Feelin' Hot Hot Hot!

I finally decided to try hot yoga as the studio near me was having a special I could not pass up. I went on Thursday morning while the kids were in school. I really was not sure what to expect but I couldn't get away from feeling like it might kill me. If the yoga didn't, then the heat might. But I followed all the preparation directions (hydrate before class, no food 2 hours beforehand).

The class I took was Bikram yoga which is a series of 26 set postures and 2 breathing exercises. It was hot in there, about 100 degrees or more, and the class lasted 90 minutes.

I really thought the heat would be an issue but it wasn't. Yes, I was hot and sweaty but it did feel good and a necessary environment for the exercise I was doing. I managed to do most of the postures, a couple of them I struggled with but didn't need to "rest". I am pretty sure that anyone can do this. I think a lot of people are fearful of trying because you might die, suffer, look like a dork etc. I used to feel the same way. But I am here to tell the story!

The positives: I liked the heat, loved the fact that there really is no room to think of anything else besides what you are doing at that moment. You really MUST focus and there is no room for negative thoughts. I also feel like it is the kind of exercise I can do in the morning. Rather than starting the day out pounding the pavement or heavy aerobic activity, it's nice to be in that warm room with the lights low.

The Negatives: Hot yoga isn't cheap. I got a great intro deal but the drop in fee is $17 and it's $99 a month unlimited. So it's not something I will be doing long term. I am also not sure it's enough for me. I will see how it goes but I am suspecting I would have to supplement with cardio as well.

I went back again this morning. It took some convincing of myself to get out of bed early but I knew I needed to go. I just want to encourage everyone to try it once! Most studios have good deals for newcomers.

Picture and Ephemera Wall Hanging

...to make a creative project for a loved one this holiday season! let me walk you through something way easy and cool. Let's call it a "Creative Jules Canvas" :)



Start out with a large canvas of your size choosing. The one pictured above is a 12x24", perfect for the space I was using it. I got this one on sale for $7. Paint the base canvas with your choice of acrylic paint. Mine only needed one coat, and it dried quickly! Love it when things are easy.


You will also need various more canvases of your choice. Mine range from 2"x2" to 5x5 inch.
These were about $2 each, again on sale.



I decided to do mine all in black and white so I printed up pics in b/w. It would be stunning in color too!

Print a few sizes, and even some in wallet sizes for those small canvases.



Next you will adhere those pictures on the canvases. Some I painted, some I left white. Some canvases have photos and some did not.



I wanted lots of dimension on my canvas so I stacked little ones onto corners of the bigger ones. I used Tombow adhesive, let it dry a bit before sticking it together and prop it up with another canvas while it dries. Hot glue gun would be great too!

You'll want to embellish or "cutify" it, as I like to say. I cut things out using my Cricut. Words, flowers, initials. I used glitter paper and cut out shapes. Your imagination is yours to explore!


Total time? About 2.5 hours.

Currently Crafting

Lots of projects on the books this week, including a fun rag garland:


Also an advent calendar and a wall hanging in the works. Tutorials to come!

This and That

Popping in to update you all on life in the homestead!

E: She lost her first tooth yesterday! She was over the moon excited. We were standing in line at Sbux and she noticed it was really hanging by a thread and she reached in to pull it out. She skipped all the way to Daddy to tell him the big news!

Teacher conference went well with for her. Her teacher enjoys having her and said "she knows the answer before anyone else in the class". Any concerns that I had about her and one of her best friends being in the same class were erased. It seems they have both branched out and made lots of friends but are still very close and work well together.


L: We've been working on "responsibility" and being less careless after he dropped something on the screen of Daddy's laptop and destroyed it (accidentally). Then the same day, played soccer in the entryway and broke the glass on one of my frames! He is a bit of a klutz!

His teacher conference also went well! He is doing well in all subjects and excelling in PE :) Just like his Mum! His teacher mentioned his great writing and the fact that she has had to stop him from stylizing his printing. I jokingly mentioned my dismay, as an artistic person, and she apologized for stifling him ;) He has even been attempting to write in cursive now as well.

Ok, enough bragging :)

Teacher Gift

Teacher conferences are coming up next week. I am going to take a little something to each teacher because I am a major suck up like that. Just kidding....because I appreciate the teachers!

Here is a quick and easy gift that I am giving to one teacher because she never has supplies like elastics at the ready.

I found this box at Ben Franklin. Any little box will do, but one with sections works best. Paint all over in chosen color. Keep in mind you will want to co-ordinate it with the paper you choose.

Cut out paper to cover front and back. I just traced around it and cut it inside the line just a touch.

Glue both pieces on. Make sure you cover the paper in glue or you will deal with lifting and bubbles. Use a brayer if you need to make it flat.

Next, I distressed the edges with some sandpaper and inked it with brown ink. A little distressing goes a long way!

Finally, embellish as you wish! I used the trifecta: ribbon, flowers and bling!

Fill it up with elastic bands, assorted clips and staple. Wrap with cello and VOILA!

Increase Your Cooking Skills

I had an impromptu dinner guest last week and was so happy to have her stay! It was really the first time in my life that I had already started cooking and someone was going to stay and eat what I was preparing without any planning ahead on my part. Ack! Makes me sweat just thinking about it.

It made me even more nervous because this was the night I had decided to just kind of throw something together. I had no recipe and was feeling ambitious. I had all the right elements and I just wanted to try and throw them together using skills I have learned over the past couple of years. I have been subscribing to Everyday Food magazine for about that amount of time and it really has increased my knowledge and skill when it comes to cooking. I highly recommend it if you want to learn some basic skills that will help you create healthy and delicious meals.

Don't be afraid that it's Martha. Trust me. Most of the recipes are on one page, 4-6 steps, 6-12 ingredients. Lots of fresh and seasonal items. It will help you to eat outside the box and not use boxed stuff to cook. You will quickly learn how to make your own dressings, sauces to put on top of meat and poultry, what to do with different vegetables you have seen at the grocery store.

One section I particularly like is where they give you a recipe for something basic (like grilled veggies) and then show you 3-4 ways to use those (in a salad, to top a pizza, side dish). Everything I have ever cooked has been very tasty and healthy, not to mention easy!

Japan Job Update

Just thought I would update everyone on the Japan job situation.

D did not get the job. Just before the interview, he was made aware that should he get the job, he would be working with a company that is in direct competition with the company he worked for in Japan. Being the typical loyal Japanese worker that he is, this was very conflicting.

When he left his company in Japan to pursue our lives here in the US, he told me he would always remain loyal to that company as they had put a lot into developing him and his career. So, during the interview, he mentioned he would not work with this other company.

We found out yesterday that they hired someone else and were told that they wanted to hire him but could not find a way to make it work because of the statement he made.

He isn't disappointed. I think he feels pretty at peace with it and I am darn happy :)