Not a lot of brain power left this week....

After a long holiday weekend it always feels good to get back to work and back into my daily routine. Yes, I am one of those women! ;) However, it always takes some adjusting for not only me but for the little one too. Therefore, I have already decided while having my morning tea, the theme of this week will be... SIMPLICITY! Yes, doing activities where you don't have to put huge amounts of thought into it. Yet, it is just as fun & exciting as ever for your baby, toddler, or big kid.

I decided to make the cutest little Caterpillar with Thomas. First I will show you our creation and how it turned out, then I will let you know what you need and how we did it. SO BABY FRIENDLY!

HOW ADORABLE! Thomas really enjoyed himself while he sat on my lap and took in all the bright colors and textures of the fuzzy balls.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1. A Clothes Pin
2. 4-5 Fuzzy Balls
3. A glue stick
4. 1 pair google eyes

HOW WE DID IT:

1. We put glue on the top of the clothes pin.
2. Then we picked our colors for the fuzzy balls and glued them on.
3. We glued the google eyes to our front fuzzy ball.

There you have it! The most simple yet fun and colorful activity for your child. This activity is wonderful. Whether you have a small baby or a toddler/big kid it is another opportunity for them to learn their colors, opposites (soft, hard), feel different textures (fuzzy, smooth) and to work on their fine motor skills by gluing the balls to the clothes pin.

If you have a big kid feel free to go bigger than a clothes pin and use a popsicle stick. Also, if your feeling daring and want to go the extra step... glue a magnet to the bottom of the clothes pin and use it as a magnet to put your child's art on the fridge! So many cute and wonderful ideas on how to put this simple, mindless activity to good use.

All of the crafts that you will need for this project can be found at the dollar store!

Do you have any favorite activities that you and your child love to do together? If so, we would love to hear all about it. Feel free to comment and share with everyone your favorite arts and crafts!

-D

What all Parents need to know..

This topic has been recently trending across the internet and was brought to my attention from a good friend of mine. I want to speak about Secondary Drowning. Since we are in the Summer Season and pool and beach trips are prevalent in our lives every parent, grandparent, caregiver & friend needs to get educated on this topic.

Secondary Drowning can occur after you have a close call with drowning. This can happen in a pool, ocean or even a bath tub! SCARY! Your child may slip or fall into the pool and begins to drown and they are able to get their head above water and cough it all up. Your child seems to be fine and you go on with your day...

Picture found from Google.

However, ALWAYS pay attention to your child's behavior. They can begin to act extremely fatigued and develop a weird cough. NEVER hesitate to call your pediatrician or rush them to the Emergency Room. 

When Secondary Drowning kicks in a small amount of inhaled fluid can act as an irritant. It causes inflammation and leakage of liquid into the lungs. Sometimes, the body will react by pushing even more liquid into the lungs. It reduces the ability to breathe and the end result is your child will drown in their own body fluids. 

Picture found from Google.

THIS IS THE SCARIEST THING EVER! PLEASE PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, CAREGIVERS & FRIENDS.. PAY ATTENTION AND SUPERVISE YOUR CHILD IN THE POOL, OCEAN AND EVEN THE BATH TUB!

If you want to read more information about Secondary Drowning, these are the sources I used. Please click the following links below:

1. Secondary Drowning
2. The inspirational Story 

Do you have any safety tips or close call stories with your child? Please share with us your tips on how you handled the situation. Lets help to bring awareness to this topic.

-D

Cheesy-Turkey Meatballs ... WHATTT!

This may be the most simple recipe to date that I have come across! It was so exciting to me that it took me five minutes to throw all ingredients into a bowl, mix, and pop in the oven.

TURKEY CHEESE MEATBALLS:

Picture found from Weelicious.

I am going to write out the full recipe below. However, I made simple changes just to shorten the cooking process because my little one was standing at my feet wanting my attention. Hence, why I was SO happy this was the fastest recipe I have EVER made!

