Category: boun-sing ideas

June 17, 2013

On Turning 30

Today, I woke up and I was 30. And I’m ok with that. I sort of have neutral feelings about the number. I didn’t dread it like some people do. I didn’t mourn the loss of my 20s. In fact, let me tell you about why I’m going to be lovin’ on turning 30 today:

A cake: that was Peanut’s idea

I have never felt so strong and healthy in my life as I do right now. I work my behind off (literally!) every day to stay strong, vital and disease-free. I like feeling this way. Instead of focusing on all the progress that could be made, I like to think of it as having more opportunities in the future to get even better. It’s not all downhill from here, and I take pleasure in knowing that.

I have never felt so completely sure of what I want to do in this life. I’m sure this vision will morph and I will always feel some level of self-doubt, but up to this point, I have never had such a clear picture as to what I was made for. Even just recognizing the desires of my heart as I grow older is so reassuring. If you had asked me what I wanted 5 or 10 years ago, I would’ve had some wavering answer about some fleeting thing. Or I may have said something about how I just didn’t know and I’d wait for the greatest opportunity to present itself to me. I probably wouldn’t have even been able to tell you what I wanted for my birthday, let alone my life. Through trial and error though, I’ve come to know that some passions are just hobbies, some depend on mood, and some…oh those beautiful “some” are delicious. Those are the passions that you just can’t get enough of. That your mind wanders to when it wanders. That your whole body vibrates for. Never have I felt this so strongly as I do right now.

Never have I felt so sure of who my friends are than I do now. In high school, friends are fickle. In college, friends move away. In your 20s, you find your place in the workforce and community and begin to make new connections. In parenthood, you find that your lifelong friends are the ones who forgive you for being late or cancelling when your kids are moody. The ones who are still there…those are the ones you keep close to your heart.

The most perfect card from my sweet co-workers. See, at work, I’m the birthday banner lady:)

Never have I felt more secure in my marriage. Like they say, those first few years are really rough. Any good family psychologist would probably have suggested a separation. But that’s not what we do. We work through those pains, put pieces back together, and make sure they’re super-glued this time. We’ve built a family, we’ve merged dreams, we’ve chipped away at our fixer-upper home, we’ve combined our efforts to make our little world better, and we’ve learned to value one another. I’m sure this part will only get better and I look forward to that, but I can tell you that we’ve already come a long way.

Flowers from my sweathearts

My spirituality has never been quite so intimate as it is today. So many things about God had seemed obscure to me growing up, but make so much more sense now, especially with more experience. It’s something that is difficult even for this writer to explain and so intimate that I don’t know that I’d be able to. This is another relationship that I know will only get much sweeter as I grow older, and I look forward to that. In fact, I thrive upon that.

My biggest tangible goal for turning 30 was to earn my personal training certificate. It’s not just an end in itself. Although I plan to pursue this passion on the side, I have deep-seated desires to make something happen with this. I want to share what I know and help other people live with more vitality and rigor. This was one of those deep-seated passions that I just didn’t want to shelve or ignore. That’s how regrets are born. My first passion has always been writing, which I do for a living. But health and fitness needed their own place in my repertoire. I take the CPT exam in less than 4 weeks and I am so proud of myself for following through on this dream of mine instead of taking the “easy” way out and ignoring it.

In my next 30 years, I hope that my family has expanded whether it be with new in-laws, dear friends, children or grandchildren. I know now that this heart of mine has room for whomever and whatever it is blessed with. There’s no limit to the amount of love that it can handle. I hope to be able to see even more of this Earth than the scant territory than I’ve been exposed to already. I hope to be able to spread my passion for fitness and personal strength to as many people as I can. I hope to use those talents that have been graciously given to me to the best of my potential. I hope to give God an even greater percentage of my focus than I do now, as He so deserves, and grow more deeply in love. I look forward to this next season of my 30s to establish an even firmer base in this world (and derriere) and expand my existence. I’d like to give as much as I possibly can.

I’m lucky to be here in the first place. I’m lucky to have made it to 30. And I look forward to how these next years of my life will transform me even further.

