Family time away

It's been a busy few months, as I said in my last post, things have been a little crazy.  Last week, the hubs got an AWESOME email.  Sea World has launched a teacher appreciation.  Until June 30, teachers can receive a free fun card.  We quickly took advantage of this and booked a room for the weekend.  How could I resist?  With his free ticket, a great deal on tickets for the big one and myself, and a great $50 credit on expedia.  I just couldn't pass it up.  

Saturday morning bright and early we headed west in the JuiceMOBILE to San Antonio.  Of course, as always, it was an adventure.  When we got to the hotel, we realized we had gotten the last room they had available and the a/c was broken.  Thankfully, it had black-out shades so it wasn't THAT bad.  :)

Sunday morning we grabbed the free breakfast buffet in the lobby and headed to the park.  

First stop, dolphins:

The little one wasn't so sure about this.  

The new Bay of Play was definitely a favorite of the princesses:

The little one and I rode the carousel

 While Daddy and the big one ride the Shamu coaster

 The big one loved the water, but OMG look at all those people

If you plan on visiting Sea World SA anytime soon, I definitely recommend Rosita's Cafe for lunch.  It was an all you can eat Pizza, pasta and salad buffet, drinks included.  It was less than $30 for all of us to eat and we got PLENTY!! 

The little one had a nap while Daddy and the big one sat in the splash zone for the Believe show

 Rio Loco!!  (in case you don't speak spanish that means Crazy River ;) )

One last time on the carousel before we head back to the hotel.  I'm so excited I can't even stand it

Fine, I guess I'll smile

Overall it was a GREAT weekend, just the four of us.  I think my favorite part of the weekend was the last night when the little one didn't want to go to sleep.  She called for mama, she called for daddy and when neither one of us would come, she gave in and started yelling "Sissser!  Sissser!"  <3 Love!

It's hard to be so mamalicious

I have been a terrible blogger.  I admit it, I suck at it.  There are weeks when I am GREAT, and I blog all the time, and then.....Nada, zip, zilch.  I would love to say it is because I have been out saving the world a wad of cash one deal at a time, and this is somewhat true, but honestly, I have just been a crazy person.

Between, the 2 princesses, my Uh-MAZE-Ing job, the hubster, running, and playing dress up, I just haven't taken much time to blog.  I promise all my faithful readers, all 7 of you, I will be making more of an effort soon.  How you ask?  Well, it's almost summer in the Mamalicious home and that means a few things, the best of all being, DADDY'S HOME!!!  There are times, like around October, that I find being married to a football coach downright annoying, but come June, it all pays off.

But in the meantime, here are a few things that I have been up to in recent weeks.

I did run the Sprint for Life, with a PR of 31:29  WooHoo!!

I also won a contest that my awesome company Juice in the City put on, and they wrapped my car!  Introducing the Juice Mobile!!

And finally, my greatest accomplishment of the week.  I have lost enough weight that I can now fit back into my wedding gown:

Sorry for the crappy quality.  It was hard enough to get the hubs to take the pic with the cell phone.  :)

Like I said, I promise I will start blogging more regularly again soon.  I may even start sharing some recipes again.  

Sprint for Life

This week I'm running for EGGS.  That's right, eggs, as in, Ovum.  Since I finished the Scope 5K back in March, I have been chomping at the bit for this next race.  I set a goal for myself to try to do one at least every other month, if not every month.  Well, since I obviously didn't run one in April, I'm running one in May.  I am super stoked about this week's race and know I will be crying through the whole thing.

Sprint4Life is the race put on by MD Anderson cancer center to raise money and awareness for Ovarian Cancer.  This is a cause I am super passionate about.  My sophomore year of college my BFF Shannon (who happened to be one of my roommates) was diagnosed with Ovarian cancer.  She fought HARD and beat it, after months of chemo.  Here we are shaving her head:

If you can't tell those are some FAKE smiles.  This was probably one of the hardest things I've done in my life.  A 19 year old girl should not have to go through chemo and a 20 yr old should not have to shave her best friend's head.  

As I said before, she beat it with grace and beauty and was by my side when I said "I do" to the hubs.  

There's the real smiles

Her sister Shawna, another college roommate, also is an Ovarian cancer survivor and their beautiful Grandmother unfortunately was lost to the disease in January.  This weekend, I run for them.  In honor of the two beautiful women, who beat this silent killer, and in memory of their beautiful grandmother.  To make it even better, I am running with Shawna and their family.  

