Happy New Year!

I knocked one goal off of my 2012 list by running a 5 k today! I even shaved 9 minutes off my time! Yup, I beat myself!! It's all up from here!

I hope that you all have a blessed new year!

Where is Winter?

It certainly is NOT in Central Illinois! Yes, we had 2 inches of snow earlier this week but today it is 50 degrees and not a cloud in the sky! I am loving it!

Today was a rest day from running in preparation for my first (running) 5k this Saturday so the Diva and I went to the park for some much needed play! We walked to the park and played with new friends then walked home. I would say this is the perfect day but then I get to thinking: where is winter? What is in store next? Will the next snow be the BIG ONE? I'll worry about that later! Have a Happy New Year everyone!

Goals!

This past July, I set a goal to run a 5k in 2012 and I am happy to say that I will beat that goal by one day! Yes, I have participated in a 2.5k and a 5k, however, due to my knee surgery I was only able to walk them! Saturday December 31,2011, I will ring in the new year running in the Frozen 5k with the Frozen Chosen team. I am nervous and excited all at the same time.

My New Years resolution is to keep putting one foot in from of the other at a fairly quick pace! I want to add to my 40 pound weight loss by losing an additional 25 pounds and, of course, run more 5Ks. I will be healthier at 44 (my birthday is in May) than I was at 24! I will show my little Diva that it is never to late to get healthy!

I have already overcome so much: 40 pounds gone, knee surgery & a Cardiac Ablation that has me feeling like a new woman! I've got this and I will keep going!

What are your New Years resolutions or goals?

Success!

Yesterday we traveled to Springfield for my heart procedure. I was nervous but OK for the most part! I had to check in by noon so we left home around 9:30 to allow us to find St. John's since we had never been there! We found it with no problem!

Once there I went through check in and labs before being taken to another floor where the procedure would be done. Around 12:30 a nurse took me back to prep me which took about 45 minutes then the Knight got to come hang out with me until they took me back for the procedure around 3:15. By this time I was just ready to be done so I could eat!

The room they took me to was full of computer monitors and high tech gadgets. They started prepping and before I knew it we were starting. The kicker is that I was awake for the whole procedure! I kept my eyes closed, of course, but I heard and felt it all!!

They gave me adrenaline, which my heart beat like crazy! At on point it felt like my heart was doing the wave. Then they started burning the troubled areas. I felt that too but it felt like really bad heartburn! I winced once and the anesthesiologist gave me some more of my feel good cocktail! He was awesome!

Two hours later, it was over and I was on my way to my recover suite. It was a great little private room! As soon as I was in, the Knight was by my side. I had to lay flat for an hour and then I got dinner! Not a snack but a full blown dinner that I chose before surgery!

After dinner, I walked a lap around the nurses station and by 7:00 PM I was on my way home! The procedure was a complete success with on 2% chance of recurrence. Pretty good odds if you ask me!

The one question I made sure the Knight asked Dr. Mouton was: when can I run again? The answer: Wednesday!! I was so excited to hear this news since I have a 5K on the 31st!

I am going to leave you with a photo, taken the night before my procedure, taken at our Candlelight service. My friend, Jill, signed the words as I sang Labor of Love! Photo by Joey Bright.

Looking for a New Phone? Try the LG DoublePlay

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of LG DoublePlay™ for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

The LG DoublePlay™  has everything that you are looking for in a phone!  You start off with dual (yes I said dual) customizable screens that operate in tandem or separate!   The full QWERTY keyboard and Swype make texting a breeze and you can update Facebook while surfing the web or texting (every multitaskers dream come true)!  Add to that a 5 megapixel camera with a flash and 720p HD video recorder and you have every media junkies idea of fun and makes it super simple to share your precious memories with the ones you love!

There are multiple messaging options including Cloud Text and Group Text that give LG DoublePlay uses the ability to send and receive texts from a PC or Tablet.  Now you can share content faster and more efficiently than ever before!  Still not convinced?  How about the LG DoublePlays Android 2.3 with access to the Android Market!  This feature allows you to customize up to 7 home screens and up to 9 touchscreen shortcuts which makes for simple one touch navigation!

