crunchy granola

Tips + Tricks to Stay Healthy This Winter

October 10, 2019 by Rachel 25 Comments

Dare I say it… Winter is around the corner. I know, I know. We haven’t even fallen back yet. But I’m telling you — the sickies are moving in and they’re moving in fast! I’m trying to stay ahead of the curve and prepare a defense to stay healthy during cold and flu season now.

Here’s what we’re doing to stay healthy this winter:

Rest and Sleep

The key for us is making sure we have very few late nights (especially the kiddos) and never say no to a nap! Sleep helps our bodies to recover and rest.

Vitamin C + D

We’re about to enter the ‘dark season’ here in the Midwest. Seasonal Affective Disorder (or SAD) is a real thing with real consequences. Heck, even in the Summer, we just have infrequent sunny days. So it’s no surprise that we need to give ourselves an extra boost of Vitamin D throughout the year, but especially during the cooler months.

Also? Don’t forget to load up on that Vitamin C! Keep your immune system in tip-top shape!

Stay Hydrated

I’m the first to admit that I do not drink an adequate amount of water. In order to do so, I have to make a serious conscious effort.

Last year I picked up one of these water bottles in hopes to remind myself to drink more. Guess what? It worked!

Of course, making sure my kids have their water bottles filled at all times also helps. Not juice, not milk; just water.

Probiotics

As much as I want to keep bacteria and germs away, I’d like to keep the good bacteria around.

My husband and I and the kids all take a daily probiotic to make sure our gut stays as healthy as possible. Because the kids’ probiotics are gummies, if they don’t get them daily I’m reminded. They will absolutely ask me for ‘their gummies.’

Elderberry Syrup

Before becoming a mom I hadn’t given much thought to alternative medicines. And I’m still not saying that you shouldn’t use and trust modern medicines. I am saying that you shouldn’t completely write-off things like elderberry syrup when you’re looking for the means to keep everyone healthy.

It’s been discovered that Elderberry syrup can help to fight viruses, including the flu. If you don’t have access to Elderberry syrup in a local health foods store try this syrup from Amazon.

Maintain a Healthy Diet

It can’t be an accident that sick season and soup season are one and the same, right? Real talk though — obviously we do our best to eat a balanced diet, but kids are ridiculously picky eaters.

One thing they will eat is soup. And the bonus about soups (like this creamy chicken noodle soup) and stews is that you can sneak all kinds of veggies into them!

Hit the Sauna

I am a recovered sauna skeptic. It wasn’t until a group of women from my gym started preaching about the wonders of a 20-minute sauna session that I finally caved and tried it for myself.

I used the sauna for post-workout recovery. And I completely avoided the usual soreness that accompanies a workout. But it has other benefits as well. Deep sweating that you experience in the sauna has been proven to release toxins from the body, aid in better sleep, relieve stress, and help to fight illness.

How are you planning on staying healthy this season?

6 Tips For An Unmedicated Childbirth

May 7, 2018 by Rachel 24 Comments

Just 5 and a half short weeks separate me from meeting Baby #3. And, though I’ve been in disbelief for most of this pregnancy, it’s all starting to get real. Really real.

See, I know that in order to meet this beautiful new baby, I first have to endure childbirth. Beautiful, terrifying, childbirth.

For those who are new around here, you may not know that I prepared myself for an unmedicated childbirth 6 years ago with our son. I took Bradley Method birthing classes (12 weeks of intensive classes) and readied myself accordingly; but after 24-hours of awful labor, I finally gave in to an epidural.

With our daughter, just 2 years ago, I felt much more prepared — having been through labor before, but also knowing things they just can’t teach in childbirth classes — and I labored without medication and delivered Remy just a few hours later.

But I’m still nervous about the prospect of childbirth. There’s always the fear of the unknown — of not knowing how this labor will progress; when this labor will begin; and what state I’ll be in.

So in an effort to remind myself of WHY and HOW to attempt an unmedicated labor and delivery, I’m sharing my tips below!

1. Educate yourself.

I’m going to be honest — I have a passion for self-education. But what fueled that fire even more? Taking a birthing class. As mentioned above, I chose the Bradley Method birthing course because of its focus on natural, unmedicated, birthing education. It was 12-weeks of classes. Twelve very intensive weeks. I learned so much and it opened up my eyes to so much.

