Complete my Blogger Book Club Book. This month I am supposed to read A Biography Of Someone You’ve Been Meaning To Learn More About. Honestly the first of the month is Sunday and ummm I have no idea who I am going to read about. Who would you read about? Also posting my February book club review this coming week – it was so good!
Restaurant Free March. We had an almost restaurant free January and it went so well but then February happened and we ate out four times last week. Last week was a weird one because an amazing friend offered to watch our littles so we splurged on a dinner out (hey first time on a kid-free date in nearly 10 months) and then I didn’t meal plan so dining out happened. Anyways for March we are back on the no dining out train and our only exception to this rule is coffee shop dates because weekends were meant for them.
Actually Workout. Holy crap this month sucked. Seriously. I’m not even going to pretend like I successfully worked out on a regular basis because after February 10th I didn’t. I mean I did workout out a few times but probably won’t need to take my shoes off to count how many times if you get what I’m putting down. Now I have registered for five 5k’s (hey they were only $5 each) and I have my May race to run which I need to get back to training for and so that being said let’s do this.
A few other mini goals: drink more water, listen to more music, eat more veggies and take more photos.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Stayfree® via Mode Media.The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Stayfree®.
Every Day Health: Tricks To Stay On Track
I think we too often focus on staying healthy in broad terms such as eating healthy or working out and this can cause actually attaining our health goals a little more daunting. I personally like to focus on the little things that help me stay healthy everyday. I find by doing this I am able to reach my bigger goals more easily without all the stress.
Tips:
– Drink Water. I know that I have said this in a number of posts but seriously if there is one thing that the majority of us (myself included) should be doing more of it is drinking water. Drinking water keeps us hydrated, flushes out all of the toxins from our body, helps to keep us going throughout the day and basically it’s overall just something great to do for you body. Side tip: If you find drinking water a challenge add a little bit of fresh fruit or a drop of essential oil (I like wild orange) to your water.
– Eat The Rainbow (and I’m not talking about those sugary, food dyed things). I’m talking about eating a variety of fruits and vegetables everyday. Different colored fruits and vegetables have different nutrients that are important to our body. I like to make big salads filled with different veggies or big grain and veggie bowls or when I’m feeling lazy I just throw a bunch of fruits and veggies in the blender for a smoothie. If you’d like to see a more detailed “eat the rainbow” post let me know in the comments.
-Move. Just do it. Move for a little bit everyday. I don’t care what it is that you do but find time to move that body and try to do it for a minimum of 30 minutes (in a row) per day. I like to get out for a 30 minute run, HITT or at home yoga session when I am crunched for time. If you have more than 30 minutes then by all means keep moving!
– Prepare yourself. Instead of making excuses as to why you can’t do something make sure that you prepared. Spend a little time on the weekend cutting up veggies and doing a little meal prep for the week. Make sure your workout clothes are clean and ready to go for the week and if you are forgetful like me, keep a second pair of shoes and a stash of socks at work so you never forget your sneakers (does anyone else call them that?). Other things you might want to consider if you are a lady is preparing for that time of the month and keeping something on hand just in case; for me that would be Stayfree Ultra Thin Liners.
Now I’m not perfect and I have my days where I don’t drink nearly enough water, I eat too many beige foods, my only means of exercise are chasing two kids and I find myself without any clean workout clothes, but every day is a chance to practice implementing the healthy tips and so that’s what I do.
What are your tips and tricks to stay on track with your health and wellness goals?
New year, new you! Yoga is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and who better to lead the yoga-lution than you. Inspired by athletic wear, Stayfree® pads feature flexible layers that move with your body from child’s pose to side crow. Visit http://www.stayfree.com/ to find which product best fits you or visit our Facebook to learn more about our mission. Also, don’t forget to use your Stayfree® purchase to get a 30-Day membership to My Yoga on Gaiam TV and access FREE yoga classes online now through March 12!
I have decided to challenge myself to take on two different training plans over the next 16-weeks. I am still plugging along at my race training plan and I have also decided to try out Kayla Itsines Bikini Body (BBG) plan. I actually started the plan three weeks ago but I slacked on week three, had an over indulgent weekend away and just felt like I need to restart so I am starting the plan over again this week. So far I am really loving the BBG plan but it is crazy challenging – perfect really.
So here are the first few weeks of my plan:
I think I discussed it in a previous post but I am following the Jeff Galloway plan because it is what has worked for me in the past and I say why fix something that isn’t broken, am I right? I am using the Galloway 10k iPhone app and I am loving it.
