What motivates you? August 31, 2007

The funny thing about my sisters and I is that we are all training for the same race in our own special way. I think it is really cool to see what drives different people who are working towards the same goal. Like me for instance…I’m all about the products! I am always getting new products to test and review for KatyShops. When I get a new pair of shoes to run in, a fancy running watch, or a cute little running skirt…I actually perform better. Here are some of the things that have been motivating me lately:

My Running Skirt - When running I want my clothes to provide two major purposes…to look cute & be comfortable. The Running Skirt fits both of these needs! If tennis players can wear cute little skirts, why can’t runners? They can! They have two styles, one with bike shorts attached and one with briefs attached. They even have handy little pockets in them. They start around $40 and come in a ton of cute colors! I just feel like running when I am wearing my running skirt!

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• A great pair of running shoes - I’m all about Spira for my hard core road running, but for trail running I love Saloman or Keen. Both have styles especially made for hitting the trails…and both come in amazing styles! Again, function & style together!

Now my older sister Amy is very organized. She gets her mojo by certain programs that she follows. She uses the YOU on a Diet program from Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen. This is a great book that really breaks it down for you and makes it super easy to follow a diet and exercise program. Another program that Amy likes is the Sane Fitness QuickStart cards. I use these too and find them to be a great way to fit a workout into any given day. It includes 6 full weeks of strength, stretching, and cardio workouts that you can do at the gym or at home. It even includes a lanyard/cardholder so your instructions will be with you the whole time you are working out! This Kit was created by Beverley Caan (a working mother with a passion for fitness) and John Cruz (a fitness expert). For $24.95 this is a bargain! I like to call it a personal trainer in a box!

Now Christy…she isn’t impressed by product or programs…she just plugs along and gets her workouts done! She doesn’t need the latest or greatest to motivate her. She even popped a video into her VCR the other day and worked out…yes, you heard me right…the VCR. Christy used Leslie Sansone’s Walk Away The Pounds tape to help her get a workout into a day that was to hot to be outside. These DVDs are an in-home walking program that “helps you burn fat, shape and tone muscle, build bone strength, and reduce stress right in your own home. Take a walk in the right direction, and change the way your body looks and feels for life. The small area in front of your television, or computer, and a pair of comfortable walking shoes is all you will need to start walking 1, 2, 3, or more miles. There is no fancy equipment or complicated steps, just pop in a workout video and follow Leslie as she leads you on a total-body conditioning walk.” That pretty much sums my sister Christy up…a no stress approach to working out! She knows what she has to do…and she doesn’t need anything fancy to get it done (not like me and my running skirt). By the way…I have no idea why the font decided to change…and I don’t know how to fix it

 

Now my sister Jenny is pretty hard core! In fact, she is a pro. She is filled with tons of knowledge..she really knows what she is doing. Very impressive! She uses her Garmin GPS to calculate miles, speed, & distance like a hawk! The GPS watches can be really handy. I love the fact that I can just walk out my door, push a button on my watch and make my own route up as I go! She even had her husband install a chin up bar in her house to help her achieve her chin up goal for herself. If you really want to learn a lot about fitness…check out her blog (it is in my blogroll).

I think what motivates all of us is our Mom. This was her idea…all of us running a half marathon for her 65th birthday in January. I can’t tell you what a motivator, friend, and help she has been to me. She truly cares about me and how my running (and life) is going. I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for her. Sometimes when I wonder why I am doing this? Who really cares if I run? How am I going to do it? I remember…my mom.

 

Radio Thursday - Let’s Eat! August 30, 2007

I consider myself a “foodie”…I love finding (and eating) new foods. Look at the great things that I found:

• Dave’s Gourmet, Inc. - I love food that is hot & spicy! Dave’s is the place for me. One of my favorite Dave’s products is the Adjustable Heat Hot Sauce. This is a pump spray hot sauce that comes in an adjustable heat bottle. Simply turn the dial on the top of the bottle to select the desired level of heat. The spray action allows you to evenly distribute the hot sauce on your food. I like my sauce somewhere between Hot and Hotter.

