Say hello to my new friend! Isn’t she gorgeous? It’s the Pilates Power Gym.! Part Pilates, part strength training – ALL fabulous!

Although I have been oh so all about Zumba lately, I have been wanting to take a pilates class FOREVER! I would peek into the exclusive Pilates private gym area trying to see what all the fuss was about. They looked liked they were in traction in those contraptions. GAH! I mean graceful and glowing but in traction nonetheless. I pulled the brochure to see how much this torture would add to my monthly membership! I would need an affilliate flood to pay that!

But then suddenly,…as if out of thin air,… like a fluffy girl’s fairy Godmother came…. *wait for it* …..Ahhhh*singing like angels* HSN!

I was randomly flipping channels not even paying attention, and out of the corner of my eye….what?! That’s not at ALL like those contraptions! It’s sleek and…well, beautiful! I was mezmerized! In a carol ann like state, just staring. I watched the silver haired vixen work her footstrapped legs like a prancing deer. Certainly this was a message from God! Pilates, Free Shipping,Reasonable Price, FLEX PAY? Quick! Quick I said, “where’s the phone”. “They’re gonna sell out , hurry!”.

The ordering was fast and flawless. Customer service centers everywhere should take note! It arrived early, well packaged and nearly fully assembled (very little to be done). I set it up and it’s a sturdy 16″w x 48″ l 23″ h if measuring to the top of the bar. HSN tossed in the “optional” push up bar and footstraps (no doubt it was already padded into the price but I didn’t care). HSN offered an extended warranty and padded mat. I didn’t buy either. If I had it to do again, I would probably take the mat. The machine is heavy and has left deep marks in my rug. The unit is mobile and can be easily moved.

The machine works by engaging 4 tension cords in combinations and in conjunction with your body weight on the carriage/slideboard. The slideboard is adjustable for height and size, holds up to 300 lbs and the 2 position headrest is fab! The guys can use it too! Mr. Blogomama says it’s great for golf & baseball exercises. The four tension cords claim 16 possible settings that in combination with 11 carriage/slideboard positions, can give you over 175 possible resistance settings. I think I have a ways to go on this one!

Included were two workout dvd’s, a comprehensive owners manual, nutrition guide, push up bar exercise & instruction pamphlet, and resistance chart:

The DVD’s were varied. The first one I tried (Marlo Fisken 2 in 1 workout) was too fast for me. Being a novice, I couldn’t keep up not so much with the exercises (well as far as I got) but with the transitions. Admittedly, I gave up quickly but I would not recommend starting with this one. The second dvd is two parts. I did the strength training first. The set design is super cheezay and the narrator/trainer is horribly distracting. From his half headed ponytail down to his Richard Simmons short shorts. I had to cut him off at his Danskins! Blec! The the second half (Pilates Power Workout) was just right! One female instructor, Terri Nakamura who is a physical therapist and certified Pilates instructor. She is on the same cheezay set but is very clear, concise and not at all annoying. This part is a great 42 minute (perfect length) workout for beginners! I Googled her, the credentials are real.

The Owners Manual is 1/2 technical manual and 1/2 Pilates 8 week workout progression plan. It very clearly diagrams exercises with the exercise level, tension and position required. I found it to be very thorough. It also states the body part each exercise targets, in case your aching muscles don’t! I’m way about that. It’s like Pilates for dummies cliffnote style.

The Nutrition Guide is about 50 pages, includes very clear and concise information and details. Menus are broken down by plans ranging from 1200-2000 calories. I appreciated that it could be geared toward men or women. Since this IS a “home” gym. They were spot on with this.

The Push-Up Bar exercise & instruction guide very clearly diagrams exercises.

The Resistance Chart seems to be more for the advanced. I think I’ll need to study more to understand the nomenclature used, i.e.: 90/90 position.

Overall, the machine is easy to use. The handstraps and footstraps. are relatively easy to change. It would be great tho if they could just include another latch per footstrap so you can unhook the whole handle with the latch instead of just the handle. That’s sort of a pain! The tension cords are quick and easy to transition and the glideboard is quiet, but not silent. The pulley balls are a little annoying across your body when you’re doing some leg work.

This is a workout I have done every day without whining!

Blogomama says: “I Likey A LOT!”

