Mama Pajama

Furniture Options

I am trying to pick out something different for our guest bedroom. We have Chris' bedroom set from when he was growing up, which is still in really good shape. So, I hate to get rid of it. But, I would like to change the queen sized bed to a twin.  That way, we'll have a lot more room in there.  I think that modern furniture would also give the room an updated look.

New Look

Sometimes I would really like to change out our furniture.  Since we have a regular kitchen table in the dining room, a fancy new dining room table would really dress things up.  We hardly ever use the dining room, but I still want it to look pretty. We are going to check out a few discount furniture places to see if we can find something we like at a reasonable price.

Grass Gazing

We have been so lucky this year with getting just enough rain to keep the yard looking good. We have only had to water the grass a few times since May.  I hate watering the grass. It just feels wasteful.  Plus, when the grass gets too thick, it makes it hard to cut.  (Chris also triple fertilized the backyard, so that might be part of the problem.)  He's been having to cut the backyard twice a week so that the mower doesn't die on him.   

Somewhere over the .....

 

Last week when we were out taking Cameron for a bicycle ride, this gorgeous rainbow appeared in the sky. You can't really see it, but there's another faint rainbow above the one that is more visible.  What a beautiful site!

Exercise Room

Now that we have an "exercise room", we have literally run out of excuses not to work out.  I have an elliptical machine, and my dad recently gave us his recumbent bicycle.  The other thing that we could still use would be weight benches. We have a few free weights, so it would be great to have a little bench to use with them.

Cameron's New Room

Here are a couple of shots of Cameron's new room.  As you can see, we went with a "space" theme.  We found the fan at Home Depot, and then it just expanded from there. My mom made the wall quilt and the curtains. Cameron likes it all, but I think the lamp is his favorite. It's a Toy Story lamp that talks before it comes on and when you turn it off.  I like the glow in the dark planets and stars that we put on the ceiling.

They're Finally Up!

Well, Chris finally tackled getting our new curtains up.  It was a surprisingly painless process this time! Instead of measuring a thousand times to get them precisely centered and at the perfect height, we eyeballed the way they looked at the bottom.  It really worked out well!  I am really satisfied with how the room turned out.  Now we need to put the curtains up in the guest bedroom.

New Comforter

I just love our new bedding. It was one of those bed-in-a-bag super sets.  It came with several sham pillows, two full sets of sheets, a matching throw, and a set of Euro shams.  It took me a while to figure out which one I wanted, but I'm glad I took my time to pick it out.  We still have to hang the matching curtains...but I think I'll let Chris do that!

Big Improvement

Several years ago, I decided to paint our master bedroom a very unusual shade of gold.  No, this was not the smartest decision I ever made.  I really did like it, because it matched our comforter set and curtains.  But, after four years, I finally had to admit that it was a bonehead move. We went ahead and hired a guy to paint our bedroom as well as the bathroom a very pretty light tan color.  It looks so much better! 

Another Project

Like most men, Chris really loves new tools, gadgets, and gizmos.  His latest project is to change out our gas water heater.  It's located in the attic, and he's afraid that since it is getting older it might leak into the house.  He wants to buy a tankless water heater, but I'm not sure if that's what we'll get. First, we need to do a little more research. 

Spring Cleaning

Spring is here, and I am forcing myself to some spring cleaning.  How do miniblinds get so filthy?  Our house is looking better, but I still have a long way to go.  I guess if I could resist this computer it might speed up the process.

Wow!

When we bought our house, we chose white grout.....not smart.  After seven years, it had turned to a dark shade of ugly grey.  Even though I clean it weekly, it just looks bad.  But Chris found a guy that has a cool machine that blasts out the dirt without doing any damage. I am totally shocked at how much better it looks!  Why regrout when you can get it looking brand new!  What a difference this has made!

Time to Get Organized!

With all of our talk about possibly getting hardwood floors, we've been doing some major organizing of things like CDs, DVDs, stereo equipment, etc.  I finally put all of our MiniDV tapes onto DVD, and I burned all of Cameron's photos onto CDs as well.  It feels good to get it all together...because I'm a procrastinator at heart.  Now I need Chris to get all of his stuff like this organized.  All of the wiring and bulk cable stuff is his department. We also have about thirty blank tapes with bits and pieces of football games and episodes of Magnum, PI on them that he needs to weed through. 

