Easy Lunch Boxes Shout Out!

Easy Lunch Boxes are sponsoring a Season 2 Contestent on Win, Lose, or Blog! And I am loving their lunchboxes so I thought I would share with my healthy Fitness For The Rest of Us friends!

 

Easy Lunch Boxes are The Best Lunchbox System You Will Find!

 

 

 Pack waste-free lunch boxes fast with our single-lid, 3-compartment, bento-style plastic food containers. Affordable lunch box containers and cooler bags for work or school lunches. This is the best lunchbox system to turn your kids lunch ideas into school lunches they can’t resist, or make your own healthy meal ideas a snap to pack for work. The EasyLunchbox System pairs food-safe reusable lunch containers with roomy cooler bags. It's the green, sack lunch alternative — sized just right for kids and adults. Easy Lunch Boxes allow you to pack lunches quickly, using your own healthy lunch recipes. EasyLunchboxes.com was born out of the owners response to disturbingly unhealthy school lunches!

Easy Lunch Box is THE perfect prize for one of our Win, Lose, or Blog Season 2 "losers!" They can continue their newfound (or reborn) healthy lifestyle by packing and bringing their own lunch. One lucky "loser" will receive an awesome, roomy cooler bag in their choice of colors and FOUR sets of comparmentalized bento containers and lids.

Easy Lunch Boxes are:

• Cost effective: No more wasting money buying daily lunches and disposable lunch bags
• Healthy: No more eating fast food!
• Green: No more filling the landfills with disposable brown bags and ziplocs.

 I had the pleasure of trying out an Easy Lunch Box system and let me tell you I LOVE LOVE LOVE it! The cooler bag is spacious enough to include my Easy Lunch Box bento and my morning & afternoon snacks. The bento boxes have a large compartment for a sandwich/ salad/ or leftovers from the night before, a medium compartment for a sidedish or yogurt, and a smaller compartment for fruit or anything else you crave.

 

 

 

Head on over to Easy Lunch Boxes and check out her large assortment of healthy lunch boxes, kids lunch boxes, bento lunch boxes, & back to school lunch boxes!

 

Thank you Easy Lunch Boxes for supporting our season 2 "losers!"

The FIRM: Hi-Def Sculpt Review

The FIRM: Hi-Def Sculpt
Annie Lee, 2007

This dvd was originally released in the Firms TransFirmation Cardioweights system (BSS5) but is now available individually. The full length version is 46 minutes and the express version is 25 minutes. Annie isn't the best lead but the workout is still good. This was her first time leading and she is definately uncomfortable in front of the camera.

There are four background exercisers, all Firm Master Intructors. Sue Mi shows the beginner modificaitons. The set is hardwood floor with white brick walls and foggy windows.

The workout is solid and she hits every muscle group. It is strength only (no cardio). She does intersperse some stretching throughout the workout (I could have lived without that) and closes with an additional stretch. My main pet peeve is she uses her medium weights the ENTIRE workout. She goes at a nice slow pace and you can EASILY heavy up-and I do.

There is a lot of shoulder work. She does a set of pushups and one set of pec flys for chest work. There is a lot of compound moves-most of it is appropriate so you can do both moves w/ the same set of weights. She does side lunges with rows, lunge and twist/ chop, squat with rows, side lunge w/ front raise, etc. There are a few sets of lat rows, there is some standing ab work interspersed as well.

After about 25 minutes of standing work you go down to the floor for a few minutes. On the floor she has you doing a "power press" move-tricpes tummy toner (crunch with a bench press into an overhead tricep extension), and some bridges with triceps work. Then you are back to standing work for a bit and you will end with some crunches, side crunches, and lower ab work.

I would rate this a solid intermediate w/o that you can up or down the intensity by adjusting your poundage. She pauses a lot inbetween sets so there is some down time especially considering the stretching she has interspersed throughout. All in all its a good strength w/o despite it all.

DVD GIVEAWAY: 10 Minute Solution Rapid Result Fat Burner -Anchor Bay Fitness

This giveaway is now over. Check out current Fitness For the Rest of Us Giveways by clicking on the "give-aways" link on my left hand sidebar!
This weeks DVD giveaway is courtesy of Anchor Bay Fitness: 10 Minute Solution Rapid Result Fat Burner!

Today's Review: 10 Minute Solution Rapid Result Fat Burner
Catherine Chiarelli, 2010 **** (4 of 5 stars)

This dvd has five 10 minute cardio segments that can be mixed and matched to create a 10 - 50 + minute workout. Cat leads this workout alone in the modern 10 Minute Solution set- gray puzzlemats in a nice open room with some fitness "toys" around the perimeter.

Power Sports Drills: In this section Cat does various sporty moves such as volleyball spikes, soccer kicks, a basketball drill, and it includes a w/u and c/d in the 10 minutes. I am a fan of sports drills & enjoyed this section.

Extreme Intervals: In this segment you do 50 sec of higher intensity cardio followed by 50 seconds of low intensity recovery time & then repeats that set 1ce. The high intensity isnt that intense so I did the high intensity version 3X and then used the last 50 seconds as recovery.

Low Impact Fat Blaster: This is a traditional low impact floor routine including hamstring curls, V-steps, kicks, grapevines, and mambos. It has a bit of a dancy feel to it. It was really easy to modify up.

Rapid Results Kickboxing: This was my favorite section- she mixed and matched new & traditional kickboxing moves into fun little routines. Some of the moves include: shuffle, jab, pliet side kicks, punches, knee pulls, speed bags while bouncing.


