Take a Break, Mama

Let’s face it. There’s nothing easy about this job. This motherhood gig isn’t always what we imagined, is it? There’s nothing easy about getting up multiple times in the night with a scared child, dealing with tantrums, cleaning up vomit, or making sure your children are well fed every single day. It’s just not easy.

But you know what? We can choose to take all the difficult parts of motherhood and let them consume us. We can let it all come crashing down until our tired souls are filled with overwhelm. Or, there’s another path. We can choose to embrace motherhood in all its messy, not-as-we-imagined beauty. Embrace the mess. Embrace the tiredness. And most of all…take a break.

Yes, that’s right. I’m telling you, mama, to take a break. Take some time to refresh. You don’t have to give motherhood 100 percent of you 100 percent of the time. You’re still a good mom. Actually, when you do that, you’re a better mom.

That, my friends, is the #1 reason you need to make taking a little time for yourself a priority. It makes you a better mom. Let that sink it. You will be a better mom. You need something just for you. You give your kids all of you most of the time, but save some moments for yourself.

Maybe it’s when you’re exercising. Maybe it’s when you get to soak in the tub at the end of a long day. Or maybe you can steal a few moments to read your favorite magazine and have a snack that’s made just for you.

Del Monte has just the snack you need. Del Monte Fruit Refreshers are the first ever fruit cup made just for adults. They are a modern, delightful twist on fruit cups that combine exciting fruits with delicious slightly sweetened fruit water to create enticing flavor combinations made for people seeking a healthy adult snacking option as a pick me up during their day.

Del Monte Fruit Refreshers contain one serving of fruit, with no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors or artificial sweeteners, no GMOs, and are BPA intent-free and with 100 calories or less per serving.

You can choose from two unique and delicious new flavors: Pineapple with Passion Fruit Flavor and Mandarin Oranges with Coconut Water. I tried them both and loved them, but my favorite was the oranges in coconut water. Perfect for a quick afternoon break with a magazine!

I’m busy; you’re busy. Being a mom is tough. But don’t be a martyr. Don’t wear your busyness like a badge. Embrace the small moments when you can take a break and refresh. You can find Del Monte Fruit Refreshers nation wide. Follow along on Facebook with the hashtag #TimeToRefresh.

 

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Del Monte. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post Take a Break, Mama appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/07/take-break-mama.html

Top 5 Dangerous Chemicals to Avoid in Baby Products & The Natural Baby Products I Recommend

After you read about the Top 5 Dangerous Chemicals to Avoid in Baby Products, keep scrolling to read about the #1 brand of baby products I recommend. There’s also an AWESOME giveaway at the end of this post! Moms would do anything to protect their babies and keep them safe. It’s an instinct we’re born with. Yet, according to the Environmental Working Group, our children are exposed to up to 27 dangerous chemicals a day through personal care products. Moms allow this not because they don’t care about their children or knowingly want to put them in danger, but because they don’t have the knowledge. They don’t understand just how dangerous these chemicals can be or the damage they can cause to a developing baby.

One of the mission of this website is to help you sort through the information and be armed with knowledge to make good decisions for your family. Today I’d like to share with you the top 5 dangerous chemicals that you should avoid when purchasing baby products. Make sure you keep scrolling to see the #1 brand of baby products I recommend and how you can enter a giveaway to win some of these great, safe products.

Top 5 Dangerous Chemicals to Avoid in Baby Products

1. Fragrance

I find this to be one of the most difficult to avoid. Many brands who use otherwise safe and natural ingredients also use fragrance. The problem is that “fragrance” is a generic term and we often don’t know what exactly companies are using as they don’t have to disclose. Depending on what exactly is used to create the fragrance, this term can be linked to ingredients that cause asthma, eczema, neurological problems, respiratory damage, and eye damage. Often fragrance is used to mask the unpleasant odor of dangerous chemicals.

What to Avoid: 

Products with the word “fragrance” on the ingredient list.

