My kids are picky eaters at home. By all accounts, at daycare and after school club, they will shovel anything and everything placed in front of them in their mouths. This gives me great comfort because at home, they sing (almost to the tune of any song in Moana) “I tried it and I don’t like it!” One of the things that I have always struggled with is finding bang-for-your-buck foods that my nose-turned-up kids will eat. One likes chicken, the other only wants bread. The third? Still in the throwing food stage. And anything green is almost always a no.

Recently, I was lucky enough to be invited to an event hosted by the European Kiwi Growers association, and I was mostly fascinated, because I had no idea that Greece (my family’s country of origin) was the third largest kiwi producer in the world! I also had no idea that kiwis had more vitamin C than an orange and about the same amount of potassium as a banana. They’re also ridiculously high in fibre and magnesium. Did you know that these little fuzzies were so good for you?

When leaving, I was gifted a package of 3 Greek-grown kiwis, and was told that their texture and taste are different than the small, smooshy fruits we’re used to in Canada. Thinking nothing of it that night, I left the box out on the counter. By the time I was awake the next morning, my kids had each eaten an entire kiwi. My eldest said, “I didn’t know we could get kiwis at home!” turns out, they’ve been eating them at daycare and love the fruit.

Colour me surprised.

At the event the night before, we were treated to everything from cocktails to grilled octopus all prepared with kiwi in some way. Each different dish was delicious. This got me thinking: How can I add this power food into our diets more regularly? European kiwis are a bit firmer and way bigger than the smaller, softer fruits that I remember eating as a kid, so I started looking around the web for recipes. Turns out, you can replace almost any fruit in a recipe with a kiwi and it changes everything.

So far, besides their near-daily kiwi obsession, I’ve tried adding kiwi to salsa (major hit!), salad (think watermelon-feta but replace the pink fruit with the little green guy), and I’ve worked out a recipe where I marinate chicken in a combination of kiwi, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper and then bake or BBQ with grilled veggies and rice. Because kiwis can also be used to help break down meat proteins the same way citrus fruits usually do.

Now, this may seem like a bit of an over-the-top kiwi proclamation, and I bet your wondering if it’s sponsored. It’s not. I’m legitimately surprised at how amazing kiwis are and can’t even believe that I haven’t taken more time to learn about them, never mind the fact that I didn’t even know that kiwis were grown in Europe, let alone Greece. And since the Greek kiwi season is October-May, it’s possible to get these little guys all year long.

Since falling down this kiwi rabbit hole, I’ve been learning about all sorts of health benefits of these guys, and when I head to Costco and buy a case, I try to eat one a day, just like my kids. And at the very least, these little fuzzy fruits are getting me and my kids excited about trying new things and there’s literally nothing better.

What’s your go-to fruit? Tell me!

Kat’s Kiwi Marinated Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 European kiwis, diced fairly small
4 cloves of garlic
3 tablespoons of Greek olive oil
Salt and pepper

In a large bowl, add diced garlic, kiwis, olive oil, salt & pepper, stir to combine.

Add chicken to freezer sized zip lock bag and pour in kiwi marinade

Marinate for 2 to 4 hours in refrigerator

For oven

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Place chicken and marinade in medium sized baking dish.

Bake for 40 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

For BBQ

Lightly oil and then heat grill.

Once the grill reaches 400 degrees, turn one side of the burners off.

Place chicken on side without heat and close lid.

Turn once, use remaining marinade to baste chicken.

Serve with veggies, rice or your favourite sides!

This obsessive hatred of arts and crafts probably stems from my own inability to feel creative. I realized that something needed to change with my kids (and me) but I had no idea where to start. Then, by some miracle, Jaq Jaq Bird came into my life and I’m forever changed.

Created by a mom whose family was stuck in renovation hell, Jaq Jaq Bird is a line of dust free chalk and washable markers with easy to clean and on-the-go books, placemats and table runners that have not only changed the way I feel about arts and crafts, but they’ve made me craftier, too.

The Jaq Jaq Wishy Washy markers wipe off ANY no-porous surface, and with that in mind, I’ve decided to use my fridge as our weekly meal planning chart. I can wipe clean with a dry cloth and then wash with warm soapy water (if I want). I’m planning on drawing some holiday decorations on the windows with both the markers AND the Jaq Jaq Bird dust free chalk, and, thanks to a friend’s comment, will be letting people write their names or draw on their wine glasses this Christmas.

