The MUTU System Program Review

This is not a sponsored review. I purchased the MUTU System Program with my own money and have not been compensated for this post. I highly recommend this program and because I loved it so much I became an affiliate. This means that if you purchase this product from my links I will earn a small commission  Thank you for helping to support this blog and our family.

Several weeks ago my kids asked me to come and jump on the trampoline with them in the backyard. This is something I do occasionally and actually enjoy doing. On this beautiful Arizona breezy afternoon I was showing my kids a few of my cool moves, in reality I was only jumping and attempting to do the splits in the air, when I landed I realized that my pants were slightly damp. Not really thinking anything of it I continued to bounce with childlike abandon and as I did my bladder continued to slowly release itself. I knew then it was time to call it quits when my son asked what had happened to my grey leggings and quickly climbed down the ladder of the trampoline to go inside and change my pants.

And that moment is when I realized that while I had been exercising since giving birth to baby #3 I had also slacked off in recent months on focusing on training my core and pelvic floor muscles. I knew it was time to log back into my MUTU account and refocus my training on these muscle groups. Since I have had success in the past with the MUTU System program I was confident that I could cure my weak and leaky bladder and be able to bounce confidently on the trampoline with my kids again.

When I had originally purchased the program I had bought the online version which gave me access to any future updates. To my surprise the MUTU team had been hard at work creating and updating their already great program. I will go into more detail about the new program below but just know it is awesome and an amazing resource for women wanting to heal their core and pelvic floor.

In case you aren’t familiar with MUTU System here is a a brief look at how I discovered this gem of program and why you should look into too.

CAN I HAVE A FLAT TUMMY AFTER HAVING A BABY? OR AFTER 3 KIDS?

When I was nearing the end of my second pregnancy I started to research how I wanted to strengthen and allow my body to heal after childbirth. I knew going into my second pregnancy that my core just wasn’t the same as at had been since the birth of my first child. Planks in particular really caused me to struggle. I couldn’t figure out why I had this annoying cone shaped bulge in the middle of my torso whenever I would engage my core in planks. It was annoying, especially being a personal trainer and teaching group exercise classes. I wanted answers as to why this was happening and what I could do to stop it.

You can read more about my first experience with MUTU System HERE. But what I learned via MUTU was that I could have a flat tummy again even after 3 kids but only if I retrained my muscles that correct way. Crunches, sit-ups, and various other abdominal exercises weren’t going to give me my flat tummy back because these exercises put increased internal pressure on the abdominal wall. They will never allow you to achieve the tummy you want. No mom wants to have low back pain, an unstable core, a tummy that sticks out, and a pelvic floor that doesn’t work properly. Instead you must focus on adjusting your body’s alignment and stretch and strengthen your muscles to get a strong functioning core and pelvic floor. Enter the MUTU System 12 Week Online Program.

THE PROGRAM

The program contains step-by-step instructions and 20 minute-or-less workouts over 12 easy-to-follow Modules. Plus it’s online so you can watch from home on your computer or TV as well as download to your tablet or smartphone.

MUTU is for women with Diastasis Recti, given birth (both vaginally and via c-section), who’s kids aren’t babies anymore, accidental leakage (like myself), wanting to have a flatter stomach, lose weight, and even for pregnant women.

Every day you perform the 10 minute core training and at least 3 times a week there is a 20 minute workout. Easy peasy. The newly updated version does not use weights like the pervious program did. To be honest I wasn’t sure I how felt about there being no weighted exercises but after doing each workout and core training I can tell you I love the new updated program!

The other great thing about the update is the MUTU Connect community hub in the online portal. There is a dedicated MUTU team member available to help you answer any question you have or direct you to a person who can. After doing the program for two weeks I was a little surprised that there wasn’t more spoken instruction on the workout videos. Being a personal trainer I felt I needed more guidance especially with breathing cues. I went to the hub to write a suggestion to the MUTU team when I saw this…

That message was from Wendy Powell the MUTU program creator. MUTU takes your suggestions seriously and wants to make the program better for you!

THE RESULTS (AFTER 4 WEEKS)

Drumroll please….

Well before I share my before and after let me tell you what I did. I have currently not completed the program in its entirety as designed. But I have done each individual core training and workout intensive. The first week I did CORE 1 everyday and Intensive 1 four days, the second week I did CORE 2 everyday and Intensive 2 four days, and preceded in the same fashion for weeks 3 and 4.

So after 4 weeks here are my before and after images.

My pants also fit better and my size 6 jeans are starting to slip to the point I need to think about investing in a new size. Plus I just feel better. I am taking care of myself and focusing on making sure my insides are healed.

Oh and about the trampoline…I hadn’t bounced for the four weeks I was MUTUing (can I make this a verb?) and wanted to recheck to see if there was any improvement with my bladder leakage. I can safely say that if you want to come over to my house and bounce on the trampoline with me I won’t pee on you now.

GET STARTED TODAY & 15% DISCOUNT CODE

Ready to purchase the online program? The 12 week online program cost is $147. Use use my 15% off discount code: tamara15 for extra savings! Click HERE to get started today!

