Category Archives: Pilates

What do you mean it’s spring?

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Derek Harper [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

I didn’t take this picture (as you can see by the caption.) But I could have. Snow is melting like crazy here. Last month marked the official first day of spring, and with it we had actual warm weather for a few days, then a small snowstorm, some rain, and, this last weekend, weather so warm (60!) that we didn’t wear jackets and opened every window in our house.

It’s been a long hard winter in Minnesota. There were stretches for days where we tried to avoid going outside for anything non-essential because of the dangerously cold temperatures and wind chills. We also got a ton of snow. Our pipes froze, and our furnace went out. It was a great first winter back.

With the winter also came some huge changes in my life. I started the MFA program at Hamline University in January. It has been an incredible experience thus far and I am so thankful to be a part of such an awesome writing community.

In February I finally bit the bullet and published Your Pilates Life. I’ve been sitting on this book for a very long time (for reasons outlined in the Author’s note at the beginning) and I really wanted to get it into the hands of readers. It’s available for free on Noisetrade and the response has been incredible. In the last week alone more than 100 people have downloaded it! Please check it out and tell me what you think!

I’ve also been working diligently on Stealing the Ruby Slippers and am excited to announce that it will be out in May in both print and digital formats! I’m working with an amazing editor, and I got to see a first look at the cover this week.

I promise I’m going to start posting more regularly. I don’t know what that means yet, because, lets be honest, life is crazy. But…I think I can safely say I’ll be here for sure once a week. I hope to see you too.

DIY Treadmill Desk | Suddenly Frugal Blog

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Have you heard about the walking workstations or stand up desks or whatever they’re called? Basically, it’s something to get you off your duff while you’re working.

I love the idea- especially now that I’m working for myself. I find that, because I love my work so much, I spend a lot more time doing it. This means a lot more time bent over a computer or a necklace or a Pilates client and less time standing up, wandering to my friend’s offices and walking to and from meetings.

I don’t have a treadmill yet, so I would need to get one of those first. I also like the idea of getting a set of pedals to stick underneath a desk to ride bike.

What do you think? Would you like a workout workstation?

DIY Treadmill Desk | Suddenly Frugal Blog.

Narrowing my focus

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I am a daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, Pilates instructor, jewelry designer, author, cook, musician, painter, illustrator, yogi, barista, cashier, etc., etc., etc,. yada, yada, yada, the list can go on and on. I hold a bajillion different rolls, and, benethe them, sub-rolls (not in the sub-sandwich sense) and even some of those can be broken down into sub-sub-rolls. . For example, as an author, I write:

  • Fiction
    • Short stories
    • Novels
  • Non fiction
    • Health
    • Memoir
    • Self-help
    • Creative
    • Craft
  • Freelance
    • Blogging
    • Business/Corporate Writing
    • Content generation
    • Feature articles
    • Catalog copy
  • Children’s stories

I’m sure if I thought about it longer I could even come up with more.

Unfortunately, I can’t be perfect at all of my rolls. Heck, I probably can’t even perfect one of them. But, I can become darn good at some of them. And I’m realizing that to do that, I need to let some of the others go. So, for now, I’m choosing one to cross off the list. Well, actually, the sub-list. I’m going to back-burner the children’s writing I’ve been working on. It’s been nagging me, not because it wanted to be completed, but because it’s been one of those items on the “to-do” list that never gets crossed off. I’m done moving it from list to list to list. Today, for now, I’m removing it. Along with that, I’m unsubscribing from the children’s-market focused writing and illustrating blogs I’m currently subscribed to. I just don’t have time to digest everything, and I’ve got to make some room.

That’s not to say I’ll never come back to the Children’s world. Heck, I’ve got two kids, so, minimally, I’ll continue creating stories for them. It just means that, for now, my writing muscles are training for a different kind of sport. It’s like putting football on hold to focus on baseball. Just like Bo Jackson, I’ll be back. But even he couldn’t play both sports at the same time.

December 30

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Yesterday by the numbers was fantastic. 735 calorie deficit.  And I gave myself a hard enough reformer workout that my abs are sore today.  Sore!  It’s really hard for me to push myself hard enough to leave me sore.  It’s a great feeling!

Because I was introduced, trained, certified, and used to teach on Balanced Body equipment, I became kind of a reformer snob.  If it was BB, it wasn’t worth it. While I still hold Balanced Body as the equipment ideal for everything else to be measured against, the Aero reformer that my sister-in-law got from QVC and passed on to me is so much better than I expected!  Yes, there are a few things that I don’t like about it- it’s a bit narrow, and the footbar and shoulder rests don’t lock in place- but, considering that most home Pilates practitioners are not going to be trying reverse long stretch or snake twist, it’s really a great machine for the money.  I’m going to build myself a box, and I have to figure out where I should keep it because right now it’s taking up too much space in our living room, but I am so happy to have it and have the opportunity to do reformer work everyday again!

By the numbers;

  • Burned: 2778 (one hour reformer, hour long walk with hubby, and trip to the science center with the kids)
  • Consumed: 2043
  • Deficit: 735

December 26

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Yesterday was fine by the numbers, but not so great nutrition wise.  I ate all of my leftover birthday cake.  Which is really Chris’s fault, because I told him to eat it.  It’s just SO. DARN. GOOD!

And, here’s the other thing- whenever I have totally completely uncontrollable sugar cravings, I know I’m about to get sick. And today I am sick. So I’m going to give you my stats for yesterday and we’re just going to ignore today’s so you don’t think I’m anorexic.

On the plus side, I had a darn good leg workout yesterday.  Then I came home and did a mini-reformer session and stretched.  Short-spine is Merry Christmas to me.  I love it.

Here’s the stats:

  • Calories Consumed: 2755
  • Calories burned: 1854
  • Deficit:  901

The Pilates Lifestyle: Making the commitment

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Happy New Year!  2011 is here and it’s time to think about what you want from the year.  I’m not talking about making lofty goals or resolutions, just really thinking about what you want this year to bring.

Last year, I decided to choose a word for the year to help me focus on what I wanted.  My word for 2010 was “Intention.”  Through the year I strived to live with intention, creating my life rather than reacting to it.

Intention may be my word for 2011 too.  I’m still mulling it over, along with the words “Health” and “Bravery.”  Which ever word I settle on, I will use 2011 to create a healthy life, making the brave decisions when they are the right, but not easy, ones.

One of my brave, but not so easy decisions, is the e-course I’m starting on www.thePilatesLifestyle.com today.  Last year I wrote a book about integrating Pilates into everyday life.  While my book isn’t yet available commercially, I am ready to start sharing it’s message, and I would love if you would join me.