Grow to Grow- Review & Giveaway

Practicing yoga can be a great stress reliever as well as a mind and body opening experience. When doing yoga the less that you have to worry about is better. I always practice when my girls are fast asleep at night that way I don't have any distractions to worry about, except for my little hairs that constantly fall in my face! Not that long ago I had bangs and I am currently trying to grow them out, so they are constantly in my face. This can be very annoying and frustrating at times when I am trying to fully relax into different poses. 

This is were Grow to Grow comes to the rescue to solve this little issue.  Grow to Grow features great Yogibands to hold back those loose little hairs that can be very aggravating when doing yoga. These are also wonderful to help with that perspiration that you also may develop during some faster paced movements. She offers an array of colored Stretchy Yogibands to be a little less distracted when practicing yoga.

I received  a Stretchy YogiBand in Lake. The color Blue affects us physically by calming & sedating us, cools, and also aids intuition. This particular color has always been my favorite and when I received it I was totally thrilled! The first time that I used this YogiBand I was thrilled! Not only did it keep away my loose hair, but it also absorbed some of my perspiration. I have not only been using it to practice yoga, but also during working out.

Buy It!

You can purchase your own YogiBand at Grow to Grows etsy store in the color of your choice for only $7!

Win It!

Grow to Grow has given me an extra YogiBand to giveaway to one lucky reader!! The winner will receive a Moss YogiBand! HOW THE COLOR GREEN AFFECTS US PHYSICALLY:

* Soothes
* Relaxes mentally, as well as physically

* Helps alleviate depression, nervousness, and anxiety

* Offers a sense of renewal, self-control, and harmony

-www.sensationalcolor.com

Head on over to Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans to enter!

This giveaway is open to US participants only. Please use separate comments for each entry. Include an email in the comments if it is not available in your Blogger profile. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Ends October 25, 2010 at 11:59 est.

* I was not compensated in any way to write this post. I received a YogiBand for my honest, simple opinion to review. I will be shipping the winner the Moss YogiBand at my own expense.

~Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga~ Review & Giveaway

I was so excited to receive Shiva Rea's Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga from Acacia. Acacia is such a wonderful company. They have become one of the leading distributors in original and authentic yoga, fitness, and wellness DVD programming in only four years! Some of their best selling lines include Core Fusion, Shiva Rea, Hemalayaa: Bollywood Dance, Yoga to the Rescue, Step-by-Step, Weight Loss, Fit in 5, and Dance and Be Fit DVD lines and the first workout from Bethenny Frankel, Body by Bethenny. Acacia also features some amazing nature-oriented products!

I just love Shiva Rea's Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga! I have just been doing the P90X Yoga, and that has been ok, but I don't always have the time to work it into my schedule when I would like to do yoga due to the fact that it is almost 90 minutes in length. I was so excited to be able to review this DVD by Acacia, because you can customize your yoga workouts with the Yoga Matrix! You can select from 7 different practices that are 20 minutes in length or you can choose one of the Pre-Set Practices.

One of my favorite combinations from the Yoga Matrix is:
Chakra Namaskar- 20 minutes
Forward Bends- 6 minutes
Shanti- 20 minutes
Lunar Meditation- 5 minutes
Shavasana- 5 minutes
Total minutes 56

I love to do this combination before I go to bed. It is so relaxing and really de-stresses me from a long day with the kids. Chakra Namaskar and Shanti are two of the 20 minutes practices that are a little less intense from the other practices. The other practices are a bit more intense.  Shiva also does some more difficult poses that may require a yoga strap if you are a beginner to yoga.

At first some of the poses I was not able to do, but with a little bit of time and practice I have been able to achieve some of the poses that I was not able to when I first started this DVD. I don't think that I have ever been this flexible in my entire life as I am now. My back has never felt better. When I was pregnant with my last daughter I developed severe back pain and it has taken awhile for this pain to actually go away. This has really helped me with releasing the stress that I tend to carry in my back.

This is a great combination for a great morning wake up!
Fire- 20 Minutes
Core- 7 Minutes

Fire is a fast paced calorie burning routine that really lites your fire in the morning. It is also great for an afternoon workout as well.

