Camping on the Poudre River

Camping on the Poudre River, Colorado
Summer 2019
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Summer is officially over and I'm kicking and screaming about it... (It's my blog and I can whine if I want to!) I miss the hot sunshine on my skin. I miss going on barefoot walks in my neighborhood. I've traded in bare feet for another Colorado winter where I take any glimpse of warmth as a chance to wear sandals. Cue people saying to me, "Aren't your feet cold??" all winter long... and yes they are cold just like my SOUL in wintertime.

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Now that the whining is out of the way, I want to share a few photos from a camping trip we took in August! We fell asleep next to the rushing of the Poudre River. We tucked ourselves in by the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and I had to pinch myself that we were just down the road from where we call home. This summer marks 6 years from our move out West and I can truly say I'm still in awe.

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So yeah, the winter starts in October here. We've already had a blizzard and several snowstorms but damn it- these views, this state, the wide open skies and mountain sunsets make it ALL worth it.

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Happy cold season friends. It's time to trade in the sundresses for seasonal depression; I can't wait to ditch the shoes again this Spring.

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(An absolute favorite photo of my two absolute favorite little boys!)

New Years Resolutions (For Our Cat!)

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #proplanprobiotic #CollectiveBias

It's been a little while since I've shared some updated photos on our cute cat, Finn and I'm excited that my new partnership with Purina® gives me the purr-fect chance!

Finn is now about a year and half old and I still feel like bringing a cat home was one of the best decisions I've made for our household. He is a very social cat and never fails to add a little bit of humor, excitement or companionship each day in our house. Adopting a cat into our family was one of the easiest and yet most substantial moves I've made to enrich our lives

As we're heading into the New Year, I thought it would be fun to spin the idea of New Year's Resolutions onto our kitty! I'm not a huge New Year's Resolutions person but I do find that January is a good chance to re-evaluate things and make changes or shifts in our lives.

Here are 3 things I've decided that I'd like us to work on this year when it comes to our roles as pet owners:

1. Fix bad habits

Finn is such a joy but like any normal pet, he has a couple behavioral issues. Upon sharing some things with his vet, she recommended contacting a pet behavior specialist through our local cat shelter. This is something I'd really like to look into this year. I want to do everything I can do make sure things run smoothly and I don't always know the best answers to dealing with issues that come up! 

Have you ever worked with a pet behavior specialist?

2. Keep Up With Finn's Nutrition

Sometimes it can be tempting for me to buy the "cheapest" cat food to save money. However, I try to remember that my cat's health is a priority and look for the best nutrition at a good price for him. This year I wanted to change up Finn's pet food and I was really intrigued by the past that Purina®  has a new food out with probiotics! Purina®  has been fueling pets since 1986 (also, the year I was born!) and we recently had the opportunity to let Finn try out Purina®  Pro Plan®  which with guaranteed live probiotics to support a cat's digestive health!

Purina®  Pro Plan®  Savor offers the advanced nutrition your cat needs to live a healthy & active life in a variety of flavors and textures. We chose the chicken & rice dry food and Finn finished his helping very quickly! I like that real protein is the #1 ingredient in all Purina®  Pro Plan®  dry formulas.

We purchased this cat food at our local PetSmart which is also were we adopted Finn! Currently if you buy Pro Plan®  Savor Dry, you'll get $10 back in the form of a digital prepaid card! Click HERE for the offer.

Check out the link: HERE to learn more about the $10 offer and Purina®  Pro Plan®  Savor products!

3. Most Importantly, Remember to Appreciate Him

Finn is such an affectionate pet and I've been noticing how sometimes I don't appreciate all the effort he makes. I want to make sure that the honor of having a special animal friend doesn't start to get ignored in our household. One little thing I've started doing is greeting him with a little head scratch when I first walk in the door. Finn always comes running to the door to great me (yep, he's a little dog-like!) and it only takes me a second out of my day to reciprocate.

Are there any little ways you can show your pet you appreciate them?

I hope you enjoyed this twist on New Year's Resolutions and that it maybe sparks some ideas on how you can improve your pet's life this year!

