For the Love of Screen Time

This post is sponsored by Hulu.

I’ve met some moms in my day who are totally anti-screen time. Maybe you’ve met them, too. Maybe you are one of them!

My theory on motherhood goes something like, “If that works for you, great.” This applies nicely to a lot of mothering topics, and applies well to the families I’ve known who don’t allow much or any TV watching, movie nights, tablet time, etc. If that works for you, great.

But in our house, the kids love their screen time. I think I might love their screen time even more. And here are a few reasons why.

The quiet. I am sorry to say that these sweet angels don’t have the most angelic behavior. It’s a rare day when I don’t have to break up multiple fights, negotiate toy swaps, and convince them that they ought to still be friends after one has wounded the other (whether physically or emotionally). But when these two are placed in front of one of their favorite shows? It is so peaceful. So quiet. I bask in the absence of whining and crying and arguing and feel rejuvenated to handle another round of parenting when their show ends.

The influence of great shows. Sometimes I turn on the TV and feel bleak about the world. There’s so much garbage out there. But at the other end of the spectrum, there are shows that I love to let my kids watch, because they inspire their curiosity, or teach them kindness, or expose them to new ideas or places or people. I’m selective with the shows my kids are allowed to watch, and our favorite for years has been Curious George. I love that after watching George, my kids have exciting new thoughts and ideas, and they’ve learned new things. I can’t tell you how many times Forrest has told me something interesting he’s learned, and when I ask him where he heard it, the answer is Curious George. My kids are obsessed with that little monkey, which is fine by me, since it’s a show I’m happy to let them watch!

Curious George is now streaming only on Hulu, so you can easily watch all 9 seasons (that’s more than 100 episodes!) as well as the animated film Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey, exclusively on Hulu. We have had a Hulu subscription for quite a while, so I love the convenience and easy accessibility.

Screen time as a reward. I’m not above using a little bribery to squeeze good behavior out of my kids, and offering screen time is one of the most effective ways I’ve found to reward the kids. Their all-time favorite treat for good behavior is being allowed to stay up 15 minutes past bedtime to watch a show, and knowing that this reward is waiting for them has helped us survive many grocery trips and boring errands.

Getting stuff done time. Every day when Jeff gets home from work, he’ll list off all the things he accomplished that day, then asks me what I did. And I reply with an embarrassing average of 3 tasks I’ve completed (and sometimes those tasks are as simple as “I fed the kids lunch”), because it’s nearly impossible to get anything done when I’m constantly being interrupted to fetch snacks or referee arguments or change diapers. I’m amazed at how much stuff I can get done when the kids stay put on the couch for a few episodes of a show. I love being able to complete a chore uninterrupted, or work on dinner without having to stop every few seconds to help someone. I feel better about my day when I’ve ticked a few items off the to-do list, and the kids’ screen time helps me get important things done.

All 9 seasons of Curious George, as well as the animated film Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey, are now streaming only on Hulu. As with all kids programming on Hulu, Curious George streams commercial-free.

How do you handle screen time in your house? Do you have Curious George fans, too?

Mother's Day Truths

This post is sponsored by the theatrical release of Mother’s Day, in theaters April 29. #MothersDayMovie

Motherhood is the greatest gift, the biggest challenge, just the MOST of every emotion you can possibly fathom. And no matter how well prepared you may feel as you wait for your little one’s 

arrival, no matter how many books you’ve read or mom friends you’ve chatted with or viral Facebook articles you’ve shared on your wall, you simply cannot imagine the reality of daily motherhood until you experience it yourself. You will be endlessly surprised and frustrated by the things you’ll learn and experience.

No one else’s kids will ever be half as cute as your kids. Or even a third as cute. Or a quarter as cute. Your kids’ cuteness will absolutely demolish the cuteness of every other child you will ever behold. And every mother will think this about every child she has, whether they are actually beautiful or entirely average looking or even kinda goofy. 

Somehow, motherhood will simultaneously be the best and the very worst part of your life. You will understand deep in your soul that being a mother is the best, most meaningful, most beautiful thing you will ever experience in life. And I guarantee that less than five minutes after this realization hits your core, you will be at your wit’s end, fully prepared to set your children in a box on the side of the road with “free, no returns” scribbled on the side. And you will spend the next 18 years with these two extremes somehow co-existing in your heart. The good outweighs the bad—of course it does—but nothing else in your life will drive you to the brink of insanity with such merciless efficiency.

