Healthy Living & Eating Archives | Page 2 of 6

5 Homemade Baby Food Hacks

December 19, 2016 | Leave a Comment

I once saw a hilarious depiction of the five types of moms you meet: The PTA mom, Parenting Expert, Crunchy Mom, Hipster Mom, and (my favorite) Hot Mess Mom (see the video below). Despite my best efforts, I identify with the Hot Mess Mom racing to the meeting with stains on her shirt and yesterday’s hairdo going in every direction – which is why you need to know these homemade baby food hacks I’m going to share AREN’T just for the uber-crunchy, hipster, always-put-together moms.

You and me, on our worst days, can pull these DIY hacks off, mama. I guarantee it.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOQViEZOwGk]

5 Homemade Baby Food Hacks

When my daughter was born in 2013, we were ~~slightly~~ broke. We let go of my full-time income and benefits after my transition to a part-time position, and our health insurance plan went through the roof.

My husband supported us while I supplemented our income doing childcare, consignment sales, and eventually, launched a career from home as a freelance writer. Throughout that journey, frugal living became a mandate in our home. When I began researching ways to cut costs with an infant, I realized even a “Hot Mess Mom” like me (which, I’m convinced we’re all a hot mess on any given day – which makes us fabulous) could start doing DIY hacks in my home.

Baby food was a huge win. Besides breastfeeding for a full year, making homemade baby food was probably the largest money saver we unearthed (cloth diapers are also a great way to save money – but we rented our home and didn’t want to ruin the landlord’s washing machine…).

Here are five ways you can hack your way into the homemade baby food scene:

1. Don’t rush.

I’m no pediatrician, so please don’t assume this will be the case for you, but when the doctor says to start feeding your child solids when she’s six months old, you may do well to wait. Babies have their own timeline, and as long as they’re receiving full meals via breast milk or formula, they have the nutrients they need before their first birthday. “Food before one is just for fun,” as they say.

You could save tons of money by simply following your baby’s lead instead of forcing her to eat solids too early. When my son spit out every morsel of baby food I offered at six months, I got the hint to chill out. He was in the 98th percentile for height and weight entirely from consuming breast milk and refused solids until he was 11 months old.

The doctor’s only concern after I explained my son’s lack of interest was that he continue learning his motor movements with a spoon or fork. So I gave him plastic ware to tinker with in his high chair during our meals, and he loved it.

Every baby is different, though. When my daughter turned six months old, she watched my plate of food like a shark. I introduced her to solids shortly after that and she devoured them, happily.

Don’t feel the pressure to force your baby to eat solids if he’s not digging it, yet.

2. Start with an easy “superfood.”

Making homemade baby food feels like a huge undertaking at first with cooking, pureeing, freezing, and labeling everything. It can, however, begin more simply.

Try some superfoods that are basically ready to eat, like a banana, avocado, or peach. You don’t have to start with peeling, gutting, and broiling a gigantic butternut squash (although, once you’ve gotten your feet wet, it’s extremely healthy for your baby and not as harrowing as it sounds!).

3. Introduce one new food at a time.

To avoid the risk of allergies, it’s wisest to only introduce your baby to one new food at a time. You may think Tiger needs more variety and that you aren’t being kind by feeding him any other solids except softened carrots, but he’s doing fine.

Babies’ taste buds are developing and each new flavor, no matter how bland, is a vibrant experience to them.

4. You don’t have to use the fancy, expensive equipment.

Sure, companies have produced the perfect gizmos for homemade baby food hacks, but you don’t have to have them. Go ahead and register for a brand new Ninja or Magic Bullet, as well as baby food freezer trays that come with a lid.

If, however, you don’t receive them or don’t have the money to buy them right now, your existing blender, some ice cube trays, tin foil and a Sharpie did the trick for me.