What Should We Do?

We are thinking about changing out our carpet and putting in wood or laminate flooring.  I know that it is actually a lot cleaner, and it will look better.  The only problem is that I don't know if it will be as good for Cameron.  We like to lay around on the floor with him in the living room and it is nice having carpet.  And, of course, carpet is cheaper.  We don't have to decide anytime soon, but I think we should at least start pricing our choices.  Does anyone have anything positive to say about wood or wood laminate floors?

New Arrivals

For some strange reason, a pair of doves have taken up residence under our roof on our front porch.  Every morning I see this bird perched right there.  The mama bird sits on top of the roof as a lookout.  It's really cute.  I just wonder why they would choose a house with an obnoxious barking dog like Buster. 

Sprucing up the Bathroom

We've been looking for a few small items to improve the appearance of our master bathroom.  We have a window seat next to the garden tub that has glass blocks behind it.  We had a bunch of candles and artificial greenery back there, but it was getting old ugly.  So Chris found some nice little fancy pillows, a leather box clock, and a few new candle holders to put there instead.  He also bought a couple of new pictures, new fancy towels, and matching mats.  What a difference it has made!

Our Backyard

I don't know about your backyard, but ours is not looking all that hot right now.  But, who wants to get out and clear the weeds when it's so wet and cold.  I would love to use my Spring Hill Nursery Coupons to pick up some irises or winter heaths.  We need flowers that can survive the cold! 

I'm also hoping to find some Target deals on patio chairs.  We have a table and chairs, but the two extra chairs that we have are getting rusty and old.  I'd like to get a couple lounge chairs for the backyard.  We could also use our Home Depot Coupons to buy new gardening gloves and tools.  Can you tell that I'm ready for spring? 

Mailboxes

In our neighborhood, we just have central mailboxes for each street.  When I was growing up, we had residential mailboxes. The mailman came right to our front door, and he was someone we knew really well.  Now, there are so many different types and styles of mailboxes out there.

In my aunt's neighborhood, everyone has a unique curbside mailbox.  They purchased their mailbox on-line.  But, you can even find commercial mailboxes, like the ones in our neighborhood, on-line.  Unique mailboxes can really add a lot to the curb appeal of any neighborhood. 

So Much Clutter!

Do you ever have days where you just can't stand the clutter?  There's just not anywhere to put a lot of our stuff for Cameron!  It's mostly my fault, because I should get it organized.  Plus, I can't seem to part with many of his toys.  One solution might be to get a backyard storage shed, and then we could make more room in the garage for his stuff (wagon, Little Tike Car, etc.).  But, for now, everything is just staying put in our dining room.   

Weekend Snapshot

Well, after Chris' adventures in Louisiana last weekend, things are back to normal.  Here's a shot of my boys watching the Chargers vs. Colts NFL game today, as sadly, college football will not be on again until the fall. The NFL will have to do for at least another few weeks, until March Madness begins in March.  I can't leave out my other boy, Buster.  Here he is decked out for the LSU game.  (Cameron loves his "B".)

 

Back to Reality...

Here we are at the brink of another new year.  I love the holidays, but I also enjoy getting all the holiday stuff put away and super cleaning the house.  With so many toys all over the house as it is, the Christmas decorations can get to be a bit much.  This year we took down the tree and put all the decorations back in the attic on the day after Christmas, since we would be going to our hockey game the following weekend.  My next project is giving the house a good room by room scrub down.  I always keep the bathrooms clean, and the bathroom vanities looking nice, but I need to do things like dust lamp shades, baseboards, and ceiling fans. Maybe by typing it out I'll actually do it!  Then I need to pull out the carpet cleaner.  I actually love using that thing! 

Time for Christmas!

I can't believe that Christmas is only one week away! I actually have a lot to do!  Since I'm home all the time, I never feel that sense of urgency to complete household projects.  But with family headed our way, I better get moving! All of my free time these days seems to just evaporate away while I'm on the computer.  But I need to get with the program.....and I will in just a minute. I just need to check a few more blogs...

Things Change

In our neighborhood, we do not have individual mailboxes.  Our mail is delivered down the street at a central location.  For this reason, I don't even know our mailman.  When I was a kid, we knew the lady that delivered our mail really well. Our mailbox was right by the front door. But, I guess it's much more practical for them to just drop off the mail making fewer stops and driving around in the mail truck. 

