Fitbloggin highlights, Pt. 1 #Fitbloggin15 #Denver

Yep, EVERY MORNING.

Still recovering...so many hugs...so...much...bacon...

Let's start with the "just for fun" stuff.

1. Getting to see and hug all my Fitbloggin friends! To name a few:

Thea (It's Me VS Me)

ALAN! (Sweating Until Happy-his photo)

I love Robby! (Fat Girl VS World)

Terry (Terry Cabeen-his photo) the STAR of our FLASHMOB!

What's that? Oh yeah, there was a flashmob. Yes, again.

2. THE FLASH FITMOB 

This is the 3rd time the "fitmob" has hit Fitbloggin. I still cannot believe any of these people agree to participate. For every "yes" there are at least 2 "nos", so it makes the effort and final product of the group that much more meaningful. They TRULY rocked it this year!

The flashmob originally started because I was nervous about attending a conference where, for the first time ever, I did not know a single soul "IRL". It's become a great way for seasoned Fitbloggers and newbies to bond long before the conference begins.

I'll try to locate some video. We were kind of amazing.

4. The Scavenger Hunt

Christine (Dubyawife) organized a crazy (seriously, KRAY-ZEE) scavenger hunt that had us invading the streets of Denver, asking cops to marry us, serenading strangers and, um, bending the law (allegedly).

Our team, "Green is the New Black", bouncing on the Jumpsport Trampolines in a most law-abiding manner. (photo by Nicole Tow, Health Nut In Training)

5. Off-Time

One of my favorite things about Fitbloggin is what happens during the off-times between and after the official sessions and festivities. 

Kelly and I spent a great afternoon enjoying lunch at ModMarket (ModMarketplace?) and enjoying some of the sights of downtown Denver, including the ballpark.

Kelly (Curvy Fit Girl)

Deb and I took a beautiful walk along the "creek", which here in California would be considered a raging river, if not a tsunami. We miss water.

Deb (Weight For Deb)

I had a wonderful talk with Susan (SusanIto.com) that was so enthralling, we forgot to take a selfie!

Christine (@Dubyawife again, always the instigator) brought CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY. 

Horrid, deplorable humans. Especially that middle one, trying to hide behind her cards. photo by Christine

6. Jen

Did I take this photo? I'm going to say I did.

Two years ago Jennifer (Perfect In Our Imperfections) and I proposed similar session topics to Fitbloggin. Roni suggested we present together. We decided we might as well room together while we were at it, and a Fitbloggin tradition was born. Jennifer is the reason I don't bite anyone's head off or throw chanclas at Fitbloggin breakfasts. You're welcome.

7. Roni (and Team Fitbloggin)

Roni, center, and just some of Team Fitbloggin.
THANK YOU! (photo by Carrie D Photography)

Roni is remarkably shy and yet still has managed to pull off this HUGE, multifaceted event year after year. Next year Fitbloggin gets passed into the hands of a new team. That means Roni may actually get in on more of the fun from now on. Which is as it should be, because Roni is the sh*t.

Okay, that's about all I can manage for now. Stay tuned for more fun, LOADS of fitness and some stuff I actually learned.

Yes, me!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,

Nacho Mama

Vlogmas Gift Guide: SPINGYM and 3-WAY PONCHO (that is!)

Who wants a 3-Way for Christmas?

Can you tell how much I love to buy stuff off the TV?

Especially if a favorite Youtuber has done a review!

Here are two more great items that I'm sure someone on YOUR list would love this holiday season!

#3 The SPIN GYM! $24.95 at HSN.com

Here's Laurie's review of the Spin Gym that sold me on the product. She looks TOTALLY different now. I love her channel! And I love a Massachusetts accent almost as much as I love a Southern one.

#4 Suzanne Somers' 3-WAY PONCHO (that is!) $19.95 at selected retailers or at 3wayponcho.com 

The Southern California sun was giving me fits today, I tell ya!

If it weren't so close to Christmas I would have waited until I could get a better video made but I would hate for the special someone in YOUR life to miss out on a 3-WAY (Poncho, that is! I never get tired of that joke.)

