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  • Lifestyle, Motherhood, Sponsored

    Self-Care: Making My Health My Priority

     This post was sponsored by Nature Made® as a part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central.

    This year, I found myself in my doctor’s office twice, both times I sat across from her slyly rolling my eyes and feeling like a rebellious teenager. She was saying things to me like “You know better!” and “You would never do this to your children” and she genuinely looked puzzled as to why I wasn’t taking better care of myself. I didn’t have much to say because I was embarrassed, she was right, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure that my kids are healthy. So why not me?

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    As a mom, I’ve accepted that I am in a season in my life where I need to make my own self-care a priority. I don’t want to apologize for it, I just need to do it.  I want to achieve the mind and body balance necessary to be the mom that my children deserve. I need to take care of them and I can’t do that if I can’t take care of me. So I’ve been doing my best to ensure that my doctor and I never have that type of conversation again. It’s not easy staying on top of all of her recommendations but I’ve managed to keep one promise I made to her. For the past few months, I’ve been religiously taking digestive probiotics on a daily basis.

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    I’m very proud of this because taking probiotics makes me feel a sense of control as they are important to so many functions of my body.

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    My doctor recommended using a probiotic with at least 15 billion live cultures and I was happy to find Nature Made® Advanced Dual Action Probiotic which “has been clinically studied and provides dual support to both your small and large intestine for comprehensive coverage to help support digestive balance and healthy gut flora.”†

    naturemade-digestiveprobiotics

    Staying consistent on taking these mean that I don’t ever allow myself to run out of them so I recently took advantage of the budget-friendly prices and stocked up on a few boxes at Walmart SuperCenter to make sure I don’t ever run out of probiotics.

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    Besides taking probiotics, I joined the Nature Made®Healthy Habit Builder program that motivates me to set goals, challenge myself and get rewarded for my achievements. I’m going at my own pace as I am trying my best to make changes that will be long term.

    Giveaway

    I know that I am not the only mom who needs to make health a priority so I’m excited to share that you can win one of 60 Walmart gift cards worth $50 each to purchase Nature Made® which is is the #1 Pharmacist Recommended brand for many key dietary supplement categories. Based on the 2016 U.S. News & World Report – Pharmacy Times Survey. Enter here! (No Purchase Necessary to enter)

    †These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.

    Do you make self-care a priority in your daily life as a busy mom?

  • Sponsored

    Laundry Tips & Tricks For The Modern Family

    I partnered with Family Dollar for this sponsored post to make laundry day easier for you and your family.

    My least favorite thing to do is laundry and there is so much of it, all of the time with two little ones. Talking with other moms, I’ve realized that I’m definitely not the only mom who feels this way and I’ve heard the funniest stories about avoiding laundry day. My favorite is a good friend who went as far as to buy new clothes for her kids instead of doing their laundry hahaha.

    [Tweet “Laundry Tips & Tricks For The Modern Family”]

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    Anway, before you get to that point too I shared a few ideas to make laundry day less painful for all of us over on the  Family Dollar blog. Read them here.

    laundry-tips-family-dollar

  • Family Travel, Sponsored

    5 Pretty Great Things To Do In Memphis

    I partnered with Embassy Suites by Hilton as a #PrettyGreat ambassador for this sponsored post. 

    For the first time, I went away without my family a few weeks ago to Memphis, Tennessee. Ladies, it’s tough to peel yourself away from the little ones right? But thanks to this experience, I see that it did me more good than bad and I plan to do it more often. Memphis is quaint and charming exactly like I envisioned it and since it’s such a relaxed city, I think it will be perfect for a quick getaway with Mr. Rattles. If you’re considering a trip to Memphis, I wanted to share a few pretty great things to do in Memphis:

    [Tweet “Here are 5 #PrettyGreat things to do in Memphis! “]

    1. Ride the Main Street Trolley

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    I was really excited to ride the Main Street Trolley in Memphis, but a little bummed to learn that the vintage trolleys under restoration. However, all wasn’t lost because the vintage style buses that ran in place of the trolleys were as fun as I imagined the trolley would be. The driver extended so much southern hospitality to passengers it was refreshing. Riding along, you could even sit up front with the driver to chat and enjoy a better view of Downtown Memphis. I just loved the atmosphere and I hope the vintage trolleys are back next time I’m in Memphis.

    2. Explore Downtown Memphis

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    While I didn’t get to explore Downtown Memphis a great deal, I did hang out in the area for dinner and I loved the vibe. Next time, I visit I want to check out the cute ice cream parlors, record stores and walk around the cobblestone streets. As a New York City girl, I really enjoyed the slow pace of Downtown Memphis.

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    3. Visit The National Civil Rights Museum

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    As most of you know by now, I love museums and the National Civil Rights Museum has been at the top of my list of museums to visit for a few years. Part of this museum is located in the Lorraine Motel where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr was assassinated in 1968. I learned a great deal during my visit to the National Civil Rights Museum, some of which I am still processing. I plan to take the kids when they’re a bit older but I think Mr. Rattles would be grateful to visit this museum. The most informative exhibits for me were the Montgomery Boycott, Dr. King’s Last Hours and the Separate is not equal exhibits. If there is only one thing you could do in Memphis, this museum should be it.

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    4. Hang out in Cooper Young District 

    I am a lover of hip neighborhoods and Cooper Young District definitely stole my heart. It’s like Williamsburg, Brooklyn and a small town had a really cute baby. I have a feeling that the next time I am in Memphis, I will spend more time exploring this trendy neighborhood. There are lots of chic boutiques, restaurants, and art galleries to check out here.

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    The Alchemy in Cooper Young District where I had dinner.
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    Crab Cakes at The Alchemy

    5. Visit Historic Beale Street and Elvis Presley’s Graceland

    Beale Street is the epicenter of Memphis entertainment and many of the greatest blues musicians started out there. While we drove past Beale Street, I didn’t have the chance to walk around and enjoy the culture or learn more about the history. Next time I visit Memphis, I plan to stay at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Memphis because the property is only 15 minutes away from both Beale Street and Elvis Presley’s Graceland which I plan to visit before any of the other attractions. This location also offers free shuttle service to and from the airport which means we can save and splurge on Memphis BBQ instead. The Elvis Presley’s Graceland experience will definitely be interesting and I’m sure we will learn a great deal about Memphis history there.

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    Have you ever visited Memphis?

    Things to do in Memphis