Are We More Connected Than Ever…or Completely Alone?

“Friendship is born at that moment when one person says to another, ‘What! You too? I thought I was the only one.” – C.S. Lewis

You know, there was a time in my life when I was pretty much friendless. I mean, I had friends—great ones, actually—but they all lived far away. I had just moved to a new city where the only person I knew was my husband, and, well, he was buried in Physical Therapy school. Meanwhile, I was working a remote job that didn’t exactly lend itself to making new connections.

We NEED Connections:

I tried. I made a few friends with some of the other PT wives, but honestly? They weren’t really my people. And yet, I still forced myself to hang out with them. Looking back, I can’t help but wonder—why? Especially now, when I cherish my alone time so much.

The answer is simple: humans need connection. It’s wired into us. Even when the fit isn’t perfect, we seek out relationships because we thrive on belonging, conversation, and shared experiences.

So, this month’s Elevate Livin’ Life newsletter is all about the “Connect” bucket—one of the five pillars of health (Eat, Sleep, Think, Connect, Train) that contributes to overall wellness. Let’s talk about why connection matters and how we can be more intentional about building it.

Always Connected, Always Alone?:
Truthfully, I don’t stress too much about the Connect bucket. I’m beyond grateful to have a small squad of close, deep, ride-or-die friendships—people I can dive into emotional conversations with, push my physical limits alongside, and just be with. It took time to build, but now that I have these relationships, I’m like hell yeah.

But even though connection isn’t something I personally struggle with, I find myself fascinated (and honestly, a little freaked out) by this bucket when I think about my kids. After reading The Anxious Generation this past summer (highly recommend, by the way!), I was blown away by how much our youth is suffering from a lack of real connection—and how screens are making it worse.

We live in a world where we are “always connected” but rarely truly connected. Research backs this up—one study found that people who spend more than two hours per day on social media are twice as likely to experience feelings of social isolation compared to those who use it for less than 30 minutes. 

And then there’s video games. But in my research, I was actually relieved to find that not all video games are bad and playing video games isn’t necessarily bad. Some games actually help kids build friendships, teamwork skills, empathy, and even a sense of community. As with everything screen-related, it’s about balance—making sure it doesn’t replace offline relationships, school, physical health, and (my personal favorite) outside time!

This is an ongoing battle in our household, especially as my kids are now obsessed with Minecraft. (Help!) Some days, I want to throw the tablets away and shout, “NO SCREENS FOR YOU!” Other days, I get it—I see the value in decompression, and hey, I grew up playing Zelda, Mario, and Donkey Kong. Who wants to battle me on Koopa Troopa Beach??! 

So, if you’ve found healthy ways to balance screen time in your family, especially when it comes to Minecraft (seriously, send help!), I’d love to hear what works for you. Let’s figure this out together.

The Importance of Alone Time & How It Benefits You:Okay, I feel a little guilty saying this, but sometimes… I’d rather go alone than go with my besties. 😬

I don’t know if it’s getting older, being a mom, or just reaching a new level of comfort with solo adventures (which, by the way, took work—happy to share tips!), but I actually CRAVE alone time now. I love my friends and always miss catching up with them, but there’s just something about hiking alone in the mountains with my furry pup, a good podcast, and miles of uninterrupted thinking time that recharges my soul.

A lot of these newsletters? They come from those solo hikes. My life goals, business plans, and biggest ideas? Also born from these moments of quiet. So while we absolutely need connection with others, I also believe we need connection with ourselves.

And science backs this up:
👉 People who spend regular time alone experience less anxiety and improved emotional balance.
👉 Just 10 minutes of solitude a day—whether it’s deep breathing, stretching, or reading—can lower cortisol levels and improve sleep patterns

How to Incorporate More Alone Time into a Busy Life:

✅ Schedule It – Just like workouts or social events, block out solo time on your calendar.

✅ Do Something You Love – Read, hike, journal, or just sit quietly with your thoughts. Turn off the phone for a bit—even if you love listening to podcasts (I do too!), try pure silence for a few minutes. In The Comfort Crisis, Michael Easter dives into how saturated we are with noise and distractions—and how turning it off allows for true growth, self-understanding, and ultimately, more happiness.

✅ Say No Without Guilt – Declining plans for self-care isn’t selfish—it actually makes you a better parent, friend, and partner. Taking time for yourself = showing up better for others.

✅ Go on a Solo Adventure – Take yourself on a coffee date, plan a solo trip, or even a weekend getaway. This has been huge for me. It actually started not because I wanted alone time, but because my schedule wouldn’t align with my besties’ (mom life, ya know?!). Instead of skipping the adventure, I just went alone.
I’ll never forget my first solo backcountry hike—it was just six miles, but I felt soooo far out there. And when a random backpacker casually mentioned that a bear had been hanging around my destination lake every day… 😟 Let’s just say, that was a whole new level of solo adventure!

✅ Start Small – Even 5-10 minutes of quiet, intentional solitude makes a difference. TODAY, I challenge you to put your phone down, step outside, and take a 10-minute walk—no distractions, just you.

How to Build Better Relationships with Friends &Family:

Okay, I’ve shared a lot about the importance of alone time, but let’s not forget—this month’s newsletter is really about the power of connection. So, let’s talk about actionable ways to strengthen friendships and make sure you’re investing in the right people.

Because here’s the thing—not all relationships are worth nurturing. 💡 In my younger years, I poured time and energy into people who, honestly, weren’t really my people. And now? Well, let’s be blunt—I don’t have time to cultivate the wrong friendships. Life is too busy and too short for that. So, here’s what I recommend:

 Prioritize the Right People

Ask yourself:
✅ Who brings value to your life? Who uplifts you, supports you, and makes your life better?
✅ Who do you bring value to? Just because someone isn’t a huge part of your life doesn’t mean they don’t need you—sometimes being a good friend is about showing up for others too.

Friendships should be mutually enriching—if it feels one-sided or draining, it might be time to reevaluate how much energy you’re giving.

 Find Ways to Combine Friendship & Life’s To-Do List

We’re all busy. But connection doesn’t have to come at the expense of your packed schedule. So, where can you kill two birds with one stone?

✔ Walking the dog? Call a friend with a pup and walk together.
✔ Working out at home? Text a friend who missed the gym and do a quick session together.
✔ Errands to run? Invite a friend to tag along for a post-grocery store coffee catch-up.

It doesn’t have to be some grand plan—small moments of connection add up over time. Even a text here or there can go a long way to remind people you’re thinking about them. 

 Make “Friendship Traditions” Happen

Some friendships don’t fit into the daily or weekly routine—and that’s okay. Find a way to make it work.

✔ Annual trips – I have friends I rarely see throughout the year, but we’ve got an annual trip tradition that guarantees real, quality time together.
✔ Out-of-state friendships? – My bestie lives in Colorado, so every year, we plan at least one trip together. (And honestly? I think I see her more than some of my McCall friends!)

The key is intentionality—you can’t always make more time, but you can make time for the people who matter.

Let’s Talk About LOVE. 

Okay, enough about being alone and about friends—let’s talk about LOVVVVEEEEEE. 😊

Back in college, I took some interpersonal communication classes, and let me tell you—I was HOOKED. These weren’t just theories; they were actionable steps to having better relationships. And honestly? I remember thinking, EVERYONE should have to take these classes because why are we not taught this stuff sooner?!

Two of my favorite gurus in the relationship world are:
👉 Gary Chapman (The Five Love Languages)
👉 John Gottman (research-backed relationship wizard)

One of Gottman’s simplest yet most powerful concepts is “6 Hours to a Better Relationship.” It’s a straightforward, science-backed framework that helps improve connection without massive time commitments.

So, check out the pretty infographic below—hopefully, you’ll find a few nuggets of wisdom to help strengthen your relationships!

Can I Help You Make a Friend?:

Alright, I’m scared to put this out there—because once I do, well… now it’s real. And if it’s real, then I’ll feel held accountable (eek!).

But after years of thinking about this, I’m finally considering a few exciting side passion projects, and I’d LOVE your input:

 Group Trips

I love the outdoors—could ya tell? 😂 And I really love sharing outdoor adventures with others. I also (as you may have gathered from this newsletter) believe deeply in the importance of connection and know that making new friends as an adult is HARD.

So… I’ve been toying with the idea of hosting a group trip in McCall (and maybe someday, other places too!). Would this interest you? If so, let me know—email me back or take the quick survey below!

 Blogging About McCall Outdoors

I love to write, and I’ve been considering starting a blog dedicated to all things McCall, especially outdoor adventures. Would you find value in this? Would you read it? Let me know!

 Community Groups
I’ve also thought about starting a monthly meetup group—a chance to get together for outdoor activities, the occasional dinner/coffee date, and just connect with like-minded people.

Would you be interested? If so, reply and let me know!

Until then, check out this previous newsletter on How to Find Your People:
👉 Find Your People

Take My Survey- Pretty Please

Well, friends, as always, thank you for reading along. This little e-newsletter is something I truly love creating each month, and I hope it brings you value, laughter, or at the very least—a little happiness in your day.

And I hope that whether you are spending time alone, with your furry pets, out with besties, hubbies, wives, family, whoever it may be, you are finding adventure and joy. 

Until next time,
Kelli

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month:
Date Day with My Hubby in Our Backyard Backcountry

I’ve Lost All My Energy 😭

“Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.” – Tom Rath

You guys, I turned down powder skiing last week. We finally got snow—like, a lot of snow—and I had multiple invites to go backcountry skiing. But I said NO. I was so heartbroken, and I’m still feeling it. 😭💔

Life’s Been Rough:
This past week has been a tough one. The main culprit? A nasty, annoying cold. And while I’ll take a cold over the flu any day, sometimes a cold throws me for a loop. I know I’m sick, but I try to convince myself it’s just a cold—like I can push through a sore throat or a stuffy nose. But here’s the thing: it’s not fine. My energy’s been shot. And just when I think I’m on the mend and ready to do something (like work out or hit the slopes), my energy completely tanks again. So when my buddies sent out an invite for skiing, I listened to the smart backcountry advice and said, “No way.” I couldn’t risk heading into the mountains feeling this drained—especially not in freezing temps, hiking up the mountain, skiing down, and trying to keep up with the group for eight-plus hours. And dang it, my friends had an epic time. 😞

Challenges Galore this Week:
On top of the cold, things got even more chaotic. Charlie had her Valentine’s party, so we spent the day prepping, cleaning, and decorating. (Picture 20 first graders, hyped up on sugar and excitement.) And to top it all off, our sweet pet rat, Seashell, got sick and passed away. 😢 So yeah, this week was tough, and to be honest, sleep was pretty elusive.

All of this has me thinking a lot lately:

  • How important sleep is.
  • How fragile life is.
  • How essential health is to living a full, badass life.
  • And how do people with low energy function daily?
  • What can I do to avoid getting sick in the first place?

Still with me? Hang tight, because this month’s Elevate Livin’ Life isn’t just me venting about my rough week. I’ll be sharing some helpful tips on something that’s been top of mind: sleep, which is also one of the buckets of the Health Wellness Spectrum. Trust me, this week was a powerful reminder of how crucial it is for everything in our lives to run smoothly.

If you missed our last conversation about the Health Wellness Spectrum and the eat bucket, check it out here. And stay tuned as we dive into the importance of sleep this month—because when you’re not getting it, it really does throw everything off.

My Favorite Sleep Tips:
I’m not here to bore you with the basics about sleep and why it’s important—we all know that, right? If you don’t, though, just hit up Google real quick. But what I do want to share are some of my favorite sleep tips I’ve picked up while diving deep into this topic. So, let’s jump in:⏰ Set an Alarm Clock Daily

  • There are some fascinating studies on the power of waking up around the same time every day. Sorry, no more sleeping in on weekends. The idea is to create a consistent “wake window,” keeping your wake-up time within 45 minutes of each other every day. Now, if you’re someone who barely sleeps during the week and finally has a chance to catch up on the weekend, sleep in! But if you’re lucky enough to consistently get 6-9 hours of sleep during the week, I highly recommend keeping those wake times consistent even on the weekends. You’ll find yourself less groggy, more energized, and in a better rhythm overall.

🛌 Control What You Can Control

  • Got a sick teenager coughing all night? If they don’t need you, put in the earplugs. Does your partner wake up earlier than you and turn on the closet light? Pop on that eye mask. Is your 7-year-old a night owl (yup, guilty here)? Well, I’ve had to lay down the law—no coming into our room after I go to bed. It’s a learning process, but respecting sleep schedules is key. What small changes can you make to improve your sleep environment and ensure you get quality rest each night?

