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  • Lifestyle, Motherhood, Sponsored

    Why it’s Important to Me that My Kids Learn to Swim

    This post is in partnership with Goldfish Swim School. As usual, all opinions expressed are my own. 

    Soon I will be leaving the hospital with another little baby, safely strapped into her car seat with a hat on and an outfit that’s carefully considered based on the weather and her skin. After I give birth to her the only thing I have to do is have a car seat for her to leave the hospital. But after parenting for the past 7 years, the car seat albeit very important is only one of the things that I know I need to do to keep my little ones safe. As they’ve gone through different phases and experiences I had to use my own initiative to ensure their safety. As I mentioned before I enrolled my firstborn in swimming classes when she was very young. As many of you know she and her brother only recently learned to swim at Goldfish Swim School but I wanted to share my very personal reason why it’s important to me that my kids learn to swim.

    Back in the early 90’s or as my daughter would say the “olden days” I would go to the beach almost every Sunday with my family. It would be either my immediate family or we would go with relatives. Growing up on a Caribbean island the beach is a big part of lives and how we like to socialize. I always loved going to the beach to play in the sand, collect shells or run from crabs. I also LOVED playing catch in the water.

    I couldn’t swim though so I always stayed as close to the shore as possible. Actually, it was my grandmother’s rule that I stayed close to the shore because she nor my mother couldn’t swim either. Well one Sunday, while on the beach with my grandmother and some cousins I tried to catch a ball in the water and before I knew it I was swallowed by a huge wave. Even though this happened over 25 years ago, I remember the feeling of fighting to pull myself up and get my head out of the water but the current holding me down. Fortunately for me, my aunt noticed what happened and saved me by pulling me up and out of the water.

    After that experience, I was scared that for years I would barely ever get in the water and when I did I would run as fast as I could as I saw waves come in. A few year later, I started taking swimming classes but my fears kept me back from truly learning to swim.

    Kids learn to swim

    I hate to admit it but I am now an adult with two (almost three kids) and I still don’t know how to swim. It’s not a good feeling and I am planning to take some classes and learn. I feel really powerless with my kids near the ocean or deep waters that I can’t stand in. I don’t want my children to end up like me and it’s important for me to break the cycle in my family of being unable to swim.  I want my children to have the life skills to keep themselves safe both in and out of the water. I want them to be comfortable not just swimming but knowing safety practices in the pool and I also want them to enjoy life and not have to sit out fun because they can’t swim.

    It’s been 4 months since the kids started their swimming journey at Goldfish Swim School in Garden City, NY and I am really proud of not just their progress but their confidence and the education they’ve gained. They’re not just to swim but also learning safety techniques like how to get in and out of the pool safety and proper techniques for breathing underwater.

    With so many things going on in our lives as parents, we can put off things like getting our kids swimming lessons. I mean I put my son’s off for an entire 4 years but I’m happy we discovered Goldfish Swim School as they make it so easy for working parents like us with flexible class schedules, easy rescheduling, and most importantly small classes sizes so kids really make progress with each class. If you’re in the New York City or Long Island area and interested in trying out Goldfish Swim School at Garden City email me adanna@adannadill.com and I will send a Family Swim pass your way so your family could check it out.

    This post is in partnership with Goldfish Swim School. As always, all opinions expressed are my own.

  • Baby, Children's Books, Motherhood, Sponsored

    Sibling Bonding Over Art

    We are proud Mo Willems brand ambassadors! This post is a part of our paid partnership with Disney-Hyperion.

    I’ve shared this a few times before here on the blog and over on Instagram but four years ago when my son was born my daughter didn’t immediately bond with him or seem to enjoy being a big sister. It made me sad but within a short time frame, I figured out a few ways to help them bond with each other and I know those things were working when my son’s little eyes would follow my daughter’s voice as she sang and jumped around in her three-year-old glory. One of the things that I did was to read a few books to them every day, I would either read to them at home or take them to the library for storytime. One day when my son was about 8 months old, I took them to storytime at the library and the librarian read New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, Mo Willems Today I will Fly (An Elephant and Piggie Book).  My daughter laughed so hard during the reading of the story that she made her brother laugh too and it was such a beautiful moment that I decided we NEEDED that book.  I went home and ordered it and it quickly became a favorite at our home and soon we started purchasing more and more of the books. By the time my son turned one the kids bookcase was filled with a collection of Elephant and Piggie books. It’s been three years and they still laugh at those stories as if it’s the first time hearing them.

    Now that we’re preparing to welcome their baby sister, I thought it was only right that they bond over their favorite characters Elephant & Piggie but this time getting their creative juices going with the Mo Willems new book and the first activity book in the series We Are in an ART-ivity Book! which is now in stores.

    When we received #MoMail a few Fridays ago with this book the kids instantly went into action doing many of the inspiring activities in the book. It’s only natural that as huge fans of the Elephant and Piggie series they would enjoy this activity book. I mean did you see them when they had the opportunity to meet Elephant and Piggie?

    My daughter has been trying to draw the characters by herself for a few months now so she was glad when she discovered tutorials to draw both Elephant and Piggie in We Are in an ART-ivity Book! with the help of Elephant and Piggie’s new friend Art Vaark. As a mom, I love that throughout the book Art introduces kids to different artistic styles: a “banana” still life, a color-by-number Piggie “Scream” painting and a scrap-paper collage with fun activities for reinforcement. She started first by doing the My  Banana Activity and then she moved on to drawing Piggie and then Gerald.

