Kimberly Dierkhising Photography

Earlier in the week I asked on my Facebook Fan Page  “What is the main reason you haven’t had photos done? Or what is a reason you’re not in photos?”  The majority of the answers were really disheartning. Not being happy with their appearance or not being “photogenic” (I really hate that word).  As well as a few that are the photo takers themselves making it difficult to be included.  Also, a few mentions on price for hiring a professional.

Another friend asked on her personal facebook page, “How do you define perfection?”.  My answer to her question was, “I don’t”.  This got me thinking of how this tied in with my question about having photos done.

There isn’t ever going to be a “perfect” time where we are completely 100% in love with every little last detail about ourselves, and if you are YAY (tell me your secret)!  I like to think instead of perfection that we are evolving, growing, improving and learning.  Constantly.

Now, I understand that you don’t need professional photos done.  That my service isn’t a necessity.  But guess what, it is definitely of value in my book.   Someone might enjoy that new $300 handbag more than having photos done.  Or getting their nails done every other week.  Or splurging on gym clothes (guilty)!  But what is going to happen to those things?  Are your children going to remember that handbag 2 years from now?  Are you going to pull it out in a few years and remember the good memories of you and your family?  Hand it down to your kids so generations to come can see the history and memories?  Probably not.

One thing I encourage you to do whether setting up a time to get professional photos done or not is to be IN the photos!  I don’t care if they are selfies on your cell phone.  And neither will your significant other, children, pets…do what makes you HAPPY!  Be apart of life!  Not excluded from it!  GET IN THE PICTURE!!!

I have read that looking back at old photos can actually boost ones’ mood and make you more happy.

I have to admidt, I have a hard time looking back at some photos from a cruise we took in the Eastern Meditteranean.  At the time, I was the heaviest I had ever been (non pregnant).  I wasn’t exactly thrilled with the way I looked.  I was more than happy to just take photos of my family, architecture, and street life.  But, this was a once in a life time trip.  How could I be certain that I’d return.  I needed proof that I was on vacation too, no matter how I felt about my appearance.  On top of that, my husband, my girls, they all love(d) me for who I am.  They don’t see the extra 10-20lbs.  They see a happy mother and wife on vacation with them.

 

If you’re the one usually taking the photos hand the camera off to someone else!  Ask them to take a photo of you, you with your kids, your pets, your family, your significant other!  Set a self timer if you have the option!  Take the dreaded selfie for crying out loud!  I don’t care how vain this may sound.  But, you’ll be SO glad you did!  We need more photos of ourselves enjoying life!  Being apart of life!  I want my kids to remember doing stuff with me!  Like decorating Easter eggs, or going for a run, baking…  And of course getting at least a couple of photos where everyone is dressed nicely and looking at the camera!  Of course there are things I don’t like about myself.  There are things that I always want to fix or change, but I’m the only one who sees it.  I need to get over it and be HAPPY with what I am blessed with.  Don’t penalize yourself for not reaching “perfection”, before getting in the photo!

 

 

 

For those of you who want photos, but think that money is just too tight.  Try to set aside a little every month.  By the end of the year you should have enough to find a decent professional to capture some special moments for you!  It is so worth the investment.  I am yet to have a client who wishes they had spent that money on something else!  I happen to think I’m pretty good at what I do!  I love capturing families and tailoring their session around their personalities and lifestyle!  I’d love to help you GET IN THE PICTURE!

 

Take Care of Yourself!

~Kim

 

It is great to have a routine.  To know what you are going to have lined up for the day even down to your meal planning.  For most of us it is the same thing.  Every week.  Every day.  And lets face it, that can be pretty boring!  We not only need to feed our bodies with healthy foods and activities, but we also need to feed our sesnse of adventure!

I believe that getting out there, trying new things, visiting new places, trying new foods are all apart of wellness. Feeding that sense of spirit and adventure also keeps us balanced, grounded and hey maybe make some new memories or find new favorite places or activities!

