New Skirt or Your Selvage is Showing

Well, it's official. I'm 30. And oddly enough, I don't feel a tad bit older.

For my birthday I decided I would knock out some of the things on my thirty before thirty list, which has now become my thirty while thirty list. Ha. Maybe I should make it thirty one and add "learn to stop procrastinating."

Aaanyway, I wanted to dress up a bit so I decided it was high time to make a skirt (and wear it.) I decided on a wrap skirt and used this really simple tutorial posted on craftster. I used a lovely pale aqua print that I found at Joanns and lined it with a solid black broadcloth. I also used the solid black for the ties, which I think adds a nice touch of contrast.

 I just adore the way this skirt came out, and love that it's actually two skirts in one since it's reversible. I did make one tiny mistake though. If you look really close at the bottom of the skirt, you'll notice that the selvage is showing. Oops! This print had a particularly wide selvage and I completely overlooked it before cutting and sewing. I haven't decided how I want to fix it yet, so for now I'll just act as a walking billboard for Joanns. :)

Just one note about the tutorial if you're math challenged like me - the formula needs to be broken down to r = l/pi where l is your waist measurement plus 1/3. It took me a while to wrap my brain around it, so I figured I would spell it out for anyone else who may have trouble with that kind of stuff. Once you have your value for the radius, it's pretty straightforward from there.

Happy Sewing and Happy Friday! Hope you all have a good weekend!

Stawberries and Lavender

Well, not together, but they're both on my thirty before thirty list.

I scored a bunch of strawberry plants from a very generous free-cycler this spring and now that they're healthy and lush I thought I would share a few photos.

I think my main motivation for wanting to grow strawberries was to try my hand at making freezer jam. It just sounds so delicious! Unfortunately we won't be harvesting any strawberries this year,  but I'm hoping for a plentiful crop next year!

Another thing I've always wanted to grow is lavender. The heavenly scent of those beautiful purple flowers sucks me in every time. I can't help but stop and take a whiff every time I pass them- even the foliage smells wonderful!

And as long as we're on the topic of gardening, I thought I would share a few photos of some of the veggies that we planted this year. We've been enjoying a lot of fresh salads this summer with tender leaf lettuce, fresh tomatoes right off the vine and giant cucumbers. Yum!

I hope your summer is going well. What simple pleasures have you been indulging yourself in?

Wordless Wednesday - Camping on Grandma's Farm - AKA TBT #8 (extremely image heavy)

What a magical weekend!

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, my weight loss plan has been going ok so far. I've only lost two pounds, but I'm trying to keep my chin up and keep telling myself that at least it's something. I've been sticking to my workouts, but to be honest I've really been struggling with the diet part.

You see, I have this nagging sweet tooth that gets me every time, not to mention I'm a die hard carb-aholic. For the most part, I try to keep sweets and less desirable snacks out of the house, but it can be difficult sometimes with kids at home.

On a positive note, we've been doing a ton of biking lately which I've really been enjoying. Since I have a bike trailer to put the kids in I don't have to plan my cardio workouts around their naps, which is a life saver. As an added bonus, they love riding in the trailer and are completely content and whine free for the duration of the ride. It really doesn't get much better than that - it's really easy to stay motivated to exercise when it's so enjoyable. :)

On a side note, I've added a weight loss ticker on the right side bar to keep you updated and hopefully keep me in check.  Anyway, I hope you're all having a great week, and if you're following along, I would love to hear how you're doing so far.

Freshly Sliced

I've decided that I have three loves in life (besides my hubby and children): Sewing/Crafting, Baking and Gardening. The weather in these parts, a suburb of Chicago, has improved drastically lately, so I have been spending much of my days planting, digging and pruning. Life. is. good. I did take a break on one of the less desirable days to do some long awaited baking, though.

I've been wanting to try my hand at making my own bread for a few years now, and since it's on my thirty before thirty list, I finally decided to make it happen. Thanks to Sarah over at Come and See the Seitz I had the perfect recipe to start with.

