barre3 28 to great challenge

on monday, i started the barre3 "28 to great challenge".

barre3 helps to balance, strengthen and lengthen the body with moves inspired by ballet, yoga and pilates. sadie lincoln, barre3 founder, works closely with a team of experts including yogis, professional dancers, doctors, and athletes to craft highly efficient workouts. focusing on a unique combination of dynamic movement and isometric holds, the sequences work strategically to transform the body and develop long term postural benefits.

two years ago, i was a southern california transplant living in the pacific northwest (bend, or). i have never been able to stick to any exercise program, no matter what i try. i have had countless gym memberships, own a plethora of exercise dvds, joined running groups, zumba'ed and gone to yoga and pilates studio classes. while in oregon, a friend invited me to join her by going to a barre3 class at a local studio. i accepted and was hooked. i have never seen my body respond to an exercise program so well and i have never enjoyed something quite as much. i felt healthy, more confident than i have ever felt about my body and was in *love* with the results--a rockin' "barre3 booty" and long, lean muscles. 

i have since returned to my southern california roots and am back in san diego. they just opened up the first barre3 studio in san diego, but unfortunately it is more than 30 minutes from my house which makes it an unrealistic option for regular attendance. i was *thrilled* when i heard that i can now access my favorite workout program online *and* they are now offering a "28 to great challenge" as well. the "28 to great challenge" includes unlimited online access to tons of awesome workouts (the range from 10-60 minutes in length) as well as an easy, step-by-step exercise and nutrition plan for the 28 days. it also includes weekly email newsletters with specific directions, tips, and motivation for the week ahead, a barre3 core ball and barre3 wristband----all of the above for only $28! 

note: if there is a barre3 studio near you, go!! they have child care and it is a truly supportive environment with amazing women, great music and unbelievable results.

i am 4 days into my 28 day challenge and doing well. the online workouts make me feel like i am back in the studio and they are easier to do at home then i thought they would be. i am having less success with the meal plan this week, having guests in town visiting....but i plan to keep improving on that as well. 

i would love to have you join me on this challenge---sign up and join me on my 28 to great challenge. i will be following up with a post at the end of the challenge to let you know the results---stay tuned! :-)

forwards and girlfriends

i hate forwards. hate. i seldom ever read them. in fact, they generally bug me. i ignore every one from the "send it to 10 people in the next hour and your dreams will come true" to the warnings of car jackings and that everything that i own or consume will give me cancer. today i received a forward from my mom (that generally feels the same way i do about them) that made me pause and read it. 

"i just finished taking an evening class at stanford. the last lecture was on the mind-body connection - the relationship between stress and disease. the speaker (head of psychiatry at stanford) said, among other things, that one of the best things that a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.

at first everyone laughed, but he was serious.

women connect with each other differently and provide support systems that help each other to deal with stress and difficult life experiences. physically this quality “girlfriend time" helps us to create more serotonin - a neurotransmitter that helps combat depression and can create a general feeling of well being. women share feelings whereas men often form relationships around activities. they rarely sit down with a buddy and talk about how they feel about certain things or how their personal lives are going. jobs? yes. sports? yes. cars? yes. fishing, hunting, golf? yes. but their feelings? rarely. 

women do it all of the time. we share from our souls with our sisters/mothers, and evidently that is very good for our health. he said that spending time with a friend is just as important to our general health as jogging or working out at a gym.

there's a tendency to think that when we are "exercising" we are doing something good for our bodies, but when we are hanging out with friends, we are wasting our time and should be more productively engaged—not true. In fact, he said that failure to create and maintain quality personal relationships with other humans is as dangerous to our physical health as smoking!

so every time you hang out with a gal pal, just pat yourself on the back and congratulate yourself for doing something good for your health! we are indeed very, very blessed. sooooo let's appreciate our friendship with our girlfriends. evidently it's very good for our health."

for the record, i have no idea if this is true or not....but i sure hope it is. nothing makes me feel better than time spend with girlfriends and i *love* the idea that it could actually be healthy for me.....and the equivalent of a workout?! doubtful, but sign me up! what do you think?

