We're Parents

No Pictures Needed

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Have we become so engrained with photos and social media that we can no longer just enjoy intimate moments that should be shared in our own minds? No pictures needed is a plea to put down the phones and just enjoy life. 

No Pictures Needed, but Picture This: 

Today, in between making a recipe for work and prepping for dinner, I stopped and looked out the window.  The cool fall wind blowing through the screened window. The rustling of color changing leaves falling down. And the giggles of two sisters struggling to pull each other in a wagon over rough terrain. Each bump and turn tumbling the belly and making for joyous memories and bonding moments.

Rewind.

I remember growing up and physically looking through a box of photos or physical photo albums.  My mom didn’t have thousands of photos of me, but the ones she did have all told a story. I remember hearing “a picture means 1,000 words” and it stuck with me all these years. There are truly photos that could mean 1,000 words and then some. Photos that when you hold or see you can become overwhelmed with emotion or vividly remember a whole story behind this one photo.

Somewhere between the days that I grew and today, we’ve lost the translation. We’ve become so photo obsessed that we have lost the story telling behind many photos.  Our children are growing up without photo albums or even just physical pictures. I, myself, am guilty of rarely printing photos out.

But our biggest fault.

Our biggest fault is that we have become so ingrained that we must “do it for the ‘gram” that one of our biggest faults is not being able to be present in the moment. Everything that we do or our kids do must be captured. “hold on, let me grab my camera”, “wait, do that again”, “say that again”, “freeze, don’t move, smile”. Every day dozens of photos being captured.

And it’s hurting our ability to just be present, soak up the memories, and just enjoy them for what they are. Moments that are special for just us. Moments that not everyone needs to see. These little moments that are supposed to be intimate and enjoyable without having the world’s eyes on them at all times.

Live in the moment.

When I saw my girls playing out my window today in between recipes for work and dinner, I immediately wanted to pic up my phone. I wanted to show everyone how much fun my girls were having. As I stared out the window, I immediately put my phone back down. A few things crossed my mind:

  • If I stopped to focus solely on taking the picture, then I would no longer be able to focus on the moment that my girls were having together. Laughing, playing, and just being sisters. I wouldn’t have been able to flashback to a time that my own sister and I played outside without a care in the world together.
  • If I stopped to take a picture, I would have likely interrupted their moment.  Whether I went outside to get a closer picture, thus drawing their attention to me. Or I asked them, as I do thousands of times, to repeat whatever they just did so I could get the perfect moment capture.

Instead, I decided to put down the phone and just take the moment in for myself. To let them be little and have fun for themselves.  No pictures needed so that they could simply be themselves and make memories without the world having to see what they were doing today.

And sure, in a way, our children are lucky to live in this time. They will have so many moments to look back on and recall through photos the memories they’ve made.  But photos can’t always make up for the feelings that those memories make deep down inside about how someone or something or some place makes you feel. And because of that…no pictures needed.

No pictures needed is a call to action for parents and caregivers to put down their phones and cameras and just take in the moments. As we approach the holiday season, let’s focus on making the memories and letting the memories just be for us and not so much for everyone else around us. 

Aldi Delivery Service – Is It Worth It?

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We tested out the brand new Aldi delivery service and we’re dishing all the details.  See what we thought about the Aldi grocery delivery service and if it’s really worth it!

This post contains affiliate links. 

I’ve been fangirling Aldi for a longgggg time. Even though it’s gaining in popularity, I still think it’s one of the best hidden gems when it comes to reducing your monthly grocery budget. When Aldi recently announced Aldi Delivery to your home via Instacart, I literally jumped around the house in excitement. Finally, a home delivery service I could get behind.  I was so ready.

I’ve been shopping at Aldi for over a decade now. My first experiences were in college. As a struggling college student, the prices were unbeatable. I was able to get all the food I wanted at a fraction of the cost. When we first moved to New Jersey, there wasn’t one local to me. However, when I found one, I was so happy.

What is Aldi?

Now, I realize that not everyone knows what the heck an Aldi is. So very briefly, it’s a chain grocery store that started in Germany over 40 years ago. They’re motto is that you should be able to get great quality food with everyday low prices. There are now more than 1,600 stores in the US alone and they are in 35 states. By the end of 2018, they will operate more than 2,000 stores, so if they aren’t local to you, then hopefully they will be soon. The way that they are able to get costs down is by offering no frills shopping experience.

Now that everyone is brought up to spend on what Aldi is in brief, let’s talk about the new Aldi Delivery service.

Aldi Delivery Service – The Basics 

Aldi recently rolled out their Aldi Home Delivery service via Instacart. To use the service, you must have an Instacart Account. You can then browse the store via the different departments and have your groceries delivered in as little as one hour or schedule for a future date, up to seven days in advance.

Instacart uses Personal Shoppers (much like Uber uses personal drivers) to fulfill your Instacart order. Then, when they are done shopping, they will deliver your order to your home or business.

You will be kept in the loop the entire time. From the moment you checkout, you can see what step your order is on currently. Instacart will let you know they have received your order. Then, they will tell you when the shopper has started shopping. You are able to track what items have been shopped for and which are still pending.  The entire time you are able to send messages to your shopper and up until checkout you can add an item if needed. You’ll get another notification letting you know the shopper has checked out and an estimated delivery time. In between checkout time and arrival at your house, you are able to track the shoppers movement on a map and see how close they are to you.

Now let’s get into the good, the bad, and the okayish things about Aldi Delivery. I’m going to try to answer as many questions and things that came up as I can, but of course if you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments or e-mail us at info@wereparents.com

What can I order from Aldi delivery?

For the most part, you can order everything that is typically inside of the store.  The few exceptions are that you cannot order gift cards or alcohol at this time.  One of the biggest things for me, is that you cannot order any of the weekly Aldi Finds.  This is the speciality section of weekly items that Aldi gets. If you’ve never been inside an Aldi, every week they have a section of speciality goods, called Aldi Finds, that give you discounts on things from clothing to kitchen tools to bedding and more. None of these items are available with the Aldi Home Delivery service.

What happens if an items is out of stock?

One thing about shopping in-store for Aldi is that sometimes items are out of stock.  Because they only carry a limited selection of items, they don’t have have a lot and sometimes runs out quickly. When using Aldi delivery service, there are a few things that happens.

  1. When you are in the checkout phase in the Instacart app or on the website, it will alert you if it thinks an item is low in the store.  It will give you the option right then to accept a substitute for the item you selected or decline the substitution if the item really isn’t at the store. For example, it gave me the option to substitute green peppers if the multi-colored peppers weren’t available once the personal shopper arrived at my Aldi store.
  2. Once the personal shopper is in the store, if an item you selected isn’t there, the shopper will decline the item in your order and you will get a notification that you will not be receiving or be charged for that item.

