How I’ve leaned out: The ins and outs of my nutrition

Ok. Most requested post of ALL. TIME.

The full round up on my eating schedule, how it works, and alllll about Macros.

So, first of all. I am not a medical professional, a trainer, or a dietician. This is simply what works for ME (and I have seen it work for other people). I feel compelled to share because I know that it will help someone out there.

So, a little background. After having my third son I was really uncomfortable in my skin. Of course, I probably “bounced back” quicker than the average mom, but it still, to be honest, it affected my every day life, my confidence and how I felt. With my oldest son I wasn’t really able to get super lean until after I stopped breastfeeding. Which was an entire year. That felt like an eternity especially since pregnancy is already 9 months long, and prior to that I had been a professional athlete who, ultimately, got paid to be fit.

After my second son, the same thing happened. I worked out, eat right and still held onto that last 8-10lbs until I stopped nursing which was 16 months. I got lean pretty quick, but I got pregnant about 3 months after stopping nursing so my progress ended there!

After having my third, I had heard of a program called FASTer Way to Fat loss. I was seeing other bloggers who had just had babies, who also were nursing, and lose tons of weight WHILE nursing. I kind of brushed it off the first time, but after numerous times hearing about how great it was and how to allowed for flexible eating, I thought “what do you have to lose?”

SO…after much thought I decided to go for it. In May, when my son was about 5 months old, I joined. And I haven’t looked back since. My results were MIND BLOWING. I lost all my postpartum weight, and reached my postpartum form by the time my son was a year old WHILE nursing. I didn’t cut any food groups and didn’t spend hours working out (I kept with my normal strength training regiment). I eat pizza, ice cream and other snacks every week. My milk supply wasn’t affected AT ALL. If anything, I had more milk!

I stayed on the program for almost a year and slowly stopped tracking my macros because, well, life. But after about 18 months, I found myself a little dissatisfied with where I was and went on a strict, clean eating diet plan for 3 months over the summer. While I did get lean, I just wasn’t happy because I was so restricted with my diet. And to be honest the results weren’t better than FASTer Way. Not only was I miserable, I felt like I was plateauing and was at a standstill. I was missing out on moments with my kids (think: summer ice cream nights). I just felt that I coulden’t sustain that diet plan for a long period of time.

So, this past November I got back on the FASTer Way plan and saw again, amazing results within 6 weeks while still eating all the things I enjoy. I LOVE not making separate meals for my family and I and still having flexibility of what I can eat. I’ve lost over 8 inches and 7 pounds since this fall.

So, you’re probably wondering WHAT is this plan?

The FASTer Way combines intermittent fasting, carb cycling and macro counting for literally an unstoppable combination. I love It because the community is so supportive and it keeps me accountable. I love how flexible it is- I can pretty much eat whatever I want as long as its in my macros. I DO try to stick to an 80-20 percentage of clean food vs. not so good food, but the fact that I can fit treats/meals in multiple times times a week and still get results is amazing.

What exactly Is Carb Cycling, Intermittent Fasting and Macro Counting?

Macronutrients (or macros) are the molecules our bodies need to grow and be active. We use these molecules as energy to do work on a cellular, tissue, organ, and organismal level. This energy helps us break down nutrients, repair damaged cells, grow new cells, and more. Macronutrients are broken down into three basic categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

I was familiar with doing macro counting prior to starting FASTer way the first time…however it was still a little bit of a learning curve! It was 100% COMPLETELY worth it though! I can say that it is an adjustment tracking all of your food and entering it, but after the first week it just becomes part of your day. Most of the time I enter everything the night before, or right when I wake up. Now because I’ve been doing it so long I pretty much know if I’m on target or not because I tend to rotate a lot of the same foods. I currently use My Fitness Pal to track all my macros.

 What is my eating schedule?

Currently right now I am a part of the VIP Faster Way program and our week varies, but usually we have 2 days low macro (25 % less of each macro), 2 low carb days, and 3 regular macro days (read: carbs!!!!) The VIP program is for those that have completed one round of FASTer Way. Just a side note, I didn’t join the VIP program the first time after I finished my first round. I was able to continue to track my macros and stay accountable on my own for quite some time. This is an option for those of you who are self -motivated, but just need help initially getting setup with HOW to lose the weight and what macros you should be eating.

Right now, I’m at a point where I feel like having that group and accountability is important to my progress which is why I chose to join VIP after my initial round this fall.

If you are joining FASTer way for the first time, I believe that they have simplified things and you only have Regular macro days and low carb days! EASY PEASY.

Ok, so breaking down each day for what I’m currently doing right now:

Regular Macro days:

These days consist of lots of carbs and generally I match these up with my lifting days (especially lower body) to ensure I am fueling my body with awesome slow burning carbs (think oats, fruit, and sweet potatoes). These are the days I’m more likely to fit in treats like pizza, ice cream, etc.

Low Carb Days

These days consist of basically doubling my fat (yes…over 100g of fat!), but keeping my proteins the same and lower my carbs to below 50 for the day (ouch!). Think eggs, avocadoes, olive oil, chicken, salmon….I try to usually do intervals or running on these days.

Low Macro Days

These days consist of lowering my macros 20% across the board! I try to make this a low intensity workout or a rest day (long walk or run).

FASTer Way

I know this sounds overwhelming and confusing but honestly it gets easier every day and within 2-3 weeks you will have it down to a science. Also, there are videos (I listened to these in the car on the way to work/doing laundry etc) explaining everything step by step and over a 7 day period in what is called “Prep week.” Allie, who was my coach, literally is available for any question you have and is super accessible and knowlegable.

So here’s the thing. I think a lot of people think that people put little effort into becoming fit. It simply doesn’t work that way! That’s the reality. Yes, this takes energy and planning. But I don’t meal prep hardly AT ALL and I’m still able to make this work pretty well. You HAVE to make your nutrition and fitness a huge priority in your life in order to see results, especially the older you get. Once you make it a routine/habit after 3 or 4 weeks, its literally just a part of your day! And the beauty of this is you can pick your own meals, your own foods and work them into your plan/diet as you see fit! I always recommend if you DO want to have a treat that day- put that in your macros first so you don’t go over!

What is great about FASTer Way to Fat Loss is that you have a coach that is dedicated to helping you every single day, and a community/facebook group that is there to keep you accountable. This was HUGE for me. Posting my daily macros forced me to stick with it and know that every day WILL NOT be perfect! Progress >> Perfection.

If you EVER have any questions about any of this feel free to email me peanutbutterblondie@gmail.com, or DM me on Instagram @alexsahlen2. I am more than happy to help!

FASTer Way is HANDS down the best investment I ever made Postpartum (and now as a busy mom of 3) and if I were to have another baby, I would not wait to start- I would be joining a round literally at 6 weeks Postpartum.

For those that are interested in joining the next round that starts March 28th…click here!

Xo

Alex

Talking Collagen: Live Conscious Collagen Peptides

Talking Collagen: Hair, Skin, Nails & Joint Health

Thanks to Live Conscious for sponsoring this post

After having three kids in under 5 years, it’s no secret that my hair, skin and nails had been through a LOT. As most of you know, hair loss after pregnancy and affected me the most after my third son. Prioritizing myself in the months after having my baby was important to me after putting baby first for so many months. Looking for a great collagen to make a difference in not only my hair, but my skin and my nails was my task at hand. Instead of doing the same thing over and over hoping for better results, I decided to rethink the way I treated my hair and skin from the inside out.

I’ve started using Live Conscious Collagen Peptides over the last 90 days and have seen a big difference in not only my skin and hair, but my nails. Normally this time of year they become brittle with the cooler temperatures, but since I’ve been taking Live Conscious, they’ve been stronger than ever.

Its important when looking for a collagen that it is high quality collagen, that the collagen is clinically studied, and the serving sizes are at the clinically recommended amount. Live Conscious Collagen Peptides are high quality, grass fed collagen and have zero additives and fillers. They are third party tested and are highly bioavailable which is HUGE for me. This means that they are easily absorbed by the body, meaning they work better!

What are the benefits of Live Conscious Collagen Peptides? Well, as I mentioned earlier, my hair, skin and nails are on another level! Restoring elasticity, hydrating the skin, and helps reduce the visible signs of aging are all byproducts of these Collagen Peptides. But not only that, they benefit areas of health beyond hair- bones, joints, gut health, and immune system.

I love this product because its SO easy to take- I just add it to my smoothie or any drink in the morning. My husband adds it into his coffee! Its never grainy or clumpy and dissolves easily. When mixed with just water, Collagen Peptides has a subtle, natural taste. They’re virtually tasteless in your coffee, smoothie, or any other flavored beverage!

I had tried other collagen products with little results so I was definitely skeptical at first. But now, after 1 bag, I’ve seen firsthand my nails are stronger, my hair is breaking less easily, and my skin has never been better since using Collagen Peptides. 

The quality of this product is unmatched, and its such an easy way to do a little something for yourself every morning to feel and look your best!

This would make an amazing stocker stuffer for ANYONE!

Have you tried Living Conscious Collagen Peptides before or any other collagen?

Thanks to Live Conscious for sponsoring this blog post. As always, thoughts and opinions are my own!

Xo

Alex

6 Months Postpartum: The Body & FASTer WAY to Fat Loss Results & Review!

To register for the next round of FASTer Way to Fat Loss, Click here!

11 Months Postpartum Fitness Update

As many of you know, fitness is a huge part of my life and is super important to me. After I had my first and second son, it took me a LONG time to get back to where I was pre-pregnancy. Like…18 months. I always chalked the long ((and slow)) postpartum weight loss journey to nursing. I was really scared to limit too much food intake because I was so worried about my milk supply. I also figured my body just wanted me to hold on the extra weight until I was done nursing. And, bottom line, that I wasn’t like some people that were able to drop the weight while nursing and “bounce back” in a few months.

Fast forward to postpartum baby 3, and I happened to see a few other mamas who had just had babies, were nursing, and started a program called FASTer Way to Fat Loss. The reviews seemed pretty good, and these mothers looked AMAZING, lost their baby weight…and kept their milk supply! BUT, I’m like any other person out there and resisted any sort of change. Because lets be real: change is scary! And it puts you out of your comfort zone. I kept pushing it out of my mind thinking “There’s just no way that would work for me….”

But then something in the back of my mind thought “what the hell. If you do what you always do, you’ll get what you always get.” I thought 6 weeks isn’t really that long of a time (the length of the program) and if it didn’t work at least I would know and I TRIED. So, I put myself out there. And so I went for it. Because, at the end of the day I wanted change. I wanted to feel good about myself, feel confident, have more energy, feel like I was on a plan, and mostly wanted to fit in my clothes again!

I can hands down say that FASTer Way to Fat Loss is THE BEST THING I have ever done for my nutrition, eating habits, my lifestyle.. I’m happier, I’m more confident AND I’m eating more carbs. HELL YES. I’ve had pizza almost every week since I’ve started the program, I’ve had cake, cookies, gummy bears, pancakes, syrup. ALL OF THE THINGS. I’m not done yet, but the progress I’ve made in the last 2 months has been incredible.

