HOMEMADE JUMP ROPES

Today I am sharing a easy jump rope d.i.y. This tutorial is so simple. On a scale of one to ten it's a one!

Are you ready to make some simple jump ropes for you and all your friends?

This polyester rope was less than ten bucks for 100 feet at Harbor Freight. You want to make sure the rope will hold up to hitting the ground over and over again, and is heavy enough to swing over.

My jump ropes measured 80 inches long. You can always adjust the length for your needs. Melting the ends of the rope prevents fraying.

You can get really creative on your handles. I wanted something simple and went with the wool felt because it will stand up to a lot of use better than acrylic felt.

The first couple of jump ropes I sewed, just had the felt stitched really close to the inserted rope. The knot on the end of the rope keeps it from falling out. It is possible to sew through the rope too, if that's what you want to do.

Davis, Tess, and Collin will be getting these as part of their Valentine's treat from Mike and I. Simple, fun and personal.

Now it's your turn to make some. I would love to see what you come up with. Think of all the handle possibilities!!!

FRUMPY TO FIT [what are you wearing?]

Fake it till you make it. That is my motto when it comes to looking cool when I work out. It's hard to feel good about going to the gym if you have nothing to wear.

A nice set of dri-fit clothes makes a huge difference. From the socks to the underwear, you will feel a lot better if your clothing is not soggy with sweat.

This is a look at my gym gear...

1. Nike dri-fit shirt 2. Nike dri-fit pants 3. Patagonia fleece 4. Asics neon socks 5. Altra shoes 6. Puma Heart Rate Watch 7. iPod shuffle 8. Skull Candy earbuds

Spandex type clothing is not traditionally my friend. However, it's nice to have something form fitting when you are working out. There is nothing worse than feeling like you are being dragged down by your clothes. To be honest, you get used to the tight pants and you start to feel like it makes your bootie less jiggly. 

My last piece of advice for today is to have something to listen to. Stick those earbuds in and get to the zone. One time my ipod battery was dead, but I still stuck my earbuds in to drown out the sound of everyone else.

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THE ROLL COVER/NEW TOY BUCKET

Cottonelle was one of the fabulous sponsors for Alt. In the ladies room, or lounge, you could find the new Jonathan Adler designed roll covers making toilet paper pretty. 

I personally walked away with three roll covers. They were to take, I didn't steal. Oh, I have three bathrooms in our house, and coincidently three kids. So three seemed like the appropriate number.

My kids were head over heels for the roll covers. What can I say? I've trained my kids to appreciate good design and functionality.

While the toilet paper has yet to see the inside of the bucket, several toys have found nice homes in them.

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C-CLAMP BOOK ENDS

I have a small shelf on my desk that the books would always fall off. To maximize book space, we used c-claps for bookends. These red clamps were a few bucks a piece at Home Depot. I did spot some cheaper black ones at Harbor Freight after I bought these.

While the red is really fun, it doesn't match anything in our house. Color was an easy fix.

Here is how we did it...

Let the spray paint dry over night. You don't want to smudge your super awesome paint job.

There were a few scratches on my desk from when I first tightened the clamps down. The felt pads should prevent any more of that.

There you have it my friends. A quick and inexpensive way to keep your books from falling off the shelf.

FINDING MYSELF AT ALT

Whoa. Uh, Altitude Summit was a whirlwind to say the least. Things started off a little shaky for me, but couldn't have ended any better. As in, I will be back next year!

One of my biggest weaknesses is a lack of confidence. I have to suck it up and just put myself out there. We heard multiple amazing people speak from all over the country, and world for that matter. Ben Silberman, of Pinterest, was my favorite keynote speaker. He is super genuine. Elle from Elle Keeps Moving pretty much sums up my feelings.

Another of my Alt faves were my roomies. Staying up late with Katie, Melissa, and Mica was too fun.

I felt like I was back in college. Just a lot older, and cuter. haha

What I learned:

- Meeting new people is overwhelming. You don't have to talk to everybody. Just pick a seat and introduce yourself to the person sitting next to you. The more people you introduce yourself to the easier it gets.

- I find lots of comfort in food. During our first lunch, the chicken pot pie warmed my soul. I didn't want lunch to end.

