Tips On How To Feed A Toddler - Eat The Family!

Based on the title of this post, you may be thinking that I'm going to write about my zombie children and their cannibalistic ways.  I promise you, though, this is good clean fun!

While Big-A has always been open to trying new foods and cleaning his plate at each meal, Lil-J is a totally different child.  He's a typical toddler, full of indecisiveness and stubborness, especially when it comes to food!  Any time that we're eating a food that he's not fond of, I follow the same method that I followed with Big-A because it always works - the food goes on Lil-J's plate and if it doesn't get eaten, that's ok.  Eventually he'll be curious enough to try it.

As we win the the battle of the foods Lil-J doesn't like, a whole new battle begins.  He'll suddenly stop liking a food that he's eaten for the past 2 years!  It's frustrating for all of us!  One night during dinner, I noticed that he was quietly talking to himself and not eating.  When I looked over, I noticed that he was playing with his pork chops, pretending they were people and making them walk around his plate and high chair tray.  It was super cute and we all had a laugh!  It also gave me a great new negotiating tool...when you're dealing with toddlers, any new way to negotiate is welcome!

The next time that we had dinner and served green beans (aka Lil-J's nemesis), he refused to eat them.  Well, he did eat the little peas inside the pods, but left the actual beans on his plate.  I decided to play his own game and name the green beans, as he did with his pork chops.  The first one was Dada.  I dared him to eat the Dada bean.  Excitedly, he did!  We then moved onto a Mama bean, a Big-A bean, Nana & Papa beans, Grandma & Grampa beans, we even named beans after the family dogs!  By the time we were done, every single bit of green bean was gone from his plate and in his tummy.

Lil-J enjoying a dinner of roast pork, roasted potatoes and peas.
That night, we had to think of a name for almost every pea!

Our 'Eat The Family' game is a fun way to get through dinner and we play it almost every night now.  Even Big-A plays the game with his little bro, helping him to finish his dinner.  We're prepared for those stubborn moments, when Lil-J suddenly decides that he no longer likes baked potato after loving it for the past 2 years, and we will name each little chunk of potato after a family member.  He still won't touch asparagus or Swiss Chard, leaving it all for his big bro.  But I know that he will eat and enjoy these foods with time.  For now, I'm happy with the little wins like the green beans that are cleaned off his plate during dinner.

The next time your little one refuses to try a new food or eat a food that they've previously loved, dare them to munch on a Daddy or Grampa or Auntie bean.  The excitement in the game just may leave their plate clean too!

To Market, To Market ~ Herridge's Fruit Market, Mississauga ON

To market, to market, to buy a fat pig.  Home again, home again, jiggedy jig!

I love local markets.  Fresh, seasonal, local produce at affordable prices are impossible to resist!

Ontario apples - there's nothing better!

I was recently introduced to a little gem in south Mississauga, Herridge's Fruit Market.  Each time I'd be in my mother's kitchen, I'd see the biggest, most gorgeous apples in her fruit bowl.  One day while visiting on lunch, I stole one for a mid-afternoon snack.  This may sound exaggerated, but it was one of the best apples I have ever eaten (the smallest details about food tend to excite me!).  After learning of the other Ontario-grown fruits and vegetables, mini bakery and outdoor planters available, I knew I had to go!  So a few weekends ago, we packed the boys up on a cool Saturday morning and headed to the market.


Herridge's Fruit Market is a proud family-run business that has been around for 75 years.  Surrounded by the Herridge family farm, the market is an ideal place to find the freshest local produce at excellent prices.

Yum! Swiss Chard!

For our first purchase at the market, we bought enough vegetables to last us a week, and two huge baskets of apples (McIntosh and Mutsu) for under $40.00.  We're still working on the apples but there aren't many left.  I've made apple sauce for a pork roast dinner, and Big-A has been bringing a Mac with him to school each day.  The Mutsu's are giant - we call them "sharing apples" and I've been bringing them to work with some cheddar cheese - a yummy 3pm snack!  We definitely got our money's worth!

A variety of fresh market veggies!

