My days are spent in workout gear. I head to yoga right after dropping my kids off, so I start my days in yoga pants. I typically run before picking up my kids in the afternoon, so I’m sure there are folks out there that wonder if I just spend my life in workout clothes. I was recently asked to review the capri from Fila’s new Body Toning System (BTS).  The double layered panels and compression design are intended to make you look a full size smaller and make your muscles work 50% harder.

I’m a runner at heart. I train to run half marathons and will likely train for my first marathon after the new year. On my longest runs I wear compression pants to aid in muscle recovery.  The descriptions of the Fila BTS seem similar to the way I understand traditional sport compression pants work. Fila BTS uses double-layered panels of INVISTA’s LYCRA® SPORT fabric and retail for $50, a significantly less expensive product compared to the $100 plus I have paid in the past for compression pants.

These pants are definitely flattering and they are the first ones I grab when I know I’ll be running around in public before a workout.  The double layer fabric system is pretty hardcore, very thick, but it didn’t bother me very much until I was in a yoga class. I am a power-yoga-in-a-heated-room kind of gal and I’m not sure these are my favorite for that type of activity. I sweat to the point of soaking in these classes and I think I prefer more of a wicking fabric for this activity. For regular light yoga, this would be an ideal pant, and you would most definitely enjoy looking at your fabulously shaped boot-ay in all of the mirrors!

I found the Fila pants to be much better suited for light workouts, weight training, and shorter runs. While these pants don’t compare to the amount of compression I experience with my more expensive pants, designed specifically for runners, they did provide a good bit of support. I’m not sure that I experienced any more or less benefit in terms of muscle recovery or effort, but the flattering cut was a big plus.

I would love to see Fila try to make the seams in these pants less detectable. I wouldn’t say they rubbed or felt overly uncomfortable but I was definitely aware of them. I understand that they are part of the strategic design but if it were possible to minimize them at least on the inside of the pant, I think I’d be more likely to choose them as my “go to” pant for both long and short workouts. (Note: shortly after this review was published, Fila responded to let me know they are addressing this seaming issue in next season’s line!) OH, and one more thing…. Fila friends, please, please, PLEASE come out with a petite length for your longer pants! We petite gals would love you for it!

For those women who want to benefit from the 50% increase in muscle exercise, do the math. If you want to work your muscles hard you’ll still need to push your body through the motions. A 50% increase in the muscle work while sitting on your ass isn’t going to get you down a jeans size. On the other hand, I work out pretty hard so I won’t “poo-poo” a little boost in workout efficiency!

Overall, I think the Fila Body Toning pant is a good value. We active moms run around in active wear for a good portion of our day, we might as well look HAWT doing it!

Would you like to make your boot-ay sing? The good folks at Fila will give away a pair of BTS pants to one lucky BB reader!

Congratulations #73 Amber G.

ENTER TO WIN!

*Leave a comment telling me what you think about the new Body Toning System.

Bonus Entries (leave one comment for each):

1. Subscribe to Bantering Blonde

2. Like FilaToning on Facebook and tell them I sent you!

3. Follow @banteringblonde on twitter

4. Tweet this, a few times a day if you like! :

I just entered to win New Body Toning Pants from @filatoning and @banteringblonde http://bit.ly/cBBG65

Winner will be chosen at 12am November 23, 2010

*I was not compensated for this review, however I was sent a pair of Boot Cut Capri from Fila Body Toning System for purposes of review. The opinions stated are my own based on my experience.

Why yes, that was moi you saw behind the wheel of the new Chevy Volt this morning. And yes, that was my big geeky grin that blinded you as we drove by!

I actually drove the Volt. I can’t believe I’m typing it, but I drove the Chevy Volt this morning! I drove it down Colorado Boulevard, through my neighborhood, and on I-70!

I was tooling around on twitter last night and my bud Christopher Barger dm’d me on twitter. If you don’t follow @cbarger you are missing out; this guy is real peeps that “gets it”, and you know how I love my folk that keep it real!

Here’s what he wrote:

Hi there! Late notice, but are you doing anything tomorrow morning? Might have head of GM mktg in Denver tmrw AM, if so he should meet you.

Well, of course he should me! Right? If you are driving through Denver in a Chevy #Volt2LA you should meet me! Especially if you are the head of marketing for one of the worlds largest automobile manufacturers… just sayin’. I was flattered and really excited, not just to see Volt again, but to meet with the people making it happen. When you look at what automobile manufacturers have weathered in the current economy, you can’t help but cheer for the people moving things forward at a company like GM. So, the geeky marketing stalker in me got a kick out of the whole thang.

