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Best Beginner Feeding Tools for Infants

Parenting, Raising Twins · 

As you dive into the new and exciting world of giving your infant their first foods, it’s both fun and stressful. I remember waiting until the twins were at least 6 months old to introduce anything at all. We started with ripe avocado that they were immediately obsessed with. From day 1 they didn’t care if it was being fed to them on a spoon or on your finger. They would dig their tiny hands into the avocado and mash and pull your hand closer for more food before the spoon was even back to the bowl. 


I knew we had some good eaters on our hands. The boys’ curiosity with the spoon soon grew to an obsession and we would pry one set of slippery avocado hands off the spoon between bites to feed the other. They loved the spoon so much that I realized quickly we could give them their own feeding tools to work with. 

 

At 6 months the boys mostly grabbed onto the spoon we were using and just gnawed on it. They were in the very early stages of teething and it showed. They would grab the spoon and yell in protest when we would even take it away to refill it because they just wanted to chew on it. 

 

In order to help them with this need to chew like small beavers without hurting their gums on traditionally hard spoons, we transitioned them with a few cool tools that are designed for your chewy baby. 

Feeding Tools 

 

Chewtensils 

The first of the feeding tools we introduced were Chewtensils. These are made by Bumkins and they are very short and easy to hold silicone utensils with bulbous handles on them.

 

The round handle shape is easy for small hands to hold, especially when very slippery with mashed food. The set includes a spoon and fork with wide and shallow tops. They are firm but flexible and about the same texture as most of the boys’ silicone teethers. 

 

The boys loved these immediately. We would take a scoop of mashed baby food and place it on the spoon and let them bring it to their mouth. Once the food was gone we would glob another bite on there and let them work on their hand mouth coordination. At first, I let them try and dig out their own food from the bowl but that turned into not much food being eaten and the spoon being dropped in favor of a handful of mash instead. So by refilling the spoon for them they still practiced bringing the spoon to their mouth over and over again. 

 

Plus as a bonus, once they were done eating, these Chewtensils made great teethers for them to sit and enjoy after a meal. They simply loved just biting the big handles and we loved they were easy to hold and served double duty.

 

Silicone suction bowl and spoon 

A silicon bowl and spoon was the next step for helping the boys with their interest in feeding themselves. The bowls we choose were a silicone bowl and spoon set that has a suction cup on the bottom that allows the bowl to grip on to whatever surface that you want to place it on. 

 

The silicone suction cup was essential to allow the boys to learn to feed themselves. Rewind to when we gave them little bowls of food but the bowls were easily movable: two bites in the bowls were tipped over the side of the high chair and there was not much savable food left to feed them.

 

Once the suction cups are secured the boys might tug at them a little but they quickly lose interest once they realize they don’t move and instead they bring their focus back to getting food on the spoon. 

 

These little bowl sets are great and they save us a lot of mess. Plus the boys love the longer soft spoons and of course, still use them as teethers once the food is gone.

 

Our set is from Bumkins as well and they come in a wide variety of colors on Amazon. The 2 colors we have are blue and marble! Plus the bonus is that these are dishwasher safe and can go into the sterilizer as well.

 

Mess Management 

When you are helping infants learn to feed themselves it’s going to be messy. I find it cute, my husband sometimes finds it stressful/funny as we have a lot of carpet to be mindful of. But these next few items really help make clean-up super easy and fast. 

 

Full coverage smocks 

 

This style of bib is basically a shirt that ties in the back. These cover your baby from neck to lap and can even have little pockets at the bottom to catch big chunks of food. Ours are long-sleeved so there isn’t a full bath protocol after letting the boys feed themselves. 

 

These are also easy to throw into the washing machine whenever you’re done and they are lightweight and dry on low heat or just air dry quickly. 

 

Bibs with pockets 

These are just bibs with a small pocket sewn into the bottom. The pockets on these don’t always stay open on their own so they can miss some falling food, but there is another version of this bib that I’ll cover below that works a little better. This is usually something that can be thrown in the washer as well and we just air dry these quickly after. 

