Newest Creation: Stretchy Spring Floral Hand-made Scarf!

I'm about 35 weeks pregnant right now, but I'm so glad I had the energy to finish this adorable floral scarf today!

I've been feeling pretty tired and miserable during the third trimester of my pregnancy, but yesterday I had a burst of energy and decided to flex my creative muscles and finally finish this cute scarf.

I had measured and cut the fabric a few weeks ago, but couldn't find the energy to actually sit down at my sewing machine and stitch it all together.  But yesterday the energy and motivation arrived, so I used it wisely!

I think this is one of the most well-made and cutest scarves I've ever made, if I do say so myself!

You can click here to purchase this scarf and see my Etsy shop full of other adorable items!

 For sale now in my Etsy shop!

Made from stretchy jersey knit fabric.

Click below to go to my Etsy shop to see this and other scarves! 

https://www.etsy.com/listing/271393753/stretch-floral-rose-infinity-scarf?ref=shop_home_active_1

33rd Week of Pregnancy!

I've officially begun my 33rd week of pregnancy!  Eric & I are so excited to meet our little guy, and I'm SO excited to finally have him out of me!

Our little guy moves around and kicks me all the time--we're wondering if he's going to be a hyperactive little boy once he emerges. 

The funniest thing is when I'm starting to get hungry and the baby begins to kick me and move around inside my belly.  It's almost like he's getting antsy and trying to tell me "Mom, I'm hungry, FEED ME!!!" 

So even if I'm not feeling quite hungry yet, I always listen to the baby when he starts to move around; I know it's time for Mama to eat something!

This Friday Eric & I are going to have a second ultrasound at my hospital, because it's possible that I have a "low-lying" placenta as my OB/GYN calls it.  She noticed it on the 20-week ultrasound awhile back, and said it's nothing to worry about then, but now as I'm getting closer to delivery, she wants to re-assess the position of my placenta.  If it's still too low on Friday, then that means the risk of hemorrage and bleeding may be too high for a normal vaginal delivery, and I'll most likely need a C-section. 

But honestly, I'm okay with either option, as long as both my baby & me are safe and healthy!  I know a C-section will have a longer recovery time than a vaginal delivery, but I'm okay with that.  I'm going to have lots of help for the first couple of weeks after the baby is born, so I think it'll be fine. 

And besides, did you know that 1 out of 3 deliveries are C-sections nowadays?  At least that's what the "What to Expect When You're Expecting" book says.  So my doctors should be very skilled at performing them, at least!

What about you?  Did you have a C-section or a vaginal delivery?  And how did they go?

This Guy...

 This guy right here.  This guy is my little buddy.  (Although he's over 50 pounds, so he's not exactly "little").

This is Levi, my 4.5 year old Border Collie/Australian Cattle Dog Mix mutt.  We rescued him when we lived in Ohio, and he moved all the way across the country to Seattle with us, and our 2 ferrets (both of which passed away over the last couple of years, sadly). He's incredibly social, and has an innate need to be with us, no matter where we are.  He would come into the shower with me, if I let him, ha ha.

Levi is a little high-strung, and he's a big scaredy-cat, afraid of loud noises and sudden movements.  But he's my protector, my running buddy, my naptime heater, my shadow, and my best friend.  I take care of him, and he takes care of me. 

His ears are HUGE and velvety-soft, which I adore.  And his coloring is lovely: with the brownish-red mottling all over, with various patches of white.  People stop us all the time and comment on how cute he is.  People also assume he's a girl, and say things like "She's SO cute!  What's her name???" 

But I don't tell Levi that people think he's a girl.  That might damage his sensitive male ego.  That's the only secret I keep from him. 

I'm interested to see how Levi reacts to having an infant in the house.  Levi's "pack" of humans is expanding, and I think he's going to do great with our baby!  I tell him all the time that "Mama has a baby in her belly" but he doesn't really understand.  But I tell him his little world is going to be turned upside down in about 3 months.  But I think he'll love the baby just as much as he loves us, and that's all that matters.

