It that time of year when we start thinking about getting in shape.  No, really, this is the year we’re gonna do it!  Welll…if you’re gonna start in January, you’re going to need some gear that will keep you warm, 

First, you need a long sleeve shirt that will wick away sweat and regulate your body temperature.  There are a lot of different brands out there, and they don’t come cheap.  $40-60 is a standard price.  This one is from Asics. 

Next, you’ll need some pants, right?  Now, you can wear your sweatpants, but beware.  The wind will whip right through them.  Nooo, what you’re gonna want is some thermal wind-resistant pants.  These are from Mizuno and run about $85.  While I’d love to have a pair of these, I layer workout leggings under a pair of fitted sweatpants. 

If you’re a chicky-babe, you understand the need for a good bra.  Working out is no exception!  If you have smaller breasts, you can find a good sports bra many places.  When you have a fuller bust, it’s more difficult.  This bra is from Nike and comes in sizes up to 3X!

Now, you’ll also need a jacket.  No one wants to exercise in their big, bulky, heavy coat.  No, you want something that’s going to keep you warm without getting in the way.  And, you want something that will regulate the temperature so you don’t get too hot.  This half zip is awesome for that!  I wear a polar fleece jacket that’s somewhat fitted to my body. 

Of course, you need a good pair of shoes.  This is a place that you don;t really want to scrimp, but that’s not to say that the most expensive shoes are the ones that are right for you.  Good shoes will last you a long time.  Personally, I like a pair of cross-trainers, as I like the way they support my foot.  I have a pair that are very similar to the ones shown above that I’m getting ready to retire after 3 1/2 years.   These are from Asics and run around $70. 

Other items you may want include an ear warmer headband, gloves, and, depending on how cold it gets where you are, possibly a hat.

Guest post of the week by Brittany Booker

My husband and I love to watch television together, but we struggle to find shows that we both want to watch at the same time. Normally he’ll want to watch something on the History channel and I’ll want to watch House Hunters International, so he’ll end up upstairs in his “man cave” while I’m downstairs dreaming of houses in Bora Bora. This has changed since we got our direct TV. We now record television shows that we know we’ll both enjoy to watch together, and if we want to watch other shows that happen to come on at the same time we just record those as well. It’s a perfect solution. That way, we’re spending time together without giving up our favorite shows. Admittedly, it’s tough to find shows to watch together based on our wildly different tastes, but with our tons of channel options we can always find a few things. I love the time we get to spend together, and I also love not having to sit through an hour long special on the origins of Alcatraz. It’s a win-win, in my opinion.

Here’s the current giveaways at HWYD:

Fizzbutter Bath Bombs OR a Melissa and Doug GC – 2 winners – Ends 12/30, US Only

Mega Blog Ad Campaign! Perfect for bloggers or small businesses! Ends 12/31, open WW

$100 Amazon Twitter Blast – Ends 12/31, open WW

Stalkinator Self Defense System – Ends 1/6, open WW.

SnapSac Eco Friendly Totes – Ends 1/8, US only

UPrinting Die Cut Business Cards - Ends 1/10, US Only

I wanted to get a giveaway up yesterday/today, but ran out of time. Sooo…be on the lookout for the next few days.

PS – I don’t know where the image come from. Someone emailed it to me!

After his wildly popular novel, The Hummingbird’s Daughter (2005), Luis Alberto Urrea’s second novel, Queen of America, is an epic tale in its own right. Queen of America begins its journey where The Hummingbird’s Daughter’s tale ends.

Based loosely on his own family history, Urrea’s central character is Teresita Urrea, a young girl who has been raped, died, and risen from her own funeral to become the “Saint of Cabora;” a healer, medicine woman, and beloved by those surrounding her.

In 1892, she escapes from the Catholic Church (who shunned her shaman gifts) and Mexican Government when she is 16, leaving with her father to the border towns of Arizona and New Mexico. But she is followed by assassins from the Mexican government – driving the pair far into the United States.

During their journey, Teresita and her father travel from San Francisco to New York and even St. Louis, meeting all sorts of people – those in need of her healing, European royalty, millionaires and beauty queens.

From Kirkus Reviews:

“Mixing religious mysticism, a panoramic view of history, a Dickensian cast of minor characters, and political breast beating, Urreas’ sprawling yet minutely detailed saga both awes and exhausts.”

Although I didn’t read his first novel, there are differing viewpoints as to whether there is a need to read his books in the order written. Queen of America is a great story of the Americas at the turn of the century; its industrialization and spectacle given in immense detail. Urrea has done his homework, and delivered another great story.

Title: Queen of America
Author: Luis Alberto Urrea
Publisher: Hachette Group
Price: $25.99 US/$28.99 Canada

Hmmm…You don’t look like Santa.

Drinking Santa’s milk.

Eating Santa’s cookies.

I guess it’s a lump of coal for him!

I love Christmas lights. Like, really really reallly love them. They just make me happy. When I was a kid, we used to go to the boat parade in Newport Beach, CA. There was also the best Christmas light display I’ve ever been to. They had a Santa and after waiting in line to see Santa, he knew your name! It wasn’t until many, many years later that I found out they had a walkie-talkie system, relaying names. HA!

