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These are my favorite, the best, tried-and-true lunch containers and gear for kids that makes lunch packing easy and healthy for all!
Our family has been eating a real food diet for a long time and over the years, I have collected a few tips and tricks to make a real food budget stretch and to save our family money!
Getting kids interested in eating vegetables goes so far beyond just putting them on the dinner plate. It takes doing some out of the box things away from the dinner table to help them to see veggies in a whole new way.
Books are a wonderful tool for getting children interested in and curious about veggies! A collection of beautiful fiction and non-fiction books that are geared towards young children, you are going to want to rush to the bookstore or library to gather all of these stories to read to your little one!
A total summer must-make! This easy and natural DIY spray cools and soothes skin that has seen a bit too much of the sun using the plant power of essential oils, aloe and witch hazel!
As a teacher and mom, people often ask me for gift ideas for children. And this is what I tell them....
Do you pack a beautiful lunch for your child and then end up packing yourself the odds and ends? Instead, pack the same healthy lunch for both of you in two different ways! Everyone gets an amazing lunch they will enjoy and you won't waste time you don't have in the kitchen.
Podcasts are a listening staple for many adults, but did you know that there are oodles of amazing, fun and even educational podcasts geared towards kids? There are! And they are perfect for those long (or short) car rides, as a screen-time alternative, or just for some good 'ol family time listening! Here are 5 awesome ones that both YOU and the kids are going to adore!
Natural 2-Ingredient Snow Dough is quick to throw together in a large bowl or reusable bin and can set your child's imagination totally on fire! It's naturally gluten-free for children and/or families with high gluten sensitivity and I bet you already have these 2 ingredients hanging around your house.
Your child needs a truly nutrient-dense lunch so that their brains have all the vitamins and minerals the brain needs to absorb and retain information. Yet, packing a healthy lunch that really fuels you or your child up and powers you on through the rest of your day can feel really tricky. Here are the 3 guidelines I use when packing up my daughter's lunch.....and my own!
This is not a pro-breastfeeding post. Nor is it a pro-formula feeding post. Its a pro-mommy post. A post about finding balance and your own way in motherhood. A post about planning to parent one way, and then discovering that way isn't going to work for your unique life. It is a post about why I had every intention in the world of breastfeeding my daughter when she was born....and then didn't.
Our skin is our biggest organ! Whatever we put on our skin will go into our stystems! So, if I don't want to eat some gnarly chemical, than I certainly want to think twice about putting it on my skin! Here are the chemicals I steer clear of when picking out a sunscreen....and some natural brands that I love
I wish I had known years ago how easy and cost efficient homemade natural foaming hand soap could be. Like, so easy. Besides the fact that you are skipping the yucky stuff that are in so many of the hand soap on the market today, this DIY Natural Foaming Hand Soap is probably the easiest product for your home that you can whip up.
I don't know about you, but next to coffee and leggings, dry shampoo might just be the lifeblood of motherhood for me. And I've cooked up my own personal favorite DIY Natural Dry Shampoo recipe...with ingredients just kicking around the kitchen!
We parents are blessed with a special superpower; our Mom and Dad "guts". It sounds like an old wive's tale and probably some who aren't yet parents will think it is just that, but us mamas and papas know that the parent intuition is a real and powerful thing. That unexplainable gut feeling that bubbles and nags and leads you strongly in a certain direction when it comes to making a choice that is in the best interest of your child.
And the Mom Gut should never be ignored.
This fun, simple and engaging lesson plan is not only a wonderful way to get your kids into the kitchen...but might also be the nudge they need to embrace new foods.
We are a family who eats veggies and cooks at home, but we are also a family that occasionally goes out for ice cream sundaes. We are a family who fills our lives with movement and nature, but we also deeply value cuddling up together in front of a favorite movie. We are a kombucha-brewing and water-drinking family, but my husband and I will occasionally enjoy beer or a glass of wine when the mood strikes. We are a family of balance, rather than extremes. We don't believe in "all or nothing" because we are in this lifestyle for a lifetime. We want our daughter learn balance instead of depravation. And we want to be able to live a life we can sustain, instead of trying to be perfect each and every day.
What exactly does play teach our children? Why is play more valuable to a child's development than flash cards and worksheets? Why is play so dang important? Here are 4 things that play does for you child each and every day:
I don’t have a big house. Or a big yard. Or a big bank account. But I have the people I love most by my side, joy in my soul, and the memories I choose to fill my moments with. I have everything I need and probably more. Our family’s journey towards simple living forced us to reevaluate what truly brought us happiness….and what simply gave us fleeting sparks of joy. Our home and the objects inside of it do not dictate how successful, happy or rich we are. We do….and the smiles and friends we leave in our wake.
Gross motor movement songs encourage the stimulation of large motor play in an organized and engaging way! The house stays intact, the kids get that large muscle movement they are dying for and you can even get a fun workout in if you opt to join in the fun (which you totally should).
My everyday life as a full-time teacher, mom and wife is busy. So busy, in fact, that it’s easy to lose sight of my own needs in the blur of the day. But no matter how busy it gets, there are a few things I make sure I always do for me ….and just me. Because I need to be one of the most important people in my own life.
To the mom who feels like she doesn't stack up. Who has felt like she didn't compare to the other moms. Who doesn't feel she is like "enough".......you are enough. Because there are no Super Moms.
If motherhood has taught me one thing, its that simple is usually better. Less is more. And this is especially true when it comes to your purse.....Here are the things I *always* carry in my bag.
Life moves fast and its easy to get lost in the hustle of parenthood. But the little moments count. Truly, they do. The little moments are what make a childhood. They are when strong relationships are created. Little moments are the when trust is built. And these are the moments that I am guaranteed to have every day with my daughter. These valuable little moments that will forge our mother-daughter bond. The little moments filled with the little things that we do together every day.
Sick of all the candy that surrounds Valentine's Day? Send your kiddo to school with one of these candy free treats this year!
Our children are amazing and we love them dearly. But those dinnertime battles, disgusted faces at a meal we just worked so hard to prepare and straight-up refusal to try new foods is less than endearing. However there are a few very good reasons your child might be resisting unfamiliar foods....and a few ways to turn that resistance around that doesn't involve nagging, pushing, or dinnertime battles that leave everyone feeling defeated.
Whether your child is home on holiday break or they are always home with you, mamas and papas all around are trying to think of creative ways to keep their kids engaged and entertained during the holiday excitement. These 10 Easy Homemade Winter Break Boredom Busters are simple, play based activities you can throw together in a snap using stuff you probably have hanging around your house!
Stumped what to get those special kiddos in your life? I put on my teacher brain, looked around my house and classroom, and even on my daughter's own holiday list to create little gift guide filled with inspiring, fun and play-based learning children's items to help you nurture your children naturally this holiday season.
I have never feared aging. However, when I discovered my first gray hairs one unexpected Tuesday morning, I was admittedly caught a bit off guard. After a few deep breaths and a bit of self-reflection, I soon realized that those gray hairs were something that I had earned the right to wear with pride and quickly fell madly in love with shimmering strands of survival.
Vegetables are something so many parents and caregivers struggle with when it comes to the toddler years. However, the key for helping young children embrace veggies in their life might start with the simple act of playing with their food!