So if you’re planning on an unmedicated delivery, I highly suggest taking a Bradley Method course (there are local teachers all over the US). If you can’t take one of these courses, still get the book Husband-Coached Childbirth and give it a read!

2. Have a plan.

… a birth plan, that is. Know exactly what you will and will not do when it’s go-time. My main points to be noted for my nurses and my doctors is that I would prefer (a) to only have a Hep-Lock (or a Saline Lock), which is basically an IV catheter, and (b) having intermittent monitoring versus constant monitoring.

Basically, to state this at the beginning of admittance is saying “Here, nurses + doctors: The IV is ready if needed and I will monitor as you see fit; but that also means that I can get up and labor out of bed, without restrictions.”

Know what you want your restrictions to be and write them down. Yes, write them down, type them out, or have a list on your phone of things you want done. Whatever you do, be prepared to communicate with your team!

3. Have a support system.

My husband sat through every second of those 12 weeks of childbirth classes. It not only helped us to be on the same page with what we wanted our labor and delivery experience to be; but it helped him to become more comfortable with the fact that he would be seeing me in a tremendous amount of pain.

We communicated that the one thing I would need in those moments was unwavering support. I needed him to be strong in the moments where I could not; and I needed him to have my back for my birth plan, in case someone offered to ‘intervene.’ He did both of those things both times. He never once suggested an epidural and never once wavered from seeing me in pain.

Sure, later, he admitted that it was incredibly difficult to watch me and be unable to make the pain stop; but he did exactly what I needed him to do in those moments.

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

I cannot say this enough. I think the downfall of my first delivery was that I started laboring while dehydrated (turns out iced coffee doesn’t boast excellent hydration…). And, from there, the dehydration sort of snowballed. And the cramping was excruciating because my body just couldn’t keep up.

When I felt the beginning contractions with baby number 2, I immediately kicked up my water intake. I was already drinking lots and lots of water; but I just started drinking even more of it! And to NOT be battling dehydration while laboring was a HUGE benefit. I swear that this is what helped me make my way through contractions.

5. Be prepared.

Make sure your hospital bag is packed — and packed with the items that will help you. I feel immensely more weak when I am nauseous; knowing this, I packed several essential oils that helped ease my nausea. Between lavender and peppermint oil, I would stick a couple of drops in my hands and just sniff them when I got hit with a wave of nausea.

I also found music that was comforting to me. I didn’t know what that music would be before my contractions started; but once I found a few songs that helped me to focus, I played them on repeat. (Unrelated: To this day, those songs make me incredibly emotional, just bringing back thoughts of those final moments before I met her.)

If you have something — a physical object — that brings you comfort, bring it with you. For some, this could be a pillow. For others, this could be a stuffed animal. Really, it could be anything. But if it brings you any comfort, do not hesitate to bring it along.

6. Know that you are capable.

I still think back on both of my experiences and am so proud for what I accomplished — bringing a new life into this world is no easy feat! I know that if I hadn’t been so sick with my first labor, I could have done it without that epidural; but actually doing it the second time around? Was life-changing. I felt so strong and so powerful.

And, although I am nervous about this upcoming labor and delivery (because, pain), I know that I am capable of absolutely tremendous things.

If you’ve been through childbirth,

what would you recommend doing to support

an unmedicated labor and delivery?

Digging Deep in Motherhood // Opening Up About My Infant Feeding Journey

October 8, 2017 by Rachel 20 Comments

From the moment Remy Bea was born, everything changed. Sure, that’s to be expected when having a second child; but I mean it in the way that my world was turned upside down — this child was unlike anything I could have ever imagined.

But the one thing she was always good at was breastfeeding. Granted, she would pretty much breastfeed 24-hours a day — and refused to take a bottle — but it was literally the only thing she was good at. See, she refused to sleep. Like, at all. I’m not just saying that — she actually would sleep for an average of 1-3 hours in a 24-hour period. Now, it turns out that she had a series of undiagnosed UTI’s and an issue with her spinal alignment, but that wasn’t discovered for about 7 months.

And once she felt better, this little girl became an amazing little human. I felt closer to her than I had ever really felt with Ari at that age. I was home with her all of the time, I was watching her grow, and she was attached to me almost always. It was lovely.

Until she decided that she was done with breastfeeding.

