SuperNoots... Healthy Eating for Kids

A Mother's Mumblings

2009-04-14T10:52:00.004-04:00

I’ve seriously got to watch my mumblings.

I’m talking about those under the breath comments a mother makes as her children talk smack, or spill their milk for the third time that day, or when her five-year-old decides to talk like a baby ALL DAY LONG.

In the South, if you listen closely, you’ll hear mother mumblings like this:

for cryin’ out loud, for Heaven’s sake, for Pete’s sake, and my favorite, have mercy

Don’t get me wrong, a mother’s mumblings are a good thing. After all, frustrations must escape somehow, and mumblings are way better than a yell.

But like I mentioned, I need to watch my mumblings, because the children are tuning in.

Here’s the scenario.

Yesterday, we suffered a series of potty-training setbacks.

While on my hands and knees wiping up pee, I told Blondie to take off her wet clothes, and in her struggle to remove her pee-soaked panties, she flung them right in my face.

I was too stunned to speak, so she spoke for me.

“Mommy, was that for heaven sake?”

I laughed. But not out loud, because I had pee on my lips.

You love that story, don’t you?

Moving along, now...

BooMama's post today inspired me to share something salty.
When I crave salt, there's nothing that hits the spot more than these chips. Go here to see why blue corn is slightly better for you than yellow corn. It's also important to mention that taking this bag with you to the sofa will prove detrimental to your diet. You WILL eat the whole bag, so please please please grab a bowl and a handful of chips, then put the bag AWAY!!

You'll thank me later when you're trying on bathing suits.

WAT-AHH! product review

2009-04-08T10:19:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my very first product review! To be first, the product has to be pretty fabulous, so get ready for… WAT-AHH! (For my fellow southerners out there who will stare at this word for ten minutes like I did before getting it, "WAT-AHH!" is the word "water" with a Brooklyn accent.)

Besides having a really cute name, let’s hear what WAT-AAH's Christine has to say...

…we are the first functional water made for kids by kids and their moms. WAT-AAH! Has absolutely NO SUGAR, NO ARTIFICIAL FLAVORS, COLORS or UNNATURAL ADDITIVES! It is simply pure water containing just the right amount of essential mineral to fortify and maintain children’s health. We have given water a new face-full of attitude, edge and spunk! We want to create a way to convince kids to turn away from sugar-laden beverages like sodas, sports drinks and “fruit” juices.

Well said, Christine. In my opinion, fruit juices are sneaky little sugar devils, because many parents out there think the word “fruit” automatically means healthy. Insisting that kids make water a regular part of their day is a good thing, and free, so hey, who can argue that one?

So, let’s get right down to it. My nephew spent the night with us a few nights ago, so it was the perfect opportunity to try out the 4 different versions of WAT-AAH! When they saw the cute bottles with the kid screaming his head off, they were intrigued, and excited!

Biscuit opted for WAT-AHH! for bones, which is ultra purified water with added magnesium, essential for strong bones. His choice made me wonder if I should stop comparing his bird legs to my bird legs. Do you think he has a complex?

Red chose WAT-AAH! for the brain, which is ultra purified water with added electrolytes. The natural choice for my middle child, who already at two-years-old, knows it all.

Blondie chose WAT-AHH! for the body, which is simply pure spring water. I’d like to say there’s a reason she chose it, but truthfully, the label was pink, so the boys stuck her with it.

And lastly, my nephew, otherwise known as “Phew!” because this wild man will flat run circles around you. So, of course, he chose WAT-AHH! for energy, which is ultra purified water with energizing oxygen. P.S. His real name is SugarBear, because on top of being a wild man, he's also my sweet baby.

OKAY, EVERYBODY! ONE, TWO, THREE, DRINK!!

The verdict? Delicious! Yum! That's good, Mommy! We took their G2 drinks out of their lunchbox to make room for their fabulous WAT-AHH! bottles. Biscuit especially couldn’t wait to tell his friends that he had bigger bones today than yesterday. All this excitement over drinking water makes me one of WAT-AHH's biggest fans!

Please visit WAT-AHH!'s site for information on how to get this fabulous new product. I wish Christine and her crew the best of luck in helping kids make healthier choices!

Can't Take Me Anywhere

2009-04-06T09:55:00.005-04:00

This morning, as I read the usual suspects of fabulous blogs on my blogroll, my friend Francesca had me laughing with her embarrassing car moment. It seems in Francesca's attempt to wave at her son's preschool teacher, she ended up nearly causing the poor woman to run off the road, much to her embarrassment. But as usual, one person's misfortune is another person's amusement, so I thought I would jump in here and offer my own embarrassing car moment.

If you've ever seen a Baby Einstein DVD, then you are most likely familiar with the little green puppet that delights children by sticking out its tongue and saying, "BLAAAAH!" My children loved this little puppet back in the day, and with every "BLAAAAH" came little toddler laughter that would melt your heart.

So, one day, after dropping Biscuit off at his preschool, the twins were enjoying this particular video in the car as I came to a stop at a redlight. At this same moment, I heard, "BLAAAAH!" from the little green puppet. Like any good mother would do, I turned around, and with a huge smile, tongue sticking way out, chimed in with my own "BLAAAAH!"

Funny, right? Well, the gentleman in the car behind me was not amused. I guess he couldn't understand why this lady was sticking her tongue out at him like she was at a Kiss concert. The reeeeally embarrassing part? This gentleman was the father of one of Biscuit's classmates.

So, with no chance to explain myself and blame it on the little green puppet, I lapsed into an embarrassment coma. Should I drive really fast to escape the situation? Should I swerve like a maniac so he thinks I'm drunk? Should I pull over to the side of the road in hopes he will think there's something wrong and pull over, too, giving me a chance to explain? Should I try to follow him to work to explain myself? Should I start shopping around for other preschools? Other cities to live?

Oh, the shame. I bet you have an embarrassing car moment. I'd love to hear it!

On a side note, after I told Red what I had done, he lapsed into his own embarrassment coma.

Quick and Healthy Breakfasts for Kids

2009-04-01T10:12:00.006-04:00

So, the parties are over. We've almost recovered. I'm still nursing a bruised tailbone. I'd tell you the story about how I fell in Wal-Mart, but it's too embarrassing. Especially the part about how my bags of party stuff went everywhere and I shot a mean look to the woman who tried to help me because she was talking too loud, and like I said, it was all so embarrassing, so I'm not going to tell you about it.

I thought instead I better jump in here with some useful information for a change.

Healthy breakfasts for the kids. I can't say enough about how important it is for your little darlin' to start his or her day with nutritous, substantial food. Essential.

Why do kids need to eat a healthy breakfast?

Nutritious foods are "brain foods," so kids will stay more alert and perform better in school
Eating early keeps weight under control by kick-starting metabolism
Better nutrition means less sickness
Kids will have "full feeling" longer with a low-sugar breakfast
Economic value of eating at home

Now, I hear what you're saying, and don't think I can't see you shaking your head over there on the other side of my computer. But there isn't time. There just isn't tiiiime, if only we had time to fix healthy breakfasts, but we don't. No time at all.

Go back and read my fancy bulleted list. Healthy breakfasts are important, worth making the time. I've put together a list of quick, healthy breakfasts that will help you send your kiddies on their way when time is short.

Whole grain cereal with milk, topped with fruit (choose cereal with whole grain as first ingredient)
Yogurt parfaits (layer yogurt/fruit/granola or whole grain cereal in a clear up, because even little kids appreciate presentation)
Whole grain waffle, topped with fruit and 100% maple syrup (a little goes a long way) OR whole grain waffle topped with peanut butter
Breakfast bar (choose lowest-sugar option, again choose a whole grain option), fruit and milk
Oatmeal and boiled egg

Some of you may need tips on motivating kids to eat breakfast.

Present several options, and let them choose
Discuss the night before what they might like for breakfast
Consider filling out a menu for the week

I'm all about the lists today!

Got any questions? I'll be glad to tackle them for you. Also, stay tuned... I'm doing a fancy product review soon. I'll also post a few pics from the birthday chaos. Don't worry. One of them will not be my bruised tailbone.

Happy Birthday!!

2009-03-23T12:46:00.003-04:00

Look who is three years old today!!

SuperNoots on TV!!

2009-03-17T20:02:00.004-04:00

Not much can make a mother of three little kids panic. It's simply hard to do, because who else is better apt to deal with crisis and stress than she is? Yes, it's hard to do.

Until the co-anchor of a local news show calls her at 10 AM, in hopes of coming to her house in a few hours to film a piece on her business.

While this would send a normal person into hysterics, the mother of three little kids looks around at her hazmat-suit-required-home, her filthy children, her dishelveled appearance in the mirror and says, "Let's do it."

She hangs up with the nice lady on the phone, and hits every speed dial button. And the army which is her family arrives within minutes. Her husband, who only thought he had a busy day at work, is notified that he will be taking the next few hours off, and handed a list of chores.

She tries to collect her thoughts on her upcoming interview while in the shower, but she is distracted by a cat drinking out of the toilet and several children who find this humorous and try to push her in.

As she finishes applying her mascara, she knocks over her tea, which would be no big deal, except she has the impulse to squint, and every woman knows that you can't squint right after applying mascara, or you end up with imprints of your lashes below your eyes. Pretty.

She realizes that the blue shirt she wants to wear is crumpled at the bottom of the hamper. (She has mad ironing skills, though).

She keeps her cool when her youngest boy refuses to wear pants, only swimtrunks. Then he pees on his shirt, not the swimtrunks. It can be done. When you're a boy.

Her daughter whines and cries incessently, because she has been told we will have visitors.

She looks at her well-dressed, oldest boy in admiration, until she remembers he was the one that did this. And you can still see the holes.

She coats her throat with Chloroseptic, hoping to mask the sinus issues she's been dealing with for days.

And the doorbell rings. The fabulous Beth Haynes walks into her home. Beth and her cameraman/producer are immediately instructed to look straight ahead at all times, and please oh please whatever you do don't film in that room, or that room, or that room...

The unnerved mother of three little ones tries not to notice as Beth pauses briefly before taking her seat... dern, forgot to clean the chairs... and calmly answers questions, coherently, and trying not to smile when talking about obesity statistics, but smile slightly when talking about those little rascal kids who don't eat their veggies...

Then Beth says goodbye.

The kids are tired, and so is mother. She looks at her sweet family, who threw aside all their plans and responsibilities for her and the business today, and she wonders if anything is greater than having so many people believe in her and her dream.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO, Live at Five at Four, March 17, 2009

By the way, all the above is true, except for the part where the mother is calm, cool and collected. My mother-in-law sent me upstairs when it was all over. Just because she was afraid I was going to have some sort of episode. Please. Me?!?

Working Healthy Eating into the Conversation

2009-02-05T09:56:00.005-05:00

Time for a healthy eating tip! (**Reminder... I sort of have this business, that sort of deals with this kind of thing, I tend to digress a lot, and my kids distract me, so I'll try harder to consider those of you who visit my blog to learn about something other than Red's potty triumphs, Blondie's pink eye, or Biscuit's Halloween costume drama.) So, let's get to it.

Ever hear the rumor that kids who sit down to dinner with the family, versus with the T.V., are more likely to develop healthy eating habits? Look here and here to see this is no rumor, but true as can be. I'm a big believer in this I also believe there is even more you can do as a parent to help your kids eat healthy, which brings me to my big point...

A great way to help your kids eat healthy is to talk about healthy eating away from the dinner table.

Here's a true story.

Little Red crawled into bed with us one morning, and in the midst of kisses and snuggles, we examined our hands.

Red: Your hands are big, Mommy. My hands are little.

Mommy: You're right. And one day your hands will be big like mine. Probably even bigger.

Red: **giggle**

Mommy: That's because you're growing up fast.

Red: Like Biscuit?

Mommy: Just like Biscuit. Do you know why you're getting so big?

