Taming the toddler at mealtime

If your toddler is anything like mine, their eating habits change constantly. One day she eats 3 meals and 2 snacks a day without protest, and the next she wants nothing but crackers at lunch time and a cup of milk for dinner. I've conceded to the fact that at 2 years old, she is pretty much in charge of her own eating habits, BUT it's my job to offer her healthy options in reasonable portions throughout the day. I get bonus points if I manage to make it fun! Hahaha!

Finding foods that are fun and healthy can often be a challenge for busy moms. It's not the end of the world if your kid eats a hot dog once a week (gasp!), or chicken nuggets, or spaghettios even. When that becomes the habit everyday is when it becomes not only a health issue, but a development  issue. Your young child needs a variety of foods for good health, but they also need exposure to variety to continue healthy habits as they get older.
So what should you do to get a decent meal into that picky toddler?

1. Offer different foods in different ways.

I buy most of my fruits and vegetables from the fresh produce department. This gives me the freedom to prepare them in any way I choose. If I offer my 2 year old fresh blueberries, she pops one in her mouth, and immediately gags and drools a blue mess down her new shirt, I don't assume she hates blueberries. Maybe she doesn't like the texture or the skin was a bit bitter. Next time I can put them in a pan with some honey or sugar and make a compote to top her pancake or waffle at breakfast or add them to a batch of applesauce muffins. My daughter happens to LOVE eating fresh blueberries that have been frozen (the store bought frozen berries tend to have a tough skin). She calls them "popsicle berries." Fun to eat with a fun name!
I've heard many moms talk about grating carrots and adding them to all kinds of foods for an extra veggie boost. Put them in spaghetti sauce (or spaghettios if you must, lol), macaroni, soups, ramen, even ketchup!

Get creative, search for recipes, try out your own ideas, but don't ever stop TRYING to offer healthy foods because the child has rejected it once. Kids' tastes can change from day to day.

2. Make it a fun activity!

As adults we want to sit down at a table with a plate of food, untensils, a napkin, and a cold drink to enjoy a meal. Kids, especially toddlers, find this to be the most incredibly boring way to get nourishment. Mix up the routine at mealtimes, and you'll find your little one consuming a lot more on average than when they are forced to sit and mind their manners. Here are a few ways we keep it lively:

-Offer fun plates and utensils.

-Give them a few choices. 1-3 options is optimal for youngsters.

-Serve lots of finger foods.

-Have them plate their own food so they can choose the portion size. 

-Let them help prepare the meal to get them interested in the food.

-Make a pallet and have a picnic in front of the T.V.

-Take your pallet outside, and have a real picnic in the yard!

-pack up lunch on the go on busy days, and let them eat in the car or where ever.

My 2 year old is enjoying a sliced up turkey dog, raw carrots with ranch dip, red grapes, cheese cubes, cheetos, and cold water in her Hello Kitty travel cup. 

3. Always give them at least one dish you know they will eat.

When a toddler sees a familiar item it makes them feel comfortable. When you hand them a plate of food that is totally foreign to then they are likely to turn up their nose and run. 

4. Keep it separated.

When we think of meals like tacos, nachos, salad, or pasta we envision a plate of food put together to create one cohesive entree. A child sees a pile of food all mixed together and TOUCHING the other food! It may seem silly to cater to such a whim, but in my world, this is one of those times when I live by the old parenting adage "pick your battles." Would you rather fight your child to eat something they perceive as "gross", have them refuse to eat, or simply plate all the ingredients in separate piles instead of assembled in a traditional way? They may eat each ingredient separately or they may choose to build it themselves to their own liking. Either way, your kid is eating instead of battling you at mealtime. 

What are some ways you keep mealtime fun and battle-free?

Back to School!

First off, let me say "Hello again!"
I've had quite a few changes happen since my last update including moving from our home in Oklahoma to an apartment in Austin, TX! I'm currently in the 9th month of my 4th pregnancy with ANOTHER baby girl. Some things haven't changed. I'm still working as a stay at home mom, selling crochet accessories on the side, and making our little space the best home possible for our expanding family.

Ok, now with formalities out of the way, I'm going to jump in where I left off. This week marked the beginning of the school year for my oldest 2 kids, and that means I'm back to packing those lunch boxes!
We are using our old favorite lunch containers which are similar to a bento box, but a little less fancy. I purchased these at walmart almost 2 years ago, and they have been well worth the $5 each I spent. 

