Disclosure: I've partnered with Blueberry Pediatrics for this post. 

When they reached out to me, all I could think was, “Why didn’t I come up with something like this?!” But really, the service was started by a cardiologist who is also a dad, so it makes sense that it would, well, make sense! Signing up is so easy. You go to their site, (go here for a special discounted rate they are offering my followers), register, and a couple days later you get a welcome kit with all the tools you need for a successful visit with the doctors. You have a thermometer from Innovo, which is the most accurate thermometer on the market, a pulse oximeter, and an otoscope that will help the doctor see into your child’s ears. 


Once you receive your box, you set up an intro call with one of the pediatricians. I had my call with Dr. Garbi. On our call she asked me a few questions about Caleb and Chloe, and their medical history, and she explained the tools to me (because who wants to try to figure those out when their kid is sick and you’re flustered?).

After that, you are set up and ready to go! The pediatricians aren’t just there for when your kids are sick, either. Their platform has two options: you can do a sick visit, or you can message the doctor. The messaging service is for less pressing questions. I asked Dr. Garbi about putting sunscreen on Chloe. Check out the screenshot below to see just how quickly she replied! If I had sent this in the middle of the night, she probably would not have replied so quickly, but once she replied, I received an alert on the site, as well as via e-mail.

I also had a chance to complete a sick visit. Chloe had a diaper rash, and being a first time girl mom, I wanted to make sure I was doing everything I was supposed to do. For the visit, I filled out several questions on the platform, and submitted my visit. I received a message stating that I would be called within 60 minutes. Imagine my surprise when less than 15 minutes later, a phone call came in from Dr. Kay. She reviewed all the information I had entered, including the photo I had sent of the rash, asked me a few additional questions, and discussed a course of action to help get rid of Chloe’s diaper rash. Once the visit is completed, the doctor sends you a summary of what you discussed at the visit and it is updated in your profile, so you don’t have to worry if you missed something or forgot something they said (Come on, I can’t be the only one who gets flustered when the pediatrician is giving me instructions and then can’t remember what they said five minutes later). All in all, a really easy process!

I think telemedicine is here to stay, and I for one am all for it. I'm excited for such easy access to a doctor - it's almost like having a doctor in the family. And for $20 a month, I don't think you can beat it. I mean, think about how easily most of us spend $20 a month - the other day I stopped at Starbucks with Eddie and we spent more than that!

So quit waiting around, quit freaking out every time your kid has a little something worrisome, and sign up for Blueberry Pediatrics. I don't think you'll be disappointed!

xoxo,

​Jenise

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!

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

This past Sunday, while Eddie was off at a course, I decided I was going to brave our local Publix store by myself with both kids. I had a little anxiety about it, but there were a few things we were out of and I didn't want to place another delivery order. I had promised Caleb that we would make Hulk Muffins this week, and I needed some of the ingredients for that. Plus, I really wanted to use my Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock. 

As shown in the image above, putting your child's infant seat in the seat that is meant for older children is a really unsafe way to go about doing your groceries. It throws off the cart's balance and can easily lead to the cart tipping over and the infant seat falling (super scary, right?). When Caleb was a baby, I remember getting so frustrated when I went grocery shopping, because his infant seat took up the entire basket area of the cart, so I was really limited in the amount of groceries I could buy. 

But with the Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock, I was able to save tons of space in the cart. I was even able to put things under Chloe while she was in there. Caleb loved being able to see his little sister, and it really did make the shopping trip that much more pleasant since I knew she was safe and I didn't have to limit my groceries too much. The hammock fits most standard grocery carts, holds up to 50 pounds, and if you don't feel comfortable having your baby in the hammock on it's own, you can actually fit a standard infant carrier in the hammock, which frees up all that space for you under the infant seat. You can safely use it until baby is sitting up on their own.

The hammock clips onto the sides of the grocery cart with two plastic clips, and you secure it with a velcro strap on both sides. I felt like Chloe was really secure in there! There is also a safety harness to keep the baby in place. 

So even though Chloe did decide to melt down at the very end of the shopping trip and let the entire store know how hangry she really was, the shopping trip leading up to that point was as smooth as I could have expected it to be thanks to this nifty little invention. 

Want a Binxy Baby Shopping Cart Hammock of your own? Shop this affiliate link and get 10% off your order! This also makes a pretty awesome gift for a new or expecting momma. 

The biggest reason we went to the grocery store was to make Hulk Muffins for Caleb. I made these once before and documented the process so I could publish on the blog, and I'm glad I documented it then and not this time, because this time was an epic failure. I decided to sub out whole wheat flour for coconut flour, and let's just say it was a dry crumbly mess. Apparently coconut flour is super absorbent and you need to use way less of it and more eggs, and I had no idea, so we had a failure this time around. But the first time around, they were a yummy hit. They are green because they are loaded with spinach, and they are sweetened with applesauce, so they're not loaded with sugar.

