Packing Baby or Toddler Snacks

Have you seen these little things before? They're designed to hold pre-measured amounts of formula powder for when you're out and about with baby. Not a bad idea! I used one of these with my exclusively formula-fed son and it came in handy.

My second baby was fed expressed breast milk, first through an NG-tube, then in a bottle and thickened with cereal. She had swallowing difficulties that prevented her from being able to nurse directly at the breast- the risk of aspiration with the thin liquid was too high. So, we again used this little container, but this time to hold pre-measured amounts of cereal for thickening the bottles.

Now... my third child? She was exclusively breastfed. Not only did she never have a drop of formula, but she never really took a bottle. I really didn't see any need for this contraption anymore.

Until I realized...



It's a PERFECT snack container! I'm able to pack three different foods for G and keep them all separate. (Here are some of our faves!) It's "crush-proof" and completely reusable. And it's easy to tuck into the diaper bag.

A quick, easy solution to toddler snacks on the go? That definitely works for me.

Children's Non-Fiction

When my nine-month old baby girl was in the emergency room with a spiral fracture of the right femur, we were also struggling with how to entertain our nineteen-month old son. As it got later and later in the night, I pushed a sleepy toddler in a stroller up and down the hospital corridors. We happened to stumble upon a cart of free books. Most of them were geared toward older children and adolescents... Baby Sitters Club series and such.

But I saw one slim paperback that looked like something I could, perhaps, read to my one year old. It was called Glaciers.

I had never read anything like it to my babies. We read all the time. But we read things more along the lines of Goodnight, Moon; The Runaway Bunny; Time for Bed; You Are Special, Little One; etc. This... this was... non-fiction.

And you know what? He adored it. He loved the simple text and real photographs. We read that book until it was tattered. (We still own the tattered copy, by the way.) We have since added eight more books by the same authors (Melvin and Gilda Berger).

Reading non-fiction with your children is just another way to embrace the joy and discovery of reading! Seeing their fascination as they learn new facts and formulate more questions about their world is a beautiful thing... every bit as beautiful as seeing them soothed by the gentle rhythms of bedtime stories or giggling at silly nursery rhymes.

Non-fiction for young children? Definitely works for me.

How about you? What are your favorite types of books to read with your children?

Learning From My Elders

Last weekend, we went to visit my grandma in her new home. It was our first time seeing her new apartment and, since we decided to make the trek on a whim, she was surprised to see us there. Happy, but surprised.

After visiting with her for awhile, rearranging a table to better meet her solitaire-playing needs, and escorting her down to the activity room to play Bingo, we said our goodbyes.

As we headed out the front door, an elderly lady touched my arm and stopped us.

"What a beautiful family!" she exclaimed, smiling at the baby in my arms and the children clinging to Daddy's hands.

"Enjoy them."

"Oh, I will..." I started to say, but she continued.

"Love them more every day. But, even more, love each other. Enjoy each other. Your children will see that. It will shape the relationships they choose."

I nodded.

"I'm not crazy," she laughed. "I hope I didn't scare you."

Quickly, I shook my head no and opened my mouth to speak, but she wasn't quite done...

"It's just... I saw you and it reminded me of me, long ago. I'm the only old bird left in my family now, but I remembered what it was like. I had four children too... Bless you." And she smiled softly as she headed back inside.

My son took my older daughter's hand and I took my husband's. We headed to the car.

Hubby and I have talked about that weekend a lot since. It was a long weekend- Columbus Day weekend- and we had three whole days together. All three were wonderful. We enjoyed each other. We laughed together. We teased each other.

And we weren't afraid to listen to a stranger... to glean some wisdom from our elder.

*Note: I only have three children. And I'm not expecting. I think she may have some vision problems. Just didn't want to start any rumors... ;)

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday

3 Quick Substitutes for a Lost Earring Back

Has this ever happened to you? You're out and about and feel your earring slip and realize... uh, oh- the back is lost. Then, if you're like me, you spend a few fruitless moments searching around before realizing that that teeny, tiny piece of metal could be anywhere.