Our town doesn’t really do anything. At all. Nothing from the city, no neighborhoods that go all out. It’s really rather Bah Humbug! However, there are a few great displays. There’s the Bagwell’s Lights. They’re a father and son that live next door to one another. The son sort of takes over the yards in the neighborhood with his display.

Then there’s the B Hwy Christmas Display. I found this totally by accident! There’s about a million Christmas inflatables on display at a couple of houses. Well, according to the facebook page there’s 200+

And then there’s this house I saw on Puck Daddy. It’s actually in Buffalo, NY, but if I can talk a couple other people into it, I may consider doing something similar next year. Of course, we’d have to use a different team.

What about you? Do you dig Christmas lights?

 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again!  I adore bath and body products.  Who doesn’t, right?  Well, allow me to introduce you to a new company called Fizzbutter!  Fizzbutter specializes in moisturizing bath fizzies with fabulous shea butter in every bomb. 

Why shea butter, you ask?  Simple!  Shea butter has moisturizing properties to help combat dry skin.  When one of the bath bombs is added to your  bath, the combination of warm water and your warm skin help the shea to absorb. 

These bath bombs are huge, too!  About the size of a baseball, they weigh in at a hefty 8 oz.  With tantalizing scents including Cherry Blossom, White Chocolate Truffle, Honey Ginger Champagne and Pink Fluffy Cloud, there’s something for everyone! 

When I tested these out, I was surprised by how highly scented these bath bombs were.  My whole bathroom was filled with the luscious smell of the Lullaby bomb.  As I soaked, I began to notice that my skin was getting softer.  Once I got out of the tub, I noticed that I had a bit of a coating on my skin.  That was the shea butter.  Some people may or may not like that.  I think you could use half a bath bomb and have quite the luxe spa experience. 

One other thing I noticed was that my tub was kind of slippery after using the bath bombs, even after rinsing it down.  So, you’ll have to really make sure your tub is clean after use. 

Fizzbutter never tests their products on animals, either!  Except those of the human kind, of course!   And their items are all made in the US!   They’re made in Los Angeles, CA, in fact! 

I would totally recommend these bath bombs!  I think they’re easily as fabulous as many of the boutique brands, with a much more reasonable price of $3.29 each! 

Connect with Fizzbutter on Facebook, too! 

The girls over at The SHINE Factor, Mimi and Kim Shannon, are on a mission to empower women – to allow each of us to become who we can be.  I recently received a set of their SHINE Cards and accompanying book to see just how they might help me. If you’ve read my About Me section, you might know that my life’s course was altered drastically this year.  Last Fall, changes occurred, and I literally would not have guessed that this is what I would be doing now. 

The Shine Card deck and book are designed to help you focus, or re-focus your mindset.  I decided to use the once per week draw; and I shuffled the deck several times.  I drew my card – Out of the Box.  From the book’s definition “You are paving new pathways, garnering new insights.  Your OOTB self wants to leave the same old/same old behind and use her intuition, smarts and trust in self and spirit to go in new directions and explore herself and the world in new unique ways.”

The goal is to focus on the strength – think about the trait, and try to find ways you already have it in your life, and ways that you can more fully work it into your daily routine.  The Shannons suggest using a journal to write your thoughts – and incorporate it into your daily routine.  They also suggest meeting with friends and each woman drawing a card, and using the group to help empower each other.

I found this to be an interesting exercise to see myself differently; and believing that there is nothing random about shuffling a deck and drawing a random card, that this might be a great way to re-focus how I think and feel about myself.  Although I didn’t start a journal for the words I chose, the SHINE Cards did make me pause to consider the traits and how I felt about myself in them.

I received no compensation for this post.  I did receive an item for review purposes only.  I was not required to write a positive review. 

Dog E glow is a totally different kind of dog leash & collar. They light up to help your dog be seen. How cool is that?

When the owner’s beloved pet was hit by a car, they came up with the idea of a lighted collar and leash. With a flexible LED tube sewn into each collar and leash, they are visible for up to 1,000 feet! There’s also two settings for the lights – you can have them blink or have them stay on steadily.

I think these would be great for taking your dog on long walks. I like to take walks that area couple miles or go hiking. Sometimes, it’s dusk before I get back and the Dog E Glow collar and leash would be fantastic for that! Especially in the fall and winter, when it gets dark so early.

I have to admit – I was a little leery of how well these would work. When I was playing with them in the package, I kept thinking to myself – these aren’t very bright. But when I got the leash out, and used it, I think it got brighter the farther away I was. Personally, I found the flashing to be a bit distracting, but I could see how others might like that better.

The collars are available in medium and large sizes only. The leashes are available in 6 ft lengths and are a heavy weight for large breed dogs. Dog E Glow has lots of fun patterns, too – including a whole section of officially licensed NCAA teams!

I do wish they made these geared for smaller breeds, too. I would also suggest making the collars for extra large breeds. Perhaps harnesses, too! I totally would have purchased a product like this for my Dachshund, but he wore a harness instead of a collar.

Follow Dog E Glow on Facebook or Twitter, too!