Interested in following my BBG journey? I have create a separate Instagram (because I don’t have enough IG accounts already) to track my BBG progress – so check it out if you’d like! All of my running training progress will be posted on the blog and on my regular IG account.
I have to tell you I wrote this post back on Tuesday but the back end of my blog went crazy and just when I clicked “save draft” I lost the entire post. Feeling defeated I gave up on rewriting the post that night so I had to wait until Thursday. Anyways here it is. P.s. If you didn’t catch my first post click here to read before moving on to this one.
Since having Alder (6 months ago!!!) I have really been focusing on myself and my needs because with two children it’s too easy to get wrapped up in just them all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my children but I have learned that to be a great mom I also need to take care of myself. I started with getting Birchbox because honestly I didn’t have any idea what to buy myself so I figured I’d start with samples and it has really helped me to become more familiar with different self-care products before investing a ton of money into them.
Since starting with Birchbox, I have really hit my stride and started to find products that work for me. I haven’t settled into one specific brand and have really been enjoying learning about new and different beauty and self care products. I am also learning about so many different products that I had no idea about, I mean who knew that using oil to take off makeup is a thing or that other oils can actually help balance your pH to help PREVENT breakouts. I’ve really taken this head on and I am really loving taking time for and taking care of myself. I am lucky to have a husband who humors me as I enthusiastically talk about all the new things that I have learned and I even convinced him to get his own Birchbox.
More important than learning about all kinds of new products, I have really learned a lot about myself. I can’t tell you how amazing just washing my face and putting a moisturizer on in the morning and at night can make me feel. I have been taking 10-15 minutes per day to focus on my skincare and I just feel so much better and I recharge myself at night and prepare myself for the day ahead in the morning. I know it sounds crazy but I honestly haven’t done even these little things for myself in ….ever? I know it’s terrible but I have always been one of those people who washes their face in the shower and you could maybe find me using a makeup wipe on the rare occasion but 9 times out of 10, I would just go to sleep with my makeup on.
Speaking of makeup, I have really started to get into wearing it again. When I was in college and in my early 20’s I used to wear makeup regularly but over the past few years I haven’t worn any. It’s not because I am anti-makeup but because I haven’t wanted to invest any time or money into it. I’m going to say this upfront, I wear makeup for ME. I like taking a few minutes for myself and putting on a little makeup and just feeling put together and just a bit of better version of myself. I don’t wear it for anyone else or to hide me, I just like to highlight my best features and it feels good.
On place I recognize that I really need to improve is with my clothing. Seriously, this is my biggest self care flaw and it is something that bothers me every week. My husband is so put together and always looks great. I, on the other hand, just look like a hot mess. I have the hardest time buying clothes for my postpartum body, regardless of what I tell myself. I have bought myself some clothes and have received some as gifts for my birthday but overall I haven’t really invested much into new clothes and am down to about 15 total items that fit. I am feeling frumpy and blah but it’s so hard to invest in a size you don’t want to be and know you won’t stay in. So my goal for this Spring is to complete my race that I am currently training for and I am going to do a Spring/Summer shopping spree after the race in mid-May.
So what does this mean for RWT? I plan on sharing more skincare and beauty of RWT. This will not be the focus of RWT by any means but I think that it is an important part of living a healthy life. It’s taken me years to realize this and I want to share what I am learning and what works for me, with you. I don’t want to oversaturate RWT or my RWT Instagram with skincare and beauty so I have created a separate account @runwithbeauty.
Giveaway
Let’s kick off this new adventure with a giveaway of some of my favorite items as of late. I have curated this box filled with some samples that a few lovely companies have sent me and a few items (for one, the Tata Harper samples) that I purchased. This box will be sent by me. Giveaway is open to US residents only.
Pylian Estates Olive OilI received a bottle of Pylian Estates Pristine Extra Virgin Olive Oil as part of a FitFluential campaign back in December but didn’t get around to opening it until closer to January and boy am I regretting it! This is seriously one of the best olive oil I have ever tried. Since opening it I have been using it all the time because it simply tastes amazing. Maybe that’s because it is harvested and pressed within 24 hours of being picked. Or maybe it’s the fact that it comes from one single type of Greek olive, the Koroneiki olives, and is never blended with other oils (which sorry to tell you many of the ones you buy at the supermarket are). Or maybe it’s because it’s processed without heat or chemicals and that it’s unfiltered and comes in a dark glass bottle to help protect it from the sun. Anyway you look it this olive oil taste amazing and really has me re-evaluating future olive oil purchases. I don’t like to cook with it though because the flavor is best in it’s cold state. I drizzle it over pasta dishes, use it in dressing, drizzle over creamy soups and simply just use it to dip crusty bread into. Seriously so good.
