momlife Archives – The Salty Mamas

There are a few quintessential truths about summer. There will be lots of sticky kids covered in popsicle juice. We will eat our weight in watermelon. And we will spend loads of time at the beach. Having sworn to never take for granted how close we live to the ocean, we often load the car up with all the kids, chairs, snacks, and toys our SUV can hold for a day at the bay.

My kids each have their own favorite beach activities. Izzie loves to stand at the waters edge and jump and splash – before making a mad dash into the water to try to prove that she can swim. Evie is content to lay on her towel, surrounded by snacks enjoying the sun. And Cole? Cole begins each trip to the beach with his never-ending quest to finally build the perfect sandcastle.

Tragically, no matter how many buckets and shovels and sifters we take to the beach, there will be waves of disappointment when my son just. can’t. get it. right. Try as he, and we, might, we just have not figured out how to build the perfect sandcastle.

Which is why we maybe freaked out with excitement when we found Create A Castle.

What is Create a Castle?

Founder Kevin Lane was as frustrated as Cole with the traditional bucket and pail method of building a sandcastle. He decided to figure out a way to make it easier, more successful, and most importantly to us, more kid-friendly. And did he ever! Here’s our review of Create a Castle’s Pro Tower Kit! Continue reading “Building the Perfect Sandcastle with Create A Castle” →

momlife

The Dark Side of Having Kids That Are “Great” Eaters

July 11, 2018July 16, 2018 Salty Christine

There are two kinds of toddlers: the kind that are super picky eaters and the kind that aren’t. And there’s a ton of helpful information out there to help your picky eater. Which is awesome! But as much as having kids that won’t eat anything is a major PITA, I’m here to tell you that having kids that eat EVERYTHING isn’t that great either. So whether your kid is a human garbage disposal too, or you just want to feel better about your situation, here are five things that are major downsides to having kids that everyone considers to be “great” eaters.

Before you get too jealous of your friends whose kids eat everything, read this! #pickyeaters #kidsthateateverything #foodiekid #kidfoodies #minifoodie #littlefoodie #kidsmeals #kidseatveggies #kidseatfruit #getmoreveggiesforkids #momlife #dadlife #foodbtattles #eatingoutwithkids

Continue reading “The Dark Side of Having Kids That Are “Great” Eaters” →

momlife

Got a Picky Eater? How to End Food Battles Like a Pro

July 9, 2018July 16, 2018 Salty Jaymi

When Abram was a baby, he was an EATER. Whatever we threw at him- avocado, sweet potato, squash, carrots, cereal- you name it, he ate it. We were so proud of our adventurous eater, a baby who participated in baby-led weaning with gusto. As the months went on, that adventurous palate faded and we were left with a picky eater.

He still ate copious amounts- he had the chubby cheeks to prove it!- as long as it was chips, or something else he loved. When it came to his old favorites- avocado, sweet potato, squash, carrots, cereal- you name it, he took whatever we threw at him, and threw it back at us. Like, literally.

Abe’s pickiness really came to a head one night at dinner. Convinced that we had to get some food in him one way or another, we tried to force him to take some bites of his food. He stalled, we stalled. He cried, we cried. We tried to put the food in his mouth, he tried to take it out. It was a twenty minute battle of begging him to eat before we threw in the towel. The dinner went uneaten, and all we felt was defeated, and sad.

I wracked my brain to try to figure out where we’d gone wrong, and more importantly, where we could go from here. Lila was, and IS, picky, but we’d never had these battles with her. Why was that? And how could we replicate those results?

I hit the internet, scouring for the best tips to help picky eaters, and remembered all of the best practices we’d used to help our picky toddler the first round. It’s been a month now, but I’m happy to say that things with Abram have come a long way. If you, too, find yourself with a picky toddler on yours hands, here’s what research (and first hand experience!) recommend you do.

Continue reading “Got a Picky Eater? How to End Food Battles Like a Pro” →

Pregnancy

4 Fun Things You MUST do While Pregnant (and One Responsible Thing)

July 2, 2018July 7, 2018 Salty Christine

The Salty Mamas received a 4 month supply of Morning Pep Prenatal Vitamins as compensation for this post. While they did supply the sample and sponsor this post, all opinions – sweet or salty – are the true opinions of The Salty Mamas! Enjoy!

Once you’re pregnant, there’s a lot you need to do. And don’t worry about forgetting to do any of it, because people will be reminding you the entire time. Some of it is the stuff that everyone will tell you about, like picking names, making a birth plan and preparing the baby’s nursery. And yes, you need to do that stuff too, but you should also make sure you’re doing stuff that’s really for YOU. Here’s some stuff that we NEVER heard anyone telling us we needed to do while pregnant, but we’re the kind of friends that will keep it real and tell you what you should actually be focusing on. Plus, one responsible thing, because apparently now we’re the adults and need to make good choices or something.

Continue reading “4 Fun Things You MUST do While Pregnant (and One Responsible Thing)” →

Mom Humor

Levels of Parenting Emergencies

June 29, 2018June 30, 2018 Salty Jaymi

When the babies were little, we used to take them on these “playdates” with our MomSquad. We’d pick a destination like the nature center or storytime, but what we really wanted was the companionship. And the desire to feel like we were doing something with the babies, because honestly, what are you even supposed to do with a kid that can’t even talk or move on their own yet?

So we’d lay them on the blankets and chit chat about our lives. We only had one veteran mama in our midst at the time, and she casually mentioned that the hardest part about parenting two was that you had to ignore one of your children from time to time.

What she meant, of course, is that one child’s small needs have to take a backseat to the other child’s BIG needs once in a while. Another mama literally put her hand to her mouth in horror. “I don’t care how many kids I have, I would never IGNORE one of my children.”

Spoiler alert: you would. You absolutely would.

