Weekly Workout - February 22-28, 2016

So you can see below that after my marathon relay was concluded my trips to the gym dropped off the face of the earth. Thank goodness for the two days that I had to go to class for step aerobics, which were a total killer.

My calves were so, so sore after my step aerobics class last week, I knew I had probably done my 10,000 daily goal of steps in the 55 minute class. This week I watched the clock and counted my steps in one minute (134), so I figured that it was about 6,700 in the 55 minute class. Not 10,000 but a lot!

Then Saturday I met some friends at SkyZone for Lindsay's birthday and jumped on the trampolines for about 40 minutes! But other than that, it was a little womp, womp this week.

Monday: I rested

Tuesday: C4, step aerobics in group fitness (55min)

Wednesday: I rested

Thursday: C4, step aerobics in group fitness (55min)

Friday: I rested

Saturday: 40 minutes at SkyZone

Sunday: I rested

This was me this week. And it's what I now feel like.

Quilting (I'm an 80 year old lady, it's fine)

I've been in a quilting mood recently. It all started about a month ago when I finally took my sewing machine to get fixed. It had been making a really loud noise that was just unbearable to listen to and I hadn't used it in probably a year. Which is why I had two quilts sitting in my 'sewing room' aka, my closet, not complete. 

Now that it's fixed, I'm back in business. I finished Layton's quilt and this one for my nephew Cooper. He's 2. I started it when he was a newborn. Better late that never, right? I still have to give this to him, so I hope he doesn't read my blog! ;)

Bowie had to pose with the quilt. 

I have another one that just needs bound together, I might get to it on Sunday, and then one that I've already cut the pieces for, but just have to sew together. Hoping to get both of those done in the next few weeks.

One quilt I bought the fabric at Hobby Lobby and the other one I had to order it offline, because I didn't know at the time that a store in Columbus sold all of the Kona solid colors. I love these fabrics. They're so soft AND they are the prettiest colors! I'm really excited about the pattern I'm doing with these two shades of gray and white!

Love me some Kona solids.

A few other quilt patterns that I want to try include this aztecs print, which I think would be really pretty in one of the color pallets of this aztec print that I found at Jo Ann Fabrics. 

Quilt pattern I like. 

Color palette  #1 that I like. 

Color palette #2 that I like. 

And this is my dream quilt. I think the colors are so pretty in it! Especially that green, white and pink in the upper corner!

Emily's dream quilt!

I've found a few quilt shops around Columbus with really pretty selections of fabrics, so I'm excited to finish up the ones I have and then start a new one!!

And last week I went to Coshocton to quilt with Jennifer, Stephanie and Alana and I was so productive. I hope to go again on one of their monthly quilt days, but I don't know if it's going to work the next few weeks.

The reason that I'm not as productive when I quilt at home is because I have someone that wants to be my little helper.

Anyone else ever seen a cat that likes to sew as much as mine? :)

Weekly Workout - February 15-21, 2016

This week was my last week to prep for my marathon relay on Sunday, so I was pretty dedicated to running and working out each day.

In our step aerobics class on Thursday I got a really good workout. I didn't realize how good until it hurt to move on Friday afternoon. I walked a mile at the gym on Saturday and then stretch for a long time.

My race on Sunday went great! I did 5 miles (1 mile at a time in between other runners) and was really pleased with my times and my not-stopping once. I like those marathon relays, I need to do those more often!

Monday: C4, 1 mile walk, 2.5 mile early morning run at the gym, weights and other things.

Tuesday: C4, 2.5 mile early morning run at the gym, class was cancelled because of the 'bad weather'.

Wednesday: C4, 2 mile run at the gym, weights and other things

Thursday: C4, step aerobics in group fitness (55min)

Friday: rest day (by accident because I couldn't walk - my calves hurt too much from yesterday!)

Saturday: 1 mile walk at gym and a good stretch, 6 mile walk with Molly to Short North

Sunday: 5 miles in Warm Up for Boston Marathon Relay (kept my miles at or under 10:00pace) (I'll write more on this later.)

