How to wash a wool sweater

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I love wool. It's so toasty. The one draw-back is that you can't throw it in the washing machine. Felting. Not cool.

Fill your sink with luke warm water and a tablespoon or two of laundry soap. This looks pretty sweet too. (I totally had to do my dishes and clean the sink first. It never looks like that!)

Plop your sweater in. Swish, swirl, and otherwise agitate. Try not to disturb the fibers too much or you'll get pilling. If you need to treat a stain or spot- use this- gently.

After you've let it soak for a while, carefully scoop it out. DON'T WRING IT OUT!

Lay it out flat on a dry towel. It will be really wet!

Now start rolling it up in the towel. 

It's a delectable little wrap of cotton and sheep!

Here's where you get the water out. Sqeeze, squeeze, squeeze.

Now unwrap and carefully transfer to a dry towel. Lay it out flat and patiently wait until you can wear it again! (Or, get one of these to speed up the process!) 

Stay warm out there friends.

white stuff

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Turns out the snow did show up this morning. Just a skiff, but still, there it was. I can't think about driving in it! (Why do I always get called to a birth when the weather is treacherous? And why do I live on a giant hill?) I don't want to think about shoveling it either. But I am pretty pumped about skiing in it. Yes, that'll work.

Speaking of work, it's no fun to ski when you have mushy muscles and are out of shape. I know this from past experience-- but not this year baby! I've been doing a little ski training since September. You don't need a gym! Here's how my workout goes:

30-45 mins cardio (run, row, walk, cycle, swim, hike... pick one, doesn't matter just get your heart rate up and sweat.)

12 walking lunges carrying 10lb (or more) weights in each hand

(keep your weights and find a wall)

1 minute wall sit with bicep curls

30 calf raises

1 minute plank position

10 one leg up push-ups (alternate the leg up)

2 minute ladder hop on both feet (hop back and forth over a line in the pavement, or a ski pole or something. You can work up to hopping on one leg) 

Great! Now repeat the whole thing (minus the cardio) twice more for a total of 3 sets! 

Feeling good? It's important to look good too. Here's what I'm planning to wear up there:

skis.jpg
ski boots blue.jpg
goggles.jpg
helmet.jpg
ski coat.jpg
ski pants.jpg

skis, boots, goggles (sold out!), helmet, coat, pants. Yikes. $$$$$$. Guess I'd better find a sponsor!

ps. I am not a personal trainer. I do not have an ACSM certification. I'm just a girl who likes to ski.  Don't sue me if you injure yourself trying the workout above :) 

Coffee Mocha

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The days are getting so much shorter aren't they? Snow is predicted to fall here by the end of the week. I'm not sure I'm ready for that.

I don't know why, but this time of year I get a little homesick. The other day I was thinking about how I used to go to my grandma's house between ballet rehearsals on Saturdays. I remembered how the November afternoons in the Northwest could be dark, and dreary, and wet. My Grandma would meet me at the door and usher me in out of the rain. Still in my tights and leotard, I would prop my sore feet up by the fire. Then, she would make me warm drink. Coffee mocha. It was rich, and choclatey, and spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg-- all the flavors that grandmas are good at cultivating. Better than marshmallows and cocoa, it was a cozy treat to warm me up and make me feel loved. 

I've continued to make this same coffee mocha and drink it from time to time over the years. It always brings comfort as well as warm memories of those rainy afternoons with my gram.

As we near the Christmas Giving Season I thought I would share the recipe with you as it makes a wonderful gift. The best part about it is that you can make it now, and give it later. No baking, wrapping, freezing, thawing... just mix it up and pour it into a cute jar. Easy!

Coffee Mocha

2 Cups Hot Cocoa

2 Cups Powdered Creamer

1  1/2 Cups Sugar

1 Cup Instant Coffee

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

This will yield 6 1/2 cups of mix. You may wish to double or triple this if you plan to fill several jars.

Guess what? You can even download the little tag that I made! I printed it on label sheets and just stuck it to some card stock. Ta Dah. There you go!