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The Best Organic Baby Food Delivery Company for New Parents

9/30/2020

Meal and snack ideas for your baby can be a scary subject, especially if you are a first-time parent. As a mother of two, I understand the importance of finding healthy, organic baby food, especially if your child is at risk for food allergies.

Our second child recently turned 6 months old, a milestone where most parents start giving their children real food.

At first, we tried mashed up bananas and avocados and because he did so well (shocker), we knew it was time to start thinking about a plan for his meals.

My husband and I are big fans of Yumi organic baby food because they offer unique flavor combinations without all the preservatives, sugars and strange chemicals you can't even pronounce. For once, a label I can read!

As parents, our biggest goal is to ensure the safety and health of our children, especially when introducing new foods. Finding a company like Yumi has certainly been convenient because their organic baby food is available in several different options, it’s delivered to my doorstep and it exudes the high quality ingredients I strive to give my family. Sign me up!

In addition, this is one the healthiest baby food options I’ve found. Yumi Organic baby food is not just for babies either -- they have an entire line for kids ages five and up.

Plus, Yumi organic baby food contains no added sugar, allergens, dairy, gluten, GMOs or preservatives.
Getting started with Yumi organic baby food is easy. You simply pick a meal plan and they’ll prepare it fresh and ship it out directly to your doorstep.
As a mother of two, having the hard work done for me is always welcome. That's why we’ll continue to use Yumi for our kids. Finding healthy organic baby food just got a whole lot easier.

To create your first order, click here.

5 Breastfeeding Tips

8/12/2020

The birth of baby #2

6/12/2020

You were born during a pandemic. Times were and still are so uncertain.

But we did it.

I was 37 weeks pregnant when the World Health Organization declared the Covid-19 disease as a world pandemic. March 13th, 2020 a national emergency was declared in the United States surrounding the virus.

This was the world we were about to bring a newborn baby into. We were terrified of the outcome and what was to become of your health and well being.

Because of our deep concerns, we decided to get induced before things got too bad in the hospitals in Arizona. At 39 weeks, we were called in for our induction. Our hearts were pounding as we got our last minute hospital bag items ready. We were scared and also very excited to finally bring our sweet boy into the world.

As we parked the car, we anxiously approached the hospitals sliding glass door and were greeting by a group of masked nurses. They checked our temperatures and asked us a few health questions. If felt like we were being interrogated and if we said the wrong thing, we would get the shaft.

After passing the screenings, we headed toward the maternity ward and checked into our room.

We made it! We were in our labor and delivery room safe and sound. We were fortunate enough to have our nurse only taking care of us. She had no other patients so we felt very fortunate and safe from the virus.

It was about 2:00pm at this point. I was already 4cm dilated and 100% effaced. Shortly after arriving, the Doctor came in and broke my water. It was a very strange feeling. Almost like getting a yearly exam at your OBGYN. I was expecting this big gush of water (like in the movies or with my first pregnancy), but I didn't feel anything water at all. The Doctor told me that with each contraction, the water would come out. And BOOM, she was right! I felt like I needed a bucket every contraction I had from that point on.

Now, we wait. But not for long. In just 4 short hours, I went from 4cm - 10cm and we were ready to push!!!!

My epidural wasn't working all the way so I just had to bare and grin it out.

2 big pushes and there he was. He was absolutely perfect.

We couldn't believe that we were officially a family of 4.

He instantly latched on and fell sleep.

It was a very crazy day but we could not be more thankful for the amazing staff who gave us the reassurance and safety we were hoping for.

After 48 very crazy hours, we were on our way home. Bring newborns home is always scary, but we were so ready to be in our own space and introduce Benjamin to his new baby brother.

Thank you to everyone who supported, encouraged and cared for me during this pregnancy. This is my last one and it was an amazing experience that I will always remember. Its bitter sweet to say goodbye but I know this is the best choice for me and my family. Being pregnant was such an amazing experience and I am so grateful to have been able to to it twice.

The Nursery

1/13/2020

Here we go again!

11/10/2019

Share your experience with pregnancy, labor and delivery, or motherhood in general in the comments below.

Follow me to keep in touch throughout this pregnancy here!

Family Vacay

7/29/2019

If you're interested in more information and details about our stay, send me a message or check out a few of the links below.
Flagstaff
AirBNB
Snow Bowl
Best Mexican food in Flagstaff
Lumber Yard
Fratelli Pizza

The 5 best photo editing apps

6/17/2019

Looking for a great way to get your photos to pop and attract views on social media?

SO much pressures rides on us having amazing content that will attract crowds of people. We have to look our best when it comes to the highlight reel that is Social Media.

For me, I aim to keep a consistency and feel with my images. I want them to flow and look like they are apart of one another. So i've gathered a few of my favorite tools for editing photos t share with you all.

My background is in photography so i've always had my foot in the door when it comes to visual arts.

Lightroom
My number one tool for editing photos is Adobe Lightroom. They have such a great, easy simple and effective way for editing photos. Now, if you are looking to alter edit your photos (like changing backgrounds, removing and adding images etc.) then Photoshop is really what you may be looking for. lucky, Adobe has created an incredible package for photographers. For just $9.99 a month, you can get access to tons of programs including Lightroom cc and Photoshop. What's also great, is that so many bigger Instagram accounts are making their own Lightroom presents available for purchase. This tool is a game changer in the photo editing world.

