Tried and True Little Lady Gift Ideas

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx. All opinions are mine alone. 

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you have all been able to cross fun things off your bucket list and have been able to spend time with those you love! We're in full blown holiday mode over here and it is such a blast. It's true, this really is the most wonderful time of the year. The girls get excited every morning to see where the elf is hiding, to hang an ornament, to get an advent treat, and to see how many days are left until Christmas! I have a few more gifts to buy and a few more to finish making, but I thought I'd share with you guys some little girl gift ideas that every little lady will LOVE! This guide includes gift ideas and stocking stuffers from each of these brands: Candlewick Press, Kid Trax, Open the Joy, Beloved Bath, Baby Alive, and Play On! 

First Up: Will You Be My Friend? by Sam McBratney, Illustrated by Anita Jeram from Candlewick Press

My little Cambria LOVES books. She asks to read them every single day, multiple times a day. I often find her just sitting off by herself making up little stories that go along with the pictures in her books. It's adorable and I love how much it sparks her imagination. Will You Be My Friend is the sequel to the adorable book Guess How Much I Love You. I made sure to read this book alone before reading it to my girls and it is absolutely darling. It is exquisitely illustrated and the message is warm, lyrical, and playful. I love that Will You Be My Friend is a storybook adventure with friendship at its heart. 

Second: Silly Skaters Unicorn Inflatable Ride-On Toy From Kid Trax

This particular toy happens to be Cambria's favorite. She seriously rides all over the house in it, it's awesome! If I ask her to go grab her shoes, she rides down the hall to grab her shoes. If it's time to get ready for bed, she rides to the shower. If she wants to pretend her dolls are riding a horse, she sits them down and scoots them around. She cannot get enough of this toy! The Silly Skaters Unicorn is made for ages 1-3 and trust me, your little girl will be more than thrilled to receive it. This soft, inflatable unicorn on roller skates is so stinking cute, but also perfect to ride around on or push around for the younger kiddos. The skates also include activated LED's so they light up as your child rolls! I'm telling you, this unicorn has it all! Make sure you head too KidTraxToys.com to see and learn more about all the fun toys they have to offer!

Receive $5 Off Silly Skaters With Code: Babble5 Offer Expires December 14, 2020

Third: Grab-n-Go Conversation Cards/ Let’s Joke!/ Let’s Think!/ Let’s Talk! From Open the Joy

Sometimes stocking stuffers can be daunting. Every year my kids end up with stuff that is fun for a second and turns into junk lying around the house the next day. Either that or just a bunch of candy and we all know that's a recipe for disaster! These Open The Joy Grab-n-go conversation cards are absolutely perfect for stocking stuffers! They are loaded with 109 questions that are thought-provoking conversation starters.  The deck of cards encourages meaningful discussions that promote bonding, self-expression, and nurtures emotional balance in kids. They are the perfect ice breaker for talks at the dinner table, road trips, and bed time. The portable conversation cards include: Let's Joke! Let's Think! and Let's Talk! (each sold separately). These pocket-sized cards are easy to transport no matter where you are headed. They also have a handy clip that makes it easy to attach the conversation card game to your purse or bag helping you to be ready for any moment. 

Use code: MERRY for a free unicorn plush with orders over $40

Fourth: Box of 4 Assorted Soaps from the Best-Selling Kids Collections and Hand Cleansing Spray from Beloved Bath

Raise your hand if your kids love bath time more than practically any other time!! I'm raising both of my hands because my kids would choose to take a bath at any point in the day. Personally, I find it easier for them to shower but they love bath time SO much. Let's be honest, I love a good warm bath myself! That's why a gift from Beloved Bath is the perfect gift for your girlies. The box of 4 assorted soaps comes from their best-selling kids collections: building block soap, heart soap, glitter lips -with eco glitter, and elephant soap. All soaps contain: phthalate free fragrance, and natural colorants. The hand cleansing spray is perfect for travel and school, skin friendly, sustainably sourced, non GMO alcohol coxed with a citrus essential oil blend and deonized water. Beloved Bath's mission is "meaningful employment for people with autism" and they proudly partner with vocational programs and hire those with autism. These are feel good gifts that make a real social impact! 

