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Holiday Discounts and Saving Money While Shopping

Morning,

Well! In 7 days, it will be Christmas. And if you celebrate that particular holiday, chances are, you’re quite in the market for excellent holiday discounts. But how can you find them online?

Glad you asked! Here are some of my favorite resources.

Bargain Watch at Video Fitness – This is where I found the 25% off Sports Authority goodies.

Amazon.com Fitness Discounts – Truly wonderful savings on all sorts of dieting and fitness goodies!

Amazon.com Electronics Discounts – HDTVs, LCD screens, PDAs, Phones….all at super hidden discounted prices

Retail Me Not – Coupon codes for online merchants – nice deals are found here!

CouponChef – Ditto – Top stores, featured coupons and more

And of course, you cannot forget about eBay. I have gotten more great deals there than I can recount! My last hit was getting the complete P90x program for only $116 or so (quite the savings there).

In closing, the deals are out there – you simply have to putter around to uncover them.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Here’s what I’m hoping for the holiday gift!

I can do habanero pushups! Wheeeeeee!

Morning,

Life is joyous.

Back in the summer, one of our karate senseis showed up a rather killer pushup that my kids named ‘habanero pushups’ (mainly because your muscles burn when you’ve completed them).

Actually, they’re simply pushups with your hands close by your sides so it works your triceps. Thing is, though, back then….I couldn’t do one. Even when I worked up to 50 normal pushups in a session, my ability to do a close-handed pushup simply wasn’t there.

Well! Today I had an insane urge to try them again, and was able to bash out 10! Rather slowly, mind you, and somewhat agonizingly….but all in all, it was ‘way easier than my earlier attempts all this summer.

Hopefully this means I’m getting in better physical shape! It was quite a nice thing to realize.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Here are some other fun triceps thingees!

P90x+ What’s different from P90x…Is the Plus for You?

Morning!

I’ve received several questions asking what’s the difference of P90x Plus compared to P90x.

Well, here’s what I’ve found out. We’re talking 5 different upgrades:

Interval X P90x Plus
‘Way more killer and effective than typical cardio, Interval X Plus blasts your heart rate up and down with 3 speeds: recovery, medium, and full-out, creating more dramatic change within the briefest period of time. (40 minutes)

Kenpo Cardio P90x Plus
Featuring new dynamic fat-burning moves, this advanced-level Kenpo will shred the most resistant layer of fat with the all-out self-defense workout that builds agility, stamina and balance. (40 minutes)

Upper Body P90x Plus
This King Kong upper body workout will challenge the plateau phenomenon by blasting every muscle from the hips on up: chest, back, biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Talk about a complete meshed P90X way! After this one, you won’t be able to pick up a coffee cup for at least a couple hours. (45 minutes)

Total Body P90x Plus
New synergistic moves pump your muscles, and then allow you to recuperate in stages until you’ve got nothing left but a state of total exhaustion. An unprecedented total body phenomenon. (45 minutes)

Abs/Core P90x Plus
This detailed new ab/core workout adds 4 challenging positions (hanging, sitting, standing, and plank positions) to blast your ab work and rip your midsection even faster. Is a ten-pack even possible? Wait and find out!
(20 minutes)

It sure looks pretty enticing to me! I’m still waiting for my leg recovery to complete, of course…and hopefully in 2008 will begin my own personal p90x+ journey. I’ll keep y’all posted!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – P90x makes a great holiday gift!

Perfect Pushup Review – Excellent buy

Morning,

Well! My local Sports Authority had a 25% discount off of any single item in the store…and I was lucky enough to visit there when they unloaded 15 instances of the Perfect Pushup. At only $32 (including tax!), how could I resist?

After I got this beastie home, I opened up the box. The pushup thingees have extremely smooth motion and they’re extremely easy to rotate…and let me tell you, wow, do you really feel it in your muscles! Back, shoulders, triceps, biceps – each position you use activates different muscles.

One thing I really like is because the handles are about 3 inches off the ground, you can get virtually parallel with the floor while doing your pushups. Wow! Is that a challenge! Additionally, because your wrists can rotate to different directions, no longer will you feel any typical wrist pain from indulging in pushups.

Now, I’m used to doing between 30 to 50 pushups at a clip, but with these babies, I was able to do only 13 until exhaustion. Wow! Does my form and style need work. But still, even though it’s a weeeee bit pricey, I find it definitely an excellent value indeed.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Wanna see ’em in action?

25% off Sports Authority This Weekend – Can you say discount?

Morning,

Just found out that Sports Authority is offering a 25% off coupon on any single item (either bought online or thru the store!). Click below!

25 percent off

Nice!! Last time this ad appeared, I treated myself to two karate foam blockers. This time, I might get a set of adjustable dumbbells….

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – And don’t forget about!

Kids and Bullying – Resources and Forums to Help

Morning,

One of the most devastating things that can happen to your child is being on the receiving end of bullying. It can utterly decimate a child’s view of himself or herself…and lead to more and more difficulties down the road towards maturity.

Personally, I hate bullies…and would gladly take great pleasure in sending them to the front line of any war. However, in today’s “Let’s blame the victim”world, such consequences are generally frowned upon greatly….so instead, here are some resources you can use to help your child deal.

