Wild Woman Wednesday

It’s baaaaaaackkkk! I know, you’ve been waiting all week for it, right? Great – let’s do it!

One of the biggest problems facing many women today is not the desire to exercise, but trying to find the time to exercise. You may have even diligently tossed that gym back in the back of your car Sunday night, swearing this would be the week! But, alas, by the time you’ve done the commute, been the taxi driver for the kids, run the chores, shopped, picked up the groceries, and the million other things you do on a daily basis, a month has flown by and that poor gym bag has more dust on it than the top of your frig!

What’s a gal to do? Well, here’s today’s solution – AUTOCIZE! That’s right – exercise in your CAR!!!! Put down that coffee, put away that makeup (oh, come on, you know you’ve put on make in the car before), and get ready to multitask those thighs into oblivion! It’s really not that hard… (and of course, check with your doctor first before beginning any exercise program)

(1) As you’re driving, engage your core – in other words, hold in your stomach muscles tightly as if someone were about to punch you in the tummy. Hold as tight as you can for 15 seconds, then release. Keep your eyes on the road at all times, and remember to breath. Do this several times as you groove on down the road.

(2) Next, engage your glutes – in other words, squeeze your tushie muscles as tight as you can. Follow the same routine as #1 above.

(3) Now for my favorite – SEAT DANCING! What? You don’t want to look silly? Now wait a minute, first off, nobody else cares, and besides, chances are you will never see them again in that ten-second line at the red light. Turn up the volume on your favorite dance CD, sing, bounce, and just have fun. You will feel so much better! Remember, you’re a Wild Woman!!!!

And just for fun, scroll down to the bottom of the blog to check out this video of Wild Wednesday baby, who loves to seat dance (it takes a minute for him to get started, so be patient!)

Blessings!

Twisted Tuesday

No, I’m not referring to my twisted little mind (although some of my friends might debate that statement)! In light of all the East Coast hurricane and tornado winds that recently blew life around like a dry leaf in the autumn breeze, today I want you to exercise your thoughts.

Twist your thoughts – instead of thinking, “I can’t do this!” twist it around and think, “How could I accomplish this?” When you find yourself thinking, “That person is a jerk!” bend that baby around and imagine, “What would s/he be like if I approached him/her this way instead?” When seeing some big dream or project looming in the distance, instead of allowing yourself to get overwhelmed and voicing that by saying, “There’s no way I can accomplish that!” – TWIST! Ask yourself, “If there were a way, what would it look like? What would be the first step I could take to begin tackling it?”

Remember – if you tell that amazing brain of yours “I can’t!” it will say, “Oh, okay.” But… if you ask the question “How can I?” instead, your brain will say, “OH, now that’s something I can really work on!!” and you will be amazed at the ideas that will surface.

So go make like Chubby Checker – and TWIST!!!!

(Oh, and P.S. dancing burns about 300 calories an hour, so feel free to blast that music and twist and shout to get your brain in gear and whittle that waistline at the same time!)

Manic Monday!

Well, for those of you here on the East Coast, many are either home still cleaning up branches and flooded basements, dealing with no power, or trying to find a non-blocked, non-flooded road on which to safely commute to work. I’m blessed to have only gotten some puddles in the basement and some tree limbs down here and there. Yes, exercising my knees today by being down on them thanking God for Hurricane Irene not hitting with the full-throttle force original anticipated by the media. Our prayers go out to all who are having difficulties or long-term hardships from the aftermath.

To that end, today I am listing the website for the American Red Cross. You can find disaster kits, information on where to get help, and overall information. I must admit I’m not one to be super-prepared for emergencies, but between last week’s earthquake and hurricane double-headed, I’m making sure to put together a kit for both home and car. So this Monday, if you’re not already doing so, take time to exercise your safety by putting together everything you need in case of another emergency. And make sure to reach out to others who are not as fortunate as you!!!

http://www.redcross.org/en/

Blessings,

Linda

Wild Woman Wednesday

Okay ladies – its mid-week slump time. You probably have spent the last few days juggling umpteen million things and facing down the rest of the week feeling exhausted and overwhelmed. (Don’t you love that – “ump-teen million” – that was one of my grandmother’s crazy phrases, and since it’s Wild Woman Wednesday, I will honor her by using it!) Well guess what? IT’S TIME TO CELEBRATE!!!! Hoo-wha!!! That’s right, celebrate! You may be having a great day, you may be having a lousy day, but it’s time to exercise your right to be a wild woman. Go do something just for you. I want you to take a moment to treat yourself.

