Changes

It's a rainy day. But it's not snowing so I will take it. My roommate, Elizabeth, and I want to try our hand at having a garden this summer so right now we are just waiting for the snow to go away! We look forward to growing our own food and canning it for the winter months next year.

As the seasons change, so do things in our lives. I am ending a chapter of my life this week as I leave my role as Mid Maine Regional Coordinator at Youth MOVE Maine and begin a new chapter at Margaret Murphy in April. I am excited and nervous about the change, but feel that it is the right for me at this point in my life. It will have a consistent schedule (M-F 8-4) and they are fine with me leaving a little early to teach my Zumba classes on Monday and Wednesdays at the YMCA. I will be moving my Zumba Kids class at Park Ave from 3:10 to 4:10, so I will still get to keep all my "other" jobs and will no longer "need" to have Saturday's off for work and can be more flexible with the swim lessons schedule on Saturdays. I will miss the kids that I work with and hope to stay in contact with them. I will also miss my awesome coworkers and wish them the best, as well as all of the committees that I have had the honor to serve on over the last two years.

I am heading out on my cruise in less than a month and am ready to get a way for a little bit, although I am leaving people here that I will miss terribly. I am counting down the days until the 4th of July and the trip to Seattle with Tim for Kathryns wedding in August. 

I am also continuing to work on me. Health wise and other. I am so lucky to have my supportive guy by my side. We have a plan and we are sticking to it. Including being careful with our money and saving as much as possible, eating at home more and spending time together on Sundays prepping food for the week. I am excited to stick to this plan and see how well we can do with it.

I can't believe that April will be here by the end of the week. It doesn't seem possible that it is already almost 1/4 of the way through the year.

Lists

Anyone that knows me knows I like lists. I like to be organized, (or at least pretend to be). So yesterday I was looking for monthly check lists to help me get certain things done every week/ month and I happened upon this website:
http://recipes.com/printable/personal-planner/

I printed off all the monthly forms. There is something about checking off a box that gives me some satisfaction. Each month gives you:

• a Monthly focus: What is IT that I want to accomplish this month?
• Top 3 things to do: what are the 3 things that HAVE to get done this month. What do you want your goals to be?
• A place for special dates: who's birthday, anniversary, party is happening this month?
• A place to write down chores. This is where I'm going to put down the things I want to get down every week or month.
• A place for 3 goals for the month and the steps needed to take in order to get there.
• A notes section to write down anything else that is important to the me for the month.

I also am trying to do one "big" shopping trip a month and budgeting for it. By eliminating several trips to the store I am focusing on getting items I need and planned for. I found this template online.
I just simply crossed out weekly to month. Over the course of the next few weeks as I run out of items or think of things that I would need in order to try out new recipes. It breaks the shopping list into sections of the store that you shop in, which I hopes me really focus on what I went to the store to buy.
Not to mention, it is also very colorful, which makes it pretty, and has those bullets to check off while shopping, that make it fun and gives a sense of accomplishment. I plan to use this for my shopping trip at the end of the month for the next month. I still need to make some smaller trips during the month, when/if I need fresh fruits and veggies, but I'm hopping that this will help me be focused in my planning, shopping and budget, which will help me save money in the long run, both at the store and with using less gas, because of less trips.

I'm a big planner and budgeter and so I am always looking at ways to help me be more organized. I don't believe in recreating the wheel, so if I can google something and find it online, and it works for me, then I will use it. If it's not going to work, then I am not going to spend time on it.

Happy Monday! Glad I could share with you today.

Lent

Time seems to be slipping away. I can't believe that tomorrow is March 1 and also the start of the Lenten season!

This year seems to be going by in the blink of an eye, but they do say, Time flies when you are having fun, and most days, I have fun!

I have been meaning to sit down and write a post for weeks now, but I run out of time. For Zumba classes at the United Methodist Church Auburn we have been paying it forward ( #elliptical ). January we collected paper towels and tissues for the Auburn Preschool, located at the church. In February we have been knitting and/crocheting Prayer Shawls for the churches ministry (I'm working on number 19 or 20 right now...) they will be presented at church on Sunday. In March, we will be collecting new/used books for the food pantry that the church supports, and I already have our plans ready to go for April, May and June!

Paying it forward has gotten me thinking about lent. I know that most think about giving something up ( I am giving up cheese- mostly to prove to someone *coughmyboyfriendcough* that I can, as well as carbonated drinks) I want to take a different spin on it too. I was inspired by a post someone shared  that said take 40 bags of "stuff" out of your house (any size) every day... yes I have done some weeding but it got me thinking about "adding" something. Something as simple as reaching out to a person who you haven't talked to in a while, giving someone a compliment, grabbing coffee with someone or offering to lend a helping hand. That is something simple that can be done, and doesn't have to take much time out of your day.

