What you need to know about Cancer Insurance

Who Needs Cancer Insurance? Here’s What You Need to Know.

This post is sponsored by Aflac. All opinions expressed are my own. Read more here.

As many of you know, I experienced a few minor health events this year. Heck, I think 2020 has given a lot of people some form of hardship over the past few months. I have a very different perspective on life these days, and if there is one thing that I have picked up along the way, it is that one can never be too prepared, whether that means being fully stocked on food and medicine, having health insurance or saving up money for a rainy day.

I was beyond excited when Aflac reached out to me about working with them for a campaign promoting the company’s cancer insurance policy. Admittedly, I was nervous about this relationship because cancer can be a very touchy subject, and the disease has affected many lives. However, I also know that unfortunately, there are not enough conversations about the benefits of cancer insurance. While neither my family nor I have been affected by cancer, we do have first-hand experience with the disease through our friends. While the disease takes a significant physical toll on a person, it is easy to forget that cancer can take a financial toll, as well. Believe it or not, the disease can have a huge impact on your savings, even with health insurance. Aflac’s supplemental insurance plans help protect your finances when a covered health event or life situation presents financial challenges. In case of a diagnosis, Aflac wants you to focus on what matters most. Aflac cancer policies provide cash benefits directly to the policyholder, unless otherwise assigned, that they can use however they want. For example, Aflac policyholders can use this cash to help with expenses related to travel for treatment, providing day care for children or paying for everyday expenses like mortgage, rent or groceries.

Honestly, cancer sucks. Nobody wants to be affected by the disease. However, it is important to prepare for the unknown. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, take this time to consider the value of a supplemental cancer insurance policy, especially if you happen to have a family history. While I know this topic is a bit outside of my normal comfort zone, I believe it is super important for us millennials to get informed about the best coverage options suitable for our families’ needs. If a person receives a cancer diagnosis, the first thing that comes to mind is often the physical effect of the disease. However, cancer can be expensive, even with health insurance. Supplemental cancer insurance helps provide families financial support in the event of a diagnosis, allowing them to focus on getting better.

As we continue to navigate through this year and the years to come, I highly encourage you to call your local Aflac agent or go to Aflac.com to get your questions answered and get info you need to help plan for your future.

This is a brief product overview only. Aflac plans may not be available in all states, and benefits may vary by state, coverage, and plan level selected. Policies have limitations and exclusions that may affect benefits payable, including but not limited to pre-existing condition limitations. For additional information visit the Aflac Cancer insurance page on Aflac.com. For complete details of coverage, please contact your Aflac insurance agent. Coverage is underwritten by Aflac. In New York, coverage is underwritten by Aflac New York. WWHQ I 1932 Wynnton Road I Columbus, GA 31999 Z200696​​​​​​​​​​​EXP 10/21

Laundry Room Refresh

The thought of giving our laundry room a much needed makeover was in the back of my mind for months!

Make-ahead French Toast

BIG KID ROOM REFRESH WITH BIG LOT'S DREAM STREET COLLECTION

This blog post is sponsored by Big Lots, as always all opinions expressed are my own. You can read more here.

Summer Essential - Hydration

This post is sponsored by UCHealth, all opinions expressed are my own. You can read more about that here.

This year I was extra nervous for summer to arrive. Of course I was excited too but holy moly, I was going to stay home with four kiddos-- entertain them, feed them & stay on top the laundry (just kidding, the laundry is never ending).

A Letter To My First Born...

To the beautiful little girl who made me a mama,

Big Messes Make Great Memories

Recently, I started noticing a lot of people ask me how I manage to find balance with being a mom, wife, blogger & everything in between. To be very transparent, some days are easier than others. I don't like to think of it as something bad when days are simply not going the way I would like, but more as part of the ebbs and flows of life.

Bloom... It's allergy season!

Guess who's here? Spring, and summer is soon approaching! aaaaand allergies! We couldn't forget about those right?

Little Baby Basics with Carters

This post is sponsored by Carter's; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Life Is Good!

Ok so I can not believe it has been 2 months since we moved into out home already. We have been enjoying our space so much and making it our own is the best part!

