"Mom, your shirt is soaked! Good job!"
It doesn't get any better than that exercise-wise, does it?
10.23.2009
Comment from Son
As I was sitting eating my cottage cheese after working out, my son comes up, takes a look and says,
It doesn't get any better than that exercise-wise, does it?
It doesn't get any better than that exercise-wise, does it?
My First Give Away
Well, here I go, jumping into a give away, something I thought I'd never do.
I feel like doing something very positive and giving back right now.
So, what brings me great joy that I'd love to share? The FIRM. Specifically, The FIRM tapes that were made in 2001 and before.
Do you love 80s leg warmers? The leotards that made women's legs look a mile long? Can you say cheese? Yup, the outfits in these tapes are cheesy, but they were popular in their time. The thing is, they are absolutely fantastic workouts. You don't even think about what they're wearing, you're too busy working hard to notice.
So, I am going to give just one DVD away. I'm cheap, what can I say. Actually, I'm on a budget. The winner gets to choose which DVD they want.
~~~~~
A little FIRM history. It started long ago as a studio, The Body Firm, in Columbia, South Carolina. They also had a studio in Charleston, South Carolina. Eventually, in 1986, they produced their first VHS home workout with Susan Harris. It is one tough workout. A lot of critics said that Susan was too sexy and breathy with her voice. Believe me, if you're working out to this and want to talk, you'll be breathy, too. It has the toughest floor leg workout I've ever done. Their second FIRM tape was with Janet Jones, and rumor has it that Mr. Gretzky proposed during the production. This is Volume 2, which is my favorite.
Anna Benson, her husband Mark Henrickson and her sister Cynthia founded The FIRM. The production quality is amazing...in sync music, classical set, excellent workouts. No exercise video I've ever seen comes close to matching the production quality of the old FIRMS. Then one day in 2001 they sold to Good Times because of a lawsuit with a former employee, which is still on appeal. Sad, big loss for the rest of us. Good Times eventually sold to Gaiam, and The FIRM is still in production, there is still a studio in Columbia, but to me, it doesn't have the appeal of the Benson/Benson/Henrickson videos. (Although it's still very good--just not the same.)
Also important to note is that there are different types of workouts in The "Old" FIRM. They have some that are all weights, some called tortoises which are 75% weights and 25% cardio--slow and heavy; the classics, which were the first six volumes and are 50-50 weights/cardio, hares which are 25% weights and 75% cardio--light and fast, and then just some cardio workouts.
You do need weights for these workouts, and they recommend 3-, 5- and 8-pound weights to start out. Some require a tall or short box, which is now known as a Fanny Lifter. An aerobic step will work. When I started out, I didn't even use my step! Some require a barbell, but you can substitute with free weights or a body sculpting stick, like I do. Also, a 48-inch dowel for balance in some routines, and you can use a broom or mop for that! One even uses a weight ball, but you could just hold a dumbbell instead.
Anna Benson has re-mastered many of the old workouts and is now selling them on DVD. They are chaptered, and she has done a wonderful job. You can see long clips on You Tube, which I've linked to.
So in my little give away, you may choose:
Volume 1 with Susan Harris (Body Sculpting Basics)
Volume 2 with Janet Jones Gretzky (Low Impact Aerobics)
Volume 3 with Sandahl Bergman (Aerobic Workout with Weights)
Volume 4 with Susan Harris and Kai Soremekun (Time Crunch)
Volume 6 with Jayne Poteet (Boomers)
These are all classics, 50-50. I must note that their low-impact aerobics is actually high impact. I modify to low-impact.
The Tortoise with Tracie Long -- this a tortoise, 75% weights/25% aerobics and has ballroom steps.
The Hare with Tracie Long --this is a hare, which complements The Tortoise. Also, ballroom music, the Charleston, etc. These two are dancier than the rest.
Better Body and Buns--this is a tortoise. This is one of my favorites, and I get major DOMS from this.
Sculpting with Weights with Tracie Long. This is geared to beginners, but it's definitely NOT easy! It's a great tortoise tape.
