Health & Fitness Archives - Page 2 of 5

My Experience with the 21 Day Fix

October 11, 2017 by Danielle

I’ve talked lately about how I really want to get more healthy, strong and in-shape. My ‘baby’ is now 6 years old, yet I still had a decent belly that makes people sometimes wonder if I’m mid-pregnancy or not. I know I’ll never have my pre-baby body back – that ship has sailed – but I’d love to FEEL better about myself, not just by being happy and confident with what I see in the mirror, but also physically feel better. After hearing a lot of people rave about the program called the 21 Day Fix, I finally gave in and purchased it for myself to give it a try. I just completely two rounds, and am sharing My Experience with the 21 Day Fix in case anyone else is curious about it.

First of all, what IS the 21 Day Fix?

Designed by celebrity trainor, author AND working mom Autumn Calabrese, it’s a program that lasts – you guessed it – 21 Days and consists of daily work-outs as well as an eating plan. You use specifically sized containers to help you track the TYPE of foods you eat and how much of each per day, based on your personal body size and target caloric intake for during the program.

Red = Protein
Green = Vegetables
Purple = Fruit
Yellow – Carbohydrates
Blue = Cheeses
Orange = Seeds & Nuts

Don’t worry, the little booklet that comes with it breaks it all down, including lists of EXACTLY what foods count. If you’re going for the ‘healthiest’ options, go from the top of the lists and work your way down. It tells you how to factor your target calories, then how many of each container you need to fit into that range.

Also, it’s good to note that THREE days a week you can choose to swap out one of your yellow containers for a treat (recipes in the booklet). If I wasn’t able to have a treat, I wouldn’t have even attempted!

The Workouts

This isn’t JUST an eating program – you need a healthy diet PLUS exercise to really make it work. There’s a different workout every day, and they’re only 30 minutes each – except for a bonus ’10 Minute Ab Fix’ that you should try to fit in about 2-3 times a week. The workouts are as follows:

Day 1: Total Body Cardio Fix
Day 2: Upper Body Fix
Day 3: Lower Body Fix
Day 4: Pilates Fix (pilates INSPIRED)
Day 5: Cardio Fix
Day 6: Dirty 30
Day 7: Yoga Fix

You’ll need water and towel every day, and most days you’ll also need hand weights (light set and heavy set) or exercise band, as well as an exercise mat. They do have someone in each exercise that’s doing a modified version of each exercise so if needed, you can follow a bit easier routine.

Doubles Week

There’s an option to really increase your results by taking the third week and doing DOUBLES, meaning two exercises each day. I did this for my first round, but not my second. It’s mixed which ones you do each day:

Day 1: Total Body Cardio & Pilates
Day 2: Upper Body & Cardio
Day 3: Lower Body & 10 Minute Abs
Day 4: Pilates & Total Body Cardio
Day 5: Cardio & Upper Body
Day 6: Dirty 30 & Pilates
Day 7: Yoga Fix Only (active recovery day)

My Own Experience – Results & Thoughts

At first, the work-outs were EXTREMELY hard, like after the first I was afraid I was going to throw up or pass out (or both). I couldn’t do it very well, and went a lot slower than the people on the screen. I also could hardly move the day after I started because I was so sore. Keep in mind, though, I haven’t really done ACTUAL exercise in a very long time, so my body was really weak! Now, I still sweat a lot and am slightly sore after a lot of them – but I’m doing MORE, sticking with it longer, and not struggling near as much as I was at the start.

I regret not getting specific before/after photos – but here’s how I was BEFORE starting The 21 Day Fix…

The eating plan was a bit challenging, because I was use to eating whatever, whenever – this helped me get in the habit of thinking of what I ate and controlling amounts, but I was only a little hungry occasionally – mostly when I did extra active stuff during the day. I’m much better at drinking water now, too! I did get a little bored, but just because I didn’t want to worry about a huge variety of groceries so mostly stuck with similar items. I ate a lot of stir fry chicken with vegetables, and struggled with less fruit and carbs – but that’s because I really LOVE carbs like bread and pasta, and fruit was like a sweet treat 🙂

I will say, I didn’t stick EXACTLY to the diet – I did have treats that weren’t on the list, like ice cream and such. But sparingly and did a little bit extra active time to make up for it…but I had a treat more than 3 times a week which probably affected my results. During the one week I tried doubles, it was fine but I seemed to get better results when I did the regular daily workouts and also did the 10 minute abs DAILY. I did one in the morning then one around lunchtime. My abs/stomach are my biggest trouble area, so figured this worked best for me. And I love how much stronger my abs are!

Also, I did have two events during my rounds which meant I wasn’t able to work out for a couple of days, and also didn’t have control over my diet for a bit. I did the best choices I could, but it wasn’t perfect.

….and here’s how I looked September 26th, 2017 after TWO rounds! And NO sucking in!

Over the course of the 2 rounds, I lost almost 15 pounds, and lost 2 inches on my stomach and 1 inch on my waist! I gained muscle to my legs and arms, and feel lots stronger. My thighs don’t look as awful to me, and I don’t feel like I need to suck in my stomach all the time. I have more energy and love the way I look in the mirror. I do still have an inch or two on my stomach I’d love to lose, but I’m happy with my progress and confident I can work off that last bit in another round or two of hard work.

If you’ve tried the 21 Day Fix, what did you think?

Hyundai Hope on Wheels for Pediatric Cancer

September 29, 2017 by Danielle

Thank you to Hyundai Hope on Wheels for sponsoring this post & all you do to help fund pediatric cancer research! #endchildhoodcancer

Did you know that a child is diagnosed with cancer every 36 minutes? That’s 40 kids daily. That’s more than a full classroom of children every day of the year. For those that don’t want to do the math yourselves, that’s roughly 14,600 CHILDREN every year that hear that they have cancer, that the battle ahead will be hard and possibly long and they may not win. And that’s just in the U.S! That breaks my heart – for those little kids, their families, and all those who will hurt right along with them. This week I had the opportunity to learn more about all that’s done by Hyundai Hope on Wheels for Pediatric Cancer – and it gives me hope.

