National Bike Riding Month!

May is National Bike Riding Month! The weather is starting to get warmer, the days are longer -- what better time to break out your bike and enjoy the gorgeous weather?! This is a great family activity to enjoy, so why not go out and have some fun. We recently invested in a bike trailer for our son, and he loves it. 

What better way to spend a nice day outdoors? Here's a challenge for the month of May...Grab your bike, and go for at least one ride a week :)

A few health benefits via http://www.adultbicycling.com

Cycling is one of the easiest ways to exercise You can ride a bicycle almost anywhere, at any time of the year, and without spending a fortune. Many people are put off doing certain sports because of the high level of skill that seems to be required, or perhaps because they can’t commit to a team sport due to time pressures. Most of us know how to cycle and once you have learned you don’t forget. All you need is a bike, a half an hour here or there when it suits, and a bit of confidence.

Cycling builds strength and muscle tone Contrary to normal perceptions, cycling is not a fitness activity that solely involves the legs. Cycling builds strength in a holistic manner since every single part of the body is involved in cycling.

Cycling builds stamina Cycling is a good way to build stamina. It is very effective in doing so,
because people enjoy cycling and they wouldn’t really notice that they have
gone farther the last time they went cycling.

Cycling improves cardio-vascular fitness Cycling makes the heart pound in a steady manner and helps improve cardio-vascular fitness. Studies have shown that cycling to work will increase cardiovascular fitness by 3-7%. Cycling uses the largest muscle groups the legs, raising heart rate to benefit stamina and fitness.

Cycling eats up calories Cycling is a good way to lose those unwanted pounds. Steady cycling burns approximately 300 calories per hour. If you cycle for 30 minutes every day you would burn 11 pounds of fat in a year. Since it helps build muscle, cycling will also boost your metabolic rate long after you’ve finished your ride.

Cycling improves heart health According to the British Medical Association, cycling just 20 miles a week can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease by 50%. A major study of 10,000 civil servants suggested that those who cycled 20 miles over the period of a week were half as likely to suffer heart disease as their non-cycling colleagues.

Cycling reduces stress Any regular exercise can reduce stress and depression and improve well being and self esteem. Cycling outdoors is also a good way to be one with nature and to feel the breath of the earth. It takes one’s mind out of everyday-life stress and rejuvenates his soul.

Igloo's Stowe 9 Can Mini City Cooler: the perfect lunch cooler!

I am loving this Stowe 9 Can Mini City insulated Cooler by Igloo® that can keep your food either cold or warm. The stylish yet not overdone cooler includes a front zipper pocket, a side mesh water bottle holder. The top of the cooler both zips up and has velcro. Not only that but the lining is leak resistant, and easy as 1-2-3- to clean.

Igloo has always been a trusting brand, and a favorite of ours when it comes to having a cooler! I am absolutely loving the girly yet sporty color combination, and I take this cooler everyday to work with me. Mini coolers are a must have for anyone who wants to have their food with them on the go, especially when you want to eat healthy -- carrying a cooler around with your prepared lunch makes it a lot more likely that you'll do so. I always cook my lunch the morning or day before work, so this cooler comes in handy. It's small, but big enough to fit lunch& snacks for both myself and my son.

Igloo's Stowe Mini City cooler is not only great for on the go lunch at work, but perfect for bike riding {hello bike riding month!}, trips to the zoo, beach, etc. This is definitely a handy cooler to have with you wherever you are off to on the go! I can promise you won't be disappointed with this cooler, packing your lunch has never been so easy. Overall the product is great, your food will be safe, and you aren't losing any fashion points!

Love the looks of this cooler? Snag one for yourself, or as a present for a friend. It's currently on sale at Target for $14 here.

Note** I did win this cooler from Igloo's Twitter giveaway, but no review was asked or required. I received no compensation for writing this post. I enjoyed the product so much I decided to talk about it!

Strawberry picking: fun, and great way to support the locals.

It's that time of year again -- the local farms have opened for strawberry picking. This is one my favorite times of year, and one of the best things about spring. We always make plans every year to go strawberry picking, just a tradition of ours that we love to do. The weather has been less than perfect lately, but with a bit of a warm up today with the sun shining, it was absolutely the perfect day to go strawberry picking.

At only $1.80 a pound we got better-tasting, sweeter, and more fresh strawberries than the ones available at the grocery store. Not to mention we like to support the locals& their businesses. Brody really had a blast picking the strawberries and being the one to carry his bucket around. He proudly chose some delicious looking strawberries. Though it took him a few times to understand that you can't squeeze them otherwise you create a bit of a sticky mess!

Overall it was a beautiful day, and great way to see his face light up with joy! This is only our first trip of strawberry picking this year, we are going to definitely go back and get more. Between Brody, Paul, and myself we've already eaten most of the strawberries we bought. We are definitely huge fans of strawberries!

Win $300 in prizes with Mediterranean Snacks® Snack & Snap contest!

The folks at Mediterranean Snacks® want fans to show them how they are Living Snactive™ by snapping a photo of yourself enjoying your favorite Mediterranean Snacks product. The photo must include YOU to be considered. If you haven't tried their snacks yet we highly recommend it! They are healthy, and delicious -- our family personally loves their baked lentil chips.

Once you snap your photo {example above} upload it to Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, or Facebook and you will be automatically entered for a chance to win over $300 in prizes. You can post one, or multiple entries{via the different social media sites} to enter to win.

Requirements for entering:  You must use the hashtag #LiveSnactive™, include the name of the store (or event) and location (city,state) of where you purchased/received the snacks, and lastly tag the company in your posts. Click here for more information about the contest.

Twitter: @Medsnax Pinterest: @Medsnacks FaceBook: @MediterraneanSnacks Instagram: @Medsnax

Review: Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop

Before we bought this Rubbermaid Reveal Spray mop, I HATED mopping and felt like it was a never ending job. This Reveal Spray mop which is safe on all floor types including hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile picks up dirt fast with it's re-usable microfiber cleaning pads. Not only that, it uses a refillable bottle which allows you to use your cleaning solution of choice.

The best part is that it features a spray trigger which allows you to dispense as much cleaning solution as needed. A lot less of a mess and hassle versus a traditional mop - and one of the best spray mops I've seen on the market. This mop definitely gets the job done and fast, and leaves a great sparkling look to the floor.

We mop often as our kitchen floors are constantly getting dirty {that's what happens when you have a toddler and two dogs}, and it does a fantastic job. Despite the size and less flexibility compared to a traditional mop, it still manages to get those hard to reach places. We bought an extra pad to come with it, one to use for our kitchen and one for the living room floors.

What's great about the reusable/washable microfiber pads is that they are good to be washed up 100 times. So you are not only saving money not having to buy more pads but better for the environment that you are not constantly throwing out one-time use pads.