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How to Host a Social Distancing End of Summer Cookout

July 26, 2020 by Rachel 32 Comments

Summer will be over before you know it, and what used to be a fun season of cookouts and fun summer hangouts has turned to waving to your neighbor from across the lawn. If you are looking for a fun way to celebrate the end of summer, you can still have a fun end of summer cookout, safely. Here are some tips to help host a social distancing end of summer cookout.

girl with american flag

Keep things clean and sanitized

If you are going to have a cookout where you will be sharing items and touching surfaces, you want to make sure that you are keeping things clean! The main reason for social distancing is to reduce the number of germs being passed around, so ensure that you are keeping your areas clean and sanitized often. Have sanitizing wipes readily accessible, and don’t forget to wash your hands often.

purple and blue wine

Seat in sections and grab food in rotations

If you are serving food, make sure that you spread out seating and implement food rotation areas. This should help prevent contact between others and still allow you to talk to one another without shouting! Try to avoid sitting too close to each other and take advantage of your full yard or block if you live on a less busy street. It may not be the best option for every situation, but you can still have a decent celebration this way!

man cooking on grill

Bring your own food and supplies

If you want to avoid cross-contamination, bring your own supplies. This includes food, drinks, and whatever else you will need. While it’s not as fun to have everyone bring their own supplies, this can keep people from getting sick from contacting another person’s stuff. Having everyone bring their own things could end up being the best option if you’re feeding a lot of people. Just make sure that you still keep your distance from each other, even if everyone brings their food and supplies.

flowers with pie

Get single-serve materials for serving, drinking, and more!

Single-serve options are not usually an excellent idea for the environment. In this case, they could be lifesaving! Encourage people to use canned sodas instead of a 2 liter and avoid contact hot spots. Encourage the use of disposable products and single-serve items that don’t require you to wash afterward.

Move to the front yard

Normally cookouts take place in the backyard huddled by the grill, but instead, bring your cookout to the front yard! Have all your neighbors sit in their yards and enjoy cookouts together! Each person can make their own dish, and you can still be near each other even if you can’t sit right next to them. You can also play fun games that don’t require you to be near each other or play contact games. 

While nothing can replace the fun of standing next to your neighbors and friends to celebrate the end of summer, hopefully, this will help ease the pain of not being able to hug your loved ones from afar!

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PIN ME - How to Host a Social Distancing End of Summer Cookout
PIN ME - How to Host a Social Distancing End of Summer Cookout
PIN ME - How to Host a Social Distancing End of Summer Cookout

Filed Under: health, live happy, summer, tips + tricks Tagged With: health, summer, Summer Bucket List, tips + tricks

Why I’m Intermittent Fasting

January 30, 2020 by Rachel 36 Comments

PIN ME - Why I Chose Intermittent Fasting

I recently shared a quick Instagram Story about how I’d begun Intermittent Fasting and it spurred a lot of questions, so I wanted to elaborate on why I decided to start intermittent fasting.

Intermittent Fasting, or as it’s commonly referred to, IF, is cycling between periods of eating and fasting (restricting food). I’ll further detail the form of IF I’m doing and why below.

What brought me to Intermittent Fasting

I wish this was an easy answer, but it isn’t. After years of near-abuse to my body by restricting calories and over-exercising, I got pregnant with my oldest child. When I returned to work full-time, I was able to semi-maintain some balance with food and exercise without going overboard. But I never got back to my pre-baby weight or jeans size.

Fast-forward to one job-loss and two additional babies later, and I have basically spent the last 4.5 years as some sort of baby incubator or feeding-machine. It took a toll on my body, physically and mentally. I tried Weight Watchers, with some success, but I was still tired of limited results and calorie-restricting.

During my time breastfeeding babies over the last few years, my husband would mention intermittent fasting. He had success doing an 16:8 fast (fasting for 16 hours and having an 8-hour eating window). I couldn’t participate because I knew that doing this was not conducive to my milk supply.

Well I am happy to say that I am completely finished breastfeeding and will not ever again be pregnant. Hooray! This whole ‘finished nursing’ thing is relatively new and came as quite a shock to me. But when I sat down and thought about it I realized that it meant I could finally get back to feeling like ME (physically, emotionally, and mentally).

