Kettle Bells

I am trying to get off of the plateau I have been stuck on for the last 6 months with my weight.  It sucks!  I invested in two kettle bells, a 10 pounder and a 20 pounder.  I also bought dvds to help me work out my plateau issues.  Well, I pulled the dvd out and put it in the dvd player and started the work out. 
  The hubby noticed what I was doing and decided to play along with me.  He used the 20 pounder.  So, we are following along with the chick on the screen and I am having fun.  It is pretty easy.  Then we noticed the ones where you have to go from standing to the floor in a graceful movement.  Excuse me, I am not graceful and I am not that coordinated, not to mention I am working with a knee that had the lateral ligament partially torn and it still gives me fits.  So, I had to skip that one.  Then there is another one that uses lunges and this weight...oh boy, have to leave that one off too for now since I know I will just fall over.  Other than that, I am doing pretty well with the things. 

Then I woke up this morning...stiff.  Oh shit!  I am not out of shape by any means whatsoever, I work out regularly.  I can't even begin to imagine what this would have felt like when I first started to work out, I know I wouldn't have been able to get out of bed. 

I love how the system says, you will only need to work out 2 or 3 days a week on this system of toning and fat burning.  If you say so.  I have no idea if it is going to work but, I need some sort of strength training until the pool is warmer.  We keep having these damn cold fronts come in and the pool water gets too cold for me to crawl into it. 

I can't deal with 70F water...too freaking cold!  My legs start cramping.  So, I am forced to stay out of the pool until it hits 75F.  It is so weird how our weather is cold in April.  Usually this time of year, we are warm.  Makes me wonder what May is going to look like. 


 

Completed Flip Flop Wreath

This is my version of the flip flop wreath.  What you will need to make one.
8 flip flops from the dollar store, you get to choose what pattern you want. 
big bag of glue on jewels
E6000 glue, buy 2 tubes, you will use 1.5 of them.
Silk flowers. 

The fun part, you get to put it all together and get as creative as you want.  Go wild! 

The Flip Flop Wreath

My sister found a pattern on FB for the flip flop wreath and sure enough, she managed to get all of the supplies and make herself one.  I saw it and thought, it would be fun and really cute.  Why? 

So, she and I went shopping together yesterday to find cheap flip flops, I found mine at a local dollar store.  Do not go out and spend the earth for this thing, it isn't worth it.  I needed 8 pairs.  I chose to use sizes 7/8.  Smaller sizes will result in a smaller wreath, larger shoes will result in a large one. 

It also requires silk flowers and glue on jewels.  She used a glue gun, invest in the E6000.  It holds everything without all the pain of burning the crap out of yourself. 

I managed to get the thing together after much cursing and pain.  I decided in the end to break out that E6000.  So glad that I did.  I have to glue on jewels today and then I will take pictures of this thing before I stick it on the door. 

It is a really cute idea if you can handle dealing with the cheap flip flops.  Mine are really cheap and crappy but, pretty colors.  After working with these things, I will no longer wear them on my feet.  Talk about ruining feet, those things will do it. 

Setting Off Store Warning Bells

It all started yesterday at the local home improvement store, I set off their warning bells.  Lovely.  It was my purse.  So, I didn't think anything of it.  I came home and let it sit.  I went shopping with my sister today and it set off Wally World's warning bells.  I was walking into the store and bong bong bong.  Great.  So, I knew walking out would be the same thing.  My sister hung back since she didn't want to be around me when my purse set it off again.  It did. 

So, I came home and pulled all the crap out of my purse, there was a lot, and found it.  It was a magnetic strip that was never removed by the seller of the purse.  I bought it from a discount site.  I wonder how many other customers have had the same problem as I did? 

