Posts by admin:
- This adorable gift set includes: the Hey, Diddle, Diddle Singalong Storybook in your choice hardcover or board book, an ultra-soft 9” black-and-white Mary Meyer cow named Sweet Constance (age-rating: 0+), two egg shakers, and a digital download of the song “Hey, Diddle, Diddle.”Link to store page: https://www.musictogether.com/store/hey-diddle-diddle/#hey-diddle-diddle-gift-set
- Want to try a class for free? Check this link: www.musictogether.com/momsmeet
- Download the “Hello Everybody” app (free) to get eight Music Together songs that you can listen and sing along to, whether you’re at home or on the go. Our sing-along feature lets you show or hide on-screen lyrics, plus you can control the volume of the vocals—or turn them off to hear an instrumental-only track and make up your own words. Use your device’s camera to make your own family music videos and share them with your friends. The app also includes a digital version of one of our award-winning Singalong Storybooks, Hello, Everybody, based on the beloved “Hello Song.”
- Download from the App Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/id1019486012
- 1- 11-ounce So Delicious full fat culinary coconut milk
- 2 cups cooked brown rice
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 tablespoons NuNaturals or Truvia (stevia + erythritol blend)
- 1 tablespoon chia seeds
- In a medium pot, add the cooked brown rice along with the rest of the ingredients except the chia seeds.
- Mix well and heat on medium without a cover.
- Allow the mixture to simmer for 10 minutes before adding the chia seeds.
- Continue cooking for another 10-15 minutes until the mixture has thickened and some of the liquid has evaporated.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes and serve.
- This is also delicious after being refrigerated.
- “Just” Green Tea
- “Just” Black Tea
- Organic Unsweetened Lemon Tea
- Ginger Oasis Herbal Tea
- Cinnamon Sunrise Herbal Tea
- Golden Ginger Ale- nice ginger flavor, not too spicy
- Root Beer – my second favorite and super flavorful
- Professor Fizz – a spiced cherry soda with yerba mate
- Lemon Limey – great substitute for Sprite and 7-up drinks
- Orange Pop– my favorite! If you like orange soda this is pretty delicious
- 1 cup fresh cranberries
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 Tablespoons NuNaturals or Truvia (stevia+erythritol blend)
- 1/2 Tablespoon finely chopped basil
- 1 Tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 bottle Crabbies ginger beer
- 1/2 can Honest Fizz Ginger Ale or Orange Pop
- 1-2 Tablespoons Sugar-free cranberries
- ice
- Add ingredients into a small non-stick pot and and allow the cranberries to slightly pop and set aside to cool.
- In an 8-ounce glass, add ice halfway.
- Add the finely chopped basil and lime into glass as well as the sweetened cranberries.
- Add the Honest Fizz and Ginger Beer.
Bath Time Fun with The First Years Disney Baby Toys
April 13th, 2016
Bath time used to be a fun event for me when I just had one child. Yes, really. Now that I have three little ones, trying to figure out the best time and how many to put in the bathtub at the same time is always my dilemma. The desire to have clean kids outweighs the exhaustion I feel just thinking of bath time with my kiddos. Let’s just say that a glass of wine or two awaits after the whole process.
I am sure that my girls are no different from any young child. They love being in the water, playing, splashing and pretending to be characters from movies like my girls do. After watching The Little Mermaid, my girls are nonstop trying to be mermaids in a bathtub.
Um, yeah. Imagine to my dismay when I turn my back and half the water is on the floor OUTSIDE the bathtub, but I guess it would not be fun if they were not able to splash, am I right. I have to overlook it sometimes and repeat to myself that this toddler stage will end some day, and then I will miss it. So then, I soak it up. Yep.
If you did not remember, or if this is your first time reading, I have three lovely girls. My oldest is 4 and my middle daughter is 3. Everyone thinks right off the bat that they are twins but they are not. My youngest is almost 9 months old and she is seriously trying to catch up and I am trying to enjoy my baby. Recently, I have been trying to bathe all three girls when I am alone home. Since my youngest is sitting up pretty well, I bathe her and then get the girls to play while I dry and clothe the baby.
What keeps them distracted? Toys of course! Any toy that spews jets of water is hilarious to my girls and I love hearing them create stories just playing the water. Since both my girls are FANS of The Little Mermaid, the girls have been enjoying the newest First Years Disney Baby Little Mermaid bath toys. It was a little hard to get the girls to share Ariel, but with everything, it is a teaching moment or moments. I was most interested in seeing how my little baby would react to fun colorful toys.
On another evening I was able to simply just bathe my youngest and she definitely like the plastic toys . It was fun seeing her gnaw at them instead of squeezing, especially since she is teething. She is also now able to scoot forward so I was happy that she would not bang her head on the spout. The First Years also came out with fun bath toys from Finding Nemo. We already had Nemo and his dad and Dory, so it was nice to add the spout cover with Nemo. It is a bright ocean colored cover and fun to have in our bath tub.
