My toddler is a picky eater. Here are a few tips that are helping me through this time of trying to find healthy foods to incorporate into my child’s diet!
Before I became a mother, I thought I would be able to persuade my children to eat just about anything I put in front of them.
I knew that they would have no problem eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and more. I would judge other moms if I saw their children eating junk food and promised myself that I wouldn’t be that mom.
Well, truth is, after I became a mother, I realized that I did become “that mom.”
I can’t say that my children have a perfectly healthy diet, but we are making big improvements. When I went to my daughter’s two year wellness checkup recently, I found out that she’s a bit underweight for her age. It’s tough to hear that as a mother! I felt that I wasn’t feeding her enough and was a bit discouraged.
After leaving the appointment, I found myself researching ways to add more calories to her diet as well as what supplements to try so that she could gain weight and get the quality nutrition that she needed to be strong and healthy.
Dealing with a picky eater can be difficult, but be patient! If you’d like to know how we are making improvements with our toddler’s diet, read these 5 tips for picky eaters.
Allow your toddler to experience a variety of healthy snacks.
Fill an ice cube tray with finger food snacks including fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
Allow your toddler to explore their tray of healthy foods and you’ll be able to get a good idea of what new foods that he/she prefers.
My five year old loves these snack trays! We don’t use them everyday, but when I do prepare them, she gets so excited when she can try something new from her tray.
Offer nutrient dense foods for your toddler during mealtimes and at snack time.
Examples of nutrient dense foods include peanut butter, Greek yogurt, eggs, cheese, sweet potatoes, and avocados.
Use cookie cutters to cut a variety of healthy snacks into cool shapes including stars, hearts, dinosaurs, and more! Make food fun!
Plant a garden.
Plant a small garden full of fruits and veggies!
Use containers if you are limited on space. Allow your toddler to help care for the garden as well as pick the fruits and vegetables when they are ripe.
Toddlers may be more interested in eating foods that they were able to help grow.
One of the biggest challenges as a mom is finding foods that all of my kids will enjoy. Every time I go to the grocery store, I try to find at least one new food that they can try. I bring it home for them and see if it’s a hit with everyone. If my kids like it, I most likely purchase the item again during future grocery store trips.
I also like to experiment with new foods for my baby boy. He’s growing fast and has been introduced to more solids lately. He’s been having some issues with digestion and I have been changing his diet to include more high fiber foods, nutrients, and even probiotics for his gut health.
When I went to my local Target last week, I found Happy Baby Whole Milk Yogurt for my baby boy in four different flavors: Plain, Blueberry, Peach & Mango, and Banana & Sweet Potato. Because we are trying different foods and flavors, I picked up every flavor for him to try. This whole milk yogurt is an excellent choice for your baby’s early foods because it contains nutrients such as calcium, protein, live and active cultures, and vitamins. It’s organic whole milk yogurt made with vitamin D, probiotics, no added sweeteners, and is non-GMO.
Guess what moms? Not only does my son enjoy these tasty yogurt cups — I do, too! I like to put a few cups in the freezer for myself to enjoy as a snack mid-day. Yum! This is one product that I will be going back for more of.
Here are my tips for getting my family to try new foods:
1. Find at least one new item each time you go to the grocery store that no one has tried. Serve it to see what each family member thinks of each new food.
2. Experiment with different textures. Try a mixture of chewy, crunchy, creamy, smooth, soft, slick, etc. This will give you an idea of what textures your child prefers.
3. Allow your child to help you prepare each snack or meal. Kids may be more likely to try foods they are able to create and make for themselves.
How do you get your family to try new foods? Any tips? Leave a comment below!
Head to your nearest Target and find Happy Baby Whole Milk Yogurt in the refrigerated aisle!
Try all flavors to see which ones your baby likes best. Our favorites in order? Blueberry, Peach & Mango, Banana & Sweet Potato, and Plain.
This is a sponsored post in partnership with Pelican Water. All opinions are mine.
Next month, I’ll be celebrating my 36th birthday! I plan to enjoy my special day out with my husband and three kids. We will most likely go to a kid friendly restaurant and then out to a local movie theater to see an animated movie.
