Life Update

Hello everyone! It has been a while. :)

Little Miss Sunshine is growing up so fast and is talking a lot. She's starting to pick things up from the people she's around-- it's funny and also embarrassing sometimes. We have to be careful what we say! She wants to be just like mama and daddy.

I don't know if I mentioned that hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary in October. We hope to be able to go on a nice trip this next year to celebrate!

We had family pictures taken about a month ago. They turned out really cute.

This is my favorite of Little Miss Sunshine!

I have made a lot of friends this year and I am very happy about that. It's about time, huh? I think it is easier to make friends when you have kids because it gives you something in common to talk about.

Of course, I do have friends without little ones and we have plenty in common too.

I've mostly been keeping busy with my Thirty-One business. I'm currently working on earning a cruise for hubby and myself! It would go to the Bahamas-- which is one of my favorite places. I'm on track to earning it, but I just need a couple more people to sign up to sell Thirty-One. So if you're interested... Sign up here, or join my Facebook group and ask me any questions! ;)

I'm really proud of the fact that I've personally made over $10,000 this year-- on my own and from home. Not all of that is from Thirty-One, BTW-- since I've only been selling Thirty-One since July, but a large chunk of it is! I hope to increase that in 2017.

It seems like there is never enough time in the day to do everything that I want to do, so other things fall behind. I'm still trying to figure out how to better manage my time!

Anyways, there's a personal update-- not a lot to share! I will be back with a health update soon.

Join me!

Hello! I do promise to come back here and update you all on my life soon, but you can probably tell that Thirty-One has become a big part of my life right now! I'm really enjoying it too.

I'd love to have you join my private VIP group! I update this group pretty much daily, so this is a great way to stay in contact! :)

Join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheBeautifulBagSociety31/

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Here is our little Anna-- isn't she the cutest? Not sure why she is so serious! 

You don't want to miss this!

Disclaimer: I am a Thirty-One consultant-- but I love these products and all opinions are mine alone! 

Ladies! I am so excited because today Thirty-One is having a Birthday Bash sale to celebrate its 13th birthday!

The cool thing is that there will be special throwback prints and products in bundles for 31% off for TODAY ONLY!

I cannot wait to see what they have!

This is a great time to stock up on gifts for the holidays, birthdays, weddings, you name it!

You can shop here! All orders must be placed by 11:59 eastern time!

Separating my Primal Urges from my Conscious Thought

So I'm thinking that I may need to have a sugar detox next week so that I can get rid of this sugar-crack cravings! They're been pretty bad. I'm sure it's also partly due to hormones, but still. I think it would help me keep on track.

I have noticed some binge like behavior that past few days-- which was my indication that maybe I was trying to be too restrictive with my choices. It's the whole brain chemistry thing-- when we tell ourselves that we can't eat something, it sends our primal brain into action because it thinks we need said food for survival. At that point, it really does become difficult to eat that food in moderation and a binge is more than likely going to happen.

So, I'm taking that knowledge and applying it. Say I really want some carbs for breakfast, but I've told myself that I shouldn't/can't eat them. Today, I tried something different. I ate a protein shake and ate a bagel with butter. Totally satisfied and not too crazy on the points values. I didn't have any cravings.

Compare that to yesterday when I told myself I couldn't have carbs for breakfast and all I could think about all day was eating sweets. And I did end up eating too many of them-- binge behavior, which in the end is completely counterproductive to the goal of losing weight... even though I think restricting is what I "need" to do.

The goal is to be able to listen to my body and know when I truly want to eat something and I'm not just eating it "because". Know what I mean by that? Something comes over my brain and makes me physically want to eat anything sweet and it's really not because I "want" the food-- it's the primal brain kicking in thinking it's helping me survive.

When I started feeling that way, I remembered to tell myself that "I have a choice". Just because the "primal" brain wants me to consume said food does not mean that the logical part of my brain (the real/conscious me) really needs or wants the food. It's like distinguishing between primal instinct (that are misleading) and conscious thought.

