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Is Motherhood Like a Fairytale…?

“You can learn many things from children. How much patience you have, for instance.” – Franklin P. Jones… I have a story to share. It goes a little something like this – Once upon a time, there was a young woman, who lived alone. Just her, and a stray cat that decided to move in with her. She wore trendy clothes and accessories, she was 10 {ok, maybe 20…} pounds thinner, she wore heels and makeup, and had time to not just sort-of brush her hair, but also curl it – on a daily basis. Her home was amazingly organized {she’d been accused of being slightly OCD, but she liked to simply call it being thorough.} And it was always clean – no stray Legos land-mines on the floor at night, no sticky fingerprints covering the surfaces of every wall and piece of furniture and window and appliance, and no extra socks in the toilet. Yes, life was good….

Cleaning up messy toddlers [Read more…]

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How to Put Together the Perfect Wine Gift Basket

“Sorrow can be alleviated by good sleep, a bath and a glass of good wine.” Aquinas, St. Thomas… Now, is that a quote for moms, or what? How many days of chaos could be drained away by draining a lovely glass of wine during a bubble bath, and getting a full nights sleep? {Ah…. it sounds nice just typing it….} So, what better gift for the women in your life this holiday season than a gorgeous wine gift basket, right? Or, why not get one for yourself – either to enjoy during holiday entertaining, or to relax after crazy days of shopping, baking, and wrapping? Keep reading to get some tips to putting together the perfect pick for anyone on your list this year…

Make the perfect wine gift basket [Read more…]

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If Only Healthy Snacks Smelled as Good as Bacon…. #SmartSnack

“Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.” – Doug Larson… Do you struggle to get your kids to eat healthy snacks? We do pretty well in my house – but when they’re bombarded by commercials for sugary treats, fat-loaded snacks, or toy-filled fast food meals – it can be a bit rough. But, as smart mommas, we always have a few tricks in our toolbelts, right? Whether it’s sneaky – err, I mean creative – ways to get kids to eat more veggies, frozen meals that are high on convenience but still low on fat and yucky additives, or new ways to make whole grain sandwiches more fun – I’m always hunting for the best new ideas and products to keep us eating great, while still staying on a budget, and keeping it all low prep.

Shopping for healthy snacks for kids [Read more…]

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How to Bathe a Toddler in 3 Simple Steps – #MomHumor

“Having a two-year-old is like having a blender without a lid.” – Jerry Seinfeld… Have you ever struggled with bathing a baby? I remember the first time I had to give Abby a bath – she was so tiny, so fragile, and I was so nervous. I got the brand new little baby bathtub out, filled it with water, decided it was too hot so I added cold water, then decided it was too cold – so I dumped it out and started again, lol. I had thought that bathing a newborn was nerve-wracking, but little did I know – a toddler is a WAY bigger challenge! So, here are my tips on how to bath a toddler in 3 simple steps….

Toddlers make messes [Read more…]

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How to choose a wine like you choose music on Pandora…

How do you find the best wine? You could read reviews, but who says that those critics writing the reviews have the same taste as you do? They might hate a wine, give it a terrible rating – but it might end up being your absolute favorite. My friends and I all have very different tastes in wine… When we went on a wine tour last winter, at almost every stop we all had totally, crazily different opinions on which ones rocked, and which ones we did not want to try again. And I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds phrases like, “smooth finish,” or “hints of plum,” to not really be all that helpful, right? So, how do you find not just the BEST wine – but the best wine for YOU?

How to choose the best wine at the store [Read more…]

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Motherhood Tips Series: From Baby to Toddler Years, What You Really Need

“Having a child is surely the most beautifully irrational act that two people in love can commit.” – Bill Cosby… Getting ready for a new baby can be expensive – and overwhelming! I remember the first time I walked into the baby section to shop for my new baby-to-be… I had NO idea where to even start. How many tiny socks and onesies did I really need? How do I choose which type of bottle from the 30 options available? And which one of those “must-have” products did I truly need? If you’re not careful, you can quickly get caught up in the frenzy of excitement when shopping for a new baby – and find yourself surrounded by piles of things you never used, didn’t need, and now need to get rid of, around the time your bundle of joy turns 6 months old.

What do you really need to buy for a new baby?To help make your life a little easier, I’m going to share some of the tips and tricks that I’ve learned during the past two years of motherhood – which products you really need, and what you can skip. Great alternatives to some traditional items, that will work from infant to toddlerhood. Ideas on what to do with baby gear that you no longer need – how to reuse it, recycle it, or sell it to help build a budget for the things you need later on.

Trust me – you need a lot less than you think!

When I was getting ready for Abby to arrive, my life had suddenly changed drastically – in the space of 3 months, I’d gone from living on my own with a cat, to having my boyfriend and a dog move in, my mother come to live with me in my spare bedroom, and my brother and two nephews remodel my basement to move into too! Whew, right? {Read the whole story here – Why Bloggers Have Messy Homes.} All of that change meant that Abby wasn’t going to have room for a nursery – she’d be sharing a room with Daddy and I. I had to redo a hall cupboard and create a new closet space for her. Our room was small, so there was only room for a changing table and small shelf – no changing table. But this all turned out to be a blessing in disguise, since it made me really evaluate each new purchase, since space was limited. And I learned how lucky I was to not have purchased so much stuff when I saw friends later on donating bags of unused gear and clothing that they never even needed.

