Baby Product Review: The Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Seat

When Elijah was getting close to the 3 month mark, he started intensely trying to sit up.  He was no longer interested in laying down and always wanted to be propped up in our laps or against pillows on the couch.  I figured a baby chair would be so fun for him!  I immediately thought of getting him a Bumbo, because, honestly, it's really the only baby seat I'd heard much about until I started looking around intentionally for it.  

Once I saw the Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Seat and all it's features, I knew I had to try it out.  It had a few key things the Bumbo seemed to lack like a tray and the ability to grow with your little one.  I was sold and we've been using it, mainly during playtime, for about 2 weeks so I thought I'd let y'all know how we're liking it so far. 

A few of the features of the Ingenuity Baby Base 2-in-1 Booster Seat: 

-It has a tray that stores beneath the seat, which is great, because it takes up less storage space.  The tray's super easy to put on and off the chair.  It also has a cup holder, which will come in handy down the road. The only downside is the tray compartment's a little tight, so watch your fingers when you're putting it back in there. 

-There's a soft foam insert, similar to the feeling of a Bumbo chair, that can be removed as your kiddo grows from infant to toddler. The insert is super simple to remove, but we're ways off from having a toddler so we're keeping it in there for now. 

-It has a 3 point harness so you can secure your baby in the seat.  Eli still tips over a bit in the seat, so it's nice that there's a strap just in case my reflexes aren't on point. It even has an additional strap that can attach to a dining chair, which, I think, would make it great for traveling....especially when he's a toddler and we don't want to lug a highchair everywhere we go. 

-It's also super light and easy to clean with a little soap and water....or Clorox wipes, which are my fav!

To purchase this awesome little chair, click HERE.  You can also find it tons of places in-store like Target, WalMart, etc. 

My Postpartum Weight Loss Journey: Part 3

Welp, I did it....I survived Week 1 of P90X!!  The program it's self wasn't even the hardest part, it was actually the life that was happening around it.  Accepting my new postpartum body where it is right now, learning how to relax more (I'm generally a go-er...I like to constantly be doing something, but in this season of life I have got to get some mental rest time.) and the emotions around the loss of my brother that I've tried to keep deep down have managed to bubble over making me somewhat of a frazzled, hot mess, but I made it through the week.

I think my word for this season of life is GRACE...giving myself grace and those around me. God gives it to us so freely and loves us in spite of all our faults and failures. Sometimes allowing that grace to soak in can be so tough, but I've realized that's where I'm struggling so it's time to work on letting grace win out.

Now it's on to Week 2, but first let's do a little recap of how things are going so far:

Starting Weight: 174

Current Weight: 171

Pounds Lost: 3 Woohoo!!!

I'm keeping track of my weight loss on the Fatsecret app....I stopped tracking my food there though, because I'm eating a lot of the same stuff and I'm not tracking calories any more. I'm just following the P90X meal plan.

Overview of last week:  

Monday- WOW....I knew I was out of shape, because I hadn't worked out much at all over the last year, but I couldn't even do 1 assisted pull up. That was humbling!! BUT I kept trying and did my best. We worked out earlier in the evening and it was so scalding hot in our garage that we only last 20 mins, but I decided to be ok with that....because I knew if I let it get me down, I might just stop trying all together and I definitely don't want that.  This is also the first day I stuck to healthy eating 100% so I still have plenty to be proud of.

Tuesday-  What a whirlwind day this was....I had a super emotional day missing my brother, the dogs were beyond horrible and everything ran late.  We ended up eating Mexican food and skipping our workout, because by the time we were actually able to fit in a workout it was almost 8:30pm and I have to wake up a little after 4am, so that was a no go.  My meal plan was pretty good though, minus the Mexican food for dinner.

Wednesday- Stuck to my meal plan 100%....woohoo!!! Feels sooo good to know I'm sticking with it (even after the dinner the night before). This time, the hubs and I managed to complete the ENTIRE workout and my arms felt so sore in a good way. I oddly missed that after workout burn.  I think I could even up my weights from 5-10lbs on some of the exercises next week.