🏋️‍♀️ Do I Sleep or Do I Train?

  • If you’re an early morning workout warrior like me, you’ve probably had those moments where you’ve stayed up too late and wondered: should I sleep in or wake up and train? My favorite CrossFit coach, Ben Bergeron, talked about this and recommended this rule of them: if you’re going to get six hours of sleep or less, skip training and sleep in. If it’s more than six hours, then it’s okay to keep your training schedule. This advice has helped me make the decision to hit snooze (or not).

✈️ Jet Lag and How to Conquer It

  • More on this coming soon! I’ve been geeking out on research about jet lag, and I’ll save all the good tips for another newsletter as I gather more insights. In the meantime, if you have any pro tips, share ‘em with me! I’d love to hear what works for you.

You Can Become an Early Morning Person..If You Want Too:

There are two types of people in the world: early risers and night owls. And they always seem to marry each other, right?

Okay, maybe not always, but it’s definitely true in my case! My hubby is a classic night owl, and I’m an early morning riser. I’ve spent years trying to convince him to join me on the “light” side and wake up early, but he always claimed it just wasn’t for him. Well, guess what? 2024 was the year! After 16 years together (woah, that’s a long time!), he finally made the switch. And now, it’s kind of annoying because I can’t ever sleep in anymore. 😊

So, how did he do it? Simple:
He started waking up early.

For real, he set his alarm every day and just got up. Let me tell you, when you wake up before 6 am, you’re excited to go to bed by 9 pm. Slowly but surely, he reset his internal clock (or more like forced it to reset!). I was curious if this was actually good for someone, to go against their natural tendencies and after some internet research, I found that while it’s possible for a night owl to shift, they may never completely change their natural tendencies, yet societal demands might make them feel healthier and better by becoming an early bird, which seems to be working for my hubby. 

If you want a step-by-step guide to becoming an early riser, here’s what ChatGPT suggests:

  1. Light Exposure – Get bright light in the morning and minimize it at night.
  2. Gradual Adjustments – Go to bed 15 minutes earlier and wake up 15 minutes earlier each day until you reach the desired wake/sleep windows. 
  3. Behavioral Changes – Workout in the morning, eat breakfast at the same time every day, and avoid afternoon caffeine.

How to Get Healthy Again:

Because I am tired of being sick and really want to ski before this powder is gone, I asked my little AI buddy, ChatGPT,  ” can you give me tips to make you get over a cold faster”. Those results are: 

1. Prioritize Rest & Sleep 💤

  • Your body needs extra energy to fight off the virus, so give yourself permission to slow down.
  • Aim for 7–9+ hours of sleep and take naps if needed.
    • Ughhhh I’m the worst at napping!!! But I probably should give it a go….so, how do I convince my kids they should take a nap too?? 

2. Stay Hydrated 💧

  • Drink plenty of water, herbal teas, and broths to stay hydrated.
  • Avoid dehydrating drinks like alcohol and too much caffeine.
    • I’m a big fan of Throat Coat Tea, yummy! 

3. Load Up on Nutrient-Dense Foods 🥑🍊

  • Eat whole, anti-inflammatory foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
  • Vitamin C-rich foods (oranges, bell peppers), zinc (pumpkin seeds, chickpeas), and bone broth can support immune function.

4. Support Your Immune System with Supplements 💊

  • Vitamin C – May help reduce the duration of a cold.
    • Truthfully, I’ve been drinking airborne daily for weeks because there is so much nasty stuff going around our town. 
  • Zinc – Can support immune response (lozenges work best).
  • Elderberry – Some studies suggest it helps with cold symptoms.
  • Probiotics – Gut health is linked to immune function.
    • What do you take when you feel a cold coming on? What about when you are already sick? 

5. Use Natural Remedies 🌿

  • Honey + ginger + lemon tea for soothing the throat.
  • Steam inhalation (hot shower or bowl of hot water with a towel over your head) to relieve congestion.
  • Saltwater gargle for sore throats.

6. Get Fresh Air & Light Movement (if possible) 🌞🚶‍♀️

  • If you’re not completely bedridden, a short walk outside for fresh air and vitamin D can be beneficial.
  • Gentle movement like stretching or yoga may improve circulation and recovery.
    • Do you think backcountry skiing counts as gentle movement?? 🤔

7. Take a Break from Sugar & Processed Foods 🚫🍩

  • Sugar suppresses immune function, so minimizing it can help your body focus on healing.
    • Well shoot, I’ve been eating like crap this weekend. Between feeling crummy and craving comfort food to the treats we had for the party my diet has been no beuno! Oops.  

8. Don’t Overdo It Too Soon ⏳

  • Even when you start feeling better, ease back into normal activity. Pushing too hard too soon can prolong recovery.
    • Ah yes, I definitely struggle with this one! Perhaps my 100 pullups yesterday was a little too soon. 😬🤦‍♀️

This Too Shall Pass:

I’ve been reminding myself lately that when you’re sick or injured, it feels like the world is ending, and this misery will never end. Or is that just me?? 😅 But just like last summer, when my cranky Achilles kept me from hiking as much as I wanted to, or the nasty cold I caught exactly one year ago (thanks to the germs on my Chilean flight), I know this phase too shall pass.

Yes, there’s a lot of unglamorous in-between stuff—physical therapy, rest, yada yada—but the point is, most illnesses and injuries are temporary. It’s all just part of the human experience. I’d rather fly to Chile, have an epic trip, and deal with a cold afterward, than not go at all. I mean, seriously, look at that photo! 😍 It was totally worth a few nights of coughing up a lung!

Also, just like the E-newsletter I wrote last year that talks about the silver linings of injury and illness (click HERE to read it), there was some good that came from being sick this week. Instead of backcountry skiing that day, I spent hours working on a work project I’ve been wanting to do for months! I covered for one of the gals on my team so she could go ski 10″ of powder, and I sat down with my hubby to plan out our Italian Dolomites trip. Nothing like planning for epic adventures in the future when you’re feeling like crap in the present! 

A Little Rat, A Big Impact:

Watching our sweet little rat slowly fade away was tough. She was this energetic, affectionate, adorable ball of life, and then suddenly, she was lethargic, refusing food and water, just lying there, quietly passing. It was heartbreaking. Charlie took it pretty well, I cried more than she did. It’s just such a powerful reminder of how fragile life can be. Yes, I know she was just a rat, and their lifespan is short, but still… it hit hard.

So, as I often do in these newsletters, I want to remind you—when you’re feeling healthy and alive, say yes to those soul-fulfilling moments. Get off the couch, get outside, and move! You’ll be better mentally and physically for it, and I truly believe it makes you happier. And hey, it’s not that cold out… even with the chilly temps coming, just layer up! If you really can’t stand the cold and snow, here’s a newsletter from a few years ago to help you push through those winter blues.

Thanks for reading along and listening to some of my griping! I hope you picked up a few helpful tips about sleep, recovery, and more.

What’s your number one tactic for staying healthy during cold and flu season? I’d love to hear what works for you! 

Stay Healthy,

-Kelli 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month:
Embracing a RARE opportunity to ice skate on Payette Lake 

Plan the Best Damn Year of Your Life

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.” – Stephen Covey

If you caught last month’s newsletter, you know I shared some deeply personal reflections about the fragility of life (cancer battles) and the urgency of making every day count. Every. Damn. Day. This is your gentle but firm nudge to take action and plan your year intentionally—because if you don’t, the whirlwind of life’s chaos will fill your calendar, and you’ll miss out on the life you’re dreaming of.

Dream Big:

As we close the year, this is the perfect time to dream big and reflect. Look back on 2024 with gratitude, curiosity, and a critical eye for what worked—and what didn’t. Then, let’s shift to planning a year that truly excites and fulfills you.

Here’s how to get started:

1. Reflect on 2024

  • What moments filled your heart with joy?
  • What tasks or commitments left you feeling drained or unfulfilled?
  • What opportunities did you miss but wish you had seized?

Flip through your photos, journal entries, or even your calendar to jog your memory and uncover the highs and lows.

2. Revisit Your Long-Term Goals

  • Is there a bucket-list destination calling your name?
  • Have you always wanted to learn a specific skill or start a new project?
  • Are financial goals or career pivots on your mind?
  • Is this the year you commit to a new fitness or wellness program?

This is your time to dream without limitations—write it all down.

3. Listen to Your Inner Voice

  • What’s that one thing you’ve been thinking about but haven’t made time for?
  • Is there a place or experience that keeps showing up in your daydreams?
  • What makes your soul feel alive just thinking about it?

Follow those breadcrumbs. They often lead to the most meaningful experiences.

4. Collaborate with Your People

  • Sit down with your family or loved ones and share your visions for the year.
  • Ask them what’s important to them and find ways to align your goals where possible.
  • For areas where you’re not aligned, plan ahead to balance those moments—whether that’s solo trips, family adventures, or personal milestones.

Fill your dream book with these ideas, no matter how wild, ambitious, or small they seem. This is the start of creating a year that truly lights you up.

When Worlds Collide:

This week, I sat down to wrap up my year-end numbers for the business, and wow—I was shocked. We just closed out the most successful year our team has ever had. And that includes the years when there were three of us on the team (not two like this past year)! To say I’m grateful is an understatement. 2024 was a wild ride in every possible way—both professionally and personally.

From Patagonia’s rugged beauty to the jagged peaks of the Sawtooths. From barely surviving the Colorado High Country to soaking up the Eagle Cap Wilderness. From catching waves in Maui and standing in awe at NYC’s magic to watching wolves roam free in Yellowstone, all the way to hiking the Tetons—this year took me across the map and left me breathless. And it wasn’t just the big trips. Back home, I managed to squeeze in microadventures, beach days, camping trips, and even a mini home remodel. Exhausting? Absolutely. Amazing? Without a doubt.

But here’s the thing—when I take a step back and reflect, I realize just how much I’ve been juggling. A record-breaking business year, epic personal adventures, and the endless circus act of parenting two semi-small humans?  No wonder I’m sitting here feeling equal parts grateful and overwhelmed.

So…what’s next for 2025?

Do I hit pause, take a chill year, and catch up on all the adulting I’ve been putting off? (Spoiler: That doesn’t sound like me.) Or do I double down and plan out another epic year, hoping I can somehow survive the chaos and keep the momentum going? (Spoiler: That sounds exhausting but also fun.)

Well, I decided to ask the robots for help. 🙂

Robots, Please help!

Sometimes, when your brain is spinning with stress and ambition, the best thing to do is to step back and delegate — even to a robot. So, I turned to ChatGPT, my trusty AI sidekick, and asked:

“I want to plan the best damn year of my life for 2025. Can you help me? I want to give you an idea of trips I want to take, goals I want to reach in my business and life, and various other ideas and have you help me plan it out?”

After sharing my ambitious list of dreams and goals, it delivered back a beautiful roadmap: structured, clear, and full of possibility.

What surprised me most wasn’t the suggestions (although they were great) but how this simple exercise helped me feel like it was all possible. Seeing my goals broken down into actionable steps made that little ball of stress in my chest loosen up. It reminded me that yes, I can juggle a thriving business and a year full of adventure. It’s going to take effort, but it’s worth it!

And now I want to share this gift with you. Take those big dreams and throw them into ChatGPT (click HERE to access it) with a prompt like:
“Help me turn my dreams for 2025 into a plan.”

Watch how it turns your ideas into a clear, inspiring plan. If you’re new to ChatGPT or feel unsure about how to get the best results, let me know! I’ve been nerding out on this little tool for a while, and I’d love to share tips to help you harness its magic.

Because trust me, with the right support — even from a robot — those dreams of yours are entirely within reach. Let’s make 2025 unforgettable. 

Get 1-5 Epic Adventures Booked NOW: 

If you’re feeling slightly overwhelmed by the idea of planning out your entire year of adventures, here’s a simple tip to get the ball rolling: book something now. Pick one or two of those amazing activities you wrote down in your dream book and get them on the calendar — even if the dates need to shift later. Just get it on there.

The act of putting something on the calendar, even tentatively, helps solidify it in your mind and sets the wheels in motion.

And if you’re feeling motivated, hop on over to ChatGPT (our trusty robot friend!) and ask it to help you create a game plan for that specific activity. Write down the steps it suggests in your dream book, and bookmark them for easy access.

