Alot .Of. Tola

Being a mom, your life can sometimes feel like it revolves around your kids and even your fashion game slowly starts to slip because you are spending all our extra coins buying clothes for them to look cute. With holiday season officially here that also means holiday work parties, as a working mom I know the struggle too well. Trying to dig through your closet to find something that is fabulous, stylish and still work appropriate. I thought I would be sharing some tips as well as some budget friendly outfits you can get right now! Here are some simple ways you can be stylish for your holiday party while still staying within budget.

• You don't have to always buy new clothes, pull out old pieces you have in your closet and mix and match them for a whole new outfit. You can never go wrong with a simple yet elegant dress like this one and pair it with a nice fun blazer to give it all the holiday feel 
• You can also do work style but make it chic, suits have been all the rave this year so you can totally take one of your work suits in a fun color and or even a black power suit paired with a fun top put it with some nice pumps and then we got boss mama serving! 
• A good jumpsuit is always elegant and will always be work appropriate. 
• Don't go overboard, keep things simple by picking one key fashionable piece. 
• You don't always have to go high end, honestly places like Target, Walmart and even your local thrift will have you looking fly at the fraction of the price. 

Holiday season can be quite a hectic time of the year, between all the numerous celebrations on your calendar to hosting family and friends that come into town sometimes it can feel like a juggling act. But when you are actually the host of all the festivities its quite another level of hectic. So here are some tips if you will be hosting your own dinner party during the holidays.

• Plan, and prepare in advance, write the meals you want to prepare and have everything planned out to the littlest detail. Make a list of all you will need. 
• Play to your strengths, understand what you can do and stick to that! Don't be too ambitious and over stress yourself. 
• Have a solid time table to make sure everything is set and ready before your guests start to show up. I would even say wake up as early as possible, to have a head start on the day and be ahead of all the festivities. 
• If all else fails, make sure the drinks are flowing. You won't always have everyone's favorite but, be sure to be fully stocked on the essentials (alcoholic and non-alcoholic)
• Relax and enjoy yourself, at the end of the day it is your party and you are kind of running the show so even if everything doesn't go to plan your guests don't have to know that. Do your best, and then just enjoy the rest of the evening. 

It's everyone's fave time of the year, all the kids and even adults dressed as their favorite characters, and of course the never ending supply of candy. But, with all the fun comes a little bit of craziness and the question of safety. We all want our children to dress up, enjoy the day but most importantly we want them safe. So here are a few ways we can ensure their safety while out and about on Halloween night.

• Instead of traditional trick or treating, go for a more intimate group activity. I am a firm believer that there is power in numbers and also it creates better community. So finding local group activities, with a group of people that you know or have been able to build a community with, will help with safety. Activities like local school trunk or treat or coming together with other friends to host your own Halloween party instead. 
• Check your child's bag, this is something most parents are already aware of and I would hope you are already doing but, I think more than ever it is so important for us all to be reminded and not just only say it but practice it too. 
• If you plan to head door to door trick or treating be sure to go over the rules with your child, especially the amount of houses you will be visiting, and basic rules around crossing the streets. Most importantly have an emergency plan and a back up plan, just in case things go sideways. 
• Every child should have a chaperone, more than ever you are seeing older aged kids getting into trick or treating (12 to about 16 years of age) But because these kids are a little older in age and more independent most parents tend to let them be, and not feel the need to accompany them. But I don't think anyone is exempt from an extra set of eyes, to be aware of their surrounding. Also with proper adult accompanying these young adults, they are less prone to get into things they shouldn't be. 

• Wash your hands - My girls know once they get home from school, the first thing they do is wash their hands. Germs are prone to being passed around in those classrooms so by washing their hands, I am hoping to stop those germs dead in their tracks before they can get comfortable in our home. 
•  Being prepared with OTC medicine because sometimes, you really can’t avoid these things. One of my faves right now is Children’s TYLENOL® Dissolve Packs that I was able to purchase at my local Walgreens store. My girls are not big fans of taking med when they are sick, so being able to give them something easily dissolves on their tongues and comes in a kid-friendly, wild berry flavor makes things so convenient. Being prepared with medicine like this makes life a lot easier for me—so the fact that I don’t have to deal with any bottles or have to measure and shake is just perfect. Quick mom note, always remember to follow directions that come with the medicine