I also said no to cupcakes at work today and was pretty proud, because pregnant Kendra probably would have had 2. HAHA  Progress is happening in little choices each day.  Ohh and I also got a ton of encouragement from my last blog post today and that really motivated me.

Thursday-  Another day of sticking to my meal plan 100%. The hubs made BBQ baked chicken breast for dinner and they sure hit the spot.  I've also been saving my serving of dairy for an after dinner dessert of strawberry banana yogurt the past few days and that's really helped to keep the evening hunger at bay.  Breastfeeding was making me so hungry in the beginning that I morphed into a late night snacker....brownie bites, fruit snacks, chocolate milk, etc.  No more middle of the night junk food for this girl!!

At work, I chatted with someone, who didn't know me prepregnancy, when she saw my ID badge she gasped "That's you?! You were so tiny!"  ('WERE' being the operative word...lol)  It honestly felt like a gut punch to be reminded of how far I still have to go, but it was also extra motivation to keep moving forward.

Yoga was on the workout schedule for this day, but I took the day off to watch a movie with the hubby and get in bed by 8:30pm....and I'm not gonna lie, it felt soooo good!

Friday- I decided to weigh myself first thing this morning and was stoked to see 171.6lbs on the scale, It's actually moving in the right direction. This was just the motivation I needed before kicking off the weekend! ((And to help me say NO to the free Chickfila everyone's having today at work.) Stuck to my meal plan 100% yet again...yay!

Saturday- Went out for breakfast with the hubs and instead of indulging I just got oatmeal, a cup of fruit and some egg whites.  So yummy!  No workout, but my meal plan was on point. The day kind of flew by so I ate one snack in the car on the way to church and another during church, but hey, I was hungry! lol

Sunday- Weighed in this morning and I lost .6 more lbs for a total of 3 pounds this week. Such an awesome start!! So excited I've stuck with it...makes me so motivated to keep it up.  The hubs and I went to Target and I got 3 new workout outfits and 2 new sports bras to celebrate and tide me over till I loose more and my pre-pregnancy workout clothes fit again. Such a great end to Week 1!

We also got the Ninja Cooking System while we were at Target.  We have a Ninja blender already and love it.  The hubs has been doing the majority of the cooking since Eli made his debut and he was wanting something that would add variety to our healthy meals while saving time too.  If you'd like me to do a review, let me know....so far we're loving it!  We had steamed fish for dinner using it last night and it was delish!!

This week we only ate out twice, which is a great start, and one of the times I even stuck to the meal plan. Got in 2 workouts and saw the scale move in the right direction.  Looks like the plan is working...Yay!


Goals for Week 2:

-I want to prep all my snacks and oats ahead of time on Sunday so that's one less thing I have to do in the evenings.  That means getting serving sizes for everything and then putting it all in individual Ziploc bags to grab and go.  Anything I can do to save time on week nights it HUGE!!

-Get in at least 3 workouts or more. Last week I did 2 so this week adding in one more would be great!

-Only eat out once.  Last week we ate out twice, but other than that I stuck to the plan 100%.

-Drop 2 more pounds!

I can't wait to see what this week has in store and hope you'll stick around to see right along with me!  Are you currently on your own weight loss journey?  What workouts are you doing, if any?  What does your meal plan consist of?  Let's chat in the comments!

My Postpartum Weight Loss Journey: Part 2

So last week....I had good intentions, did 2 workouts, kept my food decent most of the week, but quickly realized that somethings changed from my previous weight loss journey. I didn't have or feel that willingness to just stick to the plan regardless.  Previously I had an iron will....it was easy for me to say no to junk and stick with healthy foods and to wake up extra early to workout.

I'm not using my little one as an excuse, this new routine just means I need to switch things up from what I may have done in the past...because, obviously, things have changed a lot!!  Here are a few things I've realized:

1. Accountability is needed! This is where my hubby comes in....we've decided to do P90X together: the workouts and the meal plan.  Last night, he cooked some chicken and fish to eat for the next few days and I prepped some veggies. Tonight I'm planning to separate oats into ziploc bags for each day and maybe do a little more food prep.  Doing as much as we can on Sundays though is the most helpful thing to ensure we stick with it.