RECIPE:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 10 mins

1. 1 Pound Ground Turkey
2. 1 Large Egg
3. 1/4 Cup Breadcrumbs
4. 1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
5. 1/2 teaspoon onion powder (I cut up 1/4 of a real onion and finely chopped it)
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt
7. 4 Cheddar Cheese Sticks (I used 1/2 a bag of Natural shredded cheddar cheese)
8. 1 tablespoon oil

Preparation:

1. In a bowl combine the ground turkey, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt. Mix to combine throughly. 
2. Slice the cheese sticks into 1/4 inch cubes.
3. Using a 1 tablespoon to measure , form the meat mixture into a disc, place a cheese cube in the center and then roll the meat around the cheese to form a ball. If the meat sticks to your hands, lightly wet your hands with water. 
4. Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat and cook the meatballs for about five minutes, until the turkey is cooked through.

Now, you may try the recipe this way which I am sure turns out fab! I just did not have enough time. I decided to preheat the oven to 450 degrees. I mixed ALL of the ingredients together (hold the oil) into a bowl and combined throughly. I then rolled them into mini meatballs and placed them on a baking dish with foil. You may use the oil to coat your pan or just spray it with a little PAM. I then placed the meatballs in the oven for 9 minutes. The cheesy turkey meatballs came out fabulous!! You could probably make a meatloaf out of it too! Although, I have not tried that yet! Here is a picture of how my cheesy meatballs came out....

Please keep in mind that I did not make this recipe up from scratch. My boss and I trade, and try out all different recipes for the little one! This recipe was found at Weelicious.

What are some great recipes that you make for your child? Any family favorites? I am always looking to add new recipes to my repertoire! Please comment below with your favorite recipes and ideas!

-D

How To Stop Baby Godzilla

My daughter Makenna has quite the little attitude and temper when she doesn't get her own way. Instead of using her words, lately she immediately goes into Baby Godzilla mode. Kicking or pushing over anything in her way while she screams and yells. Last week, she destroyed a whole Thomas the Train City we built while Matthew and I looked on. All because she wanted a train Matthew already had. Matthew looked over at me and said, "Ka is crazy!" lol Yes, yes she is Buddy. 

Danielle found this craft on Pinterest a while ago and sent it to me. 

It's been called a Hush Bottle, Timeout Bottle and Timeout Timer, but I think we will call ours a Sparkle Bottle since Makenna is into all things sparkle and princess. What it is, is a sensory bottle that is supposed to help relax and calm. We can use a little relax and calm in our daily routine, so we decided to make it. 

   

I would say this is more of a grown-up craft. I started doing it alone, until Makenna woke up and wanted to help. She helped pour some glue in and quickly moved on to something else thank God. 

Here is what you need (sorry for the horrible lighting)

Per Sparkle Bottle:

• Half a bottle of Clear Tacky Clue
• Tube of glitter glue
• Small tube of extra fine glitter
• Water bottle (I used a large Smart Water bottle)
• Hot Water
• Some sort or funnel or large pouring mixing cup
• Goo Be Gone or anything to help take off the sticky lable

Steps to make a Sparkle Bottle:

• Drink all the water in your bottles so you can use them for a craft and then realize that you need water in the bottle anyway. 
• Fill bottle with HOT but not boiling water. If your faucet water gets really hot then just use that, if you use original water heat up in a cooking pot on the stove till hot but again not boiling! You don't want to melt the bottle or burn yourself. 
• However you get your full bottle of hot water, pour it in a pot or large enough measuring cup and add entire bottle of glitter glue.
• Stir glitter glue until no more clumps. (if it's not de-clumping, heat up water a tiny bit and stir some more)

• Add in the little tube of extra fine glitter and stir until all mixed in
• If mixture is in a pot, pour it into the mix cup or use a funnel to pour it into your water bottle. (it's probably easier to use a funnel so you can get all the glitter water out of pot/measuring cup easier) (CAUTION WATER BOTTLE WILL BE HOT FROM THE HOT WATER :) ) 
• Add about half a bottle of clear tacky glue.
• Put the lid on and shake until all the glue is melted in

• Shake bottle and time how long it takes for glitter to settle. For Makenna and Matthew I wanted about 4-5 mins. If you want more time, add more glue. (Wait for entire mixture to cool down before gaging how long it takes for mixture to settle. Because water is hot it will settle faster than when it cold.)
• EDIT: PLEASE GLUE CAPS SHUT ONCE PERFECTED. Use a permanent type of bonding glue. First thing Makenna and Matthew both did was try to take off the cap. Glitter water everywhere would not be calm and relaxing!  

