Go Red MOA 2012

 The last few weeks I've been definitely immersed in the Heart Association events and they have been full of excitement and learning. The annual Mall of America Go Red for Women event was well attended. Each of the courts had fun filled activities, all supporting the heart healthy efforts we all should consider adopting in our daily lives. While there was a fashion show, Diva couch and others, I was in the Yoga and Massage area. After carrying all the heavy bags and walking around the largest mall in America, who wouldn't want a massage? We had a great group of gals who volunteered and a few surprise visitors along the way!

The message remains the same-- maintain a healthy weight, quit smoking, exercise at least 30 minutes per day, determine your "de-stressors" and make healthy choices in foods. All of these could save your life or those around you!

Go Red Event

After being inspired by the message at the American Heart Association Luncheon, I thought it would be good to share the message with my coworkers. I prepared an event held at work and delivered the message to them. The simple steps of maintaining a healthy lifestyle are critical steps in helping reduce the risks to heart disease. I was happy to say that everyone was surprised to know how much it affected the woman population. About 85% of our workforce at Accurate are women and ensuring they can try to make healthy lifestyle choices is important.

We raffled off gift cards to Target and a Pedicure/Manicure package. The winners were happy with their $5 investment! All the proceeds were distributed to the American Heart Association. To learn more about the American Heart Association visit http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/

Go Red Luncheon 2012

The American Heart Association is the primary charity that the Mrs. International system supports. After attending my first Go Red Luncheon, I now have a deeper understanding why! This amazing organization helps to provide resources and support for education and treatment options for heart disease. Heart Disease is the #1 killer in women in America. While most of us think of heart disease as a "man's disease," it is statistically proven not to be the case.

The AHA put on a great event for the local Minneapolis community. The event was held at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center and was a beautiful and well organized event. I had the privilege of greeting and helping guests find their places for the day's event. Everyone looked so great in their "red" attire. During this luncheon alone, over $80,000 was raised for this great cause.

To learn more about this organization and what SIMPLE steps you can do to prevent heart disease, visit http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/  

Ending 2011

I also graduated with my MBA this month! It's a little weird to not have school anymore, but I am so happy to be done. Graduating with a 4.0 was a huge accomplishment and I'm thankful for all those that supported me during this process!

Finally the holidays arrived and I was able to spend some quality time with my family. It was great to see everyone and I'm more thankful each day to have the luxury to be so close to all of them!  

 

Here as it is only hours away from 2012, I'm feeling like 2011 was such a great year - it's going to be hard one to beat! Welcoming a new baby, obtaining my Bachelor's degree, opening regional offices at AHC, obtaining the Mrs. Sherburne County title, attending the CMAs, finishing my MBA and spending time with my family are just some of the 2011 highlights! Here's to a safe and happy 2012!

Pageant Meet and Greet

 Mid-December I attended the pageant Meet and Greet, where I met other contestants from the Teen, Miss and Mrs divisions. I happened to win the basket full of homemade sweets- including fudge, caramels and cookies! Sabotage or coincidence? LOL! I am proud to say I had only one caramel the whole time it lasted in our home!

Bell Ringing

I had the opportunity to be a bell ringer for The Salvation Army. Luckily we've had a great winter so far and all I had to deal with was a little mist and temps in the 40s! It was truly a great experience and I have a new found appreciation for those bell ringers. There won't be another red bucket I go by without donating some money into it. The Salvation Army is a great charity that helps so many in times of need.

Zimmerman Celebrate the Season

The first weekend in December, I was able to decorate cookies with the Zimmerman kids who attended the Celebrate the Season event. Again- a very nice day so we had lots of visitors. I did feel bad about giving the kids such a sugar fix at 9am! A few parents even asked me to take them for a few hours! I guess it's how the holiday season goes- we all have too many sweets!