Melissa's World

More Christmas--More Family :)

2012-02-02T15:27:00.000-05:00

Christmas day was another busy day full of family and activities. We started our day by opening our stocking presents. Even Champ got a stocking!!!

Mike and I are trying to start a new tradition where we buy small items for eachother throughout the year to fill our giant stocking. This year was pretty slim pickings, but we hope to improve this tradition in the coming years!

We enjoyed a wonderful worship service followed by tea and cookies at my parent's house before heading back home to do our gifts. We were both pleasantly surprised by what we received :)

We topped off our Christmas day with another great family party--this time with Mike's extended family. Everyone brought a dish to pass and there was plenty of delicious food. After food we gathered around for gifts. It's so much fun to see the little kids receive their gifts!

I also got to enjoy some cuddle time with our newest cousin--Bret! He was just over 2 weeks old and such a sweetie!

Well, that's it for Christmas 2011...bring on 2012 :)

Family Christmases

2012-01-31T15:22:00.000-05:00

Better late than never right? I have one more Christmas post after today's and so I'm hoping you're not sick of Christmas yet. Only 11 months til Christmas 2012 :)

We started our Christmas Eve Celebration with Mike's immediate family. His mom prepared a delicious lunch for us and we spent some time enjoying everyone's company before celebrating with gifts. We were really blessed with some items we've really been wanting this year!

After a fun afternoon with Mike's family we packed up the car and headed out to Allendale. First we went to church. Our church has a tradition of doing a "family Christmas" for our Christmas Eve service. Whoever wants to can participate, whether sharing a song, poem, story, or Bible Verse. Our church was decorated beautifully for Christmas!

After the church service we headed over to my parent's house for our family celebration. This year was extra special because my Grandma (from Canada) was with us!

My parents have finally collected enough snowmen and Santas to line their stairs! I love how it looks.

I also love this table full of food. Oh my! Looking at all the deliciousness is making me hungry again! We enjoyed spinach artichoke dip, homemade bread, bacon & mozzarella bread, a cheese/meat/cracker tray, cheeseburger pizza wedges, and some sweet treats. I love our appetizer tradition!

Mom sent Mike and I on a treasure hunt for one of our gifts--a storage cube/foot rest. We've wanted one for a while. Mike thought it made a good pillow :)

My Dad's mom made the cross-stitched pillowcase he's holding. She passed away a few years ago so memories of her are very precious! My mom surprised my dad by framing the pillowcase for him. Isn't it beautiful?

Friend Makin' Monday: Makeup Favorites

2012-01-30T13:02:00.000-05:00

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 at: 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: Makeup Favorites

1.Do you wear makeup everyday? Sunday through Thursday, yes! Friday and Saturday it depends on if I'm doing anything or just staying home all day.
2.Does your routine change if you’re going out with friends/on a date/to a party? If so, how? A little bit. I typically put on eyeliner and maybe a little blush in addition to what I usually wear.
3.Are you loyal to one brand, or do you use different brands for different things? 95% of the makeup in my drawer is Avon.
4.Do you wear primer/concealer? If so, what’s your favorite kind? I don't wear primer very often, but when I do it's Magix. I wear concealer almost everyday and I use Healthy Makeup Concealer.
5.What’s your favorite brand of foundation? I love the Smooth Minerals powder foundation from Avon.
6.Do you use blush and/or bronzer? If so, what’s your favorite kind? I rarely use blush because I don't need it and I'm not good at applying bronzer so I don't use that. When I use blush I use the Smooth Minerals blush.
7.Do you wear eye shadow/eye liner? If so, what’s your favorite kind? (Are you liking the theme here? ) I wear eye shadow almost every day, and eye liner just for special occasions. I can't find my favorite eye shadow anymore so I'm really dreading when it runs out. (It's a roll on shimmery silver). I love the new Glimmersticks eyeliner.
8.What’s your favorite kind of mascara? Once again, an Avon product (are you surprised?) My favorite mascara is Supershock in Navy.

9.Lipstick? Lip gloss? Both? Favorite? Neither! I use only lip balm :)
10.Do you wear nail polish regularly? If so, share a few of your favorite brands/colors. My toes are almost always painted, but my fingernails rarely are. My go-to brand is Avon's Nailwear Pro and my favorite colors for my toes are Tropical Punch and Fuchsia.
11.How do you remove your makeup at the end of the day? Water and my regular face scrub.
12.Do you feel prettier when you’re wearing makeup? Yes, definitely.
13.Do you have any beauty tips that you could pass along? I really believe less is more. I love the natural just woke up look and prefer it over cakey bright makeup.

Just my luck...

2012-01-24T17:33:00.000-05:00

I still have 2 more posts about Christmas to share, but I thought I'd take a quick break to share more current news!

You might remember that I don't have very good luck with cars, from breakdowns to accidents (those are just 2 examples), I've had more than my fair share of car issues. Last Spring Mike and I decided it was time to get rid of my Stratus (we were putting way too much money into it!) and buy a more reliable vehicle. We decided to buy a Saturn Vue, thinking it would last a few years and when our family grows, the Vue would provide ample room.

Unfortunately, my bad luck continued and in December we found out the Vue needed a new transmission. Because of the kind of transmission, it was going to cost over $5,500 to get it fixed! We spent a lot of time in prayer and talking about our options and decided that we would get rid of the Vue and buy a truck. We planned on buying a truck in the future, but not for a couple more years. We were able to trade in the Vue and 2 weeks ago, Mike got his dream truck--a 2008 Dodge Ram. We both love it and are thrilled with our purchase.

I got Mike's old car and we though we'd be all set for a while. Little did we know...

On Thursday, I got up with Mike and headed to the gym when he left for work. Same thing that happens every day. Driving though our subdivision, I thought about how slick it was and the wind and snow were really blowing hard. It was difficult to see, but I know that it's often worse in our subdivision than on the main roads. I figured I would get onto the main road and if it was too bad, I'd turn around and go home. It's about a 15 minute drive to the gym and I didn't want to drive that far in bad weather.

I pulled out of the subdivision and got about 2 houses down when I saw a SUV swerving down the road. He was heading right for me and I immediately knew that he was going to hit me. I thought maybe I could avoid a head on collision by going off the road and into someone's front yard. Too late though, I heard a sickening crunch and the airbags blew up in my face. The other driver pulled his car off to the side of the road (still driveable--of course!) and I got out to see what happened.

And this is what I saw:

I called Mike right away, and he had just gotten to work. He turned around immediately and came to the scene. He arrived just before the police officer. The other driver got a ticket for going faster than conditions allow. A tow truck came and had to wench my car out of the ditch.

We found out on Monday that the damage would cost nearly $10,000 to fix and so the car is totalled. Unfortunately we took full coverage insurance off my car when we bought the truck. We'll file for the $500 mini tort claim from the guy who hit me and probably scrap this car. We're really sad as we both loved the Grand Am. Now we're in the market for another car. We're hoping to just find something real cheap right now as it's all we can afford.

I was still pretty shaken up and getting sore, so I didn't go in to work on Thursday. I spent the majority of the day on the couch. I did have pretty good company though!

Friend Makin' Monday: Short Answers

2012-01-23T12:43:00.002-05:00

It's Monday! I will share details about my (not-so) exciting weekend later this week, but for now, it's Friend Makin' Monday time! Please join in on the fun :)

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 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: Short Answers

Mac or PC? PC
Do you paint your own nails? Yes, but only my toes. I can't stand the weight of the polish on my fingernails.
Beach or mountains? Beach!

What’s the title of the book you’re currently reading? The Help--just started it!
Do you dance? Not in public.
CNN or Fox News? I really don't care either way!
Do you ride a bicycle? Yes, when the weather is nice.

Do you get a yearly flu shot? Yes
Best movie you’ve seen in 2012? Mission Impossible
Do you prefer to workout at home or at the gym? The gym. I feel like I get a better workout there.

Last airport you were in? Grand Rapids, on the way home from our honeymoon.
Married or single? Happily married

iPhone or Android? Android
Do you prefer to be in pictures or taking pictures? Taking pictures.
Favorite brand of sneakers? Mizuno.
Do you like snow? Sometimes, but I get sick of it pretty quick!
Do you have/want to have kids? Definitely want.

Summer or Winter? Summer!
Do you know how to swim? Yes.
Do you prefer to shop in store or online? Online--you don't have to deal with other customers!

Christmas in Canada

2012-01-17T14:01:00.000-05:00

I'm still playing catch up with sharing about our Christmas! January isn't over yet, so I hope it's not too late to continue sharing about our holidays. I've had trouble uploading pictures lately, it will appear like the pictures are uploading but once they're all done, they disappear! I tried uploading about 10 pictures for my next post and poof! all gone :(

Anyway, as I shared earlier, we got to go to Canada for our family Christmas party this year. We spent Friday in Toronto, and then Saturday the whole family came to my Grandma's house for the party. After enjoying some snacks, we started in on the gifts.

Grandma's mailbox has been in need of serious repair for years. My Uncle and his family made this beautiful new mailbox for her. She was so thrilled!

These gifts were for the adult gift exchange we do. We draw numbers to choose a gift and then someone can steal that gift from you. We always have a lot of fun playing it and it's interesting to see which gifts get stolen a lot!

After gifts we all headed downstairs for dinner. Everyone brought something and we had lots of food! We ended the evening by singing Christmas Carols around the table (our family tradition).

We had a great time and I'm so glad we were able to go see everyone!

My Heart

2012-01-11T12:50:00.003-05:00

Will beat 110,972 times, pump 1,628 gallons of blood, and push that blood nearly 10,311 miles throughout my body!
Created by MyFitnessPal.com

Created by MyFitnessPal.com

I calculated this by entering my personal info (height, weight, and exercise) into a calculator. Give it a try!

Today, my heart will pump around 1,628 gallons (6,154 liters) of blood

In my lifetime, my heart will pump 1.2 million barrels of blood

(that's the equivalent of 3 supertankers)

My body contains about 2 gallons (7 liters) of blood

This blood circulates through my body 3 times a minute

My blood travels around 10,311 miles a day (16,590 km)

(roughly halfway around the circumference of the earth)

If I make a fist with my hand, my heart is about this size

(A whale's heart is roughly 400 times this size)

My entire cardiovascular system, if laid from end to end, is over 38,667 miles (62,215 km) long!

(that's long enough to wrap around the world more than twice)

My heart beats approximately 110,972 times a day

(by the time I die, my heart will have beat more than 2.5 billion times)

Friend Makin' Mondays: Getting to Know You

2012-01-09T15:21:00.000-05:00

Can you believe it's Monday already? This weekend seemed to just fly by! And now it's back to the daily grind...and regular work weeks. And of course it's Monday, so that means Friend Makin' Monday! (I haven't participated for the past few weeks, but hopefully I'm back at it now!)