Right after a good shaking

1 Minute

2 Minutes

3 Minutes (red/gold bottle settled a lot faster than the blue bottle)

4 Minutes

They look really cool when finished. A lot better than my craptastic pictures. I have yet to use them in the mist of a meltdown, but I will keep you all updated on how it works. I'm not sure how I'm going to mix it into Matthew's routine yet, maybe as a Thomas (the train) relax bottle. He is not the Baby Godzilla type at all. More of the 'put his head down and quietly pout in the corner type.' But being a boy he is constantly on the go, so this bottle might help him just have a few moments of quite time or work for those rare timeout moments for him.

It will probably take a few times to get them to actually use them accordingly, but I'm sure it won't be long before it becomes their routine. When Makenna becomes Baby Godzilla, I usually let her go until she calms down enough where I can get her to take a few deep breaths. Sometimes I ask her to take the deep breaths, but lately she starts doing it on her own after she realizes she's not getting her way. Now i'll just shake her bottle and hand it to her, tell her to take a deep breath, and come see me when she and her bottle settles down. Wish me luck!!!

Any advice on how to get a screaming child to calm down? What works for your kid(s)? What would you use you "Sparkle Bottle" as? Please feel free to share below!!

-K

Heatstroke Awareness

As the warmer weather is upon us this season I wanted to talk about Vehicular Safety.

Parents, Grandparents, Caregivers & Friends... I cannot stress enough how important it is to conduct a BACKSEAT safety check before exiting your vehicle. Whether it is morning, afternoon, or evening ALWAYS do a backseat check!

So far in 2014, I am sad to say that there have already been four (4) deaths of children left behind in a vehicle. Last year, in 2013, there were forty-four (44) deaths of children resulting from being left behind in the car. Since the year of 1998 to the present the total is a whopping six hundred and ten (610) deaths. That breaks down to thirty-eight (38) lost lives a year. This is completely uncalled for and such a shame. It is a quick and simple task, and it takes two seconds to double check your backseat.

A study that was conducted from the year of 1998 to the present day showed the circumstances in which children were left alone in a vehicle:

• 52%- Child was "forgotten" by a Caregiver (316 Children)
• 29%- Child playing unattended in a vehicle (175 Children)
• 18%- Child intentionally left in a vehicle by an Adult (108 Children)
• 1%- Unknown circumstances (6 Children)

If any of our followers where previously a member of our Facebook Focus group then this video has already been brought to your attention. However, for all of our new followers this video demonstrates what happens when a child is left behind. I do need to forewarn you that this video is very heart heavy. Please take a few minutes out of your day to view, share, and pass this video along to everyone you know. If you are not able to see the video below from your phone click this here

Video found at Youtube.

If you ever see an infant, toddler, or child (even a dog!) alone in a vehicle do not hesitate to immediately call 911. Please remember to put your cell phone down, pay attention to your surroundings & help save a life. Infants and young children do not have a voice. WE ARE THEIR VOICE. Help us to keep them safe & alive.

**All Statistics were found here**

Feel free to ask Keri & I any questions you may have pertaining to vehicle safety! We love to hear from each and every one of you.

-D

Let's Be Prepared!

You know that moment, when you know your kid is going to get hurt, and your heart stops for a second. You brace yourself for the impact and BAM it happens. That's exactly how I felt last Saturday when we were playing at the park.

Makenna and Matthew were running around the tennis court, like they do every time we go to the park. They chase each other around and around the tennis net. Makenna had her head turned back and was calling for Matthew to follow her. I saw her cutting in towards the pole that holds the net. Before I could even yell out, she turned her head and ran straight into the pole at full speed. I honestly thought she was going to be missing some of her front teeth. I ran over to her and just saw blood covering her nose and mouth area. I picked her up and yelled for Matthew to follow us to the car. Of course Matthew had other ideas that included going down the slide a few more times before he followed. 

