Anyone else's children go from awesome little eaters that will devour everything on their plate to "That's too spicy (At least that's what mine says when she doesn't want to eat something)." Just mine? I didn't think so. Toddlers are little finnicky creatures who bounce from one dislike to the next. The whole idea and newness of food has run out. It's exhausting and I really needed some fun ways of getting this child excited about food. So down into the depths of Pinterest I went to find some healthy snacks. And lo and behold I found a recipe for our new family favorite. Thanks to Baby Foode and their recipe for Unicorn Bark: https://babyfoode.com/blog/yogurt-unicorn-bark-toddler-kid-favorite/?epik=dj0yJnU9UTZuN2ctMl8tZXgwdngwWWgydmIzX3U0bVlHcDFjd1gmcD0wJm49T05WQVZoZWU1QTFzVUUtbERvZ2hqUSZ0PUFBQUFBR0FXQ0xv Instantly my little girl got really excited by it beacuse she is on a big unicorn and mermaid kick right now. So it was the obvious first choice on our Pinterest board of snacks to make. Ingrdients Needed: We diveded the yogurt in 3 bowls and dyed 1 pink. 1 purple, and let the other white. Then on a cookie sheet ibpoured the three colors on and let the little Miss swirl them around. it reminded me of our shaving cream activities. She had a blast. Then it was time for the best part....SPRINKLES!! Walmart even has these awesome Unicorn sprinkles with golden Unicoen heads. They really added to the whole feel. We then stuck the pan in the freezer. after a few hours we pulled out the pan, turned it upside down, and then broke it into tiny pieces. Honestly my favorite part was the satisfying sound and feeling of breaking it. The while process was oddly therapuetic. Both my children are loving this frozen snack!! It has been really great for teething as well. I am super excited to try this again, but maybe ocean or dinosaur themed next. really I think the possibilities are endless. As long as my kids are excited about a healthy snack, I am all for it. Cooking with kids is not just about ingredients.It's about harnessing imagination, empowerment, and creativity. -Guy Fiery Guy Fiery has it right. The newness of food and eating things that adults eat, has kind of worn off. It has now become a daily chore. It is now time to respark that excitement of eating again and relight that fire. My daughter is not only loving these new snacks, Unicorn Bark included, but she is experimenting and creating as well. i see more focus, concentration, and patience come out of her through this process as well. I feels so proud of her and I also feel a whole lot better about what she is eating.
Do you have any favorites snacks? Feel free to share below and I would love to try them out.
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Mom life....so my recent large break conincide with me becoming pregnant, going through another 9 months of twice daily morning sickness, extreme exhaustion, a vibrant and energetic 2 year old, a full time teaching job, Covid shutdown, a new baby boy, reliving newborn life again in a whole new world. Yup, I failed on this whole blog thing. I also tried this whole etsy store thing and that failed too. I used to be this crafty, artsy person who loved creating and experimenting. I have no idea how some mom's do it, find the time, and not feel like they are lacking. It's hard to admit. I FAILED. "Open your eyes to the beauty around you, open your mind to the wonders of life, open your heart to those who love you, and always be true to yourself." - Maya Angelou And that my friends is watching my two little ones bable and giggle, enjoying the sunshine, watching the excitement of Christmas lights from a 2 year old's eyes, midday sleepy snuggles when your arms are asleep but you hate to disturb them, your husbands extreme patience and excitement as he drinks from a tea cup trapped in a playhouse, the sound of music and a cool breeze, when your husband randomly twirls you in the kitchen. Little moments.
We are all failing in some way, so bask in your little moments. Take a step back and enjoy your wins. They are right in front of you if you just open your eyes. You got this my friends. Mia and I love our Lillebaby carrier!! We use it all the time now. Up till now I thought it was kind of silly when people put on what they called "suck pads" on the carrier to keep the baby from nomming on the straps. That was until here recently when my baby just loves to chew everything in site. The straps on our carriers now have baby slobber stains, lol. Lesson learned.... I decided to search around and price the "suck pads." Etsy has some wonderful people who will gladly make them for you and ship them for about $8-$20 for pre-made or $30-$50 for custom. I really wanted the curved style "suck pads" with some extra ribbon tags, a bib would be great for in a few weeks when we can forward face. So I was looking at spending $40 for what I wanted. A little too much for one item that my baby was just going to slobber and chew on. Instead I decided to try my hand at making my own for much cheaper by using this pattern I got from Fabric Ninja for $8.25. Materials Needed:
ProcessThe Suck Pad Pattern comes with a cut out pattern that you can attach to the fabric and then cutout which makes the process incredibly easy. The instructions are a little tricky when putting them together especially when dealing with two different fabrics. Once you figure out the correct way to lay the fabric and pin it together then it easy to sew and then flip inside out. I added extra ribbon tags for Mia to play with. I think they turned out pretty well and I am excited to try them out with some other fabric so I can create my own collection.