We’ve had two instances of cancer in my immediate family, and one was my little sister. At just 15 years old, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Within just a month of going in to get tested, she underwent surgery to remove it and several lymphoids, then had to go through some radiation treatment. She’s now 21, and so grateful to still be cancer free! Her struggle was hard, but to be quite honest, it was nothing compared to so many children who are battling other forms or levels of cancer. That’s where Hyundai Hope on Wheels, a non-profit organization, is working hard to make a difference.

Since the program began in 1998, they’ve donated over $130 MILLION to pediatric cancer research. With every new Hyundai vehicle sale, a percentage goes towards Hyundai Hope on Wheels to help researchers and doctors further their work for better treatments and – hopefully one day – a cure for all pediatric cancers. Today, survival rates are near 80% for the most common forms of pediatric cancer. That’s AMAZING, but what about the other 20%? It’s still the leading disease-related cause of death for children in the U.S. The goal is 100%, and this program is working hard to make progress towards that!

Since September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness month, Hyundai Hope on Wheels is going around the country to raise awareness and award research grants of $150,000 or $250,000 each grant. In 2017 alone, they’ve awarded more than $15 million in grants! They don’t just SAY they want to cure childhood cancer, they’re putting their money behind their words and actions.

At the ‘Celebration of Life’ dinner gala I attended here in DFW (the second to last stop during their month-long tour), I got to interact with the wonderful people behind the program, such as Executive Director Zafar Brooks and many local dealers. They even had some children there who are or were battling cancer, and to see their smiling faces and hear them talk about their story with such bravery had me with tears in my eyes the whole evening!

My favorite part was the ‘Handprint Ceremony’. The reason handprints are the logo of Hyundai Hope on Wheels is because every handprint is unique, just like every child battling cancer’s story is different. The kids there – as well as celebrities Jennifer Freeman and Luke Wade – got to paint their hands, they put their handprint on a canvas to be added to so many other handprints. These prints represent the children that Hyundai Hope on Wheels is fighting for and working hard for.

During the evening they also awarded some of the research grants to doctors who are doing all they can to find a cure. The winners were:

Hyundai Scholar Hope Grant ($250,000)
– Dr. Christopher Porter, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
– Dr. Julie Wolfson, University of Alabama – Birmingham

Hyundai Young Investigator Grant ($150,000)
– Dr. Kathryn Dickerson, UT Southwestern Children’s Medical Center Foundation
– Dr. Wendy Allen-Rhoades, Texas Children’s Hospital

I loved taking the time to read inspiring words on their ‘Wall of Hope’, and the messages others – including those in the midst of the cancer battle – have written.

If you want to help Hyundai Hope on Wheels with their mission, please check out their site HERE and, if you can, donate so that further progress can be made for researching better treatments and a cure!

Mom’s Day for Herself

September 6, 2017 by Danielle

I was provided clothing by prAna to enjoy & help facilitate this post, but all opinions are mine alone. #WhereDoYouprAna

How often do us moms get so busy, that we’re lucky to even eat all our meals (hopefully still warm) and get an okay amount of sleep at night? Too many times we have no time or energy left for ourselves, but that’s actually not good for anyone. If we don’t have a chance to unwind, relax and even have some fun with our own things occasionally, we get worn out or even grumpy (gasp!). That’s why it’s crucial that moms take a Mom’s Day for Herself every now and then. I decided to make this a priority and recently started DANCING!

Use code MHMDR15 for 15% off your prAna purchase!

Okay, don’t laugh – if you know me, I’m about as graceful as an elephant and completely out of shape, so dancing doesn’t seem the right fit. But that’s just it – it’s something I WANTED to do, for myself, to enjoy, grow and learn. To improve myself, while having a fun time! Along with starting dance, I’m doing more exercise and eating healthier because it’s helped me realize just how unhealthy and weak I was. I’m working on getting myself more healthy and strong. And hey – I’ve even lost quite a bit of weight, which is a definite bonus!

Is it easy to fit in my dancing or exercising with my family’s crazy schedules? Absolutely not! But we made it a priority, and hubby’s on board fully supporting me and has even commented how much happier I seem since I started taking my ‘mom days’. It does mean I have to say no to some extra activities or events the kids may want to do, but taking this time makes me a better mom overall so it’s a win-win for everyone. I also like to think that I’m setting a good example to my kids about the importance of taking time from the busy-ness of life and doing something you enjoy, as well as the importance of being healthy and having a strong body.

By the way, it was also a good excuse for some adorable and COMFORTABLE new clothes to wear while practicing my dance – like this Daria Sweater Hoodie from prAna! It’s soft and warm, but since it’s shorter sleeved you can still wear it when it’s not super cold outside. I’ve always been a fan of sweaters, and love the coloring and style of this one – plus the front pocket is awesome! I have it in Muted Truffle, but there’s other colors available, as well.

You can’t do dance without very comfortable and free-moving pants, so this pair of prAna Mantra Pants in Black Herringbone are perfect! They’re plenty loose around my legs so they don’t restrict my leg steps and movements, but they fit perfectly around my hips and waist so stay in place comfortable. I could wear these out for errands, or lounging around the house. I love flexibility in my clothing!

Use code MHMDR15 for 15% off your prAna purchase!

I also have a new sense of accomplishment each time I can do a new dance figure or step that I struggled with before, or when I can do one more push up than I did my last workout. I’m progressing, and I gives me such a great feeling! Now, am I ready for an actual dance competition? Not even close 🙂 But the whole point is I’m trying, I’m growing as a person and my mood is so much better than when I was focusing only on the kids or hubby’s needs or activities. I feel happier, healthier, stronger, and even feel more love towards my family – maybe it’s because they do have to help extra or sacrifice an extra thing or two for me instead of me doing all the sacrificing.