WHY DOES FASTING WORK

Seeing results in-real-life

About a year ago my mom started her Intermittent Fasting journey. I’ll admit, I was an almost immediate naysayer. I told her she was starving herself and that this practice of over 18+ hours of fasting was detrimental to her health.

But I watched her flourish. She never had much (if any) weight to lose, but she did tone and seem much more full of energy than before. I watched her break her fasts and her diet (meaning food, not the typical term “diet”) seemed completely unrestricted. She navigated the holidays with ease and zero stress.

So I asked her for more information. And she invited me to join this Facebook group she belonged to. Then I was hooked.

Delay, Don’t Deny

The Facebook group “Delay, Don’t Deny: Intermittent Fasting Support,” is based on the book of the same name, by Gin Stephens. Upon approval into the group, I tried to absorb as much knowledge from the participants as possible. After a few days of reading testimonials and questions from other members, I decided to listen to the audiobook Delay, Don’t Deny. It answered every question I had about the process.

Note: Gin Stephens, whilst having her doctorate, is not a physician, nor is she a nutritionist. But she backs up her book with data from scientists and nutritionists and puts it into laymen’s terms for the rest of us. I would like to also note that I am not a physician nor a nutritionist. For questions regarding your health journey, please consult your physician.

affiliate link

The entire premise of the book is as follows: Calories in/calories out is not a successful way to maintain weight loss. Science shows that prolonged fasting will train the body to enter ketosis. Ketosis, or the metabolic process in which the body burns fat instead of glucose for energy, happens naturally and gives our bodies the training they need to develop sustainable eating habits.

ACAI BOWL

This blew my mind. The science backs it up and I immediately felt free from all of the years I obsessed over calories-in, calories-out. Additionally, the idea of working out to ‘burn calories/earn food’ is basically discredited. Working out to be healthy, build muscle, or simply, for fun, is really the idea she explains in her book.

Clean Fasting

The idea is to do a Clean Fast, meaning that during the time you are fasting you are only consuming unflavored water or black coffee. No food or sugar-free drinks are ‘allowed’ during the fast because it will trigger your glucose and prevent your body from entering ketosis.

Breaking The Fast

Breaking your fast, or what Gin refers to as “opening your eating window,” happens at a time you deem right. During your ‘open window’ you shouldn’t deny yourself certain foods. Naturally, during appetite correction, your body will crave foods that are good for you. But if you want wine and french fries? Have wine and french fries! Diets don’t work because they require restricting ‘bad foods’ for long amounts of time.

This is a lifestyle change, not a diet

Another quick note regarding diets — If someone recommends a program you have to pay for (Keto Coffee, Faster Way To Fat Loss, Beachbody Shakes, or Herbalife Shakes), it is a gimmick. You don’t need any paid program to take control of your health and your eating.

After reading Gin’s book and fasting for two weeks now, I can say I’m committed to this lifestyle change. I haven’t had to give up the foods I love and I’m still getting almost immediate results. The scale is slowly moving in the direction I want it to, but I’m also experiencing increased mental clarity, clearer skin, and more restful sleep!

PIZZA WITH SALAD

I know you may be saying “but it’s only been two weeks,” and you’re right. But for the first time in my adult life, I feel FREE. Free from diet culture, free from restrictive eating, and free from anxiety regarding health and weight loss. Everyday I witness the transformations of people in this Facebook group and it encourages me that I am on the right path.

I realize that this can seem completely foreign for many people. Heck, it was to me for a very long time! But I am so excited to continue this lifestyle. I promise to keep you updated!

Do you have any questions for me?! Want to know what my typical fast looks like?!

PIN ME: Delay Don't Deny: Intermittent Fasting for the busy mom

Filed Under: #GetFit, #MomLife, brews + food, coffee, fitness, health, Intermittent Fasting, live happy, mental health, mommyhood, parenthood, wellness, workout Tagged With: #GetFit, #MomLife, brews + food, Delay Don't Deny, fitness, health, Intermittent Fasting, mental health, OMAD, wellness, workout

Summer Lovin’ // our summer in photos

July 12, 2019 by Rachel 16 Comments

Oh, HI! I didn’t mean to take a 10-ish day break from writing, but I have THE BEST excuse…

… we’ve been doing ALL THINGS SUMMER!

