Julie Ann Elliott

This past week has been a very exciting and educational experience.

Everything really started back in September when my daughter wanted to investigate modelling.  We had filled out a card and sent in a picture to an agency in town and they had called to meet with myself and Abigail. We met with them and they said if you work hard you can really go places.  So we decided to put Abigail into an 18 week course which was exceptional in teaching Abigail everything from Modelling and Acting to business and taking care of your self and how to conduct yourself.  (something I think every kids should be taught)

A month later we were told about a info night about a convention in the spring where you get to show off your talent and learn from those in the business as well as audition for some of the top agency’s.  We hummed about it as she would have to drop her dance comp for the year.   We talked to some people about it and we got both sides of course. Some loved it and others said it’s bad a scam don’t do it.

We know from business that there is always going to be people who say negative things.  After seeing how excited our daughter was about doing this and she has always loved the idea of being on TV and preforming we decided to sign her up.  We realized we needed to take a risk and help our daughter to get out there and test the waters.

Our daughter had the chance to do workshops on Acting, Runway and Photo Shoot and really learn what it takes to work hard at something she loves to do on top of dance. We attended a workshop the weekend before about what to expect and practice everything which was really good

Leading up to the convention I was not sure what to think about it as there was lack of communication about getting everything paid up and add some things.  We drove up to Toronto on Wednesday afternoon to registrar  and the ladies there were wonderful and very helpful.  We unpacked our stuff and went for dinner and met up with other London families who had also come and toured around the hotel and to see where everything was.

Over the next four days we learned so much about the industry. What to looks for what you need to do before starting an acting job, to how hard it really is and most give up but if you really have a passion for it never never never give up. Most do.  I also met with some amazing families who have kids who have already done work and attended this convention before.  The kids had a chance to practice doing all kind of acting exercises to even Runway walk which they all loved.  It really was a great and educational week for both of us.

Abigail auditioned for dance where there was many great dancers. Not so many in the Hip Hop areas which I was surprised and it is the hip thing that is really growing right now.  We were so proud of her as she won the 1st place award for her routine she only learned the week before.  She also auditioned for TV Commercial, Monologue and Cover which was an experience.

On the last day we got up early to go down and see if she had any calls back to meet with the agents. We had told our daughter to be happy either way and that it was a great experience.  We checked the sheets and she had two call backs. Both loved her confidence and spunk.  Know we wait to hear from our mother agency here in town where we go from here.  We know it may go somewhere and it may not.  Either way we are very happy with the experience.  This gave Abigail a chance to see what it’s like to audition and turn this into a career.

Since being back we have many who are happy and congratulated Abigail and others who have been really rude and not very supportive and some have been very unprofessional which many have told me not to be surprised.  Really we should all be helping and motivating each other to go after our dreams and goals instead of putting others down.  I find it really sad that people would behave like that way and it really shows the lack of self-confidence.

We made many great friendships and went out for dinner and attending many great dance parties and learned a ton which will help each of us grow in our lives.

NEVER GIVE UP AND FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS.   HELP YOUR KIDS FOLLOW THERE DREAMS

WOW just as I typed that Day 8 that was the last day I posted when I started a few weeks ago.

I am feeling a lot more focused today then I did last time thank goodness.

I made it to the gym and blasted through my Cardio which felt great considering my weekend.

Friday night was a shock as my husband turned to me and said we are going to the movies.  We all went to see The Hunger Games which my daughter was dieing to see.  I really liked the movie though there were some parts that were rather hard to watch for me anyway.  My daughter loved it.

Saturday was a busy day. I dropped my daughter off at dance at 10am and I went straight to the gym.  It felt great to get to the gym on a Saturday which I usually do not do. I did Cardio and my upper body weights.  I came home showered and had my husband drop me off at dance so I could have lunch with m daughter and hang out until her next class started.

When she was done we came home and to my surprise my husband said get dressed up we are going out for dinner.  While we were getting ready he got his hair cut.  He took us to our favorite restaurant Moxie’s.   We had a really great time sharing and laughing and hanging out together.

I did break down and I had 1/2 a glass of wine and that decadent White Chocolate brownie.  We did share it so it was not as bad. LOL  at least that is what I am telling myself.

