Karissa Tunis

Trading Activities for Play Time & The Importance of Play

Raising children today is very different from when my parents raised my siblings and I. Sure growing up we enjoyed signing up for a sports team here and there, or trying out a new class. But for the most part we were home a lot playing with each other. I doubt it was because that generation already understood the importance of play, but rather because that is just how things were done.

Fast forward 30 years and wow, have times changed! I love that there is so much more information out there, special events, new activities, fun opportunities, and more! But with all of these possibilities, we seem to also have much fuller schedules.

I only ever saw this as a positive, and loved the fact that my 7-year-old daughter had done more, and tried more, than I had in my entire life! But one day that busy exciting schedule came crashing down, and life completely changed for us….

Reindeer Food Recipe and Free Printable Poem

Our family loves celebrating Christmas! We enjoy opening a door of our advent calendar every morning. We like writing letters to Santa. Sipping warm cocoa. Decorating the house. Searching for the elf on the shelf. Baking cookies, and so much more! But one thing we are always sure to do, is mix up some Reindeer food, read the special poem, and sprinkle it in the yard on Christmas Eve. Because this magical recipe will help ensure that Santa’s sleigh finds it way to our house 🙂 Below is our favorite Reindeer Food Recipe, along with a free printable poem. Enjoy!

This article is written by Karissa Tunis
For more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection

How to Make Reindeer Food

Some years we enjoy making this at home together as a family. And other years, I offer to go into school and help each of my children make it with all of their classmates. It is always a huge hit! What I love is that it is less messy than decorating cookies or gingerbread houses, but still offers something fun for the kids to take home and show their parents.

If you decide to make this at school, or with a group of kids, I suggest pouring the ingredients into large separate bowls. Have the kids form a line, and walk around the table (almost like a buffet), adding a scoop of each item to their goody bag. At the end of the line, have a parent or teacher make sure each bag is sealed, and staple the poem to the top. Now their parents will know exactly what to do with this fun reindeer food!

Reindeer Food Recipe

Each child will need one goody bag to store their mixture. What goes in it is up to you, or each little chef. But my favorites are:

1 cup of Oatmeal
1 cup of Birdseed
A few dashes of colored sprinkles
A few dashes of glitter

Karissa Tunis

Reindeer Food Recipe

A fun recipe for kids to mix up and sprinkle on their lawn on Christmas Eve. Help guide Santa's Reindeer to your house!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 2

Total Time 2

Servings: 1 person

Course: Snack

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 cup Oatmeal
1 cup Birdseed
Colored Sprinkles
Glitter

Method

Grab a goody bag and fill it with the ingredients above.
Sprinkle on your lawn on Christmas Eve night to help guide Santa's Reindeer to your house. Enjoy!

Free Reindeer Poem Printable

Grab some cardstock, print this out, and staple it to your goody bags. Read it again on Christmas Eve night before you sprinkle your Reindeer Food on your lawn.

For more on this topic, check out the full Happy Holidays collection

Grain-Free Pancakes Recipe

Try this simple yet delicious recipe for grain free pancakes! Not only are they easy to make, but they are a great healthy option as well!

Going back to school is an exciting time of year! It is also a very busy time as your family is trying to adjust to new routines, early wake-up calls, and developing your new normal all over again. Just be sure that the morning chaos does not result in any missed breakfast meals!

Kids need energy for their school day. So getting a healthy filling breakfast is very important! Here is your perfect solution for whipping up quick and yummy pancakes, enjoy 🙂

For more healthy recipes, check out FaveHealthyRecipes.com

This recipe is provided by Katerina’s Finest
For more on this topic, check out the full Recipes and Back To School collections

Katerina's Finest

Grain Free Pancakes

Kids need energy for their school day. Here is a simple, healthy, and quick option for whipping up some delicious pancakes to start off their day right!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method

Ingredients

1 Banana large
4 Eggs
1/2 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 cup Almond Meal

Method

Mix the ingredients in the blender
Pour a few tablespoons of the mixture into a greased skillet
As soon as it bubbles, flip it over

Grain-Free Pancakes Recipe

Ingredients:

1 large Banana
4 Eggs
½ teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Vanilla
½ cup Almond Meal

Directions:

Mix the ingredients in the blender
Pour a few tablespoons of the mixture into a greased skillet
As soon as it bubbles, flip it over

For more on this topic, check out the full Recipes and Back To School collections

Featured Contributor: Katerina Zeppos

Katerina is a wife, mom of two young children, and founder of Katerina’s Finest which imports only the finest quality olives and olive oil from a small collective in southern Greece. They believe that this region grows the finest and most flavorful olives anywhere in the world! To finish out their line of products, they also produce their own Dressings & Vinaigrettes with a special Greek blend.