Another cool Dave’s offering are Dave’s Lucky Nuts. Also known as “Vegas in a Can”. What makes them so lucky? These are delicious spiced peanuts with a catch - every tenth nut is super hot…only you can’t tell which ones are the hot ones! These nuts are part entertainment and part snack food - take a chance! Personally I like to eat them one by one…counting them…until I get a hot one!

They offer awesome gift packs, spicy popcorn, honey mustard, spice rubs…and much more. I am a Dave’s fan!

 

• Divvies - Have you noticed that there are a lot of people out there with food allergies? I teach and every year I seem to have a student with some sort of food allergy. My heart goes out to them…it has got to be hard for them and their families. It seems that Peanut allergies (and tree nuts) are most common, followed by dairy and eggs. Enter Divvies…Safe Sweets that are yummy for everyone and safe for those with allergies. What a great idea! We are talking cookies, cupcakes, popcorn, candy…the things that everyone should get to eat! The boxes of treats come wrapped beautifully- pretty bows, nice blue boxes…you just know something special is inside. The first thing I tasted was the individually wrapped chocolate chip cookies. Let me just say…who needs dairy, eggs, and nuts when cookies taste this good!

I am a huge popcorn fan! I couldn’t put down the Divvies Caramel Corn. Kinda like Cracker Jacks…but even better! My girls loved the candy…especially the blue rock candy! The next time you want to send treats into your child’s school call Divvies and make sure everyone can eat it!

Sensible Foods Crunch Dried Snacks - Snacks made sensible. Each convenient single-serving bag contains at least one full serving of fruit or vegetables!! And it is snack food! This is organic dried fruit and veggie snacks. My personal favorite is the dried sweet corn…crunchy, sweet, and good for me. Maddie likes the Tropical Blend which contains apples, pineapples, mangos, bananas, and nothing else. Each packet is like eating a 1/2 cup of fruit! Have as much as you want! They are also fat free and gluten free.

P.B. LOCO - Flavored gourmet peanut butter! Who doesn’t love peanut butter? Let me just tempt you with their many flavors…Peanut Butter with CoCo Bananas, Peanut Butter with Asian Curry, Peanut Butter with Dark Chocolate, Peanut Butter with jungle banana, Peanut Butter with Raspberry White Chocolate, Peanut Butter with Sun Dried Tomato, Peanut Butter with White Chocolate, Peanut Butter with European Mocha, Peanut Butter with cinnamon raisin, and of course crunchy and creamy. Are you hungry yet?? Let me just tell you..not only are these super yummy…they have no trans fat! Slather it on!! My personal favorite is the Mocha flavor…on toast. My girls love to put the banana peanut butter on their ice cream. The Curry makes a nice chicken sate. Need more ideas? Visit the P.B. Loco website for lots of recipes. They have a chain of cafe’s that specialize in all peanut butter. Order straight from the website or visit your local Super Target for a good selection. PB & J can get boring…kick it up a notch by using P.B. Loco!

One Girl Cookies - The first thing I noticed when my pumpkin whoopie pies from One Girl Cookies arrived was the gorgeous packaging. They arrived in a Kraft colored box adorned with a vintage photo from their own families and a paper band tied closed with a ribbon. I was impressed. The next thing I noticed was the fresh baked aroma coming from the box…sorry guys..but I ripped right through the paper band and ribbon to get to the whoopie pies! Inside the box my petite little whoopie pie was hand wrapped in a cellophane sleeve and tied with a pretty blue ribbon. The real prize was inside the cellophane…cream cheese frosting sandwiched between two fabulous pumpkin cookies/cakes. Oh, I can’t even begin to describe the yummyness! They also make a wide variety of cookies and will even make custom party favors for you.

