Thursday, December 9, 2010

In the kitchen today... making a yummy turkey!

The week before Thanksgiving I stocked up on Turkeys at great prices. Today I've put one of them in the oven for dinner tonight.

My family loves turkey. Turkey's don't take much more time to prepare for the oven than a chicken does. And by fixing turkey you are sure to have leftovers to last a few days or freeze for later throw together meals. Making them economical.

I love to slow roast my turkey all day long. Thanks to Cindy Rushton in her Perfect Turkey Every Time (REALLY!) post for sharing how to make roasting a turkey all day long easy and hassle free.

After I thaw the turkey (in the fridge for several days), I start the turkey early in the day, by rinsing out the inside. Then I slice a lemon, and peel 5-6 garlic cloves, put a few lemon slices and a garlic cloves in the neck cavity, and the rest go in the body cavity. I then create a herb rub of thyme, rosemary, sage, and anything else I want to add at the time, mixed in a few Tblspns of olive oil. I rub the turkey breast underneath the skin. And then rub the rest of the turkey on top of the skin all over with the remaining herb/olive oil rub.

I then cover with foil, stick it in the oven, and let it roast all day long. By the middle of the day the house is filled with all sorts of yummy smells from the turkey and the herbs, heightening the anticipation for a family dinner together. And I can have one more thing off my mind knowing that the main entree for dinner will be ready when we are.

What meals did you make from your leftover Thanksgiving turkey? Leave a comment and share your ideas here!

Be Blessed

Monday, November 29, 2010

Knitting Stitch Markers Giveaway!

I made myself knitting stitch markers several years ago, and I love them. They add a little bit of bling to my knitting needles, and because they were hand crafted by me, they are unique.


I don't plan on making stitch markers again any time soon.

But SomerKnits at Knit-O-Matic the Knitting Addict makes them frequently. Recently she had a great day making stitch markers to sell at the Arkansas Fiber Arts Extravaganza. And she wants to share the abundance by giving a set of her stitch markers away to one lucky knitter!

Simply head over to her blog, and enter by posting a comment, following her blog, and sharing this give away with your friends on FB and Twitter.

Note: The pic above are the stitch markers I made. The ones the winner will receive are much prettier and will be better made!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

The Well Supplied Knitting or Crochet Bag

Life has finally slowed down enough for me to bring my larger knitting projects out of hibernation, and begin two scarves (in tandem) for Christmas Gifts. But life has not slowed down enough for me to sit at home all day knitting and eating bon bons. Which means I will be taking my knitting with me wherever I go.

I've put together a tote bag to hold my knitting/crocheting projects and necessary supplies. Now I can carry my project around the house, or onto the porch on a warmer day, when I get a rare moment to sit. And everything will be together so I can just grab it and toss in the front seat of the SUV when we leave home for the day.

This also helps me stay focused on one project at a time. I can keep one project ready and waiting in the tote bag , and leave the others in the storage bin. I can switch them out as I please, but this ensures that there is only one project out at a time.



It honestly doesn't take a lot of time, or a huge investment, to supply a knitting or crochet tote bag. But gathering a handful of essentials to keep with you will make your project go much smoother in the long run. Plus it will give you a better chance to work on a project when or where you happen to have an opportunity.

The first thing you need is a bag or container to carry it in. A large roomy tote is what I'm using. You can use any large bag, backpack, basket, etc. Your personality and lifestyle will be the determining factor to what you carry your project in. Make sure it's durable, roomy, has some pockets for you other goodies, and does not have any zippers, edges, or corners to snag your yarn.

If you are still carrying your project in the plastic shopping bag from the store at which you bought your yarn, please get yourself a tote. You are creating a beautiful item from nothing but yarn using your fingers. Take a little pride in yourself and in your work, and carry your creation well!

The first thing to go in your Knitting or Crochet bag is of course your project, yarn (protected in a smaller bag), hook or needles for your project, and a copy of the instructions.


Yarn in your tote needs to be protected from spills, children, puppies, etc. I bought a nice yarn holder on clearance. But a freezer zipper baggie will do just fine. Simply close the baggie across the top except for an inch to let the yarn pass through. Only carry one or two skeins of yarn with you. Keep the rest the yarn for your project at home where it will be safe and sound.

A word of experience - do not carry the original instructions for your project in your tote. That is a heartbreak waiting to happen. Make a copy with a copy machine, or write a copy of the instructions, and keep the original safe on the shelf, filed in a binder, or stored with your yarn at home.

After you have a bag you can take a bit of pride in, and place in it your yarn, needles/hook, and instructions.... you need to add a few more necessities. To keep mine organized I use a zippered pencil pouch, and a few small containers such as empty Altoid mint tins.

