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A friend asked me how My Rock and I stay in shape when we are Never Home. I have written about our substitutions before but I thought I would share a little bit more of what we do when we are home.

I learned from the best trainer, Bill Lawrence, about how to fuel your body with food. What he preaches works for me and my husband. You can try it and tweak it and make it work for you. If you click on my What We Eat link you will find plenty of recipes of food that we eat and love! A nutritious lifestyle is NOT sustainable IF you don’t like the food you are eating. For us, this is what we do and how we eat. We don’t feel like it’s a diet or that it is hard. It’s just about making choices, and we make the best ones we can wherever we are.

Yes, it may take some time for your body to adjust to not eating as much sugar or seasoning with as much salt, but honestly, after you make a conscious effort to eat better, you will find most of your meals taste better!

When we are home, this is what we do. We like to cook together and eat at home. If we do eat out, we try to make the best choices with the options we have. We rarely order deep-fried food, pasta, wings, or pizza. We usually order salmon and a veggie. Or a salad with protein. (I will write more about what we do when we are on the road this month.) But when we are home, we get up in the morning, have a cup of coffee, and head to the gym. We use MCT oil and Premier or Quest liquid protein as our “creamer”.  After we workout, we drink our post-workout protein shake immediately which contains collagen, dextrose, protein, and turmeric. My husband also adds creatine, glutamine, and BCAA’s. It is very important to get protein and carbs into your body after a good workout. During workouts, your muscles are broken down. You need the correct foods to build them back up.

We come home and about an hour later we make breakfast. Usually, we have Ezekiel toast with either a little bit of homemade jelly or nut butter and an egg and egg whites. Sometimes I will make a scramble filled with veggies. Sometimes instead of toast, we have sweet potatoes. Sometimes I will make an egg sandwich on a wrap and use a bit of feta cheese. Other times I will make chicken/turkey apple sausage. As Bill told us this meal should contain a high-energy carb and a good protein to replenish your body within two hours after your workout.

us cooking potatoes

We should eat another high-energy carb and protein meal again another hour later but most of the time we start doing projects, and we don’t eat until lunchtime. Here we usually make a salad. I don’t love lettuce so I use the least amount possible of romaine and spinach. Then we add as many veggies as possible…red onion, tomato, carrots, cucumber, and a healthy fat of avocado, flaxseed, and a touch of dressing made from olive oil. We also add protein to it. Most likely leftover fish or chicken from the night before or we will use canned chicken breast or tuna. Many times we will get a rotisserie chicken from Costco. We take the skin off and peel it. Then we have the meat for the week to snack on, make wraps out of, or use on salads. This is also a great snack to pack along for travel.

In the afternoon, many times my Prince will make a fruit smoothie. We use frozen fruit, a cup of water or almond milk, and a scoop of vanilla protein powder. You could also add a handful of spinach here, chia seeds, or a drizzle of honey.

For dinner, we have a protein and a veggie. Our fish is very basic. We love salmon, sea bass, and tuna steak. We spray or rub with olive oil then sprinkle with Nature Seasons. Sometimes we will add a tiny bit of plant-based butter and a little scoop of minced garlic. If we have it in the house we may sprinkle it with parmesan cheese. The same goes for chicken breast or pork chops. A few times a month we will make steaks on the grill with some grilled asparagus. My Valentine has his special recipe for this marinade with olive oil, Worcestershire, and steak seasoning. You will have to bug him for that recipe. Our veggies are very simple as well. Mostly broccoli and cauliflower with olive oil or avocado oil and sprinkled with Nature Seasons. Spread on a baking sheet and back at 400 for 30 minutes. Simple! And they taste amazing!! I love eating the leftovers cold.

If we are hungry at night we will have a cup of nonfat Greek yogurt with a scoop of Podium Peanut Butter Crunch protein powder. Other snacks we keep in the house around include cottage cheese, carrots, cucumbers, and hummus as well as the flavored pistachios. We also have dark chocolate bark thins in case I get a sweet tooth. If you keep chocolate in the house just make sure you don’t overindulge.