5. DIY when it makes sense.

I started to get pretty good at making all sorts of baby food, but I finally reached my limit when it came to snack pouches. If you browse your grocery store’s baby food aisle, you’ll find a huge selection of pouches that are often organic with two to four healthy ingredients in puree form. The pouch is designed to be mess-free, can be stored anywhere before it’s opened, and exposes children to healthy foods they might not otherwise eat. All for $1 to $2 each. With coupons, I can easily get each pouch for less

The pouch is designed to be mess-free, can be stored anywhere before it’s opened, and exposes children to healthy foods they might not otherwise eat. All for $1 to $2 each. With coupons, I can easily get each pouch for less then $1.50.

The thing is, you can do all of that from home if you want. You can buy reusable pouches that look extremely challenging to clean, as well as those unique ingredients like organic purple carrot or amaranth.

Then, you can cook and puree each one individually and fill your snack pouches with any combination you want.

I need a nap just from typing all of that. For a $1, it’s worth it for me to simply buy the snack pouch (sorry, environment).

Do the DIY thing when it makes sense. Don’t beat yourself up if your friend serves her family home-grown, organic rutabaga, kale and goat cheese for every meal. Start where you can and remember: Fed is best. Simple as that.

What are some homemade baby food hacks you’d like to share? Tell us in the comments below!

Image Credit: thesuccess (MorgueFile)

7 Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers

November 14, 2016 | Leave a Comment

The last thing you’ll ever hear me say is that I’ll never let my kids use technology. Part of their world will always be tied to it. However, I don’t want them to become overstimulated and addicted. To put up healthy boundaries, here are several screen-free activities for preschoolers – since both of my children are that age.

These activities have worked in my family. Now it’s my turn to hand them over to you.

I notice subtle changes in my children’s behavior when they’re in front of a screen for too long. After doing some research, I now understand better what those changes are.

Or more importantly, what they could become.

What does the research say?

Preschoolers don’t reflect the more serious side effects of too much technology, but the average child eight years and older is spending 8 to 11 hours per day looking at a screen, according to the NY Times. What suffers as a result?

Emotional connect. Reasoning skills. Coping mechanisms. The ability to process thoughts, anxieties, and problems.

All those developmental skills are under attack when screens dominate a child’s day, according to this report from NPR.

The earlier we create boundaries for our children’s time with technology, the better their transition into adulthood will be.

7 Screen-Free Activities for Preschoolers

Read books.

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. ― Dr. Seuss, I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!

Establishing a daily reading habit with your child is a great way to advance his development away from screens. To change things up, try attending a reading time at your local library or purchase some nonfiction books (i.e. a picture dictionary or a book all about what your child loves most).

We keep a basket in between the children’s car seats so they can pick out a book to read on their own while I drive.

Listen to audio books.

One my kids’ favorite activities is listening to audio books. We pull up “reading chairs” so they know it’s time to sit and listen (you could also cut out cardboard circles with their names on them or set out folded blankets).

The library offers lots of variety when it comes to audio stories for kids. Turn the pages for the children until they get the hang of it and can follow along by themselves.

This activity promotes sitting still, listening, learning by spoken word, and early reading along.

Make believe a favorite character.

During an episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, my children watched the characters try on several different costumes and parade around the play room. Once we shut the TV off, my kids instantly wanted to be like those characters, so we grabbed some play clothes and made it happen.

This activity helps kids develop their imagination, and helps them understand that not all fun happens on the other side of a screen.

Bring mess-free travel crafts.

Screen-free activities for toddlers especially come in handy in the car. Have a basket of mess-free crafts, book or toys can help them learn to occupy themselves without DVDs or iPads.

One of my go-to examples is the Melissa and Doug Paint with Water book. These last a long time, help your children learn hand-eye coordination, and never leave a mess behind.

They also make great birthday presents for other children. Find them here.

Build something.

Whether it’s a fort made from couch cushions or a castle made from LEGOs, building something is immensely beneficial to your preschooler. It’s like you can see the smoke rising from the wheels turning in their brain as they problem solve each piece of the puzzle or tower.

My favorite toy that helps my children develop these skills is the Mega Bloks Big Building Bag.
It’s an 80-piece set of easy-to-use building blocks that can be added to over time and at any age.

Getting outside.

