Friday, November 28, 2014

Want to take an EPIC Runcation? RUN FOR FUN CRUISE

You may be wondering what a Runcation is... By definition, it is a weeding. Well, that is nothing do to do with Runcation I am talking about! A Runcation is vacation where you go running! My first Runcation will be to Walt Disney World in February where I will be running the Disney Princess Half Marathon.

Now I love to travel but cruising is my favorite way to travel. I have found a Runcation that suits both my needs, Run For Fun Cruises. I came across Run for Fun Cruises a couple of months ago but was disappointed to find that it was the same week as my half. I followed them on Twitter to stay up to date with future cruises and found that they were offering another trip in June!

The RFFC is offering two trips in 2015. The first in February is for the beach bunny interested in running around the Eastern Caribbean. This 7 day cruise onboard the Regal Princess runs from February 15-22 and offers stops at Princess Cays (cruise line private island), St. Thomas,  & St. Maarten. This cruise offers fun in the sun, sand and the chance to shake off the winter blues.

The second sailing on the Ruby Princess is for the cruiser looking for adventure. Join RFFC June 14-21 sailing from Seattle to Alaska including a stop to see the Tracy Arm Fjord! Other stops include Ketchikan, Juneau, Skagway & Victoria, BC Canada. This cruise offers amazing once in a lifetime wild life excursions!

Now what makes these cruises a Runcation? You go on fun runs of course! Each cruise starts out with an optional Half or Full Marathon. The A1A Fort Lauderdale Marathon or the Rock & Roll Seattle Marathon take place the Saturday before the cruise departs. Then, throughout the cruise, the RFFC team has set up group runs on board and in port to take in the sights!

Look for upcoming posts that go into greater detail on the RFFC, ports of call and the ships being sailed!  For more information visit Run For Fun Cruise's site. Call or email them for more information, just don't forget to tell them that Amanda Causer with Live from the Lido Deck sent you!


Saturday, November 8, 2014

Book Review: The Family Freedom Project


The Family Freedom Project is unlike any other book that I have read. Liisa Vexler breaks down how you can free your family from living 9-5. Even if you do not have children, this book can help you! The first half of the book is more of an enrichment course that you could easily use for improving your lifestyle: weight loss, getting back into the dating scene after a divorce or running a marathon. The book goes into detail on lifestyle design: understanding what you want from life, visualizing your goals and removing any obstacles that can and will slow you down from living your life, the way you really want it.

 Liisa says “Get Started today. Don’t wait. Life is Short. Turn your dream into a plan, and make it a reality.” This is definitely a theme that she used in her goal to be more involved in her children’s day to day lives. Her family splits their time between their native Canada and Costa Rica, where she and her husband Derek spent their honeymoon. As their idea that they wanted more out of life grew, they remembered how much they loved Costa Rica and took a trip back to see if it was what they remembered. It was, and soon they had planned a 6-month stay in Tamarindo.  Their experience wasn’t bump free but she dives into the good and not so good details that helped them decide what would make this work for their family. Both Liisa and Derek have Internet based jobs, which gave them the flexibility they desired so that they could explore their new home, travel and watch their kids grow.

Moving in general has a lot of steps but moving out of the country? That takes a plan and this book has very detailed step by step guidelines to help you successfully make it to your destination. The second half of the book is definitely about uprooting your family. She helps you figure out your goals, what you need to get there and how to finally obtain them. There will be obstacles along the way. She shows you how to identify if the obstacles you face are Emotional Barriers, Financial Barriers or Logistical Barriers and how to solve the issues holding you back. Liisa has tips on ways to support yourself at your new home, what to do with your current home and belongings, gives experience on needing a vehicle and ways to stay in touch with your extended family. Sharing her observations and experiences along the way, the book also showcases other ex-pat families living in Costa Rica. It is interesting to read how other families made the decision to live free. 

The tools found in the Family Freedom Project are invaluable. If you want to read more about Liisa and her family, follow their journey, or check out more Ex-Pat stories, look for The Family Freedom Project online , on Facebook, and on Twitter ! Want a copy of The Family Freedom Project? The book is available to purchase today.