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 at: 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: Getting To Know You

1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday? I would love to have a Saturday that I could stay in my PJ's and do whatever sounded good all day. Nothing to be done, just relaxing and spending time with Mike. It's been a long time since we've done that!

2) List your top three favorite TV shows. NCIS, Criminal Minds, White Collar.

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them? I love taking pictures!

4) Why do you blog? I blog as a journal. I don't keep a normal journal, so anything interesting goes on my blog. I'd like to get it printed out by the year, so I have a scrapbook of sorts to look back on!

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly…
~ Facebook
~ Twitter
~ Pinterest
~ Google Reader
~ Hotmail
6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be? Karen Kingsbury!
7) List a few of your favorite snacks. Right now I'm absolutely loving "ants on a log" (celery with peanut butter and raisins), but I also like graham crackers with peanut butter, apples, and clementines.

8 ) Do you have a pet? Yes! My puppy Champ, he's a Labrador Retriever/Husky.

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without? phone, computer, work-out clothes...wow, I depend way too much on technology!

10) What’s your favorite drink? Peach nectar

11) Do you enjoy cooking? I love cooking! That's why I have a food blog :)

12) Do you have children? No, but someday!

13) What are your favorite hobbies? Cooking, baking, reading, painting
14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing? It really depends on who I'm with, but I'm probably more outgoing than shy.

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change? My splotchy skin lol

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress? I like Reese Witherspoon and Jason Statham.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week? Considering that it's Monday, I suppose working out was the highlight of my day!

18) Do you live near your family or far from them? Near my immediate family and Mike's (and his extended). Far from my extended family.
19) List three of your talents. Cooking, baking, leadership
20) What is your greatest attribute? If I say I'm going to accomplish something, I do it! (With the exception of cleaning lol...ask Mike!)

Now it’s your turn to share your answers. Don’t forget to go link up in the comments! Happy Monday!

Toronto

2012-01-05T16:09:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and New Year's celebration. Mike and I were blessed to be able to spend time with both of our families, and our extended families. Our Christmas celebration kicked off with a trip to Canada for the Christmas party on my mom's side. We were able to go a day early and decided it would be fun to go downtown Toronto (Mike had never been!). We convinced my Grandma to join us, so my parents, brother, Grandma, and Mike and I enjoyed a fabulous day downtown.

We took the GO Train from Whitby to Toronto. From there we decided to walk around a bit. We went to the CN tower (below) as well as a stadium.

Walking around caused us to work up an appetite so we had to find a place to go for lunch. We all voted to try something new, so we went to an Arab restaurant. It was absolutely delicious! We got a fabulous deal (sandwich and salad for like $5.99!)

I started with a tabouli salad. I'd never had tabouli before and I was impressed.

The star of the show was the Shawarma I ordered. It was out of this world delicious!

Mike also had a salad...tomatoes with cabbage and tabouli.

After lunch, we continued our tour. We ventured over to the city center and saw this beautiful Christmas tree. We had to have our picture taken of course!

The next stop was the Eaton center. I wanted to go to Lululemon and H&M since we don't have those stores close to us. It was fun to be part of all the excitement in the mall.

Our last event of the day was a subway ride. We had no destination, just wanted the experience. Of course it just happened to be the busy part of the day, but that just added to the fun.

We had a ton of fun in Toronto. I have pictures of our family party to share later--don't want to go into picture overload!

Merry Christmas to me!

2011-12-30T15:17:00.000-05:00

I've been saving up for a few months, and I was finally able to purchase something I've been wanting for a long time! A DSLR camera!!!

I've had it since we got home from Canada and I've had a lot of fun learning how to use it. I know I still have SO much to learn, but I'm really hoping this will be key to improving my photography!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T07:34:00.002-05:00

From our family to yours,

We wish you a very Merry Christmas as we celebrate

the birth of our Savior!

Merry Christmas and blessings for the New Year!

Melissa, Mike, and Champ ;)

Christmas Around Our House

2011-12-24T07:44:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas and welcome to my house! C'mon in and I'll show you around!

Here you can see my Christmas card display. I made it myself--a piece of festive ribbon with a bow on top. Then I bought some tiny clothespins to attach the cards to the ribbon. We don't have too many cards, but I wanted a fun way to display them!

I love this Christmas puppy--he looks a lot like Champ did when he was younger!

Here's my little Christmas centerpiece for our dining room table. Feel free to grab some candies as I show you to the living room.

Come with me to our living room, I'd love to show you our tree! We have lots of ornaments on it that have special meanings for us. And of course, under the tree you can see presents for our family members!

Here's a fun ornament to celebrate of first Christmas together as a married couple!

I wish you could see it better in this picture, but because of the flash, you can't see the words. It says "New Home 2010"

We started a tradition last year that Mike and I buy each other a Christmas ornament. This is the one he got me last Christmas.

My SEM student made me this ornament this year!

This is the ornament I bought Mike last year

Mike and I both got one of these for Christmas last year from the SEM leaders.

This is an ornament that I have had for as long as I can remember! When you push it, it plays We Wish You a Merry Christmas!

Of course, I can't forget to introduce you to Tyler, our talking snowman. He always has a friendly greeting as you enter our living room!

I love this little Christmas tree--it looks like something out of a Dr. Seuss movie!


Mike's favorite artist is Thomas Kinkade. For his birthday this year, my parents gave him this fiber optic wall hanging. You can't see it in the picture, but the lights on the house and the Christmas tree change colors. It's beautiful in the dark!

Let's head into the kitchen and we can enjoy some cookies and hot chocolate! I'm so glad you stopped by!

A Christmas Survey

2011-12-22T15:44:00.009-05:00

I saw this survey over at Lindsay's blog, and I thought it would be fun to play along! Only 3 days until Christmas!!! Are you ready? I think I am, just 1 more gift to wrap. Oh, and lots of baking to do tomorrow :)

1. Egg nog or hot chocolate?? Definitely hot chocolate. I had egg nog for the first time earlier this month and it wasn't my favorite.

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? We rarely did "Santa" gifts growing up, but when we did, they were wrapped.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? I love colored lights, that's what we have on our tree. I think it looks so festive. But, I also think white lights on a tree with some fancy decorations is stunning as well!

4. Do you hang mistletoe? No, I don't think I ever have!

5. When do you hang your decorations up? We usually put up our decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. This year, I had everything up then except for my village set (which may or may not get set up tomorrow!)

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? My mom and Grandma's homemade stuffing. Nothing beats that!

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Oh my, I don't think I could pick just one. I loved when my parents would send us on a scavenger hunt for our "big" present, hiding clues around the house. I also like getting wooden shoes with goodies in them from my mom on Sinterklaas Dag.

8. What is on your Christmas Wishlist? A lot! Some things I asked for included: a BOSU ball, a foam roller, a heart rate monitor, running socks, a jump rope (notice a trend here?)

9. Do you open a gifts on Christmas Eve? Yes! Growing up, my family always did presents on Christmas Eve, right after the church service. It's perfect because Mike's family always celebrates on Christmas Day, so we can celebrate with both our families.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? This year we have a new tree which has pinecones in it, plus we put some colored lights on it. We have a colored star on top and all kinds of ornaments. We both have ornaments from our childhood as well as the ones we gave eachother last year. I have a few colored balls, but it's mostly special ornaments.

11. Snow? Love it or dread it? I love snow for Christmas and about a week afterward. After that, I'm ready for summer!

12. Real tree or fake tree? We have a fake tree now. Growing up we typically had a real tree, so I miss the evergreen scent!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? I have received so many incredible gifts, I can't choose just one!

14. What’s the most important thing about Christmas for you? Celebrating the birth of Jesus with family and friends!

15. What is your favorite Holiday dessert? I have to choose just one? I really don't know...I can't think of a dessert that we only get around the holidays!

16. What is your favorite tradition? The candle-light service (now just the last song) at church on Christmas Eve, followed by going to my parents' and preparing a feast of appetizers and dessert-type foods. Then we read the Christmas story and open gifts.

17. What tops your tree? A colorful star...I took it from my parents :)

18. Which do you prefer: giving or receiving? Giving! I love picking out gifts for people and seeing their reactions when they receive them!

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? A tie between Christmas Shoes and Breathe of Heaven.

20. Candy canes, yuck or yum? Peppermint--yuck! Fruity--yum!

21. Favorite Christmas Movie? I have so many: Elf, Mary Christmas, Polar Express, The Santa Claus (all of them!), How the Grinch Stole Christmas...

22. What do you leave for Santa? Nothing...lame, I know!

23. Do you have a Christmas morning tradition? Usually cinnamon rolls for breakfast.

24. Do you prefer to shop on-line or at the mall? Both! They both have advantages, but I did the majority of my shopping online this year!

25. Christmas letter or Christmas card? Card...I should probably get them in the mail...

Champ Update

2011-12-20T10:47:00.000-05:00

Has it really been 15 days since my last post? Why, yes, it has...shame on me! It's hard to believe it is already December 20th. This month has been so incredibly busy, it's just flown by! We've had Christmas parties for SEM, Youth Group, Work, and of course family! I also did my very first Craft Show earlier this month and it went well! We were in Canada last Thursday through Sunday and had a fabulous time with our family, I'll upload pictures soon to share them! For now, here's some pictures of our adorable growing puppy!

Just to remind you, this was how big he was when we got him! I think he weighed between 16 and 20 pounds.

We gave him a bath a few weeks ago. Not surprisingly (since he is part Labrador Retriever), he loves water and bath time. Afterwards, I wrapped him in a towel to dry him off and prevent him from shaking everywhere!

The day after Thanksgiving, we bought him this huge (24") rawhide bone and a dog bed. It's been less than a month and there is about a 3" section of the very end of the bone left. He likes to lay on his bed and play with his toys.

See how much he's grown? I took this picture last week, and Champ is now 6 months old (on Dec. 16). I weighed him on Monday and he was up to 44.4 pounds! He's just a big soft furball :)

Champ and Daddy

This is quite a common sight in our house. The two "men" taking a nap on the floor. Last night they were laying face to face, but I'm not supposed to post that picture :)

Champ is fully house-trained (and has been for a while). He knows some basic commands, but is best at "sit". We are still working on "stay" and "come". He's a very smart dog, and we love having him around!

Friend Makin' Mondays--I am...

2011-12-05T13:44:00.000-05:00

A Thankful Month

2011-11-30T15:44:00.001-05:00

As I look back on my list of thankfulness over the past month, I'm again aware of how much I really do have to be thankful for!

