If At First, You Don’t Succeed, Try, Try Again

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 5, Day 1
Schaar’s Bluff

After getting sick, we missed week 5 of our workout challenge.  Rather than give up, I thought it would be best to try again.  I’m using the old proverb, “If at first, you don’t succeed, try, try again.”  I don’t like to give up. I’m the type of person who will tackle a goal over and over until it’s accomplished.

We set up a playdate with some friends at Schaar’s Bluff.  It was a beautiful day.  The weather was perfect, there were a few fluffy clouds in the sky and a mild breeze to cool us off.  We enjoyed exploring the trails and seeing the wildlife.

We walked to the park to let the kids play for a little while.  I think my favorite part about play dates is having another adult to talk to, for a little while.   Being surrounded by children 24/7, it can get lonely.  Usually, when Nate gets home he’s too tired to do much else except sleep.

I know that someday the time when my children are little and dependent on me will pass.  Someday, I’ll miss these days terribly.  Having a teenager, I already know how fast little ones can grow.  So I’m soaking up as much time with my children as I can.  Someday, I’ll have the rest of my life for adult talk.

Lately, Nate has been watching The Great British Baking Show.  While I was on my walk, he was inspired to bake.  He decided to make me a gift of a gluten free, corn free, chocolate cake.

While the cake was cooling, we made a trip to visit my Grandfather.  He was doing amazingly well!  Talking, wide awake and joking around.  It made me so happy to see him so well!

After visiting Grandpa, we made a trip to Gander Mountain.  They’re all closing and having sales as a result.  We got some lures for fishing and a few new work shirts for Nate.  Princess was especially fond of all of the lures.  She picked out so many we had to put two-thirds back!  She is really excited to try fishing!

After dinner, we gave our cake a try.  It was so beautiful, I couldn’t wait to eat it.  Before I even sat down, I took a bite and immediately turned around to hide my puckered lips.  Nate asked me how it was.  I think I gave him an “Mmmmm!”  as I gulped down some water.

I waited for Nate to take a bite of his own before commenting.  I laughed as he grimaced.  He told me he thought he forgot the sugar.  It wasn’t horrible, but the cocoa powder was really bitter without any sweetener.  I can’t help but laugh at the memory.  It was so sweet of him to make a cake.

Has a goal ever gotten away from you?  Did you pick back up and continue?

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5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 4, Day 4: Afton State Park
Next Week: Week 5, Day 2: Kawishiwi Falls

52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry

52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry

I had an image in my head for the jewelry photography project.  It was one of those projects where you need two people.  I knew that a tripod would be difficult to get the angle I wanted and also to get myself into place if I were to do a self-portrait with a remote.  Cat was sweet enough to help me.

My children don’t really wear jewelry, so it seemed practical that I use myself, since I enjoy wearing it on a regular basis.  I’m not as comfortable in front of the camera as I am behind it, but I’m really pleased with the way the images turned out. My daughter is really becoming a great photographer.

I love wearing jewelry, I always have.  I remember wearing beaded bracelets as a little girl, I even still have my favorite rainbow star beaded bracelet.

When I was about 4, I begged my Mom to get my ears pierced.  She and my Grandmother brought me to a mall jewelry store in Minneapolis.  They messed up my left ear and had to re-pierce it twice.  Because of that, I will only bring my children to a professional piercer at a tattoo shop.

Unfortunately, I’m allergic to nickel.  This means that I can only wear high-quality jewelry.  I enjoy high-quality jewelry over cheap jewelry, so I’m not complaining about the upgrades.  The downside is that chains and earrings are a bit more expensive to replace.  I also can’t get jewelry on a whim if I find something cute at a craft show or on vacation.

I don’t own a lot of jewelry.  I love necklaces for their convenience.  Simple, elegant pieces make me happy.  My Mom buys me a beautiful new necklace from Kay jewelry every year.  I wear one almost every day.

I have a few bracelets.  Funnily enough, I never grew out of my love for beaded bracelets.  The bracelets I wear most often are plastic children’s bracelets.  I have a favorite fluorite bracelet I got while on vacation on the north shore last year.  I also couldn’t resist the bracelet I’m wearing in the images below.  It is silver with stars.  I got one for my daughter Cat and myself.

It was a beautiful day, so Cat and I decided to walk down to the river for our project. I love to spend alone time with each of my children.  I try to give them each a little bit of alone time once a month.  This breaks down to a once a week Mother/Child date with one of my children.

Looking for a location, I didn’t really see any place that jumped out at me as THE spot.  As we started walking home, I thought we might take a different route and keep looking for a good location.  In one spot, we found a cute painted rock that someone had left.

