TTT: Things I Wish I Had in my Fridge

With summer officially here, I've been craving fresh produce. I haven't made it to the Farmer's Market, and we don't belong to a CSA group, so we're limited to what we can find in the supermarket.

Here is some fresh produce I really wish I had in my fridge:

1. Green beans - I got some decent fresh beans at the grocery store last week, and slow-cooked them in homemade chicken stock - YUM. Seriously - I think I could eat them every day.

2. Seedless watermelon - nothing beats a good, sweet, juicy watermelon. I look forward to introducing Wendy to the joys of outdoor watermelon-eating. Barefoot in the grass, juice dripping off elbows and chin - one of life's simple pleasures!

3. Cantaloupe - Wendy could eat cantaloupe until she can't hold any more. Unfortunately, I'm not the best cantaloupe picker-outer. I've got maybe a 60% chance of getting a good one, but only a 15% chance of getting a great one. Do you have any cantaloupe-choosing secrets to share?

4. Bicolor sweet corn - I love corn on the cob. A little butter, a little salt, and I'm in heaven. I don't think Wendy has ever had corn on the cob (FOR SHAME!!) and I know for sure that David hasn't. We'll remedy that as soon as I can find some good corn!

5. Green tomatoes - for frying, of course!

6. Ripe tomatoes - Mmmm...tomato sandwiches on toast with a little bit of mayo - heavenly!

7. Strawberries - my family LOVES strawberries! We get at least a pound every time we can, and they are always gone within 12 hours. They're great on waffles, in salad, on ice cream, or just alone, sprinkled with a little Splenda!

8. Peaches - when I was pregnant with David last spring, I craved peaches. James bought a few at the store and they smelled divine - sweet and juicy and peachy. They didn't taste that great, since it was way too early in the season, but OH! The smell was perfect!

9. Salad greens - I like a good salad, and I prefer it with crisp, nutrient-packed things. Dark greens, other-colored "greens," fancy, frilly, and fragrant, I like them all! (As long as I have tomatoes. Because a salad without tomatoes is just plain boring!)

10. Plums - the perfect plum is elusive, but it's worth the search. Tight, tangy skin, with a soft, juicy inside - they're just as yummy as they are good for you!

What are your favorite summer produce items?

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

TILT: Audible & Dr. Seuss

In Tuesday's post, I mentioned using audiobooks to help make family road trips more enjoyable. I had read other moms' testimonies about using audiobooks in the car, and I went looking for something that would entertain Wendy.

Lo and behold, I stumbled across Audible Kids, and found this wonderful collection of Dr. Seuss books. It includes some classics that I remember from childhood (The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hears a Who) and a few others that I hadn't heard before. The actors that do the reading are fantastic. Fantastic. Kelsey Grammer, Dustin Hoffman, John Cleese, Billy Crystal - they're all fabulous! Our favorite is Kelsey Grammer's reading of The Cat in the Hat.

If you're going on a road trip with kids anytime soon, I highly recommend checking out Audible Kids. They have a wide variety of titles available, and it's great for keeping the peace in the car!

See?
Who could ask for a better endorsement?!

For more Things I Love Thursday, visit Jill at The Diaper Diaries!

WFMW: No More High Chair!

I finally had it with our old high chair. Sure, it was great - comfy, adjustable, sturdy, and easy to use. What it was not? Easy to clean! There were so many nooks and crannies for food to hide, little grooves and joints and flaps.

David, at nearly 13 months old, still needs to be strapped into something at the table, or he's likely to fall/climb/slide right out.

Enter the Fisher-Price Heathy Care Deluxe booster seat! Despite the fancy name, it's quite affordable. I brought it home, strapped it on to one of our dining room chairs, and haven't looked back! It's fantastic. The straps are very secure, both the ones that attach it to the chair and the ones that hold David in the seat. The tray is smaller than a regular high chair, so it fits in the dishwasher quite nicely.

