A Positive Attitude Helps With Fitness and Diet

I am so not a morning person!

  My day usually starts with me having a pep talk in my head about getting out of bed. I have to set my alarm clock thirty minutes early from the time I want to get out of bed. My husband hops out of bed when his alarm goes off at 5:45 AM but mine alarm goes off at 6 Am and I don’t get out of bed until 6:30 AM. My pep talk goes like this “I could sleep for another hour and skip running today” but then I say this to  myself “ running helps wake up your brain and you work so much better, it also helps you think of what to write.” In fact, I thought of this post while I was running. It amazing how many positive thoughts come to me while running. I always struggle with getting out of bed in the morning but once I getting running, I am always thankful that I did.

  While I was running I thought of how being positive with our diet goes a long way. Making one good choice leads to better choices throughout the day. For example, choose a glass of water instead of that soda or eat wheat crackers instead of chips. When you eat something unhealthy, like a dish of ice cream, one needs to be positive then. Enjoy the ice cream and then make your next food choice healthy as being negative leads to eating more junk and before you know it you ate a whole bag of cookies.

  I like to also be positive in taking supplements. I take healthy joint supplements that will help me keep running. The positive is taking supplements before problems arise. I already take turmeric and glucosamine as I want to be the person who is still running at age 80. I recently added another supplement to my daily routine that helps maintain healthy and flexible joints. I recently learned about how GOPO is a supplement that can also be good for my joints so I decided to give it a try. GOPO is different as it is made from Rosehips.

 Research shows that rosehips have Galactolipids ( the fruit of the rose) that helps

Maintain mobility*

Maintain flexibility*

Support healthy collagen formation*

Maintain healthy connective tissue*

Reduce tiredness and fatigue associated with aging joints*

Aid restful sleep*

  Now I don't have on going joint pain at this time but in the past, I have had a couple of injuries that cause some mild joint pain several times a month. In the past year and a half, I tore one hamstring and the later pulled another. The torn hamstring has completely healed but the pulled hamstring still flares up several times a month. The hamstring that I pulled causes me mild pain/stiffness about once a week when I am running. I also experience pain and stiffness when I stretch that hamstring. I can just hear my husband's voice saying "then don't stretch it" but I need to or it will hurt after I run. 

 I have been using for GOPO for 3 weeks to see what this supplement could do. I knew that since it was natural, it would not hurt me. I liked what I read about GOPO so I started taking it to keep my joints healthy as I want to continue running. I just added the yellow capsules to my other daily supplements and took them twice a day. I really did not notice anything different during my day or during running. After about four weeks, I was stretching my hamstring one day and I noticed that it did not hurt when I raised it up. I thought, this is strange, I am able to raise my left leg as high as my right without any stiffness or pain. The light bulb went off in my head later that day when I was taking my GOPO capsules. I wondered if the GOPO was the reason, I was able to stretch my hamstring without pain? I read the box and saw that it helps with flexibility and connective tissue. I then realize it had to be the GOPO. Simply amazing as I have had this problem for over year and just thought I would have to live with it. I was happy that a natural supplement helped! Thank goodness the bottle of GOPO has 200 capsules in and that will last me for quite some time. Want to know more about this GOPO supplement that I am taking? Then visit http://www.gowithgopo.com/ to learn more. This supplement may help you with joint pain. My experience with trying supplements has always been me giving it a chance for a month to see if it works. Not every supplement is going to help everyone but you will never know if it can help you if you don't try it.

                       You can find this supplement at Vitamin Shope, Vitamin World, and online.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.

         

Giveaway
 Want to win a bottle of GOPO  so you too can have healthy joints? Then enter this giveaway for a chance to win! Three people will each win a container of GOPO.

This giveaway is open to US residents 18 years of age or older.  Chances of winning this giveaway depend on the number of entries. All entries will be verified. The winner will be notified within 24 hours of the end of the contest and will then have 48 hours to respond to the email or a new winner will be chosen. Void where prohibited

Entry-Form

Red Vines Made Simple

Red Vines is now made with real cane sugar and no artificial colors or flavors!

