Disclaimer: This post was sponsored by Primary but all thoughts and opinions are my own :)

Looking for CUTE and QUALITY clothes for babies through big kids? Look no further than Primary and shout it out loud with me y'all: EVERY COLOR FOR EVERY KID!!!!! YESSSSS!!!!! Primary does not have boys and girls listings and I couldn't love that more. You simply shop by size (from newborn through 14Y, and some coordinating tops for grownups, too), by color, or by clothing type (ex. underwear, tees, dresses, etc). On their FAQ page, they say, "Clothes and colors don’t have genders, so it never made sense to us to organize them as if they do. We make dresses for kids who wear dresses, pants for kids who wear pants, PJs for kids who wear PJs. We make the clothes, but kids make the choices."

We have a $75 gift card to Primary.com in my 2021 Back to School Giveaway, enter to win that at the bottom of the post, but FIRST, check out our family's ADORABLE unboxing and fashion show of some coordinating threads we just got from Primary!

We decided to go with the "Lollipop" coordinating colors, since they were nice and bright and a color kinda between red and hot pink that we all love! I was a bit disappointed the "Lollipop Henley Tee" we got for my son wasn't a 100% match to the reds in the rest of our clothes. It's "heathered" and actually says that in the product description which I didn't bother reading, whoooops! But it still works, let's him stand out a bit, and maybe good for us to not be so obnoxiously matchy matchy LOL!

On the left, Emi is wearing the Swing Tee (on sale now for $9.50) and Skinny Jeans ($29.50) in dark wash. She usually wears a size 5 so we went for the 6/7 and it's a bit big but fits nicely. The size 6 skinny jeans fit great! Emi is a great example of why kids clothing shouldn't be sorted by gender. She would choose big brother's baggy hand me down tee and soccer shorts over a dress any day. She can't explain why she likes what she likes, and doesn't like what she doesn't like. She just does! I wasn't sure if she'd go for the Swing Tee because she usually vetoes any kind of frill or poof, but she likes it, and LOOOOOOOOVES her new jeans! Phew!

In the middle, Mia is wearing the Recess Dress (on sale now for $12.50) and purple leggings part of the Raspberry Mix 3-pack of leggings ($36). She's quite petite and usually wears a 4/5; this dress is a 6/7 which is why it's kinda swimming on her, but hey, we'll get a few years' wear out of it!! She can't stop spinning and swirling in this. She's hilarious! She's team skirts and dresses for life I think!

​As mentioned above, Kenzo on right is in the Lollipop Henley Tee (on sale for $12.50). He usually wears a size 8 and the size 8/9 and it fits perfectly. He's also wearing the slim jeans ($29.50), size 8. He usually fights me on jeans, choosing joggers instead because, obviously, they're more comfortable! (I hear ya kid, I live in my leggings!) But these have more stretch than jeans he's worn before, so I think he's sold. Which is awesome because he's going back to school in September after 1.5 years at home and I really don't want him at school in jogging pants every day. But, then again, probably not a battle should be worrying about!

Below I've got my son's slim jeans next to my daughter's skinny jeans. Obviously they're different sizes but you can see the skinny leg is slightly more tapered at the ankle. They both feature adjustable waists with elastic and buttons inside. AND they both feature real pockets, real belt loops, real zipper, and a FAKE OUTTER BUTTON - yes, they snap! EASY PEASY. They're both a great denim material with a good stretch to them (73% cotton, 25% recycled polyester, 2% spandex).

My husband is 5'7" and usually wears a Men's Small - the Small Classic Fit Tee ($18) fits him perfectly. I'm 5'8" and usually wear a women's Small or Medium - the Small Slim Fit V-Neck ($18) fits me perfectly. You can see in the below photo (I hope) how they are cut slightly differently, I would say they pretty much correspond to traditional sizes in Men's for Classic and Women's for slim fit, which has shorter and more narrow cut arms/shoulders, and a shorter cut length. Ours don't seem any different width wise, or not significantly. They're both super soft loose fitting tees, not skin hugging or anything.

We had fun picking out our coordinating family outfits, and look forward to doing more Back to School clothes shopping with Primary (they have washable cotton masks with removable filters for adults and kids, too)!!!

Don't forget, you can win $75 shop credit to Primary.com in our $500+ Value Jackpot Back to School Giveaway running through August 17, 2021!!