Layton's Quilt

Four years ago next weekend I found out Erin was expecting a baby. Once I knew how she was decorating the nursery, I found fabric that would coordinate and started on a baby quilt for Layton. I knew it wouldn't be done with it before the baby shower, but my goal was before Layton was born. Well, I worked on it for a little bit off and on. I even got it 95% done and gave it to Layton for his 2nd Christmas. But took it back to finish the binding. Two years later, it  is completely done and in his possession. He turned 3 this past November. Whoops!

The fabric coordinates with his room that is decorated in navy and green. The picture makes this look more 'olive green' but I don't think it's actually that same color. As for the pattern, I literally just cute strips of fabric in different widths, sewed them together, then cut rose strips in different color. It didn't turn out exactly like I had envisioned, but I doubt a boy cares much about a quilt pattern. And it's a little weird shape. I just kind of made it whatever size I felt like it should be, but now I know what size a baby/crib quilt is supposed to be for future quilts.

The front view of my totally random pattern.

I wanted the back to be fun, so it's a navy chevron pattern. I had thought about putting a color stripe through it, but decided to just make it a solid piece. I hand stitched the three layers together and used navy binding and hand stitched it on, as well.

You can't see it, but Layton's name is in the bottom corner along with my name. I put "Emily" because "Fairy Godmother" was a lot to stitch. :)

Since getting my sewing machine fixed from the terribly awful squeaking noise it made last time I used it, I have been in a big quilting kick. I've been pinning cute quilts like crazy. I found an adorable new fabric shop in Clintonville that makes me want to buy all of the fabric and make all the quilts. They have a 'quilting lounge' that anyone can use, so I plan to do that in the coming weeks and then this weekend I plan to go quilt with Jennifer and Stephanie.

I have one quilt that's about 75% done in my basket, another that needs the larger squares sewn together, one that has the fabric cut in the first round and then I ordered fabric today for a fourth one. The first two are just quilts I started 4 and 5 years ago for myself and the other two will be gifts that need to be done soon! So much quilting!

Weekly Workout - February 8-14, 2016

One week until my first marathon....relay race. Ugh! I should have been running more for this, but I think doing one mile at a time, with 5 people running in between me, I will be able to do it! 

After working out with Tyler last weekend, I started taking C4 pre-workout drink. I went for the watermelon flavor and it's pretty much like drinking a watermelon Jolly Rancher. Delicious. But, one thing I didn't pay attention to on the label was where it said "Some individuals may experience a harmless tingling sensation." Well, I fall into the "some individuals" category. About 10 minutes into my workout, my arms started tingling and I felt like every hair on my arms, leg and head were being singed! (If anyone ever used 'tingling' lotion in the tanning bed, that's what it feels like, minus the painful part. That tanning lotion stuff was PAINFUL so I don't know why anyone wanted to use it, I only did it by 'accident' when the attendant gave me a 'free sample' and I had no idea what 'tingle' lotion was. What the heck dude? High school Emily was so naive.) 

I also made it to the gym two mornings BEFORE work! Granted I came into late one of those days (and the other was before my 9am class), but they were both days I already had to stay late for something after work, so it evens out. 

Monday: rest (I have zero time on Monday's to do anything)

Tuesday: strength training in group fitness (55 minutes)

Wednesday: C4, 2.5 miles on the treadmill at the gym, various other weights, lunges and squats 

Thursday: C4, 2.5 miles on the treadmill at the gym, various other weights, lunges and squats; strength training in group fitness (55 minutes) 

Friday: rest day (overslept), but danced a lot at Night to Shine.

Saturday: C4, 2 miles on the treadmill at the gym, various other weights, lunges and squats

Sunday: rest day (had a gym visit planned, but other things came up and I ended up driving halfway home and back)

Back in a Workout Routine - February 1-7, 2016

Over winter break (for the students, I didn't get any time off) I decided that I needed to enroll in some type of fitness class to help get me motivated to workout (I had been once a month in October, November, and December) and to help with some confidence and social anxiety issues I was dealing with again. (Also, I have a half-marathon coming up at the end of April and a marathon relay at the end of February.) So I picked a group fitness class that spends time on rhythmic aerobics, strength training,  step aerobics, kickboxing, 'boot camp', and dance/Zumba that is the entire semester and then I'll be learning to play softball the second half of the semester! Yipee!

In the group fitness class I have to keep a log of my daily physical activity, so I'm snagging Jenny's model once again and am going to do my best to keep track on this blog so at the end of the semester I can just refer back in order to do my assignment. 

