Here is my new favorite toy: an indoor rowing machine. I had never used one of these before and my trainer at the gym plopped me on it at the end of my workout for the day. I totally loved it, even though I was tired from lifting already. The rhythm of it felt very natural and relaxed even though I was working hard. It is a great all-around body workout and, at least for me, a very meditative movement - sort of a "rowing meditation" akin to walking meditation. Once I was comfortable with the rhythm and technique I focused on my breathing and quietly rowed away for 20 minutes. If you go to a gym and you've always skirted around the rower to get to the ellipticals or bikes, ask someone how it works and give it a try, you may be surprised.

Once the addition to our house is finished we had planned to get an elliptical so we could do some basic workouts at home and I had considered maybe a weight bench too, but now the weight bench is out and the rower is in.