Peaceful parenting

I first stumbled upon this parenting coach on Pinterest. The article was about strengthening your relationship with your child. In it, Dr. Laura Markham provides a list of things you can do to connect with like hugging your kid 12 times a day and turning off your technology. My favorite is Show Up. You only have 900 weeks with your kid before they leave the house. Be present, be engaged. Inspired? Read more here: http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/post/10_Habits_To_Stay_Connected_To_Your_Child/

Habit 3 — Put First Things First.

Habit 3 — Put First Things First.  Here is what you teach and role model:  Work First, Then Play. I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized. ACTION - Have your child make a list of important roles - soccer player, student, member of the family, etc, schedule activities around these roles. Here are some coloring pages.  You talk, they color.

Homemade ice-cream, kiddie style

We have had this Sassafras battery operated ice-cream machine for 3 years. Belle brought it out last night and lucky for her we had the basics: 1 cup milk, 16 ounces condensed milk and 5 tablespoons cocoa.

We mixed it all in a bowl, poured it in the ice-cream maker, pushed the mix button and let it stir for 30 seconds. Then we pushed the freeze button and threw it in the freezer over night. The battery keeps churning the blades while the ice-cream freezes. A little strange but it worked!

Ice-cream for breakfast anyone? 

Buy a Sassafras at http://www.amazon.com/Sassafras-Deluxe-Ice-Cream-Lovers/dp/B008I3RJ1Y 

Kid Responsibility

So I was talking to my friend the other day and she has her kid...gasp...make his own breakfast and lunch...breathe...what the? I seriously didn't understand how she was doing it but all the while I'm thinkin'...I have to do some form of this...like now. So... here begins operation  Kid Responsibility. They are never too young to start this! Here's what I am diligently having the girls do each day:  put their dishes in the sink, help make or set table for breakfast, and do a chore each day. Sigh. Keep track of all this with a dry erase/chalk board, piece of a paper or the wall calendar.  Read more on responsibility on John Rosemond's site.

bento lunches

Bento boxes are a fun way to pack and organize your kiddie's lunches. I bought my BPA-free Sistema lunch boxes at TJ Maxx for $3.99. The built-in compartments separate your food and eliminate the need to use one-use plastic baggies. They also have to go mugs which I have seen at Safeway for about $5. Bonus - My girls actually like packing their lunches now!

school mornings - the easy way

Monday can't come soon enough. Here's my plan to a scream-free, catch the school bus morning - girls only get to eat breakfast after they have their school clothes on and hair done. Very simple concept and will bring gobbles and gobbles of structure to very complex, time-driven hectic morning. Keep you posted. Please share your morning tips!

hydrogen peroxide

Lucky me. Got the stomach flu. Too much time on pinterest led me to an article on the benefits of hydrogen peroxide. Here's my favorite ones:  mix with vinegar as a disinfectant, use to remove stains, mold, clean mirrors. Read more tips here. 

food buckets

I first ate some sand pudding last week (vanilla pudding, crumbled cookies in a bucket with a shovel as a spoon).  So when I began organizing the girl's summer splash party, I just had to use a plastic beach bucket for food.  I bought four at Walmart for a buck each. I threw apple sauce cups and spoons in one, graham crackers in another and cheeze-its in the third. The fourth one was used for minute to win-it games.  Next time I'm buying a small one for salsa and using a large one for chips. Ahhhh-dorable. View eco-friendly sand buckets by Zoe B here.  Been busy but I am back blogging!

bins baby

Forget shoe bins for shoes, how about for organizing your kiddie's toys. Especially those little tiny teenie toys that love to nestle sharply between my fourth toe and pinky toe.  In the morning.  Always.  Or late late late at night. I use clear shoe box size bins to organize:  markers, crayons, chalk, paint sets, littlest pet shop, legos, polly pockets, blocks, match box cars, Mc Donald's happy meal toys, hair ties, and whateva fits.  Use your large toy boxes for stuff animals and big toys otherwise you will find itty bitty toys hiding at the bottom. Label your bins with a sharpie or use some recycled kiddie art and create a label; this will ease toy clean up.  They come with lids and stack tidy on shelves.  View eco-friendly bins here and dollar store location finder here.

No toy garage

We just moved two months ago and I had the distinct pleasure of packing 10 BOXES of TOYS.  Gimme a break. I mean really.  So as I began to slowwwwwly unpack them, I realized AGAIN that all of these were unnecessary.  Especially as I witnessed them playing without them for days.  So I grabbed a black garbage bag (absolutely necessary to hide the toys headed for donation from those little I-don’t-miss-a-thing eyes). I decided that at least half of the toys from each box MUST leave the house.  In addition, I also created the No Toy Left Behind Act – no more bins of extra toys in the garage.  If there is no room in their bedroom for them, then there’s no space in the casa.  View places to donate toyshere.

meal of oats

The girls eat Quaker oatmeal a couple of times a week.  I make them the rolled oats hidden mixed with some hearty steel cut oatmeal which I buy in bulk. Be efficient and make extra for the week.  Mix in your milk (regular, almond or soy) and sweetener ( brown sugar or honey) before refrigerating in a glass bowl.  Efficiencies – You only clean that sticky oatmeal pot once a week and when you are ready to eat it again, just zap the bowl in the wave.  Throw the blueberries, strawberries or bananas on just before serving.  View organic oatmeal and steel cut oatmeal here. Check out Alton Brown's steel cut recipe.  On the run?  Jamba Juice makes the tastiest steel cut oatmeal topped with bananas, blueberries or cinnamon apples.  Laaahve Laaahve!

crayon making

Make new crayons from recycled ones!

Yes, you and the kiddies can make crayons. Too easy. Take the wrappers off your broken crayons, place them in greased muffin tins. Place in a 275 degree oven for about 10 minutes.  Pour into lightly oiled (they pop out easier) candy molds or into cookie cutters placed on a foil lined cookie sheet. Then put them in the freezer for another 10 minutes.  Instant fun and crazy colored crayons.  Great inexpensive recycled Christmas gifts.