Staying active is next to impossible while a child is hooked up to a screen. Just like you can create a reading time every day, try to take the kids outside each day. You can take them to the park, for a walk, to the zoo, the pool, on a field trip, or just out to the driveway with some sidewalk chalk.

Study the world together.

Last Christmas, my husband and I gave our children a globe. Over the last year, we’ve looked at it together and studied the numerous intricacies of our world. Yes, you can download Google Earth for free, but studying a 3D globe in a group is different. The children can feel the earth. They feel the mountain ranges, spin the planet on its axis, and wrap their arms around its round shape.

Being able to study that together creates a discussion format that wouldn’t likely happen through an app.

For more ways to keep your kids busy without putting them in front of a screen check out these articles.

8 Simple Rainy Day Activities For Kids
Three Inexpensive Spring Break Ideas
How to Save Money On Kids Toys

What screen-free activities for preschoolers does your family enjoy?

Image Credit: Frank McKenna (UnSplash)

This post may contain affiliate links.

My Favorite Resources to Use When Cooking For My Family

January 13, 2016 | Leave a Comment

When you work full time and are pressed for time after work, preparing and cooking dinner can be a chore. I actually don’t mind cooking but during the week it simply comes down to something I have to do.

While it is tempting to eat fried eggs and toast every night to avoid meal planning, when you want to eat healthy this isn’t realistic. To prepare healthy meals for my family, it starts with proper meal planning. Not only does this ensure we eat well it’s a huge help to our budget. I have a few go-to resources that make my life a little more manageable and I will share them with you:

Host a Big Cook. This isn’t something I’ve done in a while but it is definitely meal prep at its finest. I borrowed the Big Cook cookbook from my local library but have considered ordering it so I can continue to share it with those in my life because I rave about it so much. Though this is initially a lot of work, you end up with many pre-planned/pre-prepped meals you simply need to grab from your freezer and usually throw in your crock-pot day of. This is something I want to do again soon.

Pinterest. Like everything, Pinterest is a great resource. I have found many inspiring recipes from browsing on Pinterest. I like being able to organize my pins based on different things; you could have Vegetarian/Chicken/Beef organized boards or more simply breakfast/lunch/dinner ideas. It’s a nice way to start organized digitally.

EmilyBites.com. This is one of my favorite websites for recipes. It’s well laid out with great visuals. I don’t love most recipe websites because I find they’re usually quite overwhelming, but Emily Bites is focused on good tasting, healthy-versions of family favorites. I’ve never made something I didn’t love. She offers ‘’extra’’ information too for each recipe like Weight Watchers points values if you follow a particular diet.

Skinnytaste.com. Another great website that is well laid out. The thing about this website is that I really like, is that she includes entire weekly meal plans you can follow along with, but if you’d rather she also has it organized by individual recipes. If you’re someone who is super organized she also offers a meal planning book you can follow along with. Finally, her pictures are great too.

The hardest part of cooking for my family, is planning what to cook for my family. By using a few of these resources taking care of the planning is much easier, even a picky three year old!

What are your favorite meal planning tools?

The Importance of Living a Healthy Lifestyle as a Family

October 7, 2015 | Leave a Comment

I want to start by saying I am by no means an expert in nutrition or pediatrics. I am however a mother and woman, to whom this is an important topic to me for many reasons.

Growing up as a young girl who was surrounded by pre-teen and teen magazines (thank God the internet wasn’t mainstream yet), I was constantly comparing myself. I remember my first ‘’diet’’. Basically as long as it was low fat or fat free it was ok to eat. So though I couldn’t eat an avocado, sour candies were fine. I was probably around the age of 13/14 and working hard for a six-pack in the gym. It was ridiculous in hindsight.

Thankfully it was never really an ‘’issue’’ for me. Though I was attempting to ‘’diet’’ and was going to the gym with my friend (who at 13 was following weight watchers per her family doctors OK), my mom was an educated woman and made sure I was healthy. It actually encouraged her to start going to the gym as well, to quasi spy on me which then led to her own love affair with working out.

