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Busy Livin’ with Lil’ Beanies //

June 18, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that being a mom to a toddler and a newborn baby is hard work. Now, more than ever, I have to stick to my routine and my plan to make sure our days run as smoothly as possible. For me, that means writing out a schedule each night for the following day. Planning, most importantly, our meals and snacks, naptimes, and playdates (as well as work and other errands).

See, I’m a creature of habit. And so is Ari. And, hopefully, Remy will follow suit — soon! But for Ari and I? We work best as a well-oiled, scheduled and planned, machine.

When we head to the YMCA each morning, I have to pack snacks for Ari to make it through to lunch time. He isn’t a big breakfast eater, so it takes him some time to warm up in the morning. A healthy, on-the-go snack is perfect for us because it provides the nutrition that’s important for his health and development, alongside the ease of being travel-ready!

Enter Gerbers Lil’ Beanies. An easy (and nutritious!) toddler snack, free from GMOs, and consisting of 2 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber per serving!

Healthy. Easy. Perfect for on-the-go/health-conscious Mamas like me! I throw two kinds (because, toddlers can be fickle and picky) into my diaper bag — Original and and White Cheddar with Broccoli! Easy peasy!

I’m super grateful for no-fuss snacks because then I tend not to worry about the fact that Ari likes to skip his breakfast. I know that when he’s ready for his snack (which is almost 10:30 on the dot every darn day!), I can pull these out of the diaper bag and be a-okay!

As hectic as our life may get, it’s nice to have one less thing to worry about. We just swing by Target and grab a couple of packs. Healthy, easy, fuss-free, and easy to find!

Find Gerbers Lil’ Beanies at a store near you — locate them here! And tell me, what’s your favorite on-the-go toddler snack??

Thank you to Gerber for sponsoring today’s post and inspiring my little one to eat healthy!

postpartum fitness // wishes + plans

January 17, 2016 by Rachel 1 Comment

I know I’m not postpartum yet, but gosh, I cannot wait to get back to feeling like myself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m giving myself as much time as necessary to heal, postpartum. However, this warmer than usual winter has had me in a bit of a jealous fit from time to time. Especially since it’s been absolutely perfect running weather up until recently. And here I am, barely able to walk up the stairs without peeing myself. Ha!

Postpartum, however, I will not let a little pee stop me from getting my workout on! Thank goodness for Depend Silhouette Active Fit womens briefs. Trust me, I know I will need them after this child is born (heck, I need them now!). And I totally know that I’m not alone! In fact, more people have bladder leakage in their 20s than people in their 80s! And if you’re a mom, you probably know what I mean!

Barre Fly. This studio opened up in Canton a while back and I’ve been dying to try out their aerial yoga! And I’m sure it will feel awesome on my postpartum hips! And perhaps I can even (finally) check out a barre class!
Balance + Brews. Basically, yoga in a brewery. Umm, yes please! Again, these started like right around the time I found out I was pregnant. I’ve been itching to get to one of these classes, because, beer… and stretching!
PureMvmnt. I’ve always wanted to try pole classes. However, I have zero rhythm and absolutely no core strength nowadays. This space was created to empower women! And what better way than by building core strength.
Believe In CLE. I missed the last couple of Believe in CLE yoga events and I’m dying to get back to a huge practice!
GrooveRyde. Dying to try out this new cycling and yoga studio!

Luckily when I head out on my new fitness adventures, no one will have a clue that I’m struggling with some light bladder leakage. And I’ll be spreading #underwareness because they are SO discreet! With a lower rise, Depend Silhouette Active Fit briefs both fit and feel like real underwear — so I don’t have to worry about something embarrassing happening while I’m doing aerial yoga. Ha!

You can try them out for yourself for FREE! Get a free sample here and check out how Depend is entering year three of #Underwareness, a social movement and charitable cause to break down the bladder leakage stigma! And most of all, don’t let a little bladder leakage hold you back from getting out there and moving!!

Many thanks to Depend for sponsoring today’s story and spread #underwareness cause.

Saving Money in the New Year // Direct Energy Savings in Ohio!

January 14, 2016 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Winter has hit us in Ohio, finally! Last year was especially cold. And even though El Niño helped to delay winter this year; it’s definitely, definitely here. And we refuse to let our energy bill skyrocket because of it.

And one way of doing so is by reevaluating our electricity rates and finding if we can, first and foremost, save there.

