Hi, I'm Michelle of CreativeCritters. I love gardening, cooking, baking, crafting, health and fitness, and anything to do with animals, nature, and the outdoors. Find my artwork online at https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/home/CreativeCritters and https://www.etsy.com/shop/CreativeCrittersClay.
Since yesterday’s workout was more strength focused, today’s workout is pure cardio (although there is a good bit of toning in each of these videos, and I can really feel my abs with all the twisting moves). The weather is lousy- cold and rainy- so today ‘s definitely a good day to stay inside and get my step count in doing these low impact cardio workouts.
And this 30 minute Yin yoga practice focuses on the lower body, stretching legs, low back, and hips- just what I needed!
I thought I’d share my current project here. It’s been a while since I made any miniature houses, and all these empty glass spice jars have just been begging to be turned into something cool.
I started out with the glass spice jar, then formed a base from aluminum foil. The roof base is made from cardboard. I added a cardboard peak to the top of the jar so I’d have a nice support for the roof. I coated the cardboard and the aluminum foil with Tacky glue to help the clay adhere better.
Then I covered the base with green clay and wrapped the house with a layer of tan clay. I added a stripe of dark brown for the walkway. I gave the house a blue door and blue window frames. I also added glow in the dark clay to the upstairs windows. A large silvery gray stone serves as the front step (soon to be occupied by a golden dragon!).
The back of the house features two oval windows, with the upstairs one filled with glow in the dark clay.
I covered the roof with a thin sheet of clay, then added all the shingles.
Here you can get a better look at the shingles. All my little clay cutters come in really handy for projects like these!
And of course my furry little supervisor Calcifer has been overseeing the whole project 😉
Be sure to check back and see how this project turns out! Next I’m on to the landscaping, which is always fun.
Best box ever, according to Ginko and Calcifer! Ginko likes the more traditional position and enjoys the roominess 😉 Plus the sturdy corners are excellent for rubbing on.
“I seriously love this box”
Of course Calcifer, being the furry rebel that he is, prefers the box flipped. Now he can be King of his cardboard castle 😉
King CalciferJust kicking back, soaking up the sun!
And it also makes a lovely sun room 😉 I like how he has his paw sticking out through the hole on the side. Calcifer certainly knows how to make himself comfortable!
I am so thankful for the greenhouse, especially during winter when outdoor gardening is a bit limited. I started preparing the greenhouse in September by adding a thick, 3″ layer of sifted compost on top of all the planting areas. I’ve started incorporating no till methods, and this is the first year the greenhouse hasn’t been tilled at all. The compost I added was full of worms and just gorgeous. I just can’t get enough compost! LOL
About a week after I laid down the compost, which I kept nice and moist, I planted my first planting of lettuce, rapini, Swiss chard, spinach and broccoli. Once the first seeds were growing into nice looking plants (a few weeks after planting) I sowed another batch of lettuce and Swiss chard and some purple kale. I mulched everything thickly with straw. I also brought in 5 gallon buckets of water and filled chicken feed bags with compost to help hold more heat during the night. Plus I filled glass jugs with water and set them up against the back wall and around the greenhouse. I made sure to surround the most delicate plants (the potted Moringa trees and the potatoes especially) with compost bags and water buckets.
Here I’ve got spinach and onions. In the back is some Swiss chard. And in the back right corner is a potted Moringa tree.
The garlic is looking good!
The same weekend I planted the first seeds I also planted the garlic. I use garlic in just about everything, so I make sure I’ve got a good supply on hand. I also had some stray onions that hadn’t gotten too big, so I replanted them on one side of the greenhouse. When I dug up the potatoes in the fall I replanted those that were too small to eat, along with some nice roots. I hope to have an early potato harvest in the Spring. I made sure to provide steady moisture and keep everything well mulched. When temps dropped below 30 degrees I covered everything with floating row covers just to be sure nothing got damaged. There have been a few nights as low as 17 degrees, but the only things that seemed to show damage were the potatoes that had already started growing.
