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Five Friday Favorites

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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!?

Life Lately // a Balancing Act as a Mom of 3

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Oh, hi! I promise I’m not just over here having babies and leaving you high and dry. I’m also living a relatively normal life — or at least trying to!

Here’s what we’ve been up to recently:

Bottoms Up Yoga at Sibling Revelry Brewing. 

I jumped at the opportunity to meet up with some fellow Cleveland bloggers for an afternoon of yoga, beers, and laughs, courtesy of Bottoms Up Yoga at Sibling Revelry Brewing!

I brought my mom, Mimi, with me so that she could hang with the big kids while I brought Mila in with me. I mean, she’s a newborn and sleeps most of the time anyway — and this was a class with a bunch of gals I know really well anyway!

Well, she started making those newborn grunts while sleeping in her car seat. I spent most of the time rocking her car seat in between downward dogs before I just gave up halfway through our flow and stepped out.

I ended up ordering some food and sitting down with a flight of IPAs to wait for the class to finish and for Mimi to arrive back with the big kids, so it all worked out in the end.

Sometimes you've just gotta put yourself out there and try to do something fun, even if the end result looks different from what you planned Click To Tweet

Sometimes you’ve just gotta put yourself out there and try to do something fun, even if the end result looks different from what you planned, right?!

The Cleveland Flea.

I’m not a big shopper. I’m just not. But one of the events I most look forward to each month is the Cleveland Flea. Perhaps because it combines my love of Northeast Ohio with my love of finding unique items and food? Yep, that’s probably it!

Well, the last Flea I brought both of the girls with me on a little girls day out. We ate donuts from The Vegan Doughnut Company and walked around for a bit before we settled into a cozy spot for some relaxation and people watching.

Remy is such a social child and she really loves to be given a little space to explore, so I let her do her thing for a bit while I fed Mila.

Work.

I’ve been back to work for weeks now and it’s not all that bad. Mila is with me at all times and the bigger kids have the chance to play and get some energy out for a bit in a different environment. I start teaching cycling again in just a few weeks so our schedule will get even busier, but I’m anxious to get back into the swing of teaching again!

Prepping for Kindergarten.

Ari starts Kindergarten in a week. I’m so excited for him and anxious at the same time. Our school shopping is nearly complete and I have his teacher and room assignment! The only thing we have left to do is attend orientation!

It’s safe to say I’m going to be a complete wreck those first few days. I don’t know if I’ll actually cry, or if my anxiety will just go into overdrive. I know for certain he is ready. He’s so excited and hasn’t even muttered a word about being nervous.

Food Fridays al Fresco at Cascade Plaza.

So many amazing things have been happening in my city over this last year. There are so many events happening on a daily basis (oftentimes at the same time), I’m bummed I’m not able to make them all. Such is life with three kids, I suppose!

But one of the events I knew we had to make it to was Food Fridays al Fresco, which happens every Friday during lunch in Cascade Plaza in downtown Akron. Basically, a bunch of food trucks, backyard games, and live music smack dab in the middle of a weekday!

I was adventurous enough to take all three kids out to this while solo-parenting. It was an adventure, but they had fun running around the big, grassy, plaza.

Edgewater Beach, Cleveland.

While searching for new places to take the kids, a friend suggested going to Edgewater Park and walking along the beach. It was a gorgeous day so I thought, why not?

The water was closed due to rough current, but the kids only really cared about the sand anyway. We walked and explored and played before giving in to the heat and heading back home.

Northeast Ohioans are lucky to have so many adventurous places to explore. This was just the tip of the iceberg for us and I cannot wait to continue taking my kids on these little adventures.

 

In reflecting on all that we’ve been up to lately, I can confidently say that adding a third baby changed everything and yet changed nothing. We’re still doing our thing. We’re still living our lives. We’re still having fun, and working, and playing. It just looks a little different.

In what fun ways

have you been

exploring lately?

 

Tips For an Active + Healthy Pregnancy with Ajoyo

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From the moments you find out you’re expecting a new baby, things change. There is so much to consider — keeping the baby healthy, eating right, exercising, maintaining some normalcy, and working through the stages that come with each trimester. It can all be a bit… overwhelming, to say the least.

