Weekend Reading

December 12, 2015 - Mel

GAH, I didn’t hit publish on this post on Saturday!

I haven’t yet started a new book (only 4 left to go!), and I’m also not feeling any of my own creativity — so I’ve been catching up blogs and articles around the web. I decided to share a few things that have left an impression on me this week:

1. A clash of two of my favorite run bloggers, Natrunsfar guest blogging on This Mama Runs for Cupcakes! Natalie writes about her Boston Qualifying training and gives tips for those considering the achievement. I don’t know if a BQ is *ever* in my future (I laughed when I looked at the difference in finishing times for after I turn 40, because LOLZNEVER), but this post is great advice for anyone just looking to step up their run game a bit.

2. Toys Were Us: The Tragic End of F.A.O. Schwarz. Man, this story makes me so sad. I didn’t visit New York or FAO Schwartz for the first time until my mid-30s but we all know about its legacy from childhood. And anyone in her 30s fell in love with that piano scene in BIG, right?

3. Stressed at work? ME TOO. A friend and coworker sent me this one: 7 Yoga Poses You Can at Your Desk to Relieve Stress. Side question: do you sit “Indian Style” in your office chair?

LIVING WITH A SEAL: {book release and giveaway}

November 12, 2015 - Mel

I received a copy of LIVING WITH A SEAL on Release Day, and the book written by Jesse Itzler was a really fun read — I finished in two days! Itzler has a unique personality and his hilarious storytelling kept my interest (and his conversational tone made me laugh out loud throughout). His life story is already interesting and his personal success in business and his personal life are already engaging. On top of that, he also runs ultra-marathons. And, uh… he’s also married to the woman who founded Spanx!

(This family photo on the book jacket cracks me up.)

In the book, Itzler decides to hire a trainer to shake things up. That trainer happens to be an accomplished Navy SEAL, who he “meets” (nay, stalks) at one of his ultra events, and is widely considered to be “the toughest man on the planet.” There was only one condition from SEAL, however: he would have to do everything SEAL told him — and NOTHING was off limits.

LIVING WITH A SEAL: 31 Days Training with the Toughest Man on the Planet is Itzler’s account of this “month-long experiment to improve his strength and endurance and challenge his will to succeed.”

There are some eye-openers in this regimented training that included sleeping in a wooden chair, jumping into a frozen lake and running-while-wearing a 50-lb weighted vest (and training occurring at all hours of the day and night which SEAL only needs a pair of borrowed gloves for training gear). The book includes the 31-day training plan too, if you’re so inclined to follow (please note: I am not a physician do not encourage you to attempt… you know, unless you’re a SEAL).

LIVING WITH A SEAL is inspirational and motivational, to be sure. But also absolutely insane. And I’m giving a copy away for you to enjoy too!

Giveaway: One copy of LIVING WITH A SEAL will be sent to a winner in the US. Leave the craziest thing you’ve ever done for getting in shape in the comments for a chance to win! Giveaway ends on Friday, November 19 at midnight.

Disclaimer: I received an advance copy of LIVING WITH A SEAL from Hachette Book Group for review. The publisher will be providing the giveaway copy as well. All opinions in this post are my own.

Start where you are: A journal for self-exploration & a GIVEAWAY!

August 12, 2015 - Mel

So often we tell ourselves if we just felt better, then the real work we wish to start would be a lot easier.

Artist Meera Lee Patel believes that we need to start NOW to move ourselves forward – no act is too small. Action changes attitude. Taking time to create something – anything – helps with self-awareness and introspection. And thats why I love Meera’s self-exploration journal so much. START WHERE YOU ARE: A Journal for Self-Exploration is her full-color, passion-inspiring journal designed to nurture creativity, explore inner thoughts, and help us focus on what matters most.

I’ve felt irrationally paralyzed by daily journaling, but it’s a practice that I have wanted to start for some time — especially now, as I’m encountering another life transition. Meera’s book has beautiful illustrations and prompts to get you started. Inspiration can be found on every page:

I plan to use this journal for writing, doodling, and list-making — an overall creative and reflection space as Meera intends. These creative acts are so important (no matter how small) to our mental health and inner peace… and to moving our lives forward.

Buy your own journal at Indiebound OR comment below for a chance to win your own personal copy. I’m giving away TWO, thanks to Penguin Random House books. I’ll select my two winners at random on August 28 (so please comment by Thursday, August 27 at midnight).

Do you journal daily — or are you ready to start the practice?

Disclaimer: I was provided a copy of this journal for review, and the publisher is graciously providing two copies for this giveaway. I received no compensation for this post. Winners of this giveaway restricted to Domestic US residents only.

SUNDAY LATELY: Doing, Appreciating, Designing, Humming, Expecting

May 31, 2015 - Mel

Doing:
Now that I’m home from my yoga retreat, I am swiftly transitioning into homework mode. I have a pretty intense assignment due tonight at midnight, which if I didn’t have 18 other assignments due by Thursday last week, I probably would have already had a head-start on it. Trying to stay relaxed, but my last assignment I missed points for something that wasn’t detailed in the instructions.

Appreciating:
Today’s the last day of Blogger, May I? and I kept my intent of posting every day, following all the prompts and really finding a new appreciation for blogging in general — and finding some new bloggers to follow in the process.

Designing:
I’m designing a job competency model for my partner in this class and all… zzzzzzzz.

