30 Day Shred 2014: Day 2 & 100 Days of Happiness: Days 6-10

Well, day 2, level 1 is under my belt.  I can tell you that my muscles made sure I knew that they’d been used!  Woke up this morning with practically every muscle in my body sore, but, it’s a good kind of sore, not a painful one….though I often rethink that when I need to sit down, stand up or go up and down stairs…lol

Day 2 was definitely easier than day 1.  I was able to do all of the last cardio set (jumping jacks, butt kicks, punches and jump ropes).  I still have a bit of trouble with stamina and I can’t always do all of the bicycle crunches, but it will all come back to me and get easier.  I ate a serving of oatmeal with a little salt and sugar and a cup of Earl Grey tea a couple hours before working out and took a package to the Post Office for Sarandipity Handmade before I did day 2. I found that the oatmeal keeps me fuller longer and I don’t want to snack in between breakfast and lunch.  I’ve gotten into the habit of having something for breakfast, unlike 5 years ago when I’d often skip meals, so I’m thinking that had an impact on the amount of energy I’ve got and the fact that I’m not dizzy or nauseous this time around.  Not sure what I’m going to have for lunch, yet.  Maybe some leftover baked ziti or a turkey sandwich.  Plan to have pork chops with bacon grits for dinner.

Oh, and I did weigh myself again before showering.  I’m back up to 150lbs, but then again I don’t have one of those fancy scales that tells me lbs and oz, so I could have been on the very edge yesterday.  I also took some body measurements today so I can see if I lose or gain any inches.

Arms: 12″
Waist: 33″
Hips: 40″
Thighs: 24″

3/29 – Happiness is shopping with Darling Hubby to find the perfect dress to wear to a party.

3/30 – Happiness is finding yarn that matches my new dress perfectly so I can knit a shawl.

3/31 – Happiness is Craft Night and finding the perfect shawl pattern.

4/1 – Happiness is pranking Darling Hubby with the kitchen sink water sprayer and getting away with it.

4/2 – Happiness is delivering a package to the Post Office from Sarandipity Handmade.  I hope the Ultra Cuddle baby girl blanket brings happiness to the recipient in Colorado.  🙂

Back in the Saddle Again

I’m doing something that I haven’t done in 5 years…I’ve decided to break out my Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred DVD again.  It’s not that I’m in dire need to lose weight, it’s more that I want to tone up and tighten the areas that are a little, shall we say, wiggly.  I’m in size 12’s or 14’s and while it’s not as skinny as I’d like to be some days, I’m comfortable.  But, I find that there are more days that not that I don’t like to look at myself in the mirror while unclothed.

Was this what made me jump back on the exercise bandwagon?  No, not entirely.  Darling Hubby and I were invited to a testimonial for his step father.  He is District Governor of something (yeah, I’m not entirely sure on all the details) and they are holding an afternoon fancy shmancy thing in his honor on May 5th. I’ve already bought my dress and jewelry.  I already had shoes and underthings and I’ve plans to knit myself a shawl to go with it (you never know just how chilly it might be in May or in those hotel banquet rooms.)  I’ve already bought the yarn (it matches perfectly) and got started.  The dress fits me perfectly and looks good (Darling Hubby says hot), but I look in the mirror and always see what is wrong and what could be different.  I could stand to lose that little bit of a tummy and my arms could be less flabby…That’s what made me decide to pull out the dvd, yoga mat, and my hand weights and throw on my sneakers.

I weighed in this morning and I was 149lbs (that’s down 1lb from yesterday…lol).  I think this time I may try to take some measurements of myself so I know if I lose any inches.  Like I said, I’d still like to lose some of the flab around my middle…you know the little paunchy thing that never seems to want to go away after having kids…and tighten up my arms and legs a bit.  I know my legs could look super hot in those heels with a little toning up…lol

Anyway, I already did day one, level one and let’s say that it was so much easier this time around than it was 5 years ago.  Let’s just say that when I finished I wasn’t wanting to curl up in a ball and die or vomit.  I felt a little weak muscled, but never felt sick or dizzy and I didn’t even have trouble breathing.  I can obviously feel it in my thighs and I know that tomorrow sitting down or standing from sitting is gonna be a little rough.  I can also feel those muscles walking up or down stairs (and even walking down the hill at Bug’s school.)