Whatever the reason, I’m so glad I finally took the dive and made having some time for myself a priority. It’s made a difference in so many ways, and I’m sure it would help so many other moms who just feel burnt out because they put themselves last ALL. THE. TIME. I don’t believe that’s healthy to do constantly – I mean, as moms of course our family comes first and we do make plenty of sacrifices – but that doesn’t mean you never get time or something for yourself. Make it a priority, and just see what an amazing difference it can make in your life!

Check out how prAna keeps their fashion line sustainable!

Don’t forget to use code MHMDR15 for 15% off your prAna purchase!

What would you choose to do for YOUR Mom’s Day?

Finding Time to Exercise with a Toddler

August 31, 2017 by Danielle

Are you looking to up your fitness game? I sure was – upping it from basically NO exercise, other than laundry and house cleaning. That counts, right? I wanted to make a change, to become healthy and strong again (and losing some pounds or inches wouldn’t hurt, either). I was thinking about why it took me so long, and realized that TIME is a big factor in putting off your health. It was especially challenging a few years ago when my kids were really little. It can really be challenging to squeeze in workouts when you have a toddler, but don’t fret! Here are some tips for Finding Time To Exercise with a Toddler.

Play with your child more. It may go without saying, but one of the best forms of exercise is chasing after your toddler! Crawl after them, chase them, play hide and seek, or bounce a ball back and forth with them outside. These can all be great ways to burn off some extra calories.
Take your toddler jogging with you. A jogging stroller can be a great way to get in some cardio without worrying about who will watch your child.
Be sure to take advantage of nap time. Naptime is great for putting on a short cardio video or doing some weight training exercises.
Join a gym that offers childcare services. Many gyms offer daycare services, often at a small additional cost. This can be a great way to get your workout in and have your toddler socialize with other kids his own age!
Find someone who can watch your child for you. If possible, consider asking a family member, neighbor or friend to watch your child during your workout routine.
Have a ‘special’ coloring book or toy bucket. It’s special because it only comes out while you work-out, so they can get more excited about it and not get overly bored since it’s not an all-the-time activity.

These are just some ideas for finding time to exercise with a toddler. While it’s not always easy to find the time, you can be a mom to a child and get in shape, too!

How do YOU fit in time to exercise?

Taking Care of MY Body with the Abs, Core & Pelvic Floor Program!

August 14, 2017 by Danielle

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Natalie Hodson, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #abscorepelvicfloor http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

For any guys reading the blog, today’s post isn’t really for you. No offense, but today I’m talking to my fellow mama’s – the ones who have realized that not only do our bodies look different after kids, but they also function differently. And let’s be honest – that sucks! So let’s do something about it, shall we? We all spend so much time caring for our families, and worrying about our kids’ bodies and health – well, this year I’m making a goal for Taking Care of MY Body, too!

Let’s get real – how many of y’all pee your pants when you sneeze or cough too much, or jump on the tramp, or even just when you laugh too hard sometimes? I do, and it’s So. Embarassing! I didn’t know anything could be done for it, just wrote it off as another sacrifice to being a mom, but then I learned about Diastasis Recti, pelvic floor issues and what they have to do with incontinence. I’ve been working a 30-day program called Abs, Core & Pelvic Floor designed by personal trainer Natalie Hodson that was specifically made to help with these mom-body issues! There are actually exercises that you SHOULD NOT if you have Diastasis Recti, because they won’t make any difference to your body figure and/or can make your pelvic floor issues worse. You’ve got to fix this issue in your abdomen before trying to change your body, otherwise it’s all for nothing.

So what IS Diastasis Recti? It’s basically a gap in between your abdominal muscles – it can be part of why we have that ‘mommy belly’ or why, no matter how many sit-ups or crunches we do, our abdomen just won’t go flat. Natalie’s program has very easy-to-follow instructions – written and in video form, for those of us who are very visual people – with exercises specifically designed by her and Dr. Monique Middlekauff (a specialist on pelvic floor dysfunction) to help decrease that gap, so your muscles can go back together and help with that little (or not so little, in my case) pooch!

These two fabulous ladies explain all the science and specifics behind Diastasis Recti and the pelvic floor issues that so many of us are struggling with. I mean, if I don’t have to wear a panty liner every time I get a bad cough, or stop walking and as-discreetly-as-possible cross my legs when I need to sneeze, then I’m right on board! Enough of being embarrassed, let’s do something about it so we can not only feel like women and not toddlers peeing ourselves, but also have confidence in our body and feel like ourselves again by fixing our abdominal muscles to how they should be. And don’t worry – whether you’re 6 weeks postpartum, 6+ years postpartum like me, or even 20 years, then the Abs, Core & Pelvic Floor program can help, all from the comfort of the floor of your own home! It’s much easier since you don’t have to go to the gym – and yes, I’ve done this program plenty in my pajamas, so no shame if that’s what makes you comfortable and gets you working on YOU!

I love that this 30 day program contains lots of educational material to help us really understand the causes of Diastasis Recti and how to heal. They’ve even included some bonus information on nutrition, so you get to help your health and body on every level! I’m really trying to make a change for myself, to prevent more of those embarrassing ‘accident’ moments, and feel comfortable in my own body by getting over this mommy pooch – I know fixing my own Diastasis Recti problem (the big gap between my abdominal muscles), and strengthening my pelvic floor will really help my confidence. I’m focusing on taking care of my own body – who’s with me?

Learn more about this life changing Abs, Core & Pelvic Floor program over on Natalie’s website!