At this point, you have two choices-

1. Remove the earrings and sport your naked lobes with pride. OR
2. Find a subsitute for the lost earring back.

Because I love my earrings, I usually go for option #2. Because this has, unfortunately, happened to me on numerous occasions, I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Should your find yourself missing a pierced earring back, here are three things you just might have in your purse or diaper bag that can fill in in a pinch:

1. A pencil eraser- This is my favorite option and I've been using it since junior high. Simply break off the eraser and stab the post into it. Works beautifully!
2. A bit of un-chewed gum- Break off about 1/4 of a stick of gum, fold it into a small square, and push together with your fingers. This will work in much the same way as the eraser and, since it is (and this is important) un-chewed, it will NOT stick in your hair.
3. A fruit snack. This is my last choice... but, well, it works. And many of us have them rolling around somewhere at the bottom of the diaper bag...

So there you go! That's how I've avoided having to sport nake-y earlobes when a back turns up missing.

What do you do when you realize a back has fallen off?

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

A Desk For Baby

I mentioned that my husband is a big fan of Doritos. I like them sometimes too. I also have a recipe or two that call for the chips.

We do one big, monthly Aldi shopping trip. It takes an hour and a half, total, to make the drive there, so we try to get everything done at one time.

Sometimes, we buy a case of their tortilla chips. It's easier to just haul the box with twelve bags out of the store than it is to bag up eight individual bags.

The box is a pretty good size, but definitely not suitable for "play house" type play like those awesome appliance boxes can be.

I would have trashed it.

My four- and five-year olds had other ideas.

Armed with stickers and crayons, they flipped it over and decorated for over an hour. When finished? My son declared...

"It's a desk for the baby!"

Not bad, kiddos, not bad.

This post is linked to:
Works For Me Wednesday
Frugal Friday

Warning- You're About to Get in Trouble

I don't know if you have this particular custom in your neck of the woods but, here in Connecticut where I'm at, we have a habit of letting an oncoming car know that a police car lays in wait by flashing our headlights. It's a quick "watch out- you're going to get yourself in trouble!" kind of a message. I am not so naive as to think all the cops don't know we're doing this. Still, it's reassuring to have someone "watching your back" a little bit, even if it's by telling you you need to slow down!

I think we need some kind of Christian equivalent. Some way of letting each other know, "Pssst.... you're about to step in it. Be careful. You're getting off track here..."

How many times have you witnessed something you knew couldn't lead anywhere good but were unsure how to mention it? How many times have I, in my quick-tempered reaction, headed on a path I shouldn't be on? Wouldn't it be nice if we had some subtle, universally recognized sign to give each other? Some little gesture that said, "Hey, friend, slow down. Calm yourself. Is this what Christ wants from you?"

Most of us are afraid to speak up. We don't want to get into long, holier-than-thou discourses. We fear alienating or angering those around us. I mean, who am I to tell you that you're straying from a Christian path? As a result, we just let people meander off-track.

I want a simple way to help each other. A quick "headlight flash" kind of gesture to remind one another to stay aware. A friendly warning.

How about you? Can you think of some simple reminder we could give each other? Would you welcome this or be offended by it?

Subtle warnings work for me and this post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday!

Vacation Cereal

I completely and totally stole this idea from my big sister. What can I tell you? She's very wise. And she doesn't have a blog. ;)

Not long ago, I had some 80-cent off coupons for, of all things, Froot Loops. We really don't buy Froot Loops around here. So what did I do with them? Passed them off to my sister.

I did this, not because she makes a habit of feeding her kids sugar-laced breakfast cereal, but because she was about to head off on vacation to stay in a cabin where they'd be buying groceries. And, for my nephews, that meant...

Vacation cereal.

