Tuesday, June 30, 2015
The 10 things my kids say all day (every day)
Thursday, June 25, 2015
Super Yummy Stuffed Zucchini
Stuffed Zucchini
2 or 3 Large Zucchini
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 cup chopped yellow onions
4 slices Turkey Bacon (or regular, your choice)
1/2 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup bread crumbs
Dash of cayenne pepper (optional)
1. Set oven to 400
2. Cut zucchini in half and scoop out zucchini flesh. I have tried this several ways. I tried using a melon-baller. I tried using a spoon. The best and fastest way is to use a steak knife and carefully cut out the flesh. Every other way is just too slow for me.
3. Cook the bacon (I prefer microwave)
4. Chop the flesh and place the shells into a 9x13 Pyrex, sprayed with Pam
5. Melt the butter and add the zucchini. Cook for 3-5 minutes and add onions.
6. Continue cooking for another few minutes, until tender.
7. Meanwhile, cut up the bacon and tomato
8. Add the bacon and tomato to the pan and cook for 1 minute
9. Pour all ingredients in a bowl, along with bread crumbs, cheese, and a dash of cayenne pepper for a little extra zing (we like things spicy)
10. Fill zucchini shells and cook uncovered for 8-10 minutes
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Tip: You can prepare this early in the day and cover with foil until you are ready to cook. I paired this with pork tenderloin and it was a great meal!
Totally unrelated to cooking, but here is my book! It is written by both a Mom (me) and a Teacher, and we give lots of ideas on ways to stimulate your child's brain with easy, fun activities, which also free you up to do things you need to do, like cooking!
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Terrible Twos? It Could be Gut Bacteria!
People never used to believe me when I told them that my son cried all the time, but he really did. And I mean, All. The. Time. One time he wanted to play with one of my shoes. I politely took it away and he began throwing a fit. And he proceeded to throw a fit for 65 minutes. I know because I counted the minutes. He followed me around the house, crying for an entire 65 minutes.
Several months later we went on a trip and we didn't have access to a refrigerator and in an attempt to save money, I ordered water instead of milk for the kids for several meals. All of a sudden, I noticed a different kid. He didn't cry all the time. He suddenly had normal, non-runny poops, and it began to occur to me that he might be lactose intolerant. My husband thought I was crazy, but when I brought it up with my doctor, he immediately recommended we get him tested and voila! We suddenly had to worry about Lactaid pills, butter-filled desserts, and pizza nights, but the great news was that life was so much better for our entire family! My heart broke for him when I realized how uncomfortable he must have been those first two years of his life. Along with taking away milk products, we started a daily Probiotic treatment and the combination made all the difference.
While lactose intolerance is pretty rare in kids, general stomach discomfort isn't. Some new research just came out from Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science, that the microbiome of a toddler's gut may affect his temperament and behavior, particularly in boys. The study carefully points out that there is a communication between bacteria in the gut and the brain, but also urges parents not to change diets just yet since they are continuing their research on the subject. However, based on my experience, if your toddler is going through anything like the "Terrible Two's", I suggest that you strongly consider starting Probiotics. It might make all the difference.
Here is our favorite Probiotic Brand:
I hope you will consider checking out my book, The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn
. I give lots of ideas on keeping your toddlers and preschoolers entertained and engaged, so that you can have a stronger bond and even get some work done around the house!
. I give lots of ideas on keeping your toddlers and preschoolers entertained and engaged, so that you can have a stronger bond and even get some work done around the house!Thursday, June 18, 2015
Confessions of a Mom at the Car Wash
We pulled up to the car wash the other day and I decided to give it the full treatment. I dragged out the incredibly powerful hose and began the grueling task that every Mom dreads: cleaning out the car. As I did, I began to fully grasp the seriousness of the situation. Crayons and popcorn were stuck in places that no one expected. I found items long ago forgotten: the portable dog bowl we've been looking for since Christmas, the Easter tie from two years ago. No matter how hard I tried, the dog hair just wouldn't budge. The stickers stayed stuck to the carpet, and I realized what I really needed was a power-washer for the INSIDE of my car.
Then it happened. I sucked up something and immediately I knew it was bad, just from the new sound coming from the hose, but the ear-piercing screaming is what really got my attention. My daughter was acting like someone had poked a hot syringe in her eyeball.
