I've pushed laundry day as far as I can. I'm down to Christmas-themed underwear and gaucho workout pants. In other words, I wasn't going to be caught dead at the gym this morning in the outfit I'd cobbled together. So instead I tried The Best of Tamilee's Buns, Abs, & Arms workout DVD.

Remember Tamilee Webb? In high school I owned all her workout tapes (yep, tapes): Abs of Steel, Buns of Steel, and Arms of (you guessed it) Steel. I loved her perky personality and encouraging style, and when I finally met her in person last year, she was just as energetic and cool. Her new DVD is sort of a greatest hits of all my favorite oldies: three 15-minute workouts (one for butt, one for abs, and one for arms) with moves from the original tapes. I did the butt and ab routines, and a few sets in my "buns" were feeling the burn. Even though Tami says the plans are targeted to a specific body part, the exercises all work more than one muscle group at once. (For example, I did biceps curls while I lunged, and shoulder presses while I squatted.) In other words, I didn't need to do the arm routine to get an arm workout. If you like fitness DVDs, check this one out; it's definitely going to be on stand-by for my laundry days.

I did it! This morning I got to the gym at 8. Was I tired? Oh yeah. Did I growl at a trainer who said 'good morning!' too cheerfully? You bet. But I did it.

I walked on the treadmill for five minutes and then did my favorite upper-body strength routine. I'm a back-to-basics girl when it comes to weight training, so the moves are super-simple: biceps curls, lat pulldowns, triceps dips (with my hands on a balance disc if I'm feeling strong), chest presses, and lateral raises. I always do resistance exercises in a circuit (with no rest between sets) to save time.

After that, I pulled out the walking routine I designed for Workout Express in the October issue. We plan our issues months in advance, so I hadn't done it in a while—and I'd totally forgotten how challenging it is! When I cranked the treadmill's incline up to 10, I swear I could hear my thighs say uncle, but I kept going. Give it a whirl (the October issue is on newsstands now) and let me know what you think!

Check it out here: www.wpix.com (click on Wake-up workout: The instant butt lift from the Morning News Blog menu)

After today, dragging myself out of bed early tomorrow to hit the gym should feel easy...right?

You know that girl who spends a faithful three hours a day checking items off her wedding to-do list? I'm so not that girl. It took me six months to book a wedding location, I chose a florist because she called me back, and even though I swore I'd get myself into the best shape of my life for my wedding, it's now one month away and I've done little. Don't get me wrong: The mini workouts I've been doing every day have kept my weight in check (and my heart healthy), but they haven't toned my arms or flattened the little pooch around my middle.

So this is it, people...it's crunch time, and I've got some work to do. (And hopefully writing about it here will motivate me even more to do it!)

My goal By October 12, I want to have a firmer belly, better posture, and the sculpted arms that my fiancée Dave used to call my "girl guns."

• Warm up for 5 minutes on a cardio machine
• Do an upper- or lower-body strength workout (I'll do each one twice a week)
• Walk, do the elliptical, ride the bike—or some mix of all three&—for 30 to 45 minutes of cardio
• Do foam roller releases (I'll show you a few next week) and stretch for 5 to 10 minutes

My schedule If you've been reading this blog, you know that I've been saying I don't have time to exercise. So to reach my goals in just four weeks, I'm going to have to do something radical. I'm talking about...wait for it...working out in the morning. (FYI: I was once nicknamed "sunshine" by a facetious co-worker because of my less-than-sunny morning demeanor.) But if I just get up one hour earlier I can check "work out" off my to-do list before I even have my coffee. So every night, I'm going to look at my schedule for the next day and figure out when I can fit in my workout. If it's looking crazy-busy, I'm going to hit the gym in the morning. Are there any fellow night owls who successfully made the switch to morning workouts? Please tell me some tricks that helped you do it. And wish me luck...

As part of my "squeeze in a workout whenever" philosophy, I hit the gym at lunchtime yesterday. I did the elliptical for a half-hour, stretched, and then freaked out when I looked at the clock. (Mid-day workouts apparently don't leave time for showers.) So today I brought along these Power Shower wipes ($3.95; trisports.com). They smell fresh, not flowery, and one was enough for me to wipe down all my sweaty spots. In less than two minutes—and thanks to a quick swipe of lip-gloss—I looked and felt refreshed enough to head back to work.

Every month I create a playlist to go with the plan in "Workout Express." When I first started, the mixes were lifted straight from my iPod, which meant lots of alternative rock and Jersey bands (don't even think about knocking Bon Jovi). But I now consult friends, co-workers, and even the billboard charts for ideas. My favorite song right now: Good Time by the Brazilian Girls (I have to thank my friend Steve for introducing me to this band a few years ago.)

So tell me: who or what should I be listening to this month? I want to hear about your favorite band, album, or song for working out. Who knows, maybe you'll see your pick on the pages of Shape.