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Rock it: Best Tips for Getting Back to School

August 26, 2018 By Autumn Rose Reo 7 Comments

Got back to school under your belt? Now’s the time to get the rest of your school year rollin’ with these tips for getting back to school!

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Back to school.

That time of the year when you’re just about to start enjoying the summer time and then you look at the calendar and see that “Meet the Teacher” is next week.

That time of the year when you’re out to scavenge through all your kids clothes to see how many more days you can make that one pair of shoes work before your kid’s toe actually peeks out.

That time of the year when you have to all have to get back in a routine of the morning marathon to get to school before the first bell rings.

So we’ve put together the Best Tips for Getting Back to School to help you make the rest of the year rock and roll!

You Go First

This may seem to contradict everything, but before you the fire drill started, make time for you! Yes, get yourself up, get dressed, get your coffee and then press go. If you are hitting the floor feeling like you’ve already lost the game, you will. Start off the day ready to take it on full steam and the rest of the family will take that on, too.

Make Time for Meals

Don’t skip breakfast!

Without a little healthy fuel to get things going, you’re setting up their day (and yours) for full-on suckage. So make sure they get something in their belly – even if it’s eaten in the car or walking to class.

Here are several of our go-to recipe favorites for back to school breakfast.

Use your slow cooker to create breakfast the night before. Oatmeal, egg casseroles, and even french toast are A-MAZING in the slow cooker. (Actually, the slow cooker is a super friend for every meal!)
Use Sundays to make your breakfasts and then freeze them for the whole week including pancakes, muffins, and even donuts!
For those even harder mornings, have a few items around that are you’re go-tos. Go for easy items that you can grab and go or even leave in your car (great for snack times later.)
- Jimmy Dean Egg Scramblers make morning meal time easy – all the ingredients are together, so you just cook and go.
- GoGo SqueeZ applesauce and yogurtZ that don’t have to be refrigerated, so you can keep them in your purse for those last-minute surprises so you always have something healthy handy.

Added Nutrition: Banana Bread made with yogurt or applesauce (Check out this Banana Bread recipe)

Plan for lunches and snacks in advance!

Don’t ever wait until the last minute to fill up the lunch box.

I have the kids immediately after school make/ their meal for tomorrow so we don’t forget for the next day. When you’re done, I check it to ensure a healthy lunch box.
When it comes to snacks after school, have healthy ones stocked up so the kids make good choices. Preparing healthy snack stations in the fridge, in the pantry, or even your car will help keep the kids sustained until dinner. (A lunch/snack station is a handy way to put it all together and teach them how to do it – with a little guidance!)

Prep and Plan

Prep the Wardrobe

Start off the week by setting out clothing or working with your child to pick outfits for the whole week. Place them in an organizer like this to make it easy to pull out each day. They not only learn responsibility, but also team work with you. Plus it will save you so much wasted time during the week with “what do I wear mom?”

Since kids need to change sizes almost every three months, what’s the need to stock up the closet more than one season in advance. Buy what they need for that time and alternate. Also, save lots of dollars by sharing with other families who have kids only a year older than them to pass on their clothes with they outgrow them and always make use of consignment events like Just Between Friends Fort Worth.

Plan your work, work your plan

I cannot recommend to you more the importance of a good planner to organize your family’s schedule. Whether it’s paper or electronic, having a planner that works for mom and the rest of the family is crucial. This also includes organizing all the important info you need in one place like a family binder to keep your information at the tip of the finger.

I like online organization including Google Calendars (I have 12) plus always having a notepad handy when I need to make notes and keep thoughts organized.
For the paper people, there are so many options available. This planner has people buying it left and right! And planning doesn’t just mean putting in the appointments. You’ll want to meal plan, I suggest this Meal Planner from Carrie Elle with perforated lists, meal plans and much more!

