Family | All Done Monkey

Sweet Tea Ten Ways

May 162013

In the South, summer means sitting on the porch swing and cooling off with a tall glass of iced tea, more properly known as “sweet tea.” (Because really, is there any other way to drink it? Sorry, Mom!)

When my parents started dating, my father was a frequent dinner guest at my mother’s house. As a mark of respect, my grandparents always served him a big glass of iced tea. Every time, he drank it down to the very last sip.

Two years later, after my parents were married, my father finally admitted to his in-laws that he didn’t like iced tea! “I figured our relationship was irreversible at that point!” he laughs. All these years later, and my grandparents still tease them about this

Well, I do love iced tea – only if very sweet! – so I asked some fellow Southerners for their favorite sweet tea recipes. So brew up a batch, pour a tall glass, and sit back and enjoy!

1. Sarah Dees of Frugal Fun for Boys: I use 2 large sized Lipton tea bags in 2 cups of boiling water. Let the tea steep for 6 minutes, then add 1/3 cup of sugar and enough water to make 2 quarts. It’s not super sweet that way. If you want real Southern tea, add more sugar!!

2. Mackenzie of Cheerios and Lattes shares a Chick-Fil-A Sweet Tea Copycat Recipe.

3. Jaime of Frogs & Snails & Puppy Dog Tails: 4 bags of tetley tea, boil in a pan of water and let sit a few minutes. Put one cup of sugar in a gallon pitcher, add the tea to the sugar and mix, then fill with water. Refrigerate and serve when chilled. Always better the next day:-) GA gal style

4. Amy of A Nest for All Seasons teaches us the secret of making sweet tea with no dregs!

5. Samantha of Stir the Wonder: I make sun tea- yum (I’ve learned recently that it can be unsafe, but I’ve never had an issue & I’ve been drinking it since I was a kid.) I use about 6 tea bags & a cup of sugar or so in a large clear/glass tea jar full of water and let it sit in direct sunlight outside for a few hours until brewed. Then chill it in the fridge or drink with ice if I don’t want to wait for it to cool.

6. Randi of Dukes & Duchesses swears this minty lemonade iced tea is the best sweet tea ever!

7. Melissa of The Happier Homemaker: My Meme’s Sweet Tea: Steep three large teabags in two cups of boiling water for fifteen minutes. Dissolve one cup of sugar and add cold water to make 2 quarts. We’re from Charleston, SC, and they like it super sweet down there!

8. Angie of Country Chic Cottage put a healthy twist on the traditional by creating a sweet great tea recipe.

9. Niki of HomeMadeville: My mom does: 3 family size tea bags in a 1 qt pot, filled with water about 3/4 of the way. Bring water to boil – let boil for a couple of minutes. Put 1 and 1/2 cups of sugar in a gallon tea pitcher, then pour hot tea over sugar (leaving bags in pot). Stir with wooden spoon if you have it. Continue to add cold water into the pot (tea bags still in pot) and then pour into gallon pitcher until full. Stir. Put tea in refrigerator after it has cooled to room temperature. (I use a tad less sugar – 1 & 1/4 cup)

10. Jessie of Play Create Explore: I live in Arkansas, and I was about to write out how I do it, but found this recipe and it’s the exact same thing I do: Amazing Ribs Southern Sweet Tea

Do you love sweet tea? What’s your favorite summertime drink?

First Annual Backyard Barbecue Bloghop

family, food, Kid Fun, recipes 6 Responses »

May 132013

Summer is almost here, and with it comes memories of picnics and barbecues, racing under the sprinkler, and playing in our tree house down by the creek.

This year we are looking forward to having lots of popsicles (including tamarind pops), cooking with zucchini, beets, and other seasonal produce from the farmer’s market, and playing outdoors.

To celebrate all of the fun wonderful recipes, activities, and crafts that summertime brings, this year we are co-hosting the first annual Backyard Barbecue Bloghop!

Please link up below all of your family-friendly summertime ideas below. The linky will be open through July 13, so be sure to come back later in the summer to share more of your great summertime posts!

I will be pinning selected posts to my new Summertime Family Fun Pinterest Board!

