DIY Yogurt Melts

My kids love the yougurt melts that Gerber makes. Unfortunately they cost about $2 for 1oz of product :(  It is a very costly snack and I have 4 kids! One of my toddlers could eat a whole bag, (a whopping 1oz) by themselves! 

So I figured that I could try and make my own since I had such success with my freezer oatmeal applesauce snacks (http://mamabrightside.blogspot.com/2014/03/natural-apple-oatmeal-toddlerbaby-snacks.html?m=1). 

What you will need:

Cookie sheet

Wax paper (optional)

Yogurt of your choice 

Sandwich bag 

Scissors 

Freezer

Directions:

Line cookie sheet with wax paper for ease of removal. This is optional and I forgot to do it myself. 

Pour desired amount of yougurt into sandwich bag and seal.

Snip a TINY whole in the corner of the bag. 

Squeeze of the yougurt into small drops on the cookie sheet. (I made larger drops because I have toddlers, not infants). 

Place into freezer until firm. 

1-2-3- Just Play With Me Child Development Tool Ebook Review & Giveaway from Milestones & Miracles

As a new mom I constantly fretted that my children weren’t getting the appropriate stimulation to learn and develop like they should. I was always wondering, “Am I showing them enough contrast?” “Am I playing the right music?” “Did we do enough tummy time?” and so on… I also made the mistake (and sometimes still do) of comparing my children’s abilities to that of their peers. I would scour the internet to find out exactly what my child should be able to do at what age. But honestly, I was lost. I was a new mom and I had no idea what to expect from these new little humans. 

I just gave birth to my second set of twins, who are now 9 weeks old, and thankfully I know a little bit more about what to expect. However, our newest twins were almost full term, as opposed to our older twins who were 5 weeks premature and thus developed slower. So will these new little ladies be ahead in their development? What should I be looking for? Where can I get answers? 

                

Thankfully I recently came across a great tool for parents everywhere that will help us to know just exactly what a child should be able to do and at what age. No more guessing game. It is called JustPlay with Me from a company called Milestones & Miracles. The brilliant thing about this tool is that it not only helps you to understand the milestones that your child should be hitting, but it also gives you fun play ideas that will help you to help your child achieve these milestones! 

                                  

Daddy teaching us about sorting

 I trust the content of 1-2-3 Just Play with Me because  the company that created it, Milestones & Miracles is a company for moms founded by moms who also happen to be a licensed physical therapist (Nicole Sergent) and a licensed speech-language pathologist (Lacy Morise). These ladies have put a lot of time, research and effort into writing this Ebook. In it you will find amazing suggestions on how to “play with purpose” with your child; helping them to learn and advance while also building bonds with them.

Daddy teaching us about colors & shapes

There currently is nothing like this on the market that pairs development with play and I am thrilled to have it! I currently am using the  0-3 months sections for my newborns and the 19-24 month sections for my toddlers and we all love them! The 1-2-3 Just Play with Me system is so easy; I just click (or touch) the corresponding link with my child’s age in the table of contents and I reference it throughout the day. And I must admit, one of the best selling features about this parenting tool is that it is easy and way less overwhelming than the huge child development books; it is convenient and quick! I don’t have to find countless hours and quiet time to read a long book! I mean, really, what parent of small children has that luxury?! 

Pointing to and labeling body parts

As a mother of 2 sets of twins who were born prematurely, thus having some delayed development issues, I highly recommend this product because it has helped me to understand where my child should ideally be developmentally. The sections are color coded to differentiate between 5 areas of development: cognitive, fine motor, speech and language, social emotional, and gross motor. It also helps me to identify where their development may be lacking and helps me to feel empowered as my child’s advocate when speaking to their pediatrician. So don’t hesitate! You can buy your Ebook versio (which can be read on most devices) today for the reasonable price of $24.99 via Amazon, iTunes, and Barnes and Noble. 

Be sure to follow Milestones & Miracles on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Pinterest for helpful information, ideas and updates. One lucky reader will win their very Ebook of 1-2-3 Just Play with Me! Just in time for Christmas, this will make a great gift to yourself or to anyone you know with children! Enter below to win! Good luck!

 

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Island Banana Bread

Do you love banana bread but are looking for a new twist on a classic recipe? Then you have to try my latest baking creation, Island banana bread. A fun twist on the classic recipe with coconut! 

(Sorry I had to eat some before I       remembered to take a picture!) 

