Soft or Strong

With a new baby and mom and dad back at school there are some big changes happening at the Kerr house. One of the big changes is simply in how the kids are cared for. This semester my classes are 100% online. E however spends about thirty hours a week at school and another thirty hours a week at work which means instead of splitting parenting jobs so I take care of the kids during the day and E does so at night, I am taking on more of a twenty-four-seven role so E can get some homework done when he finally does get home at night.

One place this is really showing is in the discipline the boys receive. In the past I have been what E calls “the soft one” because I like to give second chances and encourage the kids to behave rather than disciplining them harshly when they do something wrong. One big reason for this is that for about half of the last five years I have been pregnant which, for me, means little to no lifting and changes the way I deal with life altogether.

E, on the other hand, is a much stronger disciplinarian. Not to say that he is mean, because he's not, but he is much more willing, and able, to physically help the boys along by lifting them to get them where they are supposed to be or physically putting them on time out, a place they really don't like to go.

As a mom I really don't have a problem with either discipline style. In fact, both are needed in our home because a strong approach leaves B in tears every time but a soft approach has no effect on C and he will completely ignore you unless you physically get his attention. This is why, as a mom, I am working to better use both techniques so that I can better care for and teach my children. It would be nice if you could pick one technique and that it would work for everyone but, since we're human, we know that is not the case and I'm so glad we have the choice between soft and strong every time we need to discipline someone we love.

I am also so glad we get to choose between soft and strong in other choices in our life, like our choice in bathroom tissue. Charmin has been so nice to give us this wonderful choice because as we well know the same thing doesn't work for everyone.

I was compensated for this blog post as part of the SocialMoms and Charmin blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. For more blog posts on this topic, click here.

Be Your Best

With every new baby comes a chance to reevaluate your gals and dreams. Whether it is your first or your fourth the ideas a woman has about being her best self change throughout pregnancy and when the baby finally arrives. With the arrival of our new little one my ideas about my best self have again changed. There was a time, not too long ago, when my dreams of my best self included a beautiful home, nice car, and an exciting job. With the birth of my first child things became a little simple and I was concerned only about having a vacuumed house, clean laundry, and delicious meals on the table. Today my version of my best self is, again, a little bit different. My goals focus more on keeping myself and my family happy and healthy.

Today in being my best self my life is focused on my children and husband. Many days I'm doing my best if I am up, dressed and have eaten by the time my husband comes home from work. Yes, there are times when I feel I don't do enough but that is ok. I have these four little things called children and often times they get put first, which is really ok. I know as long as I try a little harder each day and always give life 100% that I am being the best person I can be. Even when I'm still in my pajamas and haven't eaten I am my best when my children are happy and cared for and I am ok with that.

Because I understand this about myself, I am super excited to announce the O! You event taking place this fall. O! You, put on by The Oprah Magazine, is taking place October 20, 2012 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This will be a wonderful day of learning, inspiration and fun with many of your favorite O Magazine favorites including Gayle King, Suze Orman, Martha Beck, Peter Walsh, and others.

As these speakers focus on the questions “Who are you meant to be?”, “What's holding you back?”, and “How are you living your best life every day?” your self-image can't go anywhere but up. What a great chance to be reminded of your own importance while enjoying your time out and about.

Now I'm sure you're wondering about how to get tickets for this awesome event. You can, of course, purchase them or you can win them by playing games at The Clorox Lounge. By simply playing you can win one of ten Kindle Fires or this great O! You grand prize including round trip airfare to Los Angeles California, two nights hotel accommodations and admission to O! You. What a great chance to win!

I was compensated for writing this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and The Clorox Lounge blogging program. The opinions and ideas expressed here are my own. To read more posts on this topic, click here.

Time to Plan for Summer Vacation

There is nothing more fun than a family summer vacation. When I was growing up one of our very favorite family vacations was visiting our East Coast cousins. One year I remember meeting my aunt, uncle and their kids at Virginia Beach where we had a blast!

