Cooling summer treats

Well yesterday I was talking about eating healthy snacks that keep you cool on a hot day.  Here are some of the regular snacks I like to make.  Hopefully there will be something here you haven't tried before that sounds good to you.  Most of these items contain fruits and veggies, so maybe one of these recipes will be a way to get a picky eater to eat healthier.

Waters
First things first, we all need water to live so why not mix it up and make water fun?  Sometimes just changing the ice can make it fun.  Used crushed ice and make it a water slushy.  You can also basically add any fruit or veggie to water to give it a flavor.  Let your kids pick what flavors they want to mix up and make.  Here are some of the foods to consider using: mint, watermelon, cucumber, strawberry, lemon, lime, blueberries and blackberries. 

Frozen fruit
This is so simple, but making fruit just a few degrees colder than just your fridge can make it yummy.  This works great for teething babies too, because not only does it soothe gums, but also gives them a serving of fruit.  My brother loved frozen grapes when he was little, but play around and try different fruits, they can make a yummy, healthy treat for those that are already sick of normal fruit.  You can freeze the fruit yourself either for the day or by the season, or you can buy frozen fruit at almost any supermarket. 

You can also throw the frozen fruit in a blender, add juice, yogurt and/or ice and blend it together making a smoothie.  Kids love cooling drinks and they are packed with vitamins.  They taste so good your kids usually don't even know they are eating something that's also good for them.  You can also slip in a veggie or two to the mix to add a little fiber and pack it full of even more vitamins. 

Popsicles
Take any kind of fruit or juice you want.  If it's fruit you're going to have to turn it into a juice first.  Then pour into a cup or Popsicle maker and put a stick in the cup.  Freeze the mixture and you have a Popsicle that has only ingredients you can pronounce.  You get to know exactly what your kids are eating and your kids get to eat dessert.  I used to love making these with the neighbor kids growing up.  You can also use an ice cream maker and make sorbet for a more mature dessert.  This way you can serve it to guests without having to peel off a cup first.  There is nothing I love to eat more than my home made strawberry sorbet in the summer. 

Fruit shapes
Using a cookie cutter, slice out shapes from a slice of melon.  Sometimes all it takes is putting fruit into a different shape to get kids to eat it.  Stars can be served for adults and kids alike.  You can even put them on a stick to make a "fancy" edible centerpiece at your summer bbq.  Honestly you can use any cookie cutter you want to make fun shapes.  Let your kids pick the shape, or even better let them cut the watermelon for you! 

Helping your kids stay safe in the heat

Before I get into tips to help your kids stay cool and healthy during the summer heat let me start with this.  You don't need a/c in your house if you live in this state.  Obviously it may be uncomfortable, but generations before you managed to live just fine without a/c so you can too.  They didn't even have freezers to make yummy Popsicles and other frozen snacks. 

Wear sunscreen
Put on a new layer at least every two hours when your kids are in the sun.  If you are swimming you need to re-apply after every time your kids towel off.  I suggest starting somewhere around SPF 50 for your kids. 

Accessorize
Protect little eyeballs with sunglasses and hats.  Sometimes you forget your eyes need protection too!  Try letting them pick out a pair of glasses or a hat they like, if it doesn't match, so what! 

Glug Glug
Always have cold water nearby for kids.  On hot days they should be sipping water the entire day.  Think about getting them their own water bottle they can take to the park and other places with them.  Be a role model, don't forget to carry your water bottle around too.  It may mean more trips to the bathroom for little ones, so if you're going to spend a long time at a park, be kind to yourself and pick one with a bathroom close by.

Time you play
Play outside in the morning and in the late afternoon.  Make nap time be the hottest part of the day.  That way when the rays are beating down, your little guys are all resting up to play some more when the heat is a little less intense.  Let your kids get comfy when they nap, draw shades, turn on fans and take off pants.  Whatever it takes for them to be cool and comfy during nap time.  If you have really little ones or your kids are getting too overheated, suggest they play something in the shade instead of in the sun.  Pick playgrounds that have plenty of shade. 

Yummy treats
Pick treats that go with the heat.  I'll make another post with suggestions later.  Look to the freezer for yummy/healthy treats that will cool off hot bodies.  Think slushy waters and juices, smoothies and frozen fruit for ice cold snacks. 