What happens if you aren’t home?

I selected a delivery time window of 8-9pm. My Aldi delivery arrived at 7:44pm. I asked the delivery driver what would have happened if I wasn’t home until 8pm and she said that you have the option either during the checkout phase or when you get alerted the driver is on the way to ask them to leave your food at your door.

Obviously, that solution won’t work for everyone, especially those who live in cities. Instacart says that shoppers will wait for the customer, reschedule the delivery, or cancel is no other solution can be attained.  There may be a $15 cancellation fee.

Tip: My Aldi delivery personal shopper told me that Instacart tells them to be there 15 minutes before your delivery window. So you are better off to select an hour later, if you know you won’t be home 15 minutes before your  delivery window starts.

Aldi Delivery Cost 

The Aldi delivery costs varies on the the prices of your order.  If your order is under $35, then your cost is $9.99. If the price is over $35, then the delivery cost is $5.99 . Delivery is also available in 1 hour, however, you need to add $2 to each of the above prices depending on the amount of your order. There’s also the option to get Instacart Express for orders over $35. If you have this then delivery is FREE for all orders. It does cost $99-$149 per year.  If you have a delivery over $35 every week for a year, this would break down to $1.90 per week if you can get it at $99 or $2.87 if $149. Either option would be much cheaper than any of the regular options above.

There is also a 5% service fee tacked onto all purchases.  So for a $100 order your service fee would be around $5 and increase or decrease on that.

Also, since Aldi charges for bags, there is a bag fee.

In total, this is how my pricing broke down:

  • $3.99 for delivery fee (not sure if this was a special thing for the first time or what because it doesn’t reflect the above pricing structure)
  • $4.72 for service fee
  • $0.28 for bag fee

Do you tip your personal shopper?

Yes, you should absolutely tip your driver. Instacart gives you the option to tip at checkout based on a percentage of your order – 5%, 10%, 15% or 20%. You can also decline at checkout and tip directly with cash.  Lastly, you are able to change (increase or decrease) the tip after your Aldi delivery has been made during the feedback portion.

A good rule of thumb is to tip $1 per bag roughly.

My tip was $5.08. I choose 5% at checkout thinking I’d receive 5 bags and that’s what I received.

Are the prices the same in-store and for Aldi delivery?

Aldi is known for its low prices.  Whether it’s on produce, dairy products, or canned goods, Aldi can’t be rivaled on most things. It’s why I love Aldi and why many others I know love it too. When Aldi announced the home delivery service, this was my biggest fear. That I wouldn’t be happy with the service because the price inflation.

And, honestly, This is one of my biggest complaints about the entire process. Instacart does state that prices on the app can be higher to cover their costs. As a small business owner myself, I completely get that.  And for the most part items were marked up $0.10-0.15 per item.  Some items remained the same price in store, while others were much higher.

My biggest issue came with sale prices.

The prices in the weekly ad are what I use to make our weekly produce purchases. It’s the way that I keep our grocery budget to $100 a week. Buying seasonally has helped us so much.  Unfortunately, none of the items in the weekly sales ad reflected that price in the app.  At first I thought maybe the prices would be reflected at checkout, but that simply wasn’t the case. Whatever the price was in the app is what was charged to my account.

Additionally, Aldi is known to quickly reduced prices if they have too much of something.  If something is reduced manually in the store, it won’t be reflected on your checkout.

Examples:

  • Pineapple is on sale for $1.29 this week.  Instacart had pineapple prices at $2.55. Almost double sales price.
  • Apple Cider is regularly $3.49 and that’s what Instacart had it listed at. However, when I went in store to price check for this post, Apple Cider was marked down to $0.99. A $2.50 reduction that wasn’t make to my purchase.
  • Grapes were also on sale for $0.99/lb this week, but Instacart lists it at $2.05/lb.

In total, based on this, I paid $11.37 more using the app vs shopping in store.

I reached out to Instacart and they told me that each store that works with them is responsible for pricing, including updating sales prices.  I reached out to Aldi to see if they plan to add sale prices in the future and they hadn’t responded at the time of posting this article.

What happens if I’m not happy with my Aldi delivery order when it arrives?

As soon as your order is delivered, you are asked to leave feedback including a star rating and a comment. If something was wrong, you can leave it in the field.  It’s important to note that if you give a 5-star rating, they won’t monitor your comment. So, if something is wrong with one of your products, you can email help@instacart or call 1-888-246-7822.

Aldi also stands behind their Double Back guarantee.  This means that if you aren’t satisfied they will give you 100% of your money back + give you a new product at no additional cost.  In order to do this, you do need to take the product and digital or printed receipt into the Aldi store.

I did have an issue and was able to easily get it resolved.  I wasn’t happy with the grapes that were selected for me. Also, the cucumber that I purchase was placed at the bottom of the bag and because of that was smashed on one end.  I contacted Instacart and they issued a credit to my Instacart account to be used on my next purchase.  I asked if I could have a refund to my bank account and they did issue that. They let me know it could take up to 7 days depending on my bank.

Dietary Restriction Concerns

One of my biggest complications is that the there are no ingredients listed on the Instacart app. Whether you are gluten free, dairy free, or vegan (like us now), this is a huge concern.  I was able to select the products that I already know are safe, but for someone that has never shopped at Aldi before, this is a huge concern.  There are so many allergies that not being able to see ingredient list is a definite problem.

You are able to put notes in the Instacart app for any item and I did test this out for dietary purposes. We wanted hot chocolate, but can’t have dairy, so we requested the shopper only get the hot chocolate if there was no dairy.  Since there was dairy in the hot chocolate, she declined the item in our order and that money was refunded.

Overall Thoughts on Aldi Delivery

I loved being able to shop online, select all my items and then have it delivered to my house. I thought the communication with the app both on my phone or the computer during the entire process was very informative. It kept me in the loop the entire time. The entire delivery process was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Especially, not having to drive the kids, get them in and out of the car, argue over whether they can get 4,231 different snacks, and more.

For me, however, I’m not sure I can justify the cost.  Once I add in the delivery fee, the service fee, the bag fee, tip, and the additional food cost in app vs in store, I paid $25.44 more on just this order.  That’s more than $100 a month which would tack on a whole week of grocery costs for me.

If you want to test it out and you’ve never used Instacart before you can get $10 off here.

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30 Day Vegan Challenge {Our Results}

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We did a 30 day vegan challenge and we’re sharing the good, bad and fun of what happened when two parents and two young kids went vegan. 