My aunt and uncle didn't live too far away so Virginia Beach was a trip their kids were used to and they had so much fun showing me and my five siblings around. My parents rented a small house just two blocks from the beach which meant we were never to far to run home for food or a quick nap.

The week was so much fun. I remember spending the mornings out in the sand. We'd build castles, make each other into mermaids, and play in the water. We had some amazing castles and lots of cousin fun.

In the afternoons as it got warmer we'd head inside. The babies would take naps while the dads and big brothers played games in the rental home. The big girls (we were all of 12) got to go shopping. Their were lots of fun stores with interesting items made out of shells, sand and driftwood. We also found some awesome clothing. In fact, I still wear one of the shirts I got there, it's C's favorite because it has “fishies” on it.

In the evenings it was always fun to find someplace for dinner. A few nights we cooked right there at the house and ate watching the sun set. Other nights we would visit one of the many fun restaurants. Seafood was always my favorite choice of food, it still is most days, but there was something available for everyone and we were able to feed all the hungry children without too many complaints.

E and I look forward to being able to take our boys to see the sights around Virginia Beach someday too. We'll probably wait until their a little older but it will be a fun opportunity since their Grandma doesn't live too far a way and my cousins are still around too. It will make an awesome family vacation! I want to share with them not only the fun things I did as a child but also visit some of the local historical sites and do more activities off the beach. It will be so much fun! I can't wait to start planning!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach blogging program. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Winter Driving

We got more snow in Idaho this week. In fact, E had to plow for the first time this winter. Needless to say, driving to school has been quite interesting. Today I want to share a few tips about safe winter driving, with or without kids, for you to use as the weather gets wet.

1. Drive Slowly - This is by far the most important thing you can do with winter driving. There are many good reasons to drive slowly. First is that you are less likely to slide as you have less need of brakes. The other reason this is important is that if you do end up sliding you will be much more likely to get the car under control or if you hit something you will do less damage. If everyone would follow this simple rule there would be far fewer winter accidents.
2. Stay of the Roads - the other obvious solution to safe winter driving is to not drive. This doesn't always work but if you are not comfortable on the roads you should probably just stay home. Most people will understand.
3. Scrape your Windshield - Being able to see is an important part of driving any time of year. Please make sure you can see out the whole front and rear windshields and your side windows/rear view mirrors before you pull out of the driveway. Yes, it make take you five minutes but it will greatly increase the chances you have of getting to your destination safely.
4. Keep your Windshield Wipers in Good Condition - If your wipers don't work well it can cause you some serious problems. This is an inexpensive fix. You can buy wiper blades at Walmart and put them on yourself. If you don't know how email me and I will write a tutorial. All you need is the new blades and a pair of needle nose pliers.
5. Have good Tires - You may not think that something this simple can make a difference in winter driving but I am here to tell you that having new tires will make a big difference in your ability to navigate winter roads.
6. Keep A Cell Phone and Blanket - These two little things will become your friend if you do get stranded somewhere. We all hope this doesn't happen but it is always better to be prepared.

I sincerely hope that all of you are driving safe this winter. Please be safe, warm and happy as we head into February!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Esurance blogging program for 8,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Why Gift Cards are Great!

As a full time student I have exactly one week to prepare for Christmas. This means this week things have been a little crazy at my house. One thing I have found that makes my life a lot simpler is using fit cards for family gifts.

Yes, we still do toys and clothes and such for our kids but everyone else gets a gift card. I first got this idea from my Uncle R. He is an awesome guy and has sent me a gift card for Christmas for as long as I can remember. Uncle R travels a lot for work and, since he is not married, sending a gift card for each of his nieces and nephews has worked well for him. We've gotten everything from Walmart to Pier1 Imports to I-Tunes. Many of these gift cards were Ten or Twenty dollars but as I've gotten older, and married, he's been awesome to send cards of higher amounts to places like ToysRUs that I can then use on anything from diapers to birthday gifts. These gift cards are a present I look forward to every year!

