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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

Indoor Things to Do in DFW with the Kids

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We all love summer, but when the sun’s beating down on your back, sometimes you need to head for the A/C. Here’s our guide to Indoor Things To Do in DFW with the Kids. (And we’ve got the secret to get you into many of them!) 

I love Texas but there are days when you just can’t do one more day outside. That’s when you head back into the precious sanctuary of air-conditioning, however, you still have to keep the words “I’m Bored” from being uttered. So here are some of our favorite ways to escape the heat (and some giveaways to boot!) Plus see our secret how you can get into many of them with one pass and save money all at one time! 

Hands-On Learning

1. Texas Discovery Garden & Butterfly Garden – Dallas


Kids love the 2-story Butterfly House where tropical butterflies dance around.

2. Crayola Experience – Plano

They have a playground, puzzles, and coloring galore! Plus, some fun shows and activities that will keep the kids busy all day. (Use the code AUTUMN and get a discount!) 

Crayola-Experience

(Photo credit Crayola Experience)

3. SeaLIFE Aquarium – Grapevine

This aquarium is so good, you won’t believe you’re in a mall. I’m talking sharks, rays, seahorses, and more!

Sealife-Aquarium

4. Lego Discovery Center – Grapevine 

Kids can race LEGO vehicles, watch 4D movies, and build tall towers on their Earthquake Tables! Talk about an indoor adventure.

Museums and Art

Math-ALIVE-Perot

5. Amon Carter Museum – Fort Worth

Head to the museum on Thursdays from 10:30-12 for artmaking, art discovery, and story time!

6. Fort Worth Museum of Science & History – Fort Worth

This museum has stuff for both you and the kids! Check out their 9-11 Tribute while the kids head over to the Children’s Museum where they can play all day.

7. Perot Museum – Dallas 

If you haven’t been to Perot, you need to go! There’s so much to do you can’t cover it in one day and with changing exhibits there’s something to do for the kids (and the adults!) 

Perot

8. Gold Exhibit at Dallas Museum of Art – Dallas

Let’s be honest, we like shiny things just as much as our kids do. Go check out all of the fabulous things made from gold at the DMA’s newest exhibit.

9. Painting with a Twist – DFW

Painting with a Twist is totally kid-friendly now! Check out the nearest classes to your neighborhood.

10. Board & Brush – DFW

Canvas isn’t all you’ll paint on at Board & Brush. In fact, they prefer, you guessed it – BOARDS!

11. Front Porch Pottery – Fort Worth

Let the kids get messy and create a masterpiece. Surely you need a new whatchamacallit for your bathroom counter, right?

12. Sunshine Glaze – Southlake

Paint a plate (or any of the other fun ceramics) for memories and fun at this beloved venue! Don’t miss the theme days too for indoor painting fun!) 

Sports

Galleria Dallas Ice Skating

13. Top Golf – DFW

Because sometimes you just want your kids to get really tired so you can sleep through the night.

14. iFLY – DFW

For the kids that love a thrill, and parents that like to give themselves a minor heart attack.

15. Ice Rink at Galleria Dallas

For those REALLY hot days that you need a serious cool down. 

 

Trampoline Parks

16. Urban Air – DFW

This place has a Warrior Obstacle Course, TUBES Playground, and a Battle BEAM. But don’t worry, it’s safe…

17. Flight Deck Trampoline Park – DFW

There are literally trampolines everywhere at this place. No fluff but the kids love it.

Gaming Centers

Main-Event-Birthday

18. National Videogame Museum– Frisco

This little slice of nostalgia is just as much for you as it is the kids. Did someone say Burgertime?

19. Free Play – Arlington/Richardson

Just pay $10 to get in then let them play all day! They have over 95 games.

20. Alley Cats – Arlington

Bowling, games, rock climbing, and air conditioning – what more do you need?

21. Main Event – DFW 

Old faithful never really gets old!

22. Dave and Busters – DFW

Fun for the whole family! Let them play their games while you grab a bite to eat and maybe a well-deserved glass of wine.

23. ItZ – Euless

Bowling, an arcade, and a pizza buffet will literally keep the kids distracted all day. 

Water Parks

Great Wolf

24. EpicWaters – Grand Prairie

This place is massive and brand new! Come here once and your kids won’t want to leave!

25. Great Wolf Lodge – Grapevine

If you’re in need of a staycation, this is the place to go! Plus it’s a one-stop shop with activities, restaurants, and a place to lay your head while the kids are running around with their magic wand (plus parents love it, too.) 

Escape Rooms

Grapevine-Mills

26. The Escape Room – Grapevine

This one’s for your older kids who love figuring out puzzles! 

27. Escape This – Dallas

They’re rated #1 on Yelp for Escape rooms for kids for a reason – great customer service and challenging scenarios. 

There are lots of fun things you can do to beat the heat this summer. If you want to try a few, I HIGHLY recommend you grab a POGO Pass so you can get 12 months of free access to participating venues around DFW. (Affiliate partner.) 

Be sure to use Promo Code: MAMACHALLENGE at www.pogopass.com for 60% off!

Dallas Pogo Pass

 

 

Five Ways To Take Five This Fall

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Fall may mean new beginnings…but it also means busy season is in high gear! Schedule some time to take give this fall just for you.

Thanks to prAna for making us all comfortable in our skin with this sponsored post.

What’s not to love about the fall. In Texas it’s the short time span between mid-September to mid-October that the temperature is a lot like The Three Bears…Not too cold, not too hot, it’s just right. For me it reminds me of high school football, Frito Pies, baked apple pies baking in the oven, pumpkin everything, and of course, my birthday (I mean it’s in my name?) 


prAna

Unfortunately as a parent it also means that school starts, PTA, practices, quickly following with decorations, holidays and much more. While in theory the fall should be this brief moment to just enjoy Mother Nature’s gift, it’s actually more like the calm before the storm. Heck, I’m already tired just thinking about it. 

