Blog • Page 3 of 7 • Ashlee and Her Tribe

April 3, 2021 by ashlee stoodley

Dinner Problem Solved.

I was asked by Carusele to participate in the #GreenGiant campaign, sponsored by Green Giant. Although I have been compensated, all opinions are my own.

In our family the side dish makes the meal!

When it comes to dinner time, we usually make a protein, and some vegetables. Everyone usually agrees on the main course but the discrepancies lie in who likes the supporting dishes. Being that we have 4 children everyone has a preference on what vegetables they will actually eat. One of my challenges as a mother is I do not want my kids to go to bed hungry, so pleasing as many as possible is a high priority.

We have done your typical broccoli, carrots, mashed cauliflower and zuchinni noodles with parmesan, but in a 7 day week we are constantly looking for more options. A family favorite of ours has become Green Giant Veggie Fries.

Green Giant Veggie Fries have (1) full serving of vegetables and Green Giant Veggie Rings are made with real vegetables making them a great alternative to fries and tater tots. So if you struggle to come up with sides your children will actually eat for dinner try the crispy and crunchy kid-friendly Green Giant Veggie Fries and Rings!!

If your family is anything like ours, it’s not enough for the kids to just eat the meal, they need to take part in the preparation. In my house my kids have come up with an amazing recipe they love to enjoy their veggies fries with. I make the meatloaf, but I allow them to create a wonderful dip that allows them to be part of the meal.

They came up with a Dill pickle yogurt dip as the dipping sauce for the Veggie Fries and Veggie Rings which was the hit of the meal!

Here is the recipe for the yogurt dip that we used with the Veggie Fries and Veggie Rings.

2 cups Greek yogurt

3 garlic cloves crushed.

2 medium cucumbers, peeled, grated, and squeezed dry with paper towels.

2 Tbsp chopped fresh dill

1 tsp dried cilantro

2 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

Juice of 1 lemon

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and then refrigerate for a couple hours to let the flavor set in. Serve with a side of pickles and of course your Green Giant Veggie Fries and Veggie Rings. (linked) You can grab them from the frozen aisle at local retailers like Walmart!

Ashlee

March 20, 2021 by ashlee stoodley

Family Time at Friendly’s

This blog post is sponsored by Friendly’s. All opinions are my own.

Deciding what to order off the new spring menu

I recently took my 4 children to our local Friendly’s to have lunch off their Fan Favorite’s menu! The kids love going to there because they get to eat a filling lunch and then have ice cream!

I got the Buffalo Chicken Salad with Buffalo chicken tenders, celery, green pepper, red onion, and shredded Monterey Jack and cheddar over a bed of leafy greens. It was very good.

Buffalo Chicken Salad with Bleu Cheese dressing.

The kids enjoyed the Vermonter Burger with melted sharp white cheddar cheese over a juicy beef patty, and stacked with crispy maple pepper bacon in a golden-brown ciabatta roll, topped with lettuce, tomato, and Mayo. They also got the Hot Honey SuperMelt with crispy chicken tenders, hot honey glaze, cheddar, pickle chips, and coleslaw. We finished the meal with the new Superman ice cream sundae, and a banana split sundae.

Taking my kids to Friendly’s is like a walk down memory lane, because when I was a kid I loved eating there with my family. The best part was always the ice cream sundae! It is fun to see how excited my kids get when their sundaes come out! I remember acting the same way. Their new spring menu includes six NEW fan favorite meals you can get a meal and a sundae all starting at $11.99. You can stop by your local Friendly’s location to check out their new spring menu or you can order from Friendly’s.olo.com for pick up or delivery.

Ashlee

January 27, 2021 by ashlee stoodley

Almond Butter Banana Honey Bread

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Arnold Organic Bread. All opinions are my own.

Almond Butter Banana Honey Toast- An easy, delicious, nutritious meal!

Toast with almond butter, banana, and honey.

I personally believe breakfast is the most important meal of the day for my children. When they start their day with a nutritious and filling breakfast they tend to snack less throughout the day. The almond butter banana honey toast is a fun easy breakfast (lunch or even snack) to make for your children.

Winter helping me make her toast and letting me give her a bite!

