Toy Ice Cube Fun!

We have been having a lot of fun outside! My boys don't like to stay outside for long unless there is water involved. We have a water table, but G is at the age it isn't very fun anymore. Cash just loves to dump water all over himself, stand in buckets of water and haul water around the yard. 

 I went on a hunt in the play room the other day to find little toys to put in an ice cube tray to freeze. When I brought them outside the boys were so excited. First G wanted to know where I found all these toys. They had a great time melting the ice off the toys and then playing with the toys. It doesn't take long to melt the ice in 95-100 degree temps! Gotta love Texas heat! 

When I ask Cash to smile, this is the look he gives me now. 

Bedtime Routine for multiple kids sharing a room!

It has been important to me to get my boys on a bedtime routine that works for us while sharing a bedroom. They currently have the largest room in the house. It's a HUGE room! We would have used it as a master bedroom, but the closet was small and no master bathroom. By them sharing a bedroom this frees up a room to use as a playroom. I was determined I needed a playroom in our new house because I didn't like all the toys in the living room. 

I wrote a post here about hiring a sleep coach. One of the best things I did! This helped get us on a good bedtime routine. When I was first working with Cash to go to sleep we had a quick routine. I would hold him for a minute, lay him in his bed and leave the room. After 6 weeks of him putting himself to sleep I decided it was time for both boys to go to sleep at the same time.

This is the bedtime routine that works for us. 

6:30-6:45 pm Bath time and pajamas

6:45-7:30 pm Snack time, vitamins and a show

7:30-8:00 pm We read a story, I rock Cash for a few minutes, G lays in his bed, then I rock                          G for a few minutes after Cash is laying in his bed. G recently told me he likes                        it when I rock him too. Hey I am going to do this for as long as possible. 

8:00-8:15 pm I sit in G's bed while they fall asleep. Sometimes this only takes 5 min and                              others 15 min. I enjoy this time sitting in there with them!

The boys each sleeps about 11 hours a night. Cash then naps for 2-3 hours each afternoon. This schedule works great for us. Both boys put themselves to sleep quietly. Cash doesn't even cry at this point. After I rock him, I lay him in his bed with his blanket and pillow. Once in awhile he was jabber, but for the most part he lays and is asleep within a couple minutes. I have sat with G as he goes to sleep since he started climbing out of his crib at 19 months old. I've thought maybe I should stop, but you know what he will be 10 before I know it and won't want me sitting with him. I am just going to soak up this time and enjoy it. 

Kids thrive on routines! This routine has helped us set the expectation for our kids and makes night time much smoother. What is your bedtime routine?

Dining Room

I have slowly been working on one room at time in our home. The living room is pretty much done. I need a new rug for the living room. I will look for one during sales this year to complete that room. 

The dining room has taken the longest to get to this point.  When we left California we got rid of our dining room table. My cousin so graciously said he would build us a table. I sent him the legs that I wanted and a picture from Pinterest. He made the table exactly like the picture I sent! The table turned out AMAZING! I love it! 

We picked up the table in February. I had plans to buy chairs, but Covid happened. Overstock was having a sale over Memorial Day on chairs I have been watching. I finally pulled the trigger on them. It took about 2.5 weeks to get them. 

The entire room looks so much better!!! I absolutely love these chairs. I am so happy with the look and quality of the chairs! 

Table: custom made by cousin

Chairs: Overstock

Clock: TJ Maxx

Gather lazy susan: Nutcracker Market 

Cash sit at the right end of the table, so I keep that chair to the side under the light switches. There is plenty of room to keep the chair there until he is done with his high chair. We eat breakfast and lunch by the island in the kitchen. We just move the high chair to the table for dinner and put it back by the kitchen for the rest of the meals. Cash can move it himself and puts it in his spot for dinner. All I have to say is time to eat, off he runs to get the high chair and he stands there yelling for us to put him in. That boy doesn't mess around when it's time for a meal. 

Refined sugars and your body!

When I started my weight loss journey almost 10 years ago sugar was one thing that really was eye opening. When I was doing the HCG diet I really had to pay attention to ingredients in things. Then when I started eating paleo again back to the sugar watching. 

