Packing Lunch for Little Ones!

My daughter starts preschool next week, and this means I will be packing a lunch for her three times a week. (Her wonderful preschool includes lunchtime!)

No big deal, right?

Well, I am a little nervous about running out of ideas and being “that parent” who packs the same thing every day, especially since it is a peanut-free school. (No peanut butter?!?! What will my daughter eat?!?!)

Luckily, there are so many wonderful resources on the Internet to help you when making lunch for your kids this year. Here are some alternatives to the ho-hum turkey and cheese sandwich that are both healthy and delicious!

- Cream cheese “tea sandwich”
- Roll-ups (deli slice of ham or turkey with cheese rolled up together)
- Whole grain bagel with cream cheese
- Pasta salad
- Fruit salad
- Baby carrots with vegetable dip
- Vegetable soup (in an insulated thermos or container)
- Granola
- Mini-muffins
- Hummus with baked tortilla chips or vegetables
- Dried fruit bars
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Cheese cubes
- Ham and cream cheese pinwheel sandwiches
- Fruit kabobs (make sure the stick holding the fruit together is not too pointy)

(Also parents…this article on back-to-school lunch and snacks is a must-read. I can’t believe 98 percent of children fail to meet the five core food groups each day. Yowza!)

Clearance Sale- Don't Miss It!

Pure and Honest Kids is having its best sale of the year...the clearance sale! From now until August 29, you can take an additional 30 percent off all clearance sale items. Just use the code BIGSALE when you check out.

Clearance sale items are up to 80 percent off. These deals won't last long, so check it out today! Happy shopping!

Empty Threats?!?!

I recently read an article on a website called "Mom Logic" about a mother who gave her son an empty threat while on an airplane. She basically said, "If you don't stay seated and calm down, I'm going to ring the flight attendant's call button and get the flight attendant to take you away."

Okay parents...confession time! How many of you out there have given an empty threat to your kids? Have you ever threatened something you knew you could never follow through with? (I am raising my hand over here, too!) Why do parents do this?

I think we get so flustered and stressed sometimes that we say things we don't mean or that will never come to fruition in hopes of stopping an unfavorable behavior.

Here are a few examples of empty threats parents may sometimes give their children:

- "If you don't hurry up and get ready for school, I'm going to leave you." (Hello, child services! You can't actually leave your young child alone.)

- "If you don't pick up your toys, I am going to give them all to goodwill." (Seriously?)

- "If you don't stop throwing the ball at your brother, I'm going to throw your ball away in the trash can." (Most parents would not want to deal with the meltdown that would occur from actually throwing the ball away in the trash can. By the way, this one happened at my house recently. My husband said it and I suggested he follow through with it. It wasn't pretty.)

A parent that makes these kinds of threats has lost control and their children are winning! Kids are perceptive. They quickly begin to understand that you are not going to follow through with your threat, so why should they modify their behavior?

When you make ultimatums that you cannot carry through with, you undermine your authority as a parent. So next time you are trying to discipline your child, remember you are in control! Make discipline choices that fit the crime and that you can actually follow through with.

You are the parent...you are in control. You are the parent...you are in control. Keep chanting this to yourself until you actually believe it!

Have you given a funny empty threat lately? Leave it in the comment section below.

Too Hot, Too Fast: Signs your Kids Could Be Dehydrated

Where we live, it is hotter than hot this summer. When I walk outside, I am full-on sweating before I even reach my car. My almost four year-old, who usually does not complain about rain, sleet, snow or heat, even said to me today, “Mommy, it’s too hot to play outside today.”

The summer sun can be ruthless, so it’s important to recognize the early signs of dehydration and other heat-related illnesses. Children are particularly vulnerable to heat-related illnesses, because their bodies do not get rid of heat as efficiently as adults' bodies do. Check out these tips below on how to keep your kids from reaching the point of too much sun, and not enough water.

- When kids begin to complain with thirst or feeling hot while playing outside, or just seem irritable in the heat, they may have early dehydration. Get them out of the sun immediately and find a cool spot to sit and relax. Push fluids as well (water or sports drinks with electrolytes are best.)

- If you know your child has been outside in the heat and is experiencing one or more of the following symptoms, seek medical attention as soon as possible: few or no tears when crying, eyes that look sunken in the head, lack of urine or wet diapers, headache, extreme fatigue, dizziness or altered mental state.

- Encourage your child to drink water before, during and after outside activities when it is a hot day.

- Avoid giving your kids fruit juices, sodas and other caffeinated beverages when playing outside in the heat. These types of drinks can actually make dehydration occur more quickly.

- Find shady spots outside to take breaks from playing. Have your kids drink fluids every 20-30 minutes, or even more often if they ask for it.

- When playing in the heat, dress your children in loose, light colored clothing.

- Whatever you do, do not leave your children alone in a hot car, even for a few minutes.

Play it safe in the sun by staying cool and hydrated the rest of the summer!

Summer Snacking

It’s so easy when the kids are out of school and on summer vacation to become lax in eating healthy. Ready to get summer snacking back on track? Check out these delicious (and healthy) snack ideas that moms and kids alike can agree on.

- Cheese: The protein in this kid-friendly snack will help your kids stay on the go all day long! There are so many variations you can do with cheese, such as cheese and crackers, string cheese and cheese and fruit kabobs. The possibilities are endless!

- Peanut Butter: For a dose of protein and fiber, turn to peanut butter, a favorite food for so many kids. Peanut butter and crackers, as well as peanut butter and apples slices, will satisfy your children and give them a nutritious snack to tide them over until dinner.

