Trying to raise a healthy eater

Toddlers can be tough when it comes to eating, well kids in general, but I think toddlers especially.   Ralphy has never been a "picky eater," thank God.   Ever since he was a baby, he has always been pretty good when it comes to food.

I have a few friends that  are getting ready to enter the world of solid foods and they are always asking me "How do you get Ralphy to be such a good eater?" and "How did you get him to eat fruits and vegetables?"  Like I mentioned previously, I think I'm lucky because he has never been  a problem and by all means, I'm no expert, but here are a few things that we do in our house to make sure that he is eating and most importantly eating healthy:

• Buy Fruits-  discover what fruit your baby likes the most and the only way to do that is to buy them.
• No junk food-  He is very limited on the amount junk food he eats. My mentality is, if its not in the house his not going to want it. We do  buy chips,ice cream and cookies once in awhile, but he is not allow to  have any before dinner. 
• Pack a healthy school lunch/ snacks- Ralphy gets lunch at school, but I have to  pack a afternoon snack.  What's in his  lunch box? sliced apples, dried cereal or a yogurt and a juice to drink. Never chips, candy or soda.
•  Home cooked meals-  I know this is a tough one because times have changed and we just don't have the time like we used to.  I'm  blessed to have my mom to help me with the cooking ( and everything else).  So, with that in mind, I think its important  for kids to get a home cooked meal whenever possible.  Planning meals for the week helps.

These are just things that we do to try  to create healthy eating habits.  Every child is different and sometimes it takes trying different things to find what works best for you and your family.

I love to read your tips and ideas as well . How do you get your kids to eat their fruits and veggies?

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Buzz lightyear and Woody Unite

 Woody and Buzz lightyear trick or treating on Halloween.  I think the picture says it all don't you?

Sprout

 I recently got this channel in my  cable package and all I have to say is Where have you been all my life? We all know, not too many things keep a toddler's  attention for more than 5 minutes or  for 5 seconds for that matter, until now.

I absolutely love this channel for 3 main reasons:  Its educational,  Ralphy finds it very entertaining and lastly, the programming is varied , which translates to Ralphy sitting still for more than 5 minutes at a time and if that's  not reason enough to love this channel than I don't know what is.

In the mornings, before school, Ralphy starts his day by watching The wiggles.   He loves them.  He loves to sing and dance to all of their silly songs.  At bed time, he loves watching The good night show, this is my particular favorite because in this part of the show, Nina shows  them the Spanish word of the day and a word in sign language.

 He also loves watching, Caillou and thank God that they have him on demand because they only show him in the middle of the day and right before bed time. I never thought I would say this, but I think his over the Disney channel, shocking I know. There is life after Disney, sorry Mickey Mouse Club house, it was good while it lasted.

Do your kids watch this channel? Do they love it as much as  Ralphy does? Do you love it as much as I do? I feel like I have been living under a rock because I just discovered it, but better late than never  right?

* Disclaimer- this post is based only on my opinion and experience. I am in no way being  compensated*

Lost Between Colors

Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the Lost Between Colors team for  my new blog design.

You guys did an awesome job. 

Not only did they capture my vision on what I wanted perfectly, but they  also made the process super easy and answered all my questions and trust me I had a few. 

So, if you  are looking for  a new look for your blog for the new year, please visit  their blog  page here.

Thank you everyone at Lost Between Colors, you guys ROCK!

His not so sweet side

I think this might be one of the hardest parts of being a parent of a toddler.  My baby is a sweet boy and his well behaved, but he does have moments that when  he doesn't get what he wants, he has a total meltdown.   It doesn't really happen often, but when it happens, its pretty bad.   Well last night , at bed time we had an "episode."

We have a set routine  that starts around 7:30pm and  It goes something like this:  He drinks his milk while watching his favorite bed time show, after that its clean up time and then finally daddy helps with  brushing  his teeth.  He is usually in bed between 8:30- 9:oo PM. This is a process that takes about an hour.

Well,  last night , we were okay until daddy said that it was time to brush his teeth. He started screaming yelling and throwing  stuff on the floor, you name it , he did it.   He calmed down long enough to get his teeth cleaned, but when I said it was bed time, it started all over again.

I tried staying calm and collected,  I tried telling him that it was bed time in a nice way.   I tend to ignore   him when he gets like this and that works most of the time because  he will stop crying and he will calm down all by himself.  For some reason, last night, he was just not having it.   I  know that he seemed a little more tired than usual, but I mean, its not like we don't do this everyday.   I lost my patience, what can I say, mommy has her moments too.

When I finally got him to calm down, I explained to him that he was a good boy and good boys don't behave that way.  I told him I loved him kissed him good night and that was the end of that.

Please tell me, how do you guys handle tantrums? Do you ignore? put them in timeout? what is your technique.   If you have  advise, please share, please.

Wordless Wednesday

This was us this past September celebrating our anniversary. I love this picture because well to be honest, I look hot in it. See people, you can be a mom and be hot at the same time.

Happy Wednesday!