    What I love is that the kids worked together, my son kept reminding my daughter to add Piggie’s eyes and don’t forget her legs. They make such a cool team and I love that there are so many activities in this book that they can do together, with me or independently especially in those first few weeks after the baby arrives and she needs a little extra attention. It’s like a regular kids activity book as it really teaches children valuable art lessons along with the activities. They can express themselves, learn about art and continue to bond with each other.

    What do you think about her drawing?

    To learn more about We Are in an ART-ivity Book! (An Elephant & Piggie Book) follow Disney-Hyperion on Twitter and  check out Disney Books on Facebook and Instagram.

     

  • Motherhood, New Mom, Pregnancy, Sponsored

    Balancing it All and Getting Calcium during Pregnancy

    This is a sponsored post. As always, all opinions expressed are my own. 

    Whew! Over the past few months, I’ve been reminded that while pregnancy may look really cute and easy on the outside, it’s no joke. As a mom-to-be (again) in my third trimester, I’m trying to stay on top of EVERYTHING. The doctor check-ups, sonogram appointments, lab work, work, taking care of my children, my children’s appointments and attempting to have some type of social life. So many of you have messaged me or commented on my posts asking how I am still managing to balance it all, and I have to say it starts with making sure that my baby and I are fine and that I’m prepared mentally and physically to give birth. Since this isn’t my first pregnancy and I have lots of friends who are new moms, I know that calcium deficiencies are quite popular among women in general and the importance of making sure you meet those calcium needs during pregnancy. Since finding out I’m having this baby I’ve been super proactive about making sure I’m getting the correct calcium intake through my diet and with supplements daily.

    My days usually start around 6:20 am when I literally roll myself out of bed to make my children a hot breakfast, get them dressed for school and pack their lunches. An hour later when my husband leaves with them to take them to school, I dive right back into bed for another 30 minutes to an hour depending on what I have planned for the day or how I feel. With so much going on I depend on phone reminders to stay on top of everything, especially my self-care. For instance, I have a Take Calcium Supplements reminder set up to make sure I don’t forget my calcium supplement along with  my prenatal vitamin. The calcium supplement that I’ve been using this pregnancy is Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews which always feel like a treat because they come in either milk chocolate or caramel flavors. Honestly, I always feel as if I’m cheating on my healthy diet with these to the point where I’ve asked my OB/GYN if she was sure it was okay for me to take them. She assured me that they’re fine and that not only do they meet the 1000 mg of daily calcium that I need but they only have ½ the sugar and ½ the calories of other gummy supplements.  If you follow my Instagram stories you’ve probably realized by now that every day is different for me. Depending on the day, I may have a lunch event and the next day a doctor’s appointment. If I’m at home, I usually work until around midday and then I usually order or go out to grab lunch. That’s part of how I manage to balance it all, I let a few things slip and don’t give myself too many responsibilities. Dinner is usually homemade so I give myself a break at lunchtime unless the kids are off from school. The only downside is that while I try to look for calcium-rich foods, sometimes I go with my cravings. I don’t worry too much since two Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews supplements per day provides  enough calcium for not just me, but also for my baby. I know that if my calcium needs aren’t met the baby  will continue to meet his/her calcium needs by taking calcium from my own bones, and I definitely don’t want to put my bone health at risk for later in life.

    I work for a few hours and then pick up my children from school with my husband if I can. Most days, he gets them at dismissal time and brings them home before heading out to work. But depending on what is required of me work wise I sometimes have them go to the after-school program at their school to get a few more hours of work done. This is another way that I balance everything, I understand that I need as much help as I can get and I take advantage of that. As soon as I can, I go to get them which are one of my favorite parts of the day. If they don’t have any after-school activities we take a walk around the neighborhood after homework and dinner to enjoy the nice fall air this time of year. These walks and other fitness journeys serve as great reminders to meet my calcium needs so I can preserve my own bone mass and lower my chances of getting osteoporosis as the baby grows. The walk is also important as I’ve had vitamin D deficiency in the past as well, so a little sunshine goes a long way. Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews contain 500 IU of vitamin D in every chew along with Vitamin K to help your body absorb the calcium.

    We end the evening by prepping for the next day and the kids take their baths and start their bedtime routines. I’ve been training them to become more independent and help out more before the baby comes. This makes the evenings go much faster and instead of having to do a ton of tidying up after them when they go to bed. I can just focus on myself and the baby and getting to bed at a reasonable time to get enough hours of sleep before starting all over again the next morning. Pregnancy, raising two kids and working isn’t easy but I do MY best every day to balance it all. Some days are harder than the others but I can never give up on myself for the sake of my children.

    How do you balance it all during pregnancy?

    Try the delicious calcium supplements I’m talking about! Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews are available nationwide in supermarkets, drugstores and major retailers, including CVS, Rite Aid, Target, and Walmart. For more where to buy information about Viactiv, click here. PS: If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding please speak with your healthcare provider before taking any supplements.

    Make sure to LIKE Viactiv on Facebook and FOLLOW them on Instagram, too!

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    This is a product-provided, sponsored conversation on behalf of Viactiv that contains affiliate links. I received Viactiv Calcium Soft Chews for my own personal use. This post is not intended to address or diagnose any medical conditions. All opinions, text and experiences are my own. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. If you are pregnant, nursing or planning on becoming pregnant, speak with your healthcare provider if you have any specific health questions or prior to taking any dietary supplements.