"What's wrong?" I asked frantically.
"My mask! You vacuumed up my Bat-Girl mask!!!"
The words sunk in and so many things came to my mind. First of all, the vacuum is strong enough to suck up an entire mask? Then why won't it get the rest of this stuff from my car? Second of all, OH NO!!! The beloved Bat-Girl Mask! What does a desperate Mom do, especially when it is clearly her fault?
I ran to the man behind the curtain and begged him to help. He began to dismantle the vacuum and we waited with baited breath. After several tense minutes he produced a dirty, bedraggled Bat-Girl mask. We were thrilled. I could have kissed him (And probably would have, but he was in high school and I didn't want him to report me to his parents).
I began to ponder why I even bother cleaning my car, when I know that within a day it's going to look like a homeless person lives there, and then it hit me: the indignity of a Mom in the car wash. There are few things in life as humiliating as cleaning out my car, but it's really not my fault. It's just life. And honestly, my car wasn't that clean before I had kids, but it wasn't this bad. I promise.
I hope you will consider buying my book! It is full of ways to keep your kids busy, out of trouble, and motivated to learn. The reviews on Amazon are great and I think you will love it!
Monday, June 15, 2015
3 Amazing Novels for Moms to Read This Summer!
by Lucinda Riley.
2. The Secret Keeper: A Novel
by Kate Morton
by Kate Morton
Again, I love this all this author's books, but this one is the best. The story takes place in England, before and during WWII. I'm beginning to feel that I don't want any more books about WWII, but this one is so unique that it's worth it. It has such an amazing twist (hence the name, Secret Keeper), that you will finish the book and feel so thrilled about what happened. The story starts out with a young girl witnessing her mother commit a murder. Laurel's mother was never caught. Laurel never tells anyone what she saw and life goes on. We then get to see flashbacks about Laurel's mother and she is such a warm, fun, and amazing Mom that we are puzzled as to how she could have killed anyone. You will love all the characters in this book and love helping Laurel solve the mystery of her mother's heinous crime.
3. The Bronze Horseman (The Bronze Horseman Trilogy Book 1)
Did you know that many American families in the early nineteenth century loved the idea of communism? They loved it so much that many CHOSE to move to communist Russia and live in abject poverty, where most of them died. The Bronze Horseman is truly a love story (and an amazing one at that), but I also enjoyed learning all about a piece of Russian and American history that I never knew about before. Again, I craved this book all day long until I turned the last page.
Did you know that many American families in the early nineteenth century loved the idea of communism? They loved it so much that many CHOSE to move to communist Russia and live in abject poverty, where most of them died. The Bronze Horseman is truly a love story (and an amazing one at that), but I also enjoyed learning all about a piece of Russian and American history that I never knew about before. Again, I craved this book all day long until I turned the last page.
. Thursday, June 11, 2015
5 Absurd Things that Make Me Feel Guilty
Mom guilt is real. I thought for sure it would disappear once I quit working. It turns out I was wrong. I still have guilt, but now it's totally irrational. Here are 5 absurd things that make me feel guilty:
- Putting the kids to bed on time. I always hear these parents say, "I just couldn't bring myself to put them to bed because we were all having such a great time!" I'm sorry, but I NEVER feel remotely tempted to keep them awake. In fact, the prospect of some alone time with just "big kids" makes me feel giddy. And I feel guilty about that.
- Working on "home stuff". We are moving across the country later this summer and the other day I spent several hours researching moving company reviews on Yelp, Angies List, etc. The kids were perfectly happy with the activities I had given them, and yet I felt guilty for ignoring them for most of the morning. Yet, what is the alternative? I could NOT research moving companies and end up with half our stuff missing or broken during our move. Obviously that would be worse, right?
- Making them do chores. I know it's good for them. I don't want them to end up as entitled little brats, but sometimes when they're playing happily and peacefully together, it makes me feel so mean to interrupt them to do chores. Plus, they look so forlorn when I say they have to clean up their rooms before they can go outside and play. Yet, it's totally silly because of me because of course we need to feed the dog, clean up before Daddy gets home, and clean up rooms. And it has to happen sometime.