***Also, my workout buddy and I are taking a day off from the gym to have cupcakes for lunch. Now that’s a good friend:) I am also soooo looking forward to that!

June 14, 2013

Chicago Part Two: The City Scenes

Hubster doesn’t like the big city. The air quality was getting to him, the traffic was making his blood thicken, and the sheer number of people put him on edge. He’s a country boy, through and through. I, on the other hand, am completely energized by the big city. The lit-up city skyline makes the place seem magical to me.

Friday, we left home early and got to Chicago by about 1pm. After checking into our hotel, we went to visit the Museum of Science and Industry. Our EAA passes got us into the museum for free. We did end up paying $20 for parking in the ramp though. There is other free parking nearby that we didn’t know about until we left. Parking in a high-security ramp is always a safe bet though.

We only went for general admission, which was definitely more than sufficient for us. That’s not to say I wouldn’t have loved to see the Animals Inside Out exhibit though. Interactive weather stations, business-building kids’ workshops and medical exhibits were more than enough to keep us busy and enthralled. In one of the hands-on biology labs, they were even dissecting cow eyeballs! Our little city life just doesn’t compare sometimes.

Light spectrum piano

Use the wind to keep the balls in the air

Classic static moment

Mini Chicago

Look, they even had a model UPS truck, where Hubster works

We had dinner at a White Castle. We’d never been to one. They don’t exist in Wisconsin. We just watched an episode of Undercover Boss involving the CEO of White Castle, so it was even more interesting to experience the place first hand. I am not exaggerating when I say Hubster ate about 15 sliders. Eating at a White Castle was on his food bucket list, mostly because of our limited exposure to it in Wisconsin. Ok, maybe it’s because he’s a fast food addict, but I digress. Either way, we checked that classy, super-healthy item off the bucket list (sarcasm anyone?). On the way back to the hotel, we caught a glimpse of the Jennifer Hudson Weight Watchers studio, which is very inspiring to someone such as myself.

All day Saturday, I spent at John Hall Studios for my NASM live workshop. You can read about my experience here. Meanwhile, Peanut and Hubster played in the pool, visited the Toys R Us a few doors down (I was the first victim of the water guns they bought), napped and just took it easy. Peanut wasn’t feeling the greatest when we left on Friday, so the slowed-down pace was just what he needed.

After the workshop, we ate at a place called Mattson’s Bar and Grille, which was two doors down from our hotel. We weren’t sure what to expect, and the process was sort of like half fast-food and half hometown restaurant. You order your meal at the front, kind of like at a fast food place. But they bring your freshly cooked food to you at your table. There was a full fresh salad buffet–that’s what I had! Hubster ordered the flatbread beef sandwich but didn’t have room for it after his buffet run. Leftovers! It was an interesting place. A warning though, they charge you just to walk in the door. We found that we had a $2.00 charge just for dining there. I’m sure this is to supplement tips and such, since they really didn’t have waiters.

Interesting mural over the ordering area

Beautiful stained glass around the building. Cell phone pics do no justice.

On our way home on Sunday, we stopped at an Oasis over the freeway just for the experience. Not a huge deal for most people, but for us (especially Peanut) it was something new. It’s not every day that we get to order a smoothie from McDonald’s while watching traffic pass under us.

We also made a short stop in Port Washington to visit a family friend on our way home. Port Washington is one of the most amazing Milwaukee-ish suburbs. You could almost describe it as a quaint little resort town. Fresh fish is in abundance and if you ever stop by on Fish Day, you’ll see one of the best parades and festivals you’ve ever seen in Wisconsin. Even the public restrooms down by the pier were nicer than some restaurant restrooms I’ve seen. It’s pretty much a prerequisite in Port Washington that you must visit their historical lighthouse.

