Three Things Thursday--Running, Crafting, and Seasonal Changes

1.  Okay, so seasonal changes first.  I don't know about you guys, but every time I begin to really feel a seasonal change, I go into a state of complete disruption.  My gears shift for a bit and I have a hard time figuring out how to adjust my life to it all.  Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a molehill, but I tend to structure things around what I'm feeling in my environment.  When summer hit, I didn't want to run outside so much because I wasn't used to the heat (nor were the kids).  Instead we started going to the pool and using the gym a lot.  It took at least a month until I was really back into my previous fitness schedule and we started hiking more and running outside with the jogger.  Now that it's cooling off, I'm feeling the need to do holiday stuff such as crafting and (yes, it happens at times) baking.  I'm also doing a lot of working on the house and holiday planning.  My fitness schedule got thrown for a loop right after I got it where I wanted it, and I'm just now really getting back into the groove.  That seems to be the story of my life, though.  I need to just realize that I never actually have this "groove" people speak of.  Thriving on chaos is more my thing.

2.  So now that I'm working on my running again, I'm hoping to pick up some speed.  The cold will bring more treadmill runs at the gym, especially since the boy has decided that he absolutely lives for the Y "Kid's Club".  With Daddy off to work and sister at school, it's his "thing" and he needs it to feel accomplished.  So I'll start taking him there for the full two hour allowance, picking up some speed on the treadmill so I can get off of it faster, doing some HIIT, and whatever time at the end I don't work out will be spent studying for my ACE course.  So far it's working out okay and I'm running sub-9 min miles for up to 5 miles.  I'll take it!

3.  I'm going a bit nutty with the crafting lately.  House-buying is expensive, and we're trying to save in every little way possible.  I love the challenge (and beauty) of making unique gifts for people!  I have some awesome ideas so far:  the kids are getting nap mats and handmade belts (for which I've made no pattern yet), the boy is getting a Star Wars apron for his birthday, and the kiddo's teachers will probably get some patchworked potholders with matching tea towels.  I'll also be working with the kids to do a lot of ugly weather, inexpensive, at-home holiday crafts.  Today we'll make an adorable pumpkin bird feeder!  If you want some fabulous ideas for handmade holiday gifts, check out the Sew, Mama, Sew! blog--every November they do an entire month of "Handmade Holidays" and you can look through their archives for more fun ideas.  I make at least one thing a year based off of their ideas!  And for other fun kid crafts to pass the time and/or decorate your house for the season, look at my Pinterest page and follow me.  I've become a bit obsessed with it lately and have made about a third of what I have pinned.  So--it works!!  Save some money, avoid the holiday shopping lines, and have some fun at home with all of it.  It'll make the season much more magical again, just like childhood.  I promise!

Voting kids, and the boy's new made-by-me dragon hat!

What's been going on for you lately?  Have you gone straight into the colder weather without a hitch, or have you switched some things up?  And what are you making right now?  Whether it's faster miles or pumpkin muffins or quilts or anything in-between, I'd love to hear about it!