Overall, this is a wonderful Yoga DVD and I would totally recommend this to anyone that loves to practice yoga!

Buy It!
You can purchase Shiva Rea's Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga on Acacia's website for $19.99

Win It!

Acacia has kindly provided to giveaway a copy of Shiva Rea's Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga to one lucky winner!!

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower of this blog! AND check out Acacia's line of DVDs and tell me another one that you would like to try!

Additional Entries:

• Sign up for Acacia's Email Newsletter
• "Like" The Simple Jocabell Life on Facebook
• Subscribe to The Simple Jocabell Life via Email
• Follow me on twitter and tweet the following:

"#Win Shiva Rea's Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow #Yoga from Acacia! http://bit.ly/aXH3bh "

You may tweet once a day.

• Blog about the giveaway- 5 entries
• Follow my other blog Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans- 3 entries(3 Comments)
• "Like" Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans on Facebook- 3 entries(3 Comments) 
• Subscribe via Email to Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans - 3 entries(3 Comments)
• Enter any other Giveaway for the Yoga Event and leave me a comment as to which one you entered

This giveaway is open to US participants only. Please use separate comments for each entry. Include an email in the comments if it is not available in your Blogger profile. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Ends October 25, 2010 at 11:59 est.

I would like to thank the wonderful people at Acacia for providing me with this wonderful DVD!

*I received Shiva Rea's Daily Energy: Vinyasa Flow Yoga from Acacia. I was not compensated in any way to write this post. This is my true, honest, simple review of this wonderful DVD.

ALO- air.land.ocean Review & Giveaway

  One essential that is needed to practice yoga is some great clothing. Some characteristics of yoga clothing that you should look for is-

• Somewhat form fitting
• Breathable fabric
• Sweat absorbent fabric
• Strectchability of the fabric

When I first discovered alo clothing, I was not only in love with their beautiful designs, but also by their mission. alo stands for air, land, and ocean, and they believe in protecting these great elements by being as green as they possibly can. alo strives with every part of their being to help the planet and I do believe that they have achieved this!

alo Mission:

Create high performance, stylish lifestyle wear with outstanding function, designed and produced with minimal impact on the environmental elements alo stands for: Air. Land. Ocean. We provide customers with a choice that is respectable of the environment with out sacrificing fashion.

alo not only uses solar power, but also
Natural Cleaning Products, Green Office Supplies, and utilizes Eco-Friendly Fashions that are not only stylish, but also Eco-friendly!

alo generously sent me a Double Layer Yoga Tunic in Black/Granite and also a pair of Bamboo Legging in Black. As soon as I got these I tried them on and totally fell in love!

The Double Layer Yoga Tunic is made of 67% bamboo, 27% cotton, & 5% spandex. Let me just say that this is the first time that I have ever felt any fabric that is made of bamboo. Well, let me tell you it is one of the softest and silkiest things that I have ever felt besides actual silk. The bamboo is not only soft and silky, but also antibacterial, hypallergenic, and naturally wicks away moisture. I was totally shocked the first time that I wore this for yoga and my workouts! Usually my clothes are hanging on me covered in sweat, but this was not the case with my alo Double Layer Yoga Tunic! It was just slightly damp nothing like my regular clothing.

The Double Layer Yoga Tunic is criss crossed with the black fabric. Then underneath is a grey tank that is attached to the bottom to create a beautiful design. This top is also very versatile. I can wear it working out and then just throw on a pair of jeans and still look great! I actually had to do this because I was running a bit late picking up my daughter from school. I just love to wear this top any wear that I go!

I also received a pair of Bamboo Leggings and they are made of 68% Bamboo, 28% Cotton, 4% Spandex French Terry. I just love these as well for the same reasons as the top! These leggings come about to your mid calf and have two open holes on the bottom outside calf that are attached with buttons. These are super stretchy and perfect for practising yoga! You could also wear these out as well. Just put on a long tunic and you would be set to go!

I hope that you fall in love with alo as much as I have!