In case you missed the original commercial:

And here is Patti (@Rxtsrmom) in her entertaining review of this amazing product-SOLD! Seriously I could listen to her say "Poncho" all day long!

Hope you are finding these gift ideas helpful. What cool stuff have YOU bought off the TV lately? Please share!

Happy Vlogmas!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,

Nacho Mama

Disclosure: I was not compensated for these reviews in any way. I bought these items with my own cash and just wanted to share my opinions about them with you. :)

Taking the first step...

I shared this story with my Weight Watchers members in my newsletter this week (if you'd like me to add you to the mailing list just shoot an email with the subject line "ADD" to shesnachomama@gmail.com) and quite a few of them asked me to share it on our facebook page-so I thought it would just be simpler to put it in a post! I also shared it during my interview on Half Size Me, but I didn't realize I'd never really told it here on the blog.

As you may know, this month at Weight Watchers, we’re talking about activity.

That’s why our routine for March is “Walk 5 minutes for every hour you are awake”.

VIDEO REVIEW! The Skinny Vine Chardonnay

I thought a video review would be most appropriate-if I don't like the wine, you'll see it all over my face! (btw-I believe I might be required to say: this review is intended for adults 21 years of age and up)

For more information, visit www.theskinnyvine.com

PLEASE ENJOY ALCOHOL RESPONSIBLY.

Wishing you love with extra cheese (and wine!),
Nacho Mama

DISCLOSURE: I was not compensated for this review in any way, the product was purchased with my own cash and all opinions expressed in this review are my own and do not represent any company or organization.

FATSO: Early Thoughts on Maintenance and a Fave Flick

How are you all?! I've been busy trying to maintain my goal weight and getting geared up for Fitbloggin in June-I can't wait!

Thinking of joining us? I hope you do! I can't wait to meet all the people I've been stalking following online for so long!

On the Weight Watchers front...

PODCAST Episode 16: Dream Boards!

Listen to internet radio with NachoMamasPodcast on Blog Talk Radio

Do you have a "dream board" or a "vision board"? It sounds corny but these little "craft projects" can actually go a long way to help you realize your goals now matter what they are: weightloss, professional, fitness, family, spiritual, financial...you name it! Join us as we explore the wonderful world of "dream boards"! Our special guest this week is Jen Hibbits of Not Just Another Jen.

Even if you don't believe in "The Secret"-Vision Boards can help you! (image via Wikipedia)

 Got a question? WE WILL BE TAKING LIVE CALLS during the broadcast OR YOU CAN POST YOUR QUESTIONS IN THE LIVE CHATROOM which will also be open during the broadcast.

PODCAST Episode 6: Talkin' bout the Year of the Dragon

Listen to
internet radio with NachoMamasPodcast on Blog Talk Radio

Image via Jackleen Holton

 This week, we'll be talking about how astrology can help you realize your goals in THE YEAR OF THE DRAGON with acclaimed Intuitive Astrologer, Jackleen Holton! Want a personal prediction from Jackleen? CALL US LIVE during the broadcast and ask her what the Lunar New Year holds for YOU!

My New Year's Resolutions? Simple!

As I mentioned earlier, my husband and I have made resolutions to take better care of ourselves and organize the house in 2011. A big part of that is just living more simply, spending more time together as a family and remembering what's really important to us.

Over at Rock On Mommies, I've shared some of the websites that are helping my family live a more simple and organized life in 2011. You can read about them HERE.

What are your NYRs?

Wishing you love with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama

Everything I know about child-proofing, I learned from my dad.

Seems like everyone in the blogosphere is sharing their New Year's Resolutions! This year, my husband and I have some pretty simple goals: to take better care of ourselves and to get the house organized. We believe that if we take care of these 2 things, pretty much everything else that currently challenges us will fall into place.

In that spirit, I wanted to share this post-my "audition" post that got me my coveted contributor spot over at Rock On Mommies. Hope you enjoy and please don't be shy with your questions and comments!

