single!Young Christian Woman

A PUBLICATION OF ON MY OWN NOW MIN ISTRIES SEP 10

www.onmyownnow.com

Getting theGrown-up Stuff Right

5

AshleyFiolek

waysto sparethe hair

reba ray’s culinaryInternational

Incidents

The Pain & Gain of

Plus:A review of Ashley

Fiolek’s book “Kicking Up

Dirt.”

4.

8.

10.

13.

14.

16.

18.

20.

single! young christian woman

A publication of ON MY OWN NOW MINISTRIESwww.onmyownnow.com

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Donna Lee Schillingerwww.twitter.com/D_L_Schillinger

WRITERSKimberly Schluterman

Debra CollinsJulie Ann

Tamara Jane

ART DIRECTION

Daniela Bermúdez

Ashley Fiolek photos courtesy ofFuel TV © 2010

STRAIGHT TALK FROM THE PROVERBS

Cosmic RecoilBy Donna Lee Schillinger

MOVING OUT ... SETTLING IN

Getting the Grown-Up Stuff RightBy Kimberly Schluterman

CENTER RING

The Pain and Gain of Ashley FiolekBy Julie Ann

THE RECAP

Kicking Up DirtBy Julie Ann

REBA RAY’S DOWN HOME HEALTHY COOKIN’ FOR ONE ON A BUDGET

International IncidentsBy Reba Ray

DEAR GABBY

Sitting Single in Santa FeBy The Gabster

SPARE CHANGE

Is your Gym Membership Thinning Your Pocketbook?By Julie Ann

FASHION DIVINA

5 Ways to Spare the HairBy Tamara Jane

table ofcontents

theteam

SEP 2010

Fridge-worthy.

“In this interesting and thought-provoking exploration of the book of Proverbs, Schillinger takes young women along a journey that will help them to make better, saf-er, and more sound decisions.”

Cheryl C. MalandrinosThe Book Connection blog

Now Available at www.onmyownnow.com,at Amazon, B&N and a library and bookstore near you.

Straight talk from the proverbs for young Christian women who want to remain pure, debt-free and regret-free.

We see high drama in the movies all the time, but in real life, big acting does not win awards.

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IN HER HEART, A WOMAN PLANS HER COURSE, BUT THE LORD DETERMINES

HER STEPS.

Proverbs 16:9

MANY ARE THE PLANS IN A WOMAN’S HEART, BUT IT IS THE LORD’S PURPOSE

THAT PREVAILS.

Proverbs 19:21

5

COSMICRECOIL

BY DONNA LEE SCHILLINGER✦

One summer during grad school, I spent six weeks in archeol-ogy field school. We were surveying a ranch in central Texas that had been little changed since Native Americans inhabited it. As we walked, we look from side to side for artifacts. The ground was a mixture of gray rock with pale green shrubs and dry grasses. And it was hot! I paused for a moment to appreci-ate a slight breeze, and as I stood in silence, I heard the sound of dead cactus leaves rustling together in the breeze. I looked to the ground and there, coiled in slumber, precisely one step in front of me was a large, gray diamond-back rattler. I was one fluid motion backwards as I yelled, “Snake!”

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I had no reason to pause and no reason to look down before my next step. God determined a very important step for me that day and saved me from being bitten by a snake – a good hour away from any hospital. I’m no city slicker; I’ve lived a lot of years in the woods and have a lot more stories of near misses with snakes – though that is definitely the biggest snake I never stepped on.

God determines our every step in both the literal and figurative sense. True, we’re doing the actual walking, but we are never out of God’s control. God is in control and if we take a step in any direction, it is because God allows it. For a power capable of tracking in real time the number of hairs on our head, watch-ing each of our steps is a piece of cake. It’s reassuring to remember this when life seems crazy.

If foolish choices and sin have distanced us from God – if we’re not conversing with Him daily to learn His direction for us – God is still allowing each step we take, but we might not be heading in the right direction. Regardless of how far we may stray from His path, I believe that God gives each of us a chance to come back to Him before we check out of this life. I have no proof of that, and the Bible does say that God has created the wicked for a day of destruction, so there are clearly some destined for

separation from God. Even so, I believe that a just God calls each of us one last time – though He may already know who will re-spond and who will not.

If it’s true that we get a last chance to come back to God before check-out, why would we need to worry about how we live be-tween now and then? Well, there is a very practical reason. The further our selfish plans take us from God’s plan for our lives, the harder the rebound to get back to God.

