KidStrong Review and Giveaway!!
The morning of our last day of vacation in NJ, we headed to the beach for breakfast and to let the boys run through the sand one last time. We ended up eating at a little diner with an outdoor sitting area.
When the waiter came by to get our drink order, I asked if they had juice for the kids? They didn’t have any flavors that the boys would drink and so I asked for water. But then the waiter said they had a kids drink (don’t remember exactly how he worded it. He may have said health drink or sports drink?) if I was interested in that.
I said sure, might as well try it.
He brought out this:
I had never seen or heard of KidStrong before. But immediately I was intrigued based on the claim on the bottle of “No Artificial Colors, Flavors, Sweeteners or Preservatives”. I checked out the ingredient information and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw:
I tried it first. It was okay, I admit. But then I gave it to the boys and Carter drank it up and wanted more. Carter just doesn’t drink down a whole cup of anything so for him to like it and drink the whole bottle during breakfast was a huge thing! Evan is a natural drinker so he drank the bottle too and enjoyed it!
If you follow my blog, by now you realize that I try to give my boys the healthiest foods possible (snack food in particular). And they both enjoy drinking water, 100% juice and sometimes milk. I rarely give them anything else besides those 3 choices. But as I mentioned earlier, Carter isn’t much of a drinker. And lately neither boy has eaten much during the day. So I was excited about the prospect of this drink. On the days (or weeks 
) that Carter isn’t interested in drinking or eating much, this would be a great way to keep him hydrated and squeeze in some vitamins and minerals at the same time!
Here are some Benefits of KidStrong:
- All-natural
- No artificial flavors, colors, or sweeteners
- Preservative-free
- Low in sugar
- Low glycemic index complex carbohydrate blend
- Optimal electrolyte profile
- Power-packed with 22 vitamins, minerals, and nutrients
- Scientifically formulated for kids’ hydration and energy
And now that Evan is playing soccer, he may enjoy having a KidStrong after a game. Especially once he actually starts really playing soccer and gets thirsty and sweaty (which may not be for another year or so)!
I fell in love and decided to take a picture of the bottle of KidStrong so that when I got home, I could find out if anywhere near us would carry it.
I was disappointed to find out that KidStrong hasn’t yet moved out west (right now they are doing the New Jersey / New York area but plan to expand further midwest very soon). But was happy to see that I could order it!
Now let me just warn you. A case of 12 bottles is normally $25.00. To be honest, I gasped a little bit because that is pretty expensive. But then I started thinking:
- Shipping is included!!
- If your kids play sports you probably already spend at least $1.00 on a Gatorade for them after each game.
- This is an all natural alternative to Gatorade or even worse Soda!
- So the cost isn’t as shocking now as it was.
And right now they are offering the 12-pack for $19.49 (with shipping included). That makes it pretty comparable to Gatorade!
So I emailed them immediately to see if I could help spread the word on my ol’ blog! And fortunately they were happy to allow me to do a review and giveaway!
One lucky person will receive 2 12-packs (one in grape, one in orange)
To enter:
- Go check out KidStrong. Then come back here and tell me at least one thing you learned about KidStrong!
Extra Entries:
- Go “Like” KidStrong on Facebook. Leave them a comment letting them know I sent you . Then come back here and leave a separate comment that you did.
- Post this giveaway on your Facebook page. Then come back here and let me know in a separate comment
- Follow me on Twitter . Then come back here and tell me that you did in a separate comment.
- Tweet about this contest on twitter with a link back to this post, then leave a separate comment with your tweet URL.
- Subscribe to my blog feed via RSS or email and leave a comment letting me know you did or already do.
Please remember to leave a separate comment for each entry. This giveaway will end Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at 9:00 p.m. EST. The winner will be selected by random.org.
* Disclaimer: I enjoyed the product so much, I contacted KidStrong. KidStrong provided me 2 cases of product to facilitate my review. And made 2 cases available for the winner. All opinions ARE strictly my own.
Thanks for stopping by my “Things I love Thursday”. For more favorites, check out Things I Love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries.
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And So It Begins…
Remember many months ago, I sang the praises of our local Dick’s Sporting Goods, for not kicking my kids off the putting green? And in that post I promised that one day soon, Dick’s would be raking in the money with both boys in sports and needing sports equipment.
Well people, that day has come. I am officially a soccer mom (all I need now is a new Mini Van)! We enrolled Evan in the 3 year old league at a local YMCA this weekend!
I can’t wait. Don’t fret, my expectations are too high. As in the words of my SIL Beth, “Watching a soccer game with a bunch of 3 year olds is like wrangling a herd of cats!”
Evan, Carter and I were in the truck Friday after getting Evan signed up for the team, and nonchalantly Evan mentioned that he couldn’t wait to go pick out his cleats.
Hold on kid! First of all, I wasn’t planning on getting you cleats right away! Secondly, I never mentioned anything about getting you cleats!
But, somewhere during his short life, Jeremy or I must have told him that soccer players wear cleats. Oh! I know what it was now – DARN library books! One of his favorite books to get from the library is on soccer. And I vaguely recall a page dedicated to cleats! That’s it! No more Sports books!
