I wanna be a CVS Superstar

In my quest to be more frugal and save money, I have become like my Mama Bear. I am a coupon clipping fool!! I have also been following a few blogs that give great tips and post deals for many groceries and drugstores (see my frugal savings blog roll on the right). One blog, The "Cents"ible Sawyer, does a weekly CVS Superstar post. Well, I've been shopping CVS for a while now and I want to be a CVS Superstar too! So here is my first CVS Superstar post.

Check out other CVS Superstars on The "Cents"ible Sawyer.

My CVS Deals for the week: I made two trips to CVS.



CVS Trip #1

2 Tums QuikPak
1 Excedrin Extra Strength
1 Rolaids Plus
1 Travel toothbrush holder (needed one plus I needed a filler to use my $5 off $15 CVS coupon)

Total Retail value: $15.25
Tax: $0.79
Manufacturer Coupons: $4.00
CVS Coupon: $5.00

Total OOP (out of pocket): $7.04
ECB (Extra Care Bucks) earned: $11.38

CVS Trip #1

1 Best Food Mayo
5 Ragu Spaghetti Sauce
1 Excedrin Extra Strength
1 Rolaids Multi-symptom
1 Fiber One bars (not pictured because I already put it away)

Total Retail value: $17.28
Manufacturer Coupons: $3.60
CVS Coupon: $5.00
ECB used: $2.00

Total OOP (out of pocket): $6.88
ECB (Extra Care Bucks) earned: $5.00

Grand Total:

Total Retail Value: $32.73
Total ECBs Spent: $2.00
Total OOP: $13.92
Total ECBs* Earned: $16.38

Not bad for all the stuff that I got.

* Extra Care Bucks (ECB) are coupons that print at the end of a receipt. They are like gift certificates that you can use toward your next purchase. CVS will have certain advertised items that earn you ECBs. For more information on ECBs and how to work the CVS deals, check out The "Cents"ible Sawyer.

Also check out these blogs for CVS deals: Be Thrifty Like Us and Be Centsable. These blogs have been helpful for me. I hope I am worthy to be a Superstar!

Go Lakers!!

Photo Source

Sex and the City: The Movie

Opens today!! I am dying to see it. Let's see if I can try to talk Mr. Bear into taking me. :)

Drink one more round on me!

Mr. Bear and I went to the river to celebrate Memorial Day and the beginning of summer!! Despite the rain for the first few days we were there, we had a great time with some new friends. The last few days the sun came out and we got to play! Some pictorial recaps of the weekend.

Partying at Roadrunner for Girls Gone Wild Night.


Our great neighbors from Phoenix, AZ. Thanks for the ride back from the Roadrunner!


Finally, a beautiful day and time to get ready to get out on the water.




Hanging out and enjoying the sun!


Our song of the weekend!

"Drink one more round on me,
Let’s sing an old melody
Hold your drinks up high, and toast the night."


Thanks River Dave and River Diva for your hospitality! Nord, JenBen, and Danny, it was fun partying with the crew. A great time was definitely had!!

It's a small world after all

Technology has truly changed the world and made it a truly small world after all. As I planned my wedding, I discovered theknot.com. On the knot there are all kinds of different boards to gain ideas, referrals for vendors, and chat about wedding planning and anything else under the sun. It was a great resource for me to plan my wedding. Ultimately the best thing about the board, more so than the wedding resources, was meeting people and making some wonderful friends. On the knot, I found my childhood neighbor, who happened to get married just a week before me. Of all the places to reacquaint myself with my childhood neighbor who I had grown up with and lost touch with after high school. It is a small world.

Even after the wedding was said and done, the friendships remain. At first it seemed a little strange to build friendships with people I had met on the internet. I remember telling Mr. Bear that I was going to attend a get-together with some of my "knotties" and he looked at me strangely and I never did know how to tell my other friends what I was doing or how I met so and so. It seemed so strange a first. Now, I am fortunate to have many different friendships.

Mr. Bear also frequents some boards that focus on boating and has met some great people. In fact, we spent the Memorial Day weekend having a great time with his internet friends (Thanks River Dave and River Diva). It may sound strange hanging out and spending a weekend with people you met via the internet, but it is amazing how you get to know people and how friendships develop.

