How to get a discount on Lifelong Learning Classes

brooke and britt standing with governor's declaration

Ending the August challenge on a high note!

Summer has flown by and we cannot believe it is already time to be wrapping up the August challenge of #LifelongLearning with the University of Utah! This month the world of education has been cracked open to us by diving into what Lifelong Learning at the U really is and what programs and classes are available to the public.

Discount code for Lifelong Learning classes

We wanted to end the challenge with a bang and offer a discount code! I have never heard of the University of Utah offering a discount so this is a BIG DEAL! Enter the promo code TWINTESTED to get $10 off any class of your choice! Go here to check out classes.

We have been inspired

Instructors who take time to personally teach and assist you in learning
There is no pressure! No grades!
So many students discovering new talents, interests and hobbies
There is something for everyone – from gardening to handmade facials
You can take a one day class for 2 hours or a 3-month class twice a week
You can be a beginner
There is no judgment
There is such a positive atmosphere because everyone is truly there to learn
New classes start weekly, so whatever your schedule, you can find something that works

Try Something New

When I’m 85, I don’t want to regret staying in my comfort zone. I want to know for a fact that I have stretched myself and learned as much as I could.

“LEARNING IS NOT ATTAINED BY CHANCE, IT MUST BE SOUGHT FOR WITH ARDOR AND ATTENDED TO WITH DILIGENCE.” ―ABIGAIL ADAMS

If you would like to look at the catalog of classes, go here.

Change Your Life and Learn Something New at the U

Utah Governor Gary Herbert signed a declaration for Lifelong Learning Week August 12-16!

Jumpstart Your Career with Professional Education Classes

We were so excited to be part of the ribbon-cutting for the new and expanded University of Utah Sandy Center. Offering everything from Communicating with People and Teams to Beginner’s Guide to Excel courses, there really is something for everyone.

The Sandy City mayor shared his excitement about the opening.

They Offer the Flexibility You Need

Perhaps the greatest strength of the expanded University of Utah Sandy Center is the flexibility they offer. Knowing that most of their students are working while taking classes, they offer many in the evenings and on weekends. Don’t have the option of going then? How about taking entire coursework (semester) of classes in one week?! They offer that too! No matter your current life situation, they will work with you to make continuing your education possible.

Earn the Certificate You’ve Always Wanted

Not only do they offer a wide variety of courses, but in many of the courses, you will actually earn a certificate. Here are a few examples:

Professional Management Certificate
Financial Management Certificate
Professional Coaching Certificate
Medical Coding and Billing Certificate
Veterinary Assistant Certificate
Professional Coaching Certificate

Take a Class Just For Fun

The University of Utah Sandy Center offers tons of classes for personal enrichment as well. Some that stand out to us:

Digital Photography: An Introduction
Health Psychology
Outdoor Cooking and Camping
World Music

To learn more about the University of Utah Sandy Center and Professional Development, go here.

How to get access to hundreds of community classes for $50 a year

What is the Osher program?

Hundreds of classes taught by emeritus faculty with the opportunity to learn and engage with fellow members of your community sounds pretty great, right? Well, the OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute is part of the University of Utah’s Continuing Education and offers all of that and more. And guess what the best part is? All it takes is a signup form and $50!

Lifelong Learning has many different facets

During the month of August, our monthly challenge is #LifelongLearning in partnership with the University of Utah’s Continuing Education program. Studies have shown time and again how important it is to keep learning throughout our lives – whether you are 25 or 105!

If you are “50 or better”

The OSHER program at the University of Utah states, “The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Utah offers a rich and evolving array of courses, lectures, and special activities, taught by distinguished emeritus faculty, scholars, and community experts. Members from all walks of life bring a lifetime of experience to the classroom and our activities. If you’re age 50 or better, come and join us!”

Have you ever been referred to as age 50 or better? We think that is a pretty great way of looking at life!

We are signing our parents up for the Osher program!

It is obvious that we are not yet 50-years-old and cannot participate in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. However, our parents sure can! It was our goal this month to get them signed up as Osher members and to help them to find a class they would like to take.

Being an Osher member is fun and affordable

The Osher Institute makes learning incredibly affordable, fun, and easy. Professors at the Institute always mention how much they enjoy their time with their more seasoned students.

