I don’t know about you, but I get really frustrated with kids toys these days. Not that there are so many of them in my house (there are), or that they’re so loud (they are), or that it makes my kids want to keep their eyes plastered to a screen all day (they totally would if I let them), but that I feel like so many of the toys my kids have don’t let them think outside the box. There’s one way to do things and kids don’t have the freedom to play and explore, which often means they quickly get bored with their toys and are begging to run to Target for more.
As a mom, sippy cups have become the bane of my existence. No kidding. I cannot even begin to tell you how big of a pain they are to clean (and that goes for bottles too, though we’re well past that stage). When the folks at Boon reached out to me to ask if I’d like to try their new SUDS Bottle Washer (which should really be called the SUDS Everything Washer!), my answer was “heck yeah!”.
A while back, a blogger buddy of mine (Sarah at Sweet Miles) posted a review of a product called Skoop. It sounded like something I would really love and would benefit me, but it was $60 a bag and that seemed like a lot to try something new.. until a week later when Skoop reached out to me after seeing my comment on Sarah’s blog to see if I’d be interested in trying Skoop for myself. I immediately replied saying “Yes, please!!” and anxiously awaited the package from them.
A few weeks ago, I was invited to a meet and greet at a new Tropical Smoothie Cafe location with the franchise owner and CEO Mike Rotondo. If you haven’t been to a Tropical Smoothie Cafe (it’s okay, I hadn’t!) lately, I suggest you stop in soon! Their big focus is inspiring healthy lifestyles through their better-for-you food and smoothies that combine flavor and nutrition. As more consumers are embracing healthy eating habits and fruits and vegetables are becoming central to their diets, Tropical Smoothie Café’s strong focus on healthy menu innovation using fresh fruit and vegetables could not be more relevant. They’ve been working on revamping the restaurants to make them more of a place where you want to stay, relax, and grab a bite to eat. They’re not just smoothies and they are doing some really great things with their menu!
If you’re like me, there’s a good chance that you’ve never heard of Earth Fare. I didn’t even know that they were coming to Jacksonville until I received an email asking if I’d like to come in and take a sneak peek at their store. After checking out their website, I was eager to head over and see what they had to offer! Actually, a better way to look at it is what they do NOT offer:
I’ll be honest, I stink at post-run refueling. I love to stretch and cool down and all of that, but I’ve had a hard time finding something that I like that’s easy to take with me (since I often do long runs away from home). When FitApproach and VegaSport offered to send me a sample of their Vega Sport Performance Protein to try out, I was all over it. Vega Sports goal is to help you Fuel Your Better and they have a wide array of products to help you do that – from pre-run energizers to post-run recovery accelerators.
It’s no secret around here that I love yoga. It’s the one form of exercise that I never dread and always look forward to doing. My gym recently cancelled my Wednesday night Power Yoga class and I’ve been struggling to practice on my own. I have a few DVDs, but I get bored doing the same routine over and over and they aren’t challenging to me anymore. One of the things I love about yoga is that your practice is your own, you make the poses your own and it’s a constant work in progress. Or at least it should be. With the few videos I have, that wasn’t happening anymore though. I was definitely in a rut.
First, I want to wish you a Happy National Running Day! Even though I haven’t been running much lately, I love being a part of the community. I’m sure my husband will agree, I’m a much happier person when running is a normal part of my routine! I run to help manage stress, to stay healthy, to become stronger, for my family, for me, and mostly to save my sanity. I’m not sure that I’ll have the chance to log any miles today – it’s a CRAZY day in the Smith house – but I hope you’re able to run a few for me!
I was super excited when the folks at Frozen Bean contacted me asking if I’d be interested in trying out their products. I’m a coffee-holic, almost to an embarrassing degree. Literally the first thing I do in the morning is walk from my bed to the keurig, to start my coffee. I don’t function without it. So trying out some new coffee goodies? Right up my alley! Here’s what they have to say about their products:
