House Rules of Toy Ownership

Mine, mine, mine.

She won't share with me.

It had my name on it.

Oh, the exclamations of Christmas afternoon when the wonders of unwrapping presents and the sugar-highs have worn off.

How do you handle toy ownership in your house?

Our house rule is pretty simple: It is yours and yours alone for 1 full day. 

This generally equals the holiday/birthday on which the toy was given and the following day.  After that, all bets are off and sharing rules are enforced.

Another useful thing we do in our house is, in addition to individual Christmas gifts, we also give one or two "all kids" gift that is specifically intended to be used by all the children (ex: board games, books, coloring books).

May the odds be ever in your favor.

Recipe: Pretzel M&M Candy Bites

Today I've got a quick, super easy, deliciously addictive "cookie" recipe for you.  These are great for the holiday candy bowl but are quite good year-round.  :-)

I've seen similar recipes to this that use a Hershey's kiss for the chocolate component but that seems like a lot of unwrapping work.  I've always made these with candy melt discs and they turn out perfectly, just the right balance of salty and sweet, creamy and crunchy.

Pretzel M&M Candy Bites

Ingredients
- candy melts
- plain M&Ms
- waffle weave pretzel squares

Directions
1. Line a baking sheet with parchment and preheat the oven to 350*.
2. Place pretzel squares in a single layer on the parchment and top each pretzel with a single candy melt.
3. Bake in the oven for 3 minutes, just long enough to soften the candy melt.
4. Remove baking sheet from oven and quickly press a single M&M into the top of each candy melt.  Pressing down slightly will ensure the candy melt fills in the holes of the pretzel as well.
5. Allow to cool and store in an airtight container.

Notes

• feel free to make these using any color or flavor candy melt as well as any color variety of M&Ms.  At Christmas time, I use the red/green M&M mix but for Easter I like to use the pastel variety.  All choices taste great.
• check the serving size and number of servings on the back of your bag of candy melts and pretzels to see how much you'll need of each.  As reference, one 2lb bag of candy melts matched perfectly with one family size (16oz) bag of pretzel squares.  Combined they made three half-sheet pans worth of 'cookies'.
• I usually buy candy melts at the craft store (think JoAnn's or Michael's -- don't forget your coupons!).

The Gift I Really Want (You Probably Do Too)

I've spent considerable time thinking about exactly what to get my family members so that they will be entirely pleased on Christmas morning and in the process I've done quite a bit of thinking about what would please me most on Christmas morning.  Fortunately, for anyone reading this who might be shopping for me, what I really want doesn't cost a lot of money and isn't necessarily a material gift though it could translate into that on occasion.

The gift I really want is to be acknowledged, to be seen, to be noticed.

When I find myself in one of those moods and bemoan my adult life, motherhood in particular, no matter the impetus of the discussion all roads seem to lead back to this -- I sometimes feel invisible.

My very first post on this blog speaks to this feeling.  I included the thought "I AM a competent, capable, worth engaging in conversation adult." Many of the actions of motherhood are completed over and over again with little acknowledgement, accolade or thanks.  The dishes that were washed and put away today will be dirty again tomorrow.  The clothes must be washed so that there are warm things to wear to school and work.  Meals are planned for, shopped for and prepared because everyone has to eat.  All in all, most of what I do on a daily basis falls into the category of "things that must be done" and because my husband works outside the home, the responsibility for their completion rests on my shoulders.

So what is it that I want?

I want a new spatula to replace my favorite one that broke because someone noticed when it happened.
I want my child's teacher to send me a note saying "I know you've been working hard with your child and while there is still work to be done, I've seen improvement and I appreciate your effort."
I want someone to ask me what book I've been reading and what I plan to read next.
I want a text saying "I saw this today and it made me think of you."
I want a new charm for my charm bracelet in conjunction with an occasion to wear it.
I want to be asked my opinion on a matter of non-trivial importance and be listened to without distraction.

Some of these things are material, some are action based and some just require looking at me, Courtney The Person [NOT Courtney The Mom, Courtney the Wife, Courtney The Errand Runner] and seeing me!