I love using Arnold Organic White made with Whole Wheat Bread featuring Disney’s Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. My daughter who out of my 4 children is the pickiest eater loves seeing Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse on the packaging. Once she sees something she loves on food packaging she is more likely to eat it and enjoy it. As a mother I am thrilled to know that the bread is USDA Organic, Non-GMO Project Verified, and is sustainably baked with renewable wind energy. I know that when I serve this bread to my children, they are getting a good source of Vitamins A, D, & E. I always check the ingredients in foods I give my children and make sure they do not contain high fructose corn syrup, artificial preservatives, colors, or flavors. Arnold Organic White Bread with Whole Wheat contains none of that which is a total mom win!

Making the toast is easy: I let my daughter help by having her put the Arnold Organic White made with Whole Wheat Bread in the toaster. Once it is ready we spread the almond butter together (you can use sunflower butter if your child has a peanut allergy or cashew butter for something different) ,then we drizzle some honey over the almond butter. Next I have my daughter add the sliced bananas over top. (Blueberries or strawberries can also be added). We then sprinkle some chia seeds over the banana slices if I have them on hand. She loves this breakfast and so do my boys. I love that Kids White made with Whole Wheat is an easy option for my kids to help me make it, and it is organic plant-based bread. Arnold Organic is a company who believes in taking care of the Earth for future generations!

Thanks for stopping by,

Ashlee

November 30, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

Treating and Preventing Diaper Rash

This blog post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx on behalf of Triple Paste. All opinions are my own.

Time truly flies! My 4th baby Roman is already 8 months old! My oldest is 9.5 years old and my other two kids are 7 and 3 years old. In my motherhood journey, I have learned time goes by too quickly. You need to slow down and appreciate all the milestone with your baby. (Rolling over, reaching for toys, babbling, sitting up, crawling, clapping, first words, eating solids, walking etc.)

Motherhood is filled with beautiful messy moments. One beautiful messy milestone I have learned to appreciate is the journey of starting solids. It is a fun and rewardable experience to see your baby explore new foods. I love to see what foods they get excited for, the silly faces they make as they try different flavors and textures, and the cute ummmm noises they make when they love it. One thing I do not love about starting solids is dirty diapers. YES you know it gets messier and even smellier. Due to these new foods your baby is learning to digest, diaper rash can become a problem and if you do not treat it right away it can be painful.

I have always turned to Triple Paste to help prevent, soothe, treat, and protect my children’s skin. My advice to you is, the minute you notice a red bum from a dirty diaper you want to apply a layer of Triple Paste. I also apply a layer before bedtime when I know my baby may be in a wet diaper for a longer period of time. Keep a jar on hand from the very beginning of your motherhood journey and stay stocked up on it for years to come. We also use it during the potty-training years to prevent/treat diaper rash. My older boys even use Triple Paste on their legs during the summer-time. We apply the cream to prevent and protect their leg from chaffing and getting red/bumpy from their bathing suits and the sand at the beach.

Fresh out of the tub and getting some diaper cream on before bed.

What I love about Triple Paste is that it’s fragrance-free, paraben-free, preservative-free, talc-free, phthalate- free, dye-free, and hypoallergenic. It is safe and gentle to use everyday, yet strong enough to treat painful red and raw diaper rash. The unique formula contains oat extract and beeswax to quickly sooth and treat irritated skin. The diaper cream is endorsed by the National Eczema Association. If you need to stock up on some Triple Paste diaper rash cream and ointment you can grab some from Amazon and click here. I also have something exciting to share Triple Paste is doing a giveaway! To enter you can click here!

xoxo

Ashlee

November 21, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

Baby Led Weaning (BLW)

Roman 8 months old enjoying a mango slice

When it comes to your baby eating you want the process to be fun and enjoyable. It’s a learning experience and you should encourage your child to explore with their foods. I am a huge fan of baby led weaning (BLW). I think it makes life easier and helps the baby to develop great eating habits. Let me explain what exactly BLW is in my own words. Basically you give the baby whatever you are eating and you let them go to town on their own! All 4 of my children did BLW so, I like to think I have some experience on this topic.