Update: I continued on the program through January of 2020 and continued to see results! I did not sign up for another round, but just continued to do the program on my own!

I lost 18 lbs, and lost 14 inches in 6 months

As you can see, there is a huge difference between these photos. Also.. this is not easy for me to post because I am definitely not where I want to be yet…so be kind, friends! The reason I show this is that I want to help other people and honestly feel this program is truly amazing and I thought these photos spoke volumes.

I’m leaner, fitter, and so much happier. I’m still not where I want to be, but I feel like I’m on a structured plan and I’m totally focused on something that is sustainable, that works, and is HEALTHY for me and my baby! Believe it or not, my milk production/supply is BETTER now than before I started.

As you all know, I mentioned that I wanted to try this out before even really talking about this on my blog. I wanted to be sure I believed in it, and it worked, before I even really spoke about it (I was your guinea pig!)! Well, here I am, 8 weeks later, living proof that this program works. No gimmicks, no supplements. Just fueling your body at the right times with good, whole foods.

I 100% believe in this program.. If you’re interested in registering for the program, click here: .

Now, on to how this program works, what it entails…

What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss?

The FASTer Way to Fat Loss is a 6-week online fitness program. The program was created by Amanda Tress, and it helps you learn to fuel your body effectively and maintain energy throughout the day while you naturally burn fat. It’s basically a strategic program that combines intermittent fasting, carb cycling, macro counting, and strategically paired workouts so that you are working smarter, not harder.  If you have no idea what those words mean, I’ll answer them in the Q&A below!

What makes  FASTer Way to Fat Loss different ?

First, it’s NOT a diet. Or a fad. I hate the fact that this sounds even the slightest bit gimmicky because it is the farthest thing from that!

It’s a healthy way of eating. We count macros (proteins, carbohydrates and fats), not calories. The focus is on why proteins, carbs and fats are each essential parts of a healthy diet. Carbs are not bad, and fat doesn’t make you fat. This is a lifestyle change that is actually sustainable!

I’m not sure the name  FASTer Way to Fat Loss (or FWTFL for short) does it justice, but its different than any other program out there. No supplements. No gym memberships. No crazy meal plans. No weigh ins. In fact, they want you to stay off the scale. They want you to focus on keeping/building muscle and losing fat. The goal is sustainable progress, not overnight transformation.

What are macros & why do I need to count them?

Macronutrients (or macros) are the molecules our bodies need to grow and be active. We use these molecules as energy to do work on a cellular, tissue, organ, and organismal level. This energy helps us break down nutrients, repair damaged cells, grow new cells, and more. Macronutrients are broken down into three basic categories: carbohydrates, protein, and fat.

I was familiar with doing macro counting…however this was still a little bit of a learning curve! It was 100% COMPLETELY worth it though! I can say that it is an adjustment tracking all of your food and entering it, but after the first week it just becomes part of your day. Most of the time I enter everything the night before, or right when I wake up.

How do you track your food?

This program encourages you to use the MyFitnessPal app to track calories and macros. It’s a free app to download on your phone. Using the MyFitnessPal app is pretty easy! You put in your weight and your goals and then it calculates everything for you. Then every day you enter in the food you’re eating and watch the chart change to try to hit your goals.

During Prep Week of FWTFL, there are helpful videos ( I listened to these videos driving in the car-time is something I don’t have a lot of these days! ha!) that teach you how to set up and effectively use MyFitnessPal to track your macros based on the program, and once you get through the first week it is like second nature. I do have to say that planning your day out is the most important part of tracking your macros! I try to enter my meals and snacks the night before so I have time to adjust each macro before eating a thing ie. Do I need to add more carbs? Fats? That way I don’t get stuck at 6 pm wondering what else I need to eat/find that I’ve eaten too much one.

What is carb cycling?

We not only track our macros in FWTFL, but we also cycle our carbs and fats. This may sound a little overwhelming, but it’s actually a very simple practice of varying our carbohydrate intake each week to maximize the body’s ability to burn fat. The program has 3 regular macro days (higher carb), 2 low macro days (this was still a lot of carbs for me!) and only 2 low carb days! Every week, I actually look forward to the low-carb days where I can fill up on healthy fats and protein (think nut butters, avocados, olive oils/sunflower oils, nuts, etc., but then love that following the low-carb days I can then go back and enjoy the carbs that I missed for the 2 back to back low carb days. This is such a departure from what I have done in the past- limiting carbs 5/7 days ( I did do carb cycle but only on 2 days). I find this is so much more managable and a LIFESTYLE! The fact that I can have a plentiful amount of carbs 5/7 days is amazing and I’m SO. HERE. FOR. IT.

What is Intermittent Fasting?

During the FASTer Way to Fat Loss, you engage in a daily 16/8 fast protocol. This means that you fast for 16 hours each day (most of which are overnight while you are sleeping), and consume ALL of your daily calories during an eight hour feeding window. While there are other fasting schedules that can be followed for similar results, this is the one that worked for me! 

Daily periods of fasting changes your body at a cellular level. In addition, it helps to regulate hormones like insulin and HGH to make the fat stores in your body more accessible energy sources. The time given to your cells to repair during fasted periods, allows cells to remove waste and function optimally.

Intermittent fasting allows time for the body to utilize fat as its main source of energy, which means you not only lose weight overall, but will see an improvement in your overall body composition. Intermittent fasting allows you to maintain muscle mass which speeds up your metabolic rate, while helping you shed fat.

This is the only part of the program that I hadn’t had experience with (in the past I have counted macros and done some carb cycling) and was most nervous for. I am a huge breakfast lover and proponent of it!

And guess what? I love it.

Honestly, its one less thing I need to do in the morning when I have 3 kids 5 & under…! Do I get hungry? Yes..sometimes I’ll feel a pang of hunger but I drink a TON of water and any feeling of hunger doesn’t last for very long. Even though I break my fast at noon, I usually eat breakfast foods because I just love them that much (ie. oats, pancakes, eggs, turkey bacon, etc.)But you can break your fast with whatever you want!

I will say that I slowly worked my way into the fasting during prep week. I started with 12 hours, then 14 hours, and then all the way to the 16!

Can you do this when breastfeeding?

Yes. Basically what you alter for being a breastfeeding mom is the lower carb days (you don’t go below 100 g net carbs, regular program is 50).

What made me feel so confident was seeing other mom’s do it with no issue with their supply, and the fact that my coach is a Labor & Delivery nurse (medically qualified & educated), who also did FWTFL while nursing and was successful. There are no supplements, drinks, etc. to take doing this and you are just eating plain, natural food that God has created for us to eat!

I can tell you that I had NO issues with my supply, if anything I had an increase!

Who will coach me through this?

I had an amazing coach in Allie Janszen! She is a Labor & Delivery nurse as well as a pregnant mama of two (soon to be three). She is so encouraging and helpful on a daily basis! After you join the program, she will contact you to join a facebook group that will be integral to your success! Every day you send a screen shot of your macros. I love that there is accountability built in this program. Everyone is super encouraging to each other and Allie is so accessible for any questions you may have, especially when prep week can seem a little overwhelming.

Do you have to do the workout portion of the program?

FASTer Way to Fat Loss comes with a workout program has two options: at home and gym. I love this about the program especially for people who may not have the experience that someone like myself has (professional sports background). I personally did a combination of the workouts they suggested, as well as my own strength workouts through STA Sports performance (highly recommend if you live in WNY). Most of the workouts I used from FASTer way were the low carb days where we did HIIT or sprint workouts and it helped me have a bit more variety to my sprint sessions.

For those who aren’t experienced, they have great options for home workouts with videos & explanations of every single exercise! I love that they offer a home and gym option for those who may not be able to get to a gym!

Most of the workouts can be completed in 45 minutes or less!

Please know that you can decide to not do the workouts at all, or do some of the workouts. Also, the schedule is fairly flexible. Technically, the week is: Monday & Tuesday- Low Carb, Wed, Th, Saturday- Reg Macro, Friday & Sunday-Low Macro. However, due to my work schedule/child care I switched some of the days around. The only thing that you have to abide by is the 2 low carb days in a row, with a regular macro day following. I love the flexibility of the program!

What did I eat on the program?

Like I said earlier, I broke my fast on most days with breakfast at 12 noon. I have oatmeal almost every day (its great for nursing mama’s and a good slow burning carb!). I add in eggs, chicken sausage or turkey bacon and put peanut butter in my oatmeal. On my higher carb days, sometimes I have Kodiak Pancakes WITH Maple syrup. Yes, real maple syrup. Not low sugar, fake syrup!

In the afternoons, I usually have a salad with avocado, especially on low carb days. I have Quest bars and lots of fruits on higher carb days- think bananas, apples, plums, strawberries, blueberries. Dinner it honestly varies every day. I use Sunbasket meals twice a week so I enter the macros on those days straight from the recipe card. Other days we will grill out and I enter how much I’m eating of everything. Go -to’s are salmon, grilled chicken, fajitas, burrito bowls, sweet potatoes, salads, avocados, brown rice & stir fries, fruit, steamed vegetables, sweet potato fries. ANY of the recipes on my website are also fair game- you just need to fit them into your macros!

The hardest days are my “regular macro” (higher carb) days when I have to go to work just because of the amount of food I have to pack for work. I usually pack simple foods -like oatmeal, an apple & banana, and some eggs/bacon. Then I try to eat more between 5-8 pm so I don’t have to pack as much.

Do you have to be dairy/gluten free?

I know some coaches for FASTer way do require you, but my coach Allie does not. I still saw results and I have had yogurt, gluten and cheese throughout the 6 weeks.

Can you drink alcohol?

YES! Just fit it into your macros. And obviously they recommend limiting alcohol intake to 1-2 times per week.

Can I have coffee in the mornings? 

You will be fasting in the morning, but coffee is okay to have.

Can I have treats? I have a sweet tooth!

Yes! Your coach will actually URGE you to have a treat on Saturdays! I also sneaked in different snacks during the week- ie. gummies, 1/2 cookie, etc. I always just made sure it fit into my macros and that I did it on a high activity day (leg day usually!). Like I stated before, this is all about manipulating what & when you are eating, and manipulating it to work for you, not against you!

Also note that I had pizza & cake 3/6 weeks I was in the program! I can’t tell you how much freedom this program gives you while still seeing results.

#PROGRESSOVERPERFECTION

What I love about this program is there are some days where I’ve gone over with my macros, gone under my macros, missed a workout…etc. but still, I have some incredible results to show for it and am constantly working towards my goal everyday.  The mantra of the program is “Progress Over Perfection”. 

My plan moving forward:

I’m continuing to follow the FASTer Way program including macro counting, the FASTer way schedule AND the intermittent fasting combined with my own workouts. Stay tuned for my next update in 6-8 weeks!

HOW DO YOU JOIN?

The next round of FASTer Way To Fat Loss starts on January 4th with Coach Allie! The best part of the program is that you are part of an amazing community and have a coach who is there to help you every step of the way! Sign up with my referral link .

