenderloin, collard greens, black eyed peas, and corn bread.) Unless you count teaching four year olds, I have gotten out of the habit entirely. My excuse has been that I don’t have time. I think that as Moms we do tend to put ourselves last on the priority list. A good friend of mine told me recently that if you give all of yourself away, you don’t have anything else to give to anyone. With that thought in mind, I made a promise to myself to carve out time for exercise, to recharge.
You have probably figured out, dear reader, that I am a fan of Sam Heughan and Bear Strength Clothing Co. My immense respect increased dramatically when they unveiled My Peak Challenge on December 28, 2014. In collaboration with Fight Camp, they have created a program to motivate individuals to reach their personal goals while at the same time raising money for Beat Blood Cancer. When you sign up, you receive information, Peak Gear, photos and a % of your purchase goes to charity. It is explained so well at Bear Strength’s web site, www.bearstrength.co.uk/index.php/mypeakchallenge.
My Welcome Pack is ordered, and I am so excited to start my own challenge! I have ordered a shirt and a vest in the past. They are so soft! The web site, http://www.bearstrength.co.uk, is user friendly, and converts to US currency. They ship to the United States. I had a wonderful experience the first time I ordered from the company. They carry men’s women’s, and children’s apparel, with plans for #MyPeakChallenge merchandise for our bear cubs in the future.
I followed the BAM Strength Girls blog in December, www.bamstrengthgirls.wordpress.com, and am ready to jump in with both feet today. The 30 Days of Change Challenge kicks off on January 1, 2015. Follow them on Twitter, @BAMstrength; they are using the hash tag #BAMchange to track the fun.
I am also going to borrow the #Heughligans @Heughligans Twitter post from three days ago,
Follow: @MyPeakChallenge @BearStrength @F1ghtCamp & of course, @SamHeughan To reach YOUR peak. http://www.bearstrength.co.uk/index.php/mypeakchallenge … #MyPeakChallenge
You can also follow #MyPeakChallenge on Facebook and Instagram.
https://www.facebook.com/MyPeakChallenge?pnref=lhc – Facebook
http://instagram.com/MyPeakChallenge – Instagram
I was on Pinterest yesterday, and found some items posted by pinners when I searched “My Peak Challenge”.
I am proud to be repping Bear Strength in Florida. Through the miracle of Twitter, I met an Outlander Fan that lives in my neighborhood, so I have my workout buddy, #MyPeakChallenge pack preordered, and Inspiration.
Timelapse Peak challenge 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd_kDBvdgTk
You might find some of our FL adventures by following RiverCity Sassenachs @saltlifesassies.
I am going to have to think about posting pictures. For now, I am very comfortable keeping myself covered in plaid. I look forward to seeing and hearing from all of the #MyPeakChallenge participants!
Thanks again for reading!
Jenny Mc
@jennymcinspired
Thoughts on The Outlander cast plays “This or That?”
In the #Outlanderofferings clip, The Outlander cast plays “This or That?” from Outlander Starz, Tobias Menzies says, “American football versus our football?” in response to football or basketball.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKgTa7WDH-s
I have called the game with a brown and white oval ball American football in a previous blog. My son calls the sport that he plays with the big round black and white ball soccer. It makes me wonder how I should refer to the different sports.
As a mother and part-time preschool teacher with a small amount of knowledge of PR, I multitask and integrate as much as possible. I found myself at the Riverside Arts Market representing the Southern Women’s Show in October with my son. (The Jacksonville 2015 show will be October 15th-18th. For more information, go to http://southernshows.com/wja.) I follow their Twitter account @SWSJacksonville for updates as well.
My son, who was wearing his Jacksonville Football Club jersey because we were going to his game directly following the market, happened to be standing next to me at the Southern Women’s Show table. A very nice couple approached the table, and I prepared to give them information about the show. The following conversation happened instead.
Nice man: Do you play football?
My son: soccer
Nice Man: football?
(My son looks at me questioningly)
Me: yes
Nice Man: Good for you! I see your jersey. What does it stand for?
My son: Jacksonville Football Club
Nice Man: (Showing us his hat) do you know about the Hull City Tigers? They are playing Arsenal this week. I’m sure you get a channel that will show the game, you should watch it. What position do you play?