In my pouch I have a quilter's tape measure, small folding embroidery scissors, a crochet hook, and a set of small circular needles.


The crochet hook comes in handy to help pick up any stitches I may have dropped. The smaller circular needles are a god send if I have to partially frog a knitting project. Ripping back onto smaller needles lessens errors and dropped stitched. The embroidery scissors are useful to cutting out any weak or bad spots in the strand of yarn.

Next in my supply pouch is variety of stitch markers, , a needle size indicator , a tapestry or yarn needle, some band aids, an emery file, and hand cream. Other items in my pouch that are not shown here are stitch holders, point protectors, and a row counter.


There are several types of stitch markers. I use Clover Locking Stitch Markers, Boye close able ring stitch markers, safety pins, and hand made ring stitch markers I made a few years back. These are great for marking increases or decreases, either on the needle or by marking individual stitches after they are worked. I also keep scrap yarn or crochet cotton thread to use as a horizontal thread marker to mark an entire row when I need row for a reference point.

The emery board and band aids don't really have anything to do with knitting. But you never know when you might accidentally nick yourself, or chip a fingernail, which could prevent you from being able to play with your yarn.

It's also handy to have a pencil, index cards and post it notes to write any notes, reminders, or random thoughts (must remember to thaw the chicken for dinner) as you are working.


And last, but not least, in my knitting bag I keep a book light, a small head lamp light, and an MP3 player. The first two will be useful for knitting when you are the passenger in the car at night time, and save you from stabbing yourself with knitting needles. The latter will give you something soothing or interesting to listen too while your hands are occupied.

And there you have it. A well supplied Knitting or Crochet Bag for your current or next project. You don't have to spend a fortune, or get everything at once. But the better supplied your tote is, the better prepared you will be. Plus the more likely it will be that your project will end up finished and enjoyed instead of being sent to the bottom of the frog pond to sleep with the fishes.

Saturday, November 27, 2010

Finished Knitting Project - Sunburst Dishcloth


Yarn
Peaches and Cream Cotton


I've been knitting a lot of dishcloths for gifts lately, and that is leaving me with a small bin of scrap yarn. I found this pattern, and really liked the look of it. So I knit this one up using alternating colors from my scrap stash..

The pattern itself offers a bit of a challenge. But not overwhelming. Once the first section in complete, you get a feel for the pattern and it's fun to knit.

Although it is a round dishcloth, it is not knit circular, but in rows. Yarn overs, and bind offs every 5th row create the lacy effect and the edging. Knitting in sections, wrapped stitches and short rows create the circular effect. The first row and last row are grafted together to complete the circular shape.

I enjoyed this pattern, and will be starting another one this weekend.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

32:07

Saturday, November 13, 2010

13:04

Friday, November 12, 2010

Maternal love is the first agent in education

"It is upon the mothers of the present that the future of the world depends, in even a greater degree than upon the fathers, because it is the mothers who have the sole direction of the children's early, most impressionable years. This is why we hear so frequently of great men who had good mothers - that is, mothers who brought up their children themselves, and did not make over their gravest duty to indifferent persons.

"'The mother is qualified, says Pestalozzi, 'and qualified by the Creator Himself, to become the principal agent in the development of her child.... and what is demanded of her is - a thinking love... Maternal love is the first agent in education.'"

Charlotte M Mason
Volume I - Home Education
pg. 2

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Meal Plan Nonday

This is the paycheck comes mid week meal Plan.

We are at the end of this pay period, and our pantry and fridge are rather bare. I have Monday and Tuesday planned out. I am waiting for the sale circulars to come out to make my menu and my shopping list for the rest of the week. And then I will go shopping on Wed.

Monday - Oatmeal with cinnamon and peanut butter
- Cheese Sticks, veggie sticks, apple sauce, peanut butter
- Liver and onions made in the crock pot. Steamed and pureed butternut squash.

Yum!

Tuesday - Scrambled eggs, sautéed diced onions and peppers.
- Mixed fruit/berries, cheese sticks, milk
- Poor Boy Special (Mac n Cheese, Tuna, Peas) Milk

Wednesday - Pancakes or Crepes with berries
- Most likely stopping at Braums for fruit, cheese, and yogurt
- Dinner out before church

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Recycled Overalls Tote Bag

This is my current knitting bag. I bought it on clearance for less than $5.00 at a local craft store. I have had it for almost forever, and it is my favorite bag of all time. I love and have used it as a tote for absolutely everything. It's faded and it's out of season, but its just so perfect I love it so much. (Can you tell I love this bag?)


Well.. my bag is so well loved, the handles are starting to fray and are about to the point of breaking.

I honestly have thought long and hard about using duct tape, or red athletic tape, to tape the handles. But that would really be tacky, and just prolonging the demise of this poor bag.