DIY First Aid Kit for Dancers

July 17, 2017 by Danielle

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

I haven’t mentioned it much, but three of my children are in competitive latin ballroom dancing. It’s such a fun activity for them, and keeps them more active. I’ve wanted to dance since I was little, but ‘life’ just kept getting in the way. I decided I needed to get healthy again, and what better way than starting lessons? While it’s been hard, and I’m definitely just starting and with a long ways to go, it’s been so fun getting more active – although my body tends to argue sometimes. Luckily I can be prepared during my dance lessons and practice – and my kids are covered during their competitions – with this fun DIY First Aid Kit for Dancers! And I couldn’t do a kit without including a fun free printable checklist, now could I? 😉

I love that Target is having a special sale right now where if you buy 3 participating Johnson & Johnson products (which you’d be getting anyway for your kit), you can get an Oh Joy Bag 2017 or Red Bag 2017 for free! It’s the perfect little case to take all you need in, and very portable with it’s convenient size.

I made sure to nab plenty of the BENGAY® Ultra Strength Cream 2oz since it temporarily relieves all the minor aches and pains my ‘getting older’ muscles are experiencing with this new activity. And if you get muscle or joint pain, this is PERFECT, and is also great if you have a simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises or even sprains! I love keeping it on-hand since it’s good for so many different situations. Keep in mind that it’s for adults and children 12 years and older, and you should only use it as directed.

Hey, you can even shop online with this image – we made it SUPER easy!

To enable screen reader support, press Ctrl+Alt+Z To learn about keyboard shortcuts, press Ctrl+slash

Okay, I’m sure you’re wondering why there’s no photos of ME practicing my dance – while I’m getting a little more comfortable with what I’ve learned, it’s mostly just the basic walks and steps (like for Rhumba), so nothing exciting to photograph. I don’t compete yet, so no cool outfit, either. I’m working my way there, but it’ll take time – and lots of practice! I also have to learn to dance in HEELS – gasp!

I don’t wear heels EVER, so that could potentially lead to all sorts of new hurts. Luckily my First Aid Kit for Dancers has everything I need for a variety of situations that may come up!

As for that fun printable – I just included some really fun (somewhat goofy, but real) things I’ve learned we need for dance and competitions. You may laugh at the bobby pins item, but you’d be AMAZED at how many of those we use in my girl’s hair during her competition to keep every strand in place!

Download & Print Your Dancer Checklist HERE

Learning to dance is one way I’m getting more active, doing something I’d always wanted to do, having fun and also focusing a little bit on ME, since we do tend to get caught up focusing on just the kids and/or hubby sometimes. And having great items, like BENGAY® Ultra Strength Cream, in your First Aid Kit for Dancers will help your activity stay more fun and less painful 🙂

What are YOU doing to stay more active?

©Johnson & Johnson Consumer Inc. 2017 The third party trademarks used herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Get Outside Without the Worry of Bugs

June 27, 2017 by Danielle

Compensation was provided by Guardian via MomTrends. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of Guardian or Momtrends. #WeBeatDEET #Kroger

Going outside was a huge part of my childhood, from playing in the backyard or neighborhood, 4-wheeling or camping, and even tubing down the canal! I love to keep that up with my own kids, especially during the summer months – but sometimes there’s the worry of mosquitoes and ticks. This summer I feel more prepared and we can Get Outside Without the Worry of Bugs with Guardian, a DEET-free alternative to traditional repellents.

Guardian’s mosquito repellent really helps us – like when we visit our family back in Utah during the summer months, my dad really loves taking the kiddos on an ATV ride up the canyon or mountain.

The kids thinks it’s AMAZING, and quite a few memories have been made that way – like the time we were all the way up the mountain when it decided to completely downpour on us, so we used giant trash bags as raincoats. Needless to say, we got dirtier than usual that trip, but it definitely will be one we won’t soon forget!

On our last summer visit, we went up to a large cave in the canyon and hiked up the rocky surface a bit. The boys couldn’t believe how large it was as they stood in the cave opening! They enjoyed looking at the carvings and sketches on the walls of the rock, and felt like real ‘explorers’. Things like that are what help make a childhood great – getting outside, exploring, and making incredible memories even if they don’t seem ‘extra special’. To kids, they absolutely are.

When we go on adventures like this, or sit on a grassy field to watch the fireworks for the 4th of July, or any other outside occasion when the mosquitoes come out – plus the constant possibility of ticks in the outdoors – I don’t want to be so worried that it’ll interfere with these good times with my family. I’ve already stocked up on a bunch of Guardian Wilderness (for getting REALLY outdoors, and lasts up to 8 hours) and Guardian Backyard (for those shorter adventures, this lasts up to 4 hours) from my local Kroger store.

I love that it’s a plant-based, non-toxic alternative to traditional DEET-based repellents, making it safer for my kids when used as directed. Our kiddos’ safety and comfort and of the utmost importance, so for me this takes a big weight off my mind. You get safe ingredients AND the strong, powerful bug repellent needed for those great adventures. If you hate those weird, nasty smells from some DEET-based mosquito repellents, you’ll be relieved to hear that Guardian has a citrus-vanilla scent from the essential oil ingredients. No need to stink just because you’re outside, right? 😉 For my extra-sensitive skinned kids, this is an especially good solution!

Want to stock up to prepare for your own outdoor, family adventures? Starting June 18th Kroger will be featuring Guardian at 25% off!

Check out Guardian on Facebook & Twitter

Make the Healthy Choice for Women’s Health Month

May 11, 2017 by Danielle

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Healthy Choice. All opinions are mine alone. #HCMeals4Women

I’m over 30 – I’m not embarrassed or hesitant to share my age, because it’s really just a number anyway. When I think about it, though, I realize that it’s long past the days when I could eat and do whatever I wanted and still be fit as a fiddle. With some added weight, more aches and pains from lack of exercise, and not as much energy from not caring what I ate, I’m realizing that I need to take better care of myself so I can live life for the fullest! Now’s the perfect time for a chance, anyway – I can Make the Healthy Choice for Women’s Health Month, and you can, too!