Now the park is absolutely packed. Not one parent offered their assistance in getting Matthew or asking if we needed help. Makenna was bleeding and screaming hysterically and I was yelling across the park for Matthew to get to the car. Maybe it's just the way I am, but I would have gone to get a little kid that a mother/nanny/grandparent, was calling for. Especially since it was very obvious that I was holding another hurt child. 

I put Makenna in my front seat and got Matthew buckled in his seat. When I got a chance to look closely at her face, I noticed that she made impact above her lip and below her nose. Thank God!! No missing teeth. Just a chunk of skin hanging off, that I was 95% positive would not need stitches. Also, she had a huge bump above her eyebrow. I sat there just staring at her thinking, "What the hell do I do now?" The only thing I had in my car was baby wipes. I was totally flustered and unprepared. I tired wiping up the blood that was dripping down as best as I could and told her to hold the wipe to her face. A trip to the doctors and a few stickers later, she was as good as new.

I on the other hand will be scared for life. I thought over and over again, "I can't believe I do not have a first-aid kit in my car!" Three days later, Matthew rolled the car window up right onto the tip on his middle finger. Again, having a first-aid kit would have been handy. Thankfully, we were right outside some place that had an ice pack readily available. But that sealed the deal, I was making a first-aid kit for the car! 

I saw once on Pinterest, a first-aid kit with all the supplies fitting in a baby wipe container. Who doesn't have one or 50 of these things laying around? Here is a picture of my first-aid kit all packed up. 

Here is what it includes:

• Scissors (every parent needs scissors in their car! I have read numerous stories about kids getting seat belts stuck around their necks and almost dying) 
• Gauze pads 
• Various size bandages
• Butterfly banages
• Tweezers
• Safety pins 
• Medical tape
• Alcohol wipes
• Burn Cream
• Antibacterial ointment 
• Antibacterial wipes
• Gloves
• Q-tips
• Ice Packs
• Ace bandage (not pictured bc the kids stole it) 

I had some of this stuff already at home, but you can buy most of it from the dollar store and Wal-Mart. You can also buy a pre made car first-aid kit at just about any store and online. 

Makenna is fine and loves reenacting, to everyone who asks her about her nose, how she ran into the "pool" aka the pole.  Matthew is also fine. Just broken blood vessels on the tip of his finger. What a few days it has been! Hopefully I won't have to use my new first-aid kit any time soon!! Next time something happens though, I'm hoping I won't feel so flustered and unprepared!  

Please fell free to tell us your stories and share anything else you think should be added to a car first-aid kit

Heaven for Breakfast!

Keri and I have been receiving such wonderful and positive feedback about our blog! We could not be more excited to keep sharing all of our ideas & experiences with you. With that being said, I have received some requests of what people would love for us to blog about! Today, I will be introducing to you another favorite recipe of mine.

 Cottage Cheese Pancakes!!

Cottage cheese is packed with protein and such an inexpensive item at the grocery store. I have found that you can use both whole wheat flour or white flour when making this recipe. Either way, they are both wonderful. If you decide to use white flour the pancakes come out tasting more like funnel cake! I do not hate it nor does the little guy I nanny for ;) This recipe is wonderful for not only toddlers but EVERYONE! I believe these pancakes work out to 35 calories a pancake! UMMMM, YES PLEASE!!

Without further a due, I give you, THE recipe :)

COTTAGE CHEESE PANCAKES:

Prep Time: 5 Mins

Cook Time: 15 Mins

INGREDIENTS:

1. 3 Eggs
2. 1 Cup Cottage Cheese
3. 1 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract
4. 2 Tablespoons honey or agave
5. 1/2 Cup Flour
6. 1 Teaspoon baking powder
7. 1/4 Teaspoon salt
8. Butter, oil or oil spray

PREPARATION:

1. Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and whisk together.
2. In a separate bowl whisk the dry ingredients.
3. Pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture and stir until combined.
4. Heat a large sauté pan or griddle over medium heat. Lightly coat with butter or oil. 
5. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the mixture onto the griddle for each pancake.
6. Cook for two minutes on each side or until the pancake is set and golden.
7. Serve.

You May freeze these pancakes for up to three months! To freeze properly, allow pancakes to come to room temperature & store in a ziplock bag.

