Children's Book Review: I Want to Do Yoga Too By Carole P Roman

I WANT TO DO YOGA TOO

By: Carole P Roman

Published: December 24, 2012

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform 




Are you a fan of yoga?

Would you like to start doing yoga with your child?

Is your child curious about your yoga class?

If you have a young child, this book would be a great way to explain yoga and teach her some classic yoga positions. In Roman's book, Hallie wants to go to yoga with her mom, but instead she has to stay in the kids room. Hallie doesn't understand why she can't go with her mom and is repeatedly saying she wants to do yoga too. What Hallie doesn't realize, is while she is with Robin, the caretaker, she is learning yoga positions like tree, airplane, butterfly, and cobra.

If you have a toddler to preschool age child and want to introduce them to yoga, this book is a great way to explain the positions to them.  Moms can do these positions right along with their child. The illustrations show the correct way to do each yoga position and have fun while doing them. This would also be a fun book for grandparents, daycare providers and preschool teachers.

Carole P Roman

Award winning author Carole P. Roman is a former teacher turned businesswoman. She has successfully run a family business with her husband that employs close to five hundred people. Her most favorite job is being grandmother to her many grandchildren. Roman has two wonderful sons and hit the jackpot in the daughter-in-law department. She currently lives on Long Island with her husband. For more on Carole P. Roman visit her website, HERE. 

If you would like to purchase a copy of this book, click the photo below:

I will be linking up this review with other book bloggers on Booking Mama's Kid Konnection. Check it out each Saturday for links to other great kids books. 

Thanks to the author for sending a copy of this book for review. This review is my honest opinion. I was not compensated in any way for this review. If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small commission without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com reviews.

A Little Monday Motivation

Photo Source - HERE

Start somewhere today. Don't put it off. You can do something, no matter how "small" you think it is in terms of your long-term goal. Every step you take is one you'll be thankful for when you get there. Remember: You're lapping everyone who's still on the couch.    Caressa Sharp, runner

As part of my Runner's World #RWRunStreak, I've been doing a mile a day for 40 days from Memorial Day to July 4th.  Sometimes that mile is a run, other times it is a walk.  It really depends on what I have time for and how my body feels.  That is why I love this quote.  It doesn't matter how fast I do the mile, just that I did it.  It doesn't matter whether I did my mile in 7 minutes or 27 minutes or somewhere in between.  I'm moving my body. I've made a commitment to this challenge.  I'm going to finish.

I've actually already done 50 miles as of Day 28.  Does that mean I can stop?  Since I've done my 40 miles I can quit?  NOPE! I've committed to 40 Days and I'm going to give it my 40 Days.  The extra miles are just a bonus!

Get off that couch and get your mile in today! 

A Little Monday Inspiration

Run when you can, 

walk if you have to, 

crawl if you must; 

just never give up. 

Dean Karnazes, American Ultramarathon Runner

This has been a good quote for me as I am participating in the Runner's World RunStreak Challenge to complete 40 miles in 40 days. From Memorial Day to July 4th, runners just run one mile/day. It sounds pretty simple, just one mile a day.  But, it has been more difficult that I thought.  Some days I just don't have time for even 1 mile.  So, a few times already, I have had to add it on to the next day or even the next day.

But, as the quote above says, I'm not giving up.  I'm getting those miles in whether I'm running, walking or crawling (haven't resorted to that one yet). I will finish this challenge!

What race, challenge, goal, milestone do you need to finish? It doesn't matter how you get there, but just that you finished! Enjoy the journey, get back on track, and finish that race!

Book Review: 303 Kid-Approved Exercises and Active Games By Kimberly Wechsler

303 KID-APPROVED EXERCISES AND ACTIVE GAMES
Ages: 6-8

By: Kimberly Wechsler

Published:  July 30, 2013

Non-Fiction

Kids are spending way too much time indoors, sitting in chairs watching movies and playing video games.  Kimberly Weschsler has come up with various exercises and games that will get your kids moving. There are stretches and exercises that you can do with your child in your own home.  She has included ways to motivate them and keep them having fun.  Even having them do their chores while walking backwards, or making laundry a game by shooting their clothes into the baskets all encourage activity and fun while doing regular chores.

In fact, all of the exercises in this book will not only benefit the kids but the adults as well.  There are plenty of basic exercises and stretches that you can incorporate into your daily routines.  Some of them even require you to do them as partners like the Towel Tug of War.