*** As I read and re-read this post, prior to publishing I felt like I should add the following disclaimer: I'm not so good at doing these things either!  I am horrible at thanking my husband for working hard to provide for our family because I mentally chalk his effort up to "well, he gets to go to work and people appreciate him there and he gets promotions and raises to prove it."  He is quite good about always complementing me on the meals I prepare and thanking me for the effort I expend on the household.

 

The notion of invisibility in adult life I think sometimes stems from the fact that, for better or worse, it is easier to categorize someone based on an observable characteristic be it race, gender, age or parental status and interact with them based on that known characteristic.  I'm often so caught up in my own expectations of what I should or feel like I have to do that I forget that to be noticed I have to be willing to be vulnerable, open and accessible; I have to be willing to be more than my category or stereotype -- all things that I am pondering as 2017 dawns.***

Prevent a Headache -- Use Click-N-Ship

It's that time of the year -- I see my mailman making the rounds in the neighborhood no less than three times a day not to mention the assortment of FedEx, UPS and contract delivery trucks that are making stops left and right.

Not much compares to the pain of having to go to the post office in person, usually with a little person in tow, and stand in line, waiting for who knows how long, to mail off Christmas presents.  The solution can be found at USPS.com and is known as "Click-N-Ship". 

I've been using it for a couple years now and I am still quite shocked when I discover that there are people who have never heard of this truly magical service; hence, why I am writing about it today.  You could say that is is a bit of a #momhack ;-)

Using it is simple -- create an account on USPS.com, enter in the return address, recipient's address, check the box on what type of package you are sending (small, medium, large, priority, express, etc), enter your payment and print the postage label.  Super simple! 

The next best part is that you can schedule a FREE carrier pickup at your house.  Just use the website, tell when and where to expect the package and an estimated weight.  This usually means that at 9pm I am printing postage for a package to sit on my porch and get mailed the very next day!

So you say, well, you'll still need to go to the post office to get the flat rate boxes.  Not true, you can order those online too!!  Or if you do have to go inside, you don't have to wait in line to get the flat rate boxes all you need to do is find the display and get what you need.

Just sayin' but the US Postal Service has really upped their technology game and you can do so much through the website, especially if you plan on shipping flat rate.  Save yourself the time, trouble and headache of having to wait in line and just do it yourself! 

Happy Mailing :-)

Recipe: No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls

Baking season is upon us but that doesn't always mean you have to fire up the oven.  Today's recipe is made with ingredients you probably have in the pantry and can be pulled together in just a few minutes.  Little hands are great at shaping these sticky treats and enjoy eating them just as much too.

I keep a baggie with these No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls in my freezer and throw them in lunchboxes or keep them around for a quick afternoon snack.  With protein, whole grains, coconut and chia seeds they are a snack you can feel pretty good about indulging in.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Balls
     makes ~32 small balls
     time: 15 minutes (minus freezing)

Ingredients
- 1 cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 cup quick oats
- 1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1Tbs chia seeds
- pinch salt

Directions
1. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
2. Using a small dough scoop, scoop into balls and place on a parchment lined tray.
3. Freeze until firm.  Keep in the freezer in an airtight container until ready to eat.

Notes

• I use unsweetened shredded coconut because I find the honey and peanut butter to be sweet enough as is.  If you can't find the unsweetened variety, feel free to substitute sweetened shredded coconut.
• Mini chocolate chips are the perfect chip for this recipe!  Since these are being made into small bite size balls you'll get a ton of chips per ball by using the mini variety and it feels more indulgent for the same amount (or less) of chocolate as regular chips.
• This recipe can be a blank canvas.  Feel free to experiment with other mix-ins that your family might enjoy.  Some ideas would be: raisins, craisins, and cinnamon chips.

