Happy 10th Anniversary GroundFloor Media!

I'm so lucky to work at GroundFloor Media, which is celebrating its 10th Anniversary this week! As part of my work I've been testing my video chops and am having lots of fun editing and pulling together some videos on behalf of GFM and clients lately. See below for my latest creation... and feel free to sing along! Happy Birthday, GFM!

Walking AT Work

Photo credit: Chris Machian for The New York Times

Guess what I'm doing RIGHT now? Walking (albeit relatively slow) on a treadmill at work.

Not kidding... almost 300 calories burned and nearly 1.75 miles walked in less than 45 minutes, not to mention e-mails sent, files updated, etc... I could get used to this!

Mishmash - What a Weekend!

I am wrapping up a memorable weekend. Mostly memorable for all the right reasons - but I might as well get the low point out of the way... Tonight I was holding Baby F who was starting to fuss when I sat down to eat. I sat down on the floor by the coffee table (aka our dining table...) and he seemed happy to stand by me with some help while I ate - until he reached out and grabbed my steaming hot bowl of soup and spilled it right onto his chubby little hand. AAGGHH! Not sure who was more surprised or upset. Luckily all is well (after some serious tears, hand held in cold water for 20 min. and some Mommy/Baby F cuddling), but that was a horrible experience I hope I never have to go through again!

Now the highlights - we had our first kid-free weekend! Thanks to GroundFloor Media, we headed to Devil's Thumb Ranch outside of Winter Park for our annual Groundhog Day retreat. The party was lots of fun - sleigh ride, group photo, copious glasses of wine and all - and we were lucky enough to stay in our very own cozy cabin with amazing views from every window. We snowshoed and enjoyed some quiet time and didn't call home to check on Baby F too often... He was having his own weekend of fun with Mimi and Gramps! He even celebrated by sleeping almost 12 hours two nights in a row. Wonder if he'll do it again tonight?



After we got home, I went into full nesting mode - having heard that there's some snow and cold headed to town tomorrow night. I made it to PetSmart for the dogs, Target and King Soopers for us, and now the cupboards are full. I don't know why, but that always makes me feel so good! Now a quick spot of work then off to bed. Who knows what memories this week will bring?

Take That, Treadmill...

So Baby F is almost 8 months old and I'm just now getting back on the workout wagon. It's amazing what a little over a year off of truly working out and - oh yeah - HAVING A BABY will do to your body... But, I'm very excited to be back on the wagon and even more excited to have rejoined Qi, a great boutique-style gym in Denver owned by our good friends Chris & Corina. The atmosphere at Qi is just intense enough to inspire hard workouts, but spa-like enough that I feel like I'm treating myself to something special each time I walk through the door.

Many of you know that my company has been named among the "Best Places to Work" by the Denver Business Journal - but if you were wondering what makes it such a great place to work consider this: the new Active Lifestyle Allowance which is helping me to offset the costs of my Qi membership. Amazing benefit! I can't tell you how grateful I am for this support, and I echo what Ramonna said in her blog - I am proof that exercise makes me happier, healthier and more productive!

I look forward to fully maximizing this benefit through this year, and will fill you in on my workout adventures here as the year unfolds!

Holiday Treats to Holiday Lights - A Day of Giving

Today was a day of giving. It started when I delivered holiday treats and cards to Baby F's teachers at school, then handed out goodies to my coworkers. This evening I got to help decorate a cottage at Tennyson Center for Children, and capped off the night by making some food for tomorrow's teacher appreciation luncheon at Baby F's school. Whew!

Most moving for me today was helping to decorate the cottage at Tennyson. If you're not familiar with the organization, they provide services for abused and neglected children. GroundFloor Media has supported Tennyson for many years, and we decorated cottages last year, too - so maybe it's being a new mom, but interacting with the kids there this year was totally different for me. I couldn't help looking at their darling, eager faces and wondering how on earth they end up in abusive or neglectful situations. How could a parent do that to their child? I simply cannot imagine, but I'm so glad that organizations like Tennyson exist to provide a safe space and healing treatment for these kids.

Watching the kids get so excited about the decorating process, and hearing from them about their own holiday traditions (one girl hung her very own ornament which she said was "very old" - she received it on her first birthday nine years ago...) reminded me what the holidays really should be about. The kids were so eager to open the stockings we brought for them and watching them go through the small gifts inside again reminded me to be so grateful for all that I have - most importantly a loving family and friends.

I haven't started Christmas shopping yet, but am encouraged every day the holiday draws more near to focus on giving to those less fortunate. This year - and again, maybe it's being a first time mom... - but this year I would much rather give back than receive. It's what the Christmas spirit is all about.

The results are in...

So my sweet co-workers indulged me in a totally random survey the other day, and the results are as follows:
Chocolate - 5
Maple - 1
Peanut butter - 3
Peppermint - 2
Pumpkin - 1

Now the question is, what does it mean? Stay tuned! All will be revealed in due time...