Safe Fun in the Sun

It’s summertime and it feels great to be outdoors, soaking up the warmth of the sun that provides us with a healthy dose of Vitamin D. But it’s important to take precautions when outside for extended periods of time.

Remember that the sun’s UV rays are harmful if we are exposed to them too long. Here are some tips for being safe in the sun from www.jazzercise.com:

Drive Time
If possible, drive before or after peak sun hours of 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. because the sun’s UV rays can be magnified coming through car windshields, bathing your face, arms, hands and chest more than you may realize. 

Seek Shade – When you are outdoors, seek a location where you can sit or stand in the shade once you’ve had enough sun. Remember that water, sand (and snow in the winter) reflect and intensify the sun’s rays, increasing your chance of sunburn.

Wear Dark Colors – Summer-weight light-colored cover-ups are fashionable, but they allow more of the sun’s rays onto our skin than we might know, protecting us only minimally, according to the American Cancer Society. The ACS recommends wearing dark colors, fabrics with tight weaves and specially treated garments and bathing suits for more healthy sun exposure. 

Skip Tanning Salons – Tanning beds and sun lamps give out harmful UV rays that can contribute to skin cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. Also, getting a “base tan” is equivalent to only a sun protective factor of about 4, much less than most sunscreens.  

Baby the Babies – To protect babies younger than six months, the American Cancer Society recommends shade, sun-protective clothing and hats. As a last resort, pediatricians now say that very small amounts of sunscreen can be used on small areas, such as baby’s face and back of the hands.

Go Incognito – Wear and wide-brimmed hat and UV-protected sunglasses when outdoors

.

Always Use Sunscreen – Remember that the SPF number describes how long a product will protect your skin, but only if you reapply every two hours, after going in water or toweling off. For example, if a person would begin to sunburn in 15 minutes, sunscreen with 20 SPF will prevent sunburn for five hours (15 minutes x 20 = 300 minutes).  

Follow these recommendations and you’ll enjoy carefree fun in the sun all summer long.

Making progress and making bread.....

Last week I was overwhelmed with a capital 'O'.  I won't go into the gory details but they involved a bunch of other unappealing 'o' words like...overextended, overtired, over scheduled. 

I met with my Mastermind pals on Friday and as usual, they set me straight.  "DON'T take on another thing!" they told me.    Another friend echoed the same message, "MAKE some time for yourself and don't forget to USE your friends as a safety net when you need to.  Look at your priorities, and MAKE time for what's important!"

The next day I was asked to volunteer for something.  It was something I'm sure I'd really enjoy doing and most definitely a worthwhile activity.   I could hear the voice of my Mastermind gals in my mind and I graciously declined. Progress!

Also throughout the week, each day seemed to bring some upsetting or sad news from friends and family.  I was buzzing buying sympathy cards, get well cards, and assisting people with a variety of tasks that seemed to need immediate attention. Then I learned my next door neighbor passed away.  I don't know the couple well, but still, I thought I had better do something, or as a good Italian would say, I'd better cook something!   After a quick look in my pantry and I figured I'd throw some ingredients in the bread maker and whip up a loaf at 6 am before flying out the door. 

After seeing the loaf of bread on the counter for almost a day, I decided this afternoon it was time to make a visit next door.  Could I just leave it on the doorstep?  I mean there are a lot of items to be crossed off my list and after all I didn't really know Sydney well and maybe his wife doesn't really want company.

Instead I rang the bell and ended up spending an hour with Rhoda, most definitely the longest conversation we've ever had.  She told me about her 68 year marriage, her grand kids, places she's lived and of course some juicy neighborhood gossip.  We talked about how and the sense of community in neighborhoods has been lost over the years and how much people really crave it.

The words of my friend echoed in my head, look at your priorities and make time for what's important. 

 

Turns out making bread is making progress.  The items on the list will be there tomorrow.  They can wait.  Doing the right thing, the thing that's most real and compassionate, that can't wait.

Do something you love to do....

A few of the books on my pile - to read or already read!

TGIF, right?  So why not do something you love to do today?  I just came back from a trip to the library.  Love the library!  Did some browsing and checked out three fun reads.  I've got a good mystery for the car ride to and from Jersey on Sunday. 

Kick off your weekend with something you love to do!

There's an app for that.....

