It's time for college football!!!

Last weekend I made some A&M dresses for the girls and some LSU dresses for my friends girls.  And even though I am not a big college football fan, I am a HUGE college fashion fan! LOL  So here are some pictures of the dresses!  I am planning to participate in Magnolia's school fall craft bazaar (in Oct) and taking a few dresses as examples and see if I can get some orders.  The only problem is that I am limited in fabric choices - all that I find around here is Texas (UT), Texas Tech, A&M, LSU, OSU, OU and the Dallas Cowboys.  So if someone wants another school, I will have to track down a distributor and there is the time and additional cost of shipping.  But we'll see.  In the meantime, if anyone wants to order one (schools/teams listed above) - let me know!  I am charging $45 per dress (see picture on top) and $40 for a swing top (see picture on bottom).

An apron that I made for a family friend who was getting married!  Yellow is her favorite color.  I just love making aprons (and having them embroidered) - maybe because I love to cook, but I just love giving someone a personalized gift like this! 

So it's been almost 2 months (61 days) since I started my 6-week fitness challenge and I am feeling GREAT!  I have lost 12.8 pounds and 3.5 inches off my waist, I have dropped 2 pant sizes and am comfortably back in S/M tops and size 8 shorts.  I can now run 4 miles (3 miles easily, making it to 4 is hard right now) and I have gotten into the habit of exercising EVERY DAY!  If I don't run, then I do elliptical or a 20 minute workout to my 30 Day Shred dvd.  I'm sticking to my daily calorie intake, and even better - I don't WANT TO CHEAT!  How is that possible, I know that I didn't have this huge self control on my own.  I am so thankful for the physical ability to exercise, God has given me a body and I am honored to take care of it.  I am so thankful to break my addiction of sodas, I aim to drink at least 4 cups of water a day (something I have never done before) and most days I have 6-8 cups of water!  It's amazing to have energy simply becuase I am staying hydrated! 

So the reason for this post is mostly to tell you that I feel so very blessed, and thankful that God is working on me physically, mentally and spiritually.  I feel like He is making me over in ways I never dreamed was possible.  I am so glad that I said YES to the 6-week fitness challenge, so glad that I pushed through the initial discomfort/soreness as I was getting back into shape in the first 2 weeks, so glad that I have an amazing support system (wonderful husband, encouraging friends, people I can ask about health/fitness).  This has been an amazing 2 month journey and I'm here to say I DON'T WANT TO EVER GO BACK to the way I was and not caring about my health and body.  My kids deserve better, I deserve better.  I have come to the conclusion that God wants me to honor him in every way with everything that I am - and not caring for this temple is just not okay.  So the journey continues.  No, I didn't win that 6-week competition for most body fat % lost, but that's okay.  I have set some new goals...1) Hit my goal of 130 pounds - I have 11 pounds to go!  2) run a 5K in 30 minutes and  3) start training for a half-marathon (13 miles) with the hope of running one in 2013. 

I still have a ways to go, but I am willing and at times I gotta "fake it till I make it" but every day I put those running shoes on and I get out there (after dark, when it's only 90 degrees instead of 106) and I just go for it.  If you are considering making a change, I'd love to talk with you more about it! :-)

Sweat is fat that is crying!
Joy  

6-Week Fitness Challenge

I started a 6-week fitness challenge (think Biggest Loser with a $ winner pot) with 20 friends (and friends of friends) on Monday, April 30th 2012. I'm doing low-carb/low-fat (cooking with the South Beach Diet cookbook) and exercising daily (either walking or using the elliptical). My greatest friend is an app called MyFitnessPal - I'm logging everything that goes into my mouth and keeping track of my exercise so I can stick with my plan to lose 30 pounds. I'm on a 1200 calorie diet. Breads, sugar and sodas are my vices - I have cut out sodas altogether but still eat a little bit of bread and sugar in moderation. (1 tsp sugar with tea, a little sugar in my salad dressing, had 2 slices of bread in a sandwich for lunch yesterday). I'm eating smaller meals closer together (every 2-2.5 hours) so I'm not starving and want to eat whatever is around (which is what I have been doing the last 3 years, eating quickly and on the go between school, soccer practices/games and church). I'm finding that I have to be intentional about what foods I have around, stick to a schedule of eating and making time to exercise. 

I have 4 kids - ages 1, 3, 5 and 6 - and have put on about 25 pounds since my third baby was born.  Over the last 6 months or so, I have really felt unhealthy - excess weight has made me tired, annoyed when I look in the mirror and my daily activity is really pretty sedentary since I'm at home taking care of laundry, dishes and kids.   My motivation for losing weight and getting healthy is wanting to be around for my 4 kids - my husband's mom passed away 2 years ago from cancer but she also had heart issues, it's been so hard without her - she loved her kids and grandkids so much! There are heart issues, cholesterol and diabetes on my side of the family too.  I want to be an active and fun/playful mom to my children, and my long term goal is to be able to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren grow up! I'm so glad that I have started this journey, and I am blessed to have a group of friends & friends of friends that are on this journey with me. I think I have just about convinced my husband Josh to start using MyFitnessPal - he has seen me "normal" aka not cranky and diet-crazy this week and is starting to believe he might be able to do it too! YAY!!!

If you are on the fence about wanting to lose weight, I would love to talk to you about it!  I'm learning that the best defense is a good offense - and having healthy foods around (and tracking everything that is going into your mouth) is the only way to go!   One of my fitness challenge friends said "Weight loss is 80% what goes into your mouth" and after this week, I know that is true.  My portion control size is severely distorted, and by writing down/logging everything I am eating and the sizes of the portions - I am seeing what true healthy eating really is!

I want to be healthy for them!

Yo Gabba Gabba

I had so much fun making this shirt last week - it was a shirt that I donated to my local Early Childhood PTA silent auction.  I made a Muno shirt last year for Magnolia & Hailey, it was really easy because he is red - so I just sewed felt eyes and a mouth onto a red t-shirt.  This Foofa was a little more complicated, but I think it turned out really cute!