My bread turned out a bit different than hers, but it was still very tasty. It was very dense with great flavor and a nice thick crust. It was great for a beginner too, since there are only 4 ingredients and no kneading is required. So, if you're thinking about trying your hand at making home made bread, I highly recommend trying this recipe. You won't be disappointed.

TBT # 6 - Upcycle Something

So, after finishing the very yummy contents inside this container, I decided that it needed to be given a new life.

But what? It sat for a few weeks on my craft table just waiting for the right opportunity to present itself. Then, this morning I decided to decoupage it with some pretty fabric.

What's in it you ask? Home made deodorant of course. What? That wasn't obvious?

My friend, Monica over at Deliberately Domestic wrote this post on the recipe she used to make her own deodorant. I've made home made deodorant before, but I wasn't really happy with the way it turned out. So, after reading Monica's post on the subject I decided to give it another go with the recipe that she used. I'm hoping that this recipe will work out better for me, since there are an awful lot of nasty ingredients in the store bought varieties.

ETA: So, I guess linking to a post with a link was a bit confusing, so in case you're having trouble finding it, here's the direct link for the deodorant recipe. Also, I should add that I used cornstarch instead of arrow root because it's what I had on hand. I also added tea tree oil and lavender essential oil both for fragrance and antibacterial qualities. So far this recipe has worked really well for me, and I feel so much better about putting it on my body because it's all natural. I would love to hear if you try it yourself!

Have you made your own deodorant before? If so, would you be so kind as to share your recipe in the comments section?

On Teaching Compassion ~or~ It Made My Day

Due to Mother Nature's need to dump rain on us all night via a violent storm, I found myself awake bright and early because the power was out and our basement was filling with water. I quickly packed both kids in the car and headed to my mom's house to pick up our generator to power the sump.

After a pleasant (albeit short) visit with my mom we headed back home to deal with the sogginess in our basement. We were about halfway home and I noticed what appeared to be a robin all hunkered down in the middle of the road. It was definitely alive, but not phased one bit by the passing cars. Strange.

While I watched all of the other cars drive right by, probably not even noticing the little guy,  I made a quick decision to pull over and even back up in the middle of traffic to rescue his fluffiness. I jumped out of the car, scooped him up in my sweatshirt and gently placed him in the grass on the side of the road.

I imagine he bonked his noggin on a passing car just moments before and was left a bit stunned. He didn't appear to have any injuries, so I'm hoping he was able to rest a bit before getting his bearings back and flying off home - at least that's how it played out in my head. 

 {source}

When I got back in the car I took the opportunity to explain to my screaming daughter why I had left her in the car. It went something like this, "There was a birdie in the road who may have been injured. I got out of the car to help him because he may have been hurt. It's our job to take care of others in times of need whenever we are able." I love that she was part of that and really hope that she turns out to be the kind of person that would also stop traffic to help a defenseless animal.

This message brought to you by years of witnessing similar acts of compassion carried out by my own mother. Thanks mom! I hope one day my daughter will grow up to be kind and compassionate as a result of witnessing such acts as well. 

Also, I do believe this falls into the random act of kindness category. A win-win I might say, because I do believe I just knocked out TBT #7. :)

Weight Loss Wednesday

Well, we've reached the one week mark since I started really working to get this baby weight off. I've been staying(ish) on track with my diet so far, but have had a few weak moments. I tend to reach for treats when I'm stressed and this week has been quite a challenge with the kiddos. But, I digress. I'm not here to whine, I'm here to give you an update and share my workout plan.

So, last week I started at 153 lbs and lost 1 lb which leaves me at 152 lbs. It's not much, but it's a start. And anyone who knows anything about healthy weight loss will tell you that slow and steady wins the race. The general rule is to lose 1/2 lb to 2 pounds a week but not much more than that. I'd say I'm right on track with that theory.