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Check out the link: HERE to learn more about the $10 offer and Purina®  Pro Plan® Savor® products!
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Find me on Instagram HERE

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Here are some other kitty posts on my blog if you'd like to check them out!

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We Got A Pet!

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Fall-ing In Love With Our Kitty

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Teaching Children Responsibility Through Pet Care

Cleaning Up My Coffee Routine in 2019

This post is sponsored by Left Field Farms but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

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Coffee is a huge part of my every day. It's weird to think back to a time when I didn't drink coffee every morning but having my second baby 7 years ago definitely changed that for me! 

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My health and finding natural alternatives are also huge priorities in my life and I started to find over the past couple years that my coffee habit was becoming a bit unhealthy.
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My coffee intake certainly ramped up in frequency when I started working from home 2 years ago. I began my day with 2 cups of coffee as I sat down at my laptop to answer emails. In addition, I frequented the coffee
shop drive-thru to grab a large iced coffee as a little afternoon break/pick-me-up.

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That's a lot of caffeine, and because I like my coffee sweet: it was also a lot of sugar! So, I've been trying to clean things up a little bit this year.

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I have tried to cut my coffee routine down to one cup at home in the morning and only an occasional smaller iced coffee out as a treat.
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I've also been looking for a way to clean up the ingredients in my morning coffee since the coffee creamer I've been loyal to for years is full of chemicals and ingredients I can't pronounce. I'm so happy to have come across
Left Field Farms coffee creamer for a few reasons:

1. Their creamers are non-GMO project verified

2. Their cows are not treated with rBST

3. No artificial flavors

4. Made with real cream, milk & sugar

5. Short ingredient list that I can actually read!
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I'm really happy to have found this better for you creamer to incorporate into my morning routine. Since coffee creamer is something I use every day; it's important to me to find an alternative with
safer ingredients without sacrificing taste.

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I found Left Field Farms creamer in the dairy aisle of my local Walmart. 

(Leave a comment if you're a reader from Fort Collins, Colorado!)

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So, I want to know: what is your daily coffee routine?
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Are you trying to cut down on caffeine or improve the quality of ingredients you put in your 

morning cup of joe in 2019?

Let me know below!

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Also, be sure to check out Left Field Farms and learn more about why they are a better choice for coffee creamer.

The Bachelor Recap: Colton's Premier!

Ok, first let's talk about the elephant in the room... Colton's virginity... oh WAIT, production has been anything but discrete about this topic since we met Colton months ago. I've had some hesitations about this season because of how much they've played up the simple fact that Colton Underwood has never had sex. I mean, the whole "what does he have to lose"  tagline- oh my god please make it stop.

Overall, I think it's really neat that this show has shed light on the topic of virginity with big names such as Ashley I, Becca Tilley... and now Colton. It's been refreshing to see a different perspective! I just had to roll my eyes through all the virginity jokes last night and try to enjoy the episode.

Photo Via ABC/Rick Powell

So, night one. 3 hours. Wow. Because I'm a mom of two kids, I usually keep up with The Bachelor on Hulu. This year though, I'm trying something new. I moved the TV from the living room into my bedroom, grabbed my dinner, turned on my salt lamp (setting the mood here, guys) and shut the door for 3 hours. Bye bye family: it's Bachelor/Mommy time.

I liked the way they did the premier this time around. I felt like they mixed it up well with the different live viewing parties, the cute little mashup of all the Bachelor babies, and of course the tribute to Chris Harrison which literally brought tears to my eyes. (I need help.)

Which brings me to my next point... I also cried during the two fan proposals and that my friends is how you know I'm the type of person who gets sucked into a show as ridiculous as the Bachelor...

Limo Entrance Rundown

I can't even believe that I can still sit through this after so many years. I mean I kind of think episode one is a snooze fest every time but I'm a devoted fan so I must watch.

Here are my notes....

Demi: why exactly did she have to say "banana yellow" after Colton complimented her dress color? The next time someone compliments my, uh blue sweater I guess I'll come back Demi-style with, "That's sky blue, baby." Needless to say; I cringed.

Photo Via ABC/Rick Powell

Did anyone else get serious middle school throwback vibes from Cassie's dress? I swear it's the exact type of dress my sister and I would wear to Easter Sunday mass in the 90s.

