sher's corner

Sher's Corner is moving

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 21:33:00 +0000

I know that it is been almost a year since my last post. I am starting to blog again and moving my blog. To see the latest go to sherscorner.wordpress.com. Hope to see and hear from you there.

{Fitness Corner} Crossfit So Cal Regionals 2013

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:09:00 +0000

So on Sunday, we headed down to Del Mar, CA for the Southern California Crossfit Regionals. It was an intense experience and quite inspiring.

My trainer, Jeremy Kinnick, competed as an individual and was 9th! He is pretty amazing. That was an accomplishment and though he was not invited to compete in the Crossfit Games (The top 3 move on to the Games and he has competed in the Games 5 times), he was a great inspiration and was very classy staying through the end to cheer on others during the awards ceremony. He did not give up and when he finished he went on to cheer other on.

Our gym also had a team, Team Kinnick, compete as well. The top 3 move on to the Crossfit Games and out team placed 5th!. It was so amazing to watch them compete. One of my other trainers was on that team as well. It was fun to cheer them on and see them do an amazing job.

It was pretty amazing to watch these trainers compete. I worked them each week to make myself better and they are doing it each and every day and they do it well. They work hard and they are great roll models at how them treat other teams and individuals that they compete with. One thing that I really like about Crossfit is the community. Everyone cheers everyone on first or last.

{Creative Corner} Teacher Gifts 2013 and a diaper cake

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:01:00 +0000

An end of the year gift for Baby Bear's preschool teachers: Inside is a Yogurtland gift card.

A diaper cake for a student.

6 year Anniversary

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:59:00 +0000

So Mr. Bear and I have been married 6 years now and have been together 13 years. What an amazing 13 years.

We had a nice little low key anniversary. The evening before, we started off with a movie. We watched 42, then head off for I Love Pie in Claremont for some dessert. Yummy

The evening of our actual anniversary, we had a nice dinner with our girl and our cousin who was staying with us that weekend. Yummy food was had.

My facebook post from that day: "So 13 years ago, I met a boy at a Cinco de Mayo party. He gave me his card and I called him. 7 years later, we were married on Cinco de Mayo. Babe, that was the best phone call I ever made. I love you more and more each day. Here is to a lifetime of Cinco de Mayo's together."

{Fitness Corner} WLC Half way point and Crossfit Open

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:47:00 +0000

So I am half way through my second round of the Whole Life Challenge. This time around doesn't feel as bad with nutrition. I think it helps that I knew what to expect and that I tried to keep up with my nutrition even after the last challenge (I wasn't perfect). With the last challenge I lost all the baby weight, this time I just seem to be maintaining, which is great and a little disappointing at the same time. But I realize that I don't have much weight that I need to lose. My goal is really to lose inches. I have yet to measure myself and see how that is panning out. But my mama belly is still sticking around, so that is quite frustrating to me. They say that is usually the last to go. On the other hand, some of my clothes are looser than before and I have some that I have to pin up to stay on me. That has to be a good sign.

I do know that I have become a lot stronger. Since starting the challenge about a month ago I can do kipping pull-ups and toes to bar. Those are pretty large achievements for me. I remember starting crossfit just 8 months ago and both those skills seemed impossible to achieve, they were so hard. I have learned with crossfit everything is possible. On top of that, I am able to do some of the WODs (workout of the day) as they are prescribed. Meaning, I don't have to modify the workout down to my level. I can actually do some of the workouts at the level that they are written. That is huge for me. I was always modifying the workout to my level (which is one of the great things about crossfit, everything is scaleable). Now, I am lifting heavier weights and doing things like pull-ups and toes to bar. I can't do all of the WODs prescribed, but I am seeing progress and improvement as I am able to do some. It feels really good. That is not to say that I am faster, but I am definitely stronger and working harder. It is great to see the improvement happen. I am getting better than I was. That's what it is about.

These accomplishment in my fitness gave me the confidence to sign up for the Crossfit Games Open. Basically, anyone can sign up for the Open and do the workouts. The top competitors move on to Regionals and then the Games (like one of my trainers!). I know I won't move on, but it is actually fun to see where I rank among thousands of people. Last week was the first workout 13.1.

Workout 13.1 (for women)

17 minute AMRAP of:
40 Burpees
30 Snatch, 45 lbs
30 Burpees
30 Snatch, 75 lbs
20 Burpees
30 Snatch, 100 lbs
10 burpees
Max rep Snatch, 120 lbs

I don't know what I was thinking but, I did it. I didn't get to 100 lbs, in fact, I barely did one 75 lb snatch, but the fact of the matter was that I did one. Considering I hadn't done a snatch more than 55 lbs, I was very proud of myself for getting that 1. It was a PR (personal record) and I am taking it. It took me maybe 5 minutes of trying to get that one in, but I didn't give up and got it. Who knew?

I am stronger and feeling great about myself. I just have to keep it up. For me it is all about being fit and healthy to enjoy life and what life has to offer.

{Creative Corner} Valentines 2013

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 06:11:00 +0000

A couple of my Valentine's Day projects for Baby Bear's friends and teachers.

I was inspired by several ideas I found floating around on pinterest and designed a little something myself with Valentine's straw as a gift.

For the teachers, I merged a few ideas from pinterest and designed something for them along with a small gift they could use.

{Fitness Corner} Here we go again

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Tue, 05 Feb 2013 00:34:00 +0000

I signed up to do the Whole Life Challenge, an online accountability game, again. My crossfit box is encouraging us to do it once again and even gave us an incentive of an extra day a week during the 8 week challenge. I had great results the first time and looking forward to see myself get stronger and fitter. I don't have any traveling planned this time around like I did the last, so that should help me stay on better track with nutrition.

I tried my best to stick with the nutrition part even after the challenge. The diet follow a paleo-like diet. Over the holidays I gave myself some exceptions, but for the most part I don't eat many starches, grains, or dairy. I have made the occassional exceptions but have maintained. In fact, I have clothes that are loose on me which is great and somewhat frustrating since I bought new clothes not too long ago.

The goals that I set for myself at the end of the challenge:
1. Do 5 unassisted pull ups by June 2013
2. Cook 3 paleo meals a week by the end of December
3. Workout and mobilization for 10 minutes for 6 days a week by end of December

I wasn't really good at tracking my goals. But I think I did pretty decently.

Goal 1: I continue to do crossfit and really see myself getting stronger and better. I can do a few unassisted kipping pull-ups, which is just amazing to me. I get 2-3 in a row and I am working on getting those 5. Actually I am hoping to get to 5 in the next few weeks by my birthday. That would put me ahead of the goal I originally set for June. Even is I don't make it by the end of February, I am still pretty proud that I can do what I can. I never would have thought I could ever do a pull-up unassisted.

Goal 2: I would say that I did this. I do know that when I cook, I cook paying attention to the paleo rules the majority of them time. I allow myself exceptions when we are out and on special occassions. Although I did not track this goal, I do think I did pretty well.

Goal 3: I would say I was pretty close. If not 6 days, I know I got in 5 days a week. I know what is realistic and the whole point was to keep moving. Also I have a renew view of rest days. I am good about moving and getting my workouts and mobilization in, so I am not really worried about this. But it is good to have the goal and keep doing it. With the challenge, I know that I will be more accountable and it will just make me better and fitter and closer to meeting goal 1.

I am excited. My big goal is to feel comfortable in a bikini for the summer. I haven't worn a bikini since I was pregnant, so that is about 4 years now. We have a trip to Hawaii this summer and I would like to get a new bikini for this summer. Let's do this, if I get as good as result as I did last time, I think I will be there. Just need to lose that mama belly.

{Project Organize} A Rainy Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 22:51:00 +0000

I got a lot done on a rainy weekend...

