Spirited Woman Blogger Team

Take Two Girlfriends and Call me in the Morning

2010-02-09T08:36:34-08:00

When I was a little girl my mother told me that as a grown woman when it came time to count the number of true friends I had, I would be lucky to be able to raise a few fingers. True friends she said are a rarity and you will be blessed to have a few. I count my blessings every day in the fact that I can hold up many fingers. I have an amazing circle of friends. We may not always see one another and it may be days or even weeks between visits, but knowing they are never more than a phone call away is something I not only appreciate, but treasure.

We’ve vacuumed one another’s houses, we’ve prepared meals to share and we’ve even shown up in the middle of the night in our pajamas because someone was in need. We laugh together, cry together and best of all we’ve laughed until we cried.

Regardless of our hectic schedules we do make it a point to find “girl” time on a regular basis. I have played Trivia weekly with a group of women for over 4 years and enjoy a monthly card game with another group for more years than that. We have celebrated birthdays, divorces, graduations and grand babies. Most importantly we celebrate one another for the unique and divine women we are. All different and of various ages, we find commonality in the trials and tribulations of life. Raising children and husbands, launching and losing businesses, at the end of the most stressful day we can come together and find something to laugh about.

Over the years we have hosted a variety of girl’s gatherings. We've gathered over sappy movies, music marathons and the latest martini recipe. No occasion is too small to not celebrate it with the greatest of fanfare. Over the course of an evening we will solve the world’s problems, reminisce over years gone by, discuss rising credit card debt and confess our latest shopping sin. No subject is off topic and amazingly we will carry on numerous topics at one time. At the end of our time together the only thing we will complain about is the fact our sides ache from all the laughter and we don’t get to do this as often as we’d like. I have come to appreciate my girl friend time as important to my health as healthy eating and exercising. In fact, medical proof is mounting to support the fact that laughter has both short term and long term effects. In the short term it stimulates your organs, activates and relieves your stress response and soothes tension and stomach aches. Its long term benefits improve your immune system relieves pain and increases personal satisfaction.

When it comes to time spent with my spirited women friends there is a quote from William James that says it best. “We don’t laugh because we’re happy – we’re happy because we laugh.” Now…take two girlfriends and call me...

Gina McNew, www.ItsHipToBeHot.com
Click here for more of Gina's posts.

Romantic Getaways

2010-02-09T08:09:53-08:00

With Valentine's Day around the corner there are some great last-minute deals for couples, singles and just about anyone who wants to get away. Here are a few sites to wet your appetite.

Expedia.com is offering some really cool deals on places around the US and overseas. For Valentine's Day weekend, you can get to Banff, Paris, Rome or Montreal for some amazing prices.

Starwood Specials - If you are a Starwood member or if you just love their properties, they are currently offering two different types of Valentine's Day Packages in destinations such as Florida and the Caribbean.

Taj Boston Hotel - For those on the East Coast for this coming holiday, there are some great deals in Boston hotels. I particularly like the Taj Boston special.

Cheapoair.com - And of course my new favorite travel resource is offering a variety of romantic destinations direct from certain cities. If you really want to get away, here are some of the deals - Seattle to Hong Kong for $698, New York to Buenos Aires for $747 and Washington to London for $419.

Whatever you do this coming Valentine's Day, I hope you enjoy it and remember how lucky we all are to be loved and to love!

Monica Rohleder
Click here for more of Monica's posts.

Vision Map

2010-02-09T07:49:07-08:00

Being a scrapbooker, I just love to get my hands on anything pretty for cutting and pasting. I first came across 'vision map' via Christine Kane's website to which I subscribe. It was a novel idea at the time but the launch of The Vision Board Book by John Assaraf really caught my attention. Being a scanner, as classified in the best-sellers of motivational speaker Barbara Sher, I have a problem focusing on my targets and goals, which is the culprit to not seeing the projects through.

The vision map came to my rescue and it works particularly well with visualization and affirmations. I cut and pasted on pictures and images which speak to me in all sorts of old magazines, using big bold words in between. I put it up directly above my study so I can look at it whenever my eyes rest on the wall in front of me.

As the visual images take root inside me, the receptor in my brain is activated, driving me to pursue my dream unconsciously by taking bold actions. The Law of Attraction comes in when I focus my intention and the universe responds accordingly. Instead of worrying about 'how' things happen, I like to see my dreams on paper (or on computer screen) and meditate on them.

