Wedding Decoration Turned Keepsake: Easy Canvas Prints Review

Canvas Print

Complimentary canvas print provided for review.

Last month was pretty exciting with the family wedding and associated fun. Since I already had my eyes peeled for stuff to include in the bachelorette party I was throwing, my ears perked up when I was offered a canvas photo print of my choice from Easy Canvas Prints. I have a family photo blown up on a canvas in my living room, and I adore it – it’s been quite a conversation piece. So, I thought it would be fun to get a little canvas made of one of the couple’s engagement photos for a gift!

This was the first time I’d ever used the Easy Canvas Prints website, and it was very straightforward. Using their upload tool, I was able to crop the photo to make a nice headshot of the couple, and opted for a border that matched the color tones in the photo. Once I was satisfied, I place my order and waited for it to arrive. I ended up being pleased with how cute it was, and the 8 x 10 size were the perfect dimensions to tuck into my suitcase and take with me to Orcas Island.

I gave the canvas to the bride the night before the wedding, and she liked it so much that they actually decided to include it as a decoration at their wedding – she said that she has been wanting a photo to add to the cake table, and as fate would have it, this ended up going really nicely with the color scheme. Isn’t it neat how things work out sometimes?

Canvas at the wedding

Canvas Closeup

Cake Table

Wedding Gift And Decoration in One!

Ripley’s Believe It Or Not “Dare To Look!” 2013 Annual + Discount

Ripley's Believe It Or Not

Promotional copy provided for review.

Last year, I got a fun nostalgia flashback when I reviewed the 2012 Ripley’s Believe It Or Not annual. The book is back for its 2013 installment, Dare To Look!, so naturally I had to check it out. I grew up reading these books and they still suck me in with their endless lists of fun facts and tidbits. I have to say that these contemporary versions are a lot more squeamish to me than the old school installments, since we now see full-color photographs of things like cysts and a man with hooks through his eyes, but I just quickly skim over those pages. 😉

Now that I have a newer iPhone, I was also able to download the Ripley’s App, which allows you to scan pages in the book to access bonus content, like this video of a snowboarding possum. The app also has a daily comic, which is drawn in the same retro illustration style that Ripley’s used in their annuals that I grew up with – I love that!

As always, these books are a fun, light read. PDXers will also be proud to know that the basketball-playing sea otter at the Oregon Zoo got a mention in this year’s annual! 😉

Right now, you can pick up a copy of Dare To Look! for only $14.99 plus free shipping by clicking this link! This is a special discounted price for blog readers, so make sure you use this link to order and snag the deal!

Announcing Our Total Gym XLS Brand Ambassadorship!

Total Gym XLS

We received a complimentary Total Gym XLS for the purposes of this series; this post also contains affiliate links. This article is an account of our personal experience only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any medical condition. Always consult with physician before embarking on any fitness program.

I have an exciting announcement to share with you this afternoon: Over the next three months, Jai and I will be serving as brand ambassadors for Total Gym! We’ve received a Total Gym XLS to review and keep, and will be chronicling our experience and progress through posts, photos and videos. So what inspired us to take on this challenge?

I used to be very adamant about maintaining a gym membership rather than working out at home. At previous times in my life, this worked best for me because it gave me a nice transition in my work day – working at home, it was great to shift gears by getting out of the house and out of “Work mode” by hitting the gym and working out tension. When I returned to my home, I felt ready to start other tasks and start winding down my day. I always thought that working out at home would be impossible, because I imagined getting interrupted constantly by people knocking on the door, phone calls, and the like.

But my feelings on this changed with my schedule. At the beginning of the year, I was going to the gym almost every day, but it wasn’t easy because I couldn’t get into a groove with the timing on it. This has been a crucial year for my business and I’ve been working very long hours, not to mention all the other things I have to deal with outside of my job. The only time that really worked for me to go was in the late afternoon or evening, and so I’d find myself rushing to the gym around 7 PM, getting home late and feeling extra hungry for dinner – by the time I got home, showered and settled in, I’d end up getting to bed later than I wanted to; and I don’t get a lot of sleep as it is. This wasn’t working, but it was the only time I had to do it, since I work in the mornings and it’s just not feasible for me to get away and hit the gym because I am too busy early in the day. Not only do I have time-sensitive work tasks that consume my morning, but I’m also more of a morning person than an evening person, so I’d rather do my workouts after the day is over when I’ve exhausted all my brainpower, rather than schedule my work for a time when I can’t think as clearly.

These scheduling challenges also made it more difficult for Jai, who has his own work schedule and needs, because we usually tried to hit the gym together. Between trying to coordinate, getting myself together, and getting out the door, it was becoming really hard to make it work. Not to mention, we’re focusing our time and resources on the business right now, so the gym had become out of our budget.