My weekend was great.  Sunday on the other hand was tough.  I was feeling really tired as I had trouble sleeping the night before.  At night I was so tired and feeling run down we ordered Chinese food.  O boy I love the stuff, but the scale went up a pound.

So I have realized I need to pick just one day instead of the whole weekend to splurge on the all the food I love.

So today I am off to a great start and on to week 2 and feeling great.  So far today I have had my two shakes and lots of fruit. I am looking forward to tomorrows workout.

Hope everyone is having an amazing Monday.

Love Always
Julie Elliott

How are you feeling today?

When you awake to the day, do you awake feeling good, great sensational?

Are you going after those things that give you life within and make you feel excited in your day?
Some of the most successful people in the world practice feeling good and always striving to feel better no matter what is going on in there life.  Even when things are not going right they always stay on the positive and tell themselves that they know things are not good but they know it will get better, they do not know how but they know it will.  Having a strong belief that things will turn out is key.  Just like in the Bible it talks about “ask and it shall be given” but you must have a belief 1000% that those things will happen or be given.

Getting in the habit of being happy and striving to always be in that place and always striving to be better and looking for the best in every situation.

Make a list in your journal of those things you are grateful for and for those things you would love to be do or have and feel like you already have them. Read them often through out your day and watch those things come into your life.

Please keep me posted on what happens in your life from this practice  or if you practice this and share what has happened from this.

Have an amazing night

Love always

Julie Elliott

I have decided to start over and keep track more as of Monday.

Over March break I fell off and did not workout at all.  Since then I have taken my before pictures and did my measurements and posted them up which I kept putting off.  I  know what to do but sometimes doing it is another story. It’s funny that when I have to do anything else for people I get it done but for myself I tend to put it aside sometimes. I think as mothers we do that.  I know taking care of myself is much more important so I can take care of those and have fun with those around me.

I started walking outside and I have noticed that being in the gym is easy, but when I am outside it’s harder.  I got one workout in so far this week.  I awoke this morning not feeling so hot so I am drinking some Mint Tea to get myself moving and I am going to enjoy the sun and warmer weather we have for today.

I have been eating the wrong foods over the weekend and to many carbs the last few days. I need to get back on making a plan and sticking to it like we used to. I think I would like to go back to where I used to cook most of my stuff on Sunday and have it ready to just heat  and eat, then there is no thinking about it or talking myself out of it. LOL

I really trying to help my daughter to get moving as well.  They sit so long at school and really have very little activity in there day.  She does dance many hours in the week but getting out for walks I think would help as well.

I am going to push forward today even though I am feeling under the weather and get some house work done and maybe a walk in outside if I feel up to it.  Focus on eating healthy and clean today. Lots of fruits and Vegs and my yummy Mint Tea.

What things are you putting off today that you know you need to be doing and should be doing to move your forward in creating a healthy fit and successful you?

Hope everyone has an amazing day.

Love Always
Julie Elliott

This past weekend we completed a program with Future Possibilities.

My husband, daughter and I were all apart of it and learned a great deal.  My husband and I were Kids Coaches and Abigail was one of the kids being coached.  We spent 6 months helping kids to find a goal where they could bring awareness to through out there schools and communities.

I was amazed at the work the kids did and seeing there face as the received there award for achieving there goals. This is something I find is missing in our schools.  I am so grateful that Future Possibilities is gaining momentum in our schools as kids need to that there is other possibilities in the world and believe in themselves and know that they can do great things.

I find many teachers teach and think there is only one way to do things and only one way to be.  This past week my daughter has been told sit still many many times.  When she told me I laughed because  kids have so much energy and life in them that they need to move around.  We where never meant to sit in desks for 8 hours a day.

After being apart of Montessori school, Home school, and now being in the school system it has really opened my eyes to the greater possibilities that are out there and how the school system needs to change in a very big way.

Check out this video and you will get a better understanding of what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6jZHNjc4Xk0

I have watched my daughter attend school and really learn not very much in the past 7 months. While Home schooling last year she had already learned a great deal more and a better understand of so much. I feel very sad about that and would love to make a change to make this better. It makes me want to cry thinking about it. I feel sad for those who can not see what is out there so vast and amazing that our kids CAN DO if they just open up.

I have talked to a few teachers who do just that but they have to follow the system or they will get fired.  Does that not seem wrong to you?

