""You can't have a positive life with a negative mind"

Source: imgspark.com via Bron on Pinterest

Let me tell you how true that this statement really is...

Yesterday, if you read my blog, you read about my business and how I wasn't quite getting the number of people I wanted on tours but I was really happy that I have had more tours than last year and I wasn't going to focus on the negative side of the tours not filling up as much, but I AM going to focus on how it has improved and that even when I don't have tours, it's an opportunity to have a day off and enjoy life and focus on the positive. I set off doing just that yesterday. I decided that since I had no tours, I took the time to write my blog, eat a nice healthy clean breakfast and head out to dodgeball. I showed up and dodgeball had been canceled and I hadn't seen that online. I sat and chatted with a friend from the rec center there. As I was doing so, I got a phone call. Someone booked a tour! Imagine that! No, it was not a giant group, just two people. However, every tour is an opportunity for exposure, growth and practice. That is how I look at my tours - they are a learning and growing experience. 

Now, I could have been all down in the dumps yesterday, completely frustrated with how things are going and beating myself up...but why do that when I can enjoy life and take it as it comes? One tour at a time. I'm sure I have said this many times before, but let me reiterate it for you all. People are not just MADE happy. There aren't human beings who are just a little luckier than others and are given the gift of happiness. Being happy is a CHOICE. Even happy people have negative occurrences in their lives, obstacles, or things that bring them down. HAPPY people however, CHOOSE to wake up every morning and find something to be happy about and for which to be grateful. I have to WORK to be happy. I CHOOSE being happy. I could find plenty of things to be sad about, but I CHOOSE not to. It's a choice, it's not just a state of being gifted to some and not others. 

Source: via Sarah on Pinterest

I look at my grandfather and grandmother as prime examples of choosing happiness. My grandfather is now in a nursing home, my grandmother having passed a couple of months ago. Nevertheless, grandpa is happy! Yes, he has his down moments like the rest of us, but he doesn't let it consume him. He chooses to be happy and thankful for his blessings every day. Nearly every time that I go and visit my grandfather he thanks me for visiting him. He says he is so blessed and so thankful to have such a wonderful family that comes and visits him. I tell grandpa that no, in fact, we are the lucky ones...to have him! My grandmother and grandfather didn't have an easy life. My grandpa was a successful farmer because he worked extremely hard but they didn't start with a lot of money or even their own land. He chose happiness and hard work and when things got tough, he didn't let it get him down. Grandma had difficult things handed to her as well. Grandma got diabetes in later life. Guess what? She didn't even do the classes they recommended her to do! She said, tell me what I have to do and I'll do it. She always had control over her diabetes and really watched what she ate. My grandma also suffered a terrible car crash when I was 15 that left her in a halo in the hospital for months and with fused vertebrae. She was in her 70s when that happened and it reduced her quality of life. She was unable to continue doing seamstress work that she loved to do (and was mighty good at) but she never complained. In fact, she would continue crafting, finding other things that should could do that were smaller projects. I would frequently see her rubbing her neck and say, "Is your neck sore, Grandma?" She would say, "Oh yeah, but it's always sore. It's fine." But never once would she complain about her neck on her own. Grandma and Grandpa always chose to focus on the positive and that's what I choose too!

The other part of all of this is that as a positive person, you have to choose WHO you want to be in your life and who you don't. Do the people in your life contribute positively to it? Do they lift you up? Do they support your dreams and goals? If you cannot answer "yes" to those questions, than do those people belong in your life? I know that in the past, I have had to let friendships or relationships go because they were not contributing positively to my life and weren't headed in the direction that I wanted to go. This isn't always an easy choice. In fact, it's usually one of the most difficult decisions one will make. But who you have around you and if they are contributing to your life positively, is an important thing. I have found that when I have let the negative aspects of my life go, it has made more space for positive ones. More positively people have filled those voids and have come my way to lift me up and cheer me on. That makes the difficult choice of having to let some people or things go, all the greater.

Source: facebook.com via The on Pinterest

Today, I'd like to challenge everyone to CHOOSE positive thinking and a positive outlook. See how it changes the rest of your day. Focus on what you currently HAVE and not what you WANT. Live in the today, be thankful for the blessings around you.

What are the positive things that you are thankful for today?

Last minute thought of the day...

If you've read my blog posts, you know that I love, love, love the author, Paulo Coelho - especially 

The Alchemist. The Alchemist is the book MADE for people who chase their dreams! It's all about going forward in search of what you desire. 

One of my favorite quotes is here and I thought I would share this with you all today! 

A disappearing act...

As I'm sure you all have noticed, I haven't been as on top of posting this summer as I am regularly. My job as well as my business have been keeping me busy this summer...which is good, but I can't post as much. I wish that my business was keeping me busier than it currently is, however. One of my goals for this year was to hopefully see an increase in my business. I've been working hard, adding my business to websites, handing out flyers in person and trying to market through various means. It seems the main difficulty and obstacle to increasing business, is simply getting the word out that my business exists.

