Posts Tagged ‘social’

Get set for an end of season uphill and celebration with your best friends!

Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008

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Come one come all to the lucky 13th annual Sun Dog’s K-9 Uphill, “A Snowshoe Event for Dogs and their People”! This unique benefit event can be experienced on Saturday, April 12th at 10:00AM at Buttermilk Mountain. Dog and owner teams are invited to snowshoe, ski or hike 2000 vertical feet over two miles from the base to the East Summit FINISH/Refueling Station. Erik’s Epic Raffle and hot dog BBQ will be presented back at the base to reward hearty uphillers. NEW this year: Dog and Owner Look Alike Costume Contest with awards!

 

An annual tradition for active dog lovers, Sun Dog’s K-9 Uphill is focused more on fun and socializing than hard core competition. The event benefits The Friends of the Aspen Animal Shelter, Valley Dog Rescue and the SIMBA fund; which helps local animals that require emergency veterinary care. Last year over 220 teams from around Colorado and beyond participated in either Recreational or Competitive categories. FREE Atlas demo snowshoes and the famous “demo dogs” from the local shelters will be available for those who need uphill gear or a teammate. Pre-registration is available at the Ute Mountaineer in Aspen and RJ Paddywacks in El Jebel,  by contacting Erik at Sun Dog Athletics at (970) 925-1069 or sundog@sopris.net and on-line at www.active.com.  The pre-registration fee is $30.00 and day of event registration is $35.00.

 

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Posted in Aspen Colorado | No Comments »

Be a Dream Girl

Friday, February 8th, 2008

We live in a high-speed, instant-access, digital-download culture that puts fast sex, revealing clothes, loosening moral values, and rude behaviors on a pedestal, while the things that used to matter—kindness, understanding, compassion, and mutual respect—are forced to take a back seat. The messages girls receive in today’s world about their roles and worth in society is part of the problem. The technology that is supposed to be connecting teens is disconnecting them from any central core of stable values. It’s harder than ever for a teenage girl to find her way and create healthy, respectful relationships in today’s anything-goes world.

 Girls today are subjected to the effects of misogynistic lyrics in some hip-hop songs, music videos with  “boobalicious, bootylicious babes”, video games where players get more points for having sex with a girl then killing her, degrading Internet porn that is just a mouse click away for free, and magazine headlines that tell girls the only way to a guy’s heart is through his zipper.

Supporting all that lies technology—cell phones, iPhones, instant messaging, text messaging, MySpace, etc. Yes, they’re all convenient and fun ways to communicate, but they also create a whole new set of problems because miscommunication, and the hard feelings that  go hand in hand with that hurts girls. Many of these technologies and social networking websites are also the breeding grounds for bullying and a lot of trauma and drama that girls must endure without knowing the real costs they are paying in terms of health, vitality and well-being.

Corporations and the media are another part of the problem. They study teens and create marketing and advertising programs designed to make girls feel like the only way they can attract a guy is through their looks and sexuality. It’s hard to know what love and respect truly look like in a world that has become so disrespectful to young women. It’s too easy for girls to end up in unhealthy relationships that hinder moving into adulthood with the necessary tools to succeed.

Dr. Leigh, known to her teen audience as simply Dr. Jenn, was concerned that there was little information for girls about how to combat the daily negative messages they were receiving. She began studying teen culture and relationships a decade ago when the first of her own four children stepped over into the teen years. She has written a self-help guide for teen girls: Laid or loved? The Secrets Guys Wish Girls Knew About Being a Dream Girl Instead of a Just-in-His-Jeans Girl. The book, due out next month, reveals the tools to managing all the new technological impacts on teens, the cultural shifts, as well as the media messages, so that girls can learn how to have self-respect and show respect to others. Real stories and quotes from guys from around the world underscore the powerful message that being a Dream Girl really is a key to present and future happiness and success.

The seminar, “Be a Dream Girl,” is based on the new book. It provides an emotionally safe place for teen girls to learn more about who they really are, what they really want, how to listen to themselves and others, as well as the current trends that keep them from experiencing true happiness, success and healthy relationships.

This highly interactive seminar promises to be life changing. Each girl will receive a prepublication copy of Laid or Loved? Two sessions are available to choose from on February 16th at the Aspen Club. For more information or to register please call Dr. Jenn at 650-892-4927 or email her at: jennifer@drjennscoaching.com.

