ashleyd /

My Next Half Marathon

After finishing the Brooklyn Half marathon last week, I wasn’t sure I wanted to train for another half marathon. I thought, in the back of my mind, that I may take a break during the winter months and focus on something entirely different, like strength training or swimming. But, just a week later, I find myself excited to hit the pavement again. I also know that very few things can motivate me during these cold, dark winter months like running.

Brooklyn Half Marathon

Since Katie loves my race medals, I figured that on January 20th I’d give her another one. Last night I signed up for the New York Road Runners Fred Lebow Half Marathon. While some people may think I’m crazy to sign up for a January half marathon, I’m excited.  It’s no secret that running through heat and humidity is challenging for me. But, give me the right gear and I will gladly go for runs in sub-freezing temperatures. This course is two loops of Central Park which will be a fun change since I rarely run in the park these days.  Even though this is one of New York Road Runner’s smaller half marathons, they still offer pace groups, medals, swag and course support. Another added benefit is that it’s only $40 which is far less expensive than most area half marathons.

NYRR Al Gordon Brooklyn 4 Miler

Since the race is in twelve weeks, I returned to training yesterday.  Since Laura and I made such great progress together this past training plan, I’ve decided to work with her again. Having a coach will help keep me focused and motivated during these cold, winter months as well as ensure I’m continuing to get stronger. Once again I will be running three days per week, but my cross training will look a little bit different. Since this half marathon will be filled with hills, I will be focusing on building my strength.  Here’s a look at how we’re building strength into the plan:

  • Three runs per week
  • One Pilates class per week (requesting glute focus from the teacher when possible)
  • One spin class per week (focusing on power classes with lots of climbs)
  • One strength workout per week

Now, which of my local friends can I convince to join me for some cold weather fun or at least some company on upcoming training runs?

 

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A Gift That Kids Won’t Outgrow

I can’t believe that Christmas is in just 59 days. It seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Katie’s first birthday and sweltering in New York’s long, hot summer. Now we’rebraving a nor’easter and wearing coats.

Earlier today, my sister-in-law sent me a text sharing that with a huge sigh of relief she’d just finished wrapping the last of her Christmas gifts. Come again? With 59 days left until Christmas, Becca has already purchased and wrapped all her gifts. This not only made me feel 100% behind, but also made me realize that Bo and I have to sit down and finalize Katie’s wish list. Making a Christmas list for Katie is especially hard since we live in New York City. Our family of three lives in a 1,500 square foot apartment. Up until recently, our place felt spacious. But, recently, it’s feels more like a tornado of chaos than a spacious, Brooklyn brownstone apartment.

In fact, as soon as Katie goes down for a nap or to sleep at night, Bo and I both take five minutes to put away all of her toys and restore order. At sixteen months of age, Katie loves nothing more than dragging her favorite toy of the hour into every room or dumping her blocks all over. Needless to say, while we’ve started to introduce the concept of putting our toys away, she definitely hasn’t mastered cleaning up after herself.

Even though today during a fun play date with friends, Katie played with multiple toys that she doesn’t have, it’s hard for us to imagine adding more things to our space. While we will of course ask for a few gifts, we are hoping to put more gifts towards something she won’t outgrow – a NY-529. Thanks to Momtrends and Vanguard, I had the opportunity to learn more about the NY 529 plan. Since we’ve only discovered 529 plans recently, I figured this was something you guys would appreciate as well.

NY 529 facts

Here are a few facts about 529 plans, so you can figure out whether this is something you need or if you want to ask family members to donate money to it in lieu of gifts this holiday season.

  • What the heck is a 529 plan? 
    • A 529 is an investment account that people can use for higher-education savings. They are often sponsored by states and some, like New York, provide tax benefits. Your earnings grow federally tax-deferred and qualified withdrawals are tax-free*.  The money in the 529 can be used for multiple types of higher education including college, graduate school, vocational school and anything that is school related, beyond tuition.  In New York the tax is deferred and New York State taxpayers benefit from a tax deduction.
  • How do people contribute to a 529? 
    • You can either directly deposit their checks or cash to the 529 or you can give them a gift code. There some websites and companies that provide gift coupons or links that help people easily donate or gift contributions during the holiday season.
  • What is the minimum amount of money needed to open a 529? 
    • Unlike certain savings accounts, you only need $1 to open a 529. In addition, there are no monthly or yearly contribution requirements. In fact, you can contribute as little or, nearly, as much as you’d like over the lifetime of the 529.  In fact, in New York, the contribution limit, in aggregate to one person’s 529 account is $520,000.
  • Can my child have more than one? 
    • Yup, your child can have countless 529 accounts if that’s what you want. They just need to be registered under his or her legal name.