Spirited women believe in themselves and the universe, trusting that all is well if our desire is for the benefit of the whole. Have a go at it! It is powerful!

Do any of you have vision maps that have helped change your life?

Rosa Wong, a member of the original Spirited Woman Blogger Team, has just launched her new book, METAMORPHOSIS, A DIFFERENT WAY OF LIVING, a travelogue / memoir based on her life changing experience in Scotland. (Check out her new book at Blurb). She is currently based in Hong Kong, juggling between teaching, writing ( on her second book), creating her website and of course blogging!

New Day, New Beginnings, Fresh Start...You've Only to Choose

2010-02-08T08:45:18-08:00

Every day is a new beginning. Treat it that way. Stay away from what might have been, and look at what can be. - Marsha Petrie Sue

No matter where you are in your life right now you always have the opportunity to create a new day...new beginnings...a fresh start.

You've only to choose and step into the creation of the way you want it to be.

Mother nature shows us the possibility and opportunities everyday when the sun lights the sky with a pallet of colors and offers us fresh experiences to see, feel, taste, hear... and live.

One morning this week I got up before the sun because I had to take a friend to the steamship authority.

Since "The Girls," Taza and Luna, my two white labs, and I were already up we headed up island to Lucy Vincent Beach. I knew we had just enough time to get there, to walk the beach and watch the sun rise.

The wind was light so the temperature wasn't too cold even at that hour and I thought what fun to share a Martha's Vineyard sunrise with you.

A new day... a fresh start unfolding with all the inherent possibilities that new beginnings include when we make the choice and begin.

Now you can say you have seen the sun rise, a new day begin...on Martha's Vineyard over Lucy Vincent Beach. Carpe Diem!

BZ Riger www.artofallowingmindset.com, www.internetradiowithjuice.com
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Sharing Laughter on a Sunny Day

2010-02-08T08:23:06-08:00

A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart, and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words. -- Anonymous

How excited I was on the drive over to Mill Valley yesterday, anticipating a delightful afternoon. I was to have lunch with my longtime friend, Erin, who had driven up from Silicon Valley for the day.

Erin and I met in the 1970s, when we were members of Peninsula Women in Advertising (which disbanded several years ago) and Peninsula Marketing Association. We are both writers and editors, and occasionally worked on marketing projects together for computer companies in the Valley. Once in a while we'd get together socially for dinner or to hear jazz; and we have kept up our friendship despite my moves to Santa Cruz, then to Athens,Georgia, back to Silicon Valley, and then over to Marin.

I've always been impressed by Erin's solid intelligence, humor, and buoyant spirit. A while ago, after her husband died, our friendship of many decades reached an even deeper level. Yes, I too have experienced the tremendous upheaval of widowhood and the rebirth that follows, so I can offer her the perspective of one who has "been there." Being able to honestly share our emotions about the shock of being thrust into widowhood has definitely brought us closer.

When I saw Erin yesterday, I was also struck by how relaxing and at the same time reinvigorating it is to be with a friend I've known for so long, by our true meeting of minds (and our similar opinions, about everything from politics to British movies), by our real appreciation of each other -- even our peculiarities, and by what I really value, patches of "companionable silence."

A friendship that has come through several decades and still flourishes is truly a thing of beauty! Who is your Erin and do you have any stories to share?

Linda Jay Geldens, www.LindaJayGeldens.com
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Meditation Used to Reduce Stress for Kids and Teens

2010-02-08T08:04:13-08:00

As women, we serve so many roles in life. Daughter, wife, entrepreneur, sister, aunt and friend. One of the most wonderful (and challenging) roles is that of mother. We moms want not only to be happy for ourselves, but also for our children and family. We all have so much on our plates these days, it’s a wonder any of us can see straight at all!

In reality, our own happiness is often linked to the well-being of our children. As a Spirited Woman, I seek to find ways to share my joy and inner peace with my family, and especially my kids. When I see their smiling faces and hear their laughter, I know I can relax and enjoy the ride. For each of us, the real challenge is to share coping tools to help through those stressful rough patches.

USA Today wrote a recent article explaining the American Psychological Association's annual Stress in America survey results which show kids today are exhibiting stress-related behaviors related to the average family’s current financial and job stress levels. And the Washington Post wrote a recent piece on the possible correlation between brain impairment and stress.