I wish there was one fall that I could just be a spectator and take it all in…especially before it’s over in a blink of an eye. But let’s be honest, if you want that somewhat perfect idea of the holidays to happen, you have to make it happen. Or even better, maybe we all need to change the idea of what we think the perfect holiday looks like (Pinterest is not a good example.) 

“Smell your rose, blow out your candle…”

So this year I’m making a point before I get caught up in the mess of the last months to just take a few moments JUST FOR ME to appreciate the little things that make me happy. Five minutes may not seem like much, but overall it will keep your nerves at bay before you blow on Christmas Day. 

Curl up with a good book. 

Okay…when’s the last time you read a book (truth – I can’t even remember but I do love my Audible.) However, I love reading magazines – from start to finish – it’s like a therapeutic getaway. But whatever it looks like, don’t keep building up the pile. Find something you’ve been meaning to learn, love and get lost in and do it. Even if it’s just 5 minutes a day. 

prAna

Drink the coffee (even the PSL.) 

Coffee, tea, whatever…I’ve become the worst about making a cup and then getting so busy that when I get back to the cup, it’s cold. There’s nothing more disappointing. So don’t just get the cup of joe and run, savor it, smell it, taste it, experience it. It’s not really the coffee we’re going for here – it’s just taking in what’s in front of you without the distractions. Besides one pumpkin spice latte won’t hurt you. 

prAna

Take a walk. 

The beautiful burgundy and mustard colored leaves crackling under your feet, the aroma of earth, spice and crisp area on your shoulders…even a five minute walk will make a difference to your disposition (plus it’ll help burn the calories from your #PSL.) 

prAna

Pull out the “comfty clothes.”  

Everybody should have a few pieces in their closet or drawer that make them feel like you’re wrapped up in a blanket. No matter how crappy your day has been, it makes you feel good to wear them. And most of all, that you can move in them and not feel tired or restricted. My new favorite loves are these pieces from prAna – my soft merino wool sweater and deco crop leggings. Just putting them all makes my day better and that I can do anything. AND I can feel good getting all my stuff done and still feel look I’m not wearing sweats. 

prAna

Get 15% off your prAna order with the code: MS15AR.

Just breathe.

I’ve found myself doing a lot of this lately. When things really hit the fan, I just have to take a few breaths to start over, reassess, and get on with it. Looking at research stress doesn’t know boundaries, it comes no matter if it’s work, home, kids, whatever. And when you’re stressed, your cortisol gets into gear and you can actually gain weight. So with all that in mind if you feel the anxiety kick in, kick back with a few deep inhales. My daughter told me her teacher says “Smell your rose, blow out your candle” and you’ll feel better. It works. Try it. And it takes less than five minutes to get back in the game. 

prAna

How do you keep it together when it seems like everything is on overload?

 

Grand Opening: NEW Academy Sports + Outdoors in Rockwall

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Whether you’re headed to the lake, the driving range, the gym, or just the backyard, you’ll find what everyone needs at NEW Academy Sports + Outdoors in Rockwall, Texas! 

Thanks to Academy Sports + Outdoors for getting families active and sponsoring this incredible giveaway! 

Do you or someone in your family: 

  • Hunt 
  • Fish
  • Enjoy being in the water
  • Play golf or tennis
  • Go camping
  • Enjoy grilling 
  • Go running
  • Play sports 
  • Love the cowboys
  • Wear sunglasses?

Academy


Well I could have just kept going…but I think you get my drift! With 100 stores now in Texas, Academy knows when it comes to families being active and enjoying the outdoors, no one gets you geared up like Academy Sports + Outdoors. This Friday, July 7 you’re invited to join in all the fun with some amazing deals and some even more amazing giveaways! (But if you can’t make it in store on Friday, join us here to get your own sneak peek from your computer/smartphone and we’ll show you!) 

Academy Sports + Outdoors is already known as your resource for everything your need on sports + outdoors, but during this special grand opening weekend in Rockwall, you’ll find some big buys just like this ECOXGEAR waterproof portable speaker (that charges everything but your car! LOL!) Just check out that price. But of course, that’s not all…

Academy

Got a fisherman or outdoorsman that needs to stay cool when he’s outdoors (my dad swears by Academy’s exclusive Magellan shirts). Buy one, get one 50% off!

Academy

We couldn’t live without our portable chairs for hanging out with friends, festivals, concerts and just hanging by the pool? Less than $5 for one and available in every color of the rainbow! 

Academy

But it’s not just the best buys that make Academy THE destination for everything sports + outdoors, but also the opportunity to get everything you need whether you’re an amateur or a professional in one place. Plus you can get hands on the equipment you’d be buying! With so many golf courses in Rockwall, they make it easy to get in and out on the course in no time at all! And that’s just for starters! 

Academy

I can’t believe we’re already talking back to school (we’re halfway there) but for those of us with kids in sports like baseball or are gearing up for two-a-days for football, Academy already has what you need. So beat the crowds and get what you need now! 

Academy

Need a backpack? Of course you will! If they don’t have a backpack here you or kids want, they don’t make it! 

Academy

Academy is always our go to for shoes! With a family of four, you can be buying a lot of shoes just to get you started for the new school year. Thankfully, Academy has tons of brands available for you to try on – and not just running shoes for the big kids. 

Academy

I love Academy for its perfect prices for toddler shoes! They have great styles to fit your tod, but you can actually afford to keep up with those ever-changing sizes at prices that fit your budget and their feet! 