Since I have class on Tuesday/Thursday, my goal is to run at the gym the other three days and then one weekend day. My distance needs to step up big time in the next two weeks. I have to do 6 miles on February 21!

Monday: rest

Tuesday: strength training in group fitness (55 minutes)

Wednesday: 2.5 miles on the treadmill at the gym, various other weights, lunges and squats

Thursday: strength training in group fitness (55 minutes)

Friday: 1.5 miles on the treadmill at gym, various other weights, lunges and squats 

Saturday: rest

Sunday: 2 miles on the treadmill at the fire house, squats and lunges with weight, bench press (a whopping albs on each side of the bar!), sit ups and whatever else Tyler told me to do. Recovery 'milk shake".

That's not me, but I did get those pants at Dick's Sporting Goods this weekend. Same thing basically.

And side note, the class is helping with the self-confidence side of things because doing the grapevine  in class makes me feel like the most coordinated person in the world. Thank you 4-H camp! ;)

A Compassionate Day

Yesterday started off as any normal Thursday, well my new Thursday where I go to my group fitness class before going to work (more on this fitness thing, but apparently taking a class for a grade is what I needed to do to get my butt in gear). I have been listening to The River on the radio lately because it's "Uplifting & Encouraging" and that starts my day off better than hearing a sappy country songs that makes me sad. (I still love country music, don't get me wrong.)

The River has been sharing commercials for Compassion, which is a Christian organization that does a number of things, but the part of the group they were advertising was their child sponsorship program.

Sometime around 2008-ish when I started reading blogs, I read a post on Kelly's Korner about the child her family sponsors. She even went on a blogger trip to the El Salvador and got to meet the little girl. I have thought about Compassion off and on over the last few years and in early November after hearing about it in a few different ways all within a few days, I took that as my sign from above that it was something I was supposed to do. So I did. I decided to sponsor someone who had been on the waiting list for the longest and picked a cute little girl named Valey. She's 6 and lives in Togo. I had no idea where Togo was (it's a country in West Africa, right beside Ghana) but she was being raised by her grandma and likes to play with dolls. I was hooked. She was 'mine'.

A week or so later I got a packet with information in it about Valey, her family and a picture. There was a little form in it for me to fill out about myself. There was a map of the USA and I put a star on my town (I did both Columbus and Piketon) and I answered a few questions about what I do for work, etc. I was told I'd get something back from Valey too and then we could write back and forth. I was getting a pen pal! (Squeals! I love mail!)

Valey hanging out on my fridge. 

Over the past three months I have written to Valey about 5 times. I try to send a letter every two weeks. Besides the first letter, the others I have sent through the website. They have a template that you type the letter and can upload pictures. There is an area where the letter will be translated into the child's language (which is French, I took Spanish in high school). You can also send a letter thru the Compassion app on an iPhone, so I actually spent a few minutes writing a letter while I was in the hospital waiting room last month.

So back to Thursday. I heard the Compassion commercial on my way to campus, then again on my way from class to work. They were doing an event like a telethon to get more children sponsored in West Africa and they kept mentioning the country of Togo. Again, I had never heard of this country before (and I like geography!). So I thought of little Valey and how it was about time for me to write another letter.

Part of my morning work routine is to read a few blogs that are found on the left sidebar and Jessica at The Macs had posted about Compassion that day and the bloggers that were in Ecuador. I followed the links and read their blogs, which made me think of Kelly's posts from 7 years ago, so I went and read those too, and then read other blogs about their experiences and looked at those pictures. Before long I was in tears. Some of the posts were so sad, but others were so happy and I could see the great things Compassion was doing for these children and their families. So I wrote her a letter, telling her about ice skating and included a picture of me on ice skates.

I got home that night and Molly told me I had gotten two pieces of mail from Compassion. One envelope had "a letter from your sponsored child". After three months of anxiously waiting to hear, I was so excited to get something from Togo. It was a form, similar to the one I sent her with a map and questions about what she liked. Her favorite color is violet, she wants to be a midwife when she grows up, and she likes to play with jacks. Her prayer request was to live a long time and her prayer for me was that I live a long time! I hope those are both answered too, Valey! :)

I waited many years to do this and I wish I had sponsored a child years ago. It's $38 a month and really, that's not that anything that I can't afford. I unfortunately spend more than that on a Target run buying a new nail polish, make-up, a coffee mug, a sweater, footie socks, a Mt. Dew and a pack of gum. None of those things to I need to survive!

