It was only yesterday that I had the rare opportunity to watch tv for 1/2 hour all by myself. The program of choice, "Life of Jenks" on MTV. A new series where a man travels all around the country experiencing things that most of us only read about. Yesterday, Jenks befriended a homeless girl named Danielle. He lived with her on the street for one week, experiencing everything she did on a daily/nightly basis. They slept on cement, sat on corners asking for change for food, and truly lived out of a grocery cart and a trash can.
All the questions that raced through my head, Jenks adressed. Why are you homeless? don't you think theres an easier way? Can't you get a part time job? Isn't there something better for you?
The root of Danielle's problem started at home. When her mother was asked, "how do you feel about your daughter living on the street?" Her shallow, alcholic, abusive, sorry excuse of a mother responded, "I'm okay with it".
So many thoughts swarmed through my head after watching this show. Sadly, we view documentaries like this often. Why did this one hit so close to home?
It's because when "Heavy D" or Danielle offered to share what she's discovered the meaning of life to be, she responded, "to be happy, to live each day fully, and to make the most out of everything." How could someone in her situation be happy? How could she live each day to the fullest? Why wasn't Danielle angry at the world? And why was she so optomistic about everything?
Well, if Danielle could do it, then I can certainly do it.
So I've decided to make some small adjustments in my daily thoughts and feelings.
Instead of worrying about how I'm going to juggle three things at once, I'm going to be happy that I have this beautiful life with these amazing opportunities to juggle.
Instead of whining about how crazy my kids are, I'm going to take pride in having given birth to three healthy, fantastic children.
Instead of moping because it's only 630am and I'm awake, I'm going to be greatful for the day ahead.
Instead of worrying because I only have enough milk for breakfast, I'm going to remind myself that some where out there is someone who can't afford food.
Instead of getting mad at loved ones, I'll be greatful that they are a part of my beautiful complicated life.
And like Danielle, I'm going to be happy, and make the most out of everything.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Workout in the Apple Orchard
Today I did squats. But not the tediously boring, well counted type of squat that you find at a gym or in a class. These were squats that happened unexpectedly, and happened often and have left my legs feeling strong, tight, and absolutely defeated.
Who, you ask, can defeat the quads of the local group instructor squat guru who preaches to her classes on a daily basis that we WILL have the best dearer on the block?....A 19 month old future Olympic sprinter in an Apple Orchard. Maybe it's in his blood? But I kid you not, it was a great workout.
We ran backwards, and forwards, and shuffled sideways to block a pass. He ran under the tree, I did a squat shuffle to keep up. Through the tree, back through the tree. An obvious game for him, and an unexpected cardio session for me.
Our workout not only included the constant sprints, jogs, and side shuffling squats, it also consisted of taking off into a sprint from a squatting position. You see, when Ethan decided he liked an apple, or pointed to one, I, being the tentative mother that I am, would squat down to pick his favorite fruit. After holding the squat for a few seconds, I would look up to see Ethan AT THE OTHER END OF THE ISLE, picking up a bruised, half eaten apple off the ground and moving it towards his open mouth. So there, from a squatting position, I would sprint to him. He would then drop the apple and run away at top speed cracking up with absolute joy.
In addition, to this 31 lb bundle of pure "boy" I was with my little beauties who were quietly climbing up trees picking the "perfect" apples with "no boo boos" and cracking up watching the workout unfold. Often, I was asked to "shoulder press" my five year old to the top of the tree to pick out an apple or two.
After about an hour of picking/running, and squatting, shoulder pressing, everyone decided it was time for lunch....everyone except Ethan who continued to sprint the opposite way that everyone was walking. It was pretty apparent that Ethan wasn't ready to "quit" or give up. He would look at you, ignore any call or signal that you wanted him to follow you, smile and turn around and sprint in the opposite direction. Out of desperation to compromise with Ethan and end our workout, I let his older sister run ahead of me with him while I had the Radio flyer wagon filled with lunches/drinks/blankets and a 5 year in my left hand and a wheel barrel full of ($50) apples (I obviously wasn't monitoring the cleaning out of the isle). Did I mention I was pulling and fast pace walking/jogging. It mustve absolutely been a sight to see. Once I reached the end of the Isle, he decided to crawl into the wheel barrel full of apples to do some sampling.....lucky....