Enter to WIN Here!!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by DiscountGlasses.com but all thoughts and opinions are my own. There are affiliate links included below, you won't pay more but we'll receive a small commission made from purchases after clicking.

Over the past year and a half, we've learned alot about protecting ourselves from germs. This summer, make an effort to protect yourself from the sun! We're talking sunglasses, sunblock, and UPF50+ clothing. But don't worry, you can be sun safe AND be cool - literally and figuratively LOL! With that in mind, here is my quick list of 2021 Summer Must Haves!!

Sunglasses
​Proper sunglasses not only protect your eyes but also the delicate skin around your eyes. I went way too many years without wearing any, and you know what? My crows feet have crows feet. But it's never too late to start taking care of yourself, so I always wear sunglasses outside now, year round! Having a few fun pairs to choose from helps, that's why I love DiscountGlasses.com - they have an amazing selection of glasses and sunglasses for kids and adults, some for as low as $20!! What's more, they have virtual try-on, you can update your prescription online for free, and they have free 365 day returns!

My latest pair (above photo) are the Lunettos Jean, which feature an oversized but super lightweight matte black plastic frame that is so fun and flirty! I upgraded to prescription lenses since I can't see anything past my nose these days LOL! With 100% UVA/UVB protection, you'll see me rocking these poolside, in the yard, at the park, pretty much everywhere this summer!

UPF 50+ Clothing & Swimwear
I grew up thinking tanned skin made me more beautiful. *cringe* Now, I understand tanned skin is actually DAMAGED skin, and while I still long for a tan I'm doing my best to keep my kids' and my own skin protected from the sun. When I can avoid sunblock, I do, with UPF 50+ protective clothing. I've been putting my kids in long or short sleeve rash guards since their very first time at the pool as babies! But I just got MY very first rash guard (from UV Skinz - see our 2 youtube reviews below)  and wore it while we were at the waterpark for 7 hours last weekend. I was worried it'd be hot and annoying but actually, it had the opposite effect - if I kept it damp it kept me comfortably cool!! Not to mention I didn't have to worry about my shoulders, chest, and back burning like they almost always do, even if I put on sunblock! So, yeah, that's it, rash guards for life!

Waterproof Phone Case
Protect your phone from water but still use it to take calls, photos, and videos in a CaliCase! These waterproof phone cases are padded, float, and are simply amazing. Check out my full review here (with video demo to show you how great your photos and videos come out!) and get 20% off yours here with code: japanfam
​(No, I'm not wearing my rash guard in the above photo, I took it off at 4pm LOL)

Sunblock
When you can't cover up, you gotta lather up - in UVA/UVB water resistant SPF 50+ mineral sunblock! I always refer to the EWG Skin Deep Database to make sure any products I'm buying are "safe" and our favorite, is ThinkBaby / ThinkSport (same product, just different packaging). It's vegan, reef-friendly, zinc oxide 20% (non-nano), is creamy (easy to apply), and smells SO GOOD! Free from PABA, parabens, phthalates, BPA, oxybenzone, avobenzone, petroleum, gluten, dairy, and toxic chemicals! We love this stuff! We always get the regular cream but they also make a sunscreen stick. While sunscreen sprays look easy, I avoid it because I don't want me, my kids, or nearby folks inhaling that stuff!!​

Blended & Iced Coffee Drinks
Coffee and caffeine is a yearround need for me (and most), but in summer, it's gotta be cold brew, iced coffee, or blended like a DIY frapuccino, am I right?! I've recently fallen in love with Javy liquid microdose coffee - no brewing, you just add 1-2 tsp to your drink and boom - ready to enjoy!  It's delicious, and effective LOL!

Insulated Travel Mug / Water Bottle
We are huge Contigo fans here, our kids grew up on their straw and sippy cup plastic bottles and now they've graduated to the huge insulated stainless steel water bottles my husband and I use, too! Throw some ice water in there in the morning, leave it in the hot car, and at the end of the day it's still icy!! They keep drinks hot up to 7 hours and cold up to 18 hours! They are amazing, a must have all summer, and quite frankly, all year. You can get the auto-seal kind where you squeeze it to drink (great for kids since you can't spill!!), or get a snap top, in 16 - 24oz sizes!