Maximum Cardio with Carissa Foster. This is a Hare, and it's tough. I own it, but haven't done it yet. I've watched it a few times and I don't quite have the stamina yet--plus I have to figure out low-impact substitutes for the high-impact work. A weighted ball is needed for some segments in this.
Tough Tape with Tracie Long -- this is all weights and it is tough.
Now for the contest rules.
There will be one winner.
1. Enter the contest below by leaving a comment.
You may also enter a second time.
2. Blog about it, and leave a comment with a link letting me know you have done so.
Make sure you leave a way for me to let you know you've won!
I don't twitter, tweet or any of that, so we'll just leave it to these two.
Entry deadline is noon central time on October 28. I will announce a winner that evening. I will order the DVD and have it sent to me, then will forward it on. I will note that Anna does not seal the cases of the DVDs. So when you get it, don't assume I opened it up and played it! I wouldn't do that, and I own all these anyway, even if most are on VHS. lol
One final comment: I won't be offended if there are not a lot of entries! I fully realize that the style and the outfits may be very off-putting to some. However, if you have an open mind or have lived through and loved the 80s/90s, it won't even phase you. The bottom line is that these are quality workouts, and many people still love and do them. They're very common on many of the video exercise boards.
I feel like doing something very positive and giving back right now.
So, what brings me great joy that I'd love to share? The FIRM. Specifically, The FIRM tapes that were made in 2001 and before.
Do you love 80s leg warmers? The leotards that made women's legs look a mile long? Can you say cheese? Yup, the outfits in these tapes are cheesy, but they were popular in their time. The thing is, they are absolutely fantastic workouts. You don't even think about what they're wearing, you're too busy working hard to notice.
So, I am going to give just one DVD away. I'm cheap, what can I say. Actually, I'm on a budget. The winner gets to choose which DVD they want.
~~~~~
A little FIRM history. It started long ago as a studio, The Body Firm, in Columbia, South Carolina. They also had a studio in Charleston, South Carolina. Eventually, in 1986, they produced their first VHS home workout with Susan Harris. It is one tough workout. A lot of critics said that Susan was too sexy and breathy with her voice. Believe me, if you're working out to this and want to talk, you'll be breathy, too. It has the toughest floor leg workout I've ever done. Their second FIRM tape was with Janet Jones, and rumor has it that Mr. Gretzky proposed during the production. This is Volume 2, which is my favorite.
Anna Benson, her husband Mark Henrickson and her sister Cynthia founded The FIRM. The production quality is amazing...in sync music, classical set, excellent workouts. No exercise video I've ever seen comes close to matching the production quality of the old FIRMS. Then one day in 2001 they sold to Good Times because of a lawsuit with a former employee, which is still on appeal. Sad, big loss for the rest of us. Good Times eventually sold to Gaiam, and The FIRM is still in production, there is still a studio in Columbia, but to me, it doesn't have the appeal of the Benson/Benson/Henrickson videos. (Although it's still very good--just not the same.)
Also important to note is that there are different types of workouts in The "Old" FIRM. They have some that are all weights, some called tortoises which are 75% weights and 25% cardio--slow and heavy; the classics, which were the first six volumes and are 50-50 weights/cardio, hares which are 25% weights and 75% cardio--light and fast, and then just some cardio workouts.
You do need weights for these workouts, and they recommend 3-, 5- and 8-pound weights to start out. Some require a tall or short box, which is now known as a Fanny Lifter. An aerobic step will work. When I started out, I didn't even use my step! Some require a barbell, but you can substitute with free weights or a body sculpting stick, like I do. Also, a 48-inch dowel for balance in some routines, and you can use a broom or mop for that! One even uses a weight ball, but you could just hold a dumbbell instead.
Anna Benson has re-mastered many of the old workouts and is now selling them on DVD. They are chaptered, and she has done a wonderful job. You can see long clips on You Tube, which I've linked to.
