click over to carissa knits for a quick, easy tutorial for making your own knit ipod armband. this one would be a fun pattern to personalize and go to town with! so go on, deck out your arm - color co-ordinate with your workout gear, you know you wanna.
being a knitter who hates finishing work, these videos will be in my can't live without resource file. i hate seaming, especially when it comes to sweaters but i've finally decided to get over my fear. berroco has a series of how-to videos you can watch if you are like me and are a visual (aka can't figure it the hell out no matter what i do) learner. you can find the rest of berroco's videos here.
my heart just melted when i saw this little guy by beth doherty of gourmet amigurumi. her creations are making me want to seriously reevaluate my skills in the toy making department, or amigurumi making as it is called for this style of toy. check out beth's site here and her etsy site here. prepare your heartstrings if you take a peek at her flickr pool, they'll make you want them all to come home with you, kids or no kids. get yourself a free pattern for this little cro-bot shown above, here at craft. (via craft)
when deciding to start fit friday in the mommyhood, there was no doubt in my mind that i wanted to research how the heck michelle obama and kelly ripa get their arms to look so damn good. i know i am not alone in this sick curiosity. i have openly admitted on here before, that i watch regis just to stare at kelly's arms. now, with the addition of michelle obama, how are mom's supposed to keep up? what is their secret? trainers? home gyms? good dna? whatever it is - i am lacking it and i need to get it.
in this day and age the pressure on mom's to rebound back to their pre-baby weight has escalated along with what seems to be a heightened rise in celebrities having babies. the more photos we see of them out and about 4 weeks after birth in size 0 jeans and tight dresses, the more self-esteem and self-worth we lose. how come we don't look like that 6 months later? some of us never do get our pre-baby body back. i am still dealing with what i call "the friends mackenzie left behind" in my tummy. i've got 10 pounds to go and my daughter is turning 2 next month. for some, it just seems so easy, and for others, the trials never end.
what can we do about it? support each other. i have found talking to friends whose bodies i admire after giving birth helps me to understand that they usually aren't happy with themselves either. if only as women, we could all have a buddy system where we called one woman a day and said "you look fabulous, have you lost weight?". it's like a drug, you can't get enough of it. it will keep you going for days with a smile on your face and a strut in your walk. for now, i just rely on my spanx. yes, i sometimes wear spanx. they keep my so called "friends" under jiggle control.
with the struggles of balancing being a mother, a wife and having a career, where do we fit in exercise when we hardly have time to have a shower? how does michelle obama, the new lady of the white house, have the time with all that is going on in her world to exercise? she get's up at the crack of dawn. people magazine stated that she and the president get up at 5:30am and work out. she also told cnn that she fits in three 90 minute work outs a week with a personal trainer. not all of us could sustain getting up that early every week. i know i couldn't, you'd have to hook me up to an i.v. filled with caffeine to get me moving. it all comes down to finding the time that works for you, whether it's evening, kid's nap times, first thing in the morning, it's important to find what works in your crazy schedule and make it a priority.
both kelly and michelle are in the eye of the media, kelly daily. people like me love to hear about kelly's trials and tribulations of her exercise regimes and the goings on of her life. she is like a talking blog. i adore her. i do admit she sometimes looks too skinny, but the arms are just rock solid. kelly supplements her favorite sculpting class that uses your own body weight to build muscle at her favorite gym with running, the stability ball and boot camp moves. kelly, like michelle, does her workout early in the morning before her day starts at the regis show.
most personal trainers say arm exercises alone are not enough to get toned arms. you have to rid the body of fat first. both women have mentioned that they maintain healthy diets along with strength training and cardio fitness. trainers recommend strength training twice a week, using 5-8 pound weights and doing 12-15 repetitions working up to 2 sets, allowing days in between to allow your muscles to rest. you can hope to see results in 6-8 weeks.
so what moves can we take from their exercise routines? here's the top arm exercises to get some guns of your own:
spark people is one of my favorite resources for exercises and videos. click here for their fitness section. american council on exercises library also has a great link to the how to's of these exercises. click here for their library.
thankfully, fitness magazine has put together a michelle obama inspired workout. click here for the routine that goes from sun salutations to push ups. if you are curious about kelly ripa's trainers tips for leaning up, the video below should give you a good place to start.
do any of you have a favorite workout routine to keep your arms toned? what's your secret for staying motivated?
after writing this it seems achievable to reach for the goal of obama/ripa arms, but just in case, ask me in 6 weeks. oh, hey, by the way, you look fabulous - have you lost weight? :)
got some old vhs tapes kicking around? why not craft with them! diane gilleland posted a great tutorial for some unique ways to use vhs tape for craft projects on craftstylish. yes, i said vhs tape - who knew.
any of you interested in trying this project? i think i would but knowing my household, i would just end up with vhs tape all torn and ripped up on my carpet, my hubby with it on his head and my daughter wrapping it around herself in a makeshift dress. click here for the how to.
i am a reader of cicada daydream and love michelle engel bensko's fabrics. she just announced today on her blog the exciting news of her new collaboration "cloud9 fabrics".