We ate dinner at Tello’s Grille and Cafe in Port Washington before making the rest of our 1+ hr trip home. Tello’s offered an interesting mix of Greek and Mexican food. It was like a Greek and a Mexican got married, decided to open a restaurant, and couldn’t decide on what type of food to make, so they made both. After digging deeper, the story is much cooler than that. Check out some of their history here. The interior was segmented between a dining area and a bar area with a small dining section in the middle. This worked well since there was a graduation party going on, and we didn’t feel like we were imposing or interrupted by it at all. The restaurant also had a cute outdoor setup, where a couple was dining with their pup. It’s one of those quaint little settings that looks just as cute in person as it does in pictures.

I thoroughly enjoyed this giant Greek salad

The architectural details in Tello’s are beautiful

It’s always amazing how one short three-day trip can re-energize a person. I need to keep that in mind when I start to feel overwhelmed and wanderlust-full. Just a few simple three-day weekends sprinkled throughout my mortal days are enough to give me a jolt of renewed energy.

This coming weekend, we’re already taking another trip to a cabin in Door County Wisconsin. My parents are treating us to a weekend getaway to celebrate my birthday (which is Monday). Hopefully I’ll be back with some fun stories about that.

June 2, 2013

DIY Yoga Mat Holder Tutorial

If there’s one thing that makes me feel like I’m contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle, it’s by reusing and recycling items that I already have or have bought secondhand for new uses. One such project that was born from my recycling efforts is this DIY yoga mat strap.

I used the black holder that came with my yoga mat (from Target) as sort of a guide when designing my mat holder. The way the strap loops around itself inspired me to produce something similar with a more aesthetically pleasing piece of fabric.

A scarf is the perfect piece of long piece of finished fabric that you can use for this project, and you can usually find scarves in an array of colors and patterns at your local thrift store or your closet. Mine was from St. Vincent de Paul. If you wanted to use other fabric, simply stitch up the edges and then follow the steps below for the looping effect.

You’ll need a scarf, sewing machine (you could do this by hand), and thread that matches your scarf.

1. First, you’ll want to loop one end of your scarf around itself the way this black strap does.

First loop one end under the rest of the scarf:

Then, loop the end back over on top of the fabric and pin the short end in place.

Do the same with the other end and pin in place.

Then, sew along the edge where you pinned the scarf together. Be sure that the wrong sides of the fabric are facing each other when you sew. Repeat on both ends. You could definitely do this simple sewing by hand.

That’s all you have to do, and you have a handy little carrying strap for your mat. Pretty easy, right?

I do think I would’ve liked a little bit longer scarf to create a longer shoulder strip. I can fit this one around my arm, but it really is more the length of a hand strap. I will surely take a trip back to the thrift store for some more scarves. This makes a great gift for the health nut or yoga enthusiast on your list. And it literally takes only a few minutes to put together, once you get that looping thing down.

I’m thinking about doing a giveaway with one of these. Let me know what you think in the comments. If you do use this tutorial, leave a link for me so I can see what you made. Happy sewing!

June 1, 2013

Elkhart Lake Wisconsin Weekend Retreat

A few weekends ago, I went on a women’s retreat with my mom’s church to Elkhart Lake, WI. Now, anyone from Wisconsin knows the beauty and charm that Elkhart Lake is known for, even those who have never visited it. It’s a resort town. In fact, one of its greatest features is the grand Osthoff Hotel.

The Osthoff is situated on a cute little lake with a public pass-through path. It’s a great place for a wedding. In fact, there were at least three going on the weekend we stayed there. One happened right in the “living room” area of the hotel. We gawked and “awwwed” from the upper level windows as the bride walked down the aisle. The backyard area is the most picturesque place for wedding photos.

Our speaker for the retreat was Jennifer Sands, whose husband was a victim of the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. That travesty led her to her spiritual transformation and powerful speaking and writing career. I guarantee that you can’t listen to her story without shedding some tears. I even won one of her books, which I had her sign, and am eagerly waiting to dive into it.

I really wish we could’ve stayed longer at the hotel. We had so many ongoing sessions, that we had little time to relax and watch cardinals from our balcony. Our hotel room was more like an apartment, complete with two whole bedrooms (mine’s pictured below), two bathrooms, a living room and a kitchenette. I would’ve happily lived there:) Except I would miss my little family a little too much.