I digress.
I didn’t say anything to him at the time. I just let him talk.
At the parent’s meeting today, several parents were chit chatting about equipment and most of them were not getting cleats for their 3 year old.
So, now I am in a pickle. I don’t want Evan to be seen as “that” kid. You know, the one that shows up all decked out for a 3 year old league.
But my kid wants cleats.
What is a parent to do?
What? Okay fine! The kid wanted cleats, so the kid got cleats! Geeze! But he was so stinkin’ cute talking about getting new cleats! And he is so stinkin’ cute with them on!!
So Dick’s, you got our first $40.72 from us today – Cleats, shin guards and socks. I always keep my promises !
Going Alternative: The Assessment
As you may remember, about 4 weeks ago, I went to a Chiropractor, Nutritionist and Wellness Doctor to see if we could figure out what was wrong with me. I had my follow up appointment this week where we discussed his findings based on my blood work, hair sample and urine. Fun stuff, right?
Well, the good news is, is that there is nothing drastically wrong with me. Although that is a relief, because really who wants to be clinically sick, I admit I was a little bit disappointed because there wasn’t a clear answer of what was causing all my symptoms. I wanted it to be clear and precise. HA! I knew that wouldn’t be the case, but I was hoping !
But the doctor did find some things from my tests. There are many (about 50% of the 52 items tested) that were slightly lower or higher then they should be. And a few essential elements that are completely out of whack! Interesting enough most of the items that are off a bit are associated with fatigue, inflammation and joint pain. So I was at least reaffirmed that what I have been feeling, hasn’t been “all in my head”.
I also tested hypoglycemic. Which this one really shocked me because I rarely feel that I have low blood sugar. I actually thought I did well without eating since there are many times that I “forget” to eat when taking care of the boys. I don’t get the “shakes” or dizziness but I have been moody, depressed during times and agitated more over the past few years then I have ever been before. But come on, I assumed that was because I am constantly running after 2 small children, like most moms.
As for my feet? There isn’t an answer for that yet 
. But instead of jumping the gun, the dr. wants me to go 2 weeks strictly on this new regimen he has me on and see if that helps. He is hopeful that my feet pain are associated some how to what I have been eating or lack of. If I am not feeling better after 2 weeks, I will go back in and discuss more options (and $$$$) to find a reason for my feet pain.
So where does this leave me? Well here is the fun stuff that I get to do for the next 8 weeks (*sarcasm of course):
- The doctor believes I may have a milk or soy allergy, presenting itself in the form of my “seasonal allergy” symptoms and migraines. He has decided to take me off all soy and limit my milk to minimal consumption. But pretty much I need to try to stay away from milk products also, but if I consume a little bit he isn’t too worried.
- He has put me on a hypoglycemic diet. Which means I have to eat a few bites of food every 2 hours!! This is going to be a hard one for me! So I have set my phone to go off every 2 hours as a reminder, that is if I have my phone on me when it goes off! Which is another issue all in itself!
- I am allowed to eat only 1 fruit a day due to the hypoglycemia and the rest veggies! This one bummed me out the most I think, because I am more of a fruit eater than a veggie eater.
- He has me off all enriched ingredients (such as enriched flour). So pretty much it has to be completely whole grain or I can’t eat it! So no more cakes, cookies or other yummies at least for the next 2 months.
- I have to drink 3 quarts of water every day.
- And lastly I get to take a boat load of vitamins, minerals and supplements and when I say boatload:
15 different varieties
Five day supply (AM, lunch, PM)
So that’s where I stand right now. Fun isn’t it? But I keep telling myself it is only for 2 months! Right? I can do that. Especially if there is any chance of my body getting back to the way God intends it to be!
So call me quacky, but I’m going to do it!
Since I have to do this for 8 weeks, I will be keeping you updated with all my quackiness, trials, mess ups and successes!
Next up: finding the right foods (oh it has been a fun journey so far *sarcasm again )
Adrenaline Junkie
Since I have been discussing my children’s need for craziness and such, I thought I would throw this video in also. Let me just tell you that I am going to have to keep my eyes on Carter ALL. THE. TIME. The kid knows no limits!! At least with Evan, he thinks through every possible outcome. He may not be the life of the party, but at least he has some common sense! Carter on the other hand just takes the leap – figuratively and literally! Let me just add, Evan would have no part in this craziness. Even after bribing him trying to convince him that jumping from a height higher than the side of the pool was fun! He opted for swimming in the shallow end without “earning” any Mario Games, basketballs or straight money! But on his behalf, he did try it and decided that it “was NOT fun at all”!
Amusement Park Junkies
On our vacation, we visited Hershey Park! Jeremy and I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, we feared that we would pay the boatload of money to enter the park and in an hour or so, leave with two extremely crabby kids.
Oh were we so wrong!!!
Let me just say: 11 HOURS!
Yes my friends, that is how long we stayed in the park, 11 HOURS!!!
And for the most part, all 11 hours were pleasant. The kids had a blast.
