I want to be a good example for my kids, you see. I want to teach them good habits that last a lifetime. Good habits with relationships, studying, money and food. I want to try to live the way I want my kids to see me living. But as a mom it’s hard to be “on” all the time.

We just finished building this beautiful new house. But my life is still under construction. I imagine it always will be, because there’s always something I can improve.

I feel confident teaching my children about kindness, compassion, goal-setting and hard work. But there are other areas I want to work on. Areas that, if I’m being honest, I’m not exactly succeeding. All those ambitious goals I had about reading together every single night and extra science lessons on weekends? Yea, that’s not happening. Nevertheless, onward and upward we’ll go. No sense beating myself up about it, I can only try to be a little better every day.

One area I’m working on lately is showing them how to eat better.

My kids don’t eat terribly. Though they aren’t getting the home cooked meals I dreamed I’d be making once I became a wife and mother, they do eat a lot of fruit, and a decent amount of vegetables. But we could be doing better. And lately, we are doing a little better.

The way I’m getting my son to eat vegetables lately is somewhat unconventional. He started competing in track recently and he absolutely loves running. Especially racing people. Well someone (ok, me) happened to tell him that vegetables make us run fast. He asked me to eat some in front of him to prove it and next thing I know I’m sprinting across the house with him.

So far it’s working to get him to try steamed broccoli, cauliflower and carrots. Am I genius or what? Lil’ J doesn’t have a problem downing them all without a bribe. And so far Lee Lee likes them too.

Other times I try to get some veggies tucked into their diet within other foods they like. Their favorite chicken strips also contain a serving of veggies. And some Stonyfield’s Kids Yogurt Pouches also have vegetables inside. There’s blueberry apple carrot, and apple cinnamon sweet potato (my kids’ new favorite).

These are two new flavors that’s the same organic brand we love, plus real fruits and veggies. My kids like the taste and I think they’re starting to believe me when I say vegetables taste good too. You can find them at your local grocery store.

It’s an easy snack to grab before running outside, and my son is also putting them to the test to see how they improve his speed (I think he says it’s helping).

These are little wins. But that’s what it’s all about. Taking one win at a time. As parents sometimes there’s pressure for perfection. But you know what they say… Perfect people aren’t real and real people aren’t perfect. We got dis.

I owe you an entire post on life with three kids. I feel like I’ve jumped on a high speed train and it hasn’t slowed down. But all of it in one word: Humbling.

My two older babies have been back in public school for nine weeks. NINE WEEKS? How is this possible? I’ve so enjoyed watching them grow but I miss them like crazy.

Remember how the first week of school was a bit dramatic? Well things have gotten better. Much better. My son is LOVING school. I seriously hit the jackpot with a kindergarten teacher. He loves her. She loves him. It’s a match made in heaven. It seriously seems like he’s a different person at school, which makes me a little envious. Though I’d rather he give the sass and attitude at home than in public, I’m not sure how or if homeschooling would work in our future.

Lil’ J is doing well. She’s reading more and more on her own versus asking me to read things to her. She always hops off the bus with a smile on her face and rattles on about her day. She talks about wanting to homeschool again now and then, but she’s still enjoying her time at her school.

It’s hard having them gone all day but I’ve enjoyed getting one on one time with Lee Lee and the quality time I get with the kids when they get home. Which leads me to what I want to share with you today…

Ways to surprise and delight your school kids when you’ve been missing them all day

Call me a dork, but sometimes when I’m missing them and feeling mopey, I’ll come up with a random little surprise for them that I hope will brighten their day. Here are some of my antics so far.

1. Lunch Notes

This is how it started. Little notes in their lunch boxes. I draw pictures with small words for my son, and write out notes for Lil’ J to read. She’s gotten so used to them that I don’t dare miss one.

2. Surprise Visits/ Lunch Dates

The one day I didn’t put one in her lunch I surprised her and brought one with me while I ate with her. I’ve also eaten with Big T once and my husband has gone to eat with him several times. Almost once a week when he has weekdays off.

