Category:

Family

Family

3 Reasons Why I’m Giving My Baby a Probiotic

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

3 Reasons Why I’m Giving My Baby a Probiotic

1 THE FIRST 6 MOS OF BABY’S LIFE ARE MOST CRITICAL. So much critical growth happens during this time from autoimmune to metabolic development.

2 9/10 BABIES ARE MISSING B. INFANTIS

(THE KEY GOOD BACTERIA) THAT DIGESTS NUTRIENTS IN BREASTMILK AND PROTECTS BABY’S GUT

3 NOT ALL PROBIOTICS ARE THE SAME.

STRAIN DOES MATTER. EVIVO IS THE ONLY PROBIOTIC CLINICALLY PROVEN TO RESTORE THE GOOD BACTERIA (B. INFANTIS), REDUCING BAD BACTERIA IN BABY’S GUT BY 80%.

I’ll preface this blog post by saying, I forgot SO much after I had my 4th child 6 years ago. So, when Levi arrived last October, I found myself trying to jog my memory about what to give a baby suffering from colic, how to cure mastitis, and what to do to keep up my nursing supply. I asked a couple friends, read up on some of the topics and educated myself as these issues have risen. Levi is newly 7 months. I’m taking one day at a time. A couple weeks into Levi’s 6 month birthday, we began seeing bad diaper rash, eczema, and gas. Poor guy. I called my best friend, like I usually do and she urged me to give him a probiotic. And since I’m nursing, I should take one as well. We later found out, his ailments were signs of bad gut health. We started giving Levi Evivo and just waited. I put one sachet into a bowl mixed with 3-5ml breast milk. To my surprise, he started waving his arms, which meant he loved it! Well, that made everything easier. Within a week, the redness behind his ear from eczema lessened.

With increased usage of antibiotics during delivery, c-sections (while both good in their own right), have interrupted the transfer of good bacteria from mom to baby. The good bacteria, the fancy name for it is “B.infantis” is missing from baby. What do we do? Scientists developed this probiotic for babies as the solution to this problem. I want Levi to thrive in all areas including developing a strong gut to help him live a happy and healthy life.

What does it take? Without B. infantis, bad bacteria can thrive threatening him with diabetes, allergies, colic and what we already experienced with eczema. I had no idea probiotics were SO IMPORTANT. My only regret so not having this with all of my kids! Thank you Evivo for making this product that is so instrumental to a baby’s health. Levi will thank me one day!

What are some of the benefits? Better sleep, improved digestion, happier baby. If you’re a mother, you already know this. A fussy baby is such a challenge. I will have long days with a cranky baby at my hip and I feel like crying along with him. It is incredibly difficult to see your baby unhappy and not know how to help him. For that reason alone, give Evivo a try. Nothing is worse than a fussy baby suffering from one of the above ailments who cannot communicate with you what is wrong. All he or she can do is cry. If you’re not a mom, a great gift idea is a gift card for Evivo. Believe me, a new or seasoned mom (like myself) would thank you many times over for such a gift to myself and baby. If you’re pregnant, give yourself some brownie points, plan ahead and purchase a month starter kit which is less than $3 a day. Less than a latte. As for me, I plan to continue to give Levi Evivo. My sister-in-law is hoping to get pregnant soon with their second. Since their first had colic, I plan to introduce her to Evivo for baby #2. She will thank me later!

Frequently asked questions – FAQ

Is EVIVO gluten free?

Yes.

Does Evivo have any artificial flavors, preservatives, colors or dyes?

No.

Does Evivo contain any additives?

No.

Can I purchase a gift card for a friend?

Absolutely! More and more mom’s are giving and receiving gifts beyond the swadles and onesies. Evivo deserves a place on the baby registry if you ask me! Click HERE for more gift card information.

To receive $10 off use coupon code: “BLOG36328” 
To receive $20 off use coupon code “BLOGSV55P”

Learn more about EVIVO here.

Thank you EVIVO for sponsoring this post!

Family

Baby Registry must haves for Levi

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

I partnered with Walmart to share some baby registry favorites! Fifth time around, I’m anything but ready and prepared. That may seem odd but it is true. While I have forgotten a lot of the essentials, I have found some great baby registry essentials at Walmart!