Cardio Max: This section included 3 mini routines that were a bit dance inspired. The moves were hamstring curls, V-steps, V-hops, V-runs, some plyos, side lunge, fast feet, etc.

This is an intermediate w/o that really works for all fitness levels as you can easily up or down the intensity of all the segments. Though the routines were very athletic, I get the feeling that Cat is a dancer. Her cueing is adequite. I am a fan of the newer 10 Minute Solutions w/o's and love addons so I see myself reaching for this often. This dvd contains tried and true cardio moves that most all of us are familiar with.

Want to win a copy of this dvd for yourself?

Mandatory Entry:

Head on over to Anchor Bay Fitness and tell me which dvd you would like to try. Leave your email address! And remember two entries = two seperate commetns!

Bonus Entries (After completing mandatory entry above):
-One Entry: Follow my blog.
-One Entry: Tell me what you like about the dvd (review above)
-One Entry: Like Anchor Bay Fintess on Facebook
-Two Entries: Leave a comment on Anchor Bay's Facebook wall telling them I sent you
-Two Entries: Follow Win, Lose, or Blog
-Five Entries: Reblog about this giveaway (leave a link)
-Three Entries: Add my button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)
-Three Entries: Add the Win, Lose, or Blog button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)
-Two Entries: Enter any of my other current giveaways (2 per giveaway entered!)

-One per Tweet: Tweet up to 3X daily, one hour apart (leave a link)

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, Sept 1 and the winner will be selected using random.org random number generator and annouced on Sept 2. Contest open to the EVERYONE!

I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

Exercise TV Incredible Abs Review Featuring Cindy Whitmarsh

Exercise TV Incredible Abs
Cindy Whitmarsh,  2010
 
This dvd has three separate 20 minute active ab workouts that you can do individually or "play all" for a 60 minute ab challenge! The set is nice and open, hardwood floors and bright walls. Cindy works out alone and gives great form pointers and reminders throughout. You will need light dumbbells for some of the work.

I seriously can't get over how unique and effective the ab work is in this. She does new fun moves, creating thoroughly effective core workouts. Each 20 minute w/o is the perfect intensity for me. By the end- my abs are screaming! But I can get to the end and finish strong. She hits the ENTIRE core here-upper, lower, mid abs, lower back, & obliques- nothing is missed. And my heartrate was up-BONUS! I would rate this as a solid intermediate ab workout.

The first workout has my new favorite ab move: runner abs- you're on your knees and you move your upper body/arms like your running-your abs will feel this! Very functional and effective. She also does V sits, plank knee pulls, arm walks (ouch!), side bends & reaches on your knees, some unique crunch variations, rocker abs (hits the obliques), corkscrew crunches, and more. A great way to spend 20 minutes on your abs and like I said, my heartrate was up!

The second workout is what I would classify as core cardio. Which I LOVE, I have 2 others core cardio w/o's and I use them constantly! She does a few ab/ core moves and then a nice cardio burst. Some of the moves include jump rope w/ knee pulls, a side lunge/ leg lift swing move, standing crunches, rocker abs (oblique bends), bob and weave, burpee/ blowout into updog, side plank w/ a twist, plank jacks w/ a knee tuck (tough!).

In the final workout Cindy does a 10 minute routine -first the right side, then the left side. Then she finishes up with 10 more minutes of ab work. This workout is all standing or in plank position. Some of the moves include a dip w/ an upper body twist, a dip with a dumbbell chop, a 1/2 moon (pull knee up to side and arm down to knee while standing), plank w/ clock toe taps, a dumbbell pulldown, and lower body pull, etc. This workout flew by! Lots of good active, purposeful ab/ core work.

While I truly enjoyed all 3 segments, this dvd is worth the purchase for w/o #2 alone. Core cardio workouts are excellent add-ons OR as stand alone workouts when you are time crunched. I add on ab/core work every day so these workouts are a welcome addition to my collection. No boring crunches! All fun effective and ACTIVE! Highly recommended!!!!

GIVEAWAY: Herbal Water 6 Pack!

This giveaway is now over. Check out current Fitness For the Rest of Us Giveways by clicking on the "give-aways" link on my left hand sidebar!

Herbal water is Full of flavor yet free of calories, artificial sweeteners, and artificial chemicals, these naturally fragrant beverages evoke happy feelings, like a breeze in a sunny garden. Ayala's Herbal Water is the first nationally available organically certified enhanced flavored water made with all organic ingredients. Each Herbal Water blend is all-natural and sets a new standard for healthy beverages: zero calories, zero artificial sweeteners, flavors, and colors, and zero chemical preservatives. And our water comes from an Artesian Well in Virginia.

Nothing but great taste from pure water, infused with the finest natural herbs from around the world and kept fresh in a beautiful bottle for your enjoyment. You can find Herbal Water locally at these locations or they can be found online here.

I first discovered Herbal Water at Cost Plus World Market one very hot day in the desert. The Lemongrass Mint Vanilla variety was the ultimate refreshment!. Each natural herb flavor is distinct and blended so well with the others.  "Especially versatile, the citrusy-floral taste of lemongrass gets an added jolt of cool with spearmint, while the vanilla rounds out the mix with a deep and persistent sweetness that lingers pleasantly on the palate."

I had the opportunity to try Herbal Waters variety pack that included all 6 refreshing flavors of Herbal Water:

Lavender Mint

Lemon Verbena Geranium

Cloves Cardamom Cinnamon

Cinnamon Orange Peel

Ginger Lemon Peel

Lemongrass Mint Vanilla

Each variety of Herbal Water was refreshing, light, and delicious. I could taste each distinct herb blended so well with the other flavors in each bottle. The flavors are not overpowering or sweet and each variety is unique and delicious. I am a fan! I love love love that these waters are all natural, organic, and taste so good. In one word: REFRESHING (in all senses of the word)!