Also, if you have ANY questions whatsoever, please feel free to reach out to me in the comments below or via email or FB/ instagram!

xo

Alex

The Willow Pump Review

My Willow Pump Review

I’m so excited today to be finally sharing my review of the Willow Pump! For those that don’t know, the willow pump is new(er) on the market, and is the first wearable, mobile and tubeless/bottle-less pump!

Caslon(R) Tie Front Top • Caslon • $23.40–26.98
Cake Cotton Candy Seamless Nursing Bra • $45
Madewell 10-Inch High Waist Button Front Crop Skinny Jeans • Madewell • $135
Madewell 10-Inch High Waist Skinny Jeans • Madewell • $135

I first found out about the Willow at the end of my breastfeeding journey with my middle son and was so jealous of those who were currently pregnant and able to try the willow! Fast forward a year later, and I was pregnant again! I was looking forward to trying the Willow pump when I had my baby. I remembered how hard it was to manage my time and make time to pump when I was away from baby with only two kids (much less three!). I knew this pump could only help me, especially going into “zonal defense” of raising three boys under the age of 5.

Breastfeeding is probably one of the hardest (mentally & physically), but also the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. The bond I had with my sons through nursing was truly incredible. BUT the thing about breastfeeding that I dislike the most is …..

The pumping. The time it takes. The cleaning of the parts. The sound. Being tied down every couple hours.

Although I had gotten pretty good at multi tasking and figuring out how to be more efficient, I still hated pumping and dreaded it. Trying to juggle work, meetings, events for my older son…it was crazy, I feel like ½ the time I would have to pump in the car (using my ultimate favorite hands free Ollie Gray bra!)

Other times I would come home from being at work, or running an errand to find that the baby coulden’t wait and needed to be fed, regardless of how I tried to time it. This ultimately meant that the babysitter would be leaving me with an awake baby, needing to pump!  Trying to pump while being plugged into a wall with a  2 year old and a newborn is virtually impossible if you’re on your own. AND, yeah, sure you can pump while your kids sleep. But really?  Using your time while the kids are napping to pump is not really high on your list of things you want to do during that time!  

Imagine being able to live a life where you could make dinner while you pumped. Fold clothes. Hang up laundry. Put your makeup on. Blow dry your hair. Go for a walk.

You can.

Enter the Willow.

How does it work? You simply put it together (minimal parts), wait the initial 3-5 min stimulation phase, and you’re on your way once you hit expression (let down).

FREE TO DO ALL OF THE THINGS. Even lay down #winning.

I thought I would break down pros/cons of the Willow, if I like it better than my hospital grade, and my ultimate thoughts on the pump and whether it is worth getting.

Pros of the Willow Pump:

1.     It’s wireless. You can literally pump anywhere, anytime! Rejoice, mama’s! Go for a walk? Yes. Clean? Yes. Read a book to your toddler? Yes. Prepare a snack or meal? Yes. ANYTHING you want to do, you can do.

2.     Not many parts and easy to clean: I love this about it, its so easy to clean and no super small part to lose.

3.     The bags are easy, and take up less room: I like the bag for the purpose of storage in the fridge, also when traveling I could fit more in a cooler than I could with the bottles!

4.     It’s Quiet: Anyone else feel like their pump sings to them? Do you have to press mute if you’re on a conference call while pumping because yours is so loud? Not with the willow!

5.     It’s Smart: Willow has an awesome app that helps you keep track of how much you’re pumping, what phase you’re in, how much battery life is left as well as great support If you have issues.

6.     Customer Service: The customer service and support team is excellent if you have any issues. There are so many different avenues available for assistance whether its chat, text or phone. Also, there is support on the app.

7.     Battery life is really good: I took the pump with me to NYC for the day and didn’t have to charge it all day and I used it 4-5 times!

8.     Compact & Easy to Travel with: As I mentioned above, I travelled with this pump to NYC (as well as Florida) and It was such a relief to not have my huge hospital grade pump. I swear I have to have a bag JUST for my pump and bottles! The willow can fit this in my purse/backpack and its so compact and much more lightweight. LOVE.

9.     FREEDOM!!! Need I say more?!

Cons of the Willow pump:

1.     The learning curve is REAL. This took me a good 3-4 weeks to get the hang of and I am experienced with nursing and pumping. I could see if you are a new mom this could be hard to get at first. However, as I mentioned above, they do have good support and help via their app, phone, and text. Stick with it! Its worth it!

2.     It’s pricy: This pump is not covered by health insurance. However, if you have a HSA/FSA, you can purchase the willow using that (this is what I did so it wasn’t out of pocket)

3.     Bags: The Willow 2.0 holds 5 oz, so if you’re an over supplier like me, it can be frustrating to have to stop and put a new bag in. Usually this only affects me in the mornings when I have more milk. The bags are also a little expensive and can only be used once.

4.     Stimulation/Expression: The stimulation setting is already set and you can’t change in manually. For those that don’t understand, this is the phase before your milk lets down. This is probably the most frustrating part for me and what I wish I could change. I find I need a lot of suction during stimulation and I can’t adjust the suction until I’m in the expression mode.

5.     Charging: You can only charge one side at a time. I really wish that you could charge two in one with the charger.

Other things to know:

1.     You can only buy their items online (bags, flanges, etc.) on their website.

2.     The flanges only come in two sizes!

3.     I’ve found the most important part of the learning curve is figuring out your alignment! Once you have that down pat, it should be smooth sailing.

4.    Your bra matters. They have a few different ones on their website that they recommend, but I love the Cake Maternity Bra and the Ollie Gray’s nursing/pumping bra!

So what pump do I like the best?

I find that I rotate and use both my Willow and my hospital grade for various reasons (as listed above). As most of you know, you get a pump through your insurance (hello, free!!) and regardless of whether or not you plan on using it, I would definitely get the hospital grade pump even if you think you only want to use the willow.

VERDICT:

All in all, I think the Willow pump is seriously the most amazing, incredible concept and feel so fortunate to be able to utilize one of these pumps! The fact that I can go for a walk, do household chores, drive, etc. while pumping makes me so much happier of a mom and less stressed. All in all, while the willow has some areas it can improve (which I’m sure they will- its only been out for a short time!), this pump is such an empowering tool for breastfeeding moms. Anything that makes #momlife and #nursinglife easier is a WIN in my book.

I definitely recommend this pump to anyone who feels they are going to be giving their baby a bottle 3-4 days a week. I still use my hospital grade pump at work because I’m usually sitting at a desk anyway, and its cheaper (no need to buy bags like with the willow) but I use my Willow on average once a day at home. I use it in instances where I need to do extra pumping session or if I’ve been out running errands. It allows me to not miss a beat taking care of my baby, older children, as well as do ALL OF THINGS we mamas do while still providing milk for my baby which I’m so grateful for!

Happy Pumping friends! Xo

Alex

** This post is not sponsored or affiliated with the Willow Pump. All thoughts & opinions are solely my own.

My Favorite Home Workout Exercises

First Saturday in April! Let’s go! So excited because this weekend the weather is actually supposed to be SPRING-like! Give us all the outdoor time!

On any given week, I try to make it to the gym 3 times a week for my workouts. If I get 4 in, thats a really good week (that has yet to happen since I had Sammy lol). The other days I either run, or work out at home. In my basement I have kettlebells and bands …which have been a lifesaver to be honest over the last year or so. Its so hard to squeeze as many workouts in as I want with work, kids, etc. The biggest challenge I think with home workouts for me (and for many people) is what exercises to do! So, I wanted to share my favorite go-to exercises that I do ALL of the time. These exercises are mostly compound (where I use my whole body) which allows for a higher energy expenditure, calorie & fat burn. When I only have 30 minutes, I want the most bang for my buck!

1. Squat to Push Press. This is a simple exercise where you have two kettlebells, hold by your shoulder. Squat down, squeeze the glutes as you stand, and push press the KB’s when you stand. Here is an example of the exercise. Anything with a squat is a great exercise because it tightens that booty.

2. Broad Jump: You need NO equipment for this. Gets the heart rate up, is an explosive movement and you only need about 6 feet of space! Example here.

3. Kettlebell swings. These are fantastic for not only strength, but conditioning. Sometimes I use two, sometimes just one and hold with both hands, sometimes I use a heavier weight for less reps, and other times I do high rep (like 30) for conditioning. The key is the slight bend in the knees, thrusting the hips, and squeezing the glutes during the forward motion. As seen here!

4. Row. A row is an easy way to incorporate some upper body work into your body. Lean on a bench or table…as seen here.

5. Dead Lift. This has to be one of my favorite exercises of all time. Key is slight bend in knees, feeling the pull in your hammys, and squeezing the glutes on the way up. As seen here. The footage shows a bar, but you can use KB or free weights! Such a good exercise!

6. Last but not least, I love lunges. Whether you do reverse, lateral, or just standard ones, these are fantastic. If you’re advanced, you can do a lunge to a step up, or a lunge to a bicep curl. Crucial in your form for the lunge is keeping your chest up, and front knee at 90 degrees. As seen here.

I noticed that there are some HUGE sales this weekend and I’m always down for some new workout clothes or athleisure. SO I rounded up a few of my faves! Keep in mind Old Navy has a huge 50% off sale right now!

Have a great weekend! xo

Alex

The Body: One Month Postpartum

Happy Thursday friends 👫 

Hope you all are having a great week and I’m just here to remind you that there is only one week left in February . YES. Spring, where you at?!! 

Thought I would give you all an update on operation postpartum body! 

First up:

The post birth/ surgery recovery:

I’m FINALLY feeling more like myself. My incision is looking 👌🏼and I’m able to move around at quicker speeds, getting in and out of the car isn’t an issue anymore, and overall I feel like I’m almost there! 

My bleeding was on and off until about 2 weeks postpartum. Which I actually thought was pretty fast considering…BUT. I really, really wanted to get out of the house and go grocery shopping MYSELF so last week Sunday I went to the grocery store with my oldest. It felt SO good to feel like a functioning human again. Unfortunately, I came home and within a couple of hours I was bleeding…bright red blood. It was definitely from the grocery store trip and pushing the cart!! So, lesson learned. Its crazy how much healing your body needs to do postpartum!! After 24 hours though the bleeding stopped and I’ve been fine ever since. It was for sure a reality check to slow down though and a reminder at how much your body went through the last 9-10 months!

I’m definitely feeling confident about pushing myself now, 10 days later, to walk every day without being worried about my incision, bleeding, etc.

Weight /Body Image, etc.

From a weight standpoint... I’ve lost two more pounds in the last 2-3 weeks. So, I’m sitting right at about 20 lbs lost, 16 to go. Ugh. 

I’d be lying if I wasn’t really frustrated about the weight loss.. and how I look. Like really, really frustrated.

I’m trying to be as patient as I can and be as realistic as possible. I just made a human. And let’s be real: I haven’t done much consistently to lose more weight-obviously I’m not cleared to workout and walking has been dependent on the weather. So, why would I lose a ton of weight?!! LOL. (this is the realist in me talking)

But then the other side of me expects to be closer to where I was haha. 98.9% of my clothes don’t fit. And they’re not even close to fitting…so just so y’all know this whole postpartum thang is TOUGH. I’m not one of those people that “bounces” back. Yeah, I might look decent, but I’m SOOOOO far off where I normally am and its definitely been tough on my mind. So on top of not recognizing yourself, there are so many adjustments right now in your body hormonally. Then add in changes to family dynamics, sleep deprivation, crying infants, and its no wonder people have postpartum depression and anxiety!

