Revamp Your Routine - Babble Box Review

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of Single Edition Media

What are your healthy goals for 2016? I have a few but my main goal is have a healthier lifestyle while on the road. I recently took a new position at work which has me on the road more. This usually means eating out more, not getting to the gym as much and working late nights since you're in a city where you may not know anyone.

I received a Babble Boxx for review and the theme was revamping 2016. The box was full of ingredients that will help you start off 2016 on the right foot.

Stash Tea
I drink at least one cup of hot tea on a daily basis. It's got so many health benefits and can be a good pick me up, even caffeine free selections. I loved Stash Tea's Organic Gold Cup Chai w/ Turmeric. Turmeric is all the rage right now with runners - it can relieve pain and inflammation. Chai Tea is one of my go-to's (I love the sweet and spicy flavor profile) so Stash Chai with Turmeric is obviously a match made for me!

Another great option for an afternoon cup of tea is Stash Lavender Tulsi. This tea brings serenity and I need a lot of that in my life right now. Lavender Tulsi is a soothing organic tea that blends leaves from the tulsi plant, which has been revered in India for more than 5,000 years. According to folklore, tulsi is a healing balm for body, mind and spirit. .

There is a special discount code for Stash Tea through February 12th. Use promo code BABBLE15 to save 15% off entire online order at StashTea.com.

Stop & Drop Diet Book 
Who remembers the hit book "Flat Belly Diet"? I know many people who swore by Liz Vaccariello's New York Times bestseller. She's at it again with the Stop & Drop Diet book. I have not had a chance to read the whole thing but did a little homework on the book and this sounds perfect for my crazed lifestyle. This flexible diet plan teaches readers easy ways to STOP eating unhealthy versions of food they love and the simple, healthier substitutes you should START eating instead. Stop & Drop Diet helps readers drop the weight with a mix-and-match 21-day meal plan designed for fast weight loss and balanced nutrition.

What I love about this plan is the flexibility - because I need a lot of that in my life. Between this blog and my job, I am consistently out at events faced with foods and cocktails which would typically forbidden in most diets. Not with this plan - there is nothing forbidden.

How The Plan Works...For each phase, the Stop & Drop Diet offers a suggested breakdown of calories per meal. In general, you want to spread your calorie intake out roughly evenly throughout the day – so lunches and dinners should have about the same number of calories, breakfasts just a little less, and snacks about half the amount as your main meals. But the diet also allows you to customize the calorie breakdown to whatever works for you. (Some people, for instance, might prefer to eat 6 mini-meals throughout the day, instead of 3 main meals and 2 snacks.). The best part of the book is that they analyzed more than 40,000 products in the average supermarket, plus countless menu items at popular chain restaurants and ingredients in every day recipes to shave calories.

Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel On-the-Go Refreshingly Clean Towelettes

The number one thing I forget when I travel is face wash. The face bars in hotels dry my skin out and during the winter months, that can be a really bad thing. This is why I am in love with Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel On the Go Refreshing Clean Towelettes. They are the only individually wrapped towelette to utilize 100% natural witch hazel. Since they're individually wrapped, they are TSA approved and you don't have to take up too much room, they fit perfectly in my makeup or gym bag.

Cold-EEZE® Plus Natural Multi-Symptom Relief Cold & Flu lozenges
Oh Cold-EEZE how I love you so. The moment I start feeling the signs of a cold coming on (typically ear aches or an itchy throat for me), I take Cold EEZE. They recently came out with a new product, Cold-EEZE Plus Natural Multi-Symptom Relief Cold & Flu lozenges which shorten your cold PLUS help relieve cough, congestion and sore throat. They contain zinc gluconate which is the same effective active ingredient found in the original Cold-EEZE® lozenges.  These lozenges have a permanent home in my handbag.

Birch Benders Pancakes
This particular time in my life, I am only home one night over a two week span. This means my husband is also affected since he doesn't cook and ends up eating out way too much. One thing he can make is pancakes. Birch Benders Pancakes are a gluten free, natural, organic pancake that's made by just adding water. You would never know they are gluten free and you won't miss the wheat. Plus they are very easy to make. It's a blend of wheat-free flours mixed with Oregon hazelnut meal. YUM!

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Shapewear in a swimsuit - Leonisa Swimwear

I had a sad realization this past week. My metabolism is not what it used to be. What can I expect though - I spent 6+ months on a "watch what you eat diet" for my wedding. After that day, I said goodbye to the D word and never looked back....hello burgers & pizza! Then my marathon training ended. Over the past few weeks, I have found myself uncomfortable in clothes and want nothing to do with a bathing suit.

Truth be told, I have put on nearly 15 lbs since my wedding in September. I had to buy all new shorts for this spring. What the what?! All you have to do is look at my Instagram feed and it is clear why. So unless I am at an event, I am watching everything I eat and following a very easy to follow 30 day meal plan I found online.

