Perhaps even more inspiring than the teams long history of Aintsness is New Orleans’ relatively short history of post-Katrina devastation. After Katrina hit there was talk that the team would not return there.  Then Quarterback Drew Brees showed up on the scene after San Diego dismissed him looking for a younger quarterback. Brees had something to prove, and someone to prove it for. The Saints came back to New Orleans and they brought with them hope for the city. They worked, on the field and off, for New Orleans. They made it about something bigger than football- they made it about an entire city. On SportsCenter this morning, Saints linebacker Scott Fujita was interviewed saying the Saints didn’t win the Super Bowl, that New Orleans won the Super Bowl. This is what sports should be about.

The Saints became America’s team this season. They gained attention by going unbeaten through the first half of the season; they were dynamic. Their players had personality. Reggie Bush, while also serving out in the community and being one of the most acrobatic players on the field (from any team in the NFL, not just the Saints), is also dating reality tv star Kim Kardashian. It seemed like no matter who you were, you couldn’t avoid hearing about the Saints. They worked hard, they got the job done and that’s what Americans like to identify themselves with. Bandwagon fans abound! They’re not a dynasty team like the Cowboys and Patriots of past decades. They also had a story of a city that needed some kind of victory. What’s not to love?

The Saints are a perfect example of why I love sports. The power of a team to encourage a downtrodden city, maybe even a struggling country, to celebrate is amazing. The Saints proved a teams ability to be bigger than themselves and unite people who normally may have nothing in common. I’m glad the under dog won last night. And I’m also glad The Who played a great half time show. And, can we talk commercials? Bud light house? Bud light auto-tune?! MILK-A-WHAAA?

Annie is the Sports and Fitness Editor for Girls Guide. She writes about all kinds of sports related topics and then really goes out and plays sports almost every evening. You can contact Annie by emailing her at annie [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and we are still trying to talk her into getting a Twitter account – no success yet.

Crummy weather is the perfect excuse to play tourist at home.  St. Louis is home to a boatload of museums and arty collections, many of them are probably news even to natives of the Lou. They’ve been here all along though, quietly collecting dust waiting for warm bodies to come for a visit. Check out these local gems we’ve got everything from a museum in honor of pooches to contemporary art…

Bonus, most of them are cheap or free! So grab a friend, the kiddos or just plan a date to fly solo and take it all in. Nearly all of these are within a short drive of one another, so it would be super easy to make a day of touring these fine establishments.

First, the big dogs…

St. Louis Art Museum: Admission is free

St. Louis History Museum: Admission is free

City Museum: Admission: ages 3+, $12.00

St. Louis Science Center: Admission is free

The Museum of Westward Expansion (Gateway Arch): Admission is free, Tram rides: $10/adults, $5/kids

The Magic House Children’s Museum: Admission is $8.50

Lesser known haunts…

Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis: Admission is $5/adults

St. Louis University Museum of Art: Admission is free

St. Louis University Museum of Contemporary Religious Art: Admission is free

St. Louis University Samuel Cupples House and Gallery: Admission is free

Washington University Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum: Admission is free

Campbell House Museum: Admission $6/adults

Laclede’s Landing Wax Museum: Admission $8/adults, $5/12-17, $2/6-11

Eugene Field House & St. Louis Toy Museum: Admission $5/adults, $1/kids

Scott Joplin House State Historic Site: Tours $4/adults, $2.50/kids

Museum of Transportation: Admission $6/adults, $4/kids

Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis: Admission $5/adults, $2/kids

American Kennel Club – Museum of the Dog: Admission $5/adults, $1/kids

Soldiers Memorial Military Museum: Admission is free

Gobble it up kids. This is good stuff! Know of a hidden treasure you’d like to share? Post a link in the comments and tell us all about it!

image credit

Holly is the Arts & Crafts Editor for Girls Guide. You can check out her site, South City Studio, to see her handmade jewelry, read about her upcoming craft shows and learn more about her artsy self. You can contact Holly by Emailing her – holly [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @southcitystudio.

Name recognition has its privileges. Being named to an influential “list” tends to elicit a happy dance in the PR department. What company doesn’t want to make Fortune Magazine’s “Best Places To Work”? What egomaniac doesn’t want to make Forbes Magazine’s “World’s Most Powerful People”? Lists are good until they turn bad…

Being known for less than desirable corporate behavior or substandard service can be a public relations nightmare. Take for instance the tale of the Days Inn Eureka Six Flags. They have the dubious distinction of being named by TripAdvisor® as the second dirtiest hotel in America. To make this Top 10 list, a hotel has to cultivate a relationship with bed bugs, supply dirty towels to its guests and employ rude management. Ewww.

