This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #StopSpills #OnTheGoWithContigo #CollectiveBias

When I was in high school, I was the Water Drinking Master. I would fill up a big pitcher of water and take it downstairs with me to drink when I watched TV. I had no problem in peeing clear (you know, the sign of being REALLY REALLY hydrated) and since I had yet to discover coffee, it was literally the only thing I consumed.

Fast forward 15 years and I struggle to consume enough water every day. In fact, when I complain about not feeling well due to a headache or stomachache or just feeling off, Justen asks me if I’ve had any water lately. The answer, 9 times out of 10, is a sheepish, “well.. no.”

There are two methods people have to determine how much water you should be drinking. The first is based on the individual: you take your weight and divide it by two. That’s how many ounces you should drink every day. The other one is just 64 ounces (8 x 8oz glasses).

Drinking water can be HARD! Especially now that I’m trying to get ready for my wedding (omg what!) I’m working on taking care of myself better, including drinking more water. Here are five ways to sneak more water into your day:

#1. Carry your water bottle everywhere.

Here’s an easy one: Have a water bottle with you at all times, so that you always have access to water. Every time you leave your house make sure you fill up your water bottle to take with you. It’s hard to drink more water if you’re never around it!

#2. Get a bigger water bottle

If the recommended amount of water is 64 oz a day, get a water bottle that requires you to fill up less. I love this Contigo AUTOSEAL® Chill Bottle because it’s 24 ounces! That means that you only have to fill it up three times and you’ve exceeded your daily goal! I love the function of this water bottle – it has a spill-proof lid with auto seal technology, so you press and release the water. While you carry your water bottle everywhere you don’t have to worry about spills or leaks. It even has spout cover to keep dirt and germs away.

I picked one up at Target (they’re only $19.99 for a limited time!) for me and my best friend Emily. We each chose Target exclusive colors; mine was Very Berry, hers was Matte Black with Iced Aqua. They were located on an endcap in the housewares aisle or you can pick yours up online here.

#3. Write a checklist in your planner

I love to check things off of lists, so every day I write little boxes in my planner so I can check things off as I do them, and there’s always a spot for water. Knowing that you have a goal and a way to track it definitely helps.

#4. Set an alarm

If you’re like me, sometimes you start your day off well and with great plans for the day and before you know it the day is gone. All too often I’ve chugged a LOT of water right before bed which has caused me to wake up in the middle of the night to pee – I’d rather stay hydrated throughout the day if it was up to me. To help remember, you can set an alarm to go off as often as you need to remember to take some chugs.

#5. Sip at red lights.

After you start taking your water bottle everywhere, don’t miss out your chance to sneak water in while you’re in the car! Get in the habit of taking a few sips while you’re at red lights.

 

Especially with winter melting to spring and leading into summer, it’s so important to stay hydrated! Check for the Contigo Autoseal Chill Water bottle at Target and check out Contigo on Instagram and Facebook to stay inspired to keep hydrated.

I’ve been in an on-and-off-again relationship with my FitBit for the past two… three? years. I cashed in my piggy bank to buy it, and often bounce between being OBSESSED with it and leaving it dying in my bathroom.

But let’s be real – nothing feels better than to feel the celebratory buzzing of my FitBit when I’ve crushed my daily step goals. and so my FitBit and I are more on than off, which has caused me to discover some REALLY COOL THINGS to take your FitBit relationship to the next level. Read on.

I know that a few of my friends received FitBits for Christmas, so I wanted to compile these tips and share them!

ONE // PRETTY COVERS

Y’all, if you’re like me… the cute colors and designs are cool and all until you’re wondering if anyone else notices your hot pink FitBit band doesn’t match your outfit. A huge portion of the reason my FitBit has stayed “OFF” is because the plastic little bracelets – regardless of how many colors I have – never really seem to fit with my style. They don’t FIT one BIT. See what I just did there?

THEN!  Then Tory Burch debuted her FitBit covers and my best friend and I were like :O at both how beautiful AND how expensive they were.

but one day while perusing Amazon, I discovered the most beautiful of all time rose gold FitBit cover. For those of us who can’t hang with the bright colored plastic ones, these FitBit covers are AMAZING because they look like really pretty bracelets!

