A little post of Joy

I can't help it but melt when I see my baby sleeping. All of the mess, screaming, and crying, oh and of course pickiness, of the day seem to fade away when she falls asleep. It usually starts with a bottle of warm milk and we lay on the couch. I caress her hair or give her a little foot massage and she's off to dreamland (if she's not fussy). I can't help but let her sleep there next to me. I don't want to go put her in her bed. It just feels like, I don't know how to explain it. Is it a feeling of pure love, pure happiness, safety, or just a great feeling of overall accomplishment? Accomplishment in the sense that the day was conquered, and in the end everything's good, or "Great success! I'm a good mom." Maybe it's all of those feelings put together, that's why it's hard to explain. But all I know is that I'm so full of joy when my princess diva is sleeping in my arms. :) Just wanted to end the night with this post. Thanks for listening :)

Discipline

Ok about discipline.. This is a difficult subject because different things work for different kids. You definitely have to be consistent though. For example, cleaning up baby's toys. My little girl was used to me picking up her toys. I would tell her to help me, but she would just stare or run off and do something else. Then I decided that I have to enforce this rule, because we're civilized people and we need to organize our things. So I would constantly ask her to clean up and bring her arm down to pick up a toy and bring her to the toy basket to drop it off. It worked! Patience is a big part of being a mom and that's what toddlerism requires. Now when its time to clean up she'll do it, especially in the bathtub. She won't leave the tub without pointing at the toy mesh bag and placing her bath toys in there. I know that sometimes it's easier to give up on your rules, but just think of the importance of it in the long run.
Next, if your child made a mess in the kitchen, instead of putting him/her in time-out have him/her help you clean it up. At least that way they're learning that you have to clean up after yourself. Tell him/her what you guys are doing and why. Because if you answer the why's now, you won' have to deal with "But why? But why?" later on. No I'm just kidding. That will still happen. lol
One thing I find important is praising your pumpkin when they do something good. Think about it. If chubby cheeks is always getting your attention when he/she is doing something wrong, they'll probably continue. Now, if you say great job when you catch them cleaning up (without you asking) they'll find a great accomplishment. This helps a lot when you're trying to be consistent. It goes hand in hand with the first thing I was talking about.
Also try to keep your explosiveness to a minimum. It's hard, I know. But think, the way you react when you're stressed is what you're teaching your kid. They learn everything from you. Pressure! So if you have to relax for a minute, just do it. Sometimes I'm cleaning and my daughter is crying and wants to be picked up and I'm trying to go as fast as I can; it'll just stress me out. So at that moment I just stop. I take off my gloves, pick up my pumpkin and go play a little bit. Sometimes she just wants a little attention, just to make sure mommy didn't forget about her. About 2 minutes later she's fine and I just go back to continue my work and let her play alone. Maybe if you make a schedule for yourself, in the morning, it'll help your day run smoother. Make sure you plan a moment to relax. Like, at nap time you can sit and read and drink some coffee, check your email, call a friend, do your hair or your nails, or even try to finish up your chores so that you'll have more time to be with baby when he/she wakes up.
These are just some ideas I've tried that worked for me.

10 Meals Under $2

10 Meals Under $2
That's right! Click on the link and see how making your own food, instead of buying it made, can save you dollars. Not only is it cheaper to make food at home, it's healthier and you know what's going in your meal.

On-the-Go Bag

Hey, so when you're on the go you need to be well equipped, no? Yes. I'm known for always carrying a huge bag with me. Big and Proud haha. Anyway, since being a parent now means being a frugal shopper, I just went to a thrift store and got a big bag that I could use as my "diaper bag." Lo and behold I find a "Mary Poppins" looking bag and BAM I'm set. So here's what my luggage contains: (I like using these bullet points lol if you haven't noticed)

• Wallet
• Phone
• Keys
• Extra pacifier (I just put it in a snack size Ziploc bag)
• 4 or 5 small bags (these bags you can also get at the thrift store or even the dollar store)

Each bag:

• One for diapers, ointment, wipes carrying case and a disposable changing pad thingy lol
• One for snacks or food. I like this one for snacks.
• Another one for toys (a variety of toys to choose from)
• One for extra clothes just in case of a poop or pee accident (change occasionally according to your growing toddler and changing weather). For example, I have a thin sweater, long sleeve onesie, pants and bib, oh yea a a small plastic bag to put the dirty clothes in.
• And one with a pocket for an ice pack for the sippy cup.

