Category Archives: Relaxation

Sept. 17 Must-Have: Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt

Lullabelly is yet another thing I wish I had when I was pregnant 10 and 4 years ago. I literally put a portable speaker on my belly when I was pregnant with Sebastian 10 years ago. Unfortunately, that was about the last time I listened to music (not kids music) and read a book in the same day! As moms know, that just doesn’t happen after the baby arrives.
Lullabelly prenatal music belt

With Lullabelly, you simply plug in your iPod® or iPhone™ and play music to your baby in the womb.
Now your baby can enjoy the many benefits of music — with Lullabelly, the prenatal music belt. Listening to music in the womb encourages learning, language development and memory skills. And playing the same music after birth can help your baby sleep better!

The Lullabelly Prenatal Music Belt is designed for an expectant mother to safely and comfortably play music (lullabies, audio books, or any prerecorded sounds) to her baby in the womb.

Simply plug Lullabelly into an iPod, iPhone, CD or MP3 player. There is a also a dual earphone adapter and earphones…so mom can listen too!

Forget about stretching a headset across your belly. It’s clumsy and nearly impossible to listen along to the same music while playing it for a baby.

It’s perfect for any expectant mother, and makes the perfect baby shower gift.

How much is it? $55
Where can I buy it? Lullabelly.com

Alicia Hagan

Win a Sleep Number® p5 Queen bed set from Select Comfort!

Sleep Number bedSign up for the Must Sleep Fan Page for a chance to win a Sleep Number® p5 Queen bed set!

Entering the “You are what you sleep” contest is easy! All you have to do is become a “Must Sleep” Facebook Fan and enter the contest via the link on Must Sleep’s wall (or go to www.sleepnumber.com/sleep), and tell us why sleep is important to you! Has it been years since you’ve gotten a good night’s sleep? Whether its back pain, having a newborn, or stress, sleep deprivation happens to us all and the impact on your life is huge!  Be funny or be profound, but don’t put us to sleep!

The contest starts Monday, August 3 and entries will be submitted until August 22. Then come back to Facebook to vote on the top five finalists between August 27- September 3.The story with the most “likes” will win a Sleep Number p5 Queen bed set.
Good luck!

Alicia Hagan, Editor

Article: Marlise Karlin Offers Five Simple Tips for Living Life Well

Marlise KarlinReboot Yourself by Nurturing Your Body & Mind

Marlise Karlin (www.marlisekarlin.com), a person just like you and me who focuses on rebooting people by experiencing The Simplicity of Stillness®, offers simple tips for living life well that cost nothing, but are invaluable in making the journey of life more enjoyable and balanced.

Millions of Americans are overloaded with responsibilities and distractions, and although they try to stay healthy from a physical standpoint by eating well, exercising, and getting enough sleep, they are only nurturing their bodies, but neglecting to nurture their minds and spirits as well.

Marlise offers Five Tips for Living Life Well:

#1:  Breathe Into the Moment

In the midst of a busy day, take a few moments to find stillness.  Slow your pace, breathe deep, and refocus your attention away from the mind-chatter.  Instead, reflect on what is most meaningful to you in life, and carry those inspirational thoughts with you throughout your day.


#2: Take Inspired Action

Being in constant reaction mode will leave you feeling exhausted & unfulfilled. After taking a moment of reflection and stillness, follow through with the necessary steps to achieve the goals you set forth for the day.  If a disruption occurs, acknowledge it and look for a solution, rather than allowing it to derail you.  Notice how your new focus helps you to stay on track with greater ease.

#3:  Water Your Garden

Truly acknowledge the people in your life for the value they bring to you and the world. As with a garden, relationships need to be nurtured and appreciated.  With even a sprinkling, the relationship will bloom – and the beauty of what is given will return to you tenfold.

#4 Be Aware of Your Attitude

Notice how you feel and how you radiate those feelings outward.  If you have a positive attitude, people will not only gravitate to you, but it might even help change the attitude of others from negative to positive.  If you are projecting love, generosity and hope, others may follow your lead.  Realize how what you give comes back to you!

#5 Make Choices

Acknowledge that you have the ability to make choices that will keep you moving forward toward your overall vision, rather than letting other people, or life’s circumstances distract you from staying focused on what matters most.  Choose what moves you toward your goals that give you the greatest rewards – inside and out.