NEED A HOT GIFT FOR VALENTINES DAY?

Stuffed animals are for children, flowers will die, candy adds pounds, and neither of you are quite ready for the lingerie challenge?   Want a super sexy practical option? 

Check out these super cool scent samplers from Sephora – for men and women!  Each set includes  8-10 sample fragrances and a certificate of redemption that will get you one full size bottle of your favorite fragrance from that group.

Scent samplers for him:  “Best Sellers”
The set includes 10 fragrance samples with names such as Hugo Boss, Armani, Diesel, Jean Paul Gaultier  (mi favorito para mi papi chulo!), and includes a bonus sample of Anthony shave cream.  My guy digs fragrance and is super picky.  He wasn’t bothered that there weren’t more “sets” to choose from, loved the concept and the choices.   

Scent Samplers for her: “Trendsetters” 
The set includes 9 fragrance samples with names such as Dior, Prada, and Burberry, and includes a bonus atomizer.  This is the one I have. Love it!

 
Scent samplers for her: “Brand Deluxe”
This set includes 8 deluxe size samples with fragrance names such as Be Delicious, Very Irresistable, and Princess.

Scent Samplers for her: “New Classics”
The set includes 8 fragrance samples with names such as Prada, Thierry Mugler, and Marc Jacobs, and includes a bonus atomizer.

Scent Samplers for her: “Best Sellers”
The set includes 10 fragrance samples with names such as Gwen Stefani, Givenchy, and Vera Wang, and includes a bonus atomizer.

Each sample set includes a scent book which I personally love.   I’m a fragrance freak and I enjoy learning the notes in the fragrances that I love.   If you are too, you can check out the fragrance finder @ http://twurl.nl/czgukf  at Sephora.com.!  Type in your favorite fragrance, by letter or brand, and it kicks back recommendations based on your favorite!  LOVE THAT!.  You can also search by note.  If you’re a super freak – check  out “now smell this” a perfume blog @ http://twurl.nl/6n2qw6 , its so insane!

The Scent Sampler is a great concept for those of us who like to try before we buy; particularly since fragrances can be a splurge!  You cannot redeem the certificates online which is a BIG BUMMER (SEPHORA), but I think they are priced right at $50-$70.  You might even have some cash leftover for a romantic fondue dinner for two!

Blogomama says:  “I Likey!

Off to Target I went!  Much to my shagrin they had replaced the 75%  off clearance clutter with a new spring home collection.  DOH!  Standoff, shmandoff!  Then,.. suddenly, .. just as I was breaking into a flop sweat, there it was- a lonely end cap holding the last of the clearance frenzy.  It wasn’t much but it was EXACTLY what  I needed, and with happy little orange tags to boot!  Here’s what I picked up…. 

Last years method was bubble wrap and boxes.   Today I picked up Snapware ornament storage and Rubbermaid gift wrap storage. 

Snapware: 2 Layer Ornament Box and 4 Layer Seasonal Tote:

The ornament box comes with cardboard dividers that the website says can hold 18-32 (3″-4″ items).  I’m not sure about  that, I configured mine to 12.  It held my bulky ornaments nicely and I put two in some compartments.  You can remove or rearrange the dividers to suit your needs.  The box is a sturdy clear plastic and the one I bought had a red lid.  Now, ornament organizers are not a new concept but I like this one because of the hard plastic.  I’m not worried about it being crushed, and I like that I can see what’s inside.  The layers snap together nicely and the handle is sturdy. I wasn’t worried about the layers coming apart.  The ornament box is also sold in a three layer.

The 4 layer seasonal tote does not come with any dividers but is handy for small items that are not fragile and can be grouped together.  I used mine for holiday candles , school made ornaments etc.  The layers snap to each other.  This is also sturdy clear plastic and has a handle.  Would be great for crafters.

http://www.snapware.com//product_buy.asp?dept%5Fid=2001

Rubbermaid Low Profile Wrapping Station: 

This is a gift wrap storage tote.  It is a very lightweight breathable fabric, comes with a hard cardboard bottom support layer, and two large clear bow pouches with Velcro on the top flap.  It’s pleasant to look at compared to the old bulky garbage can pieces; but…it’s not plastic, so careful that it doesn’t get smushed.