Since I have started using gift cards for our family my life has gotten so much easier. Because our family lives everywhere from Washington D.C. to Seattle, I love sending gift cards because I save in shipping! This means the money I could have spent on shipping can be put on the gift card and be enjoyed by the recipient.

The other reason I love gift cards is because then people can buy what the really want, or need, and they don't have to feel bad about returning things. Just like with Uncle R, if someone needs diapers I'm more than happy to provide.

Gift cards are a great option for mailing, stocking stuffers, and just about any gift giving occasion you could think of. Plus, if you plan things right, you can get bonus gift cards, or discounted ones, so you can save a ton of money. Check it out, you'll probably be surprised at what you can find! Oh, and if you're like me and your holiday cards are still sitting on your desk, it's super simple to throw in a gift card before they go in the mailbox. The best part, you don't even need to go to the post office!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Our House to Yours!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Gift Cards Rock blogging program, for 6,000 My SocialMoms Rewards Points. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Pre-Christmas Organizing

In many homes it seems to be tradition to have a pre-Christmas cleaning session. It is like spring cleaning but for the toy room and the closet so all the new gifts fit. The Kerr house is not exempt from this project and this year we are so excited to have awesome new rooms to clean. Today I'd like to share with you some of our best organizing tips.

1. Get sturdy bins. A good bin that is not going to break when your child steps on it is an excellent first step. Broken bins are the first step to a huge mess so we have found this investment to be well worth the money. We also like to use ones with nice handles so the kids can carry them without leaving a trail.
2. Avoid lids. Especially for little kids, lids are just something else they cannot put back. Lids make a mess, break easily, and in general are just something else to keep track of. We've found that it is much easier to keep things clean if we just leave them off.
3. Use pictures. For our little kids this is very important. B & C have no idea what "truck" means but if I draw a picture as a label for the box we all know exactly what belongs there and they can then get the right item in the right spot all by themselves.
4. Have sturdy Shelves. Another important part of every toy room is the shelves. Sturdy shelves save so much space and help keep things organized. Once again, avoid doors as it is just one more thing that makes your room look messy. At the Kerr house we have opted for a set of bookshelves with the backs taken off so our boxes fit better.
5. Get a stuffed animal net. We got this last Christmas and it has turned out to be a lifesaver! The animals used to slowly overtake my house but now that they are out of reach it has greatly reduced our mess.
6. Clean up regularly. It has become routine at our house to clean up each night after dinner. The big deal is Mom & Dad do not clean up the toys, B & C do. This has been a great learning experience for them and they now do it willingly while we clean up dinner and do other necessary chores.
7. Don't be afraid to throw toys away. Get rid of broken toys, toys your kids no longer use, or toys that don't have all the pieces and do not work. Not having all the little pieces for a game the kids have destroyed will save you a lot of pick up time. Just wait till the kids are in bed before throwing them away and they will never be the wiser.
8. Rotate toys. Another strategy is to rotate toys. Kids often get bored of toys when they play with the same ones day after day. Try rotating which ones are on the lower shelves and/or putting some in a box and putting them away for a month or two. Each time you do this it will be like Christmas all over again.
9. Don't buy little dinky toys. Don't waste your money on little dollar store toys. It is so much better to save your money or purchase a better quality toy so that it does not break a week later and then lay around your toy room for the next year.
10. Keep toys out of the kids rooms. This is something we are just beginning to do now that we have an actual toy room but so far it is working well. The boys don't have hardly any toys in their bedrooms which helps me keep them clean and be able to have successful nap times. I think this is especially important for toddlers who are easily distracted.

 I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Hot Wheels® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Preparing the Nursery

Preparing a nursery for your little one is something that I envy. Three kids down the road I have yet to do so. With B it was because I was put on bed rest and spent the last 10 weeks of my pregnancy in and out of the hospital. C of course just decided to arrive early and with B's developmental delays the nursery was the last thing on my mind. With D I had all the good intentions of preparing the nursery. I had it all planed out for our new house so as soon as we moved I could get his room ready. Of course, we didn't end up moving until after he was born and since then we've been frantically trying to get the house put together so we can focus on school.

