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When I became a Mom I had a whole lot of aspirations. Mountains of them. I wanted to make cute things for my baby, read her books every day and season every word with grace and love. Was there anything wrong with any of those aspirations? Certainly not! But the problems with goals like that is that it is so easy to obsess over the ones that I can see and share {i.e. take pics of my "awesomeness" and share on Instagram, Facebook and in texts} and overlook the ones that matter. {the seasoned with grace and love ones} You know what I mean? Every time I signed into Pinterest I would go straight to the "Kids & Parenting" category and dream and plan great things. Is that wrong? Nope, not at all! But it made me start spending more time trying to create a perfect "outside" life instead of simply focusing on being a good Mom, which often includes simplifying life and just giving our kids love {spelled t-i-m-e}. So anyway, I have since gone on a Pinterest strike, which simply means I am striving to live the Mommy life in a simpler, old fashioned way. Yes, I still do the occasional DIY project. I even shared one on the blog and I'm planning to share more. But I try to choose them very carefully, and not let them take priority. Yes, I am still on Pinterest and even pin ideas for my kids. But they are pretty much simple, everyday projects. Anyway...part of being the "perfect" Mom meant making cute, kid friendly meals for my little girl, which were often time consuming and impractical. I have since toned it down to about 5 simple and wholesome meals that my kids love.  I'm going to share them here for inspiration for those weeks you have a hard time thinking past cold cereal, but want to. And to just say "it's ok to be a normal Mom, who makes normal food and does ordinary things and loves her kids fiercely despite the fact they only get oatmeal and pb&honey sandwiches instead of a beautiful palm tree scene made out of fruit. :) So...my favorite non-cold-cereal breakfasts for my toddlers. Oatmeal Yes, I know I already gave this one away. :) This is one of my kiddos very favorite breakfasts. I do like to mix it up a little and keep it extra yummy and healthy. Sometimes I'll add a little bit of coconut oil, bananas chunks, raisins, walnuts, peanut butter and/or apples. I usually use half and half instead of milk because growing little people can use all that extra fat and those good nutrients, especially in the morning! Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwiches This is another favorite! Pair it with a cup of milk and I feel like it's a good, solid breakfast for kids. I'll substitute it with jam every now and then, but I just hate to add all that extra sugar! Egg in a Nest/Toad in a Hole Simply butter a piece of bread on both sides, cut a hole in the middle and put it on a hot frying pan. Break an egg into the hole and flip over when the bottom side is done. Traditionally it's supposed to be drizzled with syrup, but honey is a good substitute too!  Crackers & Eggs Ok, this one, I do not like. It's definitely not my favorite, anyway. My husband grew up eating this as a little Amish boy and the first time his Mom made it for me when we were dating I didn't know what to think! But our kids absolutely love it! Especially when Daddy makes it. Scramble eggs however you like to do it. Heat 1/2 to 1 cup of milk in a saucepan and then put whole Ritz crackers in the milk and let it set until they have soaked up the milk and are all soggy. Virgil's Mom also browns butter and pours it over top, but we usually skip that part. Serve the crackers and eggs side by side with a bit of applesauce and your kids will probably love it! Who knows, you might too! ;) Yougurt Parfaits I always feel really good about making this one for my kids. It feels so healthy. :) Just layer yogurt {greek is healthiest!}, any kind of fruit and a little granola or Honey Bunches of Oats. I usually use bananas because that's what we usually have on hand, but in the summer it's easy to keep blueberries, raspberries and strawberries around and those are extra good! :) If you're on the run and want a good breakfast for your kids you would do yourself a favor by investing in some refillable food pouches. {We use these} You can fill them with greek yogurt and grab a banana which is a fairly unmessy fruit, at least for older toddlers and kids, and you have a good, quick breakfast! I also like to throw a little cereal into one of these snack containers to round it out a little. I hope this little list will be helpful to you and I sincerely hope you can find your own Mommy groove without feeling like you need it to look perfect to everybody else looking on! Remember, it is God that we will be answering to in the end, not the perfect looking Mom on Instagram {Who, by the way, is probably actually a lot like you! <3} Blessings to you, Mommies!  This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here. Walls of Home is an affiliate of Amazon.com If you liked this post you might also like these:
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This post contains affiliate links. Read my full disclosure here.
We've all had those seasons in life when we need some truly entertaining activities for our little ones that require minimal to no Mommy supervision or set-up time.
