Adore Them Parenting

Practical Positive Parenting Advice and Resources

Practical Positive Parenting

Go here for our book!

Karissa Tunis

Kids Coupon Game – Free Printable

Kids Coupon Game – Free Printable

Kids love to imitate what they see their parents doing, so why not take that opportunity to teach them about financial responsibility and good spending habits? With the printable below, created by the folks at Capital One Shopping, you can get your little ones involved in saving money while also purchasing something they are excited about. Have them choose a toy or special treat, such as a pizza or favorite snack item, and help them find a coupon for it. If they are able to find a coupon for that item, reward them by buying that item the next time you are out shopping.

To help you and your little ones get started, Capital One Shopping has also pulled together some great couponing tips. By teaching your children how to be frugal, you are encouraging them to develop good money management skills and healthy spending habits. After playing this game a few times, you may even find them clipping coupons on their own!

Kids Coupon Game – Free Printable

For more on this topic, check out the full Saving Money collection

For more on this topic, check out the full Saving Money collection

Sunday Brunch: Tofu Pancakes

Tofu is one of the most versatile foods around. While it doesn’t have any particular taste on its own, you can pair it with just about any flavor – spicy, sweet, sour – and it will come out a winner. This is, of course, providing you know how to prepare it. Below we will look at both sweet and savory versions of tofu pancakes to bring some punch to your Sunday brunch.

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Home and Recipes collections

Sweet Tofu Pancakes

This recipe uses silken tofu, which is smooth, soft, and perfect for blending with other ingredients to give your finished recipe a creamy texture. The combination of silken tofu and a ‘flour’ made from blitzed oats is perfect for everyone, including those who crave pancakes and don’t eat gluten. Drizzle these babies with maple syrup and fresh fruit, and you’re all set.

This recipe below serves 4 people.

 

Sweet Tofu Pancake Ingredients

  • 2 1/4 cups rolled oats, divided
  • 1 small packet of silken tofu (8 ounces)
  • 3/4 cup plant-based milk (almond works well, otherwise any kind)
  • Maple syrup (2 tablespoons for the recipe, plus more for serving)
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted* (plus either cooking spray or more coconut oil for cooking pancakes)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • Sea salt
  • 1 egg (OR 1 tablespoon chia seeds, soaked in 4 tablespoons water for vegan pancakes)

*If your coconut oil isn’t already soft – this is to enable it to blend. You can melt it gently in a bain-marie or the microwave.

 

Method

Blitz 1 3/4 cup of the oats in a food processor or blender till you get a fine flour. Add the silken tofu (without the liquid) along with the remaining ingredients. Blend till smooth, and then pour into a bowl. Stir in the rest of the oats, and let the batter stand so that it can thicken (about 10 minutes).

Now melt 1 teaspoon coconut oil in a large pan or skillet (nonstick) over medium heat. Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup for each pancake to pour the batter into the pan. Let it cook till you can see bubbles forming on the top. The edges of your pancake should start to turn golden brown. At this point, flip over the pancake and fry for another 2 minutes or so.

Repeat this process till all pancakes are cooked, adding a teaspoon of coconut oil in between pancakes if needed (you can use a nonstick cooking spray instead if you wish).

Serve with maple syrup and fresh fruit, if desired. Enjoy!

[Read: Quarantine Baking Recipes Your Kids Will Love]

 

Savory Tofu Pancakes

These pancakes make great additions to any brunch, as well as an easy treat for packed lunches or an accompaniment to dinner.

This recipe serves 5 people.

 

Savory Tofu Pancake Ingredients

  • 1 packet extra-firm tofu
  • 1 shallot, diced
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
  • 2 tablespoons tahini or nut butter (peanut, almond)
  • 1/3 cup water (possibly more, see method below)
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free or all-purpose flour
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • Savory dipping sauces (optional, for serving)

 

Method

First, set the tofu to drain while you prepare the rest of the ingredients. The drier your tofu, the better it will soak up flavors like a sponge. If you have a tofu press like this, place the tofu in the press. Leave it for about 5 minutes or more, depending on the manufacturer’s instructions.

