UPDATE: The kind people at Fitbit are replacing my Fitbit Flex for me. How lovely and exciting. Yes as you might guess I have not located it and been sad ever since I lost it. My device should arrive soon, and pictures will be posted when it does.
Have you ever put something down and cannot remember where you put it? I have and it happened to me yesterday. YES, I have misplaced something important. Admittedly I was tidying up, tired and thinking about dinner, tomorrow and all the other things that I need to do and obviously not the task in hand.
What have I misplaced? Well that would be my Fitbit Flex. Yes, my new wonderful device that monitors my steps. The Fitbit had emailed earlier that day telling me that its battery was running low and it needed a charge (Yes the Fitbit emails you to tell you to charge it – very cool indeed). I knew where it was and it was sitting on my side table next to my bed. Right, I know where it is, I will deal with it later.
Close up of my Fitbit Flex. You tap it to show you the dots. The dots represent how many steps you have done. A full row of dots indicates you have completed your 10,00 steps or more! Half way shows that you have done at least 5,000.
Hubby then asked while I was up could I get his Pebble Watch as it needed a charge. I then remembered that my Fitbit needed a charge also. I went to the bedroom to get both items. I gave hubby his watch and who knows where the Fitbit went! I now cannot find it.
I thought that I put it on my desk that I had since tidied and had the charger ready to go. Now I just needed the device to charge. This has been the quest of today and last night. To find my Fitbit Flex. Today I have had no luck. My aim tomorrow is to find it and in the process clean a bit of the house. I have a fear that I might have had garbage in one hand and things to keep in the other…. could I have thrown it in the bin?
Garbage night is soon, and before I will go through the garbage to make sure that I have not thrown it out, as that would be very bad news if I have! Best to check before the bins go to the tip.
What is the worst thing that you have misplaced? Lost or cannot find? I wish I could go back in time and find where I put it…. would hypnosis help? What would I do to make me go back to that very moment in time? I don’t know how to do this, so think getting stuck into every area is the way to go. I just hope that I have time to do it all. I am going to prioritize on the bins, and certain areas that will be more likely to have this much loved and missing device.
I just cannot believe that I have lost it in my own house when I went to go get it! I must be sleep deprived if I am doing things like this!
Send in your stories so I don’t feel so bad about this silly act of tidying. If I cannot locate it I will have to replace it. 🙁
On my weekend in the city I purchased a new Fitbit Flex. I did have a Fitbit Zip but that died a long time ago. At first I thought it was simply a battery issue, however it seemed like it was an issue with the zip device itself. So I have been without a Fitbit or other device to help me in getting fit and slinky.
My new Fitbit Flex. I got pink as a change from black. I had a black Fitbit Zip. Plus the girls love pink! Got it last Saturday while away in the city with hubby.
I was using my phone but due to having iPhone 4s the battery is not lasting and you can do one thing and it powers down, regardless if I have 70% battery power! I will get a new phone one day but have to wait currently. So imagine my excitement when I replaced my much loved Fitbit Zip with my new bright coloured (Yes it is pink!) Fitbit Flex.
The Flex is great. It is just like a bracelet or more like a watch band. You forget you are wearing it. It is much better than the Zip. The Zip I had to clip onto my bra, top of my t-shirt or put in my pocket. I was lucky that I never washed it and of course had to check that it was not in any clothes before I did the wash.
What does the Flex do?
Syncs to the Fitbit app by WiFi, either on your desktop computer or via your phone or tablet
Count your steps
Calories burned
Distance traveled
Hours slept
Quality of your sleep
You can add in your food and water consumed and much more
What the flex looks like when not on showing the dots for the steps.
You can change the colour of the band for the Fitbit and make it more you. The Flex came with two bands, one bigger and one smaller. Surprisingly I fit into the smaller one and according to hubby I am the same as the twins. Have very skinny wrists. At least my wrists are skinny…. now for the rest of me!
I am still figuring all the Fitbit Flex out and it is still new. I am still learning about the alarms and the sleep modes…. I have yet to set up the alarm but need to figure out if I am doing something wrong. I might be as Sunday my Flex was in sleep mode for half the day and I had no idea what the dots were telling me. If your Flex has 2 dots on the left and 2 dots on the right that flash either side and keep doing so. You are in sleep mode. Double tap to get out of sleep mode. It should vibrate and show the dots to let you know you are no longer in sleep mode.
