Unfortunately, I, unlike 450 million people across the world, do not speak Spanish. But that doesn’t mean that I was not able to enjoy this album. However, I probably would not have purchased an album with the majority of a language I do not speak.

Not only is Enrique Iglesias at it again, but this time he’s mixing it up with the oh-so-popular Auto-Tune. If you live on the planet Earth and listen to popular radio, you’ve heard “I Like It.” It hit #4 on the Billboard Top 100 chart and also made it to #1 on the Billboard Hot/Dance Club Play chart. This gave Iglesias his 24th single at #1 on Billboard. This second single from the record features Reggaeton rapper Pitbull and also has a Jersey Shore remix and video featuring the hit MTV show’s cast members.

Along with Pitbull, Iglesias’s songs also feature Pop, Hip-Hop, and R&B stars Akon, Usher, and Nicole Scherzinger from The Pussy Cat Dolls. It seems like Euphoria’s Spanish songs are more mellow and typical of the Enrique Iglesias style, while the English songs have a variety of styles, including a Jason Mraz feel with “One Day at a Time,” Auto-Tunes as I previously mentioned, techno and even a slow pop song. It’s definitely got something for everyone packed into one 10-song album.

With all of the #1 digital download honors and Billboard rankings, Euphoria definitely has a place in today’s music. Though the album itself may not be cohesive or speak to those who can’t understand the Spanish language, the singles themselves can stand up on their own. So while I may not recommend everyone purchasing the album as a whole, I would definitely encourage people to check out his singles and download them legally.

Unfortunately I often find, “I Like It,” stuck in my head and end up dancing around the house to that song. What song do you really like dancing to?

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/music/article/music-review-enrique-iglesias-euphoria/#ixzz0z2NnPjO1

So many people think that they lack the time, or energy, for exercise due to the stress and hectic nature of their average day. Either your children need your attention, or your work consumes every waking hour, or you have no energy left by the end of the day to think about mustering the necessary vigor to exercise. If that’s
the case, and yet you want to make exercise a priority, it’s time to look into making small changes throughout your day to add in exercise without blocking out a full 30, 60, or 90 minute training session.

Exercise has to be an enjoyable part of your everyday life, no matter how busy your schedule. If it is not enjoyable, or at least tolerable, you will not continue to pursue it in the long run. Choose activities that you enjoy, and that are readily accessible, rather than trying to plan an hour of time at the gym in your already hectic schedule.

Instead of going over the top, and making it a goal to exercise 90 minutes a day, 7 days per week, begin with a light increase of activity; over time you’ll notice how much easier it becomes to do even more.

A healthy, fit lifestyle can be achieved by simply adding a few minutes of incidental exercise to a busy schedule. Even the busiest schedules have time for fitness activities! There are a few simple things to remember when contemplating increasing your workouts during a hectic time.

Do a short, and focused, session of stretching every morning for a couple minutes when you wake. This will invigorate your muscles and help your joints, and it only takes 5-10 minutes. Think of it as a mini-yoga session before you begin your day, but without having to leave the house or give up an hour of your time!

Take the stairs whenever possible. If you live in a multi-story home, find excuses to take the stairs up and down a couple more times to do chores or errands than you normally would, otherwise. It’s building leg muscle, cushioning your joints, and getting you a bit of a workout

Take a 15 to 20 minute walk with a friend, co-worker, or spouse. At some point during the day, when your schedule clears just a bit, hit the road and take a walk with your children, family, or friends! Having a buddy will help motivate you daily. Eat a light lunch either immediately before, or immediately afterwards, to promote healthy weight loss and maintain your metabolism.

Chores are exercise – if you have to do them anyways, make them help you!

Do yard walk, rake the leaves, mop, dust, vacuum, walk the dog, etc. while enjoying the physical activity. Play some music if it helps brighten your mood to accompany these tasks, or if you have a competitive streak, time yourself – and try to beat that time every week by working a little bit more efficiently, and a little bit harder!

Take a stretch break in the afternoon to ward off fatigue and soreness from sitting too long. Practice deep, cleansing breathing exercises for about 5 minutes each afternoon, to preserve your sanity, your blood pressure, and your physiological health. Similar to your morning session, take a very focused 5 minutes on your body – and then get back to the needs of your family!