I must admit I'm somewhat obsessed with my iPhone. My husband, the Apple fanatic, will be happy to hear me admit it publicly.

I'll confess to surfing the app store and finding interesting (mostly free) apps to play around with.  My current favorite is called Gratitude Rock.  Now I'm an off and on with my journaling and I have gone through many phases writing down things I'm grateful for, but not always sticking to it.  I think I first read about this practice years ago in the cult favorite, Sarah Ban Breathnach's Simple Abundance.  Around the same time Oprah jumped into the action and still recommends recording five things a day.

Well, since I've downloaded Gratitude Rock, I've been on a roll typing in five things every day for the past six weeks or so.  I mean I'm fiddling with the phone a lot, I might as well put it to good use to express gratitude and put some good vibes out into the universe.

So I'm happy to say I'm using my technology for GRATITUDE!  Hey, whatever works.  And if you have a favorite app that's creating positive change in your life, I want to hear about it! I've got my phone handy and I'll be sure to check it out.

Let's hear it for the girls!

A customer of mine passed this along recently.  It tied right in with what we had been discussing at our Happiness Project Book Club.  I thought it was definitely worth sharing!   And speaking of girlfriend time,  I have a great Girl's Night Out planned at our studio tomorrow:  What Not To Wear  - wine, girl talk and great information about how to dress with less stress and more style.   So according to this info, we're not only doing something good for our health, but for our appearance too! Some girl time last summer - Becky, Tressa & I Hello Kristen, A friend of mine just sent me this....Very interesting...we talked about this at our book club. They Teach It at Stanford "I just finished taking  an evening class at Stanford. The last lecture was on the mind-body connection - the relationship between stress and disease. The speaker (head  of psychiatry at Stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a  woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends. At first everyone laughed, but he was serious. Women connect with each other differently and  provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult  life experiences. Physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being.  Women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. They rarely sit down with a   buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. Jobs? Yes. Sports? Yes. Cars? Yes. Fishing, hunting, golf? Yes.  But their feelings? Rarely. Women do it all of the time. We share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very good for our health.  He said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym. There's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we  are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged—not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other women is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking! So every time you hang out to schmooze with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! We are indeed very, very lucky. Sooooo let's toast to our friendship with our girlfriends. Evidently it's very good for our health."

Just for the fun of it

On Sunday I participated in the largest recreational bike ride in the country, the Five Boro Bike Tour.  It's 42 miles through the five boroughs of NY (hence the name) and about 35,000 people come out to take the ride.

Several people asked me questions about the ride. Are we riding for charity?  How long does it take and are we going to beat our time from last year?

To be honest, this is something I do just for the fun of it.

Since we're on year three, we've developed a routine.  One of the great things is that  I get to spend time with my friend Joe, a friendship that's spanned about 28 years now.The night before we go out for our favorite Fairway turkey burgers with avocado & cheese.  We treated ourselves to dessert (since we knew we'd be biking 42 miles the next day). And although we have always had almost identical taste in food, Joe opted for chocolate ice cream and I went for the cupcake.

But wait it's not about the food, the real fun is the ride itself.  There is a TON of energy, riders of all ages, crazy outfits (like the gal who rides every year in pumps and fish nets), people cheering us on from the sidelines, gospel singers in Harlem and more.

Two of our teammates, Tim & Chip, make it a point of trying to say hello, and if possible,  high five, every bystander.  I'm not kidding!  I told them we are now not only the Checkered Flag Team but  Team Congeniality as well.  It's so much fun to see them try to connect with as many people as possible.  I tried as to join in as much as possible, but was careful to avoid getting high-fived right off of my bike!

The weather was gorgeous, the atmosphere is electric, the gang I ride with is fun and crazy.  It's all just for the fun of it. 

The 2011 Checkered Flag Team

Lessons from food envy and other wise thoughts

As much as I like writing (hence my blogging hobby) I love reading other inspiring blog posts.

This one was passed along to me recently by an old friend and uncle of the author.  I met Meggie many moons ago when she probably too young to remember, but likely still eating grilled cheese sandwiches.

Going With Your Gut And Don't Be Afraid to Say No to the Special

Her message 'love what YOU love' struck a chord with me. Whether it's food, literature, movies, going with my gut never steers me wrong!

