So schools out for Summer and because I try to simplify my life I have the goal to purchase child friendly snacks for the summer. So we walk into Walmart Neighborhood Market with my list of things to purchase. I love the Neighborhood Market because its cheaper than the other grocery stores but it still gives you that small town feel . And it has a larger selection of foods. Sometimes I go to the Super Walmart too because there is nothing like buying milk and some cute leggings all at the same time . 🙂
I try to purchase food for two weeks because I frequent Wal-mart so much the people have started speaking to me by first name and yea I guess that’s ok if you like that sort of thing . But since my husband is away in training for the Air force I don’t have time to send him there for last minute things so my lists have to be precised. Anyway I have a small list of things I need and since Wal-mart has those consistent falling prices I can get more for just a small amount of money and its usually fresh because of their consistent turn overs . My first summer trip there we needed cheese, water, juice, crackers and then kid friendly foods. Thank God Wal-mart has cereal on a Summer Sale because its too hot for waffles in the Summer. I also needed to purchase snack foods, lays potato chips, oreo cookies , goldfish crackers, cheezits, koolaid jammers , and because any meal can easily be made by this we desperately needed Knorr pasta and rice sides.
Now I have two sets of children the really greedy group and the super greedy group. My super greedy group likes fresh veggies and fresh fruit so we needed fruit as well. I typically frequent the farmers market but with the prices they have on fruit at wal-mart who could resists those cherries, limes and apples.
So everyone is frazzled in the summer when it comes to feeding their kids . I have learned to not sweat the small stuff and prepare. It is true that my children may go thru a bag of cherries in one day and eat all of the twenty count of lays in two days or half a pack of oreos in 30 minutes but its all in how you prep your family. Kids like routines , rituals and rules. So remember those 3 words and enforce them. First things first nothing is served unless you’re all clean. Breakfast comes first , its summer so cereal is a staple for us . If camp is not on your schedule for the summer put your kids on a schedule . The more occupied they are the less they think about eating . We typically eat lunch on the run , one of our favorite stops is Chickfila . We don’t always get kid’s meals because those can be pricey for 3 children on a daily bases but their menu is so vast that we can make a lunch off one meal. We love their salad’s and soups too .
We generally have one snack a day and there are those rare occasions that I am in the middle of blogging that the kids will sneak food and in those times I always have bottle water and baby carrots or even a good bag of lays chips somewhere handy. A few days out of the week I have some special things that must be done and I don’t get those opportunities to cook like marinating things and frying stuff or baking things . In those times I can always depend on Knorr pasta or rice sides. I can steam chicken breasts and add tomatoes or carrots to any of the sides for an amazing dish in just under 30 minutes give or take .
When school was in session we usually had a snack before bedtime but its summer and we need more rest in the summer because we have more sunlight . We eat later and we eliminate the snack for the night thus keeping more food in the house for the next day . And less starving tummy’s for the morning . Somehow the earlier you put them to bed the longer they sleep . I learned this that one night I let the kids stay up passed midnight and they got into everything in the house and then woke up at 6AM.
Summer Rocks , and so does Walmart
Loving Life
Tesha