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

  I feel really bad for the guy that painted our house yesterday.  Just as he was finishing up, it started pouring!  Most of the paint was dry, but the stuff that wasn't dry bubbled up and streaked pretty badly.  He was nice enough to come back today, and repaint the streaked garage door.  But, he's going to have to come back again on Saturday, to redo a lot of the parts that bubbled. He tried sanding some of them down today, but since it got so wet yesterday, it wasn't completely dry underneath.  So, he's going to come back in two days and finish the job.  The chances of rain yesterday were only about 20%, but the one little cell on the radar parked itself above our house.  Oh well, we weren't very upset about it.  At least we found a really nice, honest, contractor who is willing to stick to a project until it's done right!  This just proves that there are still people like that out there!

Painting Our House

I can't believe we've been in our house for six and half years already.  I remember walking in this place thinking it was so huge.  Now it's packed to the max.  But, I still love our house.  We have fantastic neighbors, and I feel really safe here.

Well, recently we've been trying to do a few things to spruce up the house.  Here in South Texas, we get so many different variations of moist weather that housepainting is usually required between every six and ten years.  The builder did not use very much paint on the house.  We redid the outside of our front door, and painted the front porch ceiling and around the frame of the door.  Chris had someone spray our attic ceiling with radiant barrier paint to save on our electric bill.  Next, we're going to get the outside of our house painted.  We found a local contractor that is going to use Glidden Evermore Paint and he gave us a very reasonable quote.  Hopefully, this will help us add some curb appeal to our home, and make it look as good as new again!

I Need to Get Going!

Today I have lots of things that I need to get done.  But first, I need to pry myself away from this computer!  My parents are coming over for a visit in an hour, and I need to bathe the dog between now and then. Then, I need to start on my CD project.  All of my CDs are in those albums.  The cases were lost and so my husband bought me a bunch of new cases and a big tower so that I can get them organized. It's something I've been wanting to do for about eight years.  So, I can't wait to get my little project completed. 

iFLOOR

iFLOOR has recently published a press release. Unfortunately, there have been a growing number of warranty claims being denied for online buyers. So, iFLOOR is offering a $1,000,000 warranty to protect customers from manufacturers who deny their warranty claims for flooring that was purchased online. In doing this, iFLOOR reserves the right to seek legal justice on behalf of their customers.

This is a copy of the aforementioned press release by iFLOOR:

iFLOOR, America's largest online flooring retailer, today announced a $1,000,000 limited warranty designed to protect its customers from predatory manufacturer policies that exclude warranty coverage from online purchases.

The policy, which goes into effect immediately, offers up to one million dollars of coverage in the event that a customer's warranty claim is denied specifically because they made their purchase online. It is complimentary for every iFLOOR customer, and protects the buyer under the same terms as the original product warranty.

iFLOOR, Inc. CEO, Steve Simonson, came up with the program to combat "scare tactics" used by manufacturers of hardwood floors and laminate flooring. "Their idea is to discourage you from buying at a discount!" wrote Simonson in his blog "It's About Flooring". "This is not right! You deserve to save money! So we're going to take care of this problem once and for all."

And it would appear that federal law is on his side. Section 108 of the 1975 Magnuson-Moss Act, states that, "In general, tie-in sales provisions are not allowed. Such a provision would require a purchaser of the warranted product to buy an item or service from a particular company to use with the warranted product in order to be eligible to receive a remedy under the warranty."

Under iFLOOR's new warranty, a key provision allows for iFLOOR to "seek justice" on behalf of the customer in the event of legal action. According to Simonson, "I'm putting iFLOOR's money where my mouth is."

About iFLOOR, Inc. Since 1998, iFLOOR.com has been the leading online and retail flooring company, with 36 local retail stores nationwide offering more than 70,000 products, including hardwood floors, laminate flooring, bamboo flooring and cork floors. iFLOOR.com is the largest online flooring retailer according to Internet Retailer Magazine, and was named by Inc. Magazine as one of the fastest growing private companies in the United States for the past three years. Committed to quality customer service, superior selection and friendly expert advice, iFLOOR.com enables customers to buy flooring both online and in its retail stores at a substantial savings over traditional retailers. For more information about iFLOOR, please visit www.iFLOOR.com.

Smart Habit Saturday

  .....the meme that forces me to recognize my laziness and do something about it!