- - - - Website: katerinasfinest.com
        
        Facebook: @KaterinasFinestLLC
        
        Instagram: @KaterinasFinestLLC

How to Organize Your Life and Enjoy the Benefits of Calmer Days

We all have a lot going on in our busy lives. But have you ever wondered if it would be possible to organize your life and enjoy the benefits of calmer days? The good news is that there is a way! And if you can relate to any of these comments below, then this article is for you!

The kids are in bed and you sit down on the couch. Looking around, you are surrounded by piles of toys. You are too tired to do anything about it, but you can’t fully relax because you feel a little guilty for not cleaning up.

You sit down at your desk, ready to work, but you keep getting distracted by stray notes left on your desk. Your computer desktop isn’t any better, and you can’t find the files that you need when you need them.

You are on a tight schedule, but you can’t ever seem to get anywhere on time. You feel like you should be better at this. And you wonder how other people manage to get places on time?…

How to Organize a Kitchen for Little Children

Most of us have a preference for where things go in the kitchen. We organize shelves, fill cabinets, and stock the fridge in an order that makes sense to us; or to whomever the cook is in the house. But what about our little children? What makes sense for them? Read below to find out how to organize a kitchen for little children.
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What is a Drop Zone in a House? And How Can It Help My Family?

One thing you might not know about me, is that I absolutely love organizing! Very few things give me more energy and excitement than re-doing a room, re-arranging the playroom, or straightening up a closet! And my very favorite spaces to tackle, are any that are kid related. Whether it’s a bedroom, bathroom, play-space or homework station; I love any and all “child-centered” areas. But what took me a little longer to get a grasp on was our drop zone. Keep reading below to learn more about how to better organize the drop zone, and make it work for your family.
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How to Organize Your Bathroom Cabinet

We have a small built-in closet in our upstairs hallway across from our bathroom. It is the perfect spot for all of those medical supplies and extra toiletries. However, it is also one of those spots that gets messy in a hurry! I generally don’t care about putting things back where they belong when I am digging for medicine for a sick kid at 3am, or if I ran out of conditioner mid-shower and am dripping wet digging for a new bottle. This is bound to happen, and it is just part of the process. But the important thing is that you go back through every so often to declutter and reorganize when the space needs it! If you stay on top of it, it doesn’t take too much time. Continue reading below to learn how to organize your bathroom cabinet.

The more you do it, the faster it will get. Once you come up with a system that works for you, you can be surprisingly speedy!…

How to Keep Your House Clean with One Simple Strategy!

With a house full of children and pets, it is not always easy to keep the house clean! But there is one strategy that I go back to time and time again… piles. Making piles allows me to feel more organized and helps me keep the house clean (as crazy as that might sound). In this article, I’ll be covering how to keep your house clean by using this pile strategy within your own home. Find out why piles are actually okay, and how you can manage them effectively!…

Picking Days – Time Management for Parents to Reduce the Overwhelm

Being a mom is very rewarding, and yet it is also the hardest job in life! Weather you are a stay at home mom, a work from home mom, a work out of the house mom, a single mom, a married mom, a caregiver, or any other combo; trying to juggle life and raise a little one has its challenges! But don’t get me wrong, I would not change it for the world! But I got to a point where I needed to find a better solution for how to organize my focus, which is why I began implementing this strategy that helps with time management for parents.

A few years ago, I tried to come up with a system that would allow it all to feel a bit more manageable. Through lots of trial and error, we have found a system that works for us in this current phase of life. We still don’t get it right 100% of the time. But I can honestly say that I feel better in control of my time now than I did a few years ago….

4 Simple Steps to Organize Your Kid’s Closet

The start of a new year, and the beginning of a new season, often make me think about organizing. Two of my favorite places to start are my children’s playroom and their closets. Once these are finished, my life seems to be in much better order, and our morning routines seem to go much smoother. Below are my 4 simple steps to help you organize your kid’s closet. These strategies have become a way of life for us now, and the result has been truly time saving! …