A Boy & His New Toy

Not much time for blogging lately, so this is a quicky. Check out what Garrett got yesterday...



He LOVES it and has taken to driving it like a duck to water! Gracen is dying to ride with him but we want him to have more practice on it first. I've taken her for several rides so she's gotten her turn. It's a fun little thing!

Can't Live Without It

We are such a TV-watching family. It's ridiculous really. We only have two TVs, but do you think we could live with only one? Nooo. A couple of weeks ago the TV in our living room died on us. We promptly went to Wal-Mart that same night and bought a new one. Kinda of pathetic that we can't even go overnight without a TV in our living room, but it's the truth. We bought a 32" flat screen LCD TV and it's very nice.


The new TV didn't fill up the hole in the entertainment center, so I, of course, felt the need to get something different. We stopped by a local furniture store and lo and behold! The exact thing I was wanting! I love this new console! I need to find some better boxes or baskets for our DVDs, but here's what it looks like. (Please excuse the photo, it's not the greatest, but you get the gist.)

Gauchos!!

The gauchos are finally done! It's about time, huh? Let's have a little parade to celebrate. LOL!

Pattern: Simplicity 4135 Threads Pants

This is a Threads Magazine Collection pattern for boot leg pants in two lengths, city shorts, wide leg pants, and gauchos. The sizes are misses' 6-14 with a petite alteration option. The pattern includes "perfect fit techniques" as well. I liked the waistband of these pants as well as the bootcut look, so I made View D, the gauchos and used the petite length.

Having never made pants before, I agonized over what size to cut. I finally decided to cut a size 12 waistband, a size 12 for the top 3 inches or so of the pants, then tapered to a size 10 at the low hip and legs. In hindsight, I possibly could've pulled off a size 10 or even a 12 may have looked nice. I ended up taking in the waistband quite a bit more than I expected and it is still quite roomy. I wasted too much time trying to decide what size to make when probably either one would've been OK.

I made these gauchos out of some black cotton wrinkle-resistant pant fabric I found at Wal-Mart. I'm sure I'll have to deal with lint, but you almost always do with black pants anyway.

These pants went together surprisingly easy! I was surprised at how good the pattern instructions were. They didn't assume you know everything about sewing pants and were pretty darn good about leading you through step by step. The waistband pieces can be confusing, but if you mark which side is which, etc. you should be OK. (Also, don't take 5 months to make the things and you won't forget where you're at in the process!)

I did have some problems with the fly. The instructions for making the fly and inserting the zipper were pretty good even though I had a hard time seeing how it all fit together before doing it. However, once I was getting toward the end and was sewing the crotch/back seam, I ran into problems with getting the bottom of the zipper to lie flat and not pucker. I don't know about you, but I don't particularly need to draw attention to my crotch with a puckered zipper! So, after many seam-rippings and rebastings, my mom suggested that I take out part of the top-stitching on the front of the fly--basically the curve at the bottom. Then, I resewed the crotch/back seam and voila! A flat fly front! Next time, I'd like to try Sandra Betzina's flat fly front zipper directions, but at this point in the gaucho-making process, it just wasn't possible.

I'm happy with how these came out. I hope they last and I'll get some good use out of them. I have a blouse to make that just might look pretty darn cute with these, so sometime I'll get a good full-body pic of me dressed in them.

Have a great weekend!

Playing with the New Camera

I've been playing a bit with my new camera. Bottom line: I have a LOT to learn! I'll just keep studying, K? In the meantime, this one turned out pretty good...enjoy!

Cardio Coach Rocks!

I've been meaning to give a review of my new fave way to exercise--Cardio Coach! What is Cardio Coach? A quote from the website sums it up best:

Cardio Coach™ is an audio guided workout program designed for anybody, at any fitness level and for any type of exercise machine (running & walking too).

