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LYNNE BRICK'S BLOG
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Wonder Women
It was fabulous meeting so many wonderful "wonder women" at the events where I spoke this week.
I invite you to BLOG me on our website. Feel free to BLOG me for any questions, concerns or comments. I look forward hearing from you!
Meanwhile, here is a list of recommended reading regarding women's health. Enjoy in Great Health!
Church, Matt. High Life: Balance your Body Chemistry and Feel Uplifted 24/7.
ABC Books. Sydney, Australia. 2002.
Collins, Jim. Good to Great. HarperCollins Publisher. NY, NY. 2001.
Covey, Stephen. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. Free Press. NY, NY. 1989
Crowly, Chris and Henry Lodge, M.D. Younger Next Year.
Workman Publishing Company. NY, NY. 2004.
Gray, John, Ph.D. The Mars & Venus Diet and Exercise Solution.
St. Martin’s Press. NY, NY. 2003.
Nelson, Miriam, Ph.D. Strong Women Stay Young. Bantam Books. NY, NY. 1998.
Peeke, Pamela, M.D. M.P.H. Fight Fat After Forty. Penguin Books. NY, NY. 2001.
Popcorn, Faith, EVEolution. The Eight Truths of Marketing to Women.
Hyperion, NY, NY. 2000.
April 25, 2008
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Professional Assistants Week!
Happy Professional Assistants week. It is a great day to thank those who work with you and for you!
I am blessed. Last October, for the first time since we started our business in 1985, I hired an executive assistant. Her name is Karen and she is wonderful! She helps me with so many things, even beyond the walls of our office. Karen not only does a great job, she always has a positive attitude about everything. In addition, she is willing to do everything and anything! You can see Karen's picture in some of the article that I have written for SmartWoman Magazine.
Thank you Karen for all you do for me personally and professionally!
April 24, 2008
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Easter Memories
What is your most favorite Easter memory?
When I was a wee lass, my Grandmother and Grandfather would drive down from Pennsylvania to celebrate the Easter holiday weekend with our family. The week before, my Mom would take my sister and I to Hutzlers or Hoschild Kohn to purchase our Easter outfits: new dress (w/ cranaline!), new white patent leather shoes, new hat and new white gloves.
I can still hear my Grandmother singing "Beautiful, Beautiful Easter Day! Have a joyous holiday, the Lord is risen today!"
We'd enjoy our traditional meals -- turkey w/ saurkraut for dinner Saturday night and ham, our dyed Easter eggs and kielbasa w/ vinegar for breakfast Easter morning. Grandma was a Sunday School teacher. She'd bring specially blessed communion wafers for us to enjoy every Easter.
Some of the Easter holidays kind of run together in my mind. But my most memorable was the Easter Sunday we drove down to Washington, DC to see the cherry blossoms. It was beautiful.
That was the same Easter that I recived a huge solid milk chocolate Easter bunny. It took me 3 months to eat it!
I loved (and still do!) the Easter holiday traditions!
What's your favorite Easter memory?
March 17, 2008
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Sister to Sister
Hello my Sisters! Congratulations to all who attended the Sister to Sister event yesterday at the Baltimore Convention Center. Most important, congratulations to those of you who experienced FREE heart health screening! How many of you learned that you may be at risk of developing heart disease? As many of you know, heart disease is THE number ONE killer of women.
At the three previous events, 80% of the women who attended experienced the reality shock for the first time that they are in fact at risk for heart disease which can lead to heart attack, stroke or even death.
Hopefully, you are not "a ticking time bomb"! .
How were your numbers?
Was your blood pressure approximately 120/80?
Was your waist circumference les than 35 inches?
Was your total cholesterol less than 200?
Was your BMI less than 25?
Do you have a family history of heart diease?
Do you smoke?
Do you exercise at least 5 days a week?
Do you eat heart healthy?
Get to the heart of what matters to your life..... your heart.
For more information, log onto sistertosister.org and Take 5 to Stay Alive.
