Get Your Workout On With These CUTE Tanks!

Want some cute fitness apparel to add to your collection? Take one look at Reverence Apparel. If you can remember, I have worn their tanks before :)

Created by Michelle Annette, she explains what Reverence Apparel is all about, in her own words:

"We live different lifestyles, have different beliefs and aspirations but we have at least common thread and that is that we want to be feel beautiful in our own skin and be confident. Sometimes all we need is a little motivation and inspiration from someone to get us there.

Reverence Apparel is not just selling apparel, it's promoting motivation and inspiration to be confident, to truly love yourself and surround yourself with positive people. The apparel is meant to be an extension of me motivating you and supporting you in whatever you are doing and wherever you are heading."

One reason why I LOVE Reverence Apparel is that they believe in getting fit for a cause. $1 for every order goes to Girls, Inc., an organization that inspires all girls to be strong, smart, and bold, providing more than  140,000 girls across the U.S. and Canada with life-changing experiences and solutions to the unique challenges girls face.

The first tank that I received was the Be a Hope Dealer tank. This tank was super soft, just as with the other tanks I have from them. I also liked the cut! Its the first type of tank top with this cut that I have owned and I can tell you one thing: the longer openings on the side really cool you down when working out! Plus, the saying is so sweet and positive.

The second tank that I received was the Good Vibes Only tank. I have always loved this saying so to wear it was a good feeling. I really liked the color of this tank. The sides, just as with the tank above, are deep as well, allowing for maximum comfort and breathing.

Get 30% off ALL regular priced tops with code FITMOMMY at checkout!

Also, be sure to sign up for their newsletter so you don't miss out on new styles, sales and really great deals. 

To follow Reverence Apparel for updates on new products & sales, visit their:

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Disclaimer: I was given tanks to test, at no cost. All opinions are my own.

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Booty Sculpting HIIT Home Workout

Yesterday, I shot a NEW video for you guys on an easy HIIT home workout that targets the booty. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for new weekly videos every Saturday!

Booty Sculpting HIIT Home Workout 

1. Revolving Jump Squats:

• Squat downward with both legs shoulder width apart.
• Upon arising from the squat, jump powerfully backwards-facing the back wall.
• Squat downward and jump back to face the front.
• Repeat.

2. Squat with Side Leg Lifts::

• Squat downwards with legs shoulder width apart.
• Upon arising from the squat lift your left leg up to your side.
• Come back down into a squat and lift your right leg up to your side.
• Come back down into a squat and repeat!

3. Mountain Climbers:

• Get down on your hands and knees. Lift upwards on your toes as if you are in a push up position.
• In a switch motion, bring one leg upward, leaving the other leg straight out behind your body.
• Then, switch, bringing your other leg up to your body, leaving the other leg straight out.
• Alternate such as if you are climbing a mountain in a crawling motion.

Here is a video demonstrating all three moves together!

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My Toddler's Meal Time Must Haves

Hi ladies! 

It has been a while since I discussed toddler meals, but today I want to share with you my son's two newest meal time goodies that help make life so much easier.

The first toddler meal time must have is called the WOW cup. This cup is unlike any other as it is totally spill-free. Yup-you can throw it, drop it, and hold it upside down, but your juice won't be going anywhere.

In addition, the no-spout and no-straw design helps in the prevention of potential Orthodontic issues due to long term sucking on spouts. The way it works is that my son bites down a bit on the rim and sucks. 

The juice or milk comes through instantly. When he is done sucking, the valve closes back up. Pretty neat, huh?

If you toddler is younger or if you have a baby, no worries-there is a WOW sippy cup with handles that works exactly the SAME way!

He LOVED his new meal time cup!

In addition to our new cup, we received the Happy Mat. What's the happy mat, you may ask? Well, it is a meal time mat shaped like a happy face that allows your toddler to eat without the need for bowls or plates. 

At this age, my son just loves throwing his plates off of the highchair or counter, but this Happy Mat actually suctions itself to the table! Since my son mainly eats in his high chair, the mat didn't fit quite well to the table, but it STILL works perfectly-even better than if he had a plate or bowl. Ever since we got this thing, we have been using it non-stop.

