Last day to enter!

Don’t forget! 

Tomorrow is the last day to enter the My Memories Suite Scrapbooking Software Giveaway!

Check it out before it’s too late!  :0)

 

Happy Birthday to me! :0)

Happy Birthday to Me! :0)

Time flies so fast! Looking through these pictures, I had so many memories flash through my mind!

My dad is awesome and I love him and this first picture is very precious to me!

Hard to believe that tomorrow, I will turn TWENTY NINE!  Oh my gosh that’s hard to admit. I’m knocking on 30’s door. How did I get to be so old??

Check out that ROCKIN wallpaper!!!  Wahoo!!!

This is a picture from my 4th birthday!  That hair….oh that hair. 

 

…and from my 5th Birthday with my brand new bike!!!  I was so excited about that thing! I was also too scared to take the training wheels off so I rode with those for about a year.  Scaredy cat.

There’s big plans in the works for my birthday!  I’ll share all of those with you after the weekend is over! :0)  Can’t wait!!!! 

Don’t forget to check out and enter the My Memories Scrapbooking Software Giveaway going on right now!!  Giveaway ends Sunday night and a winner will be announced on Monday! :0)

Click here for details.

Moooore Birthdays! :0)

With the recent talk of birthdays and celebrations, I realized that I forgot to blog about a LOT of very important birthdays!

My grandfather – my last living grandparent. He’s so darn cute and so sweet! He turned 91 this year and is still living on his own!

These photos are from his surprise 90th birthday party last year! We totally got him, too! :0)

Happy Birthday, Paw Paw!! :0)

My brother’s birthday happened a few weeks ago as well!

He turned 26 this year! 26…ohmygosh. Where does time go?!

Seems like just yesterday, he was this cute little kid, wishing he could grow up and be just like his big sister. Awww…. :0)

Even though it’s late, I hope that both my grandpaw and my brother had awesome birthdays!!! :0)

Don’t forget to check out and enter the My Memories Scrapbooking Software Giveaway going on right now!! Giveaway ends Sunday night and a winner will be announced on Monday! :0)

Click here for details!

Swagtastic Swagstakes!

Remember this post about Swagbucks?  Well, here’s another upcoming promotion that they are hosting!  Go check it out!! :0)

Swagbucks knows how valuable your reward points are to you, and they've introduced a line of Limited Entry Gift Card Swagstakes that give you a low price for entries, improved odds of winning, and a way for you to get free stuff without paying a high price. If you've never entered a Swagstakes before, they're drawings where you buy an entry/multiple entries for a relatively  small amount of Swag Bucks with the chance to win a larger prize.

They have a $25 Restaurant.com Giftcard - 25 Entries per giveaway, and each entry is only 40 Swagbucks. To celebrate these new cards, Swagbucks is going to be running a special promotion all next week - every day, they're rolling out an AWESOME Limited Entry Gift Card AND giving you the opportunity to help you build a GIGANTIC Swag Code to be released on the 29th. For more details tune in to the Swagbucks blog on Monday (today!) at 10am PDT, when they'll reveal the first card!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post from Swagbucks.com

Also, friendly reminder:

Don’t forget to check out my current giveaway!  Really cool stuff happening here!!! :0)

My Memories Software Review and Giveaway!

Weekly Deals, Dollar Store, and Free Downloads!

What? Did that get your attention? 

I was contacted by My Memories Suite to review their product and host a giveaway on my blog!  Fun times, right?  RIGHT!  Especially for this girl who LOVES to scrapbook races and create running related memorabilia!!

With My Memories Suite Suite, you can create a multitude of things from Digital Scrapbooks to Photo Books to Calendars to Greeting Cards, and the list goes on and on!

Taken directly from their site:

My Memories Suite will help you build beautiful pages from scratch or to make a page using one of the many professionally-designed scrapbook templates provided within the scrapbook software. A large collection of papers and embellishments are available at your fingertips to help you make each page uniquely your own. Drop in your in pictures in seconds-then crop, edit, retouch and rotate them right on the page. If this were any other scrapbooking software, you might be finished. But with My Memories Suite, the real power-and fun-of this software is just beginning.

You can make a beautiful scrapbook an interactive memory experience for anyone who sees it. Use simple one-click options to enhance your scrapbooks, with music, narration, video, and even the Internet. Go beyond pictures by showing off video of the birthday party, or record a narration to capture the memories that pictures alone cannot. With My Memories Suite you simply don't look at a scrapbook-you experience it!

Check this out – they even have their own YouTube page filled with tons of information on their product!

Here’s a few of the Scrapbooking pages I created with My Memories Suite pre-made templates!

 

 

Super easy to make and a lot of fun, too!