One thing I have done however is make a quilt for each of my children. This is something special for me to work on prior to their birth and something they can keep for years to come. I still have the quilt(s) my grandmother made for me as a baby/young girl and they mean so much to me. C especially loves "his" blanket and will tell anyone who steals it exactly what he thinks. I also made a matching crib set that all the boys have used. It's not fancy but they like it and the bright fabric and pictures make their room a bright and happy place.

One thing I'm going to do for the nursery as soon as I have two minutes to spare is paint. Our new house is all white upstairs and I'm already planning colors. In the nursery I want to do light blue walls and than my good friend is going to come help me paint something fun. Right now I'm thinking some jungle animals.

The other thing our nursery needs is some curtains. I love the large windows in our new home but sometimes it makes it more difficult to get nap time because it is so bright. I'm still looking for the perfect set of curtains for this room.

For me the most important thing about a room however is the toys inside. My kids don't have tons of toys in their rooms simply because I want them to sleep at bedtime but, the decorations and furniture can all help your child's development. We love to use bright colors with simple furniture. Step stools are a must, they do so much as your child gets older and you can find some very cute ones to match their room. Blankets are also important. C needs a special weighted blanket but for any child having covers they love can greatly help sleep.

What is your nursery theme? Tell us about it, we love pictures too!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seventh Generation blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Our New Backyard

We are so disappointed that it is getting cold outside. Since we have moved, and now have a great fenced backyard, the boys have loved being outside. They will spend all day out there some days and have a grand time. This has however caused a few problems that we have not had in the past.

For starters we have learned that C is allergic to sunscreen, especially on his face. This means they either have to wear their awesome Kerrific sun hats or not go out.Thankfully, they are usually pretty good at putting their hats on and keeping them on, the rest of the time they are used as buckets and are full of dirt, rocks, and grass.

The second problem we have had is that the boys have decided they love to play in the dog's food and water. This makes a HUGE mess and is so frustrating. They are learning, slowly, but I guess that's better than nothing. Do you have any tips or tricks on how to keep toddlers out of the animals' food/water?

The last problem we've been having is that C has been having more asthma attacks. This is so hard because he wants to keep playing when it happens and just can't. It also means that we have had to bring out the breathing treatments which he hates. He had a bad attack yesterday with the babysitter. I hadn't even thought to warn her so we got home and she tells us that C is up and didn't get a nap because he was coughing. It was kinda funny because she was telling me he wasn't like that in the morning and promising me she didn't break him. The good news is that we gave him a treatment and he was back to "normal" before the night was over.

Although they have had fun for the little bit of summer we've had left after moving I can't wait to see their reaction when I can send them out to play in the snow. I know they have snow pants and coats but I need to find them a good pair of gloves so they can continue to enjoy the great outdoors once the snow flies.

What do your toddlers like to do outside? Do they have a special game they like to play? Do you have a special place you like to go (http://clorox2play2day.com)? Tell us about it with a comment below this post!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Clorox2® blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

The Days My Boys Were Born

I honestly don't remember much about the days my boys were born but there are a few things that stand out to me about each of their births.

B was born early in the morning. I had spent the day before moving everything out of my house so they could lay new carpet, yes, I was supposed to be on bed rest. Anyway, I woke up to my water breaking and got E out of bed. I remember that summer that every road between our house and the hospital was under construction so it seemed to take forever and the road was so bumpy. I also remember the nurse at the hospital, who I had seen quite a few times already that pregnancy, tell me that I was not leaving this time without a baby and it being the best news I'd heard in a long time.

C was born in the middle of the day on a Sunday. I went to church and had contractions the whole time. By the time I got home I was in so much pain I sat on the bed and just held my belly. E took B over to my friend's house across town and then came home and took me to the hospital. Once I got their they tried to stop my labor which didn't work so we got to have a baby. The next two weeks C was in the NICU and they were probably close to the worst weeks of my life. It was so hard having B at home needing care and feeling like I should be with C but E had to work the whole time so it was very frustrating.