The other weekend, when talking to someone who works for my bike shop, he had a great idea! Why not invite some of the concierges from local hotels on a free tour. That way, they can experience the tour and will know more about it and HOPEFULLY be more likely to tell guests about it as an option for unique activities to participate in while visiting the city.

Last weekend, I spent some time putting invites together so that I could get them out ASAP to the hotels. I came up with this invite which is printed on a piece of photography paper. It's pretty simple, but I was actually very proud of it.

The backdrop is my family! Nieces and sister and brother-in-law! Love it!

I also decided to buy some sticker which will be put on my helmets and I am also working on ordering a flag for my bike which will have my logo. That will increase visibility for my business as I'm doing my tours. Check out my stickers! 

It has also been a very hot July here in Minnesota, so I have hopes that when fall rolls around, with more people knowing about it, that business will increase. That would be awesome! Although I am not as busy as I would like, I am happy that I think I have, even thus far, accomplished my goal. My business has certainly increased and I am hoping that it does even more in the fall and next year. 

This weekend, I had no tours though! That feels really frustrating! However, rather than dwell on it, I am taking each day at a time, praying about it, and trying to continue to market. I am know that growing a business simply takes some time.  Since I am not one to dwell on the negative, I am keeping positive and I use my time without tours to take advantage of life, since I am not working. I drove down (about an hour and fifteen minutes) to see my Gramps the other day! Grandpa is 92!!!! He certainly doesn't look it and he has the spunk of someone much younger! Grandpa has been in a nursing home because he had a fall in the winter and it left him kind of confused. However, with therapy and some time in the nursing home, he is coming around and seems to be getting more memory back and be less confused! I took Grandpa on a short walk yesterday to get him out in the fresh air! It was great to see him! We have a date once every other week. I try and go visit him on Fridays after tours or during the mornings if I don't have tours! I love it! 

Grandpa and I on a walk.

Like I said, I've been trying to enjoy the days given to me to be free. After my visit with Grandpa yesterday, I hopped to the beach with my friend Lindsey!

Those are the things that have been keeping me away from writing! I am busy, but I'm still here and working on my goals! One thing that I was thinking about the other day was that I haven't accomplished my goal of my century ride this year. I think I may take a day off of work, find a biking partner who is up for the challenge and do just that! For now, I'm off to dodgeball to throw some balls at people! May as well as enjoy my weekend off! :)

Not So Wednesday Recipe...

Yes! It's quite past Wednesday! lol Okay, okay...it's Friday! But come on, whose paying attention anyways?! I am here and sending you a lovely little recipe that my wonderful sister forwarded to me on Pinterest! I love this recipe! It reminds me a lot of a similar recipe in  DAMY Health's repertoire! You can find DAMY's similar recipe HERE.

The one I want to talk about today though is below! :)

GRAIN FREE PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKI DOUGH BITES

Source: texanerin.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

THIS is a wonderfully clean little beauty of a recipe that I found on Pinterest that is SO GOOD! It was created by Erin who writes her own blog on texanerin.com.  You can find the recipe HERE. She is right when she says that these are best when they are warm! I keep mine in the fridge and I heat them up usually in the microwave each time. Now when Erin says that the batter isn't good to taste, I have to completely disagree. On the other hand, I have been eating clean for about a year so my palette is likely quite different to others' palettes. :) I did change a few things in Erin's recipe however. I, of course, used dark chocolate chips. I also added a scoop of whey protein powder for some extra protein. I eat two of these as a snack! So delicious!

I hope that you all had a fantastic week! 

I hope to be around and posting some more this weekend!

Wednesday Recipe

My second post of the day! Woo hoo! Today's post isn't as much of a recipe as it is a TACTIC! A tactic to be clean eating in times of temptation. 

I think that many times blogs offer advice about a good option to make when choosing between one thing or another, but how about how to avoid that thing altogether?! Of course, it's perfectly okay to divulge every now and again. That is no problem. But what happens when you are out and you DON'T want to divulge that particular day, but feel like it's a social peer pressure type of situation? I'm not saying the peer pressure like when you are in high school. I'm talking about just the pressure of being in a certain place and feeling that you have to participate in certain activities...simply because you are there! What are one of those adult activities? Ah, of course! Going out for a drink!

Source: momfaze.com via Randi on Pinterest

Yes, there are tons of drinks you can choose that are cleaner than others. However, what if you don't want to drink at all? Well, I've found my sort of "non-drink" drink that is clean but makes me feel like I get some of the yumminess of a cocktail, with no alcohol at all! So, it's 100% clean! It's not  a HUGE mystery, secret, or anything I'm sure many people haven't done, but it's helped me get through some social situations where I really didn't WANT to have a drink. 

I think a cocktail of choice for many people - probably many women - is the all famous MOJITO!

I love mojitos! There is something so refreshing to me about the combination of citrus fruits and mint. The real mojito has the lime, mint, sugar and rum. The trick that I have come up with to get my clean mojito is pretty simple! Take out everything that isn't clean! 