Now, you’ve got something tangible on your schedule, with a rough plan in place. Every week, take a few minutes to look at it, move forward, and make progress.

For me, I’ve added the Italian Dolomites with my hubby to my calendar. We were supposed to go in 2020 for our 10-year wedding anniversary, but, well, 2020 happened. Then kids, life… you know how it goes. Despite my overwhelm, I booked it! It’s on the calendar, and now I’m slowly starting to plan. I’ve set up flight alerts for Italy and created an Instagram “saved” folder with spots I want to visit. It’s all coming together in bite-sized chunks. 🙂 And hey, if you have any tips for things to see in the Dolomites, please send them my way!

Remember to Make time for Health:

A lot of people ask me how I have so much energy to juggle all the things I do, and I always reply, “Sleep and exercise.” And maybe there’s some good genetics in the mix too, but honestly, I protect my sleep like it’s my job and I make sure to train almost every day.

So, if you’re eager to make 2025 your most epic year yet, you must prioritize your health. Whether that means more sleep, consistent workouts, or eating better—whatever it is, make it a part of your daily rhythm. Stay tuned for upcoming newsletters where I’ll dive deep into the importance of SLEEP and TRAINING, so you can get the tips you need to level up your wellness game.

Until then, here’s your Action Step: Pick one small, realistic health goal for Q1—something like drinking more water or meal prepping once a week—and build momentum from there. Remember, the small steps add up, and your health will thank you for it!

Make time for Connection:

Some of your 2025 goals will involve other people, so if that’s the case, here are a few steps to ensure you stay connected and on track:

  1. Call them TODAY to schedule a coffee date and sync your calendars. If you’re dreaming of a girls’ trip, well you will need the girls :), so, you need to get everyone’s availability on the table. Set that date now!
  2. Need new friends? Check out my previous newsletter on how to make new friends HERE. It’s all about expanding your circle and creating meaningful connections.
  3. Need help to achieve your goals? Whether it’s figuring out how to reach them or needing accountability, hiring a coach can be a game-changer. Business coaches, life coaches, or even fitness coaches can provide the guidance and support you need to make your dreams happen.

Make Time for Work:

While it might look like all I do is play, trust me, there’s plenty of hard work happening behind the scenes. (Our record-breaking year speaks for itself!) I’m just not the best at sharing office life… unless, of course, my “office” happens to look like this one in Hawaii!

But truthfully, my business means the world to me. I’m incredibly grateful for the amazing agents I work with and the incredible people we get to help buy and sell homes. We set big goals, work hard, and take pride in doing great work.

If you’re thinking about setting your own business goals for the year, check out our past newsletter on creating a winning business plan by clicking HERE. Let’s make this year count—professionally and personally!

Tools to Help You Achieve Your Goals:
If you’re needing some good systems to help you achieve your goals, here are some of my top recommendations. Click on the names to get linked to their sites to purchase. 

  • Big Ass Calendar 
    • This calendar is perfect for anyone who likes to visualize their entire year at a glance. While I haven’t purchased it yet, I’m seriously considering it for next year. It’s perfect for seeing big picture goals and milestones, but the challenge is finding the space to hang it! If space is an issue, you might want to check out the Big Ass Calendar Planner, which is a more compact version.
  • Commit 30
    • These planners are beautifully designed and help you stay on track with every area of your life. It’s a great tool for breaking down your big goals into manageable actions.
  • ChatGPT 
    • As we’ve discussed, ChatGPT can help you create actionable plans and provide guidance on organizing and reaching your goals. Whether you need inspiration or a structured roadmap, it’s a fantastic tool for making progress.
  • Online Checklist like Trello
    • I use an online checklist for my work that will have tasks pop up on the appropriate days, etc. I’ve heard great things about Trello to help with projects and checklists! 
  • Going Airfare Tracker
    • If travel is a part of your plans, this tool is fantastic for tracking flight prices. You can get alerts on the best deals to help make your trips more affordable. Google Flights also has similar tracking capabilities.  Going Airfare Tracker
  • BucketList App
    • A virtual bucket list can be a great way to keep track of your dreams. Apps like BucketList make it easy to organize and track your goals, so you have a visual reminder of all the experiences you want to achieve.

These tools can help you stay organized and motivated throughout your journey to achieving your big dreams and goals for the year.

I hope you have fun dreaming and planning about your upcoming year. I really hope that in one year, I’m sending a 2025 recap and talking about the epic year I had AND learning more about the epic year you had!  I’d love to know what is at the top of your list for 2025????! Let’s hold each other just a little bit accountable so we can all achieve the best damn year of our lives. 🙂 

And I’d love your help!!! If you have any tips, tricks, favs to share for the following places, let me know as I’m working to plan these trips: 

  • Italian Dolomites
  • Disneyworld & Universal 
  • Beach Vacay (we may try somewhere new instead of Hawaii) and we want it to be safe, have easy surfing for beginners, and epic snorkeling. 
  • El Chalten, Patagonia 

Thanks for helping me achieve my goals this year!! Here is to success in both business and life. 

-Kelli 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month:
Powder Skiing in the BackCountry with my hubby, Tony

Your Life Scrapbook: Are You Filling it with Memories?

“There are seven days in the week, and someday isn’t one of them.” – Benny Lewis

As I sit here on the plane coming back from Hawaii for the second time in a year, I think to myself so many thoughts. “Wow, I’m so lucky to live this life!” “How do I continue to do this yearly?” “How do I do more epic trips multiple times a year?” “Everyone needs to experience awe inspiring moments in life, how do I inspire others to go and do this?” “Wouldn’t we all be a better version of ourselves if we got to experience events like this, either in rare form that are special, or on a more regular basis?” And then, my mind wanders to the end of my trip last year. While in Hawaii, my sweet and kind mother-in-law, Gina, was having difficulty breathing. After visiting the ER and getting her lungs drained, a tumor was found. While I was soaking up the sunshine thousands of miles away, Gina was being told she has lung cancer. It wasn’t until we arrived home, that I accompanied her to the doctor to learn the official diagnosis and discuss the plan moving forward.

The Diagnosis:
We knew it probably wasn’t good that she was having to have her lungs drained, but Gina was healthy; she had never smoked, didn’t drink, and ate a healthy diet, so it  was hopefully caught early and we’d get through this like we’ve tackled cancer in the past.  Even with these thoughts, I’m not going to lie, going back to the doctor’s office sure gave me a lot of feels from my own cancer battle in 2015. Cancer sucks.

That morning, the doctor looked Gina in the eyes, her voice calm yet heavy: “I’m sorry, Gina. The cancer is stage four, and it’s terminal.”

Even now, a year later, typing those words chills me to my core. Sweet, loving Gina—who was set to retire in six months. Gina, who adored her grandkids and was eagerly awaiting the arrival of her next grandson in just one month. Gina, who had worked tirelessly for years, dreaming of retirement adventures with her family, her horse, and all the trips she’d put off.

Now, those dreams were slipping away, replaced by a timeline none of us could have imagined.

Make It Count:
If you or someone close to you has faced a cancer diagnosis, you know the whirlwind of emotions that come with it—especially when it’s terminal. From the haunting question of “How long?” to the practical, overwhelming “Now what?”, the past year has been filled with uncertainty for us.

Just like in 2015 during my own cancer battle, I’ve been reminded of a core belief: Make It Count. Make your days count. Make your life count. Create the best damn life you can live. That’s the heart of this Elevate Livin’ Life e-newsletter—to inspire and empower you to do just that.

Reflecting on my 2024 trip to Hawaii and this past year, I feel an even stronger pull to embrace the things that light my soul on fire. The bucket-list dreams, the spur-of-the-moment adventures, the micro-joys like a sunset dinner instead of the routine meal at home—all of it. Let’s stop waiting for someday and start living today.

Soul-Fulfilling Moments:

During my trip, I listened to The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter, a book that explores the transformative power of stepping outside your comfort zone. Easter shares his experience of a 33-day backcountry caribou hunt in Alaska, weaving it with fascinating research on health, fitness, and human behavior. One idea that resonated deeply with me is the concept of “creating impressions in your scrapbook.”

Easter explains how novel, meaningful experiences—what his mentor calls “misogi” events—leave lasting imprints on our memory. These are the moments that fill your life’s metaphorical scrapbook, making time feel richer and more vibrant. Without them, life can blur into monotony, with years slipping by unnoticed.

This struck a chord with me. As someone who loved scrapbooking as a child and journaling as an adult, I understand the joy of revisiting memories that make you feel alive. Whether it’s a type-two-fun adventure or a simple break from routine, these experiences fuel inspiration and remind us why we’re here: to truly live.

Mundane is Necessary:

Mundane tasks are a part of life—they aren’t exciting, but they need to get done…at some point. Before diving into actionable steps to tackle them efficiently, let’s pause and reflect on the idea of “at some point.” Most daily chores aren’t urgent. The dishes can wait another day, and the laundry will still be there tomorrow.

This perspective has been freeing for me. I used to hate going to bed with a messy kitchen, but I’ve learned that sometimes choosing a family bike ride after dinner is more valuable than waking up to a spotless house. Those moments of connection are far more cherishable than a clean countertop.

With that said, here are some actionable steps to manage mundane tasks with more efficiency:

  1. Batch Similar Tasks
    • Meal prep on one dedicated day (see last month’s newsletter HERE for tips!).
    • For laundry, tackle one child’s clothes a day or designate specific days for washing, folding, and putting away.
  2. Set Time Limits
    • Use a timer to create urgency—like 15 minutes for tidying up or folding laundry.
  3. Use the 2-Minute Rule
    • If something takes less than two minutes, handle it immediately to prevent buildup.
  4. Automate and Outsource
    • Leverage automation for recurring tasks like groceries or consider outsourcing cleaning. Hiring help isn’t a luxury—it’s a way to create more time for what matters most.
    • Let me add to this, you can do it all, but should you? Treat yourself to more time in life by hiring out what others can do better, faster, or cheaper. 
  5. Enlist Help from Housemates
    • Get your family involved. Even young kids can pitch in, and you might be surprised at how capable they can be with the right encouragement or a game to make it fun.
  6. Save It for Rainy Days
    • Plan big chores or projects for less desirable weather days. Knowing November is often dreary, I’ll intentionally save house projects for that time.

How about you? What are your favorite strategies for tackling life’s endless mundane tasks?

Moving Beyond the Mundane:

Now that we’ve got a handle on the mundane, let’s focus on the good stuff. The stuff that makes you feel most alive. So first, I’ll pose a question or two: Are you truly living a life worth living? Are you loving your life? Are you excited about what’s happening today or in the next 30 days? What about this year? If not, what could change that?

Whether it’s a larger misogi event or something simple like a sunset dinner outside, shake it up. Create new impressions to fill your scrapbook of life. Life can change in an instant—as I learned through my own cancer journey and Gina’s terminal diagnosis—so don’t wait. Book that flight to Hawaii (ask me how to snag $300 roundtrip flights or sign up HERE for ongoing flight hookups), pack up the car for a Saturday trip to the nearest state park, or just do something novel.

Even if it’s messy or stressful in the moment, these experiences create memories that last forever. I hope your novel activity makes you feel alive and inspires you to chase even more adventures.

If you want ideas for soul-filling experiences—whether budget-friendly or extravagant—reach out! I have a list to share. Start brainstorming your own bucket list now because you never know when it might be too late.

Lastly, surround yourself with soul-fulfilling, go-getter friends. I’m so grateful for my besties who encourage me to embrace adventure and keep me accountable. We’re all juggling young kids, busy jobs, and life’s responsibilities, but we push each other to make time for ourselves and for fun. Go find your people who lift you up and challenge you to live fully!

A Magical Year, kind of…
So, in one year, we’ve tried to make it the best year of Gina’s life. I mean, she’s still fighting cancer so there’s that. But, thankfully at this time, she’s doing “good”. Still feels fine, and is keeping the cancer at bay, although she’ll supposedly never be cured of it and we still have no idea how much time there is. We believe it’s many many years, but we’re acting like it’s not. We’ve gone on more trips, had more visits, and deeper conversations than ever before. I’m grateful for what this year has brought, but of course it has me analyzing, why is there a need for a cancer diagnosis to kickstart this zest for living it up? Why, when you’re faced with the end do you feel the need to cram it all in? And then when you’re trying to cram it all in, you’re having to do it between MRI scans, chemo infusions, being wiped out from chemo, doctor appointments, and so on. Why not start cramming it all in NOW when you feel your healthiest?

