The Forum Shops is open for shopping and dining, and celebrating Lunar New Year 2021 with some fantastic offerings! George and I spent the day shopping all over The Forum Shops and explored a few of the retailers as well as dined together for lunch at our favorite spot — Carmine’s!

There are select retailers participating in the Lunar New Year offerings, and we had the chance to shop and peruse those offerings at Balenciaga, H&M, Lush, Tommy Bahama, and Coach. And with Lunar New Year fast approaching, our goal was to find red outfits to wear for Lunar New Year on February 12th, 2021. Also, 2021 is the year of the Ox for Lunar New Year. Read on the select offers we learned about from those five retailers. As a side note, each retailer has different store hours, so be sure to check on The Forum Shops website for store information. 

Before we shopped the stores, we made a quick selfie stop.  To celebrate Lunar New Year 2021 and welcome the Year of the Ox, The Forum Shops at Caesars Palace has once again installed a massive 950-lb Chinese dragon display. With a steel structure covered in 30,000 red and amber LED lights, this bright, intricate Chinese dragon display sits at 22-feet long 6-feet wide and 12-feet tall. It was an amazing sight, indeed, and a really cool way to greet guests located at the Casino Entrance.

First stop was Coach located by the casino entrance on the first floor (Coach opens at 10:00am). We chatted with the team at Coach who shared all the beautiful capsule pieces for Lunar New Year 2021, including a beautiful tote representing the year of the Ox. Check out the beautiful capsule collection! *Swoon* Coach is a modern American luxury brand with a rich heritage rooted in quality and craftsmanship. 

• • Offer: Coach is offering 10% off one full-priced item during the Lunar New Year promotion of February 11-16, 2021

Our second stop was the iconic French fashion house, Balenciaga, located near the Fountain of the God’s (Balenciaga opens at 11:00am). Balenciaga invites shoppers to shop the Year of the Ox Capsule Collection in-store now through February 28.

Next up, we visited H&M located towards the Atlantis Show (H&M opens at 11:00am), and is the LARGEST H&M in the United States. I’m proud that it’s located right here in Las Vegas at The Forum Shops! There is literally something for everyone at H&M — kids, women and men. 

I found a beautiful red sweater that can be worn 3 different ways: with a skirt, jeans, or black pants. It’s a great and festive way to participate in Lunar New Year by wearing red in your own unique sense of fashion. 

• • Offer: During the promotional period, guests who sign up for the H&M Loyalty Member program will received a 15% off coupon to use on their next transaction through February 28. 

Next up, we visited Lush Fresh Handmade Cosmetics located on Level II near the Spiral Escalator (Lush opens at 11:00am). Lush is one of my favorite beauty stores, because they make effective products from fresh, organic* fruit and vegetables, the finest essential oils and safe synthetics. All products are made fresh by hand using little or no preservative or packaging and using only vegetarian ingredients. We sampled a few of their Lunar New Year products and they are too adorable and smell divine!

• • Offer: Visit Lush in-store to get a personalized consultation to find your perfect skincare routine through February 28!

Our last shopping stop was Tommy Bahama, located on Level III near the Spiral Escalator (Tommy Bahama opens at 12:00pm). I enjoy shopping the coastal living-inspired sophistication of Tommy Bahama. Their stylish, upscale offerings include apparel for men and women, footwear, jewelry, accessories and home décor, all designed with a dose of island flair.

• • Offer: Mention “Lunar New Year” in-store at Tommy Bahama to receive 25% off a single item through February 28!

And to wrap up our day spent at The Forum Shops, we dined at our favorite restaurant, Carmine’s (Carmine’s opens at 11:00am)!

CARMINE’S NYC’S LEGENDARY FAMILY STYLE ITALIAN, Family is the main theme at Carmine’s. We love the generous portions of their family-style platters – it is so yummy and meant to be shared with loved ones. You can expect a soulful Southern Italian food experience after a nice day of shopping.

George and I started off with Carmine’s Prosecco wine and Calamari for our appetizer. They also brought out complimentary bread with our appetizer.

For the family-style platters, we went with the Mixed Seafood with Linguine pasta and white sauce as well as the Chicken Parmesan. Both choices were absolutely delicious and filling and with enough to feed 2-4 people.

We did a quick tour and learned that Carmine’s also has customized menu options and private rooms to accommodate all of your event needs. There’s definitely an energizing vibe in all the private rooms we saw. So whether you’re planning a bachelor and bachelorette party, bridal shower, birthday party, or anniversary, come celebrate in Carmine’s family-style tradition.

Carmine’s is now offering Brunch Specials on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00 AM – 3:00 PM.

• • Offer: Three-piece Cannoli with purchase of an entree.

As you can see, there are special, limited time offerings to take advantage of right now at The Forum Shops. From photo opps, to shopping and dining – you’ll definitely enjoy your time. And please continue to follow the COVID-19 safety guidelines anytime you’re out in public, by maintaining your social distancing of at least six feet (6) apart and wearing your mask or face covering over your mouth and nose. Happy Lunar New Year! 

The post THE FORUM SHOPS LUNAR NEW YEAR 2021 OFFERINGS first appeared on The It Mom®.

