Working Out Week 7 of 2014

February 15, 2014 kimberlee 6 Comments

I have now completed the 6th week of the 13 weeks of P90X3. This week was the same schedule as last week. I think from this 3 week rotation of workouts my favorites are Triometrics and MMX. I still really like CVX as well but since that was a favorite in the first 3 weeks I wanted to pick a couple of new ones for the new round of workouts.

Triometrics is a leg burner for sure. I mentioned on my facebook page the other day that it should be called Killer Legs. This workout is definitely transforming my legs, hips and glutes.

MMX is the kickboxing – mixed martial arts workout that is a lot of fun. Time flies when you are doing this one – it hardly even seems like 30 minutes. This workout is a total body routine. I am looking forward to doing it again in the coming week – week 7.

I have been trying to maintain eating a clean diet while doing this workout. Actually I try and eat clean most of the time. I did splurge a little this week with it being Valentines Day yesterday and I made some homemade chocolate peanut clusters for my family. I ate 2 of them. I feel like it is okay to have a treat a couple of times a week as long as it is in moderation and you limit how much you have. I don’t think it is a good idea to deprive yourself of everything especially if you have been working really hard.

I have also been trying to take in more fiber. I have been eating Bob’s Red Mill 7 grain hot cereal in the mornings. That cereal is pretty good with a little honey and almond milk stirred into it. I have also stirred in some honey and peanut butter with a little milk. It is very satisfying and keeps you full for quite a while. It has 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein per serving. 6 grams of fiber is 23% of your daily fiber.

My motivation quote this week was:

This week I also got Tony Horton’s new book that was just released last week. It is called The Big Picture – 11 Laws That Will Change Your Life.
I have not started reading it yet as I am currently reading three other books and I want to finish one of those first. I have skimmed through it and it looks like an excellent book and I can’t wait to start it. I am hoping to finish a book this weekend so I can start reading Tony’s book. I will update more on the book in my weekly fitness post as I start reading it.

So, how are your workouts going? I would love to hear about them – just click on Leave a Reply and let me know.

Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise

Tags: exercise, fitness, workout routine, workout schedule

Red Crochet Tunic

February 14, 2014 kimberlee 3 Comments

This week has been filled with crochet projects. I recently finished this crochet tunic design and figured today was a great day to share it since it is red and today is Valentines Day!

This project took me a while to complete. I think it was because I made it quite long and you have to crochet a front and a back. The one side I got crocheted pretty fast but I kept putting the other side in my UFO (unfinished objects) pile and would work on other designs and ideas. Once I finally finished both sides they sat there for a week waiting to be sewn together. That is one of the things about making a garment – you have completed all the crochet or knitting and then you still have to sew the pieces together…

Well, I finally got the pieces sewn together and even wore it the other day to church with the black leggings I made a couple of months ago. I really like how it looks with leggings or with jeans. I am also thinking it will look good with a tank top or camisole underneath it for spring and summer.

I will eventually have this pattern available in my etsy shop and on craftsy. I was so happy to get it finished I wanted to share it on my blog first.

What crochet or knitting projects have you recently completed? Click on Leave a Reply and tell me about them.

Have a Happy Valentines Day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Crochet

Tags: Crochet, crochet tunic, crocheting, red crochet tunic, red tunic, tunic

Crochet Cowl – Infinity Scarf

February 11, 2014 kimberlee 9 Comments

I recently stumbled upon a facebook page called Frayed Knot by Jonna and learned about a crochet challenge. The challenge is called the Design Wars Challenge . The challenge is to create a crochet item using Red Heart With Love yarn. I decided to design a new crochet pattern for a cowl, or infinity scarf, since I happen to have one skein of this yarn in a deep purple color. Here is the design I will be entering in the challenge:

I really like how my pattern turned out and it can be worn long or double wrapped for warmth. The yarn is a worsted weight acrylic yarn and very easy to work with. I plan to have the pattern available soon in my etsy shop and on craftsy. I was so excited about finishing it and I wanted to get it entered in the challenge and share it here on my blog first.