It's about progress, not perfection. Which is good because this week has definitely not been perfect!

First Weekend on Weight Watchers

This weekend opened my eyes to how bad my eating habits have gotten! It was definitely no secret that I wasn't eating right-- but tracking what I'm eating has been an eye opener. I have definitely been eating too many carbs and not enough fruits, veggies, and protein. I have been grabbing what's easy.

We went on a short road trip on Saturday and stopped to grab some coffee at McDonalds. When I looked up the points for the latte I ordered, I saw that it was 21 points. TWENTY-ONE! Can you believe that? So that really messed things up for me-- lesson learned!

I have a lot of work to do, but I guess that's the point!

Since my problem is primarily psychological-- I need to be very careful to not be hard on myself. That means giving myself grace when I fumble around in these first couple of weeks as I get used to developing good eating habits again.

Somehow, I've developed this inner voice that is self-depreciating whenever I do not eat "perfectly". It's like playing all of those negative and judgemental blog comments that I used to get in my head over and over.

Something that I learned from my binge eating program was about the repetitive cycle that goes on. Here is a graphic which explains it.

Does this sound familiar? This is exactly why I am trying to give myself grace. I have felt that anxiety building up about not "following the plan" properly. I tell myself that it's ok and that it's what I do 90% of the time that will make the difference. If I dwell on that 10% when I feel like I've "messed up" the plan-- then I will slide backwards.

The goal is to keep my eyes focused on the outcome and what I want to be instead of what I don't want to be!

Day 1: My New Plan

I made it through Day 1!

There were moments throughout the day where I had to remind myself that I didn't have enough points to afford to eat something I wanted. And then I'd find myself realizing I wasn't even hungry, but I was eating for other reasons.

I'm just going to go ahead and tell you that I'm following Weight Watchers SmartPoints-- thanks to a Groupon and an extra coupon code.

I definitely increased my fruit and veggie consumption today and decreased my processed food consumption. I know I'm going to feel a lot better very soon simply for these two reasons alone.

When I got on the scale this morning to see my starting weight, I had actually lost 6 lbs. from my highest weight-- so that was a really good feeling. I'm going to make myself get on the scale regularly so I don't lose my focus and let things get out of control.

My husband doesn't read my blog often, so I think it's safe to go ahead and say that he doesn't know I'm doing Weight Watchers yet. I am terrible at keeping secrets from him so we'll see how long that lasts! I just didn't want to feel the pressure of knowing he is probably thinking "here she goes again...it never works for her". I have told him that today was going to be my first day of getting healthy and he hasn't asked any questions as far as what I'm doing-- but he did check up on me to see how I did today.

I am focusing on the fact that I'm using Weight Watchers as a way to learn how to eat healthy again. Somehow my good habits I developed a few years ago were completely disregarded in the last year or so. I want to feel like I used to feel when I had lost almost 100 lbs. I was doing something right at that time!

The more I think about it, I realize that my disordered eating habits truly became a big problem when I hit a plateau that first time around. I want to write more about this and why I think it contributed to my backslide soon.

I'm not going to lie-- I'm so hungry right now. I'll be going grocery shopping this weekend and can stock up on the things that I should be eating. I'd love your recommendations on snacks with low SmartPoints values. This is all kind of new to me!

I made my Easy Beef Stew for supper tonight with some rolls. I may have eaten a little too much stew, but I only ate one roll and no dessert. I'm happy with that! The stew is full of veggies. It was perfect for this fall day.

Let me know if you are following the current SmartPoints WW plan!

Tomorrow

Well, tomorrow is the big day!

I am calling it day one. We won't go over how many "day ones" I've had! But you have not failed until you've failed to try, right?

Sometimes I feel like when I share my latest method of trying to lose weight that I'm not only disappointing myself but also disappointing everyone else. I know it doesn't really matter. I see the success that others continue to have on the same program I was on and I feel very ashamed and embarrassed. Just know that what I am going to do is a very sustainable and healthy method.

