The Sickness Miracle Tea: Where To Source It For Home Brewing

miracle-tea-MAIN.jpg

It’s as if there is a Winter Break *just* for getting sick. Right when you have the week off to celebrate the holidays and go wassailing to visit friends, someone or everyone in each family has a stomach bug or bronchitis. So before that pesky tickle cough turns into pneumonia - call your doctor of course in case you need an inhaler - but brew this tea and drink up daily. You can find everything you need to make it right on Main Street in Beacon:

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

a few shavings of fresh ginger

a clove of freshly chopped garlic (optional, if you have extra inflammation)

a slice of freshly squeezed lemon  

a teaspoon of honey

your favorite sick-day mug

You might have an old bottle of apple cider vinegar in your cupboard, but do yourself a favor and pitch it. If it’s old, it most likely looks unappealing to you and you’ll skip this recipe. Take yourself to the olive oil store, Scarborough Fare Olive Oil and Vinegar Tap Room, on Main Street, next to the building construction and across the street from Homespun Foods. There you will find a deliciously refined bottle of apple cider vinegar that you’ll actually want to drink.

Next, cross the street to Homespun and select local honey, or the “Super Special” honey from France. Those who go deep with nutrition may prefer the local honey to get more local flower pollen into your body, but if you’re partial to pretty cans and French flowers, try the Super Special honey! That’s what they call it at Homespun, so just ask for it by name. I just bought it for the first time, and I’m an allergy barometer, so I’ll let you know if the foreign flowers make me sneeze. Probably not.

Then, shred a bit of that ginger into the mug with a knife or a cheese grater. Slice up the lemon and squeeze into the concoction.

My favorite sick-day mug is one that I picked up at Wickham Studio’s pop-up Holiday Sale three years ago, as it always fits just the right amount of this tea.

Finally, smell the tea for a while. The aromas will start working immediately on blasting out the unpleasant feelings.

Bonus round! For achy bodies, get thee to a bath right away, and soak in Epsom salts. If you go the route of unscented and un-anythinged, you’ll have only the magnesium sulfate to draw out the toxins from your body and relax muscles. Epsom salt baths are a frequent Mom-recommended thing, and an Internet-recommended thing. Vogel Pharmacy, right next to Homespun, is the place to buy straight up Epsom salts. Your total cure and sickness miracle tea, all in a three-shop radius. Well, save for the ginger and lemon, which are just down the block at Key Food. 

Feel better! 

 

April at All Sport is Spring Challenges, Barre Fusion, Tai Chi Classes, and Swimming (Sponsored)

April is Buddy Month at All Sport! Plus their regular lineup of classes and programs are in full swing.

April is moving fast through All Sport! Here's the good news: It's Buddy Month! So you get to bring a friend who has been considering joining. Meanwhile, April is an important time for new class signups, including Swimming (registration is going on now, so reserve your spot). You want the kids swimming by summer so that you all can enjoy All Sport's Outdoor Park and Pool, with the poolside food and drink bar!

A Little Beacon Blog keeps tabs on all of the super important dates you want to know about at All Sport. Highlights include:

  • SGT Spring Challenge: April 18 to June 26
  • Les Mills Launch: April 18 to 23
  • Eat Fat, Get Thin: April 21
  • Comedy Night At All Sport: April 23 
  • Open House for Summer Camp: Camp Fit is open for you to explore on Saturday April 23rd, 11:00-2:00 pm Details>
Definitely look through their classes for adults, which include Barre Fusion, Zumba, and even Tai Chi.

Have you been to a birthday party at All Sport? Booking one is easier and more affordable than you think. We got the scoop for you.
 
Click here for All Sport's easy calendar on A Little Beacon Blog!

March Happenings at All Sport - Including Cycle/Yoga Fusion and Kids Spring Break Camp (Sponsored)

The Cycle/Yoga fusion has been a popular workshop, and is offered on special days only.
Last month, registration doubled as a fundraiser.
This month, registration is going to fill up fast, so get up on it!
Details on Cycle/Fusion below.

