parenthood

Making the most of Quarantine Halloween

September 28, 2020 by Rachel 21 Comments

Twenty-twenty will forever go down as the worst phrase of our generation. As a mom of young kids, one of the worst things ever is knowing that my kids know that something is going on. I mean, my 7 year old and my 4 year old both keep saying “…when COVID-19 is over, can we….?” And it absolutely breaks my heart. But we’re all doing the absolute best that we can given the circumstances. So I have made it my personal mission to let my kids know that Covid doesn’t have to stop the fun. And that’s why I’m making the most of quarantine Halloween!

Trick-or-no-treat?

Our city is still very much on the fence regarding trick-or-treating. But I am not. Our neighborhood gets really busy — which we have always welcomed. But this year I am less than thrilled about the potential for kids coming and going and pushing around. With a heavy heart we decided against traditional trick-or-treating this year. And, honestly, I think that’s what’s best. My kids will have another Halloween and trick-or-treat. But, Covid is a wildcard. And I couldn’t live with myself if something happened.

So what should we do?!

There are so many ways to make the most of Halloween. Kids don’t really care about trick-or-treating. Heck! My kids usually only last 15 minutes! But they do love celebrations — and candy! So that’s what we will do.

How we’re celebrating

We will still dress up. I will admit — I don’t like how much adults ‘love’ Halloween. I’ve always hated the idea of adult Halloween parties. But I will dress up this year for my kids. We will have a big at-home party! My kids and I will be setting up the most perfect candy charcuterie board for Halloween.

What you need for a candy charcuterie board

Assorted candies
Small containers
Large cutting board or platter

Candies may include:

Twizzlers
M&Ms
Candy Corn
Candy Pumpkins
Jelly Slugs
Halloween Pez
Bloody Bites
Spooky Lips Lollipops
Assorted snack size candies, wrapped or unwrapped

Choose a board or serving dishes for the charcuterie board.
Place loose ingredients (small candies, loose candies, etc.) into bowls or individual dishes. Place those bowls on the board or buffet first.
Arrange other candies around the bowls.
Add assorted tongs or Halloween decorations.

Tell me this…

How are you planning on making this the BEST Halloween ever for your kids?!

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9 Fun Things To Do With Your Kids at Home

August 30, 2020 by Rachel 12 Comments

Whether by choice or by circumstance, staying at home with our kids is something that we’ve all been tasked with lately! At the beginning of this pandemic, I felt excited to finally get a chance to slow down and just ‘be’ with my kids. But two weeks turned into 6 months and we’re all getting a little tired of the humdrum of staying at home. If you’re out of ideas and need a refresh, I’ve got the perfect list for you! Here are 9 fun things to do with your kids at home!

Take a Virtual Museum Tour

Just because you’re stuck at home doesn’t mean you can’t experience art and culture! Services like Google Arts and Culture offer virtual museum tours! Your kids can enjoy artwork from all over the world in the comfort of your home. How cool is that?!

Try a card game!

A simple deck of cards can offer so much of happy hour spending with time is remarkable. There are nearly 40 different card games that can be played at home. A light and casual game of UNO or go-fish is a great way to keep busy, learn, and have fun!

Read a new book.

If your family is anything like mine, then you might find yourself with several bookshelves full of kids books. Sitting down to actually read eacho f them? That’s another story. Each day ask each of your kids to pick out a short story to read. Then pile up and got through each book in a cozy corner or on the couch. Their imaginations will lead them to incredible places! If you prefer, there options for digital downloads from your library or on the Kindle store!

Have a Lego building contest

LEGO is, by far, one of the top building games for kids. We have thousands of LEGOs on hand from our seven-year-old. But the great thing about LEGOs is that kids (and grownups!) of all ages can enjoy them.

For this, pick a theme — like, “house,” “car,” or “airplane.” And set a timer. Everyone builds their own version of the theme and at the end you vote on who’s is the best!

Do a puzzle

Puzzles are extremely useful for growing your kid’s mental health. This indoor fun activity offers a great way of learning and engaging. Plus, doing puzzles together will undoubtedly build problem solving and logic skills!

