Melissa's Adventures in Living Life

Couponing

2011-06-05T20:43:00.000-07:00

This weekend, I tried out something I've been wanting to do for a while and I think I was pretty successful. I have been intimidated by couponing, but it wasn't that bad. I started off at Fred's (double coupons on Saturday) and got a free bottle of Dawn and Cascade packs for around 1/2 price.

I then went to Family Dollar and ended up with around $41 of stuff for about $26. Keep in mind that everything was stuff that I use and not stuff I bought just to buy it.

Today, I tried Walgreen's. Wow! It was crazy, but I did well. I spent around $50 ($9 of that were the little princess's purchases, which were not couponed) and I saved.....$68!!!! So, pretty much, $41 and saved $68. I was so proud of myself.

I can see where this might get addicting. Do any of you coupon??

The Best Things in Life are Free

2011-06-01T20:13:00.000-07:00

I got the mail on Tuesday and had two great surprises amongst all of the junk. Remember when I went to Chilis and had less than stellar service? Well, I went to their website and filled out a customer complaint, and I am happy to report that I received the nicest letter and included was $20 in gift certificates! That was about the total of my bill ($10 cocktail! Talk about sticker shock upon getting the bill!) I am very pleased with the speedy response!

Secondly, I had the nicest note from a Chobani rep on an adorable Chobani note card! I scored some free Chobani in a Cho and Tell contest on Twitter (follow Chobani on twitter...they rock!) and a cute magnet. The best part was the handwritten notecard!

And finally, I have a free and highly motivating running coach. I left home around 6:30 pm Monday night and halfway through my run, a bee got after me. Anytime I would show signs of slowing, he would try to land on my leg or arm and it scared me to death! I was highly motivated to run at a decent pace. This morning (National Running Day...did you celebrate?) I was about halfway through and after running by the same house as Monday, there was yet another bee. This bee was really fond of the 8-8:30 minute mile. Needless to say, that pace didn't last too very long....maybe .3 miles? I have GOT to plan a new route!

My last story, and then I swear this is over. A week or so ago, I left home around 6:30 pm and the hubby warned me to watch for snakes because the neighbors had killed a few in the last few days. So, not far from home, I hear leaves rustle and see a slimy little head poke up out of the leaves. I freaked out. Picture flailing arms, squealing, etc. I go back home and get the hubby and he gets a gun and follows me to the scene of the crime. He moves the leaves (with a beer bottle kindly left by someone in the ditch) and there we find it.....a turtle. I felt like an idiot! :)

Here's hoping you celebrated safely today! :)

Girls night and review time

2011-05-27T06:49:00.000-07:00

I am really loving this warmer weather. I’ll be griping because it’s too hot within a couple of weeks, but for right now, it’s absolutely perfect for getting in runs and getting a little golden glow at the same time. I’m also loving the fact that summer means more flexibility in our family schedule and the schedules of friends as well. LittleMan had his first ever away from home, not with family, sleepover. He had a great time and now wants to invite some people over.

The next night, I went with friends to dinner and a movie. GIRLS’ NIGHT!!! We saw Bridesmaids and it was hilarious. Fair warning-it’s raunchy-but hilarious. I laughed until tears were rolling. Great for a group of girls just wanting to go have FUN!

We also went to eat at a chain restaurant, Chili’s. I am usually fairly happy with the food quality and service, but I had a bad experience. Please leave comments and let me know if I’m overreacting though. PLEASE!! The service was rather slow, but I’m okay with that. Even though we were running late because of it, I was still okay. They didn’t refill our drinks at all, but honestly, we were so happy to be out of the house that we didn’t complain at all. However, I ordered chips and dip for the table, and then I ordered a black bean burger on wheat with broccoli.

By the time our food came out, we had 20 minutes to eat and have our behinds in a movie seat. I noticed that instead of broccoli, I had fries. The guy put out the food and ran off before I could comment, and being pressed for time, I decided to let it go. Then I bit into the burger and it was beef. I quit eating and it was about 5 minutes before a server came to check on us. I told him that my food wasn’t right at all (except the wheat bun) and he offered to get me the correct meal. I told him that we were already late for a movie and I didn’t have time, I just wouldn’t eat the food. When our ticket came, he told the whole table that since there was a food mix-up, the chips and dip were on the house. I was charged for the meal!!!!!! I was so upset and emailed Chili’s yesterday. Am I out of line for complaining???

Anyway, on to a few other things. If you are renting movies this weekend, consider Redbox. (this is truly my own recommendation…unsolicited by the company) I am loving reserving them online and then running by the Circle K and picking them up. And for $1 per night, I’m not upset if the movie sucks! If you sign up with an online account and reserve online, they send you free rentals. I’m just really loving this service! Click here if you want to look at locations, what they have to offer, etc and if you sign up for an account, I *think* you get a free rental right away for confirming your account if you use the link.

And finally, a few book reviews! I have been reading like crazy after getting my Kindle. Here are my latest reads:
• '>Water for Elephants: GREAT book! I was mesmerized and couldn’t put it down! Great story, great ending….I can’t say anything negative at all!!!!
• '>The Help: This was great too. I don’t think it *quite* lived up to the extreme hype, but I can’t wait to see the movie. I also had trouble putting this one down too!
• '>Mini-Shopaholic: If you like Shopaholic books, you’ll like this one. Not my favorite in the series, but reading it was like snuggling into a familiar chair with a blanket….Comfy and enjoyable.

Have a great Memorial Day weekend. Buy some mini flags, take the kids to the local cemetery and place flags on veterans’ graves. It’s a great lesson for the kids and celebrates the reason for the “off day” from work.

And the tide changes

2011-05-20T18:51:00.000-07:00

My workouts have been crappy lately. Crappy and somewhat non-existent. However, a couple of weeks ago, I got inspired to get back at it.

This week has rocked in the workout department. 50 pushups and 100 situps a day, a 4.5 mile run one day, 3 miles another day, a 5 mile bike ride today, and I still have the weekend! I probably could have gotten more in, but I had lunch meetings a few days this week.

I hope the hot weather doesn't derail this train!!

The bike ride was my first in about a year. I had totally forgotten that running and biking are two totally different muscle groups. Now I am painfully aware.

We have gotten baseball season kicked off and the kids are doing so well. They have improved so much just in the last 3 weeks! We won our second game and I was thrilled. 2 home runs and some pretty decent work in the field and we won by one run. Woo hoo! They are so adorable.

And finally, I have gotten 3 donations to my St. Jude fundraising for my half marathon. I am off to a great start. I am going to work on some fundraisers for the blog soon.

Have a great weekend! Hope you make it through the end of the world tomorrow!

All Kinds of Random

2011-05-04T09:09:00.000-07:00

The title totally sums me up lately....all kinds of random. We have a lot going on right now. I was ~~suckered~~ asked to help coach LittleMan's 7-8 year old baseball team and so we have had that going on, but I think it's going to be a blast! However, note to self-even though my steel toed shoes are technically tennis shoes, my toes DO NOT feel good the day after running bases in them. :(

We had a GREAT Easter with friends and family and celebrated LM's 7th birthday. That still seems unreal that I have a 7 year old. I was struggling with that last week until a contractor in the mill was asking where I went to school because (and I quote), "We should be the same age right?" I asked and found out he was 23 and promptly hugged the poor boy right then and there. Poor kid.

Oh! The Easter Basket LG has is from Crayon Princess who does FABULOUS work! Check her out on Facebook and "like" her! You won't be sorry!

I also got a wonderful surprise in the mail the other day from ZonePerfect. They have launched a Sweet and Salty line which includes Cashew Pretzel and Trail Mix. They were both WONDERFUL. LG really liked the trail mix and the cashew pretzel was my favorite. YUM!! Click here for more information.

I also had a birthday about a month ago.

For my birthday, my lovely baby brother bought me a gift certificate to the new running store near us (relatively speaking) called FitRight Active. So, Saturday, I finally had the chance to check it out and they were having a little grab drawing at the front of the store for various discounts and stuff. Lucky me drew 50% off all apparel! So, I got 3 new shirts, 2 bras, shorts, socks, and a few other goodies for very little cash. WooHOO! I plan on trying out one of the new outfits this afternoon after work. I can't wait.

I also signed up yesterday for the St. Jude's Memphis half marathon! So, if ANY of you are doing this (in December), let me know. I want to do a blogger meet-up! I will also be raising money as part of Team Jake, so I will fill you in on that more at a later date. If any of you have successful fundraisers you want to share, I'm all ears. My friend Amanda signed up also and we are both so excited to be doing this together and raising money for such a great cause.

I hope you are all well and I'll be getting around to your blogs soon!!

Life Gets in the Way

2011-03-30T13:03:00.001-07:00

I have started this post about a hundred times and never finished it. I have been so overwhelmed by life in general and was never able to finish a post in the manner which I thought it needed to be finished, ya know? I have unfinished blog things to do and I haven't visited any of your blogs in forever, so I felt guilty posting if I wasn't reciprocating by visiting your blogs.

Then I thought about it today and figured, to heck with it. That's life and that's what this blog is about. Life consists of missed deadlines, missed opportunities, and a whole lot of "I need tos" and "I wish I had time tos". So, here is my official apology. I haven't been to your blog and I'm sorry. I probably owe people emails, maybe even snail mails, and I'm sorry.

Whew! That was cleansing in a strange way. So, here's the rest of it. I've been struggling with running. My weekly mileage is embarrassing. But, I'm trying to dust myself off and get back out there. I have a 10K on April 16th and I'm not nearly ready. But I'm going to do it anyway. Nothing like a goal, right? I've gotten back onto the abs and weights regimen which I was severely neglecting.

So, last night it was healthy food (scrambled egg whites, roasted kale, and a banana) and lots of exercises with the kids while watching The Biggest Loser.

So, speaking of TBL, who are you pulling for? I love Hannah, Olivia, and Courtney. My son says last night, "I like Hannah the best. She's good at volleyball". So, I tweeted her the compliment and she tweeted back. It made his night. He was so excited! So, I think we are TEAM HANNAH!

Hope you are having a great week and if you are struggling like me to fit it all in, I guess we just have to do what we can, right?

Maybe buying a new vehicle???

2011-02-20T15:46:00.000-08:00

First of all, I need to say a belated THANK YOU to my Valentine's Swap Buddy. I love my package and it really made my day.

I spent Valentine's Day with a stomach virus and at work because I had a project that couldn't be put off (I need to be employee of the year!). Add that to 2 ear infections for LG, stomach virus and fever for LM, and a few other situations and you have my past week and a half. Due to that, I was late getting out my swap packages, but I hope I made it up to them buy adding in some goodies!

I'm looking at some new vehicles, mainly the GMC Terrain and the Ford Edge. I also thought about the Traverse, but I'm concerned that the cargo space is too limited. Thoughts? Suggestions???

Journeys into Healthier Eating

2011-02-01T16:49:00.000-08:00

A while back I posted about trying a new product and being in love. This is Dezzie Dough. Ready made sweet potato dough that you squeeze out and it's ready in 12 minutes. Man! This stuff is good. 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus per serving. Each serving is 2 biscuits. However, I recommend doing it by weight.

It's found in the freezer section and after being thawed it will store for up to 6 days in the fridge. Mine has NEVER lasted that long. Little Girl loves them and we even sprinkle a little cinnamon and sugar on the tops before baking to make it more "treat" like.

This is a Louisiana product (woo hoo!) and comes from a town that has had two major employers close up shop in the last couple of years. So, for me it supports a local town and I feel good about supporting an area that the economy has kicked hard. I think the website allows you to see where they have this great product and you can like them on Facebook here. **Disclaimer** I was not asked by Dezzie Dough to give this review and was not compensated in any way.

These are the finished product with cinnamon and sugar. :) YUM!

LittleMan and I had a BLAST trying something new this weekend. We decided to attempt to make veggie sushi.

Here are the veggies.

Here we are with the nori, sticky rice, and the start of some veggies.

And here is the finished product. With an online tutorial, this was pretty easy! :) They were tasty and I learned a few things along the way that will make the rolls prettier next time I think.

The most amazing thing? LM rolled and cut one roll himself! He finally tried it and really loved it. This is a fun activity to do with your kids and might encourage them to eat their veggies!!

I used Nori purchased at my local supermarket, sushi rice (it said that on the package), veggies, and soy sauce. The recipe calls for rice vinegar, but I couldn't find it.

With a little online tutorial that I googled, it was easy. Caitlin also tried sushi this weekend and got TONS of helpful tips in her comments if you want some pointers. It was a fun activity though.

And finally, I have decided to try to do a couple of days per week as meat-free days. I did three last week and it wasn't too bad and I felt great. I'm not looking to go totally meat-free, but I think I'll stick with doing it a few days per week.

For all of you 31 miles in 31 days folks, update your mileage and send me your address so that I can get out your goodies. I'll draw for prizes on Thursday!!

Movie Reviews and Gym Frustrations

2011-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

The 31 miles in 31 days challenge is going well and is almost over! Be sure and update your mileage on the spreadsheet. Click here! Prizes include a cool bumper sticker for all participants, itunes gift cards, and bondi bands.

The bumper stickers came from Build A Sign. I was approached by Megan at Build A Sign to try a product and give a review. I was given bumper stickers for each of the participants in my 31 Miles in 31 Days challenge. **Disclaimer** I was not paid for this review. These thoughts are all my own.

Build A Sign is a great and VERY user friendly website. It was easy to design the bumper stickers and they look awesome! I will post a pic once the challenge is completed (I want to keep them a surprise until then!) Check out build a sign for personalized magnets, window clings, bumper stickers, signs, etc.

I will begin emailing out the swap buddies tomorrow and I will email a questionnaire for you guys to fill out to help your swap partner pick you out something fabulous!

This weekend I rented lots of movies with the kids and we watched movies until we dropped! We watched Alpha and Omega, which was really cute (LittleMan has watched it 4 times since). I highly recommend this. I read a recommendation from Tall Mom and she was right on!

We also watched Ramona and Beezus. It was fantastic. I loved this movie! If you, like me, have the "good kid" and "strong willed child" you will totally relate.

Another movie we watched was Diary of a Wimpy Kid. I was totally disappointed in this movie. I found the main character to be rude, self-centered, a horrible friend, and he had some terrible misplaced values. I give this a giant thumbs down. Has anyone watched this movie and liked it?? Hated it???

And finally, the gym has been going well, but has been interesting. First of all, there is the older man with one lung (seriously...he told me) who picks the nicest treadmill (there are only 4...only 2 you can run on) and walks slowly while reading the paper. He's very nice, but it annoys me. Especially when he takes a break to go outside and smoke a cigarette. UGH!

Then, Friday, there was a woman to got on that same treadmill in jeans and a hoodie. Seriously??? You could get that kind of workout on one of the not-so-fancy treadmills. There was a guy on the other running treadmill walking also. I was so frustrated!

I know I should be glad that they are getting out there, and I really am. But, it frustrates me!! I am trying my best to get a better attitude. : )

I hope you are all having a great week!!

Healthy Living Blogger Valentine's Day Swap!

2011-01-18T13:56:00.001-08:00

I love Valentine's Day. I think it's all the hearts and pink! I had mentioned a Valentine's Day swap and some of you sounded interested, so here is the info!

You will get one person as your match and you send them a gift
There is a $10 minimum (not including shipping)
I will have a fun questionnaire for you to get to know your buddy better
Sign ups end on January 25th at midnight
Matches will be assigned by February 1st
Email me (littlemp at gmail dot com) with your name, blog, and address to sign up

This will be a fun way to make a new blog buddy or get to know an old one better. Have fun!!!!!

If you are part of the 31 miles in 31 days, keep updating your mileage. Y'all are all doing so well!!

I have been hitting the gym lately in a renewed committment to vary my workouts. Today was 1.75 on the treadmill, 0.70 (with lots of resistance and hills) on the elliptical, and 50 crunches on this device of torture in the corner of the gym.

Tonight I hope to get in some Ab Glider and arms workout. If I do, I do, if not, oh well.

Today has been pretty productive and I have gotten quite a few things crossed off of my To Do list, which is awesome. :)

I hope you are all having a great Tuesday! (which is Monday for me....even better!)

How was your weekend???

2011-01-17T18:27:00.000-08:00

It was a great three day weekend here. We had tons going on and I feel like I got in some fantastic quality time with the family.

We went to an agricultural expo that had lots of animals to pet, foods to try, and information about local products. I tried some ready made sweet potato biscuit/muffin dough. Man! It was great! I bought two packages. Here is the link to the site if you want to see if they have it in your local area. LittleGirl is in LOVE!! 1 serving is 2 biscuits (I recommend weighing on the scale) and is 4 Weight Watchers Points Plus. Add a little sprinkle of cinnamon and it's even better!

I also spent some quality TV watching time with the kids. Gotta love some Oliva and Blues Clues!

I also got an Ab Glider this weekend. I am really liking it so far. I totally have the side to side (like the Ab Circle) stuff down and can feel where it has worked, but the gliding motion is a little harder for me to master. I feel like I am working my arms way harder than my abs :( If anyone has any tips or suggestions, PLEASE let me know. The bonus? LittleMan is in love with this thing and has probably put in over an hour on it in the last couple of days!

I hope y'all are all doing well with the 31 miles in 31 days. I know that it has been surprisingly motivating for me to keep up with mileage in addition to the cross training and variety that I have introduced into my routine!

Excited, Invigorated, and other super wonderful Adjectives

2011-01-12T16:46:00.000-08:00

I am first of all, super excited to be posting at the dinner table, having already gotten a hot bath and in my pjs and eating some yummy whole wheat pasta with mushroom/tomato sauce and roasted brussel sprouts. In addition, two kids are fed, bathed, in pjs, and settled in with blankets catching up on cartoons. Big Smiles here!

I had pictures to accompany this post; however, my camera is in my car. Which is outside. Where it is 20 something degrees. Did I mention that I am already in my pjs? So...no pics.

Organization and Balance:

Today I finished semi-organizing and cleaning up my office. That is, best I could considering the office is over 50 years old (maybe older...who knows!) and has wood paneling. It feels so much better. I cleaned up my emails (personal and work), organized my files, and got my To Do list all lined out, and even have my planner all organized!

I have to say that this has made me feel so much better! I just feel more prepared and ready to tackle that huge To Do list!

I also got my workout schedule for the next few weeks lined out. I have been in the gym most of the week and working out at home also. I have even lost 1.5 percent body fat in the last 2 weeks!

