Be sure to check out my very last review and giveaway from Best Buy, the Epione Beauty Brush.  This little gadget is a cordless facial/body brush that gently scrubs away makeup and other impurities. It also “massages the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”  Not bad in my book!

. . . . .

I know, I know……it’s only February.  And not anywhere near spring for many of us.  But for some of you, spring is fast approaching.  (Hello old friends in GA!!….I remember being there last February and it was perfectly warm.)  We had one warm day this last week here in CO, so it was kind of a tease.  (But then it snowed again.)  So I am kind of daydreaming about more color, flower blooms, bike rides, spinn-y spring dresses and skirts……and oh, tulips.  I can’t wait until those little beauties start blooming. 

So, I had an itch to start transforming the winter wardrobe into a cooler one.

And that includes chopping off the long sleeves and turning them into short sleeves. 

However, when my daughter saw me chopping up her pink shirt, she asked me what I was doing, in a “what-in-the-stinkin’-world-are-you-doing-to-my-favorite-pink-shirt,-crazy-lady?” kind of way.  Ooops, I guess she is getting old enough to care about her stuff.  And knows when a shirt has long sleeves one day, and then they’re gone the next day.  Eeeek!  She’s my oldest.  I have lots to learn. 

So, I quickly explained that I was really going to fancy up this ‘ol boring shirt.  And that she should hang on for just a second while I showed her the “new & improved” one.  I held up the finished product and luckily, that cranky scowl turned into a curious one.  She studied it for a moment and then finally squealed, “ooooh, I like all of those bows mommy!” 

Whew.  Safe this time.  I guess I’ll have to re-think hacking away at her clothes next time.  (Good thing I still have 2 others who could care less what I do to their clothes.)

Anyway, I’m sure you have several long-sleeved shirts that still fit your little kiddos in length, but need a little chopping for spring, right?  Just be sure to hang onto that fabric from the sleeves………and then turn them into bows for the front.  Even more spring-y, right?

Keep in mind, this would be just as cute on a shirt in your own size too. 

Do you have a long sleeved shirt you’re just kinda tired of anyway?  Go on, chop it up.

And if you’re a beginner, this one is a good one to try.  It’s just cutting and simple bows.  And nothing fancy or hemmed.  Remember, raw edges of knit fabric can be left alone.  Oh, and I also added some shirring to cinch in the sleeves a bit.  (No worries, here’s a tutorial for that.)

Yeah, I’m getting more and more ready for spring.  And so is this little 5 year old of mine.  She keeps asking to ride her bike……and when I let her, she gets frustrated with the old crusty piles of snow in the way.  Grrrr.  Soon enough, I tell her.

Until then, we’re slowly getting ready. 

Watch out winter long-sleeves………we’re tired of you!  (Just be sure to ask permission to cut them up first!)

**If you’re worried about the bows getting crumpled after washing/drying, skip the dryer and lay flat to dry (and then pat the bows flat).  Otherwise, if they come out crumpled in the dryer, a quick steam under the iron will get them right back into place.  But if you don’t want to trouble yourself with either of those two methods, tack down each corner of each bow with a few stitches on your sewing machine (like a narrow zig-zag stitch with zero stitch length).  That will keep them in place.**

Oh, you remember I have chopped off sleeves in the past?  Good memory.  In case you need a quick link, click on any of the images below.

Anyway, back to the present. 

Would you like to give the bow front shirt (shown above) a try?

 Okay, let’s get started.

Surely you have an old long-sleeve shirt or two that still fit your kiddo in length.  Oh wait, you don’t?  Hurry and grab some on clearance at the store.  Most stores are trying to get rid of them right now to make room for their spring line.  (Or if you want to make one for yourself but don’t want to cut up any of your favorite long-sleeve shirts……grab a clearance long-sleeve shirt at the store for yourself.)

Then chop those sleeves off.  (HINT: I always cut upwards at an angle.  It makes a nice looking short sleeve, rather than an awkward length sleeve.)  And remember, no need to hem these sleeves because they won’t fray.  But if the raw look makes you crazy……I have finished off sleeves in the past.)

Then, add a few rows of shirring stitches to the outer part of each sleeve.  (Need help with shirring?  Click here.)

Now, a nice short sleeve shirt.  Ready for some more love.

Cut along the inner seam of each sleeve, to open it up.

Then cut little rectangles for your main bow shape.

Then pinch those little rectangles in the center to cinch them into a bow shape.  Then cut a little strip out of the same fabric and wrap it around the middle.  Now, you can hand stitch these centers in place or slide them under the sewing machine needle.  The sewing machine is quicker but leave your ends a little longer to make it easier to machine sew and then trim the ends off.

Then turn your bow over and pat it flat.  And now make many more.  The number you used is up to you.  I made and used 12 bows.

Then, pin them onto your shirt.  You can arrange them around the neckline or have them cascading down one shoulder and side of the shirt.  It’s up to you.

Then sew each bow in place, sewing along the sides of each center strip.  (While sewing the bows to the shirt, it helps to increase your stitch length on your sewing machine.  This will help jump over a bit more fabric at a time, instead of pulling so much.)  Then I always press/steam things like this just slightly.  It gives it more of a store-bought look to it.