Enter the code: babbleboxx at checkout and receive 15% off your entire order now through December 20th! Limit one per customer. 

Fifth: Tinycorns from Baby Alive

I wish you all could have seen how happy Oaklyn was about this Baby Alive... oh man! It was the cutest thing! She carried the box around with so much joy and was squealing with happiness when I took the doll out of the box. She has hardly put it down and is loving being a little mama. The Tinycorns baby doll comes wearing a dreamy, hooded unicorn dress and includes a sparkly cup for her favorite drink! Oaks is obsessed with all things rainbow and unicorns so she was thrilled to see a Baby Alive decked out in her current obsessions! This Baby Alive Tinycorns doll really "pees" like a baby, so make sure your cutie is wearing a diaper! Honestly, that is one of Oaklyn's favorite parts about the doll, haha! I think it makes her feel more like a little mama to change her bum. 

Lastly, but certainly not least: Play On! from Bay Area Children's Theatre

I know we're all looking for ways to keep our kiddos occupied this Winter... this is the perfect gift for that! Play On! is a screen-free audio-musical adventure with a storytelling kit. You can get it as a subscription series or as an individual kit. Once you help your kids download the soundtrack, off they go on their adventure where they will run around, make choices, and solve puzzles! 

Here are the two different series and the one special edition:

• Play On! Discover (Age 3-5) 
• Play On! Adventure (Age 5-10) 
• Play On! Holiday (Whole Family)

Use code ADVENTURE10 to get 10% off all Play On! orders.

I hope you enjoyed these gift ideas and I especially hope you have a wonderful Holiday season!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

4

Double Strollin With The Austlen Entourage

So I've learned something about myself since becoming a mom...

I've learned that I'm kind of a "gear snob."

Now that's not to say I won't put my child in a cheap umbrella stroller to get around from here to there, but it is to say that I understand the importance of good baby gear and I'm willing to splurge.

When I had Oaklyn, I had no idea about strollers, car seats, diaper bags... or any other gear really.

I found a good deal on a travel system and we got it that day. 

I remember when it arrived, I made Hunter put it together immediately.

When he finished I looked at it and thought, "that's a lot bigger than I pictured it would be..."

Sure enough, the thing ended up being the biggest pain.

The wheel would literally pop off as we were on a walk, it was so heavy I literally felt like I was gonna throw out my back putting it in the trunk of the car, Oaklyn was never comfortable in the seat, and the "shade cover" hardly blocked any sun from her face... Needless to say, I totally regretted that purchase!

From that moment forward, I vowed to myself that I would fully read reviews on baby gear before making a purchase.

That being said, I have a review to write today! On a very new stroller to the market...

The Austlen Entourage!

So let's start from the beginning... my initial thoughts on the stroller.

The first time I ever saw this stroller was on an instagram story.

I looked it up online immediately and was blown away by all the different functions it has. 

I kept thinking to myself, "How can it possibly do so much?? It has to be too good to be true!"

I desperately wanted to see it in person and was so excited to receive it in the mail.

Hunter took it out of the box and put it together. 

I'll be honest in saying we kind of struggled putting it together.

Luckily though, they have really great informative videos on their website that helped tremendously.

Once it was put together I wanted to test out all the different functions.

Right off the bat, I LOVED how beautiful it looked.

It is such a pretty design and has some really great touches like the leather handlebar and the great quality of the seat and shade cover.

We took it out for a test walk and quickly discovered some pros and cons...

Pros:

-We love how easy it is to extend it into a bigger stroller! You guys it's crazy... You literally press a button and it expands to being like twice as long! The reason for this is being able to carry more cargo if you're going somewhere like th beach or on a picnic. It also makes it possible for both seats to recline.

-I'm obsessed with the tote! I think the tote is an amazing touch! It has the ability to be removed and has several pockets to add anything and everything you need while pushing the stroller.

-It has the ability to add a car seat, a second seat, or a sit and stand seat. There are so many options for your kiddos and it really can grow with your family

-It can lug around up to 150 lbs of stuff. That's two very big kids with the opportunity to out suitcases or something on the stroller!

-It's very easy to fold. Like really easy! It is also really easy to stand up making it super easy to stow.

