Day one: Circuit Endurance

About six years ago, I came across a run/walk routine that, if followed, should get you to running for 30 minutes in 10 weeks.  I made it all the way to week 5 and it all went downhill. My husband and I went to a wedding and everyone got food poisoning, so when I got back, I was weak and gave up on it.  The thing with running is, you have to keep up with it, or it's harder than anything to step back into it. 
This week (which I started today) it's run 2 minutes, walk 4 and repeat 5 times.  Since I started today, tomorrow is a rest day.  I won't do the run/walking.  I will probably do some strength training instead. 

I am very excited about this because it worked well before, and it gave me a lot of energy.  Stay tuned! 

Exhaustion

I'm exhausted, to say the least.  I find that the weeks are exhausting, but the weekends are even more exhausting.  Thinking back, it doesn't seem like we did much today, but just taking care of the three kids is enough to suck the life out of me! 

The last few months #1 was in school, I joined the local fitness club and it did wonders for my energy level.  I was in quite a groove.  First, we would drop off #1, then I would walk over to the club with the other two.  Once I checked them into the childcare room, I would spend 45 minutes on the elliptical machine.  She was in school 3 days a week, so I would only go three times a week.  Surprisingly, that was enough.  I started sleeping better, my energy was up, my moods were evening out.  It was wondering. 

Lately, I've been all over the place.  I have been itching to get back into an exercise machine, but our treadmill was broken, and with the three kids, I couldn't figure out how to get a good workout in with all three of them.  We have a Double Bob Revolution, but I can't run/walk with it without wearing #3 on my back in the Ergo... The Ergo is not really meant to jog with. 

So, we started looking in the classifide ads for an elliptical machine!  A wonderful way to shop, if you ask me.  You can find the perfect stuff that way.  We have gotten our two Trek jogger/bike trailers that way, and have sold a number of items that way too. 

So, we found an elliptical.  It is a perfectly good machine... only used a handful of times.  The couple we bought it from were moving and had to get rid of it fast.  It was perfect!!! 

So, my plan is to go on it for at least 30 minutes 3x a week to start.  Maybe I will just walk on the treadmill on the off days.  The funny thing is, when we rearranged the basement to make room for the elliptical, my husband did something to the treadmill, and it works now!  Awesome!!!

Strawberry season

Our friends have had a farm share at local organic farm for a few years now, and I have always wanted to join.  Until this year, I would find myself looking into it too late and would miss the opportunity.  The thing with a farm share is, you have to give the money months before the food is ready to buy.  You are investing in them.  They take the money you give them and buy things to start producing the crop.  It's perfect, really.  This year, I remembered early and got to it in plenty of time!  Now that we're in, the owner will send us emails every year when it's time to buy shares again for the next year.  

This time of year, they have fresh strawberries coming out the wazoo!  Today, I planned a trip up to pick up some lettuce, herbs, tomatoes and strawberries.  The two little ones passed out in their car seats.  Ever since #2 started getting lots of attention for using the potty (1 in diapers feels so nice!!!), #1 has been starving for attention.  I saw this as an opportunity, so the two of us sat in the back and had a strawberry snack tailgate party.

They were so delicious.  This batch was extremely juicy.  #1 loved it.  I enjoyed slowing time down just a little bit to watch her little face as she ate strawberry after strawberry.  She won't be little forever!

Hanging out the laundry

There is nothing I enjoy doing more on a lazy summer day than hanging out my laundry. 

When my husband first installed the clothesline, I enjoyed doing laundry again.  The way clothes, towels and sheets smell after they have been drying outside all day is amazing.  I especially love the smell of wind blown sheets as I drift away to dreamland.  It's perfect!

I enjoyed it a little too much.  Finding any reason to throw a load in on a sunny day.  Then, I noticed our electric bill start to decline.  BONUS!  

 

This year, I started playing a little game with myself.  See how low you can get the electric bill to go.  So far, our lowest is about $77... which isn't bad for a family of 5.  We are very conscious of our energy usage and try our best not to be wasteful.  We are very conservative with the light usage and all of our appliances are Energy Star rated. 

The electric company just came today to do a reading.  I can't wait to see how much the bill is going to be.

Father's Day

There's something about Father's Day and this farm! 

We have been to this farm countless times, so you would think we would all be bored with it.  Not the case.  We go here and while the kids enjoy visiting the horses, cows and sheep, my husband and I enjoy the beautiful scenery and peaceful nature of the place.  

Yesterday was a great day.  We walked around and had lunch at a festival, then stopped here on the way home.  It was a relaxing day.  A happy day!  #1 and #2 ran up and down a walkway for an hour while I sat in the grass with #3 and while Daddy sat on a park bench and watched the animals walk around.  Life seems to slow down when we are here.

I <3 lazy Sunday's!

Fabric

One of my good friends has a hope chest in the middle of her living room that she uses as a trunk for kid toys.  Saying it that way makes it sound like a toy box, but it's the most organized "toy box" I've ever seen.  She has everything in there nice and neat, and when the kids are board with what they are playing with, she rotates.  Genius!  

