Kids Snack Bags

Kids Snack Bags! 

Travel food for your little ones

My kids love to have what everyone else is having for a snack. It always looks like more fun than their own snacks. So I have come up with a great idea for our family. Snack Bags!

I take the kids to the store and let them each pick a bulk snack item that they can share with their siblings. (Avoid chocolate or yogurt coating since they like to melt in heat). Then the kids get to place their snack in their siblings snack bags. It is an awesome sharing experience.

Now, I don't make just a few of these bags. I always make enough for an entire trip and then some. Sounds like a lot of work? Have your children help you out like I have mine. We have the snack assembly line down!

Ingredients for this snack bag batch are gold fish, fruit snacks, vanilla wafers, cheese-its, mini marshmallows, and strawberry wafer cookies. These bags are for our move so we made them extra fun! Make your's according to your children's tastes. We make sure everyone gets the same amount in each bag. I also got the kids new good 2 grow juice bottles. I love these bottles because they are dishwasher safe and are just the right size for water bottles.

Once done, I store all the snack bags in a sturdy box with a lid so they don't get crushed. I find a plastic shoe box works really well. Keep it in easy access so you can pass out snacks in the car. Have a great trip!

Packing With Kids!

Packing with Kids

(It's more fun than you think!)

Baby has packed up his most important things. Himself!

Packing with kids can be the most daunting task some moms undertake. But it doesn't have to be. It can be a great teaching opportunity with small children. Here are some of the things I have learned from all the times I have moved with my little children. 

1. Cut that Clutter

This is the 1st step in any move. You know that you have stuff you don't need. You know your kid has been hoarding a gift bag from some birthday party for over a month. Let's take a little time to clear some of that out. Let your kids keep their treasures but get rid of the junk. 

Do this early so the move isn't associated with getting rid of things. Help you child to consider this as a spring cleaning moment. 

2. A bit at a time 

Pack a few boxes at a time. It will be less daunting for you and your kids if the house is packed in stages rather than one massive packing spree. Seasonal stuff or things you haven't used in a while are great to start with. Keep necessities out till the end. 

I have found I can back a lot when baby is asleep so make nap time your packing time! 

Baby packed up the crepe paper for me!

3. Let the kids help 

I have my kids help me pack boxes. I teach them how to pack breakables, organize boxes, and how to use all the space. Doing this together as a family helped me to know some of their concerns. 

My 3 year old was worried that everything was going in a box and she would never see it again. I would have to tell her over and over that is was all going to our new house. Finally, the concept sunk in and she was fine to pack up everything because 'it will be at the new house with me.' 

4. Have children pack their own boxes

I gave each of my children 3 boxes. One was for the truck and one was for the things they wanted to stay with them through the whole move and the last was to play with. (Kids love boxes so let one entertain them!) The children were so excited to get to choose what went in each box. While I did have to supervise I was able to let the kids pack their own rooms! 

5. Call in the Calvary

If you have offers from friends to help you pack or watch the kids take them up on these offers! I had a kind woman from church offer to watch the kids and another offer to help me pack. Thanks to those two ladies I was able to get my whole kitchen packed in one hour!

Don't hesitate to ask if you need help. 

6. Cleaning up afterwards

Do you have to clean the house after you move out? I have always had to and paying a cleaning company is not a luxury I can afford. If you have a cleaning list from your landlord, break it up over a few days. And again, get your kids to help you. I give my kids Magic erasers and have them wipe down anything they can reach. They are such helpful children! 

I won't lie to you, moving is stressful. But guess what? You can do this! Packing doesn't have to be an overwhelming experience. At our house, we crank up Disney Radio and go to town filling boxes. My philosophy is this: As long as it gets there in one piece then it's all good!

Control is often an Illusion

Control is Often an  Illusion

There is an interesting idea that we as adults often put a lot of stock into: Control.
Control is when your personal will is what will dictate the actions or outcomes.  In parenting, we believe that we have control over our children.  On rare occasion this is true.  Our children will listen and obey exactly as we want and this produces the desired outcomes.  More often, our children do not listen and obey exactly as we want or the outcome is not what we wanted.  One of the major reasons for this is differences in perspective.
Perspective is how things are viewed.  When we have the same perspective as our children we have a much better chance of understanding them and they understanding us.  Consider this example: When you are looking at another person and say that you'd like the object on the right, the other person can be easily confused.  Do you mean your right or their right?  This is a very simple example, but it helps bring the concept out.
Another idea of different perspectives that I get all the time with my kids is what is complete or enough.  When you ask a kid to put their toy in their room, they do exactly what you ask and will usually just throw it into their room.  After several things from around the house being put in their room, I will walk by and see that there is a pile of stuff on their floor that needs to be put away.  From my parent perspective, putting something in your room meant putting it in the correct place in their room.  They were only told to put the toy in their room.  Now I have to work at a more specific level with my kids on putting away each of the toys in their proper place in their room.  After a while kids may have the same perspective on what it means to put something in their room as parents have about it, but it will take work to get there.