D's birth was a little more recent, of course, so I remember a little more. I went to bed the night before he was born having pretty good contractions. They were consistent but I couldn't seem to make them get better or worse so I went to bed. I woke up pretty early, really early for me, and they were much worse so we called our wonderful friend and neighbor who came over to watch the boys and E again took me to the hospital. (At this point I knew I was having kids too close together because the nurses recognized me and it was the first time I had been in that pregnancy.) This time my doctor new better than to even try to stop the contractions so we got to have a baby. D did spend about 12 hours in NICU but that was ok. One big thing I remember is that it was a really cold spring and I was stuck in the hospital for the 3 nice days we had. Oh well, a new baby is worth it.

What do you remember about when your children were born? Is there one thing that sticks out more than the others? Let me know.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Tommee Tippee blogging contest for a chance to get a gift pack worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Diaper Changing

Diaper changing at the Kerr house seems like a constant need. With two in diapers and one potty training someone always needs help and many times it is the last thing I want to do. C tends to cause the biggest problems as he has the most sensitive bum and is the most independent. We like to call C "fussy britches" because every time he needs his britches changed he screams at the top of his lungs until we do so. We keep trying to teach him that he can either ask nicely to get his pants changed or he can learn to say potty (or any variation of) and we will let him use the big boy potty. So far we haven't had any luck but we do have some great tips on how to make diaper changing easy(er).

1. Find a diaper you like. Not all diapers are created equally. Some diapers are easier to use if your left handed verses right handed. Some have larger tabs than others (E likes these because of his big hands). And of course some seem to be stickier than others. Get samples when you can until you find the diaper that works for you.

2. Find a wipe you like. Once again these are not all created equal. Some are larger, some are thicker, and some like to get stuck together more than others. Try them out, find what you like.

3. Make a space. One thing I learned when I was sheering sheep is that if you put them up so they felt like they were going to fall off if they moved they held still much better. I have found the same thing applies to diaper changing. If you change a diaper on the floor in the middle of the toys your child is not going to hold still very well however if you get them up on a changing table where they don't have distractions and know they are up off the ground they'll be a lot more willing to hold still until the job is done.

4. Get a good dirty diaper bin. This is especially true for those of us who use cloth diapers but either way get a bin dedicated to diapers that has an flapping lid. This is so much easier to use than any other type as it only requires one hand.

5. Practice. The only way to truly get good at changing diapers is practice. If anyone needs extra kids to practice on just come visit. We always need a diaper change.

Good Luck!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Huggies blogging program, for a gift card worth $35. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Are You Ready For School?

This year E and I not only have to get ourselves ready for school, we also have to prepare B for his first year of preschool. Preschool may not seem like that big of a deal to some but for most kids it is a big learning adventure. Here are some ways we have found to help our stress levels stay low as we prepare.

1. Find an appropriate backpack. Having the wrong sized back pack can be very hard on a young child's body. Make sure you get them something they can carry what they need but that won't be to heavy and cause problems later in life.

2. Buy a Lunch Box. Having been a student in the not so distant past, I know a little about what comes in your child's lunch. Buying a lunch box and packing your child a healthy balanced lunch each day will help them not miss class for illness. This little bit of time shows your children lots of love!

3. Visit the dentist. Now is a good time to make sure kids have healthy teeth. It's so much better to do it now than to try to figure a time where they don't miss class to do so later.

4. Likewise, schedule your child's annual doctors exam. If you always do it just before school starts you'll know it got done and that your children have the necessary vaccinations to attend school. This is especially important for those lucky kids entering Kindergarten.

5. Get an eye exam. As a student this was missed in my life, how I don't know as both my parents wear glasses. I could have done so much better in school and had fewer headaches if I would have gotten my glasses earlier than high school. Many areas have free testing, find out where, it never hurts to know.