I knew there had to be an alternative we could do at home, and while we tried various things, neither Jai or I could find a routine that worked. I tried following fitness videos on YouTube, but it didn’t provide enough structure and it seemed like a scavenger hunt getting workouts that I could follow and would work with my physical needs, since there are certain exercises I need to avoid or ease back into following the aftermath of my knee injury. Also, while I have a small pair of dumbbells and an abroller, that’s about it for gym equipment; doing weights is an important part of my fitness routine, so I needed a way to reproduce this. Jai had been doing some running, but we both needed something that would work indoors, since Seaside has notoriously lousy weather!

So when I attended FitBloggin’ in June, I marked down the Total Gym Demo session “How Total Gym Can Change Your Life” on my itinerary of things to check out. A personal trainer walked me through a slew of exercises on the machine, and I was really impressed by the versatility of what it could to – it seemed to emulate all the machines I would use at our local gym, and even though I only used it pretty briefly, my arms were sore for days from the workout – in a good way! After the conference, I told Jai how impressed I was, and he was really interested in learning more about it.

And that’s why I’m very excited to announce that Total Gym and I have partnered up for this special series! I can’t wait to share my journey with you and see what kind of results we get. Here’s some of the reasons why we’re excited to be the proud new owners of a Total Gym XLS:

  • Workouts. As you’ll see, this machine is adjustable and comes with enough attachments to really emulate almost any machine you’d use at a gym. Our kit came packed with so many workout DVDs and instructional cards that we haven’t even scratched the surface of what we can do with it.
  • Space. I always pictured that having home gym equipment would be impossible due to the huge amount of room it would take up. Although the Total Gym does take up a bit of space while in operation, you can actually fold it and store it under a bed if need be.
  • Time & Convenience. Since my schedule has changed, getting myself together to go to the gym has been really hard because I am so pressed for time – going out to the gym changed from being a welcome break to a big time burden. The wonderful thing about having the Total Gym is that it’s ready whenever I’m ready. I can break my workouts up through the day if I want, or take a break from my computer to stretch out my back and wrists when I start getting repetitive strain from sitting at my desk all day. I can now easily squeeze in my workout in the evenings when it is convenient, which is a huge stress reduction for me. I don’t have to worry about washing my special gym clothes or putting on makeup (Yes, I’m one of those people who wears makeup to the gym!). Honestly? I just hop on this thing in my PJs! It’s so easy and with my schedule at the moment, has been the perfect solution to the problem that has been keeping me from exercising.
  • Low impact. As the trainer at FitBloggin’ showed me, you can do SO MANY exercises on here that put no strain on your knees at all, so I can take it as easy on my knees as I need to!
  • Did I mention convenience? Jai can do his workout whenever he wants, and doesn’t have to try to time it with me like he did when we were going to the local gym together. Also, our home gym is open 24/7, so he can workout in the middle of the night if he feels like it!

I’m really excited to see what our results will be from using this – after my knee injury, I lost so much muscle tone that it’s really the main area I’ve been wanting to focus on after losing so much weight over the last year. I feel like toning up will be the #1 improvement I can make, since not being able to walk for so long left me with a really odd body shape. Having a reliable workout routine in place will take care of the rest of that and help me get into the kind of shape I want to be in!

Check out our introductory video below to see the unboxing of the unit and our initial thoughts:

These are our current measurements:

Beeb:

Arms – 10.7”

Chest – 36.3”

Waist – 29.2”

Hips – 37”

Thighs – 18”

Jai:

Arms – 13”

Chest – 39”

Waist – 38”

Hips – 37.5”

Thighs – 20.2”




Jai and I will be sharing our updates with you every Tuesday, along with our thoughts on the gym and how it’s working. We’ll wrap up every month with a video blog, and in mid-December we will share our final results and total inches lost with you!

Traveling With Arbonne

Arbonne

Arbonne samples were provided for testing.

With all the traveling I did last month, I feel like I was packing bags constantly! I have a special bag just for my toiletries, and I like to pack smaller, travel-size items whenever possible in order to save space. So when some mini testers of Arbonne skin care products arrived, it was great timing since I was about to hit the road!