The Backyard Barbecue Bloghop is brought to you by:

All Done Monkey

Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes

Mud Hut Mama

With our wonderful co-hosts:

The Squishable Baby

Creative World of Varya

Kid World Citizen

Something 2 Offer

Local Fun for Kids

Rainy Day Mum

Family Reunion Souvenirs

family 4 Responses »

May 072013

Summertime is approaching, and for many families – including mine – that means it’s time to come together from faraway places, to relax and catch up after time spent apart.

It can be fun to send everyone home with a memento after these wonderful get-togethers, but this is especially significant for children, as a way to maintain the connection with faraway relatives.

As you start to plan your family gatherings, here are some ideas for some fun but inexpensive souvenirs.

1. Family Photo Album

What better way to preserve the memories than a photo album? These can capture a moment in time for growing families, since children change so quickly. With online services like Shutterfly, putting together an album can be as simple as uploading your photos and choosing a cute background. Best of all, these albums serve as continual reminders for kids of relatives they don’t see very often.

Here are two ideas for a family reunion album:

a. Make ahead: One year before our reunion we gathered photos of all the grandchildren and made an album for my parents as a thank you gift. As it turned out, we all loved it so much that we ordered copies, too!

b. Looking back: After one trip to Costa Rica, we put together a photo album of our trip, which we also sent to our family there.

2. Quote Book

When I was in high school I started to write down funny quotes from family and friends. It has evolved into a tradition, to the point that if I miss a family gathering, someone else will take over the “scribe” duties for me. Creating a quote book for everyone can be a great way to bring back fun memories from the trip.

3. Awards

When I was younger, I got to tag along with a good friend on a family trip. Everyone was so warm and welcoming. One of the way they made us “tag-alongs” feel like part of the family was to create a mock ceremony to make us honorary members of their clan.

Some families hold a similar ceremony at reunions to make everyone feel special by handing out simple awards to recognize each person’s unique qualities. These can be serious or humorous, depending on the family.

4. Custom T-shirts and Other Items

Image courtesy of Cafe Press

Another popular souvenir for family reunions and other gatherings is a custom t-shirt. At one time these were typically done at specialty shops and were not practical unless you were ordering in large quantities. Today, however, companies like Cafe Press, make it easy and affordable for anyone to design and order custom shirts.

But why limit yourself to T-shirts? You could also order other clothing items – such as baby clothes! – or something altogether different, such as water bottles.

Whatever you choose, have fun planning your family gatherings this summer!

How do you preserve memories for your children after a family reunion?

Raising Bilingual Kids: What We Have Learned

bilingualism, education, family, multiculturalism 15 Responses »

Apr 192013

Since Monkey was born, we have worked hard to raise him to speak both English and Spanish. My husband speaks to him only in Spanish, and I speak to him only in English, a method known as One Parent, One Language. (For more on the most popular methods, read this post on teaching your child a second language).

For a very long time, I have skated by on the fact that my husband is a native Spanish speaker. I could boast about my son’s bilingualism, all the while having a very easy time speaking to him in my own native language, surrounded by other English speakers. Too bad for others that didn’t have this advantage, but how nice for me!

Yet here we are nearly three years into our “experiment” – as we affectionately call our son – and I have to face the fact that raising our kids to be bilingual is going to require a lot more work on my part.

Monkey’s comprehension in both languages is high, but since we live in an English-speaking country and he spends most of his time with me, Monkey speaks mostly English.

As a stay at home mom, I consider Monkey’s education to be part of my job description. So just as I have been systematic about teaching him numbers and letters in English, I should be doing the same in Spanish if I expect him to have an even somewhat comparable level of comprehension.

Raising Bilingual Kids: What We Have Learned - Alldonemonkey.com

Farmer’s Market in Costa Rica, Summer 2012 – Can you spot Baby Monkey?

I am proud of all that we have done with Monkey so far, but of course there is a lot of room for improvement. And now that we are starting the process all over again with Baby, it is a good time to take stock and make some changes.