Out of the love and the respect I have for my bag, I am just going to let it retire gracefully.

I have been perusing the craft stores, thrift store, and every store I walk through to find a worthy replacement. I have yet to find one that is the right size, the right color, and that fits in my budget.

This past week we have been purging closets for out of season or outgrown clothes. Out of my oldest daughter's closet came a cute pair of khaki over-all shorts. They were still in really good shape, and had lots of pockets.

I had seen some time back a lady carrying a purse made from toddler overalls, and thought it was a really cute idea, but never had the opportunity to try it.

But here I was with my daughter's outgrown overalls, and me in need of a new bag. Sounds like the perfect opportunity to try making a tote bag to me!

It took me several hrs to get it done, but I was interrupted with a toddler not napping, yard work, and then dinner for my fam. If I was not inerrupted I am pretty sure this would not of taken more than 30 minutes at the most to start and complete.

Best part is it fit within my budget because it cost me nothing. The overalls were going to be given away or tossed anyway, and I had the thread on hand. Oh... the sewing machine I made it on was given to me for free as well.

How's that for a free tote bag?!

Here's how you can make your own....

Please note... I didn't pin any of the edges before hemming them. I just hand pressed them, and then held them together as I sewed along. I also wasn't very picky about hem allowances, but I think they ranged between 1/2" to 1".

Start with clean over-all shorts.


To keep the length, cut out the crotch seam. If you don't want your tote bag as deep, simply cut the legs off above the crotch.


Turn the over-alls inside out. Match the raw edged of the crotch together in the back, and then again in the front. Dont match up the front with the back, but make sure the back and the front stay separate so you don't sew them back together.

With a sewing machine, Hem first the back crotch cut. Then hem the front crotch together.
After they are hemmed it should look like this when laid flat. Notice the side seams are what are in the middle, and the hemmed crotches are on the sides.

Now with the over-alls still inside out, lay them flat with the side seams on the sides again, and the front and back crotch hems matching up.



Before sewing the bottom edge closed, to reduce bulking, fold the top crotch hem allowance one way, and the bottom hem allowance the opposite way.

Machine hem with a generous edge allowance.


This is what it should look like after the bottom is sewn closed.

To help make a little bit of a flatter bottom, Sew the bottom corners at a diagonal.


Turn it right side out, fill it with your favorite things or you daily must haves, and enjoy!



Here's what mine looked like filled.


To give you an idea of how roomy this tote is, I have my current knitting project, my book tote, my knitting instructions, and a notebook on the inside. The front pockets have my hand lotion, and my chap stick. The two back pockets were perfect for holding my book light and my MP3 player.

I am not head over heals in love with this bag yet, but it's cute and so far I like it pretty well.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Saturday 10232010

Seven rounds for time of:

10 Wallball shots, 20 pound ball
10 Pull-ups

15 lb ball, black band pullups.
12:46

I can tell my legs are getting stronger. After I finish the Burpee Challenge, I will probably start a pullup challenge. I want a legit no band pullup by spring.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

100 day Burpee Challenge
Day 35
35 Burpees

Tuesday 10192010

One of Jerimiah's 6am class members' birthday was today. And of course he made up his own customary birthday WOD. It was one of the hardest I've ever done, but I'm proud of myself for not quitting. I'm also thankful for the trainers at CrossFit Tulsa, and the other class members who support me and each other. It's a great group that pushes each other to not give up.

"Decker"

D - 1 Round Diane
21 Deadlifts (225#/185#)
21 HSPU

E - 1 Round Elizabeth
15 Squat Cleans (135#/95#)
15 Ring Dips

C - 1 Round Cindy
5 Pull-ups
10 Push-ups
15 Squats

K - 1 Round Kelly
400 m Run, 30 WallBall (20#/14#)
30 Box Jumps (24"/20')

E - 1 Round Eva
800m Run
30 KettleBell Swings (70#)
30 Pull-ups

R - Half a Randy
35 Power Snatches (75#/45#)

OR

Row 350m

95 lb DL, Modified Box HSPU, 75 lb Squat Clean, 15lb Wall Ball, 35# KBS, 45lb Power Snatch

1 Hour and 1 minute





Monday, October 18, 2010

Monday 10182010

4 Rounds for Time
50M Prowler Sled Push 90#/60#
15 DB Squat Clean 35#/20#
10 Box Jumps 24"/20"

unweighted sled, 20# Db, 20" box jump
28:32

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

100 day Burpee challenge
Day 29
29 Burpees

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tuesday 10122010

Snatch balance 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

I can't do a good OHS, so doing snatch balance without a solid OHS is a moot point. I worked on my OHS form in lieu of the snatch balance.

