Mom Bag Must Haves

As moms we learned long ago that in order to survive you must carry all the things. It's as if there is some unwritten law that after giving birth you simultaneously become a master of preparedness and organization. Overnight you go from carrying around an adorable little clutch to a large multi-strapped tote that rivals the size of a small carry-on, and lugging around its weight could also count as your daily Cross Fit workout. The contents of this mom bag have you on the ready for any situation your tiny little tot might throw at you - and then some. It's magical existence would make even Macgyver jealous. But then again, we're moms and magic is our thing.

As two moms to six kids, we have some years on us to revise that "mom bag" down to the bare necessities. By now we all know to carry with us diapers, wipes, and everything our kids could possibly want or need during their non-sleeping hours, but that's not what we're talking about. Today we are going to chat about our Mom Bag Must Haves - the things that as moms we need the most.

MOM BAG MUST HAVES

Snacks  

Just like you pack snacks for your kids, your mom bag needs a snack or two for yourself too! And we don't mean the leftover cheesy crackers your child didn't eat. We mean one just. for. you. One that hasn't been pre-tasted and can be claimed as all your own. Pack something in your bag that is delicious, filling or can be seen as a little reward for making carpool on time that day. When the only meal you might have time for that day comes out of a package - make it a good one. 

Our current favorite snacks are these Betty Lou's Fruit Bars. These bars have been gracing our mom bags for the last few weeks and they are oh so yummy. They taste just like pie, but without all the guilt. The Betty Lou's Fruit Bars are non-GMO, vegan, and all the sugars are sourced from natural fruit and fruit juices. 

We also love that they are free of the top 8 allergens identified by the FDA. As moms who have dealt with food allergies, and often find ourselves in places where certain ingredients are prohibited (i.e. preschool), it's nice to know our favorite snack can come along for the ride. 

Healthy dessert packaged for on-the-go goodness - we are so in! 

We found the Betty Lou's Fruit Bars on the breakfast aisle at Walmart, but you can also find them at Betty Lou's Inc. They come in four great flavors - Apple Cinnamon, Blueberry, Cherry & Blackberry. The last few times we've purchased them we've just added them to our Walmart Curbside Grocery Pick-Up order. Because pro-moms know snacks in your mom bag taste even better when you don't actually have to shop for those snacks. Trust us. 

Water Bottle 

A water bottle or to-go drink cup is a biggie for us. We carry one where every we go, and always have one in our mom bag. Sure there's the need to stay hydrated to live. There's also the whole energy boost you get from consuming the right amount of water each day (and let's be honest we need all the help we can get to keep up). Or we simply need a little something on hand to wash down when we've enjoyed a Betty Lou's bar (or three) during our snack break. 

But it's a little more superficial than all those reasons too.  

Well hydrated skin looks younger and less tired. It's proven fact. And as moms who haven't slept through the night since birth (we're kidding...sort of.), give us all the water. 

 

Reading Material 

One of our big mom bag must haves is reading materials. And here's the kicker - reading material for enjoyment. Life is hectic, and as moms its often tough to find free time between the hours of 6a.m. and 9p.m. We used to get discouraged by this or think that if we had a free five or ten minutes we had to spend it catching up on emails, replying to texts, or scouring Pinterest for ideas for child number three's birthday party next month. 

Carrying around our favorite magazines or a book we thought we would never get around to, gave us the chance to take little breaks to enjoy doing something else when we least expected them. Getting to carpool line fifteen minutes early? Now we could read our magazine while we ate our snack. Headed to an unexpected doctors appointment with a sick little one? Now we had a book on hand to keep us distracted from all the germs we were surrounded by while we waited. 

It became easier to sneak in little breaks here and there if we were prepared with things that we enjoy to facilitate those breaks. 

Self-Care Kit

If you take a peek into our bags, you will almost always notice we carry around a much smaller little bag. This little bag contains our own personal self-care kits. Inside we keep nail polish, nail polish remover wipes, lotion, travel sized dry shampoo, a brush...and you get the idea. 

You just never know when you have to have and impromptu meeting. Or find yourself with a few extra minutes at the end of soccer practice to give yourself a quick little polish change. Some of our best manis are done while waiting in the carpool line - because nothing lets your nails dry better than direct air flow from the vents beside the wheel of your car while playing baseball/soccer/dance mom taxi all afternoon.

Headphones

Headphones - more specifically noise canceling headphones - are a must in our mom bags. Laugh if you will, but we aren't the ones listening to that insanely catchy shark song all afternoon, or the same animated princess movie that we can repeat word for word. 

Nope. 

We simply press play to keep our little ones filled with joy as they sing about turning frozen lands back into summer, and slip on our headphones. Our ears are now filled with our latest audio book, our favorite podcasts, or our favorite 90's rap music that we just can't quit.  