If you’re looking for a fun puzzle, I recommend heading to Puzzle Huddle. This business is minority owned and focused on including diversity in their puzzles. My son is obsessed with their “future engineer” puzzle.

Put together a dessert board

When we’re all stuck at home 24/7, meals can get boring. Whether you still have Summer weather or dipping into cooler temperatures, a s’mores board is always a good option. We put together a s’mores board with traditional offerings like graham crackers and marshmallows. But it also includes rolos, peanut butter cups, oreos, ritz crackers, and even strawberries! Everyone gets an option with indoor s’mores!

If you can’t make it outdoors for your s’mores, try wrapping them in foil and sticking them in the oven! The kids will still have a blast and will remember these moments forever.

Paint with your kids

Painting is so fun for everyone! Creating amazing art using vibrant colors is an awesome way to spend time with your kids. You can even try out some marshmallows, popcorns or slices of bread to try out food painting activities at home. Check out these edible food paints for more ideas!

Make some homemade Play Dough

I used to be the kind of mom that was anti-play dough. It just seemed messy. And my naivete as a new mom meant that I hated the colors mixing. But I learned, fast, that you should throw your cares out the window! And always buy Play Dough when it’s on sale.

So if you already have some, great! Everyone play together. But if you don’t, this is the perfect time to try making it yourself. Make bright colors, add in some sensory items, and play the day away. If you need a good homemade Play Dough recipe, head here.

Try a science experiment

Home-based science experiments like glitter slime and exploding volcanoes are so fun. But there are also loads of other experiments where you can try out of homemade supplies. Just hop on YouTube for hundreds of videos to try out kid-friendly science projects. What a great way to have fun with your kids while getting some STEM learning in, right?!

Tell me — what’s your favorite thing to do with your kids at home?!

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Self-Care Routine with Post Dunkin’ Cereals

August 23, 2020 by Rachel 17 Comments

Thank you Post for sponsoring this post. Post Dunkin’ cereals are rolling out nationwide now. To find a retailer carrying the cereal, check the store locator at dunkincereal.com

Fewer things are more precious to a mom than coffee. Kids are obviously more precious, but they are also the reason we need so much coffee. Am I right? I would love to say that I getting enough sleep at night. But I’m not. As a mom of three, there just isn’t enough time in the day for adequate sleep. But there is enough time in the mornings for me to squeeze in a little self-care routine with Post Dunkin’ Caramel Macchiato cereals — which pairs perfectly with my Dunkin’ Coffee.

Need some tips for a successful morning routine? Well look no further! Here are my tried and true tips for getting a little morning boost to get you through another busy day!

But first, Post Dunkin’ Cereal … and coffee

In a perfect world, I would be waking up at dawn — before the kids groggily arise from their slumbers. But? This isn’t a perfect world. In reality, the kids are the first awake and I am the last. I try and stay in bed for those precious extra few minutes of almost sleep, but it’s never long enough. Instead, I roll out of bed and get the kids some breakfast. Once they are settled, I pour a giant mug of Dunkin’ coffee — and then a giant bowl of Post Dunkin’ Caramel Macchiato or Post Dunkin’ Mocha Latte cereal.

My kids know not to ask too many questions before I have my morning coffee. But now I have to remind them that I need to eat my coffee, too! The new Post Dunkin’ cereals are TO DIE FOR — especially if you are coffee-obsessed like me! Savoring those few moments where the kids are quiet and I’m enjoying my coffee and Post Dunkin’ Cereal is sacred for me. Because after the coffee comes the chaos!

Self-Care = Home-Care

My main job as a mom is to keep my kids alive. And I consider the day a success if I’ve done so. But I also have to clean this house, because children are tiny little tornadoes of destruction. So most of my post-coffee morning routine consists of picking up toys, gathering up laundry, and doing an endless amount of dishes. Can that be considered self-care? I sure hope so. I mean, sometimes I’ll throw on some NPR or Kidz Bop while I’m cleaning. So it totally counts.

If I’m being honest, I really do try and get in a few moments to myself. Usually it’s by reading a chapter in my Book of the Month book or catching up on some social media scrolling. But, of course, it’s between still doing all of those other mom things.