Add new, fun and different exercise activities to weekend family outings. Instead of sitting in front of the television together, get out there and play! Rotate the selection and planning of the activities between family members, but make sure it’s something where you are working together, and being active! One of the best parts of doing this is, if you’re just outdoors enjoying nature, it’s free and relaxing, too!

Snack properly. Even if you truly do not have time to exercise during the day, you still must eat. And when you eat, make it healthy – it’s the best thing you can do for yourself, your family, and your children. Don’t wait to eat until you are starving; forgetting to eat is not a legitimate excuse, either. If you don’t have time to sit down for a meal, keep consistently snacking on fruits, vegetables, nuts, and yogurt. Remember to consume plenty of water throughout the day, too!

Set an alarm and stick to the goal. Strength training is important for your muscles and bones. But instead of doing an hour of concentrated work, break it up throughout the day. Every 30 minutes, break to do 10 push-ups. It won’t take more than 15 or 20 seconds, and by the end of the day, imagine the total you will have
completed!

Rather than taking the closest space in the parking lot, park farther away from the destination and walk the extra distance. Now this assumes several things, of course – namely, make sure that you are in a safe and secure parking lot where you feel comfortable parking far away. And, this may not be the best idea with children in tow – but if it’s just you, or you’re with friends, take the extra several hundred yards as an opportunity to exercise!

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.

Let me first start by saying I’ve tried a number of baby carriers including Infantino’s Eurorider, BabyBjorn classic, and Wrap ‘n Wear to name a few. So, since I’m a baby carrier floosie I know a thing or two about ERGO’s competitors. I think for the most part ERGO really stands out from the crowd. While there are a lot of different carriers structured like ERGO and some big name companies are making their own versions of the ERGO, ERGO seems to have all their pieces in place.I was so excited to try my ERGO organic baby carrier out. As soon as I pulled it out of the box I read the manual, with safety instructions and tells you about the many ways you can carry baby/child. Please note there are several videos and instruction booklets on ERGO’s website to help a mother out too. You can wear baby on your front, back, and hip and even change positions while baby is in the carrier….which, I’m not gonna lie, made me a little nervous hearing.

Aside from the different positions, ERGO is great for newborns up to 40lb children, and since once in a while *sly smile here* I like to push the envelope. I decided that since Miss A is about 38.5lbs I’d just test her out in the ERGO to see how it would hold up. Fortunately for me, and my back, DaddyB was the test dummy, guinea pig, sweetest man ever and decided to help me out. Here he is carrying almost 40 beautiful pounds of Miss A, they were both very comfortable and she loved going for a quick ride on Daddy’s back.

When I tried out the ERGO with Baby C I wasn’t sure if I’d need the newborn insert that’s recommended for babies 4 months and under, but Baby C was holding her head up great and very close to 5 months. After trying it out I discovered she was too big anyway, but I think that the insert is a great addition, especially for moms who want to carry their newborns safely and have that closeness/kangaroo care.

I really like ERGO above the competition. Not only is it super comfortable for even my short self to wear, but the fabric seems very durable. I love that the shoulder straps are very cushioned and don’t dig into my shoulders and that all the straps have elastic bands to wrap up the slack, so they’re not just hanging down waiting to catch on things around you. I also adore the sun cover, the other carriers I’ve used do not have this and I typically end up covering baby’s head with a hat or nearby burp cloth, it’s great to have it attached to the ERGO and even have a place to store it amongst the other storage pockets. Did I mention that the sun cover is adjustable to Baby C’s size and position?? I love ERGO!

I’m a huge fan of baby wearing  and not only is this carrier great for Baby C but I’m carrying around an additional 15+ pounds and am getting a great workout when using my ERGO. Speaking of the added weight, I want to remind parents alike to remember when first carrying baby/child in the ERGO be sure to do so in small increments working your way up so as not to wear out your body, also stretching before and after use will help prevent your back from being sore.

