9/15/10

TTT - Temper Tantrum Tactics!!!


Temper tantrums! Just lovely in the middle of the supermarket or another crowded place. We cannot avoid all temper tantrums, however here are a few suggestions that can help reduce the possibilities of your child having one:

  • Avoid being in situations that can make your child uncomfortable.
  • Encourage your child to talk about his or her feelings. Try to understand the way they feel and suggest a few words that can help them describe it.
  • Establish a daily routine so your child knows what to expect.
  • Establish reasonable limits and don´t expect your child to be perfect.
  • Have snacks on hand.
  • Make sure your child is getting enough rest.
  • Avoid spending a lot of time in places where your child has to stay still or without playing.
  • Distract your child when you feel a tantrum is about to take place. Sometimes something as simple as showing them a picture can avoid a tantrum.

4/22/10

ACTIVITY: Homemade Puppet Show!


You will need:

Posterboard
Straws
Markers
Crayons
Scissors
Yarn, cloth
Scotch tape
A large cardboard box


Sit with your child and help him/her draw pictures of animals or favorite characters on the posterboard. If your child is younger you can draw them, if they´re older they´ll want to do them by themselves. Color them with markers and crayons. Cut them out. Add clothes and hair with the yarn and cloth. Tape a straw to the back of each character to make a puppet. Write Puppet Show on the cardboard box. Have your child stand behind it and help him create a small show. You can make a small play using a favorite bedtime story or bring out the CD player or IPOD and have the puppets sing and dance. Great idea for a rainy day!

TIP OF THE DAY


Use a tool box with different compartments to store your daughter´s ribbons, hairbands and barrettes. She will easily find what she´s looking for.

DAILY RECIPE: Spring Salad!

1 lettuce (washed and trimmed)
1 avocado
grapefruit slices
bacon bits
dressing (recipe follows)

Slice avocado in half moons. In a large salad bowl spread out lettuce. Add avocado slices. Top with grapefruit. Pour dressing and sprinkle bacon bits. Serve immediately. Great for a hot day!

Dressing: Blend 3/4 cup mayonaisse, 1/4 cup tomato ketchup, 1/4 cup pickles, 1 teaspoon lime juice and a pinch of sugar.

4/14/10

TIP OF THE DAY


When offering apples to a young child, cut them in slices instead of cubes. It´s easier for them to hold as they nibble at their pace.

ACTIVITY: My Happiness Box


Here is a great activity that will be the perfect solution to those I-fell-off-my-bike-and-the-kid-next-door-doesn´t-want-to-play-with-me-and-my-team-lost-the-game days!


You will need:

A small shoe box
Paint, paper, markers and stickers to decorate box
A small blank pad or large strips of recycled paper
Paper cutter


What to do:

Decorate the shoe box with your children, you can be as creative as you wish. When you´re done, cut a slit on top wide enough to fit a folded piece of paper. Use the strips to write happy thoughts. These can be written throughout several weeks or even months. Every time a happy, funny, or joyful event occurs, write it down and drop it in the box. It can only be opened when mommy says so, but it is sure to brighten future rainy days, as together you remember those happy moments you´ve collected through the months.

DAILY RECIPE : Breakfast Sandwich!

2 slices whole wheat bread
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1/4 cup alfalfa sprouts
2 eggs
1 teaspoon milk
1 slice Kraft singles

Beat eggs with milk and cook well in a dab of butter. Meanwhile toast bread and spread both slices with cream cheese. Take a slice and add egg, cheese slice and alfalfa sprouts. Top with other slice and cut in half. Delicious and great for an on-the-go breakfast!

4/13/10

TIP OF THE DAY


Keep a few used dryer sheets under the sink. When you don´t have much time, wipe the sink and counter quickly with one. Instant shine!