Cool off the house
This rule is the hardest for me to follow because I love the fresh air.  I only follow this rule when it's going to be in the 80's or hotter.  Close up all of the windows and shades when the air starts to heat up outside.  The house will be stuffy, but it will be at least a few degrees cooler than outside.  You can open the house back up again when the heat of the day passes.  Try making things on the grill instead of in the house to avoid making your house hotter than it needs to be. 

Enjoy the warm weather!  We complain when it's rainy and we complain when it's too hot, just enjoy the day and have fun.  Life is too short to complain about the weather. 

Tips to get your kids to sleep and stay asleep

Why is it that the nanny can get your kids to sleep and you constantly have to battle to get your kids in bed?  I'm here to reveal some of our not so tricky secrets that might help you get your kids down too if you follow these suggestions.  These work for nap time and bed time, but I think these tips will be easier for you to apply at bed time than nap time. 

Don't expect any of these tips to work overnight.  It can take up to a month of following these rules and routines before your child accepts that this is the new method and stops fighting you to sleep.  Remember though a month of tired nights is worth a lifetime of your child going to bed on time. 

Schedule
Make a schedule and keep it.  Pick a time you are going to put the kids down for a nap and pick a bed time.  Don't ever put the kids down more than an hour before or an hour after that time.  It's best to watch your children and figure out what time they wake up, what time they start to get cranky and what time they are completely over tired.  Pick a time in the day and evening when they are starting to get sleepy, if you wait to exhausted they are going to fight you to sleep even though they are over tired.  This is much easier for nannies, because well your kids are our schedule so we adjust the day accordingly.  It's much harder as parents to stick to a schedule with errands, friends and busy lives. 

Routine
Have a bedtime routine that you follow and stick to it.  It can be bath, stories and then bed or tv, book and bed.  Whatever routine you do, stick to it every night so the kids know what to expect and what order everything occurs.  They are less likely to argue with you if they know after 2 stories (or whatever you do) it's time to go to sleep.  If you change the schedule they are not only going to be confused, they will think if they ask for more stories or more tv they can manipulate you into getting those things every night. 

The Environment
Start turning the lights down an hour or so before bed.  Pick some quiet activities that are relaxing instead of stimulating. 

If you have a small house consider buying a portable fan or heater for your child's room and turn it on at bedtime.  This will create a white noise and stop the household noises from waking up your child.  This is especially good at naptime when you might be doing things around the house.  Invest in some blackout curtains for your child's room.  Keep the room dark and quiet. 

I also suggest shutting the doors.  The kids might cry at first but like I said earlier if you set up a routine they come to expect it and no longer fight it.  A week of fighting it, is worth a lifetime of the door closed.  Not only does the closed door keep the room darker and quieter, but it's also a fire safety issue.  Fire will be less likely to travel through a closed door and just might save your child's life someday. 

Snacks/Bathroom
Give your child a protein filled snack before bedtime.  This will keep your child from waking up due to hunger at some point during the night.  Avoid anything with sugar in it as it will make it impossible for your kids to sleep.  This might mean that after dinner snack should be cheese and crackers instead of oreos, but it will help your child sleep. 

If your child regularly fills their diapers or has accidents consider cutting back on liquids a few hours before bedtime.  Allow them just a few sips of water or milk here and there after dinner.  If they are potty trained make sure going to the bathroom is the last thing they do before they crawl into bed at night.  When you are done reading stories, saying prayers, whatever you do let them run to the bathroom one final time. 

The dreaded "moooooooooooooommmmm"
Don't give in!  This is the hardest rule for parents to follow but it's the most important.  When your child calls for you, tell them once that it's time to go to sleep.  No extra cups of water, no one more kiss, your children get nothing.  If they get out of bed put them back in bed without chatting or smiling.  Be firm and stand your ground.  Some of your kids are going to have a meltdown.  I've seen it, it's ugly but you just have to walk away and let it happen.  Don't give them attention when they call for you or throw a tantrum.  Let them sit in their rooms and eventually they will fall asleep.  This may make for a rough couple of nights but after a week or so it will get better I promise.  You just have to stand your ground and draw the line.  You make the calls not your kids.