Although I love my ERGO carrier and the ERGO branding I need to tell you one thing that I, (and some other mommas I’ve talked to,) the top buckle, specifically when putting on in the “front carry” position. For some reason, long or short armed moms have found it difficult to buckle because of the position behind the back. I consider myself somewhat flexible but still have a hard time each time I put it on, and the manual also warned about this being a possibility as well. The solution? I’m not quite sure, I just do what works for me, so I put on the bottom buckle, place Baby C in the carrier, put the shoulder straps on and then grab one buckle piece at a time and with a couple minutes of struggling, stretching, and reaching voila, I always get her buckled. Of course if you’re near a friend or family member it’s a ton easier for them to just buckle it really quick for you.

Even though the top buckle is a pain for me all of the pros of the ERGO outweigh the cons. I would rather use the ERGO that is more comfortable for me, and ergonomically better on my baby’s spine and body.  ERGO is very versitile and will grow with Baby C, so it’s a great investment for any parent out there. There are several different styles and fabrics to choose from. Try out the organic, performance, sport or original and I guarantee you’ll be happy with it. Check out ERGO Baby’s website here: http://www.ergobabycarriers.com/ to read more or buy your own.

Do you own an ERGO? What do you think of it??

ERGO Baby is giving one lucky MommyB Knows Best reader a chance to win their very own ERGO Baby Carriers.

Here’s how to win: Using the entry form directly below this post (NOT the comment form), submit your name, an email address that you check regularly, and the entry/entries you are submitting all at the same time. There is no need to fill out separate entry forms for each item you complete. *Please note the Mandatory Entry MUST be typed into the form before you can qualify for additional entries.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Giveaway ends September 22nd @12:00 am. The winner will be chosen at random, verified, emailed, and announced in a Winner’s post. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to the email from MommyB to claim the prize, if the prize is not claimed within 48 hours a new winner will be chosen at random. You must be a US resident and 18 years or older to enter.

As I am preparing for the Type-A Mom Conference I’ve been reading a bunch of different blogs, and checking out some websites on ettiquite, dress, what to bring, all the stuff a newbie like me needs to know. One site I stumbled upon, Blog Conference Guide for the (Un)Experienced was amazing for doling out such information.

(I can’t quite remember from my very late night of research last night if I actually found this tid-bit of information here or another site, so I apologize.) As I was reading the post it continued to speak on introducing yourself to fellow bloggers and how you should tell them your name, your website/blog’s name and describe your blog and niche in a couple of sentences…again with the niche stuff!!!

Well I thought about it and as of right now I think I may have an idea of my “niche” if I were to have one. What is it?? Okay don’t laugh…. I think I’m pretty good at taking products and services to review (not including spotlights) and giving my readers an honest review and going above and beyond to test them out, even in weird ways.

Examples? I once tested a product’s stickiness using my daughter’s Step 2 table, and it held, I constantly push the weight limits on toys making Miss A (who’s about 38.5lbs) really pushing them to their limit. I try to really delve in to be sure I’m giving readers what they’re looking for and even sometimes have to do a post like, “Where are they now?” because sometimes my opinions of things have changed and I want clue you all in on that.

So maybe it’s really just quality control and honesty, but for now I’ll at least call it my niche.

Do you think it’s okay to call it my niche? What’s your niche/something you’re good at?

Here’s a story about  how we started attending The Little Gym, (maybe you can relate): It was a dark and stormy night, wait, that’s not the right story. Let me try again, once upon a time…in a land filled with toys, there was a desperate mother who loved her children, and knew a very big event was upon her. She feared that the toys would over-run her entire house as Princess A’s third birthday was drawing near. So what did this poor mother do, you ask?? She pondered her options, analyzed the Princess’ favorite activities, and then realized that it would be wise to ask the royal grandparents for birthday money towards programs at The Little Gym of Lake Norman/Huntersville instead. What a smart mother!!

The Little Gym membership was one of the best gifts we could have received for Miss A. She attends one of the many programs that The Little Gym has to offer, but I’m not sure who loves The Little Gym more between the two of us.