And that’s it. 

Now, I need to whip up a little spring skirt to go with this. 

Hmmmmm…..I may be in denial that it’s still winter.

Be sure to check out my latest review and giveaway, the Epione Beauty Brush.  This little gadget is a cordless facial/body brush that gently scrubs away makeup and other impurities. It also “massages the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.”  Not bad in my book!

. . . . .

Have you ever used Cover Buttons? 

They are little metal parts that you cover with fabric and press a back piece on, creating little Cover Buttons.  Look familiar?

image source

Here are a few projects where I have used Cover Buttons:

tooth fairy pouches, Mary Poppins boot covers, fishy purse

I use them occasionally…….and usually have a stash of them.  But sometimes I run out.  Ugggh.

And those little Cover Button kits only have so many sizes.  They’re not super expensive but if you need a ton of them for something……..they get pricey.

How about an alternative?  A much cheaper alternative.

(Sorry cover button companies, I was kind of getting tired of buying your kits.)

Use fabric scraps and your button stash.  Or buy a handful of the “Odds ‘n Ends” buttons, at the fabric store.  Or purchase some cheapy-cheap buttons at the store.  The price of cheap buttons cost much less than the cover button kits.

Now you can make big, little, and in between cover buttons.  In whatever color you need for your project.

The front is nice and smooth and perfectly covered in the fabric you want.  And the back is bundled up and tightly sewn.

If you have covered flat buttons, they can either be glued right to your project or carefully sewn to your project by grabbing pieces of the fabric that’s on the back of the button with your needle and thread, as you attach it to your project? 

However, if you are still wanting the shaft that comes on the back of the Cover Button Kit pieces……….you can cover a button that has a shaft on it.  Same outcome.

Now you don’t have to stop what you’re doing and run to the fabric store in the middle of a project, because you forgot to buy a dang Cover Button Kit.  Problem solved.

And since I have a button stash and plenty of fabric scraps, this didn’t cost me one penny.  Love that.

Would you like to make your own Cover Buttons?

You’ll need some fabric scraps and some buttons.  Whatever sized buttons that you need for your project.

First, cut out a circle piece of fabric that is larger than your button.  Each side of the button will need to fold up and around to the back of the button and almost meet the middle of the button.  You don’t want the edges to come all the way to the middle (or more) because then you’ll have a big mass of fabric on the back side of your button. 

Then, if you’ve ever made fabric yo-yo’s, the next step is the same.  You knot your thread and start weaving your needle in and out of the outer edge of your circle (on the wrong side of the fabric), until you make it all the way around the circle.  The smaller your weave, the better the outcome.  The bigger your weave, the messier it will look when you cinch it in.

Place your button back in the center of your circle, then pull your thread.  It will cinch right around the button, creating a nice cover for it.  Knot the end, keeping the cinched in fabric nice and tight.

Now, if you want to cover a button that has a shaft on it, cut out a piece of fabric the same way.

And if your button has some texture on the front that you don’t want to show, cut out a piece of felt that is the same size as the top of your button.  Then lay it down on the fabric before putting your button on there.

Then cinch it up and stitch it tight the same way.

And that’s it. 

A super cheap way to make Cover Buttons.

As discussed in this and this post, I have been asked to test out a few items to help me with my new health goals for this year and have also been provided with (you too!) the advice of a personal trainer/dietician, found here. I will be blogging all about it on Make It and Love It during January and February. (All related posts can be found here.)

. . . . .

This is the last review in the ‘NEW YEAR NEW YOU’ campaign that I have been participating in with BlogHer and Best Buy. I can’t tell you how much fun it has been to test out so many things that were for my personal use. To help me feel better. And to help improve my health. It has been a serious treat. So thank you BlogHer and Best Buy. Seriously.

The last item that I was sent to test out, was the Epione ClearTouch Matrix beauty brush. I know, long title, but a really cool little system.

Here’s what arrived.

The Epione is a cordless facial/body brush that gently scrubs away makeup and other impurities. It also “massages the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.” What?!?! I’m always curious about “wrinkle” claims…but I was really excited to try this out, if only as a daily facial scrubber.

Included in the box is a small brush head (to be used on the face), a large brush head (to be used to exfoliate the hands and body), a pumice head (to exfoliate the rough skin on your feet), and a face sponge (which is used to massage the face and activate its elasticity). This system is serious about cleaning.

I have sensitive skin and this little system is perfect for me. And don’t think for one minute it’s like using a toothbrush on your face. Do you see how soft those little bristles are? It feels more like a good cleansing massage.

My favorite part is that I can use it in the shower, as part of my normal face-washing routine. (Afterwards, I just take off the head and let it air dry until I use it the next time.) So I don’t have to remember to do some sort of extra treatment. I just squirt my face wash right on the bristles, turn it on, and work away at my face in circular motions. All while standing in the shower. Pretty easy. And pretty fast.