It's not that the plan didn't work, but it apparently wasn't sustainable for me and I believe it was a huge trigger to my binge eating, as you mentioned it was for you too, Karla. So thankful you posted that so I knew I wasn't alone in this.

But to see so many people losing pound after pound, it really crushes me. I am proud of them, but it crushes me. That could have been me. I have failed, yet again. And then there's the business side of it that I want to be a part of, but I know that I cannot because I cannot be authentic.

I knew in my heart that it was not a sustainable way to lose weight and keep it off, but I clutch onto every little hope that comes around. I have learned that these types of programs can be a very big problem for those of us with disordered eating. I just need to learn now to share what I'm doing with anyone so I don't have to feel the shame!

What to do?

Are you enjoying the fall weather? It has been beautiful here! Those of you in Hurricane Mathew's path are experiencing some terrible fall weather-- hope all of you and yours are safe!

The last time I checked in about my weight loss struggles was September 27th, so I thought I'd check in again. Unfortunately, I don't have any wonderful news to report or anything. I haven't been on the scale though.

I was doing very well at making healthier decisions and eating more "real" food, but then I started slipping again. And then I got the stomach flu a few days ago and haven't eaten very much, and what I have eaten has been bland and filled with carbs! Mashed potatoes, toast, a bagel... that kind of thing.

At least I'm starting to feel better as the day goes on-- I'm on day 3. I'm in that mode where I want to clean everything, which always happens after I'm sick, but I find my energy wears down pretty quickly! The house realllyyyy needs to be cleaned too.

I've been trying a new tactic to get the house cleaned up. When everything seems overwhelming, I have 10-minute tidy sessions. Hubby joined me today and we cleaned/straightened as much as we could for 10 minutes. And we'll do that numerous times throughout the day. It seems to be working fairly well-- even Little Miss Sunshine helped a little because it makes it seem like a game.

I haven't been sure of what to write about lately. Maybe I'm not taking enough time to get into that creative space-- and I know I need to do that because it's good for me in so many ways and something that I really enjoy.

This blog has always had a weight loss focus-- in addition to other topics thrown in here and there. So I think that's part of what keeps me from writing. But I'm not giving up.

Lately, I have felt my weight begin to hold me back from living again. I find myself embarrassed of my size all of the time and constantly feel like everyone is judging me. I know now that it's probably not the case and anxiety can cause thoughts and feelings like this, but I still don't like that feeling.

I begin to avoid things. Sometimes I don't even want to go outside because I feel like I'm so fat that everyone will be judging me. It sounds like the dumbest thing ever when I put that out there! I definitely hold myself back because of my weight and I hate it.

Sometimes I think maybe I should join Weight Watchers again for the 500th time. The only thing holding me back is imagining what hubby would say! It wasn't that long ago that I decided I was going to give that a try again and I think I tracked my points like not even one full day. But that's my own fault, I'd need to make it mandatory.

Maybe I need to join, but start going to the meetings this time. I've been thinking about getting Little Miss Sunshine into day care for a day or half day so that she can interact with other kids-- she's so sociable and I know she would love it. It'd be really good for her and a great way to use up some of her energy. But that would give me time to go to a meeting if I wanted to.

I think I'd want to go to a center that's farther away. When you live in a small town, people get to know who you are. I'd rather not have more people notice me failing! What a terrible attitude to have.

It's hard to know what to do! I just know that I have to do something.

Join me!

One of the reasons that I have been a bit absent on the blog lately is because I have been more active in my Thirty-One business! Things are going great-- I've met some great women and formed friendships. It has been good for me.

I set a goal to earn a free cruise! I know that I can do it with a little hard work and it will be something fun to work towards. I really need to advance to a leadership role so that I qualify for the trip though.

