Virginia's Toolbox

We do not stop exercising because we grow old – we grow old because we stop exercising.”  – Dr. Kenneth Cooper If you're anything like me, you spend your winters dreaming of all the things you want to do during the summer, only to let those precious warm months fly by, without crossing anything off the bucket list! That's why I created my summer fitness bingo - for fun, challenge, and health!  There are a variety of activities that can be adapted to suit every participant's needs. Some of the activities may be old hat for some, but are totally out of the box for others. Feel free to take the prompts and make them your own! Set your goals for your bingo card - you may want to just complete a line, or fill out the whole card - along with a timeframe you'd like to complete the card in. You can also share the challenge with friends, family, and coworkers. Choose to compete, or to stay motivated and hold each other accountable. You could even make filling out the card a grou...

“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.”    –  William Morris In the spirit of spring cleaning, I've created a fun 30-day declutter challenge for myself! This is a quick and easy way to get rid of some extra clutter around the house to make your house tidier, your life easier, and your mind clearer. I've been working on minimizing my possessions for several years now, and streamlining the items I own has truly increased the quality of my life. One day I will make a post about tips for letting go of items, but for now, we can start with the basics!  I've arranged the days into different zones - apparel days are together, kitchen days are together, etc. Some things seem very split apart, but I made up the sheet with the idea that I didn't want to burn out and quit early. Going through every item of clothing, or every dish in your kitchen in one day is not realistic for the majority of us.  Besides just wanting a ti...

"There is food for everyone on this planet, but not everyone eats" - Carlo Petrini Did you know that the average family in the USA throws out $1,600 worth of groceries every year? That's more than $408 BILLION dollars in one country alone! I'm certainly guilty of finding wilted spring mix and moldy bread laying around. I wanted to find a way to keep track of everything I have on hand to be able to remember it all and plan meals around what I've already got. I came up with this super simple PDF solution that has been helping plan meals, save money, and reduce waste. It's also great for those times when you're too tired to think about what to eat, and end up turning to takeout instead. I keep my fridge inventory in a plastic page protector so I can make it reusable with a dry erase marker. Things like produce, dairy, and meat go into my perishables section, and I always take a look when I'm planning my meals. I also have a spot to jot down healthier snac...

"It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.”  - Benjamin E. Mays If you have any large goals that you'd like to work on, such as starting a business or running a marathon, it can seem very daunting to even begin. Most of the time, we keep these lofty goals in our head, but we don't know when or how to begin working on them. Many people never even start some of the things they'd like to do because they simply don't get started.  One of the best ways to conquer a large goal is to break it down into small pieces. It may seem obvious, but it can be hard to visualize for a lot of people. By using this year long planner, you can map out an entire year of self improvement in one page. This way, you can slowly but surely move from where you're at to where you want to be, and there will always be a clear next step for you to take. At the top, you can fill out your "what...