The Projects List…started

by stacia on August 16, 2010
in communication, fitness, marital arts, meditation

So, if you read my previous post, I’ve started working on the UBBT already. If you know me, you know me well enough to know when I find something worth doing, I tend to jump into it with focus and passion. While I need to figure out the whole vlog thing and learn how to not mind being on video…I’ve gone ahead and started my projects list. I’m up to five

Everything Self Defense (ESD) Book Search, Consolidation, Review Writeups, Author Recruitment, and top 10 list.
ESD & the100 press releases and article database – write up everything we can and post it every WHERE we can.
Mindful Breathing video & curriculum for kids
MBS Program for At Risk Youth.
DOJ grants – helping the100 uses gov’t grant money to get martial arts teachings into the schools – anti bully, sound mind, sound body, etc.

I’m sure these will adapt and change over time. But this is my start I keep adding/changing the list as I go. Change is good, and modifications mean we’re learning and growing.

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My new goal: the Ultimate Black Belt Challenge

by stacia on August 5, 2010
in marital arts

Share Your Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to do this for a few years now.

ubbt 8

Tom Callos , founder of Everything Self Defense and countless other programs, created the Ultimate Black Belt Test (UBBT), which is a business development program for the most serious, career martial arts teachers.

The premise of the project is that the teacher embarks on a journey –a physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual quest for self-improvement; however, the goals of the project involve more than “self” –in that each participant engages people in his/her sphere of influence. The “ultimate test” isn’t just a test of personal ability, it engages and affects the tester’s community.

Now, I don’t currently TEACH. But I want to. I just need to get my sea legs and figure out how I want to teach. Well, and where and to who….

What does the UBBT entail?

Nick helped me break it all down for the year:

200 sit-ups a day/5x a week
200 pushups a day/5x a week
20 miles a week (walk, run, bike or swim)
60 minutes of sparring a week
20+ random acts of kindness a week
20 repetitions of form/week
weekly blog/vlog
1 environmental cleanup project for the year (we’re good, we do several on our own for CatKlaw)
DAILY meditation
2 short films a week on self defense/enrichment topic
20 total projects for a project portfolio for “Out of the Dojo and into the World”(I think I need to build a classroom and students…ACK.)

Those are just some of the requirements. I love it. I think Black Belts should teach, but should also be the blended showcase of all that a student could and should be.

Most of these are completely doable and with ease…but there are quite a few that will be a stretch for me. I’ll have to enlist my dojo for the sparring. I’ll have to make sure I’m AT the gym 5 days a week, at least.

And, most importantly, I have to figure out a way to TRACK IT ALL!

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All Natural Cleaners

by stacia on August 1, 2010
in healing

2 Comments

In an effort to be more Green and kind to Mother Earth, I’m always searching for great all natural cleaners. Our house is on well and septic, so since moving here, we’ve renewed our efforts on efficiency and helping the environment.

This weekend, I set about cleaning an old mug I’d rescued from my mother’s basement this summer. It’s hard to tell whether it’s silver, pewter or brass, but based on it’s ick factor and polishing needs, I finally settled on it having to be brass. Thus began my search for a non toxic polish to see what’s under all that grime.

Update: Nope, it’s COPPER! With a United Arab Republic stamp, now to figure who made it. It looks hand crafted, not machine made. It doesn’t have that same finished look to it.

Here are some great recommendations, some I’ve found online, some come from magazine tidbits over the years (Natural Home has GREAT recommendations), and some, well, some I don’t remember where I got. Here they are:

Laundry Detergent – Baking soda & Distilled White Vinegar (I never measure, just use the….oh, that looks about right)
Dry Cleaning Spray – large spray bottle 1 part vodka, 2 parts water, 3 drops lemon essential oil
Window Cleaner - Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 quart warm water.
Floor Cleaner – Mix 1 cup vinegar with 2 gallons water.
Glass Coffee Pot Cleaner – Place crushed ice, salt and sliced lemons in pot and swirl till clean.
Furniture polish – Mix 1/4 cup vinegar with 3/4 cup oil (olive, vegetable, lemon).
Brass, Copper, and Pewter Cleaner – Mix equal parts salt and vinegar, then thicken with flour.
General Cleaner – Mix 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water, or use plain baking soda with a wet sponge.
Disinfecting/Deodorizing Cleaner – Mix 1/2 cup Borax in 1 gallon hot water.