So that is our home routine. If you don’t buy it, you can’t eat it. Be conscious when you go to the grocery store and fill your cart with fresh meat and veggies. Stay away from packaged food items. If your weeks are busy then take a day to food prep so you are ready for your week.

Remember, there is always room for improvement. We have been living this lifestyle for over six years. We are constantly trying to tweak it to meet our needs and to make better choices. Fresh fish and meat are better than canned. Fresh fruit is better than frozen. Email me with any questions. I’d love to help you on your health journey!

If you start buying fresh food you will realize you may go to the store more than once a week. And that is ok. Here is what our grocery list looks like each week:

  • salmon
  • sea bass
  • chicken breast
  • ground turkey or chicken
  • green apple
  • red onion
  • sweet onions
  • mushroom caps
  • sliced mushrooms
  • broccoli
  • cauliflower
  • asparagus
  • sometimes brussel sprouts
  • organic cage-free eggs
  • egg whites
  • sweet potatoes
  • Ezekiel bread
  • romaine lettuce
  • spinach
  • butter lettuce
  • plant-based butter if we need it

This is what we do at home. There are several recipes out there and books about eating better in this new year! Check out our list of Favorites! Good luck with making better choices in this new year!

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

The saying goes “opposites attract” but my Heart and I are anything but the opposite! Sometimes I think we are so much the same that we don’t know how to balance each other out. Therefore, we just go, go, go!

“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.”

— John Lubbock

The problem is we don’t know how to rest. We just go from one event to another. We always have something to do or someone to see. We always talk about how we should stay in one place for a longer period of time but then somehow it never happens. We both seem to be Yes People so it’s hard for us to say no.

The past month has been a perfect example of how we are nonstop. As you know we had such a great time in Park City that we purchased a townhouse that we are now renting on Airbnb. After several weeks of discussion, we decided to drive our Jeep out to our new home. We thought it would be the perfect vehicle as it’s four-wheel drive for the winter, and we can take the roof off in the summer. Our new house has a huge garage so even when renters come they will have room to park.

our view in PC

After a very long drive, my Heart and I worked very hard to get the house painted and cleaned. We had help from some amazing friends who let us borrow ladders and picked up a paintbrush to help us out. We did the walls by ourselves and then had someone come in and do the ceilings. After a week of painting, I have decided it’s probably more beneficial to pay someone to do the whole thing! We had no furniture as it was still on order. We did buy a TV so that we could watch sports as we worked. We slept on an air mattress with a borrowed blanket and some old sheets. But we fell in love with our new house even more.

painting

The new house is in the perfect location. We are minutes from the Jordanelle Express Gondola at the world-renowned Deer Valley Ski Resort and minutes from the Jordanelle Reservoir Marina where you can boat, fish, ski, or paddleboard. Many people don’t think of Park City as a summer retreat but the summer is actually why we fell in love with it. The weather is amazing. The sun is always out. The hiking is unbelievable and the trails are never-ending. It’s also an amazing place to ride your motorcycle if you have one.

views in PC

We flew to Florida after that week for an amazing Halloween Party and scavenger hunt. We met some new fun friends. Then we took off Sunday and flew to Pennsylvania to pick up our truck, motorcycle, and trailer. We spent one Sunday Fun day then got on the road to head back to Florida. We stopped in Virginia for a quick dinner and softball game with the family. My niece hit a home run her first time up to bat! I am so proud of the amazing player she has become. Then my Heart and I continued on for a few more hours.

my heart and i at halloween

We spent the night in North Carolina then pushed on to St. Augustine where we stayed with lifelong friends. We had too much fun and then left the next day. We made it home in time to have dinner with our oldest son. The next day we worked on unpacking and reorganizing our Florida home. We needed to get it opened up for the winter. We worked long and hard powerwashing the pool deck and the dock. We washed cars and cleaned out the garage. We were motivated to get the house back in order because….. we were leaving in two days for a 60th birthday party in Michigan.

our friends' dog

 

Our friend, Jodie, was turning 60 and invited us up for a Swanky Sixtieth. I found a beautiful black dress and some high, high heels. I was excited to dress up and my cute Heart was ready to put his wedding suit back on. We flew in and saw friends we don’t usually see until ski season. We really enjoyed our weekend and had so much fun with Jodie, her friends, and family.