As I get older, I think about how I need to take better care of myself. I notice that as each new year passes, I get another new ache or pain somewhere in my body. After having three kids, I’ve accepted that my body is not young anymore like it used to be! One of the ways I’m trying to take better care of myself is by drinking more water. I admit, I forget to drink water most days. I’m always so busy taking care of the kids and household chores that I rarely think about drinking water during the day. Instead, I consume several cups of coffee, stevia sweetened tea, and occasionally a diet soda. However, I’m making changes and reminding myself to drink at least eight glasses of water each day. Because of this, I wanted to share with you my personal tips for drinking more water throughout the day.
How to Stay Hydrated as a Busy Mom
1. Drink a glass of water as soon as you get up.
This is easier said than done as I prefer coffee before I drink anything else. I do notice that when I drink water first thing in the morning, it gives me an instant energy boost and helps me to focus a bit better on the tasks I need to get done.
2. Invest in a quality water filtering system.
Water can be expensive if you buy it by the case. Instead, save some money and invest in a water filter! I like knowing that my water is clean when I drink it. This year, I’m using the Pelican Water Premium Countertop Drinking Water System instead of buying water bottles. Not only are we saving money each month, we are creating less waste and we do not have to toss out numerous bottles everyday. The Pelican Water Premium Countertop Drinking Water System is the most convenient and cost-effective solution for delicious, healthier water. This system filters lead, chlorine, and more! It’s easy to use and easy to install.
3. Fill up your reusable water bottle.
Keep a reusable water bottle handy and keep it filled and near you during the day. It’s easier to remember to drink water if you have easy access to it during the day. Refill your bottle when it gets low.
4. Set an alarm. If you have trouble remembering to drink water each day, set an alarm every few hours as a reminder! When the alarm goes off, drink your glass of water. If you do this at least 6-8 times a day, you are likely to get in your daily water intake versus getting too busy and forgetting. Trust me, it’s easy to forget to drink water throughout the day if I don’t set an alarm as a reminder. We all know that trying to get in your water intake before bed isn’t such a good idea and you’ll most likely spend a lot of time getting up to use the restroom in the middle of the night. 5. Drink a glass of water when you are putting on/taking off your makeup.This is actually one of my favorite tips. There’s something about getting dressed for the day and drinking a glass of water in between applying makeup for the day. It just makes me feel healthier when I know that I’m hydrating my body as I prepare for the long day ahead.
I hope these tips above come in handy and help you stay hydrated. Drink up!
Are you trying to drink more water this year?
Are you tired of feeling like a grouchy mom? Here are 5 ways to fight grouchiness as a mom.
I know I’m not alone in admitting that sometimes I am a grouchy mom. As much as a I adore my kids and want to make their childhoods as wonderful and magical as possible, there are definitely times when I just want to be left alone to sit on the couch in peace!
Yet, while it is okay to have an occasional grouchy moment, it’s not okay to be grouchy so often that it’s a way of life. If you’re one of the many, many moms who is grouchy way more often than they’d like, here are five ways to fight grouchiness as a mom that you need to do today!
5 Ways to Fight Grouchiness as a Mom
Get Enough Sleep
You know how your toddler gets super grouchy when he misses his nap? Yeah, parents are the same way–though we don’t generally throw ourselves on the floor and have a tantrum. If you are trying to burn the candle at both ends and you’re not getting enough sleep, tonight’s the night to make sleep a priority. Even if you have a lot on your plate, you’ll get a lot more done and be a lot happier doing it if you can approach your day well rested.
How often do you go through a day only eating your child’s leftovers or forgetting to eat at all? If your body doesn’t have the fuel it needs, you aren’t going to have the energy you need to be a fun, happy and joyful mom. Buy meals and snacks you can grab quickly or prep things in advance. Either way, make sure you eat!
Take a Deep Breath
When your children are bouncing off of the walls and driving you crazy, sometimes the best thing you can do is to simply take a deep breath and count to ten. Don’t give in to your gut reaction to yell or fly off the handle. You know it doesn’t work. Take a deep breath and approach the situation calmly and rationally. Everyone will be glad you did.
Feeling stressed? Look into essential oils! My favorite – Lavender for calming and relaxing!
Adjust Your Expectations
While I’m a firm believer that kids are capable of much more than we give them credit for, the truth is that they are still just kids. They’re still learning, and they will make mistakes and have accidents. That is okay. Accept it as part of the job–not something that has to ruin your day.