Looking back I’m already at a lower weight than when I started the first go around.  I don’t have a particular weight goal that I’m working toward and I’m not going to keep close tabs on what I’m eating. aside from trying not to go overboard with portion sizes.  I already know that I’m eating a little healthier than I was 5 years ago, especially having cut most processed foods out as a way to avoid soy.  I still indulge, don’t get me wrong, I’m still a snacker and I’ve found ways to get back some of my favorite foods that I was forced to cut out.  I still love chocolate and found that the Nestle Dark Chocolate morsels are soy free and oh so good.  I’ve found ice creams that I can eat again, so I do find myself having a bowl before bed some nights.  We still do our game night sessions once every 2 weeks, but I find that I’m usually pretty good and only eat the things like the cheese and jelly or the fresh bread and not all the chips and junk foods that we used to nosh on.  I just have to watch my portion sizes.

So, that’s my goal, 30 days (hopefully including the weekends this time).  My end date to get in shape is May 4th, so I’ve got the month.  I plan to blog about my journey again so I can keep myself motivated.  Feel free to join me if you want.  I won’t mind the company.

Very Overdue Update

Once again it’s been weeks since I’ve written anything other than a menu planning post…it’s sad because I’ve had so much to say, but couldn’t really say anything.

Let’s see…Bug is doing very well in school.  I had his first Parent Teacher conference at the beginning of November.  His teachers love having him in class and his one teacher says he’s very witty and funny.  I was worried that he was going to be the class clown when he got comfortable with the group, but he’s actually been keeping it together and the teacher uses him as a calming influence.  She once told me in the hall that she calls him her “euphoric little bug” since he’s so happy and just flits from one thing to another.  He’s very good in class and is focused and pays attention.

Bug was also invited and attended his very first classmate birthday party.  It was at Chuck E Cheese and he had a good time, ate some pizza, played some games and got freaked out by the giant rat…lol

What else…Oh, I started working on Christmas presents in September.  So far I’ve made a stegosaurus for one of my nephews, a blanket for my MIL and SFIL, mini stocking ornaments for 3 people, a thread crocheted angel ornament for my mom and 2 scarves (one for each of Bug’s Pre-K teachers).  I have yet to make/finish a brontosaurus for my other nephew (I made one, but Bug stole it and named it and I couldn’t very well take it away…) and a unicorn.  Our plan is to buy a book for each child to go along with the stuffed animal.   I still have to make at least 4 more mini stockings.  One for each of the 3 kids and one for my SIL.  Now I just have to wrap everything and get it under the tree…I may hold off on that for a bit since the cat seems to love hanging out under the tree and I don’t want her to tear anything accidentally.

I bought Darling Hubby’s Christmas present this morning.  We agreed to spend only around $50 plus stocking stuffers, but since I was having so much trouble thinking of the perfect present for him and when I finally found something it was nearly double our agreed-upon price, he gave me the go-ahead to spend the extra and he’ll spend a little more on me.  I’m ok with not getting more under the tree…my present is something I know he’s really going to like and enjoy.  We can afford it, so I’m not too worried.  We are done with Bug’s presents, aside from stocking stuffers and we’ll probably get some books, cars, candy and little things for that.

In other news, I’ve been baking.  For the last 16 weeks (give or take) I’ve been baking the newest edition to the Sarandipity family.  That’s right!  I’m pregnant!  We finally broke the news (well, we let Bug do the dirty work) to family over Thanksgiving, so I’m ok with posting for the world to know. I made Bug an “I’m the Big Brother” t-shirt and he was so happy to wear it and surprisingly, everyone caught onto it quickly so I didn’t have to explain.  That’s one of the reasons I haven’t been doing The 30 Day Shred dvd or dieting anymore.