Go and checkout the MUTU System and use the discount code tamara15 to save on your order.

DISCLAIMER: The information provided on The Workout Mama is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to prescribe, diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is your responsibility to educate yourself and address any health or medical needs you may have with your physician. Please seek professional help when needed.

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Joovy New Room Review

Disclosure: The Workout Mama is a Joovy Moms ambassador and as such is provided with product for reviews. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

Last summer after Josh had his vasectomy we thought we were done with the baby phase in our home. We went through our entire house and donated or sold all baby related items.

It was great…until a few months later when I came to Josh and said that I would be open to fostering a child and adopting. This is another post for another day but needless to say he was elated because this has been something he has wanted to pursue since we dated.

We slowly began gathering up hand me downs from our friends that they no longer needed. By the time we had our home inspection to get our foster care license we had a crib and a dresser. Several days after we passed our inspection we found out we were pregnant! You can listen to the entire story on our vlog Vasectomies, Foster Parenting, and a Pregnancy Test.

Our little boy, Jesse, joined our family 14 days ago. In case you missed Jesse’s Birth Story you can read it HERE. Over the last few months leading up to his birth we have been blessed by family, friends, and even amazing brands like Joovy! We have received hand me down baby clothes from friends and our family has helped with diapers and other items we needed! We are overflowing with gratitude! Joovy has sent us a Caboose Ultralight Stroller and Room, which I will be reviewing today.

The initial setup of the New Room took Josh around 30 minutes. We attached the bassinet, changing table, and parent organizer. When is was all put together we realized that the Joovy Room is a very swanky nursery center.

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The bassinet can be used for baby’s up to 15 pounds. The mattress is securely attached to the bassinet insert. I love that Joovy includes a waterproof mattress sheet as a standard item with the Room.

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The changing table flips off to the side, making it super convenient for diapering, and is very securely attached to the side rails of the Room when in place. I love that I have an extra place to change the baby out in the living room and can easily keep in eye on Caden and Maisie while they continue to play. There is a large pocket on this side of the New Room that we are using to store extra outfits in case of the occasionally diaper blowout.

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The surface of the changing table can be easily cleaned and holds your baby up to 25 pounds.

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On the opposite side of the changing table the parent organizer attaches and can hold diapers, wipes, ointment, and anything you might need while changing a diaper.

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Once the baby outgrows the bassinet the insert can be easily removed and the Room becomes a playard. This would be such a great purchase for a family who travels often with a little one, has limited space in their home, or is looking for an additional changing table and safe spot to let their little one rest. The Room has two wheels so it can easily be moved around the house as needed.

Everything neatly fits in a carrying case making it very easy to bring the Room on vacation, which we plan to do in January. Josh and I might be slightly crazy but back in October, before the baby was born, we booked a cabin up north because Caden has been begging to play in the snow. Wish us luck!

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I am so in love with this little boy and can’t imagine our family without him. He is our little miracle baby!

Joovy really thought about everything a parent would want or need in a playard. This would make an excellent gift for a soon to be or new mom!

ABOUT JOOVY

Joovy is an american based company that is a family-run business that considers their employees, customers and factory partners as members of the family. Their goal is to design and manufacture family gear products that are extremely useful, practical, good-looking and FUN. You will not be disappointed if you decide to purchase this stroller or any other product from Joovy.

WHERE TO FIND AND BUY

Joovy Website, Amazon, Joovy Facebook, Joovy Twitter, Joovy Instagram

Thank you Joovy for letting me review the Room! The Buschel Family is very thankful for how generous you have been to us!

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Once a Month Meals & Instant Pot Review

Disclosure: The following post contains affiliate links. This means if you purchase an item from a link I provide to those shops, I might receive a commission. I only share products and services that I would personally use and think are a good fit for my readers. Thank you for supporting the brands that support our family. All opinions are 100% honest and my own.

In the less than a month our family will be growing from a family of four to a family of five. Our baby is due to arrive in the middle of November, if not a little before, but as of right now, in just under a month we will welcome this new baby to our family.

I knew that I wanted to try to stock our freezer with several meals before the baby arrived so I would have nutritious food available for myself and my family. The problem was I had absolutely no idea how to go about making meals ahead of time or what type of meals I should even attempt to freeze.

Several months ago I bought an Instant Pot and it has been my favorite purchase in the last year. If you aren’t familiar with the Instant Pot it is a programmable pressure cooker that can dramatically cut the time you spend in the kitchen and allows you the ability to not have to monitor the oven or stovetop. Special thank you to my friend Jeanette for sharing how much she adored her Instant Pot which led me to purchase my own!

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I have been attempting to streamline my kitchen over the last few weeks and decided to take the gigantic bag of rice we purchase monthly from Costco and divide it up into individual 2 cup bags. In case you were curious, out of this 12 pound bag of rice I had 14 two cup bags and 1 one cup bag. It is so much cheaper buying rice in bulk and cost just under $15. Cooking rice in the Instant Pot is the easiest thing to do. You simply need to place 2 cups of brown rice inside the Instant Pot with 2.5 cups of water and set it on manual for 22 minutes.