So, if you’re in this season, like me, HANG IN THERE. You will get your body back, (with probably a lot of hard work though lol) and your life will slowly come back to you, it just takes time. And I know this is such a cliche saying but “it will get better” is all I can say. I know it doesn’t help you when you’re crying trying on clothes for your first day back at work, or for date night (like me tonight)…but just know I’m with you sister! You’re doing a great job. Love on that baby, and every day will get better.

What has uplifting my mood and helped with the baby crying has been walks! The past week I HAVE hit 10,000 steps every day and I’ve consistently gone on a walk the last 4 days so I’m heading in the right direction. I know it will only get easier to be active once the weather gets better, and when I get back into a routine after getting cleared to workout. 

Goals for the next 2 weeks:

I head in for my postpartum check up with my dr in 10 days- the first week of March. I’m trying to be realistic with my goals due to 1. Not sleeping lol 2. The fact that I have 3 kids and lastly, 3. I just had a baby!!! It’s going to take time! So- my goals until then are the following:

1. Walk at least 2 miles a day in the form of intentional exercise. 

2. Spend 10 minutes a day focusing on my Diastasis Recti. If you don’t know what that is, its basically where the rectus abdominis muscles in your abdomen separate during pregnancy, leaving a gap that allows your belly to pooch out. There’s tons of videos online on how to work on closing the gap and thats what I’ll be focusing on over the next 4-6 months along with strengthening my core.

3. Focus in on my diet ; especially eating less sweets/ snacks and adding a protein shake in its place.

I’m so motivated to get to my pre-pregnancy size (or closer to it) because I have so many cute clothes that I bought when I was pregnant that I want to wear! Also, HELLO to the amazing spring clothes lately! Workout clothes is no exception- the stores have been upping their game and I’m loving the spring pieces from Athleta.

Here are some ADORABLE Athleta finds (some on sale!) that are totally on my wish list right now!

Stash Pocket Floral Salutation Tight In Powervita • Athleta • $50.99–71.99
Coaster Luxe Sweatshirt • Athleta • $79
Cozy Karma Longer Hoodie • Athleta • $56.99
Camo Contender 7/8 Tight • Athleta • $89
Nirvana Sherpa Reversible Poncho • Athleta • $69.99
Banner Peak Down Vest • Athleta • $75.99
Essence Semi Fit Tank • Athleta • $24.99
Chakra 7/8 Tight In Powervita • Athleta • $29.97–98
Essence Handkerchief Hem Tee • Athleta • $43.99
Bandha Sweatshirt • Athleta • $63.99

Have a great day! xo

Alex

3 weeks Postpartum Thoughts & My #1 PP Must Have

Happy Thursday everyone!

Hope you all are having a good week and enjoyed the warm up we had at the beginning of the week! It def gave me spring fever 🌸 🌺 ☀️ It also made me totally want to book a getaway ASAP!! 🏝 LOL

Hopping on to give a lil update on 3 weeks postpartum and some of my Postpartum must haves...

3 weeks postpartum

I remember the days going by so slowly postpartum with both of my first two kids, but I feel like this time it’s flying by. Maybe because I have two other guys to look after? I’m not sure but it sure is going by fast. 

The newborn honeymoon phase is clearly over at this point and it’s GAME ON. I know sooo many people who are like “newborns are so easy”. I think they may be on some sort of drugs or .. they had a super easy baby. I prefer toddler phase SO SO much more. Probably because 99% of night waking is my responsibility ((nursing))so home girl is tired AF. So let’s get to it...

Sammy 

Our big guy loves cuddles, milk, and being warm. Tolerates tummy time better than my other two ever did, and likes the bottle definitely less than the others. Hates to be swaddled (wants his arms free) and is the only one of my kids who actually likes to baby wear! All in all, he’s growing, healthy and we coulden’t be more blessed. truly. ((even with the lack of sleep lol))

SLEEP 

Sleep was actually going okay. At first I was getting 2-3 hour stretches at night. Bedtime is all over the show ((which is normal I guess)) and the last week was pretty rough. There were 2-3 nights where he was up 11 pm-1:30 am and then up every 90 min after- which is brutal considering my other kids are up at 6:30/7 am. Last night I resigned to the fact that I needed to go to bed when my older two hit the sack around 8 pm and that’s what I did. So I was able to get two 3 hour stretches of sleep and then once we hit 2 am he was up every hour or 90 mins. I was so happy he wasn’t up for the happy hour at 11 pm! 

How am I managing it? Some days are better than others. Most days I’m okay... but tbh yesterday I felt completely defeated.

Like...I’m never going to sleep again or get anything done ever again??!!. Before I had Sammy, I was usually up before 6 am to get myself ready, work out, emails, work on stuff for our business, blog, etc. Now that’s clearly not going to happen and it’s driving me crazy. It was my “time” to be productive and going to bed at 8 or 9 pm also means I get ... nothing done at night. Ugh. 

I’m not much of napper but I have forced myself to when I have help. I also remind myself 55 times a night on how fast this will go, and how my little guy is so used to being with me 24-7 and that he needs me. His mama ❤️.

Also, caffeine helps. Lol. A lot. Gimme allll of the spark. 

Breastfeeding

All of the pains of the first couple of weeks have subsided including sore nipples, massive engorgement, super leaky boobs, etc. and we’ve settled into a pretty good routine. 

Sammy only has taken the bottle 2 or 3 times; he’s not a huge fan which is okay for me now anyway because I’m with him so much and not working atm other than doing some things remotely at home and a meeting or two every week that I need to head in to the office for.

He’s gaining weight really well and I’m so grateful for my body and ability to nurse him. I’m definitely going to write up a breastfeeding post to share with y’all including tips, things I wish I would have known, and my favorite nursing friendly clothing!! 

Body

I did a big post on this last week. In the past week, I’ve started to walk a little bit weather permitting. My incision feels better and better and no signs of any issues there.

Also ...true story ....after my first walk my abs were sore! Haha! I don’t force the walking though- if the weather is crappy (like today) I just roll with it!

I’m not going to lie that I don’t feel a little frustrated - I weighed myself yesterday for the first time in a week and I haven’t lost a single ounce. So, I’m still up about 18-30 lbs. 

On top of that I ((stupidly)) tried on a pair of my normal size jeans and couldn’t get them over my thighs. On the same day that I weighed myself #ROOKIEMISTAKE lol.

Literally cried for the first time since having the baby. Not sure why I decided to do both of those things in one day 🤦🏼‍♀️Anyway, I have soooo much work to go to get back where I was and I’m definitely feeling down about that. 

It’s actually FUNNY to me typing that. I mean, I did just birth a 8 lb human 3 weeks ago….I guess patience and grace is an area that I need to work on lol. Also I’m not even walking consistently so I’m not sure why i think my body should be back to the way it is. I guess its just been a reality check and thats been a tough pill for me to swallow about the work and grind I’m gonna have to put in starting at 6 or 7 weeks PP. I’m mentally gearing up for it though and ready for the challenge.

I’m definitely going to do a “body image” post sometime soon because its something I’m really passionate about and I have sooo many thoughts about the “body positivity” movement!

Brothers 

The boys have adjusted really well ((so far)) actually. Max is definitely more interested in his baby brother and is pretty helpful!! but Seb loves him as well. Managing all three at one time on my own is a bit of a circus. I resort to a little more TV time than I would normally especially because I have to nurse so much ... and baby wearing 🤷🏼‍♀️when I have to. Newborns DO sleep a lot which helps, and my boys are in school (Seb twice a week, Max 4 times) so the mornings are easier. Early afternoons are okay because both older boys nap so its pretty much the 3-6 pm time slot and I mostly have help for now.

Tuesday night I was on my own with all three boys for bedtime. Luckily the baby napped the hour leading into their bedtime so all was good 🙌🏼I’m looking forward to a month or so from now where I can start to have a routine for the baby (or at least a ball park scheduled bedtime) and it will give us a little more structure. 

Postpartum Must- haves

I thought I’d share a few things that have been crucial to the bane of my existence for the past 3 weeks! These are great for postpartum…but also just COZY and COMFY wear for those on the lookout!!

-My #1 PP Item- The belly bandit. I wear this thing 24-7. Helps me keep my core stable, gives me support, and helps with reducing size of my tummy post baby. Cannot recommend this enough!!!

-Barefoot dreams cardigan. Wearing a sweater at times can be cumbersome when you nurse 10 times a day lol! these are soo warm and easy to wear.

-Another barefoot cardi

-Barefoot socks….wore around house or out and about with boots!

-I wear these C-panties day and night to help protect my incision! A must for C Section mamas.

-Cannot live without my boppy for breastfeeding.

-I wear joggers around the house alllll day. Love these joggers from Loft. Honestly they are like a soft blanket!

-My Dylan joggers from Anthro are on mega sale. Great if you’re pregnant, not pregnant or PP. Come in tons of colors!

-When I actually have to look presentable I wear the Align legging from lulu (high waisted and suck it all in) or the Zella legging!!

-Can’t say enough about these Wit and Wisdom jeans. Elastic on jeans? yesssssss.

-BP t shirts- easy to nurse in and great for layering. ( i sized up for PP life) I have these in solid and striped. Wearin them all day everyday. Also. $10. Add to cart.

-The january tee is an easy postpartum option made by Free People!

Have a great day

xo alex

Week 2 Postpartum: The Body & Fitness

Happy Friday friends!

Wow..what a crazy SNOWY week we have all had. Hope yall are all thawing out :)

2 week postpartum thoughts

The last two weeks have pretty much gone by in the blink of an eye. Its funny how you go from one kid ((which you think is completely overwhelming)) to two kids ((a total adjustment and was even harder for me to adapt)) to THREE which …is just a complete circus ha! Probably hasn’t helped that its been zero degrees out, there’s been no school, and there has been 2 feet of snow! Can we say #CABINFEVER ?!!!

Tuesday was the first day that I had all 3 kids on my own for an extended period of time (like..6 hours)). …lets just say there is NO down time…and it is completely exhausting. haha. That also could be because I haven’t slept for longer than a 2.5-3 hr stretch in 3 weeks!!

It could have gone better…but it also could have gone worse. But with all that said.. I definitely feel like I’m adjusting to life with three better than life with two I don’t want to completely call it.. cause it’s still early days… but that’s the way it’s feeling anyways! I think once you hav mastered having two kids on your own, you’re used to playing zonal-so whats another one in the mix? LOL. I also think I’m more laid back about schedules, etc now that I’ve had to play zonal being on my own a lot for bedtime, etc. with 2.

