I never used to be a morning person. In fact, my sisters used to laugh because I could barely utter a word before I had my cereal and shower. The older I get, however, the more I appreciate the beauty of a perfectly crafted morning routine to help me reach my goals.
Now that I'm a mom of 3, the only way to get some quiet time for prayer, reading, or writing is to wake up before the kids. Since my oldest is a pretty early riser, I have decided to start my day at 5 a.m.
Read MoreIn the past, my options to whiten my teeth were to use white strips from the drugstore or get my teeth professionally whitened at the dentist. I always found the white strips to be a bit slimy, and I could never get them to stay on my teeth long enough to do what they were supposed to do. Getting my teeth professionally whitened would be extremely expensive and would mean bringing a 4-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 9-month-old along. That does not sound fun or relaxing.
Read MoreMy word for 2018 is FUN! I want to find the playful side of whatever I'm doing, from my health and wellness business, to writing, to working out, to my marriage and hanging out with my kids. So often we get stuck focusing on what is mundane or what is lacking from our life that we forget to notice the little moments we could be enjoying.
Read MoreMy third baby in 4 years just turned 9 months. It feels like I've been pregnant or nursing for eternity! This stage of life can be depleting, both physically and mentally. All of your extra energy goes toward growing and raising these little human beings who can't fend for themselves.
Our baby is finally sleeping through the night, so it's time to start restoring balance to our home life. I'm back to setting an alarm to wake up before the kids, my husband and I are both working out first thing in the morning, and we're starting to prioritize our marriage again.
Read MoreSo you've tried everything - meal prep, giving up carbs, every diet out there, and out-exercising a bad diet, but you haven't been able to stick with anything. I was there. I thought intense exercise was my get out of jail free ticket to eat anything I wanted. Then I got married and had a child, and I started stressing about the nutrition choices I was making. Was I feeding my family healthy enough food?
Read MoreIt was a full and exciting month with fresh starts, fun day trips, and lots of snuggles. There were a few rough moments, like sickness, a canceled trip to Phoenix for Lewis and me, and a day or two where I was feeling really down about my core and back pain. Overall, though, I think I can count this as a wonderful start to 2018. My word of the year is FUN, so I'm continuing to focus on finding the playful and joyful side of work, family, and downtime. It was a full and exciting month with fresh starts, fun day trips, and lots of snuggles. There were a few rough moments, like sickness, a canceled trip to Phoenix for Lewis and me, and a day or two where I was feeling really down about my core and back pain. Overall, though, I think I can count this as a wonderful start to 2018. My word of the year is FUN, so I'm continuing to focus on finding the playful and joyful side of work, family, and downtime.
Read MoreMy Nana - my mom's mom- was from London. She used to tell us how when she came to the United States as a young bride, she was horrified at how people would dress in public, to run errands, and especially when traveling. She firmly believed that one should look put together when out and about because it would be respectful to others.
Read MorePacking granola bars, apple slices, bags of cereal, animal crackers, an entire rotisserie chicken, and 3 water bottles in your purse every time you leave the house just in case someone gets hungry. Even if it's just a trip to the library.
Drawing out a game plan for how you'll get everyone safely in and out of their car seats in a parking lot.
Feeling victorious when your FitBit registers getting the kids in and out of their car seats as a workout.
Read MoreYou guys. Nursing hunger is REAL. As a breastfeeding mom, all I can think about is what I'm going to eat next, while simultaneously thinking about how I can fit back into my pre-pregnancy shorts. The solution, of course, is to focus on filling up on nutritious foods, healthy and easy snacks, and lots and lots of water.
Read MoreYesterday as I was leaving my OB-Gyn appointment with all three of my young kids in tow, my doctor made the kindest comment to me. Before I share it with you, though, I need to set the scene:
The baby was screaming in his stroller with snot running down his nose. The two-year-old was trying to put his toy laptop in the basket of the stroller, effectively tripping me and getting his foot run over in the process. The four-year-old was asking questions about my "yearly exam" while standing directly in the path of my stroller in that narrow hallway. I tried to answer her as vaguely as possible over the din of my unhappy baby while smiling apologetically at the nurses.
Read MoreOne thing I've never really known how to do in my adult life is to bake a chicken breast. I understand it's incredibly basic, but I lived in fear of the undercooked chicken.
In a quest to stay on track with my health during the holiday season, I was determined to prepare some seasoned chicken I could use in salads and wraps for lunches, so I used the recipe from The Kitchn, and I was not disappointed! I used the Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning.
Read MoreWelcome to 2018! Where do you fall on the spectrum of New Year's Resolutions? Are you a goal-setter? Do you set an intention or pick a word? Do you avoid the subject altogether, and think of it as just another day?
Personally, I feel no need to wait for January 1st to start striving for new goals. However, it's hard to deny the pull of a fresh start: new year, new month, new week, new everything!
Read MoreMeal replacement shakes are a hot topic, especially when we know so much about the importance of whole foods and clean eating. What most people don't realize is that no matter how much they meal prep, buy organic food, and eat clean, they may still be missing key vitamins and minerals, causing them to feel sluggish or not see the results they're looking for such as weight loss or building lean muscle.
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The weather in Florida lately has been pleasantly chilly, and we've been reveling in the chance to wear pants and long sleeves. Ever since we moved here two years ago, it hasn't really gotten cold until at least February, and even then the chill only lasted for a few days.
Temperatures in the 60s and 70s are prime mom uniform weather, and these days my "momiform" starts with a base of black leggings or black skinnies. Almost any top looks good paired with them, and they can be dressed up or down.
Read MoreEver since moving to Florida I've kept a running list of places I would like to visit with the kids. My entire life I've lived in the midwest (aside from my semester in Quito, Ecuador), so I want to take in everything this state has to offer while we live here.
Read MoreWow. November was a month packed full of activity for us. It sure was busy, but we also enjoyed plenty of down time during Thanksgiving week, so I count that as a win! This month I have been focusing on slowing down and savoring small moments with my kids, like bubble baths, baking cookies, and doing silly voices before bed.
Read MoreIf you ask most moms of young kids who are "working on their fitness," there is very little time or money to spend on their health habit. Of course as moms we make due with what we have, but it often means skimping on equipment we could use or washing and rewearing the same workout clothes multiple times a week.
If you have a woman in your life who also happens to be a mom, and if she loves all things health and fitness (or wants to), here are a few items she may not spend the money on herself that would make the perfect gift.
Read MoreMost parents groan at the thought of more toys entering the house at Christmas time. We spend our entire year decluttering and donating/throwing out/hiding trash bags full of excess toys and clothes, only to fill those empty spaces at Christmas.
Read MoreI've never been good at doing holidays. I'm a classic under-buyer, so I hate spending money on decor. I'm a very type B personality, and love winging it when it comes to plans. So what ends up happening is that a holiday rolls around, and I haven't decorated, haven't done any seasonal activities with my kids, and haven't prepared how we're going to celebrate.
Read MoreI was the perfect parent before I had kids. My kids would NEVER get snacks at church, and they would sit quietly with just a crayon or pencil for the whole service.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
Needless to say, that is not my reality.
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