We have lived in North Carolina now for 4 years.  And every time we’ve gone to the beach it has been to either Carolina Beach or Kure Beach.  And though we love those places and have great memories there we decided to try a different direction of the North Carolina coast over spring break which we hadn’t visited before.

So we loaded into the car and headed towards Bodie Lighthouse!  That was our first stop!  Of course we forgot to get the whole family together for a family photo while we were here!  I guess that means that we will have to go back!

 

One thing we learned on our little adventure is that a lot of restaurants are closed for the season right up until Memorial Day.  So when using apps on your phones for places to eat make sure to call the phone number to see if they’re open!  We spent at least a half an hour of driving to two places that were not open to eat!  Finally we decided on Dirty Dick’s.  The food wasn’t bad, and the girls loved that they got little toy sharks with their drinks!

Once we finished up our lunch the girls were begging to go to the beach.  Even though we had packed swimsuits, I vetoed that idea as it wasn’t that warm and the water was still super cold!  So, a walk along the beach it was!  Nothing beats sand between the toes, salty air, sunshine, and a hunched over back looking for treasures along the beach.  We did manage to remember to take a family photo on the beach, albeit it was a selfie!  The girls even got in a bit of dune jumping!  I’m certain that the beach promotes all kinds of wellness.  Physical, mental and spiritual.  I’m also certain that I’d be content living near the beach, or a lake.

Wellness comes in so many shapes and forms.  Getting out there and relaxing, trying something new all contributes to a better, healthier YOU!  We were also lucky enough to have my mom and her husband take their own little adventure via their tricycle to visit us!  They rode 1.776 miles from TX to NC!  They’re now taking a new route and adventure back!  Of course, the girls were super excited to get rides on the tricycle too while they were visiting!

So, I challenge you…to get out there!  Try something new!  Visit some place different!  Get that physical activity in!  But, don’t forget to feed your need for adventure!  You only live once!  Make it GREAT and make some memories!  Get out there and experience what life has to offer and LIVE!

 

Take Care of Yourself!

~Kim

How many of you have children?  How many of you have Ipads, tablets, xboxs, playstations, wiis, computers, tv…etc.?  How many hours would you say your child spends using one of these devices?  How often do your kids get active?  Are they involved in any sports or activities?

I think it is very easy for parents to just let their kids sit in front of the tv, or spend endless hours playing games on their tablets or gaming stations.  I know I am guilty of it.  If I’m having a busy day it keeps them occupied, and I don’t have to keep them from being “bored”.

 

Now, I understand it may not be in everyones’ budget to sign their child(ren) up for extra curriculars outside of the home.  But, that certainly is not an excuse as to not encouraging them to get outside and “play”.  Yes, I believe in that just sending the kids out the door and telling them to play is a good start.  They will usually find things to keep themselves busy.  And if you can, get out there and play with them!  Go for walks, ride bikes, toss the football around, jump on the trampoline, kick around a soccerball…just anything you name it!  Not only will it get them moving, but it also stimulates them much more mentally and physically than sedative activities.

Just the other day it was sunny, but cool and I thought that my girls had spend enough time inside playing every device we had in the house.  Frankly, I was annoyed and knew they needed to get out and use their imaginations, and get some sunny vitamin D.  They spent at least an hour outside playing a made up game.

 

Fortunately both my girls are involved in extra activities after school.  Both of them attend Kids CrossFit at CrossFit Clayton on Monday evenings.  They love taking after me and are always excited to tell me what their WOD (workout of the day) was.  Usually, for the kiddos it consists of teams running with a medicine ball, air squats, burpees, sit-ups, rowing and practicing other movements.  They enjoy it because it is always something different and it keeps them engaged for the entire hour they are in class!  My youngest was so excited about an assignment in school when her teacher had them write out a sentence about their favorire part of the school day and why.  This is what she wrote, “My favorite part of the school day is PE because I do CrossFit.”   It made my whole day since her teacher took a photo of it and messaged it to me.  It just goes to show you, that YOU are an example to your children.