As many of you know, I had my breast implants removed 3.5 months ago (it’s also called explant surgery) due to several auto immune symptoms and symptoms of BII (also known as breast implant illness). The surgery I had was an explant with total capsulectomy (removal of scar capsules that formed around the implants), and mastopexy (breast lift). I have zero regrets, and honestly feel so much better.

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As someone who had a foreign object in her body in which the body was attacking and fighting back, you can imagine the toll it took on my health. It is why my body wreaked havoc in so many crazy ways.

Symptoms included:
*Hypothyroidism
*Lupus
*Sjögren’s syndrome
*CREST Syndrome
*Degenerative Disc Disease
*Kidney Dysfunction (they found a small mass in my kidney right before surgery that I need to address again in a couple of months)
*Gallbladder problems
*Fevers/Night Sweats
*Anxiety
*Depression
*Panic attacks
*Rheumatoid Arthritis
*Heart Palpitations
*Shortness of breath
*Capsular Contracture
*Swollen lymph nodes in underarms, throat, breast and groin
*Unexplained weight gain
*Cold and numbing of hands and feet
*Brain Fog
*Memory Loss
*Muscle and Joint Pain/Weakness
*Chronic fatigue and exhaustion (thought it was long jet lag due to constant travel)
*Chronic inflammation
*Hormonal Imbalance (and estrogen/progesterone imbalance)
*Gastrointestinal Issues (Acid Reflux and IBS)
*Sudden food intolerances and allergies
*Persistent viral, bacterial and yeast infections (especially UTI’s)
*Slow muscle recovery after activities (thought it was because I over worked out)
*Hair loss and dry skin (they blamed it on dry weather in Vegas lol)
*Skin rashes
*Vertigo
*Ear ringing
*Decline in vision (I had 20/20 vision before implants)

As you can see, it was an extensive list. I’m happy to report that about 60% of these symptoms are completely gone after removing my breast implants. The other 40% of symptoms come and go in what BII experts call “detox waves”. Detox waves are the body trying to push all the toxins out and at the same time, heal and re-balance itself. It’s common after surgeries and especially when medical devices have been explanted.

During my post surgery recovery, I found that my body was pushing detox instead of detoxing naturally. I was having waves of bad days where old breast implant symptoms would flare up, and then weeks where the days were great and I felt healthy and energized.

I shared my post operative recovery challenges with other women who had dealt with BII and had their implants removed, and every single one of them recommended a healthy diet, taking vitamin supplements, using detox binder charcoals, and taking probiotics. Seemed simple enough thanks to their guidance, however, when it came time to find the right probiotics, I had to research it quite a bit. I came across advice from my lovely friend, Leah Segedie of Mamavation on best types of probiotics. After reading her post, I was convinced that Seed is the best choice for me.

Seed is a company developing next generation probiotics to improve both human and planetary health. Seed developed a flagship Daily Synbiotic (a combination of probiotics + prebiotics), which combines 24 clinically-studied, naturally-occuring probiotic strains and patented, plant-based prebiotics sourced from Indian pomegranate and Scandinavian chaga mushroom and pine bark.

I reached out to Seed and asked them if I could partner with them and also become an affiliate and they said YES! I have been using it for the last week, and will definitely keep you posted on how it’s coming along after using it for a few weeks.

Some of the really unique things about Seed as a company is their passion for sustainability and commitment to planetary health. Their packaging is made from mushrooms & FSC certified cardboard, very impressive! My package also included one glass jar, refills in bio-based pouches that will arrive each month, AND they also provided a glass travel vial for when you’re on the go (which is me traveling at least once every six weeks!). They were also featured in Fast Company when they recently announced their probiotic for honey bees, developed to counter the effects of neonicotinoid pesticides and to reduce American Foulbrood Disease for honey bee populations. They are truly proactive in contributing to saving the bees!

Seed Daily Synbiotic was formulated for systematic benefits beyond digestion, in collaboration with their Chief Scientist, who authored the scientific definition of ‘probiotics’ for the UN – World Health Organization. The probiotic strains are clinically proven to support gut health, heart health, skin health, gut immune function and metabolic health. When it comes to transparency, they dominate. Seed tests beyond what’s required and shares laboratory results proving they have non-detectable levels of glyphosate and other pesticides.

I’m honored and proud to partner with Seed. I encourage you to prioritize your gut health and take your daily synbiotics!

Right now, when you use the code ITMOM on the Seed website, you will receive 15% off your first month of Seed’s Daily Synbiotic subscription. You can subscribe to the Seed Daily Synbiotic (which is a probiotic + prebiotic formulation developed for system benefits for $49.99 per month along with free U.S. shipping (international flat-rate). Plus you can skip or cancel anytime, and the purchase of the Seed Daily Synbiotic comes with a 30 day risk-free guarantee! Let us know if you end up trying it. I’m thrilled to be on the right path for my health, because health is wealth, and health comes first!

The post Why Probiotics Are Important For Gut Health After Explant Surgery first appeared on The It Mom®.

It started off with a press junket with the cast: Ben Schwartz, Jim Carrey, James Marsden and more. The kids got to ask some really good questions to the cast, and they were a lively bunch! Jim Carrey’s humor never fails! 

There were some great lessons (or takeaways) from the cast, especially by Jim Carrey, who talks about what it was like to portray Dr. Robotnik. He shared of the importance of love and inclusion, as well as inspired the children to dream big and no limit themselves.

