#MomLife

Busy Family Tips for Reconnecting at Mealtime

November 3, 2021 by Rachel 11 Comments

As a mom, I feel like I’m always falling short. And I know I’m not alone. Most days at least one thing is falling through the cracks. I’m not going to lie — usually it’s folding laundry! But when it comes to parenting, the biggest thing I feel I was underprepared for, is just how many meals I’m responsible for making. Honest to goodness! It may seem silly, but the responsibility of feeding a whole family 3 meals (and several snacks) a day can be incredibly overwhelming. But, truly, it doesn’t need to be. I’m sharing my busy family tips for reconnecting at mealtime so that you can spend as much time as possible on the things that matter — your family!

Tip Number 1

Use Walmart Grocery Pickup. I know a lot of people have gotten on board with grocery pickup over the last 2 years. I, on the other hand, have always tried to save as much time as possible. Walmart Grocery Pickup has been an absolute lifesaver.

I can order everything we need online and I don’t have to unbuckle even one kid from the car seat. That’s the mom hack that everyone needs in their lives, y’all.

Tip Number 2

Make mealtime simple! As mothers, we may often feel pressured to be ‘the best’ all of the time. But, truly, those expectations are ridiculous. The best thing we can do as parents is to provide and be present for our kids. By making mealtime simple and utilizing Walmart for their grab and go fresh hot ribs, it’s the perfect on-the-go solution.

These delicious, already made, hot ribs are ready at the deli counter for your easiest, quick lunch or dinner options. And all you need to do is pair it with a couple of easy salads (potato and greens are our favorites). That way I can spend more time involved in those super special conversations with the kids.

Tip Number 3

Give them what they want. Okay, so hear me out on this one. But mealtime can go one of two ways. One — you can spend this time trying to convince your kids to eat. Or, two — you can give them the foods that they love and know that they are nourished, happy, and thriving.

I always go with number two. Forcing kids to eat is the absolute worst and you’ll spend the entire mealtime arguing instead of reconnecting.

Knowing that they are fed, happy, and healthy is really the ultimate goal. Take away the busy work by using Walmart for mealtime solutions. Here is the link to try it for yourself: http://bit.ly/2Zcb1qo

Tell me — what’s your favorite way to reconnect with your family during mealtime?

#ad These Hot Ribs from the @walmart deli are so quick and easy! #walmart Try them for yourself here: bit.ly/3vzvBNe

Homemade Strawberry Gummy Bears Recipe

August 1, 2021 by Rachel 10 Comments

How is back-to-school right around the corner?! I am honestly in disbelief that Summer is nearly over. And, this back-to-school season has me thinking all about meal and snack options. Having spent the last year and a half trying out new recipes and tricks to get my kids to eat has its advantages. But the ultimate recipe is here. These homemade strawberry gummy bears are perfect in every single way.

What you’ll need to make this delicious recipe

I’m not going to lie. When I first thought about making homemade gummy bears I thought, “that sounds impossible.” But, after the last year and a half, I’ve found that I can do so many hard things. And so can you! Truthfully, this recipe is way easier than you would think. I used to be super intimidated by any recipe that required gelatin, but it’s actually super easy to work with.

Here’s what you’ll need to make strawberry gummy bears:

2 cups of strawberries, diced (or really any fruit of choice)
2 .25 ounce boxes of unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of raw honey
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
a gummy bear mold

What if I don’t want to use gelatin?

I know not everyone is comfortable using gelatin. To be honest, I often substitute agar agar for gelatin in other recipes. Agar agar is the best 1 to 1 vegan option.

How to make Homemade Strawberry Gummy Bears

Homemade Strawberry Gummy Bears

Ingredients

2 cups of strawberries, diced (or really any fruit of choice)
2 .25 ounce boxes of unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons of raw honey
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
Gummy bear mold

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

STEP 1 -

Place diced strawberries in blender with lemon juice, and honey. Blend to fully break down the strawberries. If fruit is full of seeds, run juice through a mesh strainer to catch the seeds. It’s much easier to fill the molds with no seeds.

STEP 2 -

Place juice in a saucepan over medium heat and add the gelatin. Continue to whisk the juice while bringing the juice to a slow boil. Once boiling, remove from heat.

STEP 3 -

Fill gummy bear molds with juice. The molds come with an eye dropper or I like to use a food squeeze bottle. Slowly fill each mold.

STEP 4 -

Place molds in the fridge for 20 minutes to solidify the gummies. While molds are cooling, keep the gummy mixture warm. If using a squeeze bottle, drop bottle in hot water, if using the dropper, place saucepan on warm.

STEP 5 -

To remove the gummies, pop them right out of the mold!

STEP 6 -

ENJOY!

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Perfectly Imperfect Hassle-free meal kits for busy moms

May 4, 2021 by Rachel 27 Comments

I used to think that babies made my life hectic. But, with the older my kids get, the more their schedules (and my own schedule) gets bogged down with commitments. Weeks will be go on where my meal-planning is spot-on; and, yet, others where our meals are in desperate need of help. Perfectly Imperfect hassle-free meal kit are the absolute saving grace — especially for busy moms.

