Mommy Has to Work

Fun Lunch Ideas for Kids in Elementary School

August 22, 2015 By Marijean

Summer goes by way too fast, before you know it we are preparing to send the kids back to school! This also means time to think about what to pack the kids for lunch. My 4 year old son is pretty picky when it comes to what he wants for lunch, and trying to make his lunch a healthy one is sometimes a chore. I have found a few fun ideas to make lunches more fun for kids to eat.

Caterpillar Fruit Kabobs These are fun and very simple for adults to make, the kids can even make them! You just need grapes, strawberries, wood skewers, sugar eyes and frosting to hold the eyes on to the strawberry. If you don’t want to send these in on the wooden skewer, they would still be cute without! http://indulgy.com/post/5SbdWHdHt2/could-use-after-reading-the-very-hungr

Apple Sandwiches with Granola and Peanut Butter if your child isn’t a fan of bread then these are awesome sandwiches to take to school. They look fun to eat and are very tasty. All you need for this one is Apples, Peanut or Almond butter, Granola & optional Chocolate Chips. This would also make a great after school snack! www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/apple-sandwiches-granola-and-peanut-butter

Tortilla Pinwheel Lollipops Definitely not your typical “lunch sandwich” this one is fun to make and even more fun to eat. For this one all you need is cream cheese, tortillas, lunchmeat of choice, cheese of choice, and ranch dressing! Add lollipop sticks and your kids will love these! http://homecookingmemories.com/kid-lunch-ideas-tortilla-pinwheel-lollipops/

Silly Face Sandwich There are easy and adorable, plus the kids can make them into any silly face they want! For these the possibilities are endless. For example, you can use blueberries or olives for the eyes, grapes or carrots for nose, and pepper slices for the mouth! Kids will love all the crazy combinations they can come up with. http://www.kixcereal.com/kix-cereal-fathers-day-food-artsandwiches-for-dad/

Apple Race-cars Kids will love these!! You can use all different types of food for the wheels. Bananas, round apple slices, kiwi slices or even string cheese! For a sweet treat you can add marshmallows! http://www.woojr.com/fun-apple-snacks/

These are all great options for picky and non picky eaters! Your child will enjoy lunchtime at school and have a full tummy.

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Why Buy It – When You Can Win It!

August 17, 2015 By Anne

Enter my giveaways and list your giveaways here!

Anne

I'm a mother of 2 who likes to get involved in too much! Besides writing here I started a non-profit, I'm on the PTO board, very active in my community and volunteer in the school. I enjoy music, reading, cooking, traveling and spending time with my family. We just adopted our 3rd cat and love them all!

Nestlé Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars Review

August 17, 2015 By Marijean

I am a proud supporter of the Girl Scouts, especially their delicious cookies. I am always buying boxes of cookies each year because my family and I really enjoy them. I seem to never buy enough, and when I run out I am counting down the days until the next cookie sale. Now when I have that craving for a particular cookie I can have it in candy bar form! These delicious candy bars are called Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Cookie Candy Bars.

These limited edition cookie candy bars come in three flavors:
Thin Mint: Dark chocolate cookie wafers and mint chocolate creme topped with airy crisps and a rich, dark chocolatey coating.
Caramel& Coconut: Cookie wafers layered with coconut caramel creme and chewy caramel, topped with toasted coconut and drizzled with caramel strips.
Peanut Butter Creme: Cookie wafers layered with smooth peanut butter creme, topped with airy crispies and a creamy, chocolatey coating.

Now through September, Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars are available nationwide, wherever candy bars are sold but when they’re gone, they’re gone! Each variety is sold as a single bar ($0.99 MSRP) or fun-size bars in a new take-home bag ($3.49 MSRP).
The flavor I tried is the Thin Mint cookie flavor.
The chocolate surrounding the bar is very smooth, and the taste when I bit into the bar is a delicious combination of chocolate and mint. This bar is very close indeed to a Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie. I wouldn’t exactly describe it as a candy bar after eating it, more so like a wafer bar I would say. Both of my children tried the bars and really enjoyed the flavor as well.

Each package of candy bars contains two mini bars, so you can have one now, and save the rest for later. You can even share with a friend. That I do like so you don’t feel like you have to eat the whole bar at once. In conclusion, I was very satisfied with these candy bars. I can’t wait to try the other flavors. The Thin Mint ones will stay in my pantry for the days I have a craving for the Girl Scout Cookies.

Are you local to Mommy Has to Work? I have some Nestle Crunch Girl Scout Candy Bars to giveaway! To enter just leave a comment here with your favorite Girl Scout Cookie!

Marijean

My name is MJ. I have two wonderful children and work part time as well as volunteer at my children's school.

Let’s Teach…Compassion

August 11, 2015 By Anne

Please welcome ABIGAIL LEVRINI, PHD with this Guest Post

Let’s Teach…compassion.