31 Miles in 31 Days:
I am so excited that so many of you are joining my challenge! Just keep updating the spreadsheet. All finishers will get a prize...well, the first 35 will. I ordered them yesterday based on participation at that point. However, if you are not in the first 35, then you will still be entered to win some of the other prizes available. So far I have:

an itunes gift card
5 really cute calendars that you could use to track workouts or whatever you want
some cute Valentine's Day themed things
Subway gift card

I hope you are all having a great day! Stay tuned. I'm considering hosting a Valentine's exchange. How many of you would be interested? Would you be interested in just cards or gifts too? $10 limit? $20 limit? I need your feedback!!

SIGN UP!!!!

2011-01-10T18:20:00.001-08:00

Don't forget to sign up for my challenge! If you sign up by around 10 am CST tomorrow (Tuesday), you will be guaranteed a prize.

31 miles in 31 days. You can do this with running, walking, elliptical, or biking. Join me!!! More info here!

Now, for a recap of my workout today. I was soooo pumped to get into the gym. I do this on my lunch break, so when you factor in the drive to and from and changing clothes before and after, that leaves about 40-45 minutes for working out.

I started out on the treadmill and got in 2 miles and then did another mile barefoot. I am really starting to like running barefoot. So, yes, I am considering some Vibrams. So, give me your experiences/reviews. After that, I had a few minutes, so I decided to end with 10 minutes on the stairstepper. I am really really bad at the stairstepper, but I got in 27 flights of stairs. Now I really have no idea if that's good, bad, or in-between, but I felt good about it.

I also got in my arms workout last night before bedtime. I got in 40 pushups, 40 (now this is my name for it..lol) water pumps, 40 shoulder raises (for both sides), 40 sledghammers (for both sides), and 40 curls on each side. I did all of these with a 10 pound kettlebell, with the exception of the Perfect Pushups for my (man!) pushups.

Tomorrow I have a vendor meeting at lunch, which means no gym, and they provide the food. Since I work with men who remind me of 15 year olds, I'm pretty sure the only woman in the room (me) will be downing sodas (diet!) and pizza. Don't worry, they do order veggie for their favorite chick!

And finally, stop by and see Katye and tell her how awesome she is for completing a half marathon and a full marathon in one weekend. Congrats!!!

I hope you are all off to a great week!

31 Miles in 31 Days CHALLENGE

2011-01-09T10:55:00.000-08:00

Thanks to everyone who signed up for the 31 miles in 31 days Challenge!!!!!! I'm so excited about this. Even cooler? The first person who signed up was someone I went to high school with! (Hi Sarah! Get a blog!)

I have a spreadsheet to keep up with your mileage. Click here! Add your information and keep up with your weekly mileage on the sheet. Feel free to highlight your line to make it easy to find and edit it however you want. Visit the blogs of the others and encourage. This will be fun! :) The miles can be walking, running, biking, or elliptical. However you want to get them!

There will be prizes. Everyone who signs up by Tuesday morning at around 10 am when I can get to my computer at work will receive a prize. Everyone! There will most definitely be some random prize winners as well. I know I will have a bondi band up for grabs and some other fun prizes.

If you want to sign up, you can email me so that I have your email address to get your mailing address when the challenge is over, but please click the spreadsheet and add yourself.

Now, on to other things....

My friend Donny ran his first marathon yesterday. He was shooting for under 4:30 and he was perfectly capable of that, but it was a bad race and he finished around 5:40. I don't know any details, but I am sick for him! He put so much into that training! But, he finished. I told him that was the most important part.

One of my resolutions last year that I carried on to this year as well was to try new things. Caitlin blogged about veggie sushi the other day and when we went out last night I decided to give it a try. It was awesome. This is from someone that until two years ago HATED veggies. Now it's all I can think about. It was so so so good. So, do yourself a favor and branch out. You might surprise yourself.

And, finally, the LittleMan and I went to the gym yesterday. He had fun. We tried a bunch of different machines. Now he wants to go every Saturday with me. I'm so glad and he's so excited.

Hope the rest of your weekend is great!!!

Who Moved My Cheese?

2011-01-07T09:25:00.000-08:00

How many of you have ever read the book, Who Moved My Cheese? I really love this book and I thought about it yesterday at the gym. Yep, at the gym. Why? Because here is what my goofy self did yesterday. I was about 15-20 minutes late, but I made it to the gym after trying for about an hour to talk myself out of it. I paid my $5 (walk in fee...if you are not a member you pay as you go.), went into the bathroom to change and got dressed and reached for my shoes. Hmmm...no shoes. CRAP! I really had plans on running.

So, rather than sit and wait for everything to be in place, I adjusted and ran barefoot (well, with socks) on the treadmill. Lessons learned are as follows:

Treadmills get hot, as in burning hot, once that belt has went around for quite a while.
Take the advice of others. I had heard that you should start off slowly because you will be sore the next day. I did 1.75 miles (time constraints due to being late) and I am a little sore today.
Running barefoot is much more effortless!
Be willing to change at the drop of a hat. DON'T be that mouse that sits there and waits for everything to be perfect (i.e.-cheese where it has always been)
Don't be scared to try something new.

In other, not frazzled-brained forgetful news, my son and I found a new food we like. Parsnips. We cut them in fry form and roasted with olive oil and kosher salt. They are very much like french fries, but better for you. I allowed him to cut them, with supervision, so I think that helped him to embrace a new food because he helped to prepare them. I also let him cut up the broccoli that we roasted and the sweet potatoes. He was much more enthusiastic about veggies than he normally is.

With the new year, lots of people find "their word". One word that sums up what they want 2011 to be. I found mine. BALANCE. I want to balance kids with work and with healthy living. Sometimes it's hard to find time to run and go to the gym when you have kids. I'm going to work to find that balance. Maybe that includes bringing them along?

I also want balance in my workouts. I got a little burned out on running at the end of last year. I think it was because that was the only form of activity that I did. I want to alternate with videos and strength training. I even joined the gym after my barefoot run yesterday. Why? Because I know that the fact that I had already paid is why I went ahead and ran. So, now the gym is paid for and I know I will feel bad if I don't go.

I am loving the new Weight Watchers plan! I have shed 6 of the 8 holiday pounds and decided to try to shed 2-4 more. :) My friend shed 7.6 pounds her first week on the new plan!

And finally, I'm issuing a challenge. 31 miles in 31 days. That's my goal for January. I'm hoping that in combination with my varied workouts will help me re-ignite that spark I had for running. Who wants to join me in the challenge? (walk or run!)

To make it interesting, email me at littlemp at gmail dot com if you want to sign up. Sign ups will be open until midnight Monday, January 12th. I'll create an accountability system and then I will have prizes for those who complete 31 miles in 31 days! I know I'll give away Bondi Bands, but give me a few days and I'll have a complete list of prizes when I have a complete list of participants.

Hope you have a great weekend!!!!

Turn that From Upside Down

2011-01-03T18:48:00.000-08:00

Well, sometimes you have to make the best of a bad situation. Said bad situation is that all I wanted to do this morning was to go to the gym. I had a bag packed and the plan was to take LittleMan to school, stop by the mill and approve time cards, and then Little Girl and I would be off to the gym. I even had her toys packed and a snack!

However, the hubby has been sick and he was needing some stuff from the store, and Little Girl fell asleep in my lap as I was approving time. So, the gym was out. :(

I got mad. Seriously, I was angry about the situation. I had really wanted to get on a treadmill. (I know....shock and awe, etc.) But, I tried to get a better attitude. I tried to think of something that I could do at the house and ended up doing a killer kettlebell arm workout and finishing off with some Perfect Push-Ups.

I'm soooo glad I decided to do that workout. My arms are sore and they feel great. Maybe I can make my next scheduled date with the gym on Wednesday.

Happy 2011 and a small giveaway!

2011-01-01T15:43:00.000-08:00

Well, HELLO 2011!! I hope you all had a blast ringing in the new year and did so safely!! We really had a good time. Family bonfire with tons of food at my father-in-law's house. He got back great test results on Thursday from his "cancer doctor" so that was even more reason for celebration!!

I made some appetizers for the party. These are stuffed jalapenos from Pioneer Woman. Sinful! I don't really like things like this, so they weren't even remotely a temptation for me!

The "sweet" (yeah, right!) little girlie LOVED the fireworks and just hanging out outside. The weather was great! 70 degrees during the day and around 50-55 last night.

Little Man (who really is turning into a Little Man *sniff, sniff*) was all about some sparklers! He never stopped the whole night! (check out his 5K shirt...lol)

Now, onto resolutions. I looked back at what I accomplished from my resolutions last year and what I didn't. In short, I didn't run the half marathon that I wanted to (due to work conflicts) and didn't get the mileage I had hoped for (500 miles, I got just a couple miles shy of 300), but I did do some things I am proud of.

We have tried foods that I would have never dreamed and my kids like them. We love roasted broccoli, parsnips, asparagus, and whole grain crackers/breads. I got re-elected to the school board with no opposition, and made a few new friends along the way.

All in all, 2010 was pretty successful.

However, I really wanted to achieve some of those resolutions, so some of them I am recycling. Some of them I am so happy to have done, that I listed them again.

So....here they are. They are divided into categories, because that's how I roll.

Physical:

Maintain my Weight Watchers goal weight (which I did in 2010!!)
Train for a half marathon and complete it in under 2:30
Do the Big Dog 10 mile race in November (trail run)
More variety in my workouts
5K in under 28 minutes (which may be slow to some, but would be a PR for me!)
10K in under 58 minutes (I did the same one last year in 1 hour 4 seconds)
Try new things (both food and athletically)

Mental:

Learn to say "no" more often. I sign up and take on WAY too much
More consistent blogging...work has been nuts and I have missed consistent blogging lately
Family time-more quantity and quality
Friend time - make more time for friends
Church-find a new church home.
Read 1 book per month

Professional:

Get organized!!
Get started wearing my "new hat" at work - doing some industrial hygiene work.

I'm sure I will think of more in the next week and I'll add them in as well. Notice the absence of a mileage goal. I will probably add one later.

I do somewhat have a plan in mind to achieve these goals. Check out what I bought today.....

Those two pieces of paper are 2 14-day free passes to Gold's Gym. If you want one, let me know. First two commenters claiming them will get them! Be sure and give me an email address to contact you for your address!!

I also bought a new ipod nano (I've been without for 2 months!) Maybe that's why I haven't wanted to run????

So, today, the kids and I piled up in my bed and watched cartoons in our pjs. LittleMan and I went for a short 1.5 mile run/walk and I worked with him on riding with no training wheels. (man oh man is that going to be rough!). I think that's a good start, right?

Family Time

2010-12-29T10:26:00.000-08:00

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas!! We had a great one! The week leading up to Christmas was pretty rough. We had a GREAT bake sale and surpassed our goal of $5,000!! Unfortunately, the girl that we were doing the benefit for took an unexpected turn for the worse a couple of days before the bake sale and passed away the night after our sale.

So, I was super busy that week with an unexpected funeral and helping her sister with a few things. The day of the funeral, I got a surprise in the mail from Anne, which really brightened my day.
She was my Blog Buddy in a Christmas exchange. I got this super awesome coffee cup (LOVE IT) and some unpictured bread which was amazing. I shared it with my grandmother and we are both in love. (And if you aren't too mad at me in being belated in thanking you, we would both love the recipe!) I apologize profusely for being behind in thanking you. I really loved the gift.

The kids and I have been doing a lot of this lately....

After all of the hustle and bustle of fundraiser planning (NEVER underestimate how much time that takes if you get a whim to plan one! ) and holiday stuff, it has been nice to kind of lay around. I've let exercise be an "if I get time" this week and I'm okay with that. Next week is a new week and a new year and snuggle time and play time are important!

I have to share a couple of great gifts I got in case you have any gifts coming up that you need to purchase (my mom's birthday is Jan 18th and I'm always out of ideas!).

First of all, from my friend Susan, these awesome bendable cutting boards and knives. Color-coded for food safety, each of the cutting boards has a picture -- poultry, fish, beef, veggies-- and a matching knife. LOVE this idea. And, if you are a vegetarian, you can always make up your own system.

My mom got me this SUPER AWESOME gift. A table top ov en. It has a convection setting, broil, etc and is big enough for a 12 inch pizza or pie. It heats up in a snap and I am in love. This will be even more handy in the summer when the kids want something really small and I don't have to heat up the whole oven. It will save some electricity also! I think it came from Wal Mart and was less than $100 (I think). Great gift!!

If you are wondering what is in the oven, it is a wonderful (and in no way nutritious) appetizer that I am pre-making for New Year's Eve. It is from one of my favorite blogs, The Pioneer Woman. (the link takes you to the recipe). They are insanely good (and look better when cooked!

My brother (who gives the best gifts ever!) (and is SINGLE ladies!) got me the Pioneer Woman cookbook and I am drooling. On a sidenote-he got me the coolest Nike shirt EVER with little patches on the front and one of them is a walking waffle iron. LOVE IT!

And on a final note, I went to a Weight Watchers meeting last night to get the information on the new plan and to watch my BFF lead her first Weight Watchers meeting. I also need to rid myself of these 6 pounds I picked up over Christmas. I really slacked and took it all (literally!) in this Christmas! (see above!) and it's time to get it back under control!

So, if you are doing the new plan or thinking about it and have comments/questions, leave a comment or email me (littlemp at gmail dot com). I'd love to hear your feedback or suggestions from those who have been on the plan for a few weeks. I am finding that most of the choices I had made on the old plan haven't changed that much. Really, just the snacks and breads.

Have a great week!

Race Report-Dash around the Square

2010-12-14T11:43:00.001-08:00

Saturday I did a 5K in my sister-in-law's town. She was going to do it with me, but had strep throat, so I did it all alone in a very unfamiliar town with an ipod that wasn't charged; therefore, no tunes. :(

However, I had fun. The hubby and kids came (which is rare) and snapped my first ever "in action" racing photos! This is me so super happy to see my family (because the race was almost over). I've been having some pretty bad calf and ankle pain for about a month. This race was a little better, but the pain has required frequent walking breaks. :( The cute knee-high Christmas socks had began to ride down at this point. Oh well. The kids were doing this before I got close enough for them to cheer.

I finished in 30:15, which I was more than okay with due to the frequent walking breaks. I could tell I felt better than the week before and the time showed that. The week before the breaks were super frequent and my time was 31:11.

I don't have any more 5Ks on the schedule until January, so I am going to try to work out the issues with the calf and ankle and start 2011 strong.

I am working on Christmas cards this week. If you want to be the lucky recipient of a Christmas card from me, email me your address! littlemp at gmail dot com!

I hope all of the Christmas festivities are going well for y'all! I have been baking up a storm! And thanks for the well wishes on our fundraiser. It's this Saturday and we are really expecting a great turn out. A small group from my graduating class (the girl we are raising money for is a little sister of a classmate) is going to go eat Mexican afterward and I am so excited to catch up with some of them!

Have a good week!

Short and Sweet!

2010-12-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just a short post. We are on a little mini vacay (which includes a 5K in the morning!) and are currently relaxing in the hotel. We have been shopping and will go to see SANTA in a little while. The 5K in the morning should be interesting. I think Billy the Exterminator is supposed to be there. LOL!

I have been working really hard on a fundraiser for a local girl who is battling cancer and that has been going great! We have our big bake sale (think over 50 cakes and TONS of individual treats!) next Saturday and will draw for our two raffles and also be selling hot chocolate. We hope to make around $5,000, so I hope this is successful!

Have a great weekend!

What a fun weekend!!

2010-12-05T07:03:00.000-08:00

I have had such a fun weekend so far! The whole family (minus the hubby at work) volunteered to ring Salvation Army bells. (My brother would die if he knew this was on here) My race shirt from the morning soooo does not go with the apron. We had a lot of fun. You really can't judge who will or will not give or the amount by looking at people. It's quite the opposite of what you would think.

However, if you want to do something to teach your kids about the less fortunate this Christmas and have a really good time, call your local Salvation Army and volunteer to ring bells.

And, yes, I mentioned a race. The Bah Humbug 5K (what a fun name!). It benefits the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and had a new venue this year. It ran through Antique Alley which is a really cool downtown area full of antique shops. It was a 2 loop course.

I was okay with my time (around 31:11). I am well aware that I can do better, but some calf and ankle problems coupled with too much alcohol the night before didn't go well together. But, I had fun, so what more could you want? I met up with a few people I knew beforehand and then went out for an awesome breakfast afterward.

I have made a new friend and here we are after the race was over. She also had a friend with her and this was her first EVER 5K. How fun!!

We went to IHOP afterwards and I ate the most amazing breakfast EVER. Nutella crepes with bananas inside and strawberries outside. I couldn't finish more than about half, but it was amazing!!

I also received some goodies in the mail this week. I ordered from Lift Your Sole on Monday when Tall Mom posted a Cyber Monday Sale. I ordered Monday and received on Thursday. Super fast! The necklace is gorgeous and very high quality. It came in a cute envelope with STICKERS too. How fun!

Here is the necklace. CUTE! There is a story here and when I can type it all out in detail without boo hooing (the kids are playing in the room with me right now) I will have to tell it.

I also ordered some Bondi Bands this week and they came super quick! They are cute as always.

I hope you are having a great weekend! :)

A Perfect Friday Pre-Race Pick Me Up

2010-12-03T11:32:00.000-08:00

Read this news article from one of our local newspapers. If that doesn't lift your spirits and make you want to go for a run, I'm not sure what will.

Have a great weekend. I'm going to try to PR the Bah Humbug 5K tomorrow. We shall see.

Back in the Groove

2010-11-29T15:41:00.000-08:00

Well, for the second year in a row, I completed the Big Dog Ultra Trail Run 5 mile trail run. Now, there was a 10 mile, 20 mile, and 31 mile, but I went for the 5. Even better, I was within a minute of last year's time. I haven't been running lately as much as I had been at this time last year. So, I was really really proud.

I have been re-energized into running. Thank goodness. I was starting to get worried. The last few months, running has felt more like a chore than a hobby. :( I think it's due to the stress in my life. But, work is getting better and I've gotten some vacation days, so things are looking up!!

If you read this before the end of today (Cyber Monday), there are some great deals going on. The code Turkey2010 gets you 20% off at Bondi Band. Running Skirts is having a half off sale (which I think is all week). Also, go to Gone for a Run, One More Mile, and Road ID's Facebook page to get codes for their special for today.