Reasons MommyB loves The Little Gym:

1. It gives A the structure and a classroom-like setting

2. It gives her an outlet for her energy and teaches her that regular exercise is important

3. She’s learning even more great social skills, having to wait her turn, and enhances her three-year old listening skills

4. Most importantly I get to watch A excel and have fun and have met some great mommies and kids along the way.

Reasons Little Miss A loves The Little Gym:

1. She gets to be girly and wear leotards, tutus and dance shoes.

2. She loves looking at herself in the mirror, doing flips, and showing off in general.

3. By the look on her face you can tell she’s proud of the accomplishments she makes and has a blast doing it.

4. After every class she gets ink stamps on her hands AND feet.

If you’re looking for a welcoming, flexible activity for your child from ages 4 months to 144 months (12 years old if you’re counting), Little Gym of Huntersville/Lake Norman welcomes them all! They have classes for both boys and girls, and are enrolling for the Fall Semester as I type this post. Classes are filling up quickly so be sure to reserve yours! If you’d like to learn more about classes, sign up on their website or call to enjoy a trial class. Be sure to tell them MommyB sent you

Check out The Little Gym’s full list of classes, options for birthday parties, or even look into the Parents’ Survival Nights where you can drop off your fully potty trained child and enjoy a few hours to yourself. Visit http://www.thelittlegym.com/huntersvillelakenormannc for more information.

What The Little Gym class would your child enjoy??

Along those lines, I’ve been looking at Mom Blogger Conferences, I checked out Blog-Her and would have loved to have gone but Baby C was too little (in my opinon) so I scrapped that and looked around a bit. After checking out several different options, keeping in mind that Baby C is still exclusively nursing…not wanting to take a bottle, I thought Type-A Mom Conference may be a good option for me. It’s about 2 hours from home and near Biltmore, which the family and I have been interested in visiting anyway.

So now….I’m in a quandary, I’d really like to go to the Type-A mom Conference but me being the worrywart that I am so many, “what if’s” are popping in my head. I’m actually not going to type them all out because I think that would just perpetuate my worrying which is not productive for anyone. Hubby would be going with me and watching the girls while I’m at sessions and in between sessions and during breaks I’ll be with them either nursing Baby C or hanging out. He’s such a great hubby! He actually was one of the people encouraging me to attend.

So we’ll see what I end up doing, but I’m more than likely attending. I’ll be the nerdy newbie in the corner. I’m actually pretty outgoing but just the thought of being in a room of accomplished mom bloggers for some reason freaks me out a little. The hotel block is gone, but I’m hoping to work something out so I can still stay in the same hotel at a reasonable rate and hopefully get my business cards printed up and shipped to me in time too. Did I mention I have still not “officially” registered…again my nerdy apprehension overtakes me.

If you are attending Type-A Mom Conference I’d love to hear from you, feel free to leave me a comment, I’d love to hook up with some great mommas!

The winner of this Hooked On Phonics Master Reader Program (see I spelled it right this time) is……LeeAnn P! Please help me congratulate LeeAnn on her win. Hope each of you have a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

Stay tuned to MommyB Knows Best this coming week for a hilarious review on The Little Gym, a great baby carrier, fitness tips from MommyB Knows Best Fitness Correspondent Bobby DeMuro and more!!

Derek Thompson, a minor league hockey player, is ironically nicknamed “Tooth Fairy” for knocking his opponents’ teeth out. Thompson, frustrated with his inability to play in the major leagues takes his frustrations home with him, becoming quite the dream crusher.

Throughout the movie Thompson takes shots at the littlest of targets, first a grade-school hockey fan, where he goes on to talk about Zambonis, dying, and lowering expectations. He also bursts the dreams of Carly’s daughter by telling her there is no tooth fairy, and so Thompson’s journey to fairyhood begins as he’s sentenced to a week-long sentence as the real life Tooth Fairy.

I felt like there were so many points of conflict in Tooth Fairy involving Thompson — between the new kid on the hockey team, Carly and her children, Tracy the fairy case-worker, Head Fairy, and other lesser characters along the way.

I’m not quite sure they needed to add so much conflict to get their point across that Derek Thompson is a jaded person who doesn’t believe in dreams. After all, he made his girlfriend’s children cry on several occasions and she still went back to him; I’m not sure how true-to-life that would be. I get the point… he’s not a nice person.

Aside from beating the point to death that Thompson’s character needs a breakthrough, this is a wholesome family movie with no cursing, no nudity, and is rightly rated PG. I would recommend this to families with children who do not still believe in the tooth fairy anymore though, unless you want The Rock telling your kids that the tooth fairy doesn’t exist.