ARTICLE: Children and Nature


Modern life and especially modern cities have taken much of the wonders of nature away from us. When I was young I remember fireflies in my backyard in summer nights; now it´s almost impossible to find them in the city, and even out in the country they don´t seem to appear as often. This is just an example but the truth is our children are not in touch with nature at a time they should really be in. Our planet needs our help and although we are teaching them all about recycling and environmental awareness they should really know what they are protecting and the wonders that our Earth has. I believe it´s important that our children plant a tree, go on nature hikes and learn to respect all plants and animals. If we start this at home their interest in the world around them begins to grow and hopefully it will be easier for them to understand the real need for a change in how we take care of the environment. Some ideas to get you started: plant a tree in your backyard, take turns watering it and measure how much it grows each month; learn about a new animal every month, see which member of the family can find more information on it and if it´s endagered or threatened; go to a different habitat nearby, it can be a mountain, lake, river or beach, talk about how it´s different from where you live and what kind of different plants or animals live there.

DAILY RECIPE: Banana Shake!

1 cup milk
1 banana
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend all ingredients and serve in tall glass with a straw. A great breakfast drink children will love!

TIP OF THE DAY


At breakfast, substitute a banana shake for your kids´chocolate milk. Extra nutrition and they´ll love the taste!

4/12/10

DAILY RECIPE: Tuna Stuffed Avocados

3 firm avocados
2 cans tuna
1/2 cup light mayo
diced cooked vegetables (carrot, zuchini, etc.)
salt and pepper


Mix tuna, mayo and vegetables. Season well. Slice avocados vertically into halves. Remove seed. Fill dent with tuna mixture. Serve chilled on a hot day.

TIP OF THE DAY


Tough to remove deodorant stains? Soak in white vinegar before throwing shirt into the washer. Works wonders!

3/9/10

ARTICLE - Growing Up - Making Decisions

As babies we make all decisions for our children. What to wear, where to go, who to play with. But as they grow older, we need to start letting them decide some things for themselves. This will serve as a lesson in important decision making later in life. How can we start? Toys. As older babies we can place several toys in front of them and let them decide what to play with and for how long before switching to the next toy. Clothes. Of course we won´t let them wear what they want to Sunday church if we don´t want to see a bathing suit, baseball cap and boot ensamble with a very startled preacher! But if we´re planning to spend the day at home we can start letting them pick out their outfit and gradually teach them what attire is proper for what. Don´t worry, it takes time, but as long as you´re not going to school, a birthday party or a visit with grandparents, why can´t they wear clothes that don´t match? Food. We can´t let them decide what to eat every day, and even when we do, this category can´t be all open or we would be serving pizza and ice-cream daily! But what about this? When going to the supermarket, would they prefer spinach or steamed carrots this week? Would they prefer apple or orange juice in their lunches? These may seem like little things but they really can make a difference in our children. First, they start making decisions and learning the consecuences of what they choose; but also, they are being heard and their opinions and choices are being considered by their family.

DAILY RECIPE: FishBalls

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion (diced)
3 small fish filets (cooked)
2 garlic cloves (finely chopped)
2 potatoes (cooked and mashed)
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup bread crumbs
salt and pepper
flour
vegetable oil

Heat olive oil, add onion and sauteé 3 minutes over low heat. Add fish and garlic, season and cook 4 minutes over medium heat. Add potatoes, mix well and cook 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Make small balls and pass them through flour. Dip in beaten eggs and cover with bread crumbs. Cook in hot oil until golden. Serve with ketchup or tartar sauce.

TIP OF THE DAY


Make school lunches one night before and store in the fridge. It will relieve you of morning tension!

2/22/10

DAILY RECIPE: Spinach Chicken Pockets

3 pitas cut into 2 pockets each
1 bag frozen spinach
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1 small can corn kernels
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon butter

Thaw spinach. Melt butter over low heat, add spinach and cook well. Season with salt and pepper. Add corn, chicken and heavy cream. Cook throughly and season again. Stuff each pita pocket and serve immediately.