Besides focusing on fitness and exercise for individuals, there are several group activities that encourage kids to be active.  This was the part of the book I was most interested in because I run an after school program for kids and we are always looking for ways to keep them active and busy.  One of my favorites was one I had forgotten about, the Back-to-Back race.  Several of these would also be great for family reunions or summer camps. There are also ideas for making your own obstacle courses which are perfect for the summer months.

If you are looking for fun, new ideas for getting your kids moving both indoors and out, check out this book and be ready to get active with your kids!

Kimberly Wechsler - source

Kimberly Wechsler is a nationally recognized Family Fitness Specialist and published author. She is the founder of Fit American Families, a Nutrition, Wellness and Fitness practice based in Texas. Fit American Families focuses on the pressing health and health care issues facing our country and is devoted exclusively to improving the health and health care of all American families to identify solutions and achieve comprehensive, meaningful and timely change to raising healthy children into healthy adults. She has dedicated her career to creating services and promoting education through her Fit American Families brand.

Boston Magazine named Kimberly’s Kids Fitness Camp as ‘Best of Boston’. She writes for several magazines, blog sites and has been in Fox News. She also had her own television show, ‘Healthy Lifestyles’ and is a radio host of ‘Fit American Families‘. For more about Kimberly Wechsler and her other books on fitness and health, visit her website, http://www.fitamericanfamilies.com/. You can also follow Kimberly on Twitter, HERE and Facebook, HERE. 

Books By Kimberly Wechsler

I will be linking up this post with other Children's Book Reviews on Booking Mama's Kid Konnection linky. To see other great reviews of Children's Books, click HERE. 

Thanks to Librarything for sending me this book in exchange for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.  I was not compensated in any other way for this review.  If you choose to purchase the book through the above link, I may receive a small compensation without you paying a cent more for your purchase. Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie.com reviews. 

Book Review: The Calorie Myth By Jonathan Bailor

THE CALORIE MYTH
How to Eat More, Exercise Less, Lose Weight, and Live Better

By: Jonathan Bailor

Published: December 31, 2013

Nonfiction



Johnathan Bailor has written a diet book unlike the others.  He changes the myths of dieting that include eating less, exercising more, and counting your carbs, your sugars,and your calories and changes it to eating more and exercising less.  I was skeptical and couldn't wait to see what Bailor had to say.

In THE CALORIE MYTH, Bailor spends much of the first third of the book giving you study after study of both humans and rodents that prove the fact that calorie counting doesn't work, but what does work is SANE eating and changing your set point.  SANE stands for Satiety, Aggression, Nutrition and Efficiency. By categorizing food and how they are digested in your body into these characteristics, you will find that foods high in protein, low in fat/sugars, and non-starchy vegetables meet the SANE eating requirements.  By eating these foods, you change your set point or metabolism and only then, can you begin lose weight.  You can eat these SANE foods until you are full thereby not leaving room for other fat-causing foods.  He gives you study after study that shows the benefits of SANE eating and how counting calories like other diet plans have you do, just don't work.

After I began reading THE CALORIE MYTH, I found the first few studies interesting, but after that, they began to get a bit boring and I just wanted to get to the meat of the book.  Since I read this on my Kindle, it was harder for me to skip ahead of all the studies.  If I had read a physical copy, I would have likely jumped ahead a lot quicker.  I understand that the author wanted you to see the science behind his research, but I think he could have presented it with less studies.

Once I got to the actual part of the book where Bailor shares his plan for eating more and exercising less, I was quite interested.  His tips aren't new to us: eat more lean meats and protein, more leafy, green vegetables and less of the starchy, carbohydrates and sweets and you will see results.  I know all this, but it is certainly difficult in our culture to turn away from pizza, fried foods, and sweets. I found his explanation of calorie counting to make a lot of sense.  He stated:

More water and fiber means bigger food, more stretch and getting fuller and staying fuller longer. That is why 200 calories of wet, fibrous celery is more filling than 200 calories of dry, fiber-free gummy bears. Calorie for calorie, celery is about thirty times the size of gummy bears, stretches our stomach and other digestive organs much more, and is therefore much more satisfying. In the same way, 250 calories of Twinkies are not the same as 250 calories of broccoli. 

Throughout the book, Bailor also addresses the political and financial motivation of our government, agri-business and major food corporations.  Really, if we can't pronounce the name of the ingredient on the box, should we be eating that...no matter how many grams of protein or fiber it has or how low-fat or few calories it has?  Bailor states, if you can grow it or hunt it, those are your best food choices.