Maybe it's just a sick day or weeks of morning sickness. Maybe you're going through a pretty big life transition like a new baby or moving. Or maybe Mommy just needs a little quiet time herself. Whatever the case, it's often hard to be able to creatively think about something your little toddler can do that will keep them entertained without needing a lot of help. Maybe you're just looking for toy inspiration for your toddler during normal, everyday life. I am a firm believer in the need for daily quiet time with Mommy chosen toys to help grow a child's imagination and self entertainment/contentment skills. A child's imagination has absolutely no room to grow when they're surrounded with tons of toys all day. Taking a little time in a quiet space with one specific toy is so good for brain and skills development! 
A lot of the ideas I have found take either a lot of involvement or a lot of money and sometimes we just don't have time for that!
These are not your typical, creative "Pinterest" things. They're simple, they're not DIY and they're more along the lines of the traditional activities that our Moms might have picked up at the store for us because they did not take the time to make everything themselves. I personally believe that when we take so much time trying to make every project for our kids from scratch we risk stressing ourselves out and actually take away from effective, fun parenting. Most of the time anyway. Balance is always a good thing! So anyway, here are a few of my toddler's favorite toys and activities I keep put away for those special times. 4-In-A-Box Puzzles
So there you have it - some of our favorite quiet time activities! I really hope they help inspire your structured quiet time for your kids - whether it's because you need some quiet time yourself or your simply helping your child grow their imagination in a fun way!
What are your favorite quiet time activities? I would love to hear! 
Everything I mentioned above is accompanied with an affiliate link for reference sake. If you click on a link and purchase an item I will receive a small commission. I did not add links to make money off of you, but so that you can see what I am talking about. Any commission I might receive goes toward maintaining this blog because blogging is not free! :)
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Confession: I don't like champagne. Not even the occasional glass. BUT - these cupcakes? They are the best cupcakes I have ever had. For real. My sister made them several weeks ago so we could actually eat delicious cupcakes while we watched Cupcake Wars. It's kinda a vicious cycle, you know? We watch Cupcake Wars and we have to have make cupcakes. We make exotic cupcakes and we have to watch Cupcake Wars.  When she made these cupcakes for us I posted a picture on Facebook and Instagram and said I would be sharing the recipe soon. At the time I thought the champagne was a twist she added to a cupcake recipe she had. I have found out since that she actually found it on a blog. The chocolate was an added twist, so I'm still going to share the recipe here. But feel free to look up the original recipe at The Cupcake Blog. Chocolate, Raspberry & Champagne CupcakesFor the Cupcakes 2 3/4 cups cake flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup champagne, room temperature 5 egg whites 2 teaspoons vanilla I didn't use cake flour. I researched it a little and I think the cupcakes would've turned out better if I had, but I didn't have it and I didn't have cornstarch to make a substitute. {yeah, I need to go grocery shopping!} You can find the substitute formula here. Now, mix your dry ingredients together and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until it's light and fluffy. {Several minutes}. Add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla. Alternately mix in the dry ingredients and the champagne, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just blended. Fill your cupcake liners about 2/3 full. You should get about 20 cupcakes. Bake at 350 degrees for about 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mix up the ganache while the cupcakes are baking.  Chocolate Ganache1 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream Put the chocolate chips and whipping cream in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 30 second increments, stirring in between each time. Be very careful not to burn it! You can also melt them together in a saucepan on your stovetop. Set aside and let cool a little. Now on to the best part! ;) Raspberry Champagne Buttercream1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 3 tablespoons pureed raspberries (strained to remove seeds) 5 cups confectioner’s sugar 1/4 cup champagne 1 teaspoon vanilla dash of salt Using your electric mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the raspberries, salt and vanilla and mix well. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Finally, add the champagne, a little at a time until your reach the right consistency. I only used about a 1/4 cup and it was still a little runnier that I wanted it to be.  Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled use a knife or a spoon to scoop out a bit of the middle. Unless you're a huge chocolate fan I would suggest not taking out too much. The chocolate can overpower the raspberry and champagne flavors very easily! Spoon the ganache in and then swirl the frosting over top. You want to make sure the cupcake and the ganache are completely cool before you put the frosting on though!  If you don't like the idea of that much chocolate on your cupcakes you can also simply melt chocolate chips and spread a little over the top of the cupcake, let it cool and then frost them. This is how my sister made them and they were delicious that way as well! You can also melt chocolate chips, put it in a small bag, clip a small hole in a corner and pipe out little hearts {or any design} to use as a garnish.  And there you go - the perfect special occasion cupcake! Or the perfect filler for that craving that Cupcake Wars threw at you. ;)