But the best part? The whole seat bottom is one molded piece of plastic. Other than the very thin slot where the strap comes through, there is nowhere for food to go! One quick wipe, and it's clean! *cue angels singing*

We took the booster seat on our recent trip, and it was great! It folds up easily and stays folded, and there is a little lid for the tray so that the tray stays clean while you're traveling. I can't praise it enough!!

For more great tips, visit Works-For-Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family!

TTT: Staying Sane While Traveling

Last week we returned from a 9-day, 4-state, very busy road trip. If I remember right, we spent about 30 hours in the car over the course of our "vacation" - all with a 3 year old and a 1 year old. We stayed in three different places. We were busy almost every day, and the highlight of the trip was my sister-in-law's wedding. It was not a restful vacation, but here are some things that helped us stay as sane as possible:

1. Snacks - there's nothing like a special snack when kids (and grownups) are grumpy. We traveled with rice cakes, fruit, Cheerios, and plenty of milk for the kids to drink.
2. Music - for Christmas last year, James gave me an iPod player for the car. Now I can have playlists for specific purposes - cheerful kid music, nap time music, upbeat grownup music for fighting the sleepies, etc. Playlists are so much fun!

3. Audiobooks - I'll probably write more about this later, but this was our first time to use audiobooks on a car trip, and it was a BIG HIT. Seriously. Everytime we got in the car, Wendy asked to listen to her books!

4. Activity - kids can only spend so much time strapped into carseats and strollers before they melt into puddles of crankiness. We were blessed on this trip to stumble across a rest stop with a playground, and I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing. Twenty minutes later, we were strapping sweaty, happy, relaxed kids back into the car, where they promptly fell asleep.



5. Naps - speaking of falling asleep...nap time is sacred at our house, and the same goes for when we're traveling. The schedule is a bit more flexible to allow for activities, but we make sure there is a 2-3 hour chunk of time in the afternoon for the kids to relax. We retreat to our room, get comfy (i.e. crank up the AC & take off any uncomfortable clothes) and chill. My kids will not nap if there is anything distracting going on, so this time of retreat and rest is critical.

6. Laundry - packing enough clothes for 4 people for 9 days and various activities? No way. We would need a small Uhaul. No, instead we just planned on visiting a laundromat halfway through our trip to do the laundry. Sure, it's not very fun, but in less than two hours, everything was washed, dried, & folded, and we were good to go. Much easier than trying to pack enough clothes to last for the whole trip!

7. Solitude - this one is really more for me than the kids. I am an introvert. I easily get overwhelmed in certain situations, and I get pretty stressed out. All I need is a bit of quiet, alone time, with no one talking to me or requiring anything of me. This might involve a nap, it might involve reading, or it might just involve sitting and thinking. Whatever the case, a bit of solitude goes a long way towards restoring my peace of mind and making the trip more enjoyable for everyone!
8. Toys & Books - we only take a few toys and books when we travel, and they are carefully selected. They are generally ones that have multiple purposes and can be enjoyed by both Wendy and David. This time, I went a step further and packed a "secret" bag of toys and books for Wendy that I gave her one at a time while we were driving. Her favorite was this dry-erase book; she worked on her letters and numbers for hours!

9. Blankies - my kids both love their Blankies. Not only do we take their Blankies, but we make sure they are all tucked in with them in the car. It just makes everyone happier.

10. Humor - keeping a sense of humor and being able to laugh at the absurdities of traveling with children is essential! Baby wiped his snotty face all over the front of your shirt? Preschooler insisting on talking (constantly!) in an annoying squeaky voice? Might as well laugh about it!!

What strategies do you use when traveling with young children?

For more Top Ten Tuesday lists, visit OhAmanda.com!

Happy Birthday to ME!!

Yesterday was my birthday, and James gave me a Kindle!!

So...what should I read?


(Family photo from my SIL's wedding last weekend)

(And yes, Wendy's eyes are closed. It's the best picture of all of us that we were able to get!)