If you are an active person or are on your feet a lot and you suffer from Plantar Fasciitis, you know what that pain in your foot is like. My husband suffers from this pain but for the longest time, we weren't sure why he was experiencing the pain. We figured it was just his shoes and so he would change the shoes he was wearing.
When I received an email from SLS3 about an opportunity to review a pair of Plantar Fasciitis sleeves, I jumped at the chance for my husband to try them out and give his honest opinion.
Here are a few things that he said:
1. What was your first impression of the look of the sleeves?
They looked like socks and have a nice look to them, I like that they are not all colorful.
2. How did they feel when you first put them on?
They were tight but comfortable.
3. Do you feel that they had enough support?
Yes, I felt as though there was more support than when I don't wear anything.
4. Could you feel a different in having them on vs. not having them on during your run?
Yes, definitely. Even while wearing my boots to run in.
5. How was the comfort level with them while wearing socks over top?
Good, it really had no effect having socks on top of them.
6. Would you recommend these sleeves to anyone else looking for support during activities?
Yes, I would even buy another pair for myself so that I could have two sets!
7. On a scale of 1-10 how would you rate them?
8/9 only because sometimes when I put socks on, the sleeve starts to roll up.
Any additional comments you would like to make?
I like them and I can feel the support so I think it's a great product for what I need them for.
So there you have it, my husband is a big fan of the support sleeves for his feet. They provided him with the level of support he needed while also providing comfort.
These sleeves are available for purchase on both their website and on Amazon!
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Thursday, April 14, 2016
Where Do We Go From Here?
There is something that has been bothering me for quite some time that I don't quite know how to convey my feelings. There are so many layers to what is going on and so many opinions that sometimes I wonder if how I feel even matters.
Almost like politics and religion, the conversation on racism can go from calm to heated in a matter of seconds. When you have differing opinions and strong convictions in what you are trying to convey, things can escalate very quickly. I understand that, but I wish the conversations could remain calm and the lines of communication open.
It is no secret that my children are a blend of races. They are black, they are white, they are Asian. They are children, they are human and they have feelings. Words do hurt. They may not tell you that and they may not show it but they do. They might not hurt in a you hurt my feelings kind of way but they hurt in a why would you even say that to me kind of way.
My kids are in a predominantly white school. There is diversity but not like you would see in other areas. I don't have the statistics on our demographics so I can't post any specifics. However, I can say that my kids are a minority in the school.
Both of my older two kids have been experiencing comments from their peers since kindergarten. Let that sink in, my kids are in 9th and 10th grade now. So, for all of their school years, they have been dealing with racist comments, hearing the word n****r being thrown around and to their faces for all these years. I am not sure how hurtful it is for them but I know that it bothers them, how could it not?!
I have addressed this with school staff in the past. Last year, after my son was being called a n****r every single day, to his face, I called the school. That same day, the student was suspended and had to leave school immediately. I was impressed by the principal's swift actions and their apologies to my son for his having to go through that.
This year, it is more of the same. My son is a kind person, he has lots of friends and is well rounded. I am not sure why he gets so many comments and kids that are supposed to be his friends feel it is okay to throw these hateful words around like it is normal. My kids take this every.single.day. They don't retaliate, they don't say anything to teachers or staff, they don't engage in arguments about it. They take it. They let it roll off their backs. But how much can one person take?
I am in tears at the thought of my babies being treated like this. I want to do something but what can I do? How do I handle this without provoking backlash against my kids and it getting worse? Is that the right mindset? I am not sure but it is something that I seriously have to contemplate. I hate this part of parenting. It shouldn't even be something that we have to think about or deal with. My parents taught me that everyone is equal, we love everyone. We have taught our children the same.
I wonder if the parents of these kids know how their kids are talking to others. I wonder if the parents talk like that in their homes. I wonder if they would punish their kids if they knew that their kids are treating others horribly.
I would personally be horrified.
I am going to be perfectly honest here, if my son were to retaliate due to being called a "black a$$ n****r" or a "stupid a$$ n****r" to his face, as he has within the last two weeks, I would stand beside him through any punishment that the school would give. He has remained standing tall, he has remained being the bigger person but there comes a breaking point. He would never want to hurt someone but how much is a 15 year old supposed to be able to handle? What hurts is that not one single one of his friends stood up for him, they did not say one word to the kid. When he was mad and they asked why, he told them that it was because they didn't even say anything to the offender. Their response..."why would we?" There is a whole other problem.
I am not sure what my exact point is here but I do know that I want more parents to have straight forward talks with their kids about standing up against others that are hurting people. To be more loving, more compassionate, to be kind. Please, just be kind.