Sammy is doing well and seems to have woken from his “newborn sleepiness”…which in a way is good, but in some ways bad. ha. I swear the amount of times he falls asleep on me and I set him down only to hear cries 2 minutes later….unfortunately with 2 other kids that need meals, attention, etc. its impossible for me to hold him nonstop. Luckily I saved one of my baby wraps so I strapped him in yesterday successfully and as I feel better and better after the c-section will be using it more and more…because I’m gonna need all the hands I can get.

I did a broad recap last week of how things were going after one week postpartum last week. This week I’m touching on where I’m at physically— thoughts after having baby 3, on my body, and fitness.

Mindset on going into Baby 3 Pregnancy:

To be honest, I was pretty scared about what my body was going to be like after this pregnancy. It took SUCH a beating from Seb and took the longest time to recover. My stomach needed so long to get it’s elasticity back and I had some stretch marks from him and the skin is CLEARLY not the same lol. I had thoughts of…wow look how rough and how long it took me to get back after baby 2…whats it going to be like after baby 3!! And I’m 2 years older..I was NOT optimistic!

I definitely felt like I got really soft at the end of pregnancy 2 and stopped lifting around 29/30 weeks. Mostly because I just felt so uncomfortable, it was SO HOT (hottest August in history) and I was feeling better running! I think the lack of lifting really hurt me in my recovery postpartum baby 2. I was so soft and WEAK postpartum. I know you can plan to lose a lot of muscle tone naturally through pregnancy, but it was crazy what I lost. So much so that I had a hip injury (torn labrum!…and hot damn that was painful!) due to weak core and glutes that sidelined me for a good 8 weeks. I did not want that to happen again!!

SO…My mindset with pregnancy 3 was to lift as long as I could, even if it was just body weight or lighter weights. I knew it would help me immensely, so ultimately that was my goal . I achieved that my lifting until about 37 weeks 2-3 times per week, and actually stopped running around 33 weeks. Sam was delivered at 38 +5 so I really only took a week off of lifting before I had him.

I have NO DOUBT that one of the reasons why my body has responded the way it has the last 2 weeks is because of the lifting I continued with 💪🏼!

Keep in mind I am a disciplined person and being active is just part of who I AM!! I watch what I eat (but I also splurge, esp when preggo!!) so those are all important factors that helped me!

You can look in my “fitness” section and “nutrition “ section for more details on my workouts and eating habits during pregnancy 3. I gained 34 lbs with baby 3- less than pregnancy 2 and I know I have less body fat this time around to work off.

NO FILTER…just me, some stretch marks, C section scar, some awesome cellulite, and huge nursing boobs. #2WEEKSPOSTPARTUM

Initial Thoughts 2 weeks out

Real talk: My stomach is a bit of a hot mess right now- wrinkly loose skin, stretch marks (mostly the ones from the second pregnancy)…fresh C- section scar. It’s not pretty.

In saying that, I am actually satisfied with where I’m at (I say that with a grain of salt because I’m such a type A and nothing is ever good enough haha) especially because I have photos to look back on from postpartum baby 2.

December 25, 2016- 3.5 months PP with Baby 2 vs Today (2/1/19) 2.5 WEEKS PP with Baby 3!!

And as you can see, I feel like I’m honestly at the same point at 2 weeks postpartum pregnancy 3 as I was at 3 1/2 MONTHS postpartum with pregnancy 2…if not in better shape!!

Progress photos are always good even if you don’t share them with anyone! It’s a good reminder of how far you’ve come and puts things in real perspective.

Staying positive about my body is my main goal as I work through the fourth trimester!

Weight Loss

I currently have lost about 1/2 of the baby weight. So basically I have about 17 or 18 lbs to go. Which is a lot, and I have a long way to go. But I’m just rolling with it and my main priority is healing completely from the C-Section and making sure my milk supply stays strong! I’ve definitely been sweating a TON at night losing a lot of the fluids that I was retaining during pregnancy so every day I notice the scale go down a pound or two. I know it will take time and I’m trying to not even think about it and just love on my baby!

Current Plan: Nutrition/Workouts

Current plan…is NO PLAN! Total recovery from the c section and no setbacks (my incision opened on a superficial level with both boys) and eating allll of the food to try and maintain my supply :) I honestly haven’t even gone for a single walk. I will probably try to start incorporating walking next week when the weather breaks and by that point I’ll be 3 weeks PP.

I’m excited for 6 weeks when I’m cleared to run and lift and share my journey back from baby 3 with y’all! For now…I’m just trying to rest and remind myself that I have tons of time to get leaner and just enjoy my time with the baby for now.

How did you guys feel with subsequent pregnancies? Worse? Better? Was the road back easier or harder?

Have a great day xo

Alex

Meal Plan Monday: Homemade Chicken Nuggets

Happy Monday peeps! 

Hope you all had a great weekend... I’m so excited because it’s the LAST week of January! It always seems to be 489202 days long and this year has been no exception adjusting to three kids and literally no sleep the last 2 weeks 😫😫along with this CRAZY cold and snowy weather we’ve been having ugh.

I wanted to share a quick, easy recipe that I make for the kids (and even sometimes I eat if all else fails)! 

My love for nuggets runs deep.. anyone else wish they could eat Chick-fil-A everyday??!!

The crazy thing is neither of my kids like the frozen kind you buy at the store.. (and obv I try to stay away from fast food …)!!! It’s crazy. I even have an air fryer and they still don’t like them. Which I guess is a good thing .. but tbh it would be nice once in awhile to make something super easy especially now that I have three kids!!

So... I had been on the hunt a couple of years ago on how to make chicken nuggets at home so my kids would actually eat them. Enter, the below recipe. 

What I love is they taste good, are healthy, add a little protein / dairy to the meal, and prep time is legit like 3 minutes. Which is GOALS for me right now with the chaos in our house! Anything I can pop in the oven and leave is a WIN in my book. These are great for kids/toddlers of ANY age even older elementary kids/middle schoolers.

They are also great leftover, and to put in sandwiches, pizza, or in fajitas. I also freeze them for a later date 🙌🏼

Homemade Chicken Nuggets 

Prep time : 5 mins 
Cook time: 30 mins 

Ingredients:

Chicken breasts
Bread crumbs 
Greek yogurt or plain yogurt (just depends on what flavoring you like best..I use Greek because its what we have in our house!)

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

2. Cut chicken into small pieces (nugget like pieces). Don’t stress about the size of them, I just cut super fast and go! 

3. Fill a small bowl with your yogurt of choice- 3-4 tablespoons. Put the nuggets in the bowl and stir until the nuggets are covered with yogurt. 

4. Take 1/2 cup of bread crumbs (add more if you have more chicken) and put in a bowl. Transfer the chicken from the yogurt bowl to the bread crumb bowl. Mix until chicken is coated with bread crumbs. 

5. Place chicken nuggets on parchment paper and spread. If you see bare spots on your chicken, take a spoon and sprinkle bread crumbs on the spots. 

6. Cook for 12-15 mins, then flip. Cook for another 12-15 mins. Take out of oven, let cool. 

7. Serve with ketchup, bbq sauce, or if you’re like me,…HOT SAUCE. . enjoy! 

Have a great day! 

Xo

Alex 

Week 1 Postpartum & 10 Hacks to surviving the first week PP

My outfit: Free People top | Zella Legging | New Balance sneaks

Hey friends!!

Happy Hump day…although for me right now it seems like groundhog day lol. Allll of the days meld together and I don’t even have a day or night haha #postpartumlife

We welcomed Samson Alexander on January 16, 2019 💙💙we are so over the moon and BLESSED beyond belief

Wanted to give you an update and a few postpartum hacks for every new mama! Below is a few items I have been LIVING in this week cause just give me all the comfiessss.

Barefoot dreams socks- so comfy while the weather has been so cold ||| Barefoot Dreams Cardigan ||| Barefoot Dreams Cardigan || Graphic Tees | Loft Sweats literally the softest things I’ve had on my body!! || Ugg slippers ||

Update:

Birth

Everything went smooth during the surgery. We were scheduled for a 7:30 am, but it went a few minutes late. My spinal worked great and I was actually the most calm I’d been during any of the 3 of my C Sections. I did have some pain when they were taking Sammy out but other than that I felt fine. He had some problems breathing so the first 24 hours was pretty stressful but we got through it! I had a rough 24 hours post surgery, nauseous and throwing up (this didn’t happen with my other two kids)…honestly I felt HORRIBLE. I could hardly open my eyes I feel like…and combine that with trying to nurse your baby, etc. made for a tough day. More about the birth later….

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is going really well other than the fact that I feel like my boobs are the size of Texas and that someone is stabbing me with a knife in the nipple the first 30 seconds after latching… LOL. Its actually not funny though. Its so weird how I’ve nursed for over 2 years total with my other boys and my nipples are so sore still? Like why? It should be one of those things where it hurts the first time and then the next couple times you’ve paid your dues and you’re good- no pain. haha. Actually the whole child birth thing should be like that…who’s with me??!

Its always so crazy “learning” how to breastfeed again. I say “learning” because every baby is different and I feel like you almost forget how to breastfeed a newborn after a couple years. Older babies and toddlers are so different because they have the head control and know how to latch on their own so easily.

Breastfeeding a newborn is tough because you literally have to hold their head in place, and help them latch on and it can almost feel like you need an 7 arms to try and work through those first few feeds. Luckily Sammy caught on after the first day and has been doing great ever since. I definitely think the worst part of the first few days of breastfeeding is getting to know your baby and helping them learn how to eat…but also the engorgement ((and painful nipples!!).

I noticed for sure that the engorgement process got worse each time with each kid. With my second I was in a ton of pain and could hardly sleep when my milk came in…and with baby Samson even more so. I’ve finally JUST come through it and I’m so happy lol. They were rock hard and so sore for 4 days straight. Luckily, they gave me a hand pump at the hospital which helped a little, and this time around I was able to use my pump at home and that helped relieve a little bit. For some reason NOTHING would come out when I tried to express milk with Seb and I just had to keep nursing, and icing and it finally just worked itself out. I have about 30 ounces of milk already in my fridge ((um yes total oversupply over here lol) so I’m off to a good start. Its hard because I don’t want to pump too much; but at the same time I need relief!!
Sammy has already hit his birth weight 6 days after birth and I am so grateful for that! Our bodies really are amazing.

Home

The transition home was pretty seamless, mostly because my older two were still with their grandparents (Thank god!!) .

I stayed an extra day in the hospital- I’m so glad I did. I always get anxious when I get home and can’t take care of things myself. The first night home with Max is one my husband and I will legit never forget LOL. I don’t think we slept more than an hour. he honestly didn’t sleep AT ALL his first night home (haha this should have been foreshadowing for his first 8 months) and all he did was cry.

Seb didn’t sleep great on his first night home, but did ok. Sammy, the same. We were just grateful to settle him in and have some quiet time before the others came home! The boys just got home sunday so we are just trying to transition into 2 kids to 3!! It definitely is a lot louder with them home haha.

My biggest challenge is going to be getting rest and recovery but still carving out time for my two older boys. Also, our oldest is up super early ((like 6 am…ouch)) so there won’t be any sleeping in if I’ve been up all night with the baby. I think I’m going t o be permanantly exhausted the next year…but I guess you have done it twice so you kind of know what to expect. I also feel like right now I’m sleeping better than I was when I was pregnant ha! I had the worst insomnia and was so uncomfortable.

