My shop is now open!

It took me a while but I finally managed to list a few things for sale in my etsy shop today. I plan to list more items in the next couple of weeks. The name of my shop is Kaes Creative Shack. I plan to feature things that I have knitted and sewn. The first items that are currently listed are a sari silk scarf and several project bags.

Putting New Year's Resolutions Into Action....

Lose weight and exercise are too big new year's resolutions for a lot of people. Evidence of this can be found in the Sunday ads for every kind of exercise equipment and clothing during the month of January. My husband and I are no exception. Our exercise goals include swimming at our local pool and going on weekly cross country ski adventures. This morning was the first morning that we made it to the pool. It actually felt good to be up and about this morning after our swim at 7:00am.

During the last year and a half I did three rounds of an hcg weight loss program that my doctor had referred me to. I was quite successful in losing weight while I was participating in the program and then I would have the required breaks in between and gain weight. So this time after I've finished my weight loss round I'm going to continue nutritional counseling with Anat, my nutritionist.

Anat and I have our first meeting today. One of my goals to eat healthier, not gain weight and establish a reasonable food budget for my husband and I. One of the tools that Anat shared with me today was googling or doing a key word search with items from your pantry that you have a on hand ready to use so you don't have to make a trip to grocery. I'd never heard of doing this. I had used other sights where you could pick one ingredient but not just doing a key word search. So I tried it....with garbanzo beans, eggplant and tomatoes. All of which I have in my pantry and a crock pot recipe popped up from the cdkitchen, so Paul and I will be enjoying the for lunch or dinner tomorrow.

I'll close with a few pictures from our recent cross country ski adventures on the John Wayne Trail and at the Cabin Creek snow park.

My husband on the John Wayne Trail out of Hyak snow park on Snoqualmie Pass.

View of the mountains at Cabin Creek road trail that heads toward Lake Kachess. The pictures are a little dark because we were skiing late in the afternoon.

View of Lake Keechelus Lake from the John Wayne Trail.

Finally me on the John Wayne Trail headed back to the car.

Happy New Year!

I keep making the same resolution over and over again....when it comes to my blog. That is to post a regular basis about what's happening in my life.

A resolution that was made a few years back was to start selling my crafts. Those of you who know me...know that I love to knit, quilt and sew. I've taken a step toward being able to do this...I've opened my own etsy store. I'll post the name and a link to the store once I have some items for sale. I've also secured a blog site said etsy store to showcase the items being sold in my store.

Just a quick note...

I can't believe its less than a week until Thanksgiving! As I sit on my couch typing this post I'm listening to the wind blow outside and cringing at the 20 degree temperatures outside knowing that I still have to take the dogs for the their evening walk....My coworker, Bettie, likes to remind me there are x amount days until Christmas....I'm wondering if the count down will begin at 365 on December 26....

I'm half way through my third round of my weight loss program and I think this round is going really well.

As Bettie likes to tell me each morning I have 35 days to finish my Christmas projects, I'm happy to report that my Christmas projects are almost done...My goal is to have them in the mail two weeks before Christmas.

I can't put off the after dinner walk any longer I must take the dogs for a freezing walk...

Just a quick update:)

Well my weekend was short this week. I'm working for one of my coworkers on tomorrow, she needed the day offered to work for me on Sunday. So I'll be able fly down to Pdx this weekend to help her out with staging my grandparents home and just maybe visit my friend Mo while she is in town.

I've been super busy in my sewing room. Finishing gifts that should have been done months ago (we hope to be able to deliver one of said gifts in person very soon) and starting work on the pile of Christmas presents that I have to finish in time to put in the mail prior to December 25, 2010. I will post pictures as each gift is received.

A week ago I started another round of my weightloss program. You can read more about it on my here.

Accomplishments!!!

Two major accomplishments to announce today:

One - I finished Paul's Dr. Who Scarf last weekend. Just in time to give it to him for our 2nd wedding anniversary.



Paul posing with his new Dr. Who season 18 scarf. Below are the only two Dr. Who Scarves that I will ever knit. If you are a Dr. Who fan find someone else to knit your scarf.

Two - I rode my bike to work today for first time.

Random Thoughts

As summer comes to a close...I realize there are things I have yet to accomplish. Going hiking on a regular basis, riding my bike to work, getting organized around the house. As I think about these things I also realize that life is "a work in progress". My husband and I might not be driving out every week to a different mountain trail but we can "hike" around the hill in Seattle that we live on...me being more open and willing to walk up a steep block or two. Any remembering as I walk up a hill that there is no race, just like I would walk at a snails pace on hiking trail I can do the same on the sidewalk in Seattle. I can ride my bike anytime of year... it just might be a little colder than it would be in summer.

My house is a little cleaner and dishes are being done on regular basis... compromise helped me accomplish this goal.

Morning philosophy done time to head to the shower.