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I may be a little late to the party, but my Love of Week is essential oils. Though people have been using oils for a while, I had started using them until recently. I suffer from seasonal allergies. I have tried many things and have quite a routine in the morning. Earlier this year, my sister recommended I try essential oils. I ordered myself a diffuser, some oils marketed to help with allergies, and gave it a try. I am happy to report; I LOVED it!
I bought the diffuser on Amazon. I decided on the VicTsing Essential Oil Diffuser. I wanted something quiet, with an extended mist output and a diffuser acting as a cool-mist humidifier.
- It is a 500 ml diffuser that runs up to 14 hours on low mist mode and 7 hours on high mist mode.
- It is quiet and turns off automatically when the water runs out.
- It has a high/low button to choose the proper setting time.
- The diffuser has soothing LED lights to act as a night light.
- Made from BPA-free material.
As for oils, I went with a company called Revive.
I wanted something that was 100% all-natural. As you can imagine, some companies market their products as 100% all-natural, and they are not. All of REVIVE’s Oils are 100% pure therapeutic grade, free from any additives, adulterants, fillers, synthetics, or dilutions. REVIVE also has a 100% money-back guarantee. I love companies that stand by their products.
I started with the Peppermint, Lavender, and Lemon to concoct my own allergy-fighting blend. As I learned more about the oils, I discovered REVIVE makes the blends for you. I am currently using the Allergy Relief oil at night. It consists of Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Peppermint, and Lavender. It eases congestion and soothes allergies. On the days I work from home or hanging around the house, I diffuse Energy or Lemon. REVIVE Energy is a blend of Lavender, Sweet Orange, Osmanthus Extract, Amyris, Litsea, Ylang, Ylang, and Violet. Lemon is an antioxidant and has antibacterial properties to help detoxify and boost the immune system. Since I began using essential oils, I have seen significant improvement. I still take a daily allergy med and perform a sinus rinse, but I feel better overall since I started diffusing the oils.
I have a number of other blends. I have one for headache relief, one for sleeping, and one for digestion. All of them have worked pretty well, some more than others. I find with my headaches, I have to time it right or else it is too late.
What about you? Do you use essential oils? I would love to hear your thoughts.
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I love to read. I always have and, at times, can’t get enough of it. After hours of reading for class, I would curl up with a good book to relax, even in law school. Once I had kids, my reading slowed down a bit. I could no longer read at the beach or in my back yard when the boys were running all over the place. I was so tired at night; I would fall asleep 3-4 pages into the book. I also found my attention span was not there. I would be reading, and my mind would drift to all the other things I should be doing. Or I would easily become distracted by something, anything. I could go months without reading a book. Then I discovered Audible.
Per their website, “Audible is an online audiobook and podcast platform owned by Amazon.com Inc. The service allows users to purchase and stream audiobooks and other forms of spoken word content; this content can be purchased individually or under a subscription model where the user receives “credits” that can be spent on content monthly, and receive access to a curated on-demand library of content. Audible is the United States’ largest audiobook producer and retailer.”
Audible has been a game-changer for me. A friend introduced me to the streaming service about three years ago. I started to listen to audiobooks on my commute to and from the office. It was a great way to decompress before arriving home for the night. It was a game-changer when training for my 1st marathon back in 2017. A 20-mile training run in December was a bit more manageable when listening to a James Patterson novel. It allowed me to reacquaint myself with many of my favorite authors. I love using this app so much I listen when cooking, cleaning my house, at the grocery store, and more. Since 2017, I have read 104 books on Audible.
How does it work?
Audible has two memberships. There is their monthly membership, Audible Plus. It includes access to unlimited streaming and listening from the Audible Plus Catalog. The second membership is Audible Premium Plus. This includes everything in Audible Plus, with the bonus of 1 credit per month to be used to redeem any title from our Premium selections. Also included in this membership is a 30% discount for any additional content you purchase from the Premium catalog. I have the Premium Plus membership and pay $14.95 a month. In addition, Audible offers additional credits, three at a time, for $35.88. That is $11.96 per credit. New releases are often much more expensive than $11.96. I have taken advantage of this many times over the years.