I encourage you to go pull out that dream book we always talk about and pick at least one item on your someday-maybe list and put it in your calendar. Right now. Don’t worry, I’ll wait.  🙂 Now, take the steps to make it happen. Life’s responsibilities will sort themselves out—but don’t miss out on living before it’s too late.

As always, thank you for reading. Writing these newsletters not only fulfills my passion for sharing and inspiring but also serves as a personal accountability tool. It reminds me that life’s to-do lists are endless—laundry will always return, but a spontaneous powder day or a chance to surf with my kids in Hawaii is fleeting.

Your presence here encourages me to embrace more “Yes” moments and fill my scrapbook with meaningful memories. I hope you have a soul-filling Christmas and New Year with your loved ones. And if you wish you’d planned that Christmas getaway, take the first step today and book it for next year.
-Kelli 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month: Hawaii Time with my Mom, Kiddos, Sister & Nephews

Quick Nutrition Wins to Boost Your Health Wellness Journey 🍎

“The food you eat can either be the safest and most powerful form of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” – Ann Wigmore

Okay, truthfully, I hate the nutrition side of the health/wellness spectrum. I dislike cooking, I have a major sweet tooth, and I hate all the confusion around this topic. I also think that as I’ve aged my body reacts differently to foods and that also annoys me. 😊 But, I know the importance of proper nutrition because I’ve felt it in my own life and I do believe the statistics and studies. I do believe and know I feel better when I eat better. And as they say, “You can’t out-train a bad diet” as much as I wish that wasn’t true. So, today, I’m not going to try to convince you to eat a certain way, I’m going to just impart a few of my favorite nutrition tips in the hopes that one of them might make your life just a little bit better and bring you closer to that “fitness” side of the spectrum.

Health Wellness Spectrum:
Before we dive into this month’s Elevate Livin’ Life E-newsletter I wanted to mention that if you missed our last newsletter you might want to take a few minutes to go read that one by clicking HERE. Or a short summary of it is the importance of “frontloading” your health by focusing on wellness now to prepare for future challenges. Being in good health can make all the difference when unexpected crises arise. We also touched briefly on the five pillars of health: Eat, Sleep, Train, Think, and Connect. Each of these factors plays a crucial role in building a strong foundation for your long-term wellness. This will help you understand today’s reading and the next few ones as well. 

It’s My Way or the Highway

  • One of my main beefs with the nutrition topic is the industry is challenging because everyone has different opinions of what you should be doing. We all say you should eat healthy, but there’s so much information on whether that means; keto, fasting, Paleo, no carbs, some carbs, yada yada. It’s exhausting to keep track of it and to know what to do, especially if you are starting out with no knowledge whatsoever (which is okay!!)
  • Obviously, I’m really interested and care about health and fitness and I still feel really lost half the time when it comes to nutrition. I’ve had it on my to do list for a few months to actually go see a nutrionist…do you know a good one?? To hopefully dial in more of my own nutrition and what my body needs. I’m sharing this because for someone who does care about this I still feel confused a lot of the time so if you do too, you’re not alone.
  • All that being said, I truly believe that not one way is the right way for everyone. Everyone’s body is different, everyone’s fitness levels are different, and heck, even just male bodies versus female bodies are in need of different things. And younger bodies versus older bodies and so on. So, work to find what YOUR body needs and tweak from there.

It’s a BILLION Dollar Industry:
Imagine this: you’ve just finished dinner and a sweet tooth kicks in. You grab a piece of chocolate, enjoying that first bite. But a few minutes later, you find yourself reaching for another, thinking, ‘Just one more won’t hurt.’  And then after that one you think the same thoughts and reach for another. This cycle continues, and soon you realize that one piece is never enough. Why? Because that chocolate was engineered in a lab to make you crave more. And more. And more.
 
Okay, this is a bit extreme and I do know lots of friends that can just have one chocolate after dinner. I’m not one of them so if you aren’t either, keep this in mind, so you don’t beat yourself up too much, this is a billion-dollar industry. Not millions, but billions. Billions of dollars are spent in the food industry alone so companies will pay big money to scientists to create addictive products.  Just being conscious of this can help me break out of that unhealthy cycle of “just one more” craving…at least sometimes.

Basic Principles: 

  • Eat real food
    • As CrossFit likes to say: “Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.” But really, just stop with all the processed foods (as much as you can) and think of your body in terms of a machine. To make the machine work better, what can you feed it to do that?
      • Actionable step: Start by eliminating one processed food item from your meals each week—it’s all about small, manageable changes.
  • Decrease your sugar intake
    • Be AWARE of your sugar intake. And I’m not just talking about those yummy cookies at Subway, or the cupcakes at your kid’s birthday party…that I sure had a lot of this past weekend. 😊 I’m actually talking mostly about the sugars hidden in your everyday foods.
      • So, do me a favor, spend a few days watching the labels on the back of your food to see how much “added sugar” is there. You might be shocked….or validated, why something tastes so good when you see the ADDED sugar.
        • Okay, real life story here, after months of drinking a post workout concoction that I thought was healthy because it came form a reputable company I actually stopped to read the ingredients and was SHOCKED with how much sugar was in it! I know in a way that was the point, to help my body recover but I did not need that on a daily basis. So, I’ve worked to tweak my post workout refueling plan now and it was just such a good reminder that I always need to double check the labels, regardless of who the food is from. 
      • I have done the Whole 30 food challenge a few times in my life and I’m still in awe of what they call the “sugar dragon”. Basically it’s your sweet tooth craving and what they say is usually after 30 days of eating their way (which is not that hard to follow) you will kill the sugar dragon and not have those sweet tooth cravings anymore. This is so trueeeeeee!!! And it surprises me every time. I do eventually eat something super sugary within weeks of finishing Whole 30 so I’ve never tested it out long term, but for those few weeks I do not have a sweet tooth craving at all! It’s crazy to me and just reinforces the idea of the addictive billion-dollar industry we live in.
  • Chow down on those fruits and vegetables
    • I did a wellness challenge in the spring and was actually shocked how some days I crushed the fruits and vegetables servings per day and other days, I miserably failed. So, I tried to remind myself, a few carrots here or there can go a long way. Try adding baby carrots to every lunch and dinner, just a few on the side.
  • Who’s ready to fast with me?!
    • Just kidding, I actually do not like the fasting ideas for my own body. If I work out on an empty stomach, I am not achieving an optimal workout so I don’t do it. That being said, I know of some family members that intermittent fasting has really helped so I think there is a lot of good that could come of it, so perhaps check it out.
    • I will say this though, watching what time you STOP eating each night could be good for everyone. I try to not eat anything after 8 PM (usually even earlier) and I go to bed by 9:30 PM. This works great for me but you’ll need to find your own eating windows.
  • Now that’s what I call high-quality H2O!
    • Drink up that water and stop drinking that soda. If you’re a soda drinker, go to ChatGPT and ask it “share with me some statistics on what soda does to you if you drink it daily”.
      • Okay, so I have strong opinions about soda and then this one little podcast on the Huberman Lab slightly popped that bubble of mine! This fella said that SOMETIMES soda is not a bad thing. His philosophy is for people that are overweight and drink soda that the answer might not be to stop drinking all the soda because they may go try to find that sugar fix somewhere else that has even more calories than DIET soda (his opinion, not mine) is actually a better option than regular soda or just a bunch of candy. When I took this perspective I could see how in certain circumstances it might be okay. Obviously he and I believe no soda or unhealthy levels of treats is the answer but sometimes people aren’t there …yet…. Anyways, it was a good podcast to help me have some devil’s advocate viewpoints on nutrition. 
    • If you’re not naturally good at drinking your water, then change your tactics.
      • Get a new style of water bottle (straws are great!)
      • Get a tracker on your phone to track your water intake
      • Have water bottles throughout your house/office so you always have it easily accessible

The Willpower Instinct: 
I read this book so many years ago but I still think about it often, so check it out if it interests you. Click HERE. Otherwise, here are my favorite takeaways from this book that I hope can help you on your nutrition journey. Truthfully, I don’t implement them often enough but I do think about them and believe if you can practice these steps they will help you if you struggle with willpower. 

  • Stress depletes mental energy: Willpower relies on the brain’s prefrontal cortex, which controls decision-making and self-discipline. Chronic stress drains this mental energy, leaving you less capable of resisting temptations. This is why people often turn to comfort foods, procrastinate, or engage in other unhealthy habits when feeling overwhelmed—they lack the mental energy to make better choices.
    • Ughhh, okay, I’ve been feeling this one so much in my life the past 8 months. We’ve been really busy at work (a good problem but still stressful at times) and I can tell by the end of the day I’m snacking more, eating more treats, and so on and I think it’s a combination of work stress depleting my willpower and bad habits that I’ve formed. So far my easy fix is just not having much of that snacky, sugary stuff in the house….until Halloween in a few days.   😬
  • Willpower as a muscle: Just like physical muscles, willpower strengthens with use and weakens with overexertion. Small successes act like light exercise for the brain, allowing it to grow stronger gradually. Every time you successfully resist a small temptation or follow through on a minor commitment, you are “working out” your willpower muscle, making it easier to handle bigger challenges later on.
    • Try this challenge, put a piece of chocolate (or a favorite treat) on your desk and force yourself however you can to not eat it for xx amount of days. Over time, hopefully the temptation isn’t as strong because you’re building your willpower muscle. 

What Can You Do NOW…Easily??

Besides the few action items I mentioned above, here are some other ones to implement or think about:

  • Focus on long-term, sustainable eating habits rather than short-term diets. It’s about making choices that fit your lifestyle and can be maintained over time.
  • When starting a new habit, remember to have some self-compassion or you may just end up in a worse place:
    • It’s not always a good thing to be an “all or nothing” mindset. You are going to have slipups and being aware of that now is a good thing. Hopefully it wont’ give you permission to go break commitments to yourself, but it’s important to have grace when you do have slipups so that you don’t completely bag the entire food challenge/diet/etc.
      • For instance, if you break a diet and eat a cookie, thinking “I’ve ruined my diet, so I might as well eat more,” is not the right action. One cookie is okay if it ended up happening, but stop yourself there!
  • Be aware of your actual needs:
    • Coach Ben Bergeron shared a story of how he got into this habit of having a post dinner meal before bed. Then he realized this was not needed or good for him so he tried stopping it. Every night his stomach would GROWL out of hunger but he knew there was no way he was actually hungry as he’d just had dinner an hour prior. His body had become so used to that snack it was reacting to this bad habit not being fulfilled. So, when his stomach growled he changed the reaction by doing some exercises, like 10 pushups or 15 burpees. Slowly his stomach stopped growling and stopped expecting it’s post dinner snack.
      • Be aware of what habits you have in place.
      • Be aware of what your body truly needs.
      • Be aware of what you could change to make things better (go for a walk next time you find yourself wanting to snack, eat carrots instead of chips, etc.).    
  • Meal Prep for the week:
    • Sit down once during the week to map out what you are going to eat every meal for every day for a week. Then get the groceries and spend one day prepping as much as you can so it’s ready ahead of time. Think: make the entire meal and freeze it, just cut the veggies, thaw the meat…and so on, what can you do to make your life easier when you have less time?
      • Have an ongoing list of groceries on your phone somewhere so you know what you’re out of in the house. I also keep a few of my favorite recipes’ ingredients on this list so if I make it to the store and didn’t plan out our meals for the week, I can still get enough groceries to last for a few nights’ dinners. 
  • Not sure what to make this week:
    • Ask Chat GPT for ideas
  • Not sure what to make today:
    • Give Chat GPT the ingredients in your fridge and ask it to make you a recipe
  • Remember, simple changes can go a long way:
    • Want to eat more eggs for breakfast but always in a hurry in the mornings? Make delicious egg casseroles or egg muffins ahead of time. Hit me up for some of my favorite recipes!  
    • Find yourself snacking too much? Get rid of any unhealthy snacks-this one I use all the time and I sure get sad when I have nothing yummy to snack on but eventually, I get over being mad at myself and move on with my day
  • Hire It Out:
    • I know a great lady (in the Treasure Valley) who will come to your house with all the groceries and make up the meals for you and your family and stock your fridge. Message me for her information.
    • Check out meals from sources like Paleo Power Meals or ready-made healthy meals shipped to your door.
    • Love to cook but never have the time? Well, think about what you can outsource in your life to get the time back? Hire someone to do your laundry or clean your house or walk the dog so you can focus on cooking.