Since I have started working out more, and yes, producing more sweat, I have had more breakouts. Ugggh. I feel like the more I work out, the more buildup I have on my face. I know, gross. So the great thing is that I actually feel like the Epione is working with my face wash to get through the extra grime that I have had on my face/neck lately. Especially around my hairline and my jawline. Those are serious problem areas for me. But I love how this little Epione gives me a good (yet gentle) scrub. Every day. So, thank you, Epione, for helping my skin. (And yeah, thanks for making this easy to use every day.)

As far as the fine lines and wrinkles, I haven’t seen much difference. However, I have only been using the Epione for about a week. So, time will tell, I guess. But in my brain, the better care I take of my face, the better it will look in the long run.

So this tool isn’t going anywhere.

Would you like to win one for yourself?

Just tell me in a comment below– What do you do to take great care of your skin?

Rules:

No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:
a) Leave a comment, answering the question above
b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail. You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.
This sweepstakes runs from 2/22 – 2/28

Also be sure to visit the Inspiration to Fitness page on BlogHer.com, where you can read other bloggers’ reviews, get great fitness tips and find more chances to win! You can also roll over the Best Buy image at the top of my blog to view a calendar of all the Inspiration to Fitness content. Good luck!

Best Buy does not sponsor, endorse, approve, or have any responsibility for this promotion.

I have the sweetest little sponsors to introduce you to today.  Canterbury Designs is a duo creative team, Christie and Lauren, who are Virginia Tech students.  Both love to create and both have a flair for style.  Check out their darling rosette headbands…..which are perfect for any age, really.  Have a specific design or color scheme in mind?  Canterbury Designs has got you covered.  (Click on ‘our products‘ under their header.)

. . . . .

Remember how I put up a post last Friday about our little Denver meet-up?  And then I said to check back later, because I had a post ready to go up?  Yeah, sorry about that.  Plans changed.  My littlest one hasn’t been feeling well lately.  And the second half of Friday turned into a fussy-bucket day.  You see, it’s teething season.  And with teething season comes achy little gums and low fevers and cranky nights and tugging at ears.  I took my little teether to the doctor a week ago, sure she had an ear infection or an eye infection or a something infection, to explain the ear tugging/eye rubbing in addition to the achy gums.  But nope, nothing.  So, I knew I just had to bare this teething season a little longer.  Well, each day, the fussiness got a little worse.  And her eyes started gooping up.  She was just getting more and more fussy and stuffy and cranky and achy.  So the rest of Friday I did a lot of holding.  And not much else.  (But secretly I kind of like it when that happens.  Because then busy babies slow down and let their mommas rock them.)  Then, over the weekend, this little one of mine woke up with gooped-shut eyes.  She was miserable.  So I took her into Urgent Care, once again sure that there was some sort of infection bugging her.  And yep, this time I was right.  She had developed an ugly ear infection.  Which caused the goopy little sad eyes.

So that, my friends, is why Friday turned into a busy day.  And that the tutorial that I was excited about, had to wait another couple days.

But here’s what I made.  Cutie-pie little baby hats……made from old sweaters.  If you’ve never tried it, the bottom rim of sweaters makes a perfect hat brim.  (Wanna see a really old tutorial of mine?  Go here.  I turned an old sweater of mine into a hat back when my 2 older kiddos were so itty bitty.  Wow, things have changed!)

And guess what?  Today I have girl versions AND boy versions. Yay.

Turns out, the striped hat kept my little baby’s ears nice and snuggly on our way to Urgent Care over the weekend.

Funny how little ones can perk up and flash you a smile, all while feeling cranky and achy.  But awww, those sick little eyes.  Glad she’s on the mend.

Good thing I made her 2 hats, so she can have a backup.

When we arrived to the Urgent Care………it still didn’t open for 15 more minutes.  So I plopped her up in the front seat with me, while we waited in the parking lot.

She loved it.  And her hat kept her little ears nice and snuggly warm.  Whew.

What a fun way to make your own little personalized hats though, right?  Cheap too.

I can’t look at old sweaters the same way any more.  And yeah, they kinda don’t stand a chance next to me and my scissors.  Ha.

I love them all.

However.

The boy hats are baby size……so my 3 year old boy can’t wear them.  But I just had to sew up a few in baby boy styles too.  Just for fun. 

So, if there’s anyone out there who wants a little re-purposed sweater hat for their little boy, let me know.  You can totally have them.  (they are about a 9-12 month size)  There are still several chilly months left, right? 

I’d hate to see these just sit on my sewing table, so if you’d like one of the hats, let me know in a comment below this post, and then I’ll just pick 2 different people at the end of today.  Sound good?

Well, as long as you don’t care about my little tag on the back.  (You can always pick it off and pretend you made it.  Ha….I won’t tell!)

Anyway, I’m keeping the two girl hats.  But the boy ones are up for grabs.  Any takers?

. . . . .

Back to the hats.

If you’d like to turn your own sweaters into little hats (even for you!), here’s how:

First of all, you need sweaters.  I have found that the best sweaters to use are the ones with ribbing along the bottom.  That will give you a nice snug brim for the hat.  Look in your closets, check out the hand-me-down pile, or look at your local thrift store.  There’s always an old sweater that needs a new life.