3. After School Snack Bar

When they come home they’re starving. My son usually grabs and eats the rest of his lunch at the table. But sometimes, if I have extra time, I’ll make a little snack bar for them. One day I set up these new Stonyfield Organic Snack Packs out. I opened one of each flavor so they could dip and try them all and decide on their favorites. Lil’ J loves the strawberry graham cracker and Big T likes the chocolate pretzel. I’ve also done this with trail mix and other assorted things to get them to try new things. These snack packs are delicious and you can click here too see if they’re available at a store near you. January they’re adding new flavors and launching nationwide!

4. Movie Night

We’ve always had unofficial movie nights, but we just made it official and now take turns choosing the movie we’ll watch when it’s your week (we used to all vote on one). It cut down on arguing on a movie, and it’s something the kids have started to look forward to all week. We have popcorn, snacks, dim the lights. The whole nine yards. And everyone has to sit and watch together. No running off to watch your own thing.

5. Breakfast in Bed

Ok, so this isn’t something I’ve done on a school day yet because they have to wake up at 6am to catch the bus at 6:40, but it’s something I’ve done occasionally on weekends when I beat them out of bed. The idea is simple, set up a tray and bring them in their favorite breakfast to enjoy before starting the day. Although it’s early I think I’ll give this a try soon and see how they react.

Do you ever do things like this? Or does this seem strange? What other ideas do you have?

I may add more to this list as the year goes on and I try more things.My son told me he wants to do another poetry tea party so I think I’ll set the table for one that’s waiting for them when they get off the bus Friday.

This high speed train is just flying by and I wish I could pump the breaks. I may not be able to slow it down, but I can try my best to make it one fun ride.

To this day some people still remember me as that mom who had rollers in her hair when she went to the hospital to give birth eight years ago. My oh my how things have changed.

As a first-time mom I was so extra. My daughter always wore boutique clothing and tutus with lots of frills. I was working 40 hours a week, pumping like a cow, and cloth diapering while making my own baby food. That mom was awesome, and I’m high fiving who I once was, but two kids later I’ve seen the light.

My time is stretched between three kids, a husband and a business. So understandably some of my priorities have changed. I still prefer high-quality stuff, but I prefer choices that also offer comfort and convenience.

Breastfeeding is still a commonality between all my kids. And despite a bout with thrush a couple of months ago, it’s still convenient to have her food with me everywhere I go. We are halfway through our exclusive breastfeeding journey. And halfway to starting solid foods. But instead of buying another baby food processor I’m stocking up the pantry with some items and brands I love. And items that will make meal time quick and easy.

When I made my own baby food one of my faults was freezing a couple flavors then feeding Lil’ J the same ones over and over. She got bored and so did I. Now I’m collecting a rainbow of Beech-Nut® Naturals™ baby food for Lee Lee to try, making sure I get a variety of vitamins, minerals and flavors.

Bananas, apples, sweet potatoes and green beans are some of the staples I remember my babies loving before, and I can’t wait to see what Lee Lee likes most. The main thing I want to try to do is make sure I’m switching the flavors up and giving her a big assortment of real fruits and veggies.

Beech-Nut® Naturals™ is inspired by homemade. So even though I’m not steaming and chopping it up myself, the food inside each jar is made with real fruits and vegetables, just like I would use at home. It’s 100% natural, nothing artificial. And there are organic versions as well.

I was totally ok being the mom I was when I had Lil’ J. I was doing the most. And trying what I thought was best. As a third time mom I have no guilt using disposable diapers, comfortable onesies over tutus, and going straight to the jarred purees, especially when I know what’s in them still meets my standards.

Did your priorities change from the first kid, second kid, third kid, and so on?

Big thanks to Beech-Nut® for sponsoring today’s blog post. You can find Beech-Nut® Naturals™ in the baby food section of your local grocery store. Just look for the honeypot shaped jars with the green lids!

One of the most common questions I’m asked is about which camera to buy. Whether you’re just starting out or upgrading, there are so many kinds and it can be really hard to narrow down the best one for your needs. Want a new camera for the holidays but not sure which one will best fit your needs?

