The Life Ahead

When I started this blog it was my intention to make you laugh with stories from my life and give you a nugget to think about. But I never thought I would have to decide what to write about when children and adults are murdered. So I have been thinking about this since Friday and during a run on this crisp Minnesota day I figured out what to write.

Life is short. It sounds cliche but it is so true. Whether you live to be 6 or 106, life is short. And my blog is not going to discuss guns or mental health, but what touched my heart is the idea of living to honor those children and the heroic adults. Children especially, have everything to live for and their whole life in front of them. But so did each of those adults and so do each one of us.

Every day and every moment we are given the gift of life and the opportunity to change our life if we want to and to live it the way we desire. 

As we enter the new year, which is always a cliche time of year for making decisions around changing our lives, my hope is that you join me in honoring those children and adults by living your life every day. By taking control of your health, your job, your spending, your travel, or anything you want to change. But most importantly prioritizing your family, friends, pets, and those you love. 

As I reflect on what I want to do differently in my life, I hope you will to. One of the little boys killed wanted to be a taco maker when he grew up because he loved tacos. It does not matter what you want to do with your life, because if you love it, do it!

Happy Holidays and I will be back in two weeks in 2013.

Love

Lindsey

Toys, Toys, Toys, Toys

I am beyond blessed with generous friends and clients. As I mentioned in a previous post I have done charity work outs for the last three years. But my personal favorite work out charity is Toys 4 Tots because I take the money and buy the toys. This year I decided to have two work outs designated to T4Ts and I decided to make my financial goal $1,000. I could not imagine what buying $1,000 worth of toys would be like.

Well two work outs later, I raised $1,232. Simply amazing. I was used to buying $400-$500 worth of toys. This year was going to be different.

Back around Black Friday (another great shopping day - see previous post) I bought 3 groupons for Toys R Us. This meant I had $30 free for toys. I had also heard them say on the news that the cheapest day to buy toys was going to be December 11th. I just tucked that date into the back of my mind. 

So on December 11th, I set out to buy toys. At Toys R Us they had tons of buy one get one 50% off deals plus my groupons I made out with a huge cart of toys.


On to Target. I found a manager and told her that I would be buying $1,200 worth of toys and asked how I could make her job easier and where I could leave my carts of toys as I shopped. She thought I was kidding.......until I brought my first two carts up.

Buying $1,200 worth of toys was unreal. Toys were going in the cart, in the cart, in the cart, in the cart and I was only at $500...and more toys and more toys and more toys. 

 December 11th was the cheapest day to buy toys. Legos, Barbies, and tons more were buy one get one 50% off (until Dec 15th if you go shopping).

 4 carts at the register and a very nice lady named Allison helped us ring up and bag all the toys. 


So after two hours of shopping, writing every item down, two $5 coupons, tons of buy one get one sales, my Target card for 5% off I saved well over $100 and came in just under $1,200.

It took two car fulls to bring all the toys back to my house and then they will get loaded back up to go to the warehouse and then on to make lots of kids happy this year.

I can not say enough thank you's to all of you who donated your money. You have no idea how happy it makes me to be able to buy all these toys and know so many kids will have a happier holiday season this year. 

I hope you all take time this holiday season to find a way to give. My way was to host work outs and raise money. I will also be donating some time to different groups. 

My dad sent my family this article and then proposed we start a giving tradition. How cool! We are going to go shopping for coats, mittens, boots, etc for a school in my hometown with many homeless families. I am very excited to start this new tradition of giving with my family.

http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/11/29/starting-christmas-tithe

Happy Holidays everyone!! Enjoy every moment and make it special.

There will be a blog post about my Vegas experience....stay tuned :)

Black Friday Bliss

This video sums up this week's blog. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFBsxwKHT14

I call her Target Lady and she is my black friday idol. She blends well with my profession. Black Friday is nothing to take lightly. You must have goals, a plan, and you must train. 

For several years I have gone black friday shopping and most recently this shopping excursion has started at midnight when the mall in Des Moines opens. But Kohl's also opens at midnight and Target used to open at midnight. It has been intense trying to manage all 3 of these locations at once. Which items are of most importance? Can you send different people to different spots? How do I maneuver like a ninja through the store to get that $9.99 waffle maker? 

