This is the 3rd of a 3-part vodcast series done with Mr. Martini (BehindTheBarShow.com). The first was in celebration of the Kentucky Derby - we made a mint julep and discussed Da Horses. The second took the bourbon from the julep to create an Old Fashioned, and discussed “old fashioned” subjects such as etiquette, manners, language, listening, and having a signature cocktail without being branded High Maintenance.

In this vodcast, we take the mint from the julep and create a Mojito, and as the Mojito reminds us of travel (Cuba might open up any time now!), we discuss:

*  How Sandy packed in 15 minutes for a 3 week honeymoon;

*  Picking and packing in a “base” color, intelligently;

*  Getting around every woman’s Achilles heel (as it were) – Shoes!

*  Things to leave in your suitcase, including one Secret Weapon to amaze your James;

*  Covering issues such as plants, lights, kids, pets, mail, newspapers and the like so you’re ready to take off when an adventure presents itself;

*  Handling lotions, potions, makeup and jewelry on a trip; and

*  Much more!

In a few minutes, we hope we can get you from “Oh Honey, No!” when those tickets to Paris show up unexpectedly, to “Honey, Let’s Go!”

Let me know what you think – either give me a ring on my Listener Feedback line 206.350.3537, leave a Comment here, or email to sandy[at]beabondgirl[dot]com.

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In this Coffee Chat with Experts, we meet Erin Doland from Unclutterer.com.  We Learn:

* How the Unclutterer Got Started, including all about Mazes of Stuff and the Bud Lite Bottle rising from the Dead/Rubbermaid Coffin (cue scary music);

*  How to terrorize soon-to-be-husbands (N.B.: Mazes of stuff will do it);

*  Dealing kindly with a Packrat;

*  How to start the decluttering process, be dispassionate, and communicate;

*  Two great ways to diminish the “mine v. yours” struggle;

*  How to discuss what “Simple Living” means to each of you and how to imagine living together as one;

*  Your Toaster or Mine: How to deal when the space won’t hold it all (especially two of everything);

*  Who are You, Really: What new and exciting thoughts you could entertain about decluttering and how not to drag the anchor of the Old You, along with all of her dead/post energy and stories, into your new life; and

*  A whole lot more!

I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats. We sure had fun doing it – you might just listen to give you a smile!

Here are the links to Erin’s two interviews on the Precision Change podcast: Tired of the Crap? Become an Unclutterer! and What is Clutter Costing You? Just to have it all in one place, here is the summary link to all the uncluttering entries I’ve made on the website.  If you have my book, you know that the entire Chapter 1 is dedicated to this topic… You can’t release your Inner Bond Girl if you can’t find her under the Piles of Stuff!!! 

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

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Have you been downloading our Bond Girl Coaching Cards? Here is a link to the next set in the series. We plan to ultimately have a boxed set of all the cards for sale. But these are free for you to print out (instructions are on the printout). I’m very excited by these! They are my gift to you.

Click on the link below, to download the cards.

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This morning I checked out Forbes.com – and guess what I found?  A whole op-ed piece on Bond Girls!

As pointed out in Forbes, “Some feminists rail that Bond Girls are hypersexualized and two-dimensional. (They are called girls, after all.)”  But Bond Girls are “generally from working-girls stock…their ranks include an astrophysicist, Oxford professor, pilot..circus [owner]…”

The thing about Bond Girls is that they are ordinary women caught in extraordinary circumstances.  They actually live where a governnment employee on an expense account (a/k/a James Bond) drops into. They have wonderful lives – Bond has to go where he’s told and doesn’t really have an anchor and place. Bond Girls are sensual and have enough time management skills (while otherwise running their enterprises!) to take advantage of this gorgeous guy when he’s in their midst – and in fact, to usually get out of the trouble that he somehow gets them into. They aren’t paid or trained to be spies or to take on action-adventure (a la Charlies Angels, Lara Croft or Sarah Connor from the Terminator movies), but they get on just fine.  They aren’t “Eek Girls.”

I’m going to be smiling all day that Forbes is talking about Bond Girls.  Hey – we know that Bond Girls run their own businesses and manage their own money… I even mention Forbes in my book as a great magazine to read to keep a pulse on All Things $. I love that Forbes is now keeping track of All Things Bond Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrl.  

Yes yes, can you tell, it’s “catch up on blogs” day!  The Glam Flash newsletter from Glam.com ran a great article that details feng shui color tips, which I don’t really go into in my podcasts, book or blog. Have a look – it’s well written and follows what I know as well. I didn’t poke around the site all that much in their “what is feng shui” so they might be trying to sell you something on Tarot.com (which is the link that comes from Glam.com) – always beware, of course, but have fun!