Musings from the Berkshires

Photo from http://www.ruth-writes.com/

Last week I made my annual visit to Kripalu which although was long overdue and far too short, was still relaxing and thought provoking.

Here are a few of the lessons and reminders I brought home with me.

Photo from http://www.ruth-writes.com/

• Create peace & harmony in your heart  - Even 48 hours of R&R can help to create some space in your life and consequently in your mind and body.

• Allow healing to occur  - When I'm feeling burnt out, both physically and mentally, as I was prior to this trip, I am reminded from the moment I arrive that we need to allow time for healing. 

• Let it in and go with the moment - As usual I had far too many expectations and plans for this brief 48 hours.  In addition to the wonderful workshops and yoga classes, I had plenty of reading, writing in my journal, walking, napping, and who knows what else in mind.  Sometimes you just have to GO with the moment and allow things to unfold.

• Laugh for no reason - I took a wonderful Laughter Yoga workshop with one of my favorite Kripalu presenters Evelyn Gonzalez.   It took me out of my comfort zone for sure! I still laugh every time I think about it.  It is a good reminder for me to lighten up!

• "Keep the Kripalu"  - This is a phrase that pops into my head every time I'm driving home from my visit.  What can I do to keep this feeling going?  Mediate more?  Make some nuts and berries for lunch?   Finally master the crow pose? 
  I don't think so.  The real lesson is to continue to make micro-movements toward balance and bring mindfulness off the mat.  After all yoga without the breath and mindfulness is just stretching.  It's what we practice moment to moment that counts.

Namaste!

Note: I came to this lovely blog www.ruth-writes.com via the Kripalu Facebook page.  She captured some beautiful images on her stay.   I "borrowed" two of the wonderful Labryinth which I love to wander through.  Check out Ruth's blog for more gorgeous Kripalu scenes.

She Did What She Could

A few weeks ago I attended a wonderful event in support of the Bridgeport Rescue Mission. I invited twenty women with generous hearts and we enjoyed a beautiful inspiring evening along with 650 other women to raise over $185,000 for this important organization.

The keynote speaker was Elisa Morgan, and for weeks her message has been in my mind.  Hers is a powerful message and  her words have stayed with me, especially since it is the season of Lent.

She Did What She Could

Prior to hearing Ms. Morgan speak, I read  her book (pictured above) and I encourage you to read it as well.  It's a very quick, simple, but thought provoking read. It is a meditation on an event in Jesus' life and a call to action.   It is a reminder of the all the things I could be doing to make a difference.  One of the things the author emphasizes in this story Jesus did not say she did ALL she could and I really appreciate that.  So often we feel we need to be doing more than we are.    Ms. Morgan does a great job of eliminating the all or nothing mentality and challenges us to do OUR best.   


It was fitting as the theme of the event was Women Who Can for Women Who Can't.   I am blessed to have spent an evening among such fabulous women who CAN, and I hope to take Ms. Morgan's words, as well as those of all the women who shared that evening and do WHAT I can. 

Pina & Leslie:  Women who CAN

 



Learn more here

Happiness is always available to you

Especially in the midst of difficulties, learning to be happy is one of the most important skills we can develop.

One of my dearest friends forwarded an email she received from a friend of a friend who is in Japan right now.  She spoke of what her day to day life was like right now  I was completely in awe of how she recognized blessings all around her despite the horrific circumstances.

Hopefully she won't mind if I share just a few words from her message....

Somehow at this time I realize from direct experience that there is indeed an enormous Cosmic evolutionary step that is occurring all over the world right at this moment. And somehow as I experience the events happening now in Japan, I can feel my heart opening very wide. My brother asked me if I felt so small because of all that is happening. I don't. Rather, I feel as part of something happening that much larger than myself. This wave of birthing (worldwide) is hard, and yet magnificent.

Happiness and magnificence is truly always available to you

How old does your body think you are?

"We can actually control our genes and change our bodies and lives on a cellular level, simply through our actions."  

Michael Rozien

Do you sometimes FEEL like you're 60 even though you're only 40?   Or maybe you have the energy of a 25 year old, but you've already blown the candles out on your big 5-0 cake.

How old does your body think you are?  

You could be a little -- or a lot -- younger, or maybe older! Your RealAge is the biological age of your body based on how you have maintained it.

