This week was full of Firsts and my heart was full of gratitude!! This week we celebrated our official two year Anniversary of FitHouse. This week was also the release of the book that I had the opportunity to co author “10 Stories of Strong Living, True Fitness Begins in the Heart.” I also had an opportunity to be a guest on my first podcast with “Health Nuts” which will I loved and will air on iTunes in the near future! It is a big milestone week for me as a mom as well as 3 of my children will move up to new schools next year.

One of the practices that I learned from Todd Durkin and am encouraged to do by my coach every week is to write my Wins and Losses for the week. This week there were a lot of wins and it really felt great but I can assure you that there have been many weeks where the losses seem to flow a lot easier than the wins.

It has been an emotional week. I have learned so much about myself and about my journey through life in these past two years. Making the jump to open FitHouse was one of the biggest decisions in my life. I made decisions to move across the country, take a job traveling the seas, say I do, move back across the country. But with FitHouse I felt like so much more was on the line at this time of my life. I can’t say that I was necessarily scared because I wasn’t afraid of failing in the business, I knew that if I failed I could handle it. But I was definitely afraid.  I was afraid of failing at LIFE!   As a mom blessed with four amazing daughters, a wife with a wonderful husband, a daughter with a wonderful mother and father and a friend with a great network of friends who I love, I have a lot!!!  This is what I WAS afraid of failing, my children, my husband, my family, my friends and myself. I was afraid of not being able to make the time time or energy to be the mom or wife that I desire to be, the daughter that enjoys time with her mother. I was afraid of not  being able to have the ability to juggle all of these balls in the air and still take care of me and practice what I preach, love like I wanted to love and be who I wanted to be!

In the end this decision wasn’t about me, it was about something much bigger. It was about leading the way for other moms who had a passion but weren’t sure if they could do it, it was about creating a community for those who needed someone to believe in them, it was about bringing energy to this world and having fun and it was about leading the way for my children and showing them that with hard work, a deep passion and the ability to accept what and who you are you can achieve what you put your mind to. I have been told you can only take others on a journey as far as you have been. Right or wrong I knew that this was a part of the journey that I needed to take to grow as a fitness professional but even more so as a person. I believe that we have all been given gifts that connect us to the world. If we can share those gifts that is one of the best things in life!

In the past two years through this journey I have had to learn to let go of what is truly not important, I have learned the importance of who you surround yourself with, the team is everything!! Thank you to my FitHouse Team and my team of family and friends, for being so awesome!!! I have learned that making mistakes is par for the course and with the right attitude they will make you better! I used to think that I could have everything in life, but what I have learned is that I can have almost anything but I definitely can’t have everything so choosing wisely and with your heart is the key!

Someone recently asked me if the balance between the business and family and life was getting easier. I thought for a second and said no but I am getting better! That holds true for so many things in life, motherhood, a new job, or embarking on a new journey in life.

Often things don’t get easier but if they are important to us then we must work to find ways to make ourselves better so that we can become the person to handle them!! 1% Better EVERYDAY!!!!

Have a GREAT week!!!!

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The Kindle Edition of the book is available on Amazon! Hard copies will be available soon online and at FitHouse

Purchase HERE!

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We’ve got a Whole New Line Up of Classes COMING SOON!!! Stay Tuned!!!

This Week Check out LIFT Tuesday Night at 6:15PM!!! It will be added in other time slots soon!

Do you want to get stronger and gain lean muscle? Are you looking to rev up that metabolism! It’s no secret….. you need LIFT! This class will focus on Repetitions ranges of 12 or less where the participant can work on increasing strength and power as well as giving their metabolism a big boost!  It will have a class max of 9 participants.

Check out what we have happening at FitHouse in the next few weeks!

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FitHouse 14 Day Summer Shred
Feel and look YOUR best this summer with Certified Holistic Health Coach Bobbi DiClaudio

Click here to learn more and sign up TODAY!

Program starts TODAY

There is still time to sign up!!!! In Two weeks you’ll be glad you did !!

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SAVE THE DATE: Friday, June 30th!

