Zumba Stats - January 2015

I've decided to update my Zumba Stats monthly for 2015 ...

Here's January!

For week 1, I got back to all five of my different classes!

I've been struggling with my heart rate monitor lately. Reading zero, or getting stuck on a number. Not really trusting the results. I tried out a different one for my Mon/Tues this week, but no matter the workout, it seemed to give the exact same results. Back to my Polar for Wed/Thur/Fri, and then I was able to get new batteries in and that should help!

I thought I'd totally be ready to get back to Zumba after the holidays, but Monday I was still struggling with being sore from my weight workout on Saturday. It did impact my energy, I wasn't my usual bouncy self, although I still did get great Fitbit numbers! Glad to get back to Marian's class after she was gone last week, but the soreness and HRM situation did drag me down just a bit. Felt good on Wednesday ... this class had many instructors and they usually switch off every song. They said they were going to try having an instructor do 20minutes as part of their training, so that is a small change. They also did more numbers on the floor, trying to draw more energy ... I myself prefer having them on the stage where I can see better. It was also great to get back to the Thursday class, which has pushed the time back to 9:30. So instead of going straight after dropping off the kids to school, I went home for a few minutes and was invariably late. I wasn't sure Marian would be there with the later start time, but she was (so class started on time) and my tardiness shorted me a bit from an entire hour. It had been a while since I'd hit my Friday class too. There were a couple new numbers, and I had forgotten the steps to MY favorite song. I don't know how the instructors keep all the steps in their heads!

I also included my Saturday Racquetball workout to compare. Also an hour ... not as many steps (so the Fitbit burn didn't come in very high) but the HRM (with new batteries) showed that my heart rate did get up. So fun, it doesn't even feel like a workout! My shoulder is sore now though!

Week 2

Five different classes. Double on Thursday & R-ball on Saturday.

I was so ready for my Zumba on Monday, and then my HRM was giving me problems. After a brand new battery and everything! My Fitbit stats were good and I'm sure the HRM would have had good numbers too. Luckily my Polar behaved the rest of the week. Thursday I was able to hit Marian's evening class, so it was a double Zumba day. I felt really good, and game away with awesome stats!

Week 3 ... hit all my different classes!

Double Zumba on Thursday. A little home session on Saturday.

Another really good week. Happy that my HRM finally worked on a Monday, and I got good stats. Nina was running Claudia's Thursday class too, and really brought the energy. She had me do a couple of my numbers, first time in that class. I think that elevates my heart rate (both nerves and just giving it your all when everyone is watching). Double Zumba again Thursday! Didn't get r-ball in on Saturday, so I did a little Zumba at home (trying to polish a couple new songs I could try if I'm asked to lead). 

Week 4 ... all five of my classes, with double Zumba on Thursday.

Great start to the week with Southziders. I think that might be a high for my average heart rate. Both devices estimating a 500+ burn and over 8000steps. Another great Thursday too, both morning and evening sessions. Haven't quite been getting the numbers in MZL (not sure why there, I guess they have usually been over an hour, but not these past few weeks) and Friday (longer pauses between songs add up and my heart rate drops).

I've sure enjoyed all my classes. The instructors all have their own styles. There are so many songs and steps out there, it's always a challenge to try and learn them. Some old songs, some new ones. I really enjoy my Zumba workouts and enjoy comparing the numbers to see if I feel they match up to how I felt the workout was. They usually do!

WWI#80 and Five Indoor Workouts

Ah Friday

 ... time for the Friday Five and my weekly recap and weigh-in.

Although I haven't missed a weekly weigh-in, I've been a little slow at getting them up (usually on Saturday or Sunday). I have NOT been participating in the various Friday Five link-ups for a bit. I saw the theme the DC Bloggers (Courtney, Mar and Cynthia) put out ... Five Favorite Indoor Workouts, and thought I'd link up this week. 

I am an indoor workout gal. The extremes in weather, bugs, traffic, people looking at you, dogs ... I just don't want to deal with it. I love having a home gym where I am super spoiled with equipment, in charge of what I watch, and it takes just one moment to go from home to gym and back again.  I do have FIVE main types of exercise that I rotate through ...