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!
4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!
5. A day spent with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!
6. An extra hour of sleep!
7. A job I enjoy.
8. My health.
9. The ability to make healthy choices.
10. A warm workplace, house, and car!
11. A day off.
12. The ability to run an incredible race with some amazing women (more details soon!)
13. A restful and relaxing Sunday.
14. A few peeks of sunshine through the dark clouds.
15. An evening at home to get things done.
16. The incredible group of girls in my small group at youth group!
17. Spending time with family.
18. A productive day off.
19. A husband who is willing to watch "girly" movies with me, and even enjoy them! (He took me to see Breaking Dawn!)
20. My church family.
21. Another day...even if it is a Monday!
22. My puppy who can always make me smile
23. A new baby in the family...congrats Kim and Eric :)
24. That both of my families get along well!
25. The means to buy the things we need, and some things we just want.
26. My husband and everything about him!
27. A 4 day weekend!
28. Food :)
29. Self-discipline.
30. A gorgeous sunshiney day!

Friend Makin' Monday: Holiday Shopping

2011-11-28T16:48:00.000-05:00

I hope you had a great Thanksgiving weekend! I'll try to post about ours later this week, along with the continuation of my November Thankfulness list! But now it's time for a quick Friend Makin' Monday post...

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 at: 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!

Do you like to shop? Usually!

Have you started shopping for Christmas gifts yet? Yes! I have about 75% of my shopping done and wrapped!
Did you shop on Black Friday? If so, what did you buy? I did! We got up at 3 am on Friday to head to Menard's. Our big purchases were a dog bed, dog toys, work lights for our basement, and some Christmas gifts. Totally worth the savings and the atmosphere was so fun!
List a few of your favorite stores. Target, Kohls, Peter's Gourmet Outlet
What is the last thing you purchased for yourself (food and drinks excluded?) A candle.
Do you prefer to shop in-store or online? Both! I love the convenience of shopping online but I like to be able to try on clothing in stores.
If you could purchase one thing that you don’t need at all for yourself today, what would it be? Probably some kind of workout equipment...
Does your significant other shop with you? Do they love it/hate it? Sometimes...Mike rarely comes grocery shopping with me, but he'll go other places with me. Typically he doesn't complain unless I add in extra stops, but there are definitely things he'd rather be doing.
Do you shop at thrift stores? Occasionally.

When you’re holiday shopping, do you make lists? Yes! I'm totally a list person! It's the only way I can keep everything straight!

It's Your Day!

2011-11-26T09:10:00.000-05:00

Happy 23rd birthday Mike! I'm so thankful to have you in my life. I love you more and more every day!

5k Results

2011-11-22T13:00:00.001-05:00

The race results have (finally) been posted, so now I can tell you about my most recent 5k on November 12th. This race was really special because I was able to run it with a group of friends from church, Jennifer, Karen (and her husband and son), Kim, Bekah (Kim's daughter), and Erica. I loved the race course because it was flat and well marked! And, I have to say, the post-race refreshments were the best I've had yet!

Getting ready to begin

My original training plan was to complete a 5k each month through the summer in preparation for a 10k in October. However, a stress fracture way-laid those plans and I didn't run a single race between June 28 and November 12. This was my comeback, and I did make a nice comeback! I crossed the line with an official time of 28 minutes and 13 seconds! This was my best race yet by 1 minute and 8 seconds; I ran my fastest mile times ever too!

So get this though, they start to announce the awards and I figured I'd stick around to see what place Karen's husband took. All a sudden they called my name...I took 3rd place of the females in my age division. Whoo hoo! Shout out also to Karen who took 3rd in her age division and her husband who took 1st in his. What a day for all of us!

3rd place medal--very surprised and thrilled!

Our little group of runners

Just so I can keep track of it, and if you want to see my progress, here are my past race results:
3/12/11--Black River Rat Race--31:51
4/16/11--Lamont River Run--30:33 (not chipped)
5/28/11--Kick Off to Summer Run--31:12
6/28/11--Zeeland Zoom--29:21
11/12/11--Paradise Bound--28:13 (not chipped)

Playing Catch-Up

2011-11-20T09:53:00.000-05:00

I have to admit, I'm not doing too well at posting my thankful list every day. However, that certainly doesn't mean that I don't have things to be thankful for!

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!
4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!
5. A day spent with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!
6. An extra hour of sleep!
7. A job I enjoy.
8. My health.
9. The ability to make healthy choices.
10. A warm workplace, house, and car!
11. A day off.
12. The ability to run an incredible race with some amazing women (more details soon!)
13. A restful and relaxing Sunday.
14. A few peeks of sunshine through the dark clouds.
15. An evening at home to get things done.
16. The incredible group of girls in my small group at youth group!
17. Spending time with family.
18. A productive day off.
19. A husband who is willing to watch "girly" movies with me, and even enjoy them! (He took me to see Breaking Dawn!)
20. My church family.

Saving Money on Healthy Items

2011-11-16T17:25:00.001-05:00

I discovered a new website the other day and I'm super excited about it! Excited enough to share it with you!

The website is called VitaCost and it offers reduced cost vitamins, supplements, and other healthy items! It is the internet's leading wholesale nutritional supplement store. But it offers so much more than just supplements...

I've been dealing with knee pain from running, and I told Mike I wanted to start taking glucosamine to see if that would help. I found some on VitaCost for a fraction of what I would have paid in the store. I also found garlic powder at an insanely low price! There are so many things I would love to buy, and I know in the future I will because the prices are so low. Things like: flax seeds, rice flour, almond butter, protein powders, baking mixes. Seriously, I could go on and on!

My nutritionist/chiropractor has me on a Thyroid complex and Trace B-12 supplement right now, along with fish oil. They were not cheap to buy from her, but I found them for so much cheaper at VitaCost and I'll be ordering my next round there!

I really like how they ship your order out the same day (if you order before 4pm) and shipping is a flat fee of $4.99 (free for orders over $49!) There are constantly deals, both a weekly and daily special, on top of their already lower prices.

I'm sharing this with you because I know how much you like to save money, and I know some of you are on a health journey as well. Right now, VitaCost is also offering referral rewards. This means when you sign up through my link, we both get $10 to spend! (Then you can invite your friends and get rewards from them!) It's a win-win for both of us. You can get $10 worth of free products and only spend $4.99 for the shipping...can't go wrong with that! Give it a try and let me know what deals you found :)

November Thankfulness Continued...

2011-11-14T17:46:00.000-05:00

Can you believe November is almost halfway over? And Thanksgiving is next Thursday? Me neither! Time is just flying by!

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!
4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!
5. A day spent with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!
6. An extra hour of sleep!
7. A job I enjoy.
8. My health.
9. The ability to make healthy choices.
10. A warm workplace, house, and car!
11. A day off.
12. The ability to run an incredible race with some amazing women (more details soon!)
13. A restful and relaxing Sunday.
14. A few peeks of sunshine through the dark clouds.

As for me...

2011-11-12T19:39:00.000-05:00

A few weeks ago Mike and I (finally) saw the movie Courageous. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it. We were both touched and inspired by it. At the end of the movie (right before the credits) a verse comes on the screen. Joshua 24:15--As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Mike commented to me about how much he liked that verse, and that was the inspiration for my most recent plate.

I wanted to put an emphasis on the words in red. Try saying it outloud, with a bit of attitude on the red words!

I love how this turned out, and Mike was quite please when I gave it to him. Now we just have to find a place to display it!

The List Keeps Growing!

2011-11-10T14:13:00.001-05:00

Today, I'm thankful for...
1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!
4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!
5. A day spent with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!
6. An extra hour of sleep!
7. A job I enjoy.
8. My health.
9. The ability to make healthy choices
10. A warm workplace, house, and car!

What are you thankful for?

So Much To Be Thankful For!

2011-11-08T19:19:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!
4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!
5. A day spent with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!
6. An extra hour of sleep!
7. A job I enjoy.
8. My health.

What are you thankful for?

Continuing Thankfulness

2011-11-06T09:08:00.002-05:00

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!

4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!
5. A day spent with my Mom, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law!
6. An extra hour of sleep!

What are you thankful for?

Working around the house

2011-11-04T13:52:00.000-04:00

When we moved into our house, the only lighting in the kitchen was a set of 3 tracklights (and a dim little light over the sink). I was constantly frustrated by the poor lighting because it made for really bad food pictures, and it was difficult to see anything in the evenings because the lights created so many shadows in the kitchen--I could barely read a recipe! About a month into our marriage, Mike's dad rigged up the little contraption you see on the far left light bulb. Have a bare bulb helped the light situation a little bit, but it certainly wasn't a good long-term solution!

Can you guess what my amazing husband and awesome father-in-law are planning to do? Oh yes...I know they love me! (Or they got sick of me complaining about the lack of lighting in our kitchen!)

After a few hours of hard work (I did help!), this was the result...

Beautiful can lights in my kitchen! It really is incredible what a difference these lights make! My kitchen is nice and bright now, I can take decent food pictures inside, and I can read recipes without turning every light in the vicinity on! Thank you Mike and Pops! :)

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!
3. My nice warm house!

4. My husband and father-in-law who make a great fix-it team!

November Thankfulness

2011-11-02T13:07:00.000-04:00

I'm sure I'm not the only person who has said this to you in the past 2 days, but it's worth saying again... Can you believe it's already November?!?! Seriously, where did time go? I can't believe that we are already 10 months into 2011, only 2 months until 2012! This year is just flying by!

We have been blessed with so much this year, and I feel like I have so much to be thankful for! For the rest of the month, I'll be posting things that I am thankful for. If you'd like to join me, feel free. Let me know if you're joining in so that I can check your blog each day to see your growing list! I'll do my best to post every day, but you all know how bad I am at that! :)

Today, I'm thankful for...

1. A quiet and productive evening at home.
2. An awesome spin class, with an instructor who knows how to kick my butt!

Too Early!

2011-10-29T13:54:00.000-04:00

There was a very unwelcome sight outside this morning when I took Champ out. Chunks of ice in the grass! I know it's nearly the end of October, but I'm not ready for this cold weather!

Happenings and Friend Makin' Monday

2011-10-24T14:58:00.001-04:00

I feel like I have so many things to write about, but not enough time to write about them all! I do have a bunch of posts that are half-written, so I'll get them posted eventually, but it might be all old news by then! :) So let me give you a quick run-down of what's been going on in our lives:

*Champ is growing by leaps and bounds! I weighed him last Monday and he was 26 pounds. I weighed him this morning and he was 30.8 pounds! Wowza....he still has tons of energy of course! He runs circles around our house and it's hilarious to watch. He's pretty much housetrained (except for when new people come over and he gets excited, or when he drinks a ton and we don't let him out right away!) I have some pictures I'll be posting at some point!

