Staying Hydrated While Finding Balance with Nestlé Pure Life+

This post is sponsored by Nestlé® Pure Life®+ but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Finding balance in life can be a struggle at times, especially during this crazy time in our lives.

Whether we are trying to work from home just the right amount or adjusting back to life in the office again, while trying to devote the correct amount of time to our family, and searching for a moment of relaxation, while also occasionally reminding ourselves not to overindulge, and sometimes even just searching for motivation, etc... most of us are striving to live balanced lives in one way or another, whilealso searching for ways to help us live that ideal life.

While I don't have it all figured out and I'm also still seeking balance in many aspects of my life, I have come to realize a few things that are truly important in my life and that help me live my most balanced life and I figured I'd share them with you today:

We'll start with something simple, but so important. I personally know that I never get enough water. I mean, I only drink water (for the most part) but not always the "necessary" amount that I need so it's something I'm really working on. Making sure my body is hydrated is important to me for so many reasons, I mean, we are mainly made up of water so making sure our body has enough of it is VITAL. Some days are easier than others to get enoughin and most definitely some water is better than others, and that's why I started sipping on these amazing Nestlé® Pure Life®+ water beverages-I think they are the best drinks

These refreshing little bottles have unique minerals to help you get throughthe day and they taste pretty amazing too. With specific minerals and tasty flavor, I couldn't ask for more!

The best part is there's a Nestlé Pure Life+ made to meet your every need:

• You can get a little pick me up with the +revive with Magnesium. It is lemon flavered and helps with the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
  

• The Nestlé Pure Life+ active has potassium, with a delicious orange flavor, that helps with normal muscle function. This is my favorite go to drink whenever I'm doing a little backyard "hot yoga". I mean, you can't beat a little cold water during a good stretch!

• Feeling a little under the weather? Try Nestlé Pure Life+ protect, which comes with zinc-something we all could use to help maintain normal immune systemfunctioning and the blackberry flavor is pretty delicious too!

Not only are these beverages refreshing and delicious, I love that I'm able to stock up on all the delicious Nestlé Pure Life+ my heart desires while browsing Walmart.com. So go ahead and clickadd to carton a pack of Nestlé Pure Life+ while you are checking out with your summer essentials!

If you're wanting to try just one flavor first, I personally found an adoration for the Lemon flavor... but honestly, they all are amazing and have unique minerals for normal body functioning and each flavor is extra refreshing in it's own way, so you can't go wrong! Go ahead, add to your cart, and try Nestlé Pure Life+ today!

Beyond constantly trying to stay hydrated, I'm also constantly reminding myself that I need to try to stay present to truly find balance in my life. Playing with my daughter, on her level, and actually engaging is so important right now, to both of us. If you're a parent, I'm sure you understand how important it is to give our kiddos our undivided attention right now, more than ever. The time spent truly "playing" with our kids isn't just for fun, it helps them learn, cope, and feel at peace... and frankly, it helps me do the same.

Today we did a quick little project and I figured I'd share our results. These fun "paintings" were so easy to make and we had a blast making them! I'll be sharing the directions on how we made them tomorrow.

Another way I'm trying to achieve balance in my lifeis by intentionally practicing self-care. I've not always been the nicest to myself, I've been known to bash my looks, point out my flaws, and frankly, I've neglected what my body needs at times. But I feel like I've matured, I'm done with bashing this body, I'm taking the necessary actions to make sure I feel loved and pampered. I'm making sure I take the time to read, do yoga, design, and create, and it feels so good. I'm also finding joy in doing my makeup and just overall feeling more "me" again. It may sound simple, but this step is truly helping me find an inner balance I haven't felt in a long time.

So tell me how do you try and find balance in your life? I'd love to hear in the comments below!

Financial Health with Lexington Law

This post is sponsored by Lexington Law but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. Disclaimer from Lexington Law can be found here.