Here is a peek at some of the upcoming classes:

– History of Flight

– Mindfulness Retreat

– Masterpieces at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

– Intro to Kiln-formed Glass Stringer Plate

– La Caille Wine Tasting & Tour

– Final Cut Pro Basics

– Why You Love Country Music, Even If You Don’t

– Our Genes, Our Future, The Revolution

– Mind Over Matter

– Foraging Wild Foods for Healthy Eating

– Yoga For All Bodies

A few things that separate the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is its event schedule.

They host Lunch & Learn’s that are FREE to Osher members where they can bring a brown bag lunch and a friend and hear lectures on everything from Einstein’s theories to How to Improve Your Landscapes and Planting!

Special Events

Another feature of the Osher program at the University of Utah is the Special Events or in common terms, field trips! Sidenote: I remember when the Osher group from the U of U visited Fox13 and watched some of our show live in the studio. They had great questions and it was fun to meet the diverse group of people.

Special events coming up include a tour of the Salt Lake City cemetery (many notable Utahn’s have been buried there) and a visit out to Antelope Island State Park (great for bison watching and sunset views).

Four Osher Special Events are included in the basic $50 membership per term. Now that is a deal! To get registered or help your aunt, uncle, friend, neighbor, or parent get signed up go here. It would be a great birthday present or Christmas gift!

Free treadmill exercises that don’t involve running!

*There are affiliate links in this blog post. They do not affect the price that you pay for anything we have linked to. We work hard to find you the best deals.

Treadmill workouts videos that show you fun, new exercises to burn calories!

Exercises on the treadmill that don’t involve actual running!

You guys know that we love a good treadmill workout, and the best part about the exercises we are showing you is that they don’t involve RUNNING! Treadmills are so versatile that you can do so many different moves on them besides just running.

move fitness challenge — Never be bored on the treadmill again, here are some ideas to keep moving!

Straight running can get boring on the treadmill

Running day-in and day-out on a treadmill can become very monotonous and boring. With these treadmill workouts, you are using different muscles and activating your core strength in a new way!

Most of these moves are done with your treadmill OFF

We have found that treadmill workouts really get sweaty when you turn your treadmill OFF. How does that work? You have to use your own body weight and strength to get the treadmill belt moving. This involves a lot of core work and makes each move that much more intense.

If you prefer to have a list of exercises in front of you for your workout, here it is!

Exercises to do on the treadmill that don't include running

This is a list of exercises that you can do on the treadmill that do not include running. The majority of these exercises are done with your treadmill turned off. This way you will have to use your own body weight and strength to get the belt moving!

Start with Mountain Climbers

Mountain climbers can be done in the plank position with both feet on the treadmill rails or on the ground behind the treadmill belt.

One leg hop

From mountain climbers, you are in the plank position and can easily transition into one-leg hops. Tuck your knee to your chest and try to keep legs low to the treadmill.

Caterpillar walk in and out

From one-leg hop, you can transition into a caterpillar walk by placing both feet back on the rails and moving hands in and out. Make sure to tuck your chin as you go down into a plank.

Crab walk

For this exercise flip over so that your behind is closest to the treadmill belt. Get into the crab walk position and push your feet back so the belt begins to move.

the best $25 pair of leggings to work out in

Our favorite pair of $25 leggings that feel just like Lululemon

When you are working out, a good pair of leggings is key to keep you comfortable and motivated! We have tested out countless pairs of leggings from Lululemon and have found that THIS pair from Amazon for $26 are actually better than all of the others!

best leggings to workout in — The best $25 leggings out there!

After ordering my 3rd pair, I am a true believer in these leggings. They are soft as butter, hold you tight in all the right places, and have side pockets that fit your phone perfectly! Get your first pair here.

Watch the video below for a full explanation about our favorite leggings. Britt is wearing the runner up’s, which are perfect for cold weather and $25. You can get those ones here.

August Challenge: Lifelong Learning

Never Stop Learning

Can you believe we have been doing monthly challenges now for 8 months?! Time flies when you set goals! We have loved doing the monthly challenges for 2019. We realized that New Year’s Resolutions are tough – trying to stick with something for 365 days can be overwhelming. So we decided to break up our goals into months and we are proud to say that we will continue to use this monthly challenge method for the rest of our lives!