• Stay up to date on doctors’ visits. I am making sure the entire family is up to date on all our shots and physicals. This is so important once the kids are back to school because you are able to stay ahead of things before it gets worse—and it’s just good practice, honestly. Be sure to talk to your doctor about any questions or concerns. As parents, we are so good about getting the kids checked out but tend to forget ourselves. Then, when things go south, we are hit a lot worse. 
• Vitamins and juices!!! Fluids are so important at this time of the year, not only to stay properly hydrated but also as extra sources of vitamin c. 
• Disinfecting frequently. Disinfecting wipes are my best friend during this season. Cleaning spaces frequently and thoroughly will help to keep the germs at bay

We all know how hectic things get once the kids are back to school, maybe it’s just me but it feels like my mornings went from chilled and laid back in the summer months to now get up and run out of the door with breakfast in hand lol. And the biggest struggle is trying to make a simple yet delicious and healthy meal for myself and the girls. I have been trying to be more intentional about making sure the entire team can get some type of meal in their bellies in the morning and be energized to start our day, so I thought I would share some simple and easy breakfast ideas everyone will love.

• Scrambled Eggs with Veggies: Eggs are always a hit honestly and the fact that you can prepare for a healthy meal in a matter of minutes just by frying some eggs is forever awesome to me. You can always personalize everyone’s meal to what they like exactly by either adding some cheese, topping it off with some type of sauce or adding some bread or sausages just depending on everyone’s preference. 
• Honey Nut Cheerios Bowls, the great thing about cheerios is they are healthy and good for your heart but then the honey glaze on it takes it from your grandma’s breakfast bowl to now your toddler wants it always. This is honestly my go to choice of cereal for the girls they love it and on a day when we are totally running last minute on things its always my go to. 
• Yogurt Bowl a.k.a DIY wannabe acai bowls lol. I am a big fan of yogurts and especially love me a good ole smoothie bowl. The fact that you get to make it yourself, you get to put whatever twists and turns you would like, and mix whatever fruits taste best to you is a winner in my book. My personal favorite fruits to fix together are strawberry, pineapple and mango topped up with some frozen strawberry and granola you will be well fed until lunch! 
• Toasted Wheat Bread topped with peanut butter and banana! This is my personal favorite, its super-fast and easy to make and oh so yummy. 
• A fruit bowl, some days you just don’t have the time to be putting things on the fire or trying to look around for the perfect meal so a fruit bowl just has to do. Mix a few berries, grapes and even oranges and have yourself a tropical island in a bowl lol 

I am the most un-creative person when it comes to meal preparing or figuring out meals for the family. I have always learnt that breakfast is the most important meal, so I always make it very important to make sure the girls and myself get our first meal of the day and it be something good to hold us over till lunch time. I would love to know in the comments what are some of your go to meals for breakfast? Are you a breakfast eating family or do the intermittent fasts instead?

Its that time of the year again, time for the kids to head back to school and with back to school that also means packing and planning school lunches. If your child is anything like mine, they are probably eating you through the house at the rate and the amount they eat. Oh and I bet they are probably extremely picky eaters, with an opinion about everything they eat. So making lunches fun, delicious and nutritious is most important when packing school lunches in my household. Here are a few things I always keep in mind:

• I like to load up on fruits and veggies, I make the fruits and veggies fun and more appealing for my kids by cutting them into fun shapes. You can always make the fruit more enjoyable by keeping them frozen and added toothpicks or sticks to the end to make a fun fruit Popsicle.

• I also opt for Whole Grain options, changing up the bread for sandwiches from white bread to whole wheat options can add some more nutrition to your child's meal. Thankfully the world has come a long way, and whole grain options are endless and you probably can get anything as a whole grain option from bread to tortilla, the options are endless.  

• I make sure they always have protein options! Protein is an important nutrient for growing kids, so mixing in meat, fish, beans or eggs can add another element to the meal. 

• My kids are fans of dairy so this is easy for me to incorporate and hopefully is for you too! Like these Danimals smoothies or squeezable which are a good source of calcium and vitamin D and the fact they come in such convenient on the go-packs make them a nutritious  option to add in for any lunch box. 

School lunches should be fun and something your kids look forward to, and it should also be nutritious  and good for your child's body. Just making these simple changes can easily make lunch time one of their favorite meals, and gives you the parents a peace of mind knowing they will enjoy a nutritious meal. I would love to know what other ways you make a nutritious  lunch for the back to school season?