For some reason, we decided to go to isle #21...the very last isle of apples at the orchard. The walk back to hay/picnic area was quite a distance away, and even then the hay was at the bottom of a hill....I seriously thought about offering a class like this at the studio. Would it be called, "Chase Liz's pre Olympic 19 month old sprinter for an hour non stop, shoulder press her Kindergartner, then carry two wheel barrels filled with children, groceries and apples uphill for 20 min"
I wonder if anyone would show up? What a great Sunday.....
Who, you ask, can defeat the quads of the local group instructor squat guru who preaches to her classes on a daily basis that we WILL have the best dearer on the block?....A 19 month old future Olympic sprinter in an Apple Orchard. Maybe it's in his blood? But I kid you not, it was a great workout.
We ran backwards, and forwards, and shuffled sideways to block a pass. He ran under the tree, I did a squat shuffle to keep up. Through the tree, back through the tree. An obvious game for him, and an unexpected cardio session for me.
Our workout not only included the constant sprints, jogs, and side shuffling squats, it also consisted of taking off into a sprint from a squatting position. You see, when Ethan decided he liked an apple, or pointed to one, I, being the tentative mother that I am, would squat down to pick his favorite fruit. After holding the squat for a few seconds, I would look up to see Ethan AT THE OTHER END OF THE ISLE, picking up a bruised, half eaten apple off the ground and moving it towards his open mouth. So there, from a squatting position, I would sprint to him. He would then drop the apple and run away at top speed cracking up with absolute joy.
In addition, to this 31 lb bundle of pure "boy" I was with my little beauties who were quietly climbing up trees picking the "perfect" apples with "no boo boos" and cracking up watching the workout unfold. Often, I was asked to "shoulder press" my five year old to the top of the tree to pick out an apple or two.
After about an hour of picking/running, and squatting, shoulder pressing, everyone decided it was time for lunch....everyone except Ethan who continued to sprint the opposite way that everyone was walking. It was pretty apparent that Ethan wasn't ready to "quit" or give up. He would look at you, ignore any call or signal that you wanted him to follow you, smile and turn around and sprint in the opposite direction. Out of desperation to compromise with Ethan and end our workout, I let his older sister run ahead of me with him while I had the Radio flyer wagon filled with lunches/drinks/blankets and a 5 year in my left hand and a wheel barrel full of ($50) apples (I obviously wasn't monitoring the cleaning out of the isle). Did I mention I was pulling and fast pace walking/jogging. It mustve absolutely been a sight to see. Once I reached the end of the Isle, he decided to crawl into the wheel barrel full of apples to do some sampling.....lucky....
For some reason, we decided to go to isle #21...the very last isle of apples at the orchard. The walk back to hay/picnic area was quite a distance away, and even then the hay was at the bottom of a hill....I seriously thought about offering a class like this at the studio. Would it be called, "Chase Liz's pre Olympic 19 month old sprinter for an hour non stop, shoulder press her Kindergartner, then carry two wheel barrels filled with children, groceries and apples uphill for 20 min"
I wonder if anyone would show up? What a great Sunday.....
Friday, September 10, 2010
Q and A's
People may be surprised to know:
The Studio is my oasis. The walls of my kitchen and family room (at home) were subconsciously painted the same colors as the studio
Who inspired you to start your business?
My Pseudo sister, Jennifer Kaye, who one day asked, “What are you doing with your life”
Role Models:
Angie Bunch (Founder of Culture Shock)
Erin Brockovich
Mia Angelou, Coco Channel, my grandmother Shiela Sobel.
