Doing the Pandora Boogy

I'm currently in the post-workout-desperate-for-a-nap phase of my day, listening to Coldplay' Clocks on Pandora and having a good laugh at myself.

Why, you ask? Because once again I over complicated something stupidly simple.

Since starting this blog, I've tried various methods of exercise in my weight loss journey with limited success. I've used WiiFit in various capacities, but I'd get either bored out my skull or my body would resent the repetition . I've done prenatal yoga, only to find out that the very not pregnant me could only manage the routine if I used the third trimester mods. That was a bit discouraging. Then I tried the Leslie Sansone walking at home DVD I've mentioned before with similar results to the WiiFit due to repetition. Feeling discouraged that these methods didn't work for me, I took to just at-home walking while reading blogs and watching Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. Yet once again, the repetitive motion got me.

So once again I had to rethink my "weekdaily" workout. I figured my best bet was to just turn on some music and dance like a weirdo. Nothing fancy, just moving in a way that was relatively comfortable and could be changed whenever a particular move wasn't working anymore.

And yet I over complicated that too. I tried using the enormous iTune collection my husband and I share and spent most of the time hitting the Next button because a lot of the music either didn't work for a workout or were more my husband's music than mine so I didn't feel like listening (he has very eclectic tastes, mine are a bit more narrow). So then I turned to Pandora's workout stations and it was the same thing.

Why on earth didn't I just use one of my own stations? That's what I FINALLY did and I couldn't be happier. I'm embarrassed it took this long to get to that point. It was no longer a drudgery of repetition, there was no WiiFit disembodied voices yelling at me to more securely stuff the Wiimote into my workout pants (no pockets!) and no excessive button-pushing. And while my body is still screaming for nap time, I don't feel like I need to be put out of my misery. I should have known I'd do better with limited structure yet I stubbornly refused to go with my gut (and feet) on this issue.

Just one more reason I was once nicknamed "The Mule".

It may have also been this:

Brought to you by Humor Train

And now I leave you to go play catch-up on my Bible reading. It's not even a month in and this is the third catch-up...please pray for me to have more discipline in this.

Way Too Many Goals

Hello Internet Peeps!

As I said in the previous post, I've been working on my goals for 2013. The list went from sane to impossible before I knew what hit me. I'll be doing a lot of trimming but I figure I'll share it anyway with some comments/snide remarks about how some of the goals have been progressing.

Spiritual Goals:

 - Read the Bible in a year ( This one has been off to a rocky start. My mother has been sick so she has been sleeping in the living room, where I usually do my quiet time. It's really hard for quiet time to be quiet when my mom feels talkative).

- Memorize two verse a month (gotta be honest, I forgot about this one until just now, as I type this!)

- Pray the Spiritual Discipline Prayer as often as possible (once a day)

- Pray for my LIFE group, one couple/person per day

- Pray for my husband and a selected family member every day

Homesteading Goals:

- Start a small project each month (in no particular order)

       ~ Continue Sprouting

       ~ Begin a Sourdough Starter

       ~ Lactofermenation (probably cabbage)

       ~ Crockpot yogurt making

       ~ Grain/nut/legume soaking

       ~ Indoor herb/microgreen growing

       ~ Sock knitting

       ~ Composting (find a bin regardless of garden status)

       ~ Sewing functional clothing (only made cosplay costumes thus far)

       ~ Tincture brewing (for lack of a better term)

       ~ Kombucha brewing

       ~ Kefir making (both milk and water)

       Bonus: Make a 5 gallon or bigger bucket washing machine

- Fully Research these subjects:

      ~ Raising Chickens (layers and meat birds)

      ~ Raising Goats (Read the Storey Guide so far. It was a little intimidating)

      ~ Raising Sheep, Llama or Alpacas

      ~ Raising Dairy Cows ( I REALLY want a mini Jersey!)

      ~ Gray water safety and how to used a backyard wetland to filter it for garden use

Real Food Goals:

- Cut White/Brown Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and artificial sweetners from at least my diet, preferably everyone's diet, by June.