2. Phthalates

Phthalates are used as a preservative in personal care products like shampoos and lotions. These cause endocrine disruption and can lead to decreased sperm motility and concentration, allergies, asthma, and cancer.

What to Avoid:

Products with diethylhexyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate, demethyl phthalate, or diethyl phthalate.

3. Parabens

Parabens are another preservative used in many personal care products. They are known endocrine disruptors that can lead to reproductive problems, developmental disorders, skin irritation, and cancer.

What to Avoid: 

Any product that has an ingredient that ends in “–paraben.”

4. Formaldehyde 

Formaldehyde is a preservative used in water-based products. It helps inhibit the growth of mold. The problem? It’s a known carcinogen and linked to allergy-like reactions, respiratory problems, headaches, and nausea.

What to Avoid:

You’ll want to avoid any products with formaldehyde as an ingredient, but you also need to be careful of formaldehyde-releasing ingredients. Look out for: quaternium-15, DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea, polyoxymethylene urea, sodium hydroxymethylglycinate, 2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol (bromopol) and glyoxal.

5. 1,4-dioxade 

This is a by-product of a cheap manufacturing process called ethoxylation. This process uses a cancer-causing petrochemical ethylene oxide. The result is something that is a carcinogen, kidney toxicant, neurotoxin, and respiratory toxin. Not good. Because it’s a by-product of a manufacturing process and not an ingredient itself, you really have to be aware to avoid it.

What to Avoid: 

You won’t find 1,4-dioxade on labels. To avoid it, look for ingredients that contain the letters eth, as that is an indicator of the presence of 1,4-dioxane. Stay away from polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, sodium laureth sulfate, ceteareth, oleth, oxynol, -xynol, and PEG.

Which Baby Products are Safe?

There are so many different products out there for your baby, it can be hard to sort through and figure out which ones are safe for your precious child. The #1 brand that I recommend is Baby Mantra.

Why do I recommend Baby Mantra? It’s simple. Their ingredients are safe and the products are effective. They are the only baby care brand that holds the label of EWG VERIFIED. (Read here to find out about the process of getting this certification.) Here are some more facts you should know about Baby Mantra’s products:

• Certified by the Natural Products Association
• PETA Certified – Cruelty Free
• NO Sulfates
• NO Parabens
• NO Phthalates
• NO Dyes
• NO Artificial Fragrances
• Gluten Free
• Allergy Tested
• Rated “1” on EWG’s Skin Deep ^R

These are ingredients you can feel good about putting on your baby’s skin. Remember, what you put on your baby’s skin is absorbed into her body. Nobody wants to expose their child to dangerous chemicals that can have a negative effect on their development or make them sick. If you have a baby, I highly recommend Baby Mantra’s products.

My “babies” are seven and four, and I still use gentle products especially made for babies on them.

This 3-in-1 bubble bath, shampoo, and wash is perfect for washing hair, cleaning bodies, and having a fun bath! Natural bubble bath products don’t bubble up the same as the harsh chemical-laden products, but it’s enough for my kiddos to enjoy their bath time with some bubble fun. This is our favorite and most-used product. The lotion and massage oil are great for sensitive skin, as well.

Baby Mantra would like to give three Happy Healthy Mama readers a Baby Shower Bundle. It’s the perfect gift for a new mom or mom-to-be! There are five essential products every mom needs for her baby. The value of each bundle is $64.45. Here’s what each bundle includes:

3-in-1 Bubble Bath, Shampoo & Wash – An essential to your bath collection. The light scent of lavender and intense moisturizing properties of Aloe Vera will leave your baby calm, relaxed and snuggly soft. Perfect to relax your little one into sweet slumber. Follow up with our calming massage oil for the perfect bed time skin care regimen.

Calming Massage Oil – Essence of Apricot, Grape Seed, and Jojoba to leave your little one feeling nothing short of elated. Rich in Vitamin E, a few drops of this oil is just enough to form a lush moisture barrier that is sure to last throughout the day. Avocado helps protect sensitive skin against rashes and eczema and deeply nourishes the skin from the inside out. We recommend using it as a pre-bedtime massage oil to help soothe baby into sweet slumber.

