Birthday Gifting

Today is my birthday.

I want to extend a hearty thanks to my mom for all she went through 28 years ago – and since that day – to help make my life what it is today. Without you, I wouldn’t be nearly as blessed (or you know, alive) as I am!

The tradition of birthdays has always been a bit confusing to me. On the day you are born, your mom does all the work. So why is it that each year you receive gifts? Being born was the easiest thing you’ve done in your whole life and we celebrate it year after year? Mom should get gifts too, right?

But, given that it’s tradition, I’m certainly not opposed to receiving gifts!

This year, all I want for my birthday is for you to donate to a great cause: Jump for Diabetes. What that means is your donations go directly to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, earmarked for diabetes research. You can donate directly on our site via PayPal or you can email us for mailing options if you prefer to write a check: JumpForDiabetes@gmail.com.

A donation to the cause, to help find a cure for diabetes, would be the best gift you could give me, and the diabetes community, on my birthday!

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Jump for Diabetes – update

Well, there’s not much new to talk about this week (aside from my top secret mission that’s taking place this evening, but that’s a post for another day), so I thought this would be a good time to provide an update on Jump for Diabetes.

First thing everyone wants to know about is what are we giving away at the raffle?! Well, let me tell you that this year’s prize list is more robust than ever, and I don’t even know where to begin to thank the skydiving community for their generosity. We have more than $15,000 in prizes and discounts to give away. You can find the updated list on our website, or look below.

• 1st Prize: FREE custom main (non-cross braced) or reserve canopy from Performance Designs!
• Taste of Base with Miles Daisher
• x2 – 50% Off Wings Containers
• x2 – 50% Off Cookie G3 Helmet
• FREE Helmet from Bonehead
• 20% Off Vigil
• x2 – 35% Off Vector, plus 15% options from UPT
• x2 – 40% Off Javelin container from SunPath
• Hypoxic Certificates
• Three $100+ Discounts from Ouragan Suits
• x4 – 20% Off Phoenix Fly Discount Certificates
• FREE Freak’n Suits
• FREE Reserve Repack from String Theory Productions
• 35% Off Bev Suit Voucher
• x2 – 30% Off Mirage Systems container
• x2 – 50% Off Deepseed Jumpsuits
• FREE Cypress Maintenance Certificate
• x3 Brian Germain Books
• FREE Phantom X helmet from Square1
• $100 Off SDC Rhythm Tunnel Camp
• $1400 off a complete Aerodyne system
• 2 Go Pro Hero cameras from ChutingStar
• FREE First flight course with iFlock Academy at Skydive Chicago
• 25% Off Vertical Suits
• x2 25% Off Merlin Suits
• FREE Merlin Pants
• $100 Off STF Block Party Tunnel Camp
• 15 Min Tunnel Coaching by Mickey Nuttall ($219 value, use it or lose it).
• Stay Tuned for More!!!!

We are also so incredibly thrilled with how many jumpers have come out of the woodwork to pledge their jumps for the weekend. We have some at both events (Skydive Chicago and Skydive The Farm for those who haven’t been following along) as well as from other states including California,  Pennsylvania, Michigan, Florida, the Carolinas and more. This is a great way for anyone to get involved no matter where you live. Email us at JumpForDiabetes@gmail.com if you’re interested in becoming a sponsored jumper and pledging your jumps to the cause that weekend (July 6-8, 2012).

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, all proceeds of the event go directly to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation to support diabetes research. Yes, we are an incorporated not-for-profit ourselves, but partnering with the JDRF ensures that the funds go directly to research and gives us piece of mind that we’re contributing to the most ground-breaking science in the space.

If you’ll be attending the events, we’re going to have other amazing things going on as well, from local give aways to a bake sale, t-shirt sale, and more! Stay tuned on Facebook for more details.

Of course, if you’re reading this going, “I don’t skydive so I can’t participate???” well, the answer is no, you can! If you head over to our website: http://jumpfordiabetes.org, and click on the donate link across the top navigation, you can submit donations via PayPal. This is a great way to support the cause and feel good about giving back to the diabetes community.

It truly is a disease that touches so many, and every year I am blessed to be connected with so many who are affected on a daily basis. Let’s work together to find a cure, shall we?

