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Fitness for Me 24/52

What I did last week:

Wednesday-30 minute walk with the family.

Thursday-30 minute walk with the famjam again. I like it when Tom is home in the evening. But he did tell me this is not something he wants to do on Father’s Day.

Saturday-BodyPump. I made it through every track except chest. I felt really weak during it all, but I made it through.

Sunday-My sister-in-law and I went to the Royals/Cards game, where we instead waited during the rain for 2.5 hours for the game to start. We walked the stairs and around the stadium quite a bit so I am saying it counts. .

Impressed by:

Y’all I made it through a shoulder track! High five to me because this has not happened for a very very long time. It’s all those George presses I am doing.

Struggled with:

I am really struggling with my push-up and plank challenge. I don’t really think that I am getting any stronger as the times are increasing so it has been really frustrating. I have to stop mid-way or change positions if I do continue most days. I am up to 2 minutes planking and 33 push-ups. I am a little half way through the challenge, so I really don’t want to stop but it is a big struggle.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did go to a BodyPump class.

What is my goal for next week?

I just want to be more consistent. I would like to do a real workout at least 4 days this next week, and try to get to the gym for a class a couple times.

Fitness Thoughts:

I feel like I am getting into a rut. This rain we are having is really making me just want to curl up with a good book (because I have my reading mojo back). I need to get jazzed about working out again. I am hoping getting to some classes will spark something again. This week I just felt blah about exercise.

This was me all week.

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Do you ever get into a workout rut?

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How Do I Get George To Sit For Pictures?

A lot of Luck.

I have had a lot of people ask me recently how I get George to pose for things like this.

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Or to sit still to do this.

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In all honesty, most of it really is luck along with some timing.

Overtime, I have learned the sweet spots in the day to photograph him. Right after his morning nap is really the best time for me to take his picture, especially if I am by myself. He is much more cooperative right after his nap. If Tom is helping me, I can do other times of the day because he’s able to wrangle George while I just stay behind the camera. Generally though, I try to stick to right after he wakes up. For George, that is when he is the most smiley and eager to be my model.

I have tried to do it right after he eats, but he usually is still mad that the meal is over. He is also a happy spitter (doctor’s words not mine). So if I do it after he eats, usually I am cleaning up more food spit than I am taking pictures.

George is also pretty expressive, so I really don’t have to work him too much to get some sort of face from him. It doesn’t hurt that he is the cutest baby alive. Just saying.

There are a few things I have on hand to help me get the money shot:

  • a toy that lights up or rattles (to get his attention on me instead of who knows where)
  • a burp cloth (because he likes to regurgitate and drool…a lot)
  • a pacy (up until recently most of his shoots ended with a pacy)

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I also try to set up everything while George is napping so I can literally just set him up and go for it. I have most of my shoots with him down to a science and can get them done in 15-20 minutes.

I also have the setting on to take continuous photos. It’s probably the biggest reason why I am able to catch faces like this.

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And in all honesty, I take hundreds of photos (most of the time it can be anywhere between 300-600 images) each time I get the camera out. It can be a lot to sift through, but it offers more of a guarantee that I will get a picture that I want. But then there are times when the bloopers are more fun.

I also have learned when to say no to a shoot or end one early even though I have it all planned out. I can usually read George’s mood within a matter of minutes, and I know if he will be good or not. (Although, I love a good crying picture.)

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I also have to lock the dogs out of the room I am doing pictures in because they either end up in the shot or are much better at getting George’s attention than I am.

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Every picture I take is not perfect. There have even been a couple shoots where I didn’t think any of them were show quality, and Tom had to talk me off of my artist ledge that I was unworthy of doing this. But I think that is part of the reason I get my camera out every week:  to learn. I feel like I have really improved on my photography just because I get it out at least once a week to make George my model for even a brief amount of time.

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He is by far my favorite subject, and he will just have to endure my endless photo shoot ideas.

It may get harder now that he is getting more mobile though.

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Crafts I Want To Do…But Probably Never Will

When I started this blog, I was doing crafts ALL THE TIME. That definitely has not happened since George was born. Even crocheting has taken a little of a backseat.

Now that we are in the process of getting a new home, I have been on Pinterest non-stop. My crafting juices are just itching to get all the buttons and fabric out to make something. But we need the house first…

But let’s be real, it probably wont happen as much as I would like anyway.

So here are some projects that are on my to-do wishlist, but honestly will probably not happen.

This painting would be the perfect mix of Tom’s taste in flowers and my taste in modern art. And we want to do a light grayish living room, so really this would fit right in. And I am obsessed with YELLOW!

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We always have loose mail, papers, magazine. Seriously, we have no dining table because it is covered in crap. This would just be practical. And easy right?

