I did it!

As you all know, I have been training to run 5k's.  I have run 4 so far, and each race I have set a goal to do better than the previous race.  For example, after walking a small portion of my first 5k, I set the goal to completely run my next one.  Then my next goals were to increase my pace and bring down my time from each race.  Well, I had a race on Tuesday night and this time I set the goal to run it as close to 30 minutes as possible.

Here I'm waiting for the race to start...

This is just past the halfway point of the race.  I ran the first mile in 9:26 (my best mile ever!) and I was so pumped.  I knew this was going to be a record setting run for me!

I am about to cross the finish line here.  See the lady in the blue beside me?  She had been behind me for most of the race and was pulling ahead.  There was no way I was going to let her pass me so I used every last bit of energy I had and crossed the finish line before her.

Oh yeah, and my time?  29:21!!!  I shaved almost 2 minutes off my previous PR!  Out of 724 finishers, I placed 352nd! (Out of the women, I placed 158 out of 428 runners.)  Let's just say I'm proud!  Now on to the next goal....a 10k?

We have a winner!

Congratulations Mari!  You have won your own copy of My Memories Suite v2.0!  Please contact me to claim your prize and so I can give you directions to download your software.

If you didn't win, you can still buy your own copy of My Memories Suite.  The creative people at My Memories are offering a discounted price to all my readers.  The normal cost of this software is just $39.97 (I think that is a fantastic price for everything you get), but if you use the discount code STMMMS29294, you'll get $10 off your purchase!  This code is valid until June 28th.

Giveaway

Are you looking for the incredible My Memories giveaway?  It's right HERE!

Friend Makin' Mondays: What's in Your Fridge?

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: http://www.alltheweigh.com/ so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: What’s in Your Fridge?

List a few common items that can always be found in your fridge. Yogurt, fresh fruit, eggs, pickles :), bread, milk.

What kind of milk do you drink? I drink skim but Mike drinks 2%.  Actually, I don't really drink milk because I don't like it, but it use it in recipes and on my cereal.

Do you prefer fresh or frozen vegetables? Fresh most definitely! 

What do you currently have to drink in the fridge? Water, milk, orange juice, pink lemonade, beer, Mountain Dew, Pepsi Max, Sokata.

How often do you clean out your refrigerator? Never....at least I haven't yet.  Usually we eat things before they can go bad, but if I find something spoiled I throw it out when I see it.

What’s the healthiest thing in it right now? Fruit and veggies--strawberries, apples, blueberries, lettuce (from my garden!), snap peas, carrots.

What’s the most unhealthy thing in it right now? Hmm...I really can't think of anything terribly unhealthy in my fridge. Maybe pepperoni....

What do you wish you had in it that you don’t have now? Grape salad...that sounds really good right now!

How often do you shop for groceries? Usually once a week, but if I ever run out of something or we need fresh fruit (we go through bananas like crazy!)  I'll run to the store on my lunch hour.

What’s the weirdest thing in your fridge right now? Anchovy paste...or Aloe lotion.  I'll let you decide which is weirdest!

Now it’s your turn! Don’t forget to answer the questions and visit Kenz's site to post a link in the comments section! Happy Monday!

That was some storm!

We have had some crazy weather here the past couple days. One minute it looks like rain and the next it's blue skies and sunny.  It's been hard to make outdoor plans because the weather is constantly changing!

I took this picture when I got home from work the other day.  I stood in the middle of my driveway, and to the northeast, I saw this (above).

And to the southwest, I saw this(above)!

Then less than an hour after I took that picture, the skies opened up and it downpoured.  I couldn't believe how hard it was raining!  Mike and I had some errands to run and we got about a mile away from home and turned around and came back because the roads were so flooded and it was raining so hard we couldn't see.

I had Mike drive down our road so you could see the amount of water that went over his car.

Then this truck went by, the water sprayed up over his truck, and probably 10 feet into the neighbors yard!

It rained so hard that the drains couldn't keep up.  We ended up with at least 6 inches of water in our driveway!

Wednesday was mostly dry, but it downpoured for about 30 minutes in the middle of the day.  Not just a little sprinkling, but heavy makes-it-impossible-to-see rain.  And today?  Rain again, mostly sprinkles and showers, and mist, nothing heavy, but I know my garden is getting lots of water and our grass will be nice and green!

Friend Makin' Monday: Yes or No?

I hope you had a great weekend!  We were super busy this weekend, I hosted a party on Saturday night so I spent all day in the kitchen, then on Sunday we had lunch with my parents after church, went seadooing, and then went to the beach for dinner with Mike's parents.  Whew!  It flew by!  I'll share some pictures later this week, but now it's Friend Makin' Monday time!