My favorite parts in the movie are the snippets of comedy sprinkled throughout. If you’ve ever watched a Dwayne Johnson movie you know he doesn’t take himself too seriously. Aside from Thompson’s hilarious fairy assignment antics, Tracy the case-worker fairy brings some dorky humor and Jerry, the gadget fairy is cheesy but bound to get some laughs from the kids at least with bathroom, pet, and crazy humor. I also enjoyed the ending, which I won’t give away, but love that it’s a happy ending that will make the whole family warm.

I would recommend this as a family-friendly movie. Even though there are a lot of magic and mystical things going on inside Tooth Fairy, this movie has a great message. Sometimes you just have to believe that if you can dream it, you can do it.

Do your children believe in the Toothfairy? How much money do you give for each tooth?

Read more: http://blogcritics.org/video/article/movie-review-tooth-fairy/page-2/#ixzz0yHZvvk3v

Unfortunately, there is only one official winner of this MommyB Knows Best giveaway and the winner this time is…Tabathia B! Congrats Tabathia, I am emailing you and hope to hear back from you soon.

Be sure to enter my current Hooked on Phonics giveaway and check out my reviews on Anni Zola, and a fun one on The Little Gym coming up too!

Check the shelves of your sports equipment store, and it seems there are more types of athletic shoes than sports for which to use them! Specialization does matter, though, because you want to wear the best shoe for your specific activity. What does that mean? It means considering foot size, shape, and idiosyncrasies about how you run, walk, jump, and land. No matter your need, there is a shoe there for you – and
it’s easy to find.

The first step (literally) is to ensure you embark upon your expedition with your feet prepared as though to do your sport. Try shoes late in the day; if you go in the morning, your foot will be smaller and tighter than it would after a day of walking; you don’t want to end up with a small shoe. Also, make sure you take
the socks you will wear when you exercise to the store. The right fit must take sock size into account.

It is helpful to know a few terms that are important no matter choice of exercise. Pronation describes movement of the ankle. A neutral foot-strike means the heel and ball land evenly, with no rotation of the ankle. Over-pronators, who have flat or fallen arches, tend to roll the ankle too far inward. Under-pronators, who often have high arches and stiff feet, don’t have enough flexion in their stride. Ankle and arch issues permeate all sports, so have an expert watch your walking and running stride, if possible.

If you have high arches, investigate cushioning shoes. These shoes are built on a curved last, with padding in the heel and/or under the ball of the foot, to encourage a rolling motion through the heel-strike to the ball push-off.

If you are a neutral strider, you can find excellent shoes offering a middle level of cushioning, motion control, and stability that will encourage an efficient running motion without providing too much extra support. Stability shoes are lighter than motion-control runners, but a little bit heavier than cushioning runners. The
average runner will often find stability shoes to be the most comfortable because they do not create a particular stride motion.

If you have reached an elite level of running, however, you will probably focus most on the weight of the shoe itself. Some of these incorporate motion-control or cushioning aspects, but mostly they tend to sacrifice therapeutic controls to become as light as possible in an effort to help long-distance elite level runners.

Severe over- or under-pronators should not look into lightweight shoes, but average striders will be quite comfortable in them, as they provide a medium level of support to the foot.

Cross-training shoes take an entirely different motion into consideration. You want a pair of cross-trainers if you make any lateral (sideways) motion in addition to impact, such as in a sport like kickboxing.

Running or walking shoes are built for the forward motion of running, and
do not provide any stability to the ankle for side-to-side motion; only cross-trainers are designed to prevent injury and support lateral moves. You should also wear cross-trainers when weightlifting, because these shoes will typically provide the most multi-directional support.

Have your foot measured professionally, and seek out a shoe built on a narrow or wide base if you have a foot that is not average width. Make sure that the shoe is comfortable and supportive in movement. Hopefully, these quick tips help you in your search – remember that not all exercise shoes are created equally!

About The Author: Bobby DeMuro is the Founder of FusionSouth, a personal training/sports conditioning firm in Charlotte, NC. He is also the Executive Director of NoFizz Charlotte, a non-profit dedicated to bringing awareness on the importance of proper hydration. He resides on Lake Norman with his 2-year old boxer, Dakota.