Surviving Shopping Season

In the season of graduations, weddings, shorts, and bikinis, shopping is as hard as ever. If you’ve struggled with body dysmorphia, an eating disorder, or sadly, if you are a female in general you know how traumatic shopping for clothes can be. The combination of bad dressing room lighting, inconsistent sizing, and wall to wall……

The Staircase Analogy

After one to many complaints during conditioning I gathered up my gymnasts for a little pow-wow. In that moment the staircase analogy was born. I asked them a question, “What happens if you have a staircase with three stairs missing in the middle?” One of my silly ones said, “You fall through.” Thoughtfully Aubrey said,……

Five Ways To Be Better

I often talk about all the things I love about coaching, but I don’t often talk about all the things I don’t. I often doubt my ability as a coach. As a coach, my choices don’t just effect me, they effect my gymnasts too. My shortcomings become theirs. When August rolls around my gymnasts will step……

Nutritious Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

The little kid in me comes out when I see those Quaker chewy chocolate chip granola bars. I try to avoid them because I know that all the sugar and corn syrup is not going to make my tummy very happy. This recipe is one of my favorite things to whip up as a replacement.……

What I Learned From “The Happiness Project”

One sunny Sunday, a rarity in Seattle, I walked into a used book store stacked floor to ceiling with ragged, old, books. Digging through the piles I found this little treasure, Gretchen Rubin’s book, “The Happiness Project.” This book was was inspired by the author’s epiphany, “I had everything I could possibly want – yet……

It’s Time To Talk About It

How do I explain something that I hardly understand myself? I’ve been asking myself this question for weeks. As I sit down to write this post I’m asking myself this question once again.To write out my whole story in a way that gives it justice feels impossible. This week is eating disorder awareness week and……

Lessons Learned From 1 Year As A Gymnastics Coach

From my earliest gymnastics days I knew that when I was to old to do gymnastics I was going to be a coach. This plan was foreshadowed when I began teaching “gymnastics classes” during lunch to my 1st grade classmates. I can hardly believe it’s been a whole year since I stepped into the gym……

It Feels Good To Be Chosen

“Miss Annaliese!” a tiny voice shrieked. I turned around just in time to see sweet little Stella’s face before she flung her arms around my neck. Rushing to get the words out she said, “I graduated and I had to pick a coach and I picked you.” With an emphasis on the word you she did a……

25 Things You Probably Don’t Know About Me

This post was inspired by the wonderful Colby from YouMakeYou. She post these prompts back in August before I started this blog. I filled in the blanks with my own answers because I thought it would be fun, but now I can share it them you. Yay! 1. I’m happiest when I’m on what I call “a……

7 Tips For Surviving Whirlwind Days

We all have those days. The crazy days. The chaotic days. The days where we are running around like a chicken with its head chopped off. (Does anyone else find that saying a little disturbing?) This week was filled with these whirlwind days. It’s finals week and this semester I’m taking the hardest classes I ever……