Recovery/Body

After the first initial few days, I am definitely feeling a lot better. I am still trying to sit/lay as much as I can to minimize movement with my incision and am avoiding stairs where I can. I haven’t really needed much pain medication since I came home which is great. Its a slow process but I keep reminding myself that every day I will feel 5% better. I came home from the hospital only dropping 8 pounds (like WHAT lol!!??Thats it?>)

I know from experience a lot of that is fluid retention(let the night sweats begin lol) so I’m trying to not read into it and give it time. My stomach is ((slowly)) going down and I know thats just a process!! I didn’t weigh myself the last 2 days (its been like a circus around here lol) but 5 days PP I was down 13 pounds/out of 35 total gained.

I wanted to share some advice/few of my Postpartum Hacks for surviving the first week postpartum cause it can be rough, yall!

1. Stool softener.: Ok peeps, if this your first kid this is a must have. Just thinking about going #2 PP is enough to make you cringe regardless of how that baby came out. This is my third time around so I knew to ask for it but they did not readily give it to me this time around (not sure why I had to ask) but it helps SOOOO much. Plz take it!

2. Nipple Cream: another must have for any breastfeeding mom. This has been a savior for me…it keeps your nipples hydrated when they get so irritated in the initial phases of breastfeeding.

3. Hospital Stay: I always recommend to people to stay in the hospital as long as you can. Yeah, I know there’s always people coming in your room checking on you, taking your vitals, etc. but BELIEVE me. Stay there as long as you can. Everything is at your finger tips. The second you get home you are instantly more active and have to be more mobile. I stayed in the hospital the full 3 1/2 days this time around and it was 100% better than the previous 2 deliveries.

4. Preparation is key: I can’t stress prep work enough!! Washing babies clothes, blankets, having a nursing station set up, baby items all set up, having items you need for postpartum life readily accessible (like clothes you’ll be wearing). I tried to get as much food prep in as I could too! As the female…you know where everything is so having it set up before hand so your hubby/SO doesn’t have to search for it is super important!

5. Ice Packs will be your BFF: Ice packs for everywhereeeeee. Down there, and for your boobs. Trust me. The best ones are the small kiddie ones from like the dollar store.

6. Belly Bandit: Get a belly bandit. I can’t say enough about this product and giving you support after you have baby…also it helps (I think) shrink the area and keeps your core “all together” and flattens it. Your core went through soooo much so its important to help it those first few weeks/2 months.

7. Rotate activity with rest: This is one I have a hard time with because when I’m home I just want to go, go, go regardless of how little sleep I get! I try to get 20-30 mins of activity (if baby is sleeping) and then the same ratio in rest time-ie. napping, sitting, reading, checking emails..just resting.

8. Take a shower everyday: Before I had my first, I heard these horror stories about people not showering for days so I always made it a priority for myself to shower every day. no matter what. It always made me feel more put together even if my life was a shit show! And my first was horrible - cried all the time-and I had zero help (as in was on my own with him about 8-10 hours per day every day) but I always showered. Self care people.

9. Take items from your hospital room: Use the products at the hospital as a resource and bring them home with you to make your transition home easier. Pads, granny panties, diapers, vaseline…bring it home!!

10. This is a season: Remember that honestly this is a season. things are going to be crazy, chaotic, frustrating, overwhelming…just remember that babies don’t keep. and that this too shall pass…!!!

Haven’t e a great wednesday loves!

xo

Alex

What I packed: Hospital Bag for Baby #3!

Hospital Bag Packing 101!

AHHHH! It’s almost time. I feel like the last 9 months have flown by and I can’t believe I’m going to have another baby! I wanted to share what you REALLY need in your hospital bag because after doing this two times…I know the drill ladies! If there’s anything you think I’ve missed let me know and add in comments.

Keep in mind there are a few items that I have on here that are strictly for C-sections ((but they are lifesavers)) so if you know you are having a section, get them!!

Here we go:

For Baby:

Honestly, the hospital provides SO much. Diapers, wipes (basically use a cloth with water), vaseline, little tops for them to wear while in the hospital, receiving/swaddle blankets, etc. So you honestly don’t need a lot.

Just a going home outfit including a hat-I usually pack 2 or 3. One in Newborn, and one in 0-3 months because you don’t know how big they are going to be! My last two boys were almost 9 lb but did fit into NB for the first week. I also pack 2 of the NB outfits because tbh they poop so much that sometimes they might get poop on their outfit before you actually leave ha! It happened to me with Max so I am glad I packed two outfits!

I pack these swaddles because I am not great at swaddling. They have velcro and are super easy to use, especially when you get home and you don’t have the nurses help 24-7! I also pack paci’s for the way home, and I packed this baby shusher-it was great with Seb when he was a baby. Nothing worse than baby crying in the car!

Also, I love Little Giraffe blankets—they are so warm and cuddly (pricy but I got as a gift and LOVE). I also splurged and bought these little Ugg boots for him because its so cold :) . When you leave, be sure to bring diapers, vaseline, receiving blankets home with you (they are great for wiping spit up, spraying and leaking boobs…for everything lol) Basically what I’m saying is take stuff from the hospital home with you!!!

For Mama

OK, so as I said earlier I might pack a tad bit more because I am in the hospital longer/have a few extra products but I think its always better to be prepared!

1. Most important item: nipple cream. Yall don’t even KNOW how sore the girls are gonna get. I plan on doing a post on breastfeeding (fingers crossed this guy latches smoothly) to give my tips. Its SO HARD the first 2 weeks. You are so tired, boobs hurt, and everytime they latch it feels like a thousand needles! USE THE NIPPLE CREAM. every time after you nurse!!!

2. Comfy Jammies-I ordered these. They are so soft and comfy and run pretty big. Great for nursing.

3. Warm socks-hospitals can be cold!

4. Slippers-these are the uggs I have.

5. Nursing Bras- I have the Cake lingerie bra and its great for nighttime and right when your milk is coming in. My all time favorite are the Ollie Gray’s Bras! Great support, cute, easy to use, comfy!

6. Nursing Tanks- easy access and can be layered!

7. Boppy Pillow- my tried and true boppy makes nursing soooo much easier. I bring this with me to the hospital. I coulden’t have lived without this nursing my two boys each for over a year.

8. Diaper Bag- I love my skip hop bag. I even get compliments when I’m not with the kids. They have other colors, but I’m obsessed with this mauve color. Tons of compartments to keep things organized and has a back area for laptop/ipads/magazines!

9. Makeup wipes & My travel size Tula products

10. Flip flops for using the shower!

11. Super long iphone charger for hospital room (and when you go home and you’re stuck under a sleeping baby! lol)

12. Going home outfit: I love this flowy three dots top (I’ve shared before), and the Nordstrom wrap top is great too (I will be wearing to hospital). My anthro joggers are still in stock and prob what I’ll be wearing home. My Steve Madden sneaks are super fun and easy to get on and off!

13. I love these basic nursing tops from asos- I packed one of these for the hospital.

14. Fuji instax camera- for instant photos of the babe!

15. Leopard print comfy joggers from H & M! So fun and I live in them right now…will be wearing to hospital!

16. C Section items: The C-Panty are great for postpartum incision healing. They are WORTH THE PRICE. They have a silicone spot to go over your incision so there isn’t any rubbing or irritation, and they have compression in them as well. I have 3-4 pairs and wore them every day for the first 2 weeks. Keep in mind you might not need them at the hospital just because you’ll be wearing the hospital granny underwear (and want to wear the granny underwear because…yeah…lots going on down there yikes).

    I also ALWAYS wear a Belly Bandit Postpartum. THIS definitely helped my stomach go down and gave me support through the midsection (you are like the pilsbury dough boy after giving birth! Stomach is mush!!! LOL)

    .I swear you can see a difference in wearing it for just like 6 hours. I’ve also purchased for the first time the Belly Bandit C Section Panty version-I’m hoping this is more comfy for my C-section while giving me the compression and support that the Belly Bandit gave me for the first week or so when my incision is so fresh and healing.

17. I pack my own hospital gowns for post surgery. If you are delivering natural, you can wear these from the get go! I love that they are cute, but the back is CLOSED. Also, they have snap buttons on the sides to make it really easy to nurse. Usually that first day I don’t even get dressed so I just throw this on and feel totally covered and at least somewhat cute. I do have to wear the hospital provided gown for my surgery for obvious reasons. (scroll down and I linked the one I have comes in tons of designs)

18. I always have my Medela pump readily available incase baby doesn’t latch, along with my fave nursing pads for leaking. I also pack a latch assister from Lanisoh- my left boob happens to be a bit harder for my babies to latch on to so it just pulls it out. Sorry TMI but I thought I would share because you never know if someone else is having the same problem! I also pack a nipple shield (sometimes I need this for my left boob as well. See below for all of these products! I linked all these below on amazon.

A few other things to pack:

-Makeup/toiletries
-Towel (the towels are always small at the hospital so i always bring one of my own!)
-Any snacks you need/want
-Computer/Ipad, charger
-Magazines
-Water Bottle- Water is crucial for recovery as well as for breastfeeding!!
-Hair ties- these are my tried and trues!!
-I linked my suitcase here. It is great for organization, 4 way roller, and I get compliments every time I travel with it!!
I totally recommend bringing home everything from the hospital like PADS (they are huge and amazing lol), granny underwear that they provide, bath sitzer if you give birth vaginally…) Trust me!!!

I also plan on running to Target today to get little bags from the Dollar section and filling it with snacks/goodies for the nurses! Those nurses are your besties! Look after them!!

I hope this post helped you guys pack for your trip to the hospital!

xo

Alex

Transformation Tuesday

Nothing worth having comes easy. 

20 long, long months. 

But I made it. And it feels so, so good. 

I'm here to show you that it can be done, if you want it.  I'm not a mom that "bounces" back and loses all her baby weight in 3 weeks ((Clearly)). Or has a flat stomach within 6 weeks ((see photo)). It takes time. Lots of time. Making the right choices, over and over again. Sometimes when you don't feel like it. Sometimes when you're just going through the motions. But every single one of those choices count. The little choices that at the end of the day make the difference.

I spend a maximum of 2- 3 hours at the gym ...a WEEK. Any cardio is mostly done with my kids (walking or running) and any other workouts I get in are in my basement with 3 sets of kettlebells and some bands. Do I watch what I eat? Of course. But I also don't turn down ice cream, pizza, or any other treats with my boys, family or friends. Balance. And when its time to knuckle down, I'm smart about fueling my body at the right times (and yes, that means carbs!!). 

My biggest tip? Start small. Make small changes. For example, my first step after Baby 2 was cutting out granola and replacing it with berries or greek yogurt with protein powder before bed. Once I conquered that, then I started working on my habits during the day. Committing to doing some meal planning, adding more vegetables, not sneaking bites off of the kids plates, eating more protein, etc. It all adds up and everything...EVERYTHING is a habit. 