The following day, we went on a studio lot tour with Paramount Pictures where we got to see studio sets and play with the props in the prop room. The props were genuine props used in movies and TV shows, so the kids got a kick out of that.

Right after the lot tour, we were taken to another part of Paramount Pictures where they threw us a very impressive Family Day party with the cast, celebrities, and their families in attendance. It as an all-out affair complete with a Deejay, Jack In The Box food truck, cotton candy shaped Sonic The Hedgehog hair, wagyu burger sliders, mac and cheese, and more! There were also carnival style games and relay races where the kids won Puma backpacks and Puma fanny packs. They also got a fun swag bag of stuff to enjoy. 

And during the Family Day party, we got to walk on the blue carpet to take some photos and then went inside the theater to watch an advanced private screening of the film.

Based on the global blockbuster videogame franchise from Sega, SONIC THE HEDGEHOG tells the story of the world’s speediest hedgehog as he embraces his new home on Earth. In this live-action adventure comedy, Sonic and his new best friend Tom (James Marsden) team up to defend the planet from the evil genius Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) and his plans for world domination. The family-friendly film also stars Tika Sumpter and Ben Schwartz as the voice of Sonic.

So epic and really cool to experience, especially for the kids! No spoiler alerts, you’ll have to check it out when the film opens in theaters.

Sonic The Hedgehog movie opens in theaters on Friday, February 14, 2020 (yes, on Valentine’s Day)!

ABOUT THE FILM:
Release: February 14, 2020
Cast: James Marsden, Ben Schwartz, Tika Sumpter and Jim Carrey
Directed by Jeff Fowler
Written by Pat Casey & Josh Miller
Based on the Sega Video Game
Produced by Neal H. Moritz, p.g.a, Toby Ascher, Toru Nakahara, Takeshi Ito
Executive Producers Hajime Satomi, Haruki Satomi, Masanao Maeda, Nan Morales, Tim Miller

Sonic The Hedgehog on Social Media:
FACEBOOK
TWITTER
INSTAGRAM

The post What It Was Like Attending the Sonic The Hedgehog Blue Carpet Premiere first appeared on The It Mom®.

Holidays at the Teh’s are magical, enchanting, and involve lots of decorating, baking, and eating (nom, nom, nom). Summer-ish (the month of May) was when Jude and Juliana started their Invisalign® treatment, and I can’t believe seven (7) whole months have passed us by! I feel like the older I get, the faster time flies. Like, seriously, wasn’t summertime just yesterday???

Now that the desert heat has chilled for the wintery season, we enjoy doing things indoors as much as we enjoy the outdoors. The highs in December are typically in the low 70’s, so we are definitely taking advantage of enjoying all that Las Vegas has to offer. This is the time of year when you’ll see lots of people out and about!

Saturdays are devoted to outdoor quality family time fun, however, Sundays are dedicated to decorating the house, decorating our 12-foot Christmas tree, making gingerbread houses, baking, baking, baking, and enjoying the perks of the beautiful amenities of our 3,000 square foot executive home during the holidays. We also limit the kids’ use of electronics and gadgets on the weekends, because they already use plenty of those in school nowadays (much different from pencil and paper we used when we were kids)!

Instead of being on their devices, we encourage Jude and Juliana to go out and play with their friends in our neighborhood. I know saying this sounds crazy since Jude and Juliana are such outgoing, proactive children — but my children were really hesitant to interact with their friends face-to-face in live, offline environments, because they were conscious about kids seeing their crooked teeth.

I also think a big part of that was because they saw how straight Jasmine’s teeth and my teeth were, often comparing their crooked teeth to our straight teeth. Jasmine, my oldest daughter wore metal braces and I wore Invisalign aligners, which explains why our teeth are so straight. George is also on Invisalign treatment, and the kids have seen how his teeth have shifted and moved into straighter positions.

Both Jude and Juliana approached George and I directly asking if they could get braces, but as parents, we were concerned about metal wires with braces for kids, especially with their high impact sports (basketball and taekwondo). When Jasmine wore metal braces during high school, she fell face down during high school track practice as she was jumping hurdles and suffered some pretty rough cuts in her mouth from her metal braces. Thankfully, her fall wasn’t too hard, but as parents, we want to protect and shield our children from mishaps like these. My mama bear instincts kicked into high gear when the kids brought up wanting braces, it brought me back to Jasmine’s sports experience and I just didn’t want to go through this all over again with metal braces for Jude and Juliana.

Thanks to our partnership with the , Jude and Juliana were able to begin using the Invisalign First treatment at ages nine (9) and ten (10) – even when they still have a mix of both permanent and baby teeth – instead of getting braces. It gives me relief and peace of mind that they have the most advanced clear aligner system in the world instead of braces! Although clear aligners are pretty much transparent, what gives me peace is that the Invisalign aligners are wire free!

I’m glad we met with Dr. Truman of Truman Orthodontics, who shared about the best treatment plan for Jude and Juliana’s age, called . We had concerns on whether we should even bother starting a conversation around teeth straightening with the orthodontist, because they still had baby teeth. But Dr. Truman’s expertise opened our eyes to the Phase 1 treatment, which is what both Jude and Juliana are on for about a year. There’s a common misconception that you should only have primary teeth and wait until after all your children’s baby teeth are gone when using Invisalign aligners, but we learned that through the Phase 1 treatment, you can have a mixture of baby teeth and primary teeth!

