Rainy Sunday blues

I have a love hate relationship with the rain. I love the smell and how fresh everything looks and feels after a good rain. I love how a good thunderstorm can get rid of the heat and humidity that I hate. I love how the rain can make flowers grow and grass grow green. But I hate how when it rains in winter it's cold and ice like. How everything is super cold.  It makes me want to stay in be all day. Read, knit, bake, do comfort things.

So, what do you like to do on a rainy day?

What about NF??

For this post, I would like to talk about NF. I'm not going to talk about what it is, I have a full page for that. So please check out the page. What I'm going to talk about instead, is how it feels. How one can be having a perfectly normal day and then at the most random time you notice a new spot. Bam- with that new cafe- au - lait spot, or that new skin tag (maybe, if you're lucky) your heart skipps a beat.

So, what does one do in that condition? For me, it's... well crying for a bit. I see anything new, any random bump and the first thought I have is a tumor. I know, that the chances are slim, but it's a tumor.  That's what goes through my brain. I sit on my bed, curl up in blankets and cry. I have a good cry, before I start feeling better.

After all of those emotions, it's time to go into action. And that...that can make a world of a difference. But, what about NF? When will there be a action taken about that?

OH Pintersting Wednesday- sweet tooth

It's time to link up and share what I have been pinning, courtesy of

Lately I've been having a sweet tooth. I know, I know. It's not good for my health, but just becasue I don't eat it, doesnt mean I can't pin it.

Source: pincookie.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Cookies and brownies- that sounds so yummy

Source: cupcakesgarden.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Caramel apple cupcakes...who thinks of these?

Source: annies-eats.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Chocolate, chocolate chip cookies

Source: motherthyme.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Lemon sugar cookies- I really do love lemons. I can't wait until my lemon tree is old enough to produce them. 

And a cute little pup.

Source: teacupspuppies.com via Danielle on Pinterest

What have you been pinning lately?

Ciao,

Dog bed tutorial

I love to work on little projects and knit and sew and embroider. One thing that I think I'm pretty good at making myself is...

 DOG BEDS

Above, Winston is sleeping on the one in the kitchen and below is the one that is in the living room.

What I have posted below is the process of me making the one that sits in the backseat of the car. 

1.  I picked the fabric- I made sure it was fleece. In the above two I used a fleece blanket from my old high school day, but for the one in the car I used less than a yard of fabric. 

2. I cut the folded and cut the fabric to be the right size for the pillow I wanted to make. 

3. I turned the fabric inside out, pinned and sewed three side of the fabric together, leaving one side open for my to stuff the pillow. 

4. I flipped the fabric so it was the right side, stuffed the pillow and then using the invisible seam stitch  sewed the pillow shut. 

It is a very easy process. I had to hand sew everything so my pillows take me about 2-2 1/2 hours. If I had a sewing machine, it would be much faster. I hope you can use this to help you make a pillow/bed for your dog or cat. 

Ciao, 

A Spring Shape up Challenge!

Lately I've been bumming and haven't been as active or eating as healthy as I should. (I know bad) so, to help me stay on track- I'm doing a challenge and encouraging you to join me. So I have decided on a four week challenge broken down by weeks. I really don't snack much- but when I do, I tend to go over board with the junk food. Which will all be changed with the challenge:

Week 1:

• Begin with 20 minutes of easy cardio exercise every other day of the week (Sun, Tue, Thur, Sat) and do easy strength training and flexibility on the other days (Mon, Wed, Fri)
• I would say cut out some salty food but I don't eat that, so instead I'm going to say begin being smart about your snacking habits. Write down what you eat when, so you learn about your eating habits. 
• Eat some type of fruit everyday and try to incorporate yogurt into your diet.  (I like to have an apple or a banana for my breakfast)

Week 2:

• Increase your cardio to 30-40 minutes at an easy pace still (your body needs to get used to working out again.) and continue with your strength and flexibility training. 
• Look at what you wrote down about your snacking habits and pick ONE thing you want to change- it could be how much soda you drink, all the sugary food you eat, the salt, what ever it is, begin to cut back on it. 
• Increase your fruit to two a day between your meals. So you would have breakfast, fruit, lunch, fruit, dinner.
• Take a look at how much you drink. Alcohol has a lot of sugar in it and it doesn't help with losing any weight or being healthier at all.  Start to cut back on it.

Week 3:

• Move your cardio up- instead of at an easy pace, begin to do it at an easy medium pace. You want to be sweating when you are done. Also increase  the number of days. (Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday.)
• Begin to increase your strength training and flexibility workouts too. Work at a harder level, it's okay to push yourself. 
• Keep having fruit! Also have smart snacks- unsalted nuts, plan popcorn.
• Cut out processed food and keep cutting back what you started to cut back on in week 2.

Week 4

• Continue to eat healthy by building on the previous weeks. 
• Repeat week 3 for workout routines. 

You made it to the end of one month! (YAY) Start April by looking at your habits and see what you need to work on. Continue your workouts.

I will be posting on how I'm doing and I really do  hope that you comments about how you are doing.  Look for an accountability post on here or on my husbands blog found at Journey to a Slimmer Me.

Ciao,

 

A look back at 6/8/12

I can't believe that in just a few short months my husband I will have been married for  year! I guess that means we are no longer newlyweds. As I think back on my wedding I think back to the moment we (and by we I mean my girls, mom and I ) were getting ready.  Before I go into the bride, I think I should share some of the groom.

The guys all got ready at the apartment. I asked them to take pictures, but being guys they didn't take too much. This is what I have

I see we have some pacing, smiling and getting dressed. :)

For me, the bride, I have my photographer take photos. (you can click the link or the pictures to go to her website)

OHP- projects, dance and more

This week I haven't really been on pinterest that much, yea I have the five to ten minutes or so right before my shift starts at work, but I haven't spent a lot of time on pinterest.  Anyways, I have been pinning some wonderful items.

Source: thecottagemarket.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: duitang.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Some fun weekend projects- I love the knitting one. 

Source: handmadeology.com via Danielle on Pinterest

A puppy in a coat

Source: blog.al.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: pixdaus.com via Danielle on Pinterest

Source: chi-hagihara.tumblr.com via Danielle on Pinterest

and some ballet pins.

 Now that you checked out my Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday please head over to the Vintage Apple and check out other links!

Ciao,

Do NOT test on animals

Animal testing. What is it, why do companies do it and does a company have to put on a label if they test on animals?   Since this is a controversial topic, I would usually post about this on my Let's talk Friday's (which I know I haven't done in a while) but these questions keep running through my head, especially when I shower or use make-up.

Animal testing can be defined as " Cruel or cruelty free experiments on animals"  To me that doesn't make much sense. How can an experiment be cruelty free? Also do the animals or their owners consent to the testing? Furthermore- why do we test on animals when there are a bunch of people on prison who we could test on (just an idea).  To be honest, people would do a better job since they can communicate and let the researchers know that they are in pain- animals- you have to listen to them, look at their eyes, and see their sad faces. That thought is just too much for me. I would love to see a world where we didn't test on animals what about you?
Ciao,