Couch to 5k...

Last fall some time, we decided that we were going to do a 5k. Now I am NOT a runner, never have been. Even when I was in the best shape of my life running was not something that was easy for me. Dance for hours on end? Sure. Run from here to there? Not so much..

Still...I wanted to set a fitness goal and work towards it. I have always been a goal oriented person, so I figured if we set a goal, and invested some money into it I'd be more inclined to really work toward it. Well, we decided to do the Expedition Everest 5k at Disney's Animal Kingdom in May. It has obstacle courses at every mile and a scavenger hunt at the end to find the Yeti and the after party. At least I will be amused during the 5k if nothing else.

This past week was week 2 of the "training" so to speak. Jay has been adamant about having us run outside, since the race will be outside. He has a point, but it has been more difficult for me. The pollen has been awful, so breathing is an issue, and for some reason the run portions just seem much longer outside.

One of the days, I couldn't be outside without having itchy eyes and sneezing, so we took to the gym. One of the treadmills was taken, so I decided I would just take the elliptical. Figured it would be a nice break for me knees. I kept the same pacing as if I would on the treadmill, and felt good after. The next day I went to teacher Zumba, where our music teacher worked us hard. Woke up yesterday and holy soreness batman! My sides and abs were killing me, as well as my calves and shins. Saturday was also Day 3 for the week, and let me tell you...my body did not want to do it. I forced myself to go and do it (even without Jay) and felt very accomplished after.

This morning I am still sore, but welcome it. I haven't felt this way since we did P90x a couple of summers ago. I am doubtful that I will be able to run the entire 5k - not because I am pessimistic, but because I am realistic about my body, but I want to try to run most of it and will continue to train to do so.

Here's to Week 3..

Pinterest Crafts - February

Pintrest is all around lately. I found the WONDERFUL site this summer, and used it mostly just for classroom ideas. I kept telling people about it, and most of the time just got funny looks..."A digital bulletin board?! Why??"

Fast forward 6 months and everybody and their momma (including my momma) is on it! More recently I have been using it to look up craft ideas. Work has been less than stellar lately, and in an attempt to keep my stress levels at bay, I have started crafting on a more than weekly basis. Although my living room looks like Martha Stewart blew up in it, my stress has decreased greatly :)

Without further ado.. Here are my February Pinterest inspired crafts...

Fabric Scrap Wreath - Flowers are made from Ric Rack and Bias Tape
Covered button earrings



Toothbrush/Toothpaste Travel caddy from a washcloth
All rolled up and ready to go!
Dry erase calendar made with paint samples
Two month one I made for Jay for the business

Reusable Coffee Cozy

We Bought A Zoo Coffee Shop!

Yeah, I know there is a level of "Where in the World did that come from?!" Although it seems out of the blue and super random, but I promise you it was not...

The road to this adventure begins about a week before Thanksgiving. I had been unhappy with my purse for some time, and on that Monday I decided I was going to Kohl's and find something that would make me happier. On my way home from work, I call Jay to see if he's home and if he wants to come with. He agrees, I swing by the house and off we are go. As usual, my first question was "How was work today?" At that moment my worst fear for the past 5 years came true - Jay tells me that his boss is closing the store at the end of the year. At that moment I burst into tears and begin the mind spinning realization that in less than a month we will be a one income household and have no idea how we are going to make it..I was angry, scared, and quite honestly sick to my stomach. I wanted to just turn around the car and go home, already in a mindframe of pinching pennies when Jay forces me to go to Kohls.

Always the rational and level headed one, he makes me promise that I can cry and wallow for the remainder of the night, but then I must suck it up and at least play fine until the end of the year. Riiiggghhtt...

Then, in the purse section at Kohl's he tells me that the owner of the coffee shop he frequents is moving and mentioned to him about buying the shop. He had to repeat it, because I didn't realize he was serious. He stopped me and looked at me and said, "I think I want to try to buy it." True to form, I reply " Are you nuts?! How in the world would we be able to do that!" At this point in the conversation, I stop at look at him, and I realize that he is DEAD.SERIOUS. He wants to do this.

Now, if you don't know Jay, you may not realize how persistent and stubborn he can be when he puts his mind to something. Knowing this, I knew he would do everything he could to see if it could happen.

Throughout dinner that night, he continues to tell me how he wants to try, really try. He believed, and I agreed, that this may be one of those "once in a lifetime, game changing, moments." He felt if he didn't try, he would always wonder "what if." I knew that if we could somehow figure out funding, that it would happen and would be successful. Jay is such a smart and personable person, he practically ran the store he was at for the past 6 years, and is one of the most hardworking people I know. By the time we went to bed, I was getting just as excited and hopeful as he was.

I can't say it was an easy process, or by any means a quick one. With holidays in between and other scheduling mishaps, from start to finish it was a 3 month journey. At times we just weren't sure if it was going to happen. We began to start many of our sentences with "If it happens..." When it started, I was so excited and told a few close friends and Jay was not thrilled with me. He told me it was bad juju and put me on a gag order. :)

For 3 months, our first questions of the afternoon were changed to "Any coffee news today?" and I often held my breath waiting to hear the answer. I watched Jay transform - he became a man of lists, clipboards, phone calls - his mind was constantly going. It was a good thing, because his boss closed the store 3 weeks early (another blow that hurt, especially right before Christmas - a Christmas we were hosting mind you!) Everything happens for a reason, I believe, and that store closing gave him more time to work on the business. We would go days without progress, and then sometimes it was a hurry up and wait situation. It was stressful but hopeful.

We finally got funding and a closing date was set for the next week, and at that point I still wasn't sure it was real. I became the person that didn't want to talk about it until the ink dried on the paper...

Fast forward to February 29, 2012....the ink dried...we officially became the proud owners of Bay Islands Coffee Company!! I cried and then just sat still. It was a day I will NEVER forget! We had great plans of going out to dinner to celebrate and had Champagne bought and ready to go, but to be honest it didn't play out that way that night. :) Jay immediately went to work the day of closing getting the freezers moved and the stock ready for his first official day. As he closed up that night we stood in the Hut just looking around and kept asking "Is this really ours?!"

The night of closing - all because he wanted to "try" So proud of him!

So excited!

And so..there it is..We bought a Coffee Shop! Now our adventure begins!!