Love and Blue Skies!

Ashley

Jump for the Rose

Anyone who frequents my blog knows that I’m all about combining skydiving with a good cause. There’s nothing quite like taking one passion and helping raise funds for a charity that’s close to your heart.

Normally I pimp out Jump for Diabetes, after all, that is an event that I help coordinate every year – can you blame me? But there’s another cause I’d like to talk about for a moment.

Fellow skydiver and all around awesome chick Alisha is coordinating the Jump for the Rose, a non-profit breast cancer organization. She’s currently selling some bad ass skydiving glassware to help with this cause along with proceeds going to the Leukemia Foundation. Both great causes and something that touches many lives.

When I saw the Fly Free glasses and shot glasses, I just couldn’t pass ‘em up. And knowing they were for a good cause really swayed me into purchasing.

I personally bought two of the larger glasses and two of the shot glasses and gave one of each away as a gift. To me, that’s the best way to help out a cause, you get to donate and you get to spread the love by gift giving.

If you haven’t already, be sure to contact Alisha today to get your glasses and help out some great causes!

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

4th Annual Jump for Diabetes

Hard to believe that the 4th Annual Jump for Diabetes is right around the corner. This will be my 3rd year coordinating the event and I am proud to say that it’s going to be bigger and better than the last!

We recently launched our website http://jumpfordiabetes.org (thanks to our friends over at nDevix), where you can keep up on the latest raffle items as they come in (we all know that’s what skydivers are interested in, free shit, right?), get the latest information on sponsors and participating dropzones, and you can even donate online!

We are so blessed to have both Skydive Chicago and Skydive The Farm on board this year. We’ll be hosting two events, in tandem on July 6-8th to raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. If you’re on Facebook and haven’t already be sure to RSVP to our event. You can keep up with the latest updates there as well.

So let’s get to what everyone wants to know about – those gear donations. We’re still over two months out and already we have seen more generosity from this community than ever. It warms my heart to see all the manufacturers who are standing behind us to help find a cure for diabetes. This year we have Deepseed on board with us and they are eyeballs deep in supporting this cause. Huge thanks to Liam and his crew for all they’ve already done! Check out their website and Facebook page. They’ve got some great stuff going on and they’re just plain fun!

Once again PD is all in and the first ticket drawn on Saturday, July 7th after the fireworks at SDC will be the lucky recipient of a free custom main (non-cross braced) or reserve canopy from Performance Designs. Bad ass! And of course, there’s thousands of dollars in free gear and discounts:

• FREE Taste of Base with Miles Daisher
• 2 – 50% Off Wings Containers
• 2 – 50% Off Cookie G3 Helmet
• Bonehead Discount Certificates
• 20% Off Vigil
• 2 – 35% Off Vector, plus 15% options from UPT
• 2 – 40% Off Javelin container from SunPath
• Hypoxic Certificates
• 3- $100+ Discounts from Ouragan Suits
• 4 – 20% Off Phoenix Fly Discount Certificates
• FREE Freak’n Suits
• FREE Reserve Repack from String Theory Productions
• FREE Phantom X Helmet from Square1
• 35% Off Bev Suit Voucher
• 2 – 30% Off Mirage Systems container
• 2 – 50% Off Deepseed Jumpsuits
• FREE Cypress Maintenance Certificate
• 3 Brian Germain Books
• $100 Off SDC Rhythm Tunnel Camp
• And MORE

Donations are still coming in and we will keep you posted on our website as we get more.

If you want to purchase tickets, see Rick or myself at Skydive The Farm, Morgan at Skydive Chicago, or email us at JumpForDiabetes@gmail.com. You do NOT have to be present to win, so please feel free to purchase remotely!

I will be managing the event at Skydive Chicago this year, so if you want to find me the day of the event to purchase, please feel free. If you’re planning to head to The Farm for the event, don’t worry, Rick will be on the ground there, and on the phone with me so all winners will be announced immediately after the drawing.

Oh, and if you want to be a sponsored jumper and pledge your jumps for the weekend to the cause, you can do that from anywhere too! Just shoot me a comment, Facebook message or email and we’ll get you the sheet so you can get pledges.

Thanks to all who are working so hard to make this a great success! We couldn’t do any of it without the unwavering support of this community.