Red: (look of interest)

Mommy: Because you eat things like broccoli and noodles and drink lots of milk.

Red: And suckers don't make me big?

Mommy: Not big and strong.

Red: Bananas make me strong.

Mommy: Bananas, peppers, rice, oatmeal...

And this continued. Until he got tired of naming off all the foods he could think of.

Now, to me, this conversation came very natural. Because I eat, sleep and breathe the subject every day. For you other hard-working parents, who might have other things on their mind besides SuperNoots, it's a conscious effort to have conversations like this, but imagine the benefits.

When kids are little, the last thing they need are parents lecturing them on why Cheerios will reduce their cholesterol, or why there are starving children in Ethiopia who would give anything for a bite of broccoli. However, working in relevant, encouraging conversations like these into your child's life make a tremendous impact on their eating habits.

Okay, now I have to throw this in, especially for my California friend, Francesca, who is constantly amused by my East Tennessee antics...

Once upon a time, one of our children touched an outlet. No harm done, but an adult, who shall remain nameless, said, "Don't mess with plugs." I realize this statement would only be made south of the Mason-Dixon line, so to clarify its meaning, these four words mean touching an outlet is dangerous so don't do it. That being said, after Red and I rattled off healthy foods in the aforementioned conversation, he said,

Red: And when I get big I can mess with plugs?

Mommy: **laughing** Yes, when you get big you can mess with plugs.

Red: **pause** And blinds?

Mommy: **more laughing**

Red: And lamps?

And so it went, until he named off all the no-no's in his little life. My favorite?

Red: And EggNog's tail?

When it Snows in Tennessee...

2009-02-02T22:36:00.003-05:00

I believe in global warming.

I can't give you hard statistics, nor can I recall the theoretic details of melting ice caps and unusual weather phenomena, but I can tell you what I think is proof of global warming...

When I was a kid, East Tennessee saw lots of snow, and as of the last five years, nothin' but empty promises from the weather man and a little white dust.

Until today.

Here's my little Red enjoying his first snow.

Now, I have to stop here for a second and give you a little insight into how much it snowed when I was a kid, and how little it snows now. This is important, because it will explain a very confusing picture at the end of this post of a child careening down a hill in a cardboard box.

Back then:

1. Snow days were factored into the school calendar for a reason, and we used every one of them.

2. Everyone owned gear. Water-proof gloves. Hat with a chin strap. Snow boots. And most importantly, a sled (or an inverted garbage can lid with the handle broken off, God bless the innovative Southerner)

3. Speaking of sleds, we all have at least three scars from crashing those things into curbs or a parked car at the bottom of a hill.

4. Every family had a snow routine. Play outside until you couldn't feel your fingers and toes. Sit by the fireplace while Mom rubbed feeling back into your limbs and gave you hot chocolate with marshmallows. Listen to Mom try to convince you to stay inside. Go back outside.

Now:

1. No.

2. No. Gloves, maybe.

3. Nope.

4. Afraid not.

That's right. Sad, sad, sad. The snow boots section at Target is like half a shelf. I'm guessing there are probably a few sleds for sale in Knoxville somewhere, but I've never seen them.

So today when the snow hit, we improvised. Try to follow me here, I'll start from top to bottom.

Hats, check. No longjohns, so each child was layered with two pajama tops. Red has a big head, so he needed a scarf since the neck holes of his pajama tops are stretched out. To keep legs warm, we pulled Biscuit's soccer socks all the way up to Red and Blondie's thighs. Then pajama bottoms. Then the ever-so-classy plastic shopping bags for the feet, then warm-up pants over that to hide the embarrassing plastic bags. A pair of socks over the bags, then insufficient shoes, but that's what the bags are for... water-proofing (we already know we're genius, you don't have to say it). Coats, check. Mittens, check. Except for Biscuit, who had to wear his mother's gloves, which explains why he looked like Edward Scissorhands.

And now for the pictures. As you will see, we do not own a sled, but our children will not be denied.

TDH caught this picture of me on our snow day. Joy.

Okay, so i was tagged...

2009-01-31T14:53:00.001-05:00

1. When I count my blessings, I always start with my faith.
2. I have one brunette, one blonde, and one red-headed child.
3. I had myself a big fat Greek wedding.
4. One of the first things I loved, and still love, about my hubby is the way he walks into a room.
5. When I was a little girl, I aspired to be a Solid Gold Dancer.
6. I hate beans.
7. I have the heart of a race car driver, trapped in a minivan.
8. I hate to fly, thanks to one white-knuckle experience with turbulance.
9. My grandparents are the coolest people I know.
10. I love to bake, but I'm not very good at it.
11. One of the first things I taught my children was how to open a public restroom door with their elbows.
12. I'm psychic, sort of.
13. (I'm superstitious, so I'm going to skip this one)
14. I'd rather hike in the mountains than lie on the beach.
15. I secretly love Britney Spears's song 'Womanizer'
16. I had an imaginary sister named Stephanie up until the second grade.
17. I'm not as sweet as I used to be.
18. Every day I balance the fine line of letting my kids be themselves while not letting them get away with everything.
19. When my children were 4, 18 months and 18 months, I started a business. Because I'm crazy!
20. I sold knives for a very brief time in college.
21. I believe the American food industry is out to kill us all.
22. I gave up caffeine for lent 10 years ago and haven't had it since.
23. I love my church.
24. I treasure my girlfriends.
25. I hope y'all have a good day!

The Comeback

2009-01-28T10:41:00.004-05:00

Yes, sirreee, I'm alive!! Thanks for all your well wishes, they were bright spots on this dark and lonely highway called "wisdom teeth removal." I went to the doctor yet again this morning, to fix my third dry socket, but I'm not going to talk about it any more, because I'm as sick of hearing about it as anybody else.

In my lucid moments, I've been keeping busy by organizing my office, reading this book, working on SuperNoots stuff, fighting the CPSIA, keeping KFC afloat by purchasing 7,498 orders of mashed potatoes, oh, and trying to resurrect some semblance of order in my household.

Yes, the members of this family have been spoiled by Mama's inability to command a room like she used to. I'm talking about backtalk, excessive whining, and complete memory loss of every rule and responsibility. And that's just TDH.

But since coming off pain meds, uncrossing my eyes and splashing cold water on my face a few times throughout the day, Mama is making her comeback.

My children once again look at their mother with a healthy amount of fear, and I'm okay with that.

Still Here

2009-01-18T14:00:00.003-05:00

hullo.

still alive.

but minus four severely impacted wisdom teeth.

i have a little mouth.

ouch.

Ibuprofen is Calling

2009-01-14T10:48:00.004-05:00

Okay, so apparently when you have tooth pain, you should go to the dentist.

Not wait 3 months until one morning you can't chew.

I can see you out there, shaking your little heads and wagging your fingers at me. So, let me just say, I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW I KNOW.

My four impacted wisdom teeth have been trying to tell me for quite some time now that they are tired of being in my mouth. They want out, and really who can blame them? So surgery it is.

Now those of you who know me will be shocked by what I am about to share with you. If you are just joining us, a short recap... I eat healthy.

My diet yesterday? Applesauce, Panera chicken noodle soup, 1/2 a kashi bar (swallowed whole), and for dinner, Kentucky Fried Chicken mashed potatoes. By the time TDH brought them home for me, I was in tears from being so hungry, and I don't think I've ever appreciated anything more in my life.

I'll keep you updated.

I'm off to pack up lots of SuperNoots. But first, Ibuprofen.

The Lassie Experience

2009-01-10T10:21:00.006-05:00

From time to time, for absolutely no reason in particular, I decide I no longer want to be a member of my generation, and I bake biscuits from scratch, consider moving my whole family to Montana, and buy things like this...

I have no idea why, but the why is not the point of this post but possibly the basis for an in-depth psychological study, but I digress...

The following is our Lassie experience, and it takes place in our minivan. You'll be afraid for me and the children at first, but don't worry, it has a happy ending.

One morning on the way to school, we began watching an episode of Lassie in which she accidentally gets locked in the back of a delivery truck, and as a result ends up hopelessly lost, 600 miles away from home.

Now, it takes us 25 minutes to get to school, so by the time we had gotten there, this episode had ended as a "to be continued," with Lassie wet, hungry and sad, and Timmy heartbroken. Biscuit was extremely concerned, but I explained to him that Lassie would find her way home soon.

When I picked up the kids, Biscuit was anxious to start the show. The poor little guy had been on the edge of his seat all day over Lassie finding her way home. But by the time we made it to karate, the poor dog was still lost. Not only was she still lost, but she had been stalked by a bear, attacked by a horrible dog, and barely made it across a river. On the homefront, Timmy was completely beside himself, and the parents were telling each other it was hopeless.

When karate was over, the kids ran, not skipped as joyful, carefree children should do, but RAN to the DVD player. Shortly after we got in the car, the second episode of the day ended, and alas, Lassie was. still. lost. Not only was she lost, but Timmy's parents asked a friend to bring over a new puppy to ease the pain.

At this point, I'm starting to panic. I'm looking in the rear view mirror at my impressionable, sensitive five-year-old, and thinking he'll remember for the rest of his life that his mother was excited to show him the story of Lassie.

So, now I do the honorable thing, and start blaming the dog. Well, Biscuit, I can't believe Lassie's not home yet! She's supposed to be home by now, Timmy's really missing her, and she should be home. She needs to be home. Come on, Lassie, go home!

Ten minutes from our house, episode three begins. Timmy is desolate, refuses to love the new puppy, and returns it. Lassie is being helped by a kind man now, but the director doesn't hint to any happy endings. We are now in our neighborhood, so I pull over on a sidestreet to watch what I hope will be some form of closure.

A hopeless, tearful Timmy gathers Lassie's toys and heads out to the backyard to bury them. Biscuit is crying, I am crying, then...

A bark.

Let me just tell you, when Timmy looked up and saw Lassie coming over that hill, I cannot explain to you the immense joy that flowed throughout that minivan. Lassie and Timmy ran as fast as they could into each other's arms...

And I breathed an immeasureable sigh of relief. Then I silently cursed the 1950's for their cruelty and lack of cell phones.

Boys, Boys, Boys

2009-01-08T09:41:00.007-05:00

Last night, it was just me and the boys.

And when I say me and the boys, I mean "me," a thirty-something-sweet-talkin-but-liberal-smart-mouthin-Southern-belle-blonde, and "boys," three sixty-something-professional-conservative-church-officiating-Greek-men."

And we all had a big ol' date.

Mind you one of those men was my super cool father-in-law, and the other two, his pals, I'd just as well hang out with than my own girlfriends. (ok, maybe not at the mall)

Our destination? The UT men's basketball game. Bruce Pearl. J.P. Prince. Tyler Smith. Wayne Chism. Cameron Tatum. More boys.

The game started at 9:00, which means I had to drink diet coke at 6:00 to make it to 12:00.

Usually at these events I sit when everyone else sits, clap at our good shots but not the other team's errors, and even raise my hand with a "Whoo!" at the appropriate pause in Rocky Top.

But that's assuming that the refs don't tick me off. And that's also assuming that we don't go into overtime. And it's ALSO assuming that I don't detect an attitude, or "tude" as it's called in the stands, from the other team.

So, yes, sweet readers, do not be shocked when I tell you that more than once during this game, I let the boobird fly. (For those of you confused by "boobird," it means screaming the word "boo" really loud, not giving the finger). And when the boobird starts flying, it is hard to bring him to roost. And when the boobird flies with 20,000+ other boobirds, you can forget about it.

I must give credit here to the man sitting to my left. His mother apparently brought him up a little better than the rest of us, because when the boobirds were at their worst, he chimed in with a "GAAH-LEE!," which if you're an Andy Griffith fan, you might recognize this from Gomer Pyle. I kid you not, this was his derogatory exclamation. I was highly amused.

Man, I had a blast. But we lost. And we were in a bad mood for a little while. But not for long.