Our Journey into Veganism

As with everything in our lives, it takes us a long time. When we started talking about our semicrunchyish life, we always say one step at a time. Everyone’s journey into anything will be completely different, but we believe that cold going turkey into most things is harder. It’s also more likely to cause the person to revert back.

Veganism for us was no different.  A few years ago, we started doing a meatless meal every week. Just one and really at that time, it was to help save money. As time went on, it was more for health reasons in addition to saving money.  One meal turned into two. Then, over that past 15 months or so, that number continued to rise.  Some weeks it was up to four nights a week that we weren’t consuming meat.  I went from purchasing our chicken in bulk every 6-8 weeks to once a quarter, sometimes way longer.

Over the past 3 or 4 months, we had been talking about going vegan more and more. Finally, we agreed to just jump into it and do a 30 day vegan challenge.  We set a day for October 1st and then realized we would be doing a 31 day vegan challenge since there are 31 days in October.

Did we make the kids go vegan?

This seems to be the pressing question that everyone wants to know. And the answer is 1000% yes. Then, as soon as we say yes, people look at us like we are crazy. Like I just made them run around the yard for 16 hours without food.  I promise you veganism isn’t the end of the world, so our kids didn’t suffer.

But yes, we did make them also do the 30 day vegan challenge with us. Besides occasionally asking to go to Chick-fil-A they did great. The older one did ask why we were doing this a few times and said that she’s okay eating animals because she loves the taste. The little one didn’t seem to mind at all honestly.

How vegan did you go?

This seems to be the second most asked question. I learned very quickly during our 30 day vegan challenge that there’s levels to veganism.  I had no idea beforehand. It’s like the mommy wars and whether or not we breastfeed or formula feed.  I shouldn’t have been surprised, because everyone is going to judge you no matter what you do in life, but I was like whoa, hold on, say what?

For us, we know we didn’t go “vegan enough” for some people, but for us it was what is right. I’ll be up front and say that we didn’t give up honey.  This seems to be a huge divide from what I’ve read so far in the vegan community and for us, we’re okay with still consuming it. I do realize others do not  feel this way and will think we didn’t do enough.

We didn’t consume any meat, eggs, or dairy. We made sure that all the food products that we were consuming were vegans — as far as we could tell.

As far as our personal care products – we replaced things with vegan products as they ran out.  For some things, like our shampoo and conditioner, we were already using a vegan brand. But other things we replaced if it ran out. We did just ditch everything in our house and replace because this was a 30 day challenge to start with and our budget didn’t allow us to replace $100s worth of items that we rarely use just for 30 days. Plus, the environmental side of me feels like wasting it is wrong even more after we already purchased it.

What were the results of a 30 day vegan challenge?

Well, we survived.  That’s the first step right? We’ve also decided that we are going to move past the challenge and into living a life of veganism for good. We did continue to still eat processed vegan foods like cereals and Oreos, and our goal now is to eliminate some more of that and eat more plant based meals. I’m not sure that we will ever completely be whole foods plant based, but hey, maybe that’s the next journey that starts from here.

We learned that there’s some really gross vegan meals. But at the same time we learned that going vegan isn’t that hard and it has some really delicious alternative (like these cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting).

One of the biggest things for me we stopped feeling bloated. I used to wake up every day and feel so bloated – both in the morning and after eating meals.  Within a few days all that stopped. Even eating big portions of vegan meals or snacks, I didn’t wake up feeling like that anymore. I did notice that I was hungry more often and snacked a lot. Andrew was much better at this than I was. I did still manage to loose 5lbs this month without much effort, so I’m sure if I curb the snacking habit back, this month will be even better.

Was there anything that shocked you?

There was some things that really stuck out to us during this 30 day vegan challenge.  For starters, how much food contains animal products that you don’t even think about. We learned that regular white sugar more than likely has been processed with bone char, making it not vegan. Everything from our vitamins to worchestire sauce to tomato sauce to hair products needed to be checked for animals products.

How helpful the vegan community is. I think everyone thinks of vegans as people who shove their lifestyle down your throat, but what we found was that other vegans were insanely helpful.  They went out of their way to find us meals they thought our kids would enjoy, to help us with any questions that arose, make book suggestions, and more. We truly love some of our vegan friends that we’ve made in this short amount of time.

Lastly, we were shocked at how seamless the transition went. We were expecting it to be really rough and quite honestly it wasn’t.  The hardest thing for me was no longer having a long list of go to meals. Rather, we spent most of the month trying out new meals during our 30 day vegan challenge. Some of them worked and others, well, left a lot to be desired. The second hardest thing was probably the detox.  I had some rough headaches for the first 2 weeks, but since then so much better.  Luckily, I had read about that and knew to expect it.

What did you eat during your 30 day vegan challenge?

I know this is what a lot of people want to know.  If you can’t have meat, eggs, and dairy, what the heck can you eat? It’s so funny that people get seriously mind boggled around what to eat if there’s no “meat” involved.  Luckily, now more than ever, it’s much easier to find everything from vegan burgers and hot dogs to vegan cheese, sour cream, and milk in stores.  As more people continue to switch to vegan, plant-based, or dairy-free diets, I’m convinced it will only get easier.

For breakfast, we mainly consumed smoothies and oatmeal. This is what we already ate before going vegan so it wasn’t a big deal.  We make french toast using a vegan homemade bread and flax eggs.

For lunch, we either had leftovers from dinner, salad or PB&J. Luckily, my kids love both salad and PB&J so switching these three ideas around worked well for us.

For dinner, we tried lots of delicious meals. We used different beans in place of meat, as well as trying a few plant based meat options in our meals too. Some of our best meals came from meals we already loved and making a few swaps to make them vegan.  For instance, one of our favorite meals beforehand was this 3 bean chicken chili. In order to make it vegan, we took out the chicken, added another cup of beans, and 2 cups of veggie broth. It was delicious!

We continued to love our black bean burgers and even found Daiya cheddar slices tastes great on them. One of our favorite meals was a chickpea stew and a super easy lo mein.  I also made a veggie stew that I’ll be posting about soon. We took our homemade pizza dough and made pizzas with vegan shredded cheese and that was a big hit with everyone. Black Bean Tacos were a great hit too and there’s so many more.

What about eating out?

We were able to try a few places out while doing a 30 day vegan challenge.  We went to HipCityVeg in Philly and LUHV food at the Reading Terminal Market our first few days because we were at a conference. Both places were a hit! Also since we were at a conference, we were invited to a place to eat for dinner. I was able to find a few dishes to try and loved the one I did, but it proved tricky to Andrew who is much pickier than I am. He ended up having two orders of french fries and stopping at a CVS on the way to the train for vegan ice cream.

