Cricket in a Biscuit

There are well known benefits of yoga: increased strength and flexibility, relaxation and meditation. It's a great, low-impact fitness option accessible to anyone, regardless of ability. At its most basic, yoga is moving and stretching while being mindful of breaths and the sensations experienced by the body. What may be less widely known, yoga can be used with very specific purpose. Whatever remedy one is seeking, a quick google search will bring up various poses to help. Try it. Make up a condition just to see which poses could help alleviate it. This is going to veer into "too much information" territory, but I've never been one to shy from over sharing, so here goes. Irregularity has been a lifelong struggle for me. If my eating gets the tiniest bit off track, if I'm stressed, if I'm the slightest bit dehydrated, if it's almost that time of the month, if I used too much weight the last workout, there are repercussions. Quite by accident, I d...

After all the last minute rushing and prep, Christmas finally arrived! I hope yours was merry. We enjoyed time spent with family, and it was a happy holiday, indeed. With the gifts safely delivered, I can show you what I've been working on. The big knitting project which claimed not one, but two of my interchangeable cables was a baby blanket for my nephew, Cooper, who will be arriving this spring. The pattern by Marie Grace Smith is one I've been wanting to make forever, but I allow Darren's input on a lot of my baby projects, and he kept vetoing this one. One day, though, I walked into Jo-Ann Fabrics and these yarns just called to me. The pattern recommends a solid color, fingering weight. Of course, the yarn I chose is worsted weight, not even close to the same, but they were the perfect neutrals; it just seemed right. The nice thing about blankets, they are a simple shape, so the yarn weight really doesn't matter. Just knit until it is the right size. This blank...

There comes a time each year when I have to get real about what can actually be accomplished before Christmas. This week was that time. I create so much unneeded stress by trying to do all of the things; it is almost a relief to realize certain things are not going to happen and just let them go. It is possible I could finish my big knitting project by Christmas if I really commit. You might remember from last week , the project was derailed by an interchangeable cable failure. If there is one thing I want to finish in time, it is this project, so I found a way to keep knitting. It isn't pretty, but it works! Instead of one circular needle with a long cable, which would be ideal, I'm using three shorter needles. The first Frankensock , my answer to last week's sock woes, is finished. It fits, which is a nice change, but there is room for improvement. Observing all the feverish sock knitting as of late, the kids each requested a pair of socks for Christmas. That wi...

We are now fully into the holiday season, which, for us, means a lot of time in the car. Thanksgiving was a three-day affair with visits to each set of parents — I'm from a blended family, so I've got two sets. Of course, the eating was celebratory, and far from clean. Getting back on track this week has proven to be a challenge! Choosing to utilize, The 20s, has worked out very well. It has been much easier to stay on track with my workouts than it has with food. The workouts are 20 minutes each and exclusive to Beachbody on-demand. I made a schedule, which includes all the workouts from The 20s series and can be done within the 30-day free trial. The first two weeks look like this.  Oops! The last day of each week was cut off. Week 1 should end with Primal Body 1 by Derick, and Week 2 should end with Revival, beginner by Taylor.  So far, I've been really pleased with the variety and quality of the workouts. If you'd like to try it out, use the abo...

Omigosh, it's November already, and I am so far behind on Christmas crafts! (I furiously crocheted a dishcloth while waiting for the video to upload.) I've been so busy with other things, I don't have a lot to show for this week. The wool/angora yarn I have been plying is finished. I love the way it turned out! Angora always has such a wonderful halo. The yardage was amazing as well. I got over 300 yards of lace-weight 2-ply from, approximately, 2 ounces of fiber. The pillow has doubled in length, which is good progress. Hopefully I will finish that this week. If not, I'm sure it will be close. I'm really excited to have the fiber chosen and ready to go for my next spinning project. I'm doing stripes of different colorways from Homestead Hobbyist and Fat Cat Knits , spun as a thick single for the Stormy Weather Vest . There wasn't much beyond that besides a little spinning for my Shetland sweater in spare moments. The last few weeks, I have hint...

I am really uncomfortable talking about myself. Blogging is easier. Face to face conversation is really hard, especially if it is about my appearance. Once, while dress shopping, the clerk asked what I was looking for. I told her if I knew the wallpaper of the room I was to be in, I would dress to match. I don't like to be noticed. The background is my comfort zone.  When I had lost enough weight people started to comment on it, I would get all squirmy and mumble something like, "Yeah, I've lost a few pounds." Even after it was upwards of 35, I was still mumbling about a "few pounds." Now, I'm getting squirmy for a new reason. People are starting to tell me I need to stop losing, or they think I'm going too far or not eating enough. My mumbled responses are, "I'm actually not losing any more," and "Oh, I eat!"  Lunch today: Peanut butter toast with a lettuce and spinach salad with pork, blue cheese and raspberr...

Something I started for me has come to mean a whole lot more… for my entire family This post is for all those hard-working, self-sacrificing moms. I say moms because I am one, but really it goes for all caregivers. I want to ask you this question. How many nights each week do you lay down for the night and realize you've done nothing for yourself? You spend the entirety of your days running around taking care of other people, making sure their needs are met, but you never manage to work far enough down the to-do list to reach your name. Ainsleigh helping me warm up with some Supermans That's where I was for a very long time. Sure, my most basic needs were met. Obviously I ate regularly, mainly because I was making meals for everyone else. When Laney was just tiny, I didn't always eat, because there was no one to cook for. I had clothes to wear and a roof over my head, but I would go to bed each night feeling completely neglected. I tried explaining this Darren...