So, where was TDH in the midst of all these boys?

He was home, giving baths and brushing teeth, reading a story, and planting kisses. Then he watched the game on TV, and enjoyed the fact that his wife was one of the crazy, boobird-slingin' Vol fans. That man, folks, is my favorite boy of all.

Crayons, Play-Doh, and Glue, Oh My! / Chicken Parmesan

2009-01-06T20:30:00.008-05:00

Over the holidays, TDH and I carried out our brilliant plan to ignore the kids for two days while we got our home together, all in an effort to play, undistracted by clutter, for the other 363 days of the year. In other words, they had a two-day holiday at Nannie's house.

While TDH was busy with manly, heavy, garage and basement stuff, I was left to the painting and organizing. I was particularly proud of my efforts with the kids' art stuff, which normally is a three-basket-random-compilation of markers, construction paper, paint, Play-Doh, crayons, googly eyes, glue, chenille stems... you get the idea.

So, for Works for Me Wednesday, I thought I'd share my little self-proclaimed masterpiece, which has worked out great for almost a month now :)

I had this multi-drawer storage bin from my teacher days, and I organized the drawers like so...

Biscuit's workbooks
coloring books and plain paper
crayons
markers
paint/paintbrushes/plastic egg cartons (to hold paint)
random stuff, like googly eyes, glue, stencils, sponges, etc.
vinyl tablecloth, a prerequisite for all the above
*Play-Doh and clay bin sits on top

I like using the pull-out drawers because the kids can easily access only what they need. Also, the bin drawers are clear, and big enough to see what's going on (we used to keep crayons in wipes containers, and it was inevitable the whole thing would be dumped out to find a certain color).

Our kitchen table has never seen so much daylight since the birth of this little system. We even have room to eat these days, and tonight's dinner was a simple, delicious and healthy Chicken Parmesan. I was in a rush, so instead of the dijon mixture, I just used an egg wash, and it was still very flavorful.

An EggNog update... what you see in the following picture is a little kitten, half-asleep at the head of TDH's poker table. What you DON'T see are six grown men, sweet-talking this little kitten, snapping camera phone pics, and even sharing chips and cards. Needless to say, EggNog is sooooo golden.

Have a wonderful day, everyone!!!

Watching and Waiting / Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut Cookies

2009-01-05T15:48:00.005-05:00

When your mom is the creator of SuperNoots, it comes with a price.

These are my kids.

These are my kids watching cookies bake.

Pitiful, isn't it?

I've been using this recipe for Oatmeal Cranberry Walnut cookies. Made partially with whole wheat flour, you won't feel too guilty about serving up these little gems. Enjoy!!

Egg-a-Nog

2008-12-30T14:06:00.005-05:00

AAAHHHHH. Breathing now.

Has everyone settled down from what I hope was a beautiful and blessed holiday season?

We had a big Christmas surprise in our house. A new little addition to our family.

May I present... Egg Nog.

Have you ever heard of a cat that will sit in a two-year-old's lap without being held down against their will?

And just look how she sleeps, on or next to their unpredictable, spastic little feet and hands...

I thought Biscuit might want to change her shelter-given name, but turns out "Egg Nog" grows on you. Red says it with a french accent. Egg-a-nog. Cute.

We love her.

We also celebrated the christening of our little Goddaughter. She is even cuter than Egg Nog. Here she is with her parents and brother.

The SuperNoots family... (that's us)

And now TDH and I are gearing up to celebrate the New Year. I hope with all my heart that you and yours have a blessed and meaningful 2009. I love y'all!

The Wise Man? / Healthy Breakfast Sandwich

2008-12-21T13:21:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, the boys discovered that scissors were not just for paper.

This happened just in time for the Christmas play at church today.

The irony? Biscuit was a Wise Man.

Stinkers like my boys need an extra healthy breakfast so they can think of other creative ways to play besides cutting their own hair.

Ellie Krieger gave me the idea for a no brainer healthy breakfast sandwich, and the SuperNoots kids love it. Most grocery stores have whole grain English muffins, and this along with egg whites, Canadian bacon, and tomato makes for a filling, healthy start to the day.

I Told You So / Angel Food Cake with Fruit Topping

2008-12-18T22:02:00.006-05:00

I'm trying to think of a way to describe my present mood... mischievous? sassy? sultry temptress? Uh, no, not that last one.

How about trouble-maker, or flat-out-STINKER? Probably. Why am I telling you this?

Because it explains why I laughed so hard when I stumbled across this picture.

Imagine a four-year-old, dead set on this dinosaur-sweat-box costume for Halloween. Now imagine his mother, sweetly trying to talk him out of it, explaining it will be too hot and uncomfortable. And last, imagine a bull-headed little boy telling his mother she is wrong.

Does this picture not say it all? When I see this picture, I think I told you so.

And for some reason, I have been laughing about this picture all day, and wanted to share my I told you so joy with you. Poor Biscuit.

So, when you have a mom as mean as me, you'll need a dessert to soothe the pain. It doesn't have to be terribly unhealthy, though, and here's an example...

Angel Food Cake with Fruit Topping

Cut up Angel Food cake into bite-sized pieces. In a small sauce pan, bring fresh berries and a splash of water to a simmer, and add just enough sugar to sweeten. Let simmer about 10 minutes. Pour fruit syrup over cake, and enjoy.

Sweet Little Pack Rat

2008-12-14T09:39:00.008-05:00

I am many things, but a pack rat, I am not.

Not only am I not a pack rat, but the very idea of having a too-small shirt in the closet, an under-played toy in the vicinity, or superfluous papers cluttering my counters is enough to make me crazy.

My little Biscuit, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. He wants to display every Lego creation, play-doh masterpiece, and scribble/artwork... pretty much anything he creates he deems worthy of archival.

So, while this is a cute little quirk, our home simply cannot hold the mass production, nor can I handle the clutter.

And, this morning, we had the talk. The balance of production and display. The joy of tearing down and rebuilding. The impossibility of buying new Legos, etc. The inevitability of running out of space.

The thought of breaking down his trains, airplanes, and long-neck dinosaurs were too much, so we made a deal. We're going to start taking pictures of his favorites, and printing them out to keep in a special box. He seemed very satisfied with this, and even more excited to be the one to take the picture.

So, if you have a sweet little pack rat like me, give this idea a try and let me know how it works!

Also, I am having a big sale on SuperNoots this week, so get your order in now to guarantee holiday delivery :) http://www.supernoots.com/. Also, please forward the link on to anyone you know struggling to help their kids make healthy food choices. Thank you so very much!!!

For other Works for Me Wednesday ideas, visit Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer.

Villainous Time-Sucker / G2 drink option

2008-12-11T08:49:00.006-05:00

Ok, ok, I know, where have I been...

Over the past few weeks, I've fallen prey to one of the deadliest, most villainous time-suckers of our generation...

facebook.

I listened helplessly as my husband, children, and house suffered intense bouts of neglect, all as I typed away, wondering what Jennifer has been up to all these years, and who all is on Ashley's friend list, and what part of my day is exciting enough to include in an update?

Tragic, folks. After several weeks, however, it is finally wearing off a touch, and now I keep the computer out of the kitchen. And yes, I am aware that this whole thing is completely ridiculous!!

I wanted to share with you a favorite lunch tip of mine, a product I find to be one of the best drink options out there to include in your kids' lunch.

This little gem has a low sugar count, something missing from most juice options. I did my own little comparison of other products I've purchased...

Honest Kids Organic juice pouch, 10 g. sugar per 200 milliliter

Apple & Eve 100%juice No Sugar Added juice box, 21 g. sugar per 200 milliliter

and G2? 6 g. sugar per 200 milliliter *

And it tastes great, according to the SuperNoots kids. *The small G2 containers are a total of 355 milliliters, which is a lot, more than what my kids will down in one meal. SO, I pack their lunches using half a bottle, stretching my dollar a little by reusing water bottles to pack the other half the next day.

If you pack the entire bottle, the sugar total is 10 g., but still just as good as the best juice pouch out there.

A Lesson in Humility

2008-12-03T11:02:00.006-05:00

Blondie was so cute yesterday. She lined up all her dolls and stuffed animals along the hallway, and proceeded to talk to them as if they were her children. I was in a nearby room, listening to it all...

What would you like to do today?

We'll need to get dressed so we can go bye-bye.

Would you like to play puzzles?

And then something happened. Her sweet dialogue took an ugly turn.

No! No! No!

You're going to sit right there in time out!

You're not doing what I say.

I was sure little Blondie was only repeating things she heard from mean teachers, mean grandparents, and of course, TDH, but with this next phrase, there was no denying where she was getting it...

That's it! I've had it!

I coined this one. It's my go-to line when the straw breaks the camel's back, as it often does.

It was a humbling experience to say the least, and I apologize to the innocent stuffed pigs, frogs, and shirtless dolls who suffered the most.

Red's Little Victory / Lori's Favorite Salad

2008-11-25T12:57:00.004-05:00

A big shout out today to our little Red. Yesterday, he used the potty every single time. Yay!!!

Of course, the money he saved us in diapers he made up for in toilet paper. I don't mind, though, because I'm remembering when Biscuit started pottying, he would only use one square. Unpleasant. He's the conservative one in the family.

Now if we can just get Blondie on the bandwagon. She likes to do things on her own time.

OK, if you can stomach talking about food now, then I'm offering up my favorite salad of all times. If you could put together your 'dream ingredients' on a salad, what would they be?

Lori's Favorite Salad

fresh spinach
romaine lettuce
bibb lettuce
grilled chicken
feta cheese
cranberries
pine nuts
cucumber
red onion
balsamic vinaigrette

Mmmmm....

Painting Pink Noodles / Warm Peachy

2008-11-21T12:54:00.007-05:00

The pink eye has subsided for now. In honor of its departure, we celebrated by painting things pink.

We like painting on random things in our house. The kids love painting dried pasta.

In fact, Blondie and I are considering starting our own jewelry line. So, who wants to buy a pink noodle necklace? We'll donate all proceeds to finding a cure for pink eye.

On sick days like these, it's temping to prop them on the couch with cookies, cake and Blue's Clues, and disregard all healthy eating principles. Consider this treat as an alternative...

(We're eating frozen peaches now because cheap, fresh fruit is slim pickins these days. Substitute fresh peaches in the summer months)

Warm Peachy

frozen peaches
granola
cinnamon
low-fat vanilla ice cream

In an oven-safe bowl, bake thawed peaches topped with a dash of cinnamon and granola at 350 degrees until bubbly. Serve with ice cream. This will make any booboo better.

Holed Up Today / Kid Pizza Night

2008-11-20T10:14:00.006-05:00

Pink eye.

On a child with any tint at all to their skin, pink eye means pinkish-coloring, swelling, and the crusty stuff. On a child like my Red, with pale skin and red hair, pink eye means a total transformation from sweet little red-headed child to a creature from Lord of the Rings.

Bless his heart.

I didn't have to tell my other children to keep their distance. They were already on the other side of the room.

This morning, Red noticed the lawn service guy out in our yard, and in the process of watching him, Red discovered the joy of drawing on windows after you've breathed on them.

Which is fine, but when the lawn service guy caught me breathing on the window, it was a little embarrassing. After that, I made an exaggerated effort to make clear what what going on, drawing shape after shape after shape, but of course, I'm sure he never glanced in that direction again. Kind of like when you scoot a chair back, and it makes a toot-resembling sound, so you keep scooting the chair, so everyone knows in fact, it was the chair. Whatever.

Anyway, we're holed up today, and I'm thinking it's kid pizza night tonight. We usually grab a whole wheat ready-made crust, combine canned fire roasted tomatoes and a little red sauce to spread on top, add shredded mozzarella cheese, then let the kids go wild with toppings. They pick a spot on the pizza and add toppings like peppers, mushrooms, feta, turkey pepperoni, olives, tomatoes, and onions.

Fun for them, easy for me!