So in my little give away, you may choose:
Volume 1 with Susan Harris (Body Sculpting Basics)
Volume 2 with Janet Jones Gretzky (Low Impact Aerobics)
Volume 3 with Sandahl Bergman (Aerobic Workout with Weights)
Volume 4 with Susan Harris and Kai Soremekun (Time Crunch)
Volume 6 with Jayne Poteet (Boomers)
These are all classics, 50-50. I must note that their low-impact aerobics is actually high impact. I modify to low-impact.
The Tortoise with Tracie Long -- this a tortoise, 75% weights/25% aerobics and has ballroom steps.
The Hare with Tracie Long --this is a hare, which complements The Tortoise. Also, ballroom music, the Charleston, etc. These two are dancier than the rest.
Better Body and Buns--this is a tortoise. This is one of my favorites, and I get major DOMS from this.
Sculpting with Weights with Tracie Long. This is geared to beginners, but it's definitely NOT easy! It's a great tortoise tape.
Maximum Cardio with Carissa Foster. This is a Hare, and it's tough. I own it, but haven't done it yet. I've watched it a few times and I don't quite have the stamina yet--plus I have to figure out low-impact substitutes for the high-impact work. A weighted ball is needed for some segments in this.
Tough Tape with Tracie Long -- this is all weights and it is tough.
Now for the contest rules.
There will be one winner.
1. Enter the contest below by leaving a comment.
You may also enter a second time.
2. Blog about it, and leave a comment with a link letting me know you have done so.
Make sure you leave a way for me to let you know you've won!
I don't twitter, tweet or any of that, so we'll just leave it to these two.
Entry deadline is noon central time on October 28. I will announce a winner that evening. I will order the DVD and have it sent to me, then will forward it on. I will note that Anna does not seal the cases of the DVDs. So when you get it, don't assume I opened it up and played it! I wouldn't do that, and I own all these anyway, even if most are on VHS. lol
One final comment: I won't be offended if there are not a lot of entries! I fully realize that the style and the outfits may be very off-putting to some. However, if you have an open mind or have lived through and loved the 80s/90s, it won't even phase you. The bottom line is that these are quality workouts, and many people still love and do them. They're very common on many of the video exercise boards.
10.22.2009
Terrible Day
This was probably the worst day I've had in a year and a half. Awful, just awful. My son's procedure did not happen, he was referred to someone new, so we have to go through all that anticipation/stress again. And the new procedure will be much more traumatic and invasive.
Sometimes we have good days, sometimes we have bad days, and sometimes we just want to go to bed and pull the covers over our head. I pulled the covers over my head for an hour this afternoon, along with taking a Xanax. I just took a second Xanax about a half hour ago.
When it's good, it's really, really good. When it's bad, it stinks.
Now this is not said to be whiny, looking for sympathy or being a diva or baby. It just is. And I do go back over this blog as I use it as my memory at times. I don't think I'll forget today anytime soon, but at least I've written about it.
To polish off my crappy day, I've decided to be grateful for some things:
My son. I could not have asked for a more wonderful, loving, intelligent, caring kid. He's good to the core, and I'm so proud of him.
My husband. We actually had a little, um, disagreement today, but I still love him. I'm grateful we resolved it.
My dogs. Always love us, never show judgment, and always bring a smile to my face.
I'm grateful that we had a safe trip home and back from the big city.
I'm grateful that we have a fantastic orthodontist.
I'm grateful it did not rain today.
I'm grateful I'm alive, getting healthy, and didn't even have the desire to overeat during my day of hell.
I'm grateful that I'm strong. I was able to hold myself together until I got home, at which point I took a full Xanax. I don't find it weak that I took one, I am proud that I held it together today. I'm making progress.
I'm grateful tomorrow is Friday and we'll be able to have a full school day. I don't have to go anywhere, I can just stay home and relax.
I'm grateful we homeschool, because I'm declaring tomorrow a pajama day!
I'm grateful that there is still half a cake left! In the olden days, it would have been gone the next day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, only half was consumed. We're all eating healthier, I think that's proof!