On a night out at the bar with friends, I will simply ask the bartender to muddle mint leaves and lime together in a glass and then pour in water! That's it! Water, mint, lime and ice! Anyone else in the bar that sees me, doesn't know I'm not drinking a REAL mojito. They think I'm enjoying a drink with the rest of them! Truthfully, I AM enjoying my drink! Plus, it's sans "unclean" foods so I am feeling great about it! You can also ask them to add club soda if you want some lovely fizziness! 

This is something that I've done several times while I'm out in social situations. Everyone there thinks I'm out enjoying an adult beverage with them! I can drink something clean and still be social! It CAN go hand in hand, you just have to figure out tactics that work for you! This is one of mine! If you are invited out but fear not being able to be "clean" and social, give this tactic a whirl! Works like a charm for me! :)

Happy Wednesday Everyone! You're halfway there!

Time with Family

Wow! It's been a while since I posted! I had a few days I didn't post before the 4th as well! This weekend I spent a lot of time catching up on the activities that I didn't get to do the week before because I was busy spending time with some of my favorite people!

My sister, brother-in-law and nieces and nephew all came for a visit last week! It was a really fun time to spend time with them! We spent days at the Mall of America, the zoo, a Twins game, swimming at the lake and the pool, we even had a pedicure and manicure night!

Poor nieces didn't know that Auntie is AWFUL at nail painting! They discovered my 5 year old-ish  nail painting skills! :)

Another fun event was that I got to give them their own personal bike tour!

Bike tour with the family!

Since I had 5 or so jam-packed days of fun, I had no time to invest in completing other tasks waiting for me. That said, I spent much of my weekend this past weekend playing catch up! I spent Friday and Saturday evening working on my accounting for my business and organizing all of my paperwork. I was up Saturday evening until 3AM! Sunday I got busy in the morning and I also visited the farmers' market and got some shopping done. I bought these cute little buttons! I thought they suited me well!

Bike Buttons!

I spent some time making some snacks as well, but per usual, didn't get as much done as I had hoped. Which left me staying up late again Sunday night. Boy, was I tired on Monday! So much so, that last night, after work, I conked out at 7pm and woke up at 4:30am in the morning! It reminded me how important my sleep is and how much I really need to be focusing on getting to bed on a regular time and getting my 7-8 hours of sleep in! However, I took advantage of my 4:30am wake up time and hit the gym early and got some more cooking and cleaning done before work! Felt nice to have it out of the way, but I don't think I'll start waking up at 4:30 am to get workouts done anytime soon! :)

I've been busy, busy, busy, but it feels good to be busy! Tonight, I will attempt a second post for my Wednesday recipe! Something simple, but I'll bring 2 posts to you all in one day! :)

Happy 4th of July!

Happy 4th of July to all of my fellow citizens! 

I have to say that throughout my travels abroad, it was always interesting to state that I was an "American". (I know, there are other Americans too - South and Central Americans and others in Northern America - but for practical purposes, I'll just use the term "American" for "United Statesans"). For, you never knew the reaction you might get.

Americans, as we know, in some parts of the world, are not very accepted. Also, just as with other countries, there are many stereotypes about Americans. However, I never once denied where I was from and I was happy and proud to say where I was from because, if anything, I thought that I could debunk the myths about Americans and their knowledge and willingness to travel the rest of the world. 

Throughout my travels, I had many people tell me, "You don't seem American." I didn't  know what this meant so I would ask. Frequently, the fact that most Americans don't travel much was pointed out to me. To this, I was able to remind people that most Americans pay massive amounts to get an education (unlike people from most other industrialized countries). Starting out your early adulthood with $40K+ in debt is no easy fact to swallow. Thus, many Americans, don't have the funds like other people from other countries to roam the world. People would often say, "Oh, yeah." Realizing that this fact hadn't occurred to them and from the start, many young Americans have a bit more on their plate in terms of financial stress. 

One thing, however, that I did learn and was able to appreciate,  is that as an American, we have the right to openly state our dislike for our country or its actions. I can be a proud American and still dislike the actions of my government or its politicians. I can openly state that and strike in public if I feel that way. I can also read books that opine that the actions of my American country are incorrect. Not all countries and citizens can say that. Are Americans censored to some degree? Yes, just like people in most countries. Is our news skewed to how the government or certain parties would like it to be seen? Yes. But guess what, I have the ability and resources to go beyond our news sources and seek out other information. Not everyone does. 

Has some awful things come out of my country? Most certainly. The industrialization of war, mass production, mass consumption, and so many other things that have plighted the minds of many Americans and have instilled in us the desire to always want something more, something better. With that said, that drive and those businesses that provide for mass consumption have also provided me with liberties. Technology that wouldn't have otherwise been discovered. As how I sometimes felt about my citizenship, it's a double-edged sword. 

One thing I am certain of is this: I am proud to be an American because I can write this blog, voice my opinions and be heard. I do not agree with everything that my country does (and really, who does?) but I can state that and take action to change things in my country. Yes, when things happen that I don't agree with, I could choose to move to Canada, but why would I? The real truth of being an American is staying here and fighting for what you believe. Change doesn't happy from overseas, it happens from within. I can choose to participate in the things I believe in just as well as I can choose to not take part in those things and hopefully as my citizens join me, we can make change. 