Dr. Jenn is now seeing teen clients for coaching, as well as building Creative Play rooms in client’s homes who want their children to grow more neural connections in their brains for happiness, problem solving and success in life.

Dr. Jennifer Austin Leigh                                                                                                           CEO Ignite Reality LLC

www.drjennscoaching.com
www.caringcampus.com
www.myspace.com/jenniferaustinleigh
www.facebook.com/people/Jennifer_Austin_Leigh/791758899
P.O. Box 2693
Aspen, Co. 81612
650-892-4927

The mission of Ignite Reality is to teach teens how to create respectful relationships with themselves and others in order for safety and harmony to flourish, and to assist them to grow into confident, compassionate, successful adults through coaching, seminars, and brain growing activities.

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Posted in Aspen Colorado, Aspen Members, miscommunication, moral values, respectful relationships, revealing clothes, stable values, teenage girl, world girls | No Comments »

Top Ten Valentine’s Places for Romance

Wednesday, February 6th, 2008

LOS ANGELES, Feb 05, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Adventuregirl.com’s Stefanie Michaels releases her 2008 list of Valentine’s Day Top Ten Global Places for Romance.

Michaels’ top 10 picks include:

The Kahala Resort – Honolulu’s social address for glamorous events. This exclusive retreat sits on its own private beach, just minutes from Waikiki. Let romance blossom with the Kahala Love Song package complete with dinner at world-famous Hoku’s restaurant.

Michaels applauds the Valen-time to go green at the new “Eco-Glam” Hyatt Key West Resort & Marina, with The Relaxation Package. The Jala Spa will make a $5 donation when guests book the Signature “Jalaja” treatment. Proceeds benefit the Reef Relief Organization.

Romance with a “touch” of adventure at Falaza – a luxury tented safari lodge in South Africa, located 3 hours north of Durban and neighboring the St. Lucia World Heritage Site, offering the Total Relaxation & Renewal Spa Experience in the middle of the African Bush.

Michaels loves the Cotton Tree Lodge – Belize’s newest eco-lodge, which is dedicating Valentine’s week to chocolate. Learn how to make chocolate from descendents of the indigenous Maya who still produce chocolate using traditional techniques.

Cotswold House, in Chipping Camden, England, presents a two-night stay in their luxe Montrose Suite, featuring huge limestone baths (big enough for two), a dinner at Hicks’ Brasserie, Valentine’s dinner in the elegant Juliana’s Restaurant and more love goodies upon arrival.

Warm hearts with the Powder Love Couple Package at Aspen, Colorado’s brand new Sky Hotel, which offers an in-room movie, two “high altitude” massages at the Aspen Club and Spa, and a Kama Sutra weekend couples kit, including the original oils of love – sweet almond oil, spearmint pleasure balm, and sweet honeysuckle honey dust.

Amore in the heart of Florence, Italy’s most romantic of hotels, Rocco Forte Hotel Savoy, with Romantic Renaissance – a 2-night package includes Champagne breakfast in bed, Italian chocolates, and to stir up more heat, “Passion” cocktails por due, at their L’Incontro Bar.

Red Hearts at Cambridge Beach in Bermuda, devoting all of February to romance and relationships – this all-inclusive, upscale resort boasts the Exclusive, Sensory Stimulating, Romance Package, including sunset sails, love seminars and workshops.

The Villagio Inn and Spa in Napa Valley is great for canoodling, notes Michaels, especially with the Couples Comfort Zone Escape. Guestrooms boast wood-burning fireplaces and oversized sunken bathtubs.

Rounding out Michaels’ top 10 is Sanctuary Villas and Apartments – offering a four-night package at the most romantic city on the planet, Paris. The St. Valentine’s Champagne package offers four nights at Boissy d’Anglas – an ultra-exclusive apartment situated in the 8th arrondissement, with private chauffeur and tour to Champagne de Telmont at Epernay in the Champagne region, complete with candlelit champagne cellar dinner.

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Posted in Aspen Colorado, Health Spa Retreat | No Comments »

7 Healthy Holiday Stress Solutions

Monday, November 26th, 2007
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Moss Greene
BellaOnline’s Nutrition Editor

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7 Healthy Holiday Stress Solutions
Suffering from holiday stress? While “over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house” may sound fun, holiday stress can undermine your health, happiness and finances.

Whatever happened to the holiday spirit of joy and peace?