I hope that these tips and tricks have created more solutions and less confusion when it comes to the EAT bucket of the five factors of health and your journey to the “fitness” side of the health/wellness spectrum we’ve been talking about. I’m always looking for ways to improve this area of my life, so please, share with me your tips, your favorite recipes, and more!

Here’s to healthy eating and an occasional treat (like Jackson getting to have the best popsicle EVER in NYC this summer :)),
-Kelli 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month:
Sunset Bike Ride with the Hubby

Your Future Self Will Thank You for Reading This 🙌

“If you don’t make time for your wellness, you will be forced to make time for your illness.” -Joyce Sunada

I hate to break it to you, but there will be a time in your future that you are going to get sick, like really sick, like ill. It might happen next year, or it might happen in forty years at the end of your life (fingers crossed), but I’d bet it’s most likely going to happen sometime in your life and not just when you’re heading to the grave. Illness is an inevitable part of life, but the good news is, we have the power to take steps today that will help us when that time comes. Whether it’s something minor like a broken bone or a major health scare, there are actions we can take now to ensure our body and mind are ready to bounce back. Let me share some ideas on how to do that.

Front Load Your Health: 
Yes, this is a CrossFit image and idea but I think it pertains to all individuals regardless of what fitness, or lack there of you have in your life. This spectrum shows that there is one end of the spectrum, “sickness”, then the other end of the spectrum, “fitness” and then in the middle is the “wellness”.

The idea is that at some point you will end up at the sickness end so it’s important now to bring yourself as close as possible to the fitness end. You frontload your fitness (and health).  Frontloading means investing in your health and fitness now, so you’re better prepared to face sickness or challenges when they arise. 

I can attest to this being true because when I was diagnosed with cancer, I was grateful to be in the best shape of my life. Instead of fighting from a place of weakness, I was able to start from a point of strength, and this made all the difference during my treatment and recovery. 

Through all my various surgeries, from my cancer fight, and through the chemo, to my two pregnancies, this idea has been so true and has helped me immensely navigate these challenging times by having started closer to the “fitness” end of the spectrum.  So, please, I ask you, do your future self a favor and build out your life so you are frontloading your fitness and health to get you closer to that fitness end of the spectrum.

Being Prepared for the Unknown:
One of CrossFit’s mission is to prepare you for the unknown and unknowable so that when that happens to you, whatever that unknown thing is, you’ll be prepared. I honestly didn’t think much about it the few years I’d been doing Crossfit prior to getting diagnosed with cancer. But then, during the fight and journey of my cancer treatment I realized what it meant.

All those days I was grinding in the gym, with my head down, suffering and being miserable but continuing to put one foot in front of the other, it was preparing me for summer of 2015. It prepared me to mentally be able to handle the challenge that cancer treatment throws at you. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, there were a lot of depressed and miserable days too, but for the most part, that ability to face a challenge and just keep trekking, through the pain and mental stresses was gained through small little workouts every day and helped me prepare for the unknown of my cancer journey.  

Whether it’s a health scare, an unexpected job change, or any other unknown challenge, being physically and mentally prepared can make all the difference. How are you preparing for the unknown in your life?

Beyond the Physical Side:
The image I shared of the Health Wellness Spectrum above does emphasize the physical wellness aspect of a human, but honestly, I look at that spectrum more as a whole being. You can find wellness and sickness throughout your entire system of your body. From the physical to the mental to the spiritual and more.

One of my favorite fitness coaches, Ben Bergeron has come up with the five factors of health, which are:

  • Eat
  • Sleep
  • Train
  • Think
  • Connect

He believes these five factors are what will make up the total health/wellness of a human, their entire system.

I also recently listened to a great audiobook, “The Well Lived Life: A 102- Year-Old Doctor’s Six Secrets to Health and Happiness at Every Age”, which was super good and cute! Anyways, in this book, the spunky, passionate, and knowledgeable doctor shared personal anecdotes in her memoir about how she tried to treat a patient for the whole system.  She had various examples of how a patient might complain about one thing, but she’d work hard to get to the underlying issues, to the root of what was going in their life and a lot of times she’d discover there was more to the picture than just this sore ankle or lingering cough, etc. She truly believed and saw that the human body was all one interweaved system, from our mind, to the connections of those outside our body, to our physical health, to our spirituality (not religious necessarily). She, as does Coach Ben, and many others out there, believe you must focus on the whole body to achieve health. 

So, the next few Elevate Livin’ Life E-newsletters will dive deeper into these five factors of health, Eat, Sleep, Train, Think, and Connect. Because what we do with our mind and what we do with our body can dictate the health and happiness of our life. So, let’s take these small steps together to prioritize wellness—because when we take care of ourselves now, we build a foundation that supports us through life’s ups and downs. Stay tuned for more tips in the next newsletter!

Make it a great day! 
-Kelli 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month: Skipping Dinner at Home on a School Night and having a Micro-Adventure to Louie Lake

Will You…

“You must learn a new way to think before you can master a new way to be.”

-Marianne Williamson

It was a beautiful summer day, my kiddos were at camp and I was all caught up at work so I spent the morning getting my backpack all packed. It was full of the essentials to survive outside in the woods for three days, as well as some yummy treats and extra enjoyments. I had three other best friends doing the same thing at their homes and we all couldn’t wait to start our annual backpacking trip later that night. We had three nights and three full days to just connect with each other out in the beautiful mountains of Oregon. How lucky are we?? Yet as I packed my bag, my stomach started to feel nauseous and my mind also swirled with thoughts of anxiety towards the trip. What about the fires, will they ruin the views and make all this work not worth it? Will new fires pop up and endanger us? What about my Achilles that’s been cranky and hurting, will it be able to handle the thirty plus miles of hard hiking with a heavy pack? What if I get sick while I’m out there? What if….what if….what if…

There Are Always Reasons to NOT Do Something:
Over the years I’ve started to learn this feeling of anxiety is normal. And it was too fitting that earlier that morning I had read James Clears’ weekly newsletter that talks a little about this. He said:

“The problem with smart people is they can come up with a good reason for not doing anything. They are smart enough to find the cracks, to foresee the challenges, and to talk themselves out of the idea. They are experts at justifying their lack of courage or lack of action with an intelligent excuse.

But there will always be reasons to not do something, and this is particularly true of anything worth doing. We value those moments in which we overcame challenge, not those in which we avoided it. Ultimately, action is a choice. The choice to emphasize the reasons for doing it despite the reasons you have for avoiding it.”

So this month’s Elevate Livin’ Life E-newsletter I wanted to chat about the power of our thoughts, the times to listen to them and when to tell them to shut up, and working through challenges to achieve your ambitious goals. 

Power of Thoughts:

  • Your thoughts are powerful, BUT only if you give them power. You can’t control (for the most part) what you think about but your destiny depends on what you do with those thoughts. Because your thoughts can become your actions —> your actions become your life.
  • So choose wisely when you decide which thoughts you believe in and take action on. I could have believed my anxious thoughts above and canceled the trip, trust me it crossed my mind, but after experience with this in the past,  I knew it was my minds way of trying to protect me from the challenges, to keep me safe. Thankfully, I knew that it would be okay. I knew if I didn’t go on this trip I’d be so mad and regret it. I did not give those thoughts any real power, I just recognized them and worked through them.

Working Through Negative Thoughts & Reframing Your Words:

  • Think of thoughts like clouds. They come and go, so when you have bad thoughts just let them keep going.
  • I’ve been working hard on reframing my thoughts/words. Some of my favorite reframing word choices are:
    • Change “should” into “will”
      • Don’t say I “should” do this, instead say to yourself I “will” do this. It is way more powerful. This is also powerful to use on other people. When you encounter friends/family that say they want to do something, just stop them and say, “will you go eat those vegetables today?” “Will you book that flight to your dream destination?” “Will you go the gym tomorrow?” It’s much more powerful to ask them this simple question about their goal rather than saying they/you “should” do something.
    • Change “have to” into “get to”
      • Years ago I remember this one night where I was really tired and my 4-month old woke up again in the middle of the night and I just laid there thinking “I have to go change his diaper and feed him.” But I had just listened to a podcast that talked about reframing your mind to say “I get to”. So, I stopped myself and said, “ I get to go change his diaper and feed him.” “I get to have a baby.” Not everyone gets that and yes, it’s hard but ultimately this is what I want and wanted.
        • This also reminds me of what I mentioned on last months’ newsletter; this is part of the package. If I want the baby, I get to also have the lows and challenges of this piece of my life to. You don’t get just the fun parts of something; you have to take the whole thing.

Don’t Pep Talk Yourself OR Anyone Else:

  • Okay, I admit, I’m a default pep talker. If someone comes to me and says they can’t do something, I typically respond with, “yes you can! You are awesome, amazing, and I bet you can do it.” And I probably will try to give some concrete evidence as to why but the gist of my argument is me saying they can and thinking they’ll just believe it and do it.
  • Well, recently I listened to a book by Steven Bartlett, called The Diary of a CEO (SOOOOOO GOOD) that says that is not the best way to encourage someone to achieve something. Don’t try to tell them why they are amazing thinking it will convince them to go do it. Because beliefs are hard to change. BUT they can be changed. What you need is actual evidence to show them otherwise. You must challenge this belief they have of why they can’t do something by just going and doing it, to answer the question once and for all on if they can do it. 
  • “Stop telling yourself you’re not qualified, good enough or worthy. Growth happens when you start doing the things you’re not qualified to do.” -Steven Bartlett
    • I can’t hike 10 miles
      • So go hike 10 miles
    • I can’t do xxxx
      • When you or someone you know says this statement, don’t pep talk and instead, just go do it. Seriously, just go find out if you can do it. (As long as it’s safe to do). By going to attempt to do something they will find out if they can or can’t. Most likely they can, but even if they can’t, they’re going to learn a lot from the experience to then be able to go back and achieve it next time.  
    • One key takeaway from Mr. Bartlett’s 4th Law, is to realize there is your comfort zone, then your growth zone, then your panic zone. You want to be in the growth zone, because that is where you will learn, grow, and add those cookies to your cookie jar (see below). If you’re in the panic zone then you may be a self-fulfilling prophecy of why you couldn’t achieve that activity…

Cookies in the Cookie Jar: 

  • David Goggins, whether you love him, hate him, or know nothing about him, I personally think he has a lot of valuable lessons. And one of my favorite lessons of his is the “cookies in the cookie jar” analogy. Basically, he says as you do hard things, especially things you didn’t think you’d be able to accomplish, you start to add those cookies to your cookie jar. Then as you continue to do each new hard thing, you can pull those cookies out to get you through that challenge.
    • I’ve seen this play out a lot in my life. In the earlier years of outdoor adventuring I would freak out and think there was no way I could do that hike or that intense adventure. I’d stress (and even cry) the night before, think about how to bail, all the fixed mindset thoughts floating through my head. But guilt and stubbornness usually won out and I’d go do that thing and be surprised that I got through it. Then the next time, it got a little easier. I’d still freak out the night before but I would think about the last time I freaked out and got through. Now I have a lot of cookies in the cookie jar. I still freak out, I still have those thoughts (as I mentioned above getting ready for my backpacking trip) but it’s what I do with those thoughts that count. I recall previous adventures and know it’s going to be okay.
    • So create a mental cookie jar. Or hell, go create a real one! Get a cute little mason jar and each time you do something you didn’t think you could do, add a piece of paper to it. Then, next time you’re freaking out about an upcoming challenge you can pull out a physical reminder of the challenges you’ve overcome before to help you get through this one.
      • Some of my cookie jar moments:
        • Hiking to Tuckerman’s Ravine and camping overnight in the snow in March.
        • Skinning up Mt. Sopris and snowboarding down it on Easter.
        • Getting through some really really rough days during chemo, especially the day I had heat exhaustion on top of my chemo treatment. Oops.
        • Not quitting during the first time I did the CrossFit open workout 14.5 . I seriously had a lot of internal dialogue going on about how I could just walk out that door. I could just quit. I didn’t have to suffer through this pain. Thankfully I didn’t quit though.
        • Hiking to Prince Lakes and the biggest bushwhack of my life.
        • Giving birth to Jackson, naturally by accident 
        • Hiking myself off the summit of 12,000 feet when I was having major altitude sickness and was light-headed and nauseous. I had to get myself out and I did.
        • Solo hiking off trail to some alpine lakes.
        • Surviving summer 2020 in the real estate business.

What are some of your cookie jar moments? 

