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I found a great article on the Shape Magazine website for my Zumba-ers. I hate to say “I told you so!”

Love Zumba? You’re not alone! The Zumba program has helped melt the pounds and inches off 12 million Zumba-enthusiasts in 125 countries, according to the Zumba Fitness website. The Latin-dance inspired workout features fast and slow rhythms which, when combined, successfully tone and sculpt the body and burn fat.

We caught up with master Zumba instructor Staci Boyer to get her top tips for burning even more calories (and having even more fun) during your favorite Zumba class:

1. Let Loose
Zumba is all about having fun, and joining the party, which is hard to do if you’re stiff or self-conscious! The best way to burn more calories in class is to let go, have fun, and try not to think too much. “Letting yourself go will let the calories go!” Boyer says.

2. Maximize Your Arm Movement
During the moves, be sure to fully extend your arms, Boyer says. You’ll boost your calorie burn and engage more muscles by maximizing your arm movements during class. “It’s not that tricky and you can do a lot for your body by lengthening, raising, and extending with oomph.”

3. Move Up and Down More
“When your instructor takes you though a level change try and do it,” Boyer says. All that up and down movement will not only boost your burn, it will also get your glutes, hips, and thigh muscles firing even more. “Sit into your moves, bend your knees, and go up and down and all around as much as you can—level changes burn calories!”

4. Work Your Booty
“There is always a lot of booty shaking in Zumba!” Boyer says. “Just shake it—and shake it good (to best do this, see tip #1).” Boyer recommends pressing through your heels whenever you can to maximize the move’s booty shaping benefits.

5. Rock the Moves You Know
So maybe you don’t have every move mastered yet, that’s OK! You can still get a great workout as long as you rock the moves you’ve got! “Always accentuate the moves that you are actually comfortable with,” Boyer says. “Make the most out of that shimmy you love, or the salsa step you have mastered. Feel confident in adding your own flair to the movement. If you know it, show it!”

As I’ve posted before, I am a gigantic fan of all things natural, inexpensive, and DIY. If any particular thing falls into all three categories, I swoon.

I’ve been preaching the NID (Natural, Inexpensive, DIY) gospel to some friends, and much to my delight, have been getting more inquiries about how they can try a few things out themselves. I thought I’d post a couple of my favorite things.

Now, I am one of those people who when I am learning to do something new, I want to know every little tiny step, so I may be a little overly detailed. Take what you need.

All of the items I use are very inexpensive. If any of them get a little pricier (ie, essential oils), I assure you it is very worth the investment, as you are quite literally going to save hundreds in shampoo, conditioner, lotions, scrubs, and cleaner. I own a great starter set of essential oils…courtesy of a Christmas gift from my momma in law. 14 great scents for 39 dollars and I won’t need anymore for a very, very long time. You could always just get one or two at the local health store.

(Find them here)

1. The Hair

Here’s the big one. No, I do not use shampoo or conditioner. I use a baking soda/ water solution and an apple cider vinegar/ essential oil rinse. It’s one of the best decisions I ever made. I never ever have to buy these products again, dont have to pile random unpronouncable chemicals onto my head, and my haird is better off than ever before.

Warning: it’s a rough and subjective transitional period. Your hair will rebel. It will yell at you, throw grease at you, and otherwise cuss you out in hair language. That is A-OK. It is used to being stripped of all it’s essential elements daily. It’s gotten quite used to it’s chemical bath, so be patient as it learns that everything is going to be alright. If you get panicky, google ‘poo-free’. You will find tons of blogs and websites with much better information than I can provide in one post. All hair types are different and will require adjustment and experimentation.

Step by step:

First, I bought these. 3 of them for .99 cents on Amazon. Well worth it. (Find them here).

1. BS: I basically put about 1.5 inches of baking soda, fill the rest with water, shake, and presto! That’s it. In the shower I squeeze it on, mostly at the roots and crown. I rub it in a little, let it sit for 2 minutes and rinse. Nothing to it.

2. Get shiny: In the second bottle, I fill it a little over 1/3rd with ACV (Note: my ACV was of the diluted nature to begin with and I have very thick and wavy hair. You may not need as much). I fill with water and add 5 drops of essential oil. (Currently I am using grapefruit). I apply the rise to the lower half of my hair, and just a little at the top. 2 minutes sit, and rinse.

