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Tuesday, January 30, 2018

My 2018 Fitness and Nutrition Goals

About a month ago, I posted some of my 2018 goals on my Instagram page HERE. "They" say that it takes 21 days to form a habit - so I thought now would be a great time to check in with myself and share with you how I was doing!

Drink at least 100 ounces of water a day - I easily drink over a gallon of water a day in the warmer months but when its chilly outside I struggle. I so far have been really good at this goal - I think the big thing that has helped me is finally finding a reusable water bottle that I love. I take it with me everywhere and its super stylish to boot (hey, whatever works, right?!

Focus on Hip Strength - My hips started acting up when I was pregnant with Taylor and the pain sometimes flares up during training. The pain is not always present, I tend to only focus on them when they hurt, versus what I should be doing, daily maintenance to keep them healthy and strong. I have been pretty good at incorporating the Myrtl Routine into my workouts about 3 times a week and focusing on cross training exercises to strengthen my hips from all angles.

I do have to share that I am a HUGE believer in Collagen Protein, and since I have been taking it for the past 9 months my hip mobility has GREATLY increased. Collagen reduces joint pain, improves cardiovascular health, and boosts muscle mass, all while supplying you with a healthy does of protein per serving! My favorite brand is Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Protein. I've found that it's effective, the best value, and the only Collagen that is truly tasteless. I add two scoops to my morning cups of coffee and reap the benefits all day long!

Continue to wake up early to get in my cross training Tone It Up videos - this has probably been the easiest goal for me to stick too. Yes, the waking up early will never be easy (but hey, that's what coffee with a large scoop of collagen is for, right?!) but I truly LOVE and look forward to these videos so much. They are high energy and effective and I just love the results I get from doing them.

Continue to meal prep veggies twice a week - I was on a roll prepping huge trays of veggies twice weekly in December and thought for sure I'd be able to continue the trend in January - but alas, this has been the one goal that I've fallen short on. I'm still eating healthy (most of the time!) but have stopped the veggie prep. I have been embracing salads more though and have resumed eating veggie sandwiches for lunch - so I think I'm doing a decent job of getting in some greens daily!

Continue to not shy away from the hard stuff - I wanted to pick races, runs, and workouts that challenge and change me. This is why I'm a HUGE believer in my Great Lakes Protein Collagen - it allows be to embrace and go for the tougher training runs and high-impact cross training moves because I know my joints will be protected and my body will be recovered to do it all over again every single day. I have been banking some sky-high mileage and training paces that I never thought possible, but with the recovery tool of Great Lakes Collagen Protein, ANYTHING is possible.

Just this week I signed up for the toughest race of my life. A half marathon with over 600 feet of elevation gain in the first half - its basically one big uphill climb - and I'm going to do it pushing Taylor in the stroller! I'm honestly so excited for it and can't wait to embrace the challenges and tough runs that will come with this training cycle. I know I am strong enough to handle it.

Are you curious about trying collagen for yourself? The wonderful folks at Great Lakes Gelatin have allowed me to share a discount code with you. Now through March 15th, you can save 20% off their entire online shop with discount code GLGLife20. I'm for sure stocking up on my favorite Collagen Protein which you can find HERE.

If you're already an avid collagen protein user - what benefits have you seen? How do you take your collagen? How are you doing on your goals for the New Year?



Monday, January 22, 2018

How to Make Shopping With Babies Easier

The logistics of being a new mom always seemed to throw me for a loop. I had our routine down to a t (for the most part...) at home, but actually leaving the house took lots of planning and anxiety. I know it's good and necessary to get out though with my baby so I found a few ways to make our outings run pretty smoothly.

 Here are my tips for shopping with your baby:

1. Give yourself time - as in, allow yourself waaaaay more time than the actual task entails. Planning to run into a store to grab a few quick items? Cushion that trip wit an extra 15 minutes on each end. The extra time will allow you to not get (too) frazzled when your baby needs a last minute diaper change (after they are already strapped into the car seat!) or if you have to stop and feed your baby while out.

2. Plan ahead and prioritize. Make that list of what you need from the store and prioritize your errands in case you need to bail halfway through. Some days I will write down 5 places we need to go - knowing full well that's it's very unlikely that I would make it to the last few stops on your trip.

3. Come with reinforcements. You guys - this is a total GAME CHANGER. When little Taylor was young, I never put her infant seat in the front part of the shopping cart. It scared the heck out of me - it just didn't seem secure. So I'd put her huge bulky baby seat in the main part of the shopping cart, and then pile my groceries all around her, jenga style,  - it seemed goofy, but I didn't know what to do!





 I was recently introduced to KartStraps, which are these amazing straps designed to safely secure infant car seats to the front part of shopping carts! So genius, right?! I just wish that they were around when Taylor was smaller - these would have saved me so much stress while shopping (not to mention ROOM in the cart too!) You can find out more and purchase your own KartStraps HERE (they are under $20!)

4. If all else fails, bribe them! Stuff your diaper bag ahead of time with fun little engaging toys, special snacks, and other things that your baby will find entertaining and will buy you some extra time to get your errands done.

5. Bail. If they're not feeling it, abort your shopping mission and go home. There's always tomorrow, Amazon Prime, or nap time when you can try again, plus they are only this little once, amIright?!

Do you have any tips on shopping with your babies (or toddlers...)? Share them in the comments, I'd love to hear!