• Feeding the Little Walnuts Archive

    TGIF! With the first week of school under our belts, the weekend can’t come soon enough. After figuring out how to make umpteen binders fit in one backpack without busting the seams, working out the kinks in an illogical bus route and filling out all that bloody paperwork, I’m ready to head back to the beach and pretend that it’s still summer vacation! No one ever said navigating the long and winding road of parenthood would be easy, but wouldn’t it be nice if you had some sort of road map to get you over some of those bumps all the way? Since that won’t be happening anytime soon, we think we’ve found a handy ‘cheat sheet’ of sorts that can cover some of that [&hellip

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    If I had a nickel for every time I’ve used a plastic sandwich baggie, I could cash out and skip playing Lotto. Seriously, we go through dozens of these bags every week: from packing snacks and small lunch items, to storing craft supplies and other items I can’t seem to get handle on otherwise. Part of me feels guilty every time we open yet another one (hey, at least I recycle the box!), but as a busy mom, these baggies have become one of my most indispensable items to date. Imagine then how I felt when I recently received a sample of Stasher, a plastic-free, silicon storage bag. To call this item revolutionary would be putting it on a pedestal, and yet I feel this [&hellip

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    Calling all taste testers and lovers of jelly beans: Just how well do you know your favorite flavors? With Easter just one month away, there’s no better time to whet your appetite than with the latest version of a well-loved game that will put your taste buds in a tizzy. The BeanBoozled 4th Edition features two new flavor pairings that may perplex even the most seasoned palettes: Dead Fish with Strawberry Banana Smoothie and Spoiled Milk with Coconut. Sure, these beans may look like their counterparts, but can you really tell which one is the better half? Kids continue to love tempting their friends and family into sampling these eye-catching confectionaries…but most admit, it’s the yuck-inspired names that keep them coming back for more. With [&hellip

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    Eating with kids can take the joy out of…well, eating. How many times have you sat down to a healthy, home-cooked meal with your kids (you know: the one you planned ahead, bought fresh ingredients and actually got onto the table in record time)…only to have a little one upend his dinner plate and burst into tears? Yeah, we’ve been there, too. But thanks to a revolutionary new mealtime accessory, those trying times may be a thing of the past. The ezpz Happy Mat is an all-in-one placemat and plate that affixes to the table or hard surface, minimizing the potential for accidental knock-overs. Made from BPA-free silicon, this clever product stays put via suctions, keeping your kid’s food contained in one place. With its [&hellip

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    I don’t care how old my kids are; I still can’t resist checking out new picture books. Maybe it’s that irreplaceable smell of the freshly printed pages or the excitement of an inviting cover whose illustrations are begging me to find out what’s inside…whatever the reason, I’m hooked on books–and they’re not even for me! As a mom, I find the best books speak to me as a parents as much as they do to  my kids. Witty puns read like inside jokes and tickle my funny bone on days I can use it most. And that’s the beauty of Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast, an ode to breakfast gone awry. Much like my kids fighting over the last ice pop on a sweltering [&hellip

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    Now that summer is in full swing, we’ve officially moved onto camp season. My older daughter has decided that she’s outgrown her lunch bag, so we’re in the market for something a bit more, shall we say, “sophisticated?” (read: middle school cool). While out shopping the other day, I came across some bento boxes, which seemed like the perfect upgrade to the lunchtime routine. But upon further investigation, I decided the plastic containers appeared a bit too flimsy, and figured they wouldn’t hold up to a rough-and-tumble camp day. So when I heard about PlanetBox, a line of stainless-steel, multi-compartment lunch boxes, I was determined to check it out. There’s so much to like about this product line…where do we start? Kids with fussy appetites [&hellip

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    We recently took a stroll down memory lane watching videos of when my girls were toddlers. It’s hard to believe they were once that young–no backtalk, just babble–and so fiercely independent (or at least trying to be). I  remember so well how determined my older daughter was to drink out of her own cup, minus the top. And if my well-worn kitchen floor is any indication of just how many spills of knocked-over drinks I’ve cleaned up, well…let’s just say there’s a reason for all those stains. If you have an equally determined toddler on your hands, you know that meal time isn’t the best time for arguing over minor mishaps. Katesplace Kupp’ is the answer to those relentless cries of “I do it myself!” [&hellip

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    It’s not even June yet, and it already feels like summer. The sun is out, the heat is on and the kids are thirsty. Fresh off the school bus with sweaty, rosy-cheeked faces, they can barely make it through the door before they are asking for something cold to drink. Yesterday, I was able to surprise them with something new and boy, did it make an impression. Honest Tea‘s latest addition to its organic Summer Refreshers line, Watermelon Lemonade, combines the classic taste of tart lemons with a refreshing twist of mouthwatering melon. The result is a well-balanced beverage that tempers the taste of sharp citrus with subtle fruity flavor. We like to think of as a new summer beverage for the seasoned palette…or for [&hellip

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    What’s up with Mother Nature? While the calendar may say it’s spring, it’s still pretty cold out there. This may be the winter that just won’t quit, but that doesn’t have to spoil your fun. If you and your kids have had your fill of the white stuff, how about warming up with an indoor tea party? And if you’ve got a Girl Scout in the house (or a wannabee one), so much the better for this shindig. Speaking of scouts, hold onto your green berets for this one: Due out this fall, the Girl Scouts Cookie Oven lets you whip up freshly baked batches of Trefoils and Thin Mints in the comfort of your own kitchen. And if you’ll be joining your little ones [&hellip

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    It doesn’t take a genius to know that the organics food market is exploding, and that’s especially true where babies and kids are concerned. When my girls were toddlers, I introduced them to some bunny-shaped cheddar crackers, but truthfully, they were just as happy with their Goldfish. Today, you’d be remiss not to experiment with organic foods; there’s no shortage of options for babies and toddlers alike, and if you’re trying to expand your child’s culinary horizons, this is the time to do it. We asked one of our mom testers to sample Plum Organics’ Mighty 4 Essential Nutrition Bars with her 10-month-old son, and find out whether they were worth checking out. “He LOVES these,” she enthused. “I love that there are vegetables in [&hellip

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