For this simple fact alone, I am happy to be an American. I am happy for the freedoms provided to my by my forefathers who fought bloody battles to ensure that I could be here today, writing you all about my country and the things I like, dislike and the way that I can change them.

So, I will say it loud and clear, "Yes, I am an American."

Happy Independence Day!

The key to being fit: Eat A LOT!

Some of you may have noticed a post on my Facebook Page last week. I had made a comment with regards to a keyword that was utilized to find information and how someone happened upon my blog. Sometimes I look at the stats for my blog. I'll sometimes look at the keywords entered to how people get there. Some of the keyword or phrases that I see being utilized, really make me sad. This week, I saw this: "when do you see results when eating once a day." Wow! This search really bothered me. The fact that anyone is searching for when they'll start losing weight when just eating once a day is sad! Of course, this could be someone doing research and I could very well be jumping to conclusions, but either way, I still think this is an important post to make. After making my Facebook status update my friend, Lindsie, urged me to write a post, so here I am! :)

First things first: No one should EVER be eating only once a day! In fact, you should be eating around 6 times per day! Food is fuel and without it, you're body/brain, metabolism, everything doesn't function correctly or efficiently. Food isn't the enemy - it's eating the WRONG types of foods. As a matter of fact, the less you eat, the less likely you are to lose the weight you want. When your body doesn't get fed, it thinks that it may not ever get fed again, so it begins to burn your muscle. Then when you do begin eating again, your body is still in "reserve mode" and it starts storing the food you do begin to eat again as fat. Don't believe me?  See HERE. 

Source: iwantthisbody.tumblr.com via Therese on Pinterest

That said, eating is a necessity to losing weight. You are doing yourself a huge disservice if you are not eating. In all likelihood, you are really messing up your metabolism and NOT speeding it up. The more you eat, the more of the right fuel you have, the better your metabolism will work. 

With regards to myself and eating the RIGHT food; this is something that honestly, I have been slipping on major time lately. I have once again, gained some weight. In fact, I haven't even been honest with myself and don't REMEMBER the last time I stepped on the scale. I am a little disappointed with myself, but I know that the best thing I can do is forgive myself, clean up my act and move forward while making the RIGHT choices.  Not only did I gain some weight, but I also while eating those foods, never even felt good! I felt sick most of the time but was addicted! I always take full ownership of my downfalls. Even while working out (I never miss my workouts) you will gain weight and lose tone when not eating the proper foods. Yes! Diet is THAT important! I recognize that these were MY choices and I can turn it around and make the right choices. 

This summer has been full of many things that I think have led me to eating foods I wouldn't normally eat; stress, being busy with my business and not being able to eat on schedule and, of course, making excuses because I am at a bbq or whatever event and allowing myself more of the "unclean" foods that I normally wouldn't have, simply because I haven't prepared myself or eaten properly ahead of time. I know that my one weakness is eating in moderation at times. Not eating clean foods, but eating the stuff I shouldn't be eating. However, I look at my failures and where I go wrong, attempt to learn from them and not do the same thing again. So that is what I'm doing! The last 2 days have been clean, clean, clean! I know that I can get back on track and lean once again! :) I know that I can do this not eating only ONCE a day, but SIX times a day!

Source: goo.gl via Alyssa on Pinterest

I want to encourage anyone who is reading this and may have unhealthy diets or be having a slip up like myself - whether eating too much or eating too little - to work on getting fit again with me - the healthy way! Anyone who runs across this and thinks - yeah, that's not possible. Look below - I ate clean (6 times per day) for one week! Look at the difference! 

In fact, look at the results I had overall! 

I want to encourage anyone who reads this and is at the point that they are READY to treat themselves well, work hard, and dedicate themselves to nurturing their body properly to check out DAMY Health and lean down with me! You will eat six times a day and feel SO healthy! I am already started! Who's ready to join me?!?!

LET'S GO DO IT!

New Running Shoes For Less...Find Out How

I thought I would post a blog about my new running shoes! I got myself a new pair of them this past week! A lovely pair of Saucony Progrid Guide 4 running shoes! See?

These are a stability type of running shoe because I have the genetic defect of having no arches (hey, we all have our mutations! ;) and I pronate - a lot. :) Makes for one sexy looking run! That means I need a stability shoe with some orthotic inserts. 

The place where I buy my shoes is The Running Room. It's only a block from my house so I love the convenience aspect. Also, they specialize in running shoes and their staff are trained to observe people walk and determine which type of shoe is best suited for your body and your sports needs. I've found that the people in the shop are quite friendly and informative. 

My lovely new shoes, guess how much I paid for them? $50. Yep, $50 for Saucony shoes! That's a bargain and that's what I need because I live on a tight budget. As anyone who works out a lot knows, having good shoes is very important! It can make all of the difference in the world and I was way overdue! Don't believe me that shoes are important? Well, then listen to Lee:

If you still don't believe Lee, see what a doctor says HERE.

The pair of shoes that I purchased are also selling for about $60.00 online. However, you have to consider that online you must also pay shipping. These shoes were actually shipped from another local store, to the one a block from me for free! I wanted to share with you some tips on how I get my bargain shoes.

