Blueberry Squash: lifestyle

Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts

Baby Barbells: The Dad's Guide to Fitness and Fathering

I came across this adorable book and wanted to do a review for those of you out there looking for a great gift for a new dad or dad-to-be. It is called Baby Barbells : The Dad's Guide to Fitness and Fathering, and simply stole my heart when I browsed through it. There are tons of women orientated baby workouts, but this one is just for dad. The book is filled with charming retro style illustration with dad advise, and workout moves to tone up with baby including baby push ups. This charming workout routine is the perfect gift for fathers on your list ... a great way to knock out fathers day early this year!

* This post contains affiliate links, but I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it! I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images courtesy of Amazon.

10 Creative Birth Announcements

With a baby on the way and a love for paper birth announcements are one of the things on my mind. I will absolutely be sending them out to family and friends, but what will they look like? I haven't yet decided between DIY or custom designed, and have even pondered a combination of the two. Here are ten of my favorite ideas so far, and you can follow my board on Pinterest to catch new inspirations as I discover them.

Source: parents.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: lisastorms.typepad.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: inababycarriage.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: gab.giggle.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: tinyprints.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: parents.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: swankybaby.net via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: etsy.com via Brooke on Pinterest

Source: blogs.babble.com via Brooke on Pinterest

* I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it! I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images courtesy of Pinterest.

As my due date grows near fitness is more and more on my mind. Although I have been working out, and eating healthy throughout my pregnancy I am sure I will have some weight to lose after the baby comes. Since I moved right around the time I found out I was expecting I have not joined a gym in my area yet, and decided to research some workout options that I could do with baby to avoid some of those grimy childcare rooms located in workout facilities nearby.

Stroller Strides is a stroller fitness program located all over the USA offering several fitness programs based around local Mom's Clubs. This sounded perfect for me since I am still fairly new to the area, and would love to meet some new Mom's as well as get back in shape after baby arrives. The workouts are 1 hour long, and can start when baby is at least 6 weeks old.

The closest location to my home is about 20-30 minutes away, but for this kind of program I think it will be worth the drive. It is brand new, and will be starting up in May which will be just in time for my June baby. I will write an update post when the time comes, but wanted to share this website with everyone so you can find a program in your area. I'd love to hear from Mom's who have worked the program about their results!

* I was not paid by the manufacturer to review this product - I just like it! I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images courtesy of Stroller Strides.

With the birth of my child quick approaching nursing tops have been on my virtual shopping list. Currently I am in that wear the same thing over and over again because I don't want to buy any more giant maternity clothes state of mind. However, after each breastfeeding class I can see myself wearing the same nursing tops over and over again for the year after baby is born, and I am thinking that I want to make more of a clothing investment so I don't feel quite so trapped in a small wardrobe.

Nursing tops can be anything from a regular shirt that gives easy access for breastfeeding to specially designed clothing that works in layers to keep you covered while nursing in public. I haven't bought anything yet since I am not sure what size I will end up after baby arrives, but I do have a personal top 10 list that I will be shopping from in the near future that I wanted to share with you. If you have a favorite nursing top please share it in the comments - I can use all the help I can get planning for the next phase of my wardrobe!

Top 10 Nursing Tops for Spring

Pregnancy has inspired so many artistic ideas in my mind. I am constantly thinking about new projects to make for baby, but rarely getting to any since I am still working full time. I decided to start up a Pinterest Board with some of my favorite projects for this week's top ten post, and will continue to add more as I stumble on them. Who knows -- maybe someday I will actually complete one!

Tea drinking during pregnancy can be tricky - it seemed like every tea that I looked up had some warning about consuming while you are expecting. Not wanting to take any chances I decided to purchase some pregnancy tea and see how I liked it.

I ended up with Earth Mama Angel Baby Happy Mama Tea which is safe to use before, during, and after pregnancy. The main flavors are lemon balm, camomile, oak straw, red raspberry leaf, and orange pee. It has a delightfully sweet lemon flavor that I sometimes put a tad of sugar in when I drink it, but often just drink just as it is brewed.

