Skip the Resolutions: 3 Ways to Stay True to You and Redefine Wellness in 2020 with Truvia

How is it already the last week of January? I'll be honest I just cracked open the new planner I just swore I needed from Target to get me into the swing of the new year, and the boys and I haven't had the chance to create the family vison board we've been talking about making to manifest our goals yet. And that's all going to have to be ok! It's a brand new decade and where the hubby and I haven't made any actual resolutions for 2020, we are looking forward to making some positive lifestyle changes for ourselves and our boys.

Do you find yourself in search of that sweet spot between the pressures of parenting and your own personal wellness, and if you've managed to find it do you mind letting the rest of us in on your secret? This New Year, more than 60% of women around the country say they’re throwing conventional thinking out the door by choosing not to make a resolution, according to a Truvia® sweetener survey.

Let's be honest, how many times have you made a resolution and then felt horrible about not sticking to it by the time Springtime rolls around? As busy parents know, keeping up a regular health and wellness routine is seemingly impossible, but a new survey reveals that we may be doing it right after all without even thinking about it.

 Earlier this month Truvia® introduced the Tru To You: Real Life Wellness pop-up in New York City where the brand reimagined the ultimate symbol of resolution season – the gym. Over the weekend visitors experienced everything from work-life balance-inspired yoga to a Smooth(ie) Operator station featuring blended, reduced-sugar treats.

Make it a Family Movie Night with KidFresh and Ice Age Collision Course #KidfreshIceAge #Giveaway

Thank the heavens for quick and easy healthy meal options that can just be popped into the microwave or slid into the oven because these days I just don't have the time. Over the years I rarely cooked to begin with because even when we were dating the hubby has always loved to throw down in the kitchen. I'm the type who worries that the chicken is under cooked and that I'd poison our kids with salmonella contamination so my go to's would be a pasta and veggie dish or a meatloaf {and that's on special occasions, lol}. But ever since he started working the late shift at a fine dining restaurant on the Upper West Side earlier this year, home cooked meals have come far and in between before he leaves in the afternoon. And if it was a day I have to actually head into the office {especially a Monday}, the last thing I want to do when I get home is cook! I'd much rather spend the extra time with my boys on the couch watching a movie. 

Disclosure: We were provided KidFresh meals and Ice Age Collision Course on DVD to facilitate this post, no other compensation was received. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

The Life of the Lunchbox: Entenmann's Little Bites and Nature Harvest Giveaway #Sponsored

How are you all adjusting to the back to school routine, was it a seamless transition or were there a few bumps in the road? For us, one thing that makes it easier to get into the swing of things is going with what we know and keeping things simple, especially when it comes to packing school lunches. Our kids aren't really fans of the choices they have in the cafeteria so we pack tried and true favorites that we know they love and that won't end up in the trash can or still sitting in their lunchbox at the end of the day. 

After a while though we may easily fall victim to the routine of packing the same items for their lunches and it's sometimes nice to have a little fun with how it's presented to our lil' monsters and they can even help make them!

Lil' Monsters in NYC: Visit Pazzi Pasta for Healthy Eats for the Entire Family!

If there's any one thing you should know about my family, it's that my monsters, hubby and I absolutely love good food. As parents, the hubby and I are advocates for having our children try varied foods whether it's during a home cooked meal prepared by their daddy or while enjoying local eats at a favorite restaurant or trying out a menu some place new. 

Over the summer we were invited out to visit family owned, Pazzi Pasta in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn which was the perfect way to spend our afternoon before walking over to the Barclay Center for this years WWE Summer Slam. Who doesn't love a warm, tummy filling bowl of Pasta right? 

Husband-and-wife team Dr. Giovanni Campanile and Dr. Sandra Cammarata with their children Dan (pictured with the boys above) and Francesca Campanile created Pazzi Pasta, which serves up a variety of wholesome, organic pasta dishes made with ancient grains, locally grown produce and are topped with delicious, made from scratch sauces. So there's no need to feel guilt ridden while digging into a bowl of anything they've got on the menu. 

So why should you eat at Pazzi Pasta? While keeping true to authentic southern Italian traditions of pasta making and inspired by Sandra's mother - a gourmet chef in Italy- paired with Dan's ingenuity in conceiving the concept, the family wanted to make sure that New Yorkers had a unique and interactive experience that wouldn't break the bank. Without sacrificing freshness or mind-blowingly great taste their dishes come out quickly and you won't be disappointed because it's just so good. Customers will enjoy being able to pick and choose from their healthy choices of hand-made pasta, their rich sauces and varied toppings.

Pasta: kamut semolina, farro, spinach or tomato, nero di seppia (cuttlefish ink), gnocchi, and ravioli; gluten-free choices are also available.

Sauces: San Marzano tomato, ragù Bolognese, pesto, four cheese, smoked salmon and gorgonzola, funghi boscaoiola (mushroom sauce), puttanesca and cauliflower with garlic and almond

Slow-cooked toppings: meatballs, veg-balls (zucchini, eggplant, ricotta, egg white, wheat breadcrumbs), grilled chicken, pan-fried eggplant and zucchini, mixed forest mushrooms, and peas and pancetta

The space itself is quite charming and not overly designed, just lots of  bright natural lighting and seating. It was really relaxing and inviting when you step foot in the door and makes for a great place to dine with family friends. The lil' monsters loved the kids korner and got in a few rounds of connect four after talking to Dan and while they waited for their food. And while it's definitely great for family dinners, I actually thought it was a cute spot for date night too! With a lovely outdoor patio in the back and offerings of wines and deserts, I told the hubby he and I would have to go back on our on one day and bring back sweets for the boys.