Have you ever looked at the grams of sugar in that Starbucks drink? What about in the ketchup, crackers, lunch meat, or the processed foods you are eating? Start looking at ingredients on the things you are eating and see how many of them have sugar added to them. 

Here is a list of refined sugar. 

• white flour.
• evaporated cane juice.
• instant starches.
• corn syrup.
• high fructose corn syrup.
• brown sugar (made by adding molasses back into refined white sugar)
• fructose.
• processed artificial sweeteners

Here is what the Cancer Center had to stay in 2016:

"The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, causing insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Because refined sugar is digested quickly, you don't feel full after you're done eating, no matter how many calories you consumed. The fiber in fruit slows down metabolism, as fruit in the gut expands to make you feel full".

Refined sugars may increase your risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. They're also linked to a higher likelihood of depression, dementia, liver disease, and certain types of cancer.

In the brain, excess sugar impairs both our cognitive skills and our self-control. For many people, having a little sugar stimulates a craving for more. Sugar has drug-like effects in the reward center of the brain. Scientists have proposed that sweet foods—along with salty and fatty foods—can produce addiction-like effects in the human brain, driving the loss of self-control, overeating, and subsequent weight gain.

The NIH did a study in mice modeling autoimmune issues gave them sugary water and saw the diseases worsen by activating inflammatory immune cells. The findings suggest that a low-sugar diet may help prevent or treat autoimmune diseases such as Crohn's disease and multiple sclerosis.

Sugar stimulates the production of free fatty acids in the liver. When the body digests these free fatty acids, the resulting compounds can trigger inflammatory processes. Different kinds of sugar may contribute more or less to inflammation.

If you have any type of autoimmune diseases sugar is not your friend whatsoever! I can really tell a difference when I eliminate sugar from my diet. My inflammation really seems to decrease and my I don't crave sugar either. When I am eating sugar on a daily basis my craving for sugar is insane! I also feel my entire body become inflamed in a short amount of time. 

It blows my mind how people do not pay attention to the amount of sugar they are putting in their bodies every single day. I keep seeing all these people making coffees on social media adding tablespoons upon tablespoons of sugar to their coffee. People do you know what this is doing to your body? You are poisoning your body on a daily basis adding all that sugar. 

If I am going to use sugar or give my kids sugar I like to use maple syrup or honey. They are a natural sugar that your body can process. I would like to challenge you to pay attention to the amount of refined sugars you are consuming on a daily basis. Try cutting them out and see how you feel. Also think about what your kids are eating and how much refined sugars they are eating. Mamas we need to consider what our kids tiny bodies are consuming and setting them up for a healthy adults. Our world is consumed with autoimmune diseases, cancers, heart disease, high cholesterol and so much more. Refined sugars are related to so many of these diseases!

I really feel I need to share more about living healthy, multiple sclerosis and easy ways to help people live a healthier lifestyle. I feel this is part of my calling as a person and mother. I can only control what my children eat, but I can help other mothers make better choices for their kids if they want the help. 

I broke down and hired a sleep coach!

I broke down and hired a sleep coach!  My boys as babies were never good sleepers. Cash was the worst! G got to the point he would wake up 1 time a night, take a bottle and go back to sleep. Cash has required to eat around the clock every 2-3 hours since he was born. 

When Cash was 18 months old I stopped breast feeding. He would still wake up 1-2 times a night and wanted a bottle. Then he went through a HORRIBLE period where he wouldn't go back to sleep until we rocked him back to sleep. We spent about 3 weeks dealing with this. We tried laying with him, he wouldn't sleep in our bed, so he would just play. We broke every "rule" out there just trying to get this kid to sleep. I tried to let him cry it out and he would scream for 2-3 hours. He wouldn't let up. It was a freaking nightmare! 

I asked some friends for their advice. One of them suggested hiring a sleep coach Sleep Happy Consulting. I had thought about it, but seriously what could this person do that I couldn't? I just didn't think they really could help me. I was desperate though, so I started looking for one. I checked out Sleep Happy and one other company. Sleep Happy offered a FREE 15 minute consultation. I checked her calendar to see what appointments she had available and thankfully she had one for that day during nap time. I signed up! 