I had to go buy my fish pills today since I was out, I had to go to two different stores before I found the things.  So, I know now that when I run out of these things, I will be ordering them to get the huge size I normally buy.  I also picked up some Enzyme CoQ10.  Wow!  Talk about expensive.  I decided to buy the 400 mg size and it wasn't cheap.  Oh well, it does a great job for me and my health is all that matters.  I am trying to take better care of myself now that I am a type 2 diabetic.  I am at the prediabetes stage but, I am still taking better care of me.  My goal is to no longer be a diabetic.  I am finding that the low carb diet is working out quite nicely. 

I am on a plateau right now and I need to do more things to help me lose more weight.  I had a discussion about low carb chips with the guy at the grocery store.  He was very helpful in trying to find me a low carb chip.  I thank him for that. 

I have to order in more of my mangosteen juice as well.  My grocery store used to carry it but, lately they haven't had it.  I want the stuff that doesn't taste like it will peel the paper off of the wall.  I like the one that isn't all that sharp. 

I am expensive these days in trying to keep myself on track.  I think I am worth every penny.  Poor Gary has to deal with me and all of my pills.  He is such a great husband.  He is very understanding and I don't know what I would do without him. 

Rain and Some Sock Knitting

I am currently knitting a pair of socks for my niece, Maribeth.  I had to do something to alleviate the boredom I was facing.  I have been stuck resting my back since I had threw it out.  So, instead of watching tv all day long and doing nothing, I decided to go ahead and knit some socks.  My fingers were so happy to do this again. 

Now for the most interesting part...the second picture shows the new sock and the finished sock.  This is the same ball of  yarn ball.  For the first one, I decided to use the outside of the yarn ball and for the second sock, I used the inside of the yarn ball.  This is one of my hand painted yarns.  So, it is interesting to see how hand painted yarns really do work up.  She will have a unique one of a kind pair of socks.  No one else will ever have this combo ever again. 

It is quite fun to knit with hand painted yarns since no two socks are ever be like any other hand knit socks out there.  Some of the colors are pooling and others are striping.  It is a unique process. 

We finally managed to get some rain last night and it poured, blew, thundered and lightning all night long.  It was lovely to read a book by.  I enjoyed the rain hitting the bedroom windows.  This morning everything is beautiful and scrubbed clean. 

My Floribunda is Blooming!

I had to go outside this morning and take some photos after seeing that this beauty was in bloom.  She lives in my rosemary bush.  The rosemary bush is starting to die off near this rose and we will have to be extra careful to remove the rosemary without harming this rose.  I grew this rose from a cutting my sister, Melinda gave me.  I had to wait 2 years before she started blooming. 

I am waiting to see if my bourbon rose, Variegata di Bolognia will bloom.  She has some buds but no blooms so far.  I had to really cut it back this year since I missed cutting it back last year.  The damask rose is no more, it suckered and out of one plant came 10.  It was a mess in the back bed.  Now residing in the spot of the roses are the tomato plants.  My hubby's idea.  He loves fresh tomatoes and I was sick of dealing with long needle like thorns. 

My Garden

I decided today to go outside and check on my garden.  I have my garden and the hubby has his tomato garden.  He takes care of his tomatoes and I take care of my garden.  My garden is growing quite nicely. 

I have carrots coming up, radishes, collard greens, kale, spring onions, mint, cilantro, and dill in my garden.  We have been enjoying the radishes and kale already. 

The collard greens were supposed to be broccoli plants but, they were mislabeled and we ended up with the things.  I am not a fan of collard greens so, they will be going to someone who loves the things.  I will have to ask my neighbors if they like them, if so, they will be getting them all. 

The hubby used some dill to make a dressing the other day.  I cut cilantro as it tries to seed out.  I don't want this to happen so, I cut the shoots that are trying to seed out.  I gave a bag to a friend.  I hope she enjoys it. 

I took some pictures of the floribunda by the pool.  I grew it from a cutting.  My sister has the parent plant. 

 

 

I can't wait for this rose to go into full bloom, it is a show stopper when it does bloom.  I try to take a picture of it every year.  I didn't get to cut this one back this year.  I will try to do it next year.  It was already starting to bloom when I was cutting back the other roses.