I’ve used a variety of Canon cameras through the years, and had a number of upgrades so I can give you a very good idea of which camera will work best for your situation. Though I’ve partnered with Canon to sponsor this post, these opinions are all my own.

I’m going to break it down based on size and type of camera and work my way from smallest to largest. I’ll also share photos I’ve taken with each camera so you can get an idea of what they can do.

Ok here we go!

Canon Powershot G7X Mark ii

Handy, easy, and great for video.

This is my smallest camera. When people ask me for a video recorder recommendation I throw this out first. You CAN use it to take photos but I use it almost exclusively for video. You don’t have to mess with changing lenses and it works great in low light. Great for shooting travel videos when you’re walking and talking. I used this for vlogging when I went to Israel and I still use this one the most for our cheer vlogs and home videos. I even used it for both pictures and video when we did our obstacle challenge.

Good idea to grab an extra battery cause if you’re recording a lot of video you’ll want to have a backup so you don’t miss a moment.

Since it doesn’t have interchangeable lenses, the zoom quality isn’t the best. If you want something that’s more versatile for both video and images I’d recommend one of the next cameras.

Mirrorless Cameras

Great for video and pictures. Very small and light (compared to DSLRs). Wonderful for traveling. Have small interchangeable lenses that fit. You can use lenses from your DSLR camera if you have the appropriate converter mount.

Canon EOS M5 and EOS M6

I’m combining these two cameras because they are very similar but there are slight differences that may make you prefer one over the other. Both are mirrorless cameras and they’re much smaller than the DSLR cameras you’re familiar with (like the Canon Rebel). They have interchangeable lenses made especially for these cameras. They’re much smaller, lighter and dare I say cuter.

The only downside I find is that there are less lens options than with a DSLR, but you can use a mount to convert your DSLR lenses to fit, and the main kit lens has worked great for me. The EOS M6 was the only camera I took on my last trip to Disney World.

They both have external microphone plugs so you can connect a microphone if you want better sound (though I’ve always used the internal mic just fine). And they both have wifi so you can easily transfer images to your phone and share online. The EOS M5 has a viewfinder so if you want to look through that to snap the image, instead of just on the screen on the back of the camera (called the LCD).

If you want to take selfies with it, or record yourself in vlogs, the screen flips down so you can see yourself. On the EOS M6 the LCD flips up, and it doesn’t have a viewfinder. I personally prefer the screen going up, it makes it easier for me to hold and easier to connect to tripods.

Canon EOS M50

This is another mirrorless camera similar to the last two I mentioned but has a few major extras that give it a leg up. It can shoot in 4k which is becoming a very popular resolution to watch on our TVs. The screen swings out to the side instead of up or down. It has a viewfinder for getting that shot just right. I also like that it’s easy enough to hand off to someone to snap a picture for you.

If you’re looking for a smaller camera to mostly shoot video with but also occasionally take really nice photos I’d recommend this camera. Absolutely great for vloggers and bloggers just getting going with photography but mostly want to focus on video. And parents who want a handy camera to toss in a small bag and use record lots of video of their kids or take pictures when you’re out and about.

It’s a step up from a point and shoot camera but leaps and bounds above a cellphone camera. But if you’re wanting to really dive into photography you’re probably going to want more lens options so I’d recommend you keep reading on to some of the following cameras.

Canon EOS R

This is Canon’s newest mirrorless camera (I’m talking brand new, just released as of when this blog was written) and some of the biggest differences between this and the others I’ve mentioned is the fact that this larger and is a full-frame camera instead of a crop sensor. In English this means you’ll get a lot more room with your lenses. If you feel crunched in your home, or like you can’t seem to get far back enough to take a picture with your favorite lens, you’ll find you’ll get a lot more room to work with on a full frame camera.

This is a big step up from the previous camera and great if you’re wanting more professional quality gear. That larger sensor is going to allow you to take higher quality images, especially in darker situations. The ISO goes up to 40,000 vs 25,600 on the M50 (read my post here for more info on what that means). Video also shoots in 4k.