I also started following Sleep Happy on Instagram just to see what this chick was all about. I read some of her posts, watched her stories and tried to get whatever tips I could get. I was hoping I could get all the tips for free without paying for a consultant. lol I'm just keeping it real folks! I am frugal and I try to save a buck anywhere I can! 

My 15 minute call with Jessica was great! I hired her on the spot. She sent me a questionnaire and we scheduled a time in the next couple days to do our 1 hour call.  Sleep Happy offers packages from $135 for a one hour call all the way up to $1650 in home coaching. I decided to go with the one hour call to start and add on if I needed further help. During our one hour call I took over 4 pages of notes!

Jessica gave us a schedule, jobs for the boys at night, signs to hang in their room with their jobs, and gave me confidence to make this all work. I was nervous! I figured the first few nights would be rough, but so had the past 18 months. lol 

The first night I sat both boys down, told them their jobs and then told Cash he would have to start going to sleep on his own in his own bed. Mommy and Daddy would NOT be coming into his room until morning. I told him he was safe, it was important everyone got sleep to grow, be healthy and to be happy. He kept shaking his head no when I said he had to stay in his bed. lol 

The first night was rough, the next night was better and after that he cried himself to sleep and stayed asleep. For me by spending the money on getting some help made me stick to the schedule and stay strong. It has totally changed our lives! I wish I had hired her back when he was 6 months old and we had moved. I can't change the past, but I can sure recommend Sleep Happy for all my friends with babies!!! 


Sleep Happy Consulting

Package 

Gluten & Dairy Free One Pot Hamburger Helper

As a busy mom aren't we always looking for easy meals we can make for dinner?  I decided to remake The Defined Dish one pot hamburger helper for my family. I feed Cash dairy and gluten free foods. I also try to limit gluten for G. When I saw this recipe I thought it looked and sounded so yummy! This would be a great meal for a busy night too. 

This is one of Cashy's favorite meals. He will gobble this up! I love that I only have to get one pot dirty for a filling meal. It also makes enough that we have plenty of leftovers for 2-3 lunches. Art or the kids will eat it the next day. 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons coconut oil
1 onion, chopped finely
1 pound ground beef or turkey - I use whatever I have on hand
1 teaspoon salt
2 garlic cloves
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 tablespoon tomato paste 
1-2 cups of spinach
1/2 cup of shredded carrots
1 package of gluten free pasta (usually around 8 oz)
2 cups bone broth 
2 cups of coconut milk
2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

Instructions:

- heat your pot over medium heat

- melt the coconut oil

- saute your chopped onions and minced garlic cloves for 20-30 seconds

- brown your ground meat with the onion and garlic

- once the meat is almost all browned, add in the salt, paprika, nutritional yeast, spinach and tomato paste. Stir to combine in your meat.

- add the bone broth and milk to your browned meat. Bring the liquid to a boil. 

- add in your pasta and cook for the time amount on the package. It's usually around 8 minutes for 8 oz package. 

Serve and Enjoy!

I like adding spinach and shredded carrots to get some veggies in the meal. If I don't have spinach or carrots to add I will serve a side salad on the side or some cut up raw veggies. 

My tip to adding Liver to your Diet!

I started adding organ meat to our diet about 4 years ago. Growing up my mom use to make liver and onions. I loved it as a kid with some ketchup.

Liver is high in vitamin A, folic acid, iron and zinc. Liver is one of the most nutrient dense organ meat with a powerful source of vitamin A. Vitamin A is extremely beneficial for reducing diseases that cause inflammation like multiple sclerosis, arthritis and Alzheimer's along with great benefits for eye health. I am always looking for ways to reduce inflammation, since I struggle with it so bad from my multiple sclerosis. 

I have fried it with bacon grease and onions, but I struggle with the texture of it. I got an idea one day to buy some liver from a local organic natural market Victoria's Natural Market in Tomball, TX. I love going to Victoria's to get my chicken bones to make bone broth, liver, local honey and various other organic local items. 

I bought some liver and took it home to grind it up. I decided to add it to meatballs the first time. No one even knew it was in there and you couldn't taste it at all! I took the remaining ground up liver and put it in little baggies to freeze. When I make anything with ground meat I will add beef or chicken liver to it. I have found beef liver really gives ground turkey a lot of flavor! 