One of my two biggest issues is that I’m so busy, I often don’t really think about what I eat. I love good food – but I also don’t have time to really prepare something healthy. Luckily, Healthy Choice now has some excellent Power Bowls among their frozen meals, offering a quick and convenient – yet more healthy – options. Their modern recipes, inspired by international cuisine, contain bold flavors with recognizable ingredients – and every ingredient they choose matters, like natural proteins and whole grains to help fuel our busy days.

For example, their Adobo Chicken Bowl contains all natural chicken breast – raised without antibiotics – along with brown and red rice, red quinoa and black barley with a tasty guajillo chilli sauce and roasted pepitas. Now THAT’S what I call a ‘power bowl’!

Their Korean-Inspired Beef Bowl has tender braised all natural beef with shiitake mushrooms and veggies with brown and red rice, red quinoa and black barley with a spicy gochujang and soy sauce, topped with black and white sesame seeds. It’s bursting with flavor and carefully chosen ingredients to help us on our way to a healthier lifestyle – after all, we want our 30’s to be the best years yet, with many more to come!

I love how easy they are to stock up in the freezer, so I can pick one, heat it in the microwave really fast, then enjoy a protein-packed, healthy meal full of great flavors and good-for-me ingredients that will not only help me get through my crazy day, but also help me keep my body in better shape!

Along with making healthier food choices, I’m making more effort to fit more exercise into my day. I know, we’re all so busy that the gym is often not gonna happen – but even if it’s just getting out of your chair more to walk over and get a drink, take the stairs instead of the elevator, or park a few spots further from the entrance to the store, it can make a big difference.

I’m trying to stretch more each day, which has helped ease more of my body aches and pains that are catching up to me. It’s just a little bit of time in the morning and a little before bed. Sometimes I get tired in the afternoon, and a good stretch for a five minutes can help wake me up and get my blood flowing. See, you don’t HAVE to go to the gym to make a healthy change in your life – it can start with baby steps and then work up from there!

What healthy choices are YOU making for Women’s Health Month?

Why You Should Do a Triathlon

October 14, 2016 by Nikki Cole

Want to start getting in shape and feel like you have accomplished something? I’ve ran half marathons and 5k’s and while they’re rewarding I still feel like I didn’t accomplish anything too great until I did my first Triathlon and this is Why You Should do a Triathlon, plus some helpful tips.

Running has never been real fun for me but after running my first half marathon I was so excited for my next. Sadly after hearing how many people ran the half marathon I didn’t feel like it was all too impressive or rewarding. I thought maybe I needed to do a full marathon, but sadly my knees are not capable right now to do that. After searching and doing a couple more half marathons I decided I was going to do my first Triathlon and I was scared about all of it.

Now there’s different styles of Triathlons, there’s a sprint which is what I did which is only a 500 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike, and a 5K. So still quite a bit distance but not as much as a full or Olympic Triathlon which is double everything. You can also do a relay with friends or family if that’s more your style. I did the Sprint Triathlon and after completing it in 5^th place in my age group I couldn’t wait to do my next one or an Olympic triathlon and this is Why You Should do a Triathlon too.

No I did not train like crazy for this event but I was in decent shape because I have been doing half marathons and such, still not super fast or anything but had a good exercising program. The hardest part was swimming, the event was going to be in a pool swimming laps so I found a pool that did lap swimming and went a few times. Check out your event and see if it is going to be in a lake, ocean, or a pool. Mine we swam in the pool which also offered lap swimming most mornings. Luckily I was able to go to a few times and found out that I am definitely not a swimmer, I sank pretty easily. I just tried making it to each end without stopping and did a total of 10 laps each time, which was the number of laps I would have to do in the Triathlon. If you can’t make it to a pool just focus some of your training on high cardio, elliptical is great because it is low impact but still gets your heart pumping. Also get some goggles, nothing fancy just something you can find at Walmart.

Biking, ok train for this! I didn’t bike hardly at all before the event because biking is so simple right? Wrong! My butt hurt so badly afterwards that I could barely get off my bike to start running, I felt like I was waddling the whole time and looked like a penguin. So practice biking just to save yourself from an extremely sore behind. I used an actual road bike, the ones you see with thinner tires, they coast better but several people went with just cheap bikes they already had. Make sure your bike also has a good water bottle holder because this is where you will want the most water.

Running! I ran quite a bit before the race and I would run a 5K about 3-4 times a week so I thought I was really prepared. No I was not really fast at running but I could run it pretty easily. This is where training from biking 12+ miles right into running needs to happen. It was extremely awkward getting off my bike and starting to run. Like I said my bottom hurt and my legs were so confused at what motion they should be doing, so practice these two together so it’s not completely new to you the day of the event.

Clothing is very important for a triathlon. I ordered a tri suit from swimoutlet.com that was perfect, sadly though it did cost a little bit but came in great. If you don’t want to order a tri suit you can also just wear a swimming suit, something that works well swimming, and slipping on shorts and a t-shirt during transition of events.

Some tips to make your event successful. Most triathlons have orientations of how to proceed through the event the night before, if it is your first time go! There was a lot of useful information and great encouragement. Practice going through transitions, from swim to bike to run so you don’t get all confused the day of the event. Also make sure you don’t spend too long drying off after swimming because the clock continues on so real quick dry your feet, throw on your shoes and go. At your bike have a t-shirt or something with your bib on it so you can just throw that on and not have to worry about trying to pin it on while hurrying through the transition.