Hershey Park was wonderful! Enough activities for the little ones, a lot of trees and places to rest up and the weather was perfect!
Jeremy and I don’t “do” rides. Neither one of us enjoy amusement parks. The merri-go-round is about the extent of what either one of us will try. But we want to at least allow our kids to experience all things amusement without any bias from us and let them make their own decision about doing stupid things like roller coasters.
Apparently they didn’t get the memo that amusement park rides are stupid because Evan and Carter rode EVERY possible ride they could. We were a little hesitant to allow Carter to participate but he wanted to soooo badly. So we went for it and after the initial ride, a ride junkie was born!
I just can’t believe we were there for 11 hours! Jeremy and I were worn out but the boys were still wanting to ride rides even in the dark. We had to pull them out of the park where they immediately fell asleep once in the truck! It was a wonderful start to our vacation! And a place we will have to visit again! The boys will make sure of it!
Don’t know what we are going to do in a few years when the boys actually want to ride the “real” roller coasters! Aghhh! But we will enjoy the “baby” rides for a couple more years!
Thanks Hershey for amazing day!!!
The Name (Calling) Game
Recently Evan has started calling people names. Not bad names but names nonetheless. I guess it has stemmed from Jeremy calling him “knuckle head” and me telling him he is a “silly goose” and someone along the line has called him a “nut” (not sure who) but it is evident since he is using that term often.
But he has changed it up a little bit. Some of his faves right now are “nut head”, “puma head”, “tuna head”, “silly head”, “puma nut” and all other combos from those previously stated names.
I am a little concerned, because he now calls EVERY ONE by a name. Daddy, me, Grandma, Babci, Jenny, Joshua, Grandpa, Poppi, random people that we meet etc. I have tried to explain to his literal, analytical mind that it isn’t nice to call people names and his response, “well you guys call me silly things”. Valid point kid!
He isn’t being malicious or mean when name calling, he actually only calls people he likes names.
So what am I to do? What do you think? Should I put my foot down and insist that he stop or is it a big deal at this age?
Weekly Winners – Carter
Since this week has been totally occupied with my lil’ C man’s birthday (mostly his cake), I found it only appropriate to show off the beautiful boy that I worked so hard for! (a mom can say beautiful about her son, right?)
And yes, that is cake frosting on his face, even though the cake had not been cut yet. We made small squares for the kids so they wouldn’t have to wait until the cake of was cut. So he was able to “help” me dismantle the cake and eat a piece at the same time: a win-win!
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To see my past Weekly Winners posts click HERE. For more Weekly Winner photos, visit Lotus’ Blog and visit the other Weekly Winner participants as well!
Summer’s For Tomato Pickin’
I have some strange boys, in the fact that they LOVE tomatoes! Especially cherry tomatoes. They will eat the whole carton in one sitting if I let them.
Last year, my dad planted tomatoes in his garden, and it was a huge hit. Evan would just help himself, while out playing. We would catch him, amongst the plants, pulling off ripe tomatoes (and sometimes not so ripe ones – ewww!). And even started to find, large tomatoes still on the vine with huge bite marks in them!
So again this year, my dad planted tomato plants. This year’s crop has been out of control. I have never seen tomato clusters on the vines like grapes. Fortunately for Evan, it is a tomato lovers paradise!
I love when the boys come in from playing, with red juice and a dribble of seeds down the front of their clothes. I just know now to either put them in white tees that can be bleached or t-shirts that are for tomato eating only – ha!
So if you have a garden, do you let the kiddos raid it?
Spinach Blueberry Smoothie
I hate spinach – unless it is smothered in cheese in spinach-artichoke dip. I absolutely will not eat it cooked. And sometimes I will tolerate it in a salad if other greens are mixed in. But let’s face it, I am not a greens eater. Even though I know how GOOD it is for my body.
So when my friend Tracey mentioned a smoothie she makes every morning that includes spinach, my attention was grabbed. I really wanted to try it out. She insisted you can’t taste the spinach. I was afraid, I admit. She has some allergy issues, hence the non-dairy or soy ingredients.
I purchased all the ingredients at Kroger, but they didn’t have much of a selection on Protein Powder. So I got what they had and gave it a try. Next time, I will be getting that at Trader Joe’s because you all know how much I LOVE TJ’s!!
Here’s her original recipe with her suggestions:
- 1 cup frozen blueberries (the cheapest place to buy them is at TJ’s- I buy the 1.99 variety, pesticide free but not organic)
- 1/2-1 banana
- 1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond breeze almond milk (1/2 gallon’s at Kroger’s are cheapest in the healthy living fridge section) you could also use rice, hemp or some other dairy/soy free milk
- 1 large handful of organic spinach
- 1 Tbsp flax oil (I use Udo’s 3-6-9 blend, it is very highly rated and pure); barlean’s is also good
- 1 scoop of “Life Basic’s” Vanilla Protein powder (sweetened)- I buy this a vitacost.com- you can use another kind, but I would AVOID soy or whey protein as they can be allergenic and mucous forming; TJ’s has a hemp protein that I have not tried, but I’m sure that would be fine; I would stick with a hemp, pea, and or rice protein powder- they are typically hypoallergenic
- Blend spinach and milk first, until it is a liquid, add the rest blend again
As I said, I didn’t get to go to TJ’s so I bought a different brand of protein powder and only had ground flax seed on hand.
