Registered!

Today I signed up for the March of Dimes Night Moves Race!

The event is Friday, September 21st. You can either run a 5K, 5 miles, or walk. I am doing the 5K and my goal is to run the entire time. (Gulp) I’ll be running both in memory of the twins, Mary & Christopher, as well as in celebration of Joseph. If you are interested is supporting an amazing cause, feel free to help me reach my fundraising goal here.

I’ve been doing the Couch to 5K program for the past few weeks now and for as much as I hate running, it is a really great program. I got the app for it on my iPhone, which is wonderful because it will run in the background and will tell me when to switch to running and walking while still allowing me to listen to music. No looking at my watch or anything.

It’s an eight week program, there’s about ten more weeks until the race, so I know that I have enough time to be comfortable running the entire distance.

My sister is doing the training as well. I can’t tell you how much this helps me. We check in with each other and give moral support. I’m hoping she’ll be able to run the race together.

I’ll check in again soon to let you know my progress.

WIP

Sneak peak of a WIP I’m making for Joseph’s baptism on Sunday. I’ve been using every spare moment to work on it, hence the light posting lately. Things will be crazy with family coming in town for the baptism and also for the Fourth, but I’ll try to post some photos when it’s done.

Try and say cool, everyone. It’s supposed to be a real scorcher for the rest of the week.

What am I thinking?

I’ve decided that I’m going to sign myself up to run in the March of Dimes’ Night Moves 5K in September. . . . . I am insane. I HATE running, I’ve never run in a race before and I have no idea how I’m going to get ready for this with a three month old to take care of all day. But, I’m still going to do it. I need the ~~fear~~ motivation of an actual goal/deadline to get myself in gear. Plus, it is for a cause that is dear to my heart.

I’ve been trying to do yoga and various work out routines at home and it’s a real struggle. Running is going to be the easiest thing to do because 1. no special equipment needed 2. I can do it anywhere 3. I can do it at any time 4. It is going to give me the fastest results in relation to getting in shape and weight loss.

My sister recommended that I use the “Couch to 5K” program in order to train. I just completed Day 1. I’ll let you know how things go. I’m also going to invest in an actual jogging stroller so I can take Joseph with me. I’m hoping to find a secondhand one on Craig’s List or at a resale shop. I’m also going to try to talk Shawn into running it with me, that way we can support one another in the process.

The main thing is that I am putting this out there for the world to see to keep me from backing out of it. Guys, I really need some support here. I am terrified. Wish me luck.

101 Things: 26. Join a yoga studio

I was regularly practicing yoga when we lived in Madison, but when I got pregnant with the twins I was unable to continue. (Major morning sickness and downward facing dog do not go well together.) I took a few classes at the club after the twins, but I wasn’t a fan of the class. I mean, there was old people wearing JEANS in there. So you could imagine that it wasn’t really the most challenging.

I decided that as part of my Dream Year 2012 I would get back into practicing again.I decided to join Grow Yoga a studio that is close by and has classes that I can go to in the evening so Shawn can babysit. I’ve started with an eight week intro class to get myself back into the swing of things. I’ve signed up to take the Hatha Yoga series since I wanted a slower and more detailed approach to so I can relearn yoga postures and focus on the connection of breath and movement as well as proper alignment. Practicing Hatha Yoga builds strength and flexibility and is a wonderful way to de-stress, something I desperately need. I think that once I complete this course I’ll move on to a more challenging class, but for right now I think this will be just what I need.

Things I’m Afraid To Tell You

I’ve decided to join in on a challenge that stemmed from this post by Jess from Makeunder My Life. Some 50 other bloggers and myself have decided to air our dirty laundry and just get things off our chest that we’ve often thought about sharing, but might have felt too fearful or uncertain to post. You can find the entire list of participants on Creature Comforts.

I feel like I’m pretty open about most things here (possibly a little too much so at times) but I think that it is a great idea to try to keep yourself honest and is a fantastic way to generate conversations about things that you might not always be comfortable bringing up. I feel like this previous post of mine is a great example. I was surprised and amazed by the comments and support I received, something I would not have gotten if I didn’t speak up.

