7 Mother’s Day Gifts Under $25 for New Moms

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Mother’s Day is a little over a week away, but there’s still time to send some love to your favorite mamas in your life!

Here are 7 gifts that are perfect for new mamas and will make her feel super special on her first official Mother’s Day. Bonus: They’re all under $25!

1. #MomLife Mug

image via Pearhead

This one is for the mamas who love their morning coffee — even if half the time it goes cold before they have a chance to drink it! #MomLife isn’t always pretty, but it sure is sweet.

$7.95, Pearhead

2. Earth Mama Organic Milkmaid Tea (2-Pack)

image via Earth Mama Organics

Tea lovers, rejoice! This organic Earth Mama blend is specially crafted with soothing herbs to help support breast milk production and healthy lactation. Plus it’s the perfect way to wind down after one of those days. Win, win.

$11.88, Amazon

3. Spark Your Bliss Affirmation Card Deck

I gotta toot my own horn for a minute! My Spark Your bliss deck — including 36 positive affirmation cards to set your soul on fire — is a great gift for a mama to take some time for self care. Practical action … Read More!

Hungry, Hungry Mama: 8 Healthy Snacks to Stash in the Diaper Bag for Moms On-the-Go

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image courtesy of LesserEvil

There’s nothing worst than being a hungry, hungry mama — especially when you’re trapped nursing, trying to cram in some work (before the coffee gets cold) or out and about running errands with babe.

Here are some of my go-to healthy snacks for mom fuel! Let’s face it: the diaper bag is pretty much just one giant purse to stash mom snacks when you need something stat!

1. Chomps Grass-Fed Beef Sticks

Where have these been all my life? I discovered these gems right after I gave birth — and they’ve been a must ever since! I’m usually not a fan of beef jerky (it kind of creeps me out), but these grass-fed beef sticks are legit!

I’ve tried a couple of the flavors but the original is by far my favorite; I love that they’re made with simple clean ingredients like grass-fed beef, without any gluten, nitrates or nitrites. Get ’em at Trader Joe’s or snag your own pack online here with free shipping!

2. Larabars

Larabars were my go-to in my twenties, then I kind of forgot about ’em for a while. I always grab a few every time I’m at Trader Joe’s, and … Read More!

Healthy Chicks in the Community Series: Meet Marybeth Keener of Meadowbrook Estate

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Happy April, beauties! The sun is out, and I’m totally feeling that energy of spring — the lightness, positive changes flowing and sense of life and beauty in nature. How about you?

Anyway, I’m excited to introduce you to this month’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness community. Marybeth Keener is a healthcare practitioner (trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine), wellness enthusiast and Owner of Meadowbrook Estate, a beautiful retreat and event venue nestled in the Connecticut countryside.

In this interview, we chat about stress relief techniques, her eyeopening adventure to China, and why she sees her ADD as a blessing instead of a hindrance. Want more? Marybeth will be hosting an all-inclusive wellness retreat this May with farm-to-table meals, yoga, sound healing, workshops and more!

  

NAME: Marybeth Keener

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: Owner of Meadowbrook Estate, an elegant retreat and event venue in Connecticut. I’m also the host of Wellness Through Balance Wellness Retreats!

WHERE YOU LIVE: Marlborough, CT

INTENTIONS/GOALS YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS: Our goal in the next three years is to have Meadowbrook Estate established as a … Read More!

Beauty is an Inside Job: Embracing my Postpartum Body One Day at a Time

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TRUTH: The most beautiful I ever felt was when I was pregnant.

Despite gaining nearly 40 pounds, not fitting into my favorite clothes, and treating myself to any foods I wanted, I felt like a freakin’ Goddess.

I loved watching my bump grow month after month, nourishing my body (and baby), and of course my glowing skin was a nice perk. More so, I loved how I felt in my body — especially when the baby kicked, I was in the zone doing laps in the pool, or meditating with my hands gently rested on my belly and heart.

I felt beautiful and connected in a way I had never felt before, in a way that’s hard to describe. I was simply so amazed and grateful for my body growing a tiny human — especially after struggling to get pregnant — and that to me felt beautiful.

Here’s the thing: beauty is an inside job. It’s 99% how we feel and speak to ourselves. 