I am almost complete with organizing the kitchen cabinets. The kitchen was not in bad shape at all, it just needed to be cleaned up a little. Each drawer didn't take so long at all. I still want to buy some organizers for our junk drawer, but it is cleaned up, the organizer bins would pretty it up a bit and help keep it organized. So that is on my list. Not a priority but something to do at some point. There is always more that can be done but not necessary.

I still need to work on my spice/cooking cabinet. I need to find a good way to organize my spices so I can find things. Just the other day as I was cooking, I realized that I had 2 bottles of cumin. I probably couldn't find cumin one day and went and bought another bottle. So it needs helps. I need to determine what is best. I have seen many different ideas on pinterest, but I am not sure which one will best meet my needs and my space. So I will be back to that one. My challenge with organizing is deciding exactly how I want things to be.

I went through my files and recycled a lot of paper! I got rid of paper and files that I no longer needed and got all my files ready for 2013. So my 2012 files are organized and ready for our tax appointment next month. That was a priority and I am glad that I got that done.

I organized my office supply drawer. I bought an organizer for the that drawer and it made a world of difference.

I put together a binder for all our user manuals. I found a lot of great ideas on pinterest and took one on. Check this link out. I just have to print out a cover sheet and find a good place for it.

I got a lot done over the week. It helps to have a rainy weekend to get things done. I feel like I've made a lot of progress. As I keep going through different areas of the house, I am purging as well, so I feel good about sticking to this goal.

My next goals in Project Organize is to organize my recipes. I bought some binders and supplies, so I will be working on this one next. I've started and I wished that I had a before picture, but I will make sure to get an after photo when I am done.

{Project Organize} The Pantry

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 22:46:00 +0000

So I have been working on Project Organize, I have been going through the house and making a list of everything I would like to work on. I have been on pinterest looking at various ideas and inspirations for a more organized home.

I am starting with the kitchen. I look through my kitchen cabinets and fortunately many of them are organized nicely and I am happy with it. However, there are a few areas that need a little help. So I took note:

Spice cabinet: buy a lazy susan to easily get to spices
White cabinet: find a good way to organize platters
Bakeware cabinet: find a good way to organize bakeware
Tupperware cabinet: get rid of unused Tupperware and organize

I did tackled one of the kitchen cabinets that was in need of help. I organized the what I call the white cabinet, because it is white. I bought a platter organizer at Big Lots for a few of dollars. Now rather than stacking my platters on top of each other they are stored vertically. It is now much easier to get to them and actually gave more room in that cabinet. So great for a $3 investment.

Next, I organized the pantry over the weekend and I am done with the panty and food storage area.

So my pantry looked like this:

and this

As you can see it is not very large, but it is somewhat deep and I needed to do something so that what was in the back didn't get lost. I often could see what was back there and neglected it. As I cleaned the pantry out, I found some of the things in the back were expired and things I didn't even want to eat. So in the trash it went. I bought some baskets from Walmart, a drawer from Target, and made some labels and now my pantry looks like this...

It is so much better. All of Baby Bear's snacks and cereals are on the same shelf so that she can reach it. She just pulls out the basket to look for what she wants. I took the sugar and flour out of their packaging and pour them into the clear Snapware containers I already had. I bought them from Costco years ago. Then labeled them. It will make it much easier to see how much is left and to scoop out when baking. I don't know why I hadn't done it before.

I didn't spent a whole lot on this, about $25 for the baskets and drawer. So the pantry is done! Now on to finishing up the other kitchen cabinets. I am feeling good about my progress.

Project Organize

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 23:49:00 +0000

Okay, so my big goal for 2013 is to de-clutter and organize! I am calling it Project Organize. So what is the game plan. No real game plan yet. I figured the first step was to go around the house and make a list of everything that I would like to organize and de-clutter. I went through pinterest for ideas and pinned what I thought would be effective for our house. But having them pinned is not enough, having it written down somewhere will help me to start to check things off. So my to do list so far (I am sure that there will be items added to this list over time, but it is a start).