OK in skimming the blogs for the Avon/007 perfume, I found two entries I am in love with, from Stylefrizz.com.  Check these out:

Chocolate or Honey-Dipped Sunglasses…

Or, for those of you who are afraid that you could only eat, like, one lens, a chocolate bar with the calories all marked out for you to count!

So what do YOU think a Bond Girl smells like?  Avon is having a go at figuring this out for us, apparently. According to Now Smell This, quoting an Avon spokesperson, “Bond Girl 007 is a sexy cocktail of velvety florals, cool freshness and warm woods; the notes include white peach, orange blossom, jasmine, calypso orchid, freesia, amber, cashmere wood and patchouli. The bottle is meant to recall a woman’s body; the cap is meant to be ‘a stealthy homage to a Bond spy gadget’.”

That’s a lot of “notes” for one fragrance! I’ll be very curious to see how it smells. Being a “one note woman” myself (I wear Jo Malone and layer it if I want more “notes”), sometimes fragrances like this smell a little confusing to me.  Then again, we could say they smell “mysterious” – and that’s all Bond Girl!!

P.S.: Love that the Avon spokesperson also notes that Bond Girls are “… one of the most widely known aspects of the films — they’re empowered, feminine and glamorous.” Yup – that’s what we’ve said, huh Bond Grrrrls!

Yesterday, had a few fun emails from friends and acquaintances I have not heard from in a LONG time. Turns out View From The Bay re-released my first appearance (the “Decluttering Episode”) over Memorial Day — and a lot of folks saw it.  Loved hearing from them!  So here it is again, in case you missed it when I posted it the first time. Click here.

This podcast is a recording of the new Thursday Night Fempowerment Lifestyle Training group’s Second Session. These Grrls have agreed to have their first meetings taped and made public, to instruct those of you who are curious about the process.

The second teleconference in each month is not based upon Curriculum. It is based upon what came up for each Bond Grrl during the previous 2 weeks, as a follow on from the first session of the month and the Weekly Update. If you are following along, you have heard Session One (based on the curriculum), then read the Weekly Update (and the Testimonials), and now we are to Session Two. It deals with setting Goals and Steps for accomplishment – because the Thursday group had some issues with respect to how exactly to do just that.

Each member uses her “Bond Grrl Name,” which I have found helps women really be truthful, honest, and forthright in what she discusses with the group.

My Bond Grrls were asked to post their weekly information and questions here in Comments to share their process, but it’s been a wee bit too private for that! So as you can see, most of the information on the Blog is just from Yours Truly. I am sure that you understand. But you can certainly hear their processes during the Teleconferences.

If you have comments or questions, please call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Enjoy… click on the button below to Play. It has about six seconds of silence at the beginning, so just wait a few counts, it will come on.

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Hey Bond Grrrls!

I read this great article on Emily Wilska’s website, OrganizedLife.org.  She recommends getting rid of 50 things in the next 3 weeks – whether they are a book you haven’t re-read (or never read at all), a mate-less earring, or even bigger.

This is a great way to look at “cleaning out” – as long as you get to 50, you’re all set. Big or small, love this idea, because it’s kinda a game – and more importantly, a fun way to rid yourself of 50 things you don’t need!

Here is the link: http://www.organizedlife.org/tip.html

And don’t forget we have the De-cluttering View From The Bay, and a number of Podcasts (here is the link to Podcast 2, our first clutter/clearing related one), in our archives for you!

This Coffee Chat podcast is with Alison Armstrong of PAX Programs Incorporated. PAX, which is an acronym for Partnership, Adoration and Xtsay, creates peace between the sexes by providing unique and immediately useful information to women on understanding men. Their products, CDs, DVDs and workshops can be found at UnderstandMen.com.

As stated on their website, “PAX…is passionate about altering our society’s culture by transforming the way women relate to men. [PAX provides] extraordinary information with which women can profoundly affect their relationships with men of all ages and in all circumstances. [PAX is] dedicated to having this priceless information in the hearts and minds of one million women. [PAX intends] to accomplish this with fun, integrity, intelligence, courage and in partnership with both masculine and feminine forms of power.”  Read more about PAX’s mission by clicking here. Sounds like fEmpowerment, no?

As promised, please find the links to:

* Alison’s website
* writing to Oprah about how you felt hearing about Alison in this Podcast;
* watching Alison on Utube:
- “How Women Speak: There Is No Point!” (part 1 of 3)
- “How Women Speak: Life-Threatening Details” (part 2 of 3)
- “How Women Speak: It’s All About Flow” (part 3 of 3)

- “How Women Think: What Focus???” (part 1 of 3)
- “How Women Think: How Do You Get Her Attention?” (part 2 of 3)
- “How Women Think: Multi-Tasking During Sex?” (part 3 of 3)

- “How Women Feel: Crashing The System” (part 1 of 2)
- “How Women Feel: The Rage Monster” (part 2 of 2)

- “How to NOT Change A Man: Why Criticism Doesn’t Work”
- “How To Change A Woman: The SLIGHTEST Criticism Will Do”

 I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats.