Close up of my Fitbit Flex. You tap it to show you the dots. The dots represent how many steps you have done. A full row of dots indicates you have completed your 10,00 steps or more! Half way shows that you have done at least 5,000.
Yesterday I made it to just over 10,000 steps so that was a great achievement and today I have reached, 13, 676 steps so far. No wonder I am sitting here wanting to go to bed. I am so tired and all I have been doing is housework today.
I have done a record amount of laundry and it was helped with the fact it is hot and extremely windy. The washing has dried in no time and then I was off to do another load. Non stop all day! (It did help that the kids went to vacation care today! I was able to get a few things done)
As I write this I have done 13,676 steps.
Why 10,000 steps?
“The Japanese first started using the 10,000 steps a day number, as part of a marketing campaign! (to help sell pedometers). Since that initial campaign however, medical authorities around the world have agreed that 10,000 is a healthy number to aim for. The American Heart Association uses the 10,000 steps metric as a guideline to follow for improving health and decreasing risk of heart disease, the number one killer of men and women in America.” (http://blog.fitbit.com/the-magic-of-10000-steps/)
I like the idea of showing how much exercise you have done doing tasks around the house. As you can see by my 13,676 steps today with just doing housework I have moved a fair bit today! I was going to go for a walk but it is very windy and of course I then blessed with hay fever so thought staying home would make more sense. I did more around the house, and still managed to do some exercise. So a win all round.
How Do You Add More Exercise to Your Day?
After kids it is hard to exercise or do things you used to. Interruptions and not having childcare sometimes makes you time next to impossible.
These are some things that I did when the twins were babies:
I managed to walk most places while they were in the pram. (Can’t now due to no pram and kids too big – I could take them with me, however to do this I would have to walk slow and I hate that so would rather wait to go for a walk on my own)
I would book them into care while I went for a swim/aqua aerobics or went to the gym
I did stretching with them, and a bit of yoga.
I played with them in the garden and in parks. Running around helps us all.
Dancing to music with the twins in the living room. We all still do this and of course this burns calories and is fun
Move more when you do simple chores, like walking around the house.
Stand up when you fold the clothes
I know it is hard to get going, but even a small amount of exercise can change your mood and make your day better. Little steps help to get started. It doesn’t matter how much you do, just as long as you can keep it up and don’t hurt yourself in one session. There is nothing worse than over doing it and then hurting yourself. As a mother and the primary care taker of the kids I cannot afford to hurt myself so I need to go a little step at a time.
I have been guilty of doing too much too soon so I know what that is like also. It is not fun and at the time I felt very silly that I did it. Now I just take my time and do things slowly.
Do you have a Fitbit? What type do you have? Do you love yours as much as I love my new flex?
What is your greatest tip that you would love to share? Let us know.
Note: This is not a sponsored post for Fitbit Flex. I just love it and had to share. It is making me want to do more and I thought it might be something my lovely readers are interested in as well. Keeping fit and healthy is something that I am interested in.
Hubby and I took the kids away for the weekend. Well it was mainly due to winning a competition from BoundRound, but I am claiming it was all me to the kids.
So what did I win?
Well I was lucky to get a family pass to Taronga Zoo and two night’s accommodation at The Cremorne Point Manor. What an amazing prize and how lovely that we were able to stay close by when visiting the zoo.
What was it like?
Hubby took Friday off to make it a long weekend, and after kids finished school that day we continued onto the city to check into the hotel. As we drew nearer to the Cremorne Point Manor the houses got more stately and larger.
I would say they were not houses, more like mansions. Some were just amazing and I was drooling all the way to our destination. When I make it rich, I know where I want to buy some real estate. Pity that my starting bid would never be close enough! I suppose I need to keep on dreaming.
On arrival the staff at The Cremorne Point Manor were lovely and the place, room and everything was just wonderful. The room was amazing and just right for us and the twins.