You’ll never feel like you’re doing a good job. You might feel like you’re doing an okay job, if you’re lucky. My oldest is only five, so perhaps the confidence comes later (I can only hope!). But so far, I’ve spent five years second-guessing my every decision, weighing myself up against other mothers (and consistently coming up short), and ending most days with a miles-long mental list of parenting regrets.

But they’ll let it go and love you anyway. I’m always amazed by how quick my kids are to forgive me 100% when I’ve screwed up and shouted at them for the fiftieth time in the span of an hour. They may sulk for a few minutes or use your mom guilt to manipulate you into buying them a donut at the grocery store (and it will work, every time), but they will always be ready with a hug and a sticky kiss. You’ll remember the mistakes you made today far longer than your kids will.

You’ll freak out as they grow up. And they’ll grow up so fast, just like everyone warned you they would. I do not consider myself a “baby person.” I always say that if I could just give birth to a 3-year old, I’d happily skip the baby stage entirely. And even so, I cry when I look at the pictures I took 3 or 6 or 12 months ago, wondering how is it possible that they’ve gotten so big?! 

But they’ll get better with age. This has been true so far. And I hope and pray with all my little heart that this continues for their whole lives. I am scared silly by the thought of my sweet babies growing into lumbering, sulky, emotional teenagers, but am comforted (slightly!) by the knowledge that each new stage my kids enter is my new favorite, and they just keep getting sweeter and cuter and more fun the older they get.

With Mother’s Day coming up, I can’t wait to see Mother’s Day in theaters April 29th. Three women. Three stories. This Mother’s Day, let go of your fears. Embrace the ones you love.

COME CELEBRATE THE MOTHER OF ALL HOLIDAYS. See #MothersDayMovie in theaters on April 29, starring Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson, Julia Roberts, and Jason Sudeikis!  https://www.facebook.com/SeeMothersDay/

This is the day that connects us all, and I’m so excited to watch this movie with my own mom! It’s a big-hearted comedy with a star-studded ensemble cast, and I bet it’s going to be the perfect way to celebrate.

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Trifle + Springtime Ice Cream Sundae Bar

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SoHoppinGood #CollectiveBias

We are so incredibly excited that spring has finally arrived, and since we are in a new area now, we decided to celebrate with a little get-together so the kids could get to know some of our new neighbors better. I pulled together a super quick and simple build-your-own ice cream sundae bar for an easy and fun party. We had a great time!

And for the grownups, I also made a crazy easy but crazy delicious trifle with brownie bites, Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, whipped cream, and hot fudge sauce. YUM.

It seriously took about 5 minutes to put together, but it tasted so good and looked pretty too. Win-win.

Let's start with the kids' adorable sundae bar, then I'll share the trifle instructions.

My kitchen hutch was really easy to deck out for spring with fresh white serveware and darling pink dishes, so it seemed like the perfect spot for a springtime ice cream party. I'm a firm believer that a simple party is the best kind there is. No need to stress out and make your life hectic and miserable to host a get-together. All it took was some yummy treats, simple dishes, and minimalistic decor to make this spot perfectly party ready.

I found the cutest little waffle bowls -- adorable, delicious, and they cut down on dishes I have to wash after everyone goes home. They are a triple threat. I set them out on a cute tray along with some spring decor.

And I put out an array of fun toppings for the kids to choose from. From left to right, we offered salted peanuts, brownie bites, rainbow sprinkles, banana slices, and chocolate sprinkles. We also had hot fudge and whipped cream, which I kept on the kitchen counter so kids wouldn't serve themselves and accidentally drip/spray it all over. The less hot fudge ends up on my kitchen floor, the happier Mama will be.

The 'Bunny Treats' sign felt very appropriate to put out on display with our Blue Bunny®  ice cream options. How cool is that new clear packaging? Love that you can see the flavor swirls through the packaging -- it makes choosing flavors in the store way more fun since you can see exactly what you're going to get!

Our tasty ice cream bar options were Blue Bunny® Super Chunky Cookie Dough (the crowd favorite!), Blue Bunny® Homemade Vanilla, and Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip. I picked them all up (along with all our party goodies and toppings) at Walmart during my regular weekly shopping trip, so it was quick and painless to prep for this party.

A few more white dishes and potted plants, and this made a cute little ice cream party station.

Now to serve the hungry little party animals! Certain little guests kept things simple with just a scoop of ice cream and no toppings (what?! why?!).

But others went all out and requested EVERY topping available. That's more like it.