So, what are some of my essentials? Silk lovie, Burp Clothes, organic crib sheet, organic clothes, cell phone toy (because he always reaches for mine!), toy keys (you can freeze), and terry cloth bath robe are just some of my favorites I’ve found at Walmart.

Thousands of items online are “Next Day eligible,” and that is awesome because I’m a busy mom who needs things FAST.

In the end, Levi has the important things covered: loving parents and adoring siblings, for everything else, we have Walmart 2-day and Next Day shipping on most items to keep us prepared and well stocked. Because it doesn’t look like I’ll have my act together anytime soon. In the meantime, get all your baby registry essentials at Walmart, from diapers to rockers, to cribs!

Start your baby registry today HERE on Walmart.com.

Whether you’re creating a baby registry, or not sure what to get a friend who just had a baby, below are some of my top picks! How cute is this modern rocker?

  1. kid’s rocker 2. onesie 3. baby joggers 4. baby teether keys 5. elephant robe 6. BPA free bottles 7. crib 8. rocking swan

Thank you Walmart for sponsoring this post!

Boyfriend gift guideFamilyGIFT GUIDE

Father’s Day Gift Guide

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel
  1. Workout Rings // 2. Fitness Jump rope 3. Pre-Workout 4. Sport Coat 5. V-Neck 6. Comb // 7. Charcoal Soap // 8. Styling Paste // 9. Laptop Bag // 10. Watch // 11. Denim // 12. Shoes //

Father’s Day is fast approaching and Reid is REALLY good at knowing exactly what he wants for Father’s day. He will probably check in later this week and ask if I ordered anything off this list above. He’s so predictable. I think most of us could agree, men are sometimes THE HARDEST to buy gifts for. Above we have an outfit, styling paste, laptop bag, and the pre-workout Reid swears by for you to peruse. What are you getting your husband or father?

Use code FATHER19 for 30% off Mango men’s selection, have you checked it out?

FamilyOutfit

Sunday Best on a Tuesday

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

lace dress and similar // similar belt // leather jacket // sandals ($35!) // earrings // similar turquoise ring

After being gone a whole week, we were more than happy to see the 4 kiddos this weekend. We enjoyed a morning at church with papa, and an afternoon at the nursery buying plants and driving up to Lake Arrowhead. We planted (my favorite) raspberry bushes that take me back to playing Candy Land on my grandma’s porch snaking on raspberries while the air smelled like roses. Ah to be 5 again! We got a lot accomplished. Well my dad and Reid did while I nursed Levi. We also brought up 3 paint colors to try on the Lake Arrowhead cabin. Caviar by Sherwin Williams won, now, we wait for the city’s approval. Exciting things coming up. Here’s a link below to more dresses and leather jackets I’m loving:

As always, my shop page is open 24/7 and you can follow me on the Liketoknow.it app for immediate outfit details. Thanks for stopping by! xx Shalice

FamilyMarriage

Things I’ve learned in 12 Years of Marriage

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Reid and I celebrated 12 years of marriage on Sunday.  Every anniversary I like to reflect back on God’s faithfulness to us.  We’ve lived in 3 cities, had 5 kids, countless disagreements, joyous date nights, lame day nights and more challenges than I can count, pale in comparison to the many blessings, and days and nights with my best friend.  A good marriage is like tending to a garden, it needs a lot of care, weeding, hedging, and planning. I can relate keenly to this because our back yard after kids is pretty sad and neglected but I don’t have time to tend to it. And you can tell. A good marriage like a beautiful garden doesn’t just grow, it is “tended to,” lovingly protected from predators like bugs and weeds. Read honest marriage tips we’ve learned by experience in 12 years:

Tip #1:

Spouses can’t read minds. Coffee in bed was always my marriage dream and I used to have an expectation that he’d bring me coffee in bed as the morning birds were chirping outside my bedroom window.  Well…He didn’t bring me my coffee without me asking for it first and wow did I get upset.  Kind of a pathetic thing to get upset about, so skip the fight and just ask nicely.

Tip #2:

While I want coffee, Reid wants to workout in the AM. Team work is about compromise. Let you spouse do what they enjoy and he’ll let you do what you want to do.  Find out what makes him tick, what makes his day?

Tip #3

Put his needs before yours. This takes God’s help, I don’t naturally do this.

Tip #4

Put the cap back on the toothpaste and don’t yell at him if he doesn’t.  But never leave toothpaste in the drain.  That I can’t get over.  Just don’t do it.  No excuses.