my heart, jodie and i

We flew back to Florida and continued working on the house. We wanted to get the yard beautiful and landscaped as the next weekend we were hosting a 60th birthday party for our friend, Tom, and we wanted it to look nice. It’s always good to have a reason to get things done. The party was a little bit of a surprise as he didn’t know who was coming into town or what we really had planned for him. He had friends coming in from all over Florida and one even flew in from Washington state. Some of these guys hadn’t seen each other in over 25 years.

surprise bday

Tom was super surprised and all of his friends were extremely grateful for the gathering. It was a wonderful weekend and even though it was a lot of work it was well worth it. I think my Heart had just as much fun as Tom and it wasn’t even his birthday. We had a great venue at Rusty’s in Cape Coral for happy hour on Friday night, a party at our house on Saturday, and then we went boating on Sunday. A perfect weekend in Florida.

But the journey continues. Why stay in Florida when we have another house to get ready for ski season? Therefore, Monday morning we got on a flight out to Salt Lake City. Most of our furniture was delivered and we were so excited to go to our house and see it. We couldn’t wait to sleep in a real bed in our new home!

our living room

We spent another week in Park City getting our new house decorated and ready to rent. We were hoping to get a last-minute Thanksgiving rental, but that hasn’t happened yet. We still have a few things to put together but we are very proud of the way it turned out. After another long week of endless days and social nights, we flew back to Florida. We had a great workout in the morning then went to a beautiful wedding at Sanibel Harbor Yacht Club. On Sunday we had brunch with our son and continued working on our Florida home.

my heart and i at a wedding

My Heart had a few weeks off but yesterday he left to go back to work. Even though I am sad he is gone for the holiday, I am looking forward to a week of writing, working on Christmas projects, and laying in the sun. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday. Be safe, have fun, and eat lots of turkey!

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

Mindset by definition: is a habitual or characteristic mental attitude that determines how you will interpret and respond to situations.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about mindset and how it can impact our lives. I feel like two people can look at the same situation and have two completely different thoughts about it. Some look up at a beautiful blue sky and only see the sun while the person standing right beside them sees the one cloud in the sky and can only worry about when it is going to rain. It is very intriguing. I believe it comes down to our state of mind and how we view the events in our lives.

Depending on the circumstances thrown at us and the lessons we’ve learned, we have different ways of viewing and reacting to life’s circumstances. I think many times, we as humans, tend to lean towards the negative. Our brains seem to remember the bad times more than the good times. Why do we do that? According to the article below, psychologists refer to this as negativity bias. It’s easier to see and remember the negative because it has more of an impact on us. Therefore, we need to make a conscious effort to stay positive.

My husband says it all the time… life is about making choices (and living with the consequences of those choices). We are thrown into many circumstances in life. We have hundreds of choices to make every day. Are we washing our hair? Going to the gym? Drinking beer? Smoking cigarettes? Using sugar in our coffee or almond milk? Are we trying to eat healthy or stopping at the fast food restaurant? These are all choices, and they all have consequences that go with them. If you decide to eat out at a fast food restaurant every day for lunch and you get a double cheeseburger and fries then most likely you are going to gain weight and health problems may occur. On the flip side, if you have an important test coming up and you study and understand the material, the consequence is likely a good grade. This is your choice, and we are all free to make them. So what is your mindset? What are your goals? What do you want out of life? And are you happy with the choices you are making?

A positive mindset isn’t just for those day-to-day decisions. It also determines how we will react to those bigger life circumstances. Remember, we cannot control the circumstances around us (the event) but we can control our REACTIONS to the situations. We may lose a loved one. We may get laid off from a job. We may have our car broken into. The question is how do we react to these situations? What is our mindset?

If we have a negative mindset then we can get down, be depressed, blame others, and not take responsibility for our own lives. Yes, it’s ok to be sad sometimes. But we need to pick ourselves up. If we lose our job we can blame our employer, our family, or the economy. We can believe it is the worst thing that ever happened to us. We can sit at home and sulk about how terrible life is. OR we can take responsibility, change our mindset, and we can say wow this is a wonderful opportunity to go back to school, learn a new skill, or start our own business.

