When you think of Dolphin Mall, you probably think of Johnny Rockets and outlet shops. And while it is Miami-Dade County's largest outlet shopping center, there is a lot to do at Dolphin Mall. Especially in the summer months, when you need to beat the heat, Dolphin Mall has it covered for you, your kids, and everyone else in the family - from shopping, to dining, to entertainment, and then some. 

A couple of weeks ago, the mall hosted me and a few other mommy bloggers who are from Miami. I attended with Chloe, so there were a few things we didn't really get to enjoy as much as if I had had Caleb with me, but Caleb went to camp because I wasn't ready to brave the mall with both of them at the same time, especially when Caleb is hit or miss in situations like that. 

We started off the morning at Dave & Busters, with some breakfast and game time. Kids really love Dave & Buster's because of all the games. I know the last time Caleb was there he had a blast! 

After Dave & Buster's we hit Forever 21, where the older kids got to do some crafts and activities, while us moms browsed all the cute merchandise. This Forever 21 is enormous, so you are bound to find something to fit your needs!

Then we were off to Cinebistro for lunch and a movie. Cinebistro is a movie dining experience. The way it works is you book your seats in advance when you purchase your tickets. They suggest arriving 30 minutes prior to the movie start time so you can place your orders for food and drink (they have a full service bar), and you can order anything up until 5 minutes before the movie starts. The waitstaff brings you your food and drinks, and you never have to get up out of the big, comfy seats. It is kid friendly for any showings before 6 pm. Any showings after 6 pm, and guests must be 21 and over.  The food was good, the dessert was even better! 

After the movie, I hit a couple of shops, including H&M (they have a pretty big location here with a kid's section, too). Then Chloe had a diaper blowout and I had to pick Caleb up, so we headed out. But Dolphin Mall really has so much to offer. Below I'm listing their summer promotions. If you need something to entertain your kids (or yourself) this summer, and beat the sweltering South Florida weather and the afternoon thunderstorms, Dolphin Mall definitely is the place to go! 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

Cobb Theaters: Tuesday June 12 - Thursday August 2, Cobb theaters will offer free admission to kids for screenings of kid friendly movies every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday at 10 am. [305.591.9380]

Dave & Buster's: All games half price on Wednesdays. [305.468.1555]

Buffalo Wild Wings: All summer, kids eat free every Wednesday from 5 to 11 pm. [305.513.2660]

Bowlero: 
Monday Mayhem: $14.19 Unlimited bowling with shoe rental. Food & drink specials starting at 8 pm. 
Wednesdays: Unlimited Laser Tag Missions - $15 per person starting at 6 pm. 

Cool-de-sac: 
Mondays: BOGO 50% admissions. 
Tuesdays: $5 off admission
Wednesdays: Kids eat free
Fridays: BOGO 50% off on select appetizers

Before I became a mom, I had all these ideas in my head of how I would be this “perfect parent.” You know, the one every book and blog and sanctimommy (a sanctimonious mommy) tells you you should be. I would only breastfeed, I would read the perfect amount to my baby every day, I would feed him the most perfectly balanced, completely homemade organic diet, I would do all kinds of activities for his development. He would never touch sugar, and I would never have to punish my child. My house would be a spotless dream home because my perfect child would allow me to keep house like a good wife should. Real moms, are you laughing yet? Because I’m killing myself with this daydream. 

Over the years, I’ve learned to throw out the image I had in my head and the expectation that I would be this “picture perfect” parent. For starters, I’m not Susie Homemaker, nor will I ever be. I forget to switch the laundry and have to re-do a load sometimes more than once. More often than not, 5 pm rolls around and I’m face palming myself thinking, “Oh crap, I forgot to defrost something for dinner.” 

I did manage to breastfeed well past my goal with Caleb, but it wasn’t without its  hiccups. I struggled to produce enough milk for a while, and I had to come to terms with supplementing with formula or donor milk until I could get my supply to where I needed it to be. 