Want to try Herbal Water? Head on over to their webshop and get yourself some. Want to win the Herbal Water sampler 6 pack? Enter here! Leave your email address & remember 2 entries = 2 comments.

Mandatory: Head on over to the Herbal Water site and tell me something you learned.

Bonus Entries: (after completing mandatory entries above)

~Sign up for Herbal Waters newsletter (2 entries)

~Follow Herbal Water on twitter

~Like Herbal Water on facebook

~Check out the Herbal Water blog and tell me something you learned.

~Leave a comment on their facebook wall that I sent you (2 entries)

~Follow my blog

~Enter any of my other current giveaways

~Follow Win, Lose, or Blog

~Enter the Win, Lose, or Blog Fantasy Jewelry Box ($35 item of your choice) giveaway. (2 entries)

~Enter the Win, Lose, or Blog Orglamix Mineral Makeup giveaway. (2 entries)

~Tweet up to 3X daily, one hour apart (1 per tweet)

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, Sept. 1 and the winner will be selected using random.org random number generator and annouced on Sept 2. This contest is open to the contiguous US.

I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own

The FIRM Parts Lower Body Review

The FIRM Parts Lower Body 
Susan Harris, Janet Jones-Gretzky, Sandahl Bergman, LaReine Chabut, Jayne Poteet

This is a 30 minute lower body floor work workout. The sections are compiled from five of the six original Firm Classics-all but Volume 4. You will need ankle weights and some dumbbells for this workout. Kathy Derry introduces the next segments and ties the workout together since its spliced from other workouts. I like this workout as an addon to other dvds and for a change of pace. Its also nice for days you cant/dont want to wear shoes.

Some of the exercises in this workout are: bridge work, lying hip extensions, inner thigh abductions, donkey kicks and variations of. Its all lower body work- no abs.


I like floor work because it does work your muscles in ways that standing lower body doesnt. You will feel this workout the next day in your glutes in particular but also your hips and thighs. Floor work compliments standing lower body work well, does not replace it in my opinion.


I would rate this workout an intermediate as far as floor work is concerned. Using heavy dumbbells and ankle weights will up the intensity. If you are a fan of the Classics and enjoy floorwork, you will enjoy this workout-I do.

Tuesday GIVEAWAY: Fantasy Jewelry Box!

This giveaway is now over. Check out current Fitness For the Rest of Us Giveways by clicking on the "give-aways" link on my left hand sidebar!

Fantasy Jewelry Box has generously offered a $35 giftcard for an item of the winners choice! FantasyJewelryBox.com is one of the leading online retailers of celebrity and designer inspired jewelry. Although celebrity inspired jewelry is their specialty, they are also a leading online retailer for replica celebrity rings, fake engagement rings, faux wedding sets, sterling silver jewelry, and offer a huge selection of cubic zirconia.

 

Here are some of my favorites:

 Multi Color Flower Cluster Cuff Bracelet $28.95

 Raychel's Turquoise Locket Necklace $41.95

 

  Fancy Faux CZ Wedding Ring Set $57.95

And I chose Catarina's Large Hammered Gold Metal Circle Necklace Set $37.95

This is not a cheapo piece of costume jewelry! It is made of quality metal and the clasp and chain are both strong and durable. The earrings are the perfect size-not too large, not too small! I see myself wearing this set A LOT! It is SO versatile and can be worn with a dress for a night on the town or with jeans to the movies.

Want your own Fantasy Jewelry? Head on over and buy something special for yourself in their store. Want to win an item of your choice up to a $35 value?

Enter here

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Tuesday, August 31st and the winner will be selected using random.org random number generator and annouced on September 1st.

I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own

And the winner of my Wii: 10 Minute Solutions game is.........Haley

Congrats to Haley who said... "I added W,L, or B button to my sidebar under "some great places" http://www.mainstream-mommy.blogspot.com #3" Haley has been emailed and has 48 hours to claim the goods!

Thank you to Anchor Bay Fitness for sponsoring this (and one more!) awesome fitness giveaway! And thank you to everyone who entered. Keep watching for more fun healthy giveaways on Fitness For The Rest of Us! Don't forget to check out Anchor Bays website and facebook page or just click on their logo on my right sidebar!

Urban Rebounding Compilation #4 Review

Urban Rebounding Compilation #4
Jo Jo, Alison, Tracie, Shannon, 2003

This dvd has four mini trampoline workouts on one dvd. The workouts range from 18-28 minutes and are each led by a different instructor. Each workout has one lead and two background exercisers. They workout in a colorful room with a few rebounders propped around the walls, Japanese paper screens, and a juicebar in the background.

Resistance Bound is led by Tracie and while its a good workout, Tracie is obnoxious and never stops talking. If you can get past her or put her on mute this is a nice 28 minute rebounding workout. She uses light 1# sand weights, and does mostly athletic bouncing.

Sports Specific is led by Shannon and is the best on the dvd. Shannon is a great lead and this one is more challenging than the others. Its 27 minutes long and as the title suggests has sporty moves in it like: skiing, boxing, volleyball, etc. She also has some power pushes to get your heart pumping.

Ballet Bound led by Alison (I think thats her name?) and is 23 minutes long. Its a nice workout and shes a good lead. She goes through a series of ballet postures adding "attitude" to each move and keeps it interesting.