2. Simplicity is KEY! I need a food plan that is super simple. I don't mind eating similar meals throughout the week. With a family, full time job and lots of activities, making it as easy to grab & go as possible is a HUGE help.

My meal plan is basically the following:

Breakfast: 1 cup of oatmeal, 1 banana, a protein shake and 1 cup of Mother's Milk Tea (The tea and oats are also great for my milk supply.)

Lunch: Chicken, 2 cups of spinach and 1 cup of other veggies (Today my other veggies were a mixture of peas & corn.)

Dinner: Fish, 1 serving of dairy and 1 cup of veggies (For my dairy, I'll probably put a little cheese on top of my fish.)

Snack: 1 protein bar and a 100 calorie pack of almonds (I'll be switching up my snacks sometimes, but the goal is to keep them at 300 calories total.)

3. Everything needs a scheduled time! My workouts are going to have to move to the evenings.  There's just no way I can wake up any earlier than I already do. (which is 3:30-4am each day) That means giving up Netflix for the most part, but hey...I'd rather be fit than all caught up on my shows. HAHA (But seriously!)

So now that I've took this past weekend to find out all that, hone in on what I want and need to do to get there, I've started it all this week. I'm still holding at 174lbs, but that won't be the case for long.  My meals are prepped, I have a very specific, simple plan and I am FINALLY going to stick to it.  ((Which I keep repeating to myself mentally as I'm stuck sitting next to a 'birthday girl' at work with a desk full of delicious cupcakes and can smell Chickfila from a few desks away...lol))

Here's a little walk down the road thus far (from left to right) Pre-pregnancy, A few days for Elijah arrived and where I'm at now. I've got work to do, but I'm finally excited and ready to kick it into high gear.  Yay!!!

If you're getting started with your weight loss journey too, I'd love to connect in the comments and cheer each other on!!  Let me know what your plan is and the goal you're going for.  We've got this!!!

A Day in My Mom Life

I love organization, planning and just having a general rhythm to my day….and I’m sure there’s gotta be other moms out there who do too.  Well, strap in, because we’re about to go through a typical week day for me as a new mom.  To tell you my routine has changed doesn’t even scratch the surface, but getting organized and generally sticking to this flow (plus numerous iPhone alarms for everything) really helps me feel like I’ve got a handle on all the crazy that now fills my days.  

So let’s get right to it, shall we?

Around 3am: Elijah wakes up on his own. I change his diaper, breastfeed him and then get him back into his crib.

3:45am: Do a 30 minute workout…lately I’ve been doing Hip Hop Abs. The key for me is wearing my workout clothes to bed so I have no excuse. Lol

Once my workout’s done, I start getting dressed for the day.

4:30am: Wake up the hubby and give him a 10min warning

4:40am: Get the hubs outta bed and finish getting ready.

5am: Cook breakfast for the hubby, pack our lunch bags and Eli’s diaper bag.  Then put our bags in the car so they’re ready to go.

5:30am: Make Eli a bottle and pick out his clothes.

5:40am: Wake up and feed Eli.

6am: Change Eli’s diaper, get him dressed and then have a mini photo shoot.

6:10am: Head out the door with Eli in tow.

6:30am: Drop Eli off at daycare and jet. (Still haven’t managed to pull of my work commute fast enough to get there on time...but I’m improving!)

7am-4pm: (I usually get there at 7:10am) Work! I also pump at 8:45, Noon and 3pm.

4pm: Go pickup Eli from school.

5pm: Get home and have dinner (The hubs been amazing about making dinner lately. It’s soooo helpful!!)

6:30pm: Get Eli in his pajamas, feed him and put him to bed.

7:30pm: Get ready for the next day- wash Eli’s bottles and my pumping supplies, prep lunch for the Hubs and I, pick out my clothes, shower, etc. Then, if time allows, enjoy a little Netflix, which is a lot more rare since I’ve returned to work.

Around 9pm or 9:30pm: Go to bed

Eli generally sleeps though the night, but the last 2 days, he’s decided to have a little snack around Midnight….so I’m up for about an hour feeding him & getting him back to bed.