You Gotta Do What You Gotta Do

2008-11-19T09:39:00.011-05:00

Welcome, Rocks in my Dryer readers! Not a reader yet? You should be! Shannon hosts a link-fest every Wednesday where bloggers share things that, well, work for them. Works-for-me Wednesday

Does your little one eat lunch at school? Most schools provide a lunch menu to keep you informed, but how do you know they're not on a daily diet of nothing but corn and chocolate milk? Or chicken nuggets, ketchup, ketchup, and more ketchup?

Well, you ask them, right?

And the answer to the "What did you have for lunch?" question will come back as a shoulder shrug, a barely audible "I dunno," or just a frustratingly consistent case of lunchtime memory loss.

My advice, which you know is definitely just two cents worth, is to keep asking. Not in a pushy, shoulders-up-against-the-wall kind of way, but in a I'm-interested-in-what-you're-eating-because-it's-important kind of way.

If showing interest and asking questions doesn't inspire your kid to report on lunch, try these...

1. Threaten to install a video camera in the lunchroom.
2. Threaten to pay a teacher to report on what they eat, and any other interesting information they pick up.
3. Threaten to call and ask the boy whose name she doodled exactly what she ate for lunch.

Hey, you know I'm here to help. Your kids can thank me later.

Kidding aside, I truly believe it is worth the annoyed looks and eye rolls to consistently communicate with kids what they're eating. Use the conversations as teaching moments, and if you need help on what to teach them about healty eating, call your Pediatrician right now and ask the office to mail you any information they have.

I wanted to give you a few shots of Biscuit giving a good ol' fashioned shrug and eyeroll, but this is as close as we got...

Nothing but giggles after this...

Dinner with Tow Mater / Mayoless Tuna Salad

2008-11-17T19:57:00.005-05:00

An interesting post by Shannon over at Rocks in my Dryer got me thinking about the kids' manners today. I suppose it's that time of year when parents of America feel the pressure to cram a year's worth of manner lessons into a few weeks, all in anticipation of the large, expanded family holiday dinners to come.

As I served little Biscuit, Red and Blondie their chicken and sweet potato fries this evening, it occurred to me that the current state of manners in the SuperNoots house is somewhere close to abysmal.

I realized I was dining with three Larry the Cable Guys.
(No offense, Larry. I loved you as Tow Mater).

TDH is not a whole lot of help in this area. It's humanly impossible for one male to frown upon another male's burps or toots. Just is.

No segwe seems to be flowing naturally into a food tip or recipe, so I'll just jump right in here and offer up a lunch favorite of mine via Ali at Healthy Hostess. It's a Mayoless Tuna Salad, which I either eat with crackers or in a flat-out wrap. I never thought to substitute hummus in place of mayo, but it really works!

Grumpy Grumpersons / Whole Wheat Pancakes

2008-11-15T12:51:00.006-05:00

Waking up with a cheerful disposition has never been a strong suit for Red and Blondie.

In their defense, they got off to a rough start. From day 1, one twin or the other would inevitably wake to a punch in the mouth, a small foot inserted into a rib cage, or a piercing scream that could jump start your car, much less wake someone sleeping next to you.

Here are the Grumpy Grumpersons waking up from a nap.

We. keep. our. distance.

In the meantime, TDH or I will fix breakfast, just the way they like it.

TDH loves making pancakes for the kids, a Saturday morning routine. We've been using this recipe for whole wheat pancakes. A good healthy tip is to use 100% maple syrup. It's richer, so you don't need as much, and any food in it's original state is a good thing. Also, consider sweetening with fresh fruit, like strawberries, blueberries or bananas. Enjoy!!

The Indy Kids go to Work / Light Hummingbird Cake

2008-11-14T11:14:00.011-05:00

Several weeks ago, the SuperNoots household was blessed to host our amazing friends, The Indy's, for the weekend. Words just can't describe how much we enjoy their yearly visit, and this year was no exception. Here they are. Aren't they cute? Dont' they just look sweet?

Our weekend consisted of eating, shopping, eating, going to a movie, eating, playing, eating, going to the UT/Alabama game, eating, working, and did I mention eating?

Now, I mentioned working because the Indy kids were unwittingly lured into making SuperNoots magnets. It truly started off as an innocent attempt on my part to show them how cool it was to make a magnet, but after showing them how it was done, they made it their personal mission to help me out.

So, if you order a SuperNoots chart within the next week or two, there's a good chance your magnets were made by the Indy kids (self-named G-Man and Dancing Queen for this blog). I'm sure child labor laws have been violated here, but I assure you they were treated well, given breaks, and did I mention there was lots of eating at my house?

Red shows G-Man how it's done.

Blondie and Biscuit assist G-Man and the Dancing Queen.

Part of the weekend's eating involved my favorite cake recipe, Lightened Humingbird Cake from Southern Living. I mean, delicious, folks. The unsweetened applesauce works to keep this cake moist for days. Yum.

Later on, I used the cream cheese frosting recipe to fill strawberries for my neighborhood bunco. This was a huge hit!!

Halloween pics

2008-11-04T10:33:00.007-05:00

Just getting around to posting pictures!

May I present...

Biscuit, the race car driver (a little unsatisfied that a Tony Stewart uniform was not available)

Red, the disgruntled chef

Blondie, the 50's dancer

Three-Dunk Chicken / 80's is Kid Music Part II

2008-10-20T13:37:00.009-04:00

A friend of mine emailed me after my last post, amused at my devious plan to convince my children that my beloved 80's music was really kids' music. We mostly laughed at certain 80's songs NOT for children, and require a quick station change... "All I Want to do is... (Heart), I Want Your...(George Michael), Burning Down the House (Talking Heads)."

So, barring a few hiccups, 80's music really can be translated into kids' vocabulary. Here's a few examples to further prove my point...

Don't Stop Believin' Journey (inspirational, no?)
Your Mama Don't Dance Poison (a few off-color lyrics, but a loud
cough can cover those right up)
Walk Like an Egyptian The Bangles (fits nicely into Biscuit's Geography
studies)
Don't be Cruel Cheap Trick (moral teaching done for you)
Where the Streets Have No Name U2 (a five-year-old will ask you,
"Who took the signs?")
Hip to be Square Huey Lewis and the News (might as well be sung
by Big Bird)
DeDoDoDoDeDaDaDa The Police (Elmo for this one)
We are the World USA for Africa (more moral teaching, just don't
mention Michael Jackson is part of this group)

And the ultimate 80's to kid translation...

Pour Some Sugar on Me Def Lepperd (also chosen as 'ultimate' because Mommy knows all the words and sings at the top of her lungs!!)

If you can't get your kids involved in 80's music, it's no big deal.

It IS a big deal, however, to get kids involved in the kitchen. When kids get to help prepare their food in addition to choosing their food, then that feeling of empowerment just gets stronger and stronger.

Here's a quick and easy dinner for you and your kids to make together. Let kids do the three-step-dunk for a quick, simple and tasty chicken dinner.

Three-Dunks Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2/3 c. seasoned bread crumbs (always keep these stored in freezer for freshness)
1/3 c. grated Parmesan
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp. milk
1/2 c. whole wheat flour
2 to 4 Tbsp. olive oil

Rinse chicken and blot dry with paper towels. Place chicken in large, vented plastic bag and beat to death with the smooth side of a meat mallet (ok, maybe not to death, but don't be afraid to punish the chicken).

In one bowl, combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, salt and pepper. In a seperate bowl, beat together egg and milk. On a paper plate, spread flour. For explanation on the assembly line, I present Biscuit...

Coat chicken in flour.

Then dip in egg mixture.

Coat completely with bread crumb mixture. Be very serious about it.

Here's what it looks like before you add chicken to an olive oil-coated skillet on medium high. Cook each side for approx. 3 min. or until chicken is cooked through. The trick is to make sure the oil is good and hot before you add the chicken, otherwise the bread crumbs will get all mushy. My kiddies looooove this chicken.

Here's the mess I had to clean up. Not bad. Biscuit is always so proud of himself when he helps me cook. Even though it's a little bit of extra work and clean up, it makes me feel good, too. Awwww.

Healthy Lunches / 80's Music is Kid Music Part I

2008-10-17T12:56:00.007-04:00

Let me just start by saying this...

As a mom, a little deception goes a long way.

Here's an example.

Because of their mother's deceptive efforts, Biscuit, Blondie and Red believe that the 80's radio station is a kids' music station.

How did I do it?

First of all, I had a little help from the radio station. On came 'Shout' by Tears for Fears. Biscuit liked this song since the word "shout" is repeated a million times. The next song was 'Centerfield,' with lyrics like "put me in coach I'm ready to play." Hello, a song about baseball!

It was during this song that I had a Grinch moment. You know, the moment when the Grinch smiles that awful smile when he decides to dress up like Santa and steal Christmas.

As I reached down to change the radio station I said,

"Shouting and baseball?!? I'm going to change it now, this must be a kid music station."

Needless to say, we've been listening to 80's music for several weeks now. And what's terrible, and I realize I'm using this blog as a confessional, is that I perpetuate the deception by moaning from time to time that I wish I could listen to grown-up music. Terrible. I'm wondering if I'll have to address these issues upon my admittance into heaven.

My point is that I believe we mommies have a certain right to deceive our children when it comes to their well-being, or in this case, the mother's sanity. I love you, Laurie Berkner, but sometimes I just want to throw Freddie and his spaghetti through my car window.

I do not believe, however, that deceiving our children to eat veggies serves them well. Sorry, Jessica Seinfeld, but I've just got to disagree with your methods a little here.

The whole idea behind my business is that for kids to build a strong foundation of healthy eating habits, we need to educate and empower them while they're young. There are ways, lots of ways, to help your kids along this journey without stuffing their brownies with spinach. It's not supposed to be easy, but it's worth it. The gift of health is always worth it.

So, I encourage you to stay on track, renew your efforts, or start helping your kids eat fresh fruits and veggies, lots of whole grains and as little sugar as possible.

I've got a great link to help you and your kids pack healthy lunches. Believe me, I've looked the Internet over and haven't found a better site than this. Kudos to Laptop Lunches!

Visit here to see a plethora of healthy lunch ideas, not to mention extremely cool and environmental-friendly lunchboxes.

Pasta, Chicken and Veggies / In the Dark

2008-10-13T12:18:00.012-04:00

There is a natural ebb and flow to my world as a mom.

I am patient with my children. I take it out on someone else. I am patient with my children. I take it out on someone else. I am patient...

TDH will be the first to tell you that his wife can spend 15 minutes gently convincing his son to wear socks only to turn around and snap at him for running the icemaker while she's trying to talk. And so it goes in our house.

Today, however, TDH has caught a break... the flourescent light has burned out in the laundry room. Monday is my laundry day, folks. Stain identification cannot be done in the dark, or even by lamp. So, the laundry room is the stress focal point for the day, and TDH has been spared, bless his heart.

Of course, he'll still have to replace the light, so to show my appreciation, I think I'll make one of his favorite healthy dinners tonight.

It's hard to beat pasta, chicken and veggies, all in one pot. Let's call this One-Pot-PCV.

One-Pot-PCV (feeds four adults)

one pound whole-wheat pasta of choice
low-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. butter
4 skinless chicken breasts
salt, oregano, garlic
veggies of choice

Boil pasta in broth. Drain and set aside. In same pot, melt butter right to the point before it turns brown (may have to turn heat back on for a moment). Add pasta. Set aside.
Season chicken with salt, oregano and garlic to taste. Once chicken browns, turn heat down to medium low and add veggies. (Veggies will soften faster and chicken will stay extra moist if you use a non-stick skillet with lid). Add C and V to P and serve! Sprinkle with feta or parmesan cheese for extra flavor. Enjoy!

Healthy Breakfasts / In Love with Consumer Reports

2008-10-09T10:37:00.009-04:00

Several years ago, TDH fell in love...

with Consumer Reports.

