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How does your vitamin rank? Knowledge is power.
Sticking with the baby theme this week - when someone is pregnant, the vast majority of us know that they should take a prenatal vitamin. (Ideally, many doctors suggest starting one when women are trying to conceive and continuing through the first weeks of breastfeeding). But after most any trip to the vitamin aisle (or worse online) it's easy to feel overwhelmed and confused by various marketing claims and touted health benefits. (Especially when you're hormonal!)
That's why at Inspired by Dawn we love this resource we discovered recently that rates various types of vitamins by brand. It's called LabDoor.
"LabDoor buys dietary supplements and energy drinks off retail shelves and sites. Then, we send each product to an FDA-registered laboratory for a detailed chemical analysis. Our technical team then collects the laboratory results and builds algorithms to translate this data into simple grades and rankings."
They provide detailed rankings of "25 of the best-selling prenatal vitamins," as well as prenatal DHA supplements (often recommended for pregnant women as well). But, of course, they go far beyond just prenatals and rank a wide variety of multivitamins and various other vitamins and supplements that any of us might be taking to maintain our health - probiotics, fish oil, vitamin D, etc. In fact they even break out multivitamins for men, women, kids, 50+, etc.
We're so glad we stumbled upon this site. After all we all want to take better care of ourselves. But it's also good to know what unintended ingredients we might be taking along with our daily vitamin. Knowledge is power!
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Celebrating Fall Babies
Did you know that more babies are born in August and September than any other months of the year? As a result most of us probably know someone - a sister, a daughter, a neighbor, a friend - who either recently gave birth or is about to in the next few weeks. And no matter how close you may or may not be to that new or expectant mom, it's hard not to be excited for them and share their joy in welcoming an innocent, helpless little being into the world.
Inspired by Dawn has been welcoming, and is set to welcome, some of these beautiful beings in our social circle of late and it got us thinking about what to give those new, veteran and expectant moms. So we've curated a short, but sweet list of gift ideas for this blissful time of year...
- Pamper - Gift new or expectant mom a pedicure at her favorite local spa, or better yet offer to rub her feet, paint her toes and listen to her mix of emotions. She'll love you forever!
- Nourish - Bring a ready to eat meal, a frozen entree or gift certificate to her favorite take-out restaurant. Make staying healthy as easy as opening the fridge or picking up the phone.
- Memory - Help take just a little of the pressure off of the new mom by giving her the tools to remember the big and the little things.
- Gift her a small journal and pen to keep on her nightstand or her nursing nook to jot down all those little firsts about their new bundle and the emotions surrounding them - whenever the occur (3am?)
- Part of taking care of herself and her new little one is continuing to take her prenatal vitamins and/or DHA supplements even after giving birth. Help her keep track of whether she took her dose each day a with a stylishly discreet pill box.
- More - Looking for more inspiration? Check out Inspired by Dawn's Great Gifts for Moms-to-Be Pinterest board
Summer with Style
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Does Style Matter?
This month we've been focused on style and function. We've looked at how new (fitness trackers) and old (readers, the one-piece) products are being reinvented and infused with a renewed sense of style - all while not sacrificing function.
But why do we care so much? Why does style matter? If the product can deliver the function expected from it then why does style even come into the equation?
At Inspired by Dawn, we believe style is self-expression, it is art. Design and style have power. They can impact how we feel about ourselves, our environment, even our work! That's why we believe in going beyond well-designed and -crafted solutions and alway adding that extra dose of style, fashion and luxe - Bringing Style to Life - to everything we do. It's what inspires us and we hope what inspires you!
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Style and Function Redux - The One-Piece
As we all firmly grasp the last weeks of summer, knowing that it is slipping away all too quickly, it's becoming clear that Summer 2015 defined style and function in a retro way - at least in swimwear. You may have noticed one-pieces made a significant resurgence this summer at the beach and the pool. (We pinned quite a few to our Inspired Summer Style Pinterest board.) There was even a recent New York Times article about the renewed popularity of the one-piece and how it offers women of all ages the ultimate combination of style and function at the beach and the pool.
Sales of one-pieces are up and women of all ages are embracing them. “They are no longer just seen for older women who are trying to cover up,” says the the founder of Marysia Swimwear. According to one mid-30s mom in the NYT article, “Bikinis are made for lying perfectly still, not playing with your kids,”. One-pieces allow moms and others to be active and still look great.