Now we Westerners; parents, educators and doctors alike, are investigating meditation for our children and ourselves, as a natural way to soothe the stress, relieve anxiety and reduce mental over-stimulation. Over the last few years, several school systems, both domestic and abroad, have piloted meditation programs to help kids deal with the stress that comes with school, social pressures, family and growing up. For example, in the UK, a newspaper says “Pupils at a leading public school are to receive weekly 40-minute classes in meditation and stress relief in a ground-breaking addition to the school curriculum.” The entire story is HERE.

As with anything, there are opponents who argue their concern over mind-control and religious overtones of meditation. But several well-respected therapists and doctors are touting the benefits of meditation to help kids thrive in a stressful world. Dr. Charlotte Reznick, professor of psychology at UCLA teaches guided imagery for kids and offers classes and cd’s for purchase on her website. And mother, author and entrepreneur Lori Lite has created a series of visualization cd’s to help parents help their kids find relaxation and peace in the lives as well. I have used these techniques with my now tweens for years.

While everything is not always picture-perfect, we each have a wellspring of peace to dip into when the whirlwind of life gets overwhelming. It’s exciting to watch science and mind-body converge for the greater good. And hopefully, our options will continue to grow when it comes to complete self-care.

What are you doing with your kids? I'd like to know.

MiChelle Jeneen http://www.blogtalkradio.com/spiritrefreshed
Click here for more of MiChelle's posts.

Super Bowl 44

2010-02-06T07:48:28-08:00

Ok spirited women – get out your pompoms, it’s time to gear up for this Sunday’s game in Miami – Saints VS. Colts!

After chatting with some friends., there seems to be a fair share of women who could care less about this weekend’s game and an equal share of ladies that do! And most of the ones I spoke to are just watching to check out the celebrity sightings.

Personally, I’m rooting for the Saints because I think that New Orleans deserves a break. After the devastation of Katrina, I think they could use a victorious moment and a title to hold. Although it’s totally ironic that Peyton Manning (Colts) is playing against a team his father once coached and his hometown team. Perhaps Peyton would be happy if either team won?

I love football – but truthfully these teams are not the two I had hoped to see in Super Bowl 44. Being a New Yorker, it would have been great to watch the Jets fight for the win. But like any other televised award show, the Super Bowl will have all the bells and whistles and the celebrity factor that TV is best known for!

First, Carrie Underwood will be kicking things off with the Star Spangled Banner and the game’s half time performance by Bon Jovi. Love it! My other favorite part is the commercials. I love to see what all the ad agencies and brands have been grinding over for the past six months. To kick it off, check out this hilarious Funny or Die video I found on Perez Hilton featuring Kim Kardashian, Jordan Sparks, Don Johnson, Peyton Manning and Tiki Barber. It’s a small preview for the kind of humor we’ll see this Sunday!

Kickoff is at 6:25pm EST – get your chips, dip and sliders ready!

- Elaine LaPersonerie - www.winkpr.com
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Time Travel

2010-02-05T08:52:32-08:00

As quickly as time passes…isn't it just as amazing how quickly you can be transported back in time by a song on the radio, a fragrance or a déjà vu moment? I had one of those time travel experiences last night. It was my husband’s birthday and I was in the middle of what seemed like a million things when I got the idea I should take my children’s picture while they were here. Having them all under one roof has become a rarity these days, but due to their Dad’s birthday dinner I was presented with a perfect opportunity.

Flash back to many years gone by. My older two were nearly nine and eight-years-old when the baby was born late in November. I decided that it would be fun to make them matching outfits and take their picture to include in that year’s Christmas card as both a holiday greeting and a birth announcement. Little did I know the tradition it would inspire.

Year after year I would gather them up a few weeks before Christmas to capture their growth. It didn't matter that we lived in Florida and it was 80 plus degrees outside. I would stick them in itchy holiday sweaters, light the fire place and instruct them to act lovingly to one another as the picture was going to all our relatives. Hot, itchy and soon irritated; we would eventually question the need for a holiday photo that was going to people even I had never met.

Reasoning aside, year after year I would gather the three of them, place them in some type of pose, snap off 24 photos and run to the one-hour film developing place. I would hold my breath in hopes of getting just one good shot. Whose eyes were closed, who had bunny ears...who had just poked his or her sibling?