The obsession began much to my dismay, as everything I wanted to purchase had to be filtered through his "Consumer-Reports-brain." You might think buying a hair dryer would be left up to me and my female expertise, but I was literally running from TDH the moment he started asking, "Did you go online to see which one would last the longest?"

It wasn't until a rotten thief at the zoo stole my digital camera and video camera (out of my double stroller... it was awful) that I found myself in desperate need of TDH's Consumer Reports expertise. For him, a priceless moment.

To make a long story short, I must say I fell a little in love myself.

SO, now that I actually read Consumer Reports magazine instead of throwing it in my husband's pile, I came across their recent ratings of kids' cereal.

Here are the cereals rated VERY GOOD (relatively low in sugar, some fiber, high in iron, source of calcium)...

Cheerios (General Mills)
Kix (General Mills)
Life (Quaker Oats)
Honey Nut Cheerios (General Mills)

And now, just because I know you're curious, the big fat losers...

Froot Loops (Kellogg's)
Golden Crisp (Post)
Honey Smacks (Kellogg's)
Corn Pops (Kellogg's)

If your little one is addicted to a sugary cereal, it would be in everyone's best interest, i.e. you, kid, teacher, bus driver, to put him or her through a little low-sugar therapy. If they resist, try compromising by mixing half sugary cereal and half low-sugar cereal.

I truly believe it is absolutely essential for kids to start off their day with a low-sugar breakfast. Sending kids off to school with a breakfast like oatmeal in their tummies will help them have more energy and improve their learning capability.

Here are what my kids choose from in the morning (5 year old and 2 year old twins)...

Cheerios/milk/fruit

whole grain waffle/frozen blueberries (when you defrost them in the microwave, they create a kind of syrupy juice that will substitute for unhealthy syrup)

yogurt/fruit/granola

Flat-Out wrap (whole grain)/ turkey/cheese

oatmeal/raisins

eggs/toast with feta cheese (I know, most kids don't like feta, but mine are half Greek, so there you go)

What are some healthy options you choose for your kids in the morning?

**DISCLAIMER** It is important to note here that I am not perfect, even though after I reread this post I appear to be. Not only am I not perfect, but there are mornings where my children will not only throw their oatmeal on the floor in protest of the wrong color spoon, but shoot me a look to kill for even thinking yellow was better than red. I also have been known to give my kids bowls of dry Cheerios to eat in the car on a particularly hurried morning. I also have been known to put M&M's in oatmeal when out of raisins to avoid meltdown. So, again, there you go.

Welcome, Organizing Junkie Readers!!!

2008-09-28T14:19:00.008-04:00

An extra special thank you to Laura at Organizing Junkie today for featuring SuperNoots! If you haven't see the wonderfully useful and funny blog she has going on over there, check it out very soon, or the next time you need organizational inspiration.

Every Monday is Menu Plan Monday, where you will find great recipes and organizing tips from Laura and her fabulous readers.

I am currently gearing up for a workshop on Tuesday, so I am going to bow out today and insert and old post... copping out a little, but folks, I've been hashing out Greek pizza and Pastichio all weekend at my church's GreekFest, and my energy level is plummeting fast!!!

***originally posted May 3, 2008

So Your Little One Does Not Like All Things Bread...

First of all, you might mention this to your pediatrician on your next visit. I've always believed kids are great at listening to their bodies, and maybe her body is telling her not to eat it. It may be, though, that she doesn't like the texture or taste for that matter, so after you've ruled out all things medical, then here's my advice...

Since whole grains are essential, I mean really essential, to our growth and development, then I would work hard at finding ways to fit them into her diet. Read one of my favorite articles on whole grains to see all the medical details (http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-whole-truth-about-whole-grains).

All these reasons will make sense to you, but to your kid, decreasing her risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer may not be that motivating. That's why my MOM ADVICE is to make it all about the poop.

What?

Did she really just say that?

Yes, I did!

It's all about the poop!

Biscuit will not appreciate me saying this, but he is obsessed with his poop (I hear Oprah is obsessed, too). Biscuit and Oprah know what healthy poop looks like, and they also know that eating whole grains is the way to keep poop looking healthy. When Biscuit's poop is a c-shaped solid brown poop, then we have a little celebration. I tell him he must have eaten his whole grains, because his body is happy and telling him about it. (It is NOT a mom lie to tell your kids their bodies talk to them via their poop).

SO, analyzing her poop may not be the most ladylike thing she'll ever do in her life, but it will be one of the most beneficial. If her poop is less than healthy-looking, encourage her to eat more whole grains. If she follows through and has poop that would make Oprah jealous, then offer her a reward of her favorite activity, have a new toy stashed away for the occasion, or my favorite... create a special poop song and sing away.

Of course, the down side of talking so much about poop is the 'preschool effect.' Go ahead and clear a space on your counter for the note from her teacher. She'll without a doubt feel the need to educate her friends on good-looking poop, and might even want to give her friends a free poop analysis.

SO, you might want to work in a little discussion about poop-talk etiquette.

Here's my little Blondie, who has yet to turn down bread in any shape, form or fashion. She was in a royally bad mood in this picture, so why do I think it's so cute? I guess it's only when they're teenagers that those bad moods seem a little less adorable.

Have a great week, and thanks again, Laura!!! Don't forget to visit orgjunkie.com !

It's all about the LOVE, folks!

2008-09-19T10:36:00.007-04:00

If you've been following along the last little bit, you know that I'm currently stumbling my way through the transition of StayHomeMom to Working Mom. To make things more complicated, I'm working out of my home, which makes the lines even blurrier, and adds to the confusion. Hence to say, I'm crazier than ever!

With the craziness, however, comes a huge amount of gratefulness, since I've been blessed tremendously with three little darlins, an amazing husband and family, fabulous girlfriends and a passion that has turned into a business. And at the top of every grateful list I have is my faith, which holds me together and gives deeper meaning and value to all the above.

I'm writing this on the heels of a particularly hectic week, full of meetings, appointments, laundry and everything else in between. When I find myself complaining, it's cathartic to stop and reflect on what's really going on with my life, and how much does it really matter that Blondie stepped in poop then put her poop shoes on top of my presentation materials?

Luckily for Blondie, we had just finished throwing rocks into the lake, therapeutic indeed, and I kept my reaction to a dull moan versus all-out-panic.

Well, a little bit of a ramble, but I'm just emotional, probably because I get in this reflective mood every year when my birthday rolls around. I love y'all!!!

Red and Blondie last Christmas... it's all about the love, folks.

California

2008-08-29T09:15:00.010-04:00

Biscuit and I just returned from our trip to California. We had a great time visiting family, and he was thrilled to fly for the first time. On our return home, he got the full experience... we flew right into the remnants of hurricane Fay going into the Atlanta airport. His mother, who does not handle turbulance well due to a seat-gripping experience several years ago, was beside herself, and was forced to pull out the acting performance of her career. Whee, wasn't that fun?!?

We were supposed to have an hour layover in Atlanta, but for some reason, headwinds or whatever, we landed with 20 minutes to spare before our Knoxville flight took off.

SO, I grabbed Biscuit by the shoulders, looked him dead in the eye, tightened his little backpack straps, and said, "Son, you and me. We're gonna make this plane." And off we were, running from terminal A to B, which in Atlanta is no short run, hair flying and cough drops flying out of an unzipped pocket of my backpack.

We made it. Barely. It was a true bonding experience, knocking over little ol' ladies and taking out unsuspecting children with our flying backpacks.

The trip itself to California was wonderful, filled with fun and family time.

Biscuit needed serious coaxing to pose for this picture. This was a little dinosaur museum close to Palm Springs.

Can you see Biscuit sitting on his toe?

Aunt Judy and Biscuit

I've seen the desert many times in my life, but there's nothing like seeing one of God's amazing creations for the first time through your child's eyes.

We had a wonderful time, and hugs and kisses to my wonderful family out there, who I love deeply and there's just never enough time to visit.

Over at MizFit today...

2008-08-19T19:22:00.005-04:00

I just love the blog world, and the best part about it is meeting wonderfully fantastic sweet darlins like Carla over at MizFit. Check out the wonderfully flattering post about SuperNoots. I've been busy busy today, and hope to be busy busy for a while thanks to Miz sharing the SuperNoots love!

Also, I discovered a new site today, via MizFit... it's HealthyHostess, and I've added her to my blogroll, because I'm loving all the great recipes! Hope you enjoy it, too :)

Oh, the guilt!

2008-08-18T11:20:00.015-04:00

The first day of school!
With SuperNoots growing more and more every day, TDH and I had to make the tough, tough decision to start the twins in pre-school one year earlier than planned. After a jam-packed summer, I thought their first day of school would go like this... drop the kids off, grab a well-deserved frappuccino from Starbucks, head home, organize the house, work, send out way-over-due thank you notes from Biscuit's birthday party, breathe...

It didn't quite go as planned.

When I walked into that quiet, empty house, it did not say organize me. It said, bad mommy.

So, I cried and sat numb from the brain down for the rest of the day.

The second day of school, I pulled myself together for a nice walk. I didn't walk for exercise as much as I walked for a little clarity, and it came to me somewhere between the warm sun and the cool breeze that this transition into the working mom world is not going to be as easy as I thought.

So, last week I spent most of my time piddling and dealing with a family crisis or two, including my transmission going out, Red's trip the ER for a cut on the head, and two of my three grandparents going into the hospital. Everyone's okay now, except for the car, and I'm happy to say I'm pulling myself together over here!

Here are a few pics from our last few weeks of summer vacation.

Here is Biscuit, his cousin, and Aunt Frankie taking it easy in Atlanta. Biscuit is loving the swimming this summer.
Biscuit with me, my Godson and one of our dear friends :)

Red and Blondie

Oh, almost forgot... on a side note, check out Ship Full O' Pirates post today. Mother Hen found us a great link to an incredible way to save money on groceries and household items at CVS. Have you heard of this?! I'm going to try it!

Mommy, Unleashed (next time)

2008-07-23T22:08:00.010-04:00

I took a break from SuperNoots for a while to picnic with the kids at Knoxville's World's Fair Park. I saw the greatest thing while I was there...

I watched a mom and her little girl excitedly cross the lawn, making their way toward the fountains. Smiles on their faces, they BOTH threw their bathing suit covers off and skipped into the water. I've been there a lot, and I've never seen an adult having as much fun as this lady was having with her daughter.

I felt my spirits lift, soar actually, at this sweet sight, but then I looked over at my little girl. I had kept her in her clothes because she was too anxious to step into the fountains. I was then aware of my own demeanor, my own clothes, and suddenly I would have given a million dollars for a bathing suit.

I spent the rest of the time encouraging her to touch the smallest fountain with her fingers, but in my heart, I was wishing I could pick her up and whisk her into the fountains like the mom I now so admired.

So now, I'm sitting here a little remiss, wishing I had just gone in with my clothes on. What a great opportunity I had to show my little girl the beauty of life, the beauty of spontaneity, the beauty of being silly.

Blondie, get ready, 'cause next time... Mama's goin' in!!!

Here's one of my favorite pictures of Blondie. Hard to imagine a child this wild would be anxious about anything!

Birthday 'Cluster'

2008-07-22T08:58:00.010-04:00

If you've been following along here at this crazy little blog, then you've gathered that our family is in the middle of its birthday cluster, a.k.a. the short span of time where nearly half the family members celebrate his or her special day. (not to mention the anniversaries, too!)

Anyway, I thought I'd post a few pics on our recent celebrations, starting with my little neice, who we've just been celebrating every day for the past few weeks!

Isn't she sweet? Yes, I know.

Next is a non-picture of my sister-in-law, who soon after giving birth to this little darlin', celebrated her birthday. For her birthday, she took a 10 minute break from feeding to blow out her candles.

And soon after my sister-in-law, little Biscuit turned five, and somehow his birthDAY turned into his birthWEEK.

