Curbing the Christmas Sugar Craze

'Tis the season for holiday treats and quite often those come with a hefty dose of sugar. In

effort to be a "yes mommy" this time of year (rather than uttering countless "nos") I wanted to share how I've tackled giving the littles their special requests, while avoiding the unwanted side effects of sugar.

1. Portion Control

Last night for a festive dessert I served up peppermint gelato in shot glasses. While hot cocoa in espresso cups lets them enjoy cocoa on a daily basis. Kids are visual and a cup brimming with whipped cream and warm chocolate goodness is delightful no matter the size. 

2. Festive Presentation

Last year YiaYia gifted me three Christmas tree canapé plates as a hostess gift. Their whimsical shape helps make one sole cookie or candy extra special. And when paired with an espresso cup of cocoa that is about all the plate can accommodate. 

3. Details

Flavored marshmallows, a dollop of whip cream, and spritz of sprinkles are all things that make ordinary treats extraordinary.  These special details help focus on the "quality" of the treat rather than the quantity. My kiddies will gladly take a mini cup of "Christmas Hot Chocolate" {dark hot cocoa, peppermint creamer, marshmallows, whip cream and sprinkles} over a mug of swiss miss any day.  

And for picture perfect hot cocoa,  cover the top of your cocoa with marshmallows first and then whip cream. The marshmallows will keep the whip cream and sprinkles from melting into your cocoa. 

Now go forth and spread some sweet Christmas cheer!

The Truth {Having 3 Littles}

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Confession time....I became a mom of 3 over a year and a half and I still feel like I'm treading water on a daily basis. I mean WTH!?! Despite waking at the crack of dawn (something I am not natural inclined to do) I'm still incapable of accomplishing much of anything other than the de javu of daily/weekly chores.

If I had to describe my life right now it would boil down mainly to constant crisis management sprinkled with a healthy dose of short order cook and the occasional hazmat team...no joke folks. 

I got a text from Bestie H this morning sharing a Hilarious blog post. This poor blogger and I must lead double lives because this exactly what life with three kiddies has been for me….the simplest of tasks turning into disastrous messes & one of my poor babies having to take one for the team (insert mommy guilt).  

For now, I'm saying a prayer for the daily strength to keep my cool & remember that to everything there is a season. One day my heart will yearn for the tug at my pant leg, an eager helper always by my side & the call of "Mommy". 

Half Birthdays…Add them to the List

Remember this post I wrote a few short days ago about the joys of celebrating our children. I think I need to remind myself of exactly what I signed up for. It appears that Peanut has declared half birthdays a celebration in this house…rightfully deserving of all the pomp & circumstance.

Seeing big bro overjoyed at the prospect of throwing his lil bro a party made it impossible to say "no"? The simple request is concrete evidence of the loving bond these brothers share. It melts my heart and makes me on board for just about anything.

Peanut decided upon a rice crispy creation to mark the day. He attempted a rainbow cake inspired by an episode of "Wow Wow Wubbzy" (anyone else have to suffer though that show!?!)

I knew that Bear wouldn't be into the rice crispy treat so I simply grabbed a vanilla bean cupcake during our Target run. With the addition of a toy stegosaurus, the 1/2 birthday boy's treat was complete.

After dinner we sang and enjoyed our meteors ("rainbow rice crispy cupcakes"). Bear is shirtless in anticipation of the cupcake massacre.

Now Belle & Peanut are counting down the days until their half birthdays…..thankfully no present are involved. Anyone else celebrate half birthdays with your little ones? Or perhaps you did as a child?

Just One of Them Days

Anyone else remember Monica? I was a fan…even had the cassette single (remember those days!?!) Well yesterday folks was truly "One of Them Days".

It began at 1:15 am as Peanut came to me burning hot with a fever of 103. I dug the motrin out of the "Kiddie medicine" cabinet, coaxed him into chewing one and a half tablets and laid him to sleep in our bed. Then I made my way into his room & managed to catch a few hours rest.

When Peanut came trotting into Belle's room later that morning I assumed his fever had broke & that was the cause of his wet clothing. Wishful thinking, turns out poor thing had an accident. No biggie on a normal occasion, his bed is fully protected, but I suddenly remembered he was asleep in my bed….ugh. Baking soda works wonders on removing odor & stains from a mattress…or so I tell myself.



The morning quickly passes with laundry, bathes & school work. Lunch was now upon us. The little love dining al fresco & are even bigger fans of carrying everything from the kitchen to the deck. Just as we were ready to sit down, I hear the distinct, "Uh-Oh" come from the kitchen & find this:

As the kiddies sat on the deck, I wipe chocolate milk from the floor careful to get every last splatter off the island trim. Then I mop, one of my least favorite chores, because chocolate milk is quite sticky even when put to the bounty challenge.

