Do you know a mom with a new baby? Or someone whose spouse just had an operation? What about a friend who could use a break? I’ve found that sometimes the best way to show I care is simple: show up with something delicious. Our elderly neighbor’s wife was recently in the hospital for several weeks….
What to make for dinner when you’re exhausted. Because work, kids and puppies.
Experts keep telling me to cook more often, and they’ve been doing it for a while now. Sometimes I would like to invite those guys to my house. That way I can give them a tour of Laundry Mountain, which is located just beyond Pile of Coats. Turn the corner and ta da you’ll find the crumbly countertop…
Don’t overthink “healthy” food, experts say. Just cook more often: 10 simple recipes for busy families
Do you want to start eating healthier food? Do you want to start feeding your kids healthier food, but aren’t sure where to start? Forget organic. Skip the latest expose on the “hidden dangers” of food lurking in the florescent aisles of your own grocery store. Eating healthier food as a family is simpler than…
Is your child hungry, or just tired? Why I stopped feeding snacks to kids who need rest instead
What to do when “Mommy, I’m hungry” really means your kid is tired. Once I started paying attention to how much sleep our kids were getting — and what happened when they didn’t get enough — it really clicked. The connection between being hungry and being tired. And it’s one that I want to course…
The case for playing instead of “exercising”: How to hook your kids on staying fit for life
Our kids don’t “exercise”, they play. And it makes all the difference. As part of this month’s focus on teaching kids to take care of their bodies, today we’re talking movement! The Mayo Clinic says kids need 60 minutes of exercise a day (but not continuously) to thrive. But it almost sounds ominous. Like another…
Teaching kids character, one bite at a time
And just like that, I’m back. It’s been a long year off consulting full time for a giant non-profit organization. Helping them tell their story. Now I’m here again to continue with mine. This year we’ll talk about food, and plenty of it. Good-for-you food, kid-friendly food, easy food. But I’m also moving deeper into the…
10 Fast Weeknight Dinner Ideas Your Kids Will (Really) Love: This Working Mom of 4 Tested Them All
What do you make for dinner when you’re in a hurry after work? For every busy parent, it’s hard to beat a few easy weeknight dinner ideas your kids will really, truly, love. And boy do I know it because I just started a giant new consulting job that actually requires me to go to…
10 game-changing ideas for packing kids’ lunches in a Thermos
We’ve recently discovered something that’s changed everything: lunch in a Thermos. Instead of stuffing sandwiches in bento boxes every morning, now I have the chance to fill cute little containers with all sorts of hot – and cold – dishes. Not only does the Thermos approach increase the variety of food they are eating at lunch (added nutrition!)…
5 Things Living In Italy Taught Me About Bringing Small Kids to Restaurant
“You know, we don’t have a children’s menu,” the receptionist told me over the phone, his voice suddenly getting a little terse. “Yes, I know,” I said. “We’ll be fine.” I mean, I hope we’ll be fine. When I called for a reservation at one of our town’s nicest restaurants near me that caught my…
Here’s What Happened When I Cut Out Afternoon Snacks…And Why I Did It
Are you tired of stressing out about dinner? About trying to make something everyone likes? About going round and round on this little gem: “HOW MANY BITES do I have to take?” Me too. So I changed two major things recently. And everything turned around. Let me start with this though: they sound harsh. These…
The Safest Way to Cut Grapes to Avoid Choking and the Age Experts Suggest You Stop
Do you worry about your kids choking on food? I think almost all of us do. And unfortunately it’s for good reason. “Researchers estimate that emergency rooms treat more than 10,000 kids a year for food-choking incidents,” reports Health Day. And it gets worse. “It is estimated that one child dies every five days due…
How to Make Dinner Faster and Easier: 8 Tricks I Learned from a Nutritionist and Mom of 2
It’s just a fact. Family life gets busy and making time for dinner together can be tough. But here’s the thing: making dinner at home –and eating together — is worth it. And thanks to smart tips like these, dinner can be faster and easier than you might think. How can you make dinner at home when…
4 Surprising Ways to Feed Your Family Better Instantly: Lessons from Michael Pollan and More
Michael Pollan is right again. Want to feed your family healthier food? Don’t worry so much about fads or trendy ingredients he says in his new PBS documentary. Just eat healthy-ish. Ever since I started cooking for my first baby six years ago, which was around the same time that I started paying attention to what I…
How 6 Rules Can Transform Your Family Meals from Stressful to Enjoyable (Even With Small Kids)
Does your family dinner include a lot of complaining? Do you look forward to spending that time together, or is it more stressful than anything else? When it’s time to clean up after a meal, is everyone helping out? You can guess how I used to answer these questions at my own house: YES, THE…
2 Thanksgiving Traditions We’re Starting While the Kids are Young
We have four small kids and the biggest one is six. This will be the first year that all of them eat solid foods. So, our holiday traditions are evolving our family grows. But even though they’re still small, we’re starting two traditions this year. In fact, we’re doing it because they’re still small. Tradition 1:…
3 reasons why you should cook with your kids; Plus our favorite memory-making recipes for fall
Even though it usually takes longer. Even though it’s definitely messier. You should cook with your kids. Not every meal. Because time in the universe we live in, the one dictated by a 24-hour clock that just won’t budge no matter how hard I try to explain that I need at least two extra hours in the…
The Simple Way We Cut Fights, Made Bedtime Easier & Increased the Peace at Dinner
Sometimes I forget that I am the leader of this unit. That these tiny faces, the ones that look just like my own, are actually expecting me to set the tone, to explain the rules, to lead them through each and every day. Even when I’m tired out. Or hungry. Or just plain spent. That’s been happening…
Is this Square Sandwich Cutter Worth It?
Kitchen gadgets generally fall into one of two categories: Useful A complete waste of money (not to mention space) We tried the FunBites Square Shaped Food Cutter and… Love it. Category #1 for the win. How Does it Work? Make a regular sandwich–the cutter works best on something sticky like PB&J, instead of salami or…
Healthy School Lunch Ideas
Are your kids getting 5 servings of fruit & vegetables a day? That’s what experts recommend. At least. Sound hard? That’s where our healthy school lunch ideas come in. About lunch boxes My four kids love their PlanetBox lunchboxes. Made out of stainless steel, they’re practically indestructible and boy do they make food look nice….
12 Pictures of What 5 Servings of Fruit & Veggies a Day Looks Like for Kids
You know how we’re supposed to eat 5 servings of fruit & veggies a day? Adults should eat 5 servings, kids should eat 5 servings. Most of us aren’t. In 2013, the CDC found that most American adults and teens get somewhere around 1 serving of fruit and up to 1.6 servings of vegetables a day. At best,…