• Elliptical ... is my go to machine. I almost always get in an hour a day. I never actually do an hour at a time, but small 10-20 minute segments spread out. Admittedly, I am usually in my workout wear (comfy clothes, sports bra) most of the day, but even if I'm not, I can still just jump on the elliptical for a few minutes for an energy boost, getting some "steps" in. I like that it's low impact, quiet, and I can wear slippers (I don't like shoes!). 
• Treadmill ... I'll either hit the treadmill for a quick one mile run (ok, it's been a while since I've done that) or commit to a longer (30+min) workout. I mean, if I'm going to go to all the effort of putting on shoes and socks ... I know many dislike the "dreadmill" but I love seeing an exact count of my distance and speed, of putting on a program to watch and entertain me (although it is noisy, I need subtitles), and I really like the option of incline. Often I'll use the treadmill for "hikes" to up my calorie burn.
• Stationary Bike ... I wasn't a fan of the bike. It was a pain in the butt (literally!) and I wouldn't get "steps" on my Fitbit. But, I've found it's the perfect time to read my book. Instead of laying or sitting down, I read while I ride. Admittedly, I'm not putting my whole heart into this "workout", it's pretty low-key, but I really enjoy my read/ride time and actually feel I concentrate better on my book!
• Strength Training ... we have a nice weight set up in our home gym, but all I really need are some dumbbells and the bench. At times I've worked with a DVD (30DS for example) but more often I just have a full body workout I do on my own. I have been a little lax in my weights for a while, I need to get back, always getting it in at least once a week!
• Zumba ... of course I can't leave out ZUMBA! I started one year ago and am absolutely addicted.  I go to classes Mon-Fri mornings. All different locations and instructors (and all free ... I love that, as I don't want to buy a gym membership for classes as I have my home gym which as outlined above, I am very content with!). I do occasionally workout out at home, sometimes a full hour, or just one song here and there throughout the day as I have a spare five minutes.

Because I not only have easy access to all these indoor workouts, but actually enjoy all these indoor workouts, I have no excuses! I do usually get in quite a bit of exercise/activity. I wish the fitness alone could keep me slender and healthy, but NO, food plays a part too. Dang it, I'm not nearly as good with my eating.  And with that I'll transition into my weekly weigh-in and recap of the week.

It was a pretty good week. Very routine, set structure. No excuses. I had a 1.2 pound loss from last week's weigh-in (average went up a smidgen though). I Zumba-ed each week day, double on Thursday evening. Elliptical and bike every week day too. Only one small treadmill time and ... no weights this week. Oops! I really meant to either on Tuesday or Friday but then it didn't happen.  I really controlled calories on Monday, then went totally overboard on Tuesday. My average intake for the week was 2236. Average burn was 2848. Crunching the numbers I ended up with a deficit of -2435. 

I've just spent SO long in this 150-155 range ... I just need to drop to the 140-149 range and then I'll be fine maintaining. So close, yet sometimes feels so far ...

Comparisons

Apples to Apples.

My son LOVES that game!

Personally, I know better than to try and compare myself to others. There are so many variables at play. But I DO compare me to myself. One workout to another. Various estimates on different devices. How I do and feel day to day. I'm a bit of a numbers nerd. I collect and compare my stats, steps, calorie counts, weight ... almost anything I can assign a number to.

Looking back on the past few days, 

my workouts and numbers have been quite similar.

 Monday

 Tuesday

Wednesday

Each day in the morning, I had an hour of Zumba. I also had some small sessions on the elliptical throughout the days (10-20 minutes at a time. 40 minutes on Monday, and hour on Tues/Wed). All three days I spent 37 minutes reading while riding the stationary bike (10miles).

I felt really good about Mon and Wednesday, 

but felt like Tuesday was an off day. Why?

So much of it is perception. Expectation also. Tuesdays are normally really good days for me (often 30k in steps).  I started out strong, hitting my 10x10 and then ... I had some lazy hours. Also, after really keeping calories controlled on Monday, I caved to cravings and went way overboard. In the evening during my little guy's basketball practice, I usually walk while I wait, getting in 5000 or more steps. I did do some walking, but I just wasn't feeling up to it. I'd worn bad shoes, my other son who had come along too decided he didn't want to shoot and took my ipad mini that I'd been reading while I walked. Even in non-exercise attitudes, I just felt better about Monday and Wednesday (getting more "mommy" stuff done).

Another little "perception" ... if you notice on the graphs above, on Mon/Wed, the vertical axis extends to 3,000. On Tuesday, I didn't quite get enough steps in a 15min period of time to warrant that little graph increase. That actually affects me mentally! It just throws off the graph perspective. I really try to make sure I have ONE workout in the day that pushes the graph axis up, and on Tuesday I just didn't make it.