And the kids?

This morning, they were begging me to let them watch TV before we left for school/daycare. This is something that almost never happens. I said no, and suggested they pull out our Jaq Jaq Bird table runner and get to work on a mural. This kept them fully occupied until it was time to get dressed and brush teeth, and they all were quiet, happy and not fighting. That in and of itself was a miracle, but even more than that, when it was time to get ready, H packed up the runner, put it back in it’s tube and stuck his ButterStix dustless chalk in the tube. HE CLEANED UP is what I’m saying. This is the kid who’s report card said, “has trouble tidying.”

I’m really excited about gifting some Jaq Jaq Bird stuff to my nephew for Christmas this year, and I will be getting the Colour It! Chalk books for the kids for the car. I also know that if you are interested in your own Jaq Jaq Bird for the holidays, Jaq Jaq Bird Canada is offering FREE SHIPPING on orders of $50 or more (use promo code SHIPFREE) and guaranteed delivery before Christmas/Chanukah if you order before December 16^th (Canada only)!

With the endless possibilities, and the reusability, Jaq Jaq Bird offers so much more than just arts and crafts, which is why I’m happy to say that I no longer hate arts and crafts.

What will you be using Jaq Jaq Bird Canada for this holiday?

Working from home with a baby in the house has had its own unique challenges. While we waited for a daycare spot, I patched together child care and worked around a baby for an entire year. When a spot finally opened up for our babe this fall, and our daycare was able to accept him a few months earlier than they anticipated, I almost cried from relief.

As the big day approached, I thought a lot about how my elder two didn’t have the opportunity to start daycare before they were two, and the baby was only 16 months! He’s barely even talking. He’s my baby! Then, October 19^th (his start date) arrived and my husband and I dutifully prepared him for drop off.

A was a star at his first day of daycare, he didn’t cry, he played with his new friends and he had a two hour nap. You’d think we would have been distraught, but we high fived, walked out of the school and had a little breakfast at our local café all alone.

Now, my business is finally really getting busy, I’m planning days around what I want to do, our dog isn’t getting neglected, and I am thrilled with basically everything.

Maybe it’s because when we dropped our first off at daycare, he was so starved for other kids that he never complained. Or that the middle was so used to everyone that it was like a second home before he got there, but even though I’m mourning the loss of having any babies, I’m also so grateful for the wonderful people who are helping raise our kids and my ability to live a somewhat carefree life again, that any sadness is overcome by joy.

I know many parents always feel guilty or sad about sending their kids off to daycare, but I’ve always been so happy and grateful that I can’t imagine how I could personally do it. I love working, but I also love my kids. Being able to have both a career and kids has been the best part of my adult life. And before you go thinking that I am saying I “have it all,” I certainly don’t. Things will never be perfect, and something will always get thrown aside, but walking out of that daycare that first day was liberating and I may have even done a little dance.

How did you feel when you dropped your last kid off at daycare?

Now, with all three of my kids out of the house full time, either in school or daycare, I’ve got a bit of time to breathe and look back on the last six years since I became a mom, and I have a few regrets. With many regrets, I’ve been able to learn from them and become a better mom, like regretting not being patient, let’s say (that one’s still a work in progress). But there’s one major regret that I’ll always have.

I deeply regret not using more formula more with my kids.

Wait, what? I know you’re thinking that’s ridiculous, but hear me out. All of my kids were breastfed, the middle one, completely exclusively. I loved my feeding relationship with my kids, but I also loathed it. When H was born, he had a hard time latching and lost a lot of his birth weight while struggling to regain. My own personal feelings of failure prevented me from continuing with formula once he finally successfully latched when he was 20 days old. Our whole relationship after that was fraught as I struggled to come to terms with my preconceived notions of what makes a good mom.

L never got a drop of formula, but I had recurring mastitis and a very damaged nipple from breastfeeding him that didn’t go away for 11 weeks after he was born. Its still tender and sensitive almost four years later.

And A got a bit of formula because I had gone immediately back to work after having him, and while I mostly work from home, there have been instances where I couldn’t bring him with me.

With all three of them, looking back now, I am seeing the way I totally forced myself into a box that made me exhausted both physically and emotionally, and I 100% regret it. Breast feeding was my cross to bear, and oh boy, did I bear it. To my detriment.

