Rain, rain go away...

Lots and lots of rain today, which meant I had to resort to doing my training walk on the treadmill at the gym early this afternoon. I miss last weekend when I was able to walk through the neighborhood, it seemed to go by so much faster. But I did get my 4 miles in and listened to my tunes. I also threw in 30 minutes of circuit training and 30 minutes of cardio. We're going out for dinner tonight so I need all the WW points I can get, ha ha ha!

This upcoming week is going to involve long, early hours at work through Wednesday, so I'm going to have to shift my training around a bit to make it work. I am determined to still get in my miles, just maybe not on the days they suggest.

Tomorrow, Kraig & I and the kids are heading up to Buffalo Wild Wings on 26 Mile in Washington Twp. for one of my team-mates fundraisers. BW3's will donate 20% of the bill to her 3-Day fund, you just have to present the coupon to them. If anyone wants to join us for dinner, we'll be there around 6pm! Remember it's for a great cause and everyone has to eat dinner right?

Tonight is a busy night with good friends and old friends! Hope everyone enjoys the balance of their weekend!!

Breast Self-Awareness (BSA)

Wow what a busy day and it's not over! This was a day filled with office visits, but the best one was my yearly physical. If I tell you it was awesome, would that convince you to make your appointment? Well, it wasn't awesome but it is something that needs to be done every year. Kind of like a tune-up or an oil change on your vehicle. After telling my doctor about walking in the 3-Day he shared with me one of his first patients over in Grand Rapids area was a 26 year old girl diagnosed with breast cancer with no family history and unfortunately lost the battle. Because she was so young, she didn't feel it necessary to have her physical every year, hence the lumps went unnoticed. So please, please, please make your appointment and encourage someone else to make theirs too!!!

Though it has been a busy day I was still able to get in my 3 miles of walking, so my training is still on track. Hope you continue to enjoy this beautiful weather, looks like it's going to stick around through the week!

March Madness

What a beautiful weekend we had! Too bad they're calling for more snow by the end of the week. Ah well, that's the life of living in Michigan.

I was able to get out again today and do my training walk outside, due to the Spring like weather! Bella & I saw lots of motorcycles, a couple of convertibles with their tops down, and several others out walking!

One of my fundraising efforts includes selling NCAA Basketball Brackets for March Madness. It only costs $5 and will be a 3-2 split. $3 towards the winner and $2 towards my 3-Day fund. Anyone who is interested, let me know by sending me an e-mail at smithstef.5@gmail.com I have set up a fantasy bracket site through cbs.com, so once I receive the $5 I can give you the group name and password so after the teams are announced March 14th you can go set up your bracket. But, keep in mind the first round starts March 18th!!

Hope everyone has a great week, I know I will :o)

Beautiful day for training...

What a gorgeous day it is today! The sun is shining, the snow is melting and the temperature is creeping past 50.

This morning Alyssa and I returned bottles and cans that were donated by neighbors, family & friends. My fund earned $46, not bad for the first "Bottle Drive". The generosity of my neighbors is overwhelming. The kids distributed the flyers early last week, so it was really cool to go out this morning and actually see bags of returnables left on porches! One neighbor even left a monetary donation and words of encouragement!!

After that, I laced up my sneakers, leashed up Bella and we headed outside for a 3 mile walk. The temperature on the bank marquee said it was 55*, which can only mean Spring is actually on its way.

Kraig was a busy guy this afternoon, he spent the day cleaning and sorting out the garage to get ready for the charity garage sale that I will be having in early June. The piles are as follows...keep, sell and garbage. Now I can start to add to the sell pile the items that some family & friends have donated which have been housed in the basement.

Things are moving along really well, and having this nice weather really makes it easier :o)

Sleep Talking

Well I guess I've started talking in my sleep, or so Kraig tells me! Most, he says, is about the fundraising and the event. Guess we know what's on my mind these days :o)

This past weekend we enjoyed our time at Frankenmuth with camping friends and family. It was nice to get away for a couple of days and I even got some walking in at the hotel fitness room. The kids had a blast, the adults did too! Only 5 weeks left until our camping season begins, so this weekend trip was perfect timing.

