I learned this trick a few years ago and thought every single mom in the world knew it too. But the other day one of my Mommy friends had never heard of this. So for the few people that are not doing this for their kids, I had to do a blog post.
My girls love snacks, especially popsicles, but that gets SO unhealthy. So I have found a healthier alternative. We take the squeeze yogurts (like Yoplait Go-Gurt or the organic kind Horizon Tuberz) and I put them right in the freezer. Then when my kids want a snack, I cut the frozen one in half and I have the perfect little popsicle.
I then wrap a paper towel around it to keep their little hands from getting cold. It is not messy, doesn’t usually drip and they LOVE them. Now I know those are still full of sugar and not exactly the healthiest snack, but they are a heck of a lot better than most popsicles, plus the make ZERO mess!
I found these reusable tubes (here for link) on Amazon where you can fill your own up with whatever you want. This may be a much healthier alternative. The only down side is the convenience factor…I have to take the time to fill them up! But maybe I can stick left over smoothie (click here for the recipe) in them and the girls can eat that frozen too.
What did you do for Valentine’s day? Kares wanted to give treats to everyone at school, everyone at dance class, and everyone in the neighborhood. I wanted something a little different than the typical Valentine and wanted something she helped create….but not too expensive of course!
We made chocolate and sprinkled marshmallows! They were a hit.
The ingredients were simple and cheap! Marshmallows, white chocolate (only because ours had to be pink…dark or milk chocolate will be great too), sprinkles, and food coloring.
First I melted the chocolate and added the color. I used a double boiler (I don’t actually have one, so really it was a pot of boiling water with a different pot on top that held the chocolate). You can also melt it in the microwave, but the chocolate will harden after a little bit. If you have a big batch use your crockpot and the chocolate will stay melted and creamy until you are done! Then using a toothpick or I prefer a long skewer and dip the end of the marshmallow in the chocolate.
Next I put sprinkles in a shallow bowl and gently touched them with the hot chocolate on the marshmallow.
(pay no attention to the tiny feet…she helps me cook by sitting on the counter so she can reach!)
Then let them cool on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper. No need to even refrigerate!
Kares had fun helping me make them and they didn’t break the bank! They were pretty easy as well. I also made them for Kailani’s birthday party i left them on a stick for her party and maybe will do them for St. Patrick’s day as well. Just change the color sprinkle and chocolate. I even saw different shaped and colored marshmallows if you want to get really fancy.
What we want but hardly ever get…no not sex…DATE NIGHT!
I am not sure about you but hubby and I don’t get a date night near as often as I would like. Not only is it difficult to find the time to go out, but when we do have the time, it is EXPENSIVE! We were spoiled for so long with free babysitters (thank you both Grandmas!). Now that we are not living right next to family we actually have to pay for a sitter. After the price of the baby sitter, the price of dinner at a decent restaurant (because let’s face it…if I am going out without the kids, it is going to be worth it), the price of movie tickets, I can’t afford to grocery shop the next week! HAHA
In all honesty I have found a few things that make date night a little more affordable.
Date Days- We sometimes go on date days instead of date nights. This way we go to lunch (cheaper meal, but still nice) and go to a matinee movie for about half the cost. Or if you don’t want a movie, there are other daytime activities that are so much fun! Hubby and I went to a trampoline gym one day…we got to act like kids without having to watch them! Then we went had only dessert for lunch…YUMMY! I also like this because my girls (especially the little one) are terrible to put to bed for a babysitter. So they are much happier with a sitter who can just play with them instead of do bedtime.
Baby Swap- We have done baby swaps with some friends and neighbors. We watch their kids on Friday night for free and they watch mine on Saturday night for free. This way we don’t have to pay for a sitter and when we are gone the kids love it because they get to have a playdate with friends. Total win win!
Dates at home- More often than not we have at home mini dates when the girls are asleep. It isn’t ideal, but works in a pinch. We watch movies, eat dessert, make popcorn, lay a blanket down and have a picnic in the bedroom (something we don’t let the kids do). All it takes is just some quality time together, where we aren’t doing laundry, aren’t cleaning house, aren’t discussing the kids, and simply focusing on us.
Maybe I should make that my New Year’s resolution…more Date Nights!
Only Little Once 