I do have to add, that I am inspired everyday by the people around me.
Business mistakes/Lessons Learned:
Doubting myself when I knew that an idea would have a positive impact on the Studio members/local community.
Operating Studio-310, Single Motherhood, and not losing sight of myself have truly learned the lesson of balance
How do you spend your free time?
Enjoying life with my three kids and our yellow lab Marley (who is very much a Marley)
Listening to music, it moves me, and sometimes grounds me.
Creating, inventing, and brining new ideas out to share with the world.
Dancing
Indulgence:
Day dreaming, I have been a daydreamer since I was a little girl. I can completely zone out from the world around me and go wherever I want. It’s helped me come up with some of my best ideas.
Fav place to go with girlfriends.
Local mom/pop restaurants with good food/wine.
Dancing on Rockville’s Rooftop
What do you CRAVE?
Through my classes and teachings, I CRAVE to make an inspiring and positive impact in as many lives possible. I believe there is something special about us that make us stand out from the crowd, I CRAVE to inspire others to feel amazing in their own skin.
I CRAVE, in life, to raise, happy and healthy children. I crave to make a positive mark in this world and to one day leave a beautiful legacy behind.
"How did you start choreographing?"I was actually a science major. I was majoring in Kinesiology. I wanted to work injured athletes/dancers.
I feel that having this backround better helps me to understand the human body, it's limits and the cause/effect of certain choreography, "Moves", technique, injurys, ect. I feel that I can better tailor a piece to a dancers suffering from certain injuries because of my knowledge of the body. I also feel that its helped me to better understand how the boy can move and what its capable of--almost anything!
I have a pretty long resume. The way I initially got started was in HIgh School, while being a "work scholarship" kid at a local dance Studio in San Diego (meaning, I cleaned the studio for tuition), and traveling to the Culture Shock training academy (expensive for me, worked at Jamba juice to pay my way) I started my school's dance team. I gathered up a bunch of kids who had never really danced before, choreographed an entire 3-5 minuete routine, made costumes, back drops, designed makeup, music, everything! We won a regional dance competition sponsored by Pepsi. I used to dance in my room until all hours of the night. I even went to Home Depot and spend my Jamba Juice earnings on a large mirror to hang on the wall so I could practice all the time. I had a "choreography notebook" that I kept with me all the time. When I heard a song, or was inspired, I would write all my thoughts down. The rest, is history :)
Why is dance a good form of exercise?
Dancing is an amazing form of exercise. While your are in the midst of a dance routine in a class full of participants who all share a common goal, to have fun, to move, you forget you're actually working out. When the hour has flown by, you've had the time of your life, feel amazing and have burned hundreds of calories!
What makes for a good dance
workout, particularly if you're looking to shed pounds?
Any type of dance that keeps you moving for the entire class. A dance workout that keeps you motivated, interested, sweating, and coming back for more. Zumba is an amazing example of this type of workout. In a few short years, Zumba, with it's Latin and hip hop flavor has grown to be a global phenomenon that has hundreds of people sweating their way to a more vibrant and healthy lifestyle.
What
kind of calorie burn can you expect?
It depends on the class. Cardio Hip Hop, Zumba, or any fast paced, non stop type cardio dance workout class can have you burning anywhere from 400-800 calories per class. The higher the intensity, the longer the duration, the more calories that are burned.
Can you expect the same kind of results from dance DVDs as from taking actual classes?
I think this varies person to person. From a professional standpoint,I have seen clients achieve greater results in a group settig where the comrodery is high and the instructor is live to give them the extra push they may need.
Dvds are a great at home workout but unless the person is 100% accountable and won't surcome to distractions, then a class setting is a better place to achieve the ultimate calorie burn.
The Studio is my oasis. The walls of my kitchen and family room (at home) were subconsciously painted the same colors as the studio
Who inspired you to start your business?