Bonus: the noise canceling feature also comes in quite handy during those "she/he's touching me!!!" moments that seem to occur on the daily. 

What are some of your mom-bag must haves? 

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This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Betty Lou’s, Inc., but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #BettyLousAtWalmart  http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Easy Healthy Eating with Whole Foods Market 365

Thank you Whole Foods Market 365 for sponsoring this post.  All thoughts, ideas and opinions are our own. 

We've almost made it to the end of January and we are happy to report that our New Year's healthy living goals are still going strong. We've coming close to our goal of moving every day, eating better, and drinking lots of water (to go along with our wine)! ;-)

We love when stores make it easy for busy moms like us. We were recently introduced to the new Whole Foods Market 365 and absolutely love the concept!

It's an evolution of Whole Foods Market that everyone knows and loves.  They still focus on the same quality and great customer service, but in an easy shopping experience where you can get in and out quickly while still finding everything on your list. Another bonus is that Whole Foods Market 365 has  great items at lower prices!

The store layout is open and easy to navigate making shopping a breeze and actually enjoyable. From fresh produce to bakery items, they have it all.  Our very favorite thing they offer are all of their pre-made meals and snack options.

Neither of us really love to cook and more importantly, with three kids busy with sports it is rare that we have a free night at home to prepare a healthy meal for our families.  Options like soup kits and pre-made pasta dishes helps us to get dinner on the table without feeling the mom guilt.

We also love the easy on-the-go packaged snacks and items like Abe's Mini Muffins, Bright Greens Smoothie Packs, and fresh fruits that help make packing lunches and after school snacks a breeze.  So simple for the kids to grab on the way to practice and it helps us feel better knowing they are eating something healthy to fuel them for the afternoon.

The Freshpack Leaf Salads are probably our personal favorites because it allows us to have easy and healthy lunches on hand for during the week.

We grab one to eat in the car between errands and carpool and it saves us from a drive-thru meal that we will end up regretting later.

There are two brand new Whole Foods Market 365 stores in the Atlanta area. One in Buckhead and another in Decatur and we're hoping more will start popping up soon because it truly makes our job as moms easier!

Have you shopped at the new Whole Foods Market 365 yet?  Is there one in your area? 

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Pouches to Popsicles {Giveaway}

Summer might not be here yet, but in the South it seems we've skipped right over Spring and have gone straight to Summer. I'm not complaining one bit, but this means we've had to break out our arsenal of hot weather combatants a little earlier than planned. Our afternoons are filled with homework, soccer practices, and dance recital rehearsals mixed with pool and popsicle breaks in between.

Again, not complaining.

Give this girl hot temps, a pool, and any excuse to drink frosty beverages decorated with tiny umbrellas I'm in!

Although, I really don't need an excuse.

The moment the temps get over 90 degrees it's like a switch happens in the kids. Their little minds tell them to arm themselves with water guns, as few layers of dry fit attire as possible (Sorry neighbors - my kids do own a full outfit. I promise. Maybe.), and the only things to be consumed are frozen treats in the form of ice cream or popsicles. Or ice cream. Or popsicles.

It's a vicious frozen cycle. And one I typically endorse because it's the south and it's HOT. I mean, I've even turned wine into ice cream.

But someone told me a little trick about trying to make this a slightly healthier part of our daily diet. And I'm down with that too. Because I ate cake for breakfast and I know to be successful in life you need a little thing called balance.

The trick is so easy, I can't believe I had never thought of this before. To make a much healthier popsicle treat that kids (and you) will actually like is soooo easy. Like mind blowing easy. All you have to do is use one of the kids pouch snacks and freeze it. Seriously.

I mean it makes so much sense. And it's genius on so many levels. One - obviously because it's healthy. Two - I literally don't have to mix any ingredients. Three - Like almost zero cleaning since I don't have to use a blender, ice cream maker or any other appliance. Genius!

HOW TO TURN POUCHES INTO POPSICLES

What you'll need...

• Pouches - I typically use Slammer Snacks because we always have these on hand the kids love all the flavors. Plus they are sourced from organic ingredients, and packed with protein that kids need to fuel all that fun in their lives.  
• Popsicle mold - I use this one, but there are a ton of popsicle mold options out there. 
• Wooden sticks - If your mold is like mine and needs wooden sticks. Several options come with reusable sticks. 
• Optional - If you want your popsicle a little sweeter mix in some coconut water or a teaspoon of honey. Still healthy without adding a ton of sugar. 

What to do...

• Squeeze one pouch into a bowl or popsicle mold. Mix in desired sweetener. 
• Place popsicle mold into position in freezer. Let freeze for approximately 3 hours. 
• Serve and enjoy!