 

Silicone bibs with pockets 

 

This style of silicone bib has a pocket that stays open at the bottom because it’s not cloth and won’t fold in on itself. I love these little bibs because they catch a ton of food when the babies are feeding themselves. This leads to less waste and the boys have even discovered that there is food in there and will pick up little pieces of food that fall into the pocket on their own now.

 

Wipeable floor mat 

Of all the mess clean up things I have gotten to help with the twins learning to eat on their own the wipeable floor mat has been my favorite. 

 

This is just a mat that lays down under their highchairs and is easily wipeable. We have an extra-large mat to accommodate the two highchairs but I would recommend getting the biggest one that fits your space because it’s amazing how far baby food flies. 

 

These mats are sold on Amazon and they have a lot of prints. Another good option is an extra-large waterproof table cloth. Because of the size we needed, we went with that option. This is a typical picnic table vinyl tablecloth with a soft back and it works perfectly for catching all of the food the boys drop or fling.


We only have to wash this in the washer every few weeks. Most days we just wipe the food off when we are done and fold it back up. If we do wash it, it goes in on the cold cycle and we air dry it after. 

 

While teaching your kids to feed themselves is exciting it can be messy and difficult at times. To make the process more enjoyable you can explore some of the fun feeding tools that are available. There are so many varieties that you are bound to find one or two that work for you. 

 

I’d love to hear what kind of feeding tools you use with your kids and which ones are their favorite? 

Charred Cheese Sandwich (a twist on a classic)

Lunch, Recipes · 

Today I want to share with you one of my favorite recipes. This recipe was not passed down from anyone. In fact, I made it completely myself and I’m very proud of that. So there’s always that classic recipe that you just put your own personal spin on. 

 

Let’s look at this recipe as just that: I took the boring old grilled cheese, and I leveled it up like you had never seen. I like to call it the “Charred Cheese Sandwich.” So, how do you achieve this next level recipe? 

 

Follow along and I’ll show you exactly how I do it. 

 

Ingredients: 

 

  • Bread

  • Cheese 

  • Copious amounts of butter *preferably grass-fed for the health benefits*

 

You are going to start with the classic grilled cheese ingredients that will include bread, butter, the cheese of your choice. I like sourdough and other white bread because it doesn’t overpower the taste of the cheese that you put on. However, you can use artisan bread or even wheat bread and it will just add a hardier flavor to your overall sandwich. 

 

The next step is carefully choosing your cheese. This means that you want to pick a cheese that’s going to really pack a punch when you take a bite. Oftentimes I see people get really creative and use multiple types of cheese. 

 

Some of my favorite combinations are as follows: 

  • American cheese with provolone cheese 

  • Swiss cheese with Parmesan cheese 

  • Pepper jack cheese with Munster cheese 

 

Don’t be limited to the cheeses that I suggest – get creative and pick other cheeses that you like.  I would stay away from our cheeses that look like they don’t melt as well, for example, that would be like blue cheese or fetta. However, if you’re feeling super adventurous, you can give these a go. And if you want to be a plain Jane, stick with just one type of cheese until you really get the sandwich down to a science.

 

Now we’re going to prep for creating this charred cheese sandwich. The sandwich is going to start by placing your bread on a cutting board and buttering one side of each piece of bread with butter. And you’re going to butter them very heavily. Place the cheese between the unbuttered sides of the bread so that the buttered sides are placed facing out.

 

The real key to this leveled-up sandwich is in the cooking. What differentiates it from the basic grilled cheese that anyone can make is the special process of cooking it that I go through. So here’s what you do. 

 

Instructions: 

  1. Grab a nonstick frying pan, as if this is going to make a difference. 
  2. Turn up your burner to just a smidge over irresponsibly high. So for example, if other people cook their grilled cheese sandwiches to a four or five (which in on most stoves, translate to medium heat) I would go for the gold and get up to seven or eight (we’re talking about high to medium-high 
  3. This is very important…You’re going to let your pan get piping hot. And that should only take a few minutes since we have cranked the burner up. 
  4. Now lay your grilled cheese sandwich down. You should hear a fiery sizzle right away. 
  5. The next step is to stare at your grilled cheese, just stare at it,

…and stare at it,

…and stare at it.