Then, line up the bottom edges of the sweater (the front and back) and then cut out a nice rounded hat shape.  Be sure that it’s tall enough to cover the head and then come down to cover the ears.  (Click here and here for other hat examples.)

To make the argyle hat, cut two diamond shapes and iron some fusible adhesive onto the back (more help with that here).  Iron the diamonds down onto the front hat piece and then stitch around each diamond, attaching it to the sweater.  Then stitch a “V” shape and then an upside down “V” shape in another color……creating that argyle look.  I sewed the “V’s” two times each, to make them a bit bolder.

Next, place the 2 hat pieces together, with right sides together.  Stitch all along the curve of the hat.  Then either sew another straight stitch next to the first one……or sew a zig-zag stitch.  Sometimes sewing a zig-zag on woven sweater material can stretch it out, so increase your stitch length so that it jumps over more fabric.  Otherwise, just stick to another straight stitch.  Then trim the excess edges.

**HINT: Pulling and a bit of rippling is normal while sewing old sweaters.  Press flat with an iron and steam and that rippling will flatten out and sort of suck back into place.

Turn the hat right side out and then press again.  Don’t pull or stretch the sweater but press the iron straight down.

To make the pink hat with a bow, cut the hat pieces out the same way.  Then, cut another strip of the sweater that is just a bit wider than the hat pieces and then twice as tall as you’d like your bow to be.  Then fold the top and bottom edge of the strip towards the back.

Then turn that strip over and lay across the bottom edge of the front hat piece.  Sew along both ends, attaching the strip to the hat.

Then, cut another little strip of sweater, wrap it around the center of the strip that you just attached to the hat.  Then hand sew the two ends of that small strip closed, making sure that the strip is nice and snug, pulling the bow into a nice shape.  Rotate the hand-sewn edges to the back side of the bow.  Then sew the front and back hat pieces together to create your hat, just like shown above.

The navy blue hat just has 2 buttons sewn right to the hat, after the hat was all sewn together.

For the pom-pom hat, sew your hat together like the hats above…….but then cut some strips of kit fabric (that won’t fray).

Cut those strips into shorter pieces.

Then group your little pieces together and then tie thread around the middle, nice and tight.  Knot it closed.

Then bend all the little pieces upward and then wrap thread around the bottom, forcing the little pom-pom pieces to sit upwards.

Then hand-stitch the pom-pom right to the top of the hat.

And that’s it. 

A few new hats made from old sweaters.

I promise, they’ll make you happy to make. 

Nothing beats the whole “trash to treasure” thing. :)

Whew. Okay, were you wondering when I would fill you in some official details? I know some of you are trying to plan around it, so here is some basic info.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about………go here.  And here.  And then clear your schedule because it’s time to get together with other crafty and non-crafty types in the Colorado area.  (Meaning, you don’t have to be crafty to come.  Everyone is welcome.)

This little Denver Area Meet-Up will be March 10th, from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. 

(I figured this would be the best time for those traveling far, in case you have to drive a few hours to get home.)

Location?  Double Tree Hotel (one of their conference rooms), in Aurora, CO. 

13696 East Iliff Place, Aurora, Colorado, 80014

(They offered me a great deal.  A really, really great deal.  Love them!)

I went and visited the location yesterday.  (Kirstin from Kojo Designs came too.  She agrees, it will be perfect!)  So the hotel is real, the conference room we’ll be using is real, and the hotel isn’t in a shady or scary neighborhood.  Were you wondering any of those things?  Because yeah, I was.

What’s planned?

Chatting, snacking, simple low key projects, mingling, a few giveaways, eating, laughing, Q&A session, door prizes, and yes, more gabbing. 

If you’re not interested in some of the things mentioned above……just pick and choose.  Except for snacking.  Everyone has to snack! ;)

(Just to explain, there will be light salty snacks, candies, and desserts, but no actual meals.)

I will supply more details in the weeks coming. 

But eek, that’s about 3 weeks away.  Clear those calendars!

(By the way, there is no charge.  It’s free for all.  And hopefully fun for all!)

But until then, I have a few questions. 

• Who has and is willing to bring a sewing machine (and let others use it too)??  It doesn’t have to be one bit fancy.  Just needs to sew a straight line. :)
• Who loves photography and wouldn’t mind snapping pictures throughout the event?  (There are no windows in this conference room, so a clip-on flash may be needed if you like using them.)  It would be best if you are comfortable with photography and also wouldn’t mind stepping away from a conversation to catch a few action shots, and then returning right back to your mingling.  Not too much pressure.  If you are a photographer for a living and would like to talk bigger details (advertising, a giveaway of your own to spread your name, etc.) let me know.  We can chat.  ashley{at}makeit-loveit{dot}com
• Anything else you are hoping will happen, but haven’t heard me mention?

**EDITED TO ADD: Only small babies in arms (or minimal crawling) are welcome! The space is not big enough space for bigger children to play.  But trust me, my kids are disappointed in this one because I know they would have a blast running around with new friends.  Maybe we’ll have to plan a day at the aquarium/museum next, where kids can come?!!

Okay, that’s it for today.  I just wanted to be sure the basic details were out there.  I will keep reminding and sharing any extra details as they come.

I seriously can’t wait to meet you all!