Pantry

Organize with clear baskets and label basket accordingly
Label Shelves: Shelf 1 - Baking; Shelf 2- boxed goods and other cooking items; Shelf 3- bread and crackers, nuts, chips; Shelf 4 - Jordyn's snacks, cereals; Bottom shelf- protein powder, other baking supplies
Organize top cabinet above pantry cabinet: Add shelves and separate out paper goods and plastic utensil from appliances like rice cooker

Kitchen

Spice cabinet: buy a lazy susan to easily get to spices
White cabinet: find a good way to organize platters
Bakeware cabinet: find a good way to organize bakeware
Tupperware cabinet: get rid of unused Tupperware and organize

Closet

Organize craft/wrapping area - label drawers
Use pink and green bins and organize for holiday decor (Valentines, Easter/spring, Summer, Fall/Halloween) with labels
Consolidate stuff and remove

Hall closet

Add Extra shelf
Add hooks on wall for purses

Entry way

Bookshelf with 4 baskets with labels (Jordyn's shoes, Dylan's shoes, Sher's shoes, blankets)

Bedroom

Above closet storage: pretty up with large wicker baskets?
Buy pretty hamper
Organize jewelry
Sort through clothes and give away clothes to Goodwill

Living room

Get DVD organizer in dresser

So that is the list so far. Many of these things are little things that can be done very quickly. Some of it requires a little more time and effort. Some of them requires me making a decision on how I want things to look. I have a lot of ideas, but with so many ideas and choices and little money it is often hard to just go with something. But now that is out in cyberspace, maybe I will actually get some things done in this year. It is a start.

Another year, a new set of goals

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:12:00 +0000

I guess I have been neglecting this blog. Actually, I haven't been a great blogger in general. No one probably reads this blog anymore anyways. But this post is for me to write down my goals for the year so that it is somewhere. Looking back, I guess either I didn't make any goals last year or I forgot to write them down anywhere. The last set of goals were from 2011. Looking at those goals, I only really kept up with the second goal. But it is a new year and time for new goals.

My big goal for this year was one I set for 2011 and did not meet. So it is back on my list and this is the year to really focus.

De-clutter and organize. We have been in our house for 2 years now and I need to get a better hold of the clutter. I need to find a space for everything or get rid of it. We have way too much stuff that we don't really need and it is time for me to go through what we have to de-clutter and to pare down. I have more clothes that I need and I need to better organize our space. Our home is not very big and if needs to be organized. Every room needs some help, some more than others but if I can tackle a space one at a time in small chunks I can make some progress.

I suspect that the majority of people make goals that related to health and fitness and finances. I guess I am no different.

Eat Healthy and Stay Fit. I did really well with this last year. I joined crossfit, which made a world of difference. I complete the Whole Life Challenge and got myself back to my pre-pregnancy weight. I am determined to keep it up with crossfit to keep my body fit. I can do 1 or 2 kipping pull-ups unassisted and I am working toward my goal of 5 by June. I am getting there and I feel myself getting stronger. I need to get back on track with nutrition, I haven't gained any weight, but I went to some bad eating habits over the holidays and so I need to get back on it. Eliminating dairy and grains made a huge difference and made me more congnizant of what I was putting in my body.

So my second goal for this year is to keep up with crossfit and keep getting better and stronger. I want to get 5 unassisted kipping pull-ups by June. I want to do more yoga. I need yoga to keep me balanced and I find that mobility does wonders for crossfit, so it really has so many benefits. Plus, I love yoga. So practice yoga at least 2 times a week (more if possible).

Pay off debt and Save, save, save. I have been working on paying off a little credit card debt that I have accrued, so that is an ongoing goal to pay down that debt. Along with that is to spend less. Since we have so much that I am trying to get rid of I need to find ways to get along with what we have rather than buying new things. I need to get rid of; not bring in new things. So that goes hand in hand.

I also plan to try the 52 Week Money Challenge. It doesn't look too hard and that would be money in the bank for next Christmas, so why not!

Let's do this!! 2013 will be a good year!