You might remember how excited I was this summer after riding in the back seat of the Chevy Volt at an event GM hosted at Blue Hill at Stone Farms in Pocantico Hills, NY. The Volt crew was an impressive team and they were really excited about their product. My whole view of GM flipped big time that day… but I digress…

Have I mentioned how much I love the GM marketing/pr people? I love their energy, I love how much they believe in what they are doing. Forget that their newest product has world changing implications, these people are fun! My new friend Joel let me drive his personal Volt and, apart from an unfortunate parking incident that may have included a run in with the curb and a near miss with a lovely light pole, the Marriott is still standing. And yes, his car is still in tact!

The Volt is an incredibly nice ride. Obviously an electric engine runs much quieter and more smooth than a traditional gas engine but I didn’t expect to get a “luxury” feel while driving it. Back in the day, before 3 kidlets sucked my wallet dry and I didn’t need a car to haul a soccer team around, I owned a Lexus RX300. It was a smooth ride and had that “luxury” feel; driving that car was dreamy. Calm and dreamy – of course, the fact that I didn’t have three kids chucking half eaten Chipotle burritos across the car probably had something to do with that.

The Volt even has that calm and dreamy feel on the highway. It doesn’t rev and strain before acceleration, it just goes. There are three different drive modes: normal (which is the most energy efficient), sport, and mountain. The Volt guys were heading up “the hill” into the mountains today so we had it in mountain mode, but even then I perceived the acceleration to be very smooth and quiet. The Volt doesn’t need that revving sound to prove it is man enough to handle the road, it just does it.

I’ve been following renewable energy and vehicle electrification for years. Electric vehicles have been around for a long time but GM is the first to deliver a palatable solution to the general public. Some might say that Nissan’s LEAF really got there first with a 100% electric vehicle, but it only travels 100 miles on a charge and has that “look at me I’m driving the quirky looking car because I’m green” look. The Volt is unassuming and looks just like any other car on the road today, except that it happens to run on electricity. Technically the Volt is a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) or as GM calls it, an “extended range electric vehicle”.  You’ll be able to drive 40 emission-free miles before a small gasoline engine kicks in to power a generator that delivers electricity to the car’s motor. So, not only does the Volt have a nice cushy feel and look good, it will go 340 miles on a charge.

In my opinion, some of us tend to trip over ourselves to be as “green” as possible and in the process we miss opportunities to just be better.  I think it is great that “Eco Joe” wants to live in an underground solar paneled home made of recycled Pop-Tarts, but it isn’t practical, nor is it necessary for our society to live that way. Today’s Volt is a step in the right direction and I have no doubt that this is only the beginning.

My husband is an amazing man. I have proof.  For almost 15 years (holy crap, that is a freaking long time) he has not only tolerated me but loved me unconditionally in a way that I never imagined possible. Even more incredible is the fact that he had known me for 4 or 5 years before that and still married me.

He’s that guy everybody loves. He’s not afraid to express feelings and oozes passion when he talks about the things he loves, chicks did that. He’s that guy you want to make babies with. You choose him because he is going to be the Dad everyone wishes they had.

We have three little people. All of them will tell you that Dad is the fun one. I may be the not so fun one, but I am also the only reason they have all learned the virtue face washing.

Parenting is a journey that will take you from the highest peaks of bliss to the heart wrenching pits of hell. You never know if the decisions you make, or the things you say will some day end up as a case study in the form of a 2015 Psychiatric Analysis of  Top 10 Ways to Jack Up Your Kid.

The other night I was sitting on the bottom bunk with my 10 year old. We were lying with our feet up, looking at the underside of the top bunk. This is our “having a deep conversation” position.

We were talking about learning from our mistakes. We categorized the types of mistakes people make and I must have said something to the effect of, “There are some mistakes that have dangerous or life changing consequences.”

Suddenly, my child sat up and looked at me with great conviction and a fire in his eye, and said, “Dad says the two biggest mistakes are 1. doing drugs and 2. getting a girl pregnant. Those are two mistakes you really don’t want to have to learn from, right mom?”

Well then!

I suppose our job is done here…..