The focus is on fitness at All Sport, but their programming is saying it loud and clear: All Sport is a well-rounded club membership. It's an experience with a lot of choices for the whole family. People who have lived in the Hudson Valley their whole lives and whose parents worked at All Sport decades ago have told me: "I lived at All Sport. My mom worked there and I was there all summer. I loved it."

Everyone's experience at All Sport is different, thanks to their ongoing programs in vastly different areas, like basketball leagues for adults, indoor soccer classes for boys and girls, boxing classes with one-time only workshops designed to shake it up and challenge you, entertain you, and keep you on your toes - your boxing toes!

A Little Beacon Blog keeps a full schedule of what is happening at All Sport here at the blog so that you have easy access to see what is going on this month, on which days, for which ages. We are dedicated to helping you have an organized, curated experience here in Beacon and the Hudson Valley, and incorporating All Sport's programs into your weekday and weekend schedule is no exception!

Here's the rundown of things you don't want to miss at All Sport for March. As you know, classes book up fast and you've got to be a quick little bunny to sign up. Keep All Sport's Sponsor Spotlight page open on your phone and refresh it every now and then for the latest classes and programs.

FOR KIDS:
March 1, 2016 - Book Club Begins (ok, this has passed, but know that they have a Book Club!)
March 2, 2016 - Registration for Spring 1 (members)
March 4, 2016 - Registration for Spring 1 (non-members)
March 4, 2016 - Pool Volleyball
March 11, 2016 - Kids Night Out
March 11, 2016 - Free Swim Assessment
March 12, 2016 - Babysitting Course
March 21-25, 2016 - Spring Camp
March 28, 2016 - Spring 1 session of programs begin
March 31, 2016 - Lifeguard Training
Special for Wappingers Falls School District: School Age Child Care Begins in September 

FOR ADULTS 
Special workshops have been designed to keep the challenge in your workout and shake up your week! See below for dates of special classes you won't want to miss. Our favorite? The Cycle/Yoga Fusion.

Cycle/Yoga Fusion
Friday, March 11
Join Camille for a 30-minute Cycle and Maureen for a 1-hour Power Flow - the perfect balance to end your week. Register today! ($25 Members/$30 Non-Members).
Details >

Train Like A Fighter
March 14 - April 26
This NEW fierce fitness program is based off of Martial Arts and Self Defense techniques. Our Certified Personal Trainers will motivate you in this 6-week program that will have you shadow-boxing, using heavy bags, hitting tires with sledge hammers, and many more fearless feats.
Details >

Group Exercise Chisel & Sculpt Challenge
Tuesday, March 15
You'll use different variations of sculpting exercises to chisel and challenge your body.
Details >

Irish Ride
Wednesday, March 16
Spin out with Kim Wilson to Irish music, including U2, Dropkick Murphys, Flogging Molly, and many more. A spirited and celebratory ride!
Details >

Motown Ride
Thursday, March 30
Ride to the classics with this fun, funky Motown-themed class.
Details >

All Sport raised over $1,000 for the Fishkill Food Pantry with their Tap Back,
Give Back Fundraiser Ride as well as donations from members.

There's always something going on at All Sport.
This month, they partnered with JMcLaughlin for a popup shopping event to benefit
Hudson Valley Hospice Foundation - and your wardrobe.


All Sport is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and we thank you for supporting businesses that make this publication possible! Click here for Advertising Opportunities.


Daddy, I Swallowed My Molar! Is This a Job for the Tooth Fairy? (Sponsored by Beacon Dental)

https://www.beacondental.net/

An unusual question from a reader came in after her 6-year-old son confessed before bedtime that while eating breakfast that morning, he chomped on something hard, and swallowed it. While thinking about it at school that day, the boy decided that he must have swallowed his molar because the rest of his teeth were in place. When he told his dad, his father was under the impression that molars were permanent and did not fall out. After consulting the book "The Berenstain Bears Visit the Dentist" and coming up with no answers, the family thought of A Little Beacon Blog's friend Beacon Dental - they must know the answer! Because most importantly, if the tooth was swallowed, does the Tooth Fairy come to collect it?