Happy Holidays 2012

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Sat, 24 Nov 2012 06:32:00 +0000

Stationery card

View the entire collection of cards.

{Fitness Corner} Whole Life Challenge Complete!

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 06:31:00 +0000

So I finished the 8 weeks of the Whole Life Challenge.

The results:

I lost 1.5 inches off of my waist and 1 inch off of my hips.
My arms and thighs are the same (but I think they are more defined and that I have gained muscle).
I lost 5 lbs. (I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight! Finally got rid of those last stubborn 5 lbs.)
Plus, I am stronger and can do 1 pull-up unassisted by bands. Amazing!!!
I went down a size in pants. All my pants are hanging off of me (even a few pairs of pre-pregnancy pants fit me loosely than they used to. I didn't have any problem finding an excuse to buy some new clothes, LOL.)

I am very happy with my results. I feel stronger.I am very proud of this accomplishment of getting through the challenge. I wasn't perfect and I had to lose points because I forgot to record my point one day, I traveled to NYC and Denver for business trips. Although I have to say that I was pretty good while traveling. I was selective of the times that I would stray from the nutrition and I made it a point to move everyday. In Denver, I was actually very good even though I had to eat out the whole time. I would ask for substitutions and made very good choices.

So now the question is do I keep this up...

Well, the last weekly challenge was to make 3 goals to complete. So my goals were:

1. Do 5 unassisted pull ups by June 2013
2. Cook 3 paleo meals a week by the end of December
3. Workout and mobilization for 10 minutes for 6 days a week by end of December

I am definitely keeping up with the workout and mobilization. I love doing crossfit, I feel strong and amazing doing it. So there is no question about that. The fact that I can do 1 unassisted pull-up is amazing to me. I know that I can get to that 5. By next June that will be 1 year of crossfit. So I know if I keep it up, I can do. Also, I love stretching and yoga, I've been practicing yoga for almost 10 years so why would I stop now. 7 days a week was a challenge, but with the requirement of only 10 minutes for a workout and 10 minutes for mobilization, it became totally doable. So why not continue!

Taking fish oil every day is no big deal. I do it anyways.

The nutrition part of the challenge was the most difficult part for me. I never diet and I have never been any good at sticking to something or depriving myself. I love to eat. But I liked that I was eating healthy and I think that I will try to stick to the paleo-like diet with the occasional exceptions. I don't miss the dairy too much. I thought I would want cheese all the time, and at first I did but I can also live without it and do not need it everyday like I used to eat it. It used to be an everyday snack for me. I loved to just have cheese and crackers or cheese and nuts. I think there was a time when I would live off of cheese sandwiches. I think to have it on occasion will be fine, just not on a daily basis.The grains are a little harder, but I did it for 8 weeks and I am okay without it. I know from time to time I will want some cake or bread. In fact, one of my biggest cravings is pizza (bread and cheese!). I had a slice of NY pizza when I was in NYC. But it better be a really good pizza for me to have it. a frozen pizza or a pizza from Pizza Hut is not worth it for me. So I plan to stick with it and allow myself some exceptions for special occasions like the holidays.

So, I made it and I am better for having done the whole life challenge. I am glad that I did and I hope that I can continue to make my fitness and health a priority. I love feeling stronger and healthier. I feel great and I feel in control, it really is awesome. It was a lifestyle change and I think that I can stick with it even without the challenge and accountability. At least, I hope that I can. I realize that the freedom from the challenge this first few days will allow me to give in a few times, but I trust that I will get back on track. I know that I actually crave fruit now instead of candy. I also, know that something has to be really worth it for me to eat it. So that piece of candy better be really good to be worth it. I think that is the key, to be mindful and determine if straying from healthy eating is really worth it. There will be times when it is, but as long as I come back to it I will be fine.

