New Year, Healthy Choices with Silver Fern Brand

I have always been a pretty healthy eater, but ever since I was pregnant and now that I'm nursing I REALLY pay attention to the foods and ingredients that go into my body. That being said, I'm human and still love a good batch of brownies!

I was super excited when Silver Fern Brand reached out and offered to let me try one of their baking mixes. They had several varieties to choose from, but their Natural, Gluten Free Cake Brownies caught my eye for sure.

I love that they are made with Almond Flour so they still have a rich, dense texture that's GOOD for you (never thought I'd be able to say brownies and good-for-you in the same sentence!) They also only have 2 grams of sugar per serving - I know! You're probably wondering how they taste? Great! Less rich than a real brownie, but fit the bill for a nice chocolate treat!

Silver Fern also send us some of their Prebiotic and Probiotic WAI Drink Mixes. I have always been intrigued about probiotics so I was excited to try these! According to the brand, "Wai's special probiotic converted the prebiotics and dietary fat into sort-chain fatty acids which support healthy fat metabolism." Worth a shot, right?!

Both Adam and I decided we would drink one a day for 21 days. According to the directions, you re to mix one WAI drink powder packet into 16-32 ounces of water, shake or stir to dissolve and drink up. The drink mixes are tasty, but quite sweet, so if you prefer drinks a little less on sweet, I'd for sure dilute the mix into 32 oz of water. 

The first couple days of being on the probiotic, my body kind of detoxed. I had a pimple or two and had to use the bathroom more frequently - all signs it was working! After about a week of taking it my whole system felt amazing. I felt detoxed and like my whole system was reset. My husband took them too and loved them. Taking probiotics now is something we plan on doing daily and the great tasting and convenient WAI mixes are an excellent way to get our daily dose!

Baby Wearing with Nesting Days

This post is going to make me reminiscent - I can't believe my little peanut is almost 4 months old!

Baby wearing was one of the things I wanted to do more of with my second child than my first. I admit, I was very intimidated with baby wearing the first time around. I didn't know how to "do it" correctly, was worried that my baby may fall out, or they wouldn't be comfy in their carrier. That was why I was so overjoyed when Nesting Days offered to send me one of their carriers to try out!

Instantly I could tell that this carrier was different, It's made out of a lightweight technical yoga-wear inspired fabric (it actually feels and stretches just like your favorite yoga pants!) It doesn't have any complicated rings or buckles or anything that I could potentially "mess up" either. It's a tubular design that I literally could put on in under a minute! I just step into the bottom of the carrier, pull it up to my waist, pull the left arm strap up, tuck my baby in, then pull the right arm strap up and tie. See?! So secure, so simple, and the baby is so sung, happy (and safe!)

I used this so much when Taylor was little. When she got a little fussy or tired, I'd pop her in take a walk outside and she'd instantly fall asleep. We packed it in the diaper bag at Thanksgiving and as soon as she started to cry, again, put her into her Nesting Days carrier and everyone was amazed that she instantly calmed and then fell asleep. Heck, I've even made muffins and meal prepped while little Taylor slept peacefully in her favorite carrier. This thing was a lifesaver when she was little.

Not only is wearing your baby convenient when they are small, there are so many other benefits to baby wearing for both the mama and the baby. Baby wearing offers many other advantages such as: happier, healthier babies, more confident parents, more successful breastfeeding, and less likelihood of postpartum depression. Pretty incredible. right?

The amazing folks at Nesting Days have given me a promo code for you. It's GOFASTMOMMY and will save you $5. You can also stack this code with their special pre-order pricing (which will save you an additional $10 if you choose to order a carrier for shipment in 4-6 weeks as opposed to the normal delivery time!)

Do/did you wear your babies or do you plan on it? Please share!

Better Sleep With The Zen Swaddle From Nested Bean

I'll admit, getting my babies to sleep on their own has never been a skill of mine. I vow to let them sleep on their own and not in my arms or bed and then the sleep deprivation gives in and I do whatever I can so that they, and I, can get a little shut eye, It's hard mamas.

Taylor for the first few weeks of her life and I felt like a pro, and then she WOKE UP and I was like, this is HARD. I'd nurse her gently to sleep and she's slumber softly in my arms, but the moment I'd set her ever so gingerly down in her crib and quietly tip toe out of her room she'd wake up and cry within mere minutes (usually around the time I would snuggle myself in my own bed after high-five-ing my hubbie for our awesome baby-sleeping skills)

We were desperate and sleep deprived and would do anything for a few hours of uninterrupted sleep. That's why I was so stoked to hear about the Zen Swaddle from Nested Bean.