When & Where to go for Health Care

This post is sponsored by UCHealth, as always all opinions are my own, you can read more about that here.

As a millennial mom of 4 living in the twenty first century, I feel very fortunate to know that I can count on a quick video call with a physician, or make a quick stop to an urgent care facility at UCHealth  when a health situation at home occurs. I am here to share with you many other ways to get care, even when things come up unexpectedly and you need to be seen asap without it costing your entire life savings.

Bringing Baby Home -Life's First Moments-

December 26, 2018 12:13 am - I was in bed on my phone scrolling through Instagram because at this point in pregnancy I just couldn't really sleep anymore. I tried to switch sides and as I slowly moved, my water broke!

THIRD TRIMESTER WITH BLOOMLIFE

Thank you Bloomlife for sponsoring this post, content and all opinions expressed are my own.

With my first pregnancy, I remember going into the hospital like 5 times before I was actually in labor. The nurses asked if I was having regular contractions and although I was so silly as to think that a little cramping here and there were contractions, it would have been nice to know that I could keep track all of that valuable information on my phone with the help of Bloomlife. 

32 Week Bump Date | How It Really Feels To Be Pregnant With Baby #4

Hi Friends! I can't believe November is already here and we are now in the single digit weekly count down to meeting our baby boy! Although I am super excited to meet him, I want him to stay in my belly for as long as possible. With this being my last pregnancy I have been trying really hard to soak in all those little moments because I know that I will miss it so much. I absolutely love being pregnant so closing this chapter in my life is definitely very emotional, but my husband and I have always said four littles is what would complete our family. With that being said, I will not do anything to naturally induce my labor like I have done in the past. We will wait until he is ready on his own and welcome him with all the love.

Due Date

December 30, 2018

Weight Gain

I have gained a little over 20 pounds so far, which is average for me. I don't usually gain more than 25-30 pounds. Although, I do eat anything my little heart desires and don't limit myself to anything (unless it is unsafe to eat during pregnancy) because I do balance out my diet pretty well.

Baby's Size

According to my baby app, baby is as big as a squash. He is measuring 15.3 inches and weighs about 3 pounds, this is what my ultrasound tech told me at my 31 week appointment. My OB requested that I get another ultrasound because my belly measures on the smaller side, more like 29 weeks. It is not a surprise to me because all of my babies have measured smaller. She suspects that baby A will probably be around 5-6 pounds and he is currently ranging on at the 16th percentile. 

Symptoms 

Thankfully I have had really smooth pregnancies with all four of my babies, I think the toughest one was with my oldest. I was so sick the first trimester, I could't keep anything down and I lost a ton of weight. With Avie and this last pregnancy,  I never experienced morning sickness, nausea, or vomiting, everything was super smooth and enjoyable - up until I was about 24 weeks pregnant. I started to feel more and more exhausted, my baby wasn't walking yet so she still had to be carried everywhere and I was doing the school run Monday-Friday. As of right now I feel great, I do get extremely tired and by 3pm my hips and legs start to give me the worst time. Lately, I have been experiencing a really bad leg pain, my OB says it is because of the pressure from the baby and plus being an active parent with 3 littles that always have something going on is giving my body a run for my money. I would say 85% of the time my hips hurt, like a lot! I can't sleep anymore and switching sides is probably my work out of the day.

Sleep

I don't get much sleep to be quite honest, and it stinks because I feel like we just passed the sleep regression stage with Avie and now here I am with pregnancy insomnia, googling how to make a no-bake berry chantilly cake at 1 in the morning. I seriously need like 30 pillows on top of my pregnancy pillow, since my legs and hips hurt so much, the higher they are raised when I am laying down the better it feels. On top of going to bed late, I have a hard time falling asleep and wake up like 10 times to go to the restroom and Oh Em Gee, getting up from bed is the WORST! Suddenly, everything hurts even more at that moment so I have to wake up my hubby to help me. I feel so bad because I literally wake him up more than 5 times but then I remember that I only wish I could sleep like him so whatevs, he falls back asleep in seconds anyways - not. even. lying! 