Technology has not only changed the way we work, but it has changed the way we communicate and socialize. Technology has made the world a little smaller and more accessible. A quick text message here and an email there, is all you need. You can easily communicate to anyone in the world at any time. It is a small world after all!

Back to reality

Hope you all had a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend. I had a great relaxing 6 days off from work and the world!! It was so wonderful to take some time off and relax, I soooo needed it. Back to reality and a ton of work! So, I will have to post later.

Gone to the river

Took off early for Memorial Day Weekend to the river. Mr. Bear and I are in the Parker Keys.

Have a great long weekend!!

Pooh Bear Thoughts

Original Photo Source: Steven Parker on flickr.com

The power of the push-up

I know this will sound very strange to many people, but I love push-ups. I know that's crazy! I think they are one of the most effective exercises for your total body fitness. I didn’t always use to like push-ups nor was I able to do one. I can do real ones now. Yes, the man push-ups, but they are not just for men! While in Adventure boot camp, I was forced to do many, many push-ups and learned how effective they are for strengthening and toning.

Not only do push-ups work your chest and arms, they strengthen your shoulders, back, abs, glutes (butt), legs, and your core. Basically, it works and engages your entire body. It is cardiovascular, strength training, and stretching all in one. You can do it anywhere, you don’t need to go to the gym, and you don’t need any equipment. You can make it as easy or as challenging as you need it.

The New York Times recently dubbed the push-up as a symbol of health and fitness. Push-ups not only provide you strength but they can also help you as you age.

“Push-ups are important for older people, too. The ability to do them more than once and with proper form is an important indicator of the capacity to withstand the rigors of aging.

Researchers who study the biomechanics of aging, for instance, note that push-ups can provide the strength and muscle memory to reach out and break a fall. When people fall forward, they typically reach out to catch themselves, ending in a move that mimics the push-up. The hands hit the ground, the wrists and arms absorb much of the impact, and the elbows bend slightly to reduce the force.

In studies of falling, researchers have shown that the wrist alone is subjected to an impact force equal to about one body weight, says James Ashton-Miller, director of the biomechanics research laboratory at the University of Michigan.”

Okay, I know that not everyone can do a push-up but anyone can work their way up to one. Like much in life, it takes practice and work. But the results are definitely worth the work for your health today and for your future health.

If you can’t do a push-up from the floor, start off by doing a push-up against the wall or leaning against a countertop at a 45-degree angle and pressing up and down. You will build your strength and then you will be able to work your way down to the floor. On the floor, you can start with a modified push-up on your knees and then eventually work up to a full body push-up. What ever push-up you do make sure to keep your back nice and straight. Be careful not to sag or arch your back and remember to keep your movements smooth and controlled. Before you know it you will have a toned body and lots of strength. Now drop and give me 20!!:-)


Here are some resources on modified push-ups:
My Fit.ca
Mayo Clinic

Some resources on how to do a full push-up:
ExRx.net
WikiHow

Photo Source: mikebaird on flickr.com

100 Posts!!

Wow, who knew when I started this blog back in January that I would hit 100 posts in less than 6 months! I guess I have a lot to say, LOL.

I have really enjoyed having a blog and sharing my thoughts, ideas, and silly stuff and fluff. From this blog, I have re-discovered my love of writing. I had forgotten how much I enjoy writing and this blog has given me an opportunity to learn about things and write about it. I started this blog for no particular reason (it was what the cool kids were doing) and I think it has evolved as an outlet for me to talk about my life, health and well-being, family, and whatever pops into my head. It has been way for me to learn about myself and to motivate myself to learn about new things. It has been a way to share more about myself to others.

Thank you to those who read my blog and those who are so kind as to leave comments. I hope that my blog continues to interest you.

Oh the things you'll do

It is the time of year for graduations. Some of you know that I work at a college and tomorrow is the commencement ceremony at my college. It is going to be a scorcher here in So. Cal. and I get to wear that black outfit in the picture (the picture is from my graduation from graduate school in 2002). So black robe, 90 degree weather, outdoor graduation!!

All that aside, it is an exciting time of year on campus as students prepare for graduation but it is also bittersweet. I get to see my seniors graduate and move on to new and wonderful endeavors, but then they also leave me and it does make me sad to see them go.