I found the tea to be so enjoyable that I started making an iced tea version and drinking it daily. There are several ways to make iced tea from regular tea bags, but I stick with the simple one. I put 2 tea bags into a small pitcher of warm water and let sit by a sunny window for several hours. Then I just put it in the fridge to cool and voila - iced tea! Disclaimer - I like my tea weak so if you like a stronger brew you will need to use more then 2 tea bags to create the desired effect.

The tea and iced tea has been a welcome change from my water routine. Next I plan on trying some 3rd Trimester Tea - but not until I get the go ahead from my midwife. I will let you know how it compares when I give it a try.

I was in the mood from something new so I rented Prenatal Yoga with Desi Bartlett via Amazon for $2.99 to try it out. I loved this video so much I purchased it right away so I could add it to my prenatal exercise routine.

I have to say that this video is the perfect amount of challenge with poses that I can still do in the 3rd trimester. It is the first prenatal yoga video that I have see with the tree pose included which is a refreshing flash back to the yoga I used to do before baby.

In my opinion prenatal yoga in the first trimester is disappointing. I always wanted to push myself more, but did not want to harm baby. In the second and third trimester it becomes more relevant as your body moves differently, and the poses you did before pregnancy would be painful to maneuver. In the third trimester everything is more of a challenge, and I like this video because I feel challenged and like I am still getting a good workout by the end of the routine.

This routine is smooth and flowing with ample direction from the instructor. I like the rocking movements in the routine that I haven't seen in other videos which make me feel perfectly stretched when I finish the routine. Perhaps the best part of this video is the variety of movements. So many videos take you through the same movements several times which can get tedious, while this one moves on from pose to pose keeping things more interesting. I wasn't going to buy any more videos since I already have quite a few - but this one was so good that I couldn't help myself.

When I say "good workout" I am talking in pregnancy standards. It is not about calories burned, but rather about range of movement preserved by stretching, and strength gained. Weight gain is a normal part of pregnancy, and it is time to focus on keeping your body in good working order, and building strength for labor and the arrival of your baby. They don't stay tiny for long!

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

As a first time parent keeping toxins away from baby is something I think about, and research often. During this process I connected with James Greenwood of Baby Loves Organic, and was able to talk him into writing up a guest post about why organic is important for baby. Enjoy!

The skin is the largest organ of the body and naturally what we put on our skin is absorbed into our bodies. A baby’s new skin is much more sensitive and thinner than adults and their developing bodies are more susceptible to chemicals in non-organic products and residues of chemicals used to grow and process textiles.

This makes them making them more likely to develop allergic reactions to ingredients such as fragrances and residues of chemicals in clothing can be absorbed through the skin and may cause allergies, skin rashes or respiratory problems.

My little boy was born 6 weeks premature and spent the first few weeks of his life in intensive care - he nearly never made it due to an infection. When we could finally hold him, we realized his skin was so very thin, so very sensitive and of course, he was so very special to us.

Almost 25% of all the world’s insecticides and 10% of pesticides are sprayed on cotton. As cotton is not primarily a food product, some of the most toxic and aggressive pesticides are used – and it’s these that are responsible for poisoning wildlife and rivers.

Pests build up resistance to chemicals, farmer borrows money to buy more chemicals than before, farmer gets less profit from crop, repeat until farmer is destitute. Many chemicals used in cotton farming are acutely toxic and at least three of them are in the “dirty dozen” – so dangerous that 120 countries agreed at a UNEP conference in 2001 to ban them and so far this hasn’t happened. The World Trade Organisation estimates 20,000 deaths and three million chronic health problems each year are the result of the use of agricultural pesticides in developing countries.

Using organic baby products isn't about being an ecowarrior (although it does help the environment!), it's about looking after your children as best you can.

Organic cotton clothing is made to last so it withstands a lot more washing and wearing than other fabrics. The lack of processing means that it will last for years to come so that any future, younger brothers and sisters can benefit from recycling these items too.

