Overall, it was a great workout, a great start to my day. Each morning, per the instructions, I completed 4 sets of exercises, 2 for my chest area and 2 for my rear. As the month progressed, I added repetitions, therefore increasing my challenge and my strength. The routine was excellent, something that was easily done before I got dressed each morning, but could also be done in less than 5 minutes at the gym. As you'll read at the end of my journaling, I noticed differences after the 30 day bootcamp in both areas. It also helped that I was doing this for an audience. I'm the type who needs an incentive to continue a routine, and the incentive of reporting back to my readers certainly helped. While I have MWS as a reporting outlet, others who want to report on their progress are encouraged to start a thread on our message boards, or try out gyminee, a great healthcare resource with message boards, and places track and report your progress or Spark People, which includes a nutrition plan when you register. Its SO much easier to do this with others.

The true highlight of the bootcamp wasn't the exercising and wasn't even the firm muscles (though I'm not complaining about that.) What I truly loved was experiencing the routine of using Mama Mio's Skin Care systems: Bootcamp for Boobs and Bootcamp for Butts.

Bootcamp for Boobs includes 2 "potions", Tummy Toner and Boob Tube. You can read more about each of them on the Mama Mio website. The Boob Tube, which can be used alone and is recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding moms, is a firming cream. But when you start off with Tummy Toner, you're applying serum first and moisturizing it in with the Boob Tube. I used the combination not just on my boobs, but also from my neck area down, as well as on my arms and elbows. I'm most pleased with the result in the neck and chest area, its an area that I ignored for years and it now looks softer and more consistent.

The 2nd Bootcamp, Bootcamp for Butts, promises a "butt lift in a box." Included in this program are 3 skincare products: Tummy Toner (the serum mentioned above), Shrink to Fit cream and my all-time favorite, Body Buff. Its amazing what a difference exfoliating your butt does for you. Really. My butt, thighs and hips, after doing this every other day for a month, were amazingly soft. Even now, when I skip more than a day, I get out of shower and as I dry off I realize how much I missed using it. Just knocking off the dry skin makes my skin feel so much smoother and healthier.

Its after you use body buff that you add the Tummy Toner and top it off with Shrink to Fit Cream. (Actually, Body Buff is used every other day, Tummy Toner and Shrink to Fit Cream are used daily in the bootcamp routine.) The cream is pretty thick, not quite a butter, but a thickness not too far from toothpaste. It goes on smooth and adds the final coat to your skin, getting you set to hit the elements.

Here's the thing, I totally thought that I could cheat and use Body Buff only, because, afterall, its my favorite. But its the combination of the three that does wonders on the way you feel and look. Still, if you're worried about breaking the bank, I highly recommend Body Buff followed by Shrink to Fit. And that's only if you really can't do the entire routine.

Seriously, this bootcamp had a wonderful affect on me. I feel and look fit, and I've learned the difference between cheap drugstore brands and the "real thing." Because there is a difference. And once you get in the routine, you're body will thank you.

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Here's my plan for you on purging the toys and then reorganizing what's left. I do this every 6 mo and put them in a bag to sell at my next local consignment sale. Remember a toy that goes unloved could be someone else's beloved toy.

Suggested Tools:
*garbage bags
*ziploc bags
*Sharpie
*wipes of some sort
*plastic bins of various sizes
*scotch tape

Tips to clearing out the toys:
*make different piles: toss, sell, keep and donate
*do this when children are not around - either nap time or bed time is the best
*if a piece is missing toss it - the liklihood of you finding the piece missing is slim
*if they haven't played with it or even remember it exists toss, donate or sell
*If you have puzzles that have no real home put them in a large storage ziploc bag and label the bag with what puzzle it is and how many pieces
*If the toy has several parts put it in a ziploc storage bag and label. Do the same if you intend to donate or sell.

Once you've decided what you're keeping toss the bag of trash, and put the bags to sell/donate away and out of site. Then wipe down the grimy toys so you can be sure that all starts out clean.

Tips for Organizing:
*Keep like toys together: for instance all small cars in one tub. All Barbies in another tub
*When stacking tubs and you want to be sure you have control of when they are removed put the heaviest on top. If you want the kids to be able to do it themselves lightest on top.
*Using a piece of scotch tape on the outside write what is in there on the tape. If you change the bin, you can remove the tape and rename the bin.
*Keep all craft supplies in bins that can be closed, and keep out of reach.

First timers: this can take a couple of hours, but I guarantee that the organization will make you feel a lot more in control in the chaos filled world of mommyhood.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

Of course, it also made me lose count.

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.

Yesterday I skipped Body Buff, so I'm making up for it today. OMG, I L O V E the stuff. My skin is delightfully smooth. I also added MamaMio's Tummy Rub Butter to the skin for the past 2 days (I already had it). Its supposed to smooth out any cellulite. Hey, if it works, then I'm using it. (TMI, but I use it on my thighs... trying to get rid of the freshman 35 from, yikes!, 16 years ago.)

Post Workout
Today was day one with Body Buff. I haven't used an exfoliator in for ever and I LOVE how smooth it makes me! Makes the routine a little longer because I need to sandwich in a shower, but totally worth it.

Mama Mio's program includes 2 of their products (Boob Tube and Tummy Toner) in the Bootcamp for Boobs kit and 3 products (Body Buff, Stretch to Fit and Tummy Toner) in the Bootcamp for Butts Program. Just keeping these straight, and determining the order to use them may be difficult. Hmmm... maybe I should have focused on just one of the kits, rather than 2.

So, since I only use Body Buff 3 days a week (all the others are daily), I'm thinking I'm going to try to go with TTS (that's Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday) to buff. Which means, I'm starting that part tomorrow.

Today, I'm just going to focus on fitting the routine in to the best of my ability.

Post-workout

Huh. Not too bad. While the program states that its so easy it can be done in the bathroom, I selected to move it into my walk-in. There's just something to be said about doing "The Doggy" in the bathroom, with the kids running in. I'd much rather do it in a bit more privacy.

So, its been decided that I'll do this every morning when I wake up. Prior to applying the luxurious creams this morning, I closed the closet door and performed, in this order: The Butt Raise (laying on your back with your knees bent, raise your butt (and back) into a bridge position, The Doggy (on your hands and knees, lift one leg in a right angle position 25 times, then the other), The Fly (lay on the back, arms up with bottles of water for weights, lower arms to the sides, then bring them back up) and, ouch! Push-Ups. The instructions say to do only 10 push ups, but I work out, so I thought I'd do more... um. No. Stuck wtih the 10.

Following, I applied the series of creams for both bootcamps. Can I just tell you I love the scents? They smell good alone AND together.

We'll see how I feel tomorrow morning.