Back To School with Monster Pop

 

*I received this product for free from Moms Meet for review. Compensation for this post was provided, and this post may contain affiliate links.

This week, my kids headed back to school! Gone are the lazy days of Summer. Now we have a structured schedule, sports practices, and game days. Our nights are filled with setting out school outfits, checking backpacks, and packing lunch boxes. Our days are spent in the car, running to and from school, sports, and activities, and snacking on the go. Monster Pop is there with us every step of the way!

My 5 kids are constantly asking for snacks, so I'm always looking for new, healthy snacks that they will love. When choosing snacks, I look for foods that can easily (and neatly) be eaten on the go. Bonus points if they are gluten free, so Liam, who has Celiac Disease, can eat them, too! Versatility is an important factor. Can they be added to lunch boxes? Can they snack on them at home? Do they come in different size bags and flavors?

My 4 older kids love popcorn, so we were excited to try Monster Pop. Sometimes they aren't big fans of the flavors of healthier alternatives, but it was an instant hit. It tastes JUST like movie theater popcorn without all the grease! Here's why Monster Pop is now a part of of our snack rotation...

Snack and Play Edible Rainbow Sensory Bin

As we headed into week two of social distancing, my kids were bored, lonely, and snacking non-stop. I am so thankful that we have books, streaming services, and FaceTime, but this situation that we're facing is scary and uncertain, and it just plain sucks! My older kids can usually find something to do, but my youngest two needed something to capture their attention - enter the "Snack 'n Play" Edible Rainbow Sensory Bin!

Sensory play is a big part of our lives. I believe my kids should be given opportunities to explore, so I'm always coming up with new ideas for them. They love sensory bins, so I always try to create 1-2 new sensory bins each month for them. Now that we're stuck at home, I'm changing them up weekly. We have done edible sensory bins before, but it has been a while. Last week was the PERFECT time to set one up and introduce Coen to edible sensory bin fillers!

Needless to say, it was an instant hit! The kids had fun playing, snacking, scooping, and color sorting. Sensory Bins do not have to be complex. It really can be as simple as throwing in dry cereal and marshmallows, and giving them tools so they can play. Just doing something out of the ordinary can make it extra fun! 

10 HEALTHY NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS FOR KIDS

This post is sponsored by Keurig Dr Pepper but the content and opinions expressed here are my own.

With the start of the new year, many people are making resolutions or goals to improve themselves and their lives. Although I set goals for myself each year, I also try to make some family goals. This year, I’m doing something different: I’m encouraging my children to come up with their own goals to work toward in 2019!

Getting back into a regular routine while adding healthy changes can be a challenge after a long Holiday Break! It can, however, be a very positive experience if families work together and make it fun. After all, we do need encouragement if we want to succeed!

Although I want my kids to come up with some of their own goals, I did suggest a few “healthy” goals for the new year to inspire them...

The Best Road Trip Snacks (and storage tips) for Families

We are officially one week away from our beach vacation! I absolutely can't wait, but we do have to make it through a 7-8 hour road trip with four kids first. That sounds like a nightmare to many people, but it isn't so bad. The reward at the end of the road trip is well worth it!

Let me start by saying that all four of our kids do really well on road trips. There's the occasional glitch, but everyone stays fairly content during the drive. In order to achieve that happiness, it takes hours of preparation on my part! I make a list and check it a million times, gather up all the snacks and supplies and stock up the SUV. Always be prepared for anything is my mom motto!

Most parents dread that infamous question "Are we there yet?" But for me, I dread hearing "I'm hungry!"  The hunger is nonstop! I truly feel like they eat out of boredom. My husband is one of those people who likes to get in the car and drive as far as possible before stopping. We don't often stop to eat or buy food at a rest stop so we need to be fully prepared with LOTS of snacks!

We just got a new car a week ago, so messy snacks will not be allowed on this road trip. I had to get creative when I made my list of approved road trip snacks! I mostly stuck with some old favorites from previous road trips, but added some new items as well.

