Pink Pirates in Texas!

For as long as we've been "the pirates," we have challenged ourselves to step out of our comfort zones (sometimes WAY out of our comfort zones) to learn, to grow, and (most of all) to have fun!! At the start of this year we struggled to decide what to put on our 2024 Life List - but we knew it was time for something BIG. 

Denise came up with the perfect challenge... The Susan G. Komen 3-Day in Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas, happening Nov. 1-3. 

• 3 days.
• 60 miles. 
• $2300 toward breast cancer research, care, and advocacy... EACH.

It's BIG. It will challenge us. But we also can't think of a better way to honor Denise and her recent journey through a breast cancer diagnosis - as well as the others in our lives who have been affected by the disease. 

To date, over 500,000 walkers have participated in a Komen 3-day event. And together that group has raised over $92 million. Those funds go directly to research projects and clinical tries leading to new developments in cancer treatment. Learn more. 

And our pirate crew is growing! After a little "convincing," Heather has joined us as the fourth member of Pink Pirates in Texas! She's the perfect addition to balance out our team and the FIRST pink pirate to hit her fundraising goal! 

Now it's time to focus on training - and the rest of that fundraising. To date, we've planned the following: 

• ✅ Zumbathon 
• ✅ Wellness Challenge 
• ✅ Yard Sale 
• ✅ Bus Trip to NYC 
• 🔜 Music Night - In the works! Details coming soon!

We are excited to share our progress with you as we get closer to that starting line. Learn more about the Susan G. Komen 3-day, our new teammate, and our plans to raise almost $10,000 in episode 113. 

We also invite you to support your favorite pirate with a donation to Susan G. Komen. Donations of any amount are welcome and greatly appreciated. Thank you for supporting us in our biggest adventure (yet)! 

VISIT OUR LINKTREE to find Episode 113 on your favorite podcast platform.

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The "Future" App

"Friends don't let friends skip leg day." 

During Adrienne's fall vaca in Grand Cayman, she found herself spending her mornings in the Marriott fitness center testing out a new fitness app called Future (Shoutout to Staci for the morning motivation!). 

After a positive first experience with the app, Adrienne signed up for a free 30-day trial and invited the Pirates to test it out with her. In episode 112, we share our experiences.

About the App: 

• An initial survey helps to match you with a compatible coach who provides personalized workouts and consistent communication and encouragement.
• The app incorporates videos for each exercise and periodic voiceovers from your coach for additional direction and inspiration. 
• It connects to your Apple watch - so your coach gets moment to moment stats on your workouts. You can also control your workout from your wrist!
• Base price: $200/month (but you are able to earn reduced rates when friends sign up for a free month using your unique code).

Our Impressions:  

• It initially took some time to figure out the app (and the autoplay feature).
• We liked the short and manageable workouts, and the video demos were great!
• We all craved connection with our coaches outside of the app. 
• It's expensive. The sticker price ($200/month) is prohibitive and doesn't match what you get. 
• No one will ever match Derek.

Bottomline:  Glad we took it for a trial run, but it just wasn't a keeper for any of us - for different reasons. We still encourage YOU to try your 30 days free! Visit FUTURE to sign up or download the app!

Other (unrelated) things that we are celebrating: 

• Shawna is going to be a MiMi (again)!
• Denise is "annoyed" because she needs to buy new (and smaller) swimsuits!
• Adrienne is heading to Italy!

CLICK HERE to listen to Episode 112.

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A Positive Impact

Realizing we needed a little positivity in our lives, we dedicated Episode 111 to POSITIVE NEWS! Throughout the episode, we highlight celebrities, kids, and friends who are impacting not just their local communities but the world! 

Here are a few that made our list: 

• Dwayne "the Rock" Johnson made kids' dreams come true through the Make a Wish Foundation!
• One of our favorite Local Girl Scouts, Brooke, built birdhouses for Detweiler Park in Dauphin, PA! 
• Chelsy-Sippora Funebe, Ethan Cordova, Maggie Scicchitano, and Clara Baker represented Penn State Harrisburg in Penn State's annual dance marathon, THON! These students danced for 46 hours to raise money for pediatric cancer (spoiler alert - this year's event raised over $13 million)!
• Christine Drexler created and continues to expand Cocoa Packs - a non-profit in Hershey, PA, that is committed to food security for children. They focus on providing nourishing meals and snacks for those days when children are not in school (and don't have access to subsidized meals). 
• 
  Dr. Megan Peterson directs a performance of Tales From Down There: Narratives Inspired by the Vagina Monologues each year at The Black Gryphon. Over the past thirteen years, she has raised over $30,000 for Milagro House, a residential program for mothers facing homelessness. 