I know that my phone is the center of my social networking!  I would be lost without it because I email, text and update Facebook all from my hand held device!  If you are looking for a new phone then you must check out the LG DoublePlay™ .

This phone is available exclusively from T-Mobile.

I Am NOT The Biggest Loser!

I did come in 13th out of the 85 remaining contestants that came to the final weigh in!  My final weight loss for this 10 week challenge was 16.2 pounds for a total weight loss of 36.8 pounds!  I am pretty happy right now!

I still want to lose another 20 so I will continue with my diet and exercise and hopefully be at my goal weight by my birthday on May 31, 2012 when I turn 44!!  The best feeling was having my body fat taken and being in the normal range for my age and weight!!  That really made me happy!

I will continue to update you on my journey!  I just hope to survive Christmas!!

Zenni Optical Can Make Your Holiday Brighter!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Zenni Optical for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Did you know that Zenni Optical has awesome eyewear in stock and waiting for your order?  Many of the frames come in festive holiday colors that will make you look styin' this holiday season!  Better than that Zenni Optical has cheap eyeglasses  that will fit your budget!  Just imagine what you could do with all that cash that you save?  Your friends and family will be impressed with your gift giving ability and all because you saved a bundle on your eyeglasses .  My daughter wants the DIsney Dream Castle plus all the princess dolls and everything else that she sees so I could probably do this with the cash that I save!

I think that these frames are very cool and would look great on me!  Best of all.............they are only $29.95!  It doesn't get much better than that!  There are frames to fit every budget and every style from the plain to the outspoken. Maybe you could get two or three pairs so you have frames to fit your every mood!   Head on over to Zenni Optical and let me know which frames would make your Holiday season brighter!  Leave me a comment and let me know!

Need YOUR Help!

Ok, you all know I am doing the KC Summers SlimDown Challenge and I need you to go like my facebook video!  Each like gets me a point so I need all that I can get!  As of last Tuesday, I was at 12% of the 20% maximum for weight loss points.  In other words, I have lost 12 of my 31 pounds during this challenge!  Here is the link to my video http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2838210680196 .  I am giving away my secrets to my success over the next three days!  Thanks for all of your support!

The Packit: A Lunch's Best Friend

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of PackIt for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I remember taking my lunch to school in a sack or an old tin lunch box with an ice pack to keep the contents cold until lunch.  However, when lunch time came, my lunch was always warm.  Lucky for me I didn't get food poisoning!  Today, my little Diva has a safer option that does not include an ice pack and can keep her lunch cold for up to 10 hours!  The PackIt lunch boxes are every parents dream come true!

My Diva would love a hot pink one to carry her lunches in and I would like one for my healthy snacks when I am out and about!  The best part is that if you buy one now for $19.95, you get one free!  What a deal for a family on the go!  You can use them for more than lunches too!  They make a perfect tote for baby bottles on the go!

What would you use a Packit for?  Leave me a comment and let me know!  Maybe you have an idea that never occurred to me!  Then head to the PackIt lunch boxes  website and check out their great offer and get yours today!  This would make a great gift for the person on the go!

 

I AM DOWN!

I am down in the best way possible! I went to the doctor yesterday for a recheck of my cholesterol and stepped on the scale only to find that I have lost another 7 pounds since November 22nd which puts me at a total of 31 pounds down! Yay! Only 25 or 30 more to go! They called me yesterday afternoon with my test results and they were down but not enough to take me off of the meds just yet! My overall cholesterol was 195 down from 269! My triglycerides and LDL were both still about 19 points high so I am on the meds until my June recheck! I can promise you this: I will be off the meds in June and I will have reached my goal weight by then! You can hold me accountable! On the running front: I am up to two miles on the treadmill every morning and still doing my strength training to make myself stronger! I have a 5 K on New Year's Eve that I will be ready to run, unless the cardiologist says no and in that case I will walk it! I am going to be healthier at 44 than I was at 24!