TIP OF THE DAY


Have a craft day once a month. Save cans, boxes, lids and other gadgets from the kitchen. Prepare glue, markers, paper and string and host a craft day with your children. Let them create different animals, toys or musical instruments. Promote creativity, following instructions and teamwork.

2/12/10

DAILY RECIPE: Valentine´s Day Sandwiches

10 slices ham
2/3 cup mayonaisse
20 slices of white bread
heart shaped cookie cutter

Cut heart shape out of each slice of bread. Blend ham and mayonaisse until a soft paste is formed (more ham or mayo might be needed). Spread each "heart" and place on a tray. Celebrte Valentine´s Day with delicious, kid-friendly, pink hearts!

TIP OF THE DAY


Always carry a basic first aid kit in your purse or diaper bag (antiseptic cleaner, band-aids, tylenol, tums, etc.)

2/10/10

ACTIVITY: Valentine´s Cat Mailbox

You will need:

Red posterboard
Scissors
Black Marker
Shoe Box
Pink or white wrapping paper
Glue or scotch tape


Wrap shoe box in wrapping paper. Cut, from the red posterboard, two large hearts, six medium hearts and six tiny hearts. Arrange to form a cat as shown in the image: the large hearts are head and body; the medium hearts form the ears, hands and feet; the tiny hearts are all lined up to form the tail. Use the black marker to add eyes and nose in the shape of a heart too. With the scissors or with a paper cutter, cut a rectangular slit for the mouth making sure you go all the way through the shoe box. This is the opening for the valentines to go in. When ready, open the shoe box and hand out the valentines!

DAILY RECIPE: Salmon Pasta

1 small pkg smoked salmon, cut into bite size pieces
1 500 gr pkg of pasta
1/2 stick butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped onion
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
2 cups heavy cream
garlic salt

Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large pot, melt butter over low heat. Add olive oil, onion and parsley and cook well. Season with garlic salt. Add smoked salmon and cook 5 minutes more. Add heavy cream and check for seasoning. Add cooked pasta and toss well.

TIP OF THE DAY


Place a metal spoon in the fridge. Quickly tap under your eyes to get rid of those "I was up all night with the baby" eyes.

2/5/10

ARTICLE: Super Bowl Party with Kids!

The Super Bowl is this next Sunday and probably, your husband, family, friends, children or even you : are super excited about the upcoming party! However, have you planned on what to do with you younger children when they figure out that, no, they can´t stay sitting down for a full quarter? Here are some ideas and tips:
  • Plan on snacks that children can also enjoy, set a plate aside for them, so they don´t re-dip their Tostitos in the dip bowl!
  • Stock up on coloring books, crayons, and recycled paper. Ask them to draw a football, or their team´s mascot or symbol, the stadium, the players or even the weather. This way they feel they are still part of the Super Bowl Party!
  • If you have a yard where you can keep an eye on them from the tv, and the weather allows it, set a few outdoor balls, hula hoops, or toys that they can play with before dark.
  • Keep a few books on hand, they can quietly sit to read or look at pictures at least until the next first down!
  • Have them release their energy with a good scream after a good play. Tell them that when everyone jumps up, shouts or says "All right!" they too can join in the fun!

DAILY RECIPE: Super Bowl Ultimate Chicken Wings


2 lb chicken wings
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup honey
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
salt, black pepper, cayenne peppper


Pre-heat oven to 325°F. Place chicken wings in a pot with boiling water and cook for 15 minutes. Heat olive oil in an oven proof pan. Mix honey, soy sauce, white vinegar, teriyaki sauce and garlic. Place chicken wings in hot oil and cover with mixture. Season with salt and peppers. Place in oven for 20 minutes, turn over, and cook 20 minutes more or until done. Enjoy with the first touchdown!

TIP OF THE DAY


Bad diaper rash? Coat inside of diaper with the same rash cream you use on your baby. The cream will stay on your baby´s skin longer.

