New Year, New Promise!

New Years Eve is a time for NEW resolutions.  Trying to find the perfect outfit or new dress for the countdown to midnight isn’t easy. We try things on and are instantly reminded of the weight loss program which never made it past March of '08.  We tried hard last January. We ate right, we exercised, got busy, had kids to take care of, spouses too, and other family events took over the plan. One excuse after another.  Life just “got in the way”. You want to make that same commitment this
year, but are unsure if you are going to keep it longer than last time.

Here’s a thought:  Life is life. How can it get in the way of itself? Your life is what you make of it. Life didn’t “get in the way”. Your schedule got run over by other plans. Yes, we all have commitments, jobs, kids, spouses, and church. My husband is no exception. He is a guitar player at church and that’s his largest commitment. His time is spent on practice at home and practice at church. He plays on stage every Saturday. He arrives hours early to set up and prepare. This is a lot of time out of our week running around. But he still gets in his workout. We also live an hour (one way) from our jobs, thus I have to be up early in the morning and spend two hours of my life a day on the road. Do you think I like working out at 8 or 9 PM at night when I finally get the time? When I was diagnosed with scoliosis this past year and told it would only get worse as I got older, I decided that was not acceptable! I was going pray and study healing. This also was going to take lots of work on my part. I made a commitment to start working out, yet again. Get back on that horse and stay on!!

Being healthy and fit has to be a priority. It’s my ultimate goal to have a body with great abs and awesome looking arms.  But most important, I want to be healthy and stay as young as I can for as long as I can. I have lots to do yet on this earth and I want to be able to function easily for a long time to come.

I want you this next week to lay out your plan. Sit down with a pen, paper, and calendar. This is your first effort to making time for yourself and your new life style. Decide when you can workout, with whom if need be, where, and what program you are going to do. Is it going to be joining a gym and getting a trainer, or maybe doing a program at home like P90X or Jillian Michaels? Get out a calendar and write out your goals. Take those before pictures. Nothing tells you the truth like a camera. Then start Jan. 1st. No excuses. Find a support system. Family, friends, coworkers, church family, books to gain knowledge, and yes, blogs!

It’s up to you. When you get going, you will feel stronger and more motivated to keep going. I have confidence in you.  My goal this year is to do a photo shoot in the spring. I have to find a great photographer who knows about fitness photography and keep myself on my goal to be ready come spring. So set your goals and lay it all on the line. Give yourself a great prize when you reach that goal. Then set your next one.  Start a new life today! And thanks for reading. There’s still so much to come. More giveaways and always more great information to make your journey as easy as possible.


Blessings Taylor.

Mary CHRISTmas!

Merry Christmas! 

I wanted to take a moment this Christmas Eve morning to say Thank-You. My subscribers are so awesome and I love all the comments. Keep bringing it. Your Happy Hearts.com could not be up and running without all of you. You have been so loyal to me and we have only been up less than a year. I respect all the efforts you make daily to change your old habits into a new healthy lifestyle. 

 

I want to thank the incredible health and fitness companies who have been allowing me to test and write about their products.  The more knowledge I can provide to my readers about eating healthy, taking care of their skin, living an organic life, and different workout equipment is such a blessing to all. 

I want to thank my family and hubby for their support in getting this site up and running. You are never intruding with your thoughts and suggestions. I love them all.  You have all encouraged me to continue with my fitness and have shown me how to reach and help others. (I have lost 10 pounds of fat! Can you say Praise God?) 

