Beauty tips for busy moms~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Welcome back!  The topic this week will be beauty tips for busy moms.  My disclaimer:  I am not an expert.  I don’t even have a beauty channel on youtube.  That being said, here are my top ten tips:

1. Pick what you want to have shine.  There are mouths to feed and a house to clean!  You don’t have the time (or reason) to get dolled up to the nines.  Pick a piece of you that you want to look awesome (skin, lips, eyes, hair, nails).  Make it awesome.  Three products or less, people!  We’re on a time crunch here.
2. Lips:  if you have gross peely lips (you can tell I’m all over this beauty terms thing), use a toothbrush (preferably not one you brush with or regularly use for cleaning) or washcloth and a bit of Vaseline to have smooth lips again. 
3. Eyes:  Use liquid eyeliner or I guarantee you will have to reapply/do corrections more than you want to.  Avoid neutral colors or anything brassy if you are a new/sleep deprived mom.  They make your eyes look heavier, so you will just look more exhausted.  White eyeliner on your lower lid makes you look fresher and draws attention away from any unsightly bags. 
4. Skin:  exfoliate, cleanse, and hydrate.  Use a skin brush or washcloth to exfoliate skin.  Use a face mask (they sell them at the store in single use packets) if desired.  Then hydrate your face with lotion or whatever other face hydrators they have on the market. 
5. Hair:  wash.  I suggest investing in some really good shampoo and conditioner.  It truly makes a difference.  Air dry to prevent damage if there’s time.  If not, either ignore the fact your hair is still wet, or blow dry.  Good luck having time to style.  If you’ve showered the night before, chances are you have a nest of evil in the morning.  Wet it down as if you are going to wash it and go from there.  New moms, I highly suggest purchasing dry shampoo for days your in-laws announce they will be there in five minutes when you a.) just got the baby to go to sleep b.) have spit up on several items of clothing you are currently wearing   and c.) haven’t touched the house in several days, so also no clean laundry .  At least your hair won’t be terrible for all those pictures you know you’ll end up in.  I also suggest a shorter cut.  It’s tough to make time for yourself, and brushing your hair when it’s long is such a chore while being exhausted.
6. Prevention.  No matter how tired you are, before bed you should always brush your teeth and wash your face.  Cavities, bad breath, and breakouts are bad news bears.  Removing that makeup (assuming you had any on by whatever time you got to bed) at the very least saves you a step in the morning.
7. Don’t be lazy about hair removal.  Tweeze, wax, or otherwise get your brows done regularly.  Shave your legs, even in the winter.  Do it regularly, even if you have to jump out of the shower after only one leg to get the baby.  Do the other leg the next day.  (Totally not kidding.  It happens).
8. Eat well.  What you eat can affect your body size and shape, as well as your complexion.  It will also affect your energy level, and no one looks their best while exhausted.
9. Exercise.  It might be tough to fit it in, but even if you have to squeeze in squats, lunges, sit ups, etc. in five minutes segments throughout the day, you’ll feel better for it.  It will make a difference in your posture if you are strong and in your confidence if you’ve worked out (which is about the sexiest thing a woman can have on, btw).
10. Get enough sleep.  Stop laughing.  New moms, don’t shoot me.  I understand your issues.  Moms of older children, if you have the choice, choose to get to bed instead of watching another episode of your favorite show.  There is such a thing as beauty rest.

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Healthy Snacks for Kids~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Hope you are enjoying your summer!  Having the kids around all the time, constantly complaining about how hungry they are can sure be stressful.  Hopefully you’ll find a bit of relief with this post about healthy kids’ snacks.

***Just a real quick reminder:  the ages of your kiddos matter in deciding what snacks to feed.  Please never give honey to kids under 1 year.  Also keep “choke hazard” foods away from kids under three (nuts, popcorn, etc.)

My kids get a healthy snack one or two times a day.  Snack time is between breakfast and lunch and/or between nap time and dinner.  Portion control is a big deal.  If you feed your kids a huge snack an hour before dinner, they likely won’t want to eat dinner when it is served.  They only need a couple hundred calories max for a snack. 

My go-to formula is to give them a good source of protein and a fruit or vegetable.  Here are some of our favorite snack options:

·         Grapes and cheese

·         Cottage cheese and blueberries (or pineapple)

·         Granola bars (or celery sticks) with peanut butter and raisins

·         Bell pepper slices or carrots dipped in hummus

·         Nuts and carrot sticks

·         Pretzels dipped in nutella and/or peanut butter and a fruit or vegetable (this is sugar-packed, so we only have this occasionally)

·         Popcorn with homemade toppings (1 Tablespoon of honey and 1 Tablespoon melted peanut butter drizzled over top, plus pretzel pieces and/or nuts)

·         Leftover pancake or waffle topped with peanut butter and strawberries, bananas, or blueberries

Best of luck to you!  I have to run.  Hungry kiddos yet again!  If you have any brilliant snack ideas, please share them below  We’d love to hear from you.  Chat with you all next week!