Here are some things I wish we had done differently:

Spanish at home: I think it would have helped tremendously if my husband and I had spoken to each other more in Spanish. It would have greatly increased the amount of Spanish Monkey was exposed to on a daily basis, and it also would have helped him to hear more conversations between Spanish speakers (instead of just hearing his father speak to him in Spanish).
Other Spanish speakers: We have a number of dear friends that speak Spanish, and they are great about speaking to Monkey in Spanish. Unfortunately, things are so busy that we don’t see them as often as we like, so I wish we had made more of an effort to be around them. Also, with Skype it is so easy to chat with family in Costa Rica, which is great not just for Monkey’s language development but also for building his relationship with relatives so far away.
Costa Rica Summer 2012
Spanish immersion: We have made several trips to Costa Rica, including one three-week visit last year, but because of the distance and expense, it is difficult to do this often. But you don’t have to travel to find opportunities for language immersion. I wish I had made more of an effort to find a Spanish playgroup for Monkey when he was younger or gotten involved in local cultural groups. I am pleased that he has just started a Spanish class, conducted by a close friend from Mexico who is a former preschool teacher. I can’t wait to see what comes of this!
Spanish language media: One step that would have been so easy to take would have been to make better use of Spanish language media. Living in California, it is so easy to find Spanish cartoons on TV, plus there are so many DVDs available to rent or purchase. When Monkey was younger he loved watching the Pocoyo cartoon, but after he got bored of that, I didn’t make much effort to find another Spanish program. I also wish I had looked into the great programs out there specifically designed to help youngsters learn another language. One that I have come across recently is Little Pim. This is a really well-done program to teach Spanish and other languages. It is fun for kids to watch and makes it easy for them to learn. The little panda is adorable, and Monkey loves watching other kids. Each segment is relatively short and teaches a number of related vocabulary words, with a review at the end of each. The DVD we have focuses on eating, so kids learn words for common foods as well as associated terms like fork and spoon. I was so pleased to hear Monkey repeating after the video, since he speaks Spanish so infrequently. My only regret is that I didn’t start him with this at an earlier age. Although the video says it can be used up to age six, I found that it really seemed designed for younger children. It reminded me a lot of some wonderful baby sign videos we watched when Monkey was much younger. He loved those at the time, but lost interest by about age two. Still, Monkey will watch this Little Pim video occasionally, so it does help, and I am glad to have it for Baby Monkey later on! A friend was experiencing a similar problem with her four year old losing interest in the Little Pim DVDs and so came up with these great activities to reinforce the DVDs. Will have to give these a try!

As with anything in parenting, raising bilingual kids is a learning process. I am happy with what we have accomplished so far with Monkey, especially because it was all done in a loving, stress-free way. Ultimately, helping our sons gain a love of both languages is more important than exactly how much they speak one versus the other.

How has your parenting changed as your kids have gotten older? What do you wish you had done differently?

This post was written for inclusion in the monthly Raising Multilingual Children Blogging Carnival.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a free copy of Little Pim’s “Let’s Eat!” DVD for purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.

Spanish for Parents of Babies

bilingualism, family, multiculturalism 6 Responses »

Apr 162013

After Baby Monkey was born, we were blessed with extended visits from first my mother (from South Carolina) and then my sister-in-law (from Costa Rica). In addition to the love and help they showered on us, during my sister-in-law’s visit Monkey also benefited from being in an almost exclusively Spanish-speaking environment, as he was during our trip to Costa Rica last year.

After that trip, I compiled a list of the new Spanish vocabulary I learned once I had a toddler. My sister-in-law’s recent visit reminded me of the baby vocabulary I hadn’t needed to use for several years, so I thought it would be fun to compile a similar list of Spanish vocabulary for parents of babies.

Some words – such as “diapers” and “wipes” – can be found in my Spanish for Parents of Toddlers. As in that post, some of what follows is common in other Latin American countries, while others may be specific to Costa Rica.

Birth

Childbirth: Parto (PAR-toe) or Dar la luz (dar lah LOOS) – The second phrase literally means “to give light,” a very poetic way to put it.