All this sounds great but we live in FL and it is May. This means Memorial Day festivities are right around the corner. Memorial Day = Beach = bikini = Megan hiding under a big hat. Luckily for me, Leonisa reached out to me to try out their new swimwear line who combined their shapewear with a swimsuit, creating a product that helps women feel confident. They've been featured on The Dr. Oz Show, The Today Show, Marie Claire and Jezebel.

Upon receiving the email to check out a piece from the Leonisa swimwear line, I found myself having a very hard time choosing just one. There were three suits that stuck out to me. I went with the first one shown below and I love it. However, part of me wishes I got the polka dot strapless bandeau.

Stunning Bikini Swimsuit with Air Push up
Push up halter-top with removable air padding. Halter straps tie at neck and back. Contour cups with underwire provide support and lift. Adjustable sides bikini bottom fit perfectly to you.

• Two-piece bikini bathing suit 
• Contour halter-top with supportive underwire 
• Removable air padding for great push up 
• Adjustable sides bikini bottom fit perfectly

I love this suit. My favorite feature is the adjustable sides on the bottom. Usually for me, the beach means day drinking and by the time it's over, I am hiding under a towel. I will NEVER look like the model in this pic but I did feel a sense of comfort wearing this suit on the beach. I did have to remove the air padding from the top. That's a whole different story about sudden weight gain!


The other two suits I considered were:

Polka Dots Strapless Bandeau One-Piece Swimsuit

Ruched bandeau top with underwire offers support and lift. Optional halter straps provide extra support. Sultry tie back fits your figure perfectly. Comfortably controls your tummy so you feel confident and carefree under the sun!

• Ruched bandeau top with underwire 
• Optional, halter straps provide more support 
• Side-boning centers
• Tie back adjusts to your figure 
• Super comfy tummy control 

Strapless Bandeau Top & Bikini Bottom Swimwear
Top offers removable padding and is gathered in the middle. Wear optional halter straps for more support or without for less tan lines. Bottom provides moderate coverage.

• Strapless bandeau top with removable padding
• Gathered centered adds volume
• Optional halter straps
• Moderate coverage bikini bottom

What are you doing to get beach body ready?

Leonisa sent me a bathing suit for review. As always all opinons are my own. I am strongly considering purchasing the polka dot bandeau out of my own wallet because I loved the suit I received so much.

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Getting wedding dress ready while working from home with the Flex Belt

Flex Belt provided me with a device for review purposes. As always, all opinions are my own

Thanks to genetics, I never struggled with weight and have always been one of those people who can eat whatever they want without second thoughts. This was always the case until a year ago, when I started working from home full-time. A few months after that desk got put in my house, I ended up finding bulge where it never was before. I find myself sitting at the computer 10+ hours a day, only walking a few steps to the kitchen for a water refill. When I went for my first wedding dress fitting, horror struck - I had a noticeable gut.

2 months prior to the wedding. None of my shorts fit

Right after my family reunion in August, I started a strict food and fitness routine because none of the shorts I packed fit me. My wedding dress was satin, mermaid and very form fitting and I hate constriction on my belly so no Spanx for this girl. Even when my dress was taken for it's final fitting 3 weeks before the wedding, I was still unhappy with my side profile.

I picked up the dress a week before we left for New Orleans and what I did not expect was having to get an emergency second and third alteration because I lost so many inches in my torso. My alteration specialist yelled at me "no more losing weight" when I picked up the dress the day prior to leaving for New Orleans. She was unable to make the center fully smooth due to how much she had to take in.

I owe this to many attributes - the diet mentioned above, I did a 10 day cleanse which kicked my metabolism into high gear. We cut all sugar, dairy, flour and caffeine out of our diets. We only ate whole grain carbs and used fruits as our source of sugar.

I am also marathon training. My training schedule has me running every single day and I make sure to get my minimum 10,000 steps a day by walking a lot. I also received a Flex Belt to review, an FDA cleared medical grade electronic muscle stimulation (EMS) device. It is designed for toning, firming, tightening and strengthening the abdominal and oblique muscles. The Flex Belt contracts all of the ab muscles at the same time at 150 times per session.

The greatest part of this ab belt is that I could use it while sitting at my desk, working. I used it for 20 minutes a day at a high intensity level. Along with those who work at home, the Flex Belt would be a great ab belt for new Mom's and those who don't have the time to go to the gym daily. I made Gabe use it as well being he was very skeptical. After a few days of use, both of our ab muscles felt sore just like having a good ab workout. There are 150 intensity levels, so it makes it easy to find your comfort level.

The Flex Belt has quite a few Celebrity endorsements - Denise Richards, Lisa Rinna, Brian Wade, Adrianne Curry and Jerry Rice just to name a few. Click here for more information about the Flex Belt or to order one for yourself!

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