Family

School may be out, but learning doesn’t have to be. With summer in full swing, most kids have lost sight of schoolwork and are enjoying their days off outside of the classroom. For the perfect way to beat the heat and indulge in some screen time, introduce your kids to something new with Netflix - whether it’s a documentary about dinosaurs or the moon, you can keep your little ones’ brains active all summer long!

Even though Trent doesn’t have a summer break and we continue learning all year, we still like that Netflix offers shows that promote learning that are still fun and he enjoys. Some of our favorite shows for him come from PBS and are available on Netflix!

Here are some other ideas for your little ones to keep up the learning during the summer!

1. The Great Mouse Detective
2. Busytown Mysteries
3. LeapFrog: Math Adventures to the Moon
4. Turtle: The Incredible Journey
5. The Magic School Bus

 

Let’s not forget about the older kids, here’s some ideas for them too!

1. Lewis & Clark: The Journey Out West
2. Walking with Dinosaurs
3. Secret Yellowstone
4. The Blue Planet
5. When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions

 

Another fun way to continue the learning fun during the summer are with crafts and recipes that you and your little one can make together. For a cool & tasty treat, try making these Strawberry-Yogurt Swirl Popsicles together!

Don’t those look so refreshing and delicious?!

You can enjoy those while creating these Story Starter Cubes and coming up with fun stories together! Your kids will have fun coming up with their own imaginative stories just like the shows and movies they see!

This post was written by me as part of my membership in the Netflix Stream Team. All opinions are my own and honest. Thanks for reading!

 

I’ve been waiting to finish a craft for the nursery in order to make our little girl’s name announcement. Our nursery is finished for the most part, but we are waiting for the baby shower for the last few things to put in there and then we will share some photos, of course! But, I did finish her name over the crib, and since I’m about 36 weeks along, it’s about time I share her name with you…

And along with that fun announcement, I also want to share our maternity photos we took while in Disney in May (Trip report will be starting next week!!). We kind of almost forgot about doing them, but were lucky enough to snag an early reservation at Crystal Palace in the Magic Kingdom in order for us to enter the park early and get some empty park photos in front of the castle.

This session was much different than the ones we took when I was pregnant with Trent. This time, we had a crazy toddler running around and it was super humid already….at 8am!! We quickly took what we could and then ran for the wonderful air-conditioning in the Crystal Palace. I am glad we got some photos, since I’ve been really bad about taking progress photos this time around!

Brett wasn’t really expecting to get into any of the photos, but a security guard cast member kept insisting she take a photo of all of us. At first, we thought she was just being nice like most cast members, but then we had wondered if she was trying to determine whether Brett was actually part of the family, or if I was paying him to take my professional photos…which isn’t technically allowed. So…here is our one family maternity photo with a bunch of people in the background and Brett wearing a backwards baseball hat. Oh, and Trent looking the other way. I guess I’ll take what I can get.

This next photo wasn’t meant to be artistic or anything, we just said to hell with it and let Trent run while we took some more photos. Notice that he’s looking at us…he wants us to chase him. I think it captures the moment perfectly, crazy toddler running around and mommy ignoring him because she’s tired of running after him.

You can see our last set of Disney maternity photos (and others) in this post, and the trip report from that trip in this post.

You might also like: Tips for Going to Disney World While Pregnant

Just 4 weeks left!

 

Ever since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I have been paying so much attention to the foods I eat. I look at ingredients in everything and have really been shocked with some of the things I was eating on a regular basis. And while I sometimes can’t resist some of my cravings (hey, I AM pregnant, after all!) it really has opened my eyes, not only to the things I consume, but also what Trent eats…especially when it comes to his snacks, since that’s all he seems to eat is snacks!

Did you know:

• On average, Americans who snack do it twice a day.
• 42 percent of Americans feel they could commit to having one healthy snack every day.
• 42 percent of snackers are most likely to have an unhealthy snack between 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm.
• 41 percent of snackers are most likely to have an unhealthy snack on Saturdays.
• 43 percent of Americans have treated themselves to an unhealthy snack as a reward for an accomplishment.
• 23 percent have hidden their snacks from others so they wouldn’t have to share.

During the Summer, pool parties and gatherings with friends are a regular occurrence. The days are long & hot, but full of fun and energy. To fuel up for our fun-filled day outside, we started the day will a deliciously healthy breakfast tasting party, with Taste of Nature bars as the star of the show!

A little more about Taste of Nature:

Taste of Nature believes Real Tastes Good, and creates delicious, certified organic, gluten-free certified, non-gmo project verified snack bars with real, nuts, fruits and grains that you can see (and under 200 calories, too). Nothing artificial, no fillers and no chemicals – what you see is what you get with these bars. For more information, visit tasteofnature.ca.

Benefits of Taste of Nature bars:

• Certified Organic
• Non-GMO
• Certified Vegan
• Certified Kosher
• Gluten Free
• Low glycemic index
• No additives
• No artificial flavours
• No artificial sweeteners
• No animal products
• No dairy
• No preservatives
• No simple sugars
• No Sulphur Dioxide
• No cholesterol
• No wheat
• Low sodium

How amazing is that list of benefits?!

