Mommies with Style Articles

A fine, fit booty is a definite goal of mine... really, isn't it a goal of all of us? And its a lot of work to keep that booty fit.

When I started this Bootcamp, even with a year and a half of working out, the initial exercise was tough on the butt. I felt the strain in the lower rear and thighs, which, to me, is a good thing. I love that feeling. It means its working. And the increase of a repetition each day was a great way to ease into a stronger routine.

So, what have I noticed in the derriere after a month of intense bootcamp? I've noticed a little bit of a lift and firmness. And I know I can definitely attribute that to the bootcamp routine because of the muscle strain I felt each week from working out.

As for my skin, this is wear I saw the biggest difference. I hated, HATED, HATED looking down from my thighs to my knees to my legs. My thighs, which were reaping the rewards of Tummy Toner and Shrink to Fit looked shiny and healthy. Meanwhile, the knees and legs? ugh. You don't even want to know, they were left chalky, scaly and rough.

So, yeah, its been a great 30 days. I've definitely seen a difference.

Posted by Julie at 09:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

He said it!! Wahoo! DH said "your body looks good!" Granted he is supposed to complement me, seeing as how he's the hus and all, but it made me feel great!!

And I have to say, all this work has definitely paid off. I'll admit that due to the new school year and changes in routine I may have skipped a day or two. And I feel it and see it when I skip it. Getting up 5 minutes earlier "to boot" gives me a wake-up jolt. And slathering on the creams is a luxury.

Where do I notice most? Well, the saggy baggies are still saggy, but the skin is firmer (less crepey and papery, if you will). The area between the boobs and my arms, the area that gets a bit flabby around the pits, that area is seriously gone. I SO wish I did this routine before summer, because, I look gooood in a bikini. In fact, the hus has announced that before our trip to Mexico this winter (you'll be hearing a lot about that soon) I'm in line for a few new bikinis. (and I wasn't even going to ask!)

I'll fill you in on the booty progress tomorrow.

Posted by Julie at 04:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Whew! I'm getting up there in repetitions. Today was the end of the third week, so I did 51 reps of The Doggy, The Fly and But Lifts. And I actually did about 20-something push-ups. (Lost count... but wow! Who would have known I'd do so many?!) I let the push-up number fluctuate. One of my gym instructors loves to yell at us "Go til you can't go no more!" (sic).

Still loving all the creams, too. Its so quick and simple to apply and my body feels fantastic.

Posted by Julie at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

What a cool new program: I received a note today that I thought I'd share about, Everybody Wins! USA !, a national literacy and mentoring nonprofit that is fighting the literacy gap between lower income and higher income children. They bring in volunteer mentors into schools for weekly one-on-one reading experiences with kids.

You can see more about this organization here: www.everybodywins.org . You can get involved or become a volunteer by checking to see if they have an affiliate near you.

Posted by Whitney at 08:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So, I'm at the half way mark and I have to stop to really check in. How's it going? Do I see a difference?

Definitely a difference in my skin. Its smoother and looks more vibrant. Its true that when you feed your skin, it looks healthier and that's just what I'm doing.

My body... well, I'm not sure. I feel a difference. I feel more firm. No, there's not lift in the boobs (then again, its only been 2 weeks.), but they feel more firm. So I know something is working. The muscle pain in the rear areas I felt in the first week has subsided, but I still feel it during the reps. Again, knowledge that I'm doing something right.

So I realized that after 30 days (the end of bootcamp), I'll be up to 60 reps of each exercise. That seems extreme, but its doable. 2 weeks ago I would have said "no way", but adding only one rep a day doesn't make it too hard to jump that far.

So for anyone just checking in and reading my bootcamp "journal" for the first time, here's the intro. I started 2 weeks ago. You can read the entire series by starting in our August archives.

Posted by Julie at 01:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Here's a riddle for you: Do you know how to tell a skincare routine is working? Look down at a part of your body not being spoiled by the treatment.

That's right. Today, while applying Shrink to Fit cream to my thighs, I glanced further down. Knees and below. Dry, chappy, ugh. Meanwhile, my thighs are tighter, shinier, healthier. So, yeah, I can say that after 2 weeks, I'm seeing a difference.

Of course, this realization made me look at the rest of my body for a check-up. Am I seeing a massive improvement after 2 weeks? Well... I can say for certain that my skin is definitely prettier. The crepey-papery dryness is, thankfully, gone. What I see is smooth, healthy looking skin. No luster. Nothing to post a picture of in a fashion magazine, but its healthier, and I like that.

As for those dry, chappy legs. I grabbed a bottle of generic cream from my medicine cabinet and put it on. I'll tell you what, there is a definite difference between the cheap creams and the Mama Mio. A big difference. Off to Mama Mio's site to see if they have a cream for my legs.

Posted by Julie at 03:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Today, Carson came in to chat while I bootcamped. After a few minutes, he sighed and said "you know, Mom, this isn't really so exciting." And he left, while I finished my push-ups (I still haven't gotten to 20.)

But later in the day, he was all about reading his Your Body book. And then came to me with a bunch of exercise suggestions... like bending my head forward and back. (Hey, he's no personal trainer!)

So, it occured to me that even though DH and I work out often, even though I take the kids to the gym for playtime and classes while I work out, they really never knew what "working out" is because they've never seen it. So now that I'm doing this 5 minutes of fitness in my room each day, they're becoming enlightened and introduced to something "new." And of all the new habits to pick up and participate in around them, this is a pretty good one to choose.

Posted by Julie at 09:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

So, the other day we had a "birthdays" party for the boys and Wes got a new favorite toy: Pretend and Play Gym Bag. Anyway, here I was, half naked, in the closet, counting number 22 of The Bridge, when in walks Wesley with his sweatband on his arm, tiny barbell in his hand. Dropped the bag with my bags (we're in the closet, of course there are bags in there) and attempted to do The Bridge with me. So cute!

Of course, it also made me lose count.

Posted by Julie at 08:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

Can I just tell you that I LOVE Body Buff? Every morning I buff (and in this program you buff 3 times per week), I think how much I love the stuff. Its a creamy exfoliator that goes on smooth with teensy, tiny scrubbers. So you shower it off and you feel all smooth. Smooth as in the water-has-never-passed-over-me-so-smoothly smooth.

Workouts are still going well. They're feeling easier this week. I'll admit that I almost got lazy today and skipped The Doggy, but remembered that I'm journaling it for you all and that kept me motivated. Its not that I have anything against The Doggy, its just that it was one exercise too long today.

Posted by Julie at 08:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)