To find the answer to the tooth question, we went straight to Dr. Wang herself, mother of a teenager who we showcased here. Dr. Wang answered affirmatively: "Yes, kids lose all of their baby teeth. Unless they don’t want to grow up…!” Aha! So this was Peter Pan's trick! And Tinker Bell was maybe in on it with the Tooth Fairy! Pictured above in this article is one of Beacon Dental's gentle hygienists counting the teeth in a 3-year-old during his first visit to the dentist. Brushing baby teeth and visiting the dentist regularly are important ways to keep baby teeth healthy, even though they do fall out! Located in the plaza on Wolcott Avenue, Beacon Dental is an easy location to drive or walk to, and has a parking lot.

So there you have it: Yes, young kids do lose their molars. As for whether the Tooth Fairy comes to collect it, I will leave that process to you... but somehow, a delivery of some kind should probably appear.

Beacon Dental is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and we thank you for supporting businesses that make this publication possible!


Mark Your Calendar for New Classes, Programs and Kids Night Out Signups at All Sport (Sponsor Spotlight)

http://allsportfishkill.com/news.html

The year is off to a fast start at All Sport Health and Fitness, from classes to group challenges to family nights out. Here are dates from All Sport's full Sponsor Spotlight page at A Little Beacon Blog that you don't want to miss!


Feb. 8: BIG NEWS! The New Winter Session Starts for Kids' and Adults' Classes/Programs
That means that the time is approaching to sign up for youth and adult programs, including Swimming Lessons, the Soccer Clinic, Toddler Time, Boxing for Kids, Gymnastics, and many more classes offered on different days and times. Adult programs include Small Group Training opportunities, Boxing for Adults, Racquetball, and more. Details are included here.

As usual, All Sport has a running schedule of classes, including Yoga, Cycle, Zumba, and more, which members can drop into at any time, as well as a Small Group Personal Training schedule of classes.

Jan. 21: Lifeguard Training starts

 
SPECIAL!
Feb. 3: Michael Jackson-Themed Cycle Class, 9:15am: Get spinning to tunes from the King of Pop! All Sport spin classes provide you with great music and an instructor that will motivate you as you spin your wheels!

SPECIAL!
Feb. 13: Buddy Boot Camp, 9:30am-10:30am: Share the love, bring a friend and work out together. This buddy boot camp will partner you up to complete exercises in pairs. If heart-shaped candies existed for exercise, they would say, "I love squats" or "Be my workout buddy" or "This rep is for you." Happy Valentine's Day!

Next Holiday School's Out Camp for Kids: Monday, Feb. 15

Next Kids Night Out: Friday, Feb. 19


Be sure to check All Sport's Sponsor Spotlight page here on A Little Beacon Blog for a full list of programs and highlights available to members and non-members alike.

Thank you for supporting our Sponsor Spotlights from businesses who support A Little Beacon Blog. They make this publication possible!

Tick-Tock! Dental Benefits Ending, Get Teeth Cleaned/Fixed at Beacon Dental! (Sponsored)



December is an extra-busy month for taking advantage of your unused health insurance benefits - before they start all over again from $0! You have spent the year - and your money - on making your deductible, so visits to the doctor and dentist are a bit easier on your wallet at the end of the year. Don't let the chance go by to get a teeth cleaning, or to take care of any other oral issues you have been putting off under your current dental plan.

Patients of Beacon Dental have it lucky - the office tracks unused benefits, and knows what you are qualified for with your current coverage. Call them today to make appointments for yourself and your family, (845) 838-3666.

Thank you for supporting businesses who support A Little Beacon Blog who make this publication possible!

Beacon Dental | Comprehensive Care, Education, Preventive Care, Restoration of Function, & Aesthetics (Sponsor)

Beacon Dental
1020 Wolcott Avenue 
Beacon, NY 12508
(845) 838-3666

Beacon Dental, founded by Dr. Hongli Wang, is committed to providing comprehensive care utilizing the most recent advances in the science and the art of dentistry, with an emphasis on education, preventive care, restoration of function, and aesthetics.