Here are the best (mess-free) road trip snacks for my family:

• Fresh Fruit
• Crackers (goldfish, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, wheat thins)
• String Cheese
• Fruit Puree Pouches
• Larabar Fruit & Nut Bars and Larabar Bites
• Fruit Snacks
• Dry Cereal
• Pretzels
• Puffcorn
• Chips
• Marshmallows

Here are my favorite tips for road trip snack and drink storage:

*We keep a small cooler behind the driver's seat and fill it with drinks and ice packs. When we get to the beach, we place the ice packs in the freezer. We take the cooler down to the beach each day and use those ice packs to keep everything cold!

*Prior to leaving, I assemble a snack kit for each of my kids, like the one shown in the first picture. Bento boxes work perfectly for this! I put items that need to be refrigerated in the snack kit (like string cheese) then store the snack kits in the cooler.

*Each family member has a reusable water bottle filled with water next to their seat. I put a sippy cup strap on Liam's cup and attach it to the door handle so I don't have to constantly retrieve his cup!

*Each kid also has a small tackle box filled with tiny snacks. When they get hungry again, I pass these snack kits back to them.

*We usually stop for one fast food meal each way. I bought small caddies from the dollar store for each kid. I place their drink, meal and napkins into the caddie and pass it back to the kids when it's time to eat.

*Hang a plastic shopping bag on next to each seat for easy clean up!

*I keep a stash of lollipops in a compartment in my SUV at all times. Desperate times call for desperate measures and that measure comes in the form of lollipops!

*Hide a collection of their most favorite candy up front with you and pass it out if the kids are being really good. Works like a charm! (Bonus points for bringing your own stash, too.)

Having a great stash of easy, healthy snacks for your road trip is key to your survival!

That's why I included Larabar! I chose Larabar because they are a healthy option for my entire family! Larabar believes that food is best in a whole, natural state and that everybody deserves to eat good food. These products are made with just a few simple ingredients that you can recognize. Larabar is gluten free, vegan, dairy free, kosher AND non-GMO. The products are made from real food and contain 6 ingredients or less. When I give Larabar Fruit & Nut bars or Larabar Bites to my family, I know EXACTLY what I'm giving them.

I'm also a fan of Larabar because their products don't crumble as you eat them. Any snack with minimal preparation and mess is a win in my book! Larabar Fruit & Nut bars and Larabar Bites are perfect snack foods for our road trip ahead!

Plus, let's talk about flavor! Larabar Chocolate Macaroon Bites are fruit, nut & chocolate bites made from dates, almonds, coconut, fair trade chocolate chips. The dusting of coconut flour just adds to their delicious taste! My (almost) 3 year old loves them!

The Fruit & Nut Bars come in 3 great flavors: Cashew Cookie, Peanut Butter Cookie and Apple Pie. Everybody in my family loves them. My personal favorite is Peanut Butter Cookie!

These are just a few of the flavors available from Larabar! Larabar offers over 19 flavors. Although I'm choosing Larabar for our upcoming road trip, Larabar products are perfect for a busy life on the go. I can easily toss a Larabar Fruit & Nut bar into my purse and eat it while I'm taxiing my kids around! I don't often get to eat before we leave the house, so choosing Larabar saves me time and is a healthy choice when I need to refuel.

I prefer to shop for everything I need in one store, so I headed to our local Sam's Club to stock up on road trip snacks! As always, I found everything I needed (and more) at Sam's Club, included Larabar Fruit & Nut Bars and Larabar Bites. (I swear, the pajamas and wireless mouse just jumped into my cart! Can't beat their prices!)

Visit the Larabar website to learn more about the background behind these products. Make sure you also share your simple foods on Instagram with #Larabar for a chance to be featured!


What are your favorite road trip snacks? Have you ever tried Larabar?

Thank you to Sam's Club and Larabar for sponsoring today's post and helping my family get ready for our upcoming road trip!

Healthy Snacks for Busy Toddlers

My toddler is a whirlwind! Liam is on the move from the moment he wakes up until the moment he goes to bed, which earned him the nickname "The Toddler Tornado."