So, I’ve had 2 doctors appointments so far.  The first was a confirmation and blood work and the second I got to hear the heartbeat.  It was 158 beats per min.  Bug’s was 156 around the same time.  I have another appointment scheduled for tomorrow morning.  I’m hoping to be able to schedule the ultrasound for before Christmas, if the doctors will let me.  I should be between 18 and 19 weeks at that point.  It would be nice to know the gender so we could tell everyone at Christmas.

As for the pregnancy, things have been going pretty well.  I had a bit of morning sickness during the first 13 or so weeks.  Luckily it was just first thing in the morning and I wasn’t nauseous all day long like I was with Bug.  I haven’t started feeling movement yet, which makes me kinda nervous since I don’t have the throwing up to keep reminding me that I’ve got a baby growing inside my tummy.  That’s silly, I know.  I’m sure everything is fine, but I just hate feeling in sort of a limbo.  I didn’t feel Bug for the first time until I was 20 weeks…I hope it doesn’t take that long this time around, esp since I know what to look for…Emotionally, I haven’t been as weepy this time around, but my grumpy mood swings have been through the roof.  I feel like I’m angry for long stretches for no apparent reason.  I hate feeling like that and I hate that I take out my frustrations on Darling Hubby and Bug.  Hopefully that will go away soon…fingers crossed for me.

So, that’s about it.  I’ll probably update tomorrow after my drs appointment.  I figure if I blog about everything here I’ll have a running record of everything for when I want to look back on it later.  Blogs can be a wonderful thing!

Busy, Busy, Busy

It’s been too long since I sat down and composed a post.   I’ll fall back to my typical excuse…life got in the way.

Let’s see…I pretty much need to sum up the month of July!  The 4th of July was a day spent at home.  It was Darling Hubby’s birthday so we fried some chicken, made some KFC style coleslaw and ate out on the patio.  I made a pineapple upside down cake, which is Darling Hubby’s favorite.  We decided to forgo the fireworks downtown.  None of us really like /traffic and Bug doesn’t like loud noises, so we sat at home and watched the downtown fireworks on the news.  The next day we went over to our friends house so Bug could play with his buddy, Little A.

They had a grand time sword fighting in the bouncy bounce

and swimming in the chilly (it wasn’t so bad once you got in) pool.

The next Friday, Auntie Shannon joined Bug and I on a trip to the playground.  We packed a picnic lunch, loaded up the wagon and walked over to the playground.  Bug had so much fun hanging with his cool Auntie Shannon.  They played on all the equipment from the swings to the slides.  I had fun catching up with an old college friend and coworker.

Over the weekend, we went down to visit family.  Saturday we stayed with my parents.  Bug had fun riding in Grandpa’s wagon as it was pulled behind the tractor.  We were collecting rocks to bring home with us to make a stone wall at the bottom of our driveway and it was easier to load the wagon than to carry them!  Saturday was also a good day for wildlife at my parents house.  We saw a Mama deer and her fawn, who was the bounciest thing.  There was a baby bunny and even a tiny hummingbird.   I have pictures of all that, but I haven’t edited them yet…

On Sunday we went to see some of Darling Hubby’s family.  His father, brother, wife and kids came out from New Mexico for a visit.  We hadn’t seen them since Christmas ’07.  It was a nice visit.  We took a ton of family pictures.  Here are some of my favorites.

This past weekend, I got together with Auntie Shannon and 2 of our neighbors and we had a multi-family garage sale.  We didn’t make much money, but we got some stuff out of our spare room and will be donating most of the stuff that didn’t sell to Goodwill and the books will go to the local public library for their book cellar.  I finally got my spare room back and can now move around in there and have room to hang my laundry to dry on rainy days.  Overall, it was a nice weekend.  We had a good time talking and learning more about each other and were able to trade a bunch of stuff with each other.  We picked up a ceiling fan to put in the spare room…the only room with a ceiling light that doesn’t have one (aside from the dining room, which has a chandelier).  We got some new books, a table to go next to our papasan chair on the porch (which we were going to sell, but Darling Hubby decided he liked it too much and took it back) and some other miscellaneous things.  I think I might ask our neighbors if I can have the old black rocker they had.  It’s kinda beat up and needs to be recovered, but it was nice and might be worth the effort of fixing  it.

