There was a time when I couldn’t imagine ever using fun and exercise in the same sentence. Between 16 and 20 years old, I actually didn’t exercise at all, which was a change from earlier years when I played basketball in middle school and early high school. Basketball was really the only form of exercise I knew – and I considered it fun – so when I didn’t have it, I didn’t know what my options were. Add to that the “freshman 15” and being away from home and exercising seemed intimidating.
This post is an update and partial re-write of my original nontoxic sunscreen post in 2015. I’m happy to see that there have been some improvements in the world of sun protection in the past two years but there is still a lot of work to be done.
One of the questions I am asked the most, from friends and family and fellow mamas too, is what mineral sunscreen I use. I’m so glad people are asking and becoming aware of the dangers of conventional drugstore chemical sunscreens. The answer isn’t always a quick one though, as I’m constantly trying new brands and on any given beach day, I may have three different kinds in my bag. More on that in a minute…
You know how it is when you keep hearing about a certain place over and over and finally decide you can’t ignore it anymore, right? Well that was Valle de Guadalupe for me. For the past two years, I have been hearing about this GORGEOUS wine country just south of the border and it was time to see it for myself. My birthday was coming up so what better excuse?
Deodorant was one of the VERY first things I switched when moving to a healthier, nontoxic routine. It didn’t take me long once I learned about the dangerous side effects of aluminum and anti-perspirants to ditch all my drugstore brands – and I had quite a few. See, I had tried them all and since not a single one worked consistently, I changed them around a lot. It was a frustrating cycle – and even more so looking back since I had no idea that there was a MUCH healthier, effective and cheaper solution.
Reaching the first year milestone is a BIG one, and I think every parent would agree. I describe it like a deep breath. We made it, we survived (mostly) unscathed, and we’re left with the confidence that “ok, we can do this.” The joke that the first birthday party is for the parents isn’t too far from reality. We deserve the celebration as much as anyone, am I right?
Since we’re heading out of town for Layla’s actual birthday and the weekend immediately following, we decided to do an early celebration in San Diego and invite some close friends. Because the party fell almost two weeks before Layla’s actual birthday, I’ve had more time to wrap my head around the fact that she’s ACTUALLY turning one. I can’t tell you how hard it is for me to believe!
The day started out great. Ellie was beyond excited to finally be going to the fair. A week earlier we showed up 3 hours before the gates opened so our visit was postponed. She rode just about every ride she wanted, including the tall rainbow slide three times, played games and won prizes, and even topped off the afternoon with a huge ice cream cone. Heaven for a three year old.
Check out my interview with The Baby Chick here!
Baby-Chick.com hosts a ton of mommy, baby and parenting information and resources. I feel beyond honored to be featured as June’s Mommy Chick of the Month. In the interview I talk about myself (not awkward at all), why I started my blog, how Chris and I stay connected and my hopes for my girls’ futures.
Thanks for reading!! XO
Two years ago I hit publish on a post I called “Motherhood and Confidence” and decided it was time to share my work-in-progress blog with the world. It was actually more like a few family members and instagram friends but nevertheless, just as scary. Although I haven’t posted as much as I’d like lately, this little blog is still super important to me: a place where I can share information, relate with other moms, meet new people… and a creative space that’s all mine. 🙂 Read more
I knew this time was coming, and I have been desperately working to delay it as long as possible. I expected it would be hard but couldn’t imagine quite how emotional it would actually be. Typing “end” in this blog post title produces a heavy feeling. I don’t want this to be the end of my breastfeeding journey. If I had it my way, we wouldn’t be done.