I first read about Cardio Coach on a Yahoo group for Firmies quite some time ago. At the time, it sounded interesting, but I didn't own any type of cardio equipment, no iPod, and just couldn't do that sort of thing while pushing kids in a stroller up and down hills on a gravel road.

As you know, I recently got a treadmill AND bought an iPod Nano, so I took the plunge and bought Cardio Coach's Volume 1. I LOVE having this guy in my ear telling me what to do! It has encouraged me to push myself to see how fast I can run during some of those challenges. It's great to have focus during my treadmill workouts instead of just walking along at whatever pace I choose (and that would be slower than what I do with Cardio Coach). This guy is better at pushing me than I am at pushing myself. I also get a better workout in a shorter amount of time and as a busy mom, you know I'm all about getting my workout over and done!

Click to see specific info on Cardio Coach's Volume 1 workout. This includes time duration, type of music, equipment suggestions, and descriptions of each track (warm up, steady state, challenges, cool down).

The music is OK. It's all instrumental, sometimes inspirational during challenges, but nothing I'm really excited about. That's fine with me because listening to the music isn't really what I'm focused on anyway. It is as it should be--background that goes with what I'm doing at the time.

I'm still Firming, but I've been using Cardio Coach on the treadmill on one of my cardio days instead of doing a Firm DVD. I definitely think there's room for my ole Firm faves and my new Cardio Coach fave!

If you're getting bored with your current workout and would like to try something interesting, check this out! I highly recommend it and I'll definitely be buying some more Cardio Coach, too.

New Camera!

I have wanted a DSLR camera for SO long and I finally got one! I bought a used Canon Rebel XT from someone I know online using the money I earned by substitute teaching. I've had it since Tues. (today being Fri.) and I haven't had much time to play with it, but here are a couple of decent ones I got of my cuties.

Matt and Gracen have been sick again this week. I don't know why we can't shake the sickies, but it's getting really annoying!

I've actually done a bit of sewing! I'm getting ever-closer to finishing those gauchos. I had to have some help on the fly portion, but I think they'll work. Need to finish up the closures, then hem them. Don't you worry! I'll be posting some pics and a review once they are done!

We hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Winter Blahs or Laziness?

We have had ENOUGH of winter here in NW MO! We have hardly seen bare ground since December. It's been so snowy and cold here that no one can accomplish anything outside. Heck, I can't seem to accomplish anything inside either. We're just all seriously lacking motivation. But maybe we're just lazy! LOL!

What's been going on here?

• Illness--We all got the respiratory flu, or something like it, during the first full week of February. I have not been that sick in a very long time. It was awful and lasted a full week for the kids and I. Matt came down with it first on Sat., then the kids and I had it on Mon. Poor Matt had to take care of the rest of us even though he still felt fairly bad, too. Almost 3 weeks later, we're *still* recovering from it. I was even sick on my birthday and we were unable to celebrate. Oh well, I'm probably past the age where birthdays are really necessary to celebrate. LOL! Luckily, Garrett didn't miss much school because we got some snow that week as well.
  
  
• Eyes--I've had a roller coaster month with my eyes. I'm very, very nearsighted and have worn glasses since 2nd grade and rigid gas permeable (RGP) contacts since I was 11. My last pair of contacts were 12 years old and were starting to bother me. I looked into participating in a study for P-IOLs (phakic intra-ocular lens implants). This is similar to cataract surgery, but the natural lens is not removed from the eye and another, corrective lens is implanted to improve vision. I had decided to go for it. Eye surgery requires that contacts not be worn for several weeks prior to surgery. For me, I had to be without my RGPs for 3 weeks, have an initial exam, have a 2nd exam a week later, then plan the surgeries on my eyes--so up to 7 weeks in glasses. The eyes need to go back to their natural shape, esp. when you've worn RGPS for as long as I have.
  