The Pressure Cooker Cookbook That Should Be On Your Christmas List

You got yourself an Instant Pot.  You've read through the rather skimpy recipe/owner's manual and now you find most of your recipe searches on google start with "Instant Pot..." Now's the time to get a legit pressure cooker cookbook.  A quick Amazon search will reveal over 3,000 results.  Admittedly, I haven't gone through and looked at nor do I own more than one pressure cooker cookbook but the one I do own is pretty darn fantastic.

Pressure Cooker Perfection by America's Test Kitchen

If you've ever watched America's Test Kitchen on PBS you'll know that they pride themselves on being "America's foremost tasters and testers" and with providing the public with foolproof recipes for successful and flavorful dishes.  I own 5 different cookbooks published by America's Test Kitchen :-)

What I Love about Pressure Cooker Perfection
- it explains the science behind how and why the pressure cooker works and why you need certain ingredients in some recipes but not others
- published in 2013, pre Instant Pot craze, the recipes are written for a stovetop pressure cooker with adaptions for electric pressure cookers.  This means that anyone with any type of pressure cooker can use this book
- the flavors in the recipes are phenomenal.  I never would have thought to use a can of condensed French Onion soup to flavor my pot roast but now I won't use anything but that
- the beginning has a series of reference charts for cooking just about anything: grains, beans, vegetables and meats.  You can use the chart as a starting point and build your own recipe from there

My Favorite Recipes
- Weeknight Pot Roast and Potatoes
- Chickpea Tagine with Cauliflower
- Macaroni and Cheese
- Whole Chicken
- A Pound of Beans (for lots of other recipes)

What I Don't Love about Pressure Cooker Perfection
- I'm a "let's throw some of this in and see how it turns out" type of cook.  This book is written with very precise instructions, ingredients and directions.  Once you get past the sometimes superior tone of the recipes you'll be just fine.  That being said, pressure cooking doesn't allow much room for error as it's a closed system and operates at such high temperatures.  I've learned alot about building flavors by reading this cookbook
- the adaptions for an electric pressure cooker (hello Instant Pot) generally involve setting a separate timer so as to not rely on the built-in pot timer (reason being it doesn't start immediately when the pot comes to pressure).  I skip this step and just reduce my cook time by about 2 minutes
- some of the ingredients can be hard to find.  Examples include: cremini mushrooms, swiss chard, fennel, mustard seeds, and frozen artichoke hearts.


With all that being said, I have my copy of Pressure Cooker Perfection flagged and within easy reach in my kitchen so that I can reference it as I cook and create.

Let me know if you own a copy already, buy a copy or if you have another favorite pressure cooker cookbook!

Making the Elliptical Work

Due to my pregnancy, I haven't been running nearly as far or fast and have been plagued by nagging piriformis issues that have resulted in my going to physical therapy.  My Physical Therapist not only coached me through some stretches and strengthening moves I can do for my piriformis but opened my eyes to a world of working out with the elliptical in a way that actually left me winded and sweating.

Here's the secret: DON'T USE THE MOVING ARMS!

Seriously, so simple and yet I never really thought about it or tried it until recently.  Most ellipticals are designed for the average male which means that to use to moving arms, the average female is automatically tilted forward.  Add to this tilt, the fact that using the arms (which are usually connected to the foot pedals) automatically provides momentum based movement thereby naturally facilitating a side-to-side bounce.  The end result -- you are leaning forward and compelled by the machine to sway left to right.  Just think of all the alignment issues!

How do you not do those things?  Get on the machine and focus on staying upright and in good postural alignment.  To do this, you'll need to engage your core (wahoo!) so that you have a slight pelvic tilt and your abs and lower back are supporting your torso.  Don't focus on going super fast -- let your muscles compel the pedals forward not the pedals compelling your muscles.  If needed, for balance, lightly place one or two fingers on the center console or on the arm bars.

Practice what it feels like if you place all five fingers on the console. Just one.  Pump your arms yourself in midair.  Hold your arms upright but stationary.  Pedal backwards.

These very slight and seemingly insignificant changes throughout your workout can generate an "interval" like effect that will leave you feeling like you had an honest to goodness workout.