African Bound is only 18 minutes and is led by Jo Jo. Jo Jo is funny and keeps me smiling. This is the least challenging of the set but still fun and you can up the intensity easily enough.

With rebounding more so than other workouts, you get into the workouts what you put into them. If you just bounce around, youre not going to get your heartrate up. If you push your feet down into the mat and use big arm movements (you can even wear weighted gloves) you will get a great cardio workout, burn a lot of calories, and work up a nice sweat. I would rate this dvd is intermediate in intensity.

The FIRM Cardio Inferno Review

The FIRM Cardio Inferno
Sue Mi Powell, 2007

This is a 31 minute interval workout led by Sue Mi Powell. There are 4 background Firm MI's with Robyn showing the beginner modifications. You will need a few sets of dumbbells for this workout. The set is white brick walls, hardwood floors, and foggy windows.

This workout has seperate cardio and sculpting sections-before each segment a screen comes up with "Sculpt 1" or "Cardio 1" etc to introduce the next segment. I use this dvd as a cardio workout so I only use one set of light dumbbells and amp up the moves to increase the cardio effect.

I like this workout but I dont love this workout. I do use it in my rotation on a fairly regular basis (I have a huge collection so "regularly" is relative).
All the cardio is pretty easy to follow, there are some "new" and unique moves that took me a few minutes to get, but within the 1st workout I was fine, so they cant be that difficult as I am not the best at picking up choreography. Some of the cardio moves include step touch, ski, knee pull-ski-run move, low jacks, A steps, hamstring curls,

A lot of the strength moves are more like light 4 limb work, not serious strength moves-another reason why I like to use this as a cardio workout. I use the sculpting segments as cardio breaks and use the light dumbbells to up the intensity of my cardio. Some of the sculpting moves include a lunge-glute lift-rhomboid pinch combo, side shoulder raises, etc.

I would rate this workout a lower intermediate workout that could easily be modified up or down to suit your needs. Sue Mi is a very good lead and cues well. I would have liked to see more workouts from her before she left the Firm.

10 Minute Solution 5 Day Get Fit Mix Review

10 Minute Solution: 5 Day Get Fit Mix

Amy Bento, 2009

This dvd has five 10 minute segments led by Amy who works out alone in a nice open set with exercise paraphanalia around the perimeter. You will need dumbbells for a few of the segments. The dvd is fully programable so you can mix & match as you please. There is an ab, yoga, strength, cardio kickboxing, and interval w/o-all very different and all enjoyable.

Cardio Kickboxing: Is a good little kickboxing workout but not super intense because she has to show you each combo slow first (which is pretty standard for KB IMO). I like the workout because Amy combines a lot of the standard kickboxing punches & kicks in a unique way. So not difficult to catch on to but still fun & fresh.

Fat Blasting Intervals: Is a nice little calorie burner! You do 1 minute of cardio and then (1 min?) of  multilimb strength work. The cardio is fun & lots of new (to me) moves that will get your heartrate up nicely. There is some impact-double knee jumps, jacks, etc. I used 10 # db's for the strength work and it worked nicely. She includes some plank jacks & mt. climbers.

Power Yoga: I enjoyed this yoga routine because it moves right along-she talks about moving faster, heating the body, and energy so I agree this is power yoga. You will see warrior 1 & 2, up & down dog, chair pose, etc.

Belly Fat Burner: This section also uses dumbbells. The first portion is standing-a dumbbell side bend, 1/2 moon, etc. Then you go down to the floor for some planks, gorilla walks, buttkicks, and other plank variations. I am a fan of Amy's ab work and this is no exception.

Lean Body Sculpt: Amy uses 5# db's in this but I used a variety. Its all compound moves- 1 legged squats with a shoulder rainse, squat-abduct-OH press, side lunges & slinge, deadlift- rear lat raise, and includes a bit of balance work too. My heartrate was up and I liked the variety in this segment.

Overall I would say this is a high intermediate but low intermediates would be fine too. I like Amy and I love the variety this dvd provides. Her cueing and energy are both great here.

And the winner of my Pirate Brand giveaway is....Sable(atlmuzikfanzinc)!

Congrats to Sable who said "I would like to try the Smart Puffs Real Wisconsin Cheddar" The lucky random number was NUMBER ONE today! That never happens! Sable also tweeted daily-thanks Sable!!!! She has been emailed and has 48 hours to claim her yummy healthy Pirates Brand snack treasure chest!

Thank you to everyone who entered and a HUGE thanks to our friends at Pirate Brands for sponsoring this healthy giveaway. Head on over and check out their website, facebook, and twitter pages!

Want More Giveaways:

~Enter my Commuinty Coffee Iced Coffee maker & giftbasket giveaway here.

~Enter my Wii 10 Minute Solutions 10-Minute Cardio Workouts for a Knock-out Body here

~Enter to win Orglamix Organic Mineral Makeup on Win, Lose, or Blog here.

Good luck!!!!

You Bar Shout Out & Discount Code!

I recently discoved an awesome company: You Bar -they also offer the following You product lines:

You Shake

You Trail Mix

You Cereal

You Cookie

You Gifts

I also had a chance to sample some of their delicious, healthy, NATURAL products. Do you notice the word "you" in all  their products? Well theres a good reason why: YOU create your own products! Genius right? You know exactly what is going into your foods. If youre having a hard time creating your own, they also offer bars, shakes, cookies, and cereals in popular varities.

