Fighting Boredom

Put 'em up kiddo!

When you are home sick and pregnant with a sick kid you run out of things to do. We have done puzzles (even 150 piece ones), read books, watched movies and TV, built forts, played games, done crafts, etc. etc. etc. Fighting the boredom became literal last night when dad came home (who is unfortunately also feeling sick). Seth pretty much beat him up and we all laughed for every minute of it.

A "smash down" from the couch.

If you could take a moment, pray for good health for our family.

Tips for Tots: Getting Rid of the Germs

This is my 200th post - I love to blog!

Mr Germ is not welcome in My Tidy Little Mess.

The J mom house has got the "bug". It's that illness that everyone gets, eventually. We have been so healthy this season but our "eventually" has come. After three days of getting worse instead of better, we took Seth to the clinic yesterday to have him checked out. As expected it is viral and nothing much we can do. The Dr. sent us home with some Albuterol so Seth is using the nebulizer three times a day to help with the weezy cough. (Fortunately we already owned one and cut costs there.) The runny nose, fever and achiness is getting covered with Children's Tylenol and Ibuprofen. As a mother you just ache for your child and want to help them with so much more but other than sharing his bed to keep the snot at bay and rubbing aches and pains, you really just feel worthless.

On to the main point: Getting rid of the germs. My house has now had the "bug" so we must remove all traces of said "bug" from my home so it is never seen or heard from again. As the kids are the one who seem to have started this we started the cleaning process with the toys.

Have you ever disinfected your toys? You really ought to think about it. As a day care provider (and an obsessive compulsive mother) I clean our toys more than most. I actually have some what of a cycle I try to keep up with, though my husband can attest it doesn't always happened as planned.

Here are some tips that I hope you can find helpful:
1. If you have a dishwasher with a sanitizing cycle you can throw plastic toys in it and run it knowing that they will all be happpy clean when the cycle is complete. This is great for infant toys especially! (For example: teething rings, shape sorter, stacking cups, magnetic alphabets, etc.)

2. Soft play toys can often be run through the washing machine on a short low agitation cycle with a small amount of cleaner. We have some soft blocks, books and stuffed animals that get this treatment.

3. Toys that cannot go in the dishwasher can be wiped with a Clorox solution or pre-purchased Clorox wipes. You can also use Clorox anywhere spray and then let air dry. This works great for all of our small cars and trucks. Not recommended while the kiddos are around though!

4. Any toy that you see enter the mouth should get washed immediately or put in the sink so you can cleanse it properly before any other kids touch it. Sounds crazy but it is possible. With infants in mouthing stage just make sure the toys that are used by mouth stay in one place to be repeatedly used until you wash them at the end of the day.

5. When kids are sick limit the amount of toys they play with so you can keep germ sharing to a minimum. It saves you the extra cleaning.

I try to cycle through the cleaning of the toys each month unless it goes in the mouth. Funny but Seth sees something go in another kids mouth and his automatic reaction is to throw it in the sink for cleaning. You can teach your kids to help you clean too! Make it fun and have a "car wash" for your toys with some soapy water in the bathtub. Kids love it and you get something done too.

All in all keeping germs out of your house is impossible and they say kids need some germs too. I just figure they can get them at someone else's house, not mine!

What ways have you found to keep germs away from your precious little ones?!

Foody Friday: Lunch is Served

photo from Parents.com

I love this Foody Friday idea! I recently read the September issue of Parents magazine. They had a fantastic article about school lunch ideas. I may not send anyone to school yet, but we are always in need of easy lunch ideas that will be healthy for all of us. Portion control can also be an issue which this article addresses. Many of them are also finger foods which are great for serving toddlers, but also very edible for moms and dads on the go. (I may eat at home, but I am always running around to help the kids get what they need and therefore feel on the go. Easy to eat foods mean I get a lunch some days!) Also, some of the ideas push you out of the sandwich comfort zone which is really good.

Fortunately for you the article and others similar to it are available with all the fabulous photos ont there website. Check out both of these great articles for ideas.

Lunch is Served: Healthy School Lunch and Snacks

Let's Do Lunch: Bread and Better

Do you have any ideas to share for lunch? Please leave a comment here or join Foody Friday by logging into our host at A Latte Talk. We'd love to have you participate!

Foody Friday: Quick and Healthy

Quick and simple is a requirement for pretty much all I cook so that part is not a problem. Healthy, well that is sometimes a relative term. For me healthy is more akin to well balanced. Does the recipe have protein, calcium, fresh veggies or fruits?! Those can signify "healthy" in my book. All things in moderation and keep it balanced, that is my motto! Thus, I feel my favorite burrito recipe passes both the quick and healthy test.

photo compliments of Kraftfoods.com

Burritos el Grande

Prep Time: 20 min

Total Time: 20 min

Makes: 6 servings

1 lb. ground beef (make it lean!)

1 jar (16 oz.) your favorite Salsa

1 medium green pepper, chopped (fresh veggies are healthy!)

1 cup instant white rice, uncooked (could use brown too)

1 can (16 oz.) Refried Beans, warmed (there's protein in beans)

6 flour tortillas (10 inch) - use whole wheat for healthier : )

1-1/2 cups shredded Cheese: Cheddar or Colby Jack (low fat options)

1-1/2 cups shredded lettuce (fresh and tasty!)