I am so blessed to work with such wonderful students, they are intelligent and kind individuals. This week, my seniors have been coming by to say goodbye and drop off gifts and thank you cards. They are ever so thoughtful. In the years that I have the privilege of working and teaching them I witness their growth and maturity. It is amazing to see them start as freshman and to grow into these amazing adults who will be our leaders (and trust me these students will definitely become movers and shakers). This year, two of my seniors were bestowed with two very prestigious awards and I am ever so proud of them and their accomplishments. As they head off to graduate school and the world of work, I know that the will do great and wonderful things. I will missed them but I am so proud of them and I know that they will be back to visit from time to time.

Congratulation to the Class of 2008 and my cherished graduates!!

Disordered eating behaviors

Women strive to be skinny and thin like the celebrities in magazines and television. Tabloid magazines point out celebrities flaws criticizing them for gaining weight or losing weight. The messages we get from media can be damaging to women and girls who want to be beautiful are constantly worry about their weight.

In Self Magazine’s May 2008 issue they reported a study on disordered eating by the University of North Carolina. The researchers surveyed over 4,000 women on their eating habits and found that 65% of American women in their study between the ages of 25 and 45 report having disordered eating behaviors. Disordered eating behaviors are different from what we would typically think of as eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Disordered eating behaviors are unhealthy thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to food or body, for example, skipping meals and extreme dieting. They categorized the behaviors into six categories and people may fall into one or more category.

Calorie prisoners: They are terrified of gaining weight and tend to see food as good or bad and feel extremely guilty if they indulge in something that's off-limits.
Secret eaters: They binge on junk food at home, in the car—wherever they won't be found out.
Career dieters: They have been dieting all their lives and may not know what to eat without a plan to follow; despite their efforts, they're more likely than other types to be overweight or obese.
Purgers: They are obsessed with ridding their body of unwanted calories and bloat by using laxatives, diuretics or occasional vomiting.
Food addicts: They eat to soothe stress, deal with anger, even celebrate a happy event; they think about food nearly all the time.
Extreme exercisers: They work out despite illness, injury or exhaustion and solely for weight loss; they are devastated if they miss a session.

More results from the study (from ScienceDaily):

• 75 percent of women report disordered eating behaviors or symptoms consistent with eating disorders; so three out of four have an unhealthy relationship with food or their bodies
• 67 percent of women (excluding those with actual eating disorders) are trying to lose weight
• 53 percent of dieters are already at a healthy weight and are still trying to lose weight
• 39 percent of women say concerns about what they eat or weigh interfere with their happiness
• 37 percent regularly skip meals to try to lose weight
• 27 percent would be “extremely upset” if they gained just five pounds
• 26 percent cut out entire food groups
• 16 percent have dieted on 1,000 calories a day or fewer
• 13 percent smoke to lose weight
• 12 percent often eat when they’re not hungry; 49 percent sometimes do

This is quite an interesting study to me especially because I’ve always wondered about my own eating behaviors and how healthy they are or aren’t. I don’t have extreme behaviors that would warrant me to have anorexia, bulimia nervosa, or a binge eating disorder. But I do know that my habits have not always been healthy. I am not constantly obsessed with my weight, which seems to be the main motivation for people in this study who have disordered eating behaviors. So in that respect I think that I am decently healthy.

Reference: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2008, April 23). Three Out Of Four American Women Have Disordered Eating, Survey Suggests. ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 9, 2008, from http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422202514.htm#

Photo Source: Microsoft iStock

A late weekend roundup

Last weekend was a food filled. On Saturday, we celebrated my father-in-law's birthday with a family BBQ. Check out my food blog, Rumbly Tumbly Treats for the food I prepared for the BBQ:

• Rumbly Tumbly Mac and Cheese
• Red Velvet Truffles
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

On Sunday we spent the afternoon with my mommy for Mothers Day. We treated her and my daddy to lunch at yummy Ten Ten restaurant (the same place we went for her birthday). Mr. Bear really loves that Chinese restaurant and had been looking forward to it all week. It is always nice to spend time with family!

It is nice to splurge and eat some oh-so-yummy-but-so-bad-for-you food once in a while. It is all about moderation and not eating like that every day. So back to my regularly scheduled healthy eating!

Pooh's Thoughtful Tuesday: Spelling isn't everything

Monday Funny: Cats running on treadmill

Hmm, maybe Chase Monster needs a treadmill :-)



Uh, maybe not.