Almost like politics and religion, the conversation on racism can go from calm to heated in a matter of seconds. When you have differing opinions and strong convictions in what you are trying to convey, things can escalate very quickly. I understand that, but I wish the conversations could remain calm and the lines of communication open.
It is no secret that my children are a blend of races. They are black, they are white, they are Asian. They are children, they are human and they have feelings. Words do hurt. They may not tell you that and they may not show it but they do. They might not hurt in a you hurt my feelings kind of way but they hurt in a why would you even say that to me kind of way.
My kids are in a predominantly white school. There is diversity but not like you would see in other areas. I don't have the statistics on our demographics so I can't post any specifics. However, I can say that my kids are a minority in the school.
Both of my older two kids have been experiencing comments from their peers since kindergarten. Let that sink in, my kids are in 9th and 10th grade now. So, for all of their school years, they have been dealing with racist comments, hearing the word n****r being thrown around and to their faces for all these years. I am not sure how hurtful it is for them but I know that it bothers them, how could it not?!
I have addressed this with school staff in the past. Last year, after my son was being called a n****r every single day, to his face, I called the school. That same day, the student was suspended and had to leave school immediately. I was impressed by the principal's swift actions and their apologies to my son for his having to go through that.
This year, it is more of the same. My son is a kind person, he has lots of friends and is well rounded. I am not sure why he gets so many comments and kids that are supposed to be his friends feel it is okay to throw these hateful words around like it is normal. My kids take this every.single.day. They don't retaliate, they don't say anything to teachers or staff, they don't engage in arguments about it. They take it. They let it roll off their backs. But how much can one person take?
I am in tears at the thought of my babies being treated like this. I want to do something but what can I do? How do I handle this without provoking backlash against my kids and it getting worse? Is that the right mindset? I am not sure but it is something that I seriously have to contemplate. I hate this part of parenting. It shouldn't even be something that we have to think about or deal with. My parents taught me that everyone is equal, we love everyone. We have taught our children the same.
I wonder if the parents of these kids know how their kids are talking to others. I wonder if the parents talk like that in their homes. I wonder if they would punish their kids if they knew that their kids are treating others horribly.
I would personally be horrified.
I am going to be perfectly honest here, if my son were to retaliate due to being called a "black a$$ n****r" or a "stupid a$$ n****r" to his face, as he has within the last two weeks, I would stand beside him through any punishment that the school would give. He has remained standing tall, he has remained being the bigger person but there comes a breaking point. He would never want to hurt someone but how much is a 15 year old supposed to be able to handle? What hurts is that not one single one of his friends stood up for him, they did not say one word to the kid. When he was mad and they asked why, he told them that it was because they didn't even say anything to the offender. Their response..."why would we?" There is a whole other problem.
I am not sure what my exact point is here but I do know that I want more parents to have straight forward talks with their kids about standing up against others that are hurting people. To be more loving, more compassionate, to be kind. Please, just be kind.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
How Do You Carry Your Stuff?! A SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt Review and Giveaway!!
If you are an active person, you may have had to deal with the dilemma of having to figure out what to do with your stuff while you are working out or running. You have your keys, chapstick, phone, etc. Sometimes if you have a pocket that helps but who wants your stuff flopping around in your pocket while you are putting in work?! Nope, not me.
I had the chance to try out a great fitness belt, the SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt. It is lightweight, has two pockets, and is easy to use with zippered pockets. There is no flopping, the band is adjustable so it can fit snug or loose if you wish. I prefer mine to be close to my body. It has a convenient clip closure so it is easy to put on and take off. It is also water resistant, which is huge when it comes to running belts.
It comes in a few different colors so you have options. I like having options haha. You can see the belt on Amazon here.
I was able to put my keys, my earphones, a gel and my chapstick in the pockets and I had room to spare. I do have to say that I have the iPhone 6S Plus and it did not fit in the pocket so that was the only downfall to the belt for me. I felt I could move and run with no issues with the belt.
I would definitely suggest trying the belt as it is a nice belt and the price is not too high on it. Speaking of price, there is a limited time introductory price for the dual pocket run belt !! Yep, you can try it out for yourself and save some money while you do! Who doesn't love a good deal?!
If you visit their Amazon store, you can save 43% off the retail price!!! Go check it out now!!
Also, as if that wasn't enough, the folks at SLS3 are so kind as to offer my readers 40% their entire store!!! You can visit their website at www.slstri.com and enter the code BLOG40 for the discount! You all are so lucky!!!
Want something even better?! I am hosting a giveaway for a SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt! Enter for your chance to win a belt!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It is only open for a limited time so hurry for your chance to win! There are several ways to get more chances at winning so be sure to enter them all!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post. I was given a belt at no cost to give my honest opinion of the belt. All words are my own and I was not scripted for this post.
