Dips

• Cream Cheese Dip with Ham & Cheese
• Buffalo Chicken Dip
• Homemade Guacamole
• Black Bean Salsa
• Cowboy Caviar
• Hellmann’s Easy Vegetable Dip

• Football Turnovers
• Bruschetta
• Artichoke Bread
• Crockpot BBQ Meatballs
• Crispy Oven Potato Wedges
• Pizza Spirals
• Bacon & Cream Cheese Wontons
• Quinoa Pizza Bites
• Mini Deep Dish Pizzas
• Grilled BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

So I though it would be a good time to share some of my favorite posts here; the ones I couldn’t wait to share. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did!

I shared all of my kids’ nicknames, and wondered if you used nicknames in your house too.

Because I have picky eaters, I shared some tips and suggestions for how to get kids to eat their veggies. I also included this picture of Ethan (one of my favorites!)

I also shared a quick and easy breakfast recipe, Mini Quiches, that even my picky eaters like to eat. Bonus: you can make them and freeze them to use throughout the week!

I love sharing with others how easy it is to “go green”, and I shared 10 ideas that you can start doing today to go green. That led readers to ask how to compost, so I also shared how to start  composting.

If you are a couple having a hard time starting a family, you already know that there’s still a stigma attached to having fertility issues. The only way to get rid of stigmas like that is to talk about them, so I shared our story with unexplained infertility.

Cooking is a huge part of who I am, so I suggested that if it’s important to you and your family as well, you might consider starting a family cookbook.

I’m not crafty at all, but I was able to make this 4th of July wreath in under an hour. The best part? You can make this wreath for any holiday just by switching out colors and decorations!

When my girls started preschool, I felt different about it than I thought I would. I guess mom is growing up, too.

I love to read, and I shared where to  find book recommendations and also where to find super cheap or free books.

I also shared how to write a secret message on a Chiquita banana. My son loves opening up his lunchbox to see what it says!

I wrote about 5 little things I am grateful for, and just reading that list again makes me happy!

And I wrote about feeling like I’m a bad mom. This post resonated with many moms out there, and I was so glad to know that these feelings are normal. If that posts helps one mom out there, than I know that it was worth sharing my dirty little secret.

The other Charter Chiquita Moms also wrote some fantastic posts, so if you are new here or have only been a Chiquita Mom for a few months, don’t forget to go further back in the archives and see what you might have missed!

What is your favorite Chiquita Moms post?

The kids gobbled them down so quickly, that they devoured our halves before we got to sit down to eat.  My husband (and I) were immensely disappointed.  So I made four more and froze the leftovers.  I won’t confess to how many were leftover.

So here goes.  Make a batch next time you get a sweet tooth, then let me know what you think.

Toasted Chiquita Banana Split Sandwiches

Ingredients:

4 slices of whole grain toast (or whatever you prefer)
Butter or Mayo, for spreading the outside (the Southerner in me prefers mayo.  It spreads so easily and helps the toast brown, but doesn’t lend much of a taste.)
2 Chiquita Bananas, halved and sliced lengthwise
5 strawberries, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
Handful of chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of your jelly of choice (I used Apricot, but go with your fave)
1 tablespoon of honey

Directions: Spread one side of each piece of bread with spread (mayo or butter). On two pieces of bread, spread peanut butter, then layer with chocolate chips, strawberry, banana slices and honey. On the other two pieces of bread, spread jelly. Place on coated baking sheet coated with baking spray and either broil on low (flipping half-way), or use the “toast” feature on your oven. (Mine has one; I’ve been told that’s odd.)

Whatever you’re craving: Salt, Sweet, Healthy, Decadent, this should fit the bill. Let me know if you have any alternate versions or upgrades. I’m thinking dipping it in whipped cream could send this one over the top!

The kids and I have been getting together all our supplies to create our Valentines cards for this year. Since both of my daughters’ birthdays are right around Valentine’s Day, it’s one of our favorite holidays, and we take the opportunity to celebrate our love for each other, and our friends. We bake special treats, create handmade Valentines, and plan our celebration to the very last detail! How do I plan our family’s Valentine’s Day celebration? Why Pinterest, of course!