We’re not talking about anything that’s going to break the bank and bust your budget. Maybe it’s something as seemingly inconsequential and small as buying yourself a fancy-schmancy beverage (there’s Grandmom’s influence again) --- but remember, use skim milk so you don’t drink a day’s calories in your wildwomanness! Maybe for us girly-girls it’s a new lipstick or nail polish – or go seriously wild witchur bad self and go for the leopard print push up with matching thong – NOW we’re talking!!! (Let's face it, our Wild Woman in the photo may just be wearing faux zebra underneath all those layers of petticoats!!!) Maybe a book or CD. Maybe it’s just taking the slower, more beautiful way home without listening to the radio – enjoying the silence. Okay, I know, the guy blasting his horn in the bumper-to-bumper traffic isn’t exactly calming your nerves, but give it a try. No, no being a wild woman doesn’t give you the right to yell TOWANDA! and back into him!!! We're talking wild, here, not insane.

Do something to celebrate fabulous, wonderful, wacky, terrific, amazing, WILD WOMAN YOU!!! Yes, that one-and-only person staring you back in the mirror – ain’t nobody in the whole wide world made just like YOU – and THAT is a VERY GOOD THING

Blessings!

Battery Running Low?

Today we're addressing the topic of exercising your drained laptop battery! Hey you never know what we're going to coach you on here!! It's all life!

In Yahoo's video feature episode of Upgrade Your Life, Yahoo! News' Becky Worley shows us how to help laptop batteries last longer ... and what to do when they run out! This is of particular interest to me, as I recently did purchase a new battery for my laptop, which seemed to have zero zip when it came to unplugging for usage on the go. I was forever trying to find the nearest outlet (no, no, not for shopping therapy, to plug in my laptop).

Seems my laptop and I shared the same problem - no oomph (yes, a high technical trainer term) when needed. Where is that energizing bunny when I need him?

Stay tuned for future posts on how to keep your own battery/energy in top notch condition as well.

Frugal Friday - Cash In Your Plastic and Go Green!

In a article I read recently by Dave Ramsey (creator of Financial Peace University, Total Money Makeover and financial expert), he noted that in a study of credit card ue at McDonald's (yes, McDonald's), people spent 47% more when using credit instead of cash! "Oh yeah, I'll have off the dollar menu... oh wait! I have my credit card -- supersize everything!!!! (including my debt) For further information, please go to his website at www.daveramsey.com.

I'm the first one to admit that it is waaaaaay easier to overspend when I am zipping that budget-bustin' piece of plastic through that little magic machine, whether I'm practicing shoe therapy, clothes therapy, book therapy, any other kind of retail therapy, or just at the grocery store. But put a real-live $20 bill in my hand, with the knowledge that when that's gone, therapy is over, well, then I am the mindful model of frugality.

So what's today's challenge? Take a deep breath, figure out how much spending you'll be doing this weekend, go to the bank and get that amount of cash, and then step awaaaayyyyyy from the debit and credit cards this weekend and GO GREEN! Only use cash! I know, you may have some withdrawl symptoms (hands shaking as you put an item back on the shelf, inability to let go of the money and getting into a tug-of-war with the clerk at the counter, depression and sudden burts of tears when you must walk out of the store empty-handed, just to name a few). It's not pretty nor easy, but it can be done, I promise! Been there, done that, DIDN'T buy the tee-shirt!

So go for it, be radically resourceful, rebel with a dollar left over, and leave those cards at home. Please comment and let me know how it went for you!

Turn Off the Plug-In Drug!

I just read today that in a recent poll it was discovered that the average American watches television 34 hours a week. That's almost five hours a day, a little over 20% of your week! If you factor in working 8 hours a day, and sleeping 8 hours a day, then those 34 hours now consume about 60% of your week!!! Think about how that many hours in front of the "plug-in drug" may affect your eating patterns, as well as your exercise, to say nothing about your brain! Imagine what you could accomplish if you used that time pursuing goals and dreams! Seriously - do you really want to have a Ph.D in being a couch potato?

What would you do with five extra hours a day? Turn off the TV, and think about it!

Frugal Friday

We usually link frugality with monetary economics. However, this weekend, I'd like you to think of it more as personal physical economics. How can you curb the spending of yourself? Think of ways to block off small amounts of time for yourself -- take 15 minutes to breath and stretch. Talk a walk, take a nap, turn off the TV early and read or just go to bed early for a change. Even change turns into dollars, so think of little bits of time as adding up to a better investment in YOU! Relax, renew, recooperate -- take stock in yourself, and watch the dividends of less stress and better health rise!!!