Chick Lit Plus by Samantha March

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30 Day Shred Challenge: One Week Left
Health & Fitness

30 Day Shred Challenge: One Week Left

I am just about finished with Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred Challenge! Friday will mark Day 30, as I have yet to miss a day since November 1. As I write this, I am sitting at my fiancé’s parent’s house, where we have been staying the past three days for the Thanksgiving holiday. I was worried that I would have to miss a day (or two or three) because of our schedule, but I lugged home the DVD and weights with me and have completed the workout in the mornings. It makes me proud to say that I am so dedicated to something, and my body really is seeing changes. I have lost another half inch on my hips, and my abs have some serious definition. I have also noticed stronger-looking arms and shoulders. I don’t think I will make it to Level 3 in this 30 days, but hopefully the second time I give this challenge a go I will be able to. I’m looking forward to seeing my measurements at Day 30, and can definitely appreciate the sculpted body that has come from all the hard work. I am so super happy I purchased this DVD!

November 25, 2012
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30 Day Shred Challenge: Halfway Through
Health & Fitness

30 Day Shred Challenge: Halfway Through

I am just over the halfway point in the Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred Challenge. I moved up to Level 2 on Day 11, and my thought plan was to move to Level 3 after another 10 days. I do not think that will happen. Level 2 is hard. And I mean hard. It makes Level 1 look like I was napping during the workout. I’m afraid of Level 3. I was trying to explain to my fiancé why I thought it was so much harder, and I believe I figured it out. With Level 1, cardio was cardio – jumping jacks, jump rope, etc. Abs were abs – crunches. With Level 2, cardio is a mixture of cardio and abs or cardio and strength. Abs are also a mixture of the two. There are also a lot of plank moves, which are killers! There are plenty of exercises where I need to follow the beginner moves. When I would finish Level 1, I felt good and worked out, but when I finish Level 2 I feel like death. I don’t want to move on until I am able to complete the more challenging moves, and be able to finish the level strong. Looks like probably in this 30 days I will stay with Level 2, but hopefully when I try this again (I’m thinking maybe February) I can move up!

November 18, 2012
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Drink Healthy: Dole Smoothie Shaker Review
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Drink Healthy: Dole Smoothie Shaker Review

I am a big fan of smoothies, but sometimes I am not a fan of how long it takes (or how loud the blender is in the morning!) to make them. I decided to try Dole Smoothie Shakers, as it is basically a ready-set-drink smoothie. I did double check to make sure I wasn’t going backwards in the health department, as can be the case with some pre-made items. Dole’s website said “each 11 oz serving (prepared with 7oz of Juice) is under 200 calories, low in fat and trans fat-free.” Sounded good to me! I tried the Strawberry Banana first and mixed it with orange juice. I did like the smoothie, except the only thing I found was it was hard to get everything mixed properly. There were still some frozen fruit parts at the bottom that didn’t get mixed in when I was shaking it up. The smoothie was a bit chunky for me, but again I think that comes from the mixing part. I also wished I had a straw handy with me when I drank mine, but that might just be a personal preference. Overall I do like these smoothies and I know that it does save me time and hassle (washing blenders – ugh) but I haven’t seemed to master yet how to mix everything up, so sometimes I feel wasteful when I get to the end.
[Rating: 3.5]

November 17, 2012
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Cleaning My Yoga Mat
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Cleaning My Yoga Mat

I have been practicing Yoga for many years, and about two years ago my fiancé bought me my own pink Yoga mat. It was going great – until I was in downward facing dog and got a whiff of my mat – holy feet stench! I had never thought about cleaning my mat – duh! I researched around for a while on the best way to get rid of the stinky feet smell on Yoga mats, and this is what I have been using: dish soap and water. Pretty darn simple! I use about a tablespoon of whatever dish soap I have in the house, and mix that in with full spray bottle of tap water. I spray the mat and then wipe it down with a sponge and it’s as good as new! Does anyone else have a different remedy for their Yoga mat?

November 13, 2012
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Thirty Day Shred Challenge: Level Two
Health & Fitness

Thirty Day Shred Challenge: Level Two

I am typing this on Sunday, so I am on Day 11 of the 30 Day Shred Challenge. How am I doing so far? I would say not too bad! I actually have not completed today’s workout ( I just got home from traveling out of town) but I plan on doing that once the Eagles/Cowboys game is over. I will moving up to Level 2 starting today, as I did 10 days at Level 1 and I feel okay to move on. I’m nervous; I won’t lie. A few of the moves were difficult for me in level 1 – I hate pushups, and the side lunge with a shoulder raise really did me in. So I’m curious what will be in store for me next! I will be taking my measurements again tomorrow, but in the first five days I had lost a half inch on my waist and an inch on my hips, so I think that is pretty good! It hasn’t been too hard for me yet to complete the workout every day, I think it goes by really fast with the 3-2-1 system…and I work from home Monday-Thursday 😉 Today is the first day where I feel it is a bit difficult to get it done, simply because we got home late and I’m exhausted from all that driving (in rain and sleet!) the past two days. But maybe it’s a good thing I’m starting Level 2, because I am actually excited to see what the moves are and that is helping motivate me – much needed today!

