Review: Zumba Fitness 2 for the Wii

I've been going to Zumba classes for the past 2 years. I love Zumba. But recently I wasn't excited to go to class. The classes have been super packed. There are 2 new gyms opening near me soon so I was hoping to hang on and keep going to the overcrowded Zumba classes until the new gyms opened. But I found myself wanting to skip classes more and more.
I decided to buy the Zumba 2 game for the Wii. When I was at Gamestop they only had the second one, not the first. The gal at the register said she heard this one was better. Does anyone have the first Zumba? Any thoughts?
I did want to buy Zumba for the Kinect but we don't have one and I wasn't willing to shell out the cash when I bought the game. Maybe another day.
Anyhoo, I've had the game for about a month. I like being able to do the workout when I want, when I want. I get the same workout as the class. In fact a lot of the songs and moves are just like the class. I would recommend this to someone who wants to learn Zumba before heading to a class or someone who's enjoyed the classes but can't attend them for whatever reason.
My favorite songs are Pause by Pitbull:

I couldn't find the Wii version but the Kinect has the same moves. This is the same choreography that we would do in class.
Poison by Nicole Scherzinger:

I would never listen to this song outside of the game, but it's a great workout song.
Caipirinha:

I loved this one in class.
What I don't like:

• Sometimes it's hard to follow along. The cues only show a few steps. Also there's few cues to transitions. I get lost sometimes. But the more you do the less you'll need the cues.
• Perhaps it's easier with the Kinect but sometimes the Wii doesn't seem to pick up my movements. I'll be killing a song but only half the steps register. I'm still getting the same workout but I like the positive reinforcement of the Zumbas and the stars. 
• The belt that came with the game didn't fit :( I bought some elastic at the fabric store and threaded it through the back of the Wii rubber grip. Sometimes it slips down but can be easily adjusted. 

Overall two thumbs up!

Disclaimer: I bought this game with my own money and no one asked me to write this post. I really like the game and wanted to share my thoughts.

Getting My Geek On At PAX

For years I've been waiting to go to PAX, a festival about games (tabletop, card, and video games). Every year I miss the opportunity to buy tickets. This year my friends were on top of things and got us tickets for PAX. So Saturday morning we got in this line to check out what was coming out in everything games:

There were probably 1000 people in line when we got there at 9:15am (doors opened at 10am). Once they opened the doors we rushed in. I was excited to wander around the Expo Hall and see what was there.

I'm excited for the Tron movie coming out. And they had the new Tron game. I didn't wait in line to play the game but from what I saw it looked pretty cool.

I was excited to see the Delorean from Back to the Future. It was there to promote their new game.

Patrick thought this bike was pretty cool.
I bought one game-The Last Night on Earth-a tabletop game. The guy who was demoing the game was part of the company and worked on this game. He had a lot of enthusiasm for the game and it made me excited for the game. Besides it sounded like a lot of fun for a game night.
There was a lot I missed at PAX since I was there for a short period of time. I can't wait for next year and do it all over again!

My Holiday Wish List

Since it's now December I can share things my holiday wish list. As I tell Tai anything he doesn't get me for Christmas, he can get me for my birthday (Jan) or Valentine's Day.

I'm still hoping that I can learn to sew. Tai thinks it's a lofty goal but I'd still like to try. Maybe take some classes too.

 

I'd like to improve my picture taking. I think I'm getting better with taking pictures with my point and shoot but there's a lot of things I feel I can't do without a DSLR. Probably cause I read too many photographer blogs.

We need an Xbox 360 to complete our video game console collection. I love fighting games and Tekken is one of my favorites to play at the arcade.
What's on your wish list?

You Say Gamer Like It's A Bad Thing

While at a party over the weekend, I had the following exchange with another woman.

Her: I heard your husband got a new job. Where does he work?
Me: Insert local game company name here.
Her: Oh I'm sorry.
Me: Huh?
It turns out that this woman had some preconceived ideas of gaming. She told me that gamers particularly those who role play like to dress up like the game characters. She doesn't want her 2 teenage sons to get into D&D especially.
I was so confused cause this isn't the first time I've met her and she knows that we play games (board games, video games, etc). And I've never seen Tai dress up like a dwarf (not even on Halloween). Some people do enjoy dressing up but that's not limited to game players. Has she ever heard of a Star Trek convention?
So when I open mouth and insert foot I usually stop and reverse as quickly as I can. But this lady seemed to be ok rattling on her preconceived notions. I accept that she doesn't get it and I wasn't going to sell her anything she didn't want to buy, so I switched the subject when I could.
Do you have preconceived notions about people who play D&D? Should I dress up like an elf the next time I see her?

Currently....

using
My new toy! I bought the Smartshopper this week. I found a good deal on Buy.com and had to buy it. Tai had fun trying to "stump" it. I can't wait to really use it!

wanting
I cannot wait for Beatles Rock Band to be available! I love Rock Band and we've played a lot of the songs I know. I know almost every song the Beatles wrote so this should be easy and fun!

readingOnce upon a time, I used to read 10+ magazines. But then I met Tai who hates it when I read and watch tv. So I stopped subscribing to tons of magazine because I didn't have time to read them all. But I couldn't stop reading Real Simple. I love this magazine. I always find interesting ideas. I love the recipes!

Swapping

Get your minds out of the gutter, people!
I recently signed up for Swaptree. I liked that you could swap books, movies, CDs, and games. I'd seen other sites where you just swapped books which is a little limiting.
I recently completed my first trade. I swapped this:And got this:
It's free to list and swap. The only thing you pay for is shipping. I sent the book with 3 day shipping for about $2. You only have to trade for things you want. I'm looking movies that I want to add to our collection and games that I'm wanting to play. Check it out!

Foodie Fight!

My friend Janet had a birthday recently I was looking for a food related gift to buy her. I contemplated buying her kitchen gadgets but I wasn't sure what she needed. So I found this:It's like trivial pursuit but about food. Some of the questions are kind of hard but you'll learn something new and have some fun at the same time. If you know someone who likes to cook and knows a lot about food (think Alton Brown wannabe) then this would be a great gift for them.

Currently....

playing
In order to help me lose a couple of pounds this month, I bought DDR for the Wii. It's so much fun. I even got Tai off the couch for a couple of rounds. There is a workout mode so it helps you track how many calories you burn.

using
I actually had this pizza cutter on our registry but I found it at a deep discount. I couldn't help buying it! It works so well. I recommend it.

drinking
We bought this on sale at Target on a lark. So yummy. I combine 3 tea bags of this with 3 bags of plain green tea and it's perfect. Just flavorful enough but not overwhelming.

listening

Tai and I love this song. At least once a night he'll ask me to play this song. It's our current favorite.

Currently...

Eating







Mr A wanted me to try to make this last week for baking day. It was so easy to make. Just add butter to the ingredients in the box. It tastes great!

Reading








I bought this on a whim. I used to watch her show, but stopped because her voice annoys me. But her magazine is full of interesting ideas and good recipes. I would definitely pick it up again.

Wanting








We played this at Jeff's a few weeks ago. I had so much fun. Even Mr A had a good time with it. He usually doesn't like these types of games but he thought it was fun.