How do you know when your baby is ready for food? Here are the signs:

1. 6 months of age or older

2. Can sit up on their own and has complete neck control (can turn their head from side to side to see something).

3. Starts to show interest in your food, grabs, whines, and drools when they see you eating something.

4. Brings objects to their mouth during play time.

5. Can grasp objects with their fingers.

6. The tongue thrust reflex is gone.

BLW food ideas:

– Hard broiled/or scrambled eggs

– Avocado slice

– Whole banana break it in half though to it’s less messy. Add peanut butter to it for an extra treat

-Whole apple peeled

-Whole pear peeled

-Mango slices

-Watermelon slices cut long ways

-Toast with coconut oil or mashed chick peas (hummus), avocado

-Pancakes or waffles cooked in coconut oil. Add berries to batter.

-Veggies steamed and given whole -green beans, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, parsnips

-Cucumber slices, sweet potato slices, pumpkin slices. (sliced long ways)

-Chicken cooked in chicken broth shredded

-Ground turkey meat

-Beef or turkey meatballs add some veggies to the balls (carrots)

-Steak in small pieces

– Noodles with coconut oil can boiled in bone, veggie, or chicken broth for extra flavor

-Steamed rice mix in some veggies

– Steamed fish

-Cooked legumes

-Grated shredded cheese (cheddar)

-Peanut butter balls or peanut butter in the food feeder

-Greek yogurt with strawberry slices

-Quesadillas with cheese. Add pieces of chicken and avocado.

Turkey meat in a tomato sauce with whole wheat noodles

Avocado slices, jasmine rice, and broccoli

Baby Meal Time Products I have loved over the years:

Highchair ORIBEL and JOOVY NOOK

Food Feeders

Utensils Ryan and Rose and Grabease

Plates and Bowls EZPZ Mini Mat and Re-Play

Sippy Cups

Bibs

Winter 8 month old enjoying scrambled eggs

Meal time should be fun and an enjoyable learning experience for your baby. Don’t worry about the mess and let them explore, learn, and enjoy their foods!

xoxo

Ashlee

August 29, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

DIY Painting Brick Fireplace

SUPPLIES:

Stiff paint brush medium size

Tiny flat paint brush to paint grout around brick

Small paint roller

Sponge

All purpose cleaner or dish soap

Primer paint

Satin white paint (your choice)

Painter tape if you like using it (I do not)

Tarp or towels

Ladder

STEPS

Prep the area: Lay down tarp, tape area around fire place, set up supplies.

2. Lightly wipe down the brick: with your sponge and all purpose cleaner or the dish soap and water. Let it dry.

3. Prime the brick: This step takes the longest. We used the standard Kilz Hide All Primer. We started by using our stiff medium size paint brush and painting over each individual brick. Once we got each brick we then went over the grout with a tiny flat paint brush. This was very time consuming but worth it. Do not be afraid to use a LOT of primer. You want to apply a good thick amount to each brick and all the grout. (One coat may be enough but, if you are still seeing a lot of brown you may want to do a second coat of the primer). Follow the dry instructions. (We allowed for 24 hours before we used the satin paint over the primer).

4. Paint the brick: We went with Benjamin Moore Simply White in a Satin finish. We also asked that it be the masonry paint. Masonry paints are acrylic-based paints. You can use them on a wide range of surfaces. Brick, stone, stucco, etc. They are designed to easily paint over rough and coarse surfaces. It’s still the same cost and quality vs regular wall paint. We applied one coat with our small paint roller. This gave the brick more dimension from just having the primer on! Once it dried we moved on to painting our built-ins.

Built-in BOOKSHELVES

We wanted to brighten this space even more so we decided to paint our built-in bookshelves with Valspar The Perfect White in a high gloss finish. We wanted to add in some grey to the background. We used Valspar Rocky Bluffs in a flat finish. The one tip I will share is to prime your built-ins before painting them. We skipped this step and regret it because the white will eventually peel off and we will now be touching it up from time to time.

We couldn’t be happy with this DIY project. It looks so much more modern and brighter. It took us entire weekend and cost us around $130 vs hiring someone for hundreds of dollars. In the end totally worth it!!!