{Fitness Corner} WLC - 3 weeks in

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 04:29:00 +0000

So I am 3 weeks into the Whole Life Challenge and it has been going really well. I am really proud of myself for sticking to it. I've lost 3 pounds so far, about a pound a week, and my clothes are fitting loosely. I actually have several pairs of pants that are too big for me. It is great, but a little sad since they are work pants that I bought not long ago, which means I need to buy some new pants. I love that but it is hard since I hate to spend money when I just bought new pants. Oh well, I guess there are worst problems to have.

The workout and mobility part of the challenge is not big deal. I workout regularly anyways and on my rest days I have been going for walks or practicing some yoga at home. I did forget one day to do my mobility and lost a point. I was really upset with myself about that. I have been earning bonus points so I am still good overall.

The nutrition part has actually gone a lot better than I thought it would. Going on a paleo-like diet hasn't been so bad. No grains, no dairy, and no sugar is not as bad as I thought it would be. It took me a while to not feel hungry all the time, but now I am doing pretty well. I still have my cravings especially for some yummy, sweet baked goods but I am dealing with it. It has been hard going to kids birthday parties with the yummy treats and very little options. I have had many dry salads. It is amazing how even the salad dressings that you thought would be okay have sugar in it. Actually, there are so many things that have sugar. It is crazy.

I have been learning to make baked goods without flour or sugar in it. I made some banana muffins and they are pretty good.

I don't miss the dairy too much, except for cheese, but it hasn't been so bad. I actually think that even after the WLC that I will try to stick to this paleo-like diet for the most part and try to keep up eating healthy. That isn't too say I will stick with it as strictly as I have, I do want the occasional pizza, glass of wine, or cupcake. But on a regular basis, cooking and eating this way has been great not just for me but for the family as well. It is definitely nice to stay away from all the processed junk.

Just 5 weeks to go with this challenge and ahead of me are two trips that will make this challenge a challenge. Traveling takes me away from my regular routine, and away from a kitchen so I hope that I can stay strong. The first trip is to New York and that one will definitely be tough. I am saving as much of my bonus points because I am sure that I will splurge. There is a lot of really good food in NYC. I will do my best to stay strong!!

{Fitness Corner} Day 1 of WLC

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 04:32:00 +0000

The Whole Life Challenge began yesterday. I did the prelim WOD, it wasn't too bad. The WOD was 7 kettleball swings, 7 burpees, and a 50 meter run AMPRAP in 9 minutes. The burpees were hard, as usual. I got a score of 108, just short of completing 8 sets. I got through the day and earned all my points for the day.

The nutrition past was tough. On more than one occasion, I was tempted and felt hungry. I really wanted some cheese. It was especially hard when Baby Bear wanted cheese and crackers for her snack. I realize that I often finish her left overs even when I'm not really hungry. I made her some brown rice with dinner and though we all ate the same thing, I could not have the rice. I really love my rice. It is tough.

Today, I was hungry. I ate well but was hungry. Although, I am not sure that I am hungry or just craving something I know I can't have. I want my carbs. I want crackers and chips. Oh bread sounds so good too. I can do this. I know I can...

{Fitness Corner} Whole Life Challenge

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 04:36:00 +0000

I know that nutrition is the only way I am going to lose that extra 5 lbs. of baby weight. I've always known that it is about nutrition. Even my CrossFit trainers tell me that I can do all the WODs, but without the nutrition I won't see the best results. I'll get results but nutrition will get me much farther along.

Our crossfit gym is participating in the Whole Life Challenge. It is an 8 week online challenge beginning on September 15, that focuses not only on nutrition, but the a life style change including working out and mobility. I've decided that this is the challenge I need to make the changes I want in nutrition. This challenge will keep me accountable. The diet part will be the hardest part of the challenge and constitutes the majority of the challenge. There are points that can be earned each day and the most points are for the nutrition portion. The diet that the challenge follows is a Paleo-like diet, which means no grains, no corn or soy, no dairy, no alcohol, soda, or juice, and no artificial or processed foods. For me the hardest things will be the grains and dairy. I have been trying to limit my bread intake, but with this challenge I will have to totally eliminate it. That also means no rice for this Asian girl. I have stopped drinking milk, so that is fine, but greek yogurt and cottage cheese have been a big part of my diet. I guess eliminating cheese is a good thing since I love cheese so much and it can be a weakness. It is not a strict Paleo diet, but it is Paleo-like.

