Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own. This post also contains affiliate links, you won't pay more but we'll receive a small comission from purchases made after clicking.
I'll be the first to admit, I'm a long term yoyo dieter. My worst period was from the start of college (hello Freshman 15) through graduation into my first 2 years of working in Japan. During those 6 years I peaked and valleyed several times, getting as far as FORTY POUNDS over my self-determined goal weight. I've since buckled down and have gotten a better hold of my weight. For the past decade I've been able to kept my upper limit within about 10 pounds of my goal weight. Well, outside of two pregnancies anyway, which was 25 pounds for my singleton and 35 pounds for my twins, all lost within a few months thanks to breastfeeding, thankfully. Mostly it's come down to living a generally healthier lifestyle and digging deep into a couple months of dieting as soon as my jeans get uncomfortably snug.
But it always seems to happen. Once I hit that goal weight again, I relax, my mindset changes little by little, and I start giving into the nightly deserts and daytime snacking. And the weight starts creeping back. It's a vicious cycle that I'm sure many out there can relate to. This is why I was so intrigued when I found a blogging campaign pop up for a new book: Always Eat After 7PM: The Revolutionary Rule Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks-While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion (affiliate link). I'm being compensated to read the book and blog about my experience implementing the program, but all thoughts and opinions are my own, as always!! “Always Eat After 7 pm is a three-phase program that teaches you how to lose big by strategically eating big when you are naturally hungriest—in the evening. This may sound too good to be true, but let me assure you it is no gimmick. It’s all about making strategic and smart food swaps, and you can still eat your favorite foods.” The Always Eat After 7 PM plan consists of: The 14-day Acceleration Phase to kick-start the program and see rapid results, The Main Phase where you’ll learn exactly which foods to eat when in order to achieve your weight-loss goals, The Lifestyle Phase to keep the weight off for good. As quoted above, a large part of the program is that you eat your biggest meal in the evening, and have a snack in the late evening. It sounds counterintuitive but the book goes into great detail to explain the science behind it. We’ve been traditionally taught to avoid carbs, have an early dinner, and never eat before bed. But the fact is, the latest scientific research shows us this earlier model is not the most ideal. “Specific higher-carbohydrate foods (including berries and cherries) support your fat-burning metabolism while you sleep, providing your body with a steady stream of fuel throughout the night. The trick is knowing how to combine them with other evening and pre-bedtime fat-burning foods to fuel your metabolism as you sleep.” As part of this program, you are practicing intermittent fasting, which means going 16 hours without food (overnight) and skipping breakfast. I'm currently 12 days in on this diet and the "skipping breakfast" thing has been my hardest adjustment, but actually has not been as bad as I'd feared because there are some simple "3-Minute Fat-Burning Morning Rituals" and even some small breakfast ideas for those who cannot skip. I've been blending in a scoop of BioTrust MetaboGreens (affiliate link) and some instant black coffee (both on the 3-minute fat-burning morning rituals list) into 24oz of water and sipping that all morning to keep my tummy at bay til I break my fast at noon for lunch with my family. And before you ask, no it's not disgusting LOL! MetaboGreens includes polyphenols, prebiotic fiber, and 40 phytonutrient-rich raw greens, fruits, veggies, herbs, and spices, and is sweetened by Stevia, a sweetener that doesn't affect your blood sugar level. Always Eat After 7 PM: The Revolutionary Rule-Breaking Diet That Lets You Enjoy Huge Dinners, Desserts, and Indulgent Snacks—While Burning Fat Overnight by Joel Marion is now available to purchase. Learn more about the book and how to purchase here. Follow me along on this journey if interested in seeing how it goes, I'll be posting updates over the next few weeks! Any questions - ask away below!!
Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.
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Moving can be totally overwhelming, and expensive. But don't worry, I gotcha covered! I've moved internationally several times, and domestically with a toddler, and am now in the thick of selling our home and moving to a rental... with 3 kids... during a pandemic! PHEW! But anyway, this isn't a competition, I'm here to help you with a handy dandy checklist for moving to a new rental home - everything from how to search for a home to who to notify of change of address, booking a moving company, and much much more! Read on and leave a comment with any of your own tips, or questions!
**Disclaimer: there are some affiliate links below - You won't pay more but I'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking (it's one of the ways I fund the blog, of course)!
PURGE!!!
This is the time to go full on Konmarie - purge the heck out of your stuff!! Whatever doesn't bring you joy anymore or you haven't used it in a year, go ahead and sell, donate, or toss!! For inspiration, you can read or listen on Kindle to Marie Kondo's books "The LIfechanging Magic of Tidying Up" & "Spark Joy" (affiliate link) or you can watch her Netflix show "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo".