Academy

Academy

But it’s not just the toddlers – I love to stock up on Sperrys for both my son and for my husband! We love the look and the style, so we know we can rely on Academy to have our favorite Sperry style without the crazy lines at the shoe store. 

Academy

PRICE MATCH POLICY

Academy is so sure they’ll have the best price for what you’re looking for, if you find the same exact somewhere else (i.e. Amazon or another retailer) for a reduced priced, Academy will match it AND reduce it by 5% when you show them the ad or online price. Here’s the details on their best prices in Texas! 

Academy

SHIP TO HOME

Is your shoe size out of stock? Don’t worry, the store will happily order it for you and have it shipped to your home, free of charge!  

In Texas grilling is always in season, but the summer time is prime time for bringing out the grill! Whether you’re smoking it, grilling it or looking to update the outdoor kitchen, Academy has a top-notch selections that you can buy now and be at home flipping burgers in no time at all! 

Academy

Just check out the best buy deals for some sizzling prices on some of the best equipment! (I’ve my eye on this Academy exclusive brand Outdoor Gourmet Kamado Ceramic Charcoal Grill for less than $600!) 

Academy

And of course, with a lake just steps away from the front door of the new Rockwall Academy store, you better bet water sports and fishing is front of mind. Whether you’re just throwing out the first catch with your kiddo or looking to invest in some serious rod and reel time, you can try out what you want at Academy. And with team members always available to help you, come loaded with questions for them to help you make your best buy of your own. Don’t forget to get your license here too! 

Academy

Academy (17 of 19)

Now are you ready for the YETI? Come out for the festivities starting Friday at 8 AM! 

Academy

Friday, July 7 – Grand Opening Activities

FREE EXCLUSIVE ACADEMY T‑SHIRT

Event starting at 8am: First 250 customers will receive a free Academy t–shirt. Limit 1 t–shirt per person. Size selection and color vary.

YETI LINE UP AND WIN

Event starting at 8am: FREE YETI Rambler for the first 100 customers with a wristband. Two lucky customers will win a YETI Hopper Two 20!

BE A STAR PHOTO BOOTH AND SPIN TO WIN

  • $500 Academy gift card
  • Masterbuilt 40″ Electric Smoker (Valued at $299.99.)
  • Fitbit Blaze Fitness Watch
  • Pelican Premium Apex 100 Angler 10′ Kayak
  • Columbia® PFG Thermal Tote

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

  • FREE Jack Link’s jerky samples
  • Kids fish FREE in our Shakespeare catch tank from 10am – 4pm
  • Hourly $50 gift card giveaway from 1-3pm

Saturday, July 8 – Grand Opening Activities

FREE MYSTERY GIFT CARD

Event starting at 8am: Be one of the first 150 customers in line beginning at 8am to show that you like or follow Academy on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, YouTube, Instagram, or Snapchat and receive a FREE mystery gift card valued between $20 and $500. (ARV of all prizes is $4,870.)

KIDS FISH FREE, COURTESY OF SHAKESPEARE

Event starting at 10am: Make the catch! Kids fish FREE at our Shakespeare catch tank from 10 am-4 pm.

BE A STAR IN OUR PHOTO BOOTH AND SPIN TO WIN PRIZES

  • $500 Academy gift card
  • Masterbuilt 40″ Electric Smoker (Valued at $299.99.)
  • Fitbit Blaze Fitness Watch
  • Pelican Premium Apex 100 Angler 10′ Kayak
  • Columbia® PFG Thermal Tote

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

  • The Carhartt Experience and FREE gift with a $50 or more Carhartt merchandise purchase from 10am – 4pm
  • Try on adidas for a Chance to WIN
  • FREE Brooks gift with Brooks shoe purchase
  • FREE Spalding Shoot-to-WIN game
  • Try on SKECHERS for a Chance to WIN a $50 Academy gift card
  • FREE Wolverine Enter to WIN
  • Hourly $50 gift card giveaway from 1-3pm

Get all the details about the Rockwall Grand Opening Celebration this weekend here.

Academy Sports + Outdoors
920 Steger Towne Rd.
Rockwall, TX 75032

Enter to win a $100 Gift Card to Academy Sports + Outdoors!

Academy

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Oh Baby: New Baby Gear Must Haves

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Expecting a delivery from the stork soon? You better hope he’s dropping off these new Baby Gear Must Haves (as featured on Fox Good Day.)

affiliate-links

Just this week I had five friends deliver some of the freaking cutest babies! My Facebook feed filled up with beautiful smiles and memories. While it’s only been a short few years since I spent my days ogling baby strollers (well yesterday really), the baby market has gotten CRAZY!

Baby Must Haves


Remember my trip to the Biggest Baby Shower Ever in Dallas? This little journey got my baby fever running high so I had to have more! And man we found some awesome stuff! Just check out our favorites that you’re gonna either need to click to get it delivered, run to pick it up or like me say, “why didn’t they have that when I had babies!?” 

 Because a hungry baby is a sad baby…

KABRITA GOAT MILK // Online

I tried to breastfeed but everything she drank, she threw up. I would pump, she would drink, she would spit and I would do laundry. What I found out now is she had an allergy to milk AND much more, but if she had goat’s milk formula we could have avoided the whole mess! Kabrita is easy to digest protein snd forms a smaller, softer, and looser curd in the gut than cow milk. 

Baby Must Haves

For some children like mine, cow milk protein may be difficult to digest and may cause mild to moderate symptoms such as colic, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, chronic congestion, recurrent ear infections, and eczema. Kabrita goat milk foods are naturally easy to digest and may be a solution for the symptoms that may be associated with cow milk sensitivity*.