This challenge is for the whole month of February and you can click on the link above to learn more about it if you are interested in entering.

What crochet or knitting projects are you currently working on? I am crocheting a new infinity scarf that is in Olympic USA team colors. I got inspired to make something red, white and blue after the opening ceremony and seeing their cool sweaters and hats that they wore. I have been working on it the last few nights while watching the games. I hope to have it done in the next few days and share it on my blog soon. Be sure to subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS to receive future posts. You can find the icons in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Crafts Crochet

Tags: crochet cowl, crochet scarf, design wars challenge, design wars project, infinity scarf, purple cowl, purple infinity scarf, purple scarf, with love yarn

Working Out Week 6 of 2014

February 8, 2014 kimberlee 1 Comment

This week was my completion of week 5 of P90X3. The schedule was different from the previous weeks. I would say the intensity has increased with the addition of some of the new dvd’s. The schedule for the past week and the next two weeks are as follows:

Monday – Triometrics
Tuesday – The Warrior
Wednesday – X3 Yoga
Thursday – MMX
Friday – Incinerator
Saturday – CVX
Sunday – Rest or Dynamix

The workouts that were new: Triometrics, MMX and Incinerator. Below are my photos from those workouts:

I really liked Triometrics. It was challenging for sure. Each move progressed into a more intense version of the move. I was definitely feeling this in my legs all over when I was done and the next morning.

MMX is a martial arts – kickboxing type of workout. I really like kickboxing workouts and enjoyed this one a lot. The time flew by because you were so busy punching, kicking and sprawling. A great cardio and total body workout.

Incinerator was not what I thought it was going to be. Based on the name I thought it would be some high intensity cardio workout but it was more of an upper body and core workout. The workout uses dumbbells or resistance bands, a pull up bar, if you have one, or a resistance band attached over a door and you also do lots of variations of push ups. The reps are not that high so I am thinking I need to up my weight next week. This past week I used 8 and 12 pound dumbbells. Next week I am going to try 10 and 15 and see how I do. I may have to use 8 for some of the tricep exercises. This is a great strength training workout and I felt it in the back of my arms and shoulders the next day. Especially since the morning after doing Incinerator I had to do CVX – the cardio workout that uses a dumbbell.

I am also big on motivational quotes and this was mine for the week:

I will update again next week on the workout program. I really like all the positive changes I am seeing from doing P90X3 – not just physically but even mentally. I think a good exercise program and being healthy really does give you a positive mental outlook. It probably does not happen over night but after a month or two you begin to see all the benefits.

Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: exercise, fitness, health, P90X3, P90X3 workout week 5, workouts

Sewing Napkins Double Sided

February 6, 2014 kimberlee

Sewing your own napkins is a really easy and quick sewing project. We usually use cloth napkins at our house. I started doing this many years ago as part of a green living movement in our home and because paper napkins are rough on your face. I also like the look of cloth napkins on the table over paper napkins. You can coordinate fabrics to go with your dishes as well as sew cute seasonal napkins for various holidays.

This is a tutorial on how to make pretty double sided napkins from cotton fabric. You will need:

1 1/2 yds of cotton fabric (quilters fabric) – this will give you 6 napkins
sewing machine that does a straight stitch and a zigzag stitch
sewing thread to match fabric
rotary cutter or sewing scissors
quilters ruler
point turner
iron

First thing you need to do is wash and dry all your fabric. I have learned the hard way that you need to do this with anything that is going to be washed or you will be sorry.

Then you will need to iron the fabric and fold it in half right sides together like it came off the bolt, before you cut it.