Other than the big things on the weekends, I’ve been working on finishing Bug’s blanket for school.  I have all the 2″ squares crocheted and sewn together.  I just need to figure out how to attach the fabric backing.  It looks really nice.  I’ll post about it later when I get pictures taken. I’ve also been crocheting various things to give my mil for a convention they are having.  On my Monday night craft night I started making this bag.  If it works out well, I might make one for myself with smaller holes so my stuff won’t fall out.

In the weight loss/exercise department…well, I was pretty bad when we visited family and ended up gaining 3lbs because I kept noshing on the cookies that I baked to bring…sadly, I haven’t been good about working out lately either.  In the past 3 weeks I’ve worked out once…and that was yesterday!  I am happy to report that by watching what I’m eating I’ve lost those 3lbs I gained and one more to boot!  I’m officially down to 148!  I’m trying to be good this week and work out more, but so far I haven’t been sucessful.  Maybe tomorrow!

Recent Happenings

It’s been a while since I posted.  I’ve been busy doing different things and just haven’t had time to post.  Let’s see…over Father’s day weekend we went to visit family.  On Saturday we went to a surprise 60th birthday party for Darling Hubby’s step father.  His birthday isn’t until July 6th, so with the party being so early it really was a suprise…he actually thought it was someone else’s retirement party.  We didn’t stay too long because Bug still had a touch of the stomach bug and was in and out of the bathroom pretty much all weekend.  I did get to wear my Birthday Cardigan.  It’s was very comfy and I got a few comments on it.  I’m happy with it.

After that, we spent the rest of the weekend with my parents to celebrate father’s day and my 29th birthday.  My mom was feeling pretty under the weather on Sunday, but we still had a nice Father’s day dinner (steaks cooked on the grill) and birthday cake (which thankfully didn’t ruin my diet.)

Monday was officially my birthday.  My friend Leana came over for craft night and together we cooked my birthday dinner of Easy Chicken Cordon Bleu.  Darling Hubby came home with 6 roses (3 red, 3 yellow) and a very sweet card.  It was a nice day.  Bug even “baked” me a birthday cake (I heard him mixing and stirring and cracking eggs in his room while I made my bed), which he delivered on a tiny red plastic plate with a cup of “milk.”  It was so sweet.

Oh, I mentioned that I had a weight loss goal.  I actually met that goal.  Despite indulging in a couple pieces of birthday cake loaded with inch thick icing, I weighed in at 150lbs on my birthday.  Go me!  Now, only 10 more lbs and I’ll be at my over all goal weight.  It’s funny, thinking back to when I was born, I weighed in at 7lbs 7oz…I’ve gained quite a lot from then!

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful.   I only worked out on Tuesday…I’m kinda disappointed in myself.  I paid for it, though.  I did level 1 of the shred (I figured I’d go easy on myself for a couple days) and man it made my muscles hurt like crazy.  I couldn’t beleive it.  After doing level’s 2 and 3 of the shred for weeks, level 1 kicked my butt!  I literally hurt all week long.  I’m sure had I just jumped back into working out I would have felt fine, but I wimped out…As of today, (Monday) I’m back on the ball.  I did level 3 again today and I’m feeling pretty good.  I’ve got my mom friends keeping up on me about the working out.  I need to keep it up all week!

Friday I got a call from my mom.  Turns out she has pneumonia.  She was in and out of the doctors office and the ER all week and was home waiting for a nebulizer to be delivered.  I talked to her briefly and she sounded pretty miserable, much worse than she had been on Sunday.  I called her again yesterday (Sunday) and she sounded much better.  She’s still pretty sick, but all the antibiotics she’s on and the nebulizer have helped her a lot.  She’s hoping that she’s much better by tomorrow (Tuesday) so the doctor won’t put her in the hospital.  She hates hospitals.