How did Eureka’s Days Inn end up on this list? Customer feedback, of course. Some of the more colorful comments included, “If Hell had a hotel it would be something like this”, “Wouldn’t let a stray dog sleep here”, “I would rather die of hemorrhoids then have to stay here again” and the most direct opinion, “What a dump”. The sad part about this list is that if each hotel did one simple thing, it wouldn’t be on this list… clean the rooms! To bottom line it, meet the expectations of your customers and run your business responsibly to prevent ending up on a d-bag list like this one.

Favorable lists a local St. Louis business might want to attach itself to are ALIVE Magazine’s Buzz List, St. Louis Magazine’s A List or the monthly top lists produced by St. Louis Small Business Monthly. These lists don’t require cooties or uncouth behavior. Or a public relations dream team.

This Friday, ALIVE Magazine unveils its 25 people, places and businesses that are all the buzz in 2010. Get to know the politicos, sports figures and non-profit organizations that are making their mark in a positive way in St. Louis. Now that’s the type of list I like to see.

ALIVE Magazine’s 2010 Buzz List Launch Party

Friday, February 5
9PM to Midnight
Lucas Park Grille

1234 Washington Ave

Purchase $10 tickets in advance or $15 at the door. Ticket price includes 3 complimentary sponsor drinks from Samuel Adams, 360 Vodka or Mirassou Winery.

Image credit: Huffingtonpost.com

Pamela is the Business and Networking Editor for Girls Guide. She is the owner of The Raymond Experience, an events and public relations company, and she moonlights as a business blogger here and as Business Commentary eXaminer for St. Louis. You can email her at pamela [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot]com, and follow her on Twitter.

The phrase “serious as a heart attack” certainly applies…

What can you do about it?  First, stay healthy by eating right, getting regular exercise, and getting your numbers checked.  Ask a woman her shoe size and her cholesterol level – which one do you think she is most likely to know?

Limiting stress is important as well.  Easier said than done, right?  Learn to take some time for you – get a massage, go for a walk, or just spend time with a friend or loved one.  Lowering your stress levels is just as important as diet and exercise.

Or, you can go shopping.  Yes, that’s right, shopping can be good for your heart.  Visit shopheart.org, and click the Go Red For Women tab.  Browse through jewelry, accessories, exercise equipment, cookbooks – they’ve got almost everything.  A portion of your purchase price is donated to the American Heart Association directly.

Starting today, February 3, and going through Sunday, February 6, thinking red can also save you some green. Wear red while you shop and you will save 20% on your purchase at Macy’s.

For more information on Go Red for Women and for more heart health information, visit goredforwomen.org, or americanheart.org.

*Stats courtesy of CDC

Kim is the Fashion and Beauty Editor for Girls Guide. You can check out her personal blog, Parachuting Without A Net, where she talks about just about everything under the sun from being a Mom to whipping up quick dinners. You can contact Kim by Emailing her – kim [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @parachuting.

This, however, has nothing to do with discovering a new appreciation for the sport or even being entertained by the over-the-top commercials. It’s the food. And the beer. But mostly the food (Sunday is a “school night” after all). Super Bowl parties are a great excuse for people to gather and eat copious amounts of delicious artery-clogging junk. It’s one of the only times when it’s acceptable to bring a White Castle crave case to a social gathering. What’s not acceptable is having a contest to see who can eat the most sliders in the shortest amount of time. Trust me, this always ends badly.

So, while I can’t share with you my predictions for the game, I can share some of my favorite recipes for Super Bowl snacking, tested and approved by yours truly. Enjoy!

Olive Cheese Balls

Ingredients

1 5 oz. jar Old English cheese spread (Kraft)

1 tbsp margarine

Dash of Tabasco sauce

Dash of Worchestire sauce

¾ cup all purpose sifted flour

1 small jar of green olives

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Blend soft cheese and margarine. Add flour and blend. Add Tabasco and Worchestire sauces to mixture. Blend thoroughly. Form dough into small balls around each olive and roll into a ball, about 1 teaspoon per olive. Place on greased cookie sheet. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden.