Finally, the kids and I tried something new and we are all BIG fans. Buddy Fruits have no preservatives, etc. They are all natural, all fruit. They come in a little squeeze pack and are the consistency of applesauce. The kids love them, I love that they have a serving of fruit in each pouch. So, check them out and see if they have them at your local store.

Oh! One more finally....those of you doing the new Weight Watchers plan, what do you think? I'm half way considering learning the new plan, but I'm not sure if I will or not.

Runner's Holiday Gift Guide

2010-11-15T19:05:00.000-08:00

I put together this holiday gift guide to help you make out your list, buy something for your favorite runner, or feel free to pass along the link to Santa!

First on my list this year is a Running Skirt. I ordered one of these a few months ago and I am in LOVE. I have the pink argyle one on my list for Santa. Maybe I've been a really good girl and can get two. :) Become a Facebook fan and they sometimes post free shipping or other discounts.
Another thing on my list was compression socks. I kind of cheated and ordered these today to try out in an upcoming race. Katye gave me the recommendation and I'm sure she'd never steer me wrong! I also looked at (and will one day try) CEP Compression Socks as well.

Electronics:

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Garmin Forerunner that I got for Christmas last year. (Thanks Dad!) For the runner on your list, this is a fantastic gift thatwill get used over and over again. Garmin's technical support is also wonderful, so I feel a little loyalty to the Garmin brand. However, Timex has a GPS watch for runners that I saw at a race Saturday that looked pretty nice as well.

In addition to my watch, I rarely run without my ipod shuffle, which is another great gift for a runner. It's small and easy to go through playlists while running.

Accessories:

I really like both of the ifitness belts that I own. I have the Neoprene Double Pouch and the Ultimate Running Belt. They fit well and don't ride up while in motion. Either one fits my blackberry, tissues, Gels, etc.

I really like headbands. TMB Endurance Bands are really nice and don't slip. They are handmade by a runner (and who doesn't like to support another runner?) and are too cute! Another cute option are the headbands by Bondi Bands. Cute colors, patterns, mantras!

Memorabilia:

What runner doesn't like memorabilia of past runs, special PRs, or other races. I have a Bibfolio that I really really like. There are lots of different designs and they are able to be personlized as well.

Gone for a Run (home of the Bibfolio) is actually a great place for all kinds of gifts. They have cute (and comfy) t-shirts, socks, running lights (so awesome...click the link!), accessories, and other gifts. If you can't pick out something specific, a gift card from there would be welcome I'm sure!

Under $20!! :
Some (not all!!) of the gifts I have posted are a little pricey if you are looking for something in the $20 or under range. But, good news is that there are TONS of cheap (but great) gifts for runners. I bought a Nathan Handheld recently and love it. It comes in lots of great colors, has a pocket for gels, money, keys, and stays well on my hand.

Another great gift that you can buy even if you live in the middle of nowhere (such as myself) is an itunes gift card. Any runner will appreciate the ability to download a few songs to keep runs interesting!

I fell in love with these Zone Perfect cookie dough bars when they sent me a sample to try. Chocolate Chip is my favorite. The nutrtional benefit is great and the taste is much better than a normal "energy bar". These are great stocking stuffers!

Other suggestions along this line are Clif Bars (love the Peanut Butter), Shot Bloks, Shot Roks, Gu, Chomps, etc. I have found some of these products at Target, so they are fairly easily accessible. Again, these are great stocking stuffers.

Other great (and inexpensive gifts) are stickers and magnets. I have some from Gone for a Run and from One More Mile. I have this one, but there are also some to celebrate a half marathon or marathon.

One of my favorite gifts from last year was an assortment of socks that my brother bought. He bought me some Nike Fit socks, Thorlos socks, and DryMax socks. This let me try out different brands and find my favorites!

Still not sure? How about a Gone for a Run gift card, a Running Skirts gift card, or even pay an entry fee into a race that you know your loved one is wanting to enter? (I love both of the above companies because I have had the pleasure of talking/emailing with people from both companies who were BEYOND awesome, which had me sold) Another idea (and LOVE this person too!) is to purchase training from a trainer such as TMB Endurance Training.

I hope this helps make the madness of Christmas a little easier for you and Santa. Have fun shopping!!!!!

If there is someone that you would like to totally anonymously receive a link to this post, just email me the email address at littlemp at gmail dot com and I will take care of it. :)

**Disclaimer** I have not been paid or given free products for any of these endorsements at all. This is just a list based on personal experience. I am in no way being compensated for these suggestions. However, if these companies wanted to send me free stuff to try, I wouldn't turn them down. :)

Back at it!

2010-11-05T07:12:00.000-07:00

Have you ever noticed that when people get quiet, it is usually because they have nothing to contribute? Well, that was me and running talk on the blog. However, I have gotten a remedy to that in the last couple of weeks.

Two weeks ago, my sister in law (whom I wish I saw more often!) told me that she wanted to start running and try Weight Watchers. She said I was her inspiration. (which honestly is amazing. Growing up, she was THE hot chick in town that every guy knew and drooled over. So, that one statement made my week). Anyway, we talked about both and that was that.

The next day, I told her that she should pick a 5K to motivate her to stay with running and have a goal. We found one and decided that my husband and I could travel with the kids to her town and I could run it with her. I am beyond excited. :)

So, since I had been doing virtually nothing (it feels good to admit to that) I started getting back into a plan and some real mileage. I had a 5 mile trail run at the end of November that I had almost talked myself out of doing, but now it is ON.

I got in 4 miles at lunch yesterday and even walked 3 miles with a friend last night. It feels great to be active again!

So, now I have 3 5Ks and a 5 mile trail run (which I *might* turn into a 10 mile one....not sure yet) in the next two months. I am glad to be on a "plan" again!

I am planning on blogging a "Runner's Christmas List" and a "Healthy Eating Christmas List" soon. That way, you could always email the link to family members and still maintain a sense of surprise when you open your gift. So, suggestions for gifts to add would be awesome!!

C is for CAMPING!!

2010-10-26T19:35:00.000-07:00

I took the kids camping this weekend. I was kind of nervous. The hubby was unable to go and I wasn't sure how well I could handle both of them alone. However, we had an absolute blast! The best part was the kids playing together and getting along. It was great!

If your child has the opportunity to join Cub Scouts and participate in their camping events, especially Mom and Me and family campouts, I HIGHLY recommend it.

I have a couple of product reviews. First of all, the folks at ZonePerfect sent me some of their ZonePerfect Cookie Dough bars. These things are amazingly good. There is no funky aftertaste that some bars have. The chocolate chip was the overwhelming favorite. I shared the bars with our HR department and safety director. We cut them up and sampled each one. They all agreed that the chocolate chip was wonderful and very candy bar-like. And the nutritional information is much better than that of a candy bar. In fact, these would be great alternatives for holiday snacking! Check them out on their Facebook page to get some free samples, etc!

I guess this is where I add the disclaimer that I was not paid to review the bars. I did receive one each of the chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, and peanut butter cookie dough bars. (and seriously...each one was great!). This review is entirely my own thoughts, etc.

My second product review is a new camera I purchased. It's very small, lightweight, and takes great pictures. It's a Nikon CoolPix S3000. The only thing I'm not sure about is that it uses a rechargeable battery and not disposables. However, it made a whole camping trip with plenty of battery power. So, maybe that will be fine. I just like disposables, because you are never left with no juice if you can pack some extras!

Jump over to Katye's fundraising page for a really great charity. Donations enter you into an AWESOME raffle for many things, including a running skirt!

Seeing the Light!

2010-10-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Work is slowing down just a little and I got the American Cancer Society Relay for Life 5K that I was planning over with. The race went well and a friend's 5 year old son ran the whole 5K with me in around 38 minutes (I wansn't going for time, just wanted to help him finish) and he took first place male in the kids' category!

I will have a product review tomorrow of some awesome nutrition bars that I was asked to review. They honestly tasted like a treat without that chalky aftertaste of some bars.

The adorable LittleMan and I attended a Cub Scouts Mom and Me campout a few weeks ago and had a blast. I will update on that soon as well. We had so much fun that we are planning to take the LittleGirl with us for a family campout this weekend. I am beyond excited about it. I really want to start camping out as a family more often!

And finally, my brother and I had two of the best meals yesterday. Lunch was a Kashi veggie pizza that we added broccoli, spinach, and onions to and it was great. Supper was an omlette/fritatta with red bell peppers, onion, spinach, a little bacon, low fat cheese, and mushrooms. I'm seriously considering having that for supper again tonight. It was fantastic.

I just wanted to update. I am sooo glad to see a relief to all of this constant activity. It feels nice to breathe (and blog). I will be visiting blogs tonight for the first time in FOREVER and I can't wait!

Tell it Like it is Tuesday

2010-09-28T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm all settled into my new office and finally adjusting to my new duties and feel like I can (no idea what's up with the underline!)breathe somewhat now. I appreciate the patience of the blog world while I have slacked totally at blogging. :)

I have also been busy organizing our annual ACS 5K (Oct 16th), training LittleMan for running, and helping with our school's Fall Festival so things have been hectic.

So, settle in. This is going to be a long one!!

First of all, here's a quick idea for those of you who opt for health(ier) eating who have family who would rather not.

Two sauces, two type of noodles.....

Grilled and not so grilled chicken....

Cheesy french bread and toasted Sandwich Thins (not pictured)

There you have a quick meal and you really didn't cook two separate meals (not really!). Funny but true, the hubby who insists on the white noodles (his chicken spagetti the other night had wheat...don't tell!) and alfredo, wanted the grilled chicken. The kids that the nuggets are for like the wheat noodles.

The one mile cross country race went great. For his first race, a time of 10:30 was pretty good (that's an estimate...they didn't clock them) The kid who one was around 8:40. He was 7. LM is 6. WOW

Here is a pic from where we helped out with the high school racers.

Here is LM with his award!

Now for the product reviews. I took out my Nathan Handheld for the first time today at lunch. LOVE IT!!! It fits great on my hand and the spout doesn't leak. It's easy to pop open with your teeth (surely I'm not the only one...right?) and cute! I wasn't going to get pink (honest!), but it was $3 cheaper on Amazon than the other colors so what was a girl to do?

I also finally purchased a Running Skirt and I am hooked with a capital H. Love it. It fits great, feels like wearing nothing, and it's cute. I wore it Saturday and got a compliment from another mom who I think was going to go order one! I got the black with white polka dots. I can't wait for the fall collection because I am definitely ordering one! The best thing is that it's cute enough to wear shopping after a race!

Oh! One more thing. I have another skirt from Academy that I wore today and the wind was blowing. Totally showed my butt to a couple of cops waiting for speeders on the side of the road. The Running Skirt? Stays. In. Place. Enough said. Thank God they didn't write me a ticket for indecent exposure!

And finally, I wanted to comment again on the POM Wonderful pomegranite juice that was sent to me by POM. I have been mixing it in Green Monsters and yes, still margaritas and I think I'm hooked!!

I want to also leave you with a Buyer Beware. I bought some Dannon Greek yogurt with fruit on the bottom. This stuff tastes AMAZING. I had previously been buying Weight Watchers strawberry cheesecake. (I know that I should go with plain, but me eating it at all is a big step). Anyway, I looked at the nutritional info yesterday and the Dannon has 16 g of sugar versus the WW having 12 grams. I was shocked. I thought Greek = better. So, just FYI. Will I keep eating it. Probably until they are gone, but I might venture to the plain Greek. Maybe.....

Found some Inspiration!!

2010-09-17T09:10:00.001-07:00

Well, as many of you know, I had to cancel my half marathon and I was pretty upset about that. So, like a spoiled rotten kid (of which I have two, so I am an expert) I kind of sulked and then slacked. When I got energized to hit the running hard again, life got in the way and I sulked and pouted again.

However, I have had some inspiration outside of my door (literally) a couple of nights a week lately. Our local school's cross country team doesn't have anywhere formal to practice and safety had become an issue on the main roads and in the form of parking, so they park at my house twice a week and do either hills and speedwork or long runs all from my driveway. :) So, I have been inspired to get back at it (and even do speedwork! gasp!)

However, I'm not the only one inspired. My 6 year old son waits for them to come so he can go outside and watch. This week they invited him to do speedwork with them and he wants to next week! :) Also, they are having their local cross country meet next weekend and I volunteered to help and they told me there would be a one mile race for the kiddos and invited LittleMan to race. So, two nights ago, we began to "practice".

This morning, he asked could we please do a two mile run tonight to practice. I am beyond excited. We had a blast on our one mile the other night and I can't wait for this two mile run tonight. :)

So, next Saturday, instead of the Race for the Cure 5K I had planned (don't worry, I still sent the registration money, so I made my donation), I am going to go watch LM race! :) Wish him luck!

I'm still here

2010-09-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Life has been....well, life lately and I just have not had the time or energy for this blog. I know that's terrible! School started a few weeks ago and it has been a big adjustment getting used to homework and all the stuff that goes into the whole "back to school" thing.

I have also been organizing the local 5K American Cancer Society run/walk that will occur in October. In addition, the Relay for Life is that same night and I have gotten roped into being invoved in that as well.

Add to that new, more demanding duties at work, volunteering to help be a Cub Scouts leader, School Board stuff, and most recently, the illness and death today of a really good friend and you have my life lately.

I really think things will get better, but I know that I am going to have to learn the fine art of saying "no". Also, I have about three weeks of vacation to burn between now and January 1, so that can't do anything but help. :)

Running has been non-existent the last week, but I have my bag packed and all ready for tomorrow. I have to get my butt in excellent 5K shape and I have 4 weeks to do it. I can't be struggling to finish a 5K if I am organizing it! :)

I have really appreciated the awards recently. I have got to get around to your blogs and thank each of you properly. I love you all!!

I hope to be back to a more regular blogging schedule soon.

Tell it Like It Is Tuesday a few hours early

2010-08-30T19:07:00.000-07:00

I have so many things to review. I am so behind on blogging, but I think I am finally finding my feet at work. I have gotten over my whole no half marathon thing, and I have began to concentrate on running with some abs, arms, and legs added in. I figure I might as well take full advantage of the new gym membership.

First off, POM Wonderful sent over a case of their wonderful pomegranate juice. However, all opinions are my own and I have not been compensated for my review.

This stuff is wonderful. I love pomegranates , so this wasn't a hard sell. I have added these to my newest breakfast creation (more on that later!) and to some Baja Bob's margaritas. Awesome, wonderful, yummy. I look forward to doing more experimentation with POM. Any other suggestions?

My second review is for some new headbands that I ordered from Tonia. I bought two of these and I am really loving them. Sometimes if I use a Bondi Band, my hair gets semi-plastered to my forehead, but using these I just get my hair pushed back. My hair recovers much better after using them. I really like them, and I love supporting a fellow blogger!

And lastly, Clif Shot Roks. I bought some of these at a recent trip with my brother to a semi-local running store. I bought two packs and couldn't wait to try them. So, a couple of days later, I opened them to try them out only to find out that they expired the day I bought them. I was pretty upset. So, I tried them anyway. They tasted pretty good, but were a little dry. Was that because they were expired or because they are just dry. Not sure.

Well, I have two kids are asleep, so I am off to get some much needed sleep. :)

Sad :(

2010-08-23T19:15:00.001-07:00

In the last week, so much has happened around here. My department of 4 has dwindled to 2. That wouldn't be horrible news except for the fact that it will become a department of 2 from now on. This means that where I used to have on-call duty for one week of nights and one weekend per month, now I have to do that every other week.

This means the following:

(a) I have to get up and go to work (or hopefully just call and check in...I'm crossing my fingers for this one) every other freaking weekend
(b) There is little to no chance that I will get in the long runs I had planned on the weekends.
(c) I will be working the weekend of the Tyler Half and the Monroe Half I had been planning
(d) I will not be running the first or second half marathon I had been planning.
(e) I am depressed and have been trying my best not to cry, but pomegranate margaritas help.

In addition to all of this madness, LittleMan started school last week. First grade is going great and homework is so fantastic.

I'll be trying to do better with the blogging as I get adjusted to my new work duties. I hope you are all having a good week!!

Monday Thoughts

2010-08-16T16:52:00.001-07:00

I have so many random things going on, so here we go in no particular order.

I am moving into a new office this week. My current office is inside the gates of the mill and I have to walk a little ways to get there. I don't mind that unless it's rainy or cold, but my new office will be in the main building making me more accessible to visitors and (probably the real reason) the upper management.

I'm excited though because I don't have to waste 10 minutes of my lunch walking to my car and back. Since I've been going to the gym lately at lunch, I want to maximize that time there.

Which brings me to random point number 2, I joined the gym. I've been going for a couple of weeks and just paying the $5 per day to go when I am able, but I was able to join for $25/month, so I jumped on in. There are so many things I love about this gym. It's really small, and there are only about 5-8 people in there at lunch. It's cheap, they have a really huge changing area and shower which is accessible to only one person at a time. Most of the lunch crowd are senior citizens and a couple of guys who are lifting weights on their lunch break. They also have fans at every treadmill that you can position to blow in your face so my hair doesn't get too wrecked.

However, I have one rant. There are 4 total treadmills. 2 are specifically designated for running. So, I find it quite aggravating when only two treadmills are taken and they are the two running ones with senior citizens trekking it out while reading the paper. Seriously?!?!?!

So, I did say something to the front desk attendant. Maybe that will help. I hope so.

Back to the work thing though. I was told Friday that I will be taking on some extra responsibilities as the IH (Industrial Hygiene) coordinator for the facility. I am BEYOND excited and can't wait to dive into the job!!

So, I'll leave with that for now. I have product reviews (and another small rant) tomorrow. Now, I'm off to check out your blogs. The whole house is cleaned and since today was the first day of school, I will have a quiet house soon due to exhausted kids. :)

One Year Ago Today..............

2010-08-13T06:45:00.000-07:00

One year ago today, I struck out and began the C25K program. I will NEVER forget my first day's workout. I was so scared of not being able to do it, so I forced my friend Tad to go with me. I wasn't sure if either one of us was going to make it. Looking back, I am amazed at how hard I thought 60 second intervals of running were!

I could have never imagined that a year later, I would have finished 5 5Ks (one was virtual), a 5 mile trail run, a 10K, and be training for a half marathon!

I also would have never imagined the awsome friends that I have made from blogging. I truly appreciate each and every one of you. I feel so bad that I haven't been able to comment on each of your blogs lately. I'm hoping things get better soon. Some things at work have been resolved today and hopefully that will make things better.

So, happy runniversary to me. So, each of you tell me how long you've been running.

As seen on.....