Having a positive mindset can be challenging. Sometimes it takes therapy. Maybe it takes good friends to help you realize life is not all bad. It definitely takes a conscious effort and hard work. The thing we need to realize is we cannot blame others for our situations, and we cannot compare our lives to others. Every single one of us has experienced heartbreak, death, disappointment, and sadness. And every single one of us has a different reaction to those experiences. Some of us have done the work and are striving for the silver lining. We cannot blame them. It does not mean they haven’t forgotten or that it doesn’t hurt anymore. It just means they are consciously reframing the negative thoughts in their head and striving for positive outcomes. We need to look within ourselves and see if we are stuck in a negative mindset. Then we need to decide what WE can do individually to help ourselves.

Just because “bad” things happen, doesn’t mean it’s time to give up. It just means there a different road is ahead and now we have a choice. Are we going to be strong and recover from the setback or are we going to continue letting circumstances control us? If we believe our life sucks then it will. If we see the world in a negative way we need to try to turn our thinking around as this helpful article suggests. Remember:

“Life is amazing. Even when it sucks, it is amazing, and we should be grateful for every moment.”

— Hal Elrod

Our mindset is the most critical piece of the puzzle. How we view our life and its’ circumstances is under our control. Believing in ourselves and trying to find the silver lining is well within us. We just need to do the work and change the way we see things.

Photo by Katrina Wright on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

I try to write inspiring and uplifting posts, but sometimes I need to write about the sad stuff. Life is too short to hold grudges, be mad, sad, or down on yourself. But sometimes you can get in a funk and sometimes it’s hard to pull yourself out of it. That’s why it’s important to have a sound support system. Sometimes you need some positive reinforcement from your friends or family.

family at the wedding

It’s hard to be positive especially when you’ve been hit with tragic events over and over. Losing a loved one, losing your job, losing your partner to divorce or separation, becoming distant from your family, or not hearing from your best friend can be huge downers. These are life circumstances. They are sad, and no one ever said it would be easy.

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Yes, we can get down on ourselves. We can feel left out. We can feel depressed or pissed off. And yes, sometimes you need to sit in your private space, be sad, and have a good cry. Let it all out. Scream. Shout. Tell the world it’s not fair. Tell God you are upset. But then you need to pull yourself together and search deep within your soul. What has got you down? What has caused the feelings inside of you? Remember, we can only control our reactions to the circumstances that are thrown at us.

Over the years, I have lost several of my family members. I could be down and mad at the world. And sometimes I am. Sometimes I wonder why our family? Why did my sister have to go? Why isn’t my dad here with us anymore? And that’s okay. I am allowed to be sad sometimes. But I have to realize I cannot control their death. I cannot bring them back. I can only control how I react to the situation. I can only learn from their death that life is so very short and that one day I will reconnect with them. Until then why shouldn’t I try to be positive and spread kindness in this world? Why shouldn’t I enjoy the days I have left on this Earth? Why shouldn’t I try to experience all this world has to offer?

dad and sis

And maybe my circumstances are different than others. I don’t have to work full-time or stay in one place for an extended period. And for me, that is what I enjoy. I love living the gypsy life! Even if you have a job or need to stay in one place you can make it an adventure. Treat your city as if you are a tourist. What can you explore on your days off? Can you rent a bike and take a ride? Can you take a Sunday drive and head out into the country or to a park to enjoy the peacefulness? There are ways to make the world around you a wonderful place. You just need to start with you. What do you enjoy?

Remember, you have to do what makes you happy and what you have control over. Waiting for your best friend to call isn’t something you can control. You need to reach out or you need to move on. You cannot control your best friend. Waiting for the man of your dreams to show up on your doorstep isn’t going to happen either. You need to put yourself in situations where you can meet new people. It’s scary and intimidating, but taking that first step is the hardest. But I promise it will be worth it!

It is also important to have friends that inspire you. It is important to have friends that are there for you through the good and bad times. It is important to have a friend you can call when you are down. Hopefully, your friends can pick you up when you are sad. Sometimes friends can be more understanding and supportive than your family. That’s why it’s important to choose friends who lift you up. My Prince and I are blessed with the best of friends.