See, two years ago (when I first started this blog, as a matter of fact), we went on a big family trip to Niagara Falls. The hotel where we stayed stocked Froot Loops as one of their breakfast buffet options. Our kids were all unfamiliar with these things! Of course, we let them try them. Unfortunately (ha!), they liked them.

Does this mean they should get sugary cereal all the time? Nope. But my brilliant sister dubbed it "vacation cereal" and that was that. When they go away? They get to eat Froot Loops. At home? They know it's not an option.

Super-sweet cereals are not the end of the world. Neither should they really be everyday fare.

Vacation cereal makes everyone happy. And that works for me.*

*For the record, it also works for her super-organic-healthy-food-loving-pediatrician. He thought it was a wonderful compromise!

Customized Baby Gift

My baby girl turns one on Saturday.

Sniff.

We'll be having a little family gathering and giving her some little gifts. I'll be making some cake balls a la Bakerella because, while not a sweets lover, my littlest child loves them.

Because she is my second daughter (and I have nieces), we do not need much in the way of clothes. Because she is my third child and babies do not need oodles of things, she does not need anything in the way of toys.

I still want to give her something. Something besides the cute socks I found.

I asked myself...

"What does this sweet baby like to do more than anything in the world? What occupies her during church and stops her crying when stuck in traffic? What do I give her to play with during long t-ball games?"

Answer??

My wallet.

There is nothing G. enjoys more than opening my wallet and pulling out all the cards and photos. I let her do it- because she adores it- but it's a bit stressful ensuring that I leave wherever I happen to be with all that I came with.

For her birthday, my sweet little girl will be receiving her own wallet with pictures of family, playing cards, and daddy's business cards tucked inside.

I think she's going to love it.

*The wallet pictured above is not "her" wallet... my camera's memory card is currently in Indiana. Yikes! We should be getting it back soon. :)*

This post is linked to:

Works For Me Wednesday

Frugal Friday

Image credit.

Swinging Our Cares Away

It was a hard day.

A trying day.

Just one of those days.

You don't need the list of what went wrong... you've had your own "days like that".

With Daddy many, many states away and a dinner that went awry, by the time 6:15 rolled around, I was tempted to throw on a show and call it quits.

We all ended up here...

... three kids and me, just swinging our cares away. What is it about a porch swing that just makes the world a better place?

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

How To Write a Good Complaint Letter

I don't want it to sound like I'm forever complaining to companies and businesses because I am not. Quite frankly, I'm not all that picky and I also don't have oodles of extra time on my hands. However, there are certain things that are just unacceptable... like when the laundry detergent stained a whole mess of my children's clothes with purple spots... or when the tabs broke off every.single.diaper in one particular pack... or when the store was out of about 20% of the items on my list. These are things I feel justified in complaining about and, to be honest, most companies would rather you let them know about these situations rather than just go around town bad-mouthing their product.

I don't write tons of complaint letters, but I probably write a few each year. I have amazing success in getting really good responses. I believe that if you approach your criticism in the right manner, most businesses don't mind hearing from you. If you decide you are going to write a letter of complaint to a company, here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep it brief. The customer service departments reviewing these letter do not have tons of extra time on their hands. You'll make their jobs easier- and happier- if you get right to the point.
• Remain polite and upfront. There is absolutely no reason to be nasty, vulgar, or rude in your letter. I lead off with "Dear Sir or Madam:" and use proper and polite structure throughout the letter. Even if you're really angry about something, try to remember that the person who will be reading your letter is likely not the person who ticked you off. At the same time, leave out all the flowery, "First of all, I'd really like to thank you for taking time out of your doubtless busy day to sit down and read what I need to say. It really means a lot to me that you are reading my letter and I hope that you will find what I have written to be valuable information..." Be courteous, but not long-winded.
• Stick to one topic. If you're upset because you were treated really, really shabbily then that's what you should write about. The fact that you noticed the store could have been cleaner doesn't really help drive home your point... it makes you sound overly picky and whiny.
• Be honest in your "threats". Do not say you'll "never shop there again" or that you'll never buy another of their products unless you truly mean it. In my recent letter to Aldi, I was very honest about the fact that I would continue to shop at their store... but I did mention that it made it hard for me to recommend their business to my friends and family when they were out of stock of so many products. Companies really like good "word of mouth"... finding out that I didn't feel confident recommending them is enough of a threat.
• Don't exaggerate or make things up to try to score free stuff. I can't emphasize this point enough. Being dishonest in order to gain coupons or free products is never okay. It is unfair to a company to spend time researching an issue that was, in fact, contrived. Just don't do it.