Thinking that the milk & bed incidents were it for the day, I come outside to discover my sweet baby had shoved his entire lunch (partly regurgitated) through the holes in the table and onto the deck floor. And at exactly that moment, the skies parted and it began to rain….back inside I cart 4 meals, a toddler in a highchair, a bowl of grapes, strawberries and 4 cups.

Needing a reward I opt to swap my lunch, which is now wet, for my traditional afternoon treat.  I head to make myself a cappuccino only to discover we are out of milk! Needing the caffeine rush, I drink it black and hunker down for whatever else the day has in store.

Surprisingly the afternoon passes without a major causality…or so I thought until I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Only the second time I had worn this top.

But seriously how could I be mad the culprit?

Today has gone smoother thankfully….VBS for Belle & a trip to the doctor for Peanut. I think every Mom has had "One Of Them Days", but fingers crossed they are few and far between. Wouldn't trade these days for the world.

Teacher Gifts: A Piece of Cake!

Next week is the last week of school for both of my kiddies and they will be toting cake plates festooned with a pic monkey tag for each very special teacher.

Best part of all, these sweet pedestals were only $7.99 at my local HomeGoods! Since I need a total of 10 teacher gifts, between the two kids and all their activities, these were a fabulous buy.

How about you, summer knocking at your door? Any great last minute teacher gift ideas?

Birthday Journals

Growing up, YiaYia and Bopi wrote a letter to me each birthday in a journal. Upon graduating high school, I was presented with the keepsake filled with beautiful letters my parents had written to me throughout the years. To this day, that red velvet journal with the gold kitten silhouette is one of my most prize possessions.

So naturally, this is a tradition I have carried on with my own little ones. In each entry I like to take the time to tell them a bit about their likes and dislikes at this age. I recount their birthday parties, guests, favorite gifts and games we played. Most importantly, the journal is my chance to tell them each in a private and personal way just how much I truly adore being their Mommy. And how every ounce of me loves every ounce of them. And one day, when they are no longer under my roof they will be able to open these pages and feel the love of home. And perhaps, even find a bit of guidance.

Anyone else have a similar story? Did your parents write you birthday letters? Or do you keep a journal for your kids? 

And for those of you with older children it still isn't too late; during my engagement Bopi worked on a journal full of "life lessons" and gave it to me as a wedding present….that little book is worth 1000xs it weight in gold. 

A Milestone for Bear

Surprise, 2nd post of the day! Is there is nothing more important than capturing your baby's firsts? All those moments you lock away in your heart, to forever relish and remember. And today marked a first for our baby Bear. I know you are chomping at the bit to know.... First steps!?! First words?!? First meal self-fed!?! 

OK, are you ready…..

First Time Out

Yes sir, at the ripe old age of 11 months, my youngest son managed to earn himself a time out by attempting grab a power cord (for consumption of course) after I warned against it. Have no fear, I could read his expression a mile away and snatched the little "angel" before he knew what had happened. I promptly walked him to his crib and there he sat to serve the remainder of his time out.Apparently things really do happen faster with the third! Guess I better buckle up (and stock the wine fridge!)

Family Mission Statement

A few Christmases back my parents bought Hubby Steven Covey's The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families. We both thought it seemed like a great idea, placed it on the bookshelf & promptly forgot about it (sorry Mom & Dad). Fast forward 2 years and 1 additional kiddo later, Hubby & I we're visiting during our 10 hour Fall vacation road trip. We were talking about the need to set more consistent boundaries for the kids, how we feel they are not responsive to our discipline & that we need an action plan while they are young that will translate and transfer into adolescence. Enter 7 Habits … Mom & Dad, you do know a thing or two.

Our fall vacation, which was the impetuous for our Family Mission Statement

Hubby & I are still working our way through the book, but we have completed a family mission statement. I can not stress enough that we DID NOT create a list of rules on our own & present it to the kids…that approach will not work. To steal a line from a wise man I know, "People will support what they help create." Same goes with kids. 

Here's how we did it:

• We started off brainstorming with the kids asking them how their ideal family would function and treat one another. We took the opportunity to talk about emotions and how our actions & reactions are affected by our interactions with one another.

• Over the course of a month, we meet weekly to refine and prioritize the list. The kid's truly shocked us with how much they understood…keep in mind they are 6 & 3.