If you don’t have a tofu press, press your tofu by hand. Wrap your tofu in a towel and put it in a colander, and put a weight on top. Leave it to drain for about 30 minutes.

Heat a large nonstick pan, griddle, or skillet over low to medium-low heat.

With your hands, crumble the tofu into your food processor and add the diced shallot, soy or tamari, nut butter, and 1/3 cup water. Process well till the mixture is smooth. The batter should be fairly thin. Taste the batter and add a bit of salt or a bit more soy sauce if desired.

Now put the tofu mixture into a large bowl. Stir in the flour and a few grinds of black pepper. Check the consistency: your batter should now be thick like pancake batter. If you need to, add a bit more water or flour to adjust.

To cook your pancakes, use a 1/3 cup measuring cup to scoop up the batter and pour it into the hot pan. Spread it out gently for a thin pancake, making sure there is enough room between pancakes to flip them.

Cook each pancake till the bottom is golden brown and you can see bubbles forming on the surface (about 4-6 minutes).

Serve warm and enjoy with your favorite savory dipping sauces on the side.

[Read: Veggie-Packed Lasagna (Grain Free)]

For more on this topic, check out the full Staying Home and Recipes collections

 

Tricks for Turning Your Backyard into a Campsite

Tricks for turning your backyard into a campsiteCamping is such a wholesome and brilliant activity. Getting back to nature and away from technology offers a much-needed respite from the daily grind. It can also encourage your kids to get off their screens and enjoy your family time together. But when it comes to actually packing up and heading into the great outdoors, it’s understandable that you might have your reservations. If you (or your kids) don’t fancy roughing it, you can still enjoy all the fun of camping in your own backyard! Follow our simple tricks and tips below to transform your backyard into a campsite that everyone will be proud of… And don’t forget the snacks!

For more on this topic, check out the full Summer Safety & Activities and Travel Tips collections

How to Turn Your Backyard into a Campsite

Pitch the tent

It’s not camping without a tent! Pull out your family-sized tent from summer storage, or grab a few pop-up tents to give everyone their own space. Then stuff them full of sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, and even stuffed animals.

If you fancy a bit more of a challenge, you could build a fabulous tepee with some lodge poles and canvas. Not only will this make an uber cozy shelter, but it will also offer a sense of satisfaction that’s hard to beat!

 

Build a fire

Next on our list of campsite essentials is the fire. If you have a fire pit, all you’ll need is some coal, firewood, and kindling to get a roaring campfire going. Or you could build your fire in a metal container for safety. Who does’t love story time by the campfire, or a few toasted s’mores?!

Just be sure to contact your neighborhood fire department to check whether there are any rules or regulations for outdoor fires in your area. And always keep a careful eye on the kids!

 

Stargazing

Stargazing is definitely one of the best things about camping outdoors. Do a bit of Googling before you head out so you can impress everyone with your knowledge of constellations. Or just enjoy the pretty lights.

If there’s too much light pollution in your local area, or you’ve picked a cloudy night, you can easily create your own starlight by stringing up some fairy lights.

 

Allocate jobs

Camping is more fun when everyone joins in! Ensure that each person gets involved with pitching the tent(s), or building the tepee – even if it takes longer. Older kids can collect firewood, and younger children can help with bedding or food prep. Sensible children could even help build the fire (under careful supervision, of course).

[Read Chore Chart by Age & the Benefits of Teaching Responsibility]

 

Plan a singalong

Singalongs around the campfire are classic for a reason! Before you settle down for the evening, have everyone pick their favorite song and get singing! You could even print out the lyrics for a really organized evening.

If you have a guitarist in the family, make sure the guitar is tuned up and ready for a good old-fashioned camping experience with backing music.

 

Limit devices

If your goal is to bring the family together and experience a night in nature (even if you just decided to turn your backyard into a campsite), then electronic devices are a big no-no! Phones, iPads, and video games can all stay indoors while you’re camping.

Rather than spending the whole time attached to their screens, camping should involve conversation, games, singalongs, and other technology-free activities. Your cell should stay indoors too! If your 10-year-old isn’t allowed to talk to their friends during family time, you shouldn’t be checking Twitter either!

