It's Going To Be Hard

I signed up for local workout camp.  You pay a lot of money up front, meet with a nutritionist, and  personal trainer 5 times a week for 6 weeks.  And if you lose 20 lbs in that time frame, you get you're money back.

So this morning, I started measuring and weighing my food/drinks again.  Not bad and I'm used to it.  But I haven't really cut anything out.  But I know that they will want me to cut things out.  So I used less cream and sugar in my coffee.  And had less coffee.  No sweets planned until #1's birthday this weekend.  This is where it's going to be hard.  I love my coffee.  I love my full fat and full sugar creamer too.  And it is just not the same.

And although I know that I need to do this, I already want to give up.  I don't want to wake up at 5:30 every morning to be at the gym by 6.  I also don't want to give up my coffee, and my dressings for salad, and gravy.  But that's also why I need to do this bootcamp.  It's a vicious circle I tell you.  VICIOUS.

So between party planning and getting the kiddo back to his routine for school starting next week, I will be getting my mind and body used to the next 6 weeks ahead.  And while I won't be full fledged bootcamp style this week, it's a start.  And any start is a move towards a good direction.

I Finished

Yep, I finished all my Christmas sewing before Christmas eve.  I even had all the wrapping done.  Now that Christmas has come and gone, I've started birthday party planning and sewing.  I know that Christmas, and both boy's birthdays are the same day every year.  In 2014, I so plan on being more organized, sewing wise anyways.

For hubby's side of the family, I decided to do personalized oversized pillows.  The actual pillow didn't take that long.  It was the putting the name on there with my freemotion foot.

I had 7 of these pillows to do.  I wanted to do something quick and easy.  So what I did was buy a yard of each fabric.  Then I just folded it in half and sewed around the edges.  I put black fleece on the backside and then freemotion quilted the name on backwards. That was fun.  Anyways, they turned out great for kids.  I wish they were a little neater.  But I'm working on the technique.  And all the kids loved them.

And while I liked them.  And the kids liked them.  But they were hard to wrap and they took up a whole lot of space.  But they were a hit and worth it.

See, took up lots of space.

So today I went to the quilt shop, and Target, and JoAnn.  I got fabric for a quilt, an oversized pillow, and fabric for our 4-H project on Friday.  And I also got some stuff for the big kid's party next week.  But that's a whole other post.

A Change Of Plans

So at the beginning of the month, I posted about these great stick ponies I made for my niece and nephew.   You know these cuties....

Then I took one to mail to my sister.  And the post office said it would be $128 and some change to ship it.  Yep.  ONE HUNDRED, TWENTY EIGHT DOLLARS.  To ship a 3.2 lbs box to Massachusetts.  Yeah.  I also shipped a 4 lb box with the cherry quilt to Pennsylvania for $12 and some change.  When I call the USPS, they quoted me $15.99.  That was in November.  And the guy behind the counter said the rates go up during the holidays.

So yeah.  I had to make a last minute change.  I browsed my pinterest boards.  And then browsed my stash.  And then I found some left over fabric from his baby blanket.  And came up with a crayon/book holder.

I think he'll love it.  My guys think it's great too.  Looks like I'll be making a couple after the holidays.  Hubby thought it was so great, he said I should enter it into the fair.  I'm still undecided about the fair.  And on a plus side.....   it's going to be a lot cheaper to ship.

Merry Cherry Christmas

I'm in an awesome mommy group.  Well... 2 awesome groups.  One for each kiddo.  But this Christmas, I decided to participate in the Christmas exchange for the youngest age group.  Easier to not disappoint.  Jet got paired with a girl.  So I decided to make a quilt.  After several ideas.  But I had enough fabric to make a cherry quilt.  So I decided on that.  That way, the bulk of my spending would be in boxing and shipping.  And I think it turned out cute.  