• Finally, we agreed upon phrases that captured the essence of how we wanted our family to run. After some slight tweaks, the "Family Chart" (the kiddos have a chore chart so they relate to the mission statement as simply a family version) was printed off, signed by every family member and placed in the family room to remind us of the agreement we made with one another.

Our Family Mission Statement reads:

To avoid disappointing our family we will work to:

Respect ourselves and others by telling the truth, listening, using manners and being trustworthy

Remain happy by being joyful, grateful & our genuine selves

Always be consistent, productive, and hard working

Create a home that is organized, tidy, safe and fun

Be a cheerleader family

Keep God and family at the center of our daily lives

Love each other unconditionally

During our discussions we wanted to learn what was at the root of the kid's tantrums and discovered it was disappointment. Whether it be not getting a turn, having to eat vegetables at dinner, or not being understood….being disappointed (parents & kids alike) was what needed to be minimized. 

It isn't always roses around here, but having the mission statement makes getting back on track a whole lot easier. 

Featured at DIY Dreamer

Preschool Happy Hour

Winter is upon us. Even though we haven't much snow to speak of, it is cold! So if it isn't the necessary trek out to school, classes (Lord, do we have way too many of those), or shopping (Target anyone?) I'll happily remain held up inside the house until May. So to keep ourselves entertained, we've had loads of fun with a roll of painter's tape.

I taped out a grid on the kitchen floor and with a sharpie wrote the numbers 0-21 (they were not in linear order). Peanut then took his favorite buldozer and followed the road moving in numerical order. Sometimes he confuses numbers (21 vs. 12) so saying the number out loud while driving over them helps to make the abstract name concrete. (FYI-I did not come up with this idea…say it on pinterest I believe…sorry I don't have the original link).

When we were done driving, we added buildings to our street. We worked together to build landmarks around our neighborhood like Peanut's school, Starbucks (yes that is a landmark in this house), the library & Grandparents' homes. We worked on grasping the concept of distance & direction by making sure YiaYia and Bopi's house was further from our house than his school & one was south while the other north.

Eventually all good things get crushed. Caught ya huh? Thought I was going to say, "come to an end". Well they do, but in a house with a preschool boy that end is in the form of crushing/ plowing/ smashing. So we spend the remained of our playtime building & destroying.

Anyone else have some creative ways to disguise learning through play? We've got several more months of indoor captivity so please share your secrets. And if it involves crushing, smashing, or plowing all the better! We are enjoying the last few days of winter break…sad to see it end!

Linked up to Tatertots & Jello

No Words

I feel guilty blogging. 
In the blink of an eye the arrangement of my laundry room or the drapery in my kitchen is so trivial. So, I can't in good conscience post about these things now. I am not passing any judgement upon those who do, I'm just not there yet. 

You see I have a 1st grader. Beautiful, lively, and full of promise just like the 12 little girls who's lives were lost. And that mean there are 12 women just like me out there...mommies to these girls. I can't help but think about them every time I kiss and hold my precious Belle. Those women's pain is real for me & this Christmas I will celebrate with a heavy heart. 

I will post some holiday family photos and cookie party updates, in hopes that they help you create a magical moment with your kiddos. I'm not sure when I'll return with home decoration/project posts...when I feel healed is my guess. Thanks for understanding and it goes without saying, PRAY. Pray for these lost lives, the families forever changed, and a nation where such travesty can occur. 

Amelia

Positive Reinforcement: Surprise Wise Owl Breakfast

Belle has been struggling with remembering to double check her math work before turning it in to the teacher. On Sunday night I was sorting the papers in her folder and noticed that her math homework was error free…finally she is checking her work! So to celebrate this little milestone, and because positive reinforcement is the best way to achieve good behavior/habits, I decided to throw her a surprise breakfast celebration.

In the B house, on special occasions where you've shown extra smarts you get to eat from the wise owl bowl. (OK it is a dip bowl that came with a platter I got for my birthday last year, but none the less the wise old owl rocks with the kiddos.)

So out came the bowl and to it I added a green plate with white polka dots, a green lattice place mat, white cup & green & yellow spoon.

Then I hung a banner, which proclaimed Way To Go.  I had planned to make the banner on my computer & include owl photos, but my printer wasn't working. So it was Sharpie to the rescue. I'll be posting my  "non-crafter's tutorial" tomorrow for the banner.

Finally, I framed her homework & placed it front and center so Belle would know exactly what we were celebrating.

Belle was so surprised & it made me so happy to start her week off with a mega dose of love & self esteem boost. I think we all could use a Wise Owl breakfast on a Monday morning.

Hope this quote inspires you today & always.

Hugs-

Amelia