Surviving the Moment:

  • A lot of the above information are tactics to use before you embark on a challenge. The cookies in a cookie jar will come up and be helpful during your challenge too but it mostly helps to mentally prepare you before it and calm anxieties.
  • But some other mindsets I love to pull on when I’m in the midst of those challenges, especially those type two fun events is David Goggins’ quote:
    • “You may not know how you’re going to move forward but when you are in the hurt locker you just need to ask yourself one question; ‘can you take the next step?’ And the answer is always yes.”
      • So, remember, you just have to put one foot in front of the other. You just have to keep swimming (thanks Dori). You can do one more burpee, you can do one more email at work, you can do one more…. Just small little chunks.
  • Last December I had a friend send me a video of Jesse Itzler giving a talk, which I just love him, he has such great ideas. Anyways, this one was talking about during a really tiring and gruesome activity, when you find yourself thinking about how tired you are, start repeating “I’m not tired, I feel outstanding. I’m not tired, I feel outstanding. I’m not tired, I feel outstanding.”
    • I’ve used this tactic a handful of times and honestly, it has helped! I encourage you to try it out next time you’re in the middle of a workout or hard/tiring task. You’ll hopefully get a little boost of energy from this shift in mindset.
  • One video I watched was of Rich Fronning, one of the best CrossFitters ever share that “In training, you listen to your body. In competition, you tell it to shut up.”
    • So when something starts to hurt during your challenge remember, it’s probably supposed to hurt. You have to be smart and know if something is really not safe, but usually pushing through the pain during competition is part of the experience. Endurance racers will have so much pain during and after, but that’s part of it. So, when you sign up to do your next challenge, remember this so you don’t freak out when the hard parts arrive. 

Failing is Good:

  • Okay, here’s the thing, I hate to fail. Like I know everything I’m going to say below is true but it still sucks. It still hurts. I still don’t like it in the moment. But as Goggins says : “Through failing, you truly get to know what you’re capable of and what you’re willing to endure to get to the other side.”
    • So if you fail, it’s okay, because you know a few new things:
      • 1. What it takes to do it next time.
      • 2. What you were capable of.
      • 3. Probably some insight into what went well and what went wrong for any future activity.
  • After you get through the initial pain of failing your challenge, I hope you take the time to learn the lessons you can use from it to go tackle it another time.
  • Also, sometimes failing is out of your control.  Last week I was getting dressed to embark on a grueling and tough hike. I was nervous about it but also so excited as I heard it was the BEST hike to do in the Tetons and I couldn’t wait to have those epic views at the top. I couldn’t wait to have that “runner’s high” of being miserable and exhausted but so stoked on accomplishing something hard and amazing. As I got dressed though, I started to hear a little pitter patter on the roof. Darn, it’s raining already, I guess I need my rain jacket at the start of the hike. Then, the light pitter patter turned to a torrential downpour. :/ I was mentally preparing myself that it might be a wet and cold slog but hopefully it was just going to be a quick passing shower. I pulled out my phone to double check and my stomach dropped. The afternoon thunderstorms they called for was now predicted at 11 AM. We’d still be in high alpine exposure at that time. After a debrief with my hiking buddies, we called it. We could hike in the rain, but we would not hike on ridgelines and exposed summits with lightning. I was so bummed. I was so annoyed. We had checked the weather the day before and it was all different this morning. And I kept thinking, what if it is just a passing storm and there isn’t lightning at 11 AM? Ugh!!! Well all morning I beat myself up because it turned into beautiful blue skies and it would have been the most epic views ever, no clouds over those Tetons and no lightning around!!!! But, it is what it is. Sometimes you make a call and it’s the right one or sometimes you make a call and it’s the wrong one. Sometimes you do let those concerns stop you and it’s better to be safe than sorry, but you have to know when the concerns are real and warranted, or just “boogeyman fears”.
    • Boogeyman fears are all those thoughts, fears, concerns, that typically are more like anxieties that aren’t the best to listen too. Yes, a lot of them could happen, but the likelihood of it happening is so low, the reward outweighs the risk. If you’re doing something that makes you uncomfortable or scared, then you most likely are going to have some concerns…that’s sort of inherent. So, learning to navigate which are fears to listen too and act on versus which are boogeyman fears to acknowledge and work through is a constant challenge but an important one.  

So, I ask you today, “Will you go and do that thing on your mind you’ve been wanting to do? Will you make a plan NOW to make it happen? Will you be brave and face those negative thoughts and fears? Will you……”

Thank you for being here. Thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to read my thoughts I love to share with you. It means a lot to share ideas that I hope are helping you achieve a badass and amazing life. I always love to hear from you! So please, what spoke the most to you in this e-newsletter?

Keep Filling Those Cookie Jars,
Kelli

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month:

Yellowstone with Family & Backpacking with Friends

Life Isn’t Always Sunshine & Rainbows

“Everyone wants to be a lion until it comes time to do what lions have to do.” -Pat McAfee

It was a beautiful bluebird day, the birds were chirping, the sun was out, the hills were green and alive with a plethora of wildflowers. I was surrounded by my hubby, kiddos, and best friend and her family. We had a cute condo overlooking the dramatic Mt. Crested Butte, the wildflower capital of the world. I had spent money, time, energy on this trip and dreamed about it for months. And we were finally here!! And I was sitting at my computer sending emails for hours. Honestly, it sucked. 

Yet if you watched my Instagram stories for that day, you’d have no ideas the frustrations or “downs” I’d had that day. You would have seen epic mountain ridges, and summits with 360* views. You would have seen my kiddos biking around the bike park and getting ice cream in town. You would have seen fun, adventure, and perhaps felt jealous of the day I was living.

So, for this month’s Elevate Livin’ Life e-newsletter I wanted to chat about a few thoughts that I think are important and worth sharing.

  1. Many things in life are full of great highs, but also many lows. Don’t focus just on people’s highlight reels. 
  2. To achieve those highs, you are going to have to go through similar lows, so the question to ask yourself, is it worth it to you? Do you want to be the lion and do what lions must do to become that lion? 

Being a lion can suck:
My “lion” moment this summer was having five weeks of back-to-back trips, where I adventured hard, worked hard, and lived it to the fullest. It was great and awful all at the same time. To the outsider, they probably thought it was all sunshine and rainbows.  I even had myself convinced before the trips that it would be hard but mostly amazing. But here were some of the sucky parts of our whirlwind trips: 

1. Flight delays and car rental issues that caused us to arrive at 5 AM instead of 8 PM.  
2. Tourist Attractions gone wrong costing us hours of limited time in NYC. 
3. Getting sick and having to drive six hours AND do hours of work while feeling like crap (photo above) 
4. Supposed to be playing and adventuring in the prettiest place ever and instead stuck on the computer working. 
5. Altitude sickness kicking my ass. 
6. Stanley overrun with people that we couldn’t get a spot at Redfish Lake, then finding a spot in Lower Stanley and when we arrived at 10 PM , someone had come in and removed our reservation tag and stolen it. 
7. Bench Lakes Fire causing issues with disrupting our plans, adding smoke to the weekend, and hoards of people flocking to the same lake. 
8. The bugs. The bugs. The bugs. Eaten alive by no-see-ums at camp.  
9. Sitting in a hot parking lot  at Stanley Lake with Starlink on the roof to send some work emails. 

I’m sharing this not to complain, but to really shine a light on the difficulties that happen in life, since we’re all flooded with picture perfect images on social media (myself guilty of this as well).

Do you feel some of this pain in your life? Whether you’re a business owner, a parent, an employee, or anything, what “sucks” in your life? 

People don’t see the downs of being a business owner, or heck, even just the lows of normal life because it’s not what is posted and shared. I know this, I know this is my fault too. And sometimes, after the fact, I wish I would have shared more of those to help people realize it’s not always sunshine and rainbows. The main reason I don’t, well,

  1. I rarely take photos in those moments because I’m either too busy working and/or not thinking about photos.
  2. It’s not what lights my fire and thus I don’t care to share it. I want to share the moments in my life that light my soul on fire, or would help inspire others to live a full life. 

But it’s important to be aware of this because if you find yourself on social media or even in normal life hearing about people’s adventures and you find yourself having a lot of FOMO, remember, it’s not always sunshine and rainbows and you have to ask yourself if you’d be willing to go through the bad parts of someone’s day to relive their highlights? Success is not just the “holding the trophy moment on top of the podium”. Success encompasses everything to get there, the highs and the lows. Doing everything it takes to be the lion. 

So, do you really want to be a lion? 
Okay, go grab our beloved dream book we always talk about and sit down for a few minutes. Think about some things you dream of being or doing. Some examples might be: 

  • having a successful business
  • having a happy and well connected family
  • running a marathon
  • traveling to exotic locations
  • remodeling your house
  • anything else you dream of someday doing or being 

Now, I want you to really think about what is making you strive after these things? Write it down in your dream book! Don’t think, just brain dump the feelings you’re having while you think about achieving these dreams you have in your mind. 

Great! You’ve created a list of your “whys” for your dreams. 

Now, let’s make a list of the sucky parts of that dream. Because for everything that is a great experience, there is typically some unpleasant parts too. Using the examples above here are some ideas of what those are: 

  • having a successful business
    • see my ranting above about how  annoying business life can be 
  • having a happy and well connected family
    • kids are messy and loud and demanding
    • it takes TIME to be well connected with your family members
  • running a marathon
    • the aches and pains
    • the time it takes to train 
  • traveling to exotic locations
    • bags lost
    • flight delays
    • getting sick
  • remodeling your house
    • your house is a construction zone and messy 
    • delays

This list isn’t to get you to focus on it, but to make you aware of what it takes to achieve what you want. It’s not to stop you from doing it, but to remind you what it will take, so when you’re in the midst of the sucky parts, you won’t be so surprised. Also, it might help you to not have so much FOMO when watching other people’s highlight reels, because you can remind yourself there was a lot of unpleasantness they had to go through to get there. And heck, maybe it will stop you from doing it, maybe you’ll realize you don’t have what it takes right now (or ever) to achieve that goal, and that’s okay too! Hopefully, by analyzing all of these lows you’ll then feel better when you see people’s high and won’t feel so upset that you aren’t doing that yourself because you know what it took for them to get there and realized, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. 

But, if you do see the greener grass and you want to go for it, you want to become that lion, then know, you can do it! 

Becoming a Lion:

Once you take the time to analyze what you want to do, then why you want to do it, then the sucky parts of achieving it, and if you still find yourself saying, “hell yeah, let’s do this” then hooray!!! So, now what?? If it’s something new to you then you might have no idea how to achieve these dreams. I suggest starting with these simple steps: 

  1. Start researching how to do it
    1. If you want to be fit/healthy, reach out to the people you see on social living this life, or go join a gym to learn from them. 
    2. Heck, go use ChatGPT and just type in whatever it is you want to do and ask for a plan. 
  2. OR just jump in!
    1. I recently listened to a podcast that talked about how we are all in this inspired state of life and not in an action state. We scroll social media, we save articles or pin recipes but we do nothing with it. I’m guilty of this!!! So TODAY, take action. Screw my recommendation above of researching. If you want to be fit, put your shoes on and go for a hike. Just start taking action now. You’ll stumble your way through this. 
  3. Lastly, I will say though, set up a time-blocked amount every day to ensure you get the new activities in. Start making little (and big) changes today to get you to where you want to be.

There are so many more steps I could write here about how to go achieve becoming that lion, but the main thing is I just want you to think about what you want to be different in your life (if anything) and that you have the power and abilities to be that, but it will take work to get you there.