Photo Via ABC/Rick Powell

Can we talk about Kirpa's hair... did anyone else notice?!? SHE WORE HER HAIR ALL THE WAY UP! She gets major props from me for this very un-Bachelor-esque first night move. Kirpa looked adorable. I love her.

The Sloth: watching Colton's face while The Sloth made her entrance was priceless... I mean he didn't even hide how much he hated this. This must be how people feel when they first see their Tinder date in person and they don't look like their photos.

Top 2 Eye-Roll Moments

Then we have those all those stereotypical Bachelor moments that make us all roll our eyes while simultaneously grabbing more popcorn because we love to hate them every year....

Here are my top 2 eye-roll moments:

The police car rolled down the driveway with sirens blaring and the girls all ran to look out the window like, "Oh my gosh what's happening??" What's happening? Um, a girl is using a police car as her entrance and you all know that perfectly well so PIPE DOWN.

When Demi grabbed Colton immediately after his speech for some one-on-one time and the girls are like "Woah, woah- it's happening now I guess." Some are seemingly shocked by how quickly she whisked him away... Ladies, have you ever even seen an episode of this show that you're on right now? What are y'all confused by and what did you think was going to happen? Maybe a nice sit down dinner before the sharks started feeding?

One-On-One Time

Not even going to talk about the whole Catherine stealing him 4 times and girls getting up in arms. Been there, done that- Every. Single. Season.

                                                      Photo Via ABC/Rick Powell

I do want to make a quick comment on what it's like watching The Bachelor in my 30s. It hit me when I was listening to Miss North Carolina and Colton's convo about how they are apparently mature beyond their years. MNC talks about how she's been through a lot and that even at only 22 (read: basically a newborn) she seems much older. Colton responds with how he's experienced more than some people in their... wait for it, "30s" gasp! My question is; what if you are said person in their 30s who has also experienced and been through a lot in life? Does that make me basically 50 now? Seriously wondering.

Banana Yellow Demi is back... talking about she's not afraid to get dirty and says, "I know, I look so pretty right?" I now appreciate when she said banana yellow and wish she would have stuck with color explanations instead of the whole, "I'm soooo pretty, right??" Gag.

Best Quotes of the Night

"Wow, I really could have done better than a bag of nuts" DEAD

"He needs to know that I'm more than just fruit!" Preach.

Hey, Let's Talk about the Virgin Thing Again...

Alright guys, premier night down. Bringing it back around to Colton's v... well ya know. On a more serious note, I'd like to point out the blatant blasphemy in the fact that if The Bachelorette was a virgin, SO much of this banter would be highly inappropriate and rightfully so! It does bother me how it's ok to poke fun at a guy about this topic. Why can't the issue of virginity be treated the same regardless of gender?

I think Ben Higgins did an excellent job approaching this topic on the Almost Famous Podcast today.

How do you all feel about this issue? Are we really being progressive by mocking an entire life choice?

.... and on a lighter note... spill all of your favorite cringeworthy moments and all your feelings about The Bachelor premier with me below!

Favorite Skincare Products 2018

You all know by now that trying skincare products is one of my favorite things! I am always looking for my holy grail products and really enjoy having the opportunity to try new brands through my blog. My skin issues are having breakout prone and sensitive skin. I am really careful about which products I try and always want to be honest with my followers are which things are winners as well as which products are absolute duds.

I have definitely had my ups and downs with my skin this year and wanted to put together a list of my absolute favorite products of 2018. These are all products that I currently use and love! I hope you find something that might work for you as well!

*This post includes affiliate links. Thanks for supporting me!*

1 / Desert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil

Delving into the Oil Cleansing Method this year has been one of the best decisions I've made for my skin. I grab this Desert Essence Organic Jojoba Oil from Sprouts and have found that it works as well or better than any cleanser I've ever tried. It removes all my makeup and doesn't irritate my eyes at all. It cleanses my skin and keeps it balanced when I use it religiously.