Because Cookies…

BOOB FOOD Lactation Cookie // Online, $20 (before shipping) 

Boob Food Cookies were created by social media star and chef, Anna O’Steen of Lovely Lady Cakes. While nursing her daughter three years ago, she worried about supplying enough milk for her baby and started researching lactation cookies. After two years of research, she’s created an organic recipe with healthy ingredients that include whole oats, brewer’s yeast, flaxseed, almond butter, and sesame seeds.

Baby-Must-haves

By just eating 2 cookies (90 calories) a day can help you start seeing results within the week, with up to 5oz more breast milk. (Some even say same day results!) 

 

Show Your Cool Baby Style

LIL’ FIREFLY // Online and in-store, prices vary 

When it comes to a onesie, your baby’s style can say so much more than a blank white multi-pack. Show your creative streak with something more creative and fun like Dallas’ new Lil’ Firefly. Lil’ Firefly is a different kind of retail boutique. Embracing your child’s Lil’ Firefly spirit, they showcase clothing that reflect the bright, rebellious spirit within each child. Co-owners Sheri and Michel feel passionate about celebrating the true nature of every child so they joined together to create a company with this specific vision in mind. 

Baby-Gear

Get in Gear

Looking for a new destination for all things hip baby and oh, so Dallas?  The Tot is your spot. With two locations, one in Highland Park Village and now on Lovers Lane, The Tot Playhouse is designed to feel like you are strolling into the welcoming home of a friend. The concept store is filled with gorgeous parenting products including the best in baby gear, kids apparel, toys, personal care products, nursery furniture & décor, and much more – all mindfully selected by The Tot team to reflect a sense of luxury fused with forward-thinking functionality. 

CYBEX YEMA CARRIER // The Tot, $309.95

Style-conscious parents will love the YEMA for its sleek design while babies benefit from the close contact. Let’s be honest, no one likes the ugly carriers that are out there now or feel like the lightweight material can’t possibly hold their child. This one does the job with functional design that confidently holds your child close in three different positions. 

Baby-Gear

gB POCKIT STROLLER // The Tot, $249

When folded it is the smallest and most compact stroller currently available on the market (Guinness Book of World Records for the world’s smallest stroller), 12 x 7 x 14 inches to be precise and just 9.5 pounds. While it can be used for travel, overhead areas on the airplane and fits in your purse, it’s not a substitute for a traditional stroller. 

New-Baby-Gear

DOONA // The Tot, $499

Doona is the world’s first infant car seat that transforms to a stroller in seconds, no additional parts required. Ever went on a walk or a drive and you need to get moving but you don’t want to wake up the baby making a move? That’s why the Doona is your best friend.                

baby-gear-must-haves

MIMA XARI STROLLER// The Tot,  $1,424

Mima offers an innovative range of strollers that boast a patented bassinet/ carrycot system located within the stroller seat unit itself, in order to effortlessly transform and grow with your child and your family.

Baby-Gear-Must-Haves

Just Another Reason to Head to Target

CLOUD ISLAND //  Target, prices vary

If the Starbucks, CVS/pharmacy or the $1 Spot aren’t enough reason to love Target, they’ve added a big one for all expecting and new families.  Cloud Island is Target’s new, exclusive line of nursery décor, bedding, bath and layette products created by Target’s internal design team. The collection includes nearly 500 stylish, affordable items designed with a focus on safety, durability and comfort and will be available at all Target stores and Target.com.

Baby Gear Must Haves

Cloud Island includes more than 70 different prints within nursery and décor products and 14 patterns within the bath collection. Three key themes can be found across the entire assortment, allowing parents to easily mix and match different items in their nursery and bathroom.

Cloud Island bath and layette pieces, including onesies, towels, bibs and more, will roll out starting in August.

 

Sleepy Time is the Best Time 

SWADDLE ME // Prices vary

Why take time how to make the perfect swaddle when you just velcro that baby up? The swaddle (kindly referred to in our family as a baby burrito), is the thing that dreams are made of. A tight swaddle for both my kids meant they’d actually go to bed and not wake themselves up from moving their arms. They felt as snug as a bug in a rug which meant sleep for us! Both there is a technique unless you have a Swaddle Me, which makes it easy with a little more than velcro action. 

BabyMustHaves

4 MOMS bounceRoo // Target, $99 

The 4moms bounceRoo is the only bouncer with 3 unique vibration modes (heartbeat, wave and bee) and 3 intensity settings to help calm and soothe your baby. The bounceRoo also entertains with a fun, natural bouncing motion created by your baby’s movement. The lightweight and compact design is easy to move around the house or take on the go.

4Moms

MOBA BASKET, The Tot, $180

To give babies a better and healthier nights’ sleep, Moba reimagined what the traditional Moses basket should be, and the first Moba basket was born. With a durable basket and stand (sold separately), your baby can be moved where you need, when you need, and looks so chic.

 

OWLET SMART SOCK 2 // Online, $299+ 

The Owlet Smart Sock 2 uses pulse oximetry (most know it as the little red light they clip on your finger at the doctor’s office) to track a baby’s heart rate and oxygen while sleeping. That info is sent to a nearby Base Station and from there to parents’ smartphones, designed to notify you if those levels fall outside the preset zone. I fell in love with this product the minute I heard of it (for obvious reasons) and now it’s on version 2, it’s gotten even better. 

83% of parents who use @OwletBabyCare say they sleep better because of it. Click To Tweet

 

Owlet

It’s a technological marvel that fits right into the nursery, providing parents with incredible peace of mind knowing there is an extra set of eyes helping keep an eye on baby. It’s what we like to call “a little help for the hardest job in the world.” 