A LOT has happened since I last posted here.  The biggest news is this:  After about 8 months of trying to conceive, I finally became pregnant around mid-July!

I'm about 5.5 months along at the moment, and everything is going great! My first trimester was extremely difficult for me, as I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in September and being pregnant seemed to increase my painful Fibro symptoms by about 1,000 percent.  I was so nauseous, so constipated, and suffering from so much all-over body pain & soreness, that I was basically an invalid and couldn't get off the couch for 3 months. 

It sucked.  It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and I prayed constantly that the Lord would just let me get through it.  And He did!  Now I'm at the end of my 2nd trimester, and I'm very pleased to report that I feel SO much better.  My Fibro pain has returned to what it was before getting pregnant, and the intense all-day nausea is completely gone.  I'm occasionally still constipated and my back hurts sometimes, but it's actually been a fairly enjoyable experience. 

I didn't start to show until last week or so, and everyone I met took one look at me and said, "You don't look pregnant!" And that always made me chuckle.  For some reason, (maybe because I'm "big boned" and fairly tall for a woman), my belly did not grow very much and I did not look pregnant until very recently.  Which I'm very much okay with, because this has prevented up until now a lot of common, uncomfortable pregnancy side effects, like stretch marks, weight gain, swollen ankles, and back pain.  I don't have any stretch marks so far, and I've actually LOST several pounds of weight, but that's because I couldn't eat much during my first trimester. 

So over the next few months, we'll see how many of these common pregnancy ailments hit me.  But for now, I'm just enjoying the ride, savoring this weird and miraculous experience, and constantly trusting the Lord that He knows what He's doing with me and my baby. 

Stitch Happens Here business on Etsy

I've been busy lately:  with doctors' appointments, our trip to Cincinnati, and working on putting the finishing touches on our small house.  But now that things have settled down a bit, I can focus again on making scarves for my Etsy shop called "Stitch Happens Here."

This adorable, lightweight floral scarf reminds me of a woodland floor.  You can view & purchase this scarf and many others here. 

Earlier this year, I purchased health insurance for the first time in a few years, and have been seeing doctors & specialists over the last few months, trying to figure out what is "wrong" with me.  I've had questions & concerns about my health for the last several years, but could never afford health insurance, so I could not go to the doctor to address these issues.

I'm being referred to a Rhuematologist soon, because both my doctor & I highly suspect that I may have Fibromyalgia.  I've suspected this since around 2009, when I had to suddenly quit working outside the home because of fatigue, pain, and depression issues.  But more on all that later.

I'll write more at a later date about my issues with all-over body pain, fatigue, inability to mentally focus on tasks, inability to lose weight, headaches/jaw aches and trouble sleeping, all of which are markers for Fibromyalgia.

So even though I may have something fairly debilitating like Fibro, I take great comfort in knowing that I've got things like sewing, knitting, making scarves, photography, reading, writing, and spending time with the Lord in prayer to keep me productive and to get all these creative energies out of me!

And thank goodness, none of these hobbies take a lot of energy to perform.

Anybody else have or know of anyone with chronic pain or fatigue conditions like Fibro or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?  Share your stories in the comments below, and let me know if creative pursuits have helped you!


55edf68e4b88436aaeb2b4e4c7bf817cfd001ee651a0c99ea7

Visit to Cincy & Miami University!

My husband & I have recently returned from a vacation to Cincinnati, Ohio, and the surrounding areas, which is where I'm from.  My parents have lived in & near Lebanon for the last several years, so that is where I call "home" now. 

We spent one day up at my alma mater, Miami University.  I graduated in 2007, and it's crazy to see how the campus has changed in these last 8 years. 