2010-08-11T14:00:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! Today I am featured over on Chloe and Christy's Fantastic blog, Confessions on Conquering 26.2. Go check out their blog, which is AWESOME! Thanks girls!!

Tell it like it Is Tuesday - Frozen Meal Edition

2010-08-10T18:41:00.001-07:00

First off - Product Review!! (disclaimer-I bought this myself, no one asked me to do this, this is my own opinion, etc, etc, bs, etc)

I have been seeing these frozen steamer meals on commercials and thought they looked pretty darn good. It heated in around 5 minutes and I can't remember the price, but it was reasonable. They print WW Points on their label (which at times can be hard to find, but I promise it's there) and it was only points.

I got the Chicken Margherita (I think I spelled that correctly!) I don't care too much for shrimp and my kid is allergic, so it's easier to not even bring it in our home, so this one most appealed to me.

It was a reasonable portion, but as most of these type of meals tend to be, it was a little on the small side. The smell was kind of strange to me and I'll admit that I am funny about smells, so that could be just me. The taste was pretty good. It had a hint of something that I'm still not sure if I liked or not, but overall it was edible. The chicken was really good chunks of meat, but the veggies were pretty limp and kind of gross. The roasted red peppers were fantastic though!

So, would I eat it again? Maybe, but it won't be the first thing I go for.

Now, onto other Tell it Like it Is topics....

TV:
I have started watching the Real Housewives of D.C. I enjoyed it okay. The tall super skinny blonde chick grates on my nerves. I think I like Mary the most (was that her name? The chick with 5 kids?) Anyway, I'm pretty sure I'm going to get obsessed with this one too. :)

Rizzoli and Isles has turned out to be a show that I really like. I have always loved cop/murder shows, but in the last few years, I do too much thinking at work and CSI and NCIS take too much thinking, so this show is perfect. It's got the cop part, the mystery part, but there is a little less thinking involved. Love It. It's like murder mystery meets chick lit or something.

Books:
I am about half way through Best Friends Forever by Jennifer Weiner. I am really liking this book. I find myself perty engrossed by it.

I'm hoping to pick up a new chick lit book at Target tomorrow while I'm out and about for work. Any suggestions?

I hope you are all having a wonderful week. I've got some pretty fun reviews coming up next week.

Catching Up!

2010-08-09T18:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't done much running lately. I have been letting the knee rest. Today was the first day of no pain and I ran a half mile on the treadmill (really all the time I had) and it felt okay. I'll probably put it to the test tomorrow or Wednesday. My work schedule has been ten shades of crazy and will probably be getting worse. More details to come on that.

Anyway, I had been craving a soup with beans. So, I raided the cabinets and came up with the following.

I started out with 8 oz of dried red kidney beans and 8 oz of dried navy beans. (I really wanted pintos, but there were none in the cabinet). I read that you could quick soak them by bringing to a rapid boil for 2 minutes then turning off and letting them soak for 1 hour. Worked great!

I added all the stuff in the first picture and let it simmer on the stove for 2-3 hours. I added cheddar cheese and served with Fritos (okay...not healthy, but again...all I had). This really hit the spot and was yummy!!

This has been what I have been craving lately at night. (Well...I have been craving ice cream, but this is a close second) Strawberry yogurt (I can't do the unflavored!) and Kashi Go Lean Crunch.

And finally, I checked out the Thirty One Gifts website through a blog link and I think I might start selling it just with catalog shows. I'm pretty excited about it. When I get it off and running, I'm thinking we might have to have a giveaway!! :)

My little diva............

My goofy kids and me at VBS commencement!

Stay tuned tomorrow for a product review!! :)

EDITED TO ADD: Wanna buy a super cute bondi band and support a great cause? Click here!! They have some AWESOME sparkly ones (guess which one I ordered!)

2010-08-05T15:58:00.000-07:00

Wow! I need to blog a little more often, right? I have been teaching safety school once a week for the past four weeks and today was the last day. Thank the Dear Lord!!

We are getting ready for back to school and it has been a total J-O-B getting these kids back on a schedule!! Since we have been getting ready for school, we have been reading a whole lot. That's when this started......

On the running front, it's finally hot enough that I can't run outside at lunch. On Tuesday, the high was 105 and the heat index was 120, so I chose to go to the gym instead. It was actually quite nice. I ran so much better because I wasn't about to die! I got in the 3.5 miles on my schedule and it felt great! I kept a 9:13 pace for most of the run with a pace of 8:30 for most of the last 1/2 mile!

Apparently though, my body wasn't too keen on this. I felt great Tuesday and Wednesday morning. Wednesday after lunch, my knee began to ache just a bit on the outside. By last night, I needed ice. Today when I bend it about half way, you can feel it pop and it's pretty sore. I didn't run today (wanted to though) and might tomorrow. I hope this heals quickly!

I hope you are all having a great week!! I'm about to settle in and read blogs and listen to it rain!

We have a Winner!!!

2010-07-31T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that the winner of the Gone for a Run giveaway is Running with Sass!! :) Congrats to her and thank you again to Ryan from Gone For a Run for this opportunity. I love their website and I think I'm going to go look at ordering something new I saw over there. It's a really cool roll up spectator sign.

Tell it Like it is Tuesday - the Late Edition

2010-07-28T13:59:00.000-07:00

So, I'm a day late. Oh well, better late than never, right? Today is Tell it like it is ~~Tuesday~~ Wednesday!!

First of all, THANK YOU and WELCOME to all of my new followers!! I am going to try to get around to your blogs as soon as possible!!

On that note, please don't forget to enter my giveaway. The giveaway ends at midnight tomorrow night (Thursday) and is a really great one!!

Now, for the Tell it Like it is review part.....

First off, the star of my past week, Edy's Slow Churned Caramel Delight.

If you like caramel and ice cream, then you'll love this. At around 2 Weight Watchers points per serving, this stuff is awesome. However, portion control is a problem for me. :)

I also tried Clif Bars for the first time this week. I opted for the mini bars and so far I've tried the Crunchy Peanut Butter and the Chocolate Chip Peanut Crunch. MMMMMM. I am totally in love with the Crunchy Peanut Butter. It reminds me of those peanut butter cornflake no bake cookies that my mom used to make. YUMMY!! The mini bars are only 2 WW Points.

I also read a book this weekend. It took me around 24 hours because I couldn't put it down!! This was a great book about the events surrounding and the death of Molly Marx. It is a mystery and chick book all in one. Very good!!

Finally, in the My Crazy Life department, things are rolling along. Half training is going, although with the heat, it sucks. However, I think I might take it to the gym some next week to make it more tolerable.

I have been spending one 8 hour day a week for the last couple of weeks (and I have two more to go!) teaching classes for all of the employees at our mill. Fun stuff (lol). I don't know how teachers do it.

My BFF at work is leaving in a couple of weeks to take a job teaching. I am sooo sad about this. In a facility of over 500 people, mostly men, it's hard to find a BFF and I'm heartbroken that she's leaving. However, not having our weekly lunches gives me more time to run I guess. :(

I hope you are all having a fantastic week.

I need a huge kick

2010-07-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

I need a huge kick in the butt people. This week (Week 3 for those counting) of my half training started out really well. Tuesday called for a 3.5 mile run. I did that, but also did some walking with one of my bosses. It was his first day back after quite a few months off, and he was struggling, so I walked with him until he finished. (Sidenote: who picks a day with a heat index of over 110 degrees to start walking after months of nothing?) So, the total mileage was 4.26 miles in the scortching sun. I was super proud of myself. :)

Wednesday was an optional 2 mile run. Being the overachiever that I am (sarcasm people...it doesn't convey well on these here internets), I got in 2.79 miles and the last part of that was some sprints. I am super proud of them. 6:30, 5:40, and 6:25. You know, if I wasn't so lazy, I probably could run a much faster 5K than I actually do.

Thursday called for another 3.5, but I spent all day teaching safety classes and was spent. So, nothing there. :( However, Friday night, I did 3.68 and felt awesome. I had some stretches in there where I comfortably maintained a pace of 8:30 (just not for super long periods of time). It's soooo hot that I have to mix in more walking than I would like (97 degrees when I went out Friday).

My next run was scheduled for yesterday. It was to be a 5 mile run. However, Saturday night I went and bought some Clif mini bars and Gu Chomps, and some other things (look for my review soon) to try out. I ate a Clif bar as a snack about 2 hours before I was going to leave the house. I was going to have to get the run in a few hours before I really wanted to due to not having a kid-sitter and about 30 minutes before the run, my stomach started to protest the Clif bar. I still got out there, but I didn't make it far. The bar + the heat = not a good combo.

Not a super big deal though. I read a book (The late, lamented Molly Marx...loved it!!!) and snuggled with my babies. I'm going to attempt that 5 mile run tomorrow at lunch. I have a new running buddy who is supposed to meet me for a run tomorrow. So, maybe he'll be up for it. I'm a little intimidated. He has done Ironman's in the past and I think he's a pretty fast runner. I guess I can always tell him to leave me. :)

PLEASE go enter my giveaway. This is a good one. Great product with fun designs. :) CLICK HERE!!

Have a great week!

GONE FOR A RUN GIVEAWAY!!!

2010-07-24T08:34:00.000-07:00

****GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED*****

Well, the title says it all. I am so excited to be hosting a giveaway for Gone for a Run! I have reviewed a few of their products on the blog and Ryan at Gone for a Run graciously offered to do a giveaway here!

You may remember that I got a super cute t-shirt for Mother's Day. It's hard to read in my picture, but it says, "Running. Oh the Places You'll Go." I am a huge Dr. Suess fan, so I love this shirt. It's too cute in purple!

I also recently reveiwed the Bibfolio from Gone for a Run. I really really love this as a way to display my running bibs all in one place. They also recently added some tri bibfolios that are too cute!! You can also get them personalized with your name!
Most recently, I was sent this shirt to review. I wore it to work and got some really funny comments. It says "Athletes Run, Everyone Else Just Plays Games". The shirt is so comfy and soft! I also have a thing about shirts being long enough to cover my stomach if I raise my arms and this one does that as well. Plus, I love the message. :)

(photography by LittleMan)

So, on to the giveaway. It will be open through next Thursday, July 29th at midnight. I will chose a winner using a random number generator and announce it as soon as I can on Friday.

What will you win? You will win a short sleeve t-shirt of your choice from Gone For a Run. They have soooo many cute mantra t's that it is really hard to chose just one! They make a great gift for the runner who has everything!

How do you enter?

Leave a separate comment for each of the following:

1-Become a follower of my blog or tell me that you already are.

2-Go to Gone For a Run's website and tell me which mantra shirt(s) you like.

3-Go to Gone For a Run's Facebook page and become a fan (or like...or whatever Facebook calls it now) then come back and tell me that you are a fan.

4-Tell me what other product from Gone For a Run that you like. If you place an order, let me know and I'll give you 5 extra entries!

5-Link back to this contest on twitter, facebook, or your blog. One entry for each.

Leave a separate comment for each.

Forgot to add: I wasn't paid for this. This is my real review, etc. etc. etc.

Good luck and I hope you all have a great weekend. I have had a couple of really great runs on Week 3 of my half training this week. I'll have to update about that later.

Tell It like it Is Tuesday - Half Training edition

2010-07-20T09:22:00.000-07:00

Well guys, week 2 of Half Training is behind me. Yippee!! I got my 4 mile run in on Sunday morning before it got too sweltering hot, but by the time I finished, I had shed my tank and got brave and went for the sports bra solo. It was soooo freaking hot and humid out there. I hope I didn't scare too many neighbors.

Today calls for a 3.5 mile run at lunch and I downloaded 2 podcasts that I hope will keep me occupied. They are both episodes of the Freakonomics podcast. One was dealing with obesity in the US and the other one I can't remember. Speaking of obesity, look for a great guest post on that soon.

Anyway, my lunchtime running buddy is in Mexico on a mission trip, so I hope that will keep me occupied during the run today. I need something to distract me from the 107 heat index out there.

I have tried out a few things lately that I thought I'd share. **Disclaimer** I was not paid to write these reviews...they are my own opinion...insert legal jargon crap here*** First off is the ifitness Ultimate Race Belt that I won from Tall Mom. (pic stolen from the ifitness website...that's not me..obviously...lol)

I love that this belt has bib clips and places for Gu (when I get brave enough to try that). I have an ifitness belt already and have fallen in love with the comfort and the ability to carry my cell while on lunch runs. (my employees work through lunch and that is generally when they have questions....oh joy) You honestly never feel it. It doesn't jiggle, isn't uncomfortable, and doesn't ride up. This will definitely accompany me on my first half marathon.

I want to mention that I won a ClifBar giveaway on Christina's blog, so look for reviews on that coming up. Perfect timing!!

For those of you (like myself) looking for something to cool you down without feeling super guilty, the empty carton in my trash can attest to the fact that I am feeling some serious LOVE for Edy's Slow Churned right now. The chocolate flavor is awesome as is the vanilla bean. 2-3 WW points per serving. My kids love the chocolate almost as much as I do!

Another product that is back in my rotation (I think I've reviewed it before, but want to give it another one) is the Fuel Belt Sprint handheld. It holds 10 oz of liquid and has a pouch for ID, a key, or a pack of Gu. I tried to post a pic, but it didn't work. Oh well.

I love this thing. It's comfy in my hand, stays put, and I like that it's small so I don't really feel weighted down.

However, now I want something bigger. It's hot and 10 oz just isn't doing it for me. So....why don't YOU tell ME what you like. I like the way that the Fuel Belt one fits in my hand, so something along those lines is great.

While asking for recommendations, how about compression/recovery socks. I am looking at teh Smartwool PHD Graduated Recovery Ultra Light socks for recovery (b/c Runner's World gave them big props in this month's issue) and Sugoi R&R for race socks. However, could the Sugoi be good race and recovery socks? What kind are you in love with? Sell me on something, please!!!

Stay tuned for a giveaway coming up from Gone for a Run. (Did I mention that I love them??)

Hope you are all having a GREAT week!

What a freaking week!

2010-07-14T16:24:00.000-07:00

You know it's been a bad ~~day~~ week when you come home and are grateful that your kids are gone for a few hours and you can (a) get it over with and take a shot of tequila (b) eat Japanese food in your underwear (c) watch a show on TV with dead bodies that you can't watch with the kids (d) run on the treadmill (e) eat chocolate ice cream (f) all of the above

For the record...I chose (f).

I have been having quite a bit of calf pain in my left leg. Any ideas on that one? About half a mile into the run (treadmill or road), my calf starts aching terribly. Maybe I just need to build up some muscles there or something?

I used my new wrist wallet from Gone for a Run on a run last week. It was 95 degrees outside and very sunny and it wasn't too hot on my wrist or anything. It held my key and money without flopping around or being too loose or anything.

Speaking of Gone for a Run, keep your eyes open for a giveaway from them in the near future. Love that website, guys!

Thanks also for all of the well wishes on school board. I am pleased and a little shocked as well to announce that I drew no opponent in the race, so I am officially a board member for another 4 years. Yippee!!

I also want to thank Tall Mom for the package I received from her this week. I won a Marathon for the Cure t-shirt, visor, ifitness belt (the kind that holds a race bib!), Christmas tree ornament, and a headband (Mel-is that a sweaty band?). I was so super excited! Thanks Mel!

I am off to watch a DVRed episode of Rizzoli and Isles. This show is really really good!!

Week 1 almost done!

2010-07-11T09:14:00.000-07:00

I am almost done with week 1 of half training. It's been so hot, but I have had a blast! I have my "long" run today of 4 miles.

Thursday it was really hot and humid, so after 2 1/2 miles, my partner and I walked a little and then I told him that we should sprint to the finish. He said, "let's make it a comfortable sprint. How about 8:30?" We ran faster and I said "7:45?" He kept up, this went back and forth and we ended up at 6:25. That was fun. :)

I hope y'all are having a great weekend.

Lookie what came in the mail!!

2010-07-07T18:55:00.001-07:00

Lookie what came in the mail today! My Bibfolio from Gone for a Run!! I love it!! It is really durable and although some of my bibs are different widths, they all fit well. It sits up really well on the table all by itself.

Here is what it looks like opened.

I really am pleased with this purchase. I also threw in the Wrist Wallet (which is reflective) and I really like it also. I haven't tried it out yet though.

The other exciting news of the day is that I went to the courthouse today and filled out paperwork and qualified to run for school board again. I've already done a 4 year term and apparently I'm crazy enough to try for another 4 years.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

I am devastated...but I'll get over it I guess...and a happy

2010-07-06T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, it's Tell it Like it Is Tuesday, so here goes.....

I am pretty devastated. I had ordered a running skirt from Running Skirts (obviously) as soon as I found out about the sale. I have heard some great stuff and I was thrilled. I sent my payment and waited. 9 days later (June 24) I got a "your order has shipped" email. YIPPEE!!!

Then I waited. And waited. And waited. So, yesterday (July 5) I emailed to check on the package and today I got an email that I had a refund from them . While I appreciate that, I'm a little confused as to how it was there, it was shipped, then it wasn't, then it was out of stock, then I had a refund. I totally understand the first come, first serve, but this has me a little puzzled......and without a running skirt at that. :(

But, on the note of GREAT (fantastic even) customer service, let's look at Garmin. I got a Garmin (who is nameless still...need to do something about that) for Christmas from my dad. About a month ago, my running partner and I (he bought his 2 weeks after mine) both had problems with batteries and not acquiring signal. Like all of a sudden at the exact same time. So, we both called customer service and were instructed to send them back to be reprogrammed and if that didn't work they would send a new one. (!wow!) So, I mailed mine regular postal service on a Monday, he mailed his UPS on a Tuesday. The very next Monday and Tuesday we received our watches in the mail good as new. What AWESOME customer service. I was so excited!

I also tried Body Glide for the first time ever and loved it. I am developing a blister on one of my toes. I think they heard I was starting my half training this week.

On that subject, day 2 is complete. I got in a great run at lunch today. Just 3 miles, but they felt really good. Mile 3 was totally in the rain....as in pouring, not a drizzle, however, that was preferable to hot as hell. By the way, I look HOTT this afternoon (if you like drowned rats). (lol)

Finally, I got the best unexpected happy Friday. I think in my last 5K recap I talked about our WW member who was trying to beat her time from her first 5K. I had went back and jogged with her to the finish cheering her on. Well, she wrote about her WW journey and her running journey in the sweetest write-up and then thanked me in it for cheering her on and inspiring her. I was all teary eyed! She wants to send it to a magazine or newspaper or something. I was so proud of her.