After the girls bathe, they each have responsibilities in order to help mommy. They each love playing with their bath towels so I help them ring it out and they hang them to dry on The First Years Helping Hands. Each hand has a suction cup that is attached to the shower wall and can hold small towels and bath sponges. I like having colorful toys to keep the girls entertained I just make sure we don’t have too many because the clean up is a pain.
Having these plus some swimsuits makes for a perfect rainy day activity too! Pretending to go to the beach is always a fun time to be had by all.
The First Years Disney Baby Bath Toys can be found at Toys ‘R Us and on Amazon.
Disclosure: I was provided samples to test out with my girls. All opinions and reviews are my own. There are affiliate links in this post that give me a small percentage if you choose to purchase through my link. Thanks!
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Music Together- Music Classes for Toddlers and Babies {Giveaway}
April 7th, 2016Music classes are great for babies and toddlers and help with their mental development. Introducing music at an early age allows children to be better well-rounded individuals for the future.
I now have three little ones under the age of 5 living under my roof. How to I structure life you might ask? Well, that is a good question that you can ask me later. HA! There are some things I know I want my kids to be exposed at a young age and one of the activities we like doing involves music. My husband and I are both musically-inclined so we do have music on all day, sing hymns and kids songs, and yes, there are plenty of princess songs performed in our home on a daily basis. It is incredible what happens when music is introduced at a young age. Music classes can be taught by parents with great guides, or the option is being a part of a course curriculum with homework given to parents.
We started music in our home as soon as our oldest was born and have slowly chosen to continue that in different ways by introducing different music genres in order for my girls to get used to styles, rhythms and more. Once my middle daughter was born we started attending music classes to introduce a group setting and so the girls could be taught other songs and activities.
After a season, we stopped due to it repetitiveness noticing that my children were getting as bored as me with the same material being taught for 10 lessons through. That is probably the biggest issue I see when it comes to teaching children is making sure that new material, at least 1-2 songs or activities are being introduced every 2 classes.
Now that we have a third girl in our life I start thinking of starting new classes especially since my girls are busy. My oldest is in school, I can take my youngest and youngest to a class and alternate with rhythms and songs in our home. We recently were able to check Tempo: Music Therapy Classes in West Chester, PA. We had received a packet of music and material to prepare for the class beforehand so the girls were at least familiar with some of the songs.
They use the Music Together Curriculum that teaches from babyhood through the early elementary years. In family classes, adults learn together with their children and then re-create the fun at home with recordings and songbooks. Music Together’s curriculum for schools is deeply integrated into the classroom experience all day long and then continues at home as family members use music and home materials to further engage children—and experience some of the fun, too!
I personally had not come across Music Together classes and that they are found in more than 2500 communities in 41 countries around the world. That is staggering and amazing! For moms in MY area, there are at least 5 -7 music studios in the Exton / West Chester / Malvern area. If you want to find one close to you, use the class locator to find one nearest to you. Music Together offers fun family music classes. Each week, communities of families share songs, instrument play, rhythm chants, and movement activities in a playful, nonperformance-oriented setting. It’s 45 minutes of pure fun with your child every week!
All three girls loved and enjoyed every part of the new music class. There were NEW instruments introduced that I do not have at home and it allowed for each of them to play them along with some music. We were a total of 5 kids with my 3 girls so our class was small, but I heard there were at least 3 other families missing. Even so, the class went well and it was structured well.
What do you get when you join a music session with your kids? Each semester, you’ll receive copies of the recording used in class, a beautifully illustrated songbook with notation and activities to try at home, parent education materials, and exclusive access to digital music downloads, bonus activities, and more on their online Family Music Zone. Tuition for a ten-week Music Together semester varies by location, but averages about $180-$200. Tuition includes weekly classes, at-home materials, and access to the online parents-only website with bonus activities and digital versions of the songs.
Win a Hey, Diddle, Diddle Singalong Storybook Gift Set ($28.00 value)
LEAVE COMMENT BELOW TELLING ME YOUR FAVORITE MUSICAL!
Free Music Together Class for my readers
Music Together’s Hello Everybody App for iPhone, iPad, or iPod 
Disclosure: I received this product for free from the sponsor of the Moms Meet program, May Media Group LLC, who received it directly from the manufacturer. As a Moms Meet blogger, I agree to use this product and post my opinion on my blog. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of May Media Group LLC or the manufacturer of this product.
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FRESHLY: Ready-Made Meals for Busy Families (Review + Giveaway)
April 4th, 2016My family has a busy lifestyle starting with raising little ones and then adding commitments, obligations, and responsibilities. It can get overwhelming at times. My goal has always been to make fresh ready-made meals on a daily basis, but when life just gets frantic and out of control, something has to give.
