Sponsored with love by Copper H2O
Photography by Briana Lindsey Photography

Skinny does not mean healthy. I get asked all the time, "What do you do to stay so fit?" Well, I chase a toddler around, I eat healthy and...I don't workout. I've got skinny genes and that's just how I am but the working out thing? It's definitely not my forte. I get bored after about two minutes on the treadmill and even thinking about going to the gym makes me cringe. It's just not something I like to do. I don't like it one bit and no matter how much I want to like it, it's just not going to happen.

Skinny doesn't mean healthy. Just like beauty, it's what's on the inside that counts. And recently I've thought a lot about my life with Ava, all of the years we have ahead of us and all of the memories I cannot wait to make with her. I want to live a long, happy and healthy life and so, I've been doing my best to help my body out and to start living a more healthy + active lifestyle WITH my baby girl.

It's hard staying motivated, I know, but everything we do to benefit our bodies from working out to the food and drinks we put inside of our bodies counts. Every single thing little thing counts.

And did you know that drinking water stored in a copper water bottle has amazing health benefits? Not gonna lie, when I first discovered Copper H2O, I was giddy. It's beautiful, just gorgeous, don't you think? Who knew a water bottle could be so pretty! I didn't until now but I've got all the heart eyes for this copper water bottle. Okay, so I like collecting water bottles and tumblers...it may or may not be a not-so secret hobby of mine. :)

The benefits of a copper water bottle.

Water stored in a copper water bottle acts as an effective anti-oxidant, improves immunity, eliminates toxins, stimulates the brain and has so many other health benefits. Who knew something so pretty could be so beneficial to our health? It'll definitely be my new favorite accessory moving forward.

And did you know that you can make natural alkaline water using your a Copper H2O copper water bottle?

So I'm just a mom over here with a pretty copper water bottle, trying to stay fit and trying to stay healthy without stepping foot in the gym. If you need a little motivation, here are five things I do to exercise without going to the gym and how I stay motivated:

5 Ways to Exercise With Your Kids Without Going to the Gym

(and how I stay motivated to do so)

1. Hiking + The Great Outdoors -- Grab a baby carrier (aka some extra pounds of weight) and head to the hiking trails. There's so much beauty to see in this world and hey, you can even let the babes run wild in the fresh air for a bit too!

2. Eyes on the Prize -- If I set my eyes on the prize (aka Starbucks), it makes my walks so much more worth while. So I grab a stroller and my Starbucks prize is plenty to motivate me.

3. Friends Help Pass the Time -- Grab some mommy friends and walk together! Believe me, five miles around Westlake passes by much quicker than you think when you've got girlfriends to chat with the whole way!

4. Dance the Night Away -- ...or the day away. Ava and I have daily dance parties and while they typically only last a couple songs, it's better than sitting on my bum, right?

5. Do fun things! -- We make it a point to do something fun every day of the week. We head to the farm, play at the park, have soccer, gymnastics and ballet, go swimming, run in the sprinklers, go to the beach or just stay at home and play fetch with Baxter in the back yard. Staying active for even an hour a day while enjoying something fun every day of the week is far healthier than sitting on a couch for that same hour every day.

And most of all, don't think of exercise as exercise. Think of it as fun...because it totally can be and your body will surely thank you. :)