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

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One of my Bond Grrls is in Morocco, and recently sent me information on Halal Meat.  It sounds very similar to Kosher butchering (the animal is humanely treated, etc.) – but now another friend who has a blog that I love (hey, it’s pictures… say no more) did a post on Halal Meat, and included a great link to the New York Times article on why we should all be checking into this more.

Here’s the link to his blog, SFPhotorama.com (scroll down to see the photos of the San Francisco Halal butcher shop).

I’m behind on my reading… What else is new. I came across this article in MediaBistro.com a while back on the new James Bond novel and how it may “save book publishing” — thought you might like to give it a read. 

OK OK – the best part is actually the 9 minute clip of the chase scene from Casino Royale – make sure you scroll down to check that out in the article, too. Can’t wait for November 7th and the new film, Quantum of Solace!

Here are a few comments that the Thursday Evening Bond Grrls posted to me in email:

Thanks so much for inviting me to the call.  Just the process of doing my ‘incomplete homework” is a valuable self-discovery journey for me.  I’m 100% sure I can benefit from this type of coaching program…. I can totally see how the ‘master mind” group can benefit everyone, because you get many ideas from the fresh angles…
- Peony

Dear Solitaire: Thank you for the inspiring coaching call this evening. I know that this class has jump-started my week. I can’t wait to implement what I’ve learned and get started with my action steps fueled by my renewed commitment. Thank you!
- Flexi

You’re amazing…I had no idea you were such an accomplished coach-wow! The many talents of Sandy Shepard…I thought it was a really good session…the exercise was very good too.
-Hot Mama

Great job. Thanks so much for featuring me…. I love the idea regarding the levels of ‘membership’ for my “Bod Pod”/CDs. I need to hook up with you to get my forms back and give you the financial ones. [After I did the Fast Start exercise,] it turns out that I’m making about $15 bucks an hour.. yikes! All in all a FABULOUS FIRST OUTING. You [freaking] ROCK.
-Arielle

Thanks for the call last night. I left feeling very “green/blue” (my color) so I was in a good place…. I thought you did an incredible job of summarizing the contents of our homework and remembering bits from all of us (even mine). I was also struck by the fact that I’m sure I would LOVE the other Bond Grrls on the call (as friends) and that we probably had a lot in common. I thought about the fact (you brought this up) that we all felt we had accomplished a lot in our lives [and] I know I feel I kind of “fell into it” and didn’t really have much say in how my career developed. I know SOME of it I directed but think maybe we don’t give ourselves enough credit for being in the right place for accomplishing what we have. For example: my [international career] experience was great but looking back, I realize that not every 26 year old would raise her hand to relocate to a new country, so I should give myself more credit!
- MO

I had a lot of fun with the coaching call.  Those that subscribe will gain a lot with your help.
- Mica

This post carries on from the Podcast of our first fEmpowerment Lifestyle Training call on May 8th with my “Thursday Evening Bond Grrrrls.” Each member has agreed to let the process be open on this Blog, so that others can see what fEmpowerment Coaching is all about.

One issue that I did not bring up in the Weekly Update but I will likely bring up in the call on May 22nd was the “belching issue.”  A couple of the women on the call mentioned this specifically. If you have listened to the podcast, you will hear an enormous belch about 3/4 of the way through. It was while one of the Bond Grrls was speaking in the Masterminding session. (If you haven’t listened to the podcast, bet you’re going to do it now, huh? :-) ) The belch was definitely an adult – it was not one of the Bond Grrls who was attending with her baby. To me, it actually sounded like a man’s belch.

So it was one thing, or the other.  Either it was one of the Bond Grrls letting out a ripper of a belch, or one of the Bond Grrls who was on the call had her “significant other” come and belch literally in her face while she was on the call. If the first, that’s fairly easy to correct – it’s a disgusting sound, it’s unnecessary, and it’s definitely not Bond Grrl to belch like a toad on overdrive. If it was a “James” making this sound, it is either one of two things: (a) a power play, or (b) an “endearment.” In either case, the Bond Grrl has given some sort of signal in her life that this is “OK.”

We do train our men – we all know that. If we say “Oh honey that’s disgusting! (Tee hee hee)”, we are actually signalling that we are OK being treated like that. If we get angry, again, we have allowed our James to see that something “pushes our buttons,” and so he can use it as a power play against us.  Here a way to handle this.

Show no reaction at the time. (This is critical – remember, he’s trying to get you off your game.) Then, after the call, sit down very seriously and say, “James, are you really someone who belches in his woman’s ear? Is that the real you? Can you please help me to understand what you were thinking when you did that?” Then just be quiet.