Sun Hats & Headbands
Sun hats help keep your face shaded - you'll stay cooler and avoid sun damage. You may want to opt for one that is adjustable size or has a chin strap if using in windy location (ex. beach), and finding one with good ventilation is key to avoid major sweat. Speaking of sweat... if you have bangs, like me, ugh. Summer sweaty forehead and bangs do NOT mix. I have a newfound love for headbands!! I'm loving this 6-pack of boho headbands I found on Amazon! Many colors to choose from, they're comfy, and bonus, they fit both me and my 5 year old girls! Sharing is caring!!

Sundresses
Nothing says staying cool like an easy breezy sundress! From tank and tee swing dresses to minis and maxis, even some have POCKETS (yes, now that song is in my head...) There are SO many to choose from and you can find them for cheap, I'm talking $10-30 a pop!!

So, what do you think? Have I inspired you to up your game this summer? What is on your must-have for summer list??

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own and completely unbiased :)

We just got back from a full (hosted) day at the Liberty Science Center and had THE. BEST. TIME! For the full experience of the new dinosaur exhibit and see what the entire center has to offer from the largest planetarium in the western hemisphere to hot wheels exhibit and and so so soooo much fun for the kids (and adults!), be sure to watch our highlights video here, then keep reading for details on their latest exhibition, Sue the T-Rex Experience!

I've always been into dinosaurs, I mean, who isn't!? I've seen my fair share of fossils and full-size replicas but honestly, Sue the T.Rex Experience at Liberty Science Center is a completely different ball game and you will LOVE. IT!

Upon entering the exhibit, you immediately find yourself face to face with the huge and menacing Sue, named after the paleontologist who discovered the fossils during a commercial excavation trip in  South Dakota in 1990. Standing at 40 feet long and 13 feet tall at the hip, she is the most complete and best preserved Tyrannosaurus rex ever found and has helped scientists learn more about T. rex than ever before... and now we can learn about her at Liberty Science Center!

They do a great light show on Sue, which is beautiful and educational - they highlight different bones as they talk about what each finding has revealed about her life, and death! This was fascinating, as well as the large movies they play on the opposite side of the room where you can watch daily life for her and other dinosaurs at the time, including some pretty action-packed fight scenes which my kids found especially captivating (me, too)!

Another highlight was the life-size replica of Sue enjoying a tasty meal (see above right image) - you can see the bloody tooth marks on her prey, you can touch the skin, it's just really breath-taking and makes it feel so incredibly real! Just next to it you can even take a whiff of what they think her breath smelled like. WARNING: it's revolting!!!! Watch our video to see our hilarious reactions! But as with everything at LSC, it's a fun learning experience - we learn her breath would have smelled horrible, of rotting meat, because they had small gaps between the teeth where meat would get trapped, and obviously, they couldn't brush and floss LOL!

While large and in charge Sue dominates the exhibit, there are some other fossils and replicas to see and learn about, like the life-sized Triceratops (above right)! Give yourself at least a few hours (if not a full day) to explore this exhibit and the rest of the museum. It's a great family-friendly trip!!

TICKETS:

• Adult General Admission $29.99 (buy online to save $2)
• Child General Admission $22.99 (age 2-12), (buy online to save $2)

• Planetarium shows and special exhibits like Sue the T. Rex Experience require an additional $8 ticket per add-on. 
• Parking $7 per car or van.

PANDEMIC SAFETY:
We hadn't been to Liberty Science Center (or any indoor activities like it) since the time I now refer to as #PrePandemic, so I was very curious to see how things would be handled. Rest assured, we felt completely safe! They took the kids' temperatures upon entry to the science center, masks are required for ages 2+ (regardless of vaccination status), they kept exhibits to a low capacity with short lines outside so they could maintain safety without crowds, and the cafe is closed, however they do have limited spaced out indoor dining seating (outdoor as well) and if you find yourself in a pinch they also have some vending machines with drinks and snacks.

Disclaimer: Sponsored by Sutera but all thoughts and opinions are my own, honest and unbiased! Affiliate links included below, you don't pay more but we receive a small commission made from purchases made after clicking.

Wish you could sleep like a baby, and stop waking to those aches and pains in your neck?! Sutera Dream Deep adaptive memory foam and orthopedic contour pillow may be your solution!! Offering premium comfort for side, stomach, and back sleepers, it supports proper cervical alignment, reducing back, neck, and joint pressure!