Ashley

P.S. An actual tutorial will be shared later today.  So check back!!

Be sure to check out my review and GIVEAWAY of the FitBit Activity Tracker.  This little gadget collects data about your daily activities, such as exercise intensity levels, calories burned, sleep quality, steps and distance.  It does it all.  And cheers you on too!

. . . . .

Remember my 4 mile race that I signed up for last weekend?

(Entering the race was motivated my this Inspiration to Fitness campaign I’ve been involved with.  And thank goodness for it, because the nudge to focus on my health has been so renewing this year.)

When I woke up Saturday morning, it was snowing, adding to the several inches that had already fallen during the night.  I was bummed.  I talked myself out of running my race that day, 8 times.  And then talked myself back into it, 8 times.  All I needed was a good excuse.  But, you know, I have really been trying hard to stick to this work-out (and take better care of myself) thing this year.   And let me tell you, I have messed up many, many times.  So I have had to have so many pep talks with myself about why I need to put myself first before something else that day.  Some days I listen to my pep talks and other times, well, the pep talk fails.

But, my “you better get out there and run your frozen butt off” pep talk worked Saturday morning.  Because I went.  And I drug my poor husband along (who was actually a bit sick) to take pictures.  Because if I was going to freeze, someone else needed to freeze with me.  (And the other racers didn’t count.  I didn’t know them.)

But wooo-weee, was I nervous!  I have run harder and longer races in the past……so what did I have to be nervous about?  However, now that I think about it, I was nervous for those races too.  And after arriving at the race location, I realized, it was good nervous.  You know, “first day of school” nervous.  Or “first date” nervous.  Or maybe “it’s time to start pushing out the baby” nervous.  My insides were jittery. 

You wanna see?

(And yes, when I’m nervous, my bladder is OUT. OF. CONTROL.)

 Finally, it was race time.

All the racers began gathering near the start line, and I kept fidgeting with my earphones.  Because my tunes are what keep me going.

Right before the race began, I was frantically getting my timer/counter/pacer app ready on my iphone. 

(It’s the bridge to 10k app that someone recommended to me weeks ago.  Love it!)  Eeeeeh, I almost forgot about it.

Once the race began, all the jitters flew right out of my belly.  My music was on, my legs started moving, and my body remembered the routine.  And I have to say, the beginning of the race is my very favorite.  Here I was, stuck in the middle of a herd of anxious runners, squirming to find their comfy place in the pack.  The adrenaline is unreal.  The shouting and squeals are encouraging.  There are well wishes heard from surrounding friends/family/spectators.  It’s exhilarating.  Some runners weave in and out, trying to reach the front, hoping to improve their time/pace.  Not me.  I scoot over and let as many pass me as need to.  My goal?  Just finish the race without stopping.

Steve (my husband) and I numbered certain points of the race, so he could drive ahead, find me, cheer me on, snap a few photos, etc.  So after about the first mile and a half, I got a call from Steve.  My earphones have a little button to push to answer the phone (which I use for my music too), and without much breath left to spare, I muttered a hello.  He told me he was at point #2.  And he told me good luck!  Awesome.  I picked up the pace just a bit.

I loved seeing him.  It made me forget about my frozen nose and numb toes.

After the first 2 miles, I feel like the pace had settled and I was surrounded by others who were most likely going to be running next to me for the rest of the race.  I found myself continually watching a husband and wife, each with their own dog, and their 10 (ish??) year old son.  The man and woman seemed to be skilled runners but were jogging a slow pace, so that their little boy could keep up.  They were so encouraging to him.  I was just flabbergasted that this little guy was running a 4 mile race.  When I was 10, I hated running.  And could barely run the 100-yard-dash on field day.  Ick.  (Oh wait, I still hate it.  Kind of.  It’s a love/hate thing, I guess.)  So, it was a great distraction to watch this mom and dad encourage their little boy.  They constantly prodded him with, “come on buddy, you’ve totally got this.”  And, “you see that guy taking pictures? He’s from the newspaper. Show him what you’ve got!”  (Ooops, that was just my husband.  Not the newspaper.)  The mom and dad would occasionally stop and jog in place to give him a breather and then he’d kick it in gear again.  I totally stole their encouragement for him and used it for myself too!

For the entire race, this little family was either just ahead of me or right behind me.  So yeah, I totally snapped a picture with my phone, just to remember this little running family.  They inspired me.

(And I didn’t even get embarrassed until later, that my slow running pace was the same as a stop-and-go 10 year old’s pace.  Because we finished the race about the same time.  Ha!)

By the time the end of the race neared, I realized the last 1/4 mile of the race was uphill.  And covered in bumpy snow clumps.  In case you were wondering, bumpy snow clumps are really hard to run on at the end of a race when you’re nice and tired.  (FYI, I cry-baby about anything other than super flat and smooth running surfaces.)  I just wanted to stop and walk for just a few seconds but………ack, my brain wouldn’t let me.  Because that wasn’t in the “plan”.  So 17 pep talks later, I kept running (probably at a slower-than-walking pace) and made it to the last stretch of the race. It’s funny, I don’t even remember people being around me.  So, to see this picture, confuses me.