House Hunting with Kids

House Hunting with Kids
Part 2 of Moving with Kids

Every American has a dream of home ownership. It is something we have grown up dreaming about. We plan for it, save for it, pray for it. Then comes that wonderful day that we have always looked forward to, when we can walk into the home of our dreams and say "I'll take it!"
There is a lot that goes on before and after you get to that grand moment when you know a home is right for you and your family. I am currently going through it. There is a house that is perfect and then all the things I have to do to actually buy it.
Here are some of the things that I have found out while going through this process.

1. Make a reasonable wish-list

Despite what all the house hunter show's want you to think, not every home on the market has granite counter tops and hard wood floors. And can you afford them anyway? Sad to say it, but some of the things on most people's wish lists are out of their budget.
My wish-list for my future home was for a 4 bedroom, at least 2 baths, open floor plan, 2 car garage with two garage doors, large yard, quiet and safe neighbor hood, and only a few years old. While not totally unrealistic, a new build was not in our budget. I was willing to adjust and got everything that my family really needed in a new home. It is a great place!

2. What is your budget

What ever your budget is it is important to stick with it. Going over means a larger monthly payment, which may mean more time at the office, therefore less time in you new house. Don't you love how it always goes in a circle like that? Pick a home that you find comfortable and affordable so you can actually enjoy time in it.

3. What do your kids want in a house

As you go looking for a house, especially if you have older kids, find out what matters to them. For my children there were 3 things that they had to have in a new house.
         A. 2 bathrooms - both of their Grandparents have 2 bathrooms and that means a house is fancy.
         B. Stairs - a house is very fancy if it had stairs.
         C. A big back yard - meaning a yard that is big enough for them and a puppy.
Their wish list isn't extensive or unreasonable so I did all I could to make them come true. What are your children's dreams?

4. Pick the right agent

The agent you choose can make or break your house buying experience. They are your link between you and the seller. They help with all the paper work that is needed to buy a house. (And there is more paper work than you think!)
We met several real estate agents as we looked at houses. One was showing us houses with all the high end finishes at the top of our price range. While these houses were nice, none of them were large enough for you family. One was even smaller than our current apartment! This agent didn't listen to our needs so we went with someone who did. Choose some one who listens to what you want.

5. It will be a long day 

Unlike all the great house hunting shows you will look at more than 3 houses and it will take a while. Plan for it with plenty of snacks, potty breaks, and even a few episodes of your child's favorite show. They will need a little down time during the day.
If you happen to visit a house with lots of breakables, a grandma house as my husband calls it, it may be better to take turns going inside. We visited a house like that. While our oldest daughter was fine to go inside, the younger ones would have been much less fine. Taking turns worked out fine for us and then we talked about how we liked the house later.

6. Don't feel pressured

On my recent house hunting experience I felt so stressed about getting a home that day. We had traveled 10 hours to get to this new town just to find a home and we only had the one day to do it in.
We had all of our kids with us. At each house they asked if this was the house we were buying. No matter how many times I said we were just looking they would still decide which bedroom they wanted.
Needless to say that my husband and I felt a lot of pressure to get a house right then. We did choose one but as the process of buying it began we didn't feel good about it. Thankfully we got out of it and are now buying the perfect house for our family, but please learn from my mistake and don't be pressured!

6. Make it a matter of prayer

I feel God want's to be involved in all matters of our lives, great and small. Buying a house is a pretty big deal! Make it a matter of family prayer. Guidance and peace will come when you do. It certainly did for my family.

I truly hope that you enjoy looking for a house with your kids. It was such a bonding experience for us. I really came to understand what they needed to feel secure in their future home. They were even willing to share some of their dreams they had for our new town. (My daughter is hoping to make a best friend who only lives a few houses away so they can play together every day. Precious!) Best of luck as you go looking for your new home!

Moving With Kids

MOVING... With Kids!

I have moved more in my life than most army families I know. In the 33 years I have been on this earth I've never lived in any house longer than 4 years or any town longer than 5 years. Those are not the average numbers for me either. On average, I move every 3 years or less.

With numbers like this it may seem that all this moving must be something that I love to do. Truth is, I really get tiered of moving. Each move has been in pursuit of something, either by me or a family member. Growing up it was always a move for the better job or better house. Once I moved out it was a move for the better experiences. Then I got married and had kids. It was back to moving for the better job.