Fitness and being healthy has always been a passion of mine due to my background and love of a sport. Now, its a passion of mine because I'm a good role model for my kids..because I'm healthier and feel strong and confident...and at the end of the day I'm holding on to the pieces of ME for those few hours a week.

I'm not just Max and Seb's mom.

Is being their mom the most important part of my life right now? Yes. But at the end of the day, and quicker than I think, they're going to grow into their own lives. And while I'm holding on tight to my fleeting moments with them, I'm also holding on to Alex. Just a little bit. Because I don't want to lose her in the midst of raising my littles and wonder where she went 15 years from now. 

Have a great day everyone!

xo

Alex

Meal Plan Monday & snacks I'm loving

Anyone else have a sunshine hangover? Can we all just skip work today and celebrate SPRING and no more snow?! Kidding...{kind of} Hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to get after this week!

Today I'm sharing a unique recipe... Pork is not something I have in my usual meal rotation but this meal is actually super tasty, healthy, and even kids like it because its more sweet than spicy. The Hoisin sauce I use to flavor this meal is pretty low in sugar and carbs which makes me love this recipe even more.

Pork Stir fry with Snow Peas

Pork Tenderloin, cut into cubes
4 cloves garlic
1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled & minced (2 tablespoons)
1 Tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2/3 pound Snow Peas
1/2 Red & Green Pepper, chopped
Mushrooms
3 tablespoons Hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water
Rice

1. Toss the pork with half the garlic, half the ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes. 
2. While pork is marinating, start cooking the rice. Heat a skillet over high heat and add olive oil.  Add the remaining garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add mushrooms and peppers. When mushrooms begin to sautee/peppers soften (3-4 mins), add sugar snap peas. Cook for 2-3 mins. Remove into a separate bowl to cool. 
3. Heat the same skillet used for the vegetables and cook the Pork mixture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return the vegetable mixture to the skillet when Pork is nearly cooked through. Add the hoison sauce and soy sauce to taste, cook until juices thicken. I like to add 1/4 cup of water as the juice thickens- I think it makes it perfect to spread over the rice! Totally up to you though. 
4. Serve over rice and enjoy!! 

Snacks I'm loving

Also, I wanted to share a few snacks that I've been loving for me...and a few for the kids. My boys love the Nature's Bakery fig bars. I just saw today that they have an Organic Oat and Honey option so I snagged it and they LOVE them. I like how there is no high fructose corn syrup, that they're organic, and not too messy!

Strangely enough,  Neither of my boys like cow's milk. I don't really force it because I'm not super sold on cow's milk anyway...so we try to get their dairy through almond milk in their oatmeal, yogurt (Seb really isn't feeling it at the moment..hopefully that changes!) and various cheeses. These Horizon cheese stars are Max's favorites. I think he likes the taste as much as the different shapes :) These I have only been able to find at Target. Just what I need, another reason to "force" me to go into target..ha. 

I've completely overhauled my diet the last 3 weeks and cut out all sweets so finding alternatives for my sweet tooth has been a challenge to say the least. I've been loving the thinkthin Cake pops lately though. My favorite flavor definitely has to be the chocolate. Low sugar and it hits the spot after dinner when I crave something sweet!

Last but not least... is this Buff Bake Peanut Butter spread. GUYS. This is so freakin good. Not nearly as good as Nutella, or Peanut Butter Company  {{these are clearly off limits at the moment}},  but it certainly satisfies and packs some extra protein. Beggars can't be choosers at the moment so I'll take what I can get,  I love how these two treats are somewhat guilt free and help me satisfy that sweet tooth that never seems to disappear! 

Have a great week everyone! 

xo

Alex

MealPlan Monday: The best healthy Sweet Potato fries

Hi everyone! Happy Monday!

I plan on sharing more recipes on the blog moving forward and I thought I would start today because, why not?!

For those of you who don’t know, I did the Advocare 24 day JumpStart after Max weaned and I had amazing results. It was definitely really challenging for me from a diet/nutrition standpoint but it opened my eyes to what works for my body now that I'm getting older/being a mom. Its completely changed my nutrition (for the better) over the last 2 years!

Like anyone else I definitely loosened up my nutrition while pregnant. I mean who doesn't, amirite-its the least we can do when we are waddling around and can barely sleep. Postpartum I worked out and eat pretty healthy, but I FOR SURE have a SAVAGE sweet tooth that kills some of my gains ha.

I'm super excited to get back on the wagon now that I'm done nursing and have no more excuses ("I can't lose weight while nursing,..my body holds onto the fat lollll" ) and getting serious with this 'ish!

I'm always trying to find great recipes that still taste good. I love eating clean, feeling good and looking good...but you will not find me eating fish and asparagus every day! I LOVE food! The below recipe has lots of flavor but it is as healthy as can be. I am obsessed with these sweet potato fries...and so is my hubby and youngest son (I just don't put the spice on the boys portion)

Here we go...Recipe of the week: 

Paul Prudhomme's Chicken with Baked zucchini and Sweet Potato fries

Paul Prudhomme's Poultry magic is of my favorite poultry spices- it is fantastic. They don't sell it here in upstate NY anymore but they do in Florida, and I bought mine online at vitacost.com. It is actually a really great meal prep spice to use if you are making chicken in bulk. It definitely has a little bit of a kick to it which I love because well..we eat alllll of the chicken when meal prepping lol! Also it is so EASY and FAST to use with plenty of flavor so I'm all for it! 

Ingredients: 
Chicken as desired
Paul Prudhomme's Poultry Magic spice
2-3 Zucchini
1-2 Sweet Potato
1 egg white
cayenne pepper
Garlic powder
Salt, Pepper, Olive Oil

Heat oven to 450 F. (Keep the pan in the oven while it heats) Wash and Peel sweet potato. Cut lengthwise and then again into quarters so you have "fries". Pour egg white into small bowl. Sprinkle cayenne, garlic, salt and pepper as desired in egg white. Dip fries into the egg white mixture. Place on parchment paper (make sure they do not touch). Drizzle with olive oil if desired. Bake on one half of the baking sheet for 10-15 minutes, then flip. Cut Zucchini in half, then into half moons. Place on other half of baking sheet with olive oil, salt and pepper when you flip the fries (so halfway through). Cook for 10 minutes or until soft.

                                                                     Ingredients

While the sweet potato fries are cooking, Cut the chicken in small pieces (or leave as a breast if desired..I usually find diced is best because you can throw the leftovers really easy in a salad!). Warm oil in pan. Place chicken in oil, and shake desired amount of spice onto chicken. Stir While chicken is cooking. Serve and enjoy :)) 
 

                                                           Spread out on the pan

                                                           The finished product :) 

 For those who are interested in anything Advocare or want to know more about the Jumpstart...just DM me at @alexsahlen2 on instagram, or email me at peanutbutterblondie@gmail.com.

Have a great day everyone and enjoy! 

xo

Alex

5 Tips for for better Fitness/Wellness

Hi everyone! Hope you had an awesome holiday  with family and friends. I am slowly coming out of my candy coma! As most of you know, I weaned Seb a few weeks ago and I thought it would be perfect timing to start the Advocare 24 day Kick start the day after Easter! I knew I was going to splurge a little and it would be ideal to start the day after!

For those of you who don’t know, I did the Advocare 24 day challenge (what it was called back then, it’s since changed) after Max weaned and I had amazing results. It was definitely really challenging for me from a diet standpoint but honestly it was the best thing that happened to me. It showed me how much my body has changed postpartum and what works for me.. and what doesn’t- not only to feel good, but to look good! 

I’ll be sharing a lot of my recipes and what I’m eating over the next 3 weeks but for now I’m going to share 5 tips to getting healthy and fit and that I'll be living by! 

1. Commit yourself: This is probably the biggest one of all. You really have to be in the right state mentally and physically. For me, I’m always going to be busy so it’s more of a mental commitment and discipline for me that I need to focus on. If you aren't ready or committed for YOURSELF you won’t be successful. 

2. Meal prep: this is almost as important as #1. I usually try to prep all my lunch food at the beginning of the week and it sets me up for success. This includes preparing / having good snacks on hand! Some of my favorites are hard boiled eggs, nuts, protein bars (quest and Rx bars are my favorite) :) If I don't stay on track at lunch, it usually leads me to being overly hungry at nighttime...which is never good. lol. 

3. Drink lots of water: enough said! Water is so important to your health and it honestly can curb hunger too! 

4. Move more: This might seem super obvious....but its not! I know firsthand how hard it can be to get workouts in with commitments like family, kids, work... I honestly just vow to move more - whether that’s a walk with the kids or parking a little farther away in the parking lot, or standing/ moving at work when I’m on conference calls. I only get to the gym 2-3 days a week so the rest of the week it’s on me to try and get my 10,000 steps a day. That makes a huge difference in your overall wellness! You WILL see more of a difference if you can get workouts in, but know that just moving more and being spot on with your diet will still get you great results! 

5. My last piece of advice is one I’ve really lived by when getting my body back after baby #1: you will never remember the moments that you turned down that piece of candy, that piece of pizza, etc.  But if you have goals, you will always regret it! Discipline is choosing between what you want NOW and than what you want MOST!!! I honestly cannot tell you one time that I “missed” out on a moment because I said “no” to a food.

Keep in mind, I definitely splurge and live life.. but there are times where you have to be a little more strict to get what you want! That’s just life! If it were easy everyone would be fit. 

Have a great day everyone! 

Xo 

Alex

10/11 Month Sebby

Hope you guys all had an awesome weekend! We had a great weekend with some fall festivities and definitely enjoyed the warm weather! I missed sending out Seb's 10 month update so I'm going to combine it with his 11 month and call it a day :) 

So the big news would have to be we have a walker! Little man officially took his first steps just after he turned 10 months and he's fluently walking now.  It's definitely a bitter sweet moment! Hard to believe that I'm planning for his first birthday...

I definitely feel like this stage is where you start to see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can actually read to him and he's interested, he can play independently, I somewhat sleep, he's starting to walk, and he's still nursing but he's eating real foods so not as much is on me! Bingo! 

SLEEP

Is so much better. He is up usually once a night to nurse and then goes right back to sleep. He sleeps about 7:15/7:30- 6:15/6:30 am. Some days (rarely, but it happened last night) I am lucky and he sleeps through the night. Its funny because no matter how much sleep I get I still feel exhausted when I wake up! Which is totally crazy because I am getting so much more rest than I was like 4 months ago. Anyway I think its probably because the 4 am wake up is a total buzz kill and its hard to fall back asleep after being woke up that early. 

BREASTFEEDING/FOOD

Nursing wise he is still feeding about 4-5 times a day. His nursing is becoming more and more ninja like. I swear his legs are kicking everywhere and he grabs my mouth and face lol, We dropped his late afternoon feed and replaced it with some yogurt and moved his dinner up now that he is eating real dinner with us. Last week I had the worst week. I was totally sick from nursing-I had a clogged duct and it was so painful. I was achy, had the chills. Brutal. I feel like I've had a milk blister now too after the clogged duct. I know its from Seb eating less and less milk :( ughhhhh. Its so hard to get rid of the blisters and ducts when they are only nursing a few times a day. I know the end is near and I'm curious to see when he naturally drops his feeds. If I remember correctly it was just after Max's 1st birthday that he dropped his before nap feeds. 

