Exercise TV Will Cease On Demand Availability By The End of 2011

For all those busy ladies (or those on a budget, like me) who opted for at-home workouts via Exercise TV, it may be time to start making new plans for 2012. Exercise TV will cease its availability via On Demand before the start of 2012. Here is the official statement, via Exercise TV's Facebook Page. 

Luv,

Li 

Time Management: Ten Minute Tuesdays

Spend ten minutes every Tuesday doing something you "never have time to do." File papers, delete old emails, soak your feet, read, prep a meal, journal, go for a walk around your building...anything! Maybe tie it into your Word of the Week. Continuous actions become habit and start with small implementations and discipline; even the busiest Girl on the Go has ten minutes to spare.

Luv,

Li

The Jolie-Pitt Clan Arrives in Tokyo

I love this photo: It is everything I want out of life; travel, culture, family, love, success and career. 

Luv,

Li

Motivation Monday: What's Your Action Word of the Week?

We're busy. Life gets cluttered. It's hard to focus. 

Because of everything swirling around me at once, I've decided to implement a Word of the Week. This word will help me focus on a particular action or mindset for that week. I am testing the concept out to see if it helps me facilitate some of the tasks that tend to get me flustered. 

This week's word: ORGANIZE. I don't necessarily have a problem with organization; I know where the things I need are, but I have a tendency to put things in "piles" and/or "spread out" across a space. This week I will focus on getting functionally and visually organized. The word is written in my planner, on a Post-It on my mirrors/my laptop and written on those piles that keep staring at me for my attention. 

I encourage the busy ladies out there to try it out with me and share feedback on their experience. Here are examples of some other words that can be utilized: prioritize, mobilize, encourage, accept, motivate, explore, create, relax.

Luv,

Li

Workout DVD Review: Yoga Bootcamp From Exercise TV - As Seen on Soundbites

(Originally posted on vianessa.com/soundbites as a guest blogger piece.)

I am a bit of an Exercise TV regular, so when Vianessa presented me with the opportunity to actually try out one of DVDs I immediately agreed. Though I love the convenience of the TV workouts, it's always a bit disappointing when your favorites are taken out of the rotation. Vianessa is not exactly a fan of yoga (I'm  hoping to convert her), but I have been practicing for about two years, so she shipped me her copy of Yoga Bootcamp to review. (She was also busy already reviewing 10 Pound Slimdown Xtreme.) The Yoga Bootcamp DVD set itself includes four, specifically-targeted workouts that take approximately 40 minutes each. Two of the workouts are by Ashley Turner - Core Strength and Twisting Detox - and two are by Ted McDonald - Power Yoga for Abs & Arms and Dynamic Flow for Legs & Butt. The set also comes with a 28-day workout planand clean eating guide/cleanse, neither of which were included in this particular review due to lack of turnaround time.

Overall, the DVD did prove challenging and offers something more than the regular "fusion"-style workouts often found on Exercise TV. It really payed attention to the core principles of yoga, including audible breathing, body technique and setting intentions for each workout. Each routine also offered modified versions of moves and poses but I would not necessarily recommend this set for beginners. The flows move quickly and the instructors tend to use yoga terminology freeingly, both of which may cause confusion for those unfamiliar with yoga. The promo video calls it a "challenging cardio workout," and though it is challenging, calling it "cardio" is a tad bit misleading.

Girl on the Go Trend: The Faux-Fur Shag Vest Spotted on Jennifer Lopez

If you've opened up any fall-inspired magazine issues recently, you've undoubtedly seen what I like to call the "shag vest" in a number of ads or pictorials. Jennifer Lopez was recently spotted sporting one while walking around NYC with gal-pal Erica Reid. Lopez wore the vest over a slouchy white tee and skinny black pants, paired with classic pointed-toe stilettos. She then removed the vest and swapped her heals for flats for a more casual, easy-going look. (Or was it the other way around? Not sure.)

 Swapping out statement pieces to transition from dressy to casual (and back again) is a classic Girl on the Go move, but is the shag vest suitable for everyone? Do you busy ladies find the look to be tacky, funky or chic? Have you tried out this trend in your day-to-day outings? Share your thoughts below. 

Luv,

Li

Motivation Monday: Trusting the Process

My previous post discussed my current thoughts on coping with my relationship and career changes and how these changes have altered my Girl on the Go momentum. After the post, I spent a very eventful weekend with my friends and family. But Sunday greeted me with rainy weather and its typical slower pace, and I started to feel a bit hazy again. I felt especially heavy during a quiet ride home. I recalled ways to make myself feel better and remembered that saying what I'm feeling aloud has helped me work through many of my recent changes. So I began to do so in the car.

For every question that popped-up about what was happening (how? why? etc.), I would respond with 'it doesn't matter, trust the process.' I repeated it over and over in an attempt to convince myself that what I was saying was true, but my doubts seemed to overpower my own words. I decided to take the reflection a bit further. I asked myself, 'what does it mean if I don't trust process?'

I immediately responded, 'it means I don't trust myself.' Can we say, Self-OUCHervation? (<- I made that up)