These pancakes are beyond amazing! I am personally such a big fan of them if you couldn't already tell! Thomas absolutely hates to eat cottage cheese plain. He will taste it and spit it out. However, he will eat these pancakes until every last bite is gone. I hope your toddler enjoys them just as much as Thomas does! I also can't thank my employer enough for always swapping recipes with me! She found this amazing recipe at Weelicious. Together, we have come up with so many fun things to serve Thomas.

If you have any great and fun toddler recipes that you would like to share with everyone PLEASE comment on this post to tell us all about it! We look forward to hearing from you!

-D

Day Tripping!

Looking for somewhere new and different to take your kids to this summer? Well, you have come to the right blog! Keri brought to my attention what may just be the best place on earth for kids!.....

                        DIGGERLAND USA!

Diggerland USA is a Construction themed Adventure Park where children and their families drive, ride, and explore all machinery! It is conducted in a safe, kid friendly environment. Diggerland USA is said to be the most UNIQUE amusement park in the world. They have four locations in the UK and the only North American location will be opening up this summer 2014 in West Berlin, NJ! HOW LUCKY ARE WE!!

Tickets are now available to purchase online. Whether you have a boy or girl, big kids or little kids or your just a big kid at heart yourself then this is just the place for you!

Full Day Tickets:

• Online- $29.95
• Walk Up- $34.95

Half Day Tickets:

• Online- $24.95
• Walk Up- $26.95

For pictures, tickets and further information, check out their website at, Diggerland USA; Here is an overview of the amusement park.

Picture found from Diggerland USA.

I will for sure be taking the children I nanny for this summer! Have you and your family found great places to take day trips to for this summer? Where are some of your favorite summer spots? Comment & share awesome places with us! Whether your from New Jersey or from anywhere in the world! We would love to hear from you! Yay to vacation planning for Summer 2014!

-D

Big Sister Coming Your Way!

We are so excited to announce that Makenna will be a BIG SISTER come September 2014!! 

FYI: I have come to realize secrets is spelled wrong on the chalkboard! Lol I could blame it on pregnancy brain but I just really always spell that word wrong! #chalkboardfail :) how many of you caught that before I brought it to your attention?

Just after Makenna's 3rd birthday, we will be welcoming a baby girl to our family. September is a very packed month for us. There are a ton of family birthdays and anniversaries, including my husband's and mine. But since "Gummy Bear," as Makenna calls her, will be born just a week after her big sister, we do not need to buy anything. My husband now appreciates my hoarding the storing of 18 bins of clothing crowding our attic. Let's hope Gummy Bear does not grow at a faster rate than Makenna! Fingers crossed!! 

Making her social media debut :) "Gummy Bear"

Everyone who already knows kept asking when we were going to officially announce. There were a few complications in the beginning. I had the easiest pregnancy ever with Makenna. No common pregnancy symptoms or aches and pains. I had just turned 13 weeks with Gummy Bear and was joking around with my husband that I could be pregnant for a living since I have it so easy. The next day all hell broke loose. I'm not ready to share all the details of that, but I am so thankful for my family and friends that were there for me. It was a really scary and stressful time. Thank God everything is going well now!

Mother's Day

This shirt makes me look huge in these two pics! I am not that big. Reference family picture above :)
 

See disappearing bump in this pic. We went to the Met's game last Thursday. Makenna talks a big game how she loves Mr. Met.... we meet him and she totally freaks out and clings to me for dear life. As soon as we leave and get some distance, Mr. Met is awesome to her again. Cracks me up every time.  

I also want to take a minute to thank you all for following along with our blog. Danielle and I are really excited with all the positive feedback we have been getting! Please feel free to post comments or suggestions! You can also email us with any topics you would like us to cover. We have some great post ideas coming soon! We LOVE you all!

XOXO
-K

**Please do not steal or use any of my pictures without prior consent!**

Rainy Day Fun!

Are you stuck inside with your baby and big kids on this awful rainy day? Here is a SIMPLE & FUN recipe for some home made Play Dough!

Recipe & Picture found from Pinterest.

RECIPE:

1. 3 Cups Flour
2. 1 1/2 Cups Salt
3. 6 Tsp. Cream of Tarter
4. 3 Tbsp. Oil
5. 3 Cups Water

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour ALL ingredients into a large pot. 
2. Stir consistently over medium heat until a doughy ball forms. 
3. Remove from heat and knead until the texture matches Play Dough. 

