Basement Renovation 2018

I have posted before that when we bought our house a few years ago, we did so knowing that we wanted to finish the basement. It was a huge space, and we bought the house because the staircase was on the side and made the space appear bigger, this is different then 95% of the houses in our neighborhood....

We got a few prices to have all the work done last year, and Hubby was not impressed with the labor costs when he knew he could do the job himself. A few meetings with the township building office last Fall, and in February we were cleared to start building!

I posted here about our large delivery orders and progress, but now the final product!

Please excuse the mess, the kids moved in as soon as the carpet was installed:)

We made the space with a few distinctive areas, a TV space back by the stairs, a large open space for toys.....

 My workout area

A kitchen/craft area without carpet

 A full bathroom

I am more them impressed that Hubby completed this all in about 5 months while only doing it on weekends and nights and still working full time, going to all the kids events and games, and not missing any family functions. It was a labor of love and we are so happy with the way it came out.

In love with my acupressure mat

So I wrote a bit ago about this awesome acupressure mat that I was lucky enough to get to try. Here is my official flow up and proclamation of love for this amazing acupressure mat.  First of all it took no time what so ever to incorporate this into my daily routine, because you just need to sit or lay on it! I mean how easy is that! The benefits are amazing. I am sleeping better, I feel more relaxed, and I feel like my stress level is way down. There is something about just knowing that you are taking time for yourself that makes you feel better. 

Also I feel like I have been able to recover from my workouts a lot quicker. I know some people will tell me I am crazy, but I think I recover quicker when I am more relaxed. I would highly recommend that anyone that needs help relaxing (ok all of us!!) try one of these acupressure mat, because seriously how easy is it to sit down for 5 minutes each night!

Back to School Shopping Time

I love this time of year. I feel like the start of the new school year is like a chance to reset, almost better then New Year's. Maybe I am just in the mood to reset since we have accomplished all our DIY goals for the year! (More on that another day).

Back to school shopping has always been fun, but before my daughter was in Elementary School it was just not the same. I love looking for kids fashion clothes . My daughter is all about her "style" lately so we can't just go with what you find in the stores. But seriously how cute are these clothes from Popreal?

Also don't forget to pick up toddler girl jackets when you are on the Popreal site, I ALWAYS forget coats for my kids! We might try these this year....

Let me know what you pick up for your little ones!

Have you tried acupressure?

Has any one tried acupressure before? I have been a big fan of all things Eastern Medicine wise since acupuncture changed my life a few years ago. My only problem was that it takes weeks to get an appointment with my girl April, I will only go to her, she is the best.

 So I was quite excited when I was contact to try an acupressure mat by the people at Dosha Mat. They make these great acupressure mat that come in lavender and teal ( I mean what great colors as well!) Here are some of the benefits of using an acupressure mat according to the Dosha Mat website

Studies have shown that acupressure mats can have incredible health effects, including the following:

1. Reduction of pain and soreness
2. Deep calm and relaxation
3. Reduction of stress and anxiety
4. Improved sleep
5. Weight-loss
6. Increased circulation
7. Rejuvenation of the skin
8. Improved digestion
9. Increased energy levels
10. Reduction of cellulite
11. Alleviates arthritis
12. Alleviates fibromyalgia
13. Aids myofascial pain syndrome
14. Alleviates sciatica pain
15. Faster recovery after workouts
16. Lower cortisol levels

I was told to start off slow with my new acupressure mat, because it takes time to get use to using one. So I am starting out easy and using it on the couch, but seriously how pretty is this!

I will update more in about a week or so once I have had the chance to use it!

Reasons to love Aaptiv

Scale and Freshness: More than 2,500 classes are available on the platform. There are 20 active trainers who create new classes each week. More than 50 classes are added to the Aaptiv platform every week. Each class is individually produced in a professional recording space, with state-of-the-art sound mixing technology powered by a talented sound engineering team.

Affordability: For $14.99 a month or $99.99 for the year, members get unlimited, on-demand access to classes in running, cycling, elliptical, strength training, stair climbing, and more. Access to exceptional personal training has never been easier, coming at a fraction of the cost of hiring a personal trainer, purchasing expensive equipment, or being confined to one fitness location.

Convenience: Wherever individuals prefer to work out -- at the gym, at home, on the road for business -- Aaptiv goes along with its members. This factor has helped Aaptiv scale much more quickly than services that are confined to particular equipment or studio locations. Aaptiv classes can be taken anywhere, at any time.

Empathy: Most fitness solutions expect people to change their programs and routines. Aaptiv lets people choose the workout types and locations they prefer, and “meets” each member on their own fitness journey. Trainers conceive of and produce workout classes that suit the needs of people at every stage of fitness: novice, beginner, intermediate, or advanced. A Facebook community of more than 22,000 devoted Aaptiv members interact regularly with trainers to learn about how they can get even more out of their workouts.

Differentiators: Aaptiv is the only fitness company that focuses exclusively on audio content. Audio as a means is also underappreciated. It’s the most natural fashion for consuming content because it’s how people already communicate. The success of the medium is reflected in the growth of Audible, podcasts, and products like Amazon’s Alexa, Google Now, and Siri. Aaptiv’s all-you-can-eat model provides accessibility that has never existed in fitness before.

You should check it out here!