How to Take Prenatal Vitamins When You Can't Swallow Pills and a Premama Prenatal Supplement Review! #DrinkPremama #IC #ad

This post was sponsored by Premama as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

When I was young I couldn't swallow pills. And I also have always wanted to have children. I don't remember exactly when I realized that those things didn't work together, but I am pretty sure it involved a movie or commercial talking about how gigantic prenatal vitamins were. I was shocked, in order to have a healthy baby I would have to swallow huge pills?  I couldn't even swallow a tictac. What was I going to do? Fortunately I did learn to swallow pills. But for those who share in the conundrum of wanting to take prenatal vitamins but not being able to take pills there are now great alternatives!

Premama is a multivitamin supplement line that offers complete maternity wellness in drinkable and chewable forms!

Premama's drink mix line includes Fertility Reproductive Support, Essentials Prenatal Vitamins, Essentials + DHA Prenatal Vitamins, and Lactation Support. The Fertility and Essentials drink mixes are unflavored so you can mix them into any cold flavored drink you enjoy (do not heat or warm the drink mixes). They can be mixed into juice, cider, ice tea, smoothies, etc. The Essentials + DHA mix is citrus flavored and the Lactation mix is mixed berry flavored. They can be mixed into a flavored drink or into water. The drink mixes are gluten free, vegetarian or vegan, and non-gmo. Their folic acid levels are similar to prescription prenatal vitamins and as good as or better than other OTC brands (Premama is OTC). They also have Omega-3 fatty acids and non-constipation causing iron that are usually only found in prescription prenatals. These products are formulated to help before, during, and after pregnancy. If you are trying to conceive, currently pregnant, or nursing a baby they have a product for you!

Premama's also has Digestive Aid Prenatal Fiber & Probiotic Chews. They are vanilla caramel flavored, vegetarian, and naturally flavored. They are formulated to help ease constipation and bloating, and support a healthy immune system. I really wanted to try the chews because they look so yummy, but the contain soy and I am intolerant to soy :(.

My Experience

I tried the Essentials and Lactation drink mixes. I tried Essentials mixed in Apple Cider and I couldn't even tell it was there. I was amazed! I am enjoying drinking these every day. I tried Lactation with water to see how it tastes by itself because it is berry flavor. If you are used to supplement drinks it is pretty good, and it is not chalky! If you don't like supplement drinks it would be good mixed in with juice, ice tea, or smoothies. It would be really amazing in smoothies! I will be saving the rest of the Lactation mixes for after I deliver in 4-6 weeks :).


I got my Premama products at Meijers, they are in the vitamin section. I found them with the other prenatal supplements. The Meijer I went to had a great selection! Oh and they are on sale at Meijer through September 25! Go in right now and get $3-5 off depending on the product. Get it on sale now!

Find Premama at a store near you using their store locator.

You can also get a free sample of Lactation or Fertility through September 29th on their facebook giveaway! Enter to win by completing two social media actions.

Premama Facebook Sampling

You can find more info on any of these links:

• Premama Website: http://www.drinkpremama.com
• Premama Store Locator: www.drinkpremama.com/find
• Premama Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/drinkpremama
• Premama Twitter Page: https://twitter.com/drinkpremama
• Premama Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/drinkpremama

Grocery Picks of the Week 6/10/16

These are the things that are a good price/ I am planning to buy this week. These are the on sale things in my area. I shop in Fort Wayne, IN so I know the prices are good there. I think that they might also be good in other places in Northern Indiana, Ohio, and southern Michigan, but check your own ads before you head to the store!  Also the ads change over on different days, so make sure the sale hasn't ended before you go! Also you can ad match at Walmart, so if all you need are these things then go to Walmart and shop there, I never go to all these stores :). Happy Shopping! I hope you get some great deals!

*disclaimer* I am not guarenteeing to do this every week, because I do not go shopping every single week, but when I do check the ads I will try to update you all :).

*disclaimer* these prices represent the prices in my area at the time of publication. I can not be held responsible for changes in price, etc. Check your ads before you go to the store! (pretty much all ads are available online or on the flipp app)

*disclaimer* the produce prices are often not for organic produce. At the quantity that my family goes through produce I can't afford to shop organic. If I find an organic price that I am willing to pay it will be listed on here.

My short hand:

StF! - Stock the Freezer! - these are great prices that are so great that I would buy a bunch of them and put the extra in the freezer. Pretty much all meat and most produce can be frozen. There are plenty of instructions for how to freeze things online. I have instructions for butter, cream cheese, browned meat, and marshmallows.

Gp - Good price -this is a good price that is worth getting enough for the week (or however long it will be good for fresh, some things are only good a few days, some are good for several weeks - months) but it is not good enough to StF!