We went to another local place near us – Heartbeet Kitchen in Westmont, NJ and were left a little disappointed. The price was way higher than we are used to paying for similar styled foods and we just weren’t that impressed.  The Queso was delicious, but otherwise we could have passed on the other things.  Maybe it was what we ordered, maybe it wasn’t. But it’s hard to want to go back there with the taste of what did had. The atmosphere and service was great though.

We also found a pizza place local to us that serves a vegan pizza and we also got french fries.  We loved being able to go and have a a meal that everyone enjoyed without a giant price hike.

What happens now?

Well now, there’s no more challenge.  This is just going to be our new normal.  We will continue to find meals that we love, places that we love, and products that we love that are vegan.  We will work towards switching out our household and personal care products to make them vegan. Also, we will continue to watch and monitor our kids to make sure they are getting enough and proper nutrition at this vulnerable age. We are both taking vitamins for us and for the kids, as well as a B12 spray for nutrition.  With the holidays coming up we are nervous about how that will go, but we’ve done well with parties and such so far, so we are sure that it will be fine.

What about you?  Have you or would you done a 30 day vegan challenge?  Do you have any questions about how it went for us? Let us know!

Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids

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Kids love fun halloween crafts! Find easy halloween crafts for kids that are homemade! Plus, gets tips on preserving children’s artwork.

Whether you are a parent or a teacher, every season that a new holiday rolls around you are looking for fun holiday crafts for your kids to do.  With Halloween quickly approaching, you want to find easy halloween crafts for kids to do. Typically, you are looking for some fun halloween crafts, but they also need to not make you loose your  mind.

Some halloween crafts for kids call for things…Ahem, glitter…that literally no parent on the face of the earth feels like dealing with. Other halloween crafts take hours, and quite honestly, no one has time for that either. However, you still want to spend time with the kids every holiday making something memorable with them.

What materials do I need on hand for Halloween Crafts?

While every easy Halloween craft is going to be unique in what it calls for, there are definitely some specific craft supplies that you should always keep on hand. Not only will these help you with Halloween Crafts, but it’s great to have for most kids’ crafts that you may be doing.

Obviously, there’s so much more that you could have, but this quick list is something that you should always have on hand.  Doing so will mean that you will be able to do most holiday crafts, including the easy Halloween crafts for kids we’ve listed below.

What is a good way to preserve my child’s holiday crafts?

Whether it’s Halloween crafts or any other season, as parents, it is easy to want to hold onto everything. Out littles ones created something so unique to them and it’s adorable. Parents always want to remember their kid’s when they were little, thus want to hold onto as much as possible.

In a perfect world, you’d be able to keep everything your little one(s) ever made.  Unfortunately, you’d be looking at an entire room just filled with crafts.  Here’s three ideas for preserving your child’s holiday crafts.

  • Keep the one best craft from each holiday and store it inside of a small container.
  • Take a picture of the artwork and print out the picture. This way you are able to remember the craft without so much space taken up. Store the photos in one collective photo album that holds a large amount of photos.
  • Display a photo wall of their art. Every season you can switch out the photos. Save your favorite one or two from each holiday and reuse your favorites next year.

What’s a great alternative to preserving holiday crafts?

Unfortunately, as much as you want to keep every single little thing each child brings home, it’s just not feasible. Especially, if you have a child that thrives on being artistic.  Somedays there could literally be dozens and dozens of pieces of artwork. Luckily, there are alternatives to saving every single craft.

Some great ideas that you can do are:

  • Make an art book for a grandparent. Do this by placing similar sized art pieces together and then “bind them” with a piece of construction paper or put them in a portfolio book.  Use a heavy duty stapler or hole punch with yarn to make it stay together.
  • Mail it out. Ask friends for their address and send a piece of artwork along with a positive affirmation.
  • Hand it out. Whether at a nursing home, hospital floor, or if you live in a major metropolitan area, to homeless citizens. Something so simple can truly make someone’s day.

At the end of the day, don’t be afraid to toss the artwork either.

Easy Halloween Crafts for Kids

Ready for some really amazing Halloween crafts to do with the littles. We’ve complied a list of more than 30 fun Halloween crafts to do.


 

Looking for more Halloween posts? Check out our Halloween Safety Tips and Creepy Halloween Food for Kids below! 

Illinois Car Seat Laws 2018

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THE GOVERNOR OF ILLINOIS SIGNED INTO LAW NEW CAR SEAT REQUIREMENTS IN AUGUST 2018. THE NEW ILLINOIS CAR SEAT LAWS TAKE EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2019. ILLINOIS’ NEW CAR SEAT LAWS WILL BE UPDATED TO ENSURE MAXIMUM SAFETY FOR CHILDREN.

It’s important to note up front. When states change laws like this, they aren’t trying to make parents or caregivers lives harder.  They are trying to put into law information that will make your family safer. The leading cause of death of children under 12 is car accidents. However, those deaths are preventable in many cases if proper car seat usage was applied always.

BACKGROUND ON THE NEW ILLINOIS CAR SEAT LAWS

Agencies, like the American Academy of Pediatrics, state rear facing is the safest position for your child to be in a motor vehicle for as long as possible. Specifically, children should remain rear facing until at least age 2; however, as long as the child restraint system allows is best. One study shows rearfacing between 12-24 months is 532% safer than forward facing.

Illinois has become the newest state to pass a law making sure that more children will remain rearfacing until at least two years old. In 2018, the Illinois legislature passed House Bill 4377. This bill makes amendments to bill 625 ILCS 25/1 also known as the Child Passenger Protection Act. Then, on August 3, 2018 the bill was signed into law by Governor Rauner.  The new Illinois car seat laws will go into effect come January 1, 2019.

The previous Illinois car seat laws only required drivers to provide a child under the age of eight (8) with  an “approved” safety seat.

What Illinois’ New Car Seat Law Says

For the most part, Illinois Car Seat Laws largely remained the same as they have been for decades.  One section of the law got changed in this newest amendment.  That is section 4 of the bill 625 ILCS 25/1.

The new Illinois’ Car Seat Laws bill amends the previous law and makes the following specifications:

What the new law says –

Sec. 4. When any person is transporting a child in this State under the age of 8 years in a non-commercial motor vehicle of the first division, any truck or truck tractor that is equipped with seat safety belts, any other motor vehicle of the second division with a gross vehicle weight rating of 9,000 pounds or less, or a recreational vehicle on the roadways, streets or highways of this State, such person shall be responsible for providing for the protection of such child by properly securing him or her in an appropriate child restraint system. The parent or legal guardian of a child under the age of 8 years shall provide a child restraint system to any person who transports his or her child.

When any person is transporting a child in this State who is under the age of 2 years in a motor vehicle of the first division or motor vehicle of the second division weighing 9,000 pounds or less, he or she shall be responsible for properly securing the child in a rear-facing child restraint system, unless the child weighs 40 or more pounds or is 40 or more inches tall.

