Posts Tagged ‘contest’

Remember these things? Legs. The time has come to slowly re-introduce them to sunlight.

Monday is June 1. And you know what that means: shorts weather is coming.

Sometime between now and Labour Day, you are going to have to show some leg. Even if you're unwaveringly devoted to full-length jeans, knee socks and long-sleeve turtlenecks, there will inevitably be a day this season where you will have to dawn capris. A skirt. Or shorts. And yes, maybe even a bathing suit.

Shorts weather is coming. Best to make peace with it now and get ready.

This is your time to moisturize, perfect your fake tanning technique and most importantly, shave.

Oh Lord. Shaving. What a colossal pain in the rear. Seriously, am I expected to balance on one leg in the shower like a chunky flamingo and run a razor-sharp . . . razor . . . all over my legs every frigging day? Look. At the size. Of my thighs. Do you have any idea how much area I have to cover with that tiny razor? The whole prospect is absolutely ridiculous.

I refuse.

This summer, I'm opting for non-razor hair removal. And you can, too, because I have a prize pack from Nair available for one lucky blog subscriber. It includes:

• Nair pretty glitter hair removal wax strips for legs & body with cherry scent
• Nair pretty glitter hair removal wax strips for face & bikini with chamomile and apple scent
• Nair shower power hair removal cream for legs & body, sensitive formula
• Nair 'cire divine' no strip wax for legs and body in sensual berries scent.

Hmm. Whoever wins this prize will have to report back to us about what 'sensual berries' smell like.

For your chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog (it’s free, you know) and post a reply with your shaving horror story. Have you sustained a serious (or seriously embarrassing) nick or cut? Have you forgotten to shave for a special occasion? Have you ever done the classic 'I accidentally only shaved one armpit' maneuver?

You have until June 5 to tell us your hair removal horror story. I'll announce the winner here on Saturday, June 6.

Congratulations to mary and Shawna Sanderson who have won our Day 15 contest by telling us about how they like to enjoy their favourite vegetable.

mary says:
"My favourite would have to be tomatoes, since they are so easy and fast growing, I love to eat them sliced on hot toast with some butter and freshly cracked pepper on top, what an eye opener to start the day. I am always sad to see the last of them be devoured in the fall, my mind though goes to the next summer and thoughts of growing and enjoying them all over again"

Shawna Sanderson told us:
"My favourite are peas right out of the garden. When I was around 5 years old, I used to have a hey day in my grandmother’s garden sitting in the dirt and eating all the peas right outta the shell!"

I used to do exactly the same thing at my grandmother's. This year, I'm planting peas of my own for the first time with help from Douglas Green’s new book, The Guide to Canadian Vegetable Gardening. And I'll be sending a copy of this great book to our winners.

Have you entered our Day 20 contest yet?

Congratulations to jentam, who has won our Day 6 contest by telling us about her  favourite non-workout way to get exercise.

jentam says:
"This may sound strange but I enjoy cleaning the house and getting exercise doing so. I move quickly when I clean and I try and stretch as I reach to clean windows or sweep under the bed. It feels great to have a clean house *and* feel like I’ve been working out."

Ooh, extra points for multitasking! Nice work. Your prize is a copy of Move a Little, Lose a Lot: New NEAT science reveals how to be thinner, happier and smarter by James A. Levine, MD, PhD.

In other news, today is World Hypertension Day. Who knew? Not I. But to help . . . celebrate . . . wait, I don't know if we're meant to 'celebrate' World Hypertension Day, but anyway, to help 'mark the occasion', we're giving away a great prize pack from Mrs. Dash. It contains all 12 flavours of Canada's favourite salt-free, flavour-full seasoning plus a step counter and a jump rope. The folks at Mrs. Dash say that using Mrs. Dash instead of salt is a great way to cut down on your sodium intake.

Mmm. Sodium. I confess that I put salt on everything. It's a habit I really have to break. Is there something that you put salt on even when you know you really shouldn't? Do you add salt to your food before you even taste it? Do you ever add a visible layer of salt to your food? If someone served you a bowl of salt, would you proceed to put salt on it? For a chance to WIN this fab Mrs. Dash prize, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about your bad salt habit.

You have until Sunday, May 31 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on June 1.

Congratulations to Michelle and Anna Gregory, who have won our Day 5 contest by telling us about a great decision they've made.