I was curious to know how much it would hold.   I put 8 40″ long , 100 sf rolls and 32, 26″ 25sf rolls on top of that.  The cover flips over like a suitcase and that’s the part that holds the bows, or ribbon or whatever. I carried it around for a few minutes and it seems to carry the weight well.  I DO think they should have made a more solid handle but it will do.  My only complaint, and it’s a biggun, is that there was a tear in the seam in the front near the zipper.  Don’t package defective merchandise!  I’m not going back to Target to replace it.

http://www.rubbermaid.com/rubbermaid/product/category.jhtml?cat=HPCat280068

Blogomama says: “I likey!”

I ran in to buy milk but here’s what I found!

Good Buy: Weight Watcher’s Smart Ones, frozen dinners and desserts 1/2 off.  I almost got trampled and there was not much left but I’m sure they’ll restock.   Cha Ching!

Good Buy: Dole Salad Mix , Classic Romaine 10 oz $1. Cha Ching!

Good Buy: Avocados  $1 Each. Cha Ching!

Good Buy: Lays Wavy Chips $1.99 Cha Ching!

Good Buy: Blueberries and Blackberries 1 pint $1 – they were out of blackberries!  Uggh! Cha Ching!

Good Buy: Kool Aid Burstin Waters 8 pk $1  – it’s always this price at Meijer.  Cha Ching!

Good Buy: Danactive yogurt, select varieties 4pk, 4 ounce. $2 Cha Ching!

They are having $1 days too.  There are a variety of food items on sale for $1.  Buy 10 $1 items, get the 11th free!

Today’s receipt: 38 items $ 67.65 (savings of $ 34.08  no coupons used).

**Check your local sales ads for local pricing.

Being a newbie blogger, I was feeling anxiety over how to make my blog a super duper cyber blimp.  Tonite I have overcome! Well, not all that large but I’m feeling good about my work.

Tonight I inserted an image.  I’m not saying it didn’t go without a few snags.  The video thing (technical term) I wanted to insert was html, it threw off all my formatting and never showed up as the video stream I wanted.  It DID take me about an hour to realize the formatting issue but I located the culprit, made the corrections and finally clicked “publish”.  Only to find out I forgot to save the correction I had made.

Now, if I could just figure out how to correct the time on this thing!

She’s backkkkkk!  My alter ego, the reality t.v. addict has resurfaced and is ready to enjoy the mindless act that IS reality t.v. .  It looks like we’re getting a healthy helping of all new ridiculousness.  Buckle up kids, we’ve got alot to cover this season!

Let me introduce you to Confessions of a Teen Idol.  This nugget is the brain child of Scott Baio (has been teen idol) and Jason what’s his name (has been teen idol sidekick sidekick).  There are seven unrecognizable and long forgottenteen idols looking for an opportunity to re-ignite their careers.  Awkweird!

I can’t tell you the names without cheating so here’s blogomama’s version.  Listed below in no particular order or recognition and referred to as “the guy from”.

Blue Lagoon (remember,w/baby Brooke!) -pool builder(is he still wearing a puka shell necklace?)
TJ Hooker ( I didn’t know anyone watched that show) – entertainer on a cruise line
Fame (is it me or is his face very large) – business man
Baywatch brunette (Hasselhoff’s son) – reformed meth mfr.
90210 (I think he came in it’s dying days) – firefighter/emt
Real World/The Grind (Eric, I know this one) -life coach/ health guru & evidently has a very clean colon
Baywatch blonde  (don’t recall him David something)

Tonight was introductions, interviews and settling into the new digs.  They met with some “foremost authority on celebrities and fame” (?).  Needless to say they were very skeptical.  It appears as they will meet regularly. That ended warm and fuzzy. Next they were faxed a call sheet – a red carpet event to make an appearance for a gathering of their fans (red flags popping up everywhere). They got all dolled up and ready to go.  This is where it gets painful.  They’re all lined up on stage you can hear them being announced, the curtain opens.  They realize they’ve been punk’d.  The applause was sound effect (shocker?) and they stood staring at Scott, Jason AND an empty auditorium.  The lesson? Fame is fleeting (really?).  This first of eight episodes closes with one of the Baywatch beauties freaking out and Jason gets called to the house to reel him back in.

