6 HEALTHY & NATURAL ON THE GO SNACKS FOR BABY

I remember when it became time to figure out what Penelope would snack on throughout the day. It was really difficult to find anything packaged I agreed with. So I stuck with nature. Stores and supermarkets make it so easy to buy processed foods, but I'm of the mindset that with a very little prep we can do so much better then snacks with 30 ingredients on the back. 

Organic dried fruit can get expensive even though Penelope loves it. So the top two here on heavy rotation are bananas and apples and recently carrots. I really take our health as a family important and I put in a little extra work to make sure P has homemade meals and snacks. I want her to see me putting in the extra effort so she begins to see it as the norm that she will do for herself later. Especially in a society that runs off of convenience.

The end goal is not only to raise a healthy kid, but also to establish healthy habits early that she will carry into her adult life. The snacks when were at home are a wider variety, but that will be a whole 'nother post! Let me know what kind of snacks you guys are giving the kiddos on the go, I'd love to add to the collection!

BAY AREA TRAVELS: TILDEN PARK

If there is one things I know for sure, it's that if you live in the Bay Area money is a thing. Yeah you pay for your home, your car, your insurance, your bills, but in our hood? You pay for air and sun. The cost to live out here is no joke.

This has left me and my husband on many occasions wondering if we should move. But after yesterday's visit to Tilden Park we came up with ton's of other amazing reasons the Bay is so great. But mainly because where else do you find sunny weather year round, culture everywhere and the plethora of free events and things to do. You just gotta look a little.

My sister suggested we take Penelope to Tilden Park and while we actually went to ride the trains, we ended up on the Little Farm and carousel instead. It's about a 45 minute drive from where we live but then you get to the park and your surrounded by beauty. Gorgeous landscape, a little farm, a carousel, tons of trails and a little train for the kiddos. 

This trip was super fun and Penelope loved being able to feed the animals on the farm (free) and her first ride on a carousel ($2 age 2+). Quick tip: Make sure you bring some celery and lettuce so you can feed the animals. I would definitely suggest this as a fun place if you live in the Bay Area to take your kids and bring food to picnic. There's tons of greenery to do a layout and let the kiddos run around.

LETTING OUR BABY FAIL

Number one comment we get from other parents about Penelope..."Wow! She seems so much older!" I full heartedly believe that's because we allow her to fail. To fall. To cry. To try. To learn.

Something really cool happens when you let your kid know they are allowed to make their own decisions. That we trust her to make her own decisions. She becomes confident, agile, brilliant and resilient. 

At the playground I saw a bad decision coming from a mile away. I decided to let her make it, the lesson would be good and it was safe. She slid where she wasn't supposed to slide and she fell. Cried for a heartbeat, I walked over dusted her off and let her know she should try and be more careful. Then she ran off to play again.

When I make her food, I put it on her tray hot and let her know "hot". I leave it for her to figure out that it's not very fun to eat things that are piping hot. As a result, she waits for her food to cool down and now understand the danger of hot stoves, curling irons, fireplaces.

Little opportunities like this that come up everyday. Opportunities that I allow her to explore and deal with the repercussions. Minimal shielding. Try something and fail at it...on her own. I do get a lot of perplexed looks from parents and I understand they mean well, but the greatest gift my father gave me growing up was freedom. That's something I've gained wisdom from. That's a gift I want to give our children.

Letting our children explore and fail is the greatest catalyst for learning life's most valuable lessons. It's our job to determine the boundaries of what isn't actually safe, but also to let them be their own little people. I don't consider it my job to be her babysitter but her mother who's there when she needs me to be. My job is to love her, care for her, guide her as needed and trust her. 

I'm proud of that comment we get. It's not easy to watch the impending doom, but I'm so thankful we did it this way. I love her confidence and she surprises me everyday with what her little self is capable of. She truly is remarkable.

15 MONTHS: A RECAP

If a mom were to ask me one of the top things I would recommend to do as their baby gets older, I would say document every month. Because the memories start to mix together and you never think you'll forget...but you do. And take TONS of pictures. Enough to look like paparazzi but not so much where your not actually engaging with your family. You don't want to be the Instagram-Queen who's family thinks you suck. Somewhere in between you know?

So here's me documenting 15 months for Penelope and what I can remember for the last month. Cause even a month gets a little hazy.

Favorite Foods: More like what is not a favorite food. She loves fish, rice and raisins. She inhales raisins on a plate as if it were her last meal

Favorite Song: Uptown Funk

New Words: Sky, moon, star, heart, bless you, calculator, knees, apple, blue, doggie

Favorite Activity: Hanging off any available limb of mine, naming all of her body parts and every one around her. Cute until you get poked in the eye

Favorite Game: Being chased by me or the hubs and playing hide and seek.

Chores: Clean up before nap/bedtime, put away laundry, load washing machine and throw away diapers

First Times: Juice, raw carrot, sliding on her own, coloring, tire swing, helping cook

Favorite Book: Dora the Explorer activity book

Signature Moves: Bouncing up and down when she hears a beat, head banging like a rockstar in her carseat for a good song, waving hello and goodbye to everyone after they've already walked away

She's a great sleeper, 7:00pm-6:30am and is taking one nap for about 1.5 hours. Recently she's been waking up a couple times a week talking to herself but then goes back to sleep. So strange.

She is insanely resilient and fearless. It is great until she tries to climb things like a monkey and give me a heart attack.

Penelope started to get impatient and so we've been teaching her to wait for things. So far so good. She went from a high pitched whine if she didn't get something right away, to playing and waiting when I say "wait please".

I'm almost positive she already has all her teeth. I'm so glad cause teething isn't fun even though she does it like a champ. I love that she actually let's me brush her teeth and then after wants to do it herself. The cutest.

This stage is so fun and I really get to see her personality emerging everyday. That's my little road dog...Baby P and me. :)