They only have about five (5) more months with their Invisalign aligners, but just in the last 7 months of being on Invisalign treatment, we have all noticed an already significant change in their smiles and how straight their teeth are getting! And both children have really enjoyed their Invisalign treatment journey, because the clear aligners have been a confidence booster since they’re virtually invisible while on!

What I appreciate most about the Invisalign treatment, is the convenience of being able to still eat all their favorite foods without compromise. I also value them having clear aligners versus metal wire braces because of their high impact sports activities. Especially now that Jude’s playing basketball with a team in middle school and Juliana’s starting to spar with other senior belts in Taekwondo. I do get worried about any types of limitations that will prevent my children from giving their all and participating in any sports because of our previous experience with Jasmine’s braces. I want them to feel confident in participating in their extracurricular activities, and not be conscious about injuring their mouths due to wires from braces. For us, the Invisalign treatment has been and still is the best teeth straightening solution for our children (and our family)!

I trust clear aligners, because I truly believe that the Invisalign treatment is the most advanced clear aligner system in the world. Only Invisalign® aligners are made with SmartTrack® material for a better fit, greater comfort, and more predictable tooth movement. * (*compared to aligners made from off-the-shelf, single layer .030in material).

And their history of expertise being the go-to for clear aligners is because they’ve got over 20 years of innovation and 7 million+ smiles that have enabled Invisalign treatment to correct simple to complex orthodontic cases.

If you have concerns about your child’s smile, I highly encourage you as a parent to consider investing in your child’s smile either this holiday season or in time for the New Year (“new me”) season. Take the now to get started and see if Invisalign treatment is the right fit for your child, and then near you to get your child’s Invisalign treatment journey started.

Additional Resources:
Invisalign on Facebook
Invisalign on Instagram
Invisalign on Twitter
Invisalign on YouTube

The post Enjoying Family Time During the Holidays first appeared on The It Mom®.

I love my kids, I really do. But when the holidays get busy and they’re home for winter break, it can get pretty disastrous when they’re bored out of their minds. I work from home full-time, so you can imagine the hoops I have to jump just so I could keep them occupied.

And it’s even tougher for us when the kids want something do when we’re in the middle of decorating the house, shopping for gifts, cooking for a large gathering and all the wonderful things we experience and do during the holidays.

When I’m looking for entertainment for my kids around the busy holidays, Amazon Appstore Family has been a game-changer! Like most moms, I’m already using Amazon pretty regularly, who else? I’m sure you are too! Appstore Family lets me use my Amazon login to download age-appropriate apps for our family, and it even sorts the apps by education, games and entertainment!

Check out the video we created showing you some of the cool things Amazon Appstore Family has to offer…

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It is definitely a great central hub for keeping the kids distracted, preoccupied, busy (you get where I’m going with this), while you get the house ready for the holidays – problem solved!

The Amazon Appstore Family is a great source for games and apps on other devices. It’s so organized and easy to use – the games and apps are divided up by education, games and entertainment and makes it easy for parents to find age-appropriate apps for their families.

The Amazon Appstore Family focuses on providing fun fresh content for kids (and us parents) with a selection of apps in the store which keeps your kids learning, even during the winter break (exactly what I need).

I love that the Amazon Appstore Family partners with other Amazon family of products – like Books and Prime Student, to provide deals and discounts on products kids (and parents) love.

I highly encourage you to check it out for yourself, and you’ll see that it’s a great way to keep your kids busy while still learning during their down times.

The post Amazon Appstore Family Offers Entertainment and Fun for the Kids During the Holidays first appeared on The It Mom®.

I’m back!!! For those of you small business owners, entrepreneurs, working moms, and hustlers – I know you can relate when I say that work and chores stop for no one. Am I right?!

There’s always an never ending list of day-to-day tasks and chores, and at the same time, I understand the importance of looking my best when it comes to making that first impression.!

As a busy working mom who knows the importance of a well kempt appearance, preparation is key. And if you want to make the right first impression, you need to be ready to go, go, go!

And my outfits also need to be ready when it’s “go-time!” I’m constantly shooting videos, photos and creating content, and I just don’t want to waste time doing laundry, because it needs to be ready for the busy days ahead.

Thanks to Speed Queen, I’m able to save time and money. As a Women’s Choice Award winner, I can trust that all my laundry needs are fulfilled with Speed Queen.

I received the Speed Queen top load TR7 washer and it has been AMAZING! That’s because Speed Queen top load washers feature a one of a kind wash system that not only delivers the best wash available, but also takes care of clothes. Their unique auto fill system guarantees that every load uses enough water for an effective wash. The tub and agitator work together to create a gentle wash action that moves the proper amount of water through the clothes, providing a premium wash and level of fabric care.

Many washers and dryers have “touch panel” controls, but none have industry-best warranties backing them up like Speed Queen controls do. Their controls are designed and manufactured to last 25 years and they back that up with rigorous testing to make sure their circuitry stands up to extreme moisture, temperature, vibration and power surges. They’re up for the challenge for us to go ahead and push their buttons. You’ll experience the quality, dependability and durability they build into every Speed Queen machine.

