Losing Weight the Hoopnotica Way {Giveaway}

My background in physical education didn't keep me from gaining way too much weight with my last two pregnancies. Having the babies back to back and abdominal surgery shortly thereafter didn't help the waist line either. I have the same problem most women in my situation have, I just don't have a lot of time to exercise. I also get bored easily - I need something fun and challenging.

Luckily, I was in a forum recently when people were discussing a product from Hoopnotica. At first I thought, "A hula hoop? Too easy!" but after watching a video I realized that this isn't the hula hoop of my childhood. They were using the hoop in ways that looked graceful and fun. Not to mention their kickin' bodies and I was sold!

I have the Hoopnotica TravelHoop that breaks down into 6 pieces. It is super easy to put together and take apart, it also comes with a travel strap for easy portability. I was shocked at how large it was and realized that it is heavier than a normal hula hoop. How was I ever going to keep that up off the ground!? You will need a large area to use the hoop and if you have toddlers around - make sure they are no where near-by or you'll surely bop them in the head. It was so easy to get going and after a few minutes I was thinking, "Boy this is simple!" That was until my thighs started burning a bit and then the abs... It is actually easier to keep up because it is larger (I am sure my husband, the science teacher, knows why exactly).

When you purchase your hoop online, you will have the option of purchasing their Level 1 DVD at 50% off. I found a 10-minute video posted by Hoopnotica on YouTube that is a serious butt-kicker. In that video, the instructor only used 5 of the 6 pieces and boy does that make keeping that hoop up harder! It is also a good option for those of you with less room to hoop or who might be more on the petite-size.

Hoopnotica has termed their workouts Hoop Dance. While they look fabulous and graceful doing this - I looked absolutely ridiculous and I am sure that over time I will not look so awkward. There are several dance DVD's to choose from, even a Bollywood and Yoga workout. Pregnant? They have a pregnancy workout too!

What I love the most about the hoop is I can pull it out while watching TV and do a quick workout. I just keep it behind the couch where I can grab it when I have a few minutes and I just get my heart-rate up for as long as I have available. Sometimes I realize I have been hooping for 15 minutes as I get distracted by the show. I have mastered chest hooping and working on hand hooping. That gets a bit dangerous - make sure the breakables and other people are clear.

BUY IT!: Hoopnotica is offering my readers a $5 discount on their first order. Use the code KT1118 at checkout.
WIN IT!: One of my readers will win a TravelHoop by Hoopnotica!

TO ENTER: Click HERE and then tell me one of the benefits of hooping.
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Extra Credit! You may do any or all of the following, just don't forget to leave a separate comment for EACH one you do:

• Blog about this giveaway with a link to my blog (http://agiveawayaddictedmommy.com) and Hoopnotica (http://hoopnotica.com) 2 entries, leave 2 comments
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• Follow me AND Hoopnotica on Twitter and tweet the following: WIN a @Hoopnotica TravelHoop and shape up the fun way! @kariellen http://tinyurl.com/ylkqxln Leave the link to your tweet in your comment. You can do this once a day! Just come back and leave the link each time you do.

Contest ends October 23rd at 11:59 PST and a winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. I will contact the winner on October 24th and they will have 48 hours to respond. Open to entrants Worldwide.

**Entries are Per Person, Per Email Address, Per Household, Per IP Address and/or Per Blog. Failure to follow these rules will lead to disqualification in this contest and all future contests on this blog. In other words, no cheating please.

This post was written after receiving the product free of charge for review. It is the only form of "payment" received for writing this post and all views and opinions are mine alone. I cannot guarantee that you and/or your family will love it as much as I have - but I would be totally surprised if you don't.