- Bring a big suitcase even if it's only half full. You might just have it filled up for your trip home.

- Outfit choices may or may not be a big deal to you. Just be sure you feel confident in what you are wearing. Sometimes my clothes make me feel less so, and you need all the confidence you can get when you are at a conference.

- Bring business cards. Or as I like to call them "Me Cards." Oh, and make sure they are awesome. You are handing them out the coolest of the cool. You want them to make a good impression and not end up in the recycle pile before the conference is over.

I came home feeling exhausted (the good kind) and ready to tackle some new projects. Hope you are ready for awesomeness!

Oh, check out this post too. You might just see a cameo from yours truly.
Lot's more photos here.
A cute video here.

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FROM BANANA TO ALT

Source: cookiesandcups.com via Veronica on Pinterest

I literally just asked my kids of they wanted me to make banana bread. Everyone cheered, and then I finished scrolling through my newest Pinterest feeds. What should my eyes be drawn to... banana bread with Reese's peanut butter cups! It's a good thing I don't have any peanut butter cups right now.

Sorry kids, just regular, old, boring banana bread with nuts for us. At least they will have something to eat while I am away at Altitude Summit.

Peace out friends. I will share the dish on Alt next week. Wish me luck meeting people and making friends.

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HOW TO TIE YOUR SHOES

You may be thinking, what she is talking about? I know how to tie my shoes. However, you may not know this way...

 
Tie Your Shoes from Nikki McBride on Vimeo.


Mike's way of tying shoes laces may just change your life.

Most of us tie our shoes with a granny knot. The technique Mike shares in the video, ties your laces into a square knot. Your laces are a lot less likely to come untied with the square knot.  This is especially helpful when you are jogging in your tennies.  Flint Lockwood could have benefited from this lesson before he sprayed his shoes on permanently.

Watch the video a few times and let me know how you like it.

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FRUMPY TO FIT [eat your heart out]

I never planned on sharing this part of me in such a public space, but if it helps someone else, then it's worth my ego.

Today I wanted to talk about food. Food and I have a love-hate relationship. I love to eat, and I hate to stop. When something tastes good I don't want it to end. At one point I really couldn't control my eating. I wish I was exaggerating when I typed that.

Artocraft on Etsy. Radish Kitchen Art

I can remember as a kid eating dinner and go back for seconds and thirds because it tasted so good. When I went to college I gained twenty pounds because I would reach into my desk, while I was laying in bed, and grab a Reese Sticks to munch before bed. The weight came off after I moved home.

Life changed again after I was married and learning to cook for the two of us. There were a few times Mike and I nearly finished an entire lasagna. Next comes baby number one. I believed that I could eat anything and then lose it while nursing. Not for me.

It is only when I pay attention to what I am eating that I am able to shed pounds. A little over a year ago I signed up for Weight Watchers online. The point system worked well and I lost five pounds the first month. Friends noticed and I felt great. I shortly after fell off the wagon. 

Last spring my eating was out of control. I would treat myself to candy every time I was at the grocery store. When I would go out to do errands alone, I would stop at the bakery and get something "because I deserved it." I was hiding all the goodies from my family. They didn't have any idea what I was eating. Looking in the mirror became painful. I would cry a lot and poor Mike didn't know what was wrong. After some thinking, I approached Mike and shared my dirty little secret. I was to the point that I needed someone to tell me exactly what to eat, so I didn't have to think about food. After researching a couple of different plans, I signed up for Nutrisystem. The plan took the guess work out of eating. I got my physical and mental appetite under control. After three months the food got old and I was ready to go it alone. Maintaing was pretty simple until my Father in Law passed away. The memories of losing my dad came back and so did the treating myself to goodies. That is what moved me to join the gym.

So here we are up to the present. Calorie counting has now become part of my regular day. We use myfitnesspal to track our calories, but there are a bunch of others to choose from. If you use them honestly and regularly, these sites can help you achieve your goals.

I know this is a long post. If you read all of it, I appreciate your support. There are just a few more things I wanted to share.

Don't compare yourself to others.

Food tastes better when you are in control.