Calming Lotion – Infused with Vitamin E & Shea Butter. Baby Mantra’s Calming lotion quickly absorbs into baby skin and provides just the right amount of moisture while forming a protective sealant to maintain a soft supple feel. Lavender Oil provides a light soothing scent to calm and nurture baby, making it the perfect bed time choice. Also this non-greasy formula helps heal and protect baby’s dry, delicate skin, leaving skin feeling soft, smooth and healthy. Gentle massage with Baby Mantra calming lotion helps calm and comfort your baby before nap time or bed time.

Newborn Shampoo & Wash – Moisturizing coconut oil paired with antioxidant rich aloe make this a favorite for mom & baby. The convenience of a shampoo and body wash in one refreshing foam free preparation. Guaranteed splashes and smiles! Perfect for babies.

Diaper Rash Ointment – Soothe baby’s bottom with the natural elements of sweet Almond oil, Rosemary leaf, and Jojoba – ingredients aimed to relieve skin irritation and give comfort and ease to diaper rashes. A must have in your baby’s natural diaper change routine.

See below for how to enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Baby Mantra for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions are my own and I only share and recommend products that I know, use, and love. 

The post Top 5 Dangerous Chemicals to Avoid in Baby Products & The Natural Baby Products I Recommend appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/07/top-5-dangerous-chemicals-to-avoid-in-baby-products.html

How Mindfulness is Decreasing my Anxiety (Mindfulness Challenge Update)

Do you suffer from anxiety? Do feelings of uneasiness or apprehension consume you during difficult times?
I don’t know if I appear to be an anxious person on the outside. Most people who know and see me in my day-to-day life (except maybe my immediate family ’cause they see it all) probably think I’m a pretty calm person. But what I’m showing on the outside and what’s going on inside doesn’t always match up. Even if I can make myself appear calm, I often have chaos going on inside my brain.

Anxiety can take hold of me without warning when life gets stressful.

If you were to listen inside my head at any given time, you’d probably hear the chorus to Everyday I’m Hustlin’ on repeat in the background (No, really. When I get too busy that song won’t stop playing in my head) with my to-do list on auto scroll: Make doctor’s appointment, email client, schedule social media, register Luke for soccer, fold the laundry, blah, blah, blah. 

Just thinking about it is making me anxious right now. It’s one of the reasons I decided to do this Mindfulness Challenge.

Mindfulness is the practice of focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations.

When you’re able to do this, anxiety melts away. My #1 source of anxiety is having too much to do. When I have too much to do, the chaos in my mind makes me anxious.

It hasn’t been easy. It’s taken some focused concentration to get rid of old habits of allowing my thoughts to constantly be on overdrive thinking of the next thing I need to do. Practicing mindfulness is helping me calm my mind and focus on the present moment. I’m teaching myself to STOP the playlist inside my head.

The #2 source of my anxiety is technical problems relating to this blog. Technology and I aren’t really friends. I’m a blogger who doesn’t get website jargon. Fancy that. It’s stressful when things go wrong and I have no idea why it’s happening or how to fix it.

It’s not been easy to acknowledge and accept feelings based on website problems (yaaaas I’m frustrated!) and not let them consume me.

This challenge is making me more aware of how I deal with having too much to do and stress. I’ve forced myself to practice mindfulness in my day-t0-day life. And guess what? It’s working. Here’s how I know it’s working.

The last few weeks I’ve had a lot going on. Blog work has been especially challenging to fit in this summer with the kids home. I’m trying to coordinate a blog redesign and it’s been stalled more than I’d like. I planned a 40th birthday party for Tim, and we also had a trip to Mexico for our 10 year anniversary. I just returned last night and while the trip was fabulous, getting back to reality is harsh. I didn’t work on vacation so I have a much longer to-do list than normal.

On top of all of this “stuff” I’ve had to do, there has been odd website issues. First, Google sent me an email telling me my site had something malicious on it and I was being demoted in search rankings. I have a tech guy who scanned my site and found nothing malicious; my ad company stated it wasn’t their ads. In the meantime, Google placed a huge warning sign blocking my site. Stress!