Beacon Dental places tremendous importance on education both for their patients and staff. If your children are in school in the Beacon area or beyond, chances are your children have been treated to an oral health demonstration from a few of the friendly dental hygienists from Beacon Dental, who are committed to educating the public about the care of teeth and gums. Your oral health is Beacon Dental's top priority and they are devoted to providing all of their patients with comprehensive preventive care. Please click here to meet the team at Beacon Dental, from dental hygienists to office managers processing insurance claims and consulting with patients.

SPECIAL MESSAGES FROM BEACON DENTAL
As a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, Beacon Dental looks forward to sharing an important message with you as you make choices about your dental care.

An Early Friendship With The Dentist
Beacon Dental regularly visits every school in Beacon's school district, talking to children of all ages about oral health and the importance of brushing. Reading to your children about going to the dentist is also important, and helps them look forward to doing the right thing for their bodies! Little kids love having their teeth counted, and teenagers like a healthy smile! Call Beacon Dental today to make an appointment: (845) 838-3666 and visit their new website to get to know the team: www.beacondental.net





 "A Healthy Smile Is A Beautiful Smile"
The team at Beacon Dental wants to remind you that as you strive for pearly white teeth, the first step to oral beauty is healthy teeth. One of the easiest ways to help your teeth and gums stay healthy is to floss daily!

A periodontal chart! The dentist pokes your teeth to see how far down the measurement goes, with 1s and 2s being great! 5s and 6s being... eh, not so great. (Pro tip: Floss daily!)



In 2015, Beacon Dental celebrates 10 years in business! Located in the plaza on Wolcott Avenue at the intersection with South Avenue, Dr. Wang built the office from the ground up, designing it to give her patients the best care possible. That construction also helped improve the area. In the Spring of 2015, Beacon Dental held a party with a live band for their patients, and were paid a special visit by Mayor Randy Casale, who represented the city's appreciation for Dr. Wang's involvement with the Beacon community.
Dr. Hongli Wang was presented with a certificate from the City of Beacon
by Mayor Randy Casale in recognition of contributing to the education of
dental health to all elementary school children in this district, and for her donations
and support for Beacon Barks, Halloween parades and other events that have
helped to define Beacon today.

Meet Dr. Wang!
Dr. Hongli Wang (center) with her son, Kyle Wang (left),
and her husband, L. David Rooney PhD (right).
Dr. Wang's story is a unique one. Born and raised in Beijing, China, she earned her first dental degree from Beijing University in 1988 and worked as a dentist for five years. She came to America in 1993, but did not speak English. She learned the language and enrolled in dental school in New York. She graduated from New York University’s Dental School and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2001.

After working as an associate dentist for 3 years, Dr. Wang made the decision to take control of her future and opened her own practice. She was recently married and was a new mother of a toddler (pictured above, who is now 15!) when she opened her office. Dr. Wang is a caring, gentle dentist who takes the time to educate her patients about their oral health. Her goal is to help patients achieve successful treatment and have a beautiful, healthy smile, and goes out of her way to make sure each patient’s needs are met.

A Little Beacon Blog thanks Beacon Dental for being a sponsor, which helps make our coverage of the amazing people and things to do in and around Beacon possible!

A Healthy Smile is a Beautiful Smile (Sponsored by Beacon Dental)

www.beacondental.net
The team at Beacon Dental wants to remind you that as you strive for pearly white teeth, the first step to oral beauty is healthy teeth. One of the easiest ways to help your teeth and gums stay healthy is to floss daily!

What you are looking at here in this picture is a periodontal chart. It measures the health of your gums by checking to see if they are receding or not on each tooth. The dentist pokes your teeth to see how far down the measurement goes, with 1s and 2s being great! 5s and 6s being... eh, not so great. TIP: Floss daily!

Beacon Dental is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and we thank you for supporting businesses that make this publication possible!

Meet Dr. Hongli Wang, Founder of Beacon Dental (Sponsored)

www.beacondental.net
Dr. Hongli Wang (center) with her son, Kyle Wang (left),
and her husband, L. David Rooney PhD (right).