Another great perk is this new camera also comes with a handful of new lenses. And if you already have Canon lenses you can use those on it with an adapter. If you’re just starting out and wanting to tiptoe into great photography with lots of lens options I’d recommend you consider one of the next two cameras.

DSLR Crop Sensor Cameras

These are the cameras you’re probably most used to seeing around. When it comes to pictures, I love these cameras. When it comes to video, I love these cameras. I tend to use these most for everyday pictures of my kids and creative blog projects. They have a HUGE selection of lenses that allows for a lot of creativity in the types of looks you want to go for. Make sure you check out my post on choosing the best DSLR lens after finishing this section.

Crop sensor DSLRs are more affordable cameras than the full-frames I’ll mention next.

Canon EOS Rebel T7i

The Canon Rebel was my first DSLR camera and is still the camera I recommend to bloggers and moms dipping their toes into photography with hopes to dive in. They’re the lightest of the DSLRs and they’re programed to be so user-friendly with Feature Assist, so it’s really easy to start learning the different modes and how to work a camera that could otherwise seem intimidating. It has a full articulated touch LCD and you can autofocus and track focus in video mode by just touching the screen.

I can’t say enough good things about this camera. The great thing is as you grow as a photographer and decide to upgrade your lenses down the road, you EF lenses can still be used on any other Canon DSLR you get.

Canon EOS 80D

This camera is a little step up from the Canon Rebel. Aside from size, the main difference is this camera is weather sealed and more durable, and you can shoot at a much higher shutter speed (max 1/8000 sec) so if you want the ability to freeze something moving really fast while still blurring out the background on a sunny day, this would help.

This camera also has a headphone jack in addition to an external mic jack. This can come in handy if you’re recording a lot of external audio and want to be able to listen to the quality as you’re recording. I really love this camera for video as you can really make your backgrounds disappear and focus in on your subject.

DSLR Full Frame Cameras

Ok now we’re rounding out the DSLRs with the full frame options. Like mentioned above with the mirrorless cameras, the full frame cameras don’t crop out as much of the image you’re shooting. This gives you more room to work with in tighter spaces. These also are great if you’re wanting to do a lot of wide angle photography, landscapes, or buildings since you’ll be able to use a wide angle lens to its true focal length.

The sensors are larger which also means you’ll usually have better shooting capabilities in darker rooms with less light.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II

I don’t like saying this in front of my other cameras but this is probably my favorite. It used to be my second favorite but lately it’s moved into first place because of the fully articulated touch screen. I use this for all of Lee Lee’s weekly baby updates and previously used it for all of my stop motion pregnancy bumpdates.

If you’ve been using a crop sensor DSLR for a while and feel like you’re ready for another step up, this camera is an excellent option. Great in low light, captures video beautifully and has an external microphone jack to take your video quality up a notch. It’s also a little lighter and more affordable than the last camera I’ll mention.

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

When I am looking for my go-to camera for pictures I’ll usually reach for this one first. It’s fast, and I’m most comfortable with it. I know I’ll get a high-quality image that I could potentially print really large. All of the other cameras I’ve mentioned will produce great prints too, but you know, in case I want to blow something up for a billboard some day.

I also love that it has a compact flash card slot because those cards can save and preview my super large images super fast saving. It’s more durable, has a larger LCD (though it doesn’t flip out) and it can shoot video in 4k.

If you need to shoot in darker situations a lot and need something that works great in low light, want something with all the bells and whistles for photography, shoots 4k video this is a great option. If you want to get in front of this camera you can always use its wifi to connect to your phone and remotely control it that way (as with all the other cameras I’ve mentioned today).

So there you have it. Any questions?

Here’s a cheat sheet. You can download it here.

Which one are you gonna get?

“Well, back in my day…”

Those are five words I never thought I’d say. Nevertheless, here I am, subjecting my kids to stories from my past.

A few months ago, my husband and I were more than a little curious to see how our kids would react to some pop candies.

My husband poured a bit in each of their mouths and as we suspected, their reactions were priceless. Our son ran out of the room begging for it to stop. Our daughter was amused and wanted to try some more.

It’s always an adventure when we introduce new things to our kids. Especially things from our childhood. So, when I busted out some Polly Pocket™ toys I should have known it would have been just as amusing.