Happy Mothers Day

All that I am or ever hope to be, I owe to my angel Mother.
~ Abraham Lincoln

To all the moms, especially my moms, Happy Mothers Day!

Stamp Out Hunger

Tomorrow (May 10, 2008) is Stamp Out Hunger. Stamp Out Hunger is a food drive hosted by the U.S. Post Office every year. All non-perishable food items are welcome; canned food, pasta, cereal, rice, soup, juice, and vegetables. But no glass or expired items. Just places bags of food items near you mailbox and your letter carrier will pick it up and deliver to local food banks. Be sure to check your local post office to make sure they are participating in this event. This is a great way to clear out your pantry and give back.

Let's Stay Together

One last blog entry reminiscing about the wedding and of course I have to round out the week with one more wedding photo (gotta get my moneys worth from my fabulous photos by Amy Squires).

Our first dance was to Let’s Stay Together by Al Green. In our 7 years of dating, we never had a song. From the time we got engaged, every time I heard a song I would listen to the lyrics to see if it could be our song. I liked Better Together by Jack Johnson, but that was a very popular wedding song, and Mr. Bear didn’t want to go with what was popular.

Mr. Bear probably doesn't remember but he was the one who actually picked out our song. At a friend’s wedding reception, Let’s Stay Together came on and Mr. Bear asked me to dance. As we were dancing underneath the moonlight, we looked at each other and I told him, “This is a great song.” Mr. Bear said, “This is our song.” And so we have it. Several months later, when it came to choosing music for the wedding, I remembered. Of course, Mr. Bear did not remember the conversation but then again there was alcohol involved. :-)

Let’s Stay Together
by Al Green

I’m, I'm so in love with you
Whatever you want to do
Is alright with me
'Cause you make me feel so brand new
I want to spend my life with you

Since, since we've been together
Loving you forever
Is what I need
Let me be the one you come running to
I'll never be untrue

Let’s, let's stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad
Whether times are good or bad, happy or sad

Why, why do people break up
Turn around and make up
I just can't see
You'd never do that to me
Staying around you is all I see

Let's, we ought to stay together
Loving you whether, whether
Times are good or bad, happy or sad

Let's, let's stay together
Loving you whether, whether times are
good or bad, happy or sad

Photo by Amy Squires Photography

Wedding Planning: It doesn’t have to be stressful

Pinyo from Moolanomy is having the Best Wedding Tips and Stories Contest. I figured that since we just celebrated our first anniversary a few days ago that this was a great opportunity to reflect on our wedding and share a few tips.

I can’t believe that it has been one year since our wedding. What a wonderful time that was! I am a planner by nature and I loved every bit of planning my wedding. My wedding day was everything I ever dreamed about.

However, I did experience times when the planning got to me and became stressful. There are so many possibilities and so many choices and let’s face it, we all want our wedding to be special or better than the next person. But planning a wedding doesn't need to be stressful.

Remember the big picture.
Yes, this is one of the most important days of your life, but don't lose sight of what the day is truly about, it is about marriage. It is about marrying your best friend and the love of your life. The wedding is one day but the marriage lasts a lifetime. Luckily, my husband was my rock and reminded me of that when I needed it.

Do your research and hire people you trust.
Get some recommendations for vendors and do your research. But also remember that just because a vendor received rave reviews on a wedding website or from your friends, doesn't necessarily mean that they are the right fit for you. Every bride is different and every bride has a different expectation and vision of what they want, so trust your gut. If a vendor doesn’t feel right to you, then don’t book them. Keep looking; you want to trust your vendors. I interviewed several photographers until I found the right one who was within my budget and who I felt a great connection one. I felt that I could trust her with documenting one of the most important days of my life.

Don't do it all yourself.
Delegate! People will help you if you ask and people do truly want to help you. Accept some help from your wedding party and families and delegate. I had a lot of do-it-yourself projects and wanted things to be perfect. So letting go was hard for me. I realized that I needed help and in the end, hiring a day of coordinator and trusting my vision to them was the absolutely best thing I could have done. There was no way I was going to get everything ready and set up without them. I actually had the chance to sit down and eat food at my wedding. I was so happy at how smoothly the wedding flowed and how all I had to do was enjoy it. You don't have to spend a lot of money, you can even enlist the help of a friend or two (my day of coordinators were actually a couple of friends) to take care of the details the day of the wedding.