 I love when a childhood favorite candy becomes a feel-good treat. When I have a sweet tooth to satisfy, I am glad that Red Vines Made Simple put an all-natural twist on their Red Vines. This delicious licorice is made with just five simple non-GMO ingredients. This mom can say yes to a treat when it is made with real sugar (yea to no high-fructose corn syrup!) I really love that this licorice gets its flavor from natural berries and its color from radish extract. I no longer have to worry about those questionable red dyes. They also no longer have that wax taste that I remember.

  My boys were excited when we received a couple of packages of Red Vines in the mail. They could not wait to have a taste of the yummy sweet. I just had to have a taste too and I was surprised at how the licorice reminded me of the original Red Vines. The vines had a nice chew and in my opinion a better berry flavor. I sure did enjoy this guilt-free treat as they were fat-free!

My boys decided to use the Red Vines as straws in their glasses of water. They told me that their water tasted like cherries.

  You can find this sweet simple treat on Amazon and in select retail stores. So make sure to grab a pack or two the next time you are out shopping. In my house, the two packages that receive were gone in a day as they were that good.

                                                      http://www.redvines.com/

National Backpack Program

                             It is almost time for the kids to go back to school!

  The beginning of the school year for most kids can be quite exciting as it is a time for new item school items. I know my boys get excited for back to school shopping. My boys love to select new shoes and new backpacks. These new items in return help them get excited about returning to school. For many kids, new items are not a reality for them. For some families, money is tight and these kids are unable to come to school with the basic essentials that are needed for learning. 

  Office Depot wants all kids to have a fair chance when it comes to learning. The Office Depot Foundation for the past 17 years has donated more than 4 million Sackpacks to children around the world. These colorful sackpacks include some basic school supplies so kids are able to have a fair chance when it comes to learning.This summer Office Depot, Inc. will be donating 100,000 colorful new sackpacks to nonprofit organizations, schools, and agencies across the United States and internationally. The foundation will also be hosting some back to school celebrations in select cities in the U.S. in July and August. It is amazing how a simple sackpack can get a child excited about going back to school.

This year, in addition to donating sackpacks to children who need them most, the Foundation is highlighting the importance of STEM and STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) programs in our nation’s schools. To encourage kids to explore these important curriculums, the Foundation has partnered with Captain Vernice “FlyGirl” Armour, America’s first African American female combat pilot, who will make special guest appearances at the Foundation’s Back-To-School celebrations in Los Angeles and Chicago.

      Sponsored Post: I was sent sackpacks from Office Depot to help promote this program.

   The Office Depot Foundation also sent me some of these awesome sackpacks and school supplies so my boys and I can bless a child in need. The school that my boys attend is a title one school so I know that there are many kids who come from families where the money is tight. My boys and I will donate these awesome sackpacks to the school's clothing bank so other kids can have some necessary school supplies this school year

More information about the National Backpack Program can be found on the Office Depot Foundation’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/officedepotfoundation. To learn more about the Office Depot Foundation and its initiatives, go to www.officedepotfoundation.org/. 

Check out the Office Depot Foundation on Twitter and Instagram

                                                          #ODFcare

  I love that these specially designed, drawstring-style sackpacks come in bright and fun colors. Each one includes a zippered pouch containing a pen, pencil, pencil sharpener, eraser, six-inch ruler, and four crayons.

FREE KIND Single Bar

FREE KIND Single Bar Receive ONE (1) FREE KIND Single Bar, any variety (1.2 - 1.6 oz.). Available in most stores.

Exp 08/27/2017

This Friday, August 11th, 2017– ONLY, you can load a coupon to your Kroger (or Affiliate) Plus Card for a FREE KIND Single Bar.

Although 08/11/2017 is the only day that you can load the coupon, the coupon offer is redeemable through 08/27/2017

              https://kroger.softcoin.com/programs/kroger/freefri/

Are you Prepared for The Unexpected?

You never expect an emergency to happen to your family but you need to be prepared.

                          Sponsored post: I received compensation from My Patriot Supply to facilitate this post.