Here are my bottles. (Yes, I made them little labels. I haven’t pasted them yet. I am a little silly)

Misc info: If your hair gets too dry and brittle, ease up on the BS. Too oily? Ease up on the ACV. Just know that there is a strange and filmy transitional period where you’ll hate your hair. Find more information on the chemistry and transition here.

I am out of transition and loving my hair. It’s pliable and I don’t use mouse or gel or anything on it. The only other product I use is my beloved hair milk. A few drops between washing keeps it bouncy.

2. Skin

No more lotion! This one is also a piece of cake: I bought a bottle of Suave kids detangler (because I like how fine the spritzer is). Filled it a little less than halfway with olive oil, added a few drops of lavendar oil, fill with water, and shake! After the shower, BEFORE I towel off, I mist down with the spray. Skin dries soft, no further moisturizer needed!

I also use a great homemade lip exfoliant. You can buy these little tubs in the travel/ mini section at target. Just take your little container and put equal parts honey, olive oil, and brown sugar. Rub into lips in a circular motion, and wipe off.

3. Clean

The last thing I am digging is the homemade cleaner! Basically a teaspoon of dishwashing liquid, a cup of baking soda, and a few drops of an anti-bacterial oil ( I used peppermint!). Add water to make it pasty. It will look like this:

The the fun part! I basically had a food fight with my shower. I flung the paste on the walls and floors and scrubbed away.

The picture quality is not the best, but it certainly made my shower white, shiny and happy! (the two lines are shadows)

There are about a hundred all natural recipes for beauty, cleaning, food, and more! I am in a learning process, but I have found that I need simple. The simpler, the better. I am an inpatient gal. These work very well for me and I hope someone gets something out them!

Remember when ‘one day only’ was a silly, cheap line tossed in at the end of infomercials? Well, someone was listening with a literal ear. One day only sites have become quite popular, spawning the ever growing Groupons, Living Socials, and the like.

There are about a million versions of the daily deal, but I believe it all started with Woot. Woot, Inc (Want One Of Those) was (I believe) the pioneers of what has become the daily deal phenomena. The concept is simple: They sold one item per day, period. If you didn’t like it, you waited until the next day. If you did, you’re in luck, because it came at a steep discount. If you haven’t made their acquaintance yet, here’s a nice little cheat sheet of tried and true sites for your shopping pleasure, along with sample offerings.

www.woot.com

The OG in home/ electronics

www.shirt.woot.com

A woot spinoff featuring one of a kind t-shirts designed by witty artists. The shirts are generally silly and or/ politically sharp and are always a flat ten bucks.

Home.woot.com

(you get the point)

wine.woot.com

Oooommmmmm

kids.woot.com

Target Daily Deals

www.dailydeals.target.com

Example:

Walmart Value of the Day

http://www.walmart.com/cp/Value-of-the-Day/1058864

Slick Deals.

Thanks to my fabulous tech-savvy geek friend Scott, I’ve saved several hundred dollars though this site , which features more than just one deal. It’s actually user moderated/ generated, ensuring the best deals make it to the home page. (Check it out! 370 for a laptop!)

There’s nothing like a salty, crunchy snack fix.

Well, there’s nothing like snacks. I even like the word. Mmmm…snaaaaacks. I also really enjoy not feeling like total sludge, ergo I try to select wisely in the snack department. I’ve been popcorning it up for a few years and I am just plain bored of it. A girl can only dress it up so many different ways.

Thankfully, right before I was about to grab those BBQ Lays, I ran across a great recipe from fittipdaily.com . I admit some serious skepticism, but I can safely say I have a new go-to snack. It’s just too easy:

Start with a bunch of washed, fresh Kale. (green, leafy, chalk full of iron and nutrients). Rip it up into chip sized pieces, throw it in a roasting pan, mist with Olive Oil, and choose your seasoning! I did a little sea salt, pepper, and a wee bit of garlic powder.

Bake for 20ish minutes at 350.

