Distractions

I mentioned that I have been making attempts at distracting myself lately away from thoughts of business. Side note: Business is picking up! Yippee!!! 

I definitely most enjoy learning new things and keeping myself challenged. That's why an opportunity arose and I couldn't say no to it - especially when I was most needing a distraction! My friend graciously invited me to go mountain biking. I have never been and always thought it would be fun to try. I have to say, I love every minute of mountain biking! 

Happy Mountain Biker!

Something that I didn't realize about mountain biking was that contrary to cruising or road biking, mountain biking provides another type of mental relaxation. When I cruise or road bike, it really gives me an opportunity to think and work things out in my head. Mountain biking doesn't allow you to do that. You have to be in the present, the here and now, only focused on the trail and obstacles that lie ahead of you. Now as a woman, (and let's face it ladies, we are ALWAYS thinking), I actually found this to be a really nice break from my own brain! I couldn't worry about my business, I couldn't worry about my relationships, I couldn't worry about my financial situation. Seriously,  I could only worry about the next five feet in front of me and not plowing into a tree and that was about it! Is this how men feel all day long? Maybe mountain biking is the nearest experience to a male brain that women will find? I don't know but it's always a possibility.

A true woman multi-tasks while mountain biking. I picked flowers. Discovered after our ride!

Every obstacle I encountered from huge dipping ramps, to log mounds to rock gardens to large drop offs was fun to me. It was even fun when I did happen to run into a tree (just a little). No obstacle too big - like the challenge of life. 

Logs!

Now that I've experienced some mountain biking, I really want to experience more! Hmmmm - just to get some more funds so that I can purchase my own mountain bike! I want to thank my friend, Mr. Minneapolis Fatbikes, himself for inviting me to experience something new, fun and challenging at a time when I really needed it. You can follow him and his adventures on Facebook! 

What's a new challenge you've recently taken on that you are proud of?

Confessions.

It is very hard for me to blog sometimes. Perhaps you've noted my absence? Maybe you don't even care. :) I like to think MAYBE some people do, but all in all, I write this blog for me. So if you happen to catch this and do enjoy my blogs, well, I'm very glad. :) Most especially, I've come to realize that it is even MORE difficult for me to write when I am not all Miss Glass Half Full, Miss Positivity, Miss Happy Go Lucky. After all, that is how most people know me. That is the image I am able to project to the world most of the time. My insecurities usually stay tucked right up inside me and are only divulged to the very few people close to me with whom I feel safe to share them. 

I've been accomplishing a variety of tasks lately - more as a use of a distraction. A distraction from a confession that I'm deciding to discuss today. My confession? Most people view me as a very strong person. I think I AM a strong person. However, I actually do have a variety of human emotions. I have high-highs and low-lows. I feel struggle, sadness, self-doubt, stress and fear just as we all do. Lately, I've been feeling the latter a lot more. It's in these times, that I - yes, my strong self - need help the most. I need encouragement, uplifting, a reminder that this is just part of the process and to not ever, ever give up (my 93 year old grandpa tells me that) , a boost to keep my chin up, up, up!

I have struggles; professional struggles, relationship struggles, financial struggles, emotional struggles, yes - I have struggles, a little bit of them all. This has been a difficult season of life for me. The weather in Minnesota has been less than desirable. It's rained all but about 10 days this spring. Weather is very unpredictable right now. Unfortunately, I own a business that is weather-dependent. Business has been slow to non-existent. I have begun to doubt myself in so many ways. Have I already failed before I've begun? Did I make a mistake in taking more of a risk with my business? Is business going to get better? Will the weather get better? Will I be able to survive financially? This whirls and whirls and whirls around my head all day. I have to try and push these negative thoughts and feelings aside. Sometimes I can do this on my own, sometimes I need help. Some days it can take a chat with my closest supporters to remind me that I AM strong, that I need to keep moving forward, staying positive and that truly, one can only say that they failed if they never tried. I learned something many years ago from a therapist I visited. 

Strong people are the people that ask for help when they need it. 

Yes. Strong people need help too! 

Perhaps some of the difficulty in expressing this comes about because on occasion when I've been discussing certain circumstances with people, circumstances which I had to confront and make a very difficult decision that they are also facing, I told them my point of view. They have responded to me, "Yes, but you are a very strong person." It kind of makes one feel that because they are a "strong person", that they must not experience all of the feelings that the "non-strong" (I think we all have the  capability to be "strong") feels or that at the very least, they shouldn't. Of course we do, but it's the strong that choose to march forward and attempts (sometimes with help from our friends) to not let this drag them down. 