Don't deprive yourself, just use moderation.

It can be done, and you will be happier.

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UPDATED ME CARDS [+GIVEAWAY]

A combination of going to Altitude Summit, and the new blog look, required some updated "Me" cards.

With some guidance from Melissa, it was decided I only needed to incorporate some of my new colors.

Hello new washi tape! Hello Chickydoddle!

Chickydoddle is an awesome Etsy shop filled with all things cute and kawaii. The selection of washi tape is fantastic.

The shop doesn't stop with tape. Chickydoddle has stamps, stickers, papers, bags, embellishments. The list goes on, but you should see for yourself.

Winnie is the owner of Chickydoddle. Winnie doesn't just have a shop for profit. One of the goals of her business is to help schools, and other non profit organizations. This is what Winnie had to share about her experience of donating.

"I donate to school projects through a website: www.DonorsChoose.org. Here's a link to the school projects I've donated to so far: www.donorschoose.org/donors/viewChallenge.html?id=165271&historical=true

Chickydoddle is a "division" of The MaKu Collection, www.themakucollection.com. Other than craft supplies, I also sell handmade jewelry. Every year I'll pick a few school projects to donate to. I often receive thank you notes and letters from the students' I've helped which truly warm my heart. I'm currently working on my main website to combine my craft and jewelry products together."

I think what Chickydoddle is able to do is so admirable. Supporting this shop, supports others in need.

Now for the goodies! Chickydoodle has put together a sweet little package for one of you lovely Salty Pineapple readers.

 The package includes:
6 rolls of Valentine washi tape petite mix
1 package of CANDi craft embellishment in "Berry Crush"
1 Strawberry Cake Rubber Stamp
3 sets of heart stickers in craft, red and pink. 72 stickers in each set.

All  Done My Friends. Congrats to Gina. I will be emailing you to get your information.

Different ways to enter giveaway...
1. Leave a comment on this post.
2. Follow @chickydoodle on Twitter. Leave comment here.
3. Follow @salty_pineapple on Twitter. Leave comment here.
4. Subscribe to Salty Pineapple. Leave comment here.


Giveaway runs 1-13-12 thru 1-20-12 midnight mst

Good Luck Friends!!!

➙This post was happily sponsored by Chickydoddle.

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MY NEW ONLINE LOOK

Have I told you that I am attending Altitude Summit next week? Let's just

say that I am totally excited and super nervous. Are you going? If you see me will you please come say hi.

Have you noticed my blog has a new look? A huge thanks to Melissa Esplin and her husband Chris for the redesign. Melissa is super easy to work with and very talented. Over the years I have tried to do my own blog design, headers and even edit some html. Each time it never felt complete. I can happily say that I am really satisfied with the way this space looks. It's so polished, don't ya think?

Check back tomorrow to see another Alt slash blog inspired change. There might just be a really great giveaway too.

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QUICKEST SCARF EVER

A circle scarf is just about the easiest sew or no sew project ever. It's the perfect project to tackle for a beginner. Google circle scarf and you will be inundated with multiple tutorials, d.i.y.'s and videos. 

Your toughest task is picking the material.

Over the holiday I whipped up a few scarves for my baby sisters. Two of the three were made with some silky patterned polyester. Loved them. I made these scarves to be worn as one circle. If you are looking for a stylish sling, this is a good way to go too. 

First I sewed a long tube, with the fabric right sides together.  Now flip the fabric right side out.

Before I sewed the two short ends together, I twisted the fabric a few times. This gave my sister's scarves a little something extra since they were not going to be wrapped more than once around their necks.

To finish off the scarf, I just inserted one end in to the other and sewed a straight stitch.

This polka dot scarf is a half yard of jersey knit. I am able to wrap it around my neck twice. For a less full scarf use a quarter yard.

earrings: armelle jewelry. jacket: norstrom. cuff bracelet: twisted. t-shirt: hane's. jeans: joe's

 I thought I would throw in a "what I wore" picture. I'm not sure if I'm cut out to do fashion blogging, but I might share outfits from time to time. Maybe it will motivate me to make myself more presentable in public. Although, I recently noticed it's totally normal to wear your mismatched p.j.'s to Walmart. All the Target people out there are saying to themselves, "At least I wear my matching track suit!" Personally, I have been looking for yoga type pajamas so I can roll out of bed and 'look' like I am heading to the gym.