Lately I've been focusing on ways that I can better myself, in many aspects of life - from trying to better our health by buying more organic products, to learning about how I can do my part to support the fellow American, to bettering my financial health, I'm really trying to become the best version of myself I can be. It's interesting how times of struggle can really help us learn and grow... and today I want to discuss something that I'm actually currently experiencing, where I'm learning and growing.

As I mentioned, I'm trying to improve my financial health and that involves my credit, obviously.

I'll be totally honest, as a young adult I racked up too much debt. I'm ashamed to say I made all the wrong moves, from stacking up student loans to useless store credit cards - I made many missteps when I reached the legal age to get a credit card and continued to stumble through some less than stellar decisions in the following years.

After gaining access to my credit report and realizing I had made some big mistakes, I've been trying to make the right choices for a while now, but my credit still needed some help... and that's where Lexington Law comes into play.

Lexington Law is a great source for credit repair. They are a law firm that has actual lawyers who assist you in the credit repair process and sometimes they even intervene when the need arises.

How do they help repair your credit?

They help with the process of identifying and addressing unfair, inaccurate, or unsubstantiated negative items on your credit report, especially if the negative item is a result of identity theft, divorce, medical debt, student debt, or military leave. Their process has worked for thousands of people and they continue to help repair credit for many people every year.

How can you start to work on your credit? Simply connect with Lexington Law.

When you call in, Lexington Law's credit advisors will help you by looking at your credit report from all three credit bureaus, then they help you gain access to your TransUnion Summary Report and also your FICO Score. While they can't promise they can fix everything, they do help you analyze and identify anything questionable that could be affecting your score. Then they address those negative items with all three credit reporting bureaus and their creditors monthly and they also accelerate the process and help you reach your goal quicker. They basically act as your advocate and do their best to insure you get results.

They don't just help you with credit repair though, they have several other ways to continue to better your finances. From identity theft insurance, up to $1 million, to inquiry tools to assist you when challenging hard inquiries on your credit, they truly are the company to trust when trying to repair your credit. Call now for a FREE credit report consultation and get the details on how they can help you live your best life.

Other steps I'm taking to repair my financial health and credit include:

Regularly Monitoring my current accounts - If you aren't taking advantage of online banking and apps used for monthly bills yet, you should be now. Sign up for every service that offers online banking and/or bill pay and check these accounts regularly. From utilities to car notes, almost every service now offers access to your account online so you should totally be keeping an eye on everything, for your benefit and to make sure nothing mysterious pops up!

Paying bills ASAP - On the same note of monitoring your accounts, pay attention to when things are due when you log in. I'm simply jotting down each bill's amount, when the statements come out, and the first date it can be paid for each billing period, and once those dates approach I log in and get it paid immediately. More often than not, our car note, our electric bill, our water bill, and others are paid before the statement is sent to my email or the paper bills even come in. I'd rather be on top of it, then forget to pay by the due date after making that mistake too many times in the past. Plus, it feels good to know everything is paid.

Signing up for account alerts with your bank and credit card companies - Beyond making sure the bills are paid and keeping your eye on your account, sign up for account alerts wherever you can. It may seem redundant, but it's a good safety net in case you manage to miss a bill or if something terrible like identity theft happens. I do this mainly so I can see every charge that goes through on my account,  it's helped alert me in the past when I had some unauthorized activity happening. I think we all can agree, safety is best when it comes to our finances so being vigilant and keeping a super close eye on expenses is important.

Paying off debt with side gigs - While keeping an eye on expenses is super important, making sure income is flowing is equally as important. I'm constantly working, a bit of an over-achiever in that department since I'm working multiple gigs and managing them all on my own as well. BUT... that means I'm completely in charge of income as well. So I've been working extra hard at what I consider my side gigs - my art and my felt flowers, to help increase our income and keep our bills paid. If you have a talent, turn it into a profit, sell on an online platform or even just locally and boost your flow of income to help make sure everything is paid in full as quickly as possible!