Michelle told us:

"To live in Canada! I came from the U.K. on a work permit for 1 year. That was 19 years ago. Growing up gyms were viewed as something rich people went to because they didn’t have to work long hours like the rest of us. Here, I’m out cycling/skiing/skating with the kids and I’ve just signed up for my first ever learn to run class."

Anna Gregory says:

"I am a recent subscriber…and the best decision I ever made was to quit smoking….I found out I was pregnant and I had no other options.

I joked that I would take a carton of cigarettes and a bottle of rye to the delivery room (I also stopped drinking during my pregnancy!!)…but my oldest son is 26 now and I never did start smoking again…the benefits??? Oh….far, far too many…as you can imagine (know if you are an ex-smoker)…

I still crave a cigarette every once in a while…but I am a non-smoker and will be forever!"

Congratulations, ladies! You've each won a copy of Suzy Welch's new book, 10-10-10: 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years.

Congratulations to Sarah, who won our Day 4 contest by telling us about what inspires her.

Sarah says:
"I am inspired by my mother, and my best friends. My mom lost almost thirty pounds, one of my friends is constantly going to the gym and eating healthy (and I hate to be the chubby, chocolate-eating friend), and my other friend has decided to train for a marathon happening next May and she has never run a day in her life. With these three important women in my life, I know that I can succeed as they have."

Good stuff, Sarah. If we stick together, we'll all get there.

Sarah's prize is a copy of Never Say Diet: Make five decisions and break the fat habit for good, by Chantel Hobbs.

Don't forget to enter our Day 9, Day 7,  Day 6 and Day 3 contests for a chance to WIN great prizes!

I have a Turtle in my desk drawer.

That's right, a Turtle. A delicious, chocolaty pecan treat.

It has been in my desk drawer since last Thursday, making it the longest surviving Turtle ever. Usually such a sweet snack would be devoured on its first day at the office. (Although, now that my colleagues know it's in there, its days are probably numbered.)

Turtles and other such tasty treats are forever in danger of extinction because of my rampant love of snacking. It's a real testament to my commitment to Bikini Boot Camp that this Turtle has survived so long.

(I just took it out of my drawer and smelled its wrapper. Mmm. Then I slid it back in my drawer. That is willpower.)

Anyway, turns out that snacking is not such a bad thing. Just look at the Bikini Boot Camp Menu — it's littered with snacks. The trick is to snack well.

The Snack Factor Diet: The secret to losing weight by eating more, by Keri Glassman, M.S., R.D, has more than 100 ideas and recipes for crunchy, sweet, salty and creamy snacks to enjoy. Best of all, these waistline-friendly snacks promise to help keep your energy high, your metabolism up and your mood positive.

I have two copies of The Snack Factor Diet to give away. For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe to This Blog and post a reply telling us about your favourite snack. No — no Turtles allowed. These have to be healthy snacks!

You have until Monday, May 18 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Tuesday May 19.

Happy snacking!

My Lord, that Boot Camp workout is tough stuff! But I'm glad it's hard because that's how I know it's working.

There are six videos, one for each week of Bikini Boot Camp, but we actually filmed all of the videos in one day last October.

Filming each video required several takes, from a few different angles, which means that our fitness expert, Maureen Hagan, was exercising all day long.

Maureen is truly an incredible, inspiriting — and very strong! — lady. She's a licensed physiotherapist, fitness instructor and she's the vice president of operations in charge of group exercise and instructor training at GoodLife Fitness Clubs. She's also the creator of Newbody, GoodLife Fitness's exclusive group fitness class. She serves as the director of education for Canadian Fitness Professionals (Can-Fit-Pro) and is involved in the development of the country's largest fitness certification programs. In 2006, she won the IDEA Fitness Instructor of the Year award and she's a regular contributor to Canadian Living magazine.

And she's an author.

If you're loving Maureen's online workouts on CanadianLiving.com, you'll want to win a copy of her new book, 6 Weeks to a New Body. For a chance to win, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us which part of the Boot Camp workout video you find most challenging.

You have until Sunday, May 31 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Monday, June 1.

Bikini Boot Camp has so many benefits. Think about it — right now, you're enjoying the rewards of learning new ways to work out, trying healthy new recipes, pushing yourself to the limits, finding out what you're capable of and feeling proud of yourself. And you're probably healthier than you have been for a while.

