MOTIVATION with MONEY to workout

I came up with a brilliant way to save money and motivate myself to exercise!!! Okay, well I didn't completely come up with the idea. It was briefly mentioned by Connie E Sokol during a lecture (Fit and Fabulous) at education week: "I know a woman who pays herself to excercise 10 dollars for every half hour."

This spark sat inside my head for a while. The race is what was really motivating me at that point. But that is over, and I really need some more motivation. I modified this idea a lot so it would really work for me and not against me. The fact that I worked out well one week shouldn't give me right to go out and spend money frivolously. Here's the brilliant plan rules:

• I workout for 10 minutes (any exercise), I get $1.


• Must stop time for breaks (only credit for moving time)


• Run 3 miles, get $5 (to my advantage to run faster and harder)


• May not spend any money on non-essentials unless it has already been earned (no tabs)

Now, the non-essentials part may be interpreted broadly when I really want something, so I have been specific with myself. Unless it is a business expense, food, gas, or basic toiletries (special shampoo/makeup do not count) then I must buy it with my workout fund. That means for more than a basic $8 trim from dollar cuts, I need to earn the $30 haircut by working out for 300 minutes or run 18 miles. I recently bought hangers with the money I accrued running the race. Now I'm completely broke. But my closet looks amazing and I'm really motivated to workout tonight so I can get more organizin materials. This really makes me think about what I'm spending and what my priorities are. Plus, no fee for the gym! Some people pay for the gym to motivate themselves because if they don't go, they are loosing money. What a waste!

Go money-saving, fat-ditching ME!

Little Grand Canyon Half Marathon

We did it! We ran a half marathon, that's 13.1 miles. The longest we have ever run at one time! It makes me feel so good to cross off one of my "do before I die" items on my list! And to do it with Jake was so fun. When we first started training back in New York, I was pushing him a bit, but once we got home he had to drag me out of be and push me to go the full distance, he had so much drive and energy. And during the race it was the same thing. I would slow down almost start walking and then coach Jake would chime in, "We can do it, come on." We held hands across the finish (how romantic) at a satisfying 2:28:06.

It felt so much shorter though. The view, I'm sure, had something to do with that. It was the most exhilarating view I have ever seen. Especially when experiencing it in person, outside the car at a jogging pace, where you can really soak it all in. The red rocks are so majestic. The different era's of the Jurassic, Triassic and Cretaceous Era’s are evident in it's horizontal layers.
We ran right by this huge ancient Native American pictograph panel (The BuckHorn Panel see below) and saw many petroglyphs along the rock walls along the way.

It was one of those awesome life experiences that was worth the pain and one days waking at 3:45. Maybe a full marathon next time?

Book Bindings

I am inspired by these gorgeously bound books. The first two are from AnnReneeLighter and the third and fourth pictures are from an amazing book artisit Deniss Yuen. I learned the coptic stitch the other day, although it is very sloppy, and have been working on some planners (boringly yet practically spiral bound) that I can't wait to show the world. I will post them soon, but until then, If you love book arts check out Deniss's lovely blog

1) Secret Belgian Binding 2)Exposed Harlequin Stitch on Leather 3) Long Stitch 4) Tacket Binding