As I am sure those who have been reading my blog know, I like to dance around my kitchen. It improves my mood, makes tasks like unloading the dishwasher more fun, and helps me lose weight.
If you like dancing around your kitchen too, you might want to join a little Facebook group I started. We're talking about music we like to dance to, dancing with kids etc. Stop by and join in the conversation and fun...
I have been dancing again. It sure helps my moods. I have been losing one pound a week on Weight Watchers. I want to see if dancing every day fwill make it 1.5 or 2 pounds a week. Plus it's fun.
Time of Day Danced - Morning
Time Danced - 30 minutes
Mood Before - 5
Mood After - 7
Go To Song - Koop Island Blues
If there ever was a motto for my life this is it. Of course an alternative saying could be Keep Calm and Go Take a Picture with Your iPhone. But, it's not quite as catchy.
My friends Lois and Michael told me about the Keep Calm and Carry On poster created in England during WWII. Lois then found a neat little Keep Calm and Carry On app. It tells the WWII story and you can make your own customized poster.
I originally posted this on April 19, 2009 at Cynthia's Blog.
I tend to wake up in the morning a little down and unmotivated. I don't know why. I'm not dreading anything in my day. As a matter of fact I like how I spend most of the day. I have tried to figure out the "why". I know all the wonderful things that happen in my life when I get up in the morning and dance. It changes just about everything for the better.
I give up on figuring out the "why" and trying to reason myself out of bed. I found out a better idea is to leave my shuffle next to the bed with my earphones ready to put on. Then I JUST PUSH PLAY.
What I have found out is it is impossible to lie in bed while Louie Louie by the Kingsmen is playing. Don't believe me? Just try it...
My "works every time" Go To Song - Louie Louie
Update 4/20 - Woke up this morning...mood my usual 4.5. I put my earbuds in, pushed play and was dancing as I got out of bed at a mood of 5. Danced 30 minutes until my mood was a 7. That's a 25% increase in my mood! What else can do that in 30 minutes? Thank you the Kingsmen and also to Steve Jobs and all the Apple folks who made my iPod shuffle! I'm a happy woman.
I originally posted this on Cynthia's Blog on April 16, 2012.
I danced today! I danced for 30 minutes this morning and improved my mood by 20%. It's funny how on the days I dance, everything else seems to fall into place.
I originally posted this on Cynthia's Blog on May 31, 2010.
Decided to put some music on and dance while baking my grandmother's carrot cake. I put the batter into individual bundt muffin tins.
Time of day - afternoon
danced for - 40 minutes (but a lot of stop and go while baking)
mood before - 6
mood after - 7.5
Great song to bake and dance to...Livin' For The Weekend by the O'Jays
My Grandmother's Carrot Cake Recipe
1 cup of wesson oil (I used canola)
2 cups of sugar
3 eggs
2 cups of grated carrots
1 cup of drained, crushed pineapple
1 cup of nuts
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 t of soda
1 t of baking powder
1/2 t of salt
1 t of cinnamon
1T of vanilla
Cream oil sugar and eggs well. Add drained pineapple and carrots.
Mix well by hand...sifted flour, soda, salt, baking powder. Add to create mixture. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes (spray Pam on bundt pan). I baked small bundt muffins at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Icing
1/2 box powdered sugar
1/2 cube oleo (I used butter)
2 oz cream cheese
1T vanilla
I originally posted this on October 11, 2009 on Cynthia's Blog.
Meet Ms. Nano!
Look what Richard bought me... a brand new, shiney, blue, 16GB, 5th generation iPod Nano . How cool is that? And how sweet is Richard? I lost my iPod on our vacation. Richard asked me if I've danced recently and when I told him no, I guess he thought I needed a new iPod asap. I love that shade of blue. I've had quite a few iPods in the past, but never one as sleek as this iPod. It even shoots video and has a larger screen. Thank your Richie!
Update
When Richard read this he said that my iPhone/iPod posts always sound like I work for Apple. I don't but I am a fan - big time. I even love the packaging!
I have been keeping a mood chart off and on, long enough now to have discovered a few of things about myself.
#1 It's very difficult to be motivated to take better care of myself, if my mood is under 5. I have to get my mood at least above a 5.5 if I expect to eat right, to create more, to get a lot done, to have enough energy for fun!