I've booked my Tiger game where I will work a concession stand to help towards my goal. On June 12th myself, Kraig, my sister and her husband and my parents will team up with another walker and her group (to get us to 12) to run a concession stand. We have the potential to earn $600-$800 to split between our 3-Day funds. I'm looking forward to it, should be a good time!

I've also booked the "My Trivia Live" event for Sunday, May 23rd at the Buffalo Wild Wings in Livonia. I hope to have more details about that in the next few weeks. But save the date, this event is guaranteed to be a lot of fun!!!

I am continuing to train, raise awareness and raise the much needed funds! I really appreciate everyone who has helped get the word out by sharing my blog!

Relaxing, fun weekend ahead!

Well Friday had finally arrived. This week was a busy week with work, home stuff & kids. Unfortunately I missed one of my walking days, the good thing is I have done a lot of pre-training so I can easily catch up over the weekend!

I am so proud of all of my teammates, but one of them is only $7 from reaching her minimum goal of $2300!! That is so awesome, just think of how much more she will be able to raise over the next 5 months!!!!!

Breast cancer is a scary thing, it's also a real thing. I've schedule my physical for March 9th which I encourage everyone who's reading this to schedule yours too. Go one step further make 3 phone calls to women that you know and ask them to make their appointment as well! Early detection is the key, there are so many more options when breast cancer is diagnosed EARLY!!!

More snow is on the way over the weekend, so the frozen tundra continues to build! But, Monday is March 1st which means Spring is technically only 3 weeks away!!!!

Have a great, happy, healthy weekend. And remember...call the doctor and make your appointment!!!!

Snow, snow, snow!

Well it's been yet another snowy week, but it's also February in Michigan so what do you expect!

Yesterday was my day of rest, thank goodness! So today I was up bright and early and completed my 3 miles at the gym on the ever so boring treadmill! I also had enough time to squeak in 30 minutes on the elliptical. So not a bad day for training!

I registered last week to participate at the Training Kick-Off Event which will be on March 20th at the Novi Fountain Walk. They will have either a 3 mile or 5 mile training walk that you can do followed by 3 15 minute clinics. I believe our team of 5 has all registered so it's another great opportunity to get to know one another!

This weekend we are going to Frankenmuth for a weekend of fun in the pools, putt-putt and arcade with camping friends and family. The kids are so excited they won't stop talking about everything they're going to be doing. I on the other hand am very excited to spend the weekend with friends we don't get to see too often in the winter, but also trying to plan out my training! No worries, the lodge has a work-out room!

It was a good weekend!

What a great weekend this has been! Yesterday, Kraig & I went to the annual Rouladin Dinner at a friend's house and had a really nice evening. The food, the company and the spirits were great. I'm already looking forward to next February!

Yesterday I had my hair appointment and shared with my hairdresser who is also a close friend, my new journey. She couldn't have been more supportive! She offered to make baked goods for our team bake sale, put together a basket for the silent auction and I can post a flyer in the salon for her to share with her customers. It is a wonderful thing when you see how generous people are, especially during these hard times.

Today, my sister joined me at Lakeside for a mall walk. She did awesome, what a trooper! We walked 4.25 miles in 1 hour and 10 mins. Wonder if I can convince her to come again with me??

Kraig's parents stopped by this evening with a very generous donation, pop cans, and Ric won at their Euchre party last night so he donated his winnings! I couldn't be more thankful. Kraig's mom has also offered to make breast cancer awareness bracelets to sell and then donate the profits to the 3-Day!! Once she gets some done I will post pictures and details.

I am feeling more and more confident that I not only can I meet my $2300 goal, but surpass it!

Tomorrow is my day of rest, hopefully the snow won't be all that bad because I'd like to be out and about tomorrow after work.

Happy Monday everyone!

$5 Friday

Well, today was the first $5 Friday in the fight against breast cancer! I was able to raise $40 which is AWESOME! You would be amazed what every penny, every dollar will do! But more than the $40, the words of encouragement that I received from so many people today is worth a million!

I am looking forward to this weekend, like so many other people. Enjoy, love and live!

Second job

Sometimes it feels like the fund-raising, training, planning, coordinating is a second job! But it is ALL so worth it, and no regrets!

