Quick, Healthy & Cheap Snack Ideas

Snacking is an every-day thing in our house. If M2 had her way, she'd probably eat nothing else but the snacks all day. With my weight loss mission, snacking comes in handy for me to keep my metabolism up and stop myself from getting so hungry I binge. Baby B isn't one to turn down a snack, either, especially when he sees someone else nibbling on something yummy. To keep us all eating healthy, without spending so much the grocery budget is blown or having to spend hours making it, these are the snacks I make sure to stuff the fridge and pantry with.

As an added bonus, some of these you can make yourself beforehand when doing meal prep, or when you want an activity to do with the kids. That ups the health  factor and cuts down on cost even more. All the foods on the list are ones that are staples in our house. With plenty of delicious snacks to choose from on this list, there are sure to be a few that you'll want to incorporate into your own household.

1. Hand fruit

Peaches, nectarines, apples, pears, bananas, grapes, plums -- anything you can grab, wash and eat on the go without any fuss qualifies as a hand fruit. They're great to keep around for when you want something sweet. While oranges aren't a hand fruit, I like to keep a bunch of them in the house as well. Bananas are probably the cheapest fruit you can find, which is why we've always got a pile in our fruit bowl.

2. Peppers, celery, cucumbers and carrots

Chop them up and keep them handy for when you're craving something yummy. I keep a container of carrot sticks drenched in water to keep them fresh in the fridge. A few cucumbers are always floating around the fridge to peel and slice.

Make-it-yourself bonus: You can grow your own garden and buy veggies that aren't pre-cut to save even more.

3. Peanut butter and bread

A serving of natural peanut butter without fillers along with whole grain bread makes for a healthy, protein-packed snack to keep you full.

Make-it-yourself bonus: Honey wheat or buttermilk wheat bread goes great with peanut butter. Both are easy to make, too.

4. Protein bars

Pick up a big box of store-brand protein bars rather than going for the small boxes or singles of the fancy brands to save money. All protein bars aren't created equal, so check to see how much protein, sugar, calories and fat each really has. You don't want your snack to end up a meal!

5. Granola bars

This is another treat you can buy a big, store-brand box of to keep cost down. Like with the protein bars, check the nutritional label to be sure it's not just empty calories you're noshing on.

Make-it-yourself bonus: To know exactly what goes into your bars, throw together some of your own in the kitchen.

6. Cheese sticks or slices

At any given time, we have about three different kinds of cheeses in the fridge drawer. American cheese slices, Swiss, Munster, mozzarella sticks -- you name it, the kids love it (so do I). When they're hungry, we often reach for low-fat cheese as a healthy, filling protein boost to last until the next meal.

7. Humus

Humus comes in so many flavors! My favorites are traditional and ranch. Grab your favorite along with some pita chips, tortilla chips, crackers or pretzels to scoop up a yummy serving.

Make-it-yourself bonus:  If you're adventurous, you can make your own humus easily and even whip up pita and tortilla chips.

8. Air-popped popcorn

Pop up some kernels (you can get a big bag or container for a few dollars) for a fun snack. Leave off the salt and butter to keep it healthy.

9. Greek or regular yogurt

Like the protein and granola bars, check the labels on yogurt for calorie, fat, protein and sugar content. You want something that's balanced so you have a satisfying snack. M2 loves the yogurt tubes and I often reach for a cup of Greek yogurt for myself. I get big packages rather than singles so it does't cost as much. Sales and the local discount grocery store also help me keep from breaking the bank on yogurt.

Make-it-yourself bonus: If you're up for the challenge, try making your own yogurt.

10. Nuts

Pistachios, peanuts, almonds, cashews -- oh, my! So many choices that you can get in large containers so that otherwise pricey nuts aren't so shocking to your wallet. A small handful at a time is all you need for an afternoon (or evening) pick-me-up.

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Making Marriage Work When You Have a Special-Needs Child

Marriage isn't easy, especially when you have kids. When you also have a special-needs child, the challenges pile up. Does that mean we're doomed to end up divorced (as I've been told many times by various people) just because M2 is autistic?

I don't think so. I think it means that both of us need to work harder to make sure our marriage last. In the end, the marriage ends up stronger and we end up closer because of what we've overcome -- Together.

Making Big Decisions and Managing Details

The honest truth of it is that when you have a special-needs kid, there's added stress in your life and in your marriage. From the very start when you realize there may be an issue, you face additional struggles than you normally would trying decide what's best for your child. There are just so many more unknowns and things TO decide.