Next, my hosting company suspended my account saying that I was using too many resources for my plan. Normally this would mean I was getting a ton of traffic, but in this case it actually meant “bad robots” were coming to my site too often. No, I don’t even know what that means. But it’s not good and needed to be figured out and fixed.

I get my site back up and running aaaaand now my wordpress platform wasn’t functioning properly and even answering comments on my site took four times as long as it should.

Then, my account got suspended again and my tech guy had to spend hours and hours fixing my database. Thank God I hired someone to help me with tech stuff a few months back! Mindfulness would have been much more difficult without him.

If all of this would have been happening at the same time before this Mindfulness Challenge, I tell you I would not have handled it well. In fact, I can say with certainty the stress of it all would have triggered a cold sore. No matter how hard I try to hide the stress I’m feeling on the inside, my body has to deal with it in some way, and that is usually how it manifests. 

This time I’ve handled the stress differently, though. I’ve had to stop several times in the last few weeks and just breathe. I’ve focused on my bodily sensations, and totally acknowledged the way these problems make me feel. And then? I’ve moved on. Yep, I’ve been frustrated. And it’s okay. My mind isn’t ping ponging anxious thoughts through my brain like it normally would. I’m dealing. I’m thriving despite setbacks and frustrations. The fact that I haven’t gotten a cold sore shows I’m keeping my body more calm.

I’m not saying mindfulness is the answer to all anxiety problems. But it is sure helping mine. Without a doubt, if you have stress in your life, practicing mindfulness can help defuse it. For tips on how to practice mindfulness every day, check out this post.

 

 

 

 

 

The post How Mindfulness is Decreasing my Anxiety (Mindfulness Challenge Update) appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/07/mindfulness-decreasing-anxiety-mindfulness-challenge-update.html

What is Limu Juice?

Everywhere  you look, some new “health company” is spending big on advertising in an attempt to cash in on the world’s most profitable industry.

It might be an exercise program, dieting plan, or a miracle supplement.  It’s almost as if the industry wants us to believe the nutritional community is making a groundbreaking discovery every month or two. All too often, these are the same diet trends and programs that are being rebranded in more up-to-date packages.

Worse yet, some of these trendy new diets have no basis in science and can be potentially harmful.  Afterall, most of these products are sold as “revolutionary”.

So if you’re wondering if Limu juice is another one of these, I don’t blame you.

However, I’m here to tell you that Limu juice and limu moui are NOT some new dieting trend.

Introducing Limu Moui

In fact, Limu has been a staple in the diets of Polynesian natives throughout the islands for hundreds of years.

To these peoples, the word limu has several related meanings, spanning from moss and lichen to seaweed and algae.  Various polynesian groups have incorporated limu into their diets generation after generation, providing them with a rich profile of nutrients.

Specifically, Tongan Limu Moui is a type of brown seaweed that is found around the shores of the Tonga Islands.  It is extremely nutritious and is used as a dietary supplement with various benefits.

What is Limu Juice?

To put things simply:

Limu Moui is a superfood with a ton of nutritional benefits.  Limu Juice is a fruit drink containing limu moui extract.

Today, you can find limu supplements, limu facial creams, and other limu-based products.  Not surprisingly, the undisputed leader in the limu product industry is called The Limu Company.  Their Limu Original Juice is easily the most recognizable limu superfood product in the world today.

As more and more people rave about Limu Original Juice, Limu Energy (BluFrog), Limu Lean, the interest in this company grows.  Many testimonials talk about how the products have changed their lives.  (This buzz is what likely led you to reading this post today.)

Still, there are concrete questions that still need to be answered.

What is Limu Juice Made Of?

Limu Juice is not simply pressed seaweed; it’s much more than that.

It contains a compound of particular interest called fucoidan.

The fucoidan is concentrated using The Limu Company’s proprietary extraction process.  It has been shown to provide some amazing benefits when consumed on a regular basis.  It is what separates limu from regular seaweed and comparable plants and algae.