My Pseudo sister, Jennifer Kaye, who one day asked, “What are you doing with your life”
Role Models:
Angie Bunch (Founder of Culture Shock)
Erin Brockovich
Mia Angelou, Coco Channel, my grandmother Shiela Sobel.
I do have to add, that I am inspired everyday by the people around me.
Business mistakes/Lessons Learned:
Doubting myself when I knew that an idea would have a positive impact on the Studio members/local community.
Operating Studio-310, Single Motherhood, and not losing sight of myself have truly learned the lesson of balance
How do you spend your free time?
Enjoying life with my three kids and our yellow lab Marley (who is very much a Marley)
Listening to music, it moves me, and sometimes grounds me.
Creating, inventing, and brining new ideas out to share with the world.
Dancing
Indulgence:
Day dreaming, I have been a daydreamer since I was a little girl. I can completely zone out from the world around me and go wherever I want. It’s helped me come up with some of my best ideas.
Fav place to go with girlfriends.
Local mom/pop restaurants with good food/wine.
Dancing on Rockville’s Rooftop
What do you CRAVE?
Through my classes and teachings, I CRAVE to make an inspiring and positive impact in as many lives possible. I believe there is something special about us that make us stand out from the crowd, I CRAVE to inspire others to feel amazing in their own skin.
I CRAVE, in life, to raise, happy and healthy children. I crave to make a positive mark in this world and to one day leave a beautiful legacy behind.
"How did you start choreographing?"I was actually a science major. I was majoring in Kinesiology. I wanted to work injured athletes/dancers.
I feel that having this backround better helps me to understand the human body, it's limits and the cause/effect of certain choreography, "Moves", technique, injurys, ect. I feel that I can better tailor a piece to a dancers suffering from certain injuries because of my knowledge of the body. I also feel that its helped me to better understand how the boy can move and what its capable of--almost anything!
I have a pretty long resume. The way I initially got started was in HIgh School, while being a "work scholarship" kid at a local dance Studio in San Diego (meaning, I cleaned the studio for tuition), and traveling to the Culture Shock training academy (expensive for me, worked at Jamba juice to pay my way) I started my school's dance team. I gathered up a bunch of kids who had never really danced before, choreographed an entire 3-5 minuete routine, made costumes, back drops, designed makeup, music, everything! We won a regional dance competition sponsored by Pepsi. I used to dance in my room until all hours of the night. I even went to Home Depot and spend my Jamba Juice earnings on a large mirror to hang on the wall so I could practice all the time. I had a "choreography notebook" that I kept with me all the time. When I heard a song, or was inspired, I would write all my thoughts down. The rest, is history :)
Why is dance a good form of exercise?
Dancing is an amazing form of exercise. While your are in the midst of a dance routine in a class full of participants who all share a common goal, to have fun, to move, you forget you're actually working out. When the hour has flown by, you've had the time of your life, feel amazing and have burned hundreds of calories!
What makes for a good dance
workout, particularly if you're looking to shed pounds?
Any type of dance that keeps you moving for the entire class. A dance workout that keeps you motivated, interested, sweating, and coming back for more. Zumba is an amazing example of this type of workout. In a few short years, Zumba, with it's Latin and hip hop flavor has grown to be a global phenomenon that has hundreds of people sweating their way to a more vibrant and healthy lifestyle.
What
kind of calorie burn can you expect?
It depends on the class. Cardio Hip Hop, Zumba, or any fast paced, non stop type cardio dance workout class can have you burning anywhere from 400-800 calories per class. The higher the intensity, the longer the duration, the more calories that are burned.
Can you expect the same kind of results from dance DVDs as from taking actual classes?
I think this varies person to person. From a professional standpoint,I have seen clients achieve greater results in a group settig where the comrodery is high and the instructor is live to give them the extra push they may need.
Dvds are a great at home workout but unless the person is 100% accountable and won't surcome to distractions, then a class setting is a better place to achieve the ultimate calorie burn.
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