I had the chance to try out a great fitness belt, the SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt. It is lightweight, has two pockets, and is easy to use with zippered pockets. There is no flopping, the band is adjustable so it can fit snug or loose if you wish. I prefer mine to be close to my body. It has a convenient clip closure so it is easy to put on and take off. It is also water resistant, which is huge when it comes to running belts.
It comes in a few different colors so you have options. I like having options haha. You can see the belt on Amazon here.
I was able to put my keys, my earphones, a gel and my chapstick in the pockets and I had room to spare. I do have to say that I have the iPhone 6S Plus and it did not fit in the pocket so that was the only downfall to the belt for me. I felt I could move and run with no issues with the belt.
I would definitely suggest trying the belt as it is a nice belt and the price is not too high on it. Speaking of price, there is a limited time introductory price for the dual pocket run belt !! Yep, you can try it out for yourself and save some money while you do! Who doesn't love a good deal?!
If you visit their Amazon store, you can save 43% off the retail price!!! Go check it out now!!
Also, as if that wasn't enough, the folks at SLS3 are so kind as to offer my readers 40% their entire store!!! You can visit their website at www.slstri.com and enter the code BLOG40 for the discount! You all are so lucky!!!
Want something even better?! I am hosting a giveaway for a SLS3 Dual Pocket Run Belt! Enter for your chance to win a belt!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
It is only open for a limited time so hurry for your chance to win! There are several ways to get more chances at winning so be sure to enter them all!
Disclaimer: I was not compensated monetarily for this post. I was given a belt at no cost to give my honest opinion of the belt. All words are my own and I was not scripted for this post.
Wednesday, January 13, 2016
Healthy Travels Throughout the Year
It is a new year and so many people talk about being healthy and taking care of themselves in the new year. It is a great goal and something wonderful to strive for. However, this time of year is also at the height of cold and flu season. There are so many viruses out there and so many germs being shared. Is there really a way to fight off all illnesses?
What about when you travel? What do you do if someone in your family gets sick while you are out of town? I always think about that when we go on vacation. What if one of the kids gets sick or hurt? How will we know where to go or who to see? Do I really want to be looking through the phone book or asking someone local to find what we need?
There is a great solution to all of those questions. You can now look in one convenient place for all the doctors that you may need. When you check out Amino, they have a "find a doctor" feature that is easy, fast and effective. You can find a doctor based on location, insurance, needs, and preferences!
So, say we are at our beach house this summer and my clumsy son trips over something and has some pain in his ankle, then it swells. We will be able to quickly visit the Amino site and look up his ailment and the area we are in and find exactly where to go to have it looked at. It really doesn't get any easier than that, does it?!
Life is so busy and when you are traveling, the last thing you want to have to worry about is finding the care you need, when you need it. Keep this site bookmarked for when you may need it, but I'm hoping it is a resource that we can avoid using while on vacation!
Stay healthy, my friends!
**Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, I did not receive any money or products for my post. I was not scripted, all words are my own. **
What about when you travel? What do you do if someone in your family gets sick while you are out of town? I always think about that when we go on vacation. What if one of the kids gets sick or hurt? How will we know where to go or who to see? Do I really want to be looking through the phone book or asking someone local to find what we need?
There is a great solution to all of those questions. You can now look in one convenient place for all the doctors that you may need. When you check out Amino, they have a "find a doctor" feature that is easy, fast and effective. You can find a doctor based on location, insurance, needs, and preferences!
So, say we are at our beach house this summer and my clumsy son trips over something and has some pain in his ankle, then it swells. We will be able to quickly visit the Amino site and look up his ailment and the area we are in and find exactly where to go to have it looked at. It really doesn't get any easier than that, does it?!
Life is so busy and when you are traveling, the last thing you want to have to worry about is finding the care you need, when you need it. Keep this site bookmarked for when you may need it, but I'm hoping it is a resource that we can avoid using while on vacation!
Stay healthy, my friends!
**Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post, I did not receive any money or products for my post. I was not scripted, all words are my own. **
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Oh Honey!
As I continue on this path of mine, finding all sorts of new ways to be healthier, do better and be better, I have tried many things. I have had lots of attempts at making small changes to create big changes.
One of those changes was to switch out my regular, white granulated sugar for honey. Honey is natural, sweet and much better for you than sugar.
But, it is such a mess!! I have gotten honey all through my lunch bag because although the jar was closed, it still oozed out!! I had to scrub and scrub that thing to get it to a point where everything was sticking haha.
Then, I heard about a pretty sweet (pun intended) product called Nektar Honey Crystals. It is 100% natural and it is so simple and easy that it is almost too good to be true....but it IS true!! Yippee!
