The Irth App Launches the ‘Race for Safer Black Birth’ to Challenge Cities to Improve Black Maternal Health

When I reflect on my labor and delivery experience last spring, I have often sat with feeling cheated and ignored in many ways. We have a happy & healthy daughter because God has always been by our side, and we are blessed. Yet can you believe that not one person had followed up with my care well into being four months postpartum? And that's after being induced at 38 weeks for a sudden onset of preeclampsia and then later returning to the hospital to battle sepsis amid a global pandemic, with a ten-day-old newborn.

Motivate Children to Get Moving with 'NFL PLAY 60' Digital Library and App

Getting active for 60 minutes a day is critical as kids who are regularly active have a better chance of a healthy adulthood! Yet according to the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, only 1 in 5 children and adolescents partake in an adequate amount of physical activity that's recommended (*1). Thankfully organizations like the NFL, The American Heart Association, and Discovery Education have made it their mission to provide families and schools with physical activities and low-cost resources to get kids moving all year through 'NFL Play 60'.

Girls Who Move, Move the World: The Brooklyn Nets and Nike Team Up to Encourage Teen Girls to Play Sports

Did you know that by age 14, girls are dropping out of sports at twice the rate of boys? According to a 2018 study from the Women’s Sports Foundation, nearly 40 percent of girls don’t participate in sport, versus 25 percent of boys. As the number of coronavirus cases spike across the U.S and right here in our city of NY, I'm sure the number is significantly higher as participation in sports programs has decreased or ceased completely due to closures.

How are They Really? 100 Resources to Help Kids and Teens Cope with Anxiety Surrounding Daily Stressors and the Coronavirus

Disclosure:  This post is not intended to be a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, medical treatment, or therapy. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding any mental health symptom or medical condition. This was originally posted on April 9th. Resources will be updated weekly. 

In a recent article I read from the Daily News, it's mentioned that there's been a 60% increase in calls to the NYC branch of the National Alliance for Mental Health but sadly children aren't being accounted for.  How are the kids doing really? Listed in this guide you'll find over 100 resources on everything from expert articles with tips for parents and caregivers with kids of all ages, meditation apps, podcasts, teletherapy services, books, and indoor activities.

Nickelodeon's #Kidstogether town hall for children discusses coronavirus concerns

By now your kids are probably just as tired of hearing you repeatedly ask "did you wash your hands well?" just as much as you are of saying it but we all understand it's just a small thing to do that will have a big impact on our new normal. Their daily routines have been disrupted so abruptly as we all seemingly try our darndest to get into a groove while working from home and distance learning. In the process, they're missing classmates, playing ball after school and so many won't get to celebrate milestones like birthdays and graduations with their favorite people standing by to love on them. 

All of the frequently updated news surrounding the globally widespread coronavirus (COVID-19) and practicing of social distancing may have them feeling confused, anxious and lonely. As parents, it's not always easy finding the words to ease their minds and while we may feel isolated, I'll admit I find some comfort in knowing that my family isn't going through this challenging time alone and have appreciated the phone calls, google chats and game nights with loved ones more than ever. 

To help families come to terms with everything going on Nickelodeon will present #KidsTogether: The Nickelodeon Town Hall, an exclusive hour-long special offering a kid’s-eye view of life today amid COVID-19, on Monday, March 30, at 7 p.m. (ET/PT). 

Disney's Raven's Home Episode Highlights Vaping and 3 Ways to Start a Conversation with Your Tweens and Teens

Did you know that (According to CDC figures) 38% of high schoolers and even 13% of middle schoolers have tried vaping at least once — and there’s reason to think these figures are low, given that they’re based on self-reporting. Even though the legal age for buying vape pens is 18  the usage of them has explosively increased over the last 5 years and our kids are being targeted with products that look cool and are flavored like candy to entice them. 

Disney Channel's hit series "Raven's Home" will spotlight the risks associated with vaping among youth in an important episode that's especially relevant to kids age 6-14 and their families,  this Sunday, March 1 (8pm ET/PT) on Disney Channel and DisneyNOW.  A special message from the cast will follow the episode on Disney Channel and Disney Channel YouTube.