 

And then it brings me to Praising God!  The symbol above is an Ichthus. Translation in Greek: "Jesus Christ Son Of God Father".  (I have this tattooed on my big toe :) This symbol was used to represent Jesus before there was a cross. Christians would draw the top line of the Ichthus in the sand and wait to see if the person they were standing with, would draw the bottom line. If they did they knew they were both followers and believers in Christ and could be trusted. This was a quiet way to ask about their faith without being persecuted for the question of their beliefs. Think about that. When Jesus walked this earth, there was no cross to be worn around anyones neck or to be hung from their car mirror, if they had one. He had not yet shown his last and most important sacrifice for us. Jesus hung for your sins.  The true thought of that makes me cry. He did it for ME. But more important, he did it for ALL OF US.  So remember during the times when you stress over how the house will look at Christmas, if you have enough presents for the kids, or if the family will like your food. Think about how Jesus must have felt hanging and bleeding to death.  He took your worry, your sin, your sickness, your poverty, your everything, with him. He took it so you don't have to live that way. Sick, tired, worried, and poor. By Jesus' blood you are RICH, HEALTHY, BEAUTIFUL, RENEWED and FREE FROM OLD SIN. So ask Jesus, over the holidays, to come into your life and give up that old habit that brings you down and makes you unhealthy. You can't do it on your own and you weren't designed to. Let Jesus help you and love you like no one else can. 

Lord, Thank You for my health, my friends, and my family. Thank You for all my new readers. And Thank You for giving me another chance to PRAISE YOU! Remember Jesus LIVES IN YOU!

With all my love and blessings to you and your family, sincerely from the bottom of my heart, Merry Christmas and Many Blessings, Taylor

Heart Rate Watch By Mio .

The Mio Watch company gave me a chance to test the watch shown here. I want to give my readers information on making wise choices when purchasing heart rate monitors and other related equipment.
I have been wanting to do an article on heart rate monitors for some time. I think they are very important to your workout routine. You aren't going to burn fat if you're not working hard enough. How can you tell if you're pushing it or not, unless you physically can feel your heart jumping out of your chest? You can also take your heart rate into a danger zone and need to start bringing it down a bit. This you won't know unless you have a monitor on.

You all know that I am doing the P90X program by Tony Horton and Beachbody (I am starting phase 2, week 5 right after Christmas, have to take a few days off for travel). Tony recommends a heart rate monitor when working out with his DVD's, as most of them can be pretty intense. My husband has a heart rate monitor in which he wears a chest strap. The chest strap has a transmitter which sends his heart rate to his watch. The Mio watch you see here is strapless and reads your heart rate with the touch of your fingers.

As Mio watch is the first watch I have tested, I did it side by side to my husband, doing the same workout, and comparing numbers. So here is my review on the Mio watch:

When I got the watch I was impressed with the look of the watch, even though it is quite big for my wrist as I am a smaller boned individual. Mio does offer a lots of different designs and this particular one may have just been too big for me. At first I thought it had a large instruction manual, until I realized it was a little calorie book and fitness guide. I really liked this as it could fit into your purse or bag and go anywhere with you. The best feature of this watch, in my opinion, is the calorie counter. You simply enter in your age, weight, and how many calories you want to consume in a day. This is then saved and remembered always. As you eat, you use the arrow keys on the side to enter in your calorie intake. When you have eaten too much it will not let you enter in anymore calories and will beep at you. Of course it doesn't know when your cheating, so be honest.

Now how did the heart rate monitor hold up to my workouts? I have to say first, my loyalty is to you my readers. So with that said,  I don't think it was very accurate (when it worked). I have had the watch for a while now and really gave it lots of tries. This is how it works: during a workout you start a timer. As your heart rate goes up, you put two fingers on the metal buttons and it reads your pulse through your finger tip. (If it reads it at all). Here are some numbers I had register. After working out for several minutes I checked my rate and it was at 60. Then I did it again and it went to 74. Several times, and I mean several, I got no reading at all. It just flashed the little heart at me and did nothing. My husband's is in constant contact with his heart as he wears a chest band, and it's always reading, so his numbers are very accurate. I had to keep stopping my workout to put my fingers on the watch and get a reading. One time after using it several days and starting to think I had the hang of it, and maybe it was just me not getting my fingers in the right spot, I got a 44 reading. I was working so hard, I think I would have been just about dead with that number. I waited about one minute and did it again and I was 134. The number jumping happened a lot.

From a rating of a 1 to 10 I would rate this around a 4-5 for heart rate monitor. But I do like the calorie counting part of the watch. That I rate an 8.  Thanks to Mio Watches for allowing me to give this a try and relate my experience to my readers. I will be trying other watches in the near future and hope I can help your decision process on a very important purchase.