Just like Target Lady, I take this seriously. Here's another video illustrate my point. It is not a job for "weak thighs."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CAh-SYmKgBM

People always ask me "what did you get?" And the answer every year is "not much." and then I get a very strange look and people who do not enjoy black friday shopping don't understand. You see, it's not about what I buy because a lot of the deals can be found later in the day on Friday, but it's about tradition. 

It's about taking a nap from 8:30-10:30pm on Thanksgiving, getting up and driving to Des Moines to arrive at the stores at midnight. Looking at the intense traffic at midnight and the crazy parking lots. Standing in line at Kohl's for an hour even though later that day there will be no line. That $9.99 crock pot is a steal! 

It's about eating at the food court at 2:30am to keep your body fueled and moving through the night.  It's about hitting a tired spell around 4am and then somehow getting a major second wind around 6am and then finishes with trying to figure out how to stay awake on the drive home at noon. Oh and that nap all afternoon and then waking up to eat another Thanksgiving meal of leftovers.

Reason why I do all this craziness - it's a tradition that I love. What holiday traditions do you have? My favorite month of the year is almost here - December. I happen to love everything about the holiday season. The bright cheery stores, the hustle, the bustle, the crisp, sometimes very cold air, buying presents, giving presents, baking cookies, and on and on and on.

But in talking with others, they do not all share the same sentiment as I do.  The holidays can be stressful, draining, exhausting, and even a letdown.  But as you enter the holiday season, think about what traditions you enjoy or maybe traditions you want to start. 

I have a new tradition with friends that started a few years ago that includes making "special" gingerbread cookies. There is nothing better. Then there's the age old tradition of driving around and looking at lights, or going to the Holidazzle parade while freezing.                        

How can you give of yourself during the holidays? Who or how can you help out? How do you want to remember the month of December when it is over? 

As December 1st approaches, take some time to think about traditions. Have any slipped away that you want back? Which traditions would be amazing to start this year? 

If you haven't had enough of my idol Target Lady, here are a few more videos.  

This one is my favorite :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mhrsCFAmYs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGfDN63zd2E

Happy Holidays~

Experiences

Happy Thanksgiving!! 

As I write this on Thanksgiving I can think of endless reasons to be thankful and I hope you can as well.

But I want to share one story in particular and why I am so thankful.  I have one particular moment over the six years I have been a personal trainer that stands out. It will likely withstand the test of time as the moment I am most grateful and thankful for.

Three years ago I had clients who were participating in my group class ask me if we could do more work outs. Unsure of how I would bill this, I thought "we will do it for charity." I have always wanted to find a way to personally give back to the world, but monetary was not possible. But we all have the gift of time. So my charity work outs were born. Once a month I host an open work out and the minimum donation is $10. Then we or I choose a charity to donate the money to.  Sometimes these are national charities and some are local and/or personal.

Last fall I had a member of class (let's call her Hannah) tell me her sister had been diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor and had been given only months to live. This was a prime example of bad stuff happens to good people. I felt helpless and wanted to do something. Hannah tells me that she will let me know if I can do anything.

A few days later I came up with the best plan. I would secretly plan a charity work out and donate all the money to her. Well I opened my email and Hannah emailed me and asked if I would like to support them by having a charity work out.  I said of course. 

It was held on December 31st. There is always a buzz in the club because of the holidays and the end of the year. Hannah emailed me a list of all the people coming to support them. The list had over 30 names on it. I met Hannah at the top of the stairs and she had tears in her eyes and so did I. This was going to be amazing.

We had 46 people working out in support of Hannah and her sister. They also have another sister who was there. 46 people working out because they wanted to be able to do something. 

I led the work out with co-worker Sarah and we ended with everyone in a wall sit while different people ran around the track a few at time. Everyone was cheering, laughing, exercising, crying, and having a great time.

When the work out was over, we all were circled up stretching. Hannah gave the most beautiful speech thanking everyone for coming and for supporting their family. Her other sister also spoke and then a bunch of friends took video of everyone to show their sister all the support and friendly faces who showed up. I have never been so moved in my life. 

We raised over $1,200 in an hour and a half that day and it was the perfect end to 2011. Hannah's sister is still alive today, one year after she was given only a few months to live. 

So on this Thanksgiving day, I hope we can all take time to reflect, be thankful, but also think about what you can give in the future. It's not always money. It could be time, a listening ear, a hug or whatever feels right.

