Crocheting and Calories

This is more of a personal post, just thought I'd warn you up front and don't worry. I won't post a ton of weight-loss and fitness stuff. Just wanted to share my heart a little. 

I'd talked the other day about crochet goals, business goals, and family goals. 

Monday I decided I needed to make some healthy goals for myself. It seems so obvious to make a weight loss challenge in January but see I've not tried in years. Really basically since I had my kids and gained too much weight. Life got busy, business was good and I didn't really make time to really focusing on me, but I think that is okay for that season in my life. There comes a time when you have to dig down and work on yourself too! 

Hubby is pretty active and working to get fit, so it's my time to get off that couch! 

Goal one. Turn that TV off! 

- Netflix is a time suck seriously! I mean we all want to bing watch our favorite shows and it's easy to do when you have to crochet!

 I'm turning to music or just enjoying the quite, thinking & praying instead. 

Goal two. Eat & Drink healthy. 

I HATE to cook and bake. I don't enjoy it and everyone in my house is so picky. So trying new things isn't something we enjoy, but I think we can make it work. I'm going to do a lot more shopping on those outer isles of the grocery store and avoid the many isles of food that don't need to be eaten. 

My mom does a lot of smoothies so I'm going to try more smoothies too! I made some green ones today. Calleigh and I both enjoyed our yummy healthy breakfast! 

I tend to really only drink coffee and water so that's not really hard to change. I've not really been drinking pop for about a year. Just one occasionally and its usually diet. I'm finding I've lost my taste for pop! Flavored water is what gets me through! 

Goal Three: Activity and Exercise

I'm trying to get at least 30 minutes a day of activity! I'm very very out of shape! You know what I do because I HATE Gyms and I'm a homebody! I use my X-Box Kinect! I love the Adventure game! It gets me moving. It's silly I know but I have to enjoy what I'm doing. Calleigh likes to join in with me too! If it's not exercise then I don't know why my legs feel like noodles today! LOL. It's a start to get me moving!! 

I have some other work out games I'm going to wash the dust off and try again too! 

We didn't have a lot of space for this before but I do now so no excuses with this new house! 

What's making this easier for me?

Hubby got us both Bracelets called FitBit. I thought it was silly at first but I really think it's a tool that will help keep me in check and I always have a reminder on my arm! 

The bracelet keeps track of your steps. You can set up reminders and alarms and it vibrates. 

With the App I track all my food, water, & activities. So now I have a plan to count calories, know what I've burned and see how many I have left. I also set up a plan just for me. 

I have goals and it helps me track them from the app on my phone or online. 

It's social too because I can add friends, like my hubby. I even found a group with crocheters who also do fitbit! 

Just incase your wondering you do burn calories while you crochet! I couldn't find the exact number but it ranges from 100-200 per hour. I'm sure that just depends on what you are making. 

Well that's my goals! So far I've lost 2bls. but it's only the beginning of a long journey! I'll keep you posted when I hit some major goals! I need cheerleaders!! 

So feel free to leave motivational comments, encouragement's or share your story! I'd love to hear about it! 

Need to Organize?

After I posted all those 2014 goals I have yesterday I think I forgot one goal! Now that the crazy holiday season is past it might be time to tackle my craft room! It's a bit of a disaster and took quite a hit! I have yarn everywhere, unorganized. I have random projects laying about that need to be finished or find new homes. 

(I will be posting a de-stash sale soon.....as soon as I get organized, items and maybe yarn, if I can bare to part with it. {raise a hand if your a yarn hoarder}) 

When we moved in May/June I was so excited about this space. So much room and I was going to keep it top notch! See it looks so nice here. Everything had a place! 

Now look at this disaster! Inside of some of those cubbies are yarn tornados! I really need to wind some of my partially used skeins! 

My desk is usually clean. I do all my shipping here! Labels, packaging and organizing! 

(Although someone should really take out all that paper trash by the desk...)

For Christmas I did do a little shopping with Thrity-One! I have lots totes and more fun items from them and I love it! 

