LGI Fit Reviews!: Oster MyBlend 20 Ounce Blender

Heyy Brickhouses!!

Blogging has been sporadic this week I am sorry! I am still working on cleaning and organizing my house for a smooth transition into this next semester and 2012. I am preparing my first video blog, working on my 2012 vision board, applying for freelance positions, working on articles for Examiner.com, and trying to finish undergrad! So much to do and SO little time!!

The good news is you can expect posts everyday from me everyday in January as I have joined a blogging challenge sponsored by BlogHer. It is designed to get you into a writing groove and challenge yourself to come up with topics that people will want to hear! I am excited and totally up for the challenge but 2012 is already panning out to be a busy year!!

So as you might have read Christmas weekend I received Oster's MyBlend 20oz Blender from Jamal and Imani. This week I have been taking a break from smoothies and protein shakes so as of yesterday, I didn't get a chance to use it. Mia begged me for a morning milkshake instead of her usual cereal for breakfast so I thought it would be the best time to use my blender!

Oster's MyBlend Blender

 The Oster MyBlend Blender comes in four colors: green, orange, fuchsia, and blue.So cute cause you can totally coordinate your bottle with your workout gear! Fuchsia is definitely my workout color and that's exactly what the guys got for me!

 The blender comes in four parts:  

• Base
• 20 oz cup
• Blender Part
• Top

 Because of the size and the fact that it only has one speed, I didn't actually believe that it would blend Mia's morning shake very well or be as fast as the box stated. I was fully prepared to be disappointed with its performance, store the base, and add the bottle to my stash of H20 containers. 

That face...Chick is silly!  She is definitely her father's child!!

Added ingredients in cup

Put the blender top on and secured

Flipped over into the base

Press down to blend

Enjoy!!

The MyBlend Blender delivered! I was SO surprised at how fast it blended through the ice AND frozen bananas. The whole process literally took one minute and was so simple! Mia loved helping, the color of the bottle, and of course her morning milkshake!

Mia's Morning Milkshake:

• 1 cup of Almond Milk (90 cals)
• 1 frozen banana (90 cals)
• Ice

Gritty post-shake residue

The bottle was also very easy to clean. I just filled it half way with warm water, added some soap, sloshed it around, cleaned the rim and I was done!

Later that night, I was feeling inspired and wanted to use the blender again. My sister had posted a "Green Smoothie" recipe that I was dying to try so I decided to give the blender another whirl.

Kyla-  www.healthy-girl.tumblr.com

Healthy Girl! Green Smoothie

• 1 frozen banana (90 cals) +

• 1 cup frozen spinach (30 cals) +

• 1 cup coconut milk (80 cals) +

Spinach, Almond Milk and Banana

Ready to blend!

It only blended the portion closest to the blade and got a little jammed, so I had to take the bottle off the base and shake it a little. When I tried it again, it was doing the same thing so I added some more almond milk to even it out.Still pretty fast, this blend took two and a half minutes to complete. I blame the spinach!!

Chunky! Frozen spinach is like that though...

The after effect. SO Green! SO Yummy!!

Overall I would definitely recommend this blender to anyone who wants to blend ice blends, smoothies, or protein shakes! It is fast, effective, and so cute!! The price on the Oster website is $29.95, I have also seen them for $63 on Amazon which is a rip-off so take heed!!

I am going to buy another bottle soon so Mia and I can both walk out the door in style with our healthy drink concoctions!

 

PS. I am part of the Fitness Friday Blog Hop at www.jillconyers.com

Click on the image above and read more posts from some amazing fitness bloggers!

LGI Fit Reviews!: Motorola MOTOACTV

Hey Brickhouses!!

A couple of weeks ago I got an email at work with this video:

The video on Motorola's MOTOACTV got me extremely pumped with all the action shots of people doing various acts of fitness. It left me so eager to get my hands on the device, I day dreamed about using it while being super fit and dedicated like the fitness models on screen! I work for the largest wireless company in the US, so I knew it wouldn't be long before a marketing rep would visit my employer's campus. In the mean time, I read up on it, took some trainings at work and waited.

I learned that the MOTOACTV is a GPS, MP3 player, audible coach, and Heart Rate Monitor all in one. 

Source

A couple of weeks later, about two weeks ago to be exact, Coach Christian let me know that Motorola was indeed making a visit to our campus and that I would be able to interview the marketing rep. I was so psyched!

The day came for Motorola to arrive at the gym and I was ecstatic! The rep Mike, was so nice and informative. He walked me step by step through all of the impressive features and settings. After his mini-tutorial I was off to workout with the MOTOACTV solo.

The first thing I did when I got the MOTOACTV solo was hop on the treadmill! 

Me with the fit tracker. That's Sam the intern in the background! *Hi Sam*

Mike explained to me that the MOTOACTV has four dedicated exercise options. The options are walking/running and cycling, which gives you the option to select indoor or outdoor workouts , and the elliptical and stair climber machines.

On the Stair Climber

On the Elliptical (with eyes closed...smh)

 On the Bike (eyes closed again...smh) *Hi Wesley!!*

The only time I used headphones with the MOTOACTV was when I was on the treadmill. The headphones are what makes the device a heart rate monitor, tracking both your calories burned and heart rate while you workout. Usually with a heart rate monitor you either have a wrist or chest strap, with MOTOACTV all you need are the headphones which calculates your heart rate by the pulse in your ears! Awesome!!!

SF200 Sports Headphones (included)

 There are two intuitive things that set the MOTOACTV apart from your typical fitness tracker. One is that the device has a Smart Music Player which actually learns what songs motivate you based on your heart rate and speed! It is supposed to take effect after about eight minutes of a workout. Since I didn't select my own  music (Mike the Motorola rep did) I can't say for sure how it worked, but I thought the idea was amazing!

Mike talking to Niki and Chase about the MOTOACTV

The second thing that I thought was exciting about the MOTOACTV was the personal audible coach. As you workout the coach will update you on your progress automatically. It is a feature that you can be turned on and off as needed.

Other amazing features of the MOTOACTV:

• Tracks distance
• Tracks speed
• Has Bluetooth capability so you can receive calls and texts
• Automatically syncs workouts to an online portal
• You can set up customized workouts and goals
• Comes in 8GB and 16 GB models (memory)

Accessories

The 8GB MOTOACTV is $249.99, $299.99 for 16GB. That includes a USB charger, a belt clip (see above far left), and the SF200 headphones (far right). Additional accessories Like a bike strap (second from left) or an arm strap (middle) cost $29.99 each. These prices can be a little daunting to someone who is just starting on their fitness journey or doesn't have the cash flow to make such a big purchase. For me, I see it as an investment! It is something that I know I would use daily for any fitness routine, eliminates my need for bringing an MP3 player with me, and allows me to receive phone calls and texts remotely.

Right now unless I win the MOTOACTV through my gym's giveaway, I won't be able to afford this device! I will be sticking to my good ol' Polar heart rate monitor. Please believe that I will be saving up for this device and hopefully will be able to get it before the end of January 2012! Overall I love EVERYTHING about the device except the price!

Check out my article on the MOTOACTV for Examiner.com here.

Does the MOTOACTV seem like something you would want to have as an aid on your fitness journey? What do you like most about the features?

Have a fit-abulous day!!

-KEF
xoxo