There’s even an ECO feature that uses less water and heat in Speed Queen washers and dryers. There are several different laundering options on both the washer and dryer that allow me to utilize what’s best to use for my family during laundry time.

Here’s what my Speed Queen top load TR7 Washer does:
Full tub wash and rinse fills the entire tub with water to achieve maximum cleanliness.

Speed Queen Perfect Wash provides a better clean that’s gentle on your clothes and ultra quiet with fast cycle times for busy moms.

Solid mount suspension system features a full steel base with heavy-duty springs for best-in-class out-of-balance performance, less vibration and longer machine life.

Durable stainless steel tub is gentler on your clothes and ensures long-lasting, dependable performance.

Time remaining display eliminates guesswork by clearly showing when your laundry will be finished.

Right now, Speed Queen is offering a special 10 year warranty promotion through Dec. 31, 2019*! Go to SpeedQueen.com for the warranty promotion details!

*Purchase a Speed Queen washer, dryer, and/or stack washer/dryer on or before Dec. 31, 2019 from an authorized Speed Queen Dealer (USA)

*Must register the units for warranty within 60 days of purchase at SpeedQueen.com

*When registering, include the special promotion code supplied by the dealer at time of purchase.

*Washer and/or dryer must be for residential use only.

*All residential models are eligible.

The post How The Teh’s Maximize and Manage Laundry Time Thanks To Speed Queen! first appeared on The It Mom®.

Form meets function and sleek style with up to 24 total hours of battery life with quick charging, touchpad controls, premium sound quality, and smart features like Wearing Detection and Quick Attention Mode. And you can enjoy smartphone connectivity with Amazon Alexa and the Google Assistant built in! How cool…and SMART is that?!

Also, my son, who is a gamer AND sports lover, enjoys being able to play and watch sports weekly with Sony’s wireless headphones awesome sound experience! And if you’re often on the go or traveling and need a high quality sound experience for your tech, this will do it for you.

The headset touch controls include volume, play/pause, next song, going back, tap and hold to activate VA, Quick Attention and has a built-in microphone that enables simple hands-free chatting via phone. It’s also bluetooth-enabled with Bluetooth 4.2 interface with NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, giving you simple wireless pairing with your Bluetooth-enabled device (supports HFP, HSP, A2DP and AVRCP Bluetooth profiles).

It not only delivers powerful sound, the stereo design also delivers crisp tones. A note on the True Wireless with Industry leading noise canceling — for the battery life, 6 hours (with Noise Canceling), 8 hours (without Noise Canceling) per single charge. You can charge 3 times with charging case, and also has quick charge (10min charge -> 90min playback); touch controls including quick attention mode.

The Sony Incredible Noise Cancelation (XB900N) provides EXTRA BASS and next-level noise canceling in a comfortable headphone. There’s long-lasting wireless connectivity bringing up to 30 hours of battery life, outlasting even the longest travel day. And the touchpad controls bring advanced functionality to your music.

The post New Sony Wireless Headphones at Best Buy first appeared on The It Mom®.

For the last 6 years I have struggled with weight management. I firmly believe this has been due to breast implant illness, but that’s a whole different story. Today, I wanted to share what’s worked and what hasn’t worked for me in losing and keeping the weight off. I’m not sharing any links in this post, because I’m not affiliated with or getting paid to share this info, however, feel free to email or DM me with any questions or advice you have.

I’ve tried keto, portion control, Intermittent Fasting with keto and they were only short term losses FOR ME. That’s not to say these don’t work, they absolutely work if you have the experience and knowledge to follow this program CORRECTLY AND have the time to prepare meals and cook. As a busy mom of four, I do NOT have time for any of these let alone working out.

I was desperate to lose weight…42lbs to be exact. It wasn’t for vanity, although, it did help me gain confidence knowing that my clothes fit better. Nah, it was for health reasons. I have several autoimmune diseases that I needed to tame from “flaring up” and my doctor said it was necessary for me to lose a lot of weight. My start weight was 162lbs at 5’3″.

I was able to lose 20lbs in my first 4 months of starting the Optavia program. The first 4 days were difficult because you needed to follow their plan, and when you’ve lived years with all sorts of experimenting plans or not having a plan at all – the change is shocking. It also helped me detox which caused a horrible headache, but was good after taking Ibuprofen. The plan was to drink 16oz of water upon rising, then eating your first Optavia fueling within one hour (preferably 30 minutes). Then, you had to eat 4 more fuelings every 2.5 to 3 hours and at dinner time it was what they called a Lean and Green meal (pretty much a chicken salad or some of the approved Trader Joe’s frozen foods). You also MUST drink between 60 – 100 ounces of water each day (for fat burn purposes).

Here was my schedule:
6:30am – Wake up and drink 16.9 ounces of water that I laid out on the night stand to drink as soon as I got up
7:00am – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling with 16.9 ounces of water
10:00am – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling with 16.9 ounces of water
1:00pm – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling with 16.9 ounces of water
4:00pm – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling with 16.9 ounces of water
6:30pm – Eat Lean and Green Meal that I make myself (it ends up being a grilled chicken salad or ground beef salad or protein w/ salad) with 8 ounces of sparkling water (instead of drinking soda)
7:30pm – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling as my dessert with 16.9 ounces of water

Total Water Intake: 109.4 ounces

I did this everyday for 4 months straight and lost 20 lbs total (averaging about 5 lbs per month). It also got rid of my inflammation on my face and body and gave me a TON of energy! I felt like I was on top of the world!