Take a Night Off
Finally, if you feel like you’re getting to the end of what you can handle, it’s okay to take a night off. Have your husband, friend or relative watch the kids for a few hours while you go shopping or out for a run. Plop the kids down in front of the TV for an hour with cereal while you flip through a magazine. You don’t have to be supermom. It’s okay to give yourself a break.
Do you find yourself being a grouchy mom more often than you’d like? What tricks do you use to help you make it through the day?
Do you live in an area where you get winter storms? Consider creating a Winter Power Outage Survival Kit as soon as you can so that you’ll be prepared during a possible power outage!
Pictured above: The icy winter storm that hit the south in February 2014. Many were unprepared and faced electrical outages lasting for days. This is the view from my back porch. The ice was a few inches thick and covered trees, roads, poles, mailboxes, etc.
This winter, we faced a very rare ice storm in the south. The last major ice storm in our area was about 10 years ago, so many of the people in my community were unprepared for this event.
Growing up in the south, I’ve never really had to worry about too many natural disasters. We were too far inland to worry about hurricanes or earthquakes, and we weren’t located in the tornado valley.
However, we are familiar with severe thunderstorms that could produce damaging winds and large hail and there’s also the possibility of another ice storm in the future. It happened recently and it could happen again.
Pictured above: This is a picture of a pine tree in our back yard. The limbs were hanging very low to the ground because of the weight of the ice on the pine needles and branches. One large tree limb did snap in half during this ice storm.
When we heard that we had a possibility of an ice storm, I went into panic mode. I wasn’t prepared. I planned for the worst and tried to come up with an emergency kit that would get my family through the storm.
I made a list of all of the items we needed in the event that our electricity would be out for days. Then, I went to the store and stocked up so that I was prepared for the winter storm approaching.
Thankfully, we didn’t lose our power during this winter storm, but we do know of several friends that lost their power for DAYS. I was thankful we had our emergency survival kit just in case we needed it!
It’s time to get prepared! You never know when a storm may hit causing power outages and other damages. It’s never too early to prepare and it’s a great idea to set aside a space in your home for an emergency survival kit for your family.
Then, designate a space in your home to keep your emergency supplies so that you’ll know where to find everything in the event that you lose power or need those items.
Include items in your emergency kit that will get you through an electrical outage.
Candles and Lighter or Matches
***Update: I recommend using these LED flameless candles instead of real candles, especially if you have small children! Stock up on batteries for these flameless candles. ***
You’ll need candles for a constant light source during power outages, especially at night, just make sure you blow them out before going to bed of course! Also, keep out of reach of children.
I like to have a large candle for the main room and smaller votives for the smaller rooms.
If you don’t have any glass candle votive holders around your home, invest in a few of those and include them in your kit. I prefer unscented candles during these events.
We can set them all around the house and each kid can have their own lantern to carry around.
Flashlights
Flashlights are very important during electrical outages. It’s best to have one flashlight for each person in the family and it’s never a bad idea to have more in case they break during these events.
Flashlights are great for making shadow puppets on the wall with the kids! You’ll also need batteries on hand for your flashlights — this takes me to our #3 on the list.
Stash away extra batteries in your emergency kit. I include most sizes: AA, AAA, C, and D batteries in my kit. I use them for our flashlights, weather radio, tap lights, and games for the kids during electrical outages.
Tap Lights
I love tap lights. It’s great to have several of these around during an electrical outage. They are battery operated and are perfect to have during an outage.
Just pop in the batteries into these lights and you are good to go.
I have a few tap lights for bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as one cute star and moon tap light for the girls to use at bedtime that projects stars and the moon onto the ceiling!
Weather Radio
I finally invested in a quality NOAA weather radio this year. After years of being caught off guard by thunderstorms, I decided it was time to get alerts before a storm hits.
This is by far one of my favorite purchases I’ve invested in for my family. I have my weather radio plugged in at all times and it’s also battery operated.
In the event that the power goes out, I’ll just pop in a few batteries and I can still get alerts during the outage.
First Aid Kit
You never know what kind of boo-boo’s might occur during an electrical outage. Have a well stocked first aid kit on hand just in case.
It’s also important to have a bag of your important medications on hand during these events.
You may not be able to leave your house due to ice on the road, downed power lines, or other damage. Make sure your prescriptions are filled before a storm.