Here’s a picture of the FitBit cover in action. Does this look like a FitBit or a pretty bracelet?!  Mine is for a FitBit Flex, but I’ve seen options for other versions – but since I’ve never used them, I can’t vouch for those. Just mine! 🙂

TWO // PEOPLE WILL PAY YOU TO USE YOUR FITBIT

You guys, I’m not even making this up. There’s a site called Achievemint that will give you points for your FitBit activity (which includes SLEEP, you guys!) which can be cashed out at $10 increments. If you use my link, you’ll get 250 points to start you off.

Did you know you could be earning Walgreens Balance rewards points as well? A few weeks ago I bought something from Walgreens.com that was $13.99 but I had $10 in Balance Rewards from using my FitBit, PLUS an online coupon code I found using Honey, and then I had it delivered to a store instead of my house so I didn’t pay shipping and I ended up spending…. $1.88. Y’all, connect your FitBit to your Walgreens Balance Rewards account! Like right now.

THREE // YOU CAN USE YOUR FITBIT TO HELP MEET SAVINGS GOALS

I could and probably should write an entire post about Qapital. It’s an app that helps you save money. You connect your bank account and add goals and rules to help fund them. For example, I have a “round up rule” activated for my Disneyland savings goal. Say I spent $4.37 at Starbucks. It would be rounded up to the next dollar ($5.00) and the difference ($.63) is put in my Qapital savings account. I’ve built up an account of over $50 simply by doing this.

One of the rules you can make is an IFTTT formula where hitting your FitBit goals initiates a transfer. So for every day I hit my FitBit step goals (and if you follow me on Twitter you’ll know because I also created a formula that pushes it through to Twitter!) $1 will be transferred into my Disneyland account.

Achivemint is someone else’s money and Qapital is using small amounts of your money to save. I’m so excited to have added the FitBit rule to my Disneyland account!

(side note: if you use my link to join Qapital, we’ll both get $5!)

FOUR // YOU CAN MAKE MONEY BETTING ON YOURSELF

Have you ever heard of DietBet? It’s a site where you bet on yourself to lose a certain amount of weight. The money gets pooled together with everyone else in your game, and if you lose the required amount of weight you get your bet money back AND you split the money of everyone who didn’t meet their goals. DietBet has started a similar new game called StepBet. It’s very similar except they look at your FitBit activity and then give you goals to make you work a little harder.

There’s also a similar app called Pact, where you agree to a certain exercise/food goal, and you pay a fee if you miss a day (starting at $5! – yikes!) and those collected fees are used to pay out people who have kept their pacts.

The great news about these is that they really light a fire under your butt because they COST YOU MONEY if you slack off. Suddenly that little blinking bracelet is a bigger deal, amiright?!

So there you have it – four things every FitBit owner needs to be aware of. Do you have a FitBit, and are there any things you’ve figured out that you want to share with the rest of us?! 🙂

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The first time I went to Nashville, I remember texting Ernie and feeling like a huge burden when I told him that I didn’t eat gluten (if you want more deets about the gluten issue, check out this gluten guide). To people who have unrestricted food options, two weeks with a food intolerant guest could be a hassle. Luckily, he told me that his wife has food issues, gluten included, so I was fine. But that was when I decided that traveling while being gluten-free requires some preparation.

A few weeks ago, Justen and I went on a little road trip for a wedding. Before we left, I made sure to bring along some easy to grab gluten-free snacks. The great thing about these snacks is that while they are gluten-free, they were all appealing to everyone who ended up riding in my car!

Before we hit the road, I stopped by Walmart to stock up on a variety of snacks that were sure to hit the spot for whatever cravings we may have. Gluten-free fruit snacks and to-go trail mixes, dried fruit and fruit pouches, and Lorissa’s Kitchen beef and pork. I saw these staring at me on the end of an aisle in three delicious sounding flavors – Korean Barbeque Beef, Sweet Chili Pork and Szechuan Peppercorn Beef.

When I’m on the road I tend to crave meat, but my only options are drive thru or gas stations when we stop to fill up. Neither of them can guarantee a gluten-free product, so I was really excited to discover Lorissa’s Kitchen. In addition to being gluten-free, Lorissa’s Kitchen uses grass-fed beef and responsibly raised pork, making their snacks a healthy source of protein on the go. Yes. Please.