I’ve decided to address this challenge using list form. (No surprise there.) So here it goes:

Things I’m Afraid to Tell You:

I sometimes feel guilty that I am able to stay at home with Joseph. I have many friends who work full time along with raising their children and I know how difficult that can be. I am blessed to be able to do it, but I am somewhat embarrassed to say it. I can’t fully explain why.
I watch the soap opera General Hospital. Usually, I DVR it so I can fast forward through story lines I don’t like. It is a guilty pleasure for me.
I feel that my husband is more stylish that myself and always ask his opinion on my wardrobe choices.
For the most part, I hated being pregnant. I felt like my body wasn’t my own and it frustrated me that I wasn’t able to do what I wanted. It made me realize how fragile my body is and to not take my health for granted. However, I would go through it all again for it was worth it to bring the light of my life into the world.
I worry about death and dying all the time. About myself as well as those I love. It terrifies me.
I have recurring dreams about tornados and train derailments. (Separately)
One of my biggest regrets is changing my major in college from Fine Art to Visual Communications. I did it because I was worried about finding a job, when I should have stuck with something I loved.

UPDATE: I am amazed by how open and honest everyone has been in this challenge. It is a great comfort to know that others have the same thoughts and worries that I do. I want to share a direct link to the participants so you can check out other posts.

Design for Mankind | Little Brown Pen | Beautiful Hello | Curating Style | Sweet Fine Day |The Jealous Curator | Happy Days | Sage & Berries | Really Handmade | Peck Life | Satsuma Press | Rena Tom | For the Easily Distracted | The Hemborg Wife | Vitamini Handmade |Courtney Khail Stationery and Design | Meg in Progress | Dando Photography Blog | Alison Citron | Pink Moon Daily | Just Pretty Things | From China Village |Tea with Me | The Darling Ewe | Not Your Average Ordinary | The Electric Typewriter |Elleby Design | Parsimonia {Secondhand With Style} | Life as an Artistpreneur | Hello Cupcake | Dellie | The A & B Stories | Pretty Little Things | Feistyelle | Nib & Zed | Well and Cheaply | I Ripple. I Dance. | Whitfield Awesome Blog | Foxtrot Press | Dry As Toast | The List of Now | Apple Blue

Purse Pouches

Now that I am schlepping around a baby bag, I have been just throwing my wallet in it when I have to go somewhere. (It is just too hard to mess with a purse and the baby bag when hauling around the carseat.) This is a pain because I always end up forgetting something be it lip balm, notebook, pens, etc. I am thinking of investing is a pouch or clutch to toss these things in that I can easily transfer from purse to baby bag. I think that I’d like on in a bright color as well, making it an easier target when diving into the depths of my bag to fish it out. Here are a few options I think would do the job.

Clare Vivier foldover clutch, $156 BAGGU clutch handbag, $40 American Apparel suede handbag $56 Kate Spade beauty product, $68 BAGGU Baggu Small Zipper Set – Set Of 3 $8

101 Things: 83. Renovate the kitchen

This is a big one to cross off the list. When we purchased this house, it was on the condition that we remodel the kitchen ASAP. It wasn’t the ugliest kitchen in the world, but it might have been one of the most non-efficient ones I’ve ever been in. You could just tell that this kitchen was for heating up frozen pizzas, not for COOKING. You know what I mean? I usually love to cook, bake, preserve, the whole she-bang. However, I lost my mojo when we moved into the house because of this kitchen. It was such a pain to do anything. No good work area, crappy stove and cook top, and the worst that there was no flow. The island was more in the way than a work hub. Terrible, I tell ya. Here’s a couple of photos of how it was before:

So, we planned on getting the kitchen done this winter. Then came the exciting new we were pregnant again. Should we go ahead with our plans or wait? Would it get done in time? Shawn and I decided to go for it and get it done no matter what. Our thinking: Would we rather do this now or after the baby arrived? I did NOT want to deal with construction and an infant at the same time, nor did I want to have this turn into a “someday” project where I would have to suffer on with this inoperable kitchen. Full steam ahead!

We found an amazing contractor with Collamore Built. Justin and his team were amazing. I can’t say enough of how great a job they did or how pleasant the process was. I already know that we’ll be working with them in the future for some other renovation projects. (Master bathroom and the basement are already on the list.) Here are some more “after” photos so you can see all the details.