Cooking Class and Inspiration

Julie and me at our cooking class, ready to make (and eat!) pizzas!

Two weeks ago, my friend Julie and I took a cooking class together.  Earlier this summer she told me that taking a cooking class was on her '30 before 30' list, so she invited me to come along if I wanted.  And, of course, I wanted to!  We took a pizza class at a cooking school in Uptown.  It was so much fun and the food was delicious!  We came away with recipes, pizza making skills, and full tummies:)  I would totally take another class there-it was such a fun experience.  It also got me thinking about making my own 30 before 30 list...I'm 27 turning 28 in November, but I think if I don't make the goals too hard, I could do it! (thanks for the inspiration Jules!) So far I've come up with about six or seven things to put on my list.  So I need your help!  What would you put on this list?  Or if you have a 30 before 30 list, what's on yours?? 

Mmm...fresh hand tossed pizza with basil, mozzarella, prosciutto, and tomato.  Yeah, I made that ;)

10 Tricks of the (Mommy) Trade

Today, I have ten tricks of the trade (that is, the parenting trade) for you.  First off, I'm not pretending to be a mommy expert here.  Let's be clear-I make tons of mistakes and openly admit that.  However, I just thought it would be fun to share a few of the 'tricks' I've learned along the way that have worked with my kiddos!

1. Let your kids help in the garden (or grocery store) and in the kitchen.  I have found that my kids are much more likely to eat food they got to help pick out and/or prepare.  Plus it teaches them other skills too (like gardening, cooking, measuring, etc.).

Bella baking with Momma Aug '11

2. Be firm, but fair.  I can hear Matt's voice saying, 'Mommy's firm but fair'.  As parents, it's important to stick to something once you say it.  We've found that not giving in to something just because the child whines/begs for it tends to cut down on tantrums down the road.  I'm not saying this always works, but it's definitely worth it.  That being said, remember also that you have to pick your battles:)

3.  Have a fruit basket on the table.  I've had a basket of fruit on my table for the past few weeks, and my kids have been fruit maniacs!  They don't always like a lot of fruit, but they tend to want it at odd times of the day.  Having cuties, bananas, apples, and other fruits available and out where they see them seems to really encourage them to eat more fruit.  Score!

4. Routine is key.  At least for my kids.  We try to stick to routines when it comes to nap times, dinner schedules, and bed time.  Having a routine for our kids has made a huge difference for us.  For bedtime in particular, we try to stick to the same time every night (around 8pm for Elijah and 8:30pm for Bella), and each night we complete the same routine: brush our teeth, read a story, say our prayers, and say goodnight.  The kids know the routine and it is a comfort to them.  They are both great sleepers and I think our routine is a big part of that. 

Bedtime story, Christmas Eve '12

5. For a toddler aged child, give them two options rather than one demand.  Many battles have been avoided when we give Bella the opportunity to pick an option rather than obey a demand.  For example, instead of, "You have to pick up your toys right now!", Try, "Do you want to pick up your dolls first, or the legos first?"  This helps fulfill their need for independence but still gets to the point you were trying for. 

6. Have books around the house to promote daily reading.  My kids and I love to read, but sometimes we forget to take time to do it.  Try a book basket (check out my post here), to help promote more reading.

7. Be silly with your kids.  Don't worry, they won't make fun of you.  In fact, they will probably think that you are awesome!  Sometimes we get so caught up in all of our obligations and work of being a parent that we forget to take a moment and just play and have fun with our kids.  So here's your chance...make up songs, dance, build forts, jump around, play games, wrestle-be silly:)

Family Snowball Fight Fun Feb '13

8. Pack snacks.  Anytime you go out, having a snack to offer a tired, cranky, hungry child can be the difference between a great day and a horrible one.  Trust me, I've been there.

9. Take time to pray. Pray for your kids, pray about your kids, pray for wisdom to be a good parent, pray for strength to get through the day, pray for patience, forgiveness, and love.  Just Pray. 

