We'll be doing our first Facebook Live today at 11:15am MST, shopping for our new mattress! Join us here.
This week got off to a rough start as we dealt with serious hackers from Japan. Within a matter of minutes, our site was redirected to a Japanese audience, they had set up shops under hidden pages and as we were frantically trying to sort through code, they took over the blog completely and we no longer had access. We have security in place, and had only had a minor hacking incident once before but nothing like this. I tried my best to keep my emotions together, says the pregnant woman, while Chris was on a frantic call with our host. All the while, we were getting messages from our readers, sponsors and clients letting us know that our site had been compromised--which we so appreciated. In a way, it let us know, you had our back.
Eventually, we had no choice but to hire a new, more expensive, company to manage our security and fix the issue. They run site checks every 30 minutes and send us reports which gives us so much peace of mind. It's scary and just weird. To work on something, and put your heart into it for eight years and then somebody takes it all away within minutes. It really shook me in a way that I didn't know I could be shaken. But, turns out, I'm deeply connected to this ol' blog and I am not even close to letting it get away from us.
On to the fun things this week!
• After so many messages, comments, stories, concerns and questions--all of which made us laugh--about that quirky thing we like to do that we talked about in this week's podcast (listen here!), we had to recreate this picture to demonstrate exactly how it's done. And then we invited a few friends over to actually help us eat it all. ...at the table. ;) But really, give me all the wings, in a robe, in bed!
• This year, I'm encouraged to finally get proper Easter baskets for the girls. Growing up, we had beautiful, handmade baskets with our names on them and I still have mine in my keepsake box! But every year, I forget to look ahead of time and end up buying a cheap plastic one from Target. Not this year! I found these sweet puffy bunny Easter baskets (on sale!) and ordered three--one in each color. So each girl, including the one on the way, will have one. Matching dresses are next on my list!
• I'm loving seeing all the patios, decks and outdoor spaces come out of hibernation. (Anna's made my heart skip a beat this week!) No matter the size, all my favorites have one thing in common: string lights. This 25 ft strand and this 100 ft strand are both half off right now (for $15 and $56 respectively). Try it! They make even the simplest spaces feel special.
• As a way of a minor pregnancy update, while the majority of my nausea has passed, the dreaded restless leg syndrome that accompanies all my pregnancies has kicked in--literally! The moment I climb into bed, or sit on the couch, my right leg won't stop moving. Sometimes it gets so bad that I feel like cutting it off is the only solution. Kidding...kind of. Any remedies that have worked for you?
Hope you all have a lovely weekend.
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Oh my goodness, I had horrible RLS during my first pregnancy. It started before I even knew I was pregnant. Finally I put it together, I was mineral deficient! I used a magnesium spray ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00XIT2X50/ref=mp_s_a_1_1_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1490202857&sr=8-1&keywords=magnesium+spray+ease )
and took trace minerals ( https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000AMUWLK/ref=mp_s_a_1_2_a_it?ie=UTF8&qid=1490202719&sr=8-2&keywords=concentrace+trace+mineral+drops ). It solved the problem completely. For my second pregnancy I had one night of it and then went back on my pregnancy mineral regimen and I never had the problem again. I was so excited when I saw in your comments how many other women solved the problem with magnesium too! (Oh and as far as the suggestions for iron go, the trace minerals in water should take care of any iron deficiency, but it delivers the iron balanced with all the other minerals your body needs so you don't get any of the side effects you normally get when you take a solo iron supplement.)
For restless legs and cramps, check out the home remedies on the People's Pharmacy website--they have several. A neighbor used the soap method (soap chips under the fitted sheet) and it worked!
Check to see if there is a iron and/or folate deficiency... eating more leafy green veggies, avocado, beans, bananas, sweet potatoes, nuts and seeds, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised poultry, wild-caught fish, beans and lentils. A warm baths with Epsom salts helps too. Loving your podcast... can't get enough of it!
I don't know about it's safety during pregnancy but I have horrible RLS, pregnant or not, and taking magnesium regularly is the only thing that's improved it. It also stopped my regularly occuring migraines.
I have restless leg syndrome right now too. I'm 16 weeks along with our 5th baby. I've had it before but just read that it can be a sign of low iron which might explain why I have no energy. So I'm getting my iron checked at my next appointment. Good luck! I hope your symptoms lighten up (even just a little).
Magnesium glycenate, and magnesium lotion, from Amazon.
Compression socks or hose - highly recommend them for both swelling and restless legs. Drug stores have them for diabetics, as does the internet. Colorful ones are now available if you google the ones runners use.
My husband and I eat on the bed frequently. We do it on our stomachs and call it a picnic. Lots of towels nearby are required for messes, if they should occur. We love our picnics!