Many attribute the resurgence of the one-piece to modern styling. “'I think for lack of a better term, there are more ‘sexy’ one-pieces that have cutouts, peekaboo details and crochet that appeal equally to the two-piece wearer,' said Sabra Krock, who owns Everything but Water." Others agree that modern one-pieces enhance curves, and even create a little mystery in our over-exposed media world. We couldn't agree more!
So in these last few weeks of summer, grab your one-piece and wear it proudly. And while you're at it raise an icy cool beverage to the thriving marriage of style and function!
Want to see more ways to Live Life Inspired with a focus on style, health and simplicity? Sign up to receive Inspired by Dawn's email newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
Stylish Readers - Do they even exist?
Style and function - a cause near and dear to our heart at Inspired by Dawn. We believe that products can be useful and stylish. That style should complement function, and when it does it delivers an inspired result. For that reason we're highlighting other brands with similar ethos - combining style and function in their own unique way!
This week we're taking notice of a few companies that are bringing style to readers / reading glasses. For the uninitiated you may wonder if this is even possible? But rest assured there are plenty of options beyond those turnstile displays at the drugstore. (Hint - to my husband!)
- First is eyebobs. Back when Inspired by Dawn was still a dream, we heard about them. Eyebobs, like the Style Rx, were born out of necessity.
- Fetch Eyewear is another stylish option, with a charitable angle to boot! Readers come with a lifetime warranty and commitment to donate 100% of profits to animal rescue.
- Even Nordstrom has jumped into this stylishly functional pond with its own upgraded, yet approachable readers selection.
Happy shopping!
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Fitness Trackers Get a Style Upgrade
When we first conceived of the Inspired by Dawn brand we made it our mission to "Bring Style to Life" by marrying style and function into everything we do. We wanted to develop solutions for women to make their lives easier, and a lot more colorful! That's why we started with the Style Rx.
Well it turns out there are other brands and companies who are joining this movement and also trying to infuse a little style to otherwise practical products. In the next few weeks we'll highlight a few that we've uncovered. After all, most of us could use a little more style -- especially when it's seamlessly married with function!
First off, fitness trackers. They've become a go-to accessory for so many of us. Helping us track our activity levels, heart rates and sleep schedules. But until relatively recently they've lacked in the style category. In fact a New York Times article this week claimed “Because they’re ugly,” is one of the top reasons people give up on them (fitness trackers)"
Here are two that we've found that allow you to have your fitness, and your style too!
- Tory Burch for Fitbit
- Swarovski Shine Collection
Pretty sure we'll see more of these soon. After all who couldn't use a little more style with their function?
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When All Else Fails - 3 Products to Keep You Cool in Style
On this last day of July we're wrapping up our focus on how to stay cool in the heat of summer. Along the way we've shared must-have tips on style, sleep and foods to help us keep cool. This week we're sharing a couple great products to keep handy when all else fails!
- Hydrate: Take a cool beverage anywhere with this stylish chilled carafe
- Cool Pulse Points: Kick up the style factor several notches with a bracelet that cools you down
- Make Your Shade: Tie your hair up and grab a chic hat you can wear almost anywhere
Want to see more ways to Live Life Inspired with a focus on style, health and simplicity? Sign up to receive Inspired by Dawn's email newsletter and follow us on Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter.
Healthy Summer Recipe for Keeping Cool
Okay, so it's summer and it's hot. Our recent posts have suggested how to dress to stay cool and how to prep ourselves for sleeping in the hot weather, but what else can we do? Hint: it's the easiest, and arguably, the healthiest thing we can do to stay cool all summer long.
We've heard the adage "you are what you eat." Well in the summer it turns out that it's easier to make that a positive statement since many of the foods of summer are some of the healthiest -- and the coolest! So what should we make sure is on our plate to stay cool this summer? Read on for a rainbow of ideas...
- Watermelon - a summer essential that is hydrating, cooling, delish and requires zero prep
- Cucumber - sliced with hummus it's a perfect pool or beach-friendly snack
- Spinach - an easy salad green, just add some sliced strawberries, a sprinkling of goat cheese and your favorite dressing
- Citrus - some of the most cooling fruits, add some lemon slices to your water for some refreshing flavor and great hydration
- Fish - save the heavy comfort foods for the first freeze and instead toss some fresh fish on the grill - bonus that it cooks fast and doesn't heat up the house!
Bon appetit!
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