Trip to the zoo. Yes, Biscuit's wearing a Peyton Manning jersey. No, we don't live in Indiana. But we love Peyton Manning for being a Tennessee alum and also setting a great example for our kids.
Trip to Creative Kids Museum in Chattanooga. Biscuit posing with a T-Rex.

The big birthday party! We had a great time. In this picture, I'm not sure if Biscuit is blowing his candles out or if I've just told him about his 5-year immunization shot!

TDH's Dad celebrated a big mile-marker birthday just yesterday. Unfortunately, he didn't get to enjoy but just a bite of his birthday dessert. Wonder why?

And we're not done! My nephew celebrates his big 5 in a few weeks. Then it's almost two months before the next 'cluster.'

Business note... thank you, Stacy Julian, again for an amazing post about SuperNoots. Your support has been tremendous, and I truly truly truly appreciate you :)

Celebrating Almost Over

2008-07-17T16:29:00.005-04:00

Oh, sweet readers, how I have abandoned you. My excuse is a good one... Biscuit's 5th birthday.

We're having an outdoor water games party, and I want it to be fabulous. (We already took a family trip to Chattanooga in honor of his birthday). You see, this year, I'm experiencing the same guilt I had two years ago. Let me explain...

Before Biscuit's third birthday, I had been on bed rest and breastfeeding twins for the last six months of his life. For his party that year, I totally overextended myself to compensate for neglecting the poor thing. It got a little out of control!

So, this year, same guilt, different reason. SuperNoots has been full-steam ahead since March, and once again, my little Biscuit has paid the price. Quite frankly, I just don't know how you working moms manage your guilt.

That being said, I want this little party to be special. Biscuit will be sharing the spotlight with his grandfather, who is turning 70. I hope he doesn't mind a dinosaur cake!

CHECK OUT bookieboo.com THIS WEEK! One of my previous blog posts is being featured! Check out the great picture of Biscuit :)

Happy Almost Birthday, Biscuit!

2008-07-13T22:23:00.006-04:00

Stay tuned, sweet readers. My little Biscuit turns five tomorrow, and we have been celebrating all weekend long. Tomorrow, TDH is taking off work for a fun-filled family day!

I'll be posting lots of pictures :) I can't believe my little boy is five-years old!!!

Since I'm abandoning you without much content, I'll defer to one of my favorite bloggers, Shannon at Rocks in my Dryer. This post is great, you'll be seriously entertained!

A Shower, a Shout, and a Sure Fire Recipe

2008-07-09T08:29:00.011-04:00

I'll never forget the time I called one of my BFFs, Trisha, a new mom at the time, and she told me she was in such a great mood, even relaxed. Why is that?, I asked her. Her answer still makes me laugh...

Because I just took a shower long enough to wash even my non-essential body parts.

Haven't we all been there? The baby's waking up, but you know if you don't wash the layer of grime from your body, you'll need to put the baby in a hasmat suit. I remember the times I jumped into the shower, hit the essential hot points with my spongy, all in about 10 seconds. (Forget the hair... that's what baby powder is for).

Anyhoo... just thought I'd share :)

On a much more serious note, an Associated Press article popped up in my local paper titled, Cholesterol drugs recommended for some 8-year-olds.

According to the article, the American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending low-fat milk for 1-year-olds, who are at risk for being overweight. Previously, the Academy advised against this, since kids this young need the saturated fat for brain development.

Even though this is a sub-plot in the story (read the article for what they say about cholesterol screening), I am SO disappointed our kids' nutritional health has come to this.

The Academy states that these days, kids are receiving saturated fat in other places besides milk. It's as if a diet high in saturated fats is the norm, and even the Academy of Pediatrics is having to adjust their advice to fit into our country's bad habits! What's next, going directly from breast milk or formula to skim milk?!? Are we sacrificing brain development for the green light to eat fish sticks and french fries?!?!

Whew, what a rant. I'm hopeful as our country becomes more aware of how important nutrition and exercise are for our kids, that things will improve. I know it seems like our country has bigger fish to fry at the moment, but we all know that saying, If you don't have your health...

Let's end this on a positive note with a yummy...

Here's a wonderful summertime recipe that is so refreshing, one bite will make you close your eyes and sink lower into your lawn chair. It's low-fat, so dig in!!

Cousin Brenda's Trifle Cake

1 store-bought Angel Food cake
1 bag frozen strawberries, thawed and cut bite-sized
1 small package strawberry Jello mix
1-2 bananas
1 large and 1 small package sugar-free instant vanilla pudding
Skim milk (enough to prepare pudding)
1 large container reduced-fat Cool Whip

Break Angel Food cake into bite-sized pieces in bottom of large serving bowl. In seperate bowl, mix strawberries with Jello mix. Pour over cake. Next, add bananas, sliced. Prepare pudding as directed, then pour over bananas. Lastly, add Cool Whip. Enjoy!

I fix this all the time, and Clarke, if you're reading this, thank you for all your help on the dock, and I'll be sending a Trifle Cake your way very soon. I haven't forgotten!

Little Red

2008-07-03T11:36:00.013-04:00

And you think you're having a bad day...

A Serving of Weight Loss, Topped with a Dollop of Cynacism

2008-06-30T20:03:00.012-04:00

There are four points listed at h elpguide.org to help us lose weight. Here they are along with my take on why it just ain't that easy for us moms.

1. Take time to chew your food. There are only two ways this will work for us. One, if you factor in chewing while walking as extra gravitational chewing force, then the five trips you take from the table to grab a papertowel might help you lose weight. Secondly, if you count the food you eat that has already been chewed up by one of your kids, well, then that might help you lose weight, too. Otherwise, there is no way we're scoring on this one.

2. Avoid stress while eating. Ha! Even those of us with the most well thought-out plans for dinner have no way to anticipate the sibling food fight, the spilled milk that a little sister thinks is funny so she dumps hers out, too, or the tot who didn't listen when you told him he had eaten enough, but gorged anyway, and experienced a 'reversal of fortune,' so to speak.

3. Listen to your body. This could not only keep us moms from losing weight, but send us into a downward spiral of peppermint patties and Starbucks Java Chip ice cream. Oh, that sounds so good right now. In fact, listening to our bodies might make us abandon our children altogether, and drain the college fund for a trip to an all-inclusive spa resort.

4. Eat early, eat often. The 'eat early' part is often sacrificed to keep the kids from whining, er, going hungry themselves. As for 'eat often,' well, here's where I'll abandon my cynacism for a moment (why am I in this mood today?) and offer a healthy eating tip for moms.

Eating small, healthy snacks/meals throughout your day will keep your metabolism going strong and give you the energy you need to perform your superwoman duties. If you are feeling particularly sluggish, have a high-protein snack, along with fiber. The protein will give you an energy boost, and the fiber will make the protein work more efficiently in your body.

I like turkey and cheese roll-ups with whole wheat crackers OR yogurt with fruit and granola.

Oh, and put down that diet coke! Caffeine is the worst thing for keeping your metabolism at a steady, beneficial rate.

I had promised a long, long time ago that I would share pictures from the CMA Awards in Vegas, and here the few that turned out okay. Seems that waving a picture phone around in a crowd of rowdy country music fans is not the best scenario for taking a quality picture.

Here is Taylor Swift at the pre-awards show party. As you can see, we bullied our way to the stage. If you're one of the unfortunate souls we trampled, I really am sorry.

Kellie Pickler

My friend Joanne, my sister (in-law) Frankie, and me, just before the Saturday pre-award show party. Sunday was the big show, and the highlight for me was seeing Reba. Of course, the best pictures I got of her were on the big screen (for some reason they wouldn't seat me by the stage, next to Nicole Kidman, as I requested).

Paranoid, anyone?

2008-06-30T11:09:00.006-04:00

Okay, an exercise for you, sweet readers.

Think for a few moments about Bruce Springsteen's song, Born in the USA. Now, read the actual lyrics.

Was anyone else snowed, as I was, all those years ago, into thinking this song was lovingly patriotic? Think of all the sporting events and movies that played this song at a moment of triumph and glory!

One of my favorite college professors opened the first day of class with this little exercise. The course was 'Capitalism and the Third World', and Mr. R. instilled in me a serious sense of paranoia.

In fact, I would describe myself as painfully susceptible to conspiracy theories and paranoia. My TDH is full-blooded Greek, and I never knew the power of superstition until I discovered Greek superstition. (One Christmas, my mother-in-law set a chair at the table for the dog, to make 14 chairs, in order to avoid 13). It's serious business, folks!

My point?

If you're like me, you probably feel the same sense of helplessness when you read a forwarded email about foods that cause cancer, food containers that cause cancer, cooking methods that cause cancer... only to realize you've been eating/using/cooking that way your entire life, thanks for nothing.

The most recent forward I received claimed to be from John Hopkins University, it's not, and in all capital letters warned me that using plastic containers will put me and my family on the fast track to cancer.

Even though plastic container hysteria follows a certain train of logic, I'm choosing not to get hyped up about it.

Why not?

Because I'm too busy wholeheartedly believing in another theory, one that states eating a well-balanced diet, heavy on the fruits and veggies, is my family's best defense against any disease, cancer included. In fact, it's not really a 'theory' at all, proven from all the big ones out there, i.e. American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, etc.

In this age of 'I'm So Freakin' Busy, I Can't See Straight,' let's focus on basic, good nutrition and raise a hand, (or a finger, if you're less ladylike), to the latest fads and paranoias.

In the meantime, I will be researching to see if a vitamin exists to help decrease susceptibility to paranoia :)

Teach Kids to Eat Healthy Now, Prevent Drug Use Later

2008-06-24T22:00:00.014-04:00

Here's the scenario.

Little Red hates corn.

But my rule at the dinner table is everybody tastes everything in order to get their cookie.

I don't serve corn very often, and when I do, I sympathize with Red's dilemma and I will even add butter to make it more enticing. Biscuit and Blondie love corn, so I keep it coming, hoping one day Red will give in and eat it.

Tonight, however, at the dinner table, Red would not eat his corn. We all tried different tactics... I went with gentle persuasion, Biscuit dramatically demonstrated how he eats corn, TDH tried hypnosis with a cookie, and Blondie yelled, Eat it! Eat it! Eat it!

He would not give in, however, and we all ate our cookies in front of him. He sat, motionless, expressionless, and if his grandmothers had been present, they would have cried their eyes out.

Even though my cold, mean mommy heart had melted into my shoes, I had a wonderful glimpse into his future and I felt much better.

I am prepping him for peer pressure.

So, I'm sharing this thought with all the mean mommies and daddies, who feel like the scum of the earth when you deny sweets.

In fact, GREAT JOB! Not only are you giving your kids a leg up on their growth and development by pushing the healthy stuff, you are fine-tuning their resistance skills.

Now, on a personal note, I would like to introduce you to my little neice and goddaughter, who was born yesterday. (And, if you remember, the first picture in this blog!)

She's our beautiful, healthy little girl... we are truly blessed. Welcome, little one!

Here I am with my nephew. He's holding his little sister for the first time.

Dusting Off Teacher Britches

2008-06-20T08:39:00.005-04:00

Yawn, stretch... good morning. I am currently struggling to wake up from an overly restful night. I turned in early last evening due to extreme sleep deprivation...

Tuesday night, my friend Joanne came over for dinner, and she brought the most delicious cheesecake. I devoured an entire piece, and unfortunately, the sugar rush lasted through 3 am. (Joanne, do not let this deter you from bringing more cheesecake next time!)

Anyway, this setback on top of my already sleep-deprived life was enough to make me ask my mommy to come over this morning. She does so on a regular basis, because she's the best mom in the world and she believes in me and my new business. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that she adores her grandchildren.

Ok, everybody, yesterday, in spite of my sleepy brain, I had an idea for SuperNoots workshops. I have been trying so hard to come up with the perfect 'recipe' for this thing, and by golly, I think I've figured it out!