- Yogurt: Low fat yogurt is a delicious and healthy snack for your kids, and also an excellent source of calcium. To amp up the nutritional value even more, pair the yogurt with fruit or granola.

- Sweet potatoes: Before you skip over this one, hear me out! Sweet potatoes are one of the most nutritious vegetables around. This vegetable is packed with vitamin A, and is also a good source of vitamin B6, vitamin C and folate. Whip up some yummy sweet potato chips in lieu of store-bought chips, and both kids and moms will be happy campers.

- Hummus: Kids love to dip their foods, and hummus is one of the healthiest (and most delicious) dips around! Serve hummus with low-fat pita chips, salt-free crackers or vegetables for a tasty treat. Not only will your kids enjoy it, but they will also get a dose of folate, vitamin B6 and iron.

For more snack ideas, check out this article from Parents.com, entitled, “The 20 Best Snack Ideas.” It will have you and your kids back on track in no time to eating healthier snacks this summer season.

Car Travel with Baby!

My family is embarking on a six hour car ride this weekend to spend time with friends from college. I have no worries about my three-and-a-half year old (she will be happy to watch movies, eat snacks, and play games), but the thought of crossing the state line with my 10 month-old breaks me out in a cold sweat. Needless to say, he is not the best car traveler in the world.

I have been doing my research on how to conquer car travel with a baby, and here are 10 tips I came across that I thought might help make our trip more successful. Here’s hoping it all goes well! If you have any additional car travel tips, leave them in the comments section!

1. First things first…plan to travel at your baby’s best time. This may mean you leave at nap time or bed time, so choose your departure time accordingly. (This is only if your baby sleeps well in the car. Your baby may be like mine and only take cat caps in the car, so there is no “best time” to travel!)

2. Plan a few breaks in travel so your baby is not strapped in his or her car seat for long periods of time. The longer your baby is in the car seat, the fussier he or she may become. Remember, it is not a race when traveling with a baby. Take your time and you will all be happier for it.

3. Pack plenty of toys for the trip. New ones or forgotten favorites will likely keep your little one occupied for longer periods of time over toys he plays with every day.

4. Also pack baby-friendly music, plenty of snacks and drinks, and books to read to your baby on the road.

5. Have a well-stocked diaper bag with everything you need for diaper changes. Don’t forget a change of clothes in case it’s a major diaper blow out! Make this bag easily accessible so you don’t have to dig it out under suitcases.

6. Never take a baby out of the car seat when the car is in motion. Always pull the car over if you need to change a diaper or if the baby gets extremely fussy.

7. Tape brightly colored pictures to the back of the seat your baby will be facing. This gives them something cheerful to look at and may keep their attention longer. If you have a car mirror, you can put that on the back of the seat, too.

8. Put up window shade screens in your car to protect your baby from the sun. Sun shades will also prevent your baby from getting too hot.

9. Keep a lookout on your GPS for baby-friendly places to stop. Your little one might like to go for a swing or walk around a playground, so don’t be afraid to stop at a playground and wear your little one out! This might also help your baby take a good nap in the car for the second leg of the trip.

10. Finally, don’t have your travel plans set in stone. If your goal is to make it to a certain city without stopping, but your baby is very fussy, make an unscheduled stop. If you sense your baby needs a change of scenery, instead of eating in the car as you planned, stop at a restaurant and let the baby see something besides in the inside of your car. The more flexible you are, the happier everyone will be while traveling!

Good luck with your summer travels!

Beat the Heat this Summer!

Where we live, temperatures have been circling around 100 degrees and it is too hot to take the kids outside to play (unless it involves water.) In order to beat the summer heat, sometimes you have to get creative! Check out our top 10 ways to enjoy summer without melting away in the hot sun.

1. See a “dollar movie” or a free movie at a local cinema. Many theaters have a free summer kids program, too. Check out your local theater web sites for information on kids movie programs this summer.

2. Attend “story time” at your local library. Your kids will love hearing new stories, singing songs, and you can also check out some books while you are there!

3. Declare a board game day. Enjoy some family time by playing board games together in the cool air conditioning!

4. Set up your very own water park in the backyard. Have baby pools, slip-n-slides, and sprinklers going at the same time and enjoy watching your little ones run around outside while staying cool.

5. Make your own homemade ice cream. Your kids will love churning the ice cream maker, and will enjoy eating your cold treat even more!

6. Set your kids up with some (clean) paint brushes and water buckets and let them paint the town…literally! Your kids can “paint” the house, walkway, bikes, fence and porch! Throw some soap and wash rags in the mix, and you can have your very own car wash, too.

7. Host an arts-n-crafts extravaganza and invite your kids’ friends! Stock up on arts-n-crafts…crayons, markers, paper, glue, scissors, molding clay, and anything else that your kids can use to create a masterpiece. Watch your kids and their friends create beautiful artwork, and then hang their creations up on a bulletin board, refrigerator or clothes line to display for the week.

8. Throw a “pretend party.” Have your kids put on party clothes from the dress-up bin and then have the kids decorate for the party, as well as make simple, yummy snacks for the pretend party. You’ll be surprised how much fun they will have and how this one idea can take up a whole afternoon!

9. Encourage your children to write (or just make-up) a play. Have them make tickets for the play to sell to the audience (you and their favorite stuffed animals), create a stage with blankets, sheets or towels, and put together wardrobes for the “cast” from your dress-up bin. Then sit back and watch as your favorite stars put on a show for you!

10. Make homemade play dough together. It’s very easy to do and your kids will love playing with it afterwards.

All of these ideas will hopefully help you keep your kids busy and cool this summer. Good luck beating the heat!