I have Sweater Sunday, and Tutorial Tuesday, so how about one more? Off Topic Thursday! If you guys would rather me stick to recycled wool for every post, just let me know.
Let's talk snacks for kids. My son is a grazer, no way around it! He eats very healthy, but he is constantly moving from one thing to the next. This created a ton of dishes! I use an energy efficient dishwasher, which is said to use less water & energy than hand washing, but we were filling & running it every day. There's just 3 of us! I started using unbleached coffee filters for dry snacks, and it cut down on the dish use significantly. Since we compost, he can just drop the filter in the compost container when he is done.
I was starting to feel like a short order cook, because every 5 minutes i'd hear "Mama, may I have a ....". Since he couldn't reach/make whatever he would ask for, I would always get it for him, but it would interrupt whatever I was doing. It finally occurred to me to put everything at his level & let him help himself. Little glass custard dishes with lids are the perfect size for kiddo snacks, so a couple of times a week, I divide some snacks into them. He has a shelf in a lower cabinet for dry snacks, and a shelf in the fridge for his snacks. The "junky" snacks (not terrible stuff, but not the most healthy) are still in the upper cabinets (he he he), but he can help himself to all the healthy ones. He is 4, and if you know 4 year olds they like to make their own choices. He feels empowered by choosing what he wants, and I don't care because they are all nutritious. Here's what currently in the fridge for him to select: organic plain yogurt with a spoonful of organic all fruit jelly mixed in, organic baby carrots, organic raisins, and red/orange pepper slices.
Money is another factor, when it comes to healthy snacks too, at least in my household. I love to buy organic when I can, but it can be expensive. Some stuff is very affordable though, especially when you divide it up into 4 year old sized portions. Organic baby carrots are $1.69/bag, and has many kid sized servings. The organic raisins are are around $3/bag, and those are divided up into about 10 servings. The organic yogurt ($3), and organic all fruit jelly ($2.50), may sound expensive, but it comes out way cheaper in the end than the non organic sugary yogurts in individual cups. A bag of organic apples is always in my fridge as well. At $3-4 a bag with about 10 apples in it, it's an affordable healthy snack.
Alright, now it's time for comments. I want to hear all of YOUR tricks & tips! What do your kids like to snack on?
ETA: Boy, am I messed up this week! I posted Off Topic Thursday on Wednesday! Talk about off topic! Lol... sorry everyone. I will try harder to remember the days of the week from now on ;)
1. Cut out 2 Cream felt (2 1/2") circles; Cut out 1 (2") Pink Felt circle, scalloping the edges however you like.
2. Pull out an arm's length of pink thread. Double up the thread so it is 2 strands thick. Tie a knot in the end & thread it on the needle. Starting on the underside of the cookie, bring the needle up through the 2 layers & back down. Continue along the edge of the pink felt in this whip stitch. Continue until you reach the beginning point & tie off the thread underneath the cream felt so the knot is not visible. 
Continue the Blanket stitch until you are about 1-2 inches from the starting point. Stop here.
4. Now take your Poly Fill stuffing & fill the cookie.