I don’t know what it’s like to be a young boy, I know boys must suffer from body issues like girls do but likely in a much more silent way. Body ‘’issues’’ are a huge issue. Childhood obesity is also a terrifying statistic. I read an article recently about a pre-K student being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes (no reference so maybe it wasn’t true), but it’s totally possible.

We live in a word of extremes and we as parents have to try and find a healthy balance. We don’t want childhood obesity to scare the life out of our kids but we also don’t want our kids suffering from body dysmorphic issues. We need a middle ground.

Healthy Habits Start at Home

Healthy habits definitely start at home and it doesn’t need to be complicated. For us, we ensure that our daughter gets outdoor play every day (weather dependant) and on days the weather doesn’t cooperate, we do fun stuff inside. Sometimes she works out with mommy and other times we have a 30 minute dance party. As long as she’s having fun and getting exercise that’s all we care about.

At just over three, she’s also involved in helping me in the kitchen. She, like most kids are more apt to eat foods when they’re involved with preparing it. For instance she insisted she didn’t like pizza, until she made one herself (we use small whole wheat naan bread or Greek pita, pizza sauce and low-fat mozza cheese). She loves eating what she creates. Sometimes it’s even just giving her the choice of side ‘’did you want cucumber or grapes as a side tonight?’’ This allows her to have control of the choice without realizing the restrictions you as a parent put in place.

Kids Learn Through Example

Kids, especially young kids, learn so much by what they see in their environment. Our daughter knows mommy likes to go for walks so will often ask if it’s something we can do together. While I’m sure she sees it as time together, she’s also getting fresh air and exercise.

My experience as a parent as well, is that parents are scared to talk to their kids about obesity. They’re nervous that it will embarrass their kids or make the kid think you think they themselves are obese. This simply isn’t true and childhood obesity is a huge issue that needs to be talked about early on. There are many ways to bring up the importance of living a healthy life without traditional ‘’fat shaming’’. Rather than teaching your kids to be afraid of something (obesity) educated them as to why it’s important to be healthy.

If living a healthy lifestyle is something the family does together it will transcend to children organically. Kids who know healthy balanced lifestyles will continue to live one, and if they don’t as they age, they will at least have the education to make informed choices.

How do you make healthy living apart of your family?

4 Tips for Staying Fit on a Budget

September 2, 2015 | Leave a Comment

Exercise is something that’s always been important to me. Growing up, my mom treated the family every year to a family membership at a local rec center. We loved it! We had unlimited access to multiple swimming pools, skating rinks, classes for all ages and as we got older we capitalized on the use of the gym.

Having a rec center membership isn’t an option for everyone. Not only does everyone not necessarily have access to a rec center, they can be expensive. For us as a family, while we work towards other financial goals, we’ve opted to not have a membership and instead stay fit with what we can do at or from home. Most things are pretty cheap, if not free.

Get Outside!

This is the easiest way to stay fit. Go for a walk, ride a bike, find a place to hike. The best shape I’ve ever been in was when I was walking 5km every day round trip to school. Since we don’t have access to a rec center my husband recently bought a new bike that was on summer clearance. This is something he’ll be able to use for years to come and didn’t cost much at all! I love walking and when I’m home with kiddo I like to put her in the stroller and walk around our neighbourhood. Hiking is another favorite activity of mine though I don’t get to do it as often.

YouTube

When I was home on maternity leave I would search for YouTube exercise videos to help with the baby weight. Combined with a good diet and regular walks with the baby I got to my pre-baby weight. There are entire YouTube channels offering free workout videos depending on what you’re looking for.

Home Workouts

There are entire companies out there that were established to make working out at home possible. I recently started following the video series of one of these programs and actually really like it. I can do it from the comfort of my home and all I need is a few cheap weights (check local second hand stores or garage sales), and a yoga mat. Be careful you don’t get sucked into buying some of these companies’ nutritional supplements though. They usually have a reasonable ‘’first time’’ price but can get you on subsequent orders. Eat a well-balanced diet and exercise, you don’t need fancy supplements.

