2013, 2014, Academic, academic performance, academics, athletes, Athletic, athletics, Birthdays, Christmas, College, college athletes, college coaches, college players, college sports, collegiate, dissertation, Doctor of Philosophy, Doctoral Degree, Exercise, Fitness, gifts, giving, Happy New 2014, Happy New Year, Health, holiday, intercollegiate, intercollegiate athletes, intercollegiate coaches, intercollegiate players, Mission, Mission: Ph.D., NCAA, new year, Ph.D., presents, Pretty Fit, Pretty Fit App, Pretty Fit Way, research, Season of Giving, sports, student-athletes, study, Typhoon, Typhoon Haiyan, Typhoon Relief, Typhoon Yolanda, workouts
In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Sports, Technology, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 01/10/2014 at 22:44
Cheers to the New Year! Here’s to 2014: the year of Courting…
For yours truly, I’m courting my Ph.D. That means I must marry my dissertation topic: Relationships between Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Their Intercollegiate Coaches’ Leadership Practices and Student-Athletes’ Satisfaction, Athletic and Academic Peformance.
Most of my waking hours have been devoted to my study and pursuing schools who will approve my request to approve my recruitment of participants for my research. If any of you readers have suggestions of NCAA-affiliated colleges in the state of Texas for me to seek consent to survey their student-athletes and/or have connections with their administration, then please feel free to refer me, thank you!
In efforts to reach out to my Pretty Fitsters on leading a Pretty Fit life all year-round and all life long, I’ve provided my compilation of unconventional workout videos that can be done anywhere, as well as other health-related tips from my favorite fitness gurus:
From 2013 to 2014, I feel grateful for my loves, especially GOD, my family, and my bestie. While I gave more generously to the Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda relief, I was pleasantly surprised to still receive gifts from my mom, my BFF, and mis suegros (in-laws):
From Nanay: PJs & Socks
It never fails: my mother always gives my sister and me socks and pajamas. At least we’ll always be warm!
From Melo: Chocolate & Chicken Soup for the Soul Gift Boxes
Of course, I put these to good use: eating the chocolates and reading this book. I actually loved the Chicken Soup for the Soul series since high school, and this Think Positive edition puts my own approach to life in perspective!
From La Familia Zapata: Hello Kitty stocking & ornament + blinged gift card
Mi cuñada (sister-in-law), Janet, along with mi suegra (mother-in-law) and mis sobrinitos (nieces and nephews) sent me Hello Kitty goodies and a gift card. They’re so sweet to remember me, and I miss them all dearly!
Happy Birthdays to these January Babies: my Great-Uncle Terry, my mother’s siblings Uncle Art & Robert + Auntie Aida, my GODdaughter Reyanna, & mi sobrinito (nephew) Justin!!!
4:44 ~ make a wish!!!
2013, 2014, Advent, American Red Cross, Angel Tree, Anniversary, Basketball, Birthday, child, Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, Christmas, Cocktail, Cocktail Dress, Cocktail Dress Workouts, Cocktail Dresses, Cocktail Recipe, Cocktails, Dallas Mavericks, Dispo Hoop Scoops, donate, donating, donation, donations, dream, dreams, Exercise, family, Fitness, gift, gifts, give, giving, goal, goals, God, Graduate, Graduation, Health, Healthy Chili Recipe, Healthy Cocktail Recipe, Healthy Cookie Recipe, Healthy Holiday Recipe, Healthy Holiday Recipes, Healthy Recipe, Healthy Recipes, holiday, Holiday Chili Recipe, Holiday Cocktail Dress, Holiday Cocktail Recipe, Holiday Cookie Recipe, Holiday Recipe, Holiday Recipes, holiday season, Holidays, HOLYday, HOLYday Cheer, HOLYday Season, HOLYdays, Mavericks, Mavs, Peace, Pretty Fit, pursue, pursuit, pursuits, Rant Sports, reason for the season, Season, Season of Giving, season's greetings, soul, soulful, spirit, spirits, sponsor, sponsored child, sponsored children, sports, The University of Texas at Arlington, Typhoon Appeal, Typhoon Haiyan, Typhoon Relief, Typhoon Yolanda, UTA, wellness, Year of Courting, Year to Follow Our Dreams, Yolanda
In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Sports, Technology, Travel, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 12/19/2013 at 05:16
Merry One Week Until CHRISTmas, Everybody! May GOD Bless Us Everyone!
In the spirit of this ADVENT Season, when we prepare for the birth of JESUS, who gave EVERYTHING, including His own life, let us remember the Reason for the Season. Let us spread HOLYday cheer by giving.
One way we can give is through generosity to strangers, our neighbors, our fellow man. To honor my sister — who I’m proud to share has graduated with her Master of Science degree in Nursing and now works as a Nurse Practitioner for Psychiatry/Mental Health — on her birthday and my parents on their anniversary, I donated to the Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan relief through the American Red Cross.