Made of a high-density cooling memory foam, it promotes temperature regulation, better sleep, energy boost, stress reduction, and relief of pressure on back, neck, hips, and joints! 

Sutera Dream Deep Pillow comes with a removable machine washable cover, which is super smooth and comfy, or you can upgrade to their Hydroluna pillowcase! It's 100% silk, which feels amazing and helps prevent hair damage. It's also infused with anti-aging hyaluronic acid, which is great for your skin!

As a side and back sleeper, I'm loving this pillow and its versatility! It's incredibly comfortable and I'm sleeping great!! Not like a baby though, because they wake every 1-2 hours do you not remember?! Where did that phrase even come from LOL!! Anyway, I'm sleeping BETTER than a baby!

Get 20% off your pillow at sleepsutera.com/HT20 (or use code "HT20"); also available on Amazon (affiliate link)!!

Sponsored by The Rabbit Hole Children's Theater

Looking to provide your child with an amazing and engaging summer camp experience, that will nurture their imaginary play and creative confidence through theatrical play, from the safety of your own home!? Then you are going to want to check out In-Home Summer Camp with The Rabbit Hole Children's Theater, one of the best virtual summer camps around, geared toward children ages 4 - 8 years old!! (And they're giving away 1 week of camp in our huge $1,000 value jackpot Spring into Summer Giveaway, enter to win at the bottom of this post!)

Learn more about the program in The Rabbit Hole's video (below left) and mine (below right), then read on for more details and enter to win a week!)

Each week will have students visiting a different land in Rabbit Hole Queendom, and a corresponding Theater-in-a-Box kit is mailed to each camper with everything needed to bring a magical show to life at home! Students will attend live classes virtually from home with Rabbit Hole teachers and enjoy character meet and greets, theatrical play, puppet shows, art activities, and audio tales!

This LIVE theater camp is scheduled during two different time zones: from 9AM - 3PM in both EST and PST. For just $350 per week, students receive the Theater in a Box kit, live classes, puppet shows and one of a kind character meet and greets!

Here's an example daily schedule:

• 9:30 – Dress up and color
• 10:00 – Interactive Live Class
• 11:00 – Set Design Project
• 11:30 – Pre-recorded Puppet Show
• 12:00 – Lunchtime while enjoying our storytimes
• 12:30 – Break
• 1:00 – Afternoon Live Class
• 2:00 – Costume and Prop Design
• 2:40 – Set up and Practice show
• 3:00 – Done for the day! ​

Weekly Themes, with students visiting a different land in Rabbit Hole Queendom each week:

• Dreamland: May 31 - June 4, 2021
• Frost Fairy Peaks: June 7 - 11, 2021
• Dessert Islands: June 14 - 18, 2021
• Warrior Princess Forest: June 21 - 25, 2021
• The Magic Clock Shop: June 28 - July 2, 2021
• Mermaid Lagoon: July 5 - 9, 2021
• Ice Cream Castle: July 12 - 16, 2021
• The Magic Garden: July 19 - 23, 2021
• Dreamland: July 26 - 30, 2021
• Warrior Princess Forest: August 2 - 6, 2021
• Ice Cream Castle: August 9 - 13, 2021
• Dreamland: August 16 - 20, 2021
• The Magic Clock Shop: August 23 - 27, 2021

Students who need a more flexible schedule can opt out of the live elements but receive all the rest, including the theater in a box kit and pre-recorded classes. This "Theater Camp To-Go" option is just $200 per week and you can select any theme you want!

Amazing camp, am I right?! Don't forget, you can win a week of virtual camp in our giveaway here, running through April 7!!
ENTER TO WIN HERE!!

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by DiscountGlasses.com but all thoughts and opinions are my own, honest and unbiased! Affiliate links are contained below - you don't pay more but we receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

Sunglasses are most certainly not a summer-only thing - kids and adults alike need to be sure to shade-up and protect their eyes year round! But with spring and warmer sunnier weather on the horizon, who couldn't use some new sunnies to liven things up, am I right?

​Thankfully, DiscountGlasses.com lets you do so guilt-free because they're budget-friendly and allow you to shop and order online without leaving the comfort and safety of your home! AND they have a $100 credit in my $1,000 value jackpot giveaway - link at bottom of this post!!