Maybe life is like a big rubber band and we are inside it. We have room to move around without stretching the band – this is God’s will for us. However, we can also stretch the rubber band and go far away from God. But when we’ve stretched the rubber band to its limit and God calls us

back, the rubber band snaps back fast and hard. In the

recoil of God’s work-ing we are hurled to

the realization that following our own path has resulted in a life gone ter-ribly wrong.

I stopped one day at a restaurant up

in the Ozark Moun-tains. As I headed

to my table, I spotted a flyer on the wall an-

nouncing a local fund rais-ing effort for a family who had

lost a child. The hostess asked me if I had heard about that family, then proceeded to tell me the story.

One afternoon, a father and his 18-month old daughter were napping. The child woke up while Dad stayed sound asleep. Somehow the child managed to unlatch the front door. She toddled out into the yard and up to the edge of the highway, arriving there at the precise moment a drunk criminal was speeding by in a pick-up truck, probably paying more attention

If it’s true that we get a last chance to come back to God before check-out, why would we need to worry about how we live be-tween now and then? Well, there is a very practical reason. The further our selfish plans take us from God’s plan for our lives, the harder the rebound to get back to God.

7

to his girlfriend than the road. The report was that he actually swerved over to the shoulder of the road to hit the child. After impact, he slowed down momentarily, maybe to look in the rearview mirror, and then drove on.

The father woke looking for his child only to find her barely alive on the side of the road; she died in transit to the hospital.

About a week later, the driver turned himself in to the police. He was wanted in Florida for several crimes. No one had seen him hit the child except his accom-plice girlfriend. He could have gotten away with that crime as well. Apparently, the collision with that precious baby girl was the furthest extent to which his cos-mic rubber band would stretch. The rest is recoil. I have no idea if he repented and restored his relationship with God or not. But inarguably, God got his attention, and he could not withstand the weight of his own conscience.

HOLD THIS THOUGHT:I FIT IN TO

GOD’S PLAN

What about the child? Was God determining her every step? It is so hard to think that God could use a child like that. Yet for her brief life, she accomplished something very significant. She alone on this earth brought a criminal to justice. She loved and was loved and she made an indelible impact on many lives – not bad for 18 months. And now, she is with our heavenly Father. The flyer in the restaurant said, “God called and little Bethany answered.”

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GETTING THE GROWN-UP

STUFF RIGHTby kimberly schluterman

There comes a point in the life of every young woman when she must deal with “the grown-up stuff.” Often, this stuff is exciting, like a first home, first furniture purchase, first day at a “real” job, etc. But sometimes, it’s neither new nor exciting. Sometimes, it’s just the tough facts of life that now you must bear as an adult.

My new husband and I (getting to use that phrase is another exciting first) recently got the bad news that a member of his immediate family has cancer. More tests are needed, but chemo is scheduled to begin next week. Chemo?! Naturally, my concern is for the whole family, but the person to whom my heart really goes out is Husband’s youngest sister, who is now 19 and a soph-omore in college. She’s about to learn what it really means to deal with the grown-up stuff.

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⎟Moving Out ... Settling in⎟

When I was very young, my uncle was diag-nosed with terminal cancer. Seven years later, when I was in high school, he finally passed away. Those seven years were brutal for the whole family, and I saw firsthand how very dif-

ficult it was for everybody. But it really wasn’t that difficult for me. My parents wouldn’t let me go to the hospital to see him at his worst. My grandma wouldn’t talk about it around me. My older cousins would hardly acknowledge it if I was there; it became the white elephant in the room that no one wanted to mention. Every once in a while, I’d get a snippet of grief or pain, but it didn’t pervade my world like I think it did for my grandma, father and cous-ins. I was protected from it by virtue of being a teenager. There’s no one to shelter me now, though.

My dad always said, “A wise man will learn from his mistakes. But the wiser man will learn from somebody else’s mistakes!” In this sce-nario, nobody has made a mistake. But if you extend the adage to grief, you’ve got some-thing. If I can learn something of the meaning of life – something about myself, my family, about death – from watching someone else grieve instead of experiencing it myself, I sup-pose I’ve come out ahead.

Part of being an adult is dealing with the tough stuff. It isn’t fun, but it’s important to do it cor-rectly. Learning to function amidst adversity, struggle through obstacles and control your emotions when they want to spill out every-where is part of maturing into a gracious,

strong young woman.

