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Mixed up Monday!

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Hi my friends! This is supposed to be Motivational Monday, where I talk about goal setting but I think today it is Mixed up Monday or Mom Monday or something! I have not had any time to myself to sit down and write. It is frustrating when there is so much I am excited about and want to do. I have big plans for this blog. Inspiring and Entrepreneurial stories coming soon. It is just that sometimes the urgent takes over the other important things I want to do. Our family had a wonderful spring break in Breckenridge, Colorado with some very good friends and their kids last week . My mom has been in both the hospital and rehab for over 6 weeks healing from leg surgery. Last week while I was away, she was transferred to the hospital again because she was having trouble, her personality changed and she was scared of everything and really upset. I ran down here to Dallas on Saturday (we live outside of Tulsa) to help my sister with her. We moved her to a rehab on Saturday and the people are wonderful and she is like her old self! So I am coming home today after I do some more things for her. Then Thursday I am off to Saratoga Springs, New York to meet some very special friends and speak at the Heart Centered Business Summit:Entrepreneur Empowerment with a Cause . I am so excited about it! Anyway, will keep you all posted and get back to writing as soon as I can!

Deb

Fun Fitness Goals!

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It’s Motivational Monday again! This is part two of my health and fitness goal setting.

Last week I focused on a healthy diet, this week I want to focus on exercise goals.

I love to work out, I just was in a rut last year and needed a challenge. I was running some and doing videos that I had dvr’d on FitTv on cable. My favorites are Cathe Friedrich and  Total Body Sculpt with Gilad (I think he has been around at least 20 years!) but I needed to change it up. I still do their workouts from time to time; if you already have FitTv on cable and can dvr, this is a great free option!

Choose a fitness plan

I needed a new fitness plan to follow: a new goal to work towards and check off each day. The following are some fitness ideas.

P90x workout

I started out with p90x workout. I love it because you can do it from home using their videos. I love the variety. One day is lifting weights focusing on arms, chest, back or legs, the next day is yoga or kenpo (kickboxing) or plyometrics (jumping). Every other day includes a great abdominal If you want to start with a version that is not quite so extreme, try the  Power 90 . P90x can be an hour+, the Power 90 is 30 minutes. Check them out.

Running

About 6 weeks into p90x I decided I wanted to get involved with Team in Training (TNT) because they contribute to my cause, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and I love to run and wanted to be outside. I decided to train for my first half marathon, which I completed in October. I did the San Francisco Nike Women’s marathon. It was incredible!

So even though p90x is a 12 week program and I only did 6 weeks, it is ok to switch goals as long as you are doing something! After my October run, I switched back to p90x this winter because I don’t like to run in the extreme cold. Now that it is warming up I am running again, training for the San Diego Rock and Roll half marathon in June with TNT.

I am not saying jump in and train for a half marathon. Set small goals like running a mile and then entering a 5K-there are lots of runs to choose from. Find a buddy to run with or join a running group.

Yoga

Another form of exercise I do that is essential for me is yoga. It is a great workout and just the balance I need. I need some stretching to balance the running and the weights. I go to Inner Peace Yoga in Tulsa (they carry the Happy First line!) and their classes are wonderful. They have a variety of classes for every level. Another thing I love about yoga is it is nonjudgmental. You focus on what you can do and don’t worry what the other person is doing. Every one has  their own journey. Inner Peace has a  happy atmosphere! It is fun to see familiar faces; the friends there keep me going.

Golf

I also love to golf. I love to be outside and have fun with friends and work at getting better at something (I have a long way to go with golf, but still love it!) I started out with some friends that were at the same level as me and we took lessons together. We have a blast.

Fitness Club or group

There are many good fitness clubs out there. My friend Lori loves Gold’s Gym because there are so many classes (spin, weights, yoga) to go to. She also likes the pool since she is training for a triathalon. My friend Erica owns Fitbootcamptulsa in Broken Arrow, OK. A group of moms meet at 5:30 am every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and have a different challenging workout each time. It is great to have a group to be accountable to and have fun with!