Anyway, onto the goods. As mentioned last week, I'll be following the Body for Life plans by Bill Phillips. Here is an excerpt taken from the Body for Life site:

Official Body-for-LIFE Weight-Training Plan

• Weight train intensely, three times per week on alternating days with aerobic exercise three times per week. Make sure to hit your "high points" during your workout.
• Alternate training the major muscles of the upper and lower body.
• Perform two exercises for each major muscle group of the upper body.
• Select one exercise and conduct five sets with it, starting with a set of 12 reps, then increasing the weight and doing 10 reps, adding more weight and doing 8 reps, adding more weight for 6 reps. Then reduce the weight and do 12 reps. Immediately perform another set of 12 reps for that muscle group using the second selected exercise.
• For each muscle group, rest for one minute between the first four sets. Then complete the final two sets with no rest in between, wait two minutes before moving on to your next muscle group, complete this pattern five times for the upper body training experience and four times for the lower body training experience.
• Always plan your training before hand.
• Record all your weightlifting exercised in a journal indicating the exercise selected and weight lifted.

Daily Training Guide

Download the Exercise Guide

Day 1	Upper Body	Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Biceps
Day 2	Cardiovascular
Day 3	Lower Body	Quads/Hamstrings/Calves/Abdominals
Day 4	Cardiovascular
Day 5	Upper Body	Chest/Shoulders/Triceps/Back/Biceps
Day 6	Cardiovascular
Day 7	Rest

Make sure to alternate doing two days of upper body one week with two days of lower body the next. 

I love this program because it's straight forward and doesn't take a lot of time to complete. My workouts usually last 30 minutes or so - something that can easily be accomplished during nap time, or before work. So, no excuses! Let's get to it! I'll be back next week with more tips.

The best thing about doing physical activity to get healthy? It really boosts your mood and confidence in the meantime. If you are following along, how did your first week go?

Weight Loss Wednesday

Good morning everyone! Are you ready to shed pounds with me? I'm so excited to be hosting a series on weight loss! As mentioned in my last post, I will be posting tips, recipes, workout plans and my progress which will hopefully translate to motivation for anyone who'd like to join in.

First, I feel the need to mention that there will be no talk of any type of fad diet here. Sure, you might get fast results with a fad diet, but the second you stop following said diet all of your hard work goes straight out the window.

How do I know this? I tried the Atkins diet before my wedding to shed those last few pounds so I could be a skinny mini in my dress. Big mistake! For one, I ended up losing too much weight and was pulling my dress up all night. Thank goodness it laced up in the back so we could get it as tight as possible. It also wreaked havoc on my digestive system.  As you probably know, the Atkins diet requires cutting out all carbs for two weeks. That means no veggies, no bread, no sugar, nothing. Well, without veggies and grains, you get no fiber. You can imagine where that left me.  Lastly, your body needs all of the vitamins and nutrients that can only be found in veggies. Sure, I lost those last few pounds, but I encountered problems along the way and the weight was back the second I put a carb in my mouth. So. not. worth. it!

With that said,  the plan that I follow is one by Bill Phillips. He has two amazing books called Body for Life and Eating for Life. They are geared around a sustainable way of eating healthy and working out. The recipes are delicious and the work outs are quick and easy to follow. The diet is even great for breast feeding moms since you're not eliminating anything except junk food! 

How do I know this plan works? I followed it in my early 20's right about the time that I met my husband. I was in the best shape of my life. I highly recommend checking out these books. They're super motivating and just make sense! What's more is Bill Phillips hosts a challenge where you can win $100,000 for transforming your body. Double win! You have to check it out!

Today I thought I would touch on the basic principles of his diet plan since diet is so incredibly important if you want to lose weight and keep it off.


The Eating for Life plan revolves around five small, high protein meals Monday through Saturday and taking Sunday off to eat whatever you want. Here's how it works - if you diet every day of the week, your body goes into "starvation mode" and actually starts retaining fat to keep from starving. When you give yourself one day to eat anything (and I mean anything) it wards off "starvation mode" and helps your body keep shedding fat.

