Healthy Snacking With Stonyfield

Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own. #StonyfieldBlogger

I’m getting ready for another round of the 21 Day Fix with BeachBody. No, I’m not a BeachBody coach and have no plans of becoming one. I do like their 21 Day Fix program though, I lost 6 pounds back in October during my first round! I learned a lot about healthy eating during that time as well. Snacking has always been a downfall for me though. I get in these moods to just pick and snack on whatever I can get my hands, usually something with a crunch.

The Struggle for Healthy Habits in Preschoolers

Disclosure: This post was created in partnership with Stonyfield. All opinions are my own. #StonyfieldBlogger

Honestly, I consider us pretty lucky in the eating department with our preschooler. Considering his past with a feeding tube, oral aversion, refusal to drink – anything! The fact that we have a 4 year old that is so willing to try new foods and frequently chooses fruits and veggies over bags of chips or sweets, I’m always amazed at how far he’s come.

Losing the New Mom Jiggle {+ The Babywearing Workout Review}

Not gonna lie, I kind of want to sit on the moms who seem to just melt away the baby weight after birth. I mean, I know it has a lot to do with genetics, but seriously? It’s just not fair. Most of us struggle to lose the jiggle and for me, it’s more than just a struggle to lose the weight, its a struggle to find time to lose the weight.

I have a 3 year old and a 3 month old. I’m building my Jamberry Nails business, I’m doing the blogging thing, and I’m trying to work my way into a small family photography business. I’m also trying to find an out of the home job. I’m busy. Between laundry, dishes, and WAHM duties (and doody!), I’m pretty much going from sun up to long past sun down. Somewhere in there I’m supposed to find time to shed the pounds and firm up the post c-section tummy? Yea, okay!

Tips for Breastfeeding Oversupply and Discomfort {+ an Undercover Mama Review}

Oversupply with breastfeeding, the struggle is real my friends! I feel the breastfeeding conversation usually centers around how to boost supply or fearing that you’re not making enough, but some of us make more than enough and while it’s great, it’s also incredibly painful! I knew that I’d have an oversupply issue with Baby H, I had the same issue with M when he was a baby. I mean, what newborn needs 8oz of breastmilk every 2 hours? And that was when I didn’t even empty my breasts while pumping. I know it’s pretty normal to have a large supply when milk comes in, but usually mama will adjust to her baby within the first couple weeks. I was bonding with a pump and not nursing when it came to M so 3 weeks in, I was still pumping 8-10oz every 2 hours.

Newborn Car Seat Safety with GB Asana35 AP {Review}

Getting ready for a new baby when I already have a 3 year old, is a lot more work that I could have imagined. Maybe it’s because I take on way too much at one time work-wise or maybe it’s avoidance because I’ve had so much fear in this pregnancy. Whatever the reason, I’m seriously lacking in the new baby prep. I did, however, finally manage to get our infant car seat installed though! Woot woot for small steps!

5 Ways to Pamper Yourself this Valentine’s Day (+ a Rain Africa Review)

Valentine’s Day is tomorrow and whether you have a significant other to spend the holiday with or not, I say pamper yourself! Valentine’s Day is all about showing those you love how much you appreciate them, so why not show yourself some love and appreciation! Take some time to pamper yourself, relax, and enjoy.

Santa’s Little Helper #Giveaway Hop #SantasHelper

THIS GIVEAWAY IS NO LONGER ACCEPTING ENTRIES 

Read On for My Jamberry Nails Review

Welcome to the Santa’s Little Helper Giveaway Hop, hosted by the Blogging Mamas Network!

We all know that everyone could use a little help around the Holidays, so for this Event I’ve teamed up with more of your favorite bloggers to be your Santa’s Little Helper… giving away prizes that anyone would want to see under the tree! You might find the perfect gift for a little one on your list – or even for yourself, so hop around to all the blogs on the linky at the bottom of this post and don’t miss the Santa’s Little Helper Grand Prize from Step2!