Check Out Local Programs

Our local library often has fliers advertising free or cheap classes, everything from toddler ballet to 65+ Tai Chi. Some of the courses are free (Yoga in the park every Sunday!), but some have a small fee associated. When I was in university I partook in a cheap learn to run course and it was a great experience, I was especially thankful for my tight budget!

Some people only think of fancy gyms and pools when it comes to losing weight and staying fir when the reality is that you can live a very healthy life without paying for anything.

Do you have any tips for staying fit on a budget?

Preparing Easy School Lunches and Keeping Your Sanity

August 12, 2015 | Leave a Comment

I have a love/hate relationship with lunches. I love making them because I have control over what my family is eating and most importantly it’s much easier on the budget than either buying out every day or, in my daughter’s case, paying an additional $5.00 per day for her daycare. Though we still do have an occasional lunch out, 90% of the time you’ll find me in the kitchen after our daughter is in bed, prepping our lunches for the next day.

I’m the least fussy person in the world to satisfy when it comes to lunch. If we have no real ‘’meal worthy food’’ in the house I’m perfectly content with taking a bunch of fruit and snacks for the day. My kid however isn’t so easy to please. Thankfully she thrives on routine and for now we have a few easy go-to’s that we’re able to rotate.

The biggest downside when I think about lunch prep is time. My husband cannot for the life of him figure out what takes me so long when I tell him I’m going to make our lunches. Honestly it took time to figure out, but when I’m organized I can prep in less than half the time it would normally take me. To do this I’ve found a few tricks to make prepping lunches a little easier.

If your kids are heading back to school these tips can help you with their school lunches.

Prep, well in advance

Leaving all lunch requirements to the night before can be stressful. There is often more involved than you think and your 5 minute intention quickly turns into a 45 minute endeavour. By prepping a few things in advance you can shave quite a bit of time off your evening (or morning) lunch packing routine.

Simple things like having fruits and veggies already washed can be a time saver. Pre-pack these things in portion sized package so they can be grabbed and thrown into the bag. Our daughter loves a simple PB and J sandwich so I’ll usually make a few at once and freeze them. They freeze and thaw perfectly fine and makes my life much easier when they’re done.

Think outside the box

Growing up, lunch was a sandwich, drink and fruit. I don’t remember ever questioning it, that’s just what we got. There were variations on the sandwich and bread but that was about it. Though our daughter does likes her sandwiches, she also loves even easier stuff like crackers and cheese. I buy multigrain rice crackers (rice stays much harder and crunchier longer than traditional crackers), and will send her with those, hummus and cheese. Throw in a fruit or veggie and her yogurt and it’s the fastest lunch to pack!

Organize the fridge and cupboard

This goes with prep but keeping things organized makes everything easier. I have a basket where our snacks go, a place for the yogurt in the fridge and a dedicated spot for fruit. It allows me to open the cupboard or fridge, grab what I need and throw in the lunch bag, almost with my eyes closed. I always pack our lunches with: a ‘’main’’+ water + yogurt + fruit or veggie. Having a system in place makes my life so much easier.

Bringing our own lunches saves us in many ways. Not only are we saving a ton of money by packing food from home (an average of $2-$3/lunch vs. >$10 eating out), we’re saving our health by controlling our portions and caloric intakes. Though there can be prep work involved in the beginning, once you start ‘’brown bagging it’’ it will quickly become second nature.

How to Eat Well in the Summer

July 8, 2015 | Leave a Comment

I have a love hate relationship with the summer and eating for both me and my family.

Though I love the abundance of fresh fruit that is seasonally available, I also know there will be many more temptations. More BBQ’s to attend, more road trips (which for us means more snacks), more late nights and fire pits filled with s’mores. For me and my family, it can be tough to control it all and balance the good and bad. Here are a few ways I attempt to control more of the good and less of the bad.

Bring a Healthy Option

If we’re headed to a BBq or potluck I can’t assume there will be a healthy option and for that reason I try to be one to provide it. Sometimes it’s a simple fruit or veggie tray, other times it might be a healthy salad of sorts. This way I know we will have a healthy option to fill up on before indulging in some of the less healthy options and desserts.