I was just thinking back on this past week, finding it ironic how I had some good days, and a bad day, when the numbers were so similar. Well ... the eating calories weren't similar on those day. I know the eating is where it's at more than the exercise. I wish I could get as much control and routine in my food as I do my fitness. It's a constant challenge!  Just thinking out loud ... and linking up late with Workout Wednesday.

TV Talk Tuesday - Cupcake Wars

My second TV Talk Tuesday this month.

This time the focus is on what the kids are watching.

I am SUCH a persnickety eater, that "food shows" have never really appealed to me.  I know there are a ton out there, but I just haven't paid much attention to them. Are any of them geared toward healthy eating? Not that THAT is my strong suit either. 

Imagine my surprise last Friday when the kidlets were out of school. They seemed glued to the television, and what had caught their interest? Cupcake Wars!

I guess #2 had been introduced to the show at a friend's house. There is a "Cupcake Wars Collection" on Netflix, so the boys are watching that (although we do have cable for sports, so I assume we have the food channel and could catch current episodes). I wouldn't have thought my boys would have been so interested in such a show, but they are. #2 is apparently quite the expert, having watched more episodes than the other boys, making comments like "oh no, don't add the stuff to the batter. It will sink to the bottom and the judges won't like that."

As a finicky un-foodie, it's actually a little hard for me to watch (I never sit and watch, but I'll catch glimpses as I'm in the kitchen prepping dinner or doing dishes). Some of the themes and required additions (um, pepperoni and pastrami? In a cupcake?) are downright disgusting!

Well, I suppose it's not as bad as some of the things out on television today. The kids haven't seemed inspired to actually try baking anything themselves though. As for me ... I'll only catch a snippet of the shows here and there. It's not something that intrigues ME enough to make it onto my list of what to watch while working out. While WATCHING a show about cupcakes isn't as bad as eating a bunch of cupcakes, my boys aren't getting any steps on the Fitbits sitting around watching Cupcake Wars!

Monday ... Back at It

Monday ... back to the routine!

I started the day with Zumba, but I forgot my hat!

No hat means sweaty, straight bangs in my eyes. I need to remember my hat! But happily my HRM was working today and I got good stats!  535 calories, "in zone" 54 of the 69 minutes and an average heart rate of 135. Fitbit sait 541 calories and 8035 steps. 

I always really like getting back to the routine on Monday. I had an absolutely lazy day yesterday! I didn't even hit 6000 steps for the whole day. I did pretty good on Saturday though, hitting 20k. Better than Friday, when I only hit 17k (I blame TOM).  

My weight went up slightly after my weigh-in on Friday, but then it's stayed exactly the same for Sat/Sun and this morning (154.1). Usually I have a bit more of an "up" on Monday mornings.  

Hubs got home from his trip to Las Vegas late Thursday.

It's good to have him home.

 

He had done pretty well there he thought. Controlled calories (and tracked with MFP) even with all the temptations. He started each day with a jog through the city. He really kept up with me on the steps. He had a Fitbit Funny when his Fitbit reset at midnight mountain time (and he still had an hour on Vegas time). He felt totally gypped out of those steps being added to that day's count! I love that he's liking his Fitbit! *Ü*   He did a Friday weigh-in too and was NOT happy with the result. Poor Hubs, he was very down on Friday and Saturday (it affects the guys too!) He weighed again on Sunday and had a substantial drop. That's why I weigh myself every day, just in case that ONE weigh-in is off.

I had hoped to get in a weekend weights session ... but it didn't happen. We didn't get our racquetball in on Saturday this week. It was very busy with the boy's basketball. Games for #3 and #5. The little one had some great shots, I need to make a highlight video. The other game? We're just going to try and forget about it! #2 had a game Friday, and Saturday he needed to go to games to "work" running clocks or taking pictures and then just cheering on friends. I did a lot of running kids around. Hubs had a huge pinewood derby Saturday too.  I did really miss our racquetball session.

After all the schedule shifts last week (kids out of school two days, hubby gone, addition of a kitty, anxiety issues resulting in homeschooling some days, TOM...) I think we should be back to a regular routine this week.  Hoping to control calories and have a drop by Friday's weigh-in, for me (under 150)  and Hubs (under 200) ...