I need three ladies to join my team and I'd love to have you! Starting October 1st, you can join for only $1-- this is a limited time offer though. I will personally help you sell your first $1,000 in sales and will be with you every step of the way.

I have personally made over $1,000 in income since mid-July-- that's in my pocket. That means that I've sold over $4,000 in products since then. It's so much easier than I thought it would be-- all of my parties have been online so far!

How would you like to have some extra money during the holidays? This is the perfect way to earn it!

Let me know if you'd like to learn more!

Doomed Forever?

I've been avoiding blogging for awhile-- partly because I've been super busy and partly because I don't like admitting where I'm at in this ongoing journey of mine. The simplest way to put it is that the cycle is still continuing.

However, this time it seems a lot worse. I weigh more than ever--- yes EVER. My weight is this continual struggle that I can never seem to get a real handle on. I'm so tired of it controlling my life, limiting me, consuming my every thought.

I know that I have to take responsibility for my role in getting myself where I am today. It's not all genes or a low metabolism-- I have contributed to it too. I can't grasp how quickly it gets all out of hand and how fast the weight comes on.

There is so much shame associated with being obese. It's absolutely humiliating to have lost weight and gained it all back and more-- multiple times. It's hard not to imagine the judgements that people make about me-- lazy, doesn't try hard enough, has no will-power, is weak minded, makes excuses, etc.

I wish I knew the answer. Is there an answer? Am I doomed forever to be obese? I can't be that kind of example for my daughter. She looks up to me, she loves me, and I cannot let her down in that way.

After stepping on the scale this morning, I made it my goal to eat more real food and drink more water today. I've done very well-- although maybe not 100% perfect. I hope to feel better soon. I set a small goal and when I reach it, I will do something for myself.

Honestly, I am feeling very hopeless right now. I feel stuck, trapped, imprisoned in a body that won't cooperate with me and a mind that abuses my body with food. I never would have imagined that this is where I would be today.

I turned 31 last Friday. While being in my 30s doesn't bother me anymore, it does bother me that I've wasted more time of my life not really "living". I am limited by my weight and the shame that surrounds it.

For once, I just want to be thin. I'm not giving up on it and I will make some hard choices to keep working towards getting there.

DIPG Awareness - Fundraiser for Kaylee

Have you heard of DIPG? DIPG are highly aggressive and difficult to treat brain tumors found at the base of the brain. Approximately 300 children in the U.S. are diagnosed with DIPG each year. While DIPGs are usually diagnosed when children are between the ages of 5 and 9, they can occur at any age in childhood.

I am currently holding a fundraiser for a sweet 8 year old girl named Kaylee who is fighting this terrible disease. If you'd like to be added to the Facebook event, please leave a comment.

Portable Potty Training Caddy Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #PottyTrainTogether #CollectiveBias

I'll admit it, potty training scares me a little bit! Since Little Miss Sunshine is the first child in our family, the experience is new for all of us. I feel inept at how to teach my little one how to use the potty-- it seems so trivial but it's a lot harder than it looks!

We've had a few failed attempts at potty training so far, but I think she is ready....or at least she's almost there. She hides when she dirties her diaper-- so she definitely knows when she needs to go!

So while I may not feel confident in my abilities to help our little princess transition from diapers to the potty, one thing that I can do is get prepared. We've purchased the cute little panties printed with her favorite cartoon characters, we have two potties (one for home and one for the car), and a removable toilet seat for our upstairs bathroom.

I also put together a portable potty training caddy that we can keep at home and also take with us in the car. I might even make two of these and keep one at home and one in the car so I don't have to worry about forgetting something!

The caddy I used is brightly colored and fun. It has a handle on the top, two wide side-sections, and two mesh pockets on each side. It has lots of space to hold all of the potty training essentials.

I filled the caddy with cleaning supplies for accidents, a couple of reward/incentive items, and Pull-Ups® Cool & Learn® Training Pants for Girls.