Saturday and yesterday we ran a lot of errands.  I picked up 5 skeins of the Caron One Pound yarn and a spool of Aunt Lydia’s Crochet Cotton Thread and 3 steel crochet hooks.  My MIL asked me if I would make a few handcrafted items to donate to be sold to make money for a convention (not sure for what exactly) that is being held in 2012.  They have to come up with an ungodly about of money to put on the convention, so every little bit helps.  I’m planning to make 4 baby blankets (Rose, Lilac, Pale Green and Soft Sage), using the hooded baby blanket pattern from Pound of Love (omitting the hood).  The Caron One Pound yarn is a bit thicker and stiffer than the Pound of Love, so I think my gauge is different.  I may have to make adjustments in future blankets, depending on how the first comes out.  As for the crochet threat, I thought about making some bookmarks.  They are pretty easy to make and I could make several of them from one skein/spool.  As I was looking through bookmark patterns on Ravelry, Darling Hubby saw a pattern for a Book Thong and I found some old beads in my craft drawer so I whipped up a couple book thongs of various lengths.  He then found a couple beads in my stash that he liked and asked me to whip up one for him (it has a fish at the bottom and is pretty neat).  On Sunday I bought a bunch of wooden beads and plan to make a few more thongs for my MIL to sell…I’d love to make crafty things like that to sell for myself, but I’m hesitant to try.  I’d love to have an Etsy store, but I just don’t know if I could keep up on it or if anyone would even buy my stuff…

Anyway, yesterday we bought a bunch of things to finish sprucing up our front yard.  We picked up some solar lights from K-mart for $20 and put them along side my new walkway.  We also picked up some plastic fencing pieces that match the ones we have in the front already and fenced off our barberry bush and an orange lily that is next to our front steps.  we also picked up 2 more lilies (one pink (Bug’s favorite color) and a purple one (my favorite color) and planted those in the big flower bed out front.  We’re planning to get 2 more tonight (Darling Hubby will pick them up on his way home) and will fill in that garden with mulch.  We also ran to Home Depot to find a bird bath to put in the backyard.  I’ve wanted one for a while and decided to look for one after I’ve seen several birds taking baths in the water on top of our hose box.  It’s very hard to find a bird bath….we were about to give up completely if Home Depot didn’t have one…I haven’t seen any birds in it yet, but I see some evidence that someone has been there recently.

So, there you have it.  That’s what I’ve been up to recently.  I’m hoping to get a little more crafting done tonight.  It was supposed to be my craft night, but Leana isn’t feeling well, so we cancelled.  I’m thinking we are going to stop by Bernie and Rose’s new house tonight after dinner to check it out.  Hopefully I’ll have a good week in the workout department and will be down a pound or 2 next week.  Fingers crossed.  Hopefully my mom will continue to be on the mend and will stay out of the hospital.  Bug sent her a card today with a kitty dressed as a doctor.  I’m sure she’ll get a kick out of it and it will make her feel better.

A New Workout DVD & A Craft Update

I ended up taking 2 days off from exercising to let my calves heal and I’m glad I did.  I don’t think I could have worked out at all on Tuesday and while I probably could have attempted something yesterday, I gave myself one more day to get better.  Today the pain it there only if I step just right or if press on my left calf (which was the worst of the 2).  I had a hell of a time getting up and getting going this morning.  I decided that I should workout and see if that would perk me up.  So, after breakfast and Bug got a little tv time, I popped in my Denise Austin Ultimate Fat Burner DVD and got to sweating.  The workout was a little longer than the shred but there were lots of cool down periods which gave me time to breath and grab a drink of water.

There were some pros to this DVD.  One is that it works the triceps, which are the most underused muscle in my arm.  I need all the help I can get in that area and this workout gives the tricep a little attention.  Also, many of the moves work the outer thigh area.  My outer thighs could use a little work, too.  I like that there were quick cool downs at the end of each cardio rep which helped keep me from getting too tired too fast during the longer workout.

The cons to the DVD are that it’s longer than the shred.  I’m used to taking 20 minutes of my day to workout and this one is about 45 minutes with the warm up and cool down.  I like the shortness of the shred.  Another con is that you need a workout step.  I don’t have one and in an attempt to get the full benefit of the workout, I used one of Bug’s little step stools and while it worked for the most part, it was smaller than an actual workout step and a lot more tippy…plus, I was worried about jumping on it too hard and breaking it…I’m only slightly heavier than the recommended weight limit.  lol

I think I’ll continue to give the workout a try, just to see how my outer thighs and triceps fare.