One of the veggies that I purchased was a humongous bunch of super-healthy Swiss Chard.  It was dark green in colour, full leaves with no tears or bruising.  I cooked it up that night and it was mouth-watering.  I simply washed the leaves throughly, cut out the white stems, roughly chopped the leaves, sauteed in a tbsp of butter, added a pinch of salt, fresh ground pepper, a pinch of pepper flakes and voila - a perfect side dish.  Lil-J still won't go for it and that's ok.  I put it on his plate each time we eat it because I know that one day, he'll try it and like it.  Big-A has graduated from only liking the stems to loving the leaves.  He said it was the best Swiss chard he's ever had!  I added more butter than normal, and it was so good that I craved it for the following week!  For more information on Swiss Chard and it's incredible health benefits, check out my post It's Not Easy Being Green...Swiss Chard.

All of the other veggies purchased were extremely fresh, lasted long in my refrigerator, and tasted so good with each dinner!

Along with amazingly fresh, locally grown produce, I also love any excuse to get outside and enjoy the fresh air with my boys.  Walking around looking at the flowers and planters was a lot of fun.  It's a perfect outing with little ones, just long enough to keep their attention.  I already can't wait to go back for more apples and Swiss Chard, and maybe some festive Christmas planters too!  If you live in Mississauga or the surrounding area, visit Herridge's Fruit Market and enjoy the fresh Ontario produce they have to offer!

Herridge's Fruit Market is located at 780 Southdown Rd, Mississauga ON, Ph# 905-822-0981.

My #cbias Search For Equal Low Calorie Sweetener At McDonald's

Although I don't use artificial sweeteners in place of real sugar for myself or my children, I know of many people who use sweeteners day to day, due to health reasons or diet.  My father was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes 3 years ago, and his life is forever changed.  Along with following a strict diet of high fibre and low sugar foods, he has had to find a way to replace sugar in certain foods and in his favourite morning beverage - coffee.

When approached by Collective Bias to join the search for Equal Low Calorie Sweetener at a Canadian McDonald's location, I jumped at the chance.  We rarely eat at McDonald's (Lil-J's gluten-free diet prevents us from eating at most take-out restaurants), but we do like treat the boys on the rare occasion.  I also thought about the limited diet that diabetics are forced to follow.  To me, sugar is sugar.  But artificial sweeteners are different - different chemical ingredients resulting in different tastes.  Consumers should be presented with a variety of artificial sweeteners when visiting a restaurant or cafe.  I was curious to see if my local McDonald's offered such a variety, including Equal.

Before I share my experience at McDonald's in the search of Equal, here's the lowdown on Equal Low Calorie Sweetener:

• Equal has been a trusted brand of sweetener for 30 years
• Equal offers two different varieties of their popular sweetener in Canada:
• Equal Classic (blue package) contains aspartame and is the original Equal Sweetner
• Equal Sucralose (yellow package) contains sucralose, commonly used when replacing real sugar in baked goods
• Equal can be used in many food and drink recipes to replace real sugar

Visit the Equal website for more information on Equal Low Calorie Sweeteners.  Along with product/ingredient details, you'll also find delicious recipes, health and nutrition information and valuable information on Diabetes.  I know how difficult it was for my parents to change their diet and lifestyle after my father's diagnosis, and after reading the Health and Nutrition information on the Equal website, I think that it's an ideal resource for anyone newly diagnosed with Diabetes.

Now, back to our McDonald's experience!  After a busy Saturday morning at the Oakville Santa Claus Parade and a bit of Christmas shopping, we decided to treat the boys to a quick lunch at McDonald's.  As soon as we entered the Dorval Crossing location, we turned back around and left.  Being in the middle of a massive collection of stores (with every human in Oakville Christmas shopping), the restaurant had absolutely no available seating, with a line-up at the door.  We then headed to the location at Neyagawa Blvd and Dundas St W.  Much better, very quiet, perfect for us!