No joke, Taylor slept better with the Zen Swaddle from the very first night. Her longest stretch of sleep used to be 2-3 hours and it went immediately to 3-4 hours in a  row. After 2 weeks of sleeping in her Zen Swaddle she now sleeps a continuous 6 hours at night and last night she slept for a continuous 8 hours - talk about life changing!

We've noticed too that the human-like weighted touch of this swaddle helps to sooth her back to sleep on her own. So during the night or daytime naps she may still wake up several times and even cry out, fidget, and open her eyes, but she almost always is able to soothe herself back to sleep. It's amazing!

I swaddle her up for her naps and for bedtime and always place her in her crib for consistency and I think both have helped her tremendously for developing healthy sleep patterns and being able to soothe herself back to sleep if she wakes up.

The idea behind the Zen Swaddle was conceived from a personal need by the founders. They too had a second child that struggled to calm and would immediately wake when he was put down in is crib. Guided by mother's intuition and a research team, the Zen Swaddle was born. My hubbie and I are believers!

Baby Favorite Sales this Holiday Weekend

Hi All! I wanted to do a quick post on all of the sales this weekend!! These are all things that I use often and LOVE!

BOB Revolution Stroller - I use this for all my runs and walks and it's on sale for 32% off here.

Doc a Tot - Little Taylor loves to sleep in this because it makes her feel safe and secure! Save $10 here.

Bao Bei Maternity Nursing Bra - because running with boobs is HARD but this makes it so much easier. My favorite nursing sports bra for sure! On sale today here for $49 plus free shipping!

Figure 8 Maternity - 25% off entire site! Free shipping and free returns too. This is where my favorite BOOB designs nursing hoodie came from. Shop here.

Altra Shoes - My favorite running shoes of all time! They have a bunch of shoes for 30% off right now. Shop here.

Nesting Days Carrier - My favorite wrap style carrier for little Taylor. Everyone comments how comfy and cozy she looks in it and is is SO SIMPLE to use. Use code NEWBORN-NEST to save 20%. Shop here.

Nested Bean Sleep Swaddle - I haven't gotten a chance to review this yet but the concept is awesome (read about it on their site) Since sleeping in this swaddle little Taylor's longest sleep stretch went from 2-3 hours to 4-5 hours - sold! Save up to 25% here.

Bun Maternity - My FAVORITE nursing tops because they are super soft and stylish and don't look like nursing tops. I own 6! They are having a HUGE sale - 40% off everything with code BUNFRIDAY! Shop here.

Cover Me Ponchos - My favorite! I use these as a car seat cover on all my runs and when I bring the car seat into stores and restaurants and I also use it as a nursing cover! I have 2 and keep one in her stroller and one in the diaper bag at all times! They are having an awesome sale - $45 for 2 plus $1 shipping! Shop here.

Belly Bandit - I loved their support belt while pregnant and am now loving their high waist Mother Tucker Capris for postpartum. They are having 25% off their entire store here.

Spearmint Love - The cutest online baby store and they NEVER have sales but today they are offering 20% off everything!! I love and use this Little Unicorn Deluxe Swaddle Set daily! There are the softest and biggest muslin blankets and just so awesome. Shop them here.

BelaBumBum Maternity - An awesome online maternity and nursing site that is having 25% off and free shipping on their entire site with code BLACKFRIDAY2016. My 2 favorite insanely comfy nursing bras are from this site. They are sports bras but cute enough for all day everyday use! Love them so much!! Shop here

LaLaBu Soothe Shirts - The sweetest way to snuggle your newborn! I am in love with the ease of this shirt and little Taylor loves to be snuggled all up! They even sell dad shirts now and are having their lowest prices of the year here.

I'm sure I missed some brands and products and sales because there are SO MANY out there so please comment below if there's any sales I need to check out! What has been your favorite maternity, new mom, or baby product that you just LOVE?

Boobie Box Review

I was so excited when I heard the owner of The Boobie Box wanted to send me their November box! I immediately fell in love with the concept. It's a monthly box that is full of treats and useful items for nursing and pumping moms! When you sign up on their website, you can select a one time shipment or 3 or 6 month subscription plan (each monthly box is less than $20!). You also fill out a short (optional) survey so that the owner can customize your box just for you and also customize any feeding advice or questions you may have (she's a certified lactation specialist and breast feeding mama herself!)

What to see what was in my box?

-Latch Pal. This is a really cool mom invention, designed to hold up your shirt while you feed or pump, genius!
-Silicone Manual Breast Pump. This can be used to catch milk or to express milk manually. Very handy and I'm so glad this was included in my box!
-Fuzzy Socks. Love the bright fun color on these and I know they'll be super handy for when my tootsies get chilly this winter!
-Milk Cloud Tea. I'm super into having a cup or two of tea a day and lactation tea is so helpful! I loved the mild flavor of this one.
-Mama Rosa's Pumpkin and White Chocolate Lactation Cookies. So yummy and they help me produce more milk? Sold!