First off, of course, there’s the self-confidence factor. One way to help your children assert themselves and discover their own personal value is through the Martial Arts; I came across a great compilation of resources from Amato’s Goju Ryu site. Other super sites include:

Next, what about the middle school bullying? Girls against girls, boys against boys…it can really get brutal especially if your child is involved. Thus, please benefit from the following reviews I’ve uncovered from Queen Bees and Wannabees. Enjoy!

Calories burned by shoveling snow, and creative exercise tips

Morning,

So! It’s the wintertime…and if you live where bunches of white fluffy stuff falls, you’ll probably have to haul your cheerful self outside every now and then to shovel off your driveway.

First off, did you know that you burn around 408 calories every hour you shovel snow (assuming you weigh 150 pounds and that Calories Burned for Activity: Shoveling Snow is accurate)? And that that is equal to eating:

Quantity – Description – Calories

1.6 Grande Starbucks Caffe Latte – Made with whole milk 260

But I digress. :-)

Shoveling snow, while being a great exercise for some, can cause overexertion in others. So, here are some useful tips you can follow to make sure you get the best out of your exercise.

From the National Safety Council:

  • Individuals over the age of 40, or those who are relatively inactive, should be especially careful.
  • If you have a history of heart trouble, do not shovel without a doctor’s permission.
  • Do not shovel after eating or while smoking.
  • Take it slow! Shoveling (like lifting weights) can raise your heart rate and blood pressure dramatically; so pace yourself. Be sure to stretch out and warm up before taking on the task….MORE….

Snow Shoveling Techniques from the Toronto EMS:

  • Always try to push snow rather than lifting it.
  • Protect your back by lifting properly and safely
  • stand with feet at hip width for balance
  • hold the shovel close to your body
  • space hands apart to increase leverage
  • bend from your knees not your back
  • tighten your stomach muscles while lifting
  • avoid twisting while lifting
  • walk to dump snow rather than throwing it.
  • When snow is deep, shovel small amounts (1-2 inches at a time) at a time….MORE…

Me, I love shoveling snow – I figure it’s a wonderful workout that really gets my muscles moving. My favorite part of snow shoveling is when I have to chop away the ice/packed snow in front of my driveway (you know, the 32 foot tall pile always left there by snowplows), because I’ll pretend to be Gandalf and declare to the world, You! Shall! Not! Pass! HERE! and then cut down smoothly on the snowy mass. My kids adore watching me act it out. :-)

So….if you can move the snow, become one with it! Your weight loss will thank you for it.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – need a snow shovel?

Oscillating massagers, aching thighs and acupressure, oh my!

Morning,

Well, it’s almost 1am and I cannot sleep. There is a slight (oh so slight!) possibility that I might have overdone my physical therapy a weeeeee bit (about as “weeeee” as a redwood tree) early today.

Today, all I did (really!) was unassisted chinups thru the day (I can do 3 at a shot, wheeee!), walked a mile very slowly, and did some slow glute stretches for my right leg. That’s it! But let me tell you now, all sides of my right thigh feel like they’re made of concrete with perhaps a bit of fossilized sand thrown in for good measure. I even took 2 hot baths (generally the ultimate of curealls!) to no avail.

So…I figured it was time to be gentle to myself. Back about a decade or so, my husband and I bought this rather nifty oscillating acupressure massager called a Tamiko – it features an acupressure point that you can use to really dig into your muscles. I just spent 10 minutes loosening up my legs and slathering on the tiger balm…finally the aches are starting to dissipate.

This massager is a godsend for anyone who needs to direct pressure to specific muscular areas! Alas, the company went out of business, and I haven’t been able to find one again. Wah. But wow, acupressure can really be a benefit when your exercising gets you down.

Time to build websites,

Barbara

ps – want some massagers? Consider:

DDR Dance Dance Revolution – Fun way to lose weight!

Morning,

It’s not just for your kids, you know!

One of the most funnest (to quote my children) ways an adult can lose weight is to indulge their inner child’ and participate in Dance Dance Revolution.

Now, what is DDR, I hear you ask? It’s simply a game that requires a dance pad, a Playstation or Wii or Xbox or whatever, and the DDR games. Basically, the music plays and you have to move your feet to the correct arrows in time with the game.

Let me tell you, boy, does that burn up calories and really make you break a sweat! I got DDR for my kids last holiday season when I wanted them to get into better shape…and it wasn’t long before Mom decided to indulge as well too. I was floored at how much exertion it requires! It’s lots of fun.

Here are some great Dance Dance Revolution resources:

Do yourself a favor and check out this excellent method of exercise – it’s something you can do with your kids and make as a family-centric activity as well.

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – Some DDR goodies include:

Looking for great Weight Watchers reviews, resources, forums and the like?

Morning!

One of the most popular diet plans on earth today is Weight Watchers. Lots of folks, apparently, find great success with it!

Is it for you? Here are some resources and forums and reviews!

By visiting the above resources and really doing your due-diligence, chances are….you’ll be able to tell if Weight Watchers is for you!

Enjoy,

Barbara

ps – some more Weight Watchers Goodies!