Enjoying Summer In Arizona

This post is sponsored by babbleboxx.

Living in Arizona has proven to be drastically different from my days living just walking distance from the beach in California. The climate and my outdoor surroundings were something I have grown to acclimate to over the past couple years, primarily because of my love for fresh air and sunshine! The heat has been the hardest to adjust to, but since we’re now in year three living here it’s just something we deal with.

Since the heat can be pretty brutal, Arizonans take extra measures to make sure they are comfortable through the day. One thing is being glued to your water bottle to stay hydrated. I go through phases of enjoying ice-cold plain water, but sometimes it helps to add a little flavor. 

Cool Drinks That Boost Your Health

Lily of the Desert makes some really delicious drink powders that I’ve been giving a try and enjoy all the benefits there come with them. EcoDrink Naturals contain 28 vitamins, minerals, nutrients, and electrolytes that help support overall health. They don’t contain sugar but are naturally sweetened with stevia and don’t have any caffeine. These came at a perfect time for me because I am trying to lower my caffeine intake, and can rely on the energy-boosting benefits of B12 without worrying about how my stomach will feel.

Strawberry lemonade has been the perfect summer flavor to add to my big water bottle with peach mango coming in as a close second!  What I didn’t know about Lily of The Desert was that they are leaders in aloe-based products. Aloe Vera is something we use and love in this family for several things!

Skincare In Its Most Natural Form

Aloe vera is great for post-sun care and a reliable skin soother and hydrator. I’ve used aloe vera at times almost as a serum for my face, but works wonders for rehydrating parched skin from hours of fun in the sun. I like to use it as a post-shave moisturizer because it absorbs quickly and without stickiness. Lily Of The Desert 99% Aloe Vera Gelly is made with organically grown aloe vera and penetrates up to 3 epidermal layers to deeply hydrate the skin in one swipe. 

I love the easy-squeeze tube too. It’s the perfect size for my makeup case and can also easily fit in my daughter’s front pocket of her backpack for her to use as needed.

But staying hydrated isn’t the only thing that I do to stay healthy and active through the summer months here in Arizona. The heat can do you in quickly if not prepared so I make sure that I keep my blood sugars level by eating well and at the proper times. As a busy mom, that can be difficult at times, and preparing a full meal sometimes doesn’t fit in the schedule for me, so I rely on healthy snacks like these CORE food bars that I just discovered. 

Healthy Snacking For Busy Moms

Core Food bars are plant-based snack bars that keep your gut health in mind. Each nutrition bar has 5-10g of protein, 6-7g of prebiotic fiber, and probiotics in yummy flavor combos like peanut butter crunch and coconut chocolate chip (my favorite) to keep me reaching for them daily. These have come especially handy recently during some stressful weeks when regular meals weren’t an option for me. 

The bars are chewy, filling, and taste delicious unlike many I’ve tried in years past. Best of all, I can restock easily by shopping on Amazon! If you want to try, I suggest going through their website the first time to score the 20% discount by using code: SUMMER20.

But keeping an eye on my health isn’t just about food and staying properly hydrated! I’m one that likes to move! In the summer, swimming is BIG for us because its so hot with this past weekend reaching 115 degrees. I love working out, but there are plenty of times I’m at a loss figuring out WHAT I want to do for a workout. When you feel like you’ve scanned all corners of the internet, it is time to look elsewhere. 

A Book To Keep The Summer Fun Going

The Workout Bucket List has been such an interesting book to scan through and find different workouts of all sorts to keep things fun! I love challenges and getting different ideas to adapt to equipment or locations that work for me – and there are over 300 ideas in this book! It can be really inspiring when you’re in a rut for ideas — not only that — it includes little fun facts and pop culture snippets that make it a fun read! You can grab your copy here!

Easy And Reliable Outdoor Diningware

Another good thing I keep handy all year round is some good reliable disposable cups and plates. My daughter and I spend plenty of time by the pool, but I don’t want our glassware out there in case of accidents. SOLO cups have been around since before I was born and have been the brand my family has always used. Their big enough for me to have my thirst quenched and sturdy enough for my six-year-old to not tip over and break. We like to make our own little non-alcoholic fruit juice spritzers with some seltzer water, fruit juice, and garnish with some summertime fruit. Best of all – no clean-up after! Just toss and go!

Relaxing The Feet At The End Of The Day

And what would our Summer be without a little wind-down time? Summer is filled with fun things to do with my daughter, but I know to feel my best self I need downtime. That means hanging out in loungewear at home with the AC blowing. I generally like to go barefoot in the house, but when I tried on a pair of Staheekum Summit & Go slippers I fell in love. 

These slippers have a memory foam insole lined with super soft fuzzy lining made from recycled water bottles. They’re so easy to slip on and off as needed and have an outsole suitable for walking out to the mailbox without destroying my slippers. My husband also stopped making fun of my slipper choice and claims my last pair from another brand looked and sounded like bricks coming down the stairs. Can’t say that to me anymore! 

This is a great sustainable brand that I was introduced to and love that they plant a tree for each item sold on the Staheekum site. You can grab yours with a discount by using code:  BBOXX22 

I hope you find these new discoveries helpful! If you have any questions drop them below. I’ll be here hanging out in my comfy new slippers sipping on my strawberry lemonade and snacking on a coconut chocolate chip bar!