Cutting back on spending - This step in bettering my finances may have been the hardest for me yet... but budgeting and monitoring my expenses vs income really put my shopping habits into perspective. It's hard to stomach, for us shopaholics, but cutting back is a sure-fire way to make your money situation better. I simply stepped back from online shopping for my daughter's clothing as much and our finances are already increasing. It's as easy as questioning "why" you need something, then asking yourself if it is a necessity. If you need it for something useful, then I say go ahead and buy it... but I think you, like me, will realize that a lot of purchases aren't necessarily must-haves.

So tell me, how do you feel about your current financial situation? Does your credit need some assistance? Don't forget to look into Lexington Law to help you live your best life!

The Lifestyle Change That Encourages You to Eat

  This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

Here's the thing, as you may have noticed, I've been reading Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion  and following the book's ideals of "Always Eat[ing] after 7PM" for a little bit now and I've learned to really love and adapt to it. I feel more energized and ready to take on my (almost) 4 year old and all her crazyness with my morning routine completed for the day. As I wake up, I meditate, I workout, and I'm starting to journal. It's literally what I've needed, but never did for myself before. I snack at night, I enjoy desserts, I eat until I'm full and I'm happy. My weight is steady and that's literally all I've been trying to achieve.

I've also learned to cook a few new dishes and I've loved experimenting with the baking recipes too! There are SO many good dishes included in the book, but my favorites have to be the entrees. From tacos to pasta, they've got me covered with delicious recipes that will work for me overnight, helping my body to burn fat and ultimately helping me live a healthier, more productive life.

Overall I would say this is a lifestyle change, not a diet. This isn't a fad diet you can give up, this is different. What makes it different? It includes cheat days, it includes fats and carbs, it even includes doughnuts and discussing your feelings. This isn't just a way to weight loss, it's a way to a healthier body.

But another thing Joel said that stuck with me is "The past is the past; it’s over, and there’s nothing you can do to change it. The only thing you do have control over is the future, and the only moment that is relevant for creating the narrative that you desire for your future is the present moment." It's a great reminder that we are responsible for the here and now, we are the only one's in charge of our dietary needs, we are the one's choosing to make good decisions regarding our health... so from today forward, let's all choose to Eat After 7PM, but let's also choose to do it in a way that's going to benefit us in the long run!

What's included in those beneficial foods that we can be eating after 7pm? SO MANY TASTY THINGS! This book includes so many recipes your mind will be blown, it's a step by step guide to learning how to fuel your body, but it's also down-to-earth and a fun read. Get your copy here.

The Low Down on What I'm Eating When I'm Always Eat[ing] after 7pm!

  This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”.

The opinions expressed below are my own.

You may have read earlier that I have changed my lifestyle and I'm allowing myself to eat after 7, when I feel like it. I'm also allowing myself to indulge in carbs AND fat, without guilt, because I'm doing it wisely. I'm adhering to a healthy lifestyle change that involves intermittent fasting and keeping my body shape by eating meals that are going to benefit my body.

You may be wondering what exactly you can eat after 7 and I'm beyond excited to be able to mention a couple of recipes to you today and I hope you'll snag a copy of " Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion" for yourself so you can check these out and make them, I want to hear your opinion on the deliciousness!

From a decadent No-Bake Salted Caramel Bar to a spicy and delicious entree of Chili loaded baked potatoes, and a ridiculously tasty looking Fruit Tart, these recipes are definitely going on our weekly list so I can keep enjoying amazing food without any shame.

Speaking of shame, I'm taking this post in a bit different direction than the others I've written previously, mainly because when Joel Marion mentioned redefining who you are it really hit home for me and I thought I'd bring y'all on that little journey with me for a second.

Joel mentions his friend James Clear and how he stated "True behavior change is identity change." Then he goes on to mention how you can do the work, you can meet your goal, but once your goal has been met it's easy to creep back up or lose sight of why you were doing any of this in the first place. Joel then mentions that maybe instead of using a goal as our main motivator, that we could all be focusing more on being a healthy person and I can definitely get on board with that.