I found these at Wal-mart in the baby department near the diapers-- Wal-mart has such a wide selection of baby products and I love that! There are great prices for these products starting as low as $8.97.

Some moms have told me that they never used training pants because the child doesn't feel the sensation of having wet pants since they just soak up the moisture. That's why Pull-Ups® Cool & Learn® Training Pants are the perfect solution-- they have a cooling sensation that helps you potty train. So the child knows when they have wet their pants, but the parents don't have a big mess to clean up!

Kids love the fun cartoon characters printed on them. Little Miss Sunshine was excited when she saw Princess Sofia!

They have all around protection and easy-open sides that can be re-fastened.

They're also clearly marked with a front and back so there's no confusion!

I put about six of these in the potty training caddy and will fill it back up as needed.

The next item I included was a package of flushable wipes. Once diapers are out of the picture, flushable wipes may be the way to go.

I've heard a lot of advice about having some sort of reward system to help with potty training. I created a Potty Training Chart Fit for a Princess to print out. When Little Miss Sunshine saw it, she was excited to see hearts on it! I wanted it to be fun, so I'm glad she liked it! (You can click on the image below and print it)

There's a heart for each day of the week. She will get a sticker for each day that she completes successfully. She LOVES owls, so owl stickers seemed like the perfect fit for her.

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about using food as a reward, but seriously-- we tell the child she can have ice cream if she's good in church and she suddenly knows how to behave. Apparently it works. So, I have a plastic jar of small chewy fruit candy and she can have one each time she successfully goes potty.

And now on to the cleaning supplies. There will inevitably be messes--one way or another, they'll happen. I bought some paper hand towels that are thick and work great for soaking up liquid in case of an accident. Why is it that whenever I take the little one's diaper off for her bath that she inevitably will pee on the floor? Things like this happen-- even with training pants.

Lastly, I included a canister of anti-bacterial cleaning wipes-- for obvious reasons!

Thee portable potty training caddy is light-weight enough that even Little Miss Sunshine can carry it around. She can feel like she's being helpful by carrying this to the car.

Every child is different, especially when it comes to potty training. You can learn more about your child's potty training style based on their personality. There are cute little characters which correspond with each style. You can find more information at the Pull-Ups at Walmart website, if you scroll to the bottom.

Our little one happens to be most like the Squirrel Potty Training Character. She is on the go and couldn't care less about slowing down! She is a busy little girl and can be very impatient. Here is a fun activity to help with potty training for children with this potty training style.

Right now, you can get $2 off 1 package of Pull-Ups (or GoodNites) at Walmart 8/28 - 10/8.


Find out which type potty training character your child is at this link.  What tips do you have for potty training? Share in the comments!

Las Vegas Celebration 2016

A friend and I went to Las Vegas last week for a conference with the health and wellness company that we work with. It was an interesting experience!

Overall, I enjoyed my time-- but Las Vegas itself isn't really my kind of place. I think it'd be ok if I just stayed at a nice hotel and hung out by the pool the entire time without venturing out. 

We stayed at Harrah's because it was inexpensive and close to the Venetian, which is where the conference was being held. It was the perfect location!

We didn't have a fancy room or anything. It was comfortable. We were able to eat most meals right there in the resort. The Fulton Street dining area had amazing LavAzza coffee-- which, of course, is very important for a coffee lover.

The Venetian was beautiful and was obviously a much nicer place than Harrah's. We got lost plenty of times so we were able to get a good look around.

The conference itself was very high energy. We learned a lot.

I've always heard that the food is very inexpensive in Las Vegas-- but we found the opposite to be true! It was really pricey. We ate some delicious food though.

Yes, this is how we ate while attending a health and wellness conference. But in our other meals, we did enjoy good nutrition! lol

We did a little bit of exploring. One night we took a shuttle over to the Rio and we ate dinner at Guy Fieri's El Burro Borracho. It was delicious! 

After that, we just walked down the strip-- which was kind of disgusting, but there were some interesting things to see too-- like this woman posing as a statue in a sitting position.