Our room at the Cremorne Point Manor
We stayed in the family suite and it was just perfect. It gave the kids space and us as well. It was so nice to have our room separate from the kids. The blurb below is from the Cremorne Point Manor’s website:
“The family suite consists of a Queen Bed in one room, and a bunk bed and single bed in the other room. With an ensuite bathroom. This is a perfect room for a family or group of friends. The doors can be closed to allow Parents some peace or left open if you have small children.”
Kids room at the Cremorne Point Manor
Dinner on Valentines
After we settled into our room we rested and then changed to go out to dinner. We decided to have dinner at Mosman Rowers as it was close and caught the ferry one stop and walked the rest of the way.
While we were waiting for the ferry we spied a possum that was not shy about people and daylight. He was busy munching on leaves and other plants and was not bothered by people passing or the kids running around. This possum allowed us to take some pictures of it and seemed to be posing for the camera.
The posing possum
Waiting for the ferryWaiting to go to dinner
The twins had never been on a ferry before so this was a great experience. It was a shame we were only going one stop but they had fun none the less. Dinner was very tasty at Mosman Rowers and the mains came out fast.
Dinner at Mosman Rowers
However there was a big mix up with dessert for hubby and I and we waited a while and he finally got his and they forgot about mine. We could not wait as it was very late at this stage. When you have kids that are tired and over it, you have to call it a night. On the whole it was good but was upset about missing out on my much waited for dessert. The lady that served us at the bar, gave us a free wine each while we waited, and we thanked her, although we had to leave due to the kids.
Luck or planned? Our number for dinner was 14 and it was the 14th, Valentines actually
We decided to walk back to the hotel and as it was not that far was a good idea. It was a balmy and nice night to have an evening walk. Although kids were tired and whingey they did well to get back to the hotel on foot. I think they loved the adventure.
Our day at Taronga Zoo
The kids were taken with the ferry from yesterday but to get one to the zoo we would need to get it from Circular Quay. As we were only a 10 minute drive and the weather was rainy the decision was to drive. Driving also allowed us to be relaxed at the end of the day knowing that we could get in the car and drive quickly back to the hotel.
Just arrived at the zoo
The twins were very excited about going to the zoo and have told everyone at Kindy that they were going. I also have a song in the car called, “Daddies taking us to the Zoo tomorrow” then it says, “Mummies taking us to the zoo tomorrow” So of course they were singing it all the time. So yes they were very happy to go and see all the animals.
What animals did the kids want to see?
One animal that was on the list to see was a unicorn. I did mention that this might not be there. Yes I know it would not be there, rather than might. I was trying to break it to them gently. So as you probably guessed, we did not see a unicorn. However others that were on the list that we did see were: Zebra, Elephant, Hippo, Monkeys and Crocodiles, and so on.
What was it like when we got to the zoo?
As it was a day of rain and very overcast, I borrowed some umbrellas from the hotel. The morning is when it rained the most but it was mostly heavier drizzle and not that bad. Just enough to get you wet. After a while it passed and most of the day it was not raining so not too bad considering. Hubby purchased a rain coat from the Zoo shop and we were right to go about seeing all the animals.
When we first arrived we went on the sky safari which is the cable car that gives you a bird’s eye view of the zoo and all the animals. The kids loved it and we did a round trip.
What shows/talks did we see?
We went to the elephant talk, the seal show and the penguin talk.
Penguins
How did the kids go walking everywhere?
The kids were very good. I was wearing my fitbit for both days and the day at the zoo I walked well over 10,000 steps so that must have been for hubby and the twins also. Although they were very good they did whinge about their feet and how tired they were. These are the things that were said!
“My feet are sore!”
“My feet are on fire!”
“When are we going back to the hotel mummy?” All while saying what animal they want to see next.
What was the food like?
I did think that it would all be deep fried and little choice of what to get. Mostly my experience with these types of outings I am annoyed at the lack of healthy choices.
Taronga Zoo had plenty of fresh and healthy options. They had yummy and tasty food that hubby and I were raving about how great it was and a pleasant change.
My only disappointment was due to the kids complaining that they were hungry and then not eating anything that was given to them.
We ate at The Taronga Food Market. Hubby and I had the pulled beef chipotle burritos and they were so yummy I could have had another. Kids had a salad and an apple with fruit juice.