And while I did manage to make a lot of his meals, I also learned really quickly that I needed to make the most efficient choices for my family sometimes, and sometimes, a homemade meal was just not in the cards. Pouches and store bought foods became my BFFs. And even though I managed to keep him away from added sugars his first year, after that it was a losing battle - so I limit it when I can and I don’t let him have it in the evenings, but I’m not going to lose my mind over a little frosting. 

And my perfect house? Haha. You can only imagine how that turned out. 

But what I have learned is that motherhood doesn’t have to be ALL or NOTHING. It is a huge balancing act. And we need to stop feeling guilty for not being the perfect image we had in our heads. 

Picture this... you’ve been breastfeeding your whole maternity leave. Come the time you go back to work and you’re struggling to pump and keep your supply up while you’re away from baby. You’re not producing enough while at work. Does this mean the end of your breastfeeding relationship? If you don’t want it to end, why does it have to be breast OR formula, when it very well could be both?  Breastfeed while you’re with your baby, and give formula when you’re not. Simple as that. You stop making yourself crazy and you stop beating yourself up. 

Food? Pick your battles. All organic can get expensive, and sometimes you just don’t have the budget for it. So stick to buying organic when it comes to the “dirty dozen,” and don’t worry about the rest. Whole Foods doesn’t need to take all your money, contrary to popular belief. If you're really set on home-cooked meals for your toddler, a service like Babe Appetit (which I have talked about here) could fit your bill - and it's been a lifesaver in our house. 

And my house? Well, I’ve succumbed to the organized chaos around me, but when we were married, one of the non-negotiables was someone to clean the house every two weeks. So it may not be perfect all the time, but it’s clean. 

When it comes to gear, you don’t NEED all the “latest and greatest” contraptions that exist on the market. All these companies are constantly ploying to get you to open up your wallet for them. They convince you that you NEED the $1000 stroller or the $200 baby food maker. Truth is, your baby will be just as safe and just as comfortable in the less expensive stroller and with baby food you made in a blender you already own. Pick and choose what makes sense for you and what will truly SIMPLIFY your LIFE. Babies actually need very little when it comes down to it. 

What I’m trying to get to is that there’s no perfect way to parent. Love your kids. Do your best by them. Your best may look different from my best and that’s okay. You have nothing to prove to anyone and nobody needs to be involved in the decisions you make in parenting your children. And if another Mom tries to make you feel bad about something you’re doing, then throw her a bone, because she’s probably beating herself up about something, too.

xoxo, 

​Jenise

To help you achieve some balance, I've teamed up with Babe Appetit and we are giving away a week's worth of meals. There are three steps - just use the widget below to complete all the steps and then you will be entered to win a Foodie Meal plan. You'll also get free delivery if you live within 5 miles of 33143. Any further than that and you'd be responsible for the delivery fee (which starts at $10). The Winner will be announced Thursday morning. Good luck!

I feel like this photo pretty accurately captures my joy, my surprise, and my anxiety all at the same time. Seeing the photo reminds me to stop and breathe through these frustrations, because for a while I didn't think there would be another pregnancy for me. I took a few minutes out of my day that day and the next few to jot down a few thoughts, and I thought today was as good a day as any to share them with you. 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you might have seen that I was asked to be a contributing blogger for Parents Connect, the official blog of Nicklaus Children's Hospital. I'm really excited for this opportunity because Nicklaus is such a wonderful organization that does so much for the children in the community. It's been around since 1950 and it has grown enormously even in just the past few years.

I had a chance to tour the hospital and visited their cardiac unit as well as their newest wing. The rooms are incredible and everything is state-of-the-art. And while I, like every parent, hope to never need to take my children to the hospital, it is so nice to know that such a wonderful organization exists in my own backyard. 

Another thing you know about me if you follow me on social media is that Caleb has been in swimming lessons since he was a year old. His first summer we did a slow intro to swimming, and last summer we did intensive one-on-one swimming lessons with Sloan's Swim School. We recently finished building a pool in our backyard (which I will do a blog post on, too!), and as soon as the water went into the pool, Caleb went back to swimming for a refresher course. And while knowing how to swim and float is definitely at the top of my list for water safety precautions, there are also several other things that we as parents should be doing to make sure our children are safe in and around the water. This week will be full of pools and beach time for many of us, and we need to be extra conscious of our little ones in these circumstances.