That’s! They cool rather quickly, allowing you to dive right in! Salty, crunchy, and with a an earthy veggie sort of taste. Loving them!

As the old saying goes:

“Show me a man’s friends and I will show you the man.”

I love this saying. It’s always true. Always. I can safely look back at the times when I didn’t like myself or my actions, and easily see how intensely I was influenced by my circle of friends. This is not to say that I was not completely responsible for my own actions. But friends do one of two things to you: edify and encourage, or tear down and exhaust.

The cool thing about this is that like everything else, we are usually hardwired to detect the difference. I can’t tell you how many times looking back  I can remember how uncomfortable and ugly I felt inside when I was with these people, yet I continued to ignore those feelings because, well, take your pick: loneliness, needing to fit in, immaturity, the list goes on.

So in the spirit of hard-learned lessons, here’s a little list of people I’ve learned to do without! (Sidenote: this does not mean hate them or treat them poorly. Being kind while drawing boundaries is an important trait and a current work-in-progress).

1. The ‘bad’ guy- I’ve had lots of these. They come in all different ways. Sometimes it’s obvious: they’re loud, cussing, always in trouble, always in drama. But more often for me, it was subtle- they seemed like decent folks, but when faced with a moral dilemma (however minor), it was always ‘Oh, just do it! ‘, with no real insight to my heart or what was best for me as a person. The enabled the parts of me that I didn’t like, because it was either fun for them or made them feel better about their own actions. Generally they don’t take well to when you go make decisions for the better.

2. The faker-taker- Sadly, these come up a lot for me, especially since I opened my dance studio. These are the people that you don’t talk to, don’t hear from ever, but send you that ‘Hey! How are you. We should have lunch! By the way, can I have/borrow.etc?’, or some similar question. Now, granted, it’s not that bad, but just be direct. I’d much rather get a direct message with an inquiry than have someone feign interest. Generally you’ll see these folks come around when they have a need, but no other time.

4. The hot air balloon- Pretty self explanatory- these are the friends that essentially spend all of your togethertime talking about themselves and never get around to asking you how you’re doing. Now, all friendships have bouts of this. Sometimes life gets intense and we just NEED to talk. But on a regularl basis, conversations and friendships are give and take, with a real and genuine interest in each other other.

5. The promise-breaker- Enough said. Once or twice? Ok. Perpetually? No. Friendships are very much like plants. They need watering and maintenance to thrive. If you’re constantly being let down, you are not a priority. (sidenote: I’ve been this person often. I’ve never meant harm, but it’s true that I wasn’t prioritizing correctly).

6. The high-schooler- The one who gossips, betrays, competes, bullies, or any variation thereof. If you find yourself identifying behaviors that you remember seeing in the vicious prom queen- RUN. FAST.

Obviously we all have our faults and shortcomings. The goal is to surround yourself by people who are real enough to know your faults, loving enough to accept you anyway, and wise enough to help keep you on track.

I also cringed reading that title? We all know how I feel about hype and diet fads. However, this time I am telling the truth.  I am posting on the ultimate secret to total wellness. Where’s my million dollars?

Last month we had a Bloom gathering. A great group of twenty woman gathered to discuss total body wellness. We had a panel of three wonderful women and a packed agenda.

It took a lot of time to prepare for the meeting and lay out the days events. I wanted to make sure we addressed all aspects of health, including myths, optional nutrition, optimal weight (and whether it exists), etc. I had planned to talk about popular food misnomers, myths about weight loss, and had planned to have them work through a goal setting session to start making strides in the right direction.

The meeting opened with each panel member introducing themselves and talking about who they are. We moved in to a question and answer session. All was moving according to plan. I watched the clock and kept careful track of our itinerary.

But somewhere along the way, something magical began to happen. As our panelists and women began to open up, it became apparant that there was something much more beautiful and vital going on than healthy talk.

(Sidenote: It took me forever to actually sit and write this. I am already aware that I cannot convey how powerful the conversation was, and to put in a blog is to water it down. But not everyone was there…so I will do the best I can. )

Essentially, the conversation went from the external to the internal.

External: Drink water. eat these foods, move this much, avoid this, do that.

