This week I joined the movement for healthy cleaning with Aunt Fannie’s Cleaning products as part of a sponsored post for Aunt Fannie’s. Learn how I used their products such as: FlyPunch!, Cleaning Vinegars, Vinegar Wipes, as well as Glass & Window Vinegar Wash in my home and how you can give them a try as well! #HomeSweetBiome
Coupon code: GREENLIFE (to save 30% off at www.auntfannies.com and free shipping on your orders over $35) *Code does expire on 10/31/17*
Meal time with young kids can often be stressful and full battles, as picky eaters and well-meaning parents come head to head. But it doesn't have to be this way, there are a number of tricks and hacks you can do to help your children be more willing to not only eat more food, but healthy food at that! Read more below to learn my go-to tricks that I use with my own girls and the students in my preschool classroom to turn them from picky eaters to healthy eaters...
Here are some of my top tips for dealing with picky eaters.
A list of the tips:
Try smoothies.Smoothies are great at hiding a lot of things in, such as spinach, hemp seeds, chia seeds, protein powder, and even green powder. And if you pair it with some frozen bananas it can even take on an ice cream-like texture. If you're kids get a little squeamish with the green color, try adding blueberries to make it more purple and disguise the greenness.
Another option to hide the color even more is to use a cup with a colored straw so they can't see the color of it
And another option to tempt them to eat it is to add some fun toppings like vegan marshmallows, dye-free sprinkles, and even some chocolate chips...cereal is fun too!
Try other sneaky foods that pair a healthy or commonly not-liked food with something kids do like: like "Sneaky spaghetti sauce" "spinach pancakes" "red lentil pasta" "cookie dough dip" made from beans, popsicles you make from home with smoothies, veggie-filled "meat balls", chocolate pudding made from avocados, or banana ice cream.
Only disclaimer with that is that they don't get used to the actual texture and look of veggies...so Offer fruits and veggies in a variety of formats and flavors. So where as your kids may not like cauliflower raw, they more be likely to take to it if it's roasted and with a yummy dipping sauce, or instead of cooked carrots, they may just like raw baby carrots.
Leave some of your meal "plain." As you can imagine recipes with lots of flavors and spices, may be enjoyable to adults, but kids may not find them appetizing at all, and once you lose them on the flavor the chances of them eating any dinner is pretty much out the window, so I like to leave some of my main dish "plain".
You can do this by scooping a portion of the meal out before you add the main spices, sauce, or other stronger flavoring options. And then present your child with the option to eat the flavored version of the meal or the plain one. Either way, they are still eating dinner, just in a way that might appeal more to their younger tastebuds.
Use sectioned plates to teach kids what a balanced meal looks like. I love these stainless steel trays that I got off amazon with 3 sections, one for the main dish, and two sides. We typically fill the larger of the two sides with a fruit, and the smaller with a veggie. This also helps me make sure the meals I feed my kids are balanced too! Then over time they come to expect that each dinner or lunch, I know I'm going to have some fruit and some veggies, that's just how it goes.
If they don't like the fruit or veggie offered, I open it up to them to feel free to swap it for another fruit or veggie they would like to have that they can get on their own from the fridge. Either way they are eating some fruit and veggie each meal so I take it.
Fancy up your food presentation, the better it looks the more likely they are to eat it.
New silverware, accessories, silicone cupcake wrappers, little forks, etc.
Have them help out with the cooking and serving. Although it may not always be convenient for adults, kids usually love helping with cooking. This allows them to help make choices for the meal (these noodles or those), feel a sense of pride and ownership in the meal, and gives them a chance to bond with you.
Increase their willingness to try more foods by allowing them to serve themselves, if they are old enough. This will build fine motor skills, and increase their sense of ownership over their plate
Enforce a "1 bite rule" that kids have to try at least 1 bite of each item at dinner.
You could try showing them the Daniel Tiger song, "You gotta try new foods cause it might taste good!"