For purposes of this Section and Section 4b, “child restraint system” means any device which meets the standards of the United States Department of Transportation designed to restrain, seat or position children, which also includes a booster seat.

A child weighing more than 40 pounds may be transported in the back seat of a motor vehicle while wearing only a lap belt if the back seat of the motor vehicle is not equipped with a combination lap and shoulder belt.

What this means – Children 0-8 –

  • Section 4 starts by clarifying that any person transporting a child under the age of 8 years old in the state of Illinois in a non-commercial motor vehicle and that vehicle has seat safety belts is responsible for putting a child in an appropriate car seat.
  • It also states that the parent or legal guardian of that child under 8 years old is responsible for providing said car seat to any person transporting their child.
  • Section 4 also clarifies that “child restraint system” is used to mean any device meeting the standards set into place by the United States Department of Transportation.
  • Children under the age of two (2) MUST remain rearfacing until their second birthday.If the child reaches 40 inches OR 40lbs before their second birthday, they may be then placed in a forward-facing vehicle. 

What about children over the age of 8?

Illinois current car seat safety laws already state that a child under 8 must be in a child restraint system. Clarifying for the new law this means a child until 2 (unless 40lbs or 40 inches) should remain rearfacing in a car seat. Children 2-8 should remain in a forward facing car seat with a 5-point harness for as long as allowed by the car seat that they purchase.

Once the child maxes out of that forward facing harness seat, a high back booster should be used with a properly secured seat belt. And then moving on to a no back booster. Learn about if your child should be in a booster or harness. Children 8-18 must be in a seat belt.

Exceptions to this New Illinois Child Passenger Safety Law

There are currently no exceptions to the New Illinois car seat laws at this time.

Please note that you should be striving for maximums, not minimums. Leave your child rearfacing and in secured car seats as long as you possibly can. 

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF ILLINOIS’ NEW CAR SEAT LAWS

  • If you are traveling to the state of Illinois you are to adhere to these laws.
  • On first offense, violators could face a $75 fine, while second offenses could cost up to $200. Discretion is left up to authorities’ discretion.

More Resources on Car Seat Safety

Disclosure: I am not a lawyer. The above information is not legal advice. 

20+ Tried and True 30 Minute Meals

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These easy 30 minute meals have been tried and tested! No more guess work if you can actually make 30 minute meals, we’ve got more than 20 here for you!

As parents, there’s no time for 30 minute meals that actually take forever.  You know the ones. You find one of those super delicious-looking, cheap, healthy 30 minute meals on line, save it to Pinterest and then when you actually go to make it, the meal ends up taking over an hour. Why? Because the directions say you should already have everything pre-chopped, pre-cooked, and pre-made.

That’s not realistic for anyone. Most people, not all, but most, are not buying pre-chopped everything.

Luckily, I’m taking the guess work out of whether recipes are really 30 minute meals. 

Over the past 6 months, I have been doing a LIVE video series on our Facebook page called Will It Work Wednesdays. Every Wednesday, we take another bloggers recipe that says it’s a 30 minute meal and then test it out. Our goal with these are to see if they are really 30 minutes or less meals. All types of parents need these quick 30 minute meals in their meal plans for days that life gets really crazy (which is almost everyday right?). 

The great news is that we’ve tested over 20 recipes now and they have all worked out to be 30 minute meals. Some closer than others, some way under.  But all of them are 30 minute meals recipes. So today, we are compiling them all together in one easy to read post for you. Included in the post is the links to the recipe and the video so you too can make these 30 minutes or less meals.

Recipes are sorted by categories and if they fall into more than one category, they will be included in both.

30 minute meals with Ground Beef, Chicken, Turkey, or Pork

Ground meat makes for some delicious meals.  One of the reasons it’s easy to have 30 minute meals with ground beef or another ground meat is because it easily thaws. It’s super versatile in the types of meals you can make.

  • Homemade Sloppy Joes

This homemade sloppy joe recipe was made with ground chicken, but it can be swapped out for any ground meat. It was made with homemade french fries.  Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube.

  • Easy One Pan Asian Turkey Lettuce Cups

Packed with tons of flavor all in one dish, these Asian Turkey Lettuce Cups were delicious.  We paired this with a homemade chicken fried rice and left out the chicken the recipe included. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • 30 Minute Korean Beef

This 30 minute Korean Beef meal using ground beef was so simple but packed a ton of flavor.  We’ve tried it again using ground chicken, and it was still good, but it really packs in flavor using beef. We served this with cooked rice. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Egg Roll Stir Fry 

If you like egg rolls, you have to try this easy Egg Roll Stir Fry.  And if you don’t like egg rolls, you still have to try it.  I’m really picky about egg rolls and I loved this recipe. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

30 minute meals – Chicken

Chicken is a staple in most homes.  It’s super adaptable and for most people, kids love it. If you can remember to thaw it out on time, chicken can make for some really great 30 minute meals.

  • Cilantro Lime Chicken 

This easy Cilantro Lime Chicken was one of the faster recipes that we made. I did forget to put the rice on in the right amount of time so it was over in the sense if watching the video, but it’s actually done in under 20 minutes. We served it with coconut rice (just replace the amount of water called for with coconut milk from a can.  Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube.

  • Summer Strawberry Apple Salad with Grilled Chicken

This was delicious for a summer meal; however, this Grilled Chicken Salad would be delicious if you meal prep or need a meal on the go.  It was so good.  We paired it with a homemade strawberry walnut dressing. Delicious! Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Skillet Pizza Chicken

It has pizza in the name of it, so you already know that our kids devoured this Skillet Pizza Chicken. There’s no other words needed. Go make it! Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Creamy Chicken Fajita Pasta 

Fajitas meet Pasta.  Nothing can possibly go wrong with this combination.  This creamy chicken fajita pasta is a great addition to any meal plan. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

30 minute Vegetarian Meals

Whether you yourself are vegetarian or you are looking for some Meatless Monday ideas, we’ve got you covered.

  • Easy Weeknight Toasted Ravioli 

Truth moment: I actually attempted this recipe LIVE twice.  The first time I was less than 10 minutes from finishing and my oldest got sick. The second time I made this Easy Toasted Ravioli, it went off without a hitch and it’s now one of our favorite recipes. We paired it with an easy green bean salad. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Vegetarian Greek Quinoa Salad

If you love greek food, then this Vegetarian Greek Quinoa Salad is a no brainer.  This is perfect for meals on the go if you are looking for some mason jar meal ideas. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. (coming soon)

30 minute Vegan Meals

Some of our best meals we’ve created for this series came from vegan meals. Whether you are vegan or again, needing some Meatless 30 Minute meal ideas, these quick and easy 30 minute vegan meals are perfect!