That makes being on the same page as your spouse harder. A and I make big decisions together, like whether or not M2 needed to do speech therapy and when to start, if she should be evaluated for autism, if we should get an aide and what next steps to take. I handle the details, such as figuring out where to get therapy, how to get her evaluated, fighting red tape, and figuring out what the possible next steps even are.

I check in with A to let him know what's going on. His opinion is important so I ask what he thinks as as we go. I'm the one who is home with the kids, so took on detail management by default. Plus, otherwise, I'd be driving A nuts with questions, getting in the way. I need to be in control of the situation, while A is  able to step back and let me handle things without going nuts.

I've found that when you've  both wrapped up in the minutia, there's much more of a chance to butt heads, disagree, get even more confused and get more frustrated with the situation -- and each other. When one person is leading, you're both on board and the other person is offering support, things tend to go more smoothly.

Saying Good-Bye to Time Alone

The time alone that you fight to get once kids are in the picture becomes even more impossible when one of your children is special needs. We can't just leave M2 and B with any babysitter to go out for the evening -- or even an hour. Two people who are very familiar with our situation need to be on hand for babysitting duty.

The blunt truth is that there are only two sets of people whom we trust to leave alone with the kids. (Or is it people we'd trust the kids to be alone with? Hmm.) Neither set lives remotely close to us (we're talking states away here). That leaves us grabbing time out alone about twice a year for a few hours. The rest of the time, we have to get creative. To make our marriage work, we've accepted this is how it is. We make the best of the situation since there's nothing we can do about it. The time we do get is even more special because it is so rare. We appreciate it even more.

Frustration and Communication

Having kids exacerbates usual marriage issues. Little things grate on your nerves much more when you've spent the day with fussy, screaming kids who won't listen or are having a sensory meltdown. Small problems seem so much bigger when you're battling to get your child what she needs at the same time. Big problems can seem impossible. More problems creep in to make you stumble when your child is special needs.

As much as we try not to, A and I end up taking our frustrations out on each other at times. Both of us hate confrontation so have a habit of avoiding issues rather than addressing them. Communication can help with this. We're working on it so that we can clear things up before the frustrations with each other or the kids get out of control, leading to a fight. I always  try to step back and see the situation from A's point of view and to let him know how I'm feeling when everything is building up so that the small problems don't become huge ones we can't overcome. We're not where we need to be yet, but we're getting there. What we are good at is making and sticking to choices we feel are best, no matter what others may say. We make a good team.

The Long and Short of It

What making marriage work when you have a special-needs child comes down to this: A commitment and love for each other to make life work, to do what you need to do to make it happen, and to get through the bad times so you can enjoy the good. The struggles make the good all that much sweeter. Focus on the good, get over the bad, and keep on living your lives together.

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This post is part of the March Marriage Challenge. Check out my posts from earlier this month (Marriage: The Changes 5 Years Bring) and last year (How to Keep Your Marriage on Point), then stop by The Eyes of a Boy to read more post about marriage from other bloggers.

6 Quick Ways to De-Stress

Any way you cut it, being a stay-at-home mom is stressful. I have 6 quick ways I use regularly to kick stress in the butt. These can be done easily, without eating into an already crazy day too much, and leave you feeling calmer, more positive and happier. In the long run, beating stress can help you find balance, be happier and enjoy your life more.

Every day from the time you wake up until the time you (finally) go to sleep, there are little lives you're responsible for in every way, a house you have to keep up with and clean, finances to figure out and manage, laundry to do, a pantry and fridge to keep stocked, meals to make and clean up after, a husband to take care of and spend time with, plus somehow you have to fit in time for yourself in there, too.

Reducing stress can be hard, but doesn't have to be.

 

1. Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee

Steep a cup of hot tea, brew up a cup of coffee or keep a pitcher of iced tea in the fridge. Your favorite comfort drink gives you a few moments of enjoyment, even as you're racing around trying to get the kids fed before school. If it a hot beverage goes cold, don't worry -- throw in some ice and have the iced version. Herbal/decaf tea or a decaf coffee is great in the late afternoon or evening. I keep a bunch of my favorite teas on hand so I have a flavor to fit any mood.

 

2. Listen to music and dance it out

Make up a playlist of your favorite kid-friendly songs or set up a Pandora station of music you love. When you're losing your pep for the day or are on the verge of a breakdown, crank up the music and dance it out. If you don't have the time or aren't in a place where you can dance (like the car) listening still helps the stress go down a few notches. The kids can join in, too.

When life is getting you down, dance it out.

3. Light a candle, melt a tart or diffuse oils

Aromatherapy is a powerful de-stresser. I pick my favorite scent via candle, tart or oils and get to smelling. A nice scent floating around the house helps to lift everyone's mood and make the day seem brighter. At night, a lit candle creates a gentle, pretty atmosphere. Just be sure to keep whatever you're using away from the kids. Having to clean up spilled wax doesn't help stress levels at all. I know that from experience, sadly.