In regards to exercise, Bailor explains how exercising less can actually increase your metabolism.  By intensifying your workout, you can shorten the duration and because your muscles will be so taxed, you will need to have more rest days in between.  Smarter interval training and intensity of effort will go a lot farther in your weight loss journey than daily workouts, according to Bailor.

Bailor ends his book with numerous recipes and lists of foods that he recommends.  I am anxious to try his version of Cinnamon "Rice" Pudding.  He also offers exercises that you can do at home or in a gym.

When you have a broken metabolism, it is going to take time to heal, just like a broken ankle. As with any diet, you won't see changes overnight, but adding these changes to your daily routine and beginning to swap your high starchy/sweet foods for vegetables or high protein foods will begin to change your metabolism. By smarter exercise, you will begin to change your body's reaction to foods, and your body will be able to burn more fat and the slimming process will happen naturally.  Obviously, none of us are perfect, and we can't say no to every dessert that comes along, but by changing the majority of your eating, and focusing on getting it right most of the time, you will see a change in your body. Eating the right foods, SANE foods, are your keys to success.

For more on Jonathan Bailor and his book THE CALORIE MYTH, check out the website TheCalorieMythBook.com.

Jonathan Bailor shares about his book in this Fox and Friends interview:




THE CALORIE MYTH is available in hard cover or as an eBook.  You can purchase it at various locations including, Amazon by clicking the photo below.

This review is my honest opinion.  I was given an eBook version of this book for free, but was not compensated in any other way for this review.  If you chose to purchase from the above Amazon link, I will receive a very small percentage of your purchase without you having to pay a cent more for your purchase.  Thanks for supporting SincerelyStacie's book reviews. 

2013 Wrap Up and Plans for 2014

What a blessedly hectic year this has been.  By offering my views on 2013, I can gauge how 2014 is going to go, where I can improve, what I need to change, and what is going well.  I am focusing on my reading/reviewing, my fitness/health, and my personal life with areas of success and areas where I can improve.

Reading/Reviewing

I read 65 books this last year.  That is a lot but 8 of them were children's books.  So that still leaves me with about a book/week.  Which was my ultimate goal.  I realize there are people that read a lot more than that, but with my busy schedule I think that is pretty darn good.  Every month consisted of a book club book and one or two review books as well as once in a while a book that I wanted to read.  That is what I want to change for this year.  My bookshelves are overflowing with books that I WANT TO READ.  But, they always get tossed aside for review books.  So, even though I appreciate all the great books that have arrived from authors and publishers, I'm going to be really, really picky this year about the books I choose to review. I am currently sitting on 44 review books that I have either committed to reading and reviewing or just showed up in my mailbox.  That is clearly most of my reading for this year.  I don't even want to mention the number of other books on my shelf that I purchased because I wanted to read them.  This doesn't even include all the new books yet to be published that I will get requests for. *SIGH* So, needless to say, I really want to do some reading for myself, continue with my book club, and read those books that sound really great and I want to promote.  I must say, if a book wasn't resonating with me and it was difficult to read, I stopped reading it.  That was something I hadn't done before.  I use to feel like I HAD to finish a book.  But, I realized there are way too many great books out there to waste my time on a dud.  That doesn't mean it is a dud for everyone, but just that it was for me.  I don't feel guilty about leaving a book unfinished anymore.  That was a huge revelation for me.

I am touched by all the great authors that asked me to read their books this last year.  I even got one of my reviews quoted in a National New York Times ad for SWEET SALT AIR by Barbara Delinsky.  My reviews have been published in our Sunday edition of the Cedar Rapids Gazette.  I'm getting more review requests on a daily basis than I can keep up with.  I feel blessed.  But, at times I am also stressed.  I don't ever want to feel stressed about reading, so will definitely be changing my approach to review requests and commitments this year.  I am hoping to read 75 books this year and get a chunk of my personal to-reads off my shelf!

Fitness/Health

I did a better job of keeping track of my fitness this year.  Every time I ran, walked, biked, or worked out, I wrote it down.  I got a bike for my birthday this year.  I rode a bike for this first time in nearly 20 years.  I'm looking forward to more bike rides with our family this spring/summer.  I finished two 5K run/walks this summer, beating my time for the June race from the previous year. I can run longer and faster than previous years and feel like running is getting easier.  I want to do more weightlifting this year and really strengthen my muscles, especially those core muscles like my back and arms.  I didn't see really any change in my weight this year, so I am looking for ways to change up my metabolism and really seem some improvement on the scale.  Overall, I ran/walked/biked 141.46 miles this year.  I can honestly say, this is the most I have ever done in my life.  I know it isn't a lot when you break it out into days or weeks, but still more than I have ever done.  My most active months were January and August. My least active months were March, May and November.  I am hoping in 2014 to show consistent activity across all the months and to at least double my number of miles in 2014.  