We kept our snacks within arms reach in the back seat, and made sure to share with anyone who got in the car. Being on-the-go with a gluten intolerance can be tough, but thankfully companies like Lorissa’s Kitchen provide great – and delicious – options. My favorite was Lorissa’s Kitchen Korean Barbeque Beef. I already went back for seconds.

Whether you’re on the go  traveling or just always on the go, here are a list of great, convenient gluten-free options to keep handy (just remember to always check the labels). :

• trail mix
• squeezable apple/fruit sauce
• dried fruit
• pre-packed single servings of plantain chips
• Lorissa’s Kitchen products
• fruit
• veggie chips
• fruit snacks/bars
• single serving bags of popcorn

The past half a year has been rough. I looked at my FitBit and between November and March, I gained nearly 20 lbs. AKA most of the weight I fought to take off last year. Winter + depression is rough. So instead of beating myself up and feeling sorry for myself, I’ve taken steps towards reclaiming my health.

Here are five ways I’m doing that.

ONE // THERMOS SMART LID

A month or so ago, Justen and I went to Target. I picked some things up in the $1/$3/$5 section and said “Nah, I don’t need this stuff… I don’t want to spend the money,” and then like 10 minutes later I was crouched down, holding a $60 water bottle and wondering if I should buy it or not.

Well. I bought it. and it is quite possibly one of the best investments I’ve ever made, because I have consumed more water in the past month then I probably have in the past year. My goal is 107 oz a day, and there’s an app that tells me how I’m doing. It’s amazing, and I am so glad I decided to make a slightly impulsive, silly purchase.

Thermos SmartLid Water Bottle on Target (use your Red Card and get 5% AND free shipping) and on Amazon (the teal one I have is on sale for $10 less right now!).

TWO // BIKINI SERIES

Last year Kristen wanted me to do the ToneItUp Bikini Series with her but I was all over the place.

This year she asked me again and I was like…. well actually yes please. So I’ve been gearing up by starting to do the workouts. They call them the ToneItUp Booty Call and you do it first thing in the morning, and they’re definitely not easy so I’m all like…

So yeah if you need me I’ll be the one limping everywhere, unable to hold anything heavier than my phone.

THREE // MEAL PREP

As you may have read recently, I’m currently doing Whole30. One of the best habits I develop during Whole30 is the art of the meal prep. When you have a limited diet and you get hungry and are unprepared, it is MISERABLE. I like to leave the house with a big lunch bag full of snack and food options. Even better when I have a cute co-meal prepper 🙂

FOUR // FITBIT GOALS

I’m trying really hard to meet my FitBit goals every day – 10,000 steps, 5 miles, 30 active minutes. I’ve read articles about how people have gained weight even though they use fitness trackers, but in general I just want to be more active throughout my day

FIVE // RECHARGE

If  you noticed, a lot of my healthier choices have an element of technology. I created a little charging station on my desk so that I don’t lose my chargers, they’re all in once place, and when I’m sitting at my computer to blog or e-mail or (more likely) look at Pinterest, I can be charging everything at once.

Water bottle // FitBit replacement charger //

Phone dock // FitBit case // MacBook Keyboard cover // USB portOnce in Nashville, Layla needed to take a nap but didn’t want to. I told her “you know how your iPad will stop working if it doesn’t charge? You are like an iPad, you need to stop and charge your energy. That’s called a nap.” Humans are slightly like that. We need to stop and recharge. While I LOVE coffee, sometimes I think tea is a better recharge fuel because it calms you more than energizes you. I recently received a pack of these hilarious and delicious Collect Teables  in the flavors Shakespearmint (mint tea- my favorite!) and Agatha ChrisTea (an earl grey tea blend). Sipping on a hot cup of tea while focusing on my goals and dreams helps me feel recharged, and since I usually do this right before I go to bed, I can make sure my electronics are recharging and I can recharge myself with a good sleep.

 

Are any of you working on being healthier?

I received a product in this post in exchange for my honest review, but all opinions are ALWAYS my own 🙂