7 rounds
10 OHS
33lb bar

Sunday, October 10, 2010

100 day Burpee Challenge
Day 26

26 Burpees

Sunday 10102010

200 Meters Medicine Ball Carry
30 Double Unders/100 single jump ropes
25 Sledge Hammer Swings
20 Box Jumps
15 Deadlifts
10 Push-ups
5 Pullups
200 Meters Medicine Ball Carry

15lb Med ball
100 single jumps
20" Box Jumps
95lb Deadlifts
Black Band pull-ups

14:26
100 day burpee challenge
make up day
25 burpees.
100 day burpee challenge
make up day.
24 burpees.
100 day burpees challenge
make up day
23 burpees

Friday, October 8, 2010

Friday 10082010


Front Squat 1-1-1-1-1-1-1

65-85-90-95-100-100-100

Strenth
KB Snatch 5L/R, 5L/R, 5L/R
25, 25, 35

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Thursday 10072010

21-15 and 9 rep rounds of:
Left-arm Kettlebell snatch, 1.5 pood
Right-arm Kettlebell snatch, 1.5 pood
Pull-ups

21, 15, 9
Left KB Snatch - 18lb
Right KB Snatch - 25lb
ring rows

11:45

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

150 KBS
25 lb
Intimed

100 day Burpee challenge
Day 22
22 Burpees

I can now almost to a full plank pu wo sagging!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Tuesday 10052010

Make up day. The intended WOD was from yesterday:

For time:
95 pound Back squat, 50 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 5 ascents
115 pound Back squat, 40 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 4 ascents
135 pound Back squat, 30 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 3 ascents
155 pound Back squat, 20 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 2 ascents
175 pound Back squat, 10 reps
15 ft Rope Climb, 1 ascent

Still having issues with my hand and no grip strength. So I just turned today into working on my Back Squat form with the baby bar.

BS
25, 20, 15, 10, 5
33 lbs

100 Day Burpee Challenge
Day 21
21 Burpees
Total Burpees so far: 222

Bond - Kashmir

Another great song for download

Monday, October 4, 2010

Monday 10042010

Today I took a rest day because I had an old friend drop in unexpectedly from out of town.

100 Day Burpee Challenge
Day 20
20 Burpees

Total Burpees so far 203

Vox Populi - 30 Seconds to Mars (Full Song)

Newest download for my workout playlist. Love it!

Primal Blueprint Recipe: Avocado Cocoa Rolls

I found this recipe video via Mark's Daily Apple submitted to Mark's video recipe contest by a reader Betty. I have started using bananas alot to trick our sweet tooth on family dessert night, and have paired them with cocoa. But I never would of thought of a cocoa, banana, and avocado combination! Thank God for more those with more fitness lifestyle experiences who are willing to share their ideas!

Thanks MDA and Betty!

Sunday, October 3, 2010

October Progress Pics

I am not one to flaunt myself or wear scant clothing. But I would like to have a visual record of how I look as a reference. So I'll start taking pictures at the beginning of each month and posting them with measurements and weight to track my progress.

(Please ignore my cluttered house. It too is a work in continual progress)

October beginning weight: 178.6lbs



Sunday 10032010

Rest Day

100 Day Burpee Challenge
Day 19
55 Burpees (Today's 19 and more to make up for Friday and Saturday)

Total Burpees so far 183

Thursday, September 30, 2010

100 day burpee challenge
too tired to remember what day
16 burpees

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

100 day Burpee challenge
Day 15
15 Burpees

Wednesday 09292010

"Jack"

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
115 pound Push press, 10 reps
10 KB Swings, 1.5 pood
10 Box jumps, 24 inch box

55 lb Push press
35 lb KBS
20" Box

4 Rds plus 10 PP

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Tuesday 09282010

"WODing around the block"

8 Rounds
Sprint approx 200M
walk approx 25M

Untimed.

This was was done with my hubby.

Then

100 Day Burpee Challenge
Day 14

14 Modified Burpees since my hand is still hurting

Monday, September 27, 2010

Monday 09272010

Ten rounds for time of:

135 pound Deadlift, 15 reps
15 push-ups

Subbed 75lb
34:23

My hand has started hurting when I put pressure on it while flat on the floor to do a push-up. So I did push-ups while gripping dumbells.

I'm excusing myself from day 13 of the Burpee Challenge today since I did so many pushups.
I think my arms are going to fall off.



Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sunday 09262010

Sunday is my rest day.

Day 12 of 100 Day Burpee Challenge
12 Burpees

Saturday, September 25, 2010

100 Day Burpee Challenge

Day 11
21 Burpees

Fight gone bad 224

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Thursday 09232010

Today was my rest day.

Another affiliate is doing a 100 day burpee challenge. Today was day 9 of their challenge, so the required "buy in" was 45 burpees to start today.