  1. Get impatient, you’re going to get so impatient, you’re going to start pressing on your sandwich with your spatula. You’re gonna hear another sizzle and you’re gonna lift up the edge just a little bit and you’re gonna realize that the side that you’re cooking is perfectly Brown. This is great. 
  2. Get your spatula underneath it and flip it over. Alright, on to the second part, because we cook the first side so quickly. Now it’s time to panic and realize the cheese in the middle is not going to be that melty if you don’t let it go a little bit longer. 
  3. So, after flipping your cheese sandwich you’re going to stare at it. And you’re going to stare at it.

….And then you’re going to stare at it some more.

  1. Get bored. 
  2. Go tell your husband or your kids that the sandwiches are almost ready. Walk into the living room and tell them “just a few more minutes till sandwiches are done!” 
  3. Rationalize that sandwich probably needs a couple more minutes to melt the cheese, just a couple more minutes, because that cheese wasn’t very melted. 
  4. Let the sandwich tell you that it’s done that it is done. You’re going to start smelling a burnt smell. That’s perfect. That’s exactly when you run frantically back to the kitchen, only to see black smoke smoldering up from the sides of your sandwich
  5. With your spatula and desperately flip your sandwich onto a plate, praying that it is not overdone. And there it is, my friends, a charred cheese sandwich, 
  6. You should be so discouraged because one side is so perfect and the other is so charred that you’re afraid to serve it to your family. 

 

Perfect Plating

 

Do what we all should be doing. Show them your best side! Flip that golden brown side to the top and put that charred side down on the plate. Cut it beautifully in a diagonal fashion making sure not to jiggle it too much an spread the char dust and present that to them proudly. 

As a final measure, in a little bit of an embarrassing rush, you’re going to hurry away as they take their first very crunchy bite of a charred cheese sandwich and think to yourself, “at least I tried.”

 

I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know in the comments below. Have you ever tried this recipe before?

Almond Superfoods Chocolate Bars

Dessert, Recipes · 

Chocolate bars are delicious to just grab, snap off a square (or 4), and enjoy. I have come to love trying out new flavors. I even have tried a few I never thought I would. Here are my winners and losers list:

Winners –

Dark cherry, mandarin orange, almond crisps, potato chip, hibiscus, sea salt, and hot pepper

Losers –

Bacon (I know, but I just couldn’t get into it), honeycomb, lemon zest

 

Some things work with dark chocolate, some do not. But I am still curious to try another lemon zest one because I believe that given a chance, I could improve on it and make one that I like.

I love almonds in chocolate, mostly any nuts in chocolate, but they also are usually whole or cut in big chunks. When trying to savor a chocolate piece it stinks to just end up with one chunk per piece or sometimes none at all. I love sliced almonds and thought they might make for a better dispersion through the bar as well as better bite since it would be easier to chew.

And because I loved the hot pepper chocolate bar I had tried once before, I knew that a little spice would be appreciated as well. While this bar is by no means spicy, by pairing it with Detox Organics Chocolate Superfoods, I knew that it would have a small kick at the end and be packed with tons off good stuff to boot!

Ingredients:

10oz Dark melting chocolate

1 scoop Detox Organics Chocolate Superfoods

½ cup Sliced almonds

 

Tools: 

Chocolate bar molds

 

Instructions: 

  1. Place 10 oz of dark melting chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl and warm in 15-second intervals at a time. Stir between every 15-second interval until chocolate is mixed and creamy.
  2. Immediately stir in Detox Organics Chocolate Superfoods and stir quickly until there is no longer any powder visible and the mixture is smooth again.
  3. In a chocolate bar mold, sprinkle sliced almond onto the bottom of the mold. 
  4. Pour melted chocolate into an icing piping bag and gently pipe into the mold over the top of the almond slices. 
  5. Use a spatula to gently pat and smooth the chocolate down into the mold. 
  6. Place in freezer for 10 minutes to set, then transfer to the fridge for 10 minutes. Once the chocolate has hardened, gently peel out the bars and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
  7. Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Cup Frappuccino

Breakfast, Dessert, Recipes, Smoothies · 

It’s hot outside and you want a perky coffee drink to cool you down. Look no further! You can recreate the tasty frappuccino drink from Starbucks at your own house. These milkshake-like drinks are a punch of coffee and deliciously frozen.