"Living in South Florida, we are surrounded by water. If we don’t live near a body of water, there are pools in many backyards - our own or that of our families. Over the last few months, we completed the construction of a pool in our backyard, and as soon as that pool was filled with water, water safety was on my mind. Considering that there were more than 80 drowning deaths in South Florida last year, I want to be sure to always keep my children safe in and around the water."

Over on the Parents Connect blog, I'm talking about all the things you can do to keep your children safe, so that your family doesn't fall victim to this tragedy. Head over there to read the full blog post and find out how you can get a Water Watcher badge (and what it is).

The links in this post contain affiliate links.

I'm not quite sure how we are already headed into July!  June has been a really busy month, and July is shaping up to be pretty busy as well, but in a great way! Here's what I've been up to this month. 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

When I first had Caleb, like any first time mom, leaving the house was an exercise in how much I could fit in my bag. I had a pretty big diaper bag, and I wouldn't leave the house without anything I thought I might possibly need in any scenario. Before Caleb was even born, I had my diaper bag packed and full to the brim, because you know, I could have to leave the house at a moment's notice and God forbid I didn't have anything and everything I needed ready to go. I carried about 3 extra pacifiers with me, a bottle of ready to feed formula just in case my milk dried up from one minute to the next (I know, I know), several extra outfits, blankets (yes, plural) and anything else I could think of. 

I learned that I barely used half of what was in there, and I could definitely cut back on what I was carrying with me on a regular basis. I eventually transitioned to a diaper backpack and minimized the amount of things I carried with me.

This time around, I hadn't even prepared a diaper bag. I actually pulled out the diaper bag I used with Caleb, washed it, and had every intention of using it again, but instead I turned to my trusty RYLA Pack. Now I typically alternate between my RYLA Pack and my Louis Vuitton Neverfull, because it's big enough to carry everything I need and still look stylish. 

My RYLA Pack comes with a diaper storage and changing kit that folds up into itself (but you can buy something similar to this on its own), so I just take that and switch it from one bag to another. In there I keep diapers, wipes, baggies to throw away stinky diapers, a travel size diaper rash ointment, and a travel size lotion. I also keep hand sanitizer, a sanitizing spray, hand and face wipes, and pacifier cleaning wipes that help remove dirt and germs when she inevitably drops her pacifier on the floor. 

Another great product I have found has been Tidy Snap. Do you remember those slap bracelets we used to collect and go crazy for in elementary school? These are just like that! As a matter of fact, whenever Caleb gets his hands on them, he uses them as bracelets! They're rubbery, so they don't slip and slide around, but they are really great for helping to keep you organized. 

I take two of these Tidy Snaps and in one I roll up a muslin blanket. The Tidy Snap helps keep it from becoming a mess in my bag. I use another snap to wrap a burp cloth (which I sometimes use to cover my breast while nursing - without having to cover the baby's entire head) and an extra onesie or romper in the case of a diaper blowout. 

So anytime I want to switch bags, I grab those three things and make the switch (or leave it out altogether if I'm going out without them). It's really simplified things and helps me to stay much more organized. I know the kids things are wrapped up in one of these, and it's not getting mixed up with my stuff. The snaps are also really great for organizing outfits for travel, and keeping blankets rolled up in the drawer so you can see what you actually have in there. 

I've linked all of these essentials or similar products on my Amazon Influencer Page, under Diaper Bag Essentials. For Tidy Snap, you can go directly to their website. 

xoxo,

Jenise

As a former teacher, I know how important it is for children to be good readers. As someone who truly enjoys reading, I’d love to pass the love of reading on to my children. This is why when I heard about The Children’s Trust and the #Read30 movement, I thought it would be great to share with you and challenge you to participate along with me.


If you are a family in South Florida, the Children’s Trust is challenging you to join the #Read30 movement and close the summer reading gap, aka the “summer slide.”