100 day Burpee Challenge
Day 9 (Day 1 for me)
50 Burpees

Woman, Nourish Yourself

One of the most important aspects of taking care of yourself is making sure you eat right, or for starters make sure you eat at all. We women fill many roles in life. And we keep ourselves so busy within these roles that we neglect ourselves, especially when it comes to eating a thing for lunch or dinner.

In my personal experience, the largest role I fill is that of housewife and mom. As a mom I am normally so busy helping with school work, trying to keep up with laundry, chasing a toddler, continually filling the dishwasher, errands, volunteer work, school meetings, (notice I didn't say actually cleaning my house), etc.... that it's common for me to look up at the clock to realize it's already late afternoon, and my stomach is telling me it needs some attention! And not only my stomach, my brain is also a bit fuzzy because it too is in need of some fuel.

I make sure my kids get a decent lunch, but often neglect to stop and sit myself down to eat.

Whatever role you are filling today, there's a very good chance that you have neglected yourself once again by not eating a decent lunch. And most likely you'll have a not so good dinner.

Maybe your role is as an office worker, compelled to stay at your desk by a large pile of files in your inbox. Or your role is in the medical profession, kept busy by the constant demands of patients and their lack of time management. Or your role is caretaker, caring for a sick or elderly relative, and constantly putting their needs before your own.

Woman, you need to take care of yourself. You need to make sure you get a break in the day and eat some lunch. No, a can of slim fast is not going to cut it. And no, a soda and a corn dog from the convenience store isn't going to cut it either.

Eating a good lunch or dinner will help make sure you have the fuel your body needs to make the necessary energy for the rest of the day. Without it, you most likely can't give he best you can give to whatever you are doing. If you don't love yourself enough to take care of yourself, how can you truly love others in your life?

A good nutritious lunch doesn't have to be complicated. But it helps if you do a little planning and a little prep work ahead of time. This way you're not hitting your lunch break on Wednesday, wondering what you're going to eat, and end up grabbing something from the snack machine because it's close at hand.

For example...

A quick mid week salad is easy to toss together if you take a few minutes to wash, dice, and slice a variety of veggies early in the week. Cook a whole turkey for dinner (or buy deli meat) and portion the leftover meat into zip lock baggies for a quick grab protein (freeze what you can't use within a few days, and just grab baggies out of the freezer as needed). Hard boil a dozen or two eggs for snacks throughout the week. Steam and mash several pounds of sweet potatoes for an easy lunch heat and eat side dish .


A good nutritious lunch doesn't have to be complicated.


Taking just a little time to take care of yourself in this way will go a long way in your effort to help others in your life.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Wednesday 09222010

For time:
25 Walking lunge steps
20 Pull-ups
50 Box jumps, 20 inch box
20 Double-unders
25 Ring dips
20 Knees to elbows
30 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
30 Sit-ups
20 Hang squat cleans, 35 pound dumbells
25 Back extensions
30 Wall ball shots, 20 pound ball
3 Rope climb ascents

Heavily Modified
Subbed Ring rows, 16" Box, 100 single jump ropes, parallette dips, knee raises, 25lb KBS, 20lb Squat cleans, 12lb Wall Ball, beginner modified rope climbs.

32:14

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Tuesday 09212010

"Michael"

3 Rounds
800M run
50 Sit ups
50 Back extensions

Sub 400 M Run
Ab Mat Sit ups
Supermans

22:40

Monday, September 20, 2010

Monday 09202010

Took a 1 mile "therapeutic" speed walk with a gym class mate to let her vent.

Then

15 Minutes as many rounds as possible

8 Hang Power Cleans
8 Wall Balls
8 Knees to Elbows

65lb HPC, 12lb Wall Ball, sub sit ups.
4 rounds and 8 HPC

Lately I've been the one with the camera to get pics for the CrossFit Tulsa daily posts. In all fairness, the cameras were turned on me today.

I have to admit, it's pretty humiliating when you get a true picture of how I look.

When I look in the mirror at home, I can easily focus on the good points, or the "not so bad" points of my appearance. I can develop "tunnel vision" so to speak, and only see the attractive features up at top, and ignore the out of shape parts below the mirror's line of vision. It's easy to wear clothes that mask the chubbies. When I am in the comfort of my own home, I can turn a blind eye to the parts of my life that truly need attention because there are so many other aspects of life that I have given priority.

So when I see a picture of myself in not so flattering clothes, It's pretty much a shock back into reality. Yes it's embarrassing, still, that I look this chubby. It's very uncomfortable for me to even share about my embarrassment because I am such a private person and try to focus on others.

But I choose to share my awkwardness despite my embarrassment because I need to push myself out of my comfort zone. And I just want you all to see that if I can do this, you can to.