1. Find the right shoe store for you and get to know the sales people. Since I have been going to The Running Room for a while, I have developed a relationship with the people in the shop and they recognize me when I walk in. One of the ways that I discovered my bargaining for workout shoes was through one of the workers. People who have an established relationship with a customer will be more likely to go out of their way to help you get a bargain.

2. You do not need this year's latest shoe, last year's shoe is the one you want. This is the principal way that I get my shoe bargains. The Running Room has their last year model shoes in their back room. Now, they may not put them out for all of us to shop from, but believe me, they have them. When I go in to by some new shoes, I never look at the shelf. What I do is go to a salesperson and tell them that I'd love to look at getting the same model of the shoe that I had last year (I really do tend to stick with the same models - if it's doing it's job and working well for me, why change it?) but that I am interested in knowing if they still have last year's model. Yes, they usually do. This year's model of the Progrid Guide running shoe, according to the Running Room's website, is running for $144.00. The only Saucony site says $110.00. Now, it could be appealing to have the newest model of this year's shoe, but hey, I can get that next year! :D Yes, the Progrid Guide 5 is 1.5 oz lighter than the Progrid Guide 4, but I'm okay with an extra 1.5 oz. I'm not okay with an extra $90.00.

3. Know the correct kind of shoes for you in case they don't have your model. I bet you're thinking, "Okay Miss Smarty Pants, now what if they don't have last year's model in the shoe?" They may not. They had to call a couple of stores for me to find this one in stock, in my size. However, if they do not have the model that you would like, make sure you know what type of running shoe works for you. I know I need stability shoes. If they didn't have my lovely Saucony shoe, I would have asked for other stability shoes in last year's models and I would have tried them on. I'm willing to bet they would be much less pricey than this year's model of other stability shoes.

Source: flickr.com via goopymart on Pinterest

There you have it! My three tips on bargaining for running shoes! You do not need to spend hundreds of dollars to have proper foot gear for working out! Having proper gear IS important, spending your life savings on them is not! Get out there, find your favorite shoe shop, get to know your sales people and get bargaining! Most importantly, get out to enjoy your new shoes! :D

Goal Getter Gurl: Kyla Gagnon

Today, I get to do my FAVORITE type of post - a Goal Getter Gurl spotlight! As much as I love entertaining you all with the mundane details of my life, talking about other AMAZING women who are striving towards their own goals makes me even happier! I love to support and highlight other women who are working hard to accomplish their dreams!

As such, my spotlight for this post is Miss Kyla Gagnon. Kyla is an amazing athlete and woman! I actually haven't even met her in the flesh, but I met her on the good old Facebook! Kyla is beautiful inside and out! If you take one look at her Facebook page, you will see that she is quite a goal chaser (as well as accomplisher!). Having a look at her page initially, I have to admit, I was a little intimated to approach her! Seriously, I didn't know what this woman was going to be like when I first started liking her posts, following her page and eventually instant messaging her. I have to say though, Kyla is VERY approachable and SO nice - not to mention that I love her sense of humor (especially on some of her posts)! I've enjoyed the chats I've had with her about health, fitness, running a business and goals. I also think that she is such an awesome role model to women - proving that you can be fit (STRONG!), have some muscle, and still be beautiful and feminine! Seriously, try some of her workouts - you will get your butt kicked BUT you'll end up pretty fit! ;) If you want to follow Kyla, consider checking out her Facebook page, her workout page, or her business page. Personally, I love them all! I'm sending a big THANKS to Kyla for her post and alas, here is a post from our Goal Getter herself: Kyla Gagnon.

GOAL GETTER GURL: KYLA GAGNON

I grew up as an only child with two incredible parents who raised me from separate homes but with the same vision and love when it came to raising their daughter. Their vision was to guide me into becoming the best version of myself that I possibly could be. This by no means meant learning to be “perfect” at everything, but instead simply trying anything.

There was something about the fitness industry that caught my attention, and then really held onto it. Graduation was coming quickly - and with it came slight panic in my little head. All of my peers were prepping for University or College and here I was, still unsure of where I would be and what I wanted to do.

My mom who took herself back to school when I was two (She was 30 when she entered her Nursing program) would sit with me and calm me down with reminders that I am young (I was 17, lets be honest I had my whole life ahead of me). It was OK if I needed time to find what I loved, what I believed in and what I wanted to spend time, energy and money on, rather than taking some university program and spending tens of thousands of dollars only to end up doing something completely different. My Dad would tell me the same thing when we would talk, almost word for word.

NOW, by no means does this mean that my parents thought it was ok for me sit back and do nothing. I had a job and I paid my own bills while I thought seriously about my future, but was never pressured in any way to RUSH the process.

Fitness remained option number one in my mind and really in my heart. Nothing made me feel the way fitness did and so I decided that THIS is how I was going to make my money and live my life.
Was it REALLY possible to earn a living doing what you ALREADY love doing??? I was about to find out.....