Humming:
During one of our yoga sessions this weekend, the instructor blasted “Feel Me Flow” by Naughty by Nature, and basically I’m stuck back in 1996 all over again. (Totally appropriate considering that I was in Geneva-on-the-Lake this weekend too.) It was awesome.

Expecting:
To be honest, I have low expectations for today. I’ll get my paper done, naturally, but I have little energy for much of anything else. One of my lasting take-aways from this weekend was “nearly perfect is good enough.” I have a problem with high expectations, bordering on an insane level of perfectionism. And sometimes I transfer this ideal onto others. I need to be OK with not being “perfect.” I need to be OK with others not being perfect. We can’t all be expected to be perfect from the beginning — the practice is just as important. I expect this mantra to take me to good places.

If I Had a Super Power…

May 30, 2015 - Mel

I wish I could talk to and understand my cats. Or maybe all animals. But seriously, what the hell is he screaming about at 4:30 in the morning?

#Hashtag #Happy: Hashtag, #StopIt.

May 28, 2015 - Mel

The headline of this post for Blogger, May I? has my max supported hashtags. Any more than three and you lose my attention and you are probably the worst (kidding. kinda). This is coming from a social marketer (me) and a whole supporter and a frequent user of all things social media. I started to find myself annoyed by their abundant over-use in twitter and then Instagram happened — that’s basically where all hashtags go to die in a miserable, un-followable paragraph of hashtag death. Because people feel it necessary to use 80 on one picture to attract as many followers as possible. And these aren’t even sponsored posts! AND this isn’t the purpose of social networking. It’s supposed to be about growing a community and connecting with those people within it.

You cannot do that with 10 billion followers, #sorrynotsorry. If you think this is the intended purpose of social online, then we come from two very opposite schools of thought.

So, my public service message to you is just #STAHP. Your overuse of hashtags is hashtag #dumb (my favorite hashtag to use, for those playing along at home).

Treat Yo Self! And by “Yo” I mean Me.

May 27, 2015 - Mel

I am no stranger to guilty pleasure. But recently I was looking for a new experience that would really help me tune out and check into some much-needed ME time. When I travel, it’s often with the boyfriend; when he travels, I’m taking care of three cats. I mean, they watch me pee. I’m never really alone.

I’ve been getting back into yoga and meditation — though I am super inexperienced on the latter. I’ve been trying to be more diligent about making yoga part of my regular weekly workouts and relaxation time. Having a once-a-week session during lunch hour through work is fantastic (so much that I might start closing my office door and practicing on my own when the program is over). I feel much more focused when I allow myself the opportunity to just let go — it’s so powerful. We used to have a derby sponsor whose tagline is: Yoga is my health insurance. Which is partly true, in a way.

Although, for me: Yoga is therapy.
yoga therapy

I think you’ll find most yogis would agree.

This upcoming weekend I’ll be attending a yoga retreat on the lake in Ohio, and it is a major treat for myself. I have been looking forward to this for months and will be “bunking” with another yoga-loving friend. It will be a good opportunity to log off and decompress (and drink some wine, let’s be honest). I’ll be scheduling my weekend posts, so I don’t miss out on the rest of my Blogger, May I? experience.

30-Something Summer Plans

May 26, 2015 - Mel

I’ll be honest, summer is not one of my favorite seasons. While it’s awesome to be outdoors a lot more often than other times of the year, the above-80 heat makes me miserable. Great time to be training for a fall full marathon, eh? As with a lot of my life focus recently, I’m facing all the things I hate to be more at peace with things, like: humidity and sunburns within 7 minutes and OMG CAN’T STOP SWEATING.

I’m a little jealous at the boyfriend that he has a lot more free time and flex time (and vacation time) than I do, so it’s not really at all like my last few summers have been (now that I have a full-time job AND attending school full-time) where we can jet away wherever and whenever. We have a couple weekend trips planned for back home. We’re going to Toronto in August. School ends in August. But otherwise, I’m looking at a number of fun weekends in Pittsburgh. Alas, here are some of my plans:

I plan to use my courtyard A LOT. More coffees outside in the morning. Feeding the birds when I feed the cats in the AM. Maybe I’ll allow the cats some patio time with me. LOTS of hammock time to unwind from work. And probably a LOT of Claritin, if yesterday’s pollen index is representative of how summer will be.

I plan to do much outdoor yoga this summer too. Starting this weekend, I’m going to a yoga retreat on the lake, and then I’ll be looking for weekly weekend sessions in the city, in the park, on the mount, in a barrel house, by myself, with instructors, with friends. Wherever.

I’m probably going to eat a lot of ice cream. Just saying.

I plan to make good use of our membership at the club too. I will probably take some golf lessons. I will definitely be in that pool on the warmest days of the year. Above all, I’m looking forward to the time I can hang out together with the boyfriend on those days. I truly think there’s much to be said — and gained — about doing active things together.

Blogger, May I? pals: what’s on your summer schedule?

An inspirational quote for now and for later.

May 25, 2015 - Mel

I hope you’re all enjoying a lovely holiday weekend, today’s Blogger, May I? post will be a quick one.

There’s a quote that has held some recent importance for me, as I continue to do things that, to be honest, still amaze me: going back to school in my 30s and completing a degree, and finishing a half marathon for the big highlights. I’ve even written it on my chalkboard in my medicine cabinet to keep myself focused and proud of the journey:

“Heck yeah, I did!” is usually what I say in return because this quote is as much as for during as it is for after your accomplishments.

Heartland Transplant

Group Therapy