*The 7th was the last day I worked at WSCS (the men's counseling office). For years, the 2 businesses (WSCS and EC) have shared a building. Since both of agencies are growing, WSCS decided to find a new location. This meant that since I worked for both agencies, I needed to travel between buildings. Not a big deal, but still.... Well, a few weeks ago, EC asked if I would work for them full time. I asked for some time to think about it and talk it over with Mike. I felt like it was a big decision since when I started 2 years ago, I was working primarily for WSCS and over the past year I have transitioned to doing more for EC. After a week of praying and talking about it, Mike and I decided it was in our best interest for me to accept the offer. I now work Mon-Thurs all day at EC, and I have Fridays off. So far, it's going great and I love it!

*I signed up for a 5k with a group of ladies from church on November 12th. After not running for nearly 5 weeks, I feel like I'm completely starting over again! I certainly have my work cut out for me over the next 3 weeks, however, I have told myself that I don't have to PR at this race!

*Mike and I went to see Courageous on Saturday. If you haven't seen it, we highly recommend it! It was such a great movie and we both got choked up a few times. We have the other 3 movies from Sherwood Pictures, so we'll definitely be adding this one to our collection!

*Youth group started last month, I have an incredible group of 10th and 11th grade girls. They love to talk, and when we can keep them on topic, they have so many great things to say. I can't wait to see where God continues to lead us this year!

I know I can come up with more to share, but that's what my next posts are for! Now it's time for this week's edition of Friend Makin' Monday!

FMM: Recipe Exchange

Let’s share one or two of our favorite Fall recipes this week! It’s always fun to mix things up in the kitchen!

If you've taken a look at my food blog recently, you know it's full of fall inspired apple and pumpkin recipes. I love fall baking, and I've been able to spend more time in the kitchen now since I have Fridays off! One of my favorite recipes is this one from Mike's mom: Ma's Apple Crisp!

Chicago--First Anniversary

2011-10-19T17:10:00.001-04:00

Mike and I celebrated our first anniversary with a weekend trip to Chicago. We booked our hotel through Priceline and snagged a great deal! We decided to take the train in from Michigan City so we wouldn't have to pay for parking. Our hotel was about a 15 minute walk from the train station, and about 15 minutes from the beginning of the Magnificent Mile. We were within walking distance of everything we wanted to do, so we didn't even have to pay for a taxi!

We had an awesome trip...it went by way too quickly, but we really enjoyed our time away with no set schedule or anything we had to do! I have a ton of pictures to share, so I hope you enjoy them all!

Our hotel room was huge! I have to tell you about the pillows...do you see that little green thing around the pillow? They actually have a "pillow menu" so you can choose a pillow to fit your needs (soft, firm, etc). The green tags tell you what kind of pillow you have! The bathroom was quite large, and I was impressed by their Bath and Body Works shampoos, conditioners, and lotions!

Our room was on the 20th floor of the hotel, and we had an incredible view of the city!

For dinner on Friday night, we went to the famous Ed Debevic's. Mike had eaten here once before and he really wanted me to experience it. Mike ordered a chili dog...it was over a foot long and more a sausage than a hot dog! I had a buffalo chicken sandwhich which was super spicy, but tasty!

The food was good, but the atmosphere is what really made the night. The restaurant is set up like a 50's diner, and the waitstaff tries to dress the part. If you didn't know what to expect before you went, you'd think the waitstaff was incredibly rude; however, that's the point. For instance, after we were seated, our waiter (the male in the picture), threw paper hats at us and told us to put our thinking caps on and order! He mocked Mike for eating slowly and spilled my drink all over when he brought a refill. It's all part of the exprience. And of course, we can't forget the waitstaff dancing on the counters!

After dinner we ventured out to find Trader Joe's. I was super excited when I heard there are multiple TJ's in Chicago and I told Mike we had to go to one! I could have bought so much more but since we had to carry our items on the train, I restrained myself. I wish there was a TJ's in Michigan! We also made a stop at the 8 story Sports Authority (I found another favorite store!) before heading back to our hotel room (the view was even more spectacular at night!)

Saturday morning, we went to Eggsperience for breakfast. Wow was it ever good! I saw Nutella crepes on the menu and I knew I had to have them. I also had a mango smoothie and I left completely satisfied and overly stuffed! Mike ordered an omelet, expecting just an omelet. You should have seen his face when he received an omelet the size of his plate, with a side of hash browns and 2 pancakes! Food might not be cheap in Chicago, but you certainly get what you pay for!

After breakfast, we ventured down to the Magnificent Mile--we had to burn off all we ate of course! We passed a huge mob outside the Apple store. We stopped to see what the fuss was about and saw hundreds of sticky notes on the front windows with flowers, apples, pictures, and notes, all in memory of Steve Jobs who had passed just days before.

We saw this in the Water Tower Place--would you have guessed that it's made out of Legos? By this point in the day we were both getting tired of walking, and my stomach was really hurting (I probably ate more at breakfast than I had eaten in the previous 2 days!) so we headed back to the hotel. We ended up taking a 2 hour nap, and we were still so full from breakfast that neither of us minded skipping lunch. (I was disappointed that it was one less restaurant I'd get to try, but I didn't want to not be hungry for supper!)

After a relaxing afternoon, we ventured out again to the Magnificent Mile. We still had a few stores that we wanted to visit. One of those stores was H&M, we were right across from it earlier in the day but we didn't see it! I went in and found a shirt that I liked; I asked Mike if he wanted to look in the men's area. He said he didn't need anything, but let's look anyway. We ended up buying him 4 new shirts! So much for not needing anything... For dinner, we went to Cheesecake Factory! I started with a salad and Mike ordered some sliders. We split a bbq chicken pizza for our main course. And of course, we took a piece of strawberry cheesecake back to our hotel room!

Sunday morning we woke up and looked out the window. This is what we saw! Runners! We had no idea that we were in Chicago for the Chicago Marathon until someone asked us about it at the train station Friday. I was so excited when I heard we'd get to watch! We didn't know that the race went right past our hotel so that was so neat!

This picture was taken about 30 minutes after the previous picture. When we first got up, I thought we were just seeing the stragglers in the back of the pack since there were so few runners. I was wrong though, and they were the leaders!

After breakfast (at the hotel's restaurant), we ventured outside to see the race up close. We found out that we were seeing the runners just past the 12-mile marker. I commented to Mike about a very pregnant lady we saw running and we're fairly certain she's the one who gave birth shortly after finishing!

Our hotel was in the same building as the Art Institute, so we saw some really neat structures outside. This one reminded me of a similar colored one in Grand Rapids.

This was the view from our floor on the hotel. You can see the restaurant in the back and some cozy sitting areas in front of them. It was a very modern feeling hotel!

Here we are on the train heading back home! We had such a great weekend--lots of good food, good shopping, and awesome company!

Overcoming frustration

2011-10-16T13:53:00.000-04:00

I ran on Wednesday, pain free, for the first time in nearly 5 weeks. This was a huge moment of pride and accomplishment for me.

You see, 2 days after I ran over 6 miles, I injured my foot.

I was out running, just a quick 1.5 mile loop, and I felt a sharp pain in my foot. First I thought it was just a cramp so I figured I'd run it out. When it was still hurting a few minutes later, I thought I better give up, and so I limped home.

I spent the next few days limping around. 5 days later, I decided it was time to go to Urgent Care and get it checked out (I'd had many people tell me to do that!) Basically that visit didn't do me any good. The PA said he thought it was probably a stress fracture, but the chances that an X-ray or bone scan could show that were quite slim. Since we haven't met our ~~insanely~~ high deductible yet, Mike and I opted out of the X-rays and figured I would just treat it as a stress fracture. The PA gave me a perscription for an anti-inflamitory and sent me on my way.

Since then, I'd been sticking with lower impact workouts, like the elliptical and cross trainer, and focusing on some more strength training. I tried to run one day and my foot felt ok as I was running but as soon as I stopped, the pain was back.

I was just so frustrated! I love running and I felt like I wasn't getting a good enough workout on the elliptical. My goal had been to complete a 10k race in October and I was right on track for that...and then BAM--an injury.

So now I finally feel like I'm back on track again. I ran a 5k on Wednesday and had absolutely no pain (well, except for my toenail cutting my toe and making a bloody mess in my shoes but that's another story!) I'm half tempted to go back into training full-force, but I'm sure that would only end in disaster. For now, I'm going to listen to my body...I'll probably run 2 or 3 times a week until I'm sure I'm painfree.

I just signed up for a 5k with some friends from church for November 12. It's been a while since I've done a race...since June (!!!), so I'm really excited for this one. And, I found a great training program to start gearing up for a half-marathon next spring. Now I just have to choose one to do!

Apple Picking

2011-10-13T16:31:00.000-04:00

It's fall in Michigan--do you know what that means? Apple picking season! Mike and I have a yearly tradition of visiting an orchard for their cider and donuts, but this was the first time we've picked apples. Our friends Alecia and Ovi joined us, and we all had a great time!

I love this picture!

Mike and I picked about 20 pounds of apples--we picked Jonagolds for baking with, Pioneer Macintosh for applesauce, and Fuji for eating. We had so much fun and we're all already planning to return next fall!

America

2011-10-11T16:31:00.001-04:00

This painting really is beautiful, isn't it? But did you know it holds a secret? Come on, take a closer look!

The grass and sand dunes are made up of people and things! The people and things that have shaped America!

Mr. Potato Head!

R2-D2 and lyrics from a popular Post-9/11 song

A multitude of iconic people, and the Twin Towers

Martin Luther King Junior, Uncle Sam

Elvis

Santa Clause

250 people/things were painted into this painting! Now do you see why it's our favorite?

Art Prize

2011-10-10T20:08:00.000-04:00

We live about 30 minutes away from Grand Rapids, which hosts one of the largest (if not the largest) art shows in the world! Art Prize hosts 1,582 artists from all over the world display their work in 164 venues in Grand Rapids. Then, people can vote on their favorite piece!

This was the first time Mike and I have gone down to Art Prize and it certainly didn't disappoint!

Grizzlies on the Ford is one of the top 10 pieces and it looks so neat to see bears in the fountain!

This piece depicts a timeline from Creation, to the Crucifixion, to the Resurrection

Mike and I were both quite intrigued by this painting. There's just something about the colors and the people, erie as they are, that grabbed us!

These flowers are made from water bottles!

