My Purse Strings

December 16, 2018 by: Michelle

Gift Guide for the Hot Mess Mom

This is the ultimate holiday shopping guide for the Hot Mess Mom. And, it’s written by a proud, hot mess mom!

Cheers to the Hot Moms in our lives! And, happy holidays!

*This post originally appeared in November 2017 and has been updated with more recent information.

Gift Guide for the Hot Mess Mom

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon associate, I may receive a small fee if you make a purchase through one of my links.

1. Tile Style Key Finder

After spending 10 minutes looking for my keys last year, only to find them in the hood of her coat that she was wearing–don’t ask–I purchased the Tile.

Tile makes their key finder in several designs and sells as multipacks. They now make them with replaceable batteries.

How does it work? Download the app to your smartphone and attach the tag to your keychain, purse, or anything else you want to keep tabs on. They even make slim tiles to slip into your wallet or attach to laptops, kindles, or anything of value.

Even better if you have an Apple Watch, you can use your watch to ping your phone and then use your phone to ping your keys, which I may or may not do at least five times per day.

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December 13, 2018 by: Michelle

Best Spin Bikes to Use with the Peloton App

So, you’ve been researching spin bikes?

There are tons of indoor cycling options out there and it can get a bit overwhelming.

Peloton Changed the Home Workout Game

When I was in high school, I had a “stationary bike” (that’s what we called it then–or an “exercise bike”) in my bedroom. I would ride that bike for an hour at a time, barely breaking a sweat. Spinning bikes changed everything. I can barely survive a class without at least a full bottle of water, window open and two fans blowing on me.

Not only are home gyms growing in popularity, but people are actually using their equipment. No more coatracks and laundry sorting. Companies are capitalizing on this–it is more convenient and less expensive to exercise at home, so long as you stay motivated and know what you are doing.

If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you know I’m a huge Peloton fan. Whether you use the Peloton Cycle or the Peloton App, you’ll have access to their ever-growing base of classes. Peloton finally introduced the Andriod version of the app this month.

To download the Peloton IOS App, click HERE.

To download the Peloton Android App, click HERE (still in beta testing).

You’ll also find an online community motivating you every step of the way: The Official Peloton Member Facebook Page, The Official Peloton Mom Group, and Peloton App Users Unite!–to name just a few.

Which Spin Bike Should I Use with the Peloton App?

I’ve compiled a list of best-selling spin bikes based on Amazon sales, those my readers most often purchase, and good old crowdsourcing.

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December 12, 2018 by: Michelle

Everything You Need to Know about the Peloton Tread

I wanted to attend 2018 CES (the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas but couldn’t make it happen this year. Luckily, my in-laws are there, taking notes, sending pictures, and keeping me updated. Of course, I sent them straight to the Peloton Tread. So based on my informants and my own research, along with several telephone conversations with Peloton representatives at CES, here’s. . .

The Peloton Tread in a Nutshell:

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November 19, 2018 by: Michelle

Treadmills to Use with the Peloton Tread App

Peloton’s newest piece of fitness equipment, the Tread, has had a lot of people, including me researching treadmills.

Should You Buy the Tread?

For those of you who have pre-ordered the Tread, I’m sure you won’t be disappointed.

Like the bike, the Tread has all the bells and whistles: an interactive touch screen, cushioned track, and incline and speed adjustments with the touch of a button or turn of a dial. (For more about this, check out my post Everything You Need to Know About the Peloton Tread)

While on vacation, I took some of the Tread classes using a hotel treadmill. I’ve never enjoyed running as much as I did that week. Peloton does it right. Their classes are effective, motivating, and fun. I especially loved the Fun Runs.

But . . . this treadmill is HUGE, with a 67-inch rubber track. While this appeals to many, not everyone has the room for something so large, especially if they already have a Peloton.

Then, there’s the price. For the treadmill alone, you’ll spend $3,995. There’s also the monthly subscription, however, if you’re a Peloton bike owner or app rider, you already have access to the classes. Otherwise, it’s $39 per month.

The Peloton App for Tread Classes

Remember, Peloton is first and foremost, a technology company. The company, active on social media, listens to its users’ wants and needs.

Over the last year, riders regularly wake up to software updates on their bikes (the latest being closed captioning). Peloton also does not ignore its app riders. They know that many people opt to use their own spin bikes with the app. It may come as a surprise, but many choose bikes that cost as much, if not more than the Peloton Cycle. App riders can now follow other riders (although there’s still no leaderboard) and search for classes by music type and instructor.

The point is Peloton gives you a great experience whether you are using their manufactured equipment or not.

Do you have a treadmill at home gathering dust? Now’s the time to try out the Tread classes.

Remember, if you decide to use your own treadmill, you can still access all of their classes (cycling, runs, walks, core, and yoga) via the app. These classes are also available to those who use the app with a regular spin bike.

If you don’t have a spin bike check out this post:

Using the Peloton app with a regular spin bike requires lots of add-ons. But, using the Peloton app with a treadmill requires just a treadmill. That’s it. And maybe a heart rate monitor.

To download the Peloton IOS App, click HERE.

To download the Peloton Android App, click HERE (still in beta testing).

Peloton Tread Features

When doing comparisons, take note that the Tread has:

Speed 0 to 12.5 mph
Incline 0 to 15 percent grade
2 HP Motor
72.5” L x 36.5” W x 72” H
67″ L running mat
Does not fold

Alternatives to the Tread

Top-Rated Treadmills You Can Purchase on Amazon

Note, as an Amazon associate, I may receive a small fee if you make a purchase through one of my links.