The Happy Mat is made from silicone that's BPA free and does not support the growth of mold or bacteria. My favorite thing about this mat is that it catches my son's messes, making it easier for me to clean up his highchair. Also, it IS dishwasher and microwave safe.

If you are thinking of investing in some high-quality, useful meal time gadgets, I certainly recommend this two cool additions! 

Speaking of cool, check out my son's new Babiators! 

Living in Florida, there is always sunshine so my husband and I were wanting to find our son a pair of sunglasses that were durable andnthat were actually cute.

These Babiators are made with flexible rubber frames, are shatter resistant, and offer 100% sun protection. Also, if you lose them, because that is SO bound to happen, the company promises to replace them-for free.

Check out these items at SugarBabies and tell Ashley, the fabulous owner, that Fit Mommy sent you!

SugarBabies Main Site

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How Many Reps, Sets, Rest, and Weight Should You Do?

Every workout has one thing in common: It has reps, sets, rest, and weight. Some workouts may differ from others in their acute variables (rest, set, reps, weight) and it can sometimes get a little confusing to understand WHY!

Well, there is a reason to doing a specific number of each and it all had to do with your goals!

REPS

Let's talk about reps for a second. Reps or repetitions are the number of times you complete a movement. Doing many reps can help you build endurance while doing fewer reps can certainly boost muscle growth and strength.

When I took my NASM personal training course, they STRESSED each acute variable, but especially reps. 

Here are the basic guidelines to how many reps you should do to get the desired results:

Endurance/Stabilization: 12-20 reps
Strength Endurance: 8-12
Hypertrophy: 6-12 reps
Power/Maximal Strength: 1-5 reps

Does this make sense? 

Basically, if you want to gain endurance (times you can lift the weight without getting tired), burn farn, and aren't too worried about putting on some muscle, then make sure your reps are higher.

On the flipside, if you don't care about endurance as much and rather grow some muscle and really tone up that body, then do less reps.

SETS

Sets are the number of times you complete one round (or designated reps) of an exercise. The most common number of sets you will see are 3 sets in a workout. 

Ideally, most people who do more reps tend to do less sets.
Opposite, most people who do less reps tend to do more sets.

Here are the general guidelines from NASM:

Endurance/Stabilization: 1-3 sets
Strength Endurance: 2-4 sets
Hypertrophy: 3-5 sets
Power/Maximal Strength: 4-6 sets

If you are new to working out, I would honestly suggest fewer sets and more reps since you need to get your body well conditioned first and foremost. Build up that endurance and then proceed.

REST

Rest plays a huge factor when it comes to working out. It can either help you or hinder your workout goals.

Rest interval between sets determines to what extent energy resources are replinished before next set. 

Shorter rest intervals mean that less energy will be available for your next set of reps.

However, if rest periods are too long, potential effects include decreased neuromuscular activity and decreased body temp.

Here are the general guidelines from NASM:

Endurance/Stabilization: 0-90 seconds rest
Strength Endurance: 0-60 seconds rest
Hypertrophy: 0-60 seconds rest
Power/Maximal Strength: 3-5 minutes rest

You might be wondering, why so much rest when aiming for maximal strength? Well, when you are lifting a lot of weight in a short period of time, it really burns up what energy your body has stored to complete the movements. Simply meaning: it takes a LOT out of you. 

Just like the endurance phase, but not as much. Classic endurance training (light-moderate weight, 15-20 reps) draws much of its energy from aerobic metabolism. This means your body burns carbs and fats in the presence of oxygen.

Basically, endurance training is aimed at making your muscles more resistant to fatigue. Without going into complicated details, a major cause of fatigue in endurance activities is lactic acid build-up. Regularly lifting weights in a 15-20RM makes your body more efficient at clearing lactic acid from the muscles by boosting your body's hormonal and vascular systems

WEIGHT

Something that is and will always be complicated to answer is, "How much weight should I do?"

As much as I like to say to lift what you are comfortable with and slowly graduate, you need to start off with BODYWEIGHT exercises FIRST.

Before ever trying to figure out how much weight you can lift, make sure you know how to do the movement, as flawless as possible, without any weight at all. If you can't do the move with bodyweight, what makes you think you can do it WITH weights?

