Fitness Overhaul

While I was pregnant I tried to stay as active as possible because fitness is something I love and cherish. I cherish it because I am able to workout, I have the physical means to be active, while some don't, so it is definitely something I don't take advantage of. While I did stay pretty active during my pregnancy, it was the weeks after that really got me. I was sore, it was hard for me to walk and Whit was a very needy newborn. I hadn't quite figured out the right balance between baby and fitness.

Then, I found walking. Before baby, I would have turned my nose to walking. It was just never for me, I liked intense workouts, with lots of sweat, weights and cardio. I can now say, I have a new love for walking. Walking really did help burn off that baby weight (except the last five I'm storing for breastfeeding) and it made me feel as if I was getting that runners high, but with walking. The best part about it, the babe enjoys it also. By the end of fall I was walking twice a day, I would do one 3 mile loop and one 1.5 mile loop, both of which had a steep hill to climb. After last fall, I will always love walking and once the weather gets nice again it will be a part of my daily routine again.

However, I have been feeling like it's time to get back to my fitness routine before baby. Since it's smack dab in the middle of winter I have decided to do P90X. In the six years I have owned P90X I have only gotten through the entire thing ONCE. I learned to absolutely love P90X and it really did change my life. It's my goal to get through the entire thing once again. I have always enjoyed working out at home, I have always thought the time it takes to get my stuff together, drive to the gym, and get situated is a waste of time (for me). Call me crazy, but I find I lose motivation really quick with gym memberships, mostly because I live a solid 30 minutes from any gym. The time it would take me to drive to the gym and back, I could have finished a workout DVD at home. I personally really like the structure of workout videos because it's all laid out for you (warm up, actual workout and cool down). I have really enjoyed P90X, Insanity and Slim in 6, and I would recommend each of them to anyone who enjoys working out at home.

I am a firm believer that nutrition is the biggest part of getting in really good shape, so I tend to eat healthier, but I do splurge :). Since I am still breastfeeding I decided to not do the P90X diet program exactly the way it's set up.  I eat when I'm hungry, I just make sure it's healthy. I do however like Tony Horton's rule of 90/10, 90% of your food should be healthy and natural food (one ingredient), and the other 10% can be your splurge (chocolate cake). He talks a lot about one ingredient foods and mixing them up to make a meal. Basically, the less processed the better. Everyone knows that, right?! :)

So, P90x began Monday. I am doing the Lean version because I like the balance between cardio and weight lifting in the Lean program, rather than the Classic program. Monday went well, yesterday was pretty tough, not as hard as today though. Today I was tired and sore, and honestly I didn't feel like doing it. Finding that motivation used to be a lot easier than it is now. One thing I like to do it look at the health and fitness tab on pinterest because it brings me back to the days of working out all the time and it makes me yearn for that passion I once had.  I know I will get back there, it will just take lots of dedication and hard work. But I am proud to say, my journey began Monday and I have already taken a few steps towards the right direction.

Baby Must Haves {7-8 months}

1. Calendula Cream: This stuff is AMAZING. It's a little expensive, but well worth the money. It's a serious miracle worker. Baby Whit got eczema once the weather turned and while it didn't seem to bother her too much, it looked pretty bad. This stuff cleared it up in no time. We also found that Shea Moisture Eczema soap works wonders.

2. Green Toys Stacking Cups: These are so fun. They stack two different way and they also make great bath toys. They have numbers on the bottom so they can teach math later on. Whitney loves when we stack them up for her to tear down. I also love that they are green :)!

3. Jumperoo: This is a life saver. We borrowed it from a friend to try out because I have heard some babies love them and others hate them. Whitney LOVED it. I say loved because now that she is crawling around she is over it. I will still put her in it when I need to go to the bathroom or something. It's a good investment, it's so fun to watch them jump around like crazy.

4. Sippy Cups: Baby Whit loves her water. She could drink water all day long if I let her.  We first started out with the NUK soft nipple ones, like the one pictured and then moved to a hard nipple one. The NUK ones don't leak, and they are easy for her to pick up and tip back. 

5. God Made Me DVD: I know the recommendation is no TV until 2 years old. However, I did read if it's educational and for a very limited time it's okay. All my nieces and nephews as well as Whitney LOVE the God Made Me movies. They teach stories out of the Bible and they seem to keep their attention really well. I will usually put one in when I really need to get something done and nothing else is keeping her still. 

6. Graco Highchair: This was a hand-me-down, and we love it. It does everything a highchair should and it also folds up nicely. It's not too bulky so it's not a huge eye sore when you walk into the dining room. It's been so handy to have around, if I am cooking and she wants to be able to see me I will just put her in it with some toys. Highchairs are wonderful and my advice would be to invest well. Whitney is the fourth baby to use it and it's still in good shape. 

7. Sophie Soother: We got the big Sophie as well as the soother in a pack from Target. The soother has been a favorite for a while, it makes for a wonderful teether. I would recommend getting them in a pack, it's much cheaper.

8. Karen Katz Books: These books make the list again! They will probably always be a favorite of baby Whit's. She just absolutely loves them. I think it will be a tradition to get her one of them for every holiday. She has the flaps down, she knows which ones you pull down and which ones you push up. It's amazing to see how fast little ones catch on to things. 

Outfit Of The Day

Top: Rue 21

Colored Skinny's: Macy's Celeb Pink Desert Flower

Boots: maurices

Baby Must Haves {4-6 Months}

1. Infantino Turtle: Baby Whitney loved this thing. Her eyes would light up every time we brought it out. It was one of our go to toys when we would go places and needed to keep her busy. It's brightly colored and the bottom has a cute little mirror so she can look at herself (always gets a smile).

2. Infantino Elephant: This is still one of her favorites, even at 9 months. It makes a really neat rattle noise when you shake it. It has that hard wooden ring at the bottom that is great for teething. It's a little smaller so it's easy for her to hold on to. She just absolutely love that thing.

3.Sophie: I don't know if there is a baby out there that doesn't love Sophie. It makes for a great chew toy, it's squishy and it makes a cute little squeak. It's shaped so it fits in their mouths perfectly. However, I warn you, the legs can get shoved down their little throats too far. Baby Whit has choked a few times, so just keep an eye on them with it.

4. Baby Trend Jogger: This stroller has been one of my favorite purchases. We use it all the time, it goes everywhere with us. I struggled with the stroller decision forever. I am pretty active, I love to run so I knew I wanted something I could jog with, so I knew the plastic wheels weren't for us. Most runners say go with the more expensive ones but I just couldn't spend $300-400 on a one person jogging stroller when I knew we would be having more kids. It just didn't make sense to me. This stroller has been amazing. The only complaint I have is when you jog with it you need to have the front wheel locked or the whole thing vibrates like crazy. I also love that the Graco Snugride 35 snaps into it. 

5. Karen Katz Books: Baby LOVES these books. She loves opening the flaps. These are the only books I have found that have sturdy flaps. We have so many of these books, and Baby loves them all. By 4-5 months she could open the flaps on her own. It's so fun to see her face light up when I pull one out.

6. Relax Melodies App: We graduated from the sleep sheep to this because it plays longer. This is a wonderful app, you can customize the sounds you want with 50 different choices. It's free and you can put it on your phone or kindle and take it with you wherever you go. I would plug my phone in at night and have it going all night for her in our room (I'm pretty sure it helped me sleep too). I can't say enough about it, definitely try it out!!