I'm not all that big on the idea of letting kids just snack whenever. But from time to time, I will give my toddler a small portion of puffs or crunchies (let's face it, there isn't much to either of those snacks anyway) to keep him satisfied while I finish a chore.
I tend to love OXO products. I have some OXO cups, silverware, bowls, plates, baby food containers, and who knows what all else.
So, I was disappointed when I purchased the OXO Tot snack cup. It's a clean, cute design like most of their products. I like that's it's clear, and my toddler could easily hold it by its handle. However, the flaps on this cup top aren't nearly flexible enough. Heck, I thought it was hard myself to reach through the stiff flaps and achieve the goal of actually pulling my hand back out with food still in it. I mean, I'm all for things that work fine motor skills on kids, but my kid would get so frustrated with this cup that he'd end up just throwing it down and not wanting it.
On Amazon (here) it's listed at $5.99. I found the one I have for $3.99 at a local baby shop though, so they can probably be found at a better price.
Due to my toddler's inability to use this cup, I hunted for a different brand. I purchased a set of two Munchkin snack cups for somewhere around the same price as the single OXO ($5). The Munchkin snack cups are $4.47 as an add-on with Amazon (here).
These cups are much easier for my toddler to use. They're a bit larger in size, but that wasn't a hinderance. The handles are nice and my toddler usually holds the cup by them. The flaps are a more flexible rubber, and much easier for my kid to use successfully. Plus, having two of them is nice.
Though these are the only two toddler snack cups we've used, I'd definitely recommend the Munchkin cups to anyone with toddlers.
Before I'd even had my son, my Pediatrician had mentioned vitamin supplements. Once he had arrived, she mentioned them several more times thereafter.
If you're the parent of an infant/toddler, these are a must! I was surprised by how many of my other parent friends hadn't been informed of an infant/toddler vitamin by their doctors.
Poly-Vi-Sol is what we use:
I usually find it easily at most Target stores I visit, but like most things, have taken to purchasing it from Amazon (here).
Drinking soda is a rare treat for me, so I've really gotta make it count when it happens. I've tried a few homemade cream soda recipes before, but the one I'm about to share is by far superior to all others I have tried.
1 cup of club soda
1/4 - 1/3 cup of vanilla syrup (like coffee aisle syrup or make one similar to this recipe)
2 tbsp of half and half
Put a nice mound of whip cream on top (yum!)
Tada! Cream soda. Enjoy :)
I'm all about menu planning. I like not having to guess what's for dinner on any given night of the week. I like knowing exactly what groceries I need to purchase at the store, to limit excessive and unnecessary purchases.
There are lots of different ways to go about this, and a wealth of apps and websites to help. But, I made a very simple template that I just print and fill out each week.
So, I thought I'd share it: download template here
I use a full page, utilizing the top half for my and the hubby's menu and the bottom half for the little one's menu. Soon enough, they'll be completely merged, but until they are, it's helpful having the two separate menus on the same page.
Here's an example of what it looks like (mind you, this week's menu is pretty sloppy, but you get the picture):
I've been asked a few times lately about what I'm feeding my little one these days. I decided to share a few of the menu options I have in place at this time.
With breakfast, snacks, and dinner I give 4 ounces of milk. For lunch, I offer water - as well as sips of water throughout the day as wanted.
Breakfast options:
- Oatmeal
- No sugar, banana/blueberry muffin
- Scrambled egg
- Toast (with a bit of butter)
- 1/4 Cup of cereal
- Chopped fruit (strawberries, bananas, oranges, peaches, cantaloupe, etc)
- Bagel (with cream cheese)
Snack options:
- Organic animal crackers
- Organic fruit/veggie squeeze pouch
- Mango and sweet potato chunks (1/4 cup of each)
- Steamed carrots with a bit of ranch
- 1/2 Cinnamon toast
- 1/2 Banana
- Grapes
- String cheese
- Puffs/yogurt melts (on occasion)
- 1/8 Cup yogurt
Lunch options:
- 1/2 Sandwich (variety: turkey/cheese, strawberry/cream cheese, sloppy joe, PB&J)
- 1/4 Cup vegetable (green beans, peas, carrots, sweet potato, etc.)