Going Green for Work (+ a Planet Wise Product Review)

Being a working mom kind of straight up sucks! Am I right?! I mean, it has it’s benefits, regular adult contact, getting out of the house sans toddler tugging on you, being able to pay the bills…but I know, for me, I’d give up the adult contact and toddler free time any day if it wasn’t for the fact that we need to pay those pesky bills. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not that I don’t enjoy my job, I do! I’d just much rather be home with my favorite 2 year old!

My job requires quite a bit of travel. I definitely don’t work an office job, I’m constantly traveling between clients, the office, schools, etc. This often means breakfast, lunch – and sometimes dinner – on the road. I don’t always have time to stop and actually eat. This is not ideal and it can lead to drive-thru windows (yuck!), but more often than not it means grabbing a banana, granola bar, baggie of pretzels, etc. to get me through the day until I can eat an actual meal. This does not make for a balanced diet.

This summer though, I swore to myself that I would actually pack a lunch! I wasn’t traveling nearly as much, as most days I was in one location running a camp-like program. I usually had access to a fridge and microwave, so I wasn’t limited to PB&J or granola bars, I could take actual food with me! As the summer wore on, I even attempted to make sure my lunch packing ways were also Earth friendly.

So, enter: My Tips for Going Green for Work

1. Reusable Water Bottle: Take a reusable water bottle to refill throughout your day. I also like to add some lemon essential oils and local honey to keep allergies at bay.
2. Take Your Own Silverware: I frequently forget this one, so it’s a work in progress. But, taking your own silverware cuts down on the plastic going into landfills. 
3. Glass or Stainless Steel Containers: Obviously, if it is something that needs reheated, glass would be ideal. But, if I’m packing something like fruit or veggies, the stainless steel is perfect!
4. Reusable Sandwich Bags: I love, love, love the reusable sandwich packs that Planet Wise sent me! They were perfect for a PB&J or to store my go to pretzels. Using these sandwich bags helps to decrease the plastic baggies that end up in our landfills, plus, they’re super cute!
5. Reusable Lunch Bag: Ditch those brown paper bags, or even worse, the plastic grocery bags! I wasn’t using disposable items, but I had been using a puppy dog shaped lunch bag that belongs to my 2 year old. Thankfully, Planet Wise sent me an awesomesauce lunch bag that is more appropriate for work! And, I also love, love, love it!!

Planet Wise sent me two reusable zipper sandwich bags in teal chevron and whales and one of their convertible lunch bags in teal chevron. I am seriously in love with what they sent me! No, seriously, I’ve been telling everyone I know about their lunch bag and sandwich bags. My co-workers can totally vouch for this, and many of them commented on my new lunch bag and welcomed me to adulthood. 😉

Not only can I now look more adult-like when packing my lunch, the lunch bag works amazing at keeping my lunch fresh throughout the day – even when a refrigerator has not been accessible. The convertible lunch bag has a nifty feature where it can have a zip top when you need it to hold more items, or it can be folded down and held in place with a hook & look enclosure. I have generally used the zip top, as I frequently have a lot that I pack with me (e.g., breakfast, lunch, snack), and this has nicely fit all my food items for the day – including the 2 sandwich bags stuffed with goodies. The lunch bags are made to be easily cleaned by whipping them off . They are made in the U.S.A. and are PVC, BPA, lead, and Phthalate FREE!

The sandwich bags, which are called sandwich bags because they will very easily hold a sandwich, can hold just about anything you’d want it to. I’ve used them for sandwiches and other snack goodies. The inside is so easy to wipe out!! I’ve loved showing friends the inside of these bags so they can see how easy they are to clean. Even Hubs was impressed with how nice the inside is – and he’s hard to please! The outside has a nice pattern on it and I’m pretty sure it would hold up in the washer if you ended up with a stain on the outside of the bag. They are a really nice size, I like them better than the small snack bags we’ve used in the past.

If you’re on the hunt for a new lunch bag and sandwich/snack bags, I would highly recommend Planet Wise as your next purchase. They are perfect for work, trips to the park, school lunches, snacks for the car, the uses are so many, there is no way I could possibly list them all. Believe me when I say, I have not found anything that I do not like about these bags – no seriously, nothing. If you’ve read other reviews by me, you know, if there’s something I’d like to see changed, I always mention it in my review. I love the Planet Wise lunch bag and the sandwich bags!