Spinach Crescent Pockets

Ingredients

Frozen spinach

Cream cheese

1 can crescent roll dough

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Unroll the crescent rolls and put in a little bit of spinach and a dab of cream cheese on the thickest part. Roll the crescent back up and pinch the ends closed. Bake 12-15 minutes until golden brown.

Taco Dip

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese

16 oz sour cream

1 envelope taco seasoning

½ head of lettuce, shredded

10 oz cheddar cheese, shredded

2 tomatoes, chopped

Sliced black olives

Directions

Mix cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning. Spread onto 11×14 cookie sheet. If you want to get creative, this mixture can be spread into shapes – like a football! Top with lettuce, cheddar, tomatoes and olives. Chill.

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Ingredients

3 bags Tyson baked or grilled chicken breasts

16 oz cream cheese

1 cup ranch dressing

¾ cup buffalo wing sauce

¾ cup cheddar cheese, shredded

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Chop the chicken into very small pieces. Mix all ingredients together. Bake until heated through – usually 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or cold with tortilla chips or celery.

Carlie is the Food and Drink Editor for Girls Guide. By day she is an educational textbook editor, and she moonlights as a foodie and barfly. You can email her at carlie [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @carbirwin.

I understand that February 3 is important; according to ESPN’s calendar the first day of the signing period is when 98% of high school seniors sign legally binding written contracts with their future colleges and universities. Perhaps I can’t fully understand the importance of this as I don’t think any decision I ever made had the potential impact for the number of people that a four or five star high school recruit does when they choose where to play football. I mean, where they go to college. Oh no, wait, I do mean where they play football. And maybe that’s okay…

For many of these top recruits, their dreams are likely to play professional football in the NFL. And for many of these kids, what university they go to is the stepping stone to get them to a successful career in the NFL. It’s much similar to a kid who grows up wanting to be a doctor; they want their undergrad biology degree from a university known for their biological sciences. Why shouldn’t a kid who wants to be a pro football player want to go to a school known for their football team?

But on the other hand, I can’t help but wonder if maybe it’s not okay- maybe the ESPN national coverage should happen a little later for these guys. I’m not making the argument that these recruits aren’t special- of course they are, they are the cream of the crop. But, what’s the famous quote? That good ole’ biblical verse? “To whom much is given, much is expected.” On February 3rd, ESPN is going to air a special where super talented athletes sign with a college and the impact is felt by far more people than just the recruit. These kids are expected to perform for their coaches. For their universities. For their team’s fans. Oh, the fans. All of these people are wishing and hoping for success. And that success is based on the kids playing football.

I can’t help but wonder that our society doesn’t know how to treat college football players (and recruits). They’re kids, but they are given responsibilities and attention that few other people between the ages of 18 and 22 have to deal with. College football has become big business. Coaches from top programs are paid millions of dollars. Universities count on money from football programs to help fund other programs at the school. Recruiting laws are specific and detailed, and there always seems to be some kind of drama surrounding houses and cars and “extra spending money” that some college player or their family received each and every year. Obviously, teams getting four and five star recruits should be thrilled, as should the players and the fans of the teams receiving the players. However, I can’t help but cringe at some of the egotistical moves seen by incoming players in the last few years. Cough, cough, a unnamed freshman showing up to his first practice in a limo, cough, cough.

I guess what I’m trying to say is congratulations to all high school seniors continuing their athletic career in college. You’ve obviously worked hard to achieve where you are. Now, the rest of us, let’s let them be who they are: college athletes. Not prima donnas.

Annie is the Sports and Fitness Editor for Girls Guide. She writes about all kinds of sports related topics and then really goes out and plays sports almost every evening. You can contact Annie by emailing her at annie [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and we are still trying to talk her into getting a Twitter account – no success yet.

While working at the commercial studio, Julie started shooting weddings and has for several years now artfully captured the joy of many happy couples in her lens. If you’re looking for a top-notch, affordable photographer, Julie is your girl. The girl’s got talent in spades; this shutter bug’s business continues to expand, with her most recent foray in to the land of pet photography, now the primary focus of her photography business, a natural next step for this mama of two kitties and best friends, Francis and Sherman.