I see now that kids thrive in any environment, but my obsession with an ideal made me a nightmare to deal with, because I felt regret if I gave them formula. I felt regret because of the breast is best movement, which makes many women feel like failures if they don’t successfully breastfeed. Do I think breastfeeding is bad? Absolutely not, but I wish I’d listened when my midwife told me, “There are many ways to feed a baby.” And I certainly wish I’d taken the pressure off myself a bit by just mixing up a bottle and letting the babies go to town.

Obviously, no one is worse for wear, and all my kids are thriving and healthy, but for my own mental and emotional health, I wish I’d just taken some of the pressure off myself and just given the kids a damned bottle.

What about you? Do you have any deep parenting regrets?

A few weeks ago, I got the chance to try out Chef’s Plate, a food delivery service that’s more than just a veggie box. Set up as a subscription, every week, you get to peruse the menu on hand, and select which meals you would like based on your plan (more on that in a second). The menu rotates every week, so you’ve always got something fresh. On Mondays (and I think some Thursdays) your box arrives, full of proportioned food, recipe cards and info.

The week we did it, we chose a steak meal (with gorgeous potatoes and braised radicchio) and Mexican Sopes, a street food with sautéed beans and cheese. I hand made and pan fried the sopes myself! The food was easy to prepare and incredibly tasty. And in our week, there was a bit of a mix up, and I am still wildly impressed at Chef’s Plate’s response.

When we got our delivery, I noticed that we never received the steak for our meal. I contacted Chef’s Plate immediately, and they resent the entire order two days later! We had the sopes again, and this time I made them less spicy and our kids LOVED them. They also LOVED the steak. This is huge, because they usually won’t eat anything. I think that the novelty of the meals, the delivery and the uniqueness made them more interested in trying what I was cooking.

Our overall experience with the company was incredible, especially since they rectified the mistake so happily. Most companies usually say, “Sorry!” but not Chef’s Plate. They want to make sure that each customer is very happy and they certainly exceeded my expectations.

The only downside that I feel could deter some is the cost. At around $10 per person, it can be expensive. You can choose to have meals for 2 or 4 people and you can choose 2-3 meals a week depending on how many people you are cooking for. So, you are looking at between $60-$90 per week. For many, this could be part of a grocery budget, but here’s what I feel – the fact that Chef’s Plate pre packages EVERYTHING you need, including exotic spices, veggies and meats (really top quality at that), and saves you from having to buy, say, a $10 jar of saffron for one meal is worth it. I also love the idea of picking menu items and then quickly prepping them. I’m a home cook who likes to experiment but I also would love to take a little guesswork out of my weekly prep, so I think that while that $10.95 might seem high, it’s actually convenience and ease you are paying for. And the fact that you can pause your subscription at any time is a really nice option, too.

If you’re a busy working parent, or hoping to figure out what to cook when baby arrives, I highly recommend you try out Chef’s Plate! Click this link to receive a discount on your first order. I’d love to hear your experience with Chef’s Plate, so let me know if you loved it in the comments.

Chef’s Plate will be at The Baby Show in Toronto April 2-3.

Kat,

How do you convince yourself to have a second child? I haven’t slept in a year, I never get to go out anymore and all my clothes are ill fitting and tucked away. I would like a sibling for my baby, but I’m worried about the outcome and how much more work it’ll be when we’ve got two of these little creatures!

Jennifer, Toronto

Jennifer,

While I can’t speak for everyone, I can speak to my experience. We always knew we wanted at least two kids. We weren’t sure how or when or if, but that was something we hoped for. After our first was born, we did not even once think about or talk about having another baby for almost his entire first year. It was a hard year, with lots of familial turmoil, post partum depression, and all the regular “oh my god I have a baby what the hell do I do with it?” that goes along with parenting. Once that first year was done, though, and we started to really get into the swing of things, we decided to jump in again. The mom-amnesia was real.

For us, at least part of it was simply the desire to have a sibling for our child at whatever cost to the work involved. We found that having two kids was actually not hard in terms of the standard parenting things because, for the most part, we changed. Our expectations relaxed, we understood more fully what parenthood of infants looked like and we were better equipped to roll with the punches.

They always say “have your second baby first” and it took me THREE kids to realize that what that means is that we need to let go of our notions of everything and really relax – kids are kids are kids and we’re just here to guide, love and support them the rest comes out in the wash.