Holy cow--has it really been EIGHT years since I graduated college?!? *Gulp*

Anyway, the picture above is me & my amazing hubby Eric, kissing beneath the Upham Archway, which, if you've ever attended Miami, is THE thing to do! I believe the legend says that if you kiss your sweetheart under the arch, at midnight, when the overhead lantern is on, then you'll marry them soon, or some such nonsense. 

Whatever the silliness; it's still romantic, and Eric & I still act like newlyweds, even 7 years later! 

We also ate at what is arguably the BEST place to eat in any college town, that is the tiny hole-in-the-wall shop known as "Bagel & Deli" in uptown Oxford, a block away from the Miami campus. 

B & D is where I ate at least once a week when I attended Miami, and it's THE place to eat.  They serve hot, you guessed it, Bagel and Deli sandwiches, and they are amazing!  The tiny shop is a quirky little place with their "menu" hanging from the walls in the form of pictures of the sandwiches with funky names.  My absolute fave is the "Messy Katie", which contains sliced turkey, cream cheese, avocado, bean sprouts, honey mustard, and cheese, on a bialy bagel.  It's seriously the best thing I've ever eaten. 

Even Eric, who, being from Seattle has an arguably wider & more refined palate than myself, claimed that his bagel sandwich might be one of the best things he's ever eaten, ever. 

Anyway, I didn't mean for this post to be a love letter to Bagel & Deli, but seriously, if I could get them delivered out here to Seattle, you'd better believe I'd be looking into it!

It was such a great trip to Ohio, and I loved seeing my parents, extended family, and old friends again.  Such a trip down memory lane.  And it had been our first time back in almost 4 years, so it was overdue!

My New Shoulder Length Wavy Bob

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

My new shoulder length, wavy bob, done by my local gal in Marysville, Washington!  I love it!!!

The highlights throughout were done by her last year, and they've grown out wonderfully.

This was right after she cut and styled it--now the hardest part is me being able to make it look like this in the morning! (Note:  I can't.)

My Foam Roller is my New Best Friend

Friends, my IT bands both hate me.  So I've been taking it easy with the hard running, and been power walking and trying new-to-me exercises like plyometrics, such as jumping squats, jumping jacks, and high knees. 

And I've been getting real friendly with my foam roller, which has turned out to be one of the best purchases I've ever made.  My IT bands tense up terribly, and very quickly cause my hips, pelvic area, and knees to ache and not have much mobility.  So whenever that happens, I know that I need to get re-aquainted with my foam roller. 

And boy, do I love it!  It "hurts so good", but sometimes it simply hurts.  But it works.  It works amazingly well. 

I just wish I didn't have to use it so often! 

Stair-Stepping My Way to Fitness

**NOTE:  I am not receiving ANY money (or anything) for this post.  Nothing.  All opinions are my own honest opinions.

This is the 'Sunny Stair Stepper' I recently purchased online from Amazon, and it's only around $65 with FREE shipping!   (It does have a weight limit of 250 pounds, however, so if you weigh more than 250, you'll probably want to look elsewhere)

I bought this lightweight, minimalist stair-stepper machine a couple of months ago because I desperately wanted a cardio machine that I could do indoors, and one that would be small enough to fit into our small house without taking up too much space.  I saw this online, and it had mixed reviews.  Some reviews said it was cheap and flimsy and quickly broke.  Others gave it 5 stars and reported no problems whatsoever. 

I decided to purchase it because it was a fraction of the price of other stair-steppers currently on the market.  And I'm so glad I did!  This little thing only weighs around 20 pounds so it's easy to move it from room to room, and it's a lot sturdier than I expected.  It has surpassed all my expectations. 

The instruction booklet that came with the machine says to only use it for about 15 minutes at a time, and I'm not sure why they decided upon this number.  Is the machine made to withstand only around 15 minutes of usage at a time?  I don't know; but I do know that I use it in 30 minute increments, sometimes twice a day, and it's held up great for me.  There are pistons below where you place your feet that get very hot with use, but they seem to cool down fairly fast. 