Blessings, Taylor

Be Present Yoga Pants

Are you looking for the perfect clothes to do your yoga practice? Your old sweatpants just aren’t cutting it anymore? Well, I found a great store for all your yoga pant needs.

Be Present has a wide range of different styles. I was given the opportunity to try their Mobility Pant, which retail for $63.00. They are made of 62% cotton, 34% nylon, and 4% spandex. They washed up very nice and were much softer after their first tumble in my dryer. I am honestly not a huge fan of the drawstring, especially if the strings are really stiff. So in this case, I cut the knots off at the end and pulled it out. I didn’t really need them anyway, due to their size chart for recommended ordering, they fit nicely. I am also short-wasted so these pants sit a bit higher on me, than shown on their models, (just above my hip bones and close to my belly button). But when bending over into some crazy yoga move, I guess the extra coverage in the back is probably a good idea. The Capri style bottom (I personally would prefer the full length) has large slits up to the knees. I found the slits to be good and bad. They allow for lots of movement with no restrictions when bending. But…when trying to achieve good form, you never want your knee to cross over your foot. In some poses I could not see my feet as the flair of the pant was in the way. I did do heavy workouts with these pants as well. My P90X weight training days gave them a good run. They seem to hold up nicely. But again, the flare would get in the way of seeing my toes, and good form is everything. Overall I do like the feel of the mobility pant and will continue to use them. However, I think cardio workouts are a better time to wear them. They are lightweight and wick moisture away from your skin, drying quickly. So if you want a comfortable pair of pants for doing cardio, dance DVD’s, Kenpo, Plyometrics, or maybe just the elliptical, these are a great buy. Please check them out at www.bepresent.com As always, I am helping you get into the best shape of your life and look good while doing it.
Blessings Taylor.

SofSole Giveaway:

I recently had contact with a company in regards to scented tennis shoe balls for your stinky gym shoes. The SofSole Company has gone above and beyond. They contacted me and asked if I would like to try several of their items and wanted to send extras for you my readers. Hold on to your seats ladies AND gentleman. This is going to be a great giveaway.

So here it is:
I was blessed with a pair of After Sport Spa Socks, pink nonetheless, (in case you haven’t noticed, pink and black are my favorite colors, my office is all pink/black.) I was told to wear the socks out. And boy have I, and they still look and feel awesome. They are the softest socks ever. They are infused with aloe and was told will last up to about 50 washes. I can’t say for sure as I have not washed them that many times, but they have had their fair share of tumbles in my laundry. My only negative, use caution when running through the kitchen on hardwood floors, to grab a drink refill on a commercial break. Ya, I slid pretty far. I have a great blue pair to giveaway to one lucky lady subscriber. This only gets better, there’s more.

I also have a pair of “Stability” shoe inserts. These are for high impact activities. You simply pull the old inserts out of your shoe, match them to the Stability insoles by trimming to fit. Then put into your shoe. I did this and it was quite easy. (As shown in photos above). It was quite the change. I didn’t realize how bad and worn the inside of my favorite shoes were. Now the next item is genius. A extra pair of “Adapt Performance Footbed High Impact” shoe inserts. What is so fab about these is how they mold to your foot. You place them in the oven at 255 degrees for 2 minutes. Then you put them in your shoe, and slide you foot in your shoe. As the insert cools it forms perfectly to your foot. Who needs a doctor prescribed insert, when you can get them at SofSole for $29.99? Because of the sizes that were sent to me, I need all ladies with a size 8-11 shoe to check out Sofsole.com and leave me a comment with what you think of this amazing company.

So now, my men readers, it’s your turn. Yes, I know you’re out there and I have something for you too. I have a pair of “Stability” SofSole inserts for you as well, and two pairs of “Lite Performance” socks. I need all men with a size 9-10.5 size feet to leave me a comment (or wives who want a great Christmas gift for their spouse) about what you think of the SofSole website to enter to win.