Greetings, moms (and dads!) Welcome to my blog series called “Let’s Teach”. Each entry will focus on real life examples to illustrate the importance of lessons from the field of psychology, like increasing our own and our children’s’ self-esteem, understanding, or compassion for others.

Today, let’s teach…compassion.

Whether you realize it or not, nearly 1 in 5 Americans suffer with a mental illness. Your children attend school with peers struggling with a variety of issues from ADHD and learning disorders, to depression or anxiety. You work with these people. They’re your neighbors, your mailman, or your Publix cashier. They might even be you. Mental illness is, just like physical illness, a normal part of human life.

One common thread to many of these diagnoses, is the effect they have on an important American ideal – “motivation”. Simply put, they zap it. And sadly, most people on the outside have little understanding or tolerance for the fact that the inability to power through mental illness isn’t a choice. The idea that makes my heart sink the most when it comes to individuals with mental health diagnoses like ADHD, depression, or other disorders that often affect one’s motivation is that people could overcome their problems if they just mustered up enough “willpower”. Ugh. Even with all of our knowledge, I continuously hear reports from parents, teachers, spouses…even my clients themselves…saying, “They have done it before so I know they can if they really want to.”

If only it were that simple. Remember the commercial from the 2000s for one of the early depression meds where the little rock is being followed around by the gloomy rain cloud? Well, picture that rock as a brain, and that cloud as the disorder. That is what it is like for people suffering. Just like a cloud, some areas are denser than others, and there are even parts where you can almost see the sun shining through. These are the moments when the affected person can motivate him or her self enough to attend to their responsibilities. There are good days and bad days. And the bad days have nothing to do with laziness or lack of willpower.

One thing that I think makes it hard for people to really get this…I mean truly get it…is that individuals with mental health disorders don’t have the benefit of others seeing their cloud. As difficult as I am sure life is for someone with a more visible handicap, one thing they have in their favor is the fact that it is visible. When we see someone approaching an entrance on crutches, we hold the door for them (at least we should). On the other hand, if we smile politely at someone who is depressed and they frown and avert their eyes, we assume they are rude and maybe mumble something under our breath. If an ADHD child who turned their homework in the day before doesn’t the following day, we assume he is being defiant. Children make fun of the “weird” kid struggling with Autism or social skills deficits causing him to become more angry and defiant…and we have all seen in the news where this can so often lead.

I admit I am guilty of this too. I automatically have sympathy and respect for any client that walks into my office, but in my daily life I make assumptions about people’s character flaws when I really have no idea what is going on under the surface. It’s human nature.

So please, try and take a step back now and then when you feel yourself getting impatient with a loved one or stranger who appears to be rude, defiant, or angry. They may be suffering more than you will ever know, and most likely feel ten times the negative feelings toward themselves that you feel. Let’s do better for our community and our children’s futures. Take solace and celebrate the fact that you are mentally healthy and spread those positive feelings around, and ‘let’s teach’ our children to do the same.

ABIGAIL LEVRINI, PHD is a licensed clinical psychologist, ADHD specialist, renowned speaker, and bestselling author. Dr. Levrini has published numerous scientific articles on ADHD and presents her coaching model in professional settings throughout the country. Dr. Levrini can be found throughout the media on WebMD, The Washington Post, NAMI, APA, PsychCentral, and many other popular means of press. Dr. Levrini’s first book is an American Psychological Association (APA) bestseller, (“Succeeding with Adult ADHD: Daily Strategies to Help you Achieve Your Goals and Manage Your Life”). Her second book was published in June of 2015 and is titled, “ADHD Coaching: A Guide for Mental Health Professionals”. Dr. Levrini also stars in the American Psychological Association’s Therapy Video Series on Adult ADHD Treatment. Her practice, Psych Ed Connections (www.psychedconnections.com), has locations in Ponte Vedra, FL, Louisville, KY and throughout northern Virginia.

Anne

Turbo FAST Season 2 by DreamWorks Review

August 6, 2015 By Marijean

I am a Netflix Stream Team Blogger.

If your child/children have seen the DreamWorks movie Turbo, that came out in 2013, they are sure to love the new Netflix series Turbo FAST! Season 1 has already been out on Netflix and as of July 31st, Season 2 is now out.

On July 31st, Turbo and his crew take Turbotown by storm in the all-new season of Turbo FAST, premiering exclusively on Netflix. The world’s coolest snails take a turn off the track and set off on a wild ride filled with hilarious hijinks at every turn. You’ll laugh out loud when they launch into outer space, battle an apocalyptic robot, clash with a ninja stinkbug and escape a booby-trapped treasure hunt!

My children who are 7 and 4 years old were very excited about season 2 because they have already watched season 1. They loved the new episodes. They were constantly laughing with all of the humor in the episodes. The episodes are very colorful and animated which held their attention the whole time. They are hoping that Netflix brings
out Season 3 soon!