When it comes to weights, there are really no set guidelines for what weight you should be doing. Here are tips that I have personally used when I started weight training:

• When using dumbbells, start off with a 5lb dumbbell first. If you cannot do 5lbs, grab a 2lb. If the 5lb. dumbbell is too light for you, grab a 10lb. dumbbell and see how that feels. Still too light? Move up another 5lbs and see how that feels.
• When using a barbell, start with the bar first. Too light? Add 2.5 or 5 lbs plates to each side of the barbell. Still too light? Try 2 10lb. weight plates on each side and see how that feels. 
• Make sure that whatever weight you choose, it allows you to complete your exercises in the appropriate form. 
• Just because some of you have asked: I personally lift 15lb dumbbells and use a T-Grip barbell with 50lbs when I squat and bench press. Not much, but just enough for a petite lady like me.
• When you get comfortable with the weight you are using, say after 4 weeks, upgrade 5-10 pounds. This is called progressive overload and is the gradual increase of stress placed upon the body during exercise training. This is good since it gives your body time to respond to the stress placed upon it.
• Sore after your workout? It means you have placed new stress on your body that it is not used to. DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) with usually go away within 72 hours. This is why rest days and switching up body parts per day is so important! The next time you lift or go heavier, do expect to have a little soreness the next day as its just your body's signal that something has changed.

General rule of thumb: 

For beginner, endurance, and stabilization, choose lighter weights since you are doing more reps. 

For muscle building and strength, use heavier weights since you are doing less reps.

Want to build a better body in just 12 weeks? Check out my Fit Mommy Workout Bundle!

Buy now

Bundle & Save BIG!

In this bundle, you will receive:

-Butt & Thigh Blaster 4 Week Home Workout Program

-Armed & Fabulous 4 Week Home Program 

-Ab & Core Attach 4 Week Home Program

-Eat Clean, Get Lean 4 Week Meal Plan

All programs are bodyweight exercises only-NO GYM REQUIRED! You can simply do these at home within the comfort of your own home. 

Features 4 weeks of high-resolution step-by-step pictures and an exercise directory.

*The Armed & Fabulous program does require one set of dumbbells only.

Jumpstart your weightloss with this 4 week clean eating meal plan! With over 60 easy-to-make recipes, you are sure to enjoy the world of clean eating while losing those few extra pounds.

"Can I do all 3 workout programs together?" Absolutely! You can actually alternate them and do your butt program one day, arms the next, and then abs. Then start over! 

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How to Get More Traffic to Your Blog!

No.. this is not a fitness related post (sorry, fitness peeps!). I often get asked about blogging and so, to cater to my blogging peeps, I like to post every so often on the topic.

Today, I will discuss with you the most effective ways of gaining traffic to your site. I always get asked, "How do you get so many followers or visits?" 

Like I tell all of my clients who blog, creating the blog is the easy step, but to create a daily stream of readers who actually want to come back to your blog for more is a whole 'nother story!

These days, I get almost 1.5 million views a month, on average. Not bad for blog in its 3rd year, huh? But it really took some trial/error on my part and a LOT of hard work.

Here are my steps to gaining more followers to your site:

1. Blog and blog OFTEN. Unfortunately, some bloggers are too busy selling programs, guides, and plans that they forget to POST! In my first two years of blogging, I was posting a new blog post DAILY. Sometimes, I would even post a few per day. Posting reminds your followers that you have very vaulable infortmation to share with them. Posting also tells your readers that you have more to bring to the table than just trying to sell them a plan. Give the people what they want! Watch your stats on each blog post and listen. This is your non-verbal feedback. I have almost 2,000 blog posts from the time I started my blog back in March/April of 2013. You do the math.

2. Give things away for FREE. Who doesn't LOVE free? Seriously. Whatever your blog or site has to offer, do a giveaway or create a free program/guide to hand out. People will flock to you pretty quickly if you are known to give good tips or product-for free. Now, don't give EVERYTHING away for free because this will ultimately hurt you, but create a good balance between suiting your needs as a blogger/business owner and making your followers very happy. Here is a sample of my newest giveaway.

3. Use social media DAILY. Try to post to all social medias several times per day. If this seems like a huge task for you, then download programs or apps that can schedule your posts ahead of time. Facebook business pages already allow you to schedule future posts-for free-and that has made my life sooo much better! You have got to be active and it may feel like you are stuck to your phone (the bad side of blogging), but you have to let the people know you are there. Pinterest has personally been a favorite social media of mine! People repin your pins and it pretty much does the work for you. You can see from the image below the different forms of social media that brings traffic to my blog.

