Healthy Tipping Point

5:39 AM – Henry wakes me up. I tell him to go back to bed.  He does, and I get out of bed.

6:00 AM – I pump, have breakfast, and say hello to Henry when he re-emerges from his bedroom at 6:05 AM.  I wake up Kristien and pass off Henry because I am already SO late.  I finish packing, say goodbye to everyone – Claire is up by now, too! – and leave.

6:20 AM – Drive to the airport.  Jam to the best CD of all time.

7:10 AM – Park car, take shuttle to the terminal, go through security with my mobile boarding pass (the best) and make my way to my gate.  On the flight, I read a book and do work.

9:10 AM – Arrive in Chicago!

9:30 AM – Get in line for my rental car. Once I finally have it, I sit in the car for a while and plan out my day.  Here’s what I write down – with emojis and everything.  I manage to do it all but go to the beach!

10:15 AM – Drive to Whole Foods and pick up some snacks. 

11:00 AM – Check in my hotel room, eat lunch, pump, and be lazy on my iPhone.  The peace and quiet of the hotel room is SO lovely.  After an hour, I get dressed and leave for my event…

1:00 PM – I go to a local library and give my first of my scheduled talks.  The next day, I’m scheduled to host a workshop and deliver the keynote at the Kappa Delta Chi annual conference.  This library event was really fun and I got to meet a nice reader named Faith!

2:45 PM – Go back to the hotel room, change into workout clothes and pack a bag, and get ready to drive into the city. 

3:00 PM – Proceed to sit in horrendous traffic for an hour and 15 minutes.   Seriously, cars were craaaawling.  Poor Chicago – you have terrible traffic!

4:26 PM – Get lost but eventually find FlyWheel.   I seriously can’t believe I paid $26 to attend a single spin class but… It was really good.  I love the stadium-style cycling room, the fact that they turn off all the lights, and the crazy club music.  45 minutes flew by!

5:18 PM – I leave my stuff in a locker at FlyWheel and go for a run.  I run 3 miles out to “the Bean” and back!  I love-love-love all the beautiful architecture.  Chicago makes up for its awful traffic in more ways than one!  While I’m running, I make mental plans for the Husband and I to make a return trip to Chicago next summer – he would love it but has never been.

6:00 PM – I arrive back at FlyWheel and take a shower there.  I get my car out of the garage and head over to Chicago’s Pizza because I heard they offer gluten-free Chicago deep dish pizza!  I am definitely going off the rails with Vegetarian Whole 30 with this dinner, but come on – gluten-free Chicago deep dish must be tasted!  (I owe you guys a post about this… I started to fall off the Whole30 wagon on this work trip.  I would say that still I’m eating vegetarian Whole 30 for 90% of my food.  It’s officially over on Wednesday so expect a post after then!).

7:20 PM – After sitting in traffic for another hour and ripping apart the pizza with my bare hands and eating it while I drove (#1 – why didn’t they precut it?! #2 – Sadly, it wasn’t anything super special), I finally arrive back at the hotel. 

7:30 PM to 9:30 PM – I read a book, review my notes for my workshop tomorrow, and fall in bed at 9:30 after chatting with the Husband on the phone.  I lay in the middle of the bed and make bed angels!  Wahoo for hotel sleep. <3 <3 <3

Do you like to travel for work?

As you read this, I am off on a jet plane to Chicago.  I haven’t been to Chicago (except through the airport) for five years, and I’m excited to go back!  Do you remember the Healthy Living Summit? It was a fun blog conference, and the year we held it in Chicago was my favorite – it’s a cool place.

This trip is going to be a fast one, so I won’t have any time to do cool stuff like a food tour or an architectural tour…  Those were my favorite parts of Chicago!  I’m going for two Operation Beautiful events (one is open to the public <—I’d love to meet you!), and it’s going to pretty much be an in-and-out kind of thing.  But I’m having a bit of anxiety about leaving Claire.  I’ll miss Henry, too, but I’ve never been away from Claire for more than a handful of hours, let alone overnight.  Ughhhh.  So sad.

RuffleButt bloomers are the cutest…thing… ever.

And honestly, I’m kind of concerned that she’s going to eat the Husband alive… She is going through that “only mommy” stage and sometimes struggles when someone besides me is feeding her or putting her to sleep.  Wish the Husband luck… He’s going to need it.

Work this week has been super busy, and I’ve been struggling to find time to workout.  I did pull myself together for a super early run and did 6.0 miles.  I have to say that early morning runs are really becoming my jam.

I LOVE the early morning workouts because I really, really enjoy the feeling of knowing I can cross “exercise” off my To Do List before anything else.  Also, once I get going, I definitely have the most energy first thing in the morning (maybe it’s all those coffees…).   My favorite thing is coming home as everyone else is just waking up and being able to dive into mom mode feeling like I’ve already gotten so much done! 

Giving the kids sweaty hugs is also fun…

Reflective Vest is essential!  The sun only comes up halfway through my workout. 

Came home and made this lovely breakfast. 

I’ve been making veggie frittatas a lot.  This method is super easy and involves only a little prep work.

First, I cook some peppers, onions, and spinach in a pan with some olive.  I do the peppers and onions first and then throw the spinach in at the end.  I take the veggie mix and put it in the middle of a greased cast iron skillet.

Then I mix seven eggs + 3/4 cup Greek yogurt and pour it on top.

Bake for about 30 minutes at 375 and… TADA!

And last, but not least, I need to teach Claire the sign language for water because girlfriend is OBSESSED with drinking water from a cup.  When she sees one of our cups, she SCREAMS and SCREAMS until someone gives her a sip.  Hah.

Have a great weekend!  I’ll see you on Monday.  <3

I saw this on Julie’s blog and thought it looked fun.  So here’s a little A to Z blog survey!