 

4. Treat yourself to beautiful flowers

Flowers brighten up any day. They add a touch of beauty to any room. Just taking a moment to look at them helps me feel the stress melt away a bit. An added bonus is not even having to go to the store to get them, or go into an account monthly to arrange for some to be delivered. That's why I'm excited about a recent delivery I was sent by BloomsyBox. With BloomsyBox, you can get all of this -- a beautiful hand-tied bouquet of flowers shipped directly to your door via a monthly subscription.

The bouquet is a single variety of specially chosen flowers hand cut from a farm and sent to you within 48 hours so you know they're fresh. All flowers are shipped within 2-4 days of being cut and put together right on the farm. Three different size bouquets are available to choose from for your subscription, which you can pause or cancel at any time. Shipping is included in the cost so you don't get caught having to pay extra. A card comes with the flowers to tell you how to care for them. If you only need a bouquet for a special occasion, rather than monthly, there's an option available for that, too.

I recently got two dozen red roses (my favorite!) through the subscription service. They are absolutely gorgeous. The flowers arrive nicely packed in a box so they weren't damaged. Paper wrapped them for extra protection. I can tell the roses are very fresh by the lush, rich color. The hand-tied red ribbon adds a little something special to the bouquet. All that needs to be done is taking them out, snipping off the ends, adding the flower food and water to a vase then putting in the flowers. The amount of flowers is perfect, especially for the cost. I spend so much time in the kitchen so put them in there to enjoy. If you have a dinner party, they'd make a great centerpiece. House guests would really appreciate a bouquet in their room, I'm sure.

It was at least a week before they started to really wilt. Usually, my flowers don't last that long. If you like drying flowers, these would be perfect for that as they keep their shape and don't drop petals. BloomsyBox flowers are perfect for getting your stress levels down. Find out more and set up your monthly flower-of-the-month subscription.

 

5. Recognize the positive in your day

Take a few moments to think of the good things about your day. It doesn't have to be anything big, think about the little things that you might otherwise overlook during the craziness of the day. Looking for the good is something I've been working hard on and it's really helping to reduce stress. 

 

6. Soak in nature's beauty

Being able to admire and enjoy nature whenever I look out my back door is one of the big reasons I so love living in the country. Moving out here and away from the city reduced my stress immensely. Even if you don't live in the country, there are still ways to soak up nature daily.

If the weather's nice, step outside for a few moments and soak in the fresh air and admire the blue of the sky. On rainy days, I pause to listen to the rain falling and smell the drops on the wind. During winter, take notice of the stillness all around. Even looking at a window box, hanging basket or admiring a patch of green grass can help bring blood pressure down a few points and get you better centered again. A simple bird feeder hung on a window or in the yard can get you that connection with nature, too. (Plus, the feeders look pretty in the yard.) When life is really stressful, plan a day to go hiking with the family or on your own to get the calming effects of nature seeping into you. We have a park by us where the kids can play and we can take a nice walk that I love to go to. During picking seasons, we spend a day at a local orchard picking peaches or apples. Then we have healthy food to enjoy, too.

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This post is sponsored by BloomsyBox. All opinions are my own.

St. Patrick's Day Craft: Clover Wall Hanging

We're a wee bit Irish so I especially enjoy doing St. Patrick's Day crafts with M2. The craft I created for her this year is a wooden clover wall hanging.

Last year, we made lucky shamrock magnets. Since M2 is on a painting kick currently, I decided to let her do something with paints. Like any little girl, she's also big into glitter.

St. Patrick's Day Clover Craft Supplies

•  a wooden clover (found at Target for $3)
• green matte acrylic paint
• gold metallic acrylic paint
• a paint sponge
• paint brush
• light and dark green tempera paint sticks (you can get these here)
• clear glitter glue 
• gold glitter glue

How to Make It

I started by painting the clover a deep green to give M2 a base to work with, being sure to paint the sides and the rope hanger. To keep paint from getting all over, I set the clover on a box for it to dry. Once it dried, I lined the edge with the gold paint using a watercolor paint brush. If you have older kids, they could do the base and edging themselves.

Next was M2's turn. I set her up with green tempera paint sticks in two colors and gold glitter glue. We put on the glitter glue together, rimming the edge of the clover over top of the gold paint I'd added.

She then went at it with the paint sticks. Dark and light green paint topped the green background. Once it dried, she dumped glitter glue all over it and spread it out with the paint brushes to work it in with the paint -- totally her idea! I'm really impressed she came up with that technique, it turned out well. The different paints and glitter gives a neat textured affect to the project.