Recently, I also started attending entrepreneurial groups. I love the group, networking opportunities and encouragement. On the other hand, I sometimes find myself talking with successful business people   comparing my success to their success. Wondering -  When it will be MY turn to talk about my success?! How come I don't have the level of interest they are having?! These are flash second thoughts, but I remember - this isn't a competition!  This isn't about who is more successful or less successful. This is about ME and my business. I am my only competitor. My mind is my only opponent. The only person to beat is myself. I'm also reminded of these people who many failures of their own.

This week, I also ran across the post of another local blogger I've had some contact with who was experiencing similar struggles. Facing fears, taking leaps and beating her only opponent - herself! Check out her post. Such a wonderful post and for me, it reminded me that I've come a long way. That I've continued to march through my fears, even though they are still there - everyday. It reminds me to stay strong and keep marching on! And that's what I'm going to do! But what I do need sometimes too, are some words of encouragement. Send some my way sometime! :)

What helps you get through times of struggle? 

What's your coping mechanism that keeps you marching forward?

All things new...

There's a been many new changes in my life since I last blogged. The most obvious? I chopped off my hair! I love having a new style and the change! The added bonus is it will be nice and cool in my bike helmet! No hair on my neck! My friend Sarah who works at Honeycomb Salon in Minneapolis cut it. I think she did an awesome job, don't you?

Me being over-joyous one day about having finished my accounting.

Next, I finished my last day at my job with Neighbors, Inc. They even ordered me a really cool cake to celebrate my biking business:

I truly will miss seeing my coworkers every day. However, I have to move forward and allow myself to take some new risks with my business. For now, I am working as a freelance Spanish interpreter with an agency. I interpret medical appointments all day long as needed. I'm hoping that I can sustain myself on this income as well as some income from my business.

In terms of my business, the season has started! Although, I haven't had any paying tour customers yet! I'm getting a bit nervous about this, although our crazy and lengthy winter weather hasn't helped. This upcoming weekend, I will be doing a tour with a local hotel as they were interested in sending guests my way! I hope that goes well!! I have, however, had a lot of inquiries about the summer months so I am hopeful that this is just a slow start!

I am also pairing with some new businesses this year. A running tour company and I are planning on doing a couple of duathlon events this summer! I'm very excited about that!

I'm also excited to be pairing with some coffee shops this summer in doing a Coffee Tour! I hope that I can get some guests on this tour and see how it works out! 

Although change is hard sometimes, in accomplishing your goals, I've come to realize that sometimes it's simply necessary. 

Source: google.com via Melanie on Pinterest

It's not easy, it may be a struggle, but sometimes if you don't make change in your life, the other opportunities will not come. I made a calculated risk with my business. I know that I can make enough income from my freelance position to keep up with bills and hopefully I'll be getting some extra income from my business soon enough. I ran across this article in doing some research and positive reinforcement with myself and change. It's a good read and I recommend you check it out HERE.

What keeps you motivated for change? How do you remind yourself that you are making a positive change when doubt enters in those dark corners of your mind?

A little help from your friends.

Well, since I do blog about my goals, I figured why not ask for a little help from my friends? If I'm writing, I may as well as harness the power of the blog, right? 

As you all know, I run a business called Minneapolis By Bike! I give bike tours in the city. This is my third year in and I've been working hard! I've been doing the business and a full time job now for about 3 years. I've been scraping by on funds for the last couple of years but it's all been worth it to pursue my passions. Finally, I am able to cut my hours back at work and really throw myself into this season. I'm amidst a work transition now so that I can still do some work to pay the bills, but also dedicate some more days to my business.

I would love to be able to expand my business next season to St. Paul! For that, I need more equipment.  But I also need some more equipment for some shorties that show up on my tours. They are quite difficult to fit on bikes! :) 

With that said, I recently entered a competition sponsored by Intuit for $5,000 to a small business! If you are reading this and would love to support a Goal Getter, please click HERE to vote for my business! :) I appreciate any help or votes! The votes don't make it so that you will win, necessarily, however they DO help in making decisions and getting noticed. :) 

Once again - please click HERE and vote! You can do it once per day even! :) 

THANKS!

Turning Leafs

I have big life events occuring lately! A lot of very exciting changes and I'm pumped for them!

BIG NEWS:

 

This week is my final week at my full time position at the food shelf!

 

Yes, I have officially left my full time job. Before your jaw drops to the floor, there are a few things I should mention. I have recently gotten another position with a freelance interpreting company. I will be doing intepreting part time (during biking season) and will be dedicating more time and days to my bike tours!

 

Source: 24.media.tumblr.com via Tiffany on Pinterest

I'm very excited for this new change but I'm also very nervous! This is a big risk (even though I have interpreting as a back up job) with my business and I'm hoping for the best. I've been very busy working away at the business and my official start date this year is May 9th!

