Welcome to the Virtual Breeze blog
I appreciate you stopping by! My blog offers a little of everything…ways to improve your health and well being, exercise tips, recipes, my journey to leading a healthier life, my work as a Virtual Assistant, small business resources, and more.
I am a VA who works with professionals in the health and wellness professions. Everything stated in my blog is based on my opinion. Therefore, please seek the guidance of a professional before making any kind of decisions in regards to your personal health.
I welcome comments and look forward to sharing with you.
October 29, 2009
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Kickboxing bootcamp
Yesterday I started a kickboxing bootcamp–a five week program. I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into; this is definitely going to be a challenge! We start class using jump ropes doing a series of speed jumping followed by push ups. Next, we wrap our hands and put on our boxing gloves to break off into stations. At the various stations, we practice roundhouse kicks and boxing jabs.
I can’t begin to explain how exhilarating it is to take a roundhouse kick to a punching bag; I felt so strong and liberated! Finally, we finish class with a cool down. I’m excited to see the results at the end of the five weeks if I survive my aches and pains. I’ll be sure to report back in May.
April 13, 2010
Tags: cardio kickboxing, Exercise, female kickboxing, kickboxing Posted in: Exercise No Comments
Road trip
My family and I took a road trip to San Francisco over our Spring Break. One of the hardest things to do while traveling is to eat healthy. The highways are packed with nothing but fast food options. So what to do? I like to travel with my igloo soft cooler; this way I can pack nutritious meals and snacks. Traveling with a cooler is convenient and cost effective. Once you reached your destination, try to find restaurants that provide a variety of healthy food choices. You may want to research restaurants before your trip, or stop by the concierge desk at your hotel to inquire. The wonderful thing about being in the Bay area is that it’s very health and environment conscious.
An important travel tip–drink plenty of water! You want to stay hydrated while traveling.
April 6, 2010
Tags: Health, healthy eating, healthy living, igloo, igloo cooler, road trip, road trip planning, travel Posted in: Food No Comments
Spring cleaning
Saturday, March 20th marked the official day of Spring! Many of us use that date as a reminder to clean our homes in preparation for the warm weather. I also use the time to clean my home office, and I’m not just talking about surface cleaning. I mean digging through stacks of papers and organizing files. I’ve made a decision to give my office a good cleaning at least twice a year. What does that involve?
Here are a few tips to get your office in tip top condition:
1. Go through your files! I have a filing cart that is begging to be relieved from overflowing papers. Toss what you don’t need and properly file what you do need.
2. Clear stacks of papers from your desk. It’s a bad habit to get into, yet it happens. At least once a week, go through any papers that tend to accumulate to avoid clutter.
3. Organize shelving. If you have a bookshelf, check to see what books you’re using and git rid of the ones you’re not. Look into purchasing magazine holders to organize magazines, notebooks, folders, and smaller books.
Try not to keep too much on your desk as it makes for easy clutter–less is sometimes best. There are a lot organization accessories you can purchase to help you achieve a clean desk and office. A few places to check out are The Container Store, Organize It, Organize.com, and IKEA.
Happy Spring Cleaning!
March 23, 2010
Tags: cleaning, home office, IKEA, office cleaning, office organization, organization tips, Organize It, Organize.com, spring cleaning checklist, spring cleaning tips, The Container Store Posted in: Business Tips One Comment
Positive affirmations
Do you consider yourself a positive person? A lot of times we don’t realize how negativity can consume us; it’s one of those things that creeps up on you. To have a peaceful state of mind, I keep positive affirmations that I’ve written on hand. This helps me to stay focused and out of the doldrums. I write affirmations for various aspects of my life such as health, spirituality, relationships, career, and finance. Every morning I read my affirmations before starting my work day. I find it soothing to begin my day on a positive note. I also keep a special journal with all my affirmations. The ones that are very meaningful to me, I post around my office.
Now, I’m not 100% positive all of the time; it takes a lot of practice to be a positive person. The key is that I keep trying to do my best and not get discouraged when things go wrong. Positivity is important to your well being. Take time out today to write your affirmations and spread the positivity!
March 18, 2010
Tags: affirmations, careers, doldrums, Health, health and wellness, healthy living, journals, negativity, personal finance, positive affirmations, positive attitude, relationships, spirituality, Well-Being Posted in: Well-Being One Comment
Time for a quickie
Don’t have a lot of time to workout? Then you should check out the 10 Minute Solution DVD series. The series provides a variety of exercises to choose from so that you can get a quick workout. One of my favorites is the Fitness Ball Workout instructed by Kimberly Spreen. If you have back problems like me, then using an exercise ball is fantastic for doing crunches as it fully supports the lower back. The DVD takes you through five different exercise routines:
1. Upper Body
2. Lower Body
3. Core
4. Cardio
5. Flexibility
What I love most about this DVD is that each routine is only 10 minutes, and you can customize the routines. The DVD allows you to pick one routine or a combination of routines to do at a time. I generally pick three to give myself a good 30 minute workout in addition to my walking and yoga. “10 Minute Solution: Fitness Ball Workouts” retails at $14.98, but can be purchased through Amazon for $8.49.