In my teens and early 20s, I struggled a lot with my body — my thighs were “too fat,” my boobs were too small, and I wasn’t as skinny as the rest of my friends. … Read More!

EMBRACE Your Fear & My First Podcast Interview with Zoe Kenealy of Ready to Launch

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Confession: I have a major fear of public speaking. In fact, I fear doing any type of video, lecture, podcast or anything where I’m being recorded. I’m much more comfortable writing — pen to paper or behind a computer screen.

Fun fact: I turned beet red and almost fainted during my Communication Studies class in college, and actually had to close my eyes for a moment to get centered so I could finish my presentation.

So when Northeastern college student Zoe Kenealy asked to interview me for her new podcast, Ready to Launch, my initial thought was hell no. I then realized that was my good ol’ pal fear talking, and I quickly emailed her back taking her up on the opportunity.

During the interview, we talked about how fear tends to hold us back from doing the things we want to do — whether that’s launching a new creative project or ditching the calorie counting (in fear that you’ll gain weight).

But did you ever stop to think what’s on the other side of that fear?

I decided to break through my fear and open up to Zoe on her podcast, which you can listen Read More!

Healthy Chicks in the Community Series: Meet Yoga & Meditation Instructor Lauren Durso

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Hooray, it’s Friday and March 1st! That means spring is coming, right? Good news: it’s actually only 19 days away (not like I’m counting or anything)!

I’m so excited to bring you this month’s spotlight on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a monthly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness world. As a yoga and meditation instructor, Lauren passionately and selflessly shares her gifts with the world through volunteering and her recent work with the Boston VA Healthcare System.

In this interview, we chat about her dream celebrity dinner guest, new career teaching Veterans yoga and her love for her home Tower Garden. I’ll let Lauren take it away from here!

NAME: Lauren Durso

DESCRIBE YOUR BUSINESS/LINE OF WORK: As a Certified 500hr Advanced Yoga & Meditation Instructor, I teach to private clients and group classes at my private home studio in Walpole, MA as well as local studios. My recent career addition is joining the Whole Health Systems team with the Boston VA Healthcare System, working full time teaching Veterans yoga and meditation. I am a Wellnesspreneur, as I also own my own Juice Plus+ franchise educating people about whole food nutrition supplement options … Read More!

A Love Note to Moms: You Rock & are a #MomBoss

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Dear mama,

Yup, I’m taking to you. In case you’ve been doubting yourself lately, here’s a simple reminder that you are totally, 100% rocking it. 

Whether you work full time or you’re a SAHM, you are enough. Maybe you put your kiddos in daycare, hire part-time help or stay home with your little one every day, but at the end of the day that choice is yours.

You may have one kid or five kids, a newborn or pre-schoolers, and you’re a total rockstar regardless. Being a mom is a lot of work. Maybe you breastfeed or formula feed, co-sleep or sleep in separate rooms, but only you know what’s best for you and your littles.

You lost all the “baby weight” in two weeks? High five! You still have a ways to go? You go girl! Your body is a freakin’ miracle. Whether you birthed at home or had a C-section or opted for an epidural or went med-free or adopted, it doesn’t matter. You matter.

If you managed to get to yoga class, cook a homemade meal and work your 9-5 job, you are superwoman. If the only thing you got done today is … Read More!

3 Ways to Love Yourself More This Valentine’s Day

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With Valentine’s Day a week away, love is in the air. While it’s fine to spoil your kiddos with candied hearts or splurge on a fancy dinner out with your sweetie, what about the love you’re giving yourself? That’s right, self-love baby! Here are three simple ways you can love yourself more starting now:

1. Quit Your Diet

Toss the scale, stop counting calories and look inward. Ask yourself how you want to FEEL. Then rather than focusing on the foods you need to take out, focus on fueling your body. This method is called crowding out; by incorporating more of the nutrient-rich, feel-good stuff, we naturally wean off of the foods that leave us feeling depleted.

What foods energize you? Make you feel vibrant? Fill you up? Prioritize those, but know there’s always room for a slice of pizza, a donut or your fave latte too.

2. Create a Morning or Evening Ritual

How do you start or end your day? If it doesn’t feel good to you, change it up. Bring in feel-good routines like journaling, DIY facials, hot lemon water, affirmation card pulls, a cozy cup of tea, or a juicy book. Here’s an … Read More!