Tip #5

Take one day at a time, don’t feel like you have to tackle all the marriage goals in one day.

Tip #6

Marriage always takes priorities over kids. Reid and I put each other over the kids.

How we met: Not many of you know, but Reid and I met in a Bible study downtown Chicago. It was a great place to meet and observe each other without going out right away. I encourage our kids when of the age to seek this kind of wholesome group in which to meet a possible spouse.

I went to coffee with another guy before Reid and he had so many red flags, I told him, let’s stay friends, I’m not interested in moving forward. That wasn’t an easy conversation to have, however, I wasn’t going to allow my heart to lead before my head. I would rather wait for the right one than settle and be unhappy the rest of my life. Girls, it’s ok to have a list of things you would like in a spouse, only have a friend keep you accountable on your list for yourself. We can’t be waiting on near perfection if we aren’t working on ourselves in the meantime. Also, it’s ok to note red flags. THEY SERVE TO PROTECT YOU.

That leads me to the question, how did you know he was “the one?” I get asked that a lot on Instagram when I show Reid or mention our relationship. I’ll start by saying I don’t believe in a magical formula, but I do believe in counsel and prayer. Ask your parents about this person, or a mentor, or someone older than you what they think. Ask them if they think you’re compatible. If that sounds old fashioned, call me old fashioned. It’s only your WHOLE life that you are promising to be with this person in marriage. That’s quite a commitment. I prayed a lot for closed doors if Reid and I were not meant to get married, after all, I wanted this to be a blessed union, despite how sexy he was or his job title.

In the beginning, we fought a ton about stupid things. It’s normal. Some of them included, If we should sign up for Sprint or Verizon, should we keep or toss a dozen spools of ribbon from our wedding, cheap date nights vs splurge date nights, and I can’t remember more but believe me, there was more! Now, we laugh about it!

Now 12 years in and I love him more than ever. 

FamilySkiTravel

Our Vail Vacation 2019

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

Top Photography by Tomas Cohen

I’m going to shake the boat a little bit in today’s article. Reid and I will take a ski trip to the mountains over a trip to Disneyland any day. Yes, it’s true! For those diehard Disney goers, feel free to blast me in my comments below…kindly though. But here are my thoughts. Skiing is a great way to be active, learn something new, improve at a sport, challenge ourselves physically, face our fears, encourage each other…I can go on and on. Skiing is good for families.

When we plan our ski vacation we always pick Vail. For us personally, it’s centrally located for Reid’s parents who meet us there. We fly from the west coast and they drive from the midwest. They love the opportunity to see the kids ski and help us by babysitting Levi so I can ski. If you have grandparents who don’t ski, you need to know Vail offers free scenic gondola rides after 3:30, so the grandparents can join the kids on top of the mountain, watch them ski and then grab hot chocolates at Bistro Fourteen.

We flew Southwest Airlines from Burbank to Denver. Southwest is one of the few airlines that has bags fly free and with snow gear, and we knew we’d have a lot of bags. We got into Denver late afternoon and by the time our shuttle picked us up, the sun was down and we missed the scenery. When you book your trip, make sure to get to Denver no later than 1:00 pm. It’s a two-hour drive from Denver to Vail and the sun goes down around 5:00 pm.  

Vail has world-class skiing and attracts people from all over the world. Vail has amazing restaurants like Flame (our favorite) and Standard. Also, the streets are heated, so you don’t really have to slosh around in your boots to explore the town. Where were heated streets when I was a kid? They also have free transportation that will take you from one side of Vail to the other.

We recommend ski lessons for the kids to get reacquainted with their skis and learn mountain etiquette. Secretly, Reid and I wanted to run off together and ski alone while they were in school. We met up with them for lunch and then did some runs with the ski instructor and the kids in the afternoon before I had to run off and feed Levi. You can book ski lessons online or even the day of. They offer private, semi-private or group lessons. With the four kids, we chose a private group lesson. Be aware though, you can’t mix snowboard lessons with ski lessons.

Besides skiing, we also took the kids to Adventure Ridge at the top of the Lionshead Gondola.  Adventure Ridge offers snow biking, an alpine coaster and snow tubing. The kids chose snow tubing so while I stayed home with Levi and ordered room service, Reid took the kids tubing. Very much a highlight for the kids.