Week 5: I'm not going to eat candy after dinner! My husband must eat something sweet after every meal, and I've gotten into the same habit.  All these little bits of chocolate over the weeks add up a lot of extra calories.   I'm not really that much of a sweet tooth anyway.

Week 4: Wow, a cavity made me actually floss my teeth!  (7 out of 7 days).  I haven't been using the elliptical much, but I have been jogging a little every night when I walk the dog.  My allergies are starting to kick in though.  This week I am going to drink less coffee.  I'm only going to make this amount so that I can't cheat.

Week 3: OK, I took a month off from SHS.  I just went to the dentist and I have a cavity.....ugggg.  So I will really floss now every night.  Also, I will make sure I go to the dentist for a cleaning every 6 months.  We've been letting it slide to more like once a year.

Week 2:  I pledge to start timing myself on the computer.  For every hour I spend on the computer, I must use the Elliptical Machine 10 minutes.....will the computer time be worth it?  (6 out of 20 days)

Week 1:  Daily Flossing (4 out of 7 days)

To join in SHS go to The Lazy Organizer.

Wordless Wednesday: My PawPaw is Giving Me a Big Boy Haircut!

This weekend we visited my husband's family in Louisiana. It was so good to see all of his aunts and his uncle. We hadn't been since 2005. I am lucky that all of my family lives really near us. His parents live about an hour away, so it's not too bad. We see them every two or three weekends. They miss Cameron when they haven't seen him for too long. I was so glad that Chris' PawPaw could give him his first real haircut. We have a picture of Chris getting his first from him as well. I want to put the two pictures together in one double frame. Pretty neat, huh?

Fall, Where Are You?

October is almost here, and it's still so hot!  I've seen so many beautiful pictures of  "fall scenes" on other blogs lately....and I'm a bit jealous.  I could really use a brisk walk on a cool night. But instead, I'm sweating in the humidity covered in mosquito repellant every night.  I shouldn't complain, I know.  I'm not asking for snow. I would just love to be able to take out the trash without breaking a sweat.  Spring and Fall each last only a few short weeks here.  Come on Fall.  Then it's wet cold - or back to wet hot.  I hate the humidity!

Coastal Dwellers

My husband has a new obsession.  Generators.  He has two....and he plays with them a lot (running them, checking them, admiring them).  During Hurricane Rita, Cameron was only about six months old.  We drove EAST, yes EAST....to get away from the storm, which apparently followed our car into Louisiana.  Luckily, my husband's relatives had a generator, because they did lose power for about a day.  If we had stayed home we would have missed the storm, but when you aren't sure where a hurricane is headed, you have to make big decisions in a hurry.  Sometimes we wonder why we choose to live in a place that could be hit by a hurricane, but we do enjoy living on the coast.  Plus, there aren't too many places that aren't prone to some sort of natural disaster!

Germ Freaks

When Cameron was born, we became really obsessive about germs.  I had been an elementary school teacher right up until he was born, so this was a big change from that environment.  We had to be extremely cautious about touching his head after his shunt surgery (done when he was only about three pounds). He was also highly succeptible to meningitis, colds, and the flu. We spent 70 days in the NICU making sure that every single person with whom he came into contact knew how important it was to wash his or her hands! 

Well, we managed to keep him free of illness for almost two years. We just never brought him into stores, the malls, etc. We were really lucky that all of his initial therapy was given at our home.  My husband did (and still does) most of the shopping and running errands, so that I don't have to bring him around many crowds.  And then when we are at people's houses, we just make sure everyone has washed their hands.  He's had two or three colds now, and he's handled them like a champ.  But, since he is underweight for his age, and does not eat much anyway, even something like a cold makes it harder for him to grow and get stronger. 

So, around here, we all get flu shots.  I just got mine Friday at Krogers.  My husband will get his free at  work in October, and we'll  get Cameron one as soon as the pediatrician has them in stock.  I've been getting the flu shot for over 10 years now.  Now that the immunization is available, I can't find a reason not to take advantage of it.  The flu would be really bad for Cameron, so we even ask all the grandparents to make sure that they also get immunized.  Here's to a happy and healthy flu season to everyone!

Buster: Scared of Cats?

Buster is our five year old West Highland White Terrier.   He was our first baby and our first love.  Terriers are known for their feistiness.  They are stubborn and loyal by nature.  Buster is no exception.

