5 homemade baby food combinations that your baby will love, and how to store them.

It’s true what they say about each child being different. I have 3 young boys, and while they are similar in many ways, they are very different in others. This is especially true when it comes to their tastes in food. My 7 year old will eat just about anything, and my 4 year old is very picky!

We just had baby boy number 3 at the beginning of this year, and we are finally getting to see some of his personality. With my first two boys, they were perfectly content to eat any baby food that we gave them, but our most recent addition to the family loves homemade baby food made with different combinations of flavors.

We started him out with rice cereal and he enjoyed that for awhile. That was convenient for me of course, because all I had to do was add some water and stir until it was ready to go. Whenever I made rice cereal for him, I liked to use Gerber® Pure® Water. I use it to mix his rice cereal and to include in homemade baby foods, because it is specially purified for babies. Anything that I can do to help my baby grow up strong is good in my book! You can find out more information about Gerber® Pure® Water here and you can buy it at your local Walmart.

After a few weeks of rice cereal, it was clear that my baby was going to need something else. I gave him baby food from the store for his age, but I quickly found that it was easier to make my own homemade baby foods and he liked them even more! Today I am going to share 5 of the best homemade baby food combinations. My baby loves them and I am sure that yours will too.

1. Apple, Banana, Cinnamon, & Oatmeal

This one is made by adding half a cup of old fashioned oats with one cup of Gerber® Pure® Water and 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon in a small saucepan. Then heat it over medium for 3-5 minutes. While that is cooking, peel the apple and cut it into small cubes. Finally, add the oatmeal, bananas and the apples to a blender and blend until smooth.

2. Spinach, Sweet Peas, and Flank Steak

To make this delicious combination, cook the flank steak in a pot with a couple of cups of boiling Gerber® Pure® Water. Once cooked, you can shred it or just cut it into small pieces so you can blend it easier. Open a can of sweet peas, drain out the liquid, and rinse. The last ingredient is half a bunch of spinach. Add the steak, the sweet peas, and the cleaned and disinfected spinach to a blender and blend until smooth.

3. Carrots and Squash

Take one bag of baby carrots and cook in one liter of boiling Gerber® Pure® Water until soft. Do the same with one squash. Add the carrots and squash with a pinch of ground turmeric to a blender and blend until smooth.

4. Mangoes, Kale, and Ginger

Take the meat from one fresh mango (or a can of mangoes in 100% juice) and a half bunch of kale and add it to a blender with a pinch of ground ginger. Add a couple of tablespoons of Gerber® Pure® Water and blend until smooth

5. Blueberry, Avocado, and Pears

Drain the juice from one can of pears, rinse and add to a blender. Do the same with a can of pears. Finally, add one mature peeled and cored avocado to the blender. Once everything is in the blender, blend until smooth.

Storage Tips

1. Mason Jars. You can find small glass mason jars with white plastic tops. This is where you can store the food that your little one is going to eat within 1-3 weeks if refrigerated. Just add the baby food and tighten the lid before storing in the refrigerator. If you need to store it for longer, you can *freeze in these jars or follow one of the other tips below. Don’t forget to label them!

1. Plastic Storage Containers with Lid. Another way to store these is to add the baby food to a small plastic storage container with lids. You can refrigerate these as well or *freeze them. You will want to label each of these as well.

1. Ice Cube Tray. One of my favorite ways to store homemade baby food is to put them into the individual spaces on an ice tray right after I make them. Then you cover them with plastic wrap and put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen, you can remove them just like you would an ice cube and store in individual, labeled bags in the *freezer. When you are ready to serve them to your baby, select 3 or 4 “baby food cubes” and heat in the microwave for around 1 minute, or until it returns to the original consistency.

*using each of these methods, you can store the baby food in the freezer for up to 3 months.

My baby has been a happy camper ever since I started making these homemade baby foods for him. The great thing is that you can make all of these in less than an hour, you can make a lot, and you will save money in the process.

What combinations of baby foods have you tried? Let me know in the comments below.

The post The 5 Best Homemade Baby Food Combinations appeared first on My Latina Table.

4 Tips for Losing Baby Weight For Moms

Having a baby is one of the most wonderful experiences a woman can have. I have had the amazing opportunity to bring three energetic and sweet little boys into this world. Each pregnancy had its own challenges that I had to learn how to overcome. My first son had a really difficult time breastfeeding, my second son was very big and delivery was not easy, and my third son came by surprise in the middle of the night, giving us only 45 minutes to make it to the hospital just in time for his birth!

I have enjoyed each of my pregnancies, but one thing that is not fun is the inevitable baby weight and struggling to lose it. I have always been pretty petite, but it is still a challenge to burn off all of the weight that I gain when I have babies. As any mom knows, it is hard to find enough energy to make breakfast in the morning, let alone get out and exercise!

I am no expert on health and fitness, but today I do want to share 4 tips that have helped me to lose my baby weight after each pregnancy. These are simple tips that I have been able to do and that have helped get me back up on my feet and where I want to be. I would love to hear your tips as well, so please let me know in the comments below.