 

I've been able to add 2 tours to my schedule so I'm excited for the changes! I have a new coffee tour as well as I'll be working with another running tour company to do a duathlon running event! Can't wait!

 

IN OTHER NEWS:

 

Recently, I dated someone - albeit brief. It ended in a disappointing manner where he canceled a date on me and then blew me off completely. For the person that I thought he was, I expected more compassion than that. While it hurt my feelings a bit, I have to say that overall, it was a good experience and reminded me of something that I forgot about for a while - there ARE people out there that I will like and have a connection with. Yes, they exist. It reminded me to leap when I felt I had a connection and also to let go when you aren't being treated as you should be. Both of these things I did and I'm glad for the experience. Every experience in life is meant as means to learn.

Source: theberry.com via Berry on Pinterest

 

Given this - I've decided to take a bit of a dating hiatus. Not because I'm all bummed out and crying in my cocoa puffs each morning, but because I want to regroup and I have a lot going on in life at the moment. I've got a lot of new changes and new beginnings and I just want to have a bit of a break while I focus on all of that!

I'm also doing some new stuff this season of life. I find that during biking season, it's really hard for me to keep up at the gym. I am so busy every day that getting in an hour or more at the gym is pretty impossible if I want to have a social life too. I'm staring a new HIIT program that I'm enjoying and I'm going to stick with that over summer and will get back to weightlifting during the winter. I've been making some new health changes again - still eating clean but have just been playing around! A lot of fun new changes for me coming up, so stick around and keep reading.

 

Source: swtblessings.com via Kellie on Pinterest

 

I've STILL been working on goals on my goal board and I have yet to update you guys about some of them or they are still a work in process - I will be updating you all soon!

 

Hope you all find yourself busy and up to accomplishing some goals too!

 

 

Vacancy

As I usually say, and it's always true, I've been busy. This keeps me away from blogging most of the time. I'm swept up in the momentum of accomplishing my goals, acheiving what I want to acheive, growing my business and then it's all too easy to forget or not have time to write about it. I want to write about it. I love to keep myself accountable, put my goals out there and show that you CAN, in fact, do anything that you put your mind to. Positive thinking, positive thinking, positive visualization, positive thinking! All of this, while still wanting to balance the normal things - working out, cooking and eating clean, social relationships and down time (a novelty that I don't give myself as much as I should!).

Despite looking out at a blustery winter day blowing outside my window, I know that the biking season, also known as my business and work season, is just around the corner. I should not be easily fooled by the cold temperatures and small snowfalls. It will be here, before I know it.

At the beginning of March, I learned that I no longer had a space for my business. I knew that biking season was 1-2 months away (but with this weather it may not be till June!). I just knew that I was pressed for time and had no location for the business. I had to move quick! It could have been quite easy to turn the situation into a negative circumstance, claiming that everything was working against me and I simply wouldn't be able to pull it all together...but that's just not reality nor how you become successful.

Source: sparkrebel.com via Sidewalk Branding Co. on Pinterest

See, I believe everything happens for a reason. We are put in situations to learn, because there is something better that is meant for us, or even because a negative is to later show you a positive. That is life. Life happens...and it happens to us all. We all choose how to react to these things and I think that only the strong who can turn that one downer into a positive, are those that survive. What good is it putting your energy into being negative?

A lot of great things came from this occurrence! People that I do not even know from the community helped me search for a space. Friends went out of their way to help and support me. I'm even met and got into contact with more people and networking opportunities. I knew that out there, somewhere, was a place where my business would thrive.

In the midst of chaos, it appears that shiny happy occurences make themselves present. For example, despite the lack of business space, I was contacted more and more about my tours. I have people now wanting to refer me business! Out of that comes my own inner concerns; Can I keep up? Will I need to quit my job? What if I have to turn lots of people away? All of those, however, are very good concerns.

As luck would have it, about 3 weeks or so of searching and I found my new space! It's a garage that faces on a street and I have electricity! Exciting! A space to call my own! It doesn't look like much, but it's mine for my use only!

Ultimately and currently, I'm working on preparedness, positivity, and perserverance. The 3 Ps we'll call them. Now with a new space, I'm keeping optimistic about the upcoming season! I know big things  are on their way!

Source: tumblr.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

Hope you are all perservering in whatever situations you find yourselves - whether difficult or pleasant; it all comes with purpose.

A house to call home

I've been laid out these past 2 weeks with a terrible cold!  I'm finally back to almost normal health!

I mentioned various times that I have got a NEW place and I'm loving it! I'm surrounding myself by the things and people that I love! My old place left a lot to be desired, specifically SPACE! I really liked the place for the cost and the location but after 2 years and struggling to pay bills, I finally reached a point where I could take on a bit more in rent. Like I've said many times, I don't regret sacrificing so that I could accomplish my goal of starting my business. It was what it was and now I'm in a better position to have a place more suitable for my life.