If you are not in the Houston area and would like to join our team, "SAVE THE EGGS", you can always Sprint in Spirit.  I am hoping for a great time this weekend, along with running for these women and those like them.  

Everyone is always worrying about their boobs, and yes, the tatas are important.  But let's think about our insides as well.  I've included some info, read it and pass it along.

What every woman should know...
 

Ovarian cancer is a serious and under-recognized threat to women's health.

• Ovarian cancer kills more women than all the Gynecologic Oncology combined.
  
• Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States.
  
• Ovarian cancer occurs in 1 in 57 women, up from 1 in 70 several years ago.
  
• Deaths from ovarian have risen. 2004 statistics released from the American Cancer Society show that ovarian cancer deaths have risen by close to 20% over 2003 statistics.
  
• More than 16,000 women will die this year alone and more than 25,500 will be diagnosed.

Ovarian cancer is very treatable when caught early; the vast majority of cases are not diagnosed until too late.

• When ovarian cancer is caught before it has spread outside the ovaries, 90+% will survive 5 years.
  
• Only 24% of ovarian cancer is caught early.
  
• When diagnosed after the disease has spread the chance of five-year survival drops to less than 25%.

Ovarian cancer is difficult to diagnose

• There is no reliable screening test for the early detection of ovarian cancer. The Pap smear only checks for cervical cancer.
  
• Symptoms are often vague and easily confused with other diseases. However, new studies indicate that ovarian cancer has recognizable symptoms, even early stage disease. Knowing those symptoms can help save women's lives. See:
  
  • JAMA, June 09, 2004 --- Volume 291, No. 22
  • Goff et al. Cancer 89:2068-75, 2000 
  • Eltabbakh et al. Gynecol Oncol 75:476-9, 1999

Raise Your AwarenessEarly recognition of symptoms is the best way to save women's lives. Early symptoms include:

• Bloating, a feeling of fullness, gas
• Frequent or urgent urination
• Nausea, indigestion, constipation, diarrhea
• Menstrual disorders, pain during intercourse
• Fatigue, backaches.

Take action if any symptoms last more than 2-3 weeks.

If ovarian cancer is suspected, ask to see a gynecological oncologist. 



What You Should Ask Your DoctorWhile everyone has these symptoms from time to time, it is important to know your own body and know when something is not right.

If you have these symptoms and they are not normal for you neither you nor your doctor knows why you are having them,

Then ask to have these important tests to help you rule out ovarian cancer.

• Bimanual pelvic exam
• Ca125 blood test (If it comes back elevated, ask your doctor to repeat this test monthly for several months. If it comes back progressively more elevated each time, even if the values are low, this is an indication that the condition could very likely be serious.)
• Transvaginal ultrasound

Who Has the Greatest Risk?

• Have 2 or more relatives who have had ovarian cancer
• Have a family history of multiple cancers: ovarian, breast or colon cancer
• Were diagnosed with breast cancer under the age of 50
• Have a personal history of multiple exposures to fertility drugs
• Are of Ashkenazi Jewish decent
• Have had uninterrupted ovulation (never used birth control pills, or no pregnancies)
• Have the BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene mutation
• Are over the age of 50

Most women experience one or more of these symptoms from time to time, and only rarely do they indicate ovarian cancer. And remember - if you have ovarian cancer, and it is caught early, survival chances are excellent. 


Raise the Awareness of All the Women You Know

Where is my creativity??

Handmade jewelry, belt buckles, hats, broaches, and more.  These were all things I saw yesterday while working the Home for the Holidays gift market for Juice in the City.  I am so envious of these women and their talents.  Why can't I be creative?  Why didn't I think of making a necklace with a picture of my kids?  Why can't I be a fabulous children's photographer?  These are all things that went through my mind.  Of course, after I wanted to buy all of their stuff.  I always tell people, the only things I can make are food and babies, and I'm not making anymore babies.  And since I've been on the weightloss kick, I'm not making much food either.

I can't even decorate my house by myself.  I am constantly asking my decorator friends for advice before buying anything or committing to paint colors.  I feel like I am missing some sort of my DNA, and then I remember where I am gifted.  I am GREAT at finding deals.  I love to tell my friends that my daughter's crocs only cost $8 on zulily. Or that I can get the same rug on overstock for less than what it would cost at target.  So, I guess even though I can't MAKE anything, I can make my money go further with a little creativity.

On that note, here are some of my favorite deal sites.

Of course, juice in the city

Living Social and has started featuring some local deals, every once in a while.

And for online deals for the house, check out The Foundary.