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8 Tips to Help You Lose "The Baby Weight": A Short & Sweet List For New Moms!

Thanks to Premier Protein for sponsoring today's discussion,
regardless all opinions expressed below are completely my own.

I can't even believe my baby will be half a year old soon, she's getting so big so quick, and I'm so honored to be her mommy. What I'm not so happy about is all this baby weight I still seem to be carrying around, so I'm doing something about it in 2017!

I want to be in shape to be able to enjoy every single moment with Lainey, which means I need to shed these extra lbs NOW! I'm not doing anything dramatic, there's no use in that... but with everything I AM doing combined, I've managed to shed a few lbs in just 2 weeks. I'm excited to say, if I keep this up I'll be seeing my pre-pregnancy weight on the scale in no time!


So, are you a new mama hoping to be able to squeeze into her pre-pregnancy jeans? Are you wanting to shed the baby weight without taking time away from the baby? That's where these tips will come in handy.

1. Be Determined - This is the most important part of your weight loss journey and the simplest if you really want a change in your life. Having enough strength and determination to spend time exercising is tough and adjusting your diet can be grueling, but as long as you set your mind to it... you can do it!

2. Meal Plan - It's easy to meal plan. I suggest following the 80/20 rule. What do I mean by 80/20? Well, it's simple, a majority (80%) of your daily food intake is defined as healthy "good for you" items like veggies, protein, etc... and the other 20% of your diet consists of more indulgent items like sugary organic fresh fruits, dairy, and even things like cake or pizza in small amounts. It's all about making sure your portion sizes are correct, so instead of playing a guessing game - start meal planning and portioning out your daily nutrition, after all, abs are made in the kitchen.


3. Add Baby to Your Workout - It's easy to get a work out in when you want your baby to be a part of it! If your babe is really little like mine, it's easy to include them in your routine - from mommy and baby yoga classes to weight training using your infant as your small weight. If you have an older little one, encourage them to participate in a workout with you - whether you enjoy a jog together or do a pilates tape as you giggle with each other, have fun and get active with your babe!


4. Stay Hydrated - Making sure you are getting enough water is vital to your weight loss. Your body functions better and digests food differently when it's fully hydrated, so allow your body to work at full capacity by making sure you always drink more than enough water!

5. Find support - Spending time with people that are in the same boat can be refreshing and being able to hold each other accountable is so nice, so find a group of women who also want to change their lives and start getting healthier.


6. Consume more protein (Premier Protein) - Instead of adding a carb to every meal, I suggest you add more protein! There are 25 grams in a Premier Protein shake and they make the best post workout fuel, just energizing enough to give me the pick-me-up I need to continue on with my day. Fuel your body and feel better about consuming less calories (at only 150 cals) when you choose Premier Protein. Plus, I find comfort in knowing no artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors are added to these tasty shakes and the taste can't be beat!

7.Use a motivator - Instead of just hoping to see a certain number on the scale, I suggest having a goal item in your closet that you want to wear and spend time admiring it each week. It'll serve as a good reminder of how far you've come, especially once it finally fits well!

8. Stay Entertained - This one should be fairly self explainatory, but I know I'm guilty of doing it... so let me go ahead and say it, NO BOREDOM EATING. It's a waste of calories, it doesn't serve you, and you likely have things you could be doing with your time that don't involve eating for no reason other than your bored.


While I'm still a work in progress, making sure to utilize this list has helped me tremendously with my weight loss. I can't wait to share that I've hit my weight loss goal in a few months, but until then I'm going to continue working towards a better me. With that said, what ways are you working on a better you in 2017?

How This New Mama Manages to Deep Clean Quickly!

Spending time with my kiddo is my top priority, no doubt about it... but I also have started to get the rest of my priorities in order now that we are finally out of the "newborn stage" and seemingly getting into more of a routine! With that said, I'm starting to work a little more and sometimes I even get the chance to get some housework done!

I'm sure I'm not the only new mama trying to find balance in their life so today I want to share a few tips on how you can deep clean your house, even with your little shadow tagging along!

1. Keep Babe Close and Content - I know D isn't the only baby that just wants to be a part of the action. Most of the time she is a-okay if she gets to be with us while we are completing tasks, so instead of setting her down to try and mop or dust, I typically just put her in a baby carrier and we start working on the house together!

2. Use Bona PowerPlus Microfiber Deep Cleaning Pads & Hardwood Cleaner- Instead of taking all the time and effort of dusting, sweeping, and moping, start using the Bona System! I've never really been a clean freak, but after becoming a mama I feel like our floors need to be cleaner than clean, especially because little miss will be on the go before we know it.

While I want our floors to be super clean, I don't want to waste time or effort and that's where the Bona System comes in, with the multiple different types of cleaning pads (including the PowerPlus pad for deep cleaning), it's easy to knock out tasks and get the house cleaner in less time! Plus, the PowerPlus Deep Cleaner is the only way I plan on cleaning my floors from now on, it leaves them looking shiny without leaving a residue or overly powerful scent...  it's the answer to this mama's wood floor cleaning prayers! Want to upgrade your cleaning routine? Click here to learn more and snag a coupon for $3 off this already affordable system!