His chewing has gotten so much better but I swear mealtime is like the longest. thing. ever. He clocks in at about 55 minutes to finish his dinner! He's pretty good with most foods except he doesn't really like eggs? Everything else we have given him he likes but of course his favorites are the standard kid foods like mac and cheese, grilled cheese, fajita, PB & J, pizza...He does eat what we eat though and has been doing pretty good with salmon, chicken and veggies. 

 

BROTHER

I still can't leave the boys in a room together but they do play side by side a bit better now! I'm trying to teach Max that if Seb takes one of his toys, to give him a different one rather than grabbing it back which almost always results in tears from his little brother. He's always trying to show his little brother things which is super cute and I'm excited for when Seb can walk and run to play with Max.

PLAY

Seb pretty much loves any toy that is in our playroom thats Max's. He loves anything that he can push (mower, walkers, etc.).I would have to say his most favorite thing for sure though would have to be balls. He throws them and chases after them. Its so funny.. now when I tell him to kick he kicks the ball :) 

Likes
-Balls-chases them all over the house! 
-grilled cheese, fruit, yogurt, O's
-the walker
-sleeping with his lovey
-swimming
-bath time
-any toy that he can’t have
-talking
-reading

Dislikes
-being changed-he moves everywhere
-face being wiped
-being confined
-eggs

Until next month...when my baby is 1 (((omg)))

xo 

Alex

Friday Free For All

Hey everyone! Wow..its friday and its SEPTEMBER. Bring on the cardigans, booties, chunky sweaters, and thick socks. I swear that every month I'm like "omg, I can't believe it's already ___" And this month is no exception. How is it almost FALL already? It's somehow shocking to me (still lol) how fast time can go.
 

                                                            Hellooooo September!!!

Last year at this time I was just flat out scared. totally. absolutely. scared. I had no idea what was coming my way with adding little Seb into our family. I'm really looking forward to this fall. The hardest days are in the past (well at least in terms of sheer exhaustion and lack of sleep), and I'm looking forward to embracing the routine of school starting the week of the 11th for Max. He'll start going 3 mornings a week and while I love my time with him, I know how important it is for him to feel comfortable away from his "safe place" at home. He's definitely a shy boy and is super attached so getting out in a school and socialization environment is great for him. Also, I'm going to embrace having mornings on my own to spend some time with my almost one year old ...(tear). 

Easy Breakfast

With the 1st day of school quickly approaching next week after labor day for kids in our area, I thought I would share one of my go-to quick but healthy breakfasts. This is an awesome one for hectic mornings especially the first few weeks of school when everyone is still adjusting to a routine. All you need is any kind of bread that you (or your child likes), a cup, and an egg! To make the "gas-house egg," grab your bread and a small cup (Your kids cups are perfect- you don't want the hole too large). Press down into the bread making a circular indent enough to take the indent out of the bread. Next, place the bread on the pan. Crack the egg in the open, circular area and cook to desired liking and flip. I also place the small circular piece in the pan so it gets a little toasted. My boys like it when I add jam to the toast when its finished cooking, but you can add whatever you want (peanut butter, butter) or nothing at all if you like a nice runny egg to dip your toasted egg in! There's something about the way this tastes cooked inside the bread that is just super tasty! Protein & carbs to keep you and your little ones going all morning, all in one shot! 

                                                                  The final product!!!

Bobs Double Stroller

If you follow me on instagram, you probably have seen my post on the Bobs double stroller. I have had the Bob single running stroller ever since Max was 9 or 10 months old and have loved it. Ever since Seb was "of age" to take a run, I've been eyeing the double stroller but the price always stopped me in my tracks. I thought that someone, SOMEWHERE would be wanting to offload theirs and I could get a used one? Please? Someone? .....Anyway weeks turned into months and I honestly could not find a used one for under $300 or $350 which I thought was completely outrageous. Fast forward to last week. I'm just done. Done having to rely on other people to get my cardio in and at this point in time, a lot of the time I'm still up once a night, so waking up at 5 am to run just isn't going to happen. The Double runner was my answer. 
 

SO.  I went to buy buy baby over the weekend to "test" the double out. I was honestly worried that maybe it would be too tough to push with the two boys in it? Anyway, I went to the store with the mindset that I would just have a look at it and keep waiting for A. a huge sale or B. a used one, if I liked how it moved.
 

                                Testing the BOB Double stroller out in store. They look thrilled! Ha!

I LOVED HOW IT MOVED, guys. So I'm sure you can finish the story for me. I BOUGHT IT. But- the catch is I got it for 15% off PLUS another 20% off.. #WINNING. Best thing I ever did. I am such a big proponent of online shopping but sometimes it sure does pay to go to actual stores. 

I would definitely recommend the stroller to anyone who runs consistently during the week and has two little ones. It glides and is super easy to run with. I was pleasantly suprised that my splits weren't much different than with the single! And yeah, when anyone asks me about my stroller I'll definitely be bragging not only about my mileage, but how cheap I got it for :) 

Hope you all have an amazing labor day weekend :) 

xo

Alex

8 Month sebby

You know that awesome phase that babies go through where they can sit up, but they can't really move? Yeah, I am totally out of that phase already. It lasted about 2 weeks. Sigh.

Summer is officially here and every day my baby takes one step closer to becoming a toddler. Sunday morning he was babblng "ma-ma" and later on that day he put his arms through his shirt on his own. I swear I died a little inside. Don't get me wrong, I love when they can become more independent..its just a catch 22. You want them to be babies..but you don't at the same time! ha! 

Things are starting to get crazier and crazier at our house now that Seb is moving and grooving! Between him and his brother I feel like its complete chaos...all day.

Sleep

Well. Sleep has definitely improved but I guess it really coulden't have gotten much worse than it was? For about a two week period my main man was sleeping until about 2 or 3 am, nursing, and then back to bed until 6:30. #heaven ....Then came along 4 TEETH ALL AT ONCE #help. So now we are back to waking 2 times a night. Hopefully once the eye teeth cash in we'll get back to the once a night waking...

Breastfeeding

Not much to report here other than a few fun clogged ducts and milk blisters over the last 6 weeks. With Max I was lucky enough to only have 1 clogged duct but with Seb I've had two so far and one milk blister. NO BUENO. I'm not sure if it's due to just adjusting to less feedings but luckily they have seemed to stop! I have about 400 ounces of frozen milk and I've started to use that for his cereal and on the days I bring home 1-3 oz less than what he drinks. I don't want to add an extra pump in while at work because that would give me a major oversupply. I'm Ok tapping into that frozen stash a couple of times a week especially as we start to introduce more solid food. Hey, thats what its there for, right? 

Brother

Not much new to report here. Sebby continues to impress me with his toughness around his brother! Max is still like Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde with his baby brother and I'm not sure its going to change anytime soon! They are already entertaining each other and egging each other on. Shocking enough Max has actually fed more off of what Seb is doing...whether he's rocking violently in his high chair (see: my instagram stories. Max thinks its hilarious which only makes Max laugh harder and do it too), or crying (Max will start screaming to make the situation louder and clearly more obnoxious)...I know I am going to need a lot of wine and caffeine in my near future! 

Play

Seb loves to roam. He's crawling everywhere and getting into everything! I've tried the pack and play but honestly the screams sounds like I am seriously torturing him when I dare place him in there. He hates to be constricted. Which is super AWESOME. I Psych. I swear he thinks he owns me. I need eyes in the back of my head!!!

He can pull himself to a standing position and takes steps holding our hands. I have a feeling this guy will be walking by the end of July which is a good and a bad thing I guess! 

Favorite toys include the fisher price car, fisher price house, and anything that he can press and it makes noise!

Likes: 
-Being held
-Walks
-his brother
-balls (he will chase them all over the house)
-making funny noises with his mouth
-swimming and bath time

Dislikes:

-the pack and play
-face being wiped
-when his brother takes his toy
-any sort of hygiene check: teeth, fingernails, toenails, ears...typical BOY! LOL
 

Have a great weekend everyone! xo

Alex

Seven Month Sebby

Seven Month Sebby

Another month has passed and we officially have a mover! Sebby is rolling, scooting, and trying to stand up on his own. This has also on several occasions given me a heart attack with Max's small toys laying all over the place. I've set up the pack and play and luckily he tolerates it from time to time! Sebby remains a pretty happy, good natured baby.... most of the time.

Sleep

The positives: we have MASTERED THE NAP SLEEPING IN THE CRIB. The negative: he's still up 3 times a night. Ugh. the struggle. Sebby KNOWS how to self soothe and put himself to sleep, but a lot of the time he just wants to nurse. Usually he is up around 10 or 11 pm, 2 am and 5-6 am. On a good night he wakes at 2 am and again at 5/6 am after falling asleep around 7 pm. At some point I'll put the foot down (with his brother it was 9 months)..so until then I'm trying to embrace the late night snuggles. 

Breastfeeding

Baby boy is still loving his milk..2-3 times /night and another 5-6 times a day. I have a feeling he will not be self-weaning like his brother..Pumping has become a lot less frequent during the day which is fantastic. My ollie grays bra is seriously a life saver. I feel like I'm running from meetings, to workouts, to training sessions so pumping on the go is pretty frequent for me! I find myself pumping in the car (hands free of course with my ollie grays) so much more than I did with Max!. The ollie gray's bra is an all in one-breastfeeding & pumping- no need for an additional bra to hold your pump flasks in place. Its crazy to me that the little guy will slowly be eliminating his nursing sessions..it seems like you nurse for forever and then one day its all over. I'm trying to really enjoy it knowing how much I missed it when Max weaned just randomly one day...lol. Talk about emotional...I swear it took me a few weeks to get over it. I was so hormonal and legit cried for a few days. It is such a big part of your relationship I got to the point where I was like "How am I going to move forward without nursing Max? How will I put him to sleep." Crazy how I had those thoughts as we moved on without a beat. Regardless there is something special about nursing and I'm trying to enjoy it for as long as I can (even with the crazy pumping in the car, nursing bra, leaking {{yes this is still happening 7 months PP omg}}, huge boobs and being restricted with what I can/can't do for weight loss). 

Brother

Max so loves his younger brother. He talks about him all the time and constantly says "Sebby come?" wherever we're going in no matter where it is! Despite this brotherly love, I still can't leave them in the room together alone and every now and again Max spends a few minutes in time out for a quick pinch or swat of his brother. We're working on it! As I write this Max tried to throw a shoe at Seb..HELP PLEASE. lol. Let me know if any of you have tips for the #BIGBROTHERSYNDROME! 

Play

Sebby has moved on from the mat to enjoying ANY sort of walker. He loves to be upright. He still spends a little time in the jumper but he will be growing out of that very very soon!!

Likes: 

-People
-Chewing on everything and anything
-Nursing
-pureed foods
-Standing
-Going for walks
-Bath time as a big boy in the tub
-Swimming lessons

Dislikes:

-Waiting for any type of food #impatient
-Being left alone
-Having his face wiped