Stumped on a Gift? Give the Gift of Your Time.

The hubby and I enjoyed a feel good movie on date night this week, Delivery Man with Vince Vaughn.  Man, he is tall!  If you were wondering, just like me, is he really that big or is everyone else puny?  Vince Vaughn is 6'5".  As you can tell, it was lady's choice.  Even though it averaged about 2 stars in the ratings, to all the men out there who might not want to go to this movie, you will leave the theater feeling good.  Take your wife, girlfriend, significant other...the night will end good for you ;).

There is a part of the movie that really got me thinking this holiday season. 

Stop Watching Start Living

I hear a lot of crazy remarks about my lifestyle.  People love to MSU – Make Stuff Up. These same people who make up stuff about how I get things done also make up stuff about why they can’t get more done.  What kind of stuff am I talking about?  Reading, writing, working out, volunteering, you know the kind of stuff that has the potential to make you more successful and more fulfilled.

I have been subject to lots of imaginary made up stuff about how I can possibly do everything I do in a day: work, kids, life, running…  I was talking to someone this week who told me that they shared with other people (really?) that my mom lived with me and took care of the kids, errands, etc.  Crazy!!! 

There is one very easy secret to how I get it done.  Once revealed you will see how very easy it is for you to get more done. 

‎101 Three-Word Success Tips

A colleague of mine recently posted this in a New Year / New You accountability group on Facebook and I found it so simple and at the same time so powerful that I wanted to pay it forward.
 

‎101 Three-Word Success Tips 

1.Drink more water.
2.Watch less TV.
3.Action makes traction.

4.Try new things.
5.Hang in there.
6.Get better daily.
7.Begin with enthusiasm.
8.Finish with flair.
9.Celebrate small wins.
10.Eliminate wasted steps.
11.Aim higher sooner.
12.Never stop learning.

2012 Learnings

As the year comes to an end it's important to take time and reflect on the past.  What went well last year?  What could have gone better?  What did I learn?  Take a look back and write it down.  "The palest ink is better than the best memory." - Chinese proverb  Which habits got you great results and which ones got in your way? 
Replace those bad ones with a new habit.  Instead of watching the evening news (bad in so many ways) go for a walk. Instead of fast food for lunch brown bag it.

Stay Energized; Eat More

I heard that people gained 5 - 25 pounds this week.  Crazy!  My biggest mistake after a big food fest, like Thanksgiving, is to cut the calories way back to overcompensate for indulging.  The problem with that is in addition to overeating during the holidays most of us also under-sleep.  We are traveling from one family members house to the next.  We stay a little too late at the last house and, ugh! now we have to drive home.

We start the next week more tired than usual so the last thing we need to do is cut back on the calories (energy).  Your body needs food to give you the energy to survive the day.  Deprive yourself of too many calories and you will feel more sleepy, irritable, and unable to focus.  This time of year is stressful enough.  Don't add to it.  Stay energized; eat more!

I know that you've heard this before, but this is the best time to put it to the test, eat more frequently and eat smaller portions.  Here's an example

1) Light breakfast with protein
2) Snack - fruit
3) Lunch -lean protein
4) Snack (I love string cheese)
5) Dinner

... and hydrate.  Drink as much water as you can. It will help you feel full and it will flush away fat and toxins and  Dr. Oz, says it will quench cravings. 

"There are only three things women need in life:  food, water, and compliments."

-Chris Rock

Fall Beauty

We Michiganders may complain a lot about the winter, but without our glorious 4 seasons we would miss out on this . . .

You don't have to travel that far to witness these fall beauties.  I made a trip up I75 to Saginaw the other day and it was beautiful.  I started to see colors like these around the Frankenmuth area.

Get the up north experience without going all the way.  Plan your day trip from the metro Detroit area.

Start out at Don's of Traverse City in Novi.  Take yourself back to the last time you visited the Grand Traverse area without the travel.  My favorite is their real fruit cherry shakes - yummy!

Head west on I96 to US23 north.  Take the Clyde Rd exit (Exit 70) and visit Spicer's Orchard.  You can pick your own or they have them ready to go.  My faves here are the cinnamon donuts and the honey crisp apples.  They have lots for kids to do so plan on staying a little while.  Your kids will have a blast on the climbing activities, bounce houses, pony rides, and they will love climbing the giant dirt pile.  Ah, the simple things in life.  Oh, I almost forgot the corn maze.  It's a lot of fun, but we almost always seem to visit Spicer's the same day as our 20 mile training run. Ugh.