I decided to make it more of a full breakfast by using two of my favorite supplements: Protein and Chocolate Superfood Greens. You can use your favorite brands to recreate this superfood frappuccino.

The drink is a balance of protein, carbs and fats to keep you full and cold coffee to give you a delicious pick me up.

Ingredients

2 cups full strength coffee

2 cups ice

2 tbsp natural peanut butter

1 scoop Detox Organics Chocolate Superfoods

1 scoop Detox Organics Vegan Vanilla Protein

 

Instructions

  1. In a blender cup combine ice, coffee, chocolate superfoods, and vanilla protein and blend for 30 seconds.
  2. Add in 1 additional handful of ice and peanut butter and blend another 30 seconds until a the consistency is an icy thick shake.
  3. Top with anything you like. Suggestions: Vegan whipped topping or cacao nibs.

 

Roasted Garlic Hummus: No Tahini

Dinner, Lifestyle, Recipes, Sides and Sauces, Uncategorized · 

I love hummus and have always wanted to make my own. But the one thing I never have in the house is tahini. This is a staple ingredient in traditional hummus and creates that super creamy taste and texture. But after doing a little research I realized that people sub in other things for the tahini in a pinch so I thought about not using it at all and going with a slightly less smooth texture. 

The biggest part of the flavor of this hummus was using roasted garlic that I baked the day before. I will link the recipe here so that you can also use fresh roasted garlic in the recipe. It gives it a rich and savory flavor and it was so fragrant and delicious when used in this recipe!

Ingredients: 

1 whole bulb of garlic, roasted
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 can of organic garbanzo beans
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Salt 

Instructions: 

  1. In a food processor add in garbanzo beans and roasted garlic. Pour in half of the olive oil. Pulse on high until all beans are somewhat chopped up. 
  2. Pour in the rest of the olive oil and pulse on high again until beans are all combined with oil. 
  3. Add in a pinch of salt and fresh lemon juice and pulse again to blend until totally combined. The garlic will be creamy but not totally smooth. 
  4. Enjoy!

Roasted Garlic: Quick and Easy

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Sides and Sauces · 

Roasted garlic is always delicious and adds so much flavor to every dish. I once was at a restaurant that placed whole cloves on a board for you to drag crackers through and I was blown away by the sharp and almost spicy taste of straight roasted garlic. Since that day I always go for dishes that offer whole cloves of roasted garlic in them.

I decided that I wanted to make some to have at home as well. I cook with a lot of fresh garlic but never had roasted my own in order to garnish or add to a dish. I am happy to report the prep time was less than 5 minutes and once it was roasted it was ready to store in the fridge or enjoy immediately. Make a bulb or two for the week to have on hand for your recipes. Garlic is good for your health and now there’s an even more enjoyable way to eat it!

Ingredients: 

1 head of garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

Salt and pepper

Instructions: 

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Gently peel back any loose garlic wrapper, leaving enough to keep all the cloves together. 
  2. Cut about ¼ inch on the tip so that you expose the top of the garlic bulbs below. 
  3. Pour your olive oil into the top of the bulb and massage into the garlic. Top with a pinch of salt and pepper if desired.
  4. Place the garlic cut side up in a square of aluminum foil and close at the top to create a small tin pocket.
  5. Bake for 40-60 minutes until the garlic is cooked through all the way through and super soft. 
  6. Enjoy!