Our son is now nearly 2, causing havoc around the home and doing all the things you want a little boy to do (unless you're trying to keep up with him!) - who knows we may even decide to give him a brother or a sister! If we do though, they'll have the benefit of organic baby goods too.

Inspired by our experiences, my wife Emma has started selling her favourite organic baby items online, including Organic Baby Clothes and you can visit her store at www.babylovesorganic.co.uk.

Of course I wasn't going to miss a shopping opportunity! Here are my top 5 picks from Baby Loves Organic.

* I did not receive any compensation from Baby Loves Organic to post this article. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 255. Images courtesy of Baby Loves Organic.

I was shopping for baby shower thank you cards when I decided that since I am a photographer I will design a simple flat card with one of my photographs that I could print out and send as baby gifts arrive. I recently photographed some cute baby safety pins in a variety of colors, and decided to base my design around that image. I added a simple Thank You sentiment to complete the card design.

I thought it would be fun to share it as a free printable design with my blog readers who might like to use it too! The design prints 4 flat cards to a page (US Letter) at a size of 4.25 x 5.5" each. You can use any kind of textured paper or cardstock to print them out. White or ivory will work best since the design is colored. Once you cut paper into 4 equal pieces another way to give them a finished feel is to use an inexpensive punch to round the edges. The finished cards will fit into invitation A2 sized envelopes.

Please download, print, use & enjoy! Note : This file is for personal use only.
Printable Thank You

I just finished a workout for Lesia Heart's Prenatal and Postnatal Workout DVD so I thought it was the perfect time to do a review. I own the two pack with both workouts, but this review is for the prenatal workout since that is the only one I have done so far. I like workouts that include a postnatal workout like this video and Denise Austin's Fit and Firm Pregnancy so when the time comes I will have several already in my collection to get me started.

The prenatal workout video consists of an Introduction (~4 minutes), Salsa Dance Workout (~20 minutes), Fat Burning Yoga Workout (~20 minutes), and a Labor Delivery Preparation / Relaxing Stretches section (~16 minutes) for a total of 60 minutes.

The salsa dance is my favorite part of the video. I have found many prenatal workouts to focus on toning so having a fun cardio workout is always a bonus for me. I had a little bit of a hard time getting the moves down the first time, but not so much that I didn't feel like I got a good workout from it. After a few times I still wouldn't consider myself graceful, but I can do the moves along with the video and find it upbeat, and fun.

The fat burning yoga section of the workout is not your traditional prenatal yoga routine. It is fast paced with plenty of stretching, squats and repetition. I feel stretched and energized after this workout, although it seems to drag at the end due to the repetition of the same moves over and over again. If I am in a good mood the repetition seems fun and challenging, if I am feeling grumpy it gets boring. I found this workout more challenging in my second trimester, and did not enjoy it as much when I was still in my first trimester.

I was never a big fan of the stretching section of workouts until I found out that I was expecting. Now I not only enjoy sections like this in videos, but see them as a necessity to my routine. The labor and delivery preparation section focuses on kegals, and abdominal work while the stretching and relaxing section includes essential leg stretches to keep cramps and pain at bay. It is not that time consuming, and a great way to wind down at the end of a workout. I also watch this section on days when I have back or leg pain to help keep my body limber.

Overall this is one of my favorite videos that I do on a frequent basis. It is a great video to do from start to finish, or to take workouts on their own for when you have less time. I also like to take a portion of this workout and combine it with another workout in my collection for some variety.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

I ordered Pilates for Life's Prenatal and Postnatal Pilates to add some pilates into my current routines that are mostly yoga, cardio and toning.

The workouts on this video are 20 minutes, and very low impact. A great video for people who have never worked out before or just want to get a good stretch, but at the end of the video I felt like I needed to follow up with another routine to get a more complete workout for the day. I will pop it in from time to time to use as a warm up for more active workouts, but I honestly don't use it very often.

