First up:  Sparkpeople.com and the Sparkpeople iPhone App

Sparkpeople is a free website to help you organize, collect and learn all you need to know about getting healthier. There are tons of forums on just about every topic, whether you are looking to lose weight, want to know about a particular exercise program or are adjusting your diet per doctor’s orders. It’s a bit overwhelming at first, lots of boxes and widgets, but it’s well worth the time exploring to find exactly what it is you need.

I use it for the food and exercise counters. I find it very helpful to keep account of what calories I’ve taken in and how many I’ve burned. I also have a few doctor’s recommendations on particular vitamins and nutrients (like calcium and fiber) that I can track with their tools.

Most importantly for me is that I can track my food on the go. Being able to look up nutrition information from their vast database and other user’s input really helps me to think twice about what I’m about to put into my mouth next. That may not be your issue, but it’s really helped me learn how to make some better food choices and plan my food intake for a whole day, not just grabbing and eating everything in sight.

Number two on my list today is Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred workout video:

For a busy mom, this workout is ideal. It requires the DVD or downloadable video, a set of hand weights, and space. A mat is only necessary if your space is a hard floor. The entire workout lasts about 20 minutes, including warm up and stretching at the end.

It’s considered circuit training. You complete three six-minute circuits. Each circuit consists of three minutes of strength training, two minutes of cardio, and one minute of ab workout. Sounds easy, right?

Wrong. It will kick your butt. First day I tried it, I could only get through one six minute circuit without feeling like I would die. Granted, I realized quickly I was dehydrated (don’t exercise on one cup of coffee) and was coming down from a weekend long sugar binge (really bad idea). I wasn’t going to give up, and I tried again the next day, well hydrated and made it through the whole workout. I was winded and beet-red at the end, but I did it!

I’m already seeing amazing results, my stamina improves every day and I’m beginning to feel definition in some of my muscles. It’s only been six workouts so far. I did have two days without working out while on my road trip, but I think I’ll be downloading the videos from iTunes before BlogHer so I don’t miss a beat.

Stay tuned later today for my third item for the kids: Jumpstart’s latest Wii game, Get Moving- Family Fitness.

1. e.l.f. Liquid Eyeliner

I’m not a huge makeup person, but I do wear it when I go out. I like to look my best, especially for the rare date night. I picked this up from an endcap at Target in late November for just $1. I’m not normally an eyeliner person, haven’t used liquid since my college days in my stage makeup class. I knew I was going to be in the show, and just in case I lost it or had to share with a random teenager I didn’t want to spend a lot. I’m a little picky when it comes to eye issues, and as a contact wearer, don’t want to risk any germs. For a buck, I could always toss it and replace it if necessary. The surprise was, I really liked it. And I’ve continued to wear it on days I wear full makeup. It’s a quick lift and definitely something everyone should try if they haven’t already. The price is great too! They only had black at my Target store, but on the e.l.f. website there are lots of other colors to choose from. Don’t believe me? Sarah over at Real Life Blog also used this item for a stage performance and shares my sentiments about it.

2. e.l.f. Regular and Waterproof Mascara Duo

Same Target trip, same reasoning. I picked up this little duo for the show as well. I know some beauty experts may disagree, but because I’m so cautious about my eyes I buy the cheapest mascara I can find and replace it every 4-6 weeks. I like that this duo has both because there are certain *ahem* weeks that I need waterproof, but I don’t like how difficult it can be to remove. Other days regular mascara will do just fine. This affords me the choice without having to dig around the drawer to find the right one or try to remember which formula I bought when and which needs replacing. Again, I only found black in store, but brown is available online.

3. Black & Decker Burr Mill Coffee Grinder

I’m a French press girl. A few years ago when I wanted to switch from my Tassimo system (great convenience) to French press (better taste), I did a lot of research. I read that buying whole beans and grinding them with a burr grinders was the way to go, but most grinders were too expensive in my opinion for a trial. I found a Black & Decker model for less than $30 and eventually gave away my Tassimo. Because my model is older, it is no longer available, but I’m so glad B&D has continued to provide an affordable burr grinder. The one pictured is the newer model, but based on what I’ve read it’s the same, just with a sleeker, more modern stainless look than mine. Yes, it’s loud. My overly dramatic kids like to cringe whenever I start it, but that is the way of the burr grinder. Yes, it requires maintenance. I clean it every time I refill the hopper & the cleaning takes a time investment of about 10 minutes if you do it well. I’m so pleased with the taste difference, and that it won’t heat up my beans like an electric grinder that chops the beans, so it’s well worth the noise and effort. If you are considering grinding your own beans at home to French press, this is a great starter model. Some day when I wear this one out, I’m going to ask for a fancy burr grinder, but this one has lasted me nearly 2 years and doesn’t show any signs of stopping.

I’d like to hear your opinions on any of these products if you’ve tried them. Share with me in the comments.

Today’s deal is especially great for stocking stuffers for the infant you know. Burp cloths are $5, custom burp cloths are $6.50, and I even picked up a burp cloth to send to Operation Shower for $3.60! Resa is incredibly generous as she discounts any items purchased for Operation Shower and ships them to the organization on your behalf for FREE!

Speaking of Operation Shower, I recently participated in a MomTV special show hosted by Danielle of Extraordinary Mommy. Danielle highlighted Resa and many other mom-made businesses that are participating in Holiday Shoperation. It was really amazing to see what these fantastic women are doing to support military families. Catch the replay of the November 17th show here on MomTV. Choose Menu – View Movies – Live Recording 11/17/2009 to learn more about all the shopping deals.

Another mom business I was introduced to during the show was My Doodle Bop. Kristin has created several different styles of signs to hang on your infant’s carrier to help friends and strangers think twice before touching your precious cargo. The signs sport the phrase “My hands are clean, Are yours?” The signs are only $9.95 with free shipping & during the month of December, 10% of all sales benefit Operation Shower. Kristin gave out some of her signs as prizes for those chatting during the MomTV broadcast & I won one. I am so impressed with the design, a bit larger than I expected, they are sure to grab everyone’s attention. They are very sturdy, I suspect they would last through many babies, so they’d be a great gift for a first time mom.

What is on your shopping list for those experiencing their first holiday season?

First, I’d like to introduce you to Owlishly. Quite possibly the cutest amigurumi crochet patterns I’ve seen in my whole life. Seriously, so sweet, you might need an injection of insulin after browsing her shop. Owlishly is run by Mia, and you can stop by her blog to learn more about her life & her art. I love her signature style and can’t wait to crochet some of her dolls for the little ones in my life. The patterns are digital, so that means you’ll receive the PDF within 24 hours of payment receipt (or less). Who doesn’t love near instant gratification? If you want to see what others have done with her designs, check out the Owlishly Flickr Group. The Owlishly sale runs from today until 11:59pm PST November 28th, 2009. Note: the discount is given as a refund. (Etsy really needs to work on a better way for sellers to run temporary sales!)

The second great 29% off sale is for 3 or 4 pattern packs in Wild Olive’s Etsy shop. My newest craft infatuation is embroidery, and if you like cutesy stuff or inanimate objects with faces on them, Wild Olive is for you! Again, these are digital patterns, delivered to you via e-mail for you  to print on your home printer so you can get started right away. One of the things I really love about Mollie’s creations is the emotion on the items. Check out the 1 + 1 is one patterns and see how sad they are until they join together. Sweet! Not a stitcher? Don’t worry, Wild Olive has some great printable crafts as well! You can find out more by reading Mollie’s blog and see what others have done with her designs in the Wild Olive Flickr group. The Wild Olive sale only runs through Friday, November 27th, so don’t delay!