He spends his days lounging around the house, taking several long naps throughout the day.  But, Buster waits all day for his evening walk.  When he sees me looking for my shoes, or when he gets that first whiff of mosquito repellant, he loses it.  He barks and runs around just as fast as he did when he was a puppy. In fact, he gets so excited that it's almost impossible to get the harness around his neck.  Finally, we're off.

Buster likes certain "poles" to mark his territory. Like most male dogs, Buster has quite an ego.  He likes to "go" on corners of fences where dogs reside.  He prefers gas lights to fire hydrants, and light poles to mail boxes.  He lives for this twenty minutes of dog heaven.

On our walks, there are several cats that make their presence known. Some peek above fences, while others brazenly sit in the middle of "his" sidewalk.  Buster hates cats.  He goes crazy if he hears one in our front bushes.  He can run at the speed of light to chase one out of our backyard.  But, that was before he met "the big, fat, tan cat."

According to my husband's report last night, Buster came face to face with BFTC.  She was parked at the end of her own driveway.  Buster could not resist walking right up to her.  Upon approaching her, she stood up, hissed, and actually growled at Buster.  What did our strong, tough, stubborn Westie do? He just meekly walked past her, giving her the respect she had finally just earned.

What a puss.

Win a Pink Dyson Vacuum!

Wouldn't owning this pink Dyson make you want to vacuum all the time?  I just love the look of this machine.  If you would like to win this limited edition, Pink All Floors Dyson Vacuum, head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom and leave a comment. 

Target and Dyson are donating $40 for every pink Dyson purchased towards Breast Cancer Research. Plus, Dyson has offered to also donate the full retail value of a second DC07 Pink vacuum ($400) to the BCRF in honor of the 5 Minutes for Mom Giveaway.

This Pink All Floors Dyson Vacuum is only available at Target stores. If you want to buy one, you'd better hurry!  Fifty percent of them have already been sold!

Good luck, but I hope I win!

Wordless Wednesday #6: My September Football Boys

Heads or Tails #3: School

This week the topic is Heads: School.   

Lots of directions I could go.  I thought I'd talk about my teaching experience.

I started out at a 5th and 6th grade intermediate school, teaching 5th Grade Science and Social Studies in December of 1998. After a year and a half, I switched to teaching 5th Grade Math at the same school.  This was my absolute favorite thing to teach.  But, I left this school after the 2001-2002 school year to teach 3rd Grade in a school district closer to our home.

In my seven short years of teaching, I met so many amazing students. There is nothing more rewarding than teaching a brand new concept, and knowing that every single child learned something new that day.  Each day was a new adventure which would surely involve: smiling, frowning, anger, joy, whispering, shouting, hugs, winks, snaps, "teacher looks", grins, and, at last, a bell signalling that it was time for everyone to go home.

I love staying home, but I sometimes miss the chaotic excitement of being a teacher.  Of course, if I were at school right now, I couldn't still be drinking my coffee and wearing my pajamas at 11:00 am.  I do love my coffee.   But, more than anything, I love being at home with my son.

This is my favorite 'School House Rock' song......just because it's fun.

Head on over to Skittles' Place to participate in the Heads or Tails Meme.  You can even join the blogroll.  Weekly topics are listed on her site.  Join in the fun!

This week I will actually do what I said I'd do last week.  It's much too boring to repeat. : )

To join in the fun, go to 5 Minutes for Mom

This week I will dust all 5 ceiling fans.  Yesterday a ball hit one and let's just say it wasn't pretty.....

To join in the fun, go to 5 Minutes for Mom

Works-For-Me-Wednesday

DE-CLUTTERING....Never Fun...But Very Rewarding

Recently my husband and I have been on a mission.  We have been trying to get rid of all the clutter.

When we moved into our house it felt so nice and roomy.  We even had an empty bedroom (LOL).  Now you'd swear we have 5 kids.  But, of course, we only have the one.  A two year old with enough toys for a small village.

So, instead of parting with toys, we are parting with our unused junk... Some of it isn't exactly junk, we just don't have any use for it anymore.  We've given some away to friends, sold some of it on-line, and have donated the rest.  You'd be surprised what you can find stored under beds, hiding on closet shelves, and lurking right out in the open.