I don't think you should be scared to let a company know what you really think... but that also leads me to my final point...

Write letters about good stuff too. I write probably four praise letters for every letter of complaint. I love to let businesses know about outstanding service I received or how much I adore a particular product of theirs. These letters truly mean something. If you've ever worked in a service industry, you know how precious it is to receive a letter commending you on a job well done. Don't be stingy with your praise.

Write on, my friends!

How about you? Do you take the time to let businesses know what you think about them... good or bad? What response have you received?

This post is linked to Frugal Friday.

Using Small Plates

Hot & Sour Peanut Noodles

Whenever I post photos of food on here, I think the plate looks abundantly full. That's how it always looks set in front of me too.

It's because I use small plates.

Yep, that's right. The "dinner plates"? Those only get dragged out for company or for prep. We use the smaller "salad plates" for our meals.

Batter-Dipped Chicken Sandwiches

I truly believe that part of feeling satisfied is visual... if my plate is full, then I feel full.

Shrimp Rotini

Don't think this only applies to me, either... that plate of shrimp rotini was my husband's. He seems happier with a plate brimming with food but, quite frankly, just because he's a man doesn't mean he needs some ginormous amount of food.

Bonus? I can fit more of the small plates in the dishwasher.

And when it comes time for dessert? Well, I serve that up on saucers.

Small Pan, Big Taste Brownies

It's all relative, my friends.

What tricks do you use to make your food stretch further?

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Shredded Cheese

I adore cheese. Seriously. Passionately, even. I would give up meat, bread, AND chocolate before cheese.

My family really likes cheese too. (Thank heavens for that!) As a result, I cook with cheese a minimum of four or five times a week. Oftentimes, that means using shredded cheese.

But you know what I never buy?

Shredded cheese.

It's not just the fact that you sometimes have to pay for that convenience... even if shredded and block are the same price, I choose block and shred my own.

Why?

I think it tastes better. When you shred your own cheese, it melts more evenly and doesn't have that "gritty" taste to it. I think it's that "anti-caking" stuff the cheese people use to coat their shreds... potato starch and cellulose powder. I just don't need that in with my cheese.

And so, I shred my own. Each and every time. It works for me.

How about you? Do you buy your cheese pre-shredded? Block? Some of each? Do you use a food processor, box grater, or simple plane grater like me?

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Flowers For Mom

A pretty flower on a sunny day. What a great little gift for Mom or Grandma! This simple craft uses basic materials and helps preschoolers practice early cutting skills. Let's get to it!

For materials, you'll need a paper cup, a pipe cleaner, some scraps of colored paper, tape, scissors, glue, and something to decorate the middle. We used these little adhesive sparkly gems because we had them and they're fun (and good for practicing fine motor skills!), but simple stickers, scraps of paper, or anything you can adhere to a waxy surface would work just fine.
Trim the top half of the cup off. I do this part for my children, but you can decide if you think your little one can handle the task.

Have your child snip straight lines from the cut edge down to the base of the cup. Perfection is not important here! Here's what you should wind up with...

Bend each strip down so that it forms a flat, sun-burst like shape. It's starting to look like a flower now!

Let your child decorate the center of the flower however he so chooses.

Tape the pipe cleaner to the back of the flower.

