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Appetites on Main Restaurant {Review}
April 11th, 2013
I have not done a restaurant review in a while so I decided I should get back to them seeing that I am not able to make as many dinners. My planning has to get better now that there are two little ones on board.
Ryan and I had been talking about how we had not been able to find a local restaurant that was a nice pub and that had nice outdoor seating.
We had Dusty’s Tap Room and The Peanut Barrel in East Lansing, MI which were both GREAT for outdoor seating in the summer. Well, now that Pennsylvania has jumped from winter to summer, we have been craving for some outdoor dining. I remembered going by Appetites on Main in Exton where I noticed some great outdoor seating. I promptly looked online and noticed that they said that it was kid-friendly and great for dogs too!
We met after work and realized we had to wait for the outside seating. Well we could do it since it was a great evening!. We ordered the Buffalo Chicken Dip with pita, chips, and celery. It was spiced as mild and was very delicious. Julianne asked for some “BRED please.”
We make sure we bring prepared meals for her since she tends to get antsy now that she gets hungry. She keeps saying “EET, EET!” Once our food comes out we tend to share with little bits.Is this photo not the cutest?? She is growing up!
Our baby Kathleen was getting hot in her carrier so I took her out but then I realized she wanted to be fed. Well, at least I got some appetizer so I decided to feed her before our main meals came out. It did not work out as planned. She was getting too hot from under my cover. I had to calm her while I fed her so then Ryan ended up eating first.
He chose the Bacon Philly Cheese Steak with Shoestring fries, which looked just like regular fries. They were delicious and seasoned perfectly. I chose the Reuben sandwich as my splurge with their house chips. I had to wait to eat my food so I snacked on chips as I fed the baby and then ate the sandwich while Ryan held her.
The chips were delicious and perfectly crunchy and hardly oily at all. The Reuben was delicious but messy. I wished I had ordered it as a wrap.
Julianne is enjoying some pita and celery with my homemade butternut and yellow squash puree. YUM!
Look at this little one. She looks like she is in pain but seriously we ALL enjoyed our time sitting on their large and spacious patio. There was music playing in the background and there were lots of families and friends with their dogs.
We will definitely be back. It took use 15 minutes to decide what we wanted to eat because the restaurant has such an extensive list. Ryan definitely said he thought we found our pub. Good thing because it is in our area and it is a quick drive.
If you are in town for a visit it is worth a try!
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Little Green Pouch Giveaway {Reusable Food Pouches}
April 9th, 2013
The Little Green Pouches have been my favorite product by far when it comes to the feeding the baby. Even though I buy some food pouches at the store for travel, these come in so handy, even more so now that I have a nifty baby blender.
I use a funnel to place the food in the pouch and close the seal and voila, the food pouch is ready to hand over to the baby. The pouch has a nifty seal like a ziplock to close the top section where the food has just been poured.
If you like leaving food prepared you can put your child’s name on the back of the pouch and leave it with the babysitter or childcare personnel.
Even though these pouches cannot be microwaved, the pouches can be placed in warm water to heat the food or the food can be placed in the pouch warm already.
Even though these pouches cannot be microwaved, the pouches can be placed in warm water to heat the food or the food can be placed in the pouch warm already.
My toddler still loves her pouches ESPECIALLY when she is teething. She does not particularly like chewing on food but will normally eat if I hand her a pouch of food. I caught her on a good day with the following recipe.
I cooked some quinoa with vegetable broth and then I blended it with sauteed onions and butternut squash and placed it the the pouch. It was consumed rather quickly! Yay!
Want a chance to win a 4-pack of these pouches? I will include some successful recipes that I have used and prepared for my little one. The Little Green Pouch has some great recipes on their site as well for future reference.
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My first week ALONE with two babies
April 3rd, 2013
Who won the So Delicious coupons? Check your emails!!
I figured it has been a while since I really blogged about how I have been feeling since I have been a little busy, but I have been meaning to write this for a few days.
I figured it has been a while since I really blogged about how I have been feeling since I have been a little busy, but I have been meaning to write this for a few days.
Last week was my first week with my 6 week old baby and my 17-month old toddler. I have to say that I was BLESSED to have family to help for a WHOLE month, but boy do I feel the difference. The week started really great but by Wednesday I felt a little stressed and tired.
Why?
Well, I have always pushed myself to be the person who could do it all. I mean, everything. I prided myself in being the expert multi-tasker, but I realized that when it came to having multiple kids, it meant something completely different.
For example. I happened to be Skyping with a friend. I was breast-feeding my infant and Julianne was watching my friend and kids on the computer. Within 10 minutes the doorbell rang. I had forgotten someone was dropping food off. I told my friend to hold on. I answered the door holding my infant, covered, still breast-feeding. I showed our church friend to the kitchen and then thanked him. I was also making sure I was not going to run over my toddler. Oh, did I mention I had just gotten home from a quick trip to the grocery store? Whew….it was a lot and yet I managed to keep the baby feeding.
It is a whole different experience having two kiddos. It is a little overwhelming even though I feel blessed to have my two little girls. I wake up thank God for them and also dumbfounded that I am 34 with TWO KIDS!