 

The old place always made me think of a photograph that I've come across many times. A picture of a young Steve Jobs who is in a tiny apartment - pre-Apple success. Now, I'm in no way comparing myself to Steve Jobs - nor do I aspire to be Steve Jobs. The photograph does, however, make me think of people with a dream and vision willing to sacrifice and to achieve these. Steve Jobs was quoted as saying that at this time, that the things pictured, were all he needed - "All you needed was a cup of tea, a light, and your stereo, you know, and that’s what I had." Well, I certainly had more - but space I did not. I took a similarly styled Jobs photo when I left my last place just as a reminder.

Source: digitaljournalist.org via Alyssa on Pinterest

Steve Jobs

 

Me
 

At this rate, I think Steve's place looked bigger. Either way, it's a fun picture and memory of my time spent plugging away at my business and bills.

 

But now I have more exciting pictures to show you! My NEW place! I moved to a one bedroom apartment now in the city of St. Paul. It's further from my business, but much closer to my day job. Also, it's a really great price for the location and it's size. It's not HUGE but compared to where I lived before, I now feel like the proud tenant of a mansion! I even have a table to eat at! I've eaten in a bed for the last 2 years! Keep in mind, I'm still arranging everything in my place, so it's not completely organized as of yet.

 

 

This is the main living space of my apartment. My father and I spent some time and hung up my bike for function as well as an art piece. My new living area is going to have a bike theme!

 

 

And here is the other portion of my main room. A corner with a desk/sewing machine table! I inherited my grandma's sewing machine and like listed in my goals, I'm now taking a class! I will blog about this soon! :)

 

 

 

Ah, yes. The new kitchen. SPACE! I can cook AND eat in here!

 

 

My new eating nook! I can actually sit at a table now!

 

 

Welcome to my John! John, this is everyone! I have a bathroom...INSIDE my apartment! Yes, my old bathroom was in the hallway about 20 ft from my room.

 

 

And here is my budoir! No, I dont always make my bed - don't judge me!

My bedroom that's JUST for sleeping, unlike my old place where the bedroom was the main room, the living room, the office, pretty much "the everything". The furniture was my grandma's and I also got one of her old jewelry boxes which I love! In the third photo, I discovered a new way to organize my jewelry, belts and scarves on Pinterest! Check it out!

 

This is the view of my place sitting on the edge of my bed. I can see all the way to the kitchen! I feel like I live in a mansion! :)

 

There it is everyone! My new place of living that leaves me a much happier lady, more able to have a clear mind and focus on my goals!

 

Happy Wednesday!

 

 

 

 

 

Lady Danger

Diane Keaton once said, "Just have fun, smile, and keep putting on lipstick." and that, folks, is EXACTLY what I've been doing!

Source: blog.gloprofessional.com via Tammy on Pinterest

You may have noticed that one of the pictures on my goal board this year was of a woman who looks like she's doing some beautifying and taking care of her skin. Underneath this picture it says, "Make effort." If you have been following along for a while and remember that when I started this little blog, I had a clothing makeover. I've done a pretty good job now of keeping up with my clothing and styling myself in a way best-suited for my body shape. I'm pretty proud of that. Now that I live in a place a bit closer to my work and I have some more time in the mornings, I wanted to continue improving myself and now make an effort to actually do my hair and heck, even put on some makeup sometimes!

Problem: I don't know how to put on makeup - much less how to put it on for my facial features.
Solution: A makeup lesson with MAC Cosmetics.

I took a half day off of work one day and headed out for my lesson! I met with Alyana, a MAC Cosmetic's Artist, and we got to work. I explained to Alyana that I pretty much have not worn makeup for most of my life. Not because I dislike it, but primarily because it kind of scares me and I don't know what to do with it. I wanted a simple look that I could do quickly, looked natural, and did not feel caked on. Alyana had a plan and we got started!

During the MAC Makeup Lesson, the plan is that the artist does half of your face and teaches you technique. Then you are to do the other half, with their assistance, so that you can learn how to apply the makeup on your own. I thought this would be most suited for me because I am more of a hands-on learner.

Alyana did a day as well as evening look for me. I was concerned as to how difficult the evening look would be but it turned out it was just a couple simple steps and that was all!

The results are in!

                     Me sans makeup                                                             Evening look!

In my evening look, my eyes are more played up and I keep the lipstick to a low key color.

And here is my day look! I like that I can leave my eyes less done up for the day and then wear some BRIGHT lipstick! Initially, I was super overwhelmed by the makeup. I felt like it was a lot and the bright - called "Lady Danger" lipstick - felt like just too much. However, the more I've worn it, the more I've grown to love it! In fact, I've even been wearing it to dodgeball (the lipstick)! I think even just a bit of lipstick makes me feel pretty and let's face it - a little "dangerous." Gwyneth Paltrow was all right about this...