The social media campaign began June 1 and is running through August, and it asks parents and caregivers to read with their children for 30 minutes each day. The campaign is part of The Trust’s Read to Learn initiative, aimed at increasing the number of children who read at or above grade level by the third grade. How can you participate? Easy! Read with your children for 30 minutes a day. Then share a photo to social media and use the hashtag #Read30.


“Reading achievement can typically decline an average of three months in summer and the best way to prevent kids from losing that kind of ground is to keep them reading, which is what #Read30 intends to do,” says James R. Haj, president and CEO of The Children’s Trust.


Reading with your children on a daily basis can really give them a leg up and help them succeed in school and in life. Aside from reading together for 30 minutes each day, The Children’s Trust also suggests following these simple guidelines:

• Create a home library of children’s books. We color coordinate our books so that they are visually appealing and easy for Caleb to organize. It’s also at his level, so taking a book off the shelf is easy for him. I also keep a rotating selection on his nightstand based on the season or anything I want to focus on with him for a few weeks.
• For very young children, select books with faces, animals and objects to point to and talk about. Goodnight Moon and Brown Bear, Brown Bear are two of Caleb’s favorites, and he can actually recite most of those two now.
• Read in a fun voice, using different intonations for different characters. Eddie is really good at this. He gives accents to characters and everything. It’s really fun watching him read to Caleb.
• Talk to the child and answer questions. Ask questions of your own and listen to the child's responses. Ask about colors, about what it happening in pictures, and ask them to predict.
• Talk about the words on the page, letter sounds and how we read from left to right and from top to bottom. Use your finger as a guide as you read. Even if they can’t read yet, they will start to pick up on it.

Summer reading always felt like a huge chore while I was in school, but it’s so important. For kids who have assigned summer reading books, try and get involved with what they are reading. Once they’ve finished their required reading, let them choose their own reading material. Take them to a bookstore and let them browse. Give them ownership of their reading material. I LOVE to read and I finished the last few Harry Potter books in under a day, yet required reading was always the worst for me to get through and would take me weeks. [Teachers, one thing I used to do was assign one book and then make the second book reader’s choice - it had to meet certain requirements or it was chosen from an extensive list. They had to do a full on report once school started, but I had a lot more success that way.]


And thirty minutes may sound like a lot if your kids are little like mine, but you can break it up! Read a book in the morning, another after lunch, and then again at bedtime. Remember, it all adds up!
​
Children who read for 30 minutes daily are more likely to read at grade level by the third grade, increasing the likelihood of academic and professional success. According to a 2010 report from the Annie E. Casey Foundation, “reading proficiently by the end of third grade can be a make-or-break benchmark in a child’s educational development.” Until the end of third grade, most children are learning to read, but beginning in the fourth grade, they are reading to learn.


So join me this summer and share your your photos across social media using the hashtag #Read30. I can wait to follow along!

xoxo,
Jenise



For more information on The Children’s Trust and the Read to Learn initiative, please visit https://www.thechildrenstrust.org/read30.

And that means that teachers everywhere are jumping for joy, shedding their cardigans for swimsuits, their chalk for a cold drink, and handing the baton off to Mom & Dad. Which means... oh. Wait. You mean, I've got my kid 24/7 for the next couple months? What on earth am I to do with them for all that time? 

I'm sending Caleb to day camp at his school for a couple of weeks, but camps can get expensive, so he's not going all summer long. I also thought it would be nice to spend some quality time with him and Chloe together (day 2, already reconsidering this decision lol). But I knew if I wanted to do that, I was going to have to come up with some activities to keep him busy and out of trouble, and so that he didn't sit in front of the TV all summer long. 

So I put my teaching skills to use (or rather, my Pinterest pinning skills), and created a Summer Schedule and some weekly themes to help keep this little guy entertained. 

For the schedule, I built plenty of downtime into it, in case stuff comes up or we want to have a play date or something. I gave each day of the week a theme, so that it's easier to prepare for crafts on Mondays, going somewhere on Tuesdays, etc. Also, none of it is hard and fast, and we can adjust as we go - kind of like I used to do with my lesson plans when I was teaching. The big gaps in the schedule are to fill with crafts, field trips, the library, pool time, or anything else we decide. (Make sure you scroll to the end of the post to download the PDF files - these jpegs aren't so great!)

