What are the latest fads when it comes to skate, surf and snowboard shops…ask the kids! That’s right, the youth generation is getting more and more involved with all the latest and greatest trends when it comes to Volcom, Billabong, Quick Silver and more. In the great northwest, a local Gresham store, Gromshop, is focusing in on this specifically and ruling the kids Volcom market.

The store specializes in kids volcom clothing, gear, accessories and anything a little grom could ask for. If you are not from the northwest you can also shop online and find killer deals on anything youth related. Just a few months ago I bought my little nephew a pair DC shoes and a Quick Silver top. It was great to see that I had the option to buy him those styles and he is only two years old!

With the youth being even more involved in these action sports then ever before, it is nice to know you can also keep them up to date with the latest clothing trends along with the sports equipment they need to keep enjoying all their favorite activities. The Gromshop not only is accommodating this market, but also is getting involved with the community. They participate in events such as “Gromfest” with loud music, skateboard contests and enough root beer to satisfy all the kids’ thirst.

The first thing on our list was Luminox Watches. What is great about a Luminox watch is there tritium glow feature. This feature allows the watch to produce a bright glow that can last up to 20 years! Investing in one for each of us guarantees if we were ever with out light that we could find our way – it is a great safety feature. Along with providing a strong glow these watches are also very durable and considered some of the strongest watches in the world!

The next item on our list I am not a big fan of but my husband loves them - knifes. Now he does not like just any type of knife it has to be either a Spyderco Knife or Kershaw Knife. Spyderco Knifes are known for being top of the line in innovation when it comes to knifes. The great thing about these knifes are they are made with top quality materials and sell at a fair price.

Kersham Knifes are also known for being high quality and a great value. These knifes are known for there long lasting quality and endurance in any situation. They are also available in a variety of sizes and types so you are sure to find your perfect fit.

After shopping for these items and a few others we were ready for our trip. Before you go on a camping trip make sure to be prepared and always remember safety first!

If you are looking to buy domestic when car shopping - check out the list below. I have listed the top American made cars based on Consumer Reports.

1. The Chevrolet Malibu - The only American made car to make the list of “Top Picks” for 2009 car models. Proven to be compared to the Toyota Camry and “very good” when it comes to dependability.

2. The Ford Focus - According to Consumer Reports the Ford Focus rated better then competitors from General Motors and Chrysler.

3. The Lincoln MKZ - It was rated very similar to the Ford Fusion and Mercury Milan sedans which are both good reliable cars.

4. The Cadillac DTS - Received a fairly decent rating good enough to earn a top spot for American cars in this class.

5. The Ford Escape Hybrid - This model took top spots in two areas for American cars “Green Car” and “Small SUV”

6. The Ford Taurus X - Was rated “good” when it came to dependability.

7. The Chevrolet Avalanche- also made the “top picks” category but for pick-ups.

So next time you are in the car market and you are looking to buy American be sure to check these cars out! Good Luck!!!

It has been at least 6 months since I really got into spinning. Since I enjoy it so much and I have been going at least a few times every week I decided to buy spinning shoes. Now I have heard that spinning shoes make your life a lot easier. Not only do they lock into the bike and provide great support for the rider but they also help prevent against injury by helping you stay in correct form.

I got my shoes from a local bicycle shop and they were a great help. I ended up getting the Louis Garneau Women’s LG Multi Cycling Shoe. It was in the right price range and just the right fit. Since this is my first pair of cycling shoes I did not want to spend too much money with out first experiencing how they felt.

I have a spinning class tonight and plan on using my shoes for the first time. I will keep you all posted on how it goes!

When I turned 16 my parents gave me my first car. It was a 1980 Toyota Corolla/Tercel hatchback. It was white and at that time and worth about $1,000.00. My parents helped all of the kids in my family get their first car. I loved my first car, it helped me get from point A to point B and it ran pretty well. I also got my first job when I turned 16. I worked at Dairy Queen and over the years I saved up enough money to buy my second car.

My second car was a 1990 Toyota Celica. It was quite the jump from my first car. It was red and it had black interior. As I got older I started working for US Bank. This allowed me to continue to save money and helped me purchase my next car, which was a 1993 Acura Integra. It was forest green with tan leather interior.