Anywyay, I'm long winded enough. I'm going to go drown my running skirt disappointment in Skinny Cow. Wish me luck.

Melissa

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!!

2010-07-04T18:44:00.000-07:00

This is what I'm doing right this minute. We got new patio furniture, some torches, and something else in the last couple of weeks. So, I'm outside (I love you AT&T wireless) watching the kids do fireworks, listening to CCR off of itunes (thanks Waffle House for the idea), and just relaxing.

And there is this..........apple dumplings (recipe here) and Edy's slow churned Vanilla Bean. (There is nothing remotely healthy about the apple dumplings unless you count the fruit.)

The kids are chilling with ice cream too.

This one is terrible with smiling in pics

Unless it's something like this... (from last week)

This one has turned into a fish.

Check out the "gobbles".

She thinks she is a great swimmer.

What do you all think of the new look of the blog? I have to admit that with work and all of the outside stuff getting ready for this weekend that it was up for about 4 days before I ever saw it. Isn't that sad?

My half training starts tomorrow. :) I'm so excited. If there are any of you near Tyler, TX, PLEASE consider joining me for marathon weekend. There is a 5K, half, and full.

Hopefully, I'll be able to do some blog visiting tomorrow on my holiday day off.

I hope you all had a great 4th!

Peach Festival 5K Recap

2010-06-28T15:42:00.000-07:00

First of all, I have some pics from the Shelby's Wish 5K two weeks ago. I'm in the middle, my speedy friend Kathy is on the right (first place overall female...whew!), and my lunch running buddy Donnie is on the left.

This was right after we finished. I was all about the ice water sponges!

Here I am after the Peach Fest 5K with my celebratory peach ice cream. That stuff was way tasty!
And this is our group....me, Rosie the maintenance secretary, Donnie's wife Susan, and Donnie. We had a BLAST!

This race was at 8 am but it was blazing hot. I lost about 2 minutes getting around people who were walking and lined up in the first half of the group. This was a gun time not chip time race, so those minutes were just that....lost. :(

I found a guy within the first half mile and we pretty much kept the same pace throughout. With about half a mile left, he looked totally spent and stopped and was walking slowly. I yelled back at him to come on that it was almost over and he caught back up. We stayed together the rest of the way and he graciously let me in front of him in the finish line. :)

I finished in 31:09, but I really feel like I was at least more around the 30 mark. I went into the race with the goal to just have fun and not push myself too hard with the heat and that I did. :) I really think I had the most fun after I finished though. A lady from our Weight Watchers class has been run/walking. She is soooo excited about her progress and completed her first 5K in May in a little over 44 minutes. Her goal for this 5K was to better her time. I back tracked and found her and jogged with her to the finish line cheering her on. It was great. I picked out two women in the last .1 miles that she could overcome and cheered at her to pass them up and she did and finished in a little over 42 minutes!

After that, I went and found Rosie and Susan and cheered them on and jogged with Rosie to the finish while Donnie jogged with Susan. That was so much fun watching the two of them complete their first 5Ks!!

I couldn't help but think about Mel, Zoe, Amanda, Genesis, and all of the others finishing the Seattle Rock and Roll Saturday while I was running. Check out their recaps. They all did GREAT!

Stay tuned tomorrow for my Tell it Like it is Tuesday. I have a review of some amazing customer service and some tasty pita chips!

Melissa

Next Adventure: Half Marathon

2010-06-24T19:56:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I did something that I am still giddy and excited about. I signed up for my very first half marathon. :)

It will be on 10-10-10 in Tyler, TX. Anyone else out there planning on doing this one? There is a 5K, half, and full. The best part is the medal. It has a rose as the medal part. Check out the website (click here) and look. Too cute. Full marathon participants get roses at the finish line. (I am a little bummed that the half participants don't get those too).

I think I might have a couple of friends semi-talked into going. My friend Jennifer and my friend Kathy are considering it, as well as my lunchtime running buddy, Donny. So, we'll see I guess. However, if anyone wants to fly in and needs an airport pickup and a hotel buddy, let me know. (ahem, Katye)

So, now I have tons of questions for you experienced half people out there.

If I start my training next week, I should be completed with it about 3 weeks before the half. What do I do? Add some extra mileage in on those weeks? Keep increasing mileage? I am nervous about my longest run on the program being 10 miles before the real thing
After you did your first half, how long did you wait for another? There is one really close to home four weeks later. Realistically, should I shoot for that one too?
How long does a long run have to be before you bring along Gu or something like that?

I know I have more questions, but I can't remember them. Off to bed. Have a good night!

Melissa

Tell it Like it Is Tuesday

2010-06-22T11:52:00.000-07:00

I have tried a few new products lately and want to do a fun Tell it Like it is Tuesday! :) (woo hoo....the crowd goes wild, etc)

First off,

Veggie Chips by Sensible Portions. I bought these at Toys R Us the other day while shopping for a Dora backpack (which they didn't have...Academy however, did).

Anyway, it was the night of the 5K I ran a couple of weeks ago and I grabbed them for a snack. 38 chips (roughly the size of a Gatorade lid) is a serving. 130 calories, 7 g of fat, 1 g fiber (I think that's right on the fiber). That comes to 3 WW points.

They were pretty decent. I don't like dips, but I think if I did, these would be great with dips. I have been eating them with grapes or string cheese (and possibly a Baja Bob margarita). They are pretty salty and my kids liked them too.

I also bought a new sports bra from Target. It's from their Champion line and I LOVE it. Great support, but comfy and cozy. I am definitely going to buy more of those. Very true to size also. If you wear a small in running shirts, then a small will be perfect.

I got in a run today at lunch. 3.7 miles in 96 degree weather with a heat index of 106 (a vendor who was convinced that we were going to stroke out from running at lunch let me know this when I got back to my office.) This is me 1 hour and a BIG lunch later....

I have on my Gone for a Run shirt that I got for Mother's Day. Here's the back. Don't you love it?

Lastly (is that a real word?), here is my little angel (hahahahahaha) with the birdhouse she made at bible school last week. I think I have a girlie girl on my hands. Look at all the decoration on that bird house! Also, she has on no shirt because we are on day 3 of real big girl panties! It's so much easier to deal with the potty thing without clothes to fool with too.

I hope you are having a great week. Mine has been stressful but productive!

Melissa

Great Weekend

2010-06-21T06:56:00.000-07:00

I hope all of the daddies out there had a GREAT Father's Day! I know this one did. We really went all out with some great presents. I tried to replace a few of the things that were in our truck when it was stolen.

On that note, I should update to say that the insurance called Friday and gave us a settlement number which was around $3,000 more than what we were hoping for, so we will get a check today and should have our new vehicle next week! :) I am very excited. It's a HUGE truck and I don't know how much I will be driving it, but I am thrilled for the hubby to be getting a vehicle. He's been like a kid who lost his puppy!

I had a great weekend. I got off Friday at lunch and my brother and I went to see The A-Team (which I LOVED) and did a little bit of shopping and eating some really awesome BBQ! We had a great time.

Saturday afternoon, the kids and I picked up my mom and brother and went shopping again. We went to pick up Father's Day gifts and I got the biggest ego boost from the most unusual place! There is a kid (seriously...like 22 I think) who works at Academy that I only know because he was in my cousin's wedding last year. We are "Facebook friends" but I don't know him too well. He's a little cutie though.

Anyway, the kids and I saw him working, stopped and spoke and went on with our shopping. As I was leaving Academy, I got a Facebook message on my Blackberry which made my ~~day~~ month! This kid sent me a message that said "You are so beautifully hot". Ummm...okay. I'm thinking he doesn't get out much, but coming from a kid that young, it really made my day.

I hope everyone had a great weekend and didn't eat nearly as much as I did. :) Really need to get in my miles at lunch.

Melissa

Farmer's Market Finds and a 5K Saturday

2010-06-17T08:43:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday morning I had morning duty at the mill for my department. As bad as I hated to get up early, I was excited to get to stop by the Farmer's Market when it opened. A guy I have known FOREVER was there and I bought some of his fresh potatoes (still dirty!) and then he gifted me with some local honey from his own hives (OMG yummy!) and some sausage for my husband.

At another booth, I saw a lady who used to work with my mom and she had fresh blueberries. So, this has been my breakfast every morning. Kashi cereal, whole natural almonds, blueberries, and yogurt. And yes, I am aware that is sugary flavored yogurt. I can't help it. I've tried the other kinds and I just can't do it. However, compare this to my breafast of McDonald's or donuts 50 pounds ago, and I'm doing good.

Which brings me to a point.... I despise it when people beat themselves up about not going totally all natural or organic or whatever. While I know that is a fantastic way to be, for some people it isn't realistic. I think if you make the choices that are best for you and are maintainable, that's a step in the right direction. Celebrate the victories people!

I also have a 5K scheduled for Saturday. It should be cooler at 8 am than it was last Saturday at 8 pm. I am going to get in my last run before the race tonight while LittleMan is at swimming lessons and LittleGirl goes to bible school with her "Hooker". (real name = Hannah). The 5K benefits the Jake Owen Raborn Foundation, which is an AWESOME charity. You can read about Jake here. If that doesn't inspire you, then I don't know what will.

On Facebook the other night, someone commented something like "why would anyone want to run in this heat" and someone else came back with a great point. These kids endure countless procedures, tests, and horrible things. The least we can do is run in the heat for 30 minutes. That isn't a drop in the bucket to what these heroes do each and every day of their tiny little lives.

Speaking of tiny lives, my 6 year old, the adorable LittleMan, went out to eat with me last night. I kissed him on the head and he informed me that he "wasn't into that anymore". Broke. my. heart. Right there into a million pieces. I hope he changes his mind. *sniff, sniff*

Melissa

5K Recap - Shelby's Wish June 12, 2010

2010-06-15T09:09:00.000-07:00

First of all, I am a day late, but HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tall Mom who also happened to have a birthday on my anniversary! The hubby and I just exchanged cards and went out to eat, but had a great time.

Okay...now a 5K recap. You know how you read about that race? The one that was awful for a thousand reasons and nothing is working in your favor? I had never had that race until Saturday night.

The race began at 8 pm and it was 96 degrees. I am serious. It was 96 degrees and HUMID. Definitely not ideal race conditions. In addition to this crappy weather that Mother Nature blessed us with, about an hour before the race, I had to duck into a pharmacy due to Mother Nature feeling especially generous. That should have been my first clue to just go home. :)

I have never ran a night race before and I was so worried about eating light before the race that I really don't think I ate enough. I was wiped. (Could have been the 2 hours of shopping previous...who knows?)

Anyway, I finished in a time of 31:37. How awful is that? That is slower than my very first 5K. About halfway through the race I started taking tons of walking breaks and decided to just finish.

Now, I have to be honest and say that I haven't exactly been kicking out the running or anything. In fact, I have barely done anything and I know that was part of the problem. I did feel better that a guy I know was 4 minutes (!!) from his normal time due to the heat and my friend who won the WHOLE FREAKING female category (with a 22-something) usually runs around a 21 I think. So, I guess everyone was off, but dear Lord! After the race I drank 4 bottles of bottled water before I wasn't thirsty anymore.

So, I have decided that for the two upcoming races I have (this Saturday and the next) I am going to lay off the Insanity and do more running instead. I am going to have to figure out a better way to mesh the Insanity and running together so that I can do both and not let one or the other suffer.

Things I realized from this 5K:

I missed running (I was still running, just not as much)
I really want to train for a half in the fall/winter. I do better with a training "schedule"
I miss running when I don't have a partner. I partner up during the week most of the time and being all alone on race day was lonely
Running without my Garmin sucks (I need some major tech support for mine!)
I should be realistic about time when it's that hot.
Ice water sponges at the finish line are AMAZING
A blow up slip n slide at the finish line would be the best thing EVER

Hope your week is going well!!

Melissa

Healthy Calzones!!!

2010-06-09T08:39:00.000-07:00

Hungry Girl had an email last week that gave a recipe for healthier calzones. While I didn't follow her recipe exactly, I did follow it mostly. :) They were quite tasty. The recipe made 6 calzones and I took a few to work the next day to share with co-workers for lunch and they were tasty microwaved also.

Here's the details. You'll need:

-1 roll of thick crust Pilsbury refrigerated pizza crust (could you make your own? Sure! However, I was in a hurry!)

-chopped onion

-chopped baby spinach

-chopped red bell pepper

-minced garlic

-turkey pepperoni-tomato sauce with basil and garlic added (or something like that)

-String cheese (2)

-Reduced fat parmesan cheese

Take the roll of dough and cut into 6 slices (while still in roll form...like you were cutting those pinwheel things or something) Roll out (love you my Pampered Chef roller!) in a semi round shape.

In a skillet, saute chopped onion, spinach, pepper, and garlic. (I sprayed with Pam Olive Oil spray). Do this for like 5-7 minutes.

Chop the string cheese into 18 chunks (or so...lol).

Spoon some sauce onto the middle of one side of the dough (don't you love my non-technical cooking talk?) Add three of the chunks of cheese and 2-3 pepperonis. Add some of the sauteed mixure. Fold over the dough and make a little pie (see picture). Seal the ends and cut a few slits in the top of the dough. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.

Bake at the temperature on the dough package until browned.

I estimated my calzones to weigh in (pun intended) at around 5 Weight Watchers Points each.

You can sub canadian bacon for the pepperoni or make just a veggie one.

The BEST part about this recipe is that you can alter it for family members who love to remind you that they aren't interested in eating healthy. (like my hubby!) So I add real pepperoni and full fat cheese to his. The kids love these also.

My Blog

I am still in the process of getting my blog makeover. I am also pretty swamped with the business of insurance claims and getting a new truck for the hubby. I hope to be back commenting and posting regularly in the next week. Thanks!

Melissa

Finding a Healthy Balance on Vacation

2010-06-02T06:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, confession time. I had every intention of running if possible, but definitely getting in some Insanity on vacation.
In fact, I did Insanity just hours before leaving. However, once I got on vacation, we were so busy and I wanted to enjoy every second of it, so, I confess...I did nothing.

I did walk all over Sea World with a stroller with approximately 80 pounds of kid. Also, pushing said 80 pounds up some of those hills and into the stadiums was a workout for sure. I also did jog with the stroller a bit around Sea World, so I guess that counts. :)

We did TONS of swimming, and at the water park, there were tons of stairs and lots of walking.

However, nothing at all has been done since I got home. But, today is National Running Day, and I have my bag o gear and I'm getting out there at lunch. Vacation and wallowing is over and I'm back (or I hope I convince myself of this in the next 3 hours)

I am happy to report that not a single pound was gained on vacation. In fact, I lost one! I was amazed, but when I think back, I realize why.

Breakfast every single morning was something healthy. Take advantage of the fruit and yogurt offerings of your hotel! I had bananas, apples, oranges, etc and a couple of mornings I had some yogurt. We went to IHOP one morning and I had something from the IHOP for me menu. This menu gives calories, fat, etc so you know exactly what you are eating. It was tasty too!

Most days I tried to eat a healthier lunch. I even used my Blackberry to figure out the Points of some meals. (Oh how I love you Chick Fil A strips and fruit bowl!)

The other thing I thanked myself for was packing Kashi bars and putting them in my purse each morning. Great snack that kept me from eating junk (except for an ice cream Shamu bar...sooo not worth the calories. Skinny Cow beats that any day of the week!)

However, I was on vacation, and I enjoyed myself for supper. I didn't totally pig out, but I made sure that I didn't come home and wish I had indulged a little. Last year after our New Orleans trip, I got home and weighed. I had lost 2 pounds. I was happy, but wished I had indulged a little more and worried about weight loss after I got home.

We had BBQ two nights, pizza one night, went out for Marble Slab, and I didn't worry a bit. My eating habits have changed. Small portions and nibbles have replaced the all out gorge-fest of my former self.

I do have to brag about my supper at Rainforest Cafe. I had promised the kids dessert, so I decided to try a lighter meal. I had the Meatless burger. I believe it had brown rice, beans, carrots, onions, red peppers, etc pressed into a patty. I was skeptical after seeing it on the menu, but I asked the waitress if she had tried it and she said yes that she was shocked at how good it was.

She was not wrong. The fries were not that great, but the burger was SOOO GOOD!! (and pretty filling!)
Knowing that I was having dessert, I didn't eat until I was stuffed. Here was dessert for the four of us.

It was sinful and freaking delicious.

Anyway, moral of the story? It's all about balance. Don't come home wishing you had indulged a little or hating yourself for indulging too much. Because at the end of the day, it's all about this.....

Here are random pics of my daylillies which have bloomed like crazy this week!

Have a great week! Where are YOU planning on going for vacation? Have you looked at my safety tips? Please save yourself some heartache and headache and take heed!!

Melissa

Vacation Wrap Up

2010-05-30T09:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I finally made it home. I have a snazzy little Nissan Sentra rental car. Not quite the F-250 that my husband is used to, but even he admits that it drives well.

THANK YOU for all of the comments, emails, etc. I was soooo upset when I posted, but y'all made me feel so much better. I have kind of gotten over being upset. I got my insurance list made out for both auto and homeowner's and now I will start the process of dealing with both on Tuesday.

I have a few pointers for every single one of you to do RIGHT NOW in case something like this ever happens to you.

write down serial numbers of your cell phone, GPS, your kid's electronics, etc and keep them somewhere where you can access them. Maybe you could find a website so that you can do that from anywhere? (Also, keep receipts if you have them on these things....very handy)

have your auto and homeowner's insurance customer service numbers handy in case of an emergency FYI-homeowner's covers contents if a vehicle is stolen b/c your car is an extension of your dwelling

Don't be afraid to ask a hotel if they have parking lot security cameras when booking your stay

Periodically check your vehicle to insure that no bank reciepts, checkbooks, or any identifying information are kept in there.

Take your GPS out of your vehicle when staying on vacation. Take it into the hotel room with you

If your cell phone is stolen, turn off the service immediately unless it has GPS tracker. Apparently iphones have this. Know if you have it before something happens so that you can get tracking immediately.

make a record of all credit card numbers and their customer service numbers, your bank account numbers and a contact number, etc in the event your purse/wallet is stolen so that you can easily take care of this. Again, maybe they can be stored online somewhere?

Now for some pictures....

There are lots more, but I saved you from the boredom of looking at all of them. The final verdict on Great Wolf? Fun, the kids had a blast, but beware and look out for yourself, because they aren't looking out for you.