6. A hearing test is also a good idea. Especially if hearing problems run in the family make sure you solve any problems before they become compounded.

7. Find appropriate shoes. Although your child may think they want to wear those adorable flip flops to school make sure they have appropriate footwear. A good pair of tennis shoes is probably more suitable for the young child who will need to run and play at recess so they can sit quietly during class.

8. Get on a good sleep schedule. We know it's hard but it will be so much easier if you teach them to go to bed early now than if you just try to enforce it when they have school the next day. For younger children have bedtime at the same time every night, no matter what they are doing the next day.

9. Finish your summer vacations early. Nothing is worse than starting behind. Respect your child by scheduling any trips prior to school starting so they don't miss those first days. It may not seem like a big deal but feeling behind at the beginning can set a bad tone for the entire year.

10. Get excited about school. Tell your children the things you loved about school and get them excited to go. If your children know that you like school and that you feel it is important the likely hood of them enjoying it and eventually graduating is much higher. 

There is so much to do if you want to be prepared for school. Start now to reduce the stress and help keep your family happy.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Transitions Lenses blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Style and Toddlers

Style is a bit of a controversy at our house. I say E doesn't have a sense of style and in return he says I'm never in style anyway so when it comes to the kids things get a little interesting.

B is just learning to dress himself so his sense of style usually involves things not going on quite correctly. We like to laugh that his pants, and underwear, are usually on backwards and sometimes inside out. Earlier today he came waddling out of the bathroom to tell me he couldn't get his underwear up which was funny because he'd been trying for almost twenty minutes. Silly as this may seem, teaching a child to dress themselves is important.

This leads me to C who's favorite style doesn't include any clothes. He is the one I seem to be preventing from undressing all day long. It's gotten so bad that if he's not in the same room as me I worry because I know that undressing is probably his goal. For the summer we have come to a sort of arrangement, he can run around in a shirt and diaper as long as those stay in place which seems to be working pretty good.

D of course still gets to wear exactly what I say he does.

As I raise my kids, one of my goals is to teach them to dress appropriately. We follow a rule that our clothes must fit correctly, no diapers showing, and that they must be free of holes and stains (at least at the start of the day). We also teach our children that their are appropriate times, church for instance, that they need to wear a shirt and tie. We work hard to teach them the difference between church shoes, running shoes, and sandals and at what occasions they should wear each.

One of our newest styles is that both B and C must wear hats and sunglasses when we go outside. We have recently found out the C is allergic to most sunscreen, especially on his face, and that B's eyes get really swollen when he gets dust in them, he gets that from me. Our solution, hats and glasses. This seems to work really well and everyone loves the cute hats I made for them. It's been a change in our getting ready to go routine but seems to be working well. As they get older I'm sure we will have more discussions but for now the boys are good at listening and understanding what is ok and what isn't. I love my boys for that!

What do you like/dislike for your children to wear? What tips do you have for us young moms for those teenagers that maybe don't wear what you think they should? I'm open to any and all suggestions.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Have You Ever Said "EAT YOUR VEGGIES!!"?

With toddlers this seems to be an all to familiar statement. However, usually at our house it's not the veggies we have problems with. Here are a few ways to get your children to eat heather...for any type of food.

1. Make eating interesting - We like to ask B and C questions about their food. Is it hot, cold, slimy? Does it taste like chicken, cheese, strawberries? For little kids this is a great way to get them to at least try something which is always the first step.

2. Don't ask if they like it - This is a big mistake I see people make. If you never give them the chance to say they don't like something but instead emphasis how much you do like it, they are a lot more likely to try it and eat just a little. E and I always make a point to say how good something is right when we start eating, this encourages the boys without us talking directly to them because they think, well mom and dad like it so it must be good.

3. Go shopping together - this is a great way for kids to learn about different foods. While you're shopping don't just yell at them to stay right there, talk about the different foods and where they come from. Just a few weeks ago C's therapist told me she was talking to a 12 year old who didn't know where milk cam from. This  is a basic skill that we should make sure all our kids have.