Instead of doing a parent-only workshop, I'm going to ask parents to bring their kids, then teach parents fun ways to get their kids to eat healthy by modeling it myself. Today I will put together an info packet and work on songs, activities, etc. A nice break from the relentless pursuit of customers!

For those of you who don't know, I taught fifth grade in my pre-kids, pre-entrepreneur life... now I will get to dust off those teacher britches!

It all sounds like a great idea now, but I'm wondering if after the first workshop, after the kids have revolted and hurled carrots at my head, that this idea will seem less attractive than the parent-only workshop. I guess we'll find out!!

In the bathroom?!?

2008-06-18T14:05:00.007-04:00

I just have to share this funny with you...

Before I tell you, you need a little background information.

I love Zone bars.

And thanks to one misguided judgment to let Biscuit, Blondie and Red try them, they love Zone bars, too.

The problem is, they're not cheap, nor are they particularly healthy. SO, while I will subject my own body to the harmful effects of Chocolate Mint, I am selfish, er, caring enough to spare my children the same fate.

The other problem is that my kids ain't dummies, and not only are their ears fine-tuned to the sound of a Zone bar wrapper, but they easily recognize the guilty face their mother makes when she tries to sneak one.

SO, the following are the shameless steps I took today to sneak a Zone bar. And after reading them, you won't even have to say it, I'll already know what you're thinking.

Step 1: Turned on and turned up Food Network.
Step 2: Under the cover of Guy's Big Bite, snatched bar from pantry when kids were not looking.
Step 3: Before wrapper could be completely opened, Red became suspicious and entered kitchen.
Step 4: Left bar in kitchen sink for 10 minutes until Red became distracted.
Step 5: Placed bar on plate in sink and began to cut bite-sized pieces (taking bites off whole bar too risky, and breaking bites off bar creates chocolate-coated fingers)
Step 6: Turned away from kids to chew, pretended to be busy rearranging towels in towel drawer.
Step 7: Half-way through bar, Biscuit appeared unexpectedly.
Step 8: Wadded rest of bar up with a papertowel, and moved shameless face-stuffing into the bathroom, yes, the bathroom. Don't say you haven't done it.

In the frequently asked questions section of the SuperNoots website, I talk about healthy eating mentality. Maybe I should add the FAQ, what if I want to sneak a treat?, and then post this scenario. What do you think?

SuperNoots, Mommy Bloggers, and a Little Girl Named, Hmmm....

2008-06-16T22:00:00.007-04:00

Thanks, Rachel Mickelson, of fitnessformommies.net, for a great product review of SuperNoots. I love reading all the comments... they're like little warm fuzzies. You are doing a great job with your site and I can't wait to see who wins the big contest :) Check out Rachel's review and all the sweet comments (84 to date!) here.

I also have to give a shout out to Stacy Julian and Lisa Cohen, both of which supported Victoria and me in a huge way. Stacy, I still remember the day Victoria and I were just getting started, and all of a sudden, we had like 150 hits on our site and loads of orders. We had no idea what had happened! We finally tracked down the traffic to you and your awesome blog, so thank you, thank you, and thank you! Find Stacy's blog here. And Lisa, your blog readers were so inspired by your SuperNoots testimony, you wouldn't believe the love that came my way thanks to you... and what can I say about a fellow Coldplay fan, but ROCK ON!! Find Lisa's blog and SuperNoots ravings here and here.

As for me, I am anxiously awaiting the birth of my neice and Goddaughter, uh, nameless at the moment, but nonetheless already loved more than she'll ever comprehend. I expect any moment to get the phone call (hopefully before her June 30th due date), then I will mercilessly drop my three kiddos at my mom's doorstep and drive to Atlanta. I might remember to pick up TDH along the way, hopefully he can jump through the window of a moving minivan, er, car.

You probably noticed I've just now learned how to link. Yes, I am the world's biggest tech dummy. I have decided that my first posted picture will be of the newest family member, so get ready. I realize that a photo along with my blog will seem strange, but I'm confident we'll make it through together. L

The 'I Don't Care' Routine

2008-06-14T13:56:00.009-04:00

As parents, we've all been there.

You want your kid to get into the bathtub, so you mockingly put your hands on your hips, tilt your head to the side and say, "Whatever you do, don't get into that bathtub!" And then, 9 times out of 10, your kids, the independent stinkers that they are, will dive right in.

So it goes with food.

If your kid is wise to the "Whatever you do, don't..." routine, take note of this tactic. I title it, the I-Don't-Care routine. In my opinion, it's even more powerful.

Take note.

Kid: I'm not going to eat my peas.
You: Good, because I was hoping you wouldn't. (It is important to NOT make eye contact, keep your voice monotone, and throw in a good shoulder shrug)

In my experience, kids are totally bewildered by this statement. The same kid who can stand his ground against the "Whatever you do, don't..." routine will be confused by this complete lack of sensitivity. He won't really know how to take it, and in effort to figure you out will repeat his obstinate decree...

Kid: I SAID I'm not going to eat my peas.
You: At this point, dragging the back of your hand across your forehead with a giant sigh of relief is very effective.

What will eventually happen? The first few times, nothing. No peas will be eaten. What you've done, though, is mystified the peas. The wheels in those little heads will not rest until they've figured out WHY you don't want them to eat the peas. When they ask, when they show interest in why, that's when you lower the bomb. Again, take note.

Kid: Why don't you want me to eat my peas?
You: Because they make you run faster and quite frankly, I like it better when I can catch up to you.

You've accomplished two impossibles here. More than likely, he will teach you a lesson and eat those darn peas, and also he now knows that peas make him strong.

He'll also get to move a veggie magnet on his SuperNoots chart, and with that visual serving as a reminder, he will start the process of thinking he's a veggie eater.

Now, of course this will not work for every kid. There are those stinkers out there who have mastered the "Whatever you do, don't" routine, the "I don't care" routine, and have even moved on to the "All your friends are doing it, why don't you?" routine (I don't really endorse this one).

For those of you still on levels 1 and 2 of parental persuasion tactics, give this one a try and let me know how it goes! L

Proud or Embarrassed?

2008-06-10T16:49:00.010-04:00

When Biscuit was born almost five years ago, a massive influx of batteries began to make their way into my home. I can still remember the size and quantity of batteries his favorite toys required, mostly because I changed them a zillion times.

I pride myself on being an organizer (even thought of doing it professionally once upon a time), and true to form if you open my pantry door you will find the 'battery basket,' complete with all kinds of batteries and various screwdrivers.

My point? Well, since the birth of the 'battery basket,' I can't begin to tell you the number of times I have reached in for a battery and stabbed myself with the tiny little screwdrivers. Practically every time. And also every time, I say the same little bad words... in my head, under my breath, or out loud, depending on who's in the room.

Well, today, my friends, I experienced one of those moments where the angels start singing and you feel like God is smiling on you. And as I placed the screwdrivers, point-side down into a little cup, and then put the cup in the basket, I felt like the most brilliant person in the world.

So, should I be proud or just really embarrassed for not thinking of it the first time I stabbed myself? I'm going with proud, because let's face it, those little 'brilliant' moments are few and far between!

(Okay, here's my food transition, so get ready...)

The 'battery basket' isn't the only thing in my pantry. Some of my favorite pantry foods are (remember, I have a 4-year old and 2-year old twins)

mandarin oranges in their own juice
Barbara's Fruit and Yogurt bars (the lesser of all evil cereal bars that are available at my regular grocery store)
Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (whole grain brown, 0 sugars!)
tuna (in water)
Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes (for my spaghetti sauce)
whole grain pasta (any brand with 0 or 1 sugar)

Try this snack for the kids: Mix crunchy peanut butter and toasted what germ, then roll to create bite-sized balls. Roll the balls in coconut or crushed peanuts for a sweet or salty covering. The wheat germ is wonderfully good for kids, no sodium and low in sugar. Wheat germ is also packed with protein, so this is a great way for kids to move their protein SuperNoots magnet! -L

Flat-Out Wraps / My Kids Won't Watch TV, rats

2008-06-04T17:57:00.006-04:00

I'd like to say it's because I have hundreds of creative and engaging activites up my sleeve to keep the kids happily away from the TV all day, but sadly, no, not the case.

I just don't understand why anyone would rather stare at me and whine than to zone out to Sesame Street. Call it a blessing, call it a curse... the hour before dinnertime, I call it the culmination of all my past sins come back to haunt me.

The cute snack food I mentioned in the previous post will only go so far before food will no longer pacify their thirst to see Mommy make the famous face that years from now, when they're 30, will be the humorous subject around the dinner table. Hey, Mom, make that face you used to make when you were mad at us! It's sooooo funny!

Well, as of a week or so ago, I came up with a plan, and so far, it's working. (If I could write that sentence in a whisper, I would, so as not to tempt fate.) The plan... make the half hour before dinner time 'TV time,' even if it killed me.

I picked Biscuit's favorite cartoon, 'Wow Wow Wubzy,' and announced in a thrilled-beyond-belief tone, It's Wow Wow Wubzy Time! Biscuit was willing, but Blondie and Red were not buying into it.

I sat little Red down on the sofa, telling him, you get to watch TV! I sat little Blondie down beside him, and it was as if the sofa were made of needles or hot coals, and her body ricocheted off like a bouncing rubber ball.

I was prepared for that.

I immediately sat down on the sofa myself, and feigned an intense interest in Wubzy. I joked with Biscuit, I can't believe Widget did that! all the while totally ignoring the twins.

Red gave in, even snuggling beside me, eyes wide to what all the fuss was about. Blondie, however, kept her distance and proceeded to tip back the recliner... occupied by her big brother. Minor setback, but still I dug in.

I frowned at her and told her, your brother is trying to watch Wow Wow Wubzy! As if she had interrupted him taking his SAT's.

After several days of this same routine, Blondie finally gave up her attack on her brother and sprawled on the floor, singing to herself. To this day I maintain the sacred half hour of Wow Wow Wubzy, treating the time as a necessity, along with breathing, food... you get it.

What does this have to do with healthy eating? Not much. I DO have a favorite tip for you, though.

FAVORITE BREAKFAST...

If you haven't discovered flatout wraps, then you are missing out. If you live in Knoxville, grocery stores carry several varieties, but Wal-Mart is the only one I've found to sell the 'light' flatout wrap, which has 0 sugars. This is the best, by far, and for breakfast...

I sprinkle grated cheese and turkey on one of these and stick it under the broiler for a minute or so. TDH and I have been starting our day with these for over a year. SO good and filling, the combo of protein and fiber will really keep you going.

I'll keep you posted on how TV time is going, and for those of you disappointed in me for resorting to TV, remember, I could be forcing them to watch TV while I bubble-bathed or downed a glass of wine... hmmmm, now there's a thought :) Lori

Strike While the Kid is Hungry...

2008-05-29T20:20:00.003-04:00

(not to be interpreted as beating your child into eating vegetables)

I just mean that the dreadful hour before dinner time is the perfect opportunity to lure your kids into the raw veggie world. If they're starving out of their minds while you stir the sauce, you won't feel bad if there's a plate of baby carrots on the counter.

What is your world like when you're home alone with the kids, trying to prepare a healthy meal? Are you cooking with one hand and one leg? Are you sauteing the noodles and boiling the onions because you can't concentrate with all the screaming kids? If you're like me, you question which is more important... a healthy meal for the kids, or your own sanity.

When the kids are this rowdy due to exhaustion and hunger, give them healthy food to nibble on to carry them over. What a great problem solver! Try these snack ideas for that witching hour before dinner:

- baby carrots or sliced peppers (ranch dip if necessary)
- whole grain crackers (not whole grain goldfish), and look for the lowest amount of sugar
- edamame (slightly salted or a squeeze of lemon)
- milk
- boiled egg (keep a stash in the refrigerator, boiled eggs keep for 4-5 days)

If you are struggling to get your little ones to try healthy food, this is what I call striking while they're hungry. Just remember to not back down when they scream for a gogurt (do they still make those things?). If they truly are hungry, kids will eat the carrots. L

She's a little busy...