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In the end, it is okay to be sad sometimes, but please don’t let that sadness ruin your life. Life is too short, my friends. Turn your circumstances around. Find a powerful, uplifting song! Find a better, happier place for you within you. Take control of your life and make it the best life it can be! Take the Leap of Faith and do all those things you’ve always wanted to do!

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Photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

I believe the theme of this blog is that life is short. Choose to live a life full of adventure and fun! Have some great stories for your grandchildren when they are sitting in your lap in that rocking chair.

“Be courageous. Challenge orthodoxy. Stand up for what you believe in. When you are in your rocking chair talking to your grandchildren many years from now, be sure you have a good story to tell.”

Amal Clooney

Photo by Ian Noble on Unsplashandpma

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

It’s hard to believe summer is almost over and our time out West is about to end. We have spent July and August in Park City, Utah, and it has been amazing! Three years ago, right before Sweet Gram passed away, my hubby and I decided that every summer when we wanted to get out of the heat of Florida we would try a new and different location. In 2021, we spent six weeks in Richmond, Virginia to be close to my mom and the kids. In the summer of 2022, we spent a month in Wilmington, North Carolina to be close to my best friend and her family. And this year we rented an Airbnb out in Park City for two months because my love has always wanted to check it out in the summer.

As you know, we rarely stay in one place for very long and are never home. We packed up our truck and motorcycle trailer the last week in June. We left Pennsylvania and stopped overnight in Chicago to see an amazing friend and her family. Then we spent the July 4th weekend in Green Bay Wisconsin with my hubby’s friends. That was a beautiful place to be. We spent one night in Lincoln, Nebraska which was a really cool city. One more night in Rocks Springs, Wyoming, and then made it to Park City on July 5th.

hiking in PC

The weather was absolutely amazing! People said that all of the snow PC got this past winter plus all of the rain they got in the spring made the area greener than ever. The hikes have been amazing and even though July was hot, as it was around the whole country, it wasn’t humid. So to us, it felt pretty good! It barely rained, and the sun was out every day! It was the perfect getaway from the Florida heat. The condo we rented didn’t have air conditioning so we were very thankful for cool mornings and evenings. During the day we tried to be out of the house doing some type of activity.

PC golfing

My Prince was able to get a month’s vacation and use some other days to drop his trips so he could enjoy most of our time in PC. He flew a few days in July and had two days of training in August but that was it! We got to be on vacation the whole time we were out west! Our plan for each day was to sleep in, have coffee, do a little workout, and have some computer time then we were off to hike, ride the Harley, golf, or ride bicycles. We stuck to our plan almost every day and sometimes even completed two activities in one day!

harley ride

We have literally been nonstop since we arrived. One of my very good girlfriends and her son came to visit me while my Prince worked that first week in PC. We had a great time exploring the few things I knew about Utah. I was so glad to have a friend with whom to explore this beautiful land.

PC friends

A few weeks later my mom came to visit. We did a long four-mile hike to show her around Park City. We golfed with a new friend we met out at the Wasatch Mountain Course. I also found a golf tournament for ladies at the Park City Golf Course where the proceeds went to Breast Cancer Awareness. We had a great time golfing together. I think she is excited I actually like playing golf now 🙂 My goal is to get good enough to beat her at least a time or two!

stacy and mom golfing

We had a few weeks in Park City together with no company. We golfed, hiked, and rode the Harley. Every motorcycle ride we take is absolutely stunning. The mountain lakes are just beautiful and every mountain range is different. Some have pine trees, some have aspen, and some are bare rock. Because it has been so hot we have not seen a lot of wildlife except for deer but maybe a moose will be in our sights before we go. I am a little sad that we will miss the fall here because I believe the colors will be truly spectacular.

clyde lake loop

We left for about nine days in August and rode the bike over 600 miles in one day. We went from Park City to Sturgis, South Dakota for the annual motorcycle rally. It was absolutely one of our favorite trips. Sturgis was busy and there were so many bikes! But it was the cleanest place I have ever been and one of the most tame. No one was upset or in a bad mood. We did some beautiful rides around the area including the Needles Highway, which was awesome. We were not in a hurry so we spent three days coming back to Park City seeing sites through Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. It was unbelievable. We put over 2400 miles on the bike in nine days! I thought my butt would be more sore but I loved it!