We had 5 flavors to try:

Canadian Maple Forest: pecans, apricots, brazil nuts, raisins, maple syrup

California Almond Valley: almonds, raisins, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds

Brazilian Nut Fiesta: raisins, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, brazil nuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds

Himalayan Goji Summit: peanuts, raisins, sunflower seeds, almonds, goji berries, raspberries

Québec Cranberry Carnival: peanuts, raisins, sesame seeds, almonds, cranberries, pumpkin seeds

Persian Pomegranate Garden: cashews, walnuts, figs, cranberries, apples, pomegranate, raspberries

Just look at those bars! You can see what they are made of…the fruits, nuts and seeds are all prominent in every bar so you know exactly what you’re eating. Yum.

This was also my first time tasting Taste of Nature bars and not only did I think they were delicious, but so did everyone else! Everyone liked being able to try different varieties to see what they liked best. Guests were able to take an entire bar to enjoy, but I also set up a yogurt parfait bar!

I chopped up the Taste of Nature bars into little bite-sized pieces as a yummy topping for the yogurt, blueberries, strawberries, bananas and chocolate chips.

Even our picky little Trent found a favorite…we didn’t expect him to devour a Taste of Nature bar the way he did and as you can see he looked very hesitant at first…

…but then he ran off and ate the entire thing! You know it’s tasty when Trent approves!

For those that needed a little extra for their breakfast, a bagel bar!

I was especially happy to invite a friend over that maintains a gluten-free diet. It felt good to have her be able to enjoy something and taste new options without worrying about gluten. She proclaimed the ones she tried were chewy, tasty and filling!

At just $1.99 a bar, they are an affordable, healthy & tasty snacking option!

I’m a slow-mover these days, so it was nice to sit and relax with friends to enjoy some tasty and healthy treats before playing outside all day!

 

Where to buy Taste of Nature: http://www.tasteofnature.ca/where-to-buy/

For those of you in Tallahassee, you can get Taste of Nature Bars at New Leaf Market Co-op!

 

Get social with Taste of Nature!

Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

 

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

 

Not to get all sappy or anything, but did anyone else sit back at certain events BEFORE they had kids and wonder what it would be like when you had your kids there in the future? Of course, holidays are time when that happens, but a big one for me was the few times we would go to our local park for the big 4th of July fireworks event. Brett and I would be in our chairs stuffing our faces with delicious food and see all the kids running around and having fun. I think this mostly stands out to me because the last time we went, we were in the process of trying to conceive, so my mind was consumed with future baby Svenson activities.

We didn’t go in 2012 because Trent was less than a month old and last year’s event got rained out. So we were pretty excited to be going this year with a beautiful forecast. At first, we weren’t going to go if it was just going to be us 3, thinking Trent would get bored and antsy. But luckily, Brett’s sister and her friend and all the kids decided to come too and we even added some pool time and barbecue beforehand…it was such a great day!

Trent is such a good sharer…he would always take 2 chips out of the bag…one for him and one for me. “Here, mom…I know you like Doritos!”

With full bellies and water-logged children in tow, we ventured to the fireworks. Our city offers free bus rides that run continuously from a nearby office building, making it easier to get in and out of the park. Trent sat there so well the entire time, looking out the window and being patient…I had never seen anything like it haha!

Brett led the way and found us a perfect spot. We don’t really need to see what’s on the stage and you can hear it from everywhere…Brett just made sure we had a good fireworks spot and a good path to get back to the buses on the way out.

We put the blankets down and opened up our chairs and Trent was ready to run around and play. His auntie just bought him this muscle shirt and what a perfect opportunity to wear it than celebrating America in the South lol!

He did not want to stop running and playing to take a photo with mommy. Looks like we already embarrass him…

The big kids came back with balloons and popsicles and I was so happy that Trent’s cousin remembered him because that boy was over-the-moon happy with his balloon and popsicle.

This next photo has to be one of my new favorites. He was so happy running around with the big kids…even though they were making sure not to run into him and knock him over, he still felt like he was part of the game and ran around and around our little area over and over. Even after all the kids sat down because they were tired, Trent was still ready to play more.

‘murica.

Brett ventured towards the stage to get a different viewpoint. You can see all the vendors lined up behind all the people.

The fireworks started at 9:45, and while they were no where near the level we have come to expect from Disney, they lasted a good 15 minutes and Trent watched the entire time.

Of course, on our way out, we didn’t pick the best bus line to be in…but we still only waited in line about 20 minutes for a bus. Someone offered Trent and I a set of seats - score for being pregnant and carrying a toddler!

We got home late, but Trent the party animal was still awake. It was a wonderful day and Trent had the best time. I hope you had a great day celebrating too!

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway for an iFrogz Tadpole portable bluetooth speaker!

 

I’m sorry everyone…I’ve been really slacking on the baby updates this time around. We’ve taken one progress photo and a few maternity photos at Disney World…and that’s it. The nursery is still a mess and we haven’t even painted it yet.

“We’re not ignoring you baby girl…we’re just really bad with timing this time around, so don’t surprise us with a super early arrival ok?”

I had my shower at work this past week. I don’t normally post too many work details here, but I just have to tell you how amazing my boss is at party-planning. In the 2 years I’ve been here, she’s had to do three wedding showers and 1 baby shower and she can turn a conference room into another world when you walk in.

There was lots of delicious food and it was nice to see everyone come by for a visit. Even Brett and Trent joined us

One of the items on our Baby Registry is a Baby Jogger City Select Double Stroller, so everyone pitched in to make a little mobile with photos of me and the stroller and money to go towards the stroller. Such a cute idea!

I’m so happy to work with such wonderful people. It was also nice enjoying all the leftovers the next day!