XOXO

Ashlee

August 14, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

Mommy and Me Skincare

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of CeraVe.

My whole life I have had sensitive skin and because of that I always need to be mindful about the products I use for my skin care routine. When I became a mother, I made it a top priority that I would do the same for all my babies. One company I love using for my family is CeraVe. Their affordable line of skincare products are enriched with a blend of three essential ceramides , fatty acids, and other lipids to help repair and strengthen the skin’s natural barrier. They have over 70 products making their line perfect for everyone in your family.

For my 4 month old baby boy Roman I love the CeraVe baby line. As part of his bath time routine we use the CeraVe Baby Wash & Shampoo. It is a tear free gentle wash that is fragrance-free and paraben-free. The Baby Moisturizing Lotion is a lightweight moisturizer that protects his delicate
skin and moisturizes for 24 hours. The Healing ointment is my must have for the diaper bag. It has so many uses. In the dry cold months it helps relieve and soothe his delicate sensitive skin. It also helps treat and prevent diaper rash and chapped skin from wet bathing suits. It’s fragrance-free, paraben-free, sulfate-free, dye-free and lanolin-free, All three of the products are accepted by the National Eczema Association.

In the morning I use the Hydrating Facial Cleanser it helps to gently wake up my skin while removing any dirt, oil and residue. The non-foaming formula contains hyaluronic acid. This helps hydrate and retain moisture. It also has three essential ceramides to help restore the skin barrier. My skin feels clean and refreshed after I use it. Another plus is my skin doesn’t appear red after I use it as some face washes have done in the past.

After I shower I love using the The Daily Moisturizing Lotion. It’s a lightweight, oil-free lotion that moisturizes and helps keep my skin super soft especially after I shave. You can use it on your face too. It does not clog your pores or feel sticky after you apply it. It is Accepted by the
National Eczema Association, the hypoallergenic formula is non-irritating and fragrance free. I feel comfortable snuggling my baby knowing his skin isn’t going to be affected by what I am using on my skin!

XOXO

Ashlee

June 24, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

Homeschooling with Snacks

This post is sponsored by BabbleBoxx.com on behalf of The Quaker Oats Company.

Creating Thank You Projects for their Teachers

Mid March my life changed in two ways. We welcomed our 4th baby and my older boys stopped going to traditional public school. Together we started the journey of online learning from home. Our normal routine changed and I like most mothers across the nation was forced to juggle it all. My new normal has been wake up nurse the baby, check my emails, make breakfast, grab my coffee, and then my boys and I dive right into homeschooling.

While doing school work I hear mom “I’m hungry multiple times” from my boys. Since my time is at a premium, I need to give them a quick snack. Quaker Kids Organic whole grain bars and bites have become my new go to. They have no artificial flavors, or added colors, and no high fructose corn syrup, they’re organic and Non-GMO, and the biggest thing for me is that they contain 11-19g of 100% whole grains per serving. Let me tell you, I am the mother of two extremely active boys and keeping up with them is a job in and of itself!

Set up some fun thank you teacher crafts and Quaker Organic Kids snacks

Through-out this homeschooling journey the biggest lesson that I have learned, educating kids is no joke! My appreciation for teachers has only grown when my children refuse to listen to me. On top of doing school work while home my kids and I have found great joy in arts and crafts. We thought it would be fun to show our appreciation to educators by creating art together. We had a blast making thank you’s for their teachers such as thank you notes, drawing pictures, and painting tee shirts and a picture frame. To get your kids in on the fun of honoring their teachers you can print out this fun WE LOVE OUR TEACHERS coloring page by click this link.

As their online learning ends mid June, we’re looking forward to summer fun. With that being said make sure to stock up on Quaker Kids Organic products. https://www.quakeroats.com/products/quaker-kids-organic to learn more.

Hope you and your kids have a great safe summer!

Ashlee

May 5, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

Ricky Zoom Chore Chart

*This blog post is sponsored by Ricky Zoom. All opinions are my own.