Get it Together

Homework It

Homework isn’t fun for anyone, so streamline the fights and keep it focused with a Homework Station. This will make this less-than-fun activity easier for all of you. Outline expectations, have an area set up with pens, paper, sharpener, light, and with no distractions. If the kids have to be on the computer, make sure there’s no way to have them get on other activities like YouTube or another social media. And remember, if they’re old enough, take away the phone.

Then here’s the biggie: sign what you need to, check the homework, and then pack up the backpack for in the morning. This way all you have to do is grab and go!

Time it Out

Setting up a routine and assignment chores isn’t just for you – it will make it easier for them know when and what things are going to happen. Using this template, you can set up the rules and stick to them for bedtimes, wake up times, and chores!

Click here to download your customizable template.

However, the two biggest things you need to remember to really be a rockstar parent:

Say no – there’s no need to try to do everything, everywhere and all the time!
Sundays are your friends for making the other 6 days rock and roll!

Back to School Breakfasts

August 19, 2017 By Autumn Rose Reo 14 Comments

Take away the back to school blues with these easy breakfast recipes that are on the go and good for you!

School time makes my house absolute chaos. No matter how many processes and advance plans we put in place, the morning time looks a lot like marathon and no one is going to win. With all the craziness, I still want to try to get something down their throats and mine that’s healthy and tastes food. So here are a few best-sellers at our house that work for the whole family and with just a little time (very little), we can still manage to get to school with a few minutes to spare (well most the time!)

Added Nutrition: Banana Bread made with yogurt or applesauce

Protein Packed Pumpkin Smoothie

Easy Eggs: Jimmy Dean Simple Scrambles

Peanut Butter Granola

As featured on Fox Good Day Dallas, August 19. 2017

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Cinnamon Peanut Butter Granola

August 18, 2017 By Autumn Rose Reo 1 Comment

If you love peanuts you’ll love this easy recipe for breakfast granola made with peanut butter and roasted peanuts. Once you make this, you’ll never buy cereal ever again!

Thank you to the Texas Peanut Producers Board for sharing that there’s a lot more to peanuts than peanuts and for this sponsored post.

Recently I took a trip to Lubbock, Texas to learn about peanuts. I wasn’t sure what all I was going to see, especially in West Texas, but with just 48 hours in Red Raiders country and I had a great time getting hands-on with farming, manufacturing, distributing and appreciating peanuts. I shared a lot of the highlights on the trip on social, but I can’t wait to share how much work goes into that jar of PB in your cabinet.

It takes almost 850 peanuts to make an 18oz jar of peanut butter!

Of course when I returned home after my peanut paloooza, I was craving peanuts more than ever. And with several jars of peanut butter in hand a need to get more protein in my family’s body in the morning, this granola came to be.

With just seven ingredients, you probably have these items in your pantry so it’s super cost-effective! You can eat on it all week and for every meal (I love it with yogurt and berries and my husband eats it on top of his ice cream!) Another thing I love about this granola is that it’s full of healthy ingredients and still tastes so indulgent, especially when you top it with the roasted peanuts.

Cinnamon Peanut Butter Granola

Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com

Print Recipe

Description

A peanut lover’s dream with peanut butter and roasted peanuts.

Ingredients

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (I love Homeplate Peanut Butter!)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup roasted peanuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Combine everything together into a bowl.
Spread mixture onto a baking dish with a rim.
Bake, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, approximately 20-25 minutes.
Allow to cool before serving with yogurt, milk or as a snack.

Step up Back to School Shopping with KidsShoes.com

August 2, 2017 By Autumn Rose Reo 9 Comments

Shoe shopping for the kids low on your to-do list? Step up your shopping game for back to school shoes with KidsShoes.com.

Thank you to KidsShoes.com for a lot of help checking off our back to school list and this sponsored post.

I’ve had the same size shoe for more than 15 years (well except during the last few month’s of my pregnancy with #1 and feet resembled small pigs.) So I wasn’t prepared that every 2-3 months I would be buying new shoes for my kids. And now with two, it’s a never-ending battle to keep them in shoes that fit, that work for school, that don’t hurt their feet and to keep up with them.