My oldest has always been interested in swimming.  So, without much swimming experience we signed her up for the summer swim team at Healthquest.  She went from barely being able to swim just 50m freestyle to being able to do the medley consisting of butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle.  It was amazing seeing her grow in just a couple of months of swimming during the summer.  She enjoyed it so much that she decided to continue swimming during the rest of the year.

So there you have it! Encourage your kids to get out and move!  Get out there and move with them!  Find something they love to do and encourage them!  It might not be the first sport or activity you try (we tried cheerleading and it just wasn’t her thing so we moved on to something else!)  A lot of places will have trials to see if it is something your child is interested in.  Kids NEED to be stimulated with physical activitiy.  Childhood obesity is on the rise.  And I am certain NO ONE wants that for their child.  So, decide together that you’re going to get active and stick with it!  BE that example to your child!

 

Take Care of Yourself!

~Kim

When embarking on a fitness, wellness, healthy lifestyle it is easy to start picking apart the “I can’ts, I wishes, I’m nots…”  I for one am completely guilty of this. I go on this up and down roller coaster of feeling proud and accomplished to frustrated and defeated.  It is easy to compare yourself to others as well.  It’s only in human nature to do this.  But, one thing that has helped me to stay focussed on me is by telling myself a few things.

1. This is MY journey.  And can not be compared to anyone else’s.

2. Progress is progress no matter how slow.

3. Comparisson is the thief of joy. (One of my favorite quotes, because it fits every facet of our lives).

4. STAY POSITIVE! Be grateful!

 

After completing the Insanity program I was looking for a new way to stay active and challenged.  I saw signs about town for CrossFit Clayton, and I had heard great things about it so I decided to give it a try! (It is now my second home and family….seriously LOVE this place, coaches, and people!)

I started CrossFit at the end of October 2013.  I was BEYOND nervous, and excited!  I was a total newb, I had only done minimal weightlifting in high school (I was a runner and a gymnast back then).  There are SO many varried weightlifting movements, gymnastic type movements…how on Earth was I going to be any good at this?

Simple.  Just remember everyone once was a beginner.  I didn’t need to come into this being fit, knowing how to do a power clean, or how to climb a rope.  I loved CrossFit from the beginning because no matter if you’re a beginner or have been doing it for a few years it is challenging every single time.  You start making small goals based on your abilities and just start checking them off one by one, by one. And keep making NEW goals.

It was easy to “want” to be that athlete in the gym that was the fastest, or the strongest, or got that new “move” before you did.  It was easy to get defeated when you saw others ahead of you on wodify (electronic tracking/ranking system).  But again, it isn’t about THEM….and that I have to constantly remind myself that it is about ME!

You need to set your goals and focus on YOUR accomplishments.  Remember to stay positive, and that what you are doing is all about YOU!  It does not matter if you finished the workout 1st, 10th, or last.  What matters is that you are out there putting in the effort and making yourself better.  Take credit for that and be PROUD!  Every day you are doing something to improve yourself!  Even on the days you don’t feel you’ve performed well.

I want ALL of you to comment with at least ONE thing you like about yourself, a feature, a characteristic, a body part (dare I say this).  And STOP with the negative CRAP!

Take Care of Yourself!

~Kim

Photos below are of when I first started CrossFit. (I’m wearing a tutu because we were doing a fundraiser called Barbells for Boobs, I don’t normally wear tutus to CrossFit.)  I had to use a band when doing pullups (I can now do 100 without), I struggled to clean and jerk 55 lbs. multiple times (and now complete workouts that have 85lbs. plus).  It’s all about taking it day by day.  It takes time and for me I’ll probably ALWAYS have a goal to reach!

 

Let me begin by saying that a lot of times we set ourselves up for failure when we start a “diet”.  Sure it may sound good at the time, you think you’ll do it for a little while and it will be effective.  Which may be true, but also while people who tend to “diet” end up quitting because it wasn’t a suitable or sustainable lifestyle change.