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.

The Ultimate Guide to Unplugged Fun to Get Tweens and Teens Moving in NYC #LilMonstersinNYC #LilMonstersMove

Spring break in NYC is wrapping up but that doesn't mean the fun has to stop! The weather's warming, the sun shines brightly past 6pm and we're ready to get the boys out and about so they don't drive us nuts in the house with all of their energy. Who else can relate? We've got the ultimate guide to unplugged fun for your tweens and teens to stay active and off the gadgets and gizmos.

I'll be darned if we just sit at home and watch youtube stars have a great time experiencing cool things to do, from the sidelines of our sofa. We'll be adding along to this list periodically to help source places to go as Spring Break comes to an end, Summer fun (especially if you're camp mom), staycations and everything in between. So make sure to save this list to your favorite Pinterest boards for future planning and stay tuned for videos over on Lil' Monsters in NYC's Youtube channel.

A Cleaner Day: The NYC Wellness Crawl that Gave Us Mama's Life at Just $35 #ACleanerDay

First let me preface this with saying that this isn't a sponsored post and that this was hands down the best way to spend a weekend in NYC for less than $50. Bustle and bareMinerals — the creators of clean beauty — hosted a truly unique NYC experience that  rejuvenated our mind, body, and spirit and it was worth every damn dollar! 

Knowing I needed a moment to unwind without the kids, my Christmas gift to myself was a much needed day of self care with my boo Valerie of Mommy R and R to pull me out of my winter funk. A ticket to A Cleaner Day wellness crawl gave attendees full access to: meditation, a yoga session with superstar teacher Jessamyn Stanley, makeup applications, nail art, crafty fun, massages, and so much more! Yes, all of that for just $35, unbelievable right? 

Mom's Day Out: Fitness Boxing Release for Nintendo Switch #FitnessBoxing

Disclosure: I attended this event as media and received a review copy of the game. Opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

The beginning of the year usually rings in a new set of goals meant to inspire positive change, especially when it comes to creating healthier habits and working out. My inbox has been flooded with promotions for memberships to the latest and trendiest workout classes here in the city, but the frosty winter temperatures have definitely been a deterrent. Not even cute, new, multi print and vibrant colored workout gear have been able to motivate me to get off the couch. The polar vortex has definitely made the 90 minute trek into the city by bus and two trains, just to sweat among strangers for an hour less appealing. Thanks to the new Fitness Boxing game that recently launched for the Nintendo Switch I can still get a start on my fitness goals from the comfort of my apartment. 

Happy New Year: Catching Up on Lived in NYC Moments

Happy New Year! Lmao, I know I'm a bit late but I think you can still say this till the end of January right? I'm finally resurfacing from some much needed unplugged time away as we overcame what seemed like never ending coughs and colds and got into the holiday spirit later than usual. We all know December can be a whirlwind time of year, and it's typically tough for me to sit down and update you all here on the blog between the Christmas shows at the kid's schools, the holiday parties and major purging we do to make space and de-clutter.  

I'll usually just hop on Instagram and share quick posts, so we hope you're following our day to day over there at Dellahsjubilation and at lilmonstersinnyc. Hubby was sweet enough to gift me with a chromebook after my laptop crashed but I'd spent so much time away from writing because of my frustration with working from a tablet, soon the draft posts just started to pile up. For 2019 I promise to get a bit more personal on this space like I used to when I first started and loved to tap away at the keyboard just for the sake of sharing. But Before I could dive into all the exciting new happenings I always like to wrap up our last adventures, so here's a look at our December 2018 moments:

Owning Our Glow: Spiritually Cleansing Our Home as a Family for the New Year

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links for which I may receive a small commission for any purchases made. This is not a sponsored post and Opinions expressed are 100% our own

Tackling all the laundry before the New Year just wasn't going to happen but for the three full bags of linens and clothes that did get washed, we managed to fold and put them away. Moving all the bins down to storage wasn't accomplished either but we successfully purged our closets, donated items from every room and started to re-organize drawers, shelves and cabinets. What I did not want was to stress cleaning the house top to bottom before the start of the year, we took care of what we could and enjoyed our time playing tourists in the city with out-of-town family from the West coast. One thing we knew was an absolute must do for the start of 2018 was to cleanse our home spiritually by Smudging as a family for the first time. It had been a purification process that quite a few people had recommended to us & I thought it would be perfect to use wellness & lifestyle expert and author Latham Thomas's new book "Own Your Glow" as a guide. 

