Realistic Goals

     This week I am going to stick to a consistent workout. It's definitely not easy to workout with three young kids running around me constantly.  Finding time for family, and time to be with my husband can be so hard. I'm keeping my workouts short, as I know I don't have a lot of time during the day to workout.

    Monday: Gym, 20 min cardio, 30 min weights.

 

    Tuesday: Run on my treadmill, for as long as my knees will let me. Walk the rest of the 30 min time, work on strength training.

 

    Wednesday: Gym, 20 min cardio, 30 min weights.

 

    Thursday: Run on treadmill, for as long as my poor post pregnancy knees will let me, then strength training.

 

    Friday: Gym, 20 min cardio, 30 min weights.

 

Saturday: Gym, 40 min cardio, 40 min weights.

 

Sunday: Rest :-)

 

    Going to the gym every day would be ideal, but I know life gets busy, and I only have so much free time during the day to workout. It will be easier for me to accomplish my goals knowing I'm going to the gym only 4 days out of the week.

     I know I focus a lot of my workouts on weight training. I seriously feel like I'm losing a lot more inches than if I only did cardio alone. I feel like I am molding my body and losing fat in the places I want to most. I have also heard that weight training will help you burn more calories during the day. Not sure how true it is, but I am all for it. I actually enjoy weight training anyway, its kind of peaceful.

     I also mentioned I have knee pain. I know a lot of my readers are mothers, and runners. My question for you is did you ever notice having knee pain after having a baby?  I ask this mostly because I have never had knee pain before, and I have been a passionate runner since a was in Junior High.  After having my third child, my knees started giving me sharp pains in the joints. When the pain starts I always stop what I am doing and rest my knees. I am afraid I will injure my knees if I keep running.  Any advice would be great!!! I really would like to get back into racing again. 

Fighting Boogers One Nostril At A Time..

     I'd like to give you my review on the Nasal Aspirator and Saline Drops for newborns.  These are both items I have used with all three of my children and would like to share for any new moms out there who may not know about them.


Graco Nasal Clear Nasal Aspirator

    This is one of my favorite product out there for sucking boogers out of a newborns nose.  I love it, the only thing I have not liked is that if the batteries are not brand new, then the suction power goes down.  

My babies have never cried much when I suck out the nasty juices in their noses with this. The manual Nasal Aspirator that the hospital gives you are great, but my kids always fussed and sometimes got bloody noses from fighting with them to clear out those little noses. I love this product, must buy for new moms!!!



Don't forget to get saline drops

     Saline drops are safe for newborns noses. It is used to thin out those pesky boogers, so the nose sucker can easily swipe them out. Our pediatrician recommended both of these products to us when we had our first child and I have been using them since.  Love them!!!


Your Turn, so tell me have you used this product, or something similar?  What types of products do you use with your kids that you can't live without?

Disclaimer:  I am not endorsing this exact product, nor was I asked or paid by this company to do this review.  This review is based entirely on my own opinion.



My New Favorite Drink

I was excited to receive this great opportunity to try out some Zola products and give you my review and opinion on them!  

Doesn't the wrapping just make you want to be on vacation:)

The first drink I tried was the coconut water. I'd heard that coconut water in general was a great drink to have after a workout.  So after I got home from a rather exhausting workout I decided this would be the perfect time to try it. I have never had coconut water before, and to my surprise it was quite yummy. 
Each can has 5 essential electrolytes and more potassium than a banana (isn't that cool?).  The next morning, I wasn't nearly as sore as I generally am after a hard workout, it's quite possible it was from all the potassium from the coconut water!  Especially since, I am not always good with getting plenty of potassium in me after a workout.  Maybe, or maybe not, but these are my thoughts and I am sticking to them:)

The second drink I tried was Coconut Water with Pulp.  I am not usually a fan of pulp drinks, but to my surprise it wasn't that bad.  The Coconut Water with Pulp has lots of potassium, sodium and calcium, so this is an excellent workout recovery drink!  If your asking me would I drink this particular pulp drink again, the answer is yes.  Although I didn't try this, I did have thoughts that this might taste great as a frozen slushy drink....  Hmmm maybe next time!

Yes, this is me drinking my New Favorite Drink

The last was the Acai Juice. You may think this is odd, but I have never had Acai juice before.  All I knew was that it is a popular super fruit.  It tasted Amazing, I absolutely loved this drink, I could drink it everyday!!!   I also loved that this product is Organic, it also has Antioxidant power of 2-3 servings of fruits and vegetables per serving.  
Acai Juice is absolutely my new favorite drink!!!  I highly recommend this one out to anyone who loves a great fruit drink, delicious!  You won't be disappointed!
I am going to use the Zola store locator, and find one near me!

Me and two of my kids had a fun sunglasses photo shoot can you tell:)   The coolest part is, I had just lost my sunglasses the day before this arrived.  So thanks to the people at Zola, I am now covered:)

Do you want to try out Zola products too?  Or learn more about them?

