Holding Steady on the Road to Fit

I'm still as fit as I was last week.  I didn't gain or lose in inches or weight.  It has been hot here but I'm still managing to get outside and work in the garden each day.

This next week I want to work on going to bed earlier and reducing my stress level. 

Not much of a report, sorry.  But I did want to check in for my own accountability. 

I'm linking up at Tea Time With Annie Kate for Fit Mommy Friday.  A group of moms on the path to fitness link up over there and encourage each other.  Want to join?  Just click on the link above to find out how.

The Raised Bed Garden is Finshed!

I wanted to add onto the garden this year but the space I had available was covered in a foot of gravel road base. We decided it would be easier to just build garden beds on top instead of removing the gravel. So I designed a plan for the space, shared my wishes with my husband and he made it happen. It took us a month to get it finished. My dad helped while he was visiting.

The first few boxes going in.

When we were in Santa Fe we went to a garden pottery and furniture shop and I picked up this tortoise planter.  He sits next to the sidewalk to greet you as you walk into the garden.

This was the original plan before I figured out what to do with the open space in front of the boxes.  Each of the boxes are 6 foot square.  When you read about building raised beds you will be instructed to make them no wider than 4 feet.  I have wider beds in the rest of the garden so I was already comfortable working with larger beds and I didn't want to waste planting space to paths.  We made the paths 3 feet wide.

I wanted some pretty places to plant flowers and here is one that we came up with.  We had the birdbath already.  I might place something else in the middle if I find the perfect feature.

Instead of using the top as a birdbath I planted it.  The water evaporates too quickly here anyway.

My husband built an arbor and a bench for the front of the garden.  We were trying to design the sides of the arbor when I suggested a heart and he liked that idea.  It worked out well.  I dug out a spot for a flower bed in the front corner.  I have planted a ground cover rose and will add an evergreen and more flowers later.

The tree in front is a pecan.

He still has to build the other side.  I will plant climbing roses next to the arbor with some clemantis.  The two beds in front are 4X6 and will be planted with herbs.

I planted a rose in the bed behind the bench also.  I will plant an evergreen shrub or something else for winter interest in both of these beds.

I found some pots at a yard sale so I added this little feature on the side of the garden.  This gravel covered spot is between two pine trees.  I plan to add short evergreen trees and shrubs later.  We gathered a bunch of rocks to edge the gravel for a more finished look.

My dad brought those two seats back from Arkansas for me.  They are a convenient height to sit in while weeding the raised beds.  They used to be on a cultivator and are very comfie.

I was going to build three long boxes over here next year but decided to try growing sunflowers and squash in the soil this year.  I think I will just try to improve the soil instead of building more boxes.  I will use this space for growing corn, potatoes, and winter squash.  It will be on a three year rotation with two more large beds I have in the rest of the garden.

This sunflower was growing here before we started work on the new garden.  It was in the right spot so we left it.

The children's gardens are along the side of the new garden and add some color with all the flowers they have planted.

And here's a photo of my flower border.  I love the mix of colors going on right now.  Thanks for visiting!

Briana, your garden columnist for The Christian Home Magazine

10 Ways To Get Out Of A Bad Mood, I Hope!

Have you ever been in a bad mood that wouldn't go away no matter what you tried?  Yeah, me too.  Here is a list of 10 things(in no paritcular order) I do to try to get out of a bad mood.  It usually works but the times it doesn't I stick with #2 for as long as possible so I don't subject everyone around me to my bad mood.

#1- Exercise- It helps you get rid of some of the negative energy.

#2- Alone Time- Spend some time alone thinking about all of the good things in your life.

#3- Pray

#4- Read your Bible, especially the Psalms.

#5- Change your perspective- If you are inside try going outside for awhile.

#6- Smile- Try to find someone to smile at, better yet laugh with.

#7- Take a break- If you've been working hard, rest.  Sometimes I get in a bad mood from working too much without adequate breaks.

#8- Hug- find someone to hug or cuddle with a pet.

#9- Don't go hungry- If you are hungry eat something, preferably something helathy.

#10- Music- listen to some music that you find uplifting.

There now don't you feel better?

Get A Haircut!

Nathan got a haircut!

The poor kid has my curly hair. I guess he finally go tired of everyone bugging him about it and asked his father to chop it off. So he gave him a "high and tight".