Pick a form of exercise that is fun and works for you. Set some goals within that plan. Get out there and do it! You will feel so much better!

What fitness ideas do you have?

Healthy Weight Goals

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Happy Motivational Monday! Lately I have had a goal setting series on my blog on Mondays. This week I am going to talk about health and fitness goals.

Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.

I think we are the happiest when we feel and look our best. I know when I am working out regularly and eating healthy foods I have more energy and feel so much better. When I am at my target weight I feel more confident too! Now I am not saying you have to be skinny to be happy, just at a healthy weight that is just right for you.

In an earlier blog post I mentioned you should have measurable goals. For my weight goal it is a target number and for my exercise goal  it is having a program to follow or a goal (for me it was a half marathon).

I have been wanting to be back to a certain weight for about 3 years so I finally committed to doing that this year with a specific date to be that weight. I think we have to have a healthy lifestyle and eating habits to maintain our goal weight. I can work out a lot, but if I don’t eat right, the weight won’t come off.

The three things I want to talk about with regards to weight loss are some weight loss programs, simple tips from friends, and enlisting help from a buddy.

Weight loss programs

When I want to lose excess weight, what works for me is cutting out the sugar and simple carbs. I like to follow the South Beach Diet. Some of you may think it is hard at first because the first 2 weeks you cut out all pasta, bread, rice, fruit, and alcohol. That may sound extreme to some of you but if you read the book you will see the whole purpose of this is to change your mindset and get your body off of all the excess sugar. I have felt so much better doing this. I eat about 5 times a day, 3 meals, and 2 snacks (love nuts, have them in my car). I lost 5 pounds in my first week. After the first 2 weeks you can add back complex carbs. They have lots of good recipes.  Just cutting out the sugar is amazing.

I have heard really good things about Weight Watchers too. Some people need the accountability with a group and portioned meals. There are many programs out there to help you lose weight. Just make sure it is not a bunch of processed food. Fresh food is the best. Grass feed natural meat is better for you than grain fed. Organic fruits and vegetables are best. Soon it will be spring and there will be farmer’s markets where you can find locally grown food. Again, it is all moderation and what works for you. Just set a goal and get the mindset and do it! I think that is the secret.

Simple Tips for Weight Loss

Here are a few tips from friends and me.  Do what works for you.

My friend Lori, who is super fit, wanted to shed a few extra pounds and she decided to cut out her unhealthy afternoon snacks and eat dinner before 6 pm. She also went with smaller meals. She didn’t deny herself any certain foods, just ate less.

My friend Pam reduced her portions, drank green tea and got eight hours of sleep a night. Studies have shown that when you are sleep deprived you eat more.

I feel better when I don’t eat until I am full. I don’t like that full feeling anymore. I also don’t like to eat late anymore. I like going to bed feeling just a tad hungry. I feel so much better when I wake up. And I am a big believer in breakfast! It is my favorite meal! I have read that if you eat breakfast, you won’t eat so much throughout the day.

Get a weight loss buddy

It really helps to enlist the help of a buddy to be accountable to. My friend Lori and her friend would text each other when they had a craving and then they would talk each other out of it. What I did was get a friend that also has a weight goal and we email each other each day with our daily progress. It really works!

And don’t get discouraged, just keep going. I had lost 8 pounds (my goal is 10) but then recently went on a girl’s trip to Scottsdale, Arizona and then the next week I went to Dallas. Even though I ran while out of town, I had gained some of it back, but now that I am back home with more planned meals I am losing it again.

I hope these suggestions help you get to where you want to be in getting to and maintaining a healthy weight.

Next week I will tell you my fitness goals.

What ideas do YOU all have that works for you as far as health and fitness? I love new ideas!

thank you Michelle Kiss for your cute photo!  You are truly talented! http://www.flickr.com/photos/michellekiss/4490112160/

Organizing your Home

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Happy Monday! I’m continuing my goal setting series. I think I will call this series Motivational Mondays!