Eat Smart

I have to say, one of the biggest reliefs after giving birth this last time (other than seeing my sweet baby boy of course) was to be able to eat without heartburn! I had terrible heartburn with baby #3 from the beginning until the end. It got to the point where I didn’t think it would ever go away. Fortunately, since my baby was born 5 months ago, I haven’t had heartburn even once.

Not having to deal with heartburn and nausea and finally being able to eat whatever you want can really make it difficult to eat smart. The thing that you have to remember is that eating smart doesn’t mean that you can’t eat good food. There are so many great products on the market now that make it so much easier.

One of my new favorites is Eat Smart Gourmet Salad Kits and Salad Shake Ups. Eat Smart salad products are so convenient, they taste great, and you can feel good knowing that Eat Smart is the first brand within its category to commit to clean ingredients and labeling. 90% of its products already have a “Clean Label” and it has plans for all products to contain a “100% Clean Label” by the end of 2018.

So what does that mean for you? Having a clean label means being free from high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, hydrogenated fats, as well as artificial colors, flavors, and sweeteners and having clear, recognizable ingredients on the label.

I loved the Gourmet Salad Kits, which come in the following flavors:

• Sweet Kale
• Strawberry Harvest
• Sunflower Kale

They come in convenient packaging and are easy to throw together for a healthy dinner.

I also instantly became a fan of their Salad Shake Ups, which come in a deep bowl with a lockable lid which makes it easy to take when you go out for the day. They come in these flavors:

• Avocado Ranch
• Tropical Lime
• Raspberry Acai

If you want to start eating smart, then you should definitely try these products and incorporate them into your new, healthy diet. You can subscribe the the Eat Smart monthly newsletters by signing up under the “Receive Exclusive Offer” button on the bottom of their website.

Go For Walks With Baby

One thing that all of my babies have had in common is that they have loved to be pushed around in their stroller. I don’t know what it is, but they all have just loved looking around and seeing their surroundings. I’m sure that you know that it can be difficult to keep a young baby entertained, so going out for a walk can be a great thing.

The great side effect of going for daily walks is that you are getting your exercise. It is so important to stay active, even if you aren’t running or doing other types of traditional exercise. I try to get in at least 5 walks a week with my new babies – and I know that it has made a difference.

Breastfeed As Much As Possible

I know that this is not possible for all moms, and that is totally fine! I wasn’t able to breastfeed exclusively with my first two boys because they had so many different problems latching on and with food allergies, so I supplemented with formula. With my third baby, however, he picked up on it right away and hasn’t had any issues breastfeeding.

I don’t think it is a coincidence that with this pregnancy, I was able to take off my baby weight quicker than with the other two. I don’t know all of the science about it, but I know that breastfeeding moms burn extra calories producing milk and it is a natural way to lose some extra pounds. If you are able to breastfeed, this is a great way to make sure you lose some weight. Remember though, that you will need to be eating smart and doing as much simple exercise as possible.

Sleep Whenever You Can

Sleeping with a newborn can seem more like a fantasy than reality, but getting enough sleep is so important in order to be able to have the energy necessary to lose baby weight. It can be hard to get used to sleeping on baby’s schedule. That said, when you get the chance to take a power nap, take it. If your husband is in a position to get up at night and help you with the baby, let him and take advantage of the extra sleep.

I know that when I get enough sleep, I have more energy to go on walks, play with my kids, and prepare healthy meals. When I am going on little to no sleep, it is much harder. It will take some time to figure out the best times to get your rest, but it is worth it.

I hope that these tips help you in your journey to lose the baby weight, and again, please let me know in the comments below what has worked for you.

The post 4 Tips For Losing Baby Weight appeared first on My Latina Table.

I can hardly believe that another school year has come and gone! My son will be having his last day of first grade next week. I am excited to spend more time with him, but I am also nervous because I don’t want him to get bored during the summer. It is important for me to have lots of fun activities for him and his brothers to do, but it can be hard to think of new ideas.

Today I want to share 5 fun activities that you can do with your kids during the summer that they will always remember.

Thank You To Chuck E. Cheese’s for Sponsoring this Post

Attempt to Break A Guinness World Records^TM

I don’t know about you, but I always used to love reading the Guinness World Records^TM so that I could see all of the interesting things that people did. I never really considered trying to break one, but now that I have kids I think it would be really fun. If you need some

If you want to be a part of  a Guinness Worlds Records^TM record attempt, and get some free pizza while you are at it, go to Chuck E. Cheese’s on May 19, 2017. To celebrate its 40th birthday, Chuck E Cheese’s will be hosting an event and attempting to break the Guinness World Records^TM record for “Most People Blowing Party Blowers Simultaneously For 10 Seconds.”

Every child that comes in on that day will receive a free slice of cake and 40 free tickets, while supplies last! The record breaking attempt will begin at 6:40 MST. Don’t forget to get there about 30 minutes before the world record breaking attempt begins.