Why tune in? Everyone loves a where are they now fest – famous or not!  Their stories are intriguing and their transparency riveting.  This is a sort of Celebrity Rehab meets Real World.  The great twist that Scott Baio adds (to this and his previous show) is there is self examination, learning and growth. Sort of a little drew pinski esque. Next week’s trailer proves to be a worthwhile watch.  It’s a focus group beat down.  The guys get to watch and listen in. Ouch! 

Blogomama gives Confessions of a Teen Idol – 5 Remotes!

I’m talking about a young man named Tim Tebow.  Tim Tebow is a Junior QB playing for the University of Florida (aka Gators), 2007 winner of the much coveted Heisman Trophy and proclaimed Christian.  I stumbled on to Tim Tebow last year when my husband was watching ESPN’s coverage of the Heisman trophy awards.  Stating the obvious, this young man is an outstanding athlete and you can check out his background and stats on Wikipedia (http://tinyurl.com/y5nbb5).  What REALLY impressed me, was the inspiring story behind the athlete.

Tim Tebow was born in the Phillipines to missionary parents, the youngest of five children (all homeschooled). His mother suffered an infection while pregnant with Tim, and the doctors recommended an abortion.  Years later, as residents of Florida, Tim started playing football after legislation was passed in 1996, allowing homeschooled students to participate in local high school events.  He is a college athlete studying family youth and community services who spends summers helping with his father’s orphanage and missionary work in the Phillipines.  In spite of the high profile world of college football, it seems that Tim truly recognizes,diplays, and appreciates his status as a role model for young boys.  

Thank you to the Tebow’s for providing us with a role model who wears his pants at the waist, loves his parents and puts God first.  Faith, Family, Academics, and then Football.  Can I get a witness!

Cast your vote for the 2008 Heisman Trophy winner – the winner from our votes counts as “one” vote for that candidate.  Sort of like a people’s choice. http://tinyurl.com/4xdg8s.

The Tim Tebow bill http://timtebowbill.com/. 

Bob Tebow Evangelistic Association http://www.btea.org/aboutus.asp .

This course involves a careful examination of all things Twitter.  Emphases are on development of basic awareness of completely foreign Twitter terms, resources and a ton of crap you never knew existed!  It is an exploratory, first course designed primarily for Twitters that rode in on the short bus! It also meets the needs of anyone who needs a good laugh!

Remedial Twittering 101 will meet as soon as I get a full night’s sleep!

Christine Gold – Western Union.  Every time I make a phone payment, I’ll think of you! You count the profits.

Ann More – Time Inc.   I checked out your new baby Maghound(http://tinyurl.com/3lmnnl)  Good job! I think I might try it.

Carol Myrowitz- TJX – Props!  Try putting two Western Unions across the street from each other.  I don’t think so!  Go on with your bad self!

Susan Chambers – WalMart.  I know it’s not your department but can you talk to someone about wider aisles and the lighting, oy!

Abigail Johnson – Fidelity.  Can you say nepotism!

Pamela Nicholson – Enterprise.  Hey Abigail!  She did it without the bloodline!

Cece Sutton – Wachovia.  Isn’t your back killing you, having to carry the whole company like that!  Hang in there!

Claire Babrowski – ToyRUS.   My son calls Target the toy store.  I didn’t even know Radio Shack still existed.  Good luck with that!

Anne Sweeney – Walt Disney.  Finally we come eye to face.  I needed to know who was draining the pockets of tween moms everywhere!  You look good in pink!

Cathie Black – Hearst Magazine.  Wow! 64!  You look great! I’m still partial to Maghound tho.  Sorry!

Most photogenic: It’s a tie – Lisa Weber and Marissa Mayer – congrats!

Obviously the companies listed KNOW that the largest margin of purchasing decisions are made by women.  What better strategy than to put them at the helm.  All comments made with love and affection.  It’s sattire folks, get over it! 

 http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/mostpowerfulwomen/2008/full_list/

By the way… this borrowed laptop (my dt *cached*hee hee out), takes some getting used to -evidentally impairing all ability to spell!  Arggggh!  What is the protocol for for posting.  I swear I read four minimum and ten is too many.  I have to be close to overexposure for sure.  Well that is if somene were actually reading me.  Oh well, it’s cathartic, move over Paris!  Where is the blogorazzi when you need em!