Store the Play Dough in a plastic container IN THE FRIDGE. It should last for a couple of weeks. However, in my experience I would check it every few days just to make sure it is still good.

Feel free to add a few drops of food coloring to it and glitter to make it fun & sparkly for your little one. The best part about this homemade recipe is that if your child decides to put the Play Dough in their mouth all ingredients are found in your kitchen. YAY for non-toxic!

I hope you and your little one enjoy this recipe just as much as we enjoy giving it out to you! If anyone has any other great craft recipes that you and your baby love to do together please comment & share your experiences with us!

HAPPY FRIDAY!

-D

What's the big DEAL?

I have never been one to seek out a "deal." Nor am I one who sits down and cuts out coupons. Bad habit, I know. However, as I get older I am getting smarter. I found one of the best deals that I have found in a long time on ... wait for it, wait for it... SHOES!! I bought four pairs of shoes at Payless for a whopping total of $64. To put the cherry on my shoe sundae, Payless is also offering 20% off your entire purchase!

If any of you ladies (and men) are interested, make sure you RUN to Payless this week. Not only do they have a beautiful selection of sandals, sneakers, wedges & heels; but, they now have bags, flip flops, hair accessories & jewelry as well! WHO KNEW! Clearly, it has been awhile since I have stepped foot into Payless. 

Last but not least, the cashier was sweet enough to give me a tidbit of insider information ;) ... Every week they receive three NEW shipments of shoes. So if your not satisfied with what you see, make sure to pop back in to see if anything catches your eye later on in the week.

Here is what I chose to buy:

I am in LOVE with my selection! Being a nanny, this makes it super easy to dress comfortable and look cute while on duty. All I need now is a fun t-shirt that says, "I am just the Nanny!" Haha just kidding!

Do you know of any places running great deals right now? Where are some of your favorite places to shop for good deals? We are always looking for new suggestions! Please comment with your top shops & great finds! We look forward to hearing from you!

-D

A Fun & Cheap Summer Activity

Finding activities to keep the kids entertained during the summer can be challenging if you are on a budget. Going to the movies is usually out of the question, especially with small kids. Movie theater prices are high and you never know if the kids will actually sit thorough the movie. It can end up being a total waste of money. That's why I am so glad I found this Summer program from Regal Cinemas. It's called Summer Movie Express. Nine weeks during the summer, starting June in most areas, Regal Cinemas will be featuring kid friendly movies. FOR ONLY $1!! On Tuesdays and Wednesdays with start times at 10:00am. I think it is a perfect morning activity and over just in time for lunch then naps :) Sounds like a great deal to me!

Here is a list of the movies that will be running each week:

Week	Title	Rating	Start Time
1	Hotel Transylvania	PG	10am
1	The Smurfs 2	PG	10am
2	Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 2	PG	10am
2	The Pirates: Band of Misfits	PG	10am
3	Arthur Christmas	PG	10am
3	Despicable Me 2	PG	10am
4	The Lego Movie	PG	10am
4	Free Birds	PG	10am
5	Adventures of TinTin	PG	10am
5	Rise of the Guardians	PG	10am
6	Kung Fu Panda 2	PG	10am
6	Madagascar 3	PG	10am
7	The Croods	PG	10am
7	Epic	PG	10am
8	Turbo	PG	10am
8	Walking with Dinosaurs	PG	10am
9	Mr. Peabody & Sherman	PG	10am
9	Rio 2	G	10am

 I have wanted to bring my daughter Makenna to see a movie in the theater for the longest time. I just didn't feel like wasting money on a ticket, because the chances of her sitting through the whole thing is slim. Now with this great deal, I am definitely going to be taking her. If she doesn't sit through the whole thing or makes to much noise, it won't be that big of a deal. I am lucky that we have a Regal Cinema right down the road from us. You can go to this link, Summer Movies, to find the closest participating Regal Cinemas. A portion of all the movie ticket proceeds goes to the Will Rogers Institute.