We had some time before our flight left on our last day, so we spent it at the pool! That was so nice.

It was nice to get home after it was all over! I feel like I'm still recovering. It was just sensory overload there-- the crazy flashing lights, the smell of smoke everywhere, loud music, the heat, crowds and crowds of people. It was a little exhausting!

I enjoyed getting to know my friend, Kim, better. We had lots of laughs and we each took lots of naps-- which was nice for us mamas!

Have you ever been to Las Vegas? What did you enjoy, or not?

Weight, Body, and Food Obsessed

Thank you to everyone who either commented or contacted me personally to tell me that you could relate to my last post about body image. I really appreciate it. It inspires me to try to put words to the thoughts and emotions that I have regarding body image and so much more.

I am feeling a lot more optimistic now... but that could be because I haven't looked in a full length mirror! It is what it is, and I continue on trying to figure out what makes me get stuck in a cycle of losing weight and gaining it back.

I will never stop trying to figure it out.

Since starting the program that I'm doing currently, I have slowly felt a healthier relationship with food beginning to form. I am not dieting in any way. I am trying to listen to my body. I am not restricting or banning certain foods. There are no "good" foods and no "bad" foods-- only foods that make my body feel good and those which make my body feel bad.

Ultimately, I think our bodies know what they need. Somehow, our minds have become warped by the diet industry in general. We are lead to believe that our bodies don't know what they need and we must control what we eat in order to reach the weight we think we need to be.

I didn't realize how much I have relied on having rules by which to eat. By allowing every food, it inevitably has made me feel out of control and "bad", when in fact-- that's not the case. I just feel like I'm out of control because I am not following the rules of which I have set based on whatever the diet industry experts have told me.

I believe that it's possible to live in food freedom and that the body will find its natural weight. I also don't think it will happen quickly. But if you think about it, a cycle of losing weight and gaining it back again will occur for years on end-- and that's an even longer time!

A post has been brewing in my mind for quite a while now--but I have yet to put it into words. How did I develop an eating disorder? What are the habits which lead me there?

I know for a fact that I didn't have these issues, to the extent that I do now-- until I was well into my 20s. And I believe I have identified one of the things which lead me here. So stay tuned for that!

Ultimately, it is not about finding a diet that will work for me. If you struggle with your weight like I have over the years, I beg you to take a look at what binge eating disorder is. It may surprise you.

For some people, weight gain can be fixed simply by changing their eating habits for a period of time and they will never get to the point of obesity. But I do believe that some of us have deeper issues to identify than just needing to control calories or exercise more to try to force the body into submission. This is often a result of chronic dieting.

Is eating healthy food and exercising important? ABSOLUTELY.

But does it define whether you are a good or bad person? NO. If you're like me, you likely feel that what foods you're eating and what activities you are doing (or are not doing) define you as a person. You may feel that your self-worth is determined by the number on the scale. Thoughts of food and weight are all-consuming. You think about it constantly. And that's not normal.

This is all new to me-- I have learned so much in the last little while about myself, my habits, and my thoughts. It truly has been a journey... but I do feel that I am making forward progress.

Body Image: I'll remember not to look

My hopes were high as I began browsing the Plus Size section-- interestingly enough, it was the smallest section of the store. The variety was even smaller. I was left to choose between a ridiculous patterned tent-like shirt or a hideous body-hugging top which would show all of my fat rolls as well as how many I had eaten at dinner last night.

I grabbed a few of the less-ugly articles of clothing and headed for the fitting room. I saw myself in the mirror-- my shirt snug against my mid-section. How did I become so big again?

My eyes moved to my thighs. While they've always been large, they were always "firm"-- if that makes sense. This time, they looked lumpy, with purple veins spidering out across my legs like cracks in glass. My heart sunk-- a new level of self-hatred achieved. These things don't start to happen when you're only thirty years old.