Special thanks to my fellow chairpersons: Senator Catherine Pugh, Sandy Hillman, Allison Buchalter (who did a phenomenal job coordinating the event!) and the Honorable Mayor Sheila Dixon, who certainly walks her talk!
P.S. 3100 attended this years event!!
February 27, 2008
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New Zealand
I've returned from a successful, yet eventful trip to NZ. No, the bloody hobbits didn't bother me. The daggone baggage transfer dudes proceeded to loose my luggage on the way over to NZ, arriving 2 days after I arrived, as well as on the way back, 16 hours after I arrived home! But all is great! I'm back, and I'm getting grounded.
Each of my international trips brings excitement, joy and lots of stories!
At our gala on TH night, I found myself needing to improvise. Everyone else from around the globe was prepared to dress to the 9's. After all, the gala was our closing ceremony for the Les Mills International Global Summit. I, on the other hand only had one clean shirt which was the free t-shirt that Les Mills International gave each participant. I only had my stinky, crusty jeans that I had been wearing non-stop since I left home four days prior. I also had 2 scarves, which I transported in my carry on bag. Not too shabby!
These weren't any old scarves that your grandmother would wear over her gray hair (in my family, a scarf worn over the head is called a "babushka!"). These scarves were special because my daughter brought them back as a gift for me from China. They even had golden threads running through the fabric! Mini-“bling” so to speak! I walked out of my hotel room with the scarves wrapped around my t-shirt, one sweeping over one breast, and the other sweeping over the second breast. I kinda thought I looked "cool."
When I walked into the gala, one of the coordinators told me to come close to the stage b/c I was winning an award. Then, I kinda felt like a "fool!" I immediately surmised the situation and realized I needed to think creatively quickly. Everyone else was dressed beautifully, even the guys! I decided to turn a negative into a positive.
I walked into the ladies room and closed the bathroom stall door. I proceeded to unwrap the scarves, take off my t-shirt and wearing only my bra and jeans, starting putting my creative juices to good use! I wrapped the purple and black scarf around my back, then pulled the two ends up thru the front of my bra, just under my cleavage. Now my midriff was covered. The other scarf had brilliant fire-y red and orange colors which I folded a bit and placed over the front of my breasts. Then I took the right side and wrapped around the back of the right side of my bra and did the same on the left side.
Voila! Instant modified evening gala top!
Our agency was recognized as the first USA agency to reach 300 club licensees (for the LMI programs such as BodyPump, BodyFlow, BodyStep, etc) What an honor! It was truly due to our business partner's huge energy and efforts. Erin has done a fabulous job! I walked onto the stage with pride with her and was not the least bit embarrassed by my attire!
BTW, I received many compliments for my instant gala top! Guys and gals had no idea that my bra straps over my shoulders were really just my bra straps with mere scarves creatively and cleaverly wrapped around the rest of my bra!
That's my story and I'm sticking to it! At least my baggage finally arrived into Auckland in time for me to wear fresh clothes (and underwear!) for 3 days. I ended up wearing all that I brought. It was a good thing I decided to pack light!
Have you ever had to improvise your evening attire?
P.S. Here's a picture with Dr. Jackie Mills from Les Mills NZ and Maureen Hagan from Canada
February 20, 2008
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Lynne,
You look fabulous as always! Congrats to you and Erin on that honor. You guys rock!
Janet Hangen- Reading, PA
Labor of Love
Happy Valentine's Day! February is National Heart Month and also the month of Love. There is so much love going on at Lynne Bricks Belvedere Square, I just have to share. We are truly blessed with fabulous associates and members!
Lynne Brick's Belvedere's childcare coordinator, Barb, had breast cancer 15 years ago. It has returned with a vengeance. She is undergoing six months of extensive chemotherapy.
Barb takes care of so many of our member's children with so much tender loving care. Many of our members and associates have been generous with their time, talent and love to reciprocate their care and concern back to Barb. It is truly amazing to witness!
