10 ways to get through a boring treadmill workout

I'm pretty much an elliptical girl. I really don't like the treadmill. There's no real motion and a minute usually feels like 30. Sometimes, however I walk it. If I have a little knee or back pain or want to take it a little easier than the elliptical. I also hit the treadmill when I'm REALLY tired and lazy but KNOW that I must get some sort of cardio in for the day.

Here are some tricks I've been trying to make the hour go by a little faster.

As we all know, I am not a trainer, doctor or any type of fitness expert. Some people only focus on their bodies, the muscles they want to target, and their breathing. If I did this, I wouldn't last 2 minutes. My breathing is quite boring, and if I'm running on the treadmill it is similar to the sound of an elephant. I don't want to focus on that.

1. Make a new music list on your mp3 and only let yourself listen to it when you get on the treadmill. This is kind of an exciting little reward. Download a lot...you have an hour.

2. Text everyone you know. I do this a lot. When I'm texting I'm not paying attention to how long it's taking and I get to catch up on how everyone is doing.

3. Bring a friend to the gym. I know this isn't do-able most of the time, but when I've got someone there to gossip for an hour, it is the BEST!

4. Bring your nook/ipad and watch a movie! I haven't done this yet. Just found out that I can download movies from paramount pictures for my device and I'm gonna try it.

5. Play games on your device. I just saw this yesterday. A lady was playing a tetris-type game. I kept wondering why I haven't thought of that! She also played cards on her ipad. Too cool.

6. Read a book. It can be a book on your device or if you like to read real books (like me), just take a thin headband with you to the gym and wrap it around your book and the treadmill. This keeps the book open and keeps it from falling.

7. Watch tv. This one works well when there's something good on. When I forget my ipod sometimes I put it on vh1 or mtv so that I can get music in and see all the inspirational and very toned people in the videos.

8. SPEAK POSITIVE! yes, it sounds weird. I find myself talking to myself a LOT on the treadmill. Like the picture above, I wonder every second when it's going to END. Speak positive though, tell yourself how awesome you are for getting an hour in, figure out what clothes you want to fit into this summer. The negative thoughts try to creep in, just tell 'em to zip it.

9. While you are walking, clench your glutes a little bit as you step. And try flexing your abs when you think about it too. When I do this my butt is a bit sore the next day, but at least I feel like I've done something.

10. While you are doing any of the above, set mini goals. Tell yourself you can quit after just 15 minutes. When that time is up, make it just 15 more. By the time you are at 45 there's no reason to quit there, might as well get 15 more in!! Slowly but surely....get that cardio in!!!

Hair Extensions. Oh yes, I did!

****GRAINY PICTURES AHEAD!!!*****

 WHY FAKE HAIR??

The past few months have been sad for me. This is the year that my oldest daughter is graduating high school. I see all of my friends post about prom and all the exciting things that go along with senior year and I just want to cry. Perhaps I'm selfish, I just would've liked to have gone through all of the steps that seniors to go from high school to real life. Since my oldest daughter lives 3 hours away, this is pretty impossible. I'm trying to keep positive and focus my attention to the family that I have with me and not try to stress so much. :) My 9 year old will be a senior in the blink of an eye, so I'm trying to squeeze every single second of it and spend as much quality time that I can.

Also, I'm 37 now. I might be going through a mid-life crisis a little early but I didn't google it so I'm not sure I can diagnose myself. I have no plans on finding a boyfriend, and I haven't bought a convertible yet (but I need to admit that I looked at the sticker information on a convertible cadillac that was sitting in the mall) so maybe I'm just working on my bucket list.

Lots of family members and friends throughout my life have had long, flowing locks. I have a loooonnngg face though, and most of my life it's been WIDE so there are not many times my hair has been long and when it did, it didn't look great. I guess I need to blame pinterest too, they have all of these boards with pictures of long, beautiful hairstyles, and it just made me REALLY want to grow my hair out.