Being in the health & fitness field, I have some pretty good habits, but having recently turned 45, I decided to see just how well those habits are serving me, so I decided take the quiz.

Now, if you decided to take the quiz as well, be completely HONEST with your answers.   Otherwise, what's the point?!   We all know how we can easily overestimate the amount of exercise we get or how many veggies we eat a day. But let's face the facts, it doesn't help anyone when we fudge our answers.

I was happy to see that I came out eight years younger than I actually am.  I was hoping for ten, but that family history gets me every time.  The good news is, as the quote above suggests, I can combat that sketchy family history with good choices every day.

Go to www.realage.com and see for yourself. And be brave, and post the results in the comment section below!

.

Do the thing you think you can not do....

I LOVE this photo from http://www.yogajournal.com/

This morning I taught the Sunday 9:30 am Jazzercise class at my Center and our latest trainee, Terri, joined me on stage.  It's fun to get the gals on stage when they're preparing so they can see things from what will soon be their new vantage point.  I also love to see people challenge themselves and set their sights on something wonderful. 


What is the one think you think you can not do?    


Check out 83 year old Bette Calman rockin' the peacock pose (in pearls no less!).

"I'm proof that if you keep at it, you'll get there. I can do more now than I could 50 years ago," the Australian grandmother.

Let Bette inspire you and take one action toward that one think you think you can not do.

Celebrate every day....now I just need some ideas.

I just finished reading a wonderful book called Epiphany by Elise Ballard. It is compilation of wonderful essays and I could probably write a blog post about every chapter.

One woman, Wendi Cooper, ended her essay with this wonderful advice.

 

"It's important for us all to try every day to do something great for ourselves and something great for someone else, and it doesn't matter how big or how small - just something great, every day.

It's important.  We all deserve it."

Sounds good. So now I just need to figure what that will be today.  I've got a pretty open schedule today.  No meetings and everything I'm working on can be done anywhere.  What will I do for myself and what will I do for someone else?   

What will YOU do to follow this advice ?  And if you have any suggestions for me, bring 'em on!

Leave the gun take the cannoli.... OR

How about leave the guilt, take the help?

This week at our Happiness Project Book Club, there was some discussion about asking for, and accepting, help.  As women, we often find this to be a challenge.  I know I do. When we do accept help, it seems to be accompanied by a nice dose of guilt.  

For almost a year now, I have been battling painful bursitis.  My doctor recommends that I have rest periods between workouts, so that my body  has time to recover.   Have I been heeding that advice? Uh, no!   I continue to teach doubles at least twice a week and sometimes even triples.   I'm completely ignoring my own mantra of 'listen to your body.'  We're short staffed, it's my business after all, and I don't want to impose.....are just some of my excuses.

Lately I've had associates who have been more than willing to teach my Wednesday night time slot in order to help out.  WHY do I even debate it with myself?   Why not leave the guilt, accept the help? 

Another example is an annual get together with girlfriends that I'm hosting tomorrow.  Every one of them has offered to bring something.   "Oh no, I wouldn't want you to go to any trouble, just bring yourself," I hear myself saying.   STOP!  Just accept the help and move on!

In our book club discussion we talked about how by refusing help, we actually deprive the other person of the opportunity to do something positive. 

This is the lesson I'm currently working on. I graciously accept the offers for coverage for my Wednesday night class (even asking  for help on some weeks).  Slowly, I'm creating a schedule that works for me physically.   And I'm happy to report that a friend is making a batch of sangria for tomorrow night, while another is bringing a fruit salad. 

It will be a process to get good at this, but I'm not going to look back.  I'm leaving the guilt behind, accepting help, and maybe even picking up some cannolis for tomorrow night.

What mattered this weekend....

Laughter & smiles from the brunch bunch

I often check in to make sure my time is spent on my priorities. Since I have some free time right now, I'm writing out my lists for the coming week and reflecting on the weekend, determining what still needs to be done and if my time has reflected my priorities.

Here are some of the things that mattered this weekend:

Faith -because of today's crazy schedule I went to mass at a Stamford church.  So nice to try something different for a change of pace.

Marriage - MUST make time for date night every week. Last night we had dinner at one of our all time favorite spots then came home to curl up for a "Modern Family" marathon which we've collected on the DVR.

