Make KIND Snacks A Part of Your School Year!

A balanced diet is a vital thing to the health of the entire family - but sometimes it's a hard thing to get a handle on when the hectic pace of the school year is upon us. Don't fret, KIND Snacks has multiple solutions to help you provide healthy and delicious snacks and treats for your entire family! {Products provided for review/feature consideration}

A New Way to Get Your Fruits this Summer!

Looking for a new take on your favorite summer fruits? Look no further than these adorable trendy spin off’s of everyone’s favorite summertime refreshers. From watermelon to coconut, we have got you covered.

Sneak Peek of May 2014 Fitness Magazine! (Featuring Cover Girl, Serena Williams)

FITNESS MAGAZINE MAY 2014 ISSUE HIGHLIGHTS

Serena Williams Reveals Her Softer Side, Pros and Cons of Activity Trackers,

5 Foods for Flat Abs, Benefits of Carbs and More!

Stay Hydrated Fashionably with Rive! (New Year, New You!)

I STRUGGLE with drinking as much water as I should, so doing a better job at staying hydrated is more of an all-the-time goal than a New Year's Resolution for me. One of the reasons getting proper hydration is something I'm trying to achieve, is that it is a critical part of health, fitness, and weight loss - which are really my ultimate goals. And I'm not alone: Over 50% of Americans make New Year's Resolutions and of that number, 40% deal with weight loss. You do the math. Rivé water bottles can serve as the first step in motivating. {Product provided for review}

Regaining Your Pre-Baby Body (Yummy Mummy Fitness)

The battle to regain your pre-baby shape can be a tough challenge for any new mom who has gained weight during pregnancy {I've documented my struggles with it here}. New parents have a lot of demands on their time, even when they would normally be sound asleep. While celebrity interviews often claim that the weight ‘dropped right off once the baby was born’, many new mothers find that this is far from the case.

When people are tired, stressed and extra busy, they often turn to comfort or junk foods {raise your hand if you're a stress eater like me} and end up piling on more ‘hard to shift’ pounds. New mommies are particularly susceptible to this trap and often find that their self-esteem can plummet as they get further and further away from that target of fitting back into their ‘pre-baby jeans’.

So what can you  do?

Yummy Mummy Eats: Hemp Hearts (A Quickie Review)

Hemp Hearts by Manitoba Harvest Hemp Foods

The Pitch: 

Hemp Hearts are an easy to use, good for you additive for your meals. These soft seeds have a gourmet nutty taste and can be sprinkled on salad, cereal or yogurt; or enjoy on its own right out of the bag. Hemp Hearts pack a powerful punch of protein and omegas. Manitoba Harvest Hemp Hearts are made in a hemp-dedicated facility by dehulling non-GMO seeds. Once shelled, Hemp Hearts are immediately packaged to seal in the freshness. Hemp Hearts are raw and vegan-friendly too. Are you eating clean? Only cooking with minimal ingredients? Or looking for a way to add EFAs, protein & omega-3 & omega-6 into your diet? Hemp Hearts are a perfect addition to your healthy, balanced diet!

Tasty Treats with All the Flavor and None of the Guilt! (Dessert Recipes from Kimberly Snyder)

Celebrity nutritionist and New York Times best-selling author of The Beauty Detox Foods Kimberly Snyder has some great diary-free {that I'm loving because I am lactose intolerant} ice cream recipes to share for the ultimate summer treat...

Banana Fro Yo

All you need for the first recipe, is frozen bananas!

A Sparkling and Delicious Way to Hydrate!

From left to right: Lemonade, Kiwi Strawberry, Coconut Pineapple

This, my friends, is what remains of the 10 bottles of Talking Rain's Sparkling ICE beverage that I was sent to review. What can I say, I'm still working on my will power! The plan was to take pictures of them all before we consumed them, but they all looked so tasty that I (we, really) could not resist! If you follow me on Instagram {as you should}, then you know that I am embarking on a journey of better health and weight loss, and one of the first steps in the right direction has to do with proper hydration. I don't particularly care for the taste of water (but I'm working on it) and I don't want to fill up on sugar laden juices and soda, so I'm always on the look out for beverages that will break the monotony of trying to drink half my body weight in ounces of water, without derailing my goal of improving my health and making better dietary decisions.

January Bulu Box "Unboxing"!

Bulu Box is the first vitamin, supplement and general health subscription sample box designed to help you feel your best. Every month, you'll get a box filled with 4 to 5 premium, curated samples from top brands. Look forward to a new mix of products for both women and men, including vitamins, weight loss, sports nutrition, protein, diet, energy, detox, digestion, sexual health, herbs, natural remedies, endurance and more. What's great is that they make sure you get enough to decide if the product is right for you. There's no shipping or shady fees and depending on your plan, you can cancel anytime.

The Perfect Solution to my Sweet Cravings! AKA: Quest Nutrition to the Rescue!

I like chocolate. And caramel. And nougat, nuts, cookie bits, peanut butter, and toffee pieces. So candy bars are a bit of a weakness for me. Add to that, I'm a notoriously bad snacker: I either pick not so great stuff to eat, or I don't snack at all. But Quest Bars are totally helping me with that! They're absolutely delicious and so convenient that I can easily get a snack in between meals-which leads to me eating less when it comes time to eat lunch and dinner.

"Now That's Some High Quality H2O!" AKA: Hint Water (A GMYMO Post)

Confession time: I don't like water. I try to force myself to drink it, because I know that I need it and it's good for me and all, but the fact is... I really don't like it. Every day we go through the same routine to make our skin look beautiful – wash, moisturize, and apply makeup. But in order to make our skin really beautiful, we have to go beyond our regular routine and learn about the functions of skin and the many ways to keep it healthy. This includes staying hydrated and drinking plenty of water. While this used to be a huge struggle for me, it has gotten easier recently, and one of the reasons why is Hint Water...

Brooke Burke's Healthy Snack Behind the DWTS Scene! AKA: Getting My Yummy Mummy On Inspiration

I decided to catch up on Dancing With the Stars and when Lo saw Brooke Burke, she got super excited and said "Look mommy! It's the lady from Modern Family!" (Otherwise known as Sofia Vergara). That is a total compliment!

Anyone that follows her career, can't help but respect Brooke Burke's work ethic. But I think she's particularly admirable to me as a busy mom. How she manages to handle her hectic schedule AND look that fabulous, boggles my mind.

I've watch her videos for Modern Mom on YouTube, so I know that she works out regularly and partakes in a healthy diet with a big focus on moderation. Those are excellent habits to emulate and seeing the snack she chose to enjoy while behind the scenes of Dancing With the Stars (Quaker Oats new Real Medleys  Summer Berry Oatmeal)  helped me to realize how truly doable certain lifestyle changes can be for me too...

Until next time...

Don't Miss Your Chance to Chat Live With Fitness Guru, David Kirsch! AKA: GMYMO

“HOW TO FUEL FOR YOUR FITNESS” TWITTER CHAT

WITH DAVID KIRSCH AND ZICO

Wondering how to fuel up for your fitness routine? Join wellness expert David Kirsch and Zico for a Twitter chat on Tuesday, October 16th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm EST to discover Kirsch’s insider tips and tricks for helping you get the most out of your workout. Prizes will be randomly awarded every 15 minutes to participants, who can join the conversation by following @DavidKirsch and @Zico and using the hashtag #GetFit to ask questions and engage.

WHO: David Kirsch and Zico

WHAT: “How to Fuel for your Fitness” Twitter Chat

WHEN: Tuesday, October 16th, 2012 from 6:00 – 7:00 EST

WHERE: Follow @DavidKirsch and @Zico