Will my J.Crew Favorite Fit corduroy pants make it through the season? If they weren’t such an eye-catching, and thereby memorable, color, I might wear them everyday, but they are burnt orange (Eye of Texas, anyone?). I am sure people with whom I come in daily contact, talk amongst themselves and wonder, “Is she wearing those pants again today?”

These are the best fitting pants ever. I admire the J.Crew Favorite Fits so much that I sent them for two of my friends at Christmas. Low-slung with cute brads on the pockets, make these cords hot. Did I mention they came in an array of great colors?

These pants have gone on sale and are only available at J.Crew online. Many of the sizes and colors are gone. It’s so J.Crew to offer something great and not produce enough to satisfy the need of the people!

Last Winter J.Crew had the greatest mustard colored cardigan with glass buttons. I spied the sweater when I was on a trip and planned to buy it when I returned home to find it sold out. Hopefully, they will replenish their stock soon.

by Bitsy

Beating the wintertime indoor blues with toddlers is constant challenge. A wise mom will invest in the Kangaroo Climber from Step2 and watch as her children expel energy from the warm comforts of home. All of my kids are able to act as if they are on a playground in the park even though we are couped up in the living room.

At first I thought this monstrosity would take up my entire free area, but it is really pretty compact considering it has a slide. The kids can’t get enough of the climbing and jumping, on the durable Step2 plastic. It snaps together without tools and disassembles quickly for storage.

At about $120 I think it is an amazing investment in bad weather sanity. The resale value of Step2 products is high, so consider using this for a few seasons and then letting another family thank you for introducing them to the Kangaroo Climber.

by Helene

Occasionally, I will grab a Smart One’s frozen meal to take with me to work for lunch. As most people, I have my favorite dishes and ones that I don’t care for at all. On a recent grocery trip I found that they had created a new line called, “Fruit Inspirations.”

They have added the flavor of real fruit with vegetables and protein. You can choose from Orange Sesame Chicken, Pineapple Beef Teriyaki, Cranberry Turkey Medallions or my personal favorite - Honey Mango Barbeque Chicken. My first choice meal also has only 240 calories. The mango gives you a burst of sweet, while the barbeque delivers a tangy blend of spice.

These dishes already keep you in-check with following a diet, but most frozen healthy meals I’ve tried were very bland. Smart One’s new line is bursting with flavor!

by Emily

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Here we will tell you about the things we can’t live without. If you have a “must have” item to pass along please e-mail us. We welcome contributions from our readers and are always looking for new reviewers.

Since I suffer from eczema I have trouble wearing eye shadow. It dries out my eye lids and starts itching and flaking the skin on my eyes very quickly. Needless to say I was ecstatic when I discovered Maybelline’s Dream Mousse.

It’s a smooth eyeshadow that I apply with my finger. It is very moisturizing and have completely alleviated the itchy, irritated eyelids I had before.

The color smooths out nicely and doesn’t look gaudy or unnatural - which is why I usually shy away from liquid shadows. This product is a must have for me!

by Gidge

Since toning up is on almost everyone’s goals for the new year I want to share an exercise product that I think you will enjoy. Meet the Kettlebell training method. The weight looks a lot like a bowling ball with a suitcase handle attached.

They come in various weights from 10 lbs. to 45 lbs and are made by several different companies. I prefer the Go Fit brand because they fully explain their exercises on a separate DVD and come in colorful coatings.

You can do standard weight training exercises or try the fun and aerobic activities such as the windmill and swing. Using these weights is truly a full body workout, because you combine strength training and use core muscles all in one workout. Come March when you’ve given up on your new year resolution, they will also make a great door stop!

by Emily

It is love, but it is bland love. My skinny friend swears that green tea mints keep her from eating like a cow. Proof is in the pudding – she looks great. On her recommendation I raced to the store to buy OralFixation Mints that claim to be “antioximints.”Guess that is a made-up word. Whatever. If anitoximints will knock a few pounds from my holiday inflated backside, I am game.

Here’s the deal: the mints taste like sweetened buttered air. The taste is so illusive that when the first mint is consumed, there is a huge need to eat another one in hopes that the taste will come through. When that mint doesn’t deliver, a third mint is needed. Then a fourth, then a fifth. By the sixth mint your taste buds feel like they do after being scalded by hot soup. The upside is that you are not hungry.

Bingo. You’re skinny.

by Bitsy

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They look like normal flip flops other than the extra-thick soles. The claim is that walking in these sandals will strengthen and tone muscles in your legs, buttock, stomach and back. Who couldn’t use that?

I was attracted to them because the 5 layer sole reestablishes natural rolling motion of walking & standing, improving posture and reduces stress on knee’s. After a car accident several years ago the right kind of shoes have become very important to managing pain.

But I was skeptical of their claims. Scientists developed these to destabilize your foot as you walk creating continuous tension. Sounds good, but does it work?

My answer is yes and no. Yes, they seem to work my lower leg muscles. No, they don’t seem to burn more calories or work any other part of my body other than my calves. Trust me if they made you lose weight I’d be wearing them in the snow!

They caution you to ease into wearing them by walking only 15-30 minutes per day for the first week. I wore them all day the first day and could barely walk the next morning from soreness. So they do work in that regard. They also make you really tall, which might give the illusion of taller, leaner legs.

You can choose from red or black if you can find them. Bath & Body Works is on back-order right now and the price is $45. I know that is a bit extreme for flip flops, but in my opinion the comfort online was worth the price — firmer butt or not!

Now, I’m not a “light” beer drinker by any stretch of the imagination. As a matter of fact, I’m a huge fan of Guiness so it’s a little strange to sit here on the other side of the beer rainbow, and yet here I am.

When it’s hot, and muggy, and humid, something crisp and cold just hits the spot. And Beck’s Light is just the ticket. It has only 1 WW point per beer and that’s about 64 calories per beer for you carb counters, 3.9 grams of carbohydrates

What is the down side? Well, it has to be cold. I mean, it has to be COOOOOLD. Like, temperatures that true aficionados might scoff at. Because at room temperature, Beck’s Light is some sort of grim beverage served to people as a form or torture - possibly on the 2nd or 3rd level of hell. You know those “cold cups” that you (or less hip people than you that you knew in college) might have used to keep their Milwaukee’s Best icy cold? Well, Beck’s Light would do quite well in those cups.

It tastes better, though, than the college rotgut at the same icy cold temperature. In fact, it’s actually QUITE tasty. I’m giving it a 7 out of 10 on the scale of light beers and deeming it a good use of one Weight Watcher’s point.