1st Newsletter: Do you Have the Guts to Be Beautiful?

Hey Friends,

I have been a busy little bee working on creating a new monthly newsletter called Be Well. It's been a blast learning how to do this and I am excited to have a way to share lots of fun health and wellness tips and learnings with everyone. My career with Juice Plus+ has thrust me into a whole new understanding of health and helped me redefine what wellness looks like. I'm so thankful for the education I'm receiving as a part of what I do that I can't help but share it with others! So, alas, this newsletter is going to be focused on Beauty, Vitality, and Performance. Seeing as I believe that nutrition and good health are the common thread that binds these three things together!

Here's a link to check out my first ever newsletter: Be Well: Do you have the guts to be beautiful?
If you enjoy it and want more, simply go to the top of this page and click "subscribe."

 

Thanks to all of you!

Be Well,
Michelle

The Big "O"

ORLANDO that is!

I had the privilege this past weekend to experience "A Juice Plus+ World" and all that it entails. After a full-out year of travels and exotic locations I didn't think anything could top some of my recent adventures. Boy was I wrong! I know, I know...Orlando doesn't sound all that fantastic, and if you judge it by the drinking water, it isn't! Luckily, that was not my sole criteria for ranking this past weekend as one of the top 5 this year!

 














Here are some of the HIGHLIGHTS:

1. Juice Plus+ Boot Camp! Four action-packed days of learning about how JP+ has been changing lives and transforming people's health for almost 20 years! I met people who had MS, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Asthma and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome who've been taking JP+ for 10+ years and are virtually symptom free! And heard from world-renknowed doctors who shared with us the science behind this great product.

I'm so cheesy :)

2. Juice Plus+ People! I couldn't have picked 6,000 better people to share this weekend with. Had some much needed time with my mentor Curt and met JP+ friends from across the US that I had only been virtual (FB) friends with until this weekend, so fun! I've never met a group of more kind-hearted, generous, motivated and inspirational people in my life. And I'm blessed beyond measure to work alongside them! Even met a few "out-of-towners" from down under...def going to work that connection into a trip soon!

My ATX Mentor & LA Friend!

Aussie Mates - Stephen  & Marty...aren't we cute!

3. Juice Plus+ Par-tay! We work hard and play harder, haha. Saturday night after the big conference was over, the company threw a HUGE costume/dance/karaoke party. I was floored by some of the creativity from folks of all ages. Esp, the cute lil old ladies who dressed up as the Juice Plus bottle, lol. Also loved me some mardi-gras cajuns! Needless to say, we danced the night away!!!

I love her!

Crazy Cajuns!

4. Juice Plus+...Live Life to the Plus+! Bear Grylls (ya know the guy that does crazy stuff on man vs. wild?) got up close and personal with us sharing his story and how Juice Plus+ has been a part of his life since he was 19!

So there you have it folks! This is what "Living Life to the Plus+" looks like! Leave a comment or contact me if you are interested in knowing more! www.mslapejuiceplus.com

Some call it LUCK...

If luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity, then count me one lucky chick! Ok, ok, in this blog, I use the word "preparation" lightly in the sense that I had the proper gear and was donning my relentless spirit of adventure! Nevertheless, I had the good fortune of coming across a real deal BMX course during one of my bike rides through Colorado Springs a while back.  And upon seeing a 3 year old successfully complete the course, my competititve nature kicked in (i know, it's sad that I compete against 3 year olds, lol) and I decided to try my hand at this super intimidating sport.

As you can see, I completed the track (a few times actually, each time building confidence) and can rest in the fact that a 3-year-old won't outride me! Haha...However, some punk kid did pass me on that last section of the course and as a friend pointed out, I didn't get too much air on the jumps! But...on a more serious note, it was fun to challenge myself with a new sport. To muster up the courage to try something outside my comfort zone and risk failing! Being a perfectionists, it pains me greatly to fail, or perform sub-par, however, I'm becoming more and more ok with it as I thrust myself into new sports and hobbies such as cycling and hiking! More blogs to come on both of these!  