My husband and I got to demo each a pair of YakTrax. These are a spikeless coil design for traction that simply stretch across the bottom of your shoes. I was heading out to get the mail, which in my case is 650 feet away. Yup, that’s what I said. A private road leads out to the box. I headed down the driveway and was sliding everywhere. I went back in the house and got my YakTrax. They simply stretch across the bottom of your shoe. You can feel them as you click across the inside of the garage but as soon as I hit the snow, it was like nothing was on my feet. I started to jog to the mailbox, tried purposely to slide, and I could not. Check these out as well at yaktrax.com. These would be a perfect gift for the snow lover in your family or the one who won’t stop walking, when it’s treadmill weather.

So, here are the contest rules. If you are a subscriber, you are always entered to win. But I need you to leave me a comment and let me know if you are entering for the women’s gift pack or the men’s gift pack. And don't forget to tell me what you think of the SofSole company. If you do not subscribe, do so today. Thanks so much for entering and Be Blessed! Contest ends on Friday December 19th. Simply click on coupon and print!

Taylor

Yoga Mat “Tree of Life” by Gaiam Giveaway:

How important is a yoga mat? Well, it can be quite important. If you are out looking to purchase a new yoga mat, here are a few tips for shopping.  First, you don’t want your yoga mat to be too thin. So watch for a thickness no less than 3mm. My husband likes them thicker but this is the size I prefer.  With much pulling and stretching over time, thinner mats can have a tendency to rip or buckle.  Second, you want your new yoga mat to have a sticky consistency so your feet won’t slip during really hard balancing moves. Third, find a yoga mat with good length/size.  Some yoga mats are too short. Thus when doing Warrior 1 and 2 moves, your feet may go off either end. So thickness, stickiness, and all around size.  But how about design? Me, personally, I want something with some style. Especially if you are going out to a yoga class. You don’t want to be the one with the ugly blue mat, do you?

I was given the great pleasure of testing a fantastic yoga mat, created by my new friends over at Gaiam, Inc.  This company may sound familiar to those of you who have been reading my articles regularly. I have referenced them for the creation of some excellent yoga DVD’s.  I went shopping on their web-store and was very impressed with their overall selection.  I was wowed by a particular yoga mat and can’t say that’s happened before. Most yoga mats are oh so boring. Not this one. Gaiam offers a yoga mat called “Tree of Life”.  It’s durable, stable, and a non-slip surface.  This mat is perfect for the beginner or the experienced yoga master.  The dimension of this mat is 24”W x 68” L x 3mm thick.  And best of all, it’s gorgeous.

 

Gaiam takes your yoga mat one step further by selling a 4 oz. mat wash/spray to keep germs and dirt off your favorite mat.  It’s made of organic coconut oil, olive oil, lemongrass, jojoba, cedarwood, lavender, rosemary, aloe vera, tea tree, and eucalyptus oils. You can lightly spray to quickly wipe down your mat. Or for heavier dirt and stains, spray generously, scrub to a foam lather, wipe with a clean cloth, and air dry. Genius!

Here’s the fun and exciting part:  Gaiam did not just send me one mat and spray to demo, but two.  Yes one is for you, my fabulous readers. 

So get ready to register for the mat of your dreams.  Here’s what you do:  Subscribe to Your Happy Heart for one entry (if you already subscribed, you are entered automatically, always!) Or add your photo to the followers on the right sidebar of this blog.

For a second entry, please visit Gaiam and shop around. Come back here and leave a comment, letting us know what you think of their site and products that grabbed your attention.  There are so many you aren’t going to want to leave. This is a great place to purchase Christmas presents for the yoga lover in your family.

Contest will run from Thursday the 11th at noon until Thursday at midnight on the the 18th.  Good luck and thanks to Gaiam for this great giveaway.  Hopefully more coming soon!