I was a little worried that the spinach wouldn’t liquify. But following Tracey’s recommendation to blend the milk and spinach first, worked well. I do have a higher powered blender that has a “smoothie” setting on it – the Oster Fusion (affiliate link):
But it CAME OUT SUPER YUMMY!!! I would recommend this to anyone!! And even Jeremy said it tasted good. It even kept me feeling full until lunch time!!
The boys love smoothies, but they didn’t like it. But I think it was because my first attempt, I didn’t mix the protein powder thoroughly enough and it came out gritty. And besides Evan said, since it didn’t have strawberries in it (like I usually make him) he didn’t like it. BTW I did try it with strawberries today, and beside the color not being very appetizing, it was still very tasteful!
The prize at the End of the Tunnel
Jeremy drags takes me to a local festival every year…which I loathe. Because it usually ends up to be the hottest day of the summer, huge crowds and a LONG line of vintage cars that you can not get closer than 2 feet too. Let’s just say, it’s not my cup of tea.
But it was something that he and his family did growing up and now I have gotten to do for the last 10 years of my life.
This weekend was no different. 90 degree weather, high humidity, sunny with no clouds, and huge crowds.
The parade was fun. A nice man who lived right on the street that the parade went through, let us have some of his seats right on the road under a shade tree. The boys really did enjoy it!!
But of course, after the parade, we headed to the festival. It was wall-to-wall people. No joke! It was 90 degrees and arms were touching other people’s arms. Gross!! But we wanted to have some lunch, go see the cars and then get home. We had a mission.
We did enjoy some yummy fair food – Jeremy’s favorite and a meal he thinks about the other 364 days of the year – jambalaya. I got a grilled chicken wrap and the boys got burgers and fries. We drank 6 bottles of water!!
We then trekked on down to the cars. A large sign (which I didn’t get a picture of darn it) said “NO strollers within 2 feet of the cars!”. We had 2 strollers – ha! So we walked briefly though the cars section. And unfortuanately for Jeremy – the kids weren’t too impressed. Of course at the end of the festival there were police cars blocking the road with their lights running, so the boys did enjoy seeing those up close.
So, what’s the point of this long gripe of a post, you are probably asking yourself?
The ONE thing that keeps me coming back every year??
Funnel cakes!!
Yummy to the yum! But of course I did have to share with the boys- geeze. Get your own kids!
Spaghetti With Turkey Meatballs
This is part of my quest to find great Ground Turkey Breast Recipes.
I am not a big meatball fan. But I know that if I can find a good recipe that the boys will like, then I would sacrifice making them. I admit, I don’t like touching raw meat, so besides me not liking meatballs, me making meatballs is a rarity!
But this next recipe caught my eye. It has some really good-for-you ingredients that I could sneak in a meatball and hopefully the guys would never know {insert evil mom laugh here}.
It comes from Dani Spies – Moist and Tender Extra-Lean Turkey Meatballs
Having healthy ingredients such as Flax seed, oat bran and spinach, I was excited to see how these would turn out. Because like most kids, the sight of spinach brings a plethora of grunts, groans and whines. So if I can mix them in without them actually “tasting” it, score one for mom!
After planning on making these, of course, I didn’t buy enough spaghetti sauce at the store. I thought I still had two jars of Meir Glen left (I have been making my own low sodium sauce since I was pregnant with Carter, but with summer, I have been too lazy to make it), but I thought wrong. And at 3:00 this afternoon when getting the ingredients together I realized I didn’t have enough sauce and both kids were sleeping. So I thought I would improvise and hit my stock pile. I had 1 jar of Ragu, 3 cans of diced tomatoes and a jar of plain sauce. So I threw it all together hoping that it wouldn’t be too much of a bomb.
I also didn’t have any worcestershire sauce and the boys ate all the eggs. But fortunately I did have some Egg Beaters so again I substituted the eggs and left out the worcestershire sauce, extra salt and pepper and nutmeg (just because I forgot). And yes, I rolled raw meat (and garlic which meant my hands smelled soooo good for the rest of the evening) – I guess a mom will do anything to get her kids to eat healthy.
I actually allowed it all to simmer, covered, on low for 2 1/2 hours – in Dani’s recipe she said about 40 minutes. But I wanted to fix it all before the kids woke up from their naps so I could run out and play with them until dinner time.
So the verdict! The boys LOVED these! Which makes my heart jump for joy since I can now replace sausage, which I usually use, with a MUCH healthier version. I asked Jeremy, since I am not a meatball eater, if the consistency was much different then normal meatballs. And he said if it wasn’t for the way they looked, you couldn’t tell the difference. And yes, I did try one, and I liked them too. Evan and Carter gobbled up one whole one each. And “yums” were heard from all!