4 months....the false sense of security where you start to sleep in, the baby has cute smiles, she might even giggle, and you feel like you got this covered. And then BOOM...everything changes: The 4 Month Sleep Regression
How to Survive:1. Nap When You CanThis is easier said then done as I am a working mommy. After work when she slept I tried to sleep. I also traded off with my husband as he held in the evenings so I could nap and he could sleep through the night. Find time and sneak it in when you can l, even if it's just a cat nap. You will feel more refreshed and ready to trudge on. 2. If Breastfeeding DO NOT Drink CaffeineA double edge sword caffeine is when breastfeeding. Whatever you eat ends up with your little one after a couple hours. If you drink caffeine and it keeps you up, in a couple hours when you feed the baby that caffeine will hit their system and keep them up. A vicious cycle of keeping you and your baby up with little sleep, and leaving you both cranky and unhappy. 3. Shower Steam is Helpful For Stuffy NosesSit in the bathroom with your little one with a hot shower running. The hot steam will help loosen up some of the mucus. My daughters snot would harden in her nose and the steam would soften it just enough to be able to suck it out. This really helped before bed and helped her breathe easier for a couple of hours. 4. BathtimeA nice warm bath is very soothing, especially combined with baby sleepy time soap. My little slept better and calmed down more after a bath. We were even able to get a few smiles out of her, something we hadn't seen all week. 5. Cuddles
7. Hang in ThereNothing ever lasts forever, a cold nor the 4 month sleep regression. When you get a moment take some time for yourself and take care of yourself. Dry shampoo only gets you so far. Take a bath, paint your toes, eat a bag of chocolate, put on lipstick foe no reason, read a book, put on a face mask, something to make you feel better. Hang in there and know you are not alone. Other Mama's are out there with you. Plus those baby smiles are pretty worth it!
A day most working mom's dread....returning to work. My husband and I are both teachers, and in that sense are extremely lucky that we got to spend the whole summer with Mia. I have truly had the most wonderful time over the past three months and I have loved every moment. But alas August is now here and with it my first day returning to work, along with my first day being away from my daughter. Mommy Tip: Try to schedule some time away from your baby to start to condition yourself for returning to work. Start with an hour and work your way up.
go with your husband, he would also truly appreciate the chance to have some couple time together. Mommy Tip: Plan a date night and go with your husband or significant other, they would also truly appreciate the chance to have some couple time together.I put off thinking about returning to work as long as I could. The closer you get, the more real it becomes, the more the feelings start to hit. Nothing prepared me for the range of emotions I felt in the day leading up to work and the day of. It is almost like going through the 2nd trimester of pregnancy or the 3 weeks after birth with the wild roller coaster ride of emotions. Let me just say that the crying will start the few days before and hit the hardest the night before.
Mommy Tip: See tip number two. After dealing with your irrational thoughts and the waterfall of tears, your significant other deserves a reward. They are going to be putting up with a lot of crazy from you.The day of returning to work finally arrived. The morning of I was so busy double checking that I had everything for work and that Mia had everything for the babysitters I could not focus on what was happening enough to cry. We walked out the door and drove to the babysitters, still focused on if I packed enough of everything. Finally we arrived, my husband unloaded her bags, play gym, and rocker, while I brought in the baby.
He came back once I was done and sat me down. He told me "Sam, there is no prize for not crying. No one is going to congratulate you for you not crying over missing her. That baby loves you. Remember when she was born and she kept quaking (her little cries sound like a duck, so cute), when did she stop? She stopped when she touched your cheek and heard your voice. That baby is not going to forget that or you. You are her mother and nothing is going to change that." He was right. My wonderful babysitter sent me several pictures throughout the day and updates. We even go to share a laugh over her massive poop which resulted in an outfit change (Never trust my daughter's farts, they are never just farts. Lol). I returned after work to find her happy and doing well. She smiled when she heard my voice and we snuggled all that night.
But the night before and that morning, all I wanted was my baby and for her to feel loved and not abandoned by her mother. (Again irrational thoughts, I warned you they were coming.) Nothing can describe the amount of guilt and pain you feel. I was there I went through it. But I just want to let you know that IT IS OKAY TO CRYYou will not win a prize for not crying. There are others going through the exact same experience, reach out to them. It does not make the guilt and pain feel less, but it does give you solace that you are not alone and that you will be able to make it through this for your baby. Find other working moms, find blogs, follow someone on Instagram, or a Facebook page. There are people out there who share in your feelings and would be more than happy to talk with you, myself included. You are not crazy and it is okay to have those feelings, but it is important to find your strength and carry on for your baby. Remember that you are doing this to give your child a better life and one day you and they will appreciate it, maybe not right now but one day.