The first thing I noticed was the ingredient list of the Great Date with Chocolate Bar: Organic Dates, Whey Protein Isolate, Organic Honey, Cocoa. That is FOUR ingredients!!! FOUR! I pulled out another bar from my pantry and it had a paragraph of unidentifiable ingredients. I walked around the house w/ both bars in my hands going on and on about the FOUR ingredients in the delicious bar that I just ate (I didnt share, sorry DH). The bars taste was impressive and tasted like a chewy fudgy brownie with only 140 calories, 1.5 grams of fat, and 8 grams of protein. I am in love!

I also had the opportunity to sample You Trail Mix's Mix Up Your Day Trail Mix, it contains: Oat Bran Sesame Sticks, Organic Cashews, Almonds, Dried Pineapple, Goji Berries, Shredded Coconut. I had not tried goji berries before and they were really good and really added to this mix!

And last but not least I sampled their You Shakes. I opted for the Breakfast Shake: a delicious, chocolaty cholesterol-free, calcium-rich shake with organic bananas and cocoa. It was really tasty and check out the ingredient list: Whey Protein, Egg White Powder, Organic Cane Juice, Cocoa Powder, & Organic Bananas.

The generous folks over at You Bar are offering Fitness For The Rest of Us readers 10% off their entire purchase by using the code “FitnessForUs” at checkout.

You Bars and all their wonderful products will definitely become a regular in my house. I love the short list of natural, recognizable ingredients, great nutritional content, and wonderful taste of their products! Check them out on twitter, facebook, and youtube!

The FIRM Classic Volume 5: Abs, Hips & Thighs Review

Firm Abs, Hips & Thighs (Volume 5)

LaReine Chabut, 1991 **** (4 of 5 stars)

This is a 40 minute lower body & ab focused AWT workout led by LaReine with a variety of background exercisers in the original mansion set. You will need a variety of dumbbells, ankle weights, a short and a tall box for this workout. This workout also has a bonus rewind segment where you can do the standing portion 2ce to make this a 60 minute w/o. It was the VHS version of premixes.

I like this workout though its not a favorite classic for me. I only do the 40 minute version because the 60 minute rewind version is really quite grueling IMO. After a long warmup she goes into standing lower body work (with some upper body work interspersed). You will do leg press, lunges, squats, aerobic stepping and some lighter weight higher rep upper body work mixed in there. Though most of it is strength work my heartrate sores during this section!

After the standing work (that goes by fairly quickly really) you go down to the floor for a lengthy ab section-mostly upper & lower crunches-nothing very fancy but I sure feel it! From there you move into weighted & unweighted donkey kicks, inner and outer thigh leg lifts, some bridge work, and a few token pushups for good measure before you finally start your final stretch.

I would rate this w/o a high intermediate or low advanced-it really packs a punch in 40 minutes and besides the lengthy w/u there is really NO time wasted. My lower body is definately feeling it today. I like LaReine as a lead though her cueing (as w/ most the Classics instructors) is a bit off for whatever reason-its like they all cue a bit too soon or a bit too late. But none of the moves are hard to catch onto.

GIVEAWAY: Community Coffee Iced Coffee Maker & Giftbasket

This giveaway is now over. Check out current Fitness For the Rest of Us Giveways by clicking on the "give-aways" link on my left hand sidebar!

I was lucky enough to try out the Community Coffee Iced Coffee Giftbasket. Research shows the beneficial effect of moderate caffeine intake has on physical performance. Its effect seems to extend across a diverse variety of sports and exercise routines, walking the dog, or playing games with your children. Research has also shown the positive effect of caffiene on Parkinsons, diabetes, headaches, alzheimers, gallstones, can increase cognitive function, and is a mood elevator.

The Community Coffee Iced Coffee gift basket contains:

Toddy Coffee Maker

Carafe

Two 12 oz. Bags of Espresso Dark Roast Beans

2 Reusable Filters

As I have said many times before I am somewhat of a coffee connoisseur, having lived 25 years in Seattle will do that to a person. Now that I live in the desert, I am having  a hard time finding my beloved iced coffees, iced lattes, and iced mochas. Well I have found the perfect delicious, economical solution: Community Coffee iced coffee maker. I was VERY impressed with the flavor and aroma of the Community Coffee!

The process is simple: you coarse grind your beans, add them and water to the coffee maker, and let sit for 12 hours, release the coffee (simply pull the plug), and refrigerate. I started mine in the evening after dinner and came back the next morning to a whole pot of freshly brewed iced coffee! Heres a picture of my Community Coffee iced coffee brewing. Both DH and I have been enjoying our own fresh brewed mochas or lattes each morning! I like putting some in my morning smoothies!

Community Coffee has a back to school special going on right now! Enter the code SCHOOL at checkout to receive 25% off all your orders! Check out these Community Coffee links:

Coffees

Teas

Chicory

Coffee Accesories

Coffee club

Check out Community Coffee's store to buy yourself this awesome iced coffee maker OR win one here! Leave your email address if you would like to be notified and remember two entries = two comments!

Mandatory Entry (must be done before all other entries):

Follow me and head on over to Community Coffee and tell me which product you would like to try.

Bonus Entries (after mandatory entry):

-One Entry: Like Commuinty Coffee on Facebook

-Two Entries: Comment on their Facebook wall that I sent you

-One Entry: Follow Community Coffee on twitter

-Two Entries: Follow Win, Lose, or Blog

-Five Entries: Reblog about this giveaway and leave a link

-Ten Entries: Purchase something from Community Coffee this week.

-Three Entries: Add my button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)

-Three Entries: Add the Win, Lose, or Blog button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)

-Two Entries: Enter any of my other current giveaways.