Ground up liver in my freezer

My family has no clue they are eating liver, but they are getting all the amazing benefits from the liver! I most likely wouldn't sit down to eat a plate of fried liver these days, so I can't expect my kids to eat it. I normally do not hide foods to get my family to eat them. I serve them the item and they decide if they want to eat it or not. To me adding the liver to ground meat is like adding in some extra vitamins. We all need to take vitamins, so let's add a little to what we are going to be eating.
Do you like liver? Have you ever ground it up to eat it? 

What do you do when a product breaks or stops working?

What do you do when a product breaks or stops working?

My friend Jen was telling me one day how she contacts companies anytime a product stops working, breaks or might need to be fixed. She does this even on older items over a year old. A lot of times they will send a replacement for free, charge for shipping or have a small fee to replace the item. 

I found this so fascinating and mind boggling as to why I hadn't thought to do it in the past lol I am the queen of bargains as Siri calls me. Usually when things break I just toss them and I am done with it. Some times if the product was great, I had it a long time I will replace it with a new one or I move on to a completely different brand if it was terrible.

I decided I was going to start trying this. Good thing she told me this within 2-3 months of our conversation I had some stuff break. 

I bought the Shark Robot Vacuum during the black Friday sales in 2018. This thing gets it's use around our house. I have it going at least once a day. It has helped tremendously keep the dog hair under control and all the crumbs from 2 kids picked up. If you have kids or an animal a robot vacuum is a MUST! 

My robot vacuum stopped working in October. I called up Shark, talked with technical support and we tried a bunch of things. The tech said something was wrong with the electronic part of the vacuum. They would send me an entire new one if I covered shipping. I said sure depending how much you charge for shipping....get this....they charged $25 to send me an entire new vacuum. The old one I just had to toss in the trash. I was completely shocked. I had the new one within 10 days! 

I bought the Revlon 1875W Smooth Brilliance AC Motor Hair Dryer during the Amazon Prime Days in July 2019. I needed a new hair dryer. I had the same one for 10ish years. I barely ever used a hair dryer before moving to Texas. See my hair post HERE for more info on that. Well I bought the hair dryer in July, but didn't pull it out of the box until around October. I used it two times. The second time I used it there were sparks, burnt smell and it stopped working. GOOOOOOOD LORD!!!!

I contacted Amazon, but they said since it was over 90 days I had to contact Revlon. I was expecting to fight with them. I called up Revlon, told them what happened and they send me out a brand new one at no cost. 

I have been using the hair dryer since I received my replacement every 7-10 days. I haven't had any issues with it. I honestly think that was a fluke with that one dryer. This one is amazing and I would happily buy it again. 

I will be contacting companies in the future any time products stop working before I replace them. Have you ever contacted companies to replace something that stopped working? I am curious if others have done this and what your experience has been! 

Daily Essentials at the Dollar Tree

Do you shop at the Dollar Tree?  I go about once every other month to stock up on our daily essential things we need around the house. I realized about 15 years ago that the Dollar Tree carries a lot of stuff that is used on a daily basis at a much cheaper price. 

I buy all the ziplock type baggies at the Dollar Tree. There have been times I have purchased them at Target or Costco. When I compare the prices it is so much cheaper to just go to the Dollar Tree. I normally buy the off brands of baggies, but they were out this last time. Pandemic hoarders shelves must be overflowing lol

On my trip to the Dollar Tree here are some of the items I get:

1. Snack baggies - 1
2. Sandwich baggies - 3
3. Quart baggies - 1 
4. Gallon baggies - 3
5. Rubber gloves - 2
6. Sponges - 3 
7. Flossers - 2 
8. Napkins - 3
9. Paper towels - 2
10. Parchment paper - 2 

I usually have to go to the Dollar Tree because we need more baggies. We haven't been going through as many now that G isn't in school. For the most part I try not to send a lot of baggies in lunches. It is usually cheaper to buy things in bulk and put them in a baggy. I also freeze a lot of food, so I use baggies to freeze stuff. 