He’s going to have to say whatever he “thought” – and you need to stay non-reactive. If he says “oh, I thought it was really funny,” don’t just counter with a huffy “Well I sure don’t!” Try instead “To me, it’s an inappropriate way to express yourself. Just like telling an incredibly prejudiced joke, that belch reflects upon you. Is that what you want to be remembered for?” or perhaps “When you belch in my ear when I am on an accountability call, it makes me feel disrespected. I feel embarrassed because the other women on the call can hear this. I would rather that belching is not part of our relationship repertoire.” Just do NOT go the direction of “When you belched in my ear, you disrespected me.”  Because he will say “No I didn’t,” and you’re in a fight. Always stick to how YOU feel. Do NOT get into “his body” or “his head.” You can ask what he was thinking when he did it, or what that signified to him, but when it comes to your reaction, ground it in your own feelings or you’re setting yourself for an “I did not,” “You did too” type fight. 

Whoever is the Grrl that had this happen to her has allowed this in her life. No one here is a Victim. How you are treated is a manifestation of how you have shown that you want to be treated. ‘Nuff said.

As for the call in general, it brought up some private issues that a few of the Bond Grrls wanted to work through with me on email, as their Coach. As you can see, we do not have that many Comments thusfar – those who had immediate issues decided to keep them private between coach/Bond Grrl (which I have respected, of course), and others were too crazed in their lives/schedules to learn how to Comment/post. The best part about fEmpowerment Lifestyle Training is that you show up however works best for you – so if there’s just not enough time to work the Curriculum, or something big interrupts your call-in time, then you can always “catch up” through the Weekly Updates and Recordings. 

If you have any questions, you can call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Click below to download the Weekly Update document. It is in PDF format, so you may need to obtain the Adobe Reader if you do not have it on your computer already (it is free on www.Adobe.com).

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I was asked by KOMO Seattle, a TV program that is trying to decide whether to have me as a guest, to compile the “Top 10 Tips” for a fempowered lifestyle. What do you think?

The overall theme of my book and coaching practice = live your best, most passionate life. So these are the Top 10 Tips that came to me:

1. Clean House. Declutter your life of belongings, friends, commitments, and the like that do not feed your passion and fempower your Inner Bond Girl. (Empty your glass of beer to get champagne in there!)

2. Donate. Support fellow Bond Girls in your community by allowing the items you have freed from your life to reach their “next best use” with others. (Pour your beer into another grrl’s glass with water in it!)

3. Be Congruent. Coax Your Inner Bond Girl out by matching what you wear and the way you walk, talk, laugh and listen with who you are becoming.

4. Be Present in your Luscious Body, Now. Accept, love and nurture her as she is now, and explore her fempowered nature through sensual dancing, pole dancing, or the like.

5. Be Ready. Take advantage of every adventure and opportunity that comes your way, and structure your life to facilitate it. Learn to travel light and get out of Dodge in minutes.

6. Block out non-negotiable You Time. Give yourself a minimum of 10 minutes/day to dream and move that passion forward. Join a fempowerment group to move your life to the next level.

7. Be Adventurous. Do something you’re not good at, and stretch your horizons and your sense of humor.

8. Go Lean & Green. Fempowered women are not credit card-wielding, debt-accumulating consumers; they save and invest their $

9. Flex your Femininity. Be The Girl in your personal relationship, and take the lead in nurturing it – sex included

10. Be Self-Sufficient & Appreciative. All Bond Girls run their own businesses, live in the tropical paradises that Bond drops into as a government employee on an expense account, and take care of themselves BUT, they also know that men feel good taking care of them and are sensitive to it and appreciative. (Let him open the door, or the jar, when he offers.)

What would you add? Change? Let me know!

This Coffee Chat podcast is with Minna Yoo, CEO and Founder of LoveBottle.Net.  LoveBottle.net sells reusable glass water bottles with single-hand-opening pop tops that you can write on. The idea is based on the studies of Masaru Emoto (which you can find at www.hado.net), that show that whatever you write on a glass can actually effect the water crystals inside of the glass. So Love Bottles change your water with the energy of the words that you write on them. And when you consider that 70% of your body is water, you get to infuse that energy into your own being. (NOTE: I don’t get any “kickbacks” from any of these interviews—these really are my experts, and I want to share them with you… no strings attached!) Here is MY Love Bottle, the “Rocker” Black and Pink Star model (ain’t she sweet?): 

I hope you enjoy this podcast, and please let me know if there are other experts you might like to hear interviewed on our Coffee Chats.