Here I’ve got garlic on the far left, a row of purple kale, mixed lettuce in the center, and broccoli on the right. In the back left corner you can see the potted Moringa trees surrounded by bagged compost and water buckets.
My favorite- Buttercrunch lettuce!2 of 3 trays of microgreens.
So all this has kept me busy during the winter, and now, nearing the end of February, I’m starting to plan for Spring and Summer veggies. What a gift to be able to grow what I eat!
During the winter, in an unheated (aside from the water filled buckets, and bagged compost) greenhouse, I’m able to grow most any type of lettuce, spinach, garlic, onions, kale. broccoli, Swiss chard, beets, a wide variety of greens, arugala, and even potatoes if I give them extra protection when it gets around freezing. And then in late winter and early Spring I can get a jump on planting and get my seeds started in pots. I’ll continue to experiment and see what I can grow at different times of the year to make the most use out of the greenhouse.
I really focused on the legs today, and I know I’ll be feeling this tomorrow! I started things off with a 45 minute walk (the uphill route) with Dewey Dude. We kept up a fast pace and kept the “stop and sniff” intervals to a minimum. Definitely got the heart rate up and fired up all the muscles in the lower body.
Once I got home I jumped right into this low impact kickboxing, core, and leg strength workout. This kept the heart rate up while strengthening the lower body and core, without any equipment.
Low Impact Kickboxing, Core and Leg Strength Workout
Then, as if that wasn’t enough, I topped it all off with PJ’s Glute Workout with Dumbbells. Yeah, this totally finished me off!
And then my treat for all that lower body abuse- or lower body love- a lovely Yin Yoga session, specifically made for Leg Day.
It may be cold and snowy outside but this cute kitten rolling around in the flowers makes me feel like Spring is right around the corner!
This joyful heart shaped wall hanging celebrates Spring as only a kitten can! An adorable little cat blissfully rolls in the grass surrounded by yellow and blue flowers and pink butterflies. Laying on his back, paws tucked up to his belly, this kitten revels in that warm Spring sunshine! The kitten was sculpted by hand in shades of brown and white Premo polymer clay which was swirled together to create his unique fur pattern.
The kitten has bright golden eyes, tiny pink paw pads, and a little pink nose. The cat rolls around between three clumps of tiny blue flowers with white beads for centers. Pretty little yellow flowers with blue beads for centers grace the perimeter of the grassy heart. The grass and the kitten were textured for added detail and realism, and each flower and leaf was individually sculpted. Three bright pink, blue, and gold butterflies flutter around the kitten and he soaks up the sun.
This happy little wall hanging or miniature plaque measures about 5 inches tall and 4 inches wide. I securely attached a metal saw tooth hanger on the back of the heart so it can easily be hung anywhere you need a bit of sunshine and kittens 😉 I’ve stamped my signature on the back of the heart so you know this is a one of a kind creation hand crafted by Michelle of CreativeCritters.
Click on any of the picture to be taken to the listing on ArtFire.
These home made dog treats are made with healthy carrots, squash, and sweet potatoes, along with delicious peanut butter and oatmeal.
Dewey Dude definitely approves!
You can make this recipe with any combination of butternut squash, carrots, and/ or sweet potatoes, depending on what you have on hand.
Ingredients:
3 cups flour
2 cups oats
1 cup peanut butter
2 1/2 cups total – combination of cooked, mashed butternut squash, carrots, and sweet potato
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4- 1/2 cup olive oil or coconut oil- add if dough is too crumbly
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Combine all ingredients except oil. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface. Add oil if dough is too crumbly. Roll dough to 1/4″ thick and use a cookie cutter to cut out treats or roll dough into balls and flatten slightly. Bake on a cookie sheet 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Store in the refrigerator.
