Monthly Archives

September 2017

6 Amazing Half Marathon & Full Marathon Training Workouts

by Nellie September 27, 2017

Training for a Marathon or Half Marathon can be a large task. You have to run x amount of miles every week including hill training, speed workouts and of course cross training. I’ve learned so much training for 16 half marathons and 2 full marathons.

There is a certain mindset that comes along with the training, you need all the mantras and motivation you can get–However you also need something that keeps you going until the very end.

Spinning as cross training

In addition to all the miles that you are completing every week, it is also recommended to do a little cross training. I’ve learned that spinning is one of the best workouts for me–I can take a class the day before (or after) a hard run because it works completely different muscles.

PLUS IT’S FUN! Spin class is one of those places where you can workout as hard or as little as you need to. Some days I go to class just to push as hard as I can, other days I go to experience the music and the vibes of the spin studio.

Whenever I have a huge race that I have trained for, I take a spin class the day before. Sounds crazy, I know but somehow my muscles feel SO much better the next day and I event run a better race. I’m looser, and able to go much long than I would if I didn’t take the class.

This month I am teaming up with my favorite running bloggers to share our favorite half and full marathon workouts. Check them out below!

Allie @ VITA Train 4 Life

Laura @ This Runner’s Recipes

Carly @ Fine Fit Day

Angela @ Happy Fit Mama

Training for a #halfmarathon or #marathon? Check out the favorite workouts from 5 runners! Click to Tweet

What is your favorite half marathon or full marathon workouts?

6 comments

healthy living Parenting

5 Tips To Make Your School Morning Routine Easier

by Nellie September 26, 2017

This post is sponsored by The Quaker Oats Company, but all opinions are my own.

We are almost a month into Back To School season around here and as quickly as Summer Mommy Camp has ended, we have jumped right into a very hectic and crazy morning routine. This routine is dramatically different–we have now added breakfast, morning snacks, day snacks AND lunch preparation to the mix. Between getting all of those things ready AND somehow making sure those kids look like normal humans it can turn into a pretty insane morning. Today I’m sharing some tips to help the school morning routine go a bit smoother.

5 Tips To Make Your School Morning Routine Easier

1. Plan as much as you can the night before: Whenever I get the chance, I try to do some of the smaller manageable things such as bag snacks into sandwich bags, iron uniforms, and make lunches. It doesn’t happen every single night because of scheduling issues but when I AM able to do it, it makes a huge difference for how the morning goes.
2. Involve the kids: The boys love to help me make their lunch in the morning. Whether it is gathering all of the ingredients from the fridge, or rinsing out their containers, they love to help mom and extra hands definitely make a huge difference.
3. Set Expectations: There are some mornings when the kids don’t want a certain type of breakfast and it can become a point of contention to say the least. Every evening I let the kids know what they are going to have in the morning, therefore there aren’t any issues when it’s time to eat.
4. Stay on top of supplies: Nothing is more frustrating than not having a critical part of lunch or breakfast preparation. Since school started I have been more in tune with what we are running low on by keeping a magnetic dry erase board on our fridge. Every time we run out of an item, or get close to running out, each family member is responsible for writing what that item is on the board. (Even the 5 year old)
5. Eat Breakfast with the kids: Once you get everything done, set up breakfast for the kids and have your own! It is a fantastic way to bond with them and set the tone for their day. Quaker Overnight Oats is a fantastic option because you can set up your breakfast choice in just a few minutes the night before.
Here’s How It Works:

At night, simply add milk or your non-dairy option of choice to the single-serve container. Let the mixture cold steep overnight in the refrigerator to create a cool and hearty breakfast option that is ready to enjoy the next morning without any of the morning hassle. It’s as easy as steep, sleep and eat!

100% Whole Grain, and other grains
Good Source of Dietary Fiber (10 grams of fat or less per container)
No Artificial Flavors
No Added Colors
At least 11g of Protein when prepared with ½ cup of Vitamin A and Vitamin D Fortified Skim Milk

Delish Flavors:

Blueberry Banana & Vanilla Bliss
Toasted Coconut & Almond Crunch
Orchard Peach Pecan Perfection
Raisin Walnut & Honey Heaven

What does your morning routine look like? Any tips and tricks that I missed?