Last week I told you I divided my goals into 3 areas-home, fitness and business. Let’s start with home. In order for me to accomplish all of my other goals more smoothly, I have got to start with my home and my home office. Last week I talked about how your goals should be measurable. I think the goal of keeping a nice home is the most hard to be measurable. I guess you can say “by this date I will have my closet cleaned out” but then it gets messy again. Keeping a home is an ongoing thing, so I guess this area is the least measurable but you can still break it down and constantly maintain. I have lots of ideas to help you!

I am being open with you all-this is my biggest struggle-organization! Some of you may think I am organized, and in a lot of ways I am. I think I am both right and left brain. I majored in accounting, so many things in my life have to be perfectly balanced. But then I have this artsy side, and it is a mess! Some rooms in our home are fine and some are a disaster! Like my closet! And it eats at me! So I am working on it. I have recently  cleaned out my office, feels so good. So today I am going to talk about my goal to organize my home.

Do you have any of these problems- Spending too much time looking for something? Buying things that you already have but can’t find them or forgot you had them?  Waking up in the middle of the night just wondering how you will get it all done? I have been striving for order and peace, and am slowly getting there. I believe when we have the clutter cleared away both physically and mentally, we have more room to be creative and feel more free.

Resources to help you get organized

Flylady.net is a great website founded by Marla Cilley. I actually have followed the site for years, but not down to the tee. But I do several things Marla suggests. One thing that really helps is setting a timer for 15 minutes. Sometimes I will look at a mess and get so overwhelmed, I don’t even want to start. She says, just tell yourself you will work on it for 15 minutes. It is amazing what you can get done in 15 minutes! Sometimes the task you have been procrastinating doesn’t even take 15 minutes but you have thought about it for days instead of just doing it! Also, once the timer goes off, you may be really getting into it, so it is ok to keep setting it for another 15 minutes! And you can take breaks! I still do this today-even did it to start writing this blog entry. Set my timer to make myself get started! And now I can’t seem to stop.

Another Flylady technique is having an evening and morning routine. Flylady is big on having a clean kitchen sink. So every night I get the dishes loaded and the sinks clean. I love waking up to a clean kitchen, makes me so happy! I always set the coffeemaker the night before so my coffee is ready when I wake up, love it! She also suggests (and I don’t always do but should) that you lay out your clothes the night before so you have that all decided. My morning routine is to start with a quiet time for me, help my son get out the door for school, unload the dishwasher and work out. If I don’t work out in the morning, it usually doesn’t happen.

Another resource I have mentioned before is the book “The Power of Less“, by Leo Baubata. One idea he had is to focus on a new habit for 30 days. He stressed to only choose one habit at a time to keep you focused. To help me with my home organization my new habit for March is going to be declutter for 15 minutes a day for 30 days. It can be a drawer, my car, closet, whatever.

Ok, I keep thinking about my closet, because it is not done yet. One technique I have used for every room is to get 3 boxes or bags when attacking a room. Assign each box or bag as Throw Away, Give Away and Put Away (in another room). When I get started I set the timer and go. The Put Away box is for things to go in another room but I am not allowed to go in the other room until the timer goes off, because then I will get distracted in there (oh, can you tell I am ADD?). As for the other two boxes-I am getting so much better at throwing and giving away. Too much stuff is just overwhelming. Less really is more. I like making other people happy with things I don’t need.

Another resource to get organized is to enlist help from friends, family or a professional. Some people actually think it is fun to help others organize! My sister was great one year when she came to visit-she went through my closet and made me get rid of lots of stuff, including all my Christmas sweaters! (This was at least 5 years ago, I know they have been out of style for a while! It was hard to part with those Michael Simon sweaters for some strange reason). Sisters, at least my sister, are great at being brutally honest. I also know of 2 professional organizers, if you are in Tulsa, that have helped me tremendously with both my home and business. They are Michelle Lehman, owner of www.organizingsolutions.info and Katie Campbell at campbellcckc@att.net.