For my 6 year old first grader, sandwiches are a favorite. She loves ham and cheese on whole wheat, but ONLY if it has plenty of veggies! Her first day she had fresh baby spinach,  and tomatoes on her sandwich, along with a blueberry yogurt tube, a spinach and grape tomato salad with ranch dressing and a dill pickle, raisins, a cutie orange, cheese cubes, and cheetos (which were a special treat she chose at the grocery store the day before school started.) I've set up lunch accounts in the cafeteria for both girls so they purchase cold milk at school to drink.

For my 9 year old (yes, my oldest is NINE!) 4th grader, who prefers meatless meals most days, I packed 6 tortilla wedges with cream cheese filling, pumpkin seeds, a strawberry yogurt tube, organic white corn tortilla chips, red grapes, cheese cubes, grape tomatoes, and a dill pickle. 

The second day, each child got a ham and cheese sandwich on whole wheat with tomatoes and pickles, cheetos, and sunflower seeds. The 1st grader chose strawberry yogurt, grapes, and gummy bears as a treat. The 4th grader opted for cheese cubes, blueberries, and a mini chocolate bar for dessert.

I try to let them express their own personal likes when I'm packing for them. Instead of asking "what do you want for lunch?" I give them 1-3 options for each food group. I'll ask "Do you want grapes, apples, or blueberries?" Or "would you like yogurt or cheese cubes?" That way they get a healthy variety, and I don't spend an hour in the kitchen catering to my indecisive kids' every whim.

Today is the 3rd day of school, and the girls requested a similar lunch to these except opted for peanut butter sandwiches, which are (thankfully) still allowed at their school. They are required to sit away from kids with nut allergies, and wash their hands once they are done eating to avoid contamination. 

Tomorrow they will be getting a lunch tray from the cafeteria since they will be serving chicken nuggets, corn, and a wheat roll. It's not the most healthy meal, but always one of their favorites. I'll take the opportunity to make a short post about the lunch I prepare for my 2 year old, and how I get her to eat it!

I hope you've all had a great start to the new year! I'm glad to be back!

Making the most of a Small Backyard - Vol. 1

Living inside the city limits of my small town has it's perks. I am less than a mile from retail and grocery stores, I have quick access to school and jobs which saves us lots of money on gas and wear and tear on the car. A few things that are not so great are the close proximity to my neighbors and the fairly small yard we have. My front yard is nearly unusable with a very steep slope across it's entirety that goes straight down to the road. My back yard is really the only space we can use outside our home, and a good portion of it has been taken over by the detached garage/shop that is large enough to house two full sized vehicles. So I am determined to make the most of the small space we have left, and make our backyard a fun, usable, and relaxing place.

First, I want to decide what I love about my backyard.

• The patio
• Though small and uncovered, I love having a patio for the grill, the kids to draw with side walk chalk and ride bikes, and a nice place to sit potted plants.
• The Swing set
• It's definitely not the prettiest thing in my backyard, but the kids get so much enjoyment from it.
• The privacy fence
• This is a must have in our neighborhood with neighbors within 30 feet of each side of our house, and a public alley in the back. It's not in the best shape, but I'm sure we can fix that.
• Grass
• I don't want to sacrifice much of the grassy area in our yard because it's just so pretty and soft, plus it keeps dust that might get into my house during long Oklahoma summers to a minimum.

Now to figure out what I want to get out of my backyard.

• A place for the kids to play
• This means the swing set needs to stay in a level place with plenty of room and soft grass, and there must be enough open space to run, play ball, blow bubbles, and chase butterflies :)
• A garden
• I love to grow my own vegetables and NEED a good sized garden to make it worth my time and money.
• Comfortable seating for adults.
• If the kids are going to be outside, I have to have a place to sit where I won't be in the way, in the blaring sun, or uncomfortable.
• kid-friendly ornamental plants
• My great grandmother's rose bush is a beautiful heirloom, but it's thorny branches are not practical for a backyard where kids will be playing. So I need plants that will beautify our space without posing a hazard.
• Attracting some friendly wildlife.
• I'm not looking to create a den for raccoons or a snake pit, but having a few of the squirrels and birds from the field across the alley stop by for a visit would be a fun treat for the kids. 

I've bnen gathering ideas and inspiration from lots of places, and so far I've got a few projects planned. 

First I'll be creating a raised garden bed from donated cinder blocks. I was given about 35 cinder blocks about 2 years ago, and they've been collecting spiders and performing various jobs around the yard since that time. I've mapped it out and can create a garden bed that will house about 8-10 plants while taking up minimal space in the yard. I will be installing it near the back corner of the yard to keep it out of the kids' main playing space. Alongside the bed I have 3 large plastic planters that will hold my tomato plants. As an big bonus, two of my husband's coworkers have offered to give us some free fill-dirt, and compost! That means my garden will be almost completely free!