  • Black Bean Burgers

If you have a big meat eater on the fence about having anything meatless, you MUST try this quick Black Bean Burger. It’s delicious served with homemade french fries, tater tots, onion rings. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. (coming soon)

  • Mediterranean Rice

This quick Mediterranean rice recipe packs in delicious color. It was light and airy and perfect for a quick meal. We served it alongside hummus and chips. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. (coming soon)

  • Black Eyed Peas w/ Quinoa

One of our favorite vegan meals so far has been this Vegan Black Eyes Peas recipe served with quinoa and topped with a pineapple salsa. So yum! Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. (coming soon)

30 minute pasta meals

  • Italian Ham Pasta Salad

This recipe for Italian Ham Pasta Salad makes a HUGE portion.  You could easily take this to a potluck or if you meal prep the same dish over the week it would be perfect for that! Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Incredible Garlic Shrimp 

We didn’t name this shrimp incredible, but it definitely lived up to it’s name. Try tossing this Incredible Garlic Shrimp recipe into some pasta and instant complete meal. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

30 minute Meals with Pork

  • Korean Pork Chops

These Korean pork chops were so flavorful and so juicy! We served them with lemon butter green beans. Rice would also be a perfect match! Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Italian Ham Pasta Salad

This recipe for Italian Ham Pasta Salad makes a HUGE portion.  You could easily take this to a potluck or if you meal prep the same dish over the week it would be perfect for that! Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Egg Roll Stir Fry 

If you like egg rolls, you have to try this easy Egg Roll Stir Fry.  And if you don’t like egg rolls, you still have to try it.  I’m really picky about egg rolls and I loved this recipe. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

30 minute meals With Shrimp or Fish

  • Hawaiian Shrimp Rice Bowl 

This was such a simple meal, but everyone loved this Hawaiian Shrimp Rice Bowl. Perfect flavor combo and everyone wanted more.Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Honey Citrus Salmon

This is one of our all time favorite meals. This Honey Citrus Salmon recipe is so fast to make! We paired it with honey glazed baby carrots. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Coconut Curry Shrimp

If you are wanting to feel an island vibe then you must make this coconut curry shrimp recipe! We paired it with coconut lime rice (swap out water for canned coconut milk – then when done squeeze in 1/2 to 1 whole lime juice). Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Cilantro Lime Salmon

Similar to the Honey Citrus Salmon we made, this Cilantro Lime Salmon was so incredibly quick to make. We paired it with a simple rice recipe or you could use the coconut lime rice from above. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

  • Incredible Garlic Shrimp 

We didn’t name this shrimp incredible, but it definitely lived up to it’s name. Try tossing this Incredible Garlic Shrimp recipe into some pasta and instant complete meal. Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

30 minute meals With Steak

One of the best recipe we’ve made so far was this Chimichurri Steak recipe. You could also make with chicken. We paired it with a simple cucumber and tomato salad. A delicious 30 minute meal for summer.

Watch us make it on Facebook or Youtube. 

Time to go make an easy meal yourself!

Whether you are looking for cheap 30 minute meals or healthy 30 minute meals, we’ve tried to include a list of great options! I hope this list of easy 30 minute meals is a benefit to you.  If you think you know someone else who could benefit from this list, I’d love if you’d share it with them! We don’t have picky eaters here, but if you do, most of these 30 minute meals are kid friendly too! We’ll continue to add recipes as we test them out! Now bookmark this so you know where to come for tried and true 30 minutes or less meals!

10 Ways to Help a Grieving Friend Through Pregnancy or Infant Loss [Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day]

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October 15th is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. No matter the day though, these are 10 ways to help your grieving friend through pregnancy of infant loss. 

*Disclosure: Affiliate links may be contained in this post. We receive a small commission for purchases. Thank you for helping us continue to run our site.

Trigger Warning: This post talks about pregnancy and infant loss. 

Fran Solomon, Founder of HealGrief.org says that a parent “will never get over the loss of {their} child”.  

Unless you’ve lost a child, you will never know what the experience is like as a parent who has. It’s also important to realize that every single mother and father processes a loss differently. Also, every single day may be different.  Some days will be easier than others. And the pain from loosing a child, will never go away. Every parent will always wonder about the child than is no longer on Earth with them.

Unfortunately, one in four pregnancies result in a loss. Not one in four women, but one in four pregnancies.  That means that many women experience loss more than one time. Since pregnancy loss is still a very taboo topic, many women go through this experience alone without telling others.

When speaking on infant loss, the rate of infant mortality in the United States in almost 6 births per 1,000.

Thankfully, more women are being brave enough to speak out their losses, helping other women know they are not alone. However, when they do this, they also being more vulnerable. As friends and family members, there are ways to help that can aid in the grieving parents.

Know that every Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day they are vulnerable and hurting. But also know that so many other days throughout the year they are too.

The Importance of Saying Grieving Parents

My closest friend is a grieving parent.  She has experience both pregnancy loss and child loss. Both things that a parent should never have to go through.

Read more about her sweet boy Beau in these posts: 

One of the most important things I’ve learned being her friend through these losses is that the father is often forgotten.  We always remember the mother. However, since we are a culture that thrives on tough masculinity, it’s often forgotten that these fathers are also grieving. They are reeling in the hurt of also what could have been and it’s so very important that we look at today as grieving parents and not only grieving mothers.

10 Ways to Help a Grieving Friend Through Pregnancy or Infant Loss

There are so many ways that we can truly help a grieving parent. On this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, I’m sharing just 10 ways that you can help:

  • Just sit (and maybe listen)
    • Just sitting with a grieving parent to let them know they are not alone is a huge help. Sometimes they may want to or not want to talk.  Just letting them know they are not alone, is a tremendous way to help.
  • Cook Them Dinner (or order out for them/send them a giftcard for dinner)
    • Send over pizza from their favorite spot. Grab a giftcard from their favorite restaurant. Or cook something for them that you know they love. Food brings people together and comforts. This is one of the best ways to help.
  • Do Their Grocery Shopping (and other errands)
    • Sometimes a grieving parent just doesn’t want to be around others. Often times, being in a store with people buzzing around, can increase anxiety. Having these errands done for them is a tremendous help.
  • Clean up around the house
    • Do their dishes, the laundry, mop the floors, clean the bathrooms, pull the weeds out front. Anything that you can do to alleviate some of the stress from the grieving parent will be a huge help
  • Bring a basket of their favorite snacks, chocolate, ice cream
    • If you don’t know, ask. Sometimes something as simple as dropping off their favorite candy bar or bag of chips is one of the most simple but generous things you can offer.  It says, “hi, I see you and remember you,” in the most simple way.  Drop at their door and send a text letting them know it’s outside.
  • Bring a tree to plant so their can celebrate the life year after year
    • A butterfly bush is a beautiful way to do this.
  • Take their other children out for a playdate (even if it’s just to the backyard)
    • Children needs outlets too. In the case of pregnancy and infant Loss awareness day, if a mother had a miscarriage, she may not have told her told children she was pregnant yet. The other children still need creative outlets for their energy. This is a huge help.
  • Send a card
    • Just  one that says “Thinking of You” -1 month, 2 months, 3 months, a year after the loss just to let them know that someone else hasn’t forgotten.  They will never forget, but their fear is that everyone else has.
  • Make them laugh
    • Laughter makes everything better, even if just for a brief moment.  If you know a way, make them laugh.
  • Always keep asking them out
    • Whether it’s a week from the loss, a month, or a year. As stated above, every parent processes loss different. That being said, sometimes it takes longer for others. Never stop asking them to hang out, have playdates, etc.

A Few Don’ts on Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day

According to Solomon, you shouldn’t avoid talking to the family who lost a child. They need companionship so much more during this time. However, you should avoid saying any of the following:

  • I know how you feel (instead let them experience and express their own grief, even if you yourself have experience loss).
  • Shouldn’t you be doing…. (Let them grieve how they want).
  • Everything happens for a reason.
  • He/She is in a better place now.
  • God won’t give you more than you can handle.
  • Thank goodness you’re young and you can still have more children.
  • At least you still have (Insert name of other child(ren).

Instead offer support and understand and just be there as a friend, a family person, a coworker, etc. Everyone handles loss differently and it’s important to understand each person’s grieving process as it relates to them and their situation. And never forget.

On this Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day, I hope that you reach out to a friend that is grieving and tell them you haven’t forgotten.

This post is in honor of my beautiful sister, my dear friend, and all other families that have experienced infant or child loss in their life.  

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This post was originally published on 10/15/2014.

15 Lactation Boosting Foods Recipes

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Breastfeeding is hard work! Check out these 15 Lactation Recipes to ensure you are getting enough healthy calories to help with breastfeeding. 

Breastfeeding, especially your first time, can be a very intimidating. For starters, your body just went through a very traumatic experience.  You are sore, tired, and very emotional. Add to that, you now have this very tiny human that didn’t come with an instruction manual and you aren’t quite sure what to do. Breastfeeding is a great place to start.

Breastfeeding a newborn is a very natural instinct that mothers have. You naturally want to place baby to your breast immediately after being born. Also, babies intuitively root around until they get to the breast after being born.  It’s one of the most natural biological practices you can ever feel or witness.

For almost all mothers though, breastfeeding isn’t easy. We question our bodies. Are we producing enough? Is baby transferring enough? There are so many breastfeeding myths out there that set us up for failure. I’m here to tell you to stop doing that.  Trust your body!

Do Lactation Recipes Work?

Now, for a variety of reasons you may be interested in trying out some lactation recipes.  I would encourage you if you truly think you have a lactation issue to first seek out a lactation consultant (not a pediatrician or a general physician).

For many mothers, adding lactation recipes into their diets work to help with caloric intake and consuming lactation foods that are known to produce more milk. However, it’s important to know whether there’s a true medical reason or if you just need a diet change.  Some women prefer to eat more lactation recipes on days that they know their kids are going through a leap or if the month is getting her menstrual cycle.

The short answer is yes, lactation recipes will work to increase supply. The longer answer has to deal with it’s more of a healthy, fattier caloric intake that is causing the boost rather than specific ingredients.

What Ingredients Should I Have for Lactation Recipes?

There are so many lactation increasing ingredients around that you may not even realize it. However, I would definitely recommend that you keep ground flax seed, brewer’s yeast, and old fashioned oats on hand ahead of time. Most of the lactation boosting foods recipes that we share here contain those three things the most. Because of this you don’t want to get caught off guard, ready to make the recipe and then not be able to because you’re missing simple ingredient.

I Don’t Have Time to Make Lactation Recipes? Now what?

Good new! You don’t technically have too make your own lactation foods.  I would highly recommend that you at least try one (or all of them) at some point in your nursing journey. There’s just something about being able to make your own recipes with your own ingredients and the ability to control the contents of the lactation recipes.

The good news is that you don’t technically have to make them yourself. If you are short on time or battling postpartum depression, you may just literally not be up to it.

You can check out the following brands and see if they would for you:

Delicious Lactation Foods Recipes

Whether you are looking for a lactation cookies recipe or a lactation smoothie recipe, or even milkshake, we have you covered.  Our list includes some of the best lactation recipes on the internet. We are sure that you will find one (or 15) that you absolutely love!


Pin these 15 Lactation Boosting Foods Recipes for later!

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*This post was originally published on 3/20/2015

Halloween Safety Tips

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October is Halloween Safety Month. Unfortunately, Halloween is actually a very dangerous time for children. See how you can keep your littles ones safe with our Halloween Safety Tips. 

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Halloween is such a fun and exciting time. If you ask most kids, Halloween will be likely in their Top 3 holidays. I mean there’s a lot to love. Kids get to dress up like their favorite character from the past year. There’s candy, hayrides, haunted houses. Laughter. And so much more. What’s not to love?

Truth be told, as fun as it is for kids and parents alike, there is a lot not to love. Halloween Safety Month is all about alerting parents to the dangers that occur during Halloween season and how to keep your children safe.  Many of these Halloween safety tips should be discussed with your children all month long, but especially the week leading up to Halloween.  It’s also important to discuss Halloween safety at your children’s school or co-op if homeschooled, to ensure everyone is always safe.