The Limu Company blends this fucoidan extract with real mango, apple, pear, and papaya to provide an extra pop of antioxidants as well as a great taste.

What Does Limu Juice Do?  

Fucoidan is a compound that is found exclusively in brown seaweed and brown algae, in species such as kombu, wakame, mozuku, hijiki, and bladderwrack, to name a few. It is classified as a sulfated polysaccharide which provides a number of benefits for the body.

Limu and other marine vegetables containing sulfated polysaccharides have been used in herbal Chinese medicine for thousands of years.  But over the last ten, increased scholarly interest has resulted in several different studies revealing promising benefits.

Effects of Sulfated Polysaccharides

Sulfated Polysaccharides have been shown to possess beneficial properties including:

• Anticoagulant (reduces blood clotting)
• Antiviral (kills viruses)
• Antioxidant (inhibits oxidation and removes free radicals in the body)
• Antiprotozoal (kills protozoa in the body or inhibits their growth)
• Antiinflammatory (reduces inflammation, one of the true causes of all disease)
• Antibacterial (kills bacteria)
• Antitumor (preventing the formation and growth of tumors)
• Antilipemic (prevents the accumulation of fatty substances in the blood)
• Immunomodulatory

The Benefits of Limu and Limu Juice

Although the research has been very promising, it’s unlikely the FDA would ever allow limu supplement companies to make medical claims.

The FDA draws a real line between nutritional products and medical products, so the The Limu Company’s hands are somewhat tied when it comes to what benefits they can claim.  Although the major benefits of fucoidan are well-known in the medical community, there is only so much nutrition-focused companies can say about their products.

Some of the claims that can be made about Limu Juice are:

• Supports your immune system
• Improved joint mobility
• Increased energy
• More restful sleep
• Softer, smoother skin
• Greater sense of health & wellness
• Promotes healthy blood cholesterol
• Allergy relief

You’ll notice a major difference between what the studies say and what limu supplement companies are allowed to say about their products.  As great as “increased sleep” is, “antitumor” is a lot more compelling.

Good thing we know the FDA always has our back! (Not!)

My Experience with Limu Juice

I have joined the thousands of people that are experiencing the benefits that Limu Juice is able to provide. After drinking Limu Juice regularly for the past few months, I can tell you first hand that the claims that you read online about this drink are real.

I have never felt better before in my life. After the first month of trying it, I lost 4 pounds, my pants are too big for me, and I have more energy now than ever before. If you are looking for a diet that actually works, I could not recommend Limu Juice highly enough.

The post What is Limu Juice? appeared first on Limu Juice.

Source: http://www.limujuice.net/limu/what-is-limu-juice/

source https://limujuice.wordpress.com/2016/07/22/what-is-limu-juice/

Avocado Toast with Peaches and Sea Salt

Novice Gardening Adventures

As long as I can remember, I’ve wanted a vegetable garden. And as long as I can remember, I’ve been scared to death to start one. I envisioned putting in all of the time and work a garden takes, only to have everything die. I’ve had trouble keeping herbs in containers alive, my flowers never thrive, houseplants hate me, and overall I consider myself a brown thumb. Even a black thumb, if that’s a thing.

This year, however, I had a few pushes that helped me decide to just do it. First, the CSA I’d been a part of for years stopped service. No more locally grown, organic vegetables delivered to my door once a week. (Boo!) Then one of my best friends gave me a self-watering seed starter kit for my birthday in March. I knew that was the final sign that this needed to be the year I have a real garden.

This post is not intended to teach you anything; I have nothing to teach when it comes to gardening. I just thought I’d share my adventures in novice gardening. I knew I needed to keep a journal so I could remember what went well and what didn’t work this year, so why not use my blog for that purpose? If anything, feel free to chime in and teach me a thing or two!

I know I’m making my share of mistakes this year, but guess what? I’m growing food! It’s really working! 