Motherhood tips - baby to toddlerSo – stay tuned! I’ll be posting at least once a day for the next few weeks, with the best products to take you from baby to toddler, so you invest in the pieces that will last you the longest. I’ll share some great tips that I’ve learned, brands to watch for, trends in kids style and decor, and those ideas on reusing baby pieces into later childhood years too.

And of course – we’ll have some fun giveaways too!

If you have any great tips to share, leave me some comments – What would you say the Top 3 Must Have’s are for new moms, that you still use into the toddler years? What do you wish you’d skipped? Share your advice below!

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Skip Fast Food for Kids – Get Real Food Fast! – #KFHealthyKids

“Kids’ meals these days… a lot of them are downright scary and often loaded with all sorts of artificial ingredients.” – Matt Cohen… I’ve told you guys many times over the past couple of years about my lifestyle change after I became pregnant – It suddenly became super important to me to finally make those changes I’d been thinking about making for years, those changes towards a cleaner and greener lifestyle. I wanted to give this little bean in my belly have the absolute best possible chance at growing into a healthy baby, and I knew that everything that went in, on, or around me would affect her. Then, as she grew into a toddler, and I started feeding her the snacks and kids meals that are marketed to little ones her age – I realized that we needed to find some better options to keep up those standards that I’d had when she was a baby….

comparing kids mealsI’d been hearing a ton of buzz about these new Kidsfresh frozen kids meals. But there’s always some new kids product that supposed to be healthier and better and more amazing than the others – so I don’t always pay much attention to most of these so-called “healthy kids meals.” But this new product did have some substance behind it:

  • These were meals that started with an idea from a real dad who wanted to give his own kids better options. The meals were developed in partnership with a pediatric nutritionist. And they’ve already been sold out of their NYC concept store to rave reviews.
  • Most kid meals are stuffed with stuff like this – “Isolated Soy Protein,” “High Fructose Corn Syrup,” “Meatballs with Caramel Color Added,” “Monosodium Glutamate.” But you won’t find that stuff in these Kidfresh meals. You know why? Because the American Academy of Pediatrics has linked yucky additives and artificial stuff with potentially serious health problems.
  • Even their packaging is good for you – No BPA, Phthalates, or other gross chemical stuff.

Love it all, right? And when you compare them to the other kids meals in the store – it’s clear just by glancing at them that these are a better option. {See more of my kids meal comparison in our shopping trip album on Google+.} I hate that most kids meals in stores, fast food, or even nice restaurants are almost always choices like greasy pizza, kinda-sorta-chicken nuggets, all stuffed with fat and sugar. Like these ones at Safeway – but look at them compared to the Kidsfresh meals, stuffed with hidden veggies, and NOT containing junk food or sweets. Thank you Kidfresh!!

Kidsfresh meals - healthy kids mealsBut admit it moms – it doesn’t really matter what WE want them to eat. It matters what they WILL eat without a fight. We can do our best to encourage them to eat healthy meals packed with whole grains, fruits, and healthy veggies – but if they refuse and throw a fit, it’s a losing battle. So I was SUPER excited when I handed a few of these to Abby, to see which one she wanted – and she hugged them all to her and said, “MINE! Mine deeeener momma!” So I said, “Heck, sure, we’ll get one of each!”

Kidfresh frozen healthy kids meals at SafewayWe got ’em home, and I was eager to have Abby try them, and see if they passed her picky toddler taste test. I mean, they sounded good – with names like Rainbow Rice + ChickenWagon Wheels Mac + CheeseSpaghetti Loops Bolognese, and Muy Cheesy Quesadillas. Since kiddos don’t eat enough veggies, each meal has sneaky pureed veggies included. And they’re flash frozen to preserve nutrients. Even better? They’re super crazy-easy to prepare – one to two minutes in the microwave, and they’re done. I’m starting to fall in love….

taste test - Toddler versus healthy mealsThis afternoon we were in a huge hurry to get out and run some errands – the craft store to stock up on more of the clearance I saw yesterday and decided I needed more of {they had Halloween at 80-90% off!!}, the bank, drop the dog off for a grooming, and another doctor appointment for miss Abby. Since I was running behind getting us out the door – I grabbed one of these new meals – ONE minute in the microwave for these Quesodillas, and we were out the door. It was time for that all-important taste test….

She looked at it.

She poked at it.

She licked her fingers for a taste of it…..

Toddler loves safeway kidsfresh frozen kids meals in the carAnd BAM!!! She loved ’em!! Score one for mom, and for healthy eating habits. She CHOWED DOWN on these. I wish I’d caught video of her after tasting it. She said, “Mmm, mmm, MMMM – Momma, this is SOOO good. No share.” In toddler speak, this is about as good as it gets. Our little dog Deuce {remember, I had to drop him at the groomers?} was in the back seat with her. And she usually shares everything with him. So this was a pretty big deal for her to not share with her best buddy. Seriously. So – we’ve got a new family favorite. I totally recommend checking out your local Safeway for them too.

Learn more today, and switch from fast food – to real food fast!!

  • Visit the Kidfresh Facebook Page to print a $1 off coupon.
  • Follow Kidfresh on Facebook and Twitter for product and promotion updates.

{Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kidfresh #CBias #SocialFabric #KFHealthyKids.}


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