Fold two scraps of colored paper in half and draw a leaf on each. Again, I drew the leaf shape for my children, but you could also let the child do this part.



Have child cut out leaves...

And apply a thorough layer of glue to one "side" of each leaf.

Fold each leaf over the stem of your flower and press well so it is glued from edge to edge.

Enjoy your pretty new creation! You'll note that when I chose the materials for the flower at the beginning of this post, I (in typical adult fashion) went for a green pipe cleaner and green leaves and only one color for the center. I encourage you to allow your children to be creative! My son's pink-stemmed, purple-leaved, multi-colored-centered flower is much more fun than mine!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Raising Good Eaters: Some Final Thoughts

For the past three weeks, I've been sharing some of my tips for raising good eaters. If you've missed any of those posts, you can find them here:

An Introduction

Determine Your Objectives

How To Incentavize

For this final part of the series, I want to just review a few main ideas and thoughts:

• Your child will not starve. I said it in the very first part of the series- as long as you're making healthy, balanced food available to your child, he or she will eat... eventually. It is far more important that your child is getting water than food, to be honest. Don't panic if she doesn't eat for a meal or two... or even more...
• It is NOT child abuse to not give in to your child's wishes. Some people seem to think that if their child is screaming and crying and acting like it's the end of the world then, well, it is. It is not. You are doing your child (and all future teachers and caregivers too, for that matter) a favor by sticking to your guns and making the decisions.
• You are the parent and you are (or should be) in charge. Like I just said- you need to make the decisions. It's your job. Quite frankly? It's a cop-out to serve up chicken nuggets every day. And you are better- and stronger- than that.
• Just because your child is not a good eater now doesn't mean he or she has to stay that way. Ready for a confession? I was a bad eater as a child. Picky, picky, picky. I outgrew it. I'm a fantastic eater and have been for years. There are two things going on here-- first of all, your child may simply outgrow the pickiness over time. Second of all, you can start changing those picky behaviors today... you do not have to keep making grilled cheese every single day.
• If your child eats well for other people, there is no reason that he or she can't eat well for you. Oh, how many times do I hear this one? "I just don't understand it! He ate EVERYTHING for the (baby sitter, teacher, aunt, *insert person other than you*)" It's not that I don't believe it... I do. But guess what? That means that if YOU stop giving him options, he'll eat it for you too.
• It does not matter what your neighbor/friend/sibling/etc. is serving their children. There are people out there who will try to make you feel like you're cruel for not letting your kids have Kid Cuisine or Kraft Easy Mac or pizza rolls or bagel bites all the time. My honest opinion is that most of them are kind of jealous of your steel-cut-oat-eating kid while they serve up Pop-Tarts every morning. I'm just sayin'. But, regardless of the reason, do not worry about what they're serving up or their opinion of what you're serving.
• Be confident and determined. The most important piece of advice I can give you is this... As you set out to raise good eaters, be confident about what you're doing. Whether you decide that you will re-serve a plate until it is finished or you will with-hold privileges until the veggies are consumed... feel good about what you're doing. Know that you are on an honorable mission and needn't feel like a bad person. When it's tough, carry on. The rewards are great.

Thanks so much for joining me on this journey toward raising good eaters! What questions do you have for me? Any specific issues you wish I would have addressed? I'd love to talk about it in the comments!

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Raising Good Eaters: How to Incentavize

Okay, first things first, lest I receive a bunch of emails... incentavize is not a word. Not at all. But it has a much nicer ring than "bribe", does it not? And so I'm going to use it. You can choose to think I'm weird or think I'm clever or a little of both...

For the past couple of weeks, I've been talking about Raising Good Eaters. The first week, all I asked you to do was get used to the idea that your child won't starve. I think that's one of the things that irks me most of all... parents who just throw in the towel because they think their little angels will waste away to nothingness if they're not given precisely what they WANT to eat. Kids aren't stupid. And they're human, just like us... we are hard-wired to eat to survive. If it takes getting really hungry to make your child eat a variety of wholesome foods then, I say, go for it.