Midwife: Partera (par-TEAR-ah) – This is obviously derived from “parto” above. I was lucky to be at a birthing center with wonderful parteras!

Bodily Functions

During the first months of a child’s life, you are consumed with his or her bodily functions – that non-stop cycle of eating, pooping, and spitting up. it helps to at least have new ways to talk about it!

Nurse/breastfeed: Tomar leche (toe-MAHR LAY-chay) or dar pecho (dahr PAY-choh) – The first phrase describes what the baby does (“drink milk” – can also apply to drinking formula or cow’s milk); the second describes what the mother does (“give the breast”).

Colic/gas: Cólico (COE-lee-coe) – In the US, colic is often used to describe a specific condition of a baby that chronically cries for no apparent reason (often because of stomach upset). Here it is also used more generally to describe a baby that has gas.

Vomit/spit-up: Vomitar (voe-mee-TAHR) or botar leche (bow-TAHR LAY-chay) – “Vomitar” is used for both “vomit” and “spit up.” (By this I mean the more serious throwing up of um, “processed” milk vs. when they seem to leak milk that they just drank). “Botar leche” (literally “to throw out milk”) seems to be exclusively about spit-up.

Poop: Caca (CAH-cah) or cuita (cah-WHEE-tah) – The first one I am pretty sure most of you already know “Cuita” is more properly used to describe bird poop but is often used for babies. You can also describe a baby that has pooped as being “cuitado/a.” Another term is “cagado/a” from “cagar” (to poop).

Pee: Orinas (or-EEN-ahs) – As above, you can talked about a baby with a wet diaper as being “orinado/a.”

Diaper rash: Estar quemado/a (eh-STAR kay-MAH-doe/dah) – Literally, “to be burned.” Pretty accurate description of how it looks!

Growing

To grow: Estirarse (ehs-tear-ARE-say) – Literally, “to stretch.” I never could figure out an equivalent of our “growth spurt,” but after one happens everyone observes how much the child has “stretched.” This applies to older children as well.

To cut teeth: Echar dientes (ay-CHAR dee-YEN-tes) – Literally, “to throw out/push out teeth.” Poor Baby Monkey is already working on three of these!

Gear

Additional terms can be found in our Spanish for Parents of Toddlers list.

Crib: Cuna (COO-nah) – Is there any more precious image than a little baby asleep in her cuna?

Baby carrier: Canguro (cahn-GOO-roe) – The “kangaroo” – perfect, no? For some great recommendations, you can read this post on favorite baby carriers.

Bib: Babero (bah-BEAR-oh) – The baberos are designed to catch all the cute baby babas, or drool.

Bottle: Chupón (chew-PON) – I was constantly getting this mixed up with…

Pacifier: Chupeta (chew-PET-ah) …which led to some funny conversations!

Cloth diapers: Mantilla (mahn-TEE-yah) – If you are interested in cloth, read about our cloth diapering experience.

Snuggles

Finally, I want to end with what makes it all worth it:

Kisses: Besos (BESS-ohs) – In baby talk, this often comes our more like “bechito” as in “Dame otro bechito zhico, mi amosh prechocho!” (“Give me another yummy kiss, my precious love!”)

To spoil: Chinear (chee-nee-ARE) – A great word to use with babies!

To hold: Alzar (all-SAR) – This literally means “to lift” but is used more frequently than “to hold.” Whenever we have visitors, there is always a scuffle over who gets to alzar Baby Monkey.

Pet names: Amor precioso, chiquito lindo, gordo, papito, mamita…. As in any language, there is no end to the list of pet names for children. My current favorite, though, is “enano,” which means “midget.”

What new vocabulary did you learn when you became a parent?

This post has been shared at Toddling in the Fast Lane’s Say It Two Ways Thursday.

April Culture Swapper Is Live!

education, family, food, multiculturalism, Worldwide Culture Swapper Linkup 10 Responses »

Apr 022013

Welcome to the Culture Swapper! I am proud to be co-hosting the Worldwide Culture Swappers link up again this month, created and sponsored by Worldwide Culture Swap and co-hosted by myself and Kid World Citizen.

The monthly Worldwide Culture Swapper is a way for bloggers to share blog posts or photos about anything related to culture, geography, language, traditions, customs, etc. So if you are searching for new ideas for teaching your children about the world, this is the place to look!

Each month favorites will be highlighted on our website and Facebook page. In addition, we pin featured entries to our Raising Global Citizens board on Pinterest, so be sure to check it out!

Here are a few of our favorite posts from last month’s Culture Swapper:

We learned how to make Portuguese caldeirada (fish stew) from the piri-piri lexicon.

We celebrated St. Patrick’s Day with Crystal’s Tiny Treasures by making Irish colcannon.

Finally, we learned all about the unexpected expat life from Good Night, Sleep Tight.

Thanks to everyone who shared in March’s Culture Swapper. We can’t wait to see what you’ll share this month!

And now on to this month’s Culture Swappers Link up….

The rules

Link up any family friendly activity, craft, recipe, articles and posts that say a bit about your nationality or one that you are learning about.
You can submit more than one link so come back throughout the month to share your activities.
By linking you are giving us permission to feature your activity on our website and Facebook page.
Please grab a Culture Swapper badge from the sidebar and put it somewhere on your blog (or add a text link to us in your post).
Sorry, no giveaways or shops.

A new Link up will start on the first day of every month.

World Citizen Wednesdays #20: Caring for Multicultural Kids

family, multiculturalism, World Citizen Wednesdays No Responses »

Mar 272013

Welcome to World Citizen Wednesday!

Each week we pose a question to members of the fabulous Multicultural Kid Blogs group and share their answers here.

To find out more about these amazing bloggers, check out the Multicultural Kid Blogs Facebook page. And watch for our group website, coming soon!

This week we ask…

If you are part of an intercultural family, what have you had to learn (or teach others) about caring for your kids?

Daria of Making Multicultural Music: Sometimes I loved how my kids would explain things to others. I loved hearing their descriptions of why we do certain things like “t’inka” giving the first bit of food or drink to Mother Earth.

Olga of The European Mama: It came a surprise to me when children were bathed only once a week in Germany, and only washed with a cloth the other days. The German midwife told me just that- once a week, and my brother in law with his wife also do it… in other countries they do it every day or every second day. [Response from Ute of expatsincebirth: "This is new to me! For newborns, I can understand, because the skin is sensitive. And in Italy they also bath newborns only once a week. But later: no way. I know that two generations back, they used to wash less, but those were other times."]

Ute of expatsincebirth: I have something that I did differently from my friends in Switzerland. In Italy, my midwife told me that instead of using wet wipes for your babies, you should wash them under running water before changing the diapers. It’s not something that my husband would do different, as he learned it with me in Italy. I still did it with my twingirls here in NL and the Kraamzorg was astonished but liked “my way” to do it. Even if my background is different from my husband’s one, we never had really different ways to care for our children. Our differences in taking care of our kids are more due to our different characters.

Kristen of Toddling in the Fast Lane: I learned to have her wear a red string as a baby to ward off the evil eye and “pasar el huevo” (pass the egg) if she was upset.

Cecy of Spanglish House: About the food, Bolivian diet at least from the place I come from (Altiplano), is very healthy except they do not use as many greens. My husband loves color in the food, so I learned to have a healthy diet in which I taught them to eat less sugars. About child rearing, I am more laid back and my husband is more disciplinarian. Also, in Bolivia, just poor people use midwives. If you have money you go to a Doctor and a good clinic, especially if you are high or middle class. You do not have babies at home. I married an American that encouraged me to visit a midwife when I was pregnant, and I even had a baby at home. By the way was the most beautiful experience, but my Bolivian friends still think I was crazy to have done it.

Olga of The European Mama: The vaccination schedule in Germany is slightly different. In Poland and Germany we tend to do more of them than in the Netherlands- for example nobody does chicken pox vaccinations here, but they’re the norm in Germany and Poland. Also, as a Polish citizen, I have to get my children vaccinated against Hep B- if my nationality was different, more “Western”, I wouldn’t have to.