May 10 is National clean your room day + Mother’s Day…. What a perfect gift to have my children clean their room! We have been on stay at home orders for 7 weeks. My children are not attending school for the rest of the year and we don’t really leave the house. Our days are filled with homeschooling, playing outside, doing art, playing with toys, and screen time to play video games, watch movies and TV shows like Ricky Zoom. I love Ricky Zoom for my kids because it’s a fun adventurous show about bike buddies that both my boys and daughter can watch together. It teaches them about responsibility and team work. You can check out Ricky Zoom on Nick Jr http://www.nickjr.com/Ricky-zoom / Catch all new episodes May 18 – May 29th M-F @ 5 pm.

Everett sharing Hudson’s chore chart so far for the week

Since all 4 kids are home 24/7 the house can get chaotic throughout the day. Honestly by mid morning every room can look like a bomb went off. I can’t focus when this happens so its important to me that our children learn responsibility through helping keep the house clean. I want them to know we are all on the same team, by having them get involved with household chores. If they make a mess they need to clean it up or help someone else who may need help. I learned in order to get them involved you need to make it fun. We make it family time and blast music while we set a timer for 5 minutes 3x a day. During this 5 minutes we do a quick tidy of the house. The older boys put away their own laundry, I do the dishes or floor, my daughter dusts, they also help with toy pick up, vacuuming, emptying the dishwasher, and wiping down their bathrooms. Having a chore chart is also helpful with having my children understand what is expected of them. This teaches them responsibility and makes my day easier. We love the Ricky Zoom chore chart (you can download and print it here). They can color on this chore chart and then cut out and glue on their chores and reward tokens as they do their jobs. It’s a fun activity the whole family can do together while everyone is home. Check out Ricky Zoom content toys, apps, activities, and more RickyZoom.com

Hudson cutting out his tokens for the day since he completed all his chores

Dancing while cleaning her room. She’s trying to earn tokens for makeup

On National Clean your room day my kids will be cleaning and I will be one happy mama! I want my kids to always strive for a clean room, not just on this day. This helps them stay organized, gain leadership skills, and allows them to have a positive space to learn, grow, play, and sleep in!

Happy Mother’s Day moms I hope you get to enjoy a clean house and can relax a bit!

Ashlee

April 8, 2020 by ashlee stoodley

Roman’s Birth Story

Roman Luke was born on March 17, 2020

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, my emotions were all over the place right before I had Roman. I was sad my older kids wouldn’t get to come to the hospital and meet their new baby brother. I had envisioned this magical moment of them all meeting. When the boys came the the hospital to meet their baby sister, it was one of my top moments of my life. Unfortunately this time that wouldn’t happen thanks to COVID-19. I knew only my husband could be there.

I want to quickly share details of my 3 older kids birth stories:

Hudson was born in 2011 and I was induced with him and had the epidural. My experience wasn’t the best I pushed for 2.5 hours. My epidural caused me to feel nothing so I wasn’t sure when to push. I needed oxygen and threw up a lot. I felt like I got hit by a truck after I finally delivered my 8 lbs and 14 oz baby boy.

Everett was born in 2013. I was induced as well and the epidural only took on the one side and I felt everything on the other. His birth was a little faster. He weighed 8 lbs and 14 oz same as Hudson.

In 2017 when I was expecting Winter I decided I would not get induced. I wanted to let her come when she was ready. She was born on her due date and her birth was crazy fast! (I wrote a blog post about her birth and you can read all the details here). Basically she came within 30 minutes of arriving to the hospital. I had her naturally. She weighed 8 lbs 6 oz

Roman’s birth story:

When I was pregnant with Roman I knew I wanted to try and have him naturally like I had Winter. I trusted in my body and was kinda looking forward to the challenge. I didn’t have a plan though. If I needed to I figured I would ask for the epidural. Roman was due March 19, 2020. I was uncomfortable and miserable leading up to my 39th week of pregnancy. On Saturday March 14 around 11:00 pm I started to get contractions that were consistent and drawing my attention. Since Winter came so fast we decided to call the hospital and my mother in law to come watch the kids. Unfortunately, by the time my MIL arrived my contractions stopped. We decided to stay home and try to get some sleep. The next day I felt no signs of labor and I felt so disappointed. Will this baby ever come?!