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Holiday Wishes

Holy crap, it’s already 4 days before Christmas. Where on Earth did this year go?!

The holidays are always a funny time of year. Some people cherish the time they get to spend with friends and family, others dread it. I’m lucky to say that I fall in the former category.

Since college I’ve always lived hours from my family, who, for the most part, all reside within an hour of each other in the mitten (Michigan, for those of you who are geographically challenged) – weather by car or plane, I’ve been a solid 4 hours away.

The holidays for me has always reflected the ability to head home and spend some QT with the fam. There’s not enough time spent together for burnout. Arguments over the holidays are rare with my family, though most of us tend to let a lot roll off our shoulders, so that helps.

But what am I saying, this isn’t about me.

I want to talk about holiday wishes. Everyone has things they wish for during the holidays, weather it’s the latest, greatest TV on the market to appear under the Christmas tree, getting the chance to kiss that someone special under the mistle toe, or simply that the holidays will be happy and stress-free, everyone has hopes of what this time with family will bring.

For me, aside from wanting a peaceful, wonderful experience with my family and my in-laws (as I wish the same for each and every one of you), my biggest wish is that the JDRF will receive more funding than they’ve ever seen this holiday season.

As most of you know, diabetes research is close to my heart. Jump for Diabetes was founded to help find a cure for this disease that touches just about everyone, in one way, shape, or form, and I want nothing more than to see the JDRF succeed!

This year, I’m asking friends and family, rather than giving presents that may or may not get used, to donate to the JDRF and help find a cure for diabetes. Every little bit helps, and I know most are strapped during the holidays, but giving doesn’t have to just happen now. Any time of the year, a few extra dollars can really help take research to the next level.

So, if you’re feeling extra generous head on over to http://jdrfillinois.org and click that Donate button. In the special instruction, be sure to mention Jump for Diabetes so we can keep a running tally of how much this wonderful community has supported the cause.

Wishing you and yours a very, merry holiday season.

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Bucket List

This is such a cliche blog topic it almost makes me want to vomit just thinking about it. But, here I am, writing about it again anyway.

See here’s the thing, everyone goes through these periods where they become acutely aware of their own mortality – as skydivers, this has a tendency to creep up on us from time to time.

I’ve written pseudo bucket lists before – participated in blogger challenges like the “30 before 30″ list and all the jazz – but to me, those things are a bit self-centered (yes, I realize that, at it’s core, blogging is pretty self-centered, but bear with me here if you could).

This time of the year I have a tendency to get pretty reflective – to look back at the year, what I’ve accomplished vs. what I set out to do. I’m not one for “new year’s resolutions,” but I do like to set goals for myself just to keep me going. At the beginning of the year, I’m not going to lie, I was struggling with a lot. My heart and soul was focused on fixing what was wrong inside me and in the environment surrounding me, and I have to admit, as the end of 2011 is bearing down, I came out on top. Take that 2011.

Along with the changes, the accomplishments and the overall happiness that surrounds my world, December has brought on reflections not of myself, but of others in need.

As you’re all very aware, one of the things I pride myself on is the yearly Jump for Diabetes event that helps raise funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research foundation and support diabetes research. It’s a cause close to my heart, and given that my husband is the founder of this wonderful event, it makes me even prouder that our little family is able to do something to give back every year.

(Small plug here, but if you want to continue to support our cause, you can do so throughout the year at http://jdrfillinois.org and when you click Donate Now, enter Jump for Diabetes in the special instructions. Help us get to our goal and find a cure for diabetes!)

With that, I’ve realized that a true bucket list is about more than what you want to accomplish, the places you want to visit and things you want to purchase by a set date, it’s about how you want to live your life and the ways you want to leave your mark on the world before you pass on.

I’m a firm believer that bucket lists are not set in stone, rather, they’re living, breathing documents that allow us to focus our energies on those things we want to accomplish in our lives. If thought through properly, a bucket list can set the tone for your adult life, provide a foundation for where you want to go, and give you motivation to achieve those goals. It’s not simply a list of to-dos, but a guide for who you want to become.