And of course, with my hodge-podge of sauces, it turned out a little runnier than usual but after adding some fresh grated parmesan cheese on top, it was excellent!
The batch made too much for us to eat in one sitting so I froze the rest for another meal in the upcoming weeks!
YUMMY!
Never too Early to Encourage…
Some domestic duties that I would LOVE to give up. It might be another 13 years before either one of them can run to the store for me or another 10 years before either can cook up dinner. But it is never to early, right??
And of course, their future wives will thank me 
This post is part of Wordful Wednesday, for more like it, visit 7 Clown Circus.
To view a list of my Wordful Wednesday posts, click HERE.
The Innocence
I often look in the eyes of Evan and Carter, and my heart breaks knowing that the innocence they own now will not last forever. That one day, there eyes will be opened to the ways of the world. It truly breaks my heart and saddens me!
A few weeks ago, at Evan’s 3 year appointment (yes I do know it is June, geeze), the Doctor gave me the “talk”. You know, the “Evan is old enough now to understand about strangers and touching” talk.. My heart sank. My throat tight. I held back tears. He asked if we had been discussing this with him and I shook my head no. Speechless.
This is the beginning, isn’t it? The part of the story that reminds me that some day soon, I won’t be able to protect him, every minute of every day. That he will be places where I can’t shield his ears from hearing bad things and eyes that I won’t be able to shield from seeing bad things.
Have I talked to him yet? No! I just can’t bring myself to have that conversation with him. He understands that talking to strangers is a bad thing. And right now, I am content with that.
I encourage both boys to be independent of me. I let them run freely at the park and the pool but always keeping my motherly eagle eye on them at all times. They innocently run and play not knowing that I, myself, am on the look out. Constantly watching for any type of activity that would harm them. Needless to say, I don’t relax on our outings.
I allow them to fall and get hurt. Although when they cry out for help, I am immediately by their side.
I sensor what they watch and listen to: Because “be careful little eyes what you see, be careful little ears what you hear.” I even get upset when we are watching a kid’s movie and they slip in a word or too. Why?? Is it necessary for the plot? No, but in today’s world that is acceptable. That is the world that soon, I will have to watch my children enter. And that is just a scratch into what the world is waiting to show my boys.
I haven’t allowed either boy to be watched by anyone but the closest family and the closest of friends. I don’t want to take any chances! That has brought on some challenges and hasn’t freed me up to go places without children. But it was/is a sacrifice that I am willing to make.
Evan loves to run around the house, let’s just say, free as a bird, after bath times. He has done it since he could walk. And recently I know, I must sit him down and explain to him why that really isn’t appropriate any more. And that will be just another nudge of the door opening wider allowing the world to creep in.
I can’t stop it from happening. I can’t control each and every situation. I can love them and hold on to them as much as possible now. I can kiss them and hug them every moment I get. I can protect them as much as humanly speaking. I can give them to the Lord, because really they aren’t my own to begin with. And that my friends is one sobering thought! God loves my children more than I do and can ever fathom. So I will hold onto to that knowing that they are in HIS hands!!
The Beginnings of Something Not So Great! (The Terrible Twos)
I really thought that the terrible twos would bypass us with Carter. I am still holding on to hope! Because up until this point he has been my cuddly, loving, snuggly, complacent, obedient child.
Don’t get me wrong, he has had his “toddler” moments, but really they have been few and far between in the 23 months of his life
Until this week. My sweet, cuddly obedient child has screamed “NO” one too many times, has thrown himself down on the kitchen floor in protest with arms and legs a swingin’ (and yes I am one of those moms who just will step over and ignore hoping he will realize that will not get him what he wants), he has stomped his foot down (and then got ticked off that he hurt his foot – ha – serves him right, right?).
You get the drift. Nothing out of the ordinary and nothing that the majority of toddlers don’t do! But no child of mine will act like that – ha! It’s a good thing he is so darn cute and still snuggles up with me at any given moment. And after all he is my baby.
“Maaaamaaaaa, up please, snuggle”. Darn kid! That gets me EVERY time!
Hopefully I will soon (like next week) have a post that informs you all that he is over and through this stage – a mom can hope right?
Glow Sticks on Dancing Toddler
A few nights ago, we were all hanging out at the Air Force Tattoo. After the sun went down, the glow sticks came out (thanks to Babci!).
The boys had a great time dancing around in the dark, listening to the live band and creating art forms with their glow sticks.
The problem with trying to capture the funniness of what we were doing to Carter (we made him a necklace, earrings, belt, anklets and a chain), is that with the flash on, you can’t see the glow sticks. Without the flash, the movement of a toddler becomes a blur.
So I will call it “art”: Glow Sticks on Dancing Toddler!!
District Dine Around June 23, 2010
Wednesday night I had a date night with one of my very best friends, Deanna. She scored some tickets to the District Dine Around sponsored by the Miami Valley Restaurant Association. We had a great evening touring the streets of the Oregon District. If you are not from the Dayton Area, the Oregon District is a artsy strip that houses small art shops/galleries, some amazing restaurants, beautifully restored historical homes and is the current home of Forge and our Home Church!! So right there, is a reason that the Oregon District is cool!
