Exercise Power Hour!

The weather around here has been whack. It warmed up about a month ago, and then the temperatures decided to plummet back into the 30's like a big fat April Fools trick. It's almost Easter and I fear my grass shall never been green again.

So even though it's been stupid cold (sorry, my New England friends, but seriously, people live in the South to be able to enjoy spring temperatures when it's actually spring, which it is now, so I have no idea what's going on) - but, we've been going outside anyway. Every day after the boys wake up from their afternoon nap, sometime in the 4 o'clock hour, we high tail it outside and move our bodies. I've started calling this exercise power hour, because even though it's not exactly enjoyable temperatures (and my flowers haven't bloomed so there's no yard decor going on), it's still so important to move and play and get some fresh air. For their sanity and mine - cabin fever has gotten real around here these last few weeks and we all need the sunshine, even if it is still bathed in winter's chilly breath.

I decided to start giving Everett some exercise pointers. I taught him how to do squats, lunges, push ups and planks. And since he loves to run, we sprint in between these sets and really get our blood pumping. And it's been SO much fun! Daxton just toddles around and watches us, but I actually picked him up the other day and squatted with him for extra weight and GOOD LORD. I could only do 3. That kid is hoss.

My activewear was sent to me by Yandy.com and I chatted about the line over on 5 Minutes for Mom. Check out the post I wrote about why moms should never apologize for living in their activewear! Because for real you guys. It's my mom uniform.

Happy Friday to you, friends! xx

Lets talk about our pits.

Thanks to Earth Mama Organics for sponsoring this post. All opinions are my own.

Resurrect the word "Natural"!
I've been on a journey to find the perfect, natural deodorant. And when I say natural, I mean it in the purest sense of the word - natural. It's very confusing these days because "natural" is slapped on the front of any and every product as a sales tactic and I'll bet most people have become jaded to that word. Is it so much to ask for a truly natural deodorant that is free of chemicals, especially aluminum and artificial fragrances and other toxic fillers? Unfortunately these ingredients are sneakily added into products we use every day.  Don't believe me?

No #Fword
I dare you to pull out your current deodorant and take a look at the ingredient list. What do you see? A bunch of terms you can't pronounce? I'll bet you see the term "fragrance". It might say "artificial fragrance", "natural fragrance", "botanical fragrance" or "nature-identical fragrance", but it all means the same thing. Fragrance (aka "parfum") is often an ingredient in deodorant and an umbrella term that is used to hide the presence of thousands of chemicals - from parabens to phthalates to artificial preservatives like formaldehyde - say WHAT?! It's true. When the term is used, there's no way to know which chemicals are masquerading beneath that phrase. There is no further disclosure. My hope is that you don't see this word "fragrance" in your deodorant ingredient list, because to be blunt,  it's basically the F-word.

My Conviction.
My grandmother lost her life to lymphoma, a cancer that is rooted in the lymphatic system of the body. Lymph nodes are located throughout the body, with a cluster of them residing in the armpit region. Your lymph nodes are linked to the blood stream - do you hear what I'm saying here? I take it very seriously what I put on my body, but especially what I put in this part of my body, because I really wish I had my grandmother in my life today. It's not even a myth that chemicals lurk within our everyday lifestyle products and are linked to traumatic cancers and diseases. It's time to take responsibility for what we put on our bodies, friends! I want to be healthy, strong and AWESOME for when my grandchildren have their own littles. It's why I eat healthy. It's why I work out. It's why I care about the ingredients in my mascara and my moisturizer. And it's why I'm critical of what kind of deodorant I put on my body. I'm sure it's the heart of every mother to be present and healthy for their families. I've realized as a mama that the choices I make today (even the seemingly small ones like the kind of deodorant I swipe on) can make a significant impact on my future.

What's a girl to do?
This brings to me Earth Mama Organics' new line of deodorants. They are FREE of everything we discussed above, including propylene glycol, artificial fragrance, parabens and aluminum. They are specially formulated for all the phases of motherhood - pregnancy, breastfeeding and sensitive skin. Hallelujah. And there is even the option to purchase a mini kit of all 4, which I especially like, because they're super easy to toss into my purse and take on the go. I'll be honest, as with most natural deodorants, these are most effective if they're applied more than once a day, so I like to keep at least one mini with me in my purse, diaper bag and gym bag. When I reapply my lipstick or gloss after lunch, I do a quick swipe of my deodorant, too! The set contains Calming Lavender, Bright Citrus, GingerAid (my personal favorite) and Natural Non-Scented.

