Melissa

Know of any more markets that we missed? Comment below and we will update our information! Don’t forget to support local this summer! 

Too often, we moms look at all our faults at the end of each day: we weren't patient enough, we didn't get enough work done, we left the dirty dishes, the kids didn't get a bath, they will definitely wear mis-matched socks again the next day, etc. Or, the bigger ones we judge ourselves for: we aren't in enough pictures, we have weight to lose, we don't take any me-time (but then feel guilty when we take it), etc. The reality is that I was looking at myself with a negative lens.

April is a big month for an important but difficult topic to discuss: organ donation.

So, how dare I feel confident giving my son a popsicle every day, even if it is after a dinner that he refused to eat? I make sure to pack these popsicles with as much nutrition as possible, that's how! I have had a lot of fun coming up with healthy popsicle recipes that I feel good feeding him. Every single popsicle I have made has some combination of fruits and vegetables, and then I toss in some extra healthy additions, like chia seeds, ground flax, greek yogurt, or more! The top two favorites in our house were the "Blood Orange Carrot Delights" popsicles (wow - they were so vibrant and delicious!) and also the "Spinach Strawberry Sweet Treats." (My five year old and I have fun coming up with the popsicle names - another benefit of making your own!) 

So, two weeks ago, when I walked into my son's room and I said "rise n' shine buddy," it clicked. And I smiled. I felt proud to use our family expressions, and felt proud to know they were engrained in me, when I hadn't even thought about it before I said it.

Of all the things I can do to help encourage my boys to drink water, modeling water consumption is the most important, and its the one I am worst at. So, I have made it a goal to drink more water

When you are a competitive person, you often do a lot of comparing. It is a natural tendency in competitive people; to evaluate whether or not something was better or worse is a habit of mine. However, sometimes this has taken a serious toll on my confidence. My husband always felt super competitive against his brother, which led to a lot of sibling rivalry as well. Because of this, my husband and I always said that we would work hard to make sure our kids are not competitive with each other! One of the ways we would foster this would be to not compare them against each other. However, this has proved to be more difficult than I expected.

But, there are times I feel it is important to encourage and develop other interests. As an example, when we head to the library, he always wants construction books. I can't help but feel I need to push him out of his comfort zone a little.

One of the best parts of summer is the availability of fresh, locally grown produce available at a variety of farmers markets. Supporting our local farmers and community is very important to the well-being...

Yes, learning that I was the one who needed more patience was an eye-opener for me. I needed to do exactly what I want my son to do: wait nicely. Patience is not a novel concept to any of us as parents, but yet it seems we so rarely give the patience back to our children. Ultimately, I realized that I was the one who has to work on patience...