Archives for June 2019

Of all the services Blue Pineapple offers, events are my favorite. Especially planning them from the ground up. I’ve been involved in creating a women’s show, a green expo, a barbeque contest, a pop-culture convention and several other events. I admit there was a bit of a learning curve with some of these shows. For one event, I became a certified barbeque judge with the Kansas City Barbeque Society. For another, I learned the difference between a comic con and a pop-culture convention and rode around in a vintage Batmobile. 

I’m excited to share with you a new event I’m helping to coordinate where I already have first hand knowledge and experience. Here’s a two minute video introducing the Relax & Reset Retreat.

As women we often don’t take time to care for ourselves. Have you heard the trendy phrase “self-care is the new health care”? There’s a lot of truth to that. Taking care of our bodies and managing our stress goes a long way in preventing chronic illness. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way. Learn more about my health journey in this blog post.

The Relax & Reset Retreat will be held September 15 – 17, 2019 at the exquisite Posthotel in Leavenworth, Washington. It’s a very small affair with space for just eight ladies. The Posthotel has an incredible European wellness area with saunas, steam rooms, a swim-out saltwater pool, spas and several places to relax and unwind. They serve breakfast and lunch with fresh, local food. Each attendee will have a private king size balcony room. I visited the Posthotel last year for a day of soaking and lounging around – it was heavenly. There will also be two offsite dinners: a 5-course “Sunday Supper” at Mana Restaurant and another gourmet dinner at the Kingfisher Restaurant at Sleeping Lady Resort. Leavenworth is a beautiful, charming tourist destination – especially in the fall. If you’re from North Central Washington or have visited Leavenworth, you’ll be pleased to know the retreat package at the Posthotel includes underground parking! 

The next exciting news I have to share with you is how much you’ll love getting to know Dr. Allegra Hart! She’s hosting this retreat and teaching the classes. Dr. Allegra is a licensed naturopathic physician, owner of Naturae Naturopathic Clinic and Dr. Allegra’s Apothecary in Wenatchee, Washington. She’s also a published author who’s currently working on her second book. As mentioned in the blog post noted above, I’ve been a patient of Dr. Allegra’s for several years. Not only has she helped me regain my health through proper nutrition, she’s helped me balance my hormones, taught me invaluable tools for managing stress and how to keep calm when life throws me those curveballs. 

Dr. Allegra helps her patients get to the root of their health issues. She is one of the most kind, caring and nonjudgmental individuals you’ll ever meet. In pondering about who may be interested in attending the retreat, I decided it comes down to either you’re already actively practicing self-care and embrace the lifestyle, or you want to take better care of your health but don’t know how to get started. All are welcome to attend.

Let’s go ahead and address the elephant in the room. The price of the retreat is $2,495. I know several ladies who just dismiss the opportunity because of the price, but let’s break it down. You get two luxurious nights at the Posthotel (we’re talking 5 stars here) with all of its amenities, all meals, classes on self-care, nutrition, stress management and skincare, plus you’re going home with a goody bag valued over $550. (Trust me when I say these will be some of your new favorite go-to products for health, wellness and skincare.) You get a 90 minute one on one visit with Dr. Allegra. That’s an hour and a half to talk about any and all health concerns. When was the last time you had your doctor’s full attention for more than 10-20 minutes? Plus you’ll receive a written follow up summary with recommendations designed just for you and your health needs. Dr. Allegra is also including her 90 day online coaching program “From Chaos to Calm: Naturally Transform Your Health in 90 Days”, valued at $1,997. Think about it: you attend the retreat, you relax, you dine, you learn lots of new and helpful information that will improve your health and well-being, and then you go home and follow up with 90 days of additional classes to reinforce what you learned at the retreat. These online segments can all be done at your convenience and are yours to keep. These are all tools to seriously transform your health, plus there’s enough time allotted to turn these resources into good, healthy habits for years to come.

Ok, I’ve lost track of the value of this retreat, but it is worth well over $5,000. Plus the value of proactively taking care of your health and wellness. I can’t put a price on that for myself or for anyone else. 

What are you struggling with? Do you need to make changes with your health? I used to work long hours, eat lunch at my desk – usually from a drive through, pop ibuprofen to deal with pain and did not exercise. Don’t get me wrong, I tried to do the right thing from time to time, but I didn’t have the knowledge or support I needed to see it through. Nor did I have the energy to implement an exercise program. I remember joining a fitness facility several years ago. I arranged my schedule so I could do a quick workout after work and before picking up my daughter from daycare. I was so fatigued from my lifestyle and from eating foods that drained my energy instead of fueling it, I couldn’t see it through. And I was only in my 30’s! My body started noticeably breaking down in my 40’s and I was miserable. I missed work and important events. I missed my daughter’s piano recital. Take it from me – you don’t have to wait until a health crisis happens or until you’re in so much pain that you’ll try anything out of desperation.

I’m turning 50 this year. You have no idea how hard that is for me to publish. But I’ve decided to own it! I’m eating better than I ever have in my life. My skin is clearer than it’s been since I was a kid. I still have ongoing struggles from years of neglecting my health, but I now have the tools and support I need to live a longer and healthier life. And if I can inspire or help you to make the changes you need, then bring on the big 5-0. I’m ready! One of the reasons why I started Blue Pineapple is to allow myself time to build a lifestyle and career that works for me.

If you can relate to anything I mentioned in this post, the Relax & Reset Retreat is probably a good fit for you. Feel free to ask me questions. I can be reached at andrea@bluepineapple.media or by cell / text at 509-387-0929. I’m serious – I’d love to chat with you. You can also reach out to Dr. Allegra at info@naturaeclinic.com or call the clinic at 509-663-5048.

I don’t usually share such personal details about myself, especially on a business blog. But if I can help you by sharing some of my story and insight, then it’s worth it. If you’re an open minded woman who could use some scheduled downtime and some new tools to improve your health, then you should consider attending this ultimate self-care getaway. The best way to take care of your family and those around you is to take care of yourself. When you have enough energy and strength to handle everything we busy women have going on, you’re a greater support to those you care about.

Here’s a link to the information and registration page. Registration closes August 5 or when the retreat is sold out, whichever comes first. If you’re interested in attending, but don’t live in North Central Washington, you can fly into Sea-Tac and drive over to Leavenworth on Hwy 2. It’s one of the most beautiful drives in the country and I guarantee you’ll fall in love with Leavenworth.

I’ll see you at the retreat!