My favorite thing about the Oil Cleansing Method is the peace of mind of using a pure oil with absolutely no chemicals on my face everyday! I also love that the oil itself feels so nourishing and relaxing. To use the Oil Cleansing Method, I rub a dime sized amount of this oil between my hands and then all over my face. Next, I use a warm washcloth on my face to remove all makeup and pull dirt from my pores. I repeat the warm washcloth step several times until my face is oil free. My skin never reacts negatively to jojoba oil. If you haven't tried OCM yet; I highly suggest you try it out!

2 / OLEHENRIKSEN C-Rush Brightening Creme

OLEHENRIKSEN is a brand that literally impresses me every time. This C-Rush Brightening Creme is literally amazing and one of the only products I've ever used where I actually see a visual difference. I started using this as a night creme (before I was introduced to their Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum, explained below) and woke up to really refreshed looking skin. I love that this product is free from parabens, sulfates & phthalates. I notice an actual difference in my skin's hydration and appearance after using this creme; I highly recommend this magic!

 3 / DERMA E Anti-wrinkle Scrub

I am on the DERMA E PR list and I literally love, love, love this brand! They have a standard of ethical beauty meaning they never test products on animals and also care about the ingredients that they use! This Anti-wrinkle Scrub is what I currently use as an exfoliant and I love how soothing and gentle it feels.

4 / SKINFOOD Bitter Green Cleansing Gel

Jojoba oil is my go to cleanser but sometimes I like to mix something else into my cleansing routine as well. I highly recommend this SKINFOOD Bitter Green Cleansing Gel. I love that the Bitter Green line from SKINFOOD is designed to "juice your skin" with green ingredients such as Kale & Broccoli. This cleansing gel feels very moisturizing and I love having a backup for when I'm out of my precious jojoba oil.

5 / Vivo Per Lei Mineral Mud Clay Mask

Over the past couple years I have discovered the magic of charcoal masks! The trick to charcoal masks is that you have to find a good product that really works. I worked with Vivo Per Lei last year and ended up falling in LOVE with this Mineral Mud Mask with kaolin and charcoal clay. The mask itself is so smooth, cool and soothing and it really cleans out my pores. 

 6 / OLEHENRIKSEN Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum

Another winning OLEHENRIKEN product! This Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum uses a plant-based retinol alternative. This product feels very similar to their C-rush Creme to me and also gives dramatic visual results (in my experience). When I use this at night, I literally wake up glowy and my skin looks more plump and refreshed. This is seriously a miracle product and I don't use that term lightly!

Which products ended up being your 2018 favorites? I'd love to know!

Happy New Year!

World Breastfeeding Week + Why I Don't Find Judgement "Natural"

This is a blog post I originally wrote in 2013 and wanted to revisit and share this year during World Breastfeeding Week. I hope you enjoy. :)

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i’m having a lot of conflicting feelings this year during world breastfeeding week. i feel like it might be safe to say that i am as or more passionate about breastfeeding as anyone. i have been breastfeeding for the past 5 years of my life which isn’t much to some people but to most people i’d say it is. that’s a lot of breastfeeding.

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breastfeeding is something that has become such a way of life for me. personally, i always knew i would breastfeed. and now, i  feel like maybe i have a million different breastfeeding topics that i could expand upon such as the many benefits of breastfeeding, my journey and struggles breastfeeding a tongue tied baby, my experience with extended breastfeeding, breastfeeding a second time around, breastfeeding + the nicu, breastfeeding + co-sleeping… and so-on and so-forth.

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breastfeeding is something that i am passionate about. that i love. that is part of me. that is part of my children. but, this year breastfeeding is bringing up a lot of of other feelings for me and one of those is the feeling of exclusion.

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in my life, i have definitely felt a lot of “exclusion” from other people when it comes to my beliefs and parenting practices. and heck, also my lifestyle in general. the list includes: getting married young, having babies young, breastfeeding, breastfeeding (albeit modestly) in public (GASP), breastfeeding my toddlers (FAINT),  sleeping with my babies, sleeping with my toddlers, delayed vaccinations/opting out of vaccinations, homeschooling, etc. sometimes this bothers me a lot. it bothers me that people feel that they can say whatever they want to say to me about my choices when i haven't said anything to them. this really bothers me in any situation. i cannot imagine opening my mouth and judging someone so openly. so harshly. i’m sure all mothers can relate to me here.  there is just something about becoming a mother that opens you up to this world of everyone telling you what to do and most importantly what you are doing wrong. I will never understand this. never, never  - never.