4. Let the kids help you cook - many of B and C's favorite meals are the ones they get to help make. Yes, it takes a little longer and can be more frustrating but kids are much more likely to eat something they helped make.

5. Keep things basic - you don't need ten items on the table. Give children age appropriate servings of two or three things at each meal. This means there are less choices and they don't have as much to think about.

6. Kids won't starve themselves - you don't have to keep giving your kids other things because they won't eat a specific part of a meal. Kids will eat eventually so give them what's for dinner (even the veggies) and don't give them more anything until it's gone. This is easiest to start when kids are little but can be adapted for any age.

7. Make kid friendly foods - kids are more likely to eat things that look like what they are, example baked potatoes rather than mashed. It's a simple concept but not many parents think about the fact that when you're learning what things are and how they taste it's harder to remember if it keeps coming back in a different form.

8. Eat with your kids - once again, kids are more likely to eat what they see their parent's eating. If you never eat with their kids they can't know what you like.

9. Grow a garden - like helping cook, helping grow your own food encourages kids to try the fruits of their labors. For example, B and C have eaten a lot more eggs since we got chickens that they help care for.

10. Don't give up - just because your child doesn't eat something today it does not mean you should quit trying. Kids are finicky and will change their mind. When you serve a food they haven't liked in the past don't start with "I know you don't like this" just put it on their plate and chances are they will eat it.

Feeding kids can be a difficult task but it is something you can get better at. If you do have problems talk to your doctor. Texture dislike is common in kids and they can help you find ways to get around it.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Peas and Thank You blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” 

Ten Reason to Visit Virginia Beach

As a child one of my very favorite things to do was travel with my family. Because I have family over the whole country it was something we did every summer. I am a big fan of airplanes and we traveled cross country frequently. Some of my favorite vacations were to the east coast and we visited many fun places. One of my favorite things to do on vacation is spend time on the beach. E likes to say I am cold blooded because anytime I can sit in the sun I will. Virginia Beach is a great place to visit. There is so much to do that anyone can enjoy their stay. Here is a brief list of what you can find at Virginia Beach.

1. Water Play - The first thing most think of when they hear beach is the water. At Virginia Beach they have boat tours, jet skiing, para-sailing, surfing and of course swimming.
2. History - Yes, I am a history minor and I LOVE to check out historic attractions in the areas I visit. At Virginia Beach they have lighthouses and parks for every history enthusiast.
3. Shopping - Don't forget to pick up a keepsake, or two, during your stay at Virginia Beach. There are always many options for shopping at Virginia Beach, make sure you take the time to visit them all.
4. Fishing - Because E is is an Idaho man this is a required skill. (Don't ask as I don't fully understand either.) There are lots of fishing options at Virginia Beach pleasing even the biggest "manly" man.
5. For the Kids - With the huge sand box at Virginia Beach I know my kids would be content for life if I brought enough sunscreen. If you want more however there is also the Aquarium and the State Park to help occupy your time.
6. Accommodations - When we visited Virginia Beach we got a rental home which was a great option for our family as it allowed us to not only sleep but cook our own meals which saved us a lot of money. This is only one option however.
7. Dining - You, of course, can find great seafood at Virginia Beach. Or, if you're feeling talented, there are also local markets to buy seafood and then use it in your own recipes.
8. Family Great Adventure Series - Although I have not participated in this it sounds like the perfect family activity especially for older kids. It is described as "an interactive adventure that leads them to various sites along the boardwalk and Atlantic Avenue to unravel a mystery." And best of all it's FREE.
9. FunkFest - A celebration of Music through the years. Free concerts are available Aug 26-27.
10. Symphony By the Sea - This is a series of concerts that sounds like a lot of fun if you live nearby or if you happen to be there at the time.

This is just a brief preview of what you can find at Virginia Beach. Make sure you check out all the other options if you're looking for a great summer vacation.

I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach Tourism blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.