The food we were provided was excellent too. We had two formal meals while there. Only downside was, they served fish and I can’t eat fish. But, the quality of the food and the amazing staff make up for that. Plus, no one told me you had to list your dietary restrictions beforehand. Ah well.

Speaking of food, the Osthoff actually offers gourmet cooking classes inside their amazing cooking school. We peeked in the kitchen and it’s pretty neat. I’ve never seen anything like that before in my little Wisconsin existence. I could see Hubster and I spending our anniversary there, learning how to make French cuisine together. That would be so up our alley. Well actually, gourmet burgers would be so up his alley, but you get the point.

I was even able to stay pretty active during our stay. One of the church members is a licensed Zumba instructor, so mom and I got up early on Saturday to get schwetty. I also took a little stroll around the quaint downtown area and ended up accidentally making one big loop right back to where I came from. I would imagine it’s even more fun when it’s a lot warmer with the multitude of indoor and outdoor pools and public beaches. The Osthoff also has a workout center if none of those other options please you.

I’m so glad I went on this trip to get a little refresh. I remember taking short trips with youth group growing up and remembering how transformed and refreshed I always felt afterward. It was about time that I let myself get away for a little retreat from life as I usually know it.

If you’re ever in the Elkhart Lake area, I would highly suggest booking a room at this hotel.

May 29, 2013

My Superfood Garden

The term “superfood” sometimes carries a stigma of being too overly-trendy or of-the-moment, gone-tomorrow variety since it’s been used with such abandon. This week it’s acai berry, next week it’s chia seeds. While some of those foods definitely live up to the criteria of superfoods (whatever those criteria actually are), I think that there are some truly miraculous unsung heroes of the backyard garden variety.

This week, Peanut and I got dirty and planted a garden in our little plot of land on this earth. My mom likes to buy my garden plants for me as my birthday present–the perfect gift for a health-loving lady. Peanut likes to help plant, but mostly he gets distracted by trying to find as many worms as possible while I’m digging.

Here’s a rundown of what we’ll be harvesting this year and the corresponding health benefits from one of my favorite books, 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth.

Bok choy: contains indoles which have been linked to a lower cancer risk. For a whopping one cup of the shredded vegetable (9 calories), you get loaded up with calcium, potassium, beta-carotene, and vitamin A.

Green pepper: Loaded with vitamins C, A, K and potassium.

Lettuce: not listed

Broccoli: contains isothiocyanates which shut down carcinogens, helping to prevent various cancers from lung to esophageal cancer. It can also inhibit the growth of some tumors, including mammary tumors. Lutein and zeaxanthin in broccoli have been shown to prevent macular degeneration. There are also other antioxidants, vitamins and phytochemicals that are scientifically proven to fight all sorts of cancers. It tops all experts’ top 10 lists of healthy foods.

Cucumber: not listed

Onion: Onion is hands-down a prime cancer-fighting food. The effects of onions on three cancers studied include stomach, prostate and esophageal cancers. They also help build stronger bones and significantly reduce mortality rates from coronary heart disease. Onions are highly anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antiviral. Sulfides in onions also may help lower blood lipid levels and blood pressure.

Beans: Offers about 10% of the RDI of folate in a prime ratio of folate to amino acids that allows it to be absorbed properly by the body. One cup will give you about 4g of fiber and a bunch of vitamins and minerals: calcium, vitamin A, potassium, manganese, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.

Tomatoes: tomatoes are of course rich in lycopene, which has shown to be a strong proponent against prostate cancer. Other strong evidence points to lycopene’s effects on stomach, lung, pancreatic, colorectal, esophageal, oral, breast and cervical cancers. It’s also a heart-healthy vegetable, reducing heart attack risk, slowing the thickening o arteries, and reducing blood pressure. Lutein in tomatoes is a protector of eyesight. Not only that, but they are also packed with other beneficial vitamins.

Acorn squash: a fiber powerhouse, packing 9g of fiber per cup. In other words, they are highly filling for a very low calorie budget (115 calories). High fiber diets themselves protect against heart disease and cancer. It also is overflowing with potassium and even contains some iron.