Always ambitious, this animal-lover also runs a full-service dog walking and pet sitting service called Mutton Chops. This year, Julie hopes to blend the two lines of business in to offer her Mutton Chops clients photography services as well. Staying true to her style, when photographing people’s pets she captures the details that make each animal unique – a freckly leg, extra long whiskers, sad eyes or a wet nose. “I want to capture the soul of each animal in my work.” I was lucky enough to have my pooch, Mackie, and my special-needs kitty, Mr. Wobbles, model for an extra special fancy photo shoot a couple weeks ago. I absolutely loved the results!

To see samples of Julie’s work, follow her on Twitter, or find out more about her photography and pet services…

http://jbirkemeierphoto.etsy.com
http://jbirkemeierphoto.blogspot.com
http://flickr.com/photos/juliebirkemeier...
http://twitter.com/juliebirkemeier
http://jbirkemeierweddings.squarespace.com
http://www.muttonchopspetservices.com
http://twitter.com/Mutton_Chops_

Holly is the Arts & Crafts Editor for Girls Guide. You can check out her site, South City Studio, to see her handmade jewelry, read about her upcoming craft shows and learn more about her artsy self. You can contact Holly by Emailing her – holly [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @southcitystudio.

The first time I saw this trailer, I thought it had to be a joke. Bradley Cooper! Julia Roberts! Taylor Swift?! I thought there was no way all of these actors were in the same movie; that it had to be some kind of spoof. That they were all just cameos for some Will Ferrell/ Judd Apatow/ Austin Powers comedy.

But this is no joke…

Directed by Garry Marshall, Valentine’s Day brings 19 stars to the big screen (well, ‘big’ is definitely subjective- Julia Roberts, yes. Emma Roberts? Not so much). Here is the synopsis according to IMDB: ‘intertwining couples and singles in Los Angeles break-up and make-up based on the pressures and expectations of Valentine’s Day.’

And that’s pretty much all we know.

Other than this all star cast, a song by Swift on the soundtrack, and a gazillion trailers on YouTube, you won’t find out much about this movie by searching the internet. Is it this shroud of mystery that will entice you to run to your nearest theater and check it out? Probably not.

The draw of the movie (for me at least) is definitely the all-star cast. Well, that and the fact that I have nothing better to do on February 14th.

Anyway, none of this is as important as what I’m about to share with you. In my personal opinion (which is the only one that matters), what I am about to share with you is pretty epic.

No doubt, you have heard of the concept ‘Six Degrees of Seperation.’ It’s the idea that everyone on the planet can be linked to each other through six people (staggering, right?). Anyway, this concept has evolved into ‘Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,’ where you try to link every person in Hollywood to Kevin Bacon.

While I love me some Bacon (of all sorts), I prefer just having the game go on and on forever with no end, linking one Hollywood star to the next via movie roles (I also like to include television roles and relationships in the mix- which is often met with criticism from my friends).

Anyway, I decided to test my knowledge and try to link all nineteen headliners from Valentine’s Day to each other. Of course, I succeeded. And with only limited fact-checking help from IMDB (what? I wasn’t going to post this with errors and look like an idiot!).

So here it is, the entire cast of Valentine’s Day linked to each other in what I like to call ‘From Lopez to Dempsey’ (the Valentine’s Day cast is bolded):

George Lopez : The Spy Next Door -> Billy Ray Cyrus: Hannah Montana Movie -> Taylor Swift: who dates/dated -> Taylor Lautner: Twilight -> Kristen Stewart: Adventureland -> Ryan Reyolds: Dick -> Michelle Williams: Brokeback Mountain -> Anne Hathaway: Princess Diaries -> Hector Elizondo: Grey’s Anatomy -> Eric Dane: Marley and Me -> Jennifer Aniston: Rumor Has It -> Shirley MacLaine: Steel Magnolias -> Julia Roberts: whose neice is -> Emma Roberts: Hotel for Dogs -> Don Cheadle: Crash -> Sandra Bullock: All About Steve -> Bradley Cooper: Failure to Launch -> Kathy Bates: Titanic -> Kate Winslet: The Holiday -> Cameron Diaz: What Happens in Vegas -> Queen Latifah: Bringing Down the House -> Steve Martin: Cheaper by the Dozen -> Ashton Kutcher: That 70s Show -> Topher Grace: Win a Date with Tad Hamilton -> Josh Duhmal: Transformers -> Tyrese: Four Brothers -> Terrence Howard: Iron Man -> Robert Downey Jr.: The Soloist -> Jamie Foxx: Stealth -> Jessica Biel: Summer Catch -> Freddie Prinze Jr: She’s All That -> Paul Walker: Into the Blue -> Jessica Alba: Never Been Kissed -> Michael Vartan: Alias -> Jennifer Garner: Catch Me If You Can -> Amy Adams: Enchanted -> Patrick Dempsey

That is what I came up with. And I am pretty damn proud of it.