I just hosted a Tupperware party and got a nice chunk of change... SO.... my husband found me a Lane cedar chest that will enable me to do just as my friend does.  The only downside to the one he found was that it had this awful upholstered cushion on top.  I have been eager to take on little projects in the house, so I took off to Joann's Fabric to see what I could find.  My hope is to eventually have a modern beach house feel in that room.  With the wall color in mind, I found this fabric.

It is a nice canvas material (not outdoor canvas... that's more expensive).  There was only about a yard and a quarter left at the store, but I really liked it, so I got it and hoped it was enough. 

It was!!!  Imagine how excited I was!!! 
I've never re-upholstered anything before, but I have had it explained to me in the past, so I was confident about it!  I unscrewed the cushion from inside the chest, grabbed the staple gun and went to town!  :o)

The picture is a little dark, but it came out wonderful!  A new window bench for #1 and #2 to sit at and watch the turkey's that frequent our yard.  #1 loves to read Highlights on it.  :o)

I found another fabric that I loved.  Time for another project!



New outdoor sitting area

My mother comes up once every other week to see the kids and so I can get some errands done.  She stays at my house and hangs out with them, and I take off to do things.  It's nice because I can do them ten times faster without little people to lug in and out of a car 17 times. 

We have been talking about my garden a lot on the phone, and I was telling her how I was trying to figure out some kind of seating for my back porch.  I'm always looking to spend more time out there, but with limited seating, we don't do it that often.  When she showed up this morning, she had my early birthday present in the back of her car.  These two chairs, the table and orange pot.  I LOVE IT!!!  And now, I can enjoy my iced tea on the porch overlooking where the kids play.  Ahh... speaking of which... I'm on my way there now.  :o)

Planted our garden

We put our garden in, and so far, it looks like this will be our best year yet! 

The first year, we started small.  We didn't want to put a ton of time and effort into it until we got the swing of things.  We planted a varitety of vegetables... pumpkins, cucumbers, peas, tomatoes, peppers, zucchini and some other things.  Peas and some cucumbers were all that produced, so I'm glad we didn't put much into it.

Last year, we planted a ton, but we didn't get much out of it.  The problem was that our cucumbers/squash/pumpkins all flowered, but nothing produced fruit.  After talking to some friends and my garden-savy sister in law about it, we decided the problem was due to a lack of bees/bugs cross polinating!  Ah-hah!  Makes sense.

This year, we went all out.  We changed the location to somewhere with more sun and already, it looks amazing!  Well... for the begining stages, it looks great!

We started cucumbers, delicata and zucchini in paper pots, which is what you see in this picture.  They are in the process of being planted (I was out all day today, otherwise they would have been in the ground today).  This garden is about 4 times the size... actually, probably closer to 5 or 6 times.  I am pretty confident that the problems from the past won't revisit... but if they do, I'm on to it and will be ready! 

Tomatoes and Broccoli

To get the kids a little more into it this year, I let them help me pick out some starter plants.  #1 picked out purple cabbage because she LOVES purple, and actually likes it... just like mommy!  She also picked out broccoli.  #2 picked out cherry tomatoes (she LOVES tomatoes... also like mommy) and yellow peppers.  #3 didn't pick anything because he slept through our trip to the farm stand. 

We are eager to see how it goes this year.  We had a few cucumbers last year and made some sweet pickles out of a few.  The kids also liked drinking cucumber water with the cucumbers we got.  I really hope we are able to do more this year!  Maybe I'll be a little more ambitions with the canning.  

Pumpkin patch with #1 and #2's colorful garden stakes

This is where our pumpkins will hopefully grow.

Minimalist wanna-be!

I have always been an organized person, but for the past year, I have been fighting it.  #1 has always been very good about keeping things "just so"... she's a perfectionist, but once #2 was mobile, that all went out the window!  She has always been a messy kid.  It drives #1 crazy.  Who knows what #3 will be like, but as of now, he's all boy.  He takes toys and just throws them to see what happens.  It's pretty funny actually, because he has this devilish laugh that makes me wonder what's going on in his little head. 

Anyhow - when #3 arrived, I decided to put my organized nature aside and just go with it.  To make a long story short, I've had a few episodes of feeling overwhelmed, and the root of it was disorganization and the fact that we have too much stuff!!!  As soon as I started organizing the toys... figuring out what to sell, donate, and put away to rotate with what is out now... just that little task (which actually took a few hours) made me feel like I was gaining control again. 

There is something to say about the minimalist lifestyle.  That's something I would like to work on because the less you have, the less you have to organize. 

These little freak-outs happen every once in a while, and most often, what makes me feel better is to get out of the house and take a nature walk with the kids.  They get so much enjoyment out of being outside, in nature... #1 with her fancy shoes and dress on leading us down the safest path, #2 with her shades on upside down, a song playing in her head and a strut in her step... and #3 in the Ergo on my back with his little legs sticking out the side probably passed out.  Just writing that gives me so much comfort.  It makes me happy to know that they each have their own little personalities... already so strong.  Instead of worrying about how it's going to potentially hurt them in the future, embrase it and make them confident in who they are.  They are my perfect, sweet, little people.  I love each and every bit of them.   

#1 leading the way and #2 dancing up the street!

So, I am going to try simplifying.