Our dining/exercise/storage room will be my next project to tackle.  We still have a long way to go, but it feels so good to know that someone out there is enjoying our used "stuff."

Go to Rocks in my Dryer for more WFMW ideas!

Tackle-It Tuesday

Today, I will hem and hang the curtains we've had since January of 2003.....We had some up that we never really liked.  We just never bothered switching out the rods!

Also on my list:  laundry, dinner, walk dog, dust (ek), get off this computer!!!

To join in Tackle-It Tuesday, go to 5 Minutes for Mom

Go Ahead, Spill It!

If you could buy only one product that could really change the appearance of your home, what would it be?

If you have carpet throughout most of your home, you should say a carpet cleaner! 

In our pre-baby days, we had a puppy, so we had our carpets professionally cleaned a few times after the training days. But when we brought our son home from the NICU, we needed a new level of clean.  We became complete cleaning freaks, actually.

My husband researched different carpet cleaners, and the Bissell Proheat 2X is what we decided to try.  I am absolutely in love with it.  I use it at least every three weeks.  You would be surprised how much dust and dirt will come out of your carpet.  And, we stopped wearing shoes in our house two years ago!  Other than the dog, whose feet we keep clean, everyone else is coming in with clean socks!  Anyway, I'm always shocked at how much dirt still comes up.  

This machine is awesome.  It even has a heater that will heat the tap water by 25 degrees.  It's about the size of a regular vacuum, and I just store it in a closet.  Compared to the cost of getting your carpets done one time by professionals, you can have your own machine!

You do have to unscrew the bottom plastic parts every few cleanings to get the carpet fuzz out, and you must clean out the water bladder (of course) after each use.  But, it is all very easy!  I tell everyone I know about it.  There is a separate cleaning formula container, and you can either leave the cleaner in there, or simply pour it back into the bottle.  It goes a long way.  I have even used the attachments to clean an old recliner, and it looks brand new.  Anyway, I would strongly recommend this product to every family with carpet! 

Yes, I Know It's Thursday

I love this idea!  I love making checklists and crossing things off...and by writing them down I will create a sense of urgency. {This week: BASEBOARDS} I will accomplish something this Tuesday!!!

Happy at Home

There are days when the dust has settled, and it won't be disturbed.    My son, the computer, and my own sheer laziness sometimes interfere with my plan for the day. But, of course, if I wasn't home, I would not only have to work, I'd have to squeeze in everything else, too.    When I was teaching, my days seemed to fly by.  Running all the time, I was just trying to stay afloat with my responsibilities.  I cleaned on the weekends...cooked only when absolutely necessary.  Now, there are no more excuses.  I have time to cook, clean, and do all those neglected chores that I never really wanted to do in the first place.  But to my surprise, I actually enjoy cooking!  It's amazing how much fun it can be when you aren't completely exhausted.  I have gained more confidence in the kitchen over the past two years, than in our eight year marriage.  I even use all of those wedding gift gadgets that I never even knew we had!

I love being a stay-at-home mom.  I can set my own schedule, spend all day with my two year old, and all in my pajamas (if I want to).  Don't get me wrong, I always wear makeup.  There's no reason to feel like a total slob.

Work it Out

Nothing can relieve stress as well as a good workout.  I think people forget just how exercise can make them feel better.  It actually gives you more energy...if you can just muster up the strength to get up off the couch.  Whether it's a brisk walk, or a good run, the endorphins you release will make you feel empowered and strong.  In our time crunched society, it is easy to put exercise at the bottom of our "to do lists."   But, if more people would make exercise a priority, the day might not feel so hectic after all.  And, they might have a lot more energy in general.

Recently, we bought a New Balance Elliptical Machine.  I love it!  It's great because it is harder than a tread mill, but easier than a stair climber.  I used stair climbers for a while, but I would always stop after a few months because it was actually hard on my knees.  The elliptical machine is smooth and fun. And it really makes you sweat!  You use your upper and lower body.  The New Balance Elliptical Machine was a very reasonable price for it's high quality and durability.  It has a twelve different programs, and eight resistance levels. It keeps track of the calories you've burned, as well as your distance. It also has a great display on it's computer, which will also monitor your heart rate.  I love a good jog, but it's difficult to fight the weather year round.  You really need something fun that you can use at any time.  I would recommend this product to anyone who wants to work out with a machine that's easy on the joints, but is also a very efficient calorie burner.