Now that it's getting cold outside I keep an extra blanket in the car. I also have a travel size pillow for when my little big-diva falls asleep in her car seat.

Conquering the Pickiness

Hey just wanted to let you guys know some tricks I've made up to conquer my daughter's pickiness. So for breakfast she sometimes doesn't want to sit and eat. Therefore in a sippy cup, that has a wide straw, I just add her cereal (baby cereal) with milk and yogurt. Then I just mix it around and boom there's breakfast for my little runaway.
She loves to eat her foods with her spoon or fork too. When she doesn't want to eat her lunch or dinner (that is just finger food) I just give her the special utensils and magic! She begins to eat. Not everything of course. I mean why would a full blown miracle happen at dinnertime?right? lol But it's better than nothing.
Also for those of you wondering about bottle feeding. I've found what works well for me was that when my toddler was a baby just a few months ago :) I began giving her a sippy cup with a straw (because she didn't know that you had to lift the other ones up for liquid to come out). That sippy cup had water and her bottle had milk. She began to understand that there was a difference. When she wanted water she'd reach for the sippy cup and vise versa. Also I've cut down on the milk because she was drinking too much of it and not eating her food. Oh and snacks as well, that used to be her meals lol. I was just telling @tutu_tuesdays that I read somewhere that at this age 16oz of milk a day was good enough. But then again I'm not a doctor so do what you think is best. So milk is for nap and bedtime. That has worked very well for me. Soon I have to give up the bottle completely. I'll let you know how that goes.
Oh another thing! My girl loves milkshakes. And who doesn't? I put a banana and some strawberries and milk in the blender and voila! There's a satisfying snack. No sugar though, fruit is already sweet and added sugar is not all that healthy. Then again who am I to talk about healthy when I'm always drinking coffee and craving sweet things (no I'm not prego probably PMSing). And you know what? It's a great snack for you & I and we're getting our daily fruit in our system. :) Ok I gotta run! You know how it is.

Fruits & Veggies

Every time I read something about helping your picky toddler eat the right foods, I just say that my daughter will just stare and most likely throw it on the floor. Here are some veggies and fruits that you might want to try and give your child if your not to sure on what they might like:

• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Figs
• Apples
• Tomatoes
• Blackberries
• Raspberries
• Cherries (take out the pit, of course)
• Melons
• Blueberries
• Beets
• Cucumbers
• Squash
• Carrots
• Corn
• Peas
• Sting Beans
• Beans (in general)
• Broccoli (maybe with some melted cheese)
• Mango
• We all know fresh fruit is best, but if you're going to feed your tot fruit from a can just make sure that it doesn't have extra sugar or some type of added syrup.
• Please, please remember that you must always supervise your child while they try new foods and just in general when they're eating. You never know..

I didn't add potatoes or bananas because I'm assuming your child imaginably prefers that anyway. I know that's all my girl will eat in the veggie and fruit department (especially if it's fried). Don't worry about the fried stuff, I learned that my little one isn't the only one, so it's nice to know that it's normal. You should know that this "pickiness" will last a while. They're just trying to mold their likes and dislikes. Something my dad has always said to me, since I've become a mom (of a picky eater) just be creative. That also means try whatever you can. For example, for my daughter to start eating fruit I chose banana because it's feasibly the easiest fruit (just peel with your hands and give). Then the problem was that she didn't want to even try the banana. Oh man! So since my baby girl is a huge fan of ice, I decided to freeze the banana on a plastic popsicle stick and give it to her like a Popsicle. And can you believe that she LOVED it? Now she eats it when I just simply cut it up and put it on her plate. But this time she'll only eat it with her little fork. She loves that. :) I'm glad that it's also helping her learn how to use a fork. Let me know some of your creative stories I would love to read and use them myself :)
XOXO  (coffee making time, lol)

Mad at Dad - Parenting.com

Hey all! I just really needed to come and tell you (yes, you) that I have found this article that just totally changed my morning. Thank you @Martha Brockenbrough! Mad at Dad - Parenting.com gave me the strength and helped me feel better to tackle on the day. Its amazing how you are not alone, even though it feels like it most of the time.