Lapper Dining Tray - I served up all of my goodies to my friends at KICKS on the most amazing tray ever! The Lapper is made out of extremely durable melamine, comes in a ton of fun colors, and best of all has indentations on it that hold special silicone ant-slip mats. Nothing will slide when placed on the mats - it will all stay in place! They are dishwasher safe, withstand heat up to 600 degrees, and nest into each other for storage. These are great for kids, elderly, disabled, eating in front of the TV, or for anyone who is just plain clumsy like me!

 

 

Free August 29, 2007

I have a special KatyShops Freebie to offer you! Do you remember when I featured Shape up Shoes? These flip flops, clogs, and boots actually burn calories and tone you up while you wear them!! I have a pair of the flip flops and can really feel them working my muscles. You only need to wear them 30 minutes per day to see results. Well…they want to give KatyShops readers free shipping - just for today and tomorrow. The free shipping will be automatically deducted at checkout. Thank you Shape Up Shoes!!

Take a stab at one of the free chicken & coke coupons from Chick-fil-a!

Buy one Vanilla Coke and get another free - just download the coupon.

Did you know that September 10th is National Hug Day? Hugs are quite the rage right now! Get your free hug pin…so everyone knows that you are open to random hugging. Be on the lookout for fellow huggers. {{{HUGS}}}

Free full size Smashbox cosmetics from Nordstroms! Just print out the coupon and run to your mall!!

Pregnant? Or not. Get a free sample of prenatal vitamins. You never know who might need them.

Free Kashi snack. Looks like they have some new cookies!

Free Atkins bar. Fill out form…print out coupon.

Free Omega 3 Fish oil sample.

Free Coffee Mate…this is a coupon for a full size jar!!!

Remember…tune into radio Thursday…I’m talking all about food!!

Etsy August 28, 2007

Have you ever shopped Etsy? This is a wonderful site where handcrafted items are sold by the artist who made them. You can really get lost in the great ideas on this site! Here are some cool things that I found.

A Crayon Tote. Just put your coloring books inside and you are ready to color! It comes in lots of great patterns.

Photos are very popular on Etsy. I love this pomegranate photo by Katrina Martin Davenport.

This Family Chore Chart could be handy. I wonder if it could come with extra “mom” tags?

Yes, Apples do rock!

Sometimes a T-shirt can say it all!

Will someone please buy me this pillow? I love it!

Head over to Etsy…its so much fun!

 

 

Splendid August 27, 2007

Did you catch to Oprah last week when she gave everyone in her audience a pair of her new favorite sweats? They are by a company called Splendid. Yes Oprah, they are super cute…and yes, they appear to be very comfortable…but in true Oprah style they are a little pricey. The first thing I looked at was a pair of Draw String pants. The colors offered are awesome…pink, pineapple, espresso, sky, jasmine and others. They are made out of 48% pima cotton, 48& modal, and 4% lycra. Okay..so what the heck is modal? According to Wikipedia Modal is a bio-based fiber made by spinning reconstituted cellulose from beech trees. It is about 50% more hygroscopic, or water-absorbent, per unit volume than cotton is. It is designed to dye just like cotton, and is color-fast when washed in warm water. Modal is essentially a variety of rayon. It is supposed to resist pilling, shrinkage and fading. It is also supposed to be ultra soft. I didn’t know that you could buy Modal sheets for your bed! Bed Bath and Beyond sells them labeled Pure Beech. Hmm..interesting! You can pick up a Queen set for $79.99.

Ooops..I digress! Lets go back to Splendid. I have discovered that they are cute, look comfortable, and are made from 48% Modal. Let me share with you the price. $98.00. Oh how I wish I could justify this purchase. Has anyone tried these on? Maybe I could buy the modal sheets from Bed, Bath, and Beyond and make myself a few pairs out of them

I love this dress…It is $94.00 too. But it is a whole outfit. Makes more sense that it costs $94.

They even have Splendid lines for Kids, babies, and older girls. Hey…this one has 50% of Modal in it.

If you can afford it…I’m sure the clothes from Splendid are awesome. I don’t think Oprah has ever steered me wrong. Check them out a Saks or Bloomingdales…maybe you will think that they are splendid too.