Thank God for little boys

Yesterday was a rough day. Nothing seemed to be go right. Have you ever had does days? Stupid question, I know. Well, yesterday was one of those days. Besides the fact that it was Monday and we all know how those can be, I think I just woke up on the wrong side of the bed. Its life and it happens. I don't like to be negative, so I will spare you the details.

I will tell you though how when I came home, my munchkin made it all better with his kisses and hugs. I love my munchkin. I am so blessed to have him. With his smile and his laugh he just makes it all better. Thank God for little boys, especially mine.

Stylish blogger Award

 Yay! Thank you  very much to my girl  Randomroro  for sharing this award with me.  Just in case you guys didn't know how awesome I really am, now there is proof.  Now, its my turn to  share this award  with a few new fabulous friends.   This is how it works:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded this award. 
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and let them know about the award.

7 things you didn't know about me:

1. My biggest pet peeve is tardiness. I don't like to be late...ever!
2. I can give myself a great manicure and pedicure
3. I love Twitter more than Facebook
4. I love my Iphone.. yes LOVE
5. My favorite Iphone app besides Twitter is Pandora.
6. I love watching reruns of Everybody loves Raymond. I can't get enough of that show, its so funny!
7. My birthday is on Halloween, yes for real

And here are the  bloggers that I want to share this award with because they are FABULOUS, just like moi :)

http://adaddyblog.com/2011/01/remembering-dorwan-stoddard/

http://soldierslady.blogspot.com

http://positivelypositive-posidanielle.blogspot.com/

http://ramonalife.blogspot.com/

http://sarahsmemoriesformygirls.blogspot.com/

http://averyfan.blogspot.com/

http://lasinglemama.blogspot.com/

http://www.the-mommychronicles.com/

http://thewhitewhimsies.blogspot.com/

http://djpr2001.blogspot.com/

http://www.musingmom6.com/

http://loveluciblog.blogspot.com/

http://littlebitquirky.blogspot.com/

http://1funkywoman.blogspot.com/

http://artsyants.blogspot.com/

Now its your turn to spread the love. Who would you give the STYLISH BLOGGER award to?

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Xoxo,

Alex

Boys will be boys

Since my son has been in  potty training mode, I always try to plan  ahead and  go to places were restrooms are accessible. Well, as you moms and dads  already know, things don't always go according to plan.  We were in the park and  Ralphy  tells me that he has to pee, I look at daddy, daddy looks back at me and says"the restroom is locked." Great!

Ralphy says " mommy, I have to pee!"  So, I thought  well, he is a boy after all and  I preceded to  take him to a hidden area behind a  tree and  said " there is no toilet here, so your going to go pee pee  here"  He of course looked at me like if I had lost my mind , but decided , if mommy says its okay then... So he did  it,  right there by the tree.   Daddy thought it was kind of funny and had a big grin on his face  as he says to me " boys will be boys".   In my defense , what was I suppose to do, let him pee in his pants? 

So, the next day , we went over to a friends house, Ralphy has been there before many times. The kids usually play outside and were having a great time when all of the sudden I hear daddy saying " mommy come and look at  Ralphy." Oh no, what now.   As I walk outside, all I hear are giggles and I look over at Ralphy as he is  standing there with his pants down and after he saw the look on my face he  says" mommy I had to pee." Did I mention that the kids were playing in front of the house? Yes, he was half naked in front  of my friends house.

Needless  to say, I ran over to him , put his pants back on and I tried to explain to him that there was a toilet inside the house  he could use and that there was no need to go pee pee outside.   I don't know if he got the message though, maybe I should have tried having this conversation at the park. Yes, I think so.

No words necessary

This picture makes me smile every time I see it. Happy Wednesday!!!

No Diaper Bag Necessary

I thought I would never see the day that I would go out with my son and not need a diaper bag.   As I look back , I remember how  a simple trip to buy groceries took an hour just to get out the door.   I was paranoid that I would forget something that  he might need , so I would over pack, but that's no surprise, since I'm an over packer by nature.

Trips to the doctor's appointments were the absolute worse.   Everyone knows that when you are going to the doctor, that means you are going to be there awhile,it really doesn't matter what time your appointment was.   So,  I would need to pack to go to the doctor's appointment.   A little  sample of what I would pack would go something like this:  Extra diapers, extra milk,  extra toys, blanket, clothes, pacifiers you get my point.  This of course is not including things that did not go in the bag, but were a necessity  like the  stroller.


So, over the weekend we decided to take our son to the park.  I should mention that the last time we took  him to the park, he was still potty training, so I was still carrying around a pull up along with an extra pair of pants and underwear.  I got myself ready, got him ready and then I went for the diaper bag.   At that very moment, I realized that I didn't need it. It was a great moment.

 At same time , I looked over at my son as he was trying to put on his shoes all by himself and trying to put on his pants all by himself and  realized that he is a big boy and  he is growing up way too fast.

When did you realize that your baby is not a baby anymore? I've had quite a few of these moments lately.  Could the fact that his turning 3 next month have anything to do with it? maybe, but that's a whole other post.