Last week, I shared a little bit about my personal goals for my own good eaters. I have very definite ideas of what I hope to see from my children and I outlined the steps that I must take to help achieve them.

This week, I want to talk about bribing incentavizing.

Incentavizing can range from the extremely simple and obvious ("You may not have dessert until you finish your meal.") to the more sophisticated and complex ("You need to eat your vegetables to get the vitamins you need for energy. If you don't get that energy, you won't be able to practice baseball with Daddy.")

Truth? I use both in my house. Shamelessly. I prefer the second method because I think it helps to really illustrate the benefits of healthy foods for our bodies. I also like the idea of not using a sweet, "unhealthy" treat to get your child to force his way through the healthy stuff. I find that the reward of being able to do something fun with Mommy or Daddy is a really good incentive.

However...

The dessert reward works well with young children too. Kids need to have a certain level of reasoning to be able to make that whole "veggies=energy=able to play sports" equation. It works great with my five-year old. With the four-year old? Not so much. She's still at the, "Do you want a cookie? Yes? Then eat your green beans" phase. And I'm okay with that.

I've heard all the arguments about why it's not a good idea to encourage "clean plates"... why you shouldn't "reward" eating with sweet treats... why you should allow your child to take a small bite and spit it out if she doesn't like it... I am not saying that these studies have no merit. I'm sure a lot of money went into figuring out that the way we've been raising kids for hundreds of years is no good. And that's dandy.

But, for my family, I will continue encouraging good eating and offering incentives. To me, it's no different than allowing myself fifteen minutes to relax with a book after cleaning the first floor of my house... it does not take away from the accomplishment, but it helps motivate me along the way.

I do not have to make these "deals" at every meal or even every day. My kids are pretty well-trained now, if you will, and they know what is expected of them. But it helps to have these tricks up my sleeve... and to be willing to use them.

What tricks do you have to incentavize good eating habits in your children? Are you comfortable using "bribery" or do you think it's a bad move?

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Raising Good Eaters: Determine Your Objectives

It's a funny thing, this whole "parenting gig". We all have different ways of defining success. What I consider an example of "good eating" may fall way short for you. Likewise, my expectations may prove to be too lofty for others of you. And that is absolutely A-OK, either way. The idea here is to get where YOU want to be with your children. As you set out to raise your own good eaters, I believe you should start by determining your objectives.

Determining your objectives is basically just deciding what you're hoping for. As a jumping off point, here is a list of mine:

1. I want my children to eat what I put before them.
2. I expect my children to be polite, even when something isn't their favorite.
3. I will not let my children be in charge. I am willing to accept that they will each have a few foods that they simple don't care for (we all do), but I refuse to let them dictate what is served to them.
4. I want my children to try different, unusual, unknown foods.
5. I am not afraid of any single food group- including dessert :) -but I would like to see all of them represented (and consumed) at mealtime.

Those are five objectives that I have when it comes to feeding my children. Yours may look very different. The important thing is that you have a concrete idea mapped out in your mind of what you expect, where you're willing to compromise, and where you are not.

From there, I need to come up with actual, do-able steps that I can take to help achieve those objectives... these are things that I will do, not things that my children need to do. As far as their part and how I bribe "incentivize" them, well, I'll address that next week.

Here's how my steps might look:

1. I want my children to eat what I put before them, therefore...

• a. I will serve them small, manageable portions.
• b. I will serve a variety of foods at every meal.
• c. I will dish up reasonable portions for myself and my husband and we will be good role models of eating what we have.

2. I expect my children to be polite, even when something isn't their favorite, therefore...

• a. I will model this by example; I will eat things that I don't "love" and will always decline politely when it is something I just cannot handle.
• b. I will continue to serve my children things that aren't their very favorites so that they are used to compromise and the fact that, well, that's life.
• c. I will not hesitate to correct my children, even in public, to ensure they use their manners.