bike ride

Just last week, my sister-in-law and her husband came to visit us as well. We enjoyed several beautiful hikes. We went to Sundance Mountain and hiked up to Stewart Falls. It was stunning. The next day we did the Clyde Lake Loop. That became our favorite out here so far. Every corner we turned there was another mountain lake and another beautiful view. It’s hard to believe so much beauty is within 30 minutes of Park City. I feel like we did a lot in our two months here, but I know we have so much more to explore. It seems with every hike we do we think it’s the most beautiful until we do the next one!

clyde lake hike with family

The summer weather in Utah was fantastic. There is so much to do and to see. We didn’t even get to South Utah which I hear is stunning. We made some new friends and had some great times with those we have known for a while. Park City seems to be a popular place for many of our friends we met through the ski weeks. It’s funny to see them here in summer clothes and not all bundled up for winter.

Overall, Park City was an amazing place to be and we will definitely be back!

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

Last week I wrote a post wishing my sister a Happy Heavenly Birthday which also was Why I Launched on August 8 three years ago. Therefore, my blog is now three years old! Happy Birthday to me! We have made some changes over the years as I started with Daily Inspirations five times a week, Weekly Wednesday Workouts, and Friday Fixins. Those posts are still there and there are plenty of workouts to get you started on your fitness journey as well as recipes to help you eat better and feel better!

After about a year of blogging and after Gram passed away, our lives got a little busier. I wasn’t home taking care of her, and I was going on more adventures with my Prince. I continued to try to get posts out every week. I started doing posts on Tuesdays about Family, my Adventures with Gram, our Travels, and being a Pilot’s Wife. I also started doing Weekly Wednesday Words just once a week instead of daily.

This third year has been filled with even more adventures and the blog has been less consistent. I know I should be capturing our adventures but sometimes it’s so hard to find the time to write! Thank you for continuing to follow me.

As you know I had a meeting with the Medium. He told me I needed to start writing and working on a book. I hate to not do my blog because I love writing these posts for you. But I also would like to write a book, too. Therefore, the posts may be even more inconsistent. Thank you to those who already have but, I suggest subscribing to the blog by going to the main page here and scrolling down about halfway. Look at the right side and you will see where you can put in your name and email and Subscribe! That way you won’t miss the posts whenever they come out!

I wish you the best of the rest of your summer and those who have started school already, I wish you a happy, healthy school year!

Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

Happy Birthday, America! Today, we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Our forefathers fought for our freedoms and today we recognize our lucky we are to live in the United States of America.

Most of us will celebrate by having the day off of work. We will eat hamburgers and hot dogs because that’s the American way. We will probably have a beer or two to celebrate the day off and the freedom we have to have a beer anytime we want to.

For the past two years, my Prince and I celebrated July 4th with friends on Lake Anna in Virginia. They have a wonderful fireworks display every year, and we were blessed enough to be out on a boat looking up at these amazing lights.

independence day flag and fireworks

This year we also spent the holiday weekend on the water. Our friends took us out on their boat Saturday and out on jet skies on Sunday. This time we were in the great state of Wisconsin. We got to experience the water of Green Bay and saw the vastness of Lake Michigan. It is amazing how big the Great Lakes are.

independence day jet ski

The shoreline around Green Bay was amazing. It was full of rocks, limestone, cliffs and beautiful houses. My Rock and I had a great time on the water. I had not been on water skies in over 30 years, but I was able to pop right up! It makes me appreciate our lifestyle. We try to eat well and stay in shape (make sure you check out my recipes and workouts) so that we can do these activities even if we only get the opportunity once every few years!

Overall, our time in Green Bay was pretty amazing. We saw some great sunsets, had some good laughs, and spent some quality time with friends. We saw Egg Harbor, Door County, Fish Creek, as well as other stops along the way. Thank you friends for the wonderful weekend!

sunset in wisconsin

If you haven’t heard, last Thursday we started our trek out west where we will spend some time in Park City, Utah. We spent Thursday night in Chicago and then the weekend in Green Bay. Yesterday, we drove to Lincoln, Nebraska where we saw fireworks going off all along the water. The displays went on forever. Today, we will continue our drive and celebrate our independence somewhere in Wyoming. Hopefully we can find a wonderful fireworks display tonight.

