Roll It Out

My Chiropractor got me started on this foam roller.  It has helped for multiple reasons:

1. It reduces soreness and tightness from working out

2. It increases flexibility

3. It helps prevents injury

4. My Favorite, It helps to de-stress

It helps just like a massage would...the tension and toxins are all released.

I will use it before I walk, run or exercise.  I use it after exercise, while I'm cooling down and when it helps me the most is right before bed.  Justin loves it when I save his thumbs.

 This position right here takes the knots out of my shoulders and back.  I roll all the way to my neck down my entire back.

Then this angle is a little hard to see but if you angle the roller on the middle of your back you can roll right up under each shoulder blade and kill the knots up there...so great!

I will warn you now...it is not comfortable.  When you first start doing this it is down right painful and hurts.  Keep it up...you'll see great results though!

The Best Thing We Did this Christmas...

We decided with our kids that we would make homemade gifts for each other this year.  The rule was that we could not spend a penny.  We had to make the gifts from things we already had at home.

So, the work began earlier in November.  Sarah came up with the idea to make one of Justin's old shirt into roads...she can drive the cars on his back for a little massage.

Allison began with the idea to make a "Daddy jar for all his stuff."  We dug in my crafts and found an old can and popsicle sticks that she could paint.

Spencer asked to go on a walk around the neighborhood for rocks and this is what he came back with.  Of course, he had to get them all clean for his project.

Allison had just barely started to learn to write other words besides her name and one word is "Dad." She was all prepared to label her project.

And her final project for her Dad!

Sarah checkin it out to make sure it works before she wrapped it and put it under the tree.

And now we begin to see Spencer's idea come together.

"DAD ROCKS!"

Justin opened these three presents and all we could say is how fun it was to watch these three feel excited to "give" and loved their creativity. 

I made this hopscotch for Sarah.  She loves it, but I have to say I was probably more excited to give this to her than anything else Christmas Morning.  It really came from my heart.

I put together this shadow box for Justin.  I wanted to highlight his huge goal he accomplished this year for him.

I finally made this skirt happen for Allison!  I'd wanted to do this for years.

I have to add that I don't sew more than straight lines so I was quite proud of myself and thrilled that she wants to wear it everyday.  Project accomplished for her.

 I made this football target for Spence to practice is throwing in our backyard.

 Sarah made this coloring book for Allison and made blue snowflakes for Spencer.

Justin made coupon books for each one of the kids.  I love that these will help them spend one on one time together.

 Spencer was so sweet and made me and the girls bracelets.

It was completely Allison's own idea to make Spencer and Sarah "little wooden people" so we looked through what I had and I happened to have little wooden balls and golf tees.  This is what we came up with...our favorites Darth Vader and Spider Man.

Bottom line...I absolutely love that we all focused on giving instead of getting.  It was a very special year of Christmas I don't ever want to forget!