Here are my past dozen Dispo Hoop Scoops on the Dallas Mavericks:
Here are my Pretty Fit posts, chockful of Yours Truly’s recipes and workouts:
Tacky Sweater by Adam Levine
Christmas Cat Cookies by Yours Truly
Pretty Fit E on VDay
Pretty Fit E on NYE
Crock Pot Chili by Yours Truly
Fro-Yo YOLO fo’sho’
As we celebrate this Season of Giving, I try not to surrender to the commercialization of CHRISTmas. Since my family and I are grateful for what we already have and won’t exchange gifts this year, I shall share with those who are in need. I started with my Angel Tree child who I chose from church and will continue with my Christian Foundation for Children and Aging sponsored child.
Some of the things that I thank GOD for are His will, grace and guidance, His people ~ including my dear friend and spiritual mentor Bishop Mike who soon will retire, my family whose blood is thicker than water, my bestie Melody who has been with me through thick and thin, my Team Dr. D for my Ph.D. ~ His creatures who are my loves ~ especially my Double A-Team ~ and great opportunities, such as hearing His calling for me to proclaim His word at Mass. For my sis and her hubby, both Mr. & Mrs. Cooley graduated from The University of Texas at Arlington this past weekend, and I could not have been prouder of Joanne’s MSN (UTA’s College of Nursing had the most thorough Graduation Commencement that I’ve ever attended — I was extremely impressed that each of the graduates’ dissertation, thesis or honors research titles and/or jobs were called out, along with their names, as they walked across the stage) and her husband/my “bro” Ryan’s Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science/Kinesiology, Summa Cum Laude (“with highest honors”).
As we wrap up 2013 ~ which I did deem as the Year to Follow Our Dreams ~ I pursue 2014 ~ which I call the Year of Courting ~ as the time to come closer to completing my doctoral degree at Our Lady of the Lake University. During my prayers about progressing through my dissertation, I listened to GOD’s message to me about making a difference in my research. Bearing in mind that my study is about coaching, I indeed hope that I somehow can change how coaches influence their players: not necessarily to just seek winning in their sports, but being champions as people.
11:11 ~ make a wish!!!
Anniversary, Basketball, Best Man, Best Man Holiday, Best Man Holiday movie, Best Man movie, Birthday, Black Monday, Dallas Mavericks, dissertation, Haiyan, Miami Hurricanes, NBA, NCAA, NCAA Basketball, Philippines, Pretty Fit, The Best Man, The Best Man Holiday, Typhoon, Typhoon Haiyan, Typhoon Yolanda, Vietnam, Yolanda
In ♥ & Soul, Community, Health, Higher Ed, Home Sweet Home, Pro-DiSPO, Public Interest, Relationships, Sports, Technology, Travel, What's Hot, Workin' Woman, Yours Truly on 11/18/2013 at 19:11
Today, I wear black to honor the Typhoon Haiyan/Typhoon Yolanda victims. My shirt is actually a black Hard Rock Cafe Saigon tee from Vietnam, where the storm approached after it hit my native country, the Philippines.
Today also is my Papa Ped‘s 5th Death Anniversary. Even to this day, I miss my hardworking paternal grandfather, Pedro T. Dispo, Sr. (June 27, 1927-November 18, 2008) very much and will always remember him fondly.
Today, I also had my latest conference call with my dissertation chair. As long as I keep making progress and stay on track, I may be able to move forward in the upcoming year: proposal, methods, results, defense left… To become Dr. D.
My Latest Days of THANKS
Day 14: I’m THANKful for the Typhoon Haiyan / Typhoon Yolanda survivors and relief efforts
Day 15: I’m THANKful for my Lil’ Orphan ANNIE on our 4th Annie-versary
Lil’ Orphan ANNIE’s 1st Snow on CHRISTmas
Day 16: I’m THANKful for my Rant Sports team, whose Facebook pages, including mine, I encourage you to “like” for updates
Day 17: I’m THANKful for my first day “off” this month, in which I took off from writing for work to attend Sunday mass, then had brunch with Ate and watched The Best Man Holiday, plus hit the track (my only form of “work” was to “workout”) with Ate, Jade and Dax!
Dax’s & my scenic route w/sunshine view
Day 18: I’m THANKful for my Papa Ped on his 5th Anniversary and my good friend/fellow USAF military brat, Nora, on her Birthday
Papa Ped, Mama Eufemia, Papa Jun, Joanne & me
On lighter notes, I watched and thoroughly enjoyed The Best Man Holiday this past weekend, and here are my latest Pretty Fit and Rant Sports posts:
Pretty Fit Elaine
Man Day Monday
Dispo College Hoop Scoops
Miami Since Shane Storm
Dispo Hoop Scoops
1:11 ~ make a wish!!!
The Elaine Dispo Journal 