"If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: All The Weigh so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!"

FMM: Yes or No?

Do you use coupons? Yes, all the time!  I love to coupon, and I try not to shop without coupons!

Do you like football? Yes, I do enjoy watching football.  Of course, my favorite part of the Superbowl is having a party with lots of food.

Are you in a relationship? Yes! I'm married to my best friend!

Is your phone always within arm’s reach? Most of the time, yes.  We don't have a house phone so it's the only way for people to get ahold of me.

Do you like thunderstorms? Yes...as long as I'm not home alone.

Can you cook? I love to cook!

Are you – or have you – lost weight? I'm trying to lose the stubborn 15 pounds I've gained since my wedding! 

Do you know how to read a map? Yes I do...I need to buy one since I can't trust my GPS anymore :(

Do you wear makeup? Almost every day...not usually on Saturdays though :)

Do you read regularly? Not really, I used to read books all the time, but now I just read magazines and cookbooks.

Are you publicly affectionate? Sometimes, depends where we're at and who we're with.

Do you like picnics? Yes!

Do you have a/c? Yes! Too humid to live without it!

Have you ever been out of the country? Yes!

Do you know how to ride a bicycle? Yes – I am just getting back into riding (after many years of not touching a bike).  I'd eventually like to do a mini-tri!

Okay, now it’s your turn to answer the questions! And these are easy, right? Don’t forget to link up at Kenz's blog!

My Memories Review and Giveaway

My mom is one of the most talented scrapbookers I know.  Her pages are just incredible, and she's made scrapbooks for many important occasions in our family's life.  She's currently working on my wedding album.  I've always loved her scrapbooks, but I've never had the patience to scrapbook myself.  It's too time-consuming and detail oriented for me.  I prefer to write on the back of my pictures, stick them in chronological order in my photo albums, and call it good.  Of course, I do have a scrapbook of sorts here on my blog.  A lot of people are getting into what's called Digital Scrapbooking, I love using the computer and this is definitely something I could get into.  I was thrilled when I was recently given the opportunity to review an awesome Digital Scrapbooking software and share it with you! 

My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software is "a complete digital scrapbooking solution that provides a powerful set of creative tools and multiple sharing options that no other software can offer. Its intuitive workspace and enhanced time-saving features are perfect for a beginner to build an entire album in minutes, or to empower the design pro to build a scrapbook album masterpiece."

It took about 40 minutes for the software to download from the website to my computer (not bad considering the incredible amount of things you can do with this software).  Then it was time to play!

I created this using a pre-made photo layout.  Then I added my own pictures, embellishments, and word art.

I found the software very easy to navigate and use.  You can select different backgrounds, templates, and layouts for each page in your album.  Then just click to add pictures, text, word art, shapes, narration, objects and more!  You can even link from your album to a video, website, or music just by adding a hot spot!  Then you can share your albums online, like a video by burning them to a DVD, or even like a greeting card.

My Memories goes beyond just this software.  You can purchase additional scrap booking kits and templates from their website (saving you a lot of time versus making them yourself!)

I'm just learning how to design attractive pages, and I know what I've created is just the tip of the iceberg.  Here are some of the pages I've made.

I think this page is really fun!  I used a photo layout, but the rest I added on my own!

This page was premade, I downloaded it from MyMemories and added my own pictures.  The program even let me make my pictures sepia.

Your turn!  The creative people at My Memories are offering a discounted price to all my readers.  The normal cost of this software is just $39.97 (I think that is a fantastic price for everything you get), but if you use the discount code STMMMS29294, you'll get $10 off your purchase!  This code is valid until June 28th.

You can also win a copy of My Memories Suite v2.0!  This contest will end on 6/28 at 11:59 p.m. central time. I will choose the winner using random.org. I will contact the winner via email, and they will have 48 hours to respond with your contact information or I will then choose a new winner. Please be sure to leave a way for me to contact you in your entry.

Mandatory Entry: Visit My Memories and come back and tell me your favorite digital paper pack or template.

Additional Entries: (These are optional.  Please leave an additional comment for each entry)
-Follow my blog (Wonderful World Of Melissa) on Google Friend Connect
-Follow me (@melissa_826) on twitter
-Like My Memories on Facebook
-Follow My Memories on twitter
-Tweet about this giveaway:

Enter to #Win My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Ends 6/28 #contest

#giveaway @melissa_826 http://bit.ly/itumBI

I received a copy of My Memories Suite v2.0 to do this review.  The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely mine.

Beach

We went to the beach a while ago with some friends.  It was absolutely gorgeous!