I decided to go easy.  I need it to be there by the 21st.  So I was a sewing.  I made Jet a cuddle quilt last year for Christmas and got it done in an afternoon.  But everything was pre-cut.  So I had enough fabric to make another toddler sized quilt.  I cut all the fabric into strips and sewed the backing together on Saturday.  Sunday afternoon I sewed all the strips on.  

I measured out the back and cut the strips so that I started at one end and sewed to the other end.  I love quilt as you go.  It's so much faster.   Especially on smaller quilts like this one. 

But it does come with some problems every once in a while.  I used my "new to me" sewing machine that I bought for 4-H use.  And I'm glad I did since I ran into a rat's nest.  Literally.

I had to work out some tension issues apparently.  I just wish it wasn't 5 rows in.  LOL.  

Today I cut, pinned and sewed the binding on.

I think it turned out cute.  And a little bigger than crib/toddler size.  It came out to 54.5" by 65".   I think it turned out super cute.  And it's big enough to grow into a little bit.  I bought this fabric about 9 years ago.  I originally bought it for my grandma.  And then she mentioned she saw some other fabric that ended in her getting a different quilt all together.  And then I figured that it would be as close to a Louis Vuitton cherry bag as it gets.  

And now it's all boxed and ready to ship.  I'm hoping they love it.  And I got a lot of days left before I'll know.  Until then, I have 7 more projects to finish up.

Luckily they're going to be overstuffed floor pillows.  And I'll get one done a day.  

And then I will be done with Christmas projects.  And the great thing is, I have enough fabric to make myself a top out of the same cherry fabric. 

WHHOOOAAA! Little Cowboy

Cowboy.  Cowgirl.  It doesn't matter.  I couldn't think of what to get the little people in the family.  My siblings kids are around the same as my youngest.  And every kid at that age is on a different skill level.  So I thought about what Jet liked to do best.  And the only toy he's been playing with is a stick pony.  So I made a couple.

I used mostly what I had.  I'm trying to not to buy more stuff than I need.  It's hard as a crafter not to justify "it."  What "it" is at that moment.  

So I had a sock monkey kit, buttons, ribbons, embroidery thread, and stuffing.  I bought the sticks, and yarn.  And a last minute purchase of a yarn needle.

I can tell you that I didn't follow just one pattern for them.  I went to pinterest and combined several different patterns.  Like I said, I was trying to be money saving this year.

But all in all, I think they turned out great.  Now I just hope to find a box big enough to wrap them in.

November Crafty Stuff

This month we got a lot finished.  Not exactly what I wanted to get done.  But hubby took a two week vacation in the middle of the month.  And we had Thanksgiving and our anniversary thrown in there too.


First hubby had this grand idea about making our own bed.  We were in desperate need of a new one.  And well, I found plans.  He bought lumber and new tools.  And I built a bed.  HAHAHA.  It's definitely the biggest thing I've gotten done so far.  I may make a duplo table for the the bigger legos.  I'm just not sure how the drawer parts work.

 So I got the plans from Ana White.  And instead of putting drawers in right away and spending an extra $100-$200 worth of lumber, we decided to keep the shelves.

 Not too bad for being made from a pile of work.  And well, I probably should have started with something a lot smaller.  But I'm kinda proud that it looks as well as it does.

And even more proud that it has held us up for over 2 weeks now.  We'll put the drawers in once the holidays and boy's birthdays have passed.  So March maybe.  

I decided to build the bed when hubby was on his "staycation".  And his job was to keep the boys occupied while I was cutting and drilling and nailing.  So he had them build their own project.  Well, it was more of the younger watching and bothering the older.  But they can call it their own.

Yep.  Every boy needs a fort.  And they have done a great job with theirs.  However, I'm not sure what to do since they used firewood to build it.  We may have to build a real one.  Out of 2X4's and everything.

And finally.  I did some baking.  Lots of pumpkin rolls, pumpkin bread, and brownies.  But I did make pineapple upside down cupcakes.  From scratch.  