Today, 8 years later, I can happily and confidently say that YES, indeed you can earn a living doing what you love. This last year was my first year flying solo as a trainer, not connected with a team, studio, or gym. Just ME and my clients.

Scary???
YUP

Incredible??
YUP

For 8 years, I have really had nothing to concern myself with other than developing training programs for my clients and seeing them through. The business end was always sort of taken care of, either by the gym management or the studio owners. Clients for the most part were given to me or referred to me through other clients. Advertising, marketing, budgeting, client tracking, equipment purchasing, fees, permits...you know, all the back end part of running a business; this was now on ME. By no means was I or am I complaining...NOPE, loving it, but it's an ongoing lesson for me.

This has been a year of serious goal setting and planning to ensure that this business that I love SO much not only stays going but RUNS THE WORLD! :) Each day offers new lessons for me and thus I am creating new goals.

More recently I have started a website that focuses on short intense do-ANYWHERE workouts; www.bodyripped.com has become my newest baby, and an ongoing goal of evolving the site to thousands and eventually millions of viewers and members. Next in line, and it has been a LONG ongoing project, for whatever reason, is my BUSINESS WEBSITE - www.insideoutfitness.com is on her way to the top!!!! Creating the right site is harder than I thought it would be. I can see a vision in my mind, but turning that into reality is a project that requires attention and patience. Thats the thing with setting goals.

Patience and understanding is so important, especially when it comes to yourself. You are not super human, as much as you may feel like it from time to time. You are simply human with side steps and obstacles. Set your goals out in front of you with very clear instructions to yourself of what needs to be done in order to accomplish them. For ME, the list for my BUSINESS WEBSITE looked something like this:

Research sites that I like, and list WHAT I like about them.
Discuss options with the 3 web designers ( names not important for this:).
Write the content for each page.
Collect photos, testimonials, videos etc .
Research price options for all the “extra's”.
Determine what I want versus what I need..... Be smart!!

And of course a million other little things, but they are all for a purpose and therefore worth more than the somewhat overwhelmingness of THE LIST. Instead of looking at the great big list of things that need to be done, and trying to imagine what the end result will actually look like, slow down and start at the top. Start with the mini goals, that NEED to be done in order to reach the final dream. Check them off as you go. This feels so great, so refreshing and you begin to feel 'lighter'.

Kyla and her pup, Jackson - who she says brings her daily balance! :)

Some dreams take a lifetime to reach. Some happen in what seems like overnight. Each requires their own mini lists of to do's in order to reach the end, and each is equally important. Whatever you do, whatever steps in your way, just remember what it is that you are going after, and be SURE you are true to your WHY.

Your why is more important than anybody's “You Can't”. So just go do it!!!!

Wednesday Recipe

I've been so excited for this post for WEEKS now, I just didn't have any time to experiment before! However, a cooking extravaganza over the last couple of days led me to some new discoveries! The last 2 days I've been cooking up a storm! I had no more snacks or good clean food in the house and it was time to stock up! I spent 2 days, in the Minnesota heat wave, with my oven on and cooking in my bikini! ha ha But I got it all done! Here's a pic!

I made tons of amazing DAMY Health recipes; lemon avocado pudding (sounds awful, but seriously SO good), granola bars, taco bites, DAMY crackers, black bean brownies, a cauliflower and sweet potato soup and apple cinnamon almond flour muffins (from the DAMY blueberry muffin recipe but I added cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves instead with small apple pieces). For any of those recipes (except the soup), you should check out the DAMY Health website and click on the blog section! Deliciousness!

Clean Dark Chocolate PB "Crunch" Balls

These PB Balls were an idea I had on my mind to make. I had planned on doing it differently but than when I had an "accident" in the kitchen yesterday while making a DAMY Health recipe, my problem was solved! So part of this recipe is based on the Black Bean PB Brownies made by DAMY.

1. Make the PB portion of the DAMY Health Black Bean PB Brownie Recipe on low heat in a saucepan. I think this is supposed to be smooth and runny, but when I mixed all of these together in the saucepan, it became a Reese's PB Cup-like texture. I clearly left mine on a bit too long but it turned out great! Mix this with a spoon until it becomes stiff. It will roll up into a ball in the saucepan.

2. Roll small scoops of the PB mixture into approx 1" balls. You must do this right away before the PB cools down too much.

3. Melt about 1/2 C dark chocolate (I use Trader Joe's 72% cacao dark chocolate) in a double boiler.

4. Mix in 1/3 C Food For Life Almond Cereal (I LOVE this stuff in smoothies or with greek yogurt and fruit!)

5. Dip PB Balls into the chocolate mixture, coating entire ball.

6. Place these onto a piece of parchment paper and put in the freezer to harden. When hard, you may store these in your refrigerator or keep frozen as well.

Clean Dark Chocolate "Crunch" Bar

1. Melt about 1/2 C dark chocolate (I use Trader Joe's 72% cacao chocolate) in a double boiler.  

2. Mix in 1/3 C Food For Life Almond Cereal.

3. Spoon these into molds (I used some small square tupperware containers that aren't too deep).

4. Place in the freezer to harden.

5.  When hard, remove from freezer and turn container upside down and tap on a counter or plate so that the Crunch Bar will fall out.

