Nifty Mom – Page 78 – Samantha King – St. Louis Content Creator

Potty Training Tips – High Fives & Pull-Ups #HuggiesWalmart

My two older sons are 2 & 3 and are only 14 months apart in age. My two year old always wants to be like his big brother, do everything he does and follow his lead. My oldest has been pretty much potty-trained for awhile now and last week it was clear Chase wanted to be as well. One morning as Ethan got a new pair of underwear, Chase also got one, handed it to me and said he wanted to wear them too and be a ‘big boy like Ethan’. Throughout the day, he showed more signs of his readiness and eagerness to start his potty training journey. He would tell me when he wet his diaper and asked to sit on the potty a few times. I say it’s time for some training pants!

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How I Enjoy Restaurant-Style Salads at Home with Lean Cuisine #BYOL

If you follow me on Twitter, you probably know from my profile that ‘I am probably craving a salad right now.’ I enjoy them so much I could literally eat a salad for every meal. However, just because I am craving one doesn’t mean I get a chance to indulge in one daily. During meal time, I tend to only focus on my kids (3, 2 & almost 1). By the time I get their lunch prepared, food on the table and start to feed my 11 month old, I realize I forgot about myself. Most days I end up just grabbing some (unhealthy) snack foods and more days than not, I really don’t eat lunch.

My goal lately has been to stop skipping meals and start eating healthier. I would love to have a salad everyday, but I have to find something that is quick and easy to make. When I was making a late night run to Walmart last week, I may have found my match made in heaven.

Cooking with Fisher Nuts Prize Pack Giveaway (Ends 12/28)

The holiday season typically includes extra time in the kitchen cooking and baking. To help make holiday cooking a little easier, Fisher Nuts is teaming up with Food Network Chef Alex Guarnaschelli, a regular judge on Chopped, to offer some simple twists for cooking with nuts. They have compiled a list of 10 Simple Twists on Cooking with Nuts. One of my favorite tips is to use nuts instead of breadcrumbs for added flavor and nutrition. A twist I can’t wait to try is to add a few nuts to some of the cooking liquid when slow cooking meat, blend it smooth and pour it back into the rest of the cooking liquid to naturally enrich the flavor and thicken the sauce.

Quick & Easy Cranberry Salad Recipe

The holiday season is all about creating and sharing special moments with loved ones. One dish that has become a cherished part of our family gatherings is this easy and delicious Cranberry Salad. It is a delightful combination of flavors that adds a burst of festive color to the table and is perfect for prepping ahead during those busy, entertaining days.

BabbaBox Helps Me Spend Fun, Quality Time with My Son

My three year old is growing into a young little man too fast and is extremely eager to learn new things all the time. His imagination and creativity has exploded the last few months and I am doing everything I can to encourage it. Sometimes it is difficult for me to get quality time with him. However, when my younger two sons manage to take their afternoon nap at the same time, I get some one-on-one time with Ethan. As a busy Mom of three, I don’t always have time to put together new, fun educational projects and that is where BabbaBox comes in.

BabbaBox is a monthly subscription home-delivered box. Each box has a theme and it includes everything needed to create projects and expand the minds of three to six year old kids. Each box contains three products, a book, digital download and a parent gift.

We received the ‘Sun, Moon, & Stars’ box which included:

CREATE: Paper-Mache Glowing Moon
CREATE: Star Constellation
EXPLORE: Lunar Calendar and Binoculars
STORY TELL: ‘Twinkle, Star of the Week‘ Book
CONNECT: Digital Content with How-To Play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on a Digital Piano and a ‘Planet Finder’
PARENT GIFT: Star Wine Cork

Wordless Wednesday – Attempting to Take Pictures for Christmas Cards

This past weekend my husband and I attempted to get a picture to use on our Christmas cards. Getting three kids to cooperate… not an easy thing to do!

I linked up at Random Mommy.

How to Make an Ornament Out of a Photo

Two years ago I attempted to start a tradition at Christmas. Each year I want to make a new ornament capturing my kids (See the photo ornament I made the first year here). I say attempted because last year I failed. But I had a good excuse… We moved into our new house on Dec 8th and had to unpack, decorate, host 3 holiday parties AND I was eight months pregnant. It was pretty stressful and the ornament was the last thing on my mind. So this year I plan on making two, one with a photo from last year and a new one for this year. This is the ornament I just made for last year with a photo from Dec 2011.