One by one, I tried on each article of clothing. The top that I somewhat liked looked crooked across my body, and not because it was styled that way--it was simply cheaply made.

I wondered if whomever designed it, or sewed it, thought about the plus sized woman who might wear it one day. Was it an attempt to make a woman feel beautiful, or just another low-quality style that could be over-priced since plus size women have very few options when shopping for clothes?

And why do we even need mirrors? Couldn't we just imagine how we look based upon how we feel? At least then we wouldn't have to face the truth.

The times that I feel best about myself are the times when I don't think about my body or worry about my food choices. I'm able to live in the moment, enjoy a good conversation, savor a delicious bite of food-- to just be, with no judgement or rules.

The moment I look in the mirror and see the shape that is growing ever rounder, plumper, and fuller-- I begin to feel desperate, helpless, and afraid. Worst of all, I feel so much shame and self-hatred that I question whether I even deserve to have a body for my soul to dwell within.

I can't shake the image of my lumpy thighs. I find that I'm wearing a larger size than ever before. My mood grows darker. When I leave the fitting room, I can't even look people in the eye because I am so ashamed and confident that they are judging me by my size.

And the only thing that I have on my mind is how I will get some chocolate.

Logically, it doesn't make any sense-- but somehow, my emotions have taken over every part of my being. And it has been this way for a long time. My emotions take over and the only way I know how to deal with them is by food-- and that's not even effective in the long run.

Will there ever be a way out-- some chance of escape? Likely not.

I'm here in the only body that I will ever have-- fat, defeated, and fearful. I know that my body is trying to save me by causing these urges to eat. It's a way to cope. In times of restriction (dieting), my body has a primal urge to save myself because it thinks I'm starving. If I were starving, this would be a good thing, but I'm not-- far from it.

All that I want is freedom, but I feel imprisoned in my body and in my thoughts. I know that it's ridiculous and that I have so much to be grateful for. My body is just trying to save me even though I am destroying myself.

I understand that I am not a victim, but I don't understand how to truly take control. Maybe I try to have too much mental control over things that my body should be able to tell me naturally-- when I'm truly hungry, what I need to eat, etc.

For now, the next time I'm in front of a full-length mirror, I'll remember not to look at my thighs.

Super Easy Funny Face Pancakes

This shop has been compensated by CollectiveBias, Inc. on behalf of its advertiser, Similac. #NutritionintheMix #Collectivebias #Walmart

You can earn $3.00 with the purchase of any size of Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™with the Ibotta app.

I have yet to determine any pattern with my toddler's eating habits. Sometimes she will eat everything I put before her (fruit, veggies, and all!), and other times she refuses the exact same meal or will only eat one of the items on her plate.

Only a parent knows how exciting it is when the little one gobbles up something healthy. I breathe a sigh of relief knowing that she has eaten something with good nutrition. I am always concerned that she is getting the nutrition that she needs and that I am also feeding her a variety of foods.

I can hardly imagine what it must be like trying to get a toddler to eat while you're short on time because it's a busy school day. More than likely, many toddlers don't get the nutrition they need at breakfast because mothers just don't have enough hands, or enough time, while trying to get the kids out the door in time to catch the school bus.

One thing my toddler will always eat is pancakes. She loves them. This recipe for Super Easy Funny Face Pancakes was made with toddlers and busy moms in mind. It's a simple four-ingredient recipe for the pancake batter, and any additional toppings for the face are totally up to you and what your toddler's preferences are that morning. It's a single serving, full of good nutrition, and it's quick and simple to prepare-- what more could you ask for?

The core four-ingredient recipe includes one egg, 1/2 banana (ripe), 1/8 tsp. baking powder, and uses one packet of Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™ for one serving (or 1/2 cup of food). This product is available at your local Walmart or at Walmart.com.

The toppings to make the face are totally your choice-- I used what I had on hand, as I'm sure you will too. Ideas for toppings are fruits like strawberries, kiwis, blueberries, bananas, oranges, and so on. You could also add whipped cream, chocolate chips, and more. Use as many or as few toppings as you'd like.