More (cold) coffee

After the self-care portion of your morning is complete, sit back down for a second cup of coffee. By this point, it’s likely cold. And, heck, why not a second bowl of Post Dunkin’ Caramel Macchiato Cereal. A second bowl is the perfect way to round out the morning.

Do all of the things

The rest of our mornings are a blur of coloring, PlayDoh, screentime, and Disney Princess movies. The days as a mom are super long. And, oftentimes, I find myself at the end of a long day thinking “What the heck happened today?!” But we have survived 100% of these days. My kids know how much I love them. And, even if I don’t sleep for the next 18 years, at least I’ll always have coffee — and Post Dunkin’ Cereal.

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Learn more about how you can incorporate Post Dunkin’ Cereals into your morning routine.

Summertime Rainbow Garden Veggie Pizza

July 27, 2020 by Rachel 25 Comments

This was our first year trying to grow our own vegetables in our backyard garden. We have quite a bit of space, but decided to start small with just two raised garden beds. I went a bit crazy with seeds, thinking very few would take. But I was really wrong and now we have an abundance of veggies! What’s a mom to do with all the veggies?! Make the perfect Summertime Rainbow Garden Veggie Pizza, of course!

This is one of those recipes that the kids can be really involved in. In fact, my kids have been super involved in the whole gardening process! They helped me plant the seeds and starters and they help me water every day. You should have seen the reactions they all gave to our first teeny veggie!

I figured that this would be our summer “lesson” in unschooling. And thus far, it has worked! My oldest (almost 8), has had so many questions about how and why plants grow. I do my best to communicate the science behind it, but truthfully, YouTube has been much better at it!

Rainbow Garden Veggie Pizza

This pizza is as easy as it gets. Instead of traditional pizza dough, I opted for something easier — and perhaps even tastier — pita bread! Another great alternatives to traditional pizza crust would be naan.

As far as veggies are concerned, we used most of the items we could find in our garden. Yellow and red bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes! As far as veggies are concerned, the possibilities are endless!

The pita bread (or naan) is just the perfect size for kids. They can put on whichever veggies they want, and leave off what they don’t! My middle daughter, for one, wanted her rainbow veggie pizza to consist of nothing but cucumbers and broccoli! No arguments from me, that’s for sure.

Getting the kids involved in the process just increases the odds of them actually eating it. So my advice to you would be this: clean and cut the veggies and place them in separate containers. Ahead of time, mix the cream cheese mixture together. Set out the pita or naan on individual plates. And let them go for it! The worst thing that could happen is that they eat even more veggies!

Rainbow Veggie Pizza

Ingredients

1 cup sliced cucumbers
1/2 cup cauliflower
1/2 cup broccoli
1/4 cup sliced rainbow carrots
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (halved)
1/2 cup of red / yellow bell peppers (cut into chunks)
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
4 ounces of cream cheese
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
4 pieces of pita bread (or naan)

Instructions

Wash and cut vegetables
Using a 9x13 pan, add pita bread to cover the bottom of the pan.
In a bowl, mix softened cream cheese, lemon juice, Greek yogurt, and
salt and pepper together well.
Spread mixture onto pita bread
Evenly spread vegetables and cheese atop pita
Enjoy!

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Work at Home Mom Summer Survival Guide

July 23, 2020 by Rachel 28 Comments

Are you a mom who works from home? Wondering how on earth you’re going to get any work done with the kids at home all summer? Believe it or not you can actually keep your business going this summer, even with the kids at home. Check out our work at home mom summer survival guide!

Be Flexible

How willing or able are you to adjust your normal work at home day to meet the ever-changing demands of tireless children? It can be done!

Adjust your day to take account of everyone being home. If you’re a night owl, work late, after the kids are in bed. If you’re not, start setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier each day and starting work before everyone gets up. After two weeks you’ll be up a whole 3 hours earlier than usual and will get tons of work done before the day even starts.

Combine this with getting slack with kids bedtimes and you could get more time in the morning before they wake up. Then you can be free for most of the day to play with them, do crafts or hang out in the backyard.