Personal Life

There are days and weeks where I feel like I am doing too much.  But, most everything I am involved in, it is because I want to be.  Finding time to do what I WANT TO DO is a challenge and I imagine it is a challenge for most people.  I want to find more time to have fun with the kids, more time to read, more time to be spontaneous, and more time to go out with my husband.  But, there are only 24 hours in day and this girl can't sacrifice sleep! 

There are commitments that I plan to continue:  Running the After School JAMS program at our church, giving Storytime at our library, Subbing at the school, Secretary of our church circle, community member of the school communication team, 

There are commitments that I am giving up:  Planning/Organizing our city-wide garage sales. 

I want to have more personal quiet time studying the Bible.  I gave up attending a weekly Bible Study and even though it was time-consuming and the schedule no longer worked for me, I miss it.  I want to finish reading the whole Bible.  I got as far as Jeremiah and haven't gotten back to it.  

I want to be a better housekeeper.  That is always the first to go when my schedule gets busy and I need to make that more of a priority.

There is always room for personal growth...always striving to be a more loving, caring and generous person to those who need it most.  

I'm certainly excited for 2014.  In the coming year my mom will turn 75, our son will turn 14 and become a driver, our other son will enter the teen years, our daughter will get her ears pierced at age 9 (I had to wait until I was 16), and my husband and I will celebrate 15 years of marriage.  All moments that I look forward to and will cherish. It's going to be a great year!

A Little Monday Inspiration

"Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness."
Edward Stanley, 3rd Earl of Derby

When I saw this quote last week, it kind of stopped me in my tracks.  Really, who doesn't have time for exercise?  Here I am, making excuses again.  Just back from vacation and I am swamped with trying to catch up with things here at home as well as getting the kids ready for school to start.  But, really, I still have time for a quick run on the treadmill and I haven't done it.  I've walked around town once since we have been back. That is it.  

Yep, it is time to realize, exercise is a habit that is necessary to my life. No matter what I do, it is more than I would be doing sitting on the couch.   Let's get it started!

source

A Little Monday Inspiration

I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far. I AM A RUNNER because I say I am.  And no one can tell me I'm not.

John Bingham

photo courtesy of bellinrun.com

John Bingham is an author and runner.  He writes a column for Runner's World magazine and believes the goal of running should be to finish and have fun.  Thank you John!

So, I Needed A New Challenge

The month of October is flying by for me.  Is it for you?  October is always crazy for us, but this year it has been especially busy.  Three kids in three different sports/activities with three different schedules, a trip for me, a birthday for me and my husband, subbing, a weekend getaway, and in general...life.  

After completing the 5 Week Exercise Challenge with Peak313, I have totally slacked off.  In the beginning of October I had a cold, it left, then came back along with taking my voice.  I got my voice back and got rid of the cold and now it is back again, with a vengence.  I think it is all these weather changes...cold, rainy, warm, dry...Iowa weather needs to make up its mind!  Excuses.....excuses.....excuses......

So, to get back on track, I have joined a new challenge thanks to my blogging friend, Jenni.  If you need a swift kick in the pants like I do....sign up HERE.

 



I have decided to commit to 30 miles of running/walking in November.  It may not sound like a lot to most people, but it is more than I would probably do if I didn't commit.  When I looked at our November calendar and realistically thought about what I could commit to, this was it.  Plus, the more I can push myself to complete the 30 miles is all the more miles to counteract all that delicious food I will be eating this month!

If you just need something to be accountable for, join me.  We can be each others fitness buddy!

A Little Monday Inspiration

There is an expression among even the most advanced runners that getting your shoes on is the hardest part of any workout.

Kathrine Switzer

Isn't that the truth?  I have found that if I wear my workout clothes to bed (or at least some of them) it is much easier for me to hop on that treadmill in the morning.Having my shoes out, so I nearly need to trip over them helps too!  The point is, whatever you need to do to make sure you get started, do it. Once you start it's all downhill from there!
 

photo courtesy of www.kathrineswitzer.com

Kathrine Switzer is best known for becoming the first woman officially enter and run the Boston Marathon in 1967 under the name K.V. Switzer.  Even after a race official tried to remove her, she finished the race.  After much convincing, women were officially allowed to enter and compete in the Boston Marathon, five years later, in 1972.  Switzer was the women's winner of the Boston Marathon in 1974. Switzer continues to support women's athletics and running today.