What is Perfectly Imperfect

Perfectly Imperfect Produce boxes are a subscription-based produce boxes. Perfectly Imperfect takes produce that would otherwise be wasted (this is mostly due to superficial flaws), and make sure it isn’t. And, while these veggies may look “different,” they aren’t! Perfectly Imperfect Produce is still just as delicious and deserves to be used and enjoyed.

By eliminating food waste, we are helping to eliminate the 6 billion pounds of produce that is wasted due to ‘imperfections.’ And that’s a mission I can get behind!

Diced + Easy: Ready, Set, Cook!

As someone who has cooked her little tail off for the last 12 + months, I’m completely burned out. I’ve created and cooked dozens of new recipes. But, everyone needs a helping hand sometimes! Especially when that helping hand is delivered right to your door.

Luckily, time can now be saved with Perfectly Imperfect Produce Diced + Easy Meal Kits. Diced and easy kits can be customized to accommodate families of all sizes. Plus, these meal kits can be customized for the types of cuisine you and your family like!

This brand new meal kit is super exciting for a lot of reasons. First, everything is already sliced, diced, and ready to go. Second, all of these rescued meals are very ‘veggie forward.’ Meaning, they aren’t vegan necessarily. But, if you’re a flexitarian like me, these are perfect.

Our first box had everything prepped and ready for the week. Lunches, dinners, and healthy snacks were all ready. Nothing else required. Well, it was perfect!

Perfectly Imperfect Hassle-free meal kit recipe sneak peek

All of the food has been delicious, but the standout to me was the roasted cauliflower tacos. We make a lot of traditional tacos in our house. But veggie tacos weren’t something I had tried before.

I seriously whipped this up in 5 minutes of prep work. Everything but the avocado and lime were already diced and ready to go. And, oh my goodness, my family is obsessed with these now.

I’m sharing the recipe with you below so you can try it at home. But I encourage you to try a Diced + Easy meal kit of your own. Save on your first box by using code ITSAHERO20 .

Roasted Cauliflower Tacos

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

Cauliflower florets (12 ounces)
Garlic, 2 cloves
Red Onion, 8 ounces
Romaine Lettuce, chopped, 16 ounces
Radish, sliced, 8 ounces
Salt & Pepper to taste
Avocado, one whole
Lime, one whole
1 teaspoon of chili powder + 1 teaspoon of cumin
Vegetable oil, 3 ounces
Mexican cheese, 4 ounces
corn tortillas, 12

Instructions

INGREDIENTS -

ingredients

STEP 1 -

Preheat oven to 450 * F.

STEP 2 -

Place cauliflower, garlic, and red onion in a large bowl.

Whisk together oil and spice blend (cumin/chili powder). Drizzle over cauliflower and toss to combine. Season with salt and fresh black pepper.

STEP 3 -

Spread cauliflower out onto sheet pan and roast for 20-25 minutes.

STEP 4 -

Heat a large skillet and, in batches, heat corn tortillas until warmed through.

STEP 5 -

Top tortillas with roasted cauliflower mixture, and top with romaine, radish, avocado slices, Add lime and cheese garnish as desired.

STEP 6 -

ENJOY!

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31 Day Self Care Challenge

April 23, 2021 by Rachel 8 Comments

The past year has done a number on all of us. I know find myself riding a roller coaster. Some weeks I feel like I have it all under control; other weeks I am struggling in every way possible. Each day of this 31 Day Self Care Challenge I’ll give you a simple actionable task that you can do. Whether it’s starting your morning off on the right foot, or sneaking in a workout for the day, after 31 days you’ll be amazed at the difference in your mood.

Self Care Week ONE

Day 1

Wake up 30 minutes early and sit in silence or with your favorite podcast.

Day 2

Make a list of at least 5 things you’re grateful for.

Day 3

Do a brain dump on a pad of paper, a notepad in your phone, or even in a Google doc.

Day 4

Make your favorite recipe (or your favorite meal from a takeout restaurant!).

Day 5

Rewatch your favorite movie.

Day 6

Spend 15 minutes organizing any space in your home (I recommend going through the junk drawer!).

Day 7

Aim to drink at least 64 ounces of water today.

Self Care Week 2

Day 8

Unplug from social media for one full day.

Day 9

Learn a new skill.

Day 10

Create a vision board.

Day 11

Go through old photos.

Day 12

Pick up that book you’ve been meaning to read and get started.

Day 13

Try your hand at a new recipe.

Day 14

Write down a list of personal long-term goals.

Self Care WEEk 3

Day 15

Catch up with a friend or family member by phone.

Day 16

Learn a new skill.

Day 17

Bake your favorite dessert.

Day 18

Take a long, relaxing bath with a bath bomb.

Day 19

Move your body with a NEW workout!

Day 20

Binge watch your favorite (or new) TV show.

Self Care Week 4

Day 21

Treat yourself to ice cream.

Day 22

Take yourself out on a solo date.

Day 23

Break out the coloring books and take some time relaxing with some crayons (or colored pencils)!

Day 24

Take a nap — you deserve it!

Day 25

Go for a 20-minute walk by yourself today.