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and then there is the exclusion on the other side. i attended a breastfeeding event recently in my new town which is where this observation really stood out to me. one part of me was very happy to be attending this event. it was something special that i had planned to do with my littlest son. it was fun to be around a lot of people who shared in my beliefs and to be in a place where i did not have to feel excluded. however, it also made me feel uneasy. it made me feel uneasy to be in a place where women who don’t breastfeed or can’t breastfeed wouldn’t feel welcome.  a place where you would feel guilty if you planned a natural childbirth but ended up with a c-section. a place where you might want to run and hide before whipping out the disposable diapers from your bag when all the other babies were wearing cloth.

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i know that we “hippie” moms like to think of ourselves as being so “natural”. i am pretty obsessed with the word natural come to think of it. but i never want judgement to come "naturally" to me either. that's when i know something is wrong with the way i'm viewing motherhood.

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obviously,  i am passionate about breastfeeding and i believe that “breast milk is best". i would love to inspire other women and help them to be able to feel that they too can choose breastfeeding for their families. however, i do not believe it is the end all. i do not believe that i am the best mother. not at all. i have so many limitations and weaknesses as a mother.
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i guess what i'm trying to say, is that even though people have definitely made me feel excluded because of my parenting choices, i never want to make someone else feel that way. i’m so thankful that i have been able to connect with mothers out there who are doing things all different ways and i’m thankful that they have felt that they could connect with me as well. each one of these mothers i admire for different reasons. i am thankful for their kind comments to me, and i am thankful that they have never made me feel excluded. let’s all please continue to be friends and build each other up. that is what i want most of all.

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i have a lot of work to do to become more of the person that i want to be and of course i'm not sure what the answer is. i'm not saying that the event i attended was a "bad thing" or that i will never attend an event like that again. these are just the thoughts that are accompanying my mind as i celebrating nursing and what it has meant for my babies and myself.

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we all have a different story as it relates to feeding our babies. for me, it has been exclusive breastfeeding at birth and extended breastfeeding against societal norms for both of my boys. there have been great joys and also struggles. this year, during world breastfeeding week,  i would love to hear what role breastfeeding has played in your life, if any, and what it has meant for you :)
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(asher, breastfeeding, november 2012)

New Gummy Vitamins for the Whole Family!

Happy Monday!
Today I'm sharing the new gummy vitamin brand that has become a part of our daily routine.

This post is sponsored by Natrol but the content and opinions expressed here are my own. 

In our house, vitamins are so much more likely to be taken each day if they are in gummy form. I'm not just talking about the kids either; this is true for my husband and I as well! Tell me I'm not alone in taking adult gummy vitamins... There is something maybe psychological about eating a "treat" vs. swallowing a pill that helps me remember to take vitamins each day!

Natrol's new line of Multi Gummies offer something for everyone in the family. We have been using their Women's, Men's and Kid's Multi Gummies which are specifically tailored to each person in our family!

Here are some things that stand out to me about Natrol Gummies:

"These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug administration. The product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent and diseases."

• Made with 85% organic ingredients
• Non-GMO
• Made with 26 fruits and veggies
• No artificial flavors, colors, sweeteners or preservatives

Natrol Gummies are also vegetarian and gelatin-free!

Additionally, these gummies taste so good! They make a perfect little treat for me during the day and my kids always ask for their vitamins now that we have Natrol Gummies in the house!

I'd love to know: does your family use vitamins/supplements? I'm really working on getting back on a good routine of daily vitamins for my family and I'd love to hear which supplements you think are important in addition to a multi-vitamin!

Natrol Gummies also offer a Pre-Natal vitamin as well as Melatonin and Hair, Skin & Nails.

If you'd like to try out Natrol Gummies; Just look for the purple bottle top in stores!

Also, it's great to know that Natrol offers a money back guarantee if you aren't happy with their product!

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XOXO, Gillian