To get in on this attempt you will need to act fast, but you can always try to break other Guinness World Records with your kids as well! My sister-in-law put together a fun list of 10 kid-friendly Guinness World Records that you can try to break with your kids. Check out the list here.

Go To An Aquarium

Everyone goes to the zoo. That is not a bad thing, we love the zoo! That said, it can be fun to mix it up a little bit and go to a local aquarium. We have gone to our aquarium here in Denver a few times and the kids love it every time.

It is so fun to see all of the marine animals. There are some aquariums that will even let you feed some of the animals and get up close with them. This is something that my kids love and it is fun for adults too!

Go On A Family Camping Trip

I have to admit that I have never been much of a camper. Growing up in Mexico, I never really had the opportunity to go camping in the way that it is popular here in the United States. I am the type that really likes the outdoors, but I also really like a clean bathroom and sleeping on a bed!

Even though I may not be too into roughing it in the wild for days at a time, I can still enjoy going to the mountains for a night and spending time with my kids. There are definitely a lot of great products to make camping more comfortable and these are times that your kids will always remember. My husband always tells me about the times that he went camping with his family and how those were some of his fondest memories. I hope that my kids can have those same memories to share when they get older.

Go To A Sprinkler Park

Have you ever heard of a sprinkler park? I hadn’t heard of it until a couple of summers ago when a friend of mine told me about them. They are basically just a big park, with a large open area with sprinklers of all shapes and sizes spraying water all over the place. The first time that I took my kids, they loved it!

There are usually sand boxes and other playground equipment nearby, but the kids tend to congregate towards the sprinklers – they just love getting wet. These places can get pretty crowded, and this because they are so fun! If you don’t know if there is one near you, I recommend just searching online and you may be surprised to find one that you can visit this summer.

Plant A Garden Together

One of my favorite activities to do with my kids is work together in the yard to plant a garden. Kids are really fascinated by being able to plant seeds and watch them grow over the summer. This can be a really great activity to do with your kids. It is especially good because it is something that you can do together everyday.

When my kids were a little bit smaller, they always wanted to help me pull weeds, dig holes, and put the seeds in. At that age, they couldn’t do too much, but they still loved to help. Now, they still like doing those things, but they are even more helpful when it comes to watering the plants and checking on them everyday. If you haven’t ever planted a garden with your kids, I recommend it. It is inexpensive, and it may even provide you with lots of delicious fruits and vegetables that you can eat together too!

I really hope that some of these ideas will help you come up with some fun things to do this summer.

In addition to all of the above, don’t miss out on going back to Chuck E. Cheese’s often during the summer. The Guinness World Records record attempt is just one of many exciting events and deals that Chuck E Cheese’s is offering to celebrate it’s birthday. You can upload an image of your receipt showing that you were at Chuck E Cheese’s between 4/10 and 5/19 for a chance to win a VIP birthday party for up to 20 kids. You can find more offers and information on the Chuck E. Cheese’s digital hub, www.40yearsoffun.com.

We had one of these birthday parties for my son last year and it was amazing! Check out our experience here.

Chuck E. Cheese’s is also offering its new Eat & Play Express package starting this month (May 2017). With the new Eat & Play Express package you can save time, have fun with your kids, and get lunch at the same time. The good thing is that you can be in and out in an hour or less. It is available from Monday-Thursday, costs between $31.99 and $32.99, and includes the following:

• 1 Large 1-Topping Pizza
• 4 Drinks
• Two (2) 20-minute Play Pass cards or 45 tokens (for non-Play Pass stores)
• Chuck E. Cheese Appearance
• One dessert per order (either the giant chocolate chip cookie or Cinnamon Dessert Pizza, based on availability)

Also – if the pizza doesn’t arrive in 20 minutes, you will receive a FREE dessert.

We are definitely looking forward to this summer – what do you have planned?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Chuck E. Cheese’s. The opinions and text are all mine.

The post 5 Fun Activities To Do With Your Kids This Summer appeared first on My Latina Table.

If you had told me 7 years ago when I moved to the United States for the first time, that I would be able to make a good income to supplement my husband’s job, I probably would have told you were crazy. Yet here I am – raising my three little boys alongside my husband, working from home on my own schedule, and bringing in some money at the same time.

I have always loved cooking, but I never thought that I could make money sharing the recipes I learned in my youth. A couple of years ago, however, my sister-in-law started a very successful blog and encouraged my husband and I to start one as well.

At that time, my husband was still in school and we were definitely struggling with finances a little bit. I had two little boys and I wanted to be with them as much as possible. At the same time, I wanted to help my husband as much as possible. My dilemma was figuring out how to make some money, and still spend as much time with my kids as possible. An online blog business was a perfect choice for us.

In today’s society, it is definitely difficult to survive on one income. I made the decision a long time ago that I wanted to stay home with my kids. I understand, however, that that isn’t the right decision for everyone. I respect moms that are able to work outside of the home and I hope that they never feel guilty about it. We should all support each other.