BUY IT!

You can purchase the Double Layer Yoga Tunic on the alo site for $65.00. The Bamboo Leggings you can also purchase for $52.00.
 alo not only offers women's clothing, but also men's. They have a wonderful selection that you can choose from and purchase directly from their site.

WIN IT!

alo has kindly provided a Bamboo Short Sleeve Tee to one lucky winner!! The retail value of it is $30 and it is made of natural, sustainable materials.  It is also antimicrobial and utilizes Stretchflex technology.

  

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower of this blog! AND follow alo on twitter!

 

Extra Entries:

• Tell me something that alo has done that makes them a Green company
• "Like" alo on Facebook
• "Like" The Simple Jocabell Life on Facebook
• Subscribe to The Simple Jocabell Life via Email
• Follow me on twitter and tweet the following:

"Enter to #Win a #Bamboo Short Sleeve Tee! @carriesymes LOVES @ALOClothing & hopes you will too!! http://bit.ly/bwTeh2 "

You may tweet once a day.

• Blog about the giveaway- 5 entries
• Follow my other blog Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans- 3 entries(3 Comments)
• "Like" Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans on Facebook- 3 entries(3 Comments) 
• Subscribe via Email to Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans - 3 entries(3 Comments)
• Enter any other Giveaway for the Yoga Event and leave me a comment as to which one you entered

This giveaway is open to US participants only. Please use separate comments for each entry. Include an email in the comments if it is not available in your Blogger profile. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Ends October 24, 2010 at 11:59 est.

*I received Double Layer Yoga Tunic and also a pair of Bamboo Legging. I was not compensated in any way to write this post. This is my true, honest, simple review of these wonderful clothes.

Aurorae Yoga- Review & Giveaway!

In order to start practicing yoga, you really need a great mat. Aurorae Yoga has the perfect mat for your practice. When I first started practicing I did not have a mat and it was a bit uncomfortable at times with some asanas. A yoga mat also helps you to maintain proper alignment as well as helping you to keep your balance. The wonderful people at Aurorae Yoga were kind enough to send me one of their mats as well as Slip Free Rosin Bag & a Sport Sweat Towel for review.

I received a Violet mat which means Spiritual, Soothing, Calming, Telpathic, Healing, Relief & Meditative. I have always been one to believe in color meanings. So this mat was perfect for what I wanted to achieve while practicing yoga. Aurorae has a variety of different colors to choose from to achieve your ultimate yoga experience.

The mat is extra long so you can you have ample amount of room for movement. Even when laying in Shavasana the mat is long enough to accommodate the length of my 5'4" body. I have the original hardwood floors in my house and they can be a bit hard on the joints at times, but with this Aurorae mat being 1/4" thick it has been a life saver on my joints. It's even very comfortable just to lay on it. My two girls love to try and do yoga poses with me on the mat. In fact the youngest(2) sometimes likes to kick me off my mat just so she can do it herself, its to cute.  Yoga is not the only practice that you can use your mat for, in fact I have also been using it for floor exercising as well! Since receiving my mat I have used it just about everyday and it has been holding up strong!

The Slip Free Rosin Bag is somewhat essential in order to keep your hands from slipping. The first time that I used my mat I set my Rosin Bag and Sport Sweat Towel next to my mat just in case I might need them. My hands got a bit sweaty so I wiped them off with my Towel, went to reach for my Rosin Bag, and it was gone... I looked around my mat, and the Rosin bag was not to be found. Then I heard my dog chewing on something. I went to investigate and sure enough he was chewing on it! I snatched the Rosin Bag up expecting there to be holes all over, but to my surprise it was just a bit wet and nothing else! The Rosin bag did dry out and was as good as new. Now I lightly pat my mat and hands with the Rosin Bag before I begin my practice. The Sport Sweat Towel has also been very handy to have! Often when doing different Vinyasa flows I tend to perspire a lot, so having this towel close by my mat is a must! It is also the perfect length to just drape around the neck to absorb the perspiration even when I am on my elliptical!

Aurorae Yoga is such a wonderful company!