Our current home is a bright and functional two story apartment above a shop on a busy day-time street (very quiet at night). We are close to the lake and to our kid’s school, and we love our community so we weren’t necessarily planning on moving, but when a flat of the same size became available around the corner with the added bonus of a very large backyard, we couldn’t say no.

So, we get to stay in our community but have a different space for our family, which is awesome. What’s not awesome is that we have three kids five and under, which is a lot of work when it comes to moving.

Or is it?

With some planning, we’re prepared for an easy transition move. Here are my tips for you if you’re planning on doing something equally difficult.

Plan, plan, plan

This one seems like a no-brainer, right? It’s hard enough to plan our day-to-day, let alone a move with five people, but the early time headache will save in the long run. We planned our move around taking possession of our new apartment a few weeks early so that we have some overlap. This gives us the ability to go in, purchase the small items we need and move odds and ends easily at our leisure. I know this isn’t an option for everyone, but it’s really keeping me cool about the move. We’ve also picked a moving day where the older two kids will be in school, and we’ve hired movers for a short time (three hours). We are planning on using the movers to move our large furnishings, and we’ll be able to do any odds and ends in that overlap time.

Purge

Also, pretty straightforward, no? I told my kids, husband and reminded myself that we need to clear out 50% of our stuff (knowing that it’ll be more like 30%) before we move. So while we pack, I’m going to purge the closets, toy box and kitchen equipment. Less to move means easier move, no? I’m going to be pretty brutal this round. Any broken things are going to be recycled or tossed, and anything unused is going to be sold or donated. I’m even getting rid of high end items I’ve kept for nor reason other than I felt like I should.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

This one is going to be hard for me! Even with all the planning, I know that there will be things beyond my control and I’m just going to accept them and move past them. Which is also why we planned on the moving overlap (if you are considering moving, and can, this is awesome and gives you a buffer to get things done!).

Once we get into the new space, we’ll be able to see what we need and where things will go, which is always the best part of moving, don’t you think? And the fact that we’ve been lucky to stay within our community is very rewarding for us.

Have you ever moved with small children? Was it a big move or a more local move? Tell me how you survived!

Since those early days, I’ve learned so much about safety and what works for us and what doesn’t. We’ve finally been able to buy a new car (ahem, a minivan), and just in time for winter, I’ve been able to get my hands on the Baby Parka Car Poncho.

The car poncho is different than other coats because it’s 100% safe for car seats as it doesn’t interfere with a 5 point harness. Yes, you read that right: a coat that doesn’t interfere with the 5 point harness.

One of the things I’ve always loved about BP products is that their first priority has always been safety. While other manufacturers made car seat covers that went under the baby, the ladies at BP created a warm “shower cap style” car seat cover that keeps baby warm and cozy but fits over the entire car seat, ensuring that the buckles and straps are not, in any way compromised.

The poncho takes that same shower-cap style principal and applies it to kids big enough to walk. The result is as adorable as it is functional. I LOVE the way the parka looks all zipped up. Very Maggie Simpson starfish snowsuit style. It’s super warm, fleece lined and has the signature Baby Parka reflective stripes. The thing that makes this coat different, though, is the side zippers that turn this from a coat to a poncho.

When the zippers are undone, you can flip the back of the poncho up and over your car seat, buckling your toddler in underneath the fabric, ensuring the tightest, safest fit, while keeping your kids cozy. Theoretically, too, once the car warms up, your little person can then take the poncho off once the car is warm. I say theoretically, because Lauchie never takes his off. He wears his and passes out every single time!

This coat can work in a pinch for kids as small as 1 and probably as big as 5 or 6 depending. It would also be a great addition to a stroller with the Baby Parka universal blanket or the carrier cover (which we use as a stroller muff, too!).

With winter not quite started and the coldest 3 months of the year ahead of us, I’m very happy to have our Baby Parka car seat poncho for Lauchie, and in years to come, for Angus, too. Because the other thing I love about BP stuff is that it’s designed to last – that carrier cover I bought in 2010? We still use it all winter long!

Either way, we gave up long ago trying to use any sort of instrument to take their temperatures. So much flailing, crying, screaming and running away.

Did I mention the running away?