 

Cook outdoors

There’s no point in building an awesome campfire if you’re running back into the kitchen every 10 minutes to prepare dinner! Use a pie iron to make delicious grilled cheeses, pudgy pies, quesadillas, and breakfasts directly on the fire. The long handles mean that older kids can even get involved and cook their own food.

 

All the snacks

Once you’ve finished your delicious campfire dinner, it’s time for dessert! Get some long metal or wood skewers for roasting marshmallows or building s’mores. Let each kid warm their own snacks over the campfire: roasting marshmallows is no fun if someone else does it for you!

You should also bring snacks that don’t need cooking to enhance your campout. Chips, dips, carrots, popcorn, and anything else you can think of will provide essential fuel for campers young and old.

 

Relax!

Once you’ve finished turning your backyard into a campsite, it’s time to relax and enjoy the festivities. We love mixing up some cocktails for the grown-ups and mocktails for the kids. Then end the evening with some hot cocoa (bonus points if you make the cocoa on the campfire!) and stories. And don’t forget to make a proper camping breakfast in the morning to complete the experience!

[Read Easy Homemade Instant Hot Cocoa Recipe (3 Ways)]

 

Turn Your Backyard into a Campsite

With these tips, your family is sure to create memories that will last a lifetime. And your kids might even learn some new skills – all from the comfort of your backyard!

 

For more on this topic, check out the full Summer Safety & Activities and Travel Tips collections

Tricks for turning your backyard into a campsite

14 Random Acts of Kindness to Practice This February

Everyone has days where they struggle. Struggling may look different for each person, but one thing that’s universal is kindness. A simple random act of kindness has the power to change the trajectory of a person’s day. It can put a smile on the face of someone who is having an off day. 

February is the month of love. One way to celebrate love is by showing kindness to your community, loved ones, and even yourself. To help inspire kindness, Redbubble is sharing this 14-day love and kindness ideas calendar (that you can download for free below!)

Challenge your family to spread kindness by using this calendar. Either follow along day-by-day or pick your own order. Each time you complete an act of kindness, check off the heart. At dinner each night, take a moment to have each family member share what their act of kindness was.

 

For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

Free Valentine’s Day Printable Bundle

 

Day 1: Send a letter of encouragement

Send a letter of encouragement to someone who could use a smile. Print out mandala coloring pages to put in the letter so the recipient has a fun activity to entertain them and keep them calm. If you have young kids, have them color the designs and send the artwork in the letter instead. 

 

Day 2: Bake a treat for your neighbor

What’s your favorite item to bake? Bake your favorite treat or a treat you think your neighbor will like and package it up with a printable treat tag. 

 

Day 3: Leave a positive review at a local spot

Many small businesses have been struggling this past year. Lift them up by writing a positive review or sharing their posts on social media.

 

Day 4: Give someone a compliment

Whether it’s from six feet away or on Zoom, brighten someone’s day by complimenting them. 

 

Day 5: Create a pick-me-up kit 

Do you know someone who’s in a rut? Create a pick me up kit with printable notes and leave it on their doorstep.

 

Day 6:  Bring flowers to an essential worker

There are many selfless heroes who are working overtime to keep us safe. Brighten their day with some brightly colored flowers. 

 

Day 7: Send someone a candid photo

Go through your camera roll and find photos you have with the special people in your life. Send them the photo and a nice note. 

 

Day 8: Leave a note in a loved one’s lunch

Show your appreciation for your family members by including a surprise printable note in their lunch.

 

Day 9: Pay for someone behind you in line

When you’re out getting lunch or coffee, pay for the person behind you. If you don’t have the financial means, you can offer your time by letting them cut you in the check-out line. 

 

Day 10: Start a gratitude journal

When you start recognizing the positives, you become more positive. Start a gratitude journal to document all the things you’re grateful for. 

 

Day 11: Clean up your community

Make your neighborhood a cleaner and prettier place to live. Pick up trash for an hour or plant flowers in a community garden. 

 

Day 12: Give yourself a break

Spreading love and kindness includes practicing self-care. If you’re not at your best, you can’t be there for the people you love. Take a break and practice self-care in a moment you’d normally fill with other to-dos. 