"We cannot stress how important each of our customers are to us and will do our best to meet or exceed your trust and support. To prove this, we were awarded an Amazon Top seller 2009 certificate for providing exceptional shopping experiences for our customers (in other words, A+.)"

Aurorae yoga offers extra long and thick yoga mats, as well as yoga bags and yoga accessories such as their Slip Free Rosin Bag, Sport Sweat Towel, Yoga Bag “The Mat Sak,” Yoga Strap, Yoga Block & Yoga Mat Wash. Visit auroraeyoga.com for detailed product descriptions.

Buy It!

You can purchase your very own Aurorae yoga Mat for $34.95.  You can also purchase the Slip Free Package (Yoga Slip Free Rosin Bag with Sport Sweat Towel) for $14.95.

Win It!

Aurorae is so generous that they are offering one lucky winner a basic mat in the color of your choice and a Slip Free Rosin Bag!

Mandatory Entry:

You must be a follower of this blog! AND go to Aurorae's site and tell me what color you would pick if you won!!

 

Extra Entries:

• "Like" Aurorae Yoga on Facebook
• Follow Aurorae Yoga on Twitter
• "Like" The Simple Jocabell Life on Facebook
• Subscribe to The Simple Jocabell Life via Email
• Follow me on twitter and tweet the following:

"Enter to #Win an Aurorae Yoga  Mat at the #Yoga event!! http://bit.ly/cRtkVO"

You may tweet once a day.

• Blog about the giveaway- 5 entries
• Follow my other blog Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans- 3 entries
• "Like" Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans on Facebook- 3 entries 
• Subscribe via Email to Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans - 3 entries
• Enter any other Giveaway for the Yoga Event and leave me a comment as to which one you entered

Open to US only. Please use separate comments for each entry. Include an email in the comments if it is not available in your Blogger profile. Winner will be chosen via Random.org. Ends October 23, 2010 at 11:59 est.


I would like to thank Aurorae Yoga for giving me a chance to review this wonderful mat!


*Disclosure: I received a yoga mat, slip free rosin, & sweat towel and was not compensated in any way to write this post. This is my true, Simple & honest review of these great products.

Yoga Event Day 1

Awhile back ago I received the book 27 Things to Know About Yoga (Good Things to Know)
. I had won it in a giveaway hosted by Jennifer from Running With Cake. This book was my inspiration to do this Yoga Event. Before that though I had started to get back into doing Yoga. P90X Yoga to be exact. I had borrowed a friends copy of it and have fallen totally in love with yoga.


At first, YES I was very sore, but I was using muscles that I have not used in years. In fact some of the poses I could not even do at first. I had always been somewhat flexible throughout my life and now that I had not been doing much of anything for the last few years had really caught up with me. This was a real eyeopener(as well as a "hip opener" lol) for me that I really need to get my body back. As a child I was active in ballet, swimming, and softball. I had always preferred a more "solo" type of sports and yoga is just that.

Yoga can awaken your inner you in a way that you cannot imagine, if you let your mind go into it. It is truly a HUGE stress reliever for me. A lot of times I will do yoga at night after I get everyone into bed. After a long crazy stressful day yoga is a godsend. It not only relaxes me, but also somewhat lowers my blood pressure. I have had high blood pressure for about the last 4 years. I am not saying that this can happen to everyone, just that it has lowered my blood pressure. I have become more focused and a bit calmer from doing yoga. So now if I have had a bad, stressful day I just turn to yoga to put me at peace.

Yoga has been a life saver for me the past few months and I am totally in love with it. I am not only doing this Yoga Event to celebrate my passion for yoga, but to also educate and hopefully inspire you to try yoga. I love yoga and I hope that you will too!

Would you like to win the book that inspired me to do this event? Head on over to my other blog Simply Fitting Into Life...and my old jeans to enter!

Do you have alot of cabinet space in your kitchen? Well, I sure as heck don't. In fact my kitchen is the original 1955 kitchen. The cabinets were even custom made to fit inside the kitchen. The kitchen itself is actually a good size, but not alot of cabinet space. Ever since we moved in here over 5 years ago I have longed to have a new kitchen, but other things just needed to be done first. So, I still await a new kitchen....and a dishwasher!