We were able to have dinner as a family every night this week, which as difficult as it can be, it sure is a wonderful thing. The kids ask questions about how the 3-Day is coming along, where the event will take place (we'll find out about 2 months before), and the greatest this week was "what can we do to help?"

I walked at the mall last night and logged in a little more than 5 miles. Today I got to the gym (in the evening, since my dumb butt forgot to set the alarm clock this morning!) to get in my circuit training, then spent an hour on the treadmill,a bit more monotonous, so I think that was only about 4 miles. But it all adds up!

Warning to all my FB friends: I am holding a $5 Friday tomorrow! All you have to do is log on to my donation page and donate $5...it couldn't get any easier than that! You would be amazed: #1 how far your $5 will go in the fight against breast cancer and #2 how fast $5 adds up! I want to hold this once a month and see if that would be easier for a lot of people contribute to the cause!

Well I am very happy tomorrow is Friday, lots to do this weekend!

Today started off bright and early at 5:15 a.m., headed to the gym for the usual circuit training & cardio work-out and then off to work!

Along with with the training that's involved with preparing for the 3-Day they also tell us about the importance of nutrition. So, since January 4th we've really been watching what we're eating and following Weight Watchers. I thought I'd share a recipe with you from last week that was delicious! It was so good I made it for Kraig & I again on Saturday evening since both the kids had plans.

Pizza Chicken
4 chicken breasts (about 4-6 oz a piece)
20 slices turkey pepperoni
4 slices Reduced Fat provolone cheese
1 cup spaghetti sauce
salt, pepper, garlic salt

Put chicken breast between plastic wrap and pound until 1/4 inch thick (or you can make a pocket)
Season with salt, pepper, and garlic salt on both sides
Put 5 pepperoni slices and half a slice of cheese on half the chicken and fold other half over.
Repeat with other chicken breast
Put in baking dish sprayed with Pam
Pour spaghetti sauce evenly over chicken and bake, covered at 350 for 35 - 45 minutes
Uncover and top both chicken breast with the other cheese halves and bake an additional 10 - 15 minutes or until chicken is done and cheese is slightly browned Serves 4

If you make this, you'll have to let me know what you think! Of course, you can doctor it up a bit and have fun with it!

I made good 'ol little Bella accompany me on an outside walk this evening. I only got in about 2 miles, there was too much black ice on the sidewalks and we were slipping and sliding constantly! So it looks like it's back to the mall for me tomorrow evening and the dogs get a trot around the block :o)

A woman's strength

It amazes, humbles and inspires me when I hear the many different stories of how breast cancer has touched the lives of so many people that I know. Just today I read a beautiful posting from a friend who lost her mother last year to breast cancer. My friend's strength and ability to move forward each day is compelling. Her mother was her everything and I can understand that. I had another friend share with me last week that breast cancer is not just for the "patient" to deal with, but their entire family and circle of friends have to cope with it as well. This is why I will walk!

This evening my daughter came with me to the mall to walk. We chugged along at a good clip and finished 4 miles in 1 hour! Another lap or two would have been nice but my silly girl didn't wear her good walking shoes and started to get a blister. I really enjoyed spending the time with her.

I received another fantastic online donation today! I'm so excited by people's generosity. Also, thank you everyone for your Google ad clicks - what a difference you are making. Keep on clickin!!

They're calling for some snow tomorrow morning, I am hopeful that spring is on it's way! A good long outside walk would be a wonderful treat!

Another weekend comes to a close

Well another weekend has come to a close and what a good one it was! Today was a day of rest so I helped Alyssa with her diorama for Language Arts, did my food prep for the week and got some much needed laundry done!

I received another monetary donation online today, which is very much appreciated! I also received goodies for my garage sale which is awesome. And so many words of encouragement from so many friends this weekend blows my mind!

It's back to the regular routine tomorrow morning bright and early! Happy Monday everyone :o)

1st Official Day of Training

It's Saturday and that means it was my first "Official" day of training for the 3-Day. I'm doing the 24 week training program, which means in about 5-6 weeks I will need to be logging in about 20 miles per week!