What’s the alternative? The alternative is the stuff of sitcoms or Dr. Phil episodes. Certainly, there are a lot of women letting their emotions

spill out everywhere as they cave to adversity. But as a woman of God, that’s not your calling. And in the words of the Apostle Paul, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1). Your calling as a Christian young woman is to live with grace, and this means realizing that God is the God of even your emotions. Give your pain, strug-gles, fears and frustrations to the Father in prayer, and then have faith that all things hap-pen in His plan. When life gives you grown-up situations, remember Romans 8:28, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

But if you extend the adage to grief, you’ve got something.

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The Pain and Gain of

Ashley Fiolek

If you’ve ever watched a sporting event when an athlete is

being carted off the field after an injury, you can see the in-

tense pain. It’s a rare and exceptionally determined athlete

that would even consider getting up and going back in the

competition. Ashley Fiolek is that rare athlete.

It was during the 2009 season finale that Ashley proved

how hardcore she is as motocross racer. She was attempt-

ing to clinch her second Women’s Motocross Association

championship. All she needed was to finish 11th or bet-

ter and the championship, and all its glory, would be hers.

Then the unthinkable happened. Ashley lost control of her

bike and slammed into the ground – breaking her collar-

bone in two. Showing her fierce determination and com-

petitive spirit, Ashley managed to ignore the pain, get back

on her bike and ride to a seventh place finish. She couldn’t

even hold her championship trophy because of her injury.

Ashley’s remarkable championship win shouldn’t have

been a surprise to anyone who knows what she has already

overcome in her 19 years. She has excelled in a danger-

ous sport winning race after race and has advanced gender

equality in motocross. It’s a pretty impressive resume for a

19 year old, but what makes Ashley’s story even more in-

spiring is that she was born profoundly deaf.

When Ashley was a toddler, her development wasn’t

keeping pace and initial doctor visits misdiagnosed her as

“mildly retarded.” When Ashley was three years old, her

mom finally figured out that her daughter was deaf when

a large clang failed to startle her. Because there is no he-

reditary deafness in her family, the doctor’s best guess was

it was caused by in utero measles. The hospital suggested

cochlear implants to help Ashley hear, but her parents de-

cided that they wanted Ashley to make that decision for

herself when she became old enough to understand. Ash-

ley decided against the implants.

by Julie Ann

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“I have never heard before and I have never felt like it is something I am missing,” Ashley said.

Ashley’s love of motorcycles developed natural-ly from watching her father and grandfather (aka Grandpa Motorcycle) ride. Ashley was riding through the Michigan woods well before her fourth birthday. She entered her first amateur race in 1998 and later that year her family decided to move to Florida so that Ashley could attend the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind – and race even more on the active Florida motocross scene.

When Ashley was 10 years old she had her first ma-jor motocross accident at Daniel Boone raceway in Kentucky when she attempted a jump she wasn’t

ready for. She was knocked out, broke her nose and smashed her two front teeth. For the first time in her short racing life, Ashley thought about giving up.

“I tried to find other things that interested me but I feel that God gave me a talent to ride a dirt bike and he kept pulling me that in that direction,” Ashley said.

Her God-given talent continued to develop as she competed through the amateur motocross ranks, winning race after race and perfecting her skill as a deaf rider. Since Ashley cannot hear the sounds of her bike she must rely on vibrations to know when to shift. She watches for the shadows of approach-ing competitors because she cannot hear them com-ing up behind her. She must also rely heavily on her

“I have never heard before and I have never felt like it is something I am missing,” Ashley said.

weekly practice and training. She sees her deafness as both an advantage and disadvantage over other riders.

“I can’t hear when other riders are behind me so I don’t really stress out about it, but at the same time I have to hold my lines out on the race track until I’m sure no one is behind me,” Ashley said. “I sometimes hit neutral because I can’t hear and I have flipped over the handle bars.” She also says that not being able to hear “smack talk” from her fellow competitors is a definite advantage.

Ashley turned pro in 2007 and continued to enjoy the success that she experienced in the amateur circuit. She won the Women’s Motocross Association cham-pionship in 2008 and again in 2009. Ashley also has two X-Games gold medals to her name, winning in 2009 and 2010.

Faith has always played a big role in Ashley’s life. Because of her high-risk career choice, Ashley must rely on God’s strength for confidence and safety on the race track. She has a Bible promise book that she reads before each race. She says that the verse she turns to most often is Matthew 21:22: “If you be-lieve, you will receive, whatever you ask for in prayer.” Ashley and her family each sign a prayer before each race.