Buy Your Own:

You can purchase your own Planet Wise lunch bag and sandwich bags through their website. The lunch bag featured above retails for $15.95. The sandwich bags featured above come in packs of 2 and retail for $10.99. Happy shopping!

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**All pictures belong to the creator and writer of My Mama Adventure blog. Pictures are not to be reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the creator and writer of this blog.**

Innovative #Babywearing {HIPSTER™ Baby Carrier Review}

As promised, here is my review of the new and innovative HIPSTER baby carrier by MiaMily. HIPSTER is still on Kickstarter, but the good news is, they’ve been funded!! You can still head over and donate to further support their campaign, in addition, if you pledge $120 or more, you will get your own HIPSTER. If they reach $50,000, each backer will receive a HIPSTER baby onsie, they’re almost at $50,000 so definitely help them out and share, share, share!

I received the HIPSTER from MiaMily as compensation for this review. I’ve had a couple weeks to give the HIPSTER a try and I can honestly say, it’s nothing like other carriers we own or have tried. It has an actual seat that baby sits on and supports baby’s hips. This is what gives the HIPSTER its ergonomic design, so don’t let the narrow looking base fool you. M’s hips were fully supported and he was quite comfy while in the carrier.

What is truly interesting about the HIPSTER is that the seat of the carrier can be used alone, with a double shoulder attachment, or single shoulder attachment. With these options you can actually use the HIPSTER in 9 different positions! The seat can be worn on your front with baby facing you, facing out, or on your hip. Add the double shoulder attachment and you can wear baby on your front facing you, facing out, or on your back. The single shoulder attachment allows for you to wear your baby on your hip, facing you, or facing out. That’s 9 different ways!!

I tried out the HIPSTER in all carry options except the facing out with the single shoulder attachment. While I am not usually a big fan of facing out carries, I can say that in the HIPSTER it felt comfortable and M really seemed to like it, he had a big smile on his face! I did not try it for an extended period of time though.

The HIPSTER has a nice safety feature at the zipper area. At the ending point of the zipper, there is a snap to hold the attachment and the seat together. The first time we tried the 2 shoulder attachment with M facing me, the zipper came undone from the starting end – pretty sure I did not have it in the entire way though, as we’ve had no further issues since that first time. I also think that when I was fiddling with the shoulder adjustments, I pulled them too tight, putting too much strain on the zipper. However, I would love to see a 2nd snap on the starting end of the zipper to add extra support in this area.

Since that first attempt, we have had no issues and M has been super comfy in both the front carry and back carry of the double shoulder attachment. It was actually much easier to get him on my back with this carrier because of the seat, an added bonus! I also love that the front panel of both the double shoulder and single shoulder attachments zips off to reveal a mesh layer, perfect for warmer weather! I did find that the single shoulder attachment was difficult to adjust when M was in the carrier, it was a minor issue, but I’d love to see the straps have the same adjust feature as the double shoulder attachment. Otherwise, I love that I don’t have to unhook 2 shoulder straps and try to figure out a hip carry. It’s really a nice feature to have the single strap attachment that is perfect for hip carries!

The hair toss in the first picture was a happy accident!

My Favorite HIPSTER Features:

♦ Versatility – no other carrier, that I know of, has 9 different ways of carrying a baby.
♦ Seasonal – attachments are double layered so the top layer can be unzipped. Underneath is a mesh layer that allows for air to circulate through during warm months.
♦ Ergonomic – despite what it looks like at first glance, this carrier is ergonomic. It appears to have a narrow base that would make baby’s legs dangling, but in fact, the seat that is provided keeps baby’s hips supported to help prevent hip strain. Think of it this way, instead of the fabric creating a seat like other soft structured carriers, the HIPSTER has an actual seat.
♦ Easy to use – it appears overwhelming at first, but really, it is quite simple and works like most other soft structured carriers. Everything easily zippers on (just make sure you have it zippered correctly) and is easy to unzip.
♦ Cell phone pouch – Love that this carrier has a pouch for a cell phone, many carriers do not come with extra pouches so this is a nice feature. There is also a pocket on the outside removable layer when using the top versions of the HIPSTER.
♦ Detachable hood – since M never liked hoods on carriers, I like that I can remove the hood and stow it away.
♦ Wide waist strap – this is nice for added back support and if you’re a mama with a little extra pooch in the tummy, it doesn’t dig and is comfortable.