Creamy Chicken Broccoli and Rice Bake

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes · 

I have been enjoying my dutch oven for meals in the past months because it means less clean up and quicker prep time. This cooking pot was given to us for our wedding and I have made soups in it for a few years. But, I wanted to start cooking actual large dinners for meal prep. 

I have the Lodge 6 Quart Dutch Oven and it’s large enough to make 8 portions for meal prep which really lasts me and my husband a long time. Once the boys are older and eating the same meals as us this will come in handy for making large portions. They already have big appetites, so I can only imagine how our meal prep will grow!

I love cheese and broccoli anything, but I also want to make it a little bit healthier. There are a lot of recipes out there, but not many had the amount of protein that I wanted. This is a protein heavy meal with 2 ½ pounds of chicken and this made a delicious and hearty dinner. 

Ingredients: 

  • 2 ½ pounds of chicken
  • 1 tbsp of olive oil
  • 2 ½ cups of organic chicken broth (divided)
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1 cup of rice
  • 16 oz frozen chopped broccoli
  • 1 cup cheddar cheese
  • ¼ cup gluten-free bread crumbs
  • Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions: 

  1. Chop the chicken into 1-inch cubes. 
  2. In an oven-safe extra-large frying pan or cast iron skillet place the olive oil and chicken to cook on medium-high. Season with salt and pepper. 
  3. Brown chicken on all sides approx 10 minutes. 
  4. Add in 1 cup chicken broth, heavy cream, and rice to the skillet and cook for 15 minutes until rice cooks through. 
  5. Add in the other 1 ½ cups of chicken broth, frozen broccoli, and cheese. Cook for another 10 minutes until broccoli is cooked through. 
  6. Turn on the oven to broil.
  7. Top the dinner with gluten-free bread crumbs and place under the broiler. Breadcrumbs will brown and become crispy. 
  8. Enjoy!

How to Discreetly Wear the Elvie Pump

Breastfeeding, Exclusive Pumping, Parenting, Pumping, Twins, Uncategorized · 

Is there a meeting or a place you have to be at work when you really need to pump? Are you wanting to use time like grocery shopping or running errands to multitask and also pump? Then a wearable pump is a perfect way to do all of these things and still pump on the go.

Because these pumps add a considerable amount of bulk to your breasts, some women may shy away from wearing them in public. No one wants to feel like they are sticking out like a sore thumb looking like you’re playing dress-up with your mom’s bra stuffed with a roll of paper towels. So what can you do?

I have the Elvie wearable pump and know several moms who have either the Elvie pump or the Willow wearable breast pumps and want to share all the tips and tricks we use to wear the pumps without feeling like our pumps are on display. While I’m proud of pumping and know that no one at work is usually the wiser, or even cares, I still like to feel that my pumps are discreet, because hey, that’s why I got them in the first place! Try out some of these options for wearing the pumps as comfortably and discreetly as you’d like.

Avoid tight-fitting tops

While these pumps sit directly in front of your breast and are not as visible from a front-on angle, the side angle will look a lot different if you’re wearing tight-fitting clothes. The added size will be magnified if you’re wearing a tight top. Instead, opt for a loose-fitting, flowing top that doesn’t hug the pumps and works to blend the shape.

Also, clingy fabrics, while not tight-fitting, might still hug your body and make the pumps more obvious when you’re wearing them. This usually happens to me when I’m wearing tops that don’t have a second lining and are made of silkier fabrics.

Some of the best tops that I found were loose and chunky sweaters, roomy cotton button-downs, and shirts that gather in some way at the bottom. The popular tops that tie in front at the bottom create a billowy top that is great to offset the added bulk in the chest from the pumps.

Wear opaque clothing

Sheer clothing is not a great fit for wearing the Elvie. The pumps have a small light around the pause/play button so anything sheer will show the lights. There is nothing more annoying than worrying about having actual headlights on your headlights.

Even though the new Elvie updates allow you to dim the light, it does not turn it off so make sure to wear non-see through clothing.