I just read all of this to my husband (the neat engineer, totally opposite of me-opposites attract!) and he said “Organization is simply a methodology, a process, a way of life”! Well, yea, for some people- I am still trying to get there!

I hope that by sharing my struggles and successes, I will help others.

Next Monday I will talk about  health and fitness goals.

Any organization ideas that work for you all? Any new habits you want to do for March?

The Art of Goal Setting

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Last Monday I talked about figuring out your dream or vision for your life. Once you do that, start writing down your goals to get there. It is weird how when you write your goals down and start focusing on them, it starts coming together! I am a very goal driven, type A person. I do so much better if I have goals set before me. Goals energize, challenge me. You can do anything if you put your mind to it!

Write down your goals on paper

Put them where you can see them every day. You can make a whole list of goals, but start out focusing on no more than three at a time. A book that has helped me so much with this is “The Power of Less” by Leo Babauta. It is about setting goals, reaching them, focusing and simplifying your life. He talks about figuring out what your goals are and saying “No” to activities that are not in alignment with your goals. This has been a constant struggle for me; I have a hard time saying no! I want to be involved in everything and I want people to like me. I don’t like to be left out. I want to be Super Mom, wife and business owner. But I am learning in order to be effective I cannot spread myself too thin. Babauta’s  book also talks about time management and how to be more streamlined in your day. I highly recommend it.

Once you set your goals then break them down into projects and tasks to get there. Your goals must be measurable, not just broad statements. For example, don’t say, “I want to lose weight this year or exercise more, say “I am going to be at this weight by this date and this is the way I am going to do it”. Goals seem overwhelming at first, but if you break them down with a timeline and into projects made up of tasks, it is doable. If you have too many goals or make them too difficult, you will give up easily. I read an article in the business section of the Tulsa paper back in January by Harvay Mackay. He talked about goal setting and said “Setting goals is all about taking charge of a situation.” What is it that you really want to accomplish? You have to really want it!

Harvay Mackay cited an example about a company setting a difficult production quota goal. There were 2 different test groups. They both had to reach the goal in 12 weeks. The first group was just told to reach it in 12 weeks, the second group was given weekly goals to reach that same difficult goal at the end. The first group only reached 66% of the goal, the second group exceeded their goal. That is why it is so important to break down your long term goals into monthly, weekly, daily goals.

I love this quote by Harvay Mackay “Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new end.”

I have divided my goals into different areas-home, business and fitness. I will share them with you over the next few Mondays.

What goals do you want to set?

Spark and Hustle!

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Spark and Hustle

I just had the most amazing time with about 200 women (and a few brave men!) at Tory Johnson’s Spark and Hustle 3 day convention. Tory is an award winning business leader, New York Times best selling author, workplace contributor to Good Morning America, and a speaker.  I knew I would enjoy her convention, but it way exceeded my expectations! My head is still spinning from all I have learned and experienced. Cindy Morrison (former Emmy-winning tv anchor and now author, speaker, and founder of socialvention) was instrumental in bringing this event to Tulsa-this is an 8 city tour and we were so lucky to get it here in Tulsa! Check out www.sparkandhustle.com and see if there is one in a city near you, I highly recommend it!

It was for anyone that has a business or business idea (a spark) and wants to hustle their business! I decided to go to learn new things, meet other business owners, and exchange ideas. I brought 5 business owner friends along. We all had the best time meeting new people and just soaking up the information. One thing we did that really helped was presenting our business to others at our table and have them give us new ideas. It was exciting to hear a completely fresh perspective!