1-1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (straight from the garden for us)

1/3 cup Sour Cream (low fat options)

BROWN meat in large skillet on medium heat; drain. Add salsa and green pepper; mix well. Bring to boil. Stir in rice; cover. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 min.

SPREAD beans evenly down centers of tortillas; top evenly with the meat mixture, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes.

FOLD in opposite sides of each tortilla, then roll up burrito-style. Serve with the sour cream.

If you are really desperate for Nutrition information on this one check out Kraftfoods.com as they provide it on the right-hand side of the page.

For more recipes check out our Foody Friday host at A-Latte Talk.

Trying Something New

photo compliments of http://www.eatmedelicious.com

I have been trying to be more open to trying new things and over the weekend camping with our friends I had the opportunity to try a few that I really enjoyed. They are Vegan and eat very differently from us which is good to be around as it opens your eyes to new ways of doing things.

It also can help you incorporate new, healthy foods into your families diet. I fell in love with Elizabeth's hummus. It goes good with veggies, and really great with pitas and crackers too. After hearing it was not hard to make I jumped in with both feet. It turned out fantastic - I love it! (In fact I must share some or I will explode!)

Here is the recipe for Hummus (per Elizabeth of centrepullball)

2 cans chickpeas, drained
1/2 C tahini
2 t lemon juice
2 + cloves garlic
1 t salt
1 T cumin
2 T olive oil
1/2 C water

In a food processor, add all ingredients except water. Process, adding water gradually until hummus is creamy. Serve with pitas and veggies.

What is tahini you ask?! I wondered the same thing and did some searching. Here's the scoop according to Wikipedia. Interested in nutritional value? Check out Answers.com for some detailed information. I eventually found it at Bylery's near the organic peanut butters. I guess some people use it as a peanut butter spread substitute. I hear Cub carries it also but I got sick of looking for it and there was nobody to ask for help.

My next new thing to make is her recipe for Pitas. I love them and why not make them yourself? After that it is on to homemade crackers made with flax seed. I have been trying to find ways to incorporate flax seed in our diet as we need the Omega 3's and are not much for fish. It is so fun to try new things. Have something you want to share? Leave a comment!

Want to find more great recipes? Elizabeth posts a ton of them on her blog: centrepullball. Want to know what that means? You'll just have to check it out then won't you!

Bottle Exchange

At the advice of a friend I took my BPA bottles back to Babies R Us today. They are taking any bottles on the BPA unsafe list and giving you an exchange of BPA-free bottles of your choice! I was astonished at how easy it was and no receipts required, just a driver's license. Our bottles have been in storage for two years and I know for a fact I purchased some of them at Target. They don't care!

Here are some bottles that carry BPA:
Avent
Dr. Brown’s
Evenflo (clear)
First Years
Playtex Vent Aire
Sassy
TupperCare

There was a long list at Guest Services so there are certainly others I have not listed here. I recommend that you call your local Babies R Us and make sure what you can bring in before making the trip.

Not sure why BPA is such a concern. Please take a few moments to read Smart Plastics Guide Healthier Food Uses of Plastics For Parents and Children. You will see near the end of Page 3 there is specific information about bottles and sippy cups that should be avoided.

Note: I looked on the Babies R Us website but could not find any specific details or links to share with you. If anyone has a link to share please add it in the comments section. Thanks!

Are You Drinking Poison?!

Thoughts that somewhat relate to Earth Day.

It is so hard to be a good consumer in America. There are always two, or more, sides to each battle being waged for our health, but this is the current battle on my mind. Am I poisoning myself?

There is a new debate over drinking bottles and the environment, but now it went even further than just recycling. This one has become a monster. We have discovered that all those bottles we use and throw are wasting space in landfills. Well I could have told you that a long time ago. But did you know that those of us who have been trying to save the environment by using "reusable" water bottles may be hurting ourselves over the long run?

It has come to the attention of the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy to get the truth out there for the people. I don't know about you, but I am much more likely to believe a study done by the government than a study done by a company who is trying to keep their good name. I think it would be wise for all of us to take a look at their very helpful information. It is already in a ready to print, PDF form: Smart Plastics Guide. Take a look and see what you think for yourself.

My house is not rising to panic but we are looking at what bottles and food items we purchase whenever possible. Will I stop eating something that comes from a can? No, but it is good to be aware of what we put into our bodies, and especially those of our children.

If you have time or are looking for more information check out what Dr. Nancy Snyderman has to say on the Today Show. They did a segment on it for a few days in a row due to the popularity of the issue.

Life Goes On...

Last week was terribly busy which lead to a worn out family and a sick little boy. We have spent the last three days trying to slow Seth down so he can overcome a fever and a bad cold. No easy task for a little boy.

Before the illness hit we spent a day at our friend's farm. Seth was terribly sensitive to all the sun and the reflection off the snow (they got more north of the metro). Here are some cute pictures of him in mom's sunglasses. He now has his own, but pictures will have to wait until we get our sick kid well and back outside.