Only exception is if you hear them get hurt or they are in danger.  You know your kids sounds, you know when they are actually hurting or when they just mad. If you need to peek in the door to check on your kids, don't talk to them and don't make eye contact. 

Hopefully this helps make your home a quiet and happy place! 

My Favorite Kitchen Tools

Today I feel like sharing a few of my favorite tools that I use in the kitchen.  All of these things I use at least once a week if not daily.  Most of these products can be found in any store but if you are having a hard time finding one of these products please feel free to post a comment or question and I will make sure you can find one of your own. 

The Misto
By pumping the lid it pressurizes the oil inside and sprays a mist of the oil onto your pans.  I like to fill my misto with olive oil, but I know people that have several Mistos filled with different oils for all of their cooking needs.  This way I can add a thin layer of oil to coat my pans instead of just dumping a tablespoon or so into the pan.  Pam is great, but it has chemicals and some pot and pan manufacturers recommend that you don't use Pam on their products.  This way you can make your own non-stick coating and know exactly what ingredients you are using. 

I also use my Misto with extra virgin olive oil when I'm making potatoes.  This way I get a light even coating over all my potatoes and they brown better in the oven. 

The Pot Scraper
Pot Scrapers can be made from bamboo to nylon and anything in between, but they all have this basic shape.  This little two dollar piece of nylon has changed my life! (not exaggerating I swear) Whenever I have something stuck to pot, counter top or anywhere else I pull out the scraper and use it to clean the spot.  If it's extra tough I might use a little vinegar too.  Using steel wool or another scraper on some surfaces may cause scratches but since this tool is made of nylon so it never leaves a mark, it just removes the dried on food.  Never again do you have to soak a dish for hours before you can load it in the dishwasher or worse have to soak a dish before you re-wash something that comes out of the dishwasher with food dried onto it.  When the scraper gets dirty just throw it in the dishwasher or rinse it quickly in the sink. 

Rice Cooker
This may seem like it just takes up space but my husband and I are a family that eats rice at least once a week and this little tool is amazing.  We spent a few extra dollars and bought one that has the ability to delay the start time several hours, has a rack to steam veggies and can also cook brown rice.  It's so handy to be able to just set the rice to cook and work on the other parts of dinner, or when combined with the slower cooker I can time my dinner to be ready from 8 hours when I put it together.  Having a rice cooker means there isn't instant rice in this house, we only use real rice because it's so easy and quick to make.  The taste makes all the difference you can have Chinese restaurant style rice without having any skill. 

Slower Cooker
A busy Mom/Wife's best friend.  I make everything from tacos to meatballs in my slow cooker.  It gives you the ability to put together a great meal, go to work or run errands and then come home to a home cooked meal without having to do any work.  For most of my slow cooker meals all I have to do is chopping prep. work and throw in the seasonings I want to use, after that the slow cooker does all of the work, once in a while I'll stir.  If you have really long days you might want to consider buying a cooker that has a delay start timer, otherwise any slow cooker is awesome.

National Teacher Day

First off, sorry for the double posting in one day but I wanted to make sure all of my readers had plenty of time to prepare for tomorrow.  Tomorrow is national teacher day.  It is a day to thank the teachers for everything that they do. 

Teachers often work long hours in over filled classrooms and use their own money for class projects when money runs out.  Not to mention it's the time of year where all children have spring fever and are close to impossible to control.  Let's thank our teachers and let them know how much we love what they do.

You don't have to spend a lot of money, just the thought goes a long way to make teachers feel appreciated.  A small gift card to starbucks or a craft store can go a long way for a teacher on a budget.  If you don't want to do that just clip some flowers from your garden or have your kids make a card.  Let's thank our teachers for everything that they do!

BPA's and You

Bisphenol-a also know as bpa has been a hot topic lately.  The other day someone was telling me that they are even in canned food and receipts.  It seems like every where you look there is a new toxic substance we all have to avoid.  While I believe that plastics destroy the earth causing the pacific coast garbage patch and littering the sides of the road, I still didn't know anything really about bpa.  What kind of writer would I be if I didn't research and get the skinny on bpa?  Keep in mind I'm not a scientist, in fact most of my college science has nothing to do with so all I can do is give my opinion on any of these topics as a consumer, wife and nanny.