4 comments

healthy living

Do You Get Enough Omega-3s In Your Diet?

by Nellie September 25, 2017

Do you get enough Omega-3s?

Last week I attended a fun event and the infamous Bouley Botanical. The Global Nutrition and Health Alliance gathered their best experts to chat individually and collectively with guests about the truth about Omega-3 nutrients and why we should all be making it a priority in our health and wellness.

“Omega-3s are considered “essential” because the body needs them to function but can’t create them on its own,” said GNHA founding member Nigel Denby, RD, Head of Dietetics at Grub4Life in London. “They must come from dietary sources but the reality is, diet alone may not be enough, especially if you are like many people who don’t have access to fresh, quality foods and their nutritional content.”

There were plenty of Omega-3 rich eats such as several kinds of fish appetizers. I had a personal investment in this event because I am highly allergic to seafood, so I already know that my Omega-3 count is lower than most. I have heard many times before that I should have an Omega-3 rich dies for bone, joint and brain health but I have always been super hesitant because of my own personal fish allergy. When you see a supplement named “fish oil” and you have a severe fish allergy, you tend to run in the other direction.

Thankfully there is a solution for me! I learned from the various health professionals at the event that the fish oil supplement comes in different forms. One comes directly from the fish and then there is a second kind of vegetable based fish oil that come from the algae that the fish eat. Both are perfectly fine for people with fish allergies, but I think I will stick with the vegetable supplement just to be safe.

The GNHA is a global, multi-disciplinary group of physicians and nutrition experts working together to educate the public and professionals about optimal nutrition as part of a healthy lifestyle, including the contribution and interpretation of realistic and science-based recommendations on the appropriate use of vitamins and mineral supplements.

Before the event, I submitted a test sample to see exactly how many Omega-3s I was getting without eating any seafood at all. The tests concluded that I was in the intermediate range, but still had a lot of work to do to get to the recommended levels of Omega-3s. I am going to start an Omega-3 supplement because I AM clearly deficient and I won’t be eating any fish anytime soon ;). Now, not all Omega-3s are cut from the same cloth so it’s really up to you to do the research to see which brand is right for you.

For more information you can check out the GNHA website : http://www.globalnutritionhealth.org/

Do you get enough #Omega3s in your diet??

Do you have a lot of seafood in your diet? Do you take any dietary supplements?

2 comments

about me Parenting

Real Talk: Parenting Is Kicking My Butt.

by Nellie September 21, 2017

Can We Talk? Parenting can be rough.

Seems like the past few weeks, months, perhaps years have been hard. Like crazy hard. I’ve been dealing with this reality privately because I was convinced that surely–this had to be a ME problem. I am constantly trying to figure out what I am doing wrong…why don’t I have a handle on the situation? Why aren’t my tactics both invented and/or learned…working?

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I now am in the very exclusive and intense club called Special Needs Parent. Unfortunately there is a lot of other titles that come along with this:

Always frustrated parent
Tired AF Parent
ALWAYS ON CALL PARENT
Frustrated beyond belief parent
always researching parent
always overwhelmed parent

…and so many more.

My anxiety is higher than ever.

When I had children I knew I had one job and one job only. Make sure they are decent humans. That’s all. Everything else can be worked on. Except it can’t.

My son is having a really, really difficult time in school. Before you even suggest it, no, I am not homeschooling. I know myself, and she is not a homeschooler. The next thing you may think is try a new school–I tried for weeks to get him enrolled in a new school this year. Finding a decent, free, non public school in Brooklyn is just about impossible. (I need to disclose that I find nothing wrong with public schools, I went to public school. That type of large environment would only be detrimental to him.)

His second grade year was atrocious. Before being diagnosed and treated with medication I was was getting a phone call every.single.day to pick him up and/or calm him down. I am not exaggerating when I say everyday. Just finished a post and feeling good? Phone call. Just arrived to the gym across town? Phone call. Trying to take a nap because anxiety had me all the way up all night without a wink of sleep? Phone call.

His new medication is costly. I won’t go into specifics but even the pharmacist did a double take on the price and felt bad taking my credit card for payment. It helps, a little, but lately the same things are starting to happen again.

I’ve spent my money, my mothers money and all the time in the world trying to make this situation better. It can be extremely isolating to have these issues when you go to a playdate and see other “normal” kids existing in glee and innocent wonder.

I’ve cried so many tears.