Is this the only way I enjoy my books? No! I still read books, whether it be on my Nook or a physical book. I make sure I switch between the two during the week. It is essential for brain health to read the written word. Audible has enabled me to embark on my second reading challenge. In 2019 I challenged myself to read/listen to 25 books. I read 32. This year I have set a goal of 50 books. I have read 38. With 12.5 half weeks left in the year, I have plenty of time to reach my goal. A few of my favorite authors have or will be releasing books this month. Half of them I pre-ordered on Audible and half on them on my Nook.
- Return to Virgin River by Robyn Carr
- Didn’t See That Coming by Rachel Hollis
- A Time for Mercy by John Grisham
- The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly
It is going to be a fun few months reading all my favorites.
Whar are you currently reading?
I am a runner. Running is what I love to do. However, running alone can not get me to my goals. Running alone, for me, leads to injury. All runners need to incorporate cross-training and strength training. It makes us stronger and helps prevent injuries.
So then, why the heck was I not doing it? Time, laziness, boredom, or possibly all three? When COVID-19 hit back in March, and we were told to work from home and to shelter in place, I thought I would have all the time in the world. Well, I did, and I decided to prioritize other things. Well, no more!
For me to be a stronger runner and overall in better shape, I needed to do something other than running. A few friends of mine had been working out to a boxing program, and it looked pretty fun. After 100 days of working from home, wearing a mask when out, graduations, and travel plans canceled, it would feel good to punch something.
The program is six weeks long. Joel (the trainer) leads you through 3 days of boxing training and two days of strength-building workouts with weights for a total of 5 days a week. There are no bags or people to hit; it is shadowboxing.
The boxing workouts with conditioning drills are broken up into ten rounds, 3 minutes each, and progress over the six weeks. The two days of weightlifting workouts include one day of the upper body and lower bodywork.
I am finishing up week two tomorrow, and I am sore! I can already feel the difference in my shorts. I can feel my core getting stronger, as is my running. The most important thing, it keeps me engaged, and I do not dread the workouts. I actually found something, besides running, that I like.
If you are interested in 10 Rounds, you can access on Beachbody on Demand. Beachbody on Demand (BOD) is a streaming service that provides hundreds of workouts to help people achieve their health and fitness goals. BOD can be streamed on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Members can also stream BOD through a TV using Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast, or via the Beachbody On Demand app for iOS and Android. Apple Watch users can stream their workouts on their iPhone or iPad, and Apple Watch will project real-time heart rate and caloric burn on those screens. Take a peek.
10 Rounds for the knockout win!
In mid-March, life as we know it came to a screeching halt. Schools were closed, non -essential businesses shut down. Many of us were asked to work from home, homeschool our kids for the first time and social distance from everyone we know and love. These are stressful times.
So how do you release your stress? A significant stress reliever for me is exercise. Exercise lifts my mood and helps me keep a clear head. Running is my anti-depressant of choice for the reasons I just described and many more. If you would like to read more about the mental benefits of exercise, you can do so here.
Perhaps you are not a runner. Or maybe you like the gym and desperately missing it right now. Even though I run, I have to incorporate strength training in my routine to prevent injury. How do I do this? From the comfort of my own home.
Beachbody on Demand (BOD) is a streaming service that provides hundreds of workouts to assist people in achieving their health and fitness goals. BOD can be streamed on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. Members can also stream BOD through a TV using Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, and Chromecast, or via the Beachbody On Demand app for iOS and Android. Apple Watch users can stream their workouts on their iPhone or iPad, and Apple Watch will project real-time heart rate and caloric burn on those screens. Take a peek.
This is the perfect alternative to the gym, and I feel I have not skipped a beat in my fitness journey. Also, for those of you looking for help with nutrition, BOD includes easy to follow nutrition plans. Click here to get started. I love my membership, hence why it is my love of the week!