The spot I found was actually a place that might not appear to the naked eye as a great location.  To me, it was perfect.  If you look at the image below, you might see why some might rule it out.  It’s in a parking lot without a lot of great visual appeal in the background.  However, I loved the tall grasses bordering the parking lot.  I knew that with the right angle, it would be exactly what I was looking for, and it was.

  

What is your favorite jewelry?  Join us in the photography challenge!  We’d love to see your images!  You can post your image on our Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/cisforcomfort/posts/1452792044806017
Or tag us on instagram with #cisforcomfort52
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Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 20: Favorite Color

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52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees

52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees

The spring trees challenge was a lot of fun to photograph.  After choosing to photograph the same spot of trees for the winter, spring, summer and autumn challenge, I already knew where one of my locations was.  As my main image for the challenge, I’m choosing some beautiful crab apple blossoms.

I’m always amazed at how fast the trees turn green.  In what feels like a few days, the trees go from bare branches to tops full of leaves.  Catching that moment when the trees are softly budding with baby leaves is a race against time.  As soon as the surrounding hills took on a soft subtle green, I knew it was time to head out and start shooting.

All of the kids came with for this challenge.  It was a lovely, warm Sunday, with a scattered sprinkling of rain showers throughout the day.  After our meeting at the Kingdom Hall, we stopped by home to pick up our cameras.  We took the scenic route to the park and enjoyed the lovely views of our changing world.

Mr. Awesome and Cupcake chose to wait in the car, but Princess hopped out with Cat and me.  Princess is my little shadow, she follows me everywhere.


Cat’s Spring Trees

The following Sunday was a clear, warm, sunny day.  We met some friends at the park for a walk.  In just one week you could really see the difference in the trees.  In the picture of the children below, the kids are walking toward the back of the trees from the previous week.

On our walk, we saw a kayaker in the river.  We went down to our favorite spot where the children were able to wade and splash in the water.  It was a beautiful, spring day.

What is your favorite thing about spring?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 17: Light
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 19: Jewelry
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Join us for the photography challenge! We’d love to see your images!
You can post your image on our Facebook page here:  https://www.facebook.com/cisforcomfort/posts/1451661678252387
Or tag us on Instagram with #cisforcomfort52

 

52 Project, Week 17: Light

52 Project, Week 17: Light

I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the light photography project.  I have seen beautiful images that others have taken of sparklers and I wanted to create an image of my own.

Ever since I was a little child, I have loved the glittery glow that sparklers give off.  I can remember my parents giving me sparklers and the joy I had running around, waving them in trailing arcs, trying to make an M for Melissa or making stars or circles.  I can remember being burned by the hot end and learning quickly to be careful, even after the light had gone out.

Cupcake, Mr. Awesome, and Princess joined me outside for this project.  I lit sparklers for them as I snapped away at my own.  After I was satisfied with my work, I continued to light them for the children and enjoyed watching them run happily around the yard.  Even after being warned, poor Princess learned the hard way, just as I had, to be careful of the hot end after the light went out.

After all of the sparklers had been spent, we gathered up our mess and went in for bedtime.  Hopefully, the children had smiles on their faces as they drifted off to sleep, imagining glowing sparkles and running through the warm summer air.  I sat happily at my computer, editing my images and feeling content.  I love that two dollars can easily buy a night of joy for our family.

What do you like to do with your sparklers?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 16: Multiple
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 18: Spring Trees
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52 Project, Week 16: Multiple

52 Project, Week 16: Multiple

This multiple image has been something I have wanted to try for a long time.  Creating a double exposure effect of a person and trees has always held a strange appeal for me.  I’ve seen a lot of variations, but I wanted something that was unique and a bit different than what I had seen.

I feel that there is always something that is occupying our minds.  We are longing for that hope which our future holds, whether near or far.  We have little hopes and big hopes.  Dreams don’t need to be rational to be longed for.  Simply holding on to an idea of something that brings us joy is how we continue to move forward each day.

My daughter always says, whenever we see a particularly beautiful, deep grove of trees, “I want to live there.”  My sweet Cupcake has heard me mention dreamily often that I want to move up north and live in the woods.  Using her for this project was perfect.  She’s dreaming of the deep woods.

I don’t know when our dream of living in the woods will come true.  In my head, I have this beautiful image of paradise earth with trees that stretch on for miles.  Till that day comes, we’ll happily enjoy camping up north and soaking in the fresh air of the many pines.

What is your vision of hope for the future?

Previous Week: 52 Project, Week 15: Hobby
Next Week: 52 Project, Week 17: Light
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Hastings Rivertown Days 2017

Hastings Rivertown Days 2017
Every year we go to Hastings Rivertown Days.  One of our favorite things to do as a family is to go to The Dime Carnival.  The kids play games to their heart’s content and win tickets to pick out fun prizes.

Every year, it always seems as though it’s on one of the hottest days of summer.  Since the carnival is in a parking lot, the heat is reflected up off the asphalt, making it feel even warmer.  This year was no exception.  Not about to let a little heat ruin our day, we enjoyed the carnival and hid out inside the prize area to cool off when needed.

Princess has always loved picking ducks in the duck pond.  Mr. Awesome loves the jumpy house.  Cupcake loves all the games.  Cat is starting to get to an age where the carnival is too young for her.  She loves helping the younger kids play the most.

After cooling off at home, we went to the library to drop off some books and pick up some more.  As soon as I walked into the library, my eyes started itching.  Cat said “Oh look Mom!  A beautiful dog!”  I turned to see a huge white dog near us walking across the library.  It must have been a therapy dog.  Unfortunately, because of my allergies, I left the building while the kids had fun picking out books with Dad.  Outside I enjoyed photographing the library’s beautiful garden.

We stopped at Walmart for a few necessities and I got a contact case and solution so I could take out my contacts ASAP.  My eyes were burning so much I could barely see.  After I removed them, in the middle of the aisle at Walmart, I felt such relief.  Although I was now blind.  I had to hold Nate’s hand through the rest of our Walmart trip.

My vision is -8.50 for contacts.  I’m not legally blind with my contacts (legally blind is a legal term used to sort out those who can apply for medical benefits.  Anyone who can not see with corrective lenses after a certain point is considered legally blind.  I am very thankful that corrective lenses work for me.  I will never be able to have perfect vision even with them, but it’s still a blessing I am thankful for.).  Without them, I am blind.  I can’t see definition, I can only see basic blurry shapes.  I can see colors, dark and light.

What You See
What I See

As you can tell from the image above, I can not see very well.   We stopped to get the kids ice cream at our local dairy co op, then checked out the craft fair at the LeDuc mansion across the street.  Since I couldn’t see, Nate took my hand and led me around.  He described what was around us and what was in each booth we passed.

I heard a familiar voice call out to me.  My friend’s Katie and Dusty from our Kingdom Hall were there!  I got a chance to check out an amazing card booth with them.  The cards opened up into intricate pop-up scenes all made of colorful paper.  One was a ship, another a camera, others were scenes of various places around the world.

Although I am blind from a distance, I can see up close.  I mean extremely up close.  Whatever I’m looking at must be a couple of inches from my eye.  What I do see from that close is detailed almost microscopically.  I can see the tiny details that the normal eye can’t see.

With the cards, I could see the fiber of the paper, the tiny cuts and details.  It was like stepping into a new world where fantasy and reality collide.  I intended to go back and purchase some cards after I got my contacts in, but sadly that was the last day.  Perhaps I’ll get the chance to see them again next year.

We purchased some sheets from a vendor and then went home to enjoy pizza and family night.  Thankfully I was able to put in a fresh set of contacts to see.  After that, we walked down to the river to enjoy the Hastings Rivertown Days fireworks.  It was a busy and fun day.

Check out the video of our day!

 

Oops, We Mixed Up the Date!

Oops, We Mixed Up the Date!

It was a hot Saturday as we drove a little over an hour to Community Park in St Francis, Minnesota.  We drove up to meet my parents and sisters at the Great American Farm Tour Minnesota Meetup.

There was a lot of major road construction along the way, and thankfully Nate was driving.  I get anxiety driving in unknown places with a lot of traffic.  Add detours to the mix and I might have gotten us lost.

As we neared the park, we saw a bus heading toward us.  Nate asked me, “Is that them?”  as he pulled the van over to the side of the road.  The bus had slowed and turned onto a dirt road.  The kids were hopping in their seats in excitement as we saw the Great American Farm Tour logo on the side.

We debated if that was the turn to the park, since we were so close, but decided it was a private farm.  We thought they were perhaps running behind and had just gotten to their host’s house and they might be a bit late to the meetup.

The park was mostly empty when we got there.  There were only 3 other cars in the parking lot.  My parents greeted us and let us know that only two of the people were also waiting for the farm tour.  I let them know that we had just seen the bus and perhaps they would be a little late.  The children played at the park and I caught up with my parents.

As time wore on, I began to worry, was this the right park?  Was this the right day?  The other car waiting for the Rhodes left without saying anything.  I began to look for the meetup information on my phone.  My Dad was the one who let me know, but since I was behind in watching the farm tour, I personally hadn’t seen it yet.

