Home Makeover: Environmental

The Johnson rendition of ABC's Extreme Home Makeover invaded my place for a much needed renovation this past weekend.

Meet our cast......

Me, 'Lyndsi' as the Client

'Greg' or 'Dad' as Ty Pennington

ROLE: Lead Carpenter

'Sue' or 'Mom' as Tracy Hutson

ROLE: Shopper/Stylist

'Holly' as the Project Manager

ROLE: To remain comfortable

BEFORE....
disclaimer: these pictures were taken AS I was moving in, hence the piles of 'stuff'

Revealing AFTER.....

To make our project as environmentally friendly as possible we used no VOC paint from aka green, an environmentally friendly building supply store in Scottsdale, AZ - a recommendation from my designer friend Amy Stephens at Stephens ID.

Friends & Family: Social

Thanks to some of my closest local girlfriends and family for joing me for an evening at the Old Town Tortilla Factory!

a special mix of people + dinner & drinks + intimate conversation = a great way to introduce friends and family

Will you be my Girlfriend?: Social, Physical

My lack of domestic interest oftentimes lends me to very simple meals - bagged salad, yogurt, steamed vegetables, raw fruit, tuna...you get the gist. Sometimes, I simply crave a warm, home-cooked meal. A call to mom no longer does the trick due to distance so I decided to try the next-best-thing.

Appropriately my mom, sister, and I recently checked out My Girlfriends Kitchen. MGFK takes the slicing, dicing, and shopping out of dinner. With locations in 23 states, this interesting business concept targets busy moms, those who hate to cook, those looking for a social venue, singles, and retirees.

Upon arrival and following a brief orientation session, we suited up in our aprons and began to meander around the various work stations all set up to contain all ingredients for 2 different meals with our customized meal cards containing the items we ordered. 'Girlfriends' are encouraged to "make themselves at home" by taking time to socialize with other 'girlfriends' on the strategically placed couches at the center of the kitchen when moving from station to station. Although this is a great concept, this initial experience would lend me to believe it only works if facilitated correctly.

Here's how it works......

1. Reserve a time online


2. Choose from the monthly selections


3. Show up at a designated time to assemble dinners or they will assemble the meals for you to pick up for an extra fee (they deliver too)


4. Take your food home and put it in the freezer (consider bringing a cooler for transporting food)

6 or 12 meals serving 4- 6 people can be assembled in less than 2 hours. Meal packages can also be split (for singles or friends who want to do it together).

The MGFK way =

Save Time: Agree - we definitely saved time. There is no way we could have shopped, cut, and assembled all the meals we made in the time we did it.

Save Money: Neutral - Although I haven't made the actual calculations, I suspect it would cost less to purchase food at the store. When opportunity cost of the time the shopping, cutting, and assembly is taken into account, I would agree that MGFK would be more affordable and most likely comparable to fast-food options.

Eat Better: Neutral - I checked all nutrition contents online before making my menu selections. Be careful, some selections are full of fat and extra calories. There are plenty of healthy, balanced options to choose from however.

Have Fun: Neutral - We did have a great time together. Had my mom and sister not gone with me, I don't think I would have enjoyed the experience as much. If it is an experience you are looking for, I suggest taking a friend.

Sharing Health Information: Intellectual

Biray Alsac, Exercise Science Faculty member at MCC, has placed 40 presentations of her students' health-related presentations on YouTube. Topics include cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Cold/Flu virus, bio terrorism, and insect & animal-borne infections. She has labeled those that did an exceptional job with *BEST*. Students' grades will incorporate the comments and ratings that they receive so feel free!

How To Save a Life Campaign: Intellectual

I thought Id share the initial portion of my First Aid and CPR at Mesa Community College class's assignment "How To Save a Life." We completed adult, child, and infant CPR videos and placed them on YouTube! These videos provide the basic knowledge to perform CPR and may save a life. Feel free to comment, a portion of their grade comes from the comments they receive!

Up North: Physical, Social

Friday, March 30 - Minnesota Timberwolves 77 Miami Heat - 92

In an attempt to curb my little sister Holly's appetite for basketball (I'm not sure this will ever actually happen), my brother Chad, his girlfriend Alicia, and I arranged a trip to Minneapolis (close proximity....for them) for her to watch one of her favorite NBA superstars, Shaquille O'Neal play.
Ok, so when Chad and I used to play our childhood pick up games, we used to fight over who got to be Shaq (we like him too).


Aware of the fact that the Minnesota Timberwolves have been less than impressive for the past few years and Shaq's sidekick, Dwayne Wade, has been sidelined for the season due to a dislocated shoulder (now reported to play Wed 4/11), I had no expectations of the game itself. I must admit however, I was not prepared for the atmosphere was created, or wasn't created, during the game. From the pre-game lights display, to the intermittent promotional activities, the energy in the arena seemed rather bland and uninteresting. Even the a cappella group that was awkwardly stationed at center court during half-time seemed a bit, off. Hopefully this was a one-time affair, or perhaps the energy put into every Phoenix Suns games (which are a source of engaging entertainment, in addition to exciting basketball) has tainted my perspective.

Game and atmosphere aside, I must admit that watching Shaq from the standpoint of movement analysis was undoubtedly impressive. The athletic, 7'1", 325 lb., 35 year old frame not only meets the demands of this physically challenging game, but does so remarkably well. Check out this YouTube video of Shaq moving to a different beat.