This post may contain affiliate links, and I may earn compensation when you click on the links at no additional cost to you.
I have a confession to make. I use to hate sleep. I thought it was a colossal waste of time. There was always so much to do, and sleep was not one of them. I blame law school. While in law school fulltime, I worked three jobs. In addition to that, I needed to keep my B average. One can not do this while sleeping! I averaged 4 hours a night. It became a habit. Then I turned 40.
40 happens to be when I started running. What began as me wanting to lose a few pounds became much, much more. I fell in love with running and wanted to make sure I was always feeling my best. To accomplish this, I learned sleep was so important. I made an effort to get at least 6 hours but aimed for 7 hours of sleep a night. It was working well. Fast forward to last summer. I was now 47 and started to experience changes in my sleep. I had some trouble falling asleep. The quality of sleep was not great. I was not able to fall into that deep sleep that is important.
During one of my runs, I was listening to a podcast. The hosts, both women, were talking about sleep and what has helped them. One of the products was Nuun Rest.
Nuun Rest is part of the Nuun family of products. Nuun is a hydrating beverage without all the extra additives and sugars. It’s product offerings originally were for sports hydration, but have expanded to everyday hydration. Nuun Rest is a blend of magnesium, potassium, and tart-cherry. Tart cherry has shown to reduce muscle soreness and improve sleep quality. It increases the level of melatonin and helps improve the quality of sleep and duration. Magnesium has shown to relax the body and to aid with sleep. Since I started drinking Nuun Rest, my time in deep sleep has increased. I feel more rested in the morning. According to one study, we need between anywhere between 1.5 to 1.8 hours of deep sleep a night. This is roughly 20% of our overall sleep. Like the other Nuun products, Nuun Rest is vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. It comes in Blackberry Vanilla and Lemon Chamomille. I love the Blackberry Vanilla. One tablet of Nuun Rest has ten calories and 1 gram of sugar. Mix it with 8 ounces of water and you are good to go.
I have been taking Nuun Rest every night for the last six months. I am hitting my deep sleep target about 99% of the time. It has been a game-changer for me. For those of you wondering, I am still not a fan of sleep, but we have agreed to co-exist. 🙂
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It is the middle of December. Winter is about a week away, and snowy days are upon us. Well, at least for those of us that live in the north! One of my favorite things to do after a long day at work is to snuggle up with a good book and a nice cup of tea. For those of you in the south, this may be a lovely iced tea.
Now, it can’t be just any tea. Over the years, I have developed a taste for loose leaf tea. Loose-leaf teas are more flavorful and overall better quality. Loose leaf tea tends to be larger than the tea in a teabag. The tea in a tea bag is broken down or crushed. Therefore, the essential oils in the tea, which give the tea flavor, is destroyed. The loose leaf tea is allowed to circulate in the boiling water, swells, therefore, giving off a robust flavor.
When my favorite tea shop closed, I had to seek out an alternative. Thankfully, it did not take me long. Last Christmas, my sister introduced me to David’s Tea. David’s Tea started back in 2008 in Toronto, Canada. Today, there are over 230 stores over Canada, and the U.S. David’s Tea has over 100 flavors. This includes traditional teas, exotic infusions from around the world, exclusive blends, pure and flavored matcha, unique blends, and limited edition seasonal collections. David’s also boasts the most extensive selection of organic teas and infusions in North America.
You can buy as little as 2 ounces or as much as 40 ounces of a flavor of tea. The teas come in a container, as shown above, or in a resealable pouch. The smaller tins are magnetic. They stack nicely on top of one another and stay put. As you can see, I have a variety of flavors. Now that the seasons are changing, I will be ordering some seasonable flavors. There is a maple chai I have my eye on. Speaking of flavors, David’s Tea has some fantastic teas for the holidays. I highly recommend their Candy Cane.