Why You Should do a Triathlon? Because it wasn’t as exhausting as a half marathon and you’ll feel like you accomplished something bigger, like three events not just one running event. Most triathlons only have a few hundred people but half marathons and marathons sometimes have over a thousand participants. Why not be one of the few than one of the many? Triathlons will also hold your attention span better because you don’t do just one event you move between different activities which made it go a lot faster than I thought. And if you are anything like me running isn’t so nice on your knees, (not that that stops me) but if long distance running hurts triathlons, especially sprint triathlons, are shorter distances of running but still can achieve that gratification of finishing something people think of as extremely strenuous

Completing a triathlon made me feel like I accomplished a goal, not one I knew I had but something that after completing it realized that that is what I would have regretted if I had not participated. A quote I read that got me inspired to do a triathlon says “Why be bad at one sport, when you can be bad at three?” kind of a weird inspirational quote to get you started but it worked for me and I hope you can accomplish your goals, if it isn’t doing physical activities even just get out there and work everyday to accomplish it. Just remember, I would rather say ‘I did it than I gave up’.

5 Tips for Healthy Kids

September 3, 2016 by Danielle

This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central.

As parents, our main goal is to have happy, healthy kids, right? Sometimes that sure can be easier said than done with how busy life can be, especially with back to school season upon us. While we can’t always control things that affect them, there ARE some simple things we can incorporate into our daily lives that will help our kids be as healthy as possible. Here are 5 Tips for Healthy Kids that are easy, quick and can become just another daily habit to a happy life!

With school back in session, it seems more crucial than ever that my kids be healthy, and their immune systems as strong as possible. You know how it is – germs all over the classrooms, plenty of sickies being shared among students from coughs to strep to the flu. It’s not fun, but it also can’t be avoided completely. This tips for healthier kids can be quickly added to your new back-to-school routine – because I know you don’t need a ton of extra things to worry about!

Tip #1: Give Them The Nutrition They Need

Feeding them healthy foods helps, but even the best diets can sometimes lack ALL of the nutrients your kids’ growing bodies need. With Nature Made® KIDS FIRST® Multivitamin Gummies from Target, your kids can enjoy getting the essential daily nutritional support they may be lacking. These chewy gummies even come in tasty ALL-NATURAL fruit flavors like orange, cherry and mixed berry.

The Nature Made® KIDS FIRST® Multivitamin Gummies help fill many of the key nutrient gaps from your kiddos’ daily diet and support overall health.† They contain 12 essential nutrients for age-specific nutritional support, including vitamins A, C, D and E – as well as B vitamins, and minerals like iodine and zinc. No synthetic dyes in these gummies, no preservatives or yeast AND they’re gluten free!

Tip #2: Exercise

This may be super simple, as most kids are always on-the-go and highly active anyway – but do make sure they’re getting plenty of exercise for their growing bodies. Whether it’s in activities like sports, walking around the zoo, swimming, or even playing tag and spending time on the playground, keep them strong and active.

Tip #3: Teach Them the Importance of Washing Hands

There’s no way to avoid ALL the germs around schools, and it probably wouldn’t be good to have zero contact with germs anyway. But help your kids avoid a lot of it by teaching them how to properly wash their hands, and why it’s important. Some kids don’t bother washing their hands when they’re not being supervised, because they don’t know WHY they’re told to do so. Make up a fun song they can sing while they wash, or have a fun soap!

Tip #4: Rest is Key

With school starting so early (at least for us) it’s super important during the school year to get them back to an appropriate bedtime so they can get the rest their growing bodies desperately need. Even their minds need a break from the day! Try to stick with a regular bedtime as much as possible, and that will help them get use to falling asleep at that time – after all, bedtime fights are on fun!

Tip #5: If They’re Sick, Keep Them Home

I know, it’s important for them to attend school as much as possible – plus some parents have to work – but it’s crucial that if they’re sick enough to be home, that that’s where they are. A lot of sicknesses that are ‘going around’ are because those carrying it are exposing others unnecessarily. Yes, sometimes the disease isn’t known until after it’s already been shared, and sometimes they look fully recovered but aren’t. There are plenty of times, though, when kids are sent to school when they clearly shouldn’t be there. They then pass it around, others get sick, and it can turn into an awful, miserable cycle. Use your best judgement and remember – if you wouldn’t want someone else’s kid to expose yours, why expose them?

Check out these other Nature Made® KIDS FIRST® varieties here!

†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

My Favorite Tips for Surviving Pregnancy

August 31, 2016 by Danielle

I was fairly young when we started our family, and we sure got our three pregnancies done quick! Our youngest was born when we were just 25 years old. Whether you’re a first-time mom, or really experienced, I’m sure you either know or have heard that every pregnancy is different. That is SO TRUE! Luckily there’s some tips and helpful resources that can get you through. Here’s My Favorite Tips for Surviving Pregnancy, plus a few funny stories!

Let me start by being blunt – I don’t like being pregnant. I know there’s women who really enjoy the whole experience – and while yes I loved feeling my babies move and kick, watching them on ultrasounds and hearing their heartbeat, and of course was THRILLED to have my babies – I really hated the actual pregnancies. Maybe I’m a wimp, but I’m okay with that! I wouldn’t trade those miserable months for anything, though. We got pregnant with my girl when I was just 20 years old, and living on the other side of the state than my mom. I had so many questions and concerns that I was kind of a wreck the first couple of months! Luckily a friend gave me the most trusted pregnancy book: What to Expect^® When You’re Expecting. I think I pretty much wore that book out, reading everything I could so I could be as prepared as possible.

Story Time: The night I went into labor with my girl, we were over at my grandparents. By the time we got home we were positive it was real, time-able contractions. I told Clayton to get some sleep while he could, and I grabbed my copy of What to Expect^® When You’re Expecting and devoured the Labor & Delivery section while enduring the contractions as long as I could! He slept, I studied and went through contractions – seems fair, right? 😉

I can’t tell you how much this book helped me with my first pregnancy – answer so many questions that I didn’t even know to ask or wonder about! I was even able to advocate for myself more with the nurses, who acted like I was too young to know anything.

Then guess what? A few years later we decided to expand our family, and when we got an ultrasound to see why I was so extremely sick at the beginning…..they found two heartbeats! Needless to say, I had a whole list of new questions and worries – and this book again got me through a lot of it. When I ended up having early labor and got put on bedrest for the last 3 months before the boys made their appearance, I read that book plenty. I was really glad I’d read more about C-sections, despite insisting I didn’t want one, when my 2nd twin suddenly needed an emergency one!

Story Time: Clayton was in the OR with me when we went in to deliver the twins. After Thor was born just fine, he walked over to the little incubator to check on him. He turned to start walking back to me – I looked at his face go white and I told the nurses ‘I think he’s going to pass out’! Sure enough, he suddenly fell to the floor unconscious! He didn’t hurt himself, thank goodness – but the nurses helped him by fanning his face and feeding him some crackers so he could feel okay enough to get up and leave the OR (since obviously he couldn’t handle it). I’m there on the table in LABOR and he’s getting pampered by several cute nurses, then has to leave the room before all the drama of the emergency C-section situation. Nope – he’s never living that down!

For all you who are pregnant or may be in the future, you’re going to be SO GLAD to hear that What to Expect^® When You’re Expecting is now in it’s brand new 5th Edition! That means a fresh perspective, up-to-the-minute information and advice – but the same friendly, reassuring voice that made it a bestseller (and my permanent bedside book for 6 years) for decades! Not only have they brought DAD into the book all throughout, but it answers every imaginable questions expecting parents could ask – and offers solutions for every pregnancy and postpartum symptom.

I love that the medical coverage is completely updated, including everything expectant moms need to know about the Zika virus. While I have no plans for another baby, my sister-in-law is currently expecting her first! Guess what I got her as a gift? Yup – this amazing book that truly helped me survive my pregnancies 🙂

Tips for Surviving Pregnancy

#1: Don’t Overdo It: you’re building a human being – that’s no small task! Take this time to rest, and don’t be afraid to take on less tasks than normal. People will completely understand – if they don’t, smack them (and blame it on the baby brain). Kidding! Well, sort of 😉

#2: Ask for Help: Like I said above – you’re BUILDING A HUMAN! That’s pretty much the toughest job around, so don’t hesitate to ask for help. There’s so many times I wouldn’t, and regretted it later. Friends, family and even neighbors will be thrilled to help you out, but you won’t know unless you ask!

#3: Keep Food by the Bed: I had horrible morning sickness ALL DAY for all of my pregnancies, the whole time. I learned that if I kept crackers or something simple by my bed and ate before getting up, it didn’t start off as harsh. Whether you get sick or not, it’s likely you’ll also have times when you wake up needing just a little bite to eat – so this makes it much more convenient.

#4: Read What to Expect^® When You’re Expecting: You saw this one coming, right? But it is honestly and truly SO HELPFUL, and can answer tons of questions to help you get through the nine months, then the big finish at the end. Even after my first two pregnancies, I still learned new things and had different experiences with my last.

#5: Get a Good Doctor: This doesn’t mean he’s THE BEST or anything, but you need a Doctor who you get along with and trust. You don’t want someone you feel awkward around, feel that they don’t really care or give you enough time, doesn’t answer your questions or that doesn’t listen to you. A good relationship with your Doctor is super important!

#6: Have a Support System: Whether it’s your significant other, mom, sister, or friend – make sure you have some good people who you trust and that truly care for you to give you support. Not just at the end, but all through the pregnancy, too.

#7: Find a Comfort Food: If you’re sick and/or dealing with crazy cravings, try to find a comfort food that sits well in your stomach. There were days I couldn’t keep anything down EXCEPT pickles, or chocolate. You’ll do better if there’s something you can keep down.

#8: Finally – TAKE NAPS! Your body will be exhausted and sore, your emotions will be a roller-coaster, and even your brain will be like ‘what the heck?!’ – taking time for a nap can work wonders. Lots of people advised naps to me with my first, but I was ‘too busy’ to listen. I definitely wished I had after the fact!

What pregnancy questions were (or are) foremost on YOUR mind? I bet What to Expect^® When You’re Expecting has an answer!

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

7 Things to Know BEFORE an ER Visit

August 20, 2016 by Danielle

With four kids, three of them being boys, it’s a miracle we never had to take them to the ER before. Until this past January, that is! It’s bad enough when you have to take your child to an ER, but because we didn’t know a few things in advance, we’re still dealing with some headaches with that ER. To help you avoid the nightmare we’ve been dealing with all these months later, here are 7 Things to Know BEFORE an ER Visit. Trust me – we learned the hard way!

A little of what happened: Our little Hulk was acting fine all day long, but around 6:30pm said he was tired and wanted to go to bed. Anyone that knows him knows that was a big red flag. We took his temperature and it was about 99.5 – okay, give him ibuprofen and let him go to bed. Around 9:30pm he suddenly starts screaming in pain at the top of his lungs! We hurry into his room, and he’s grabbing his stomach and just screaming. His fever is super high, so I race him to the nearest ER we could find on the GPS. Luckily it ended up being pnemonia and by the time we left the ER (the SECOND ER we had to go to that night – I’ll explain all that in a minute) it was about 5am and he was feeling just fine, smiling and hardly any fever with the meds.

#1: What’s the nearest ER that HELPS CHILDREN?

I’d never given much thought to taking my kids to the ER before – we never had to, and I just assumed all ERs were fine. When Hulk got that sick, I just searched our GPS for the nearest ER and that’s where we went. Big mistake! We found out – after we’d been there for several hours and they’d already ran a bunch of tests on him – that they don’t really help children so he had to be taken to a children’s hospital. Wait – WHAT?! They’d just spent hours testing my child, giving him X-rays and medicine and an IV, just to tell me ‘we think he has pneumonia, but we don’t treat children so he needs to go to this other hospital that treats children to make sure’. Turns out this other hospital was only 5 more minutes driving from our house than this one, so if I’d done my research BEFORE we needed to make an ER visit, I would’ve known to take him there in the first place.