This set featured samples from the RE9 Advanced skin care line, and included the following:

Smoothing Facial Cleanser
Regenerating Toner
Intensive Renewal Serum
Corrective Eye Cream
Restorative Day Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen
Extra Moisture Restorative Day Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen
Night Repair Creme

All of these products are meant to be used twice daily, with the day creams applied in the morning after the other products, with the night cream used, obviously, before bed. The samples were enough to last roughly 4-5 days, so I took them on my trip up to Washington, which was very convenient. I enjoyed the texture and scent of the products – the eye cream tingled a little when I put it on, so I was concerned that my sensitive skin might have a reaction, but I had absolutely no problems. I loved that the day creams both had SPF, since that’s really important to me; you can either use just one or both, and I usually put on both. ETA: I was mistaken, you’re only meant to use one or the other day creams, not both at the same time. What is unique to me about this set is how many moisturizing products you layer on – I figure that just putting on that many different creams has got to help keep my skin moisturized, haha! I didn’t feel like my face was greasy or heavy, however. I liked this set and I’d happily use it again; it’s more steps than I usually do in my skin care routine, but it doesn’t take too much extra time.

If you’re curious to read the clinical results for this product, click here. The trial consisted of 163 participants using the products over 4 weeks, and was run by International Research Services Inc., which is a private clinical research company. I wasn’t able to locate the full clinical research papers or names of the people who conducted the trial, which I’d really love to read. I can’t say that I looked any younger after using the product, but my skin did feel moisturized.

LEGO® KidsFest Portland – Discount + Ticket Giveaway! Ends 9/17

LEGO KidsFest

I am receiving complimentary admission to LEGO® KidsFest for my participation.

LEGO® KidsFest is coming to Portland on October 11th! This neat event is going to provide fun for LEGO® fans of all ages. Jai and I are going to attend with our friends – if you’re in Portland and would like to check this fun gathering out for yourself, then you’ll be excited to know that you can snag a discount along with a chance to win tickets right here on Beeb-Log!

Discount:

For a limited time, you can use discount code USFG13 to save $2 on adult admission to LEGO® KidsFest – click here for more details!

Event Information:

For details on the LEGO® KidsFest Portland, visit LEGOKidsFest.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for updates!

Giveaway!

One lucky reader will win 2 tickets to LEGO® KidsFest in Portland, Oregon on Friday, October 11th 2013 from 4:00 to 8:30 PM. To enter, just click here and fill out the form by September 17th, 2013. US Family Guide will be choosing one Beeb-Log.com reader at random and notifying them via email on September 18th. Tickets will be sent via email approximately 10 to 14 days prior to the event. Giveaway is open to US residents 18 years of age or older. US Family Guide is responsible for running this giveaway and selecting a winner.

PDX Blogger Book Club: Fitness Confidential

Fitness Confidential

This post & “Fitness Confidential” book club event are part of a compensated campaign that I was hired to organize; Amazon Associates links have been used in this article. Bloggers were provided with a complimentary ebook and Starbucks gift card as a thank you for participating. Always consult with your doctor before beginning a weight loss or exercise regime; this article is not intended as health advice or to diagnose, treat or prevent any condition.

I really enjoy getting the chance to meet up with local bloggers, which is partially why I’ve logged so much travel time this summer. So when Word of Mouth Women asked me if I’d like to organize a book club event for area bloggers, I was really excited. The book club was being coordinated to discuss “Fitness Confidential”, written by celebrity trainer Vinnie Tortorich with “Arrested Development” writer Dean Lorey. One part memoir and one part healthy living manual, this book is a humorous, fun read that touts a more common-sense approach to weight loss and exercise over gimmicks and fads. I was eager to see what my colleagues would have to say about this, especially since I met so many great people at FitBloggin’ in June.

Pioneer Courthouse Square

Usually, I would host an event like this at my house, but since I’m the only blogger in Seaside, I knew that wouldn’t work for this type of gathering since everyone else is either in or close to Portland. As I mulled over where to hold the event, I quickly decided on Pioneer Courthouse Square. This brick courtyard in downtown Portland has tons of places to sit, free Wi-Fi, and a Starbucks – where better to hold a book club than a coffee shop?

PDX Book Club Bloggers

On Friday night, a great group of local bloggers came out to hang out, chat, and share their thoughts after reading “Fitness Confidential”. Pictured from left to right are Jennifer from The Quirky Momma, Jodi from The Mama Gut, Evelyn from Momsicle, myself, Mary Ann from A Cloth Life, and Krista of Mostly Mommyhood. We were also joined by my fiance and blogging tech guru Jai, who conveniently offered to hold the camera so he could get out of being in the picture. 😉

Book Club Bloggers!