In addition to Tory and Cindy we listened  to inspiring speakers including Paula Marshall, CEO of Bama Companies, Kristine Sexter (an award winning speaker, consultant and columnist-such a go getter!), Marley Majcher, business owner and author of But are you making any money, Michelle Pippin, a small business coach (so many good ideas!), Simon Bailey (a dynamic motivational speaker), Jo Khalifa, owner of www.mojoroast.com (what an inspiring speaker!),   Jeretta Nord, OSU professor and owner of www.acupofcappuccino.com, Shari Alexander, co-owner of the Expert Message Group (I really enjoyed her speech about public speaking and writing your own book) and Vivian Tenorio, owner of www.signatureflan.com . We also listened to some local business owners, many of whom I have wanted to meet.

I loved hearing about how these women had a dream and made it happen. They gave us nuts and bolts of what they did to succeed. It was so inspiring but it was more than a motivational seminar; we learned business concepts, we networked and exchanged ideas and helped one another in the sessions! I made so many good friends at this event. This is what Happy First is all about, encouraging others to pursue their passion!  I soon will be writing some inspiring stories of entrepreneurs I know. If you have a story to share, please let me know through my contact form above. Also, if you want to go to Spark and Hustle, enter HOSTHAPPYFIRST under the discount code, and you will get 10% off of the convention price! I want us all to help one another in our journey to happiness, success and fulfillment.

Find your passion and pursue it

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oklahoma blizzard 2011Tulsa has had record snow the last 2 weeks.  Winter is not my favorite season (I am more of a warm weather girl) but I do like occasionally being snowed in to be with family and simply slow down. For me, winter is a time to plan and reflect. I like to set goals, especially this time of year, so I thought I would write several entries about goal setting for your personal and business life. I will be posting them on Mondays.

Defining Your Dream

The first thing you must ask yourself is what do I truly want to do, pursue, change? Call it the vision, the dream, or the goal. I think we all have dreams inside of us waiting to burst out. We all have talents of some sort, some of us just may not have explored them because of time, money, fear of failure, or life just getting in the way.

How do you figure out your dream? Start out by spending some time alone and write down what you enjoy doing. What makes you happy? What did you like to do as a kid? (I did crafts and drew fashion pictures all the time) Did you  aspire to be or do something but someone or circumstances shut you down? Is there a cause you really believe in? Somewhere you would want to volunteer? Just listen to  what is inside of you and dare to think of the possibilities. It is never too late to be or to do!  Don’t look at past experiences as failures but as stepping stones leading up to what you are to do now.

Surround yourself with positive, outgoing people. I read a great book years ago called Balcony People, don’t know if it is still in print but it was all about the people in life that lift you up and try to get you to come to the balcony. Don’t listen to the Basement people that try to drag you down. If you’re not sure what your strengths and talents are, ask your good, true friends what they think your strengths are. Also, branch out and find some people with common interests and network and exchange ideas. In the past few years, through networking meetings and trade shows, several new people have come into my life that now are my dearest friends and mentors.

This is our one life to live-go for it! Design your life, no one else is going to do it for you. What are you waiting for? Start now. Don’t wait for everything to fall perfectly in place, just get started.

I think we are the happiest when we are pursuing something. Wouldn’t it be fun to choose work (or a hobby or a cause) you love where you just lose yourself in it? We have choices and opportunities. We live in a country where we have freedom to open up our own business, go to school, learn new things, meet new people. It makes me sad to see so many people in unhappy jobs, relationships, situations. I know some things we can’t control, but most of our future is based on our choices.

I love being a wife and mom. My family is my top priority. But for a very long time I have had a gnawing inside to do something even more, especially now that my kids are getting bigger and more independent. I want to reach out to others.  I love making friends and lifting people up. I know I went through cancer for a reason. I am finally figuring out that I am supposed to encourage others and use my creativity. I founded my company www.happyfirst.com to inspire others through fun clothing and accessories. My message is “find your passion and pursue it”.

I want Happy First to be a place where you can come and be inspired and encouraged. I would love to hear what your dreams, goals and aspirations are! Maybe by just professing it, it will get you started. Maybe you have already started and are in pursuit. Please share!

