Summer Time Happenings

So hey everyone!  I'm still alive:)  I  know, I know, I haven't posted in FOREVER:)

Lately it's been quite busy.  Recently, I started cleaning at my grandma's house, and then the next week I also started cleaning at my neighbors.  Tara is doing that with me.  We do weekly cleaning, so I think we're going to try and do the cleaning on Thursday's and Friday's whenever we can. 

Around Memorial Day, I started exercising.  I've been running and also doing a walking DVD.  I kind of try to do one in the morning and the other in the evening, but sometimes I'll end up doing the DVD both times:)  Hey, it's still exercising, anyways:)  I really enjoy running at Moulton though, if I can get mom to bring us.  To run one way it's 2.5 miles.  For the first time ever, I ran 5 miles, a week or 2 ago.  By the end I was hardly moving, but I did run the whole way, even if I did go slow:)

Our flower bed is just full of pretty, blooming flowers!!  

 

And tomorrow morning we're leaving to go camping!!  So we've been getting ready for that.  This morning I made huckleberry sauce for huckleberry crepes for camping . . . can't  wait to have them because they're going to be soooo DELICIOUS!!

 

I actually have done some baking lately:)  Last week I made these cinnamon rolls.

And I actually did some sewing again!  I want to start up my Etsy shop again.  I just need to get  some pictures of some stuff and then start posting it.  This is the bag I just made . . .

Well, hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!!

Aimee Jaylene

 

The Hardest Step

 

{found on Pinterest}

 

It's true, not just for running, but exercising in general.  Once you get out there and get going, it's not too bad.  I actually am like I'll just do this much, and then I'm like I can do more than that, so I do.  I'm just glad that I do at least something . . . hope it will last, because it's true, the hardest step is the first step out the door, and if you don't get out the door, you don't do anything!!

Have a great day!!

Tutorial: Making an Embellished Folder w/ Handmade Tangs

When Tara & I started exercising, we needed something to keep track of our exercise, weight, etc., to make sure we were doing what we were supposed to.  I went to where all the school supplies are kept to try to find a folder with tangs, but there was only blank folders with pockets on each side, no tangs.  So I decided to make my own.

What you need:

Blank folder

3 long brads (so they'll hold more paper)

Scrapbooking paper

Pen

Ribbon

Staples

Any other embellishments to decorate

Extra tools:

Ruler

Some sort of sharp edged point (like a pin - I have a scrapbooking thing)

1. Take a ruler and measure your folder to find the lengh.  Decide how far away from the edges you want your edge brads, and then from that, find the center spot.

2.  Mark the spots you found in part one with a pen.

3.  Using the sharp edged point tool, poke a hole through just the front of the folder.

4.  Use your scrapbook paper and cut/tear out to desired size.  Glue/tape onto the folder in desired area.  You may want to use a lively scrapbook paper - then you won't even have to embellish it hardly to make it cute:)

5. From the inside of the folder, using your sharp edged point tool, poke through the scrapbook paper.  From the front, put your brads through the holes and close them.

6.  Using a stapler, take a length of ribbon and measuring with your pen, staple the ribbon in place so the pen will fit in place.  This way, you'll always have a pen with your folder so you won't have to go searching around for a pen to use.

7.  Embellish your folder in any other desired way.

8.  Make holes in the proper part of the paper you want to put in the tangs of the folder and put them in your folder.

And that's it - you're done!!!

This is, I know, a simple tutorial, but it's also very helpful when you don't have any folders with tangs around when you need them!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!  I don't want to go back to school Monday, but I guess I have to anyways:)

*Linking up to Linky Parties on my side bar.*

Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies & Other Great News!!!

Last night I made Peppermint Candy Cane Brownies for at my Aunt Ramona's today (My mom, grandma, and aunts were organizing old pictures of my grandma's to put in albums and write down who the people were).  I had fun, taking a walk with my cousins, knitting, and other randomness.  The brownies were delicious and you can get the recipe here - it's another wonderful recipe from Our Best Bites.

{source}

In other news, Tara and I are starting an exercising program sort of thing.  I really hope it works out.  I think it will, especially since we are writing down what we do, and weighing in once a week.  I hope to lose some weight and be a little bit healthier.  So the yummy delicious recipes might stop coming:)  Unless, of course, I decide I can bake and not eat while I'm making the food or after I make it - because part of our exercise program is not eating snacks at random times ~ and if we do, we gotta pay up - nope, I really don't have any money to spare to pay, so I guess I better stop with all the extra snacks!  But I'd really be proud of myself if I could bake and not snack while I'm baking, or eat the food I bake - I'd be SOOO PROUD OF MYSELF ~ but I'm not very happy about myself in that part of my life, but I do hope and am planning on trying to change that part of myself.  It helps to have someone to exercise and do it with - it's more challenging and you have someone making sure you do what you're supposed to be doing.  So instead of baking and eating all sorts of nummy foods, I plan on eating healthier, crafting, and exercising more!  I plan on updating on my blog how it's going, too, so that should help me make sure I do what I'm supposed to do, also, because I will be held responsible for what I do by all you lovely readers!  So encourage me, help me to be better with my eating and exercising habits and lose some weight!  Besides wanting to lose weight for myself, I need to do exercising and healthier eating for other reasons ~ so all that said, I really do need to do this and want to do it!  I truly hope I succeed!  I finally decided it was time to take action against getting any fatter!!!!

If anyone has any good/healthy/low-fat/low-calorie recipes they'd like to share, I'd be glad if you'd share them with me!

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

p.s. Sorry if all my ramblings made no sense at all or if they're in a really random order - just wrote it as I went and it's probably a little crazy:)