It wasn't as hard as I expected.  And hubby's coworkers loved them.  I just wish I liked cooked fruit. 

But I did taste one with the boys.  And they were good.  

And I did taco cups.

They were good.  But I think I like the taco egg rolls better.  They tasted the same.  The egg rolls were just easier to eat.   

And that's about it for November.   I almost got 2 Christmas presents done and ready to ship.  I'll post about them next month.  I still have to start and finish a quilt, 5 overstuffed floor pillows and maybe something small for the boys.  

Thankfulness

This post was hard to write.  I've been in a funk lately.  And I'm pretty sure nobody has even noticed either.  We've been so busy.  Karate tournaments, 4-H meetings, school projects, Christmas sewing.  You get the idea.  And I've seen people on Facebook, twitter, and instagram posting things of what they're thankful for.

And while that's great and all.  This month has been hard.  And I'm glad it's almost over.  I've watched people post about their fathers and mothers and jobs and husbands and kids and stuff.   But I don't have my father.  He's been gone for 4 years now.  And my mom and step dad pretty much blew us off this year.  And then a couple days ago, our 4-H club donated food to a family in need.  And this mother, who has had so many hardships, cried because we brought her and her family food.  She ugly cried.  And she was so speechless.  It got me thinking about we have as a family.  So I decided to throw all that funk out the window.

Here's what I'm grateful for.

My husband.  Its been a long road for us, but here, today on on our anniversary, we couldn't be happier.  And I'm so glad that we gave up listening to everyone else out there and started listening to each other.

My kids.  My boys are such a blessing.  Before we had kids, hubby was told that he couldn't have kids.  And that was ok.  I was "THAT" woman who didn't need kids because I was going to be a neurosurgeon.  And kids would hold me back.  Then we had one.  And well, the neurosurgeon thing went away and my heart has been captured by these 2 little boys.  And that's ok.  I couldn't imagine my world without them.

Our house.   It might not be the nicest house.  Or the biggest.  But it's our house.  And while life gets crazy, it's our safe place.  The place where we can go and breath and shut the craziness of life out for minute or two.

My career choice.  Ok. Maybe I don't have an actual job.  But I have the most important job ever.  I get to stay at home and raise my boys.  And while, it doesn't pay much, all those hugs and kisses make it worth it.

My "other" family.  Yep, those would be my inlaws.  I haven't quite figured things out with my family.  And there's not any of my family near us.  I'm so very thankful that my mother in law and hubby's family has taken me in as one of their own.  It makes not being near my family easier.  Especially on the holidays.  Not many people have great inlaws apparently.  And those of us who do should treasure that.

I think I'll end my list here for now.  I'm not usually one for those cheesy holiday posts.  But with my funk lately, I think that I needed to post this.

It Was A Success!

We had our first arts and crafts meeting with 4-H.  I needed to have something that all ages and capabilities could do.  So I headed off to pinterest.  And found a great wreath idea to  help destash my quilting fabrics.  And since it was a few days before Thanksgiving.   I thought it might be a great idea for a last minute decoration item.

So I started with strips of fabric and wire hangers.  And surprisingly, the kids all beat me to finishing them.

My wreath.  I used all the leftover strips after the kids were done.

Rionn's wreath.  He was so proud of it that he promptly hung it up before everyone left.

The kids liked them.  And the parents were happy for an easy project and that all the kids were involved.  Except my unhappy baby, who was either overly tired, overly hungry, or mad because Dad wouldn't let him participate.  We had fun.  And everyone finished without any problems.  So I'll call this one a success.  

Welcome To The Family

This last week, we added several members to our new family.  A few weeks ago, hubby came home with a kitten in our garage.  He fed it dog food.  And then my brillant, allergic to cats husband decided we should keep it.  He wants an indoor/outdoor cat that will keep the rodent population down.  Well, she came back.  Apparently the neighbors on both sides of us have been feeding her.  They probably bought cat food.  We fed her canned chicken and tuna.  Because that's what we had.  So this week I bought actual cat food.  And she's stayed around.  I couldn't get her in to the vet to get fixed or shots till the beginning of October.  So here she is.  Meet Hurricane.