Decide that the changes that you are about to make are permanent.  Not just ” I’m going to eat salads for two months” in hopes to loose weight quickly.  That sounds great, but it will ultimately bring you back to your old habits once you’ve exhausted yourself with not getting what your body needs.  Luckily for me I didn’t have a soda habit to kick, but if you do have one, consider that one of the first things to consider changing.  For  me it was that late night bowl of sugary cereal, or chips, ice cream, oooooh and COOKIES (preferably chocolate chip).

The first change in my eating habits I made was to start “clean” eating.  If it came from a box or a can it usually meant processed and full of unnecessary fats and calories.  I quit using recipes that called for cream soups (and that was tough being from MN where everything in a “hotdish” had some sort of creamed soup).  I also started to do away with or highly limit foods like pasta, breads (including donuts, cresent rolls, buns ect.), white rice, and white potatoes.  I was surprised how easy it was to limit myself from these things considering there were so MANY healthier options that I liked.  Of course I’m sure that it has become pretty well known to shop the outside isles of your grocery store.  But, in doing so you will avoid the processed foods that usually have quite a few preservetives as well.

Now the difference between a diet and a lifestlye change are different in the sorts that a lifestyle change is something that you plan to continue indefinitely.  A diet is seen as sort of a quick fix to get you going, but usually ends at some point and usually sending you further away from your goals.  Decide for yourself that the changes you make are ones that you will be able to sustain and be persistent with.  Now, keep in mind you don’t have to make a TON of changes all at once.  Make small goals that are easy to obtain so you don’t get defeated and so you can continue to make additional changes without feeling like you’ve sacrificed everything at once.

Same thing applies to exercise.  Everyone will start with something suitable to them.  Maybe it’s starting to go for a walk everyday, maybe a run, a dvd workout, or going to the gym.  Whatever it is you decide to do, commit to doing it.  Give yourself a schedule so that you can easily set that time aside just for YOU!  Idealy you should be exercising 3-5 times a week.  If you haven’t been active in a while start small, give yourself time to grow and improve.  You can’t expect to just get up and run a 5K, or hit some big numbers on the weights in the gym, even if you’ve done so in the past.  Ease into getting your body moving again.  But, don’t forget to push yourself just a little!  Not every day is going to feel like a great day to work out.  You may not have the best preformance every day, and that is OK!  Being consistent is crucial to any lifestyle changes!

How do you plan to stay motivated? What will get you moving on those days you just don’t feel like it?  A good place to start is having a positive mental attitude.  There is not one single person out there who is going to do this for you.  If you need to give yourself a pep talk, do it.  Make a goal board.  Have a photo of that body you want to see in 3, 6, 9 months.  Add some inspirational quotes, photos of things you’d like to do with your future self, new sneakers or gym clothes as a reward, maybe a vacation!  Even though you are the one in control of what you are setting out to do it is great to have everyone close to you on board with your new goals.  Friends and family who are supportive are great motivators and help keep you accountable.  I know when I started working out with the Insanity program my girls would always ask if I had worked out today.  And the fun thing is they’d join me!  After a little while into my program I even started taking selfies every time I completed a workout.  Facebook and Instagram friends were now able to join in on keeping me accountable, keeping me motivated, and were able to join in on my fitness/health journey.

So, I challenge you to decide…to COMMIT…to CHANGE…to PERSEVERE…to GROW…

“You don’t have to be great to start, you just have to start to be great”.

You’ve got this!!

Take Care of Yourself!

~Kim

 

Here are some of the photos I took when I started Insanity to keep myself accountable and track my progression. (The first photo is day 1 of starting Insanity. The last photo is the before starting Insanity and the after finishing the program in August 2013.)

It really is amazing to look back on how far you’ve come so I encourage you to take photos!  Use them for motivation, accountability and encouragement!