Model for them how you try new foods or taste foods that aren't your favorite by also following the 1 bite rule.
Make friends with condiments. still not interested, give them the option to try dipping or topping it with. "What do you think might make this taste better?
Ketchup, ranch, bbq sauce, parmesan, hummus, peanut butter? They may pick something random and gross, but let them make the choice because as long as they eat it...who cares?!
Last, provide least desirable foods when you know they will be hungry (like after school). I love whipping up some roasted veggies, or a small fruit tray or even a veggie tray for kids that I have available right when they get home from school or right after their nap on the weekends. This hits them at their hungry time and I find they are way more likely to try the veggies or fruit! Give it a try.
Still having difficulties, check with your pediatrician to make sure they are growing appropriately and seek help from your the school district you live in. Specifically parent educators (through a Parents as Teachers program) as well as occupational therapists often have a wealth of information on how to help children with oral sensory issues.
So those are a few of my favorite sneaky tips and hacks to help with picky eaters. What are your favorite picky eater tips? Share below!
You guys know I love a good motivational book, and I have an awesome one to share with you today... The 5 Second Rule by Mel Robbins! Since learning about it, I’ve applied “the five second rule” to help me get motivated to tackle my big goals, make better food choices, to connect more with my kids, and have courage to say what needs to be said. How can it help you? Let’s find out in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...go! The concept behind the book is that anytime you feel an instinct to act or you feel like you should take action towards a goal, you countdown: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 and then you physically start to move or go or whatever will bring you closer to completing that task. The science behind it is that it takes about 5 seconds for your brain to start talking you out of the idea/action/instinct you have so in order to help keep you safe (it's main job). But when you focus on the counting down you distract your brain and instead focus in on the action and that's when you can make some pretty profound changes in your life.
Personally I really loved the idea that no matter where we are at in our life, there's always going to be things we don't feel like doing. I mean who really feels like climbing out of their cozy bed at 4:45 each morning to go workout? I know I don't on most mornings, but I do it (thanks to a little help now from the 5 second rule) so that I can accomplish the health goals I've set for myself. The same can apply to all those little things that pop up throughout the day that we have no desire to do but know that we should do like putting away the laundry, setting our phone down to go play with our kids, and making a healthier food choice even though we feel like we deserve a treat after our long day. In today's video I'm going to share more about how I have used the 5 Second Rule to change my life and how you can do it too. Share below, if you're new to the concept, how do you think you could implement the 5 Second Rule? Or if you've already read the book, in what ways have you used the rule to make changes in your life? Happy counting greenies.
From smoothies to corn on the cob, and all the IKEA veggie balls in between. Check out the food I ate today on fun family weekend day in July!
Here's a preview of the day...
Heading to Trader Joe's to do some grocery shopping!
The girl's lunch: vegan grilled cheese (baked in the oven because I was feeling lazy-lol), Vegan Rob's Brussel Sprout Puffs, baby carrots, Hampton Creek's Just Ranch, and organic strawberries.
Dessert after dinner: Almond Dream vanilla ice cream, strawberries, and Ah!Laska non-dairy chocolate syrup...yum!
Ikea Veggie Balls with what turned out to be a not gluten-free or dairy-free meal ) : see below.
Check out the full day of food here...
And if you got a little hungry, here's the Vegan Cheesy Casserole recipe I had for dinner!
⭐️ PRODUCTS USED IN THIS VIDEO ‣ http://shwv.co/~/fRLp-kITYc8
IKEA food update: Apparently what I ordered at IKEA was officially called: "Veggie Balls w/Thai Coconut Curry, Brown Rice Blend and Seasoned Bean Blend (8 pc)" and now I know thanks to checking their menu online after I got home, that it contained milk and wheat. Bleh. No fun. ) : Next time I will just order the veggie balls plain...and check the menu ahead of time before I go. Don't you hate it when the menu changes!