Could it be done differently? Why yes, of course. It took me 35 movies/TV shows/relationship links to get through the whole cast (I didn’t repeat any actors, movies or TV shows), and I’m sure if I tried again and took some different ‘routes,’ it would turn out completely different. Maybe I can even get it down to less than 35 links… but we shall save that challenge for another day.

Danielle is the Television and movies Editor  for Girls Guide. You can check out her personal blog, Addicted to Television, where she talks about her television obsession. If you want to give her free movie passes she wouldn’t be shy in taking them, so you can email them to her at danielle [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @daniellesmyname.

Like a shining beacon in the dull, gray landscape that is the work week, a happy hour (or more likely happy hours) at a local establishment with friends or co-workers can sometimes be just what you need to get through a tough day on the job. Lucky for us, most restaurants and bars in the St. Louis area recognize this need and offer food and drink specials during the early evening hours after work. I’ve been to a few happy hours in my day, and highlighted below are a few spots whose great deals make me just about as happy as the half-priced drinks themselves:

Ice Kitchen – Westport Plaza

Ice Kitchen opened last summer and comes from the same owners of Drunken Fish and Xes Nightclub. The vibe is swanky and trendy, with blue backlighting everywhere; it really does make you feel like you might be in some sort of ice cave… without the inconvenience of being freezing cold. The happy hour specials are hard to beat. They have an extensive list of martinis and cocktails, all of which are half price from 3pm until 7 pm every weekday.  Their happy hour also includes specials on selected food items and domestic bottles. Make sure to check out the ice bar – it keeps your drink cold as you sip!

Bristol Seafood Grill – Creve Coeur

Bristol may already be a favorite for some of you seafood lovers, but have you ever been there for happy hour? Every Sunday through Friday from 4pm until 7 pm, all of their signature handcrafted martinis and cocktails are half off– and delicious! My all time favorite is the ‘Pink Pops’ martini. In addition to half price drinks, they also offer special prices on appetizers and lobster. If you’re looking for a relaxing, classy place to hang out after work, this is it! Make sure you sit in the bar, as happy hour specials only apply to that area of the restaurant.

The In Spot – Delmar Loop

I’ll be honest – I actually haven’t tried this place yet, but their happy hour special is too good not to mention. From 4:30pm until 7pm it’s all you can drink wines, and all you can eat appetizers and desserts for only $10. The only problem is that this special only happens on Fridays. The upside is that they have several other specials that you can take advantage of any day of the week:

Movie & Dessert Special – Bring in your same day movie ticket stub and get a free dessert with any martini or wine purchase
Girls Night Out Special – 2 drinks, 2 food items and 2 desserts for $25
Couples Special – 4 drinks, 2 food items and a shared dessert for $35

Houlihan’s – all St. Louis area locations

Normally I steer clear of most chain restaurants unless I’m stuck in an airport (in which case, Chili’s Too is the best!). But once my work friends and I discovered the happy hour specials at Houlihan’s, we became what you might call “regulars.” Every day from 3pm until 6pm, all appetizers are $6 and house cocktails and draft beer are half off. If you feel like spending a little more, try the mini martini flight – 3 cute, little, yummy martinis for $9. And don’t worry, “mini” doesn’t mean shot glass-sized. The smaller versions are probably a little bigger than half of a regular martini, so you don’t feel cheated. Just remember to sip, these babies go down quickly!

The Post – Maplewood

If beer is your drink of choice, and sports your viewing preference then you won’t want to miss out on happy hour at The Post. It doesn’t get much cheaper than $2 domestic pints. Combine that with $5 appetizers and $3 well drinks, and you’ve got yourself a great deal. The Post is always a fun, energetic place to hang out- especially during big games. It’s not necessarily the low-key option, but it’s the kind of place where excitement and enthusiasm are contagious, and you may find yourself making a few new friends by the end of the night.