Studies show between Thanksgiving and New Year’s most people experience holiday stress, eat more, exercise less, have more heart attacks and gain an average of 10 pounds.

Take Charge of Your Holidays

During the holidays, hospital emergency room visits and police reports reveal an increase in sickness, addiction, criminal craziness and psychological suffering for three main reasons.

  • Physical demands get crazy. Shopping, social pressures, holiday preparation and overindulgence in unhealthy food and drink tend to get out of control. And exercise, rest and healthy eating, all good antidotes for stress and fatigue, take a back seat.
  • Relationships are in your face. During the holidays, relationships can be a double-edged sword. When families are thrust together for any length of time things often get tense. But then again, missing loved ones is especially depressing during the holidays.
  • Debt can go through the roof. Money problems are stressful any time of the year. And holiday overspending can cause financial debt to spiral out of control. This naturally causes increased feelings of stress, depression and hopelessness.

Trying to pull off the perfect Hallmark holiday, with a whirlwind of shopping, spending, cleaning, cooking, parties and other demands can ruin your health and your holiday. But just because most people have a “Blue Christmas” doesn’t mean you have to.

Seven Solutions for Holiday Stress

Here’s what you can do this holiday season to make sure you “Have yourself a merry little Christmas,” Hanukkah, Thanksgiving and New Years:

  1. Put yourself first. Remember “If Momma ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy!” Rethink the holidays with your well being in mind. Plan ahead and do what works best for you.
  2. Eat healthy. Don’t let the holidays become a dietary free-for-all. Overindulgence creates stress, which causes more overindulgence. Have an apple instead of apple pie. The more fat and sugar you eat, the less energy you have and the more stressed and run down you feel.
  3. Exercise. Walking is one of the healthiest ways to reduce stress. If the weather doesn’t permit a walk, go to the mall and weave your way around the busy harried shoppers.
  4. Rest and relax. Get plenty of sleep and make time for yourself. Take a leisurely walk. Listen to soothing music, clear your mind, slow your breathing and restore your inner calm.
  5. Be realistic. Holiday traditions aren’t engraved in stone. Hold on to those that work for you and get rid of the rest. You can always share yourself through pictures and e-mails.
  6. Say “No.” People will often accept you turning down invitations. If they don’t, too bad. Only say “yes” to what you really want to do and you’ll avoid feeling overwhelmed and resentful.
  7. Be positive. Forget about being perfect. Change whatever you can about the holidays that bothers you and gracefully accept the rest. Above all, gratitude works wonders.

Whether your holidays are the best of times or the worst of times is up to you. Follow these seven healthy holiday stress solutions and you can enjoy the holidays more than ever before.

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Posted in Aspen Colorado, Health and Fitness | No Comments »

Aspen Social Network

Sunday, November 25th, 2007

The official Aspen Club and Spa social network.


Visit Aspen Club

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Posted in Aspen Colorado, Aspen Members, aspen, colorado, groups, myspace, network, social | No Comments »

Stressed Out?

Tuesday, October 23rd, 2007
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Moss Greene

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Stress Management Tips, Causes and Relief
Stressed out? If so, you’re not alone. Stress is the most common cause of illness and disease in our society, underlying anywhere from 75 to 90% of all doctors’ visits.

But stress management involves making changes. Are you up for that?

Whether you change your lifestyle, habits, thoughts, feelings, circumstances or reactions to circumstances, in order to reduce stress you must make changes.

Stress Management Tips

Focus on making changes in the following areas:

Attitude: The same stressful circumstances affect people differently because of attitude. A more positive attitude can greatly reduce the amount of stress you feel.

Nutrition: A deficient diet weakens your immune system and brain function, causing you to be more susceptible to disease, depression and poor decisions.

Exercise: Lack of physical activity is stressful. Exercise produces endorphins contributing to less depression and an overall feeling of wellbeing.

Support: Most people need someone they can rely on during hard times. An absence of support makes stressful situations much more difficult.

Relaxation: Interesting projects, hobbies or other means of fun, rest and relaxation are good outlets for stress and can help in handling stressful situations.

Your willingness to make the necessary above changes will determine your success in reducing stress – no matter what the circumstances.