Well, enough sitting at the computer, time to hit my home gym again!

Time for some reading and riding!

Linking up with MIMM.

WWI #79 ... An Off Week

Well ... didn't go down this week. Last week's weigh-in was the lowest it went as I look back on this past week. It wasn't a bad week, but it wasn't quite the usual routine.

• School out: The kids were home Monday (for MLK) and Friday (end of quarter). They boys are really good, so having them around doesn't impact me negatively, but I just don't get up as early and get moving. 
• Hubs out of town: Hubs left Monday and got back Thursday. He always gets up and off early, so that encourages me to do the same. Without him around (and #2's early morning driver's ed concluded last week) I did sleep in a little this week. Often I do stay up later, and sometimes get more evening stuff in when hubs is gone, but not this week.
• Anxiety issues: #4 really struggled going back to school on Tuesday after the long weekend. Add to that the incident last Friday (his teacher had a seizure) , and then his teacher was still out ... my poor child had a meltdown. I ended up homeschooling him part days on Tues and Wed. We did do a lot of one-on-one stuff, it was good. I was proud he made it back to school for Thursday (it was a short day).
• TOM: It's that time of the month. I hate it. 
• New kitty: We haven't been a pet family, but the kids have wanted a dog or cat for a long time. I finally caved on the kitty front. #1 had been looking for the past several weeks and Monday he took the two little boys and picked up a kitty from the Humane Society. His name is Oreo (that was actually his name at the shelter, but it is a perfect fit for our family). He's four months old and the boys are very happy to have him. While he hasn't really impacted my routine ... I think he makes me a little lazy! I mean HE is always sleeping, and I stop to pet him often when I usually keep moving.

A couple kitty pictures ...

 Hubs can't blame me for this clog!

 Silly Sleeper

I really tried to control calories better, as I know that is the key to getting the scale to move. We went out to dinner Monday night with my folks. I didn't feel I went overboard, but the scale did jump the next morning. I had another bad eating day on Thursday, nothing in particular, just lots of snacking. Cookies! Exercise was pretty much on track. I got in my elliptical and Zumba Mon-Fri. I did some bike and treadmill too, and also did a weight workout. 

NUMBERS: Up .6, but the average went down -.41.  Average intake was 2286. Average burn was 2902 which ended with a deficit for the week, albeit a tiny one. -510.

As usual, there were basketball games and practices. I did spend some time at the computer this week turning the video clips into a highlight reel. You can see the video here. I'll be watching a couple more games on Saturday. That's the life of a basketball mom!

Next week should be pretty normal. Routine and structure. Hopefully I can control my calories and shift the scale to under 150 again ...

Still FitBitting

Lights Out :(

Just over a week ago ... Friday, January 9, there was a death in our Fitbit Family. MY Fitbit. My last sync had been at 3:14. I attempted to look at my stats around 4:00 and ... nothing. No lights. I didn't panic immediately. In my four years of having a Fitbit, I think this (or having the numbers showing but frozen) had happened once or twice. Previously, resetting the Fitbit had got it working again.

This time ... the reset did not work. I tried a few times. I pulled out an alternate charger to try the reset. I left it on the charger just in case the battery had somehow gotten that low without me noticing. No luck. My Fitbit wasn't the only thing to die that afternoon. My motivation died as well. As many pedometer people may ask ...

I mean OF COURSE they do. But ... I could have, should have hit the elliptical again, but I didn't. I wanted to get some reading in, and I usually ride (with the Fitbit on my sock to pick up "steps") ... but I just read in bed. No motivation if I wasn't going to get a little spike on my activity graph. 

Now, Fitbit is renowned for their great customer service ... but, I had purchased my Fitbit almost two years ago, so I really didn't think I'd have much luck. Besides, even by chance if they would replace it, that would mean WAITING. I was NOT willing to wait! All my thoughts Friday evening were of going out and getting a new Fitbit. I should have just done it that night.

I am a frugal sort. I did want to get the best deal I could at short notice. Amazon had the best prices, but even with Prime and 2-day shipping, that would require a WAIT. I had built up $35 in credit (thanks to my old Fitbit) at Walgreens, but while they sold Fitbits online, they didn't have them at the store for immediate pickup. Bed,Bath&Beyond did, and I usually have a 20% off coupon around (Fitbit was not listed as one of the many exclusions), but all mine were expired. I finally just gave up and went to Best Buy, where it was $94.99 and we got points for our purchase.