We have partnered with the University of Utah’s Continuing Education Program

This month we are THRILLED to be partnering with Continuing Education at the University of Utah for our August #LifelongLearning challenge! So, what does that mean? It means it is time to get outside of your comfort zone and take a class or try something new!

pictures of Lifelong Learning classes you can take like cake decorating and painting

Hand lettering classes are part of Lifelong Learning at the University of Utah

Breanne McCallum teaches the hand lettering course at the University of Utah Lifelong Learning Building.

Beautiful watercolor by Cindy Briggs who teaches at the University of Utah’s Lifelong Learning

The classes are for all ages

Whether you are 25-years-old or 95-years-old there is seriously something for EVERYONE. The Fall catalog boasts more than 500 classes! Now that is a lot of options!

These are not run-of-the-mill options either. Here is a shortlist of the classes that I would like to try in my lifetime:

Quick Sketch Watercolors
Dance in Culture
Pointed Pen Calligraphy
Fused Recycled Glass for the Holidays
History of Hip Hop
Self Defense
Day Hikes Wasatch
Canoe Lake Powell
Sugar Cookie Decorating
Chocolate 101 – From Farm to Bar
Enhancing Happiness & Life Satisfaction
Designing with Fresh Flowers
The Meditation Experience

They have hundreds of subjects to choose from

Whatever your interests are, you are sure to find something that tickles your fancy in the fall catalog of classes. They range in length and time so that you can find something that fits your schedule.

Emily Ashby prepping to teach her Instagram business class

Emily Ashby teaches a class on Instagram marketing for businesses at the University of Utah’s Lifelong Learning program.

Cookies by Morgan Smith who is the instructor for the Sugar Cookie Decorating course through Lifelong Learning at the University of Utah.

Try Something New

Whether you are in the thick of motherhood, like us, and would love some tranquil time in the mountains painting a scenic canyon vista. Or maybe you are newly retired and want to develop some new hobbies and gain new friends along the way? The continuing education program at the University of Utah serves kids from age five to one hundred and five. Their team works with the local and global community to make the U a learning institution for life.

white cake with orange, yellow, and red frosting

Muyly Miller teaches the Cake Decorating Course for Lifelong Learning.

Lifelong Learning Week

Learning throughout our life is so important and has so many positive benefits. No matter your age, you are never too young, old, busy, or distracted to stop learning! Our very own Governor Gary Herbert has declared August 12th-16th Lifelong Learning Week in the state of Utah!

White cake with blue, green, and purple frosting

Muyly Miller teaches a variety of frosting and decorating techniques in her Cake Decorating Course.

What can you expect after signing up for a class?

So what should you expect when you sign up for a Lifelong Learning class?

Fun and engaging noncredit classes providing opportunities for busy adults to continue learning.
Over 150 classes Fall 2019 with 44 of them being new offerings.
Class offerings are in the evening or weekend so working adults can fit learning into a busy schedule.
Topics include art, craft, photography, business, healthy living, food and wine, home and garden, language,
recreation, writing, and more.
Small teacher to student ratio, class sizes range from 6 – 20 students.
New classes start every week with class offerings varying from one-night food and wine class to 6-week writing
and language classes.

Beautiful abstract painting by Samantha DaSilva

A beautiful work of art by Samantha DaSilva who teaches the Fearless Abstract Painting course.

Sign up now and learn with us!

To take advantage of the positive outcomes associated with lifelong learning! Go to lifelong.utah.edu/twintested and sign up for a class today! We will be sampling different classes throughout the month (lucky us!) and giving you a peek behind-the-scenes. The first one being watercolor painting this weekend! Follow our adventures on Instagram @TwinTested.

The Best FRESH FRUIT TART Recipe

The art of the fruit tart.

My mother-in-law introduced me to the beautiful and delicious world of fruit tarts. My family growing up loved everything chocolate, so we never really had them. I think they are so beautiful, it really is an art to create them.