Neither of the women in the video are pregnant so I am not sure that they created the perfect prenatal routine. I am an optimist, however, so I will keep the video around to try the postnatal routine after baby is born and do a follow up review to let you know what I think.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

I wrote about how the Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout was my favorite pregnancy workout, and I have to admit that Denise Austin's Fit and Firm Pregnancy is a very close second place if not a tie. On a typical week I like to do these two workouts on rotating days and throw in another video here and there to keep things exciting.

The video features a 20 minute cardio workout that works well for each of the trimesters. I enjoy doing this part of the video quite often and when I have the energy I will do it more then one time in a day. The moves are easy to follow, and fun so the workout goes by quickly and leaves me with lots of energy.

There are also strength training workouts for your second and third trimester included on the video. They are 20 minutes and a great companion to a 20 minute cardio workout.

You can do the workouts individually or if you click on the Custom category on the menu you can schedule them to run back to back to do a combination of workouts without going back to the menu between each one. I love this feature, and wish it was included on more workout videos.

This workout is a lower impact then the Summer Sanders Prenatal Workout, and works well for those days when I am not feeling well, but still want to get some exercise in. If you only pick one workout to purchase during your pregnancy, Denise Austin's Fit and Firm Pregnancy is the one I would recommend.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.

Professional photographers capture childhood like no one else can. With skill, experience and personality these creatives can provide you with a beautiful heirloom that you will cherish for many years in the form of a photograph.

But how do you chose a professional photographer? There are true professionals with years of experience and training, and there are people with an expensive camera who may call themselves professional, but lack the skills to give you the results you are looking for. Here are some things to look for to help you chose the right photographer for your child.

A Professional Website - Looking at photographers websites should be your first step. A great place to start is with the PPA (Professional Photographers of America) Fina a Photographer Page. When you look at photographers websites check out the portfolio section first. Each photographer has their own style, and the images they create for you will likely look similar to the ones in their portfolio. Look for a website that is professional quality, and up to date with current images and information. Photographers who care about their marketing tend to be of a higher quality.

Studio or Location? - If outdoors is your answer you will want to look for a photographer who uses some type of lighting equipment generally referred to as "fill flash" This will give a more professional result then working with natural light alone.

Years of Experience - When it comes to photographing children experience is important to get a good expression. The more difficult your child is to work with the more experience you will need your photographer to have. Look for how long they have been photographing children, not if they are parents or not. You will want to see a variety of sample images of children of all ages in your photographers portfolio to ensure they have the skill, experience and personality to create the image you are looking for.

Full or Part Time - You will generally get better customer service from a full time photographer. They will be more flexible answering your phone calls, scheduling your photo shoot, and delivering proofs and prints. They are also more likely to have connections with professional photo labs that will give you the highest quality prints.

Prints - Speaking of prints, have the photographer make them. A professional photographer will have a relationship with a high quality print lab that will give you a much better result then your printer or local pharmacy photo lab. You are spending the money on the photo shoot, don't skimp on the final product.

Price - You get what you pay for with photographers. My suggestion would be to go with the most experienced photographer you can find at a cost that is within your budget. You are paying for skills, and experience just as a haircut at your budget chain location won't look as good as a color, cut and style from a stylist with 20 years of experience. Go for quality over quantity. A few beautiful professional images are always my choice over a CD full of not so great photographs.

These tips should get you on the right track to choosing the right photographer for your family. If you have any feedback, questions, or comments please feel free to leave them below.

How often should you get your child professionally photographed?

The traditional rule is : once per month for the first year, and then yearly until high school graduation.

This seemed like a lot when I first entered the field, but I soon realized the emotions behind the tradition. During the first year of life babies change so much from month to month. After I had been photographing the same children for an entire year and I brought up the images side by side and was blown away by the evolution of a child through that first year.

There is just something about a professional photograph that really captures the essence of the moment. With the first year you don't need to buy many prints each month, but it is a priceless record of your child's life. Some photographers even offer packages that will include monthly sessions for the first year to assist in the process. It is one of those things that takes time, and money to accomplish, but also something you will not regret.

Currently I own a Product Photography studio that I work at full time. I love my niche, and when my baby comes I won't be switching over to portrait photographer.