And even though her name is Hurricane.  I'll call her Hurri.  And that is what happens when you live in a house with boys.

We also got a couple turtles.  Those were brought by my mother in law.  Apparently she bought a turtle for every grandchild.  Glad we only have 2 kids.  Anyways.  They're the kind of turtles that hibernate from the end of October to March/April.  That's my kind of pet.  And they live outside.  Once they get a little bigger.  And then when they wake up for the summer, we can get them tagged.  But until then, here they are.  I call Rionn's turtle Tubby.  He's always eating.  And Jet's is named Speedy.  They'll probably end up with some ninja turtle name.  But until then, I'm keeping Tubby and Speedy.

The Pinterest Shirt

I love doing 5k races.   I absolutely hate the bulk t-shirts that you get when you do one.  As a plus size woman, they are neither comfortable or flattering.  So I searched pinterest after deciding that I don't need to do a tshirt memory quilt.  So I decide to retrofit it.  And I came up with a tank design that I figured would be easy and cute.  And not to mention time saving.  So this is how I turned this shirt into a tank.

So I started by cutting off arms and the neck.  But here's where I changed it from the pinterest version.  I cut in a straight line just below the neck in the front.  And from the ends of the shoulders in a straight line in the back.  The pinterest version cut straight across the front 1-2" down from the bottom of the collar.  I tried that an a previous shirt.  And it made the shirt way too short.  And the part of the "sleeve" that goes under your arm was too tight.  It was less comfortable than before I hacked it all up.  But altering the pattern on the neck line was better.  That way it kept it's length but fit a bit better in the arms.   It also allowed all the printing on the front and the back to be fully seen.  I used red thread on this shirt so it kinda blended in with the printing.  Depending on the shirt, you'll definitely be sewing over the printing.  

City Fun Days

This last weekend, I didn't get much crafting or sewing done.  It was our city fun days.  They hold a 2 day crazy event weekend every September.  The kick off the weekend with a 5k early Saturday morning.  We did it.  One of hubby's coworkers drove up to run with us and so did a family friend and her son.  Rionn roller bladed the whole the time.  And his buddy rode his scooter.  Hubby's coworker ran the whole thing.  And our friend stayed with the boys.  Jet slept in the stroller the whole race.  LOL.  But there had to be half our city running/skating/walking this year.  I ended up walking with some of the other Kenpo moms that were pushing strollers.

The first 1,000 registered people got t-shirts.  I turned mine into a tank top while Jet was taking nap #2.  I ordered Jet a youth xsmall.  It was still to big.

After the 5K we went to the car and got chairs and walked back to main street to watch the parade.  Rionn's school was in the parade this year.  As well as some of his buddies.   Jet was so excited about the parade.  I forgot this was his first parade where he was aware of his surroundings.  And he loved every minute of it.

Then after the parade, the city has booths, and live bands, and carnival games, and food trucks at the lake.  And boy did the boys have fun.  We went home for lunch and naps.  At the lake, we had tacos from the taco truck.  And went around to all the games and rides.  Jet was too small still for all of the stuff so he made me chase him every second of the evening and late afternoon.  My mother in law came because she loves the lake part of the weekend and the fireworks.  She helped me chase.  

And after the concerts and games were over, they had their fireworks show.  Our city has one of the best around.  Everyone gathers at the soccer fields behind to watch the fireworks.  Not only are they well choreographed, but it looks like you can reach up and touch them.  And I also forgot that this was Jet's first real fireworks show.  And he oohhed and ahhed.  He was so captivated in them.  I think.  It was either the fireworks or the granola bar he had.  Then we came home and headed for bed.  It was a long day.  We stayed home Sunday.  We were tired from all of Saturday's activities.  But I'm sure everyone that went back the second day had a great time.