A Fun Lunch Date and Some New Shoes

May 20, 2013May 18, 20137 Comments

Last week I met with Melissa Corry and her MIL for lunch when they came into town on their way to Quilt Market (yes I’m very jealous that I didn’t go but I can’t wait to read about it on her blog and others!)

Melissa Corry and her Mother In Law (and a cute bag!)

Isn’t she sporting such a fabulous bag??

We had a great time chatting at about 100 miles per minute. Talking is just so much faster than emailing and blogging, LOL!! I knew she was a kindred spirit when she told me she prefers flat 2-D sewing (quilts, wallhangings, etc) to 3-D sewing (totes, accessories, etc).

After a fabulous time eating yummy food and swapping quilt stories, I met up with my hubby in the afternoon to pick out my mother’s day gift, these fabulous new trail shoes!

New Shoes

I love running, but I’ve put that on the back burner for the last few months. Just last weekend Jason finished his volunteer term serving as Bishop of our ward from church (that’s like a pastor leading a congregation). Needless to say, this has taken up a bit of our free time over the last 5 years. I told him once he had more time, we’d workout together.

Jason and Christa running in Utah

We had a beautiful run when we were in Utah for HMQS and now I’ve committed once again to workout at least 4 days a week. I just have to stay balanced with both exercise and quilting. Too bad I can’t really do both at the same time, LOL!

Melissa’s Sandwich from Claim Jumper. Yummy!

After what I’ve eaten over the last few months, some good detox is in order now. 🙂

Weight Loss Week 14 – Surviving Vacation

July 23, 2012March 19, 20131 Comment

I was in vacation mode last week while we were at Hermosa Beach, California with our family. It was the best time I’d had in a long time but I still had to be careful not to throw caution to the wind and give up my healthy habits for a week.

Last Week, I lost weight before I left, and today I’m happy to report that I kept it off, and then some. I lost .6 pounds this week for a total of 17.6 pounds. I’m almost halfway to my goal! Here are a few tips on how to survive a change in routine while on vacation:

1. Eat lots of fresh produce. Early in the week we stopped at a local farmer’s market that was just a short walk from the beach. We picked up fresh fruits and veggies and used those to snack on and cook with all week. Sure, we had some treats, but we we rented a beach house that had a full kitchen and kept our eating out to a minimum!

2. Find fun ways to exercise on vacation. The boardwalk in front of the beach house included miles and miles of smooth cement for rollerblading! It was very kid friendly and safe. I also ran barefoot on the beach with my oldest son. I’ve always wanted to try that and I found that I really enjoyed it!

If I had a beach at home, I’d do this every day! I wonder if there are any beach marathons?

3. If you’ve got it, flaunt it. Well, I still have a little too much of it – that’s why I’m working so hard to lose it! But I did feel much more comfortable in my bathing suit this year. This is the suit I bought when I lost my first 10 pounds. I still have another one waiting for me when I get to the next 20!

Now that I’m home again and back to a regular routine, I hope to have another great week!

Christa’s Soapbox – Have a Me Party!

July 21, 2012March 19, 20135 Comments

This week we went to the beach for a family vacation with my husband’s parents.

We stayed in this cute little house with a wonderful view of the ocean. We’d sit out and watch people go by on the board walk, then hop over the gate to play in the surf and sand whenever we wanted.

While on vacation, I had a little “Me Party”!

I decided on this trip, in between visiting with family, watching the kids play, and relaxing with my hubby, I wanted to carve out a little alone time to do some of the things I enjoy.

I started off each morning with an invigorating run before the rest of the family was awake.

I found this great trail not too far from the beach so I tuned in to my iPod and tuned out the world for a few miles. Then I didn’t feel so guilty later when we ate all the yummy family treats.

After checking my emails for the day and making sure things were running smoothly at the shop back home, I’d relax and catch up on some good reading while the kids played.

I was “sew” inspired from all the good quilting books I read this week. But instead of waiting until I got home to start on some projects, I brought my little Singer Featherweight along with me!

I sewed together all of the strips for my Jolly Jelly Roll quilt tutorial I’m starting this week. Any vacation is lovely when I can incorporate some stitching into it!

And I’ll admit, I’ve never had a more relaxing time while sewing on a binding!

I finished up my Li’l Rascals charm quilt in the late afternoon, when the wind picked up and the volleyball players came out to practice. This truly was a little bit of heaven on earth!