After we all got a cup of coffee and sat down, we began our discussion of “Fitness Confidential”. I was looking forward to hearing everyone’s honest opinions – I figured that if a few people really hated the book, we’d have some lively conversation fodder! But that didn’t end up happening, because our group unanimously enjoyed the book, even those who were expecting to dislike it. A couple of bloggers said that they had been dreading reading it because they thought it would be dull, and were surprised to find that they couldn’t put it down after they started. Lest you think me disingenuous, I’d like to mention that I lead the discussion with several critiques of my own, because I wanted the bloggers to feel comfortable sharing anything they didn’t like about the book.

All of us enjoyed the storytelling in this book and the no-nonsense way in which Tortorich conveys his diet and fitness advice. His philosophy on health is simple and does not involve any elaborate systems or steps: For losing weight, he believes that a no-sugar, no-grain diet is they key, and he also maintains that diet is more important that exercise for getting and keeping weight off. This brought up some really interesting discussion on how this approach could work for us – some of the bloggers had already taken steps by ordering their coffees without sugar, or making bacon for breakfast! What a lot of us appreciated about the book was the fact that he doesn’t tell you to eliminate sugar and grains 100% of the time, since deprivation can really sabotage healthy eating; instead, he advises that you simply avoid grains and sugar most of the time, even if you have cake on your birthday.

This brought up the interesting point of how much work can be involved in eating this way, since so much food contains sugar even when you don’t expect it. Obviously, making all your food from scratch is the ideal way to go, but our group pointed out the challenges that poses when you have several children as well as a full-time job. A working mom who pulls shifts at two jobs before picking her kids up at daycare faces different challenges than a celebrity – so we may have to adapt some of these strategies in order for them to be realistic for our own schedules. I’m sure personal trainers are sick to death of the excuses they hear from their clients, but I think it’s important to remember that some people have very good reasons why their health is on the back burner, so it’s important to look at their life as a whole when addressing potential solutions rather than dismissing everyone as just being lazy. If Tortorich comes out with a book on healthy living for families, I think it’d be a huge hit with our group, and I’m sure he could put together a great one since he’s actually trained children!

The bloggers really enjoyed how Fitness Confidential utilizes funny anecdotes and life experiences to entertain and inspire. The book is full of one-liners which the author refers to as “Vinnie-isms”, with stories ranging from hilarious and surreal moments training his Hollywood clientele to his own triumphs against unimaginable adversity. His style is very opinionated and blunt – our group didn’t seem to really be offended by the language used in the book, although they said they could have gone without some of the more explicit anecdotes about his conquests. In fact, the dismissive jokes about women in the first half of the book seemed to be the only thing that really got our eyes rolling when reading the book.

Discussing the book

As the sun set over Pioneer Square, we wrapped up our book club and said our goodbyes. It was a great evening of thought-provoking discussion – I had such a wonderful time connecting with these great women. I’ll be sharing their reviews on the book with you as they post them, but in the meantime, I will leave you with mine and Jai’s take on Fitness Confidential.

Beeb’s Review:


Beeb reviews Fitness Confidential

I read this book in the car last week during our trip to Orcas Island. Fitness Confidential is a fast, light read – in fact, it took me almost as long to get the Kindle app working as it did for me to read the book! Tortorich and Lorey have created a book that is engaging, compelling, and funny. I loved reading his personal story and was glad that he made this book fun and humorous, because I’m so bored of traditional health books; I was reluctant to put Fitness Confidential down because I was absorbed in the story.

Tortorich’s skewering of the diet/fitness industry is entertaining, and while I don’t agree with him on everything, I think his overall approach makes a lot of sense. When I got to the portion of the book about “No sugar, no grains”, I thought, “Well, I’m out!”. 😉 However, everything he says makes sense and the fact that he encourages his clients to still indulge occasionally makes it much more practical for real-world success. I certainly can’t argue that reducing my intake of sugar and bread helps me, because as a matter of fact, I try to avoid keeping those things in the house specifically because I know I will want to snack endlessly on them.

Jai’s Review:


Jai reviews Fitness Confidential

“This book covers a lot of ground in its 240 pages and, no matter your interests, there’s a little bit of something for everyone. Gym rats, weekend joggers, Ultra-racers, and people who just want to lose a few pounds will find something good to walk away with. Vinnie Tortorich has decades of real-world experience as a personal trainer and has seen fad diets come and go. He has a way of distilling a lot of complicated concepts into something that can be adapted into lifestyle changes that work. I can think of two major concepts that I’ll be taking from this book and integrating into my life. The first is the general approach to food. Notice that I didn’t use the word diet in that sentence. The other is the advice on which exercises are most important for weight lifting, and guidelines on the best way to increase the weights as you progress. I’m glad I got a chance to read this book!”

Fitness Confidential is available on Amazon for $9.99. For more information and to listen to the author’s free podcast, visit VinnieTortorich.com.