  I live in a desert so wild fires are quite common here. We don't get much rain so the land is always dry. Dry land can easily go up in flames with the littlest spark from something as simple as a lit cigarette. Most of the wild fires that have happened in the past were not near my home but there was one that was five miles away several years ago. Thankfully that one was put out quickly. Even though that fire was put out in a couple of hours, we still had to close all our windows as the smoke from the fire was not good to breathe. For the most part, the wild fires just force us to stay indoors as the smoke is not good to breathe. I count myself lucky that there has never been a fire close to my house. That does not mean there never will be as the dry ground is one spark away from an emergency situation for my family.

  This has got me to thinking, am I prepared for an emergency? I realized that I have some work to do.  I realized that I need to make an emergency kit that I can grab if my family needs to evacuate the house. I also started thinking, do I have supplies on hand if we are forced to stay inside for several days/weeks. How are we going to eat? Sure I have lots of can goods and a freezer filled with food. The problem is the power may go out and the freezer food won't last long. Also, how am I going to cook my food? What about water? Do I have enough for everyone for several days?

What about lights?
What would I do at night when the power is out? Thankfully my husband likes to camp so we have plenty of lanterns in the garage. Now I just need to make them easy to find and stock up on batteries.

What if the emergency happened in the winter?
That got me to thinking how would we stay warm? We have plenty of sleeping bags that are made for cold temperatures. We could also set up tents inside to utilize body heat. I should get some of those instant heat packs, the hand warmer ones. 

A disaster could last days, weeks or even longer. So I realized maybe I need to think about getting some food that has long shelf life. An emergency food kit that takes up little space and can be grabbed quickly in case we have to evacuate would be best. Food kits are great but what about disasters that last longer than several months. Through my searching, I discovered that there are emergency seed vaults. That would then help my family to have food for much longer periods.


So are you prepared for an emergency?
 Do you have any tips for being prepared for emergencies that you could share? I would love to hear your thoughts.

A Stress-Free Move With A Newborn ... Can It Be Done?

Picture Credit

Speak to any midwife or health professional who is dealing with small babies, and they will tell you that the most likely time that somebody is due to move is shortly before or a couple of years after the birth of their first child. Some even attempt to do it with a newborn, although this is usually down to circumstance rather than personal choice. But what are the things that you need to make sure that is covered when moving with a small child?

Rope In Help

There are usually offers plenty of people who are willing to help you move house, and you need to actually take them up on it - don’t be too polite to decline their offer and think that you can do it all by yourself. It’s not a case of too many cooks spoil the broth in this instance; you’ll find that it gives you more time to sort out your child and prioritize the essential things that need doing rather than fiddling around with menial tasks. These such jobs can be left to those who have offered to give up their time for you.

Pay For Delivery

With every new house comes new furniture. Instead of taking trips out to pick it all up, arrange for delivery from a site such as https://www.shiply.com to courier what you need to you. The same goes for employing help in terms of moving vans to get everything that you already have from one house to the other. It really does pay for itself in regards to the amount of stress that it saves you, especially if you are trying to stick to a routine with a new baby. The more time that you can dedicate to a peaceful and relaxing move, the more of these vibes that you will pass onto your baby; they pick up on more than you know, and will not appreciate any unnecessary disruption.

Keep The Essentials Out

Don’t pack away absolutely everything - keep out the essentials that you need to get through your day smoothly with your baby. They’re quite demanding little things and do need a plethora of stuff around them to keep them clean, fed and happy, but it can be streamlined if you’re organized enough to plan exactly what you need - a quick guide can be found at http://blog.upack.com/posts/complete-guide-to-moving-with-a-baby. Remember to keep boxes that you have packed full of their things on hand so you can quickly access anything that you need to get out.

Get Their Space Sorted First

As long as you get the most important room - the room where the baby is sleeping  - sorted, everything else can fall into place around there. There’s no point in trying to disrupt their routine to get everything else sorted.

So yes - if you have a happy baby, you will have a happy move; there’s a lot that can be done when your baby is settled and rested in a safe space, so leave the more complicated bits until they’re asleep. You’ll be patting yourself on the back for it later - it can be done!