Now he looks older.  : (  They grow up too fast!

El Dorado Hotel and Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico

We stayed at the El Dorado Hotel and Spa when we visited Santa Fe a few weeks ago. I thought I'd share some photos that I took with you.  Here is the front of the hotel.  It is in old town which made it an awesome place to stay.  We checked in and then were able to head out on foot to explore Santa Fe.

This is right up the street from the hotel.  The Lensic Performing Arts Center is there on the left and in the middle distance is the Cathedral Basillica of St. Francis of Assisi.  We headed out and walked around for about two hours before we went back to the hotel to enjoy the pool and spa on the rooftop.

We had a room on the top floor with a fireplace and a balcony.  I have a fear of elevators but I bravely went up in down in one both days we were there.

Sorry, this pic is pretty dark.  I didn't realize how bad it was until it was too late to take another.

Romantic

This is the view from our balcony.

See the garden down there.  We walked through it when we walked around town.  I'll share more photos in a garden post later.

Here's the workout room which we didn't use.  Saunas were also available.

This is the view from the pool area on the roof.  There were tall walls with cutouts so you could take in the view safely.  Even my fear of heights was comfortable up there.

Sunset from our balcony.

I took the next 8 photos with my cell phone 'cause I felt awkward walking around the hotel taking pics with my camera.  Some day I'll have more guts and then you can see better photos.  I don't remember what they called this big open room but it was big and open and had a piano.

This was a little room set up with different table presentations so you could choose how you wanted your event to look.

More of the big room.

A cozy place to sit off the lobby

The lobby

There were real orchids in the lobby.  Yes, I touched them to make sure they were real!

Ceiling details

And yes, we enjoyed a fire in our room before bed because we could!

I wish I had taken more pics of the main floor.  There is a lounge and a nice restaurant which we didn't visit.  We did visit the spa for a complimentary eucalyptus steam room treatment.  I loved the spa robe I got to use!  We enjoyed our stay and felt spoiled by the time we left.

Our visit to Loretto Chapel Home of the Mysterious Staircase
Disclaimer: I did not receive any incentive to write this post.  We visited the El Dorado Hotel and Spa on our own dime as a late 20th anniversary getaway and enjoyed ever minute we were there.  I would highly recommend that you stay in old town if you ever visit Santa Fe and it is in your budget. 

The Book of Books by Trevor Dennis

The Book of Books, The Bible Retold by Trevor Dennis

The cover of this children's hardcover book states, "a deceptively simple and brilliantly imaginative retelling of the stories that make up the Bible.", and that is exactly what you will find in The Book of Books; 12 chapters containing over 100 popular Bible stories retold with all of the details you imagined as you read the story from the Bible. Each chapter has a brief introduction to help the reader know where he is and who the main characters are before he begins the stories in that section.  You will find a list of Bible references in the back if you would like to know where in the Bible the real story is found.

Click here to read an excerpt of  The Book of Books

We enjoyed this book.  I am using it as a read-aloud book with my children.  They find the extra details in each story interesting and sometimes funny.  I did find myself cautioning them that some of the things we read in the story were imagined and not in the original.  It's kind of like when you read a great book and then watch the movie version.  It's fun to point out the differences in details.  I like to read Bible story-books to my children but we also read the real story from the Bible.  I think The Book of Books is a fun way to get children more interested in the Bible.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Kregel Publishers in order to write this review and have shared my honest opinion.

I Will Survive!

I dried some catnip to use this winter in herbal tea.

Sorry.  That's just been the theme of my last month.  I did survive and now things are getting back to normal.  I've worked hard in the garden and I even did a good weight work out this week!  I have maintained my weight through intense stress and am recovering from a hard month.  I know I will still have ups and downs and worry more than I should but it is going much better than I thought it would.

How did I survive?  Lots of prayer!  We asked for prayers from everyone and our family and friends asked their churches and friends to pray for us.  We received answers a lot faster than we would have and now we are getting used to a new reality in our lives.

Ok, so this post isn't really about physical fitness but more about mental fitness.  It's hard to be physically fit if you aren't mentally fit.  Sometimes you need to step back from everything else and get your mind in order before you can continue onward.  When the stress hit we were in the middle of a school break and I extended it until I felt like we could start to get back to normal.  We are slowly adding back to our routine and should be at a full workload soon. 

I hope to talk more about physical fitness next week.  I hope you all had a fit week!