And I didn’t plant just any ole tomatoes. This “Health Kick” variety definitely had my name written all over it. 50% more lycopene? Sign me up!

I also had Peanut help me plant a small backyard herb garden–just about the only garden I haven’t overloaded yet.

Parsley: now, if I were going to invent some weird new-age cleanse diet, I would definitely add parsley to the mix. All kidding aside, the often “optional” herb is actually a strong detoxifier and deodorizer. The chlorophyll also helps to stop bacterial growth and counter toxins. The mild diuretic properties aid in kidney function. Diabetics may benefit from the herb’s ability to reduce blood glucose levels.

Basil: not listed.

Oregano: Rich in a whole assortment of nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium, copper, boron, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin A and niacin. It has an impressively high antioxidant content–more than most fruits and vegetables. Compounds in oregano have anti-fungal, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, and anti-inflammatory properties. It can actually inhibit the growth of at least 10 microbes.

We also have a few beds around the garage for our perennial edibles, including asparagus, rhubarb, chives and mint. I could break those down for you too, but I’ll leave that research up to you. They’re all amazing powerhouses, I assure you.

Now, you may be thinking that you need to own a 3-acre plot of land to grow this stuff. My garden is just 8′ x 11′ . Admittedly, I somehow tend to overpopulate my garden every year (at the nursery, my eyes are way bigger than my garden), but this small plot is definitely sufficient for your standard-issue salad fixings with all the health benefits.

And let’s be clear, gardening isn’t just for cute retired grammies. It’s also for anyone from the hip, urbanite to the low-income family. If you’re ready celebrate the marvelous miracle of regular veggies, you’re ready for a garden.

See, and he’s only four!

What are you planting this year?

Now, go get those pretty little hands dirty!

May 24, 2013

Elevate the Everyday

There’s a whole world of difference between eating your lunch alone in your cubicle and having your husband call you up to split a cupcake.

See, what he really likes to do is to take these little “riding” dates, with me on my moped and him on his motorcycle. I’m pretty sure driving on two wheels has brought our hearts a little closer.

Little dates in the middle of the work week are pretty special.

This cupcake lived up to its name: “Lick the Spoon”

“You can’t buy happiness, but you can buy cupcakes

and that’s kind of the same thing.” Exactly!

We are lucky enough to have a little a la carte cupcake boutique in our town where you can get the most mind-blowing cupcakes ever. The owner is quite the award-worthy confectionery artiste! To boot, every single flavorful cupcake is filled with something delicious, whether it’s berry jelly, flavored pudding or butter cream frosting. Even fitness fanatics like me have been known to fall hard for this place (hence why Hubster offered to “split one” with me). I know for a fact that I’m not the only one;)

I think occasionally visiting a place like this or lying in the grass by the river with Hubster on my lunch break is something worth celebrating. I am all about elevating the everyday, and this is such a simple way to create a meaningful experience where there normally wouldn’t be one.

Do something unexpected on your lunch break today, just for me, ok?

May 15, 2013

Looking Fear in the Eye

I have a confession to make. I worry. Like, a lot. I’m a mom and I’m getting older, I guess, so it seems there are more things to fear than ever. I can sometimes be a bit of a WebMD-induced hypochondriac and see myself splattered all over the highway whenever I ride behind my husband on his motorcycle. Whenever my son climbs on the railings at the park, my stomach flops thinking about him falling. Most people can probably relate. In fact, I don’t like to talk about it much, but around Labor Day last year, I was diagnosed with an anxiety-related thang by my doctor. Severe anxiety is a regular part of my life, so I have to make a conscious effort to relieve or prevent that anxiety on a daily basis.

However, part of the prevention process of anxiety is facing your fears, as contradictory as it sounds. I think, in life, the more you face your fears, the more resilient you become. You take more chances in other areas of your life and push beyond your perceived limits. If you’re not a little fearful at times, you might not be living up to your full potential, imho.