A – Age: 31.

B – Biggest Fear: I think the idea of skiing is pretty terrifying.  Not my idea of a good time.

C – Current Time: 9:16 AM.

D – Drink You Had Last: Coffee with coconut milk. 

E – Easiest Person To Talk To:  Besides the Husband, I would have to say BFF Nicole.  She’s a great listener.

F – Favorite Song: Oh man.  I don’t have a favorite – too many!  I also love to hear our wedding song, Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol, but the song I sing most often is Baby Mine from the movie Dumbo because Henry likes to hear it before bed.  My current favorite songs on the Hot 100 include Bad Blood by Taylor Swift and Fight Song by Rachel Platten.

G – Grossest Memory:  Is it politically incorrect of me to say childbirth?  It’s beautiful but also pretty gross.  Hah.

H – Hometown: Born and raised in Miami, Florida.  Now I live in Charlotte, North Carolina.

I – In Love With:  the Husband – Kristien!  I have been blessed with an amazing life partner.

J – Jealous Of:  Anyone who gets to sleep past 6:00 AM.

K – Kindest Person You Know: Oh man – I’m so lucky to know so many nice people!  But I’d going to say Brandi because she’s always willing to help me out in a pinch. 

L – Longest Relationship: Married for 6.5 years!

M – Middle Name: Joy, which is also my mother’s name and Claire’s middle name.

N – Number of Siblings: None – I’m an only child. 

O – One Wish:  That the effort I put into my work, my fitness, and my family continues to pay off.

P – Person You Spoke To On The Phone Last: My father-in-law.

Q – Question You’re Always Asked: “Does she always smile that much?”  Answer – pretty much!

R – Reason To Smile: I’m really loving SUMMER!  Summer is my favorite season.

S – Song You Last Sang: Nightlife by Brendan James.

T – Time You Woke Up: 5:55 AM.

U – Underwear Color:  Not wearing any – I’m wearing running shorts with the built-in undies.

V – Vacation Destination: I would love to go to a beach. ANY BEACH.

W – Worst Habit: Assuming that people can read my mind.

X – X-Rays You’ve Had:  I had a bunch on my knees when I had runner’s knee – here’s how I “cured” it!

Y – Your Favorite Food:  I can’t pick one… Pizza, Greek yogurt, watermelon, chocolate, peaches, and coconut-flavored anything.

Z – Zodiac Sign: Taurus.

Your turn!! Answer the following prompts below…

Biggest Fear

Drink You Had Last

Easiest Person To Talk To

Reason To Smile

Vacation Destination

Worst Habit

While I think conventional cleaners definitely have their time and place, I try to buy – or make – natural cleaners for use in our home, especially when I know that the kids or the animals will be coming into contact with the surface.  One of my favorite websites is the Environmental Working Group, which rates thousands of beauty and cleaning products on a scale of A-F for “greenness.” I’ve learned from the EWG that so many products are “green washed,” or made to sound natural and healthy when they’re really not.

One of my favorite examples of this is the Babyganics product line.  First of all – you’d think Babyganics is organic… but it’s not.  And most of the products are rated C or below by EWG.  I was once asked to do a blog review of the Babyganics highchair wash, but when I looked it up on EWG, I was appalled to find that certain ingredients in the wash were considered skin irritants, known to cause allergic reactions, and toxic to aquatic life.  Eww.  No, thank you!  I do not want to wash down Claire’s highchair with something like that.

Luckily… it’s super easy (and cheaper) to make your own highchair wash. 

And goodness knows I need a good highchair wash!  Hah.

I use this on Claire’s highchair after every meal, and since it’s made with only two completely safe ingredients – water and white vinegar (which is a natural disinfectant).  I feel good about using it on a surface that Claire eats from.

This wash is also great as a multi-purpose rinse around the home.  I use it to clean countertops and the bathroom (especially those little toddler potties – which are a hotbed of germs!).  And I use this solution to make my own Swiffer pads <— cool post!

Highchair Wash + Multi-Purpose Rinse

• 1/4 distilled white vinegar
• 3/4 water

Combine in a spray bottle, shake well, spray on surface, let stand for a moment, and wipe away.  The vinegar smell will dissipate as it dries.  I don’t add essential oils to Claire’s high chair wash, but I do for my countertop rinse.  I love using citrus oils or lavender – makes the kitchen smell extra nice!

On the subject of going green, I have a fun Instagram giveaway for you! 

If you’ve been reading for a while, you may know that I’m a huge fan of menstrual cups.  In fact, Green Your Period is one of my most popular posts EVER.  In it, I talk about the WHYs and HOWs of menstrual cups (if you’re like, “What the eff is a menstrual cup?” it’s a reusable, flexible, medical-grade silicon cup that you insert into your vagina during your period; the cup collects the blood (instead of absorbing it like a tampon would). 

While there is a bit of a learning curve with menstrual cups, there are many advantages: you can wear them for 12 straight hours, it’s a one-time cost that saves you money over time, you aren’t inserting or putting a chemical-laden product against your body, and you don’t create a ton of trash.   Seriously, if you have never tried a menstrual cup, they are totally revolutionary.

Over the last year or so, I’ve been chatting with the women at LENA as they worked hard to bring their  new menstrual cup to market.  I’ve only ever personally used the Diva Cup (my period still hasn’t returned post-pregnancy), but LENA seems like a great option.  The design is more compact yet holds more blood than other brands.  In addition to the unique bell-shaped design, it has a super flexible rim and pronounced body grips for easier insertion and removal.  It’s also made in California.

I’m excited to be giving away TWO LENA cups (in whatever size you need) on my Instagram page.  Simply head over to this Instagram post and leave a comment!  <—Enter by clicking that link.