10. When dining out, bring a bag or purse with toys or busy bags.  Preferably toys they don't normally get to play with.  This way, they are excited about the toys and distracted at the table while you wait for your food.  Maybe, if you're lucky, you will actually get to relax and enjoy your dining out experience!

I hope you enjoyed my ten tricks of the trade.  Let me know if there are others you would add to this list.  I love new tips and tricks!  Please remember, if (and when) you have a hard day, know that you are not alone.  Take a break, pray, have a cookie...remember that tomorrow is a new day! 

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."  Lamentations 3:22-23

Bella's First Fish!

On a recent boating and fishing trip, Bella caught her first fish!

She was so excited and so was everyone else in the boat:) We are so proud of our little girl. She's becoming quite the little lady! Here are a few more pictures of our fun adventures on the lake...

(okay, we are working on phasing out the paci, but on the boat with the baby lifejacket, paci was the only thing to keep Elijah content!)

Happy Fishing:)

Our Fourth of July Holiday (and a few Bella-isms)

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Our Independence Day Celebration was nice and relaxing. We had grilled chicken and brats, played in the kiddie pool, and relaxed outside. And of course there was festive desserts to indulge in:) We didn't have the kids stay up for fireworks (they were both out cold by 7:30 from that long day of fun!), but Matt and I got to see some the night before at the Twin's game. So all in all it was a pretty fun holiday for us. So far this July we've had beautiful weather. I hope this trend continues!

And a few Bella-isms to share: 1. Bella calls mosquitoes 'mosquito bites'. She's contstantly around the house saying, "Mom, there's a mosquito bite in my room!" 2. Recently when I told Bella she needed a bath because she was messy, she replied, "no, I'm not messy, I'm clean and fluffy!" 3. Instead of saying "I don't want to take a nap" Bella will say, "I want to take a nap, no." It's very confusing when you think she's agreeing to something and then pulls it back last minute:) 4. She's been quoted saying, "Oh boy!" "Oh my goodness!" and "That's enough" just as we do. Pretty funny coming from a three year old. 5. The other day when she was running around with Elijah, I saw her stop, give him a hug, and say, "Good job honey! I'm so proud of you!". What a sweet big sister!

(I'm having trouble with the formatting of my post, so I appologize if it looks a little weird. I'm working on it!)

Weekend Trip to Duluth

One of my favorite cities to visit in Minnesota is Duluth.  Not only are you right on the water (which feels more like an ocean than a lake sometimes), but there are so many fun things to do and see in Duluth too!  We recently spent a long weekend up in Duluth with Matt's side of the family.  We had so much fun watching ships come into the harbor, walking the boardwalk, taking a scenic train ride, throwing rocks into the water, eating delicious food, and hanging out as a family.  I took a gazillion pictures (okay maybe that's not a real number, but still, it was A LOT).  I won't bore you with too many, but there are some I just had to share.  If you've never been there, I'd highly recommend it.  It's a family tradition for us, and I absolutely love that!

 Train Ride!

 Erika and Matt at Canal Park

 Time to throw rocks!

 Erika, Bella, and Debbie

Watching a big ship come into harbor!

Let's go fly a kite!

Jumping into the pool (matrix style!)

Father and Son

Our Family (love!)

Strong!

Stronger!!

Strongest!!!

Grandpa and Elijah deep in conversation (about the art of throwing skippers!)

Love them!

S'mores at our hotel:)

We had such a wonderful trip!  Thanks Debbie and Al for the awesome weekend getaway!!

What are your favorite summer destinations?

Splish Splash!

One of my favorite things to do in the summer is taking the kids to the splash pad.  We are part of an awesome playgroup that meets once a week to visit a nearby park or splash pad.  Just last week we were able to hit a splash pad for the first time this season with playgroup.  Bella and Elijah thought it was AWESOME!  We arrived before anyone else, so we had the whole area to ourselves for a little bit (also awesome!).  Here are a few pics I snapped of the fun they had! 

Independence Day is only a few days away!  Doing anything fun to celebrate?

P.S.What do you think of the new look for the blog??