Here we are at Spicer's September 2011

 When you leave Spicer's continue to head north on US23 until it turns into I75.  Continue on to the Birch Run/ Frankenmuth exit.  If you aren't stuffed full of donuts turn left and try Tony's.  I hear they put a pound of bacon on their BLT's.  Otherwise, head into town for a day of shopping, site seeing and fall colors.  With the unseasonably hot weather you have no excuse to stay inside.  Get out and enjoy the beautiful state we live in and get your 10,000 steps without even knowing it.

Weekend Playlist 8.27.11

No child left inside this summer.  Get out and play.  If you are in southeast Michigan you must have noticed that the summer days are already starting to get shorter.  Enjoy them while you can.

Free (and almost free) things to do:

Go for a hike.  This will give the family a chance to be together, and experience something beautiful, while getting in a little exercise.  All you need is walking shoes and a water bottle.

Throw something.  Grab a football, baseball or frisbee and go outside for a game of catch.  It's easy to do and you can burn up  to 200 calories per hour doing it.

"The man who complains about the way the ball bounces is likely the one who dropped it."
-Lou Holtz

One of the absolute best cardio workouts you can get is from jumping rope.  It is a fun way to blast 10-20 calories per minute. Wow! 

What else can you do?
Take the dog for a walk.
Wash your car.
Swing on the swings at the playground.
Play tennis at the high school.
Rearrange your furniture.  Better yet, go buy new furniture at Art Van Furniture.  You can burn 400 calories per hour walking in our beautiful showrooms (yes, I work here), without burning a hole in your wallet.  This weekend starts our super Labor Day Sale.

"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation."
-Plato

It's finally CRIM weekend.  The CRIM offers walking and running events from 1-10 miles.

Pedal for Paws is a 10-35 mile biking event to support animal adoption.  The event takes place in Warren, MI this Saturday, August 27th.

FAST FORWARD

October 2nd, The Brooksie Way.  This one is in Rochester and made the list for scenic fall runs.  We ran it in 2009 and it is definitely my most memorable finish line.  My husband and I lost each other at the beginning of the race, but I caught up to him at around mile 11.  Realizing that we could finish under 2:00 we held hands and booked it to the finish line crossing together at 1:58.

October 16th, Free Press Marathon.  We are signed up for this one making it our second appearance in Detroit.  There is also a marathon in Grand Rapids for the western side of the state on the same day

Weekend Playlist

Don’t stay inside this weekend.  Summers are short in southeast Michigan.  Get the family out and play and get in your 10,000 steps.

Bikers, there is a 5 day Wine and Cheese Tour beginning Sunday.  This seems a little pricey at around $700, but it does include 4 hotel stays.

Will run for wine; biking is questionable.

If a biking "event" is too much just grab the kids and some helmets and go for a family bike ride.

"It is better to play than to do nothing"
-Confucius

Running Events:

Melon Festival 5k – My doctor runs this one every year and he says it’s a blast. It is Friday night and the best part is that they take runners 5 years old and up.  The entire family can participate.

Farmington Run for the Hills – This event welcomes runners, walkers, and teams and raises money for the Oakland County Special Olympics.  I think they have 1k to 10k events at this one.

Island Lake Triathlon-  This is a Sunday morning event offering both sprint and Olympic distance tri’s.  What’s the difference between the two?  That’s funny, because every time I am talking to someone about running marathons they always ask, “How long is this one?” and then they tell me about their friend who just ran the 10 mile marathon???  Marathons are always the same distance 26.2 miles (1/2's are 1/2), but triathlons have options. 

Sprint: Swim is 200 meters to 1000 meters (usually ½ mile); Bike is 12.5 miles; Run is usually about a 5K ~ 3 miles
Olympic: swim about 1 mile, 40K Bike (~25 miles) and 10K run (6.2 miles)
Ironman: 2.4 mile Swim; 112 mile Bike; 26.2 mile run (full marathon); ½ Ironman is ½ of these distances

Me and hubby running the Columbus Marathon 2009

If you’ve never had melon ice cream before you have to check out the Melon Festival in Howell.  Yummy!!!  I also saw signs for melon wine this year.  I haven’t tried it yet, but it sounds interesting.  This is a fun event for the entire family and definitely a place you can get in your 10,000 steps without trying too hard.

Who doesn’t enjoy an outdoor summer concert? DTE is always a good time no matter who is playing. This Sunday night is Maroon 5 and Train.  I saw Train open for Cheryl Crow a few years back and they were fabulous, especially when they covered Zeppelin.  Two years ago I checked out Maroon 5 same place; same weekend.  I’ve seen them both and can tell you it will be a fun concert.

