Mommy Know How

Let’s Get Organized: Grocery Shopping

Apr22013

Look for my “Let’s Get Organized” posts on the 1st Tuesday of the month. You can find previous months HERE.

If there is one chore I’m not super fond of, it’s grocery shopping. I would be forever grateful if the ingredients I needed would just plop themselves into my fridge (wasn’t there a ride at Epcot that promised this would happen?!). I am not one of those people that loves to peruse the market or store, figuring out what’s fresh and looks great for dinner that night. Firstly, because I usually have the kids with me, and even on their best behavior, I’m only going to subject them to so much time confined in the stroller. Secondly, aside from basic things like tacos or steak, I generally follow a recipe and I simply don’t have the mental capacity to remember all the ingredients I need for a dish. Aside from the logistics of actually getting to the store, there’s also an art to grocery shopping so that you leave with just the right amount of food. Buy too much, and food is bound to spoil. Buy too little and you will inevitably be met with the innocent (yet irksome), “what do you mean we don’t have anymore cereal/bacon/beer/etc.” from your well meaning husband.

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· Filed Under: Mommy Know How, Organization · Tagged With: groceries, lists, organization, planning, shopping

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Mar142013

A first birthday cake can be a tricky thing. You want something that your baby will love and can safely eat, but you also want something yummy for the adult party goers. After much consideration, I decided to make a banana cake for Rylan, since he loves bananas, and top it with a cream cheese frosting. Blueberries are also his current fruit obsession, so I used those as decoration. This was a huge hit with everyone, including the birthday boy. Rylan devoured his piece and then tried to steal his brother’s as well. This cake isn’t too sweet, and has no nuts or chocolate (though it does have eggs), making it a perfect first dessert. I made one 2-layer cake, but if you are having lots of guests over, you might want to make a smaller “smash” cake or cupcake for the birthday girl or boy, then a separate cake for everyone else. And it’s not just for birthdays, this cake would be fabulous any time!

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· Filed Under: Mommy Know How, Recipes, Sweets · Tagged With: 1st birthday, bananas, cake, cream cheese frosting, first birthday cake, party

Baby Things I’ll Miss the Most

Feb272013

With Rylan’s first birthday right around the corner (literally, next week!), I’ve been thinking a lot about how much I am going to miss him being my little baby. He will, of course, always be my baby, but as parents soon find out, babies grow up quick. Diaper changes are exchanged for potty training, trips to the mommy-and-me class with trips to school, bottles for cups, onesies for jeans, strollers for scooters, and the list goes on and on. My own mom is very pragmatic about this sort of thing. She took me and my siblings growing up as part of life and that her and my dad had done their job well if we were able to hit these milestones (seriously people, she didn’t even cry when I went to school or got married!). I’ve always considered myself in the same boat, until I actually had kids. Now the idea of taking Rylan for his first haircut practically sends me into hysterics. Guess I got a little of you in my too, Dad.

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How, Our Family · Tagged With: Baby, first year, love, mommy, new born

Let’s Get Organized: Menu Planning

Feb212013

This is Part 2 in the “Let’s Get Organized” series. If you missed it, here’s Part 1 on Recipe Organization.

Weekly menu planning can be life changing. With a minimum amount of time (we are talking 10 minutes tops), you can set your family up with a week’s worth of healthy, delicious meals and keep yourself from those last minute dinner time scrambles. A good meal plan accounts for all the various activities your family might have and gives you flexibility as to how much time/energy you have to invest in making dinner. If you want to go the extra mile, you can also line up breakfast and lunches, further streamlining your day. Here are my how-to’s for weekly meal planning:

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How, Organization · Tagged With: meal ideas, menu planning, organization, planning, recipes

5 Meals for Kids in 5 Minutes

Feb42013

We all have those nights that just seem to get away for us. We get busy doing something-or-other when we suddenly realize it’s dinner time. When I find myself in this predicament, I immediately scratch the idea of family dinner and focus on getting something made for the kids pronto. The adults will just have to fend for themselves after bedtime. Rather than having the kids fill up on goldfish while I cook for 30 minutes, I assemble a super speedy meal that can be thrown together at a minutes notice, all using ingredients that I usually keep on hand. These aren’t necessarily the most well-rounded meals, but they only happen on occasion and they get the job done without having to resort to anything boxed and frozen. I usually throw in some kind of fruit side (berries often being a good choice since you don’t have to cut them up) and you could also quickly microwave some frozen peas and a little butter for a veggie. They all take less than 5 minutes (because 10 is just way to long to deal with whiny, hungry children!), and there are no Rachel Ray super fast chopping skills required. These dishes have saved us time and time again, and I hope you find them helpful too.

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How, Recipes · Tagged With: dinner, easy, kids meals, lunch, quick, toddler

Winter Stroller Running

Dec92012

It might be cold out side, but mommy still needs to get in her run! There’s only so many treadmill miles you can log before the monotony starts to get old. So let’s talk about how to keep your little ones comfy and warm while you get your miles in outside.

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How, Running · Tagged With: cold, mommy, running, stroller running, weather, winter

Finding “Me” Time as a Mom

Oct252012

I find it rather laughable every time I hear a magazine, talk show, book, etc. claim that as a mother you absolutely must find time to devote to yourself. What makes this seem so ridiculous is that I have yet to see them follow up with exactly how you are supposed to find this mythical “me” time. There’s always the obvious, like pawning the kiddies off on your husband or babysitter, but for most of us, having that extra assistance isn’t always an option. I think we all agree that finding time for things we enjoy is important – so on to a solution!

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How · Tagged With: finding time, hobbies, how to, managing time, me time, occupying kids

Independent Play – Moving to Room Time

Sep252012

I got a lot of positive feedback from my first Independent Play post, so I thought I would continue it, and share some thoughts on how to keep it in place for your older child. Obviously, there will come a point when your toddler will no longer want to play in a playpen. I would say somewhere in the 18-24 month range, your child is going to be ready to move to doing independent play in their room. Room time can be a wonderful thing – it allows for more play options for your child, a wider space, and hopefully, some time for you as a parent to get things done while your child is happily entertained. It forces them to not only find ways to play by themselves, but to also choose between various options. I find that Brandon behaves better and is more focused throughout the day when he has his time to play alone. What a nice treat for mommy and child!

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· Filed Under: Mommy, Mommy Know How · Tagged With: child, independent play, pre-toddler, room time, toddler