Do you want more of this wisdom or possibly more details on how to get a copy of "Always Eat after 7PM"? Get it here.

The BEST Way to Make Homemade Bubbles

This year we've spent a ton of time at home, like many people. That means we've been trying to find ways to keep our little wild child occupied... and that involves lots of time spent outdoors, chasing bubbles through our backyard and sometimes even having competitions to see who can make the biggest bubbles.

We used to be the type to buy bubbles from the store...then we experimented and started making our own. Want to make your own...? Here's how:

Snacking and Mornings with Always Eat after 7pm

  This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

It's interesting, I think we've all been taught eating after 7 just isn't what we are supposed to do, yet my body tends to disagree. Learning about how Joel Marion and his 14 day acceleration phase of the "Always Eat After 7PM" plan has changed my outlook on having to be so restricted in order to maintain a healthy weight. I've learned from "Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight" by Joel Marion that feeding my body what it needs, during a range of selected hours is so good for me. I've learned that having a steady and easily attainable morning routine is what I need to get by, it's what we all need to live our best lives.

Beyond learning that it's okay to eat later, I've also been learning that it's perfectly HEALTHY and even encouraged to eat fat and carbs while changing to this new lifestyle. I'm not saying we can chow down all night long on the worst foods in the world, but being able to have your favorites while still losing weight is a total win in my book.

What we can do while adjusting to this new lifestyle is have a protein heavy late night snack without any guilt! As Joel said in his book, "The no-snacks rule is one you should definitely break if you want to bust cravings and keep burning fat overnight."

When someone says I can eat something delicious late at night and still lose some weight, I'm all about that life... How about you? If you're like me and you need to know more and grab yourself a copy of Joel's book, "Always Eat after 7PM", here.

Learn How to Eat After 7 & Still Lose Weight with 'Always Eat After 7PM'!

This post is brought to you by, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. Regardless, the opinions expressed below are my own.


Over my lifetime I've always kind of struggled with my weight, I've fluctuated up and felt uncomfortable in my own skin, I've lost a ton of weight, then gained it all back again during pregnancy, I've slowly worked my way back down to a comfortable number now, but I'm still struggling to lose this last little bit. Honestly, I was growing a bit weary trying all of these different ways to lose with hardly any results.

But, luckily I was offered an advanced copy of, Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion , and I'm so excited to see how this book changes things for me and my weight loss journey, so far, it's been a delightful read thus far - so I thought I'd share here and I plan to continue to share how always eating after 7 is working for me and why I think it may work for you too.

You may be thinking, it sounds like always being able to eat After 7 is too good to be true...doesn't it? What makes this "diet" different from all of the others?

Well, this quote from the beginning of the book sums it up clear as day - "If it looks like I’m handing you another restrictive diet, let me be clear: Always Eat After 7 pm is totally unlike other programs. It defies the most common dietary rules (like “no snacking” and “no carbs”) and it is specifically designed to work with your body’s natural hormonal systems, instead of working against them."

That means you can eat what your body wants, you can snack, you can even have the 'forbidden' carbs most popular diets don't allow, but the best part is, gaining the ability to eat after 7 will renew you each and every day. I love that I'm able to keep up with my sweet girl better and it's because I've found a new way to live...

Honestly, who doesn't want to feel refreshed, like their foodie desires are satisfied, and that they can eat later at night without gaining weight? It pretty much sounds like perfection to me.

 I can't wait to share my results while I continue learning more from this book and trying the supplements Joel recommends, I look forward to hearing your input too!

Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Get your copy here.

Staying Safe & Rejuvenating Your Soul This Summer with Alba Botanica

 This post is sponsored by Alba Botanica but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

Life has been extra interesting lately, adjusting to the new normal in Florida has been a whirlwind. I'm sure it feels somewhat similarly everywhere, in some ways. We all are learning and adapting. Here in Clearwater, Florida, now that beaches and many businesses are opening up again, it really feels as though life is "starting again", which is so refreshing and almost inspiring.

Don't get me wrong, we've still been practicing social distancing and embracing the convenience of Walmart grocery delivery. It's a werid, in-between stage for us Floridians right now - it's all so new, yet all very much still the same... and that's so nice and oddly comforting.

As we were in the midst of the chaos, other than our dear family, one of the things I looked forward to seeing again the most was the ocean. So we knew we had to take a little drive to the beach once it opened and we finally had the chance to sneak away earlier this week.

It was beyond rejuvenating to feel the salty air and let the cool ocean water hit our feet. I embraced every second playing tag and giggling with my sweet baby girl as we soaked up the sun... it truly was just what my soul needed and it was done safely, with plenty of space for everyone to share a little slice of tropical paradise. This is what life is all about, in my opinion. Life is meant for moments with your people, in a place of peace and contentment.

Which got me thinking, we should probably be spending more time outdoors, cherishing the time with each other, and less time tuned in - not just in this strange time of ending quarantine, but for the rest of our lives.

I mean, since Delainey came into our lives, we've always kind of had this type of mindset anyways, but this time spent in reflection over the last few months was a good reminder that we truly need to cherish our time together and embrace life and the great outdoors.

With that said, spending time outdoors means we are exposed to some harmful stuff... and I'm not talking about germs or viruses, either. As we all know, the sun is so powerful and in some ways can be beautifully healing, but it also is super strong down here in Florida. Our UV index is usually through the roof, and in turn, I'm constantly applying sunscreen to my little family to try and keep our bodies and our skin as healthy as possible.

This likely isn't a surprise, but I don't just buy and apply any sunscreen... because frankly, they aren't all made the same. I'm truly pretty dang picky since sunscreen is a product we use ALL THE TIME. We've always preferred all-natural sunscreen, but once we tried Alba Botanica there truly is nothing that compared.

I mean, it's hard to compete with a sunscreen that is all-natural, organic, vegetarian, reef-safe, and affordable... and did I mention, I just stocked up on all our favorite Alba Botanica Sunscreens via Walmart.com?

It was so easy to order -  I decided we needed to go to the beach, then realized we were running low on sunscreen, so I clicked on over to Walmart, did a few click-a-roos, added the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Clear Spray Sunscreen to my cart, as well as 4 other amazing Alba Botanica sunscreens, submitted my order, and drifted off to sleep. Shockingly, my order arrived the very next morning. I'm talking less than 12 hours after I placed my order, either Walmart.com has upped their delivery capabilities or the Sun Gods were looking out, because fate was on my side and we had the most epic stash of sunscreen to prove it.

Why do I love Alba Botanica so much? Let's look past the obvious, I adore the fact that it's all natural and environmentally friendly... and we'll start with the amazing smell. From the fruity amazing-ness of the Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen for Kids to the delicious scent of coconut from the Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Clear Spray Sunscreen, I'm just gaga over their sunscreen.

Not only does it smell amazing, I also love the fact that it goes on smooth - which is HUGE when trying to apply sunscreen to a wiggly, excited kiddo. The lotions are creamy and rub in quickly and the spray sunscreens like the Alba Botanica Sensitive Fragrance Free Clear Spray Sunscreen go on easily and evenly, just what we need for sun-soaked beach days.

We don't just use Alba Botanica at the beach, though... it's something I always have in our "adventuring" satchel and we usually apply a quick layer before heading out to explore anywhere. Whether we are hiking in the nature parks or trekking into "the great unknown" that is our backyard, I love knowing that I'm keeping our skin healthy and protected with Alba Botanica. Want to try it for yourself? Add Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Clear Spray Sunscreen SPF 50 or maybe the Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sunscreen Kids SPF 45 to your next Walmart order!

Beyond sunscreen, this summer I'll be trying to keep our family safe and healthy, while still exploring and learning together. How do you plan to spend your summer?