I must apologize for my lack of posts.  We were gone last weekend to a family reunion in Kentucky and I didn't take a single picture...can you believe it?  It has just been hectic for both of us, with barely a minute to sit and catch our breath.  Hopefully I will have more time to resume posting soon.

Stay tuned though, for a giveaway coming soon!!!!

I did it!!!

I've had a goal...ever since high school when I measured the distance between my house and one of my best friend's to see if it was 5 miles (it was...almost exactly)...that I wanted to be able to run 5 miles.  In fact, it's even on my bucket list.  Well, guess what?  Today I got to cross that off!  When I got to the gym this morning I decided that I was going to run 5 miles, so I did!  I felt great, I was tired when I was done but I honestly feel like I could have kept on running.  My legs felt great, I didn't cramp up, and I had no trouble breathing.  I was soaked with sweat when I finished, but it was hot in there today!

I took this picture right after I hit the 5 mile marker.  I did do a cool down, so I actually did 5.25 miles today!

In other running news, I completed my 3rd 5k on May 28th!  My 2 running buddies, Jennifer and Karen, and I ran in the YMCA's Kick-off to Summer race.  It was a challenging course, lots of hills to run, but we all set personal records.  It was a fantastic day!

The race was chipped, and I actually completed in 31 minutes and 12 seconds!  I'm running another race at the end of June and my goal is to beat that time :)

We did it!

Friend Makin' Monday: Why do you blog?

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here (at Kenlie's blog) so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

FMM: Why Do You Blog?

I started blogging because I had a 4 hour break between classes in college.  It was about 4 years ago and a lot of my friends from church were writing blogs.  I followed their blogs and I thought it would be fun to keep a blog of my own. 

My blog is basically my journal.  I use it to document my thoughts, my recipes, what Mike and I are up to, and other things I find interesting and/or important.  It's a place where I can look back and see where I've come over the years.  Someday I'd like to print my blog out so that I can have a "book" of my life. 

I don't blog every day.  I don't have time...I wish I did.  But then I wouldn't know what to write about.  Sometimes I think I don't have anything to write about, but then something pops into my head during the day and I think, Oh!  I'll blog about that!  Blogging has become part of my life, so much so that I never go anywhere without my camera, just in case there is something blogworthy to be seen!

What about you, why do you blog?

Success or failure

Source

Do you ever wonder if we, as a society, have such great expectations that we set ourselves up for failure?  I follow quite a few fitness/weight-loss blogs, and I have many friends (myself included) who are on a journey to get healthier and/or lose weight. 
While I quite often see posts rejoicing in a faster mile time, or lost weight, I also see posts where my friends are putting themselves down and kicking themselves for not losing "enough" weight or not setting a personal record.  I've been in that boat...I have some stubborn weight that I've gained since my wedding, and I just can't get rid of it!  It seems we're just not happy unless we can run a sub-30 5k, or lose 15 pounds.  But where do we get that from?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm with everyone else, striving for the best run time and to drop this stubborn weight, but don't you think we're a little hard on ourselves?  I know when I see shows like "Biggest Loser" and I see the dramatic transformations in the lives of the contestants, I want to acheive results like them!  But is that really possible?

We expect "Biggest Loser" results, but they are living a completely different lifestyle than most of us.  They are isolated on the ranch, with (presumably) only healthy foods to eat, no jobs to go to, and the opportunity to exercise 10+ hours per day!  No wonder they're dropping the weight they are! Now look at us: we go to work every day, eat the food that we have in our house and try to resist the temptation of that cookie (running a food blog doesn't help here!), and with all the other responsiblities of running a household, we're lucky to squeeze in an hour of exercise.

I do have to give shows like "Biggest Loser" credit, because I think what they do is awesome, they really are changing people's lives.  However, I think it also sets us up for unrealisitic expectations.  Now when I get on the scale each week only to find out that I gained a pound instead of losing one (or more), I'm disappointed.  I think, why can't I lose weight like those other people?  What am I doing wrong?  I might as well give up!  Instead, I should be focusing on the fact that I worked out every day that week, I have gained muscle mass (probably hopefully the cause for the weight gain), I feel stronger, and I feel healthier! 

I wonder how our perspectives would change if we looked at the positives intead of the negatives.  Rather than I'm fat, ugly, lazy, worthless, why don't we focus on I'm getting fit, I'm eating healthy, I have more energy.  I really think in time our perspectives would change and we'd feel good in our own skin!  Not only that, but I really believe that if we have a positive outlook, we'll start making positive choices which will (theoretically) lead to us acheiving our personal goals!

Let's focus on setting ourselves up for success!

(Thanks for listening to my ramblings, I've been thinking about this for a while, it just took some time to put it into the right words.)