Snapseed
My next favorite photo editing app is Snapseed. If I am on the go and taking photos with my phone, I use this app to give me some great editing tools for my photos. They make downloading , editing and sharing super easy and simple. I can even add text to my images and use their own presets and templates within the app. The best part, the app is FREE through the app store!

PicsArt Photo Editor + Collage
This is an amazing photo editing app called PicsArt Photo Editor + Collage. You can really transform your photos with a few simple tools within PicsArt. Its not a free app but if your looking for an amazing purchased app, this is the one for you! You can add filters, stickers, tons of different brush tools, templates, and even cut away aspects of your photo to get the exact shape or your objects.

FILTERS for pictures
Looking for a free and easy way to do one click edits to your photos on the go? I absolutely love this app FILTERS for pictures. It is exactly what I need out of a photo app. They have a huge selection of filters available for you to use with any photo. If you want a consistency and even flow throughout your photos on social media, this is going to be the best way to do that. If you are looking to replace or mimic your favorite bloggers looks, this is your app.

ColorStory
This app is a game changer when it comes to the ways you edit your photos in ColorStory. It has so many different filters to choose from and it even gives you editing tools to give you control of how much or little your filters and effects will be seen. the filters are trendy, especially when it comes to your videos too. WHAT? Videos?! yeah, videos! their filters apply to the videos too and have better options than Instagram.

Let me know in the comments below what photo editing Apps you use
Check out more images I've edited here

Mini Blog Challenge

3/12/2019

10 interesting things about myself

Fact 1: I have a terrible fear of flying. I have gotten better of the years but I am still deathly afraid of flying. I function best with a few cocktails in me.

Fact 2: I am dyslexic. I have a hard time reading and writing. It may not seem like it but I have to go back and re-read my content about 8 times before I post and even then I make errors. In school, I never wanted to "popcorn" read in class because it was a constant struggle to get through a single sentence.

Fact 3: I am double jointed. I can pop my thumbs in and out of their sockets as well as freak my family and friends out by bending my fingers into weird angles.

Fact 4: I do not like spicy foods. I can't handle any kind of heat which stinks because there are so many great meals I would love to eat but I just can't do it.

Fact 5: I am 1 of 4 children in my family and I am the second tallest (5'4") and I am the 3rd oldest.

Fact 6: I do not like the smell of rain... I KNOW! Am I even human?? In the desert, when we get rain it doesn't have that fresh clean smell I would image rain should smell like. When it rains in Arizona, it smells like wet dirt due to the air quality and dust we have in our skies.

Fact 7: I have never had a cavity in my entire life. I have good genes, but I also brush twice a day and I actually floss.

Fact 8: I snore when I sleep. I didn't know that I snored until I started dating my high school boyfriend (who is my husband now). He said I sound "like a truck".

Fact 9: I've had kidney stones and they are worst than child labor.

Fact 10: I have seen The Office more than 50 times and it never gets old. I make it a point to watch it a few times every year.

This is postpartum January 2019

1/17/2019

This is Postpartum January 2019

The true insight on motherhood and what postpartum is really all about. This is a time to reflect on the good, bad and ugly that comes along with motherhood. Sure, some moms on Instagram make it look sooo easy and have this flawless life but don’t let there photo shopped posts fool you!

Motherhood is hard gruesome work that requires you to be on call 24/7 365. Yes, it is one of the most rewarding special things that you will ever do in your lifetime, but it comes at a cost. Not only to your body, but your medal health too.

Being a mom is one of the greatest and honorable titles a woman can have. It is such a magical and amazing things to call yourself.

I think of postpartum as a journey of acceptance. Over the course of your journey of motherhood we are constantly being tested and challenged by our little ones as well as family. We are learning new tips and tricks on a daily basis. We are educating ourselves on trends, nutrition for our kids and trying to remember to also take a shower once in a while.

It seems like the time and days slip away with the endless chores and tasks we need to get through in the day just to stay afloat. My postpartum journey really began after I was 100% recovered from labor. After the hemorrhoids went away and episiotomy stiches were healed, I started to really look at myself in a whole new way.

I stopped caring so much about what the scale said, I didn’t focus too much on what other moms looked like and I certainly didn’t mind the stretch marks or extra cellulite I acquired. I started to see these new changes to my body as bookmarks of my experiences. Kinda like battle scars or even small pieces of evidence as to what my body was capable of doing. It is a really empowering feeling to see yourself and your body as an experience rather than a place for negativity and comparison.

The more I flipped my perspective on my body image, the more positive I began to feel towards my changing body. SO began my enlightened journey if you will toward positive thinking and the acceptance and embrace of my new body. I love my body now more than I ever have. I have put on weight and watched my stomach grow to an unspeakable size to give me the greatest gift and title of all… Mommy. I am a mother and I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to grow a child in my belly, deliver them and be a mother to that tiny little human.