Does it work? YES! And it sets your brain and body up for a consistent routine of healthy habits that it had forgotten about all those years. And each Fueling is filled with vitamins and nutrients that your body needs to transform, which is how it helps you to keep the weight off. I also loved that there was a Facebook group of others in the program and can relate and share tips, ideas, and recipes. And Optavia even has tons of Pinterest pins of Lean and Green recipes that can help add some fun to your daily dinner routine. The other plus is having a Coach that walks you thru the process, hops on a call with you each week to help you stay accountable, and helps you answer any questions you have. They also provided books on gaining healthy habits and weekly Conference Calls. Oh! And there’s a Customer Service email and phone number you can call with any questions pertaining to what certain foods are approved to eat during the program.

But here are the cons of being on the Optavia program…

1. It’s very expensive — $375 to $450 PER MONTH. You need to purchase 20-22 boxes of Fuelings with Optavia to be able to accomplish 5 fuelings per day. I was desperate for change and had the extra money to spend to lose the weight, so I paid it and it has been worth every penny. But unfortunately, not everyone can or is willing to spend this much.

I will say, when you compare this program to Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem, it’s way less expensive and worked the best out of all of them in losing the most amount of weight. But for someone who cooks at home and doesn’t buy meal prep meals each week — it might be hard to swallow. I guess you have to ask yourself how badly you want to change and lose the weight knowing the program is super easy to do as long as you follow it.

2. Some of the fuelings taste bland and not very good, and some have an acquired taste that you eventually get used to. Everybody has different tastes too. For example, some of the Fuelings I thought tasted yummy, my sister-in-law couldn’t stomach. I guess to each their own, right?! Haha!

3. You must follow the program to a ‘T’ to get your body into the “fat burn” stage. The moment you eat off plan or outside of the approved Lean and Green foods, your body gets off fat burn and you don’t lose as much weight or plateau. Also, it will take at least 3 days for your body to get back into “fat burn” stage after not following the plan. This truly takes commitment and resistance to bad foods. It’s not easy, but it’s also not hard.

Over the last month, I decided to become a rebel. This is now month 5 (the whole month of September). I decided to try Valentus SlimROAST Optimum Coffee because everybody swore by it working with weight loss. So every morning I drank Valentus (Bulletproof Coffee style with Collagen Peptide Powder and Ghee Butter from Trader Joe’s). I also did Intermittent Fasting and ate my Optavia Fuelings during a set time window.

Here’s what THAT schedule looked like…

6:30am – Wake up and drink 16.9 ounces of water that I laid out on the night stand to drink as soon as I got up
7:00am – Drink 8 ounces of Valentus SlimROAST Optimum Coffee with 1 Tbsp Collagen Peptide Powder and 1 Tbsp Ghee Butter
7:00am – 12:00pm: INTERMITTENT FASTING
12:00ppm – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling with 16.9 ounces of water
3:00pm – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling with 16.9 ounces of water
6:00pm – Eat Lean and Green Meal that I make myself (it ends up being a grilled chicken salad or ground beef salad or protein w/ salad) with 8 ounces of sparkling water (instead of drinking soda)
8:00pm – Eat 1 Optavia Fueling as my dessert with 16.9 ounces of water

Total Water Intake: 75.6 ounces

In the 30 days I followed this revised plan, I was able to eat less fuelings (which saved me SOME money, not a lot, but some) and I lost MORE weight than I did with Optavia (8lbs!!!). I should also reiterate that the Optavia plan truly helped me to kick bad eating habits and followed a consistent amount of calories to portion control once I sort of switched up the program.

I don’t think you should try this on your own right off the bat, especially if you have the tendency to yo-yo diet and have a history of poor eating habits. I say this because Valentus is meant to help curb your appetite, give you energy and give you focus. It eliminates cravings! But once you stop drinking the coffee and if you don’t have a solid foundation in place to keep the weight off, you will gain all the weight back.

At the same time, if you’re on a budget (one tub of Valentus Coffee lasts one month and is $60 or $67 with shipping) and desperately want to lose weight and want to meal plan on your own – Valentus SlimROAST Optimum Coffee definitely works when incorporated with a low calorie/portion controlled diet and exercise.

I probably could have lost more weight if I also incorporated exercise. Unfortunately, I have been dealing with chronic pain and debilitating fatigue due to breast implant illness and haven’t been able to workout, but after surgery, I will definitely work on getting back into shape!

The photo featured in this post was me back in early September 2019 at a size 4 in bottoms! My original size upon starting the Optavia program was a size 12-14. 7 weeks have now passed since I switched and I’ve actually lost more weight since this photo at a whopping 28lbs!!! *HIGH FIVE!*

I have also transitioned completely off of Optavia for almost 4 weeks now, which saves me over $300. I plan to continue using Valentus Coffee until I reach my weight loss goals, which is only 14lbs left! YAY!