Cons:

-Unfortunately we had a problem with the wheels at first. Luckily the company did take care of it pretty quickly, but it was a pain at first. The stroller was very difficult to push until we got it fixed.

-It is a large stroller. With the ability to tote around all that cargo, all those kids, and the ability to expand to being even bigger... comes the the con of it being pretty massive. It folds down pretty well but it is pretty hefty.

-It's not really my stroller of choice to keep in the trunk and put my kids in every time I have to run a quick errand. It's just a little too much work for that... But, it is a great stroller to bring somewhere like Disneyland where you want your kids to be comfortable and have the ability to bring all the stuff you need. 

The below image is from their website where you can see all the different functions it has. This stroller was definitely VERY well thought out and has just about everything a mom could think of. 

Overall I think I'd give this stroller 4 out of 5 stars. I'm so impressed with the design and all the different functions it has, but the price point is really steep and it's not really ideal for daily quick errands.

However, it is absolutely worth looking at because you probably will love all the different functions it has!

If you have anymore questions on this stroller, feel free to ask!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0

Holiday Twinning With OshKosh B'Gosh

“This post is sponsored by Everywhere Agency on behalf of OshKosh B’gosh; however, all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.”

You guys, the holidays are HERE! Every year I get so excited on September 1st because fall is the best season of the year and we get to break out my favorite clothing items of the year... sweaters, tights, boots, etc. Then Halloween comes to kick off the festivities and the next day, my mind is in full on Christmas mode! I love Thanksgiving too, but I like to think of it as a pre-Christmas ;) Either way, this time of year is such a fun and special time for everyone. With all the fun get togethers, family pictures, and parties, comes holiday clothes shopping! I stopped into OshKosh B'Gosh this weekend and found SUPER cute matching outfits for the girls! You know how crazy I am about the matching sister thing ;) OshKosh always has such a cute selection of holiday clothes and this year is nothing short of amazing!

From denim to dresses and sweaters to skirts, OshKosh has you covered! I had THE hardest time picking out matching outfits for the girls because I loved everything. Before I left I said to Hunter: "I should be back soon!" HA! Guys, I knew I loved their clothes... but I did not expect to have such a hard time deciding! I had like 5 outfits picked out and different variations of the outfits and couldn't for the life of me decide! I almost just gave up and bought them all haha. Luckily one of the sweet employees helped me pick out the outfits in the pictures and I could not be more excited with how they turned out. Oaks kept twirling and smiling when I got her dressed and she loved matching her little sister. I about died when we put Cambria on her lap and she kissed her little head. Oh man, sisters are SO fun!

I love that OshKosh B'Gosh is my one stop shop for stylish and age appropriate clothes for both girls. As you've seen from my instagram, I have this thing with putting the girls in matching clothes... it's just so cute! Before Cambria was born I had the hardest time finding clothes in both infant and toddler sizes and it made me so sad! You can only imagine how excited I was to walk into OshKosh and see they had all the outfits I wanted not only on crazy sale, but also in both baby and toddler sizes! I loved that they put both sizes right next to each other instead of in different sections of the store because it made it so easy for me to find the right sizes in each style. All my dreams were coming true as I was shopping and picturing the girls matching during all the holiday activities I have planned ;) 

OshKosh is having an amazing sale right now making it so easy to love both your kid's style and the price. All the clothes online and in store are marked down like crazy and on top of that I have a coupon code for you to get another 20% off your purchase of $40 or more! In other words, you'll be getting a steal of a deal! In store just use code: 037264 and online use code: OKBG3418

Another great deal to look out for is the OshKosh Dash in to win sweeps on Black Friday! They will already have amazing deals in store but on top of that, the first 100 people to any store will receive a gift card worth up to $100! Depending on when your local store opens the deal either starts on 11/23 or 11/24. If the store opens on 11/23, the dash in to win is on 11/23. If your store is closed on 11/23, then the dash in to win event is on 11/24. Find your closest store here! 

The last thing I have for all of you is something extra fun to get excited about! I'm giving away a $50 gift card to one of you that can be used in store or online at OshKosh B'Gosh! That way you can get your kiddos ready for the holiday season with all their stylish and age appropriate styles! Leave a comment with your favorite holiday tradition here for one entry and tag friends in my instagram post for even more chances to win!

