First Day...of many

Thursday and Friday I started on a new workout plan called C25k (couch to 5k); it's a treadmill workout in an app for your phone. The app is free and I downloaded it to my iPhone (they have other apps as well). It's 8 weeks long, 3 days a week, for about 30 minutes each day. The best part is that you can run your music/playlist through the app and the app will quiet your music in order to give you instructions. So you never have to look down at your phone to check your progress. Since I technically wasn't planning on starting until today, I will restart my program tonight when I hit the gym, instead of continuing from last weeks practices.

I went grocery shopping on Saturday to stock up for a weeks worth of healthy eating. My goal is to get through one week at a time. I'm not a patient person, so monthly goals don't really work for me. I need shorter periods with small successes to help me go the distance. Today is day 1 of 6 and the new week will always begin on Mondays; with Sundays as a free day.

My calorie intake is set at 1500 per day. My goal for water consumption is 1 gallon per day. And my C25k 30 minute gym visit kills about 150. Which isn't a lot, but that's just to get me started. I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to fit in 2 days a week of a muscle building workout.


Here is my menu for the next 6 days:

Breakfast: 301

Green Smoothie-

1/2 cups of fat free milk, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries
1 6oz container of fat free light strawberry yogurt
1/2 a small banana
3 cups of spinach

Snack: 270

Green Apple
2T of creamy peanut butter

Lunch: 379

2  slices of whole wheat toast
6 slices of turkey lunch meat
1 slice of kraft single American cheese

Dinner: 208

3 cups of spinach
1 cup of strawberries
Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing


That leaves me a bit of wiggle room to change things up...like having a chicken caesar salad instead of a plain spinach salad, a plain fruit smoothie or protein smoothie instead of a green one, or a different kind of sandwich instead of turkey.


On a sewing note, I'm slowly putting away at cutting up FQ's for a twin sized bed quilt made from Allison's pattern FOUND HERE.

I packaged up what I thought were my last two swap packages for the year until I found The Covert Robin swap and couldn't resist. Can we say addicted? Yeah, and I thought Taco Bell and Diet Coke were only vices.

Anyway, happy Monday (and President's day) and thanks for sticking with me as I post my process to a healthier lifestyle. My goal is to inspire, whether it be in the sewing room, or in the workout room.

Prioritizing...

So the past few days I've been trying to figure out what's most important in my life...

I have always put my kids and my husband before myself, and then find comfort in my sewing, when I can sew. But the truth is...I'm just burying how I'm really feeling; using my family as a front for not being happy with myself. I've been feeding myself this lie (and peanut m&m's) that as long as I'm able to be creative in some way, I'll be happy.

Enough is enough!! The other day I told my sister in law that I was going to take a hiatus from sewing come April...because that should give me enough time to get some projects done that I need to get done. For some reason I can only focus on one thing at a time...well, it's time to focus on me. I do have a few projects that need getting done, but I can easily manage those on the side.

The most important thing is for me to focus on me, to get healthy, to get happy, to get a life outside of this bubble that I live in (called my super messy house).

Today I visited a blog that I've been a follower of for a long time...I've been so busy I haven't caught up in Google Reader in a couple years...oops. House of Smith's is the cutest DIY blog out there and the writer/owner Shelley Smith has been on a weight loss kick since last year. She has lost 70 lbs. and seems so happy! I want that. Although I could stand to lose a full 65 lbs. I'd be happy with the 45 (or even 30!) that I have gained in 8 years of marriage (this April).

So I'm doing it. This is it. I don't want to lose any readers over this and I don't plan on posting a whole lot to the blog over the next few months but I do feel that blogging about it may prove to be helpful...hold me accountable. And maybe someone, even one of you would be inspired to do the same. I don't usually finish things; one of the reasons why quilting/sewing is so satisfying. But this is really important.

My goal is to lose 45 lbs. by October 1st. That's possible. That's only 6 pounds a month!

