It’s funny, as a kid I thought back-to-school was all about us kids. Who knew it meant late nights and operating at warp speed for our dear sweet mothers?! And that is without scrambling to get life back in order after a week of no electricity and water from a lovely hurricane named Irene! But I am certainly not alone as I join the club of moms across America who are suddenly shuttling, scheduling, reading, signing, cleaning, emailing, shopping, all while trying to manage “normal” life, spend time with our kids and get a decent meal on the table. So how can we cut some corners and nourish our families while chaos reigns? I’m working with the following companies to provide some great healthy, timesaving ideas. Here goes:
I found a very cool free app that still has me wearing a “cool mom” badge in the eyes of my kids. It’s called Dragon Go! and it takes my smart phone to a whole new level. Dragon Go! allows me to make commands and it actually listens! Kidding aside, you simply say a command and it takes you directly to what you need on the mobile web. For example, I say “Chinese restaurant in Madison, CT” and up pops a complete list of all sorts of great restaurants in my area. I am blown away by the speed and accuracy of Dragon Go! and it can be used to book reservations, buy movie tickets, and search for just about anything. Love it!
Another great time saver is one that helps me with the endless laundry that I remind myself I’m fortunate to have with three young boys. Arm & Hammer Plus OxiClean Power Gel (say that 10 times fast!) is a great time saver because it allows me to skip pre-treating stains because it combines OxyClean stain fighters with the cleaning power of baking soda to get stains out the first time. Gotta love that. And it smells great!
Meals of course can be a challenge during this busy time of year. Whether it be lunches, breakfast or snacking on the go… Here are a couple of great ideas:
Breakfast, as we all know is the most important meal of the day, but it’s hard to get a good balanced meal in the mouths of sleepy, time-rushed kids. One great solution I found is Jimmy D’s new Breakfast Mini’s, 2 mini croissant sandwiches with Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage. They are low in calories, high in protein, and are a good part of a balanced breakfast. The kids love them and I like that I simply pop them in the microwave for 2 minutes so they’re easy to serve on even the busiest mornings.
The next hurdle of the morning is packing lunch,…a lunch that the kids will all actually eat. Nothing bugs a mom more than seeing a full lunch box come home, in fact, according to a consumer survey conducted by King’s Hawaiian, 49% of parents say their kids come home with uneaten sandwiches regularly. This had been the case in my house until recently. I find that the mini sub rolls by King’s Hawaiian fits the bill and even makes packing lunches fun because my kids love the taste and they enjoy making their own sub creations. Whether they make PB&J or some creation of their own, it’s more special for them on these yummy sub roles. Note, when looking for King’s Hawaiian breads go to the deli and/or bakery section of your grocery store, not the bread aisle.
- 1 (20-oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
- 1 (5-oz.) can prepared pizza sauce
- 4 King’s Hawaiian Original Sweet Mini Sub Rolls
- 12 oz. deli-sliced ham
- 4 slices provolone cheese
- Place drained pineapple on several layers of paper towels. Roll up and sqeeze out excess water. Set aside.
- Spread pizza sauce on both sides of King’s Hawaiian Mini Sub Rolls.
- Layer ham, cheese and pineapple on the bottom half of the rolls and cover with roll tops and serve.
And of course we all get a good case of the mid-afternoon munchies so I keep some snacks stashed in my purse for a spur-of-the moment treat. I’m loving Keebler’s Granola Fudge Bars because I get to enjoy some good chocolate without the guilt,… and my kids love them. These granola bars are a good source of fiber, have 10 grams of whole grains and have no high fructose corn syrup. Yum!
So ladies, enjoy the beautiful days of September and try not to let the back-to-school craze get you down.
*Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Dragon Go!, Jimmy Dean, Keebler, King’s Hawaiian and Arm & Hammer.