FIND A NEW RENTAL HOME:
NOTIFY YOUR LANDLORD:
Check your lease and make sure you are giving your landlord property notification. Most require one month's notice. If breaking your lease and leaving early, you may still be responsible to fulfil the full term's rental fees, even if you're not there!! This happened to us when leaving our last rental, but management clarified that if I found a new tenant we'd be good. Thankfully I posted the rental in a local Facebook parenting group and within 2 days found a new tenant for them. PHEW!!
BOOK A MOVING COMPANY:
There are TONS to choose from. Some are for local / same day service only, others specialize in long distance moves. Last time we moved within Brooklyn we were very happy with Shlepper's, and this time around they gave me the best quote again! Shleppers and Flatrate are both very popular and will give you a detailed quote (either coming to see what you have ahead of time or currently doing it all over the phone - you tell them exactly what's going, and be specific as you can). They don't charge hourly and won't hijack your stuff until you pay additional fees (yes, I've heard of other companies doing this, if you can believe it!!!). There are some companies going green, too, using biodiesel fuel and reusable boxes. You'll pay more but the Earth will thank you. And of course, if neither of your buildings have a stipulation about needing a licensed and insured moving company (mine does unfortunately), you can totally save $$$ by DIY moving - rent a Uhaul truck and pay some friends in beer and pizza!
BUY MOVING BOXES (and pack)
Book your moving company first since some will provide boxes. Movers Not Shakers, for example, is a "green" moving company and will drop off reusable plastic boxes and collect after the move. You should also check craigslist and FB marketplace to see if you can get free or cheap boxes from someone local who just moved - this will save money and the Earth! Otherwise, you'll have to buy them. You can find tons of options on Amazon (affiliate link), with other popular sites being Uboxes / Box Engine (who has really convenient kits based on home size, including bubbles, packing paper, tape etc), Uhaul, Home Depot, etc.
CHANGE HOME/RENTERS INSURANCE
If going from one rental to another, you'll probably be keeping the same insurance and just updating with new address. If going from ownership to rental or vice versa, it'll be more complex. For renters insurance, you're just covering your own property and liability. If you'll have a pool or trampoline or anything especially risky, make sure you're covered plenty (some companies cover these, some only if they're fenced in, and others not at all). During my own search, I found Allstate to have the best price (though that could be because we already have car insurance with them), followed by USAA (I'm a member thanks to my dad's military service), Lemonade, and Geico.
CHANGE YOUR ADDRESS / FORWARD MAIL:
There are a tonnnnnnnnn you need to notify of your address change. As more and more things go paperless, this becomes less of a headache, but it's still a headache. Most important notification is probably USPS since they'll forward items from your old to new address for 1 year. But... some things don't end up forwarded. So, do your best to notify all of the following directly:
FIX UP THE HOME YOU'RE LEAVING:
To avoid getting slammed with loss of your security deposit, be sure to check with your landlord what condition you're expected to leave your home in. You probably have to remove all nails, patch up holes, and paint back to neutral colors.
UPDATE UTILITIES:
You'll need to schedule the date to stop previous utilities and start new ones. Gas, electricity, water, sewer, trash, phone, cable, internet, etc. Note that most internet providers will not let you out of a contract simply because you're moving, but rather only if they don't have service at your new home.
FIND A NEW DOCTOR/DENTIST:
This can be tricky depending on your insurance, but hopefully rather painless. You should be able to log onto your insurance's website to change your doctor and address. 
UNENROLL / ENROLL IN SCHOOLS:
You'll need to official unenroll from your old school and have them transfer records to your new school, where you'll need to register. Note that if you have younger children in Pre-K - 2nd grade, their birthday could mean they get held back or skip a year. For example, in NYC the age cutoff is December 31 and for most of New Jersey it's October 1. In some places children will be assessed and it'll be a discussion between parents and administration, but NYC public school system is very strict about not allowing a child to be held back when entering Pre-K, K and 1st grade - they MUST be turning the correct age Jan 1 - Dec 31 (turning 4 for Pre-K, 5 for K, 6 for 1st grade), no matter what grade they last completed. 
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About Me ^_^I'm a NYC metro area mom blogger living in NJ with my Japanese husband & our 3 kids (twins plus 1). This blog is chock full of product reviews, family travel guides, and giveaways galore! It's also home to Bay Ridge Families, and several guides focused on kid-friendly activities and guides to South Brooklyn, Hudson Valley, and New Jersey, as well as family-friendly destinations beyond the NYC area (check the menu bar!)  
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