Another trick is to layer a dark colored tank top under any shirt and that will keep the lights from showing through. It also makes the Elvie pumps feel more secure on your body when you move around a lot.

Wear dark clothing

Dark colors work best for hiding the lights on the Elvie. Some suggestions are black, navy, rich jewel tones, and even patterns that help hide the lines and lights if the clothing shows the pumps at all. Dark clothing also helps the Elvie pump read the milk flow better too according to their website.

Busy patterns are especially good at taking way the focus on the pumps because busy patterns hide just about anything. Also, textured clothing helps hide the pumps as well. Think sweaters with chunky knits or even naturally textured clothing like linen.

Pay attention to your neckline

One thing I learned the hard way was that the neckline of a roomy v-neck can look great before the pumps are not in and almost downright scandalous when the pumps are on. The volume created a much deeper v-neck than I intended and the pumps were visible under the plunging neckline.

Choose a neckline that will still sit against the chest with the pumps in and you’ll avoid them peeking through the top of your shirt. However, if you have a shirt that you love to wear and you’re afraid the pumps could push out the neckline and show, there are a few tricks I use to still conceal the pumps.

Use scarves and cardigans

During the winter this trick works the best out of all the options in concealing the Elvie pumps under my clothes. In cold weather, wearing a light scarf indoors is not odd at all and even makes a very fashionable accessory and helps to keep my normally freezing self warm.

My favorite way to discreetly wear the Elvie pumps is to stay warm and layer with an oversized cardigan, duster, or wrap. These all make great, easy pieces to layer and can be drawn over the chest so that the Elvie practically disappears.

My favorite options for the winter are oversized cardigans and wrap sweater shawls. In the summer, lace dusters and patterned wraps make lighter and convenient layers to tote along.

Use the app to control the pumps

While the pumps are able to be controlled by the buttons that are physically on them, to discreetly turn them on and off or adjust the suction and mode, you can just use your app. By putting the pumps on and then going into a meeting or working at your desk while pumping, you’ll be able to start, stop, and adjust your pumping session without having to reach into your clothes.

You’ll want to put the pumps on beforehand and use the app to turn them on when you are ready. I tend to use this method when I have a meeting to be in for less than an hour and also need to pump. I put them on right before I go in, start them, turn them off when finished, and take them off immediately following the meeting.

Or if the meeting runs super long, I excuse myself to the bathroom and take them off and drop the milk into a cold spot. That’s usually a company fridge or a little cold lunch bag I bring with me. I don’t like to leave the pumps on for very long after I’m done pumping because it doesn’t give the breast the ability to dry off after. So just be conscious of time with the pumps after you’re finished.

At home, I like to just hit the button so I don’t have to hold my phone the whole time. But while I’m in a meeting or working around other people I can have the pumps already on and adjust the session and turn it off when I’m done all from my phone.

Carry a multipurpose handbag

Instead of carrying an entire pumping bag with me, I found a larger versatile handbag that I put a small insulated sleeve in and the tops to the pump reservoirs. This also draws less attention to the fact that I’m walking around with pumps.

My pump bag tends to be great to leave in the office or car but if I’m carrying my pumps into a meeting or need a place to put them after I pump, a large discreet handbag works great. Your Elvie pumps come with two small bags you can put them in once you’re done pumping and you can use the caps that come with your pumps to seal them up so they don’t leak.

A small insulated sleeve can help keep your breast milk from getting too warm. I used my insulated baby bottle sleeve to store reservoirs. If you’re worried about any milk getting on the inside of the bag you can always bring a gallon size Ziploc bag to put everything in.

There are so many ways to wear your Elvie pump that makes it as discreet as you need it to be. Small tips and tricks can make the Elvie comfortable and easy to wear. Try out a scarf or an oversized cardigan and see what works for you. Often, just one of these tricks can help you wear the Elvie Pumps confidently. Different things will work on different body types and it can just take a few tweaks to turn any outfit into the perfect wearable pumping outfit. What are the ways you wear your Elvie?