This would be a great rainy summer day activity. Instead of being stuck in the house, take the kids to the movies! It would even be fun to meet up to see a movie with a group of friends. Has anyone else found any fun and cheap summer activities? Feel free to share your tips below!!!

-K

Carrots, Zuchinni, Fruits & Veggies .. OH MY!

What do you do when all your toddler want to eat is Pizza? Some children can live off of their favorite foods; Chicken Nuggets, Mac n Cheese, Yogurt or Banana's ALL THE TIME! Let me just get this small disclaimer out of the way... IT IS MORE THAN OK! As long as your child is eating, they are in good health. Most toddlers go through phases or eating strikes. It bothers the parents more than it will ever bother your child ;) However, as a mother it drives you completely nutty. I understand the struggle.

After some trials and tribulations some great idea's to help get your toddler to eat is to hide fruits and veggies in their food. They will never know their meatballs have applesauce, shredded carrots & zucchini in it! YES, YOU HEARD ME CORRECTLY MOMS. Insert your happy dance now!! You can make breakfast muffins that incorporate Strawberries, Bananas & Blueberries. There are so many fun and colorful options for your toddler. Not to mention super easy and fast recipes!

Another great tip that I have found to work well with toddlers is, if they won't eat their meatballs plain, throw some sauce on it! Kids LOVE sauce! There are plenty of no sugar added marinara sauces out there. Many great flavors such as, Tomato and Basil. I promise that it tastes wonderful! Always try to make your child's plate colorful and fun for them. They will at least want to try it just once. Don't forget that as your child grows they want to expand their palate. They want to now eat what Mommy and Daddy are eating. They even want to sit at the big table with you too! Incorporate them into your mealtime or sit at the table with them while they eat their dinner.

If you find that your toddler is still a bit picky, a great thing to do with them while they eat is to read books to them. It is a great distraction for them and they will learn during mealtime as an added bonus. Work on their ABC'S, or teach them how to count by using their food. You can work on all the different colors that lay right on their plate! When you do read them a story you will notice that they just shovel the food into their mouth! It leaves your child with a full tummy & it certainly makes a happy parent!

As a nanny my employer and I are constantly trading recipes for the little guy! Here is one of Thomas's favorite dinner recipes...

GREEN MAC N CHEESE

Recipe & Picture found at Weelicious

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

1. 1 pound of elbow macaroni (or any macaroni that you wish!)
2. 3 cups whole milk
3. 1 cup fresh packed spinach
4. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5. 2 tablespoons flour
6. 4 cups grated white cheddar cheese
7. 2 cups chopped broccoli florets
8. 1 cup peas

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
2.  Cook pasta in salted water for about 3 mins less than package directions. Reserve half a cup of the pasta water & strain.
3. While the pasta is cooking, place the milk and spinach in a blender and blend on high speed until smooth.
4. In a large pot, melt the butter and then add the flour. Whisking continuously over low-medium heat for 2-3 minutes to make a roux. Slowly whisk in the milk mixture and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3-4 minutes, or until sauce is gently bubbling and beginning to thicken.
6. Add reserved pasta water and cheese and whisk until melted. Stir in the pasta, broccoli and peas.
7. Transfer to a greased 13" x 9" baking dish and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese is bubbling and the pasta is set.

As always, these tips will not always work for every child. Just keep trying to introduce new foods and don't give up. Eventually, they will start to be less picky and eat more. What has worked for you and your picky kid? If you have any of your favorite recipes for everyone's little ones please feel free to comment and post!

-D

The Importance of Learning to Lose

In todays world of "everyone wins" mentality, it is as important as ever to teach your child to lose. A lot of younger kid's sports programs do not keep score, and it's making the upcoming generations a big group of sore losers. Even at home, parents are letting their children always win at games they play. The "everyone wins" mentality is not setting up children for real life. As we all know, in real life, not everyone is a winner. In fact, more times than not you will be on the losing side. Without learning to lose with grace at an early age, kids these days start to lose and just give up.