I’m an Apple girl and I love my Mac gadgets. I’m loving my iPad more and more as time goes on. My kids love it too – I love that they love it because there are definitely some times when keeping a child occupied comes in handy! The downside is that iPad screen has a large surface area that seems to attract the finger-grease and “whatnot” of anything within a foot of it. Despite the fact that it fits right in my purse (think large-fits-all-I-could-ever-want-it-to, kind of bag, let’s face it, I’m a Mom and there’s a lot of non-iPad friendly snack crumbs, crayons, and other smear-happy products in that monster bag. I’ve been using the sleek black Apple case but to be honest, as sexy as it is, the greasy paws and the crusty crumb rings that form inside the cover edges, are just plain gross.

As a professional, the iPad has been an extremely beneficial tool. As a parent, it has literally saved my sanity at times.

I was introduced to the M-Edge Accessories brand a few weeks ago. M-Edge produces jacket protection for major brand e-readers and now the Apple iPad. If you knew how long I had been looking for a suitable clear-cover case for my iPad, you would excuse the giddy girl response I emailed when my favorite PR contact casually mentioned that she had noticed my “sent from my iPad” email signature, and that she her client just happens to make iPad covers, and wondered if I might be interested in looking at several that were on the more durable side.

I clicked through three different M-Edge product links that she sent, and there it was! An actual iPad cover that zips shut and has a clear front! I may or may not have transmitted a geek-squee (FYI, I’m thinking trademarking that word.) across the interwebs that day!

At 49.99 I was a little nervous that the price point might not be something I’d recommend to my readers, but since I hadn’t been able to find anything even remotely similar, I bit the bullet and asked them to send me the Leisure Jacket.  And here, my friends, is the story of me and the iPad jacket named after an unfortunate 70’s fashion trend……

• This is a hardcore, sturdy cover. Nothing sexy about this puppy except for the fact that I didn’t have to worry about the iPad slipping out of my kids hands and there wasn’t a single greasy, slimy, sticky spot on the screen when I removed it from the jacket.
• The clear vinyl cover protects the screen against sand, dirt, moisture, and of course, those sticky greasy little person prints. The plastic does create some bubbling but my kids haven’t complained and I was able to see and operate the touch screen just fine.
• The iPad lays inside a double zipper closure case, on a high density foam frame. It isn’t a perfectly tight fit but it holds the iPad in place and has cut-outs where your accessory jacks and buttons are. You can also flip the iPad over for extra screen protection.
• The zipper compartment at the back is designed with pockets for the iPhone and other accessories. While there is some stretch to the pocket, it isn’t all that roomy. For my purposes,  I was thrilled to be able to throw it in my purse and know that it’d be protected.
• At $49.99 it may seem a bit pricey but I was not able to find a comparable product that met all of my needs. Compared to the cost of the actual iPad, the $50 is a drop in the bucket, considering the safety the Leisure Jacket provides.

Overall, I love this product. I found it to be sturdy and protective.  I would love to see M-Edge work towards making the buttons and accessory ports easier to access. At first I wasn’t sure why they wouldn’t have included a firm opening on one side of the zipper track, but I love this cover for it’s protection from “the elements” and any opening would compromise that feature.

I would also like to see them work with the clear vinyl to see if they can find a material content that would stick to the screen without bubbling. I’ve been able to smooth out sections of the plastic so it seems like a better solution wouldn’t be unattainable. I wonder, instead of having the front be completely plastic, if the vinyl might not bubble quite as much if there were a front material frame where one could center the front and then just push out any bubbles.  Yes, it’s Blonde Engineering Day today!

All in all, I would recommend this to a gal with a deep purse, a mom or dad, or an outdoorsy person; someone who needs to have the iPad enclosed for protection would find the M-Edge Leisure Jacket fits a good option.

*In all fairness, I feel that I must disclose that I am drunk on the 900 chocolate confection treats I have imbibed on this Halloween night.

I’ve been looking over my Denver Mail-In Voter Ballot this evening….

Before you start chappin’ my ass over the fact that I’ll have to walk it in, let me tell you, I am no amateur. I am the Last Minute Sally of mail in votes. I know exactly where every drop off is and I also know where the “drive thru” drop offs are. I take my vote seriously. I take time to research my vote. I vote when I’m good and ready, and all studied up on whatever good fun our politicians have brewin’ for us.

These midterm elections are big time in Denver, in case you didn’t read my post the other day HERE.