Off the track, Ashley is glad to reach out to fellow rid-ers and fans in faith and include them in her prayers. Ashley uses texting, tweeting and other social media outlets to communicate with her ever-growing fan base.

“[I’m] definitely happy to be deaf in this time!” Ash-ley said. “I can do just about anything with computer technology. I can talk to people all over the world

with texting and let everyone know what I am doing and [know] what they are doing with tweeting.”

Ashley has also worked hard for gender equality in motocross. A largely male dominated sport, women riders don’t always receive equal track time, televi-sion coverage and even earn smaller salaries. Ash-ley made a huge step for women’s equality after she won her first championship by becoming the first fe-male rider to be featured on the cover of Transworld motocross magazine and the first women to ever be invited to join a factory team. As a factory rider, Honda essentially became Ashley’s sponsor – paying her way to races, as well as providing and performing maintenance on her bike.

It’s clear that Ashley will let nothing stand in her way – not a “disability” or physical obstacles, not excruci-ating pain and injury and most certainly not a bunch of naysayers telling her that she can’t. Ashley knows that with God all things are possible and nothing can hold her back.

Because of her high-risk career choice, Ashley must rely on God’s strength for confidence and safety on the race track.

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It’s easy to read Ashley Fiolek’s memoir, Kicking

Up Dirt, and think, “this girl is crazy-insane,” as you

read about her terrible crashes, daredevil feats and

high-risk career choice of motocross racer. But a

deeper look reveals Fiolek as a fighter battling to over-

come physical obstacles and achieve gender equality in mo-

tocross racing. She’s a girl with a deep love for her family and a strong faith in

God, not to mention a fun-loving, happy-go-lucky teenager who loves texting,

food and goofing off with friends. Kicking Up Dirt details Fiolek’s progression from motorcycle-riding in the

Michigan woods, through years of perfecting her skill in the amateur ranks, to

finally becoming a two-time champion and professional Honda factory rider.

Oh, and there is that little plot twist of profound deafness. Fiolek’s story is as

thrilling as it is inspiring. Never one to sit still and lead a humdrum life, Fiolek recounts electrifying

races, heart-stopping action and horrific, gut-wrenching accidents, including

one during the 2009 season finale – the Women’s Motocross Association

championship. During the race she crashed her bike and snapped her col-

larbone in half. Kicking Up Dirt also focuses on the how Fiolek’s family supported, sacrificed

and encouraged her to the success she’s achieved. She recounts how life as a

young motocross racer has taken a toll on her family and how it has impacted

her relationship with her father, as he served as both her dad and coach. She

also shares how her Christian faith enables her participation in such a high-

risk sport and gives her confidence to succeed. Kicking Up Dirt also provides a crash course in motocross – the history, slang

and points system. There’s even advice for young riders hoping to break into

this wild sport. Shortly after reading Kicking Up Dirt, I decided to watch my

first motocross race – the 2010 X-Games finale. I was able to understand all

the terms the announcers used and knew most of Fiolek’s major competitors.

It was thrilling to watch Fiolek ride an impressive race to another X-Games

gold medal knowing where she came from and what she has overcome to get

there.

More than a good story, Kicking Up Dirt will inspire and bring hope to anyone

who has ever struggled to conquer obstacles to achieve a dream and live life

to the fullest.

KICKING UP DIRTBy Ashley Fiolek with Caroline RiderReview by Julie Ann

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⎟THE RECAP⎟

INTERNATIONALINCIDENTS

What do you get when you cross a Spanish dessert with the trop-ical taste of Thailand? Or how about the somewhat sacrilegious act of renderin’ an Indian entrée with beef? These are what I call culinary international incidents, and though they aren’t makin’ headlines, people are ravin’ about ‘em at my house. I got this no-tion of crossin’ two ethnic foods to come up with a unique concoc-tion and these recipes are the result. In all honesty, some coun-tries don’t take to each other right away. I tried injectin’ some Irish into an egg roll, and the net result was a stomach ache. I’m tweakin’ that recipe and you can watch out for it in a future col-umn. But for now, make yur kitchen into the great meltin’ pot with these.