The final day we were blessed with lots and lots of snow! We almost got up early enough to make first tracks. It was beautiful skiing with the snow falling and we skied the morning together as a family. With the fresh powder, the kids were able to take on the blue runs with no problems. Even our five year old was taking them on. Can I remind you how cute kids are skiing? Making fresh tracks in the powder was a great way to end our day…even though we didn’t really want it to end.

If you are curious, we stayed at Ritz-Carlton Residences, Vail. Our place had two bedrooms, a spacious living room with a pullout couch, a well stocked kitchen, 2 bathrooms, a powder room and convenient washer/dryer. The hotel staff was friendly and helpful and provides shuttle service anywhere you need to go. I went downstairs to order a quick bite to eat while the older kids were tubing and the staff brought it up shortly to my room. Reid and I loved the gym area. We got to try the new Pelaton bikes. If we were brave enough, I would love to try the hot tub and heated pool. Funny enough, our kids jumped in and quickly begged for warm towels and blankets. Oh to be a kid!

Where we stayed: Collaboration with RITZ CARLTON CLUB VAIL RESIDENCES

Eat Little Diner (breakfast) Mountain Standard (dinner)

Flame (steak dinner)

Outfit details: GG Belt // Camel Coat // Red Print Sweater // Faux Leather Pants //

My Ski Coat // Ski Pants // Levi SnowsuitBoys Moncler

Girls Puffer // Girls puffer// Boys Puffer

DietFamily

Shalice’s Fab 4 Smoothie

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

First of all, what is a Fab4 Smoothie? It was founded by Kelly LaVeque, author of Body Love. She describes how this combination of smoothie doesn’t allow the sugar spike thanks to a balance of fat, protein, greens and a small amount of sugar. I’ve been enjoying it since I was pregnant and noticed more energy and sustained energy. On a good day, if I have this for breakfast, I’m not hungry till 12 or 1pm.

I’ve explained it in an earlier post, but here is the gist:

#FAB4Smoothie: Protein (20g minimum) + Fiber (10g minimum) + 1 Tbsp. Fat + Handful Greens + 1/4 Cup Fruit + Superfoods + Liquid

1 TB almond butter// 1 frozen banana // 1 cup frozen pineapple // 2 cups frozen organic spinach // 1 TB chia seeds // unsweetened almond milk // 2 meyer lemons (add at the end) //

Directions: blend till smooth in a vitamix or blender. I add the lemons at the end and drink immediately.

I explain more in this post about how I am changing the way our family eats.

How are you making healthy changes in 2019?

Familyworkout

Our Family’s Garmin Smartwatches

by Shalice Noel
written by Shalice Noel

my watch // the boys watches (THIS is an option for the girls too!)

You know that one thing you really needed but you didn’t know you needed till you have it? Well, that’s how I feel about the new Garmin watches my kids and I recently received. Here’s an example of the new normal in our house. I was in the dining room when I heard stomping and laughter in the foyer. I inquired what they were doing and my boys were doing stairs to gain more points on their new vívofit® jr. 2 watches. Hilarious but true. Each of those points they so arduously culminate translate to daily goals. When they meet their goals they receive coins and with coins I can track progress and deliver rewards as I see fit. Our house is abuzz with talk of earning point and rewards as you can imagine! The watch connects to the vívofit® jr. app on my phone.  Through the app, I’m even able to assign chores and alarms when the jobs need to be completed for coins.  The kids are remarkably motivated to get their tasks done.  The app also includes access to a game the kids can play when their goals have been met for the day.  The boys are also learning about time and having the digital watch has made them aware of what time of day it is…something new for us.

The new habits in our house aren’t just about the boys though. I’m building new habits this year as well. I’m wearing the new Garmin fēnix® 5 Plus.  It’s helped me realize my activity level throughout the day, my heart rate and through the Garmin app, I can even track my workout schedule.  Which is my new 2019 goal, to regularly and purposefully workout.  Carrying Levi all day no longer counts as my arm workout girlfriends!  The new watch fits into my lifestyle choices seamlessly.  I’m motivated to be better at what I do and I really dig the style of the watch.  My style choice of watches are always on the more masculine side.  I guess I like the weightiness and it makes me feel stronger as I’m pushing through a workout.  But I also like wearing it wherever we are headed.  Sunday night we went to the beach for a sunset stroll a little beach side workout or to the grocery store.  Plus, when Reid asked me what I did today I have evidence and can honestly say… I did 7,000 steps.  Gives new meaning to the Johnny Cash song, “I’ve been everywhere, Man”!  It’s my new normal.  What’s your new normal this year?