-One per Tweet: Tweet 3X daily (one hour apart) " @fitnessforus #giveaway #win @CommunityCoffee Iced Coffee Giftbasket http://lindseylu8.blogspot.com/2010/08/giveaway-community-coffee.html "

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Tuesday, August 24th and the winner will be selected using random.org random number generator and annouced on August 25th AM. This contest is open to US & Canada residents.

I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own

And the winner of the Gluten Free Custom Choice Cereal is....Benita!!

Congrats to Benita who said... "I entered Pirates Brand #2." Benita has been emailed and has 48 hours to claim her yummy healthy prize!

Thank you to everyone who entered and a HUGE thanks to our friends at Custom Choice Cereal for sponsoring this healthy giveaway. Head on over and check out their website, blog, facebook, and twitter pages!

Want More Giveaways:

~You still have one more day to enter my Pirates Brand healthy snacks giveaway here!
~Don't forget about my Wii 10 Minute Solution -Minute Cardio Workouts for a Knock-out Body here.
~Check out this awesome giveaway for Orglamix Organic Mineral Makeup over on Win, Lose, or Blog here.
~Win a cute hair bow holder from Tutti Cutsey on Women Who Do It All here.
 ~And keep checking back, I will have AT LEAST one more giveaway posted this week!

Review: Denise Austin's Blast Away 10 Lbs.

Blast Away 10 Lbs.
Denise Austin, 2005
 
This dvd has two 20 minute workouts on it. The first one is kickboxing inspired and the other is intervals of floor aerobics and light strength traning. Denise uses only 1 set of dumbbells for w/o 2 and no equipment for w/o 1. These w/os were taken from her old TV show. The set is a stage w/ bright pink lights in the background (reminds me of the Flamingo in Vegas). The kickboxing workout has a variety of b/g exercisers-male & female and the interval w/o has 1 male & 1 female b/ger. You can select chapter to start the w/o at any time & you can play all.
 
I saw this dvd at Fry's Electronics and bought it on a whim-when I was looking for less intense add-on type dvds. It fits this bill perfectly. Its by no means a must have but its a fun little no brainer w/o for days when you dont have a lot of time or to add on to other w/o's.
 
You will see the normal kickboxing fare: jab, cross, side kick, back kick, front kick, knee strike, elbow block, upper cut, hook, etc. She strings the moves together into nice little routine in the kickboxing w/o. The 20 minutes goes by quickly.
 
The interval w/o is pretty generic- you do 3 minutes of floor cardio followed by 1 minute of light dumbell work. For the cardio, she does a kickboxing segment, some plyo moves, and other basic cardio. The strength moves are nothing exciting and not enough strength work to count for much.
 
Despite the lackluster review I actually like this dvd. The kickboxing w/o is great to add on to a challenging cardio w/o and the interval w/o works nicely added to a strength w/o. If you are lukewarm about Denise-this is not the w/o for you. She is very perky, chatty, and her cueing is pretty darn bad. Its a non-serious w/o and can be enjoyed if you take it that way. I would rate this intermediate because of some of the impact but I think beginners would be fine.

Wii 10 Minute Solution Cardio Workouts for a Knock-out Body Featuring Jessica Smith

Thank you to Anchor Bay Fitness for generously donating Wii 10 Minute Solutions 10-Minute Cardio Workouts for a Knock-out Body exercise game for the Wii!

This game features Jessica Smith and has some really cool exercise games on it and TONS of music, venue, and level of difficulty options! The games include:

Three levels of cardio kickboxing

Frisbee
Defender (dodgeball)

Badminton

Pugil Stick

Three levels of step aerobics

Anchor Bay made this game is totally customizable and you can mix and match each 5 minute segment to your hearts desire! You can also choose your music, your venue, and your trainer (supportive or bossy). I chose bossy and she wasn't that bad! Jessica Smith comes up on the screen while your game is loading with a helpful healthy tip.

Some of the games use the balance board but some do not. The first time I played this I chose: 2 kickboxing segments, Pugil Stick, and step aerobics, I worked up quite a sweat in 20 minutes and the next day my lats were SORE!

The step aerobics were fun! I really enjoyed myself-the steps will be familiar and easy to catch onto for anyone whos taken a step class: A step, over the top, basic, knee left, repeater, etc. The pugil stick was tricky for me and I will def have to give this one another try BUT I was still working up quite the sweat while trying.

I also really enjoyed the kickboxing segments I tried. The moves included your basic kickboxing moves: jab, cross, uppercut, hook, sidekicks, front kicks, knee raises, blocks, and bobs.

I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

The FIRM: Total Body Lite (aka Cardio Sculpt Fusion) Review

The FIRM: Total Body Lite (aka Cardio Sculpt Fusion)
Emily Welsh, 2007

This is a 45 minute recovery workout led by Emily with 4 background exercisers. Sue Mi shows beginner modifications. This w/o is unique IMO- it combines light low impact cardio, light 4 limb & strength work, and a bit of flexibility & ab work. The set is hardwood floors, white walls, and window set. You will need a couple sets of light handweights for this workout.

This workout is not a challenging workout at all. It is what it is- a light recovery w/o. And if used for just that  I think it serves its purpose perfectly. It could also be used as an intro to the Firm for beginners or for recovering from an injury, etc.

I really like that a lot of the moves in this w/o are new, fresh and unique without complicated choreo. The little cardio routines were fun and easy to catch onto and she combined some interesting light dumbbell work as well. Before a nice stretch you go down to the floor for some ab and chest work. She does intersperse a bit of stretching throughout the workout as well. She includes some lunge, dip, and squat combos with light UB work throughout to keep in the Firm spirit.