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BY REBA RAY

TIKKI MASALA MEATLOAF SANDWICH1 lb. lean ground beef1 ½ c. plain bread crumbs1 egg½ c. plain yogurt½ tsp. chili powder½ tsp. salt2 tsp. minced ginger root, or ½ tsp. ginger powder Large clove of garlic, pressed1 c. heavy whipping cream1 c. tomato sauceCilantro flakesOne package of nan (or foccacia in a pinch)

THAI TROPICS ARROZ CON LECHEThe typical Spanish (and Mexican) version of this dish uses milk and raisins, but I’m gonna “Thai it up” by usin’ coconut milk and mango. Makes two servins’ – you’ll want it two nights in a row, I guarantee.

1 cup white rice¾ c. coconut milk¾ c. cow’s milk3 tbsp. brown sugar½ c. dried mango, chopped into small pieces¼ tsp. cinnamon¼ tsp. cardamom

⎟reba ray⎟

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a loaf pan with cookin’ spray. In a large bowl, combine the beef with bread crumbs, egg, yogurt, and spices (except cilantro). Roll up yur sleaves, wash yur hands (shame on ya if you started cooking with dirty hands!), and dig in with yur fingers to work all these ingredients into each other until you can’t tell one from another. Scrape the bowl with yur fingers and lift that hunk o’ gooey, raw meat out of the bowl and into the loaf pan. (Wash yur hands again.) Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the meat starts to look brown on top.

Remove meatloaf from the oven and while it’s coolin’ just a bit, mix together in a small saucepan the tomato sauce and whippin’ cream. Keep it just shy of the boilin’ point, but heat through for about three minutes. Warm the bread and then plop a piece of nan on a plate, slap a slice of meatloaf on top, slather it with ½-cup of the red “gravy” and finally sprinkle with cilantro flakes. This is enough for four servins’, so if you don’t have com-pany, put yur gravy in a plastic or glass container and store the meatloaf in a separate air-tight container and this will keep for about five days in the fridge. Or, freeze half the meatloaf, and when yur ready to eat it, defrost in the mi-crowave for about four minutes for a ¼-pound servin’. Then mix up the gravy fresh.

First, a note on cardamom: Don’t go springin’ for it unless you like to cook and experiment with new foods. It’s not a spice you’ll use a whole heck of a lot. Consider it optional, but it does contribute a unique flavor to this dish. Fix the rice according to package directions, ‘cept for one difference – add the chopped mango in about halfway through cookin’. Dried mango is kind of tough and the heat and water will soften it up a bit to give it more the consis-tency of raisins. If you forget to do this, you can always put the mango and a few tablespoons of water in the micro-wave and heat for 90 seconds on high.After the rice is ready, transfer it to a bowl. Stir in all the rest of the ingredients. Now put a lid on it (or plastic or foil) and let it cool for about ½ an hour. Eat warm, or more traditionally, chill it for a couple of hours and eat cold. This also makes a yummy breakfast, hot or cold.

15

Living a conundrum? Trying to make two

wrongs a right? Threw the baby out with

the bath water? Dear Gabby can help! Send your questions

now to thegabster@onmyownnow.com

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dear gabby:

⎟dear gabby⎟

I live near my broth

er, sister-in-law and nephews -- and their

three-

year-old dog "B

aby." My problem is that B

aby is a 75-pound lab/b

lood-

hound mix and every time my broth

er's family goes away on vacation,

they need someone to stay with him becau

se he's terrified of

the ken-

nel. And even though he's

an idiot, Baby isn't the p

roblem. The pro

blem is

that my broth

er thinks that b

ecause I'm young, single and unattached,

it should be no sweat for

me to come live a

t their house and take

care

of Baby while they're aw

ay -- which he doesn't pay me to do

. I guess

since I did it once to b

e nice, they expec

t it every time now. So unless

my marital status changes soon, looks like I've got

at least seven more

years of indentured dog-sitting ahea

d. How can I get out of th

is job?

- Sitting Single in Santa Fe .

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“Behold, I am sending out as sheep in the midst of wolves so be as innocent as doves and as wise as serpents.”

Matthew 10:16

- The Gabster

Dear Single,It would be easy to find a verse about Sam-son’s strength or David’s courage to bolster your confidence to free yourself of this encum-brance, but instead Matthew popped into Gab-by’s head. This verse reminds Gabby about how very easy it is to slide from good, loving, benevolent Christian to doormat. We’ve all seen it. We know that the world loves to take ad-vantage of selfless people. Christ tells his dis-ciples in this incredibly honest and human mo-ment, that He wants them to go out and preach the Word, but to be smart about it. And so this verse has become an old favorite to Gabby.