Even though we homeschool, each one of my kiddos still creates handmade Valentine’s for their friends, and we always make special sweet treats to take to their gymnastics class, TaeKwonDo class, or Sunday School class. We’ve had a blast looking through the loads of Valentine-themed ideas online, and here’s a few of our favorites…

Playdoh Printable Valentine from Random Thoughts of a Supermom

Parachute Guy Valentine Idea from Paging Supermom

Valentine Charm Necklace Tutorial from Scissors & Spice

Glow Bracelet Valentines from Kommunicated

Valentine bookmarks & Printable from 30 Handmade Days

DIY Valentine’s Lollipops from See Vanessa Craft

Star Wars Printable Valentines from MeckMom

Love Bug Valentines from dandee

Monster Push Pops from Repeat Crafter Me

Ninja Pop Valentines from Bliss Bloom Blog

Moo Straws Valentine Printable from Skip to My Lou

Smartie Pants Valentine Printable from Tip Junkie

Smarties Parfaits from Bubbly Nature Creations

Swedish Fish Valentine Printable from Dear Emmeline

Valentine S’more Bites from Somewhat Simple

Sucker for You Valentine Printable from Amanda’s Parties To Go

Valentine Candy Airplane from Go Graham Go

Valentine Marshmallow Pops from Echoes of Laughter

Valentine Rice Krispies Suckers Treats from How Does She?

Pretzel Hugs from Echoes of Laughter

Find these and even more ideas on my Valentine’s Day Pinterest board!

The first time around, I totally fell for all of the trendy commercial products of pregnancy. I bought the creams that are guaranteed to prevent stretch marks and the gadgets that allow your baby to listen to classical music in the womb, because surely that impacts IQ. If Heidi Klum was using it during her pregnancy, it must be essential. All of that stuff, that just went shoved into a closet after 9 months of pregnancy, really wasn’t necessary and it got me thinking about what my pregnancy must haves really are. You’ll be surprised to see that most of these items can’t be found in the baby aisle.

In no particular order, these are my pregnancy essentials:

1. Body Pillows. Yes, I said pillowS. I take up 75% of the bed when I’m pregnant, surrounded in my nest of pillows and it’s the only way that I can sleep. Totally essential, unfortunately for my husband.

2. Naps. Anyone who has had a case of pregnancy insomnia will agree. Cleaning and work can wait, mid-day naps are key to warding off pregnancy mood swings.

3. The Netti Pot. If you get sick during pregnancy, this will be your saving grace.

4. Flats. I really don’t know how some pregnant moms can stand wearing heels all day, but I’m not that talented. A cute pair of flats are a must during pregnancy for me.

5. Yoga Pants. They are stretchy and you’ll be able to wear them after pregnancy, enough said.

6. A Good Bra. You mamas know what I’m talking about.

7. A Supportive Midwife/Doctor. My midwife is amazing and I’m grateful to know that I have her on speed dial if an emergency (rational or not) arises. I love that I’m not just a chart to her, but a person that she knows and cares about. Bump this one to the top of my list.

8. A Good Chiropractor. Preferably a chiropractor who specializes in pregnancy and is familiar with the webster technique. Bump this one to the top of my list too.

9. Prenatal Massages. Oh how I miss my massage membership this pregnancy!

10. Blender. I practically live off of protein shakes in my 1st trimester.

What are you pregnancy essentials?

• I wake up at 7:00 am and prep for the day (or rush through it if I hit the snooze).
• I wake the kids up at 7:30 am and get them dressed.
• We start eating breakfast at 7:45 am and finish putting on shoes, etc for school. Mom starts the car warming.
• By 8:00 am we are making our way to the car to get strapped in with the rest of our breakfast in hand.
• 8:05 we pull out of the driveway to be to school by 8:25 am.

My poor Mia is so sick

This is going to be brief because I am under siege at my house. The enemy? The stomach flu.

The kids have all had colds for about the last two weeks. The number of Boogie Wipes we’ve been through is incredible. Ethan and Mia were feeling better, but Lila wasn’t getting better. So on Friday, I took her to the doctor. He prescribed an antibiotic and sent us on our way.

Friday night I gave Lila her first dose and she threw it up, and continued to all night long. I really attributed the sickness to her not eating and having some milk when I gave it to her.

She woke up seemingly fine, and so I fed her and she seemed normal. We went to lunch and the park, where she ran around normally. When we got home, I gave her another does, and she was sick again. I haven’t given it to her since, and she is fine. Again, I assumed (I know, never assume) it was an allergic reaction of some sort, though she’s had the antibiotic before.

Sunday was a normal day and we ended up hanging out with my sister and sister-in-law and all the kids. Everybody was fine. We got home on Sunday night, and Mia started in. I knew then it wasn’t the antibiotic, it was the dreaded stomach flu.

At around 3:30 in the morning, I started getting sick too. It hit me fast and hard, as the stomach flu does. I was down for the count all day yesterday, and feel better now. It’s hard being the mom and being sick at the same time.