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This is a project that I have all the supplies for but haven’t done yet. I want to do a bible verse though instead so it is a little more lengthy. I really want my Cricut set up to help me with making a letter template instead of cutting out the letters myself especially since it is much longer. Maybe someday…

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And this is another project that I have all the supplies for but have yet to do. Again, with my Cricut tucked nicely in it’s box, I am never motivated to do it. And I am not free handing that.

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I have been talking about doing this one for YEARS…

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I NEED this for my future craft room! Too bad the file cabinets didn’t make it in the last move…

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I really want this in our future mudroom with a shelf at the top too. Anyone have a big window they are giving away?

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Don’t even get me started on all the wreath’s I want to make…Honestly I would love to have one for every month. The idea of moving them though has held me back. So maybe with new storage and the thought of not moving again will make these wreaths actually happen.

What projects do you have on your to-do list?

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Fit for Me 23/52

What I did last week:

Wednesday-30 minute walk with the family. It was nice to have Tom home to have home!

Thursday-30 minute walk with the dogs and George. It was probably the last time I will carry G-man because I was sweating bullets. It is just getting too hot for him to be comfortable in there.

Saturday-I walked around the mall with George for a couple hours. This counts right?

Sunday-BodyJam:  This is a group class that is all dance inspired. We did everything:  Jive, Latin, hip-hop, and club, and also 5 year old dancing. Seriously, there was a move where I thought I was in a room watching kindergartners wave their arms around like crazy. It was so much fun! The instructor was awesome. She was this free-spirit who was so much fun to dance with, and I danced like I was alone in my house. It was a very liberating class. Then I also walked the dogs for 20 minutes that night. It was the first time walking them alone with a stroller. This was awful. The dogs were scared of the stroller because it definitely restricted them more because of how I strapped the leashes around me. We didn’t get into a groove where we all weren’t frustrated until were back on our own street at the end. Figures.

Tuesday-I did a 20 minute leg workout and a 20 minute ab workout.

Impressed by:

Letting myself go in that dance class. Sometimes it is hard for me to just completely relax in front of strangers, but I danced my little heart out in that class. The instructor was just to fun not to follow! And I really feel the good soreness after it.

Struggled with:

I missed two days of my push-up and plank challenge. Whoops.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did with BodyJam.

What is my goal for next week?

I want to make it to a BodyPump class.

Fitness Thoughts:

If you need a little inspiration…

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Update on 35 before 35 List

1. Crochet something else besides blankets or scarves at least once a year (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

2. Do a photography challenge

  • I am so happy that I have kept up with this challenge. I definitely look through George’s glamor shots at least once a week.

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4. Tour at least one a winery, brewery, or distillery

5. Send at least 5 snail mail a month

6. Become a “professional” photographer

7. Run at least 10 races (any distance) (3/10)

  • I did the Go Girl! 5K.

8. Go camping with Tom

9. Pay for the car behind me in a drive through

10. See Tyrone Wells live as many times as possible

11. Tour Fort Defiance here in Clarksville

12. Water ski with my dad

13. Do a 5K with my mom

14. Take a swing dance class with Tom

15. Read at least one fun book a month and one professional development book every three months

  • With my schedule, it can be really hard to read a lot. I have a hard time reading without falling asleep, and not because it is boring. #momprobs My friend Ellen shared that her goal is to just read every day. That can be one page or one whole book. I really loved this idea, so that is my new goal. I just want to crack open a book and read for fun every day. I am trying to find little ways to incorporate little spurts of reading throughout my day.

16. Take a pottery or stained glass class

17. Do one new recipe each month

  • We tried this Shrimp Alfredo Pasta Bake. It was not our favorite. It was super spicy and the cheese came out clumpy. I apparently cannot perfect the alfredo consistency after one try. It does make a lot, but it is not good reheated.

18. See both a Clemson and UCM football game live

19. Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis

20. Go hiking

21. Ride in a hot air balloon

22. Go to at least 20 “new to me” restaurants. (23/20)

23. Stay at a bed and breakfast

24. Spend a day without electronics (phone, t.v. and computer)

25. Do something unique and new for my birthdays

26. Explore Nashville while we live here

27. Watch at least 10 movies that I have not seen before that won Best Picture at the Oscars and at least 20 documentaries (not necessarily Oscar winning) Movies (2/10); Documentaries (7/20)

28. Sew an item of clothing from scratch

29. Do a personal devotional/bible study on my own

30. Be a mascot for an event

31. Go on our honeymoon (preferably somewhere tropical)

32. Host an annual NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship game party

33. Go on a mission trip

34. Be on a recreation volleyball team

  • My plans didn’t work out as I had hoped. I am going to have to start over on my search for a volleyball team.

35. Become a mom

  • I had a big mom moment last night. George started officially crawling. It was sooo exciting! He has been trying so hard for the past month, but last night was the first time he got everything going. Instagram refused to upload the video so I had to resort to other measures of documenting. Also I am not sorry that I fill my feed with George.