So how does it apply to you and your dog-sitting days? Well, it’s kind of giving you a hall pass on guilt and telling you that if you’re serving your family in the name of Christ and your family cannot recognize or respect this gift, then… don’t sit, Girl. Don’t stay, and by no means should you roll over and play dead!

Gabby suspects that it isn’t the act of dog-sitting that you dread, but the assumption that noth-ing in your life could be important enough to compete with their lives. If you felt valued and respected, Gabby suspects—without knowing the ins and outs of caring for Baby—that mind-ing this big doggie would be much more palat-able. So then, what to do? Well, first of all, don’t wait for marriage to come along and save you, that’s for sure. Now is a good time to learn to as-sert yourself as a kind and clever disciple. Do it now and do it for yourself. It may take a while to get the hang of it, so start small. Think of it as a training session for your and your family.

The next time they presume you’ll Baby-sit, kindly and diplomatically mention you have some commitments that will conflict. Don’t be defensive or overly specific or you’ll just sound paranoid. Then proactively suggest to brother one or two alternate sitters. Also, there are vacation rentals that cater to pet owners. Gabby has used them herself and they are really wonderful. If your brother’s never ken-neled his dog or paid for service, he may be entirely clueless about what a generous ser-vice you are performing for him for free. If he does know what they cost, he may regret not compensating you at a competitive family rate rather than full price. That would certainly be a win-win to make extra money while hanging out with a dog.

It’s entirely possible that being a married man and father, he may not remember that single people have full and busy lives too. Gently re-mind him and stand your ground. Baby’s care is not your responsibility, so if you don’t want it, don’t accept it. Don’t cave to guilt either. At 75 pounds, Baby will survive a week at the kennel.

Confronting this instead of ignoring it will serve you well not only every time your broth-er’s family goes on vacation, but in life in gen-eral. Maybe you do really have the time to take this on now (maybe you don’t), but there will certainly come a time when you will not be able to take on every dog-sitting assignment and other favor that’s expected or even gra-ciously requested of you. Learning to set lim-its is a very useful skill. Begin to master it with your brother.

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Is your gym membership thinning your pocketbook?

by Julie Ann

A couple of weeks ago my friend Kate asked a ques-tion on her Facebook status: should she shell out $55 bucks a month to join a gym? Then a few days later Kate posted that she had joined the gym and it was going to be well worth the monthly cost for some of the exciting classes they offered.

With most gym memberships running about $30 to $55 dollars a month, the cost of getting fit can also thin our your bank account. So, like Kate asked, is it worth it? It depends. And if it’s not worth it for you, what are some alternatives?

First of all, for total disclosure, I pay about $30 bucks a month for my gym membership. It’s less than Kate’s major metropolitan fancy gym because it’s fairly small with fewer services in a smaller city. I can be found at my gym six days a week going hardcore on a cardio machine, trying to beat my previous best lift in the weight room or doing (what feels like) mil-lions of lunges around the track. I get my money’s worth from my membership.

Then there’s my friend Shannon. She is a member of the same gym. She is lucky if she makes it there once a week and if she does manage to make it, she is so social that the only running she is doing is with her mouth! Shannon is essentially tossing her money away by not using what she is paying for.

So what about you? Whether you’re considering joining a gym or already a member, take a moment to answer these questions for yourself to see if a gym is really worth your hard-earned money.

Do you want to take classes that aren’t avail-able anywhere else?

Will paying to exercise motivate and help you attain your fitness goals?

Are there free fitness options in your area that might meet both social and fitness needs?

If the workout is really what you’re after, could you do it from home or in a free public place?

Can you really afford the $30 to $50 a month out of your budget? (Let me ask that another way: Are you able to live each month without having to put gas, groceries or other essen-tials on credit?)

Weigh the answers to the first four questions and if the benefit outweighs the costs, then go for it. If you answered “no” to the last question, it’s a deal-breaker. Don’t do it, or get out of it as quickly as pos-sible until your economic situation changes. If you assessed that there’s nothing so special about your gym (or you can’t afford it), here are some of ways you can get fit and keep your wallet fat.