Melissa

Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX

2010-05-27T10:56:00.001-07:00

Well, guys, I have a few cute pics to share, but I'm just not feeling that into it. Let me explain....

We arrived at Great Wolf in Grapevine, TX at around 1:30 or so on the day of our reservation. Check-in begins at 1 pm, but your room is not guaranteed to be ready until 4 pm. I was greeted by the General Manager upon arrival; however, I haven't seen him since. I checked in and our room was not quite ready. No big deal, I went and got into my husband's truck (cue the foreboding music) to figure out what to do in the mean time. The hotel tells you that if your room is not ready, you can leave your belongings in the locked vehicle and go on into the water park until your room is ready. (dum, dum, dum)<-- That was the mood music...lol

Thank the dear Lord that as I was getting into the vehicle, the guy who checked me in (who was very very nice) came running out to tell me the room status was changed to ready right after I walked back outside. (Thank you dude...seriously...life saver!)

So, we parked, unloaded all of our clothes, and left pillows, Sea World souvenirs, LM's DS and games, and a few other things that really didn't fit onto the luggage carrier things, and headed up to the room.

We got to the room, dressed, and off to the water park we went. We had a blast. The kids rode slides (which was a shocker), had a blast in the sprinkler stuff, and I was very pleased with the cleanliness and number of lifeguards.

Around 4:30, Little Girl was hungry, and I had promised the kids we'd go down the road to the Rainforest Cafe, so we went to the room and got ready. We exited the hotel and the hubby decided to bring the truck around to pick us up. A few minutes later, I saw him walking back up to the entrance. He said that the truck was gone. I thought he was joking, but nope!

So, an hour and a half and much time with the insurance and police, we ate a pizza in our hotel room and listened to our kid cry over his lost DS and the fact that he has no vacation souvenirs and I don't have the money to replace them because I need to now buy new carseats, etc. Joy.

So, while Grapevine's Great Wolf is fun, lesson of the day is that they have no security cameras in their parking lot. We were there around 3 hours and have no vehicle. A few employees were very apologetic, but honestly, our vacation is ruined, and I would love to get my money back and go home.

State Farm did hook me up with a rental car this morning (yippee....not) and moral of that story is that Enterprise sucks and I love Hertz.

I'll post pics later when I get a smile on my face. Which may be a while.

Melissa

Sea World Day 1

2010-05-25T06:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we got up early (I know! on vacation! what was I thinking?) and headed toward Sea World. As I said in a previous blog post, I booked the Ultimate Seafari Tour as a surprise for the kids. Boy were they surprised!

First let me say that our tour guide, Melissa (lol!), was fantastic. She knew a lot about the animals and Sea World. We did the tour with 3 other families. If you go to Sea World, I really think that the tour is well worth the money. It lasted about 4 hours. We fed the dolphins (the fish were provided with the tour), fed seals and sea lions, got a tour of Shamu Theater before it opened, special seats at the "Shamu" show (you'll see pics in a minute...great seats), got to touch and have our picture made with an animal (yesterday's was an armadillo...strange but neat), toured the penguin and shark areas before they opened to the public, and got Quick Queue passes to all of the rides (so very cool!).

Here are pics....hope you enjoy. Also, for anyone planning a trip to San Antonio to Sea World, our hotel was great. Very good prices, easy to get from here to Sea World, and they also run a shuttle in a 5 mile radius. You just call them to come pick you up...no waiting for the next bus! Great pool, 2 hot tubs, sprinkle fountains for the kids, and a swim up bar.

Anyway...the pics....

Melissa

Still here!!!

2010-05-20T08:24:00.000-07:00

My hard drive crashed on my home computer and I finally got that repaired and my work has cracked down on "blogging at work", so....limited time peeps. :) I hope to catch up while on vacation and stuff.

So, quick updates. Insanity is going quite well. I am loving it really. In important news on that front, I went swimsuit shopping. I bought a one piece, a tankini thing, and (are you ready for this???)....two bikinis!!!

Now, whether or not they will see the light of day, not sure. I wanted one bikini to wear under my clothes to Sea World because I know that we will get splashed and stuff. (front row here baby!) But, I really do think that I will wear them at the pool. Could I look better in them, yep. But am I happy with how I look in them, sure. I never ever in a million years would have thought that I would have been happy in a bathing suit at all, much less a bikini a year ago, so heck, I'm going to enjoy it!

We are headed out on Saturday for a vacation at Sea World and Great Wolf Lodge. I decided to use the money that I won from Shamrock Farms to surprise my kids with the Ultimate Seafari Tour where we will get to the park a couple of hours before it opens, go around with someone for animal training and tours and some other perks. I am so excited and can't wait to tell them!!!

I hope you are all having a GREAT week and end of the school year. Stay tuned for more blogging from vacation (hopefully!!)

Melissa

Week in Review and Tell it Like it Is Tuesday

2010-05-11T04:36:00.001-07:00

First, here's the week in review (I'm a day late) **I meant to hit "publish" on this on Tuesday, but didn't get it done until this morning (Wed) due to a late night giving scholarships at a graduation last night. Sorry!***

Sunday: 3 miles with my brother

Monday: nothing - I had a school board meeting

Tuesday: 4 miles at lunch

Wednesday: 3.1 miles for Tall Mom's Virtual 5K

Thursday: Insanity Day 1

Friday: Insanity Day 2

Saturday: Insanity Day 3

Yesterday should have been Day 4, but I pulled something in my back about 10 minutes into the video, so I stopped and I'm going to let my back rest today also (I have a graduation to attend to give out scholarships). So, I'm going to try and get in a run today at lunch. On a side note, I'm

fairly certain that this Insanity stuff is going to my running much faster.

Tell it like it is Tuesday:

Baja Bob's Strawberry Margarita Mix (Sugar Free): I'm a HUGE fan of the regular margarita variety, however, this was very disappointing. I could barely choke down a few ounces. It had a Splenda taste to it that I think the lime and tequila taste of the other drown out.

Danskin Now Shorts: I tried the shorts that were being sold with the tanks I talked about last week (and LOVED). NOT A FAN of these. No liner (which is usually a must for me), they rode up, and I overall was uncomfortable in these.

Gone for a Run T-shirt: Got a tshirt for Mother's Day and got tons of compliments on it. It's very cute and didn't fit too big or too small. My only suggestion when ordering from them is to order at least $40 or more to get $5 shipping. I saw my hubby's receipt and our order of about $20 had around $12 of shipping. So, the $5 is a bargain.

Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10s: I got these for Mother's Day and didn't realize how worn out my old ones were until I tried these. LOVE them, I think even more than my last ones.

Well, gotta get going. LM graduates from Kindergarten today! *sniff sniff* and I have stuff to do.

Melissa

Happy Mother's Day, Insanity, and a Blog Award

2010-05-09T19:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!! I hope you all had as great of a day/weekend as I did!! I started the weekend off on Saturday morning by getting up before all of my family and getting on the internet. Within a couple of minutes I found out that I had won the Ultimate Sports Mom contest that was hosted by Teamarcia and Shamrock Farms Rockin' Refuel. The funny thing is that all my lunch friends know how obsessed I am with Subway's milk. I think they have the best milk EVER and they laugh at me about it. Guess who makes it? Yep...Shamrock Farms.

I was beyond excited! I woke my hubby up with my squealing! I have big plans for the gift card. My first purchase will be a Running Skirt. I can't decide between pink plaid, a solid color, purple plaid (but they don't show my size!), or polka dotted. Decisions, decisions. :) The rest will probably go toward our family vacation in a few weeks.

After that it was family time all weekend. We ended it up tonight with my hubby grilling some AWESOME food and baking my favorite, apple pie (Mrs. Smiths....lol)

My kids bought me a shirt from Gone For A Run (check them out...CUTE stuff...hmmm...maybe I'll buy a Bibfolio with my winnings!), my new Brooks Adrenaline shoes, a really awesome planter, and some flowers. They are awesome!!

I hope all of you mommies and mommies-to-be had a great day!!!

I also have done more Insanity the past couple of days. I think the last time I blogged was after Day 1. I wasn't nearly as sore as I thought after doing these, but definitely sore. I figured that would be a problem when doing the next few days, but it wasn't.

Day 1 was the Warm Up and Fit Test, which was H-A-R-D. The next day was cardio and plyometrics. I can't say enough how much FUN these DVDs are. They are hard, but I don't want to curse the TV like I did with Jillian and the Shred. I do have to stop for a few reps during some of the stuff, but I noticed that the "models" do too.

Day 3 was cadio and maybe something else, I honestly can't remember. But today, today was awesome. It was Cardio Recovery and while it was hard, in that tired muscle kind of way, it was wonderful. The stretches felt awesome and there were quite a few that I really see me doing before running, etc from now on. I honestly can't wait until it's time for that one again.

My legs feel so much stronger, and my arms are decently sore as well. Tomorrow is a cardio day and I have a feeling that I will be soaked with sweat. I've been dripping before the warm up is over the past few sessions.

I highly recommend this set. I think you would need a certain threshold of cardio built up beforehand, but if you can run for 30 minutes straight, you can do this. Just don't be upset if you can't do every rep....I'm not. I'll catch up even if I have to do an extra week of the first month's stuff.

Tomorrow I'm going to blog about an award I received from a very special blogger and recap my exercise week which is honestly the best one I've had in FOREVER.

Keep on keeping on and you mommies ROCK! OH! and congrats to Katye on her sub 2 hour PR 1/2 marathon!! :)

Melissa

Insanity Day 1

2010-05-07T07:40:00.000-07:00

I got home from karate last night around 7 pm and there was a package waiting for me. It was a really simplified looking brown box (to trick you I think). I opened the box and there it was....Insanity in a box.

It was late, but I decided to do the fit test that you are supposed to do on Day 1. 30 minutes later and dripping with sweat, it was done.

Just the warm up had me sweating, but I liked it. Jogging in place, jumping jacks, butt kicks, etc and I was proud that I was able to keep up and do fairly well.

After the warm up there were 8 exercises that you had to see how many you could do in 1 minute. I minute is a LONG time guys. I was decently happy with my results on all but one of the exercises. I was also exhausted when it was over.

My legs are sore this morning, but not unmanageably sore like when I did the 30 day Shred last year. I also really enjoyed myself while doing the videos.

So, tonight will be Day 2 and I can't wait to see how it goes.

Also, an update on the Music Swap. I only have 3 people signed up. If you are interested, let me know!! I am going to end signups next Wednesday, May 12 and then get you the details and who to send your CD to!

Melissa

Tall Mom's Virtual 5K

2010-05-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Well, I had totally forgotten about signing up for Tall Mom's Virtual 5K until Tuesday afternoon. That wouldn't be a problem except for the fact that I did my first ever speed workout on Tuesday. So, needless to say, I wasn't going for a win, PR, or anything like that.

The race director (lol) made this race bib at the last minute with a sharpie and a pink highlighter. She said that she saw the slogan "Save Second Base" online and thought it was hilarious, so she put that on the bib.

My number was 332, 33 for Tall Mom, 2 for the 2nd base thing. :) However, that turned out to be a funny coincidence. The race started just past my driveway (how fortunate for me!) My legs were sooo super tired from the speedwork the day before and after 1 mile, I decided there would be lots of walking and running intervals.

Around 1.5, I started doing a lot more walking and breaking it down into .25s and .3s and bargaining with myself. I wanted to give up, but knew I needed to finish.

It was hot hot hot (about 94 according to the weather) and I could feel my skin scortching. I had forgotten the sunscreen because I came home and got the kids situated before I started out. It was around 5:30 pm. I then started to think about my skin cancer scare when I was in high school and then wouldn't you know it, the person who found that crazy mole during that scare drove past and waved (long story!). I thought that was strange.

Unfortunately the race director for this race was the same as the one for the last virtual Tall Mom race, and she tends to forget about the water stops. I'm thinking about having her fired. I need to find a feedback form so that maybe she'll get fired.

I finished the race and was thrilled to be done. Sidenote: I have already done 10 miles for the week, which for me is amazing. I think my groove is back.

Self timed photo in the kitchen. Terrible.

Here is my finish time. Look familiar? (332 race bib. 33 minutes and 2 second time) Look even more closely... 33:02 and 99, so really, 33:03 almost Hey hey Tall Mom!

It was fun overall though and I was glad I pushed myself. I am still fairly new to running and never run two days in a row, much less after my first ever speedwork day.

I also need to update my 3 changes challenge:

1) Apply sunscreen before running. I was doing well, but see above.

2) Clean out clothes that are too big. Still working on that one, but doing better. Until I got a freebie shirt at work today. Size L. I have told them a hundred times to change me in the computer, but I still got a L. I'm hoping they have a smaller size that I can trade for.

3) Floss every day. Still doing fairly well, but I have to admit, I've slacked on the side that my tooth infection is on because I am soooo scared of hurting myself again.

My Mother's Day gifts came in this week and I am itching to get into them. The kids don't know that I know what I'm getting and plan on wrapping and giving them to me this weekend. :) New running shoes and this shirt from Gone for a Run. How freaking cute is that? I think I have the hubby talked into the bibfolio for my anniversary present. :) I think I want the running girl one. Tall Mom, you need this one with the pic from your new blog header!

What are you giving your Mother for Mother's Day? I need some ideas. I haven't bought my mom anything yet!

Melissa

Tell It Like It Is Tuesday

2010-05-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Well, it's time for more reviews on things I've tried this week. First off, Skinny Cow Caramel Cone single serving ice cream.

One word: Sinful. You'd never guess this is a 3 point (I think I have that right!) dessert! (and just barely a 3...sooo close to a 2) However, for 3 points, you could have a McDonald's ice cream cone. Just sayin'
Second product review, Batter Blaster. It's organic and in an aerosol can so it's easy to spray. 2 regular sized pancakes are equal to 2 Points. (I think 80 calories). It was very very yummy and fun for the kids. However, I just made them for myself.

Here are my two pancakes. The spray can makes it easy to make interesting shapes.

So, here's a quick meal idea that's very filling and not too bad in Points. 2 pancakes (2 Points), Orowheat toast with Smucker's Simply Fruit (2 Points), Sugar Free syrup (1 Point), Egg Beater Omlette with 2% cheese and real bacon crumbles (5 Points) Total for the meal: 10 Points.

And my final product review (no pictures) is a new Danskin Dry Fit Tank from Wal Mart. 7 bucks and I was really really pleased. It was a snug fit (in a good way) through the chest and felt great while running. For $7 it was a steal!

Hope you all had a great day. Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow and I'll be testing Strawberry Baja Bob's Margarita Mix and celebrating with Fajita Wednesday with my BFF Susie!! :)

Melissa

Goodbye April....HELLO MAY!!

2010-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:00

Well, April is over and I for one am thrilled. April sucked it up big time for me on the fitness front. I think I was in a funk until the last oh 4 days or so. :)

So, here are my "April in review" stats (all pictures can be clicked on to make bigger)

So, as you can see, nothing for the record books really. Like I said, I was in a funk and had a kid with mono, then a kid with sores in her mouth and a high fever, who then gave the mono kid the sores and the fever. So, you can see that I was busy. Add a few hundred (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating...but just a little) birthday parties to that and you have my month.

But, it's over and now I have goals for May.

As you can see, I'm still pretty pumped about ordering the Insanity Workout DVDs. I also started off the month by going for a little 3 mile run with my little brother.....
I hope you all had a great weekend. CONGRATS to Tall Mom on her BQ!!!!!!!!!!

Melissa

New Stuff

2010-05-02T08:55:00.000-07:00

Well, my second Mother's Day gift was ordered yesterday from Zappos. I am sooo excited to be getting a new pair of running shoes. I love my Brooks Adrenaline GTS 9s, so I ordered the 10s. I don't so much love the red color of my current ones, but I love the blue color of the ones I just ordered.

I've heard excellent things about Zappos customer service and shipping, so I hope I'm pleasantly surprised.

With all my tooth pain lately, I haven't been sleeping. So, unfortunately, or maybe fortunately depending on how you look at it, I was up watching infomercials last night. I saw the infomercial for the Insanity Workout and this morning I found it for half price online and ordered it. I'm pretty excited. I'm thinking that my brother is probably going to do it with me, so that should be fun. He and I are supposed to go for a run today too, so I'm looking forward to a run with him.

I hope you are all having a great day. I'm crossing my fingers for an awesome finish for Tall Mom at the Eugene Marathon today so that she can get her BQ.

Melissa

TV Thursday Friday

2010-04-30T12:42:00.000-07:00

If you missed my Mother's Day gift idea post, please check it out. CLICK HERE!! Feel free to send links to this post to your hubby, kids, or anyone else who might find it useful. If you want me to send a link on your behalf, let me know!

I was having some horrendous tooth pain last night and this morning, so I popped into the dentist at lunch and I have a pretty bad tooth infection. :(

So, instead of recapping my run yesterday or going into some other things I had planned, I'm going to lighten it up with something mindless. Let's talk about TV. Here are some shows I've been watching lately and some of my thoughts.

90210- My DVR did not record this week's episode (somebody catch me up!) but I really like this show, such a guilty pleasure. However, these kids act about 100 times more grown up than normal high schoolers. Right?

Biggest Loser - DVR skipped this one the other night too, but honestly, I didn't mind. I am not really into this season. I would like to know who got booted though.

Parenthood - LOVE this show. Great cast, wonderful characters, and I just really love this show!!

Flash Forward - Hands down, my FAVORITE show right now. I am absolutely RIVETED right now. Last night's episode was sooo good and one of my favorite characters was redeemed somewhat.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution - I am sooo sad to see this show go. I LOVED this and it was really eye opening. If you haven't signed Jamie's Petition, you really should go here and sign up.

Ruby - Season finale is this Sunday. I totally love Ruby and think that I would hang out with her in real life. I wish her season lasted longer.

Desperate Housewives - This season has been okay. Nothing earthshattering. Last week totally made me cry. Not sure if it was the excess of margaritas that helped that along, but it was sad.

Army Wives - I was so glad to see this show back on the air, but I feel like it's only so-so this season. Am I the only one?

I also can't wait for Drop Dead Diva to return to Lifetime. I get such a kick out of that show.

So, tell me, what shows am I missing that I should be watching?

Melissa

New things and MOTHER'S DAY GIFT IDEAS

2010-04-29T07:22:00.000-07:00

I had to go to the eye doctor yesterday. I was given some "computer glasses" to hopefully deal with my headaches and the fact that I have trouble reading the Dish Program Guide (we can't be having that). So, I got these beauties. I found the frames in a discount bin for $50 and they did the lenses right there for another $50. I'm pretty pleased. I also got a new jacket in the mail yesterday from Lauren. I won this over at her blog. I really like it. Pockets on both sides and an inside ipod pocket! I can't wait for winter weather to run in this!!

