Questionable Choices in Parenting
Laughing at life as a parent so they don't commit me
Do you have pint-size picky eaters at your dinner table? If you are and looking to have less battles at meal time and expand your family’s meal rotation beyond those three things they’re currently willing to eat–I’ve got some hacks for you. From having them help in the kitchen to changing up how you put food on their plate, hopefully a few of these hacks work for you.
So if you have a picky eater check out our latest video on TLCme
When we were packing for our Princess Cruise vacation, I knew that I’d need to pack more than just my kids’ suitcases. I mean, before the vacay fun can begin–you have to get there first. But long days of traveling can be rough on kids. So if you need a few tips and tricks to make everyone a happy traveler, check out my latest TLC video for Travel Day Hacks. Let’s get packing!
The TODAY Show is one of my favorite places to spend my mornings–especially when I get to share parenting hacks that I really LOVE. For my latest segment, I shared a few fan favorites and a few of my own favorites with Hoda and Jenna. Check out the segment below because I know you are going to LOVE the marshmallow boo boo pack and the burrito roll! Also can we talk about my hair and makeup? I swear the hair and makeup team have magical powers over there!
We’re taking family movie night and we’re moving it outside. On my life hacks webseries on TLC, I’m going to show you how to turn your phone into the perfect projector so you and your kids can watch a movie under the stars.
So grab the popcorn and let’s get this movie started!
Sure your kids are cute but I’m going to go out on a limb and say they are super messy too. So to keep all that cuteness but cut down on the mess, here’s my latest from TLC–Messy Kid Hacks.
When you were a kid, was there anything better than hearing the words “SNOW DAY!”? I still feel that way when I have a snow day with my kids, but then that snow day turns into more snow days, and icy cold days, and just plain yucky days where it takes so much effort to leave the house. And then it happens, Cabin Fever sets in, and, friends, it’s not pretty.
Even if you’ve played all the games, crafted all the crafts, snacked all the snacks, and logged more hours in front of the TV and iPad than you will ever admit in public, the only true cure for the dreaded Cabin Fever is to get outside! But with young kids, that’s not always easy. It’s cold, they need so many layers, and inevitably someone will have to pee the minute you’re outside. So here are some Mom Hacks to make everything from getting out the door to settling in with hot coco a breeze.
Before Heading Out
Ditch the basket and organize everyone’s scarfs, hats, gloves and mittens in an over the door shoe organizer. This way every piece has a place and everyone can quickly grab what they need and put their pieces away when they come home.
Does your little one need help putting on their jacket all by themselves? Here’s a kid hack perfect for them!
No snow gear for your kiddo? Make warm and cozy leg and arm warmers for kids out of adult, wool knee socks (no cotton!) Cut off the toe and slip them on their arms or legs for warm, snuggly kids ready to hit the snow.
We want our babies warm and we know they need layers, but no one wants our kids like this…
Instead think like a fireman! Place their rain or snow boots inside the bottom cuffs of their snow pants. Roll the top of the pants down past the boots. Once your kids are dressed in their long underwear and second layer of clothing, have them step into the boots and pull up the pants (we always get the kind with the suspenders to make it even easier). We pretend that we’re fireman and play “firedrill” to see who can get dressed the fastest.
Mittens keep tiny hands warmer than gloves and are easier to put on. Save yourself the headache and buy packs of the same color mittens in case one goes missing.
The Great Outdoors
Let your kids get creative by mixing water and food coloring in spray bottles. Take the kids outside and let them “paint” the snow.
Did you put away all the sand buckets and shovels until next summer? Get them back out! These are the perfect tools for snow forts and castles.
Bubbles aren’t just for summer fun! Bring them back out when the weather is below 32 degrees. The bubbles will actually freeze! A little frozen science fun.
Warm hands and feet can help the good times outside last! Easily make DIY warmers from kids socks (infant socks are perfect!). Fill them with rice, tie the end with a ribbon, and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. The heat will last for 20 minutes. If you’re kids aren’t playing close to home, you can toss them in a tiny cooler. They’ll stay warm until you need them.