As a self-proclaimed runner, before now, I've looked to the elliptical as a cross-training standby but not my first choice of cardio equipment.  Using these new techniques, I have to say, even when I am back to 100% I plan on keeping the elliptical in my normal workout rotation.

I made frozen pizza for dinner and nobody died!

Last night my menu plan said stir-fry vegetables with brown rice.  Instead I served frozen cheese pizza, pineapple chunks, cucumber slices and baby tomatoes.

Frozen pizza for the win!

As I sit to write this, I can think of quite a few rationalizations and justifications for the pizza dinner
- I'm 6.5 months pregnant and didn't feel like cooking
- I was tired
- Hubby is away on a work trip
- I had pizza on the menu plan for later in the week so moving meals around is "allowed"
- It was Monday and we had just had guests over the weekend
- My three kids and I were playing a rousing game of 'kick the soccer ball around' and it was already getting dark and I didn't want to shorten the fun by having to go cook

But here's the long and short explanation -- I fed my kids dinner and they ate it.

It doesn't matter what it was or whether or not it included a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, what matters is that I did my job of preparing and serving a meal to my family.

Last night was a win for me in the constant and continuous mom battle of living up to my own high expectations.  Tonight I may stick to my menu plan and serve a well-plated "at least two vegetables and a protein" meal but I'm going to try to gauge my success by the question Was my family fed and satisfied? instead of Was this meal pinterest worthy?

Keep up the good fight moms and keep pizza in the freezer!

Toddler Quiet Activity -- Cotton Ball Snowman

Do you want to build a snowman? Come on let's go and play...

Ok, now that I have the Frozen song stuck in your head, today I am sharing an excellent quiet toddler activity that is easy to make with items you probably have sitting around the house. 

Materials
- empty peanut butter or other clear plastic jar
- cotton balls
- ribbon
- sharpie marker(s)

Directions
1. Make sure your jar is very clean and free of any food residue.  If it was a peanut butter jar this might require a hand wash as well as a run through the dishwasher.
2. Fill the jar loosely with cotton balls.
3. Using a sharpie marker, draw on eyes, mouth, nose and buttons.
4. Tie a ribbon around the jar to act as the scarf.
5. Add any other embellishments that you may desire!

My two year old needs help taking the lid off the jar but she loves dumping and filling this simple jar and "making a snowman".  For older toddlers and preschoolers, you can add the challenge of using a pair of chopsticks or tongs to grab each cotton ball to fill the snowman.  This is excellent fine motor practice but the kids will just think they are having fun.

#MomHacks -- Diaper Bag (or Purse) organization

Snacks -- if you're a mom, your bag of choice whether it be a purse or diaper bag or just the cubbies of the minivan is bound to have snacks in them.  How do you keep your snacks organized and in good condition?

I've got three #momhacks that have given me so much peace of mind when it comes to snacks and eating out with kids.

#MomHack 1 -- Large Portable Snack Container
Crystal Light, bless them, makes hard sided containers that their powdered drink mixes come in.  They have a nice tight fitting lid and aren't crushable when shoved to the bottom of a bag.  And, they perfectly fit a squeeze applesauce and cereal bar!!

#MomHack 2 -- Small Portable Snack Container
I've mentioned before how I like to reuse an old Snappies breastmilk storage container for measuring laundry detergent but they also make a great small snack container.  Hello, Cheerioes or Goldfish!  I keep one of these in our diaper bag and one in my purse because, let's face it, sometimes mom needs a snack too ;-)

#MomHack 3 -- Bendy Straw Holder
Unless the only restaurant you frequent is Chick-Fil-A (bless them for bendy straws and placemats!) you've run into the scenario where your child is given a drink in a cup with a giant straw and the first thing they do, tip the cup toward them to be able to drink from the straw, you shudder imagining the lid tumbling to the ground and the contents emptying on your child's lap.  For that reason, I carry my own bendy straws...in a travel toothbrush container!  My mom thought of this one and I am forever thankful.

What tips and tricks do you have for surviving outings with little ones?  What go to item do you keep in your diaper bag/purse?