Lions Have Help:

  • We know lions don’t hunt alone, they have a pack of lions to help them. So when you’re wanting to become the lion, remember to call in your pack. Some ideas of this:
    • Leverage in business
      • If you’re a business owner and you want to achieve more OR have more time to yourself then hire out some help. I will say this, hiring is challenging, time consuming, and a lot of frustration but if you hire the right person then it’s seriously like magic. (Thanks Danielle for making my life feel magical by being an amazing teammate). 
      • Sometimes though, you don’t have to go through the pains of hiring, you could pull in help from an independent contractor. Realtors can hire us, Elevate TC Services, to help them with their transactions and listings. Overnight they can be leveraged to have help with the paperwork, coordinating, and so much more.
      • There are companies you can hire to come in for a brief period to overhaul your systems, from cleaning up your CRMS, to implementing operating procedures, and so much more.
      • So what can you quickly leverage in your business to help you get through the “suck”? 
    • Leverage at home
      • If you find yourself running around like crazy during summer and not able to keep up on the household chores, consider hiring someone to clean, cook, do yard work… even if it’s just part time.
        • My sister has this amazing lady that goes grocery shopping for her every Monday and then cooks up all these premade delicious and healthy meals that last the entire week for her family of 4. Amazing!
  • People Have Grace:
    • I was wandering through the Natural History Museum in New York and got a call from one of my agents asking me to do an addendum. I carried my laptop around with me so if this happened I could do this but before I said yes, she said to me, “where are you, it’s loud.” I explained where I was but that I could still do the addendum and she nicely yelled at me and said to not be ridiculous, she could do it no problem and I should go focus on my family and my trip. I seriously almost cried. One simple statement from her helped change my perspective and realize people have grace and it’s okay to let people know what I need or when I’m struggling. We’re a team and we can help each other out.  We can be a lion pack together. 
  • Let’s Shift the Mindset:
    • Slowly I see schools going to Monday through Thursday schedules and it intrigues me. I’ve recently had conversations with people about the European culture and mindsets of long vacations in the summer and not being so “grind long hours” mindset. I’m curious if there is room in the American world to shift to similar mindsets? Would it be better for our mental health?
      • I don’t have the answers, but I’m curious to know your opinions? 

So, as you scroll social media, or hear about people’s summer fun, know that there were a lot of highs, but also quite a few lows. Which, that’s life, right? You get the highs, you get the lows, and you just try to roll with it and keep trucking towards more of those highs, and deal gracefully with the lows when they do come. In the end, I find myself still stoked and glad I suffered through any of those lows to enjoy the highlights of my life. I hope you are finding your own highlights too and that this newsletter is helping you figure out what some of those highlights could be and how to achieve them.

Thanks for reading along,
Kelli

**Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month: The Highs & Some of the Lows of these Whirlwind Trips**

Who’s Ready to Travel?

“A vacation helps to relieve stress and boredom, gives us a change of scenery, provides us with adventure, and helps to bring us closer to the people in our lives.” – E.S. Woods

My hubby and I have an ongoing debate in our household about trips and travel. He likes them, I LOVE them. And during a recent conversation he asked me, “why do you love to travel so much.” It got me thinking because it was hard to summarize on the spot this desire to travel and this activity that I spend so much time, money, and energy to chase. After thinking about it, below is my rebuttal, with helpful tips to maximize your trips and your budget!

Why Do We Travel?:
I’ve always been of the mindset that our life is made up of memories and moments. Moments that we are living IN and then memories that we relive each time we think about them. These are what make up your life and for me, I feel the most alive when those moments and memories are adventurous. Yes, I do have many memories and moments of the little things and I appreciate those…as well as I am working to make sure to leave space for those. But as Jack Kerouac says, “Because in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain.” …or take that trip…or do something beyond the mundane every day life. 

Here are my favorite reasons to travel: 

  • Adventure
    • Just like I said above, on vacation you’re experiencing new and exciting things that in itself just creates a sense of adventure and newness…and memories from that. 
  • Escape
    • Airplane Mode- ON!
      • For me, I love my job (most days) but man it’s exhausting too. The ability to go camping on a weekend and turn airplane mode on is sooooo helpful for my wellbeing. 
  • I’m a Better Mom
    • When you get me away from the laundry piles, the dirty toilets, the constant to-do list at home, I’m way more fun and willing to sit and play barbies and Uno, to swing the kiddos in the hammock 55 times, etc. 
  • Memories to Relive
    • Hearing my son ask me almost weekly “when do we get to go back to Hawaii” just makes my heart melt. I’ve created a little travel addicted monster and I love it!  
    • Remembering my daughter’s giggles as she tumbles through a wave on her boogie board. 
    • Even the small things are momentous on a trip. The pizza the size of your face in Boston, the best popsicle my son has ever eaten in Central Park, the roller coaster ride my three year old son braved…and almost fell out of. <—k that memory is a little nerve racking to think about…but you get the picture. 
  • Something to Look Forward Too
    • Anticipating a trip is half the fun of a trip. Seriously, there are studies that show people were happier BEFORE the trip then during the trip and I get that because thinking about the trip before and after can have so many emotions that make up the enjoyment of the trip. I planned Patagonia nine months out and that was a lot of months to dream about this amazing place. The trip itself was only twelve days, but I spent nine months living in a virtual trip as I dreamed about what we would do, the views we’d see, etc. 
  • Checklists
    • Okay, yes, I said it. There is also a sense of just checking off a place that I love. It’s innate in me so maybe this won’t speak to a lot of you but I love this feeling of seeing new places and checking it off. It makes me feel accomplished, it makes me feel like I’m not missing out on something amazing and epic because if I’ve been there I got to see what it’s like (and know if it’s worth going back too). 
  • Relatable
    • I love chatting with someone and finding out they’ve been to the same destination and being able to bond with them over that location. 
  • Healthier
    • I’ve read numerous studies about how travelling and going on vacation is better for your physical and mental health!

How to Travel Better:
Now that I have you convinced that you should definitely be using up those PTO days, here are some tips on how to make an epic vacation.  

  • Plan, plan, and more planning.
    • If you want to fit it all in and maximize your time while on your trip, then you have to plan it out BEFORE you get there. I love travelling, and I do like planning, some, but it’s also exhausting how much time it takes to plan. So here are some of my go to steps when I’m planning.
      • Instagram
        • I start following accounts that post about that area 
      • YouTube
        • Search your destination and watch videos made on it to show you what to do in those areas
      • Chamber of Commerce
        • Check the destination town’s chamber of commerce calendar for events or call them for tips on top things to do in their area. 
      • Post on your Social Media
        • Ask your friends what they’ve done there
      • Pinterest and Google
        • Search “top activities in _____” 
      • ChatGPT
        • For reals, use it, it’s amazing. 
      • AllTrails
        • I plan majority of my hikes in new areas with this app.
          • The free version works perfect. I pay for the membership for this one reason, I can download the route to my phone so if I’m out of service it still works. This has made me feel way more comfortable going out on hikes in new areas when we don’t have hard/real maps and don’t have service. 
  • Build in Rest Time
    • The last day of our Patagonia trip we had an awkward 8 hour day in Santiago (which we already had a 24 hour stint there so we knew we’d probably be fulfilled with what to see and do….not city people :)). But the way the flights worked we were there again for another 8 hour day and sort of at a loss as to what we should do. We did wish we booked ourselves massages for that day as nothing was open when we tried that morning. Eventually we found a hotel with a BEAUTIFUL pool and lounge area that we could get day passes too. It was magical. After 6 days of hard hiking, laying by a pool with friends, food, drinks, and a good book was magical. I would never have planned this but now, I’m going to try to always plan a mini rest day at the end of my trips! 

How to Travel Cheaper:
I get it, travelling is expensive. Just ask my hubby, he’ll have a lot to say on the matter :). But there are ways to travel cheaper and I’m going to share some of my tricks. 

  • Scotts Cheap Flights (NOW called Going):
    • I flew to Chile for $385 thanks to Going.
      • In May 2023 I received an email from them stating flights from Boise to Santiago were $785 which was a heck of a deal. Then I did actually apply for the credit card for American Airlines that gave me $400 cashback which brought my ticket to $385!! 
    • So, I highly recommend if you plan to take a trip anytime soon, go sign up for at least their free service. Oh and even if you’re not planning to take a trip, go sign up because it will probably get you to go take a trip when you see how cheap flights can be. Last week, there were roundtrip tickets from San Francisco to Barcelona for $380! 
    • The premium is worth it if you are planning to take a trip as there are way more deals in their premium option. 
    • Use my referral link by clicking HERE to save yourself money if you sign up for premium. 
    • See next section for even more tips with airfare! 
  • Save on Food:
    • I’m not a foodie. I like food but it’s not a big deal to me if I don’t eat out much on the trip. When we went to Hawaii in November the first stop we made when we got off the airplane was a Costco run. We bought all the groceries for a 10 day trip and I only ate out once the entire time. We ate breakfast at home, packed lunches and snacks for the entire day for myself and our young kids, and cooked dinners at home too. It saved us money and was healthier. We did enjoy ice cream treats though!
      • Picture above is me with a packed lunch at Silverwood Theme Park. I was trying to save money AND I was on a Whole30 Food Challenge 🙂 
    • Also, if you have young kids I highly recommend the route of packing your own food, especially on the road trip part of a vacation. The last thing a wiggly kiddo should do after sitting in the car on a long drive is sit in a restaurant.
      • We make up salads or sandwiches ahead of time and then find a park when we’re ready to eat. This saves us time, money, and lets the kids run and play while we eat! 
    • Pack breakfast for the first morning so you’re not worried about getting out for food and can have a slower wake-up. This saved us after we had flight delays in NYC that had us arrive at 5:30 AM instead of 8PM the night before. I threw in pancake mix and when Jackson woke up earlier we could feed him while we waited for Charlie to wake up. 
  • Save on Activities:
    • Search ahead of time for coupons and deals for your activities you’ll do.
      • A lot of states have things like the Get Out Pass that offers discounts to places. We just bought the Idaho one before going to Roaring Springs and we know it will save us money this year!
        • If you signup use our referral code as it saves you money: day51
      • Groupon
      • Check the Venue’s Calendar
        • I was shocked last year when I learned Silverwood Theme Park offers a ton of random discounts (mother’s day, father’s day, health worker day, etc.) 

How to Take MORE Vacations: 

  • The guy that created Going, Scott Keyes also wrote a book that I’m halfway through and loving. These are some of the big takeaways I have right now:
    • Don’t put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to a trip.
      • From sicknesses to weather to various other uncontrollable circumstances that could derail your trip completely to a more likely scenario of the trip just not being what you thought it would be, putting all your eggs in one basket can be a big risk. Why is it a risk? Well, if you blew your budget, PTO, and energy to take this trip and then it ends out being a flop, now you must wait a whole year to go on a trip again. So his idea is to take more trips more often, even if that means they are smaller trips. 
    • Be Flexible with Destinations:
      • Search for cheap flights before choosing a destination and let the deals dictate your destination. Sidenote- this approach can lead to discovering new and exciting places you might not have considered​.
    • Set up Google Alerts & Going Emails
      • We have fallen in love with Hawaii so I now have an ongoing Google alert for flights from Boise to Hawaii. I’ve watched it drop to $288 for a November flight! 
      • Keep a list of places you’d love to see someday and then watch the Going emails come in, if the destination pops up, can you make it happen?? (The answer is usually yes :)). 
      • I also recommend signing up for Southwest Airline’s emails, they have a lot of great deals! 
    • Travel During Off-Peak Times
    • Embrace Budget Airlines
      • I’ve been both burned and scored with this method, so be weary but it can work! 
    • Play the Mileage Game
      • Tony flew to Adak, Alaska for free with signing up for Alaska Airlines during a high promo month of miles. 
      • Watch Airlines and their credit card offers to perhaps pull the trigger on when to sign up for them.
    • Consider Alternative Airports:
      • As I write this sentence I’m sitting in a hotel in Price, UT. Why? Well, two reasons:
        • 1. My family and I are going to NYC for a wedding and after the wedding we decided to come to Colorado for a family vacation. So I needed to get our truck to Colorado with our bikes and gear. 
        • 2. We chose Colorado as a trip because the flights from NYC to Boise were EXPENSIVE. But the flights from NYC to Denver were cheap! I wouldn’t recommend driving over 12 hours to an alternate airport each time you want to fly, but a 3 hour drive that saves you hundreds of dollars might be worth it? 

How to Turn 11 PTO Days into 44 Vacation Days: 
Thanks Kim @idahoadventuremom for this super rad hack in the image below. I am going to save and think about this each time my husband requests his PTO days so that we can maximize them! This little outline she has is so helpful and powerful, so use it! Oh and go follow her on Instagram for neat Idaho adventures to do. 

Staycation Calling Your Name?

  • I’m just beginning a 3 week vacation that has me going from Colorado to NYC to back to Colorado and many of it’s beautiful mountain towns to Redfish Lake in Idaho. I’m soooooooo excited!!! But I also am slightly sad to leave McCall. It’s GORGEOUS in McCall in the summer. The trails are riding great, the lake is, well cold, but the beach is lovely, and I have all my friends and family here. So sometimes going away isn’t always the right thing and a staycation could be perfect for you.
  • If your focus this year is staycations, then I just encourage you to not get distracted and lost in the housework, the job, the same old every day things.
  • Be a tourist in your town, follow the tips I recommended above about how to plan an epic vacation and do that in your town.
  • Make it a goal to do 5 new things this summer in your town, from eating at new restaurants to visiting new parks, to hiking that trail you’ve always driven past.