I am grateful to be working with BBVA Compass, who sponsored this post, to share some tips with all of you on how I am able to work from home and feel good about it. I love the podcast that I just listened to which called “Mompreneurs” and which gives some great practical advice which is definitely relevant to the blog business which I have built. You can find it and other great podcasts on the Working Moms Mean Business section of the BBVA Compass website here.

With that introduction, I hope you enjoy the following five tips for working from home and enjoying it.

Find something to do that you enjoy

If I didn’t love cooking and taking pictures of food like the one below, I don’t think my blog would have lasted as long as it has or been as successful. When I decided to create a blog, I knew that the main focus would be on the delicious recipes that I learned how to make in Mexico. It then expanded to a few other topics, such as parenting and DIY, but the main focus is still on food.

Lemon Carlota – Click The Image For The Recipe.

My first bit of advice is to really figure out what interests you and get to work! If you are able to find a job for someone else that lets you work from home, and it is in an industry that you enjoy, I say go for it. If you want to work for yourself, it is even easier to find something that you like. Do your market research and give it a go. There are so many resources online for starting a blog or really any other business.

Plan Your Week In Advance

One of the struggles of raising my kids and working from home is managing my time. I have started setting fixed hours during the day and evening when I can dedicate almost completely to my blog business. That way I am never scrambling to get my work done and my husband and kids know what I am doing as well.

I am able to coordinate my time so that I am not taking away time from my kids and their activities, but I am also not compromising the success of my blog. I usually try to work about 2 hours per day, but sometimes it is more. It really depends on the nature of your work and your long term goals.

Set up a space dedicated to your work

I can’t understate the importance of this one. There are times when I will just sit at the kitchen table and work, but those time are usually the least effective. This last year we bought a pretty nice desk and put it in a place in the house where I am able to concentrate and edit picture, write blog posts, and promote them. It has really made a difference and combined with the second point above, has helped me to make a lot of progress.

We are getting ready to move to a new home and I am excited to set up a more official home office that I can dedicate to my work. I am excited not only about the space, but also about the potential tax benefits.

Lean on your support system

I am fortunate to have a husband who has supported me in this business from the beginning. He helps me with some of the blog posts, watches the kids when I am working on something, motivates me, and much more.

It is so important to have a support system when working from home on your own business. It is even more important to be able to lean on them and accept their help. This can be a husband, kids, friends, or really anyone. Let them know how much you appreciate them and let them help you!

Don’t feel guilty

Sometimes when I am working I feel guilty – I feel like I should be spending more time with my kids instead of working on a blog post. It was hard for me to get over this and sometimes I still feel it.

What has really helped me though, is following the tips above and remembering that my family is the reason that I am doing this.

I enjoy what I do, and that is important, but the real reason is because I want to contribute in some small way to my family’s success and happiness.

There is a great e-book that I read recently called “Mom Guilt.” It goes over a lot of these topics and how you can stop feeling guilty for working. I suggest it to any of you working moms out there who could use some support. You can download it for free here.

I hope that these tips are helpful to some of you. It hasn’t been easy being a “work from home mom”, but it has been worth it. I have been able to do it without affecting my children’s schedule and it has truly been a blessing for my family.

If you are a working mom, what are some ways that you have been able to balance work and family life? I would love to hear about it in the comments section below.

The post Five Tips For Working From Home appeared first on My Latina Table.

Getting your kids to drink more water can be difficult, in this article, I will share three fun ways to make it easier.

Colorado is such a great place to live and there are so many different things to do outdoors as a family. Of course going to the mountains is always a fun destination, but there are a lot of other parks and activities that are fun as well.

One thing that all of these activities have in common is that they can definitely make you tired! Walking around through the mountains or going on hikes can really take the energy right out of you and it can be easy to get dehydrated. That is why whenever we plan one of these activities, we make sure that we have lots of water with us to keep us going strong all day.

Of course when kids are involved, they are much more interested in running around and finding things to do then in drinking water and staying hydrated. I usually have to remind them to drink water when we are out on our trips, and it can turn into a bit of a battle sometimes. That is why today I want to share three things that I do to get my kids to actually want to drink their water and to enjoy it.

I always make sure that I have a healthy supply of bottled water at our house, so that when we do head out, I don’t have to worry about whether we will have any. In order to have enough water, I am always looking for the best value. For example, at Walmart now you can get a great value on Nestlé® Pure Life® bottled water – now a 35 pack is the same cost as the old 32 pack (35 pack is only available in stores – not online).

If the 35-pack of Nestle Pure Life is not available in your local Walmart, please ask a store manager about getting the product in your area.

Nestle Pure Life is re-launching in mid-May and it will have new packaging. We love Nestle Pure Life because we know that they are committed to quality through their 12 Step Quality Process, which you can read about here. Being hydrated is so important, so now is a great time to stock up on Nestle Pure Life, especially since you are getting more for your money. Visit nestlepurelife.com to sign up for promotions, offers and more.