Thanks to all the bloggers who shared their answers here! You can read answers to earlier questions in our previous installments of World Citizen Wednesday, including tips for traveling with kids!

Find out more about these wonderful bloggers by visiting our Facebook page, subscribing to our Facebook feed, following us on Twitter, or following our group Pinterest board! On Twitter, you can also find us by using the hashtag #multiculturalkids. And watch for our very own website, coming soon!

Ten Ways for Moms to Practice Yoga: Post from Kids Yoga Stories

family, natural parenting 4 Responses »

Mar 252013

We are so excited to share the following post from Giselle Shardlow. Giselle is a children’s author of Kids Yoga Stories. She hopes to inspire children by drawing from her experiences as an international primary school teacher, yoga teacher training graduate, world traveler, mother, and yogi. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and daughter. Her yoga-inspired children’s books can be found at www.kidsyogastories.com or on Amazon worldwide.

As I come out of my new-momma fog, I’ve been enjoying the process of integrating yoga back into my life, but in a much different way. This new way supports my life as a stay-at-home mom and new business owner.

I’m finding that attending a yoga class at our local studio isn’t as feasible as it was before giving birth. However, I still yearn to feel focused, calm, grounded, inspired, confident, and balanced – all things that I get out of a regular yoga practice.

Ways for busy moms to keep up their yoga practice:

Schedule 10-20 minutes every day. Some people say that a new habit can be formed in 21 days. This new habit needn’t take up a lot of time. Try practicing a simple yoga sequence every day at the same time for about 10 minutes. I often set a daily reminder on my iPhone. In our house, when our daughter just wakes up for the day works great for me. Start with a few Sun Salutes, and then see where the practice leads you.
Set up a yoga-friendly environment. I find that the practice of unrolling my yoga mat in the same place every day (okay, most days… who am I kidding?) was helpful for our daughter to see that it was a specific ritual we did together, just like brushing our teeth. She now proudly brings out her little yoga mat from The Little Yoga Mat. The space then becomes sacred to the process.
My Jade yoga mat, with our daughter’s little yoga mat.
Download yoga classes. YouTube, Yoga Download, Live Yoga Life, and many other sites have loads of great classes. You can choose classes from 20 minutes long up to 1 ½ hours. Classes are often targeted to your specific needs, as well. Yoga videos also provide variety. If you’re just starting out or have been practicing yoga for years, following along to an instructor still comes in handy.
Find a yoga partner. Being accountable to someone else is super motivating. Set up a relationship with your yoga buddy and text or email after your practice to celebrate stepping onto the mat. I found this relationship to be invaluable especially on days where exhaustion was winning out and I really just wanted to sleep or read. I always felt better after the yoga practice and was grateful for the support of my yoga partner.
Look after yourself. Be gentle with yourself. Celebrate what you do, not what you’re not doing. With the hormonal soup pumping through your body, it can be easy to engage in self-destructive thoughts. Focus on building a positive mindset. A little fresh air or time reading a book might be just the thing to help you be handle a crying baby or a toddler tantrum. Allow yourself to momentarily shut down, then reboot.
Some books and magazines that I’m reading right now.
Practice mindfulness. With our monkey minds full of things we should be doing or fuzzy and muddled from lack of sleep, it is easy to become unaware of our surroundings. Bring yourself to the present moment by focusing on your breath. When you do the dishes, think only of the dishes and breathe. When you are changing a diaper, think only of connecting with your baby and breathe. This sounds crazy, but you’ll begin to notice how much time you spend thinking about the past and future, and not the present.
Do restorative poses regularly. Get those legs up the wall or recline back with your legs supported in butterfly pose. Even relax in Resting (Corpse) Pose on your back with your arms and legs spread out. Search YouTube for “Yoga Nidra” and listen to a 20-minute guided relaxation. Do this often. Please. It will make a world of difference to surrender into relaxation.
The yoga mat, bolster, blocks, and Relaxation CD that I use for Yoga Nidra.
Focus on your breathing. Sounds simple, right? But so often, we find ourselves disconnected from our breath, breathing quick, shallow breaths into our chest. Instead, engage in full belly breaths to fill your lungs entirely and exhale completely. When you are pushing your little one on the swing, take a moment to focus on your breathing. When you are watching them in the bath, breathe. When you are taking a bus ride together, hold them close and breathe. Sit cross-legged, close your eyes, and breathe. My daughter comes to sit on my lap when I take a moment to meditate. It’s precious. Motherhood teaches me to appreciate the simple things in life, and I feel better for it.
Reach out. If you would prefer to attend a weekly yoga class at your local studio, honor that, and ask for help in looking after your little ones. If you need to talk through your self-destructive thoughts, ask a supportive friend for an ear. The old saying that it takes a village to raise a child is definitely true. Be in tune with your needs, reach out to ask for help, and give yourself some time and space to rejuvenate. Parenting is definitely the hardest thing that I’ve ever done. For those of us who don’t live near family, it’s even more important to ask for help. Parenting is not meant to be a solo journey. Create the community of support you need.
Let yoga be in your life. Yoga is so much more than doing a Downward-Facing Dog. The yoga principles outlined in The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, translated by Alistair Shearer, teach us about breathing, doing things for others, sitting quietly, concentrating on a single task, being productive and happy, positive thinking, breathing deeply, and relaxing. Look for ways to integrate yoga beyond just the physical postures. I love singing “Lokah Samastah Sukhino Bhavantu” to my daughter right before I put her down to bed at night. Translated from Sanskrit, it reads: “May all beings everywhere be happy and free, and may the thoughts, words, and actions of my own life contribute in some way to the happiness and freedom to all.” Allow this ancient wisdom to seep into your life naturally… and embrace all its magic.