- 1/8 Cup organic applesauce
- 1/8 Cup tomato soup
- 1/2 grilled cheese
- Zucchini bread
- Cheese
Dinner options:
- Pasta (with tomato sauce)
- Cheese ravioli
- 1/4 cup chicken/fish
- 1/8 cup vegetable
- 1/8 cup fruit
- Black/pinto/white beans (cooked and cut in half)
My 1-year-old's eating schedule is:
8:15am - Milk, Breakfast
11:15am - Milk, Snack
1:15pm - Water, Lunch
3:45pm - Milk, Snack
6:30pm - Milk, Dinner
Anyway, just a few ideas of things to feed your little ones :)
It's been forever, Friends. Too long. I don't want to lie and say, "I'm back," but I am trying to be more dedicated to blogging. Mainly, because I really like it. The other part of it is that I like to document things.
Today's post is about hair care. See, though I deny any degree of OCD, I do like for all my things to match. Ya know like the shampoo, conditioner, heat set, hair spray, etc. Yes, I know that sounds crazy. But, I've looked into so many brands that have the whole set of hair care to styling. I've yet to find one that fits. Guess my brain's going to have to learn to live with that one.
Since my search for one brand that meets all my needs has failed, today's focus is really on hair care and not styling. A year or so ago I got pretty involved in actually taking care of my hair and not just grabbing whatever shampoo looked appealing at the time.
I've tried Tresemme, Dove, Pantene, Sauve, and to save you a bunch of blah-blah, probably everything on the shelf at a Target store.
Then, the YouTube girl that I follow did a video on her hair care routine. That's when I tried an expensive new shampoo/conditioner and fell in love! The Natural Macadamia Oil brand.
After trying it I was pretty sure I was a dedicated user, but I decided to stray to try a few other brands before settling.
I tried some John Frieda shampoo/conditioner that I'd definitely place at the top of my list, but still didn't give me the silky, shiny, feel-good results from the macadamia oil brand.
Next, I tried the Organix brand of Macadamia oil stuff, hoping macadamia oil was really the key. I liked it better than John Frieda, but it still just didn't perform like the competition (however, I would put this as my second choice).
I actually read in a magazine that Herbal Essences were among the top picks for hair care products. So, I decided to give them go. And let me just say... yuck. My hair felt dry and stiff after a few days of these shampoos - comparatively.
So, I'm returning to my first macadamia oil hair care product. I know they're expensive (20-30 bucks a pop at Target), and of course I'd recommend Amazon over in-store purchases because they're cheaper, but this is the best stuff I've ever used:
I've used the shampoo ($13 on Amazon - caught it for $10 once), moisturizing rinse ($13), and deep repair masque ($17). I'm singing their praises, so if you're interested in giving them a try check 'em out here: shampoo, moisturizing rinse, repair masque
Surely it's not a secret that I love makeup. I don't go all out on my makeup on a regular basis, but for special occasions, date nights, and the like I do it up a bit more.
I've tried several different kinds of makeup. Personally, I think most of the cheap stuff works out just the same. I really like the e.l.f. brand that's super cheap and durable that you can find at Target or the e.l.f. website.
Today, I'd like to spread the knowledge of BH Cosmetics though! My fabulous little hair/makeup junkie that I follow on YouTube led me to it:
BH Cosmetics
I haven't tried all of their products, but the ones that I have tried I extra love! I think their brushes are amazing! So soft and durable. I purchased their 10 piece deluxe set, caught it on sale for like $21.99, and it's lasted two years now and the brushes are still like new.
There are so many other brushes and brush sets to choose from as well. I want them all!
Their eye makeup is awesome. They have these large 88 or 120 color palettes that are just amazing deals. I purchased their 120 color palette (3rd Edition) and there were lots of neutral colors that went well with my skin tone, with lots of additional bright colors for highlights.
They have many of these to choose from, so you can definitely find a color scheme for your complexion. They have different palette sizes for you to specifically choose your own colors for too, if you'd rather.
I always use my $1.00 e.l.f. eyelid primer with these eye shadows and they last all day with no run or crease.
Those are my favorite two. I've tried their lip gloss palette, which is nice except for it's a big palette. Not easy to carry around and we all know lip gloss doesn't stay on long term.
The liquid eyeliner pen is so perfect for me, I use liquid eyeliner to line my top lid and those liner pens can get pricey!
They're only $3.95 here though.
Long story short, I like their products and they're quite affordable. Especially if you sign up for the emails. They send them too frequently in my opinion, but on a regular basis, the deals you get with them are worth it :)
