By the time you have your third baby, you really don't need any new gear. We had already bought or received hand-me-downs for every swing, bouncer, and gadget a baby could want. We had a girl, then a boy, so regardless of gender our third baby would be clothed. The one thing I felt like I didn't have was a baby carrier that I absolutely loved and was comfortable enough to use for long periods of time. I had heard good things about the Lillebaby carriers and was curious about whether they would be a good fit for me.
Read MoreAh, parenthood. There's nothing more magical than watching your offspring grow into a kind, brave, and happy child. There's nothing less magical than getting on the floor and playing toys with them. As much as I love my children and acknowledge the importance of imaginative play for their development, I find it incredibly mind-numbing as an adult.
Read MoreWhen I finally decided to take my blog from hobby to business a year and a half ago, I had no idea how I was going to make it work. I knew nothing about how blogs make money. I was clueless about getting traffic to my blog. I was writing about my family's weekends and long philosophical essays that no one was reading.
But I was determined to figure it all out.
Read MoreMy goal for moms is to make health and wellness simple and accessible. You shouldn't need an advanced degree in nutrition to eat healthily, and you shouldn't need to be a certified personal trainer to get a good workout. In the same way, you shouldn't have to pay hundreds of dollars each month on fitness classes (even though those can be fun, effective, and a good strategy for those who need accountability).
If you have the discipline and desire to exercise at home on your own, let me make some suggestions for setting up an effective home gym for the lowest price possible.
Read MoreI am forever on the hunt for the perfect multi-use bag or backpack. You know why? Because I hate buying bags. Just hate it. I already have way too many purses, backpacks, tote bags, canvas bags, laptop bags, grocery bags, and overnight bags in my house and I seriously can't stand it. The last thing I need is another bag I can only use for one specific situation, then have no idea where to store it when it's not in use.
Read MoreEvery month I love to share my favorite food, products, and moments both to share with my readers and because it's fun to look back on every few months to see what we were doing. February truly flew by, but it was a really fun month! I'm sharing a few of the things that made it a great month. Feel free to share your favorites from February in the comments!
Read MoreI think sometimes we're looking for huge radical changes we can make in order to get healthy or lose weight. We think we can't succeed unless we completely overhaul everything we're doing because it's obviously not working.
After years of trial and error and plenty of experience, I am firmly in the camp that says small simple changes add up to the biggest results. They are more sustainable long-term and easier to implement in your already-established schedule.
Read MoreYou know what's amazing about being pregnant? Not the morning sickness, heartburn, swollen feet, or headaches. No, what's amazing about being pregnant is that you have this glorious round belly that you can stick out as far as you want and people gush over how cute it is.
Postpartum bellies are a different beast. No one is fawning over your saggy post-baby stomach. No one is telling you how cute your postpartum clothes are. It's an awkward stage where it's almost impossible to get dressed in the morning. You're trying to avoid "are you pregnant?" comments in public, so shirts have to be flowy. Your maternity clothes are too big, but your old clothes are too tight in all the wrong places. If you're nursing, you need to have boob access.
Read MoreWhen I first started the MuTu System to lose the baby weight and heal my diastasis recti, I thought doing 10-15 minutes of core work each day was enough. I completed the 12-week program, and even made great progress!
However, once the 12 weeks was complete, I only remembered to do the core work a few times a week and tried to jump right into high-intensity interval training right away. Suddenly my back was bothering me again, and my insides started to feel like they were falling out through my belly button. I was right back to where I started.
Read MoreBeing a mom is hard. I know this because I've hidden in my closet and cried hot tears of exhaustion and frustration. I know this because my body has sustained injuries, aches, and pains as a result of becoming a mother. I also know this because our culture reminds me at every turn how hard motherhood is, but how worth it!
It's all true. It's hard and also worth it.
But sometimes I fall into this trap of feeling at once self-satisfied AND indignant about everything I have suffered in the name of motherhood.
Read MoreIt's no secret that I love my protein shakes! I replace one or two of my meals with a high-protein meal replacement shake every single day. This is absolutely the best one on the market. Sometimes, however, I like to have a high-protein snack in between meals to eat along with a piece of fruit, or I want something warm to eat instead of a cold shake. In these situations, I like to make protein snacks with my shake powder for my kids, my husband, and me.
Read MoreI 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.
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