Hello, my name is Melanie and I no longer fit into my clothes. Over the past few weeks I've realized I'm no longer at a weight that is healthy for me. This year I've put fitness squarely on the bottom of my To Do list and now my bottom is paying the price.

The biggest thing I don't have in my life is training for the Breast Cancer 3 Day. I didn't realize just how much all the walking was keeping me fit. At my best, I could walk 10 miles in just under 3 hours. I may not be participating in the 3 Day but I need to pretend like I am. My health depends on it. There are three changes I need to make to get my weight under control and live a healthier lifestyle.

1. Buy ice skates
My son plays hockey. I am now team manager. I will be living at the ice rink this year. It makes sense for me to buy my own skates so I can jump on the ice during open sessions. Any exercise that requires maintaining  balance is great for developing core strength. Skating also helps work the thigh muscles. Muscle burns more energy than fat.

If your kids are into sports, use their practice time as your time, too. I remember my my mom and her friends used to walk the fields during my brother's soccer games. Fitness can happen anywhere. I need to stop making excuses and use my time more wisely.

2. Find a buddy
The 3 Day is in November. Generally, once our son heads back to school I'd join groups and train with others who were walking the event too. Having regularly scheduled sessions that I had to RSVP for before the slots filled up kept me accountable. Left to my own devices, I won't get as much exercise as I need to. If you're like me and need an extra push to stay motivated, finding a partner is the best way to make sure you will stick to a routine.

3. Drink more water
When I was training I had two refillable water bottles with me and would usually finish both. Now I drink my morning two cups of coffee and that's about it. Occasionally I'll drink something with dinner. That's not healthy. My skin looks terrible. My nails are weak. My hair is brittle. I put my 3 Day water bottles away since I'm not walking. It's time to break them out again.

I went to the store and stocked up on Crystal Light and other single serve drink powders. I know, I know. I should just use cucumber or lemon slices. But I know me and I won't do that. I don't like the taste. I used to feel guilty buying the powders, but if it's a choice between no water at all and zero calorie flavored powder? I'll choose the powder every time.

Sure, I'd love to fit into my size 6 jeans again, but it's about more than that. I'm creeping towards 40 and I'm starting to feel it. It's not as easy to lose weight as it was just two years ago. My metabolism has plummeted. If I'm going to get healthy again I have to make changes. Plus, I want to be an example for our son. We tell him all the time that he's an athlete now and he needs to take care of his body. Well, I want to make sure I'm around to see my little athlete grow into a big one.

What are your best tips for renewing your fitness goals? 

How do you stay motivated and on track? 

This is post four in a series of sponsored posts and sweepstakes for the San Diego Honda Dealers Association. Visit and comment weekly for a chance to win Amazon gift cards!

Family Road Trip : Books, Tech and Gadgets for Kids

I have a confession to make: we've never taken a roadtrip. Sure, we've taken to the freeways to visit family, but we've never loaded up the car with the specific intent of driving up the California coast or heading to Yellowstone (both are items on our family bucket list). So, I've never really had to worry about keeping our son occupied for more than a few hours. That said, we do have several items we always bring with us for car trips.

Headphones: They are a must. Our son has to use them for the DVD player, the Nintendo DS, the iPod Touch, the iPad and anything else that will make enough noise to bother everyone else in the car. We have a pair of Skullcandy headphones and they're great. When he's wearing them we can't hear any of the blips and beeps from his games.

Tech toys: As I mentioned, we're a gadget loving family. Before we head out on the road, I make sure all our apps are up to date on the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and we look for new games to download. I make sure all my magazine subscriptions have the current issue downloaded. Even though I charge everything before we leave, I make sure we have our car kit, too.

Camera: Our son is picking up my photography habit. He's really starting to enjoy taking pictures. Even though he can take them with his iPod, I like to give him our point and shoot as well. If your kids have iPods too, there are a ton of free and easy to use photography and video apps they can use for the vacation photos.

 
Books: This is a no brainer. Since our son loves to read just as much as we do, a trip to the library is a must. Right now, our son is really into a few series. He's reading The Mysterious Benedict Society, The Secret Series and The Heroes of Olympus series.



It's no accident that I try to steer our son towards books with a high page count! He reads too fast to buy many short books. And yes, we know we're blessed.

Family games:  In addition to the things we played as kids like the license plate alphabet and license plate states game, I found a cute road sign bingo on Pinterest. You can download the bingo template from Oopsey Daisy.

Video camera: Right now my son is on vacation without us. I wish I'd had the foresight to order a waterproof video camera for him. He'll be riding a SeeDo, going fishing, kayaking and inner tubing for the first time. I'd love to have video of those moments captured from his perspective. This DB Power Waterproof Action camera is perfect for water activities.

Hopefully we'll be able to tackle some of the items on our family bucket list soon. There are so many cities, national parks and attractions we want to see. To quote Amy Foster from our trip to Disney this past spring, we only have 18 summers to spend with our kids. Make sure they are all memorable!

What ideas, tips or resources do you have to make road trips easy for everyone? What has been your 

favorite road trip destination?

This is post three in a series of sponsored posts and sweepstakes for the San Diego Honda Dealers Association. Visit and comment weekly for a chance to win Amazon gift cards! Affiliate links used.