Now for the tips!

GET YOUR KIDS TO DRINK MORE WATER BY ADDING FRESH FRUIT

One thing that I have done that has really worked to get my boys to drink more water is adding fresh fruit. This is so simple, but the kids love it!

The sky is really the limit here – you can choose whatever variety or combination of fruit that you want and that you know your kids enjoy. For example, I will sometimes add a couple of wedges of lemon and a few raspberries to a glass of water.

Whenever I do this, they can’t wait to drink their water! You can open up a bottle of Nestle Pure Life to and it it in before closing the lid and taking it with you on the road as well.

GET YOUR KIDS TO DRINK MORE WATER BY MAKING FRUIT FLAVORED ICE CUBES

Another fun thing that I have done to help my kids drink more water is making fruit flavored ice cubes. I do this by getting some fresh orange juice, and adding it to an ice cube tray until they are frozen. Once they are frozen all the way, I add them to a glass or bottle of water and the kids love it.

The combination of the color and a slightly different flavors makes water even more exciting for the kids, which is great for me!

GET YOUR KIDS TO DRINK MORE WATER BY USING STRAWS AND DECORATING THE GLASS

This last tip may seem kind of silly, but at least with my kids, just adding a straw and a little bit of decoration to a glass of water is enough to get them to drink it without complaining.

There are a lots of straws that you can get that are in fun shapes and colors and kids love them! In addition to the straws, I will occasionally cut a couple of pieces of cucumber into round pieces and put it on the edge of the glass. The kids may not eat the cucumber, but they sure like having it on there!

I don’t know what it is about the straw, but this always seems to work for us.

A few weeks ago we went down to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado Springs for the weekend. It was so beautiful seeing all of the red rocks and walking along the trails. That said, it was a very warm day (especially for spring time in Colorado!), so we had to stay hydrated.

I used some of these tips, and I didn’t have to worry about whether my kids would drink the water or not. I hope they work for you to and I would love to hear how you get your kids to drink more water in the comments below.

The post Three Fun Ways To Get Your Kids To Drink More Water appeared first on My Latina Table.

Winter break is a great time to recharge and get ready for the rest of the year, but It is always a challenge to get back into the swing of things after the holidays are over and kids are going back to school. This year was even more of a challenge, because I was 9 months pregnant and my new baby boy was born right at the beginning of January!

As you can imagine, all of these events happening at the same time have made for some stressful and busy mornings. I am blessed to have my mom visiting from Mexico for a few months to help me, but it is still a lot of work getting my 6 year old ready for school after being awake all night. My husband helps me out a lot at night too, but he has to get up early in the mornings to go to work, so it is so important for us to be able to find ways to make our mornings easier. Today I want to share three simple tips for speeding up your mornings.

Pick Out Your Clothes and Get Them Ready The Night Before

This may seem like a small thing, but it is always a relief to be able to get up in the morning and have your clothes already picked out and ready to go in the morning. My husband and I always pick out our clothes and iron them at night so that it is one less thing to worry about in the morning.

This makes a huge difference. If you are like me, you probably have more energy at night than in the morning, so anything that you can can at night instead of the morning will help you have a better morning.

Have Special K Protein Snack Bites on Hand for an On The Go Breakfast

If there is one thing that is easy to forget, it is grabbing breakfast on your way out the door. I am always getting after my husband for not having anything to eat in the mornings before he heads for work. Usually it is because he says he doesn’t have enough time. Well, that is no longer an excuse now that we have discovered Special K Protein Snack Bars and Bites and Special K Nourish Snack Bars and Bites.

These wholesome, protein packed snack bars and bites come in the following flavors:

• Protein Snack Bar flavors: Caramel Pretzel Cashew, Chocolate Cherry Nut
• Nourish Snack Bar flavors: Caramel Almont Sea Salt, Chocolate Coconut Cashew
• Protein Snack Bites flavors: Caramel Nut, Peanut Butter Chocolate
• Nourish Snack Bites flavors: Blueberry Almond Quinoa, Dark Chocolate Pistachio

They are perfect when you have a busy morning ahead of you and you need to get out the door in the hurry. What is even better is that they taste great too!

Plan And Prepare Your Meals On the Weekends Or At Night

My husband and my son always need to eat lunch at school. I prefer that they take something from home rather than buying lunch so that we can save money, but sometimes it can be hard to get those lunches ready in advance.

I have found that packing the lunches the night before improves my mornings because I don’t have to run around in the morning getting pots and pans dirty while trying to get everyone ready at the same time. There is something very satisfying about going to bed knowing that my husband and my son’s lunches are ready for them to take the next day. Another way to do this is to make a variety of meals on the weekend and getting them ready for the whole week all at the same time.

These are just a few simple ways that you can improve your mornings, which will hopefully make your whole day go better.

What are some things that you do to improve your mornings? Let me know in the comments below.

This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Kellogg’s Special K.

The post Three Tips For Improving Your Busy Mornings appeared first on My Latina Table.

