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! 

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. 

Going Above and Beyond for Overnight Guests

This is part two of cleaning for guests.  You will have lots house guests over the course of your married life.  There are your in-laws, kids' friends and many other guests that will enjoy nights in your house if you are lucky.  In addition to just cleaning the house, there are a few special things you can do and provide for overnight guests to make sure they are comfortable and will stay with you again and again.

Before they come or right after they get there depending on how long they will be staying, ask them if they have any allergies or any special dietary needs.  It's polite to go shopping and stock your fridge and house with food and drink that the guests enjoy, especially if they will be staying for a couple of nights.  A small gesture like the brand of water they like to drink will make your guests feel more welcome than anything you can say. 

Review the guest bathroom.  Is there soap?  Extra tp?  Does your toilet have a tendency to clog?  If it does consider subtly adding a plunger somewhere in the bathroom.  Nothing is more humiliating than having to ask for a plunger when you're a guest.  Clean towels for body, hands and face?  Are all of the surfaces clean?  Make sure the shower/tub is clean too in case your guests would like to shower. I use an electric toothbrush so I store all of my freebies from the dentist in the guest bathroom just in case someone forgot a toothbrush and needs to borrow one. 

Freshen up the guest room.  I put clean sheets on the bed, open the windows and just dust all of the surfaces.  We don't use our guest room a lot so though it doesn't get too dirty, it's probably the stalest of the rooms.  If you can, invest in a comfortable guest bed.  You don't have to spend a lot of money since it doesn't have to be heavy duty, but find a bed that's comfortable.  I don't know how many times I've been miserable and exhausted while visiting people because my bed was so uncomfortable.  Make sure the sheets are comfortable too.  I like the jersey cotton ones on a guest bed because they work for summer and winter.  They are also only 20 dollars for a set, so they feel amazing considering you only dropped 20 dollars on the guest bed.  I also store an extra blanket in the room and a fan in the summer so the guests can pick the temperature of the room. 

Doing these things don't take much time, but you will be surprised what a little effort will do to make guests feel comfortable.  When your guests feel welcome they will visit again and again. 

Fake a Clean House for Last Minute Guests

Surprise!  You invited friends from a play date at the park over for dinner tonight, or your significant other called and is bringing home dinner guests.  You look around and realize your house looks like a scene from Hoarders (well maybe not that bad).  How are you going to possibly clean the house and make a meal in a matter of a few hours? 

Take a deep breath and relax.  See my post from earlier this month on roasts or consider something in the slow cooker so you have more time to clean, but don't worry.  I'll give you a few points on faking a clean house in less than an hour.

Before you start anything considering serving your guests outside.  If you have a nice, clean, patio and the weather is nice consider having a bbq.  Guests won't mind helping wipe down a table and chairs for dinner and the less time they are in the house, the less time they have to notice dirt. 

Before you start cleaning crack a few windows.  Fresh air will make your house smell less stale and get rid of whatever odors your house normally smells like.  The fresh air will also help take away the vinegar smell or whatever products you use to clean your house. 

Clean up the clutter first.  Make sure you remove the clutter from surfaces like counters, tables maybe even the floor depending on your house.  We keep a mail tub with all of the random papers we collect and when guests come over we just move it to the desk in the office.  Honestly, you just have to move the clutter to a bedroom or office, a room the guests won't be seeing.  You can easily close the door to a messy room.  Clutter makes the house look smaller than it is, it also makes the house look messier than it actually is.  Cleaning off the clutter is the fastest way to make a house look cleaner. 

After the clutter is put away clean off the surfaces of everything.  I run a quick duster over bookshelves and the tv.  I also use vinegar and a rag and clean off the table and counter tops.  The counters may get dirty again from dinner, but that's explainable and crusty dinner from last night is not.  While I'm doing this I also take a quick check of the walls and knock down any new cobwebs and scrub any big marks on the walls. 

Peek into your guest bathroom.  Make sure there is tp, soap and a clean hand towel.  Sweep the floor or wipe down the toilet or sink if they look dirty.  You can basically clean an entire bathroom in less than 15 minutes so it shouldn't take very much time at all to check and clean anything that needs to be fixed.

Lastly, I clean the floors.  I usually vacuum them and if I have extra time I'll steam mop or use a little mop and glow to make them extra clean.  I might also vacuum off my couches if they are full of dog hair and I have extra time. 

Your house is ready!  At least it looks clean even if the bedrooms are a disaster area.  Remember you are the harshest critic of your own house.  Guests just want to spend time with you, they don't care about your house.  As long as you make them feel welcome, have fun and maybe go the extra mile to serve something yummy, your guests will have a wonderful time.

Saving Money on Your Grocery Bill

My husband will tell you and I'll admit, I am a grocery snob.  I like to buy organic and natural foods and I buy a lot of produce in a week.  We also live in an area that doesn't do any double-couponing or any special discounts like that.  My husband and I have decided to finally put our feet down and save money on our grocery bill.  We know we could save more if we made a cut in our brands and favorite things, but we manage to save money every week while still buying everything we normally buy with a few small changes.