Dangers
Bpas have been known to cause an early puberty in female animals due to the fact that it mimics estrogen and other hormones.  Bpas being injected directly into rats suggests that it may pose cancer risks (NY Times).   While these tests are done on animals, it's up to you as a parent to decide if you want to risk your children or buy products and try to avoid exposure.  In fact, some countries like China and Canada have gone so far as to completely ban bpas from baby bottles.  Personally, I have taken some steps to avoid bpas in my home. 

Where to find bisphenol-a
Basically any and all plastics contain bpas.  It has been used for years to make hard plastics.  This means everything from your Tupperware to your frozen dinner trays contain bpas.  There have also been high traces of bpa found in the lining of canned food.  Even those that are labeled organic, it does not mean that they are bpa free.  Bpas are released when the containers are heated, and then it goes into the food that you eat.  Even those containers that say they are microwave safe, may have bpas.  Since children have a lot of plastic utensils and dishes, it makes them an easy target for exposure. 

How to avoid bpas
You best bet is to look for bpa-free labels on your plastics.  A ton of stores and companies are only carrying and making bpa-free plastics for children. If the label doesn't say bpa-free, that means it's not bpa-free, only trust what the label says and never assume. Sswitch out your plastic Tupperware for glass containers.  The best part about the glass means it can go freezer, fridge, oven and microwave without a problem.  As far as canned food goes, try to avoid it when possible.  Consider switching to frozen veggies instead of canned when you can't get fresh.  Some groups suggest that you don't wash your plastics in the dishwasher with harsh soaps, other groups say that it perfectly fine.

My Conclusion
It seems to me that there is some evidence of harmful effects of bpas. I will probably take even more care in purchasing products that are bpa-free especially for children.  There just really isn't any way of knowing how harmful or dangerous a lifetime of exposure could be until more research is done on the subject.  Until a statement comes out saying that bisphenol-a is not at all harmful, why not try to avoid bpas?  The truth is I don't think we can ever completely protect our family from all of the dangers in the world, we can just do our best.

Sources
New York Times
www.sciencedaily.com
Mayo Clinic

Are You Ready For Kids?

This is a question almost every person asks them self at least once in their life.  It's not a decision to be taken lightly as there is another life involved, and you can't get bored and change your mind halfway through raising it. 

Now I believe in having a traditional family, with the parents married because I've seen one too many couples that weren't married, change their minds mid-pregnancy and split.  Unless you two plan on never marrying, what's the rush to have a baby now?  You can't wait 6 months or a year to get married first and tell your child you planned for their arrival?  However, I can't tell you how to live your life and you know what is best for you.  Just make sure that you and your partner are both in agreement that you want to have a child, before you have a child.  Don't go forward with your plan in hopes that your partner will come around to wanting a child eventually. 

Money, Honey
This is the first point you should look over when thinking about a child.  Yes, love finds a way, but we all know parents want the best for their children and children aren't cheap.  There are plenty of websites to help you calculate how much your little bundle of joy is going to cost.  Keep in mind things like baby furniture, food/diapers, time off work for maternity leave, time off work for illnesses, childcare and raise in insurance prices.  Not only that but you must also consider co-pays at the doctor.  If you have a child with some weird allergy or gets sick a lot, you have to keep in mind that every time you go to the doctor there will be co-pays for specialist, prescriptions, regular visits, ect.  It can add up very quickly and it's one thing a lot of young parents don't think about before they have a child. 

Work
This goes along with money but it's important enough to consider by itself.  Are you at a point in your career when you can take time off of work for maternity leave?  You also need to consider that you will have to take a sick day every time your child gets ill because day cares and schools won't take sick children and they will need to go to the doctor.  Something a lot of moms don't consider is are you available to go on a bed rest?  You may think it doesn't happen anymore, but in actuality a lot of pregnant women end up on bed rest for a part of pregnancy.  Are you able to either work from home or step back from work to have a baby?