The whole craft took no time at all, wasn't messy, yet was fun to make. Plus, it's a decoration we can pull out year after year to enjoy.

The clover got set out to dry overnight then hung up on the wall. I added the date and M2's name to the back.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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Delicious Potato Soup

Mashed, baked, fried, au gratin, twice baked, roasted -- there are so many ways to cook potatoes, including as the feature in soup. The flavor and texture of potatoes, mixed with spices and cream, make a delectable, yet easy to make, slow-cooker soup.

It's no secret that I love potatoes. 
As a child, there was always a fight over the leftover mashed potatoes each Thanksgiving or Christmas. Whoever sneaked into the fridge and ran off with them, without being caught, would gleefully eat the rest while taunting the losers. We'd eat them cold because if you put them in the microwave, you risked someone realizing it and nabbing them -- or at the very least having to share if the thief decided to be kind.

Now, I make sure to keep potatoes in the house as a staple. They're cheap, have tons of vitamins (did you know potatoes are full of vitamin C?), there are so many ways to cook them and so many varieties exist.

Seriously, what's not to love about potatoes?

Slow-cooker potato soup is a hearty dish that is easily thrown together. A big bowl leaves the whole family satisfied. The ingredients are cheap, making this a frugal  recipe so you can cook up big batch to last a few days without damaging your grocery budget.


I use russet potatoes in my version, though any type of potato works. I'd love to try it using purple potatoes, the color would be beautiful! Peels are optional, it depends whether or not you want to take the time to peel each potato.

You can sub real cooked bacon for the bacon bits if you prefer. To make a lighter version, swap out the heavy cream for half and half.

I created this recipe as part of the Ultimate Recipe Challenge. Every other month, 40+ bloggers and I are being challenged to create a recipe around a mystery ingredient. This month, the potato was our must-use ingredient. Scroll down to the end of the post to see all the other yummy recipes being shared. While you're at the end of the post -- Please vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs by clicking the pink banner, then clicking the big ORANGE button on the next page to cast the vote. 

Delicious Potato Soup

by The Stay-at-Home Life

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 8 hours

Keywords: slow-cooker soup/stew low-sodium potatoes cream American comfort food fall spring summer winter

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Ingredients (5 quarts)

• 8 medium potatoes, cubed
• 6 Tbsp bacon bits
• 3 Tbsp parsley
• Salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 2 tsp chives
• 6 scallions, sliced
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• 2 cups 1% milk
• 1 pint heavy cream
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/3 cup flour plus additional 1/3 cup flour
• Shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Instructions

Add dry ingredients to slow cooker, except for flour

Add wet ingredients to slow cooker

Add flour slowly, stirring as you go.

Set slow cooker for 6 hours on high or 8 hours on low

Part way through cooking, test to see if you need extra salt or pepper

Place immersion blender into slow cooker with one hour left to cook

Blend until approximately half of the ingredients are creamed

If soup is too thin, slowly stir in additional flour one tablespoon at a time

Let soup finish cooking

Serve with a parsley garnish

Sprinkle cheddar cheese on top (optional)

An InLinkz Link-up

14 Sensory Easter Basket Ideas

Easter is right around the corner. The dreaded basket full of chocolates, jelly beans and other sugar the kids really don't need looms before us. Rather than loading up with sugary treats, here are 14 sensory toys that can be snuck into Easter baskets by a smart mama bunny.

Each is especially perfect for kids with autism, addressing their needs to feel different textures, play with and chew things, or calm overwhelmed senses. Many of these we have for M2, or I want to get. Even B would love them (well, the ones that are age appropriate). There is something for kids of any age on the list.

Happy Easter!


1. Water beads
Tons of fun, without the mess. Soak them over night, drain them, then let the kids have fun playing. We store them with water in an air-tight container for a few weeks.



2. Silicone teething necklaces, pendants and chews
I have a few of the necklaces for when B was teething. M2 decided they were great for her so likes to wear it and chew as she goes.



3. Textured balls
Perfect for babies and for older kids who like to explore different textures.



4. Liquid motion bubbler
This is one of the calming sensory toys I mentioned. ASD kids often find it calming to watch the bubbles fall.


5. Fidgets
These help the kids do exactly what they say -- fidget! Only, it's in a non-distracting way. The fidgets bend and twist to keep fingers occupied.