Hey greenies, so don't let this title mislead you, I'm not pregnant. I have no announcement to make. I simply was getting asked by a number of pregnant and new moms what "green" baby products I would recommend and I thought it be nice to have all my favorite baby items in one place.
Now, not all of these products are the greenest, most eco-friendly...some are just my favorites that couldn't imagine living without, so I'm sharing those with you today as well. So let's get started with that list!
From swaddles to baby bottles, here are my favorite "green" baby must-haves...
Don't have time to watch the video? Let me guess, a baby or toddler, or a few has got you busy...I feel your pain!
Check out a list of the products mentioned in the video here...
My favorite local consignment shop: Wild Child Upscale Children's Resale in Lee's Summit, MO: http://www.wildchildresale.com
So there you have my final list! Feel free to click around, add to your registry, or share with your friends. Post below what you would recommend as you favorite baby must-haves! And also let me know if you're interested in me doing another post about my "Favorite Green Toddler Must-Haves".
For years I have loved tissue paper pom poms, as you may have seen in both girls' rooms decor as well as for their birthday parties. But when we decided to gift Avery with a "big girl room" for her 5th Birthday, I knew I wanted to change up my usual pom pom decor. But as you can see I didn't stray too far, and instead of hanging pom poms, I created a tissue paper flower mural on the wall to match her fun and floral comforter.
And since I couldn't find a tutorial to really guide me through making these, I decided to make my own that way you can give them a try too! I love them as wall decor, but they could also be used as table centerpieces, or as large "bows" for presents, truly the skies the limit.
Here's the supplies you will need for this project:
*Tissue paper. For this project I wanted some specific colors of tissue paper so I headed over to Papermart.com as opposed to shopping at my local craft stores because their color selection was pretty minimal. As you can see from the picture here, they have over 70 colors of tissue paper to choose from which is great, but also makes it a bit difficult to choose from since there are SO many choices, and it's hard to tell if the color in the picture will match the look you are going for. But either way, they were a great site to use. I also liked their large sheets of tissue paper. The size I ordered are 20" x 30".
The specific pack I got was called, "Matte/Matte Mini Pack (meaning it's matte on both sides)" and it only cost $2.50 per pack and I got 24 sheets per pack, a pretty good deal if you ask me. Here's the colors I ordered that you can see in my flowers:
White
Coral (2 pks.)
Island Pink
Teal
Midnight Blue
Aquamarine (2 pks.)
Light Gray
Now I ordered way too much, I even ordered 2-3 other packs but I didn't like the colors so I didn't use them. It's always better to spend a few extra dollars and have extra than run out. Now I have extra for the next time I feel like making tissue flowers...um Mila, want some in your room too? ( :
Now before beginning the flowers, there's some prep work that needs to be done:
Trace the petal templates, rectangle shape (for crumbling later), and the circle (used for providing stability if hung on the wall) onto posterboard and cut them out.
Gather your tissue paper and decide on the flower color choices. I did a total of 9 flowers (2 big pink, 2 big teal, 2 medium coral and 3 medium gray).
Decide on your "inside color", I kept this consistent on all the flowers because that's what the flowers were like on Avery's comforter, so feel free to keep the colors the same or change them to suit the look you are going for.
Once you know the inside color, you will use the rectangle template
Now you're ready to start your first flower: (Be sure to watch the video for more picture details on how to make the flowers!)
Begin by tracing the large flower petal template onto the tissue paper with 3 layers and folded in half to get 6 petals
Now trace the medium flower petal template onto the tissue paper with 3 layers and folded in half to get 6 petals as well.
Now trace the small flower petal template onto the tissue paper with 2 layers and folded in half to get only 4 petals.
Next trace 9 of the rectangle templates onto the tissue paper that you want to be the inner most circle of the flower (later it will be crunched up and glued on). Cut out the rectangles and set them aside.
Now cut out the large, medium and small flower petals from the tissue paper.