Tp - Treat price - This is an ok price, that is better than what the price has been recently so I might buy 1 or 2 depending on what else I am buying, but it would just be for a treat, not enough for all week and definitely not StF!.

ea - each, it is priced per item

/(quantity) - it is priced per quanity - per pound (/lb), per ounce (/oz), per 8 ounce package (/8oz pkg), etc.


My picks:
I only need produce this week, so that is all I looked at in the ads


Fresh Thyme

• Organic Raspberries $0.88/6oz gp/StF! I think that this is the best price I have seen for raspberries. However since rasperries are so much more than other fruit I would not personally stock up on them. But if you do tend to eat/buy a lot of frozen raspberries then this is probably a better price so you should stock the freezer!
• Seedless Watermelons $2.88 ea gp/StF! (this is a great price so I usually buy as many as I think we will go through in 1-3 weeks, I don't usually freeze or save them, but I do know you can freeze the fruit, and they are also really yummy dehydrated)
• Cucumbers $0.49 ea gp 
• Honeydews 2/$3 gp
• Carrots $049/lb StF!
• Peaches, Yellow & White Nectarines, White Peaches, or Apricots $0.99/lb gp 
• Red or Green Leaf Lettuce $0.99ea gp
• Green Bell Peppers $0.49 ea gp

Aldi

•  Red Grapes $0.89/lb StF!
• Cantaloupes $0.99 ea gp
• Strawberries $1.49/lb tp
• Blueberries $1.49/pint tp

Kroger

• Green Beans $0.99/lb gp
• Zuccini or Yellow Squash $0.99/lb gp

Meijer

•  Cook's Shank Portion Smoked Ham $0.99/lb gp

Walmart

• Sweet Corn $0.20 ea gp

Grocery Picks of the Week 6/3/2016

I realized that I am going through ads to find the best deals and there are other people out there who would love to have this information. So I decided to start a new series. These are the things that are a good price/ I am planning to buy this week. These are the on sale things in my area. I shop in Fort Wayne, IN so I know the prices are good there. I think that they might also be good in other places in Northern Indiana, Ohio, and southern Michigan, but check your own ads before you head to the store!  Also the ads change over on different days, so make sure the sale hasn't ended before you go! Also you can ad match at Walmart, so if all you need are these things then go to Walmart and shop there, I never go to all these stores :). I am not guarenteeing to do this every week, because I do not go shopping every single week, but when I do check the ads I will try to update you all :). Happy Shopping! I hope you get some great deals!

*disclaimer* these prices represent the prices in my area at the time of publication. I can not be held responsible for changes in price, etc. Check your ads before you go to the store! (pretty much all ads are available online or on the flipp app)

*disclaimer* the produce prices are often not for organic produce. At the quantity that my family goes through produce I can't afford to shop organic. If I find an organic price that I am willing to pay it will be listed on here.

My short hand:

StF! - Stock the Freezer! - these are great prices that are so great that I would buy a bunch of them and put the extra in the freezer. Pretty much all meat and most produce can be frozen. There are plenty of instructions for how to freeze things online. I have instructions for butter, cream cheese, browned meat, and marshmallows.

Gp - Good price -this is a good price that is worth getting enough for the week (or however long it will be good for fresh, some things are only good a few days, some are good for several weeks - months) but it is not good enough to StF!

Tp - Treat price - This is an ok price, that is better than what the price has been recently so I might buy 1 or 2 depending on what else I am buying, but it would just be for a treat, not enough for all week and definitely not StF!.

ea - each, it is priced per item

/(quantity) - it is priced per quanity - per pound (/lb), per ounce (/oz), per 8 ounce package (/8oz pkg), etc.


My picks:
I only need produce this week, so that is all I looked at in the ads


Fresh Thyme
Grapes $0.88/lb, StF!
peaches$0.88/lb, StF!

Kroger
Fresh Pineapple - $0.99 ea, Gp

ALDIs
Mushrooms $0.69 /8oz, StF!
Seedless Cucumbers $0.69 ea, gp
Kiwi $0.69/ 3 pk ($0.23 ea), gp
Grape tomatoes $0.99 /pt, gp
Blueberries $1.49 /pt, Tp

Meijer
Raspberries 10/$10 (1-6oz pkg for $1 or buy 10 and get 11th free), Tp
Organic baby Cut carrots $1/ 1 lb bag, gp

Rural King
Seedless Watermelon 2.98 ea, StF!/gp (this is a great price so I usually buy as many as I think we will go through in 1-3 weeks, I don't usually freeze or save them, but I do know you can freeze the fruit, and they are also really yummy dehydrated) (I am not positive that Walmart will ad matchRural King so if they don't I will use the price below)

Save a Lot
Seedless Watermelon 3.99 ea, gp

Super Yummy and Healthy Paleo Korean Beef!