We thought Rusty the dog was pretty cute!

Finally! A chair fit for Mike! :)

We loved the monkeys hanging from the bridge...it was so whimsical, we couldn't help but smile!

This may look like chalk art, but it's really colored sand! Each day, the artist creates a new work!

Men at Work was so neat! 2 of these men are real, and 1 is a statue...can you guess who the statue is?

This piece was our favorite! Come back soon and I'll show you why!

One year ago today...

2011-10-09T16:16:00.001-04:00

...I married my best friend.

Two simple words that changed our lives forever. I do.

We spoke our vows, and there was no looking back. We were bound forever in holy matrimony.

One year ago today.

I can't believe it's been a year already! Yet, I can't believe it's been only a year.

For better, or for worse.

For ever and for always.

I love you, Michael, and I'm proud to be called your wife.

Wordless Wednesday

2011-10-05T14:42:00.002-04:00

Windy Sailing

2011-10-03T15:28:00.000-04:00

We went to the beach last month with some friends. It was pretty windy out, so we were surprised at how brave some sailboats were! This one in particular seemed to struggle going through the channel and we didn't think it was safe for him to go out onto the "big" lake. He went anyway, but we kept watching and waiting for him to flip over! ...he didn't :)

Work Party/Fireworks

2011-09-29T15:15:00.000-04:00

A couple weeks ago Mike's work hosted a party for their employees. It was at a more "up-scale" hotel that we'd never been to before. The food was provided by the hotel's restaurant, six.one.six, and it was out of this world good! I was too busy eating and socializing to take pictures of the food!

After the sun set, we had a fantastic view of the museum across the river.

The party was held during Celebration on the Grand, so we had front row seats to some pretty spectacular fireworks!

Mike and I had a lot of fun spending time with his co-workers. We both came away from the evening commenting about how much his new job really seems to appreciate their employees! We are blessed!

By the way, do you notice anything new about my handsome husband? ;)

Friend Makin' Monday--Holidays

2011-09-26T16:23:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to the winners of the Basic H2 giveaway--Cheri and Terri! I'll be emailing you soon! :)

This weekend was awesome--it really felt like fall and that put me in the mood for donuts and apple cider. I didn't have a donut but I did have some nice hot cider...mmm! It's funny how this week's Friend Makin' Monday topic fits in so well with the changing seasons. In fact, I was just commenting to Mike the other day that I'm ready for Christmas! :)

FMM: What’s your favorite holiday? And why?

I really do love all the holidays, just some more than others. I love the excitement in the air as a holiday approaches and the anticipation of kids and adults alike.

But I'd have to choose that Christmas is my very favorite holiday. First and foremost, because it is the celebration of Jesus' birth. And next come all the other reasons this holiday is so fun:

*Christmas music

*Yummy food

*Baking cookies

*Christmas trees

*The anticipation of giving and receiving gifts

*Time spent with family and friends

*Parties

*Carolers

*Decorations

*A general sense of excitement and warmth in the air

To me, it truely is the most wonderful time of the year! In fact, a Christmas song came on my Pandora radio the other day and instead of skipping it, I sang along...I can't wait for Christmas!

Our family is growing!

2011-09-19T17:10:00.000-04:00

I'd like to introduce you to the newest member of our family--Champ!

Isn't he just so cute!

We've wanted a dog for a while now and about a month ago we began seriously looking. We found a local Chow rescue that had some puppies available for adoption. We filled out a few forms and began the process. It took a few weeks due to a minor case of kennel cough, but on Friday night, Champ became ours!

He's a 12 week old Labrador Retriever Husky mix. He's very gentle and loves to play. We're in the process of housetraining him, and he's definitely learning! He has started to learn his name and come when he is called. He likes to play fetch and actually "gives" the toy back to us!

After not seeing our kitty friend for a while, she made a sudden appearance on our back steps. It was fun to watch how she and Champ interacted!

He's just so stinkin' cute!!!

Basic H2 Review and Giveaway

2011-09-16T11:38:00.001-04:00

When I got married, my mom warned Mike that I am not a housekeeper. Ain't that the truth! I love to cook, bake, and make a big mess, but I hate to clean it up! Now of course, I do clean but that doesn't mean I like it. However, I'm always looking for ways to make my life a little easier.

I was contacted by a Shaklee representative, Andrea, who asked if I would be willing to test out a cleaning product called Basic H2. She explained that this is a super cleaning concentrated product that is non-toxic, organic, and biodegradable. It sounded good to me, so I was excited to try it out!

You can imagine my surprise when I got the mail and found a tiny bottle of cleaner. Really? I thought, I can't clean anything with this! After reading the instructions, I learned that the tiny vial of cleaner actually gets mixed into water (in a spray bottle) and that creates a great cleaning solution. I decided to put it to the test.

First up, the glass cleaner and my bathroom mirror! Please note, I let it get this dirty in order to demonstrate the cleaning power. (Wait, seriously? Did you just buy that line? I hope not!)

Just a couple sprays of the solution, a swipe of paper towel and my mirror was sparkly clean again!

Well, the glass cleaner worked, how about the all-purpose cleaner? Perfect! I'll try it on my microwave...let's see if it can get rid of caked on food and grease from exploding margarine?

Ewww! :)

Yeah, I would say the cleaner definitely did it's job! My microwave is super clean, and it required very little elbow grease.

Of course, you all know how much I love to save money, so I was really excited to see a cost comparison sheet of how much this product could save me! Looks like a great deal to me!

Shaklee offers many types of products from cleaning products to skin care to nutritional supplements; I first became aware of them for their health and nutrition products through a friend's dad. They offer many great membership opportunities, or if you're interested, Andrea can help you become a Shaklee representative too! She also has some great specials going on right now: Free membership with the purchase of Vitalizer at member’s price, plus a MaiaBee Special!

So why did I share all this information with you? Andrea has generously offered to send a sample to five of my readers! You, too, can experience how well Basic H2 cleans! Here's how you can win:

Leave a comment on this blog post (1 entry)

Follow my blog and leave a comment stating you did so (1 entry)

Follow Andrea's blog and leave a comment stating you did so (1 entry)

Like Andrea's facebook page and leave a comment stating you did so (1 entry)

Visit Andrea's store and leave a comment telling me what products you'd like to try (1 entry)

Be sure to leave a way for me to contact you if it's not in your blogger profile. This contest will run until September 24th, and the winners will be contacted by email.

Though I received a sample of Basic H2 to review, all thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are my own.

Remembering

2011-09-11T08:43:00.000-04:00

10 years ago today, the unthinkable happened...

Source

We are so blessed to have our freedom...may God bless America!

So excited!

2011-09-07T17:04:00.002-04:00

This morning I set out on a run with the intention of running about 4 miles. I had my route mapped out and knew my pace and how long it would take (gotta leave time to shower and get ready for work!) Well, on the way back home, my legs felt great and I felt like I could just keep going. And so I did! I have a tendency to quit when I hit my "goal", and call it good. Today I decided to keep going and just listen to my body. So I did and I ended up running:

Actually a little more, I quit at 6.31 miles! Running longer meant I had a lot less time to shower and get ready for work this morning, but it sure was worth it!

On a side note...I had exactly 33 minutes to shower, dry and straighten my hair, get dressed, and put make-up on before running out the door to work. I made it--I think that's another record!

Summer Breakfast Swap

2011-09-02T14:57:00.000-04:00

Earlier this summer I participated in Uncle Sam's Summer Breakfast Swap. I first heard about it on Kenlie's blog and the thought of a healthy and filling cereal intrigued me, so I joined her team.

The rules were simple, swap out your typical breakfast for Uncle Sam's cereal for a week and then share your thoughts.

I was really impressed with the cereal. I ate Uncle Sam's Strawberry Cereal for breakfast for a week. At first I was doubtful that a serving (just 3/4 of a cup) would be enough to keep me full until lunch. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it did! One serving of this cereal has 8 grams of fiber, 7 grams of protein, only 7 grams of sugar, and 240 calories. I appreciated that the ingredient list was short and contained words I could actually read...all natural ingredients, not processed junk! I also had my first experience with flax seed, and I really enjoyed it.

I would definitely recommend this cereal if you're looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle. It's definitely a great start to the morning!

Disclosure: I received a coupon for free Attune food products, but all opinions are my own.

Laugh for the Day

2011-08-31T17:47:00.000-04:00

I'm sorry I've neglected this blog...I've been super busy keeping up with my food blog! I'll try to do better, I promise!

For now, I'd like to leave you with a little laugh I got at lunch today...

Seriously? I never would have guessed!

Wedding Bells

2011-08-24T16:14:00.000-04:00

Last weekend, Mike's oldest friend, Brett, got married! Mike was Brett's best man (Brett was Mike's in our wedding too!), so he spent all day Saturday with Brett preparing for the biggest day of Brett's life! Some pictures from the day...

Brett hugging his mom before seating her

Waiting for his bride

Listening to the pastor's message

Getting ready to cut the cake

Mike giving his best man's speech

All dressed up! (I think this picture is at a really wierd angle--we look funny!)

Friend Makin' Monday--The Last Thing

2011-08-22T12:17:00.000-04:00

Monday already? We had such a great weekend, but it went by way too fast! In fact the whole week just flew by. As you can tell by my lack of posting, we were busy! In fact, did anyone notice that I never told you about last weekend's activities like I said I would? I'll try to remedy that this week!

Mike and I felt so productive on Saturday. We got up at a decent time and I went on a 4.1 mile run while he washed his car. Then I came home and washed mine while he vacuumed out his car. We tidied up the garage a bit and swept out all the dirt. Then after lunch we spent time working in the office. All my Avon stuff had taken over, along with old papers that needed shredding, my painting table was disaster, and we needed to organize! We even hung a few pictures (they've only been waiting to be hung for the past 10 months!) Then I headed to the kitchen for some baking and preparing dinner and Mike got in some quality video game playing. We had our newly married friends over for dinner and enjoyed beer butt chicken and a rousing game of Mad Gab with them. After a busy day Saturday it felt good to relax at my parent's house on Sunday and visit with them, my brother and his girlfriend, and my grandma who is visiting from Canada.

FMM: The Last Thing

1) What is the title of the last book you read?  This is bad...I don't remember the last book I read! I read a lot of magazines, but I think the last book was probably Love and Respect.

2) What is the last movie you saw in a theater? Mike and I saw Captain America in 3D a few weeks ago.

3) Briefly describe the last person you saw today.  Tall, blonde, beautiful blue eyes, thin, handsome. :)

4) Which store did you most recently shop in?  Target, they had a good deal on Prilosec last week!

5) Who’s the last person you spoke to over the phone? My Dad.