Yoga for Busy Moms - Kids Yoga Stories on Alldonemonkey.com

The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali book that was required reading during our Yoga Teacher Training.

I’d LOVE to hear from you if you have any other suggestions on how to practice yoga as a mom; please email me at giselle at kidsyogastories dot com. There are no rights or wrongs and no perfect formula. Yoga is a journey, an experience, and a lifestyle. Just be yoga, speak the truth, and live your passion. Why not, right?

If you are interested in more information, read about the benefits of storytelling and yoga for children or the history of yoga. Also, check out Giselle’s yoga-inspired children’s books on her Kids Yoga Stories website or on Amazon worldwide. Get more free kids yoga resources in your inbox by signing up for her weekly newsletter, or check her out on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

World Citizen Wednesdays #19: You Know Dad’s Been Watching the Kids When…

family, multiculturalism, World Citizen Wednesdays 5 Responses »

Mar 202013

Welcome to World Citizen Wednesday!

Each week we pose a question to members of the fabulous Multicultural Kid Blogs group and share their answers here.

To find out more about these amazing bloggers, check out the Multicultural Kid Blogs Facebook page. And watch for our group website, coming soon!

This week we pay tribute to our partners and all of the fun ways they love our kids. Dads are just as diverse as Moms in how they care for little ones, as you can see below.

Many thanks to Stephanie of InCultureParent for this week’s photo!

You know Dad’s been watching the kids when…

Suja of Blog Me Mom: 1. they have cereal for dinner ( mom does it occasionally too) 2. They are super happy ( really my kids act up and throw tantrums ONLY when I’m around!)

Jennifer of The Good Long Road: A diaper change is way overdue! Oh – and they have been playing video games. I do not even know how to set up their video game play for them!

Skyla of At Home with Momma Skyla: They’re all still awake when you get home at 10pm.

Annabelle of the piri-piri lexicon: The TV is on…

Ute of expatsincebirth: The kids are happy and the house is a mess.

Annika of Be Bilingual: I must admit…they’ve had a lot better dinner than if mom had been cooking ( among other things, this is what I really love about having a French husband). On the other hand, homework’s probably not done.

Sandy of Sandy Gram: You get home and they ask you what you are going to cook because they are hungry!

Varya of Little Artists: I find myself alone in a supermarket or at home.

Jody of Mud Hut Mama: They arrive home with tales of riding quad bikes through the bush and trying to pronounce the name of a new tree they’ve learned.