Hallelujah!  A quiet McDonald's for a hungry family!
Location: Neyagawa Blvd & Dundas St W, Oakville ON

While Daddy & the boys settled into a booth, I ordered lunch.  The last item that I ordered was a small coffee with 1 cream, 1 Equal Sweetener.  The young man (young enough to be my son...God I feel old!) politely asked "does that mean {naming another popular brand}?".  I smiled and told him that I was specifically looking for Equal.  Without my having to ask, he immediately asked his manager if they had any Equal in stock.  She said that they only carried one brand of sweetener, not including Equal.  I asked why they didn't offer any other brands and she didn't know why, stating that the brand they carried was the only one made available to them.  She suggested that I submit an online customer survey as they had no comment cards available (for the record, they also had no nutritional or allergy-related information in print available either).

I tried the online survey when I arrived home only to learn that you can only submit a survey if you keep your receipt and enter a specific number from it.  I did not keep my receipt and could not submit a survey...not a happy customer!  I understand the purpose of tracing online customer complaints and compliments to a specific location, but what about general questions??  You do have the option of calling their toll-free phone number, only during business hours Mon-Fri.  Or you can send them a letter via smail mail...no comment!


A small McDonald's coffee, Equal-free :(

Big-A enjoyed a McNugget Happy Meal, along with a Bakugan toy.  Daddy had his usual, a Big Mac combo.  Lil-J & I only had fries and a drink, Lil-J due to his gluten intolerance and myself due to extreme pickiness!  Lil-J was absolutely mesmerized by the Hello Kitty toys, so I bought him one.  I have to add any bit of girliness in my life whenever I can!  In all, the boys had fun and enjoyed their lunch.  Visits to McDonald's don't happen often so this was a HUGE treat!

Lil-J enjoying his fries :)

Big-A's Happy Meal!

To end the trip on an even happier note, Big-A had a couple of boys almost climbing over the table to look at his extensive Pokemon card collection.  Big-A was more than happy to show them off, and was extremely proud!  It was really cute to see him socializing with other boys in this way.

A very proud boy and his Pokemon card collection!

My first experience working with Collective Bias #CBias was a delicious one, my boys certainly weren't complaining.  Not finding Equal sweetnener at this McDonald's location and not being able to comment about it online was frustrating, though.  Everyone deserves variety and selection.  Each and every day, I struggle with lack of variety while my little guy follows a gluten-free diet.  And I know that my father struggles with the limitations in his diet due to his Diabetes.  I hope that the many blog posts via Collective Bias will open the eyes of vendors and offer a variety of products to consumers.

There are a few ways of connecting online with both McDonald's Canada and #EqualCanada.  You will find them both on Twitter at @McD_Canada & @EqualCanada.  You can also LIKE McDonald's Canada & Equal Canada on Facebook.

This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias #CBias.

As always, all opinions on this blog are my own.

The Oakville Santa Claus Parade Is This Weekend! Don't Miss It!

Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane...

Ahhhhh...I love Christmas!  But I am sooooo not ready for Christmas this year.  I have my Christmas Gift Spreadsheet in the works (I know...it's the only way I can stay organized and on budget, though!), but I'm having a really hard time actually getting out there to shop!  I blame this on the lack of Christmas spirit around me (gotta blame something, right?), not hearing the festive tunes at work or on the radio, and not seeing spectacular displays at stores.

I think I have a solution to my Christmas doldrums, though.  We're going to the Oakville Santa Claus Parade this Saturday November 19 @ 9:00am!  I felt my heart skip a beat when I saw the ad for it.  Since my own childhood days, I've always loved the Santa Claus Parade!  Watching the floats go by, seeing the children in costumes, catching candy canes as they fly through the air, and the ultimate excitement...seeing Santa!!!  That was the BEST MOMENT EVER!

Follow this link to access the Parade map.  It starts at Lakeshore Rd & Reynolds St, ending at Kerr St & Stewart St.  While you're downtown Oakville, make sure to visit one of the many cafés along Lakeshore Rd and the surrounding streets and grab a hot chocolate or latte to help keep warm!

What's a Santa Claus Parade without candy?  I have learned that Allan Candy Company has donated thousands of candy canes to be handed out!  I had a blast blogging about this proud Canadian company for Halloween and can't wait for my first candy cane of the season!