No, you don't have to.
With so many wedding resources available to brides such as websites, magazines, and the many reality TV wedding shows; wedding ideas are endless. But the downside to all those resources is the feeling that you have to have everything. You have to have favors, pin tuck table linens, chiavari chairs, you have to do a garter toss, and the list can go on and on. No you don't have to. Decide what is important for you and what will work with your budget. Don’t break your budget over some fancy chairs that no one will remember or even notice.

Enjoy yourself.
Last but not least enjoy yourself. Enjoy the engagement, enjoy the wedding, and enjoy your marriage. You are going to marry the love of your life, be happy and enjoy your engagement and most importantly enjoy some time with your fiancé. Don't get so absorbed into the planning process that you forget about him and neglect him; he is the reason why you are getting married. Take time away from planning to spend time with him. (And dragging him to meet with a vendor is not spending time with him.) Mr. Bear always said he couldn’t wait till the wedding was over so he could have me back. Don’t get so wrapped up in the details on the day of that you fail to enjoy your wedding, remember to delegate and let go. It is only one day so enjoy it while it lasts. And most importantly enjoy your marriage. After the focus is off of you and your husband, enjoy the time you have together.

Photo by Amy Squires Photography

Folk Music Fun

I had a busy weekend! In addition to my 10K run on Sunday, I went to the Claremont Folk Festival on Saturday evening and saw Ben Harper, Jackson Brown, and Taj Mahal play! They were awesome!! Ben Harper is from Claremont and his family owns the Claremont Folk Center. The event was a fundraiser to support music in the Claremont public schools. There were activities and workshops all day for people of all ages. I was only able to make it for the main stage event.

Jackson Brown opened and he was awesome. Great music and a funny personality. He is really great and a talented guitarist. He must have had a different guitar for each song he played. (Sorry pictures aren't too great, they were taken with my cell phone.)

Ben Harper is just wonderful, what a regular down to earth kind of guy. I love his music and his voice. He played a lot of great songs, some that I don't think are on any of his CDs. He also brought his mom on stage for several songs. She is quite talented as well with a beautiful voice and great banjo playing skills.

Taj Mahal was so much fun. Great blues music with a great beat. His music was the kind you have to stand up to and dance. So much fun.

I have to thank my awesome in-laws for inviting me and to my good friend, Danielle, for making her way out to Claremont to hang out and listen to some great music. What a fun evening.

Pooh’s Words of Wisdom Wednesday: Never to live without you

The Best Anniversary Ever

I had no idea what we would be doing for our anniversary. Mr. Bear simply told me not to worry. I came home from work yesterday and Mr. Bear told me we would be going to dinner and that I should dress warm and casual. I had no idea what we would be doing but he said we would be spending time outside. I was really curious and trying to figure it all out. He started driving and at every turn I would think about where we might be heading to and could not figure it out, until he turned onto a street that I knew could only lead to one place. Padua Hills Theater, the location of our wedding! Mr. Bear said that we would stop first at the “scene of the crime” so that we can reminisce about the wedding. I thought that was really sweet and such a wonderful idea! And I figured that afterwards, we would go somewhere close by for dinner. I was very excited to be back to where it all began.

Padua Hills Theater is a truly beautiful historic location. It is nestled on a mesa of olive trees among the hills (for more info on it's history click here). We walked around talked about our wedding day: where the ceremony took place, our first dance, the many people who attended. Then, Mr. Bear started to walk me toward where our sweetheart table was located and then I looked ahead and saw…




A table was set-up in the small gazebo. I couldn’t believe it, he had arranged for us to have our anniversary dinner at Padua Hills Theater, the “scene of the crime.” I was in awe and so surprised. I recognized his mother’s china and he had a cooler with champagne chilling and we toasted to our 1 year anniversary and to the many more to come. WOW!! It was absolutely perfect.




Then a few minutes later, food was delivered. He had food delivered from Macaroni Grill and we had a wonderfully yummy dinner. He had thought of every thing (except he forgot a lighter for the candles. But it was so windy that the candles would not have stayed lit anyways.)




Our dinner menu consisted of Calamari Fritti and Parmesan-Crusted Artichoke Cakes for appetizers, a Caesar Salad, Lobster Ravioli as our main course, and New York Cheesecake for desert. What an absolutely perfect anniversary dinner. So yummy and what a perfect location. It was so special. Mr. Bear was so awesome to come up with all this and make the arrangements for us to have dinner at the “scene of the crime.”