6. You may store these in your refrigerator or keep frozen as well.

Enjoy your lovely treats everyone!

And as always, remember - it's Wednesday! You're halfway there!

Source: web.gracesgraphics.com via Linda on Pinterest

Keep on keeping on.

As you all know, I own a bike tourism company, Minneapolis By Bike. It's my first FULL season of the bike tours and it's been going well! Of course, I would love to have MORE business, but Rome wasn't built in a day and neither was my business. It will take time for it to get more well-known and mentioned to visitors here but I've been doing my best at getting the word out. One great thing that occurred was that I was able to do a deal with the City Pages, a Minneapolis-based newspaper. I didn't sell heaps of tours, but enough to fill up at least one day, per weekend in June which just getting out and doing tours alone is great advertising! 

I did a tour today and we JUST missed the hard rain at the end of the tour! We got to see an arts festival this weekend as well as visit local farmers' markets. 

One of the reasons I LOVE to do this company is that it involves 2 of my passions. Firstly, it involves fitness. I get to take people around in an environmentally friendly way, that helps them to be active. I hope that people who are relocating here (as was one of the cases today) or even live here, become more inspired to use their bikes to get around when they see what a great city that Minneapolis is for biking. Secondly, it involves my passion for travel and meeting new people. I'm a talker. I love to talk and meet all kinds of new people and being an avid traveler myself, I've done tons of tours and I think I know what makes a good tour. Being able to show people around my wonderful city is a joy!

Are there things that could be improved? Yes. Is there more equipment I would love to have? Of course! However, as a new business, I have to make do. But I am loving the business thus far and it's giving me and opportunity to really grow as a person as well. Each new tour is a new learning experience! Plus, I'm so grateful to the businesses who have really helped me out. Re-Cycle Bike Shop and Recovery Bike Shop, who are giving me a space to keep my stuff and helping me with maintenance have been an awesome help! 

As I mentioned, my real difficulty has been to get this business known. My friend, Kate, had a wonderful idea to stand on the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis, as a lot of visitors go there, and hand out flyers. I did this on Friday and I think that even if I didn't get people to sign up, I DID get the word out more. I think I'll continue to flyer on days that I don't have tours booked. 

Handing out flyers on the bridge.

One thing that I am sure about is that this is a big goal and passion of mine and although business does not happen quickly, I will not be quick to give up. I've had a lot of positive feedback about the business and I know it's only a matter of time before the word gets out there so I will keep on trucking on!

Source: etsy.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

So this is just a little post to remind myself, as well as the rest of you, keep on believing and chasing your goals! They will come with time. Anything worth attaining comes with a lot of hard work and the key is to not give up when things don't go as planned or as quickly as we'd like them to be. Keep on keeping on! 

What are you currently trying to achieve? What have been some of your obstacles?

Wednesday Recipe

I'm back on track again with posting! Yea! This even makes two posts today! So here's another wonderful recipe! I have another one planned for next week that I can't wait to try and make, but I need some time to do it this weekend. For now, this is what I did this week:

Savory Brown Rice Protein Pancake

This doesn't really look like much of a pancake. Truth is, my pancake sort of fell apart when I was making it. Just imagine a perfectly round cake in your head for a better effect. :)

I often times have protein pancakes in the morning. You know, oats, fruit of choice, egg whites, cinnamon, etc. One day for lunch though, I was craving something savory. I had my oatmeal for the day so making a  regular protein pancake for lunch was out of the question. I didn't have many proteins ready and available to whip something up so I was pretty much limited to greek yogurt and eggs. I had a brilliant idea suddenly. Why not a savory brown rice protein pancake?! Then...I got to work!

To make this delicious beauty:

Dice peppers (of all colors) and onion into small square pieces. As much as desired. I would say half cup at least. Saute these in olive oil in a pan. Next, in a bowl put 4 egg whites. Add to egg whites 1/2 C  plus another spoonful of cooked brown rice. Mix these together. Add brown pepper and salt as desired. You could also add other spices depending on what you like: cayenne pepper or some tabasco sauce if you like spicy food, garlic powder, chives, or any other spices you enjoy. I also add a small handful of shredded mozzarella cheese. When peppers and onion are cooked add to the bowl and mix all ingredients together thoroughly. Now, cook this in olive oil in a pan till thoroughly cooked. 

You have your savory brown rice protein pancake! Enjoy!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Remember, you're halfway there! :)

Clean Sweep!

A couple of weeks ago, I went on a cleaning mission. For at least a week, I had a box of glass containers that my father gave to me from my grandma's house. They were the cool glass ones with the flip top lids and rubber airtight seals on top that close with a metal clamp. Know the ones I'm talking about? Ah - These:

Source: thegraciouspantry.com via Sea on Pinterest

 As they sat in my path of walking for a week, I finally had to do something about it. I had decided to replace my old storage containers with grandma's. Grandma's containers needed a good washing though, (as did my place), so I thought I would get it all done in one afternoon.