Source: pin.thenews16.net via McKenzie on Pinterest

My pic below is from after a dodgeball tournament! As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with lookin' pretty while you're kickin some butt on a dodgeball court!

My new lipstick repertoire - "Lady Danger" and "Hot Tahiti"

Source: Uploaded by user via Ali on Pinterest

Lipstick is forever! I'm loving my new look and I'm trying to stay fancy at least 3 times per week. My goal is to make sure I get up and get ready this many times a week to make it more of a habit. I've been doing okay so far! Did it less this week because it was an extraordinarily busy week but I'm going to put in some extra effort next week!

Here's to batting your lashes and stayin' pretty, ladies!

I'm Baaaaack!

Hi Everyone! I'm back to my blog! Happy 2013! I know that I haven't blogged for quite a while, I like to think of my time off as my sabbatical. I just might need one once a year though. Consider yourself forewarned.

Seeing as it is now 2013, I'm sure that any regular followers of mine would know that, by this time, I have created my new goal board for 2013. It is done and here it is:

I will be updating my 2013 goal list on my page, but for now, seeing as this is my first blog post of 2013, I thought that the appropriate thing to do would be to review accomplished goals in 2012 and new goals in 2013. Let's start with the old and end with the new, shall we?

1. The goal that I never mentioned on my blog is a private and personal topic. I don't expect others to agree with me, nor is my intention to persuade anyone into any belief. This is simply me, talking about my life, discoveries and goals. I really wanted to find/work on/discover my own personal relationship with God. I desired to find a church I enjoyed and do some more reading and discovery on my own.                                                                                                                                                                          My goal was unexpectedly spurred forward by the passing of my grandmother. This wasn't a, "Oh, death scares the crap out of me, must run to a church now and find God" - type occurrence. The principal reason I was incited to start working on that relationship was that, at my grandma's funeral, I saw her church community rally around her and her family. The church came together, provided for our family and really was there for us. The piece I'm missing, I discovered, was fellowship and sharing a common belief with others. In my life, I am surrounded by many secular people (that is okay, I love them too and pass no judgement) but I sought to have people in my life with whom I could share this commonality. I found a lovely church in Minneapolis where I feel welcomed and have been able to become involved. I have not YET become a member as I would still like to do some comparing with a few other churches. I think membership is a big step and I want to ensure this is the right place for me. I am still working on continuing to learn more about my faith and have some plans to read some books from apologetic authors to grasp a better understanding. It's a work in progress - just like me!
2. A century ride - DONE! Video yet to be uploaded!
3. Build business and make more profits - DONE! According to my accounting this year I made                                                                   half of my expenses for the year!
4. Become more financially stable - YEP! Going to pay off my last credit card with tax returns                                                           and I will only have loans left! Was even able to buy a                                                         bigger place!

Goals I did not quite get to in 2012:

1. Utilize car only to and from work. Well, I just moved closer to my day job. I decided that this summer, I'm going to start riding to work now that I'm close enough. I'm going to try and kick of this goal come warmer weather and hopefully continue that into the next winter.
2. Get a six pack/clean eating. I did continue to eat mostly clean this year, but did not do as well as expected. I think this had a lot to do with my surroundings and the stress it caused me. Also, I recognize that as humans, we are going to have ups and downs and no one need be super hard on themselves. I have been doing better at eating clean as of late! :)
3. Learn to sew. Well, I just simply have time for this in 2012. However,  I did recently sign up for a class and the first class is next Tuesday! Yippee!
4. Invite friends on a regular basis to get together. I am not a good organizer - my one MASSIVE flaw. However, I also felt I didn't have adequate space for this before. Now that I'm in a bigger space, once it is organized, I'm going to try and arrange regular events.
5. Do some more climbing. I did not do more climbing - but this is something I'm okay with leaving to the wayside. Hopefully, in the future, when I don't have 2 jobs, there will be more time for this sort of thing.

This sums up 2013. As for 2013, my goals include:

1. Sewing class - mentioned above.
2. A dancing class - hopefully during the week in the summer.
3. Continue to eat clean, do a better job this time around.
4. Invite friends over regularly/schedule regular event. Create a monthly group.
5. Grow business, make new routes and develop a new tour.
6. Become a member at a church.
7. More travel/allow myself more time for relaxation.
8. Learn to put on makeup/make an effort more often.
9. Stretch 1-2 times per week.
10. Make new friends close to my new place.

