{ sneak peek }

Here are 4 of LobotoME's new brainiac note pads debuting at NSS next week. They will be available at LobotoME.com next week and in stores in early June!

I can't even tell you how much I love these new, fun yet functional lists. I can't decide which is my favorite but I think I am leaning towards the SitME (babysitting, housesiting, petsitting list)...But I've been using the List ME everyday (so has Will) and have already used the CheckME grocery shopping checklist in conjunction with my FeedME planner...And I need to USE the FitME list- right after NSS, start training, get back in shape ~~~ Fit ME!!! Hope you like! :-)

{ give your weekend a good, calm start }

With this yoga routine.

{ taking MY own advice }

So this morning, instead of my usual yoga class I decided to take a NIA class being offered at a new fitness studio in town. As you know, I always stress trying new things, adding adventure to your life, and mixing up your routine. Well, I took my own advice today and....well, I was WAY out of of my comfort zone. NIA is a combo of dancing, movement, martial arts, etc... The best way I can describe it is...you know when you have music blaring in your house while you are cleaning and you can of jam around and shake your hips and spin around? Well, the NIA class was like that but instead of dancing during a 3 minute song in the privacy of your own home we were doing that for 60 minutes in FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE!!! I know lots of people who love NIA classes and I would suggest it to people who like dancing or who want a lower impact workout. It just isn't for ME. But I tried it. What new thing are you going to try this weekend?

{ playlist & get toned }

I've gotten some emails lately asking what's on my ipod when I'm working out. I have a pretty eclectic mix of Fergie, Gwen Stephanie, Jay Z, Britney Spears {yes, I admit I listen to Britney but ONLY when I workout :-) }, Justin Timberlake, etc.

I'm going to download this playlist that I found on Tracy Anderson's (celebrity fitness trainer with Madonna & Gweneth Paltrow as clients) website.

PLAYLIST:

1. Come to me (Peace): Mary J Blige
2. Jump (Extended): Madonna
3. Beware of the dog: Jamelia
4. Numb/Encore: Jay-Z & Linkin Park
5. Give it up: Pharell Williams & Twista
6. Little lover's so polite (The gray area remix): Silver Sun Pickups
7. Don't stop the music (Solitaire's more drama remix): Rihanna
8. Break the ice: Britney Spears
9. Give it to me (Dance remix) (Matrix & Dapp work your body mix) Timbaland feat Justin
10. Lose Control (feat Ciara & Fat Man Scoop): Missy Elliott
11. Ring the alarm( Freemasons club mix): Beyonce

Speaking of her, she has a fitness routine & diet detailed here. Not enough food for me, but some good tips overall and a good 6 minute workout video recap on the main page (upper right hand corner) of her website. But then again, if it makes ME look like that, I'll give it a go! :-) I think I'll try these exercises this afternoon.

What tunes motivate you to work out?

* update - did the moves in her workout video - 50-100 reps and felt it burn. As with any training or health advice, take everything you read with a grain of salt and do your own research. I am in no way advocating for any of my readers to go on this diet or do this workout - I just happened to stumble upon it via Fit Sugar today and thought some of the advice & exercises were worth passing along!

{ 12 ways to stay on top of stress }

So, it's 12:40am on Monday and I am wide awake working - not good - but I have a to do list a mile & a half long and need to get through some of it (put most of it off all weekend to have fun with the family). Came across this good advice that I think I will need this week...

This article is from Gabby Reese's website, Go To Gabby and contains wonderful advice on ways to stay stress free. I think it is a great way to start the week with these tips in mind! I think this is a fabulous article so I've posted it all here so you don't miss it and so you can go back to it again and again.

Here it is...

You know how you have those weeks (or maybe months or years) that just seem to be loaded with stress? I know it's all relative -- one person's stress is another's holiday. People with two children think having just one child is a piece of cake, and so on. I've had one of those weeks -- I've been on the road a lot and dealing with an injury, work hasn't been going my way, and my three-year-old has been possessed by an alien. And I'm not talking about a friendly alien that wants to know what this planet is all about -- no, I am talking about someone who wants to launch a full-scale assault, but only in public places. To be honest, this stress has even made it more challenging to relate to my husband in a free-and-easy "girlie" way. I've had more tones of "wife" in my voice during this past week than I've had in my entire 11-year relationship.

It takes a million years for one gene to change in our bodies. One million years! I'm bringing this up because, physiologically, we're the same humans we were 300 years ago. But look at how things have changed in that short time. Some things make life easier now: washers and dryers, transportation, abundance of food, electricity, etc. But some things make life today more insane: cell phones, traffic, increased population, fake food, TV, busy schedules. I heard a statistic from a doctor-friend that we make more decisions in one day than people used to make in a year. No wonder we're stressed out and reaching for doughnuts or alcohol to cope.

All this craziness and high-speed living isn't going away. Since we can't change our genes, we have to create a map to navigate this crazy life. What can you do to try and stay on top of the stress so it doesn't affect your health, happiness, or waistline?

1. Exercise. Amen for endorphins. Believe me, they've helped me many days with my perspective. If you have to work out, then go take a brisk walk and get that blood flowing. It isn't about working out to lose weight -- it's about being healthy and staying sane.
   