Bucket List
Have you gotten far enough on your bucket list?  Having a young baby at home means that it will be awhile before you can risk your life jumping out of a plane or go backpacking through Europe.  Have fun, take some vacations and cross off some things on your bucket list before you have a child.  Make sure you don't regret missing out on life because you had a baby.  Most importantly sleep in!  Enjoy it while you can because once you have a baby it will be a good 5 years or so before you are able to sleep through the entire night and possibly sleep in on the weekends. 

Test Drive
If you think you are ready to give up all of these great things for a little bundle of joy it's time to take a baby for a test drive.  Find a friend, or a sibling that is willing to give up their child for a day or weekend.  Really commit and pretend that it is your baby.  Constant crying, diaper changing and spit up might make you frustrated.  If you get really frustrated or exhausted in the one weekend, remember that it's going to be like that every day all day if you have a child. 

I hope this article doesn't make you panic over having a baby.  Trust me, it's very rewarding and enjoyable and you can overlook all of the bad for those few moments of good.  The baby just isn't a fix if you are looking for something in your life.  Don't think a baby is going to love you and give you something you're missing, a baby is selfish.  You give everything to that child and only get a teeny bit of that love back.  So worth it, but a baby is not a fix for any other problem you are having in another area of your life.  Do not have a baby to get your husband to stick around, to have someone to love you, to be your friend or because all of your friends are having them and you can't stand going to one more baby shower and hearing them ask when you are going to have a baby.  A baby is a complete lifestyle change but it is very rewarding. 

Getting Your Kids to Eat Healthy

I, like everyone else in the world, am a huge believer in making sure kids get the proper nutrition.  Nothing is more sad than kids living in a country that can provide everything they need, yet they still aren't getting the proper nutrition.  Getting your kids to eat the right food can be a battle, but trust me it's a battle worth fighting for as a parent. 

Vitamins
Pick a multivitamin for your child.  It can be chewable, though as they get old enough to swallow pills, the pill form is preferable.  I'll admit I hate swallowing pills, so even I take adult gummy vitamins.  You'd be surprised how much better they taste than those chalky chewable ones you had as a kid.  You don't have to worry about getting your child 300% of their daily vitamin a intake, you just need to find something that has about 100% of the basic vitamins and minerals.  If your child particularly hates milk or has low iron you might consider one with more calcium or iron, but otherwise 100% across the board is a good start. 

Sugar
Cut it out of your child's diet.  There is no reason you need to feed your child anything with sugar added to it.  They get enough natural sugars from the fruits that they eat.  Cut out the juice.  Children should only have about 4oz worth of juice in a day.  Try drinks like water and milk instead.  If you want a special treat, try carbonated water with your kids.  Juices fill kids up with sugars instead of eating the proper food and don't give the kids the proper nutrition that they need. Besides that, most juices or worse juice drinks can have up to 16 grams of sugar in that one little serving. 

Food
Feed them the food you want them to eat.  Stock the house with the good, nutritious foods they should be eating instead of fatty snacks.  You might have to play the waiting game but eventually they are going to get hungry enough to want to eat the meals you are providing.  Let them go to the store with you and pick veggies and fruits that they want to try and eat.  Make food fun!  There are tons of websites dedicated to turning healthy snacks into cute looking things that your children will want to eat.  Have your children help cook with you, they might be more willing to eat food that they made themselves. 

Lead by Example
Flashbacks to that smoking commercial that aired in the U.S. in the early 90's where the kid says "I learned it from you!"  Set a good example for your kids.  If you are drinking milk with dinner, your kids are going to be more likely to want to drink milk too.  Your kids idolize you and watch you more than you might think, so don't let them catch you with a bag of chips munch raw veggies instead.  Do fun, family activities that gets everyone getting some exercise.  Set good habits now so when your children are in school and influenced by others, they still choose to eat right and make the right choices. 

Why Your Children Should Have a Pet

I'm sure if you don't already have one, at some time or another your children have asked you to get a pet.  I'm not advocating that you buy something like a cat or dog, even a fish or a pet bug can have the same benefits for your children.  If you do get an animal, I suggest that you look into adoption first.  There are many wonderful animals that need a second chance in life from birds to dogs and you local humane society or any other rescue group can help you find the right animal for your family.  In fact shelter animals are some of the most healthiest animals, if they don't get sick being caged up in an area with a lot of illness and disease, chances are they won't get sick in your home.  Anyway I'm getting side-tracked about how awesome rescues are. 

