Pump you up!

Spring is the perfect time to get into a new fitness plan. Something about the warm weather or maybe just the threat of wearing a bathing suit seems to get most out and active.  I have a love hate relationship with exercise.  I don't mind it when it involves walking while shopping, playing on the beach, or taking hikes but lifting weights at the gym or being a treadmill junkie has never been my thing.  Most of all I need an incentive beyond the promise of losing weight to get me going. I need friends behind me and a beer tent post race.

I'd like to share with you all some tips that have helped me over the years discover ways to stay active and enjoy it.  

A couple years ago I decided to take up running.  It seemed like a fast way to burn calories without spending too much cash in the process.  I was always the girl who struggled to get through the dreaded mile in gym class.  Starting running in my mid-twenties was not any easier than it was when I was fourteen. If I was going to make it down the street let alone a full mile I was going to need a plan.  It wasn't long until I discovered a wonderful program called Couch-to-5K.  This program helped me realize with a little time I could train to run a mile or even three! Whenever I have times where I fall off the running wagon and it does happen I resort back to the couch-to-5K program for a injury free way to get back on my feet.

Another great training plan I found which I am undertaking again is 100 pushups.  This program as it claims gets you doing 100 pushups in 6 short weeks.   I started tonight! Goodbye noodle arms!

Next, join a class. I am continuing with my hula hoop class and love it. It's 45 minutes long and offered through my work.  I think my favorite part is how fun it is.  I never feel as though class is long enough and all the laughing at myself works my abs wonderfully.

If classes are too public for you I recommend looking into exercise video games. I am completely obsessed with the Just Dance games.  They are fun, not too difficult, and they get you nice and sweaty all to some great music.

Finally, a great way to keep track of all that exercise and calories is myfitnesspal.  I use this to log in my calories every day and it helps stabilize me so that I don't consume more than I burn.  This website has a great facebook-esque set up which allows friends to find you and post inspiration on your wall.  You can block how much you want people to see but I find that being completely transparent with my friends keeps me on a healthier path. (If you wish to friend me on there send me an email or comment and I will gladly give you my screen name.)

Stay healthy and love yourself!

-erica

yarn wreaths

Living where I do each little apartment looks the same. It's hard to show your decorating identity inside and out. Often times I feel as though I am living in a beige cell. In the inside of my apartment, we have tried to break the monotony with lots of art and it helps to have so many talented friends.  On the outside of our little place it's not quite as simple.  We are just another door in a long line of doors all looking the same. That is why I love a yarn wreath.  They are incredibly simple, cheap, and a great way to brighten up a drab door and to stand out a bit. In the Fall I created this simple wreath with leftover yarn and felt.  But now with the grass and flowers waking it was time for something a bit brighter.

For those who haven't attempted to make one of these wreathes I thought I would write some brief instructions. But there are plenty of tutorials online and just as many if not more ideas as well.


Supplies
-Yarn (I used a cheap brand since you don't need it to be particularly soft or nice quality)
-Wreath form (For the fall wreath I used a foam form.  For the spring wreath I used a straw form.  The straw form made the wreath look a bit chunkier.)
-Felt
-Hot glue
And that's it! Seriously, you shouldn't be spending more than $15 dollars to put this whole thing together!

Instructions
-If you purchased a straw wreath form leave the plastic wrap attached it will make it easier to cover.  If you purchased a foam one remove plastic wrap.
-Find the end of yarn that will unravel the yarn from the outside in (note: opposite of how most knitters and crocheters take their yarn). This will save you several hours of untangling knots!
-Tie end of yarn around wreath form and start wrapping the yarn around.  When making the Fall wreath I was very neat with how I wrapped the yarn.  I was careful to wrap each strand of yarn around so that it would fall neatly next to the piece before it.  This gave me a very neat and flat finish.  With the Spring wreath I just wrapped the whole form like crazy until every sport was covered.  This way caused some areas to be covered in yarn more and gave a messier, bumpy finish.

-When your wreath form is covered to your liking tie the end of yarn to a wrapped section of yarn in what will be the backside of your wreath.
-Next the flowers, again there are a million and one tutorials online for felted flowers.  For the fall wreath I did a simple rose-like flower.  To achieve this look cut a circle out of felt of your choice.  Then cut into the circle in a swirl until you reach the center.  Next roll the swirl of felt up onto itself (like a cinnamon roll mmm!) gluing periodically.  Glue the end and glue onto your wreath.

-For the Spring wreath I made pansies.  For this all I did was cut out pansy shaped petals, hot glues them together and finished with a button.
-Finally, hot glue on those decorations.

-Hang and know that you have the coolest door in your whole cellblock!

-erica