It took awhile to find the info because I couldn’t figure out how to pull it up on my phone.  I watched the youtube video to find out the date and I laughed when I realized we were indeed a day early.  I could tell my Dad felt awful about it, but it honestly didn’t bother me.  I called it our planning prep trip.  Now we knew about the road construction and detours and we also knew exactly where the park was.  Sunday, Nate would be a work and I would have to drive up instead.  Plus, I got the joy of seeing my family two days in a row, a rare treat!

We hung out awhile longer, playing with the kids and enjoying our family time.  Cat ended up going with my parents to spend a night at their farm.On the drive home, we stopped at Aldi’s for some snacks before dinner.  It had been a fun day and we looked forward to returning to the park again on Sunday.

Have you ever gotten a date wrong that ended up being a blessing instead of a disappointment?

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A Park With Beautiful Rolling Hills and River Views | Afton State Park

A Park With Beautiful Rolling Hills and River Views
5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 4, Day 4 Afton State Park

It was early on Saturday morning when Nate playfully tried to wake me up.  He told me he’d already gotten the kids out of bed and they were getting breakfast.  We were going for a walk!  He had picked the spot and did all of the work to get everyone ready.  He even made my morning tea.  What a wonderful way to start the day!

It was a beautiful day for hiking.  The high was 81 with a cool breeze.  When we started out, it was still in the lower 70’s.  The drive there was scenic and peaceful.  The park was packed with people.

This was my first time to the park, so I wasn’t sure what to expect.  I was a little worried seeing how packed all of the parking lots were.  I didn’t realize it was such a popular destination.  Thankfully, we were able to find a spot to park.

Heading down the trail, we encountered some beautiful views of the hills surrounding the river valley.  I was easily able to see why this was such a popular park.

Unfortunately, I had forgotten our bug spray.  The mosquitos were huge and the lower we descended into the valley, the more gnats and mosquitoes there were.  We tried to walk fast and mostly kept to the center of the trail to avoid them.

Once we got down to the beach, the breeze kept the insects away and we were able to relax.  The kids enjoyed checking out the dock and then searching for agates and rocks to skip.  We watched the boats zoom past and we thought about how fun it must be to tour the river from the water.

Heading back, the bugs weren’t as bad.  Maybe it was because it was a little later in the day and a bit warmer.  Heading up the trail was a bit more difficult for me, but the rest of the family wasn’t fazed.  They jumped up the steps like mountain goats.  I lagged behind, tired and struggling to keep up.

Later that night, I ended up in bed sick.  Perhaps Princess’ fever wasn’t allergy related after all, and she had passed a virus to me.  I spent the next week bedridden.

For some reason, I always get the sickest in our family.  Over the years, I’ve learned holistic remedies to heal faster and keep from getting as ill as I used to.  I also don’t get sick as often as I used to, thankfully.

Have you been to Afton State Park?  What is your favorite area?

All Trails: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/minnesota/afton-state-park-area-trails
Basic Park Info: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/afton/index.html

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 4, Day 3: Night Walk Date
Next Week: Week 5, Day 1: Schaar’s Bluff

I Turned My Brown Thumb Into a Green Thumb

I Turned My Brown Thumb Into a Green Thumb

I have always joked about having a brown thumb instead of a green one.  I have good intentions with plants, but I usually kill most of them.  My problem was that I watered them too much.  For me, caring for a plant equaled watering it.  I literally loved them to death.

I did manage to keep hardy plants alive, to my great joy.  My brother got me a Philodendron as a gift when I was 13.  It’s the only plant that has survived this long.

My parents were great gardeners.  As a child, they had a huge garden in our yard.  I can remember working with them to weed, pick off pests, gather ripe plants and care for my own little garden plot. And occasionally, they had me get to lawn care and landscaping near me to make the garden more aesthetic-appealing. My favorites were the raspberries bordering 2 sides of the garage and the strawberries.

When I was given my own little corner plot, I planted Shasta daisies, echinacea, and zinnia among a few other flowers.  I loved flowers and the butterflies that they drew to our yard.  My Mother had flower gardens in raised planters that my Father built all over our property.

After my own children were born, I gave plants a renewed interest.  I tried a few easy house plants, a few palms, some morning glories outside during the warm months, hanging petunias or impatiens.  I tried peppers many times but they rarely produced peppers and if they did, were never large enough to eat.    I’ve overloved and killed many orchids over the years.

With the addition of extreme allergies to my life, I’ve had to learn to grow my own food.  Organic food from health food stores is usually incredibly expensive and is not always guaranteed to be corn free.  The safest option is home grown because I control all of the factors of what my food is exposed to.