I've had the resistance cranked up almost as high as it will go, and it gives me a fantastic cardio and strength workout.  It simulates hiking uphill, so I really feel it in the backs of my legs; in my calves, my hamstrings, and my glutes.  After 30 minutes of use, I'm so sweaty and worn out that I immediately have to jump in the shower to freshen up. 

I bought this because here in Seattle, even as we come out of winter, it rains A LOT and I just haven't wanted to venture outside and get drenched, so I really wanted something I could use indoors, and this stair-stepper has not disappointed me.  It may wear out or break in the next couple of months, I don't know, but for now it's performing great and I'm very pleased with it.

How about you?  Do you have any fitness products that have revolutionized your fitness routine?

Katy Perry's Workout Guru Demonstrates 3 Intense Core Moves

Watch this short video of Katy Perry's workout guru detailing 3 hard-hitting core moves that tone & cinch the waist! He describes the plank, side plank, and a modified "downward-dog" move that looks intense! I already perform the plank and side plank on a regular basis, so now I'm off to give the down-dog move a try! Let me know if y'all try them, and what you think!

My New Favorite No Equipment Body-Weight Workout

 

So this is my NEW favorite workout!  As you can see, it uses only your own body weight, no equipment (except for a chair or bench), and is fairly "easy" to do.  And when I say "easy," what I really should say is simple.  These are not needlessly complex moves where you have to contort your body into impossible positions.  The moves are straightforward and easy to comprehend.  

Basically, you perform the exercises for the number of seconds or reps stated under each exercise, until you've done that entire circuit (grouping of 3 exercises).  Then you rest for about 60 seconds.  Then do the next circuit.  Then rest for 60 seconds.  Then perform the next circuit.  See the pattern here?  You can perform the entire amount of exercises twice or three times through if you want, or only once all the way through if that's all you can do.  

Heck, so what if you can't do all of the exercises or as many reps as it says.  At least you're moving, right?  With continued practice, you'll get stronger and soon you'll be able to perform all of these a couple of times through. 

For the chair step-ups, I use my plain wood kitchen chair and put it up against the wall so it can't slide backward while I'm stepping on it. 

I personally add an additional touch of cardio to this routine:  In between each circuit of three exercises,  I do about a minute of jumping jacks or mountain climbers.  Then I rest for about a minute before continuing with the rest of the exercises. 

The idea with these exercises is to perform them as quickly as good form allows, so that you're body works at near capacity, then you only rest for a short amount of time in between moves, so your heart rate stays elevated (but not through the roof!) for the duration of the session.  The thinking is that you can burn around the same amount of calories doing a harder workout for say, 20 minutes, as you would doing an easier workout for 40 minutes.   

Workouts for Small Spaces

My husband & I recently (and FINALLY!) bought a 670 square foot house, and the only room with enough empty floor space to work out is the living room.  So I've been learning how to do exercises in small spaces, and it's been interesting to say the least!

I do jumping jacks and high knees in my kitchen, because doing them in the living room was causing the television to shake, rattle and roll, and I didn't want it to fall over and break from being shaken too much!  So the kitchen is the spot for the exercises involving the more plyometric moves.

The living room is perfect for everything else though.  I've been doing sequences of lunges, pushups, planks, wall sits, and bicycle crunches on the floor in my living room.  Who says you can't get a great workout at home? 

I have 2 pieces of workout equipment that I sometimes use during my workouts.  The first is a 10 pound medicine ball that I hold while doing crunches and squats.  The second item is an elastic tube with handles, and I use that for bicep curls and rowing, to work my back & shoulders.

The picture above is from my fitness Pinterest board here, and it has a great circuit of exercises, a similar sequence to what I've been doing at home.  What this picture doesn't say, however, is that a method for doing this circuit is do each exercise for 30 seconds, then rest for 10 seconds or less, then do the next exercise for 30 seconds.  Repeat this process for the entire circuit, and what this does is keeps your body working at close to its maximum potential, giving you both a strength and cardio workout.

