10 Ways to be a Happier Mom by Ann Voskamp...

A great post from Ann Voskamp that we as moms can appreciate.
http://www.aholyexperience.com/2012/08/10-ways-to-be-a-happier-mom/

Calling all parents of girls, you don't want to miss this event!

As a parent of two very strong willed girls, I am always looking for books I can read to learn more about positively raising my girls in this ever changing culture. I am also looking for them to keep my sanity and not lose my patience. 

Without sounding too much like my parents, I feel like my kids are growing up too fast already. My five year old daughter is already worrying about what she is wearing compared to what the other kids have on that day. Maybe this is normal now, but I don't remember thinking about that until I was in middle school?

I am constantly challenged by my girls (in a good way) to be a better parent and to try to understand how they really tick so I can help them development into more positive and secure individuals.  So who to better help me and all you other mommies out there with spirited young ladies, is Sissy Goff, one of the authors of All You Need to Know About Raising Girls. 

This coming, Wednesday, April 17, at 6:30pm, The Brentwood United Methodist Church will be hosting an event  led by Sissy Goff on “Raising Girls." Goff will focus on what is special about raising and building a positive relationship with girls.All ages and stages of development will be discussed as well. We hope you come by to learn more about raising girls in all the stages of their life. 

To learn more about Sissy Goff , stop by http://melissatrevathanandsissygoff.com/about.php.

Hope to see you mommies this Wednesday night starting at 6:30.

Sweet Ideas for Your Little Valentines

Cupid Clusters, and other yummy healthy Valentine Recipes

Every time you turn around at Publix, Fresh Market or even at your local pharmacy, there are sweet treats galore! They even Easter candy out now! Thanks a lot Russell Stover and Godiva! Now, how are we going to keep our New Years resolution to eat healthier and stay fit? Ha! Well, we know you have to indulge into your sweet tooth every now then, but we also know the importance of teaching our kids healthy eating habits too, right?

So as you are trying to not look at those yummy chocolates staring you in the face and tempting you to indulge more than you should, you opt to head for the more waist friendly side of the store, where you can find ingredients for some yummy, healthy Valentine's Day treats, and here are our favorites. The smoothies and cupid clusters are a hit at our house. Let us know what you like or if you have any recipes you  would like to share.

Cupid Clusters (From www.recipe.com) 

Cereal and dried berries are held together with melted white chocolate to make these easy snacks. Enjoy them for dessert as well.

Servings: 24 clusters

Ingredients

• 3 cups  Yogurt-Burst Cheerios or similar whole-grain cereal
• 1/2 cup  chopped dried strawberries  
• 1-1/2 cups  white chocolate chips

Directions

Place paper liners in 24 mini muffin cups. Toss the whole-grain cereal and chopped dried strawberries in a medium bowl. Melt the white chocolate in a microwave on high for a minute, stirring it frequently. Combine with the cereal and strawberry mixture. Spoon into prepared cups and refrigerate until the clusters are firm, about 5 minutes.

Recipes Below from http://www.examiner.com/

Pizza my heart. Form pizza dough into the shape of a heart and top with turkey pepperoni and lots of fresh vegetables. This is a simple, no fuss Valentine's Day dinner and kids love the idea of choosing their own toppings

1.    Love wrap. Spread a whole wheat tortilla with a thin layer of light cream cheese. Top with sliced strawberries and roll up. If you like, you may also spread a thin layer of strawberry jam over the cream cheese before adding the strawberries. Or substitute banana slices for strawberries. If you help them with the slicing, kids can assemble these all by themselves.

Recipe From http://www.themenumom.com/

Strawberry Roll-ups
  You will need: 4 (6 inch) soft tortilla shells
  Low-fat Strawberry cream cheese
  4 T Strawberry jam
Spread the cream cheese to the edge of each tortilla. Add 1 T of strawberry jam, spread down the center. Fold in the edges of the tortilla, about two inches. Now roll the tortilla up- jelly roll style. Slice into 2-inch bites for the perfect Valentines Day snack.

Mini- Fruit Smoothies for Valentine’s Day
Kids love fruit smoothies, so why not serve them on Valentine’s Day to show your children how much you love them- in a healthy, delicious way. They’re so easy to make, you’ll find yourself whipping up a batch even when it’s not a special day. Simply combine a blend of fruits in your blender, with a little fruit juice added for liquid. You can serve them in decorated Dixie cups for little hands and decorate them with cocktail umbrellas for a special touch.

Valentine’s Day Kabobs
One way you can let the little ones indulge in a special Valentine’s Day treat, without giving up all things nutritious is by serving Fruit Kabobs with Yogurt Dip. You can find red or pink plastic skewers and then load them up with strawberries, cherries, watermelon and red seedless grapes. You can use a tiny heart shaped cookie cutter for the berries and watermelon to add to the festive look. Low-fat vanilla yogurt works great as a dip and strawberry yogurt would be perfect with your theme. You can even add in a little math by making patterns with your fruit kabobs! :)

Other Sweet Ideas:  Do heart shape pancakes or muffins for breakfast. Cut your child's sandwich into a heart shape and pack in their lunch bag for a Valentine's Day surprise. Then, add a sweet note to let your child or even your little honey know how much you love them.   

Make a resolution to give more of your time...

"Make a memory with your children,
Spend time to show you care;
Toys and trinkets can't replace those
Precious moments that you share.
Money doesn't buy real pleasure,
It doesn't matter where you live;
Children need your own attention,
Something only YOU can give."

-Elaine Hardt

What's your Mommy Resolutions this 2013?

Happy 2013 Hands on Mommy friends! We hope you all have had a wonderful holiday with your family and friends, soaking in every bit of quality time with your loved ones and squeezing in a little rest and relaxation for you too. 

So to ask the traditional question of the New Year, what are your Mommy resolutions? Do you want to cook more for your family? Do you want to take more pictures? Organize your home or get in a better routine?

As we celebrate a new beginning, let's try to set some goals, to better ourselves and our family. At the dinner table tonight, sit down with your kids, talk about all the things that they accomplished last year, pointing out what they couldn't do the year before and what they can do now. For example, riding a bike, writing their name or learning how to skip. Then, talk about what kind of things you would like to do or learn in the New Year. 

The important thing is to not be too preachy or tell your children what they should do. Encourage them to set goals. Then, be a good role model in keeping your resolution. If you are going to talk the talk, you need to walk the walk. 

a little teacher love today...

Making Good Memories by Managing Yourself

Do your kids pick up on your holiday stress? You bet they do! 
Today we are sharing a great article from Laura Markham from http://www.ahaparenting.com/ that gives some sound suggestions from keeping things real at the holidays.
You can read the article here and sign up for the newsletter here.
We aren't affiliated with Aha! Parenting--we just think they are great, and bet you will, too.