Awesome giveaway ending soon!

Just wanted to share this really awesome giveaway for all of you with train loving kiddos like mine! But hurry, ends TONIGHT!

http://mylifeinjenga.blogspot.com/2010/11/strasburg-railroad-santa-paradise.html#comment-form

Torture or Relaxation?

As a busy mom to 3 wild and crazy kiddos, I am always looking for ways to destress and relax and let go of the chaos of my days. For the past 6 months ive been practicing yoga which has helped me a lot with calming down and clearing my mind, but sometimes I need more.
This is where the Lotus Healing Mat comes in! Now, at first glance the lotus mat looks like the LAST thing you would use for relaxation, its covered in thousands of tiny spikes that you are supposed to lay down on with a bare back!
Trust me, I was thinking the same thing you are probably thinking when I first heard of the mat... No way could I lay on that and feel relaxed, ouch!
Well, let me tell you...it really works and I really feel relaxed after using it! I am truly amazed at how great I sleep when I use the mat before bed, its fantastic!
I want to urge you to not be afraid of the appearance of the Lotus Healing Mat, just try it and get ready to experience all the great benefits!
The first time you use the mat it will be slightly painful, not unbearable, but it takes about 5 - 10 minutes before you start to really relax and enjoy the sensation and if it helps you could lay a thin sheet over the mat...but even with scars on my back from a past car accident I could lay on the mat bare backed...you quickly get over the ouch factor!
There are so many issuea that canbe helped by laying on the mat... Stress, insomnia, anxiety and more... And you wont know if the Lotus healing mat can help heal you unless you get it and use it and experience it like so many others already have.

You can learn more about the Lotus Healing Mat by visiting their official website at www.lotushealingmat.com And you can find them on Facebook as well http://www.facebook.com/#!/lotushealingmat

Dont make me beg people!

So, ive entered myself in this awesome blog contest and so far ive got a grand total of 1 vote! I really enjoy blogging and would especially love to blog about health and wellness... Ive even considered changing the focus of this blog to one of wellness with an emphasis on my daily yoga practice.
Anyways, if you could take like 2 seconds out of your day to vote for me id be forever grateful!!!

http://www.sam-e.com/job/entries/347

YogaMama (Weightloss - a - palooza)

I haven't posted about my weight loss journey in a while and thought id give you all an update on how things are going for me.
I started my journey around the end of June/beginning of July of this summer and I started by going to the gym and doing a couple of highly intense cardio classes like cardio kickbox, bootcamp, and full body toning (OUCH). I did see results from these classes and from doing cardio on the treadmill and stationary bikes but let me tell you about my most favorite fitness practice...YOGA!
I have wanted to do yoga for years & years and always put it off because I felt bad about spending the money on myself to take the classes or to buy a nice mat, or I was busy with my babies, or busy moving around and focusing on other things than myself, hence why I managed to gain 75lbs :(
So when I joined the gym and noticed they had yoga classes that were included in the membership, I was so super excited to try it out!
I fell in love from day one! I love the way it makes my body feel long, lean, and strong! I love the way it helps me to connect to myself and to relax and let go of the stress that my body seems to want to always hold on to. I love the way it makes me feel confident in myself and proud of myself when I am able to execute a pose that I thought was too hard or that I wasn't flexible enough for...I just love it in SO many ways!
Since starting my yoga classes I have stopped going to those killer cardio classes altogether. The only other fitness classes I attend are Pilates (which I also love and I feel yoga & pilates compliment each other very nicely!).
To anyone who says you cant get fit and cant loose weight with just yoga alone...they are lying to you! I am living proof that you CAN get fit and you CAN loose weight with doing yoga! I have lost over 20lbs! and I'm still steadily loosing. I feel great, I look great and I attribute it to taking care of myself, and one of my favorite ways to do that is practicing yoga.
I even aspire to teach yoga to others one day! Ill be 30 next summer and I think I've FINALLY figured out what I want to be when I grow up...a yoga teacher!

Juno Baby!

If you have never heard of Juno Baby (like myself not too long ago) and you have a baby and/or young child that loves music, if you believe in the benefits of exposing your child to good quality classical music, and good quality  programming...not to mention quality books and music CD's! Then you must check out this fantastic company founded by a composer and mother who was seeking products of the highest quality for her own family...read more about here below!

Belinda Takahashi


Ph.D., Co founder

An Emmy award-winning composer, Belinda has been immersed in music since her childhood. The daughter of a ballerina and a painter, she began playing the piano at age 8. By age 10, she was entertaining crowds as a concert pianist. She went on to study under renowned professors from the Julliard School and the Curtis Institute of Music, later enrolling and graduating from Oberlin Conservatory with a bachelor’s degree in Music. Additionally, Belinda was awarded the sole spot for a full graduate fellowship at the Eastman School of Music where she received her Masters and Ph.D. in Music Composition. As a university professor, she has taught at various universities including the Eastman School of Music, Rochester University, Drake University and Montclair University.

Belinda is now putting her professional skills and creative instincts to good use as the co founder of The Juno Company. Juno Baby and Juno Jr. represent the culmination of her lifelong devotion to music, experiences as a mother and love of children. When Belinda isn't working, she loves traveling the world, testing her inner resolve by staving off carbohydrates, and enjoys playing with her daughter's three hamsters, Max, Buddy and Spots.

* My two sons ages 23 months & 4 1/2 really enjoy the Juno Baby DVDs! They were both captivated by the music and story line. Its pretty hard to hold my 4 year olds attention but Juno Baby was able to do so! I HIGHLY recommend these products to parents of young children. I believe that music is integral to the developing mind and that children deserve to be exposed to all sorts of quality music during the important early childhood years! *

You can sign up for the Juno Baby Newsletter so that you can be kept up to date on product information & other news. Sign up HERE  (please be sure to tell them Liz Garland referred you...thanks!)

Pear Tree Greetings ~ September Giveaway!!!

For the month of September Pear Tree greetings will be giving one of my lucky readers a super cute & festive set of Personalized Halloween Stickers! These can be used in several ways...use them on invitations to your Halloween party, put them on goodie bags to send to your child's school, put them on your treats you give out to the neighborhood kids, put them on greeting cards to send to your friends & family...the list goes on and on! SO many ways to use these, use your imagination!

To enter to win I'm keeping it simple! Just visit Pear Tree Greetings and browse the site, tell me what item you would choose to order if you could get ANYTHING on the site! That's it! and be sure to leave your email address because if you don't I wont be able to contact you if you WIN! Good luck!

Giveaway ends October 5th.