I gotta admit, I actually found you guys through GOMI, and always liked your blog, but I really really look forward to the podcast now. Just like Sherri and John, I find you guys so dorky and relatable. I spit out my crackers when Preston did the "can't get you outta my mind" remix. And speaking of relatable, what is more relatable than dining in bed while your maid wipes your countertops ;)
Keep me laughing,
Natalee
Hahaha. Living the life over here!
Epson salt lotion! You can order dr. Teals brand from Amazon for only like $6 and it helps so much with my restless legs. I get them once in awhile regularly, but I'm also expecting right now, and it's been so much worse during this pregnancy. Honestly, it helps so much. I think it's the magnesium in the epson salt that does it. Good luck!
I have RLS and have never been pregnant. Tonic, magnesium lotion (available at health food stores) is helpful. Also helpful...and good for a pregnant soul....dill pickle juice. Good luck.
I have restless leg syndrome all the time, but it doesn't really bother me since I've always been this way, but it does bother my husband :) The things that make it better for me are avoiding caffeine/sugar/carbs/wine, getting my workout in, and making sure I don't ever get into a sleep deficit situation (because ironically, when I'm extra tired I have an even harder time falling asleep and staying asleep).
Restless legs are the worst! When I was pregnant, I started taking iron supplements and they really did help. The other really random thing that seemed to help me was to rub Vics VapoRub on my shins and calves right before bed. You'll smell like a menthol mama and maybe it was only in my mind, but it seemed to work! Good luck!!
We've had good luck with magnesium supplements for both restless leg and morning sickness.
Restless legs ugh. That was one of my most annoying pregnancy symptoms. So glad I will never experience that again. What helped me was to soak in a hot tub (usually with Epsom's salts... I'm sure there are some good essential oils you could use too) and relax and No (absolutely no) electronics 1 hour before bed. Don't even peek at your phone (I know you'll be tempted) I swear it helps.
Magnesium! I take an oral supplement, and it's totally helped my random occurrences of RLS. However - I just listened to a podcast (The Paleo Women Podcast. Eipsode #107) that was talking about this and they said when you are pregnant you can't absorb magnesium orally, so you need to use a spray/lotion/topical application. They also said that using topical magnesium will help with morning sickness!
oops. Episode. Not eipsode.. :)
I have horrible restleg all the time and can usually help it with a pillow propped between my legs (I'm a side sleeper) but when pregnant it was literally every night and nothing helped, and I had horrible insomnia if I woke up in the middle of the night. I slept less pregnant than I did when she was actually here (she was an amazing sleeper, still is!) Anyway, side tracked, I drank a large glass of coconut water every night about an hour before bed, usually when I would start to go get ready for bed. It helped a ton. Plus I didn't lay down in bed and read, or play on the phone. I went straight to sleep. High potassium smoothies once a week too. Orange juice, greens, coconut water and bananas. Good luck!
For the restless leg, has your doctor checked your iron levels? I had restless leg with my second--it was horrible. For my third, I had it a little bit, and then my midwife put me on an iron supplement, and that helped. I was also having hip pain, so I went to a physical therapist, which changed my life. I was pain free, and I slept so well.
Hacks are frightening!! I'm curious who the more expensive company is that you hired to monitor and prevent your site from future hacks? And who did you use before?
Sounds like your restless leg is prob coming from your back..L5/S1 So sit in straight chairs, no couch slouching (which is so hard), work on flattening your back as you are laying on the floor, no sway back, squeeze your butt, tighten your abs and think about that position all the time, sway back and pregnant tummy is hard to resist! Even as you are lying on your side in bed, bend your knees as you bend over a counter or sink. It's the nerves that run down your leg that are getting squished in your spine probably. Physical therapy helps too!
Oh- and one more thing-- restless legs-- I've heard great thing about Magnesium-- I just got Calm-- it's a magnesium powder you put in drinks and it's really supposed to help with that. It has great reviews on amazon!
Those Easter baskets are adorable! I have 4 in my basket now--3 monogrammed pink and 1 blue for the babe in my tummy! What font did you monogram in? These decisions immobilize me sometimes... So sorry about the Japanese hackers--that would also immobilize me. Ugh! Love love your blog! And your podcast! And everything you do!
I didn't monogram them yet because we don't have a name for the baby yet, and I don't want the fonts not to match. Haha
Almost my entire family has restless legs (pregnant or not!) and we all sleep with a bar of soap in bed. It doesn't matter the kind or where you put it! I keep one in the car for long road trips and one in my bed every night. It sounds crazy but it works!