- Not letting them eat Pop-Tarts and junk food. I got to eat junk food when I was a kid. Not a lot, but definitely more than I let my kids eat. They are 5 and 6 and just got to have the ice cream truck for the first time last week. I know rationally this is healthier for them, but sometimes I feel a little ounce of guilt for not letting them enjoy junk food more often.
- Not letting them go to Chuck-E-Cheese's. They beg me. And beg me. And beg me to go to Chuck-E-Cheese. And I don't let them, mostly because I can't face it. The germs, the noise, the food. I avoid the whole scene, and again, for that I feel guilty.
What about you? Do you struggle with Mom guilt? What are your triggers?
I hope you will also consider checking out my book, co-written by an amazing Kindergarten Teacher! We give you lots of fun ideas on ways to work on fine motor skills, reading, math, science, and lots more. The Happy Mommy Handbook: The Ultimate How-to Guide on Keeping Your Toddlers and Preschoolers Busy, Out of Trouble and Motivated to Learn
. Tuesday, June 9, 2015
How to Deal with (And Prevent) Nightmares
My daughter used to have this
recurring dream where she was lost in the woods, being chased by someone she couldn't see and couldn't find her family. The poor little thing used to come in to our room, panting, crying, and wild-eyed. It was heartbreaking for her, but it was also heartbreaking for me
to lose sleep night after night.
On top of that, research shows that in kids, poor sleep at night leads to reduced ability to function, difficulty modulating impulses, and difficulties focusing (Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, Mar 1996). For my sake and for hers, I was desperate to find a solution. Then one night, our babysitter came over and put my daughter to bed. Apparently as they were going to bed, my daughter shared with the babysitter that she was scared to go to sleep because she was afraid of having her dream. It just so happened that my babysitter had struggled for years with sleep problems and had a special trick for my daughter. She changed the dream. She listened patiently while my daughter explained every detail, then the babysitter changed it. Instead of being chased by someone she couldn't see, my babysitter explained that she was really being based by a bunch of adorable fairies who were trying to invite her to their party. They led her through the forest to an amazing party with cupcakes, bounce houses, flying fairies, and of course, her loving family waiting for her at the party. The transformation was astounding. She NEVER had that dream again. I did a little research and there are actually psychologists out there who maintain that changing dreams is a credible and recommended form of sleep therapy.
Since then, my daugther is mostly cured of bad dreams, but she still struggle occasionally and now my son has begun to have them as well. Through my own research and trial and error, I have come up with a list of ways we prevent and deal with bad dreams:
1. Cuddle at night right before bedtime. I try to minimize stimulation at this time (i.e. no books or TV). We just sit together calmly, and my daughter fully believes this will prevent bad dreams so she is content to just sit and cuddle. We have noticed that when we don't do this, bad dreams often occur, so it has become a reliable strategy for us.
2. Changing the dream. As I stated above, this works amazingly well for us, even in the middle of the night. I try to listen carefully and then help the kids "change the dream" so it doesn't become a recurring one.
3. Flush the dream down the toilet. Sometimes we playfully think of the dream, stand above the toilet and use our pretend magic wand to transfer to the toilet and flush it down so it won't ever come back.
4. Get more sleep. We have noticed that when we go to bed late and get up early (such as on a vacation), bad dreams occur more often, so we try to get the kids in bed by 7:30 at the latest (they are 5 and 6 years old).
5. When all else fails, let them sleep on your floor. It isn't ideal, but if nothing is working, I keep some sheets and a blanked by my bed just in case and allow my kids to sleep there if they are really struggling. For me, it's much better than letting them sleep in my bed, because I want to minimize the time out of their bed and allowing them to sleep in my bed will likely make them want to try it again. Since we have perfected the above strategies, we only have to do this a few times per year, which is a big improvement from doing it nightly, which was our reality at one point.
Some kids never struggle with bad dreams and that is lucky for them. For others, like us, it can take over the family dynamic so it's important to get it under control, both for the sake of the kids and the parents.
Please share with my any tips that you have for your families sleeping issues!
Also, Please consider checking out my book! We give lots of information for parents on keeping their young children busy with projects that stimulate the mind and keep the children out of trouble!
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Sight Word Fun - A Fishing Game!
if you've ever seen that movie. 
After she clipped them on, he would "catch" the sight word.
Then he would read the sight word for us, and remove it from the clip and send his pole back in for more. Again, he is working on fine motor strength while he is doing this.
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