Pool Day

Yesterday was Maddy's first time at the pool!  We just dipped her toesies in the water, she wasn't so sure about it at first but I think she started to like it after she got use to it.  I haven't even bought her a swim suit yet, I better go do that since the weather is nice now!  Maddy spent most of the day lounging in the shade with her best friend Reece.  They are such cuties, I love that my best friend and I get to raise our baby girls together! 

Team World Vision

Hi Friends!  I will be running the Kansas City Half Marathon in October with Team World Vision to help provide clean water to communities in Africa!  "World Vision is a Christian humanitarian organization dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice." The needs in these communities are real, and I am so excited to be a small part in helping solve this problem.

For every $50 raised, water will be provided for one person for a lifetime.  Providing clean water allows the children in Africa to have improved nutrition, better overall health, and better quality of life.  It also allows the children to go to school instead of spending their days fetching water.  My goal is to raise $100 for every mile that I run, which makes my goal $1,310.  I am super excited about this opportunity and I appreciate your support!  

Check out my page and donate here! 

ooh la la

Where has time gone?!  I can't believe my baby girl is almost 3 months old.  She is starting to get the cutest little personality.  My heart might explode I love her so much.  

rocksbox

Rockbox recently reached out to me to see if I was interested in trying out their service for a couple months.  I was pretty excited to receive my first box in the mail, and it did not disappoint!

For those of you who are not familiar with this company, Rocksbox allows you to rent unlimited designer jewelry for $19 a month!  How does it work?

1.  Become a shine insider and take a style survey.  You can also add items to your "wishlist" if you see certain pieces you would like to receive.

2.  Get 3 pieces to wear on loan based on your style survey.

3.  Return your pieces at any time and receive 3 new pieces.  Each 3 piece set is worth about $200.

With 5 million weddings to attend this year, I am absolutely loving the idea of this service.  Being a personal trainer and full time mom, I don't own a lot of statement pieces.  I received my first box in the mail last week and I was so excited to wear my jewelry on Mother's Day!  I was in love with all 3 pieces that they sent me and have worn them several times since I received my box just one week ago!  One major bonus is that if you fall in love with a specific piece, you have the option to purchase it at a discounted price!

Rocksbox has been kind enough to offer my readers one free month when you use the code haleyhenxoxo!  I would love to hear your thoughts if you try it out!  

Mother's Day Weekend Recap

I had a very special first Mother's Day weekend, one I will never forget!  I think Mother's Day might be my new favorite holiday, because being Maddy's mommy is the best thing that has ever happened to me!  I also love getting presents...just being honest here! ;)  

My fun weekend started Saturday morning.  My husband and I took the body pump class at our gym followed by a sprint interval workout around the track.  I am so happy Maddy is finally old enough to go to the kids club at our gym, I really missed working out with my man!  After our workout I took a photography class all day with my sister-in-law.  It was so much fun to finally learn how to use my new DSLR camera that my husband bought me for Christmas.  We learned so much new helpful information, but it's all very overwhelming!  I think I might sign up to take a few more classes, and hopefully you will start to notice some photography improvement on my blog :).

               

Sunday morning was a special morning at church, we had a dedication for our baby girl!  It was so special to dedicate our baby to Lord on Mother's Day.  I will never forget standing in front of our church making a promise as parents to raise our baby to love Jesus!   After church we went to the in-laws for brunch with the family.  We ate tons of food and opened cards and presents.  Scooter and Maddy got me a Kate Spade cross body purse, he always knows exactly what to get me!  Or maybe it was the email I sent him with a link to Nordstrom...lol.  After our workout later that day, we went to dinner at one of our favorite mexican food restaurants.  During dinner I realized that the last time we ate there was the night I went into labor!  Funny how the last two times I have been there was the day I gave birth and Mother's Day! Overall, it was an amazing weekend and I feel so blessed to be Maddy's mommy.  

                 

our favorite baby carriers

I have two favorite baby carriers, and I am completely obsessed with both of them!  Maddy is a huge fan of them also.  A lot of moms warned me that their babies didn't like certain swings, carriers, pacifiers, etc.  I feel fortunate that my little girl has loved every product that we have tested out!  Knock on wood....Maddy has been an easy breezy baby so far.  

We own two different baby carriers because they are both great for different reasons.  The first carrier that I would highly recommend is the Ergobaby 360 Carrier.  I am actually wearing Maddy in the Ergo as I type this post.  I just finished mowing the lawn while wearing my baby and she has been asleep for 2 1/2 hours....one of the many reasons I love baby wearing.  The Ergo is great if you are looking for something that is easy to use and has lots of support.  I typically use this carrier if we are going on a long walk, hike, or doing anything active.  The best part about this carrier is that Maddy can be worn in 4 different positions: front-inward, front-outward, hip, and back. 

The second carrier that we LOVE is the Solly Baby Wrap.  Initially, I was very intimidated by the concept of wrapping my baby.  However, the Solly Baby website has a ton of helpful tutorials on the proper way to wrap your baby at every different stage.  I love how soft the fabric is and how easy it is to store in our diaper bag.  One of the main reasons I am obsessed with this wrap is because it is stylish, they have tons of beautiful fabrics available on their website.  

We love baby wearing! 

Hospital Hill Half Marathon Training Update

I am 6 weeks out from the Hospital Hill Half Marathon in Kansas City, and I am finally starting to feel like I might actually survive!  I have been trying to follow my training program as closely as possible, while still getting in all of my daily Tone it Up workouts for the #bikiniseries.  

Most of my runs have been with my baby girl, and let me tell you...running with a stroller is NO joke.  It's been a struggle for me to get back into the running game, and pushing a 25 pound stroller with a 10 pound baby and a car seat just takes it to a whole new level!  My mom was in town visiting last week, so I was able to get quite a few runs in without the girl.  Our morning routine consisted of my mom taking the baby on an hour long walk while I set off running....slowly but surely.  

My longest run was this past Sunday, I completed 6.2 miles and felt so proud of myself when I finished.  I didn't want to run from the second I stepped out the door, but I am so glad I pushed myself to stick to the plan.  The neighborhood I live in has a lot of hills, which is great because apparently the race course is very hilly.  Training with the stroller will probably make the race course seem like a breeze since I have been pushing 50 pounds up the hills in my neighborhood.  Also, I ran the Nike Women's Marathon in San Francisco 2 years in a row...if I survived 26.2 miles in the hills of SF, I should be alright.  

Stay tuned for my next update!