Dinner Menu~priddymomma

Hey guys!  It’s that time again.  This week, I’m sharing what my family has on the dinner menu. 

We have recently decided on the paleo diet (read:  we eat like dinosaurs/cavemen).  Paleo cooking avoids gluten, which is awesome for our two kiddos with gluten sensitivities.  It also avoids preservatives, dyes, etc. and concentrates on whole foods, which we wanted to do ourselves.  We’re not religious about it, and I hate anybody that implies I’m not allowed a potato now and again.  (I will offer a disclaimer:  you will never again want something like McDonald’s once you’ve been eating real food.)

Anyway, here is our menu for the week:  (all meals are paired with fruits and vegetables, based on what we have at the time) **sometimes I change days around.  As I’m typing this (Tuesday), we just finished eating Thursday’s dinner idea.

Friday-Grilled Cheese

            We do the grocery shopping on Fridays.  By the time we’ve done that, we aren’t in the mood to do elaborate cooking, dinner is already behind schedule, and we’re in a hurry to get the kids to bed.  GF bread for the kids, potato bread for us, sharp cheddar cheese all around.  We often throw something like tomatoes, onions, or pickles on the sandwiches.  If you’ve never had a grilled cheese with pickle slices, you are missing out!

Saturday-Quesadillas

            We had our annual backyard campout this weekend.  We decided quesadillas would make a great food for the campout…or for inside if we got rained out.  GF flour tortillas for the kids with corn tortillas for us.  Cheerio Champ just had cheese on his, but Princess Cheerio had black beans, cheese, and avocado.  Hubby and I also enjoyed green onion, salsa, beans, avocado, and cheese on ours.  Campfire quesadillas are awesome.

Sunday-Taco Salad

            As I mentioned above, we had our backyard campout.  We planned to have Walking Tacos for dinner, but we ended up packing up the camp due to thunderstorm threats.  Inside, we made up taco salads.  Frito chips, ground beef with seasonings, lettuce, mozzarella cheese, tomato, salsa, avocado, black beans, onions (green and white onions), hot sauce (for those interested), lime wedges (for drizzling), and GF ranch dressing (mostly for me).

Monday-Lemon Dill Salmon

            Spray a piece of foil with olive oil cooking spray, lay down a piece of salmon fillet (I buy frozen and thaw either in the microwave or in the refrigerator), put down a few pinches of dill (fresh or dry), add salt and pepper to taste, and a couple of lemon slices.  Fold up into a packet, and place the packet on the grill or bake in the oven at 350°F for 15-20 minutes.  Open carefully, as steam will cause a burn if not handled properly.  I got this recipe from “Eat Like A Dinosaur.” 

Tuesday-Greek Turkey Burgers

            This is sort of a pain to make, but we keep making it because it is delicious.  You take one pound of ground turkey, one cup of shredded zucchini, one small diced onion, ½ cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley, 2 large eggs, and one Tablespoon of olive oil and mix them all together in a big bowl.  Add 1 Tablespoon dried oregano, 1 Tablespoon Spice Hunter Greek Seasoning, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and ½ teaspoon sea salt and mix well.  You’ll want to use your hands.  If you have long nails (like me), you can use disposable gloves.  Here’s where it gets interesting:  you now form the mixture into six patties.  Now, traditional patties would have something gluten-esque to hold them together.  Here, the eggs and zucchini are meant to do that for you.  The trouble is, until they begin to cook, they are fairly useless.  Don’t expect to be able to move your patties with relative ease.  Also, I recommend making 7 patties.  It just jives better.  Heat some olive oil in a large skillet (about two Tablespoons) over medium heat, cook patties for 4-6 minutes on each side, until golden brown around the edges, and then drain on a plate lined with paper towels.  Devour.  I’ve subbed out the parsley for basil and cilantro, and they are still really tasty.  Feel free to experiment, but I don’t suggest using dried for it.  I think you would be disappointed. 

 

Greek Turkey Burgers recipe came from this book.

Wednesday-Beef Roast with Chimichurri Sauce

            I got this recipe from Rebecca on mynaturalfamily.com.  It’s a crockpot recipe.  Actually, it’s two recipes.  First, you cook your roast.  Then you need to make up the chimichurri sauce.  Pick a pork or beef roast.  I suggest a 3-4 pound roast for the standard crockpot.  I also don’t care much for pork roasts, so we usually use a beef roast.  Rebecca suggests cooking the roast for 24 hours or so.  Unless your roast is frozen, I don’t really think that is necessary.  I put it in for 8 hours or so on low.  I suggest using nonstick spray on the crockpot.  Next, add your roast and sprinkle with salt.  Close the lid, turn it on low, cook for approximately 8 hours.  Easy!  The sauce is meant as a topping.  Take an herb (basil, parsley, etc.) and measure out a cup.  Mix thoroughly in a blender with 3 cloves fresh peeled garlic, ½ cup olive oil, 2 Tablespoons lemon juice (or just happily squeeze fresh lemon slices into it to taste), 1 tsp salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper, and ½ tsp The Zip.  I don’t use The Zip, but you certainly can.  I had to look it up to even know what it was.  It’s composed of things like cumin, cayenne, etc.  I just add those Mexican types of spices until I’m happy with the results.  Then you just drizzle it on your roast.  You can also use it to top any other type of meat or eggs or whatever.