Nebraska state sign

I wish you all a safe and happy holiday! Celebrate and appreciate the independence that we have.

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

 

A few weeks ago, I wrote about all the wonderful girlfriends in my life. I have known most of these women for a long time. Therefore, we have been through several stages of life together. We have gone through elementary school, the awkward middle school years, the fun high school years, and then into adulthood. Some of us got married, some had children, and some of us went to college. Sometimes we went our separate ways, but eventually, we found our way back into each other’s lives.

These women are some of the toughest women I know. They aren’t afraid to take chances. They aren’t afraid to go somewhere by themselves. They aren’t afraid to try new things. I have found that almost all of my closest friends pride themselves on being independent and being able to take care of themselves and their families.

As we go through life we learn lessons whether by choice or by circumstance. Even my girlfriends who are married still have a sense of independence. One of my best friends tells her husband, “I don’t NEED you, I WANT you by my side.” Isn’t that how it should be?  Many of us don’t NEED each other. We like having people by our side. We like having companionship. We like having someone to talk to in the morning. But if someone wasn’t there somehow we would survive. Maybe we would have to work a little harder to get where we want to go, but we’d figure it out.

Sometimes it’s hard to compromise and allow yourself to be taken care of, especially if you have been single for a long time or if you have had to do a lot of things on your own. You learned how to make your own money, you learned how to unclog your own toilet, and you learned how to smash that big bug on your floor. So once you take that step and say “I do” you have to learn the art of compromise and communication to make that marriage work. I have known many people who are married yet very lonely.

As you know it took me a while to find My Prince. What I was afraid of was giving up my independence or losing myself. The best thing about being a Pilot’s Wife is when he goes to work for long periods of time I need to make decisions about household items, I need to fix things that may break, and I need to kill little creatures who try to invade our home. But when he is home, he gets to squash the bugs, handle the decisions, and fix the things that have gone wrong.

What I see in all of us women is sometimes a dilemma. Many of us were independent women for a period of time. We developed our routine, we became set in our ways, and we learned how to be alone and not lonely.

Eventually what we need to learn is how to let others take care of us. Sometimes it’s so hard and because we were so independent we see this as weak. We know we can do all of it on our own. Why would we need help? We don’t need anyone to put gas in our car. We don’t need anyone to help us run the power tools. We don’t need anyone to get the glass on the top shelf for us.

But what we need to learn is that it is okay to let another person treat us right. It is okay for your husband to wash your car for you. It is okay for your friend to take your car and fill it with gas. It is okay for your partner to get that glass down that you couldn’t reach without a step stool.

princess wedding dressEven though it’s hard we need to learn grace. We also need to realize that we all are getting older. We all may face a point in time when we are not physically able to take care of ourselves. We need to learn that is okay to ask for help and it is okay to let someone else do things for us. We need to let these generous humans take care of us. It’s what they truly want to do. Sometimes we need to let our significant others treat us like the princesses we dreamed we were destined to become when we were little.

So the next time your partner offers to make you a cup of coffee in the morning say, “Wow babe, that would be awesome, thank you” instead of channeling your independent self and saying, “No, that’s okay I can do it.”  Allowing yourself to be spoiled from time to time doesn’t make you less of an independent woman. Let’s learn to find that balance because someday even if we don’t want to, we may need to rely on others for help.

Photo by Doug Tunison on Unsplash

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy

I just enjoyed my second trip to Hawaii! The first time I spent two days in Maui-one with friends and one with my hubby- and three days in Honolulu with my Prince. This time My Rock and I spent three days in Maui and two in Honolulu.

