My Brain is Still in California

My last post was on the 10th, which is . . . how many days ago? What day is today? Who am I? Where do I live?

In a nut shell since the 10th, I've:

- Had an amazing book signing with fellow-author, Sarah Bowen Shea (photos to post when I can figure out what "safe" place I tucked them in)
- nursed a sick kid back to health
- hosted my mother-in-law for 4 days
- done the regular "Mom" stuff
- nursed a hurt foot
- traveled to Ojai, CA for 3 days of BodyHoops Teacher Training (ie., hours and hours of hoop dancing/move learning/lesson plan learning/etc.)

I got home from the last adventure sometime after 11PM last night. Based on how well today has gone, I do believe I left my brain in California.

Despite the fatigue and the challenge of getting back into "mom mode" after a long weekend away, I'm really quite excited about things to come. My plan is to arrange several 6-session hoop classes for children starting in the fall. I'll likely organize to hold some adult classes, too, depending upon how things unfold these next few months. First I need to polish my hoop moves, but since I'm now hooping daily, I'm hopeful that my skills will be up to par by the time I get all of the business details worked out (insurance, location, costs, etc.).

I can't say enough about how amazing the weekend in Ojai was. It was the first time for as long as I can remember that I was truly out on my own from start to finish - including driving myself to and from the airport. I'm over 30, but I haven't ever done the rental car thing on my own (either my husband or one of my parents has been along for any rental car excursions with me), driven down a 12 lane highway in California, stayed in a hotel on my own or eaten more than one meal a week at a restaurant alone. But last weekend I did it all. And thanks to my GPS (awesome "little" invention), I navigated from Burbank to Ojai and back without fail, slipping in some dining adventures along the way.

The teacher training (I did Level 1 & Level 2) was fantastic. Diana Lopez, the founder of BodyHoops, was our instructor, and she really has this all figured out. She ran the weekend as a series of mock classes so we could get a true sense of how classes are paced, develop our own hooping skills, and get a handle on the terminology. We had group discussions, she helped us troubleshoot, and all the while worked with us at our own experience levels cheerfully and encouragingly (is that even a word? See? Brain hasn't caught up with body yet). The training manual has it ALL written out so that I can remember it all in a week or so when I'm all caught up with being back home and can really focus on moving forward. I do look forward to practicing every day to get better. Seriously, daily. Can you think of a better way to coax a smile . . . better yet, a full belly laugh, out of yourself at the end of a long than hula hooping? Maybe one day in the not-so-distant future I'll even get my Level 3 license. It is totally on my dream list now! And maybe even fire hooping. OK, definitely fire hooping. Yes, fire hooping. I'm getting in touch with my fun self and I'm loving it.

Interested in learning more about hooping? Want to order your own awesome, weighted hoop (these aren't the hoops from your youth)? Leave me a message and I'll get you a coupon code to save you $5 on your order!

Next up . . . the very delayed run-down of the book signing (which, too, was a positive experience). With that post, look for info about how you can WIN a copy of Run Like a Mother. I'm timing it just right with Mother's Day. So maybe you won't have it in hand for Mother's Day, but really mothers should be celebrated and appreciated more than one day a year, right?

Happy running, happy reading and happy hooping!

Book Signing Tomorrow!

Last week I mentioned that we just hit the 2 year milestone for We Are Girls Who Love to Run. Tomorrow I'll be celebrating that in style with a book signing. I'm already getting that excited fluttery feeling in my stomach thinking about it because it is a joint event with the co-author of Run Like a Mother, Sarah Bowen Shea. Sarah writes for Runner's World and Shape Magazine. I cannot tell you how totally wound up I am to be part of this experience with her!

I'll likely be too excited to post anything tomorrow night, but I do promise to do a posting ASAP with photos of the two of us and a run-down of the whole thing. I've had a few book signings before, but really folks, this is a big one for me.

If you live in the Seattle/Eastside area of Washington State, come on over to Title Nine in Bellevue to meet Sarah and me, buy our books and have us sign them! Here are all the details you need:

Who: Runners or friends of runners, parents, girls . . . the list really is endless.
What: A fabulous book signing event
Where: Title Nine - Bellevue
When: Sunday, April 11th, 3-5PM
How: Bring a friend!
Why: You don't have many opportunities to meet 2 running authors at once, especially one who wrote for moms and one who wrote for daughters.

Will I see you there? I hope so!

I ran this morning, weeded half the yard (BIG chore) and chased kiddos, but still have plenty of energy. I'm off to put it to good use by getting the books ready for tomorrow and laying out all of the clothes in my closet to see what to wear. I might work on my sister-in-law's wedding quilt some, too, for some distraction. I'll likely "sneak in" a longer run tomorrow morning to make sure I have my jitters out. How appropriate that this whole thing is running-centric.

Happy running & happy reading!

Celebrate Your Favorite Little Girl

Last week I mentioned that We Are Girls Who Love to Run will be available to shoppers at the web store A Closet of Her Own. Head on over there today to see how you can win a copy of the book with a bunch of other rockin' books/shirts for girls.

A Closet of Her Own is having a Virtual Grand Opening this Wednesday, April 7th! You can win the grand prize (which is amazing, folks - you'd have your whole year's gift shopping done for one special little girl) or one of four fantastic smaller prizes. Go check it out!


Happy running & reading & contest winning!