Do you sometimes wake up and realize that your life is not about you anymore. LOL For that matter, have you ever woken up amazed that all of sudden there are children in your life? I find myself thinking about these facts. It is amazing how much children change your lives. I think I might have had my mother tell me how much it would be different but people do not actually sit you down and give you a heart to heart conversation telling you how challenging it will be.
I am thankful to know that I am not the only woman and mother who feels the same way. I have to rely on God’s strength and Scriptures to empower me because I KNOW I cannot do it on my own. I have had people already tell me that this stage where both babes are small can be hard but it is for a little time.
Here is something I want to ask though: ADVICE!
If you are a mother of two or more, how do you manage?
What are things that have worked for your family?
If you work from home how do you balance your daily life with these babes?
Thank you for taking time to answer but any advice would be helpful. I know that I am currently in transition but I know that nothing comes out of asking from others who have been in it longer. I love my girls and I want them to have a somewhat sane mother who knows what is going on, at least some of the time. 🙂
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Nuk Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker Review
April 1st, 2013
I have been a part of Moms Meet for quite a while now. It is a great online resource where moms can discuss about parenting, eco-conscious living, and raising healthy families, just to name a few things. Moms Meet also gives opportunities for Mom Ambassadors to sample healthy and green products. In saying this, this happens to be my first review with Moms Meet so I was excited to receive the Nuk Freshfoods Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker.
Even though I have a few NUK® products at home, I did not know that they had been around since 1956. The extensive line under NUK® and Freshfoods brands are sold over 100 countries worldwide. Wow!
Freshfoods™ also makes the following:
Mash & Serve Bowl
Food Mill
Freezer Tray
Stackable Cubes
Fill & Freeze Pops
When I opened my box I could not believe how heavy the food maker felt. It felt heavy duty and perhaps a cross between a food processor and steamer. Julianne was near me the whole time cause she thought it was a gift for her. 🙂 In essence it was, but she did not need to know that right now. I really could not wait to make some foods.
Now why would my 17-month need a blender or purees for that matter? My toddler alternates days eating solid foods and purees especially when she is teething. She likes sucking purees from food packets and sometimes with a picky toddler, pureeing dinner or lunch just gets her to eat it. 🙂
Another reason to puree is that my toddler does not have all her teeth which means she cannot chew some of that tasty food her mother is preparing. This Cook-n-Blend is a 4-in-1 blender. It steams, reheats, defrosts, and blends.
I was able to steam sweet potatoes for 10 minutes to later pour in the bowl to the additional food ingredients for Julianne’s dinner. Her puree was ready in 20 minutes. Even though it was done ahead of time, that day was not a day she wanted a puree so she refused it. Sigh….
Another morning I reheated barley, poured it into the 32-ounce bowl, added blueberries, cinnamon, a little coconut milk, and maple syrup and pureed for a quick morning cereal. Verdict? Toddler approved!
Another great feature to this food blender is has a button for two texture options. I can blend it smooth for a small baby say 6 months old or blend using the chunky option for older children. It worked pretty great!
This blender also comes with a spatula that not only scoops out the purees but also helps remove the steamer basket without hurting oneself. LOVE this. There is also an additional blade included to make smoothies. I do not currently see myself using this unless I were only making a smoothie for my toddler. I currently use a Vitamix for the whole family.
Check out the other neat features:
• Makes up to four meals at a time with large 32 oz bowl
• Double steamer basket separates food to help preserve flavors
• Beeps and stops automatically when ready
• Dishwasher safe and easy to clean
• Includes bonus smoothie blade so the whole family can enjoy
• Includes free recipe book with meal ideas from world-famous child nutrition
expert, Annabel Karmel
• Retails for $99.99, but for a limited time, you also have a chance save up to $21 on this Cook-n-Blend Baby Food Maker and other Freshfoods accessories by signing up for the coupons HERE.
Website: NUK®/Freshfoods™
Disclaimer: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms MeetSM program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms MeetSM blogger, I agreed to
use this product and post my opinions on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions
of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of the product
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Nuby: Squirmy the Twiddle Worm Teether Review
March 28th, 2013
If you have not noticed already I am a Nuby Mom Ambassador and I get to review fun baby products. Here is my last post for the set of goodies I received a while back. I kept this item last because I wanted to include to excitement of teething in the last few months. NO sarcasm in this statement.
This teether in the shape of Twiddle Worm has been fun for Julianne. I believe it would have been a lot more exciting in her earlier months so I look forward using it with my second child. Julianne liked the colors on the work and played with each section of the work, twisting and turning.
If you notice I have her playing with it while on her high chair. Meal times tend to be crazy in our homes. Julianne is very verbal when she is hungry and when she knows it is meal time. She starts rummaging through our pantry and start whining if her meal is not ready. Sigh, it is a work in progress trying to teach patience with our toddler.
In comes Twiddle Worm. It occupies for a bit. Julianne is getting her molars right now so she has been playing with the worm before going to bed as well.
I believe the teether works best with the front teeth because it is a little too big to fit in children’s mouths, so like I said, I look forward seeing how differently it works with my second baby who is currently only almost 6 weeks old.
The worm keeps little hands occupied and busy with twisting and turning of each section. It fits in diaper bags and is easy to find among a slew of toys because of its colors.
The worm is available at these retailers:
www.kohls.com
www.netkidswear.com
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