Ready to sleep a little better because of your own peace of mind? Then enter to win your own Owlet Smart Sock 2 (valued at $299.) 

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The Story of Three Breads

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Henry James said, “A tradition is kept alive only by having something added to it.” Learn what we added to our Dia de los Muertos tradition with our Story of Three Breads. 

Thanks to General Mills for sponsoring this post and reminding why traditions continue to mean so much, year after year. 

Putting out pumpkins the first day of fall.  

Eating your aunt’s casserole on Thanksgiving, even when you don’t like it.


Making tamales on Christmas eve. 

For many of us, that’s exactly what traditions are…things you do because you’ve always done them and they are just “what you do.” 

Story-of-Three-Breads

This year I vowed to start a new tradition and observe Dia de los Muertos. It’s a beautiful Mexican tradition that I’ve always appreciated because it recognized loved ones lost with colorful, creative expressions rather than the dismal ones that are normally observed for those that have departed. 

A few years ago I was even fortunate enough to be in Mexico during Dia de los Muertos and it was absolutely breathtaking. The celebration, the honor, the beautiful altars, and the open invitation to recognize and remember those that have died…it was truly a moving experience that I wanted to bring home with me. 

Dia de los Muertos

Dia-De-los-Muertos

When my grandmother passed away it was that much more important that as a family, especially my young children, could remember her passing as a joyful occasion instead of the one that reminded them of all the time that mama was sad. 

Grandmother

So out came the cookbook, the flour, the anise and the enthusiasm as the kids and I began to make the pan de muerto, the traditional bread made for Dia de los Muertos. The tradition is to make the bread and then leave it at the altar so that the people that have passed can keep it with them as they pass over into the next world. I didn’t have much time to make it, but I was intent to make it happen especially because it wouldn’t be hard to make…

story-of-three-breads

The kids and I worked together to roll out the dough, add the spices, and even add a little something extra from them we had picked up at Walmart: Trix from Taylor and Cinnamon Toast Crunch from Jackson. It was their way of giving something of them to go with grandma. In my head, the cereal was a symbol of them individually; Jackson, my little rainbow that has brought so much happiness, and Taylor Rose, my sweet little lady who gives every part of my life a lot more spice. 

Pan-de-Muerto

Unfortunately, things didn’t turn out so well. 

Story-of-Three-Breads

Somewhat frustrated and now even more determined, I headed to the kitchen to knock out a bread. This time I worked the dough, rolled it out and looked over the recipe, over and over and over again, reading through every step, time and time again. I was sure I knew what I was doing. I was sure this round was going to be a winner. 

Story-of-Three-Breads

After two bad outcomes, I was no longer determined, I felt defeated. 

All I could hear were the thoughts in my head, “You can’t do this.”

“You don’t know how.”

“Why are you even trying?”

“What’s the point?” 

“You aren’t good enough.” 

Those are the ones that always get me. They sink into my head and take over, making it impossible to take on new challenges or overcome the old ones.

The tears started to fill my eyes as I worked to keep in the emotions. But there wasn’t any point…the waterfall of sadness took over as I realized that it wasn’t that I wasn’t good enough…it was that whenever I had heard that voice, the one of pure negativity and demise, I had called my grandma. She was voice that always knew what to say, how to say it, and to either give me the hug or the kick in the pants I needed to “get it together.” 

At that moment I understood what I needed to happen. 

I took a deep breath and I began to roll out the dough to make the pan de muerto.

However, this time I didn’t read a recipe. I didn’t get upset. I didn’t get motivated about how I was going to show that I could do it despite the times before.

I just enjoyed it. I enjoyed thinking about moments as I kid, rolling out the dough for rolls and cookies with my grandma…just as I had done with my kids. I thought about the times we spent together, the good ones and the bad, and how she was such a big part of my life…it was a walk down memory lane and for a moment she was there with me as I continued to make the pan de muerto. 

I did give a little blessing as I put the bread in the oven and thought to myself, as she would have asked me, “I gave it my best.” 

When the timer went off, I opened the oven to be greeted with the smell of anise and cinnamon.

Story-of-Three-Breads

And also with a beautiful pan de muerto, golden and perfect.

I couldn’t have been more pleased…I actually felt like a little girl that had done something right and was waiting for my grandma to say, “you done good.” 

While I know I can’t pick up the phone anymore to hear her say the words, I know she there with me that day. And she will continue to be with me, forever, and in my heart for the rest of my life…

Now this is what a tradition is all about. 

Add your something special to your family traditions with Big G Cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Lucky Charms, Trix and Cocoa Puffs.  Remember, it’s the little things that always make a difference.

Pan de Muerto

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Rainbow Pan de Muertos

  • Author: Autumn Reo of mamachallenge.com
Print Recipe

Description

A colorful twist on the timeless Dia de los Muertos tradition.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees)
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons anise seed
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup Trix, grounded
  • 1/8 cup Trix, halved to be folded into bread and the other half used to garnish the outside of the dough
  • For the glaze
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon orange zest
  • 2 tablespoons sugar

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar.
  2. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Set to the side temporarily.
  3. Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan until melted. Remove from the heat and add warm water (at least 110 degrees.)
  4. Whisk in the warm mixture slowly into the flour mixture until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour, 14/ cup ground Trix, and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft.
  5. On a lightly floured surface, knead dough until smooth and elastic. Lightly fold in half of whole Trix into dough, working not to crush the cereal.
  6. Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1-2 hours.
  7. Punch the dough and shape it into a large round loaf or desired shape.
  8. Add additional Trix cereal to the outside of the loaf strategically on the outside of the dough.
  9. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size.
  10. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 -45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze.