3.  Give everything a place in your home - Speaking of a lot, we have a lot of cubbies and storage options in our house... so many that I've had people mention it to me. Why? Because I like for everything to have a place. The pitcher I bought for a beach party goes in the right cubby in our dining room and our phone chargers go in the middle cubby in our kitchen... and I could go on and on. How do I know all of this? Because everything has a place in my house. This is one thing I'm actually learning myself, but it really does make our house feel so much cleaner when we stick to this ideal way of living.

4. Seasonally declutter - Speaking of the ideal way of living, I've started a new thing in our house since I had Delainey, I plan to seasonally declutter because we accumulate soooo much in such a short time. From the stacks of shoes in my closet to the growing mountain of tiny infant and newborn clothes, we have too much of everything - but specifically too much clothing. Purging all of it, selling or donating... I just plan to get rid of a stash of our clothing and our stuff every season change. Starting new will feel good for everyone in our house.

With all of that said, I know that I'm still learning the ropes with this whole parenthood thing... If you're a mama with more time under her belt with an infant, I'd love to hear how you manage to keep a clean house and a happy baby all at once - your motherly advice will be greatly appreciated!

Delainey Kate: 5 Month Update!

I had every intention to write a monthly update about my sweet Delainey here on the blog, then life happened and now she's 5 months old.

How is she already 5 months? I'm not really sure... maybe a time warp or maybe it really has been the quickest 5 months EVER? Honestly, some days I feel fairly lucky to have the time to breathe, shower, and snuggle her before the day is over. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining at all, I absolutely love being her mama... but I will say I am letting everything else rest while I'm embracing motherhood.

She's become a brand rep for some amazing companies (more on that soon), I'm sharing fun stuff here on the blog whenever I get the chance... and here's some good news, I think both her and I are starting to get into a routine and I should be able to get back into blogging on the regular again here soon, I hope so anyways!

Enough about me and the blog though, this is about my dear, sweet Delainey. She's 5 months old today, which means in just one quick month she will have been on this planet for half a year... and maybe one day in the future I'll get used to the idea of this little angel being mine.

She's mastered standing (with assistance), she wants to be able to sit unassisted but can't get the hang of it yet... although when she's sitting up, she has mastered grabbing her "ruffles" and loves to nibble on them when she gets the chance. She also loves to play with her toes and I'm fairly certain she may start to use them as a "teether" soon.

She's pretty much the sweetest girl you'll ever meet, but some how she's so full of sass at the same time. She loves her daddy more than anyone, but the word "mama" is the only one in her vocabulary for now so that's pretty flattering. Her dogs are a pretty good source of entertainment, learning to pet them gently is something she loves to do and watching them while we are outside is something she seems to really enjoy.

Speaking of being outside, that's most definitely her favorite thing. She's an outdoorsy girl and always willing to go on an adventure, from wandering around the zoo to swinging in the hammock - she's just content getting some fresh air. Watching trees rustling in the wind, hearing the sounds of birds, snuggling up to our chests, and feeling the sunshine on her face, she just loves it.

Since we're talking about things she really, truly loves, I think I need to mention this... Let me start by saying, we don't want her to watch too much television, but we've noticed she adores Sesame Street and Elmo is definitely the coolest in her book. She swings her arms around and lights up any time he pops onto the screen and just smiles as big as can be while his segments are on.

While being outdoors and chilling with Elmo are two things she loves, I must say she's a pretty big fan of picking out her clothes with me as well. She will sit with me for hours looking at clothes and touching the fabrics... maybe we have a budding artist or a fashion designer on our hands? Only time will tell.

She's also pretty keen on bouncing, especially with our funny sound effects added... and since she likes bouncing so much, it probably is no surprise that she LOVES "flying". We airplane her around the house pretty much all day long and she just smiles and laughs, loving every second of it. I will say a little toss in the air makes the girl smile way too big, she's a little thrill seeker for sure.

When she's not flying around like the little monkey she is, she also loves spending time watching her daddy cook. She gets absorbed into the process of him making anything. From watching him stir sauce to "helping" him make espresso in the morning, she is his little sous chef and it's the cutest thing ever.

Lately, she's even been wanting to hold onto our bowls while we eat oatmeal and reaching to feel the water from the tap. It's pretty amazing watching her explore basic things and we always smile when we witness her reaction to something new, she's so curious it's an honor getting to teach her about this world.

With the mention of teaching her about this world, I'm going to end this here. While I could share a million stories about her little sassy pants self, I want to continue to create the memories with her too. So cheers to her already having been here for five months, it feels like she just came into my life and yet I can't imagine my life without her... funny how parenting works that way.