4. Talk to your people DAILY. Yes-if people ask you a question or post a comment, ANSWER or REPLY. In the very least, try to acknowledge it by hitting the "like" button. This lets them know and understand that they are of value to you and you are happy that they are there! Answer emails the best you can and create live Q&As where people get to jump in such as Periscope or Webinars.

5. Be INTERESTING. This sounds like a lame tip, but it is SO true! I also see it in myself when I choose to follow someone else. I like to follow people who post interesting, cool things. Have something neat to share or offer. Share your personal life-people love learning about you and knowing what you are really like. Like I said before, give the people what they want. Sometimes, as a blogger, they just want more of YOU! Also, BE REAL and RELATABLE.

I hope these tips really helps you guys on your journey to blogging or business. Remember to never give up-gaining traffic simply takes TIME.

If you are interested in creating a blog and making a profit off of it, I have a small ebooklet that you can get that will tell you not only HOW to start a successful blog, but also how to get traffic and make a little money on the side. It has helped to jumpstart many blogs already and I am always so happy to help!

Click here to purchase yours!

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3 Easy Edible Sensory Activities for Toddlers

Yesterday, my husband worked 14 hours. 

That means 14 hours with a toddler, all by myself. That would have totally been fine if I didn't have a business to run, work to do, and a house to clean all at once.

BUT.. Instead of waking up and already wishing my husband were home to help, I decided to wake up with a positive attitude. I decided that my son and I were going to go on a date!

We began our adventure by going to our water park and playground where Grey got to play and run around. Afterwards, we went and got frozen yogurt as a treat and shared a bowl. He loved it!

Then, we went to the grocery store and shopped for a few ingredients to make some fun activities that I saw on Pinterest for 18 month old toddlers!

Here's what we made:

Edible Playdough

• 1/2 cup Marshmallow Creme
• 1/3 cup Cornstarch 
• 2 tbsp. colored icing
• 1 1/2 tbsps. oil

The first step to making this homemade "playdough" was to mix the ingredients, by hand, in a bowl. You will have to knead this into a dough as you would if you were making pie crust. Use the oil as needed to help form the mixture into a ball. If your batter is too sticky, add more cornstarch. If it breaks apart easily, add more creme and a little bit of oil. 

The end result was almost like the marshmellow fondant that you see on some cakes!

My son loved it! He squeezed it, poked it, and even ate it. Usually, I would havea heart attack feeding my kid marshmellow creme, but sometimes you just have to pick your battles. Yesterday was one of those days. Breaking the rules was sort of fun :)

YUMMY! We stored the rest in an air tight container for the next day.

Spaghetti Sensory

• Spaghetti
• oil
• food coloring

Our next creation was quite simple! All I did was boil the spaghetti, drain, and returned to a bowl where I added blue food coloring and a little bit of oil to keep it from sticking.

He had a blast "hiding" behind the noodles and playing with them.

Yummy!

Moon Sand

• 6 cups of flour (any kind)
• 1 cup of cooking oil

This was a SUPER basic moon sand recipe. Some recipe calls for coloring and glitter, etc, but we wanted to go the old fashioned route and make it look like real sand since my son just LOVES to eat the sand here on our beaches (YIKES).

Though it is edible, it does not have the best taste since its just flour and oil. Some recipes call for brown sugar, but I already had my son hyped up on sugar from the play dough (good job, me).

The sand was easily manipulated and molded! You could build things out of it and shape things. The texture was so soft, too.

Someone instantly loved his mini "sandbox."

This is a great sensory activity for toddlers, though it may get a little messy. Play outdoors or on a hard floor surface.

As you can see, we ended up having a GREAT day. I wish everyday could have been like this. The activities kept him busy for an hour or so and I personally enjoyed creating them, myself.

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Workout & Diet Plan Bundle GIVEAWAY!

Good morning ladies! 

I will be giving away the ENTIRE workout/meal plan bundle to one of you awesome chicks. All you have to do is follow the directions on the Rafflecopter widget below. Each task that you complete will give you one extra entry into the drawing!

Good luck and happy Sunday!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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