To make glaze

  1. In a small saucepan, combine sugar, orange juice and orange zest.
  2. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes.
  3. Brush over top of bread while still warm.
  4. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar.

Notes

  • If you would prefer a more traditional dough, switch the ground Trix for ground Cinnamon Toast Crunch or regular flour.

Smart Baby Monitor That Gets You Both Sleep

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New baby or one on the way? Then you’re in the market for a baby monitor. Smart technology now allows you to watch your baby and see if they’re breathing, too, with the Owlet Baby Care. Here’s how it could have saved me weeks, months, and years of no sleep and given me the reassurance to get some sleep myself.  

Thanks to Owlet for this collaboration and giveaway opportunity.  

“Don’t let your baby cry.”

Said the doctor to my husband and I as I held my two-month old son. We were finally be who was finally being discharged from the hospital after having being diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, having a shunt put into his heart to keep him alive and thankfully, his body being strong enough to manage breathing on his own. We had spent weeks watching monitors in his room show his oxygen levels, things beep, and thousands of cords plugged into our new little bundle of joy (that unfortunately was also causing a lot of tears heartache at the moment.)  


“If he cries too much, his heart may get too overwhelmed, he’ll stop breathing,” continued the pediatric cardiologist. “So don’t let him cry or do anything that will cause him too much excitement. And always look at his color to see if he’s too blue.” 

Baby Heart Monitor

Talk about breaking in two new parents.

While we were so thankful to get to take our son home, the directions on how to take care of him were very different than the “let him cry it out” methods that had been shared from our friends, families and the prenatal books I had poured over for months.

The next several months, we wouldn’t sleep. Not even a wink.

Baby Heart Monitor

Like any baby, if you put him down to sleep on your schedule, he would cry. If he was hungry, he would cry. If he happen to wake up and not realize that I wasn’t holding him any longer, he would cry.

At night, even when he was sleeping I’d lie awake, listening for the monitor all night, making sure I could hear (or see) him breathing and making sure if his little eyes popped open, I was there.

And, of course, in the few times I did manage to close my eyes, every time he began to shrill (or worst case I hadn’t heard him), I’d run up the stairs like a marathon, to console him.

If only I had a way to not just have a monitor to watch and hear him, but if there was something to wake me up just in case something happened. That little bit of comfort would have made a huge difference to two new parents not just learning to cope with a newborn, but two parents who needed to monitor their child’s breathing, not  oxygenation and saturation rates at all time.

Eight years later, there is.

Meet, the Smart Baby Monitor, Owlet Baby Care.

The Owlet Baby Monitor is the first smart baby monitor of its kind that uses hospital technology—pulse oximetry—designed to alert you if your baby stops breathing. We’ve miniaturized this technology into a tiny, snuggly baby sock that your little one wears to bed. It’s totally wireless and connects via bluetooth to a base station and Wi-Fi to your smartphone. The product just launched to the public last October after more than two years of development and testing. 

Baby Monitor Owlet

Of course, like anything, things can happen, especially when you’re putting it on a newborn baby that likes to discover their feet and use them often. However, when snugly placed on the baby’s left foot, it works well for many months to come as your baby continues to grow. (Just remember when you take off the sock to remove the monitor as well before throwing in the washing machine.) 

Everyone knows that car seats are a MUST if a baby is in a car, but did you know that more babies pass away while sleeping at home than do in a car related accidents? According to the CDC in 2014, 3,500 babies passed away in 2014 while sleeping – more than 18x the number of babies who died in car accidents in the same year. 

Owlet2

Just like the car seat, Owlet Baby Care believes that home health monitoring could be something comparable to reduce infant deaths. 

And imagine how much more sleep we’d all get…all with the help of a sock. 

Baby Monitor Owlet

You can purchase an Owlet online for $249 (comparable to many baby monitoring devices on the market.)

• Smart Sock Kit (sizes one through three)
• Sock Electronics
• Base Station and corresponding charging cords
• Exclusive access to the Owlet app (available for iPhone and Android users)

The Owlet Monitor GUARANTEES to give you peace of mind. If you are dissatisfied with your purchase of the Owlet Monitor within 45 days of purchase, then it send it back for a full refund.   

WIN AN OWLET BABY CARE MONITOR
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10 Ways to Connect with Your Kids Today (and like it)

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Parenting is hard. But sometimes you have to drop the adulting and just enjoy spending time together with your kids. Here are 10 ways to connect with your kids today that don’t require any creativity from you, but will make lots of memories for everyone.

Thank you to Main Event for this collaboration to remind us all that sometimes you need to just Head to Fun. #HeadforFun #EatBowlPlay

A few nights ago while I was working on the computer, my daughter asked sweetly, “can you play Barbies with me?”

I loved her up and repeated by normal response, “not right now, baby…mama’s working,” kissing her sweetly and sending her on her way.


10 Ways to Connect with Your Kids Today (and like it)

After about a week of asking the same thing each time I was on the computer, she finally came up to me as she had been doing and screamed, “Are you ever gonna play with me? I am your daughter!” And proceeded to run away in a teary-eyed fit.

I was totally devastated. I mean doesn’t she know the reason I’m working on the computer is for her and her brother so we can have money to have nice things?

Then I realized…of course, she doesn’t know.

She’s not one of my clients, co-workers, or colleagues. She’s my kid.

What she knows is that mommy says she loves her and if she really loves her, she would want to spent time with her. Instead I’m always doing other stuff like being on the computer, the phone, or cleaning house – and not spending time with her.

While I’m all about responsibility, sometimes you just have to Head for Fun and do something that isn’t anything but just entertainment for entertainment’s sake.

