Food and Fun

What's the best way to get kids ready for a long car ride?

The upcoming Memorial Day holiday means many families will be traveling, and the preferred method of transportation seems to be by car. According to a AAA survey, 90 percent of travelers over the 2012-2013 year-end holiday traveled by car. That's 84.4 million people — and 26.7 percent of the total US population! 

Not surprisingly, many Circle of Moms members are seeking advice on keeping kids happily occupied while buckled up. If you're headed on a long car trip soon, keep reading for six road-trip tips from well-traveled Circle of Moms members.

It's time to accept the cold, hard truth.

I'm not a crafty mom. I'll never be a crafty mom.

One of my goals for 2013 was to actually try some of my pins on Pinterest. I love looking through what other people have pinned, I love seeing good ideas, and I love pinning things of my own. However, I'm not great when it comes to following through and actually putting some of these great ideas into practice.

Therefore, I gave myself a goal. One pin per week.

At first, I was flying. I found several recipes that were hits with my family, from the 10-month-old to the picky 2-and-a-half-year-old to the 30-something husband. I tried a couple of cleaning tips (apparently blue Dawn plus warm vinegar is the cleaning elixir!). I wasn't just meeting my challenge — I was exceeding my challenge.

Then I realized that I had two boards I was great about adding pins to, but those boards remained untried: "Crafts I Can Handle" and "Crafts For the Kids." Hmm . . .

If Pinterest, Facebook, and many, many blogs written by moms are any indication, doing amazing crafts both with and for your kids is the new benchmark. Why spend your money on a bin from the store when you can cover an old diaper box? Why put hair bows in a drawer when you can work together and create a gorgeous hanger? A good mom is a crafty mom. She creates amazing products and engages her children in a wonderful way. They aren't just crafting — they are making wholesome, quality memories.

My toddler is part of an art playgroup. One of my friends has really embraced her inner preschool teacher/wholesome-crafty-mom persona. She gathers a group of 2-year-olds together, and every week we do something different. We paint with pine branches, we experiment with homemade puffy paint, we stamp with muffin tins, and we marble paint with shaving cream. The kids adore it.

I can do that . . . right?

One of the things I realized about myself last year was that stepping out of my comfort zone brings me unexpected joy and pride. Crafts are definitely out of my comfort zone, so it was time to try.

Keep reading

Parents often have to tackle a temporary picky-eating stage with kids, but what if your child wants to make his limited eating habits a permanent lifestyle change?

Mom Erika W., for instance, is concerned that her daughter proclaimed she wants to be vegetarian. Especially because the entire family eats meat, Erika questions the motivation behind her daughter's desire to change her diet. "She is very mature for her age, but I still don't feel she is old enough to make a decision affecting her health," Erika says of her 10-year-old. "My husband tells me we should just ride it out and try to support her, but I am not sure how to when I don't agree with the choice." 

Similarly, Sharon B. thinks her 3-year-old might be turning vegetarian, as she refuses to eat most forms of meat and has requested only vegetables. Sharon asks the Circle of Moms community, "How can I ensure that she still gets the right balance of food in her diet without forcing her to eat meat?"

If your child declares he no longer wants to eat meat, then consider these four tips, all suggested by experienced Circle of Moms members who been through the same thing before.

Keep reading to see what they had to say.

This cheesy, meaty old-school casserole is the most-requested recipe on my website, onefamilyonemeal.com, and a favorite in my house! The best news is that it is quick and well balanced. The original recipe came from my friend Tori Ritchie, whose website, tuesdayrecipe.com, is also chock-full of family-friendly recipes. Serve with corn chips for dipping or roll this yummy mixture up in a tortilla with some chopped romaine for an amazing burrito.

Keep reading for the recipe.