And, I’ll admit — my previous pregnancies haven’t exactly been the healthiest. But there’s something about age and wisdom and whatnot that really offers some perspective. So I’ve learned a lot in the span of 6+ years (nearly 3 years of which I have spent pregnant).

Here are my tips for maintaining a healthy balance during your pregnancy:

1. Find ways to move comfortably.

For me, this has made a huge difference this time around. I was basically sedentary during my first two pregnancies. This time around I’m still go, go, going with my kids; but I’m also finding time to workout.

Sometimes this just means going for a walk, with or without the kids; with or without a fun place in mind. 

Sometimes it means tackling the household chores instead of sitting down on the couch. 

Sometimes that means getting in some stretches before bed. 

Just make yourself move comfortably. Period.

Which brings me to my next point… 

2. Make exercise fun, not a burden. 

Working in a gym has been a huge blessing, that’s for sure. But for the first trimester of this pregnancy, I just couldn’t work out. I could barely hold food down, so workouts weren’t on the agenda. But when the second trimester hit, I knew I had to get back into the swing of things.

And I enrolled myself in a few classes to hold myself accountable.

Between circuit training classes, kickboxing, teaching cycling classes, and finding a passion for zumba, I’ve been keeping a pretty regular exercise routine ever since.

 

Here’s the thing — it’s definitely NOT pretty. Cycling has gotten a lot more difficult (bending forward at the waist with my belly is starting to hurt a bit), and I’m probably the least coordinated person in my zumba class; but it’s fun and it’s getting me to work out.

And continuing to workout has created a sense of normalcy in my life — when not everything can be controlled, my workouts make me feel… well, not pregnant. Ha!

3. Eat with balance.

My first pregnancy was all ice cream and carbs; my second was whatever I could keep down (mostly toaster strudels); but this third pregnancy is all about finding a healthy balance.

While it would be a complete fabrication to say that I’ve eaten completely healthy this pregnancy, I definitely have eaten intentionally this pregnancy.

What does that mean? Well it means that I’m making myself a smoothie in my Vitamix each morning — it consists of a mix of frozen fruit, frozen vegetables (think kale, spinach, etc), some protein powder, and Ajoyo Almondmilk.

Ajoyo Almondmilk has been a staple in my pregnancy for a few reasons. One of which is because I need to keep my diet as dairy-free as possible. Dairy caused some issues for Remy when I was breastfeeding and I’m trying to avoid that ever becoming an issue this time around by eliminating dairy now.

It also happens to be delicious and sustainable — it’s non-GMO and loaded with nutrients like B12, calcium, and the always needed (especially in pregnancy) protein.

But I haven’t denied myself access to my cravings either. I’ve eaten my fair share of burritos and donuts (#weakness); and I haven’t given up coffee (I. just. can’t.). So intentionally eating has been key.

Want to try Ajoyo? Head here to enter to win a year supply of Ajoyo Almondmilk AND enter my giveaway (using the rafflecopter widget below) to win a month’s worth of Ajoyo Almondmilk right now!

4. Sleep, sleep, sleep. 

One of the most important things i’ve done this pregnancy is to listen to my body. There have been many days where I feel like I could fall asleep at 6pm. And, instead of fighting it, I just listen.

Sure, that means I’m missing out on some other stuff (like dinner, lol); but sleep is essential for remaining healthy during pregnancy. And I’m not ashamed to admit that I’ve also given my 5 year old an iPad to watch Netflix in bed next to me so that I could take an occasional afternoon nap.

Ya know why? A healthy mother is a better mother. Fact.

5. Give yourself grace. 

I say this a lot. I know. But if there’s one thing I’ve truly come to understand as a mother, it’s that grace is an essential part of my day.

I look at my to-do list and add to it daily. I also scratch a few things off here and there, but I’m always going with the flow. The other day I had two more errands to run after running to the DMV. And guess what? The DMV ran extra long — during naptime (Remy’s and mine).

Instead of forcing us all on extra errands, I gave myself (and my to-do list) a healthy dose of grace. The errands can wait.