I mean are we working to live or living to work?

Main Event Party

While there are many activities you can arrange to do with them, I’ll be honest, planning is sometimes the hardest part. Where to go, what time are they open, where to park, what to eat, what to pack….you get it. The whole idea is that it’s supposed to be fun time and you went and made it hard. By the time you’ve created your plan for fun, it’s already lost the fun before it started.

However, at Main Event, everything is in one place and you don’t have to plan anything except “let’s go.” With more than 20 locations across the U.S., you always know at Main Event you can head for fun with their Eat. Bowl. Play. mentality, wherever you go!

Main-Event-Bowling

So here are some ideas for spending time with your kids that you can do right now.

10 Ways to Play with Your Kids Today at Main Event

  1. Score a Strike Bowling
  1. Rock it, Win it or Shoot it with Video Games
  1. Light it Up with Laser Tag
  1. Make a Hole in One with Mini Golf
  1. Belt Out Some Karaoke
  1. Play some Pool
  1. Share a plate of Fun Finger Foods – French Fries, Nachos, Tater Tots, oh my!
  1. Get moving with Gravity Ropes and Rock Climbing
  1. Have Fun! No matter what you do – talk, play, or eat, you’ll have a good time together!
  1. Make it a Party! Make it a really big event at Main Event and bring friends and family when you need a destination for a birthday or family get together! They do it all for you!

Main-Event-Connect-Kids

From chef-inspired casual dining featuring American classics, a stand-alone La Bella’s Pizza Café and full bar, to more than 100 virtual and interactive games, state-of-the-art bowling, multi-level laser tag and more, there are so many ways to make memories today at Main Event.

Main-Event

Ready to head for fun? Visit the Main Event website for information about their FREE fun on October 10 for National Head for FUNday at all 27 locations nationwide. (And when it’s free, there should be nothing standing in your way!)

Main-Event

  • Anyone arriving between 8 a.m.-12 p.m. will be given one (1) free hour of bowling (shoes included). Additionally, each guest will receive a free $10 FUNCard valid on game play.
  • $5 Unlimited FUN – bowling, laser tag, billiards & more for just $5 per person/per activity from noon to close.

Go to MainEvent.com to find a Main Event Entertainment Center near you.

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Main Event. The opinions and text are all mine.

A (American Girl) Dream Come True with the WellieWishers

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Love American Girl but looking for something just right for your daughter? American Girl just launched its new WellieWishers – and it’s a dream come true! Thanks to American Girl for letting us get our hands on our own WellieWishers doll – now a permanent member at our tea parties! 

“You’re having a girl.” 

When the GYNO let me know that my second would be a precious little girl, immediately visions of pinkness, dolls, and sparkles filled my brain. And of course, trips to American Girl. 


American-Girl

I had no idea that it would be so soon when a friend gifted Taylor her first Bitty Baby for her first birthday. And there it began. 

However, I had to keep her doll put up for years when she would be ready to play. And when a few Christmas later she received her first American Girl doll, I thought, wow, I love these dolls, but I was hoping for something a little smaller for her to play with. I mean her dolls were almost as big as she was. And for the grandmas, I felt worst as the accessories for the American Girl doll were beautiful, but were more fitting for an older girl around 8. Otherwise, she was losing them before she could really enjoy (and appreciate) them. 

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

…Meet the new WellieWishers! The world of WellieWishers is an entire new line of friends, designed with the values of imagination, creativity, respect and environmental awareness in mind! Willa, Kendall, Ashlyn, Emerson, and Camille, are 14-inch dolls (American Girl dolls are 18 inches) with the same beautiful matching outfits you come to expect from American Girl.

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

Since the dolls and their accessories launched simultaneously unlike the AG Doll of the Year, you can choose her doll based on her interests (or looks) and pick different clothes, play sets, and more. My daughter chose Ashlyn, but only after a hard fight for Camille (but we did buy some of her accessories including the Ocean Treasures set with the mermaid tail!) 

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

Each has a different personality and sports a fun pair of Wellies (the English word for galoshes) that match a pair of socks with clear galoshes your kiddo can wear to match! And rather than having a different pair of rain boots for each doll for your daughter, all you need to do is change out socks to match your doll! (This is going to be huge at Christmas, mark my words! I even wanted a pair they are so cute.) Perfectly sized and priced for the 4-6 year old girl at around $60 a doll, the WellieWishers bring a new level of fun to the world of American Doll.

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

Even the area at the store has a different feel with a playhouse area and unique ways to invite play and friendliness.

American-Girl-Wellie-Wishers

Now don’t get me wrong, she isn’t able to love her new WellieWisher more than her other dolls, but we did have to add another chair to our tea room table…and wait for the new WellieWishers animated series. 

IMG_9546

 

5 New Baby Shower Trends

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Need an idea for a creative baby shower theme? These new baby shower trends show that cute doesn’t mean that it can’t be cool, too.

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When it comes to baby showers, you fall into one of two camps: either you love a good cheesy baby shower – complete with gross baby games with dirty diapers and ahhhing over breast pumps – OR – you love celebrating your friends upcoming bundle of joy, but cringe at the thought of measuring bellies, tasting unlabeled baby food, or drinking your punch from a baby bottle.

BabyShowerTrends


I bet you know which one I fall into.