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Prime Day is nearly upon us and for those of us that have Amazon Prime it is almost like the second Black Friday of the year. This is an event filled with savings and lightening deals where people can get their large expensive items with a huge discount. Who doesn't love discounts?!?!?!
This event is fantastic for anyone with a baby or about to have a baby, with some items going from 5% to 70% off. Strollers, baby carriers, outfits, monitors, car-seats, you name it. Parents can get huge savings on items that would normally cost a ton of money, making life a whole lot easier for parents who need that extra savings (being a teacher I am one of them). So here in this post I am going to share steps on how to save and score on Amazon Prime Day. |
PRIME DAY IS
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Car Seats
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Other Baby Gear
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The last few weeks of pregnancy and the first few weeks of motherhood I spent all my time in the hospital or at my house. After the C-Section I was also confined to only the first floor of my house, which made matters worse. Now don't get me wrong I absolutely adore and love Mia, but even the strongest minds can cave under confinement. I was stuck in one level of my home, I was in pain, I was lonely (my husband had to go back to work after the first week), and I was tired. My only companions were my two dogs, Netflix, and this new baby that I was still trying to figure out how to take care of. Needless to say Cabin Fever snuck in pretty quickly. |
Get out the house and find some quick thing for you to do, even if its only 10 minutes. A change of scenery and faces will help you way more than you realize. If you are nervous to venture out into the world by yourself while also being responsible for this tiny fragile human being, find a relative or a friend to help. I highly recommend finding someone who is a mother or who has been a mother. They will keep you calm when the baby starts crying and find ways to help you find this new type of normal. |
August is approaching way to fast and in order to keep breastfeeding I needed to start breast pumping. I got a hold of my insurance and ordered a Spectra Breast Pump, easily my favorite and 100% covered. Check with your insurance to see what they cover you might be surprised. Breast pumps come with all sorts of accessories. So of course in girl fashion I needed a new bag! Who doesn't?!?! |
I was getting really discouraged and decided I would just use a lunchbox. While I was looking for a cute lunchbox I came across this Fit & Fresh Tote/Commuter Bag. It is advertised as a work bag where you can easily fit your lunch, a change of clothes, and work material. I saw its potential as breast pump bag and for only $44.99 I was like "Oh yeah!!" On the plus side it |
The Fit & Fresh Tote Bag easily fits my Spectra breast pump and its accessories. There is also plenty of room for other things. I was able tut in the breast pump bottles and connectors, Kinde bags, the tubing, power supply, a small cleaning kit, a book, my lunch, ice packs, full bags of breast milk, extra shirt (in case of leakage), extra cloth breast pads, and I still had room for more. |
There is a zippered section in the front that is insulated to keep food items cold. I saw this as a way to store any breast milk that I pump. Put a few ice packs in there and Viola!! Instant breast milk storage that can keep them cold for a day until I make it home from work. An absolutely essential aspect when trying to breast pump at work. This bag is going to make being able to |
Travel/Commuter Tote Bag Fit & Fresh $44.99 Product Info:
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This week we have hit the 6 week growth spurt combined with sleep regression. My once amazing sleeper is now up every 2-3 hours at night. Needless to say it has been a rough week for the hubbs and I, so we decided to go an a Baby Adventure! The weather was too nice to pass up yesterday, with the 82 degree weather and slight breeze. We needed an excuse to get out of the house and we have a small lake |
We are huge kayakers and this summer is going to be a little interesting in not getting to spend so much time on the water. The dome made it easy for us to achieve a little bit of normalcy, something really hard to achieve immediately after having a baby. We didn't have to worry about sand or bugs getting on her or Mia getting sunburnt. It was a fantastic outing and Mia even got to put her legs in the lake for the first time and she liked it. Woohoo! Lake baby here we come!! Early this week we took the dome with us to hang out on a friend's porch. Since Mia is too young for bug spray, I was super worried about keeping the bugs off of her and free from bug bites. Again the dome was super easy to use and it kept the bugs and shade off of Mia. A HUGE plus for me. I was also able to see her and check on her through the see through screen. This invention is literally one of the best and an absolute must have for active families. It can be used indoors or outdoors and folds up flat for |
My baby is very particular about what she lays down flat in, but this dome she absolutely loves!! It has just enough cushion so that it is not a hard surface and it is easily removable to be washed. Which is super convient because i changed her diapers multiple times in it and one of those diapers was a POOPSPLOSION and a little bit got on the cushion. As soon as I got |
My only complaint is that I wish it had a Velcro type latch to keep the two halves together. At the moment the one half with mesh slides over the bar of the permanent half. I believe the latch would add to its convenience and make it easier to use one handed. This is such a minor thing in the grand scheme of this awesome product that I easily overlook it. |
On the Go Baby Dome Fisher-Price $58.99-$79.99 Product Info:
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Mommy and Music Educator all wrapped into one. Navigating the joyous world of motherhood, music, and education.
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