There are a few things that a great fruit tart must have:

Flaky, delicious crust
A frosting that is not overly sweet, but also has great flavor
Seasonal fruit of all colors that is doused in just enough lemon juice to make it a tiny bit tart

Well, her recipe has it all!

I loved it so much and asked her to share.

Her recipe is adapted from Paula Deen’s recipe, but it is definitely much lighter than that version.

I hope you love it!

The Best Fruit Tart Recipe

Ingredients:

Crust:

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend
3/4 stick of unsalted butter, softened and sliced

Filling:

1 pkg 1/3 fat cream cheese
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
coat in lemon juice
garnish with mint leaves

Instructions:

For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the filling, blend all ingredients together and top crust after it has cooled.
Mix all ingredients and then use your wildest imagination to arrange them beautifully on top.
Refrigerate for at least one hour before serving.

It is honestly the absolute perfect dessert for summer when there is so much fresh produce and fruit readily available. I think a definite add is fresh peaches or nectarines when they are in season because they add an unmistakable summer flavor.

I hope you enjoyed the recipe and I would love to hear your favorite summer treats!

All it takes is ONE

We are nearing the end of the #PutYourPhoneDownChallenge and we have a lot on our minds.

It only takes ONE second of looking at your phone to:

Run into a pedestrian or cyclist
Run a red light
Veer into oncoming traffic
Kill someone by crashing head-on into their car
Seriously hurt yourself and those traveling with you by crashing into someone or something

It only takes ONE.

On the other hand, it only takes one person putting their phone down to avoid all of this.

Distracted driving is a serious epidemic that needs to be stopped.

A couple of things that have worked well for us this month:

Pushing play on a podcast before starting the car
Placing phone in a bag in the backseat so it’s unreachable
Putting phone on Do Not Disturb while driving
Starting Google Maps navigation before backing out of the driveway
Making any important calls sitting in the car in either driveway or parking space.
Pulling over to the side of the road if/when you need to read or send a text message
Having a playlist with music I love so there is no need to mess with my phone
Focusing on the road – it’s amazing how much better I have driven with no distractions!

The purpose of all of our monthly challenges is to make small changes over the course of a month that will eventually have a big impact.

Darren Hardy wrote the book The Compound Effect and said, “The Compound Effect is the principle of reaping huge rewards from a series of small, smart choices”.

He goes on to say that when most people take on a small challenge they quit after the 8th day. Whether it’s starting to exercise, eating healthier or saving money, most people quit before they have time to turn this new challenge into a habit. What most people fail to recognize is that these small, seemingly insignificant steps completed consistently over time will create a radical difference.

We got a lot of inspiration from Darren Handy’s book. Another idea he shares really caught our attention, “The most challenging aspect of the Compound Effect is that we have to keep working away for a while, consistently and efficiently, before we can begin to see the payoff. Our grandparents knew this, though they didn’t spend their evenings glued to the TV watching infomercials about how to have thin thighs in thirty days or a real estate kingdom in six months. I bet your grandparents worked six days a week, from sunup to sundown, using the skills they learned in their youth and repeatedly throughout their life. They knew the secret was hard work, discipline, and good habits”.

This is so true! Talking to my grandma about the challenge and she said, “Why are people using their phones in the car? That makes no sense!”

I’m so happy to report that it’s worked. This is by far the most important challenge we’ve taken on so far and also the most eye-opening. To realize I was not only putting myself in danger, but also my sweet baby in the backseat, as well as other drivers really makes my heart hurt.

I’m so glad we decided to take this on and give it an honest effort. I’m happy to say this is not just a challenge that will last for the month of July, but one we plan to continue forevermore.

Most importantly, we’ve learned IT CAN WAIT.

Any phone call, text message, Instagram notification or Marco Polo can wait.

Nothing is more important than someone’s life – including your own. Hopefully, this challenge has changed a couple of minds and helped us all be a little better when it comes to putting our phones down in the car.

Huge thanks to our favorite car dealership, Ken Garff, for sponsoring this month’s challenge and supporting such a worthy cause.