My son: mostly defense
Nice Man: (This is where I discovered just how seriously people in the UK take football.) Keep playing…looking at me…it is so important that you support his playing.
Before I realize what he is doing; he takes out his wallet, and pulls out cash to make a donation to the JFC. I thank him profusely, and explain that I can’t take his donation. Because I suffer from Outlander Withdrawal, and have been striking up conversations with random people with accents, I ask him where he is from. He and his wife are from England and are on holiday ending with a trip to Walt Disney World.
Now I am familiar with the Hull City, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Fulham teams. The owner of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Shad Khan, is the owner of Fulham FC. Jacksonville also has a new soccer team, Jacksonville Armada FC. The team’s web site, www.armadafc.com, refers to the game they are playing as “soccer”, so I will do so as well. I am thrilled that I am learning so much as a result of watching Outlander and starting a blog.
I discovered Jacksonville has a rugby team, the Axemen. The only things I know about Rugby, I learned from reading the Escape to New Zealand book series by Rosalind James. I would recommend reading the series, it felt like I was actually in New Zealand while reading her books. My travel wish list now includes trips to Scotland and New Zealand.
I still have questions. My son is playing flag football during the winter. It is non-tackle American football. Players wear a belt with flags. The defensive team removes the flags of the ball carrier. I’m not sure what you would call that in the UK. I also wonder what people think when the Jacksonville Jaguars play in London.
I really should have had my husband write this blog. ESPN is on 24/7 at our house between my husband and son. My husband is playing in a fantasy football league this season, so not only is the TV on, but he has commandeered our lap top. I walked in the family room this afternoon, and asked, “Are you using the lap top? I am thinking about working on a blog post.” He says, “Can you give me 10 minutes? The Fulham game will be over then and the lap top will be all yours.”
We have 14 weeks until April 4th. I realized that the deadline for registration for Jacksonville Football Club for the recreational and developmental leagues is January 31, 2015 for spring. Football and soccer games and practices should help to take my mind off of my Outlander Withdrawal.
Here is a list of Twitter accounts that I follow mentioned in this blog:
@RAMJacksonville – Riverside Arts Market Jacksonville
@SWSJacksonville – SWS Jacksonville
@JaguarsUK – Jaguars UK
@jaxaxemen – Jacksonville Axeman
@FulhamFC – Fulham Football Club
@JaxArmadaFC – Jacksonville Armada FC
@Outlander_Starz – Outlander
Thanks so much for reading! Please let me know if you have any answers to my questions.
J Mc
@OutlanderI
12 Days of Christmas with an Outlander Twist
I had a very fun Twitter conversation today which became the inspiration for this short blog. I am starting with the last verse of the song. Be very grateful that it doesn’t come with my vocals. 😉
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me…
Twelve Drummers drumming
Eleven Pipers piping
Ten Plates for dinner
Nine Shortbread cookies
Eight TV episodes
Seven Sam Selfies
Six Plaid Pajamas
Five Golden Rings
Four Outlander books
Three Ornaments
Two Plaid tree skirts
and a Santa with a kilt and bagpipes
Merry Christmas from our home to yours!
As always, I look forward to hearing from you!
J Mc
inspiredbyoutlander@gmail.com
@OutlanderI
I’m Dreaming of a Plaid Christmas
Merry Christmas dear readers! You already know I am a fanatic about Outlander, but I am also a Disney fanatic. A Christmas tradition for my family is to go to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. We haven’t missed a year in twelve years. Living in Florida makes it an easy trip. We stay in one of the resorts on property, and spend two nights. The event is a hard ticket event, meaning you pay extra for admission to the party. We have learned over the years that although the party officially starts at 7:00 p.m., they will let you into the park with your ticket at 4:00 p.m. The party ends at midnight so if you go in at 4:00, you still have eight hours in the Magic Kingdom. We think of the party ticket as a “park ticket” for the day of the party. My favorite part of the night is Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade. Characters from the movie Frozen made an appearance this year. There are still tickets for the party available for the 18th of December.