2/3/10

ACTIVITY: Valentine Relay Race

Play this fun game at your child´s Valentine´s Day celebration at school or simply with friends or neighbors!
You will need:
Black marker
Scissors
Red posterboard
Cut out hearts from the red posterboard (12 hearts). Divide into two piles. Write different actions on each heart, for example: run, skip, hop, walk, walk backwards, crawl. Set each pile, facedown, at the end of a room, clear of large objects, or out in the yard. Make two teams, or two children, and have each stand about 12 feet from each pile of hearts. At your command, each child or team member will race to his pile of hearts, pick one up, and return to his place doing what the heart is commanding. For example, if they pick up the heart that says "skip", they should return to their place skipping. The team or child who finishes first, wins! If your children are too young to read, change words for stick figures performing the action, just make sure to explain beforehand what each of them mean.

DAILY RECIPE: Spinach Ham Soufflé

1 pkg prepared pastry dough
2 tbsp butter
1/2 stick butter
1 bag frozen spinach, thawed
1 cup heavy cream
garlic salt, pepper
1 cup ham, thinly sliced, in strips

Divide dough in two. Spread glass pan with butter. Place rolled dough covering bottom of pan. In a saucepan, over low heat, melt 1/2 stick butter, add spinach, cream, ham and season with garlic salt and pepper. Spread over dough. Roll remaining dough and cover, pressing firmly on sides. Make slanted cuts on top of soufflĂ© to let heat out while cooking. Dot with butter. Bake in 350°F oven until dough is cooked and golden. Serve warm.

TIP OF THE DAY


When cleaning kitchen countertops, spray your favorite degreaser and let stand for 5 minutes. It´s much easier to clean afterwards!

1/28/10

ARTICLE: Learning to Wait - Mom can help!


It´s hard to make children wait these days. Thanks to modern day technology and the fast paced life we live everything has become "instant". From food to information everything is just a few seconds away. Remember when you used to want popcorn as a child. Your mother had to heat the oil, add the corn kernels and stir and stir, and wait and wait until they popped. Then you had to add salt and butter, and then you could enjoy them. Today: 3 minutes in the microwave and you´re done! Remember having a school assignment that you had to research. You had to visit the library, find the volume of the encyclopedia you needed, look up your topic, copy your notes to your notebook and then do your assignment. Today: google it and you´re basically done! Think of simpler things like thirst. If you, as a child, were thirsty in the car you had to wait until you got home for a glass of water. Today: just stop at a mini mart at ANY corner and buy a small bottle of water! The thing is, although all these things make our life much easier, children still need to be patient. What happens when the doctor is not ready to see you and you have to wait for an hour, or more? What happens when they have to wait until they´re old enough to attend a sleepover, or go to the movies alone or drive? How can we help? With the little things. One great idea: reading chapter books. You read one chapter every night and they have to wait until tomorrow to see what happens to Harry Potter or where the wardrobe took Lucy, Susan, Edmund and Peter to. Another great idea: baking. They can help you mix the dough but they will have to wait for the cookies to come out of the oven and then a little bit more until they´re cool enough to eat. I´m sure you´ll find other great opportunities to help your children be patient. Just keep this in mind: Good things come to those who wait.

DAILY RECIPE: Carrot Cream Soup

1 teaspoon finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon margarine
4 large carrots
2 cups water
salt and pepper
Peel, slice and steam carrots until tender. In a medium sized pot melt margarine and add onion until lightly browned. Blend cooked carrots with salt, pepper and half a cup of water. Add to onion and butter stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the water (more if too thick) and check for seasoning. Serve warm with cheese cheetos as croutons.

TIP OF THE DAY



Carry a small box of crayons and a small notebook in your purse. They will come in useful when waiting at a doctor´s office, bank or even during a traffic jam. Toddlers will love for you to make drawings for them. Young children can doodle. Older children can scribble games like tic-tac-toe and hangman.

1/26/10

IDEA: Easy Birthday Parties!