Cut fabric 13 inches wide by width of fabric
Cut 13 inch strips into 13 inch squares – you should be able to get 3 squares total per strip
Place squares RS(right sides) together and sew around edges using a 3/8 or 1/2 inch seam allowance – leaving a 2 to 3 inch opening at the center of one side for turning
Turn napkins RS out, clip corners, use a point turner to press corners into a point
Press napkins with iron
Set your machine to a zigzag stitch and sew using the edge of your presser foot or a 1/4 inch marking as a guide around all 4 edges – this will close up the opening you left for turning

Now your napkins are all done and ready to use and they look pretty on both sides. The napkins can be washed with your regular laundry and dried. If they are really soiled you can always soak them in color safe bleach like Oxi-clean. I do this a lot with having 3 boys.

I hope you enjoyed this little sewing tutorial. Please subscribe to my blog via bloglovin, email or RSS feed for future sewing tutorials. All icons for subscribing can be found in the sidebar.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Sewing

Tags: home dec sewing, how to sew double sided napkins, napkins, sewing cloth napkins, sewing projects

Valentines Day Mantel

February 4, 2014 kimberlee 6 Comments

After seeing so many pretty Valentines Day mantels on pinterest lately I decided I needed to get busy and decorate mine for the holiday. I usually just put up my little heart fabric and button garland that I made many many years ago (like before I had kids) and leave it at that along with my regular mantel decor.

This year after having my husband get the Valentines decorations out of the attic I decided to pull out some things to go on the mantel. I also went to Hobby Lobby and bought this pretty flower garland. It was not considered Valentine decor but I figured I could use it now and still use it in the Spring.

As you can see it is quite simple. I used some candles on the ends. One is handmade from soy, the white one, – my neighbor makes them and gave it to us as a Christmas gift. The other is just a red Yankee candle in a large jar. I love my little heart garland that I learned how to make so long ago from a book all about holiday fabric garlands.

The picture in the photo above is a very old frame and print I have had for almost 20 years. This was a wedding present from one of my sister-in-laws. I have always loved the saying in the picture “Those who love have all things.”

The vase above is also pretty old and was a wedding gift from some friends of ours. It is a Lenox vase. I have not used it very much in the past since breakable things and a house of 3 sons do not mix so well. The boys are older now though and the vase is probably safe up on the mantel, I think.

The clock that is always above our mantel was also a wedding gift from my parents. It matches our mantel really well. I once had a friend that was visiting ask if the previous owners of our house left the clock there for us since it matches the mantel almost perfectly.

Click on Leave a Reply and let me know what kind of decorating you do for Valentines Day. Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Decorating

Tags: heart garland, hearts, mantel decor, valentines day, valentines day decorating, valentines day mantel

Working Out Week 5 of 2014

February 1, 2014 kimberlee 7 Comments

Five weeks into 2014 and this is my fourth week of completing P90X3. The past week was called a Transition week and the schedule was a little different than the previous three weeks – some new dvd’s replaced a couple of the other ones. The schedule the past week was:

Monday – Isometrix
Tuesday – Dynamix
Wednesday – Accelerator
Thursday – Pilates X
Friday – Agility X
Saturday – X3 Yoga

The workouts were a nice change and I really like Dynamix and the Pilates workouts a lot. Below are my photos from those two sessions:

The Pilates workout was a great challenge for the core. I really felt this one in my abs while doing the actual workout and that evening and the day after I could feel a change in my hips and legs. One of my favorite moves in this workout is the pretzel – shown in the above middle photo. I am familiar with the move as they do this in one of my Exhale Core Fusion dvd’s. This is an awesome move to tone up the legs, glutes and hips. It looks easy but looks can be deceiving with this one.

Results so far with the program are:

Overall feeling really good and healthy (I considered myself healthy when I started but feel even better)
Increased energy and positive mood
Seeing a lot more definition of lean muscle in my arms, shoulders and back; loss of inches in hip and thigh area

The exact amount of inches I have lost so far are 1/2 inch in my waist, 1/2 inch in my upper hip area, 1 inch in my lower hip area, 1/2 in. in each of my upper thighs. My lower thigh and calf have actually increased about 1/4 inch but I think it is the muscles definition because it doesn’t look any bigger to me. My upper arms have stayed about 1/4 inch within my day 1 measurements, too but there again I am noticing a lot more defined lean muscle so I am okay with that.