Visit the Zola Website by Clicking Here

Find a Zola store by Clicking Here

Visit the Zola Facebook Page by Clicking Here

So let me ask you, have you ever tried Coconut Water before?  What did you think of it?  Have you tried Acai juice before?  Did you love it as I did?

**Disclaimer: Zola sent me the items above for review purposes only.  I was not required to give a positive review.  All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Moms are Awesome.

    Sometimes I feel as if I am not doing the best or being the best mom for my kids. With so many things the world tells me I should be. I look on Pintrest I can't add up to all those Moms who are master chiefs, seamstresses, and arts and crafts extraordinaire. To my kids I am everything. They don't know I am not perfect. One day they will realize this, but at this Young age I am their "Super Mom". I may not be perfect but I do so much more than I notice. I make sure they eat healthy, I play with them, and run around the house playing monster. I read to them, wipe away there tears when their sad and scared. I am up all hours of the night consoling them whether they are sick, or having a bad dream. I am a super mom because, I take my job seriously and I need to remember that and give myself more credit.

Healthier Me

   Fitness Friday

    I have recently celebrated my 30th birthday, most people might dread leaving their twenties and getting older. I am taking a different attitude and embracing life and age. I decided to give myself a goal of living my 30s, 40s, and beyond with a healthier lifestyle, and an awesome body to match it. Who says growing old isn't fun. I think its all in how you look at yourself and treat yourself.

    Being fit is all about a lifestyle change. Dieting is just a quick fix to my physical self. If I change the way I look at food and exercising I will permanently change who I am and begin a journey that will not only make me look better but feel better about myself and my health.

     I started this Journey almost two years ago. I have lost a grand total of 30 pounds, it probably would of been more than this, but I also just gave birth to a new baby. Its probably not healthy and safe to lose weight when your pregnant.  While pregnant I maintained my healthy lifestyle and was able to only gain 30 pounds of pregnancy weight, instead of 50 pounds like I did with my first pregnancy. So I am pretty proud of myself for accomplishing this.

    Changing my eating habits wasn't easy. Slowly over time it has started to mold the way I think about food, and the way I think about what I am feeding my kids. A Moms choice to eat healthier affects the entire family. Instead of buying treats I buy fruit, and yes my kids actually think fruit is a treat. I must be mother of the year for this one! This year I am going to attempt to plant a garden in hopes that maybe I can save a few bucks from constantly buying veggies at the store. I don't have a green thumb at all, so this will be a challenge. I know this step will help me on my journey of a healthier me. If anyone has any gardening tips, send them my way. Eek..

    So here is to my thirties, may they be filled with great health, and happy memories.

The Scary Truth About Peanuts.

    I know I write a lot about my daughter and her peanut allergy on this blog. This allergy has somewhat redefined our lives.  Today an old friend of mine whose son has a peanut allergy was exposed to a peanut today at school. School a place where we should feel safe to send our children. A place that not only am I scared to death for my child to start, but I am scared of the lack of training the teachers have on this allergy.


They do not understand that it isn't just the peanut my child is allergic to. It's food that have been processed at a facility that uses peanuts. Strange foods, foods you wouldn't even think of checking like Cheese, Marshmallows, lollipops, sour cream, yogurt, bread, pretty much any pre-made bakery item, donuts, cookies, cake. This list could go on and on.

 I wish that every teacher was required to be trained on all food related allergies. I wish they could teach them everything I had to learn overnight with my daughters allergy, it isn't difficult to learn just check the labels. Labels in all foods, mayo mustard, flour, sugar, etc. There are so many children affected by food related allergies. It boggles my mind how people don't take this allergy seriously. this is something that could kill my child. Careless individuals that don't take me seriously when I say my child cannot have this.


A few months back I was shopping at a nearby grocery store, they were giving away cookies to kids. they asked my daughter if she wanted a cookie well of course she said, "yes". I stopped the man and said, "She cannot she is allergic to peanuts." he said ,"Oh there are no peanuts in these cookies she can surely have one it wont hurt her." I continued to tell him no, he continued to follow me around the store bothering me and my daughter, who is too young to understand why she couldn't have a cookie. Finally, after numerous times of him telling me that my daughter can have this cookie, and literally following me around the store I said, "show me the packaging from which these cookies contain". He then brought it to me, I pointed out in the allergy warning, "This item is processed in a facility that contains peanuts.", I didn't have to say anything to him after that he apologized and walked away. I wish people would take me seriously. I know what I am talking about I know what my daughter can and can't have.

This allergy is not only real, it is dangerous. Would you let your toddler play with a loaded gun? Of course you wouldn't. That is why I wont let my child eat food that I don't know where its come from. I wont let people babysit my daughter that wont take her allergy serious. I wont, because the value of my daughters life is far more valuable than any treasure the world has to offer me. It isn't worth risking her life.

This brings me back to school safety with peanut allergies. I know I will one day soon need to let go of my child's hand and send her off to school. Hoping I have educated her enough to keep her safe from the dangers of her allergies. I will do my best to educate her teachers as well, but I must walk away and find a way to trust that she will be okay.  Seeing my friend go through this with her child scares me a little more. I hope that those at her school are a little more educated and take her allergy a little more seriously, for not only the sake of her child but for the sake of all moms out there that send there babies off to school with this scary allergy.
 