If you have comments on this episode, call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

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This is the 2nd of a 3-part vodcast series done with Mr. Martini (BehindTheBarShow.com). The first was in celebration of the Kentucky Derby - we made a mint julep and discussed Da Horses.

In this vodcast, we take the bourbon from the julep and create an Old Fashioned. Then, we discuss how to have a Signature Cocktail without being branded High Maintenance, plus some Old Fashioned Virtues… such as manners, etiquette, language, and listening. 

In particular, we discuss how you Bond Girls can understand how men communicate, and to embody this secret weapon to be even More Enticing than you already are!

Let me know what you think – either give me a ring on my Listener Feedback line 206.350.3537, leave a Comment here, or email to sandy[at]beabondgirl[dot]com.

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I have received many emails and queries from Bond-Girls-To-Be regarding what fEmpowerment Lifestyle Training “is like.” This podcast is a recording of the first meeting of a new Thursday Night group. These Grrls have agreed to have their first two meetings taped and made public, to instruct those of you who are curious about the process.

Each of these women completed a Fast Start document that discussed her life, the energy she is putting towards her goals (or towards things that she ranks as actually unimportant)… it covers financial issues, relationship issues… the works. She filled it out as completely or as quickly as she found time for. Nothing is ever mandatory. Each woman also completed two items of Curricula. The first discussed how to turn Adversity to Opportunity; the second deals with changing languaging skills by uncovering ”Psycho-Euphoric and Psycho-Phobic” words used in your business or your daily life.

Each member uses her “Bond Grrl Name,” which I have found helps women really be truthful, honest, and forthright in what she discusses with the group.

For the next two weeks, I will be posting here the information that I would normally have in a private, password-encoded file for the group. I have also asked them to post Comments here instead of sharing their process in a private forum, so that any readers who are interested can see what a typical first two weeks entails.

The first meeting of a group is always a little different than the subsequent ones. Each meeting uses a breathing exercise as an opener, then usually discusses the Curriculum for the week, then moves on to the Mastermind sessions for 1-2 of the participants. As the ‘homework’ behind the first meeting includes not only the Fast Start documentation but also 2 items of Curricula, it is always a bit more general and less focussed than the subsequent meetings.

If you have comments or questions, please call my private line at +1 (206) 350-3537, or e-mail me at doubleohsandy [at] yahoo [dot] com. You can also leave a Comment below.

Enjoy… click on the button below to Play. It has a second or two of silence at the beginning, so just wait a few counts, it will come on.

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This week’s San Francisco S Factor Newsletter had a great article by Sheila Kelley (the Founder) called Meanderings. I will link it here, but they “go away” every week, so I will also cut and paste the bit I’m talking about right here:

I’m at this global think tank. I have no idea why they call it a think tank, it’s really just a big old lecture series. I just went to a panel on the changing face of the Muslim world. I’m obsessed with women who wear veils whether of their own volition or because of laws that make them or the culture they ascribe to or the religion they belong to. One of the panelists was this beautiful scarved woman named Dahlia. The revelation about Islamic nations was stunning and humbling and exhilarating. The details are too numerous to go into right here in the middle of the convention hall but suffice to say I sure would like to go to Saudi Arabia someday.After the panel I was standing in the room, full with about 90% men in business suits, when this vibrant woman walked up to me and told me that she was an S Factor student. Another young woman standing nearby heard “S Factor”, turned quickly and said, “I want to do that, how can I do that?” The S Factor student said, “Oh it’s incredible. It will change your life!” The young woman whispered, “I’ve heard, I cannot wait, I’m so excited to take it.” Now you have to get the image in your mind’s eye, there was almost nothing but a sea of men, just men, milling about everywhere. There was a total of maybe six women in the entire room, three of them talking about the secret world of S Factor when Dahlia, the Islamic panelist who had been talking to some guys next to us turned around and asked, “What are you talking about?” En masse the three of us turned slowly toward her and said almost in unison something to the effect of, “Oh my god…”. Then the S Factor student continued on with, “It’s the most amazing thing you could ever do for yourself as a woman…”. Seeing my chance, I dove in to explain S Factor as an “organic feminine movement class”. I didn’t bring up the words “striptease” or “poledancing” as I’ve seen them scare certain women off completely.As I move further down the road into my own “S”-ness I find that the striptease/poledancing definition just doesn’t do the “S” justice. It has all of those elements but it is so much more. When people query me now I speak of the “tease” and the “pole” in the same breathe as “natural and organic feminine movement” and “floor work”, “mat work”, and “standing and wall work”…all are elements of what comes wholesomely from a woman’s body moving into her own “S” shape.
Dahlia perked up as she listened intently and intelligently, nodding her head up and down. She was intrigued. She asked how she could take “such a class”. I invited her to visit one of our studios across the country and asked her where she lived…DC, here I come!