This past Sunday, February 10 as well as this Sunday, February 17, Lynne Brick's Belvedere is hosting "Labor of Love" a fundraiser to help Barb with her medical bills. Kathleen, Lynne Brick's Spa coordinator and her associates donate their time to raise money for all spa services! This past Sunday, close to $1000 was raised!
Please find it in your heart to help our beloved Barb. As Kiera, one of our group exercise instructors explained: "The beauty of having so many of you reach out is that we can get creative in our efforts to help Barbara."
In addition to Kiera, members Susanna and Sylvia are also championing this loving cause. They are coordinating Barb's transportation to and from chemotherapy treatments for the entire 6 months, weekly grocery shopping up, hearty meals are delivered to her house every week, not only for Barb but also for her two fabulous children, plus much more. (Barb's daughter also works in Lynne Brick's childcare department)
This team effort from both members and staff shows how much Barb is appreciated at Lynne Brick's. There are 30+ moms helping out!
THANK YOU, from the bottom of the entire Lynne Brick's team's heart.
God Bless Barb!
God Bless you!
February 14, 2008
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February is American Heart Month and the month to give and get love.
Speaking of give, us "women-folk" have the tendency to give, give and give and we have nothing left, we give again. According to Dr. John Gray, this means we are deficient in seratonin! We need to replenish our serotonin levels. Seratonin levels improve when we are on the receiving end of a simple touch or when we get eight hours of sleep every night or when we get love. The cliché, '"The more you give, the more you get" is not appropriate for most of us women. Instead, the cliché for women should be: "The more you get, the more you give."
How do you re-energize your heart spirit? How do you place yourself in the receiving end? How do you improve your serotonin levels? I'd love to hear from you!
February 5, 2008
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The night is dark. You are in your comfortable bed. Then, at 5 am you are awakened by heightened awareness. Suddenly you realize that it seems as though the heat is on high or the oven is now in your bed. You feel heat rise from your core to your head. No, you are not taking a nap in the sun on the beach No, you are not in your bathtub with the lights off taking a relaxing hot bath. Unfortunately, you discover that you are not dreaming. You place your feet outside of the covers for instantaneous "air conditioning." The reality of lying in wet night clothes and wet bed sheets has caused you to become wide awake. What's a mid-life woman to do?
What are your nocturnal secrets to avoid those mid-night hot flashes? I'd love to hear from you!
January 23, 2008
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Thank God I have a SAAB!
Yesterday's unexpected early snow and sudden drop in temperature in Baltimore made driving quite treacherous. Not a laughing matter. I felt cool, calm and confident driving a SAAB which is specifically designed to handle snow and inclement weather!
On the other hand, my husband, Victor, had little “gremlins” floating around him all day who forced him to experience one disaster after another. His car (our '91 Lexus with 280,000 miles) died in the middle of heavy traffic, surrounded by loads of accidents. One of our associates jump started Victor's car and followed Victor to be sure he got the car home when he proceeded to hit his bumper! Thank God, all were fine. Victor finally got the Lexus into the garage when he discovered that the front tire was completely flat.
Later last night, being a good Dad, Victor offered to deliver our daughter Vicki's car to her apartment because it was parked in our office parking lot (she could not drive it up the hill earlier in the day). I drove Victor to pick up the car in the SAAB. Victor turned the car on to warm it up. He left the car running and got out of the car to clean off the windows. Then he heard a "click". The car automatically LOCKED! The car was running and the doors were LOCKED!! Unfortunately when he peered into the car, he noticed an orange glow. The car was running out of gas! I quickly drove to pick up my daughter's keys and returned in the nick of time for Victor to open the car and drive to a nearby gas station to refuel the car. By the end of the day, all of us (including our staff and family) were laughing hysterically.
Morals of the story:
- Drive a SAAB!
- Laugh and laugh hard, NOW! You will most likely be laughing about stressful situations two weeks later anyway, so you might as well laugh now!
