Fitness and Health

Keep Kids Healthy During School + Citrus Energy Smoothie

August 8, 2016

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #Healthy4School #CollectiveBias

In just one short week, we go to orientation for Hampton’s preschool program. I can’t believe he is about to start school. He will only be going a couple of days a week, but he is so excited and I can’t help but think back on my school days. As a mom, my biggest concern is keeping him healthy. He will be exposed to more germs than he is used to and, because of that, he will expose my other babies. Here are a few key strategies I am using to keep my kids healthy during the busy back-to-school season.

Favorite Free Fitness Resources You Can Do At Home

May 26, 2016

I am a firm believer in not ever paying for a gym membership. If you have the opportunity to workout in a hotel’s gym or your apartment complex has a gym included, I say go for it! I have taken advantage of our free gym at our church’s life center in the past and love to workout in gyms when we are traveling, but I will not ever pay for one. Why should you when there are so many amazing free fitness resources out there that you can do from the convenience of your own home? For this momma, it isn’t realistic to drive to a gym every day and, I know a lot of other mother’s feel the same way. It is so much easier and more doable to workout during nap time in your home or to jog around the neighborhood pushing your littles in the stroller (talk about a great workout!).

The Road to Healthy + Smoothie King Coupon

May 11, 2016

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you guys that I am trying to make more healthy choices in my daily routine and diet. So far, this has been going really well, but I have definitely stumbled a few times. Hey, I’m only human with a huge sweet tooth. So, today when I realized I ate a terrible lunch but was already hungry again, I opted for my go-to. Hello, Smoothie King’s Apple kiwi Kale Smoothie! I am so obsessed with their vegetable blend smoothies. They are delicious and who wouldn’t want to drink a heavenly smoothie on a warm spring (that feels like summer) day all while tricking your mind to think you are drinking a desert and you’re really drinking fruits and vegetables! It’s a win-win! Especially when you can drink it with a $2.99 coupon!

How to Sneak More Greens Into Your Diet

April 12, 2016

One healthy goal I made for myself over a year ago was to eat something green every day. There are a lot of days that this is really easy for me, and lately, I have gotten off of my health kick and have not been eating as well. I am trying to reevaluate why I want to be healthy in the first place and that #1 reason is for my ids. I’ve said it many times before, but I want to be healthy so I can live a long and active life! I want to be able to run around with my kids AND grandkids one day!

5 Total Body Workouts for Rainy Days

January 29, 2016

On Wednesday, we drove down to Florida to spend a few days with my grandparents and to spend some time relaxing. We love to come down to the beach for the obvious reasons, but things have been chaotic at home and it was the perfect time for us to get away as a family for a while. The only downfall? It has been raining since we got here. One thing I was most looking forward to was running on the beach in the mornings, but that hasn’t happened yet. You know what they say? When it rains, pull out your total body, rainy day workouts!

Rainy Day Workouts:

This Total Body Tone Up from Tone it Up works all of the right places. It’s under 15 minutes and is perfect for a quick indoor workout.
These fitness moves with your kids by Simply Sadie Jane is such a fun one and an amazing workout!
If you’re wanting to burn baby burn, try this Kettle Booty workout from Katrina! I love her kettle bell workouts. They make me feel much stronger and I burn a million calories during these workouts. That is a real estimation.
I love doing this quick full body workout from Taylor and Ange to get my blood flowing in the mornings.
And my final favorite rainy day workout is the Hiity Bitty Bikini HIIT workout! I love a good HIIT routine. It gives you a huge amount of calories burned without having to get out and run. When you are rained in, it’s the perfect way to get your burned calorie count up.

As you may have noticed, I included 3 from Tone it Up because they are basically my favorite resource for free workouts. Most all of their routines can be done at home and they have helped me lose my baby weight after both of my pregnancies. I’ve had a lot of success following their weekly fitness schedules, so definitely check them out if you need a couple of people to light a fire under you.

Do you have go-to rainy day workouts?

How to Balance Your Breakfast

January 18, 2016

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We’ve all heard it a million times. It’s also the most skipped meal around this house. I’ve gotten in a really bad habit of making a cup of coffee and calling it a day – or breakfast, anyway. I noticed last week that I started feeling really weak during the late morning and decided I needed to start eating breakfast again. Even if it is just a little something. My go-to is fruit, but I also love yogurt! The only problem with fruit is, it’s basically like drinking water. It doesn’t stick with you very long.

My Favorite Diet Trick

January 7, 2016

Everyone is always asking me how I lose weight. Whether it’s after losing 5 lbs. when I need to, or after losing weight after my babies are born, I typically go with the same formula that has always worked for me. I may not be telling you a new diet trick, but it is the one that works for me. I’m not a nutritionist or any type of health professional, but health is very important to me and my family. I have educated myself by reading a lot on health. We just celebrated New Years and weight seems to really be on people’s minds lately.

Diet

How I’m Getting Fit After Baby #2

December 2, 2015

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Garmin through their partnership with POPSUGAR Select. While I was compensated to write a post about vívofit 2, all opinions are my own

I have always been a very active person. I enjoy working out and exercising, probably because that is what I grew up doing. I was a competitive dancer and even joined my high school’s cheerleading squad. Back then, I thought I was constantly moving, but it doesn’t even compare to what I do now – chasing after a toddler and a baby. After running in the mornings, running errands, feeding the kids, getting them down for naps, blogging and writing, doing laundry and cleaning in the afternoons, cooking dinner, feeding the kids again, playing outside, bath time, and bedtime stories, I feel like I’ve run a marathon by 8 o’ clock every night.