Cue the panic and all of the sadness…

The panic was regarding nutrition. I was concerned about how I was going to transition her to a formula that was similar to breastmilk and be able to supplement the solids she had started.

I’m forever grateful to the Happy Family brands for being supportive of ALL mamas feeding their babies. They offered online support through lactation consultants and helped to ease my mind and soul during this time of transition to Happy Family Stage 2 Organic Infant Formula.

An additional source of panic was the fact that Remy Bea still would not take a bottle. Her downright refusal came after trying literally every bottle and nipple on the market — including discontinued nipples that cost $40 on Amazon! But with the help of the nutritionists from Happy Family, we decided to try her on a tiny straw sippy cup instead. Sure, not the most traditional route — but it worked!

The sadness? Well, the sadness was a little bit more difficult to overcome. But, at some point I managed to convince myself that each story of feeding babies is different, but they are all good!

At the end of the day, what’s important is that I’ve successfully made it through the hardest part — infancy. We did it, baby girl! We survived. Thanks to our tribe and our Happy Family. xo

Breastfeeding Miss Bea //

December 18, 2016 by Rachel 11 Comments

I feel inspired, friends. Inspired to share my story of breastfeeding Remy Bea. It turns out, I haven’t actually mentioned anything specific about our journey, other than the fact that she won’t take a bottle.

So let me tell you a little bit about breastfeeding Miss Bea…

*Note: Until now, I’ve never shared a single photo of myself while breastfeeding. But, after seeing several other bloggers post tasteful, and colorful, photos of themselves on their own journey, I decided to share some of my own. And, gosh, this baby is just beautiful.*

The Beginning //

As soon as I met Miss Bea, she latched. Easily, happily, latched. It was perfect. She nursed and nursed and nursed. My milk even managed to come in at the hospital — not at all the norm!

But a couple of days after we came home, my breasts became engorged and my nipples inverted. As much as I tried to nurse her, I reached out for some physical support — the nipple shield.

With the assistance of the shield, she continued to nurse and continued to thrive. Even after the engorgement went away, I still had such an oversupply of milk that I kept using the shield just prevent her from choking on the surplus.

The Middle //

For some, it’s hard to judge a book by it’s cover. For me, it’s hard to judge our breastfeeding journey by it’s middle. The middle was riddled with doubts, anxieties, and so, so, very many sleepless nights. The struggle was real. For a long time.

So I just kept on breastfeeding her on-demand, which was every 3 hours. A very consistent, every three hours, per her rules (and screaming). It was just a game of survival.

There were many times I tried to get her to nurse without the shield. And each time, she would refuse and scream even more. It was a war of wills, and she won. I gave up the battle, but kept on at the breastfeeding war.

I thought for certain since she would only nurse with the shield, that she would undoubtedly take a bottle. But nope. Never. And because she was still nursing every three hours, even throughout the night, I was pretty much the only one who could care for her. It sucked.

There were so many times I thought about how much easier it would be to just give up. There were moments where people would say “You know, if she just tried formula in a bottle, I’m sure you could get some rest.” But, for personal reasons, this breastfeeding journey was non-negotiable for me.

We just kept on.

And then, after we finally bit the bullet and took Miss Bea to the chiropractor, things took a turn for the better. After several appointments, and several adjustments, our pediatric chiropractor suggested, quite strongly, that I give up dairy. Per the doctor, dairy is very hard on babies tummies; and Miss Bea’s system has been riddled with antibiotics because of her UTIs, which leaves her gut extra-sensitive.

So I began our dairy-free journey!

The Second-Middle //

I would call it something else, but I know we’re not anywhere near the end. Miss Bea is almost 11-months old and our breastfeeding journey is probably just halfway through.

But I’ve learned so much.

For one, I learned that I should have given up dairy when she started with the colic. I am stunned by the change in her mood and general temperament since removing dairy from my diet. So much so that I wish I would have just done it at the beginning. She’s seriously a different baby.

She still isn’t a great sleeper, but she is sleeping so much better than before. And she is just so much happier in general, which has made the no-bottle-feeding, only-taking-the-breastfeeding, feel so much more rewarding.

I’ve also learned that the relationship between a nursing baby and Mama is a special one. She will randomly glance up at me with her milk-drunk smile, and my heart will just explode into a million pieces. So although breastfeeding has been a major cause of stress and anxiety over the past 10.5 months, it’s also been one of the things to help bring me out of my postpartum depression.