Water
I keep a jug of water in my emergency kit as a back up. I recommend more than one jug, but I always keep at least one in my kit just in case a storm hits that I was unaware of and didn’t have time to prepare for.
If I know a storm is coming, I usually stock up on several cases of water.
Update: During the 2020 Texas Winter Storm, my dad called me to tell me they lost water. He was having to shovel snow into storage containers and allow time for it to melt for it to be used to flush toilets, etc.
I had a stash of clean milk jugs for milk jug crafts and decided to fill them all up to have on hand in case we had a problem that winter!
Food and Snacks
During an electrical outage, you’ll lose power to your refrigerator and freezer. Therefore, food will go bad and get spoiled if it’s not cooled properly. Include a few of your favorite food and snacks in your kit that have a long shelf life, such as canned goods, nuts, and other items.
I keep a bag of trail mix in our kit but as I mentioned above, if I know a storm is coming, I usually stock up on food and snacks and keep those on hand during power outages.
Activities For the Kids:
Keeping the children entertained during a storm or power outage can be a challenge if there isn’t a plan. Sometimes children don’t understand what’s happening during a storm and can be frightened with the scary sounds and flashes of lightning.
Include activities in your emergency kits for the kids as well. Here are a few of my recommended items to include in your kit along with activities for the kids during these events.
Items to Include in Your Emergency Kit for Kids for Entertainment:
Books
Includea few children’s books in your emergency kits for the kids to read during a storm or power outage. Kids love using flashlights, so give them a flashlight and allow them to read during a storm or outage.
I keep weather related books in my kit to read to my girls. They are still young and get very scared when they hear thunder or see lightning. I read these books below to my girls to calm them down during a storm.
Coloring Books with Crayons and Markers
Coloring can be very calming for children. In the event that you find yourself waiting out a storm or even during power outages, coloring books with crayons and markers are perfect to have around to keep the kids entertained!
Games and Puzzles
Add a few games for the kids to play including card games, memory, or even battery operated games they can play during a storm. Be sure to charge electronic games before a storm as well.
I added a game called “Elefun” to our emergency kit. I chose this game because it includes Glow in-the-Dark Fireflies – perfect for an electrical outage! This game requires batteries that are included in my emergency kit.
Stickers and Paper
Stickers are always fun to keep around. Provide stickers and paper for your children and allow them to create picture scenes on their paper using the stickers.
Fun Dough
Kids love using their hands. Keep their hands occupied during a storm with Play-Doh! Allow them to create fun animals or other characters during the event.
Glow Sticks and Glow Bracelets
Glow sticks are always fun to use during an electrical outage! Glow sticks usually last for a few hours and can provide entertainment for the kids.
Glow in-the-Dark Stars
Hang Glow in-the-dark stars on the wall during a power outage and watch them glow for hours! These may be great to include in the kid’s bedroom at night to ease their fear of a storm.
Hang Indoor String Lights
Hang up indoor string lights to produce some lighting during power outages. These can be hung on the wall, or laid across a mantle, etc.
Build an Indoor Fort
Allow the kids to get creative and build a fort or tent in the family room. Grab the flashlights and tell stories or read books in the fort.
Make Shadow Puppets on the Wall
Use flashlights to shine onto the wall and make shadow puppets with your hands as a family. Put on a puppet show with your children and have fun!
Remember to Have Fun
Try to make the most out of your time if you are stuck inside during a power outage or storm. Make memories that will last a lifetime.
You can never be too prepared when a natural disaster, ice storm, or severe thunderstorm occurs. Create your home emergency kits soon and find a safe place in your home to store it so you’ll have it on hand during any one of these events. Stay safe!
What else would you include in your home emergency survival kit?
I work from home most of the day and keep two of my children home with me. I guess you can call me a WAHM (work-at-home mom). My 4 year old daughter and my 4 month old baby boy require a lot of attention during the day.
I take several breaks from my work to pay attention to their needs. There are many days where I choose to work at night after the kids are in bed because I simply can’t get a lot of work done when I’m taking care of them during the day.
I set my alarm each day for 1:45pm. This is the time I need to start wrapping up what I’m doing and prepare to pick up my oldest daughter from school. I have to pick her up by 2:30pm. From 1:45pm to about 2:15pm, I try to feed the baby, change his diaper, and load up the car. Sometimes I’m still trying to get myself dressed for the day at that time!