—————————————————–

The italics above are mine.  I’ve been doing “The S” for a little over 2 years and yes – I even have a pole in my own home. It’s been very interesting to see how “Talk about The S” has become more empowerment, and less tease/strip, over these 2 years.

I love it, because I actually came to S Factor after one of my fEmpowerment teachers (Susan Bremer/Sensual Dance For Real Women) was un-chosen for the Oprah show in favor of Sheila Kelley, years and years ago. Susan was pretty bitter about it, and “refused” to watch any of the S Factor DVDs, etc. I, of course, wanted to see what the difference might be, and bought the DVDs (back then, there was no S Factor in San Francisco, it was mainly one L.A. studio).

“The S” is sooooooooo different than your usual “striptease thang.” It was even very different than Susan’s “Sensual Dance for Real Women” – though they both come at it from the same “mindset” … That you’re doing this for yourself and your “inner erotic creature” (or Inner Bond Grrl) not for anyone else.

The biggest difference between the S and other DVDs, books, and classes I have now attended or connected as a kinda pole dance/strip tease training collector? The S is a HARD workout!  Holy cow!  The first hour is just warmup, including abs, pushups, legs, stretches, arms, you name it. Then you learn some Pole Moves (which get harder as you progress – I’m a multiple Level 6 now). Last, you just let it go, and let your “inner erotic creature” take over to a song of your choice (at higher levels – at lower levels, you are taught a “routine” that you slowly, ever so slowly, let your Erotic Creature morph her way out of).

I just love that Sheila used the words “Natural and Organic Feminine Movement.” I would also say “fEmpowered Movement.”

It’s still fun at cocktail parties or business networking functions to find a way to drop in the fact that I have a pole in my house. It’s even funnier though to realize that a lot of the things that I do, workout-wise, with my life are to get me a smidge closer to being able to actually do a “Spinning Helicopter” or a “Climb and Flip” or a “Pole Cat.”

Pole dancing is part yoga, part Pilates, part balance, part strength, and all beauty. Check out the S Factor DVDs and if you live close enough – go to an Intro at one of their studios! If you write me a Comment, I can see if I can get you a comp’d Intro class ($40 value) – no promises, but I can try! You can click to go to their website to see locations.

Soli

A friend just sent this from the local elementary school – click here for the video of their recent Ladybug Release day. It’s only 3 minutes, but it’s a lot of fun. Her husband is the cinematographer/”interviewer.”

What’s your favorite part? I have to say mine is either the gal dressed up as the Ladybug (and her comeback to the “Tastes like Chicken” question) — or the little boy who raises his hand after the little girl gives the perfect answer in “Pick Me! Pick Me!” fashion, then thinks a little, and says “Um…what she said.”  Ha!

Today’s entry in San Francisco IdealBite goes like this:

Ever seen da Vinci’s “The Last Supper”?

The Bite

Then you know food can be art. And that’s what the founders of Slow Food International – a nonprofit devoted to bringing back whole foods that are cooked and savored slowly – are all about. If you’re into food prepared the old-fashioned way (and with sustainability in mind), add slow foods to your daily menu for a more vibrant…er, palate.

The Benefits

• Eating becomes art. Getting to know ingredients, producers, and the cultural history behind our foods makes for more soul-satisfying meals.
• An easel way to avoid empty calories. Many additives in processed and fast foods are chemicals that lack nutritional value and sometimes wreak havoc on your health.
• Painting a greener landscape. The slow food movement promotes biodiversity of crops, organic farming, and the preservation of family (not factory) farms.
• An energy-saving Renaissance. Example: The production of a 1-pound box of cereal requires almost seven times as many kilocalories of energy as it provides in nourishment.

OK, you know, it’s the last one that gets me. I keep harping on posts like The Story of Stuff (long, but worth watching), but those are the things that astonish me.

When I posted my comment today on IdealBite, I was reminded of my Podcast 8 about Life-Affirming Rituals, including Saying Grace (start at 25:00 for this portion). As you may remember from that one, a student of mine wound up losing weight, literally just through the act of thanking the “folks” that had gotten the food to her. She used to eat in the car, standing up, junk-food-on-the run. When I suggested she and her husband start saying Grace over everything they ate, they originally balked because they “don’t do that God thing.” I explained that wasn’t what this was about — this was Giving Thanks to the farmers, truckers, plants, animals, etc. that got that food TO them. The actual physical energetic “beingness” that went into what they were putting in their mouth.

Once she started doing that, first, she found it ‘disrespectful’ to eat standing up. And in the car. She and her husband felt weird saying grace over take-out boxes, so they put the food on plates. Which made them stay at the table longer, and the Grace started them talking about something besides Their Hard Days. Ultimately they started cooking.  And she started losing weight.

