Smarty Parents Making Family Mealtime Matter 2008-06-23T17:50:52Z WordPress http://smartyparents.com/feed/atom/ smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Mealtime is Family Time]]> http://smartyparents.com/making-mealtime-matter/mealtime-is-family-time/ 2007-12-16T03:27:44Z 2007-12-16T03:27:44Z All “smarty parents” should make it a priority to enjoy family mealtime. While studies focus on benefits to teens, we believe it’s imperative that we parents make family mealtime a habit as early as possible.

I was very blessed to be able to write this article for the Huffington Post regarding this subject.  We hope you enjoy it and feel free to comment below.

Here’s to your next meal together!

Lindy
Smarty Parents President/CEO

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Someone Who Recycles]]> http://smartyparents.com/whats-a-smarty-parent/someone-who-recycles/ 2007-12-16T03:09:26Z 2007-12-16T03:09:26Z Recycle BinsWhile recycling to the extreme that we see in the Pacific Northwest may not be possible in many parts of the United States, we feel “smarty parents” should teach children to do their part.

This can start with simply putting your soda can in a recycling bin. Or you can even go nuts like we did and set up bins (at right) for various plastic types and take them to a recycling facility or event.

One Company, One Family, One Bag of Trash per Week

We were shocked, literally, that a combination of recycling and composting enabled us to yield a single kitchen-sized trash bag of garbage per week. And that’s with a family of four (five if you count our canine!) plus all of the office and work-related paper in our house.

All this is to say, the planet belongs more to our children and our grandchildren than us. We can all do our part to “teach the children well.”

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Free SuperBib with Piggy Platter Purchase!]]> http://smartyparents.com/smarty-parents-misc/send-us-feedback/free-superbib-with-piggy-platter-purchase/ 2007-11-29T13:50:11Z 2007-11-29T13:50:11Z The Piggy Platter PLUS a Bumkins Bib: the perfect combination meal and craft time!Holiday Bumkins Bib Blue

This gift pack includes two award-winning products: a Bumkins’ Super Bib and a Smarty Parents’ Piggy Platter placemat and craftmat, both in your choice of styles and colors. Both are made in the U.S.A.

The front pocket of the waterproof Super Bib combined with the outer rim and removable gutter of the Piggy Platter make a dynamic duo when it comes to catching runaway cranberries and carrots.

Holiday Platter Pix courtesy of Bumkins and Smarty ParentsAlso included: Free Holiday Platter Pix art for underneath your Piggy Platter. Click the image for a close-up!

Special Toolkit Price: $34.95

Use Promo Code “FR33Bib” in your shopping cart to get the SuperBib for FREE!

Piggy Platter Angled OrangePiggy Platter Angled GreenWhite Piggy Platter Placemat & Craftmat for KidsBlue Piggy Platter Placemat & Craftmat for KidsBlue Fizz Super BibBlue Fiz Super BibBlue Circles Super BibRose Circles Super Bib

Piggy Platter Color:

Super Bib Style:

View Cart

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Yummy Gooey Goodness for breakfast]]> http://smartyparents.com/heatlhy-fast-recipes/fall-winter/yummy-gooey-goodness-for-breakfast/ 2007-11-22T00:40:27Z 2007-11-22T00:40:27Z Breakfast with visiting friends and family on a Saturday morning is a perfect time to make this dish. Think french toast, cinnamon roll casserole:

In a small bowl mix 1 cup packed brown sugar, 1 cube of butter and 2 Tablespoons of Karo’s light corn syrup. Spread on the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish and set aside.

In a medium bowl mix the following:

6 eggs (yes, that’s six eggs!)

1 Cup half/half

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl (sorry to have you dirty all these bowls!) put 1 loaf of cubed raisin cinnamon bread. Pour egg mixture in and mix. Add to baking dish and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until egg mixture is cooked. Let cool 10 minutes before serving.

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Buying Organic]]> http://smartyparents.com/smarty-parents-misc/products-we-love/buying-organic/ 2007-11-21T23:37:55Z 2007-11-21T23:37:55Z organicvalleymilk.jpgWhen my husband and I found out I was pregnant, we immediately switched to drinking organic milk. It was so much more rich, thick and flavorful than regular!