The only time we use paper towels is when the cleaning lady comes, so 2 rolls last us 2 months or more. We use cloth towels instead of paper towels. I have probably 20 towels that last me a week. We use them to dry our hands, clean up messes and wipe up any water. I didn't grow up with paper towels, so it feels wasteful to me to use paper towels. 

I wash dishes in rubber gloves otherwise my hands get so dry. I like the pink ones! One pair will last me awhile! I just like to have a second pair in case I get a hole in them. I don't always buy these. If I have a second pair under the sink I don't buy anymore. 

I use sponges to wash dishes, clean the stove, and wipe off counters. I know some people hate sponges. I like them. You might like paper towels and I don't. So let's just agree to disagree on the sponge situation ok. lol

I keep flossers all over the place. I got into the habit of flossing my teeth and now I need to do it a few times a day. I keep them in my car, purse, kitchen drawer and bathroom. I don't want to be running all over the place to take care of my teeth lol
The dentist told me on my last visit they haven't seen teeth this clean. I said well it's because of the preschool pick up line! They were puzzled. I said I floss my teeth every day while I am picking up G from school. 

I also like to buy all our party supplies - plates, napkins, utensils, decorations, gift bags, cards. These things are just as good as buying them from Target, but the price is so much less. There are times I will order specific themed decor for the boys birthdays from Amazon, but for regular colored decor I buy it from the Dollar Tree. 

I try to stock up, so I only go every 2-3 months. It saves me time and money. I tell the kids they can pick out 1 item while we are there. They can pick ANYTHING in the store they want. This of course makes G VERY happy! lol One day Cash was insistent on 2 balls...not 1 he picked 2 favorite balls. At first I was like no, you need to pick just one. Then I thought come on Becky it's $1 LOL

Check out your local Dollar Tree the next time you are near one for your daily essentials! 

Hair Issues from Well Water

When we moved into our house in Texas we went from city water in California to a well in Texas. I grew up on well water, so I never thought I would have issues with my hair. I was in for a surprise between the humidity of South Texas and the well water. 

In California I used conditioner once or twice a month after I washed my hair. I have been using BeautyCounter Daily Shampoo to wash my hair twice and then I use Maple Holistic Sage Shampoo. I started using the Maple Holistic Sage Shampoo when I was pregnant with Cash and experienced ridiculous dandruff. The dandruff was definitely a pregnancy thing because once Cash was born it all went away.  Danielle Walker from Against All Grain had mentioned she used this shampoo when she was pregnant with her daughter.  It was a game changer for me. It helped my dry scalp and took the dandruff away. I have continued to use it ever since to help with my dry scalp. 

When we moved to our Texas home I was struggling so bad with an itchy scalp. I felt within 2 days my head had build up even though I wasn't using any hair products. A blogger Lauren McBride mentioned she had started using Living Proof Triple Detox Shampoo to help the build up she was experiencing from her well water. I bought some to try because I was desperate. This helped my hair for a little while. 

I was still having issues with build up on my scalp. I did some research and found out it was most likely from the minerals in our water. I bought a water system to filter our drinking water and a shower filter. My scalp and hair GREATLY improved by adding the detox shampoo and the filter. 

I mentioned early I rarely used conditioner in California. My hair was very healthy. Between the well water and climate changes my hair over the past year has become dry. I had started to notice it was more difficult to comb my hair our after I washed it. I had my hair trimmed and the lady told I would need to use a hydrating conditioner every time I washed my hair. I went back to using the Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask. I use this each time I wash my hair now. I only wash my hair about every 6-10 days. 

I have started using the Honest Company Detangler Spray before I brush my hair out with a Wet brush. The detangler spray really helps condition my hair as it is a lightweight leave in conditioner too. I love the smell of the wild orange vanilla scent the detangler spray has too! My hair spells amazing for a few days from it!  My hair has greatly improved by making all these changes. It took me over a year to figure all this out. 