Although initially the focus of our trip, the Timberwolves-Heat game, ended up being the least of our entertainment (let's be honest, there was family involved - entertainment in the form of dysfunction is to be expected, right?). The lasting memories will most likely be those of Holly and I spending excessive time in the airport after being bumped to a later flight (something she described as a "gong show" until she realized that she would be getting a fee ticket out of the deal and could potentially visit her sister again in the near future) or Chad's interesting conversation during the cab ride to the game which included school and marriage advice from our driver (who a) thought I was Chad's mom, b) hasnt gone to school, and c) has 3 girlfriends). Fortunately, our quirkiness was nothing out of the ordinary and a good time was had by all!

Simple Stress Solutions: Intellectual/Occupational

We've all been there, we all know what it feels like, most of us even know the physical, mental, and emotional effects it has on us. What you ask? Stress of course.

For these reasons, one of my favorite topics to talk about is stress management. My lecture, Simple Stress Solutions, is designed to help individuals discover simple solutions designed to help them function optimally (most recently presented at Mesa Community College). Practical physical and mental relaxation techniques are presented and tailored to the specific audience.

Since stress is the result of pressures exceeding one's ability to cope (basically an imbalance between demands and resources), finding an appropriate coping mechanism is of the utmost importance. A shift in perception can do the body and mind good and is the key to successfully managing stress however (rather abstract, I know). Ultimately our perceptions are our reality!

Interested in more information on Simple Stress Solutions, contact me!

Graphics adopted from ahajokes.com

Validating Moment #1 - Intellectual/Emotional

In an attempt to begin appreciating the little things in life (in other words curb the appetite of my perfectionism - I suspect a little of that lies within most of us), I have decided to begin a "Validating Moments" series - posts that purely document accomplishments and/or contribute to the wellbeing of well, me and perhaps some close friends!

I had lunch with a former graduate student who is currently back to finish her thesis work. She recently visited with Dr. Swan and asked for a copy of thesis project so she could get a general idea of formatting and what-have-you. The validating moment lies with in Dr. Swan's candid suggestion to take my thesis because "she did a really good job with it."

Thanks for the props Dr. Swan (and thanks to you Janelle for sharing the story), but can either of you please tell me when our publication notice will end up in my inbox? Wait...I did say I was going to enjoy the little things in life - transcribed into "Lyndsi" that also means 'enjoy specific moments, anticipating the future....not so much.'

For those of you who did not know me during the thesis (research....but mostly writing) process, that might be OK. Im a much more stable person now and probably nicer too (who am I trying to kid). Contrary to what most think, the project was far greater than playing Dance Dance Revolution with participants for four months.

In full disclosure, I really enjoyed the research - the writing on the other hand was perhaps one of the most challenging feats in my life to date however (yes, Im sure...and hope that more demanding triumphs lie on the path ahead).


To the future - Can I say that?

Happy Birthday! - Physical

I baked a cake to celebrate grandma's birthday with her and gpa (OK, I missed it by a week but belated is better than never, right?). Having no desire to become any sort of a domestic diva, rare is the occasion when I would conquer such a feat. I figured it would be worth it in this instance since I spend little time with them.

Customarily I would have tried to whip up a 'healthier version' of the store-bought cake mix (if that can even be done) but in complete utter fear of their disappointment due to deviation from the norm, I simply opted for egg whites instead of whole eggs and prepared the rest as directed - clearly against my own standard practice. Why is it that I would not even think of infusing my 'crazyweird' habits and/or views upon my grandparents? I tell myself it is out of pure respect.

The cake passed the test. As I drove home this evening, I found myself in a sort of 'organic' sugar buzzed state (and resenting the fact that I hadnt found some sort of organic alternative). This cake was the epitome of refinement. Really now, a boxed cake mix complete with store-bought frosting? Not to mention grandpa's famous 'green milkshakes' (although not the least bit Irish, the perfect compliment to St. Patrick's day). The amount of granular white stuff that we consumed (sugar that is) is bound to wind up in Biray's Never Mind Our Health blog. Im not suggesting that consumption of cake should be forgone entirely, but our portion sizes could become more congruent to 'moderation' (then again whose fault is that?).

MSU Golf Tourney - Social

North Dakotans invaded the golf course for yet another MSU Alumni Golf Tourney! To my surprise, over 600 Minot State University alumni currently reside in the valley (then again who can pass up the sun?). Its always nice to be able to check in with the home-front (with out going home of course). Here's proof that Summer and I were actually in attendance. Lots of fun...as you can imagine by viewing Chad's shorts below. What are they all about? Tawnya - Ill miss my phantom roommate...nowhere to be found! Dougie Wald, whats with the face?

Gotta Start Somewhere!

So I have recently started blogging but realize that I dont have a place for my own profound (self proclaimed) thoughts. Im sure my business partner Biray, my Mesa Community College Students, and my Mountainside Fitness clients would rather I kept the thoughts and experiences I will share here in this blog. The title of this blog "Thoughts of a Half Marathoner," is an attempt to replicate the award winning speeches I write (and reherse) while on my runs....most likely never to be repeated quite the same of course.