I've been aiming to do this circuit 2x through, three days a week, with other sessions where I'll focus on my abs, legs, or arms/shoulders/back.  Remember, if you're new to exercising or haven't exercised in awhile, start off SLOW.  You will be sore, but you'll get over it, and then you can come back for more.  And if you can't complete the entire circuit even once, don't worry about it at all because you'll improve with practice, and soon you'll be able to cruise through this entire thing! 

This is a tough workout!  Have fun and let me know if you try it!

Stops, Stalls, & False Starts

Howdy friends!
As you know, I've been reluctantly getting used to my new title of "power walker", as opposed to "runner". This has been an interesting transition for me, to realize that my body (after gaining 60 pounds from birth control) simply cannot run anymore.

But I've been power walking since December, and I've lost 10 pounds of fat so far. But I've also been gaining loads of muscle and toning up, even though the number on the scale has not dropped in several weeks. How do I know I've been toning up and gaining muscle? There's lots of ways: I'm able to fit into a few articles of clothing that I've not been able to wear for about a year, and my wedding band fits once again! Now my husband can no longer joke about me not looking "married" when I'm out in public. And my watch fits again, too!

My watch doesn't just fit, it's actually loose on my wrist now! I attribute my wrists, hands, and fingers being smaller now to the Depo birth control shot finally leaving my system after 2.5 terrible, long, torturous years of trying to lose weight but the Depo wreaking havoc on my hormones. But I believe the Depo to be TOTALLY and officially gone from my system!

How do I know the Depo is totally gone from my system? Well for starters, I lost 10 pounds in a little less than 2 weeks, that's how. And the last couple of menstrual cycles had been very heavy, like they had been before I began taking Depo. So, while I'm not thrilled to be having heavy periods again, it's a good sign!

That 10 pounds was most likely water weight or something that the Depo had been causing my body to store, and now it's gone. My body was so swollen from the chronic inflammation caused by the Depo. I don't really even know what exactly my body was storing inside itself, but whatever it was weighed 10 pounds that I'd been carrying around for the past 3 years. Yikes! It's a very scary thought that a supposedly "safe" prescription drug could negatively react with my body in such a severe, long-lasting way.

So, I'm thrilled to say that weight loss is happening, albeit not exactly in the way I imagined it. It took me power walking everyday from December to May to begin to actually lose weight. Then I lost those 10 pounds incredibly quickly. It's been almost 2 months since then, and the number on the scale has not moved since, but all my clothes are fitting looser, so I know that I'm still making progress.

The number on the scale is not everything. It is one indicator of health and weight, yes, but it's not the complete and accurate picture of a person's health. I know this. But, I still have 50 pounds to lose, so that number definitely needs to decrease. And I believe it will. It just seems like my body is losing weight and getting toned, but it's doing it in it's own way. So while it's difficult to remain positive sometimes when my weight isn't dropping, I have so many small victories that keep me on the right path.

So stay strong all of you, and never give up, and you'll get there! My new mantra is "slow and steady wins the race"

"Gentle" Running

I've been continuing to exercise by doing 40-min power walking sessions most everyday of the week, only taking one (or sometimes two) days a week off to rest my body.

I've also been adding in jogging.  I'm starting off very carefully with jogging, only jogging about two or three times for about 45 seconds during each walking session. 

When running, my back feels straight up & down, like it should, and my feet hit the ground UNDER my body, instead of out in front of my body, which is how running always felt to me.  My hips are stronger, my core is stronger, and thus running actually feels "natural" now.  Running has NEVER felt "natural" and "fun" to my body before!  I've always had so many muscle imbalances in my hips, core, and back, that it was always a struggle to put one foot in front of the other.  But not anymore :)

I'm terrified of going out too strong or running too much and getting injured.  That is the story of my life.  I'd run strong for a few months and gain mileage and feel pretty good, but then some muscle would suddenly decide it had had enough and would get pulled or strained, and I'd be laid up, practically unable to walk, for a week or two, and by the time I was healthy enough to run again, I'd lost all the ground I had gained and would be back at square one.  I remember once when I was slowly adding sprints into my runs and I pulled my groin muscle and was almost unable to stand by my own power, much less walk, much less run.  Even with ice, Ibuprophen, and rest, it lasted about 2 or 3 weeks.