Week 3 Check-In with Peak 313 Living and Active Challenge

I completed another week of the challenge and am feeling really good about the changes that I am making.  It isn't so tough to go down to the treadmill and fit in my 30 minutes.  I actually look forward to it because I get some DOWNTON ABBEY time with it.  What will I do when I have watched them all?  Anyone know of another show I should start watching????

Last week's soul food was right on with what I had planned to do for the week.  

1 John 2:16

For everything in the world - the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does - comes not from the Father but from the world.

Without even knowing about the next week's theme, I had been talking to my cousin about my frustration with the scale.  She suggested jazzing up my metabolism by cutting out sugar.  So, together we cut out sugar last week.  By sugar, I mean extra sugars....no sweets, candy, sugary drinks, etc.  For the most part, I think we both did really well.  I did have some flavored iced tea with dinner, but when my husband brought home Krispy Kreme doughnuts, I didn't have A SINGLE ONE! Now that was tough!  Then I had to make 2 batches of cupcakes for a birthday and I didn't have A SINGLE ONE of them either.  I was careful about what I was putting in my body and the results were worth it.  Either the treadmill had caught up with me or the no-sugar got my metabolism going, but the scale moved.  I lost 4 lbs and 1 inch around my hips.  I can't really tell by looking at myself, but I am feeling and sleeping better.

Knowing that I have the power to say NO and that I don't need the extra sugary treats felt great.  That doesn't mean I can't have them from time to time, but maybe it should be reserved for something really special.  Thinking about all the things we "crave"...TV time, computer time, dates with our husbands, a glass of wine, something sweet.....and really thinking about where this craving is coming from are what I tried to focus on this week.  

This week I will be traveling and it is also my birthday, so I have a busy week ahead and it will be tough to work everything in, but I am determined to finish out the challenge.  

Week 2 of 5 of My Challenge with Peak 313 Fitness

Week two is complete with the Living and Active 5 Week Challenge through Peak 313 Fitness and even though the scale hasn't moved....GRRRRRR....it is getting easier to get on the treadmill and the time flies by!  Especially watching DOWNTON ABBEY!  I'm hooked!!!!!  I even stuck with working out while having a cold, which before would have been the perfect excuse to give up.

Our Soul Food this week is such a perfect verse for me and one I go to often:

Matthew 6:34
Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

I am such a worry wart.  I have gotten better, trying to leave things in God's hands.  But, as a mom, worry is constantly nagging at me.  This week I really focused on living in the moment that I was in, not looking too far ahead and just getting through the day.  It was much less stressful and made it easier for me to focus on the task at hand.  I didn't look at the week and worry about how I was going to fit in exercise, I just took each day and did it.

Since I have been frustrated with the scale NOT MOVING, my cousin and I decided to jazz it up and cut out sugar for the week.  The was one of my 40 BEFORE 40 goals anyway and since my time is running out to get those accomplished, I decided this was the perfect week.  Hopefully it will change up my metabolism a bit.  Now when I say no sugar, I had no idea how difficult that would be.  There is sugar in so many things that I eat on a regular basis....Greek Yogurt, juice, and fruit all go in my regular smoothies and these are full of sugar.  So, since I don't want to cut out my smoothies, I am just not going to intentionally eat sugary things.  No cakes, cookies, candy, sugary drinks, sugary snacks, etc.  I am going to watch my sugar grams and try to keep them under 30 grams/day which some days will be harder than others.  Even my coffee creamer has 5 grams/tablespoon.  I can't give that up!!!!!! So, hopefully I'm not too cranky.  I know the first couple days will be rough, but after that, it will get easier.  I just want to see that scale move lower!

Here goes Week 3.................

My 5 Week Challenge Update with Peak 313 Fitness

Today begins my 2nd week of the Living and Active 5 Week Challenge.  I was surprised how easy last week was.  I was able to fit in 4 workouts into my week which was a new thing for me.  I was usually happy if I got one or two times in.  But, I made it a priority and my muscles reacted.  I didn't drop any pounds last week, but I didn't gain either.  What I did noticed was that on my workout on Sunday, I was able to go farther and burn more calories in the same amount of time.  That is a great challenge to work on right there.