Paleo Korean Beef

(Picture to come, my family ate it too fast :))

Based on the recipe from Six Sisters Stuff

Ok, it is super hard to mess this up. I don't measure at all. I just throw things in. I am giving measurements but they are just general guidelines. And ingredients can be left or substituted with few ill effects. It is a very forgiving recipe. I also make large batches if you want less, use less.

This recipe is gluten free, wheat free, soy free, dairy free, peanut free, shellfish free, paleo, sugar free, allergen friendly, nut free, egg free, and with a few modifications could be AIP

Ingredients:

3 lb ground beef (other ground meats would  probably work too, I have mixed in puréed liver before and no one noticed, the flavor is strong enough to cover a variety of meats)
1 can crushed pineapple
1/4 c coconut aminos or soy sauce substitute, or soy sauce if you can have soy
1/4 c blackstrap molasses
1 T garlic powder
1 T onion powder
1 T sesame oil
1 t ginger
1-3 T of salt to taste
1 t red pepper flakes (optional, I never use it, but add it if you like spice)

Cabbage rice, cauliflower rice, or brown or white rice
2-3 lbs vegetables of your choice (I use cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, etc. whatever I have on hand) or a bag or two of slaw mix
1-2 c roasted salted nuts or seeds of your choice (I have used sunflower seeds, almonds, and peanuts). (Optional, but optional, trust me if you can eat them it's worth it, it makes this meal 10x better! :))
Lettuce leaves (optional) big enough for lettuce wraps. Romaine works well for this.


Directions:

1. If using brown rice start cooking now
2. Brown ground beef
3. Add pineapple (including juice), aminos, molasses, and spices
4. Let simmer for a while for flavors to mix
5. If using veggie or white rice start cooking now
6. Shred vegetables, I use my food processor with the shredding attachment.
7. Chop nuts/seeds (I use my food processor for this too)
8. Serve beef over rice with vegetables on top and nuts on top. Put in lettuce leaves for lettuce wraps.


Verdict:

Amazing! This is one of my family's favorite meals. My kids gobble it up vegetables and all. The flavor on the the meat is amazing and it flavors everything well. The vegetables and nuts add a great crunch. I have also served this at family parties and everyone loved it and begged for the recipe. And it is healthy! No sugar, no soy, allergen friendly!

Eat, Drink, and Be Merry

You know the saying "Eat, drink, and be merry"? Did you know that it is from the bible? Did you know that the next line is "For tomorrow we will die" (Is 22:13). I knew those things but I learned something new about that passage tonight.

In Isaiah 22 God is talking about the defenses that the Israelites put up around their city, knowing that their old defenses, and probably their new ones were not good enough to save them.

So they decided to have a party.

This is the part that blows my mind. They really thought they were going to die. They were sure that they were going to die.

And they decided to eat and drink and engage in revelry.

God had asked them to weep and wail, to tear out their hair and to put on sack cloth (vs 12). If they had done as God asked maybe they wouldn't have died tomorrow.

God was begging them to turn to him. But that still didn't change their minds or actions.

In verse 8-11 God describes the defenses that they had built up and then says "but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago."

God made everything. Including the things that I am hiding behind or building up to defend me. I need to look to the maker of these things for my true defense.

I'm sorry God for looking to the things you have made, instead of looking to you for defense. Please help me remember to always look to you. Thank you for being there for me always! I love you!

Why Not Me?

When I'm struggling with something the temptation is often to ask why? or why me? But I think we need to start asking why not? or why not me?

We live in a fallen world. There are struggles. Everyone struggles. What makes me so special that I should not struggle or that I should not have this struggle? God showed me this last week.

I struggle with insomnia.

It manifests itself in different ways on different nights. Sometimes I can't fall asleep. Sometimes I can't stay asleep. Sometimes I can't go back to sleep when I wake up. Lately it's been I wake up in the night and can't fall asleep for up to hours.

It all boils down to one statement; I'm tired.

One night I was up for 3 to 4 hours. When I had been awake for over 2 hours, and had already tried all my usual tricks, I looked at the clock and asked whhhyyyy?

And then God said why not? Why not me? What makes me so special? Why shouldn't I struggle?

Another great question is: What is God trying to show me through this struggle?

One thing i have found is that God is giving me a special time to be with him in the middle of the night. I have a time of quiet, which is rare of my busy life with 3 kids under 4. And I have the privilege of spending it with him.

My response needs to be (and sometimes is :)); Thank you God for giving me this special time with you.