Buying my new moped is one of the small ways in which I’m facing my fears. At first, I was pretty reluctant to drive around solo–I once dumped a small motorcycle and it wasn’t pretty. In fact, just yesterday, I rode the moped to work and did indeed almost get hit by a car. (Please don’t text and drive people, it’s truly terrifying!!!) The moped also stalled at an intersection and I had to react fast to avoid a traffic situation behind me. Though those experiences were a bit stressful, and the idea of riding around in an open-air vehicle makes me feel extremely vulnerable, I am actually happy that I made the purchase and pushed myself beyond my comfort zone.

Whether it’s driving a moped or hiking a mountain, I can feel myself growing with each new experience. I find myself much more capable of things that I didn’t even realize. It’s confidence-building and anxiety-busting. Some days, it just makes me happy to still be alive. It makes the feeling of being alive a little sharper, especially when you’re riding in the open air. Go do something today that scares you, ok?

Please leave a comment and let me know what you’ve done lately that has scared you to pieces?

May 13, 2013

A Peek into my Daily Planner

Today I am giving you a sneak peek into my real-life planner to show you how I plan out everything from blog posts to workouts to family events.

I originally intended to create my own planner in Microsoft Publisher or some other program, but it was getting too tedious and, as I decided, unnecessary. The problem is that I wanted to track too many things in one place and that got a little bit out of hand.

All the things I’d like to track:

Blog posts
Family events
Birthdays and special occasions
Workouts: time, type, calories, miles
Daily gratitudes
Bill due dates
Work-specific projects
My son’s milestones/memorable moments
Weekly menu planning
Daily to-do list
Bible reading plan/notes
Goal-tracking

Ok, so you can see how this might get a little overwhelming. Taking a step back, I thought about how I could get all of these onto one page or how I could narrow down all of these trackers a little bit. The answer came to me from inside a little bag from a vendor here at work. Colored gel pens!

With that, I grabbed a leather-like journal cover I had, a 2013 planner already in my possession (cut down just a bit to fit inside the journal), and a few sheaths of paper and got to work.

Instead of tracking everything separately, now I track everything together, just in different colors. That way, it’s easy to see what’s what and to see everything at the same time. Also, it helps prevent me from lugging a giant-sized planner with me everywhere. I really didn’t want something else to lug around. I’m a mom, so that’s a constant concern of mine.

Here’s my color key:

Orange=special dates
Purple=workouts
Green=blog topics
Blue=family events
Red=work-related items

On each date block, I record all things listed in my color key above. I try to keep family events and birthday reminders toward the top, blog post topics in the middle and workouts toward the bottom. That way, I have a nice consistent structure. I just write out workouts as you can see below, with miles and calories listed if I’m tracking them. Simple enough!

I then record milestones and memorable occasions in the little “notes” section. I transfer those dates and events to a yellow sheet tucked in the back of the journal. This way, when the year is over, I can recycle the planner right away but still keep a record of important moments throughout the year. Sometimes I’ll use these dates for scrapbooks or memory books. It’s just nice to have a list of each year’s accomplishments, even if they aren’t put into a scrapbook. We all know how hard it is to remember when you took that amazing vacation or which day your toddler learned how to form a sentence. I’ve been doing this since my son was a baby, and I can tell you for certain that had I not written his first steps, first tooth, first haircut in my planner, I never would have remembered when they happened. It’s also neat to be able to go back over these sheets each year and see what you were able to accomplish.

Isn’t this just the cutest?

My entire planner stays on my desk at work so I don’t have to cart yet another thing around on my poor shoulders. Sometimes I take the planner home on the weekends if we have a particularly full weekend planned. However, I do sometimes get into trouble when people ask me what I’m doing three weekends from now and I don’t have the planner in front of me, but oh well.

Grocery lists and meal plans, I’m keeping on separate sheets. I just use a printable like this to plan out my meals and what ingredients I’ll need to pick up. Then, I hang the list from the fridge and reference it throughout the week. This way, I don’t have to lug around a separate food journal and I can simply recycle the sheet at the end of the week. Plus no one ever asks what we have to eat in the house/for dinner. The act of actually eating healthy is strongly dependent upon a healthy meal planning system–fail to plan, plan to fail. If I’m tracking my food calorie for calorie (I do so occasionally to make sure I’m on track), I use the online calculator on SparkPeople.