My dilemma this evening falls into the … HUH? category.  Exactly, what does one consider when voting on the Welcome Wagon for ET? I mean, I am a lover of all life forms, and I am sensitive to any “cultural awareness” that ET would call for. I’m just sorta curious, though. Do we see a lot of ET around these parts?

The problem with an initiative like this is that I’m really having a hard time finding good data. There are no good studies to fall back on. No “Citizens for ET” or “Citizens Promoting Anti-ET Sentiment” coalitions to guide me here. WHERE is my PRO and CON for this? How can I be an informed voter without more information?

Apparently we’re missing all the government cover-ups, and this guy says that Initiative 300 will be good for Denver. Oh, and it won’t cost us any money. Well HELLS BELLS people!  It’s FREE, it might even be Buy One, Get One FREE if we vote it in and ET happens to be feelin’ welcomed! Especially if we have a protocol for handing their vehicles.

THE last thing I want is to be culturally unaware when ET arrives.

I’m a proud Denver resident, and I’m probably voting YES on Initiative 300.

I think politics brings out the worst in people. I hate watching grown people behave like jackasses during election season.

For example, this headline caught my attention today:

Brown says he’ll pull attack ads if Whitman does; Whitman refuses

For realz?

Yes, Jerry Brown has said he’ll stop personal attacks, but only if Meg Whitman does. He won’t pull up his big boy pants unless Whitman pulls up hers.

Tit for tat. Quid pro quo.

So, what does good ole Meggie do? Meg sticks her tongue out and says, “Hell, no jackass!”

This is exemplary of why people hate politicians, and why most sane people would never run for office. It’s a joke and it’s embarrassing. And since when is the race for governor a game of chicken?

I’m watching similar sandbox wars go on in my own state. The Colorado gubernatorial race is extra saucy though because three major-party candidates are running to replace Governor Bill Ritter. Dan Maes is running on the republican ticket, current Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper stomps for the democrats, and Tom Tancredo is running on The American Constitution Party ticket.

Tancredo jumped on board late in the game, after calling for the republican primary candidates to drop out. Republicans were thought to be in position to take back the governor’s mansion but the roster of jokers were apparently dragging those chances down.  Maes won the nomination and refused to drop out. Enter Super Tancredo to save the day!

I just read that Tancredo and Maes met earlier this week. The Denver Post reports that the two sat on a park bench for an hour and a half. I wonder if anyone remembered to bring the bread. Especially if they met at Wash Park, ’cause the Canadian Geese are going to stop pooping all over the paths if we don’t make sure they are given food and a reason not to migrate south….

I imagine the conversation went a little like this:

Tancredo: Hey Dan, that goose looks hungry. Got any bread?

Maes: I really think it’s up to private business to feed their own geese.

Tancredo: Yeah, me too. I was just testing you.  Wait, this is a city park…

Maes: yeah whatever. So wassup?

Tancredo: Well, I was thinkin’ this whole governor race thing is fun and all, but aren’t you ready to give up yet? Our peeps are pissed and they say that Hickenlooper will win if we don’t do something. If you need a job I could probably hook you up with something. Maybe you want to be in charge of the Canadian Geese problem?

Maes: Nah. I mean, even if I drop out my posse will throw another body in the race.

Tancredo: Well, that’s cool. I’m game, let’s get another body in there.

Maes: Nah

Tancredo: Ok. What should we talk about now?

Maes: I don’t think it’s the government’s job to tell you what we should talk about.

Tancredo: uh. Yah, so – I gotta go. I have this thing….

Last month I attended the “Putting Kids First” gubernatorial forum, hosted by the Children’s Hospital, with its partners the Colorado Children’s Campaign, EPIC (Executives Partnering to Invest in Children), 9News (KUSA) and Mile High Mamas.  I found it very interesting but to say it was a snoozer is giving it too much life. (You can actually watch portions of it here) Hickenlooper came off very casual and nonchalant;  I’m not sure he even answered one of the questions posed to him. I could be wrong though, because the tangent train had my head spinning. Dan Maes not only answered the questions, he actually stayed afterward to talk to those of us attending a luncheon.  Tancredo dissed the forum all together for a fundraiser and Hick slipped out before anyone even got a chance to even see him.

I find myself completely turned off by the election process. The headlines are annoying and the people are smarmy.  I can’t wait until next Tuesday is over and the rug rolls up on this edition of Romper Room.