The charity work outs have continued on and we have raised close to $5,000 in three years. 

Remember in life it is all about experiences. 

Have a happy holiday and safe travels.

Think First

I am still recovering from Madonna floor seats. With that being said, I am going to bring a story back from the archives. This one will be good for a big laugh.

Almost every summer I run the Firecracker Run in Excelsior on the 4th of July. This particular summer, Jessie and I were running late (not surprising). We get in the car, get halfway to Excelsior and the gas light dings. BING Low on gas!!! Well I have never run out of gas in my entire life. Not to the point where the car stops. So I get a little nervous because we are late and still have a little ways to go to get to Excelsior. So we hold our breath and focus on getting to the run. We'll worry about the gas later.

After the run, we get in the car and start driving home. BING Low on gas!! CRAP CRAP. Well the best news is neither one of us has ANY money. No cash, no debit card, no credit card, nothing. We drove to the race and now we have to make it back while the car is DINGING. 

Both of us are little worry-warts. So we are panicking and starting to craft a plan. Hold on tight for this one folks:

Jessie: Well we have to go home and get money and then we'll go get gas. 

Me: OK

Jessie: But I don't think I should stop the car because what if it doesn't start or keep going?

Me: Um??!?!?

Jessie: So I think I'll slow down as we go past the house, you jump out, and I'll keep going. 

Me: OK

Is there anything wrong with this scenario?? Why am agreeing to jumping out of a car and does anyone think this is a good idea??

So Jessie slows the car down to about 8 miles per hour, I open my door, look out the door at the moving pavement, turn my body towards the back of the car, panic for a moment, and then jump out.

I hit the pavement, my sunglasses fly off my face, I do a couple rolls and then I bounce up and limp/run into the house. Remember-I don't want the car to run out of gas.

I grab the money, I limp/run down the street and get back in the car.

Jessie: Oh my gosh are you okay???? 

Me: Yes but I scraped in between my butt cheeks when I hit the ground. AND I lost my favorite sunglasses!!!

Jessie: I was so worried when I lost sight of you. And you aren't supposed to jump out of the car backwards. It's like a treadmill, why would you ever go the wrong way of the moving ground???

Me: Yeah that was so stupid.

So we get gas and then start laughing uncontrollably. 

It really is NOT smart to attempt to jump out of a moving vehicle. EVER

But it is very funny in hindsight.

I still miss those sunglasses. 

Commitment, Crimped Hair, Karma, and Upgrades

What do commitment, crimped hair, karma, and upgrades all have to do with each other? MADONNA. A once in a lifetime opportunity. Madonna had not been to the Twin Cities for 25 years (which would have made me only 3 last time she was here). We decided that the 4 of us girlfriends were going to go. So we waited and bought our cheap tickets for nosebleeds seats only a few days before the event.

Madonna was playing two shows, Saturday and Sunday. We had tickets for Sunday - a WORK night ;) 

Commitment: When going to a Madonna concert for probably the one and only time in your life - you do not wear a turtleneck sweater and loafers. You wear a Madonna outfit. You ask around and find a crimper for your hair, you buy a lace dress and cross necklaces, you buy an 80's crimped hair wig, you wear a fur coat, put your hair in a side ponytail, and tight roll your jeans. 

Upgrades: So we go the Xcel center and get many claps and whistles while crossing the street. Once there, we walk around and scope out all the other Sunday night Madonna go'ers. Not many look as good as us...but I am biased. Then we ride the long escalator up to the 200 section to our seats. While we are messing around getting our picture taken, a nice woman walks up to me and says in a calm voice "would you girls like to be upgraded to floor seats?"

 After the shock of realizing what just happened, we all screamed like little school girls and took off DOWN the escalator. "How do you even get to the floor seats? I've never been down there?" Once in a LIFETIME.

Did this really happen? I attribute this to a couple of factors. 
Commitment
Karma - I do not necessarily believe in luck, but in karma. Many people will say I am very lucky. I believe I am very blessed in all aspects of my life but I also believe in karma.

But when talking to my mom about my experience she said "what is karma?" Not in the sense that she had never heard of it, but seriously- what is karma? How do you get it? How do you reap the benefits? etc

This made me stop and think. What exactly is karma?? Before I looked up the real definition, I started to think about what it means to me. 