Me and Goofy
For our second day at Walt Disney World, we pick another park to enjoy. This year, when my husband asked the kids what park they wanted to visit, they said, “I don’t know.” I responded, “I want to go to Epcot.” This Disney Park features a World Showcase which houses pavilions from 11 different countries; the United Kingdom is one destination. I have never been to the United Kingdom, but while I wish for an adventure across the pond, I happily took in my experience at the World Showcase. We didn’t eat in the UK pavilion this trip, but I have visited the Rose and Crown Pub and Dining Room, and listened to the Pub musician on previous visits. There is also the Yorkshire County Fish Shop available as a more casual option. “British Revolution” was performing while we shopped. At the “Crown and Crest” shop, they will frame your family’s crest and history. My husband purchased one for his Dad several years ago. In the past, I have also seen Scottish tartans and ties. I didn’t see any this time, but I spotted shirts, beer steins, and mugs.
The kids saw characters from Alice in Wonderland, Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh and Friends, and Peter Pan. As we walked through the United Kingdom, I asked my husband, “Where are the bagpipe players?”
M: I’ve never seen anybody playing bagpipes at the World Showcase.
Me: They used to stand in between the Canada Pavilion and the UK Pavilion.
M: Did you want to come to Epcot just to see men in kilts playing bagpipes?
Me: Well, that wasn’t the only reason.
I asked some of the cast members if they knew of any entertainers that played bagpipes, and they didn’t know of any either. The cast members that work in the World Showcase at Epcot are from the country they represent. The very nice people I spoke with weren’t from Scotland. I enjoyed listening to some lovely English accents though.
At this point, I am starting to question my sanity. Is my Outlander Withdrawal so severe that I am imagining Scottish Highlanders playing bagpipes at Epcot?
That night, I Googled “Epcot World Showcase Bagpipes”. I didn’t tell my husband “I told you so”, but there have been bagpipe players at the World Showcase from 1983-2014. In my research, I found a fun blog, http://www.yesterland.com. Werner Weiss is the curator of Yesterland. The blog compares photos from 1983 to photos in the same pavilion in 2011. I learned so much from reading his blog. For example, in 1983, the group was called the Calendonian Bagpipe Trio. The piper and singer Jamie Holton founded Off Kilter in 1997, and has performed at the Canada pavilion since 1990. The photos below were taken by Werner Weiss, and originally appeared in his blog December 9, 2011.
This made me wonder why the group performed in the Canada Pavilion. Weiss answered my question in his blog, “When immigrants from Scotland settled in the country of Canada, they brought their culture—including kilts and bagpipes—with them. Canada at Epcot has had musicians with kilts and bagpipes since the park opened.”
Off Kilter’s last performance at the World Showcase was September 27, 2014. I have lived in Florida since Epcot opened, and seen performances by the Calendonian Bagpipe Trio and Off Kilter. I will definitely miss hearing the bagpipes as I walk around the World Showcase. The band’s website is www.offkilter.net. I also found an Off Kilter board on Pinterest, and am actually listening to Off Kilter as I type, very motivational.
A new musical group, the Scottish Musical Trio, a Celtic musical act, will be performing at the United Kingdom pavilion in the future. I read an article in the Orlando Sentinel, http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/attractions/theme-park-rangers-blog/os-disney-ends-epcot-acts-off-kilter-20140828-post.html, with details.
We now have 16 weeks until Outlander returns on Starz. Thank you for following this blog, and my Twitter account as I attempt to think of ways to pass the time until April 4, 2015! Honestly, I was hoping to see men in kilts playing bagpipes at Epcot. While I was disappointed, I did see some sights at Disney that reminded me of Scotland.
This edition of Outlander Inspired took me longer to write. I found myself absorbed by the blogs and web sites I was reading to research. Here is a list of the ones I referenced:
http://www.wdwforgrownups.com/articles/kilter-rocked-celtic-music-epcot
http://www.yesterland.com/wsthennow3.html
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/guides/epcot/epws-uk.htm
https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/events-tours/magic-kingdom/mickeys-very-merry-christmas-party/
I was also sucked in by Pinterest; I found the Off Kilter board which led me to these fun pictures.
The above pic I found on Pinterest, and realized that it is via outlandishobservations.blogspot.com. This is Gaelic for Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks Outlandish Observations!
Thank you again for reading! I look forward to hearing from you!