This Original SpiceStack Organizer would be great to make a bit of extra room in my cupboards. The funny part about this is that I just asked my hubby over the weekend if he could make something to put all my spices in. This would really help me to also get the cabinets organized! I don't know if some of you have noticed, but they are making a lot of veggie & soup cans, so that you cannot stack them anymore! I just love when I try and stack them and they end up falling on my toe! I actually swore at the dang stores for doing this. Anyway you can check out how you could win this Original SpiceStack Organizer over at Trying to Stay Calm!

AJ's Bow-tique

Aren't these the cutest little leggings that you have ever seen! My daughter Joclyn would just love these as a Christmas present! Do you know a little girl that would also love to have a pair?  If you do head on over to AJ's Bow-tique and try and win a pair!

My Pillow Pets

Hurry on over to the giveaway at The King's Court IV for a Pillow Pet!

Ends at 10:00 p.m. CST on Saturday September 18, 2010

Winner!

And finally the Winner of the book All I Ever Wanted By Kristan Higgins is....

Julie!

Congratulations Julie!

~Running Around (and Such) By Linda Byler~ Review

Running Around (and Such)

Lizzie Searches for Love, Book 1

By Linda Byler

Published by Good Books

May 2010;$13.99US; 978-1-56148-688-5

"Lizzie Glick longs to fit into her quiet Amish community. Her sisters, Emma and Mandy, are ready to get married and settle into the traditional rhythm of having children and keeping house. But Lizzie isn't sure that's what she wants for her future. It isn't that Lizzie doesn't want to stay Amish. It's just that there's so much to figure out!

Stephen, her quiet, gentle friend, hints that he might be interested in a relationship deeper than friendship, but Lizzie is also drawn to the charming Amos who seems to have eyes for everyone but her.

She has certainly attracted the attention of the egg-truck driver. A thrill runs through her every time the worldly man comes to pick up an order, each time extending his stay a little longer. How long will she keep this a secret from Emma -- and Mam and Datt?

What will become of Lizzie? She has too hot a temper. She hates housework and dislikes babies. She loves driving fast horses but is petrified of going away from home for a week to work as a maud (maid). Is she too spirited, too innocent, and almost too uninhibited for a young Amish woman? "

Lizzie is a spirited young Amish girl, that thinks she quite doesn't fit in. She hates to do chores and thinks that no one likes her. Lizzie is also quite the drama queen in that she likes to make a big fuss over things. Lizzie is somewhat over weight and is a very emotional eater. I sometimes felt I used to feel the same way she did, back also in my teenage years. It can be hard being a teenager and not thinking that people do love you for who you are. Lizzie just has this wonderful innocence about her, but yet when it comes to a situation that may be dangerous she really seems to come to her scenes.

This book really reminded me of a friend that I had growing up. She was the middle child and so totally different than her older and younger sister and she sometimes felt like Lizzie felt, the outcast of the family. If you don't know a lot about the Amish, being a teenager can be a very difficult time in life. At the age of 16 they are allowed to "Run Around" meaning they can go with fellow youths their age and just hang out together. It is also a time where they can start dating.

I have to say I could not put this book down! All of the chapters are fairly short, so I would just keep on reading. The flow of the book is wonderful. I was also thrilled that in the back of the book there are a few recipes that are talked about through out the book. At some points in the book my mouth was just watering at all the wonderful food that was described.

This is a wonderful book that will be staying on my book shelf for many years to come. I do believe that I will have my daughters both read this book as they enter into their teenage years. It is a great book for a teenager to read and really relate to.

Author Bio

Linda Byler grew up Amish and is an active member of the Amish church today. Growing up, Linda loved to read and write. In fact, she still does. She is well known within the Amish community as a columnist for a weekly Amish newspaper. Linda and her husband, their children, and grandchildren live in central Pennsylvania.

Disclosure: I was not compensated in any way for this post. These are my own and honest opinions and thoughts