These pics are just proof of why I am determined to continue do what I have restarted. I am not going to beat myself up over it any more. I'm just going to accept it as a fact and move on. And these pics are not a reflection of who I am on the inside. The inside me is a confident, strong, and very opinionated girl. The inside me is a beautiful daughter created by God. Soon, sooner than I think, the outside me will truly reflect the inside me.

Yes, you too are beautiful on the inside. You are a creation of God. And God doesn't make bad stuff. You may be frumpy, and soft on the outside. But you have an opportunity to change that. Start now. Make a goal. Take a step towards that goal. And keep stepping and working towards it.

I can do this, and you can too!


Proof that if I can do this, you can too.

Yay Wallballs. More fun than Burpees


See, they're easy.



Yes these are fun, see I'm smiling!



No, I'm not pregnant, I just still have all that baby weight to loose.

I don't know why, but cleans are my favourite.
I like cleaning weights. Now cleaning my house, that's a different story.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

1Mile fun run with my kids. Untimed.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Friday 09172010

This workout I call PMSing Fran.

12, 9 , 6
165lb Barbell Thrusters
Muscle Ups

Modified
65lbs
Jumping Muscle ups to lock out at top.

I don't know who is writing the CFHQ programming, but I am tired of all the thrusters. But I dislike thrusters, which probably means I am weak at thrusters, and I need to be doing them more.

Following CF Main page programming is really an act of blind faith. You trust that who is writing the WODs really knows what they are doing, and are being strategic about the WODs. But then again, you are also praying they are not coming up with these WOD ideas while drunk or dealing with a gas bubble.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

"Kelly"

5 Rds
400 m run
30 Box Jurmps
30 Wall Ball Shots

3 Rounds
20" box, 12 lb Wall Ball
37:00

Monday, September 13, 2010

09132010 Monday

Three rounds, 15-12-and 9 reps, for time of:
135 pound barbell Thrusters
45 pound weighted Pull-ups

For weighted pull-ups, placing a 45 pound dumbbell between the legs above crossed ankles works great.

Modified 63lb thrusters, jumping pullups

22:38

Why oh why so many thrusters this past week?

This as was forwarded to me in an email. And I love it.
However it's not the original Nike Ad, but I love it much better than the original.


While on the Nike Blog, I saw this one as well.

Yes I have a big butt and thunder thighs.
And they will soon be toned from lots of rowing, box jumps, and kettlebell swings.

If we don't start, it's certain we can't arrive. Zig Ziglar

Saturday, September 11, 2010

09112010 Saturday

"The Seven"

7 HSPU
7 Thrusters 135 lbs
7 Knees to elbows
7 Deadlifts 215 lbs
7 Burpees
7 Kettle Bell Swings
7 Pullups

Modified

HSPU from box, 22 lb thrusters, AbMat Situps, 95lb DL, 25lb KBS, Ring Rows

45:26

Friday, September 10, 2010

09102010 Friday

"Helton"

Three rounds for time of:
Run 800 meters
50 pound Dumbbell squat cleans, 30 reps
30 Burpees

Modified

400M, 15lbs, 15 reps each

31: ish

Thursday, September 9, 2010

09092010 Thursday

Fran
21, 15, 9
Thrusters
Pullups

45lb
20:01

I would of done better, but on thruster #4 of the first round I drove the bar up to overhead before my chin was out of the way. Hitting my chin caused me to bite my tongue pretty bad, and see stars for a bit. I had to lean on a bar rack for a while. The rest of the WOD, the throbbing of my chin and mouth was a big distraction and I couldn't focus on the WOD fully. It was really frustrating, but I was able to still finish.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

09012010

I did today's CF Tulsa AM class DL. WOD.

Deadlifts
3, 3, 2, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1

65x3, 75x3, 95x2, 105x2, 115x2, 135x1, 145x1, 155x1, 185 F, 175x1

I probably should of dropped the weight even more for the last rep. I did get the weight up, and my hips open fully, but I'm sure my form was horrible. But I feel good.... so no damage done.

Saturday, August 28, 2010

15 - 12 - 9 - 6 - 3
42#
SDLHP
Push Jerk
14:08

Monday, August 23, 2010

CF FB Modified

6 Rounds
250m row
6 KB snatch left
6 KB snatch right
10 pushups
10 Jumping pullups
35:24

Friday, August 20, 2010

Hillsong - With Everything - With Subtitles/Lyrics - HD Version

I don't know if I've shared this before. But I love this song so much. So I'm posting it (maybe again).

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

1 mile run and worked on stretching my legs thoroughly.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Warmup and then 100 pushups.

I am really weak in my upper body, so I'm going to focus on that awhile for my strength.