Just Don’t Buy It!

There is something I simply cannot have in my house. It’s something that I really only buy in the summer and something I know for a fact that both my daughter and I will totally pig out on given an opportunity. Those would be marshmallows. If they’re in the house- a key s’more ingredient- I will eat them all, as will my three year old. For this reason it’s something I don’t buy to have ‘’on hand’’ for the off chance we might make s’mores. In fact if we do have a fire and plan on it I will usually as someone else to pick them up. Not having them around means no temptations.

Capitalize on Seasonal Goodness

I love fruit, as does everyone in my family. Right now is strawberry season here so not only are we eating a ton of them we’re buying more than we can consume for the future. I’ll buy, wash and freeze berries year round when they’re on sale so we can use them for future smoothies or to cook with. It always ends up being much cheaper than buying pre-packaged smoothie mixes and tastier too!

Plan Better

The summer is definitely more chaotic for us. Soccer practice, irregular work schedules, vacations. All of these things throw my schedule off and when that happens we aren’t always the best planners. We eat out more- especially when road tripping. With an upcoming trip I have vowed to avoid the gas station junk, as well booked accommodations with a kitchen. Though the kitchen can sometimes be an added expense what we save on eating out every meal, will more than make up for it.

Summer is always a treat for us. We certainly indulge in things in the summer that we don’t any other time of year and that’s fine, as long as it’s balanced. Nothing worse than spending your summer indulging to find your fall jeans don’t fit…

How do you balance summertime treats with healthier options?

Making Healthy Living a Priority for Your Family

January 28, 2015 | 1 Comment

It’s no secret that obesity is a massive epidemic with our children. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want my child to be obese. The hardship and scrutiny are totally unnecessary. Kids have enough going on with growing up and coming into themselves, life becomes infinitely harder when obesity is thrown into the mix. I have an opportunity as a parent to do my best to prevent this.

The best thing I can do for my child is lead by example. Making fitness and healthy eating a priority lays the foundation for a healthy lifestyle that will carry them into their adult lives, at least that is the goal. My daughter will experience a mix of everything in terms of physical activity. She will be exposed to both organized and individual sports. We have plans to enroll her in both dance (ballet) and soccer in the upcoming year. While I personally have never really participated in organized sport (minus two years of softball), fitness has always been a priority for me.

I grew up in a house where outdoor play was expected. Unless it was storming out, we were expected to be outside playing. Though it doesn’t seem as active as playing a game of soccer, there’s no doubt my childhood explorations are what kept me within a healthy BMI.

Now that my husband and I are adults (and parents), we lead by examples in areas we know. He plays weekly soccer and I’m a big walker. If I can get to something within reasonable walking distance, kid will get in stroller and we’ll walk there. We also own a treadmill that the family has access to use, the best $800 we as a family spent I think. I also have a Fitbit where I partake in a weekly challenge with a few other family members that keeps me motivated to move. It’s amazing the power this little device has over me. I could be so tired I can’t get out of my own way, but if I see someone is ahead of me by 3,000 steps I get off my butt and get on the treadmill. My innate competitiveness comes out fiercely, in a good way.

Exercise is only a small part of being healthy though. As my daughter gets older she will be more involved in meal planning and prep. She’s still young so we’re just starting this but growing up my sister and I were always encouraged to seek out new recipes to try as a family. The fact that we could take ownership over the recipe and helping our mom prepare it gave us a sense of pride and nurtured a love of cooking as we got older. Cooking is a skill far too many people lack and, in my opinion, a big reason obesity is as high as it is. When people lack the ability to prepare and cook healthy meals, far too often cheap, fast food wins the battle.

Life is about moderation. There will be days that we eat at McDonalds but if our overall life is balanced we’ll be ok.

How do you make healthy living a priority for your family?

How to Teach Your Kids About Dental Hygiene

November 18, 2014 | Leave a Comment

It’s so important to develop good dental hygiene habits at a young age but as a parent I’m sure you know that’s easier said than done!