Unleash Your Warrior in the Fight Against Breast Cancer with WWE and Susan G. Komen

Having to persevere with Crohn's, a chronic auto immune disease for nearly 2 decades, there have been incredible lows as I battled painful flare-ups, two bowel resection surgeries and a combination of bi-monthly infusions and hundreds of pills prescribed just to maintain. I am always in awe and fully support the women and men who have to face any life altering illness like Breast Cancer. To coincide with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, WWE is continuing its partnership with Susan G. Komen for the sixth consecutive year by encouraging fans to take action in the fight against breast cancer through the “Unleash Your Warrior” campaign.

Unleash Your Warrior celebrates everyday heroes making a difference in the fight against breast cancer, encouraging them to “Be Strong, Act Bold, Always Believe,” a sentiment echoed by WWE Hall of Famer The Ultimate Warrior.  

Disclosure: The WWE provided me with an Unleash Your Warrior Tshirt to support this campaign as a WWE Mom Ambassador. The opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

When Life Calls for a Mom's Night Out You Take It! #MTNightOut2

Squeezing in an hour or two just for myself kind of seemed trivial, knowing how tragic September ended for my family - loosing a loved one unexpectedly is never easy to wrap your head around. Yet at the same time, I needed a moment to breathe, to stop crying....... I needed a night out even if it meant it was a "work" thing. Despite rocking our best smile from cheek to cheek, I'm sure a handful of mama's in the room probably had some form of crap going on. Being able to revel in a MomTrends night out while learning about the latest products and destinations to help ease the day-to-day of #momlife was just the break I needed and beyond appreciated.  

Disclosure: This is a Sponsored Post in partnership with Meredith Publications. All Opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

2-for-1 Tickets to see "In Transit" on Broadway in Support of the Children's Health Fund #ad

Did you know that 3.3 million children in the United States have no health insurance? I kid you not, over the last two months alone we have had way more visits to the pediatrician for both of our lil' monsters than I recall in a very long time. It got to the point where all our pediatrician would say was "back again?". As soon as one kid stopped sneezing rockets of cooties, the other would start coughing up everything inside of him and as I type this our youngest is battling high fevers & binge watching Netflix as he let's the ibuprofen work it's magic. Tristan has earned himself an extended midwinter break as most NYC kids headed back to the classroom today, as a former teacher I'd never be that parent to send my sick child back to school masked by pain medicine.

Our pediatrician had prescribed medication that wasn't covered by our insurance and was a whopping $60 or so, which isn't a lot of money per say but for "cough medicine" I can't imagine needing to have those orders filled so frequently. Just consider the anxiety families with no health insurance must deal with when faced with the symptoms of everyday colds, the flu, chronic illnesses and more. Thankfully for the last 25 years the Children's Health Fund has been battling barriers to health care for homeless and other low-income children.

Disclosure: We have partnered with the Children's Health fund and opinions expressed are 100% our own.

Babes of All Ages Protect Your Booty with a Barre Class and Boudreaux's Buttpaste #ButtpasteBooty #Sponsored

Dislcosure: This Post is Sponsored by Momtrends & Boudreaux's Buttpaste. Opinions expressed 100% my own!