They were so much of a hit that one evening, Caleb ate FOUR of them (and then refused dinner, which was fine by me). So if you have a picky eater, you may want to give these a try! We call them Hulk Muffins because he's obsessed with anything related to super heroes, and he got to watch them grow in the oven like the Hulk does. But they would work well with a ton of other names. I actually had him help me with the process and he really enjoyed it! 

Recipe originally from Pretty Providence
Servings: 18 muffins

Ingredients
​
Dry Ingredients

• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

• 1 large banana
• 2-3 cups spinach
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 1 egg
• 3/4 cup milk or almond milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 cup honey
• green food coloring (optional)

Glaze

• 1-2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• green food coloring (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a muffin pan with cooking spray and cupcake liners, if using. 
2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. 
3. Add wet ingredients to a blender. Puree until very smooth. 
4. Mix wet ingredients in with dry ingredients until there are no lumps. Add green food coloring if you want a darker green color. 
5. Spoon batter into the muffin pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
6. While muffins are cooling, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 1/4 cup milk and green food coloring. Whisk until smooth. Add more powdered sugar as needed until it's the right thickness and consistency for a glaze. 
7. Drizzle cooled muffins with glaze. 
8. Enjoy one (or if you're Caleb, FOUR)!

xoxo, 

​Jenise

You’ve just given birth, and they place your newborn on your chest. She’s perfect. You cuddle and gaze at her perfection. You’re amazed that your body created this perfect little being. For the first couple days the euphoria keeps you thinking, my goodness, she is perfect. But then the euphoria fades a little, and you realize, hm, there's some pretty strange stuff going on here. 

​Babies are perfect. They really are. But there are a few things that may surprise you about your newborn! 

​1. Skin
Newborn rash, baby acne, dry flaky skin, cradle cap... it's all par for the course when you have a newborn. All those perfect newborns you see in photos are more than likely photoshopped at least a little bit. Acne typically gets worse around 4-6 weeks and then it clears up for the most part. 

2. Genitals
I was so surprised when Caleb was born that his genital area was so swollen. And I didn't think it would happen with Chloe, but it did. It's also normal and goes down in the first few days! 

​3. Eyes
One of the first times Caleb fell asleep and his eyelids stayed a little open, I noticed his eyes rolling into the back of his head. I freaked. I'm pretty sure I asked about a million people if it was normal. It surely is. You know what else is normal? Your baby going cross-eyed for a few seconds. They can't properly focus just yet, so their eyes do all kinds of funny things. 

4. Nails
Their nails are razor sharp and grow crazy fast. Get yourself an electric nail file like this one and a good baby nail clipper before they arrive, because you will need them. 

5. Poop
At least in a breastfed baby, poop is strange looking. It's typically mustard-colored and seedy looking. Colors can vary a little depending on your diet, but if baby's poop is changing colors, check with your pediatrician just to be sure. It also doesn't have an offensive smell, which is actually more strange than it being smelly, because poop is normally smelly, right?  Also, breastfed babies can go up to a week without pooping - at which point, when they do finally go, take cover! 

What surprised you about your newborn? 

xoxo, 

Jenise

One of my biggest concerns nearing the end of this pregnancy was Caleb and how he would adjust to having a sibling. I know it's normal, and I know kids become siblings every day, but I wanted the transition to be a smooth one. So we have did a few things to prepare Caleb and make sure he understood what was going on in his world. 

Babies come on their own terms, so we had a Plan A, Plan B, and Plan C. We had mapped out who was going to be staying with Caleb at our home (which was really important to me so that his routine wasn't too disrupted), and how the daily routines would function. Since I was induced, we at least ended up knowing which day she would come and we were able to really prepare for that. We wanted to be sure that when Caleb came to meet her, it was just Eddie, Caleb, Chloe and I in the room (and our photographer, of course). It ended up working out where he was the first person to come in from the waiting room to meet her. Once they said visitors could come in, Eddie went to get him from the waiting room and walked in with him. He came in with the gift he had picked out for her and opened it up right away. We let him look at her and touch her feet. He wanted to carry her right away. We also had gifts for him from his sister. 

And honestly, it was love at first sight. He was enthralled with her. So much so that he didn't want to leave the room. Our family members rotated in, but Caleb stayed with Chloe and I the whole time. Every single person who walked in, he introduced them to her, "This is my baby sister Chloe!" He went to school the following day armed with a photo of his baby sister and showed it off to everyone at school. I couldn't have hoped for a better reaction. 

I can't tell you for sure which of the things we did to prepare Caleb to be a big brother really worked, or if he would have been as sweet with her if we hadn't done any of these things (it's very possible - because he has always been very sweet to babies in general). But I do know we talked a lot about his baby sister and about him being a big helper. And honestly, I think kids just want to be prepared, as much as we do. It's a life-altering event for them, too. 

And then there were four. 

I hope these help you in preparing your toddler to be a big brother or sister! 

​
xoxo, 

​Jenise