Life in a family of six is very much the same. Many days, we are in the SUV for hours on end, rushing from one place to another. I initially worried how Liam, who has special needs, would fit into our on the go lifestyle,. There was no need to worry! He adapted quickly to life with three busy older siblings.  He happily keeps up with all of us and is learning the importance of quality family time during all of our adventures!

Eating mini-meals on the go is a necessity at times. I'm always looking for healthy snack options to add to my shopping list. For a snack to be toddler AND mom approved, it can't be messy, it must stay fresh while stored in the car or diaper bag, it has to be ready to serve and it needs to be healthy.  Gerber Lil' Beanies is the perfect healthy snack option for busy toddlers!

Gerber Lil' Beanies is a new baked snack made with navy beans! It has 2 grams of protein and 1 gram of fiber per serving. It doesn't have any genetically modified ingredients and doesn't include artificial flavors, colors or preservatives! Gerber Lil' Beanies is available in 2 flavors: ORIGINAL and WHITE CHEDDAR & BROCCOLI.

Liam and I recently headed to our local Target to purchase some new snacks. After a brief (but expensive) stop at the Target Dollar Spot, we headed over to the Baby food aisle. I easily spotted Gerber Lil' Beanies on the shelf. The product was positioned at eye level, so it immediately caught my attention. Liam grabbed a can right out of my hands. He obviously couldn't wait to try this new snack!

He didn't have to wait long to try Gerber Lil' Beanies!

 

Although he liked both varieties, he couldn't get enough of the ORIGINAL flavor. Toddlers can be so picky, so I was thrilled to find another healthy snack option that he loved!

Life can get a bit crazy at times, but I embrace the chaos.  Our lives are full of love and we sure are having fun! My main goal is to show this little man what life is all about and establish the fundamentals so he can live a long, happy, healthy life. He truly deserves the best!

Gerber Lil' Beanies fit in perfectly with our on the go lifestyle. The can fits so nicely in my diaper bag for easy access. It's a healthy snack option that I feel 100% comfortable feeding to my child. Plus, they can be easily eaten on the go with minimal mess and it's a mom-approved snack which Liam loves!

Here are a few of my favorite on the go toddler essentials that make life just a bit easier:

• Backpack Diaper Bag
• Diaper, Wipes & Large Changing Pad
• Complete Change of Clothes & Pajamas
• Large Muslin Swaddle Blanket
• Small Toys & Books
• Gerber Lil' Beanies
• Snack Cup or Small Bowl with Lid
• Straw Cup
• Sippy Cup Strap 
• Bib
• Reusable Roll-up Placemat
• Face Wipes
• Travel First Aid Kit ($1 in travel section at Target)
• Small Bottle of Tylenol & Children's Benadryl

Thank you to Gerber for sponsoring today's post and for inspiring us to try Lil' Beanies! Liam is a big fan!

Has your toddler tried Gerber Lil' Beanies yet? Visit your local Target store to purchase a can!

Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores

Everybody loves S'mores, right?!?

We sure do!  There's just something so special about roasting a marshmallow over a fire and pairing it with chocolate and graham crackers. It just screams summer!

For our family, eating S'mores is a year-round activity.  Even though we perfected our Microwave S'mores, they're just not the same!  We tried roasting the marshmallows inside, but they don't have the right taste. They're still good, but we needed an alternative to our favorite campfire snack.  We needed something a little different.

Our solution? Chocolate Chip Cookie S'mores!  It's a great twist on the traditional S'more recipe!

You just need two simple ingredients!

• Chocolate Chip Cookies (I prefer freshly baked)
• Marshmallows

That's it! 



Making them is so easy!  Quite possibly easier than traditional S'mores!

Step One: Make a cookie sandwich by placing a marshmallow between 2 chocolate chip cookies and place on a microwave-safe plate.



Step Two:  Microwave for 15-20 seconds.  Keep a close watch, because the marshmallows will expand!



They're quick and easy, and everybody loves them!

ENJOY!