This is all to say this — know when you’re doing too much and know when it’s time to let some of it go. And, as Elsa (and Remy) would say — Let. It. Go.

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At the end of the day, pregnancy and motherhood are all about this: SURVIVAL. We are all just doing our best to get by and make it out alive. So cheers, Mama! Now go get some sleep!

Disclosure: I received a supply of Ajoyo Almondmilk at no cost to try and review. As always, all opinions herein are my own.

End of Summer Health + Fitness Update | and a BIG announcement!

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Guys, I am proud to say that I didn’t let the hustle and bustle of Summer get me off track with my health and fitness journey. Wooo hooo!

Weight Watchers Update  //

I’m at my lowest weight since Remy was born. Not my goal weight, but significantly closer. I’m down 30.5 pounds since I started WW last November. It’s a good feeling and I’ve been working my booty off to achieve it.

I know I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again — I love that with WW I can still enjoy things like donuts because I’m not ‘counting calories.’ I mean, I’m not eating donuts everyday; but, gosh darnit, I’ll eat a donut every so often if I want to! 🙂

Oh, and HUGE shoutout to Pink Blush for making me feel gorgeous in this amazing dress!

Workouts  //

I’ve consistently been working out (and earning those WW Fit Points!). I’m a little sad to say my workouts have consisted of very few runs. I just… I just… haven’t been feeling it. Especially not in the crazy heat.

When I did run this Summer, it was with the running group MRTT (or, Moms Run This Town). I have to admit, it’s way easier to get motivated — especially to run — when I run with this awesome group of ladies!

But I’ve been doing a LOT of cycling and kickboxing to ‘switch it up.’ And I’m noticing I’m getting SO much stronger and it’s absolutely helping me build back my endurance.

In addition, I’ve hit up several yoga classes. I have to admit, I’ve been really missing yoga. When I’m on my mat, I’m in the zone. I feel strong and confident and powerful. And then I’ll go weeks without a yoga class for no reason other than it hasn’t really fit into my schedule. Bummer, bro.

Coaching Gymnastics  //

So I’m definitely not tumbling. Ha! But stretching and conditioning with these girls is making a noticeable difference in my core strength and flexibility. It’s been nice to build relationships and workout with these young gymnasts — and we both are building confidence in ourselves! Win-win!

PS. If you’re local to Akron and are looking to enroll your child in gymnastics, email me and I’ll let you know which classes I’m teaching! 🙂 

A BIG Cycling Update  //

I’m really excited to share this with you! My love of cycling has grown tremendously over the last year. And I’m happy to say that in October I’m going to get certified as an indoor cycling instructor!

I owe it to my incredible coworkers at the YMCA for helping me to pursue this dream of getting certified! And helping me to get put onto the Fall schedule for our cycling classes at the Riverfront YMCA location!

So yeah. I guess if I was MIA this Summer (both on the blog and IRL) this had something to do with it. I was busy, ya’ll! Busy being a goal-getter! 🙂

How did you do with your health and fitness goals this Summer?!

 

 

Our Summer in Pictures

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Guys – something amazing happened this Summer — we had fun — and I stepped a bit away from this here blog. I did, however, start posting all kinds of photos to my Instagram stories as a way of ‘photo-blogging’ my way through the summer months!

In case you aren’t following me on Instagram (which, why aren’t you!?), here’s our Summer in Insta-stories:

 
























 



I worked out a LOT.







We visited the farmers market often.






Adventures at the zoo!


We spent a lot of time eating samples at Costco.






My children had a blast at the YMCA — both while I was working and while they
(well, specifically, Ari, was in swim lessons!).







We went to Kentucky to visit my parents.














We celebrated my nephews first birthday!





We took a BIG family vacay to Hilton Head!


































Basically, all of these pictures and I’m all “OMG I can’t believe it’s nearly September!” And now we have exactly ONE WEEK left of Summer break before our new school year starts. I’m absolutely going to make the most of this week and get one more ‘hurrah’ outta Summer! 😉

Summer 2017 — you kinda rocked. 

Elevate, Play with Lark, SOAK, and Eat Local! // Embracing the Chaos

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We’ve been so crazy busy lately that we’ve hardly had a chance to slow down. It’s my own fault, really. I’m a chronic over-scheduler. It’s a blessing and a curse, friends. It really is.