I would eventually laugh to myself as I enclosed the final product in the year's Christmas card, but believe me; the photo taking process was anything but a laughing matter. One moment I was a crazed mother yelling sit nice, don't do that, stop making faces at your brother, and seconds later I was saying...SMILE! To finally see their angelic faces captured on Kodak paper was both miraculous and a relief to know it would be another year before we'd have to go through that again. I was always grateful they were photos and not movies; yet now that they are grown I would welcome the opportunity to insert the cassette, hit the play button and rewind the years.

Last night I was able to do just that. All it took was a view through a camera lens and I was suddenly looking at three children who still know how to push my buttons. Minus the holiday sweaters, I instead presented them with some fun Mardi Gras masks. I snapped a few photos, looked at the results on my digital camera screen and suddenly realized my oldest son had been making faces at his younger brother. Sensing my irritation it was all they needed to bust out in laughter. Witnessing their silliness, it was all this Spirited Woman needed to laugh along with them and wish we could do that a lot more often.

Gina McNew, www.ItsHipToBeHot.com
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Travel Apps That Make You Smile & Give You Points Too!

2010-02-05T08:13:59-08:00

If you are like me and millions of others, you have become a Facebook junkie - staying connected with family and friends from across every stage of your life, especially showing everyone your travel tales with posted pictures and comments from across the globe.

And if you have taken the plunge on Twitter, you may be sending tweets daily, hourly or every other minute or so on your journeys across the globe. These two social media websites let us give the people who love us or just want to follow us real time information about what we are doing, where we are visiting and the pictures we are taking.

Well, there is another great website/app out there that you may have not heard of that is specifically targeted for people who are on the go. Foursquare is a hybrid website and mobile application that combines the best of GPS, worldwide locations and a social networking game all in one.

The gist of Foursquare is that you download the application to your mobile device, and when you are traveling across town or across the globe, you can go to your Foursquare app and look up the locations that are near where you are. Once you find the location you are at, you get to check-in, and it will automatically give you points for every check-in which are then communicated to your Facebook page or Twitter page depending on how you sign-up for Foursquare.

What is cool about this is that your friends on Foursquare and Facebook or Twitter know exactly where you are if they want to find you. Or they can just be jealous as they see you checking in at Charles De Galle Airport in Paris or at the Statue of Liberty in New York City. Now you may be asking yourself, "Why do I need this?"

Well, it definitely is not a necessary part of your life, but if you travel often and you like sharing your travels with others, I find Foursquare like a travel journal of sorts where I can keep track of everywhere I go and get points for it....the points by the way will be kept track of in your account online and you can check-in frequently to find out how you are doing. The folks at Foursquare are still figuring out what to do with the point system, but it is fun to review where you have been and what you have done using Foursquare. When I started using Foursquare, I was skeptical. But after checking in across Chicago, LA and Hawaii, it has become an every day challenge for me to see how many places I can go that are in the Foursquare network and a fun way to record all of my comings and goings while on the road or in my hometown!

In the information age we live in, I recommend checking it out!

Monica Rohleder
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5 Minutes of Torture: A Seventh Graders Greatest School Fear

2010-02-05T07:51:28-08:00

There are very few things I dislike about school in fact there are only three: Homework, tests, and getting the test back.

Getting the test back? Why would you dislike that Alice? Its not getting the test back itself, it’s that five minutes before getting the test back when the teacher tells you her scores of the test. I have heard many things that I rate on a scale of one to ten that make me nervous (Ten being the most nervous). They are…

“There were no Fs on this test only a few Cs and Ds and the rest were As and Bs” This comes in as a one on the nervous meter because it eliminates the two worst grades you could get. There is also this…

“I was disappointed with a few grades on this test, but others I was very pleased with!” This comes in as a five on the nervous scale because you sit at your desk thinking did I disappoint her? What is a disappointing grade? I failed, I totally failed this test, I saw the way she looked at me, and I failed! Then there is this…

“There were hardly any As and Bs on this test. If you didn’t get the grade you want you can correct your mistakes for extra points!” These are words of terror. When a teacher flat out offers a class extra points you know there were a lot of bad grades! I would give this a ten on the nervous scale.

That’s not all that comes with the getting the test back experience. The other awful thing is then you have to get it back. While the teacher makes her way around the room you begin to think about the questions you did or didn’t know. You start to wonder did I do this right was my essay good enough? These questions pound in your brain until you get the test back.

Sometimes none of this happens and you simply get your test back and don’t worry about it, but most of the time you hear one of the three sayings telling you that you may not have gotten the grade you wanted.

- Alice, The Spirited Kid
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