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November 1, 2018 by: Michelle

Friendsgiving, the Millennial Holiday For Everyone

In your already over-booked life, may I suggest celebrating one of my favorite (albeit made-up) holidays, Friendsgiving?

In a couple of weeks, I will host my fifth such gathering.

Back in 2010, by way of an emailed invitation, a friend introduced me to this holiday.

Three short years later, Friendsgiving was officially a “thing,” commercialized and popping up all over the internet. I’ve gauged its popularity by the growing selection of invitations that Evite offers.

Friendsgiving, so often referred to as a Millennial holiday should be celebrated by all.

I am by no means a Millennial. In fact, my friendships with my Friendsgiving guests are older than most Millennials. That made me proud and cringe at the same time.

Why You Should Celebrate Friendsgiving this Year:

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October 26, 2018 by: Michelle

We Told Our Kids We’re Moving (and their World Didn’t Implode . . . Yet)

I thought we would live in our house forever.

I imagined my kids and their friends at Prom, high school graduation, and mentally picked out their potential future boyfriends and girlfriends.

But then life happened and my husband accepted a job in a new city 1000 miles away.

Telling the Kids We are Moving

I’ve always been an open book. Plus, my face is pretty transparent so I have a hard time keeping anything from my friends, and most certainly, my kids.

But how do you tell the kids that we are moving (and in the middle of the school year) without completely breaking their little hearts?

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October 1, 2018 by: Michelle

How to get the Peloton Cycle Experience without the Price Tag

*Note: This post was originally posted in March 2016 and has been updated to reflect accuracy and new product information. Scroll to the bottom of this post to see all the most recent updates.

When I joined a gym as a mom, my priorities changed: I needed daycare and I needed a shower. Motivation in place. Little did I know that my son’s poop, cries, and attempts to escape would interrupt my routine almost on a daily basis. My new mom friends invited me to take spin classes with them, but between the coaches shouting out mysterious numbers and the coordination involved, I kindly declined; spin was more than my foggy-mom brain could handle at the time, so I stuck to my elliptical, yoga, and Zumba classes. This pre-dated the Soul Cycle invasion of New York, before cadence and tap-backs became part of the everyday jargon.

By the time my son learned to love the gym, I was pregnant with baby #2. Luckily, my little girl eased into daycare and I soon realized after taking my first spin class that I had been missing out: with its trendy music and remixes blaring in a darkened room, let’s face it, this was the closest I was getting to a night out.

At this same time, the condo I lived in had redesigned its gym, and I convinced management to add a spin bike. But what can you do with a spin bike and no instructor? I downloaded apps and watched YouTube videos, but no good solution existed at the time.

Fast-forward to the suburbs and a house with room for exercise equipment. One day, soon after we moved in, I scrolled down on Facebook and noticed that several of my friends had “liked” the One Peloton page, then called Peloton Cycle. I asked those friends about it, but no one had purchased a bike, yet everyone agreed it was a brilliant concept: a state-of-the-art bike with spin classes live or on demand. The bike, however, comes with a hefty price tag ($1995 plus $250 delivery, plus a $39 per month subscription).

The Peloton App

*Make sure to check out all recent updates at the bottom of this post.

After gawking at the price tag again and doing the math, MacGyver kicked in. I downloaded the Peloton app to my iPad, free at the time, and investigated.

Currently, Peloton offers more than 8,000 on-demand rides, ranging from 5 minutes to 90 minutes. Additionally, you can find about eleven live classes on any given day, beginning at 6:00 am and as late as 8:30 pm. You can also take Encore Rides, basically “live” re-airings of rides. My favorite rides are Rock Rides, 80’s rides, HIIT and Tabata. A cool new feature allows you to search on-demand rides by playlists. Beyond the Ride includes live and on-demand yoga classes, stretching, toning, and strength classes.

After reading review after review on my trusted Amazon.com, I found a spin bike with few bells and whistles, yet hundreds of recent positive reviews. Two years later and I have no complaints.

Note: as an Amazon affiliate, I get a small fee whenever you make a purchase from one of my links. I only write about products I use and love. For a concise list of all products mentioned in this blog post, you can go directly to my Amazon shop.

The Bike

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September 25, 2018 by: Michelle

10 Binge-Worthy Shows to Discuss with Your Girlfriends

I watch plenty of television with my husband. But then there are the shows I like to watch alone, sometimes with a glass of wine in hand. More often with a pile of laundry in front of me.

These are the shows that after you binge-watch them, you’ll be texting your best girlfriends to discuss. Pronto.

My top ten guilty pleasure binge-watch list:

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August 30, 2018 by: Michelle

The 60 Dollar Revlon Hairdryer that will Change Your Life

I almost caved and bought the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, which I’m sure is amazing . . . but it’s over 400 bucks.

I have long, coarse, wavy (a more accurate description is frizzy) hair. Every salon recommends Keratin to me.

I have the kind of hair that a salon blocks out more time to do. It’s the type of hair that another stylist calls over an associate to help her out when drying my hair.

When I style my hair myself, I lose interest somewhere in the drying process. Pure boredom. As a result, my hair never looks anything close to the results I achieve in a salon.

I knew the Dyson would cut my drying time down significantly. Yet my hairstylist told me he heard mixed reviews. And, I realized I still would have to do the styling (not my forte). So, I hesitated. And, I’m glad I did.