DIY: Bridesmaids' Gifts and Wedding Workouts

I love gifting--few things make me more excited than finding a really awesome little something for one of my favorite people.  I especially love finding or making a gift my friend or family member doesn't even know they want, but will absolutely love once they see it.  My goal for birthdays and holidays is always to find or create such a gift.  

Honestly, many of my attempts to go out and get decor inspiration have resulted in purchasing another this or that for the lovely women who will stand next to me as I step into marriage.  I have quite a few ideas, and I'm fighting the urge to try and make them all happen within our budget.  I know my girls don't expect anything from me but friendship, but I want to do everything I can to thank them in a somewhat tangible way when I have the chance.  

I don't want to completely spoil all of their gifts, especially seven months from the wedding, but I'll hint at a few of them on my DIY posts.  I haven't done a whole lot of crafting decor yet--none at all, actually.  But I have done a little gift-making.  Here's a hint at what I worked on this afternoon:

Wooden hangers come in packs of five at Target.  I have four bridesmaids, so one pack is perfect for the group of us!

Something else I've been working on (for many years now, but with added motivation with a wedding and marriage coming up!) is getting in shape and finding new, exciting ways to work out and challenge my body.  I've exercised my right to half price or free first month trials at several gyms and yoga studios, but haven't found it in myself to sign a contract and pay a monthly membership fee.  Therefore I've had to learn to be creative in designing my daily workout.  I don't like doing the same exact thing every day, but I like having a routine of when and about how much time I dedicate to working out on a daily basis.  In November I purchased Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD at Walmart for $9 and, by the grace of God, finished the month without skipping a single day.  I got in the habit of waking up a little earlier to complete the 20 minute workouts before my morning shower, and after a week of doing so, I really loved getting my blood moving before work--it gave me way more energy for the day.  

Since then, I've continued rising a little early to do a 10-15 minute circuit or yoga sequence before I get ready.  After sitting at work all day, I'm ready to move again, so I take Penny on a run for a bit when I get home.  If it's raining or just way too miserably cold, I turn on some hip hop and dance like a crazy person for half an hour.  Then I like to target a specific part of my body with some muscle toning work.   A couple of months ago I found a Youtube channel of awesome 10, 20, and 40 minute workout videos for every target area and level of intensity--Fitsugar.

Most of these workouts require five and three pound free weights and a few ask for kettle balls, but there are a couple of awesome equipment-free videos, too.  Since I'm in Tulsa staying at my dad's house this weekend and didn't think to pack my weights, I did the video below twice after my run today.  I definitely recommend it!