The founder of Beacon Dental's story is a unique one. Dr. Hongli Wang was born and raised in Beijing, China. She earned her first dental degree from Beijing University in 1988 and worked as a dentist for five years. She came to America in 1993, but did not speak English. She learned the language and enrolled in dental school in New York. She graduated from New York University’s Dental School and earned her Doctor of Dental Surgery in 2001.

After working as an associate dentist for 3 years, Dr. Wang made the decision to take control of her future and opened her own practice. She was recently married and was a new mother of a toddler (pictured above, who is turned 15 in 2015!) when she opened her office. Dr. Wang is a caring, gentle dentist who takes the time to educate her patients about their oral health. Her goal is to help patients achieve successful treatment and have a beautiful, healthy smile, and goes out of her way to make sure each patient’s needs are met.

Beacon Dental is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and we thank you for supporting businesses that make this publication possible!

Beacon Dental Visits All Schools in Beacon School District to Educate Kids (Sponsored)


Beacon Dental regularly visits every school in Beacon's school district, talking to children of all ages about oral health and the importance of brushing. Reading to your children about going to the dentist is also important, and helps them look forward to doing the right thing for their bodies! Little kids love having their teeth counted, and teenagers like a healthy smile! Call Beacon Dental today to make an appointment: (845) 838-3666 and visit their new website to get to know the team: www.beacondental.net

Beacon Dental is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and we thank you for supporting businesses that make this publication possible!

Beacon Dental Celebrates 10 Years in Business! (Sponsored)

www.beacondental.net/

In 2015, Beacon Dental celebrates 10 years in business! Located in the plaza on Wolcott Avenue at the intersection with South Avenue, Dr. Wang built the office from the ground up, designing it to give her patients the best care possible. That construction also helped improve the area. In the Spring of 2015, Beacon Dental held a party with a live band for their patients, and were paid a special visit by Mayor Randy Casale, who represented the city's appreciation for Dr. Wang's involvement with the Beacon community.

Dr. Hongli Wang was presented with a certificate from the City of Beacon by Mayor Randy Casale in recognition of contributing to the education of dental health to all elementary school children in this district, and for her donations and support for Beacon Barks, Halloween parades and other events that have helped to define Beacon today.

Call them today to schedule your next appointment for a teeth cleaning! Beacon Dental provides comprehensive care utilizing the most recent advances in the science and the art of dentistry, with an emphasis on education, preventive care, restoration of function, and aesthetics.

Beacon Dental is a sponsor of A Little Beacon Blog, and we thank you for supporting businesses that make this publication possible!

Look at These Great Brands - Key Food Shakes Off A Haunted Reputation

My family and I moved to Beacon in 2009 from Manhattan's "Upper Upper West Side" on Columbus Avenue. Grocery stores were all around us. Our apartment was above a Bravo, and we had several "markets" on Broadway. Not to mention vegetable stands, and an occasional honest to goodness bakery. Whole Foods had just opened up a few blocks down. Life was good food-wise.

So when we moved to Beacon, we had one requirement: to live within walking distance to a coffee shop so that we didn't experience too much of a culture shock from living in the City where we walked everywhere. This was one of the best requirements to have, because it meant we moved within walking distance to a big grocery store, Key Food.

In the last few years, I've noticed many changes at Key Food, as have others. From the classical music playing during the day, to the wide selection of organic and independent brands stocked on the shelves. So I took a meeting with two of the owners of Key Food - Junior and Mo - to give me the real scoop on what's been going on.

We met behind the big black doors near the produce section - the real behind the scenes of Key Food! Junior confirmed rumors I'd heard from shoppers who commute to Beacon from areas south of Newburgh, that this Key Food in particular was known for listening to shoppers. Junior says he takes many requests and finds the items to put on the shelves. I asked him if they felt as if they were living under the shadow of previous owners. Junior somberly nodded his head. Unknown to me was that the current owners of Key Food and my family moved here at the same time, so I didn't experience what longer Beaconites had encountered. From the day they bought the Beacon Key Food, his family, who also lives in Beacon, has been working to improve damaged relationships from everyone including customers and vendors.