HAPPY 2ND YEAR ANNIVERSARY

We had a GREAT time celebrating with you on our 2nd anniversary and we want to keep the party going! Join us Friday, June 30th for our Anniversary Bash!!

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MAKING FITNESS THE BEST PART OF YOUR DAY!!

I am super excited to share with you the final version of the book cover “10 Stories of STRONG LIVING”  a project that I am honored to be a part of!  There were so many great things about this experience but I just want to highlight a few.

We all have a story that is unique to us, makes us who we are and connects us to the world and people around us. Sharing our stories can create laughter , give comfort, fill gaps of loneliness, give hope and help to lead others through unknown territory! Our stories can be gifts to others.

I have had the opportunity to share an advance copy of he book with a few people. Some of them have been sharing with me the parts that resonated with them the most. The cool part is that it has been different for everyone! Different thoughts and ideas speak to us in different ways at different times in our life. As we grow we change, our ideas change, our beliefs often change and so can our dreams.

We all have our own definition of success. Sometimes it takes a lot of digging, living and risking to really understand and find our own definition of success. It is easy to define ourselves by the thoughts and intentions of everyone around us. Just as our dreams can change over time so can our definition of success. There is no right or wrong only what is right or wrong for us at our present moment.

Lastly, when you continually aim to keep stepping forward and you surround yourself with people who push you to be your best  you will continue to climb and be presented with opportunities.!!!

As you see above Todd Durkin wrote the foreword to this book. I was super excited when I found out that he was going to have a part in it and even more humbled to read it a few weeks ago. Flash back to about 14 years ago, I first encountered Todd Durkin at a fitness convention. I had just had my first child and was unsure exactly where my path was leading me. I felt like my dance career was in its final chapters and had just begun to explore the fitness industry. When I met Todd I was overtaken by his passion, his energy and his enthusiasm not just for fitness but for life! I remember thinking I need to get to know this person. In the past 14 years I’m not sure that I have learned more from any one person about the fitness industry, myself and life! It is a bit surreal to be at this place 14 years later and to be a part of a book in which Todd Durkin wrote the foreward.

Sometimes we don’t have a direct plan, sometimes we get derailed from what we think is the right plan, but I believe in the power of positive energy, hard work and sometimes jumping even when you are not sure exactly where you will land. When we keep moving we will end up exactly where we are meant to be!

I am excited for all of you to be able to read, experience and share the stories of the 9 other amazing individuals that are also a part of this book! The book will be released June 6th on Amazon. Stay tuned for more details on a book signing party at FitHouse as well!!!

We would love to help you on your path to “STRONG LIVING” …..come visit us at FitHouse this week!  Just getting started or nervous about taking that first step?!?! Come join me at CIRCUIT BASICS tomorrow at 10:15AM.

“Strong living does not transpire in a straight line!”

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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 Kids Sports Camps for Summer!

WE ARE OFFERING THREE DIFFERENT WEEKLY DAY CAMPS
Test your skills, challenge your body, and keep MOVING!

We are still collecting times that best suit your needs!!! We are aiming for the 11-noon hour for these camps, but if you have any interest and times that work best for you, shoot us an email and let us know!

June 26th- 30th
July 10th-14th
July 24th-28th

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Stand Strong Fit A Thon!

This Memorial Day

Monday, May 29th 7:30 AM- Noon
FIVE DIFFERENT CLASSES
Memorial Day Murph Challenge, FitHouse Kids Class, & More

We will be doing morning class passes for a $10 donation and we encourage you to bring family, friends, and anyone who’s in for a FUN morning!

We will also be holding a Chinese auction with great baskets, a bake sale, and a vendor table with lots of great stuff!

How can YOU help???
If you like to bake, have a talent or items that you can donate to the vendor table like jewelry, pottery, crafts, clothing, etc. please consider being a part of our event!

We are in the search of a few more baskets! If you have any items or are a part of any local businesses that would be willing to donate that would be awesome!

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NOW AT FITHOUSE!!!!!

PURCHASE YOUR BELT HERE WITH OUR CODE AND SAVE $50!

GET IN THE ZONE WITH MY ZONE!!!!!!

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MINUTE OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE **Plank Up Jacks In May!