The hair products I use to wash my hair:

BeautyCounter Daily Shampoo

Maple Holistic Sage Shampoo

Living Proof Triple Detox Shampoo

Macadamia Natural Oil Deep Repair Mask

Honest Company Detangler Spray 

Shower Filter

When I was trying to figure out what shower filter to buy I did a search on Amazon. I found the one with a lot of reviews for hard water. The title of the shower filter I went with was 

AquaBliss High Output Revitalizing Shower Filter - Reduces Dry Itchy Skin, Dandruff, Eczema, and Dramatically Improves The Condition of Your Skin, Hair and Nails. Well that covered all of it right there! It has worked great for us. I replace the filters every 3-4 months. By the end of month 3 I can start to see a difference with my scalp and I know it's time to replace it. 

Hopefully this post will help someone who is struggling with water changes to find some products that will work for them.

Budget Friendly Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Mother's Day is right around the corner and I am sure some of us could use some budget friendly ideas. To be honest I am so sad about not getting a school made mother's day gift from school this year. I cherish all those gifts made at school! 

George has been asking me what color and kind of flowers I want. He said we are going to need to buy you some flowers soon. I am guessing him and Art have been having some conversations about mother's day. I told him I would like pink tulips. He asked you don't want pink roses? lol

I am not really a flower type person. They are just going to die, so how about getting me something off my Amazon wish list, another pair of the Birkenstock plastic knock off sandals from Target, or a day of no cooking. I told Art not to get me anything this year. I have everything I want or need. 

Here are some ideas that you could share if someone asks what you want. 

Color Street 

I absolutely love Color Street. I can put a set of nail stripes on and they will last me 10-14 days. However I did learn they will not last if you decide to play Lego's and start pulling them apart. I have a couple chips on 2 nails from my Lego building! It was worth it! My favorite color is Swiss & Tell a white color! It's my go to that I wear almost every day. 

Target Plastic Sandals

I bought these sandals to be my "slippers" around the house. I am going to buy a second pair to wear outside of the house. They are soooo comfy! I wanted to buy the Birkenstock plastic sandals, but they are $45 for plastic. I happen to find these at Target for $15. My cousin then told me she bought hers when sandals were 20% plus her 5% Target Card discount, which made them around $9. 

They come in black, silver and white. I have the white ones. I think I will buy another pair of the white. Hey I can bleach them if they get too dirty right. lol

Tie Dyed Tank Top

Tie dye is all the rage right now. I like the colorful subtle tie dye. I do not like the really bold red, blue, yellow, green colors. 

Camo Leggings

I have a pair of the Colorfulkoala black leggings that are AMAZING! I love them! I would like the black and green camo ones. These are the most comfortable leggings! I love that they are high waisted and 7/8 length. I have the hardest time with regular leggings being too long on me. I do not want to be bothered folding them under, so they aren't bunchy. These are perfect and hit right at my ankle. 

Mother's Necklaces

I buy my mother's necklaces from either Mac & Mia or The Silver Wren. Both of these small shops are on Etsy. I have numerous necklaces from each of them and they are amazing quality. I do not take my necklaces off for showers and they have not tarnished. You could not go wrong with either small shop for yourself or a gift. I have sent these necklaces for gifts too! 

Go Ask Your Dad Tshirt

I think every mom needs this tee for mother's day!!!! 

Comfy Pajamas

My mom bought me these pajamas for Christmas. They are so soft, comfy and perfect for hot Texan weather. I have been wearing these a lot of mornings during this pandemic. They are just perfect to lounge in! 

Sleep Eye Mask

If you are going to get some comfy pajamas a sleep eye mask would be perfect to go along with them! This pink silk eye mask is perfect for a mother's day nap! Naps are one of my favorite thing thing on Sunday. 

Do you have a wish list for mother's day? What is one of your favorite gifts you have received in the past? You still have plenty of time to order the perfect gift for that special person who deserves to be celebrated! 

Toys my Boys are Loving Right Now!

I am so thankful for our big back yard and the fact this pandemic hit during the best weather in Southern Texas! I can’t imagine this hitting in July. We would be stuck in the house all day!

I thought I would share some of the toys my boys are playing the most with right now. My oldest is 5 1/2 and the youngest is 20 months. These toys are great for both ages.