The way I cook our dinners now has drastically changed thanks to the Instant Pot. This got me wondering if maybe I could find a few recipes that I could freeze and put directly into my Instant Pot. A quick search on google led me to discover a website called Once a Month Meals.

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When I started searching the website it was like the clouds above my head parted open and light from heaven streamed down on me as angels sang Hallelujah. Ok, so maybe it wasn’t that dramatic, but in all seriousness I knew I had just hit the freezer meal jackpot.

Once a Month Meals gives you everything you need to shop, prep and cook the bulk of your monthly meals in just one day — and freeze those meals for when you want to eat them. To start you can pick a meal plan that is based on 7 different dietary preference or you can customize your own.

I decided to customize the meal plan for our family only because we like to eat gluten, dairy, and egg free as much as possible. I also wanted all of our meals to be able to be cooked in the Instant Pot.

Currently, Once a Month Meals has 50 recipes specifically using the Instant Pot but their entire recipe library is huge and they have over 600 meal plans that you can choose from. If you decide to use one of their menu plans you can always swap recipes out to create a menu that best fits your needs.

I also want to mention that the recipes are easily able to be adapted to the needs of your own family. For example, our family stays away from soy and two of the recipes I selected called for soy sauce which I swapped out for coconut aminos.

When your menu is finalized you print out the shopping list, prep instructions, cooking day instructions, recipes, labels, and thaw sheet. Everything is organized for you to be able to succeed in prepping meals ahead of time for you and your family!

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My customized menu included…

  • 2 Breakfasts: Cherry Date Breakfast Bars and Sweet Potato Apple Hash
  • 7 Instant Pot Dinners: French Dip Sandwiches, Chicken and Rice Soup, Healthy Roots Chili, Honey Bourbon Chicken, Paleo Mongolian Beef, Paleo Tacos el Pastor, and Thai Chicken Thighs
  • 2 Snacks: AIP Pumpkin Bites, and Almond Butter & Bacon Energy Balls
  • 3 Side Dishes: Peas, Cauliflower, and Broccoli

Each recipe serves 4 and was doubled. When I was finished prepping all my meals my freezer was filled with 14 dinners!

There is no way I would have been able to have done this without Once a Month Meals. Everything was laid out perfectly and the directions were very easy to understand.

It took me a total of 8 hours to make, bake, and freeze all of these recipes. Not all of the recipes needed to be baked ahead of time which saved hours of prep work for me in the kitchen.

I feel so accomplished and proud of myself that at 35 weeks pregnant I was able to fill my freezer with healthy meals and snacks for myself and my family that are made with real food. The 8 hours it took me to complete this menu plan left me super tired and my body was ready to sit down after having been on my feet all day but it was so worth it!

I love that when I ready to make a meal I just need to let it thaw enough to remove it from the freezer bag and it can go into my Instant Pot frozen! Yes, you read that correctly, it can be cooked from frozen in the Instant Pot. Plus it will be fully cooked and ready to eat in an hour!

When I froze my meals for the Instant Pot I froze each meal in a freezer bag that was placed in a bowl, pot, pan, or anything else I could find in my kitchen that would fit inside my Instant Pot. I wish I could say this was my brilliant idea but it came from the Once a Month Meals website. They seriously have included everything to make you as successful as possible when prepping your meals.

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Thankfully all the meals fit into my freezer to freeze. I was a little nervous to see how they would fit. 14 was the magic number of meals to make at once for the size of my freezer.

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The next day I removed the meals from the freezer so I could take them out of the containers.

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Amazingly they all fit back into the freezer perfectly and I even had the top shelf left empty!

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The total cost for all these recipes was $300. I purchased organic meat and produce and had to go to several stores to buy everything that was needed. Depending on the menu you choose, the region you live in, how you shop, and how big your family is the cost of your meals will vary. Once a Month Meals reports that shopping for a monthly menu can average between $150-300.

The shopping trip happened a day before the prep work and two days before the recipes were put together. When you are doing freezer meals you want to think of the process as more of a marathon than a sprint. Shopping, prepping, and freezing are best done in phases and not on the same day.

With a four year old, two year old, and newborn this will be the best gift to myself! Having a fully stocked freezer with meals and snacks ready to go makes me so happy!

I can see myself making more meals and snacks ahead of time for my family especially in the month or two after the baby arrives if these recipes are successful. The day spent in the kitchen is worth the time if it allows me to prep so many meals at once.

I obviously didn’t cover everything but hopefully this gives you a good idea of what I did to plan ahead for our meals. Let me know if you would like me to post an update on the meals after they have been cooked. I would be happy to do that if it would be helpful.

Once a Month Meals has two membership options for you to choose between. You can select either a $16 monthly subscription or a $170 yearly subscription. Regardless of whether you choose the monthly or yearly option, your membership will give you access to all nine menus and associated documents (shopping, recipes, instructions, etc.) as well as the ability to mix and match recipes from different menus to create your own custom menus in MenuBuilder.

I would love to know if you have ever made freezer meals? Do you own an Instant Pot?

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