All packed and ready to move!

Some, if not all, these moves have been necessary and often inspired. I know that. But it doesn't really make the whole moving experience any more fun.
But something positive has come out of all this moving. I am a moving pro! Throw in my air force raised hubby and we are an incredible on-the-go team!
In this series of posts, I wanted to share what I have learned about moving with you. Especially if you have kids. Moving can be so tough on kids. Having moved a lot as a kid myself, and moving my own kids, I know it can be tough!

1. Make a plan
You need to have a plan yourself before you tell your kids anything about moving. Getting them involved before any plans are final could really stress a child out. Make sure you know if you are truly moving. Then, know where are you moving to. These are things that you have to have settled before you bring the news to your child.

2. Tell you kids
Once you know you are moving, and you know where, share the news with you kids. This is not something that you should spring on them. They will need time to adjust to the news so tell them before the big event happens.

3. Listen to your kids
On a previous move, my oldest was turning 5. She had just finished preschool and missed her friends terribly. She needed me to listen to her while she cried about missing those friends. While it is always hard to see your baby cry, she needed to work through all those emotions so she could feel better. Make sure you take the time to listen to your child's concerns about moving.

4. Get excited about your move
Whether you are moving across town or across the country, moving will bring out a lot of emotions. Try to focus on the positive ones. This can be hard to do, but the more excited you are about the move the more excited your kids will be also.  Are you moving to a new house? What are some of the great things about this new house? Are you moving to a new town? Research your new town with your children so you can find out what fun things it has to offer. Look forward to these new things together.
Our current move is helping my family move closer to Grandparents. Daddy is getting his dream job. We also are able to buy our own house! We find that being positive about this move very easy.

Remember, moving is an adventure! Have fun with it!

Easy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

Easy Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

I love chocolate. I love any kind of chocolate. Chocolate is just good. Add some fresh strawberries to chocolate and you have a little piece of heaven in your hand!

Here is my super easy chocolate dipped strawberry for your eating pleasure.

1 pound fresh strawberries
1 bag white chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. shortening (I use Crisco)

Clean and dry the fresh strawberries. Leave the leaves on the top. In a double boiler, melt white chocolate chips and shortening. Stir continuously until smooth, about 3 minutes. Remove chocolate from heat. Holding strawberries by the leaves, dip into melted chocolate. Place strawberry on wax paper to cool. Stir chocolate occasionally as you dip the strawberries.
If you want to add sprinkles, do it as soon as the strawberry has been dipped.

This is a great one to have the kids help you with. My kids love this treat. At the very end, I give each little helper a spoon full of chocolate!

Gender Reveal

Gender Reveal for Baby Kidd

I am so excited about this post! This is the first time I have done a gender reveal for any of my children. I didn't even know how to make it something more fun than a Facebook post until after I had announced my 4th baby's gender. So when I became pregnant with my 5th baby I was determined to have a little party! 

He or she, what can it be? Pink for girl, blue for boy. Either way, we are overjoyed!

First up was having friends and family guess the gender of the baby. Since so many of my loved ones live far away I had them Facebook me their guess. For each guess, I used a button to decorate Baby Kidd's guess tree. I let my oldest daughter choose what colored buttons we used so we ended up with two types of blue and two types of pink. She loves it!

Simple but Sweet!

Next was decorations. I will be really honest here. I am a super frugal person. I have made being frugal into a lifestyle for our family. I recently hosted a baby shower for a friend and just saved the decorations from her party to use on my own. I added some for the other gender and ta-da! I had a cute, and frugal, party set up for my family.

Surprise!!

Finally, how to tell my kids if they were getting a brother or sister. I have seen so many ways of how to do this. I had to find one way that would be fun for the kids without scaring them. Bursting a balloon was out since they are scared of the noise. Silly string was too messy. I liked the idea of making a cake with the color on the inside in some way, but I have 4 kids running around my house! I knew I would never get enough alone time in the kitchen to make a cake without someone being involved. That's when I found the awesome idea of having gender specific balloons in a box. Once the box was opened, these balloons would float up and let everyone know what you were having. Genius!!! I decorated my box and took it to the store with me so I could fit the balloons in right away. One for each kid since everyone would want their own balloon. I didn't take anyone with me so it was a real surprise!

In the end, we were all surprised! It was so much fun to have this party for my family. I kept the food simple since it was just us. A few fun treats for dessert that the kids were able to help me make was all we needed. I think the very best part was the reaction of my 4-year-old daughter. She is so excited to be a big sister!

It's a Girl!

Just in case you were wondering what the baby is;) Elizabeth Rose (A girl) is due to arrive November 16th of 2017. I can't wait to meet her!