I feel like I’m always trying to keep them in a pair of shoes and for my little diva, she doesn’t just want shoes – she wants CUTE ones.

So this back to school season, I was adamant I would find one place to get what I needed for both of them and I wouldn’t spend anytime slaving away in some store, bent over trying on shoes and praying that they would fit, the kids would like them and they would kill my budget.

KidsShoes.com is just the right place to make us all happy when it comes to getting back-to-school shoe shopping done for both of them and with brands / styles they love. (I’d wear those Michael Kors shoes of hers and he loved these KidsShoes.com brand tennis shoes with easy velcro.)

For my daughter we have to find styles that she thinks are stylish (and look like her) but also meet the school requirements (she has to wear tennis shoes for P.E.) These Michael Kors tennis shoes do exactly that with the little bit of edge and bling that make her happy and the soles I need her to be in for school!) SCORE!

Actually the real score came when I found these Sydney Jordyn tennis shoes! These shoes said Taylor Rose with beautiful bling and rose designs all over the shoe so she feels like a superstar! I have to admit these shoes are precious and have laces and rubber soles to make the grade with her campus! Plus she couldn’t have been more excited that the heels were two different colors.

While finding styles my daughter LOVED was easy, it’s staying on top of my son’s shoe size that has grown to be a real pain. Thankfully, KidsShoes.com heard my cries and created an app that allows you to measure your kid’s foot without going to a store or having one of those crazy metal gauges.

Appropriately named “kidsizing,” this free app walks you through a quick, three-step process to get an accurate size of your child’s ever-growing foot. This way you can always accurately size your kids’ feet before your order a pair from KidsShoes.com.

With so many top styles, a free app for sizing, great prices, and easy shipping/returns why would you spend the tireless hours at the shoe store? KidsShoes.com has been our solution for saving time and sanity this back-to-school for looks they’ll love and a shopping experience you’ll love even more.

Best Planners for Moms

January 4, 2017 By Autumn Rose Reo 292 Comments

Getting organized for the New Year or Back to School? Get it Together with these Best Planners for Moms.

Affiliate links may be included.

The beginning of the year is our mental reset button to get it together. Get a wrangle on things for you, your family, your meal planning and whatever else with an organizer/planner/agenda. Then carpool, after school activities, athletic practices and science projects that are suddenly due the next day can stay in stay in check (at least as much as possible!)

Before you click out of this browser because you’re running from reality, slow down, take a deep breath and take these next few weeks to get prepared and most importantly organized.

Maybe you’re a digital woman who swears by the Google or their Outlook calendar. Click away, my friends. But for the more lady who literally needs to “pencil something in,” here the best mom planners and agendas that will make this year a piece of cake.

Best Planner: CARRIE ELLE // Website

What started as a blog and meal planner, has turned into a brand and a storefront dedicated to making life a little more beautiful and organized. From your 21-Day Fix, family meal planning, budgeting, a full 12-month agenda, digital downloads and now even journals for bullet journaling, Carrie Elle is a mom that has taken her best practices and made them easier for the rest of us with her favorite prints, inspirational quotes and more. that And because your job often includes meal planning, groceries and how to get it all done, make sure to check out the Meal Planner from Carrie Elle for her specially formatted book to help you look at meal planning and grocery shopping in a whole new way with perforated lists, calendars and ideas.

Best Planner: INKWELL PRESS // Website

From the moment you open the box your inkWELL liveWELL planner, you know you’re not just getting a planner, but a new lifestyle. Designed with the goal of educating women to empower themselves through organization, these planners aren’t just a cute worksheets and tabs, but actually supplied educational resources to help you customize your inkWELL Press products (meal planning, exercise, etc.) to suit the specifics of your lifestyle. From videos, free downloads and weekly emails, you are armed and ready to create a better life with this planner. (Plus the couple behind the brand are SMU alums, so I’m biased for a little local.)