Oh — and we got a puppy. Because obviously, I make the best decisions. Ha! Her name is Lady and she’s a 12-week old terrier mix we adopted from a local shelter. The kids adore her and I am desperately trying to break her of her nipping habit.

But in addition to the puppy, we’ve been keeping busy with all things fun. From going to the library, to hitting up the splash pad, and everything in between.

Don’t get me wrong — I’m not trying to keep my kids “busy” all Summer long. We have LOTS of downtime, too. We have quiet time at least once a day (whether it be in the form of naps or iPad or books).

But those spaces in between? That’s where the memories are made. They might not remember the details, but they’ll remember the fun. They’ll remember the fun of their first trip to Waterworks; they’ll remember the milkshakes and the popcorn; they’ll remember they caught goldfish (and named them Goldie + Jonathan).

And I’ll remember their smiles and contagious laughter. And it will be enough to get us through until the next Summer. ♥ ♥

What are you doing

 

to make the most

 

of your Summer?

Filed Under: #MomLife, Akron, busy mom, children, cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, explore locally, Explore Ohio, family, live happy, mommyhood, NEO, Ohio, parenthood, pictures, summer, Summer Bucket List Tagged With: #MomLife, akron, being a mom, busy mom, children, cleveland, Cuyahoga Falls, explore locally, explore Ohio, Live Happy, mommyhood, motherhood, NEO, ohio, parenthood, pictures, summer, Summer Bucket List

Taking A Moment To Find Myself // My 3rd Postpartum Journey

May 13, 2019 by Rachel 13 Comments

I needed this Mother’s Day in ways that I cannot even convey to you. Just Saturday, I was a broken down mother — exhausted from the grind, full of self-doubt and self-pity. But late Saturday evening, I purchased a pass to Balance + Brews at Royal Docks in Canton.

Balance + Brews is a group of local yoga teachers that do pop up classes in craft breweries throughout Northeast Ohio. I’ve been meaning to show up for a class for years, but there was always a reason I couldn’t make it. In fact, this time I almost self-sabotaged — I almost decided not to go because I was afraid of going alone. But I bought the ticket anyway. I committed.

And as I was driving down the highway completely alone, blasting music from my college days, I realized… I needed this. I honestly cannot tell you the last time I went further than Target (which is about a half mile) in the car without a child.

And then to have a meal completely alone? It just sealed the deal for me.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my children. But the weight of always being “on” has really taken a toll lately. It took me until Sunday to realize just how much I missed being with my most authentic self. And in those moments of screaming singing Thursday songs at the top of my lungs, I made a vow to make myself a priority. Starting now.

So to all of the mama’s out there who are struggling to find their new identity, I see you. If you can, go ahead and take a drive, blast that music, and remember who you are.

And Happy (Belated) Mother’s Day.

 

Filed Under: #GetFit, Akron, brews + food, busy mom, children, cleveland, Columbus, Explore Ohio, fitness, gratitude, health, live happy, mental health, mommyhood, NEO, Oh baby!, pampering, parenthood, postpartum, restaurants + bars, yoga Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, brews + food, children, cleveland, columbus, explore locally, explore Ohio, fitness, food, foodie, health, health and beauty, life, Live Happy, local, mental health, mommyhood, motherhood, NEO, oh baby, ohio, pampering, parenthood, postpartum, restaurants + bars, workout, yoga

My Name is Rachel… and I’m Suffering from Postpartum Depression + Anxiety… Again.

May 1, 2019 by Rachel 5 Comments

My name is Rachel…

I am a mom.

I am a runner.

I am a supporter of local businesses.

I am a coffee addict.

I am a fan of craft IPAs.

I am a lover of yummy food.

…and I am a postpartum depression and anxiety survivor.

Lately, it’s been a bit hard to talk about, which is unusual for me. But there have been many days where I have really struggled as of late.

The feelings came on much later this time around. I got really comfortable with the idea that I would be spared this time around. I was wrong. And that’s okay.