Because all I remember is the snow.  And desperately looking for the finish line.  Oh, and I also remember that the stinkin’ bumpy snow under my feet was making me tired.

But don’t worry, this story has a good ending.  I finished the race.  I met my goal.  And I felt so good when I was done. 

4 mile race: 45 minutes 22 seconds

Not bad.  More like a walking pace for some……haha! 

And I should probably write a Thank You letter to the parents of that little 10 year old boy.  Because watching/listening to them kept me going.

Next up?  A 5k with friends in March.  Maybe a 10k in April?  I need to sign up for a few more so I don’t lose my steam. 

Running makes me happy.  Well, when I’m done.

. . . . .

Have you hit a plateau with your workouts?  Alysa offers some great tips to challenge your body and keep progressing.  I love her timing…..because I need to remembering that hitting a plateau is normal.

Be sure to check out my review and GIVEAWAY of the FitBit Activity Tracker.  This little gadget collects data about your daily activities, such as exercise intensity levels, calories burned, sleep quality, steps and distance.  It does it all.  And cheers you on too!

. . . . .

Sometimes I can’t leave things alone. 

I know we’ve talked about this before.  And how my husband, Steve, sometimes teases me and tells me I can add frill, color, and spice to whatever I want……except to him.  Or his laptop.  Haha.  (He secretly loves my issues.)

I bought this little skirt (for a price I could never make it for….ya-hoo!) and a shirt at Baby Gap right after Christmas during some gonga sale. 

I LOVED the skirt.  And so I bought a little plain shirt to go with it.  Now that the skirt fits……the shirt bored me.  So, I got my fabric scraps out and showed that plain shirt who was boss.  Yeah, me.

I added some sweet little ballet shoes to the front……tied together with a big bow.

That fluffy skirt thanked me for giving that shirt more life. They’re a great pair now. 

And this little baby girl?  Yeah, she’s munch-able in whatever she wears……but extra cute in her ballet shirt.

This project would also be perfect for those shirts with a stain on the front.  Or a hole.  You know you have plenty of those.

One of the best parts about it?  It took me about 20 minutes to do.

So easy, so quick, and so darn adorable.  Success.

Would you like to make your own ballet shoe applique shirt?

First of all, I saw a shirt similar to this……I think at Target.  Or maybe baby gap?  I can’t remember.  But I saw it and loved it.  And it turned out to be a very satisfying project.  Hooray.

To get started, decide what shirt you want to add your applique to.  Then find some scrap fabric that you can use to make the shoes…….and some ribbon too.

Before cutting out the ballet shoe shapes, iron some fusible adhesive to the back of some of your scrap fabric.  (Need help with fusible adhesive?  Go here.)

Leave the paper backing on the adhesive and then draw your ballet shoe shapes on the back.  (If you need to draw your shoe shape on paper first and then use it to trace onto your project, that may be helpful.)  Then cut out a smaller oval shape in another color of fabric, for the inside of the shoe shape.

Next, place the ballet shoes (and their inner oval) right to the front of the shirt.  Tuck a piece of ribbon right under the very top of each ballet shoe, so that you can hide the raw ends of the ribbon.  Iron the shoes down, securing the ribbon ends in place as well.  (My ribbon was nice and wide, so I folded over the ribbon.)

Next, I sewed a straight stitch, nice and close the edges of each ballet shoe and inner oval.  (After washing, these edge may fray just a tad, but not much.  If you’d prefer, you can do a nice tight zig-zag stitch that will enclose the edges a bit more.)

Then, I kind of twisted the ribbon and pinned it in place where I wanted to sew it.  I didn’t just want straight lines of ribbon because I wanted it to look like actual messy ballet strings.

Then I sewed the folded and twisted ribbon right in place.

Then I tied a bow with the same ribbon and then sewed it right down to the shirt, covering the ends of the ribbons that were already sewn to the shirt.

To keep your ribbon ends from fraying, you can either use fray check, or heat them with a lighter.  I prefer the lighter method.

And that’s it. 

Nice and quick, right?

Enjoy.

As discussed in this and this post, I was asked to participate in a “New Year New You” campaign with BlogHer and Best Buy.  I have been asked to test out a few items to help me with my new goals for this year and have also been provided with (you too!) the advice of a personal trainer/dietician, found here.  I will be blogging all about it on ‘Make It and Love It’ during January and February.  (All related posts can be found here.) Join with me and healthy up that body of yours too!  -Ashley

. . . . .

Oooooooh, are you ready for another really great gadget? I know I have been showing you so many lately … but I’ve just been so excited about it all. It’s been keeping me motivated. And healthy. And happy. I’m hoping with all of this exercise goodness, you can maybe see what fits with your lifestyle and motivation best. And then go with it.

This particular gadget may cause you to start competing with yourself, trying to improve your numbers and stats. Well, at least it has for me. And as far as I’m concerned, any little tool or gadget that will motivate me to make good health choices (and compete with myself to improve each day), is worth every penny.