2008-05-27T21:55:00.006-04:00

Have you seen Victoria's site lately? My business partner, Victoria, is a fabulous graphic designer, in case you didn't know, and her business is booming. Check out her beautiful work at http://www.victoriapzurcher.com/.

I'm proud to say we started this little journey together, but I'm even more proud to call her my friend. She's my confidante, my griping buddy, and the person I can call when I'm close to her neighborhood, have to pee, and would rather not use a public restroom :)

Even the most fabulous of business women/moms can't squeeze more than 24 hours out of a day, so Victoria has decided to leave the SuperNoots stuff to me. I'm officially taking full ownership of SuperNoots, and even though it's a little bittersweet, I know it will be an exciting adventure.

SO, please visit her website and wish her well. As for me and Victoria, you'll see us hashing out the Greek food at our local church festival and dragging our kiddies to all the corny kid functions around town.

An amazing lady named Lisa Cohen has recently given a huge lift to SuperNoots. She's a master blogger who loves life and all the fine details that make it beautiful.

I am extremely honored to be featured on her site. She's blogged about SuperNoots twice now, and thanks to amazing traffic, I have been super busy.

Turns out Lisa's also quite the fan of Coldplay, my favorite group. Coldplay is also one of the two musical selections my husband and I both love (Alison Krauss is the other... odd combination, I know). She's attending a concert next month, so she promises to keep us updated.

Please check out her blog at http://www.lisacohen.typepad.com/ and see for yourself how charming she is. She also teaches classes at http://www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com/.

I'll post later about an amazing adventure I recently had in Las Vegas. My fabulous sister-in-law, Frankie, took me and a friend to the Country Music Awards. It was so much fun. I'll post pictures, too. -Lori

So your kid does not like all things bread...

2008-05-03T10:58:00.011-04:00

I personally can't imagine it, but according to one of our blog readers, it's true. If your little one turns up her nose at sandwiches, noodles, rice... well, I must say I feel for you, because I don't know what I would do!

First of all, you might mention this to your pediatrician on your next visit. I've always believed kids are great at listening to their bodies, and maybe her body is telling her not to eat it. It may be, though, that she doesn't like the texture or taste for that matter, so after you've ruled out all things medical, then here's my advice...

Since whole grains are essential, I mean really essential, to our growth and development, then I would work hard at finding ways to fit them into her diet. Read one of my favorite articles on whole grains to see all the medical details (http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/features/the-whole-truth-about-whole-grains). All these reasons will make sense to you, but to your kid, decreasing her risk of heart disease, stroke and cancer may not be that motivating. That's why my MOM ADVICE is to make it all about the poop.

What? Did she really just say that?

Yes, I did! It's all about the poop!

Biscuit will not appreciate me saying this, but he is obsessed with his poop (I hear Oprah is obsessed, too). Biscuit and Oprah know what healthy poop looks like, and they also know that eating whole grains is the way to keep poop looking healthy. When Biscuit's poop is a c-shaped solid brown poop, then we have a little celebration. I tell him he must have eaten his whole grains, because his body is happy and telling him about it. (It is NOT a mom lie to tell your kids their bodies talk to them via their poop).

SO, analyzing her poop may not be the most ladylike thing she'll ever do in her life, but it will be one of the most beneficial. If her poop is less than healthy-looking, encourage her to eat more whole grains. If she follows through and has poop that would make Oprah jealous, then offer her a reward of her favorite activity or have a new toy stashed away for the occasion.

Of course, the down side of talking so much about poop is the 'preschool effect.' Go ahead and clear a space on your counter for the note from her teacher. She'll without a doubt feel the need to educate her friends on good-looking poop, and might even want to give her friends a free poop analysis. SO, you might want to work in a little discussion about poop-talk etiquette.

OK, BLOG READERS!!! Let's help this mom out by giving her some ideas for how to make whole grains more appealing... that is, if you can stomach talking about food right now :) Lori

SuperNoots will help you define 'healthy' for your kids

2008-04-24T22:19:00.006-04:00

How often have we told our kids 'no' to having a treat, and then follow up with the explanation, "It's not healthy." 'Healthy' is an abstract concept for kids, and it's not exactly consoling to be denied Skittles over something they don't understand.

How about this for an explanation...

"Mommy, can I have Skittles?"
"It looks like you've already filled up your treat spot, so let's pick out a healthy food you like in the snack pack (or on the shopping list). Would you like to have Skittles for your treat tomorrow?"

What you've done...
1. You nipped a meltdown in the bud by not denying him the treat he wanted, you only postponed it. When kids have a visual like our chart, they can see that yes, they will have the chance to eat Skittles tomorrow to fill up their treat spot.
2. You taught him what healthy means by showing him foods good for his body on the shopping list and/or snack pack. In no time he'll be able to tell the difference between a healthy food and a not-so-healthy food.
3. You subtracted one 'NO' from your vocabulary today.
4. You kept the philosophy of SuperNoots going by offering choices and reminding him that he is in control of his eating (as long as he sticks to his chart!).

OK, on a SuperNoots business note, we are looking forward to an article coming out in May in the Knoxville Business Journal. Victoria and I will be featured alongside Lima Bean Baby and Stroller Strides... what an honor! The article will be written by the fabulous Laura Ayo, and she is more than just a writer... she makes up cool ways for her kids to eat healthy food! Check out her recipe find for edamame.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=407501
She cuts eyes out of the cheese and adds shredded cheese to make a mouth, and calls it Monster Mash. Very creative!!

Does anyone have any ideas how to make veggies more enticing?

Have a great day! Lori

Healthy Eating Suggestions for Kids

2008-04-16T22:08:00.004-04:00

A quick tidbit on how Nicholas fills up his SuperNoots chart in a day...
breakfast: Cheerios in the car (you didn't think I was SuperWoman, did you?)
AM snack: cheese and crackers, apple slices
lunch: PB&J sandwich, baby carrots, banana
PM snack: yogurt, blueberries and granola
dinner: Daddy's grilled BBQ chicken breast, steamed broccoli, **whole grain brown rice (**see note below), milk, cookie

Count 'em up! whole grains- 5 (Cheerios, crackers, whole wheat bread, granola, brown rice)
dairy- 3 (cheese, yogurt, milk)
vegetables- 2 (carrots, broccoli)
protein- 2 (peanut butter, chicken)
fruits- 3 (apple, banana, blueberries)
treat- 1 (cookie)

At the end of the day, Nicholas would be short a whole grain, but as mentioned in our fabulous parent guide, kids don't have to fill up the chart to be successful. Part of eating healthy for kids (and all of us!) is listening to their little bodies... if they fill full, stop eating!

Of course, if you're like me and my family, it is unnatural to leave food on a plate. I keep thinking once I have more than five minutes to sit and eat, then I will stop 'shoveling' my food and teach my little girl to eat like a lady and practice this whole idea of leaving food on a plate.

Am I the only mom who never orders a salad at a restaurant, simply because it takes too long to eat and the odds of you getting to finish it are slim to none?!

**OK, here's my healthy eating 'thing to buy' for the day. (Am I starting something here?) If you haven't discovered Uncle Ben's Ready Rice (whole grain brown), then you are missing out. It's a pouch of rice you stick in the microwave for 90 seconds, and it's done. The best part, well second best behind the 90 second thing, is that it has ZERO sugars! Can you believe that?! I saw Ellie Krieger use it on her show, and I've been addicted ever since. Oh, and a shout-out to my fabulous mother-in-law, who uses it, too.

Lori

P.S. SuperNoots is now available at Smart Toys and Books in Franklin Square. We will also be available at Sprout Studio very soon. Oh, and did I mention how much Victoria and I love and adore Michele Silva and Moira Kaye on 'Style: A Show for You'? Well, I do. They are super cool and gave our little business an amazing boost. Thank you!

Exciting News!!

2008-03-28T18:03:00.005-04:00

Hi, everyone! Wow, what a week for SuperNoots! Where do I start? How about with the most important and exciting feedback we've received to date... feedback from kids! A young teenage girl who talked with Victoria at the expo emailed us to tell us she loved the chart and couldn't wait to go shopping for her food. As for me, I was stopped in Target today by a very cool lady, who bought a chart for her 12-year old neice (she recognized me from the expo). She told me her neice was loving SuperNoots and eating foods she had never eaten before. Wow!

What's amazing about these comments is that Victoria and I are reaching an age we weren't sure would be receptive to us, but turns out, tweens are really responding to the whole empowerment thing we've been preaching about! If we give our kids ownership over something, they're going to do just that... own it. And that's what we want our kids to do when it comes to eating healthy, OWN IT!!!

Also, Victoria and I are going to be on TV. A local news show, 'Style: A Show for You,' is filming us on Tuesday morning, but I'm not sure if we'll be on that day or not. We're glad Michele Silva and Moira Kaye decided to feature us. We weren't sure after I stalked them and hunted them down at the expo (would you believe after I made a fool of myself, shamelessly peddling SuperNoots, I forgot my business card to give them!). Thank you, Michele and Moira for giving this crazy girl a chance!

Another huge happening... we received an email today from Stacy Julian. Apparently, this gorgeous lady (you should see her picture) is the 'Scrapbooking Queen!' You have GOT to see her website (http://www.bigpicturescrapbooking.com/), and whether you are a scrapbooker or not, you will be amazed at how she makes scrapbooking a spiritual experience. Anyway, she saw our website, and she loved SuperNoots, even bought one for her son! After including us in her blog, we received 2 orders within the hour that she posted it. Can you believe that? Queen, I tell you! Thank you SO much, Stacy!

That's all for now. Victoria is busy doing little house chores since TV crews will be busting down her door on Tuesday. I'll let her tell you about the whole filming experience.

L

The blogging begins... for Lori

2008-03-25T20:13:00.003-04:00

...as in the first time ever! Yes, it's true, I'm blogging for the first time, and Victoria was right... it's just like writing to a friend. So, you're reading this, which means you probably know a thing or two about SuperNoots. I think I can speak for Victoria when I say this whole experience has been nothing short of FANTASTIC! The best part is now, though, because feedback is coming in, and we are enjoying hearing from all of you. Please let us know what you think about things. Victoria and I are pretty good listeners, and after immersing ourselves in SuperNoots stuff for so long, we also have an opinion on just about anything to do with food period. So, send us your thoughts, compliments, complaints... we can take it! I enjoyed writing to you, thanks for reading! -Lori

Just wanted to share.....

2008-03-18T11:17:00.006-04:00

Well, the Women Today Expo was fabulous! Lori and I met some amazing moms and kids who were really excited about SuperNoots. One sweet girl in particular really has stuck with me and I think she is going to have great success with her SuperNoots Starter Pack.

Lori and I (mostly Lori!) will be doing workshops and mini-seminars for several of the fitness and nutritions programs, health fairs and mom groups over the next few weeks. If you think you might be interested in setting something up, then please let us know!

The Expo has really re-energized our mission and original reason for creating SuperNoots....we want to continue sending out that message of creating healthy eating habits for life.

The next post will be from Lori so you don't get tired of listening to just me!

Thanks again for the very nice comments.

~Victoria

Yeah, we made it!

2008-03-14T12:23:00.005-04:00

SuperNoots has made its grand debut at the Women Today Expo! Lori was talking with a customer and got her picture taken for the News-Sentinel. I had a little mini-interview with one of the local TV shows. The feedback for SuperNoots in just the three hours the Expo has been open has been phenomenal so far. We are so excited! If you are in the Knoxville area, then please stop by the Expo to see us. Lori will be doing a short presentation at the Knox Moms booth Saturday at 10:30 a.m. and we will be here through Sunday.
Come visit us and after the Expo we'll post some pictures of our fun weekend!
Thanks for the support!
~Victoria