There is no doubt that raising children is filled with new challenges and adventures every day. In the first few months of your baby’s life, you are doing everything you can to make sure that they are growing and thriving. When they get a little older, you may be worried about potty training, picky eating, talking and more. One of the biggest changes though, is when your little baby grows up and goes to school for the first time!

My oldest son went to 1/2 day kindergarten last year and it was fun to watch him interact with all of the other kids. This year however was a little bit more of an adjustment for me when he started going to all day school in first grade. One of the biggest challenges at first was to decide what to make my little guy for lunch every day! He is not a very pick eater, but I didn’t want him to get bored eating the same thing all the time.

Over the past few months I have been able to experiment and find a few lunch ideas that my first grader consistently enjoys. Today, I am going to share with you all 5 of these ideas.

Busy moms know that it is important to find that balance between simplicity, health, and not too boring when it comes to lunch. I hope that these ideas work for you and feel free to adapt them so they work best for you and your kids.

Before I start, you will notice that each of these ideas includes a different variety of new DOLE Mixations® which are one-of-a-kind fruit fusions with imaginative combinations of smooth fruit sauces mixed with juicy chunks of real fruit. I (and my boys) love DOLE Mixations! They are perfect for school lunches because the chunks of real fruit are in fruit sauce instead of juice or syrup – that means that they don’t splash all over the place when you open them.

Another great thing about DOLE Mixations is that they are non-GMO*, contain no high fructose corn syrup, no artificial flavors, are gluten free and rich in Vitamin C! Right now you can get a coupon for a dollar off so that you can try it – click here for the coupon.

They are also perfect for moms that love to leave their kids’ a special note everyday in their lunch like I do. The lids are specially designed with inventive packaging so that you can easily write a note or a special picture for your kid to read when they open their lunch. I have always written the same note on my son’s napkins that I send with his lunch – it simply says “I love you Benji” and it has a big heart as the “dot” of the “i” in his name. A few weeks ago I forgot and when he came home he was so sad. He said he couldn’t tell if it was really his lunch because I forgot to put his name with the heart, and the heart means that I love him. It broke my heart and made me realize that he really does notice these things! Now, with DOLE Mixations, I can include the same note on the lid instead of on the napkin.

Now – onto the lunch ideas!

Lunch Idea #1

Main Dish:

1/2 Ham, Avocado and Cheese Sandwich with mayonnaise, mustard, provolone cheese, ham, and avocado.

Side Dishes:

• DOLE Mixations Apple – Raspberry Sauce with Dices of Apple
• Cheddar flavored fish crackers
• Grapes

Lunch Idea #2

Main Dish

Spinach and Cherry Tomato Salad with Cheese Cubes (don’t forget the toothpicks!). My son loves spinach and cherry tomatoes, but you may want to switch out the salad portion with a different salad that your kids likes.

Sides Dishes

• DOLE Mixations Pineapple-Mango Sauce with Pineapple Pieces
• Pretzel Sticks

Lunch Idea #3

Main Dish

Toasted Peanut Butter, Jelly, and Banana Sandwich. Make this by toasting one slice of bread and cutting it diagonally and then adding the peanut butter, jelly and a few slices of bananas to one side and topping with the other.

Side Dishes

• DOLE Mixations Apple-Strawberry Sauce with Dices of Apple
• Cookie
• Petite Carrots
• Cheese sticks

Lunch Idea #4

Main Dish

Cracker Sandwiches. Send a few small crackers, pieces of cheddar cheese, and small pieces of ham and let your child put the sandwiches together on his or her own.

Side Dishes

• DOLE Mixations Peach-Apple Sauce with Pineapple Pieces
• Small orange (think mandarin or tangerine)
• Celery sticks with ranch

Lunch Idea #5

Main Dish

Homemade Banana Muffin and a sliced hard boiled egg. 

Side Dishes

• DOLE Mixations (any variety)
• Apple.

As you can see, these are very simple school lunch ideas, but simple is good when you have kids! No matter how simple the lunches are, as long as their is variety its less likely that your kids will get bored. I really hope that you enjoy these ideas and I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below!

• No genetically modified (or engineered) ingredients

The post Five Simple School Lunch Ideas for Kids appeared first on My Latina Table.

A little over six years ago my husband and I were anxiously awaiting the birth of our first child. We had prepared the nursery, picked out a name, and decided on which hospital we would deliver at. We felt like we were ready for just about anything and were just anxious for him to be here with us. I just assumed at that time that I would be able to breastfeed him without any difficulty and he would be eating like a champ from the beginning.

When he finally arrived, we were so excited to start our life with him. Immediately after he was born, the nurse gave him to me and she told me to try and breastfeed him as soon as possible. I was excited to try, but my excitement quickly turned to sadness when I couldn’t get him to latch on. I figured it was just something that would take some time (which ended up being true), but I didn’t expect it to be as hard for me as it was. As the days went by,  I saw lactation specialists, and read just about everything I could find online, but my little baby wasn’t getting enough to eat. I felt like I was to blame and it was a really hard time for me.