If you have my book, check out page 127 for a reminder about Mindfulness versus “Guilt-Ridden Scarfing” — and a discussion about “sensory awareness” when eating. It also talks about Living CAMP (check out the “eating a banana” link).  If you don’t have my book, it’s not pretty, but I have a PDF copy of the page for you here as I originally sent it in to my publisher: guilty-pleasures-sidebar-page-127

How’s about starting a quickie Thankfulness Practice, today?  You’re GOING TO EAT IT ANYWAY, my dear, so…why not?

I receive The Organized Life ezine – I wish I could link an RSS feed, but either I am an idiot or I just can’t find it – so the link here is to their latest article on Mother’s Day gifts.

Emily Wilska gave some great ideas for Mom’s Day gifts that can help, as she said, ”bring more organization and less stress to the lives of the ladies you love.”  Here are The Tips:

1.  Tastebook is a new service that lets you create personalized cookbooks that include both recipes from your own collection (or your mom’s) and from the voluminous online archives of Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines. Choose a cover and a theme (you can even upload your own photos), select and organize recipes, and customize your book.

2.  If Mom is overwhelmed with junk mail, sign her up for 41 Pounds or Green Dimes, both services designed to significantly reduce unwanted mail. Because both of these require a little bit of work (such as filling out Do Not Mail postcards to send to direct marketing services), you might include in your gift an hour or two of time to help get Mom up and running. (While you’re at it, go to Catalog Choice and help her stop unwanted catalogs from cramming her mailbox; the service is free.) Another clutter-clearer is Shoeboxed, a service that will scan any and all of your receipts and upload them to an account on a private, secure website.

3.  Last but not least, consider giving Mom something only you can give: your time. Most people I know (including myself!) have at least one or two organizing projects they’d love to tackle if only they didn’t have a dozen–or more–other things on their To Do list. Giving your mother a hand with the project of her choosing is a simple but powerful way of saying thank you.Remember that, with any project, it’s smart to keep things on a reasonable scale (don’t try to attack every closet in the house or 20 years’ worth of photos at once). If Mom’s project of choice is a large one, you might spread your offer of time over a few weeks or months to keep things moving forward without burning out. And at the end of the project, why not take Mom out for a celebratory lunch? You’ll both have earned it.

Great Tips!!!

Hey Grrls!

Can I tell you one thing? I’m in LOVE with Lisa Quinn (host) and David Corona (cameraman). I am honored to have been asked to come back to View From The Bay (ABC) to chat about another portion of my book – on feng shui. As you know, I’ve done two podcasts on feng shui (I actually just linked them on my Home Page to make it easier) – but this was my 3 minute “down and dirty” feng shui episode.

Now, if someone could teach me to MENTION THE NAME OF MY WEBSITE when I say “go to my website” - I would be Golden!

If you’d like to see the video – click here!

Yes, fine, so you know now that I’m way behind on my reading… so sue me…

 DoshDosh.com is an online forum that I really enjoy. I just read an article on re-thinking Comments on Blogs that was great and I wanted to pass on, and in particular a comment by Wendi Kelly at Life’s Little Inspirations.  She said:

“…I am often one to leave a comment if for no other reason then I don’t like to be a lurker, or leave you thinking it was a boring or bad article when I really enjoyed it. I am a newer blogger and it feels weird to me to have 36-40 ( or whatever– the ratio is the point) views on a post one day and then four or five comments. I feel like…hey? Why won’t they talk to me? So I want to make sure I at least say hi, I stopped by and this is what I thought.”

I completely agree with this. I am a little stunned that I have had pretty much no comments since I started up again, after publishing my book. It’s the weirdest thing. I see that folks view, but don’t comment.

It certainly could be that I’m not doing it, either. I will often pull up blogs when I’m on the run, scroll through them on my Blackberry, and because it’s a PITA to comment through the Crackberry, I “say” I will comment later, and never do.

So, a May Resolution is to try to be a better Commenter myself… in the hopes of attracting the same!

Hey… I told ya I was trying to clean up my online To Do/To Read list today…

Here is an organization that I found while investigating items for our Kentucky Derby vodcast — LUPEC — Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails. I’m sad because it looks like this site is not being maintained – last link was in 2007 – but it’s such a great idea, and has some great cocktail recipes, so I’m going to knock on their virtual door, and see if anyone answers!

BTW, the reason I wound up there was looking for a definition of “Julep” — and any website that uses Ladies…Preservation…and Cocktails in its first line grabs my interest. This is their definition of “julep” — as Mr. Martini told me during the vodcast, a “julep” is really a sort of drink “type” (like a “sour” for example) – I think he’s even going to do his next podcast on the subject of sours because, as with “juleps,” hey, I didn’t know there was more than just one. Fun for the summer!