So I'm going to take this running thing very slow! And I'm still doing mostly power walking and will continue to power walk, and maybe make my jogging repeats last a little longer each time, while focusing on my footfalls, my posture, and trying to envision a "gentle" running stance.  Running has never felt "gentle" to me, but it does now, which just goes to show how out-of-alignment and messed up my body has always been!

First Run Since December!

So I've been power walking for 40 minutes a day, most every day, since the first of the year. And I've lost 10 pounds, which is my first real weight loss in over 4 years, so yeah, I'm kinda THRILLED about it! I mean it; I'm ecstatic!

Today during my power walk session, I decided to jog a little to see how I feel, for the first time in months. And guess what? My legs felt stronger than they've EVER felt, and my hips felt like they were in a comfortable neutral position, which has never been true. My hips (and thus my back and legs) have felt like they were off-kilter and tilted outward instead of in a nice neutral position.

But not anymore! I ran probably 1/4 of a mile and felt SO great! It actually felt EASY! I'm pretty sure running has ever felt "easy" for me, but it did today! My body felt like it was strong enough to handle running and like I could continue running for a good long while if I wanted.

What an amazing feeling! And who would've thought that I could repair & strengthen my body by power walking? But I've been feeling like I've been gaining massive amounts of muscle in my glutes, hamstrings, and calves, not to mention that my lower-back pain has completely disappeared since I stopped running and began power walking.

So I'm going to incorporate jogging back into my workout regimen sparsely at first, and then continue with it as I get stronger! So stay tuned!

Oh I almost forgot! I'm doing to do some bragging here: I can hold a Plank for 2 minutes and 15 seconds now! My eventual goal is to be able to hold the Plank pose for 5 minutes; and I'm almost halfway there!


Photo caption: the picture below is my walking/running buddy, Levi! Look at those huge ears! :)

Can It Really Be True???

Hello faithful readers,

Guess what???? I've lost 10 pounds since I began power walking for 40 minutes most every day in January! You heard that right, folks!

Ten. Glorious. Pounds. Lost. By me.

I'm beyond thrilled. I'm ecstatic! You know how fitness experts always say that once you begin working out hardcore, don't be surprised when your weight number on the scale stays the same, or even increases? They say not to freak out if the number on the scale doesn't decrease right away, because you're building muscle, and muscle weighs more than fat. So I suppose it makes sense if the number on the scale doesn't decrease right away. But it had been between 4 and 5 months for me.

I've been power walking most days of the week for 40 mins each time since at least January, possibly earlier, and I'm JUST NOW seeing legitimate weight loss.

I had been noticing for awhile that the muscles in my legs seemed to be getting stronger and more defined, and that's because I was building muscle by all that power walking. And strong muscles are a GREAT thing, but what can I say? Perhaps I'm a bit vain, but what I'm most thrilled about is that number on the bathroom scale going down.

I'm losing REAL fat, for the first time in almost 5 years!!!!

My goal weight: 155 pounds
My current weight: 198.5
Starting weight: 208
Pounds Lost: 9.5

I've been aiming to eat around 1,750 calories a day, limiting my sugar and increasing fruits & veggies, and power walking 40 mins at an intense pace.

I've been losing around 1.5 pounds per week, and I hope it continues! Praise The Lord for FINALLY experiencing healthy weight loss!

The Plank--One of My Favorite Exercises!

