A Frog Prince party...

Here are some pictures from baby C's FIRST birthday

(it's been really a year??).



The table...

I used wrapping paper (Quilted Bear) for the background). Paper rosettes and the paper circle streamers. So much fun...

Everything was blue and green - including LOTS of candy and good food...

The little Frog Prince! Made out of fondant.

Baby pictures garland. Pictures from newborn to one year (first haircut too!).

Photo booth. I have only one thing to say SO.MUCH.FUN!!!

The cake.  Yellow cake with coconut and pineapple filling. Covered with cream cheese and marshmallow fondant. Yumm...

The whole gang!

Sugar cookie.

Memo to myself: Don't freeze the grapes already on the sticks. They turned out LESS than perfect. I think was the juice from piercing them... Oh well.

The water...

Getting Kids to Eat Their Vegetables

Eating plenty of veggies is important to a healthy diet. However, getting kids to eat vegetables is often difficult. Kids that are growing especially need to get the nutrition that are in vegetables and fruits, and even little toddlers need to get plenty of veggies in their diet. It can definitely be hard to get kids to eat their vegetables

There's always, at least, one kid that, no matter what you do, will NOT eat...

I have to tell you that I have three very distinct  (from each other) kids.

Kimberly, my oldest, LOVE salads. Greens, tomatoes... She is getting very a little picky these days, though. She is very skeptical to try new things! But still, I can say she is my best "healthy" eater.

Rebecca is very funny about food. She goes through "seasons". Sometimes she will eat everything, her veggies, salad, but then, something happen (I haven't figured out what - yet) and she won't eat anything! But she NEVER gives up her tomatoes! That she will eat as snack!!

Now Noah... This is another story... A sad one, I might add. I can't get this boy to eat anything! I've tried some different things, but he rathers starve than to eat veggies! It's funny and sad at the same time!

Last year, I went to a green smoothie class just to find out the solution to my problems - at least the "eat your vegetables" kind of problem!!

Green smoothies are greens  blended with fruits. It is actually very easy to cover up the flavor of the greens with the sweet fruits.

So needless to say I was more than happy when I got home and, enthusiasticlly, started making my green smothies every day, with the help of my wonderful not-anything green-eater son! I was quite shocked (the good shocked) when we finished our bright green smoothie and Noah drunk almost a quart just by himself!  He is the one the LOVES the smoothies the most!

So  that's the only way I can get Noah to "eat" greens! 

Does your kids like greens? How do you "make" them eat their veggies?

Green Smoothie Recipes


Base:

I use 40% greens and 60% fruit (adjust to taste)
Water (you can use rice milk, coconut milk or almond milk)
Ice
Banana or avocado (to make it creamy)
Agave (sweetener) to taste

For the greens I like kale, spinach and collard greens best, but you can use ANYTHING green; lettuce, arugula, beet tops, cabbage, radish greens, etc...

And I use whatever fruit I have at home. If you use berries the smoothie will be brownish red!!


Tropical Kale Smoothie


1 large ripe banana, peeled
10 kale leaves
1 cup pineapple, fresh
3 dates, pitted
1 cup mango, frozen
3 ice cubes
1 1/2 cup pure water

Pour the water and toss the banana, kale, pineapple, and dates into the blender. Blend. Then add the mango and ice. Blend again until smooth. Very Yummy! 1-2 servings

Melon Lettuce Smoothie


10 large leaves of romaine lettuce
2 cup ripe cantaloupe slices
1 cup strawberries
1/2 teaspoon agave (optional)
6 ice cubes

Add the cantaloupe, strawberries, lettuce, agave, ice into the blender in that order. Blend until completely smooth. Serves 1-2

Spinach Green Smoothie


1 large banana, ripe
1 cup mangoes, frozen
1/2 cup strawberries, frozen
5 oz spinach, fresh
1 1/2 cups pure water

Pour water in first. Then place the banana closest to the blade with the rest of the ingredients on top. Blend until smooth. Serves 1-2

Awake Training {for parents}

Dear Fellow Babies,

OK, here’s my situation. My Mommy has had me for almost 5 months. The first few months were great – I cried, she picked me up and fed me, anytime, around the clock. Then something happened. Over the last few weeks, she has been trying to STTN (sleep thru the night). At first, I thought it was just a phase, but it is only getting worse.

I’ve talked to other babies, and it seems like its pretty common after Mommies have had us for around 5-6 months. Here’s the thing: these Mommies don’t really need to sleep. It’s just a habit. Many of them have had some 30 years to sleep – they just don’t need it anymore. So I am implementing a plan. I call it the Crybaby Shuffle.

It goes like this:

Night 1 – cry every 3 hours until you get fed. I know, it’s hard. It’s hard to see your Mommy upset over your crying. Just keep reminding yourself, it’s for her own good.

Night 2 – cry every 2 hours until you get fed.

Night 3 – every hour.

Most Mommies will start to respond more quickly after about 3 nights. Some Mommies are more alert, and may resist the change longer. These Mommies may stand in your doorway for hours, shhhh-ing. Don’t give in. I cannot stress this enough: CONSISTENCY IS KEY!! If you let her STTN (sleep through the night), just once, she will expect it every night. I know it’s hard! But she really does not need the sleep; she is just resisting the change.. If you have an especially alert Mommy, you can stop crying for about 10 minutes, just long enough for her to go back to bed and start to fall asleep. Then cry again. It WILL eventually work. My Mommy once stayed awake for 10 hours straight, so I know she can do it.

The other night, I cried every hour. You just have to decide to stick to it and just go for it. BE CONSISTENT! I cried for any reason I could come up with:

-My sleep sack tickled my foot.

-I felt a wrinkle under the sheet.

-My mobile made a shadow on the wall.

-I burped, and it tasted like rice cereal. I hadn’t eaten rice cereal since breakfast, what’s up with that?

-The dog said “ruff”. I should know. My Mommy reminds me of this about 20 times a day. LOL.

-Once I cried just because I liked how it sounded when it echoed on the monitor in the other room.

-Too hot, too cold, just right – doesn’t matter! Keep crying!!

-I had drooled so much my sheets were damp and I didn’t like it touching me.

-I decided I was sick of all the pink in my room so I cried.

It took awhile, but it worked. She fed me at 4am. Tomorrow night, my goal is 3:30am. You need to slowly shorten the interval between feedings in order to reset your Mommies’ internal clocks.

Sometimes my Mommy will call for reinforcements by sending in Daddy. Don’t worry Daddies are not set up for not needing sleep the way Mommies are. They can only handle a few pats and shhing before they declare defeat and send in the Mommy.

Also, be wary of the sleep sheep with rain noises. I like to give Mommy false hope that listening to the rain puts me to sleep sometimes I pretend to close my eyes and be asleep and then wait until I know Mommy is settling back to sleep to spring a surprise cry attack. If she doesn’t get to me fast enough I follow up with my fake cough and gag noise that always has her running to the crib. At some point I am positive she will start to realize that she really doesn’t really need sleep.

P.S. Don’t let those rubber things fool you, no matter how long you suck on them, no milk will come out.

Trust me.

Sincerely,

Baby J

Source: Unknown (If you know, let me know)

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At OUR house, works like a charm...