I'm linking up at Tea Time With Annie Kate for Fit Mommy Friday.

My June Garden

My monthly walk through post is late!  I did take the photos in time I just didn't get it put together until today.  I do plan to be on time next month!  Hey, and since I'm late you will have a shorter wait until my July walk through. 

This is the view of the garden next to our house as you walk around the corner from the front.  I have done most of my work back here since we moved in three years ago.  I am finally working on getting the front cleaned up and ready for plantings this year.

I have the tomatoes and peppers planted behind the house.  This works out well as tomatoes will stop producing in extreme heat.  They have a few hours of shade in the morning which keeps them going all summer.

Baby tomatoes getting ready to grow up and feed us.

This teeny tiny pepper is potent!  My husband and two of my sons shared one tiny pepper and it made all of them cry.  Why do guys think it's fun to eat really spicy things?  

Here is the potato bed.  There are lots of weeds back there.  I used the weed eater for the first time a few days before I took this photo.  I don't like power tools but I can use a sewing machine.  No, it doesn't make sense to me either.

See, a potato plant!

I've added a few things this year to the flower bed around the play area.  I started this bed last year.

The flower border between the lawn and the veggie garden is looking nice.  The blue flowers have been blooming since April or early May.

This pink rose sits in the corner of the flower border.  It is on its second period of blooming.

And now the strawberry bed.  I bought 25 bare root strawberries but only about 7 survived.  I've been buying potted berries every few weeks and adding them in.  I will have at least one full bed by fall.  Green beans are growing along the edges and should be adding lots of green by next month.

This is the veggie garden from the back right corner.  It has been taken over by sunflowers.  I didn't want to pull any up.  There are some veggies lurking in there and I took photos of them to prove it!

Now I'm standing at the middle of one end of the veggie garden.  The strawberry beds are right behind me.

Here are some bush beans.  I also have them planted along the sidewalk to grow up the trellis.  I still have peas growing over there also.

Now I'm looking into the garden with the flower border behind me.  Can you see the lettuce over there on the left?  The bush beans are down at the bottom left.  Excuse those pushy sunflowers.

See, lettuce.  I got a late start on the lettuce this year.  It didn't want to come up early.  I need to figure out a lettuce growing method for our climate.  It gets hot early.  We almost skip spring.  The white flowers are carrots which have gone to seed.  I planted them last summer or fall and they never got pulled up.  They are pretty in flower beds also.

Grapes!  We have lots of grapes this year.

Do you need a break now?  Have a seat in the shade of the grape arbor.  I planted some impatiens behind the bunk bed fence and next to each chair.  In the two beds leading into the arbor I have beets, bush beans, lettuce, onions, and sunflowers.  I don't know how I ended up with so many sunnies.  Many of them self seeded from last years plants. 

The children's gardens.  Elijah is into growing food, Sarah likes perennials, Isaac and David like watering, and Hannah wants lots of flowers.  The new raised bed garden is on the right of their gardens.  I'm hoping my husband will be able to build the last two boxes and then I will show you the garden next week.  Even if we don't have it finished this weekend I will still give you a tour next week.

Here is the sunflower forest.  This section is about 6 feet wide and 20 feet long.  I have a bunch of snow peas growing with the sunflowers.  I will be planting cabbage later in the season.  I can't wait 'till all of the sunnies are blooming!

And now I'm standing between the raised bed garden and the old garden looking toward the back of our property.  I need to measure how long the garden is.  I'll try to do that for next week's raised bed tour.

Now we can look at flowers!  This is echinacea which is in the herb bed.

Here is some Italian dandelion(blue flowers, it's not a true dandelion) which is growing on the edge of the sunflower forest.

Hollyhock

Pinks or dianthus

Cosmos

An acorn squash, whoops, not a flower.

The last of the apricots which we need to harvest.

Now don't laugh at me, k?  This is my front flower border.  I did add 2 Asiatic lilies this year.  I also mulched with compost after I took this photo.  I'm having a hard time getting anything to grow in this soil.  My next step will be to get rid of the Bermuda grass.  Wish me luck!

And now to reward you for sticking with me this long I have a few photos of the back flower border.

The gardens are going to be pretty yellow next month.

 Thanks for visiting.  See you next week for the geometric raised bed garden unveiling!

Briana, columnist for The Christian Home Magazine