3. I will not let my children be in charge, therefore...

• a. I will allow my children to have a couple of foods they just do not have to eat, e.g. my son cannot stand pickles and my daughter doesn't like Swiss cheese. This is only fair. After all, I despise pineapple and no one makes me eat it.
• b. I do not ask my children what they want for meals. Honestly, I rarely even offer choices, but- if I do- they are very specific, e.g. "Would you like a tuna sandwich or an egg sandwich with your apple slices?" I avoid asking open-ended questions. I am in charge of what goes on the plate.
• c. I will give my children fair warning- the menu plan is posted, so they know what they're getting. Being able to see what's coming gives them a sense of control, but I remain ever-in-charge of what's being served up.

4. I want my children to try different, unusual, unknown foods, therefore...

• a. I will not fall into a "menu rut"; I will try new recipes and serve up new flavors regularly.
• b. Once again, my husband and I will model by example. We will try new things enthusiastically and talk up the process.
• c. I will introduce spices and different flavors/textures from a very early age. We enjoyed Garlicky Clams Linguine for my nephew's birthday last week. Guess who was scarfing up garlicky clams? My ten month old. (For the record, my 4- and 5-year olds cleaned their plates too.)
  

5. I would like to see all food groups represented and consumed at mealtime, therefore...

• a. I will menu plan. This ensures I have all bases covered.
• b. I will serve small portions and insist that they all be finished before seconds are dished out, e.g."You may have more rice when you've eaten your broccoli."
  
• c. I will teach my children what different types of foods do for their bodies-- what foods help their muscles, which strengthen their bones, which help build up their immune systems, etc. Kids are fascinated by having an active role in how their bodies grow and feel!

Those are my commitments. Is it ever frustrating? Sure. Would it be easier to toss PB&J and pretzels on a plate everyday and call it good? Yep. But that won't get me any closer to my goal of raising good eaters. Being willing to do my part in ensuring that my kids become well-rounded, open-minded eaters makes it easier (and more fair) for me to expect them to do their parts too.

What goals and objectives do you have for mealtime with your children? What steps are you willing to take? Are you having trouble coming up with YOUR steps for the objective? Let me know and I'll try to help!

Next week, I'll be talking about the role of giving incentives to get your kids to eat. (Controversial topic, to be sure, but that's never stopped me before!)

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

Raising Good Eaters: An Introduction

My children are far from perfect. And, believe me, I am far from a perfect mother. But you wanna know one thing I'm pretty confident that I'm good at? Raising good eaters. I hear time and time again from teachers, family, and other parents that my kids are great eaters. When people aren't remarking on what good eaters I have, they're lamenting their "only eats Eggo waffles and chicken nuggets" offspring.

Truth be told, these other parents very, very rarely seek my advice or input on how to broaden their children's gastrointestinal horizons. Frankly, it's easier to throw up your hands, shrug, and declare, "What can I do? He's just picky." If that's where you're at- no problem. But this series isn't for you.

Likewise, if you're looking to transfer your child over to a vegan diet or raw diet or completely sugar- and flour-free diet or any other fairly specific and narrow meal plan... this probably isn't for you either.

This series is for parents of babies and toddlers who want to raise children who will try things. Explore things. Eat what's set in front of them. Learn to take bites and say "no, thank you" if it's truly something they don't like. It's for parents of persnickety preschoolers who are wondering where they went wrong and if it's even possible to get back on track. I want to share with you all both the philosophy behind how I approach feeding my children and specific steps I've taken to ensure they're the kids labeled "good eaters".

Throughout the month of April, I'm going to be offering up tips and suggestions to help you raise your very own troop of "good eaters". I encourage you to join me on this journey if you're trying to improve the variety in your children's diets. I also encourage you to chime in if you're raising your own good eaters! I have no doubt that there's a wealth of knowledge out there and I still have much to learn... after all, my oldest is still in preschool.