Poor Mia is still sick. I feel horrible for her. She drinks water and gets sick. She’s hungry, so I give her easy to eat foods, and they immediately come up. Her stomach is cramping and in knots. The stomach flu hurts, and there’s nothing I can do about it. That makes me feel like a bad mom.

So I’ve been doing two things: comforting and doting on Mia, and also praying that Ethan and my husband don’t get sick. Wish us luck!

What tips can you give to moms who have sick kids and are sick at the same time?

My work was barreling down on me, and I simply could not find time in the day to get it all done.
We are adjusting to life with a new nanny (who’s great!), but it’s been hard to adjust to the new schedule.
I’ve been tired all of the time.
The kids have been napping less.
It rained all week.
My husband worked late almost every night.
The internet was down for a whole day.
Wah, wah, wah. Right? As I’m writing this, I’m thinking back to a post I’ve read recently about the terrible complaints from first world countries. Yeah, it sucks to have to adjust to a new nanny’s schedule. I’m sure the people starving in Africa hate that for me.

But, I stray. It has been a tough week, and it happens to all of us. It may not be life threatening, or hunger-causing, but it’s just been stressful. And, I may have shed a few frustrated tears.

Then, just tonight, as I was pondering what I would write to share with my fellow Chiquita Mommas… it struck me… I am at peace. I had been angry at my husband when he had asked me to put our youngest to bed. Doesn’t he know I have a deadline? Grrr… But, I shelved my frustrations and went and grabbed my screaming toddler, pulled him into my lap and read “The Little Blue Truck.” Will cuddled up into me with his blanket and put his head on my shoulder. I turned out the light and he looked up at me with his big baby eyes. Yep, peace. It sneaks up on you, doesn’t it?

That’s when I realized… it’s OK to be tired. And feel overwhelmed by work loads and laundry loads. But, it sucks to be so stressed out that you miss the peace in your life. So, I started to make a list of what Peace is to me, so I could remember it when I started to get that panic-anxious-I-can’t-handle-all-this feeling.

Peace is:
Rocking your children to sleep.
Listening to my children play happily together when I’m not there.
Chopping vegetables.
Going for a run without any music and listening to the birds and my feet hitting the pavement.
That first five minutes after the children have gone to bed.
Working in the garden.
Taking a hot shower.

What is your Peace?

Any good trail mix has variety, and I added a little of everything to mine! Bits of Chiquita pineapple, strawberry, Chiquita banana, cashews, and chocolate candies…. some sweet, some salty, and some healthy. Even if you don’t have a food dehydrator to dry your own fruit, you could always buy dried fruit at the store to create your own mix.

To add the Valentine’s twist, before I dried my Chiquita banana slices, I used a small heart-shaped cookie cutter and cut them into heart shapes.

I tried to do the same with the strawberries, but they didn’t turn out as good. Oh well. Trial and error, right?

It only took a few minutes to do that extra step, and the kids thought the heart shapes were super cute! Do you have an everyday snack or treat that you plan on giving a Valentine’s makeover for the upcoming holiday?

My husband asked me yesterday if I was ready to be the mom of 2. This was after a day of caring for a sick and grumpy (did I mention grumpy?) toddler all day, after a colossal size tantrum in the middle of the grocery store, after refusing to eat the dinner I made, after not wanting to take a bath, and after basically not wanting to do anything mommy wanted him to do. It was that kind of day. The kind of day that is usually chased down with a glass of wine, except I had to settle for grape juice because I’m 10 weeks pregnant.

Am I ready to be a mom of 2? No, but was I ready to be a mom of 1? Sure, we were financially ready and had read all of the books, but we were far from prepared. I really don’t think there is a way to be 100% prepared for how a baby totally flips your lives upside down, in the best way possible of course. There isn’t a book that will tell you about the plethora of emotions you will experience as a first time mom, about how your marriage will actually take effort now, about how sleep deprived you will be, or about how you will never pee in peace again. There isn’t a book that will tell you how excited you will be when you see that first smile, those first steps and hear that first word. We were far from prepared.

Even though we weren’t totally prepared for a baby, we survived. We’re surviving and most days we do a pretty dang good job at it (excluding yesterday). So no, I’m totally not ready to be a mom of 2. We’ll struggle and feel like we can’t catch our breath for awhile, but it will all be okay. At the very least, I’m confident that I can keep a baby alive for 2.5 years. Plus, I have some mommy ninja skills that I didn’t have before. I can change a diaper, pump, feed a baby and pee all at the same time. Ready or not, bring on baby #2!