Ready, Set, Go!

Let's Get Ready to Ramble!

 “On the road again, Goin’ places that I’ve never been. Seein’ things that I may never see again. And I can’t wait to get on the road again.” These famed lyrics define the 8 days I spent on the Mountain Madness American Rambler tour in August. The tour, which started in Salt Lake City, took us to the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone and Glacier National Park in just over a week’s time.

So naturally, each day was action packed and full of fun.  I knew I was in for a wild ride when our first day involved a ramblin’ 14 mile bike ride through the majestic Grand Teton Mountains. Who knew a ride through the “Big Breasts” (French translation) could be so incredible, haha.  Apparently, the French trappers who named these glorious beauties had a thing for the female anatomy. Alas, they were nothing short of impressive! Our ride led us to Jenny Lake, the most crystal clear freshwater lake I’ve ever seen, and that’s no exaggeration! I honestly wanted to just set up camp right on it’s beaches and stay there the full eight days, but luckily our guide knew what was in store and convinced me to get back “on the road again.”

Jenny Lake

Lakes seemed to be a theme of this portion of the trip. The day following our bike ride we braved a 9-mile hike through the Lupine Valley to Surprise and Amphitheater lakes. Both of which captivated my greatest imagination and made the 3,000 ft elevation hike soooo worth it! Surprise Lake was my favorite of the two and the site we chose for a relaxing lunch in the glorious sunshine. In fact, some of my favorite photos of the trip came from this hike!

Surprise Lake

Unknown Lake

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and I don’t have time to type that many anyhow, so I’ll leave you with this final picture and the hope that you too “Just can’t wait to get on the road again!”

WoMan vs. Rapid

On my recent American Rambler trip to the mountains I was introduced to a totally crazy new sport called Riverboarding. If you haven’t heard, it’s basically the thrill seeking, adventure enthusiast’s new drug of choice. Picture this…an ice-cold river, class 3+ rapids, you and a thin foam board. Basically man vs. rapid (surprised Bear Grylls hasn’t featured this yet).  Riverboarders leave plush rafts at home for this date with danger. I know what you’re probably thinking, “What the heck? Why would anyone want to go HEAD FIRST into white water rapids? That’s just crazy!” And you would be right…it is crazy.

I’ll admit, I was a bit squeamish about the whole ordeal, but had to don my poker face. Letting the guys know, would just give them more ammo to torture me with (and I’d had enough). Plus, there is a part of me that loves danger and being a tad bit freaked out – that same part drives me to watch movies like Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Silence of the Lambs, ahhh! Oh, and did I mention that I’d get to see the guys with their shirts off?

As you can see, this sport requires quite the getup: full-body wetsuit, booties, helmet, life jacket and flippers. Clearly the inventor was male – not concerned with fashion or flattering attire. The guys definitely used this opportunity to use our Aussie mate’s favorite phrase “sweet as” often (I’m sure you can understand why).

Today we were riverboarding with the Montana River Guides down the Clark Fork River near Missoula, MT. Around 1pm, I signed my life away and started praying for the best! It was a great day to be out, sunny, blue skies, 75 degrees and plenty of rapids.  The chill of the water made the hair on the back of my neck raise as I entered the emerald water. Squealing like a little girl at the build-a-bear shop, I pushed off into the fast-paced waters following our trusty guide. My timidity quickly vanished like the passing clouds after we hit our first set of rapids. It was a rush, literally. The words thrilling, invigorating and intoxicating come to mind. The trip consisted of slow steady periods of floating interspersed with fast, furious flows ready to overturn and engulf us.

To our surprise we even had the opportunity to Riversurf. I found out quickly that it doesn’t mean you get to stand on your board (much to my dismay). Rather, you either go backwards into the rapids (not scary at all, haha) or you jump head first into the rapids and once you reach the big boy you kick like crazy and catch the top of the wave and ride it like a roller coaster. Catching a wave in the midst of rapids is such a disorienting experience. Finding myself in the dead center of the rapids, feeling like time was standing still, legs flailing (not fully necessary) it hit me that I was actually surfing!!! At that moment a thick coat of pride enveloped me just before the waves did!