Because I wasn’t able to breastfeed effectively at first, my doctor told me that I needed to start supplementing my little guy with formula. I was a bit disappointed, but relieved at the same time. For me, the most important thing was that my baby was healthy and eating enough. I started giving him formula in between breastfeeding, and the stress was almost immediately alleviated. My husband was able to feed him during the night, and I was able to focus on my recovery and improving breastfeeding. We continued supplementing for a few months, and eventually he was breastfeeding again almost exclusively.

Since then, we have had two more beautiful baby boys (the most recent was just born 2 weeks ago). With each of them I have supplemented a little bit as well. With my second, his glucose levels were low at the hospital, so we started supplementing him there and that was a pretty similar story to the first. With my new baby, my milk took a little bit longer to come in and my baby boy lost a little bit too much weight. We had to supplement with formula for a few days until he was right back on track.

Even though each of my boys were different, it was always important to me with all of them to have high quality formula that provided them with the the nutrients that they needed. One of my favorite formula brands is Plum Organics® Grow Well® infant formula, which I like to pick up at my local Safeway in the baby aisle.

Plum Organics is always a go to brand for me for snacks and meals for my little guys, so it was only natural for me to try out the Plum Organics Grow Well infant formula too. It is organic and non-GMO, so I feel good giving this to my baby. I also love that it has no corn syrup solids added and the carbohydrate source is from cow’s milk lactose only to mimic the lactose found in breast milk. It is made with milk from cows that are not treated with rBST as well, which is important to me*.

Right now, if you use the coupon at the link in the below image, you can get $5.00 off. You will need a Safeway or Albertsons account to get this coupon, so open one now if you don’t have one yet!

I am so happy that there are great products like this on the market so that mothers that choose to supplement, and those that have no other choice, are still able to give their babies what they need. It really brings me a great peace of mind and has made raising my three little boys a little bit less stressful.

I would love to hear your experiences with breastfeeding and supplementing with formula in the comments below!

*No significant difference has been shown between milk derived from rBST-treated and non-rBST-treated cows.)

The post My Breastfeeding Story (and Why I Supplement) appeared first on My Latina Table.

We were excited to help plan a birthday party for my niece who was turning five this past week. Keep reading to see how it went and why having a party at Chuck E Cheese’s is such a great idea!

A couple of months ago my boys turned 6 and 3, respectively. We didn’t have a very elaborate party this year, but they definitely had a fun time. Shortly after their birthday, someone mentioned that they had had a great birthday party at Chuck E Cheese’s and how it was a great place for kids. She also mentioned that it had been such a great experience because there were some kids that spoke Spanish and others that spoke English. She said that Chuck E Cheese’s made it a great environment for a bilingual party and recommended it to me. Since I speak Spanish and my boys are learning too, I decided that I wanted to do a birthday party for my kids there too for their next birthday.

A couple of months passed by and we found out that my sister-in-law and her family were coming to visit for Thanksgiving. One of my nieces was going to turn 5 during the visit and her parents were trying to think of an idea for a birthday party that we could all go to. I suggested that they look into Chuck E Cheese’s. After looking through the options on this site together, we decided that it was a great value and would be perfect for all of the kids to play and have fun together!

Since we were a little bit more familiar with the website and the options, we offered to put it all together and get it planned. Fortunately, the Chuck E Cheese’s website makes it a breeze to plan a fun party. Right on the first page of their Birthday Party website, it gives you three birthday party options: Star, Super Star, and Mega Star. It has an easy to read table that tells you how much each package costs per child, and what each package includes. We decided to go for the Mega Star option, because it seemed like the best value for the money. You can see everything it includes in the link above, but we were pretty excited that it was going to include ice cream for all of the kids, a goodie bag for the kids, and two hours of unlimited games and rides (options vary by location).

It took us about 10 or 15 minutes to finish the reservation and we were able to pay the deposit online with no issues. Another great thing is that you pay by the kid, but you can invite adults as well without paying extra. The birthday package came with two slices of pizza for each kid, and we just decided to add on 4 large pizzas for the adults and some beverages. You can do that during the reservation process, which is very convenient.

So I know what you all really want to know is how the party turned out, right? Let me tell you – this party was a blast! Not only did the kids have fun, but the adults enjoyed it as well. We had chosen the princess theme for my little niece and she was more than excited!

When we got there, they had the table ready for us with a piñata filled with tickets and a princess cut out for my niece to get her picture taken – she thought that was pretty fun!

Right when we got to the table, we were greeted by our party host. She was so nice and helpful and told us exactly what to expect and what the timeline of the two hour party would look like. She confirmed our food order and gave us the passes for each of the kids that were pre-loaded with two hours of unlimited games and rides. TheChuck E Cheese’s location that we went to uses convenient tap cards instead of tokens for the games and rides. All the kids had to do was tap their cards on a ride to start the two hours. As you can tell, they had a blast! Here are my two boys on some of the rides.