How to Work From Home with Twins

Lifestyle, Parenting, Raising Twins · 

Today I’m going to cover working from home with my infant twins. I work remotely 80% of the time, but I also have a place where I can go to work in a co-working space, and a small office provided by the company I work for. I also have the freedom to work anywhere I’d like during the week. Sometimes that’s at a coffee shop. Sometimes that’s at a restaurant. Other times it’s just at a library or in a park with a hotspot. I really enjoy that I could work anywhere.

But now with things going on in the world that prevent us from leaving our house, I am working from home all the time.

This has been a big change for me because I no longer can get up and go to a place that is quiet or distraction-free. I also turned my old office in our apartment into the twin’s nursery. So I no longer have a dedicated workspace either. I got rid of my desk because I was working at tables in other places and there was no space in the nursery for one. We also don’t have a kitchen table because we turned our living room/kitchen into a massive open-concept space, and never put a dining area in there.

So what am I doing to make sure that I have a productive workspace, while being able to only work from home at this time?

Find a Dedicated Spot

The first thing I’m doing is finding a new spot, even if it isn’t an office or a place that’s truly a workstation. Because the twins and my husband are in the nursery and in the living room throughout the day, I decided that the best place to work for me is going to be from my bedroom.

I can close the door and I have a bathroom that I don’t have to walk through the main house to get to. This minimizes the distractions I have, and also gives me a quieter space to work in. Having a door to shut has been key to being able to block out a little bit of the distractions at home. 

No door? Try Headphones!

So many of us won’t have a room that we can go into and shut the door. Maybe it’s because there are too many family members trying to all find space to work, or maybe your house just doesn’t have that many rooms where you can find a place that no one else is in. 

Either way, one of the ways to create a small, less distracting space is to put on headphones. This can help block out some of the background noise. It’s still good to find a space to work in, even if it’s a small chair facing a corner and a small table, a space on your back patio or even a tiny nook in a bedroom.

Having your headphones can turn any spot that you are in, into a quieter space where you can focus. I recommend doing the large over the ear headphones because they tend to block out noise a lot better than earbuds.

Limit Visual Distractions

I also think that keeping as much distraction out of your eyesight as possible is another great way to stay focused. If I’m staring at a pile of laundry in my room, it’s really hard for me to answer emails. Instead, I make sure that wherever I’m setting myself up doesn’t face a lot of things that are going to stress me out because I think I should be attending to them. This includes not staring at a pile of laundry or staring into the refrigerator, because we both know that’s where I’ll end up half of the day.

I decided on working from my bed. I will say this isn’t the ideal option because it can make it harder to relax when it’s time to go to bed in your new “workspace.” It is, in my case, the quietest area in my house. So in order to differentiate my work bed from my sleep bed, I throw a bright blanket over the bed while working to rest my computer and work stuff on and put it all away and out of sight when I’m done with the workday.

Take Regular Breaks

Once you have a good pair of headphones and a small space to work in, another great way to stay on task is to make sure you’re taking regular breaks. This might seem counterproductive, but sitting in one place, and becoming restless can actually distract you from staying on the task. If you take regular breaks to get blood flowing, get a change of scenery and give yourself mental breaks to recharge, you’re more likely to stay focused when you go back to a task and be able to finish it.

Using free desktop timers to schedule in a 10-minute break every 90 minutes or notifications on your calendar to take breaks is a good way to break up your day and be more productive during your work time. 

Use a Website Blocker

Just like always, in an environment with lots of distractions, don’t be your own distraction. Put things like website blockers and timing tools on your computer to prevent you from getting lost on websites that might be distracting to you. For example, I blocked things like news websites and social media websites that I don’t regularly use for my job. This means that if I was to type in a web address that was on a restricted website for the time of 9am to 5pm, I would be redirected and told that the website had been blocked. This helps me not become a distraction to myself.

Don’t Forget to Eat!

When you are working from home, it’s easy to skip a lunch break. I find that the more often I work from home, the less often I’m having a real meal. I’m more likely to graze all day long, in and out of the pantry and in and out of the refrigerator.