It would be so wonderful to see schools start teaching more things that our kids are gifted in and help them grow in those areas. ( I know there is some school who do this) I am thinking on a much grander scale and the government and all teaching collages will have to change.  I believe that is coming.

With computers and technology there is so much our kids could be doing.  My daughter is very creative and loves Arts and Dance and working with Media, and  Acting.  I have found very little in this area in our schools.  At home having her do things actively she tends to learns so much better but she is not aloud to learn that way so in turn she is not really learning at least to them.

Many have told me it just that way and you have to do it.  If your daughter does not she will never make it. What a load of crap that is. (My interesting point of view.

Many great minds and people today have made it far more in life then those with loads of education and degrees. Look at the unemployment today.

We have our daughter doing things she loves and is passionate about that is helping her grow in her strength, like Dancing, Acting, modeling. Each of these activities has taught her to work hard, discipline and even business skills in how to work together with others.

It is a sign of things to come I believe.  More and more people are starting to awaken and see this great reality that is right there waiting for us to stand up and take it, go after those things we were told we would never do.  We need to listen to our own heart and mind and go after those that get us excited and bring joy into our life.

This week has been a challenge for me.

Have you ever had a great week one week and then been totally off the next?  I am sure many women can relate to this one.

It is March Break and my daughter is off and we are home not going away which is a big bummer I think for both of us.  After going through everyday the same and not going anywhere no vacation at all since last March Break we are starting to feel stir crazy.

For me being a mom and being at home most of the time trying to figure out this online world and making an impact and losing weight I am feeling very overwhelmed.

I will say I feel very challenged and depressed at the moment because I am hearing from so many who are losing weight so easily and without much effort with Visalus.  It upsets me because I know the stuff works amazing and I can not take it as it was wrecking my body really bad and very fast. So I have been un-able to take it. I still to this day struggle everyday with my fitness journey.

I do have amazing weeks but with very little change.  I know there are things I can take that would help but no money to get them sometimes with everything else in life going on to take  care of first.   I am connected with Transformation.com but most people I do not hear from so much and no one in my home town who is doing it and have no support around me to keep moving.  I wish I had that, someone to workout with to help me, to push me to be better and become stronger.  I feel on my own.   YES  I will admit I need the help to move forward on this journey.

I am hoping to get myself moving again tomorrow, even if it’s down stars in the basement gym.

I think I need a vacation from life at the moment. I will say taking one last year really helped for awhile, giving time to re-cop and take time off from cooking and cleaning and having some ME time, or family time in our case.

Some times you have to ask yourself why am I doing this?

What do I need to do to change my life to what I want?  Sometimes I find the answer those question scary and can be big steps.

I am going through some of those question right know. Asking what is it I want out of life?  What do I want to experience?

Just some of my thoughts for today.

Hope everyone is enjoy there week,  We are loving the weather we are having this week.

Love always

Julie Elliott

Good afternoon friends and family.

The weekend was a little off for me as it was a busy one and was feeling kind of funny.

I awoke Saturday morning with the intent of working out and when I lifted my head from the pillow the whole room was spinning. NOT A GOOD START.

I did some pressure points holding at the back of my head and ear for awhile and that seemed to help.  By the time I did that I had to take a shower and get my hair done for the wedding we were going to that night.

A good friend of ours was getting married in town at the other end of the city.

We had a great time and did lots of walking in between the service and the reception and danced a bit. The food was good, Not to bad for you and I had a couple of classes of wine.

My husband and I did not know to many people but we stuck around and danced and had some fun which has been a very very long time since we have done that.  In fact it has been a really long time since we have taken a vacation just the two of us our selves.

As you have kids life gets really busy and we do a lot together which is great, but I find the relationship does slide and kind of falls apart when you do not take that time.  We start to let life lead us instead of us leading life.

On to Sunday.  WOW Sunday was amazing. it was really warm out and sunny. We went as a family to Tim’s and then we came back and my daughter and I hung out outside practicing skating boarding and enjoying the sun.   We got some groceries shopping done and came back and did some relaxing of course watched our favorite show last night The Apprentice. What a good laugh.

Monday.  A sad kind of.

I awoke all excited to stand of the scale and see where I was at as it has been a week since I checked it.  I stood on it and was upset, mad, frustrated. I looked in the mirror and said to myself there is not way. I look different, my clothes fit different and I do not feel so bloated.

