Women’s Health Tool Kit

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric Community.  This shop for Walgreens Women’s Health Awareness has been compensated as part of a social shopper amplification for Collective Bias and their advertiser.

I am a busy woman.  I call myself a domestic engineer sometimes when people ask what I do for work.  As a busy mom I have a lot on my plate.  What woman doesn’t have her hands full?  We women play the juggling act of doing it all.  Women’s health awareness is critical.  We need to take care of ourselves more than ever.

Just a small taste of what I actually do every single day:
-wake up before dawn to bake bread for my family
-wash a load of laundry before everyone wakes up
-organize everyone’s stuff and help get them ready for school
-feed the kids breakfast
-drive the oldest two to school
-play and do crafts with my littlest child
-do dishes
-wash floors and walls
-scrub the tub and toilet
-tidy up bedrooms where needed
-prepare lunch
-do yardwork
-pick up children from school
-make snacks
-help kids do homework
– prepare supper for the family
-do more dishes
-drive kids to their other activities such as baton or baseball
-help kids get ready for bed and read stories
-do more laundry
-sweep floors
…AND MORE!

As you can see there is a lot to do every single day and that list is the short list.  I’ve been a mom for over 10 years now.  I have been guilty of not taking care of myself the best that I should.  I definitely put my own needs behind the needs of my family.  I know most women can relate.

The very beginning of last year I knew that I had some weight to lose.  I was tired all the time and wanted my daughter to be able to look up to a strong, healthy mom.  Total weight needed to be lost was 120 lbs!  That is almost a whole other person.  I committed myself to losing 5 lbs a month average and I am so happy to day that I accomplished my goal last year and lost 60 pounds.  It felt phenomenal to see the changes I’d made and to be able to wear the clothes I wanted.  I can’t wait to lose the rest and meet my final goal!

How did I lose weight and start looking and feeling better?  Well number one was what I ate.  I stopped drinking so much soda, increased my water intake, stopped eating so much red meat, became more active, doubled the amount of fruits and vegetables I consumed, and I began taking supplements like hair/skin/nail nutrients.  The pictures of me in this post are with no makeup.  I feel comfortable in my own skin and if I don’t feel like applying makeup I just don’t.

Walgreens is so convenient when it comes to getting the women’s health items that I need.  They are always having great sales and even when not on sale the prices are reasonable and affordable.  My favorite kind of supplement are gummies which you can find quite often with vitamins these days.  I feel like I am having a little treat while I chew.  My hair, skin, and nails have never looked better!

I have a few favorite items that I’ve put together as sort of a ‘Healthy Women’s Tool Kit’:

1. Healthy snacks to keep in the car, next to the sofa at night, and at work if you work (Walgreens has a plethora of healthy snacks available from roasted almonds to dried apricots)
2. Hair, skin, and nails vitamins (Walgreens has several great options for this, my fave being the gummies of course)
3. Shampoo and conditioner that do something great for your hair (my fave from Walgreens in the top pic)
4. Bottled water (I keep some in the fridge to grab on the way out the door, never go thirsty!)
5. Good lotion makes your skin glow! (I use my fave lotion from Walgreens to keep my skin soft, supple and glowing)
6. CONFIDENCE in yourself you deserve to take better care of yourself!