6) Where’s the last place you vacationed? Jamaica, for our honeymoon.

7) When was the last time you kissed someone of the opposite sex? This morning

8) What’s the last thing that made you laugh?  The guys at the bonfire last night!

9) What’s the latest app that you downloaded on your phone? StopWatch & Timer so I can time my planks!

10) What’s the last kind thing you did for someone?  I packed Mike's lunch this morning :)

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions! I hope you like them! Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments!

Friend Makin' Monday: The Driving Force

2011-08-15T16:29:00.001-04:00

We had an awesome and exciting weekend...I'll share it with you soon. But now it's Monday and that means it's time for...

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 at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. 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: The Driving Force

What is the driving force behind your weight-loss?

When I first saw this question, I didn't think I had an answer. A driving force? What's that supposed to mean? But the more I thought about it, the more I realize, I do have a driving force. What is it you ask? To be healthy. Not just to get to a certain weight. In fact, I don't know if I'll ever reach my "goal" weight since my body seems to like where it's at now--and that's okay. Because I feel good!

I've started with my second round of the Accountability Adventure. I love to have people to make me accountable for getting healthier. I love how I feel after I run a 5k, after I finish a greuling weight-lifting session, or when I choose to eat an apple instead of a donut.

I want to be around for a long time, for my family, my husband, our future kids. I want to be an example to others; my body is a temple and it is my responsibility to keep it healthy so that I can live life to the fullest. And that is my driving force.

Beauty Tips

2011-08-06T12:41:00.000-04:00

For attractive lips,

Speak words of kindness.

For lovely eyes,

Seek out the good in people.

For a slim figure,

Share your food with the hungry.

For beatiful hair,

Let a child run his or her fingers through it once a day.

For poise

Walk with the knowledge that you’ll never walk alone.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears,

The figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes

Because that is the doorway to her heart, the place were love resides.

-Sam Levenson

Accountability Adventure Update

2011-08-03T11:36:00.001-04:00

Last month I shared with you the Accountability Adventure that I took part in. Someone made a Facebook group for the participants and it was really neat to see everyone encouraging each other, sharing tips, beneficial articles, and lifting each other up.

The adventure came to an end last week (I know I'm late in sharing this), and I'm really proud of my accomplishment! Over the course of the 4 week adventure we were challenged to do a variety of activities (see details here) to earn a maximum of 26 points a week (78 per team) for a grand total of 104 points per person (312 per team). I got a perfect score of 104 points for the entire 4 weeks!

Not only did I feel healthier because I was making better food choices, I was also able to see those results in my body. I lost a total of 8 pounds! So I am now halfway to my "ideal" weight. I also lost 1 inch from each thigh, 2 inches from my hips, and 1-1/2 inches from my waist. I can see definition in my legs, thighs, arms and stomach that wasn't there before.

I just want to take a minute to encourage you if you are on a weight loss or get healthier journey. You can do it! If you have a group of friends who are working toward a similar goal, support each other. Maybe exercise together or spend some time making healthy meals with each other. They say 2 are better than 1 and that is so true!

Friend Makin' Monday: Girly Questions

2011-08-01T19:13:00.000-04:00

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 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!

1. Do you like to shop? Usually. I almost always enjoy grocery shopping because I love to find great deals. I do get easily annoyed with other shoppers though! As far as other shopping goes I have to be in the mood for it or looking for something in particular. Otherwise I get bored and grumpy really quickly!

2. How often do you wear makeup? I usually wear makeup Monday-Friday because that's when I work. Saturday it really depends on what I'm doing, but I often don't put any on unless we're going out for dinner or with friends. Sunday I wear makeup.
3. How do you feel about nail polish? I hate wearing it on my fingernails because I can feel the weight of it and it drives me crazy. But, I always have my toenails painted, I don't like the look of bare toenails!
4. Do you consider yourself to be a feminist? Yes and no. I think that women are perfectly capable of doing many things and rightly so. However, I also think that there are things/jobs best left to men, and that the men should be the head of the household.

5. What’s your biggest challenge as a woman? Learning to tune out what society says I should be like.

6. Do you wear skirts and dresses? Or do you prefer something else? I wear skirts and dresses to church occasionally and to weddings. I wear dress pants to work and I love a good pair of comfy jeans otherwise!

7. How do you feel about high heels? I love high heels! My wedding shoes had 4 inch heels...I have to wear heels to measure up to my 6'7" husband!

8. Do you subscribe to magazines? If so, which ones? Yeah, a bunch of them. Taste of Home, Fitness, Redbook, Cosmo, All You.

9. Do you shave your legs/wax/ use depilatory creams or go au naturale? I shave.
10. What do you like most about being a woman? Everything...is that an answer? I love being able to dress up, I love to cook/bake, I love taking care of people.

A Taste of GR

2011-08-01T08:41:00.000-04:00

Last week Mike and I went to a foodie's paradise! A nearby town holds a 2 day event called Taste of Grand Rapids. It features local restaurants in sample-sized portions. You buy tickets from a main booth and then each vendor has their products for certain tickets so you don't have to deal with money. The food was fantastic and we were able to try food from new restaurants!

Not pictured: We had a chicken empanada from Cafe San Juan...it was so good! I didn't have time to take a picture before we ate it all! I definitely want to go there for dinner some time!

Our next stop was at the booth for Chez Olga. I was really excited to see that they had a booth because I just got a gift certificate from groupon so we'll be eating there soon. The food did not disappoint! We had jerk chicken with red beans and rice. It reminded me of our honeymoon!

Here's how the venue was set up...Booths around the edges, tables in the middle, and a big stage with live music in front.

For dessert we went to Grand Traverse Pie Company's booth. I got a piece of strawberry rhubarb pie. It was the best I've ever had!

Mike got his favorite--apple pie a la mode. He said it was delicious!

My new favorite blogger, Janae, always shows amazing pictures of her frozen yogurt. So for the past month I have been craving fro-yo, but I didn't know of anywhere around here that I could get it! Then my brother-in-law told me about a place downtown Holland so after Taste of GR we headed there. I got a combo red raspberry and vanilla topped with heath bars, brownie pieces and strawberries. Yum!

Listening to Your Body

2011-07-28T20:35:00.000-04:00

I didn't work out today. I was supposed to, but my body needed a break. And sometimes, you just have to listen to your body!

I have to admit, I really struggled with not going to the gym today. It's become so much of my daily routine that I feel kind of "off" when I don't go. Of course my mind went to the thought line of If I don't work out, I'm not going to burn those calories. And if I don't work out anything I eat today will make me gain weight and all my hard work will be down the drain. Now obviously I know that not working out for a day will not cause me to gain a bunch of weight, but I have to admit, my mind did go there.

And that's when I had to step in and tell those thoughts to get away. Thoughts like that aren't going to help. I've realized that I need to start listening to my body more. It knows me better than I think it does, and sometimes it needs a day of rest.

My typical workout is cardio on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then strength training and short cardio on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I always take a rest day on Sunday. This week I did a double workout on Tuesday, my usual morning workout and then I did the Insanity Plyometric Cardio Circuit. It was intense, and I think that's what did me in. Last night I felt something pop in my back and I knew it was time for a break. I've also been pushing myself harder on the treadmill, elliptical, and with weights so I think my body was telling me what my mind didn't want to hear.

But you know what? I don't feel "fat" because I didn't work out today. I know that I'm not going to gain 10 pounds because of it. I'm listening to my body, it feels right, and it feels good!

Beautiful Things

2011-07-28T07:40:00.000-04:00

This is what I saw the other morning when I got to the gym (about 6am!)

Breathtaking isn't it?

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth... God saw all that he had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:1, 31

Last week, a client brought in some flowers he picked from his garden.
Again, aren't these beautiful?

Monday Night Lights

2011-07-25T17:57:00.000-04:00

It's Monday night and we're off to the softball field again! For the past couple months, we've spent nearly every Monday night there as Mike is playing on his work's softball team. He plays first base...

He's a really good hitter!

Overall, his team has had about twice as many losses as wins, but they end each game smiling! It's been fun to see them grow as a team and support each other. Tonight is the first night of playoffs...maybe they'll win!

Time for a change!

2011-07-22T18:57:00.000-04:00

This is what I looked like this morning...

And this is what I look like tonight!

It was time for a change! My hair was so long and it was to the point of being unmanageable! By night-time my hair was so tangled that I couldn't even get my fingers through it. So today was the day for a change...I got between 6-8 inches cut off! I tried a new hairdresser today and I really liked her. I like how my hair turned out but of course I'm itching to mess with my hair and style it myself!

Trying New Things

2011-07-21T17:41:00.000-04:00

*Disclaimer: If needles tend to make you squeamish, please skip this blog post. Thank you!

I tried something new the other day...acupuncture! Two of our therapists at work are working toward their licensing. The specific type they will be practicing is called Auricular Acupuncture Detoxification. In order to get certified, they must practice on 40 people, I was a willing guinea pig!

Here's some information about acupuncture from the release I signed:

Acupuncture is the world’s oldest science. It has been around for 5,000 years. Auricular (ear) acupuncture is more recent, having been created and perfected in the last 60 years by both Chinese and French physicians who were seeking new techniques. It is based on the fact that the ear has points that reflect all areas of the body and are mapped out on the ear like an infant, upside down, in a fetal position. (I think that is so cool!)

Chinese medicine holds that there is an extensive and complete energy system that flows through the body along twelve main meridians and more than a dozen lesser meridians. When this stream flows freely, the body is in balance and healthy. Interruptions and blockages in these normally free-flowing energy streams cause stagnation, illness, disease, and discomfort. Simply stated, the needs are inserted to get the energy flowing more freely and restore balance to the body. In terms of western medicine, acupuncture creates healing in the hormonal, nervous, muscular and vascular systems.

The type of acupuncture that I had is typically used on clients who have addictions, but there are various benefits from it. Here's some more detailed info:

A trained acu-detox specialist will place five, tiny, sterile acupuncture pins of the finest filament steel available in each ear. Pins are left in place for 15-45 minutes. There may be some slight discomfort at the sight of insertion, but this will pass quickly. Occasionally, some lightheadedness may occur. There also may be some slight bleeding when the needs are withdrawn. The five points that will be used are:

• Shenmen or Spirit Gate – used for calming and relaxing. This point connects body, mind, and spirit which in Chinese Medicine are considered one. Helps concentration and attention.

• Sympathetic – used for relieving tension and pain management. It also has a calming effect on the digestive system.

• Kidney – used to strengthen the body. This allows release of fear and ability to access the body’s wisdom.

• Liver – used to detoxify the body and emotions.