#2 Samuel Beckett is right "Dance first. Think later. It's the natural order." My thinking is better, my problem solving is better if I dance first and improve my mood before I take on any major tasks or problems.
#3 If I can dance and improve my mood by 15%-20% EVERYTHING is easier, clearer, simpler.
It doesn't take much...just enough motivation to stand up and move my pointer finger. If I have the right music in my iPod, am standing up and JUST PUSH PLAY, the music will take care of the rest.
Today's "Go To" song is Let The Good Times Roll. There are so many great versions of this song. Here are a few...
Click the iTune buttons to listen and/or download
Let The Good Times Roll - Buckwheat Zydeco (this is one of my favorites)
Let The Good Times Roll - Shirley and Lee (this is a real oldie)
Let The Good Times Roll - Ray Charles (doesn't get much better than this)
Let The Good Times Roll - No list would be complete without B.B. King
Let The Good Times Roll - Ike and Tina Turner
Let The Good Times Roll - Another B.B. King but with Tony Bennett
One thing I learned from traveling and photographing in Brazil (as well as from my friend Marilyn who lives there, my sister who once lived there and my two nieces who were born there) is that no matter what is going on - good or bad, the Brazilians dance through it.
This post was originally posted on Cynthia's Blog on April 2, 2009.
I never got around to dancing until this afternoon. I still improved my mood by 15%. However if I danced in the morning instead of this afternoon my mood would have been 15% better for the last 5 hrs. How would that have changed my day so far - my creativity, my energy, what I had to say in emails.....?
I first heard today's Go To song on my favorite reality show So You Think You Can Dance. It's called Hip Hip Chin Chin. You can download it by clicking on the iTunes button.
Below is the video from the t.v. show. It's not very good quality. But I think you will get the idea.
Over 14 months, in 42 countries Matt danced first by himself and then many others joined in. It's kind of his version of the 30 Day Dance Challenge. I am off to dance in my kitchen. Enjoy the video. It always makes me smile.
I originally posted this on Cynthia's Blog on March 31, 2009.
I sure could tell I haven't been dancing around the house for awhile. When I first started dancing I felt really stiff and like I had an anchor hanging off my back end. One thing I know from doing this in the past is in less than a week my body will feel much better.
It's important that the first song is one that is sure to get your feet tapping...even better if it gets your booty shaking. I call that first song my Go To song for the day. The Go To song will help carry you to the next song. Sometimes I play the Go To song over and over.
My Go To song today is Say Hey by Michael Franti and Spearhead. Shawna emailed me that this is the song she puts on when her kids are grumpy...they use it to dance the grumpies away. It sure works for me. If you don't have it you can click the iTunes button to download it from iTunes.
Below is the Say Hey music video. What is it about people "dancing in the streets" that's always so cool?
I first heard the term "saudade" while traveling and photographing in Brazil.My understanding of the word is that it is a longing for someone or something that has disappeared. There’s no direct translation in English. It’s different than grief - more like a yearning.
It’s somewhat how I felt, when in my mid 30s, I stopped dancing. It was as if a sensual, alive part of myself was lost and might never return. I don't know why, in the U.S. we stop dancing. In both Brazil and Cuba I have seen men and women of all ages dance everywhere - at clubs, at street fairs.
Once I asked my friends Cindy and Jo what they thought women lose when we stop dancing. Cindy said, "We lose...we lose...this," and then she did a little shimmy. I remember thinking that was exactly right. We lose the shimmy in our spirits.
FYI - Saudade is often the subject of musicians and artists. Cape Verdean blues singer Cesaria Evora has a haunting version called Sodade.
(click on the above iTunes button if you would like to download this song from iTunes)
Originally published on Cynthia's Blog on March 14, 2009
To download a song, click on the iTunes button
1. In These Shoes - Bette Midler
2. Let The Good Times Roll - Buckwheat Zydeco
3. Shake, Rattle and Roll - Joe Turner
4. Hey Eugene - Pink Martini
5. Feeling Alright - Joe Cocker
6. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - KT Tunstall
7. Say Hey - Michael Franti & Spearhead
8. Wang Dang Doodle - Angela Strehli
9. Sway - The Pussycat Dolls
10.Respect - Aretha Franklin