March 16, 2010
Tags: 10 minute workout, ab workout routine, ab workouts, Exercise, fitness ball, fitness ball routines, fitness workout, home workout, workout, workout program, workout routines Posted in: Exercise No Comments
Who’s your coach?
You may have read in a previous post a mention of my coach Rosie Reardon. She’s a fantastic coach with whom I’ve been working with since October 2009. I sought the guidance of a coach because I felt stuck in my business. It can be lonely at times being a solopreneur and we all could use a little help. Many solopreneurs seek the help of coaches to help guide them in their businesses, lives, careers, etc. Working with Rosie has been one of the smartest decisions I’ve made for my business. She has helped me clearly define my niche of working with women in health and wellness, and she’s helped me weed through problems and overcome obstacles along the way. I should have worked with a coach years ago.
A couple important things to keep in mind when looking for a coach:
1. Determine why you’re seeking a coach. This will help you narrow down the type of coach you need. Do you want a life coach, business coach, health coach, etc.?
2. Find at least three different coaches to interview. Every coach has something different to offer, and you want to find the right one for you. Good chemistry is important in order to establish a great working relationship.
To find a coach, start by checking out various coach training websites. Many of these sites list accredited coaches who’ve completed their programs. Another way is to do a Google or Yahoo search on the type of coach you want (e.g. life coach, business coach, etc.).
March 9, 2010
Tags: business coach, career coach, coach, entrepreneur, health and wellness, life coach Posted in: Business, Business Tips One Comment
I love this comic strip–a great reason to start eating healthier! More information on this comic can be found on Natural News.
March 6, 2010
Tags: Food, healthy eating, healthy living, Natural News, nutrition Posted in: Food, Health One Comment
My first race
On Sunday, 2/28 I participated in my first race! It was the Firecracker 5/10K Run/Walk in downtown LA’s Chinatown. Despite being sick, I managed to get up at 5:30 a.m. to prep myself and make my way to the registration site by 7 a.m. I discovered the event a couple weeks ago and decided I was going to walk the race–it was so much fun! The opening ceremonies consisted of a traditional lion dance followed by the lighting of 100,000 firecrackers. My husband also participated which made it even more special. We both finished the race just under an hour.
Me with my husband
Getting my walk on!
March 2, 2010
Tags: Exercise, Firecracker 5k/10k race, firecrackers, race, walking Posted in: Walking 2 Comments
Write it down
My dear friend, Antonette Artiz, introduced me to the Planner Pad–a must have for those in need of planning and organizing their daily activities. As a Virtual Assistant, I have to manage my time wisely and stay organized. The planner allows me to keep track of client tasks as well as my business and personal tasks.
What I love most about the planner is how it works as a funnel and divides into three sections. The top section is where you categorize and write down all your tasks under each category. I categorize by Client Name, Virtual Breeze, and Personal. The middle section is to prioritize tasks (your daily things-to-do). I take my tasks and list them under the day(s) of the week to be completed. Lastly, the lower section is used to schedule appointments. I mostly use this section to block out time for completing my tasks.
Using the planner along with Outlook helps to keep me on top of everything. The planner pad is available in various sizes and prices range from $22.99 – $27.99. I personally like the Executive Size.
February 25, 2010
Tags: organize, planner pad, strategic planning, task manager, time management Posted in: Business, Business Tips No Comments
Soups on!
Last week I tried out a delicious recipe I got from Wendy Battles’ blog, “Healthy Endeavors.” I enjoy cooking and it’s hard to believe that I’ve never made soup, so I thought making her White Bean & Kale Soup would be a good start! The soup turned out great and my family really enjoyed it–including my daughter who is a notorious picky eater. I thought I’d share the recipe for you to try. Enjoy!
White Bean and Kale Soup
Ingredients:
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion
2 medium carrots
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 large sweet potato, diced
6 cups vegetable broth
2 can cannellini beans (white kidney beans)
1 bunch kale, chopped
2 tsp. dried rosemary
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
Directions:
1. In food processor, mince garlic then add onion and chop; remove to plate.
2. Add carrots and chop until coarse.
3. In soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, onion and carrots and cook until softened, about 8 minutes.
4. Add sweet potato and 5 cups of broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook for approximately 10 minutes until potatoes are tender.
5. Puree half the beans in the food processor, adding some of the remaining broth to thin.
6. Add the pureed beans, whole beans, kale and remaining broth to the pot along with the rosemary, salt and pepper.
7. Simmer an additional 5-10 minutes until kale is tender.
February 23, 2010
Tags: clean eating, greens, healthy eating, healthy meals, kale, soup recipe, vegetarian, vegetarian recipe, Wendy Battles, white beans Posted in: Recipes One Comment