Sometimes a busy schedule leaves us with a child´s birthday next week and no party planned! Stress out no more -- here are some quick solutions to this problem:


  • Plan a pizza party - at your local pizza place (Peter Piper Pizza, Chuck. E. Cheese, etc.) They usually have birthday packages complete with pizza, drinks, cake, ice-cream and games, what´s not to love? Plus, you leave the mess there, not at your place! Be sure to ask other moms to chaperone just to be on the safe side, these places can get really crowded.

  • Plan a bear party - your local Build a Bear Workshop will be delighted to receive your child and a few friends. Leaving a birthday party with a new plush friend? A happy day for everybody!

  • Plan a diva party - Ask your local beauty salon if they can receive 4 girls for a quick hair - do and nails. Then head back home for dress up, photo shoot and cake.

  • Plan a piñata party - Have some of your child´s friends over, eat cake and ice - cream and top it off with a piñata filled with candy and favors. Quick and easy!

  • Plan a movie party - Take your child and 2 or 3 friends to the movies. A great day complete with popcorn and soda! Simpler version of this party - host your own movie party. Rent a favorite movie, add popcorn and drinks. When the movie is over you can serve birthday cake.

I´m sure you can think of more birthday ideas that can be kept simple. Remember, you don´t need weeks or months of planning, a few phone calls, reservations and invitations and don´t forget to pick out a birthday cake -- and you´re all set for an easy birthday party!

DAILY RECIPE: Easy Party Dip!

1 pkg crackers
1 small cream cheese
3/4 cups salsa

Open cream cheese and make small incisions with a blunt knife. Pour salsa on top, very slowly, until covered. Serve with crackers and spreading knife. Great for Super Bowl Parties!

TIP OF THE DAY


Remove white deodorant stains from sides of shirts by rubbing pantyhose on top.

1/18/10

DAILY RECIPE: Easy Garlic-Chili Shrimp!

1 lb shrimp, washed
5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat pan, add oil. Sauteé garlic. Add shrimp, chili powder and salt. Toss well until shrimp is cooked (pink). Serve with white rice.

TIP OF THE DAY


Print out a family picture at least every month and place in an "old-fashioned" photo album. It´s always nice to have one that we can actually flip through!

1/14/10

HELP HAITI


The recent earthquake in Haiti has left countless people homeless, injured and hungry. I urge you to please donate whatever it is you can to your local Red Cross, or any other center that is collecting water, food, medicine, diapers, etc. Many local tv and radio stations are receiving goods. Check for any center in your area in which you can help. If every single person could give just a little, for Haiti it would mean a lot. Take your children with you when you donate, this will help them see that in today´s world we all need to help each other during hard times. Take this opportunity to mark in them the joy of helping others when you can. We have all been touched by tragedy near our homes one time or another, from 9/11 to hurricane Katrina, we have seen disasters up close, now, just take a moment to think that this time, it happened to the poorest country in Latin America. They need our help. Don´t miss this opportunity to lend a helping hand. Donate today. Thank you!

DAILY RECIPE: Ham Spaghetti Rolls

10 thin slices of ham
3 cups cooked spaghetti
1/2 green bell pepper finely chopped
1/2 onion finely chopped
salt and pepper
oil
grated Mozzarella cheese
Pour a tablespoon of oil into heated pan. Sautée onion and bell pepper. Add spaghetti and toss well. Place spaghetti on ham and roll up. Place in a glass oven pan. Continue this with all slices of ham. Top with cheese and heat until cheese is melted, but NOT browned. Serve immediately.

TIP OF THE DAY


Put left over candy from birthday parties in a jar. This way you won´t have candy in unwanted places!

1/13/10

ARTICLE: Turning healthy food into quick snacks for kids!