I would rate this a beginner workout as far as intensity, though if you really wanted to you could easily add impact and use heavier weights. Is this a must have? Not really. Do I use it often? No. Do I keep it around for the times I need something lighter? Yes. It really is perfect for those days when you need to w/o but cant muster up enough energy for something harder. While I actually normally like Emily as a lead-she seems a bit fakey in this one and says some cornball things. Her cueing is good though.

Review: Hit the Spot Pilates by Denise Austin

Hit the Spot Pilates
Denise Austin, 2005

Denise leads this workout with one or more backgrounders (depending on the segment) in various outdoor settings. I like the outdoor sets she uses. The dvd is 75 minutes long with 6 ten minute segments and one 15 minute segment. The dvd is fully programable so you can mix and match as well as "play all." You wont need any equipment for this workout.

There are three 10 minute core/ab segments that get increasinginly more difficult. There are also three 10 minute lower body segments-hips, thighs, and buttocks. Most all the segments include some standing and floor work. The 15 minute segment is a bonus routine that I *think* is new footage (will check tonight and report back).

I am no pilates pro so keep that in mind but I really enjoy this dvd because of its versatility and the nice outdoor setting. Denise isnt really annoying or overly chatty either (I dont think she said burn butter once). I like using segments of this dvd to add on to other w/o's or to string together. I would rate this an intermediate pilates w/o but I may not be the best judge :)

The FIRM: Maximum Cardio Burn + Abs Review

The Firm Maximum Cardio Burn + Abs

Allie Del Rio, 2003

This is a 52 minute workout that uses the Fanny Lifter (FL) and Firm Sculpting Stick (SS), you wont need dumbbells for this workout, but you could use them instead of the stick IMO. The workout is mostly cardio but includes a standing leg tune and a long & quite tough ab workout at the end. This is from the 2nd Body Sculpting System released by the Firm (BSS2) and the set is white walls & floors w/ some colored glass in the background. There are 4 background exercisers with Suzanne showing the beginner modifications.

After a warmup and stretch you go into about 25ish minutes of moderate intenisty cardio. Allie does some tall box climbs using the SS for balance. To up the intenisty I use the SS for curls, overhead press, etc. She does some squats and pliets with the SS, you can sub plyos in for the squats to modify up. There are box aerobics, floor aerobics, a kickboxing-esque routine, and some four limb with the twigs (the ends of the stick come off and make 2 lb dumbbells)

After the cardio you do a "standing leg tune" that uses the stick. I usually add ankle weights to this section as the stick only weighs 8 lbs. Then there is some stretching before she moves into a tough ab series that includes lower ab, upper ab, obligue, and some plank work. This is followed by the final stretch

I enjoy this workout though it is definatley not all that challenging. Its good for a lower intenisty day or you can modify up (or down) pretty easily. I would rate this low intermediate as many of the cardio moves are pretty low intensity. Allie cues very well in this one and I like her as a lead.

GIVEAWAY: Pirate Brands Snacks!

This giveaway is now over. Check out current Fitness For the Rest of Us Giveways by clicking on the "give-aways" link on my left hand sidebar!

Pirate Brands offer a huge line of healthy snack products to choose from: pirates booty, original tings, smartpuffs, and potato flyers. I was lucky enough to sample the Potato Flyers. And both DH and I were impressed! As I have mentioned DH likes junk food-so when he gave these 2 thumbs up, I knew you all would too! We sampled all four flavors of Potato Flyers that one lucky Fitness For The Rest Of Us reader will have a chance to win:

Sea Salt & Vinegar

Original

Homestyle Barbeque

Sour Cream & Onion

Thanks to Robert and his tasty treasure, no longer do you have to eat "cheese" puffs dusted with neon orange powder with incomprehensible ingredients. When you buy Pirate Brands products, you are getting wholesome goodness without the guilt. With only 130 calories per serving-you won't feel bad indulging in these treats. And check out the supercute box they came in!

As the leader of the healthy snacking revolution, they've created products for the whole family that are healthy, all natural, baked and delicious. Pirate Brands have eliminated fryers and trans fats from all of their products and keep the ingredients simple.

Want to try your own Pirate Brand snacks? Head on over and pick some up here. Want to win your very own treasure chest full of Pirate Brand Potato Flyers?

Mandatory Entry: Head on over to Pirate Brands and tell me what snack you would like to try.

Bonus Entries: one entry = one comment. Five entries = five comments. Leave your email address if you would like to be notified of your win!

-Ten Entries: Purchase something from Pirate Brands this week.
-One Entry: Follow my blog via GFC (just hit "follow" on my right side bar)
-One Entry: Follow my blog via RSS feed
-One Entry: Like Pirates Brands on Facebook
-Two Entries: Leave a comment on their Facebook wall telling them I sent you
-One Entry: Follow Pirate Brands on Twitter
-Two Entries: Follow Win, Lose, or Blog
-Five Entries: Reblog about this giveaway and leave a link
-Five Entries: Apply to be a contestent on Win, Lose, or Blog here
-Three Entries: Add my button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)
-Three Entries: Add the Win, Lose, or Blog button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)
-One per Tweet: Tweet 3X daily (one hour apart) " @fitnessforus #giveaway #win @PiratesBootyPNW   http://lindseylu8.blogspot.com/2010/08/giveaway-pirates-brands-snacks.html "
-Two Entries: Enter my Custom Choice Cereal giveaway here.

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Wednesday, August 17th and the winner will be selected using random.org random number generator and annouced on August 18th AM. Contest open to the US residents only.

I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.