It felt SO GREAT to be back in business!

I have since heard from Fitbit customer service and go figure, they ARE sending out a replacement one! I suppose I could return my new purchase, but I think I'll just hang onto the extra one so I'll never be in the terrible situation of being without a Fitbit again. I know #4 would like a ONE, rather than his Zip (backlight) ... although he really wants the new Charge!

I've mentioned Fitbit Customer service before. It really is great. Because everyone in our family (immediate and now extended too) has a Fitbit, we have had a few problems here and there. I had recently contacted customer service about some of our silicone cases. I do think the design of the ONE is an improvement over the original Ultra, but the cases are not without their issues. A couple of the little tips had come off of our Ones and Zips. It makes them really had to put on. The metal tip poked through the material of my bra on occasion, and my son, wearing his on his waist had received a good scratch.

I simply sent this photo to Fitbit and asked if replacement cases were a possibility and they immediately sent new ones out. We'd had to do this once before with #1's Flex (when he was wearing the Flex). Hubs is now using the Flex, but he just slips it into his pocket rather than wearing the wristband.

Speaking of the Hubs ... He's TRYING to catch me!

He's in Vegas on a business trip. Lots of walking, and he was still making exercise a priority as he packed. He was pretty proud yesterday, asking me if I'd seen his steps. He was at 25K. Very impressive. I ... hit 31K. What can I say, I had a good day. I'm sure glad my Fitbit was up and running to catch all my steps!

Linking up with Workout Wednesday.

It's Monday?

It doesn't feel like Monday. The kids aren't in school due to the MLK holiday. There was sleeping in, a late breakfast, and we're going out with family tonight. Not my usual "Motivated Monday"  but I'll still do my best!  It was a great Zumba class this morning and I've done one elliptical session so far. My littlest one had some homework due tomorrow. A worksheet on Martin Luther King Jr. It was fun to help him work through it and learn a little more about the man myself.

As usual for my Monday, I'm linking up with MIMM and recapping the weekend. It was a memorable one. On Friday, #2 was playing in a big basketball game over at the high school. Normally it's just me and #3 coming to watch, sometimes Daddy will try to hit the game. But this week, it was a big fundraiser dinner, so all the brothers, Maga, Aunt Ana and her boys, were there. And what a game it was! This was against our main rival, and it was ending up tied at the end of every quarter ... including the fourth. So into overtime. Just a second left on the clock, it's tied up again and MY SON, from way behind the 3-point line is passed the ball ...

Check out the video below!

Clutch Callahan for the win in overtime! I shared this on Facebook yesterday and just figured out how to share here. #chhsbasketball

A video posted by JenB (@jenblackham) on Jan 17, 2015 at 10:04am PST

It was SO awesome! A link to all the game highlights is here. I spent some of my Saturday and Sunday going through the clips and making the video. I have video from two other basketball games (#3 and #5 played on Saturday, I'll need to get to them at some point too *Ü*  Basketball Mom!)

Also on Saturday, Hubs and I played racquetball again. I'm so glad we've got back to the court! We used to do it all the time. I hope we can keep it up, it's a perfect Saturday activity for me! 

Another Saturday event ...

With five active boys, we've never had a broken window! The weather was quite nice on Saturday, and the boys were playing outside. Makeshift baseball with a piece of pipe and a hard ball. The pipe ended up flying. It was quite the crash for those of us in the house! Broken glass everywhere, inside and out. Right now we have a nice piece of cardboard over the broken pane, I'm not sure when we'll get around to having it replaced.

Even though we just HAD Saturday, it SO feels like a Saturday today! This week will be a little off schedule. Hubs will be out of town for a few days, which can impact my days/nights. The kids are out of school on Friday too (for the end of the quarter).  My son's early morning driver's ed is now done (YEA!) so I don't need to make an additional early morning carpool to the school every day. I SHOULD still continue to get up early and get started on my day, but, we'll see.

How was your weekend?

WWI #78 - Going Down Again

It was a decent week. I'm still really struggling with keeping calories in check. I've just seemed extra hungry lately! And not for anything good. These past few days were busy.  Once again ... I'm getting my Friday blog post up late. 

I've really tried to stay on top of things ... entering my numbers, keeping up with my daily doings journal entries, Daily Mile and Walker Tracker (you can get more details on my daily exercise on either of those sites, or my Day to Day Doings page).  If I  just enter them daily, then I don't have a big catch up waiting for me at the end of the week as I attempt this post. I'm doing better, but I do still have to catch up on a couple of entries ...