So below, in no particular order (hence, this list is not numbered) are a few of those things I see as bucket list material. Maybe one day I’ll sit down and draft my bucket list in full and post it here for all to see – but then, it’s seems rather “finalized,” and I like the idea of always being able to alter your path as changes occur in your life. For now, you get to see a few of my goals for living a positive, enjoyable life I can be proud to call mine.

Personally impact one person’s life in a positive way.

Give back in ways that life has provided for me (through mentorship, career and skydiving support, etc)

Spend one holiday season volunteering.

Travel.

Establish a not-for-profit and spread the word (this one, though accomplished, will be ongoing throughout my life).

Appreciate. (My husband, my extended family, my career, my health, my friends – appreciate all the good life has to offer, even when times are tough)

Commit to health and fitness with green smoothies, limited processed foods, regular workouts, etc.

Give animals in need a home: always adopt from rescue organizations and foster homes.

Don’t miss out on great opportunities because of obligation. Carpe diem – live life to it’s fullest.

Spend every day as if it might be the last – with friends, family and love in my heart.

I have to be honest, I really wanted to put something on this list about living out my wedding vows, and loving my husband. But truth be told, I don’t need to put that on a list, it’s something that comes completely natural to me. Appreciate… even when times are tough, seemed more appropriate, as I, like many people, struggle with focusing on the bad, even when so many things are good and right in my life.

What are some things you’d put on your bucket list? They can be specific or broad, but how do you want to live your life? How do you see your future playing out?

Love and blue skies!

Ashley

Jump for Diabetes at Skydive Chicago

Well it’s official folks, the 3rd annual Jump for Diabetes will be held at Skydive Chicago.

As I mentioned in the last post, this year’s event is going to be low key compared to the past couple years. We’re encouraging jumpers from all over the country to take part by collecting pledges for their jumps for the weekend (Aug 12-14) to support diabetes research.

Remember folks: tax write off here!

For those who plan to attend at Skydive Chicago, here’s what you can look forward to:

* Saturday night raffle: Tickets are being sold for $25 each or 6 for $100.
Prizes include:
-PD main or reserve canopy (grand prize)
-Bonehead Helmet
-Free Taste of Base with Miles Daisher
-Cookie Helmet package
-Free first flight course with Flock U at SDC
-% off Vigil
-% off Infinity and Wings container
-% off Bev Suit
-SDC gear store discounts
-And MUCH more!

For the price of a lift ticket you have a chance to win a new canopy, or other badass prizes, just like that. We’ll continue to keep you posted over at the Facebook Page as we get more sponsors.

* Support the cause with each skydive: For those who want to participate and are feeling a bit too lazy to go out and collect pledges from their friends and family, you can help the cause just by jumping. If you’re at Skydive Chicago Aug 12-14, all you have to do is tell manifest when you check in that you’re Jumping for Diabetes and a portion of your skydive will be donated to the cause. Thanks Rook, for generously taking part!

We’ll be hanging out at Summerfest this year selling tickets, handing out pledge forms and working some general excitement for this incredible cause. Or, you can always email jumpfordiabetes@gmail.com to enter the raffle, get your pledge sheet or simply to find out how to donate to the cause.

So many of us have been touched by diabetes in one way or another, let’s all join together to help find a cure for this disease, shall we?

Love and Blue Skies!

Ashley

Jump for Diabetes Round 3

Movie Monday

As you’ve likely heard me say before, Mondays are bad for me. They’re the busiest day of the entire week at the office and most of the time I’m trying to catch up with chores at home from being away all weekend.

The former still applies, however having kept close to home this weekend I was able to find a little spare time to put together a couple of promised videos – from the Work Stinks! Boogie and Jump for Diabetes (about time, right?)!

So, while I bust my butt at the office, you can take some time on your Monday to enjoy the highlights of two of my favorite skydiving events every year.

Jump for Diabetes 2010

Work Stinks! Boogie 2010

Blue Skies!

Ashley

How Skydiving Changed My Life

This is one of my favorite columns in Parachutist Magazine and one of those things I make time to read in every issue. Some of these people have incredible stories of how they got into the sport and how being a skydiver has completely changed their lives.

Looking back over the year and change that I’ve been a part of this sport and a part of the community, I can add myself to that list of people who feel like their lives have been completely turned upside down since skydiving entered their life. I can also say that my life has changed for the better, and in some ways, I feel like it saved me.