 

Day 13: Give a friend your favorite book

Raise your hand if you have a bookshelf of books you probably won’t read again. Rather than letting them gather dust, give them to a friend with a personalized printable bookmark. 

Day 14: Leave a love note in a stranger’s mailbox

Some are saddened by Valentine’s Day and could be feeling especially alone. Be sure to spread the love by leaving love notes in stranger’s mailboxes.

 

For more on this topic, check out the full Be My Valentine collection

 

Gentle Potty Training – 12 Parenting Tips for Potty Training Success!

gentle potty training successPotty training can feel daunting when you’re approaching that stage of development, but I hope after reading this post, you’ll have some practical tools to help you achieve potty training success without too much stress! Between potty training both of my boys, I feel like I have a few pointers for fellow moms that are trying to potty train their little ones. And all of my methods follow a natural, simple, gentle potty training approach that does not include rewards or punishments. …

Read More

7 Tips for Keeping Your Child Safe in a High Chair

7 tips for keeping your child safe in a high chairToddlers are the most curious little creatures. They tend to observe everything and imitate whatever they see. That’s probably why they get excited about every new little thing they see or hear. While you want to enjoy those tiny moments with your kid, you also want to make sure they are safe. And the last thing you want to see is your child getting injured from a fall. Studies show that toddlers under the age of 3 are most likely to have accidents from falling out of a high chair. So keep reading below to find out how to keep your child safe in a high chair.

For more on this topic, check out the full Baby’s First Year or All About Toddlers collection

7 High Chair Safety Tips

 

Don’t Put Your Child in a High Chair without Supervision

It’s good practice for your toddler to sit on a high chair with good posture and comfort. But you need to keep a constant eye on them when they are sitting on a high chair, or even other high surfaces. For working moms it’s a real struggle to keep that perfect work-life balance. And we totally understand that. But whomever you are appointing to babysit your child, instruct them well so they don’t leave your little one unattended while using the high chair.

 

Safety Harness Is Crucial

Toddlers literally never stop moving. And you cannot control that. But what you can try to control is their safety while moving in a high chair. If the chair your child is in comes with a harness, then be sure to use it and buckle him up. Some high chairs come with 3 point or 5 point harnesses for ensuring your child’s safety. Usually the main three points are the shoulders, chest and lower hip area. The upper point buckles make sure your child is snug-fitted with the chair. The lower buckle stops your kid from slipping under the tray.

 

Teach Them the Basics First

Toddlers are the quickest when it comes to learning and picking up habits, both good and bad. That means, it is the perfect time for moulding their traits. So, try teaching them the basics about their self care and safety. You might have been focusing on letting them sit and eat on their own. Besides that, it is also important to tell them what they shouldn’t do and exactly why. Talk to them about not climbing onto tables, jumping off of a high chair, undoing their buckles, or other actions that could cause them to get hurt. Just remember that you are trying to warn them, not frighten them.

 

Purchase a Child-Friendly High Chair

As parents we want to give the best to our children. And when it comes to their safety we need to double check the products that we are buying. There are some amazing high chairs for counter height tables specifically designed for little kids. These high chairs are safe and offer to serve multi-purpose usage. Years ago mothers wouldn’t have had so many safe options to choose from. But now we do. So do your research and make the best selection for your little one.

 

Limit Playtime in the High Chair

Creative playtime is not only important, but also necessary for a little child as they learn a lot through playing. They learn communicating, decision making, and exploring their imaginations. That’s why you must not interrupt or discourage their playtime. But in an indirect manner you should always discourage your precious child not to play on a high chair, table, or any other high surface.

To be precise, if they start playing on their chair, you can gently put them down along with all their toys. Discourage them not to climb up or jump on their high chair in a sweet manner. Additionally, you should place the chair afar from the countertop or tables. Because, sometimes kids tend to kick it and push themselves back with the chair. Remember, prevention is always better than cure.

 

Routine for Using High Chair

Some children respond better to routine as this allows them to recognize what is coming next. For example, arrange their foods on the removable tray at the fixed time everyday and put them in their high chair. After a while, they will get used to the routine and slowly their mind will adopt the time and schedule of using a high chair.