Agree with the person who posted this earlier. The Magnesium Lotion and Spray work. (I liked the lotion better than the spray). Take care. So glad to hear you got the hacking incidence resolved. Makes me wonder if this hacking stuff isn't the new frontier for foreign disruption. It's scary! Take care of yourselves.
This picture is cracking me up everytime I look at it! Chris's face! I love that you guys have a combination of all the messiest foods! Thanks for sharing!
Drink some natural calm! It's a magnesium drink. It's AMAZING. I suffer regularly with restless leg syndrome and after starting this drink I rarely have it as long as I drink my dose each night. I had RLS so bad during my first pregnancy I almost didnt have a second but after finding this stuff I now have a second! Love it!
Maxwell Ryan had me captivated. I just wanted him to keep talking! You guys had me rolling. This picture is amazing in every way! And those bunny baskets?! I die. So sweet. When you wrote that you bought three I just couldn't help but smile. Can't wait to meet that new little girl!!
RLS is heavily linked to low iron! We know this because we have dealt with severe night terrors with our 4 year old from 10 months until now. Low iron is also linked with celiac (which we now know our 4 year old has). I always share this info relentlessly because it's been such a journey. Xoxoxo.
The podcast episode this week was my favorite yet!
*Could listen to Maxwell talk for ages. So relaxing and enlightening to hear his thoughts and experiences.
*We are in a studio right now and eat about 1/2 our meals on our bed as it is our only upholstered seating option. Totally normal!
*I was taking a walk while listening, and right when I got to the end of the episode my husband texted me, "where are the donuts?" I was dying! So badly wanted to respond, "have you tried looking for them?" LOL
Keep up the amazing work! Love listening to you three!
I had the same horrible nausea and restless leg during my pregnancy. Magnesium really helped with the restless leg! Take it before bed as it makes you pretty sleepy, but the good news is you sleep like a dream. I found a super hot shower before bed and the magnesium made it much more bearable.
Magnesium! Either Epsom salt baths or mag lotion. It saved my life!
For restless legs - have you tried magnesium oil or lotion rubbed directly on the leg? I also know several people who have had success using essential oils, but if you are interested you should talk to someone knowledgable, as there are some essential oils not recommended for use during pregnancy. Also, acupuncture could help as well. I loved acupuncture during pregnancy to help with my seasonal allergies and back pain.
And I'm so sorry about the hacking problem. I imagine it must feel something like having your house broken into. So intrusive and disturbing.
I had some relief with warm epsom salt baths before bed when I developed pregnancy RLS. Some of the solutions above sound good, too! Good luck - It's a rough time for sure!
I get restless legs too during pregnancy! It's so bad that sleeping can be impossible sometimes. I've tried compression socks, soaking in a bath with Epsom salts before bed, and even resorting to sleeping on the floor. Something about a hard surface calms down the legs. It doesn't always work but it's how I survive. Good luck!
When I was pregnant I got 'Magnesium Ease' spray from Amazon, it works really well for restless legs.
My mother had restless leg for the last decade of her life, but some magnesium voodoo (totally kidding - just what I call the all natural stuff) supplement and it really, really helped. Good luck!
Magnesium is a great tip but we use a product called Calm. It is a fizzy drink. My husband has restless leg I just use it for achey legs.
I'm pretty sure that you are owning up to something that we all do. Or want to do. HA! Also, I've seen (or heard about?) Chris' shirt a couple of times now. I love it. You guys seriously make me laugh and I love the podcast. I'm learning about those missing links of color theory that I was lacking before. Also, you are making me hungry!
I loved this weeks podcast episode. I have been telling my husband for years that we cannot put a TV in our bedroom, but now I kind of want wings and a movie in bed...maybe it is my pregnancy talking! lol
I have not personally had an issue with restless leg syndrome yet, but I have a combo of Lavender and Peace & Calming essential oils that I am going to try when it strikes! I have heard that it works wonderfully!
Terrible restless legs were one of the factors that kept me from having a third baby. They are horrible and unexplainable to anyone else unless you experience it. Things that worked for me to manage them: avoid caffeine, avoid staying up too late, avoid really strenuous activity that is outside normal daily activities, but also don't sit around all day--those all seemed to be triggers. Do: stretch with yoga poses or seated on the floor right before bed, have a calming bedtime routine like using lavender or some other scent that triggers relaxation for you, use a magnesium oil spray (I got one on amazon and it has lasted a long time. I still use it) the magnesium oil helps so much--spray on your legs and rub in, get moderate exercise every day--just a short walk helps. Finally, when your legs start jumping, get up and sleep somewhere else, put a pillow behind your back for pressure, don't get frustrated, and hopefully you will be able to deep breathe through it! Good luck!