 Now go ahead and get all your little ones holiday outfits picked out for a GREAT price at OshKosh! And don't forget the matching or coordinating outfits ;) 

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

Cambria's onesie | Cambria's Tulle Dress | Oaklyn's Shirt | Oaklyn's Tulle Dress

7

5 Reasons Why The Little Gym Is Perfect For Toddlers

This post is sponsored by The Little Gym of Orem. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Right after Cambria was born, I quickly realized that Oaklyn desperately needed something for herself. All eyes were on this new little baby and not only was it hard for her to adjust to not being the center of attention anymore, but she also was just flat out bored! Having a new baby means a lot of sitting around, a lot more naps, and a lot of well... nothing. That does not fly well with my incredibly active 2 year old! I quickly realized I needed to be able to do something for Oaklyn that she could look forward to. She's too young for school, we can't always rely on play dates, and dad isn't always home to wear her out at the park... that's when I looked into The Little Gym!

Our little gym is over by Target and Sodalicious so I definitely knew it existed haha. I just never took the time to check out the classes and see all it had to offer. Once I looked over their website and saw there was a class in her age range, I decided it would be so much fun for her! I told Oaks that she was going to go and she asked every day up until we went if it was time yet. She was SO excited! She already absolutely loved it after just the first class. And I'm not exaggerating... she was SO sad to leave and could not stop talking about it. It was so fun that she got to be the center of our attention and have involved play to get her wiggles out. So why do I think your toddler needs to go? Here's why!

1) There is a class for all ages: You guys, The Little Gym offers classes for ages 4 months-12 years! I wish I would've looked into it when Oaklyn was little because I desperately needed the time away from the house during her first year. I always thought it was just for toddlers but was pleasantly surprised to hear that it's for older ages too! The programs they offer involve movement-based learning and imaginative play to help build the confidence and skills needed at each stage of childhood. I love that! They tailor each class to fit the needs of each age. 

2) It's the perfect way to get your kid moving: Oaklyn pretty much moves 24/7... but it's usually just busy play rather than actually working out her body. I think it is soo important for our little ones to get time to be themselves and play without being in front of a screen. At the Little Gym, your kid will run around, play with other kids, dance, and climb all over gymnastics equipment. Basically, it means you'll get a goooood nap out of your kid that day ;) But really, I feel so good about Oaklyn learning to be active from an early age. 

3) It's one on one time you get to spend with your child: Oaklyn and I used to do literally everything together. We are still around each other all day but it's not just the two of us anymore.  We have another little person that needs mommy's constant attention and I know Oaklyn was craving one on one time. I love getting to go in the gym with her and help her with different skills and play around with her. I love that we get to have fun together and for once, I don't have to be the one in charge and telling her what to do haha.

4) You and your little one can make new friends: I hear moms of all ages talk about how they just wish they had mom friends. I know it can be hard to find a mom friend that you click with, but I can promise you they aren't just going to pop out of nowhere! Usually you kinda have to find them ;) The Little Gym is a great atmosphere for you and your kid to develop relationships with other people! The moms and kids in Oaklyn's class are so fun and we love laughing together at the kids when they do something funny. It's great for both moms and kids to socialize with others!

5) Help them hit milestones: As I was saying earlier... each class is geared toward different ages. The teachers help the kids practice skills based on their age group and always send the kid home with a challenge to work on. I still think of Oaks as my little baby sometimes, so I feel like I often limit her on what she can do. I couldn't believe that she was able to walk on a balance beam, swing from the rings, jump on a springboard, and even do a handstand! She wouldn't have learned any of these skills without The Little Gym!

Basically, I have nothing but good things to say about our experience with The Little Gym! I went into it having no idea what to expect and they far exceeded my expectations! I can't wait for Cambria to be able to start in just a month and a half!!

So, what class is perfect for your kid?? Check them out here!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

The Little Gym of Orem Website

The Little Gym General Website

0

Life With Two... So far.

This post is somewhat of an update on life and somewhat of a follow up post to this one.

I also haven't blogged like... at all... since Cambria was born so I figured I'd do that ha.