    Some facts to get excited about:

    Leave your cards at home, use Garmin Pay and make payments via your watch.
    Play your favorite music from your phone using streaming services such as Spotify.
    $30 off Vivomove HR and $20 off Vivofit Jr from February 3 to February 16.

      Thank you Garmin for sponsoring this post!

      FamilyFAQOutfit

      Friday Notes

      by Shalice Noel
      written by Shalice Noel

      Levi’s jacket / Her Jacket // Jeans Kut from Kloth and similar // Vintage Bing Tee // Her Bing Tee // My Sneakers

      We went to the farmers market and bought tons of veggies and made Bok Choy Soup. It’s super easy! To make it, boil 8 cups of filtered water with 2 “not chicken’ chicken broth cubes, after about 10 min of boiling, add 2 bunches of baby bok choy. Enjoy!

      Who said fashion is unattainable? These leopard mules are $28

      I found out this week that Chloé sunglasses are 50% off, no, that’s not a typo!

      Many of my followers ask for a similar turquoise ring to mine, so here’s a similar one! Also, how cute are these earrings?

      I wanna try these gummy hair vitamins. Have you tried them? If you have Golden Goose Sneakers like mine, try these NO SHOW socks, so good.

      Have you tried these tan mist for the face? It has great reviews, I’m intrigued.

      Just bought my daughter these GGB dupes so she can match with me. They’re a $30 Amazon no brainer.

      How cute are these leopard pillows?

      I haven’t bought a YETI yet to keep beverages warm. Have you?

      I get asked a lot what pilates ring I use, and this is the one!

      We’re having people over on Sunday, I’m going to try this recipe for salmon and brussel sprouts my favorite!

      Did you catch my newsletter on 8 easy ways to save $ in 2019? Don’t forget to subscribe! Just keep scrolling down below.

      Familyworkout

      Busy Mom’s Guide to Fitting in Fitness

      by Shalice Noel
      written by Shalice Noel


      I’m not sure what I love more – leggings I can style an oversized sweater with or leggings that double as loungewear and workout gear. Why not have it all? That’s how I feel whenever I walk into lululemon. I could probably pick one of everything, but I decided to share my top five favorites I found on a recent visit to my local lululemon store along with some real talk on working out. Because honestly, finding time to get to the gym is hard. But the idea of some fresh new lululemon items in my closet to help kick off my 2019 fitness goals sounds amazing. Because who doesn’t love new workout gear to inspire a good sweat session?

      First, you may have noticed I said “goals”, not resolutions. And that’s because I don’t believe in New Year’s resolutions, but I do believe in New Year’s goals. I am a proponent of establishing yearly goals in all areas of our lives. This year, my top challenge to myself is to work out regularly from my home gym and have a close friend keep me accountable – maybe even babysit while I’m in the zone.

      For me, it’s incredibly therapeutic getting my workout done. This past year, though, it was a real challenge to make it to our gym. Can you relate? Life gets so busy and before you know it, the gym isn’t even a priority anymore. If you’re looking for a little encouragement in this department, here are two tips I like to remember when digging for motivation.

      1. New Gear
      Spend some money on a sports bra that fits. This is so important, ladies! One of my favorite things about lululemon is they’ll fit you while you’re at the store. Also, buy items you love and feel good in. Let’s be honest, cute, high-quality workout gear often gets me motivated!

      2. Get an Accountability Partner
      Whether this person is your hubby or a close girlfriend, just get one. I find it incredibly helpful. Thankfully my husband loves working out, so we plan on putting together a lot of workout content for couples to do together. Stay tuned for that… and keep me accountable!!!!

      My 5 Favorites from lululemon

      Leggings- speed up tight 2. Fringe fighter headband 3. Pushing limits bra 4. Time to restore short sleeve 5. Power Y tank

      More women’s running gear HERE

      More women’s training gear HERE

      This collaboration was sponsored by lululemon and Shopping Links

      Newer Posts
      Older Posts
      @2024 Shalicenoel.com