Reality TV Junkie

Hello, my name is Alex and I am a Reality TV  junkie. Yes, its true, I have no problem admitting it. I don't know if its that  I love to watch other people make a fool of them selves or the fact that you're watching other  people's drama, but I love it.  My whole reality TV experience started with Laguna Beach did any of you watch that show? I loved that show. Whatever don't judge me.

Does it make me less of a person?  I don't think so. Does it mean I'm not a smart individual? I don't think so. I think it  just makes me a person that watches reality TV and I don't really see  anything wrong with it.   I think its entertaining and funny  and  I like to be entertained.

So, of course last night was the season premier of one of my favorite shows.   If you watch reality TV, you probably know which show I'm talking about. That's right, I'm talking about Jersey Shore.  Yes, you can close your mouth now.  I think its funny and  I love to laugh , that's it.  I really don't see what the big deal is.

While watching the show, I was going through my Facebook's news feed and I saw how many people loved the show and how many people obviously didn't like it.  One person actually wrote that people that watch that show have a low cell count. Now, I respect every one's opinion, but I thought that was just a little harsh, don't you think?

So, there you have it folks. I love reality TV.   I  feel that the TV watching  experience can be just for entertainment purposes ( when I say TV watching experience I'm speaking of an adults experience, not children) just in case you were wondering or asking your self, if I would let my son watch this show or any reality TV, well the obvious answer would be no because my son is 2, when his an adult, he can make his own decisions on what he wants to watch.

I would love to hear your thoughts. Reality TV, do you love it? or hate it? why or why not?

On that note, I hope everyone has a great Friday!

Xoxo,

Alex

Happy Thirsty Thursday

Here is to my Favorite drink :

Yes, water is my favorite drink because I drink it everyday, lots of it, what were you expecting? :)

Secret Single behavior

 Part of  the  Blog dare on Bloggy Moms is to write a post everyday and today's prompt is to write about a secret single behavior.  Well, for me it wasn't a single behavior and it wasn't really a  secret.  Let me just  say that I was not  a very  health conscious person when I was single and everyone told me so.  It was so annoying!, but it needed to be said.

First, I barely ate. When I say barely, I really do mean barely. I used to  get by on coffee and Red Bull.  I know, it was horrible.   I look back at that time in my life and I  just don't know what I was thinking and to make matters worse, when I did eat it was not healthy either, it was either Taco Bell or Wendy's. Not good.

The second not so healthy behavior, no sleep.  I was a complete night owl.    I would go to sleep  super late and wake up early to go to work.   Hence the  reason why I drank Red bulls and coffee like a mad woman.  I'm getting sleepy just thinking about it.

Lastly, I went out almost every night. I would say that I was usually out 4 to 5 nights out of the week. Crazy , I know! The more I write, the more I just don't know how I did  that.  I remember  going to see the Doctor because I had the flu and he told me that I had to seriously slow it down, that I had to gain some weight ( I think that's the first time anybody told me that besides my mom).   It was serious for me, since this  was so out of  character.

Fast forward  10 years later, I would love the chance  to sleep in until 9 AM,  no one is telling me I need to gain weight   and I dread getting dressed to go out, unless its to go to  Target.  Oh my, how things have changed. Thank God.

Getting with it

I don't know if I'm the only one that feels this way, but I feel so out of it and I'm having a hard time getting back to the swing of things. Why is it that when the Holidays come everyone or mostly everyone gets out of the routine? and then it s so hard to get back to normal.   You would think I went on vacation or had some extra days of, but nope, I had neither and even so I'm finding it hard to get back to "normal".

I worked all through the holidays, I worked half a day on Christmas eve and half a day on new year's eve. That's it. No extra days off, no vacation, no nothing. I just don't understand why I'm all out of  whack, especially when it comes to my blogging schedule. So, I'm sorry if I seem a little off, its because I am. I'm having an off day, well lets just say week ( Hey, just in case ).   I promise to snap out if soon.  In my defense, today is only Monday right?

Do you  guys have any tips on how to get with it when you have been out of it for awhile? Is there a process? Please share, I'm open to any suggestions. Any at all.

Hope your day was productive and here's to me getting with it soon.

Xoxo,

Alex

P. S. I think this was my shortest post EVER!

Happy New year!

 Hello Everyone,

I hope everyone had a great holiday season.  I can't believe its already over and that we are starting a brand new year.   I know that 2010 was a hard year for many of us,  myself included,  but now its time to leave the past in the past and start fresh. One of the things on my to do list for 2011 is to work on my writing, So  I signed  up for the Blog dare  on Bloggy Moms.  Whats the blog dare? Well, its when you challenge yourself to write post, every single day and like everyone knows "practice makes perfect."   Of course you already noticed that  I'm a day behind, not good start I know, but I will not let that stop me.

So, on that note, I want to share the most important things I want to get done in  2011, in no particular order :

• Work on my writing
• Start working out ( Surprise ,surprise)
• Take a writing class
• Take my General Agent license and class ( this has been on my list for awhile, time to get it done).

It's not a long list, I know, but these are  things that have been on my  " To do list"  for  awhile and I  think its time to get them done. So, wish me luck.  What's on your 2011 " to do list"?