I am doing this to become more fit. I made the decision to make fitness a priority again and this will help me get back on track. Diet and nutrition have always been my largest struggle. I love to workout and be active but I also love to eat. So I have never been one to diet or stay on one. So I am hoping that I cam make a habit of eating right and making healthy choices. I think the whole life challenge will be the push I need to stick to it and improve my nutrition.

I hope to get stronger, I hope to lose some weight, I hope to feel better about myself and my body, and I hope to improve my nutrition and diet overall.

We'll see how it goes...

{Fitness Corner} Back on Track (again) and doing Crossfit

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 06:05:00 +0000

I am back... It has been some time since I have actually really posted on this blog. Life has been quite busy. Health and fitness has always been important to me and since having Baby Bear 3 years ago, I have been doing my best to get back to my pre-pregnancy body. Well, I tried to do it on my own, there have been many attempts but I have not been successful. I workout on a regular basis and eat decently, but I have not been seeing any results or changes. I do fit into most of my pre-pregnancy clothing but I am not comfortable wearing the form fitting clothing that I used to wear since I am still trying to get rid of those last 5 lbs of baby weight that won't seem to budge.

I decided that I needed to do something, Baby Bear is now 3 years old and I don't have any really excuses except for trying to find time. Life is busy as a working mother with a toddler. Well, I decided it was time to force myself to find the time and really focus on getting back on track. Doing things on my own was not enough and not making an impact. I worked out on a regular schedule but I wasn't seeing any results. I had done bootcamp to get in shape for my wedding and I know that working out with others and having that regular push really helped me and pushed me to keep going. Plus knowing that I shelled out money for it kept me on it.

So in late June (just after Baby Bear's 3rd birthday), I decided to join a crossfit gym close to home. I though about doing bootcamp again like I had before, but I also heard a bit about crossfit, so I decided to do a little research (can't help it, after all I am a psychologist who does research for a living). As I did my research, I liked what crossfit had to offer me and opted to give it a shot.

What is crossfit?

From Wikipedia: CrossFit describes its strength and conditioning program as “constantly varied, high intensity, functional movement," with the stated goal of improving fitness (and therefore general physical preparedness), which it defines as "work capacity across broad time and modal domains." Workouts are typically short—20 minutes or less—and intense, demanding all-out physical exertion. They combine movements such as sprinting, rowing, jumping rope, climbing rope, weightlifting, and carrying odd objects; they use barbells, dumbbells, gymnastics rings, pull-up bars, kettlebells, medicine balls, and many bodyweight exercises. These elements are mixed in numerous combinations to form prescribed "Workouts of the Day" or "WODs."

Compared to bootcamp, crossfit offered smaller classes and more of a community of people to workout with. Also, tracking and logging your progress is strongly encouraged. Being the data driven person that I am that really appealed to me so that I can see evidence of my progress.

So I am in month 2 of crossfit and loving it. I love that the workouts or WODs can be modified or scale to my personal level, the classes are small and the trainers at my crossfit gym are awesome and really work with you to ensure you have the right form and basics. I am constantly challenged. I haven't done the same workout twice quite yet. I feel stronger and I love the intensity of the workout and just feel great at the end of WOD. Beat and tired, but great and kind of proud that I made it through the workout.

I have seen progress from just the regular warm-up routine which consists of 3 rounds of 30 seconds of reps of pull ups, push ups, sit ups, and air squats. I've done push ups, sit ups, and squats with no problem. But pull ups, those are tough. So I started with the bands to assist me. I started with really thick green bands and after a few weeks, the trainers moved me to the next level (bands with less resistance). And just last week, the trainers moved me to the next level. I feel stronger with my pull ups. It will be a while before I can do a pull up without the assistance of the bands, but I am working towards it. Crossfit has been great for me in this short time. So far I love it.