Daily to-do lists I’m also keeping separate in a teeny little Tone it Up journal from the Cyber Monday deal. I may insert a post-it here and there to remember this or that without wasting pages. I keep the journal in my purse to stay on task each day. This is where my goals are broken down into steps and phone numbers are written down for those I need to contact–that sort of thing.

I have another separate notebook, divided by subject, that I keep blog brainstorms and tips of the trade in. I also jot down helpful blog layout tutorials and traffic-building ideas in there. This notebook usually stays at home next to my computer and I only reference it or transfer ideas into it when needed. It’s not something that I need to worry about keeping track of on a daily basis, because my blog post ideas are usually spread out over the week in my planner already.

I’ve decided to go with a gratitude journal app on my phone instead of keeping paper copies of that too. I do like to look back on these (i.e. don’t want to throw them away), but I don’t want to keep a paper notebook of them (more clutter). So, I’m recording these digitally, only when I feel I need a boost or have something really special to record. Yes, I do think a gratitude journal is important enough to not exclude. There is so much research out there that correlates gratitude journals to happiness. They help change thought patterns to the positive, encourage you to embrace what is going right, remind you of all that you have, and help you feel fulfilled (just Google it). I ain’t giving that up!

So there you have it, a glimpse into the real-life planning system of a regular momma, writer, and fitness fanatic. Doable right? How do you keep everything straight?

April 12, 2013

Finding the Beauty

~Better every day

I strive to follow this mantra each day I am alive. Sometimes I need a gentle reminder though. I like to try to do things better, be better, live better every day. I could always be more patient, more organized or less negative (just ask Hubster). I could always try to run a little faster or eat a little healthier.

Don’t get me wrong though. I don’t want this to sound like I beat myself up for not being the best at everything. I criticize myself enough already. No. This is about striving to be a better human each day, to make each day a little more special, to revive the mundane with a touch of pretty.

Making each day special takes work, but the type of work that it more than worth it. Deciding to do an art project with your children instead of offering them more screen time takes some preparation, but the memories and outcome far outweigh the effort. When your campfire is extinguished by the rain, take the s’mores inside and laugh as you roast them over the stove.

Certain things like slow drivers, chores, and weather consequences can be a source of extreme aggravation to some people. With a little practice though, you can change your mindset. When it’s supposed to be spring and you find yourself in the midst of a thunder/sleet storm that puts your yard completely under water and threatens approach upon your basement, you can either complain about it…

…or set up your water pump and search out the beauty that the day brings…

Fighting something that you have little control over just causes stress and emotional turmoil. It’s not worth the worry. Just try my strategy. Find the beauty in it.

Let’s all try to get better at finding the beauty, shall we?

And just this once, let your kid get you with a can of silly string when you get home from work.

February 14, 2013

Birthday Banner DIY: Tassels

I love a good tassel. I’m not a fan of tasseled shoes or curtains, but give me some pretty yarn tassels in a bunting banner, and I just might swoon. I’ve seen some tassel DIY’s out on the interwebs, but I just wanted something really really simple. So, I decided to create my own DIY.

First, cut and gather a handful of 12″ strips of yarn. Let’s say, about 10 strips total for a thinner tassel. Add as many more strips as you’d like to beef up the effect.

Fold the strips over the top of what will be your hanging string.

Then, take one side of the tassel, wind it around the other tail,

and form a knot around the banner string.

By wrapping one tail around the other, versus just tying a knot at the bottom,

you create the tassel-like effect seen here:

Continue making and attaching tassels until you get the desired effect.

I then made a “happy birthday” banner overlay using alpha stencils and matching scrapbook paper.

*Brushes hands together* That’s it, my friends! Another birthday celebrated in handmade style.

Check out my other birthday banner creations:

One: Fringe Benefits Banner DIY

Two: Lacy Doily Banner DIY