I was able to meet two of my teammates this morning up at Oakland Mall and we walked 4 miles which took about an hour and 15 mins. I really enjoyed getting to know them, it was great conversation and plenty of laughs. We even stopped in the pet store on our last lap to play with the puppies for a few minutes!

After, I headed over to the gym to get in my circuit training and 30 mins of cardio. So it was a good work-out day.

I am holding a garage sale in late Spring and have asked family and friends to keep me in mind as they get into their Spring cleaning and opening of cottages (or trailers). My parents are cleaning out their basement and had all kinds of stuff for me, so I made the second trip today to collect the goodies. Tomorrow a friend has some books & furniture for us go pick up. My basement is starting to look like the Salvation Army shop, but that great!!!! I really appreciate all of the support!

Our team fundraising event will be on Saturday, April 24th. We will be having a silent auction, bake sale, concessions and lots of fun! We are rounding up donations for the auction and concessions like pop & water, I have a few avenues I'm going to explore this week. Any suggestions would be great since this is my first time doing a benefit.

Time to go and relax with the family! Hope everyone has a wonderful Valentine's Day, eat lots of chocolate :)

Busy mind today

Today was a day full of planning, I seem to be doing that a lot lately. Started off this morning at 5:30 a.m. at the gym. I was able to get in circuit training and then 4 miles on the elliptical. Then it was on to work. After having yesterday off it sure bogged me down today.

Still working on setting dates and activities for the fundraising events, so keep an eye on your e-mails and mailboxes! Our team Silent Auction & Bake Sale looks like it will be on April 24th, more details to come on that. There is also an opportunity to work concessions at a Tiger game to earn money for the 3-Day, so I am looking more into that as well.

I intend on hitting the pavement this weekend to the local businesses asking for sponsorships, this is the hard part being on the heels of Haiti. I am also seeking silent auction donations whether it's services, new goods, or concession items. So it will be a busy week, but hopefully a productive one.

Tomorrow is Friday and that is a very good thing!

Snow Day!

Today has been a good day! We had a Snow Day, which meant I got to sleep in...ahhh!

This morning I signed on to a team for the 3-Day for the Cure, Kepumflop'n and the team captain is Jennifer, the woman I met the other night at the Getting Started meeting. There are 5 of us on the team and I look forward to meeting the other women soon. I've added our 3-Day website team page link here on this page. You can still access my individual donation page either through here or through the team site. I am still responsible for raising $2300 but get the wonderful support and encouragement of teammates!!

After relaxing this morning with some coffee and playing around on the computer I headed out to the gym to get in a work-out. I was surprised how busy it was today, guess the snow didn't scare anyone away. Between the elliptical machines and the treadmill I logged in 7 miles!

I officially need to start my 24 week training program this weekend, I'm trying to meet my team captain, Jennifer and her sister at the mall Saturday morning to get a good walk in. So far it's looking promising :o)

Well, tomorrow it's back to the usual routine since it doesn't appear that we are going to get anymore snow.

Day One

Well technically it's not Day One, but it is for my Blog! I actually registered for the 3-Day for the Cure on January 22, 2010. With two weeks under my belt I am feeling a little more confident. Thanks to wonderful family & friends I have already raised $225 towards my goal of $2300, not a bad start!

I attended the Getting Started meeting last night and what an amazing experience that was. I was fortunate enough to sit next to a remarkably strong woman who is a survivor and walking in her first 3-Day with her sister. During the meeting they went over what to expect over the 3 Days. What goes on at camp, the support from the community, the basic schedule...which doesn't seem too complicated to remember: wake-up, walk, eat, sleep, wake-up, walk, eat, sleep, wake-up, walk...

Other things that we learned were the importance of the Susan G. Komen foundation. The money that is raised for this event is to support breast cancer research, diagnostic tests, and support to men & women in my community. From the moment that I paid for my registration, those funds went directly into their research. In addition to the facts and statistics, we heard some stories of survival, defeat & determination.

I definitely walked away from this meeting with the feeling of with all of the fund-raising, training and walking 60 miles is NOTHING compared to coping with breast cancer!

I look forward to sharing my journey and hope you too will find some inspiration and go out there and make a difference!