Juggling all of these daily tasks can be exhausting. By the time I pick up my daughter, I’m worn out and know that I still need to pull it together to spend time with her.
As soon as my daughter gets home from school, it’s snack time! She heads to the pantry and the refrigerator and rummages around until she finds a few snacks that she likes. With three kids in the house, I have to keep a stockpile of snacks around for my hungry little ones.
I compiled a list of our favorite snacks that we keep on hand for the kids. I chose my top 5, and here they are! Stock up on these snacks during your next shopping trip!
After School Snack Ideas
Pretzels and Peanut Butter
Pretzels and peanut butter are a great snack combination! Simply dip the pretzels in the peanut butter for extra protein! Choose between pretzel sticks or fun pretzel shapes.
String Cheese
Cheese sticks are easy and convenient to serve as an after-school snack. They are made with milk and are a good source of calcium and protein.
These tasty, easy, and convenient cheese sticks are perfect for lunch boxes as well.
Apples
Keep fresh fruit on hand for the kids to munch on after school. Eat them whole or slice them up! Apples are also great for dipping in peanut butter, too.
Crackers
There are many different types of crackers to choose from to serve as an after-school snack. Pair crackers with string cheese to add protein!
Yogurt
Yogurt is a popular choice at my house! Yogurt is easy to serve and includes calcium and protein, too. There are many different flavors to choose from. Add fresh fruit or granola to the yogurt!
These are our top choices for after-school snacks: pretzels with peanut butter, string cheese, apple slices, crackers, and yogurt. I’d love to know what snacks you would add to the list.
Create a plate with a few of the choices and serve them all together if you wish!
What after-school snacks do you stock up on for the kids?
Over the last two years, my husband and I have been working on getting our finances in order. We’ve always considered ourselves as “frugal” and we do love to save money and invest in our future. However, we knew that we could do an even better job of saving, especially now that we have three children. Looking into the future, there will be cars to save for, college, and weddings! If we don’t start saving now, we won’t have the finances we need to pay for these hefty experiences. The last thing we want to do is go into debt.
I’ve had a lot of confidence during this time to make several lifestyle changes so that we can get back on track financially. With kids at home, I’ve been very creative in finding ways to save money. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to where we are today, but I do want to share our family tips with you that have helped us save more for our family’s future. If you are a mom or a parent, you can apply these tips if you want to start saving more, too!
How to Teach Kids to Save Money
1. Purge excess toys.
We donated a lot of toys. Our goal was to simplify and minimize the toys and control our spending on future purchases. Our children seem happier with fewer toys and our bank accounts are happier, too! We see our children using their imaginations more during play time.
2. Check out books at your local library.
We stopped paying for books at the book fair and book stores. Instead, we visit our local children’s library every two weeks and check out new books. My girls look forward to checking out new books. This also teaches our children responsibility because they have to keep up with their books and gather them all before we turn them in.
3. Save gift money.
When our children receive money for gifts, we invest it and match it. Each child has a college account that we make regular investments into. We do allow them to keep some of their money to spend.
If you give a child money and take them shopping, chances are they will pick out something that will be tossed aside shortly after they bring it home. When I’m out shopping with my girls and they are using their own money to pay for things, I ask them a series of questions to make them think before buying something.
– Is this something you need or want?
– Do you want to save your money for something else?
– Is this something you really love?
– How long do you plan to use this item?
– How useful is this item you want to buy?
5. Shop smart during the holidays.
During the holidays, we shop smart by buying things that are still considered fun and awesome to our kids, but things they need, too. This can include items like new toothbrushes, shoes, clothes, accessories, sports equipment, art supplies, etc. We no longer buy items that end up as clutter in our home. Gifts are useful instead.
6. Pack a picnic.
To avoid high food costs, we pack picnic lunches for our family and head out to the nearest parks to enjoy time together. This helps us save money on eating out at restaurants and provides more memorable experiences for our family.
7. Shop at thrift stores.
I take my children with me to thrift stores to find clothes and other items like books. We rarely shop at retail stores and pay full price for anything. I love getting more for less. When looking for clothing, we do look for items that are free from stains, holes, rips and tears, etc. I can find new to almost new clothing for all three of my children at thrift stores.
There are many other ways we save for our family’s future, but these are the top ways we save. These savings add up over time!
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to help you sleep through the night!