I just got the below Westend Lewis Center for my husband and Picklez Ziggy for my son cuz I thought they'd be so cute daddy-and-me in their silver frames with blue mirror lenses!! And they are! In fact so cute I have to occasionally to "borrow" them to enjoy some mommy-and-me fashion LOL! So, you tell me, who is wearing them best??? The Westend fits us both really well, I love how gender neutral they are!! Both of these sunglasses have some different color options too, for the frame and lenses!

This is my second year as an Ambassador for DiscountGlasses.com. I honestly love them, I actually started out as a regular customer and couldn't be more proud to be working with them to promote their amazing products! Such a fabulous selection of sunglasses (prescriptive and non) and prescription glasses and for toddlers, kids, teens, and adults - and they've adapted through the pandemic to even offer a free online vision test so you can update your prescription from home!!

​They also have free shipping, 365 day free returns, virtual try on for most frames, and great lens upgrade options for how thin and lightweight they are, blue light reflective, transitions, progressive, anti-reflective, and sun tint! I mean, awesome right!?

​​Check out this crazy collection of kids and adults sunlgasses we have collected from them over the years - basically one for every day of the week LOL! And of course I have a collection of regular prescription glasses that are just as fun!!

The key is finding a great provider like DIscountGlasses.com where you can find tons of great glasses for a super affordable price, so there's no guilt in having several (or half a dozen??) frames, am I right!?

And now,
enter to win $100 credit from DiscountGlasses
in my $1,000 value jackpot giveaway running through April 7, 2021!!

Disclaimer: This review was sponsored by Mead and includes affiliate links where I'll earn a commission from purchases made after clicking, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Every family has a million things going on - from school events and sports to birthdays and vacations. Having an easy and practical way to organize everything and allow all family members to stay in the know is essential. Which is why I'm thrilled to be working with Mead on this review of the Mead MotherWord Deluxe Magnetic Family Calendar! Watch the following video as I walk you through the various features of the calendar, and read on for more details as well as the chance to win one in my $500 value jackpot Back to School Giveaway!!

This calendar is large and keeps you in charge - each month's page is 18" by 13.5" giving you plenty of space to write in each day, and has a notes section on the bottom of each month as well. Each month features a cute illustration on the top, a touchy feely or inspirational quote, and key dates such as national holidays and even moon phases! There are also tabs at the bottom so you can easily flip through to any future month.

It has a heavy duty magnetic strip on the back so you can throw it up on your fridge or front/back door, or you could pin it to a wall or use on your desk.

I think my favorite feature of this calendar are the hundreds of tiny stickers it comes with!!! Trash, recycling, yard waste, compost, parent teacher night, babysitter, the list goes on!!! Really great for quickly noting regular or one-off events for everyone to be aware of. It has a growth chart and a chore chart, so you could put the stickers on the calendar itself or directly on the chore chart for individual kids to be in charge of handling. It also has a pocket in the back for storing key papers and documents (for example your list of key phone numbers / passwords / allergies for your babysitter).

Pretty great calendar if you ask me, and for only $16.99!! Buy one now at Mead.com (affiliate link) and don't forget you can
enter to win one and the entire $500 value jackpot in my #2020B2SGiveaway here!! 

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains some affiliate links - you don't pay more but I receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

Whether you are selling a product or service online, you're a blogger, or you own a brick and mortar store, you've probably run up against 2 incredibly daunting struggles: how to bring in traffic and how to get what you want from that traffic (sales, views, etc)!! Luckily for you, I've just completed a sponsored 30 day challenge centered around a new book, "Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers" by Russell Brunson. Best-selling author & CEO of $100M software company ClickFunnels, Brunson has sold hundreds of thousands of his books focusing on his concept of sales funnels. In 2014, with partner Todd Dickerson, Brunson launched ClickFunnels, the fastest-growing non-venture backed software company in the world!

You may have a great idea for the most brilliant product or service the world has ever know, but how can the world actually get to know about it? If you're like most entrepreneurs, the main struggle is figuring out how to get that product or service to your customers so they know it exists and understand why they need to buy it. If you understand this essential skill, the art and science of getting consumers to find you, as detailed in Brunson's Traffic Secrets, you won't find yourself starting and failing like tens of thousands of other businesses out there. Instead, you'll likely find yourself increasing site traffic, followers, and sales exponentially!!