Friends - had a girl's night with a good friend on Friday and enjoyed homemade pizza, wine and watched Burlesque (love that Christina & Cher!) and today met some very special women for brunch. It was a laughter filled, yet inspirational time.

Fitness - kicked off my morning with yoga (awesome!) and am waiting for this afternoon's Belly Dancing workshop to begin. 

Health spent a couple of hours yesterday trying some new vegetarian recipes to keep us going for the first part of the week.

Business taught an energetic Jazzercise class, hosted a Casting Call and met with some potential new trainees, plus had a great practice session with our current trainee.

So after a bit of Belly Dancing, it will be time to call my grandfather to check in, get some more laundry going,  and enjoy dinner with my husband.   Then I'll probably chill out and watch Celebrity Apprentice to see what Star Jones has up her sleeve this week.  Now, if I ever start to spend more time on reality t.v. then reality, THAT will be a problem.  But it looks to me that time this weekend was well spent on what matters. 

This little bird says it all....

We can't change the weather, so we might as well  just go with it.  I'm working putting my energy into what I can control.  Brings to mind that old serenity prayer, doesn't it?    

But think about it for a moment? What would our lives look like if we stopped putting energy to regrets about the past or worries about the future? 

Today I choose to put my energy into teaching a high energy class, getting lots of paperwork done, working on a marketing project, buying supplies for the studio, learning some new routines, volunteering at the Soup Kitchen, and cooking a healthy dinner.  That's all that I have in  my control today.   


Where will you put your energy?

Remembering my dad today.....

(Above: Dad in Hilton Head circa 1989; Below Dad & me in London circa 1984)





Sometimes it's the simplest lessons that stick with us.  Today I'm thinking about my dad.  I learned so many great lessons from  him.  Eighteen years have passed and I sometimes have trouble remembering what his voice sounds like.  But I do remember many of those lessons, and some of the basic things he stood for no matter what.

Enjoy Life

Do the Right Thing 

Have Integrity

Work Hard

Take Risks

Show People You Love Them

Have Faith

Love you Dad!

 

The urgent question

Life's most urgent question is, what are you doing for others?
- Martin Luther King, Jr.

 

 

I find when I get down, this is a great question to focus on.  It helps me to get out of my own way and put my 'troubles' into perspective.

 

Today I'm going to the Bridgeport Rescue Mission to see what great things are going on there and to  learn more.  I'm honored to be assisting in their upcoming Hearts of Hope event.  The theme of this event is women who can for women who can't.   

 

I'm so excited to be hosting a group of amazing women who all believe in doing for those who can't.

When we ask ourselves that question, the possibilities are limitless.

 

 

"Associate with people who are likely to improve you." — Seneca

 

It's interesting that I came across this quote this afternoon when returning to my office. Earlier today I had the opportunity to participate in a panel discussion hosted by the Entrepreneurial Woman's Network .

  
I have been involved with this organization for about ten years now and  I value the chance to connect with other successful business women.  I undoubtedly learn something each time I attend one of the events. I walk away thinking, "I'm going to try that" or "I've never thought of it that way."

And for a seemingly random segue, last night (I hate to admit ) I watched the finale of The Bachelor.  This is as sappy and ridiculous as it gets for reality t.v.   The Bachelor upon making his final choice said that Emily  "made him want to be a better man."  Gee, if I had a dime for every time I heard that one!

BUT,  isn't that that really helps us to grow?  

As Seneca so succinctly stated  "Associate with people who are likely to improve you."

Isn't it always helpful to golf or play tennis with a stronger player? Don't you tend to raise your game?  I love taking Jazzercise from the best instructors around.  I know that the next class i teach is bound to be excellent.

Whether it's in your personal life or in your career,  seeking out organizations EWN that can always teach you something and cultivating relationships with people who help you to be your best can make our lives and our experiences so much richer.

Birthday Blessings.....

It seems like time is moving so fast lately.   A little too much work, not enough balance perhaps.  But on Wednesday the Birthday Blessings came in abundance!  Now two days later, when I finally have time to string two thoughts together.....I'm struck by the enormity of how truly blessed I am .

Shared this delicious treat over lunch with a friend

With all that is unfolding in the word today, take a moment to recognize and appreciate the blessings around you (p.s. - it doesn't have to be your birthday!).