With that said I do have experience in the portrait photography field starting with my education at The Hallmark Institute of Photography where I was instructed in the art of portraiture as well as assisting several local photographers. I continued assisted upon graduation in 2003 in the Washington DC metro area where I gained experience in weddings, portraits, corporate and product photography.

I was soon ready to start shooting on my own again, and the thought of a full time paycheck was quite the temptation so I put my love of product photography on hold and took a position managing a popular portrait studio chain. I was quickly promoted to training manager and became responsible for many portrait studios in the Maryland towns surrounding Washington DC. During this time I expanded my knowledge to the niche of photographing children. I used my new training to train photographers, sales people, and studio managers.

During the summer of 2006 I decided to move to the slower paced beach lifestyle of North Carolina to pursue my dream of shooting products full time. I started part time with a sales job on the side using the skills I learned from the portrait studio trade, and in late 2009 I was pursue my studio full time. Currently at Brooke Photo Studio I photograph product and stock photography full time. I love having my own studio, but it was the journey that got me to where I am.

With this project I would like to share some hints, tips and tricks that I learned from my years in the portrait industry that will aid you in working with a professional photographer as well as taking snap shots with your own camera. Just don't ask me to photograph your children -- I left that part behind years ago. On the other hand if you have a product that you need photographed get in touch!

When I found out I was expecting one of the first things I did was review what I should be eating. I already had a healthy lifestyle, but there are so many recommendations for what you should and should not eat that I wanted to get a review right away.

The book I'm Pregnant! Now What Do I Eat? by Hope Ricciotti was the perfect starting point for me. It addresses all those eat this and not that questions about foods like sushi, lunch meat, and peanuts as well as giving plenty of recommendations for what you should be eating on a regular basis for a healthy pregnancy.

As a person who is used to calorie counting I knew I would have a hard time mentally with eating healthy, but still watching the weight pile on. Reading this book quelled my fears of becoming a person who goes from working out daily to eating a box of cookies on the couch. I learned that although you are "eating for two" that does not mean consuming double the calories.

I have found that during my pregnancy I have experienced some food aversions, but overall making healthier choices has helped me to feel better so far throughout my journey. As I write this I am in my second trimester and the nausea has passed, and hunger has set in. For me the best thing about eating healthy right now is that I can consume many different foods without going overboard on calories. Splurging on piles of fresh fruit goes a lot farther then sweets or fast food.

This book also includes some fantastic recipes. I am not much of a cook (I leave that up to my husband!) so have tended to be more of a snack eater during this pregnancy, but if you have a talent in the kitchen these recipes look delicious!

This is my absolute favorite pregnancy workout video. I have been using it since my first trimester, and plan on trying her other workout after the baby is born.

The video includes workouts for each trimester. There is a regular version that I like to do which runs about 50 minutes, and a shorter express workout for those days when you don't have as much time. I try to do this video 2-3x a week on alternating days since the focus is on toning.

What I really like about this workout is that it was a challenge my first time through. This is my first pregnancy so I am concerned with not over doing it when it comes to working out so doing prenatal fitness videos makes me feel confident that even though I am getting a good workout it is safe for the baby. Before pregnancy I focused mainly on cardiovascular workouts so to switch to a workout like this which has more of a focus on toning arms and legs was a big change for me.

As I am writing this post I just finished this workout, and have done it 5x in the past two weeks on alternating weekdays. I can actually feel my arms gaining some muscle tone so I am really happy with the results. Being pregnant changed my whole view on working out because all of a sudden I was more focused on health then weigh loss or maintenance. After the baby comes I am going to make it a point to keep toning in my routine, because I really enjoy how it makes my body feel.

Before you try this video you do need a resistance band and a good stack of pillows to prop yourself up on an angle for floor work in the second and third trimester. Summer Sanders is coached in this video by her sister-in-law, and both of these women have bubbly, but not annoying personalities. I really enjoyed the personal feeling of the video which made it seem like I had a fitness coach in my living room.

With this or any workout make sure to check with your doctor or midwife before getting started on a routine.