NY 529 Facts

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post. Compensation was provided by NY529 via Momtrends.  As always, all words and opinions are my own. 

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ashleyd /

One Thing We’re Doing to Help Keep Katie Healthy This Flu Season

Most mornings, while Katie is eating breakfast, I sip my coffee and take a few supplements and vitamins, before eating my own breakfast. During cold and flu season, I try to make a more conscious effort to remember my vitamins as I swear it helps keep me healthy, or is a darn good placebo.  The combination of a prenatal vitamin, fiber supplement and a probiotic helps me have the energy I need to keep up with Katie, work and the demands of life. While my vitamin habit started 30 years ago or so, when I chewed a Flintstones vitamin daily, I only added a probiotic to my regimen earlier this year. After a tough cold and flu season last year, due in part to my travel schedule and the germs that Katie brings home each day, I saw my doctor way too often. A few weeks ago, when I visited her for my annual checkup, she recommended a few changes, including the probiotic, to help me stay healthier this year – especially with an upcoming trip to China.

 

Even though I’ve become familiar with probiotics over the past few months, until last week’s Mom’s Night Out event,  I had no idea that there are probiotics specially designed for babies and toddlers. It makes sense that similar to her mom, Katie’s immune and digestive systems can benefit from probiotics.  Based on your feedback after last week’s Instagram story, it turns out that many of you not only know about child probiotics, but also swear by them as a way to help your children stay health. Am I the only one who has been living under a rock? Did you know about child probiotics?  

microbiome infographic

Similar to other aisles in our local drugstore, I find the healthcare aisle, especially the child health aisle, to be confusing and overwhelming.  It’s hard to tell the difference between products and understand what is homeopathic, appropriate dosing and age recommendations. Luckily, since Culturelle® Baby Probiotics is the #1 pediatrican recommended brand, it is easy to navigate. They offer a comprehensive line of probiotic products designed to help build a strong foundation for your baby’s healthy growth and development, regardless their age. During last week’s event I had the chance to learn a great deal about their baby items, which are designed specifically for children 0-24 months old.

Culturelle Baby Probiotics

  • Culturelle Baby Calm + Comfort Probiotic + Chamomile Drops is designed for babies ages 0-12 months and helps reduce fussiness and crying due to upset digestive tracts.   The probiotic, LactobacilliusGG, restores the natural balance of good bacteria in babies digestive tract.  I love that the probiotic can be dispensed directly into a bottle of formula or breastmilk, in case you have a hard time getting your baby to swallow medicine.  If your baby has a lot of fussiness during these early months, make sure to talk to your pediatrician. When Katie was young, we had to burp a number of times and use Dr. Brown bottles to help with her stomach issues.
  • Culturelle Baby Grow + Thrive Probiotics + Vitamin D Drops is designed for both babies 0-12 months and toddlers 12-24 months. After talking with our pediatrician on Monday, during Katie’s flu shot visit, this is the probiotic that we’ve started giving her.  The packets help support digestion and nutrient absorption as she enjoys new foods and helps keeps her immune system strong as she interacts with children at the playground and around the neighborhood on a daily basis. If you’ve ever watched toddlers play together, you know that they spread SO many germs! Heck, just today I tried to explain to Katie why she can’t use another child’s pacifier when she sees it in their stroller! Luckily, the packet is easily mixed in her daily yogurt or milk, which makes it easy to give her without any extra fuss.

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Culturelle but, as always, all opinions are my own. Please make sure to consult your pediatrician or doctor before making any supplement changes. 

 

† Based on a 2016 survey among pediatricians recommending a kids probiotic brand

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease

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