While getting your 10,000 steps each day, make sure to load up on fresh fruits and veggies too.  There are plenty of local Farmers Markets open this weekend.  They close down when the weather turns so take advantage of them while we have them. 

The Tigers are hosting the Indians this weekend.  Friday and Saturday games are at 7 and Sunday's game is at 1:00.  Let's go Tigers; let's go!!!!!  Should Leyland skip Porcello on Sunday and put in Verlander?  Yeah, if we want to win!

FAST FORWARD

August 27th, The CRIM in Flint offers many different races up to 10 Miles. (There is a discount if you sign up for the CRIM and Brooksie Way together.)

October 2nd, The Brooksie Way.  This one is in Rochester and made the list for scenic fall runs.  We ran it in 2009 and it is definitely my most memorable finish line.  My husband and I lost each other at the beginning of the race, but I caught up to him at around mile 11.  Realizing that we could finish under 2:00 we held hands and booked it to the finish line crossing together at 1:58.

October 16th, Free Press Marathon.  We are signed up for this one making it our second appearance in Detroit.  There is also a marathon in Grand Rapids for the western side of the state on the same day

Great Woman Great Quote

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

-Lucille Ball

Huddle to Fight Hunger

Making a difference can be easy when great companies get behind great causes. You can make a difference just by clicking on the link below. Kraft is donating one meal for every click to their page or text. It won't take much effort on your part, but it will make a big difference for someone.

Here is a copy of the email I received with the link. Since I live in Southeast Michigan it is directed to the local food bank near me, but this is a national program. Please click today. The program ends on January 9^th.

Kraft Foods has teamed up with Feeding America and Gleaners for the HUDDLE TO FIGHT HUNGER!

What is "Huddle to Fight Hunger"? Huddle to Fight Hunger is Kraft Foods' biggest-ever multi-brand integrated program. The program features many celebrities and the college football Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl game, all designed to help give Feeding America 20 million meals – or more – during this year's football season.

How does Huddle to Fight Hunger work? The program features a number of ways to help Kraft Foods meet and exceed their 20 million meal donation goal.  Here are a few of the easy ways to help:

• Go to www.HuddletoFightHunger.com, and click "Join the Huddle" (just one simple click!). When you do, Kraft Foods will donate one meal. It's that easy: one person, one click, one meal donated to Gleaners.
  
• Text the word "MEALS" and your zip code to 71717 – Kraft Foods will make a one meal donation to Gleaners for each text.
  
• Play the Kraft Foods HUDDLE TO FIGHT HUNGER Game on Facebook! In the Fight Hunger Facebook Game, you pass the ball to a friend. For every pass thrown, Kraft Foods will donate 1 meal. If you and your friends can keep the drive alive for 4 passes, a touchdown will be scored and Kraft Foods will donate 7 bonus meals, for a total of 10!
  

As a member of the Feeding America network, Gleaners benefits from initiatives like this that raise awareness and funding for the important work we do every day. Millions of Americans are faced with food insecurity – and we're working harder every day to assist individuals and their families right here in Southeast Michigan. It's a daily challenge, and we are always looking for new ways to meet it head on – ways like the Huddle to Fight Hunger initiative!

Out With the Old

Don't wait for spring to do your spring cleaning; out with the old in with the new.  Many of you have received gifts this holiday and need space for them.  Make the space by creating a donation box of all of the things you have not used recently. 

 What to donate:

1. Books
2. Toys and Games
3. Movies
4. Clothes
5. Household items and appliances

How to decide what to donate:

1. Anything that was not used or worn in 2010. Be honest with yourself. If you did not wear it last year do not hold on to it. Chances are good that it will just sit another year unworn. Let someone else enjoy it and USE it.
2. Books that your children have outgrown or will never read again.
3. Anything that was upgraded this holiday season. If you received a new coffee machine then donate the old one. Why store it?

Do not donate anything ripped, tattered, dirty, broken, or unusable.


Who to donate to:


GOODWILL. Their website states that your donation will be used accordingly . . .
The sales of your donations help fund job training programs, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges.
Last year, more than 66 million people donated to Goodwill. Goodwill accepts your new or gently used items — like clothing, appliances, electronics and furniture — and sells them in our well-known Goodwill retail stores. There are more than 2,400 Goodwill donation locations in the United States and Canada.
PURPLE HEART. If you go on-line to www.purpleheartpickup.org you can easily schedule a pick up for your donation right from your home.
SALVATION ARMY. Just dial 1-800-sa-TRUCK and you can schedule a truck to come pick up your donation right from your home.