Thank you Mr. Bear for a wonderful anniversary!! I look forward to the many more years of marriage ahead of us! I love you with all my heart and soul.

I'm a 10K running fool!!

I ran my first ever 10K on Sunday! Wohoo! The Run through Redlands was a nice scenic route through tree lined neighborhoods in the city of Redlands, CA. The weather was cool but sunny, just perfect for a 10K run. We got there and went to check in and received our timing chips. I thought that was pretty cool, I hadn't been in a race with a timing chip. There were a lot of people, some running the 5K, some running the half marathon, and some running the 10K with us. It was really a well attended event!

My coworker, TK, and I ran the 10K in 1 hour and 18 minutes. Not bad for my first time. Not bad considering the course was about 40% uphill!! And not just slight uphill climbs, but some steep hills!! My legs and butt were dying after the run. It is a good thing we did an uphill run last week. We ran a majority of the time, although we did walk a hill or two. I think we kicked butt and did an great job. I feel really great about it. Unfortunately, I have no pictures since I didn't bring a camera or much of anything with me, so no photos. I do have a participant ribbon to prove I was there :-). What a great experience and a feeling of accomplishment. I am so glad I did it and I am ready for the next one!

To Great Family and Friends

I am in awe of all the anniversary wishes that we have received. Of course, our wonderful and loving parents remembered our anniversary. The kindness and love we received from our parents is so amazing. We are just so so lucky. My parents and my in-laws are absolutely just amazing people. My grandmother was so sweet, she called to send us happy wishes and she is just the cutest and sweetest. Plus, so many family and friends have also been so kind in recognizing our anniversary, from shout outs on blogs, text and email messages to cards and phone calls. We are so blessed to have so many people who love us and care so much about us that they have taken the time out of their busy lives to remember us on our special day. It is just so thoughtful. We are so fortunate to have such amazing people in our lives who shared our special day with us just a year ago. Thank you to our family and friends, we love you and we are so appreciative of the love and support you continually provide us. We are better people because of you.

I guess it also helps that it is an easy date to remember, there will always be some kind of party or celebration on Cinco de Mayo! We’re a little sneaky like that, we wanted to make sure no one would forget the date (least of all, Mr. Bear!) and I guess it worked, hehehehe, my plan worked :). I know, sometimes I am such a silly bear.

Photo by Amy Squires Photography

Love is color blind

Black, white, brown, or yellow. The color of your skin should not dictate who you fall in love with. But apparently, it was against the law to marry outside of your race back in the 1960's. I read this article about Mildred Loving, a black woman who with her white husband challenged a ban on interracial marriage. Sadly, she passed away on Friday. Their marriage changed history and the U.S. Supreme Court upheld their right to marry. It is fitting that their family name was Loving, through it all their love held true.

It had never occurred to me that our marriage was interracial. It never occurred to either of us that our marriage was anything different that might deserve a label. But I supposed that Mr. Bear and I are in an interracial marriage, if we were to label it. Thank you to Mildred and her husband, Richard, for challenging the laws and making it possible for this Asian girl to marry the white boy who she loves. It should not have mattered what color their skin was or their race. All that should have mattered was that they loved each other and wanted to marry and spend their lives together.

Photo by Amy Squires Photography

Happily Ever After!

You know what today is… Cinco de Mayo! And you know what that means… Mr. Bear and I celebrate our one year wedding anniversary today!!! It also marks our 8th anniversary. Mr. Bear and I met 8 years ago and 7 years later were married on this date.

How did we meet?

We met at a Cinco de Mayo party back in 2000. Neither of us were planning on going to the party. I didn’t want to go because a guy that I had gone on a date with was attending and I wasn’t really interested, but my best friend, Mrs. Bunny talked me into going. Mr. Bear was spontaneously invited the day of the party when a friend ran into him at the local Circle K. I guess it was serendipity, we were both supposed to be at that party and meet.I remember seeing him at the party playing the congas with the band that was playing and thinking that he was awfully cute. Later in the evening, we got to talking and really hit it off. At the end of the night, he discreetly gave me his business card before he left.
I waited 3 days before calling him; I had never called a guy before so I wrestled with the idea for a while. But he didn’t have any of my information, so if I wanted to see him again, I had to make the first move. I called and we went on our real first date and today we are married! Who knew where that one phone call would lead to? I am glad that I made that phone call!

