a continuing story about family life - parenting, cooking, gardening, DIY-ing, crafting, and living near Dallas, Texas
As you can tell by my logo, trees are one of my favorite things! The boys and I always talk about the different colors in the trees in all the seasons…they are all so beautiful aren’t they? This quilled tree craft is perfect for long summer days and kids who love crafts!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #WelcomeToFamilyNight #PeterRabbit #CollectiveBias
Our family loves movie nights! It is hard to find a movie that we all agree on, but we saw Peter Rabbit in the theater and KNEW it had to be part of our collection. It is an adorable movie that is funny and entertaining for parents and kids, while still being appropriate and innocent!View Post
Thanks to Hefty® for partnering with me on this post! Read on to see what I have learned from strong moms of preschoolers.
I have been a mom for over nine (!!!) years now. Before that, I was a kindergarten teacher and before that, a preschool teacher. I have been around kids for most of my adulthood, and along the way, have met some amazing moms.
It is funny how after you have been a mom for awhile, you begin to be able to guess how old a mom’s children are, even before seeing the kids! Newborn moms have that look of utter exhaustion, toddler moms have a look of exhaustion coupled with exasperation, and preschooler moms are usually more confident of themselves and begin to look more “together.” By the preschool years, moms have realized that they are stronger than they thought they were and that they can pretty much tackle anything that motherhood throws their way.
I have learned many things from moms of preschoolers along the way. Here are just a few things!
What my 4 year old loves to do now may not be what he loves in six months. If he shows an interest in the electric guitar, I do not have to go out and get him signed up for lessons and buy him a child sized instrument. If given the opportunity though, signing him up for short term lessons or on a team can help him discover what he does love.
My husband is our 4 year old’s soccer coach, but I am lucky enough to be one of the assistants. While I admittedly do not always feel like doing it, I always enjoy myself and the kids. It is fun to be involved and share in something that my son is doing. This is a special time in our lives where Moms don’t really have to know the ins and outs of a sport in order to coach it. Take advantage of that and sign up to coach! It is quality time that you will be so glad you did together.
I think we always want to protect our kids from our emotions for some reason, but I have seen many strong preschool moms over the years admit their mistakes to their kids. This is powerful. Kids need to know that we are not perfect and never will be. When I get angry at another driver, I try to correct myself before my smarty pants four year old corrects me!
I used to get so frustrated because my kids would not let me exercise. My husband and I tried working out at a gym and our kids cried in childcare the entire time. I tried walking on a treadmill at the house and my then baby just cried and cried. I tried to do a workout DVD and someone would just end up jumping on me. I realized I had to stop making excuses and just do things that they could do with me. Strollers and baby carriers are amazing for taking your baby and toddler out to walk or jog with you. Now that my youngest is 4, we go out for walks and jogs together and he loves the fact that he can usually beat me. It helps with his confidence, I suppose!
My kids have always been interested in the world around them. It benefits them to ask questions about different things and have them answered by their parents. Why are trees green? What is growing in that field? Why is that person in a wheelchair? Kids do not like to rush through life, and they have questions! Who better to answer them than their parents!
There is no time like the present to get kids helping with daily chores. They are eager to please, anxious to learn, and really think everything that Mom says is right! Our four year old thinks cleaning toilets and throwing away the trash is cool, because it MUST be cool if Mom and Dad do it, right? Trust me, pretty soon he will not want to help at all, so getting in the habit of helping is a great idea.
Preschoolers are definitely messy and luckily, they are old enough to help out. Don’t do it alone, moms! Doing chores together helps kids appreciate what we do and learn how to do it themselves.
Hefty® Ultra Strong™ trash bags are perfect for strong moms to avoid making MORE of a mess when the preschooler is helping. Leaking bags and bags that burst open aren’t really what I want to deal with after already cleaning up a mess! Hefty® Ultra Strong trash bags feature Triple Action Technology to resist tears, punctures and leaks, a break resistant grip drawstring, ARM & HAMMER™ patented odor neutralizer, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee. No need to waste time on other brands!
I love that Hefty® celebrates strong moms and helps us out with creating Ultra Strong trash bags to quickly and easily tackle the messes without creating a bigger one! Hefty® is helping to celebrate strong moms in honor of Mother’s Day by teaming up with John Cena and his mom Carol Cena. Check out this video of John and his mom.
Mom knows best! We know how to spend wisely and make smart decisions. And we know that we need to be teaching these lessons to our kids.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hefty®.
