One year ago one of my favorite workout accessories of all time welcomed into the world a baby, fitbook junior!

fitbook junior is just like my fitness and nutrition journal, fitbook, only it’s designed for the kiddos in mind, that and it comes with a coaches guide and stickers. Lucky kids! The cool kids who already have these activity and food based journals call fitbook junior “AWESOME” and their parents give it an over all grade “A”.

And get this, according to a research conducted by fitlosophy inc, the makers of the fitbook product suite, 87% of parents reported seeing a “noticeable change” in their child’s awareness of eating healthier, choosing more nutritious food, and being more active on a daily basis when using fitbook junior.

Let’s recap with some simple math. Encouraging…

Healthy Play + Healthy Food = Fit Kids!

Bravo, fitbook junior!

You know who else thinks fitbook junior deserves top honors? The Parent Tested Parent Approved (PTPA) Media who announced today that fitbook junior received its coveted Parent Tested Parent Approved Seal of Approval for excellence in family products.

I think it’s safe to say the AWARD WINNING fitbook junior is going to have one heck of a happy first birthday!

I say this is grounds for celebration! Let’s make…

No Bake Protein Cake!

• 3 cups dry walnuts or almonds
• 1 cup pitted dates (I like Medjool dates)
• 2/3 cup chocolate protein powder
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1-2 T honey  (optional)
• Topping of your choice like strawberries, raspberries, or (my favorite) dark chocolate chips

Combine the nuts, dates, protein powder, salt, vanilla extract, and sweetener (if desired) into a food processor or high powered blender and mix well. Press the mixture into a cake pan or mini cupcake liners like I did, then add the topping of your choice. Serve chilled or even right out of the freezer!

Now I really must go clean up the kitchen, put on my tennis shoes, and get ready for my play-date!

Congratulations, Diane! You are the winner of the fitbook junior drawing. I hope one of your SEVEN KIDS enjoys using this tool to create and track their goals and celebrate their healthy eating and fitness success!

Check out the Fitness & Spice page on Facebook for more pictures of junior! Or, learn more at www.getfitbook.com.

Today’s Random Acts of Fitness & Spice (RAFS) challenge comes from one of the 25 most influential people in the lives of children according to Children’s Health magazine (and I).

This must have been a pretty good year for Dr. Katz because he was also nominated for the position of U.S. Surgeon General to the Obama Administration by the American College of Physicians, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the Center for Science in the Public Interest, among other national and international health organizations. I wonder how he’ll top all of that in 2010? I can’t wait to find out!

I wrote about Dr. Katz a few weeks ago after his visit to the Hy-Vee Whole Health Experience. You might remember me telling you about two programs he founded: NuVal, a nutritional scoring system, and ABC for Fitness© (Activity Bursts in the Classroom), a free program that encourages teachers to introduce short bursts of cardiovascular activity in the classroom.

Here’s our Random Acts of Fitness & Spice challenge from Dr. Katz:

My challenge is, in fact, best summarized in a program; it is a challenge to schools, and to an extent parents, to make physical activity fit into the daily routine of every child.  Here it is- http://www.davidkatzmd.com/abcforfitness.aspx.

We can do this, right? Let’s grab our favorite kid and do some random bursts of fitness with them everyday. Not only is this a great way to teach our children great habits but it also helps us work in some extra exercise, too!

Once you’re done with your daily workouts, why not celebrate and reinforce your kiddos success by recording it in a fitbook junior?

One Wisconsin teacher is passing out fitbook junior, a 12-week interactive fitness and food journal for kids, to teach students the importance of goal-setting, engaging in daily physical activities and making nutritious food choices, while balancing their tasks at school and home. “My goal is to teach students the importance of taking care of their health. I want them to have fun while doing it, and they’ll also be graded,” says Beth Ivey, a Physical Education teacher at St. Francis de Sales. “More than ever, taking responsibility for your health is a critical subject kids must learn while they’re young.”

Lisa Greenwood, a mother and Program Director of Fleet Feet’s Zoomerang Kids Running Club in Connecticut says “I use the grown-up book, and my son and I make our plans together. His goals include running eight laps and eating five new fruits this week, while I’m working on strength training and stretching.”

Want to win a fitbook junior for a fit kid you know? Simply tell us how you are going to incorporate daily bursts of exercise with a child as proposed by Dr. Katz. Here are a few ideas to get you started..

• Download the ABC workbook to get some great ideas
• Tell your school or Parent Teacher Association about the ABC Program
• Add some bursts of exercise with your kids in your own home, your backyard, or a playground near you
• If you’re like me and you are not a parent, tell a mom or dad you know and enter the contest anyway. I’m sure you might know a kid that could benefit from this program and would love to own a fitbook junior!

Enter the drawing by telling us how you’re going to participate in this Random Act of Fitness & Spice challenge in the comments section below. Be sure to submit  your comments by 11:59 P.M. on Tuesday, December 15th and check back on Wednesday to see if you are the lucky winner of a fitbook junior!

Now I really must go make a play date with my neighbors kids, I think we’ll have a blast channeling our inner Katz.

I’m going to start a group called the Stay At Home Shoppers (SAHS). The benefits to the members of this club include: No crowds, no traffic, no lines, and you can shop in your pajamas.