I love yoga. It has done amazing things for my mind and body and I crave a regular practice, not only for the physical benefits, but for the mental and spiritual benefits. It took me a long time to discover the joy of a regular yoga practice. In my 20’s it was just go go go- no way did I have time for a 20 minute “stretching routine”. In my 30’s, after several injuries, I grudgingly began stretching for a few minutes after each workout (unknowingly, I was doing some yoga poses). And then… I met Adriene, and by “met” I mean I stumbled across her channel, Yoga With Adriene, on YouTube. I started doing yoga on a more regular basis and quickly began feeling more flexible. At first my legs and hips were incredibly tight and I couldn’t even touch my toes or sit cross legged. One of the things I love about Adriene is that she makes yoga accessible for everyone, all levels and abilities. She really taught me how to “find what feels good” and make the moves and poses my own. She’s great at explaining how to move and what you should be feeling, what to stretch, what to relax, and how to modify if needed. And she makes me laugh 😀 Of course the fact that her dog Benji joins her for most of her videos is a plus too. Somehow seeing that adorable dog chilling out next to Adriene makes the practice even more relaxing and enjoyable.
2020 ~ 30 Days of Yoga ~
Yoga became a daily practice for me when I did one of her 30 day challenges a few years ago. There are several 30 Day Challenges on her channel and they’re a great way to get into practicing yoga daily. Each day she builds on to what you’ve already learned and by the end the changes can be just amazing. I really saw my flexibility, strength, and balance improve dramatically. And somewhere along the line I discovered the spiritual aspect of yoga. I’m not sure that’s anything anyone can truly “teach” someone else. You sort of have to discover it on your own, although a bit of guidance certainly can help. The first time I was doing a deep hip opener and suddenly burst into tears it was like, Whoa! Where did that come from?! They say emotions are stored in the hips, and I must admit, I’m a believer. Many of the emotions (and epiphanies) I’ve felt during yoga can’t really be put into words- it’s just too hard to describe. But if you keep practicing, and keep an open mind, you may be surprised at what comes up. That’s the awesome thing about practicing yoga at home. It doesn’t matter how you look, or if you end up sobbing with gratitude at the end of practice- it’s just you, and maybe a a pet or two, and they don’t judge 😉
And speaking of pets, my cats love doing yoga with me (I’m pretty sure cats invented yoga anyway lol). Calcifer’s great at making sure I hold a solid plank. He lays on the mat right underneath me, so if I fall out I’ll smoosh him! He demonstrates Down Cat (more often known as Down Dog ) beautifully and has even sat on my hips as I’m in Bridge pose (weighted Bridge anyone?). And when I’m in Tree pose he sits right under me, so if I fall out I’ll step on him. So far I’ve never fallen out of a balancing pose when Calcifer’s been there to “spot” me.
Ready for some yoga, Mom?
Ginko prefers to stay off the mat and practice his savasana safely out from underfoot 😉
Nothing like a bit of yoga in the sunshine!
Yoga has many proven benefits including:
Stress reduction
Anxiety relief
Helps manage depression
Decreases lower back pain (and I can attest to this!)
Improves quality of life for those with chronic conditions or acute illnesses
Stimulates brain function
Helps prevent heart disease
Check out this article from Medical News Today for more details about the research backed benefits of yoga.
I know I’ve benefited immensely by maintaining a regular yoga practice. I’m calmer and more centered. I’m able to keep my back pain under control. I’m stronger and more flexible, and I can breath deeper and more fully. I’m more aware of my body and my balance has greatly improved.
Do yourself a favor and look into yoga on YouTube. Adriene’s great and has something for everyone, from absolute beginner to advanced yogi, 10 minute quickies to hour long total body stretches. And if she’s not just right for you there are tons of other choices and styles of yoga and yoga instructors. Some of my other favorite channels include The Yoga Ranger Studio, Yoga with Kassandra, and SarahBethYoga.
CreativeCritters 