Then we start back again at 3am. J

After writing it all down, it sounds like A LOT….I mean my time is all accounted for, which is something that didn’t happen nearly as much pre-baby. There was a lot more Netflix and a lot less rushing, but you know what.  I’d choose this version of life every time!

Hope you enjoyed following along a day in my life!

Let's chat in the comments: Does your day follow a similar routine or are you more go-with-the-flow? How has your routine changed since a baby came into the mix?  I'd love to hear all about it!

My Postpartum Weight Loss Journey

Well hello again!!  It feels like it’s been a lifetime since I’ve posted here, but I just have to do a quick update and share as I start a whole new journey…..through motherhood & postpartum weight loss. Let’s start by chatting about motherhood a bit. 

My sweet baby boy, Elijah, joined us on March 28^th and it’s been a whirlwind ever since. He’s a super smiley baby, he loves to eat and he’s been sleeping through the night since he was about 5 or 6 weeks old.  He’s already 12 weeks tomorrow and will officially be 3 months next Wednesday.  It’s crazy how much he’s grown and changed already.  I seriously wish I could slow down time!!

 

My maternity leave was packed with a lot: traveling, the loss of my little brother, surgery for my mom and all the changes that a new baby naturally brings.  To tell you I feel like a completely different person, would be an understatement.  I am LOVING being a mommy.  I mean, I always felt called to be a mom, but I could never understand exactly how incredible, emotional and fulfilling it would be until now. 

Easy?! No way...breastfeeding was super hard in the beginning, hearing him cry was devastating, letting him sleep in his own crib was hard.  There are so many hard moments, but, boy oh boy, is every single one of them worth it!!  I share a TON of pics of him on my Instagram, so if you’d like to see more, be sure to follow me there: @itsmyevolution.

Now that we’ve chatted about that, let’s get to the reason I’m back to blogging.  (However often that may be…Mom life is unpredictable!). I gained 54lbs with my pregnancy.  The first 25lbs fell off pretty easily without me changing my diet or anything.  The remaining 29lbs are much more stubborn and, in all honesty, I wasn’t ready to give up all the indulgences of pregnancy and any sleep to eat healthier or fit in much needed exercise until this weekend. 

You see, it was my hubby’s very first Father’s Day so I made him & Eli matching shirts so I had someone at church take a family picture of us and when I saw it (the picture on the right, above) I wanted to run, hide and cry.  I felt awful…I hadn’t felt that bad about the way I looked since I originally started my weight loss journey back in 2011.  Since 2012 I had simply been maintaining my results until pregnancy hit of course.  Then I threw healthy eating out the window and ate whatever I craved at the moment.

I don’t want to feel that way again! I don’t want to let myself get stuck in a rut! I don’t want to have a bad body image that in any way affects my child (or future kiddos).  I want to be proud of how hard I work to get fit. I want to eat healthy. I want to get back in shape. I’m ready to commit and I hope you’ll follow along!!

Step 1: I’ve got the fridge stocked with healthy options and I’ve got a plan.  So here goes….

The Plan:

-Use the FatSecret App to track my food intake & weight.

-Use an app to track my water intake.

-Workout 5 days per week.

-Check in here on the blog once per week with an update to keep me extra accountable.

That about sums it up, a simple plan to loose those last 29lbs & maybe a few more.

Starting Weight: 174lbs

Goal Weight/Pre-pregnancy Weight: 145lbs

Thanks for following along & I’ll be back with an update next week. 

Nesting Mode's In Full Effect

The nesting bug has hit harder than I EVER thought it would.  I've never been a neat freak...I've always liked to organize, but I hated general house cleaning.  My hubby has always been super sweet and took on the majority of the housework from loading the dish washer to doing laundry.  Well, recently the cleaning bug has hit me hard and not just cleaning, but I have this intense desire to make everything in the house as perfect as I can before baby arrives....

For the hubby and I that meant scheduling lots of home upgrades, upping our organization skills, cleaning out the clutter and amping up my cleaning schedule.  Today I want to share a little bit about how our

We started by picking out a new paint color for our master bedroom and bathroom.  It's the only room that had yet to be painted and I absolutely hated the ugly brown color we'd been living with.  We chose a light, navy blue color and I am LOVING it!!