- Source a hand-crank grain mill

- Source grass-fed beef, pastured chicken and pastured eggs and price them by January 31st

- Try out a few farmers markets and road side stands in season

- Determine if the local year-around market is worth the drive into down town

- Avoid soy products that have not been properly handled (so pretty much all of it that's in a store, including in packaged food, some of the worst offenders)

- Work meal plans so weekend meals are covered by March

- Make bone broth at least once a month (source the best chicken possible at this time)

- Try liver by June (Just me for now, though my husband eating it too would be nice)

Health Goals:

- Stop taking that darn birth control pill by March, for the sake of my continuing health ( it has not treated me well, and research indicates they are rather terrible for fertility and the chance of getting certain cancers)

- Try to lose a much weight as possible January through March. If nothing seems to be happening, speak with my practitioner about this issue.

- Get back into some basic hygiene habits (college reeked havoc on my teeth-brushing habit!)

- Start using herbal tinctures as supplements by June

- Pay off the remaining medical debts so the check ups are possible.

- Eliminate soda for life by June-July

- Keep a weight loss journal through March

Creative Goals:

- Drawing

   ~ Draw every day

   ~ Set up a monthly schedule with one male drawing and one perspective drawing per week 

- Comics

   ~ Finish Planning stages of Lark Song by May

   ~ Start Script for Lark Song May- December

   ~ Work out layouts along side script

   ~ Set up Kickstarter by December

- Cosplay

   ~ Revamp Fluttershy by March 15th

   ~ Make a concrete plan for future cosplay by March 30th

   ~ Improve prop construction for JAFAX 2013

   ~ Along side the cosplay plan, make a "parts of costume and materials" list

   ~ Learn shoe covering

- Fanfiction

  ~ Pare down list of stories to ones I actually care about

  ~ Finish Eva outline by June

  ~ Finish Eva writing by December

- Sewing and knitting

  ~ Sew two projects a month

  ~ Finish the baby blanket by December

Decluttering Goals:

- Reduce my person possessions by half by June

- Assess my "save for kids" items and save only what I really want for them

- Read through book collection and give away the ones I don't want to keep.

- Make paper crane chains and branch so the bin can be used for storage

- Separate clothes into Keep, Donate, Repair/ Repurpose, and Rag Bag categories

Weight Loss Goal:

-  Lose 1-2 pounds a week to get as close to 170 pounds by December, unless pregnancy occurs.

So yeah, that's clearly a crap ton of goals. I'm sure many will not be attainable this year, but I will do the best I can and roll over the good ones that I don't finish for 2014. What kind of goals do you have?

On a less list-heavy note, here's a part of the first full piece I've done with my new Wacom Bamboo Create tablet.

   

Best picture of Lithium I've done yet!

Bai Bai Buu!

2013, What Led Up to It, and My New Baby

Happy New Year!

Before anyone freaks out on me, the last part of title refers to this:

Behold! My new Wacom Bamboo Create Tablet!

I seriously have the best mother-in-law ever! I had no idea that anyone would buy this for me since its so expensive but she totally did! It's my Christmas and birthday present but I couldn't be happier. I can finally work around the scanner issues we've had around here. I've been sketching like a maniac. I'll put some of my work up later.

The end of 2012 was a frantic one for me. Every year I keep telling myself that I'm going to work on Christmas presents throughout the year to spread out the cost and keep myself sane. I almost managed it but then I gave into Peer-Pressure: Mother Edition and waited until she was ready to throw in her half of the Christmas fund. That was December 1st. I really need to remember that I must function as if she's not there when it comes to finances. Silly me.

Anyway, here are a few of the things I made for family members:

Two Humpback whales, pattern courtesy of Valaan Villapaita (go here ), a baby sock piggy
and a baby sock person.

                           

This is a Platypurse. It was such a breakthrough for me when it comes to sewing because I've never made anything lined before.

This the adorable little cephalopod is for my cousin's youngest daughter. I need to make on for her oldest since I caused a bit of jealousy. Whoops.

This is just a small sample. I also made little fleece pillows for another cousin, red jersey/black lace scarf for another cousin, non-lethal throwing stars for two of my male cousins and a set of Peanut Butter and Jelly Fleece Pillows for yet another cousin and his wife. I was a bit of a sewing fiend.

When I wasn't sewing, I went shopping with my cousin. We both found a bra we were interested in but didn't buy, and it turned out to be the same one. Almost...

Mine is on left, hers on the right.

We left that store in hysterical giggles because mine was twice the size of hers. Honestly I didn't think there was that big a difference between us. I still chuckle about it.

Next post will be that all-expected 2013 Resolutions. Lets hope I can actually make them happen this year!