Since then we’ve tried to buy organic whenever possible, especially with two healthy young boys in the house. But, as entrepreneurs on a tight budget, we find we can’t always afford the extra cost that understandably comes along with the advantages of small, local farming. Maybe you’re a “smarty parent” in the same boat…. well, here’s a little tip: Organic Valley offers coupons on its site and to those who sign up to their online community “Mothers of Organic.” They’re an amazing “co-op” of more than 1,000 small, organic farmers all over the U.S.

Click here for Organic Valley coupons or click here to join the Mothers of Organic community.

Happy eating!

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Snack Time Creations]]> http://smartyparents.com/heatlhy-fast-recipes/snack-time-creations/ 2007-11-07T03:24:35Z 2007-11-07T03:24:35Z Kudos to Cranium for coming up with this awesome idea…which we totally stole from their ad in Parenting Magazine ;o)

It’s Mix & Match Snack Time

What to do: Toss a variety of snack time ingredients onto a Piggy Platter and let the kids make their own creations. For instance, use rice cakes, peanut/almond butter and raisins and let the kiddos make their own silly faces. Or swap out the rice cakes for celery for good ol’ fashioned “ants on a log.”

What can your kids create?  Let us know below:

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Design & Print Your Own “Platter Pix”]]> http://smartyparents.com/piggy-platter-uses/design-print-your-own-platter-pix/ 2007-10-25T00:03:51Z 2007-10-25T00:03:51Z Check out the amazingly fun art-maker at Kerpoof Scholastics! It’s a great tool for designing and printing your own Platter Pix-like art. (Or you can let the kids do it themselves with your help. It’s very thematic and drag-n-drop.) Have fun!

Design Your Own Platter Art at Kerpoof!

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Easy to Make Pasta Bake]]> http://smartyparents.com/heatlhy-fast-recipes/easy-to-make-pasta-bake/ 2007-10-23T13:18:09Z 2007-10-23T13:18:09Z Butternut Squash Pasta BakeAs the season’s begin to get more and more chilly, and the squash nears the end of its season, we often turn to pasta-bake for dinner. It’s as simple as cooking your favorite non-spaghetti pasta, tossing a few ingredients together and baking.

It’s a one-dish wonder and you may even be lucky enough for leftovers for lunch!

If you have some ingredients laying around (such as a butternut squash), you can simply search for a pasta bake recipe on the web containing that ingredient. You don’t have to follow it to a “t” but it’ll at least give you some inspiration.

Here’s an example of a “bake” we did recently (though there’s a tasty recipe here too):

  • 3-4 links of chicken sausage, cooked and sliced
  • Half bag of rotellini pasta, cooked
  • Half a butternut squash, baked with butter and brown sugar (1 hour, 350 degrees, cubed)
  • 1/2 of apple, cubed
  • 3/4 cup of fresh parmesan cheese
  • 3/4 jar of Alfredo sauce
  • 1 teaspon of cinnamon
  • A dash of salt and pepper

Simply bake the butternut squash while you get the rest of the ingredients prepared.  Then toss it all together in a baking dish.  Bake for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees or until the cheese melts.

Enjoy!

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Piggy Platter Perfect Activities]]> http://smartyparents.com/piggy-platter-uses/free-platter-perfect-art/piggy-platter-perfect-activities/ 2007-10-13T00:32:15Z 2007-10-13T00:32:15Z Piggy Platter DrawingBelow are some fun and free activities that go great with a Piggy Platter.  Simply download, print them out and let the kids go bananas!

Coloring Pages: Sesame Street, NASA, Nick, Jr., Noggin, Veggie Tales

Hidden Pictures from Highlights:  Print out these pages then cut out the two image boxes.  Place them side-by-side and let the kids go at it.  Then they can color the Hidden Pictures page and put it under their Piggy Platter!

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smartyparents http://www.smartyparents.com <![CDATA[Free Piggy Platter Perfect Art]]> http://smartyparents.com/piggy-platter-uses/free-platter-perfect-art/free-piggy-platter-perfect-art/ 2007-10-13T00:10:09Z 2007-10-13T00:10:09Z We’ve been scouring the wonderful Web to find some fun, free art that you can print on your own for the kiddos. Then place the art under your child’s Piggy Platter. In most cases, you desktop wallpaper for your computer is perfect for the Platter because it’s high-resolution and built in a “landscape” format.

Disney Images: Choose from AlladinAlice in Wonderland, Bambi, Beauty & the Beast, Lion King, Pinocchio, Snow White, Tarzan, Toy Story, Winnie the Pooh

NASA’s Image Gallery: tons of great space photography. Create your own montage!

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