{Creativer Corner} Teacher end-of-the year gifts

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Wed, 16 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Today is the last day of Baby Bear's first year of preschool. To thank the teachers for an amazing year, I put together some teacher gifts to show them how much we appreciate them. We absolutely love Baby Bear's teachers.

This was inspired from this blog, where you can also download the tags. Since I really didn't have time to design my own tags this time around, this was a nice and easy gift to put together. The cups included a Jamba Juice gift card, M&Ms, and Jelly Belly candies. I wanted to get them soemthing that would be useful for them. So I hope they enjoy them. I know that the Christmas gifts that we gave them get good use; I see the coffee cups at school being used often. They need to keep hydrated during our warm summers and they work summer school through the summer, so these seemed like they would get some use.

{Creative Corner} Princess Tulle Wands

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Wed, 02 May 2012 05:02:00 +0000

For Baby Bear's preschool fundraiser I decided to make the princess wands instead of buying the cheap plastic ones. Look at what I made...

I think they turned out pretty good. I use the tutorial from this blog. They are very easy to make, I think any little girl will love this.

{Creative Corner} DIY Easter garland

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 03:52:00 +0000

I decided to do little Easter decorating. I was inspired by something I had pinned on Pinterest, which was inspired from this blog.

It is very easy and inexpensive to make. I bought 2 bags of plastic eggs from Party City. I used some yarn I had on hand and some extra ribbon I had laying around. I threaded the yarn through the little holes in the tops and bottoms of the eggs (which make the threading oh-so-easy). Then tied some ribbon in between the eggs. Voila, an Easter garland. Total cost was just under $2 since all I had to buy were the plastic eggs.

My birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 05:56:00 +0000

My birthday was a couple days ago. It was a busy month, with getting sick and then Baby Bear getting really sick. Then just last weekend was the conference that I had been planning for the last year as one of the co-organizers. So I was literally exhausted when the end of February came around. Well my birthday just happens to be the end of February. Usually it is the last day of the month on February 28th, but this year is a leap year. I figure that my birthday doesn't end until it is March 1, so on leap year I get to celebrate for TWO days! There is a story behind that: One year my mom called me a day late to wish me a happy birthday and it was a leap year, so she told me that she wasn't late, I get to celebrate for an extra day. So I have just always gone with it.

Because I was so tired and in need of some me time, I took the two days off and pampered myself with a massage and facial. It was awesome! I had a very relaxing birthday and it was a great way to celebrate the completion of the hard work I had put in on the conference. I am surely glad that the conference came before my birthday; otherwise I would have had to work through my birthday. It was a great day or two :)

{Creative Corner} Valentines for school

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:37:00 +0000

I made some Valentine's for Baby Bear's classmates and friends. Goldfish crackers wrapped up in little wrappers that I designed and made myself. A simple valentine.

For the Valentines for teachers, I was inspired by something I found on pinterest that led me to this blog. So I made my own version.

{Creative Corner} DIY Christmas trees

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 06:06:00 +0000

Another Christmas craft I created. I was inspired by Living Locurto.

{Creative Corner} DIY Advent Calendar

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 08:02:00 +0000

On December 1st we began our advent calendar. I was inspired by Martha Stewart and made a stocking advent calendar.

We have enjoyed counting the days and getting a stocking each day. It is fun way to count down to Christmas.

{Creative Corner} Crafty Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (sherthebear) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:12:00 +0000

I have neglected this blog for sometime. I am so sorry blog. I've spent more time blogging with Baby Bear and not much for me. I recently gave in and joined pinterest. It is a great website where many other bloggers share their ideas and crafts. Here are a few things I have been inspired to make.

I made these cards for Baby Bear's teachers (inspired by eighteen25) and packaged it along with a coffee cup and some treats (I forgot to get a picture of the final product) as a holiday gift.

For Baby Bear's class mates, I made these little cards that they could color along with a few crayons. Here is a picture of the inside of the card.