In other news, I’m almost finished with one of my June goals.  I’m almost finished with my crochet Birthday Cardigan.  I just finished the right sleeve and I’m so happy with it.  I’m loving that I can try it on as I go so I know that it fits properly.  I was able to add a few extra rows around the bottom edge to make it the right lenght for me and I was able to make the sleeve the right lenght, too.  Had I followed the pattern as it was written, it would have been too short for my liking.  I will try to get a few more rows on the left sleeve done tonight and I should have it done by tomorrow so I can wash it and block it a little.  I’m super excited about wearing it next weekend!  Oh, and I think I’m loving the cotton yarn (Lily Sugar n’ Cream) and I think I want to get some more for my stash.

Ups and Downs

Today has been an up and down day.  First, when I got up this morning I just wanted to sit back down.  It turns out that yesterday’s Belly Dancing seriously hurt my calf muscles.  It hurts so much to walk, especially down stairs and I cannot stand on my tiptoes.  I thought I’d “push through the pain” and try a second day, but it’s a no go.  I can’t move certain directions without feeling like I’m going to fall down.   The best thing has been staying off my feet today, sitting down.  With that being said, I’ve had a lot of time to work on my crocheting.

Last night at Craft NightI picked up my K hook, my Lily Sugar n’ Cream cotton yarn and my Lacy Cardigan pattern (PDF of pattern) and set about making myself a “Birthday Cardigan” (as I’ve dubbed it.)  I was having serious issues with reading the pattern…most patterns are very wordy and this one is one of the wordier ones.  I had to read through all the “special instructions” just to find where I needed to start and even then, I was intimidated…I don’t consider myself an expert crocheter (although I’ve improved tons from when I started) this was labeled expert so I was thinking I was doomed from the start…at least my gauge matched up perfectly…I don’t think that’s ever happened before…lol  Before the night was over, I made it through the first 6 rows.  Unfortunately, I was having severe issues with my brain reading the pattern and telling my hands what to do cause I kept making mistakes left and right.  I frogged rows 3-6 several times and after the girls left with their projects, I tore the whole thing out and started from my foundation chain…sigh…At least this time I knew the pattern a little better and voila! I made it through the first 6 rows without issue.

Today I picked it back up and started on the “this size only” instructions, which lead me to the body.  I was a bit intimidated by the arm hole areas, but it looked harder than it actually was and in no time I finished most of the body.  I have one more row to do and I can start on the edging.  I’ve never done picot edging before, but I think I’ll get the hang of it.  I feel like I’m on a roll.

I know I sound excited about my progress on this cardigan and I am.  Very excited.  I’m not usually good at making wearbles (scarves, mittens and hats don’t count), just look at how long Darling Hubby has been waiting for his sweater…yeah…  The best thing about this particular item of clothing is that I can try it on as I go!  I was able to make sure it fit the way I wanted it to before getting it mostly done and realizing that I’m going to look like a 2 ton elephant wearing  size zero jeans or like I’m being eaten by the fabric.

So, Doris Chan has a new fan!  I think when I finish this, I may want to try another one of her patterns or even another cardigan in another color.  (That is, as soon as I finish some of the WIP’s I have hanging around in my crochet trunk.)  It seems that her gauge and my gauge are pretty close and the best thing of all is that her items are simple, cute and best of all, WEARABLE!

For now, I’m going to straighten up my house and my kitchen and start on dinner.  Later, I think I’ll sit down again and finish up the cardigan body and see how far I get.  So, yes, today has been filled with lots of up and downs, but I consider it an all around UP day.

What Comes Next?