  I spent the week we were sick in my glasses. It was TERRIBLE! I couldn't see worth a darn and felt like my glasses were keeping me sicker than I ordinarily would've been. I gave up on Sat. and put my contacts back in. I decided that it's not worth the torture of wearing glasses I can't see with or drive in. I've gotten along with contacts just fine for most of my life, so they aren't that much of a hardship for me. Plus, I think I was jumping into the surgery too quickly.
  
  I went to the eye doctor the next week and was told that the reason I can't see with my glasses is because they are TOO STRONG! Huh?! I was totally shocked, but it makes sense why it seemed so hard to focus on things far away. Crazy! Currently, I'm trying out some extended wear soft contact lenses and I'm liking them. The first set I wasn't getting great vision with, but this second set that I got this Thurs. are great! Great vision, but I can feel the left one a little bit too much sometimes. Have another appointment next Wed. to see if these are going to work for me and then the eye doc will write me a Rx. Lots o' driving to Chillicothe for this, but I'm sure it'll be worth it in the end.
  
  I haven't completely given up on eye surgery for sometime in the future, but I just don't think now is the time. We'll see what technology brings down the road.
  
  
• Substitute Teaching--I've been substitute teaching a bit this month. I'm saving my paychecks to possibly purchase a Canon Rebel DSLR. Since I don't have all the money for a camera yet, I'm trying to learn more about the operation of DSLR cameras and more about photography in general. I'm reading Quick Snap Guide to Digital SLR Photography. Study, study!
  
  
• Visiting Family--We visited my family last weekend and had a lovely time. My parents bought the kids bunk beds so they wouldn't have to share a bed anymore. They are sleeping so much better because they aren't kicking and pulling the covers off of each other. LOL! Gracen's loud thumb-sucking one night ran Matt out of the bedroom (the bunk beds and a double bed are in my old bedroom, so the kids, Matt, & I all sleep in the same room) and to the couch! I thought it was pretty funny!
  
  My parents, sister, & BIL got me some new FIRM workouts that I asked for. I haven't done them all yet, but I like them so far! Thanks, folks!
  
  
• Treadmills & iPods--Since this winter has been so yucky, I have been stuck inside to workout. I love my FIRM workouts, but I do like to walk/jog every now and again. It's been either too cold/snowy/windy or too muddy to get outside for exercise. Plus, the kids together will weigh too much for the double jogger stroller once the weather gets better. Garrett is just too big for it anyway, but he's not yet experienced enough to ride his bike alongside me on our hilly gravel roads around here. Now would be the perfect time to get a treadmill. After much research and looking around, I had decided on a one. The very day I was going to go pick it up, Matt called and said that his aunt and uncle will give us theirs! We're supposed to get it this weekend. How wonderful is that?!
  
  To go along with the treadmill, I've been looking the past couple of weeks at MP3 players. I tell ya, there is a dazzling array of these things available. They also do a lot more than just play music if you spend only a tiny bit more money on them. First, I bought a cheapy ILO brand (or something) at Wal-Mart. It wouldn't even turn on! Returned it. Then, bought a Memorex at Target. Got it home and saw that it got awful reviews on Amazon and Target.com. Gonna return it. After researching and agonizing and agonizing and researching, I bought a 4GB Apple iPod Nano. It's more money than I originally wanted to spend, but I figure the whole family can benefit from it--we can listen to audiobooks in the car on long drives or the kids can watch videos on it. I plan to use it when I'm on the treadmill. I'm going to purchase Cardio Coach to do some training. I haven't tried CC yet, but I've heard good things. I also miss listening to Dr. Laura since she's not on the radio around here anymore, so I'm going to try subscribing to her podcasts. I'm also going to start exploring the wide world of digital media--there are lots of free mommy podcasts on iTunes, podcasts for kids, videos, movies, music--lots of stuff! It'll be fun to play with the iPod.

That's the majority of what we've been doing, I guess. I have a bag order that I need to complete before next Wed. I've had no time to work on my other sewing projects though. Thus we come back to the main question: Is it the winter blahs or laziness?