Motivational Monday

Most people hate Mondays, but I'm not most people, I love em... getting to start back into routine and having that feeling where if Monday is a great day the rest of the week tends to be as well is nice.  So after a nice coffee out with a friend, and running my morning errands, I've come home to paint my craft room and tackle whats left of my to-list before my daughter gets home, the day has sure melted away that's for sure!

Seen this on Pinterest and knew when I had a small amount of spare time I had to get it done!  Despite my baking addiction most of you know I'm kinda a workout junkie, so to help with time crunch workouts I got to work and created the very simple "Red Solo Cup Workout"

So how it works is you take popsicle sticks, write some random exercises on them (it's fine to double up on some of your favorites--i did) and place them in the cup. Then each morning/day pick out 5 random sticks and do each of them 2 times--the pin said 3 but if I'm going to workout afterwards don't want to over do it. Then at the end of the week put them back in the cup and start over.


Examples:

• Jumping Jacks (10, 20, 30)
• Lunges (10, 20, 30)
• Plank (30 sec, 1 min)
• High Knees (30 sec, 1 min)
• Butt Kicks (30 sec, 1 min)
• Bicep Curls (10, 20, 30)
• Plank Jacks (10, 20, 30)
• Mountain Climbers (30 sec, 1 min)
• Squats (10, 20, 30)
• Bicycle Crunches (10, 20, 30)
• Push-Ups (10, 20)
• Burpees (30 sec, 1 min)
• Side Lunges (10, 20 --each side)
• Oblique Crunches (10, 20- each side)

I'm sure there are some that you can come up with that I didn't and I may come up with some later that I'll add to the cup, but gonna try and stick with this all week before my runs and see how it goes, seems like a fun way to vary my workouts so figured I'd share.

Happy workouts!!

Remember: Yesterday you Said Tomorrow... Just Do It!

Cheerio Treats!

Here is a quick easy recipe that I found on pinterest and  first tried last night after dinner, and the whole family loved.

• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn syrup
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5 cup Cheerios








In a large pot, combine sugar and corn syrup. Bring to boil over medium heat.

Boil for a minute or so and remove from heat.

Add peanut butter and vanilla to mixture and mix until smooth.

Add Cheerios and mix until all coated.

Drop mixture by spoonful onto waxed paper and allow to cool.


I doubled all the ingredients other than the cereal just over 8 cups and I figured if I added anymore the cereal wouldn't coat properly.  They were goooood, crunchy yet sweet and candy-like.  Going in my recipe box for Christmas for sure.


Tip: Remove from wax paper before entirely cool, I made them at night and set them outside to cool (it didn't seem like they were going to solidify--but they did) and the wax paper wanted to stick.

Brook-Lynn's Room

Well most of my friends and family have heard about Brook-Lynn's Bedroom Makeover, but I have yet to post pictures as even now after a little bit of work here and there over the summer it still isn't quite complete, but after doing some work and some tidying/organizing today... I decided to finally take some pictures and share.

Her new bed, blankets to match the decor, and hand painted leopard spots around the window

Just need some curtains :)

Added the 2nd photo to show the true color of the pink & purple walls (Brook says the purple is Justin Bieber purple)...it was soo bright in there due to no curtains and it being a beautiful afternoon hard to get a true to color photo.

Book "Nook" with a upholstered cushion I made with the same material as my chair, hand painted zebra stripes. As well as hand painted leopard spots and zebra stripes on her drawers. Again sorry for the super bright photos.

Whole other side of room... I'd like to put a curtain across the rod that is at the top so she can hide some of her usually messy closet, haha.

Then of course there is her chalkboard door, hand painted leopard print light switch, and newly added "Art" corner, I'm going to buy some clipboards and hang them under the "art" word and hang some of her school art/projects there.

DIY Chalkboard Paint

 So I'm sure most of you pinterest pinners have seen the "make your own chalkboard paint" pins, well I've known for awhile that I've wanted to use the leftover paint from painting Brook-Lynn's room to give it a try, just needed to purchase some grout and find a few minutes in my day, so today I did just that.