 The food was great too! We were able to bring our own cupcakes, but we really enjoyed the Chuck E Cheese’s pizza – we ordered four larges for the adults, and it was plenty!

After we ate and the kids finished their first round of playing, we moved onto a few of the activities that came with the package. First, the birthday girl was able to enter the ticket blaster with one of her friends (she chose her big sister). The ticket blaster was so cool! They stood inside there and were given time to grab as many tickets as they could in that time period! They ended up getting SO many tickets.

Next, the kids had fun getting to meet Chuck E Cheese himself! He came out and met the kids and took pictures with them. The kids LOVED this!

Finally, the kids all got a chance to pull on the “pull string” piñata which was filled with tons of tickets for the kids to use to redeem prizes at the end of the night. They were able to pick up all of them and every kid was able to get quite a few.

After all of the birthday activities, the kids continued playing until their time ran out and then we were all ready to go home and get some rest!

This was definitely one of the most fun birthday parties that I have been to and it was so great that everything was taken care of while we were there. I also was able to verify my friend’s comment about Chuck E Cheese’s being a great place for bilingual birthday parties. While my niece’s party was going on, there were at least four other parties at the same time and at least one of them had kids and adults speaking Spanish and other languages as well! I am definitely planning on doing this for my boys’ birthday part next year as well and I will have no problem inviting my Spanish speaking friends to come as well knowing that they will be able to participate fully as well!

All in all, this was a great party and I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a great party idea. If you have a party coming up, click here to get more information and make your reservation – I recommend trying about two weeks in advance to make sure that you have the best dates available for your party.

Let me know  your thoughts in the comments below!

The post How To Throw an Amazing Birthday Party at Chuck E Cheese’s appeared first on My Latina Table.

Today I am going to share a tutorial for a baby shower gift that any mom would be thrilled to have – a fun and easy diaper cake! You will be surprised how easy it is to make a diaper cake, yet everyone is sure to be impressed. Not only is this cute, but it also is useful, because who doesn’t need a ton of diapers for their newborn?

This diaper cake includes lots of diapers, and you can also include other gifts that will make mommy happy. 

Since I tend to switch between bottle feeding and breastfeeding, it is important for me to have a bottle and a nipple to go with the bottle that works well for my baby. The Most Like Mom NaturaLatch Nipple is great because it is specifically designed for babies that are switching between breast and bottle. I am definitely going to be getting more of these before my new baby gets here – and I will be sure to include these on baby shower gifts that I make like this diaper cake.

Check out these post for breastfeeding tips for moms!

10 Breastfeeding Essentials For First Time Moms

My Breastfeeding Story (and Why I Supplement)

Breastfeeding Survival Guide for First Time Moms

Now I am going to show you how to make this great diaper cake – follow along and make sure that you tell me how yours turned out in the comments below!

Materials needed for this Diaper Cake

For this Diaper Cake, you will need the following materials:

1. Around 60 diapers
2. One large circle cut out of cardboard
3. Acrylic Paint
4. One empty paper towel roll
5. Around 60 rubber bands (one for each diaper)
6. Decorative ribbon
7. Glue gun with hot glue sticks
8. Stuffed animal or other toys to decorate
9. Helpful baby products like bottles and nipple creams.

Diaper Cake Step 1

The first step is to roll each of the diapers up and keep in place with a thin rubber band. Once you have done this, you can set them aside and move on to the next step.

Diaper Cake Step 2

The next step is to cut out a large (14″ diameter) circle out of a piece of cardboard and to paint it with acrylic paint. I used blue, but you can use whatever color you like or you can use wrapping paper to cover it if you prefer. Then you will use the hot glue gun to attach the empty paper towel roll to the cardboard circle as shown in the picture below.

Diaper Cake Step 3

After you have prepared the base of the cake and the diaper, it is time to start forming it. The way to do this is by encircling the empty paper towel roll with the diapers, placed upright. For the lower level, you will be able to go around three times. In order to keep them in place, get a large enough piece of ribbon to go all the way around the diapers. Wrap it around and tie it, or glue it in place.

Diaper Cake Step 4

For the next step, you will repeat step 3 for the second and third level of the diaper cake, holding in place with ribbon as well.

Diaper Cake Step 5

After you have finished forming each layer of the diaper cake it is time to decorate! I did this by getting a thicker piece of ribbon that says “Oh Baby, It’s a Boy!” and wrapping it around on top of the thinner ribbons.

This gives the diaper cake a really nice look! I then took leftover rubber bands and attached the bottles, liners, and nipples to a couple of the diapers to keep them in place. You can just set them on there as well if you prefer. I finished it off by placing a cute stuffed animal on top.

I had a great time making this diaper cake, and I would love to get something like this at my baby shower. I hope that you have enjoyed this tutorial as well, and I encourage you to make it and to check out some of the products that I used.

The post Fun and Easy Diaper Cake – Great For Baby Showers appeared first on My Latina Table.