[See this special look at the Inkwell Press liveWELL planner.]

Best Planner: ERIN CONDREN // Website

These planners are relatively new, but have quickly become a favorite amongst women in all walks of life. Whether you’re a freshman starting out in college or the mom of a cute kindergartner or the kindergarten teacher, these life planners are the perfect way to stay organized in style. Erin Condren planners can be purchased in either read to ship options or you can customize it to your specific needs. Start the creative process by choosing from dozens of covers, from metallic golds to classic prints, or upload your own design. Agendas are available in 12 month, 17 month, and basically however you need it. Weekly layouts can be made vertical or horizontal and includes a section for notes, to-dos or weekly goals. Planner accessories from sticker books to pop up markers, elastic bands and more can be purchase to add personality to your daily organizer.

Best Planner: GIGI NEW YORK // Website

For the ladies who are searching for a little of sophistication in their planner, look no further than the Gigi New York Notebook. The ultimate in style and fashion with embossed python leather notebook planners are handmade in a factory in Long Island and feature month and week-at-a-view appointment pages. The covers come in several classic and jewel tone colors and be personalized with your initials if available. The premier brand for datebooks, Gigi New York makes notebooks for major retailers including Barney’s, Neiman Marcus and Henri Bendel. AND this year the brand launches a special new collection with Dallas’ own favorite fashionista, Courtney Kerr with #KERRentlyxGiGi, full of beautiful python embossed planners ready to match your coolest outfit.

Best Planner: TOOLS 4 WISDOM // Website

A Tools4Wisdom 2017 Planner has been crafted for this purpose through question-driven planning and daily schedules that emphasize on the essential. Each planning page serves as a compass to plan on doing more of what we love – and less of the opposite. These calendars give you at-a -glance insight about your daily schedule, next appointments, and events. A desktop organizer is a fast and simple tool to keep your office schedule organized, all year round. Not only will you have a 2017 planner handy at all times, you’ll also have an ample and comfortable journal for writing.

Best Planner: OLIVIA SOPHIA // Website

Named after her daughter, Olivia Sophia is a line centered on sharing faith, world empowerment and love through paper. With several products from wedding planning to gift bags, each is an expression of beauty. One of its biggest products is the Marriage & Grace planner. “PERFECT for the wife that loves to include date nights, meal planning and weekly prayer request into your schedule. It include budget sheets and family meeting pages. It’s the planner that leaves no one out and helps to keep you on track while staying focused on God first, marriage and family second and grace as the standard.”

Best Planner: MOM AGENDA // Website

This agenda is sleek, stylish, and functional day planner and organizer for moms, and all women in general, to help you feel relaxed, at peace and in control of your whole life. momAgenda is on a mission to help organize busy moms everywhere with unique day planners and other organizational products. momAgenda has been featured in Real Simple and The New York Times and has even been featured on The Today Show. Celebrity moms like Felicity Huffman, Cindy Crawford, and Reese Witherspoon rave about momAgenda! The unique layout helps moms manage multiple schedules and features space for mom and up to four kids (or one for your spouse.) This planner features two ribbons to mark important places, monthly and weekly views and writing space for to—do list and notes like meal planning, movie night, party planning and more.

These are just a few agendas available to help you get started with your planning. Most of these are in high demand, so make sure you order one before they sell out!

Back to School is So Worth it with JCPenney

August 19, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo Leave a Comment

Last-minute shopping still on your back to school to-do list? This weekend save money when you head Back to School with JCPenney – it’s #soworthit!

Thanks to JCPenney for this collaboration to kick off back to school with class!

Pencils, paper, backpacks and jeans – all staples for getting back to school.

Dedicated to ensure all kids head back-to-school confident and prepared by offering all of the basics they need to start the school year right, JCPenney is saving families money while sharing even more with the community.

