Tina from Faith, Fitness, and Fun!

Hello from sunny San Francisco!

I just wanted to pop in quickly before Tina takes over for Operation Beautiful week and update you about our trip! We are having a wonderful time and cannot get over how GORGEOUS it is here! The views from the bay are incredible and absolutely breath taking! We cannot stop taking pictures! Unfortunately, I forgot my camera cord to download our pics, so you will just have to wait for those when we come back!

In the meantime, we have had quite the active past couple of days! On Monday we trekked our way through the city, sightseeing on our journey to AT&T ballpark for the Giants game. Then we hiked back through the city and enjoyed relaxing massages. What a wonderful way to end a looong day of walking! We ended the day with a cable car ride and dinner at a quaint little Irish pub!

Yesterday, we biked our way across the Golden Gate Bridge and in to Sausalito for lunch. Can I just say that I would LOVE to have a home there? What an adorable town! The biking terrain was treacherous though! Hills and more hills. The whole trip was about 17 miles and we finished up with a trip to Ghiradelli Square! Can we say yum!?????????? Check out what we split!

http://randommealoftheday.blogspot.com/2009/07/very-berry-sundae.html

Today, we are heading to Alcatraz, Fischerman’s Wharf, and the Ferry Building Market. These are our last stops before we drive to Napa for the next two days!! Hope everyone has a chance to experience this city once in their lives! I am so thrilled that we are here and fully living in the moment! More updates to come!!

Hello Healthy Apron readers! My name is Tina and I’m the face behind the blog Faith, Fitness, Fun. You could describe me in a number of ways – mother, fitness enthusiast, promoter of all things health & wellness, former binger, preggo chick, flexitarian, and more. Sometimes those descriptions overlap or support one another.

When I became a mother in October of 2008, numerous changes occurred. I learned the importance of balance and let go of the “all or nothing” mentality. I removed the high expectations I placed on myself, because I quickly learned as a new mom that perfection does not exist.

I continue to learn more and more as I watch my daughter grow. I notice her zest for life, food, activity, and everything else under the sun. I appreciate her confidence and love for herself. I admire her ability to listen to and respect her body through truly intuitive eating and being able to play hard and then rest when needed.

The fact that we all seem to lose this sense of self over life bothers me greatly. Where do we go wrong? After some consideration, I came to the conclusion that three main factors contribute to steering us off course.

• Tearing our own selves down. Somewhere along the way, the images presented by the media or the expectations someone else places on us cultivate negativity towards ourselves. We consistently feel not good enough in so many ways. Not thin enough. Not pretty enough. Not smart enough. Not trendy enough. Not ____ enough. And we hold onto that notion. We don’t see the good we do have, only what we feel lacks.
• Tearing each other down. Sometimes the insecurity we feel about ourselves voices itself negatively towards other women. Instead of encouraging each others’ strengths, we gossip and pity one another. We criticize anyone we feel threatened by in any shaper or form, without realizing we each have our own insecurities. Instead of supporting one another to celebrate our unique attributes and strengths, we do whatever we can to feel better about ourselves, no matter who it may hurt.
• Losing perspective. Getting caught up in how we look or how others perceive us leaves a gaping hole in life. There is much more to life than that. The focus on how “successful” we are begins to surpass the simple enjoyment of living life. We have many things to appreciate – from the food we eat to the good friend we can count on – yet don’t see them from the blinders not fully loving ourselves and others places on us.

I hope to fight these things from playing out in my little M’s life. I know it won’t be fully possible, but I will continue to do my best for her. But I won’t stop there. I will also strive to support others and cultivate a positive self-image through my actions as well. This very reason is why I will start a 30 Day movement on my blog in September.