My kids are all also snot factories with dust allergies so we are constantly on cold patrol from October until April. The baby, who was born in June has already had four pretty intense colds since he was born! Once the heat goes on, Henry sniffles for months. Without being sure that he has a fever, we have no idea if he’s sick or just dusty. When he was a baby, he somehow let us take his temperature rectally. I was not a fan of that, and there’s no way Lauchie would never let me.

I never thought I’d say it, though, we tried a No-Touch Digital Forehead Thermometer from Braun and it’s making life a million times easier. Today, Henry woke up and said he “didn’t feel well” and “had a fever.” So, before we sent him off to school, I said, “Let’s see what the thermometer says – it will tell us if you need Tylenol!” In less than three seconds, the little light flashed green and let me know that H’s temperature was good. No fever!

This is my favourite feature, by the way. The thermometer flashes green for no temperature, yellow for getting high and red for full on fever territory. This is perfect for me because I actually have no clue what a normal temperature should be, especially since some thermometers give you Fahrenheit and others, Celsius.

Henry is infatuated with the machine and keeps asking me to try it again. I think he feels really space-agey. Lauchie also will stand still just long enough for me to check his temperature before he screams and waddles off to find something to throw at the dog.

With the baby having been sick so many times this year already, it was really great having the peace of mind knowing that the easy to read and use thermometer has been at my disposal so that I don’t have to worry if he’s getting too hot.

I’ve even tried it on myself, and since it works so fast, I imagine that if I’m ever super sick, I won’t complain (too much) that my arm is being held upright for more than four seconds.

With cold season starting, I’m really jazzed about this thing. Having one less piece to worry about – cleaning a thermometer, trying to read its tiny letters or even having it positioned the right way, those are all gone.

Also, it feels pretty futuristic and as a sci-fi fan, I’ve gotta say, it feels a little Star Trek, and I like it. If you are looking for something easy to use, reliable and cool, I think the Braun no-touch thermometer is the way to go.

In my time as a parent, I’ve tried all sorts of sleep methods (or lack thereof) and we’ve been pretty happy bedsharing over the years, but I don’t know if it’s just because we haven’t had the time, or if it’s because we just need a bit of a break, I realized it was time to try something we’ve never used with any consistency or success – a lovey.

I don’t even know why we never tried these things besides the fact that I’m pretty sure that my sheer laziness was to blame. Five years and three kids later, I was hoping for a little relief, and then Lulla came along.

This thing is everything that I’ve ever wanted in a toy and I’m pretty ecstatic about it. Five years ago, I would have poo-pooed this thing as “gimmicky” and “a crutch” for parents. WHAT WAS WRONG WITH ME?

Lulla dolls are the brain child of Icelandic mother of two Eyrun Eggertsdottir. Designed with the idea that babies like to feel close to a caregiver, she designed a soft, allergen free, organic doll with a small playback machine inside. When you press the doll’s heart, low-decibel heartbeat and breathing can be heard. The doll has a neutral skin tone that’s neither white nor black making it ideal for any baby and it’s just got short “hair” allowing it to be genderless or gendered depending on your child’s preferences.

As I drove home with our Lulla (who I’ve named Homer), I wore the doll in my shirt to allow it to pick up my scent. As soon as I walked in the door, I showed its little face to the baby and he was thrilled! Its big, sweet face is perfect for little guys (who love seeing faces). He immediately took to Homer in daytime but I was so curious to see how bed time would fare.

OH. MY. GAWD.

When I put Gus down for his nap, as I rolled away, a firetruck blared down our street and he stirred. I thought, “Oh, crap!” but no! Gus turned his head towards Homer and put his arm lovingly on the doll and proceeded to sleep for two hours!

Our Lulla Doll has been a wonder for making bedtime transitions easier for the little dude, allowing me to sneak away and work or tidy or whatever. Is every bed time perfect? Absolutely not, but I’ve seen a marked improvement in my ability to bail away from Angus after he’s fallen asleep.

For very small babies, and even for preemies, there is a little strap tether thing hidden in the back which can allow you to securely strap the Lulla onto a crib, car seat or stroller so that you have nothing in the crib/bed/whatever with baby. And while the price tag is a little steep ($99!) I actually think it’s a worthwhile investment and an excellent baby shower ask.

If you are having a baby shower, I HIGHLY recommend putting Lulla on your registry. You will not regret it.