Day 26

Write a friend a letter and send it (yes — snail mail!).

Day 27

Dress up and take some selfies (even if you have nowhere to go!).

Day 28

Plan your dream vacation (even if it’s just a dream).

Self Care Final days

Day 29

Plan a night in for yourself.

Day 30

Make a new playlist.

Day 31

Do a digital cleanse by clearing out old files, upload photos to the cloud, and clear out your phone and laptop.

Self-care doesn’t always come easy for busy moms, but this challenge will allow you to find those pockets in your day to sneak in some time for yourself.

PIN FOR LATER

How to build consistency in your homeschool routine

March 14, 2021 by Rachel 12 Comments

One area that many homeschool families struggle is with consistency. Even from just doing this for a short period of time, I know it’s true. Being constant with our schooling is an important factor in keeping things going smoothly. And also for reaching their educational goals and milestones. Building consistency in your homeschooling routine can help build consistency in your everyday life, too! Here are a few ways you can help to build consistency in your homeschool routine.

Prioritize the must-dos

Choose a few subjects that absolutely must be done daily. For most families, this will include reading and math. If you do nothing else, do those two (or three) subjects. Build up the constant habit of daily reading and math time with your children as early as possible. These easy tasks will lay the foundation that will help keep your days running smoothly. Even if your homeschool day is a short one.

Healthy Habits build routines

Building consistency is all about building healthy habits. Create a new habit each month and add it to your family’s day. These tiny changes will turn into healthy habits that will stick around.

How to build consistency in your homeschool

Healthy habits, like incorporating walks, extra outdoor time, hikes, or art time, will help the kids and you. Knowing these things are built into your homeschool day will make everyone more willing to do the less-than-fun things.

Don’t overload your days

Something I learned early on is that it’s really easy to overload your homeschool day. You’ll think you’re not doing or teaching enough. So you’ll add more and more tasks on, but it doesn’t get done; nor does it make your day any easier. Overloading your day will only overwhelm you. And, honestly? You’re less likely to get anything done that day.

Instead, plan the minimum you need to get done and if everyone is up for more or wants to explore something new pull out the extra work and get ahead. If you do plan out a full schedule try not to look at it for the day until you and your children are ready to dive in to prevent that feeling of overload.

Set rewards for consistency

We decided, as a family, to set rewards for a straight week of consistency. We track our consistency on a chart, earn rewards individually, and as a group. It helps to keep us all accountable. These goals can be things like a family trip to Target on a Sunday morning (the kids personal favorite). But having bigger, monthly goals is helpful, too. Plus, it gives us something to look forward to. This will help fuel each days efforts — even on days where not everyone is feeling the lesson plans.

Track your progress

Truly seeing progress in your child’s learning can be a big encouragement to stick to consistency day after day in your homeschool. It’s true for both the teacher (mom or dad) and the kids. Personally, I wasn’t sure my Pre-K daughter was learning enough. Day after day of sight words seemed to just be hum drum. But that consistency? It paid off the moment she said the first word before I had a chance to say it!

It was a game-changer. Honestly. I felt like we had been in an endless loop of sight cards. And then one day it just clicked.

Plan intentional days off

When burn out starts to kick in it is easier to stick with it when you know you have a break coming up. Be sure to plan regular breaks at regular intervals with your family. These breaks can line up with your local schools so that your kids can spend time with friends; or you can do your own thing on your own schedule!

When all is said and done, just make homeschooling a priority and have semi-set hours. Flexible and consistent is key. Make priorities, stick to those priorities, and find consistency in the rest.

Tell me — what’s your key to staying consistent with homeschooling?

Sheet Pan Pancakes

January 5, 2021 by Rachel 10 Comments

My kids have always been picky eaters. Once they find something they absolutely love, they stick to it. Big time. My eldest loves a bowl of cereal, but that has been an acquired taste. In my 8+ years as a mom, I’ve tried to feed my kids every breakfast food imaginable. But the one thing they always seem to want? Pancakes. And pancakes just so happen to be my least favorite breakfast food to make. Mostly because three kids times three pancakes each means I am standing at the stovetop over a pan for nearly an hour (to make sure there are enough for my husband and I, as well as leftovers). It can be downright daunting! So I got creative. These easy weekday (or weekend) morning sheet pan pancakes are the perfect way to make pancakes for a crowd!

Getting creative and innovative

Listen, every mom has had moments of being at home with their kids at some point in their motherhood journey. But this pandemic took it to a whole other level! Suddenly our kids — and, who am I kidding, we! — are eating 24/7. Grocery deliveries and BJ’s Drive Up orders are now happening twice weekly. It’s basically insanity. And during insanity comes ingenuity. Is that the saying? Probably (most definitely) not, but let’s roll with it.

Who would have thought that something as simple as foregoing the griddle could be so life-changing? Okay, perhaps life-changing is a bit dramatic. But morning changing? Totally and completely accurate.

What you’ll need

This recipe is beyond easy peasy. Just grab your favorite pancake mix, water, and some vanilla, and you are good to go! Oh — and a sheet pan. Any old sheet pan will do! Just be sure you grease it (we prefer avocado oil or coconut oil).