Thanks to my friend Challey for taking the picture.

We were in front of the library and the kids were digging in the new landscaping while I was posing it up.

sweater: anthropolgie. t-shirt: gap. scarf:me. hair: mine. camera: cannon t1i. lens: 17-55mm 2.8 fixed

OH, and I made another knit scarf that was only 9 inches wide. The fabric didn't have a right or wrong side, so I cut and a strip and sewed the two ends together. Easy peasy. It's like having a blanket for a necklace.

CLEAN IT REAL GOOD

Do you have a cleaning routine for your house? I go through waves of routine and no routine.

In 2012 we are going back to a routine. This is the plan I worked out last week...

Started the second week of it today. I can't believe how much quicker I finished the laundry today. If I stay on top of my plan each week, the up keep should be a snap. I have a feeling this plan is the best in the universe. Okay, maybe not that solid, but still pretty good.

Try out the routine. Click on the image, save to your desktop, and print on white cardstock. Hang up routine on your fridge and get to work.

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FRUMPY TO FIT [let's get it done]

My lil' sister, Cherie, tagged this picture on Pinterest for me to see. I totally connect to the bottle on the right, but not so much with the bottle on left.

Source: Uploaded by user via Nicolette on Pinterest

On the phone, I listed several words and asked my sister, Noelle, to tell me which one most represented me, and which one least represented me. The words were cook, mother, friend, author, and athlete.

Noelle was hesitant to answer, but after some coaxing she answered. I am a cook and not an athlete.

This was no surprise to me. I have never been a sporty girl. I have only ever played one team sport in my entire life. When I was about 8, I joined my friend's soccer team. My mom thinks I did it for the snacks. She is probably right.

check out my nice tan!

After having several babies and eating what ever I wanted, I realized things are never going to be what they were. Now is the time to get control of my body and do something. I want to be athletic, active and healthy. I want to set a good example for my kids. Sure we eat cookies for dinner once in a while, but it has to be balanced with something healthy.

Spring 2004 with baby Davis

Last October I did something I never dreamed I would do. Our family joined a gym. Years ago when I was dating my husband, I would go to the gym while he was studying. I always felt stupid and out of place. As my body changed from having children, I became very self conscious and would get anxiety at the thought of going to the gym.

It has taken me a couple of years to get to this point. Over the course of the year, I want to share my experiences, struggles, and any tips I find along to way to a active healthy life style. This is coming from a girl who would rather watch a movie with a brownie sundae than go for a walk alone with my husband.

If you have any health goals this year, follow along and share your stories. I can do hard things. You can too.

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AN ARTSY GIVEAWAY

Are you looking for some new art to spiffy up your walls? Really? Great! I have just the thing for you.

My sister is hosting a giveaway on her website. The giveaway is for a free 8x10 print of your choice from a recent shoot.

Last November, Noelle was in Hawaii for a wedding. She spent an afternoon walking around down town Honolulu, taking pictures with her film cameras. The results of that afternoon are available for purchase, or you can press your luck and leave a comment to win a giveaway. 

To enter you can:

1. leave a comment on Noelle's website

2. Like Noelle Reynolds Photography on FB

3. Share about the giveaway on FB or Twitter and link back to this post.

Do all three and enter multiple times. Then go back to her website and comment stating how’ve entered with links to your posts.  If there are enough people entered I may even choose multiple winners.  :)

Give away closes next Friday and the winner will be chosen at random.

*Salty Pineapple Readers listen up! Visit Noelle's post, then come back here and leave a comment telling me your favorite photo for the Hawaii shoot. Your comments here will be counted in the giveaway. Hooray and good luck.

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FOLLOW ➙ FOLLOW THROUGH

For the first time in SEVERAL months, all of our clean laundry is folded and put away. It's a small miracle really.

This is a new year, and a new me. This is the year that I finish what I start. What ever it might be. Unless it's a book and I think it's really lame.  

First thing to finish... an online art class I started last September.

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