Visit a Ken Garff Dealership Near You:

Alfa Romeo 198 E 500 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Audi Lehi 3455 North Digital Drive
Lehi, UT 84043

Ferrari of Salt Lake City 543 State St, Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Jaguar Downtown Salt Lake 150 E 500 S
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Ken Garff Buick GMC 900 W. Riverdale Rd.
Ogden, UT 84405

Ken Garff Chevrolet 548 East 1000 South
American Fork, UT 84003

Ken Garff American Fork Ford 597 East 1000 South
American Fork, UT 84003

Ken Garff Genesis 717 Southwest Temple St.
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Ken Garff Honda Downtown 900 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Ken Garff Honda of Orem 195 E. University Parkway
Orem, UT 84058

Ken Garff Honda Riverdale 950 West Riverdale Road
Ogden, UT 84405

Ken Garff Hyundai 717 South West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Ken Garff Hyundai Southtowne 10770 South Auto Mall Drive
Sandy, UT 84070

Ken Garff Nissan of Orem 285 W. University Parkway
Orem, UT 84058

Ken Garff Nissan Riverdale 615 West Riverdale Road
Riverdale, UT 84405

Ken Garff Nissan Salt Lake 777 S. West Temple
Salt Lake City, UT 84101

Ken Garff Porsche 3425 N. Digital Drive
Lehi, UT 84043

Ken Garff St. George Ford 145 W. Hilton Drive
Saint George, UT 84770

Ken Garff St. George Lincoln 145 W. Hilton Drive
Saint George, UT 84770

Ken Garff West Valley Ford 4091 West 3500 South
West Valley, UT 84120

Ken Garff Used 3500 S. Bangerter HWY
West Valley City, UT 84120

Ken Garff Volkswagen 115 East University Parkway
Orem, UT 84058

Ken Garff Volvo Cars 525 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Ken Garff West Valley Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram, Fiat 4175 W 3500 South
West Valley City, UT 84120

Land Rover Centerville 155 South Frontage Road
Centerville, UT 84014

Land Rover Downtown Salt Lake 150 East 500 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Maserati of Salt Lake City 198 E. 500 S., Salt Lake City, UT 84111

Mercedes-Benz of Salt Lake City 575 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84111

How to stay safe while you drive

The July challenge is fully underway and I am LOVING it! Don’t get me wrong, I have definitely had urges to check my phone for a text message or to switch the playlist but then I remember my phone is out of reach.

If you have family movie nights I HIGHLY recommend watching Question of Faith on Netflix. Our older sister tipped us off about this movie after watching it with her kid’s ages 5 – 13. It portrays a heart-wrenching story of distracted driving and what can happen to the driver and the victim.

If you have teens that are drivers or soon-to-be drivers I would watch this movie together immediately.

from one second to the next movie poster

IMDB

From One Second To The Next is a documentary on Netflix that deals with the topic of distracted driving. So instead of a fictional story like the movie mentioned beforehand, you see real people dealing with real consequences. Stories of serious traffic accidents caused by texting and driving are told by the perpetrators and surviving victims. One of which happened in Utah. It made me cry to see the way people’s lives can change in an instant all because they chose to look at their phone while driving. The documentary is about 30 minutes long, make sure to set aside time to watch it this month as part of the challenge.

reggie shaw kneeling on edge of highway where the accident happened

Reggie Shaw killed two men while he was texting on a Utah highway. He now speaks to groups about the dangers of texting and driving.

Now, let’s move on to apps. There are A LOT of options out there when it comes to safe driving apps. There are some that lock your screen when you’re moving, others restrict text messaging, etc.

I am going to be honest. I tried out a few different options. Here are my thoughts: if you already put your phone away when you are driving and it becomes a habit, there is no need to use these apps.

At my stage in life, I do not need to be reporting my driving speed to anyone. But, I know there are parents with teenagers that love using some of these apps.

I recommend going on the app store and seeing if there is something that can address your needs at the moment. If so, awesome! If not, don’t worry about it. Just commit to keeping your phone out of reach while you drive.

My disclaimer is that I have a car with the Bluetooth functionality so if someone is calling me I can answer the call by pressing a button on my steering wheel. I can choose my playlist or podcast before starting the car. And I can link up directions before leaving my driveway. Bluetooth has been a huge bonus for me as a mom and has helped me improve my safe driving!