 

Keep Checking on the Chair’s Stability

The CPSC has published a set of requirements that the manufacturers of high chairs must meet for stability and restraint systems. So, always check for the CPSC certification before buying a high chair, especially for the little one in your home. Depending on your kid’s age, height, and weight, the stability of a high chair will vary. So, when buying a suitable high chair, crosscheck its compatibility with your usage.

 

Final Words….

Little kids are heavenly blessings. Hopefully these seven safety tips will be helpful regardless of your child’s nature. With time and patience, you can slowly teach them manners, good behavior, and good meal-time practices. And getting them used to the safety measures when they are using a high chair, is one of the basics you will want to teach your little one.

 

For more on this topic, check out the full Baby’s First Year or All About Toddlers collection

7 tips for keeping your child safe in a high chair

Free Hospital Bag Checklist for Pregnancy

free hospital bag checklist

Be prepared for the big arrival of your little one! Print out a free hospital bag checklist during your pregnancy and start preparing for the arrival of your new baby.

The birth of your baby is such an exciting time! However, it can also feel chaotic! In order to help, we put together this free hospital bag checklist to help you feel a bit more prepared. Our community of moms contributed advice on what they loved having in their pregnancy hospital bag, and what they never ended up using.

Keep in mind that no matter how prepared you are leading up to your baby’s birth, things happen. This is one situation that we don’t have full control over. So we need to also be prepared to go with the flow and adapt as much as we need to along the way.

After all, the perfect end result is having a healthy baby and a healthy mama! Whatever is needed to get you to that point will be totally worth it! So take a deep breath, plan as best as you can, and enjoy the moment! Because it will go much faster than you think. But you can do it!

Prepare, plan, but be ready to adapt. You got this!

Read more pregnancy and birth stories:

3 Kids, 3 Very Different Birth Experiences

Successful VBAC with a Doula

My Home Birth, and Why I Loved It

For more on this topic, check out the full Pregnancy Through Postpartum collection

free hospital bag checklist

Free Printable Holiday Gift Tags


Free Printable Holiday Gift Tags
The holidays are such a busy and expensive time of year! Here is a little something to help you wrap and tag those gifts for free 🙂
Simply print out as many copies of these holiday gift tags as you’d like and add them to your presents this year!

Free Printable Holiday Gift Tags

For more on this topic, check out the full Gift Giving collection

 

Free Pirate Party Printables for Kids

A few years ago, I threw a Pirate Party for my son’s birthday. The kids had so much, and I had a lot of fun planning it too! Below are free Pirate Party Themed Printables which include a pirate treasure map and pirate signs that you can use for your own pirate party. You can soak them in tea, bake them, or burn the edges to give them an edged look if you want to go the extra mile 🙂

Free Pirate Party Printables

For more on this topic, check out the full Party Planning collection

Pretend Play Printables for Kids

My favorite version of imaginative play when I was little was playing doctor. I had a whole doctor’s office set up & would keep paperwork on my “patients.” I also loved going to the local children’s museum & pretending to go grocery shopping (oddly enough, grocery shopping is not quite as fun as an adult…)

Because pretend play is such an important part of childhood, I wanted to put together some free printable options for you to use! You can laminate them to make them more durable or simply print out some extra copies! Hope that they inspire hours of fun 🙂

Pretend Play Printables for Kids

For more on this topic, check out the full Winter Activities collection

Indoor Winter Activity Ideas for Kids

Parenting can get a whole lot more challenging over the winter months. You are stuck inside more often, it gets dark early in the evenings, and illnesses are often drifting around. I’ve put together a list of indoor activities that you can use to entertain your children during these days where you are stuck inside and going a little bit stir crazy!

Go here to read…

 

Family Nights In

Something that we love to do on a cozy night at home is turn on the music, pull out a puzzle, coloring book, or a fun game. If I am being completely honest, I am not the type of mom that loves to sit on the floor and make barbies talk. But I love to set up the barbie house, the camper, the horse barn, … actually the whole village! I love organizing and displaying; but not so much the actual play. However, in our house, it works out. My three children love that I create these awesome play canvases with them, and then the three of them dive in and play for hours.

Go here to read…