Next I plan to plant some sunflowers along the back panels of the privacy fence in an effort to attract butterflies, bees, and other pollinating insects. They will also provide an little extra coverage from the alley behind us since they will grow taller than the fence panels. Once they have wilted in the fall I can dry the flowers and save the seeds for bird feed for the winter!

As soon as things get good and warm I'll be raiding my grandmother's garden for some clippings and sprouts to start my ornamental plants. I'm also keeping my eye out for plants on the clearance rack at the local stores to add to my yard. 

Follow me on pinterest to keep up with new ideas and inspiraton until my next post! 

Are you planning any outdoor projects for the spring? Email me with your plans and pictures, and I may feature your project on my blog! 

mommamadehome@gmail.com

Happy homemaking! 

~Stefanie

More on Spring Cleaning and Renovation

As usual, life has thrown us for a loop. In my last post about spring cleaning I shared that we were planning on selling our home and renovating an older, larger home, but plans have changed. I won't bore you with the details of how this all happened, but we've decided that the right thing for our family and finances is to stay where we are and make the best of the space we have.

In an effort to get that process started we spent much of spring break (last week) painting the interior of our house. I'm totally in LOVE with the color of the main part of our house. It's called "Creamy Pebble" by Better Homes and Gardens. It falls in the popular family of "greige" colors, and is a beautiful modern, neutral for almost any space. I chose this color for my living room, entry, hall, and dining room (only because my dining room shares a wall with my living room, and making it all the same color made my life easier).

Pardon my little one playing with her new basket full of toys :)

I also added some new blinds to my living and dining areas. This update came out of necessity since my lovely children had successfully destroyed 3 sets of vinyl blinds. We opted for a slightly more expensive, energy efficient, and kid-friendly window treatment. If you haven't looked into cellular shades, you need to. They are durable, easy to clean, and hide all the strings and gears from tiny hands. The ones we chose also have a thermal lining on the interior to help keep heat and cold out of the house, while also providing room darkening (the best I've ever seen!). Though they appear to be paper thin, they are very durable. We spent a few minutes in the home improvement store hitting, scratching, and pulling on the display pieces to assure we were making a good choice :)

Stock photo from Lowes.com

We tackled a few smaller projects as well including installing a new digital thermostat, adding some decorative baskets for storage, rearranging the living room furniture, and spray painting the doorbell chime cover a nice glossy white.

 

We have a lot more projects planned for the next few weeks, including new laminate wood floors!! I'm really excited about those! The backyard will be getting a few raised beds and I hope I can get some outdoor furniture on the patio pretty soon.

Spring Cleaning: Organizing and Storing Digital Photos

     A few times every year I try to go through closets and cabinets in an effort to clear clutter and keep my home "somewhat" organized. This spring is a little different. We are planning to sell our current home, which means I'm doing a complete clutter overhaul!
     We are lucky to have a free place to store items I'm not quite ready to part with. These mostly include clothes and toys that will be handed down to my youngest daughter from her older sisters, keepsake items like photos and baby books, and holiday decor. I'll talk more about these projects in later posts.
     My main project this week has been organizing my digital photos and videos, backing them up, and storing them on an external hard drive as well as discs. I am giving my old gigantic desktop dinosaur of a computer to my dad, and I don't want to bog down my laptop with all that data. Losing these precious memories is a huge fear of mine, and yet I have neglected to keep them safe, secure, and organized. It is a time consuming process, but I can multitask by doing laundry or crocheting on a current order while files are transferring, so it's worth the time spent to have the assurance that I won't lose a single photographic moment of my daughters' childhoods.
There are some great suggestions to accomplish this task with as little headache as possible here.
     In the midst of this project I decided it was time to backup the extensive music collection my husband and I have acquired throughout the years. Many of our albums were in iTunes despite the fact that we've been Android users for over three years. I'm currently NOT tackling those selections, but I am going disc by disc (yes, I'm so old I have a collection of CDs!) to upload the remainder of our music to the external hard drive. I plan to do a little more research on the best way to rip the music from iTunes, since I'll need it in a more usable format. If any of you out there have useful suggestions please share!