• Lung – used to help open respiration. This facilitates the inhalation of pure fresh air and emotions and exhalation of impurities and release of negative emotions.

Here's what it looks like when the needles are in. You might notice that I do not have 5 needles in each ear; that's because 3 of them fell out! Sometimes that happens because your body rejects them. We joked that those 3 parts must be balanced enough I needed need them.

The initial insertion of the needles was relatively painless. Some I couldn't feel at all but others felt like a mosquito bite--nothing too painful! Typically after the needles are inserted, you'd sit in a quiet meditative atmosphere for 15-30 minutes. However, since I had it done at the same time as another co-worker, there were 3 women in the room and it's difficult to be quiet. As a result, I'm not sure I experience the full effect of the acupuncture. Though I am not struggling with an addiction, there are still benefits from the procedure (see above). Our other therapist will be "practicing" on me next week and I was told that it sometimes takes 2-3 sessions to feel any benefits...maybe I'll be able to share more later!

Friend Makin' Monday--10 Random Questions

2011-07-18T11:46:00.000-04:00

Can you believe it's the middle of July already? Where has the summer gone? I wish I knew...time has just flown by. I've been so busy, but I don't know what I've been busy doing...not blogging, that's for sure! Hopefully I'll have some time to catch you up on some of our summer activities soon, but for now it's time for...

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 over at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. If you join in, share your links there 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: Ten Random Questions

1) What do you like most about yourself? I get along really well with others.

2) List three characteristics that you like to have in your friends. Loyalty, humor, love.

3) How often do you brush your teeth? Twice a day--in the morning and before bed.

4) If you could travel anywhere today, where would you go? Romania.

5) Have you ever met anyone from the blog world in person? Yes, but it's more like meeting real-life-friends in the blog world. We're friends in real-life and discovering each other online. I do have a few blog friends I would love to meet!

6) What is the last show you watched on TV? We watched Law & Order last night.

7) What kind of perfume/cologne do you wear? I rotate a lot but, my favorite go-to is Pink Fresh & Clean.

8) How long ago did you complete your last workout? At 6:50 this morning!

9) What will you eat for dinner tonight? I have a meeting at church so dinner will be quick tonight. Probably leftovers from Saturday night (chicken for me, steak for Mike) and a baked potato.

10) Share something fun that you did over the weekend. Date night with Mike on Saturday! We went to the Trestle Stop for dinner and then came home and caught up on our DVR'd shows!

Accountability Adventure

2011-07-07T17:30:00.001-04:00

I've recently embarked upon an adventure--an accountability adventure. It's basically a group of women who are trying to make healthier lifestyle choices, support each other, and engage in some friendly competition at the same time.

There are 6 teams, of 3 women each, that are participating in this adventure. Each week we have the goal of getting 26 points. You can earn points by
*Working out 5 times a week (1 point each time, max of 5 points)
*Doing strength training exercises 2 times a week (1 point)
*Journaling what you eat each day along with the calorie count (1 point each day, max of 5)
*Eating 2 servings each of fruits and veggies a day (1 point each day, max of 7)
*Drinking 6 glasses of liquid a day, at least 4 of water (1 point each day, max of 7)
*Weight loss (1 point)

We weigh in each Friday, and then over the weekend the team leaders report their team's score for the previous week. Out of a total of 78 points possible, my team got 75 last week. We all lost weight, a combined total of 11.2 pounds! I lost 5.2 pounds the first week! Tomorrow is our next weigh-in day, I think I'll be down again, but I don't know that I'll be able to pull the number I did last week!

I still have about 10 pounds to go before I reach my goal. I'm not sure why this program is working for me when doing it on my own hasn't. I had been tracking my calories, as well as exercising 6 days a week, and eating all my fruits and veggies before I started this adventure. I wonder if maybe the water is doing the trick, I used to struggle to drink 1 bottle of water a day and now I can easily drink 3! I think having some competition is also beneficial as well as making sure I get all my points so I don't bring my teammates down. This accountability thing really works! :)

4th of July

2011-07-05T16:57:00.000-04:00

I hope you had a great holiday weekend! We spent a lot of time working, and a lot of time relaxing! We had a quite a bit of things we wanted to get done around the yard and the weather was perfect for it. I'll post some pictures of what we did later (my camera battery is currently dead...)

We celebrated Independence Day by going to Allendale's parade. It's been a few years since I've been able to go and it was especially neat because we met up with Alecia and Ovi and their family and this was Ovi's first 4th of July experience!

Everyone stood up and clapped in honor of the vetrans in the parade

You know you're in Allendale when half the parade is tractors!

I thought this was a neat float from a local church.

I loved this float!

This little line of trucks all had signs with some very important messages for us!

And then, the float we'd all been waiting for...Altar*d Life! Our church's praise band! It was really fun to see them performing on the float. I did make a movie, but the sound quality is really bad!

I hope you had a great 4th of July weekend!

Grow Garden, Grow!

2011-07-03T05:25:00.000-04:00

The rain last week sure did great things for my garden! I took this pictures about a week ago, after all the heavy rain. Since then my strawberries have a few flowers, my beans actually have a few tiny flowers/beans, my cucumbers are huge and threatening to take over the garden, my lettuce is blooming, and my tomatoes actually have a few tiny green tomatoes growing! Unfortunately, my watermelon plant doesn't appear to be growing, and only 2 of my 4 snap peas are still alive, but they don't look very strong. We'll see what happens, but I'm sure excited about the rest of my garden.

From left to right I have: strawberries, Carson Golden beans, cucumbers, lettuce, watermelon (in the very back), snap peas, and tomatoes.

The cucumber plants are about twice this size now!

I can't wait to start eating all the fresh veggies from my garden!

I did it!

2011-06-30T07:36:00.002-04:00

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!

2011-06-29T10:45:00.000-04:00

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

2011-06-28T23:55:00.000-04:00

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

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

2011-06-27T14:49:00.000-04:00

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!

2011-06-23T16:46:00.000-04:00

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?

2011-06-20T16:18:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-18T10:13:00.004-04:00

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

2011-06-15T19:07:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2011-06-10T12:17:00.001-04:00

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?

2011-06-06T15:36:00.001-04:00

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

2011-06-04T15:28:00.000-04:00

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.)

Crafters Pay it Forward

2011-05-30T18:46:00.000-04:00

I've mentioned before that I took part of a Facebook thing where crafters make something for people who comment on their post. A few weeks ago, I dropped off an Avon order and my friend had a bag on the porch with my name on it. This is what I found:

It was packaged so nicely!

Aren't these flower magnets awesome? They match my kitchen perfectly!

See, they already have a home on my fridge!

Thank you Karen! To see more of what she makes, check out her Etsy shop!

Garden

2011-05-26T07:37:00.000-04:00

The weather was beautiful last week! I took advantage of the weather and borrowed a rototiller from Mike's cousin and got to work! I decided that I wanted to do a garden this year. Half the garden was super easy to put in, but the other half was a lot more challenging. We think that some of the area we used had been previously tilled but then grown over but the other half I was starting from scratch. I needed some help from my strong husband to get that half done...I think I need to work out my arms more! This picture is before I cleaned up the grass and dirt, but you get the picture...it's about 10x14'.

A couple days after I tilled the garden, I was able to plant! My first row is strawberry plants, then Carson Yellow beans (from the seed), cucumber plants, lettuce and watermelon (not planted when the picture was taken), and then tomanto plants.

Most of my plants will start producing in about 60 days, I can't wait for fresh veggies!!!

Growing Up!

2011-05-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

Our baby birds sure are fun to watch! I was looking through all my pictures the other day and I am just amazed at how quickly these babies have grown.

This is when they were (we're guessing) 2 days old.

The babies went from being covered in fuzz to having feathers literally overnight!

Mama bird feeding the babies (I have a neat video of this I'm trying to upload)

I took this picture last Wednesday, so the babies were about 10 days old.

I wish our windows at work weren't so dirty so the pictures would be more clear, unfortunately I can't do anything about it now that the babies are there! Last Thursday, the babies were flapping their wings like crazy, they looked like huge hummingbirds. I think they might start to fly pretty soon. I know we'll all miss watching them grow up!

Tulip Time

2011-05-21T20:13:00.000-04:00

Holland, MI is well known for their annual Tulip Time Festival in May. I grew up going to this festival and my high school marching band was even in the big parade one year. Last week, Mike and I went downtown with some friends to participate in the festivities.

Every year hundreds of thousands of tulips bloom in various gorgeous colors!

You can't go downtown and not get junk food! We had corn dogs, French fries, and raspberry lemonade for dinner. Then we walked a bit and saw a sign for chocolate covered bacon. It wasn't quite what we expected, but we all really liked it. Then we walked a bit more and got an elephant ear with Bavarian cream! I think we all had a bit of a stomach ache by the end of the night!

Perfect setting for a picture!

Good deals!

2011-05-19T18:09:00.002-04:00

I realized it's been a long time since I last talked about couponing and great deals! Honestly, that's mostly because I haven't gotten that many great deals lately. I don't know if it's the lack of coupons (a few weeks ago there were no coupon fliers in the paper!) or the lack of good sales. Due to both, I haven't done much stockpiling and we've just been buying what we need for the week, mostly fruits, vegetables, lunch items, and milk. But this week was finally a good coupon week! I went to Meijer last night and got all this:

$100.74 worth of groceries for $57.65!!! I saved 43%...not bad, but not by best trip either.

Some of the "highlights" of this shopping trip:

-Kraft Pasta Salad: 67 cents/box

-Super Pretzels: 81 cents/box

-24 pack Mountain Dew: $4 (plus deposit, so $12.80 of my cost was for pop!)

-Oscar Mayer lunch combos: 48 cents

Have you gotten any good deals lately?

Babies!!!

2011-05-14T20:57:00.001-04:00

At work on Monday, I noticed that our mama bird was acting kind of strange. It was a busy workday so I didn't pay much attention to her. Then on Tuesday, she happened to move a little bit and I caught a glimpse of some little bitty babies! They were about the size of a half-dollar on Tuesday, so we're guessing they hatched already on Monday. It wasn't until Wednesday that she actually got off the nest enough for me to snap a few pictures of these adorable babies!

We have had so much fun watching these babies. I can't believe how quickly they have grown already. Really, every day they are significantly larger. What surprises me most is that the mama bird sits on her babies all day. You would think that she would suffocate them, but I think she is keeping them warm. The first day or two she didn't feed them and she never left the nest. But later in the week I saw her feeding the babies, it was really fascinating, I'll post some pictures later!