Military Planning = Key To Survival

Draw up a schedule that shows when you have help over the summer, whether from your partner, family or a babysitter. If your work demands that you are available at certain times carve those out first when you set your schedule. Try to get your help to cover those hours, or plan meetings for the times you do have someone available.

Schedule in your work time, then schedule in time for fun. Make a daily nature walk a part of your routine, or a daily family pool time, whatever you know your kids will love. Print the schedule out with color-coded time blocks so the kids can see at a glance when your work time ends and the fun time begins.

Say Yes to Help

Playdate? Yes. Local youth program? Yes. Grandma helping out? Yes.

Say yes to everything. It doesn’t mean you’re neglecting your kids. Say that again: It doesn’t mean you’re neglecting your kids.

If your business and your sanity are going to survive a summer with kids at home you need to have time to get work done. Grabbing whatever help you can and putting family time or mom time into the schedule too means everyone gets what they want.

And a happy mom bringing in some bucks is going to be a better playmate than a grumpy one who can’t work and is struggling to pay the bills.

Separate Work and Home

If you have a home office and can shut the door on work and walk away, great. If not, make sure your downtime with your kids is screen-free. Put your phone in another room on silent, put your laptop away.

Having a mom playing while keeping half an eye on a screen is no fun at all, so make the break and be in either work mode or kids mode, never both at the same time.

Get Your Supplies Together

Hit the Dollar Store or Target and get together a great crafts basket. Add some different types of paper and card stock or some scrapbooks and let older kids loose. Some glitter, pompoms and a glue stick will keep them entertained for ages.

Add some old magazines, fabric scraps and a pile of junk form your recycling bin. Then issue some challenges: build a robot, the most beautiful bird or their dream bedroom for example. They’ll love it and you have guaranteed peace for an hour or two.

Be Realistic

Finally, cut yourself some slack. Come to terms with the fact that you may not be as productive during the summer and schedule your work to make the best possible use of your time.

You can easily catch up in September, and you’ll have some precious family memories to look back on when you do. Time with your kids will pass all too soon, and summer vacation is just one part of your WAHM life.

Hopefully this work at home summer survival guide will only be needed this year (and maybe next). But we will get through it together!

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Five End of Summer Bucket List Items

July 7, 2020 by Rachel 33 Comments

After the Fourth of July, it always feels like summer comes barreling to an end and before we know it, we are back in the grind. That is why I made a vow to make sure my family takes full advantage of the rest of the season by coming up with an end of the summer bucket list!

Visit a Farmer’s Market and Make Dinner as a Family

Farmer’s markets are so fun to visit! I love browsing the different stands, seeing all the unique goods, and teaching my kids about new food. I also love knowing that I am feeding my family fresh, locally grown food that helps support Ohio’s economy. To make a fun experience even better, we plan to take the food selected by the kids and cook dinner together as a family. My apple galette recipe will be a perfect dish to serve at this dinner!

Go to a Drive-In Movie

I can remember my parents taking me to drive-in movies each summer when I was younger. I thought it was just the coolest thing to watch a movie in our car. This summer is the perfect time to introduce my kids to the drive-in movie experience. We haven’t been to a movie in months, so this will be extra special!

Get Some Ice Cream and Pay-It-Forward

One of my favorite things to do, summer or not, is getting ice-cream. For some reason, ice-cream just tastes better when someone else scoops it for you. Am I right?! But, do you know what is even better than ice-cream? Making someone else’s day! Next time we get ice cream, we will pay-it-forward and treat the next person in line with a sweet treat. I can guarantee my kids will enjoy the giving, more than the ice cream.

Ambush Your Kids with a Surprise Water Fight

My kids love when we play with them! They’ll love it even more if we surprise them with something totally unexpected like a water fight. We’ll fill balloons and buckets of water beforehand and ambush them when they least expect it. It will be a blast!

Actually Rest and Relax

Summer is supposed to be the time of year when things slow down so we can relax and enjoy each other’s company. With so many responsibilities, it is sometimes hard to remember to enjoy this slower season and live in the moment. We are going to make a pointed effort to rest and relax intentionally during these long summer days.

I hope the end of your summer is blast!

Tell me – what is on your end of summer bucket list?!

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