Now I'll return to my daunting job. Wish me luck! :)

My Breastfeeding Journey

I am a huge breastfeeding advocate, and have spent over 30 months of my life (so far) nursing my babies. My oldest daughter had (a diagnosis of) colic, and after 6 months, her pediatrician convinced me to stop breastfeeding and give her formula. We tried every brand in an effort to relieve her tummy troubles, and finally settled on THE most expensive brand. We were lucky enough to have the Choctaw WIC program offer us help buying her formula, when the state program refused to help since it wasn't an approved brand (because, you know, sponsorship trumps healthy babies???).
I now know that with a little support from an educated health professional I could have adjusted my diet, and continued to give my daughter the best nutrition for her growing body. She is now an incredibly smart, beautiful, and healthy 7 year old girl, so I realize that she is not suffering because she was fed formula as an infant. She did suffer. My poor little girl became so constipated she had to use laxatives until age 3. Without them she would go days without a bowel movement, and have tears from passing stools so large and compact that they clogged the toilet. She cried and trembled with sweat pouring from her face trying to use the bathroom. Potty training was affected, and took months longer to achieve because of the fear and discomfort. Finally, after being on a daily dose of Mirilax for 2 months, the constipation ended, but she couldn't control her bowels at all. That lasted another month, and caused a painful rash from constant irritation and cleaning.
She cannot remember these events, but undoubtedly has a lasting mental block , as she cannot use the bathroom at school or in public.

After such a traumatic experience I became even more determined to avoid formula feeding with my second daughter. She was a breeze! I nursed her successfully for 14 months, when she weaned quite easily. She has never had any kind of issues, is healthy, happy, and well adjusted. Her appetite is great, and she is so much more willing than my oldest to try new foods and eat a variety of healthy foods. This could be a personality trait or due to her exposure to a variety of foods through my breast milk.

Now with my youngest daughter I plan to continue breastfeeding until she weans herself or is over 2 years old. She has successfully overcome a severe milk allergy that we discovered just before she was 2 months old without compromising her nutrition thanks to my breast milk. She was passing blood in her stool , and through my own research I learned this was a symptom of milk allergy. I discussed this with her doctor and was told she may need to be on soy formula. Instead, I decided to eliminate dairy from my diet , and within just a few days her symptoms had disappeared. I told the doctor what I have discovered and she still did not give my daughter a diagnosis of milk allergy because she had not performed a painful and unnecessary allergy test. Now that she is 9 months old I have begun to reintroduce dairy slowly back into my diet. She is tolerating the additions well and growing  at a healthy rate.

I believe breast milk can be a very important source of nutrition for many infants who have digestive difficulties. Formula is a blessing to those babies who medically need it, but breast milk can be just as medically important to an infant's overall health. All babies should be given the opportunity to eat the food that was designed by nature to nourish their fragile bodies. Even if a mother is not able to breastfeed, a healthy lactating donor should always be the second option over formula. This is the recommendation of the World Health Organization, and should be adopted by medical professionals throughout the US to ensure the health of future generations.

Crochet Creations from ABChic Designs

I've been a stay at home mom since May of 2006 when I was laid off from my telephone customer service job. My position (along with over 100 others') was outsourced to the Philippines. Thankfully, my husband was one of just 5 lower level employees who remained with the company. Since then he has been juggled between campaigns, departments, and positions, leaving our financial standing at the mercy of the call center industry.
     After that I worked part time cleaning houses and a few offices for extra cash, and we always made ends meet. In 2009 I gave birth to my second daughter via c-section, and was forced to stop working. My husband graciously picked up the slack at the office where I was on the payroll, but I had to drop my independently contracted jobs. In December of 2010 that company moved 90 miles south to Dallas, Texas, and I was left with no extra income.
That's when I started selling some of my crafts to make money. At first I made bows. This was the logical thing to do since I had two beautiful little models right in my own home! Soon though, the flood of online and local bow makers saturated the market, and I wasn't able to bring in enough money to warrant all the time spent making bows.
I had learned to crochet at an early age and was fairly good at it. I had made a blanket and some hats for my girls. When friends and family saw my handiwork, they began to ask me to make hats for their little (and big) ones. Soon orders were coming in faster than I could make them! I've been at it for nearly 3 years and am getting better at creating all kinds of accessories.
Here are a few of my recent orders:

A simple mouse hat was the finishing touch to a Halloween costume.

This graphed cupcake potholder was part of a cupcake themed basket auctioned at a fundraiser for my daughters' school. 

Matching hats for two cute sisters.

I make a lot of hair accessories and crochet sandals as well.

You can find more photos and contact me through my facebook page at www.facebook.com/abchicdesigns