Though my story is sort of ho-hum when you look at those featured in Parachutist, so instead of submitting to the magazine, I thought I’d share right here on the blog .

For those who have been following along since day 1, this may not come as much of a surprise, but for those who have picked up in the middle, you might pick up a thing or two about my journey in this crazy world of skydiving.

________________

Skydiving has changed my life in so many ways, it’s hard to know where to begin. I suppose I’ll start at the beginning (that would make sense…right?).

In my early 20s all that mattered to me was my career. My friends from college were scattered across the country and none of us were making enough money yet to visit each other, so rather than spend time building a new life, I spent it behind a computer, working my way to the top. My efforts did not go unrewarded. Promotions happened frequently and I earned my position in social media marketing through hard work and dedication to my company and my clients.

No regrets there. I worked hard for my successes and am proud of where those efforts have taken me. But something was missing. I wasn’t passionate about my life. I got up in the morning because I knew I had to in order to get ahead, in order to pay the bills, in order to save enough money to take trips to see my friends that I missed so dearly. I worked hard to find myself again, blogging about life and the “adventures” I had meeting new people and traveling for work, but in the end, these corporate trips were not sufficiently scratching the itch that the travel bug was constantly giving me. So 3 years into my career I took my first real vacation, one in which I made my first skydive, and had my eyes opened to what life really has to offer – what it means to truly be alive. It showed me what I was missing, that there’s more to life than getting ahead in the corporate world, that life needs more facets than just career success.

Skydiving presented a new personal challenge, and a new challenge is just what I needed…something to keep me on my toes, something to remind me that I’m alive! It showed me just how strong I am, just how much I am capable of overcoming – it showed me that I can do just about anything I set my mind to. Never did I imagine that I would learn so much about myself in such a small amount of time. Skydiving freed my soul from the confines of those things that are proper in life, the boundaries and the you shoulds that are forced upon you throughout your childhood and into your adult life. Skydiving showed me that you never really have to grow up!

Though it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, let me tell you that. Skydiving presented some hard lessons along the way too. I quickly learned what it means to not be invincible, that bad things can happen to anyone if you get complacent. These lessons presented themselves in the sky and on the ground. The community surrounding the sport taught me the importance of heightened awareness – keep your eyes and heart open, be prepared for the unexpected, you never know when a fellow jumper might make that wrong turn under canopy, but you might be surprised with whom you make deeper connections. For me, I was able to meet, fall in love with, and get engaged to my best friend and the love of my life because I was involved in skydiving and open to new experiences. I’ve also been able to meet and connect with a number of incredible skydivers with hearts larger than even SkyGod’s ego. Experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world!

Above all else, skydiving has taught me the importance of being a part of something greater than myself. It’s shown me how critical the community around you is to your well-being. There needs to be a sense of trust and understanding with those whom you share the sky. As skydivers, we inherently understand what makes each other tick, our common bond is one that the majority of the world will never understand. I’ve found that this sense of togetherness is strengthened when the community joins to support a cause that goes beyond that of the individual skydiver and truly tugs at your soul. Coordinating Jump for Diabetes this year gave me a glimpse of the immense generosity of the individuals within the skydiving community. It was so incredibly heart-warming to see so many manufactures, skydivers and their family and friends come out to support a cause that is greater than all of us combined. It speaks volumes about the type of people the sport attracts, and further solidifies why I continue to be drawn to the skydiving community.

What all these lessons from the world of skydiving have in common is this: be passionate. Having passion for something, anything (whether it’s skydiving, or tending a garden, or raising a family, or a multitude of life’s treasures) makes life fulfilling. Passion gives you something to live for, it provides motivation, it gives you a better sense of who you are as a person; a living, breathing human being who is on this Earth for a reason. Since I started skydiving little more than a year ago, I’ve found that I live my life with purpose. There are numerous facets of Ashley that I’m proud to admit have all become priority – friends, family, travel, career, new experiences, photography, writing, health & wellness, and of course, skydiving – these are all things for which I have great love and passion. Skydiving continues to teach me about the person that I want to be, and one step at a time it’s helping me get there.

So tell us dear readers, how has skydiving changed your life?

Love and Blue Skies!

Ashley