As a mommy blogger and as someone who has started and stopped a handful of online businesses that never really took off as I had hoped, I found Traffic Secrets incredibly enlightening. It goes deep into business and marketing strategy, but not so much that you feel in over your head. Everything is explained in a no nonsense way that's easy for anyone to understand. There are lots of personal anecdotes to keep it light, and inspiring, and TONS of items for your to-do list as you go through the book. He doesn't just say you gotta do this, this, and this. He actually provides space for you to brainstorm and make the essential lists such as who your ideal customer is, where they are spending their time, and how you can reach them. I'm simplifying it because it's just too much to go into, that's why you have to go ahead and get the book and put yourself to work building key relationships, learning about earned vs. paid traffic, creating funnels, and master evergreen traffic strategies to fill your website and funnels with your dream customers!

Does this sound like something that could help you with your current or upcoming business venture? OF COURSE IT DOES!! Learn more about Traffic Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Filling Your Websites and Funnels with Your Dream Customers as well as Russell Brunson's other best-selling books: DotCom Secrets: The Underground Playbook for Growing Your Company Online and Expert Secrets: Find Your Message, Build a Tribe and Change the World on trafficsecrets.com and Amazon (affiliate link) - all available in print or e-book format!

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post but all thoughts and opinions are my own. In addition, this post contains some affiliate links - you don't pay more but I receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

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 includes affiliate links - you don't pay more but we'll receive a small commission from purchases made after clicking.

If you're new here, you'll probably want to check out ​my 1st, 2nd, and 3rd blog posts about "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. This post serves as an update on how it's been going since I've been reading the book and implementing the 3-phase diet plan!

As anticipated, the skipping breakfast part was hardest for me, however it didn't take long before my body got the hang of it. Having a "huge" dinner and yummy protein-rich snack later in the evening seems to be doing the trick to tide me over through those 16-hours of fasting, during which I'm sleeping for most, so it's really not that bad. I actually skipped the after 7pm snack one night and noticed a BIG difference in my bedtime hunger, and even woke a few times in the night from hunger. So, that late night snack has really been doing wonders. I've pretty much been sticking to low fat cottage cheese with frozen blueberries - yum!! ​

​As Joel explains in the book, “Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.” He also debunks the myth that late night eating just gets stored as fat, “Research shows that the average person’s metabolic rate is no different during sleep than during the day. In short, your metabolism doesn’t slow down at night. Nor does your body store fat at the end of the day. Whether it’s 8 am or 8 pm, you use food for energy the same way.” It's really cool to be on this new diet plan and despite late-night snacking, neigh, because of it, you still see the pounds coming off!

I wake up around 8am and start the day with one of the 3-minute fat-burning drinks recommended in the book. Super Greens (MetaboGreensTM) Drink (which was provided as part of this campaign) and black coffee were two recommendations in the book, but I ended kind of personalizing my morning routine. I blend together a scoop of MetaboGreens and a heaping tablespoon of instant coffee into 24 ounces of water and sip the whole morning til breaking the fast at lunch time. The first time I tried this concoction, I was less than impressed, but it really grew on me and now I love it! I actually just purchased another pack of MetaboGreens - I'm hooked!!

Water is key, for anyone, whether on a diet or not. “Water helps digest your food, expel wastes, regulate your temperature, protect your tissues, cushion your joints, and protect your spinal column, among many other vital functions. It is through water that hormones flow to the proper organs, that nutrients reach all cells, and that toxins are diluted and removed from the body.” He recommends getting half your body weight (pounds) in water (ounces). So if you weigh 200 pounds you should be getting at least 100 ounces. I calculated I'm getting about 90 ounces of water throughout the day - in straight water as well as in my various blends with protein and metabogreens.

The "fast" continues until lunchtime at around 12. Then I usually have dinner around 5:30pm with my kids, and a snack after they go to bed at about 7:30pm.

I'm not going to lie, the 2-week acceleration phase is pretty brutal, not because I was starving the whole time but it was just a drastic change of eating habits and meal planning to wrap my head around, oh and alcohol is discouraged during this phase. But what is very encouraging is seeing the weight come off much quicker than with other diets I've done in the past! And, they give great sample meal plans and weekly schedules, it's really not a huge deal, and I could even use those meals for my whole family! They also have AMAZING delicious recipes in the back of the book, some are super low or no carb (for the acceleration phase), others utilize what they call "super carbs" like certain veggies and beans, and always lots of protein.