Giselle of Kid Yoga Stories: There’s talk of bikes and kites … and you’ve only been at home running around washing, organizing, cleaning and prepping lunch!

Aisha of Hartlyn Kids: Once I went to the Portland Book Fair to promote our children’s books and my daughter’s hair was an utter WRECK when I got home. It even prompted a friend of mine to get a shirt for my daughter that says “Daddy Did My Hair” with a crazy hair picture.

Carrie of Crafty Moms Share: My daughter is over at his mother’s house. He doesn’t watch her for an entire day alone.

Stephanie of InCultureParent: I had the same experience. I went away for a weekend and he had taken the kids to brunch at a friend’s. When I next saw them, they had told me they were all laughing about what a miserable time I would have with her hair when I came home. She had a huge bird’s nest in her hair- I thought I would have to cut it all out.

Frances of Discovering the World Through My Son’s Eyes: …when he’s not actually watching our son, but his parents are!

Meera of A children’s literature blog: The kitchen is a mess – ambitious baking project underway and the pantry is out!:)

Melissa of Where going havo?: I come home and find them all dressed in matching sports jerseys and the older child (the one that can talk) is singing BOOMER SOONER at the top of her lungs.

Kristen of Toddling in the Fast Lane: He reports on all the scrapes and bruises he’s found, asks about her bathroom habits and informs me she said something scared her. (He is way overprotective)

Becky of Kid World Citizen: 2 words:)- clothes and hair:).

Thanks to all the bloggers who shared their answers here! You can read answers to earlier questions in our previous installments of World Citizen Wednesday, including tips for traveling with kids!

Magic Rice and Oven Potatoes

family, food, recipes 5 Responses »

Mar 142013

When you have a picky eater, the discovery of a healthy food that he not only eats but enjoys is truly magic. Thus, in our house it is no exaggeration to call the dish below “magic rice.” It was one of the first non-cracker foods that Monkey really enjoyed, and we still have it several times a week, as it makes a great main dish or accompaniment to any meal.

This rice is also magic because it contains lentils, but no child would be able to detect them. And since Monkey normally will only eat beans in burritos, we are more than happy to serve him his “magic” rice with lentils. Please note: This recipe will only work with red lentils. Other varieties will not dissolve when cooked.

We often round out the meal with oven potatoes, another easy, healthy dish that we all enjoy. Indeed, the main problem is making sure that Monkey doesn’t eat the whole pan! We started making this when Monkey discovered french fries, since it is a yummy homemade version that you don’t have to feel guilty about giving your kids.

Magic Rice with Lentils

This recipe is adapted from one given to us by Serena of the amazing Pea Pod Play Group.

Rinse brown rice and red lentils and add to your rice cooker. Use approximately 1/4 cup of lentils to 3/4 cup of rice.

Add water, a bit less than what you would normally use to cook your rice.

Add spices to taste. (We typically add salt, garlic powder, and olive oil).

Cook rice as usual, serve warm.

Variation: We sometimes sauté ground beef in the rice cooker with olive oil before cooking the rice. Break the beef into small pieces, and cook until no longer pink. Leave it in the rice cooker and add the remaining ingredients except for oil. Cook as above.

Oven Potatoes

Chop the potatoes into small pieces. (Any type of potato will work, although Russet is the best). I err on the side of smaller pieces so that they cook more quickly, since I am typically pressed for time, but this can be varied according to taste.

In a large bowl, mix potatoes with olive oil and spices to taste. We typically use salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Cook on a foil-lined sheet at 450 degrees. The amount of time cooking will vary depending on the amount of potatoes, size of the pieces, and your oven. To save energy, I use our toaster oven, which tends to cook more quickly than our regular oven. Two medium potatoes chopped into small pieces typically take 30 minutes cook.

Tip: Try preheating the cooking sheet in the oven. This will give a nice crispy bottom to the potatoes, which is helpful since they break easily if you try to stir them while cooking.

What simple dinners does your family enjoy?

This post is part of the Simple Family Dinner Blog Hop. You can find more recipes by clicking on the button to the left (which will take you to our group Pinterest board) or visiting the participating blogs listed below:

Older Entries