My husband and I are very competitive people by nature. Both of us hate to lose. Our 2 1/2 year old daughter Makenna is the same way. She loves to win, but she isn't a sore loser when she loses. I am big on not letting her always win. Every night we race up the stairs to bed. She usually makes my husband carry her, and it's an all out race to see who can get up the stairs and into bed first. Sometimes they win and sometimes I win. Sometimes I let them win (don't tell my husband lol). It's okay to let them win sometimes. What is most important though, is teaching them that when they lose, not to give up. When Makenna and the little boy I nanny for play games, I don't help either of them win. When one of them lose they usually tell the other, "Good job!" and clap and get excited for them. They generally like to see the other succeed, even if that means they didn't. I have nannied for children that if they lost or I didn't let them win, they would storm off crying and refuse to play again. As she gets older, I don't expect my daughter to be excited that she lost. But with age, I hope comes the ability to realize that with hard work and determination, it can be her winning next time.

Parents...I'm sorry to be the one to tell you this, but not every child is an all-star. Except my kid of course ;) One day your children are going to experience losing. What kind of loser do you want them to be? One that stomps away crying or the one that doesn't give up?

Feel free to share your tips and stories below about teaching your children to lose. We would love to hear from you all!!

A Special Mother's Day Wish...

May your day be filled with love & happiness. Sweet kisses & hugs from your little ones.
Cherish all the little moments of today and all the, "I Love You's!" that come your way.

Being a Mother is the most important job you will ever have. Do it with all the love, compassion, and kindness you can.

We appreciate all the things that Mother's do! We don't know how this world would go on without each and every one of you!

To all the Mother's that have babies and children in Heaven. Just know that, they are your angels & watch over all that you do. We pray God gives you comfort and hope you can feel their love & spirit within your hearts every day.

May today bring you joy, peace and happiness!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

With all our love,

-K&D

Happy (ALMOST) Mother's Day!

Have you been wondering what to make for Mom or Grandma this Mother's Day? This can always get sticky when working with babies and toddler's. However, it is also one of the best & most special times to save up all the memories and package it nicely for Mom & Grandma.

Being a nanny, it is one of my many joys being able to do fun arts & crafts with my little ones. I really enjoy seeing the looks on the parents' faces when you hand them a precious piece of art work their child has completed.

This Mother's Day I really wanted to do something special for my boss from her son, Thomas. Thomas is about to turn twenty-one months old. As we all know, projects at this age can not only get sticky & messy, but it becomes a serious game of, "WAIT! DON'T EAT THE MARKER!!" ;)

My boss loves her garden, plants & flowers. Although, we all tease her because she tends to forget to water the beautiful plants and they end up not making it! So, for this Mother's Day I decided that Thomas and I would give her some potted flowers that will never die. This was the end result....

Adorable! Right?! ;) Needless to say my boss was smitten when Thomas gave her, her beautiful pot of flowers!

Listed below are the simple steps to go about making this unique Mother's Day Project;

*Small side note: ALL materials were bought at the Dollar Tree. This Project cost me $5.34 to make.*

Tools You Will Need:

1. A small flower pot.
2. Colored construction paper.
3. A foam ball. (They sell them in packages)
4. Pipe cleaners. (I used sparkly pink ones)
5. Scissors & a hole punch. (I used a knife)

Steps To Make This Awesome Craft:

1. Trace your Child's hand to make a template.
2. Take template to trace as many hands as you want in your bouquet. 
3. Cut out all hands.
4. You may write messages on the hands like I did above, or you may allow your child to color them. Get creative!
5. Take your hole punch or knife & make a small hole at the bottom of the hand.
6. Stick your pipe cleaner through and fold the pipe cleaner in half. You may want to wrap the two end's around one another to make it look tight & swirly.
7. Take your knife & puncture slits into the foam ball.
8. Stick your pipe cleaner into the small slits and stick the foam ball into your flower pot.
9. Take either a black or brown piece of construction paper and cut it into tiny pieces to serve as the "dirt" in your flower pot. I cut the paper into vertical strips then cut horizontally across the strips to make small pieces.
10. WAAAALAAA! You have the cutest little flower pot that Mom & Grandma have ever seen!

On the actual Flower Pot itself feel free to write a cute message. You can even write the child's age that way you will never forget how old they were when their hand was that little!

Have a great time getting creative with your little one! I know that I did! 

Feel free to comment below with some of your favorite Mother's Day craft ideas! 

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY EVERYONE!!

-D