Best Buy sent me the FitBit Ultra to test out. The FitBit is like a personal trainer (without the gym membership) that collects data about your daily activities, such as exercise intensity levels, calories burned, sleep quality, steps and distance. The collected data is automatically uploaded to your personal Fitbit website where you can track your progress towards personal goals.

Here’s what arrived in the box.

This little guy is small and sleek, no bigger than a blue tooth.

You can place your FitBit in your pocket on your waistband, your shirt collar, etc. But I guess the most popular place for women, is right on their bra. And that’s where I put mine…..because sometimes I don’t have pockets and I don’t want it poking out on my waistband.

image source

However, if you want to clip it to your waistband, they send along a little holder that that you slide it into, which allows for thicker waistbands that may include a belt.

Anyway, yeah there are tons of pedometers out there and yeah, most of them work pretty well. But most are pretty one dimensional.

The FitBit uses motion sensor technology (just like the Nintendo Wii remote) and measures your motion all day long. The Fitbit accurately tracks your physical activity, steps taken, distance traveled, and calories burned.

It also measures your sleep quality. What? Yeah. You just slide your little FitBit onto this wrist band (which is soft and non-buggy at all) and hop in bed. Then simply hold the button down for 3 seconds, which will put device in sleep mode. The Fitbit will track your total sleep time as well as how much movement you had while sleeping and how many times you woke up. Then it will analyze your information and give you a report of your overall sleep quality for that night. Pretty. Darn. Cool.

To charge your FitBit, just place it right into the docking station (that’s connected to your computer through a USB cable) and one charge will last 10 days … and only takes 90 minutes to charge. And any time you’re within 15 feet of the docking station, your FitBit will automatically transfer your information right over to your online account.

What do you do with all of this information?

Well, you can track your progress, set goals for yourself, try and beat your best scores, etc. You can also see what your slow days are like, figure out why you were so sedentary that day…..and then make some changes. Okay, and you can also do a whole lot more. There’s everything you can think of on your online account, keeping you right on track.

image source

You can even access your information on your iphone or droid phones and always keep tracking.

The overall goal of the Fitbit is to make you more aware of your daily activity and promote you to live a more active lifestyle. And that results in a healthier you.

Pretty neat little gadget, if you ask me.

. . . . .

Would you like the chance to win your very own FitBit?

!!!!!!Giveaway Closed!!!!!!

All you have to do is leave a comment letting me know if you try to park far away or take the steps or other proactive things to increase your physical activity during the day. Here are the rules.

Rules:

No duplicate comments.

You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post

b) Tweet about this promotion and leave the URL to that tweet in a comment on this post

c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to that post in a comment on this post

d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.

Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.

You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/15- 2/21.

Also be sure to visit the Inspiration to Fitness page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews, get great fitness tips and find more chances to win! You can also roll over the Best Buy image at the top of my blog to view a calendar of all the Inspiration to Fitness content. Good luck!

Best Buy does not sponsor, endorse, approve, or have any responsibility for this promotion.

Okay, ready to up your chances of winning an actual giveaway? 

How about entering a giveaway that includes 29 winners?!  Yep, 29 of you could be winners. 

And the prizes are all gift cards to amazon.com. 

So, you pick what you want! 

(Okay, kindle anyone?  Tablets?  Crafting supplies?  Maybe a new sewing machine?  A new KitchenAid? 

How about some diapers for your baby?  You know amazon carries everything under the sun.)

I know there are lots of giveaways going on around blogland………but I jumped all over sharing this one, because there are so many winners involved.

(If you don’t want to enter for yourself, would you mind entering for me?  I wouldn’t mind winning a gift card.  I need some new kitchenwares.  Haha! ;) )

I’m sure you’ve heard of Pick Your Plum, right?  Well, they have asked several blogs to help spread the word about this fantastic giveaway of $1000 in Amazon Gift Cards.  And you probably already know most of the blogs…..because they’re probably some of you favorites, like they are mine.  These are definitely websites worth getting cozy with.

This giveaway is a little different from those I have shared in the past.  This giveaway is completely run by Rafflecopter.  Why haven’t I ever used them before???  They keep everything organized, keep the start/end time accurate, and select the winners.  So all you do is enter your facebook or email info below, and then you enter.  It takes 2 seconds.  Oh, and then you can enter several more times, to increase your chances.  Easy as that.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

If you don’t already know about these amazing websites who are also participating in spreading the word, take a peek, and fall in love. Here are direct links: Pick Your Plum, Skip to my Lou, Joy Folie, Make it and Love it, Discount Queens, Sugar Doodle, How Does She, Gracylu Originals, Oh So Posh Photography, Kara’s Party Ideas, and College Fashion.

*Remember, leaving a comment on this post does NOT enter you into the giveaway.  You must enter your info into the form above.

Good Luck!!!

—

*This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. We hereby release Facebook of any liability. The sponsor, Pick Your Plum, will ship all prizes within 7 days of giveaway end. Giveaway starts Monday, Feb 13th at 8 pm EST and ends Monday, Feb 20th at 8 pm EST. Once the giveaway ends, Rafflecopter will randomly select winners. Winners will be contacted within 24 hours by email. The Rafflecopter widget will be updated with winners names.

. . . . .