I find that running on the treadmill is so much better than running through town.  One, I'm invisible.  I'm self-conscious and don't like having people see me running around town.  Two, I can keep track of my progress....how far I have run & how many calories I've burned.  I can change up my run with my incline or my speed whenever I want.  So, as long as it is getting cooler, I'm going to stay on my treadmill.  Plus, I just found a show I can start watching on Netflix Instant....Downton Abbey.  I've heard so much about it and have been curious, so now that I know Season one is available, I can check it out.  If I only allow myself to watch it on the treadmill, I will be motivated to go run, just so I can watch the show.  I did that last winter with GLEE and it worked really well for me.

The other benefit of this particular challenge in the Soul Food part of it.  Week One's verse was from Ecclesiastes 4:12 - Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.  I really love this verse because it reminds us that we are never alone, we are  all part of a team...God's team. Your family is a team. Your friends are your team, and I joined this Peak 313 team.  We are all in it together, here to help each other, support each other, and love each other in this life and we can't be defeated!

So, here I am, ready to give Week 2 a go.  

I've Joined the Challenge

In my 40 Before 40 Challenge, I had stated that I wanted to lose 20 pounds.  Well, I don't think I am going to make that goal, but I'm going to give it one last good run.  The perfect opportunity popped into my regular blog reading and I decided to join in.

PEAK 313 FITNESS is offering a Living and Active Challenge for the next 5 weeks.  Even though I am turning 40 in less than 5 weeks, I decided this was the best thing to get my rear in gear.  Clare offers much needed advice and encouragement when it comes to getting fit.  She is also a Christian and includes spiritual guidance throughout her blog.  This current challenge offers a exercise plan and "soul food" of a Bible verse to memorize each week.  Clare offers exercises (with instructional videos) for you to fit in or you can do your own.  The requirement is that you are exercising at least 4x per week and memorizing your verse.  If you complete the 5 week challenge, you will be entered to win a prize.  Everything Clare is offering is for free.

For me it isn't about the prize Clare is offering, but the prize I hope to get from myself at the end of 5 weeks. For me, I just need to be accountable to something or someone and have some motivation.  So far I am 2 for 2 with tomorrow (Wednesday) being my rest day.  My muscles are aching but I have slept really well the last 2 nights.  I hope that continues.  I have also stopped drinking Diet Mountain Dew.  The last few times I have drank it, I have gotten terrible stomachaches.  I wasn't even drinking it that often anymore, maybe one a week.  So, I just decided it wasn't worth it and haven't bought any more.  I am drinking water all the time, and know the benefits will soon show from that.

There is still time for you to join in on this challenge.  Click HERE and print off your calendar.  I put mine right on our counter where I see it throughout the day.  If you are going to join in, let me know in the comments.  We can keep each other accountable.

I'm Back in the Saddle...errrr....Treadmill Again.....

Of course this is what I look like on the treadmill!!

It has been since July 23rd, since I have been on the treadmill.  Yes, THE treadmill that I begged and pleaded for and got for Christmas just 8 months ago.  Yes, my life has been busy, but there have definitely been days that I could have found 30 minutes to get on the treadmill.  So, today, I looked at my planner where I keep track of my life and found that is has been a MONTH since I was last on the treadmill.  My body shows it too.  So, back on it I went.  No, today wasn't my best time or my best distance, but I got on and worked up a dripping sweat!  It felt good.  I also tried something different today as well, reading while on the treadmill.  I have always watched a movie/tv show on the iPad through Netflix, but today, I thought I would try reading since I hear lots of other people do it.  Ugh! Not for me!  I had trouble keeping my balance.  I couldn't see the words and so I gave that up.  I would love to hear how other people do it and any tips because it would be great if I could.  I have lots of reading to catch up on.  But, I guess I will go back to my movie watching.  Even with the upcoming Netflix changes, we decided to keep the Instant and just drop back to 1 movie at a time at home.  So, that keeps our rate the same and we still feel like we have options.  So, guess it is time for me to get back into the routine of the treadmill - and finishing the movie, PRECIOUS.  I started it last month on the treadmill and need to finish it.  How about you, what do you do while on the treadmill?  Do you have any excuses that trip you up?  Mine is I don't want to shower twice in one day.  It really doesn't work for me to shower first in the morning.  I am much better late morning or late afternoon.  So, if I need to get up and shower in the morning, I don't want to have to do it again a few hours later.  Thoughts?  How do you work your treadmill/workout time into your day?