March 2009

Due to technical difficulties that plagued the blog all week last week, I have chosen to reissue last weeks articles. The good news is that we have moved to a different server and everything APPEARS to be fixed! Thanks for bearing with me and we will now resume our regularly scheduled content! ~Stacy

Navigating the dangerous minefield of the snack food aisle at the super market can be treacherous. If you step one way you get blasted with cookies that are loaded with sugar and fat while if you go the other direction you are bombarded with chips and crackers packed with sodium and empty calories. We try to eat healthy snack foods, yet these convenient pre packaged snacks can be a lifesaver for those moments that you are dashing out the door and need a quick bite.

The trick is to find snacks that are delicious and nutritious. Here are 5 snack foods that will satisfy you hunger without compromising good nutrition:

Rice Cakes- I used to think that rice cakes were bland and tasteless. That was until I found flavored rice cakes and bought a package of the white cheddar variety from Quaker Oats. These have less than 1 gram of fat and only 45 calories per cake. They also have 5 grams of whole grain per cake. You can dress these up with toppings or eat them plain. Other flavors include Cracker Jack Buttered Toffee, Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate Crunch and more. Go to Quaker cakes website to order a free sample.

Applesauce- Single serve cups of applesauce are just the right portion size for afterschool snacks for kids or a quick bite after hitting the gym. Motts Natural Applesauce contains no fat, no sodium, and it provides 20% of the recommended daily allowance for Vitamin C for only 50 calories. Motts also has flavored applesauce to add some variety to your snacking.

Granola- A great source of whole grains, granola is a delicious and nutritious snack. You can find different flavors of granola in the bulk food section of the local super market or pre packaged bags like Bear Naked All Natural Granola. Their granolas have no preservatives, no high fructose corn syrup, just natural ingredients.

Nuts-A small amount of nuts go a long way. Nuts are a powerhouse of nutrients, protein, minerals as well as “good” fat. Now don’t go out and down a whole jar of Planter’s Peanuts. According to Sixwise.com, the most healthy nuts are walnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts and macadamia nuts. Nut come prepackaged but I have found them to be costly. Visit the bulk foods section of your local market and get a small amount of each type and blend them together to make your own healthy nut mix.

Soy Crisps-I love chips and I can sit and eat them mindlessly. A great alternative to chips, that are usually fried and loaded with fat, is Genisoy Soy Crisps. These Soy Crisps are baked and considerably lower in fat. I compared a leading brand BBQ flavored potato chip with the BBQ flavored Soy Crisps by Genisoy and I found that the Soy Crisps to have more protein and less fat. They did have more sodium and carbohydrates, but the crisps had more dietary fiber than the chips. Also the total calorie from fat on the crisps was 25 while the chips had 90 calories from fat.

What healthy snacks have you found in the snack food aisle?

Up tomorrow:
Book Review: You and Me

Due to technical difficulties that plagued the blog all week last week, I have chosen to reissue last weeks articles. The good news is that we have moved to a different server and everything APPEARS to be fixed! Thanks for bearing with me and we will now resume our regularly scheduled content! ~Stacy

Monday-Healthy Snack Foods
Tuesday-Book Review: You and Me
Wednesday-Menu Planning Part 1: Why Would You Want to Plan a Family Menu?
Thursday-Parent Profile: Meet Kristine Benham
Friday-Toolbox:Skill Building at Home
Saturday-Weekend Chat: How Do You Get Involved in Your Community?

And now for some pictures! We attended a birthday party last weekend at a bounce house party place. Here are some photos from the boxing ring.

My son, Sean, wearing oversized boxing gloves.

Daddy and Sean boxing. It looks like Daddy is going to win this round!

My boys all tuckered out after some intense boxing! Aren’t they cute?!?

ABC has a new comedy which airs tommorrow night at 8/7c and it looks hilarious! Watch this video and head on over to the official “In The Motherhood” website to join in the forums.

Thanks to all who entered my first contest and made it a success! I have “drawn” the winning comment using a random number generator by random.org and the winner is Lisa Lee! Lisa is a jewelry designer and she sells her stuff on Etsy.com Lisa, I will email you shortly to arrange shipping.

If you did not win…You can still order The Farmyard Jamboree from Barefoot Books.com. Hop on over to my review for links. (Please note:These are affiliate links). I will also be hosting another giveaway in early April so if you have not subscribed yet do so now for updates about future giveaways!

