Forget about raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, these really are my Top 10 favorite things because they make my life as a mommy about a bazillion times easier every day.
10. Spray On Sunscreen for Kids:
Giving me the ability to put sunscreen on three kids and myself in under two minutes. I cannot live without this stuff.
6. My Kindle
Giving me back the ability to read. I don’t have a lot of free time to myself, but I do spend a lot of time nursing Penny. Half the time she’s asleep anyway, so she could care less if I’m reading. Have you ever tried to maneuver an actual book with pages that need to be turned and breastfeed a chubby, wiggly, 6 month old at the same time? Kindle is a million times easier, although I do miss “real” books and I worry that it’s not as affective for modeling the importance of reading to the older kids. Is seeing Mommy stare at a Kindle different than staring at a cell phone or computer screen? Do they really understand I’m reading a book? Well, I do. And it feels better than engaging in another mind numbing episode of Blue’s Clues.
2. The Food
My children are not at all picky eaters. I don’t know if that has anything to do with our parenting or if it is just luck of the draw, but I do make it one of my top priorities to expose them to fresh foods in their natural state. Summer is awesome because it means fresh fruits and veggies that actually taste good. Everybody knows that fresh tomatoes out of the garden are a whole different animal than stewed tomatoes in a can, right?
Tip of the Day: Always have kids try a fresh version of a new thing first; they are much more likely to decide they like it and be willing to eat the canned or frozen varieties later.
1. Catching the Food
We are East Coasters and Eddie and I both come from families who live on the water. Fishing and crabbing are a way of life for us in the summers, which happily results in a lot of great memories and healthy, inexpensive dinners.
What are some of your favorite things about summer?
This is a terrific list!! I love it!
And great tip about trying the fresh stuff first!!