It means that I try every day (as best I can) to put out good vibes into the world, do good for others, listen to everyone, be respectful, not get too angry when someone cuts me off while driving, treat my body with respect and admiration, take deep breaths, send cards to my friends and family, have a positive attitude most of the time, and overall be a good person that others want to be around. 

Here are some internet definitions of karma:

• From Urban Dictionary: Karma is a word from the philosophy of many Indian religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism). The basic theory is that the universe runs according to certain laws, all described by one word 'Dharma' (Sanskrit) or 'Dhamma' (Pali). The basic theory is: 'cause and affect'. The laws (Dharma) decide what affect is beget from a given cause. Karma is the 'cause' part of this theory. In other words, your actions - mental, vocal and physical are your Karma (plural). 

• From Free Dictionary.com: The total effect of a person's actions and conduct during the successive phases of the person's existence, regarded as determining the person's destiny

• From Merriam Webster: the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to to determine the nature of the person's next existence

Spend a moment and decide what karma means for you, go do it, and see what happens. Maybe you'll get upgraded to floor seats to see Madonna. 

Her show was incredible.

Have a great week and remember that karma can be both good and bad.

Go put some good karma out into the world.

Rules of Zombieland

Sometimes I have a hard time using my imagination. This may seem strange because I have creative outfits for running, I create fun work outs for my classes, I create crazy fun vacations, but sometimes I have a hard time letting my mind expand. For example - I can not watch movies that require imagination. Any super hero movie - fall asleep. Disney is sometimes worth staying awake for. Scary movies can get boring if they are too far fetched. Movies that want you to "figure out your own ending" are way out of my book. But today's blog is about a movie that I actually like that requires imagination "ZOMBIELAND" and it's fitting since yesterday was Halloween.  If you have not seen the movie, here is the trailer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8m9EVP8X7N8

I think there are some valuable lessons from this movie and they  use "rules" in their zombie killing. I'm going to go through some of them and how they can apply to real life and give you articles to read as resources.  But keep these rules in mind in case there is a zombie apocalypse one day.

Rule #1 - CARDIO

Now this one is fairly self explanatory. To me this means exercise. For a long time this has been my passion in life. To push my own body, to share my knowledge, to motivate others, and to move at least a little every day. There are so many many many many benefits of exercise. Here are just 50.

http://www.lifetime-fitness-routines.com/benefitsofexercise.html

Rule #2 - DOUBLE TAP

This rule is really about making sure you run over a zombie twice with your car to make sure they are dead. But let's just think about what this can mean in life. What about follow through? Seeing something until it is done? Setting a goal. Following through. Here is an article about following through with your goals.

http://www.pickthebrain.com/blog/learn-the-art-of-following-through-5-steps-to-ensure-you-will-achieve-your-goals/

Rule #3 - BEWARE OF BATHROOMS and ALWAYS BRING A CHANGE OF UNDERWEAR

Let's be honest. This is just a good guiding principle for life and needs no further explanation. In all of my running, I know to beware of bathrooms - especially porty pots. 

Rule #4 - SEATBELTS

Also so very self explanatory. Please wear your seatbelts.

Rule #5 - GET A KICK ASS PARTNER

This applies in so many avenues of life. Get a kick ass friend, spouse, pet, work out buddy, etc. So many studies have proven that if you have a connection to someone or something else in the world, you will live longer. We are meant to connect with others in this world and have them help us out when needed. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/12/business/retirementspecial/for-older-adults-close-connections-are-key-to-healthy-aging.html?_r=0

Rule #6 - A LITTLE SUNSCREEN NEVER HURT ANYBODY

Again - so true. As a fair skinned girl from the northern parts, this rings true in my book. Once you've had a few bad sunburns, you know why you need sunscreen. However, read this article for some good information on the debate over Vitamin D. 

http://experiencelife.com/article/the-vitamin-d-debate/

I have only highlighted my favorite rules, but for a complete list of the zombie rules, click here.

http://www.zombielandrules.com/

Sometimes I may lack imagination and creativity, but as you all know...............

Have a great first of November and I hope you all enjoy what is left of fall before the great holiday season.

As always - if you enjoy my blog - do me the honor of spreading the word to friends and family.

Lindsey