There was fruit to pack so you can go and see the rest of the zoo, or you can sit and have lunch if you wish, they have thought of everyone.
Zoo Shop
A word of warning. Make sure to keep an eye on your kids. Mine were so taken with the moving toy animals (tigers) in the window that they fell. One of my girls had to pat them and this made it fall! Yes they are life sized and we had to get two staff members to help us put them back where they should be. Great shop but such a joy for kids. I only took my eyes of them for a second. You have been warned! Staff were great about it, and I’m sure this happens all the time from their reaction.
The kids and I waiting for dinner at The Oaks
Dinner after the zoo
After the zoo we were very tired as you can imagine. We walked all of the zoo and kids were very good although at times annoying due to them whinging but very good considering they are not used to walking great distances.
We got to the car and then made our way back to the hotel. After such a big day, we had a rest and then showered and got ready to go to dinner.
Our dinner destination was The Oaks. It was lovely and although they said they were not very busy they looked hectic. I suppose since there were still tables available in the courtyard and elsewhere that might be the case.
Kids had a cheese pizza, hubby had a steak and I had a burger. I think after such a big day out exploring we were all very hungry. Service was great, and there was nothing to complain about. We had a great time and it was a good place to get a quick meal.
Inside the Cremorne Point Manor
Thanks to everyone for making our weekend getaway possible
I would like to thank BoundRound, The Cremorne Point Manor and Taronga Zoo for making this weekend possible. It was amazing that I won, and could take the kids to the zoo and staying so close made it much easier, especially when we live away from the city. It was a lovely to give the kids this experience and I would love to do it again one day soon.
Note: One good thing is my order did not get cancelled and will be shipped today! I will receive a new dongle for my fitbit soon. So that is great news.
My first annoying thing of the day!
When I packed up to leave due to impending fires, I packed my fitbit and of course the dongle that went with it. For days I have not been able to find the dongle, I had the fitbit zip but not the bit to sync to the computer. Annoying and driving me mad trying to find it. Since I looked at all places that knew it might be and not finding it, I bit the bullet and did an order via the FitBit website to order a new one.
I then got busy getting ready to leave the house and came back to my desk to get my phone and of course what do I find, Yes the dongle sitting on my desk near my keyboard! Typical that this has happened. Once I got home from dropping kids off and seeing if I can get some things for their school which is the other story I will tell I tried to set it all up again.
Do you think it is working? NO! The computer sees that the Bluetooth dongle is connected but the software for the FitBit is not talking to it or seeing that the dongle is plugged in! I have restarted the computer. No luck! I have removed FitBit Software and reinstalled, still no luck! Getting very annoyed now.
I tried to cancel my order this morning due to finding original dongle but now it is not working I might need the order to turn up. My emails are bouncing back and will try to let them know via their website. I had to remove the app on my iPhone as it was not syncing and downloaded the new one. The new app for my iPhone is trying to update and never does it. Also it is taking forever to sync. Not sure why but will ask them this as well.
2nd annoying thing of the day!
My kids are dressing up as insects for the Rhododendron festival. Every year the pre-school marches in it. One kid is going to be a lady beetle and the other a butterfly. Do you think I can find a costume for this, NO! We have no K-Mart, Target has fairy costumes that the kids don’t want, the toy shop has nothing, Go Lo the cheap shop that had dress ups is closed, I have gone to the second hand shops and they have nothing! And of course the costume shop is closed!
My option is to borrow one, the kids wear fairy costumes, make something at short notice and no time, or drive to Penrith to get one. Not sure if I have the time to do the drive to Penrith as that takes a day with kids. There is no where here that I can purchase a cheap costume for kids. One shop was selling a fairy costume for $62 each! Not good for a little parade and for 2 kids. Just too expensive.
I know I should have organised something earlier but I was busy and did not look at a sign at the school. My mistake. Now I need to get it sorted before Saturday!
3rd annoying thing of the day!
Need to clean the house in record time as today is the only day without kids. Well tomorrow is sort of but have about 1 hour of time tomorrow for me. So I’m going offline to power through the house like a woman possessed!
Let me know what has annoyed you lately! Send in your comments.
