Birthday on the cheap

Is it possible to throw a birthday party for 30 people under $100? I think it is and we shall see come September. Our little one turned one today and we had her party this past Sunday and it was about $250. We are thinking, a pot luck for the next party will bring costs down as the total number coming will not change since it's all family attending. We were going to do pizza for this last party but we are pizza snobs so the cheapest kind we like is about $24 a pie. We had Italian food ($180) catered and we had the left overs for dinner. I also ran a few inexpensive kid games as I had about 10 sweet faces to entertain. We did pin the tail on the bunny (cost of cotton balls), an inside Easter egg hunt ($10 with plastic eggs and candy) and a cotton ball spoon race down the hallway. Winners received a small chocolate bunny (.44cents ea.) and everyone took home a goodie bag with items I bought from the Target $1 area. Even in this area, I got cheaper, as I only bought $1 items that came in at least sets of 3-5. For Laney's 2nd birthday I made a duncan hines Dora cake ($3 cake mix) with a gifted Dora cake tin pan. My sister who is a cake decorating snob, flipped out and bought icing to make it look pretty. This time, I let her make the whole thing. She made an impressive pretty princesses cake (see photo) and I hope she didnt spend more than $20 on decorating it.

Bye Bye Dora

I've been turning off the TV more. When we get home from daycare/work, I let the kids roam around while I get dinner ready. The easiest thing to do is turn on the TV. But I don't even though I like listening to the news while I cook. Instead the girls play and chatter is the background noise or I put on a kid's music CD. Sometimes at the end of the meal, I might turn on Dora or Little Bear but that's after Janae as eaten most of her dinner otherwise she gets distracted and won't eat while the TV hums.

What's for lunch?

With my first child Janae, I got stressed when I thought of feeding her; I kept thinking she would choke on a cheerio. With my second approaching her first birthday, I feel like I am professional feeder. For Belle's lunches, I make a sandwich out of a slice of whole wheat bread, 2 slices of deli chicken and a couple of slices of cheddar cheese and then I chop it up in little bite size portions. I also cut about 15 grapes in half or any fruit and pair all that up with some little cheddar multi-grain baked fishies.

For lunch or dinner, I heat up canned low sodium soups and add frozen peas and carrots. I strain the juice off for my little one but my toddler now loves to drink the broth. Their favorite soups are the Campbell's Select low sodium Italian Wedding Soup with little meatballs, spinach and small rice noodles. I always keep a frozen bag of peas to add some green to anything they are eating. Whether it's mac n cheese, spaghetti or pizza.

Cereal desserts

I am in love with General Mills anything. For the past few weeks, my after dinner dessert has been Reese's Puffs - peanut butter and chocolate puffs with whole grain goodness. Today, I bought a box of Fruity Cheerios (healthier Fruit Loops) and Chocolate Cookie Cookie Crisp. Now I know these are not the best for me, but much better than me baking a few dozen peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies which has been the go to dessert. My daughters love munching on these cereals and we have also discovered Kix. Since 2005, all General Mills cereals are made with whole grains. The higher your intake of whole grains, the lower your risk for diabetes, certain types of cancer, heart disease and obesity. Nuff said.

The new pacifer

I love gummy bears so when my husband bought home the vitamin kind from Costco, I got joyful. How perfect, my favorite treat with nutrients for my daughter. Lately, this sweet bear has become a pacifier. I pop one in my two year old's mouth as she wakes up cranky or when she sits on the toilet to take her first tinkle. I bite off a little for my 11 month old and another for my oldest as they get settled in their car seats. The ride to daycare is eased if but for savory moments as the sugar pours into their tummies. Oh, and yes Mommy gets a couple too.

We play

Lately I have been really focusing on my kids when I get home from work. I try and do all the big cleaning while they eat dinner and then join them as they finish up. After dinner we usually play in their room and often times I would bring in a load of laundry to fold while they played. But lately I let go of my need to have folded laundry and just play and really enjoy my time with them. Even when they take baths, I have take a magazine in to read while they splash, but lately I sit on the edge of the tub, play and talk with them.

Positive Discipline

Positive time outs? Yes, your kid messes up and you give them time to "regroup". Not in a dark closet or in the bathroom on a cold floor but in their room with a teddy bear. Sometimes the child wants to be near you for the time out or by themselves. But give them time to think about what just happened in a positive space.

I just organized and attended a Parents Brown Bag at my work on this subject of positive discpline. "A misbehaving child is a discouraged child," our speaker said. She introduced and advised the balanced "backbone" parenting style of high kindess and high firmness. What really opened my eyes was making a list of all the things we wanted our children to be at 18 years of age. Our list included: sweet, lovable, responsible, independent, balanced, and secure. Of course we all want this little perfect person in the end but as Melanie showed us, we have to role model it first. Show them consistently the person we want them to be.