If you’re looking for more information on the HIPSTER, their Kickstarter Campaign, or MiaMily as a company, head over to my previous post: HIPSTER™ Baby Carrier by MiaMily on Kickstarter where you can read more about how they got started and their awesome One for One Charity campaign.

Where to Find HIPSTER™ by MiaMily:

Kickstarter Campaign Ends 8/21/14

MiaMily Website

Facebook

Win it! Giveaway ends 8/15/14

**All pictures belong to the creator and writer of My Mama Adventure blog. Pictures are not to be reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the creator and writer of this blog.**

Safe Sippy 2 by Kid Basix Review (+ Coupon Code)

I’m not sure if you realize this or not, but I have been on the hunt for a straw sippy cup that does not leak from the straw. Here’s our standard scenario: Pour milk into cup, give cup to toddler, toddler drinks, leaves cup on table, 10 minutes later I return to the cup sitting in a puddle of milk that has spewed out from the top of the straw. This has annoyed me and frustrated me to no end. M has always enjoyed a straw over a regular sippy cup but the above scenario sent me on the hunt for a straw cup that does not leak from the top of the straw.

Enter in: Safe Sippy 2 from Kid Basix

I had heard great things about Safe Sippy, mainly that they are safe and spill proof. The cup is primarily made from stainless steel with plastic  for the straw, spout, and outer sleeve that is BPA and Phthalate free, with this combination of stainless steel and plastic, it is certainly the safest cup in our cabinet.

We received the Safe Sippy 2 in orange. Since the Safe Sippy 2 is a converter cup, it will convert from a standard sippy to a straw sippy with a very simple valve change. The cup also came with a travel plug which is great when traveling to prevent leaks while on the go. The straw valve and sippy valve are very easy to switch out and the straw fits snuggly into the valve so it does not fall out while M is drinking.

The best part about the Safe Sippy 2 is that we have had very few issues with liquids spewing from the top of the spout when we have the straw valve attached. It has happened, but it seems to have happened less. And, the benefit of this cup is that we can swap out the straw and just turn it into a regular sippy. I even had M turn it upside down the first time we used it, to see if it would spill out. A couple drips made it out, but it was pretty impressive considering he then decided to shake it about – my mistake for asking my child to turn his cup upside down! It held up pretty well and passed the toddler test for our house.

We have noticed that, surprisingly, M seems to prefer the standard sippy valve. Up until this cup, he’s always preferred a straw cup. Both hubs and I tried drinking from the cup and we found that when the straw is attached there is a suction so it’s hard to guzzle fluids. This happens with the standard sippy valve as well, but for some reason it doesn’t seem to bother him as much when it’s the standard sippy. He’ll use it either way we give it to him and he enjoys the removable handles. I guess the benefit of him not being able to guzzle is that it slows him down to some degree and it’s still my personal preferred cup since the volcano spout situation occurs less often.

Features:

♦ Dust Cap – a handy dandy cap that keeps the top clean and free of gunkiness.

♦ Spout – straw shaped, specifically designed for developing palates.

♦ Handles – removable handles that are useful for little hands until they are able to grasp the tapered bottle shape.

♦ Sleeve – made of thermo-plastic rubber that provides insulation for cold liquids. The sleeve also makes gripping easier for little ones and protects the cup when it is dropped.

♦ Body – made of lightweight, durable, food-grade stainless steel. It is non-leaching, anti-microbial, and dishwasher safe (awesome!). 

Buy Your Own:

On the Kid Basix website and use COUPON CODE: “Suzanne” and receive 25% off your entire order through August 31, 2014! Plus, orders over $50 receive FREE SHIPPING!

Amazon (Affiliate Link – coupon code not valid on Amazon)

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What are you waiting for? Buy your own Safe Sippy 2!

**All pictures belong to the creator and writer of My Mama Adventure blog. Pictures are not to be reproduced, distributed, performed, publicly displayed, or made into a derivative work without the permission of the creator and writer of this blog.**