House Party and Jenny McCarthy's Fun, Fit and Guilt-Free Party Review

I was sitting trying to win at another Twitter Party and I had just wrapped up my second no win event.  When it appeared I wasn't going to win at my third one this week, I checked my e-mail and saw that if I were one of the few quickest to create my invitee list and party page, I could be a host for House Party's Fun, Fit and Guilt-Free Party.  Needless to say, I was on it and forgot all about the Twitter Party. 

Four things drew me to this particular House Party:

1. I have a wii game system; 
2. I'm trying to get in shape; 
3. I love House Party parties as they are amazing!; and
4. I love Jenny McCarty. 

Jenny is really a very funny person and being with Jim Carrey is so ideal given how the two seem to enjoy laughter.  Jenny also has an autistic son and fights for what she believes in for autism.  I applaud her for that as it's full of controversy but she sticks to her guns and raises awareness.

This party is about Jenny's new wii game to help you get in shape.  It's called Your Shape that builds in a workout program based on YOUR fitness level, goals and schedule.  After the party, myself and guests will get to indulge in Mousse Temptations compliments of Jello-O with only 66 calories!  What more can you ask for?  I'm so excited as this might be the thing to get me motivated.  Colleen and Mary Ann are leading the way in my fitness challenge so it's time to step up to the plate and get moving.  I also want to get in shape for my husband's deployment as I will need to be as healthy as possible to tackle working full time, two small children with chronic medical conditions and everything else that goes along with a house and preparing for our next PCS (move lingo for an Army's next assignment).

You can watch a video HERE with Jenny about the game.  Here are some of the features:

• Personalized to You - Your unique plan is based on the results of your fitness test, combined with your personal fitness goals. This plan will mix the right level of intensity with exercises focused on achieving your goal.
• You’ll Always Do the Exercises Correctly - The camera projects your image onto the TV screen so you can see yourself exercising next to Jenny.
• Exercise Controller-Free - The camera sees you, so it works without requiring any additional hardware (such as Wiimotes, nunchucks, and balance boards), leaving your hands free to focus on the exercises.
• Exercise That’s Fun and Motivational - not only is Jenny your in-game workout buddy, but you can choose from 6 background colors, 100 motivating animations, and more than 75 music tracks.
• More Exercises Than Any Other Game - Your Shape includes close to 500 exercises – which means that your routine is always focused on meeting your goals.

Click HERE for a .55 cent off coupon on Jello-O Mousse Temptations.

My Review:

I've been using Jenny's game for a week now and I really like it although I think the movements are really fast. That will take a little time participating to get used to the exercise routines.  A nice start up routine for beginners would be of benefit. 

I read a lot of reviews about how the camera picks up everything in the room but I've not had that issue.  I also read that it doesn't track your movements that well.  I have noticed that the camera/game is very sensitive and you have to do it just like Jenny does.  One minor slip up, movement off or timing off, you will get the warning to follow her.  The primary thing to remember is even if you aren't perfecting the movements as needed, you are still moving and still benefitting from getting the exercise.  I'd suspect as time moves on, the ability to follow perfectly will fall into place.   I've lost 3 lbs this week so far.

For the Jello Mousse Temptations deserts....AMAZING!  These tiny deserts pack a wonderful, delightful punch without socking it to your calories.  At only 60 calories, they are perfections in a cup and will give you that quick fix for sweets.

I should be receiving the EA Sports Active and More Workouts any day.  I will provide a review of that product as well.  I'm still favoring Gold's Cardio for Wii.

*Disclaimer:  I received the Jenny McCarthy Your Shape Wii game, Dance Dance Revolution Wii game and free coupons for Jello Mousse Temptations to participate in the House Party.

New Wii Fit Plus Review & Possible Giveaway?

New Wii Fit Plus has been released!

If you have the Wii Fit with or without board, you probably like it as I do.  I don't have the Plus game yet but plan on buying it ASAP as it's time to kick it into gear!  I have an Army ball at the end of November so it's time to shape up.  Besides, what better way to get prepared for my Get Fit challenge that starts November 1st?  Want more information on the Get Fit challenge, click here for more.

Amazon has it on sale right now:



It's just like the Fit game in some features but it does vary now:

• Users can input the amount of time they want to spend on their workouts or select an area for personal improvement, and Wii Fit Plus will suggest a number of diverse activities for them.
• For the first time, users can mix and match which strength and yoga activities they prefer on a given day. The seamless exercise flows make it easier than ever for users to maintain their daily workout routines.
• Users might be asked to run an obstacle course across a series of platforms, zoom across a beach on a Segway x2 Personal Transporter or flap their arms to help their hilarious chicken-suited characters aim for targets.
• The range of games and customization options will make players want to play every day. They'll be having so much fun that their workouts will seem to fly by in no time at all.