The recipe

1 loaf pan greased with unrefined coconut oil or any other nonstick oil

1 3/4  cups of crushed walnuts

1 cup of dried coconut flakes

3 very ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/4 cup of melted butter

1 cup of sugar

1 1/2 cups of flour

1 teaspoon of salt

1 teaspoon of baking soda

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°

Grease your loaf pan with your unrefined coconut oil or other nonstick oil

Place all dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir together

Cut up the three bananas and mash into the dry mixture

Next combine the melted butter and two eggs into the dry mixture (and bananas), and stir together until just moistened

Then fold the walnuts and dried coconut flakes into the mixture

Transfer the mixture into your greased loaf pan and place into the oven

Bake at 350° for approximately one hour or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean

** for a little something special pull out your banana bread after about 40 minutes, while the mixture is still slightly wet, and sprinkle the top with granulated sugar for a nice sugar crust**

The Learning Journey Silly Snail Review

Today we played with a new toy from The Learning Journey called Little Friends Silly Snail. Right away my kids and I loved the bright colors and whimsical design of this cute toy. I like that it seems to be made of high quality plastics, which is good because my toddlers still put everything in their mouth and chew on it. We have had some toys stain their faces and clothes due to low quality paints and such. Ugh.

                                     

The Silly Snail is great for entertainment because it offers music but also doubles as a rattle. I appreciate the fact that it contains a rattle because that means that when the batteries die it will still be entertaining. We go through so many batteries in this house! Thankfully The Learning Journey Company was thoughtful enough to include batteries with each purchase.

The body of the snail also doubles as a handle, which is great for younger babies who are working on their grasp and for older toddlers who like to carry around more than one toy at a time. Silly Snail is moderately priced and I think it would make a great toy for your little one or as a gift. It is intended for babies 3 months and up, so it is quite versatile. You can purchase yours today here at Amazon! 

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Dear Struggling Mama, You Are Not Alone

What did you do today? Me? Oh, ya know, I'm just surviving. Somedays that is all I can do. I have four kids; two sets of twins, all in diapers, 19 months apart. And they cry, and scream, a lot. It can be such a challenge to feed, dress, diaper, entertain, and teach five people (myself included). 

I feel like I should doing so much better at this mother thing. But on days like today I find myself apologizing to my children several times a day. Apologizing for raising my voice, for being too easily irritated, or reacting too harshly. I love my children and I just want to be the best mom that I can be. 

I had these high expectations that I would do everything right as a parent. That my children would always be well behaved and that I would always know how to handle every situation and the appropriate way to discipline...boy was I in for a reality check. 

I have read books and taken classes on parenting and childhood development, worked in daycares and church nurseries...but nothing prepared me for motherhood. I am constantly coming across new struggles and situations where I feel like a floundering fish. 

So I have truly come to appreciate the honesty and transparency of my friends who share their struggles with me; who let me know that I am not alone in this constantly evolving thing called motherhood. And my husband who encourages me and keeps me laughing.

 My point is this: you are not alone Mama. On those days where you are in despair, when you raise your voice more than you would like to admit, when you reach the humbling point of having to apologize to your children for your behavior; you are not alone. Be honest with your spouse and with those women close to you in your life. They can relate and share their own experiences with you and it would probably bless them to hear that you struggle too. I know it helps me!

This Christian’s Review of the New Movie: Left Behind

I am a true fan of the Left Behind book series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins. They are exciting, thought provoking, and have a decent Biblical content. LaHaye and Jenkins are also know for writing other Biblical books, such as Are We Living in End Times? So when my friend Laura and I went to see the new Left Behind movie, starring Nicholas Cage, I expected to see an exciting movie about the Rapture; about God; about the importance of salvation and a real relationship with Jesus Christ.

Well, that isn’t what I got. I don’t want to write this with movie spoilers for any of you who haven’t yet seen this movie but plan to. However, I will say that I found most of the acting to be subpar. I am a biased Nicholas Cage fan; he is actually one of my favorite actors; loved Face Off and Family Man! But it seemed like maybe he just wasn’t all that into this role. He normally dives into, and becomes his character. Not so in this film. I was surprised that “ladies man” Chad Michael Murray actually gave the best performance out of this cast.

Being a devout fiction reader, I am used to seeing my favorite books made into movies, only to be consistently disappointed. The thing that bugs me the most about the book to screen process, especially for Christian and young adult fiction is the sexualization and secularization of them.  The screenwriters take a book and add things to it that they think will make it more appealing to today’s audience. Unfortunately the family sitting in front of me at this film was comprised of grandparents and an adolescent grandson. I was embarrassed for them because they brought their young grandson to see a “family friendly” movie and he was exposed to cocaine use, adultery, heroine use and track marks, oh and an obscene joke. Don’t get me wrong, Christians sin. We also know these things exist in the world. My problem is that the books don’t emphasize these things and yet they were put into the movie.

When the movie was over my friend and I both said that Left Behind was more an action movie about landing a plane than it was about God. I would go so far as to say that God was an afterthought in this film. I can remember watching the original Left Behind series 14 years ago, and I was much more impressed way back then. I am not sure if there will be a sequel to this particular remake or not, as there are many books in the Left Behind series, but I pray that for the sake of our nation, they emphasize God, salvation, and the reality of the Rapture. 

 

Gurin Essential Oil Diffuser Winner!

Congratulations Sarah Lehan! You are the winner! Thank you to all who entered to win :) Remember to check and follow our Facebook page and Twitter for all the opportunities to win, and share them with your friends.

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