6. Glitter Tube
Another of the calming sensory toys. Plus, it's pretty!



7. Kinetic Sand
The fun of sand without all the mess since it sticks to itself.


8. Foam
The tiny foam balls stick together to make neat creations, or just smush.



9. Vibrating teether
For kids with oral sensory issues, a vibrating teether can work wonders.



10. Play-Doh
Need I say more? I think we all recognize this one. :)


11. Scented marks
Scribble, color and create with yummy smelling markers.



12. Silly Putty
A classic.


13. Chew Stixx Pencil Toppers
Another especially for kids with oral sensory issues. These toppers are made specifically for chewing.



14. Tempra Paint Sticks 
For the kid who finds paints soothing (and the mom who doesn't like the mess).
 

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The Truth About Breastfeeding, Part 3: Separation Anxiety and Adding Solids

In case you missed them, read part one and part two of the series by guest-poster Laurie to catch up.

They say you can never spoil a baby. But what if baby gets so hooked on one person they don't want anyone else? I've created a Baby Beast, as we affectionately call H now. Because I didn't have a job to return to she got Mama all day every day. It seemed just so much easier to only nurse and skip the bottle. It meant one less thing to clean - especially since our dishwasher is me.

Until C started a new job recently he was working weird hours at work sometimes 8-4 other days 11-7, some days he didn't even have a clue when he would be home. So H got used to be home with Mama and J. It was Mama feeding, Mama changing the diapers, Mama providing amusement and consoling. C tried to help when he was home but the weird hours were getting to him and H wanted one person only.

Even visits to see family would lead to tears if I wasn't the one holding her. And if we tried to have the rare babysitter -- oh, it was horrible. Maximum amount of time for happiness was 90 minutes then her fury came. She hated the bottle, if you got her in the first 90 minutes she would take it only if H thought she was the one holding it.

At H's 4 month appointment her doctor said she'll grow out of it eventually and that she's seen worse cases. We were told to keep trying the bottle, surprise surprise it didn't work. On the upside though she was reaching or surpassing the expected milestones. We also got a new activity to try - solids.

American Academy of Pediatrics recommends waiting until 6 months to introduce solids. When it comes to introducing solids to your baby there are different options. Like us many parents choose to start with a baby cereal such as rice or oatmeal then later give purées. With purées you can either make your own or buy jars pre-made. There is also baby led weaning. With baby-led weaning (BLW) you introduce little finger foods that baby can to themselves. A lot of parents that choose BLW wait until a minimum of 6 months if not longer.

A popular first food for with this method is avocado. Other then being only 4 months she showed signs of being ready. She would watch us eat and mimic chewing motions. H also had very good neck control - a must for a solid eating baby. With H's doctor's approval we began introducing baby oatmeal mixed with breast milk. Our hope was the cereal in her belly would help ease her reflux. If it wasn't for that we would have waited a bit long to introduce.

We began with a tablespoon once per day and slowly increased over a month. H's reflux seemed to be improving with less spit up. We tried introducing the bottle and H didn't want anything to do with it. Only successful time she took a bottle no issue was one time I gave it to her. She threw a fit if C or anyone else tried.

Other then the bottle hating, feeding-wise everything was going well. H enjoyed her morning oatmeal and was still nursing like a champ. At 5 months old her doctor gave approval to introduce purées. Again, we began with a tablespoon or so once a day. It was in addition to her breakfast of oatmeal. We started with the stage one purées since they were smoother. The ones H wasn't fond of from being too runny we added a little oatmeal to thicken.

Now, H is 7 months old and doing great with her solids. Going by her pediatrician's recommendation we're doing three meals a day. Morning is a jar of fruit purée with oatmeal mixed in for breakfast or half a cup of baby yogurt with probiotics. The yogurt we only do twice a week. Lunch is half a jar of purée veggie mixed with half a jar of meat purée with a little bit of multigrain cereal to even out the texture. Dinner is the same as lunch. It's important to follow your baby's lead for when they're full. H rarely eats a full jar usually about 2/3 or 3/4.

We've given up on getting her to take a bottle. I had asked H's pediatrician about trying a sippy cup instead. So a couple weeks ago we purchased a Munchkin Latch sippy cup. The reviews I read on Amazon showed a lot of babies have success taking the sippy when they wouldn't take a bottle before. SUCCESS! She loves to use her sippy cup. I have just been putting about 2 ounces in it at a time so it's not too heavy for her to lift. H hasn't figured it out completely yet but she likes trying!

Thanks for following along on my journey! As H continues to grow I will share the next leg of the adventure.

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About the Author
Laurie is a stay-at-home mom to two little girls -- a baby and a 5-year-old -- and is stepmom to a 5-year-old daughter. Living in New England, she has a big Australian Sheepdog along with the kids and her husband. She enjoys music, decorating cakes and Doctor Who.

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