Unfortunately, Amazon can only ship to the US and some APO/AFO addresses and you can only purchase three games at once. 

The did get great reviews already and this one in particular caught my eye:

"A few of my early favorites:

• Rhythm Parade. I almost skipped over this one because of the title but it's a fun little musically themed 3 minute (at the beginner level) activity that has you marching and "drumming" with your Wiimote and nunchuk. I quickly warmed up and the minutes were over before I knew it. I enjoy this more than the Hula Hoop activity and it makes you move the entire time. 
• Island Cycling. Looks like the environment from the Run modules, but you're on a bike this time. You use the Wiimote sideways to steer (a la MarioKart) and walk on the board to simulate pedaling. The faster you walk, the faster you bike. 
• The Training interface. For the first time, you can customize your workout. You pick from Yoga or Strength exercises (no Balance, though) and customize your workout. Wii Fit Plus will tally up the minutes and you can save the routine. If you click on the animated Balance Board he'll ask you how much time you have and put together a routine for you. You can also pick one of the routines for a specific target area, e.g. entire figure, posture, etc. These are all brief (6-9 minutes) but interesting and beneficial. 
• Pet and child weight support. Got a pudgy child or pet? In my case, I have a fat chihuahua (really!) and am actively trying to slim him down. Since I'm looking to exercise and trim a few pounds myself, this works out. I can now weigh myself AND him and keep a running time line of our respective losses. This all sounds silly, but will be well used by me. It motivates me to weigh him as much as I weigh myself and make sure he is trending down, not up. I would imagine Nintendo did some research here and realized that this would be a valuable feature. 
• Quick stats option. When you're doing a body test, you can simply do a BMI and weight quickly without all the fluff using the Quick stats option. This is good for people who like to weigh-in before work, but do their workout sometime later in the day. 
• Calories for food. This is a bit over the top, but it's cute. The game asks you to pick a target calorie loss per day in terms of a food item (in my case, it's a 190 calorie vanilla ice cream cone). All throughout the workout, you tick down the calories toward your "goal".

All in all, it's a solid game. You can't beat it for the price. It's a marked upgrade and will entirely replace the current Wii Fit disc. All of the original games, yoga, and strength moves are included on this disc."

Want to see this game as a giveaway?  Leave me a comment and let me know!  Otherwise, be on the lookout for the next Wii Game Giveaway!

Jillian Michael's New Wii Fitness Ultimatum 2010

I just saw the pre-order advertisements at last for Jillian Michaels Fitness Ultimatum 2010 for October 6th and I'm excited!  I'm hoping this one is better than her last game and I hope to hear more of the Jillian we all have grown to love (and some hate).  I can hear her already yelling to "GET OFF YOUR A_____!!!"

Love her or hate her, she makes The Biggest Loser great.  She's the Simon Cowell of weight loss and makes no bones about it.  If you are watching the latest season of The Biggest Loser, have you noticed how Bob is taking it up a notch?  He's not so Paula Abdul anymore.  I love it as they are both acting out the good cop/bad cop with the contestants.  I digressed a bit so back to the game.

You can pre-order this through Amazon and if the price drops from the point of purchase until release, they will adjust your price. Buy.com is advertising a lower price by a few dollars so I suspect Amazon will follow.

Here are some screenshots of the game and they look better from the last game:

The graphics look much better and you actually get to see Jillian performing the exercises.  This game looks way better than her first one:

Product Features:

• "Resolutions" Mode features a customizable training calendar that allows users to plan their routines for up to six months as Jillian coaches you every step of the way.  I love the trackers as it's a great tool to see how you are progressing.
• Cardio Training: Swing Kicks, Obliques, Jumping Jacks, Hip Twists, Water Pump, Running, Bicycle. This already looks better than the other game's exercises.
• Strength Training: Push-Ups, Crunches, Pelvic Thrust, Side Planks, Side Lunges, Sledge Swing, Back Kick w/ Shoulder Press, Boat Pose, Lunge Kick.
• Most exercises enhanced for Balance Board.
• More accurate motion tracking for more precise exercise movements

Building on the success of her first videogame, star fitness trainer Jillian Michaels returns to Wii with a new and improved fast-paced, high-intensity workout in Jillian Michaels' Fitness Ultimatum 2010. Set on a rugged, Pacific jungle island, players will enter a Hell Week-style boot camp filled with many new features and workout modes for 2010, including more accurate motion tracking and a calendar system enabling the user to program routines on a period of up to 6 months. Finally, you'll never train alone with direct feedback and motivation from Jillian for greater results! Game design by health and wellness expert Jillian Michaels: > Features Jillian's motion-captured movements > Fitness routines created by Jillian > All-new audio from Jillian

I'm game ... :)