“People are running at a hundred miles an hour, racing with the clock, trying to squeeze in ways to stay healthy and fit,” said Marlise Karlin. “It’s important to realize it only takes a few minutes a day to completely reboot ourselves by nurturing both mind & body to become more balanced and healthy.”

ABOUT MARLISE:

Marlise Karlin is a person just like you and me who focuses on rebooting people by experiencing The Simplicity of Stillness. After a series of profound experiences shifted her perception of life, Marlise developed simple methods for people everywhere to reboot themselves so the journey of life can be more enjoyable.

Countless people from every culture around the world have attended Marlise’s Programs and are attesting to the extraordinary benefits that her Stillness Sessions® have brought to their lives, from experiencing a sense of peace rarely felt, to finding balance and wellbeing, from releasing years of road blocks, to discovering what they really want out of life and how to create it.   Marlise’s authentic personality allows her to connect with people at a real level to bring balance to their lives through The Simplicity of Stillness.

See www.marlisekarlin.com for more.

Review: Create your perfect pillow by Select Comfort

I’ve been on a quest for a good night’s sleep for about.. let me think .. 10 years. Since I was pregnant with Sebastian, almost 10 years old. I didn’t know at the time that the sleep I got during the first trimester of my first pregnancy included my last full nights of sleep. I would have thrown a farewell party.

Select Comfort - Create your own pillow

Just because I dont’ get a full night’s sleep doesn’t mean I can’t be comfortable when I am sleeping or in bed wishing I was asleep.  I was lucky enough to receive a Select Comfort personalized pillow recently and now know that a good pillow can make a big difference in the quality of sleep I get as well how good or bad my back and neck feel in the morning. Before using my new Select Comfort pillow created just for me based on my sleep position and comfort ‘requirements’, I woke up with a sharp pain in my neck and my neck would be uncomfortable for an hour or so after I got out of bed. I am a stomach sleeper (not so good) and my previous pillow had my neck in a very bad position, several inches above the level of my spine which I learned was not good for my neck or spine.

My new Select Comfort personalized pillow was created based on my answers to several questions and my comfort preferences.  My personalized pillow is filled with Down alternative, has a silver outer ‘shell’, and a silver protector.  Down alternative is less expensive than Down, equally shapeable, and hypoallergenic unlike Down. Other fills include real Down, feather, silver, and memory foam.   I love the silver outer protector.  It’s cool to the touch and is naturally antimicrobial (inhibits the growth of microbes such as bacteria, fungi, or viruses) which is great for “germaphones” (Sebastian’s word for germaphobe) like me.

My Select Comfort pillow goes everywhere I go.  No, not to the living room.. just on vacation.  Once you get used to your very own personalized pillow, leaving it home when you travel is like forgetting to pack your bra.  Not good!

Go ahead, create your perfect pillow here.

Sleep Scentsations scented pillow liners + win one!

 Sleep is precious to most moms. And for most moms, sleep is hard to come by. 

Because I have a difficult time falling and staying asleep I have a little bedtime ritual during which I prepare my 'sleep aids'.   First, I turn on my sound machine and set it to play ocean waves. The ocean waves sound is what helps me go back to sleep when I wake in the night.  Second, I replace the scented pillow liner on my pillow if I need to.

Sleep-scentsations-pillow

Sleep Scentsations scented pillow liners are thin, soft liners infused with essential
oils and fragrance oils. I place a new scented liner on my pillow, under my pillow case, every week or so.   I have the Shanghai Nights Scented Collection box which includes 10 scented liners in 6 different scents.  My favorite liners so far are the White Tea & Lily liner and the Day at the Beach liner.  One that's really a cool idea is Cold RX.  I haven't needed to try it yet and hopefully won't for a while, but definitely will next time I have a cold.  After using Sleep Scentsations scented pillow liners for about a month now, I have total confidence that the Cold RX liner will work.

Check out Sleep Scentsations Scent Menu for a list of all available scents.

GIVEAWAY!  I have one Shanghai Nights Scented Collection box to give to a lucky subscriberClick here to go to our Subscription page, subscribe if you haven't already, then fill out the entry form on that page!  That's it!