top 15 must-have *PAID* iphone apps for parents

this post is part three in a series of four posts about the top paid and free apps for parents and kids. if you happened to miss out on the previous two, here are the links:

the top 25 *free* iphone apps for parents

the top 15 *free* iphone apps for kids of all ages 

we hope that you are enjoying finding out about new apps as much as we are. if we happened to miss your favorite, please leave a comment and let us know. we would love to hear about them.

enjoy!

one:

real simple recipes--no time to cook--$4.99

Looking for quick and easy dinner ideas? this is for you! there are nearly 850 easy recipes for dinner that you can make—start to finish—in 40 minutes or less.

two:

nike+ gps--$1.99

map runs, track progress, link with favorite itunes playlist, get motivation. i am borderline obsessed with this app. 

three:

pac-man or ms. pac-man $4.99

this app needs no explanation, really. does it? the classic arcade game now in your iphone. brilliant. 

four:

white noise--$1.99

great for traveling. period. amazing for drowning out the ice machine that your hotel room is next to, or the crazy bachelorette party down the hall. also wonderful for helping your kiddos fall asleep while away from home. we use a noise machine for both of our little ones at home and it helps using this app and having one less thing to pack on trips. 

five:

my kids info--$0.99

this app is a family information manager for parents that helps you keep track of your kids day-to-day activities, medical information, important contacts such as teachers or doctors and all other information relevant for your children. we all have these lists, but now they can be in one place. so easy. 



six:

baby brain: your baby log--$2.99

i remember going to our first peditritions appointment with our newborn and we were asked a ton of questions ranging from how many poop & pee diapers the little one had produced to exact hours of sleep and feeding times and frequency. really?! i had barely slept myself and didn't even know what day it was! i truly wish i had app back then. track it all easily with this app. if you are expecting or know someone who is, get this! 

seven:

hipstamatic--$1.99

go retro with your digital photos! this app adds old school character by turning your phone into a customizable work of art. there are hundreds of different effects that can be created by swapping out lenses, flashes and film. i am loving the look that i can easily create with this app!

eight:

ihomeopathy--$3.99
an easy to use guide for treating first-aid emergencies, childhood ailments and common illnesses with homeopathy. everything from treating bruises to bug bites, burns and allergic reactions. 




nine:

two hundred sit-ups--$1.99 
it sounds crazy, right? this app provides a 6 week training program that will soon have you on your way to completing 200 crunches. all it takes is this app and about 30 minutes a week. (note: there is also a hundred push-ups app if you are feeling really crazy.)






ten:

postale--$0.99
easily create custom postcards using your own photos and personal message and then share them via email, facebook or twitter. there are different theme and layout options as well as multiple postal stamp designs to choose from. when you are ready to send, the app will create a unique poststamp on your card that shows the date and location that your card was sent from. it is so much fun!




eleven:

couch to 5k--$2.99
ever dreamed of running a 5k but don't know where to start? this app is your built-in trainer to get you to where you need to be to race. you can do it! we do so much for our kids--it's time to do something for yourself too. you deserve it!


twelve:

pack & go deluxe--family to do, tasks and travel packing list--$1.99
my family is not that large (there are only four of us). however, when we go on vacation, i always seem to forget something! life just gets busy and this app provides me with a great reminder of what to pack for a local trip to the farmers market or a theme park to packing for a big trip (like our upcoming cruise). create 100% custom lists for each member of your family using their bank of over 800 items or add your own. i have never been more organized or ready for a trip. 




thirteen:

martha's everyday food recipes--$2.99
whether you love martha or hate her, you can probably agree that she makes some dang good food! this app provides great, easy recipes along with the integration of a shopping list and fun video tutorials. i love that they provide you with great images so that i know what  i am making is supposed to look like! 




fourteen:

chore bank--$1.99
this app is the ultimate parents tool to keep track of your child's allowance, completion of chores and spending money. say "hello" to you own bank of mom or dad. this app allows you to create a virtual bank account for each child. you set up a chore list and assign a monetary value to the chore and then when he/she completes the core you simple check it off and the dollar value assigned to the chore is added to their "bank account". you can even set an interest rate. i think it is a fabulous way to keep mom/dad organized while teaching your child great lessons in the value of money.






fifteen:

craigs list pro--$0.99
quite possibly the easiest way to search and post items to craigslist. super easy to search for items and i love that it uses gps so you can find out which items really are located closest to you. 




what are your favorite paid apps for your iphone? leave us a comment and let us know!