We started the evening off by enjoying the Color of Energy Art Gallery with appetizers from Jay’s Seafood – YUMMY!! Then we toured an Oregon District Mansion which was BEAUTIFULLY restored! Then we were split into two groups, one headed to Side Bar for dinner and we got to enjoy Coco’s Bistro. Then we all met up again for dessert at Thai 9.
What a fun and relaxing evening! If you are interested in the next District Dine Around which is going to be on August 18 click HERE. Tickets are on sale now.
Birthday Cake Stress: Part Deux
Last week, I started to really stress about Carter’s birthday cake. I had it pared down to either a Fire Truck, Pick-Up Truck or a Hot Wheels Cake.
Basically, Carter loves ALL forms of transportation! But to add to my stress, he has reignited his love affair with Thomas this week. Pretty much, he insists on having a Thomas Train in his hand AT. ALL. TIMES.
So now, I am debating on doing a Thomas Cake…
Oh my, this cake thing may end up killing me!!
Takin’ It To the Lanes
So today we took the step from Wii Bowling to Real Bowling. Yep, for Father’s Day, Jeremy wanted to try to take the kids bowling, knowing good and well that this idea stressed me out. Nothing like a toddler running around a bowling alley – fun times. BUT because it was Father’s Day, he won out! HA! And since it was 90 degrees with high humidity, there were not many other options.
Evan has been asking to go, ever since we got the Wii at Christmas time!
Unfortunately, Carter’s shoes wouldn’t stay fastened. They had the right size but they didn’t stretch enough. We even tried to go up a size, but the width still was not wide enough. So along with them being too big they kept coming undone. Oh well! By the end, he was shoeless, but not that he was really interested in playing after the 4th frame. Evan played all 10 frames and only managed having the ball stop mid-lane once!
Although Evan enjoyed playing, once he realized that I was entertaining Carter with paper and pencil, he was a little more interested in drawing than the bowling. But what can you expect with the attention span of a 3 year old!
And of course, you can’t leave out the “Carter being a comedian” moment of the day. Once he found the air vent, he found many ways of using it!
My boys!!
FOR THE RECORD: Evan scored a 49, Jeremy a 120 and the WINNER…ME with 122!! It was a hard fought battle, but a strike in the 10th frame sealed the victory! HA! I never said we were good at bowling. I think I may like the Wii better
Babysitter Mario
After keeping them outside until they ALL were begging to come in (I just couldn’t pass up the nice weather ), Mario took over and gave us adults a chance to chit chat!! I was kid sitting for Jenny – ha ha! Do you think they were close enough to the t.v.?
Thanks Mario for the little extra help this evening, because after running after kids All. Day. LONG! I needed you tonight and you pulled through!
Celebration: Preschool Style
Just a warning, this is one of those sappy posts about my kids!! Wednesday was Evan’s last day of preschool. And I *may* have cried more than one time! I guess I was emotional for several reasons:
- Another realization that my baby boy is growing up.
- Miss Margaret is moving! Evan LOVES her and I do too. She has worked wonders with him. And now I have to find someone as good!
- Did I mention that my baby is growing up??
Oh anyway, so to celebrate I asked Evan what he wanted to do?
Any guesses?
Putt-Putt!
So after a long and kinda boring story, we decided to head down to Young’s Dairy for putt-putt, dinner and of course ice cream.
All things Pink
*Warning: Welcome to my Wordful Wednesday Post. And YES, today will be very wordy, but oh so worth the story that goes with the picture at the end!! *
I was never a “pinky” type of girl growing up. Actually I ran from it as much as possible. But something happened around my 18th birthday. I began a fondness of pink. I found myself buying more and more pink clothes, pink accented running shoes, pink accessories.
And now, with 3 guys in the house, I need it more than ever – HA! Any opportunity that I can have something pink – even if it doesn’t match my decor – I must have it. Just like this basket I got to make at Longaberger last fall. Some of my friends made fun of me that I was making a basket that matched NOTHING in my home. But I need some sort of “girly” things amongst the blues and sport paraphernalia in the house!!
The funny thing is, Evan and Carter have now started to realized that pink must be a “mommy color”. If you ask Evan what Mommy’s favorite color is, he will not hesitate to say pink. Even in his Mother’s Day gift:
But the best story so far is one that involves my lil’ C Man! God has blessed me with such a sensitive little boy and I hope he never outgrows the caringness he has for others. Even at 22 months of age, he is so aware of others around him. He makes sure everyone who is playing with him, has a toy. If he is playing with his Hot Wheels, he finds me to give me a car. If we are playing trains at the bookstore, he gets upset if he sees another kid not sharing with others, even if he has the trains he wants. He offers his own toys to Evan if Evan seems upset.
My mom and I took Carter to Toys R Us Monday night. It was bribery, I admit. He was upset that Evan and Daddy left without him, so us ladies tried to make it up to him by taking him to the toy store. As he walked and played through out the store, we waited for him to find something he really wanted. He walked and played and walked and played, but not really wanting anything in particular.