The day Cambria was born I was instantly in love with her. Like smitten, maybe even obsessed? Hunter said recently that Cambria "walks on water" in my eyes because literally everything she does is adorable to me. I was so happy that this time around, the bond was instant. If you've been a reader for a while you know I had pretty severe PPD with Oaklyn and I think that really hindered the bond I had hoped for with her. Luckily it came later and we pretty much became best friends. However, it was so nice to feel the instant connection I had seen so many other moms experience this time around. The hospital was such a dream. She slept in my arms or on my chest the entire time, nursing was fairly easy, I felt mostly calm and relaxed... I couldn't believe how different this experience was. When we got home my mom was there to make dinners, take care of Oaklyn, let me recover, hold the baby while I showered and then my mother in law came the week after to do exactly the same thing. It was wonderful and I even thought to myself, "maybe two kids isn't so hard after all!" 

When both grandmas left, I pretty much became a one man show. Hunter has two jobs and goes to school full time so to be honest, he's not home much... I was tired and some nights were rougher than others, but overall I was shocked at how much smoother the transition from one to two was. Oaklyn was the type of baby that I literally could not put down. So far, Cambria has been a much more mellow baby and that has been a huge blessing. Oaklyn has also gotten a little more used to being home more often. Before Cambria was born, we were only really home to sleep during the night and nap time. Other than that, we were out playing! She loves being active and exploring so I just always had activities planned constantly. With a nursing baby, that became pretty complex. So we're still kind of adjusting to a slower lifestyle. 

As far as sharing the love goes, that has actually been pretty hard for me. I'll be honest in saying I'm not much of a baby person. Generally when babies cry it's a guessing game for me and makes me anxious and nervous. They're sweet and adorable but I'd much rather babysit a 4 year old than a 2 month old. That being said, I can't get enough of Cambria! She gets the hiccups and it's cute, she cries and it's cute, she smiles and my heart could literally burst. It definitely helps that she's such a sweet baby. Unfortunately, Oaklyn is going through a tough age right now and throws tantrum after tantrum all day long. When she's sweet, she's the sweetest. When she's not, well... it drives me nuts. I feel like everything with her is a fight right now and it stretches my patience pretty thin. I feel bad because I have to tend to Oaklyn's constant meltdowns and messes so I feel like I hardly get to hold Cambria. But then I also feel bad because when I am holding Cambria I'm talking to her sweetly and tending to her every need whereas with Oaklyn I expect more of her and get upset when she purposefully acts out. It's a balancing act for sure and while I love them both to pieces, this is just a hard phase. Babies need a lot of constant attention and care, and toddlers need constant stimulation and well, are just a lot for a mom haha. I know that this time is short and they honestly won't even remember it, but I'm always worried they can't feel how much I truly love them both. 

I feel like I get asked quite a bit how the two kid thing is going... and I generally answer with, it's going! I feel like my life is kind of a circus right now and most of that is just where we are in life. Hunter is SO close to graduating and I can't tell you how excited we are for him to be done. No more homework, no more classes, no more group projects... we can't wait! His two jobs also take up a good chunk of time and energy and I'm left feeling exhausted because I'm at home with the kids by myself most days. 

So, if you're nervous to make the transition from one to two kids... In my experience it hasn't been nearly as hard as I thought it would be. It's challenging but motherhood is in general. Getting sleep is hard, doing your hair is hard, and finding time to yourself is hard... but that's just the newborn phase in general. I'll report back when Cambria is sleeping through the night and taking two solid naps a day ;) I'm honestly just trying to figure it all out and hoping I don't totally screw my kids up along the way, ha!

It's still so weird to me to say "my kids" like... I'm a mom. But not just a mom to a kid, but kidS!

Where has the time gone?

Anyways, there's a jumbled post on my thoughts on two, 8 weeks in ha.

I have some other posts that I'm really going to try to work on in the next few weeks that are a little more thought out. 

So please forgive me for my absence in this crazy time of life!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0

Toddler Girl's Easter Basket Must Haves!

a photo from last year because look how tiny!

I love holidays of all sorts!

I think I just love having something to look forward to.