That’s right! We’re starting minute of the month challenges to keep YOU motivated, challenged, and fired up! This month our challenge is Plank Up Jacks! Start with your hands in full extension plank, drop both down to forearms, back up to full extension, 1 plank jack, drop both down to forearms, back up to full extension, 1 plank jack, and back down! START PRACTICING and get your name on the board

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SET A GOAL.

MAKE A PLAN.

CRUSH IT.

As I have grown older I have come to really enjoy writing. I find it quite cathartic and it is a way to share and visualize thoughts and sometimes emotions that would often go unexpressed. It can also bring a certain level of clarity to ideas in my head and also serve as a universal connection through our thoughts and stories. However at this point in life it can often be challenging to find the time and the space to write on a regular basis. One simple distraction can throw your mind completely off course and my life seems to filled with a lot of those right now!

I am super excited to announce that I have completed my first chapter to be published in the book “10 Stories of STRONG LIVING…True Fitness Starts in Your Heart” The ok will be released June 6th!

After many Saturdays and Sundays set aside over the past few months for brainstorming,writing, revising and digging deep, monthly conference calls and a few creative blocks and minor meltdowns the project is almost complete!

When I was given the opportunity several months ago to write a chapter in a book collaborating with several of my well respected peers around the country I immediately knew that it was something that I wanted to pursue. Writing a publication has been on my Big 5 list for awhile. I knew that I would be surrounded with the accountability that I needed and I would have the opportunity to learn a lot about the process by working with experts who had already written and published hundreds of books. At this point in my life I have learned that for me those two things are often critical in a successful outcome. The idea of one chapter seemed like just the right amount to keep me invested in the process but also to not cause me to bite off more than I could chew!

Even with this in mind some moments felt like I had bit off more than I could chew!

When I said YES to this project I knew that I was going to have to make it a priority which meant “unprioritizing certain things” Some of the things that I had to “unprioritize” were things that I really enjoy doing like long runs, cooking on the weekends, listening to podcasts, spending time with my friends and Saturday night movie marathons with my family. I knew that for 3 or 4 months certain things were going to have to take a backseat and that was hard. Taking a backseat didn’t mean that I didn’t had to completely give up all of the above things, I just had to structure things a bit differently and those things sometimes had to be bumped to 2nd. My long runs turned into shorter sprints and intervals, my podcast time got replaced with writing, I had to pick and choose my social outings, movie marathons turned into end of the night family massages and we had a lot of grilled chicken and salmon with sides of veggies and sweet potatoes (boring). I knew it was temporary and I knew I had an end purpose which was important to me for so I was ok with it, I had to be.

When we set a goal or decide to make a change in our life a lot of times we have to be willing to reprioritize and often thats not easy. Making changes and reaching goals are a commitment often in many areas Reprioritizing can often be inconvenient and can require discipline in areas that we don’t always like to be disciplined. When we have a lot going on in our lives it can be hard to make a change or reach a goal that is important to us. This 4-5 month process has reminded me of a few important things

1. When we “reprioritize” we find the time

One of the easiest excuses for not doing something is not having the time. What we are often really saying is “I don’t care enough to make the time for that right now” That is absolutely OK if it is something that is not important to you but if it is important then often it’s worth reprioritizing to make the time!

2. The importance of accountability groups

When you have people to hold you accountable, you’re no longer on your own in your journey. You’re less likely to allow yourself to lose focus and become distracted when you have someone who’s encouraging you or who is on the journey with you.

3. The importance of a coach

A coach provides accountability but above that someone who has experience in areas that you do not can save you a lot of time and energy teaching you things a lot more efficiently and effectively.

4. The importance of a written plan

When you have a plan it leaves a lot less room for deviance. When our brains get overloaded it is much harder for then to make decisions or for us to be disciplined. When we have a plan the decisions are already made we just have to follow them.

5. The importance of embracing the process and learning along the way

It is very rare that anything ever goes exactly as planned or as expected. Welcome to life right!?! Sometimes we don’t reach our goal when we expected, sometimes our plan doesn’t work as intended. You will be a lot more willing to set goals and go after them if you accept this fact. No matter what the final outcome or when the final outcome there is always something to learn about yourself in the process.