And even months down the road, say, when New Year's rolls around and you're looking back over the year that was, you'll be able to say you accomplished something this year, that you set your mind to something and stuck to it. You'll be able to say that 2009 was the year that you invested in yourself.

And because of that — because of the conscious decisions you're making today — you're going to be healthier and happier in the long run. Who knows — 10 years from now, you might still be relying on the healthy recipes you learned how to make during Bikini Boot Camp. You might still be pushing yourself to hold the plank pose for just one more second. The healthy habits you develop over these six weeks could last a lifetime.

Many of us find our lives are filled with chaos — I know I do! I buckle under the weight of decisions as simple as what to have for breakfast. So it's rewarding to feel confident in my choice to join Bikini Boot Camp. If only all decisions were so simple and straightforward.

...

Suzy Welch's new book 10-10-10: 10 minutes, 10 months, 10 years - a life-transforming idea shows you how you can gain clarity in your life by approaching all your tricky decisions by using the 10-10-10 technique. The book shows you how you can create the life you want by evaluating how your choices will affect you in 10 minutes (i.e. right now), in 10 months (the foreseeable future) and in 10 years (the distant future).

Suzy is a journalist, author, speaker and mother of four. On her book cover, she appears fit, healthy and happy. She looks like the kind of person who woke up this morning and consciously, deliberately chose exactly what she wanted for breakfast, without breaking a sweat. I think she's on to something with this 10-10-10 technique. I started reading her book yesterday.

I have two copies of 10-10-10 to give away, so if you'd like to read her book too, just Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about the best decision you've ever made. What were your options? What was the consequence of your choice? Why has it worked out so well for you?

You have until Friday, May 15 to let us know. I 'll announce the winner here on Saturday, May 16.

"Oh Lord. Is it only Day 4? Will it ever end? Am I thin yet?"

It's Day 4 of Bikini Boot Camp and the healthy groceries I so enthusiastically purchased on Day 1 are dwindling. The weekend — and its promise of easy, breezy, fattening beverages on a patio — is looming. My muscles are sore. My gym clothes are in the wash. The couch is calling. The odds are stacked against me.

It's days like today when a story of inspiration and success goes a long way.

Enter Chantel Hobbs, who took control of her life, changed her thought process, lost 200 pounds and became a personal trainer. Her story is one of enormous transformation — both physical and psychological. Chantel says it started when she learned to change the way she thinks — after years of failed diets, she discovered the power of the 'brain change'.

Chantel's book, Never Say Diet: Make five decisions and break the fat habit for good, tells her incredible story and also includes quick tips, a strength training plan and some jaw-dropping before-and-after photos.

It also helps to put Bikini Boot Camp in perspective. If she can lose 200 pounds, surely I can lose six pounds in six weeks. If she can become a personal trainer, then I bet I can continue to lose a pound a week until I reach my goal. If she can change the way she looks and feels without yo-yo dieting, so can I!

Chantel's story has already inspired me to make some changes today. My to-do list now includes doing laundry, taking Advil, getting groceries and gearing up for Day 5 and beyond.

Need to feel inspired? I have a copy of Chantel's book to give away. For your chance to WIN Never Say Diet: Make five decisions and break the fat habit for good, Subscribe To This Blog and post a reply telling us about what inspires you.

You have until Thursday, May 14 to let us know. I'll announce the winner here on Friday, May 15. Good luck!

Part of Bikini Boot Camp is learning to reward yourself for working hard to establish a healthier lifestyle.

And while I used to reward myself for a job well done with a beer (or two . . . while waiting for a pizza), a better way is to enjoy a treat that will leave you looking, feeling and even smelling better!

You have a chance to WIN such a reward, thanks to Fruits & Passion! This great prize pack includes all of the products in their new, eco-friendly 'Imagine' collection in the alluring ‘Apple Illusion’ scent.

You'll get:

• eau de toilette
• foaming bath
• hand soap
• hand cream
• shower gel
• quenching butter
• a sample eau de toilette Imagine fragrance box

It's a total value of $116.50, plus it's all packaged in a super-cute reusable shopping bag!

For a chance to WIN, just Subscribe To This Blog and leave a reply telling us about your favourite way to pamper yourself.

You have until Wednesday, May 27 to enter. I'll announce the winner here on Thursday, May 28. Good luck!