I love the skin I am in and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

This is postpartum.

3 Easy meals to inspire you for the week

1/4/2019

Nothing says family time like a home cooked meal at the dinner table. I am all about the good foods for dinner. If I can make something that the whole family will like without a lot of work behind it, I am winning! Here are a few great and simple recipes we cook during the week to save us time.

Pasta Dinner
Sunday is usually a day filled with family. The quicker we can make something, the more time we can spend together without having to e in the kitchen preparing food and cleaning up. A simple pasta dish is always a great way to start off the week.

Here is what you need:
1 lbs store bought spaghetti noodles
1 jar of marinara sauce (any brand you prefer)
8 leaves of chopped fresh basil
3 cloves of minced garlic
¼ cup of fresh minced parsley
1 loaf of French bread
1 stick of room temperature salted butter
Serving size 6

In a large pot, boil 8 cups of water with 1 tbs of salt
When water comes to a boil, add pasta. Read direction on box and finish noodles until they are cooked through.
In a separate pot, add marinara sauce, minced garlic, minced parsley and shopped fresh basil on medium heat. Once sauce starts to bubble, reduce to simmer.

In over 350 degrees, place French load of bread on cookie shoot and place in over for 8 minutes until bread is nice and warm. Once bread is at desired temperature, remove from oven and cut into slices. Serve with room temperature butter.

Once the noodles are completely cooked, strain and add to sauce pan. Mix will and serve. If desired, you may add Parmesan cheese on top. ENJOY!

Steamed rice, veggies and Chicken
Having a fresh cooked meal is always such a treat. Why not make it a healthy fresh cooked meal? Making basic ingredients and putting them together to make one great dish is always such a rewarding feeling.

Here is what you will need:
2 cups basmati rice
2 cups chicken or veggie stock
1 cup of fresh sliced zucchini
¼ chopped white onion
¼ chopped green onion
3 garlic cloves minced
2 tbs soy sauce
2 chopped and cubed boneless chicken breast
2 tbs sesame seed oil
4 tbs of teriyaki sauce (any store brand is great)
Serves 4

When cooking rice, you can either do it on stovetop or in a pressure cooker. If you are using stove stop, use manufactures guideline on cooking rice. Use equal parts rice to liquid. The chicken or veggie stock is going to act as your liquid. Cook rice until it is fluffy and ready to eat. Add salt to taste.

In a large fly pan, add sesame seed oil to med/high heat. Add cubed chicken, soy sauce, garlic, and onions. Cook chicken fully. Once chicken is cooked, add zucchini. Place pan lid and reduce head to low/medium. After about 3-4 minutes remove lid. Place a scoop of rice onto a place and place the fly pan mixed on top of the bed of rice. Add your teriyaki sauce and fresh green onion on top. Enjoy!

Grilled chicken skewers
I am not a big fan of using the grill. I tend to think it is too much of a hassle and not worth the time. BUT, this dish is super quick, easy and SOOO delicious. Trust me, this is one of our absolute favorite meals to eat.

Here is what you will need:
2 chopped and cubed boneless chicken breast
1 can of pineapple chunks
6 strips of thick cut bacon cut into 1 inch pieces
¼ cup of fresh chopped parsley
4 large cloves of garlic mined
1/2 cup of olive oil
Salt
Pepper
1 bag of frozen cubed potatoes (local grocery store carry this in the frozen section).
Season salt
1 large Ziploc freezer bag
10-12 bamboo skewer sticks
Foil

Place a piece of chicken, followed by a piece of bacon and lastly with a piece of pineapple on a skewer. Repeat this step until the skewer is filled and all the chicken, bacon and pineapple are used. Place the skewers into a large freezer Ziploc bag. Once skewers are in baggie, place in a small bowl the parsley, garlic, salt, and pepper and ¼ cup of olive oil. Mix well. Pour these ingredients into the baggie and coat the skewers as best you can. Place baggie in the fridge until you are ready to grill.
*NOTE: the longer the skewers marinate, the better the flavors will be.

In a medium fry pan, add ¼ olive oil to medium/high heat. Pour frozen bag of potatoes in skillet and season with Season salt to desired taste. Follow instruction on bag for cooking. Once golden brown, you are ready to go.

On outside grill, turn temps on high and preheat until about 350 – 400 degrees. Place skewers on grill and continue to flip to prevent charring. Cooking time is very fast. Cooking time can range from 5 minutes – 8 minutes. Make sure chicken is cooked through and bacon is crisped to desired taste.

Remove from heat and wrap finished skewers in foil on plate. Plate and enjoy!!

Hope fully you were able to find a great recipe for dinner tonight or tomorrow. If not, then maybe ordering a pizza for dinner is a good idea.
Getting inspiration to come up with easy and delicious meals can be a really hard task. But have no fear; these simple and easy recipes are HERE!

What is a simple meal your family likes to eat during the week?

-Hello-

I'm Kristyn from sunny Peoria, Arizona. I'm married to my amazing husband Jeremy, a mother to our incredible boys Benjamin and Bowen. I love inspiring and empowering others to see their true beauty and fight against the stigmas that society has created about beauty.

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