FFF: Fit, Fine, & Fabulous

When I started blogging, I actually had a blog with the same name as the title of this post.  I had just gotten the news that I was pre-diabetic.  I was more than 200lbs (although it didn’t show so much) and needed to lose weight.  Somewhere along the line, things got better health wise, I learned to knit, then my primary focus on health and fitness waned and moved to crafting.

But now my interest in blogging about health is back.  I’m just going to add those posts as part of the life tagline, but crafting  (not just yarn purchasing) will still be happening here.  😀

Last Sunday, I was awakened early in the morning (around 2 am) with the feeling like my scalp was on fire!  I tried to soothe it with tea tree oil but that just made it worse.  When I checked in my mirror, I realised I was having a psoriasis attack.  I haven’t had one of these in forever.  I’ve had minor outbreaks over the years, but the last time I really struggled with this was when I had thyroid cancer (2005).  I’m trusting that I’m fine now, but the experience reminded me that health is precious although sometimes precarious and it’s in my best interest to do what I can while I can.

I’d started reading this book Opal sent me a few weeks ago, this one I bought at a book fair a few years ago and also this one my mom gave me when I was going through that cancer situation.  The second book has a recipe for those suffering from psoriasis; my symptoms were so bad, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose.  I kid you not, as my body absorbed the juices, my scalp burning stopped — and did so for the rest of the week.  I had mild itching, but that ridiculous burning was no more.  I juiced the recipe a few more times during the week and by the end of the week, even the itching had subsided significantly.

There are times when conventional treatment is what we need, but I’m a firm believer in alternative treatment.  So with that, I begin my new fit, fine and fabulous journey.  The FFF posts will contain juicing and other recipes, fitness tips, budget fashion tips (cause we deserve to be fabulous no matter our size, health or income), health tips and DIY recipes related to body care and wellness.  At some point, I’ll post my before and after pics, but I will not be weighing myself.  I’m more interested in losing inches, counting nutrients over calories, losing body fat while building muscle over obsessing about the scale.

So to jump-start this effort, here’s something for you:

source

I’d love to hear what you think about this new series on the blog so feel free to let me know in the comments.

Cheers to healthy living for all of us!   Let me know if you’re working on your own personal journey; there’s strength in numbers so we can all be each others’ cheerleaders. <3.

Crafty Doings: Old & New …

I guess I should do a round up like everyone else right?  LOLOL!  As I went through my stuff, I did more things than I remembered; that was pretty exciting for me since I feel like a crafting bum.  But I guess as they say … they proof is in the pudding so here it is … 😛

This year, I:

  • Dyed yarn
  • Made body products
  • Crocheted a cowl that was gifted
  • Made a hat
  • Started my first sock
  • Made my first sweater
  • Experimented making clay ornaments
  • Messed around with fabric painting
  • Crocheted coasters
  • Blinged out some felt
  • Messed around with some tunisian crochet
  • Did my first test knit/crochet — made love bombs for this talented lady
  • Made stitch markers
  • Swatched my first adult sweater
  • I introduced my newest knitting mascot — Pablo Shenanigans while working on a basic cowl.  I need to add some single crochet to the edges to finish this baby.  I’ll do that while I’m home this week!
  • and I even cranked up my sewing machine to make a rice heat pack as a swap gift (which incidentally is the last installment in my craft book challenge this year).

Rice Heat PakNot too shabby but I know with some better time management I could have done more.  Now that I’ve cranked up the sewing machine, I want to do more stitching.  God help me.  I don’t need another rabbit hole to fall down.

For 2014, I want to:

  • Work through the entire Simple Collection from TincanKnits

  • Complete at least 20 projects / 14 new techniques via knitting and crochet.  These techniques include thrumming, colourwork (fair isle and intarsia), conquering knitting in the round with dpns and magic loop, cables (don’t find them hard just never completed a project with cables), lace, garment construction.
  • Include in the 20 projects at least 2 sweaters, 2 shawlettes, 2 pairs of socks and a blanket or two.
  • Try … I said try … 😛 .. to make at least 25 handmade decorations for my Christmas tree for use Christmas 2014 (g.w)
  • Reacquaint myself with Violet aka Vivi (my sewing machine named by my cousin Anita.  Yeah I know … all my toys and tools have names.  What?!!!!  Don’t yours? LOLOL!).  Stitch some potholders, a set of table mats and a swing coat (yes, I said a coat).  My sewist extraordinaire BFF gave me a pattern 3 years ago that she expects to be completed this year.  No exceptions.  Oye vey the pressure!!!!  😀
  • Spin at least 10 braids of roving in 2014.
  • Complete at least two cross-stitch pieces.
  • Leave #teamstartitis and join #teamFO
  • Practice some monogamous crafting instead of starting all the thingz!
  • Stop saving free patterns on Ravelry.  I’ll never be able to make all the thingz; I need to focus on the wonderful patterns I have already in my library.
  • Schedule crafting days and stick to said schedule. Poor time management stopped me from crafting as much as I could have in 2013.

It’s an ambitious list, especially given the fact that my commute takes up four hours of my day and work renders me useless once I leave the office most days.  But I have to intentionally do the things that benefit me and make me feel good and crafting does that.

Think I’m crazy?  That’s okay!  Just hold this list over my head when I start whining about.   how tired and frustrated I am!  Seriously … I’d love you forever if you don’t let me slack off.  😀  It’s high time for me to move from newbie status to intermediate — for crochet, knitting and general crafting.  And the only way I can do that is to craft, craft, craft!!!!

What are your crafty resolution for the upcoming year?