I do not own a fortune 500 company, I am not famous and to be honest, there are days that I lounge around the house in sweatpants and a t-shirt. Sometimes it is a struggle to feel successful when your 2 year old is screaming at the top of his lungs and you are scrambling to put dinner on the table, all while you are on the telephone to a telemarketer. As a parent, sometimes we are forced to measure our success by a different standard than other people. Which leads to…

This week’s question:

How do you measure your success as a parent?

I am very interested to hear your responses!

Although you love your child, you need a break from them occasionally. This is where your qualified and prescreened babysitter comes in. You can make the experience of using a babysitter a positive one for everyone by giving the babysitter these simple tools.

House Tour & House Rules- Ask your sitter to arrive 15 minutes early so you can familiarize them with your home. Where do you keep the baby wipes and extra diapers? The fire extinguisher? Knowing where to find important things will give your caregiver more time to pay close attention to your child. Also use this time to go over your house rules. Some things to consider:

• Is it alright to make personal phone calls?
• What is your TV watching or internet policy?
• Are there any rooms that are off limits?
• What food may the sitter eat?
• May the sitter invite a friend over?

Contact Info- Chances are that everything will be fine while you are out painting the town red, but in the rare event that there is an emergency, your babysitter will need to know how to contact you. It is imperative that your caregiver have necessary emergency numbers handy. This set of form from Phone a Babysitter .com includes areas to list allergies, relative contact information, and emergency numbers. Make sure to add the number for the Poison Control Center - 1-800-222-2222.

Prepare your Child- I love to tell my child what is going to happen. It is really fun to watch him as he anticipates upcoming visits and events. Use that enthusiasm to get him excited about the babysitter. Talk about how fun it will be and some of the things that the babysitter will do with him. Make it clear that you expect them to behave and obey the sitter in your absence and sweeten the deal by throwing in an incentive.

Make it Special- Your child has waited anxiously all day for the sitter to arrive. You can make this babysitting experience special by allowing a break from the ordinary. Instead of boring chicken nuggets, peas and mashed potatoes, order a pizza or something else that would be considered a rare delicacy for your child. “Loosen” the house rules a bit by making bedtime a little later, or allowing a treat before bed. Pick up a few toys that are reserved only for when you have a babysitter, like a board game or coloring book. Maybe even rent a much anticipated movie and leave out some microwaveable popcorn for a fun movie night.

What tools would you put in your babysitter’s “toolbox”?

Up tomorrow:
Weekend Chat: How do you Measure Success as a Parent?

(Photo Credit: 60 in 3)

One of the reasons I began this adventure in blogging was to network and meet new people. One of these people I have had the pleasure of getting to know a bit is Erin from 5 dollar dinners .com. Erin combines eating well with being frugal and she pulls it off by making healthy, delicious meals for her family that cost only $5.00! What I appreciate about her is that her recipes and tips are useful and unique. While the cost of food is on the rise, Erin combines strategic shopping and carefully planned recipes to get the most bang for her buck…and she shares her ideas every day.

Tell us a little about your family.
I have been married for 7 years to my wonderful and supportive husband! We have 2 little boys, almost 4 and almost 2. We love being outside, playing silly games and just hanging out!

What is your living structure?
My husband works “9 to 5″ and I stay home with the kids.

What is your greatest challenge as a parent?
How to parent with developmental disabilities in the mix.

How do you measure success in regards to parenting?
Long term: That my children would be able to give back to our society in a positive way. Short term: Obedience.

What is your SINGLE BEST parenting tip you can share with the readers?
Be consistent in your discipline with your children.

What will your children remember the most about their relationship with you?
Warmth and love.

What is the funniest thing your child ever said/did?
When asked who his favorite girl in his preschool class, he responded with a sheepish grin and “I like boys!” Very appropriate for a 4 year old! I chuckled!

Do you have any favorite parenting links you would like to share?
Focus on the Family

What else can you tell our readers that is unique about you?
I love scrapbooking and running half marathons!

Do you have a twitter account, a blog, or any other online manner for readers to contact you?
My blog is 5dollardinners.com
Follow me on twitter~@5dollardinners

Thank you, Erin, for sharing!
Stacy

Do you know an interesting parent that I should interview for an upcoming profile? Send me a Message.

Up Tommorrow:
Stocking Your Babysitter’s Toolbox

The thought of leaving my child alone with a stranger in my home frightens me to no end, yet that is what many people do when they invite sitters into their home. Nobody can care for your child the way you do. Yet you need a break occasionally, so you need to find a nurturing care provider who measures up to your high standards. Finding the right babysitter to watch your child is very important and can take some time and effort on your part. By screening candidates, you can not only learn about potential babysitters, but get a chance to observe them with your child before you leave them alone in your home.

