Life is good

Even though I waffled back in forth, concerned about money and time, I bit the carrot, followed my heart and enrolled in a year long health coaching program at Institute For Integrative Nutrition (IIN). The program starts in March and a huge bonus of support is that my long-time friend will be going through the program, too. Ahh, the comfort of travelling down a new path with a friend. Love it!

Not sure what exactly I'm going to do after getting the certification or how it will help me launch the chain of veggie cafes I'm driven to pursue. However, given the fact that I can spend hours at a time watching programs, reading books-articles-blogs, pouring through recipes and listening to lectures on mind-body wellness and the direct connection between what we eat and how we feel, I think it's the right direction for me to venture. I'm nervous but excited!


 In the meantime, I'm working harder than ever at my Microsoft job, loving the help from my new team, and seeking ways to help my friends embrace "clean eating". Life is certainly a roller coaster and I have my share of ups and downs but I'm learning that it's usually because I'm stuck in the "how in the hell am I going to get everything done?" mind set. Once Ed and my favorite coach, Nancy Carlstrom, help me gain perspective, I feel much better. Sometimes it takes a nice glass of red wine, too. (grin)

Speaking of getting a new perspective, one of my favorite people to watch these days is Kris Carr. I was first introduced to her when she graced the cover of VegNews magazine last month. I love her attitude, the pink stripe in her hair, the words she chooses, the way she makes people feel good by just being in her presence. To put it simply, she rocks! Her fantabulous website is crazysexylife.com. The crazysexylife brand started with her documentary on PBS called crazysexycancer that chronicled her journey from being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer to becoming a self-proclaimed wellness junky. Her latest book, crazy sexy diet, is on the New York Times best seller list and is a top seller on Amazon. My copy should be arriving on Tuesday and I can't wait to tear through it!

I like the direction my life is heading and the people I'm meeting along the way. Thank you for being a special part of my life.

That's all for now. Peace out girl scout!

Cruelty Free Junk Food

I was reading VegNews.com (one of my favorite websites) and came across a few articles listing vegan destinations that will make my kids very happy:

Ice Cream!

On Wednesday, October 27, Seattle Weekly posted on its website the top five vegan ice creams in Seattle. The article displays that Seattle, which is known as a vegan-friendly city, has much to offer in way of vegan desserts. Featured in the top five vegan ice cream places were Healeo, a super-foods nutrition bar; D’Ambrosio, which makes its gelato fresh by hand each day; Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream and Tearoom, which made MSN’s the country’s top 10 ice cream shops; Full Tilt which is rapidly opening new locations throughout Seattle; and vegetarian restaurant Thrive, which boasts a 95 percent organic menu.

Doughnuts!

Seattle-based dairy-free doughnut shop Mighty-O Donuts is named one of the best in the country by Bon Appétit.

Fast Food!

http://www.vegnews.com/web/articles/page.do?pageId=1016&catId=7  This one got me excited because I'm putting together a business plan for a new vegan fast food restaurant in Bellevue. I love to see that other people have already created something similar that's already working! Woo hoo! Success leaves clues...


I very rarely eat desserts anymore but it's great to know there are places I can go to indulge my sweet tooth.

Yummm...
Susan

Reflecting and making new commitments

Happy New Year friends! Did you bring in the new year with a bang, hangover and/or new resolutions?I had visions of a romantic stay in Seattle to bring in the New Year, but alas, we ended up staying home because the love of my life worked late and was battling a terrible cold. I put on my jammies, opened up a bottle of wine and watched a depressing but entirely necessary documentary about Japan's dolphin slaughtering practices on Netflix called "The Cove". Once Ed finally made it home, I fed him soup and then we fell asleep watching a goofy comedy. Do we know how to party or what?

It's now 2011 and I'm about to write out my new goals and create my new "destiny board".  There's something about putting my goals/desires/commitments in words and images that really makes a difference. During one of his events, Tony Robbins shared a process with us that he uses every year and is something we're going to be playing with in our home. (paraphrasing)

1. At the beginning of every year it's important to look back at the previous year and write down all the magical moments you experienced, all the successes, all the things you're proud of, all the things that made you smile and feel free to celebrate them as you remember them.
2. As you look back, there might have been some things that didn't go so well, or things you didn't get to, things you didn't accomplish. Spend some time writing those down. Don't do this to berate yourself, do it to acknowledge them so you don't make the same mistakes in the new year.
3. You might be at a point where you proclaim "that's it, I've had it, THIS is the year that I'm goint to..." Write down the things you're committed to doing in the new year, the goals you want to accomplish, the changes you want to make, the things you want to sustain in the new year.
4. It seems that everyone makes resolutions at the beginning of each year only to give up by January 15th. It's hard to succeed (or remember what you wanted to accomplish) without a roadmap or action plan. Write down the strategies you're going to implement that will empower you to follow through.

2010 was one of the best years of my life. I turned 40 and our daughters turned 16 and 21, it was Ed's first time being top manager of the year, we took our first trips to Maui, England and France, participated in two live Tony Robbins events, went to several concerts, the Lakers beat the Celtics to win another Championship and the Huskies won the Rose Bowl!

I remember wondering if my best years happened back when my entire summer was a vacation, my only bills were clothes, Big Gulps and concert tickets, and I had an incredible metabolism that forgave donuts, birthday cake and hot fudge sundaes. Nope. When I reflect back on 2010 and look forward at the possibilities of 2011, there's no doubt that some of my best years are going to be in my 40's and beyond. Well, now I'm motivated to cut out images and get my destiny board up for 2011. The Seahawks just beat the Saints in the playoffs so I know for sure that anything is possible!
 
Happy New Year everyone!! Reflect, commit, create a strategy and go kick some ass!
With love,
Susan