Momathon Blog

Your Best Workout Buddy: Your Dog

If you read my blog regularily then you know that I am a dog lover. And as one of my friends told me, "With all that walking and hiking every day rain or shine, you are a slave to three dogs." 

Well, it turns out being a slave to three dogs just might be the reason I stay in shape. Unlike a human buddy, your dog will see right through all your excuses for not getting outside to exercise. Saying no to a walk with your canine pal is next to impossible.

When you make your dogs your buddies in fitness you both win. Some people jog with their dogs. I'm a walker. I walk briskly with my husky mix and much more slowly with my Peke because her legs are only about 3 inches long. My little Silky is the powerhouse of the bunch and I'm sure he would love it if he could pull me on a scooter. In case you were wondering, the average person will burn between 80 to 140 calories per mile of walking.

Taking a walk with your dog makes the rest of the day better in so many ways. Exercising improves your mood and your dog will feel better—and act better—too. If you don’t give your dog something constructive to do with their energy, like a couple of brisk walks a day, then your dog might find something not so helpful like chewing shoes, digging holes, or just barking to keep them busy. I've been there and seen that crazy scene one too many times. One of my pups tried to eat through a wall when he didn't get enough exercise... You can read more about the benefits of exercising your dog here.

Besides getting a mood boost because of your walk, exercising improves your health. And keeping off that extra weight helps both people and dogs by lowering the risk of diabetes, arthritis, high blood pressure, and many other diseases.

Illustration: Dog sketch by me, Chris Olson. This is one of my prints available at my Etsy Shop PetLoveDesigns where I sell dog and cat art prints as well as custom pet portraits. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

In My Dreams, I'm Wearing This: Happily Ever After Shoes

I'm dreaming of being queen for a day... Loving these red pumps by Charlotte Olympia.

 

Illustration: Red shoe sketch by me, Chris Olson. It features a shoe by Charlotte Olympia. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

 

Hair and Losing the Ponytail

Oh baby... Our hair can drive us nuts. The questions are endless. Should I cut it? How much? Will it be frizzy? What products should I use? What will happen to my new do after I take a shower? Will I have to wear a hat for six weeks? The thing is, no one really knows until we chop it off.

When we change our looks with a new hair style, I think it changes the way we see ourselves. Hopefully for the better.  

Le Chop

I love this short video  by Garance Doré. And she inspired me to make the leap too. No more pony tail. Kinda liberating.

 

My hair grows incredibly fast. And I cut it all the time. When the mood hits me I actually grab my sharpest scissors and chop it off. I'm not recommending this approach to hair because sometimes the result is horrible. Fortunately one of my stylist friends years ago gave me a few tips. And I know it will always grow out.

 

Why Leaves Change Colors in Fall

I love this time of year. The air is crisp. The weather is a bit cooler. If only the days didn't keep getting shorter. But this is exactly why one of my favorite fall things happens...

 

Photo: WHY LEAVES CHANGE COLORS graphic by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

 

 

Get Lost on Purpose: Fall Colors

A daily dose of fall colors is a must at my house. No excuses allowed. When the sun is hiding behind the clouds, just grab an umbrella and head outside. A brisk walk—or a more leisurely stroll—is the best way to turn a gloomy day into an adventure. And bring along the kids. xo C

 

Photo: Graphic by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

 

 

In My Dreams, I'm Wearing This: An Oscar de la Renta Gown

Can you fall in love with an evening gown even if you never actually go to a ball? I'm thinking you will if you check out Oscar de la Renta's glamorous ball gowns for Spring 2014 at NY Fashion Week.

I'm kind of obsessed with his romantic sweeping gowns, but I fell in love with the elegant strands of pearls paired with the dreamy aqua silk and the slim silhouette of his tiered column gown—every detail is fabulous. Imagine delicate rows of pearls along the edges of each tier. In my fantasy world where I'm certain I would be going to glamorous parties and wear only the most lovely things, I must be wearing Oscar's lovely silk georgette tiered gown with pearl trim from his Spring 2014 collection.

If you want to see the entire Spring 2014 collection go to his website, or check out the amazing interactive graphic on NYTimes.com—Front Row to Fashion Week—that features the collections that created the most buzz and left the biggest impressions on fashion editors.

You might remember that I've sketched Oscar's fabulous designs before—Jessica Alba looked stunning in a coral-colored Oscar de la Renta mermaid gown with a ruffled hem and we all love New Girl star Zooey Deschanel wearing a stunning poppy red gown by Oscar de la Renta. 