 I stumbled upon a blog called Running for Dummies the other day, and I wanted to share the love with all of you beautiful people.  This is an awesome site and I found a helpful blog post about doing the Plank exercise, and Tips for Holding a Longer Plank, which I'm totally going to try as soon as I finish this post.  :)

I'm also going to do a plank challenge and try to perform one long plank everyday, to see how long I can hold it.  The author of RFD says that she holds the plank for as long as she physically can every single day, and now she can hold a plank pose for upwards of 7 straight minutes!  Wow that's insane!

I haven't timed myself in a long while, but I'm probably around 1:30, so I've got quite a ways to go!  And I'm off to plank!  I'll post my results here! 

Walking for Weight Loss!

Ladies and Gents,

I'm proud to announce that I have lost 4 pounds!  I haven't seen this number on the scale in several months now, so I'm very thankful that all my workouts, cutting calories, and going to bed hungry every night have paid off a little bit!  Now to just keep going!

I've been a bit derailed this past week though, because I came down with the flu and took several sick days off from work.  But aside from some lingering severe sinus headaches and pressure, I'm almost back to 100% health.  I'm hoping to get back to my daily power-walking schedule here really soon!

Escali Health Monitor Digital Bathroom Scale (Google Affiliate Ad)

Kick My Butt Workout!

Do you see that video over there on the right side of my blog, toward the top of the page?  Well my friends, that is an equipment-free, 3.5 minute-long video showing simple body-weight exercises that will tone muscles, get your heart rate up, and burn fat!

I've been doing this video this week for the first time.  The video instructions say to do this workout on 3 non-consecutive days of the week (for example: Mon, Wed, Fri).  The point is to perform the moves as a circuit (no rest in between moves), then rest for 1 or 2 minutes, then complete all the moves non-stop again.  Do this cycle of all the moves without resting, a total of 3 times. 

And you try to do each move for 1 minute.  

Let me admit that, after trying to do each move for 1 whole minute, that I only got about halfway through the video before I had to stop because my muscles were shredded and I was gasping for air. 

I did this workout again today, in lieu of jogging in below freezing temps and snow, and held each move for about 30-45 seconds instead of a whole minute.  I got 3/4 of the way through the video this time before having to give up for the night! 

Let me add that I am praising this video simply because I believe in it.  I am NOT getting any financial (or otherwise) compensation from Women's Health Magazine for this.  None.  This was just a "free" video they had on their site for bloggers to put on their blog.  That's it.  But this workout really is great and is truly difficult. 

Some of these moves are tried-and-true, like burpees, jumping jacks, and pushups.  Most other moves were new tweaks of moves I've seen before.  But what I love so much about this workout is they are moves that I can do in my bedroom, no fancy equipment required, just using my own body weight and gravity as my tools.  I also love how uncomplicatingly simple these exercises are, and the lady performing them in the video does a fabulous job of concisely explaining and demonstrating them. 

I'd love to hear your thoughts about this workout!  Please try it and tell me what you think!  Were you able to perform each exercise for 1 minute? 

Love 'em or Leave 'em Race!

February is quickly approaching, and that means one thing:  My good friend Stacy and I are running the Love 'Em or Leave 'Em 5K race in Seattle on February 9th, 2013!  This will be our very first race of the new year, and I'm very excited about it!

I'm especially excited for this race, because it has given me a specific goal to train for.  That last 5k race Stacy and I completed was in July I believe.  Over the Christmas holiday break, I took almost 3 whole weeks off from running--YIKES!!!  But I ran last night for the first time since Christmas, and I gotta tell you that I felt great!  I'm very sore today, which was to be expected, but I was able to run for 35 minutes, which I was not expecting.  I figured I would only be able to run for about 15 minutes or so, since it was my first time back in awhile.  So I think this 5K race will go just fine and it's always good for me to have a motivating reason to get out there and run, especially when the weather is rainy and dreary ALL THE TIME, like it is here in Seattle in winter. 

I just want to stay inside by the fireplace and drink gallons of coffee, but I've got a race to train for! 

photo credit: http://promotionevents.com/valentines/index.htm