So if you're looking for a way that you can give that will truly change someone's life, consider Child Sponsorship through Compassion.

Life in January

So here it is February 1. Bowies face in the picture below accurately shows what I thought when I realized it's already February!! Which means we are one month closer to warmer weather!!

Being cute. Wanting attention.

January flew by. Earlier in the month, my family was in town for more than a week for a hospital stay. While I hated the reason they were in town, I loved that I got to someone every day and spend some one on one time with Papaw while every day on my way home from work. Or during lunch. Or both.  Everyone is home now, which is great!

My niece Emery's class did the Flat Stanley project and she sent him to visit the great state of Ohio. Molly and I took him around to a few different place in Columbus, our hometowns, and NYC (Molly went there on a trip). It was a lot of fun putting together the little scrapbook to send to her and her class telling them about Ohio and Columbus.

He visited my dad's Fire Department!

During Martin Luther King Jr. Weekend, it was Molly's birthday. On Friday night we went out to eat with friends Caitlyn and Summer. The next day we did a little antiquing and that night went to dinner for Alicia's 30th birthday, followed by a little bachelor party crashing/pizza with the guys for Molly's birthday. Sunday we went back home to have dinner at Mam and Papaws, along with cake and ice cream.

Monday, on Molly's actual birthday, we got up and went skiing at Mad River Mountain. She and I did this last year on MLK Day/her birthday, so I hope it becomes an annual tradition. It was so cold that day. Probably the coldest day of the year so far. We bundled up though. It wasn't nearly as crowded as it was last year on this same Monday holiday and there were no little kid ski classes, but we still had a good time. We skied for probably about 3.5 hours, taking two inside breaks. Since the lodge burnt down earlier this fall, they have a temporary structure that just didn't fit all the people it needed to fit! After her birthday, we went to Joe's Crabshack for dinner and then dropped my sewing machine off to be fixed at JoAnn Fabrics. We finished up the weekend/birthday celebrations by watching The Bachelor before bed.

Cold, but skiing anyway!! :)

Last weekend, Scott's antique market was in town, so we went to that after spending the day in Mt. Vernon with the Caughlan ladies. There weren't a lot of great finds at this market, mostly because it was supposed to be bad weather that weekend (and it was everywhere south of Columbus), so it was kind of empty. There were some cute things, but not things I needed to buy. Molly got an ice cream poster to hang in the kitchen and I got floss and needles to get my quilt on (another post on that coming soon.)

Kind of the opposite of the cookbook for ladies!

Like I mentioned earlier, I have been quilting a lot lately. I finally got Layton's quilt done and will deliver that baby quilt to the 3 year old child this weekend! Coopers quilt is almost done with the exception of quilting on the four corners and then adding the binding. And his name! I have two more quilts to get done this spring, so I'm making myself finish one before starting another. I have so many quilt tops pieced together but not actually quilted. It's ridiculous.

Also ridiculous, my cat is obsessed with sewing. If I'm on the machine, she's on the other side of the machine watching. If I'm hand stitching she is. right. there. too. I have to constantly push her off of the hoop. And as soon as I sit it down for any reason, there she is to climb back on. Oh cat.

Thanks for quilting a great place for me to sit Mom.

This past weekend I went to a Farm Bureau conference for young ag professionals. It was ok. So many of the topics of the workshops didn't pertain to me because I'm not directly in production agriculture. But it was fun seeing people that I hadn't seen in a while and so forth.

That night was a winter social for students at work, so I went to that. It was at the ice skating rink so the last half hour I nabbed the skates of someone who was turning them in (we had met our limit of rentals) and I skated a few laps, pretended to be Nancy Kerrigan, but really probably looked like these kids.

Some of my FH boys.

And I returned home on Saturday night to quilt until 1am, because that's what you do at 30 years old! ha. See below, a nosey cat wanting to help me.

Also, Sunday at church, the nicest couple introduced themselves to me and invited me to come to their small group that is going to be doing a six week study starting in a few weeks. And she's a quilter! She has a whole quilt room!!!