I got this hanging organizer to help me better keep track of orders, receipts, patterns (which I rarely print) and many other things. I'm going to add a calendar and labels that will help me better plan. I usually just fly by the seat of the pants but I think with a little organization and planning this can be an awesome 2014. 

So how is your crafty space? Does it need help? I'm going to make a post on my Facebook page and I want you to share a picture of how you organize? If you don't have Facebook just post a pic to twitter instagram and tag  #Calleighsclips (that's my name for both) I can't wait to see your pics and tips! 

5 of My Personal Crochet Goals for 2014

I don't normally make new years resolutions. Which is kinda sad but it don't like to make goals I know I can't keep but I've realized if I don't make goals I won't grow as a person or business! The world of Crochet is large and even with my experience there is so much more to learn! Here are a few things I'd like to accomplish this year.

1. Learn a new crochet technic!

 Last year I wanted to learn Bavarian Crochet & Broom Stick Lace. I learned the basics of both but I don't have a project to show for them yet. My Bavarian Crochet Blanket is still in process. When I learned Broom Stick Lace is was just by chance. I had joined a mystery crochet along but I never finished. I just got to busy with other things. 

What I want to accomplish this year is to learn and finish a project in Tunisian crochet. 

2. Write more patterns!  

I have a million ideas in my notebook. I want to try to stay original and unique. 

Which can be hard in a growing work of crochet artists. 

3. I'd like to try to get a pattern published 

in a popular crochet magazine or with a popular yarn company. 

I've been doing some investigating and I'm excited about the possibilities. 

I was beyond thrilled when I had a pattern accepted with my freelance work for Hobby Lobby (Holy Cowl) and it's always fun to do the Crochet a Day Calendar each year but I want to take that next step as a designer. 

4. Blog more! 

If you haven't noticed I've been blogging almost daily. I'm doing a really awesome crochet blogging challenge to start 2014 off on the right foot and I've learned so much! I won't likely blog everyday after January but I want to try to do it at least 2-3 days a week! 

More tutorials, patterns and crochet tips to come!!! 

5. Donations, Charity and Prayer.

I've worked on donating some hats each year to preemies organizations and I'd really like to check into doing it more local in our area hospitals. I have a lot of little skeins of yarn that can be quickly make into darling little hats. I'd like to set a goal to make a certain amount each month. I bet I could do over 100 - 200 this year. Thats just about 2-4 a week. 

Someone recently mentioned in my facebook group of praying for little ones while they make special blankets. I'm a Christian and I do believe in the power of prayer! I think that during these special hat making times it would be a great time to pray for the special little babies and families that would receive these hats! I just think of all the mindless tv I watch while I crochet and I think this could be a better use of some of that time. Thinking of others! I'm going to write more on this soon! 

So do you have any Crochet Goals for 2014?

Where have I been?

Hi - Okay so I just realized I've not blogged several weeks and for a very good reason. I never imagined when getting started with the critter cape idea that it would take off so well. I went from getting a couple orders a weeks to 10-15 orders for finished products and 100s of pattern sales. The best way to describe it is I'll have been on Etsy a year on July 20th. I'm at 815 sales and 750 ish of those were in the past two months. Now most of those are pattern sales but still it's completely amazing to me.

This little turtle has been on fire. I've literally sold one every day since I listed it (sometimes more). It made it's way on pinterest and has spread like crazy.

I'm kinda tired of turtles.....LOL but I'm not complaining. 

I'm kinda hoping to reach 1000 etsy sales by July 20th so I can say I did it in a year! 

So to help I have a pattern sale going on.

You can get any 3 of my crochet patterns for $9.00 it's basically buy two get one free. 

You can purchase this via etsy 

If you want to help me reach my goal you can also just purchase two patterns and tell me which one you want for free. ;) 

Thanks so much for your support on this crazy adventure the past two months. I'm so looking forward to busy season for fall/winter. So remember if you really want something soon or even Christmas don't wait to long because my wait time is already 3-4 weeks and I'll start teaching piano again in a month so I'll be so much more busy! 

Have a great weekend!