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Fun Fact: I’ve been reading to our sweet daughter Isabella Rose since before she was born. I have found memories snuggling up, placing one hand on my pregnant belly, and reading her stories as a way to connect and bond with her.
It’s hard to believe she turns two this week, and while life sure looks a lot different these days, one thing has remained constant: our love for reading together.
We have dozens and dozens of books, and Isabella loves sorting them and independently picking out the book she wants mommy or daddy to read in that moment. Whether it be a way to wind down before her nap, afternoon giggles or bedtime stories, we’re a huge fan of reading in this household.
Our Love for Priddy Books
We’ve loved Priddy Books since the early days, as First 100 Words and First 100 Animals are staples in our house — introducing our little one to some of her first words through pictures.
Hello beauties! I can’t believe we’re already approaching the end of summer. Time is flying and we’re about two months away from meeting Baby Boy!
It’s time for this month’s spotlight on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a monthly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness world & beyond. I’m thrilled to feature Dietitian & Nutritionist Lily Nichols, who’s is all about educating women on real food and nutrition during pregnancy.
I first discovered Lily through her book Real Food for Pregnancy, which I thoroughly soaked up during my pregnancy with Isabella. I especially loved her approach on postpartum nutrition, and the importance of incorporating nurturing, healing foods during the transition. Truly, it couldn’t be more important and I know it’ll be a key part of my recovery this fall as well.
In this inspiring interview, we chat with Lily about a day in the life of an RDN, her go-to foods (and why she’s not afraid of fat), and the number one message she wants to share with mamas-to-be on their pregnancy journey.
NAME:
Lily Nichols
WHERE DO YOU LIVE:
Washington state, but I’ve lived all over the country.
{UPDATE: I diligently tested my blood sugars at home 4x a day with the glucometer and my numbers were perfect. I was officially cleared by my doc to stop testing. The diagnosis may have been a fluke after all — my inkling is that my body just couldn’t handle that crazy amount of sugar.}
“We’ll only call you if it’s bad news,” the midwife said after the dreaded one-hour glucose test.
Sure enough, I get a phone call yesterday afternoon — it was the OB office. “Hi Rachel, we’re calling regarding your glucose test…” I knew what was coming. “Unfortunately you did not pass.”
And then what I never expected to hear: “Your results were above the limit. You have gestational diabetes.”
My stomach dropped. I was in complete shock. “But how? I eat healthy! I don’t even like sweets!” I said through the headache I still had from yesterday’s forced sugar rush. The nurse explained to me that sometimes the healthiest women develop gestational diabetes, and it doesn’t necessarily have to do with WHAT I was eating but HOW my body processes the sugars in my food.
Fun Fact: I worked on the sweetgreen marketing team for 3.5 years, and helped them launch in the Boston market. While I have many fond memories working at an exciting startup for my dream company, one of my favorite perks was my daily salad fix.
True story: I named the Harvest Bowl. My go-to order? When I wasn’t designing my own dreamy custom, I’d go for a trusty favorite, the Kale Caesar (add avo). I mean, is there anything better than creamy caesar dressing and parm crisps?
Now that I live in Connecticut and can’t get my sweetgreen fix, I’ve had to get a little crafty in the kitchen to come up with my own version. And while sweetgreen doesn’t disclose their exact recipes, they do share the ingredients — which is super helpful when it comes to the signature dressing.
Enjoy this sweetgreen Kale Caesar makeover — perfect as a side dish or refreshing summer dinner.
Last night, during our monthly women’s Bliss Circle, the topic of following your intuition came up during our session. Our intuition tells us so much about ourselves, but often we straight up ignore it and blow it off.
Here’s the thing: most of the time, you know exactly what you need to do if you just listen, and when we ask others for permission we take away some of our power.
Think of all the times you get a sudden idea while you’re driving, in the shower, or writing in your journal. That right there is your intuition talking to you so it’s about time you listen to listen to it.
Flash forward to yesterday afternoon, as I was getting ready for the evening’s Bliss Circle. I had a necklace on, but took it off because it just didn’t sit right with the outfit I was wearing. A few hours later, I heard a voice — my intuition — saying … Read More!
Happy May, beauties! It’s time for this month’s feature on Healthy Chicks in the Community, a monthly series highlighting rockstar Girl Bosses doing their thang in the wellness world & beyond.
I’m thrilled to feature Founder of Honey Bee Maternity, Sara Benzinger. Through her consignment shop, she sells gently used maternity & nursing wear at a fraction of the price — making it a budget-friendly, sustainable option for new mamas and mamas to be.
In this inspiring interview, we chat with Sara about challenges she’s faced opening up her own business, why she’s prioritizing her self-care practice, and her love for exotic foods!
NAME:
Sara Benzinger
WHERE DO YOU LIVE:
Bethel, CT
GIVE US A SNAPSHOT INTO YOUR BIZ/WHAT YOU DO:
I own Honey Bee Maternity, a maternity and nursing consignment store! I help expecting families save money by offering a curated selection of gently used maternity and nursing wear at a fraction of retail prices.
THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE/LESSON YOU’VE LEARNED OPENING YOUR OWN SHOP:
I’ve had to learn to not be so people-pleasing. In the past I’ve made decisions that benefit others but ultimately weren’t good for my business. I’m learning to find the balance, because my decisions … Read More!
Do you have a special space in your home just for you to reflect?
Now that we’re spending much more time at home during quarantine, it’s important to have a safe space to go to “retreat.” While you may not be able to take over a whole room in the house, you can carve out a special section just for you.
Your “sacred space” is the perfect escape for you to relax, meditate, and tune into your body. It’s a feel-good space for you to go to for meditation, journaling, or simply to enjoy a cup of tea.
As part of the self-care challenge I’m co-hosting, last week I cleared up my messy desk to make it a feel-good space for me to reflect. I hung up my vision board, incorporated sea shells and a plant for new energy, incorporated my affirmation card decks & healing stones for easy access, and added some fun things like chocolate and serenity essential oil.
Here’s how to create your own sacred space!
1. Choose a space in your home to be your “sacred space” (whether it be a corner of your bedroom, your desk, or your office).
Hello, beauties! I get a ton of questions about how I got the idea and why I decided to create my own affirmation card deck. So I decided to make a video to share the inside scoop behind Spark Your Bliss.
I shared this video with my private Facebook Group last week (join the fun here) and now I wanted to share it with you all.
In this 10-minute video, I discuss:
How I got the idea to create my own affirmation card deck
Work burnout, mindset & how it all relates
Why including journaling prompts and action steps was super important to me
What makes the Spark Your Bliss deck unique
Enjoy!
Scoop up your own Spark Your Bliss affirmation card deck here! … Read More!