So last week, I did my final day of the 30 Day Shred.  Today I picked up my Bellydance: Fitness for Beginners – Basic Moves and Fat Burning DVD, popped it in and prepared myself for a little wiggling and jiggling….let’s just say there was a lot of jiggling!  lol  I also found out that I’m not very coordinated when it comes to Belly Dancing…I can only imagine how un-sexy looking I look wiggling my hips and boobs and jumping around the room!  lol

I did the entire dvd (about 45 minutes) which has a section showing a few of the basic moves and a section that is for fat burning (cardio).  The basic moves was basically a 15-20 minute stretch with a little cardio involved.  The fat burning is a lot of cardio, with some stretching at the beginning/end.  I think I’ll just do the cardio portion for the rest of the week.

After doing the shred and feeling worked to the bone and dripping with sweat after each workout, I’m not sure this dvd is going to hold a candle to Jillian.  I was sweating and breathing slightly hard during the cardio, but it didn’t really feel like it was a full body workout.  There was a lot of leg and ab work, but there wasn’t much in the way of arm workout (aside from holding them up in the air during most of the moves…which doesn’t seem to do much for me.) and I’m looking for something that has an arm workout, too…I still need to tone those lower arms.  I’m seriously considering Jillian’s Banish Fat DVD.

Despite my doubts about it, I’m planning to do a few more days of it to give it a chance.  I think I’ll do just the cardio portion for the rest of the week and hopefully by the end of the week I’ll be slightly more coordinated and less self conscious about my wiggling and jiggling!

In addition to completing the shred last week, I finished another crochet project.  I started a special project for an old friend (Carrie I don’t think you read my blog. but if you are reading this STOP!!!  Do not pass go!  Do not collect $200!  lol) and finished it yesterday.  Now I just have to mail it to her and her baby girl due this fall.

Here are a couple pictures of the finished project.

It’s the Pound of Love hooded blanket pattern.  I left off the hood part.  Personally, I think that a hood is better suited to be on a towel rather than a blanket.  Anyway, a hooded blanket would probably only be good while the baby is immobile and without the hood, it’s good for a lot longer.  Since I didn’t do the hood, I had extra yarn, so I made the blanket longer and added a pink scalloped edging.  The final measurements are 37″ x 29.”  I’m very happy with how this blanket came out.  I can only hope that the little recipient will enjoy cuddling up with it like I did while I was making it.

So, what’s next for my crocheting project?  Well, I could go back to Darling Hubby’s sweater, but I’m at serious odds with that sweater.  I think that I’m going to start on the Lacy Top Cardigan by Doris Chan (rav link).  I bought some cotton yarn a few weeks ago (I’ve never worked with cotton yarn before…only acrylic) and I’m hoping to have it done by next weekend so I can wear it for my birthday (I’m also hoping to lose 3 more lbs by then).  Lots of goals are riding on that weekend!  My only problem is, I’m not sure exactly where to start on the pattern.  There are no clear cut directions saying “chain x, etc” so I really have to read the directions and see what I come up with.  I’m also going to have to check my gauge.  I’ve only twice made a wearable item that wasn’t huge or too small…I have serious gauge issues!  I just hope I can figure it out and get a good chunk of it done tonight…I’ve only got about 12 days to work on it.

30 Day Shred – Day 29 and 30 – I’M DONE!!!

It’s official!  I’ve completed all 30 days! GO ME!  I’m feeling really good about myself right now.  I haven’t lost a lot of weight, just a couple pounds, but I see myself looking different, thinner in places and I’ve developed some muscles and those things make me happy, very happy.

Overall, I recommend the shred, despite my lack of weight loss.  It tones and thins, gives a boost of energy and makes you feel great afterward. I didn’t think to take measurements of my body prior to starting the challenge and now having finished, I wish I did.  I took a couple measurements a couple weeks ago and after measuring today I can say that I have lost a few inches.  My inner thighs are thinner, down at least an inch.  My upper arms are down a full inch and my flabby tricep isn’t as flabby…in fact, it’s looking very shredded!  My middle/chest has changed quite a bit, too.   I’m actually down a cup size in my bra!  I’m happy about that!  My waist is down an inch or two and my hips are quite a bit thinner.  I still have that post pregnancy pooch thing that I think will never completely go away, but it is a lot smaller, too.  I even think that my fingers are thinner…my wedding rings keep spinning around on my finger which makes it hard to type and crochet!  lol  With those results alone, I recommend the shred.