cloud 9 fabrics is michelle engel benscko and gina pantastico and their gorgeous eco-sensible fabrics for the quilting and craft market. their new line promises to be affordable, contemporary and uses only 100% organic cotton in the manufacturing of their base cloths and eco-responsible water-based inks and dyes for printing. you can find more information here on the cloud 9 blog or here on their website.
i can't wait to see the line! i'm going to have to get some new quilting projects in the works.
oliver + s has new patterns up! oliver + s offers contemporary sewing patterns for children. i love the new birthday party dress pattern - so precious.
lollychops big time bunny week continues with this beaded bunny pin. click here for the tutorial. she's also got a giveaway for this little guy on her site today. i was excited to read that lollychops has plans for more themed weeks to come, so stay tuned for her wonderful and creative projects. hugs to you lolly :)
the dancer's book of ballet crafts dancewear, accessories and keepsakes by: christina aleta haskin
mackenzie and i were in the middle of our bi-weekly library visit when my eye caught the binding of this book, buried in the wrong section in the library. i must have missed the boat when this came out. any mother who appreciates handmade whose daughter loves ballet would love to ogle this beauty. there is photography for your wee ones to look at and lots of projects for mom's/grandma's to make for them. i keep flipping through it over and over, always finding something new that i missed before. click here for an inside peek.
the book has a brief history of ballet, personal quotes & journal and easy projects ranging from leg warmers, jewelry, hair accessories, ballet clothes, and purses, to ipod covers and memory albums. there's a project for everyone. whether you are a dancer or not, go on and make a ballet skirt and some leg warmers and have some fun - "dance like nobody is watching; love like you've never been hurt. sing like nobody's listening; live like it's heaven on earth." (- mark twain)
image courtesy of arangoyoaga - all rights reserved
calorie alert, and yes, i am posting this after talking about getting in shape. i couldn't resist. i have yet to post about the deliciously tempting blog cannelleetvanille on here and couldn't hold off any longer. she drew me in with these mouthwatering lemon cream cookies. ohhh, i just love me some lemon cookies. click here if you dare for the recipe. be prepared, her blog is stunning and you will need a fair amount of time to drool over it's loveliness.
i am a crossword puzzle addict and my hubby loves sudoku. i got a little giddy when i saw these gorgeous pocket posh books over on oh, hello friend. they are stunning! these would make the perfect little gift for mother's day or just a little "i was thinking of you" present. you can find "these sophisticated and feminine puzzle books small in size but big on fun & style" here.
i swear my grandma still has the exact sheets as that dress is wearing in our much loved cabin on the lake.
ohedeedoh has a fun tutorial on how to make your own dress decor using thrifted/old sheets, wood and crafting supplies, you can mount those sheets that bring back precious childhood memories on the wall and let the good vibes wash over you. click here for the how to.
bee square blog has crazy mom quilts guest blogging and she posted this great tutorial for making a zig zag quilt a helluva lot easier than normal. what no piecing together the triangles? that's a good thing in my books.
i love the color scheme used for these free mailing labels from creature comfort. i frequent her blog often simply to just ogle over it. click here for the down loadable print out.
i have been saving this post unit it was actually close to the date. being a mom i understand how hard it is to remember everything, nevertheless a date that is months away. so here you go, mark your calendar, stick up a post it note, tell your hubby to remind you, earth hour is on saturday, march 28th at 8:30pm local time, wherever you live on planet earth.
in case you haven't already heard of earth hour, here's some info on what it is:
"This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.
For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.
In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.
We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.
VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour."
if you would like further information or ways you can help promote and spread the word about earth hour go to www.earthhour.org please take the time to watch the video below, it's only 30 seconds long.
time to ban the baggies! who needs a plastic baggy when you could bring your sandwich to work all dolled up in one of these wraps? this pattern is from betz white's new book "sewing green". you can find this eco-friendly tutorial here and if you want more of betz white, check out her blog here. i think i'll make one of these with some cute heart material and sneak it in my hubby's lunch bag to embarrass him at work- yes, i am that evil of a prankster and proud of it.
design sponge has her weekly before & after's up and this bench makeover caught my eye. i am sure everyone has seen one of these old, beat up wicker benches before. the bright red paint and cheerful, spring fabric make this bench a welcome addition to any home! this bench reminds me that i really have to get moving on my desk makeover.
*revision* well, i did have a vidoe of adam lambert but it seems as if the person who posted it to youtube wasn`t supposed to...uh oh! sorry about that.
*original post* i cannot stop listening to adam lambert sing "tracks of my tears" from last nights american idol. it's so good i had to post about it today. that note at the end get's me everytime and doesn't he look a little like kurt russell? if you don't want to keep rewatching this clip on youtube the american idol songs can be downloaded on itunes.
click over to carissa knits for a quick, easy tutorial for making your own knit ipod armband. this one would be a fun pattern to personalize and go to town with! so go on, deck out your arm - color co-ordinate with your workout gear, you know you wanna.