It's so interesting how the birds know exactly what to do for the babies. As humans, we are usually taught how to care for our babies, but these birds instinctively know what to do. It really shows how God plans everything, even down to having birds know how to care for their young!

Presenting...

2011-05-09T06:50:00.000-04:00

...the newest member of our "family"! If you'd seen me driving lately, you'd noticed something a little different. That's right, we have a new vehicle!

It's a 2003 Saturn Vue. As you know, we've been in the market for a new vehicle for a while now. A couple weeks ago I found a vehicle we both liked. Mike made a few phone calls and we arranged for a test drive. We both loved it and before we knew it we had a new vehicle! I love it! It's so nice to be a little higher up on the road. Plus, it gets about the same gas mileage (actually about 1 mpg more) than the Status, so that's not bad!

I put my car up on Craigslist the day that we got the Vue, and we sold it the next day. Praise God!

Painted Wine Glasses

2011-05-07T06:54:00.000-04:00

A friend from high-school saw my wine glasses on facebook and asked me to paint a set for her one year anniversary with her boyfriend. These were fun to do and I love the quote she chose!

"It's just the beginning...
...of our beautiful adventure"

Just Tell Me!

2011-05-04T17:28:00.002-04:00

Have you ever walked by someone on the street and noticed something potentially embarrassing about that person, and thought "oh, I hope someone tells them that __________" (fill in the blank). I know I have! I've also been on the opposite end, and been told, "oh by the way, you have something in your teeth" after walking around like that for hours! Yeah, it can be embarrassing to find out stuff like that, but I'd much rather be told than walk around not knowing. Of course, it can be uncomfortable for the person who notices also, as they don't know how the other person will react. For the record, set aside your embarrassment and let me know if:

-I have a huge chunk of spinach (or other food) stuck in my teeth. I'd rather know before I smile at people and gross them out!

-I have the unsightly foundation line around my face. I recently spent time with someone whose face didn't match the color of her jaw and neck; I chose not to say anything because of the situation we were in, but please tell me!

-I sit in something that looks quite disgusting from behind. I'd prefer for people not to think I forgot where the bathroom is!

-I have a wad of toilet paper stuck to my shoe. Not something I want to drag around all day.

-I have a hole in the seat of my pants. Please tell me so I'm not flashing people all day!!!

-My fly is undone. (See previous)

-My shirt is tucked into my underwear. We see this waaayyyy to much on TV, does it even happen to people in real life?

-I continually call you by the wrong name. You wouldn't want me to call you Matilda if you name's really Martha would you?

-My mascara/eyeshadow/lipstick is smeared all over. Just tell me so I don't look like a clown!

Thankfully, I haven't had many of these happen to me, but I want to make sure that if they do, I have my bases covered! Have you ever had something embarrassing happen that people did/didn't tell you about? Care to share your story? Or what are some things you'd like to add to my list?

Friend Makin' Mondays: Are You a Bookworm?

2011-05-02T16:06:00.001-04:00

This weekend went by entirely too fast! I spent all day Saturday in Michigan City at the outlets, I got some nice deals! Sunday was a mixture of busy and relaxing, but it was over far to quickly. And now it's Monday....and it's May! Can you believe that it's already May? Me neither! Anyway, Mondays mean...

Friend Makin' Mondays: Are You A Bookworm?

1) How often do you read? Not very often. Before I got engaged, I was always reading; I would read probably 2-3 books a week. Now I just don't have time anymore. I do spend a lot of time reading blogs and a few magazines I subscribe to...does that count? :)

2) What's the last book you read and loved? I don't even remember. I know that I last re-read the Baxter family series by Karen Kingsbury. I absolutely loved them, I loved how I felt like I knew the whole family. I think I'll have to read them again soon!

3) What book(s) are you currently reading? None...I started one on our honeymoon but I never finished it. I don't even know where it is (shame on me, I know!)

4) Share a few of your favorite authors. I do have a lot of favorites, but my top 2 are Karen Kingsbury and Mary Higgins Clark.

5) What's next on your list of must-reads? Nothing...any good suggestions for me?

Bird Update

2011-05-01T13:28:00.000-04:00

Our bird friends at work had a surprise for me the other day!

I read online that the eggs take about 12-14 days to incubate, so we could have some baby birds pretty soon!

Working Hard...or Hardly Working?

2011-04-29T06:06:00.000-04:00

The weather was quite nice last Saturday afternoon. I had to make a dessert for Easter dinner, so Mike decided to do some work in our yard. See that tree stump? Really, how random is that? Anyway, it had to go!

The original plan was to pull the stump with Brett's truck, but they decided to chop it down instead.

Yay, no more stump!

The next project was to get rid of the overgrown bushes. We liked them, but they were planted to close to the sidewalk, so if we wanted to walk on the sidewalk, we'd have to prune the bushes back so far they wouldn't even look like bushes. We decided to pull them up and we'll plant new ones later this spring. This time, the guys got to use the truck :)

New Equipment

2011-04-27T13:56:00.000-04:00

Did you know the right equipment really makes all the difference?

After my first 5k, my hips and knees hurt horribly! I had been running for almost 4 months before the race and hadn't had a whole lot of trouble. But for the majority of those 4 months, I had been running on a treadmill which has more "give" than pavement. When I started running outside the week before the race (and the day of the race), my knees and hips were screaming!

I talked with a seasoned runner and he encouraged me to buy a good quality pair of shoes. The pair I had been running in were my track shoes that I used in high school when I threw discus and shot put and (sometimes) ran the 400 yard relay. It was high time for them to be replaced.

My friend told me about a great store for runners. I went there and they fitted me for a pair of good shoes. It was neat because they watched me walk/jog and paid attention to how my feet moved so they could recommend the best pair of shoes for me. I tried on quite a few pairs before finding "the one"--the pair that didn't feel like I was wearing shoes, was comfortable, and fit just right! (By the way, did you know that your running shoes should be about 1/2 a size larger than your street shoes so that when you run your toes don't hit the end and cause pain? I didn't!)

I have been wearing my new shoes for about a month now and running outside with them quite frequently. The best part? No pain!

On another note, I've been wanting an exercise ball for a long time. It really helps my back when I lay on it and stretch out. I've also heard that sitting on the ball while watching tv (or reading blogs on my laptop!) is a good way to build up core strength. So when I saw this ball at Aldi for just $5.99, I snatched it up! I've used it quite a bit and I'm loving it!

Friend Makin' Mondays: Today I...

2011-04-25T14:52:00.000-04:00

Today I have to give Kenz credit for coming up with these great questions every week! ;)

Visit her blog to play along!

FMM: Today I....

Today I felt...great after a wonderful weekend, great night's sleep, and longer-than usual workout.

Today I saw....that our dove is now sitting on 2 little eggs!

Today I ate...homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, yum!!!

Today I kissed...my handsome husband ;)

Today I bought...absolutely nothing!

Today I heard...lots of motorcycles go by my work. They must be enjoying the warmer weather!

Today I lost...nothing...yet.

Today I decided...to make it my goal to drink at least 3 bottles of water!

Today I need...to edit pictures for my blogs!

Today I wish...it was sunny out, but I'm happy it's not raining! :)

The Good and the Bad

2011-04-20T14:59:00.001-04:00

Last weekend was crazy!

On Friday, I went to get my hair cut and pulled into the parking spot and heard a loud crack. It didn't sound good. This is what I saw:

Yeah, not good! Unfortunately the sound and look was all too familiar, and I knew that the ball joint was broken. The same thing happened last year, but on the opposite side! So I called the tow truck and had the car towed to a local mechanic. The mechanic couldn't fix it until Monday, so I went the weekend without my car. I did get it back on Monday, all fixed, and for almost $50 less than the quote he gave us!

Then on Saturday, I ran my second 5k. The weather wasn't the greatest, but at least it didn't rain the whole time. There was one hill right before the race was done that was a killer, but I survived! I beat my previous time (31:51) and finished the race in 30:33!!! I was proud of myself for running in the time I did, but I was disappointed that I walked 3 times (just short amounts but still....) I had side aches really bad, but I need to figure out how to work through them and keep running!

Then I rushed home so Mike and I could look at a new vehicle (we've been looking since we got our tax return back...time to replace the Stratus!) We had a little trouble finding the dealership so we called and were told he just sold the vehicle we were hoping to test drive! So much for that!

Sunday was relatively quiet. Church, then lunch at my parent's house. Then I froze my butt off (quite literally! metal benches are cold!) watching Mike practice with his work softball team. We went home and had a nice relaxing evening together.

All together, a pretty good weekend. Then I woke up Monday morning and saw this:

Gotta love this Michigan weather!

We have another busy week coming up; between work, car hunting, youth group, baking, Good Friday, Easter....gonna be another crazy one!!! How is your week going?

Friend Makin' Mondays: The Grocery Store

2011-04-18T16:41:00.003-04:00

It's Monday! The weekend is over, with its highs (setting a new PR) and lows (car is in the shop again)...details later. Mondays are Friend Makin' Mondays, of course! Visit Kenz to play along!

FMM: The Grocery Store

1. Do you make a list when you go grocery shopping? Do you stick to it?  I always make a list. I stick to it for the most part which saves me a lot of money. But sometimes I see things I forgot to put on the list, or that sound good, or that's on sale...and it somehow ends up in my cart!

2. Do you buy more groceries when you're hungry?   Not really...I don't usually grocery shop when I'm hungry.

3. Coupons. Use 'em?  All the time! I ~~never~~ rarely buy anything that I don't have a coupon for or isn't on sale!

4. Have you ever complained to the manager of your grocery store? Never.

5. Do you like to buy groceries at huge chain stores like Wal-Mart and Target? Or do you shop exclusively at food stores?  I do most of my grocery shopping at Meijer, after coupons and sales their prices are basically unbeatable. I do get a lot from Aldi, and I sometimes shop at Family Fare (I try not to because they are so expensive!)

6. How much time do you spend reading labels in the grocery store? I don't read labels...

7. Do you push your own grocery cart to the car and return it? All the time. I hate when people don't!

8. What is the one food item you always buy at the grocery store that you must have in the kitchen? Fruit and yogurt.

9. Do you enjoy grocery shopping? I actually do. It's like a game or a challenge for me when I use coupons, so I really enjoy it!

10. How often do you shop for groceries? I shop once a week, usually Friday afternoons right after I get out of work.

Daisy Plate

2011-04-15T19:14:00.000-04:00

Did you know that daisies are my favorite flowers? I made this plate/serving dish after making my Patriotic one. I love how it turned out!!!

Unfortunately, I only had 2 blue stemmed wine glasses, and this was my last one. Now I have to scour the thrift stores again to find more cool wine glasses!