November 11, 2012
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Workout Review: Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown
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Workout Review: Jillian Michael’s Yoga Meltdown

I started practicing Yoga a few years ago, and I have slowly been progressing. It was not easy at first to catch on to the moves, but I kept at it and really felt and saw the benefits from practicing regularly. I had a handful of DVD’s, as I really enjoy working out in the comfort of my own home, and I’ve upgraded them often. I had one Yoga DVD that I had gotten so used to and the moves were all fairly beginner that I found myself nearly falling asleep while working out. I knew it was time for an upgrade, and I wanted to find something that gave me a challenge. Who better than Jillian Michael’s to look for? I grabbed her Yoga Meltdown DVD and got to it.
And then I cried. Well, not really, but I came pretty close. This was one hard workout. There are two levels to choose from, and I have not yet advanced to the second. This is coming from someone who works out regularly and has been practicing Yoga for many years. In the beginning I was a bit frustrated, confused as to why I was struggling so. Then a girlfriend of mine told me she wasn’t past level one either, and she is a workout guru and Yoga lover as well. If you are looking for a challenging Yoga DVD, pick this one up! I am currently taking Jillian’s 30 Day Shred Challenge, and that is a breeze compared to this workout. I did see in the reviews some people use the 30 Day Shred DVD as a warm-up, then complete this Yoga workout. That sounds pretty challenging, and I might tackle that someday in the future! I really like this DVD though, it’s hard, it’s tough, it makes me sweat, and I really feel like I give it my all when I complete it. Jillian Michael’s has quickly become my new favorite trainer!
[Rating: 5]

November 10, 2012
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My Challenge: Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred
Health & Fitness

My Challenge: Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred

I have decided that the month of November will be the month where I finally partake in Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred Challenge. I bought the DVD well over six months ago, and while I’ve done the workout a handful of times, I had yet to challenge myself to complete the DVD once a day every day for thirty days. I started on Thursday, November 1, and I am excited to see how I do. The DVD has three levels on it, each one with a thirty minute workout. I’m starting with level one, of course, and hope to move to level two after 10 days and then level 3 after another ten days. Each workout has three circuits to it and each circuit has the same layout–– 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs. How am I doing so far? Day 1 I felt great – strong and fit and ready to do this. I woke up on Day 2 with my arms screaming at me. I rarely do a lot of upper body workouts because I have skinny arms that tone very easily, so my workouts mostly focus on lower body and cardio. Because of this, my arms were not used to the workout I gave it – pushups and chest flies being the two that really got me. Day 3 my arms hurt so bad I couldn’t lift them long enough to put mascara on.
I’ll be blogging hopefully every week about my 30 Day Challenge. I took my weight and measurements the morning of Day 1 and plan on retaking them each Monday, and hopefully I will notice a difference at the end!

November 4, 2012
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Foodie Review: Special K Cracker Chips
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Foodie Review: Special K Cracker Chips

I love chips. Doritos in particular. And of course, once you eat one, you eat….like forty-seven. I started the search for a different chip to satisfy my craving, and landed on the Special K Cracker Chips. I grabbed the Sour Cream and Onion, and I am happy to report that these are a new staple in the house! I was worried they would taste too…healthy…but I honestly didn’t taste much of a difference between these and regular chips. I compared calories between the two, and Doritos (Nacho Cheese, which I prefer) came in at 150 calories per 11 chips. Special K is 110 calories per 27 chips. It’s clear you get more chip for less calories with Special K, and you aren’t losing a tasty snack. Even my fiancé has approved the chips, and often takes a small bag with him to work to munch on when he gets hungry. If you are looking for a better for you snack, I would give the Special K Cracker Chips a shot!

October 13, 2012
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My First 5K: Complete!
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My First 5K: Complete!

I did! My first 5K is complete 🙂 The Color Run was such a fun experience. There were 27,000 people registered in Des Moines, and the atmosphere just screamed party. It was a great way to ease into the running world! I ran with my girlfriend Holly, and we tried our best to look pretty ridiculous – as you can see from our picture! At the end, we were a mess! We ran through four color stations along the run, where people were having a great time throwing the paint on us, and then at the end once we finished we participated in a color throw. The paint wasn’t like what you paint a room with it, it was a more dust-like paint. Everyone who registered got a packet of the paint, and once you finished, you got to throw it in the air and have the colors rain down. Combined with thousands of people doing it at the same time – bananas. I literally lost my vision during the color throw, it was CRAZY!! But overall, a great experience, and I am definitely hooked. Holly and I are running another 5K in November (BRRRR!) and our award at the end – chocolate! The run is sponsored by a chocolate store in Des Moines, and proceeds go to the John Stoddard Cancer Center – a win/win there. I’ve had a lot of fun blogging about my first 5K experience, and I hope to share some more with you after my second race!

October 8, 2012
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