My review of Beachbody On Demand

I was lucky enough to be part of the beta test group for the new online streaming service being offered by Beachbody.  I got to test out all of the features and make suggestions on the functionality of things before it was released to the public.

Accessing BOD is very simple.  You log into your Team Beachbody account and then there is a tab for it on the top left of the screen.  Once you are in, there is a menu button on the top left that can help you easily navigate through the workouts.  You can search by trainer or by type of workout. Or you can simply scroll through the Member Library which will list all of the workouts available.

These are the programs available for free with the service now. You not only get the workouts but you get the calendar, nutrition guide, recipes, basically everything you would get if you bought the DVD set:

Insanity
Insanity Asylum
P90X - 1,2 and 3
TurboFire
Brazil Butt Lift
ChaLEAN Extreme
10 Minute trainer

Now don't forget to check out the "Try Something New" section.  There you will be able to do one full workout from our newest programs so you can try them out before you decide to buy them.

These programs include:
21 Day Fix
21 Day Fix Extreme
T25
PiYo
Insanity Max 30
Body Beast
Slim in 6

They will be adding content to the library monthly, so your options will continue to grow.  

Now you may be thinking, but what about all of the programs I already OWN on DVD??  Well towards the end of March, they will be rolling out the capability to stream all of the programs that you have previously purchased.  And if you purchase any of the programs in the future you will also be able to stream them as well.

For me this part is a huge game changer.  We all have busy lives and aren't always home to do our workouts.  Now you don't have to stop your progress with your program OR have to lug around the laptop and DVDs.  You can do you programs anywhere you have an internet connection from your smartphone, tablet or computer!  

The workouts are easy to play, the only thing you have to do is click the liability waver check box each time you work out.  Then the workout starts right away!  No having to wait for all of the promos and "warning" messages.  It just gets right to it!

Another feature I really like is if you stop your workout before completing it (you know, like if your kids need you right this minute!), when you log back in, it is there waiting for you on the main screen.  Love that!

The quality of the videos is good and there don't seem to be any issues on speed or being choppy.  And my favorite thing about this is that I can use my Apple TV to stream the content right onto my TV so I don't have to always use my iPad or iPhone to view it.  Which sometimes makes it easier when you are doing a workout for the first time. 

Now for the price - you can get Beachbody On Demand for $38 for three months worth of unlimited streaming.  That comes out to about $12.66 per month!  You are billed quarterly in advance of the 3 months and then every 3 months thereafter.  AND when you get the service you also qualify for 10% off of any of your Beachbody purchases - apparel, programs, equipment, Shakeology for the entire time you subscribe to the service!  

All in all, this is THE solution that Beachbody lovers have been waiting for.  I have already used it a ton and I am so excited to add it to my fitness rotation :)

To sign up for the streaming service click here Beachbody On Demand

Back to School = Back to Routines

My kids went back to school this morning after two weeks off for winter break.  As some of you know, I am new to the work from home mommy world so I did enjoy having a break where I actually got to be HOME with my kids when they were off of school.

HOWEVER, I had established a pretty good routine while they were in school, so those two weeks really threw me off track.  So now that they are back, it is time to get back into it and get stuff done!!

I am spending my day (after getting work done) cleaning and organizing.  Man these kids can make a mess being in the house for long periods of time!  So to help you do the same, here are some more of my favorite cleaning tips and tricks!

1.  Have pets?  Have furniture?  Then you most likely have pet hair ON your furniture.  Try using a pair of rubber gloves (get them a little damp first) and gather up all of the pet hair on your furniture.  Works like a magnet!

2.  Use distilled white vinegar to clean hard water off of your sink faucets etc.  Use an old toothbrush to help with the scrubbing.

3.  Speaking of white vinegar....have you ever thrown a load of laundry in the washer and then forgot all about it until the next day??  Then you know the smell I am referring to.  For some reason, I can rewash the clothes and the smell comes out but the towels are impossible to get the smell out.  Try this trick courtesy of classyclutter.net.... Wash your load of towels on the hot cycle and add 1 cup of vinegar to the load. Do not use detergent or anything (especially bleach – that can be super dangerous!)… just hot water and the vinegar. Let the washer do it’s job. Then, if you still smell a little bit, rewash with just hot water and 1/2 cup of baking soda. I did not need to do this step but if your towels are bad, you might want to. Again, no detergent, just baking soda and hot water. Got it?

When your towels are done, throw them in the dryer with a dryer sheet. I use the Febreeze Bounce dryer sheets and now my towels come out smelling super clean and fresh!

This also works well on clothing, like stinky wet swimsuits that were left sopping wet out of the pool! Just be sure to be careful with the hot water and mixing colors. You don’t want the colors to bleed so do them separately or with very like colors.

4.  My kids seem to grow out of their clothes so fast sometimes.  Instead of going through closets and drawers once in a while, keep a cardboard box in your laundry room.  When sorting clothes after the dryer, simply watch for ones that no longer fit and toss them into the cardboard box.  When it is full, it is time for a donation!

