Subway Art {free printable} and a winner!

First things first!  

The winner of Celeste's CORE 4 ab program is {according to R.N.G}...


#21


LOVELY LINDSAY!  

Seriously.  The stars are aligned {even if the earth is wobbly and we all have new astrological signs}.  My friend Lindsay is a new Mama and Random Number Generator couldn't have picked a sweeter girl.


Oh, Lindsay I'm so jealous of you!  Congratulations!  I'll be putting you in contact with Celeste to claim your prize.


{Thanks everyone for entering.  As a side note, if you want to enter giveaways, would you pretty please enable your email address on your blogger profile, or add your email in your comment?! It makes getting in touch with you so much easier.  Thanks so much!}


And another side note, is it really true that we have new astrological signs?  Because apparently I am now a Virgo and a Libra:  Virgo ends on my birthday and Libra starts on my birthday.  What the heck.
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I've been cheating on Picnik.  Shhh, don't tell, but sometimes a girl just wants a little bit...more.  Photoshop and I have just been friends for awhile but over the past couple of months it has developed into more than just friends.  We definitely have our fights but in the end we manage to patch things up.  Oh, I still heart picnik don't worry, I just am loving all of the things I've been mastering in Photoshop.  Ok, not mastering, but definitely getting better at.

Subway art is kind of everywhere right now, and it has been perfect for hanging out with my new love.    I made this one to show you my favorite fonts these days.  All of them can be found for free at Dafont except the ld adornment, which is from scrapnfonts. 

I mentioned the other day that I've been working in Young Womens for a couple of months now.  Every year my church picks a new theme for the youth.  This year is the thirteenth article of faith.  So I made this subway art for our girls.  I printed it out at Costco as a 20x30 and headed to Hobby Lobby.  My original plan was to Mod Podge it on a canvas, but I found a 20x30 piece of foam core that was sticky backed.  I think a ray of sunlight broke through the clouds when I found it.  It seriously only took 1 minute to put my print on and it looks awesome!   According to my girl Carra it is "epic"!  

I've gone ahead and uploaded it as an 8x10 so if you right click and save it you should be able to print it out for anyone you know that would need an "epic" print of the thirteenth article of faith.  A few of you asked about my BE one too.  So here's the 8x10 of that also.

{I hope it works.  Let me know if you have issues.}


Have a fab weekend! 

{Getting Started} with Celeste

My oh my.  Can I just say that in many aspects of this New Years challenge I am doing really well.  But uh my no candy one?  Not so much.  I'm actually doing good at not eating candy.  Its the finding something like "Hey Ivy lets make cookies" {again} thats getting to me! 

Well today is a new day and I've got Celeste here with her tips for getting started on your exercise routine and tips to stick with it.  Take it away Celeste!

Hey guys!  Here's my list of  6 Tips to get you started on your Fitness Journey

1) Determine your goals - Maybe you want to walk/run your first 5k, do a marathon, maybe you want to eat healthier, lose weight or gain muscle strength, maybe you just want to feel better climbing 5 flights of stairs!

2) Baby Steps. Make short realistic goals at first if you need to. - If you haven't been exercising...gradually get back into it.  Tell yourself, 2x this week, 3x next month.  If eating healthier is your goal, start by decreasing portion size. 

2) Write it, Write it, Write it! -in a journal, post it note on the mirror or in your calendar.

3) Make a General Plan - How are you going to achieve your goal?  Morning workouts? Be specific as you can. Weekly Grocery list? Plan weekly meals if you want to eat out less.  If you don't buy the junk food, you won't eat it. 

4) Be Accountable. Schedule workouts with a spouse or friend.  Even if it is only 1x week or 2x month. Commit to it on calendar! Personal Training works because you have scheduled appointments and trainers know how to push you farther than you may push yourself. It is not going to happen if you aren't accountable in some way.  Maybe you give yourself some "reward" if you accomplish weekly or monthly goals.  Whether its money, spa time, new exercise outfit.  Reward yourself along the way somehow.  Tell a friend, co-worker or spouse to check in on you certain days.  Maybe you just ask for a weekly email.

5) Set an "End Date" - of course this isn't a permanent end date, but an tangible end date to look forward to and be accountable for...then start a new goal.

5) Don't fall for an "ALL OR NOTHING" attitude. Don't go on a crazy diet!  If you aren't working out 4x week like you said you would, revamp your goals, be okay with 2xweek. Something is better than nothing!  Don't beat yourself up! Make it doable for you at the time.  Don't quit all together because you can't keep up with your original plan.

"I don’t know if I continue, even today, always liking myself. But what I learned to do many years ago was to forgive myself. It is very important for every human being to forgive herself or himself because if you live, you will make mistakes- it is inevitable. But once you do and you see the mistake, then you forgive yourself and say, ‘Well, if I’d known better I’d have done better,’ that’s all. If we don’t do that we never grow, we never learn, and sure as hell we should never teach."-Maya Angelou
So don't be afraid of failing your goal.  Set it, work on it, make some progress.  Even if that goal is not achieved, you are one step closer to doing it next time! Failing something is just more reason to be smarter about doing it better the next time.  And if you really want to do something then it is possible.  It may not come easily but can be learned.
 