Since the end of January, my husband and I have been very proactive with keeping a healthier eating lifestyle. I admitted to him, perhaps a little longingly, that I desired his help by being my accountability partner. Truth is, we both needed to get our eating habits a wake-up call because our healthy eating had gone on the wayside. When it was time to call it quits, we both decided to do something about it. We added more vegetables and fruits in our lifestyle and took out the unhealthy carbohydrates that were easily helping us pack the pounds. All this required a lot more work with planning meals and days to prepare those meals. Some weeks it has just been truly difficult to keep my head above water.
A few weeks ago I had a chance to try Freshly, a meal subscription service that delivers fresh and ready-made meals that could be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. It was the first time both my husband and I had ever received FRESH meals ready to be heated and consumed during a week. What made this service different than others I had come across is the fact that it advertised the eating lifestyle we were following.
High protein. Low carb. Gluten-free.
Use my promo code SINGERS2FREE to get 2 FREE meals with any plan you choose to try.
Yes, you read that correctly. I received a variety of meals that both my husband and I enjoyed and we were extremely impressed by the flavor, presentation, variety and quality of the food. Frozen meals just do not cut it even though we have tried those long time ago. These meals just do not compare because from what I learned, Freshly is a Web-based food company that is made up of a team of doctors, nutritionists, health-conscious entrepreneurs and professional chefs dedicated to making healthy eating and achieving your health and fitness goals easier than ever!
Their menu and meal plans are developed by Dr. Comstock, a board-certified weight-loss specialist and the author of Anti-Aging 101. There is definitely comfort in knowing that the meals created and packaged by this company are being thoughtfully created for those pursuing a healthier lifestyle. It is PERFECT for the busy individual and even for couples trying to save money or even unhealthier options while eating out during lunch hour during the week.
Hey, I am a working mother of three young girls and having a meal that I could just pop into the microwave like this Grilled Flat Iron Steak with Creamed Spinach and Potato Hash. Oh my goodness ya’ll. This meal was AMAZING!!! I hope this picture has your mouth watering because this lunch was so satisfying and flavorful. I had energy to keep up with my children and my work.
Every meal, like this delicious Maple Quinoa Porridge with Spiced Butternut & Currants, is a 1.5 serving and can be enjoyed by one person. The menu for both breakfast, lunch, and dinner are changed often especially since customers are on the subscription service and received meals often. While Freshly is only currently delivering to Arizona, California, Oregon, Washington, Utah, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, and Louisiana, they plan to continue expanding our delivery range in the coming year, starting with a kitchen facility in New Jersey that will service the Northeast!
Freshly currently offers 4 different meal plans:
FRESHLY FIT:
– $229 per week.
– 21 all inclusive meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
– Doctor and nutritionist designed to boost your metabolism, optimize your health
and help you develop healthier eating habits.
– Two weekly deliveries.
FRESHLY 12:
– $129 per week.
– 12 gourmet meals.
– One weekly delivery right to your doorstep.
FRESHLY 9:
– $99 per week.
– 9 gourmet meals.
– One weekly delivery right to your doorstep.
FRESHLY 6:
– $69 per week.
– 6 gourmet meals.
– One weekly delivery right to your doorstep.
Want a chance to try this service? If you are busy like us, Freshly’s meal service will be a lifesaver, especially on days you can’t get to cooking or even for a busy mom of many kids, who never gets to eat her own meals because she is so busy taking care of everyone else!
Use my promo code SINGERS2FREE to get 2 FREE meals with any plan you choose to try. You can subscribe now, try it, continue with the service or pause the service until you need it again. It is an amazing opportunity to try Freshly.
Disclosure: I received a variety of meals to sample and experience in my every day life. All opinions and photos are my own.
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Quick Easter Dessert: Creamy Vegan Coconut Rice Pudding
March 23rd, 2016
Family Traditions
We have been enjoying attending the same church the past 4 years and are looking forward spending more time there as we have more families joining. One of my favorite holidays, if I can even say that, is Easter. Not only is it because we get to spend it with friends and have delicious food, but really because I get a chance to share and relive what Jesus did for us on this Earth. My husband and I get a chance to share to our little ones about what Passion Week is all about starting with Palm Sunday.
Follow Opera Singer in the Kitchen’s board Passion Week -Easter activities on Pinterest.
Activities and Traditions with Little Ones
Every year we tell a little more to our girls and it is amazing that at their ages, 3 and 4, they are able to understand so much. I am seeing very quickly that the cross, Jesus living on earth, and dying on the cross is resonating with my oldest daughter. While many might think that the Bible might be a little too deep for little ones, my husband and I have been reading out of the Gospels to our girls and a lot of it they listen to and sometimes they do not concentrate as well, but we are thankful we get a chance to share with them.