See, I thrive on the crazy; I need the busy days. I need them because they make me feel accomplished. And slowing down just isn’t in my vocabulary. At least, not in this current season of my life.

So here’s what we’ve been up to as of late:

Lots and lots and lots of playing with the kids. Lucky for me, we have a standing playdate at the YMCA every day but Sunday (because, well, I’m there for 4-6 hours a day). So both kids really love (and need) this time with their friends.

But it’s been HOT, friends. Like, hot and crazy humid. Which has truly limited our outdoor play. However, I have felt a bit more comfortable playing outdoors with the kiddos knowing that Miss Bea is wearing moisture-wicking baby clothes from Lark.

If you haven’t heard of Lark, their mission is to make quality baby clothes that can easily endure the daily life of an active infant or toddler. They have developed a proprietary natural, eco-friendly moisture wicking fabric. Safer for babies sensitive skin than some of the synthetic wear that adults wear when outside or working out! Awesome, right!?

Well Miss Bea is truly comfortable in her rompers and bodysuits from Lark. And I breathe easy knowing the fabric is not only breathable, but free of synthetic fabric and chemicals, and is made in the USA!

And you can get free shipping on any order using this code: SHIPPING. Go support this awesome business, friends!

Living in my SOAK sandals. So I am weird about shoes. See, when I find shoes I love, I live in them. Like, I wear holes in my flats because I wear them every day and literally nothing else. So when I was offered a pair of slides from SOAK, a company right here in the United States, I truly didn’t know what to expect.

See, I have super high arches in my feet and it makes wearing anything slip-on quite difficult (and sometimes painful). But I’ve worn these every single day for the last 30 days and I’m in love.

A post shared by Rachel L (@itsahero) on

They’re comfortable, incredibly stylish, and crunchy-mama-friendly! Yep, not only are they made in Maine, but they are made from BPA-free recycled materials!

And so versatile! I’ve worn them with dresses and to my yoga classes! Seriously the only shoe I’ve needed (well, except for my running shoes to, well, run!).

Check out their full line of slides here and use code CHIC15 to save 15% off!

Yoga. Not quite #yogaeverydamnday, but my fire for yoga has been reignited, thanks to a couple of amazing yoga classes.

Last week I went to Elevate Akron, an annual outdoor yoga event here in my amazing city. It was powerful, friends. So powerful! I realized that all of the cycling, running, and strength training I’ve been doing has totally made me more physically fit — in ways I didn’t even realize before! I am so much stronger than I’d recently given myself credit for.

Oh, and I’m certain that the stretching and conditioning alongside the gymnasts I coach doesn’t hurt!

But then I decided to go, solo, to my first Yoga on Tap/Balance and Brews event. See, here in Northeast Ohio, we’ve been on the beer + yoga train for a long time — at least the last 4 years! But, sadly, I’ve never been able to actually make a class.

Well, that changed yesterday. I was elated to find out that Melissa of Balance and Brews was teaching a class right here in my own town, at HiHo Brewing Co.!

It was a great class and ended with a complimentary beer (the Smash Smash Pilz Pilz double pilsner was the bomb!).

So many markets! Guys, I’m a sucker for a good farmers market. Throw in some hand-crafted goodies? Double-sold.

Between the Cleveland Flea, the Akron Honey Market, and the Countryside Conservancy Market in Highland Square? We’ve been biz-zeeee! Busy getting delicious food, ya’ll!

Cycling. Kickboxing. and Gymnastics, Oh My! I’ve been working out non-stop and, like I said, I’m feeling so much stronger! One thing that’s truly been helping is how much I’ve been trying to remain committed to my schedule of workouts. At times it’s been a struggle, but it’s also been a saving grace during the crazy moments. As much as, in those moments, I want to just hide or cry or sleep, I find myself working out all of my frustrations and it’s helped me tremendously.

Sure, we’ve been busy. But it’s been perfect. Perfect chaos! So tell me — Do you thrive on chaos, like me? Or do you prefer to have unscheduled days and relaxing weekends!?