First of all, your own body is the best fitness tool you have available. Obviously running and/or walk-ing are both great ways to stay in shape. If you want a bit more variety, dig back into your elementary school gym class repertoire and do sets of sit-ups, push-ups, squats, lunges and jumping jacks. Check out fitness magazines and the Internet for variations of these and pretty soon you’ll have a bunch of great get-fit moves at your disposal. I recommend Shape-fit.com for tons of exercise descriptions with images and videos, plus a social network component that’s a

little like going to the gym to meet new people.

If you want some tools to assist you in your home-based workout, here are a few which I regularly in-corporate into my workouts that cost less than a monthly membership:

Balance Ball: You can incorporate a balance ball into just about any exercise it seems. I generally use a balance ball for abdominal work, as a “weight bench” when lifting free weights and for squats. Cost: about $20.

Resistance Bands: I never knew how awesome resistance bands were until I was rehabbing my arm after an injury and needed a gentle way to build strength and increase flexibility. Their small size makes them perfect for travel and tiny apartments. Cost: $10 to $15 for one.

Medicine Balls: These two to 25 pound balls are excellent to help strengthen the arms, chest and leg muscles and can be used alone or with a partner. I like to use them to add an extra challenge to my lunges and crunches. Cost: $30.

Jump Rope: An excellent way to pack a great punch of cardio between sets is to make like a kid on the playground again and jump rope. You’ll quickly rev up your heart rate and agility. Cost: $8 to $15.

The bottom line is that you should evaluate your fit-ness needs and goals before committing to a month-ly membership fee. If you are like me and will spend countless hours at the gym or like Kate who wants to participate in group classes, then it just might be worth it. But if you’re a Shannon, you should consider organizing a walking group or another free social ac-tivity. Maybe it’s best for you to invest in a couple of fitness tools and work out in your backyard or living room. Perhaps you live in an area with adult sports leagues or great biking paths or hiking trails. The most important thing is that you are taking an active role in being fit and healthy (which will have its own money saving benefits as well.)

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⎟SP

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by Tamara Jane

waysto sparethe hair

5Each year there comes a time when, after trying to grow my hair out for so long, I find myself fighting the urge to cut it off, be-cause I’m so tired of it. Inevita-bly, when I give in to this urge, I hate my new hair cut! Too late, I decide that I really did love my long hair – I just needed some variety.

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⎟Fashion DIVinA⎟

So this year, I’ve come up with some simple ways to help me like my hair all over again, when it gets to that certain length. Grab a few girlfriends and try these out! I promise it will be fun, and I hope it will help you make peace with your hair!

1. Try a New Do. You would, right? But you’re fresh out of ideas. Well, how about getting together with a group of girlfriends and playing hair salon? Put a big-girl spin on it by signing up for the Virtual Hairstyler. There’s a one-time fee of $14.95 for three-months of unlimited photo uploads that you can manipu-late to see how literally hundreds of different hair styles will look on you. For about as much as a cheap hair cut, you and some friends can fiddle with your virtual hair to your hearts’ content – then try some of the styles out on each other. The Web site pro-vides step-by-step instructions for all the styles even without the paid sub-scription.

2. Change your part. So simple, so practical, and yet it re-ally can make a difference. Go a little farther to the side to add drama. Part right down the center to better frame your face.

3. Get bangs. “But I’ve already got bangs,” you say? Then get new bangs. Bangs can look very different, depending on how they’re done. Learn more and see some different styles by checking out “Bang Hairstyles and Their Benefits,” and then follow the links to other bang articles to get a great new vision

of how bangs can change your look.

4. Layer. Layers can totally change the look of your hair without taking off any length. They take off weight, allowing the hair on the crown of your head to spring up with more body. Care-ful how short you go with the layers if you want to keep the ability to put your hair up quickly.

5. Change the color or highlight.

This can be scary if you’ve never col-ored your hair, but today’s products are gentle and, if you follow the di-rections (!), kind of hard to screw up. Coloring is much easier than high-lighting, so if you’re new to this, try a wholesale color change first. The rainbow’s the limit these days, but just remember that people will judge you – however unfair that may be – based on your crazy hair color. If you work with the public and value your job, do yourself a favor and stay with-in your natural color range and try to match your skin tone. Learn more by reading “Hair Color: Two Rules for Success.”

Any one of these ideas can give you a new appreciation for your hair, and try two or three of these ideas togeth-er to really mix it up without taking off length. Finally, if nothing satisfies and that hair just has to go, revisit Hair-styler.com to pick out a do that’s right for you before you head to the salon.

Try a New Do

Change your part

Get bangs

Layer

Change the color