The End //

We’re nowhere near the end of our breastfeeding journey. Yes, I’m one of those ‘breast is best,’ extended breastfeeding, Moms. No, I don’t plan on breastfeeding her until she’s 5, but at this point I’ll keep it up for as long as is appropriate for our family.

And for those of you that have followed us on our journey, thank you so much for your love and support. I’ve been amazed at how much ‘help’ a breastfeeding mother needs on her journey — especially emotional and mental support! So thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Crafty Mart // Explore + Shop Locally

December 7, 2016 by Rachel 6 Comments

Thanksgiving weekend was the shortest, long weekend in the history of weekends, friends. We laid really, really, low for most of it. But I did manage to sneak out with Remy Bea on Saturday to go to one of my favorite local events — Crafty Mart. Crafty Mart is Akron, Ohio’s market for all things handmade! It’s honestly just an awesome collection of locally-made eclectic finds.

And I freaking love it!

First of all, it’s at, like, all of my favorite places — Musica, Summit Artspace and the Akron Art Museum! There really isn’t a place big enough to hold all of the vendors here in Akron, so they are split between three, very close, locations.

Remy Bea and I started out at the Akron Art Museum. We left the boys at home and just wandered around. It’s honestly been a couple of months since we visited, so it was nice to see the new exhibits while checking out the vendors. I don’t recall what this big red exhibit was, but you could walk into it. It was fun!

Here are some of my favorite vendors and local artisans from the event:

Norka Beverage. Hand-crafted artisan beverages made right here in Akron in 1924. After being out of the business for over 50 years, this local business has been given a new life! It’s been revived and given a new life!
Whiskertin Lighting. Bringing incredible industrial brightness to new spaces! I absolutely loved all of their pieces — and wish I could purchase them all!
The Social Dept. Graphic designers turned screen-printers turn local midwestern t-shirt makers! Gotta love Blimp apparel in the Rubber City!
Department 100. 3D printers turned artists. Ohio-shaped fly-swatters; Ohio-shaped earrings; Ohio-shaped cookie cutters; and so much more!
Akron Coffee Roasters. I’ve long been jealous of all of the local coffee roasters that Cleveland has. Sure, we’re close to Cleveland, but Akron has been long overdue at having a good coffee shop. They roast their own beans and can tell you exactly where your coffee has come from! Give me a pour over, stat!
Bacon’s Superior Beard Care. Beard oil and mustache was for the special furry man in your life! Made with a blend of beeswax, lanolin, and jojoba oil — and it smells delicious!
Studio KMR Photography. My dear friend Kevin takes amazing photos and turns them into awesome works of art. Ari is a big fan of all of his coasters and magnets (which he insists on taking off of our fridge and hiding…).
BreadAndRoses2. These. bags. are. ADORBS.
France France Kids Shop. Adorable kids clothes, made by hand, right here in Kent, Ohio!

I just can’t stop loving Crafty Mart — or shopping from local vendors! Seriously! Whether you live here in Ohio or not, I urge you to check out local makers in your area. There are so many amazing crafters out there. Just go and explore them. Buy from them. And support the economy in a big way by shopping in small ways! ♥ ♥

The Only Banana Bread Recipe You Will Ever Need

March 30, 2016 by Rachel 1 Comment

Since I lost my job in December (eek – still stings a little to say!) I’ve been upping my domesticity game in a major way. Not only have I been keeping myself on a ‘cleaning schedule’ [ugh — that sounds terribly domestic], but I’ve also been trying to stay on a meal schedule of some sort.

And that includes breakfast.

Sure, it doesn’t always work out the way I want it to; but I stick to a ‘semi’ plan — which is helpful. I’m not going to lie — a lot of our breakfasts have included Organic Pop Tarts (yep – we’re totes real AND crunchy granola like that). But about every other week I make this AhhhMAZING banana bread and we can’t help but eat it morning, afternoon, and night. Seriously.

[gmc_recipe 9465]I can’t help but cut myself a piece while it’s still warm. I toast it for a few minutes and put a teeny bit* [*relative term] of butter on it… life-changing!

So please — if you’ve got some bananas on the counter that are turning an ugly color, consider putting them to good use with an awesome banana bread recipe! You won’t be mad. I promise. 😉