J Mc
@OutlanderI
Something for Everyone on your Christmas List Inspired by Outlander
I found lots of inspiration on http://www.outlanderstore.com. I saw several items for my own Christmas List. For friends and family, I’ll start with the most obvious. For the book lover on your list, I would most definitely recommend Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander. There are now eight books in the series. I have multiple copies of the first three books with versions on my Kindle, iBooks, and in paperback. My local bookstores are Books a Million and Barnes and Noble. Diana autographs books at her local bookstore, The Poisoned Pen, www.poisonedpen.com. Diana’s web site is a great resource if you have questions, www.dianagabaldon.com.
If you are in the Cape Cod area, I discovered some fantastic bookstores on Chatham Island while I was on vacation. Where the Sidewalk Ends featured Outlander as a staff pick.
For the music aficionados on your list, I would recommend the show’s theme song composed by Bear McCreary, “Outlander – Main Title Theme (Skye Boat Song) [feat. Raya Yarbrough]”. My other recommendation would be the album Unravelling by We Were Promised Jetpacks, FatCat Records, 2014. The group is based in Glasgow, and the alternative album is produced by Paul Savage. Both are already in my iTunes music library.
For the chef in your life, you can surprise them with A Taste of Outlander, by Theresa Carle-Sanders. She is professional chef and a huge fan of the Outlander book series. I have made Theresa’s Shepherd’s Pie recipe, and both of my picky children gave it a two thumbs up review. “Mom, you should make this again!” Information to purchase the cookbook is on her website, www.outlanderkitchen.com.
For the Exercise Enthusiast, I will direct you to Bear Strength Clothing Co. I have ordered a shirt and a vest, and they are so soft! The web site is user-friendly, and converts to US currency. You can find them at http://www.bearstrength.co.uk, and they ship to the United States. I had a wonderful experience the first time I ordered from the company. They carry men’s, women’s, and children’s apparel.
I haven’t forgotten the children on your list. If a Scout Elf visits your house from the North Pole, Elf on the Shelf has designed a Tartan skirt and boots combination. This Claus Couture Collection piece can be found exclusively at Target.
While shopping on Chatham Island, I stumbled upon the most adorable store. Ducks in the Window carries more rubber ducks than I have ever seen in one place.
As you can see, a duck in a kilt is a must buy. It was the last one, so of course I bought him. I have also seen similar items on the Oriental Trading web site, www.orientaltrading.com.
For the fashionista, it can be tricky; however, plaid seems to be a safe choice. I don’t think it is just my selective attention at work here either. I am seeing plaid everywhere. These two items made it into my shopping cart at Target. Notice the teal and black, in honor of the Jacksonville Jaguars fans on the list.
I found this Cashmink acrylic scarf at Stein Mart.
If you are feeling brave, you could also visit www.auntmjcreations.com. The company makes hand-made ladies Celtic and Renaissance clothing. They are also coming out with a children’s line. I met some very nice representatives of the company at the Lannadoo Festival last weekend. My husband asked me what colors I preferred. He said, “If I am wearing my kilt to the NE FL Highland Games, you should also have something appropriate to wear.” I wouldn’t be surprised to find one of their creations under my tree.
For the person who has everything, you might consider a subscription to Starz. I firmly believe the show Outlander is worth the price of subscription. If you have children, our cable bundle also includes the Starz Kids&Family Channel. We all enjoy watching movies together.
On a different note, look what I found while shopping at my school’s Used Book Sale.
The second and third pictures are from the book, The Cooking of the British Isles. The Crofter and the Laird, by John McPhee, according to the description on the back of the book, “gives us a deep and rich portrait of the terrain, the history, the legends, and the people of this fragment of the Hebrides.” My husband will thank me for this book about his clan that I never would have found if not for my “obsession”.
I’ve made shopping for me easy on my family considering I have already purchased most items on this list. I know all of you are on Santa’s Good List, I hope you find an Outlander Christmas under the tree! Happy Shopping! We have 17 weeks until April 4th, and 26 shopping days until Christmas. I look forward to hearing from you.
Jenny Mc
inspiredbyoutlander@gmail.com
@jennymcinspired
Inspired by Outlander 