Then it's time to start forming your flower. Begin with smallest flower petals and start grouping them together like you are making a bouquet. Allow them to form a stem at the bottom of the the grouping. Also, fan them out and cup them up to look like a flower (as opposed to flat or pointing down petals).
Now use some tape and tape around the bottom of the flower "bouquet" to keep it all in place. I usually used 2-3 pieces.
Next repeat the same steps for the medium flower petals, grouping them together in a bouquet and fanning them out. I like to see it like a four leaf clover at first, and then add the last 2 petals opposite each other in two of the corners of the petals to make 6 altogether. Then tape the base and bottom of the "bouquet".
Next repeat the same steps with the large flower petals, also using 6 petals total and then tape the bottom. Now is a good time to turn on your hot glue gun.
Now trim down each of the bouquet stems so they are much shorter little stumps. They will be glued like nesting dolls into each other and work better when the base is shorter.
Now you are ready to assemble the flower. Begin by crumpling up the rectangle tissue paper template that will make the center of your flower. Next, using your hot glue gun, apply some glue to the inside of the smallest flower petal bouquet and quickly place the crumpled center in place. Add more glue as needed to keep it in place.
Now we are going to start working our way out to the larger petals of the flower, so get your medium size flower petal bouquet and prepare to place the small flower petal bouquet on top of it. Then using your hot glue gun, apply some glue to the center of the medium flower bouquet and then place the small flower bouquet on top. Press and hold the petals from the top and bottom at the middle to secure all layers.
Then repeat the same steps with the larger flower petal bouquet, by hot gluing the medium flower petal bouquet inside of it as well.
You're flower is now done! If you plan to hang your flower on the wall (as opposed to a centerpiece) follow the next step:
Using one of the circle templates you originally cut out, hot glue it onto the back of the flower holding it down from the center and back. Add more glue as needed so it serves as a secure base for the flower.
Now you are ready to hang the flowers on the wall. I used 2 push pins for each flower and placed them behind the small petals, one of the top (middle) and one on the bottom (middle) of the flower so it was secure in the wall.
Now repeat all steps 8 more times...you may want to find a good show on Netflix for this one!
When it comes to hanging them all on the wall and creating the "final grouping" of the flowers feel free to play around. I moved mine around tons of times. Do I have tons of push pin holes all in my wall now? Yes, but they are mainly covered up by the flowers and when these do come down we can simply patch the holes in the wall and call it good.
That's about it, how I made large tissue flowers for Avery's room. Hope you can give them a try as well!
Do you ever have pieces of furniture that don't match the look you're going for in your space but you don't want to spend the money to buy new ones? I was so there this past summer after we changed out our carpet and tile floors to dark bamboo. The darkness of the floors with the darkness of nearly all my furniture was a bit much for me and since I spent most of my money on the floors, replacing all the furniture was not an option either. So that's when I got crafty and green and decided to keep my current furniture but just paint it with chalk paint to give it a new look...talk about one cool way to reuse what you already have!
Now the main reason I decided to use chalk paint was because I had some left from when I painted my fireplace stone over the summer and while researching how to use the chalk paint I kept seeing all these things about how you could use chalk paint to update your end tables, clocks, among other home decor and even furniture. So using what I had left from my stone project, I decided to paint four furniture pieces from the dark and random colors they were to white to get a more uniform look in my space and to brighten things up a bit. Here's how I did it...
Now let's get started with that project. Here's the pieces of furniture I was going to be painting for this project:
But is white the only colors? Heck no! There are tons of colors available on the Chalkworthy Antiuqing Paint website...truly the skys the limit!
This was my second time using chalk paint, and the Chalkworthy Antiquing Paint company was kind enough to send me some samples to use in this project and I've been more than happy with them. Read more about how to use chalk paint on their website here, or stay tuned on my blog to see another post coming soon where I share how I paint furniture with chalk paint.
How I did the project in this week's video...
A big thanks to Chalkworthy Antiquing Paint for sending me the free samples I used for this project, all opinions expressed are my own.