If there a goal that you want to accomplish or a change that you need to make?!?! What can you reprioritize to make it happen!?!?!?!!

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Upcoming Events

Stand STRONG Charity Event

Saturday, April 29th
6:30AM-4:00PM

Start to rally a team of 4!

We Need YOU…Calling All Bakers!!!!!

We are looking for healthy baked good options to sell at our Stand Strong Fit-A-Thon Event on April 29th. Would you like to contribute to the bake sale to raise money for a good cause, the Mighty Penguins Sled Hockey Team and possible a charity of YOUR CHOICE? Team points will also be awarded for baked good items. Let’s see what you’ve got!!!!!

ALL DETAILS CAN BE FOUND HERE!

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Health and Wellness Event for New & Soon-To-Be Moms!

How to build a healthy foundation from the ground up featuring Fleet Feet, FitHouse and Pittsburgh Chiropractic& Wellness!

Nutrition, Fitness, Health & more… Click HERE!

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BRING ON THE MOUNTAIN

BRING ON THE MUD, BRING ON THE FUN!!!!
Come join the FitHouse Team
Saturday May 13th
9AM HEAT
Seven Springs

Optional Training will begin Tuesdays 6:15 PM at FitHouse and Sundays 10:15-11:15AM.  

(Session will increase to an hour and 15 minutes in weeks 5-6-7 and location may vary.)

TRAINING FOR MEMBERS- $60
Includes Weekly Down and Dirty Sessions
A Running Plan
Additional Support as needed

TRAINING FOR NON MEMBERS  $135
Includes Weekly Down and Dirty Sessions
This includes two additional FitHouse Classes weekly during the training program
A Running Plan
Additional Support as needed

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NOW AT FITHO– USE!!!!!

PURCHASE YOUR BELT THROUGH US AND SAVE $50!

GET IN THE ZONE WITH MY ZONE!!!!!!

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MINUTE OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE

***BURPEES IN APRIL!

That’s right! We’re starting minute of the month challenges to keep YOU motivated, challenged, and fired up! This month our challenge is burpees! Hands to the ground, jump back, jump forward, and hop it up! START PRACTICING and get your name on the board.

Congratulations to our member Shellie Smith for rocking out the minute of the month in March for 47 Hand Release Push Ups in 1 Minute! WOW!!!! Good job everyone it was definitely a close one!

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I hope you all had a Great Weekend!  I had the opportunity to take a quick trip to Coronado California for about 48 hrs with an incredible group of people in the Todd Durkin Mastermind Institute. We dove into a lot in just a short amount of time, great workouts, watching Athletes from the NFL and Baseball  Pros train,  learn about some of the newest technology and products in the fitness industry and network with some of the most talented and passionate people in the industry. There was one thing in common with everyone that was there they lead with their heart and are on missions to change lives.

We trained hard but the other thing that we did equally was had quality Zen time. The picture above is Todd leading a 15 minute meditation at the end of an outdoor workout. I cannot wait to bring back some of this great stuff  to FitHouse and share it with all of you. Being there was a reminder to me of just how incredible ALL of YOU are!!! Please don’t forget that.  With all that I digested in the short 48 hrs that I was there one person had an enormous impact on me…Dr. Heidi Hanna. She studies stress and the brain and was absolutely phenomenal with what she had to share. I want to share with you some of my top take aways from the weekend that came from Heidi’s Presentation.

1. Most of Us suffer from a significantly imbalanced nervous system because we are on high alert a majority of the time. We need to make time to SLOW down.
2. Stress is a Great thing when managed correctly.
3. EXERCISE is the BEST way to strengthen the prefrontal cortex…a very important part of the brain….the decision maker.
4. The top 4 Ways to Redesign the Nervous system are Eat right, Move, Sleep and Connect
5. Stress is HIGHLY addictive.
6. Feeling Isolated is worse on your health than smoking cigarettes.
7. The more our environment continues to move at a fast forward speed the more important it is to take intentional time to Slow down, breathe and  recharge quality energy. Let’s focus this week on making the time to

EAT HEALTHY | MOVE | SLEEP | CONNECT

Have a Great Week!!!! 