As for pricing, well, I know that business owners do their best to deliver to their customers, and that the equation that makes a price is calculated based on what makes that business tick, from employees to benefits to group purchasing sales to warehouses. For instance, some grocery stores own their own warehouses to keep prices down, while other grocery stores can't take on owning a warehouse so they pay a warehouse to store their inventory, like Key Food does.

At the end of the day, has Key Food made a Beaconite's life easier? Yes. Several shoppers gave me their favorite items that they find weekly at Key Food, so lets walk the shelves in Key Food to see  what's in stock!

Mrs. Meyers is a fixture in our home, as is the $.99 dish soap!
Key Food gives you a selection here, to pay a few dollars more
for Mrs. Meyers, or $.99 for a generic brand. We actually use the
$.99 dish soap but buy the Mrs. Meyers counter spray and all
purpose liquid to refill.


Organic milk is a highly sought after item. New to me was the
price of Hudson Valley Fresh, a local brand that is delicious
and responsible. It's a fact that Stoneyfield milk is in the $5
range when it can be found at Hannaford for the $3 range,
but here sits Hudson Valley Fresh for $3.19!
An often over-looked and local choice.

Hello delicious cottage cheese.


Tas Kafe and Sumptown are favorites for a lot of people,
but so are illy and Starbucks for others. Lately, Starbucks
has been on sale for $7.99 or $8.99, which is on par with
Hannaford and other big stores.

Ghee has been growing in popularity by health enthusiasts
and butter lovers who want more from their butter, but less fat and
these health benefits.

Those who love nuts are loving the dedicated
nut section that has been living near the meat department.

The gluten free pasta selection has increased, as well as pasta
alternatives like rice pasta.

An entire freezer of healthy food! From frozen Indian food
to frozen Annies to Ezekiel bread.


And look! Ezekiel bread in cereal form!
Or you can get a strawberry PopTart. Options!
Annie's chocolate chip bars!


Some people really love seaweed snacks. Here is Annie Chun's
brand of Korean seaweed, and it's not the only brand here.

For the babies, HappyBaby and HappyTot. Pick up one as
you shop to help getting through the isles easier.

Hot dogs aren't the healthiest things, but if you like them,
the Boar's Head beef brand has been a favorite.

Alright - I'm no meat specialist, but early adopters of grass fed
beef like Poppy's has helped bring responsible meat to Beacon.
Beaconites actually have several options to get great meat that has
been raised  responsibly, but if you're in Key Food getting
other things and can't make another the meat section
does offer a wider selection now.
Northerers don't know how lucky they are to have Sticky Fingers
BBQ sauce in a bottle. I know this first hand because I
lived in Charleston, SC and frequently went to Sticky Fingers
restaurant before they bottled their sauces. Finger lickin' good.




Rite Aid Gets Upgrade - And Sliding Front Doors!


Rite Aid, in the middle of Main Street, across the street from the wine store and Yanarella Dance Studio and the Dance Bag, has gotten an upgrade. Such an upgrade in fact, that this Rite Aid is unrecognizable from its former self, and is now on par with suburban drug stores that offer sliding front doors, wide open isles, and plenty of walking room. According to a post at Wigam, Rite Aid leased the space next door, a formerly empty auto parts store, and the space behind it near the parking lot for more storage.

No matter what your preference in local business, a fancy Rite Aid is certainly better to look at and walk through. Rite Aid was one of the more challenging stores to get into with a wheelchair or single or double wide stroller. The clunky, crowded, two-door system made getting in to grab something quickly quite a challenge. Not to mention the poles in the middle of the office supply isle, making shopping with a stroller or wheel chair down that isle impossible. Now, the front doors slide open and there is a lot more breathing room.


To spread the wealth, my primary pharmacy remains with Vogel, where I've learned first hand that prescriptions can be transferred within moments of a phone call between pharmacists at different pharmacies in different states.


Stocking the shelves continues, with new surprises on the shelves weekly. The school supply isle leaves room for more, as Walgreens still corners the market on most eye-candy-ish school or office supplies (at the drug store level...Target is the most fun), but as you can see, there are plenty of items to shop for, from diapers to batteries to makeup. Just as there were before, only now you won't be so claustrophobic when you run to the drug store for a bottle of laundry detergent.