Until he found a bin of baseballs. He picked up one for himself and then found a few pink baseballs. He squealed with delight, “Mommy baseball, mommy baseball.”
“Yes, Carter, that is a pink baseball.”
“Mommy!”
I took it and he was happy! I held onto it for several minutes. All the while, he kept checking to see if I still had it. Occasionally, he would ask me if I still had my “mommy baseball”
When he was occupied with another toy, I strategically placed the ball away so that he wouldn’t see me.
A couple moments passed and he looked at me and asked, “Mommy’s baseball?”
Darn it!
I followed him back to the bin, where he again, picked me out a pink baseball.
I thanked him and continued to walk around with him, waiting for a moment to again discard the baseball.
Because, come on, I can’t be bringing a PINK baseball home to 3 guys! Especially since I don’t play!!
Again, I found a moment to “lose” the ball.
And once again, Carter noticed and asked me where my baseball was.
Fine!
Again I followed him back to the baseball bin and again allowed him to pick out a pink baseball for me.
At this point I knew that I would be purchasing 2 baseballs during this trip. A white one for him and a pink one for me. He wanted to get me a pink baseball, what else could I do.
We got to the check out lane and he double checked that I STILL had my ball. He placed both balls on the register, while saying “mommy’s baseball”.
I handed him his new baseball and kept mine. We headed out to the truck where again he doubled checked to make sure I still had my new baseball.
My mom and I laughed about bringing home a pink ball for the boys to play with, when my mom had a great idea. She encouraged me to put the ball away in my keep sake box. Because one of these days I will need to remember how sweet my little boy was! One day when he is all grown, I will bring the ball back out and retell the story, and reminisce about how he needed to take care of me that day!
Thank you Carter, for taking such good care of me! I pray you always stay this sensitive to those around you! You are my precious little boy!
This post is part of Wordful Wednesday, for more like it, visit 7 Clown Circus.
To view a list of my Wordful Wednesday posts, click HERE.
Top Ten Tuesday: My Birthday Date
Jeremy took me out for an early Birthday date. My birthday isn’t until this Friday,
but he thought it would be fun to celebrate last week because the Goo Goo Dolls came to town. Yes, you can now try to figure out how old I am based on that last statement ! So I though it would be fun to recap the night by linking up to Oh Amandas Top Ten Tuesday. So here we go:
The Top Ten things I loved about my Birthday Date 2010:
10. Dropping the kids off at Grandma’s and Grandpa’s house for a sleep over!
9. Having Jeremy all to myself for 12 hours.
8. Enjoying a bottle of my favorite Riesling, Schmitt Sohne, at one of my favorite restaurants (see if you can figure it out by the picture).
7. Did I mention, a date with my husband, without my kids?? I don’t know how to slow down and enjoy a dinner. So we put it in the hands of one of my favorite restaurants, who pride themselves in the relaxing experience not only the wonderful food!!
6. The Melting Pot, Lover’s Lane. And if the private booth, the bottle of wine and the amazing food wasn’t enough, Steve, our waiter, brought me out some extra Oreo covered marshmallows because I mentioned those were my favorite dipping item!
5. Jeremy organizing the whole evening, IN ADVANCE!! Let’s just say that Jeremy kinda *cough cough* waits until the VERY last minute to make plans for special celebrations (as in runs out the morning of my birthday and picks up a card, signs it in the car and then brings it in to me ) and tends to be a little indecisive when making decisions. Don’t fret, I am not talking down about him, he is well aware of this and we joke about it all the time. So the fact that he took charge and made a wonderful birthday celebration for me is an amazing gift in and of itself!
4. My new t-shirts. Jeremy can be a little *picky* about t-shirts. You know, since he is a graphic designer and all. I was in desperate need for some new t-shirts. So I put Jeremy in charge of finding me some “cool” ones and ones that when I wore them he wouldn’t make snide remarks about. He picked me out 2 tees from Threadless.
Not that I’m complaining, but the t-shirt I REALLY wanted:
was sold out!! But Jeremy did email them so hopefully if they get enough requests, they’ll reprint it and I can get one…
3. The Goo Goo Dolls came to town! They have a sorta special place in our relationship. Their first #1, “Name”, came out when Jeremy and I first started dating. And many of their hits were in the years of our dating relationship. Before college degrees, wedding bands and kids! The Goo Goo Dolls, without sounding goofy, were one of those bands that we listened too when we were “growing up”. So hearing “Iris”, “Black Balloon”, “Slide” sends us back to those carefree days of high school and college. When we thought we would be young forever, blaring the radio, with the windows down.
2. Heading into the concert and the ID checker actually thinking I should be carded! Woot! I, of course, didn’t realize that they were carding and were giving out 2 different color wristbands. I, being completely oblivious of how these things work now a-days since having kids, asked what the different bands meant. I didn’t even bring my ID with me. She said “I don’t know, I think you need to be carded.” I started to laugh and she said, “no seriously”. I informed her that she made my night since I was celebrating my 32nd birthday. She was shocked to hear I would be 32!! Not that I think she thought I was 21, but that I was in my twenties made my night even better!!