- Stress is not what happens to you. It is how you react to what happens to you!
P.S. The story above is condensed. At least five other "mini-disasters" also occurred to Victor just yesterday!
January 18, 2007
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Happy New Year
Its a new year. It's time for a new attitude and a new focus. Time to get blogging!!
21 days. It only takes 21 consecutive days to form a new habit. Now that fourteen days have passed already in 2008. (Can you believe it?), how are you doing with your new lifestyle habits? There are only 7 more days until the 21st. Then your lifestyle habits should be sticking.... for life! Are you on track?
I'm just as busy as many of you and at times struggle to fit fitness into my busy day. But now I'm committed. I'm back on track. I'm focused and I'm feeling great with my workouts.
How about you?
I look forward to hearing from you!
January 14, 2007
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BLOG COMMENT Tonya Kelly
It's funny that I came across this blog because today at work, I was talking to one of my coworkers and I was telling her that I think women are amazing creatures. We endure so much and manage to pull through like soldiers everytime. Every woman has a story. The stories may start and end a bit different but one thing always seems to be common, we end standing. My mother always told me that there are two kinds of women in this world, sinkers and swimmers. I surround myself with swimmers so that they can be my life jacket when I need them and I always gladly do the same for them. My life was going really great. I had recently gotten married. I had a brand new 8 month old baby girl, makayla. I also had two amazing teenage daughters, Daneen and Jade. To all of our surprise, I found out that I was pregnant again. I was a little shocked, okay, alot shocked. I mean, I already had a baby ( only 8 months old). Me and my families shock quickly turned to overwhelming joy when we found out we were having twins. Daneen and Jade were probably the most excited. My husband and I couldn't believe it. We felt so blessed. We always talked of having twins but never thought it would actually happen. I was 5 months along and Everything was going great. I woke up one morning not feeling to good. I was having what I thought at first were cramps. These "cramps" quickly started to feel like contractions. I called my doctor and she told me to go to the hospital immediately. To make a long heartbreaking story short, my babies were born prematurely. They were born alive but they were so small (approximately 6 ounces each). The doctors explained to us that they were so little they could not be put on a ventilator. There was nothing that we could do except let them go back home. They brought them to us in a little decorated box. We prayed and watched them take their last little breaths. The nurse came to take them to morgue. I was devastated. We had a funeral for them. We named them after my mom and his mom. How do you say goodbye when you never got to say hello. Leaving that hospital without my babies felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest over and over. These kinds of experiences can do one of two things, bring families closer together or tear them apart. Unfortunately, the grief ended my marriage. We have now learned to deal with our loss. I find it hard to accept that everything happens for a reason but I know that one day God will show me the purpose of my loss. I found a deep and long lasting respect for people who have lost their children and manage to pick up the pieces and go on. I learned so many things from my loss. Bad things can and do happen to the best of people. God will ALWAYS pull you through. Nothing in life is guaranteed. The most important thing that I learned is that I AM AMAZING. I would have never in a million of years thought that I could pull through such a thing. But, by Gods dear grace, I DID. I made a promise to my children that I would never let their short lives be forgotten. Most people only dream of angels, I held two in my arms. God bless each and everyone woman who shares her story on this page and thank you for letting me share mine. Tonya K
name: Tonya Kelly
August 12, 2007
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Welcome to My Blog
Hello and welcome to my Blog! In honor of Valentine's day and National Heart month, I'd like to share my heart with you and hope that you will share yours with me as well. Most important, I care about you. My goal is to help you to place your "oxygen mask on first before you help others around you."
The purpose of my Blog is to communicate. During the next few months I'd like to take you on a journey with me as I write my book on women's wellness. I'd like you to share your stories with me. We've all experienced "speed bumps" in our life where you may have been forced to make changes, slow down or re-evaluate the intensity at which you are living your life. We've also experienced plenty of times where everyone else in our lives comes first. However, it is important for you to take time for yourself. Time for you to be top priority. Time for you to place your oxygen mask on first before you help others! I look forward to reading your stories.