When it comes to dental hygiene many kids are resistant and seem to think brushing their teeth in the morning is the end of the world. Trust me, I’ve been there!

If you’re having trouble getting your child to form good dental hygiene habits here are some options for you to try.

Teach Them the Consequences

You already know that having a toothache is one of the worst forms of pain, but your kids probably don’t know that.

Sit your children down and teach them what happens when they don’t take care of their teeth. Show them pictures and tell them stories from your own experience. You can also show them videos on YouTube of children teaching children how to form good dental hygiene habits.

Kids don’t realize the importance of keeping up great dental hygiene until they understand the consequences.

Make It Fun

Whenever I try to teach my kids anything I always put a big emphasis on making it fun.

My daughters like to brush their teeth the same time as I do, always mimicking what I’m doing. We’ve also sang songs while they brushed and used timers to make sure they were brushing long enough.

Look for ways to make your dental hygiene routine fun. This is especially important to do in the beginning. After a little while your kids will get into the habit of taking care of their teeth and mouth and you won’t have to spend any more time making this a fun experience for them.

If you make dental hygiene a little less boring and set a good example, your kids will follow.

Get The Right Products

Do you know what really gets my kids excited about dental hygiene? A new toothbrush and toothpaste.

Right now they’re both enjoying brushing their teeth every morning with a light up, timed Hello Kitty toothbrush. They’re also both very particular about what toothpaste they use so I make sure I keep a good stock of their favorites.

You can click here to visit Chemist Australia and check out some fun dental products for your kids.

Conclusion

By teaching children the consequences of bad dental hygiene, making learning fun, and giving them products catered to their age group, you’ll have a much higher success rate of having your child develop good habits.

These three tips are easy to implement but can make a world of difference!

How to Make Your Morning Run Smoothly

September 17, 2014 | Leave a Comment

I wear many hats. Not only am a Mother, the most demanding job of all, but also a wife, a full-time employee, a freelance writer and blogger. I make time for friends and family and occasionally, myself. I like to go to the gym and love to have my nose in a good book. The problem? I need about 39 hours in a day to accomplish everything I set out to do.

With a lot on my plate every day, I need to do everything in my power to make sure my day starts out on the right foot. If my morning is chaotic, the rest of my day will follow suit. There are a few things that you can do to make sure your day starts out right and maximize the hours in your day.

Sleep

Trust me, I’m the guiltiest of this but lack of sleep will kill your day. Everyone has a number, for me it’s seven. Seven hours of sleep is exactly what I need to accomplish everything with energy. This doesn’t mean starting to get ready for bed at 11pm if you want to wake up at 6am. It means starting to wind down earlier and get ready to be asleep by 11pm.

Use Your Evenings Wisely

After my daughter goes to bed I make sure the mess from the evening is cleaned up (nothing worse than tripping over toys from the night before at 630am) and lunches are made. I don’t mean deep clean with floor scrubbed but at the very least make sure basic messes are cleaned and surfaced are cleared. If I attempted to leave making lunches for my family until the morning it simply wouldn’t get done and we’d all end up spending more money than we want because lunch wasn’t packed.

I also make sure everything we need to run out the door is right there, by the door. I don’t want to waste 10 minutes in the morning looking for the car keys or my purse. If you have kids make sure their bags are also packed and waiting by the door.

Stay on top of Laundry

Have you ever attempted to get dressed in the morning only to find the shirt you need to downstairs still in the dryer? If you stay on top of the laundry, meaning when you start a load finish it, including putting it away your life will be so much easier. Staying on top of laundry also allows you to lay your clothes out at night if you’re so inclined.

I understand that some things will have to wait. If you can’t get the dishes done, at least pile them neatly and get them rinsed until you do manage to find a few minutes to get them done. You know your morning the best and you need to sit down and figure out what will make it work for you. Maybe setting your coffee on a timer is necessary? Whatever it takes to get your day going as smoothly as possible will make the rest of your life that much easier.

How do you manage the chaos of the morning?

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