Image credit: Biteclubeats.com

Carlie is the Food and Drink Editor for Girls Guide. By day she is an educational textbook editor, and she moonlights as a foodie and barfly. You can email her at carlie [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and you can follow her on Twitter – @carbirwin.

I’m a traditionalist. I don’t really catch on to new trends all that often. Marketing, for the most part, doesn’t go over with me well; I a skeptic traditionalist. When yoga and pilates hit the popularity exercise scene I had a hard time with them- especially yoga. “Exercise” meant running around like a demon child, usually chasing after some kind of ball or person. Hence soccer, basketball, tag, you know- all the good stuff. While I know that yoga and pilates are a total work out, I had a hard time accepting this fact, even after waking up the mornings after my yoga or pilates workouts and feeling like my body wouldn’t allow me to move. Where’s the ball? Where’s the sweating? Why is everyone laying down on mats? And wearing pants? You can’t work out in pants! No, suuuurely, this isn’t a work out. (So, so, wrong.)

Two weekends ago I tried out a friend’s Wii Active for the first time. I had my reservations, so much that I had planned on going to the gym after our Wii Active play date. I had played the Wii Fit before and that’s exactly what it felt like- play. The Wii Fit has various categories and as you work through each category, you open more advanced options. From aerobics to strength training, to balance games, to yoga- the Wii Fit is fun, but I always found myself fairly distracted. Then I played the Wii Active…

Active has a much faster pace. And instead of working through a menu where once you’ve finished one activity you pick out a follow up, the active sets you up for a 30 minute workout that is more streamlined and continuous. You pick out your work out and your work out time, and the Active gives you back to back activities- almost like a virtual boot camp instructor. No, your rec room isn’t going to grow an obstacle course. But, you do go through various activities, all based on working out what you’ve chosen to focus on. In my case, we choose “Mostly Upper” in order to work out our upper bodies. Our work out was a variety of boxing, traditional aerobics, stretching and strength training. I took it seriously, worked out hard, sweated, didn’t need to go to the gym afterwards and was sore for two straight days.

I don’t have a Wii because a) I’m poor and b) I don’t know how much I’d actually play it at my house. I’ve never been a work out DVD kind of girl. The friendly confines of my home beckon me to either baking or sleeping, and occasionally getting a wee bit crafty. But never exercise. I’m afraid I’d spend money on a legit workout opportunity to have in my home and then… never use it. The key to working out is to know what works for you. You have to know yourself so as to not fall in the work out gutter. Work out self has to outsmart lazy self. I know that for my routine work outs, I have to go to the gym. If I don’t leave my home, I won’t work out. I have a couple of DVDs that have been played a few times and sets of free weights that occasionally get used while I’m watching a game, but for an hour long work out I need the gym. It’s just how I’m programmed. I have no distractions, no kitchens, no internet, no couch. However, for those who have a little more will power, the Wii Active, in my opinion, would be the way to go.

Like almost anything in life, the Wii Active gives you back what you put into it. If you cheat the work outs, you’re cheating yourself. The Wii won’t be offended, but you’re offending yourself. If you throw lazy punches, you’re not getting a work out. You’re just flailing your arms. However, if you throw hard, quick punches, in which you turn your hips (ladies, let’s not lie, all of our power is in our hips, literally), you will get a work out.

The very first thing the Wii Active work out had me do was throw punches for three minutes. If you think this is easy, go try it. And throw hard punches. The ones where you twist your hips and your fist goes from having a thumbs up (close to your body) to an extender arm with a thumbs sideways. Three minutes of those will tone your upper back and arms pretty quickly. I severely underestimated what the Wii Active could do for me, when I took it seriously. And my upper back ached (in the good way) for days. Every work out routine needs a little change every now and then, so it doesn’t get boring. While it’s still cold out and my leagues are between sessions, the Wii Active is a good choice for me. Even if I’m going to another person’s house, their couch is less of a distraction than mine!

P.S. I’m also here to tell you… GEAUX SAINTS! I like you, Peyton Manning (especially in your commercials_ but what the Saints have done this season and for their city is amazing. I don’t want it to stop!

Annie is the Sports and Fitness Editor for Girls Guide. She writes about all kinds of sports related topics and then really goes out and plays sports almost every evening. You can contact Annie by emailing her at annie [at] girlsguidetothegalaxy [dot] com, and we are still trying to talk her into getting a Twitter account – no success yet.