Duplos

G got this Duplo Set when he was around a year old for Christmas. This is the exact set we have, but doesn’t seem to be available on Amazon. There are lots of other sets to choose from - 1 / 2 / 3

G still plays with these all the time! Cash loves them too. They like to build towers, stacking them on top of each other, build a sky scraper and they ask me to build the exact items on the box!  One evening I took this entire box and dumped them in the bathtub with the boys. They LOVED it!!! The legos got a good wash and the boys had a blast!

Picasso Tiles

My boys LOVE these! They are a magnetic tile that stick together. I should buy 1 more set because there is a lot of fighting over them. G loves to make buildings for his star war characters and dinosaurs.

Cash loves when someone builds something to smash it down. A lot of times this causes problems because Cash doesn’t understand G just spent 10 min making his creation perfect. I try to make a few little buildings for Cash to crash, so he leaves brother alone.

A friend bought these for the boys for Christmas. They are played with every single day! I have added to their wish lists the wheels to be able to make cars with the tiles. I should probably add another set of these to the wish list too.

Magformers

Apparently building items are the best Christmas gifts because all of our sets were gifts. lol These are so magnetic and work with the Picasso tiles. Often times we have both sets out to build large creations as G likes to call them.

It’s nice these sets interact with each other, so the kids can create large things.

Nugget Comfort

I heard about the Nugget from a friend who ordered one last year. I wanted to get one for the boys for Christmas. Well everyone else had that same idea. I was able to get ours around February. Another great item I am so happy we have during this time! 

I bought the koala gray color. We keep it in the boys room against the wall when it's not being used. The boys are able to drag it out on their own. They practice their ninja and gym moves on it. We build houses, use it to climb, jump, flips, relax and sleep on. It's actually REALLY comfortable to sleep on. 

If you want a Nugget it's going to be very difficult to get one. They are closed during the pandemic, but you can get on their back order list. I was able to get one by ordering one in December on their back order and we received it about 6 weeks later. They did say it would take up to 14 weeks for delivery, but we got it much faster. They run about $250. I can see us using this for years! This is one of my favorite purchases we have made for the boys in the past year. 

Outdoor Toys

Bubble flash light

The boys love bubbles!!! I found this adorable bubble flash light at Target for Easter. This is a perfect toy for Cash. He can easily use it and loves it. 

Big Wheel

When the grandkids on Art’s side of the family turn 2 Art’s parents buy them all a big wheel  car. G picked out a fire truck. We moved this car across the country and man am I glad we did. We had nooooo yard for this thing in California. He could go in a circle in our back yard or down the sidewalk. It wasn’t used that much.

Well now we have a huge yard! G drives it and Cash rides in it. G has been trying to give Cash driving lessons. It’s rather entertaining to watch.

I feel I’ve been able to teach them a lot of vehicle safety with the fire truck. Why we need to look all around before we back up. Why it’s important to sit down when someone else is driving. How doors are always kept shut when driving. All of these things sound like something a mom is yelling at teenagers. Lord help me!!!

Solo Cups

Veronika from Veronika’s Blushing posted on Instagram her kids playing with solo cups and building towers. I ordered a big bag from Amazon for around $7. The kids love to stack them up and crash them down with super hero’s or drive their cars into them.

One night I built a tower around the coffee table for them to wake up too. They love finding things I’ve built them the next morning. 

What have you been doing to keep your kids entertained during this pandemic? Are there certain toys your kids have played with for years? 

Paleo Whipped Coffee

Paleo Non Dairy Whipped Coffee!!! Testing out new coffee recipes seems to be my quarantine past time. I keep hearing about whipped coffee all over social media. The regular whipped coffee has a lot of refined sugar. I try to avoid refined sugar, so I decided to try to make a paleo non dairy version. 

Recipe:

1 TBSP instant coffee

4 TBSP hot water

1 TBSP coconut sugar

Blend this all together - I put it in my ninja blender for 1-2 minutes

I warmed 1/2 cup almond milk & 1/2 cup coconut milk. I poured the milk into my mug and put the whipped coffee on top. Then I slowly stirred it all together. Sooooo yummy!

You could also make this iced by not warming up your milk and pouring it all over ice. I like it both hot and cold. Whipped coffee is amazing! It changes up the daily cup of black coffee into a fancier latte! Have you tried whipped coffee?  Let me know if you try this paleo non dairy version!