Here's what a sample of my diet will look like:
Breakfast: 2 eggs, two slices of peanut butter toast and a glass of Kefir
Snack: cup of lowfat yogurt
Lunch: grilled chicken salad with lowfat dressing and water
Snack: Apple wedges with peanut butter
Dinner: Chicken breast, veggies, brown rice and water

The above is a very basic example of what I might eat throughout the day. The recipes in the Eating for Life book really are delicious. Check out a few of them at this website to see for yourself.  Also, I feel the need to mention how important portion sizes are. You can eat as healthy as you want, but if you eat too much of it, you won't lose weight. As a general rule, portions should be about the size of your fist.

So, if you've stuck with me this far, what are you waiting for? Let's get our diets on track so we can start shedding the pounds! Good luck to everyone! I'll be posting workout plans next week.

Tackling TBT #1 - Weight Loss

First on foremost on the list of things I want to accomplish before I turn 30 is losing this dag gone baby weight. I've sat depressed and worn baggy clothes for far too long. This is something I want to do for myself so I can feel like me again. I'm just not comfortable at my current weight.

Before my daughter was born I weighed in at 135 and at my heaviest during my pregnancy with her I was 198. Wow. I lost most of the weight before getting pregnant with my son but ballooned back up to 189. Now I'm stuck at 153.

And just for visual effect, here is a photo of me and my Maid of Honor before I got pregnant with my daughter

And here I am a few weeks after my daughter was born

And here is the most recent photo I have of myself

Not flattering at all, but I don't allow many pictures these days. 

While I have lost a decent amount of weight, it's just not enough. I refuse to buy new clothes to fit my current weight, so aside from the few outfits I've bought for special occasions, I'm stuck wearing t-shirts and sweat pants. Boring!

Why am I doing it on a public forum you ask? Because I find myself more motivated when I have others holding me accountable. So, every Wednesday I'll be posting tips on weight loss, recipes and ideas along with my progress.

If you're like me and work better under pressure or in the public eye, feel free to tag along in the comments sections with recipes, ideas and progress. Let's do this together! Stay tuned for tomorrow's first Weight Loss Wednesday!

Happy Earth Day - TBT # 28

Yes, ladies, I'm a master multi-tasker I tell ya. I've been wanting to plant a flowering tree in my backyard since we moved in, so I chose this pretty lady - a Zumi Crabapple. And what better day to plant a tree than earth day? Ok, so I didn't actually plant  it on earth day, but it was a good excuse, no?

In the mean time, I figured I'd knock out one of my Thirty Before Thirty (TBT) tasks as well. Nothing but efficiency here! Wait, does that mean I can cross off # 21 too? I'm managing my time better already!

Wishing you all a very Happy Earth Day! I'm off to give my tree a hug. :)

Thirty Before Thirty - The List

Thank you to everyone who commented with ideas for my Thirty Before Thirty list. They really got my creative juices flowing and I even included some of them in my list. I was thinking about shortening the list to a more feasible number, say Fifteen before Thirty? After all, there are only a few short months until September, but once I got going I just couldn't stop.

Some of them are kind of far fetched and may not be possible to accomplish due to money and time constraints, such as #29 and #23.  I'm going to try my best to scratch them all off before dooms day though and will document each upon completion. So, without further ado, here's my list:

1. Lose baby weight and gain muscle
2. Learn to knit
3. Quilt something
4. Get a facial
5. Go on a date with my husband
6. Up-cycle something
7. Perform a random act of kindness
8. Take  my kids camping
9. Start making purses for my etsy shop
10. Get a pedicure
11. Get a tattoo
12. Make a skirt and wear it!
13. Make bread from scratch
14. Start a compost bin
15. Knit/Crochet something for charity
16. Volunteer
17. Fire a gun
18. Donate Blood
20. Bet on a race horse
21. Learn to manage my time better
22. Read a book from cover to cover
23. Take a pottery class
24. Build a birdhouse
25. Grow Strawberries
26. Grow Lavender
27. Highlight my hair
28. Plant a tree
29. Visit Canada
30. Have a picnic in the park

And there you have it! Wish me luck! I can't wait to get started!