Here's how it transformed the space from dull to bold.  Checkout our master bedroom:

And here's the master bathroom:

(Since this pic we've also replaced the light bulbs so they're all lit & even brighter. lol)

After the paint, we decided the tackle removing the carpet from all the bedrooms, but that quickly snowballed when our love for dark wood exploded....so we ended up getting ALL the floors in the house (minus the tiled bathroom and tiled entryway) done in a darker color and new white quarter round as well. I think it's made a huge difference in the look of our home. 

The bedrooms went from horrible carpet that was original to the house to having a fresh new look....thank goodness!!  I don't know about you, but I HATE carpet...with pets and allergies it was nothing but trouble.

A peak at part of the living room:

And here's our dining area. We still want to replace the light fixture in here with a fun globe shaped chandelier and we're also having the kitchen cabinets painted white soon. 

While the wood floors were being done, we also upgraded our kitchen appliances (the dishwasher, stove and microwave).  Check out how much of a difference it's made in the look of the kitchen...and then just imagine how it will be when our cabinets are white...AHHH!!!

So that's where we're at now.  

Here are a list of projects still left to do:

-Replacing a portion of our fence

-Having the cabinets painted white

-Updating all the door knobs to an oil rubbed bronze color

-Saying goodbye to our mailbox on the wooden post and getting a brick mailbox

-Patch a few nail holes in the laundry room & kitchen

-Touch up a few paint spots in the baby room

Here are some extras we'd like to do if time allows:

-Add new light fixtures/fans in the living room and bedrooms

-Add a chandelier above the dining room table

Have you done any home upgrades lately?  If not, what's one of your dream projects you'd like to have done?  Or are you nesting like crazy too?  Let's chat about it in the comments!!  

My Goodness, How A Year Can Change You

A little over a year ago, I said goodbye to this little piece of the internet to spread my wings and try something new.  2016 was a HUGE year...I started and closed my very own business, I tried new things, had about a million new experiences and completely evolved.  Going into 2016 I was the smallest size I'd ever been, felt confident in my own skin, had found my groove in marriage and was just loving life....

In February when my hubby and I had a joint birthday party, we announced that we wanted to expand our little family and have a baby.  Honestly, I thought it would take a long time, I wasn't sure we would follow through yet...there was a lot of unknown.  Thankfully God's always got a plan and as our marriage mantra says "Everything always works out" (To check out the verse than inspired our mantra, look at Romans 8:28).

Well, just about 5 months later I felt off so i got a pregnancy test and took it before my hubby got home...Then when it was positive I started running around the house like a mad woman and scrambled together a cute way to tell my hubby before he got home in about 30 minutes.  So I made this cute little sign with PicMonkey, printed it off.  When he got home, I made him close his eyes and then dropped the bomb:

After that moment, everything in my little world seemed to change...I honestly thought I would always be someone who felt a little weak, felt content and settled in, and was happy gliding along, which is in no way a bad thing.  I was happy, content and living life.  So as my bump grew, so did my desire to better myself, continue building up our relationship and long for the most for my precious baby.

So now I'm 8 month's pregnant and Elijah's arrival is right around the corner.  Where does that leave me?  Well...

Feeling stronger than ever (seriously thought I was a weakling and would be barely functioning at this point in my pregnancy), nesting like crazy (think home repairs, painting and more), feeling more connected to and in love with my husband than I ever thought possible and feeling much less self centered and more focused on how we're going to bring Elijah into the world and continue building our family while following God's plan.  Prayer and Bible study have become our new evening routine before bed and we've FINALLY found a church we love and feel called to serve in.  

2017 has so much in store that I can't bear to keep it to myself, which is why I'm here...I'm ready to get back into the blogging groove. I wanna share all these amazing times, the good stuff and bad, with y'all and I hope you'll come along for the ride. From following along with our home repairs, my new journey into motherhood and much more.  My goal is to start with 1 blogpost per week and take it from there.....so let's do this!

Ohhh and to see what else, I'm up too, be sure to follow me on Instagram!