Holiday cleaning - quick and easy

With Holiday Season in full swing you will either be entertaining at some point or at the very least having houseguests.  With all of the hustle and bustle this time of year brings, when will you find time to clean??

Here are some good cleaning tips and tricks that will hopefully help you get the cleaning done fast so you can move on to the fun stuff!

1.     Do your kids have tons of little toys that you would love to clean but don’t want to take the time to wash each individual piece (I’m looking at you legos!)?  Throw them in a mesh laundry bag and toss them into the washing machine or dish washer.

2.     Want to bake cookies but you are grossed out by your rusted cookie sheet?  Simply sprinkle with baking soda, then hydrogen peroxide, then another layer of baking soda and let it sit for a few hours.  Wipe off with a damp paper towel and your cookie sheet will look like new again!

3.     Clean off ceiling fans without getting dust in your face by sliding an old pillow case over the blade and wipe the blade off inside the pillow case!

4.     Ready to use the brand new Holiday plates you bought for your party?  But those dang stickers won’t come off.  Easy fix – put them in a bowl of warm water and a scoop of Oxy-Clean for 30 minutes.  The labels will just float right off!

5.     I don’t have this problem anymore because we don’t have carpet – BUT with two girls in our house with long thick hair we always had hair on the carpet and it drove me nuts!!  Take a squeegee and scrape across the carpet and all of the hair will come right up.

Okeedokee that is all for now.  I think I will do part 2 after the Holidays for some clean up after all of the decorations have been put away!

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A few months ago I committed myself to doing something I have never done before....run a half marathon!!  The race is in March and my official training start date was yesterday.  I am following a specific training program to get me ready for the race.  Yesterday I was to do 30 minutes of cross training which is basically anything cardio related that is not running.  So my daughter has gymnastics practice so I utilized the time and did the elliptical while watching her practice. 

Today's workout was 30 minutes of strength training. Because my son has karate tonight, I have no time to workout after work, so I woke up at 4:30 am to get my workout in at home with one of my favorite videos.  I love working out in the morning because I love the peace of the quiet house and I love the feeling of being done with my workout before the day even begins.

I am going to bring you all on this journey with me.  So be prepared for lots of sweaty selfies and posts about my training.  Who knows, maybe I will inspire one of you to do a half marathon as well!!

My favorite sanity saving tips

Busy Sports Moms have limited time for chores and other household duties.  Unfortunately they haven't invented a way to add hours to the day - yet.

I have compiled some of my favorite tips and tricks that I have used over the years to help save my sanity (a little).  I hope you get some use out of them as well!

1.  This is one of my most used cleaning tips: Try using a timer.  Sometimes, you   need to be able to focus on a single task in order to really get it done.  Set the timer for 10 minutes and start tackling a chore.  Once the timer is done, time to move on to the next chore. It's amazing how much you can get done if you’re trying to beat the clock!

2.  Remember all those beautiful ribbons that came on your kid's birthday gifts?  Don’t toss them, use them to tie around your sheet sets in the closet so you'll never have to look for stray pillowcases or bottom sheets again. 

3.  Keep your old bank check boxes and use them as dividers for the dreaded junk drawer. They are great at keeping all the junk separated out

4.  Keep all of your instructions and warranties in a three-ring binder so you won't be stuck sifting through paper stacks.  You can buy those clear plastic sleeves pretty cheap and that way you don’t have to punch holes in the papers

5.  Hang collapsing shelves from a closet rod and prepare your child's outfits for the week on Sunday nights

6.  If you're still in the infant stage, stick a plastic hook on the back of a high chair to hold bibs.

7.  Use old shoeboxes to hold your kids crayons and colored pencils, pencils, erasers or anything else they need for homework time.  And put it away once you are done.

8.  Use a shoe caddy to store games and snacks on a long road trip. If you hang the shoe caddy over the back of the front passenger seat, your kids will be able to easily reach the toys/games/headphones they want without you having to dig through a never-ending bag.

A TRUE Beginner's Program

I am doing something new here thanks to an ingenious new concept.  I am asking for your help in finding 6-8 people who are really struggling to get started in fitness.  These people want to get started, but don’t really know HOW to get started. I am offering a 60 day group that is designed to help people just like this.

Maybe not you, maybe you can think of a friend or family member that would benefit from a true beginner’s workout program. This is an introductory fitness program, designed for those people who need a slow start.  The workouts are simple, doable, and made to change your body right away—regardless of your age or fitness level.

Will you help me find 6-8 people who would like my help? No trips to gyms or fitness centers required. You are in the privacy of your own home.

If you know anyone, please share this information with them.  I am super excited to be able to reach a whole new set of people with this brand new program!! 

Please click the link below to add your name to the interest list and I will be in touch

Interest list for beginner's program

New group alert!!

This amazing woman is the creator of one of my most favorite programs. The last time I ran a group for her program, the 12 participants in it lost 82 pounds and 82.25 inches together. IN THREE WEEKS! I am going to run a new group because I know a lot of you are feeling like me right now, a little out of shape from all of the summer BBQs and vacations! 

Just fill out this form with your email address and I will send you more info!

New group info