In 2001, I had a brain tumor. Thank God it was benign. I had a full craniotomy. My neurosurgeon cut me from temple to temple, pulled my face off, drilled a hole in my skull, scooped out the tumor, closed my skull with titanium then, (the best part!!) pulled my skin a little tighter when they pulled my face back up. It took a full year for the lights to come back on in my head. I've learned many life lessons since I first heard the words, "Lynne, you have a brain tumor." When things don't seem to be going very well, when stress is high or when my family/ work/ friends/ professional expectations are pulling me in a million directions, I can say without hesitation, "It's not a tumor." Recovering from a brain tumor puts your life in perspective. Thank goodness, my strong foundation of the four "F's": Faith, Family, Friends and Fitness helped me to completely recover.
Have you had a life changing experience, either physical, emotional or spiritual? Thank you for sharing!
February 15, 2007
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COMMENTS:
The only certainty is that nothing is certain.
Ivan Peterson
Apr 8, 2008 5:52 PM
It's funny that I came across this blog because today at work, I was talking to one of my coworkers and I was telling her that I think women are amazing creatures. We endure so much and manage to pull through like soldiers everytime. Every woman has a story. The stories may start and end a bit different but one thing always seems to be common, we end standing. My mother always told me that there are two kinds of women in this world, sinkers and swimmers. I surround myself with swimmers so that they can be my life jacket when I need them and I always gladly do the same for them. My life was going really great. I had recently gotten married. I had a brand new 8 month old baby girl, makayla. I also had two amazing teenage daughters, Daneen and Jade. To all of our surprise, I found out that I was pregnant again. I was a little shocked, okay, alot shocked. I mean, I already had a baby ( only 8 months old). Me and my families shock quickly turned to overwhelming joy when we found out we were having twins. Daneen and Jade were probably the most excited. My husband and I couldn't believe it. We felt so blessed. We always talked of having twins but never thought it would actually happen. I was 5 months along and Everything was going great. I woke up one morning not feeling to good. I was having what I thought at first were cramps. These "cramps" quickly started to feel like contractions. I called my doctor and she told me to go to the hospital immediately. To make a long heartbreaking story short, my babies were born prematurely. They were born alive but they were so small (approximately 6 ounces each). The doctors explained to us that they were so little they could not be put on a ventilator. There was nothing that we could do except let them go back home. They brought them to us in a little decorated box. We prayed and watched them take their last little breaths. The nurse came to take them to morgue. I was devastated. We had a funeral for them. We named them after my mom and his mom. How do you say goodbye when you never got to say hello. Leaving that hospital without my babies felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest over and over. These kinds of experiences can do one of two things, bring families closer together or tear them apart. Unfortunately, the grief ended my marriage. We have now learned to deal with our loss. I find it hard to accept that everything happens for a reason but I know that one day God will show me the purpose of my loss. I found a deep and long lasting respect for people who have lost their children and manage to pick up the pieces and go on. I learned so many things from my loss. Bad things can and do happen to the best of people. God will ALWAYS pull you through. Nothing in life is guaranteed. The most important thing that I learned is that I AM AMAZING. I would have never in a million of years thought that I could pull through such a thing. But, by Gods dear grace, I DID. I made a promise to my children that I would never let their short lives be forgotten. Most people only dream of angels, I held two in my arms. God bless each and everyone woman who shares her story on this page and thank you for letting me share mine. Tonya K
Tonya Kelly
Aug 11, 2007 11:37 PM
In May of 2004, my wonderful mother had a mini stroke(TIA), that was the day that my world started to turn upside down! My wonderful, kind-hearted mother became my child, I am a divorced mother of a now 13 year old teenage son. My mother tried to bounce back, but was unable to regain full strentgh to continue being a beautician, she had her own business for 50 years. She then had a massive stroke, I remember driving to her house that morning and seeing the ambulance at her house, getting in the house and seeing my mother out of it, a week after she had the massive stroke she was diagnosed with stage 4 LUNG CANCEr and she never smoked a day in her life!. I took a leave of absence from my job, that summer my son spent most of his days after leaving camp in the hospital and then the nursing home, until the love of my life died. She did wait for me to get to the nursing home, and I will never, ever forget the look she had in her eyes that morning. From beginning to end she died in 4 months. I have grown to realize that GOD is your savior and he will never leave you when you need him most. I still miss my mother more than life itself, but she is definitely in a better place!!