Blessings, Taylor

Sweet Grass Farms Organic Bath Syrup Giveaway:

I have found another organic company just for you, my healthy readers. Just imagine you have just finished up that tough workout, what’s the best thing for those muscles? A warm bath with the jets on high.  Then when you get out of the tub, your muscles want a good rub down. And hopefully you can beg your spouse to do it for you. This last week I got to experience something wonderful.  Sweet Grass Farms has great organic products I think you will really like.  I started out with a Pure Lavender Bath Syrup.  I used quite a bit less than the instructions, ‘cause I like to stretch product out as long as I can, and it mixed with the water just fine.  The smell will take away the stress of your workout by itself.  It leaves your skin incredibly smooth. 

After a long soak in the tub, I tried the Spring Chicken Muscle Rub.  This is my favorite.  It has a very pleasing smell and has a slight tingle that isn’t annoying or too much. It is made of cassia (cinnamon), peppermint, and eucalyptus to provide the warm-cold sensation and fragrance.  It stays slick for quite a while so you can really press in and loosen up some tight muscles.  I worked on my husband’s hamstrings with the rub and I could really slide around and get deep into his muscle tissue to break up the tightness. It’s so much fun to work out with a partner, because you get massages too! Well, if you have a fab partner like I do! Brag, Brag.

Sweet Grass Farms has sent me an extra Bath Syrup for my fabulous readers. It is their Sweet Vanilla scent.  So if you love vanilla smells like I do, please check out Sweet Grass Farms and let me know what you think. Their site is actually quite beautiful. So have fun browsing. 

If you are a subscriber, as always you have one entry automatically. For two entries, leave a comment on what you thought of Sweet Grass Farms.  Remember, I need that email address so I know who you are for both entries, as names don’t always match your subscription email. Contest runs Monday Dec. 8, until Sunday Dec 14th at midnight. Good luck!

Happy Holidays, and Be Blessed.
Taylor.

Say Goodbye to Stressful Relationships

I want to talk about stressful relationships. Sadly, I just had to end one. Actually, the real sad thing is they ended it for us. Or their new boyfriend did,  for them.  I gave and gave and gave and received not much back. Which I thought was OK at the time, because I honestly wanted the best for this person and their life.  But boy did this relationship stress me out. I held their hand through a divorce, a bad car accident, and a few new boyfriends. I always made the phone calls and hardly received them back. I don't think we have talked in six months. I had to beg to get together. I was informed by the new boyfriend, during an irate phone call, that I was not there enough for her. What? Are you serious? For two days now I have pouted about this friend. But it's time to move on. In my mind I tell myself "Game Over." That helps. These high school games we play with each other are doing no one any good. "Game Over." I'm done being sad.
So what's the health lesson in all of this? Stress in relationships is hard on our bodies. It can cause our hair to fall out, pimples, premature wrinkles, lack of sleep, weight loss, for some weight gain. Just to mention a few. It can throw off your workout routines as you spend time counseling needy friends or family.  You try hard everyday to workout and eat healthy, yet we let destructive relationships into our lives and mess it all up. Your worth more than that.

The holidays bring even more stressful times with family and friends. Remember your ultimate goal is to continue to lose weight. For me, to get RIPPED! If we can stick to our workout schedules now, we know we can do it all year.  The only thing we have total control over is our own body. Working out is our choice. If we put that food in our mouth, it's our choice. And if we continue on with stressful relationships, we have no one to blame but ourselves for those sleepless nights of worry and tears.

Move on and surround yourself with positive people who encourage you to lose weight and be healthy.  Stick with friends or family who order salads with you and not the big chocolate loaded cake. Then at the end of dinner they wave a fork at you and ask "Are you sure you don't want just one bite?" You must always make the choices that are best for you. Learn to say no to bad relationships and keep the stress out of your life.  Good supportive friends will come to you. People will see your positive, healthy attitude and be drawn to you. Ask them if they want to go to a yoga class with you or do a spa day. Or maybe even have them over for an organic dinner. If they are all for it, this could be a new support system in your life. Don't just dive into any relationship. Test the waters before your heart is broken again. And remember, I will always be here cheering you on and eating that salad in your honor.

With all my love, Taylor


Side Note:

(As humans we are all searching for that perfect relationship because we were designed to have one. I have a great relationship with my family and spouse. But most importantly, my God. He is the only one that can fill me.) God Bless!