Hawaii Maui

On our first trip together we did many touristy activities. He took me to Pearl Harbor and a Luau. We went to Waikiki Beach and the Royal Hawaiin Hotel. We hiked 13 Crossings as well as another trail. We saw sea turtles, beautiful beaches, and amazing sunsets.

hawaii Pearl Harbor

Jeff is getting more senior in his job so he is able to hold some amazing trips. The Hawaii trips are some of the best. They stay oceanside at a great hotel called the Andaz in Maui. Although it’s a long day of flying for me for just a few days, it’s totally worth it!

This is only the fourth time I’ve been able to meet him on a layover in the six years we have been together. Many times the layovers are too short or too far away. Even though we had to cancel some plans which I feel terrible about, we decided to have a mini belated Birthday adventure together in Hawaii. I flew on Delta from Fort Myers to Atlanta to Los Angeles to Kahului. I arrived in Maui around 9 pm. I was exhausted after a long travel day but was able to check in and get some sleep.

We woke up the next day and decided to take a walk along the beach. It’s so beautiful there. We had a little bite to eat and decided to make Friday a day of rest and lounging by the pool. That afternoon we went to Maui Brewing Company for a few beers. What a great brewery that is! I highly recommend it. We came home early and went to bed.

The next day we worked out and decided to borrow a truck from our friends who live in Hawaii. We started driving on the Road to Hana. I was nervous at first but we didn’t go all the way to Hana and although the road was windy and single lane at some points, it was fine. We stopped a few times and hiked. We did the Waikamoi Ridge Trail, Twin Falls, and one other in Ko’olau-West Makaiwa. The bamboo in the forests was awesome and the waterfalls are beautiful. What a wonderful place.

Hawaii water falls

On our way back we stopped at Mama’s Fish House. Jeff’s aunt recommended it, and we read that it can take 6 months to get a reservation. Someone told us to ask to sit at the bar. We pulled in and even though the sign said “Bar Full”, the valet said there are some spaces, come on in. We were so excited. The restaurant is right on the water. It has amazing woodwork throughout and is welcoming and quaint. The food was absolutely delicious. I had Kanpachi and Jeff had toothfish. Sooooo good!

hawaii mama's fishhouse

Then we stopped in a little town called Paia. Ululani’s was another recommended spot for Hawaiian shave ice. It was good but not sure shave ice is my thing. I think I like soft-serve custard like Hank’s Frozen Custard in Northwest Pennsylvania much better. We came back to the hotel and had planned to sit out by the pool but we were so exhausted we fell asleep right away.

hawaii shave ice

Sunday we had a lazy morning of coffee on our patio. We did a CrossFit workout full of pull-ups, push-ups, and squats. Then we went for a walk into Kihei and had Thai food for breakfast. Then we walked back. We headed for the pool and had some delicious Polomas. We then went out for another delicious dinner at Monkeypod Kitchen. It was another early night because my love had to get up for work early that next morning.

hawaii monkey pod

I also was getting up early and getting on a Southwest flight from Maui to Honolulu. The flight was quick and easy. Jeff ended up getting delayed and didn’t make it to Honolulu until the early afternoon. The great thing was that two ski club friends were also on a layover so I had some people to hang out with. I did a quick workout and met up with them at the Cream Pot. We had a great breakfast and could bring our own champagne for mimosas. We then walked around a bit and went to the Harbor Pub. Eventually, we made it back to the hotel and met up with my hubby.

We went back to Waikiki Beach and enjoyed the warm weather. After a few hours, we headed back to the hotel so we could get ready and be on time for the amazing happy hour upstairs on the 36th floor of Ala Moana Hotel. There was already a line when we got back but we could go from our rooms and that we did. Our friends got a table, and we enjoyed some great steaks and meals.

hawaii friends

Our friends had to go to bed early but Jeff and I managed to get two seats at the piano. We chatted with the piano player and listened to some great music. It was the perfect ending to our trip. Jeff had to leave the next morning but we had some Starbucks together.  I enjoyed a few more hours by the pool, had a quick cold shower, and walked around the Ala Moana Center for some last-minute shopping.

hawaii waikiki

All in all, my two trips to Hawaii have been pretty amazing. Even though we live in Florida and it’s like going from one paradise to another, it’s a different kind of paradise. The water is a beautiful blue, the scenery is breathtaking, and the food is delicious.

Stay Strong & Be Inspired, Stacy