Alot .Of. Tola

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?

So just like that summer holidays are pretty much over, as a parent I know we are all so ready to ship those kids back to school and tag the teachers back in lol But for the kids it can be quite an adjustment to go back from vacation mode to now gotta get used to waking up early again, and prepared for the learning part.  So I thought I would share some ways we as parents can help them to transition from summer mode to school mode, especially for those moms who will be having little ones starting school for the first time this school year.

• Slowly start to transition into school schedule a week or two before school actually start, so that means starting to wake them up early or as close to the regular mornings so their bodies can start to ease into the regular schedule and their aware that there is a change coming up soon. 
• If you have a chance to visit with their new class, school or teacher so your child can interact and get a little comfortable or at least as comfortable as they can get before school really starts. 
• Getting them involved in the back to school shopping gets them excited and aware that its time to head back to school. So being able to pick the items off the school list and picking backpacks can really ease the transition from summer to school. 
• Have open dialogues about the new school, new class and new school year. Just having an understanding of how your child feels about the new school year, will help to know how you can help them and what ways you can help them transition and get them excited about it. 

Motherhood is one of those point in a woman's life that doesn't quite come with a handbook or manual on how to handle it. You literally are winging it everyday and hoping you are doing a good job. And it can be quite a transition to go from being pregnant and now having a baby to take care of, everyone talks about the physical parts of getting ready for a baby, and all you will need to make the transition easier for yourself and baby, but no one talks about how to mentally prepare for baby and lets be real that's the part you need more than anything else.

• Understanding that there will be a lifestyle change, no matter how little or big of a change when you have a baby you can expect that your life will change in some way. Understanding that certain luxuries and freedoms might be a limited, or are just gonna have to be put on hold for the time being due to a new baby. Also simple things like what you eat, even clothing will be affected, understanding that some of these changes might just be temporary and some permanent. Most importantly just knowing that when it could take you 5 mins to grab your stuff and get out of the door, might take about a good hour now lol. 
• Priorities are going to change, when a baby is added to the equation your life literally feels like it has stopped being about you and now about this new baby. So understanding how to prioritize things now, knowing when sacrifices are gonna need to be made, and learning to balance this new role with your life as it was before. 
• Have a clear understanding of the responsibility that is going to be entering your life, everyone knows that motherhood is definitely no walk in the park, but also no one also realizes the reality of it all. Having conversations with other moms, asking questions and just getting a clear understanding. A strong support of other mother's is so needed to be able to share with and learn from.
• Understand that postpartum health looks different for every woman, this is something most women still struggle a great deal with in society. According to the CDC 1 in 10 women experience symptoms of postpartum depression and a lot of the time, most women don't even know what these symptoms are. So just understanding that your postpartum journey and healing won't be the same as the next woman, so just talking to your doctor, and having a strong support system to see you through those bumpy rides. 
• Knowing that relationships will change, this is one that I had to really come to terms with. When you become a mom your life really changes and some of those changes affect relationships and friendships you have fostered over time. So be able to know when a friendship or relationship is dead and be open to letting it go. If not for anything but to enter this chapter of life with ease. 

When you become a mom, one of the top things you worry about is who you can trust to leave your child around. Especially for working moms who sometimes have to head back to work as early as 6 weeks after having a baby, so I wanted to share a few tips to be able to pin point the perfect daycare or child care option that will work best for you and your family.

• Know what all your options are, with child care these days there are endless options from a live in nanny,to drop in care to a traditional day care, Montessori, or just a baby sitter. The selection is so vast that there is an option for anyone out there. Research what each option has to offer, how does that fit with your family core values. Look into cost, how does that fit within your budget, location just how far is the location from you that will play a factor especially if need to drop off and head to work. Also ask questions to friends, and thorough online research can really give you a lot to start with, always remember google is your friend!
• Once you narrow your options down, then Plan visits to the location. Its so important than you not only use the word of mouth referrals but also go in and get a good view of where you will potentially be leaving your child. Ask all the relevant questions such as daycare policies (ex: sick day policy, nap time, feeding etc) Use this visit to pay close attention to how the caregivers interact with the kids, as well as class sizes. 
• Consistency, be sure to make sure the nanny you are picking is providing at least a year of commitment. And if you are choosing a facility, then be sure to make sure the teacher in the classroom has been working at the daycare for awhile and also what turn over rates are like in the facility. Research shows that babies need consistency because it helps them form a secure attachment with their caregiver. 
• Ask Questions!!! You can never ask enough questions. It makes the most sense to make a private interview with either the nanny or the director of the facility you intend to drop your child with, and have a few sets of questions written down to ask and get clarification on. (DOWNLOAD MY CHILD CARE QUESTIONNAIRE BELOW)
• Most importantly go with your gut instinct, if something doesn't seat well with you then always go with that and don't hire someone just for that reason. 

Just like that the school year is over, and its time for all the summer fun. If you are like me, with school aged kids this is sort of bitter sweet time. For one you get to sleep in a bit in the mornings again but, on the flip side now you gotta keep them entertained. And if your child is anything like mine, who is a total busy bee then you are gonna need to keep the next 3 months completely jam packed so here are a few simple and not so expensive ways to keep them busy.

• Your local library will be pretty lit for the summer, I feel like everyone tends to forget about what a hidden gem the public library truly is. During the summer months, there are so many activities for the kids at any age, and its also educational so its a win-win situation.
• Summer Camps I know around our area there are a ton of day  and away camps for kids from as low as 3 years old to high school age and there literally is something for everyone with different interests. From sports, music, science to arts & crafts, whatever your child has an interest there is an opportunity for them.We will be checking out the Dallas Cowboys Camp this year, Simi is constantly performing and dancing so this will be a perfect camp for her to burn off all that energy. 
• Local Trips to amazing local sights like the zoo or museum, I know with the summer months most of these locations are running a ton of specials and even have fun little daily activities for the kids to come in and learn and explore. 
• Amusement Parks!!! These will always be a good summer break idea any day. A perfect one stop shop amusement park is Great Wolf Lodge, the water park was honestly a hit with the girls and tired them out so much. Check out their summer camp in program. 
• Trips! Traveling was always my most favorite memory when I was a child being able to go home and back to school at the beginning of the school year and sharing all the amazing adventures from my trip was so good to relive. So even if you are not able to plan a big international tip, I am sure there are plenty of places within driving distance if time or money doesn't permit for that. A stay-cation can be just as memorable, I know just within the state of TX there are so many places I plan to slowly start exploring with the family. 

• Support is what fuels this unpaid job, having people that are checking in, helping to step in and carry the weight when you need a little break. Good support for moms makes things a lot easier, having people you can call on either to ask for assistance or just to vent will make the burden a lot less heavy. 
• Support system is the village that carries you in motherhood, those are the people who uplift you and help in sowing into your kids. I think back to my childhood, having my grandparents active in our lives made a world of a difference especially with the extra help they were for my mom. Stepping in for carpools and just a sound board and voice of reason. 
• Motherhood can be quite a lonely journey in part because of how it hits you, there is no script or grade that  tells your if you are doing things right or wrong but, that's where support system comes in to lift you. A good support system will ease off the overwhelming feeling.