Happy Monday, Quilters!
I really love yesterday’s photo of my grandson, Henry–it’s such a classic baby expression to which we can all relate!
But Henry is such a happy child, I couldn’t leave you with that image of him…This is the Henry we all know and love!
LOSE THOSE FAT QUARTERS CHECK IN
Several weeks ago we started a fitness challenge for quilters–“Lose those fat quarters”.
I was really good for several weeks,  but have fallen off the bandwagon lately…too hot, too busy, too tired, too…too…too.
Pretty soon I’d excused my way back to bad exercise habits and the bad eating habits followed right along.
ARGHHH!!!!
EXERCISE AND QUILTING
My niece, Renee told me this is how she balances quilting and exercise…
“I start the day with exercise, because I know I will stop exercising within 60 minutes and then I can quilt, guilt-free. Â If I start quilting, I won’t want to stop–even hours later–to exercise.”
Smart girl!
PUT AN X ON THE CALENDAR
Here’s an interesting article on how Jerry Seinfeld developed a daily writing habit. Â I love the idea!
YOUR DAILY GOALS
What about YOU? Â How is YOUR #MoveMore campaign coming?
Would a calendar help YOU?
Could you use a calendar to help you start a doodle habit as well?
Are YOU ready to get back to #LoseThoseFatQuarters?
I think a challenge and prizes are in order….what do YOU think?
We’d LOVE to hear!
I’m off!
Signed,
N0-(more)-Excuses-Kennedy
PS…All tutorials, images and information are the property of Lori Kennedy at The Inbox Jaunt and are intended for personal use only. Â Feel free to re-blog, pin or share with attribution to The Inbox Jaunt. Â For all other purposes, please contact me at lckennedy@hotmail.com. Â Thanks!
47 comments
Pam Hotle
I am 8 days behind in reading this blog. You can just imagine how my exercise, healthy eating, sewing, housework, etc are going. We were on vacation in Las Vegas where my daughter got married by Elvis to her Frenchman. We had a reception this past weekend. So much work to do for that plus a house full of guests. I think we had 30-35 here for lunch on sunday. My son and his wife headed back to China this morning after a 6 week visit. My daughter and her hubby fly back to France on thursday after 4 weeks here. I can’t wait to get my life back. Tonight I am watching the Olympics, in real time. Friday I hope to spend most of the day in my sewing room. I’m starting to have withdrawal.
Keeping track on the calendar seems like such a good idea. I wonder if it would be better to start with one thing and make that a habit before starting others or would it be better to do 2 or 3?
Linda Thompson
Ha! I use Renee’s methodology substituting if I do housework for an hour I can just go sew for as long I want. Sadly, that doesn’t work. I just procrastinate about house work! ???
annieofbluegables
I’ve been trying to at least walk an hour a day. Most days I get more than 10,000 steps. But if I have company, go somewhere or any other tiny distraction, I’m immediately off the wagon and eating wrong and skipping walking…
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That’s my issue too. My routine is very easily disrupted!
Dolores Good
Lori, I just discovered your Mystery Whole Cloth Quilt tutorial which I see is from Jan. 2015. Is that still available in your archives. I would like to do it if it is. Please let me know.
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Yes. You can find it on the “quilt a long” tab in the top ribbon. Let me know if you have trouble finding it.
Dianna
Great post and lots of good comments. Here’s a thought. Why don’t we try to combine both the FMQ and exercise, by making exercise the theme of the fat quarter mini quilts you do for us. I can envision a FQ quilt a month with maybe quilted yoga positions or the writing of inspirations, etc. Everyone is so creative on this site and I’m sure people could come up with some great ideas/images (another contest maybe). What about doing a Quilt-as-you-go and combining all the exercise FQs into one larger quilt. Thanks for all you do Lori. Love your site.
Rebecca Shaffer
Great article and sweet baby!
Lori Campbell
Right now I’m dealing with a lot of pain issues (knees & feet) but if I can’t do any other exercise I make sure I do my abs at least 4x a week.
I am trying to get back into a routine of sewing daily. I used to make sure I sewed at least 15 minutes a day but with working 10 hour days it’s my sewing that seems to not get done. I’m back at setting a timer to make myself sew each day. What’s keeping me going is I just bought an embroidery machine and am excited with the idea of incorporating embroidered centers in my blocks.
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So many embroidery choices! Sounds like fun.