Because when you’ve got two or more kids, the concept of “emergency” can take on a whole new meaning. And when faced with aa parenting emergency, you HAVE to favor the squeaky wheel. Because the squeaky wheel may be bleeding. Or trying to poop in a potted plant.

Oh, come on, like that hasn’t happened to you.

At any rate, when you’ve got more than one kid, there’s a whole new hierarchy of what needs to be prioritized. We’ve got the Levels of Parenting Emergencies below, ranked from most severe to “meh.”

You think you know what counts as an emergency...until you become a mom. A little #momlife humor from TheSaltyMamas.com. #momlife #humor #funny #parentinghumor #parenting #hilarious #momoftwo #boymom #twokids #tipsfortwokids Continue reading “Levels of Parenting Emergencies” →

Tips & Hacks

6 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Going Anywhere with Kids

June 18, 2018July 24, 2018 thesaltymamas

Before having kids, I was hella spontaneous. Whether it was last minute dinner plans, answering a friends invite of “let’s go out!” or literally leaving brunch to hit the road and go to Vegas, I was up for it all and with very few questions. So you can only imagine the ton of bricks that hit me when I had this tiny little baby. A baby that needed bottles and diapers and wipes and extra outfits and binkys and a suitcase full of miscellaneous items for a quick trip to Target. I mean, how much stuff do I need to run errands with kids?

And it’s not just the stuff – the stuff is manageable, and you can tackle leaving the house with a bunch of kids. But you have to know where you’re going! And I’m not just talking how to get there fastest. There are a lot of things you never realized you need to consider before picking a location to take your kids. So now, I basically never leave the house without answering these six questions first.

Continue reading “6 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Going Anywhere with Kids” →

Mama Mojo

How to Rock This Summer’s Styles for Mama

June 15, 2018August 5, 2018 Salty Jaymi

There are so, so many things about summer that I am excited about. I can’t wait to take my kids to the local pools, the beach, and the summer movies. I’m looking forward to weekends away with my husband, and evenings spent sipping a Mike’s Hard Lemonade (cause I’m classy like that) in my backyard. I’m even stoked about my electric bill-yes, you heard me right- since my bill pretty much goes away in the summer. And, in strange contrast to last year, I am STOKED to bust out my summer fashion 2018 selections and take my stylish self around town.

I’ve spent WAY too many years refusing to wear shorts and summer dresses due to self doubt. I bought the flounciest one pieces to hide myself away (which, spoiler alert- it does not work). I sweated my way through the weather and wore jeans to the wading pool, simply because I was intimidated by summer style. Well, not this year. This year, mama’s coming in with a bang.

So I scoured the internet (because let’s face it, no amount of confidence is going to make me want to go into Old Navy in the one hour a week I have without kids) and found the best summer fashion, summer style, and general cuteness to greet this summer in style. Give them a peek- we KNOW you’re going to love them as much as we do!
Continue reading “How to Rock This Summer’s Styles for Mama” →

Mama Loves a Party, Mom Humor

5 Steps to Planning a Kid’s Birthday Party

June 8, 2018 thesaltymamas

Sunday is my son’s 5th birthday party, and as I sit here ~~completely and totally ready~~ taking a short break from the final scramble, I can’t help but reflect on the journey it took to get to this point. I’m literally an event planner by trade, so I had it in my head that I was cut out for this whole party planning thing. I mean, if I can organize 5K fundraising walks for thousands of people and galas that need to raise a million dollars, then surely I can successfully execute one kid’s party right?

Wrong.

All the moody volunteer committees couldn’t prepare me for dealing with one surly 4 year old. The requests – nay demands – like real live unicorns – are out of this world. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Here are the 5 steps you must follow to have a successful birthday party!

Continue reading “5 Steps to Planning a Kid’s Birthday Party” →

Mama Mojo, Married with Children

How Following My Passion Made My Marriage Stronger

May 30, 2018 thesaltymamas

When Jaymi and I were first exploring the idea of starting a blog, we did our research. Not about the “important stuff” like Pinterest strategies and Search Engine Optimization, but stuff like what colors we liked, what topics we could cover and what vibe we wanted. During this phase I came across a cautionary tale about a woman that blamed her divorce on her devotion to her blog. I paused, re-read it, and sent it to Jaymi. We decided then and there that priorities included staying friends, maintaining a strong marriage, and enjoying this gig.

Even with all our new goals and dreams, I never once imagined that the blog could make me a better friend, a better Mother, and help me build an even stronger marriage.

Continue reading “How Following My Passion Made My Marriage Stronger” →

Terrible Twos, Tips & Hacks

Tips to Get All Smiles at Your Toddler’s First Dental Appointment

May 25, 2018 thesaltymamas

When my first was little, I remember hearing that you were supposed to take baby to the dentist when they got their first tooth or when they reached one year old, whichever happened first. Being the dutiful first time Mom, I checked with our dentist to see if they had a pediatric dentist on staff and made that first dental appointment. On the big day, I brought my son in and then the disaster started. He wouldn’t open his mouth – at least without screaming – and when he finally did, they counted his teeth, reminded us to brush and sent him to get a toy. It was half an hour of thrashing, screaming and fighting for 3 minutes of “dentistry” that I could have done on my own at home. I was ready to swear off of the dentist until my kids were old enough to actually have something done. Or at least until I had a diaper bag full of toddler tips to surviving the dentist. Whichever came first.

Well, I never got the tips, but my kids needed to finally go to the dentist. So now I’ve got three kids, and a bunch of dentist appointments under my belt – including appointments for my 18 month old! So I’m here to tell you that you can have a successful trip to the dentist with a toddler. You just need these tips.

Continue reading “Tips to Get All Smiles at Your Toddler’s First Dental Appointment” →