***

As a professional interior designer, I’m always surprised how shy people sometimes are with their questions. I always tell them, “I’m your decorator, not your pastor!” No matter what kind of design challenge you may be facing, I’m here to tell you that there are many people out there in the same boat. In the decorating world at least, you are never alone!

For instance, one of my most common queries has to do with an issue I have grappled with myself:

How do you child-proof your home without completely turning it over to your kids?

You don’t want the kind of house where the kids aren’t allowed to touch anything ever, but you don’t want a Lord of the Flies situation either. And what if you work from home? What if you’d actually like to have a friend over for a margarita? What’s a modern mom to do?

Unfortunately this issue was not covered at my fancy-shmancy design school (cue ironic trombone).  So when I became a mom, I had to follow the example of the only interior designer I knew who had faced and conquered this challenge head-on: my dad.

My mom worked as a teacher, but my dad ran his budding design business from home.  And like so many of us moms today, he did it with two noisy, messy kids and a dog in the background. And he did it successfully. Even though it was almost 30 years ago, many of the tricks he used can be adapted for today’s mommy. Here’s a shortlist of the tips my dad used to keep us kids from destroying our home, his business and my both my parents’ sanity:

1.     Get help. When dad decided to start his business, it was clear he would have to work from home. So my parents closely examined the family budget (remember we were essentially living on a teacher’s salary) and made some serious cuts. That way they could afford to get a sitter for a few hours a day, enough to get phone calls and client meetings done. If you simply do not have the resources to hire, please consider trading with other moms or anyone you trust with your kids.

2.     You can’t childproof all of the house all of the time. As a designer, Dad knew that you can only control your environment up to a point. So he designated the front of the house as a “kid-free” zone. Which is not to say we weren’t allowed in there at all, but our stuff (toys, books, shoes, crumbs) was forbidden. If we brought it into the room, we had to take it out. That way he could schedule meetings anytime we had a babysitter without having to clean up first. Also? Dad knew that you could (and should!) furnish a home in a manner that is stylish and durable. All the furniture in entire house was sturdy and easy to clean.

A kid-friendly living space? Yep!

3.     Don’t break the sound barrier. Back in Dad’s day, that meant a separate phone line just for the business (which he kept on a shelf too high for us to reach). Today, with mobile phones and caller ID, things are much easier! I like to use a free service called YouMail, www.youmail.com, which lets me customize my outgoing message. Business clients get a “businessy” message and the family gets a cute message from my kids. Be sure you only answer calls when you are ready to do so. Even though people say they understand, they really hate having to talk over the sound of “Mom? Mom?”

4.     Nothing is more precious than your kids. I still wince when I remember how many pricey objet my sister and I broke over the years. Let’s just say it could have paid for a year of college and keep it at that. Even though my parents would get upset at first, they would never dwell on broken stuff, which really helped us kids to feel like it was our home, too.

I realize this isn’t child-proofing in the “corner guards and toilet locks” sense, but growing up in a designer’s home helped me see that there really is no such thing as “child-proof.” Like everything else in life, living harmoniously with your kids requires patience, balance, and a sense of humor. I guess the goal is to have a home (and a life, for that matter) that is not so much child-proof as child-friendly.

Wishing you a Happy New Year with extra cheese,

Nacho Mama

Welcome! This is Nacho Mama's Blog.

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you'll stay a while and check out my blog. I've been blogging for many years on many subjects and have been trying to come up with a way to bring it all together under one blog. Then, just the other day, my husband and I were watching Paula Deen on the cooking channel make a fatally delicious pumpkin pie. We watched her take a bite and say, in her inimitable Georgia-peach way, "Mmmm-mm! This is Nacho Mama's Pumpkin Pie, Yawl!" My husband perked up and said, "Nacho Mama? That's you, isn't it?" And I suddenly realized that it was, in fact, me.

So I leapt up off the sofa, ran to the computer and bought the domain name before one of the other Latina Paula Deen fans beat me to it. If you're one of them, neener-neener-you're-a-weiner. If you're not, I hope you'll enjoy Nacho Mama's Blog!

Wishing you love with extra cheese,
Nacho Mama