Before I knew it we were swimming to the shore and the dance with danger was done.  They say time flies when you’re having fun…so this must have been a BLAST! All the cold and fear had dissipated and I was ready for round two! Let’s just say, I met my match! 

Here’s a video from the Montana River Guides of the Alberton Gorge where we riverboarded!

Bearanoid!!!

Bear·a·noia [bear-uh-noia] – noun

1. A mental disorder characterized by systematized delusions and the projection of personal conflicts, which are ascribed to the supposed hostility of bears, sometimes progressing to disturbances of consciousness and aggressive acts believed to be performed in self-defense.

2. Baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of bears.

Molesting...really?!?

As a novice camper and the only girl on my recent 8-day American Rambler mountain trek, I was bound to be picked on and the butt of many jokes. Regardless, I hate to admit that the first 2 days/nights of the trip, they had me completely FREAKED out about bears! You see, bears (700lb grizzlies and tree climbing black ones) inhabit the great Teton Mountains, Yellowstone AND Glacier National Park - all places where I was to rest my pretty little head to each night. Bears apparently have an acute sense of smell, light-years beyond what normal homo sapiens can think about smelling, and they use it to find food. No big deal right? Lock up the food and you’re good? Have you heard of a Bear Bin? I may have made up that term, but it’s a huge metal coffin with chains and a yellow warning sign that reads: Be Bear Aware. It ALL smells to a bear. Please take care. Lock it up!

Bear coffin

And by saying it “ALL” smells that must mean me right? The boys had me believing that it was quite probable for a bear to come wandering through our camp to rummage for food and penetrate my oh-so-comforting paper-thin sheet of protection known as a tent! My genius plan was as the guidebooks advise: play dead and try not to pee myself! It didn’t help that just the week prior to our trip someone had been mauled TO DEATH in this neck of the woods by a ferocious man-eating bear (maybe I’m exaggerating a bit)! You know it’s serious when people carry special Bear spray and bells!

Our first night campsite!

These warnings/threats gave me OCD tendencies of checking and rechecking my bag to make sure it was void of any toiletries or food or smelly stuff. To this end, they convinced me that even wearing deodorant was risky and that I should forgo it the following day on our 10 mile, 3k elevation hike…and I did!!! Only to find out the following day that they had all worn deodorant and thought it was pretty heeelarious that I believed them. Grrrr…I was so mad that I considered painting their tents with honey, but a small part of me was still “bearanoid” so I refrained. As the saying goes, “All’s well that ends well.” We returned from our trip safe and sound without a single bear scare (much to the boys dismay)!

Camp Olive Grove Photo Blog!

Cirali, Turkey (camp)

Pebble Beaches of the Mediterranean

Kushks for hanging out

Jr. High Girls - 1st Day of Camp!

HS Wild Women - Week 1 Skit

The Human Knot...

Beauty

Strength

Natural Fires Burning from prehistoric times!

Perfect for JUMBO S'mores!!!

Diversity: We painted our Indian names on rocks with symbols ;)

Put my cheerleading days to good use!

Fortified Pirate Castle

Sr. High Boyz bustin' a move!

Stunning

Creation

Public Profession of Faith

Buried with Christ...Risen with new life!

Detail

Provision

Adventure

Innocence

Joy

Turkey!

Oh Dam!

Mansfield Dam, Lake Travis - Austin, TX

Tonight I found myself awakened, yet again to my ingrained trust in temporal things...literally. I was driving across a bridge next to the Mansfield Dam and it hit me - if the water happened to break through right at this moment, I'd be toast! I held my breath the following seconds until I was safe on solid ground again. Once I stopped praising God for my saftey, haha, I started thinking...man, i have a lot of trust in men. Men who built this bridge, this car, this dam. Men who are imperfect, who cut corners, who merely survive in this world. So, why do I have such trouble trusting the perfect one who CREATED this world? He is the only safe solid ground, yet I turn to all these false securities. 

When will i listen? 

When will i see? 

When will i recognize He is the only truth for me?