Make a list of the food you need.  Search the store's ad before you go and figure out what meat and produce is on sale, using this information make a menu for the week and make a grocery list for that menu.  Buy only what you can eat.  Pay attention to how many lbs of meat and veggies you are buying.  Can you eat that amount of food before it spoils?  Like I said I love a lot of fresh produce so I go to the store twice a week to re-supply my fresh foods.  This may take a little extra work, but it also means I'm not throwing money in the trash by wasting food that has rotted. 

Pick a store that has a generic brand that you like.  Personally, I pick Safeway usually because they carry a generic organic brand, and let's face it they are close to my house.  If you like the generic brand you can substitute some of the of the name brands, for the generic.  I usually buy generic when it comes to my canned food and other foods that are going to be used as ingredients in meals.  If there is a taste difference, it's hard to tell when it's mixed in with a bunch of other food.

Buying in bulk isn't always cheaper!  I know this is a hard one to wrap your head around.  My husband and brother still have trouble with this concept.  When you are buying something, look at the price per unit.  It's normally on the price tag on the shelf.  Sometimes when an item is on sale it won't include the unit price.  Just because it's on sale does not mean the item is cheaper.  Take the minute to do your own price per unit calculation in your head or on a calculator.  Basically to do this you divide the price of the item by the weight (either pounds or ounces usually).  The item with the cheaper unit price is the better deal.  Keep in mind if the bulk item IS cheaper make sure it's something you will finish, if it will go back before you finish the item, it's just money going into the trash. 

Use coupons wisely.  Buying a Sunday paper may cost a few dollars, but you will probably save a few dollars in the coupons you use.  I've done the math and almost every week I save more in coupons than I spend on the paper.  Only clip coupons for items you already buy or will use before the item expires.  Clipping coupons for things you don't normally buy is a great way to try new items without paying full price but it won't save you money. 

These tips will save you at least a few dollars every week.  The money saved really adds up over a month and a year.  Even if you just save 5 dollars a week over a year that's $260.  That's an extra $260 for not doing anything differently besides shopping a little bit smarter.  Enjoy your savings!

Reasons and tips to make a roast

For some reason a lot of new cooks are afraid of making a roast.  I'll admit once upon a time I was one of those cooks.  All of my first meals were terribly overcooked in fear of serving raw food (still managed to serve some raw meals) and I never went near anything like a pork roast or a whole chicken because those things seemed advanced.  I left those meals to my parents to make when I'd visit home.

Here is the myth busted on roasts, they are basically the easiest meal to make.  All you do is season them, stick the meat in the oven and take it out after a couple hours.  Throw in a couple quick sides like peas and rolls and you're done.  It looks like you spent hours making an amazing meal but in reality you maybe spent 20 minutes actually standing in the kitchen cooking and the rest of the time you let the oven do the work. 

The price is usually reasonable too, I wait for a buy one get one free meat sale at my grocery store  then stock up on meat, and store it in the freezer until I'm ready to use it. Even if it's not on sale, the roasts are normally pretty reasonable for how impressive the meal will look especially if you are entertaining. 

A few tips:

• Time and temperature: Different roasts need to be cooked to different temperatures.  My advice is search online for the type of meat you have for recipes and even if you don't use the recipe it will have how long and the temperature the roast will need to go in the oven.  Use a meat thermometer to test the temperature of your roast to make sure it has come to Temp.  A good meat thermometer will even have what temperatures all of the different types of meat should come to before they are done. 

• Chickens and turkeys:  Clean them out first!  They have organs stuffed inside of them when your buy the birds.  Some people use these parts to make gravy.  It doesn't matter if you're that type of person or not, you need to remove those parts before the bird goes in the oven.  Unless they are frozen inside, they should pull right out.  I know, gross, but suck it up or put on a pair of gloves it will be worth it in the end. 

• Resting the meat: Resting just means when you pull your beautiful roast out of the oven, let it sit for a few minutes before you cut it.  I suggest setting it on a wood cutting board, tenting it with foil and letting it sit for 15 minutes before you cut into it.  If you cut the roast before you let it rest, all of the juicy goodness will run out on your cutting board and your meat will be dry. 

• Seasoning: Now this is just a basic idea, my seasoning and how much changes from roast to roast, but this will give you a good start to your first roast.  I use garlic, sea salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning on almost every roast I do.  If I want a spicier flavor I might add red pepper flakes, chili powder or Cayenne pepper. 

There you go!  Hopefully any anxiety over making a roast is gone and you're ready to try one.  Remember it might take a couple tries to get right taste you're going for, but it's a process. 

There is a myth that cooking a meal such as a roast for a man you are interested in marrying might actually make him propose.  The reason?  He sees you not as a girlfriend but more like wife/mother material because you made that traditional, complicated meal.  What he doesn't know was it hardly took any time at all!