And now, onto the fun stuff. I have put together a little Mother's Day gift list for runners, people trying to eat healthier, things ANY mother would like, and finally Mother's Day gifts on a budget. Feel free to copy and paste or send links so that your significant other or children can get some ideas. :)

Gift ideas for a runner:

Anything from Gone for a Run. I am especially in love with this Race Bib Keeper thing. (I just wish it came in another color)**Edited to add: I just found out that they will have new colors and styles sometime next week...yippee I also became their first Facebook fan earlier! Want to become a fan? Click here. ***
New running shoes Don't know what they want? A gift certificate to their favorite store is a great idea. (if anyone is reading this for me...how about these Brooks Adrenaline GTS 10s in a Size 9, please)
It's getting hot out there, so a Handheld Water Bottle like this one or a Fuel Belt like this or like this one are great ideas.
ifitness belts are an AWESOME gift as well. They don't ride up and keep your blackberry, ipod, ID, cash, Gu, SportBeans, WHATEVER handy. I have this one.
Road ID What better way to show mom that you love her than to purchase her a Road ID? You can buy a gift card for the amount of a product plus shipping and let her have a blast doing her own customizations or you could buy it and have her info put on it and leave her a special message at the bottom that she sees every time she puts it on.
Bondi Bands - With all of the cute sayings and patterns, you could find one that suits the mom in your life. They are comfy and too cute! I think I have like 8 or so of these and would love more!
For the reader/runner in your life, this book is great. I'm almost finished and I've loved reading this book. It's broken up in to great chapters and I love the .2s at the end of each chapter.

Gifts for people trying to eat healthier:

This Cuisinart Griddler is a George Foreman on crack. I love it. The plates are removable and it has griddle and grill plates for upper and lower. It will lay flat or press. We have used the flat plates for french toast in the press, hamburgers or Boca Burgers with the press and grill plates, and the griddle does great eggs and pancakes.
What mother wouldn't want some Sugar Free (0 Points!) cocktail mixes. Baja Bob has a plethora of drink mixes that taste pretty darn good!
Vita Tops and Vita Brownies are a great gift idea. It's like a box of chocolates that you don't have to hate yourself for enjoying. I'm a fan of all of the chocolate varieties. Amazon has been the best deal I've found thus far because if you get the Free Super Saver shipping (which is 2 day shipping!) you save yourself a bundle. Shipping at other sites because of the 2-day thing can run you around $15 - $20!
Hungry Girl's new cookbook looks really good. I flipped through my friend Jennifer's and I will definitely be buying this one!

Gift ideas for ANY mother:

Cheryl and Co. cookies or brownies. Seriously, Cheryl, how do I love thee? My friend Tracey turned me on to these and while pricey, these things are seriously GOOD. They are individually wrapped and soft and tasty. I love the chocolate chip and the buttercreme frosted sugar ones. Today only (Thursday) the site has 30% off Mother's Day Buttercreme Hearts.
Proflowers has some really good deals on flowers and if you go on there and search for Kidd Kraddick, you will get KK listener deals which include 100 blooms for $20. My friend Nita received some roses from Proflowers and some chocolate covered strawberries and I was really impressed with the quality of both.
Personalized stationary is always fun. I'm a HUGE fan of Vista Print and you could make cute note pads, sticky notes, note cards, etc. Pick your design and put whatever you want on them (From the desk of the World's Greatest Mom is cute!). I have a coupon thing for 25% off anything in the site if you click here.
Wal * Mart has a couple of great deals on electronics right now. If you get a DSi or a DSlite bundle pkg you get a $30 gift card. Click here. They also have a couple of Sony Reader Digital Books that I think would make any mom who reads super happy. Look at this one and this one.
I love my Flip that I got a couple of years ago for my anniversary and I think that would be a really good mom gift especially since they will fit right in your purse!
Shutterfly makes really cute photo books that any mom or grandmother would love!

Mom gifts on a budget:

Homemade stepstones for the garden are always a hit. You can find directions online and the kids can put their handprints in them and use those pretty stones that go in the bottom of flower arrangements to make cute designs.
Painted flower pots with a pretty flower
Make coupons! Moms would love coupons to redeem for the supper of her choice, kitchen clean up, foot rubs, 30 minute uninterrupted bubble baths, a day of doing whatever she wants, etc. For those of us with older and more technologically challenged parents, a coupon for computer tutorials, help with digital cameras and printing digital photos, or e-mail help would be a blessing for some of them. Make the grandkids show them and they might enjoy it even more.

Hope this list helps some of you. Feel free to pass the link along. ***Disclaimer*** I did not receive ANY compensation or anything like that for mentioning certain companies. These were things I thought of on my own with no solicitation. :)

Melissa

Goals update

2010-04-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

Hello blogworld! :)

Amanda's 3 changes contest is still going on and I really need to update you on the progress of my three goals.

1) Apply sunscreen before running. This one has been fairly easy because the runs have been few and far between. :( However, I have done this before every run and also before going outside on the weekends and even switched to a daily moisturizer with SPF! :)

Along those lines, I am using the SPF lipbalm which is something that I think some of us fail to do. Don't forget that you guys! Who wants ugly old nasty lips anyway?

2) Clean out clothes in my dresser that are too big. BIG progress on this this weekend. I cleaned out my 6 drawer dresser and got one bag of trash and 3 of giveaway clothes. My drawers are now bare. :( I didn't realize how many XL tshirts I had (giveaway type that I slept in) and old huge baggy sweatpants and pj pants!

I now have one more dresser in my closet to clean out. I already went through my "good clothes" on the hangers and threw out some of those as well.

3) Floss every day. I think I have only skipped one day, which was after a filling and my mouth just freaking hurt. I'm proud of my progress on this one. The kids have really gotten into it too.

I am also in the process of trying to come up with some recurring weekly segments around here to make my posting more regular and more cohesive. That was also part of the reason for a blog revamp.

Speaking of the blog makeover. I received word that it will begin on Thursday (yippee!!) and that when it's over, there should be a special offer in it for you guys so stay tuned.

And finally, Mel-Tall Mom has a contest going on over at her place with a gift card to Gone For A Run. My hubby ordered a shirt for me from there (so excited!) and you guys should really check out the cute stuff they have and enter Mel's contest.

Happy Fajita Wednesday!! (The one day a week I look forward to. My work BFF and I do fajitas EVERY Wednesday. It's a fantastic standing date!)

Melissa

It's Review Time and a few fun meal ideas

2010-04-27T09:09:00.000-07:00

I bought these Colgate wisps the other day to try. I had a dentist appointment at lunch time and I always worry about having fresh breath. LOL!

I really loved the fresh feeling that this gave me although I had to bare down a little harder than I thought to get the minty stuff coming out.

I don't think that they really got my teeth any cleaner (should have packed a toothbrush) but they were great in a pinch and the little pic on the end worked great and was really sturdy!
I also tried the new Subway breakfast last week. I got the egg white and cheese muffin with one slice of bacon and a 1% milk. I love Subway's milk!! The sandwich was pretty good in a pinch. I like mine from home better, but for the price (like $2.50 plus tax) and the convenience, I will definitely do it again. I will probably leave the bacon off next time.

Without bacon, the sandwich would have run around 150 calories and 3.5 grams of fat. Not bad at all. So, if you are stuck needing a quick breakfast, definitely give this a try!

Meal Ideas with Points values

I also wanted to leave you with a few meal ideas I've been playing around with lately and have enjoyed.

Double Boca Burgers with Gravy

Last night I had a double Boca burger with gravy. 2 Boca patties (I get flame grilled...the others I think are lower in Points) equal 5 Points, a sandwich thin equals 1 Point, and some Pioneer Brown gravy for dipping is 0-1 Point depending on how much you use. So....my double gravy burger weighs in (hehe) at 7 points. YUMMY!

You can add spinach for some extra veggie intake (I usually do but forgot), some low fat or fat free cheese, or whatever else you want. The best part is that this was really quick.

BBQ Chicken

I am making BBQ chicken tomorrow night and I have really gotten to where I love this recipe!! It's quick and super easy!

I line a baking dish with strips of bacon, then place a few chicken breasts on top and then lay strips of bacon on top of that.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. Take out of the oven and then take the top layer of bacon off and coat with BBQ sauce and put back in the oven for about 10 minutes.

Depending on how much BBQ sauce actually makes it to your plate, I figure the points as 1 pt per ounce of chicken + 1 point for the bacon "influence" (I don't eat it, just use it for flavoring) and 1-2 Points for the sauce. So I probably eat around 7 Points of chicken and then some veggies. Yummy!!

Both of these are pretty quick and require minmum time in the kitchen. They have been a lifesaver with karate and t-ball going on!

Hope you are having a great week!

Melissa

Spagetti Dogs and Pimp My Blog

2010-04-26T12:45:00.000-07:00

Another pretty good weekend at Casa de Melissa. LittleMan and I went to the movies and watched Oceans. The movie was great. Fantastic footage and just an overall great movie.

LM and I also got these in the arcade. :) Don't we look like bad guys! LittleGirl and I went to a really fun mother/daughter Girls Night Out Friday night. Japanese food and ice cream. WOO HOO!! We met up with my friend Jennifer and her two girls and my friend Susan and her daughter. We had a really good time!

I HAD to take a pic of LG yesterday. She rarely plays with her babies, but I loved watching her change their diapers. LOL! She had gotten her diapers and wipes and was all into it. And yes, I do put sheets on her bed, they were in the washer. :)

Now for the fun. I read either on a blog or in a magazine (can't remember which..if it was your blog, please let me know so I can give you credit!) about making these little spagetti dogs. Super fun and the kids loved them!!

Put the noodles in uncooked and then boil and you get these "aliens" as LM called them.

He loved them!!!

And finally, there will be some changes in my blog very soon. I'm getting it all pimped out and I'm so excited!

I want to start doing some regular posting segments and this will be the perfect time to start!

Hope you are having a great week!

Melissa

2010-04-22T06:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday LittleMan.

I can't believe that it's been 6 years since we met you. You were in no hurry to get here and that has most definitely been your personality since then. You are one of the most easy-going and sweet kids I've ever met.

You are thoughful and sweet and a little bit spoiled. You are doing so well in school and I am amazed by how quickly you learn and that you are doing work above your grade level.

You get in trouble at school for talking, but how in the world can I get mad about that. I can't imagine where you get that!

Happy Birthday to one of the best things that has ever happened to me. I hope you have a great day and I can't wait to see how you amaze me even more in the next year. I love you!!

Mommy

We have a winner!

2010-04-21T11:13:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Katye! I only had one guess about who inspired the hair cut and she was right! Email me your address (littlemp at gmail dot com) and I will send you your post-its.

Here's the cut..... (a horrible picture, but you can see the hair)Here's the inspiration....

I love 90210 and I have to say that Silver has become my favorite character on the show. :)

Tomorrow is really special for two reasons. First of all, my son's official 6th birthday! (when did I get old enough for a 6 year old?? Sad thing is, I'm really old enough for one older than that! People I went to high school with have 10 and 11 year olds!!)

Secondly, it's Earth Day. My son's class is potting plants for seniors in our area (as in citizens, not in high school...he was confused). I will be potting a couple of flowers for the occasion myself. I think it's also a good time to remind my kids what Earth Day is all about. We plan to:

turn off the lights, TV, and anything using electricity (except clocks and stuff ya know...b/c I would just have to reset them) for 30 minutes while we use that time to find stuff around the house that is plugged in unnecessarily. (for example: the toaster we only use once a month, the blender that I only use occasionally, cell phone chargers with no cell phone charging)
talk about trees and plants and the whole oxygen and carbon dioxide cycle of exchange (I'm a geek!)
Buy some of the "green" light bulbs because I am totally out at our house
Talk to the kids about using re-usable sandwich containers, fruit containers, and drink dispensers
Take our plastics and aluminum cans to the recycling station down the road and talk about recycling. LM is really into recycling and likes talking about different ways to recycle.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a very special Happy Birthday post!

Melissa

Alrighty Then....

2010-04-20T11:22:00.000-07:00

First of all, congrats to Zoe, who made a HUGE announcement. SOOO happy for her!

Secondly, Chris has hit a HUGE milestone of 100 pounds lost. Go congratulate her. She has done an amazing job and I love love love her blog.

Thirdly, (is that really a word?) CONGRATS to all of the Boston finishers. I am truly amazed by anyone who can finish a marathon, much less qualify for Boston and finish.

Thanks to all of the awesome comments on finding balance. I think I have finally come to a point where I have been able to have a little bit easier time with balance. It's just a juggling act sometimes.

I have decided that I am not going to stress myself about mileage or anything like that and I'm going to just try to do what I can until school gets out and t-ball is over with. If that means 2 or 3 3 mile runs a week, fine. If that means a couple of great walks with friends, then even better.

I want to just keep a meager amount of endurance and then after the summer gets good and going, I'm going to begin to increase mileage and work towards a 1/2 marathon in November. I just have to remind myself that anything I do is better than what I used to do right? (which is nothing...for real)

I also wanted to remind myself that I started both my weight loss and exercise with the understanding that I would not do anything that I couldn't continue long term or that became a problem that interferred with family time.

On a brighter note, I have booked my summer vacation. First we will be going here.

Then we will be off to here. (I am sooo excited about this!)

And finally, I got a little haircut. I'll give away a pad of super cool post it notes that I got made from Vista Print if you can tell me what character off of one of my guilty pleasure shows inspired my new cut. While I was looking through pictures and was undecided if I could pull it off, my son said, "mommy, you look like that girl on the computer!". When I took the picture to the stylist, she said that anything that looks good on her should work because we have the same face shape. So, first one who has the right guess wins!!

Hope you have a great day!! Edited to add a hint: This show comes on tonight! :)

Melissa

Choices

2010-04-17T12:47:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon I had a choice. A quick run or find something fun to do with the kids. So, I decided to go with the fun with kids choice. Mentally, I beat myself up about it for a while, but then decided to do something that would at least be active.

We went and ate supper, fed ducks bread crumbs, played on a playground, then went home and pulled weeds (me) and took advantage of the swingset (them) until it was dark.

I don't regret the decision at all.

Sometimes I kind of panic thinking about how much activity I have to do coupled with food choices to keep up the weight loss that I have accomplished. I am always surprised that when I skip a workout or two I am still able to maintain.

This makes me think that this must BE a lifestyle change for real this time. I know it is, but I have to remind myself of that I guess. I know that I also try even harder to make good food choices in those times.

I think it's important that my decisions don't take time away from my kids and for them to also see that this lifestyle makes me able to be more active with them.

I read blogs where people beat themselves up when life gets in the way and I totally get that, but I also want people to see that it is possible to keep up a lifestyle change and allow for flexibility and interruption without freaking out.

I hope you are all having a great weekend. We went to a really fun outdoor festival today and in a little while I really want to go and try to buy some flowers to plant outside. Even though I will probably kill them within 2 months. LOL!

Melissa

Three Things Thursday and a SWAP! (yippee!)

2010-04-15T12:36:00.000-07:00

I have a headache and need something simple, so Three Things Thursday it is!

1) I didn't run today. I felt like crap. I just didn't want to. So, I went to Wal Mart and bought the essentials to pack a lunch for my kid tomorrow and I actually feel a little less stressed about when the grocery shopping thing will occur.

I also picked up some Skinny Cow chocolate fudge brownie ice cream. Mmmmmmm

2) I did however ROCK IT OUT this morning. I got up 10 minutes earlier than normal and rather than roll over and wait for the alarm, I got up, got dressed and snuck in a mini workout before getting off to work/school.

I got in

30 push ups
50 crunches
30 curls with each arm
15 of what I call waterpumps. No idea the real name. :)
30 (again my own name) kettlebell swings.

3) I want to organize a swap. I'm thinking each person copies 10-20 songs from their itunes to a CD and sends it to someone else to expand our playlists. (I kind of stole this idea from Tall Mom) If you are interested send the name and address to littlemp at gmail dot com.

On another note (okay I know...only supposed to be three things) if you have a race coming up and want a virtual cheerleader to text you before the race, let me know! I've had fun being a virtual cheerleader this week!

Have a great Thursday!

Melissa

PARTY!! Challenge and Product Reviews

2010-04-13T11:58:00.000-07:00

This weekend we celebrated LittleMan's 6th birthday with a super fun party. His birthday is a couple of weeks away, but this is the day that worked out for everyone.

It was Mario themed. The cake, cupcakes, and cookies were made by a friend of mine and she did a fantastic job!

There were around 20 kids and parents and family there. It was a BIG party. We had an absolute blast!!

The husband and Little Girl rode in one go kart and the birthday boy and I were in another. FUN!!!

LittleGirl also got to hang out with her two BFFs (my running friend Jennifer's two girls)

Then, the morning after the party, LM had a new surprise waiting for him. This beauty was born sometime early in the morning.

So, we started the imprinting process as we have with a few other colts who think LM is the bomb. I think this colt will be no different.

Fun stuff!!

I am proud to report that I got in a run/walk yesterday and a run today at lunch! WOO HOO!! I'm back in the game. Today's run was a really great one and my legs felt awesome. I love when it works out that way. My mileage is slowly climbing for the year. I'm behind where I want to be to get in 500 miles in 2010, but I'm not giving up.

Amanda has issued a really fun challenge. You pick three changes to make for the next month and there are points to earn and accumulate (woo hoo Staci!!) and prizes. So, go on over there and get in on the action.

My three goals are as follows:

Apply sunscreen before running. This is something I have not really been that good at EVER in my life and I really need to get better. This is important in the long term even more now that I spend more time outside than in recent years.

Clean out the clothes in my dresser that are too big. I did this in my closet and it was really good not to see those clothes as fall back clothes. Now I need to do the same in my dresser. I have whole drawers of stuff that I never even open. That's pitiful!

Floss every day. Again, something I need to do on a more routine basis than I have in the past.

And finally, a couple of product reviews. Have you saw the new Skinny Cow individual servings of ice cream? They are with the individual Ben and Jerry's and those kind of things. Some are 2 Weight Watchers Points and some are 3. I have tried the Chocolate Fudge Brownie and it was soooo good. The other flavors are a caramel something, cookies and cream, and dulce de leche. They are a little pricey though.