7 years later

We were married 7 years later, it was a beautiful wedding. Everything was perfect and best of all I married my best friend and my partner for life! It was a beautiful day and definitely the happiest moment of my life. From my beautiful white dress and flowers to the food and even the De La Hoya fight on a big screen (It was the biggest fight of the year, and we Tivoed it so that people could watch it after the main festivities. Otherwise many of the men would have left the venue to find a sports bar nearby, this way everyone was happy). It was a perfect day!

Marriage

I am so lucky to be married to such a wonderful man, he makes me so happy and his love is everything to me. I have truly been enjoying marriage, every bit of it. For better or for worse, I look forward to many more years of happily ever after! I love you Mr. Bear!!

Photo by Amy Squires Photography

Wish me luck!

I am running my 10K on Sunday!! I can't believe it is coming so soon. I am very excited and I think I am well prepared even though I didn't follow any specific type of training program. Basically what I have been doing is going on a long run once a week with my running buddy. Our weekly runs usually last over an hour. We don't really track our distances, but I would guess we run anywhere from 4-6 miles. Our run this week kicked my butt. We ran an uphill route and our total time running was about an hour and a half. It was the longest and farthest run that we have ever done. I am guessing that will be how long it takes us to run the 10K on Sunday. We are not looking to run fast, we are looking to complete the run and have a great experience. I am definitely learning to better appreciate running, it definitely helps to have a running buddy. I think we will do just fine!

In addition to our weekly runs, I have been working out regularly taking high impact step classes, Vinyasa Flow yoga, and strength training. I think that by cross-training I am keeping myself in good shape for the run despite not logging in a ton of miles as most training plans suggest.

I have also been working on my nutrition by making healthy food choices. I think I have been doing pretty well with my nutrition. Even with our river trip last weekend, I did pretty well. We packed our lunches and made our own meals. I even went for a short 30 minute run while at the river. I am looking forward to the 10K and I will update you on how I do!

Photo Source: Microsoft iStock

Now that you know

The other evening I went and saw Lisa Ling speak locally. She is a Special Correspondent for the National Geographic Channel and Oprah Winfrey Show. Most people probably remember her as co-host of The View several years back. Lisa Ling spoke of her career and the progression of her career and how she got to where she is now. What an amazing career. She has been reporting since the age of 16 and she has covered some of the more complex and interesting stories from around the world. She has traveled to so many places and she has had more experiences than most people will have in a lifetime. She really brought light to the many stories and issues that take place around the world.

Her main message was that there is more going on in the world than what is happening here. Sometimes we have to look outside of our American lenses to learn about the newsworthy stories that are going on around the world but never end up on American “news.” People are interested in international stories, yet many newsworthy stories never appear on the “news.” The American news media would rather focus on Miley Cyrus’ photos in Vanity Fair than the gang-rape that occurs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo or the complex issues surrounding China’s one-child policy. Lisa Ling’s work for National Geographic and the Oprah Winfrey Show gives us stories that go beyond our backyard as well as stories that can be found within our country, such as the hidden and dangerous culture inside American prisons and the trafficking of young girls into American prostitution.

Her talk was very inspiring and really got me to thinking about my own world. I am so consumed by my own world and my own issues, that I fail to realize how there is so much more going on in the world and so much I can learn. I have the good fortune to have the Internet at my hands and I can easily learn more about issues that take place around the world. If I spent just a fraction of the time that I devote to reading the numerous blogs I frequent on reading one article on international news, maybe I would learn something about the world. Maybe I could learn more about humanity. She doesn't believe that Americans are apathetic in anyway, only that we are not afforded the opportunity through the media to learn about international issues and I think she is right about that. Our media sensationalizes many stories and dictates what stories is important news for Americans. Often times the news will continuously cover a story over and over again and people have no choice but to start to care and have an opinion on Britney Spear and Miley Cyrus. If our media spent just a little time on issues of substance, then people would care and have an opinion.

There is nothing wrong with living in your own world, but knowledge is power and with knowledge anything can happen. You never know, just by sharing the knowledge you have with others you may educate someone and maybe even prompt someone to take action. A little bit of knowledge can go a really long way.

"Now that you know, you can never say you didn’t know." - Lisa Ling