Internal: Our bodies are these miraclous, wondrous things that have been magically created to figure out exactly what they need with no help from the media or magazines or anywhere else, really. We’re so caught up in all the wrong reasons (vanity, fear, pride) for looking a certain way that we’ve just stopped listening to the ultimate pilot: us.

Think about it: your body KNOWS when all is well. How often do you feel sluggish and disgusting after a big, fatty meal? Why do you think endorphins release when you work out? How about when your hands started shaking after taking those caffeiene pills? Your body is always there, faithfully giving constant feedback and urging you to use common sense. And yet you continuously ignore it because Kim Kardashian says to take Quicktrim.

Common Sense!! If it sounds ridiculous (Get a bikini bod in 6 weeks!) than it IS ridiculous. Stop wasting your time and start honoring your body and life in a whole, real way that starts from the inside out.

Perhaps the most powerful thing I encountered that day was listening to one of our panelists, Theresa, whom I believe is 60, talk with pure grace and eloquence about her age and self-acceptance. The woman was just exquisitely peaceful.  She made a great reference to her younger days. She refers to the second half of her life as ‘After the wreckage’. I couldn’t relate more. At 31 years old, I am definitely ‘In the wreckage’. Young life is all about figuring it out the hard way- packed schedule, people pleasing, no self-confidence, no peace having insanity. So busy trying to ‘do’ and ‘learn’ that we lose site of just how lovely life is. We forget about our own personal gifts because we’re too busy making our mark.

Another woman, also in her 60′s chimed in and with tears forming said:

“I look at pictures of myself in my 20′s and 30′s and I can’t believe it. I just…didn’t know I wasn’t fat.”

It really opened my eyes to how crazy our focus is. How often are we really dwelling on how we look? The right outfit or hair, the beauty products, the weight loss? This woman probably spend years trying to lose weight, engaged in negative self-talk, and losing out on celebrating her youth because she didn’t know how beautiful she was.

The bottom line is this: if you can come to a place where you can accept that we’re all on the same journey- you’re on your way to total health. There are no Joneses to keep up with. Those Joneses are trying to keep up with the Smiths who are trying to keep up you. Yes, as much as you compare yourself to others, others are also comparing themselves to you. Yes, even you.

You don’t need any industry, commercial, supermodel, or book to tell you what you need. How can they?! No one is you!

You need only to be satisfied with your journey and your learning opportunities. After that it is simply a matter of common sense and opening your inner ears. Your body came with it’s own amazing, built-in feedback system that will keep you at your best, if only you’d let it.

Not that kind. Geez, people. Put the fireman calendar down! (Do people really have those?!)

I have been on a hiatus from life.  It pains me to admit this for a few reasons: I am a workaholic and an overachiever in the unhealthy sense. It’s never been one of my finer features, and I am constantly working on finding a balance. I’ve not found it.

Recently, a fellow dance studio owner challenged me to do nothing for a week. NOTHING (work relared). Except what tiny bit was absolutely necessary to run my business.  Instead, I am to to relax, enjoy friends, enjoy my house- anything but work.

Erm. (cue uncomfortable squirming and stammering).

So, long story short, I did it. It was..well…easier than I thought, mostly because I kept myself busy with other stuff. Non-work stuff. Hey- it’s allowed! It was lovely to focus on the home and friends that I love, although unfortunately it ended with me being sick in bed all day yesterday.

Anyhow, during a text conversation this week, someone asked me “What is a list of your favorite things?”. A simple question, I suppose, but I overanalyzed it all day. Favorite ever? Hmmm….

It reminded me how ever since I was a wee one, I’ve been obsessed with travelling. It’s hard ot say you’re obsessed with something you don’t really do, but I’ve been to the local Nursery several times and STILL they are not stocking money tree seedlings- so alas, I shall continue to fantasize for now.

The moral of the story is that one of the things I love about Pinterest is the international photos. They are an absolutely majestic display of God’s artistry. I thought I’d post my favorite beauties for those that have an affinity all things not Riverside, ca.