The support from my very close family, and very close friends has been really helpful. It has. However at the end of the day I am his mother. I am the one that has to face the offended parent. I am the one that has to receive the daily phone calls. Calm the child when there is no calm inside of me. Wager whether or not he can handle attending an event. When I am away, or networking at an event–I’m the one, in the corner, trying to calm my child down from miles away.

I’m tired. From my bones.

Hitting wall after wall…is painful. Knowing that your child, the one that YOU are responsible for is causing all of this havoc and you literally have no idea why (most days HE has no idea why) is extremely exhausting. My entrepreneur dreams have come to halt. The blog keeps me going by the grace of God but my full time job has become caring for him, every minute and every hour.

I want nothing more than to see him win. He is such an intelligent, caring and incredibly thoughtful little boy. He wants good for every single person he meets. Unfortunately his impulses and reactions to situations can be harsh. It becomes a very difficult situation. Impossible even.

I try hard every single day.

Everyday. Some days there are so many tears, some days there are so many laughs. Every single day I try. And that is really all I can do.

21 comments

BAM Travels

The Pegasus Hotel Kingston Jamaica: A Complete Review

by Nellie September 20, 2017

A few weeks ago my family went to Jamaica for a family wedding. I spent most of my summers at my Grandfather’s house as a child, so it was SUPER exciting to finally take my kids to my mother’s country of birth. I usually spend time on the west coast of the island but this trip would have me on the east coast of the island for the first time since I was a little girl.

Pegasus Hotel Kingston

Last October for Social Media On The Sand, I stayed at Beaches Resorts in Negril, Jamaica. This year we would be staying in my mom’s favorite hotel The Pegasus Hotel Kingston. I had to completely agree, because the hotel was really beautiful.

The lobby was wide and spacious with plenty of room to relax and have meetings. There is a coffee shop with little snacks and sandwiches that was available in case you want to grab a bite as soon as you walk in. The check in process was simple, and they gave us a personal access code to the WiFi that was strong on all areas of the resort.

The Rooms at the Pegasus Hotel Kingston

The rooms at the Pegasus were roomy and fit all of us (and our tons of bags) perfectly. The room had great decor, but my favorite part of the room hands down was the balcony. We had a bit of an industrial view with plenty of buildings below us, but what I loved most was waking up with the beautiful mountains in the distance. There was a seat and table set that was available for early morning reflection and just enjoying the island air.

The television had plenty of American and Spanish channels on the flatscreen including CNN World News and ESPN and of course the Disney Channel (which sometimes had spanish commercials, it was hysterical to watch dad translate for the kids).

The Restaurants at the Pegasus Hotel Kingston

During our stay we were able to check out some of the food on property. Our first day we tried the poolside restaurant which was really good! The boys got their customary chicken nuggets and french fries, while we got burgers. The food was good! They did make us wait 30 minutes before getting in the pool though (no, really, they said we could NOT get in lol!) The science on that is still up in the air but we followed the rules anyway! 🙂

About half a mile away if you are REALLY craving american food you can walk out to a Burger King and a Pizza Hut. In between those two places is the famous Juicy Patties that are known for their amazing beef, chicken, veggie (and more!) patties. There is also a ton of restaurants and food options around that area as well.

Every morning while we were there we took part in the free breakfast buffet. IT WAS SO GOOD! You don’t really expect much from free but I really enjoyed it. The mornings we were there the food varied tremendously–you could be presented with a completely Jamaican buffet or have American staples like scrambled eggs, bacon and sausage. Everything we tried was really (really) good and the boys (even the picky eater) enjoyed themselves too! Trust me, no one went hungry.

If you need to burn off some energy there is a beautiful park right across the street from the hotel.

The Pool At The Pegasus Hotel Kingston

Looking for a hotel in #Kingston #Jamaica? Why you should consider the @JamaicaPegasus! #Travel

The pool is actually pretty decent in size. The shallow area is not that extensive so you really need to know how to swim to explore most of the pool. There was a fun waterfall that the boys loved as well.

Final Thoughts

Overall our stay at the Pegasus Kingston was really fantastic. The staff was awesome and the stay was insanely comfortable, and that is super helpful when you are in town for a wedding. I would easily stay there again.

Have you been to Kingston Jamaica? What is your favorite type of view from a hotel room?

5 comments

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