I really can't think of a better way for a nursing mama to treat herself during these postpartum months than a little pick me up like this box! It would also make a super thoughtful gift for a new mama friend too! It introduced me to some new products and brands and I am able to use everything in the box because it was hand-selected just for me!

The Boobie Box owner wants to send one of my followers a December Box!! Head over to my Instagram page to be entered to win! Check out this awesome mug that is going to be in every December box (I want one!)

Figure 8 Maternity BOOB Brand Hoodie Review

It is finally hoodie weather in Phoenix! When Figure 8 Maternity sent me this BOOB Design Nursing Hoodie I was so excited to wear it, but the warmer weather stayed steady this year in Phoenix for so long!

Figure 8 Maternity is an awesome online retailer for maternity and nursing wear. They carry all of the best national brands and offer FREE shipping and FREE returns too (I always appreciate this because sometimes it is so hard to buy clothing online!). They often have great sales  (Follow them on Instagram for updates!). 

When I received my BOOB Design B-Warmer Organic Knitted Nursing Hoodies in the mail from Figure 8, the package was wrapped up like a present! Their presentation was awesome. My hoodies was in a fancy box, wrapped up in tissue paper and had a giant bow on top. It made me excited to tear it open for sure!

When BOOB Design made this hoodie they thought of everything. It has a very flattering slim fit design (I am wearing an XS), its made of the softest organic cotton. It is long enough to cover my butt, so I feel comfortable wearing it with leggings...which basically makes it the PERFECT postpartum new mama outfit that you'll get SO MUCH use out of! I LOVE the burgundy color (it also comes in a few other colors too!) It is light enough to wear inside and warm enough to wear outside.

It can easily be dressed up or down. I have worn my hoodie casually around the house, around the fire pit relaxing with my family, and it is also the perfect for fall and winter running outdoors.

It is super breastfeeding friendly because of the front overlap, making it a breeze to nurse in public!  I LOVE that they lined the overlap with a soft fleece material that keeps the bust area nice and warm!

This hoodie is one of those nursing pieces that I will truly wear all season long and  probably continue to wear post-breastfeeding because it really is so cute, comfy, and stylish!

#figure8moms #figure8maternity

Runtastic Fitness Channel Review and App Giveaway

Over the past year, I have really grown to love and realize the importance of cross and strength training to develop a well-rounded runners body. When I cross-train I look, feel, and am stronger, and more injury-proof. Being a busy working mom of (now) two, I don't have time to go to the gym to strength train, I prefer to do quick and easy targeted moves at home, which made me so happy when I was introduced to the Runtastic Channel on YouTube (Do yourself a favor and subscribe now. there's so much good stuff on there you won't want to miss!)

The Runrastic Channel is uploads new 5-10 minute workouts, recipes, and more weekly, that are all geared towards runners. The head trainer, Lunden is so cute and easy to follow, it's like having your own personal trainer friend in your living room! 

The other day I did her7 Minute Fat Burning HIIT for Summer workout. It was a combo of 7 moves that we did for 40 seconds in a row, followed by a 20 second transition, before moving into the other exercise. Some of my favorite moves from this workout were the burpee/punch sequence and the back lunge heel raises. 

This week, November 1-5, I'm going to be participating in an Instagram Challenge, doing one Runtastic Video a day (I'm thinking this will help to counteract all of the Halloween Candy I may be tempted to eat!) I'd LOVE for you to do the challenge along with me (and win some cool prizes too!)

The schedule is:

• Day 1: Upper Body & Booty
• Day 2: ABSolutely Amazing 4-Minute Abs
• Day 3: 7-Minute HIIT for Legs
• Day 4: Fall Workout with a Pumpkin*
• Day 5: 6-Minute No-Gym Total Body Workout

I'll be posting daily prompts on my IG and giving away one Runtastic 12 month premium subscription everyday!

To kick off the challenge, the amazing folks at Runtastic, have given me 4 12 month Runtastic Subscriptions to give away to blog readers!! Their premium fitness app has customizable training plans for all distances and skill levels, I'm excited to use it for my upcoming 2017 comeback race season! To enter, comment below with your favorite cross or strength training move! Winners will be notified by the end of the week!

In the meantime, subscribe to the Runtastic Fitness Channel so you'll be all set to join me in the challenge this week! 

#RFCFallFit #RuntasticFitness #SweatPink