This year I have been much more intentional about doing a few crafts especially since there is so much to the week leading up to Easter. We talk about Jesus meeting with his disciples, the Lord’s Supper, praying with his disciples and then being betrayed leading up to the cross.
Today we spent coloring and talking about the Lord’s Supper and doing some spring crafts as well. It is great to vary and to introduce how after winter there is growth and life when spring arrives just like what Jesus does in our lives.
Follow Opera Singer in the Kitchen’s board spring crafts on Pinterest.
Food
We look forward celebrating with friends this year as we did the last year, but this time instead of going to brunch, we decided to celebrate at our friends’ home with their kids so we could be a lot more relaxed. When you get 5 kids under the age of 5, it can get pretty busy and hectic so we opted to stay at home.
I came up with a simple dessert that would be a great option for this Easter that could be for the kids and even the adults. While I do not feed my girls an immense amount of sugar, I feel like they desire it more or even expect a treat after meals. Sometimes we will offer a fruit and other times it will be a cookie or other type of treat. Since we have been making an effort to rid our lives of refined sugar we have been trying to do this with our kids as well.
I made a Creamy Coconut Vegan Rice Pudding that was a huge hit. After we read about it in some children’s book, the girls had been asking me to make some so I decided to make a healthy and creamy dessert that they would enjoy. I took a regular rice pudding that I grew up with and enjoy and replaced them with some healthier alternatives so my girls could enjoy.
I added full fat coconut milk, golden raisins, cinnamon, vanilla, chia seeds, stevia and erythritol to brown rice and let it boil down for a creamy thick dessert that was even more delicious after being in the fridge. I hope that you are able to enjoy the rest of the week and that you are able to attend a service with friends or somewhere nearby.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Cran-Ginger Basil Spritzer {Sugar Free} { Review + Giveaway}
March 22nd, 2016
Spring Cleaning the Body
When spring rolls around it begs that we unload on everything in our lives, from old clothes, furniture, books and even with our own bodies by doing a detox. Our family has started eliminating a lot of things from our daily menu in order to start a new lifestyle, especially one that is sugar-free. My husband and I decided to partner together to eat healthier and since the end of January we have been blessed with seeing results from ridding our lives of excess everything.
Sugar has been a huge addiction in my life and I knew that I needed to slowly purge my life from its talons because I realized what it was doing for my emotional and physical health. As I started removing refined white sugar, I tried to do without any sweetener and try stevia and other natural sweeteners for those following a sugar-free lifestyle.
One of my stumbling blocks was drinking sugar-ladened drinks. I purposed to drink all my beverages without any sweetener in order to see what would change. I learned to appreciate the flavor of coffee, tea and any beverage I ordered or made at home.
Honest Tea for a Sugar-Free Lifestyle
I’ve been a fan of Honest Tea for a long time especially since I am just a fan of all kinds of tea. I actually did not know that the company has been in business for almost 18 years until I read more about how Honest Tea started . Now they are the nation’s top-selling organic bottled tea. While in college I purchased the Mango White Tea all the time because it was my favorite. While most of their teas are lightly sweetened and low-calorie, I needed to keep my goal of not consuming sugar.
When I visited Honest Tea at Expo East in Maryland 6 months ago, I was introduced to new teas and beverages that are not sweetened or are made with stevia and erythritol. I was excited to try them and have them as options when I went shopping.
Honest Tea has three black or green tea options that are unsweetened called:
There are also two herbal selections that I enjoyed immensely:
I really liked having an option of already-brewed tea ready to take with my lunch or to be able to purchase from the store. These teas are fair-trade certified and organic which should make anyone rest assured that no synthetic chemicals are being used. The green tea and black tea have a nice brewed flavor and did not taste watered down flavor. The Lemon Tea was delicious cold and was like having a big lemon slice squeezed into the tea. The “Just” Black Tea was my favorite though. The herbal teas are nice because I did not have to worry about excess caffeine and are perfect for mornings or late evenings.
Honest Fizz – Zero Calorie Soda
I like soda and when I got married I actually started drinking diet because my husband drank it. I broke my own rule of not consuming fake sugars but I did and suffered for it. I am so thankful for many options in the market now though. Honest Fizz is a great alternative to all sodas especially since they are organic and zero calorie and zero sugar per each can. Here are the flavors:
I took the Orange Pop and Ginger Ale and mixed them in simple cocktails for a once a week treat. I made a Cran-Ginger Basil Spritzer with Crabbies Ginger Beer, fresh basil, lime juice, and Honest Fizz soda. I then decorated with sugar-free cranberries.
Ingredients
Instructions
Giveaway!
Have you had a chance to taste any of the Honest Tea products? If not, you have a chance to enter the giveaway below.
Disclosure: I received product to review. Company is providing winner with product. All photos and opinions are my own.