They give you the first week to gradually quit the breakfast ritual, though I decided to start skipping that first meal cold turkey from day one. In the book they mention you don't have to skip breakfast during this week or at any point in the program, though results will be slower. I ended up losing 4 pounds during the first phase, which was exciting, but was excited to transition to phase 2 which is a tad more lenient by bringing your calorie intake up a bit and even allowing a cheat meal or day after eating clean for 6 days. This actually is beneficial and they go into great detail about how this works hormonally in the book, "Leptin levels decrease by about 50 percent after only one week of dieting. Fat loss slows down, and you feel bad psychologically. But because the relationship is linear, the opposite is also true: an increase in calorie intake results in an increase in leptin levels. And fortunately, it doesn’t take nearly as long for leptin to bump back up with a substantial increase in caloric intake—only about 12 to 24 hours. That’s right. It takes only one day of overfeeding or “cheat-ing” to bring levels back up to baseline." Can I get a hallelujah!? They figured out how to break the dieting plateau! On my cheat days, I enjoyed pizza and sushi. It really helps get you through the week of "dieting" knowing you had a day coming up that you were not allowed to eat normal again but were required to! HA!

In the next 2 weeks of the main phase, I lost another 2 pounds, which is pretty normal for myself on a diet, to lose about 1 pound a week. So after a month on the plan, I'm down 6 pounds and feel fantastic!! My energy is better than ever - I don't know if it's the intermittent fasting or simply the types of food I'm eating that help regulate energy and mood better but it's pretty amazing!!! I'm planning to stay at this phase until I've lost a total of 10 pounds, so probably 1 more month. Then I'll move to the lifestyle phase, to maintain this energy and weight for the long haul!

I definitely feel more energy being on this diet, and I am a lot more knowledgeable about how various foods interact with our bodies and minds. This book goes into such detail comparing various types of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates - not all carbs are bad, did you know!? “So, despite all the bad press over the years, certain carbohydrates play an important role in balancing your hormones and regulating your metabolic rate, while avoiding the dreaded weight loss plateaus that accompany conventional mainstream diets. Furthermore, when you eat these carbohydrates, you’ll feel much better than you would if you were following a traditional diet.”

I hope you were able to learn something through my adventure here. If interested, you can learn more about the book and how to purchase here. 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.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed below are my own.

If you missed my last blog post about why I'm reading ​"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, check it out here. Basically, I think it sounds like a fascinating and life changing diet that hopefully will help me get away from my 10 pound up and down yoyo lifestyle, and have more energy throughout the day! 

Based on surprising science, Always Eat After 7 PM debunks popular diet myths and offers an easy-to-follow diet that accelerates fat-burning and allows you to indulge in your most intense food cravings: Eating the majority of your calories at night. 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  “Late-night eating also curbs calorie intake the next day. In a four-week study, dieters added a snack to their daily regimen 90 minutes after dinner every night, and check this out: late-night eaters ate an average of 397 fewer calories per day.” By learning what foods help keep my weight in check, increase my energy and regulate my moods, I have high hopes for this book changing my life!

Here are some interesting questions and answers from Eat After 7 PM author, Joel Marion:

What inspired you to write the book?
After authoring 6 best selling books it was glaringly obvious there were 2 huge misconceptions about dieting that needed to be exposed. The first is that you can't eat late at night or before bed, which science now shows is NOT true. And second, you can't eat large portions that satisfy your natural instinct. This book solves both these problems by providing an evidence-based, enjoyable approach to dieting that can be used by any person to quickly achieve their weight loss goals.

How long did it take for you to develop the diet?
It actually took several years of researching for me to discover the real science of eating late night. After a few years of tweaking and refining, I finally came up with a rapid fat loss solution that overcomes all the pitfalls of traditional diets.

How difficult is the Always Eat After 7 PM plan to follow?
It's not. And that's exactly why I wrote the book. While any diet is never truly easy, it can be more enjoyable and much easier to adhere to when you understand how Always Eat After 7pm works because it caters to our bodies natural instincts.

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.

Disclaimer: This post is brought to you by our sponsor, “Always Eat After 7 PM”. The opinions expressed above are my own.