 ( Custom cakes by Lindsey Lu. Phoenix custom cakes. Specialty Cakes Phoenix. Arizona custom specialty cakes. Specialty cupcakes phoenix. Custom Phoenix cupcakes  Phoenix wedding cakes Phoenix birthday cakes, specialty birthday cakes phoenix)

10 Minute Solution: Dance Your Body Thin Review

10 Minute Solution: Dance Your Body Thin

Andrea Leigh Rogers, 2009

Andrea leads this workout alone in a nice open set with fitness gadgets around the perimeter. There are five 10 minute segments that you can mix and match. There are 3 cardio dance routines and 2 dance inspired toning routines. This dvd comes with a cool 2 lb adjustable weighted belt. You wont need any other props for this workout.

I really like that all the segments are very different from one another. The cardio segments are: smooth and sexy moves, get fit club mix, and cardio dance party. The two toning segments are: dance toner and ballet sculpt. The whole dvd has an emphasis on the core-always a nice bonus!

I am not a dancer and am pretty choreo challenged but I did good on this w/o! The moves are pretty easy to catch onto and seemed like dancy versions of athletic moves-perfect for me! I did the cardio w/ the belt on the rebounder and got a kick butt 30 min cardio w/o! The routines move right along and arent boring or repetitve IMO. The toning segments included nice standing ab work, unwieghted upper and lower body work, and some good balance challenges.

I like Andrea as a lead-she has a great personality and is just as cute as a bug. She cues well - I would def get other w/o's from her. I would rate this a low intermediate w/o done as is. But you could easily amp the cardio up by using a rebounder or making your movements bigger & more intense. You could add dumbbells to the strength segments if you wanted to. I really like the belt and see myself using it for many other w/o's and on the rebounder often.

GIVEAWAY: Custom Choice Cereal

This giveaway is now over. Check out current Fitness For the Rest of Us Giveways by clicking on the "give-aways" link on my left hand sidebar!

Custom Choice Cereal is a unique company that allows you to create your own gluten free cereal mixes. Custom Choice Cereal  offers great tasting gluten-free cereal from a variety of high quality ingredients and delivers each mix conveniently to your doorstep! Its that easy.

You start by choosing which kind of cereal flake you want: Cinnamon Granola, Organic Corn Flakes, or Organic Good Morning Flakes. Then you move onto choosing your yummy add-in dried fruits: goji berries, organic strawberries, pineapple, apples, cherries, organic mango, and MORE. Then you choose which kinds of nuts and seeds you want: pistachios, brazil nuts, organic coconut flakes, macadamia nuts, sunflower seeds, and many more. You complete your order by naming it. I named my mix "Fitness For The Rest of Us"

What is SO cool to me is that as you add each ingredient, the nutritional content of your custom mix is clearly displayed on the page. As you add or subtract ingredients, the nutritionals automatically change accordingly! I chose organic good morning flakes, organic strawberries, and chia seeds for my mix. My next order will definatley be: good morning flakes, macadamia nuts, pineapple, and organic coconut flakes-YUM!

I was very impressed by the fresh taste of my "Fitness For The Rest of Us" Custom Choice Cereal mix. I could actually taste the corn and fresh grains in the flakes and the strawberries were juicy and chewy dried strawberries not those yucky dehydrated "strawberries" you see in the stores. The taste was fantastic and remember Custom Choice Cereals are gluten free! And if you are having trouble deciding on your own custom mix, they have cutomer favorites to choose from too. The shipping was super fast too, and whats more convenient than delivery right to your door?

Want to try your own Custom Choice Cereal Mix? Head on over and create your own mix here. Want to win a bag of your very own Custom Choice Cereal?

Mandatory Entry: Head on over to Custom Choice Cereal and tell me what creation you would choose.

Bonus Entries: one entry = one comment. Five entries = five comments. Leave your email address if you would like to be notified of your win!

-Ten Entries: Purchase something from Custom Choice Cereal this week.
-One Entry: Follow my blog via GFC (just hit "follow" on my right side bar)
-One Entry: Follow my blog via RSS feed
-Two Entries: Add Custom Choice blog to your blogroll
-One Entry: Like Custom Choice Cereal on Facebook
-Two Entries: Leave a comment on their Facebook wall telling them I sent you
-One Entry: Follow Custom Choice Cereal on Twitter
-Two Entries: Follow Win, Lose, or Blog
-Five Entries: Reblog about this giveaway and leave a link
-Five Entries: Apply to be a contestent on Win, Lose, or Blog here
-Three Entries: Add my button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)
-Three Entries: Add the Win, Lose, or Blog button to your blog (& tell me where to find it)
-Ten Entries: Sponsor Win, Lose, or Blog season 2 contesents (email lindseylu8 at netzero dot net for details)
-One per Tweet: Tweet 3X daily (one hour apart) " @fitnessforus #giveaway #win @CustomCereal http://lindseylu8.blogspot.com/2010/08/giveaway-custom-choice-cereal.html "
-TWO Entries: Enter my Pirates Brand snack pack giveaway here.

Entries will be accepted until 11:59 pm on Tuesday, August 16th and the winner will be selected using random.org random number generator and annouced on August 17th AM. Contest open to the US residents only.


I received a sample of this product for this review and was in no other way compensated for my honest review. All thoughts and ideas expressed are my own.


 ( Custom cakes by Lindsey Lu. Phoenix custom cakes. Specialty Cakes Phoenix. Arizona custom specialty cakes. Specialty cupcakes phoenix. Custom Phoenix cupcakes  Phoenix wedding cakes Phoenix birthday cakes, specialty birthday cakes phoenix)