Snow Ice Cream recipe

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Snow Ice Cream!

These past 2 weeks in Oklahoma and northern Texas has been crazy! We have received record snow and so many people are stuck at home! I have actually enjoyed it.  So many of my friends have been on Facebook talking about the snow and things they are doing at home. I have thought of a twist to the saying “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”-how about “when there is too much snow, make snow ice cream!”  One of my old high school buddies, Kevin Misak, gave me this recipe. It is fun, easy and delicious! My family loves it. So here it is!

Snow Ice Cream

2 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla (or less, we liked a bit less)
1 cup milk

Beat eggs first, then stir the rest of the ingredients in. Stir well. In a separate bowl, go outside and grab a gallon of snow. Pour the mixture in the first bowl over the snow. Keep stirring till it looks like ice cream. Enjoy!

snow ice cream ingredients

beat the eggs, then mix in the sugar, milk and vanilla

scoop of snow for ice cream

scoop out some snow!

sugar mixture with snow

stir together well the sugar mixture and the snow

bowl of snow ice cream

the finished product! ready to eat!

snow ice cream

16 year old boys do not like posing for pictures!

snow ice cream

once they hit 20 they don't care, just want the ice cream!

What’s your word for 2011?

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inspiration word for 2011 is pursueHappy February 1st!

Where did January go? Did you set any goals, resolutions? It’s not too late! Every day is a new day!  That is what the egg in Happy First represents-new beginnings, breaking out of your shell.

Every year I like to set goals. I have different areas I like to focus on-my family and home, my business goals, creative goals and fitness goals. I have more focus and purpose each day when I am working towards something. A fun way to get started with goal setting is to pick a word for the new year. Write it down, frame it, and put it in a place you will see often each day. I put mine on my bathroom counter. I got this idea from Mary NurrieStearns, an incredible teacher at Inner Peace Yoga in Tulsa. She is also a therapist and always gives us great ideas to reflect on while we are getting a super hard workout. (I think she is just trying to distract us from the pain!)

Last year I chose the word Create. I looked up the definition in the dictionary and it means “to bring something into existence, to cause something to happen as a result of one’s actions.” Part of what Happy First is all about is breaking out of your shell. I believe everyone has creativity inside and will be happiest when they burst out!

I am happiest when I am creating. I love to play in my craft room and draw and sew. I felt like I wasn’t making time anymore for fun things like that in my life so I decided to focus on it. My friend Amy and I ended up taking a knitting class last year. I still didn’t get to do as much as I wanted to do creatively last year so I am still working on it. For Christmas I got a Bamboo Fun Wacom tablet, which enables you to draw on your computer. I just need to block out time each week for me to be creative.

This year my new word is Pursue. The Webster’s definition is “to find or employ measures to obtain or accomplish.” My quote on www.happyfirst.com is “Find your passion and pursue it”. I have lots of new ideas for Happy First and my life in general so this is my year to get out and pursue! To quit thinking and do!

I talked about this idea last year and here are some of the words and phrases my friends came up with for themselves-faith, simple (and this led to my friend decluttering her home), husband (one friend wanted to focus on her marriage), kindness, patience, just do it, and healthy body (and this friend, Pam,  went on to lose weight and run her first half marathon in 2010!). Here is an excerpt from what my friend Amy wrote in choosing the word “free”:

“Free! As we have discussed in person, free is my word. I am focusing on being free from all the things that hold me back from being my best every day. Since my kids were babies I have to them to wake up every day with the goal of being their best every day. Now it’s my turn to listen to my own words.”

Some other words people have come up with for this year (I posed this question on www.facebook/happyfirst ) are balance, lean into the fear, trust, love, overcome, inspire and believe.

So what is your word for 2011? I would love to see your ideas. It would be so much fun to share and inspire each other and maybe even be accountable to each other!

Happy 2011!