I found the Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™ and Go & Grow by Similac® Milk-Based Powder in the infant formula section at Walmart. However, this product is not for babies. It is for toddlers aged 1-4.

I like the convenience of the Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™since they're pre-packaged in powder singles. They're perfect for throwing in your bag when you're on the go. For the sake of this recipe, I love that the product provides nutrients to support growth and development.

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You can also buy the Go & Grow by Similac® Milk-Based Powder form in a canister to go with your meals.

The Go & Grow by Similac® Milk-Based Powder has OptiGro™, which is designed to support brain, eye, and physical development. The product has protein, fiber, and essential vitamins and minerals. It's the perfect complement to a healthy diet and can help give healthy recipes that extra nutritional punch.

The best part about this recipe is that you can make it with a blender. Throw the 1/2 banana, one egg, and 1/8 tsp. baking powder into the blender and blend until smooth.

Begin heating the griddle. You can also use a skillet on the stove, if you wish. I sprayed mine with olive oil.

Next, add one packet of Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™to one half cup of batter and blend. This batter will be used for your toddler’s pancakes. It's really that simple to make this batter-- and so full of nutrition!

Pour 1/2 of the batter on the griddle to form one large pancake, 1/4 of the batter to form a smaller pancake, and the last 1/4 of the batter to form a second small pancake. In my case, I tried to do this in one attempt on a small-ish griddle and could not fit all three pancakes on the griddle, so I ended up with extras--which was ok, because I just got creative with the extras.

Cook the pancakes until you are able to use a spatula to wiggle the pancakes without them breaking. The batter is very thin, so make sure to give it enough time to cook or the pancakes will fall apart. When the batter begins to bubble, it's a good indication that it's almost ready to flip.

Once the pancakes are cooked, place the two smaller pancakes at the top of the plate. These will be the ears of the funny face. Place the larger pancake on the plate so that it slightly overlaps the two smaller pancakes.

And you have the head for your funny face! Like I mentioned, I had some extra little pancakes so I put a little bow tie on mine. I used the fruit to make mine look like a mouse. I used blueberries for whiskers, strawberries for the ears, nose, and bow tie, kiwi for the eyes, and a squirt of whipped cream for good measure.

You can get creative with this! Make a new face with a different facial expression every morning. Using various toppings will give you new opportunity to make a new face. Have fun with it!

My little one usually likes a little bit of maple syrup on her pancakes. Just add some Go & Grow by Similac® Milk-Based Powder to a glass of water to go with your meal! She absolutely loved this!

The first thing she said when she saw the funny face pancake was "mouse!", so I must have done something right since she knew what it was!

Save this recipe for those hectic school day mornings by pinning it on Pinterest! And try it now too, of course. I'd love to know what you, and your littles, think about it.

Super Easy Funny Face Pancakes

Serves: 1

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1/2 banana (ripe)
• 1/8 tsp. baking powder
• Use one packet of Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™ for one serving (or 1/2 cup of food)
• Toppings of your choice to make the face. Suggestions: strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, oranges, bananas, whipped cream, chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Blend the egg, banana, and baking powder. It works quickly with a blender.
2. Pre-heat your griddle and spray with cooking spray.
3. You will use one packet of Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™ for one serving (or 1/2 cup of food), so add the packet to the batter and blend.
4. Pour the batter on the griddle to make three pancakes. Use 1/2 the batter to make one large pancake, 1/4 of the batter to make one small pancake, and the last 1/4 to make another small pancake. Cook.
5. Once cooked, place the smaller pancakes at the top of a plate. Place the larger pancake so that it slightly overlaps the bottoms of the smaller pancakes.
6. Add toppings to make your funny face!

What kind of funny face will you be making on these pancakes? What other recipes will you be using Go & Grow by Similac® Mix-Ins™ with?