My little 5 year old just starting going to preschool in January.  She goes 3 days a week for 3 hours each day.  It’s perfect.  It’s not too long, it gives her enough time to play with friends, she has an animated and excited teacher (and teacher’s aide) who love her, and she is getting a great introduction to this whole “school” thing.  Let me tell you, this girl adores preschool.

She comes home telling me things that she has learned and figures since she has never heard me talk about certain things, that I must not know about them.  Like fossils.  And astronauts.  And the pronunciation for certain words.  And oh boy, if I try to correct her……….oooh, watch out.  Whatever her teacher taught her, is complete doctrine.  Nevermind that she may have misunderstood her teacher. 

She came home the other day and said, “mommy, you never even told me I had an-ull-gies!”  I looked at her a little confused…….”huh? an-ull-gies?”  She kind of stuttered through the word again as I realized she was trying to say allergies.  “Oh, you mean allergies?”  She quickly replied, “Yes, allergies!  My teacher told me I have allergies.”  I kinda laughed.  “Oh, really?  What did she say you are allergic to?”  She explained that her teacher told her that since she was sneezing a lot that day and was feeling cold, that she must be allergic to the cold.  I kinda laughed as I told her that she wasn’t actually allergic to the cold but her teacher must have just said that because she was feeling cold and was so sneeze-y ………but was probably kidding.  She cut me off.  And refused to believe anything different.  She was officially allergic to the cold and there was no way I could unravel that diagnosis given by her teacher.  Her teacher is all knowing, I guess. 

So yes, my little girl loves her preschool teacher.  How can I blame her?  This teacher knows all sorts of stuff that even mommies don’t know (i.e. fossils, astronauts, and allergies)……and she plans the best parties.  Like Chocolate Milk parties and The Letter “K” parties and Valentine’s Day parties.  Oh, this girl has been excited for her Valentine’s Day Party for weeks.

So, of course, she needs Valentine’s cards to exchange with her other 10 classmates during their party.

So we pulled out the same idea that we used last year, and made our own little sucker/picture Valentine’s Cards.  The idea has saturated the crafting world (thank you to whoever thought it up a few years ago!) and there’s a reason.  These little cards are quick and easy.  And darn cute.  Last year, we only passed them out to a few friends.  This year, my little girl is excited to give a card to each of her classmates at preschool.  Ah, the joy of Valentine’s Day.

And because writing your name on your Valentine Card is half the fun…….she wrote her name and I transferred it digitally onto the picture. 

Nice and personalized.  (I’ll show you how to do that down below.)

And because this little guy wanted in on the fun………we made some for him too.  (He has a few friends and cousins he’s dying to pass them out to.)

He can’t quite write his name yet, so I just used the writing tool and wrote it for him.  Turns out, my handwriting with the Photoshop writing tool looks just like a 3 year old’s.  So, it was perfect!!

So, if you’re anything like me and have high hopes to hand-make Valentine’s cards…….but just ran out of time, no worries!  I did too.  So luckily, this doesn’t take much time at all.  Just snap a quick picture and get them printed at a one-hour photo place.  I uploaded my images to walgreens.com and then dropped by and picked them up when they were ready.

Need a few tips?

To get your little one to hold their hand out might be the trickiest part.  But what worked last year and this year, was to tell them to punch their fist out straight……like they were punching a bad guy.  (Okay, that analogy was only necessary for my little boy.  Ahhh, boys.)  Then, I would show them with my fist if they needed to move their fist up or down.   And then they would mirror me.  Ideally, you want the fist more towards you and in the foreground of the picture.  And even better, is if the fist is nice and large because it’s closest to you……you know, like they’re hand is popping out of the picture, handing you the sucker.  But after you take several pictures and the imperfect hand ones have a cuter smile, you ditch the perfect hand and go with the smile.  Because darn it, those cute smiles are much more charming! :)

Another thing is to get down on their level.  The pictures definitely aren’t as cute if you’re above them shooting down.  So crouch down.

Now, if you have Photoshop and want to add your child’s name in their own writing, here’s what I did.  (I knew there was no way that she could manipulate the computer mouse and write her name with the free-hand writing tool.)  I asked my little girl to write her name on a piece of paper.  Then I took a picture of it and uploaded it to my computer.

Then I opened that image in Photoshop and then added another layer to my project.

Then, I used my drawing tool (in white) and traced right over her name that she wrote. I tried to trace it as perfectly as I could, to keep all the charm of her 5 year old handwriting.

Then, be sure that this layer is highlighted (the one that you traced in) and then “select all” and then “copy” this layer.

Then I “pasted” the traced lettering onto my project that I was working on in Photoshop.

Then I shrunk it down until it fit nicely.  Perfect.

Then I saved the picture and printed it right out at Walgreen’s.  Like, 20 times.

My little boy’s was mostly the same.  Except, like I mentioned above, I just used the “pen” tool in Photoshop and wrote his name for him.

Once the pictures were printed out, I used a utility knife to make slits above and below their fists and then slid the sucker stick right in.

Simple.  And fun.  And seriously cute.

Whew, Valentine’s Day is all taken care of!

Any other really quick Valentine’s Card ideas that you’re using this year?  Do share.