Having a pet teaches a child responsibility.  You might think "How?  I'm the one that cleans the cage, baths the animal and feeds it."  Your child can assist you with all of these things.  He or she can also be the one to remind you that it is time to do those activities.  As your child gets older he or she can take over more and more of the burden of taking care of animals.  You can make charts of when and how the pet care needs to be done.  The animal now depends on that child to take care of the animal otherwise, it might get sick or even die.  This is a big responsibility for children and a great lesson in showing how we are all connected and if you are Christian about how God put us on Earth to look after all of the other creatures. 

Having a pet also teaches a child about death.  This may seem morbid to some of you, but death is an important part of life and it is something that everyone has to experience at some point in their lives. It's much easier to explain to a child that their bug has passed on and gone to a better place, or will no longer wake up again, than it is to explain a grandparent did that.  By the time, God forbid, a grandparent does die, hopefully your child will be familiar with the concept of death and able to grieve and understand what is actually happening.

If you have the right kind of pet, like a dog, it will also encourage your children to get outside and get active.  Dogs need to be walked and played with, so do kids.  Having your kids go outside and play with the dog might be just the right excuse to get your own kids outside to play.   

Most importantly, having an animal is fun.  If your child has trouble socially, or just needs a little extra love, an animal will always love their owners.  Animals are a great tool for reading.  Your child can practice reading out loud to their pet.  The pet obviously isn't going to judge them if they stutter or struggle to read, this builds confidence and builds their reading skills.  Many libraries even have a reading to fido day so even kids without pets can practice this technique. 

A pet is a wonderful addition to any family.  Just make sure that you do the research to figure out what pet is the best option for your family.  Even if you pick the right pet, make sure you pick the right breed for your family.  When you find the right pet, it can enrich your child's life and make your home a happier place.  Your pet can bring love and teach your children many lessons that cannot be taught in school, and all they ask for in return is a couple of meals and lots of love. 

Reasons to Support Your Local Farmers Market

I have been counting the days until my local farmers market starts.  I love farmers markets and go to my local one every week spring through fall.  I can find everything from organic meat to artwork at the market.  Why would I shop in a freezing store with artificial light when I could be walking around in the sunshine?  There are hundreds of reasons to shop at a farmers market but here are some of the few I find most important. 

1. Know where your food is coming from
Shopping at a farmers market allows you to actually meet the people that are growing and making your food.  They can tell you exactly what the difference is between different types of plums are and most likely allow you to sample all of the different types.  When I buy meat they can tell me exactly what the animal ate so I know what I'm getting. 

2. Supporting local businesses
Stores only pay a few cents per pound to the farmers for their produce.  When you buy from a farmers market all of that money goes to the farmer so the prices are normally cheaper for you and the farmer still gets more money per pound for produce.  Farmers markets also have a ton of local artists, restaurants and other local businesses.  Shopping from them is supporting your local economy, in addition you get to meet the people in your community. 

3. Eating seasonally and locally
There have been many articles on the benefits of eating seasonally.  When you shop at farmers markets you are only eating fruits that have been grown locally and are in season.  When you eat locally the food is fresher.  The produced sold at the market has normally been picked that day, as opposed to the grocery store where it's picked before it's ripe and sits in the store for days.  There has been some recent controversy over which is actually more eco-friendly, but the produce traveling less of a distance to the market means less energy used to get the food to you.  Why pay to have something shipped 2,000 miles when you can buy the same food locally?  Eating seasonally and locally is a more sustainable way of eating and living. 

4. It's fun
Going to the farmers market is an afternoon or evening out for me.  I walk around, shop, catch up with friends, listen to music and have dinner all at the market.  When I leave I have bread, meat, produce and maybe a few other things I need for the week.  You would never get that kind of experience from a grocery store, even those that are organic or offer locally grown produce.  Take your entire family and make it a fun experience for everyone! 

There are a ton of websites dedicated to helping you find a farmers market in your area.  Find one to go to this week.  Feel free to post in the comments the local farmers markets you visit and share with the rest of us!

Further reading
http://www.sustainabletable.org/shop/seasonal/
10 reasons to shop are your local farmers market