I also finally got to take out my ifitness belt and I love it. I fit my personal phone (Blackberry Curve) in one side, some cash, a key, and my work phone (Motorola Barrage...kind of thick) on the other side. It was comfy, never rode up, never jiggled, nada. Worked great and I will be using it quite often.

On that note, I need to get a Little Girl to sleep. Good night!

Melissa

And the Bad Blogger Award Goes to.......

2010-04-09T06:27:00.000-07:00

Melissa!! :)

I have been beyond busy at work, home, second job, and life in general. I haven't even ran in a week! (That changes tomorrow though). But, I did get my domain thing done, so you can continue the blogger feed or go directly to lifebymelissa.com

I got some snazzy post-its in the mail the other day. (These totals are old b/c I haven't done anything at all in a few days. I had a horrible food poisoning episode.)

I'll be giving a couple of these away this week in conjuction with a fun runner swap. Stay tuned!

I did get a super cute running skirt (my first!) at Old Navy and wore it on my last run (last week...uggh!) I really like it though.

We celebrated BIG for Easter.

For those who asked about the domain hosting thingie....I bought my domain from GoDaddy and there were directions on their site that told exactly how to put your blogger blog to your new domain (or whatever. I really have no idea what the technical terms for anything at all are) It was easy though. I still have work to do.

Thanks to Robin for hosting me on Wednesday. I am super late on that. Sorry!!

This week looks hopeful in being a little less hairy and I can answer some emails and check out some blogs hopefully.

I am coaching t-ball and we have our first practice on Tuesday. Yippee!!

Melissa

What NOT to do when you get a new bike

2010-03-31T08:29:00.000-07:00

Well, my friends, I'm loving the bike. Seriously....I feel like a 6 year old and want desperately to go buy a wicker basket for the front of this thing. (which I will probably do...seriously)

However, after going some 20 or so years without riding a bike, I was hit with the harsh reality that while you don't forget how to ride it, you do forget everything else.

Such as, what a workout this is for your legs. Being the pseudo-runner that I am, I figured that the legs would be in kick butt shape for bike riding. Well, I was wrong. That first pass my legs ached. I started to think I was an out of shape person and this was going to be a painful adjustment.

My dad came over, looked at the bike and said, "hmmmm......wouldn't some air in those tires be helpful?" **headsmack** They had 10 and 12 pounds of pressure. They needed 40. After Daddy took care of that for me just like he did when I was all of 6 years old and didn't own my own air compressor, I was off again.

At this point, my brother asked to ride. Then he starts talking about gears. GEARS? What? Heck if I know. He pointed out it was set on a 7 and that setting it on about a 2 for around the house riding would probably be easier. **headsmack** (by this time the killer headache was forming)

So, I *think* I'm all set now. This has been your public service announcement on what NOT to do when you get a new bike.

In other news, I ordered something super spectacular from Vista Print the other day. I can't wait to share (think giveaway!!)

And finally, I went to the local nursing home which my son's kindergarten class adopted for a year to do something for every holiday with the residents. This was my first trip to one of their programs and I boo-hooed like a baby. The kids were so cute and the residents were so totally engrossed with their singing.

Each kid did a craft last week to present to a resident. The man that LM chose was waiting like a kid waiting for Christmas to see if someone would pick him. The man gave him a big hug and had tears in his eyes to which I promtly started crying. The man thanked my husband and I for letting our kid come and commented on how much work that LM must have put into the craft. He kept holding it and then told us that he found out that morning that his best friend had passed away. Broke. my. heart.

Moral of the story? I think we're gonna go back and visit that man soon. And if you have time and want to do some crafts and take somewhere with your kids, I PROMISE you'll get as much out of it as your kids and the residents do.

I am so very behind on blogs, but I will catch up. These longer days are just too perfect for playing outside with the kids right now. :)

Melissa

Tall Mom Virtual Race Recap and Lookie....it's Shiny!

2010-03-28T14:50:00.000-07:00

Saturday was Tall Mom's Virtual Race. I took the 5K option as I'd been having some knee issues last week. It was a gorgeous day and I was so excited to get started.

Luckily, the starting line was just at the end of my mom's driveway, so she was able to watch my kids while the race ensued. Besides, what's better than a race where your whole family can see you off and then cheer you on at the end?

Mile 1 - (8:53) The first mile (as always) was tough. I am actually SHOCKED at my pace for this mile. The wind was blowing toward me (rain was coming in) the whole entire time and it was pretty tough running into the wind. About 0.25 miles into the run, I passed the house of a guy I knew from high school and he was outside, and well, you know you have to pick up the pace when you see people you know. :)

From 0.5 miles until 2.5 miles is all on the side of a fairly major highway. As you can imagine, this isn't that conducive to running when you are on the side of the road which slopes downward to a lake. (I seriously have nightmares of tripping and rolling into the lake). Anway, around the 1 mile mark there were people all over the place fishing, so I had to speed up around them too. When you are the only person in an area that runs, people already think you have a screw loose, so you have to at least run faster so they don't think you are that weirdo that runs really slowly. :)

Mile 2 - (9:13) The most BORING mile ever. All along the side of the highway. Well, actually on the highway if there wasn't a car coming. At least that keeps me all alert and makes the time pass more quickly.

Mile 3 - (9:17) At this point I was really questioning my sanity in choosing a race where I had to wait for traffic to clear before I ran across the highway. Well, that and cursing the race directors for not putting up water stops. Seriously, would one have hurt? Next year I'm going to make sure they think of these things :)

Mile .1 (1.07) actually, this is slightly estimated due to the fact that I was joined by a little 3 foot tall runner. I had to run ahead of her and then turn back around, etc, and missed the Garmin hitting the .1 marker and looked down and it was at .12, so I estimated. I'm fairly certain my time was actually better than this honestly, but hey, 28:30 for a 5K is actually a PR for me, so YIPPEE!!!!!

Thanks Tall Mom for putting on this virtual 5K!

Me and the little one finishing the race. Take note of the new birthday outfit from Athleta from my dad. I really liked it!!
Finish line pose....

Both kids wanted to go again, so......

I finished up the night with a great birthday party with my mom, brother, and a surprise visit form my brother's friend Mark and my cousin Sadie. We had a blast.

Today, I went and bought my birthday present from my mom, Susie, grandmother, and mother in law.....

Meet Roxie..... (helmet from my brother along with a CUTE pink Camelbak)

I spent about 20 minutes getting acquainted with Roxie this afternoon and now I know that there are definitely muscles that running does not even touch. My upper legs are killing me!!

I hope you have all had a great weekend!!

Melissa

WINNERS!!! (and birthday recap)

2010-03-26T06:45:00.000-07:00

THANK YOU and Winners!

First of all, THANK YOU for the birthday wishes and for entering my first really big giveaway. I gained a lot of new followers (THANKS and WELCOME) and enjoyed all the comments. I will be getting around to each of you slowly.

Secondly, THANKS for the well wishes for the little guy. He's still feverish and feels rotten sometimes and when he feels good he's itching to get out of the house. Poor kid!

Without further ado, here are your winners..... (drumroll please!) (These were chosen using the Random Number Integer internet thingie)

The Bondi Band winner is Syl. Syl, just pick out the one you want and send me your selection and address to littlemp at gmail dot com. I will order from Kayte and let you know!

The Baja Bob winner is Stephanie!!! Stephanie, you will receive one 32 oz margarita mix and a 32 oz of your choice. Make your selection and send that and your address to me at littlemp at gmail dot com and I'll place your order!

And finally, the Road ID goes to Danielle! Email me Danielle and we'll get your order all done up!

Birthday Recap

I have to say that this was an awesome birthday. I had sooo many Facebook birthday messages that it was crazy! I am very blessed to have so many friends, Facebook or otherwise. I was in meetings all day yesterday and reading all the birthday messages kept me highly entertained.

Wednesday night (birthday eve) my hubby and kids baked me a birthday cake while I went out on a run. We had burgers and sausage (and salad) and lots of birthday cake. I got some great presents! Money from the hubby for some new summer clothes, a gift card from my BFF Susie and my mom to go towards my bike (yep...I'm going to buy a little bike. Just a cruiser, but I'm excited!), money from my mother in law to go toward the bike, and a running outfit from my dad. Woo HOO!

Oh, and who could forget this gift. From my friend (and honorary mom...lol) Tracey, a box of something I have been wanting for quite some time and the COOLEST cupcake decorating kit.

This morning's work out

I want your feedback

I think I'm going to buy a domain name and host my blogger blog on my own domain. This makes me sound like I know what I'm talking about, but really I don't. So, for those of you who have done this, did you do it yourself? Was it easy? Did you have to have "professional" help?

Also, I think I have settled on a domain name. What do you think about lifebymelissa.com ? I had a few others that were my first choice, but they were taken. I didn't want to devote it totally to running because I like to talk about family and other things along with my running, eating, etc. So, I came up with this. What do you think?

I hope your weekend is AWESOME! Don't forget Tall Mom's Virtual Run this weekend!

Melissa

Looks like I'll have time to catch up on your blogs...

2010-03-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

When my hubby comes in to work today to punch in at 2:30, I'm meeting him in the parking lot to get LittleMan who was diagnosed, yet again, with mono this morning.

So, I'll be home rehabbing him and should get to catch up on blogs.

Don't forget, tomorrow ends the giveaway. Don't forget to get your entry in (link at the top under the banner!) And, if you are new, PLEASE give me a shout in the comments and tell me that I haven't visited you yet. I don't want to leave anyone out!

Melissa

Sunglasses are cool.

2010-03-23T11:43:00.000-07:00

First of all, thank you for all of the support for Connie. She updated on my comments and said that due to some problems at the hospital, they were unable to operate on her mother-in-law, so she is in the ER awaiting the malfunctions (equipment maybe?) to be fixed and she can have her operation. Thanks for being so awesome for Connie!

And WELCOME to my new followers. Please leave me a hey I'm new comment if I haven't visited your blog because even though I'm super behind on blogs because I worked this weekend I want to come by and visit all of you guys!!

Saturday, the kids and I met some friends at the park and had a picnic (yippee for strawberries and pineapple being in season and beyond awesome!!) and the kids played while the moms attempted to yap about various things.

Here's my little angel (yea, right). She loves the shades!

Here's her partner in crime. Note the Sponge Bob band aid on the head. This is the result of the above innocent looking child and a head butting incident. Notice her head is free of Band Aids. Isn't that the way it usually goes?
The activity around here has been pretty minimal due to a sore knee. I was fairly certain it was inflamed due to the fact that it was really sore to the touch. I had to go in at the mill both Saturday and Sunday morning and climbing stairs to the machines was pretty brutal, but walking wasn't horrendous.

It was feeling a little better yesterday (Monday) so I went walking with one of my favorite friends, Susan, and let it rest from running.

LittleMan's karate teacher does physical therapy, so I asked him about it last night and he confirmed that it was probably inflammation. So, I took it easy again today. But tonight or tomorrow, the running is ON. :) Bonus is that he showed me some good stretches to help with my hip soreness, so I was glad I got to class early and asked.

Yesterday's Post-Its:

My walk yesterday with Susie...

Today.....

We got our friend to drop us off down the road from the mill and did a short walk back after lunch just to stretch out.

Some of you have asked about the post-its. They were kind of an idea when I heard someone say they were tracking their food on a marker board and taking a pic every day. I thought it would be fun to do that with my activity and would make me sneak in my little 5 minutes here and there of push ups and crunches.

I am an office products FREAK and love pens, post-its, colored paper clips, etc. (I know....strange!) One year for Mother's Day, Little Man bought me a ton of that kind of stuff and I loved it.

So, the idea of the post-it workout was born and I put them in my planner and then tabulate them every now and then. I could probably do it in excel or on my blackberry (which I am in LOVE with by the way!) but I like pencil and paper. However, I might do some on the blackberry and my kids little writing pads to mix it up a bit if I ever think about it. :) I really should try to make the pics a little more interesting. :)

I hope you are having a great day. Don't forget the Birthday Extravaganza Giveaway! Just two more days to enter! (Link just under the top header) On that note, want an extra entry? Put your birthday in the comments of the giveaway post (if you do it on this one it doesn't count) and also put your blog link under it so I can start to compile a list of bloggie birthdays. THANKS GUYS!! GOOD LUCK!

Melissa

Show some bloggy love.....

2010-03-22T12:35:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! I don't have time for a real big blog post, but I wanted to get you awesome people to please say a prayer for Connie (awesome chick by the way...visit her blog!). She sent me a message this morning that her mother in law is having emergency brain surgery today and she and her family could really use some support. Add to this that she had to get her adorable daughter ready and send her to a babysitter for the first time EVER so that she could be with her family and you can imagine that she's pretty stressed.

So, since you guys rock...show her and her family some love.

THANKS!!
Melissa

Well, You Asked! and a boobie trap

2010-03-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

I'm going to take a stab at answering some of those quesitons that you guys had, so here goes....

Question from MochaTrina at Me So Hongry: How much weight have you lost and how long did it take?

Answer: I started making some lifestyle changes in March of 2009 (one year ago!) around the time of my 29th birthday and was determined to lose some weight before my 30th birthday. My first goal was a loss of 20 pounds. I got serious in May 2009 with Weight Watchers and after I hit the 20 pounds gone, I just kept going. It was so easy!

I hit my goal weight (45 pounds gone) in October of 2009 and another 5 pounds came off (50 pounds gone!) by December or so of 2009.

So, I guess the answer is (I drag things out...sorry!) 45 pounds gone in 7 months and the whole 50 was gone in 9 or so I guess.

Question from Staci at Weight Loss Mama: How did you and your husband meet?

Answer: I worked at a movie rental store while in high school and there was this guy who would come in and bring me snowballs and ask me out and on and on and on (you get the point). I really wasn't interested, so the poor guy got the idea to bring his friend to talk me into going out with him.
Well...he did talk to me about the guy (we'll call him W) and then he came back the next day to "rent a movie". Within a week, he had broken up with his girlfriend of a couple of years and had asked me out. After a couple of weeks, we went out and that was it. :)

I'll leave it there for now and tell you a funny little story. My job is one such that there are times I must have a cell phone with me even when at lunch or on the weekends. They provide me with a cell phone and recently we all got new ones. They are ruggedized, submersible in water for up to 30 minutes, and even approved for military use due to their hard core nature.

Well, when I go for a run, I generally place the phone in my sports bra strategically positioned between the girls. Well, Tuesday, I ran for about 2.4 miles or so and then picked up my BFF Susie and we walked approximately 2 miles to a company meeting being held down the road. The weather was nice, not too hot and I really wasn't all that sweaty.

As we approached the meeting place, I got out the phone so that I wouldn't have to retrieve it in front of people from work. I noticed that the faceplate was full of water, or, well, sweat. I was sooo embarrassed....but even more embarrassed that the phone that was supposed to be rugged enough for military use and submersible in water for 30 FREAKING minutes couldn't even stand up to the sweat of my girls (who have shrunk SO MUCH since losing weight people).

How do you explain that to the Verizon rep? Fortunately, they didn't ask many questions and since the battery showed absolutely no evidence of being submersed in water, I will be getting a new one at no cost to the company. (thank you Verizon!).

So, moral of the story...my runs are more hard core than normal military stuff people.

Ask me more questions!! I'm enjoying this. And enter the birthday extravaganza. (Link under the header) In fact, for an extra entry, tell me one of the following in a comment on that post. (a) what was your first job? (b) where did you meet your significant other? (c) what makes your workouts more hardcore than military ones?

Melissa

Random!!

2010-03-16T20:39:00.000-07:00

I am loving all of the questions! Keep them coming guys!! I am going to start answering them on Thursday. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, my last post encouraged you to ask me ANYTHING and I'll give you an answer in a later post. Running, life, kids, weight loss, work, ANYTHING.

Today I did some major walking and running. I started off with a run that was cut a little short due to the need for a bathroom break. Then my friend Susan and I walked (with a little jogging) to a meeting that we had for work that was a couple of miles down the road. When I got home and ate supper, Little Girl and I broke out the stroller (loving the longer days!!) and got in a little walking. The last little bit had a real purpose. I knew if she and I got in a little over 2 miles then I would have over 100 miles for the year!! So, here are today's stats (no post-its today..sorry!)

Today: 6.72 miles bringing my total for the year to 100.1 miles!! Woo Hoo!!!!!

I promise I'll have more post its tomorrow. I did get in another 40 pushups last night and 100 crunches this morning. I'll update my totals soon.

I really had a blast walking with LG tonight. We picked wildflowers and talked and looked at cows and birds and really had a great time. Sometimes you have to slow down and enjoy things, ya know? I watched Up with the boy Sunday night (and BOO HOOED like a baby) and loved when the little boy talked about how sometimes the boring things are what he remembered most.

That is so true. I think back on the things I really enjoyed as a kid and they were things like raking leaves with my parents, going to feed cows with my grandfather and uncle, and running around the back yard in the spring. So, I'm trying to slow down, take it easy, and be boring.

The kids played outside all weekend. Washing cars, sliding, picking flowers, running around, pretending to drive hubby's boat. They had a blast and I did too.

I hope you are all having a great week. Stop by Kayte's blog and enter her Running Skirts giveaway. Buy a Bondi Band or ten and support her awesome raffle while you are at it. :)

If you are a new follower, WELCOME!! If I haven't visited your blog, PLEASE leave me a comment and let me know. I want to visit everyone and my internet time has been a little limited lately.

Melissa

You guys ROCK and I steal ideas

2010-03-15T13:31:00.000-07:00

First of all, here's what I did this morning. Then I decided to go through my planner where I record all of that kind of stuff and try to come up with my yearly totals.

Then I got to thinking. How about making a yearly goal on those? So, I did. I'm thinking that when I have an extra 5-10 minutes here and there, this will definitely encourage me to go ahead and do a few push ups or crunches here and there. **Edited to add...I'm an idiot...after reading this post, that should SOOO read 10,000 of each. LOL***I want to say a giant THANK YOU for all of the kind words on my 10K. You guys are so sweet! Makes me smile! (disclaimer: I do bathe my children. This was after about 3 hours outside enjoying the sunshine)

And finally, I steal ideas. I know...shocker right?

So, I read over at teacherwoman's where she opened the floor to questions and she provided the answers. LOVED that idea. So, now is your chance. Ask away. I can't wait to read some of your questions!!

And finally, what may be the sweetest picture sequence in history. (especially if you knew how bad they fight)

Notice he was still sporting his medal from the race. LOL!!

Hope your week is going well! Don't forget to enter the birthday giveaway (link under the top banner!)

Melissa