Do you remember these things? I was gifted my first Polly Pocket toy when I was in fourth grade, so just a little older than my daughter is now. It was a heart-shaped compact with a castle and tiny little doll inside. Now there are new versions and I couldn’t wait to show her. I told my daughter I had a surprise for her. Something I played with as a kid that she might like too.

She’s even more hip these days. Parents, she has her own YouTube channel, and now Polly™ dolls have Polly Stick™ to help her stay on the hot spots on the compact, so she doesn’t fall out. Knowing Lil’ J likes small toys she can bring along in the car I knew it would be a hit with her. What I didn’t expect was my son enjoying them just as much.

Big T saw his sister and I playing with tiny dolls and came over asking if he could play with one too. We have three sets: Teeny Boppin’ Concert™, Flamingo Floatie, and Beach Vibes™ Backpack. He was a little disappointed that all of the little characters were girls, but he was glad that some of them had on light blue clothes “because that’s my favorite color!” he said.

They play together all of the time but not often with the same toys. It was sweet to watch them both play pretend with something I loved as a kid. And it didn’t take long for my son to realize these characters are the perfect size ratio for his dinosaurs (I may have found a Polly or two in a T-Rex’s mouth). Which adds a whole other awesome aspect of imaginative play.

Things from my day may not be as high tech and expensive as toys for kids these days. But it’s pretty cool when the two overlap and we can pass along something we loved to also be cherished by our kids.

Did you play with this toy as a kid?

“I didn’t know you felt that way about me, we don’t really talk much.” Those words hit me like a pile of bricks. It’s not something you’d expect to hear from your little sister.

My youngest sister is 13-years-old. Yea, 19 and a half years younger than me, and it’s true, in the past we haven’t spoken much. We never lived under the same roof. In fact, I was married before she was born. When she and my mom moved to Texas a few years ago things didn’t change a ton. I still saw her as a little sister (little sisters can still be annoying even when you’re an adult). As time has gone by though I’ve watched her grow and mature and I’ve been really impressed with her.

She gets good grades, is a good role model, helps me with my pictures, puts family before friends…. All things I wrote in a card for her for her birthday. I didn’t really realize it but I’ve never stopped to tell her all of these things. So how could she know?

Sometimes it’s hard to tell people exactly how we feel. Sometimes a card can find the words we can’t form ourselves. And sometimes a card is the perfect channel for putting down words you otherwise would find hard to say. Writing down those words gives a gift of good feelings to relive over and over every time they read it.

Getting all sentimental and mushy isn’t easy for me. Especially not with my little sister who is a teenager now. But it’s not a great excuse for not telling people we care about how we feel.

Hallmark has launched the Put it into Words campaign. Now more than ever the world needs more caring, and Hallmark cards can help.

Being a part of this has really helped me to realize how many people in my life inspire me and make my life better. And it’s helped me see how impactful letting them know can mean for both of us. I’m making it a point to put those feelings into words and giving more cards to share how I feel. Because if not now. Then when?

Visit Hallmark for inspiration or click here to see more cool stories of how cards made a difference. There you can also enter for a chance to win free cards for a year and a $500 gift card to use on someone special in your life.

My oldest daughter is a competitive cheerleader, my son likes to run track. We are a fairly athletic family (ok, I’m the slacker) and we like watching and playing sports together. But one sport we don’t know a lot about is tennis.

We watched Venus and Serena play together at the US Open this year and my kids were really excited to watch.

One thing I’m always trying to do is open my kids up to experiencing new things. You never know when you may discover a new hobby, or something you really enjoy. And you won’t know until you try. So we decided to pick up some rackets and give it a try!

It was easy for us to go online to NetGeneration.com to find the perfect facility for us. Here’s all the action highlights on video.

Playing on a regular basis can help them develop hand-eye coordination, and improve their speed, balance, strength and flexibility. It was easy to go online and find a local tennis club close by and register for a class or lesson. We also found some schools nearby that have public courts to practice at. It doesn’t have to be expensive, it keeps them active, and they loved it! It was really awesome seeing them come out of their shells and go for it. So we definitely recommend you add tennis to your list of sports to try!