Causes of Stress

The main stress causes from outside circumstances are:

  1. Death of spouse, child or other loved one
  2. Health crisis – illness or injury
  3. Divorce, marital problems or separation
  4. Jail term or accusation of criminal activity
  5. Money problems – lack or debt
  6. Marriage or marital reconciliation
  7. Fired from job or retirement
  8. Victim of crime or self-abuse
  9. Pregnancy and birth of new baby
  10. Physical changes – puberty or menopause
  11. Moving to new home or location
  12. Hostile home or work environment
  13. Increase in responsibility – independence or new job

However, poor diet, lack of exercise, and persistent negative thinking are the most common ongoing daily causes of stress.

Stress Relief Tips

Here are actions you can take to gain more self-control over stress:

  • Be grateful for the good things in your life.
  • Refocus thinking to a more positive point of view.
  • Start a program of daily physical activity.
  • Take a break, slow down and have more fun.
  • Eliminate junk food and eat a healthier diet.
  • Reach out, get support and interact socially.
  • Use meditation, yoga or other relaxation techniques.
  • Make time for personal interests and hobbies.
  • Get plenty of rest, relaxation and sleep.
  • Let it go. What difference will it make 10 years from now?

You can also set more reasonable goals, stop over-committing, give up perfectionism and minimize or even eliminate many unnecessary sources of stress.

Stress Management Bottom Line

If you follow these stress management tips and guidelines, stress can become an insignificant part of your life. As the Serenity Prayer recommends, change the things you can change, accept those you cannot change and learn to tell the difference.

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Balancing Act

Friday, June 15th, 2007

With food and wine here and the 4th of July just around the corner, the parties will be plentiful. With that comes drinks and food that usually isn’t the healthiest. It is very easy to get caught up in this lifestyle and fall off of the perverbial wagon. I have found that one of the best ways to combat this is to make fitness plans. I’m serious! You will be much less likely to over indulge on burgers and cocktails on Friday night, if you have a hike scheduled for Saturday morning with a friend. If you happen to have a personal trainer, tennis instructor, etc. if they aren’t already, ask them to hold you accountable and schedule appointments accordingly. If you don’t have that luxury, commit to a morning group fitness class. Anything that you can write down as a fitness “appointment” will increase the liklihood of you being there. So, go ahead and enjoy yourself, just remeber to balance your social plans with some time for fitness. If you don’t, you’re going to be right back to where you were before…making a New Years resolution to get back into shape.

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Posted in Aspen Training Tips, Health and Fitness | No Comments »

How to Master Training Efficiency

Wednesday, June 6th, 2007

All too often the most common perceived barrier to reaching one’s training goal(s) is time. Back when I was in a high pressure personal training sales position, my rebuttal to lack of time used to be “there are 168 hours in a week and you are telling me than you cannot spare 2 of them.” Truth be told, it takes more than 2 hours a week to reach most fitness goals. However, the point of the argument is to show how inefficient most of us live our lives and that a perceived lack of time is usually exactly that, PERCEIVED.

Here are some helpful tips to maximize your time spent training: 1) Super-set, tri-set, or circuit train. Super-setting simply refers to doing 2 exercises back-to-back. It can be done with the same muscle group, opposing muscle groups or two unrelated muscle groups. Tri-sets is the same principle only using 3 exercises. For the sake of others it usually makes the most sense to do tri-sets with same equipment so aren’t using half the gym at once. For example, you could do dumbell bench press, 1 arm row, and shoulder press consecutively. Circuit training is moving from one exercise to the next with little or no rest in between for a pre-determined number of exercises which can be anywhere from 5-15. 2) Self-propelled transportation. If you are planning on doing 30 min. of cardio before you lift, you might as well jog, or bike to and from the gym and most of your cardio is done. 3) Do high-intensity intervals. If you alternate between sprints and jogging you will burn more calories in less time than stedy state cardio. 4) Limit your time between sets while lifting. Bring a stop watch or look at the clock and take no more than 60-90 sec. between sets. Remeber, it is effort that counts. Not how long you were at the gym. 5) Save simple exercises for home. If you only have 30 min to be at the gym, cut out the stuff you can do at home like stretching, and ab work. You can easily stretch while you watch tv and do crunches during the commercials.

The bottom line is that once training becomes a regular part of your lifestyle, you will find time for it. I hope some of the above tips are of help. Lastly, if you are a miss or mister chatty (you know who are), go ahead and bring an i-pod so you won’t be tempted to waste time socializing during the time you should be working out.

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