If you are considering taking on the 3o day challenge, know there will be some pain, especially in those first few days.  Your body will adjust and you’ll start feeling great.  I’m serious when Jillian says, “push through the pain.”  You’ll be glad you did.

The next question is, what will I do now?  I think I seriously need a break from the shred, while the workout wasn’t getting harder, it was just getting harder to motivate myself to get up and do it.    I was just burned out doing the same thing over and over.  I don’t necessarily need a break from Jillian, so I’m seriously considering her Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism dvd.   My only sticking point is I’m still not sure I can handle 45 minutes of shred level activity…I guess they only way I’ll know is to try.  I may also try my belly dancing or the other Denise Austin cardio dvd.  I guess I’ll have to see what I feel up to come Monday.

But, the big thing is I DID IT!  I MADE IT 30 DAYS (not in a row, of course, but I did it!)  If I can do it, you can, too!

30 Day Shred – Day 26, 27 & 28

I’m been kinda a slacker when it comes to blogging as of late, but I haven’t been a slacker when it comes to the shred.  I’ve diligently done the past 3 days.  I only have 2 more days to go!  In all honesty, I’m looking forward to being done with it!  I think I’m getting burned out and today it felt like I had to force myself to get off the couch and do it.  Of course, I was watching videos of Bug from when he was little, so that made it even harder!

I’ve come to the conclusion that I just cannot do the rock star jumps and when I do I feel like I’m doing them wrong and I’m not keeping my heart rate elevated.  I just don’t feel like they are doing anything for me.  The past 2 days I’ve substituted a round of butt kicks and a round of high knees (from level 2) in their place and I’ve felt much better for it.  It gets my heart pumping more and I’m burning off some fat (or at least I can hope!)

Since I’ve almost accomplished my goal (actually doing all 30 days and proving Darling Hubby wrong) I’m thinking about what I want to do next.  I was highly considering going to my Belly Dancing DVD that I’ve had for a while but never go into (I was too self conscious about my fat jiggling around…lol) but now I’m thinking of sticking with Jillan and trying out her Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD.  A friend of mine online suggested it, saying that if we didn’t think she was evil in the shred, we’d think she was in this video.  lol So, I checked it out online (You Tube) and it’s 45 minutes of shred level intensity!!!  Oh. My. God!  But, the thing is, they make it look so easy, which makes me think that I could try it.  However, they don’t offer many modification for some of the exercises like they do in the shred.  Some are the same from the Shred so I know mods for those.  I just worry that I won’t be able to do it all (I don’t know if I’m coordinated enough for the kick boxing stuff) and I’ll feel like I’m “phoning it in” to quote a line from Jillian herself.   I do think that some of the exercises look better than what I’m doing in level 3 and seem to target the areas where I need it the most…I guess I’ll have to think about it a little longer.

It’s actually kinda funny that I’m even considering different DVD’s.  If you asked me a month ago if I would want to continue working out I probably would have laughed at you and told you flat out, “no.”  I figured I’d get my fill of working out from this one DVD and would be settled.  Ok, I have gotten my fill of the DVD, but I’m not completely happy with my weight still (although I have lost inches in places, which does cheer me up quite a bit) and I’m hoping that something different will help me get to my goal weight.

In the weight department, I’ve found that I’ve I’ve hit a wall, a plateau, if you will.  I’ve been stuck at 155lbs for the past 2 weeks and, despite the fact I dropped to 154 for just a few days, I haven’t changed much at all.  It’s a little disappointing.  I was really hoping to drop down to 150 (5lbs) before my birthday (June 22), but I don’t see that happening at all, now.  I’ve been trying to watch what I eat, but I’m usually starving by evening and all the snack food in my house is junk food and I just have no self control when it comes to junk food, especially chocolate…I just can’t stop at one piece.  I think I need to find an inexpensive (I don’t want to shell out a ton of money on those diet bars that taste like chal) low calorie, yet filling, snack that I can eat around 8-9pm.  Anyone have any suggestions?