It's the best when you look at the calendar and see that there's several fun things to look forward to and anticipate, right?

I hope my kids always look forward to holidays and traditions.

Our family is still pretty young, but I have some traditions already started and a few I can't wait to start!

I'd love to hear some of your favorite Easter traditions and I'm excited to share some of ours in the future :)

One thing that I think pretty much everyone does is an Easter basket.

I always looked forward to waking up and seeing what was inside the basket my mom put together.

Each year I'll be including an Easter Sunday outfit to wear to church, some candy, a toy or two, and matching accessories for the outfit!

Other than that and an egg hunt, our family will be focusing on the spiritual side of Easter in our traditions :)

So if you're planning on putting together an Easter basket this year, here are a few things I think you should/could include!

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

0

When It Comes To Milestones

It happens at almost every baby shower, birthday party, play date, lunch date, or casual grocery store convo... The comparison of milestones.
There's a lot of things you don't expect before becoming a mother, and one of them is definitely feeling self conscious about your child being even the least bit behind from another child.
It usually goes something like this...
"Ohhh look how big she is now! Is she crawling yet??"
"No. Not quite. We're working on it, but she just isn't interested yet..."
"Oh, really? My oldest was crawling a month before her!"
Then the mom walks away feeling discouraged and wondering what is wrong with her as a mother.
Is it her fault her baby isn't crawling yet?
Is her baby behind?
Should she be worried?

I was that mom several times over with Oaklyn.
My bet is that it happens more often with your first, but it needs to stop.
The comparing of our children, it just needs to end.
However, I'm coming at this with the standpoint of changing myself.
I've come to realize over time that as much as we'd like to, we just can't change others.
The only person we can really change is ourselves.
So here's what I want to say to all of you moms that are just like me.

When another mom is bringing up their child's accomplishments in a conversation, the first thing you're going to do is get defensive over your own child.
Then you'll get a little worried.
Then you'll overthink things and it just isn't worth your time.
Try to remember that the other mom might just be trying to keep the conversation going.
After all, being cooped up in the house all day watching Frozen 100 times over kind of creates word vomit to occur when you actually have some social interaction ;)
Then, look at your little one and smile because I can almost guarantee they are doing A-Okay.

When you walk away feeling discouraged and wondering if you're doing enough as a mother, I want you to think of all the things you've done for your kid since they woke up.
The list is never ending right?
You are absolutely doing enough. YOU are the only one that can mother your child the way you do.
It doesn't matter if your best friends baby started sitting two weeks earlier, if your sister's child was potty trained before you even thought of doing it, if you stop breastfeeding after a month or if you keep it up til your kid is 2 1/2, if your little one had a pinterest worthy party or a boxed funfetti cake to celebrate their birthday... none of it matters!
What matters is that they're loved and that you care.
Kids do things at their own pace.
It's just the way it goes and now we can all feel a little sympathetic for our own parents ;)
You can get on your hands and knees and show your baby how to crawl over and over again but if they aren't ready, you're going to be looking like a fool with rug burn ;)
I'm all for helping and encouraging kids, but also letting them figure things out as they go.
I think writing that was almost therapeutic for myself haha.

So the next time every mom is talking about how many words their one year old can say or striking a conversation about how their 2nd grader is reading full on chapter books, stop and remember that you can't change what comes out of their mouth.
But, you can change the way you process what they say.
Offer a congratulations and then make a mental list of every wonderful thing your own little one does that you are incredibly proud of.
Every child is special, every single one of them.
And it's all because of you mama, because you are raising them to be the best they can be.

All my love,
Aleigh Joy

1

Keeping a Healthy Balance During the Holidays

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone #KidfreshToTheRescue #CollectiveBias

I may or may not turn into a crazy person around the holidays. There's just so much to do and see, with so little time! I absolutely love this time of year. There's just such a special feeling and I love the happiness that fills the air. This time of year people are more willing to give, there's parties left and right, family comes together, glittery decorations are hung, and don't even get me started on my favorite music to listen to! With all of the pluses, the only minus I can think of is how much more is added to my plate. Both my dinner plate and my to-do list "plate." Hence my reference to becoming a crazy person this time of year! I have this perfectionist attitude that motivates me to do and see everything. From sending out Christmas cards to delivering cookies to neighbors, Christmas just doesn't feel the same without a never ending list of things to do.