Above are some motivational words I posted for myself this week. I thought it appropriate since we were in a “transition” week and doing some new things, like the PIlates workout. That workout will take anyone who has never done Pilates way out of their comfort zone and work muscles you didn’t know you had. I also think these words can apply to anything in life really. If things aren’t working it is time to try something else or do something about it.

My challenge group on facebook is a great support group for all of us that are doing the P90X3 program. I think there are about 30+ of us in the group and we are all keeping each other accountable and motivated on a daily basis. I think being in a dedicated group makes all the difference in the world of completing a 90 day program like this and I am so glad to be a part of it.

Next week we are on to our new group of exercises called Block 2 – Days 29 to 56 of the program. I am looking forward to some of the new dvd’s we will be using – especially MMX – the kickboxing workout. I have not done it yet but I watched a little of it to see what it was about. Another new one is called Incinerator – I have not looked at that one but the name alone kind of scares me.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

-Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise Health

Tags: exercise, fitness, P90X3, working out, workout routine, workouts

Crock Pot Cookbook Review

January 28, 2014 kimberlee 2 Comments

This is my new favorite crock pot cookbook. The book is Fix It And Forget It New Cookbook by Phyllis Good. I actually have had it for a couple of months now and use it at least twice a week or more. The first week I had it I think I used every day for about nine or ten days in a row. There are some great recipes in this “new” version of the book.

I really like the lay out of this book and that there are color photos throughout the book of most all of the recipes. The previous versions of the Fix It And Forget It books did not have photos, as I recall. I do not own any of those I have only checked them out from the local library in the past.

There are some great guidelines in the book for slow cooking and how size of your cooker matters for different recipes. This influenced me to go and buy another crock pot as the one I had was a huge 7 quart one. I went and bought a 3.5 quart crock pot and this one also has a built in timer that turns off and switches to warm when the timer goes off so your food is not overcooked. This is also nice for cooking side dishes or desserts, which there are lots of great recipes for in this book.

So far I have tried these recipes and my family (1 husband and 3 teenage sons) have loved them all:

Asian Chicken Breasts
Wild Rice with Chicken
King Turkey – I have made this three times
Keilbasa and Cheese Pasta Sauce – I have made this twice
Baked Ziti – I have made this three times and it is very good!
Green Chili Rice (kids didn’t want to try this but it was really yummy!)
Hearty Beef Barley Soup
Minestrone
Exotic Sweet Potatoes – these are awesome!
Colorful Rice Pilaf
Party Walnut Broccoli – kids don’t like this but my husband & I do
Moist Stuffing
Fast and Fabulous Brussels Sprouts – I have made these three times
Cranberry Almond Bread – I have made this twice
Baked Oatmeal – I have made this twice – it is so good!
Zesty Bean Dip – I have made this twice
Pumpkin Pie Pudding with Streusel Topping – I have made this three times-very good!
Apple Cranberry Crisp
Apple Coconut Pudding
Slow Cooker Basic Beans

As you can see I have tried quite a few of the recipes and still have many pages marked of other recipes I want to try. I really like how there are lots of great recipes for breads, grains, desserts, and sides in this book. Sometimes I use both of my crock pots at once and do the main course-meat in the larger crock pot and a side dish in the smaller one.

The photo above is of the Cranberry Almond Bread that you make in the crock pot. It is really simple to make and tastes so good. My husband even liked it and he does not normally eat things made with fresh cranberries.

I have not taken any photos of the other recipes because my family eats everything before I remember to get out my camera and take a picture. If you get the book though you can see photos of all the recipes in there.

I also have lots of slow cooker recipes pinned on pinterest that I have tried if you want to check out other recipes on there.