Compare costs. Ohio residents should contact Direct Energy this month to see what special offers they have available. Save up to 14%* over DP&L’s electricity rate, and up to 10%* over Duke Energy’s electricity rate. There’s more! Save up to *5% over The Illuminating Company’s electricity rate, and up to 3%* over Ohio Edison’s electricity rate!
Make sure your windows and doors are energy efficient. If they aren’t, look into replacing them in the Spring! But in the meantime, use window shrink film to keep as much heat in your home as possible!
Unplug appliances when not in use. Guys. This is a major one in our house! We have something plugged into nearly every outlet in our home. Are these things always on? Absolutely not. But they are still using energy!

We’ve definitely been actively doing these things in hopes of saving a few bucks this winter! In addition, we use our wood burning stove when we are home — and we only burn Eco-bricks, which are made up of sawdust, are CO2 neutral, and burn longer than wood. It also helps that Direct Energy offers a fixed-rate energy plan: so our electricity rate won’t fluctuate throughout your contract term. They’re also the only energy provider to be a part of Plenti. You can earn rewards every month with Plenti!
Just go to their website and plug in your zip code!

*All savings refers to the current difference between Direct Energy’s fixed rate offer and the Utility’s current Fixed Rate for Basic Service as of January 8, 2016, and does not include any other component of the electricity bill. Utility rates are subject to change and there may be no savings following the respective official utility rate change date. Direct Energy’s fixed rates include electricity supply charges only and excludes delivery/transmission charges, taxes, and all other utility-related charges. Offer is limited and valid for new residential customers only.

Snack Good. Feel Gooder.

December 5, 2015 by Rachel Leave a Comment

Moms. We’re responsible for keeping it all together, so to say. And friends – I’d be lying if I didn’t say I’ve dropped the ball a time or two ~~daily~~ during this pregnancy. I won’t forget important things, like feeding Ari. But… I’ve been known to forget to actually eat for myself. Until it’s too late. Until I’m in the car on the way to an appointment or to lunch. So what’s a gal to do on the run? Enter my newest healthy, on-the-go, snack obsession: ZonePerfect Perfectly Simple snack bars.

These are a delicious way to curb my cravings for something sweet but still healthy! Because I’m super into chocolate right now, I packed the Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk. It’s super delicious, and at only 200 calories or less, completely guilt-free!

Each bar is wrapped and ready to go, so you never have to settle when you’re on the go. The individually wrapped bars, which come in four flavors (Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk, Almond Toffee Crunch, Bing Cherry & Almond, and Roasted Cashew & Dark Chocolate), are high in protein, and simple with the ingredients (less is more, am I right?!). They’re also gluten free (yay for our celiacs!).

So they are my go-to snack when I’m in a rush (which, let’s face it, is always) and trying to make decisions to make me #FeelGooder about life on the run!

Now you can try them out for yourself by using this $1.00 off coupon here! Enjoy, friends! And feel free to share how you #FeelGooder throughout your busy day! Yoga in the office? Walking during your lunch break? Tell me!

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by ZonePerfect but, as always, the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

A Betty Tradition // GIVEAWAY!

November 29, 2015 by Rachel 16 Comments

It’s the most wonderful time of the year!! — the holidays!! I seriously don’t even know who I’ve become over these last few months. I’ve never been this pumped up about the holiday season!

Well, due to the recent concerns surrounding my health and the health of Baby Girl, Chad + I decided to cancel our plans to travel to Columbus Thanksgiving Day. That meant that we didn’t spend the holidays surrounded by tons of family. But that’s okay. Because Chad & I are creating our own traditions, complete with turkey and a mashed potato side dish! Cause that’s really all that matters for Thanksgiving, right!?

Between doctor appointments and work schedules, it was a busy week. So we are planned on keeping the holiday super low-key. Easy was the name of the game! Chad made a smoked turkey and I was in charge of the side dishes! Most important? Mashed potatoes. Obviously. The only problem is, I had other things to cook, too. So instead of laboring over potatoes, I used Betty Crocker Potatoes!

Not only does it save time, but Betty Crocker Potatoes are 100% real potatoes, farmed right here in the United States! I keep a packet or box on hand just in case of dinner emergencies (AKA nearly every night), but this time I planned on mixing a pouch with some green onions and bacon!

They turned out amazing. A wonderful addition to our Thanksgiving feast — even if this child did only allow me to eat a tablespoon of each item! You can use this coupon to save $.50 off two packages of Betty Crocker potatoes!

In addition, one lucky reader will win a Betty Crocker Pototoes prize pack valued at $50!! Use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winners will be notified by email and will need to respond with mailing address within 24 hours (prize pack shipped directly from Betty Crocker).