When I first moved to this house, my Mom helped me plant a small outdoor garden.  The weeds overtook it to my great frustration.  Creeping Charlie choked out most of my plants.  I did get some tomatoes and small ears of corn (ironic, right? This was pre-corn allergy.). After that, I gave up planting in the ground.  Nate built me a planter around the mulberry tree in the backyard, which I grew flowers and hostas in, for an easy to maintain, decorative garden.

Inside, I grew potted plants.  I tried basil by the sink but I ended up overwatering it.  My next sink plant was rosemary, which, as it turns out, LOVES being overwatered.  In fact, if I don’t water it often, it starts to die.  I also grow potted plants on my porch and bring them inside over winter.  My theory was, if they die, that’s ok because they would have died if I had left them outside to die by frost.  If they live, I have another plant to enjoy.

This last year, my gardening skills have grown, as has the number of plants in and out.  I have several plants that live inside year round, Outside, on my porch, my number of potted plants has grown. After installing a critter fence, it was clear that the plants where staying healthier and growing faster. Those pesky critters can really make a dent in most plants. Those interested in the specific fence used, I found it here. I renewed my attempt for ground grown plants.  I planted several things around the porch outside and started a new side garden.  I’ve also planted raspberries and blueberries along the fence.

I am not an expert gardener.  I have, however, turned my brown thumb into a green one with persistence and determination.  I’ve never given up.  If my plants die, I try again.  I do more research. The best way I’ve learned is by experience and trial and error.

I recommend everyone give gardening a try.  It is so rewarding.  When I eat food from my own garden, I have a great pride and satisfaction that I have never gotten from bought food.

If you are afraid of killing plants, don’t let that deter you!  Keep trying!  Start with potted plants.  Try something easy to maintain, like impatiens, petunias, philodendrons, or palms like I did.  Otherwise, try checking out the end of the year plant sales that most greenhouses have.  You can usually get plants cheap or for free.  Use the mindset that if it dies, at least you tried.  Research what you can do differently next time.

Do you care for any plants?  What do you grow?  Have you also overcome a brown thumb or has gardening come naturally to you?

Check out my video for a tour of my garden!

Feeling A Bit Self Conscious

5 Week Workout Challenge: Week 4, Day 1
Home Workout

I’ve been having an argument with myself over if I should post this workout video or not.  I’ve been feeling a bit self-conscious.  I’ve edited the video, put it on private on youtube, and there it has sat.  Buuut, I can’t seem to post the next video until I post this one.

You see, I am not a body builder.  I am not super fit.  I don’t have an amazing body.  I have a normal, soft, squishy, cuddly body.  I am ok with that.  In fact, I am more than ok, I love my body.  I’m not obsessed with myself or anything, I’m just comfortable with who I am.  I’m thankful for all of the things my body has done for me and all of the journey’s we’ve been on together.

I don’t need big muscles, rock hard abs, a butt you could bounce a quarter off of, thighs that could crack a nut.  Instead, I have a lap that is soft and great for sitting on for stories.  I have a tummy that makes an awesome pillow for snuggle time.  My butt is comfortable to sit on, unlike my skinny days.  My arms are big enough to hold all of those I love.  I don’t need much more than that.

So why am I doing a 5 week workout challenge?  My goal is not to have a super model body.  My goal is to get a moderate level of exercise so that my body is healthy, regardless of its size or amount of squishyness.  My goal is to inspire others to move their bodies and get healthy too.  My goal is to show that you don’t have to be perfect or even strive for perfection to exercise.

Getting daily exercise doesn’t have to be boring or grueling.  There are so many ways to exercise!  Walking, hiking, jogging, running, dancing, rock climbing, pilates, trampoline, swimming, biking, I could go on and on.  Find something that YOU love and do it!

Although I feel confident about how I feel about my body, for myself and for my family, it’s a different thing to expose oneself to the world.  Seeing myself on video, and my not so perfect body, I worry not about what others might say as much as how my children would feel if they saw others saying bad things about me.  I’ve seen some cruel things said online about a lot of different topics.  My heart hurts for those that the comments are aimed at.

Ultimately, I’ve decided to be brave and post this video regardless of what anyone else might think.  Should anyone say anything mean, I will let it roll off my back.  The only opinions that matter to me are of those I love and of myself.

Do you ever feel self-conscious about your body?  Do you worry about strangers making rude comments?  How do you handle that kind of situation?

 

5 Week Workout Challenge
Previous Week: Week 3, Day 4: 4-Year-Old Adventure
Next Week: Week 4, Day 2: Fort Snelling