Quick Halloween Safety Month Facts

  • 73% of children participate in Trick-or-Treating
  • Children are 2x more likely to be hit and killed by a motor vehicle on Halloween than any other day of the year
  • Only 18% of parents use reflective tape on their child’s costume
  • 3 out of 4 parents have Halloween safety concerns but only 1/3 speak to their children about Halloween safety tips

Halloween Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips

No matter your child’s age, these Halloween Trick-or-Treating Safety Tips apply to all families:

  • An adult should always accompany children under 13 during trick-or-treating
  • Carry a flashlight or strobe light
  • Only cross the street at corners, on crosswalks, or at traffic signals
  • Stay on the sidewalk as much as possible. If no sidewalk is available, walk facing traffic
  • Look left, right, and left again before crossing
  • Put down any devices and keep your head up at all times
  • Teach children to watch out for cars and to never dart into the street
  • Throw away any candy that’s not sealed in wrapper
  • Avoid homemade treats from strangers
  • Remind children how to dial 9-1-1

Halloween Safety Tips for Parents of Older Children

Thing change when you become a parent to an older child. They want to do things on their own and usually with friends.  Due to that, a unique set of Halloween Safety Tips for older children come into play:

  • Make sure they have at least one buddy, but preferably a group. Plan a route with them so you know where they will be, and make sure their cell phone is fully charged (if not, give them a back-up phone charger). Also make sure you agree on their time to be back home.
  • Tell them to never enter a stranger’s home or vehicle or accompany them to somewhere off your planned route
  • Ensure that they know to stay with their friends at all times
  • Explain to them why they should not eat any of their treats until they get back home
  • Go over distracted walking tips and how important it is for them to have their devices away during Halloween except for in emergency cases

Halloween Costume Safety Tips

Typically, parents ask their children what they want to dress up as, the child tells us, we buy the costume, and that’s the end of it.  There’s not a lot thought provoking discussions around Halloween costume safety. However, you do want to ensure that the costume you choose to buy or make doesn’t pose a safety hazard.  To do that you want to make sure:

  • Any masks don’t obstruct vision. If possible, opt for face paint instead.
  • If their costume is dark, ensure they can still be seen by motorists by adhering reflective tape to their costumes, buckets or bags. Another alternative would be to give them a flashlight, glow sticks, or strobe light.
  • Consider buying a reflective bag instead of a bucket
  • When using Halloween face paint or make-up, test for a skin reaction a few days prior to any event where you are dressing up
  • Make sure that any paint, make-up, dyes, or perfumes are washed off before bed to prevent irritations to the eyes or skin.
  • Pick the right size costume so children don’t trip and fall
  • Make sure accessories aren’t too sharp or long
  • Do not use decorative contact lenses. They can cause inflammation, infections, and eye disorders

Safety Tips for Drivers on Halloween 

If you plan to be driving during Halloween hours, you’ll want to follow these safety tips for drivers on Halloween:

  • Put down any electronics that will distract from driving carefully
  • Drive at a speed lower than posted
  • Watch out for children on roadways, especially in case they run across the street quickly
  • Be on the look out for children in dark colored costumes
  • Enter and exit driveways, neighborhood entrances, and side streets with caution
  • Be especially alert for children between 4:30pm and 10pm.

Safety Tips for Homes during Halloween 

Lots of decorating happens around your home to get in the Halloween spirit! Don’t miss these safety tips for your home during Halloween:

  • Opt to have children paint their pumpkins instead of carving themselves
  • If opting to carve, have an adult doing the carving
  • Instead of using candles, put glow sticks inside your carved pumpkins
  • Keep any props or decorations away from fireplaces or candles
  • Make sure if you are handing out treats, that your driveway/sidewalk are well lit and any shrubs or trees have been trimmed back
  • Remove any toys, hoses, or decorations that pose a tripping hazard

Safety Tips for Food Allergy Families during Halloween

Food Allergies present a unique situation when celebrating and partaking in Halloween activities. Make sure you have safety tips for food allergy families during Halloween:

  • Always food ingredient labels or look up the nutritional facts if the ingredients aren’t listed
  • Set aside any treats that may pose a risk to food allergies and consider doing a “switch witch” exchange
  • Be aware that sometimes miniature candies are produced on equipment that could pose a risk, even if the food allergy family member(s) has eaten a full size variety in the past
  • Teach children with food allergies to never share or take home-baked goods

Also on the note of food allergy families, even if you aren’t a family affected, you should make sure to have a few (or all) of your treats be food allergy friendly. There’s dozens of non-candy Halloween treat ideas available to help.

Hopefully these Halloween Safety Tips were valuable to you! 

Did we miss something?  Let us know in the comments below. 

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*Some Facts and tips come directly from the American Academy of Pediatrics and Safe Kids

Best Pregnancy Halloween Costumes

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Coming up with the most awesome pregnant halloween costumes can be intimidating. Get some inspirations with some of the best pregnancy halloween costumes you’ll ever see! 

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Halloween is right around the corner.  I admit that even though I was pregnant during Halloween with both of our girls, I never dressed up. Not even one of those pregnant halloween shirts!  With our first I was super big, just a few weeks from our due date. Then, with the second, I only knew for like 3 weeks and we weren’t ready to announce.

Either way, if you are here, you are likely in the opposite boat and you are looking for the best pregnancy halloween costumes inspiration.  Have no fear. We are going to break it down and give you some really amazing ideas!

Halloween Pregnancy Announcement Costumes

Doing a halloween pregnancy announcement is such a fun way to tell your family and friends about your new bundle of joy! There’s so many ways that you can announce but costumes giving a subtle hint are a great way to get a big reaction.

 

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If you want to remain comfortable, you can stick with this super easy baby skeleton t-shirt and pair is with skeleton leggings. Have dad dress up too if you want to do a pregnant halloween couples costume theme (more on that below).

 



 

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A few years ago Jessica Simpson dressed up like a mummy to announce her pregnancy.  Grab a mummy inspired costume to do the same!


Pregnant Couples Halloween Costumes

It’s so fun to include both you and your partner in your halloween costume no matter if you are announcing or just dressing up.

Bun in the oven halloween costume ideas are hysterical and this particular DIY costume idea takes the cake out of all the ones I saw.   You can purchase an actual bun in the oven costume on Amazon if you don’t have the energy to DIY.



If you don’t feel like wearing an actual costume…Let’s be honest, sometimes pregnancy just does a number on us…you can wear couples skeleton tshirts or just cute halloween shirts.


 

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How about breakfast? You could go as avocado and toast or bacon and egg breakfast combo! If your belly is more round for the egg option, you could get out the yolk part from the costume and wear a yellow shirt underneath to give yourself more room. If you had a bigger family, other suggestions could be a carton of milk (or juice), hashbrowns, pancakes, etc!

Cute Pregnant Halloween Costumes

Sometimes you just want to be cute.  Here’s some ideas we found.

The Kool-Aid Jug!  Seriously how creative!

 

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How about a gumball machine? You’d just need a shirt and a whole lot of pom poms.

 

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How about a Pumpkin Farmer?  This is so cute, especially for the fall!

 

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Funny Pregnant Halloween Costumes

Lastly, funny pregnant halloween costumes.  Okay, some of these may be a bit more along the creepy pregnancy halloween costumes, but hey!

Old t-shirt, cheap dollar store baby doll and some fake blood will freak everyone out.

 

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Again, this could be under the couples Halloween Pregnancy costume idea, but the idea of the milk man and mom are hilarious.

 

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Which ones do you think are the best pregnancy halloween costumes? Let us know! 

This post was originally published on 10/8/2012.

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