Who do you see making a positive impact in the world right now? Post in the comments or tag them on our social media pages!

CLICK HERE to listen to Episode 111.

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Live the Pirate Life! Catch up on Missed Episodes!

Ready to live the Pirate Life? Catch up on episodes you might have missed!

*Links below are all from Spotify, but The Pirate Life Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. Just visit our Linktree for a shortcut to your fave service! 

1. Episode 99: A Different Perspective - Where's Adrienne? Due to unforeseen circumstances, all Pirates are not aboard the ship in this episode... but Producer Paul has taken over as Captain! The remaining crew members discuss insights about the podcast (and life), share some personal stories, and continue the voyage of discovery.
2. Episode 100: Our 100th Episode - The Pirates reach a MAJOR milestone of 100 Episodes. For this special celebration, the listeners share what living "The Pirate Life" means to each of them.
3. Episode 101: Pirate Advice - The Pirates reply to listener requests for advice. Some questions were asked and the best suggestions to help are provided by the "expert" Pirates.
4. Episode 102: Adventure Trivia - The Pirates play a game called "Adventure Trivia". Find out about this game and how much is really known about adventure in this episode.
5. Episode 103: Toxins and Chemicals - The Pirates have a conversation about toxins and chemicals harmful to our bodies and give suggestions how to avoid these toxins for better health.
6. Episode 104: Vitamins and Supplements - The Pirates discuss different vitamins and supplements, as well as who takes what and when. Disclaimer: Anything discussed in this podcast is not expert or professional advice, just opinions based on personal experiences. Please consult a physician prior to taking or adding any type of vitamin, supplement, or medicine. 
7. Episode 105: Morning Routines - The Pirates talk about morning routines and the possible benefits of having a morning routine... or not. Is it try to wake up with tons of coffee and hope for more energy? Or is it wake up with tons of energy to go work out and start the day? Everyone is different and what works for one may or may not work for someone else. Listen for tips on how to make a morning routine work for you.
8. Episode 106: Holidays - The Pirates discuss the holidays... the memories, traditions, best and worse parts, and what changed over the years.
9. Episode 107: 2024 Lifelist - Part 1 - The Pirates brainstorm ideas for their 2024 Lifelist. What kind of adventures will be added? How many? Where? Listen to Part 1 to find out.
10. Episode 108: 2024 Lifelist - Part 2 - The Pirates finalize the 2024 lifelist and discuss the words chosen for 2023 and the new words for 2024. Will Producer Paul join any of the adventures? Will YOU join any adventures?
11. Episode 109: Sought After Employees - The Pirates discuss an article about sought after employees and talk about how to be one!
12. Episode 110: Valentine's Day Fun - The Pirates discuss Valentine's Day, the meaning and how it's celebrated. There is also a fun Valentine trivia competition!

Don't miss an episode... Subscribe to The Pirate Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for living the pirate life with us!

Manifestation

“All you can possibly need or desire is already yours. You need no helper to give it to you; it is yours now. Call your desires into being by imagining and feeling your wish fulfilled. As the end is accepted, you become totally indifferent as to possible failure, for acceptance of the end wills the means to that end.” Neville Goddard 

In episode 98, the pirates discuss the magic and mystery of manifestation. 

In 2006, The Secret, a documentary written by Rhonda Byrne, was released. It was followed later that year with a companion book also written by Byrne. According to The Secret, we all have the ability to, "create – intentionally and effortlessly – a joyful life filled with peace, love, well-being, and abundance." 

Can we use our minds to bring our greatest desires into fruition? 

Shawna's unexpected career opportunity, Adrienne's dream to meet Richard Simmons, and Denise's desire to go to a masquerade ball... Was it just random coincidence or was it something more? Great thought leaders from both past and present - including Neville Goddard, Tony Robbins, and Dr. Joe Dispenza - might say it was manifestation in action. In other words... what we think about, we bring about. 