It has white chocolate chips, candy snowflakes, and pieces of crushed candy cane. It makes for a delicious after-dinner treat without the guilt.
In addition to teas, Davids sells accessories to go with the tea. There are mugs, travel mugs, rock candy sugars, steepers, ice tea pitchers, infusers, and more. It has everything for your tea needs.
Tell me, are you a tea drinker? What is your favorite flavor? Share below as I am always looking for a new tea to try.
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Whoa, it is the middle of August! Say what? Where did the summer go? It has been a busy one for sure. I am typing this post from my hotel room in Huntsville, AL. My youngest son, Nicholas, is attending Space Camp at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center for the week. I can’t wait to see him on Friday and hear all about it. Last month we were in North Carolina, and next week we head to Disney World for the opening of Galaxy’s Edge.
Before the summer is a thing of the past, I wanted to share a couple of my new favorite products. These mainly come in handy when dealing with this HOT weather. Hence why I have entitled this post, Love of the Week- Summer Edition.
My first Love of the Week is Nuun. Nuun is a hydrating beverage without all the extra additives and sugars. It’s product offerings originally were for sports hydration, but have expanded to everyday hydration. I use a few different Nuun products and love each one for various reasons.
First, I use Nuun Sport during all my long runs and for when I run in weather 85 degrees or higher.
Nuun Sport is a blend of electrolytes and minerals. It aids in muscle function, helps burn energy efficiently, and may aid with muscle cramps. I use one tablet for every 16 ounces of water. I drink it as I run, and it not only does it keep me hydrated, but it gives me the energy to keep going. Nuun Sport comes in 13 different flavors. It is vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. Each tablet is 10-15 calories with 1-2 grams of sugar depending on the flavor. A much better alternative to other sports drinks on the market.
The second product I love is Nuun Immunity. Nuun Immunity is a blend of botanicals and electrolytes for ongoing immune health. I use it a few days prior to travel, on the plane, right before we head home, and for a few days after that. It assists in warding off any of the germs I may have picked up along the way. Each tablet has 15 calories and 2 grams of sugar. It is vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. There are two flavors, Blueberry Tangerine and Orange Citrus. The Blueberry Tangerine is my favorite.
The third and final product I use from the Nuun family is Nuun Rest. Nuun Rest is a blend of magnesium, potassium, and tart-cherry. Tart cherry has been shown to reduce muscle soreness and improve sleep quality. It increases the level of melatonin and helps improve the quality of sleep and duration. Magnesium has shown to relax the body and to aid with sleep. Since I started drinking Nuun Rest, my time in deep sleep has increased. I feel more rested in the morning. According to one study we need between anywhere between 1.5 to 1.8 hours of deep sleep a night. This is roughly 20% of our overall sleep. Like the other Nuun products, Nuun Rest is vegan, kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. It comes in Blackberry Vanilla and Lemon Chamomille. I love the Blackberry Vanilla. This has ten calories and 1 gram of sugar.
My second Love of the Week also has to do with hydration. It is my new hydration vest by Nathan. Unfortunately, I was only able to wear it once before I got injured. However, I love it and look forward to using it again.
As you can see from the photo, it is worn like a vest, with the 1.5L hydration bladder sits in the back. It has front storage for fuel and phone. There are other pockets to carry all sorts of things. It is adjustable and has soft material to prevent chafing. Once the bladder is full, the vest weighs 9.5oz. It was extremely comfortable when running.
There you have it, my Love of the Week Summer Edition. With the start of the school year, I already have a list of products I want to try. We will have to see if they end up being one of my Loves of the Week.
Hi everyone! It has been a while since I have posted my Love of the Week. Summer has gotten off to a crazy start. We have been busy every weekend. It is all good and I think I now have some sort of writing schedule figured out.
Today I want to share with you a fantastic product that has been a game changer in terms of my nutrition. Seven years ago, I started my running journey. Three years into my journey, I realized I needed to do more than just run to continue building my stamina and strength. I reached out to a friend, who is a health and fitness coach. She recommended a strength training program called PiYo. At the same time, she inquired about my nutrition. I thought my diet was okay, but I was triggering a migraine every time I ran over 6 miles at a time. It was not only annoying but would keep me down for the remainder of the day.