I decided to use the sunny side of our house that had a bed ready but nothing but mulch in it. I had a few plants that I grew from seed from the kit I got for my birthday. So I transplanted lettuce, basil, and cucumbers that I started from seed inside. The rest of the plants I bought and transplanted.

The lettuce was very quickly eaten by rabbits. I guess that’s all the rabbits like because they left everything else alone. Can you spot the rabbit in this picture?

Here’s a look at everything as it looks now. From left to right we have zucchini, brussels sprouts, cucumbers, kale, mixed variety of beans, more cucumbers (the ones from seed are over here–I couldn’t remember what they were when I transplanted them), bell peppers (back row), basil, and cantaloupe.

You can barely see the brussels sprouts because they are being overtaken by the cucumbers.

I think I planted those too close together. I have harvested some beans, kale, and basil so far and the kale is ready for another harvesting for sure. 

The cantaloupe are growing well. I probably need to add something for it to grow up on, but it seems to be doing okay without it. I can’t believe so much has come from one plant! I can see a whole bunch of baby cantaloupes growing.

Someone warned me that cucumbers go crazy, but I didn’t understand the extent of it. It wants to curl around everything around it, doesn’t it? I have to admit, though, it’s thrilling to check the garden and see what’s grown!

Basil has been my favorite part of the garden. I love fresh basil so much! I should have grown more herbs. I can’t believe how much easier basil is to grow in the ground than a container. Next year, more herbs.

We have two little peppers so far. I want them to turn red, so I hope I can keep them on long enough for that to happen. I’m not sure if the black part on the stem is a bad sign. Can you tell I’m winging this?

Some of the brussels sprouts and kale look like something has been eating them a little, but other than that I haven’t noticed any pests. After the rabbits ate the lettuce early on, they haven’t been back. I guess I’m lucky so far because we do have deer, squirrels, and chipmunks in our yard often. Let’s knock on wood because I feel like as soon as I type that my little garden is going to be attacked.

When I was talking to the kids about the garden, they said they wanted a butterfly garden. So on the far end, we planted some wildflowers for them. For the longest time, it just looked like weeds, but it’s starting to grow some flowers. 

This has been a fun adventure and I may have gotten bit by the gardening bug, just a little bit. I will keep you updated at least one more time on how my garden grows. I’d love to hear how your garden is growing; please share in the comments!

The post Novice Gardening Adventures appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/07/novice-gardening-adventures.html

Blueberry Lemon Spelt Quick Bread

Does Limu Juice Work?

Trending Now: JustFab Review Proves Healthy on The Wallet

Thank you to JustFab for making this conversation possible. As always, all opinions in this JustFab review are my own. I only share products and services I know, love, and use! 

Confession: I have a tiny bit of a clothing addiction. It’s been that way since I was 8 years old and begged my mom to buy me the blue fur coat at Sears. She made me wait until Christmas, but I got that frivolous coat. There’s a picture of it floating around my parents’ old photo albums somewhere. I wish I had it to share with you; I know you’re dying to see it!

My mom was always concerned with my infatuation with getting new clothes (she typically bought me new clothes twice a year: back-to-school time and Christmas) and would frequently say: Don’t love something that can’t love you back. Don’t worry, Mom. Your words did make a difference and I don’t place my love of clothing above what’s really important: God, family, health, friendships.

But I still love clothes. And shoes.

I don’t have to beg my mom to buy me new clothes anymore, but I do have to justify my purchases to my husband and stay in a budget. That’s why I’m so excited to bring you this JustFab review today. JustFab has fun, trendy, fashion-forward clothes for this clothes-loving girl at prices that make it easy to justify my clothing addiction. I can buy something new every month if I want without breaking the bank.

What is JustFab?

JustFab is the leading fashion-subscription e-commerce site and lifestyle brand. They have everything from clothes to shoes to handbags to jewelry, all of which is created by their in-house design team in Los Angeles. You can become a VIP member and get exclusive pricing that is seriously unbeatable. Here’s how it works:

First, you take a fun style quiz online. This helps them personalize your shopping experience by learning exactly what styles you love and fit your lifestyle. Based on the results of your style quiz, the lovely JustFab stylists will create a personalized online boutique just for you.

You get a new boutique the first of every month with exclusive, member-only pricing. Then, you shop your boutique. You can buy something or nothing (yeah, right!); there’s no obligation to buy, ever. If you don’t want anything that particular month, you simply click “skip this month.” You have until the 5th of the month to shop or skip the month and can skip as many months as you’d like.

JustFab Review

This is the first outfit I ordered from JustFab. I couldn’t resist this adorable dress and shoes! As a stay-at-home mom, I’m wearing flip flops and tennies most of the time. I love my comfy clothes, but also like to get dressed up. So when I get a date night, I love to wear a dress and heels! You would never guess how comfortable these heels actually are. It must be the platform. I wore this outfit to a concert last week and it was perfect–I had no problem dancing in these!

It was fun seeing my new personalized boutique at the beginning of this month. It was so easy browse the styles picked for me and then place my second order. Noooo I didn’t skip the month. Guess what’s on its way? YELLOW shoes! My personalized boutique? Spot. on.

I am pretty much in love with JustFab and think you will be, too. I encourage you to sign up to be a VIP member so you can enjoy this affordable way to get fun new clothes that fit your style perfectly!

The post Trending Now: JustFab Review Proves Healthy on The Wallet appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/07/justfab-review.html

Limu Experience Pyramid Scheme

Sweet Potato Noodles with 5-minute Peanut Sauce

Top Benefits of Fucoidan

How to be Mindful Everyday

This month’s challenge as part of the Happy Healthy Mama Healthy Year Challenge is to be more mindful. Mindfulness is not just about daily meditation (although it can be a part of it, for sure). Mindfulness is more than that. It’s the practice of cultivating a focused awareness of the present moment, and that is something we can do everyday, throughout our day. It’s about paying attention intentionally. During this challenge, I want to learn how to be mindful everyday. I hope you’ll share this journey with me and learn to bring mindfulness into your everyday life, too. Here are five ways I’ve been working to be more mindful everyday.

Five Easy Ways to Be More Mindful Everyday

1. Pay attention to your thoughts. 

 It sounds so easy, but this takes practice. As you are thinking, act like a silent observer of your thoughts. Pay attention to what you are thinking as you are living. You don’t have to take your thoughts seriously, just acknowledge them.

 2. Don’t judge your emotions. 

Happiness is just one emotion on a wide spectrum of emotions, and it’s not meant to be the only one we feel. It’s okay to different emotions throughout your day. Sadness, anger, frustration, and fear are all a natural part of life. If you feel these emotions, acknowledge them. Accept them. It’s okay to feel them.

3. Focus on one thing at a time.

I am guilty of glorifying the art of multi-tasking. It’s easy to let our lives get so busy that we feel the only answer is to multi-task. I’m challenging myself to focus on one thing at a time this month and really pay attention to that one task as I am doing it. I will probably still listen to audiobooks while folding laundry, but I will make it a goal to be focused on the one task I am completing more often.

4. Be a mindful listener.

This is huge. When your spouse, coworker, or children are talking, focus on really listening.  Look at them, think about the words they are saying. Give them your full attention. When I do this, I can see in my kids’ eyes how appreciative they are. I’ll be working on this at full force this month.

5. Don’t be constantly connected to your phone/computer/tablet.

You can’t be mindful, fully present, if you are ever connected to a device. Our culture has become such that every unfilled moment needs to be filled with a newsfeed. Scrolling, scrolling, scrolling, mindlessly passing the time. Let’s work on putting our phones down and paying attention to what’s going on in the world around us. Right now. As we are living it.

I will be sharing moments of mindfulness and how it’s impacting me on Instagram throughout the month. Follow me there and look for the hashtags #bemindful #mindfulness #mindfulnesschallenge Be sure you share your moments, also!

The post How to be Mindful Everyday appeared first on Happy Healthy Mama.

source http://happyhealthymama.com/2016/07/how-to-be-mindful-everyday.html