Follow this 5 step process for prescreening potential babysitters:

First Contact- Once you have a lead for a babysitter it is a good idea to call them. This call should be pleasant and informal. You should introduce yourself and tell them a little about your child. You may want to inquire about their experience as well as ask for two references and their availability. Finally arrange an interview and exchange contact information, such as email addresses and home/cell phone numbers.

Check References- Take the time to research potential child care providers by calling upon the references that they supplied during your contact call. Ask the following questions in addition to anything else you may need to know:

• How did the sitter interact with your child?
• Did the sitter act responsibly and maintain order in your home while you were away?
• How dependable was the sitter?
• Would you hire this sitter again?
• Is there anything else you can tell me about the sitter?

Conduct the Interview-This is a critical part of hiring a caregiver because you will be able to form your impressions of them, and they of you. Did they arrive on time, dressed appropriately, or did they show up late wearing sweatpants and an old shirt? Do they appear comfortable or ill at ease? Ask open ended questions that create a conversation. This will give you a chance to get to know the candidate better and they will probably be more comfortable around you. For a full list of suggested interview questions, look at this Interview Checklist from Sittercity.com. It is a good idea to have your child around during the interview. This will give you a chance to see how the sitter interacts with children, plus you can gather feedback from your child later. What if you have a “perfect babysitter” on paper but you have an uneasy feeling you just can’t shake? Go with your gut reaction here. The welfare of your child could be at stake.

Plan a Trial Run-Let’s say you have checked the references and conducted the interview. You have a great sitter so you should be ready to utilize them. Or should you? A trial run while you are around will make it easier for you to establish your house rules. Why not invite the sitter over for lunch and let them play with your child for a couple hours. When you are comfortable, step away for a half hour or so to work on a project or read a book (wouldn’t that be nice). When the care provider departs get input from your child and combine it with your research and impressions to make a final decision.

Arrange for Childcare- Once you and your partner are satisfied that the babysitter matches your requirements and interacts well with your child, it is time to go on a date, run some errands, or whatever you need. Make sure your expectations are clear before you leave and resist the urge to check in every 5 minutes. Be sure to arrive home on time and pay your sitter promptly. After the sitter has gone home, talk to your child about what they did while you were away.

This screening process will not guarantee that you will find the perfect babysitter for your family. However if you do take the time to screen you may have peace of mind that your child, and your home, will be well cared for in your absence. You will be able to enjoy some relaxing, worry-free down time if you do your homework first.

How do you select a Babysitter for your family?

Up Tommorrow:
Parent Profile-Meet Erin Chase from $5 Dinners.com

Book Info

Author: Margaret Read MacDonald
Illustrator: Sophie Fatus
Sung by: Bob King
Pages: 32 Pages
Publisher, Date: Barefoot Books, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-84686-290-8
Ages: Read Alone: 4-7
Read Together:0-4

Summary

The farmyard Jamboree, a whimsical fable based on Chilean and Latin American folklore, is a rhythmic story narrated by a young boy who gradually acquires a flock of farm animals. From a clucking red hen who gives him a chick to a mooing brown cow who gives him a calf, the little Chilean boy gains 16 farmyard pets in this cumulative story. This book, which is part of the PBS Parents Collection, is accompanied with an audio CD containing the story sung as a catchy folk music tune.

My Opinion

The progression of this tale brings a nice blend of repetition and learning concepts. Each animal that is introduced is accompanied by a unique animal sound, a color (ie. barking black dog), and the name of the baby animal associated with it. The farmyard animals are counted by two’s all the way up to sixteen. The vibrant illustrations were done using a combination of acrylic and pastels. They mirror the folk art theme and tie in well with the text.

I read the book before I played the included audio CD and thought to myself, “That was a cute story.” When I played the music along with reading the story, I was tapping my foot and singing along to the song. `The song is simple enough to memorize for times when the CD is not handy. You can download the guitar score by visiting <>Barefoot Books Website.

Final Review

Based on the exceptional illustrations and welcoming repetition that this story holds, I would recommend this story for children 3-7. Children younger than 3 or with short attention spans may find this story a tad long to read all the way through, but would enjoy the illustrations and parents could “shorten” it by eliminating some of the repetition. Children this age would also like the song, with or without the book.

Would you like a free copy of this book? Enter my free book giveaway!

Up tommorrow:
Selecting a Babysitter you Can Trust