I had my Acura for a few years and then decided it was time to upgrade again. The next car I purchased was a 2000 Toyota Celica. Now this car was really nice and a lot of fun to own. I had it for a few years, which brings me to my current car situation. Hopefully in the future I can upgrade even more - but for right now it is prefect for my needs.

One of the realities I need to get back into is a good workout routine. I have taken the last month off and now it is time to get back to work. Since I am just getting started again I have a goal to workout 3-4 days a week. I think that this is a great goal and it does not over whelm me too much.
My plan is to do spinning Monday’s and Fridays or Saturdays depending on what works out best. On Tuesdays I plan on playing tennis with my husband and some of our friends and Wednesdays I would like to do a Boot Camp class or Body works class. All of the other days left will be days off. I have always enjoyed working out for a day and then having a day off to recover.

I think working out keeps me sane. I know my husband would agree if I don’t work out at least a couple times a week I get a little moody and stressed out. The only cure for me is a good workout!

Good luck to anyone trying to get back in and just remember to take it slow!

Spinning is when you sit on a stationary bike and you adjust your resistance to challenge yourself. Level 10 is the hardest resistance and it is really hard to pedal at this speed especially sitting down. For some reason I like standing when spinning. It is easier on my legs and my heart rate gets a lot more elevated when I stand compared to sitting.

If you have never taken a spinning class I encourage you to do so. It is a lot of work but the rewards for your hard work are all the calories you burn. You can find spinning at any local gyms. I am a member of LA Fitness and they offer over 10 spinning classes a week. Some start as early as 5:30am while others start as late as 6:45pm. I myself prefer to go to the 5:30pm classes. It is right after work for me and I get home at a decent time to eat dinner and enjoy the rest of my night.

Good Luck and have fun spinning!

Dancing is a great form of exercise. You can burn an average of 300 calories an hour if you are consistent with it! Also when you are dancing you don’t really feel like you are working out - but guess what you are. Which in my opinion is why dancing is one of my favorite exercises. It is a lot of fun and it burns extra calories.

Another great thing about dancing is you can do it anywhere! From wedding receptions to dance clubs if you are moving you are dancing. I love to dance. One of the reasons is because I love to be creative and with dancing you can be as creative as you want to be!

One of my favorite places to dance is at weddings. The next wedding I am going to is my own and I will be sure to dance the night away!

1. Drink lots of water everyday 80-100 oz a day

2. Workout at least 5-6 days a week - Burning at least 400-500 calories a workout

3. Eat a healthy as possible

4. Stick to a low sodium diet

5. Stay away from alcohol except for the bachelorette party

6. Be consistent and stay with in my calorie limits (according to Making the Cut)

I feel like if I stick to this plan I should be looking and feeling my best on my wedding day. For my workouts I am doing the Making The Cut workout again and I am also doing 20 minutes of cardio at the end of each workout for a total workout time of 50min-60min a day. With 30-40 minutes of strength training and 20-30 minutes of cardio I am burning an average of 400 calories a workout. Which if one pound of fat = 3500 calories I am easily burning that amount in 1 week. I would like to loose 2 pounds a week so 8 pounds in one month then I will be at my goal weight for the wedding! It is going to take a lot of hard work and discipline but I know if I put my mind to it - I can do it!

I will keep you all posted, as I get closer to the date! Wish me luck!

Now that I am finished I still have 6 weeks until the wedding! I have a few ideas of what I want to do in the last 6 weeks. One idea is to do Making the cut one more time - but this time do the circuits twice instead of just once. I started doing this for the first couple of days and it tough! Now I am thinking about only doing the circuit once again but the second time around making sure to do the 15 minutes of cardio at the end.

I also recently invested in the Polar F6. It is a heart rate monitor - I got it because I was curious how many calories I was burning with all this exercise. To my disappointment I am burning a lot fewer calories then I thought I might not be using the device correctly so I am going to try changing it up a little to see if I get a more accurate reading.

I will keep you all posted on the next 6 weeks!