Ballardblog.com

Just a reminder, if you have little ones, there are several Easter egg hunts scheduled this morning. Please scroll below about 6 posts down to view the schedule.

Happy Easter!
 
From all of us at BallardBlog.com

Have fun!

Our reader Mathew, spotted a coyote by Salmon Bay Park at 11:30 two nights ago.  He says it seemed to be traveling north and they also live in the greenbelt above Shilshole Marina/Golden Gardens. He never expected to see one in the middle of the neighborhood.  Folks with outdoor cats, chickens, or rabbits should maybe be careful.

Cafe Keffa (7001 15TH AVE NW) has Ballard’s if not Seattle’s newest and freshest open mic. The show is on Wednesday nights from 7pm to 9pm, with sign-ups at 6pm. There is no cover charge, but there is a very small drink minimum. All ages!
 
The venue has a very laid back java noir kind of atmosphere. It is intimate, so far with poets and acoustic musicians. The venue is unpretentious, and a nice getaway from the Market Street type of crowd.
 
The staff is truly hospitable and welcoming; quiet but animated. The MC, local upstart and self-described “voodoo-pirate entrepreneur” Jason DeLong gives the venue a theatrical flare, whilst giving a sense of welcome and equality to all patrons and performers.  
 
This is a showcase of great local talent, and soon to be a hot scene. ONE TO CHECK OUT!

Drink, eat, be merry and raise money for a great cause!
It’s time for another BalMar event! It’s simple: Bring all your friends to BalMar in Ballard. Buy a bracelet at the door for $10. All the proceeds go to Planned Parenthood.

Time and Place
 
Start Time:
Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 6:30pm
 
End Time:
Sunday, February 22, 2009 at 2:00am
 
Location:
BalMar
 
Street:
5449 Ballard Ave NW

Thousands of items for sale, antique items, clothes, kitchen items, toys, jewelry, china, glass, tools, craft items.

Lunch served each day, great sandwiches and soups at a great deal.

About Ballard Northwest Senior Center

They are a community senior center of Senior Services, a nonprofit agency, supporting the independence of seniors age 50 and above. The Northwest Senior Activity Center provides daily exercise, nutrition programs, health clinics, Information and Assistance, classes, recreation, social services and education to those 50 and over in Northwest Seattle.  Come and help support this wonderful center.

Huge Rummage Sale Friday, Feb 20, Feb 21

Saturday, Feb 21, 10AM to 3PM
 
5429 32nd Ave NW (across from the Ballard Locks in Seattle)

Blackbird will be hosting a night at the Sunset Tavern here in Ballard.  All proceeds from the show will be donated to the Ballard Food Bank, and there will be opportunity for additional contributions as well.  Two of the three bands playing feature Blackbird employees (including myself)!  Hopefully we’ll see you there!

The Sunset
5433 Ballard Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98107
(206) 784-4880

The Sunset Hill Community Clubhouse is having its Eighth Annual Wine Tasting event on Wednesday, January 28, from 6:45 to 9:00 p.m.

The Sunset Hill Community Association was formed in 1922, when the neighborhood was solidly blue-collar. This year, we are making an effort to get back to our roots and help better serve the community in this time of economic turmoil. Our annual Wine Tasting is a fundraiser for the organization and serves as the backdrop for the annual Board member elections.

Sunset Hill Community Clubhouse
3003 NW 66th Street
$15 per person
Wednesday, January 28, from 6:45 to 9:00 p.m.

Our own Ballard personal trainer has sent us these work out tips. The new year is here. Time to get in shape.

1. Set safe and attainable goals

Set smaller, step-by-step goals so you can focus on each goal separately, therefore making the process of obtaining your overall goal easier. Set a goal like going to the gym 2-3 times a week for at least an hour. If you have that same goal each week you end up building your “habit” and you’ll be well on your way to obtaining your overall goal!

2. What to do for you

Cardiovascular exercise AND weights need to be done to have an effective workout routine. Start with a light warm-up for 5 minutes of something active (bike, jump rope, body weight squats, etc.) do a total-body weight routine, consisting of 6-12 exercises, and finish with 30-60 minutes of cardio at the end. For those of you worried about “bulking up” the sets and reps are more indicative of how your body will respond than the weights themselves. Do 1-3 sets of 15 or more reps for longer, leaner muscles and sets of 8-10 reps for bigger muscles. By doing your weights first and cardio second, your body will get more benefit as well as burn more body fat calories!

3. Consistency is key

One thing I see many clients do too many times is come in Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday and then not until Monday again. Now, they are getting 3 times a week in, however 4 days off in a row makes progress slow up a bit. It would be like taking 2 steps forward and then 1 step back. If you are able to go in 3 times a week, try and space it out some. A schedule of Monday, Wednesday, Friday or Monday, Thursday, Saturday is more beneficial because there is less “down time” between workouts. Thus, allowing your body to become more receptive to the workouts themselves.

4. Don’t give up!

When your body encounters a physical change (temperature, elevation, workouts) it goes through an adaptation phase. Each adaptation phase lasts around 4-6 weeks depending on the consistency and severity of the change. So when you bust your butt for the first phase, your physical changes will be mainly internal and hard to see visually. Give yourself 3-4 months of hard work so you can see exponentially better results than just working hard for one month (it will stay off longer too!).

5. Sneak it in whenever you can

Parking further out from the entrance of a store, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, stretching while watching TV, etc. All of these activities take so little time it almost seems like there is no point (which is why most don’t do them). Using hypothetical numbers, say you go to the store and park far away from he door causing you to walk further to get in. This makes you burn 35 calories round trip, car to store. Now say you do this 100 times over the course of a year and burn 3,500 calories. Guess what? That is equal to 1lb of body fat! Now if you couple other “sneaky” habits along with a regular workout routine you will see a pretty significant change in yourself.

On February 10th, the North Seattle Lapidary & Mineral Club will host their next monthly meeting located in the basement meeting room of the Northminster Presbyterian Church at 7706 25th Avenue NW in the Loyal Heights neighborhood.  This is a fun group with at least 80 active members in attendance and goodies served during a short intermission.  Meeting time for kids starts at 6:30pm, adults at 7:30pm with a show & tell style of presentation by members followed by a scheduled keynote speaker.  The keynote speaker for February is Rick Fogel, past president of the group.  Rick will be discussing “Creating your own display case for our club’s annual rock show.”  In addition to very actively attended meetings, the group also hosts field trips to rock, mineral and fossil sites, lapidary workshops and other fun activities for all ages.