Finding Time To Exercise

    The most difficult thing for a Mom to find time for is herself. I have three kids, and finding that "Me time" is so hard. One thing that I try to do is exercise, because that's usually the only time I get to myself. I have a gym membership so I try to escape a few times a week, get on the elliptical, or treadmill and put on some music. I love that time I get to myself, I feel so rejuvenated after.

    With three small children, one that is also being breastfed, I feel like I am constantly on call. I try to plan my day around my baby's feedings, nap time and other activities. My husband enjoys going to the gym as well, so finding time for both of us can be difficult.  I know if I don't try and make the time it will become harder and harder to find time as my children, and our family grows. I wish I could be one of those moms that wake up at 5AM to go to the gym before their family wakes up. I however, am definitely not one of those moms.
  
   Working out has its benefits too for me. I've noticed that the days I work out I have so much more energy to play with my crazy kids. I kind of feel I can't be the best mom for my kids if I am not in shape and active.  With summer approaching I am going to need that extra energy for all the walks, bike riding, swimming, park hopping, and chasing around.

    Even though its hard to find time for me to get out and go to the gym and get that "Me time", I need to do it for the benefit of not only my sanity but for my kids.

Peanut Allergy Treatment

     I have posted before about my Daughter having a peanut allergy. I am so excited and thrilled, we have the opportunity to be involved in a clinic study for her allergy. Whats even more amazing about this, is that there isn't a Doctor out here in over 800 miles within our home that is doing this study. We literally are just driving down the street.

     My daughter is thrilled. She keeps telling me she can't wait to be able to eat peanuts. She feels like she will soon not be left out anymore. Although it isn't approved by the FDA this treatment has had great results with those involved. The Doctor set us all down and spent an hour and a half going over the treatment, the pros and cons of the treatment, and answered all our questions. He told us that he finally decided to do this at his clinic mainly because, if his child was in this situation he would want this for them. He feels that he now has been educated on this coarse of treatment to the point where he finally feels comfortable doing this.

     The scary part about not doing this treatment, is my child having a severe reaction when I am not around. I have heard of too many cases where a child was accidentally fed peanuts and has died. I feel that trying something like this would be safer than not trying anything at all. At least if she were to have a reaction during this treatment her  Doctor, whom I trust and have been seeing for years, will be there to assist in a clinic setting.

     There are a number of studies out there for people with peanut allergies. The study we will be doing is,  Oral Immunotherapy. Basically they take microscopic amounts of the peanut and mix it in a solution and over a series of 5-7 months gradually increase until she will be eating a total of 16 peanuts a day without a reaction. Once she reaches the 16 peanut marker they will test her with food in the clinic, and if she has no reaction then we will do maintenance. Maintenance  means,  for the first 6 months after she must eat roughly 16 peanuts a day. After that she must eat 8 peanuts a day for the rest of her life. They did say she could eat stuff like peanut m&ms for her daily dose, so it will be easy for me to get her to eat them. She will also be able to eat an unlimited number of peanuts after that required dose with zero reaction.


     I am still learning a lot about this study. So far, everything I've heard is good. I know during this program there will be reactions the doctor told me these will most likely be mild.  It will however, be nice to have one less thing to worry about when she starts going to school.

     Wish us luck! If anyone knows anything about this study please feel free to comment. Like I said,  I am still learning about this. It sure sounds exciting though.

Losing Weight & Feeling Great!

     Last Fitness Friday, I decided to post about my baby fat. I have been working extra hard trying to get my pre-baby figure back, and this week I was able to lose 2 pounds! I feel this is pretty good for a full time breastfeeding mom. I have noticed that it is hard to balance losing weight without losing milk supply, so I am making a goal of continuing to lose just 1-2 pounds a week as I continue on this journey. With only six more pounds to go, I'm feeling extra motivated.

     We even celebrated a birthday party at my house. With tempting yummy cake and ice cream all around me I was still able to lose this weight. I am so proud of myself!

 

I can't wait to see how much weight I will lose this week!

Adventures of the Big Boy Bed

    Switching your toddler from the crib to a bed can be a challenge. Most don't look forward to the switch. However, my little man can't stay in his crib forever. Also we are needing to move the baby into the crib in the next couple months so I am hoping to get him used to the big bed in time.

    Okay now the bed is up, and the dreaded first night of moving my child from crib to bed has arrived!  How am I going to keep my toddler from climbing out and playing, or screaming all night?  Well this is a work in progress, and I am attempting to follow a regular bedtime routine.  I am also letting him sleep with both his favorite blanky & teddy. Luckily for me he hasn't figured out how to open his door by himself yet.

    My biggest challenge so far, is he keeps getting out to play with toys. However, with my first child I had to deal with the screaming. So I guess I will take playing with toys over that. Ive been going in every 20 min or so and putting him back into bed. I sure hope he goes to sleep soon so Mommy can get some sleep.