Tips & Tricks

We all know it's hard to get our kids to eat right. Sofia is the worst. But getting much better. So how do we sneak in the healthy stuff without having to make them feel like dinner is a chore? I asked some other moms what they do, and here is what they suggest:(I have tried them, some DO work ) My tip: Never let your child eat alone. They ALWAYS need to feel that meal time is a time to eat and share time together. Take a bite fron THEIR plate to let them know that they are eating what YOU are eating. REMEMBER ... If it tastes bad to you, (ex :Jarred baby food ;) ) It most likely tastes bad to them as well. Misty's tip: Puree or cut squash, carrots, zucchini or spinach into small pieces and hide in sloppy joes or meatloaf. Spaghetti is also great for hiding veggies. Tori's tip: When Tori is making dinner but her kids want something to eat right away, she serves them foods they normally would turn their noses up at, like carrot and celery sticks . Katy's tip: Limit snacks, and when snacks are served, make them veggies. Tara's tip: Give whole wheat pizza crust a try. Make it even healthier by sneaking in some colorful veggies and maybe even some chicken breast and spinich. mmmmmmm carols tip: Hide pureed or grated apple or mashed bananas in oatmeal or cream of wheat. She also recommends the books The Sneaky Chef by Missy Case Lapine and Deceptively Delicious by Jessica Seinfeld. Gramma's tip: What tastes bad to one may taste good to another. ALWAYS encourage your kids to try new things, and remember, if they don't like peas.... they may REALLY not like peas !! Give these tips a try and if you have a tip to add, PLEASE leave it here on my blog ;)

ADD ME

COME ON GUYS! ADD ME , IT WON'T HURT, I PROMISE ! :)

Merry Christmas !

Wow ! Christmas was crazy !! But it was great. Everyone was happy. My Daughter had just had surgery the Monday before, so here I am with 2 little ones, AND I turned 40 this week !! ARRRRGH. There is a reason I was young when I raised my kids. They are such Beautiful little angels though. This too will pass ;) Here are a couple of pics of the girls on christmas...

A little about me...

Hello…. My name is Billi. I live in rural Iowa (BRRRRRR) and I am married to Scott . We are the very PROUD parents of 5 children: Tara, 19, Kris and Kyle (the twins) 16 , Cody 15 and Alex 15 . We are also so happy to be the proudest grandparents of 2 very beautiful little girls, Sofia 2 and Andrea 5 months. They are the Love of my Life. I always say .... "when she took her first breath, my heart started to beat again" So this has been quite an eventful year ! It all started in March when I saw that Sofia loved her animals so much that I decided to draw them for her. Everything has absolutely snowballed since . I have designed and imported my own line of baby crib shoes as well as my light up toddlers shoes. I carry a high quality leather mary jane with soles that light up when the child takes a step. These come in in 2 styles/colors for girls as well as a boys & girls sandal. I also carry my adorable leather baby moccasins in pink and blue. All have Velcro closure for easy on & off and are orthotically perfect for the beginning walker. I also have my signature T Shirts that I have had my drawings/pet caricatures screen printed on to. Children absolutely LOVE the pets and refer to them as their "friends". These drawings are part of the illustrations that will be featured in a short story that I am writing and "Lucky" is the beginning of a line called Zoo Skooters that will be promoted in zoos in the mid west.

Tiny Toes

Hello ! I wanted to pop in to say BRRRRRR. I can tell that Christmas is just around the corner. I'm Not always one to "bundle up" , But the time has come !! I wanted to remind everyone that Toot Skooters shoes are not only soft , comfortable, & cost effective, but they are WARM on the tiny toes as well ! Stop in and take a look @ www.tootskooters.com !

Oh Baby !

We are a new blog dedicated to pregnant moms to be, toddlers , children and.... arrgh pre-teens to teens. My name is Billi Jo. I am the proud mother of 5 children and 2 absolutely gorgeous grand daughters.I stil have 4 boys at home , twin boys aged 16 years, my baby age 15 and my husbands son age 15. My oldest is my only daughter and the PROUD Mother of our Beautiful baby girls. I am grateful to her every day! I have recently opened a business inspired by my beautiful Grand Daughters. Sofia, aka "Skooter", is now 2 and the newest addition Drea, aka "Baby Love", is 3 months . I sell leather light up mary janes and toddler T Shirts for the most part on my web site. My children and now my Grand Children have always been what my world pivots upon. I am also a Registered Nurse. I have seen it all, heard it all, and been through alot. If there are any questions that you need to ask regarding your pregnancy, your child or their developement, I will be happy to try to help. If you have a story that you'd like to share , please feel free to blog it. I am always looking for a smile :) & don't forget to look at our site at www.tootskooters.com .... Yes it was named after Sofia