Organic = Happy Mama.
Not only are these deodorants free of all the garbage fillers and "the F-word" we talked about above, they are also certified organic with a fully-disclosed ingredient list. It's actually many extra steps and added cost to any company that goes through the process to become "certified organic", but I sure appreciate when I see this label on the products I purchase. Because let's just be real - I want to smell good. And I want to put good stuff on my body. End of story.

Many of you know that I've been in the process of transitioning my beauty routine over from conventional products to natural and organic ones. I am thrilled that so many companies, like Earth Mama Organics, are committed to creating products that are safe and nurturing, especially with focus on the different seasons of motherhood. We mamas have enough to think about - what we put on our pits shouldn't be rocket science.

Your skin soaks it all in. So toxic ingredients in deodorant? That's a hard no. Want to know why Earth Mama deodorants don't contain fragrance? Learn more: https://earthmamaorganics.com/blog/no-f-word-fragrance-in-personal-care-products/ Get the new organic deodorants here!

Shop the Deodorants:

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Milk Friendly - the Button Down.

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Outfit Details:
Target Chambray Button Down Shirt (similar here and less expensive version here), Gap Eyelet Midi Skirt, Anthropologie Sandals (similar here), Mama & Little Alexa Teething Necklace

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Happy September, friends! I want to finish up this milk friendly series by sharing this super cute chambray button down top. I could go on and on about the versatility about this particular top, but I probably don't need to. It's obvious how useful a shirt like this is, right? You can wear it with quite literally anything - skirts, jeans, over dresses, under a tunic or sweater. I actually really love the denim on denim look. And it's suuuuuper milk friendly because you can unbutton and nurse so easily. I love this top and it was so worth the investment. Actually, I got mine from Target and I'm pretty sure it was under $30 but unfortunately it's no longer available - I've linked to a few similar styles below. Also, I've found that it's nice to have a button down like this one in one size larger than your normal size, just so that during those first few months with a newborn a top like this can still button up, if ya know what I mean ;) Also, this is the kind of top that transitions so beautifully into fall.

Happy Labor Day weekend, friends! Wear all the white you can!

Featured Piece:

Other Picks:

P.S. - If you're interested in other nursing-friendly essentials that you can shop in non-maternity stores, check out my posts on the tunic tee, the kimono and the cami dress.

Milk Friendly - the Kimono.

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Outfit Details:
PinkBlush Purple Lace Mesh Kimono c/o, Target Mossimo Supply Racerback Tank, Free People Bralette (similar here and here), Free People Roll Crop Jeans, Blowfish Wedges (similar here and here)

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We continue the conversation about nursing-friendly clothes! I have boiled down my wardrobe to a set of staple breastfeeding-friendly essentials that I rotate through and mix with my non-nursing clothing. Last week I chatted about my love for the basic tunic tee. Which brings me this week to kimonos - I love them! My sisters gifted me a few last year for my birthday which was the BEST gift, because you can easily transition these from maternity wear into nursing wear and regular everyday wear! You don't have to change sizes from maternity to non, so it really is such a versatile accessory that can make any outfit all the better. I love this particular kimono from PinkBlush because it's a twist on the traditional cardigan and made with a thinner, gauzy, lightweight fabric- which really helps when you're dealing with hormonal hot flashes and a sweaty baby nestled up against your body.

I like to pair a kimono like this one over practically everything in my wardrobe - it adds an extra layer that gives your nursing tees, nursing tanks or simple dresses that extra pop of fun. Plus, it provides extra coverage, especially over those dorky clip-down straps on nursing tanks. This one really caught my attention on the website because of all the fancy lacy detail, and also, it's purple, so it's like duh. So so pretty. Almost makes you forget about milk stains and baby spit up. Almost. I also really like this one, this one, this one and this one for the coming fall months. These would look so good with practically anything!

