This blog post and giveaway are sponsored by Aftershokz. All opinions, as always, are all my own! ​

It's no new news to anyone that I'm a big fan of stroller running. It allows me to get out on the road when my husband is working, it keeps my kids contained for a period of time, and lets me share my love of running with them! Whether you're brand new to stroller running or a veteran like me (I've been stroller running for 5 years!), here are a few tips to keep you and your littles safe on the road. 

1. Follow The Rules of the Road - It's important to be aware of the ACTUAL rules on the road. You do NOT always have the right of way, and it's important you run in places where you can be seen, and can see traffic/cyclists to react safely.

• Run AGAINST traffic when in the street. That means on the left hand side of the road here in the US. 
• Stop at signals.
• When running on sidewalks or trails, announce something like "On your left" when passing. This is a fun one to teach your kids to help out with! 

2. Keep Your Ears Open - If you like to listen to podcasts/audiobooks or rock out to 90's boy bands while you run, it's important to still be able to hear what's going on around you! Not only the endless chatter from your 2 year old running partner, but you need to be able to hear vehicles, bikes and others around you to keep you and your precious cargo safe! I LOVE using my new Aeropex Aftershokz headphones. They use  bone conduction technology so that I can hear my tunes but keep my ears open for everything else! Plus, I've always hated having headphones that stick in my ears so this is life changing. I'm guessing my neighbors are big fans of my new Aftershokz as well - so they don't have to listen to my phone blasting from my cupholder anymore! 

3. Be Seen! As the days are getting shorter, some of your stroller runs may not be in daylight. It's helpful to wear reflective clothing, but there are quite a few other awesome things you can use so those drivers will see you! We love our flashing lights for our stroller wheels and the new reflective feature on the BOB Revolution. NoxGear has some great light up vests, Proviz has great reflective gear and if you wanna go totally kid friendy and old school, grab some glow sticks for your kids to play with! 

4. Don't Lose a Kid - I joke...but seriously. It's a good idea to hook your kids in. Follow your stroller's instructions. Pay attention to the adjustable straps, and check the guidelines for babies. Trust me, I've gone 2 kids overboard in the middle of the San Francisco airport so...yeah. Hook in your kids. 

5. Check Your Tires - If you're pushing a swivel wheel running stroller like my Bob Revolution - be sure to keep that front wheel locked, especially when you're running really fast, or on uneven terrain. It will keep it from catching and potentially causing a crash. Of course - it's always best to follow your stroller's  manual! It's also important to keep your tires full of air! Not only is it safer, it will make your stroller pushing MUCH easier. I have a pump like like this in my car!

Tell me!

​How long have YOU been stroller running? Do you listen to music/podcasts/audiobooks when you run? 

Today's the day!
​
A day that's been in the making for over a year.

We wrote a book and it's FINISHED, it's PUBLISHED, and it's on Amazon RIGHT NOW!

Aubrey (my little sister and book illustrator) and I joke that "I am STRONG like MOM" is like another baby (that would make 6 for us combined...if you're counting!) So much preparation, excitement and nerves. And so much heart poured into it.

This book carries so much meaning for both Aubrey and I, in terms of our families and in our professional lives! Most people who read this book will just enjoy the adorable illustrations and the empowering story, but it's the story behind the book that makes this so important to us, personally. We thought we'd share a piece of that with you today! 

She said she would send me some drawings and you guys...if this book isn't a testament to PERSISTENCE, I don't know what is. Let's just be real. They weren't what I had in mind. I kinda put it all on hold, but she said she'd keep trying, and honestly I had no one else to ask. I was worried that if we kept working together it might come between us. I figured this would be another project that just lived in my Google docs forever. Aubrey kept drawing. 

Thank God we didn't shut it down. 

What Aubrey has created has turned my short, simple words into something BEAUTIFUL. She has brought life to it in a way I couldn't have even imagined! The fact that we're sisters makes it even more personal. If you know either of us very well, you will see the obvious similarities between the characters in the book and our own kids. We didn't base either kid off of one specific one of ours, but there are pieces of each one of them in there! I have laughed so many times when I'm scrolling through my endless iPhone camera roll and see pictures of my kids that are so similar to the book illustrations - completely unintentionally! ​

Holding this book in our hands and reading it to our kids is enough for us. It truly is a gift to our kids that we hope they will read for years to come. But, we do hope that other parents will love reading this to their kids as well.

​Moms, you put a lot of pressure on yourself. You could read the words in this book like CONFIDENT, STRONG and BRAVE and think "I'm none of those things". But guess what? You are! And your kids think you're a freaking super star! That's the joy and the beauty of this book. I hope it's a chance for you as a mom to see yourself from your child's point of view. They don't see the anxious thoughts or intricate planning in your head. They see a BRAVE mom. They see you making fitness a priority and know they have a STRONG mom. They want to grab your hand and jump in the puddles with you because you're a FUN mom. You really, really are. So, while I hope your kids like this book as much as mine do, I hope reading it reminds you of how awesome you are too!! ​

I don't know about your kids, but mine LOVE popsicles. We live in South Texas where it is REALLY HOT for A LOT of the year. We can't play out for long periods of time usually, but snacking on popsicles while we're out there always helps! I try to make homemade popsicles most of the time to save money and have control of the ingredients. Sometimes I throw extra smoothie into the molds, or get super lazy and just pour some juice in there. But this week I got a little extra creative (trust me though...this is super easy) and made these watermelon hydration pops! 

This is a great way to use up some extra watermelon and help you or your kids stay hydrated on long hot summer days.  Yep! This is great for a post-run recovery treat too! 

Why watermelon?

• Delicious summer flavor
• Kids love it (and adults too!) 
• 90% water so perfect for hydration
• Additional vitamins & minerals

5 large slices of watermelon
2 scoops or tabs of your favorite electrolyte mix. We like Nuun tabs or Emergen-C! 
2 cups water

​Blend the watermelon and water in your blender. If there were lots of seeds or the texture seems grainy, you can run it through a strainer at this point. Otherwise, just add in the electrolytes - let dissolve and blend again. Pour into popsicle molds. We have these big ones and these small ones.

​Freeze and enjoy!