I have noticed however, when I'm stressed during the holidays, it's no fun for my family. We're all eating junk food every day because I have no time to make a meal, I'm running to the post office last minute to get our cards sent out, I'm standing in never ending lines searching for the perfect present, and forcing my family to watch a movie when we are all just tired. I've decided the best way to ensure everything happens without crunching it all together at once, is by making a list of everything I'm hoping to do this season. I've included a template that you can download here and add in everything you are planning on doing. My example is down below. A few things that will make your list more beneficial is keeping it structured based off what you have some time to think about and what needs to happen now so you aren't running around last minute. I would also keep it hanging somewhere your entire family can see so they know what to expect is happening. I love to keep dates of when I want to get things done by to set goals and create deadlines, so they actually happen ;)

Next up is a meal plan for the kiddos. I only have one child and I still have a hard time managing meals! Making sure I have nutritious food already prepared for my daughter seems to be key. If she tells me she's hungry 10 minutes before we have to leave, there's no way she's getting something good for her in her belly because quite frankly, there's just no time. That's the way it goes with the rush of the holiday season. Everyone is hurrying from one place to the next and kids are left not feeling well because they aren't getting what they need for their growing bodies. Recently I discovered Kidfresh meals and I just love how convenient and simple they are to prepare. Kidfresh meals are ready to eat in only 4 minutes! I'll be honest in saying that we often have mealtime drama, but Kidfresh provides a perfect ally for busy moms, with a twist on traditional kids’ favorites. Basically we're sold. So, I included all of my favorite Kidfresh meals on the left, nutritious column. I haven't filled in the right side yet, but that's to help decide if it's a good day for a treat or if your child has already had their fair share of holiday overload. You can also download the blank template here. 

Let's talk a little more about keeping that healthy balance during the holidays. The three things I look for when choosing what meals to feed my little girl are, 1) Hidden Veggies + Best in Kids Nutrition 2) Convenience + Relief for how busy I am and 3) Trust and Credibility. That's where Kidfresh comes in! Kidfresh meals and sides are made with No Artificial Flavors or Ingredients, No Synthetic colors or flavors, and non-GMO ingredients with short and clean ingredient lists. What more could a mom ask for? Not only do they have that perk but they also are made with up to ½ cup of hidden veggies in every Kidfresh meal. Also, with the help of a pediatric nutritionist, Kidfresh meals are consistent with USDA dietary guidelines for all children. They happen to be best-in-class in protein content and offer key nutrients for growing children (calcium, iron etc..) and moderate in fat and sodium. All meals are fresh frozen as soon as they are prepared to ensure maximum nutrition, and are great sources of proteins, vitamins, calcium, iron, fiber, and more. They are also moderate in sodium, fat, and saturated fat, and contain 0g trans-fat and less than 400 calories.

I found all of my Kidfresh meals at my local Walmart and was pleasantly surprised to see that they are new to the store! They were located in the frozen meal section and fully stocked. Make sure to check out both the Coupons.com offer and the Ibotta Offer to save $1.00 on all Kidfresh meals!

We are all very busy moms this holiday season with everything going on we have to keep up with. However, life doesn’t stop just because it’s the holidays! During the hustle and bustle, convenience and peace of mind are key. Kidfresh has done 100% of the homework to provide a healthy, nutritious & quick alternative that we as parents can trust for school lunches, quick after school snacks and when you need dinner in-a-pinch. I loved giving Oaklyn the Kidfresh Mac + Cheese and the Kidfresh Mighty Meaty Chicken Meatballs today for lunch. She ate it all, creating an empty plate + Full Belly which equaled a Happy Kidfresh Mom!

My daughter loves when mommy is more present during play time with her instead of just rushing to the next thing that needs to be done. It's so true that kids make the holidays that much more special if we just give them the time of day. If we schedule and plan out our holiday season and keep our freezers stocked with nutritious and delicious meals like Kidfresh, we're set to have the best season ever!

So what are your festive plans this year? How are you planning on fitting it all in??

All my love,

Aleigh Joy

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