Never worry about slippery steps or sidewalks with this homemade and natural deicer
1 teaspoon dish soap
1 Tablespoon of rubbing alcohol
½ Gallon of warm water
Mix and pour on sidewalks and steps for ice free days!
After All The Fun
Toss pajamas and blankets in the dryer before you head out to play in the snow. When you get back, everyone has warm, toasty clothes to put on!
Mittens and gloves stay wet and soggy if you just put them in a basket. So try placing them on an old curtain road with clothes pins to dry, or to speed drying time by placing a raised wire stacking shelf over a heating vent. Lay the mittens on top for a quick and easy dry.
Wet boots are no fun but will dry quickly if you put wads of newspaper inside the shoes. You might have to replace the newspaper if the boots are really soaked.
Cut down on the mess from those wet boots by leaving an old baking sheet by the door to set wet boots on.
Ouch! Chapped noses and lips are no fun. But a little bit of coconut oil on both soothes, heals and protects. Seriously, is there something coconut oil can’t do?
So when faced with Cabin Fever, don’t be scared or threaten to sell your kids to the highest bidder because every trip outside ends with hot chocolate for everyone, especially Mom. Plus chocolate fixes everything, and chocolate and Nutella REALLY fixes everything.
“How was your day?”
“What did you do?”
“What made you laugh today?”
“Who did you sit by at lunch?”
These, along with 50 other questions, are what I fire off at my kids the very second they get home from school. Some days my kids rattle on and on about the happenings on the playground, but more often they simply give me a few grunts, blank stares, and mumble “I’m hungry. Can we have a snack?” If I leave those two to their own food scavenger hunt, they will dive head first into the pantry, eat a bag of chips, and plop onto the couch in a carb comma until dinner. So I created a snack system that carried over into the kids helping to pack their own lunches in the morning. Now I know they are getting yummy, healthy, and proportioned snacks after school and the dreaded task of packing lunches, has gotten so much easier. Add these to my list of back to school parenting hacks to make snacking and lunch box packing a breeze.
Create a Snack Station
Use small plastic storage containers as your designated snack bin (I got mine at the dollar store)—have one for the fridge and one for the pantry.
For the fridge, pack the container full of snacks your kids love: yogurt, cheese, cut up fruit in sandwich bags, fruit cups, veggies and dippers like hummus, peanut butter or ranch (use small to-go condiment containers for the dips), small portions of meats in sandwich bags, juice and milk boxes and small bottles of water are just a few ideas.
For the pantry bin, portion out bagged snacks like chips, crackers, and trail mix and throw in applesauce, raisins, and granola bars.
My kids know they can have two items from the fridge and one from the pantry. I try to only refill the items once they have eaten everything. This way I know they are getting some variety of food after school. With Snack Stations, I know my kids aren’t over eating and won’t be full on snacks and ignore dinner.
Create a Lunchbox Making Station
Depending on the storage space in your kitchen, use either small, plastic stackable drawers in the pantry or baskets to organize each menu item. While I’m packing their “main course,” the kids are choosing what else will go in their lunchbox based on the numbers listed outside the drawers or baskets. You can use chalkboard paint just a sharpie to write the number on the outside of the container. The rule in this house is they don’t have to take everything, but they need a variety and cannot take more than the actual number (unless it’s a fruit or veggie, then take as much as you want—a mother can dream ,right?)
In the Pantry
Drinks (in addition to water): 1
Salty, Crunchy snacks and crackers (individual bags that I proportioned or the lunch size):1
Apple sauce, fruit cups: 1
Special Treats like fruit gummies or a piece of chocolate: 1
In the fridge
Different cheeses: 1
Yogurt and yogurt drinks: 1
Fruits and Veggies: 2
This system allows them to make choices on what they want to take and they are being responsible (and saving me time) by packing their own lunches.
Also I use command hooks inside the pantry door to store their lunchboxes when they aren’t in use,
I designate a drawer that has everything I need to put their lunch together in one place: plastic utensils, napkins, sandwich bags, and little Post-Its and pens so I can write little notes to my kids. Since my kids are really little, I draw silly pictures and it makes them laugh, which is always rad.
All this talk about snacks has me hungry! Looking to make breakfast a little easier? Check out my breakfast sanity savers!