Weekly Update - My Tuesday Craft Adventure - I've Got to Come Up With Better Titles

I've been thinking all week about ideas for blog posts and I came up with some great ones...but I'm not used to making time in my schedule yet to actually sit down and write and the concept is a little bit intimidating. Therefore, instead of simply turning on my computer and starting or even opening the app I got on my phone for this specific reason and writing a quick post, I just thought about it and went on doing other things. I had originally intended to do posts a couple times a week, and then i thought i should do them daily, and now here i am doing a weekly update.
So, since I finally made the time to write and put in the effort, here's my weekly update:

Mani/Pedi Monday - I actually wrote a post for this one! Check it out! Monday Mani/Pedi Musings - the Ice Water Adventure

My Monday Manicure of the Week

Crafting Tuesday - For this week's craft adventure I decided to make a Pinterest craft that I've been meaning to make for the past 6 months or so. Since I was being lazy this week I didn't take nearly enough pictures while I was making it...and by that I mean I didn't take any...sorry! I'm going with the excuse that I'm new to this blogging thing so I'm still not used to stopping to take pictures during all of my crafts.
The craft was a pretty simple concept - instead of buying one of those arm bands that you slip your phone into for running and exercising,  why not make your own!
At the time that I found this craft idea on Pinterest I was busy training for my first ever half marathon (which I completed in November...yay!) and it seemed like a great idea. I was at the point where I was running 5-6 miles 3 times a week and I found that one of the only things besides being a highly motivated person...yeah...that kept me running was listening to audiobooks on my Audible app. Since I was too cheap and too lazy to find the time to go get myself one of those fancy armbands, the idea of making one myself really appealed to me. The only problem was that I didn't have my sewing machine with me (it was about 500 miles away) and I didn't know where any fabric stores were (which could have been easily remedied by looking online) and I was too lazy to actually start. (clearly I have a laziness problem...but that's a topic for a different post)
So, since the weather is starting to get nice again...

(I don't see any snow...do you?)

My mind has been wandering back to running and I decided it was about time to get started with this project so that I'm all ready for spring and summer running. The Pinterest pin that I saved so long ago linked to a great website with step by step instructions | How to Make an iPhone Armband | so I'm just going to expand on them a little with some tips that I made up while I was making mine.

Tip # 1 - If you're not absolutely positive how much elastic you should use for the band part of the arm band, go with Velcro. The first time I made this I followed her instructions exactly for how to make the elastic loop for the band. The only problem was that when I was finished I slipped it on my arm and the elastic was cutting off my circulation. Since I'm planning on making a couple more of these as gifts I'd like to be able to make them adjustable. Giving someone a gift that cuts off their circulation is almost as bad as saying "I'm making you a surprise!...by the way, what's the diameter of your bicep?" 

My tip is to avoid the awkwardness and go with Velcro instead. For mine I cut a piece of elastic that's 12" long and then cut 2" strips of Velcro. If you're not sure how much elastic to use though, wrap it around your arm and mark it with a pen or pin. you want the Velcro to overlap by at least an inch. Then it's as easy as sewing the Velcro to either end of the band and sewing the middle of the elastic band to the back of your pocket part. 

Tip # 2 - If you have a large phone, go with two bands. As I already mentioned, I tried this craft once following the steps on the fitsugar page and then went back and made some adjustments after trying it on. The original instructions just have one elastic loop on the back of the pocket. When I tried it this way, i found that my phone bounced and slapped my arm because the one elastic band in the middle did not secure the ends. This is a pretty easily remedied. Simply make two elastic bands and space them out so that the phone is secured at the top and the bottom. 

Tip # 3 - If you have a phone or iPod that is larger than say an iPhone 4, you're going to want to make a taller pocket. The original instructions recommend using pieces of fabric for the pockets that are 4.5"x22". For mine I ended up using fabric that was 4.5"x24" and this solved the problem. My pocket is a little bit tall for my phone, but I just moved the Velcro on the flap down a little and it secures nice and snug.

My Finished iPhone Arm Band

 I have yet to try it out on an actual run, but if the weather is nice today I just might give it it's first test run. I'll let you know how it goes!

So Exercise/Social Activity Wednesday was pretty uneventful. We were expecting a snow storm so everything in the area was closed which meant that my yoga class with a friend of mine was canceled, so it was just a yoga a home night. I'll write a good post about that next week.

Facial Thursday was pretty uneventful as well. I tried an experiment for a facial but it was a bit of a crumbling mess. That's another post for another time...once I've perfected the technique.

One exciting moment for the week was making it onto a post from one of my favorite bloggers - the Married to Med School blog post Link Lovelies! Check it out!

If you write a blog, a journal, or just have good time management skills, what are your secrets? Does anyone have any tips for taking good blog pictures or just finding the time to write?