 

I’m still here.. August 26, 2007

Wow!  What a busy weekend.  Soccer season “kicked” off yesterday…Riley was amazing - she is turning into a force to be reckoned with on the field.  Sometimes the weekends can really get crazy.  Have you even thought about Labor Day yet?  It is next weekend you know.  Here are some great party planning sites….

The Party Planner from iVillage.  You choose the type of party you want and they will get you ready in no time.

Evite also has some great ideas…they will even streamline the invites for you.

Planning a party more for kids than adults?  Kids party Fun has it all mapped out.

Rachael Ray has a great party menu for you…you know it will be fast and easy!

Start thinking ahead…make your Labor day have a little less “labor” and a lot more rest!

Sisterhood. August 24, 2007

I have been enjoying reading my sister’s blogs. They are all writing about their training for the Disney Half Marathon that we will be running with my mom in January. I am honored to be running in this event with them. Hopefully this experience will strengthen the bonds that I have with them - I actually care more about that than finishing the 13 miles…but I will finish. I remember being thrilled when Riley was born because this meant that both of my girls had a sister - I felt like they were both given a gift on that day. My only hope is that they are friends forever and the “gift” will last a lifetime. I know that they only have each other…maybe that will ensure that they are always close - they can’t pick and choose which sister they like best. I know you can’t pick your family…but I would still pick the sisters that I have. Don’t get me wrong…when I think of sisters I definitely include those special girlfriends (you know who you are) in my life who choose to support me, uplift me, tolerate me, love me, and just always be there for me…without you guys I would be lost. Thank you for being there for me!

I love the Sisterhood Necklace from Blue Poppy. It has the seven sister’s constellation on it.

Of course Lucy’s Sister makes the most awesome belts…I have one and love it!

Spa Sister makes these luxurious silky sleep masks.

Did you know there was a whole site dedicated to sister gifts? I love this personalized sister candle (and it already has my sister’s name on it).

Spoon Sisters is one of my favorite sites. They have lots and lots of fun things…great place to look for a gift.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Give a Gal a Hand August 23, 2007

We can all use a little help every now and then. I scoured the market to find products that would help us girls out!

• The Butler Bag - “Every girl needs a butler. ” This handbag is amazing! It is the world’s first compartmentalized purse. We carry a lot in our bags…why don’t our bags have a place for everything. Why should you franticly dig through your purse for your phone as you hear it ringing? Personally, I have been embarrassed by the disorder inside my bag…not anymore! Not only is the bag an organizers dream, it is a high quality piece of fashion too. Made out of top grain leather and super stylish!

 

• The Brag - Is the Butler Bag to big for you? Maybe you aren’t a packrat like me. The Brag is right up your alley! This genius wallet has a place for everything. Keys, lipstick, pen, paper, photos, coupons, you name it. Again, fashion on the outside…function on the inside! This is perfect to carry alone, in your purse or thrown into a diaper bag. It even fits in the large Butler bag if you want to be super savvy and organized.

 

 

• Bangles by Butler Bag Jewelry Organizer - Do you ever wear the same jewelry over & over again because you are to lazy to dig through your jewelry stash? I have some stuff that I love…but haven’t worn in a while because I would have to go hunting for it. Jen Groover to the rescue again! With her efficiently designed two sided case you will have a place for everything. It includes a tangle free peg system for necklaces on one side and the other side has spots for everything else. The case protects all of your treasures. This is great for travel.

 

• Chilly Jilly - No doubt its very hot outside right now. I went out to eat the other night and was freezing! Of course I had a tank top on because it is the middle of summer…I didn’t expect to be so cold! Enter the Chilly Jilly - a convenient wrap that fits right in your purse. It comes in a handy pouch that it easily folds into (we aren’t talking map folding here!!). Perfect for movie theaters, restaurants, or long meetings. You never know when you will need it…but you will always have it. Its super soft and resists wrinkling. What a great idea.