1. Okay so I am going to combine several in this last one because they all kinda fit together.
Watching all the teeny-boppers leave after hearing the opening act: The Rocket Summer which a.) I have never heard of because I live in my own little kid bubble and b.) They weren’t half bad. c.) The Goo Goo Dolls? Leaving before hearing the Goo Goo Dolls?
Watching 40 year old drunk people dancing in the isles and looking like IDIOTS. Some of them even getting escorted out of the concert. Not really what I would call a “fun” evening…for them! Geesh people!
Singing “Iris” at the top of my lungs along with the rest of the crowd, with Jeremy’s arm around me, and getting thrown back in time for a few moments.
What a great birthday! Thank you Jeremy! It was too much fun!
Things I Love Thursday: Trader Joes
I love Trader Joes!
I truly fell deeply in love with TJs when Carter started eating solid foods and I began to make purees for him. I found that TJs had the cheapest organic fruits and veggies around my area ( check out a couple of those cost comparison posts: HERE and HERE). And very fortunate for me, it is less than a mile from my house – which is super convenient.
Our relationship ebbs and flows. Obviously due to having a grocery budget, I can’t buy all my groceries there, even though I would LOVE to. So I have to pick and choose wisely. Buying the kids snacks is usually at the top of the list along with Jeremy’s ALL TIME FAVORITE cereal (you’ll have to wait on what that cereal is until next week’s post ).
As I mentioned yesterday, my mom-guilt got the best of me and I have made it a priority to find easy, HEALTHY, on the go snacks for the boys, especially now that the weather is nice and pool season is around the corner.
So today’s post is dedicated to some of my kids’ favorite on-the-go snacks from Trader Joes!!
1. Fruity Flakes
These have taken the place of regular fruit snacks. Because as I mentioned yesterday, Evan LOVES fruit snacks and he loves these just as much! Here is a little comparison of ingredients in both but the very most important comparison is that the Fruity Flakes are 97% real fruit!!
Fruity Flakes:
Fruit (concentrated apple puree, apple juice concentrate, raspberry puree), wheat fiber, pectin, fruit and vegetable juice extracts, natural flavor
Fruit Snacks:
Fruit Juice blend from concentrate (apple and pear), Corn Syrup, Sugar, Modified Corn Starch, contains 2% or less of: pectin, citric acid, dextrose, sodium citrate, color (red40, blue1, yellow5 and other color addded) MailicAcid, Potassium Citrate, Vitamin C, Mineral Oil, Natural and Artifical Flavor, Camauba Wax, Sulfing Agents, Beeswax
Flavors include Apple Raspberry and Apple Watermelon
Cost: $3.49 (for 10 packs, I think)
2. Fruit Bars
Both boys love Nutri-grain bars (or the store brand equivalents). Right now, Carter would eat one for every meal and snack if I let me – ha! Not that these are bad. But here are a few things about the Trader Joe’s brand that stood out to me that makes them healthier.
Made with organic grains
No hydrogenated Oils
Good source of 6 B Vitamins
Contains Selenium
Flavors include: Apple, Blueberry, Strawberry and Fig
Cost:$1.69 (for 8 )
3. Apple Sauce
The one BIG thing that I love about these, and it isn’t even nutrition based I admit, is how portable these are!! Hello, the kids LOVE apple sauce but I can barely remember my keys let along to bring spoons for the applesauce. And since it is squeezable and no spoons required that means less sticky drippy mess to think about! Which makes it completely worth the cost for me! Because as much as I love the boys being able to feed themselves, I really don’t like the applesauce down the shirt look and especially if we are away from the house and I don’t have extra clothes and a bath with me
Flavors: Apple, Apple Carrot
Cost: $2.99 (for 4)
4. Whole Grain Chocolate Chip Cookies
Of course my kids love chocolate chip cookies and if I am going to let them have some without feeling guilt and without me having to make them homemade every time, these are perfect. These are made with whole wheat flour and only natural ingredients.
Cost: $2.99
5. Freeze dried fruit
These are great! They are easy to snack on when we are out and about and they don’t make the kids hands sticky the way fresh fruit does. So they are the perfect fruit snack options when we are running around at the park or soaking up the sun at the pool.Not that I am against cutting fruit up and taking it on the go, but someone *cough cough Carter* has decided he doesn’t like to pick up fruit with his hands. He has gotten really picky about how things feel and if they feel slimy or sticky, he won’t pick them up and he won’t eat them. And once again, I have a hard time remembering utensils.
These come in Strawberries and blueberries.
TJs has a wide variety of dried fruits also, but most that we have tried are too chewy for toddlers to chew. So I have tried to buy things that both boys can eat. Once they get a little older, I will try them again.
So that’s the first installment of Trader Joe finds. Come back next week, when I finish my first set of Trader Joe finds.
So…those are a few of my Trader Joe faves! Now it’s your turn…what are a few of your favorite things?
For more favorites, check out Things I Love Thursday at the Diaper Diaries.
** Disclosure: All views are my own personal opinion. I was not compensated for any of these reviews**