I try to use Sunday to get completely caught up and then be able to start the next week fresh and ready. Daily Mile posts to Facebook on Monday morning, so if I haven't updated everything then my stats look pretty miserable! This next week will be a little off schedule. The kids are out Mon (for the MLK holiday) and Fri (end of quarter). 

As for this past week:  NUMBERS ... down 1.7 pounds from last week. Average went down 1.3. Good, but only putting my back to where I was a couple of weeks ago, when I'd started, but not finished, my holiday gains. Still eating too much, too many treats. Average intake was 2314. Average burn slipped a little to 2714. I did end up with a deficit for the week, but only -865.

Gotta do better!

Loads of Laundry

Laundry ... it's never ending, right?

And when you are an avid exerciser, it adds up even faster!

The hubs goes through spurts ... being very active and eating healthy to, well, not doing that so much. I remember one of the "on" times a while back, he actually apologized for the extra laundry his workouts were adding. Of course I told him not to worry about it. I was happy he was being healthy. This go round, he's been doing his own laundry. I asked him if this was out of guilt, or just necessity (only having a couple pieces of workout wear, and needing them washed immediately so he could wear them again the next day. He could buy more, but he's hoping to not be this size for very long). It was the latter. #2, my basketball boy is in the same boat. He has a practice jersey that he wears every day, so he generally runs a small load for it as well. 

Our washer stays busy! With these two small loads, in addition to those I do to keep the house running. I pretty much do a load of laundry every single day. I do divide some things into whites and darks. I also have a basket for linens, and wash those together. For the five boys ... they each have their own individual dirty clothes hamper and I just wash all their things together (unless it is something that specifically needs to go in the white/dark loads). This is mainly just to save time when putting things away. It's a little hard to tell which shirts/shorts/socks go to which kid when sorting, so I just keep them all separate. 

So ... if you have loads of laundry each week, would you rather do ONE load of laundry every day or spend ONE day doing it all? I do the former. Here are some random thoughts  I've had about laundry lately ... 

• Why are there dozens of socks, shorts and shirts, and only two pairs of underwear?
• I love the smell of bleach. It just smells clean.
• Well that shirt shrunk! (Luckily with five boys, I can just move it down a closet).
• I love that my older boys do their own laundry.
• Now #3's white shirt is pink.
• Got to lotion up ... folding clothes (especially towels) strips the moisture from my hands!
• While I don't love doing laundry, NOT BEING ABLE to do laundry (broken washer/dryer) is much, MUCH worse!
• I like the Pinterest tip on making my own dry laundry soap!
• When it's cold outside, I really don't mind folding the clothes right out of the dryer.
• The dryer is done but I'm too busy to fold right now ... I'll just run it again a bit later. Then again. Then again.
• Turn the buzzer off on the dryer, it's too noisy.
• What is  that clanging around the dryer? Hope it's not a Fitbit!
• Oops ... washed and dried a pen. I hope the black marks are baked on the dryer walls and don't come off on other clothes.
• Why must the boys live out of their laundry basket? Put the clothes away please. And return the laundry basket, I need it.
• Does this really need to be air dried? The dryer is so much easier! 
• Whoever designed this dryer and put the lint trap on the top should be shot!
• Throw the couple "extra/alone" socks in the "solitary sock box" ... I'll go through it at some point and find some matches.

I actually don't mind doing laundry. I prefer it over other cleaning duties (dishes, cleaning bathrooms, mopping, etc). While the older boys generally do their own loads, I usually still fold them. Even though I see them in their clothes, it's always a time for me to really look, and see which ones they are wearing, which are the favorites, remind myself of their sizes. I enjoy the orderly piles, the matched up socks, the folded shirts. When the boys were little, I'd then have to put everything away too, but they are all big enough now. For the upstairs boys (#1, #4 and #5) I lay them out on their beds, so they really have no choice but to put the clean clothes away. The downstairs boys (#3 and #4) I fold upstairs and place them in a laundry basket. These almost never get put away, the boys just pick out of the baskets. It drives me crazy!

I'll leave you with five funnies ...

 

We don't think about laundry that much, we just do it.
What are some of your random thoughts?
Do any match mine?
Linking up with Thinking Out Loud *Ü*