Happy Hour

I was wondering if you could help this 7-month postpartum mama pack for Hawaii. I’m still getting my bod to where I want it to be, so any flattering bathing suit and dress recommendations would be so helpful…and I know..so unfair to think about when its rainy, cold or snowing! Thanks so much!

Seriously.. SO jealous! Alix is heading to Hawaii in a couple weeks, too! But Heather here to answer this one since I am 3 months postpartum and can relate to this HARD. I am actually putting together a Spring Break Style Guide for Monday’s post so more outfit inspo ideas to come but here’s a start:

Swimwear and dress cover ups that can transition from pool to restaurant:

Heather- what baby monitor/system do you use? Do you like it or have any other recommendations?

I used to have the Motorola baby monitors with multiple cameras so I could toggle between the kid’s rooms but honestly, they crapped out or broke after a year or so and I always had issues. After Parker was born, we decided to ditch those and get a system called Arlo, which is a wireless camera home security system. While I like it, it’s not necessarily intended to act as a baby monitor. You can set it up so that you get alerts when there is motion in the room but it’s pretty sensitive. We turned that feature off because my kids move a ton in their sleep but that doesn’t necessarily mean they are awake and need me. My kids rooms are all on the same floor as me and I can hear them if they cry in the middle of the night so I don’t need a monitor that gives me alerts. The reason we went with this system is because the cameras are wireless and mount in the rooms seamlessly and don’t look ugly with wires hanging from the wall.

With all that being said, if I could recommend any system it would be the Nest cameras. Most of my friends (including Alix) have Nest and they are more intended as a baby monitor if that’s what you’re looking for. While they are pricey, I think it’s worth the investment.. especially for a first time mom who wants alerts and to see their baby at all times 😉

Have you tried the pill version of CALM? I just saw it at my local CVS.

I haven’t! I’ve seen the gummies but I like using the powder to make a hot tea and sip before bed while reading. It’s become a nice little nightly ritual, but I think the gummies or a pill version would be nice if you were traveling or needing a dose of CALM while out and about. Watch the dosing of magnesium because more is not better and can cause GI issues.

I have a 6 hour flight to Hawaii with my 2.5 year old. Movies on the iPad for sure, but any recommendation on how to keep her entertained?

Flying with a toddler is a damn sport, let me tell you! I swear I burn more calories on a 5 hour flight trying to entertain my kids than I would in a friggin Orange Theory class lol.. but anyways.. I have some experience in this department. I always download a couple of Disney movies, this Kidloland app, and then I raid the $1 section at Target and load up on all the random shit. I busted out “fart slime” at the end of one of our flights and it kept my kids (and everyone around us) laughing for like 45 minutes. These window stickers are genius too.

If you’re OK with giving your kids access to screen time, the key is giving them something they haven’t seen before or something they’re excited about that they don’t get to do often at home. Same thing goes for snacks or “treats” they wouldn’t typically have everyday. With that said, try and limit all the sugary snacks.. only whip those out near the end of the flight or on descent when they’re losing it and want off. I always have a packet of M&Ms for the last 45 minutes of the flight when my kids are OVER IT. I give them one at a time and it takes FOREVER for them to get through them.

Lastly, I follow a fab blogger who wrote a post ALL about this and recommended 40 apps that don’t require Wifi. Read it here.

Alix can you tell me about your experience potty training Quinn? My son has to be potty trained to start school in September.

Heather wrote a great post here when she potty trained Jackson. TBH I did not read ANY books and we just kind of winged it. She’s been SO ready for a while (she’s gone #1 and #2 on the potty many times before and at school) now we were just waiting for the right time to commit to it. The diaper changes were becoming such a battle with her and she was done with the diaper, so we knew it was game time! We had a 3 day weekend and now she is off school this week with mid-winter break. Here’s what we did:

We were basically homebound for 3 solid days and tried to give her all the liquids and set an Alexa timer to go off every 15-20 minutes and put her on the potty. We were loaded up on M&M’s (pee pee) and marshmallows (poopy) for potty rewards. We had the couch covered in beach towels and had eyes on her as much as possible.

Since she still sleeps in her crib she is wearing a diaper for naps and bedtime. Once we transition to a big girl bed (in NO rush for that) and she can get up to potty on her own we will completely cut diapers out.

She’s doing pretty well overall, but still accidents and some pushback when forcing her to go potty when it’s not her idea, but she’s getting the hang of it. We’ve gone on a few outings and I’m sticking to places I know there is a potty.

I’ve packed a little bag with wipes, extra undies, socks, and leggings for accidents that I keep in the car. My friend also told me to keep a baby potty in the car so she can go if we are somewhere the bathroom isn’t easily accessible so I plan to keep one in my car as well. Good luck!

I saw you guys got in to SeaWheeze yay! My friends and I also got in as a team! Any idea on a program to follow that’s not boring AF?

Congrats for getting in! We are SO excited! Time to start training 😉 I (Alix) wrote a post here and here about my half training last year. I didn’t follow a specific program per se, but I was training with someone who is an awesome distance runner and we did our long runs together. That was a huge help in my training.. she really helped pace and push me. I think the a big thing that helps with training is to find fun and different routes for the longer training runs. Get outside as much as possible for runs too…the treadmill is SO boring and doesn’t really prepare you as much as running outdoors does and getting some incline changes.

Heather just bought this running guide, so we plan to loosely follow this for training! We will keep you guys updated as we go!

My best friends and I are going to a Justin Timberlake concert and have no idea what to wear! Help!?

We went to JT in Vegas and it was one of our favorite concerts EVER EVER EVER.. he is SO hot and talented. All the feels. You are going to be standing the ENTIRE time because he’s just that good so you’re going to want to wear comfy shoes. The ideal outfit would be some frayed jeans, a band tee, (cheaper version here) leather jacket and sneaks. If you don’t want to wear sneakers, a block bootie would be key for comfort (currently on sale and I am crushing on the tan suede ones). If band tees aren’t your thing and you want to be more girly, I am loving this lace top in ivory with leather leggings and a block heel. Have so much fun!!

I follow The Skinny Confidential and she’s always talking inulin coffee.. any clue what it is and why it’s good for you and how to add to coffee?

Yes she’s obsessed lol! Because she does intermittent fasting, she uses inulin fiber in her coffee (I think it easily dissolves in hot coffee like Vital Proteins, but I’ve never tried it) to help fill her up before breaking her fast. I’m not necessarily supporting doing either, but here are the inulin facts.

Inulin is a fiber naturally found in foods like onions, jicama, Chicory root, and garlic but it’s commercially manufactured and added to products to boost fiber content. This type of soluble fiber cannot be digested by the small intestine, so heads to the lower gut and acts as a prebiotic (food for probiotics).

Anywho, some people take this supplement to help with GI issues like constipation, but others tout it for weight loss. Some studies have shown that it can help decrease our hunger hormone ghrelin. So, it’s simply a strategy to add filling fiber to her coffee. I’d just rather eat breakfast 😉

One thing to note- it you’re someone sensitive to FODMAPs you will likely experience significant side effects if you take this supplement.

Thanks for sending in your questions! Send us more via Instagram DM or to champagnetheory@gmail.com.

xx, A&H