While I wanted to be creative, I don't feel like I need to reinvent the wheel. I decided I would come up with a few themes for the weeks I have him home with me (unfortunately there aren't enough themes for the whole summer). I started searching for activities on Pinterest, and boy did I find them! There are some pretty creative activities out there, and my Pinterest board is now full of them! Since Pinterest now lets you subdivide boards, I made one Summer Activities board, and then created sub-boards (is that what they're called?) for the different weeks, based on themes. Just because I pinned all these things doesn't mean I'm going to get to every single one of them. On the calendar with the weeks, I linked the theme for that week to the board. Some of the activities are more involved, others require very little prep.

I know this won't function perfectly every single day, and it's not a set-in-stone schedule, but it is something that will help us to do some activities this summer and not drive one another crazy. And as always, feel free to reach out if you have any questions or suggestions. 

Happy Summering! 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

Click the files below to download them. 

Follow the Summer Activities Board

1. What I’m Watching: The Handmaid's Tale. If you haven't watched it, do yourself a favor and binge.
2. What I’m Reading: I just downloaded a thriller called The Perfect Mother. I'm a little scared to read it and have crazy thoughts run through my head, but I also think it might be normalizing in some ways? I don't know. It was on the top charts on Amazon and on Apple so I figured it was a worth it.
3. My Current Obsession: Coconut Milk Ice Cream. This one from SoDelicious is my fave.
4. Favorite Beauty Find: Selah Skin Studio's products are seriously amazing. They sent me some samples for Mother's Day and I cannot begin to tell you how amazing my skin feels. Try the serum - I mix it in with my foundation or I wear it on its own with some undereye concealer and my skin looks amazing.
5. What I’m Wearing: ​These high waist culottes from H&M. Totally outside of my comfort zone, but my mom was wearing them one day and I complimented her on them. She gave them to me for Mother's Day and I decided I should definitely learn to rock them, and guess what? I feel awesome in them!
6. Best Meal I Ate: We ate a delicious meal at Amara at Paraiso. It's also got some beautiful views. We ordered several things to share, but some standouts were the crispy octopus and the wood grilled calabaza with coconut pesto.
7. What I can’t stop humming: We're still on a Greatest Showman kick over here!
8. Favorite Purchase This Month: This baseball cap. It describes my life perfectly.
9. What I’m Most Looking Forward to Next Month: Some quality time with both kids, our cousin visiting from Luxembourg, and Chloe's baptism!
10. Wish List Item: Is it weird that I don't have one right now? I mean, I guess that's when you know you have everything you could want and more, right?

xoxo,

​Jenise

When we moved into this house, we knew that there were a lot of things we wanted to do to it, including basically doubling it in size. When we were having the plans drawn up for the addition, which included our master suite, I really wanted my close tot include a vanity somehow. That was the original plan, but once it was built, I realized the space wouldn't work for a vanity. So I put it off because there was always something going on. 

For a while, we had an exercise machine in the corner of our bedroom, and we recently sold it because it had become a glorified towel rack. I finally decided I wanted the vanity enough that I started to do the research for it. I convinced Eddie that it would be a beautiful corner in our room and that it would make a space that had been wasted for so long finally useful. 

He agreed, and I got to work picking everything out. It took me a few weeks to settle on the actual vanity, which is actually a writing desk. And once Target came out with their Opalhouse line, I knew what I would use for accents. 

I ordered two toothbrush holders to hold my makeup brushes, and a soap dish holds my perfumes. I also ordered a drawer organizer and a magnifying mirror from Amazon (you can find it on myAmazon Influencer page). 

I've been able to sit and do my makeup quite a few times, but it's really a space that just brings me joy. I walk into our bedroom and it's the first thing I see, and it's a pretty, feminine space that goes so well with the rest of the room. The space feels very glamorous, and there's nothing this mama loves more than a chance to feel a little glam (cause Lord knows I don't get to glam up every day). 

Dress is New York & Company. 

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