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #poppedwiththeforce #CollectiveBias
I am not sure what started this family’s love of Star Wars, but it has been present for a very long time! There is something about Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, and the whole Star Wars storyline that is fun for everyone! The older boys have only recently been allowed to see the latest Star Wars movie, so they are living it up! We recently had a Star Wars movie night a few weeks ago and we all had a blast!View Post
While my love for Oui yogurt has had to slow down (I’ve switched to better for you nonfat Greek yogurt,) I still pick up those cute little glass jars as a treat from time to time. Remember how I repurposed glass yogurt jars for Fall and Halloween? I even made mini peanut butter pudding pies in them! They are not only adorable, but can serve many functions!
With Teacher Appreciation Day and Mother’s Day in May, I made these cute DIY succulent planters using repurposed glass yogurt jars.
Don’t miss these other fabulous ways to upcycle glass yogurt jars:
I am sure you have heard about the new Keto diet craze. Someone described it as “Atkins on steroids” and it has many people singing it’s praises. If you have seen the Netflix documentary “The Magic Pill,” you know how helpful it can be for some people. Fat is great for our brains, for sure! But what about keto bread? Is that a thing?
Today I bring you this delicious recipe for keto garlic cheese herb bread. This would be delicious as a keto sandwich bread or along side Keto Meatball Casserole Parmesan, Keto Alfredo Sauce and Zoodles, Keto Meatloaf, or just by itself with a big smear of butter!
This is proof that you can have bread while being on a keto diet. Eating the whole loaf probably isn’t the best idea, but hey, I won’t judge!
Preheat oven to 355 degrees.
Line loaf pan with a baking parchment paper.
Break the eggs into a bowl and beat until frothy.
Add softened butter to the eggs and mix well.
Add baking powder, salt, xantham gum and almond flour in small batches, mixing in between
Blend well. (the mixture will get thick)
Add in cheese, parsley, garlic and oregano.
Mix well
Pour into the loaf pan lined with parchment paper.
Sprinkle more cheese on top, if desired.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Allow to cool before slicing.
This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com. SanDisk provided by Western Digital.
My husband has always done a brilliant job at surprising me with gifts for different holidays. He and the boys like to throw in a few surprises, as well as things that they know I want. When someone asks what I want for Mother’s Day or my birthday, I always list out things that I need for the house. Weird, right? Why is it so hard for us moms to be spoiled and pampered? We spend our days cleaning the most gross messes, prepping everything for the next day and week ahead, keeping a close check on calendars and clocks, kissing boo boos and a million other tasks that come with motherhood. I would not change anything at all, because being a mother is what I longed for and what I love.
But why is it so hard for us to receive gifts, slow down, and be pampered for one day? We deserve it and should really soak it up!
DIY Succulent Wall Hanging – What I Made Instead of Cleaning the Bathroom – was brought to you by Scrubbing Bubbles. #ExtendTheClean
As a mom of three little boys, I find myself struggling to keep the bathroom clean. Some days I just want to shut the door and not think about it. And this week, that is exactly what I did! I shut the door and worked on something that I wanted to work on. I had seen beautiful succulent projects on Pinterest and wanted to make my own succulent wall hanging.View Post
This post was brought to you by the Waxahachie CVB and Scarborough Renaissance Festival in Waxahachie, Texas. We were provided with free tickets to faciliate this post, but all opinions are mine.
We moved to this area of Texas (south of Dallas) almost eight years ago. When we first moved here, we noticed castle like structures and wondered what it was. Then, in April and May, we noticed lots and lots of traffic on Saturday mornings, especially. The Scarborough Renaissance Festival, or “Scarborough Faire,” as most people around here call it, comes to Waxahachie, Texas for only two months out of the year, and only on Saturdays, Sundays, and Memorial Day. It honestly does not look like much from the road, just the “castle” entry way and a field of parking. After hopping online and when we finally visited a few years ago, we now know that there is so much beyond that desolate field! There is a world of enchantment, fun, excitement, and folly!View Post
How to clean up your personal care products and help clean waterways, too has been brought to you by Tom’s of Maine and Mambo Sprouts. All opinions are mine.
I have fond memories of going to ponds, lakes, and rivers with my family. There is just something about the water that creates a peaceful, calming effect. I am especially reminiscent of the croaking frogs, the cicadas in the summertime, and the exciting “plop!” that fish make when jumping in the water or eating a bug floating on the water.
Now that our boys are all old enough to enjoy camping and going to lakes and rivers, we make it a point to schedule visits to bodies of water whenever we can. I want them to experience the same feelings I did as a kid. Just being able to look out over the water and experience the calm and wonder in its natural state.View Post