Over the next few weeks I’ll be sharing some of the things I’ll be giving (and hopefully getting, hint, hint) for holiday gifts. We’ll start our first secret SAHS shopping spree with a few things you can find online and will want to order soon so they arrive just in the St. Nick of time. And, now Fitness & Spicers, I give you the first five gifts on…

THE FIT LIST

fitbook: This is the best little fitness journal on the market. I know, I have one that is packed full of my workouts, my nutrition, and my goals. And, for those of you that are wondering, I NEED ANOTHER ONE.

You might buy fitbooks for: Your clients, your personal trainer, your fit friends and your not-so-fit friends, your teacher, your coach, yourself.

Support this small business by shopping fitbook before November 30th and save $1 per fitbook and an additional $1 will be donated to the Estado 29 orphanage to feed the children this holiday season. To take advantage of this offer, go to www.getfitbook.com and use promo code givethanks at checkout.

fitbook junior: Junior is a journal especially fit for, well, Junior. It is a fun way to teach children the importance of balancing healthy food, fitness, and fun into their everyday lives so they create lifelong habits and grow into future Fitness & Spice readers.

You might buy fitbook junior for every kid on your list including: your kids, your kids-kids, your neighbors kids, your carpool kids.

Go to www.getfitbook.com and use promo code givethanks at checkout for that very special offer I just mentioned.

Mix My Granola: Personalize your own blend of granola and give it a name of its own. I made a batch of Fitness & Spice granola a few months ago and my mom made something clever like Joanna Made Me Do It. Nevertheless, it really is fun to order and even better to eat receive!

You might buy Mix My Granola for: Your neighbor, your Uncle Frank, health nuts, the person on your list that has everything, or anyone who wears Birkenstocks (kidding!)

Customize your granola, pick from Mix My Granola blends, or pick up a gift card at Mix My Granola.

Gift Card Kits: Get creative with your gift card-giving by including a few little extras in the package like this golf course example. Another idea? You could pair my, I mean, a fitbook with a Starbucks gift card or a massage gift card…take your pick!

You might buy Gift Card Kits for: Your brother,  your Dad,  your teenagers, your girlfriends, your boyfriends, your hair stylist, your teachers, or your favorite blogger.

The Quarry Oaks golf course gift card kit just happens to be available at my brother’s course in Nebraska, so if you know someone in the area, you are in luck! Just shop for the gift card package pictured here at www.quarryoaks.com.

Lucy Activewear: Lucy has a great line of sportswear and accessories for women. Find great gifts and stocking stuffers in one spot.

You might buy Lucy Activewear for: Your sister, your mom, your friends, your trainer, your gym instructor, or me.

Shop www.lucy.com for gifts and gift cards galore!

That wraps up the first 5 items on the Fitness & Spice approved Fit List.

Now, I’m off to round up some more Stay At Home Shopping ideas because I have to admit…it’s beginning to look a lot like fitness!

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I wanted share with you just one of the many things I am grateful for this year. I am thankful for losing my job.

Several months ago I was part of a corporate layoff. It happens. And, as my Dad and I discussed on the phone as I drove out of my office parking lot in shock, it’s like going through a divorce. It has been one of the hardest things I’ve had to go through. And, I am grateful.

I’ve spent the last few months doing a lot of soul searching. I started this blog and have been blessed with building new relationships while sharing and learning more about my passion for healthy-living. I’ve taken a photography course, a nutrition course, and participated in countless social media seminars. And, in the process I’ve found what I believe is my calling.

You might think a calling is kind of a concept reserved for nuns and priests and other members of the clergy, but I don’t. I believe my calling is to help people live healthier lives. I would love to find a career that combines my expertise in marketing with my passion for healthy-living, but if I can’t, I’ll still find a way to share a little bit of what I know about fitness and nutrition with others in my spare time.

While I continue to look for my new position, I’m going to see how I can help fitlosophy, the company behind my favorite fitness journal, fitbook. This is a small, up-and-coming company, and I’m pretty energized about finding creative ways to see that something I love so much gets in the hands of more people.

A while ago, I wrote all about my fitbook where I keep my goals, my workouts, and my nutrition on track. Since then, fitlosophy launched the fitbook junior. Junior, as I like to call him or her, is a 12-week interactive fitness and food journal for kids that teaches the importance of goal-setting, engaging in daily physical activities and making nutritious food choices, while balancing their tasks at school and home. Did I mention it has stickers? Adorable!

If you have been reading Fitness & Spice for awhile, you know I have a soft spot for companies that give back. This company is no exception. When the founder of fitlosophy, Angela Manzanares, recently visited an orphanage in Mexico she was astounded by the lack of nutritious meals for the children and decided to take action. So, until November 30th if you purchase a fitbook or a fitbook junior, save $1 per fitbook and an additional $1 will be donated to the Estado 29 orphanage to feed the children this holiday season. To take advantage of this offer, go to www.getfitbook.com and use promo code givethanks at checkout.

And, speaking of giving thanks, I think I’ll be doing more of that from now on. I’m giving thanks for the things in my life and the things that aren’t…I’ve learned a lot from both.

Now I really must go to the park, I think I hear Junior calling!