Santorini: Save the Best For Last!

I <3 Santorini.

I didn’t see any of these famed “I <3 NYC” style shirts on the island, but I’m thinking it would be a great business venture alongside my authentic Tex-Mex restaurant I’m going to open in Santorini! (ok maybe not, but I should!)

In case you didn’t know, Santorini (Thira) is the cited as the MOST BEAUTIFUL of all the Greek Islands and also as the MOST ROMANTIC. And I decide to explore it alongside the company of 3 college girlfriends, haha! Don’t regret it one bit!  We definitely turned heads and left our mark on this lovely remote island. Not sure they’ve experienced anything like us 4 young, fun, gregarious, full of life American girls. On multiple occasions we had the locals and other tourists telling us they had seen us before. Prime example: One evening after a long day at the beach we strolled back through the quiet sunset hotspot of Oia (where throngs of people gather for the most gorgeous sunsets) decked out in our bright colored dresses and armed with our neon colored blow-up air mattresses. Picture the four of us barreling through the narrow crowded streets in an attempt to get back to our room and drop off the weapons in time to watch the sunset…it was comical, but we made it! I can’t imagine why they’d remember us ;)

Santorini is truly spellbinding. It had been talked up to me for years by doting visitors, yet I truly wondered if it could live up to all the hype – there’s nothing worse than being disappointed by something you have such high hopes for. The verdict: it surpassed my most vivid dreams. The contrasting winter white and ocean blue architecture against the backdrop of earthy brown cliffs and liquid blue waters is a force to be reckoned with. I honestly, couldn’t keep myself from OCD photography tendencies. Everywhere I looked was a picturesque view, door, flower, sunset, meal, church, hotel - just waiting to be solidified in the history of my mind and camera for years to come. My computer actually got filled up with photos during the trip!

As I mentioned, we stayed in Oia, which I believe is the best place to stay on the island…especially if you’re a honeymooner. The views far surpass any other on the island and the streets of the town are so narrow that it’s pedestrian only, which adds a perfect isolated feel to the place. Restaurants with rooftop views allowing you to see all of the island and quaint shops abound. We were lucky - the economic crisis in Greece and the recent riots has significantly decreased tourism so we got a sweet deal on a 2 story villa right on the edge of a cliff in Oia for really cheap (also booked it the morning of) and pretty much got the town during high season with the feel of low season!

Seeing as tourism is pretty much the sole economic sustainer of the island and with the hard time they are going through, you’d think they’d be a little bit nicer and more service oriented. Nope! Poor and inconsistent service is my only complaint about the island. Some waiters and storekeepers were flat out rude (Haley even got cursed at)! Sometimes you’d get a ticket after every order (such is the law) and sometimes we were tracking down the waiter after a 3 hour meal. Not that we had a schedule or anything, haha.

Here’s a little breakdown of our days on the island:

Day 1: Check-in to our surprisingly amazing villa (cave house).

            Rooftop dinner to watch the sunrise.

            Lots of picture taking.

            Hanging out on the chairs of our balcony under the stars.

Day 2: Breakfast overlooking the sea.

            Bus to Fira to ride the donkey’s up and down the side of the cliff.

            Bus to Kamari, one of the many black stone beaches (brutal on your feet) – also the place we    bought the rafts and the 4 of us floated out to sea to work on our   tans.

            Pizza dinner in Oia.

            Wine on a cliff watching the sunset.

            Go out on the town in Fira, bar-hopping in an effort to find the best “American” music, lol.

           

Day 3: All day catamaran cruise around the island to the volcano (ask Ashley if it smokes), red beach, white beach and the thermal hot springs!

            Dinner at our favorite rooftop restaurant (we reserved the best table for sunset).

Day 4: The girls leave bright and early.

            I stay and layout by the pool and then trek down to the rock beach hundreds of steps below our hotel for one last dip and photo shoot.   

Staying in Santorini at the end of my trip was the epitome of “save the best for last”. I wouldn’t have had it any other way! I highly encourage everyone to visit and experience the enchantment that awaits!!!