And now I’m going to dump a bunch more photos all over you cause these big kids were SO FUN to watch.

We are getting Big T signed up for some more classes while we wait for track to start up again, and Lil’ J says this is one of her new favorite sports (second only to cheer). And who knows, maybe they’ll get a scholarship someday. I mean look at the determined face!

Check out NetGeneration.com to find a tennis court near you.

Have you or your kids ever tried tennis? What did you think?

“Let’s practice our fire drill!” My husband and I told our kids. Our son asked why, and darted for his headphones. My oldest daughter started to panic and ask me a series of questions.

“Why? Is there going to be a fire? What’s happening? Why do we need to practice at home?”

She took deep breaths as she awaited our response, which was simple.

“Just so we are prepared.”

According to Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen initiative, home fires are the biggest disaster threat facing American families today, yet only approximately half of parents surveyed said their children know what to do in the event of a home fire.

In fact, the National Fire Protection Association tells us that 7 in 10 structure fires actually occur in the home, and more than 8 in 10 fire-related deaths result from home fires.

We don’t want to become a statistic. Our kids practice fire drills at school, why shouldn’t we at home?

Years ago, we created a fire escape plan, and a little game of where we’d run to get out of the house depending on where the fire is. We busted that out to play again and talked about what to do if our smoke alarms went off.

“I’d grab my stuffed animals!” My daughter said. Boy, was this a great kickoff point for another safety talk.

“No, what should you grab if there’s a fire?” I asked a sorta-trick question.

“Water?” She said hesitantly.

“No…”

She thought about it for a moment and I told her it would just be one thing… Herself. Maybe her brother too if he’s still asleep next to her.

We practiced opening up the windows (something we’d never taught them before). So they would know how to do so in case of an emergency. We showed them it would be easy to pop out the window screen on their first floor windows. And run to our meet up location.

We practiced that too.

“Do you put on your shoes if there’s a fire and you’re running out of the house?”

“YES!” They shouted.

“No!” We corrected them.

“But what if we step on a nail while we’re running?” My smart-aleck daughter questioned.

“Which is worse, stepping on a nail or getting caught in a fire?”

You may think some of these answers are common sense but it was evident during our little drill that we need to continue to have these conversations on a regular basis so our kids remember what to do in case of a house fire. (Like, not stop, drop and roll).

Practice your own Home Fire Drill with your family on October 13, at HomeFireDrillDay.com!

Here’s what you need to remember as you prepare:

Step 1: Know where to go

• Pick a safety spot that’s near your home and a safe distance away. Our spot is directly down the sidewalk from the fire hydrant in front of our home.

• Explain to your kids that when the smoke alarm beeps, they need to get out of the house quickly and meet at that safety spot. We practiced leaving the house to meet at the safety spot as fast as we could.

Step 2: Check your smoke alarms

• Test your smoke alarms with your kids so they know the sound. Check them out twice a year (daylight savings is a great time to remember).

• Make sure there’s a smoke alarm on every level of your home, and one in each bedroom.

Step 3: Do the drill

• Have kids head to their bedrooms and wait for the drill to begin.

• If you have kids under 6 years old, assign adults to help anyone who’ll need it. I’m in charge of grabbing Lee Lee on nights I sleep in a room with her. And my husband is in charge of the other two (usually sleeping on the floor in our room).

• Put one adult in charge of sounding the smoke alarm and running the drill.

• Next, sound the smoke alarm, start the timer on the Make Safe Happen app and have everyone quickly get out of the house and to their safety spot.

• Once everyone gets to the safety spot, stop the timer. Try to make it there in under two minutes. (It took us 45 seconds, but we were all amped up).

• In a real fire, get to the safety spot, then call 911 and keep everyone close until firefighters arrive.

You can also learn more about Nationwide’s Make Safe Happen program and visit MakeSafeHappen.com for all sorts of tips to help keep children as safe as possible.

Do your kids need a little refresher or my kids the only ones who were a little off base on what to do in case of a fire?