Also, I love Valentus Coffee so much that I am seriously considering selling it through my store. You all know my stance on direct marketing and MLM companies, right? I don’t want to do most of them even if they have great products because I do not like many of their marketing tactics and they always end up rubbing me the wrong way with their salesy adding into their Facebook groups without permission or inbox messaging as soon as they friend request me (even though they don’t know me) asking to buy or join their program. But Valentus is different, they’re only 5 years old and they have not pushed, pressured or rubbed me the wrong way at all. Huge brownie points for that, Valentus! I believe in it so much and have seen my own amazing results just in the last month that I want to be able to offer it up for others to buy too, since you can only buy through a Distributor. But I’ll worry about that after my explant surgery!

Hope you enjoyed my review – please comment below on what has worked for you with your weight loss management.

The post How I Lost 28lbs in 5 Months – My Review of Optavia and Valentus SlimROAST Optimum Coffee first appeared on The It Mom®.

Ah, the fall season is upon us and it’s my absolute favorite time of the year! Rich in browns and oranges, cooler temperatures, and happier drives (always a happier drive when the weather is under eighty degrees outside).

We enjoy spending quality time together as a family between Jude and Juliana’s growing list of hobbies and sports (and academics), and we appreciate the convenience of Invisalign® treatment helping the kids straighten their teeth and gain their confidence amid the busy schedule! This is why I truly believe the Invisalign treatment is the best teeth straightening solution for Jude and Juliana’s lifestyle. Invisalign clear aligners allow our children to transform their smile without compromising their life.

We prioritize their oral health as much as we prioritize their physical health, and their orthodontic care is equally important. As a parent, we oftentimes get so busy, but health comes first always! With Invisalign treatment, it has been a seamless process in effectively straightening their teeth. Only Invisalign® aligners are made with SmartTrack® material for a better fit, greater comfort, and more predictable tooth movement* (*compared to aligners made from off-the-shelf, single layer .030in material). In doing this, it also means the kids need to be doing their part by making sure they are wearing their Invisalign aligners for 20-22 hours per day* (*Aligner wear time will be determined by your provider). Success requires solid planning and setting expectations with the kids.

We look forward to the pumpkin festival here in Henderson, Nevada where the kids pick pumpkins to decorate, ride fun carnival rides, eat apple candy and take lots of pictures! And our neighborhood goes ALL out during Halloween, especially our subdivision within our master planned community. Every year they transform our neighborhood into a haunted street filled with creative props, haunted houses, costumes, and yummy treats!

And my other favorite things that happen in the fall season are school pictures! It’s the time of year where the children dress their best and go to the photographer with their best smiles. It’s also our keepsake each year to be able to have as we watch our children grow older and taller! And I’ve noticed that this year’s school pictures have Jude and Juliana smiling with their teeth showing (gasp!) whereas they would keep their mouths closed lipped. What a change in their confidence – all thanks to Invisalign aligners! Plus, they’re virtually invisible while they’re on, so they help both my son and daughter feel and look their best.

They continue to change out their aligners weekly* and are so responsible and on top of their Invisalign aligners and cases (*frequency of aligner changes will be determined by your provider). We also have a solid plan in place to make sure they don’t lose their Invisalign aligners while at school. They bring their case and put it in their lunchbox, so it reminds them to either take it off or put it on. Since Jude mostly eats school lunches, he wears pants with pockets so he can always have his case handy to remove and put on his Invisalign aligners during lunch.

Both Jude and Juliana’s teeth are noticeably moving as they’ve been wearing their Invisalign aligners, and it’s fascinating to watch their smile transformation as time goes by! My little ones have shown great responsibility through the process thus far, and we continue to see progress toward the end result.

The cost of Invisalign treatment is often comparable to braces, and costs are determined by your . You should talk to your son or daughter’s orthodontist about the breakdown of the cost, since it will be determined by a few factors; the complexity of your son or daughter’s case, the length of treatment, where you live and your insurance coverage.

Many dental insurance plans cover Invisalign treatment just as they would other orthodontic treatments, and often times they will cover up to $3,500 (or roughly 50%) of the cost. And ask about the doctor’s payment plan options — we did payment plans for my and George’s Invisalign treatment. Many Invisalign-trained doctors offer a variety of payment plans and will break down the remaining cost after insurance and FSA into monthly payments.

If you are a mom or dad considering who are involved in school activities, sports, traveling and eating, it’s a great option for better smiles! Take the to see if your children are candidates for Invisalign treatment too! Invisalign treatments have been able to treat simple to complex orthodontic cases – !

Additional Resources:
Invisalign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invisalign/
Invisalign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invisalign/
Invisalign on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Invisalign
Invisalign on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisalign

The post How The Kids Enjoy The Best of Fall With Their Invisalign® Aligners first appeared on The It Mom®.

Well, that was fast! Summer, you flashed by and now school’s back in session! Wow! And can I just say, back to school also means back to busy schedules on top of their extracurricular activities and homework!

Jude’s in intramural boys’ basketball while Juliana is continuing her Taekwondo. Jude officially started middle school this year (he’s in sixth grade) and Juliana is finishing up her last year in elementary school (she’s in fifth grade). They’re also taking courses in Spanish, acting, piano, and ukulele. Both are in accelerated courses and come home straight to snacks, roll up their sleeves and do their homework. Busy is an understatement and they’re only 10 and 11-years-old! This is why I truly believe the Invisalign® treatment is the best teeth straightening solution for Jude and Juliana’s lifestyle, considering all of their activities and hobbies! Invisalign clear aligners allow our children to transform their smile without compromising their life, because Invisalign treatment is the most advanced clear aligner system in the world.