Tools to put manifestation in action: 

• Visualize yourself achieving your goals.
• Use positive affirmations.
• Create a vision board.
• Journal.

Want to learn more? Here are a few resources: 

• Insight Timer (meditations)
• Neville Goddard Decoded (podcast)
• The Secret (movie on Prime Video)
• There's also The Secret: Dare to Dream (movie on Prime Video with the adorable Katie Holmes)! 

CLICK HERE to listen to Episode 98.

Don't miss an episode... Subscribe to The Pirate Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for living the pirate life with us!

Traumatic Brain Injury: A Request for Help

In episode 97, the pirates get personal... We share the story of Miranda who has been dating Shawna's son, Alex, for the past five years. 

When Miranda was just 17, she was in a serious car accident that almost took her life. The accident caused a traumatic brain injury (TBI), and doctors gave little hope for recovery. However, Miranda overcame the odds. She relearned how to walk and talk, and although nerve issues and memory loss became part of her new normal, and was able to reach a state of thriving.

Now, 16 years since that accident, the impact of her TBI has resurfaced. She is showing significant decline in her health and mobility and has had a number of serious falls as a result. The family began aggressively researching treatment options that could help Miranda, and were led to the Hope Brain & Body Recovery Center . 

"If you’re like the majority of our patients, you have already been through some kind of treatment. You didn’t have a good outcome, though. Your doctor (or doctors) told you “there is nothing else that can be done”. We find that prognosis is rarely true." Hope Brain & Body Recovery Center

After her initial appointment, they were both encouraged and hopeful that Miranda could walk again. But there is one major hurdle... the cost of the program. Alex has created a GofundMe in effort to raise the funds for Miranda's treatment. Please visit the site to read her story and contribute if you are able (all amounts are appreciated). 

In Episode 97, you'll learn about Miranda's story as well as resources for those suffering from TBIs - including Help Hope Live and Brain Injury Association of Pennsylvania . 

Listen to Episode 97 on Spotify!

Listen to Episode 97 on Apple Podcasts!

Don't miss an episode... Subscribe to The Pirate Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for living the pirate life with us!

Running Memories

"My doctor told me that jogging could add years to my life. I think he was right. I feel ten years older already." - Milton Berle

Curiosity and serendipity seemed to lead the pirates into the hobby of running.  Whether it was a random challenge from a friend or a self-motivated quest to conquer the Walnut Street Bridge (in work shoes no less), step by step - and eventually mile by mile - the pirates became runners! 

"Slow runners make fast runners look good. Thank you." - From the back of a T-shirt

Most Memorable Races

• Nike Women's Half in DC - Why did they ever stop this race? At the finish line, a firefighter in a tux presented you with a Tiffany's necklace (#bestmedalever).
• Flying Pirate Half Marathon - It established our pirate identity and was our very first half as a trio (little did we know there would be many more to come)! 
• Mile 10 of the Harrisburg Half - Although a lovely event overall, mile ten sticks out in our minds as the most torturous of all the races we've run!
• Lewisburg Hilly Half - The name says it all!
• Hershey Half - We got to the starting line late and had to spend the first few miles trying to keep up with the truck cleaning up the race route (but we beat 'em to the finish line!).
• Diakon Outdoor Adventure Challenge - A very memorable and outdoorsy adventure! Note: Shawna and Adrienne are not incredibly outdoorsy. As usual, thanks to Denise for keeping us alive. 
• Montezuma Half - A New York Adventure with a stay at a haunted house!
• Niagara Falls Half - Adrienne and Shawna ran 13.1 miles. Denise became an honorary volunteer and earned her own medal at the finish line!

“The reason we race isn't so much to beat each other,... but to be with each other.” ― Christopher McDougall, Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

Here are the Pirates' top tips for new runners... 

• Start every race with COFFEE!
• Always pick up the pace and smile when you see photographers. 
• If scouting out a race course in advance... Have a plan, dress appropriately for the weather, and bring water.

Listen to Episode 96 on Spotify!

Listen to Episode 96 on Apple Podcasts!

Don't miss an episode... Subscribe to The Pirate Life Podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Thank you for living the pirate life with us!