[1] julep \Ju”lep\, n. [F., fr. Sp. julepe, fr. Ar. & Per. jul[=a]b, jull[=a]b, fr. Per. gul[=a]b rose water and julep; gul rose + [=a]b water.] 1. A refreshing drink flavored with aromatic herbs; esp. (Med.), a sweet, demulcent, acidulous, or mucilaginous mixture, used as a vehicle. –Milton. Honey in woods, juleps in brooks. — H. Vaughan. 2. A beverage composed of brandy, whisky, or some other spirituous liquor, with sugar, pounded ice, and sprigs of mint; — called also mint julep. [U.S.] Source: Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc. 

In this podcast I am extremely honored to offer you another full induction from Master Hypnotherapist Susan Bird. The final of three full inductions, this session builds from the clearing and cleansing you did in the first induction, and the growing of your Manifestation Tree from the second induction. In this culmination of the three episode set, you examine, prune, and nurture your Tree and your Lake into the heathiest, best, most energetic manifestation of your Goal to live your Best Life in the Now! 

If you have comments on this episode, please call the Listener Comment Voicemail at +1 (206) 350-3537, e-mail sandy [at] beabondgirl [dot] com or leave a comment below.

Click the red button below to listen.

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NO. This is not going to be a commentary on women’s undies. :-) And if ANY of you can give me a small hint how to make the text wrap around photographs, I would be eternally grateful….

So anyway, I heard the other day on NPR a great way to stop a drippy water faucet (especially in, say, a hotel).  Take unwaxed dental floss, tie it to the end of the faucet, and then string it down into the sink.  The water will follow the floss down, and voila! Stop making that annoying noise.

The other thing I’ve seen folks very cleverly use unwaxed dental floss for is cutting sheet cakes, and even cheese. So this morning (after flossing) I was curious, and hit Lifehacker.com to see what they had to say.  Under their ‘Clever Uses’ and “MacGuyver Tips’ section, they had some great choices (including the two above). Check them out! My favorite is the “wristwatch survival kit” where the poster suggested using a hollow wristwatch to store dental floss, vitamins, match heads, and the like. Now THAT will take some SERIOUS packing skills!

I wanted to give a quick shout-out to Zandria’s blog on BlogHer. I am woefully behind on all my blogs, podcasts, RSS feeds and the like… it definitely takes discipline to scan through them every day. I know I need to set up a page where all the feeds, blogs, etc. “go” – but I haven’t quite gotten around to figuring out how to do that (Hi Sallie – yes, I know, you can’t believe it. I will. I swear.)

Today I was catching up on Zandria’s blog, and one of her comments was on being Single, and “doing something you’re not so good at/trying something new.” I wrote about this in my book, and she has a great perspective.  

When I was single, I did sort of a “regression analysis” (hey, I’m an attorney, so sue me) on the best places to “meet guys.” I had been bashed by relationship and was “older” then (late 30s) and really liked being “in relationship” so I wanted to figure out how to get back into one without doing something insane like hitting the bar/dance club scene. What it came down to was basically NASCAR and golf as being super man-rich “environments.”

I went to NASCAR with a grrlfriend and – yikes, boring beyond ALL boredom (if you’re a NASCAR fan I apologize), and SO LOUD.  But golf, even though I am AWFUL at it, was a GREAT thing. You can just go out and hit balls at a driving range, take some beginner classes (they’re always dead cheap — they try to ‘reel you in’), go to Play It Again Sports and get a golf set for not that much… and you really DO NOT have to be good.  There is a golf course in EVERY country (even Madagascar), and going and playing there you will ALWAYS meet guys, and it’s fun. The pro shop will have clubs for you to borrow.  If you decide to be a little more “interesting,” you can get a vintage putter for example, and just bring that -that’s the club that folks will comment on. (I have one from Scotland that was made from the rudder of the Queen Mary.)

Remember – I am TERRIBLE at golf.  But so long as you don’t hold the rest of your 4-some up (just pick the ball up, and tell them you owe them a beer… they’ll love you), it’s a GREAT place to meet guys, and you can tell their actual personality right off, too. (A guy I was kinda interested in threw his CLUB when he was upset at a shot he made and it BROKE – a handmade graphite club – NO THANKS. Step a-waaaaaaaaay from the Crazy Man…)

There are also groups just for women (e.g., EWC – Executive Women’s golfing Club) nationwide, where you get together with other professional women, usually on like a Tuesday or Wednesday after work, play a round and then have a glass of wine and laugh. It’s a fantastic networking thing, too.

Remember tho – it’s a game…. :-)

 S

PS:  My husband doesn’t play golf (figures, huh?) and so I’m a little out of practice now, but it’s on my “list” to get back to. It was such a great way to meet people and it’s good exercise too, if you don’t ride a cart.