Warning: your husband, partner, whatever, will drool over the cover.  Tracy Anderson is HOT.  David said to me, “Why do you think she has to look so sexy on a DVD that’s being sold to women?”  Duh: I want to look like that.  If I look HALF that good post-pregnancy the DVD was well-worth the money.

Getting back to the point: It’s a great workout.  If you think you’re going to hate her for being so pretty and tiny, she admits right away that she gained 60 pounds with her son and then you can relate to her again.  She swears that her methods are designed to bring the skin back to the abdominal muscles.  I started doing the DVD four weeks after Graham’s birth and I noticed a difference after just two work-outs.  Seriously.  My stomach looked better and I felt less like my uterus was going to fall out when I was running.  [sorry for you non-mommies who just vomited a little in your mouths]

The down-side: it’s kind of long (45 minutes) but she spends about the first 30 on abs and the last 15 on the gluteus and arms so you can skip those if you want.  The other down-side: she doesn’t cue very much.  You have to pay close attention at first but once you’ve done it a few times you know what’s coming next.  Still, it’s totally a MUST HAVE.  Some of the moves are ones I’ve never seen and I’ve been a fitness enthusiast my whole life.  So I’m sure these exercises are “magical” in bringing the skin back to the abs… just like Tracy promises!

The Tracy Anderson Method Presents Post Pregnancy Workout DVD

P.S. I tried the Dance Cardio DVD for all of 5 minutes and promptly posted on Facebook that it was up for sale!  She tries to teach you dance routines and then does them at lightening speed without saying a word.  I guess I was supposed to have it memorized by then.  Uh… since becoming a mommy I can’t even remember how to speak English properly let alone remember dance routines.  I’d skip it unless you have a dance background.

Anyway!  This toothpaste helps combat the cavities one could get from having a sweet tooth and tastes great to boot.  It’s one of those “Whitening Expressions” lines from Crest.  My mom’s a hygienist and always recommends Crest for a good source of flouride.  Right mom?  Who am I kidding, she doesn’t know how to leave a comment on the site!    The vanilla mint is sweet and refreshing at the same time.  Love it.  Went to Target the other day to get a refill and it was on clearance.  Scared me that it might be canceled so I figured I’d better write about it now just in case.  If it is indeed going to be canceled I will go buy every box at Target right now.  Maybe you friends across the country could pick me up some at your local Target as well.  Or, just get yourself a tube!  Enjoy and happy brushing.

so good

I have to warn you: it smells pretty gross (although thankfully that doesn’t last long) but it works so well you won’t care.  I put some on every day after my shower and it is amazing.  No razor burn.  Minimal ingrowns… if you do get one this product seems to clear it right up.

It has alcohol in it so it says not necessarily recommended for use during pregnancy/ nursing.  My OB told me as long as I used it over a small surface area it would be ok but I would check with your doctor if you’re preggers or nursing!  Great for guys or girls… I think it was actually developed by men in the army who have to shave every day.

Just all around good.  Not cheap but worth it if you have painful issues from hair removal.  And, even though it’s relatively expensive you just use a few drops daily so it does last a long time.  I have also tried the deodorant and really like that too.  FYI!

http://www.amazon.com/Tend-Skin/dp/B0006IQK5U

the official tend skin site has all their products

http://www.tendskin.com/tendskin.htm

Normally I am a huge fan of going to the gym.  And I love my trainer, Lisa G.  But when you’re out of town or don’t have child care it can be really hard to get to the gym.  So I’m entering into the realm of work out DVDs.   This one got great reviews on Amazon and I’ve watched Jillian kick people’s butts on The Biggest Loser so I figured I’d give it a go.  I loved it!  She does circuit training which involves doing a few different exercises and rotating through them.  3 minutes of strength exercises, 2 minutes of cardio, 1 minutes of abs.  That gives you one circuit.  There are 3 circuits in each level which is 20 minutes.  Here’s the break down more clearly:

3 Levels (20 min each)

3 circuits in each level which consist of strength exercises, cardio, abs

In her strength exercises she combines leg and arm movements to maximize calorie burning in the shortest amount of time.  For example, you might do side lunges while lifting your hand weights in front of you.  Cardio might be jumping jacks or jumping rope.  And NO breaks during the 20 minute level.  Jillian said when you feel uncomfortable is the most important time to stick with it because that’s when you promote changes in your body.  I did two levels yesterday and was very pleased.  I felt like I got one of the best work outs from a DVD I’ve ever had.  It was like working out with my trainer because of the circuit-style format.  Of course Lisa is more fun though.    (she reads my personal faves.)

All you need is a mat and some handweights.  And some determination.  Enjoy!  Oh, plus I thought it was really affordable.  Can you tell I love this DVD??

http://www.amazon.com/Jillian-Michaels-30-Day-Shred/dp/B00127RAJY/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1246020267&sr=8-1

similar in shape to my personal fave. i like the larger ones... covers more surface area

The most accurate way to describe a tongue scraper: the cheapest way to alter your life.  Seriously… once you scrape you will be like, “How did I live without this??!!??”  It’s such a simple contraption that will dramatically improve your oral hygiene.  I should know; my mom is a dental hygienist.  (OK, so I have never studied dental hygiene but I do hear about it a lot!)

My mom and some friends came to Chicago a few years back  for a dental convention.  I took them out for sushi and then met up with my husband and other friends for drinks.  Several drinks.  All the dental people were raving about tongue scrapers.  They swore we had to try them.  We did and we were grateful for their buzzed, but accurate, reviews.

Any kind of tongue scraper will do but my personal fave is shaped like a tennis racket.   You can get them at Target, Walgreens, or any other drug store.  I’m telling you: life altering.  Try it and you can thank me later.