Monday, August 16, 2010

3 rounds
40 Kettlebell swings
10 kb thrusters left
10 kb thrusters right

Who's idea was this? It was horrible!

Meal Plan Monday

This week is kind of hectic with it being our first week of "school", and I having several meetings and what not. So I've just planned dinners since we will not be home most days for lunch.

Monday - Herbed Chuck Roast in the crock pot with potatoes and carrots

Tuesday - Taco Patties with Black Bean Salsa

Wednesday - Dinner at church

Thursday - Rib Roast in Crock Pot and salad.

Friday - Pulled Beef Sandwhiches

Saturday - Leftovers

Saturday, August 14, 2010

1 mile run

Friday, August 13, 2010

Knitting dish cloths

I've been knitting a lot of dish cloths lately.

I love knitting, but I don't have time to devote to the larger projects when I am at home. And the larger projects I have going at the moment are harder to tote around in when I am in the car as a passenger and have the opportunity to be idle. So I've started knitting dishcloths to curb my knitting addiction, till the weather cools off, and we spend more time at home indoors (yeah right).

While on vacation this past week, I knit 3 dishcloths in heart patterns and gave them as gifts to family. I have the scrap yarn left from those, and don't want to waste, so I'm going to start a scrap yarn dish cloth.

I picked the Sunburst Dishcloth pattern from Sara's Colorwave Yarns and will simply alternate the colors since this is knit in sections. I think it will still come out looking nice with two colors.

If I still have scraps yet, I will use the remainder of a third skein to make this Scrap Yarn Dishcloth by Sharon "Soxie" Philbrick I like the basket-weave look of this dishcloth, and may get new yarn just to work this one up.

The Sunburst Dish Cloth calls for a Chrochet Edge Cast-on, which I found a great tutorial for here courtesy of KarenJoSeattle

While doing a search I found instructions and templates for Dishcloth Care Tags with free templates courtesy of Coming Unraveled Blog.

Not much else is new. The Oklahoma heat still rages on. We returned from relaxing and hiking in 60 deg weather to temps over 100. I seriously wanted to cry when we crossed back into Kansas. But we are home now, and complaining won't help. So I'm making the best of it.

I'm taking advantage of the last two days hubby is home from work to do some pre-fall deep cleaning. Yesterday I focused on the kitchen, emptying the fridge, cleaned off the bakers rack, and wiping off appliances. Today we will focus on the living room and bathroom.

When it starts getting stupid hot, I'll take a break and we'll go swimming.

Hope you are enjoying cooler temps than we are. If not, make some nice iced tea or lemonade, and stay cool.

Be Blessed

Sunday, July 25, 2010

~ elax and sleep.
~ Friday
10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 squats - practice on squat form and stability.

Saturday and Sunday no workout.
Saturday was full with bir

~ sit from my brother Les.We immedately left from there to drive to Memphis. We got home we were all exhausted and emotionally drianed.
Desperately need r
~ thday parties and family get togethers.
Sunday - round trip drive to Memphis to pick up my neice.
Saturday was a long, busy day, and went late with a vi

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Wednesday 100721

Joint Mobility Warm Up

Passthroughs x10
IR Stretch x5
Overhead Stretch x5
Perfect Stretch x5
Leg Swings x10
Arm Circles x10
Windmills
KB GobletSquat/GoodMorning/Halo x5

KBS x 15 - 25 lb
TGU x 5 each side 18lb
KBS x 15
TGU x 5 each side
KBS x 30

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The CrossFit approach...

"The CrossFit approach is to embrace, study, practice, and train for functional mastery. CrossFitters at every level are on the same path - moving from functional competence to functional dominance. Our almost complete reliance on functional movements is vital to the potency of the CrossFit protocol. We say, "The magic is in the movements."'

Greg Glassman
CrossFit founder and Coach

New favorite workout song!

Monday 100719

Warm up
Joint mobility
Air Squats
Plank Holds
Perfects Stretches
Side Lunges
Front Kicks
Pass Throughs


WOD:
10 KBS 25 lb
3 TGU - each side 18 lb
10 KBS
4 TGU each side
10 KBS
4 TGU each side
10 KBS
3 TGU each side
10 KBS

Skill work - practice OHS with pvc to work on form.