Linda Thompson
Lori Campbell, contrary to a later statement I made about housework…..I do exercise now. I had a total knee replacement earlier this summer and for a month before surgery I had pre op exercises to do. I have looked for a sheet of exercises I did and will post that link. I didn’t do wrist, back, shoulders. They are not on my dr’s sheet or my PTs sheets. I think I will add them to my routine now. You might enjoy doing these…and could improve the situation. One important thing…IF IT HURTS, DONT DO IT…stop before that. I am now up to four pound weights on one leg….you won’t want to do that. It was almost a month after surgery before I went to a one pound weight.
Doing these exercises, have excited me about doing more…I have a exercise show on my DVR. I think if I get my hour of housework done…I will add that to my before sewing routine,
http://www.orthoassociates.com/_pdfs/kelly_280preop_knee.pdf
This is not my doctors office.
Linda
Suzi L.
love the quiit that Renee is doing her exercise on…as for the grandson and babies in
general…i love they way they smell. I organize my day on a white board and use a
timer that will beep until you turn if off. which means i am living in 30-60 minutes
increments all day long…get a lot of vip things done. I also schedule down time on
my timer..works for me.
Suzi L.
Lori Kennedy
Wow~ I need a whiteboard and a beeper! I get too distracted sometimes!
Anne T
I think I need to get more serious about the doodle habit – your examples are wonderful “kick start” pages! Went to a great quilt show this weekend at Connecticut College in New London CT…. Amazing quilts (took some pix which, if they work the way I hope, I’ll share. One of the best parts was being able to really appreciate the quilting motifs and recognizing many from your class on Craftsy. One of the volunteers asked me about it and she said she might look into it. Nothing like being able to give some positive PR. Now onto enjoying the 150 FQs I won in a raffle! I think I’m set for fabric for a while.
Enjoying a low humidity day with windows open and fans pulling in fresh air. Hope everyone is enjoying today as well
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Thanks for the shout-out!!! And congrats on your win!
Kathy h
Love the baby picture. I keep thinking that I should get out a notebook and just doodle a bit everyday. I even bought a few pretty notebooks. Good inspiration to try it.
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Go for it! Just scribble at first to get your pen moving.
GrrannyH
Years ago, when the kids were babies, I learned that I had to exercise first thing in the morning, right out of bed and before breakfast and my shower, or it didn’t get done. Now that my husband and I are retired, we exercise in the afternoon. However, if I don’t get started by 2:30 PM, it doesn’t get done. I change into work out clothes, turn on the TV, and away we go on the elliptical, the cross country skier, and the recumbent bike. On the weekend, when there isn’t as much traffic, we walk in the mornings, 4 miles each day, right out of bed and after breakfast but before our showers. Then we have the rest of the day on Saturday and Sunday to do whatever, like quilt. Now to be more consistent about FMQ…we can’t all be perfect in everything!
Lori Kennedy
Way to go! You have inspired me!
Donna Joy
Grandchildren are such a joy. I appreciate how you motivate me and I was just telling myself that I needed to find a way to get back into a habit of exercise. So a new start and believe in myself to keep trying.
lilquilter
Lori – thanks for the link to that article – excellent ideas – I am motivated to drop out of the procrastinators club! And Henry is so adorable and your photography is awesome. Happy quilting, everyone!
Pat
Love your pictures and I am envious of both – the pure joy of Henry and watermelon and the beauty of Renee in that yoga pose—-on a beautiful quilt! I was successful with my fitness goals when I did a version of Jerry’s calendar; I used a year calendar and got to give myself a star sticker on the days that I exercised. I knew it was corny to want that star—but it worked—. I need to restart-can’t explain why I stop. I asked Renee how she stays motivated – she said it is so painful to restart (in her case it is running) that she doesn’t go longer than 2 days without running.
Well we can all restart again! Lose those Fat Quarters!
Heather H
I have been able to keep my exercise going. …that’s a first for me. I just do the exercise first thing in the morning. I’m to the point where it is almost enjoyable?
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Win!!!!
Kathy D
How great to see Rosemary flower back on here. I miss the up-dates on the Twins! I think the weather that the whole U.S. has had this summer has put everyone’s plans and routines askew. Who feels like doing anything when it is 90 – 100+ and humid. I think we have turned the corner, it was beautiful in Michigan this weekend, mid 70’s, sunny and a nice cool breeze off Lake Huron.
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Gorgeous here in Mnnesota as well! Ditto-glad Rosemary is back!
Saskia
love the picture of your grandson. What a cutie.
I exercise first thing in the morning – either go to the gym or walk. I make myself do this before I give myself permission to sit behind my machine and sew.
Have not gotten in to the doodle habit – yet- another thing for my list.
Really enjoy your site – thanks so much
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Exercise first-my mantra!
Joellyn P.