Seriously, folks! This is amazing. The Nektar Honey Crystals obviously taste just like honey....because it is made with honey but they have the great ease of shaking out of the container or packets. It has two ingredients: Natural Cane Sugar and Honey. That is it, no chemicals, no funky ingredients that you can't say nor spell.
The serving size is 1 tsp and in that serving, there are only 12 calories! Yes, you read that right, 12!!
These easy to pour bottles are available now at Walmart, so you don't even have to go to a specialty store to find it!
Would you like to get a FREE bottle to try for yourself? Enter my giveaway to get your hands on a 6oz. bottle of Nektar Honey Crystals!
Giveaway entry methods:
One of those changes was to switch out my regular, white granulated sugar for honey. Honey is natural, sweet and much better for you than sugar.
But, it is such a mess!! I have gotten honey all through my lunch bag because although the jar was closed, it still oozed out!! I had to scrub and scrub that thing to get it to a point where everything was sticking haha.
Then, I heard about a pretty sweet (pun intended) product called Nektar Honey Crystals. It is 100% natural and it is so simple and easy that it is almost too good to be true....but it IS true!! Yippee!
The serving size is 1 tsp and in that serving, there are only 12 calories! Yes, you read that right, 12!!
These easy to pour bottles are available now at Walmart, so you don't even have to go to a specialty store to find it!
Would you like to get a FREE bottle to try for yourself? Enter my giveaway to get your hands on a 6oz. bottle of Nektar Honey Crystals!
Giveaway entry methods:
- Visiting Nektar Naturals on Facebook*
- Sharing the giveaway on Facebook and tagging Nektar Naturals
- Following on Twitter (@nektar_naturals) and Instagram (@nektarnaturals)
- Tweeting about the giveaway, tagging @nektar_naturals #beesweet #sweatpink @fitapproach
- Using the store locator on Nektar Naturals’ website to find the closest store where Nektar Naturals is carried
- Like my Page on Facebook here.
- Follow me on Instagram here.
- Leave a comment on what you would use Nektar Honey Crystals for.
- U.S. only
- One prize per person. One prize per person. If you win this giveaway, and have already won another prize from Nektar Naturals through another blog, please disclose that you have already won so we can choose another winner.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Healthy Snacking After the Workout
It is such a trap. That feeling you get after a workout when you are hungry and you know you need to refuel your body. You just finished a workout and you know that you burned a bunch of calories. You have a choice to make. What do you want to snack on?!
There are two paths you can take at this point. You can choose to grab a healthy snack or you can choose to grab that sugar-filled, unhealthy treat. You just worked out, right? So it is easy to think that you can just munch on that unhealthy treat because of all those burned calories. No. Don't do it!!
There are some great options when it comes to post workout snacks. The list of snacks that can replenish the calories while refueling your body is long, you just have to know what some good choices are.
Here are some that work great when you finish that sweat session:
A banana.
Whole wheat bread or bagel with peanut butter
Almonds
Sweet potato
Steel cut oatmeal
Greek yogurt
There are awesome resources out there to find the best post workout snacks. I've found some good ones through these websites:
Nuts.com where they have a large variety of healthy snacks that you can take anywhere.
Pinterest, is there anything that you can't find on there?!
Blogs, there are so many that I have found to be very resourceful while getting to know other great fitness and health nuts like myself. :)
What are your favorite go-to healthy snacks? Do you tend to crave certain ones after your workouts?
Disclaimer: I was not prompted or compensated for this post, the links and sites are posted at my discretion and I did not have a script to follow. All opinions are my own.
Monday, August 17, 2015
That Time Already
The days fly by as we plug away at the daily grind with the best intentions of doing fun, fabulous things all summer long. Then we don't actually do those things because time escaped us as we are filling our weekends with parties, picnics and yard work.
It is sad. I always want to do so many things every summer and yet again, here we are mid-August with that long list still sitting there with nothing checked off. Sad panda.
The kids have their schedules and teacher assignments already, we've gotten the bus schedule so we know what time to be standing out there waiting for the big yellow bus. School supplies have been purchased and soon enough, we will be taking those first day of school pictures of our kids all spiffed up and ready for another year.
I can't decide if I am excited for school to be back in session or not. Usually I am so ready for the routine to be back in place and for my grocery bill to go down. I don't feel excitement or dread, I guess I am just sort of rolling with the punches so it is what it is.
I am hopeful for a great school year for all of my kids. I hope Lincoln enjoys his new teacher, this will be his first time having a male teacher so it will be interesting to see how he responds to him because he is used to the caring, motherly type teachers. The older kids will be adjusting to their schedules and getting used to having a class together....that has never happened before!
I love summer and I am still hoping to get a few fun things in before the weather turns to colder temps and pumpkin flavored everything.
Sometimes I swear I need a rewind button on life.
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