So what is it? The product is called Shakeology. It is filled with vitamins, nutrients, and minerals to support a healthy body. It has protein and fiber, so it fills me up and helps keep my cravings at bay. It has antioxidants to help keep me healthy, pre and probiotics, along with digestive enzymes to help with digestion. I have included more information about there product here.
Though I do not know the exact ingredient that has helped to keep the headaches away, I know it is there, and it has been a lifesaver. Nowadays, I tend not to drink my shake, instead, I made a nightly treat out of it. I have a sweet tooth and always crave something sweet after dinner. I discovered Shakeology ice cream. I take a packet of the chocolate Shakeology, mix it with a little water, just enough to give it the consistency of brownie batter, add a tsp. of peanut butter and stick it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Viola! A nice sweet, refreshing treat to be enjoyed.
I may add a squirt or two of fat-free whipped cream and some sprinkles for some extra goodness.
Shakeology for the win!
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Happy June! Summer is upon us, and you know that means summertime travel! I am sure many of you are looking forward to some weekend escapes this summer. Or perhaps you are a light traveler and don’t want or require a lot of luggage. The more I travel, the more I try to consolidate and try to keep the packing to a minimum. It has been a bit easier with my discovery of the TLS Mother Lode Weekend Convertible by ebags. This backpack has changed the way I travel.
With this bag, I can bring everything I need without having to check a bag. The bag is lightweight at almost 4lbs. It fits nicely in the overhead bin on the plane.. It comes equpped with a fold down shelf and a divider to separate items. It is roomy inside and my packing cubes fit perfectly
There is a padded sleeve for a laptop, several interior pockets for documents and keys, and an expandable and stowable water bottle pocket.
It also comes with stowable back straps and a removable padded shoulder strap.
There is so much to this bag. In my opinion, you really can’t go wrong with this bag. Hence why it is this week’s Love of the Week!
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It is that time again. I promise you, this week’s love of the week is not a hair product. Though, it does go around your head.
I don’t know about you, but I when I run, clean the house, or want to drown out my kids (only kidding!), I want to grab a pair of earbuds and listen to some music, a podcast or an audiobook. However, earbuds drive me crazy. After a while, they become very uncomfortable. As I sweat, they fall out of my ears and I have to keep readjusting them. I can’t hear anything else around me. This is a concern of mine when out running. I want and need to be aware of my surroundings. The solution?? AfterShokz !
AfterShokz are bone conduction headphones. Sound is vibrations. The vibrations travel through the air to our eardrums. With a bone conduction headphones, the sound is vibrating against the cheekbone, sending the vibrations to the inner ear, bypassing the ear canal. As you can see from the photo, the transducers sit against the cheekbones outside the ear canal. There is nothing blocking the ear canal, causing discomfort. Again, with nothing blocking the ear canal, one can still hear everything around them. I am very aware of when a car pulls up, someone is walking behind me, etc.
There a few different models. I own the Trek Air. I had the Trek Titanium, but stepped on them and they snapped. I went with the Trek Air because they are smaller. I also wanted a fun color and loved this color red.
The headphones are wireless, light, have a 6-hour battery life and are sweatproof. I have worn them in the rain, though please do not submerge in water or leave out in bad weather. I have worn them in the gym and even with all the noise there, could hear perfectly fine. I have even taken a phone call or two on them. Often times, I have come home from a run and forget I had them on long after I have turned them off, they are that comfortable.
If you are ever in the market for a pair of headphones, I highly recommend AfterShokz. I will never go back to earbuds again!
Shop Aftershokz Headphones Today!
Shop The Trekz Air Tech Bundle at Aftershokz.com!
Shop The Trekz Titanium Adventure Bundle at Aftershokz.com!