A quick note about PinkBlush - I have featured them here and here before and it's because they have trendy pieces that work for any stage of a woman's life. PinkBlush is known for maternity wear, but they also have great women's clothing, plus-sized clothing and nursing clothing. And so many of the pieces are transitional through different stages, which is obviously what we are all trying to do - making our clothes work for us!

Featured Piece:

Purple Lace Mesh Long Maternity Kimono - Pinkblush

Talk to me mamas! What is your biggest struggle with making your clothes work for nursing? I'd love to hear from you!

Many thanks to my friends at PinkBlush for sponsoring this post and sending me the product. All opinions expressed are, as always, completely my own.

7 months after.

It's been 7 months since I had my c-section with Daxton. It's hard to believe it's been that long. I have lived with pain at my incision site every single day since then. Every day. In the past month I can honestly say that the pain has subsided significantly and now it's only a twinge here and there. But it's been present with me, every day, reminding me of that ludicrous day and night of trying so badly to give birth to my boy.

We tried everything. Ultimately, my natural birth plan was rudely interrupted by an emergency c-section. I've come to terms with it. I am grateful, so very grateful. A hundred years ago my outcome might have looked very different. Thank goodness for modern medicine, truly. But I still can't believe it happened.

I can't believe that women, so very many of them, live with this kind of wound striping them forever. Having gone through this experience has given such an awakening, such an understanding and for what others have endured.

I have a new respect for the medical community and for how well cared for I was by my doctors and nurses. For real.

I'm more aware than ever of how very strong women are.

I'm astounded by how beautiful and terrifying and gracious childbirth is.

The thing about having babies and becoming a mother is that it changes you. Forever. All the things you once thought about parenthood and "what you will do" means nothing. All the moments of judgement you once had toward other parents - you will find yourself in their shoes. You will find yourself remembering how you once judged someone for shoving an iPhone in their child's hand when they were screaming in public. You realize it at the exact moment that you are doing the same thing. I'm not saying its right, I'm saying you will find yourself doing it though.

This journey has humbled me. I used to think people who had c-sections were weak. They couldn't give birth or didn't really have the will to finish the job. Of course, I didn't mean to have these judgements. Forgive me, all of you. These thoughts were based on ignorance (as most judgements are). But after my experience, I see now how wrong I was. I worked so hard for both of my baby boys. It's the hardest work I have ever done. I was so strong and so fierce and yet my outcomes with both of my babies were so different. Everett was born naturally without any pain medications after 36 long hours. Daxton was delivered via c-section after 24 hours of labor, and an escalation from no pain meds to an introduction of pitocin, an epidural and finally, the emergency surgery. In fact, I think I even worked even harder for Daxton and still had a c-section. Life is strange, friends. Babies are worth it, though.

The day you give birth, there is awe and wonder at the new life you just created. But there is very little celebrated about your new life - when you become a mom, you are getting a new identity. You are forever changed. And to be honest, giving birth is kind of like the hazing before you get into the mom club. I'm kidding (sort of). But it's hard to find time or energy to really celebrate your own new identity. It's all so different - the new feelings (aka crazy hormones that are running the show), the new body (that you're trying to get on board with and not have self-loathing toward), the instincts of protection and ferocious love and adoration for your squishy (in my case, hefty), little love.

Nothing can prepare you for parenthood. You're never ready. But I can say with certainty that any pre-concieved judgements I once had towards other mothers is totally gone. Whenever I see a mom barking at her child at the grocery store, I say a silent prayer for her. Who knows what kind of day she's had and what kind of pressure she's been under, the lack of sleep she's probably be living with, the overwhelm she must be feeling. Grace grace grace. Grace for all the mamas!

I saw a cool-looking mom the other day at Target. We were both checking out at different registers, and she was holding her infant while her toddler was pulling on her shirt, and she was swiping her credit card and loading bags into her buggy and she was just momming so hard. I hollered over to her, "You're doing it! You got this mama!" and without even a pause she put up her one free hand and hollered back, "You're doing it, too, mama! You're amazing!" and then we both went our separate ways. It was such an empowering, fun, warming moment with a complete stranger - I love the camaraderie of motherhood and the dissipation of competition. We are all in this together and I am so grateful for my baby boys who have introduced me to my best life - full of love and wonder and the fight for this good gift of life.

So to all of you mamas out there - you're doing it! You're amazing! You got this.