And even though they’re busy, we make sure they prioritize their physical health and oral health, including their orthodontic care. They’ve had Invisalign treatment since June, and they’ve been able to seamlessly fit it into their life while effectively straightening their teeth 2x faster*

(*with weekly aligner changes vs. 2-week aligner wear)

Now that they’re accustomed to their back to school schedules, let me share a bit of their “day in the life of…”

Juliana:
6:30am – 7:20am Wake up and wash up. This is the time she showers, brushes her teeth (and her Invisalign aligners!), brushes her hair, washes her face, and applies lotion (Las Vegas is a dry desert).

7:20am – 7:35am Eat breakfast (her usual is cereal with milk, and she removes her Invisalign aligners to eat breakfast)

7:35am – 7:40am Put her shoes on, grabs her lunch, water bottle, and backpack and it’s off to school we go!

7:40am – 8:00am School drop-off (and it is chaos every. single. day.)

2:10pm – 2:30pm After school pick up (again, chaos every. single. time.)

2:30pm – 2:45pm After school snack along (she removes her Invisalign aligners to eat her snack)

2:45pm – 4:00pm Homework time, read for 30-minutes, and if she’s done early, she practices on the piano and ukulele

4:00pm – 4:15pm Get ready and dressed for Taekwondo

4:15pm – 4:40pm Driving – more driving (to Taekwondo)

4:40pm – 5:30pm Taekwondo class (Intermediate/Advanced)

5:30pm – 5:55pm MORE DRIVING

5:55pm – 6:00pm Change into pajamas and help set the table for dinner

6:15pm – 7:15pm Dinner together with the family (she removes her Invisalign aligners for dinner)

7:15pm – 8:45pm TV and family bonding time! Sometimes we’ll play a board game if they’re done with homework!

8:45pm – 9:00pm Wash up for bed time (she brushes her teeth and Invisalign aligners, washes her face and hands)

9:00pm SHARP Bedtime and our customary high five routine!

———–

Jude:
7:30am – 8:10am Wake up and wash up. This is the time he showers, brushes his teeth (and his Invisalign aligners), styles his hair, washes his face and applies lotion (again, Las Vegas is a dry desert).

8:10am – 8:25am Eat breakfast (his usual is eggs, sausage and toast with milk, and he removes his Invisalign aligners to eat breakfast)

8:25am – 8:30am Put his shoes on, water bottle, and backpack and it’s off to the school bus we go (Jude eat school lunches instead of packing his lunch, because he says the food in middle school is gooooood!)!

8:30am – 8:35am School bus drop-off

4:30pm – School pick up after his basketball intramurals practice

4:40pm – 4:50pm Snack time (he removes his Invisalign aligners for snack time)

4:50pm – 6:00pm Homework time, and if he’s done early, he practices basketball outside

6:00pm – 6:15pm Change into pajamas and help set the table for dinner

6:15pm – 7:15pm Dinner together with the family (he removes his Invisalign aligners for dinner)

7:15pm – 8:45pm TV and family bonding time! Sometimes we’ll play a board game if they’re done with homework!

8:45pm – 9:00pm Wash up for bed time (he brushes his teeth and Invisalign aligners, washes his face and hands)

9:00pm SHARP Bedtime and our customary high five routine!

Whew. As you can see, their schedules are laid out for them as part of our strategy for success. They also have a “Homework Spot” we designated where they leave their already organized backpacks (this is our fireplace mantle) the night before. This ensures they have everything set and they can just grab and go in the mornings. Other things we do to ensure they’re set for success is having them pick out their outfits and shoes the night before and making sure they’re clean and wrinkle-free. This signals me to either wash laundry or iron and steam clothes.

We also have a solid plan in place to make sure they don’t lose their Invisalign aligners while at school. They bring their case and put it in their lunchbox, so it reminds them to either take it off or put it on. Since Jude mostly eats school lunches, he wears pants with pockets so he can always have his case handy to remove and put on his Invisalign aligners during lunch.

Only Invisalign® aligners are made with SmartTrack® material for a better fit, greater comfort, and more predictable tooth movement.* (*compared to aligners made from off-the-shelf, single layer .030in material). In doing this, it also means the kids need to be doing their part by making sure they are wearing their Invisalign aligners for 20-22 hours per day* (*required aligner wear-time will be determined by your provider). Success requires solid planning and setting expectations with the kids.

They’ve had Invisalign since June, and they’ve been able to seamlessly fit it into their life while effectively straightening their teeth 2x faster*.

(*with weekly aligner changes vs. 2-week aligner wear)

If you are a mom or dad considering for your tweens or teens who are involved in school activities, sports, traveling and eating, it’s a great option for better smiles! Take the to see if you or your children are candidates for Invisalign treatment too! Invisalign treatment has been able to treat simple to complex orthodontic cases – !

Additional Resources:
Invisalign on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invisalign/
Invisalign on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invisalign/
Invisalign on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Invisalign
Invisalign on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/invisalign

The post Jude and Juliana’s Back To School Day In The Life Of… first appeared on The It Mom®.