Waddle Expert 

I am officially an expert waddler, and although I have yet to receive an award for that - I can confidently say that I have mastered the waddling and still look cute AF (or so I thick, because my hubby still turns his head when I am walking by... except I don't know if its because I look cute or because he is questioning my walking skills. I take the first guess).

Swelling

I haven't noticed much swelling during the day but as it starts getting closer to 6pm I start noticing my hands and feet swell up a bit. I have to take off my ring in order to feel comfortable and I feel like my feet start to pulse a little. Unfortunately, this is one of the busiest times for me as I am getting the last things done before the day ends and preparing the kids for bedtime routines. Usually, they are sleeping by 7:45-8pm so at that time is when I will do a quick power mode cleaning, plan out outfits for everyone for the next day, prep lunch and then sit down to work on the blog, answer emails, check IG, edit photos, make sure I have a post ready for tomorrow etc. By this time my feet are really swollen and I will rub them a bit with coconut oil and put on warm/hot socks before bed. This helps with the swelling tremendously.

Slap in the face

Last week I went in for a regular check up and had the glucose test done along with checking my iron levels. Well, results came back and turns out I have very mild anemia. My iron levels were a bit low and my OB suggested to prescribe me iron supplements but I declined and instead I went out to Whole Foods and bought myself some organic iron supplements (all with her approval and dosage recommendation) and I also researched more iron-rich foods so that I can incorporate them into my diet. I came to the conclusion that I will be making myself morning iron-rich smoothies to help out my absorption of iron. Although, I was told that it can take several months to a year to restore iron levels but I accept the mission. I want to be as healthy as I can for myself and for my children because severe anemia can be risky. For those of you who don't know, anemia is a condition in which the body lacks sufficient amounts of red blood cells, which are needed to carry oxygen through the body. When iron levels are low, the red blood cells are unable to carry oxygen to the body's tissue and although it is normal to experience mild anemia during pregnancy due to increased blood volume; it can put you and your baby at risk for premature delivery and low birth weight. 

Name game

Sorry, no name picked out yet. We go back and forth with two but haven't made the final choice.

Keeping up with life 

Sometimes I can't believe we are going to be a family of 6 before the year ends. It brings me so much joy and so many emotions run through me. Although I am so incredibly excited to meet this little babe, I want to be completely transparent with you all. It is hard! Keeping up with everything that we already had going on, taking care of my kids and my hubby, while maintaining a social media presence and being a housewife is fucking hard! I tell my husband that my body would not be able to take on another pregnancy, literally. I am so dead by the end of the day, I want to cry for my mommy lol. I give props to every parent out there, even if you only have one kid. Shit gets HARD!! Oh and disclaimer, I don't always have everything done and put together. I am so glad we don't get many visitors because lets just say I would love for you continue being my friend haha. 

xo, Romelia 

What's In My Diaper Bag: Packing For Three

Hi friends! I am so excited to share this post with you all today because I absolutely love when other mamas in similar positions as me share what they pack up in their diaper bag. I thought it would be a great time to share how I manage to stay some-what sane while being out and about with an organized and functional diaper bag.

Diaper Bag

As a mom of three, I have learned that I am obsessed with diaper bags. No shame here, I love them all and it is so much fun learning about each individual bag and what functions they serve. Not all bags that I have tried have made it to my favs list but my new Fawn Design Diaper bag has been giving me life. I have used it for about 3 months now and I absolutely LOVE it! The fact that my hands are free for more hugs, toys and everything else my kids hand me, is so amazing! I loose track of how many compliments I get because it is so stylish and did I mention they make mini sizes too? I mean the perfect bag and matching with your mini mama is probably the next best thing to eating Krispy Kreme donuts in bed. 

Check out my organizing skills, goals right? Kidding, but boy does this zippered top make me so happy! I can see where everything is and I don't need to dig through it to find what I'm looking for.

Everything I Pack!

For 18 Month Old Toddler 

• Diapers | Please, never leave home without them. I have been there and it is NOT pretty, which is why I always carry back-ups in my car but thats a whole new post common' at ya soon!

• Wipes | These things are pretty much made to be a moms best friend. 

