Emily Elling
Disney Insulated Straw Cups: Perfect for Toddler Smoothies
I recently discovered the perfect solution to my son’s refusal to eat his fruits and veggies. It’s not sneaking cauliflower into this mac n’ cheese, or adding pumpkin puree to his meat sauce. Nope. I’ve found a much easier way.
Every morning, he slurps down a toddler smoothie.
The key to the perfect toddler smoothies is finding the right vessel to hold the deliciously chilled drink. For a small child, this means something they can walk around with, possibly throw on the floor, and will remain cold for an extended period of time. Additionally, it must have a straw wide enough to accommodate the thicker texture of the drink.
Slurping His Veggies Down
I’ve never purposefully set out to trick my kids into eating their veggies. In my opinion, sneaking veggies into food feels like a long-term recipe for disaster (no pun intended), as well as a whole lot of extra work in the kitchen I’m just not willing to take.
But then a few weeks ago, baby Paul started refusing to eat anything off a spoon or fork. Staples like yogurt, fruit and veggie purees, and even his favorite oatmeal he now swats onto the kitchen floor. Needless to say, I’ve started to worry about his diet and lack of proper nutrition.
And then we stumbled onto an unlikely solution.
Swinging into the Spring of Things
I made a bold move yesterday and packed away our snow pants and heavy winter coats. This winter has definitely been a doozie, and I simply couldn’t bear to look at our winter gear one single more day.
Truth be told, these past 5 months have been extremely hard on the whole family both physically and emotionally, as we’re all trying to recover from a gigantic case of cabin fever, due to what felt like a never-ending marathon of a winter.
But, BUT! It seems as if the cold and snow is slowly making it’s final exit, and spring has officially arrived. I’m giddy with excitement to finally be able to get some (warmer) fresh air into our daily routine.
My Good Luck Charm
When I gave birth to my daughter almost nine years ago, I had never heard of the term “push present”. Basically it’s a gift your significant other gives you as a reward for pushing out the baby.
Over the years, I’ve heard conflicting thoughts regarding “push presents”. Some women think getting a baby should be gift enough, while other women feel a gift is most certainly necessary, after what their body has just been through.
My thoughts? Yes, becoming a mother is one of life’s greatest joys and I don’t feel I need a gift to make the day feel special. Birthing a beautiful chubby little baby is gift enough. But on the other hand, I’m a sucker for the sentimental, and let’s face it, I’ve never been one to turn down a gift from my husband.
If My 5-Year-Old Named the Baby
I was cleaning out my office this past weekend when I came across a scrap piece of tattered yellow paper that had a list of both boy and girl names written on it.
A column of boy names, and a column of girl names. All neatly printed out in my then 5-year-old daughter’s best penmanship. What I had found was a baby name list she had come up with while I was pregnant with baby Paul.