#2: Are the ER facilities clean, safe and suitable for children?

This kind of goes along with the first one – but even if they say they treat children, make sure the facilities are SUITABLE for children. The X-ray machine and protective gear was all adult-sized, so I know he wasn’t fully protected and it’s no shock they didn’t get appropriate X-rays the first time. They didn’t know the best way to do an IV in a little 4-year-olds arm, and had to search for quite awhile to even find the right size. The room was blank, boring, and suited for adults – and there were no TV channels that even I was okay watching, much less a child, so he just lay there miserable and in pain with nothing to help him be comfortable except his blankie and Optimus Prime stuffed animal we brought from home.

#3: What are your rights – can you say ‘no’?

Again, I was in a panic and in completely unfamiliar territory when we rushed to the ER. All I could think about was my sick baby, which made my already exhausted (no sleep until we got home about 5ish in the morning) mind unclear. The doctor barely spoke English, and what he did had such a strong accent that I couldn’t really understand. I asked the nurses for help, but they just shrugged and said they couldn’t really understand him either. WHAT?!?! I should’ve made it clear that I wanted a Dr. that could be understood. When he said he wanted X-rays on Hulk (they still didn’t tell me they didn’t really treat kids so he’d have to be transferred later anyway), I said I didn’t feel comfortable with that – after asking him to repeat several times because I couldn’t understand him. He said something like ‘well we’re taking X-rays’ and didn’t give me a choice. I should’ve resisted – especially when they brought in adult X-ray stuff and adult-sized protective gear. I should’ve checked what my rights were – and made sure they knew I meant it when I said no X-rays, because he didn’t seem to think they were too important (and they certainly weren’t in a hurry for anything) when he mentioned X-rays in the first place.

#4: What is the average wait time?

If I’d looked into this hospital earlier, before we rushed their in a panic, I would’ve learned that they weren’t very quick. They weren’t slow because they were careful – they were just slow. After experiencing their care, I now believe it’s because they just don’t really care to hurry. The longer we’re there, the more tests they can do, the more they can charge. It took forever just to check in (even though there wasn’t anybody else there – I asked), then to just get info and vitals, then of the 4ish hours we were at this hospital, only maybe 1 full hours was with active testing/healing going on. The rest was us waiting there wondering. Luckily Hulk was able to sleep a little while more medicine kicked in and brought his fever down – because between being sick but not getting it fixed, mixed with the NOTHING comfortable/entertaining to do, it was awful. I’d ask a nurse for an update, she’d say she was busy – then go back to chatting with her other nurse friend.

#5: What are their policies on transfers?

After all those hours and the X-rays, the Dr. told us he ‘thinks’ he has pneumonia – but remember, they don’t really treat children so we had to go to this other hospital for a final diagnosis. So WHY did they expose my son to X-rays and other medicines (they never were clear on what they were giving him, either) when they knew he’d have to be transferred regardless. I asked the nurses (because I couldn’t understand the Dr.) and they said they have to transfer all children. They could’ve done that at the beginning – but then they wouldn’t have been able to charge as much money. Yup, at this point I was FURIOUS! They told me they were getting an ambulance to transfer us, because Hulk had an IV in so I couldn’t drive him myself, even though his fever was currently pretty low. I said I couldn’t pay for an ambulance, which they then told me they covered the ambulance cost because of an arrangement with the other hospital. When the bill from this hospital of OVER $30,000 came, I’m pretty sure they put the ambulance fee in there!

#6: What do other people say about the ERs near you?

I should’ve read reviews ahead of time – as soon as we moved into this new home – so I could know which hospital ER to take my family to if something ever happened. If I had, I would’ve read that this hospital I first went to was awful – they were slow, they were rude and didn’t care, wasted time, did unnecessary tests and medicines – then charge ridiculous amounts that are much higher than the average costs. Like LOTS higher! That’s bad enough, but the unnecessary tests (like the X-rays they gave Hulk, even though they weren’t as safe because they were made for adults – and he had to redo them at the children’s hospital anyway) really pisses me off! (this pic of Hulk is at the children’s hospital – watching cartoons and comfortable, with nurses keeping us updated and checking that everything was ok)

#7: Which ER accepts your insurance? Are they honest with their costs/bills?

Again, research would’ve saved us here. Turns out this hospital doesn’t accept hardly any insurances – they provide ‘discounts’ with some that they have deals with. But when I checked in and gave them my insurance, all they said was ‘this is fine’ – even when I asked if they took it, they said it was fine. Panicked mom brain holding my crying, overheating child didn’t think to get a straight answer. Turns out they have a discount deal with OUR insurance – so they billed our insurance company about $16,000. OUCH! So our insurance company told us our remaining deductible that we owe the hospital was about $3,000 – and insurance paid the rest. It’s now August, several months later, and we’re still fighting with the hospital because they’re trying to charge us $20,000 – that’s even more than they billed insurance! They’re trying to charge us the TOTAL NON-DISCOUNTED BILL, less what insurance paid!!! Yup, still fighting with this dishonest hospital.

If I’d done my research, I would’ve KNOWN this wasn’t the place to take my child to! We wouldn’t have had unnecessary (and I believe unsafe the way they did it) tests, awful experience, transfers, and a RIDICULOUS BILL! We would’ve gone to the children’s hospital, which was wonderful, quick (even though they were busy), truly cared, and they only did X-rays because they really had to with properly-sized protective stuff for Hulk. We were only in that hospital for about 2 hours. It was like night and day between the hospitals! In the end, I’m just super relieved and grateful Hulk is fine, but the fact that he may have been exposed to more X-ray than needed, had awful care, and that we’re still fighting with the hospital over bills is insane.