I'm grateful to God.
See, I can see the light through the darkness. Bad days happen, and that's just a part of life. How we deal with them is what matters. No one ever said life would be easy, and it's not. Yet changing our perceptions, accepting there will be bad days instead of being devastated by them and eating myself to oblivion works wonders.
I rock. =)
Sometimes we have good days, sometimes we have bad days, and sometimes we just want to go to bed and pull the covers over our head. I pulled the covers over my head for an hour this afternoon, along with taking a Xanax. I just took a second Xanax about a half hour ago.
When it's good, it's really, really good. When it's bad, it stinks.
Now this is not said to be whiny, looking for sympathy or being a diva or baby. It just is. And I do go back over this blog as I use it as my memory at times. I don't think I'll forget today anytime soon, but at least I've written about it.
To polish off my crappy day, I've decided to be grateful for some things:
My son. I could not have asked for a more wonderful, loving, intelligent, caring kid. He's good to the core, and I'm so proud of him.
My husband. We actually had a little, um, disagreement today, but I still love him. I'm grateful we resolved it.
My dogs. Always love us, never show judgment, and always bring a smile to my face.
I'm grateful that we had a safe trip home and back from the big city.
I'm grateful that we have a fantastic orthodontist.
I'm grateful it did not rain today.
I'm grateful I'm alive, getting healthy, and didn't even have the desire to overeat during my day of hell.
I'm grateful that I'm strong. I was able to hold myself together until I got home, at which point I took a full Xanax. I don't find it weak that I took one, I am proud that I held it together today. I'm making progress.
I'm grateful tomorrow is Friday and we'll be able to have a full school day. I don't have to go anywhere, I can just stay home and relax.
I'm grateful we homeschool, because I'm declaring tomorrow a pajama day!
I'm grateful that there is still half a cake left! In the olden days, it would have been gone the next day. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, only half was consumed. We're all eating healthier, I think that's proof!
I'm grateful to God.
See, I can see the light through the darkness. Bad days happen, and that's just a part of life. How we deal with them is what matters. No one ever said life would be easy, and it's not. Yet changing our perceptions, accepting there will be bad days instead of being devastated by them and eating myself to oblivion works wonders.
I rock. =)
10.21.2009
FitBit
Move over BodyBugg and GoWearFit, there's a new product coming out. It's called FitBit. $99 for the bit, the software and base station. I haven't been able to figure out if you have to pay a monthly fee or not.
The good: This thing is small. You can wear it on your waist, in your pocket or your undies. It also has a wristband. When you walk by the base station, your data is automatically uploaded.
The bad: I don't know if this is bad. People have pre-ordered this thing a long time ago, and it's slow getting out. They're working on some bugs, but it is set to ship out for the pre-orders October 31st.
This looks like a fantastic alternative to the BodyBugg. I am just hoping you don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee.
Just thought I'd share the info.
Good thing hubby came home for lunch, as I sat down with him and my computer and just stumbled upon this!
This is something I am very interested in. I may wait a bit and let others be the test guinea pigs, but it is on my wish list!
Now, back to the couch.
The good: This thing is small. You can wear it on your waist, in your pocket or your undies. It also has a wristband. When you walk by the base station, your data is automatically uploaded.
The bad: I don't know if this is bad. People have pre-ordered this thing a long time ago, and it's slow getting out. They're working on some bugs, but it is set to ship out for the pre-orders October 31st.
This looks like a fantastic alternative to the BodyBugg. I am just hoping you don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee.
Just thought I'd share the info.
Good thing hubby came home for lunch, as I sat down with him and my computer and just stumbled upon this!
This is something I am very interested in. I may wait a bit and let others be the test guinea pigs, but it is on my wish list!
Now, back to the couch.
Sick Day
Both my son and I are having a sick day. Both our tummies are grumbling and very upset. I haven't got half my morning chores done and he hasn't cracked open a book. I started feeling awful last night, and I thought it was from the sugar in the piece of cake I had. Now I'm wondering if it's just a bug. Anxious for hubby to come home to see how he's feeling--hopefully good. I woke up so many times during the night feeling gross, and usually once I fall asleep, I stay asleep.