Kawachi Fuji Garden, Japan:

Cinque Terre, Italy:

Scotland:

Loy Kratong Floating Lantern in Chiang Mai – Thailand:

Hotel La Montaña M
àgica. Huilo-Huilo, Chile:

Worship service in Africa:

Vietnam:

Igloo Village Kakslauttanen, Arctic Circle, Finland:

New Zealand:

Before Bloom, before Room to Dance, even before Pinterest (there was life before Pinterest!?) I worked in non-profit with at-risk young adults.  It was all the things you would assume it was- rewarding, frustrating, challenging, heartbreaking.

It’s been about 7 months since I was there, but yesterday I go a call from one of my girls just needing to vent. The conversation continues to weigh heavily on me.  Essentially, she has been an abusive relationship with an unhealthy person for a few years now. Despite it all, they married about 5 months ago. And now she is wondering how she can keep doing this.

As were talking, what stood out to me was that she kept saying ‘I know I’m dumb, I know I should leave. I’m just so stupid, but I can’t help it. It’s like I am addicted to him’.

It brings to mind some song lyrics. Mary J  Blige, No More Drama: “But baby I liked the stress, cuz I was young and restless”, or Black Eyed Peas Where is the Love? : “I think the whole world’s addicted to the drama, only attracted to things that’ll bring you trauma”.

Normally, quoting songs is against my very nature. It’s too reminiscent of melo-dramatic tween Facebook statuses . However, it bothered me on a deep level, and mostly because I know she was speaking truth.  She is a beautiful girl, smart, articulate, full of potential, and yet she is utterly addicted to getting hurt and being miserable.

I was there at some point. Having come from an abusive background, my first relationship was a classic case study in co-dependancy and dysfunctional relating. And guess what? I was beautiful, smart, articulate, full of potential. But you want to know the words of wisdom that finally help me see the light?

None. There was no  moment for me when someone helped me see how harmful my circumstance was. It happened when I was good and ready and had a reason to believe I may be worth more than what I was settling for. Now, all of those tidbits of concern and advice probably did have a cumulative effect in my heart, but I promise you that no well-intended friends and family saw immediate fruits of their labors.

I know you’ve probably dealt with someone like this, so here is a quick cheat sheet on dealing with the drama addicts:

• Love fully: Don’t stop giving them kind words. Remind them what they’re worth, what they can have, and what they deserve. Be gracious with your compliments.
• Tough love: Don’t engage in activities that aid their addiction. (IE, driving your niece to her crazy boyfriends house). You can be there verbally, but there must be some distance given so that they can feel the consequences of their own choices.
• Care less: Yes, much easier said than done, but the truth is, you have to draw an emotional boundary. Your full emotional investment in their circumstance will exhaust you and leave you hurt and angry. You cannot build your life around being their martyr. Don’t take their personal choice personally.
• Keep perspective: Remember that most of the time, the addiction stems from a place of just needing to feel something deeper. In the case of my phone call, she is addicted to being needed by someone, anyone. The need to keep engaging in the relationship usually stems from a real place of hurt. Unfortunately, this person fills that void, however damaging it may be. It also gives them a way to keep attention on themselves, another thing many of them are seeking.
• Speak Truth: It’s your job to speak truth out of love, and that means not waxing poetic over a relationship that you know is not healthy. Be careful not to get preachy. There is a fine line between honesty and lecture.
• Realize: You can’t change them. Only time and their own actions will make a difference. Talk to them, pray for them, but ultimately, let it be theirs, not yours.

Obviously I am no psychologist. But these points have helped me move past times where I was rapidly becoming consumed with others circumstance.

I am so bad at photographing my processes! I don’t even think about it until it’s done. I will get better starting…now.

Finished two projects today, both cheap, one quick, one took a couple of days because I can’t sit still for long.

My daughters dresser looks like this:

Clean and nice…but doesn’t suit her colorful personality. I told her to pick a theme, and we’d roll with it. She opted for the Fruit of the Spirit, and we stayed in theme colors of her room: blue, green purple.

The process was easy. I freehanded with a pencil, went over it with paint. I prefer things imperfect and whimsical. I tend to get angry at projects the require perfection. Anyhow, it took just a small amount of acrylic paint but here it is:

The second project I did today was, more than anything, to take up more time. I am still getting used to the no-husband thing.