After a morning of excitement at the Oakville Santa Claus Parade, what's next?  How about a special screening of the classic movie A Christmas Story at Encore Cinemas Oakville?  Presented by Encore Cinemas and RetroFestive.ca, this will be the first time that A Christmas Story has been shown on a Canadian Big Screen in 15 years!

Encore Cinemas will have three showtimes on Saturday November 19, 11:30am / 1:45pm / 4:00pm.  And, Encore Cinemas is doing something awesome for the local community - in lieu of a ticket purchase, they're asking for donations to the Oak Park Neighbourhood Centre Food Drive.  Items being collected are non-perishable food items, grocery store gift cards, and money.



If you live in the GTA, consider attending the Oakville Santa Claus Parade this Saturday November 19,  2011 @ 9:00am in beautiful downtown Oakville.  I can't wait J


Yikes! Clowns are one attraction I can do without
at the Santa Claus Parade...having flashbacks of
Stephen King's "IT"!



 

What a pretty carriage!

 

A fireman for Mommy, a firedog for the boys!
Hehe!



I LOVE Nutcrackers!

Why God Made Little Boys...

Why God Made Little Boys...

To create flutters in tummies at the announcement of "It's A Boy!"...

To pee on everyone at least once...

To flood their mother's heart with love when they say "Can I marry you Mama?"...

To prance around in dress up clothes, mainly high heels, skirts and purses - pure, innocent fun...

To start boys-only "toot contests" and "toot clubs" during dinner...

To try on each necklace, ring and bracelet that belongs to Mama, loving the sparkles and jewels...

To melt their mother's heart with hugs and kisses and snuggles...

To test their mother's patience at any given moment...

To stop their mother in her tracks while exclaiming "Mama, you look beautiful today!"...

To be a buddy/helper/student to an enthusiastic father...

To be dirty and stinky and sweaty and sticky, all the while being absolutely irresistable...

To call girls "yucky" in Kindergarten...

To know exactly how to make a temper tantrum EPIC...

To be a good little brother...

To be "in love" with girls in Grade 1...

To be a good big brother...

To teach their mother about all things Pokemon, Star Wars and Captain Underpants...

To be a perfect Grandson / Nephew / Cousin...

To teach tolerance and forgiveness to the adults in their world...

To break their mother's heart when they fall in love for the first time...

To make their mothers proud...

I love my two boys with all my heart.  I look forward to the days and years ahead, filled with love and kisses and sticky hands.  Every single day I feel blessed to have them in my life and I am so extremely proud to be their Mama!

Barbie 'I Can Be The Voice' on Facebook - Get Involved!

When I received the opportunity to join the Barbie I Can Be blog tour, my initial reaction was "Why would I involve myself with a Barbie program?  I don't have daughters, I have two sons!"  But I was instantly drawn to it, being a girl myself of course, but also coming from a family with A LOT of girls.  Although my boys don't play with Barbie at home (I know they have played with them at their cousins house, though!), I do whatever I can to encourage them to be the best they can be.  I also have three beautiful nieces, ages 3, 6 and 9.  I have watched them grow over the years, and am constantly reminded of my own childhood while watching them.  My sister works hard to instill the same values and goals into her girls, as I do with my boys.  Whether they play with Barbie or not, we are making sure that our children are growing up knowing that they can be whatever they want to be.

My Barbie Childhood

I have so many fond memories of playing with Barbie as a child.  My sister and I would spend hours planning her perfect outfit, fixing her hair, and getting her ready for a night out.  When my siblings and I received the Barbie And The Rockers set from Santa, we screamed with joy!  Aside from Barbie's perfect makeup, gorgeous gowns and shiny hair, I always loved that she could do anything and go anywhere, if I just used my imagination and pictured my own dreams.

Barbie working hard as a doctor!