I really like this book and think it is a wonderful cookbook to add to my shelf of cookbooks. What cookbooks do you use a lot and really like? Please let me know by clicking on Leave A Reply.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Books

Tags: cookbook, cookbook review, crock pot cooking, crock pot recipe book, slow cooker cookbook

Working Out Week 4 of 2014

January 25, 2014 kimberlee 8 Comments

The end of this week marks the 4th week of 2014 and the 3rd week of doing the P90X3 challenge with my facebook group. The exercises this week were the same schedule as the past two weeks. You can read my post on Week 1 of P90X3 here to see the complete schedule for weeks 1 – 3.

My favorite workouts from the first three weeks were CVX and Isometrix. I love how CVX uses a light dumbbell throughout most of the 30 minute workout. It is a great combination of cardio and weight training. My shy cat decided to get in one of the photos for this workout – see if you can find her below…

Below in the photo I was getting ready to start CVX – listening to the beginning instructions and here is my cat doing his downdog pose. I thought that was funny.

Isometrix is unlike any type of yoga I have ever done. In this workout you have to hold the poses for about 45 seconds each. The downdog with one hand on your ankle is one of the hardest for me to hold that long as well as standing on one foot with your eyes closed and other foot raised up two or three inches off the floor. It is harder than it sounds – try it. The day I did this workout it was cold that morning and I was freezing when I woke up so I dressed in my fleece pants to keep warm. I may not look very fashionable but I was warm. My black cat decided to participate and get in these photos. He is quite the workout cat.

I have started reading a new book – along with about 2 other books I am reading (I read a lot) called Success Principles. In the book I found this great quote and wanted to share it:

I have written this down and posted it on the wall behind my computer. I think this is a great reminder that there are certain things we can not change in life and that we have no control over but I believe that our health and fitness is something that each and every one of us can choose to control and take responsibility for.

Overall I am still really enjoying P90X3 and my fun challenge group. Next week is called the “Transition” week and the schedule changes some. We are going to be doing some of the same workouts along with two or three new ones. I will update the end of next week on that schedule.

I am not affiliated with this workout program. I am just participating with a group and like to share my workouts and hope to inspire others to exercise.

Have a great weekend!

Kimberlee

Categories: Exercise

Tags: challenge group, exercise, fitness, working out, Workout program

Sewing Fleece Tops

January 21, 2014 kimberlee 5 Comments

Sewing is something I love to do. I have been sewing since I was in 7th grade. I love to create things with fabric and I make a lot of my own clothing.

Some of my favorite patterns to use are Kwik Sew patterns. They are a little more expensive than other brands but they are written very well and they always fit good, at least for me.

This Kwik Sew pattern is one of my favorites and very, very easy to make. The pattern is #2992 and there are three different versions of this top. All three have the same general look but the necklines can be varied. You can choose to sew a tradition round neckline , which is in the above photo, a boat neckline or a funnel neck. So far I have only made the round and the funnel neck and not the boat neck top. The pattern recommends using polar fleece, berber fleece, or heavy fleece to make this top. All of mine are made using anti-pill polar fleece.

The turquoise top (above) is one I made several years ago and still love to wear. I used my embroidery machine to embroidery a design on the lower front and back sides and on the sleeves.

This top has a dolman sleeve so there is no separate sleeve to sew in. This makes sewing go a lot faster – especially if you have a serger.

The light blue top above is the funnel neckline. I made this one a couple of years ago – it is hard to see the neck well since I have a scarf on. I like to wear this top on cold days because it keeps your neck warm, especially with the added scarf layer.

The navy blue top above is the one I recently made. I also embroidered a pretty cross and angel design on the front of this one. Since these tops are sort of basic I like to add my own embroidery designs to them.

Currently I have another pair of leggings cut out to sew and a knit cardigan jacket. I am hoping to get those finished before February. What sewing projects are you currently working on? Click on Leave a Reply and let me know.

Have a great day!

Kimberlee

Categories: Embroidery Sewing

Tags: easy to sew, embroidered tops, embroidery, kwik sew pattern, sewing tops, sewing with fleece