I’ll start off with the easiest one first…Introducing MAXFLOW headbands. Seriously super grippy (not sure that’s a word), but you get my meaning. These headbands Do Not Budge. Love the colors and the cross-back grip underneath.

Blender Bottle has a new SportMixer out now that is useful! These are a big Upgrade from their original version and much more durable and helpful out on the field or when carrying it around. I love the grips on the sides of the bottle and the loop for carrying. My only gripe is the sport top lid is way tight and it is occasionally hard to open.

Next up is the sexy, FRAS scarves. Perfect.

Paleoista is a fact-filled book on how to eat paleo from a women’s point of view.   She tells you the why’s, the how’s and the how to maintains with 50+ recipes.  I’ve enjoyed reading it so far and I’d recommend for any new woman interested in changing her diet and improving her health at the same time.

Finally, if you happen to be my hubby reading this…there would be a few items that I’d kindof jump for joy for, like this these or THIS ONE.   If you’re an athletic mom, what would you want for Mother’s Day?!

FTC- the products highlighted here were given to me for purposes of review & all of the above opinions are my own.

A Working Mom Defends the “Lululemon Stay-At-Home Mother”  I do live in workout clothes 90% of my time (but, I really am either working out or teaching yoga or PE!!)

New York Times Cartoonist Live Draws the NYC Marathon while running in it.

Free Race Entry SoCal Wine Country Trail 13.1 Half Marathon

Undercover Billionaire: Sara Blakely {Fascinating, anybody ever try Spanx? I haven’t, but, might now}

Thoughts, comments or suggestions welcome!

Yoga for Runners by Sage Rountree

Hot, Sweaty Mama’s Five Secrets to Life as a Fit Mom

Train Like a Mother

From Russia with Tough Love



Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso

So, if you had a book to recommend for your athletic mama, what would it be?

This Christmas, I only asked for one thing…that was the iPad2 and I am so thankful! Thank you, husband!! Anyway, I positively LOVE it and I’ve only had it like 3 days…so, this post will be a series of posts as I learn to use it more.

Number 1, iBooks. I can download as many sample books as I want. So, if you’re a nerd like me, then you know I’ve already downloaded 10 books–all related to my previous books for 2012 post and am working my way through the list. Very cool. The full price of the books seems to be a few dollars less than a paperback depending on what you want to read.  You can also download books via Amazon using a free Kindle app for iPads.

Number 2, You can manage your fitness progress by downloading a health and fitness app.  I like “TotalWOD CrossFit” and “One Rep Max Calculator”.

Number 3,  Emails are all in one place!  This is the best thing ever for me as with just one click I have all my email accounts open.

There are so many other cool aspects of this gadget I have yet to learn about!  Please share your favorite thing you use your iPad for??

FTC-the book was free and the opinion in mine.

Hot, Sweaty Mamas Five Secrets to Life As a Fit Mom has been a very enjoyable read! Every quote, I am nodding my head, each chapter offers something for both the rookie athlete to the seasoned veteran. Read, qive away and buy one for your non-athletic friend!

Lou Schuler writes the book and Alwyn Cosgrove designs the workouts…also authors of The New Rules of Lifting and the New Rules of Lifting for Women. Before this weekend, I had never read any of these books but, now, I may check the other ones out. I found Lou Schuler’s style of writing to be engaging, interesting, informative but not boring. A lot of fitness books, I am snoring by chapter 2! This one kept me reading all the way to the end and I’m still re-reading it as I write this.

Apparently, there are LOTS of rules of lifting for abs! Before reading this book I believed, that if you want your abs to show, you need to change your diet, FIRST {I still do think this is true}. These guys can give you all kinds of inventive ways to make you have strong abs and core, but, if you don’t change your eating, those abs aren’t going to show. This was my favorite rule #15: “Processed food makes you stupid and depressed.” These guys seem to take a moderate approach to a healthy diet. They don’t advocate the Zone diet or the Atkins diet or any other particular diet, they just say you need to keep your food clean without a lot of processed stuff, eliminate all calorie containing beverages and avoid fast food. As for the workouts and plans- Weights are two days, Metabolic work are two days, and there are two days of light exercise with one day off. Fairly reasonable in my humble opinion!

Readers, I am recommending this book for everyone to read and check out. It gives lots of exercises (new ones) that are inventive and strength building. It seems to be solid in it’s research but doesn’t repeat everything you’ve heard in many other weight training books.

P.S. This book was provided to me for purposes of review and the above opinion is my own.

Eat carrots for your night vision?
Eat salad to grow strong muscles?
Eat fruits for improved hearing?!

These things were helpful in motivating my kids to eat more fruits and veggies. My youngest, who, normally won’t touch spinach, “said, I won’t taste the salad in the smoothie?” Nope, son, you won’t. “Ok” It’s because of Mitch Spinach, that he will now drink green smoothies! And, yes, I’m still expected to make the smoothie in the back of the book—however, Mitch’s smoothie would require a super blender as well!!

The Secret Life of Mitch Spinach can be purchased on Amazon for $16.85. How do you motivate your kids to eat spinach, broccoli or kale?

Body by Design is based on real life stories of people who have changed their lives using this 12 week fitness formula. Personally, I did not really find any new information in here. It offers the standard weight training {dumbbell flyes, bench press, incline flyes, dips of 3 sets of 10-15} and low-fat diet nutrition plan {NO FAT at all offered in the diet.} It suggests you do light to moderate intensity cardio every single day….

If you are a person who can be motivated about reading others successes, then, check it out! It’s a 12 week program that could get a novice started on a weight training/nutrition program, however, knowing what I know from Crossfit/Zone and Paleo diets, this is not a program I would follow. We eat a lot of fat around here in the name of avocados, almonds, and coconut oil and I wouldn’t give that up. Also, the fact that 80% of my workouts are completed in 30 minutes or less and they are a combination of strength training and cardio so there’s no need to do extra cardio. Finally, I love that I am always challenged to learn new things, practice old things and it is never boring. 30 minutes on a machine everyday would have me hitting the snooze button way more often!

P.S. Body by Design was provided to me for purposes of review and this is my honest opinion.