Yes, you could pick up breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert at Rite Aid if you so desired. You will find the regular, big name brand items like Ben & Jerry's and Blue Moon. You won't find local names or craft beers, but there are plenty of other options to find unique brands like at The Hop, Beacon Pantry, KeyFood (artisan brands have really increased on the shelves here), and even the convenience store in the Beacon Dental plaza who carries a large beer selection and occasionally organic milk.

 Price-wise, Rite Aid has never been cheap, and prices itself on convenience. This Suave shampoo (the Aveda version), which is on prominent display at the front door, is $4.29, which is $3 more  than it is at Hannaford on Rt. 9. But - the convenience is nice.


The fun isles, for toys, costumes, and greeting cards remain, and have more choices in them, including greeting cards. A lot of greeting cards actually, and now party packaging supplies.

All in all, we're stepping up in the world! It's a pleasure to walk through and shop in the new Rite Aid!

Saturday Class Combo - And Sauna!

Saturday mornings before noon are a sacred time around here, and as a small business owner (of this blog, Tin Shingle, and Katie James), have always been used as a time to travel within projects without the distractions of work-week expectations and pings from the email inbox. It is for this reason that I've never signed up for a Saturday morning class - an adult yoga class for instance, or a kid music class.

Now that kids are in the life, Saturday mornings involve...stuff. Multiple rounds of breakfast, bathroom breaks, emergency grocery runs, "Saturday Morning Netflix" girl vs. boy negotiations, etc. So I've given in to the Saturday class mindset and signed up the family for Alice Sipple's Dancing Tree Yoga for Kids class on Saturday mornings. Take into account that this class is at All Sport, I wanted to be sure to take advantage of the offerings of a fitness club if we were going to be there anyway, so I double-dutied our yoga class to be a full morning at All Sport, with the end goal being sitting in the sauna.

Keep in mind - this is the "goal," so it doesn't always happen. The first week totally didn't happen, but the second week did, and it was awesome...Check this out (I'm normally not a schedule person, so this has been kind of fun bouncing between times):

Alice and her daughter.
10:30am: Kids Yoga! We all get to class - 4 yoga mats in tow just barely in time - and move like elephants, horses, chickens, with a few break dance moves from little ones. We hadn't planned for both of us parents to do it, but it was really quite nice.

11:30am: Snacks (ideally...if I remember to pack them...or smoothie from the juice bar), and walk the kids into the childcare room aka Kids Club and help them get excited about climbing the big jungle gym, scooting radio flyers, and engaging with coloring books.

12:00pm: Parents Exercise! Dad to the bike so that he can watch seven TV stations at once, and Mom to jog outside (yes, they do have very nice treadmills but I prefer running outside). Then back inside for the "Express Circuit" weight-machine routine, which at first was very scary until a nice trainer showed me how to work them all and gave me a chart and a pencil to check-off my routine.

Sauna at All Sport Fishkill
12:30or45pm (this is where it gets tricky with the time because Kids Club closes at 1pm on Saturdays): Sauna!!!! The ultimate goal of my morning is to sit in the dry heat of the sauna, completely giving my mind over to the extremely hot room without moving. And for being on the go all week long, sitting still is something that must be forced, but is possible if you feel and melt into the warm wooden benches and imagine that you are in Arizona. Once you give yourself over to the still, hot air, thoughts and ideas swirling in the mind can swirl into focus, and any brainstorms going on can get baked in, sealing their fate that they get completed in the coming week. In the sauna, what feels like fifteen minutes is probably only three. But so worth it.

12:50pm (pushing it with the time!): Write an email to myself with the ideas mapped out during the sauna (not doing this in the sauna as the heat would probably break the phone). Then shower in the nicely tiled private showers - if I remembered everything. During the second week, I did forget shoes and makeup, so I attended a birthday party right after this excursion in a dress from Echo, but with Saucony shoes instead of Fly Londons.

1:00pm: Slide into home base and pick up the kids from Kids Club. Then off to lunch somewhere in the area!

Disclosure: All Sport is a sponsor of this blog, but did not sponsor this post. This article is pure editorial. Review our Editorial Policy.