Thursday-Waffles, Eggs, and Sausage

            Breakfast for dinner!  The kids loved this meal before we went paleo, so we still have it occasionally.  GF waffle mix is fairly easy to find, and the meal is always a hit (and usually quick to make and eat!).

Thanks for reading!  Bon Appétit :)

Ending Aggressive Behavior~priddymomma

Hey guys!  Guess what.  I got a puppy!  He refuses to let me write this post without pausing mid-sentence to give him some affection.  We named him Percy Jackson, because we are awesome like that.  Naturally, his leash and food bowl are blue.

Anywho, now that I bragged on my dog, let’s get down to business.  What do you do with a child that acts out aggressively?  Here is my super simple five step approach:

• STEP 1:  The first step with any aggressive behavior is to figure out why the child is doing it.  Has he recently seen violence in a movie?  Does he simply want attention?  Is the behavior directed towards one person or indiscriminate?  Is the behavior a go-to response for not getting his way?   Is the behavior the way the child shows anger?  Sometimes the underlying cause is obvious.  Sometimes you’ll have to dig a bit.  It isn’t always necessary to know the why before continuing to Step 2, but I think you won’t take the aggression as personally if you understand the thoughts and actions behind it.  It is hard to be rational when you get smacked in the face. 
• STEP 2:  Talk with the child about the behavior and why it is inappropriate.  Match the discussion to the age level as necessary, but don’t lecture.  Four or five sentences should suffice. 
• STEP 3:  Decide on a consequence for the aggressive behavior (ahead of time if possible).  Consider time out, not earning a beloved privilege, or losing the chance to play with the person or animal that the behavior is directed towards. 
• STEP 4:  Follow through.  When your child shows the aggressive behavior again, follow through on your consequence.  It is very important to be consistent. 
• STEP 5:  Have your child apologize for the transgression, and do something to make up if possible (hug the person, get them an ice pack, kiss the boo boo, help pick up kicked down blocks, etc.)

I included this just for fun.  Oh, the gray area!

Success Story!  Cheerio Champ tried out some hostile language along with a very poorly performed martial arts bit after watching Power Rangers.  Cheerio Champ screeched, “I SHALL DESTROY YOU!” and proceeded to attempt some weird spin move, following with a kick to my shin.  While somewhat funny, it did smart.  It was simple to see that Power Rangers, which he was still actively watching, was the cause for the aggression. 

I went on to Step 2, telling Cheerio Champ that the behavior was inappropriate.  Our house rules (which are posted on the wall), state that it is not okay for anyone in the family to yell, hit, threaten, tease, or be mean to another family member.  I explained that he threatened to destroy me, and that kicking was like hitting with a foot.  It is also generally frowned upon to perform martial arts against your mother, and mean to boot. 

Step 3 and 4-I let Cheerio Champ know that his behavior didn’t earn him video games for that afternoon (notice that I phrase that intentionally as a positive, and not a negative. He didn’t lose a privilege; rather, he didn’t earn it.  It puts the power in his lap and not mine.  I’m not taking them away due to his behavior.  He’s not earning them with poor behavior.  A slight but important difference.) 

I continued on to Step 5 by insisting that he owed me an apology.  He promptly apologized and wanted to know if there was anything he could do to make up for it.  I told him no, but thank you.  It was enough to not do it again.  So far so good!  (I confess that this response isn’t something he came up with on his own.  We trained him on it previously, but I think it is very important to know how to properly apologize.  A script isn’t always a bad thing for kids.)

In the works!  Princess Cheerio is a biter.  She bites when she is frustrated

Apparently I'm having a puppy fixation kind of day.

(mostly with her brother).  I am encouraging her to use her words to talk about her feelings, instead of biting.  I have also been introducing other ways for her to let off steam that don’t involve biting her brother (or screaming, which is her other gold standard).  I use time outs (2 minutes for her since she is 2) when she falls back to biting.  Princess Cheerio knows why she isn’t allowed to bite (biting hurts!), and she apologizes to her brother afterwards.  I’ve been doing it for two or three weeks, and she is down from biting dozens of times a day to only biting once or twice.  It’s a process, but it is working and well worth it. 

I find this method to be effective.  I hope you do too.  Thanks for reading!

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