Thankfully, the idea of baby showers has grown up a little bit. And with it doesn’t mean you aren’t still doing something special for the mama (or daddy) to be, but doing it a way that’s more practical, fitting to the honoree or just more fun to attend for the rest of us.

new baby shower trends

1) Gender Neutral Shower: Book Building Party

Inspired by the Big O (by that I mean Oprah), the idea of this shower is much more progressive as it’s based on building a strong foundation of reading and building a library for the child that can grow with them in their childhood. Using simple decorations literally from the pages of favorite children’s books like Green Eggs and Ham and The Tales of Peter Rabbit, you can find low-cost books at garage sales and places like Half-Price Books. Food and drinks are also based on books themes is ideal for this gender neutral shower (think Goodnight Moon paired with Moon Pies.). Guests can be asked to contribute by bringing a book for the gift, adding a note on the invitation that books are requested instead of cards, and then escribing a special wish or motivational note inside the book from the giftee.

new baby shower trends

2) Sip and See: Milk and Cookies

Taking another idea from the TV, most notable Phaedra from the Real Housewives of Atlanta, a Sip and See is the perfect way to have everyone meet the baby at one time when the mama is ready. It’s a win-win since the mama gets to have enough time to look and feel her best after the baby is born.  And since the guests don’t have to schedule or slot in a time, they just come by to meet the little one, give some hugs and kisses, and be on their merry little way. A Sip and See is less a party and more of a come-and-go affair, there’s less work to put it together (in theory.) For this Sip and See, we had each hostess bring a dozen cookies and offered several different milk options using retro milk bottles for an attractive, no maintenance table setting ideal for guests coming and going for several hours.

new baby shower trends

3) Couples Shower: BabyQ

One of my favorite new trends for baby showers is the couple’s shower. Why should only the mama take part in the festivities?

For a successful couple’s shower, you want a theme that is suitable for both men and women to celebrate without cringing. The BabyQ is a unique idea that combines the idea of a friendly backyard barbecue with friends with a nod to the fact that there will be a baby coming soon. Small, but thoughtful details for the food, drink and décor are what make this Couples Shower memorable. Think Baby Back Ribs, Mini-Me Sliders and having Dad’s Root Beer. For favors: We shared a set of s’mores as guests left to tie it all together with “Take S’more Love Home with You.” A takehome bottle of BBQ sauce with DIY chalk labels are also a great take home with a personalized, rustic look.

new baby shower trends

And don’t forget:

4) Sprinkle: For the Next Shower

It’s exactly what it sounds like – a smaller version of a shower for those mamas that are on baby #3 (4, 5, etc.) and just need something like diapers or an update of onesies or shoes. You can make it what you want, but a sprinkle is more about the thought that counts than the show you’re trying to create.

5) Gender Reveal Party

The Gender Reveal Party has fast become almost if not more important than the traditional baby shower. A fun way to celebrate the identity of the gender of the baby, the idea has grown from a simple idea like opening an envelope in front of friends to a formal cutting of the cake with everyone that came to the wedding reception. This one will continue to grow into a bigger tradition – especially as we continue to find new reasons to order a cake and send out an invite.

Looking for more unique baby shower ideas? Check out my Pinterest Board:

Follow mamachallenge.com’s board Cool Baby Shower Ideas on Pinterest.

And don’t miss BLOOM, April 30 for a half-day of fun, education, networking, and giveaways! 

Bloom-DMB-Baby

 

Sneak Peek: Hot Toys for Tots 2016

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Toys just keep getting better and better! Even for the littles! We’re sharing Hot Toys for Tots as found at the North American International Toy Fair 2016! 

Oh, boy – we’re talking toys! This week I headed over to EyeOpenerTV to share some of the coolest toys you’ll be buying for birthdays, showers, and even Christmas! 


HABA USA Little Friends Bendy Dolls and Accessories // Ages 3+

  • 4 inch tall “bendy dolls” are made from flexible soft plastic, with metal wires inside which allow for them to be posable.
  • Compatible with all HABA dollhouse furniture as well as the Villa sunshine, dream-house and Dollhouse Annex (shown here).

 InRoad Toys PlayTape // Ages 3+

  • A Toy of the Year Finalist, PlayTape sticks to any flat surface and is easy to tear, reposition, and peel up without any residue.
  • NEW Hot Wheels PlayTape debuted at Toy Fair this year and will be available to consumers this summer!
  • Available in different colors and road styles

Yookidoo Musical Duck Race // For ages 6 month+

  • Finalist for the International Toys Award in Nuremburg
  • Battery operated musical duck water race & fountain
  • Cheerful music plays along with the activities with mute button – celebrating bath time and reducing water anxiety.
  • Leaf lever activates 9 random sound & water effects
  • Develops hand-eye coordination, cause and effect, and teaches colors and counting

SoapSox // Birth

  • Snuggle, cuddle, and play together all day, when it’s time for bath, bring them with you
  • Can help ease bath time anxiety/fears
  • The patented soap pocket transforms lovable SoapSox® into sudsy wash cloth
  • Debuted at Toy Fair New Line of Disney Baby Bath Toys Including Characters From Upcoming Summer 2016 Blockbuster Finding Dory

Lassig Casual Twin Bag // This one is for MOM and DAD! 

  • Perfect bag for parent of twins, multiple children or just looking for a roomier day-today bag option!
  • Main zipper pocket features plenty of space to hold diapers, extra clothing, toys and their favorite stuffed animals
  • Variety of zipper pockets and compartments to keep loose items organized and easily accessible.
  • Also included is an over-sized insulated bottle holder and over-sized, water-repellent changing mat,
  • Two external pockets located on each end of the bag can be used for water bottles, coffee mugs
  • Made of durable polyester and include carrying handles, shoulder strap and stroller hooks for added versatility. There is also an additional shoulder strap that can be used as a back pack strap.
  • Available in Zig Zag Black and White (shown) or Striped Zig Zag Navy

And because we love our parents, we’re giving away the LASSIG CASUAL TWIN DIAPER BAG! 

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