Monday March 16 all my kids were home from school due to them closing for the coronavirus. I was exhausted but, knew I needed to keep the kids busy. We went for a walk. When we came back from the walk I started to feel some contractions it was about 3 pm. I remember making dinner and doing the whole bedtime routine feeling a bit uncomfortable during the contractions. As I was putting Winter to bed I had a feeling I better hurry and finish packing the hospital bag. We called my mother in law to watch the kids around 8:30 PM. I was excited, nervous, and even had some doubts if we should even go to the hospital. I remember thinking maybe this is another false alarm…. We left for the hospital around 9:30 PM. When we arrived we went to the ER and they were ready for us. They wheeled me up to labor and delivery. Once we got into the room they asked me a bunch of questions about my pregnancy. They checked my blood pressure and temperature. I then got checked down there and I was only 4 cm dilated. I started to panicked thinking they would send me home because I wasn’t more dilated. They told me I was staying the night and moved me to a labor and delivery room. Once I was there they started me on an IV of fluids. I had contractions the entire night. I slept probably an hour due to being so uncomfortable. Around 3:00 AM my contractions started getting stronger. I was going back and forth wondering if I should give in and get the epidural. I remember thinking no don’t get it. This pain is manageable. Each contraction I feel is bringing me closer to meeting my baby. I fought through it for the rest of the night into the morning.

At 7 AM I got a new nurse and she was amazing. She encouraged me and made me feel like the baby is coming soon. “You can do this you don’t need the epidural”.

Around 9:30 AM I started pacing and getting nervous the baby would never come. I went to the bathroom and started to feel some pressure. The nurse checked me since I was feeling so much pressure. I was around 8 cm. She asked if I wanted to have my water broken to try and move things along. I agreed. Shortly after this I felt awful lower back pain and way more pressure. I got up on all fours and starting rocking on the bed. That didn’t help me feel comfortable. So I remember I started pacing around the room and taking deep breathes in and out. Eventually, I got into the bed and said I needed to push. Some parts are a bit blurry from here. I remember screaming I can’t do this!!! My nurse was so supportive telling me I can. She even rubbed my valor essential oil all over my wrist. With each painful push, I envisioned a rainbow and grabbing the baby from the rainbow and taking him with me. (It was St Patrick’s Day after all).

Finally at 11:00 AM after about 8 minutes of pushing Roman Luke was born weighing 9 lbs 4 oz!!! He was my biggest baby and longest birth out of my 4 kids. After I had him we immediately had skin to skin contact. I delivered the placenta while they weighed him and took his stats because I starting shaking uncontrollably. After they took his stats and I calmed down I nursed him successfully. We called the kids to tell them about their new brother. I went home from the hospital the next day and I was more than thrilled to bust out of there and have the kids meet their new brother.

Since bringing Roman home it’s been a crazy 3 weeks. The kids are all obsessed with him. We joke he’s the celebrity in our house because everyone always wants to hold him. He’s so sweet and nursing like a champ. Having the kids all home due to the virus has been hard. I’m juggling homeschooling, keeping a 3 year old busy, sleepless nights, nursing a baby around the clock, working on some sponsored content for Instagram, tons of laundry, dishes, and house work. It’s been amazing yet hard. I have cried a few times because I’m overwhelmed. I never thought I would have a baby that no one could meet yet because we need to “stay home”. I never thought I would be juggling homeschooling on top of a new baby. I am trying to find the positive. We don’t really have a schedule and have been able to all spend a lot of time together. That’s the blessing in all of this quality family time at a slower pace.

Things that helped me deliver naturally:

-My valor essential oil from young living I rubbed it all over me many times during the labor and delivery

-Having a POSITIVE support system. My nurse was amazing and so was my husband they encouraged me to let my body do what it’s supposed to do. They said not to get the epidural but if I really needed to it’s my decision.

-Saying affirmations during each contraction. Some of them what worked for me were:

•My body was made to do this.

•With each contraction I am closer to meeting my baby.

•Release and relax.

•Each contraction only lasts a minute. I can do anything for 1 minute.

•My baby is coming to me and this will all be over

xoxo

Ashlee

How do you know when your baby is ready for food? Here are the signs:

BLW food ideas:

ashlee_stood