Cool down stretching

"There are two basics that every person in every area of fitness needs to master; how to generate power with your hips and how to control a weight overhead. Don't confuse basics with beginners. Get back to basics."
Shaun Cairn, Senior RKC

Monday, July 12, 2010

Meal Plan Monday 07/12-07/16

Monday:
Breakfast: Oatmeal, Apples, Milk
Lunch: Tuna Salad and Carrot Sticks
Dinner: Crock Pot Herbed Roast Chicken and Potatoes

Tuesday
Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs, Blueberries/Strawberries
Lunch: Toasted Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas, Celery Sticks, Peanut Butter
Dinner: Crock Pot Chicken soup from leftover chicken

Wednesday:
Breakfast: Spinach and Cheese Crepes
Lunch: At friends house
Dinner: At Church Dinner

Thursday:
Breakfast: Yogurt and fruit salad.
Lunch: Turkey/Oatmeal "steak" patty sandwhiches, Oranges,
Dinner: Crockpot Meatloaf

Friday:
Breakfast: Egg and Leftover veggies Omelete
Lunch: Tuna and Spinach Salad and Orange Slices
Dinner: To be determined later *

Saturday:
Breakfast: Pancakes, Sausage, Eggs
Lunch: Leftovers
Dinner: To be determined later *

Sunday:
Breakfast: Crockpot Breakfast Casserole
Lunch: Hamburgers
Dinner: Egg Salad Sandwhiches

* Friday and Saturday are still to be determined because my hubby is giving me a late birthday present this weekend. I was told not to make any plans for the weekend until Thursday, because that's when he'll give me the details!

What I'm working on today for the week:
Tortillas
Bread
Yogurt
Black Bean Salsa
Baked Oatmeal
Hard Boiled eggs for egg salad and Deviled Eggs

Thursday, July 8, 2010

No more lost library cards!

Keep track of your library cards by keeping them with the library bag!

We love going to the library. We try to go once a week, before we go to church or before gymnastics practice, depending on the day. Both of my older two have their own library cards. I used to keep them in my billfold for them, but they like to have access to their own cards when they want them. And it is a little bit of a pain to fish them out of my bag and billfold when we get to the check out line.
So I gave them both their library cards, and not surprisingly one or both would misplace or forget their cards when we go to the library. I got tired of having to either help them hunt for their cards, or pay to replace cards we could not find.

I needed a way to help the girls keep track of their own card. And EUREKA!
I saw on another blog idea a while back to attach the library card to the bag. That way all the girls had to do was keep track of their bag.

But the card was attached with a strap that was sewn into the bag, a D ring, and a clip. I liked the idea, but didn't want to put that much work into it. So I created my own version using some yarn, a keyring, and a safety pin. No sewing involved!!

If you like this idea, here's how you can make yours too!

All you need is:
a reusable shopping bag
the library card
some yarn
an extra key ring
a safety pin
scissors
and a hole punch.


With the hole punch, punch 3 holes at the top or side of the
library card, being careful not to punch in the area of the barcode.
(Note: I'm using an office depot card as an example.)
Cut a length of yarn, the longer it is the easier for it to get scanned without having to take it off the bag. Fold it in half to double it. There will be the loop on one end and the two ends at the other.

Put the loop end through the center hole.

Put one of the two ends in each of the outside holes.

Open the loop and thread the ends through the loop.

Pull to tighten

Loop the ends through the key ring and knot to secure.

From the inside of the bag, poke the safety pin through like so.

Place the key ring on the safety pin, poke the pin back through to the inside, and fasten.

If your bag has a pocket on the outside, you can hide the safety pin/ring attatchment underneath the pocket like so.

And there you go! Your card is now safely attached to the library bag. As long as your kids know where their bag is they know where their card is.

We keep our library bags right by the door in a crate to make them easy to grab on our way out the door.

The plus side to each child having their own library bag is they can only bring home what books will fit in the bag. Saving us from having library book overload. When we bring home books, they go on the bookshelf. After we finish reading a book, it goes back into the bag, ready to be returned. This way we rarely loose a book (there are a few exceptions, but hey they are kids!) and have to pay a late fee or a lost book fine.

Blessings!


Thursday, July 1, 2010

Kids Room Declutter Pics

My project for this week's Tackle it Tuesday was attacking the girls' bedroom. It did take me the whole day to get this room back under control. I'm just now posting the pics. I've been a little busy, ya know.

I spent the entire afternoon buried in toys, laundry, and junk. But I didn't quit (so proud of myself) and emerged from the room, leaving it much better.

All the walls and shelves were wiped down and dusted. A majority of the pencil marks remain, even after wearing out a few magic erasers. The room needs an update with a new coat and color of paint anyway.

I'm still working on sorting through the clothes in the closet, that will continue to be done one load at a time. But I think you can agree there's a huge improvement!



Before


Oh the horror


Yes my kids to make their bed,
but since I was going to strip them anyway I didn't see the point for this day.


Lets find the poor baby doll's clothes, please.


Sorting toys


After

A new place for everything, and everything in it's place.


Not perfectly made, but beds are made.

Much better


Shoes finally have a home where they belong, in the closet.


Now it's your turn!! Show me some of your before and after pics!