I'd love to hear what you made them for, how they turned out for you and anything else you'd like to share about cupcakes or Cupcake Wars! :) Blessings!  p.s. I usually post only very family friendly recipes, but these are obvious Daddy & Mommy Cupcakes, unless you leave the champagne out of the frosting. Just saying. :) It is totally possible to substitute water for the champagne and maybe a little extra raspberry puree. Which is what I'll be doing for my kiddos. :) If you liked this post you might also like these:
It is so easy to talk about the spiritual battle happening all around us. It's easy to talk about battling for our children's souls. But when it comes to living it out in every day shoe leather - yikes! It's a lot tougher than it seems! It's not that the battle itself is so hard. It is just hard to put your finger on exactly how to do battle. The line between training proper behavior into your children and fighting for their eternity is blurred at times. I have been praying and meditating on this and I feel like God has shown me several ways to be intentional about it. This is by no means a comprehensive list. I know I will keep learning more and more as I grow on this parenting journey, and I'm sure all my readers could add several more ideas to this list! And I sure would love to hear your thoughts. :) Teach them the Word of God Your Word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sing against You. -Psalm 119:11 The Word of God is the very essence of Him. If you want to know God, learn His Word. Dig into the Bible with your kids! Help them memorize it, talk about it with them, explain it to them. Make it a priority! You are putting the sword right into their hands, so they can begin to battle along side of you, when you teach them the Word of God. I asked the Moms, on the "Battlefield Moms" Facebook page, what their favorite and most effective way is to teach their toddlers and younger children Bible verses. The one thing I heard the most was Steve Green's "Hide em in Your Heart" DVD and CD.  Teach them how to apply the Word in a practical way Your Word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path. -Psalm 119:105 This is so closely related to the one above, but it is something we need to purposely decide to do, so I separated them. Fanny Crosby could quote entire books of the Bible as a child, but she did not give her life to Jesus until she was 30. If we do not teach our children how to apply the Scripture to their own personal lives, they could quote the whole Bible without ever following Jesus. Choose verses that are applicable to your child's life. Take time to explain the meaning of the verse or passage your are memorizing. Teach them how to use the Word of God to ward off the attacks of the Devil and strengthen their hearts in the battle! Every soldier needs a light for their path. It's like night vision! :) Teach them to seek truth Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist -Ephesians 6:14a Truth is the belt that holds on the entire suit of armor we are given! Our society is constantly screaming out that reality is found in our social life or, maybe, the true meaning of life is serving self, etc. Half truths, blasting at us and our families from everywhere! First of all we as parents must have a heart for truth. When our children are small we need to seek out the truth for them, but as they get older we must start training their hearts to seek for truth, at all times. An effective soldier needs more than one piece of armor and it is no different for an effective Christian. We can teach our children to seek truth by studying the Word of God, and by praying. Teach them to guard their hearts Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. -Proverbs 4:23 When our children are young it is our job to guard their hearts. That means being purposeful about the movies they watch, the toys they play with, the books they look at and watching the words they say. Give your child the gift of a pure mind by filtering all the influences that come into their little sphere. This is so important! Guarding your heart is one way to put on the "breastplate of righteousness." Teach them obedience But Samuel replied: “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." -1 Samuel 15:22 I am so glad we do not live under the old covenant of sacrifices and burnt offerings! But this verse does give us a glimpse into how important our obedience is to God! If we want to make it easy for our kids to be obedient to God's principles and His calling on their lives, then we need to teach them to be obedient. When they learn to cheerfully obey us as parents, that heart attitude will easily transfer into their relationship with God. Remember, a soldier is always obedient to his General!  Pray, pray, pray! And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people. -Ephesians 6:18 How amazing is it that we can come before the very throne of God and beseech Him on the behalf of our children? It is an awesome privilege, and one that we should practice, over and over again! Grace flows from His throne, giving us strength to go on, strength to make the right choices and strength to walk the path of Motherhood that He has chosen for us! He pours His grace into our mistakes and gives us the wisdom needed to continue on the right way. There are so many ways that prayer is a great weapon to use, but it can all be summed up in one sentence. Run to Jesus! When we don't know how to handle a situation, when our child is rebellious, when we don't feel like fighting, when our child asks difficult questions, when we need grace, when we tremble for their souls, when we have a bad day - the entire parenting journey calls for one thing: taking it to Jesus! Allow His grace to flow from the throne and cover your life. Immerse your parenting in prayer and God will cover you with His wonderful, wonderful grace! Blessings to you as your fight for your children's souls!  If you would like to be part of a group of Mom's passionate about doing battle for the souls of their children, join us on Facebook in the Battlefield Moms group. You will find {almost} daily encouragement and inspiration in the battle! If you liked this post, you might like these too:
This post may contain affiliate links. Walls of Home is an affiliate of Amazon.com. Read my full disclosure here.
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I am on a journey to know Jesus better, and be the wife, mommy and friend that God created me to be, all within the walls of my own little home. <3
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