One lucky reader will win a download of the My Memories Suite Scrapbooking Software – a $40 value!

The best part!  Even if you aren’t the lucky winner, you still have a chance to save!!

By using this coupon code:  STMMMS8603, you will receive a $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software and a $10 discount from the MyMemories.com store!  Together, that’s a $20 discount!

 

How can you enter to win your very own copy of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook Software?

1.) Become a follower of my blog.
2.) Follow me on Twitter here.
3.) Visit the My Memories webpage and tell me what your favorite layout is!
4.) Like My Memories Suite on Facebook and let them know I sent you there!
5.) Follow My Memories Suite on Twitter.
6.) Tell your friends about this giveaway – post a link on your blog, write a blog post about it, etc.

That’s all you have to do!  There’s a total of 6+ possible entries so you have lots of chances!

This contest will end on Sunday, August 28th (the day after my birthday) and the winners will be announced on Monday, August 29th!

Good luck! :0)

I don’t know, but I’ll-Ask-Ah!

Hahah Play on words….I know I’m a nerd.  My mom and I used to joke about this ALL the time – I’d ask a question and if she didn’t know the answer, she’d say “I don’t know, but I’ll-Ask-Ah (Al-Ask-A)…. It’s even funnier to us now because, WE REALLY ARE GOING TO ALASKA!!!!

My dad has always wanted to take an Alaskan cruise and this year for vacation, we couldn’t figure out where to go, or what to do, so this is it!  We’re going to Alaska in just a few short days!

See that girl in the boat?  That will be me!  Ok…errr…maybe not quite.  Our boat will be a MUCH larger one and hopefully not that close to the water.

I blogged about our Alaskan Cruise plans back in June when we booked the cruise and I can’t believe it’s getting closer and closer!

I debated and debated on what shoes and clothing items to wear in Alaska – seriously, from a southerners point of view, if there’s no humidity, it’s cold outside!  I don’t want to look like a silly Eskimo tourist, so I’m taking the advice of multiple friends and I’m just going to layer a little! 

I also discovered these awesome new Sperry shoes!!!

Jason let me buy them as an early birthday gift!  Happy Early Birthday to me, once again!  Can’t wear them until the first day of our cruise, though! :0)  I already currently own the Sperry Bluefish shoes, but back in 2010 for the WDW Half Marathon weekend, we walked through a lot of water and got rained on a LOT, and my jeans dripped blue dye on the tops of the shoes! They now look very old and these Anglefish shoes just look so….well….new!  So there you go! :0)

Also, I decided I’m not going to carry my Baggallini – I wanted something much smaller since I won’t have a lot to lug around in port! I browsed a lot of Vera Bradley bags and finally came across this one!  It’s a cross body and fits right on my hip! Isn’t it cute? :0)  

And last but not least, I wanted a new little black dress (the beads are falling off of my old one). When I saw this at Banana Republic, I just knew I had to have it!  I wore it this past weekend to the ACS Gala!  LOVE it!!!! :0)  I’m bringing along two dresses – one for our Les Miserables night and another for Formal Night onboard the ship!

To top off my dress, I have an awesome running buddy named Heather who is in love with shoes!  She let me borrow her heels to complete the look!   I am in love with these shoes. I think I’m going to have to find a pair for myself. Either that or she just won’t get her shoes back.

Kidding! :0)

Of course I’m bringing my running gear so I can get a few runs in on the boat. I’m going to try a run on the promenade deck and probably a few in the fitness center. We’ll see how it goes!

The suitcases are out and before I know it, it will be time to leave! I’m just so ready for a vacation get-away, it’s unreal!

Any advice or tips from those who have been on an Alaskan cruise?

Swagbucks!

Anyone ever used Swagbucks?  I love it! 

Swagbucks.com is the web's premier rewards site.  With Swagbucks, you are able to earn virtual currency by doing the things you do every day - searching the web, shopping at your favorite retailers, and engaging in other activities such as phone recycling, submitting polls, and completing special offers. It’s really really easy and fun to use!  I use Swagbucks as my search engine and many times, I get points just for searching for random things!

Swagbucks is always looking for new ways for you to earn Reward Points, and this week they've got a promotion designed to help you get your free stuff faster! All this week, for any qualifying Special Offer you complete from now through Sunday, August 21st, you’ll receive a 20% bonus on what you earn That bonus will be applied no later than 4:00pm PDT on Monday, August 22nd.

Offers from the following providers qualify for the bonus:
Ad Rewards
Gambit
Trialpay (Offers & Daily Deals)
RadiumOne
Paymentwall
Super Rewards
Peanut Labs (Surveys & Offers) and Sponsorpay

If you haven’t done Special Offers before, you can choose from a variety of different offers (free, purchase required, games, surveys, watching videos, etc.), each of which pay you a Swag Bucks reward. Get started today and earn big all week long!