I'll be talking about some of these goals that I've already accomplished this year and my progress thus far. My next post will be about my NEW place that I am LOVING! Makes me feel like a new gal! :) It's nice to be back to the blog! Hope you all have been enjoying your 2013 thus far!



 

This is war - Christmas goodies!

Yes, I've declared war on Christmas treats! I told you guys before that I was planning to be clean, clean clean! Well, I failed. When I tried before during this summer, I failed too! I know though, that when you REALLY put your mind to something, you CAN do it! I just needed a good kick in the rear!

Well, that is where this thing called a scale recently came into play. I haven't weighed myself since the summer. I've truly been avoiding the scale - avoiding what I know will not be good news. Finally, I had to face the music. While I've said it before, and I still do think this - that numbers aren't everything - it is a good indication to some degree of how you are doing. When you know you haven't been eating clean, you can expect those numbers to go up. 

Source: Uploaded by user via Marine on Pinterest

I finally stepped on the scale and I was really disappointed in myself. Back to 153 lbs. I didn't need the SCALE to tell me that I've gained weight or that I've not been doing my best but sometimes a number can really help to get you back into gear! So, I've been eating extremely clean for a week and a half! I'm super proud of myself! I weighed myself yesterday and I'm back down to 148 lbs! But it's not just the NUMBERS, it's that I feel so much more healthy when I eat clean too! I don't feel addicted, my energy comes back - it's a win win!

I decided to make a holiday pact with myself. No Christmas or holiday treats (non-clean ones  - and only a weekly CLEAN treat) till Christmas! On Christmas Day, I'll allow myself a little break and have a little bit of the things I've missed and then back to clean! Let's see how I can lean out till Christmas Day! This is really tough because I run a holiday program at work and I'm SURROUNDED by holiday treats all day! But I know that I can do it and I really want to get back to a leaner me!

None of these till Christmas! 

Source: catchmyparty.com via Annie Rose on Pinterest

I've been taking my daily photos too and I'll be doing a two week photo post! :) Can't wait to share them! 

I hope you will all join me in keeping clean for the holidays! Still, we don't have to avoid the holiday gain - we'll gain a lot - our health, feeling vibrant on NYE and a healthy figure to match our confidence! 

What is your tactic for eating clean during the holidays? 

Difference Making

When I started my business, I had made a post on one of the driving factors for me in making a business is that one day, I hope to be able to make more financial contributions to organizations or causes that are important to me. This year, for my business, I created an event where I thought I could do just that. This year I created a Thanksgiving ride for charity. Half the proceeds were to go to a local non-profit organization called the House of Charity. The House of Charity feeds up to 350 men and women every day. They also have meals 365 days per year! It's such a great organization and I even mention it on my tours as we pass by their location.

Source: 1.bp.blogspot.com via Katie on Pinterest

I was really pumped as just a couple of days before the ride, a group of 7 people joined! I was super excited I would be able to contribute a small amount to this organization! I spent all night the evening before preparing a new route (I was going to make it a bit shorter so people could get to their Thanksgiving festivities). I was super pumped even though I new I wouldn't be getting lots of sleep. Unfortunately, when I woke up on Thanksgiving morning, I opened my email to see that the group wouldn't be joining me as they didn't think they could do this and their festivities. I understood because Thanksgiving can be a chaotic day, so no hard feelings. However, I was bummed I wouldn't be able to contribute to a wonderful charity off of the event. 

Although I was disappointed, I began to think about all of the events that I WAS able to help with this year and the difference I HAVE made.

Source: mindfulmag.blogspot.com via Amie on Pinterest

1. For the second year in a row, I provided a certificate for free tours for the silent auction for my day job at Neighbors, Inc.
2. I also provided 2 other certificates for raffles for an organization raising funds to make a film about Minnesota athletes as well as a raffle for a young lady who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. 
3. I gave a free tour to church members of Zion Lutheran Church.

I don't think these have made huge differences, however I was really glad I was able to contribute - even a little - to some causes. I hope that I can continue to grow this aspect of my business in the future.

Source: Uploaded by user via Linda on Pinterest

Thanksgiving was officially my last day of business for the biking season. Off of weekends until next spring! :) I will still be busy doing other business activities, however. Making new tour routes, creating new types of tours with local businesses, etc. I recently made ornaments out of old bike chains to sell with gift certificates during the holidays! :)

That was it! Just made my two posts for the week! Ready for more this week! Lots of fun stuff happening in life now! :)

St. Paul-y Girl

I have some big news! I have finally found a place! Yea! I'm very excited to welcome a new change into my life! I will be moving to St. Paul, Minnesota where I will be only 6 miles from my day job (biking distance!) and a bit further from my business. However, this move makes more sense with regards to my current day to day life. After months of scouring Craigslist to find the perfect place to fit me and my budget, I finally did it! Can you tell I'm pumped?