   
2. Eat the real stuff. Crappy food (fast, processed, and loaded with sugar) doesn't help your chemical brain and body handle stress. Living food, real food, helps support your mind and body while it's trying to deal with the million things coming its way. Every time I reach for the chocolate, I'm looking to feel something from it. Don't get me wrong -- if it's just a little here and there because I enjoy the taste of it, great. But if I'm using it the minute I feel overwhelmed, then that's when that food is no longer OK to eat. It doesn't make the problem go away, and then I just feel bad about eating the food to pacify myself. Grab green food instead. Put things in your mouth that are going to support your immune function and keep you levelheaded.
   
   
3. Notice. Try not to let the stress overtake you. Recognize the situations that cause the stress and notice them coming your way. You have a better shot at fending off the full effects of the stress when you can anticipate it.
   
   
4. Get it off your chest. Talk to a friend or partner about the stress. Sometimes just getting it off your chest can help unload some of the burden.
5. Keep your sense of humor. If you do have the chance to talk about it, try to see the irony and humor in the wacky bits. I think someone is dead in the water once they lose their sense of humor.
   
   
6. Stay grateful. My daughter has large lungs and verbal skills she likes to display. Just when I start to wishfully think about her being quiet, I remind myself to be grateful that she can talk to me at all. In almost all of our problems are boatloads of blessings. "Oh, I don't feel like going to the gym." Well, Amen that you have the means and the health to even be able to wrestle with the idea of going to work out. Make a habit of saying thank you. You will notice the sunny spots a lot more often, and not just the gray skies and storms.
   
   
7. Ask, "What's the hurry?" Have some fun. We're always so busy going somewhere, we miss just enjoying the moment. If an opportunity comes your way to do something fun, take it.
   
   
8. Take a deep breath. When you feel the stress getting to you, take a moment. Get away, even if it's just for an hour, to be with yourself and your thoughts. Some people like to take a walk, meditate, lock themselves away in a beautiful bath, or go to church. Find the peace and the silence.
   
   
9. Keep it simple. Simplify where you can. Does Junior really need to be in 78 activities at the age of 5? Do you have to go to every little party or gathering you're invited to?
   
   
10. Turn of the TV. A lot of it is bad news anyway, and it robs us of hours that we could use to be getting other things done. Since everyone complains that they have no time, get some by unplugging from the tube.
    
    
11. Sleep. If you're rested, you have a better shot at handling things. Not to mention, you may not stress out as easily if you have a chance to recover at night.
    
    
12. Drink water. I have said it before: Americans consume 21 percent of their calories through liquid consumption. Hydrate with water. Help you entire system function better just by drinking enough water. Oh, and by the way, if you don't think that weight loss and proper hydration have a relationship, think again. Shift the paradigm on its side -- don't think about exercise and nutritional eating just as something you have to suffer through to get into those jeans. Instead, think of them as armor that will protect you in this crazy world, with all of the bazillion details you deal with every day.

{ live young...follow up }

Here are the answers to some of the questions that you sent in.

Does your husband take the same vitamins/supplements as you? Will takes Fish Oil Pills each evening and uses some of the Health-FX products when racing or training but he isn't as supplement obsessed as I am. :-)

Do you give your daughter vitamins? Yes, Samme takes 2 Animal Parade Kids Greenz vitamins each morning and a glass of PowerC (vitamin C drink, no sugar). I don't see the Power C on their website yet but you can try calling HealthFX at 505.310.2454 and see if you can order it over the phone.

Do you work out everyday? How do you find the motivation? Yes, it is super hard for me to get motivated some days to workout (especially in the winter). But, I write it down, I plan it and I do it. If I skip a day, I try to get back on track the next day. I aim for at least 5 days a week. But I'm not perfect.

Can I lose weight doing yoga? Not an expert in this arena folks but I do think yoga is a great mind-body workout. That said, Power Yoga or Hot Yoga kicks my butt - I sweat, my heart rate gets up and I am sore for 2 days. I tend to do more Hatha (or gentle style) yoga classes for the MIND portion of it and focus on other cardio activities for my workouts - hiking, biking, etc.
So, the short answer is maybe. But most likely it will help if you combine it with healthy eating and cardio as well.

What is your favorite workout? Hiking; road or mountain biking; swimming & yoga are my favorites. Running is my least favorite but I still try to do it a few times a week. I am a SLOW runner though!

Are you the weight you want to be? This is a tricky question. To my daughter I would answer yes - I am strong & healthy & cancer-free. To my SELF I answer not quite - I would like to lose about 5-8 lbs & get more toned. But I don't weigh myself and I don't talk about my weight in front of Sam. I emphasize with her the importance of getting fresh air outside, getting exercise to keep our hearts healthy, doing yoga to be flexible and calm, etc. Additionally we have plenty of fresh, healthy food in our house and we can eat as much of that as we want/need.

What sneakers/workout clothes do you recommend? I love my Salomon XT Wings sneakers but wear whatever feels best on you. Love clothes from Lululemon, Athleta, Lucy & Title Nine Sports for working out.

Do you drink alcohol? Yes - I usually have 1-2 glasses of red wine per week at dinner or a beer. I love Tequila (peanut gallery - Lisa, Shane, etc. NO COMMENTS ON THIS) and will splurge on margaritas sometimes!

Thanks for your questions ~ hope these answers help!

{ GO grab your weights ladies... }

From Lea-Ann, hot mama of 2 {of Health FX & The Peoples Chemist fame}, a lower body workout for YOU. Repeat 4-5 times. Check out her new blog here.