But I'm pretty sure there are no wrong answers when it comes to a sundae bar. Except for maybe not partaking from the sundae bar at all.

I've never seen these adorable waffle bowls before, but I think they are going to be a must-have for future ice cream nights at our house. They were so tasty, so cute, and the perfect size for a little sundae!

My talented sister Rebekah (of Ritzy Reba designs) helped me out by designing this adorable coloring page for the kids to enjoy after they finished their sundaes. How cute is this?! Just right click on the image and hit 'save' to keep it and print at home for your own party! Please use and enjoy this design at home -- not for any commercial use :-)

For anyone unsatisfied by a build-your-own sundae bar (although I can't imagine WHO that person might be or WHAT their problem is), this amazing trifle should fit the bill very nicely. All the fun of a sundae, pre-stacked and ready to serve.

Mint Chocolate Chip Brownie Trifle

1/2 gallon Blue Bunny® Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream, softened
1 9x13 pan of brownies (I used a box mix), cut into bite size squares
1 (16 oz) tub frozen whipped topping, thawed
hot fudge sauce (enough to drizzle on top)

In a glass serving bowl or trifle dish, layer ingredients as follows:
1 - ice cream
2 - brownies
3 - whipped topping
4 - drizzle of hot fudge
5 - ice cream
6 - brownies
7 - whipped topping
8 - big drizzle of hot fudge
9 - brownies for garnish

Freeze until ready to serve, and let sit at room temperature 10 minutes before serving to soften slightly.

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Visit Blue Bunny® for more delicious #SoHoppinGood ice cream ideas!

Forrest's New Favorite App: Curious World

This post was sponsored on behalf of Curious World via One2One Network. All opinions stated are my own.

It’s been quite a while since I’ve shared our favorite educational apps, and there’s a reason that I haven’t had any new app recommendations to share . . . we had a long streak of struggling to find great new ones! My kids (especially Forrest) love playing on tablets, and I am happy to indulge that love, especially if the games and apps they use have some sort of educational benefit.

But it can be really difficult to find great learning apps that you, as a parent, will feel really comfortable letting your kids use.

Today, I want to share our experience with a new educational app called Curious World.

The short story: Forrest absolutely loves this app and actually has not wanted to play with any other apps on our iPad since downloading this one. I’m so happy with it and am thrilled that he wants to play with it so much, since I think it is fantastic.

The longer story: Curious World has a huge library of early learning activities specifically tailored to kids ages 3-7. The content is tailored to your child’s age, so you know everything they see will be age-appropriate for them. It can be used on iPads and iPhones, and offers a wonderful variety of games, videos, and books.

No big surprise what my favorite feature is, right? THE BOOKS. The app lets him choose from an
awesome library of books (some older favorites, such as Curious George classics, and plenty of great
newer releases, too!), and it reads aloud to him as he flips through the pages. Honestly, I would get the app for this feature alone!

I love that it reads aloud to him, but we also have the option to turn off the audio and read books together. There are recent books on here that I’ve been trying to track down at our local libraries and haven’t been able to find, so I’m really excited that it has such an amazing selection.

There are also all kinds of wonderful games that teach letters and spelling, language skills, math, animals, science, and more. Many of the games feature Curious George, which is a major bonus for my kids, since they are both obsessed with George.

One of Forrest’s favorite features, and the one I see him exploring most, is the video section. Curious World has all sorts of awesome kid-friendly videos about everything under the sun: stories, crafts and experiments kids can do at home, National Geographic features on cool animals like stingrays and tigers, simple explanations of scientific ideas like weather, animal habitats, and evaporation, plus exercises kids can do at home . . . there are so many videos on such a huge variety of topics, and Forrest loves watching them.

One video Forrest particularly loved was all about making DIY shadow puppets at home.

I saw him watch it a few times in a row, then he came to me and listed out everything he’d need to make them himself, and explained to me how to do it. He was so excited to make his own shadow puppets and put on a puppet show. We made these puppets together based on the video.

Awkward smile, because he was so excited to play with them and didn’t want to stop for a picture!

I never would have thought of making shadow puppets together, but he was really eager to make them
after watching the video. As I’m typing this up, he and Darcy have been putting on shadow puppet shows for over an hour. OVER. AN. HOUR. This is awesome. Not only does the app entertain him and teach him new ideas and skills, but it prompted him to do a creative activity we wouldn’t have done on our own, and he’s having an awesome time imagining stories to act out with his shadow puppets.

