DIY Floss Bands

Joe works out all the time and doesn’t limit himself to any particular form of workout; be it running, crossfit, weightlifting, endurance training, etc. He has run ultra marathons over the last four years and even completed a 100 mile, 24 hour race. Two weekends ago Joe participated in his first crossfit competition and came in second place. He also runs Spartan races all year. I think you get the point…he’s a fitness freak. However, with all this action comes sore and aching muscles and joints.

Floss bands help with compression of muscles to decrease swelling and improve healing time. But, they can get expensive. We found this tutorial online using a bike tire inner tube and it is so simple… and costs less than $5!

Very excited – tire tube in hand!

Cut out the valve

Cut down the inner seam, then cut your long strip in half

Wash the powder from the inside of the tube.

Done!

 

Disclaimer: please do not use these wraps without educating yourself on their use first! If used improperly, can lead to loss of circulation! We like Dr. Kelly Starrett and his book “Becoming a Supple Leopard”. He also has great videos on YouTube on proper use of these floss bands and ways to improve muscle movement and prevent injury. Check him out!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
Bridget XOXO

Felt Beach Blanket

I am so blessed to live on the shore… there is something about the ocean that grounds me (does that make sense?). It reminds me of how small I am in this vast world and that comforts me… keeps me from letting my everyday stresses take over my life.

Of course, I’m white as a ghost and don’t tolerate the sun for very long, even with SPF ten billion on, but I try anyways. It occurred to me a week or so ago that J and I only own two beach towels… and we always use them to sleep on at the beach as well as dry off with. Which creates a dilemma….sand gets, er, everywhere and the towels stay wet. Growing up, we had an off-white felt beach blanket that we kept in the car at all times. It was huge, it didn’t hold sand, and it dried super fast. I have no idea where my parents got it or if they even know how awesome it was, but it was still perfect. So I decided to try to make one for our beach day this past weekend.

What you will need:
- 2 yards soft felt
- felt decorative decals (made by you or pre-cut)
- The Usual Suspects: thread, sewing machine, scissors

1. After tidying your edges, pin a 2 inch seam. I like a substantial blanket edge. Don’t forget to miter your corners prior to sewing (learn from me, it is a huge pain to try to do it as you go along).

 

 

2. Sew the edge of your blanket. I like the serge stitch – it holds up the best under wear and tear.

3. Sew on some felt decals. You could always embroider, cut your own decals, or go to town with any other accents. I happened upon some cute nautical felt decals at the store (in the kids craft section) for about .75 a piece.

4. Head to the shore!! Super easy beach blanket…. and cost me less than $10!

See? Full of sand already… but shakes right off.

Nice set-up eh? Cheers, from the Mister! For a little town pride we brought some local beer from Two Roads Brewing Co. Delicious craft beer – worth a try!

FYI- I chose baby blue because I wanted something that wouldn’t hold heat. I was so tempted to do a red or cobalt, but I was afraid they would hold too much heat.

Happy Beach-ing!

Thanks for stopping by!
Cheers,
Bridge XOXO