Zumba - by Kristy

Tonight I tried a new type of work out at my local gym. Zumba is a fantastic work out and an absolute blast. You learn choreographed dance routines that combine all sorts of different moves that work several core muscle groups. Zumba offers such a great variety of dance and can boost self esteem, mood, as well as provide you with a fantastic work out. I highly recommend this type of class.

Little girl knows more about independence than many adults do - by Monica

My niece Ashley posted this video to her Facebook page, and I had to post it on my happy news. I have met many women in my life who don't feel strong enough to live without a man, who feel like they are nothing without someone.

But this little girl knows more than many adults do -- that you need to focus on yourself before you settle down. I once dated someone who wanted to marry me -- for me to be a stay-at-home mom and always be barefoot and pregnant. If someone wants to be a stay-at-home mom, that's great! But that's just not me, and I was made to feel guilty for waiting a career first. But we've come a long way since those times when women were not equal to men. And now, we can do whatever the heck we want to. And this girl, at a young age, already knows this.

Inspirational words from songwriter of "Need You Now" - by Monica

Read original article at the Huffington Post by Gail Lynn Goodwin.

I used to write poems throughout high school. I have always loved to write, and I know that sometimes when you write, it's a way to transmit feelings you might not have even realized you were feeling onto paper.

For Josh Kear, songwriter "Need You Now," writes in a way that brings out feelings in those who listen to his music. And in a recent article on the Huffington post, he shared some more inspiration with the readers.

There's no such thing as an overnight success. It's a matter of dedication, hard work, the right timing and meeting the right people. Keep the vision strong and continue moving towards your dream.

Collaboration works. There is a special energy that happens when you're bouncing ideas off of one another. Several people together can accomplish more than the combined result of the same people working individually.

Take the first step, even if you don't know the "right way" to do it. There is no wrong way to follow your dream. The important thing is to leave the judgment behind and just go do it, without the pressure of doing it the "right" way.

Be flexible and embrace change. Priorities change, and it's okay to go with the flow and make new goals.

Adversity happens to all of us. Fear blocks our creativity, so focus strictly on the joy of the opportunity and block out all of the negative self judgment, doubts and fears. Continue to follow the dream, regardless.

Start from where you are now. Take your dream seriously enough to prepare and do the hard work. Remember that the good idea you have today may be the one that gets you enough practice, so when you get a great idea, you'll know what to do with it.

Take the time to create. Set the space and block off time with the intention of following your dream during those hours or even minutes, if that's all the time you have.

Be grateful. When everything's going really, really good, be grateful for how well it's going. And, when things aren't really, really good, be grateful for the things in your life that are. Focus on what's good, rather than the things that seems to be going wrong around you. Be grateful for what you already have.

Follow your bliss. Find that which makes you truly happy when you're doing it, and then make that the thing that you spend the greatest percentage of your time doing.
Surround yourself with people who love you and whom you love. Surround yourself with those whom you are grateful for and who are grateful for you.

Coffee Comeback - by Kristy

As an avid coffee drinker, this story caught my eye. Yahoo! Finance blog had a story on signs that the economy is making a comeback. One thing that is on the rise is Starbucks' consumption. I know personally that I have cut my daily Starbucks' trips down to once a week, sometimes only once every few weeks.

A clip from the story states, "The Venti Latte Makes a Comeback: one of the first things consumers cut out of their budgets when they're feeling pinched is a jolt of high-priced caffeine served up by their local barista. It's also one of the first little luxuries that consumers find worth shelling out for when they start to feel more comfortable with the direction of the economy. So it's telling that Starbucks' net revenues increased 9.5% in 2010, after falling 6% in 2009."

http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/112150/signs-economy-is-on-the-upswing

Score for Charity - by Kristy

Richard Marsh scored a near impossible shot to earn $50,000 for a charity at an Indiana Ice (USHL) hockey game. During the intermission, this fan was given the opportunity to shot the puck the length of the entire ice into a tiny cardboard cutout hole. He made the shot and $50,000 was to be donated to St. Vincent's Cardiovascular of Indiana and the American Heart Association.

But, in an ironic turn of events, Marsh's goal was disqualified. According to the USHL, he was "standing in front of the designated starting line' when he released the shot, and thus 'the insurance company voided the award due to Marsh' standing in the wrong place."

The Indiana Ice owners made a donation to Marsh's charity anyway, leaving this miracle-gone-crazy story a happy ending.

See the shot here:

Valentine's - by Kristy

Happy Valentine's Day! Today is a day to celebrate with the one you love. Even if you are single, you can still have a good valentines day. Surround yourself with family and friends that you love.

