Who else is lovin' the Olympics?!

I know I sure am! I've got my DVR set to record every minute of it! I don't even dream that I'll watch all of it, but I want to be able to turn on the TV and have it on immediately.  I'm so proud of all the athletes that have been performing their best and I just love seeing what the human body can accomplish!

The surprising thing of this year's games has been how much I haven't really cared who was winning. Normally I am so Team USA, but this year I have just been happy to watch the joy on the faces of the winners, regardless of nationality. Of course, I'm rooting for Team USA, but I'm not mad if we lose.

My favorites athletes for these games have been Allison Schmitt and Danell Leyva. Allison is so positive and bubbly, it's hard not to like her. And Danell Leyva had an amazing comeback, jumping from 5th to 3rd place in only two events. Amazing. And to see him with his Dad is just touching!

Photo found at slate.com

But all that aside, I think watching this year's Olympic Games has motivated me to train a little harder. Who says I couldn't do that? I don't ever think I'll ever have a desire to compete on the international level at anything (except maybe couch surfing or baby kissing), but who's to say that I couldn't compete in my races or any chosen sport to the best of my ability. No one. And it's made me want to strap on my shoes, throw the kiddo in the jogging stroller and go all out crazy with my running! I think that coupled with the fact that I clocked my fastest 5k pace since high school (11:20 min/mile) the other day really have got me excited again about TYR. So here's to the next 14 weeks of training and gettin' my run on!

No-Slip Headbands

So, my wonderful friend Shelly gave me the most wonderful headband for Christmas last year. It had velvet on the inside, so it wouldn't slip off your head. I cannot tell you how frustrating it is to have those little wispies floating in your eyes while you're running or exercising. Likewise, it's annoying to have to readjust a headband mid-workout.  So when I discovered these headbands, I was over the moon. I went to the store and bought another one, but was a little taken aback when I saw how much they were charging (14.95). When I looked at the headband, all it seemed to be was a pretty ribbon on top, velvet ribbon on the back and an elastic. So, I set out to make one of my own.

With all the choices in ribbons, the possibilities are endless!

The velvet on inside keeps this headband in place

I think they turned our pretty great and seriously, you can head bang in these and they won't budge. You should definitely think about making yourself one! You don't even need to use them for exercising! You could put it in your hair in the morning and not have to fiddle with it for the rest of the day.

All you need is:

• Spool (or spools!) of a ribbon you like (I wouldn't use a sheer, but everything else seems to work pretty well)
• At least 15 inches of velvet ribbon in a coordinating color (if you're having a hard time finding velvet ribbon in your local craft store, you can find some here)
• 1/4 inch braided elastic (at least 6 inches)
• Coordinating thread

To start off, measured out all of my pieces. My headband ribbon ended up being around 14.5 inches and my elastic was about 6, but measure the ribbon around your head from behind one ear to the other. Stretch out the ribbon in the back to your comfort level. Mine ended up being around 6 inches. If you're unsure about your measurements, leave a little extra and you can adjust it later.

Next, fold the ends of both the ribbon and the velvet about a quarter of an inch under so you have a nice finished edge when you're done. Sew those ends under so you don't have to worry about them popping up later. You don't have to do this step, but I find the going easier later on if you do it.

Then, pin the velvet to your ribbon and slide the elastic into one of the ends and pin. Sew a down one side, around the bottom where you've pinned the elastic and up the other side. Stop at the corner, and slide the elastic into the pocket between the ribbon and velvet. Sew across the last side. Try on your headband to make sure it fits. If you need, pick out the stitches and adjust your elastic and sew it back in. Back stitch over the elastic once you've got it just right to really anchor it in there on both ends and then you're done!

Wear that bad boy with pride while you're sweatin' your guts out!

I am boring right now

So right now, my life is pretty boring. I wake up with Evie, play with her all day and then go to bed and do it all again. I've had no motivation to do anything crafty or try to finish organizing my craft space downstairs. Currently it's a mess and I just can't seem to get motivated to do something about it. I think a large part of that comes from my tiredness (all I want to do is sleep... don't judge). And part of it comes from the fact that I just haven't figured out how to balance being a mom and loving on my little girl with the day to day upkeep on the house. Currently, the house gets progressively dirtier and dirtier until Matt starts really complaining about it or we have someone coming over and then I clean like crazy. I look at all the other moms who seem to have it all figure out and wonder how they got there. Part of me thinks I'll never get there and I'll just have to live in a dirty house, but part of me thinks there's some secret that I'm missing. Oh well, I suppose I'll figure it out eventually.

On an unrelated note, I noticed I haven't posted any recipes lately and thought I should share this one (it's a good one too!) that I got from my Uncle Scott. I love this salad! I would never have thought they herbs de provence would work in something like this, but it does. It's really scrumptious! I know you'll love it!

Avocado Black Bean Salad

Juice and zest 1 lemon
Salt and pepper
1 tsp herbs de provence
1/4 cup olive oil

2 avocados coarsley diced  (make dressing first, add avocados first to prevent browning)

1 - can black beans
1 - can whole corn
Drain and rinse  beans and corn. Allow to drain well.  ( should be as dry as possible)  Add to dressing.

1/4 to 1/2 red onion, sliced as thin as possible. Cover with water in shallow bowl, add 2 tbsp sugar,stir,let sit for at least 30 min. Drain,bot don,t rinse, fold into the rest.

 

CANADA

Here are my favorites from my Canada trip. We had so much fun visiting family and it was wonderful spending time with my parents. We definitely will need to go back again soon. 10 years is too long to wait between visits! So, let's commence the photo onslaught!

Four generation photo - Grandpa Dudley is my last living grandparent, so I thought I should snap this while I still could

Pictures from Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump. Pretty cool place. And Matt's solution to a windy day with Evie asleep in the stroller

This is the actual jump.

The view from the cliff was incredible!

Pictures from the carriage ride my Dad and I took at the Remington Carriage Museum in Cardston. The mountain in the background is Old Chief. It's an iconic part of that area.

My Mom and Aunt Lori were cackling about something.

Clockwise from top left: Cool solar lamp in my aunt's garden, Uncle Larry making Dasiy dance for her treats, My Dad and his sister Shannon and her girl Sarah, Dad and Matt with the swollen Bow river in the background, Evie taking a bath in the super awesome sink at Aunt Lori's, Evie wrapping Uncle Larry around her finger

I love the picture I caught of Matt sneezing in front of the Cardston temple.

Such a great picture.

Flowers, flowers, flowers... Lettuce! ... Flowers

Arrr, matey, don't be stealin' me chew rings!

These were at the botanical gardens at the Calgary Zoo. So beautiful!

Animals at the zoo

Butterflies, a peahen and some gorgeous poppies.

My Mom and Dad's reactions to "Smile!" and then, the apple of their eyes.

These poppies had just "popped" that night and the petals looked like crinkled tissue paper. Pretty cool.

The crowning jewel of all the temples (in my opinion)

I just loved this snapshot.

Well, let's just say it was a full two weeks in Canada and I'm so glad we went. (But I'm also glad we're home) We had such a great time and hopefully we'll go again soon!