Tripods Gone Wild!

Chanukah gift-giving is just around the corner, and I've recently laid eyes on one very convenient gadget: The Gorillapod; like no other tripod on earth! This nifty number can fold up to fit into your pocket/purse/glove compartment/diaper bag etc. I've been browsing through my iPhoto library recently (on a quest for a casual family photo) and realized how seldom the three of us actually make it behind the lens together! I wish-listed this gizmo immediately, and I'm sure lots of others would love the concept of an easier family photo, as well... Gorillapod by Joby, from $19.95

Sunny Days: Gone Green

Freida (and I!) have really been enjoying the 41st season of Sesame Street!

At 7am the red light on the DVR box lights up, and within the hour, after sharing AM oatmeal and vitamins, we cuddle up together on the sofa (me - still groggy, sipping coffee) and skim through the episode for our favorite segments: Theme song, intro, mad men, music videos, and of course, Elmo. (Yeah, sometimes she feigns for me to switch to Yo Gabba, but once we get started she laughs on through... and she doesn't stop trying to learn the Elmo Slide!)

Folks,this is definitely not the Sesame Street we all grew up on - it's the iconic characters, classic values, and educationl-factor + a fabulous new and modern artistic view. And (I admit), while some of it is rather on the corny-side of the arts fence, most of this new season seems to be fun, upbeat, and genuinely entertaining! Not to mention so darn educational!!

Here's a sneak peak of some of the seasons highlights:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4mllBjgr4U]

P.S. I'm loving the Envirosax/Sesame Street collaboration. Only these beloved colorful characters can bring such vibrant cheer to simple re-usable bag! I always have a bag like this stashed deep in my purse - never fails to come in handy!! Extra shopping, farmers market stop, an unexpected set of wet/dirty baby clothes etc., these bags help keep me sane on-the-go.

Environsax Sesame Street Exclusives, from $9.95

Hope your days are sunny!!

"Mom Brain" be Damned!

You mothers out there can likely relate to the feeling of "mom brain" - asking where your keys are while they are in your hand, thinking you misplaced the sunglasses that are perched nicely on your head, locking your child in the house (i did that!), and constantly losing your phone (found mine in the fridge once!). Well, not all those little issues can be solved at once, but here's Dave Dawson to our missing-cell-phone rescue: icantfindmyphone.com is the most simple + helpful website out there! For those flighty-brain moments where no one else is around to call your phone for you... I just tried it - super, super cool. They even give me "good day" wishes once I answer!

Spotlight Mom: Tracy Anderson

Lately I've been feeling bored with my regular exercise (treadmill) routine... there comes a point where you feel like it's just not doing it for you anymore, you know what I mean? Sometimes it's just fun to switch it up and go back to some old favorites - so I'm going back to Tracy Anderson's treadmill routine. I'm sure most of you have heard of celebrity trainer (and mother-to-watch) Tracy Anderson (her method really blew up in the past few years). I first read about her in an article featured in Cookie Magazine. It was right after I gave birth to Freida, and from what I read, it sounded like she had a pretty little method going - the line that really got me was "it's healthier for your kids to see you dig into a slice of their birthday cake with gusto rather than always seeing mommy counting her weight watcher points" - she was selling that as the main payoff for all the fitness work. I really related to that so I searched YouTube and started doing a preview video of her workout routine - I loved it, and after seeing results I ordered her Post Pregnancy DVD.

Now, I can't claim that I lost weight from it - a couple pounds at most - but that is because I wasn't properly dieting or doing serious cardio. What I will say for the DVD is that it completely strengthened my most important muscles in the most fantastic way! After giving birth (aside from the extra stomach pouch) our abdominal muscles tend to disconnect and fall lazily idle; making it extremely important to work those muscles afterward. The sequences in this routine made me the strongest I've ever been - my core, my abdominal, my thighs, and my abs were whipped into shape! I didn't even realize what kind of amazing results I got until I went to a class and showed these moves to some women - toned, fit, and slim women - who were not able to keep up at all! Again, this DVD alone will not yield wight-loss results, but Tracy promises that mixing this (or her Mat Workout DVD) with here Dance Cardio DVD or her awesome Treadmill Workout Routine (which I looove!) - will make your body issues dissipate and provide a "teeny-tiny" lean figure.

I would highly recommend the Post Pregnancy DVD for all post-partum mothers (come to think of it, this would make for a useful and original baby gift)! It is calming and low-key, set to classical music, and makes for a relaxing and strengthening post-partum workout (aside from the fact that the room decor she does the workout in annoyed me to no end!!). I did it for months with little Freida on a blanket on the floor right in front of me, she seemed to enjoy the calm of the music, and she would watch intently as I'd lift my legs or arms up and down... was good exercise for her development as well! :)

You can find out more about Tracy and her method here.

Here is the original video that I found and did for a while before buying her DVD:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taCiMBFc0sc]

From the Ballet to the Runway

Everyone knows shades of pastel and flat soles are on the rise, but who knew the ballerina was in the fashion-spotlight?! Perfect for us mums - with ballet you get to mix girly and athletic... resulting in comfortable-chic. Get a load of these images from Chloé Spring/Summer 2011:

The color tones, the textures, the lengths, the accordion-pleats... I'm smitten by the ballet bug!