I'm also going to "add" something to my day. I'm going to add a mile. A mile a day for 40 days in any form. Walking, running, jogging, arc machine, bike... or swimming- yes even swimming... I went to the YMCA to see if I could do it and how long it would take- I did do it (it was 88 laps of our little pool) and it took me about 50 mins to complete it. I even printed a 40 Days of Lent calendar that I found through a google search to keep track.

So here we go. I ate the last 2 or 3 cheese sticks in my fridge today and didn't even shed a tear. So... happy Lent, to those who celebrate.

Shape of You

Happy New Year.
Let's break it down.
Happy- 
adjective
1. Feeling or showing pleasure or contentment.
2. Fortunate and content.

New Year
1. New Year is the time at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one.


I have had a great first 9 days of the New Year. I have been happy (almost every day) and have been trying to find the good in each day, even if something puts me in a crabby mood. 

Today was an exceptionally good Monday. 
This morning started with an email from Bikini Diaries.

Let's back this story up a little bit. Last January I went on the ZUMBA Cruise. While on the January cruise they had a chance for anyone who wanted to, to meet with a film crew and share a little about how zumba changed their life. So I did. A few months later the interviewer sent me an email saying that they were working with Bikini.com on a series called Bikini Diaries. At that time they had recently interviewed Sports Illustrated Swim Model  Mia Kang about her experience with bullying, (see her story here) and they wanted to know if I would be willing to work with them and share my Zumba story. I of course said yes. I recorded my story in June and sent it off. About a month later they sent me an email saying that the video was dark, and wanted to know if I would rerecord. So I did. The last email I received was in October saying they were in the process of editing it. I was just thinking the other day that I hadn't herd back from them. When I opened my email this morning, I saw this email:

Hey Megan! 

We're moving forward. Have you seen the video? I can't remember - I think so. 

Our contacts at Zumba actually loved the video so much that they've asked us to further develop the story - I hope you're up for it! To that end - just a short interview by email. Could you take a few minutes and respond when you get a chance? By the end of the week would be fine - we're looking to post this next Wednesday! 

I know you've gotten into some of this in the video - the idea is that people could read either the piece or watch the video, so don't worry about being repetitive. 

NO! I haven't seen the video. I can't wait to see it! I answered the questions that were sent and have been eagerly awaiting a response.

Mean while, Friday Ed Sheeran released two new songs. One of which I really like the beat to and was able to choreograph for my class already. Although the message is a little "naughty" the title of the song, Shape of You, caught my attention. I'm in love with the shape of you...I'm in love with your body.

I was practicing today in front of the mirror before class and I smiled. It's been a long time since I have looked in the mirror and smiled. I have put weight back on and haven't loved my body lately. But today I stood in front of the mirror. I could see a role or two but I was totally ok with it. You see, I've done it before, and for some reason, I am ready to do it again. I hope I can keep this motivation going.

Sneak peek at one of the questions she sent...

Did you struggle in that effort to become an instructor? Were you ever, like - forget this, it's just too hard! If so - how did you get past it? 

Yes! When you are the instructor, it's game on all the time. You have to be there. You have to show up. You have to have the songs ready to go and you have to give it your best 110% of the time.

I have those moments all the time where I am like. Argh, I don't want to do this. I don't want to go to class. I work a full time 40 hour a week job and then a part time job in addition to teaching 7-11 classes a week (depending on the week). When you need to learn new choreography for each class (specialty- Zumba, Zumba toning, Aqua Zumba, Zumba God, Zumba Kids...) 

How do I get past it? I show up to class! I put my sneakers on. Put my hair up in a pony tail, I get my ipod ready. I get to the correct playlist. I talk to the students as they come in the door. We gripe about our workday, share excitement, sadness and everything in between, because really we aren't just instructor and student, we are family. I look at their faces, those friends who might be feeling the same way I am, and they still showed up, and they're not the instructor, they didn't have to. The music starts and its game time and there is no place I would rather be at that moment and the hour goes by so quickly. Zumba is the always the answer for me. 

When I need inspiration I watch Videos, attend a class, take a JAM or a BOOST class.

Then I have those moments where I am like. WOW. I'm the instructor! Wow! These people are here to take a class with me. They choose to be here with me in this moment in time and continue to come back.  

Then there's the pride in the fact that I am stubborn and don't want to give up. I know where I was and I know that if I wasn't the instructor I wouldn't be working out as much as I am. I am not a quitter. So even though I have put some weight back on over the last year, I am determined to get it off again!