Journal your summer lifestyle

I just made summer journals for my boys. Well, I bought the journals and made them summery by decorating them for the season. I put a photograph of each boy on the front and labeled the books, "Danny's Summer Journal, 2008" and "Joey's Summer Journal 2008." My intention is to keep these books in the car so that wherever the summer takes us, we can plop down and write and draw about our journeys. The other day, we went to the library, collected a stack of books, and then got cozy outside amongst the grass and trees. Once settled, we read a book and then my guys drew a picture about the story they'd heard. Seven-year-old Joey drew a badger, a character in the book, and five- year-old Danny drew an alligator. There were no gators in our story but imaginations are always welcome during summer journaling.

I have high hopes for our summer journals. I envision them as instrumental in keeping my boys' minds sharp during non-school days, I love that we'll have a record of all that we accomplish over the next few months, and I can't wait to look back years from now at the scribbles that will fill the pages.

How about creating our own summer journal? Make it about diet and fitness and you can follow a similar path. You can keep your goals sharp, record all that you accomplish over the next few months, and look back years from now and chart your progress -- or your limitations. Grab a notebook, a stack of paper, or decorate a fancy book full of blank pages. The format doesn't matter -- the journaling does. Jot down what you eat and how much you exercise. Chart your calories, your weight, the miles you log and the weights you lift. Document your successes, your frustrations, your best intentions. Try it for the summer and see what happens. That's what I'm doing. I can't wait to see how it turns out.

Want more on how to keep a food journal? Click here. And exercise journaling -- here.