Easiest protein breakfast cookies for kids, my fave travel baby monitor, springtime finds from Target and more mom stuff from around the internet
Happy Wednesday!
I’m tired, mamas 😅 We’re in the ‘do it myself’ stage with my toddler. This means climbing the stairs now takes five minutes, and eating is a whole new level of mess. It’s magical, though, too! It’s hard to believe she wasn’t even crawling at this same time last year, and now she’s a chatty little miss independent.
We were in Stowe, VT, for a ski trip this past weekend, and seeing all the three and four-year-olds on teeny tiny skis made me even more excited for all that is to come. But I keep reminding myself to enjoy the present stage because, like they always say, time really does fly with these little ones.
Do you have any fun plans for V-Day with your fam? My husband and I are opting to spend Friday making Valentine’s dinner at home with our daughter, Florence. I’m thinking heart-shaped pizzas or homemade pasta, and then we’re going out to eat on Saturday — just the two of us — thanks to Flora’s Gigi for babysitting. Let me know your fun plans in the comments below. Xo
P.S. If you’re still looking for a Valentine’s gift for your kiddoes, check out my article on Glamour.com for my picks.
VIEWS
Click if…
Your baby always falls asleep in the bouncer/swing and you dread the transfer to the bassinet
You’re looking for a last-minute DIY Valentine's craft to make with your kiddoes
You’re breastfeeding and need a little hype up
You’re out of ideas for how to entertain your bigger kids before bedtime
You love sentimental ways to preserve memories and milestones for your babies
You feel like you’re overdue for a wine night with your best mom-friend
You’re going out to V-Day dinner with the kids and tend to order a martini
FINDS: Spring @ Target
We love Cat & Jack in our household, and IYKYK that their (good) kid stuff sells out pretty fast. I’m still kicking myself for not ordering multiple sizes of their beige toddler puffer jacket that came out in the fall. So, here’s your reminder to order ahead for the warmer months while these pieces are still in stock <3
EATS: Easiest Breakfast Cookies
A few years back, I worked at Delish as their branded content manager. I had the fun job of coming up with creative recipe ideas that integrated advertiser products into videos and articles to be posted on the site and, sometimes, in printed book-azines. I’ve loved getting creative once again with food in my current chapter of life, but this time, my client is a picky 19-month-old.
The recipe, below, was inspired by Laura Fuente’s carrot cake breakfast cookies with some additions and edits by moi. Trust me, you’re going to find yourself eating these, too.
We’ve been really into playing ‘tea party’ lately, and these cookies are the perfect healthy-ish treat for the occasion.
INGREDIENTS:
1 mashed banana
1/4 cup nut butter (I use almond or peanut)
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 egg
Optional: 2 tablespoons maple syrup or honey (If you/your kiddoes like a sweeter cookie)
1 1/4 cups quick cooking oats (The Bob’s Red Mill ones are my favorite)
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup finely grated carrot or apple
STEPS:
ONE. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit + grease a baking sheet or line one with parchment
TWO. In a bowl, stir together banana, nut butter, vanilla, egg and (optional) maple syrup/honey
THREE. Add the oats, cinnamon and baking powder
FOUR. Fold the grated carrot or apple into the mixture
FIVE. Use a cookie scooper to drop mounds of dough onto the cookie sheet
SIX. Flatten cookies with your hands (Should make about 15 small, round cookies)
SEVEN. Bake for 15 minutes
EIGHT. Let cool and serve (Or freeze in an air-tight container)
Enjoy! <3
PRODUCT REVIEW: The Nanit Travel Case
We will tell pretty much anyone who will listen how much we love the Nanit. (PSST! The whole site is 20% off right now!)
We didn’t start our parenting chapter with this monitor, though. We initially used a non-wifi video monitor that worked great for us for many months. But when we started getting back into traveling with a baby in tow, it was bulky to pack the camera, monitor screen, cords, chargers and stand. We’ve been using the Nanit for a few months now and can confirm it has been seamless for use at home and while traveling.
When packing, all you need to do is pop the camera off of your regular stand or wall mount and place it in its spot in the travel case. The small, sleek profile makes it easy to pack, and the design keeps all of the accessories organized. The case is about the size of a large hardcover novel and holds the camera, cord, outlet block and flex stand.
I have traveled with another wifi monitor once before, and attempting to connect to the network at our hotel was a nightmare. (I spent over an hour setting it up and never got it to sync.) So, I was a bit nervous to travel with the Nanit, but I was thrilled (and so relieved) to experience how easily it connected on our trip this past weekend. In the Nanit app’s settings, I simply went to ‘network’ and paired the monitor with the rental house’s wifi, and voilà, the feed was live. Once connected, the monitor will remember the network on your next visit. This makes visits to the grandparents so easy! And if it’s not somewhere you’ll visit again, it’s super easy to remove networks after your stay by clicking ‘forget network.’
A pleasant surprise was how it automatically connected to my husband’s app, so only one of us needed to do the pairing process.
Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day and thank you for scrolling with me! Until next week. ❤️
Xo, Mads