Since I have zero patience, I went to YOUTUBE and searched 'extensions'. After deciding that I didn't want to shell out about $600, and I didn't want a ton of little plugs in my hair, I decided on clip in extensions. Lots of reviews are online and youtube. I stumbled across My Fantasy Hair after reading a good review. They also have a thicker hair, which means it weighs more. All the others I looked at had a very low weight, and my hair is super short so I needed a thicker hair since I'm not filling in. So today I get the hair in and it really felt like Christmas. It matched exactly with the color of my hair and it's SO THICK. I hung it from tulle and styled it which took about 30 minutes and then I put the wefts in. Instructions for putting them in are all over youtube.

I'm pretty stinkin' proud of myself for this just being my first time. Of course I'm way to scared to wear them in public right now but if we go somewhere or actually go out I will test them out. My husband LOVES them, but he is pretty biased and always says he loves everything. Of course I have only had these for 8 hours, but so far my opinon of this brand is all A's. It is incredibly thick and it brushes well. The curls didn't stay very long but I used a low heat and only a couple squirts of chi helmet head.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that life is just so stinkin' short. If you want to buy a big 'ol bag of hair extensions and try them out, DO IT. Who cares what people say? I care. But I like feeling pretty too. I doubt I'll have 'Looked like a goofball with extensions' on my headstone.

Last week I'm driving home and I have the most amazing, super, FUN idea in my head. So immediately I jump online and start searching 'custom stickers'. Because my brilliant idea involves custom stickers. And, I kid you not, the next day, a company called PrintRunner contacts me and wants to know if I'd like to do a giveaway, and by the way, you can review stickers if you'd like! Would I EVER! I'm so excited for both myself and the lucky winner of this giveaway!

 PrintRunner is a full service high quality printing company located in Chatsworth, California. PrintRunner.com was established with little more than a small press and a dream. Ten years later the company became one of the foremost quality printers in Southern California.

PrintRunner is your convenient online printing resource!

Details of the giveaway prize: Stickers

Sticker Shape : Standard Stickers
Flat Width : 2"
Flat Height : 3.5"
Quantity : 250
Paper : Premium Sticker Stock
Colors : Full Color ( 4 Color Process), Black and White
Proof : NONE
Ready to Ship In : 3 Business Days
*Giveaway is open to US Residents only, ages 18 years old and above

WAYS TO ENTER:
for each entry add a comment. Winner will be chosen MARCH 12, 2012

1. REQUIRED: Visit PrintRunner Check out their custom sticker printing services. Tell me what your stickers would be used for!

extra entries:

2. Be a follower of this blog

3. Follow PrintRunner on Facebook and tell 'em I sent you!
4. Follow I See Amazing on Facebook!

5. Follow PrintRunner on Twitter!

EASY PEASY!! Good Luck!!!
Thank you to PrintRunner for providing us this giveaway, I will receive a set of stickers for hosting this!

Easy Peasy Valentine Pillow Craft

Each holiday my daughter and I like to make a small gift. Valentines day has always been my favorite holiday for many reasons. It's PINK, ruffly, pretty, all about LOVE and it's not a holiday that you feel forced to give everyone gifts.

This Valentine's day I ordered some tags from Pick Your Plum that had Breckins name with a heart next to it. I cut out some muslin hearts, cracked out all the glitter, modge podge and fabric markers and let the fun begin!

this one is for Breckins step-mom. She made hearts for everyone she could think of, and added lots and lots of glitter to each one...I think our love for glitter is genetic.

Even Ryan got in on the fun

After each heart was decorated, I noticed that she had written, glittered and glued, all the way to the corner. Since there was no seam allowance I cut a matching fabric back and sewed them with outsides together inside of insides together (if that makes sense). I left a small opening and we stuffed the hearts, then I sewed them closed.

She did such a great job! I embroidered her nickname on one and had to add my own kind of glitter. Hidden in the pile is even a heart that reads 'love, mammie' on the back. I couldn't resist giving a baby that is the size of a pea, it's first Valentine's gift!

here is what the backs look like. They each match the person they are going to.

Ryans design was so pretty that I couldn't stand to sew it up. It has my name and Breckins name along the edge and he spent so much time doing it that I think I may have to modge-podge it to a sign or something cool..already, another project in the works!

To make your heart pattern, simply fold a piece of paper in half and draw half of a heart (old school style!) to the size that you want.