This is how people from Minneapolis, view St. Paul. The 'Dark Side'. Personally, I think each place has something unique to offer. :)

Source: absolutelymadness.net via Ann on Pinterest

Some people absolutely DREAD moving. They look at it like this:

Source: blog.evajuliet.com via Tami on Pinterest

I am not one of those people. One reason being that I don't have much "stuff"...at least not yet. I try and keep life as simple as possible. With my new place, I will have to acquire a bit more "stuff" as I now will actually have a bedroom AND a living space (imagine that, no more eating on my bed!).  I am happy that I will likely be acquiring my grandmother's old bedroom set. It will really help lessen the financial burden and I am glad we can keep grandma's items in the family.

The aspect that I love the MOST about moving though is that it's like turning over a new leaf. You get a fresh start, a new space, new organization, purging of old items, intake of new objects...it's all very exciting. Since I have been at this place for 2 years, living quarters have been tight. I miss having space to invite friends over, a table to eat on, space to do my office-type activities, and I mostly miss having my bedroom be a private space rather than a public one.

Source: Uploaded by user via Daniell on Pinterest

Don't get me wrong, I don't regret having lived in my 211 square foot place. Yes, I actually measured it today. Like I've said before, I knew when starting a business, sacrifices would need to be made. However, it provided me a great opportunity to save money, be close to my business and form some great new friendships. This woman has outgrown this space though now. I've come to a better place with my business and a better place financially. 

Finally, I'm looking forward to new design in my new space. I was looking around my apartment the other day and it hit me that I have grown a lot as a person,  but the items around me haven't changed. My designs/sights are all the same. I'm ready for new growth that way too. I have creative juices flowing through my brain (mental note: creative juices sounds kind of gross) and I have another concept in mind. Just for that concept, I've gotten some posters framed at a sale I caught at Michael's on Black Friday. I can't wait to get into my place near the end of the December and get to work! Don't worry, you all know that I'll be keeping you up to date on the new design and place! It'll be a fun treat for the holidays!

Source: piccsy.com via Laura on Pinterest

That is my big news for the week! I have one more post to fulfill my goals from last week. I've upped my business posts as well recently! Keeping on track with those goals!

Hope you are all doing great this week!

Holiday SLIM DOWN!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I have done some SERIOUS slacking on my clean eating. I feel like I have truly disappointed not only myself, but everyone who reads my posts. This is probably a reason I have been slacking on posting a bit because when I don't fulfill my goals I not only disappoint myself, but I feel as though I've disappointed readers as well.

I said before that I was re-committing to clean eating and then I failed. Yep, I truly failed. That's okay though because when you fail, you recognize it, make a conscious decision to change, and pull yourself up by your bootstraps and try, try, again! Here I am trying again!

I have had 2 days of clean eating now and I'm trying my hardest to stay fully focused and committed this time around! Sometimes, I need to make mini-goals for myself to accomplish my own BIG goal. Sometimes, I also need to involve OTHERS so that I can accomplish my own goals. Other people can also help to keep you accountable and motivated. In thinking about starting my clean eating again, I was reminded of the week that I kept track of my daily progress with clean eating and just how much my body changed with only one week of clean eating.

This is the picture from when I was tracking daily progress:

Look at how much difference there was in just ONE week! This picture really gets me motivated! I decided that I would once again track my progress for one week. Maybe even TWO! I was hoping that this would motivate some other people to join me in this adventure!

Now I'm well aware that Thanksgiving (for you people in the US) is coming up. I'm also well aware that often times people don't eat too well on Thanksgiving. I am a person who believes that you have to be in the right mindset and ready to change to accomplish goals. I am in the right mindset for myself RIGHT NOW. I think that being ready for a major change in diet just before Thanksgiving may not be for everyone. HOWEVER, what about the day AFTER Thanksgiving? That's right! No bringing home leftovers this year! This is why I'm asking anyone interested in joining me to complete their OWN week of clean eating with the DAMY Health program and to track their progress via pictures for one week.

Like I said, I want others to be motivated to join. As I am a DAMY Ambassador, I want to encourage anyone reading this to go to my Facebook page and when you like my page and utilize the promo code found there, you can receive 20% OFF of DAMY Health programs. This offer is valid for one week starting TODAY! That means you have till 11/26/12 to redeem this offer!

I am asking everyone who wants to join me, to take pictures for ONE week to show their everyday progress. Make a photo grid of your daily progress and send to me. You don't have to show your face and we won't name you if you don't want. But we can share with everyone else the difference that clean eating makes! It is SO motivating to look back on! I will be thinking of a special little something to give to anyone who participates in this with me! Let's show everyone how ONE week on the DAMY Health program can make a HUGE difference!