I won't share much more information except that I am 5'9 and am a size 18. I'm posting a couple before pics so that if you're interested in following any progress you can see it as well (oh goodness this is really starting to sink in...).



And since I don't want to have you leave the blog on a fatty note, here's a couple pics of sewing related things. I received my swap package from the Doll Quilt Swap, and I just dropped off that queen size quilt to my local long arm quilter. I will FOR SURE post pictures of it when it comes back.

Triple Zip

I decided to join the Triple-Zip-Along by Deb over at A Quilter's Table to go along with the Pretty {little} Pouch Swap I'm in. I actually had exactly 3 zippers left from a Zip It order I received a long time ago. And luckily all the zippers matched some fun Art Gallery Fabrics that I had. My partner wanted bold, bright, and graphic prints.

My original plan was to add two rows of hexies above that teal trim (Riley Blake), but alas, since it was my first time attempting to try hexies, and it was my first time attempting the TZP, I failed. Still, the pouch turned out cute, and I hope my partner likes it.

Swap Open

Hey there friends!

How are those resolutions and projects holding up??

If any of you are interested, I'm co-hosting a swap that opened up for signups last week called "The Friendship Bag Swap". There are about 20 more openings so head on over the the link below to read about it and sign up!

This swap will be using one specific tutorial provided by Rachel Griffith of P.S. I Quilt. You can stick to this tutorial or modify it if you wish. The basic shape and size should be the same.

TUTORIAL FOUND HERE

Image taken by Rachel Griffith

2013...a year to finish

2013 is my year to get things done. I feel overwhelmed going into my sewing area. So many projects, so little time. I didn't want this year to start slow like last year (although I didn't have a choice in the matter with my back being out for 2-3 months). Before the holidays my sewing time had been used for editing engagements or pre-bridals or sewing some small presents. Now that the holidays are over, and the wedding has come and gone, my prime sewing time has been spent editing wedding pictures and trying to get back into our regular routine. I haven't even attempted to tackle the pile of laundry from the two weeks we spent in California. Instead, I've been admiring the #triparoundtheworld scrappy quilts that have been popping up all over blog land (making me want to start yet another project), and admiring these:

Isn't the bouquet awesome?! My friend Brandy came across a tutorial online and made it using Rock 'n' Romance by Pat Bravo for Art Gallery Fabrics. I just recent'y finished those pictures, and now I am ready to get back into sewing mode. I've realized that doing so will take some careful planning on my part. We live in tight quarters and my 18 mo old is a super light sleeper, so my only time to sew with out it being disruptive is in the early evening right when my hubs gets home. But in November I joined a gym so a large chunk of my evenings have either been spent there, or having family time when my husband comes home. It'll all be fine and well, once I come up with schedule that works for us all. 

In order to help myself stay on track for getting things done this year, I'm joining the She Can Quilt 2013 Finish Along. The FAL will be split into quarters. With all types of goals, in order to set yourself up for success, you must make them realistic. So I made a list of all the tasks I need to complete this year, and I split them into quarters. For this quarter my list includes:

2 baby boy plus quilts (currently cut out and on the design wall - sorry about the bad iPhone pics and the stickies i left one them. I originally had these combined into one, but I figure I'll actually get them done if I make them 2 smaller quilts, instead of one bigger one.)

"Left Overs" baby girl quilt (put away somewhere)

2 Reunion baby quilts (put away somewhere - need more fabric)

Hilary's A Walk in the Woods baby quilt (ready to baste)

Hub Quilt (<----more on that later)

This quarter will also include projects for two swaps I'm currently in:

The Doll Quilt Swap

Pretty Little Pouch Swap

Completed Project

Okay so it's not a big project, but remember when I mentioned that I had joined a Mug Rug Swap? Well, here they are. The guidelines were to make 2 mug rugs around 8"x11" or somewhere in that area. I made mine about 9"x9". I didn't really have specific measurements or instructions for this. I just started making them and that's what I came up with. I really like the wonky star one. This is the block that will start off my GenX Quilt Along quilt. I'm pretty excited for that one!