For this week, I just want to leave you with one thought in your head... one little nugget to file away and keep ever-present in your mind... because it is crucial that you get this concept if this process is going to be successful:

Your child will not starve.*


That's it. That's all I want you to focus on and let mull around in there for the week. Really think about it and allow yourself to get comfortable with the idea that, as long as you're making nutritious food accessible to your child, he is not going to starve.

I'll see you next week and we can really get started.

(* note: Clearly, these posts are designed for parents who are raising "typical" children who are picky eaters, but otherwise healthy. Please do not think I intend these suggestions to be appropriate for all children. I realize there are special circumstances. All that being said, however, please be aware that one of my preschoolers is a former micropreemie who had all those "difficulty gaining weight" preemie issues... and she still turned into a good eater- and there's not an ounce of Pediasure in our home. Use your own -and your doctor's- good judgement here.)

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

How To Wash Out A Storage Bag

I'm attempting a vlog... and I'm scared. Please hold my hand. Okay... here we go...

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

I Serve My Kids Cold Cereal

Oh, yes. It's true. An average of twice a week, I serve up cold cereal, fruit, and milk and call it good.

And... so??

That might not seem so earth-shattering, but in my many corners of the blogosphere it seems to be a near-crime. COLD cereal? Cereal??? Really???

Listen. I make plenty of hot breakfasts. We eat a ton of oatmeal, eggs, pancakes, muffins, and the like...

And you know what? I'm not any better of a mommy on the days I scramble up a breakfast burrito (like this morning) than I am on the days I pour Cheerios into a bowl (like every Sunday before 8:30 am mass). I don't deserve some medal for dirty-ing a pan. My kids don't love me any more. My husband doesn't deem me a better wife on those mornings. It is NOT my defining moment of the day.

I do not serve super sugar-y cereals to my children. That is a choice I've made and, I believe, a good one. But I absolutely do serve up Cheerios or Kix or some other low-sugar option at least once a week.

And I feel absolutely no guilt about this.

Apparently, ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol, and more fiber than non-cereal eaters. More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights too.

Is this why I do it? Oh, heck no. I serve up cold cereal because it's easy and convenient on those early mornings when my husband and I aren't allowed to eat anyway (due to fasting before communion). I serve up cereal because, in my opinion, it's a pretty nutritious, quick option.

I guess what I'm saying is this...

I grow weary of the holier-than-thou attitude that I sometimes see about the whole "I serve a hot breakfast to my wonderful family EVERY SINGLE DAY because I am a good woman". I think it's fabulous if you're all enjoying a hot breakfast together each day. More power to you. But if you, like so many of us, are pouring your kids a bowl of cereal and calling it good... pat yourself on the back. You're a good mommy too. Don't let anyone make you feel like less because you've made a choice that works for your family.

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.

The fine print:The information about the health value of cereal and a prize pack containing four coupons for free cereal were provided to me by General Mills through MyBlogSpark. My feelings about cereal-eating and how it works for my family are all my own and, incidentally, I buy Cheerios whether I have free coupons or not. Just sayin'.

• General Mills provided you with the free product,

Lazy Snow Day? No Way!

I got the call at 6:15 am. No school. I was already up... the kids' breakfast was already cooking on the stove. I suppose I could go back to sleep... I mean, all three children were still snoozing away...

Forget that! This was a golden opportunity! Time to get moving in the kitchen.

I cooked up some chicken breasts and put the bones and some veggie scraps on to simmer for stock..

I got some granola going while I mixed up the dough for burger buns...

While the dough rose and the granola cooled, I chopped up some of the chicken and veggies and mixed up a fabulously delicious chicken salad...

And then I baked those buns...

And then it was about 8:30 and the kids were done with their breakfast. :)

Capitalizing on "found time"?

That works for me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This post is linked to Works For Me Wednesday.