So easy and free!  I’ve already qualified for a few Amazon.com gift cards (just need to redeem my points)!

 

Click on the picture and try it out!! :0)

ACS Gala!

Saturday night, our local chapter of the American Cancer Society hosted their Annual Gala! 

We were invited to the Gala as well as the Pre-Patron Party!

The Patron Party was held outside the ballroom and had a ton of yummy hors d'oeuvres!

They also had a little 3 piece ensemble and surprise surprise – one of Jason’s good friend’s was there!

After hanging around the patron party, we found our seats and the event began!

They had a silent auction as well as a live auction.  The food was absolutely amazing!

   

Duck Ravioli….SO good!

You know me….taking pictures of everything I eat! :p

 

Wedge Salad and Tenderloin with carrots and potatoes!

Dessert included Tiramisu and Biscotti…although there was no coffee to be seen!  Also, Jason and I split an Italian Cream Cupcake (there’s the “birthday” theme)!  They used the cupcakes for a raffle – you “bought” each cupcake for $5 and received a raffle ticket.  They announced the raffle winner at the end of the night. Unfortunately, we didn’t win! :0(

 

Jason and I!

  

My full ensemble!  Gotta love that rockin carpet!

A riverboat!  Which reminded me of a cruise ship…which got me even more excited for our upcoming cruise!  Wahooo!!!! :0)

On the workout side, Saturday morning, my friends and I ran 14 miles.  Surprisingly, I wasn’t and I’m still not sore AT ALL!  That surprises me because I was so sore after our 12 mile run the weekend before!  It was hot, although it wasn’t as hot as the 12 mile weekend!  We survived! :0)

Hope everyone has a fabulous day!

An Annual Astros Adventure!

 

This past weekend, a group of friends and I travelled to Houston for our Annual Astros trip!

 

Our first stop was at Crave Cupcakes!  Have you ever been?  these cupcakes were amazing and oh so sweet!  I found out later that my Strawberry-bad-boy-goodness had a whopping 450 calories!  Holy smokes!  I ate every last bite! :0)  No guilt – the following day was a scheduled 12 mile run! 



After our amazing cupcakes, we killed time by walking around a few shops in the shopping center!



This home decor shop reminded me of my friend Christina (she's an interior designer)!



We felt as if this Zebra rug (head, tail, and all) was a little out of place, though!  Hah!



I found this guy outside the home decor shop.  Made me sad. In case you didn’t see it, my favorite Astros player - Hunter Pence was traded a few weeks ago to the Philadelphia Phillies….



We made it to Minute Maid Park!  We were early, so I suggested we wait inside the old train station entrance since it is air conditioned!



Definitely beat standing outside in the sweltering heat!!!



Notice I’m not wearing an Astros shirt?!  I was boycotting! My own little revolt against the Hunter Pence and Michael Bourne trade!!!!



Like my shirt?  I said I was going to make it and I did!! Those boys behind me were SO funny!  When we walked in, they gasped and said “OH MY GOSH IT’S A TEXAS RANGERS FAN!!!” 



My brother and Kayla were at the game, too!!

We did something a little different this game!  We were going to leave and eat at a pizza joint down the road, but decided instead to sit inside the 5/7 Grill in the outfield! 



Our group!



This area served alcohol (I don’t drink)…and they carded me!  It was my first time EVER to be carded!  How funny!  In order to get into this area, you had to be at least 21 years old.



Best part:  We were right next to the Astros Bullpen!  SO neat!!!

 

My friend Linzi and I couldn’t figure out what we wanted to eat, so we each ordered an entree and split them!  The Nachos were AMAZING!!!

  

Also, I was super excited to find that they had STEVIA for my tea!!!  How cool is that?!



Our view from the 5/7 Grille!  We were back in Center Field!  Definitely an interesting view!
After we ate, we decided to sit a few innings in our real ticketed seats!  Kinda funny – unknowingly, we bought tickets in the SAME exact section as my brother and Kayla!  How funny, right?! :0)



Outfield view!

During the 7th inning stretch, we went back down to our outfield seats for dessert!  I figured the ice cream would come as a few scoops in a helmet but NO!  They gave each of us an ENTIRE pint!  OMG!



Guess what? The Astros lost (what else is new?). 

After the game however, we got to see Friday Night Fireworks!!! 



No Disney World but still pretty neat!



Deep down, I’m still really upset with the Astros for their awful trade decisions however, I’m very happy for Hunter Pence. He’s playing for an amazing team with an awesome record and a shot at the World Series.  I hope they make it!  I’ll be cheering for them all the way!!! :0)