As a single person, today I did not have any spectacular plans. So I decided it would be a great day to work on tasks for my best friend's wedding which is taking place this year. Hey, if you can't celebrate your own relationship, why not spend the day helping another's?

Sesame Street characters give patients a Valentine's to remember - by Monica

Read original article on Detroit Broadway World.
Photo credit: goodreads.com.

Monday is Valentine's Day, and the two Sesame Street stars Cookie Monster and Elmo want to make this Valentine's Day special for people who may not be where they would like to be on Valentine's Day.

Not everybody gets chocolate and flowers on Valentine's Day, but these characters of Sesame Street have a way to still make the day special. Elmo and Cookie Monster won't be spending their Monday with Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch or the rest of the Sesame Street gang.

Instead, they will be spending the day at Children's Hospital of Michigan in Detroit on Monday, bringing signed valentines for patients and visitors and giving out hugs to patients in the waiting rooms and play rooms.

I can just imagine the children's faces as they light up, seeing Elmo and Cookie Monster in the doorway with open arms, ready to give them hugs. I'm sure Valentine's Day won't start off the way they had hoped. But the characters of Sesame Street are helping their days end better than they could have imagined.

Keep doing what you're doing - by Monica

Read original article in People Magazine.

In a recent interview in People Magazine, I feel like Jennifer Aniston taught that you need to be happy doing your own thing -- not a stereotypical view of how you're supposed to be "happy."

She is 42 and divorced without any children. So people just seem to assume she must be "unhappy," when in reality, she is not.

We need to be happy with who we are and what we're doing. We don't have to be on the so-called schedule in life everyone thinks we need to be on -- get in a relationship, get engaged, have babies, get married all by a certain age. Instead, we need to do what's right for us, do what makes us happy no matter what others think and stop settling because we think it's what we're "supposed" to do. There is no blueprint for how we should live our lives. And thank God...because how boring would life be if there was.

Keep Detroit Beautiful - by Kristy

The Super Bowl commercials are popular every year. One that stood out above the rest this year was Chrysler's commercial showcasing Detroit. It shined a positive light on a city that so often gets left in the dark. Anyone who is not a Michigander likely views Detroit as a dump. It's sad that Detroit never gets recognition or respect. This commercial makes people from Michigan proud to call Detroit our home. In case you missed it, check out the You Tube video below.

James Franco - by Monica

Read original article at Movie Line.
Image credit: Ask Men.

I figured this would be a good blog post since Kristy and I have the communal hots for actor James Franco.

Franco is joining forces with Columbia College Hollywood to create a course based on his life...a class which may just make Kristy and I go back to college even though we already graduated.

Franco, who just received an Oscar nomination for his movie 127 Days Later, would speak to students weekly via Skype and would attend class when his schedule allows. In the course titled “Master Class: Editing James Franco…with James Franco," students would be editing footage to make a documentary about Franco's unorthodox road to fame.

To me, I feel like for any career path we may choose, the most lessons learned are from people who have already traveled the road we are traveling now. Some people may say Franco is cocky for creating a class about himself. But I couldn't even name all of the people who go out on the road, making presentations about their lives so others can learn from it. What's the difference?

Our lives are a series of choices, a series of mistakes and a series of accomplishments. We could sit and dwell on our mistakes, and we could sit and hoard all of all accomplishments. But I feel like we were meant to share our experiences to teach others. When I went through one of the worst times of my life, I moped and moped. And then I thought to myself, "How can I use this to help others?"

So I made a group to help others who had undergone broken hearts realize that this wasn't something that happened because they deserved it. I founded this group based on experiences in my life, and almost 400 people joined.

When you can take what has happened to you and help others, you realize more why things happened the way they did. Everything has a purpose...it's up to us to find out what it is. For Franco, he was meant to help others reach success as well, instead of hoarding all the success for himself.

Fitness - by Kristy

A good workout is not only great for your physical health, but mental and emotional health too. But going to the gym and keeping up with fitness can be very difficult. There's always some reason to eliminate it from your to-do list. Spicing up your workout routine might be the thing that helps you keep up with bettering your health. Try new things, explore the many options that are out there.

Keep these tips in mind:

If you don't have the time or money to make it to a recreation center, consider trying workout DVDs. You can work on your fitness in the comfort of your own home.

If you feel unmotivated, find a workout buddy. Chances are that many of your friends might be in the same boat, and a workout buddy can make it fun and easier to commit to.

Try any of these popular fitness classes: zumba, yoga, spinning, kickboxing, or bootcamp. All of these classes have many options for different styles, so you can easily find one that targets exactly what you want to do.