I washed and dried the containers and started to fill them with the food items in my cupboards; noodles, quinoa, nuts, oats. I looked at a lot of my old containers and other items in my pantry. It occurred to me that, most of them, I hadn't touched in a year. These were foods like white flour, white sugar, maple syrup (made of corn syrup), maseca, and on and on. Foods that I've tried to eliminate from my diet. I was thinking about why I still had these around. I remembered having kept some of them thinking that maybe if I had to bring treats to a dinner or gathering, I would use them. Looking at my overflowing cupboard I realized, I didn't NEED to keep these foods. Not only do I not include them in my diet, but why do I feel the need or want to feed that to my friends?! After all, DAMY Health has plenty of recipes on hand that I can make and bring to gatherings. Most of the time, when I bring these foods, nobody knows the difference anyway!

I decided to make a clean sweep of my cupboards  - just like I do my closets each year! Anything that hadn't been touched in a year was gone! Look at everything I found!

Shortening, corn starch, powered sugar, maple syrup (made with corn syrup), biscuit mix, dry milk, pancake mix! Stuff I don't include in my diet anymore!

Also...

Flour, maseca, white sugar...

No more!

Gone are the non-clean foods!

What I ended up with though, was much more spectacular and CLEAN!

Popcorn, noodles, nuts, oatmeal in Grandma's containers.

Much less crowded and happier shelves!

While I was doing that, I figured why stop there?! I also finally got some organization done for my business stuff! A calendar to write down all my tours on and a little box to put all of my bills in when they arrive for accounting. Attached it to the back of my door and moved my old board to a new location on the back of another door.

I'm newly organized now and I have no refined sugars or flours to make goodies! It's going to be all clean goodies at parties from now on! And why not?! Then I'll have an option to eat and won't be eating any of the bad stuff! :)

How many of you have cleaned out your cupboards of the items you don't want to include in your diet?

MIA

I've been soooooo MIA! Per usual, it's not lack of wanting to blog or having subjects to blog about, rather it's being BUUUSY! It was a really rough week and a half for me when my coworker was gone on a trip at my day job. Plus, it was the extremely busy period for my job. Every end of the month becomes very busy in the food shelf. I worked late every night and was simply mentally taxed by the time I got home! It actually reminded me a bit of my OLD job and how I felt every day when I was working there. If anything, it was a healthy reminder to me that that is NOT what I desire for a career. In this instance, it was just a chance occurrence that my coworker was out of town during the busy period. Normally, it's much more manageable when we are both there to share the work.

Awful...yet funny! :)

Another thing that has kept me busy is the business! But I am HAPPY to say that it's been keeping me a bit busy! I've been getting more requests for tours now and I'm very excited about it because it means the word is getting out more and hopefully the opportunity for growth exists! I did a special with a local paper here to offer a deal. It didn't sell many (which is okay because I took a huge cut in money I would get from the tours) but it did get me a few and it was good exposure. I'm hoping to keep getting more! :) The last couple of weeks I have had my first tours with "strangers" (people that I didn't know or have any connection with before). They were great experiences! I was really nervous about doing a good job and impressing them. Not knowing what they would think about the tours. The people on both tours seemed to have a good time. Here are some pics from the tours!

I have some other tours booked this weekend as well as for the next couple of weekends. I'm looking forward to them! I also get to give an extremely special tour to my sister and her family when they come to visit from Colorado later this month! I can't wait to see all my nieces and nephew and be able to take them out for a fun bike ride around town!

Now that work has calmed down a bit, I'll try and get back to more posts! Good to be back! :)

Wednesday Recipe

I've been behind in posting this week. This week will be an extremely stressful one for me. The end of every month is very busy in the food shelf and this month I happen to be having to do it alone. My coworker went for some travels this week so I'm just trying to stay alive and grin and bear through it. I may not be doing many posts, therefore. I did manage to squeak this one out though so as to not disappoint. :) Plus, I was very excited about this recipe! 

CLEAN SINGLE SERVE MONSTER COOKIE

Whether or not my mom made these when I was younger, (I swear I remember she did but I don't know if it's something I'm just making up in my head or she actually did), I still am in love with monster cookies. I absolutely love them! Of course, I had to make a clean version of it!

This is what I did:

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1/4 C Oatmeal

1/8 C Almond Meal

1-2 Tbsp Natural Peanut Butter

1 Egg White

Small Scoop Raisins

Small Scoop Dark Chocolate Chips

Small Scoop Slivered Almonds

Splash of Vanilla

Dash of Cinnamon

Place coconut oil in small bowl. If not melted/liquidy heat in microwave until it is. Add all other ingredients and mix thoroughly until cake batter-type consistency. It won't be runny but it's not as thick as cookie dough either. The thing that I LOVE about Monster Cookies is that they are different for everyone! You could add a lot of other things in here too that you would like; shredded coconut, dark chocolate M&Ms, whatever says monster cookie to you! Finally, I placed batter on parchment paper in shape of a cookie and baked in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-12 mins just until the edges were golden brown. Delicious! 

I hope you all enjoy this recipe and that you are surviving this week like me!