Some mornings, it can be very hard to get up and exercise if my daughter has kept me up all night (which has been a lot lately). I have been losing track of my fitness and haven’t kept up with my goals as much – that is, until I got the new Garmin vívofit 2. I have been wearing this activity tracker for a while now and I have loved using the easy to use app and features. It helps me keep track of how many steps I take throughout the day and how any calories I am burning (anywhere from 1,900 – 2,300) per day. This helps me adjust my diet accordingly.

Because I am still breastfeeding, it is not only very important that I eat enough, but also that the calories I do eat are healthy calories. I have always struggled with my diet because I am a chocoholic. To keep me in check, I am constantly reminding myself that I’m not only feeding myself, but my baby as well. That puts my meals and what I’m putting in my body into a better perspective and it encourages me to eat better.

I love the vívofit 2 activity tracker because it is perfect for a busy mom on the go. It has a 1+ year battery life which is great because I don’t have to take it off to charge it. It monitors my sleep – which can be scary some mornings when I feel exhausted and look at my activity tracker app to find out that I’ve only slept 3 hours. It’s happened. The vívofit 2 automatically syncs with my phone and it is even water resistant which is awesome because there have been a few spit up/bath splashing moments that have happened while wearing it and it was totally fine.

In my first week of wearing this activity tracker, I found out that I sleep 3 to 5 hours a night. I take around 8,000 steps on days I do not exercise and I take well over 10,000 on days that I do. I’m working to get my step count higher so that I’m hitting at least 10,000 a day. I’m also hoping I can start sleeping more. This has been very eye opening and I love that it has made me aware of where I am physically and the areas I need to improve.

Do you wear an activity tracker?
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Simple Lifestyle Hacks That Will Improve Your Health

November 10, 2015

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DailyRepairDifference #CollectiveBias

After I had my second baby back in May, I knew it was time to really get my health under control. I had developed bad eating habits again and had slacked off of exercise routine towards the end of my pregnancy and the few weeks following while I was instructed not to exercise. Because of this, I felt so gross and was really ready to get back to a more healthy lifestyle. I made a few simple changes that didn’t require a lot of work or time. Once I got into the habit of doing them regularly, they became a part of my every day life. Here are the steps I took to improve my overall health:

Simple-Lifestyle-Hacks-Improve-Your-Health

I exercise every day. Even if it is just a quick walk around the block, exercise helps me feel better mentally and physically which is a must for a busy mom of two young children. It also has improved my energy and mood which is an awesome bonus.

I take time for myself. Whether it is going to lunch with a friend or going on a Target run all alone, taking time for myself has definitely helped my stress level and helps me rejuvenate so I can be the best me for my kids.

Drink lots of water. Staying hydrated makes me feel good and gives me more energy which I desperately need on a daily basis to keep up with my kiddos.

I eat at least one vegetable with every meal. Obviously, we still have our occasional pizza nights, but I have made a huge effort to add more vegetables and fruits – specifically apples and oranges – into my diet. By adding at least one to every meal, I have felt a lot better about my diet. Once you get used to eating in a more healthy way, it is hard to go back to eating greasy burgers and fries. At least it is for me because it tends to make me sick and not want those things anymore.

Take Care of Your Teeth. When I was provided samples of the New Colgate Total® Daily Repair™ toothpaste, I was eager to try it. This toothpaste helps prevent gingivitis and plaque build-up, remineralizes tooth enamel, fights bad breath and whitens teeth! What girl doesn’t want that? After all, the best fashion accessory a woman can wear is her smile and that smile needs to be healthy and beautiful. Be sure to check them out on Facebook and Twitter.

I shared how I’m getting healthier with the New Colgate Total® Daily Repair™ toothpaste! How are you getting healthy?

Benefits of Drinking Water and How to Save with Filtered Water

October 9, 2015

This post is sponsored by Pfister Faucets but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

I learned a very valuable lesson during my pregnancy with Sophie-Rae. I need to drink more water. Preferably, filtered water. It was especially important during my pregnancy, but it is still extremely important today. I’m not only breastfeeding, I’m a mother. I am chasing around 2 kids under 2 every day, all day…and night. It’s not as glamorous as it sounds. I know you are all so jealous right about now. 😉

Water is so beneficial to our health and overall happiness. Why? Because it keeps you healthy and gives you energy! It definitely helps me keep moving during the day. Here are a few benefits to drinking water:

Healthy glowing skin

Rids the body of toxins

Energizes your body

Curbs your appetite

Keeps you focused

Not only am I trying to drink a lot more water these days, I also give water to my son and use filtered water for my daughter’s formula bottles when I need them. I have been spending $5 on a case of bottled water every couple of weeks for all of us. That money really adds up. It is important to me that my family drinks healthy and clean water. After testing out tap water using a Water Testing Kit, I was totally grossed out – further confirming why I began drinking bottled water in the first place. After I heard about the Pfister Clarify Faucet, I knew I had to try it! This faucet is exclusively at Home Depot and is the only currently available faucet with Xtract technology.

Results of The Water Testing Kit:

Old Tap Water: I surprisingly found out that our tap water is not as bad as I thought it would be. That is good news for my neighbors! There is still room for improvement, however.

New Filtered Water Through the Clarify Faucet: The filtered water was definitely cleaner. It had lower levels of Copper, Iron and Chlorine.

Well, I think the results are pretty clear. I’m so thankful for our new water filter faucet. It is saving us so much money and is more environmentally safe which is an added bonus. I can pour it in my favorite water bottle and go! No more worrying about plastic.

Do you drink tap water or filtered water? Do you have a water purifier?