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THIS MONTH AT FITHO– USE

MINUTE OF THE MONTH CHALLENGE

***SIT UPS IN FEBRUARY!

That’s right! We’re starting minute of the month challenges to keep YOU motivated, challenged, and fired up! This month our challenge is SIT UPS! The challenge will begin Wednesday, but we’re preparing you now to get ready! More about the challenge will be explained this week so get to class and fire up those abs!

FitHouse 101 & Open Gym Hours!!!

—First session… THIS TUESDAY 6:15 PM!  Join Coach Chris for open gym hours and stay tuned for additional times if interest spikes! 10 spot limit so sign up NOW! Take advantage of a WOD (Workout of the Day) created by Chris to complete at your own pace, do your own workout, ask Chris for advice, and get the most out of this opportunity to use our equipment, share your ideas, get our feedback, and succeed in your own goals! For a limited time- Available with class packages, take advantage NOW!

Kids Sports Conditioning is NOW ONGOING!!

By popular demand…We have decided to make kids sports conditioning an ongoing program! Memberships will now be purchased for the month and adjusted if holidays interrupt! Click here for more details on times and days!

MUD ON THE MOUNTAIN RACE

WANT TO JOIN OUR TEAM AND GET MUDDY! What a great way to work towards a goal! Join us for a mud on the mountain race this May 13th at Seven Springs! We just got word that we will have a special team registration fee of $55 per person! It’s a great deal!!!  Let us know if you are on board!!! Check it out here.

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The stress of the holidays is behind us, and I can feel that inner fire coming back at least inside the walls of FitHouse! I know for myself, and I think I speak for many of you as well, the flame can burn low when our plate gets really full around the holidays and at other times of the year. I don’t think there is anything scarier than when your mojo starts to run low, and you feel that fire simmering low. One of our rock star members, Rich Bateman, celebrated a birthday this week, 66 years young! I asked him what the secret was to keep that fire burning strong at  66…his advice, NEVER STOP!!!! Rich has been through a lot in his 66 years, some which put him in a hospital bed and wheel chair. Although he may have been tied up for a period, her never stopped. That discipline, effort and mindset has brought him to where he is today.

When I looked around inside the walls of FitHouse today I saw a room filled with a tremendous amount of strength and energy. The most glorifying part is that most of these people did not start out a year and a half ago, or 6 months ago, where they are today. So much of what I saw today was earned by embracing the process and paying the price! Paying the price of early mornings, extra effort, doing it on days when you just don’t feel like it, discipline and time.

It is really easy to see where we want to be and forget about the process that it takes to get there. It is easy to look at someone else and where they are and not see the journey that it took them to get there. Well with so many in the room today I have been fortunate enough to witness the journey. It has been a process filled with hard work, bad days, great days, accomplishment, frustration, growth, friendships, fun and adversity. You cannot get from the bottom of the mountain to the top of the mountain in one day. But the climb can be quite amazing if your mind accepts the journey, you learn to embrace the process and are you willing to pay the price that is attached to the climb! 

Wherever you are…KEEP CLIMBING!!!!!!

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THIS MONTH AT FITHO– USE

Small Group Classes Added***NEW Pricing Structure

—-Please note: small group next level training classes on the schedule are for members who purchase a separate package, these are not included in the unlimited group classes or class package options. Thank you and we apologize if they appear on your member app we are working on fixing this issue!

8 Week FIT FOR LIFE Transformation Program in Progress

—Stay Tuned for a Sneak Peak

Kids Sports Conditioning + NEW AGE GROUP

This Session January 1st – February 3rd 

MUD ON THE MOUNTAIN RACE

WANT TO JOIN OUR TEAM AND GET MUDDY! What a great way to work towards a goal! Join us for a mud on the mountain race this May 13th at Seven Springs! We want to get a team going so we’re looking to see who is interested now!!!! Check it out here.

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Next Level Small Group Training

Take it to the next level.. Work hands on with your FitHouse Coach, track your progress with quarterly assessments, see the difference, notice the change, love the challenge!