I still need to make time to sit down and eat lunch and decompress, as well. Having regular meals helps fuel your brain and keep you focused for when you’re working. It’s more distracting for me to be constantly hungry and nibbling and going to the kitchen than it would be for me to just set aside 30 minutes to make a real meal, and then eat it.

Set Quiet Times

Be honest with your family. If they’re being too loud while you’re on a call, and they can find a way to do a quieter activity for 20 minutes – don’t be afraid to ask for that quiet time. Don’t be afraid to talk to them about important times to be quiet during the day, if you have a schedule and you know when you need to be on video calls. Plan things like going on a walk outside or play in the yard or even find quiet activities that won’t result in shrieking or banging noises while someone else is on a call.

My twins love to play peek-a-boo and shriek and yell in excitement during the game. That’s probably not a great game for them to play while I’m on a conference call. But reading books with their dad is something they love to do and they like to sit and quietly turn pages. I try to make sure that I am sharing if I need to take a call so he can more easily plan for what to do with the babies. The weather is nice here so going on walks is another way for him to get the babies out of the house for short amounts of time and still entertain them if I was to need a very quiet 20 minutes. 

Set Reasonable Expectations

Be sure to be realistic about how long your family can stay quiet. If from 9am to 5pm you need absolute silence, you may have to find a way to become very separated from the rest of your family and make sure they’re on one end of the house, and you are on the other. On the other hand, if you only need quiet time for an hour a day for calls it’s much easier for people to set aside time for quiet activities in that shorter amount of time.

Part of working from home successfully is working together with the people you live with. It’s also making sure you’re setting yourself up for success, cutting out distractions, and just doing your best during these times where we’re working in unconventional ways. It calls for a little bit of forgiveness for both you and the occasional interruption from your children on a work call. Having twins means we have a busy and loud household sometimes but that doesn’t mean I can’t work productively at home with a little bit of creativity and of course flexibility.

Protein Cookie Dough 

Dessert, Recipes · 

Let’s talk about cookie dough. But also let’s talk about why we have to. First of all: I love chatting with you guys. And sometimes the reason for creating recipes just has to be stated. As always you can scroll down to the recipe and skip all this, but for those of you looking for a reason to love a recipe more, just keep reading. 

 

So as a kid, my mom told me to not eat raw cookie dough and I still tried it here and there. And it’s fantastic. But then I saw a news story about a woman who became super ill by eating raw cookie dough and was too scared after to eat it. 

 

Instead, I spent so much money on safe to eat premade cookie dough at the store. Costco has a brand that is delicious but the issue is that I don’t need a metric ton of it and that’s what I had to buy there. Other times I’ve tried new brands and some were at best just ok. 

 

So after complaining a whole bunch about it, I decided to try to make some myself. And let me tell you: this is try number 1,000,003. It might be a little bit of an exaggeration but if you’ve ever put your heart and soul into a recipe and then had a major fail then you’d understand why it felt like this. I even got close to perfecting it a month ago and gave up.

 

One thing I changed is that I stopped trying to use regular gluten-free flour or grinding up my own oats for this. I used a lot less of the almond flour that seemed to work the best and paired with the something I always have at my house: protein powder. So when I finally nailed it I figured it deserved a whole full history. Also, it’s for the Google algorithm so you can actually search my recipe! 


Thank you and enjoy!

Ingredients: 

1 scoop Detox Organics Vanilla Protein 

½ cup almond flour 

¼ cup peanut butter

¼ cup raw honey

¼ cup dark chocolate chips

 

Instructions: 

  1. Mix together the protein and almond flour until totally combined.
  2. Then mix in peanut butter and honey until all of the dry ingredients are combined into one large ball of dough.
  3. Gently flatten the ball, press in half of the chocolate chips. Reroll into a large cookie dough ball and gently work in the rest of the chips around the outside.

 

To make this vegan: Swap maple syrup in for the honey. Then swap the dark chocolate chips for “vegan enjoy life” chocolate chips.