Archive | July, 2010

Something Exciting is Coming!

27 Jul

If you haven’t noticed already, there’s a badge over on the right part of this page claiming “Something Exciting is Coming!” Well, the time is almost here! On August 10th, I will be opening my online store at OpenSky!

Now, you might ask- what’s OpenSky? Well, let me tell you….

OpenSky’s BIG IDEA:

There are a lot of people and companies selling products, but unfortunately, these businesses are too small to achieve the success and profits they want. This is where OpenSky and people like me enter the idea.

Let’s say I find some great energy bars online being made by a one-woman shop out of her own kitchen. Let’s say her name is Lisa. I partner up with Lisa to help her sell her products online to a larger audience. Or let’s say OpenSky already found Lisa. OpenSky can match me up with Lisa so I can review and recommend her products on my blog. If I like the product, I can advertise it on my blog and in my shop. Once someone decides to buy this product from my shop, OpenSky will handle all of the complicated stuff like customer service, shipping, returns, and in exchange, they split the profit 50/50 with me. So I get to promote, recommend, and love the products in my shop all while OpenSky takes care of all of the e-commerce mess. I can concentrate on my running, eating, dating, and sleeping, and I can still create an extra income stream for myself.

And the benefit to you is that you’re getting great products from trusted people!

So I get to choose what I want to sell on my own OpenSky store, which will be items I truly believe help me achieve my running and weight loss goals like yoga mats, sweat-wicking exercise clothes, and water bottles. And then there will be items I just simply love to have around like teas, coffees, kitchen gadgets, and home decor.

I was completely inspired to inquire about being a seller on OpenSky as I read Leslie’s blog, And Her Little Dog Too. Because I admire her drive, motivation, and her running accomplishments, I wanted to know what products help her achieve her fitness goals. What better place to lump all of those products together than OpenSky! So when my readers want to know what I love, use, and believe in, I can simply say “check out my OpenSky Store!”

So come back on August 10th to check out my store!

If you have questions about buying or selling on OpenSky, check out their website!

Or you can watch this video from Good Morning America for more information!

Do what makes you come alive

21 Jul

Don’t ask yourself what the world needs;
ask yourself what makes you come alive.
And then go and do that.
Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.
-Harold Thurman

 

In an effort to learn more about my fellow panelists for the Healthy Living Summit, I stumbled upon Heather’s blog. She has this quote on her “About Me” page, and as soon as I read it, I couldn’t help myself from crying. “Ask yourself what makes you come alive”…. this is pretty easy for me. Running. But… In the past few months, I’ve caught myself telling people I’ve fallen out of love with running. It hurts. It’s a struggle. I can’t breathe in the heat. I’ve injured myself. I’ve come up with every excuse in the book not to be out there running. This quote made me realize my love affair with my feet hitting the pavement has not gone away. I love running and what it’s made me. I miss it, and I’m ready to start again. It’s amazing what one quote can make you feel.

 

Now if only the hip and foot pain would go away!

So overwhelmed!

21 Jul

Dear Blends (Blog Friends),

I know it’s been a while since I’ve been here to update on my crazy, stressful life. So sorry!

The mortgage business has been insanely busy. Plus, I have to get nationally licensed, which has cost me not only my arm but my leg. Then add in the trip to Chicago for the Healthy Living Summit, my 2009 tax bills, the upcoming half-marathon in Philadelphia and 2011 WDW Marathon, I’m just stressed!!!

And, even worse, I’m not running. Not even attempting it. About a week ago, I left work on a Sunday evening and was motivated enough to go for a 3-mile run. Well, as soon as I got out there, I was hit with a cloud of gnats. They came at me like the “sideways rain” Forrest Gump spoke of. I even had to pluck them out of my eyelashes. When I got home and took a shower, they covered my shower stall. So back to the run, I cut it short at 2.5 miles and as soon as I stopped running, I felt a muscle in my right hip tear. So for the last week and a half, I’ve been walking around like an old lady. Oh, and my left foot sometimes feels like it’s broken.

I need to get to a doctor asap, but taking time off of work and actually trying to find a doctor is the hard part.

So let’s get back to the Healthy Living Summit! Remember when I said I was selected as a panelist for the session entitled “The Ups and Downs of Pressing Publish: Getting Real about the Blogging Community”? Or maybe I didn’t? I can’t find the post. Well, here’s your chance to help me out! The discussion will include include positive ways blogging has impacted your life, such as making new friends, gaining a healthier body image, and the discovery of a like-minded community, as well as overcoming challenges like blog jealousy, cliques, and finding your own blogging niche. We are opening up the session for audience participation, but we’re looking for some questions beforehand so we can be prepared. We are welcoming all questions regarding this topic, positive or negative. You can submit your questions to me at runeatdatesleep@gmail.com or to Anne at anne@fannetasticfood.com. Anne is the head of our group, and the other panelists are Julie, Sana, and Heather. I cannot wait to be part of such a wonderful group of bloggers! And I cannot wait to meet all of your.

P.S. Even if you’re not attending HLS, you can still submit a question.
Thank you :)

Fourth of July in Jacksonville

11 Jul

Jeff called me early last week and asked me if I could meet him in Jacksonville, Florida, where he was going to be spending the 4th with his sister and her fiancé. At first, I thought I couldn’t afford it, but then I found a cheap flight. And then I remembered I had to get a shift covered at my second job, and thankfully, someone took it. So I booked my flight and headed out Friday afternoon. My flight came in an hour before Jeff’s and since I was in the same terminal as his and already through security, I decided to wait at his gate and surprise him. As soon as he saw me, he had the biggest smile. We hugged for a long time. And then we made it to baggage claim to meet Mike, his sister’s fiancé.

Since it was 1am before we got to their house, we went to sleep and woke up around 9am on Saturday morning. We had lunch at the Jacksonville Ale House and then came back to ride their wave runners for a few hours.

Isn’t the view from their back yard gorgeous??



We actually got really close to a bunch of dolphins! It was so cool! I wish I could have brought my camera on the wave runner. We caught a late dinner at Clark’s Fish Camp. We were all a bit disappointed in the food. Most of it was severely deep fried.

This is the back of the restaurant, which looks out over the water. We actually saw an enormous gator, which had to be at least 12-feet long. Eek!

036

Us on our way to dinner. I think we still look pretty cute together.

On Sunday (Fourth of July), Jeff and Emilie’s uncles and aunts came over, along with some neighbors and friends. It was a great time fishing, wave running, and stuffing our mouths! I felt like I was a part of his family again. His aunts and uncles all remembered me, and they hadn’t seen me in 6 years. We all met in Key West in 2004. Jeff taught me how to drive the wave runner so I could finally take it out on my own. It was a blast! I got it up to around 50 mph! Jeff and Mike get them up much higher, but 50 was about all I could handle. It was like driving a motorcycle, or at least that’s what Jeff said it feels like.

On Monday, we didn’t have too much time before we had to pack and leave for the airport, but we had lunch at a 50s-style diner and drove around sight-seeing.

Well that’s it. It was a great weekend spent with wonderful people! Hope you all had a wonderful 4th!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 75 other followers