Childhood Dreams

As a child, I had big dreams.  One day I wanted to be an artist and would practise drawing from text books that my uncle gave me.  The next day I was going to be a heart surgeon or a veterinarian.  The one dream that kept coming back year after year, though, was my dream to become a teacher.  I loved playing 'school' with my younger brother and sister and always imagined that I would be a teacher.  No matter what my dreams were, my mother always encouraged me to try my best, to work hard in school, and to be kind and courteous to others.  I believe that these life skills have helped me become the woman I am today, and have been passed along to my children.

Canadian Barbie eh!

Barbie and Mattel Canada are now offering a helping hand for parents raising girls with the Barbie I Can Be website, via Facebook.  Visit http://www.bethevoice.ca/ for interesting, helpful reading material and join in the conversations yourself!

Terry Carson, Canadian Parenting Coach extraordinaire is featured on Barbie I Can Be, offering incredible words of wisdom and articles that will really get yout thinking.  In her most recent article The Art of Encouragement, she discusses the differences between encouragement and praise, and why encouragement is so extremely important when raising children.  Here are a few statements from this article that really speak volumes:

"Raising a daughter to be all that she can be with confidence to assert herself and make sound choices, even when the crowd goes against her core values, can feel like a daunting task.  One of the most powerful tools I offer parents is the language of encouragement."

"I cannot overstate the power of using encouragement language when communicating with daughters.  When we encourage the efforts, rather than the achievements, we tell them that they hold the magic within themselves to be who they want and can be."

Terry's mission is "to support parents in being the kind of parents they really want to be by helping them develop the necessary skills and knowledge for parenting in today's world without guild and uncertainty."

She is a mother of four and understands the many demands and challenges facing parents today.  You can find more information about Terry Carson at her website http://www.theparentingcoach.ca/.

Whether you're raising daughters yourself or want to help out a loved one looking for advise, check out the Barbie I Can Be community on Facebook and join in!

Life is so serious, and I know that it can be very hard to be a girl as I had some very tough moments growing up.  Keep the communication open with your girls, and encourage them at every moment possible.  These girls will grow up to be mothers, aunts, best friends and grandmothers.  Women full of wisdom and unconditional love, leading their families and caring for their communities.  Let's all work together to make sure that our girls have every opportunity available, and strive to be whomever they want to be!

I am participating in the Barbie I Can Be campaign by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Mattel Canada.  I received compensation as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own. 

My Kinder® Moments On Facebook - A Fun Way To Capture Precious Memories

During my first two blog posts as a #KinderMOM, I've discussed Kinder's® delicious, nut-free, high quality chocolate, an awesome 2012 toy lineup, the informative Kinder® Canada website, my own family fun experiences, and the Kinder® Canada Facebook page full of family-friendly discussions and prizes.  I am excited to announce that there is yet another Kinder® 'Surprise' for all you Kinder® fans out there!  If you're not already a Kinder® Canada Facebook fan, I encourage you to LIKE the page to benefit from the conversation, as well as the contests. 

Once you're a FB fan, click on the My KINDER® Moments app to get started on your own special photo album courtesy of Kinder® Canada.  You'll have the opportunity to frame all of your special family moments, from birthdays to special holidays to the first tooth-fairy visit!  These framed photos will be saved in your own My KINDER® Moments Album and can be shared with all of your family and friends.

It literally takes a few minutes to create a framed photo, and you can use photos from your own Facebook account or upload photos from your computer.  I had fun framing some really great moments from the past year.



A photo of the boys & their good friend apple picking!
How perfect is this frame?!

On top of providing a fun way to preserve family memories through My KINDER® Moments, the generous folks at Kinder® Canada are also running monthly contests as well.  When you create a framed photo using the My KINDER® Moments app, you will be automatically entered to win an awesome prize!  Don't miss out on these fab opportunities!

My absolute fave photo of the wonderful guys
 in my life, enjoying time together at the cottage!

My big boy's first lost tooth!
A VERY proud moment for our family!

Whether you enjoyed Kinder® Surprise chocolates and toys as a child or your own children are enjoying them now, Kinder® has continued to bring fun to families over the years by encouraging us to enjoy the simple joys in life.



I’m part of the KINDER® Mom program and I receive compensation as part of my affiliation with this group.

The opinions on this blog are my own