 

• Finders Key Purse - Okay, so you don’t have a Butler Bag and you are tired of losing your keys to the deep dark crevices of your purse…whats a girl to do? Use the Finders Key Chain. This adorable key chain has a handy hook on the end to “hold on” to the side of your purse. You can choose from many designs…Cross, Martini, Flag, teddy bears, hearts…and on and on. You will always know where your keys are if you have them on the Finders Key Purse! They even have a design for your phone…no more searching.

• Luxe Link Purse Holder - Where do you put your purse when you go out to eat? Smush it in your chair, hang it on the chair and hope it stays, or put it on the icky floor? This little gem will soon become a lifesaver to women all over the world! Simply flip it open and pop the top over the table…presto you have a hook to hang your purse on! Not only does it keep your bag clean and shiny, it also lets you keep an eye on it…no chance of getting your bag snatched. Each Luxe Link comes in a nice little pouch for storing in your bag or you can keep it hooked on the strap for super easy access. Not only is the Luxe Link a great working product…they are a beautiful accessory too. You can pick from pink swarovrski crystals, chocolate brown, mirrored, or many more styles. During the month of Sept. & Oct. 20% of the proceeds from the pink swarovski crystal design will go to the Libby Ross Foundation For Breast Cancer. Thank you Luxe Link Ladies…I love this product.

• Muleos - Do your mules ever catch on your jeans? Have you ever walked into a room and the “flap-flap” noise of your strapless shoes made everyone in the place turn to look? Have you ever tried dancing in backless shoes? Muleos are the answer. They wrap under your strapless shoes and around your ankle to stop the slap and end the trouser trap. They also turn your one pair of shoes into two! They come in many different colors & styles and sell for $9.99 and up.

 

• Styl Styk - Are your roots showing sooner than you expected? Can’t recreate the cool zig-zag part that your hair stylist did? Need extra volume & fullness to your locks? The Styl Styk solves all of this! This is a unique two pronged hairstyling comb that allows you to solve all of these problems. For $14.95 you get two styks…one for small zig-zags and one for big ones. They are really easy to get the hang of and quite fun to use. They come with great directions and you can even visit their site to see them in action.

 

Freebies August 22, 2007

Is it Wednesday yet?

A Tee Shirt for you. Seems to not be working anymore!
Free Coffee sample from Nescafe and from Folgers!

Free Orange Julius Smoothie on August 18,19,25,or 26th.

Free Folder. This would have been great for back to school.

Free colored pencils.

Free skull stickers.

Free bowl and spoon from Beech Nut and free Similac for babies!

Free 4 oz sample of Red Bear Hand Cleaner.

Free football celebration kit from USA Football.

Free wristband.

$29 worth of coupons from Proctor & Gamble. Includes Febreeze, Dawn, Swiffer…and many more.

Free Omega 3 Fish oil.

This one is really good…on September 29th the Smithsonian is offering free admission to all of its museums and affiliates! Just print out your coupon. There are tons of different museums for each state…go try something new. I printed out coupons for my entire family.

Have a fabulous Wednesday…tune in to Radio Thursday tomorrow…the topic is “Give a Gal a Hand”.

I feel fat. August 21, 2007

Do you ever just feel fat? The scale is telling me I’m crazy…no need for deep depression…I doing fine. The problem is I just don’t feel as thin as I did yesterday. I haven’t eaten to much and went for a nice run today…but I feel it! I was cruising the netlooking for products that might help…

Hmmm. Calorie burning Soda. Didn’t Diet Coke already try that?

How do you feel about an “all muffin” diet? Vitalicious Muffins seem to have a bunch of good things in them!

Pasta with zero calories! If anyone has tried this let me know…

I have always been intrigued by Contrex Mineral water. It is calorie free (duh, its water) but contains a ton of calcium and minerals in it.

Hoodia Lolly Pops. Do you think that this is why we always see Britney Spears sucking on a lolly pop? Not for me.

Maybe I just need to get a new scale…

If you too are having a “fat day” head over to Hungry Girl. This is a great site for tips, support, recipes etc. for anyone trying to watch what they eat. Sometimes you just need the support of others!