For those of you with kids in the 3-7 age range who are interested in a really extensive educational app for your kids, I totally recommend Curious World. It is a subscription service, but you can sign up for a 30-day free trial if you want to check it out before you commit! There are no advertisements at all, so you don’t have to worry about kids clicking something that will charge you extra, or take them to another site or app. Download in the App Store today! The collection of videos, games, and books is curated by global learning company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and new content is added weekly, so there’s always something new to check out. And there’s even a dashboard for parents so you can see what your content your child is accessing the most (like if they’re avoiding math activities and focusing on reading, or if they prefer books over games, etc).

I have been so, so happy with the app, and Forrest has, too. Gotta love an app that he is crazy about, and doesn’t even realize that he’s learning.

The Nuggets' Christmas Sunday Outfits

When I was little, my sister and I always got new matching dresses to wear to church for Easter and Christmas. I'm happy to carry on the tradition as best I can with my kids.

We're also creating our own family tradition of being late to church every week because Mama needs pictures of her babies in front of the garage door. It's nice to have special traditions during this time of year.

Believe it or not, the stylish mittens you see here were not actually meant to be part of their outfits. But you can only make so many requests (demands) before these two are pushed into an irreversible meltdown, and I had already taken away the beloved pacifier, so the mittens stayed. And Darcy insisted on wearing hers for her nap, and to bed last night. Because mittens.

Darcy's adorable little dress is not the most Christmas-y Christmas dress ever, but I love that it is versatile. She'll be able to wear it all through the winter and into spring and summer without it looking too seasonal. I found this dress on sale at The Children's Place a few weeks ago, and ordered it in a 3T. Darcy just turned 2, but she's quite tall and outgrowing most of her 2T stuff already, and I wanted to make sure she had a little room to grow with this one. It's a bit big in the bodice, but not bad. I think it was $12 when I bought it, but is now marked down to $9.

Forrest's pants are also from The Children's Place. We have a really hard time finding pants that fit him. He has a nice big round tummy, and it's been very tough to find pants that will button around his belly, without looking too big in the legs. We finally had luck with size 5 husky jeans and chinos from The Children's Place. He's so excited to have pants that fit him comfortably now!

I made his bow tie a few years ago, and was glad to see that it still fits (and coordinates perfectly with Darcy's red tights).

Do you do the matchy-matchy look for Christmas, too?

Deep Thoughts with Forrest #16

Forrest: Now that I'm 5, I am the most smart!
Me: Yeah! You'll just keep getting bigger and smarter as you grow.
(pause)
Me: Well, some people never get much smarter.
Forrest: Like Daddy.
Me: ???????

As you may recall, I trimmed my pixie up a bit with the idea of styling it in a faux hawk . . . which I ended up feeling a bit awkward wearing. It's growing on me now that I've done it a few times, but I was asking the family what they thought of it.
Forrest: Your hair makes you look like a man.
Jeff: I like it. I think it looks cool.
Forrest: No, Daddy is lying to you. He is just saying that to be polite.
Jeff: No I'm not! I really like it.
Forrest: . . . You look like a man.

Relayed to me from his preschool teacher.
Forrest: (at school) Miss ___________, did you know you are my buddy?!
Teacher: Thank you, Forrest! You're my buddy, too!
Forrest: I know.
(pause)
Forrest: But you are not my best buddy. And I can't tell you who my best buddy is, because it would hurt your feelings that you are not my best buddy.

At his 5-year checkup with his pediatrician.
Doctor: Forrest, do you have any questions for me about your body or your health?
Forrest: (without even a second of hesitation) Yes. How did Jesus make my brain?
Doctor: How did . . . how did Jesus make your brain?
Forrest: Yes.
Doctor: . . .

I forget what we were talking about here, but I jokingly said . . . 
Me: Are you crazy?!
Forrest: No! I'm not crazy! But I actually am a little bit toot-ish. *farts*

While I'm scurrying around, getting dinner ready.
Forrest: Are you tired of doing all this work?
Me: Yes.
Forrest: Do you wish you were a little girl right now so you wouldn't have to work anymore?
Me: . . . yes.


