How to clean the saddle springs on a bicycle.

Upon trying to clean these springs/coils, whatever you call them, I got to a point where I thought "I will never be able to get to the inside"! So I did some research online thinking there had to be a video on how to clean these things! Well, I had no such luck. Lucky for me, I have a handy husband and father-in-law. With those two they were able to come up with a way to clean the inside! I decided to post this so if someone else like me were in this situation could follow this blog on how to clean them on the inside.

I don't know the names for half the stuff they used, but the pictures explain themselves really. They secured the springs inside with the nuts and pulled them apart securing them in a way it stayed uncoiled. Making it much easier to get in the inside.

 Though we still couldn't get in the inside with the tool, we had to use good ol' sandpaper. What you do is tear off a small, skinny piece and loop it around the inside of the coil. Then you sand the inside of the coil as if you were polishing the bottom of your shoe with a towel in a back and forth motion. Since the rust ruined the chrome, we decided to use the spraypaint chrome. I know it probably devalues it, but I don't plan on selling it and it's cheaper and will protect it from rusting again.

So I hope this helps those of you who may be wondering how the heck to derust the inside of those pesky coils!

Throw out your scale NOW!

Please pardon the no make up and sock bun! I'm multitasking by cleaning the house and doing laundry. Anyway! Wow! I have been doing the modified Britney workout for about 2 weeks now. 5 days a week. I have GAINED a pound but lost 1/2 in. So I weigh 146 now. I have been doing 150 - 200 crunches a day depending on when Anya wakes up. Flutter kicks and hip raises along with arm workouts. I have been doing about 10 min before and 10 to 20 min after depending on when Anya wakes up. I just had to share this with those of you struggling with the scale. I'm telling you now to throw it out!!  Bring out a taoe measure and do workouts where you rotate between cardio and strength. Also I learned to EAT BREAKFAST! If you don't, your body will go into starvation mode and turn everything you eat into fat! Just had to share my mini achievement with you. I was pretty excited. :)

Large Vintage Projects! 1959 Schwinn Bike and Glider Swing

Our old lake house that my great grandfather built is up for sale. It's aweful since we have had so many memories at the cabin. It was broken into a couple weeks ago and they took all the copper out from under the house and my grandmother's planters that were out front. Why would someone steal planters?? Anyway, Wes and I asked my grandmother if it was ok to go and get some things that we would like. She said yes and to get pretty much whatever. I didn't get a whole lot of things because a lot of it I don't feel like is mine to have. I took the glider swing (above), the old dinner bell, my great grandmother's sewing box, some old books, an oversized decorative key to hang on the wall, old tools, a fishing pole, gravy boat, coffee cups that Wes liked, those heavy irons people used to use, and my great grandmother's 1959 Fair Lady Schwinn Bike!

When I got home I decided I wanted to strip down the swing and stain it back to it's original self. The swing has been at the lake house for as long as anyone can remember and has always been white. Well, once I started stripping it down I realized it's got about a million layers of paint on it. Green being the original color. So needless to say it's going to take me a long time. I think it will look great once I'm done though. I'm not sure what I want to stain it yet. I've got a while to think about it!

Here is my great grandmother's schwinn bike. I have done some research on it and cannot find any like it with the rack on the back with the reflectors on it. I know women's bikes arent really worth anything. (I learned that from American Pickers!) Though I do want to fix it up and keep it for myself. It just looks too awesome not to and most importantly it belonged to my great grandmother. I would love to keep it in the family and pass it down! Anyone have any other information on the bike I don't know already?? I would love to hear it!

The back rack with the reflectors.

It's really not in that bad of shape considering it's been under the lake house for who knows how long! It needs some new tires and a chain and a little elbow work and it should look fabulous! I am also looking for a headlight to go with it.

What projects are you working on?

Britney Spears Official Workout - and a modified version

I am going to share with you a workout I found Via. Pinterest! I looooooove me some pinterest! When I first saw it I though "Right, I would never be able to do a workout Britney did". Well, it sparked my interest and I followed the link. It brought me to this blog. http://tiny-miss-k.tumblr.com/post/5413731336/the-britney-spears-workout . I will list the workout here and then post a modified version if you're just starting out on it like myself. You don't want to work yourself too hard at first because you will get burnt out on it. Been there, done that. Work slow at first and work your way up every week or even every two weeks. If you don't have a treadmill you can jog in place or if your place is big enough run around the house in circles. As long as your moving, you're good!  Also, if you have the Wii Fit, there is a workout to jog in place.

90 minutes/4x a week

Warm up: 10 minutes on cardiovascular machine (treadmill, stationary bike, etc) at a medium pace.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms, chest, back, and lower body. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and fly exercises and presses.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms, chest, back, and lower body. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and fly exercises and presses.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms, chest, back, and lower body. Bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, and fly exercises and presses.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 bicycle twists, 50 hip raises
Back to Cardio & Abs: 30 minutes of jogging on treadmill or elliptical machine
Abs: 150 crunches, 150 bicycle twists, 150 hip raises (Do each 3 times)

That's a whopping total of 1950 ab exercises

DONT FREAK OUT!  Here's a modified version I did to start out with.

Warm up: 10 minutes on cardiovascular machine (treadmill, stationary bike, etc) at a medium pace.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 hip raises ( I really reccomend doing crunches on a yoga ball. It seems to work out your whole stomach)
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms (only did my arms. I alternated between biceps and triceps 20 reps each. The hip raises from before really work out your legs and butt. You'll know what I mean when you do them!)
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms.
Abs: 50 crunches, 50 hip raises
Strength Circuit: Use weights to work on arms
Back to Cardio & Abs: 10 minutes of walking at a fast pace on treadmill or elliptical machine (I would have walked longer but Anya woke up early this morning. Try for 30 min if you can but 10 is ok too)
Abs: 50 Crunches

That's what I did this morning and I feel great! I like alternating between things because it keeps me from getting board. Before getting started go on Pinterest and find some motivational pins. You can take a peek at mine on my board titled "Work out heffer!". You can find me on pinterest under the name "Thesketchyeasel" or "Ashley Wes Riner". ALSO, go on playlist.com and make yourself a work out playlist. It's absolutely free and all you gotta do is log in and click on your playlist when your ready to work out. Here's my playlist of you need some inspiration. The funny thing is I never listen to these songs otherwise but they get me going to work out! What will be on your playlist? Maybe I missed something!

1. 3 by Britney Spears
2. I Wanna Go by Britney Spears
3. Piece Of Me by Britney Spears
4. Blah Blah Blah by Kesha
5. Blow by Kesha
6. Take It Off by Kesha
7. Tick Tock by Kesha
8. Single Ladies - Beyonce