JCPenney is making going back to school cool for the kids (AND mom) on great looks the kids will love at deals parents will flip for this weekend, Aug. 19 & 20. As part of the JCPenney’s Penney Saturdays and Fridays, you’ll be able to score $13 Arizona kids jeans and $17 Arizona jeans.

Don’t miss this: JCPenney is offering an additional 15% off coupon for customers using Pokemon Go who verbally tell an associate or show an associate in-app their favorite character.

(Yes, my kiddo is so excited about this one!)

But JCP doesn’t just stop with fashion, the retailer has partnered with the YMCA to support programs to continue the Y’s outreach and community programs. JCP team members will also be volunteer with local Ys to help with youth programs, tutoring and mentoring. Launching earlier this summer, JCPenney kicked it all off with the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles giving 5,000 kids free access to the Y, Arizona jean giveaways, vision screenings, salon services, and entertainment – along with celebrity mom, Vanessa Lachey!

AND for every pair of Arizona Jeans bought, JCPenney will donate $1 for each pair of Arizona Jeans sold to support the Y’s academic achievement programs and help all kids get ready for back to school.

So get to JCPenney this weekend and not only save money, but help make an impact in the community with the Y!

Don’t miss this #mamachallenge moment:

JCPenney Back to School Video Rocks

Going Old School: Best Ever Sloppy Joes

August 18, 2016 By Autumn Rose Reo 17 Comments

Sloppy Joes have long been a staple of the school lunch line. Bring the recipe home with a special twist inspired by your kid’s lunchbox to make it the best-ever sloppy joes using no-added sugar apple juice.

Thanks to Juicy Juice for bringing this kids in the kitchen moment home to our house just in time for back to school with this collaboration.

“Hey mom…what are sloppy joes?”

When I heard my son asked the other night, I immediately flashed back to grade school and rolling through the lunch line on Fridays to snag a sloppy joe. Good and messy, I never minded sloppy joe day. However as much as I enjoyed them, I’d never made them for my family. Actually, I was pretty sure it had been at least 10 years since I’d had one.

So rather than to tell him what it was, we made ’em. It was going to be sloppy joe Wednesday at our house.

Scrambling through the kitchen, I went looking for the few items needed to make sloppy joes and realized man, I have been missing out on making a meal that was so EASY to make! AND the kids could learn, too.

Lucky for us, there were buns in the freezer, already cut up onions in the freezer, and a pound of lean meat too, so we were off to create dinner and have a teachable moment, too.

To be honest, I had made sloppy joes from a can before, but never from scratch. So this learning lesson was going to be just as much for me as it was for him.

Using a little ketchup, brown sugar and salt and pepper, I had almost everything I needed for the perfect sloppy joe…except that sweet flavor that makes a sloppy joe well, a sloppy joe.

Apple juice.

That’s right, taking a little lunchbox inspiration: I borrowed a Juicy Juice 100% Fruit Juice from my kid’s juice inventory. One box of apple proved to be the perfect amount of sweet, yet savory flavor that our sloppy joes needed.

Now my Juicy Juice had dual purpose – an easy kids lunch staple by day and an easy dinner helper by night! Don’t like sloppy joes? Then try one of the other kid-friendly recipes that you can make with Juicy Juice.

Basically with only six ingredients and 20 minutes, we had dinner on the table. And man, he ate it up! Gold star for me.

If you’re looking to twist up your normal apple juice routine, try one of the new four flavors of Juicy Juice Splashers with 50% less sugar than that of other leading juice brands, no artificial sweeteners or colors, no high fructose corn syrup!

And just in time for school, Juicy Juice has teamed up with Macy’s for the Perfect Fit Sweepstakes. Submit a funny picture of your kids in clothes they’ve outgrown or describe a funny time they outgrew their clothes for the chance to win a shopping spree, gift cards, and of course, Juicy Juice!

Enter now for your chance to win!

What’s your favorite meal memory from grade school?