Buckeye Blog Hop

One of the blogs I follow just started a Blog Hop for Ohio bloggers. Well, I'm an Ohio blogger and proud Buckeye fan, so I had to join in! Click the button below for more information on the Buckeye Blog Hop!

Wednesday Giveaway Links

CSN Stores - Upcoming Review

I know it's the middle of winter, but it's time to start thinking spring! Doesn't thinking about spring make you just a little warmer? Well, I'm sitting here thinking about spring and watching snow fall outside my office window. If you have children, you should check out CSN Stores' outdoor playsets! They have all kinds of fun items for your children to enjoy this spring and summer! I'd love to get my son one of the nice wood swingsets!

I'll be doing a review for CSN Stores in the coming weeks, so be on the lookout for that review as well!

Disclaimer: CSN Stores is providing me a gift code in exchange for this teaser post and an upcoming product review.

Wednesday Giveaway Links

Thanks for sharing your giveaways! I've enjoyed checking them all out! Be sure to enter some once you share yours!

The Past Week

In the past week, I've been very busy. I'm going on a missions trip in March with one other guy from our church. We're going to be putting in a phone system and an online learning system for a hospital in Africa. So, I've been working with the online learning system trying to learn how to use it well. Last night, we met to begin planning and learning the phone system. In addition to learning new technology stuff (which, I absolutely love!), I've also been preparing paperwork for my visa application. To add to that, I still have about $900 I need to raise to cover all my trip costs. Plane tickets should be purchased by the end of this week.

Saturday, I went to the YMCA and took my second week of Les Mills Body Pump. The instructor was great! I got there a little early and talked with the instructor about not being able to complete the first week's class. She gave me some tips on how to make it through the lunges since this was the part of the class that made my legs so weak I couldn't stand up. I made it all the way through the class and have only been slightly sore. I even went back for a regular workout day at the YMCA today.

I'm looking for people who might be able to give financially toward the missions trip. If you would have ANY amount you could give toward my trip expenses, it would be greatly appreciated! Just email me for more information!

Pedia-Lax Sweepstakes

Exercise, along with a balanced diet, helps provide the foundation for a healthy, active lifestyle for every child. From January 17, 2011 through March 27, 2011, you can visit www.pedialax.com to enter the Pedia-Lax® Fiber Gummies “Keep Kids Moving” sweepstakes for a chance to win one of four great prize packages! Now through March 27th, you can find more details and official rules at the Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies Web site.

Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies is also on Facebook and Twitter (@fibergummies), so be sure to find Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies to sample products and for a chance to win more fan prizes.

Here's what you could win:

Grand Prize Winner (1) – Prize value: $1,700 (including shipping)
Endless Fun 11-in-1 Inflatable Bounce House and Waterslide
Xbox 360 Kinect Bundle or Playstation Move Bundle and $100 Walmart gift card to buy age-appropriate games
Pedia-Lax “Keep Kids Moving” Gift Set ($330):
Razor Rip Rider 360 Drifting Ride On Set with helmet and pads
Three in One Game Set – Volleyball, Badminton and Tennis
Pocket Guide to Games (book)
Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies (one year supply; 18 bottles)
Pedia-Lax logo water bottle

Finalists (3) – Prize value for all three: $1,200 (including shipping)
$50 Walmart gift card
Pedia-Lax “Keep Kids Moving” Gift Set ($330):
Razor Rip Rider 360 Drifting Ride On Set with helmet and pads
Three in One Game Set – Volleyball, Badminton and Tennis
Pocket Guide to Games (book)
Pedia-Lax Fiber Gummies (one year supply; 18 bottles)
Pedia-Lax logo water bottle

Wednesday Giveaway Links - 1/12/11

Please share your giveaways here! Enter some too!

Painful Workouts

I started a new workout class at the local YMCA today. The class is called Les Mills Body Pump. I knew it would be a tough class because it is supposed to work all the major muscle groups. I didn't know if I'd be able to do a full hour workout. I was right! I made it about 45 minutes before my legs told me they were done.

The class started with warm up, squats, back, biceps, triceps, and maybe a couple others before moving on to lunges. That's where my legs started shaking and hurting bad. I tried doing them without the barbell/weights, but even then, I couldn't hardly stay up. I stepped out of the studio and sat on a bench. I waited until the class was done and went back in to put my stuff away. After class, I headed downstairs to shower and head home. I could barely walk down the stairs because my legs wanted to give out. We went out for a late breakfast and I noticed it was hurting slightly to even lift my coffee cup. I'm sore in places I've not been sore for a very long time. Hopefully, I'll make it through the next class...or maybe the third class. Ha.

Another thing I started this year is trying to read through the Bible in a year. So far, I'm doing really well with that too. I'm also preparing for a missions trip to Africa in March. I'm trying to get money raised to pay for all my expenses along with the supplies we'll need while we are there. It's been a little more difficult this year, raising funds than when I went in 2008. God is good though and I know He'll provide every penny I need for the trip!

Well, back to watching the second half of Colts football and my daily Bible reading. Have a great weekend everyone!

Wednesday Giveaway Links - 1/5

Enter the giveaways below and share your giveaways!!!

New Year Resolution(s)

I was looking through the paper today with all the weekly sale fliers. It's funny to me that this week, almost every store had fitness equipment, diet supplements, and scales on sale. Obviously it's the stores' way of making money off of all the people that say their New Year Resolution is to lose weight. Seems like everyone says that's their resolution at one point or another.

Do you make a New Year Resolution? If so, what is it?

My resolution this year is an easy one for me. I resolve to continue paying off our debt. We are in the "Debt Snowball" stage of the Dave Ramsey plan to becoming debt free. We've paid of 63% (plus a little because I haven't figured December's numbers in yet) of the debt we had in October, 2006 off. That means we only have about 37% left before we can consider ourselves debt free by Dave's plan!

Sure, I'd like to lose some weight...or at least some body fat. My BMI is considerably higher than it should be, as is my Body Fat Percentage. I need to find some motivation to get me to the YMCA for workouts. I've even considered a Les Mills BODYPUMP class at the Y, but I'm not sure I could make it through a 1 hour intense workout. I have until Saturday to decide.

One other thing I'd like to try, although I'll be late starting, is to read through the Bible in a year. I won a One Year Bible in an online giveaway and will start it as soon as it arrives. Hopefully, I'll get it soon enough I won't be way behind.

Happy new year! Please share your resolutions or goals for 2011!

Eden Fantasys Winner

Happy New Year to everyone that reads my blog!! Great news for one lucky reader because I chose the $25 Eden Fantasys Giveaway winner this morning!




Congratulations, Beanfiddler! I'll be emailing you soon to confirm your email address and then I'll forward it on to Eden Fantasys!