holding off on the resolutions. do more of the love stuff.

the artistic representation of how my legs feel right now. 
in 14K gold filled.

etsy posted a lovely article by fibre artist Cate Fitt, discussing the concept of not making new year's resolutions and instead, vowing to do more of what you love.

i had gotten into a little tradition myself of making "arts & crafts" resolutions - trying new things in order to foster my creative skills.  and while that has served me well (bookbinding! gocco printing! crocheting! cold forging!) i think that right now, i have on deck all the crafting that i can handle.  (except for that pesky learn-to-knit goal.  which i am going to meet.  sooner or later.)

so, my first "do more of the love stuff" was to incorporate more physical activity back into my life.  prior to the mini, i used to go to the gym every day.  EVERY DAY.  i'd pound out a couple of kilometers on the treadmill and then hit the weights.  but, since she was born, i let my gym membership expire and my exercise routine has mostly consisted of chasing after her and carrying her around.  while very worthwhile in an emotional sense, probably not as heart-healthy or as endorphin-pumping as a good run.  in the summer time i am more active (yay, jogging stroller!  yay, iPod!) but wintertime brings with it all sorts of other exercise-related challenges. 

our family gift to ourselves this year was a home gym set, that sits monolithically in our basement - heavy, imposing, and seriously, up to par with any gym equipment i used to use at the gym.  secretly, in spite of the financially crushing price tag, i love using it.  there is something about lifting weights that makes me feel like a stronger person, like a healthier person - and in the long run, hopefully it will add some longevity to my mortal existence on earth. 

however, as i sit here writing this blog post, my hamstrings, thighs and front delts feel like they are knotted up and thrum with the subtle pain that comes after a good workout - reminding me that yes, i did a good job, but also that i have now crippled myself.  even though the workout i did was 2 days ago.  out of shape, much?  goodness.

oh well.  it's all about doing more of what you love, right?  where are those endorphins!  now if i could just find a treadmill that would fit in the basement...

Read more...

running.

i seriously used to be a gym rat. almost 9 years ago, i was diagnosed with extremely high cholesterol and fatty liver. yeah, YUCK. when i write that, i am kind of disgusted with myself, for letting myself go, for the folly of youth, the siren call of Ronald McDonald, and that at 28 years old, my doctor told me that i was at risk for a "coronary event". that does NOT sound like a party, let me tell you. and getting better was also no easy task! a healthy diet, medication and a gym membership - courtesy of my loving husband - was the cure. now, i'm doing pretty well health-wise, and my cholesterol is within normal levels. YAY ME! (insert cheesy commercial smile here)

however, the last time i set foot in our gym was probably sometime in april. and i know that since the mini was born, i've been to the gym a total of 10 times. maybe. it's not about the weight - i'm about 20 pounds lighter than i was pre-pregnancy - but i'm flabby. i am surprised that i still have muscle tone. my muffin top has several muffin top friends. i miss exercising. i miss lifting weights. and most of all, i miss running. before i got too pregnant to run, i was pounding out a good 2 - 3K every second day on the treadmill, then jumping on the stationary bike and doing another 2 - 3K. i loved the way it made me feel. as i got bigger, i downgraded the running to a brisk walk - i saw it as training for labor. (yeah. as if you can train to give birth, LOL! but i am convinced it helped make it easier!) fitness-wise, i am so determined to get back to where i was before! so, i think i am going to try the "Couch to 5K" program (thank you, @kristinglas!) to try to get back into running. and this time, i am going to try to take the mini along for the ride in the stroller. it is really important to me that she learn how crucial exercise is. because it saved my life.

(thanks to the surlymermaid for such a gorgeous photo. and yes, i will be running in proper running shoes.)

Read more...

Happy October!!!!!

new month, new season! i can't believe it's fall already! my laptop finally returned home and, if you can believe it, i loaded Windows and all the drivers and now it works again. a little differently than before (wtf is broadcom security???) but i'm happy.

i started using the stationary bike in our basement to try to get some exercise. i had been feeling a little cabin fever-y but it's a wonder what a little physical activity can do for the ol' brain. it also made me feel a little inspired. i'd ordered some silky, ribbony square copper wire that i turned into rings! more modern and contemporary than my other skinny stacking rings, these are perfect for the cooler weather! i'm also going to look into some bezel setting as well - nothing like a nice stack of rings to wear with autumn's chunky sweaters!

Read more...