The instructions were simple, add 1 TBSP of unsanded grout to 1 Cup of paint and stir!  (I mixed 2 TBSP with 2 Cups just to be sure I would have enough.)

Then paint onto any surface you want to turn into "chalkboard", We chose to paint the back of Brook-Lynn's bedroom door.  The blog (SaltTree) from which the pin lead to and instructions I followed said for a neater appearance to use a roller--she used a brush, so really either would work, but we purchased a roller for this project.

We painted 3 coats on the door, it dried fast and worked GREAT!  Cleans up nicely with a chalk brush & a damp cloth or just the damp cloth...I've left just the chalk brush for Brook but using just it by itself some chalk is still slightly visible but I will just give it a wipedown every so often. Hmm now I just need some pink paint so I can make something for myself, haha

New Craft Chair!

So when my parents moved into a smaller space they didn't have the room to take all of their furniture with them and so I just so happen to inherit some. 

This chair has been in a corner of my house waiting to find a home, and recently we've started work on a Scrapbook/Craft room.  So with a room makeover I figured the chair could use a makeover as well--something to add a bit of me and my style.  So with some spare fabric, a staple gun and some black stain for touch ups, I set to work!

Voilà!!  A New Craft Chair For My Craft Room :)  Pictures of the craft room to come soon!

Goooooop!

I remember being a kid in science class and playing with this mysterious substance that was a liquid yet would take form as a solid, it was one of the neatest things... Well recently I came across what appeared to be exactly that. I hadn't thought about it in years, but as soon as I seen the "pin" I knew it was an "as soon as possible" project.  So today we made exactly that: Goop!


It's so simple to make, and there are only 3 ingredients:

1 Cup Water
2 Cups Cornstarch
Food Coloring

 

Place a few drops of food coloring into the water (too much and your hands will likely stain when playing--and believe me this one isn't just for the kids, you'll want to check it out) before slowly pouring it into the cornstarch and mixing once more.  

 

 It will become tough to mix, but don't give into the urge to add more water to make it easier.  That's it now play away!!

At first our mixture seemed slightly watery, but she played with it long enough that it gradually thickened over time.  This entertained my daughter for hours!  

 

And YES you can stick your toes in!

A Reassuring Day, Yet A Sleepless Night...

The alarm rang and I pulled myself out of bed, I'm not much of a morning person--actually not a morning person at all, so I may have pushed the snooze button JUST once.  I put the coffee on, and packed her snack in her backpack before I started the dreaded walk down the hall to wake her up.  She takes after her Mommy and isn't very good with mornings herself.  This morning was different though, she awoke excited and happy.

After breakfast was finished and she was ready to go, Dad got out of bed and got ready to go too and all together we made the short walk down the hill to the bus stop.  It was chilly but the sun was shining and I could tell it was going to be a beautiful day.  After a short wait the bus arrived and she turned around for hugs with tears in her eyes. She climbed the steps with her cousin and they sat together, I was so happy she had someone with her, but I seen the tears start to flow anyway.

Had I made the right choice? Should I have went with her? My heart was heavy as the bus drove away.  How is it that we are given such a short time with our children while they are young, yet being adults lasts for so long?

I arrived at the school fifteen minutes early and stood and talked to the other parents as we waited for our children to be dismissed.  As I peak through the door I watch her be responsive to her teacher, and work well with the other children and I think to myself "maybe things will be okay after all."  I learned that she got to go inside each class on a search for a raccoon, and got cookies that he had left behind, and that the grade 7s have turtles, but she didn't like the bus ride, she likes school better.

I spent most of today, and obviously late into tonight wondering what is next for me, now that she's in school where does that put me?  I know that she needs me, and my job is far from over but can't help feeling sad and entirely unsure with what I'm supposed to do now.  I'm a big time planner, often organizing things weeks, sometimes months in advance, so the uncertainty isn't something I cope well with.  I need a plan... But Rome wasn't built in a day, and I'm not likely to solve all of life's mysteries in one either, so maybe my best bet is a good nights rest?

                     Momma's Lil Butterfly Princess in September of 2007 :)