Numi Organic Indulgent Tea I shared a sneak peek photo of this on my Instagram the other day and I tell you this tea is so good. I have been indulging in the roobios and earl grey flavors and both are so good. I am a chocolate lover and while I’d love to eat copious amounts of chocolate every day I know that probably isn’t the best idea so I have been enjoying this tea instead. I drink the earl grey when I need a little pick me up and the roobios at night instead of dessert. I tell you this will never replace chocolate but it is good when I am having a mild craving
Kari Gran Skincare I have become so much more focused on my own self care and with that a big part has been skincare. I plan to share a number of my favorites over the coming months but for right now I’ll share just these two from Kari Gran because I am obsessed. First let’s talk about my new Holy Grail lip product – Kari Gran Lip Whip– seriously the best lip product I have ever tried. This has been my go to especially in this cold winter months because it really hydrates the lips and makes them super soft and moisturized. I’ll put just a little on during the day and at night I slather it on to give my lips a nice little lip treatment. I often wear it alone but also like to wear it over a lip stick. I just have the naked one but these also come in tints and I think I might have to buy myself a tinted one as well but now I just have to settle on a color!
The second Kari Gran item that I have been loving lately is the hydrating tonic. I use this a few times per day specifically in the morning and at night plus I’ll spritz my face throughout the day whenever my skin is feeling like it needs a little moisture. It is alcohol free so it is so gentle on my skin and I have the lavender scent and it smells amazing. I also started to really get into mineral makeup and this does a beautiful job at setting it. Such a versatile product – seriously love it!
Uma Pure Calm Wellness OilI tell you being a stay-at-home mom of two sure has it’s moments. It can be exhausting and frustrating some days and sometimes I just need a time out. Lately I have been using this little teeny sample of Uma Pure Calm Wellness Oil to help me when I am feeling a little overwhelmed with the day. It is supposed to “naturally alleviate anxious feelings and stress, while promoting tranquility and balance from within.” I dab a bit behind my ears and on my pressure points and take a few deep breathes. I honestly don’t know if it really works but it smells amazing and I think the ritual alone helps to calm me so I’ll keep doing it because why not?
Giveaway
Want to win this box of goodies? Head on over to my Instagram to learn more! Also stay tuned for more giveaways this week!
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Stayfree® via Mode Media.The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Stayfree®.
I first started practicing yoga at home using DVD’s and podcasts and as I became more confident in my ability I started to attend classes. Nowadays, I find that the amount of time I spend on my practice goes in waves. Sometimes I practice every day of the week and other times it’s only once per week. When I was pregnant with Edith I had the most consistent practice and not only did it keep me active while pregnant but it gave me confidence in my body, strength, and a sense of community.
While I didn’t practice as much yoga during my pregnancy with Alder I have returned to a regular yoga routine, especially gentle yoga for post run stretching. The problem is, and this may be TMI for some of you so if it is skip to the next paragraph, but as a postpartum mama sometimes in the early months you just need a little extra security so I’m thankful for the creation of things such as Stayfree® pads, kegels and pelvic floor physical therapy. Luckily yoga has also helped me to strengthen up all of those muscles I forgot I had when I was pregnant and hopefully I won’t need to use anything for extra security, of course until that time of the month makes its impending return.
These days making it to the yoga studio isn’t the easiest but I have a few times since Alder was born and hope to get out more as the months go by and he gets to be a bit older. While I can’t make it to the studio that doesn’t mean that I’m not practicing, it’s actually quite the opposite. I have been using My Yoga on Gaiam TV for going on four months now to get my dose of yoga in each week. Some days I do a longer practice and most days I go for a quick post run stretch. I am thankful I am able to find time to quiet my mind and relax my body even if it’s just 15 minutes at home in between building block castles and changing diapers.
New year, new you! Yoga is an integral part of a healthy lifestyle and who better to lead the yoga-lution than you. Inspired by athletic wear, Stayfree® pads feature flexible layers that move with your body from child’s pose to side crow. Visit http://www.stayfree.com/ to find which product best fits you or visit our Facebook to learn more about our mission. Also, don’t forget to use your Stayfree® purchase to get a 30-Day membership to My Yoga on Gaiam TV and access FREE yoga classes online now through March 12!
![stayfree_authorlogo[2][1][6]](https://i2.wp.com/runningwithtongs.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/stayfree_authorlogo216.jpg?resize=200%2C200)
Tips:
What are your tips and tricks to stay on track with your health and wellness goals?