Jodye
Jul 06, 2007 10:48 AM
The death of someone meaningful in your life always sheds a whole new perspective on things. A number of years ago, my young husband was diagnosed with terminal renal failure. I will never forget his telling me, as we stood on the balcony of our apartment at sunset. Obviously, it was difficult for him, but his resolve to keep living in a dignified, meaningful way made us bless each day we had together.
For a year, we experienced good days and bad together. He continued to work until the day before he passed. We had to go through dialysis 2-3 times a week, ultimately at home... my building the portable kidney machines and administering the dialysis, his going through the ravages on his system each time.
He never complained ... never asked “Why me?” He was often more concerned with how it was affecting me, than his own embarrassment with his failing body. His absolute resolve to live day-to-day is something I'll benefit from for the rest of my life. He left me with the ability to sort out what's important in relationships, in interactions with others and in life in general. Today, small things and small people don't upset me ... I always think “It could be worse.”
For all this, I am eternally grateful. My husband died at 29.
Sandi
Feb 25, 2007 12:49 PM
Why do we wait for a life changing experience before we see what is really in front of us. I was very fortunate to be raised by two wonderful parents, we share meals together, we did housework and yardwork together, we vacationed together, we share everything. So when they passed away, sure I was upset and I grieved, but I did not feel like they were missing out of my life. They are with at all times because I had a great connection with them and I knew it. As in the words of John Edward (the Medium) "We have to communicate, appreciate and validate our friends and family while they are here so that we don't need a medium to talk to them after they are gone." So, I do not need a life changing experience to appreciate life, I appreciate experiences (and people) to change my life.
"The fact that I can plant a seed
and it becomes a flower, share a bit
of knowledge
and it becomes
another's, smile at someone and
receive a smile in return, are to me continual spiritual exercises."
~ Leo Buscaglia, American author and teacher
Perhaps we should think
of actions such as these
as cardio for the soul.
With that thought in mind,
may your soul
get a daily workout
and may your spirit
be richly nourished.
(taken for today's Heartfelt Blessing)
Lynne, Have a Great Day and I really Appreciate what you do!!!
Crystal Wells
Feb 22, 2007 3:16 PM
I was pregnant with my first child, Max, in 1998 and my husband and I decided to go to New Orleans for a little get away before the baby came. I had two months to go, asked the doctor if it was ok and he said, "have a beignet for me"...We went down on a friday and I had terrible cramps the entire weekend, not realizing it was labor pains. The morning we were supposed to fly out, my water broke...we had the front desk person at the Hyatt call us a cab and he sped to the closest hospital as I was sure I was going to have that baby in the cab. We made it to Tulane Medical Center and had the baby two months premature. While this was all happening my mother was home battling cancer. We ended up living in New Orleans for a month with max in the NICU. My mom was getting getting worse each day. I was so worried about my baby and my mother, not quite sure if I was going to see my mother before she died and praying my baby would be ok. Thankfully Max was fine, we flew home in time for her to see her first grandchild and she died a month later. If Max would have come on his due date my mom would have never met her grandson. I felt blessed to have my family together and always remind my son that he layed with his grandma on her bed, I was amazed to see a life beginning and one ending as they lay together. That experience changed how I view and live my life, I realize there are voids, like not having my mom, but there are so many fulfilling moments that I try to savor, small burst of joy that I relish, even if it's only for a moment or two.
ann marie barbour
Feb 20, 2007 7:01 PM
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