Leave it to a Booty focused Barre class in the Exhale Fitness and Spa at the Gansevoort Hotel, a chat about the newest line of protective pastes for a babies bum from Boudreaux's Buttpaste & your 35th birthday to remind you that you aren't getting any younger!  I hate working out alone so I will adjust my schedule as needed when a call for a group fitness class comes along. I'm way more motivated to work up a sweat these days with a tribe of my favorite mama's and girlfriends. As a mom and former preschool teacher those roles ended up keeping me tone and fit as I tried to keep up with all of my littles nearly 15 hours a day, plus my energy level was zilch after the commute from Midtown back to Queens during rush hour.  At work during the lunch & diapering {a.ka. the most ridiculously chaotic portion of they day}, it felt like a mad dash getting one lil' monster after the either wiped and de-crusted, while others started to smell a little less than baby powder fresh and their tushies agitated. Squatting down to pick them up, sometimes leg lifts over wooden safety gates {because their was mess everywhere} while easing them on to the table with a calmly hum song, just to bend down again to grab the wipes and sometimes greatly needed Boudreaux's buttpaste. 

Avoid the Hazards of the Holidays with Tips from Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care #GoHealthUC #Sponsored

I'm sure I'm not alone in this sentiment, but somehow the holiday's managed to sneak up on us! And as I type this I stare at the twinkling white lights of our tree with no star on top and my hubby's crutches laying nearby. This year we're breaking tradition and I'm helping lift up our youngest son to crown our tree with it's golden star, because somehow the hubby ended up losing his balance on the subway staircase as he lunged to try and catch his train no thanks to a woman with lots of shopping bags. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays it's so important to remember to stay safe, calm and collected as we all do our last minute holiday shopping, house cleaning and everything else in between to welcome guests and the New Year! Northwell Health-GoHealth Urgent Care has great tips to help keep families safe this season so that everyone can enjoy the festivities worry free!

Get to the Bottom of Digestive Wellness with Renew Life Probiotics #RenewLifeProbiotics #Sponsored

Having lived and persevered with Crohn's, a chronic auto immune disease {affects the gastrointestinal system} for almost 17 years, I'm the furthest from shy when it comes to chatting about my "yucky" gut, you have to have a sense of humor when you've had week long hospital stays, NG tubes that run through your nose to your stomach and 4ft. of intestines resected to help you alleviate painful symptoms - but apparently having the conversation is not the norm. Shockingly, nearly 2 in 3 {64%} of women are not willing to talk about gut issues with their friends because it seems so taboo. Ellie Krieger, RDN, the rock star culinary nutritionist, who is the host of “Ellie's Real Good Food” show, author of several cookbooks, and a columnist for The Washington Post hosted a private lunch to talk about ways that the gut impacts overall health and wellness.

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Role Mommy Writer's Network. Opinions expressed are 100% our own.  

What You Should Know About The Zika Virus and Getting Pregnant #GoHealthUC #ad

Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post created in collaboration with Stiletto Media  and Northwell Health-Go Health Urgent Care to provide awareness and information on the Zika virus.  All opinions are my own.

The plan was: we’d pack our bags for a week long vacation with the kids - sometime in June or August and we’d enjoy a little peaceful quiet time and maybe even try to conceive a baby. Yeah, baby fever is pretty rampant in our house, it’s all anyone can talk about these days. And so the hubby and I figured in celebration of our 8th wedding anniversary we’d try to work on baby #3 in Mexico where we went on our honeymoon. We were all excited for what we thought was a romantic gesture to celebrate our family…...That was until, the Zika Virus ended up on the cover of our newspapers and all over our social media channels and we realized we’d have to keep our baby making party here in the states.

Working It Out with WWE Women's Revolution at Tapout Fitness #TapoutFitness #WomensRevolution

Honestly, I have no idea what possessed me into believing that it was a smart idea to join the phenomenal WWE Women's Revolution along with television personality & NY Times best selling author, Maria Menuonos in a workout event at Tapout Fitness, other than the fact that I've been an admiring fan of these hard-working, driven and athletic women for years! As part of the the WWE Summer Slam NYC Take Over my blogger babes and I, alongside other media outlets and WWE universe super fans joined in on a 60 minute class that had us all sweating, or as WWE superstar Naomi would say "Glowing". After a stressful morning of dealing with extended family drama, working it out in my head & in the gym was a more than welcomed way for me to clear my head! I was almost deterred from going because I was mentally drained but knew i'd regret missing out on an opportunity to get my adrenaline pumping in a positive way.