After awhile I realized that the scale is not working clearly.  I have know decided to go by how my clothes fit and keep track of my food. That is the true test. And my husband reminded me how old that thing is and when the last time we changed the batteries on it.

I feel much better know about my week and I am ready to take on this week.

I have not done my workout for today yet. I may do it this afternoon and if not I will do it tonight. May or may not be at the gym.  It will get done.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Love always
Julie Elliott

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa Day 5

I was really tired this morning, but I got up anyway.

When I got to the gym I was thinking about my workouts and how I have been doing this week and about what I did back in the summer with my workouts that really did not give me much change.

I noticed I was kind of doing the same routine this week but pushing harder then I usually do.
I did just a warm up today on the Cross-Trainer and then did my upper body weights which is a change for me as I would usually do all my cardio first then do my weights which left me a little weaker then when I started.

I did the upper body weights and through in some Ab work as yesterday I was not able to do them all.

I then decided to do some extra cardio, but this time I jumped on the treadmill and set it to fat burner interval Hill with the heart rate monitor on. I figured I need to change up my cardio routine and the equipment I use as I think my body is getting to used to the cross trainer.  I was feeling burn on that one when the hills starting setting in. I pushed through and did 30 mins today which was great as my legs normally lock up on the treadmill.

Tomorrow is a Cardio day for me I am going to do a different machine and then sit in the Hot Tub before I get ready for our good friend Christopher Marsh wedding.  Party Party

I promise I will be some what good and dance my butt off.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Love always
Julie Elliott

Fun Day 4

Yes, it is day 4 and I am still going strong.

I did have a tough night sleeping as my legs where killing me. LOL

I made it to the gym feeling good as I downloaded new music to my MP3 and it is a cardio day. I just focused on sailing away and getting into my music while I worked out.

I did 46 Min on the Cross -Trainer.   1/2 way through it I had a little extra kick of motivation thanks to one guy who was off at the far side of the gym in a heat suit and he was skipping and working really hard with his boxing moves. It was so great to see someone else so focused on making changes and improving themselves.   Watching him gave me more motivation to push hard on the last 1/2 of my workouts.

That is one thing I love about the gym for the most part the people are focused on challenging themselves and not trying to one up someone else. There is a few but I really try not to focus on that to much and work on ME.

I watch the market channel to see the results of the new Apple Ipod and about the rest of the world which kept my attention going.

I did some ABs as well but did not complete them as I would have liked as I was getting a lot of acid build up when I was doing them.  I will just add them in tomorrow.

I planning to hit the hot tub tomorrow after my workout to relax after being there 5 straight days.   I am really looking forward to Monday’s weigh in.

On to the rest of the day.

Love always
Julie Elliott

Day 3 and still going strong.

I did however make a mistake at breakfast. I had some toast before I did my workout.

I noticed that slowed me down on my Cardio session this morning.  I find if I do not eat first thing and do a workout and then eat after I have a much better workout and body runs better.

While doing my Cardio I noticed the music was not as exciting to me anymore as I have been using the same songs for a few months now.  Time to change the MP3 Players songs. I find it amazing how something as music can make all the difference in how hard I work.

My body stops pushing when I do not have my music and good songs to keep me going.  I know it’s an interesting point of view I have about my workouts. But it works so I am sticking to it.

I also did my lower body workout which was legs legs legs and more legs and some Butt exercise. I really pushed them. I should be feeling that later tonight.  As mush as I complain some time about the pain it’s a great reminder that I am working hard and making change.

I have started having one of my shakes at night as I find I am starving around 8pm at night. So I have one shake early in the day and one late at night.  We will find out how that is working for me on Monday when I weight myself.

That has been a challenge for me.  Not to step on the scale every morning when I wake up. I have been doing it for so long. I am trying to keep myself busy and distracted from doing it.  Maybe I should put it away where I do not see it everyday.  I will bring it out on Monday and then put it away again.   Funny the habits we get into.

I still need to do my measurement and before pictures.  I really have been trying to avoid doing that.  I know I should just so I can see how I am doing. I just need to ask someone to help me with it and get it done and out of the way so I can focus on the more important things.

Well onto another great day as it’s PLUS 12 TODAY. Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Love always
Julie Elliott