Who’s Coming to McCall?
I feel grateful to live in McCall almost daily, yes, even on the 4th of July and I actually love living in a tourist town. Yes, sometimes the tourists drive me nuts, but for the most part, it’s so cool to live somewhere that people LOVE and flock too. It brings an energy to the town that seeps into your own world too. I appreciate and support the tourists. Anyways, if you’re coming to McCall I thought I’d share some of my favorites. 

  • Favorite Hike for Kiddos:
    • Twin Lakes (Past Brundage Mountain Resort). Views, tadpoles..or frogs depending on timing, butterflies, and so much more! 
  • Favorite Hike for Type-Two-Fun Suffer Fests:
    • Snowslide Lake to Maki Lake 
  • Favorite Hike in Ponderosa:
    • Park at Lily Marsh Trailhead, hike up Ridgeline and connect to HuckleBerry Loop and head SW on the loop back to parking. If you have time and energy, side trip up to Osprey Point. 
  • Favorite Backpacking Destination:
    • With Kiddos- Grassy Mtn Lakes 
    • Without Kiddos- You have to message me for that information 😉 
  • Favorite Music Series:
    • Brundage and Ponderosa Center 
  • Favorite Lake Activity:
    • Cliff Jumping on Payette Lake  or Paddleboarding the Meanders. 
  • Favorite Indoor Activity:
    • Move Your Body: Cascade Aquatic Center & Manchester Ice Rink
    • Rest Your Body: Library -it’s new and beautiful! Games, Toys, and of course, books. 
  • Favorite Foods:
    • SushiBar’s Kobe Beef Bowls with Mixed Rice/Noodles
    • Growler’s Pizza
    • Yes, go to My Father’s Place and Ice Cream Alley, it’s worth the line and the experience 
  • Favorite Mountain Bike Trail:
    • With Kids: Rolling Rock at Jug Mountain Ranch
    • Without Kids: Rim Trail  or the new Brundage to Bear Basin (B2BB)
      • By the way, don’t forget to support your local trail organizations! For McCall, I’d love your support for CIMBA who builds and maintains a lot of the McCall trails! Click HERE to give some trail karma. Or click https://www.cimbarides.org/get-involved HERE to become a member. 

I love sharing my favorites in my beautiful town, so please feel free to reach out whenever you’re planning a trip to McCall and need ideas of what to do, see, eat, etc.! 

So, do I have you convinced to go pack your bags and hit the road??? I hope so!!! 

Now, I want to hear from you! I want to have the best rebuttal ever for the next time my husband asks me why do I like to travel so much? So please share with me! 

  • What are your top three reasons you like to travel?
  • What are some of your favorite travel tips from booking trips, to planning trips, to living the best trips ever while on them? 
  • What are some of your favorite things you’ve done post trip, from creating photo books to journaling to video vlogs? 
  • What are the top trips on your list right now?
  • What have been your favorite trip so far and why? I’d love to hear from you on what places and activities spoke to your soul and lit you up! 

As always, thanks for reading and sharing. I hope this newsletter helps you have some pretty amazing moments and memories while on vacation this year and in future years. 

Livin’ Life,

Kelli

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month: A 3 Day Indian Wedding Celebration!

When to Say NO, When You Just Want to Say YES

“You have to decide what your highest priorities are and have the courage—pleasantly, smilingly, non apologetically — to say “no” to other things. And the way you do that is by having a bigger “yes” burning inside.” – Stephen R. Covey

How do you say no, when all you really want to do is say yes? Like seriously, there are so many amazing and fun things out there that you just want to always say yes too! On top of that, you have work, social events, family obligations, volunteering, parenting (fur babies are work too), and so much more that you’re usually required to say yes too. But as a chronic “yesser” I am learning it takes a toll for all those yes’s I give out. So, my mom squad and I are working (key word, working) on learning to say no. 

So, Why Say No: 
As the famous Paulo Coelho states, “When you say yes to others, make sure you are not saying no to yourself.” This is super important! When you say yes to something you inherently are saying no to something else because you only have so much time. So, if you find yourself feeling like you never have enough time, especially enough time to get the things YOU want to get done, then perhaps you should start looking at your priorities and what you are saying yes to that you should be saying no to.

This is easier said then done, especially if: 
1. You aren’t totally sure what it is YOU want. 
2. You feel the need to please others, even at the expense of yourself. <—let’s dive deeper into this.

Personally, I have this happen in so many areas of my life;
—Being a mom- mom guilt is real. “Yes son, I’ll play Uno for the 45th time today.”
—Being a business owner. “Yes Mr. Realtor, I can help you with this task that is not technically a part of my job.”
—Being a wife.  “Yes hubby, I can stay up late talking to you because we never get to talk but I should be going to bed before my 5:40 AM alarm goes off.”
—And so on. I am surrounded by this need to just say yes to so many people because so many people have needs of me. Which does make you feel special. But can also make you feel overworked, strung out, and/or missing out on some things you need. To combat this, I have and continue to work hard on item number 1 above; figuring out what I need and want and then build out my days to ensure it happens… which might mean saying no more often than I like.  

For example, yesterday, my hubby, son, and mother-in-law were all walking to get an ice cream treat at My Father’s Place before Charlie got home from kindergarten. I really wanted to go to spend time with all of them as I’d been neglecting them most of the day with my busy work schedule. But I knew that if I got Ember pup outside for an hour I’d be in a much better place, mentally and physically. So, I nicely said “no thanks, I am going to get Ember out” (which they were very supportive of) and I was so stoked because, the picture above is me finally getting to Egg Rock, a spot in McCall I’d be hunting down and trying to hike to for years. It was so exciting!!!  Yes, I felt guilty that I wasn’t with my family, but sometimes that is the right call and I reminded myself the day before I didn’t get a good walk in with Ember because I chose to do a shorter walk with them. So, remember, it’s about balance and realizing that when you say yes to something, make sure you aren’t tipping the scale too far away from your own needs. 

So, What Do YOU Want and Need?:
In order to protect your time to ensure you get what you want and need to happen, you need to know what those items are. You also need to know what is taking up your time. So, follow these steps to help: 

  1. Make a list of your TOP priorities. This is not just a list of the things you have to do (like feed yourself) but even the ones you really need to do for the happiness and/or health of yourself (like exercise, spending time with loved ones, being outside, whatever it may be).
    1. Feeling stuck on what to have on your list? Click HERE to read this past blogpost to help you find out what sets your soul on fire. 
  2. Now make a list of the other things you find yourself doing throughout the day/week.
  3. Next to every activity, write down the time it takes to do this activity.
    1. NOW ADD 50% to this time. So if it takes you 10 minutes to cook breakfast, budget yourself 15 minutes.
      1. The book Essentialism by Greg McKeown taught me this valuable lesson to always budget 50% more time than what you think something will take. 
  4. Now take a weekly calendar and time block activities you have to do (feeding yourself, work, etc). And you NEED to do (exercise, spending time with family, etc).
    1. I do want to say time block the things you want to do first…but sadly, the other items of what you have to do and need to do usually are required to go first. 
  5. What time is left?
    1. Now plug and play those things that you want to do or should do but aren’t your top priorities.
      1. Things like volunteering, working longer hours at work, helping a friend, learning something new, whatever it may be.
      2. Make sure to leave some blank space/time in your calendar to account for spontaneous things that you either have to or want to do.
  6. Now follow your calendar and protect it!!!!
    1. Remember, if you erase you must replace.
      1. So if you had exercise on the calendar for today and you didn’t make it happen (you erased it), then replace it somewhere else.
      2. Also keep in mind the things you are tempted to “skip”.
        1. Because some things you can’t skip. You can skip folding laundry because that can just be done the next day. But skipping exercise doesn’t work that way because it’s something you can’t make up for if you skip it multiple times. It’s an almost daily activity (like brushing your teeth). 
        2. Analyze, why are you skipping them? Is it because you truly don’t want to do them? If so, can you get rid of them? If it’s something like exercise, the answer is NO :), but maybe it’s not about getting rid of it but changing it. If you don’t love exercise and you skip it often, perhaps you need to change the way you exercise? 

How to Say No to Others: 
Okay, we have a very basic plan in action of how to build out our life and time to accommodate the things we need and want to say yes to. Now is the tricky part….saying no when other requests pop up to steal your time, attention, and/or energy. 

Here are some top tips on how to say no to others (or even yourself).

  • Keep these quotes in mind and/or posted somewhere you see them often:
    • “You can be a good person with a kind heart and still say no.” –Tracy Malone
    • “You have a right to say no. Most of us have very weak and flaccid no muscles. We feel guilty for saying no. We get ostracized and challenged for saying no, so we forget it’s our choice. Your no muscle has to be built up to get to a place where you can say, I don’t care if that’s what you want. I don’t want that. No.” — Iyanla Vanzant
    • ” Part of the skill of saying no is to shut up afterward and not babble on, offering material for an argument. “– Judith Martin
    • “If you don’t prioritize your life, someone else will.” –Greg Mckeown
  • When saying no, remember to:
    • Be polite and express your gratitude.
    • Keep it short and direct. You don’t have to explain why you’re saying no but a short explanation can help you and them understand- they just don’t need all the details.
    • Give an alternative option.
    • You’re not saying no to the person, just their request.
    • Stick to your answer!!!     
    • Just because others are saying yes, doesn’t mean you also need to say yes. Be brave! 
  • Some practice scripts to help you:
    • “It would be my pleasure to join you, but right now I am overwhelmed with the work I have.”
    • “Thank you for your offer, I currently have a full plate with time-sensitive projects and I would not be able to live up to the standards I would set for myself and our team to make your project a success.”
    • “ I loved helping you on the past project but my calendar is full at this time. Have you thought about reaching out to —- as they do great work as well.”

But Sometimes Say YES, and here’s Why:
Okay, okay, I know I just said all these reasons of why it’s important to say no. But here is the thing, sometimes it’s good to get yourself in over your head. Sometimes you bust your butt and get your stuff done and make it all happen. Or more realistically you probably barely get it all done and feel exhausted doing it BUT you do get it done and then you are stoked because you fit it all in.

But sometimes you said yes and then when the time came you weren’t in the mood for it or were exhausted and overwhelmed. At this point you have two options, go back on your word and bail, or follow through. Both of these are necessary tactics at different times. My husband wants to kill me because I get so hung up on the integrity of my word and following through when the right answer might be to apologize and bail. He’ll encourage me to even see if the other party cares if we bail on those plans as maybe they’re feeling the same way. I’m slightly more bullheaded and stubborn and just feel, “this was my word and I said I’d do it so I’ll be there”. Slowly, I’m learning to reach out, ask if it’s okay if we push the meeting off or cancel it completely and most of the time he’s right, they’re feeling the burn too (we tend to surround ourselves with like minded “yes” people) and are relieved we are postponing our play date. So I’m working on this. BUT….. at the same time, sometimes I like to be held accountable to my word and here’s why: 

“Because, in the end, you won’t remember the time you spent working in the office or mowing your lawn. Climb that goddam mountain.” -Jack Kerouac 

Man, Mr. Kerouac, he’s right. If you bail, you most likely aren’t going to do anything else that’s fun, you are just going to “life”. From work, to the house, to maybe even just resting, that’s what you’ll do instead. And YES there are times you NEED to do this, I agree and get it. But majority of the time, when I just rally and get myself to where I said I would be, I’m happy for it. Yes, I sometimes crash and burn later by burning the candle at both ends, but most of the time I get it done and I’m so stoked for it.

So, to finish out this Elevate Livin’ Life E-newsletter this month, I leave you with these thoughts: 

  • Be aware before you commit to things of whether your future self will be happy and capable of doing it?
  • Be aware of even if your future self is not happy at the time it arrives, will you be stoked in the end?
  • Be aware of what you are saying yes to which thus makes you say no to perhaps more important things in your life?
I hope you leave here today by getting those priorities straight and plan them first. Go build your life the way you want it to happen, before someone else builds it for you. Lastly, what are you tips and tricks for prioritizing your life? For saying no, when you really want to say yes? How do you handle the juggle of it all? As always, thanks for reading, it means a lot, -Kelli 

Favorite Livin’ Life Activity This Month: Wandering in Leslie Gulch with my Kiddos