See, I really want to be all of these things WITHOUT also having the PPD/A, but (at least for now) it’s a part of my life. Personally, I know I’ll get through this. I know I’ll survive. But for now, I’ll be dealing with this unwelcome guest — the one who comes and goes as she pleases; the one who shows up at unexpected moments; the one who lingers for longer than I’d like. But I’ll get through this. I’ve been through it twice before and I’ll get through it again.

If you are struggling with postpartum depression and/anxiety PLEASE seek help. And if you want someone to talk to or cry to, shoot me a DM. ❤️

You are NOT alone!

Filed Under: #MomLife, health, live happy, mental health, mommyhood, Oh baby!, parenthood, postpartum, wellness Tagged With: #MomLife, being a mom, health, health and beauty, Live Happy, mental health, mommyhood, oh baby, parenthood, postpartum, wellness

Five Friday Favorites

February 22, 2019 by Rachel 12 Comments

Things have been so busy around here, but I wanted to share a glimpse of 5 things I’m absolutely loving as of late.

1. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

Liane Moriarty is one of my favorite fiction writers. When she first released Big Little Lies (which, it should be noted, is much better than the HBO adaptation) I was hooked on her suspenseful style of writing. This more recent novel is filled with the usual suspense and drama with a parental twist. I highly recommend reading it, especially if you’re already a fan of her work.

 

2. If I’m Being Honest with Katie Crenshaw

This podcast has been a refreshing take on taboo subjects. Each episode is an interview-style talk with someone with a story to tell, whether it be about a dad in prison for crimes against a minor, or being a psychic medium. Basically, super interesting subjects that are rarely discussed. Basically, I’m addicted.

 

3. Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve System

Y’all, despite my best efforts, I’ve never been one to brew coffee at home. I’ve had a Keurig, I’ve had a Starbucks Verismo and a traditional coffee maker with a pot. But none of those really did it for me. I was drinking too much coffee to justify the pods of the Keurig and Verismo, but not enough back-to-back coffee to justify the pot (and I despise reheated coffee!).

Last Fall I snagged one of these Ninja Coffee Bar Single-Serve Makers and I fell in love with brewing my coffee at home! It uses just regular ground coffee with a reusable filter. It has an option for different sizes, bold brewing, and iced coffee brewing! Complete with a milk frother. Best invention ever!

 

4. Russian Doll on Netflix

I binge-watched the first season in 24-hours. And I want more! Natasha Lyonne is incredible in everything, but she really knocks this role out of the park.

Stuck in a ‘groundhog-day’ type scenario, she continues to relive (and die) repeatedly on her 35th birthday. She goes on a mission to figure out why and how to stop it while encountering another person going through the same thing.

It’s not as twisted as it sounds, but it’s certainly super interesting. I am already very excited about season 2.

 

5. Weight Watchers

For those of you who have been here a while, you might remember I did WW after Remy was born and had a decent amount of success. Truthfully, the only thing that thwarted my success was getting pregnant again, this time with Mila. So now that I’m 8 months postpartum, I’m finally ready to really step up my game. My body is regulating itself hormonally, Meebs is sleeping a decent amount, and our lives are adjusting as well as is possible.

Last week was my first week of sticking to Weight Watchers and I lost 5.8 pounds! That’s the biggest loss I’ve ever had on the program! Many credits are due to the program, but I also worked my butt off at the gym earning ‘fitness points’ and tracked my ‘food points’ religiously.

I love this program so much because — 1. It doesn’t require weighing in every day, just once a week! and 2. I’m able to still enjoy life and be social! During the last week, I had a glass of wine at night a couple of times, which made it feel like ‘normal’ versus a ‘diet.’

 

Okay, technically this is number 6 and she’s all mine, but I’m definitely loving this kid a lot lately.

Mila has been so fun lately and I just can’t stop staring at her in amazement. She’s nearly crawling, always smiling, and loves to laugh at her brother. She’s such a wonderful addition to our family and I couldn’t be happier to be her Mama. ♥ ♥

What

are you

loving lately!?

Filed Under: #GetFit, #MomLife, #SweatPink, Akron, books, brews + food, children, coffee, fitness, life, lists, live happy, love list, mommyhood, Oh baby!, parenthood Tagged With: #GetFit, #MomLife, #SweatPink, akron, books, brews + food, children, coffee, fitness, life, love list, mommyhood, oh baby, parenthood

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