I tried a new foundation and knew that Forrest's brutal childhood honesty would be a good indicator of whether or not I picked a spot-on match for my skin color.
Me: Hey Forrest, come look at my face. Does it look okay? Does anything look different about it today?
Forrest: (inspects) It's fine.
Me: Okay, thanks.
Forrest: You look nice. Today you do not look like a man.
Me: 
Forrest: Sometimes you do look like a man, but not today.
Me: 

Jeff and I have noticed that Forrest has pretty much no resiliency or self-motivation . . . if he wants to do something and he finds it hard, he gets upset and gives up immediately. He's been enjoying his karate classes until the last few weeks, when he's been complaining that they're too hard and he wants to stop going. We don't really want him to give up on it just because it's difficult, so we've been talking to him about giving his best effort and not giving up on things. 
Jeff: So, do you understand what it means to try your best and not give up?
Forrest: Yes.
Jeff: Ok, awesome.
Forrest: And do you know what?
Jeff: What?
Forrest: I am going to not quit. I'm going to eat my whole breakfast now and not even give up until it is all gone!

Super Easy Minions Movie Night

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MinionsMovieNight #CollectiveBias

Forrest absolutely loved seeing Minions in theaters when it came out, and he hasn't stopped talking about it since. He begs for every minion toy he sees, and has asked over and over when the movie will come out so we can buy it. I couldn't resist for long--I didn't get to see it with him in theaters, and I've been so excited to watch it after seeing how much he loves it, so I picked it up recently for us to watch together. And I thought it would be fun to invite a few of the kids' friends over for an awesome Minions movie night! They had such a blast together, eating yummy snacks and watching their new favorite movie with their buddies.

Today I want to show you a super simple party you can easily recreate at home to celebrate the release of Minions © 2015 Universal Studios. All rights reserved. I think I spent about 30 minutes getting everything ready for our little movie night, and the kids had such a great time watching one of their favorite movies with their friends. You seriously can't beat a fast, simple party--quick decorations, easy food, and the kids having a fantastic time watching a great movie with buddies!

Super easy setup, but it looks so fun, right? I started by clearing off a small entry table and draping a yellow plastic tablecloth over it and tacking it up against the wall. You can find these disposable plastic tablecloths in lots of colors at the dollar store, and they make the perfect party backdrop because they're so inexpensive and make a great colorful background. Yellow and blue balloons are perfect for representing the minions and their signature colors, and I tossed some blue paper confetti over the tablecloth for a little extra color.

I wanted the food spread to be simple and easy to prepare, and also relatively healthy for the kids to snack on while they enjoyed the movie. I set out plates full of sliced fruit as well as 2 yummy dips for the kids to dunk their fruit in.

To keep with the blue and yellow theme inspired by Illumination Entertainment's Minions, I made two yummy fruit dips: Pineapple Vanilla and Blueberry Marshmallow. Oh man, they were good, and so perfect to go along with the movie since they kept with the yellow and blue colors! You can find the recipes at the bottom of this post.

I also set out wooden skewers so the kids could make fruit kebabs to dip. Forrest stuck to a strict grape theme when making his kebabs. (Notice that there are little girls' hands reaching in from both sides of the frame. Ha! Hungry little cuties.)

I made really easy blue popcorn by simply popping a bag of popcorn, placing it in a big bowl, melting a bag of blue candy melts, and stirring it into the popcorn. So easy, and so festive and fun for a minions party! I also set out pretzels and blue raspberry juice with yellow straws.

They snacked on the food spread while watching the movie, and then we played a quick game of 'pin the goggles on the minion' when the movie ended. I cut the minion shape out of yellow posterboard, and made overalls out of blue construction paper. Easy and fast!

They also got a kick out of seeing themselves in homemade goggles inspired by the minions. I cut them out of black construction paper and taped them onto a wooden skewer for a photobooth type of prop, and they thought it was hilarious to wear goggles like the minions. "Say bee-do!"
 

Now, for those delicious fruit dip recipes!

Pineapple Vanilla Fruit Dip
adapted from Mandy's Recipe Box

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 (3.4 ounce) box vanilla flavored instant pudding
16 ounce can crushed pineapple with juice
8 ounces frozen whipped topping, thawed

Beat cream cheese with electric beaters in a medium bowl until smooth and creamy. Beat in the pudding mix and pineapple; stir until smooth. If you want a more intense yellow color, add a few drops of yellow food coloring. Gently fold in the whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Blueberry Marshmallow Fruit Dip
adapted from My Sweet Sanity

7 ounce jar marshmallow fluff
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1 cup frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 cup frozen blueberries, thawed

Beat cream cheese with electric beaters until smooth and creamy. Beat in the marshmallow fluff and blueberries until thoroughly combined. Gently fold in whipped topping. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

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Make sure to visit the Minions website to see where you can purchase your copy, as well as some special offers from retailers! Have you seen Minions yet? What was your favorite part?