These are my 2011 Fitness Goals:
1 Sprint Triathlon
1 1/2 Marathon (under 1:45)
1 5k (under 21:00)
Get my son and daughter in a Kids Fun Run
Bike rides with the family
I'll be able to pick races once we know our permanent living situation.
End date: Dec 31, 2011

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Thanks so much Celeste.  Its nice to be reminded of the right way to do this.  I've set some short term goals, but I like the idea of having an event later in the year to look forward to.  So peeps, here's my goals, hope it gives you a good place to start...

FOR JANUARY

Health:  Gym 3 days a week and 100 push up challenge. So far, so good.  I finally stopped feeling guilty and got a pass for the child care.  And guess what.  I'm pretty sure Ivy is more excited to go to the gym than I am.   And the pushups are killing me, but I love that my arms are already looking better.  Plus its a great thing to do on your day off from the gym.  ps.  I picked 3 days a week to get me going then I'm going to ramp it up in February so be ready. 

No candy.  Um, maybe I need to cut out treats all together!  Otherwise, going to the gym isn't gonna do me any good. 

Spiritual:  Read my scriptures every day.  I've already noticed a difference in my thoughts and actions if I start the day out right.  I recently got called to work with Young Women at Church, specifically 14-15 year olds, and it has been a big motivator for me, to be a better example, and actually be doing the things that I teach them they should be doing!

Better Mom/Wife/Friend:  Get organized.  I mentioned it already but I'm going room by room through our house and cleaning out and organizing.  Just a tip.  If you find yourself being too sentimental, or not getting rid of stuff you haven't used in 2 years, quit and wait for the right mood. 

My longer term goals are more like benchmarks I guess, but I did decide to pick a 5k and a bike ride after reading Celeste's tips.  There is a bike ride of the local bike trail {a 26 mile loop} in May that I am going to do and the Spring in to Summer 5k is April 24th.  Eh, I better get on that one.  Running is NOT my thing.  But hey, this is my year right?! 

I hope that we've given you a little boost to really focus on what it is you are trying to accomplish.  I think that's the problem with Resolutions is that they can be so broad.  Narrowing them down to specific goals will help us to not give up or forget so easily.

How about you?   We'd love to hear your goals, fitness or otherwise!  And don't forget to enter the CORE 4 giveaway!  We'll be picking a winner on Friday the 14th so you better hop to it! 

Goings On

January usually lets me down after the holidays, but I sure have been enjoying a slightly slower pace these past couple of weeks.  I've been busy, but it feels good to get things done for me and my family.  One of my goals is to be more organized and slowly but surely I am going through every room in our house.  Up this week is my craft room, and uh, lets just say I'll be in there for a while.  At some point in December I just started throwing things in there. And then everyone else started just throwing stuff in there too.

So I'm doing good on my Resolutions so far, how are you doing?
Do you feel like you need to reward yourself for working so hard? 
There are some great things happening around here and I know they would be just what you deserve...

Passionista Presents is putting on another great show next week.  Remember how much I loved this one?  Well, I know that this one is going to be just as wonderful, {and maybe even a bit more, just for the fact I'll be warmer}.  Listen to Sarah's album in full here

  http://sarahsample.bandcamp.com/album/someday-someday

and then go HERE to buy your ticket.  And hopefully I'll see you there!

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Is one of your Resolutions to become a better photo taker?  I can't think of a better way to step up your game then to take Darins lighting class.

I happen to know he is a fab teacher and you'll be rocking your flash like nobody's business when you are done.   His next intro class is this Saturday, {just a couple of spots left} and then he'll start booking for February. 

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And one last shameless plug ;)  

 Add some color to January.  You deserve it!  

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...be.

Umm, I hope you haven't been waiting for me to say GO!  Because I have been so busy going that I haven't reminded you to.  {Not that you need my help, its kind of a given to start with the New Year right?}  And with lofty aspirations like mine, these next oh, six weeks are gonna keep this lady running full steam ahead.  

I  feel it in my toes that 2011 can be my year.  And while I was trying to decide between two words to be MY word I saw this...

 

via her, who found it here

Isn't it perfect?   I was deciding between DO and BE and this helped me choose.  This year I am going to BE.  Be my best self.  Be the one that does.  Be who I want to be, without doubting who I am. 

And even though I chose between the two I think BE and DO go hand in hand.  So many times I think of something I want to BE, but I don't DO it.  Instead of saying I wish I .... I'm going to BE what I wish.  

 Here are my BE's for 2011. 

Here's to the new year.  Make it yours, its going to be the best ever.

CSN Stores Winner!

And the winner of the CSN Stores Certificate  is....

Shanny!

Yay girl!  I'm so happy for you!  I'll be getting you all your info as soon as you email me at makingitmyown@gmail.com.