And of course, because I sketch a lot of shoes, I had to draw Oscar's polka dot pump. 

 

Illustration: Fashion sketch and graphic by me, Chris Olson. It features dress by Oscar de la Renta. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

More Sketches from NYFW

 

 

Colorado Floods Relief: How to Help

We've had a week of rain here in Colorado and I'm grateful my house is not under water like so many I know. I'm sending good thoughts and prayers to the first responders and the victims out there. If you would like to help, the Denver Post has lots of great relief agency links here.

One of the easiest ways to help out is making a contribution via American Red Cross in Colorado. You can also call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation. 

Be kind to one another. xo Chris

 

Photo: Graphic by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

More Sketches from NYFW: Rachel Zoe Spring 2014

 

Crop tops kept showing up both on and off the runway during New York Fashion Week. I love this trend for spring and summer. What do you think? One of my faves is by Rachel Zoe. Her version is slightly longer and not as fitted compared to some designs on the runway and that's fine with me since my stomach is not exactly flat. I'm guessing that means I'll be heading to the gym to work my core. Wonder if carrying around my Yorkie and Peke counts?

I'll be posting more sketches all week. Check back for more spring trends from the runway.

 

Illustration: Fashion sketch and graphic by me, Chris Olson. It features dress by Rachel Zoe. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

More Sketches from NYFW

 

 

More Sketches from NYFW: Tory Burch Spring 2014

On the runway Tory Burch designs for Spring 2014 is all about "the easy glamour of the French Riviera in the late 1960s—inspired by Romy Schneider's character in La Piscine and mixed with garden elements."

My sketch above from New York Fashion Week features a pleated floral vine print dupioni dress {Look 30, Tory Burch Spring 2014}. You can also see the dress in the image below—plus runway coverage and behind the scenes details — on Runway.ToryBurch.com

 

Illustration: Fashion sketch above from the NYFW runway is by me, Chris Olson. It features dress by Tory Burch. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

 

More Sketches from NYFW

Written on Our Hearts: Never Forget 9/11

I remember that sick feeling in my stomach that I felt 12 years ago today. Even though I lived thousands of miles away from the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, today I still remember where I was standing when I heard the news. I remember the sadness in the faces of the mothers standing with me. I remember holding my children in my arms when they came home from school and never wanting to let go of them. 

We will never forget.

Sketches from NYFW: Designs for Spring 2014

It's Day 5 of the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in NY featuring the collections for Spring 2014 . Do you have a favorite designer? I think it's impossible to decide so I've been watching as many shows on live stream and also on video.

Of course, I've got my sketchbook out. The illustration above features a gown by the talented designer Monique Lhuillier. I love her modern and sophisticated gowns. Imagine wearing one of her glamourous gowns at your wedding. Watch her runway show video here. You can also check out all the MBFW designer profiles here.

I'll be posting more sketches all week. Check back for more spring trends from the runway.

 

Illustration: Fashion sketch from the NYFW runway is by me, Chris Olson. It features a gown by the talented designer Monique Lhuillier. Feel free to pin image on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks!

 

More Sketches from NYFW

 

 

 

 

 

Homework Help: How to Write a Theme Statement in Three Easy Steps

It's back to school time again. I'm reposting a post I wrote earlier with tips to write a great theme statement—and it's possible in three easy steps. Yay!

The graphic above to shows how to compose a theme statement using the three steps given here. I think this handy fill-in-the-blank format to writing a theme is almost fool-proof for kids in middle grades and above. 

3 Steps to Write a Theme Statement:

1) Select an important TOPIC the book includes. Topic ideas include: freedom, love, trust, death, forgiveness, and many others. (This topic is often called an abstract concept.)

2) Begin the theme statement by listing the book genre, the name of the book, and author. (See graphic above to help you begin the sentence.) 

3) Now finish the statement from above by adding what the author REVEALS about the topic. 

 

I've got more homework help on the blog. Check out the links to posts below.

 

Are you looking for more homework help?

Here are a few more writing resources I created: 

How to Write a Concluding Sentence: Did you know the last sentence of a paragraph is key to keeping your reader's interested? I've got a foolproof and easy way to write a strong concluding sentence.

How to Write a Strong Paragraph: Composing a strong paragraph is key to writing effective reports and essays. I created the following handy guide to help you writean effective paragraph.

How to Write an Essay: A helpful checklist to help you polish an essay before you turn in an assignment. 

 

 

Images: All infographic images in this post were created by me, Chris Olson. Feel free to Pin them on Pinterest with a link back to this post. Thanks! 

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