CJ couldn't resist being offered the chance to try out the sauces. His favorite by far was the smoked salmon with Gorgonzola because to him it tasted like bacon.

Our mini foodies with not so mini appetites were so excited when they found out we'd be taste testing  a few pasta dishes and couldn't wait to dig in and try them all. Despite being a bit under the weather, even 4 year old Tristan was ready to stuff his cheeks.

We'll admit we were a bit skeptical about trying the cuttle fish ink pasta, something about black pasta just didn't seem appealing but it was AMAZING! Honestly, it paired with the smoked salmon sauce was really good. The pasta didn't taste like anything out of the ordinary because of it's coloring and was surprisingly our favorite out of all the ones we tried. We even insisted that one of the staff members (who had never tried it) trust our judgement and invited him over to dig in.

Hands down, really good!

The monsters can't wait to head back and try a pasta making class. If you're ever in the neighborhood we'd recommend you stop by and enjoy the serene space, friendly staff and healthy eats!

Pazzi Pasta

227 Smith Street

Brooklyn, NY

(347) 916 - 1076

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Disclosure: We were invited for a complimentary meal in order to facilitate this review, no other compensation was received.

Stay Healthy & Explore Nature at The Bronx Zoo with LifeStraw Go & CVS Gold Emblem Abound Snacks Review & #Giveaway

No matter the time of year, one place we always love to visit as a family is the Bronx Zoo and the monsters and I were really excited when we found out we were chosen to be members of of their ground-breaking Nature Play Begins at Your Zoo & Aquarium Initiative / AZA Nature Play which is a collaboration between the Association of Zoos and Aquariums and The Walt Disney Company that meets once a month for local families to enjoy nature experiences on-grounds and around the community.

This month was our second meet-up and despite it being a super chilly, early Saturday morning in November, we layered up, grabbed our tool kits, CVS Gold Emblem Abound snacks and LifeStraw Go water bottle and rode the bus from Queens to the Bronx with smiles on our faces, excited for the day of discovery. This weeks nature club activities included building animal habitats, trading items we found outdoors and meeting a box turtle named Terrance. 

                                    

                          

                     

Digging in the dirt and finding squishy worms, building homes for our plastic animals and piling up mounds of crunchy fall leaves to plop around in and throw up in the air was tons of fun for the kids, who by the end of our session were ready for snacks and really thirsty. We made sure to come to this months meeting well prepared and packed our LifeStraw Go water bottle with us for moments when we were exploring areas by the Bronx River and throughout the zoo and didn't want to stop all of our fun to grab a drink of water.

The LifeStraw Go water bottle is lightweight, durable and perfect for a variety of uses outside, whether you are a runner, hiker, camper or looking to use it daily. LifeStraw Go converts micro-biologically contaminated water into safe drinking water, removing 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria. 

LifeStraw is manufactured by Vestergaard a Swiss-based global company dedicated to improving the health of disadvantaged people with game-changing solutions that fight malaria, HIV/AIDS, diarrheal disease and neglected tropical diseases.

Did you know that 50% of the schools around the world don't have fresh water or adequate sanitation? As an educator here in NYC I've come across various reasons as to why children aren't present at school and I found it so amazing that something as simple as clean drinking water in schools could improve absenteeism by 42%

Through LifeStraw Go's Follow the Liters program, when a consumer purchases any LifeStraw Water filter a portion of the funds are used to provide one school child in Africa with safe drinking water for an entire school year. 

                  

After about two hours at the zoo, my snack monster Tristan was ready to take a break for a few treats we brought along with us from the Gold Emblem Abound line that recently launched this summer at the 7,600+ CVS/pharmacy stores found across the U.S. We recently had to do an overhaul in our snack cabinet because of Tristan's serious sweet tooth and my need to avoid flare-ups due to my Crohns disease and certain ingredients that triggered them.

 Gold Emblem Abound is an affordable, yummy tasting and healthier snack option that's free of artificial preservatives and flavors, and are made with wholesome ingredients that will leave you feeling nourished and satisfied. The line was created to cater to the dietary needs of the consumer including cholesterol free, gluten free, and high in fiber and protein.  

In between him observing their movements and trying to draw the lions and red panda's I handed Tristan a Chocolate Chunk & Chia Snack Bar and a bag of Sweet Probiotic Trail Mix and he really enjoyed it. I was surprised he didn't mind the chia seeds, I'm assuming because of the little bits of chocolate that were included and he liked the chocolate covered cranberries and creamy yogurt covered raisins mixed with the crunchy almonds in the trail mix (great for immune support), so much so that I had to remind him that he needed to save some for his brother.

        

We are hoping that you and your families decide to get outside and explore your neighborhood parks, zoos and aquariums and to help you prepare for your next outdoor adventure we are hosting a giveaway thanks to Vestergaard and CVS. Just leave a comment answering the question below and enter the simple rafflecopter for additional entries to win (1) LifeStraw water bottle, (2) boxes of Gold Emblem Snack bars and (2) bags of Gold Emblem Trail Mix. One winner, 18+ (U.S.A only) will be announced on Thursday, Dec. 4th. Lot's of Luck!

What nature filled adventure will you bring your LifeStraw Go water bottle and Gold Emblem Abound Snacks on?
a Rafflecopter giveaway




*Disclosure: The LifeStraw Go and information were provided by Vestergaard and Gold Emblem Abound Snacks were provided by CVS to facilitate this review and giveaway. No other compensation was provided.