See! So easy!

My kids love them and I've been known to enjoy one or two myself. I love that it's an easy, yet healthy treat we can enjoy all summer long without too much effort. Because in my book that's what summer is about - easy!

JOIN IN THE FUN & WIN!

And to let you join in on the pouches to popsicle making fun we have partnered with our friends at Slammers Snacks to do a fun little giveaway!

We are giving away one whole case (that's a ton of yummy pouches!) to one lucky reader! Enter below and winner will be announced May 25th.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What is your favorite way to cool down in the heat of summer? 

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** This post is sponsored by our ambassadorship with Slammers Snacks. All thoughts and opinions are our own. 

***Winner must reside in the U.S. and be over the age of 18. Winner will have 48hrs to claim prize or another winner will be chosen. 

Making Post Game Snack A Grand Slam! {printable}

Sports season is here! All though it never officially stops for us. But during the Spring we are in full sports mode and there's no stopping until June.

We spend our weeks racing from practice to practice, eating dinner somewhere around 4:30p.m. and then again (because kids are always hungry) at 9:00p.m., and doing homework/answering emails/returning phone calls amidst the chaos of it all.

We spend our weekends cheering on the sidelines of rainy soccer fields, jetting off to a variety of cities for two-day cheer competitions, and keeping scoreboard for the little league team all day long.

Our cars are loaded down with enough sporting goods that we could open our own Dicks, and we're burning all those hard earned hotel rewards points from swiping our Amex at Target at a mind boggling rate for out of state competitions and tournaments.

And we wouldn't change a single thing.

Well other than holding practice in anything under 40 degrees. We're southerners, it should be against the law! #mommydoesntdocold

We love that our kids are so active and enjoy a variety of activities. We were both the same way growing up and love seeing what our children are into as they get older and become comfortable in their own interests. Now we know it will change as they get older, and their interests will evolve, but for now we are happy to support them in whatever they choose - even if it means we ate an old granola bar for dinner and our cars have the scent of au de sweaty child.

Being a sports mom means you have a lot of duties. Most importantly - the after game snack.

If you don't bring your A game in the after game snack department you'll be ejected faster than you can say #momfail. 

With so many kids in so many different activities though, we learned long ago to keep the actual snack portion of the snack time super easy. No pinterest worthy sports themed snacks coming from this crew. There was a time way back in the day that we had time for that, but now we go with healthy already prepared snacks that we know kids love. 

We choose the kids favorite Slammers pouches, a crunchy snack or granola bar, and we package them up with waters or our favorite sports drinks. We package them all together with a cute printable and then we are ready to go. 

The best thing about this is it looks like we put a ton of effort into it to make it pretty and themed, but really we let the snacks do the talking and we lay claim to after game snack hall of fame. 

During basketball season I was inspired by these Slammers pouches to create a fun themed printable. These are our one of our favorite protein packed snacks, and they are perfect for refueling little athletes. There are so many yummy flavors to choose from and our kids love when we freeze them as a post game treat. 

I had made a soccer printable and a few other sports ones a few years ago, but I needed to add basketball and baseball into the mix. These are some of our favorite go-to snacks, and with the fun sayings and flavors it was easy to pair together a fun printable with a healthy snack with just a few seconds of effort. 

For basketball season I came up with partnering the orange Epic pouches with a printable that read "Let's Make Snack a SLAM DUNK"!

I attached it with curling ribbon to the actual pouch, passed out orange sports drinks with it and we were all set for a yummy after game snack. 

Now that Spring sports are in full effect, I recycled the idea for soccer reusing my already made printable. Then I got inspired again by the pouches and created a new printable for baseball season. 

I easily came up with the theme "Let's Make Snack a GRAND SLAM!". See lots of cute, not a whole lot of effort. :) 

And I've been wanting to use this stash of Take Me Out to the Ball Game ribbon for years. I was so glad to find the perfect time to use it! 

I put all our snack goodies together in a lunch bag and tied them up. Super easy, and looks great for a quick grab and go after game snack. 

Now we can reuse these over and over the entire season and not even give two thoughts to our game day duties. Just a quick print on our printer, and a quick shopping trip to our pantry for all the snacks.

Now you can win at making your post game snack a grand slam too. Here are the downloads for the printables for you to enjoy!

Download the Baseball snack printable. 
Download the Basketball snack printable. 

What sports sidelines are you cheering from this season? Do you have a favorite after game snack that your kids love? Please share because our post game snack duties are out of control this season and we love sharing snacks the kids actually will eat! 

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**Part of this post is sponsored by Slammers Snacks as part of our ambassadorship with GoGormet. All thoughts and opinions are our own!