Obesity and children being overweight is a big problem in today´s society. I believe that this is the result of the busy lives we all live today, it´s much easier to grab quick processed food than to prepare a healthy meal. However, here are some ideas to make it easier on you to give your children healthy food without making you go crazy!
  • Right after returning from the grocery store, slice fruit (pineapple, cantaloupe, mango) and place in individual tupperwares in the fridge. Easy and accesible for children by just grabbing a fork.
  • Place apples in a bowl in the kitchen counter. Older children can grab one as they go by. You can take one and quickly slice it for younger ones.
  • Fill small sandwich ziploc bags with plain cheerios, almonds or plain corn flakes. Put them in a box inside the pantry. Show children how they can open up a bag to munch on for a snack.
  • Peel and slice cucumber. Place in a tupperware in the refrigerator. Squeeze a lemon and sprinkle a bit of low sodium salt. Great snack!
  • Buy plain yoghurt and offer it to your children with granola mix.
  • While making dinner, prepare a box of jell-o and pour into individual cups.

DAILY RECIPE: Easiest Cream Cheese Frosting!

1 large cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 can condensed milk

Beat cream cheese until softened. Add vanilla extract and condensed milk and beat well until desired consistency. Perfect for chocolate and carrot cakes!

TIP OF THE DAY



Always put your computer or laptop in the family room or next to the kitchen so you can keep a close eye on what your children are surfing through in the internet. Another plus? You can give a quick check on emails while working in the kitchen!

1/12/10

DAILY RECIPE: Healthy Kid Pizza!

3 English muffins
Olive oil
2 small tomatoes
Salt and pepper
2 zuchinni
2 carrots
1 small squash or eggplant
1 cup Mozzarella cheese (grated)
Slice the english muffins into two halves horizontally. Place in oven pan. Drizzle with olive oil. In a shallow pan heat a little olive oil, add blended tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Spread over muffins. In the same tomato pan, pour a little oil and cook diced vegetables, seasoning well. Divide onto english muffins. Sprinkle cheese and bake in 400° F oven until cheese is melted and lightly browned. Enjoy!

TIP OF THE DAY


When measuring vegetable oil in a glass measuring cup, spray it first with cooking spray (Pam). Oil will pour much easier and will not remain in the cup.

1/11/10

DAILY RECIPE: Lentil Soup


1 cup lentils
4 cups water
1 potato
salt, pepper, garlic powder
5 strips bacon
2 tablespoons chopped onion
oil
1 tomato


Cook lentils in water with a little bit of salt. When tender, set aside. In a large pot heat oil and sauteé chopped bacon and onion. Add lentils with the water you cooked them in. Peel and dice potato and add to soup. Blend tomato with a little water and seasoning and add. Cook well. Check for seasoning once more and serve hot.

TIP OF THE DAY


Oil fell on your clothes while cooking? Sprinkle salt on top of the stain right away. It will absorb the oil and make it easier to wash later.

1/8/10

ACTIVITY: Yearly time capsule

Years seem to fly by and our children get older without us even noticing it. This year, try a family one-year time capsule.

You will need:

A water proof seal tight container of any shape
Recent photos
Paper
Colors and markers
Today´s paper

Sit together as a family and choose a few pictures that depict what your children, and you, look like right now. Have each child draw or write what they like right now, what movies, cartoon characters, food, games; what they can do or what they have just recently achieved; what they wish they could do in 2010. In a separate piece of paper, write down each child´s height, how many teeth are missing, and general information such as the cost of a milk carton or favorite candy bar. Place everything in the container (or time capsule) together with a few newspaper clippings from this past week. If you are confident about the seal of your container you can bury it in your yard, if not, just place it in a high area of your closet, pantry or even on top of your refrigerator. Save it for the whole year and open it on January 2011. See how much everyone has grown and how things have changed in just a year! Have fun!

DAILY RECIPE: Mushroom Slow Cooker Chicken

1 chicken, cut into pieces
1 can Campbell´s cream of mushroom soup
1 can sliced mushrooms
salt and pepper
Wash, pat dry and season chicken. Place in slow cooker. In a bowl, mix cream of mushroom and mushrooms throughly. Add to slow cooker and cook on low overnight.

TIP OF THE DAY


Not enough closet space? Try keeping winter/summer clothes in plastic under the bed containers (The Container Store).