Essentially, it took a few frames, spray paint, a plaque from Michaels (1.29), a monogram knob from Michaels (1 dollar), two hooks (1.99 each at Urban Outfitters), and voila!  A place for our keys. The lighting is just terrible but here it is:

More to come!

Hello, Bloomers!

Since we’re one week away from our next Meetup- I figured we were due for a rundown of what to expect Sunday.

Our meeting theme is ‘Whole Body’. Hence it is about the…erm…whole body.

Our last Bloom gathering covered a multitude of topics: Decor, frugal living, stress management, etc. Normally, having lots of fun, quick topics appeals to me, but the last few months it became very clear to me that there was a battle going on that needed to be addressed. It’s not a new battle, and I am certainly not re-inventing the wheel- but whatever voice I have, I will use.

It’s been a slow discovery that has happened over years. If you were to take a snapshot of me at 18, you would see a hopelessly selfish and irresponible gal who ate nothing but fast food, could care less about working out, and was pretty lame, as 18 year old girls go.

I am convinced that health never becomes so important to people as when it starts to affect their aesthetics.

Case in point- my husband is not exactly a health food kinda guy. Burgers, fries, and Del Taco are pretty much always at the top of his list. He is also very trim and looks great. (Well, if you ask me, is outright hot!). There is nothing for him to see daily that tells him he needs to change his ways.

18 year old metabolism is generally very kind, and so I gave into my french fry fantasies. However, by age 23 it had caught up in a sad, major way. I ballooned up to 198, which, for my 5ft 4in frame is atrocious.

Today I weight 139. It’s not my goal, but it’s a lot better. It has literally taken more than ten years to get here for so many reasons, but the main one is this: I was unwilling to work hard, and eat with dignity. I was more than willing to try Alli, Metabolife, Xenadrine, Atkins, Weight Watchers, and on and on. But if the results weren’t immediate and magical, I moved on.

Looking back, I am appalled at my lack of self-respect, unwillingness to get educated, and general laziness. It was a long, gradual process of really learning what works and why. I feel like every day I learn something new and wonderful about health and nutrition. I am a certified Zumba instructor and workout 5 times a week. I am still losing, slowly, but I am more than ok with that. My slow weight loss has been a great testimony to the fact that this is a lifestyle change, not a ‘get thin quick’ scheme.

Sometimes I am so eager to share with others and help them along their journey that I don’t know what to do with myself or how to get all the information out there quick enough! I am afraid I am going to make some enemies on Pinterest, as I tend to pin things to my ‘Board of Misinformation’. (If I have done that to you- I am sorry! It is not personal, but we have to work had to get past the hype and provide each other with real information.)

Anyhow, January really cemented the need to have this meetup. January is high tide for weight loss industries. Everyone jumps onto the resolution bandwagon. Along with this- I had been getting increasingly frustrated over the weight loss link of Pinterest. It seemed like every other pin was a myth or a glorification of overly skinny, unhealthy body shapes.

The meetup will address as much as I can within the time given without overwhelming you. So that I don’t get crazy, I have enlisted a panel of experts to engage a little Q & A,. If you haven’t read up on them, here they are.

We will begin at 2pm and our panel will go first. Please feel free to come prepared with questions on nutrition and fitness. If you have a question you’d rather not share with everyone, you are welcome to email it to me, and I will read it anonymously.

After the panel, we will move onto a short information session that will hopefully give you some great knowledge on treating your body as the wondrous machine it is.

Lastly, we will have a goal setting workshop. There will be optional weigh-ins and measurements to get you started tracking, but this is absolutely optional.

I really debated over the weigh in portion. As my genius friend Hallie once told me, just the words ‘weight loss’ alone have been used against us for far too long. I agree whole heartedly that the number on the scale is not ever to be the foundation of your approach to help. However, the pendulum tends to swing too far left or too far right, and it cannot be discounted that weight matters in small ways. It is a problem to be ok with obesity because we want to embrace and love ourselves. Embracing and loving ourselves does not mean we discount self-control and overall health.

I am excited to meet the new faces that are registered, and I hope my enthusiasm becomes infectious along the way!

Changing health and fitness for Riverside, Ca.