Sweet Baby Boy...

This child is precious... here are a few unedited pictures of the little guy from this morning.

Meet Leon... 

Cute doesn't even begin to describe this munchkin, he's just plain old precious, really. 

- Rachael 

Make-Up Brush Tool Belt *DIY*

This is probably one of my favorite DIY projects to date. It's easy, it's cute, it's utilitarian and it cost me absolutely nothing. I had all of the materials I needed already...

I work on the side doing hair and make-up for formal events, mainly weddings but I've done a few things with theater groups as well... anyone who's ever messed around with make-up knows that having a method of organization is imperative. That is, unless you enjoy looking like the Mary Kay version of The Nutty Professor which is probably how I end up coming across half the time. 

Back on track...I needed an organization method, so I decided to tackle a brush belt. 

What you'll need:

3 pieces of fabric - sizes 24x12, 24x8,  and 24x7 inches. 

Thread 

Scissors 

A sash/belt 

This is the basic idea...

The pieces should layer on top of one another like they do in the diagram...the inches aren't exact, you just need the general shape to be on target. 

The next step will involve folding the top 2 inches of piece 1 down and sewing to create a hole for your sash.... like this

From the side, after sewing it should look like this... 

Ignore my alien fingers in this picture, please. 

Your next step is to take the next piece of fabric - one size down, and sew it on top of piece #1, like this...

Now you're going repeat that step with piece 3 as well...I went ahead and stitched the perimeter of each layer individually because I wanted it to be very sturdy. 

Sew piece three on top of piece 1 and 2. 

Here's the fun part...you get to pick the sizes of your pockets. I probably enjoyed this way too much... I ended up just sewing a random assortment of sizes from the width of a pencil to a few inches wide - or at least wide enough to hold a makeup compact or a hair brush. 

At this point, all you have to do is find a sash - I had an old black silk scarf I used and load it with brushes! 

In action:

Awkward knees, yay.

xoxo,

Rae 

p.s.  If you want to re-post this tutorial, feel free - just credit it back to my blog! 

Previous Blog

I wanted to link back to my old blog just because I had a few DIY posts and thrifting tips I thought might be useful if you feel like having a look... 

http://thethriftypennies.blogspot.com/

xoxo,

Rachael 

Oh, the places you'll go.

P90X Review

I'm on day 43(ish) of P90X, this is my second time around - first time actually trying to stick to the diet.

Round of applause, please.

The first thing that popped in my head to say about P90X is that dieting is hard. Food isn't the most important thing to me, I wouldn't call myself a real foodie, but I've discovered that I really have a thing for sugar. And butter. And chocolate. Those things don't fit into Tony Horton's idea of nutrition and since I've committed to doing this thing, it's my job to do Tony's bidding. From not smashing my face to avoiding Coke, Tony's word is law.

Here are a few thoughts pertaining to this whole P90X thing...

Weight Lifting or In Other Words, Will I Turn Into a Muscle Chunk?
The weight lifting videos are golden. The variety of moves is really great and makes it nearly impossible to not get a good workout in. You have to make a conscious effort not to burn calories to do this without feeling it. Tony Horton talks about the concept of "muscle confusion" which works as a great selling point because it sounds snazzy and cool - like Tony made a hip discovery and you should really listen up. The reality is that because of the variety in the exercise regime your muscles are being forced to work in different ways promoting strength, toning/growth depending on the weights you use and if you diet properly - fat loss. The variety also helps prevent a plateau or in basic terms - it prevents your muscles from getting bored.
These workouts are great for tightening, toning and building muscle. For those women who are worried about "bulking up" - the short answer is that you won't. Women's bodies are simply not designed to gain as much muscle as a man's so it's basically impossible to end your 90 days looking like a viking warlord unless you're on steroids. The long answer is that although you won't turn into Van-Helga, you must still pay attention to what you're eating if you want significant changes. The first round of P90X I paid no attention to what I ate and ended up feeling very...heavy. I gained weight in muscle but didn't feel like I lost much fat at all which was disappointing, diet is important.

Cardio:
Plyometrics is crazy...that stuff is not for the faint of heart. If you have knee issues, you might wanna hang this one up. It's intense and burns some major calories, my perspective is that if you can make it through Yoga and Plyometrics then you can do this program. Every single cardio workout is worthwhile. I have a few I really don't care much for...I honestly can't stand the Kenpo video, besides the fact that it almost always falls on a Saturday, I can't help feeling like a spaz 90 % of the time. It's a humbling experience. They're worth pushing through though and modification is always a good idea if you can't tackle the whole thing - just push through what you can and make choices that will avoid and prevent injury.

Diet: 
This is tough. The results you get with P90X and with any workout really are 20% exercise and 80% diet.

I cannot stress enough the importance of clean eating in getting results with this thing...

 It really is hard to break the bad eating habit, it's also difficult to avoid crappy foods given the fact that America isn't exactly known for it's healthy diet choices. The basics you need to keep in mind are as follows: unhealthy food is addictive. If you constantly eat it, you'll constantly want it. Breaking that addiction is done the same way you would break any other kind of addiction, you avoid it. Sometimes weaning yourself off is easier, but for me I had to cut it totally. Sugar is my biggest area of struggle so I eat natural sugars, fruits, honey, agave nectar and stevia but processed sugar is totally out for me at this point. Since I'm allergic to wheat, staying away from basic carbs wasn't and isn't that difficult. If I want carbs I can have oatmeal or brown rice and have the complex carbs portion of the diet covered, that being said I can definitely see how this portion of the diet would be tough for someone accustomed to chowing down on pastas and breads. You just have to knuckle down and commit to the diet for a 4 week period and you'll see some changes that will motivate you to stick with the program.

Random Tips:
Avoid the scale. Please...stay away from the scale. The mindset should be to focus on inches mainly, not how much the scale moves on a daily basis. That won't do anything but depress you because of how much it can change after one meal or a night of sleep. Weight fluctuates too much to depend on in a brief span of time.
Take time to focus on your food. Since your diet is going to be strict, make sure you're investing enough time in it to keep you interested and willing to stick to it. You're allowed to get creative and enjoy the process of learning to make foods that are good for you. This is about changing your lifestyle more than it is about deciding to just "be fit" for 90 days. You have to commit to fueling your body with healthy foods but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy them. That reminds me...yummy recipe for a chocolate milkshake coming up.
Be consistent. Don't allow yourself to do certain things before you work out if that's what it takes. Stay consistent with your exercises and don't skip days. One day turns into two, three, ten.. it just gets harder to hit play again from that point on. Life happens, work, friends, parties, babies being born in your dining room... I know, but keep in mind that exercise is good for you not just physically but mentally as well. It's a wise choice, don't put it off.


My Stats:
I've lost a solid inch around my waist in the last month, I've gone from being able to do 2 or 3 push-ups to doing 25+ without a problem. I feel better, I don't get headaches every day now from sugar deprivation (the first two weeks were awful, terrible withdrawals from processed sugars), my calves have gained a quarter inch, my thighs have lost the same amount.

Also, there are now veins that pop out in my forearms and hands. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about that last thing. Still processing. I'll get back with you...

I'm totally up for questions, so if you think of any send me a message or comment and I'll do my best to answer!


 Rae