I agree with the exercise 1st thing in the morning. I started yesterday morning getting back in the routine. I used hurting my knee as an excuse, but if I don’t roll out of bed first thing put on my bike shorts or walking clothes and go, I talk myself out of it. I’m too in to quilting later in the day. My sister passed away last week and that may just be enough to make me take better care of myself.
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I’m so sorry for your loss! Walking can be very therapeutic-physically and mentally!
JoyceO
It seems so simple…….. Time to get going on “daily accomplishments!” Thanks for the nudge?
JoyceO
Think that I will “color-code” my calendar!
Janet
Fun topic! Loved the J.S. article and the comments. Hats off to Renee!
Jo Olinger
Great article! I find myself with a new motivation. I have to find one of these types of calendars! I also think starting with the things that are hardest and moving to fun will be very helpful. I will give it a try!
Julie Zeigler
Thanks for the reminder! I have really slipped on my exercise routine as well! I read the Jerry article and I am going to try it! Today is a new day!
Tessa
Great post & wonderful article on habit-building! Bullet Journals are quite a trend currently, and in mine I set up a Monthly Tracker for each month for all the habits I’m trying to create. Then I color in the box for each habit/item for that day, (I also track if it rains so I know if I need to water my orchids by hand). Difficult to explain, but think of it as a Mini-Calendar. One could just do the Monthly Tracker separately – for more info & photos, see Bullet Journals on Pinterest/Google. Thanks for the inspiration Lori!
Pam at Quilting Fun
Well I am not very good, definitely not consistent. I tend to rack up 8 to 10,000 steps a day, just in ordinary living, but that’s it. Started yoga and Pilates, they don’t seem to make it past a week. Today is another day, I still have the opportunity to exercise. Thanks for your encouragement.
quilty2
Let’s start anew!
Rosemaryflower
one thing you can try is when you wake up in the morning, do some stretching in bed.
Okay I do not have little kiddies at home anymore, but I do have two hungry kitties
They watch me do my back exercises in my bed.
I try to treadmill 2 miles a day (really wimpy) but I always walk 4 miles per hour.
I built a table on my treadmill and do all of my websurfing while treadmilling.
Sometimes I listen to music, so good for your brain, and sometimes I watch tv, my husband likes masterpiece murdering killing and more murdering, so I watch that. Always a silly plot line, or now some Olympics if fun.
sewing and quilting – I have always had focus problems, but I try to focus, and that is a good exercise too. hahahahahaaaa
Happy Monday
sorry to be a stranger, my parents and my new grand daughter are both treasures in my life too. We must keep healthy and fit for our families
Henry is a sweet little fella, and your daughter in law is very fit. I used to be able to do that back in the day
Ellen
I would love to see a picture of what you did for a table on your treadmill! If I made my self mess around on the computer only on the treadmill, I’d get a LOT of exercise!
Rosemaryflower
Yay, I win for leaving the longest comment 😀
dragee
Happy Monday too Lori. Your grand son Henry is so cute, how can’t you be in love with him ? I remember the birth of my eldest grand son. I fell in love with him at the first sight. I am still in love with him and with his siblings but now he is 22, and he lives so many miles away, on the other side of the Ocean ! Quilting, and trying to improve my english are good ways to feel close to my family within two visits, and whatever the distance. I am not good at exercising and I don’t ever try, I prefer improving my quilting, and I don’t feel guilty at all ! Kind regards and thank you for sharing your photo. Marie
Bev Hastings
I know a lot of quilters have their irons right beside their machines but mine is on the other side of the room so I have to get up every few minutes and exercise my limbs going across the room to the iron. Very important for quilters to do anyway.
Mary
Amazing balance position from Renee! I was just thinking the other day, that I have not focused on my “exercise” recently! I strongly believe in writing down food to manage weight, the daily doodle which you have always encouraged, or quilt sandwiches ready to go. The complication is priorities, and time management! I like the calendar concept!
What is most important? Quilting, exercising, gardening, etc? Hmmm! Better get cracking.
treadlemusic
How true that article is and supports the “15 Minutes of Play” that Victoria Wolfe (Bumblebeans) wrote in her book. The emphasis is not on the “how MUCH” but on the “how OFTEN”, creating the ‘habit’/repetition of an action resulting in increasing that skill level. GREAT post…….thanks so much!!!!! And that little one is totally su—-weeet!
Pam Arbour
That was a very interesting story about Jerry Seinfeld. Such a simple approach to success! And I might say that he was very successful. I really need to do that with a lot of things. Some of which are exercise, doodling, FMQ and probably a few others. I guess we should have a calendar for each thing? By the way, your grandson is precious!
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