Once you get started, you can also join DAMY's Holiday and Little Black Dress challenge! Once you get on your way, you'll see that the more you commit to clean eating, the easier it becomes! When I eat things I shouldn't, that's when it gets harder. Committing to staying clean is the way to go!

Let's get fit and healthy together!

Slack City

Yes, I have been up and missing. I'm here and working on things, but to be honest, I wanted to write a post because I feel like I have been in a rut. Yes, a rut. I have many new events/changes in life that are pending and I'm just waiting on something to happen.

I mentioned a while back that I was going to be moving. Well, I haven't yet. I was planning on moving in with my friend and was looking forward to it. However, she has a lot of other changes occurring in her life right now so she decided it was best for her to not move at the present moment. Because of this, I had to wait a bit longer to give my notice. I just handed in the notice for my place today and I've been spending every day online hunting down a new place. I'm debating whether or not I'd like to live alone again. I know that I am a major extrovert and, as such, I really like/need to be around people. However,   I am not really sure how I will do with having a roommate again. I am searching for both types of places at this point. If I am sharing, I will likely look on a month to month basis in the case that things don't go well in terms of living with other people.

My business season is coming to an end as well. I am going to be doing a Thanksgiving ride for charity and then after that, I will be closing. I will start to up my Internet activities and also be doing special offers to sell gift certificates. I have been working on a special craft that I can sell as an incentive during Christmas! Very excited to share that and I'll be sharing it all with you guys!

Finally, clean eating. I have been slacking. Very much. But I am getting back on track. To be honest, part of the reason that I haven't been posting is that on this front, I have been a bit disappointed with myself. When I am disappointed and not on point with goals, it hits me hard because not only do I feel like I am disappointing myself, but I am disappointing everyone who reads my blog. I will always come clean though and tell you all what is going on. The first step anyone can take in accomplishing goals is to be honest with themselves about where they are at with those goals. I have been slacking on clean eating, blogging and quite a bit of things lately. I think my living situation has been affecting this but I also think that I just simply am a bit burnt out. I have a vacation planned for this January to visit my sister and I can't WAIT! I think that it will be a nice break and good to be around my sister and her family. I will also go snowboarding with a friend during one of the weekends there! I am SUPER excited and vacation cannot come soon enough!

However, as I stated, yes, I have been slacking. With that said, I'm nailing down a few BASIC goals for myself as I get through this transition time of moving, etc.

1. Blogging at least ONCE a week. I will shoot for 2 posts, but ONE is necessary.
2. Posting on my Facebook business page at least TWICE a week.
3. Getting back on track with clean eating. More about this in a post that I have lined up for tomorrow.

This is where I have been, what I've been doing and what I've been slacking on. Now you all are aware and I'm hoping to get back on track with everything when I've moved and I'm more settled.

I'll leave you all at that and I'm going to get started on TOMORROW'S post because I have a great little offer for all of you!!! I can't wait to share it with you all and I hope that you join me!

Have a great SHORT week everyone in the US! Thanksgiving is upon us! 

Wednesday Recipe

It's Wednesday somewhere in the world! :) This past weekend I had a carb craving for some brunch yummies! I LOVE breakfast food. It's probably the one thing that I crave the most! I really wanted some indulgence this weekend but I live on a tight budget so I didn't want to go out and get food that would cost a lot and isn't good for me anyways. Bad on the budget and on the body. Instead, I decided to imitate a favorite breakfast food at home and make it clean. Here it is!

CLEAN CINNAMON RAISIN FRENCH TOAST

Definitely does not take a rocket scientist to come up with this one but I thought it was a fun recipe nonetheless. To make my french toast, I used Ezekiel Bread by Food For Life. I LOVE this stuff AND this brand! They also make EXCELLENT cereals that I love to add to my yogurt every now and again!

For those of you that are gluten sensitive, Food For Life also makes some gluten free versions - this particular one is not. I've had all sorts of their breads though and love them all! I also think that it's really cool they are a family run business and have stuck with their original processes. Anyways, I recommend trying these out if you haven't yet.

What I did for this recipe:

Mixed 1 egg and 2 egg whites in a bowl.

Sprinkle in cinnamon (as desired).

Add a splash of almond milk.

Beat mixture.

Dip both sides of bread in egg mixture.

Cook in a pan on the stove. Use coconut oil as your oil in your pan.

Cook on both sides and place on a plate.

Drizzle a small amount of agave syrup over french toast.

Enjoy!

*After I had made the french toast, I actually cooked up the remainder of the eggs and ate them! SO GOOD! Seriously, the egg and cinnamon mixture is excellent. It's become a new way to spice up eggs for me lately!

Hope you all made it through Wednesday okay! 

Thursday is going to be here and gone quicker than we know it!