• Diaper Ointment & Diaper Brush | Because you never know! I love using the Babybum Diaper Creme Brush because its mess free and such a cool product!

• Swaddle | Also a moms best friend, I use a swaddle for my toddler all the time when I am out and about. Sometimes she needs a nap and loves to sooth herself with her blankie, or we forget our 5-in-1 Cover for the shopping cart or high chair, so we use a swaddle. Better than nothing right? 

• Changing Pad | Definitely a must! I have also forgotten our before and have had to drop everything to go change her in the car. Or I use the swaddle but then I would be swaddle-less, which is not pretty either.

• Organizer Bags | These bags are what make packing a dream for me! They help me stay super organized and with the mesh panels, it allows me to clearly see what's inside.

- Organizer Bag 1 | Change of Clothes 

usually it will be a simple top and 

leggings, (depending on the season) 

undies, socks and pants for big brother (3yrs), 

undies, socks and leggings for sissy (6yrs).

- Organizer Bag 2 | Feeding Essentials

here I pack a bandana bib, disposable bib and placemat,

hand sanitizer, lotion and spork. 

• Small Trinket Bag | I always carry a small little bag with some of Avie and Ayans' favorite trinkets like: blocks, finger puppets, play phone, small measuring tube and pompoms (she will literally spend like 30 mins putting them in and taking them out, its a great way to entertain her when I am at a doctors appointment, a phone call etc.), cars, small zoo animals etc. I change them up every so often but the tube and pompoms stay.

For 3 Year Old Toddler 

• Change of clothes like mentioned above

• Trinket bag 

• Small notepad and a few crayons 

For 6 Year Old

• Small notepad and crayons

• Change of clothes like mentioned above. She very rarely has accidents, they are more like her outfit got really dirty, or she spilled something etc. 

• LOL Dolls | I keep one or two LOL Dolls in the trinket bag with some accessories for her, she loves them.

For Everyone 

• Wet Bag with Snacks | I will NOT leave out the door without snacks and I love packing easy dry snacks in my wet bag. Usually I pack granola bars one for each of us, gold fish, crackers, pepperoni slices, cuties, etc. If I'm packing fruit or things that need to stay cold, I pack them separately in a bigger snack bag and add ice packs to keep things cold. Let me know if you want to see a post on this!

• Clorox To-Go Wipes | Because messes

• Neat Cheeks Face Wipes | For messes on kids

• Small First-Aid Kit | Bandaids, ointment, and more bandaids because kids.

For Mom

• Note Pad & Pen | I am a very visual person and I love to write things down so this is a must for me. 

• Portable Charger

• Chapstick & Lipgloss

• Hand Lotion 

• Gum 

• Wallet & Phone 

• Hair Tie 

And that's a wrap! Did I miss anything? Let me know! 

xo, Romelia 

PAMPERS SWADDLERS WITH HEART QUILTS

 #SwaddledInLove

This blog post is written in partnership and sponsored by Pampers, as always all opinions are my own.

When you first hold your baby in your arms the world might come to a stop for you, there is nothing else that matters but that moment, it will stay in your heart forever!

Fall Bucket List - Denver Edition

&& Halloween Activities

All-In-One Shopping Solutions For The Busy Mom

This blog post is written in partnership with and sponsored by Big Lots. 

Have I mentioned how hard running errands can be? I am pretty sure I have mentioned it at least once or twice... maybe even three or four times.

First Trimester Essentials

- 4th Time Around -

When I was thinking about putting together this post, I made sure to really think about what I lived for during my first trimester. There are so many things on the market nowadays that it can get a little overwhelming - so here are my first trimester essentials, no strings attached, from mom to mom or mama to be ;)

Back to School 

-Life's First Moments- 

This post is in partnership with The Clorox Company as part of the Clorox Influencer program, as always all opinions are my own.

It all started when I printed out the school supplies list for my official 1st grader. Where the heck did the summer go? I could totally swear we were just at the splash pad and hitting up the pool like it was our job. My baby is now officially a 1st grader and this mama wasn't ready! Now if you ask her, her answer is completely different.