Tomorrow is surgery, so a missed school day. Monday was missed due to getting the braces out of town. Now today. UGH. We're still ahead of my schedule, though, so doing well. I make room for "life happens" stuff in the schedule, thankfully.
I have not worked out in three days. I simply MUST work out today. I'm planning on a little nap, and hopefully I'll feel better and well enough to do something. I'm not liking my lack of exercise this week. No excuses, I just didn't do it. Tired, busy, blah--I made the choice and yes, I'm regretting it.
Time for a short nap.
Tomorrow is surgery, so a missed school day. Monday was missed due to getting the braces out of town. Now today. UGH. We're still ahead of my schedule, though, so doing well. I make room for "life happens" stuff in the schedule, thankfully.
I have not worked out in three days. I simply MUST work out today. I'm planning on a little nap, and hopefully I'll feel better and well enough to do something. I'm not liking my lack of exercise this week. No excuses, I just didn't do it. Tired, busy, blah--I made the choice and yes, I'm regretting it.
Time for a short nap.
10.20.2009
The Big 5-0
So today was hubby's 50th birthday. Why does that make me feel old? He celebrated by putting in overtime at work. Tomorrow he's taking in five dozen donuts. He would have done it today but something was going on and so there were donuts there. A fellow co-worker shares his birthday, so there will be donuts the day following. Can you imagine having to face donuts three days in a row at your place of employment? Oy.
We went out to supper at hub's favorite restaurant in town. It's about the only sit-down-and-be-served restaurant here, so thankfully it's good. Then we came home and had cake. I did have a small piece.
He got a Vikings sweatshirt--his favorite team long before we moved to Minnesota. And he's also getting some free-weight thing-a-ma-bobs, a bench and some kind of bar that attaches that had to be ordered. (Lucky me, I'll get to use it too.)
Quite uneventful, in the scheme of things. Just the way he likes it.
My husband is a great guy. He's far from perfect, same as his wife. He has a wonderful life attitude, though. To put things the way he would word them, "Just keep on going, no matter what shit life throws at you." And he does. He's pretty content.
We don't have a perfect marriage. Sometimes he annoys me beyond measure, as I annoy him. I get so mad at him at times, as he does with me. That's life, though. He's my rock. He grounds me. We are complete opposites from politics to--well, everything. Yet, we're a perfect match.
He's a good man. May he have many more "uneventful" birthdays, and a lifetime of wonderful.
We went out to supper at hub's favorite restaurant in town. It's about the only sit-down-and-be-served restaurant here, so thankfully it's good. Then we came home and had cake. I did have a small piece.
He got a Vikings sweatshirt--his favorite team long before we moved to Minnesota. And he's also getting some free-weight thing-a-ma-bobs, a bench and some kind of bar that attaches that had to be ordered. (Lucky me, I'll get to use it too.)
Quite uneventful, in the scheme of things. Just the way he likes it.
My husband is a great guy. He's far from perfect, same as his wife. He has a wonderful life attitude, though. To put things the way he would word them, "Just keep on going, no matter what shit life throws at you." And he does. He's pretty content.
We don't have a perfect marriage. Sometimes he annoys me beyond measure, as I annoy him. I get so mad at him at times, as he does with me. That's life, though. He's my rock. He grounds me. We are complete opposites from politics to--well, everything. Yet, we're a perfect match.
He's a good man. May he have many more "uneventful" birthdays, and a lifetime of wonderful.
Happy Birthday, Ang!
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Ang
Happy Birthday to you!
Ang
I hope you didn't want to keep this a secret, but I just felt like we needed to celebrate you today!
May all your dreams and goals come true! =)
Happy Birthday to you
Happy Birthday Dear Ang
Happy Birthday to you!
Ang
I hope you didn't want to keep this a secret, but I just felt like we needed to celebrate you today!
May all your dreams and goals come true! =)
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