Packing Smart: The Beach!

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

We are very fortunate to live so close to the beach. If I tell you how close, some of you may get a little jealous. One of the many perks of living here in Florida, aka Paradise. Going to the beach prior to having kids was a breeze. We didn’t have to think about nap time, schedules, diapers, toys, snacks…you know the drill. Before we could just hop in the car at what ever time we got up, armed with a towel, chair and some sunscreen and we were on the way. If we really wanted to go nuts, we’d pack the cooler full of beer. Ahhh the good old days.

Now its completely and utterly different. It is like a good hour and a half process to get ready. From preparing snacks, lunch, drinks to getting the bag ready for a family of 3. You would think we were going away for the weekend with the kind of preparing I do. But if you are not smart with your preps, you will suffer! So since the summer months are quickly approaching (uhh still can’t believe it’s already MAY!) I thought I would pass on some of my helpful tips for smart packing when going to the beach.

Having the Right Beach Bag is KEY!

It’s all about the bag. I tried the cute, wicker weaved ones and by the time I got to the spot to set up shop, I wanted to throw it in the ocean and never see it again in my life. It hurts your arm, and you basically loose a hand because it will inevitably fall off your shoulder a million times. I chose to use a backpack. Not the most beach-cutesy bag on the planet but you can shove a ton of stuff in their and throw it on your back while giving you two hands free to carry other things or reign in a beach-crazed toddler.

Back packs fit pretty much everything you need from towels, sunscreen, extra shirts, toys, money and keys.

Sun Protection!!!!!!!

And yes, it needed all those !! points. This includes sun screen for both you and your kids. I suggest the spray or foam kind of sun screen – it’s easy to apply both. Along with sun screen, an umbrella or some kind of shade tent for the kids. The summer sun can get brutal and your kids might like a break from it for a little while they eat or if you’re lucky, nap. Along with a shade protector and sunscreen, a hat can do wonders too. Baseball, sun hat, visor – whatever your style is, make sure everyone in your family has one.

Food & Drinks

I invested in a compact cooler on wheels and let me tell you, best $25 I spent! Pack it with some ice, throw in waters, variety of snacks, fruit (already cut up) in Tupperware, and sandwiches. The cooler doubles as an extra hand too – you can stack a couple chairs (depending how big they are) on it and wheel it right on to the beach.

Those are the 3 main things to worry about when thinking of spending the day at the beach. I know some might think of over packing so you always have everything “just in case” but I learned that the hard way, and you will end up using more energy just carrying all that crap and loose out on some of the fun the beach has in store for you!

An couple extra tips from The Anti-Mom:

Baby Powder – this is the biggest lifesaver you could ever bring to the beach! Cleaning off my sandy toddler after a day of rolling around in the sand is the biggest pain in the ass. After showering her off, there is still sand stuck in places. That’s where the baby powder comes in. Generously sprinkle baby powder all over then dust it off. Like magic, the sand is gone from all the nooks and crannies!

Reusable Diaper – I thought it was great using those Huggies Lil Swimmers, but damn are they expensive and for the amount of times we are in the beach or pool, I go through way too many. This season I invested in I Play Reusable Swim Diaper. For only $9.99 (cheaper if you buy it at Buy Buy Baby or Babies R Us with a coupon) you can have a diaper that you can throw in the washer after using it. I spent almost $13 on my last pack of swim diapers and its almost gone. Ridiculous! You just snap these on and good for the whole day!

Outdoor Water-resistant Sheet – I bought this one on sale at Babies R Us (Multipurpose Clean Sheet Ground Cover) for bout $6 and it was the best deal I’ve found in a while. I lay it down for the kids to sit on instead of a towel that gets soggy and full of sand. When you’re ready to leave, just roll it up and pack it away. It resists water and you can shake the sand right off!

Remember – pack smart and you will get the most out of your summer beach day! and if you want to make life THAT much easier…totally invest in one of these.

- Amanda

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Unique Mother’s Day Gift: iPhone Cases

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

OH Mother’s Day…we meet again! I am always trying to look for something new and unique for Mother’s Day gifts. Last year, I made footprint butterflies for both grandma’s. Now what to do this year…I’m stuck in a rut.

Considering now a days everyone and their grandmother has an iPhone, what better gift than a custom iPhone case! Shutterfly has some great options that would make any mom, grandmother, aunt or special someone feel like a million bucks this Mother’s Day. You can upload your favorite pics and choose designs for as low as $27.96. They even have adorable monogrammed options if you aren’t into the whole pictures-all-over-everything look.

fun with pictures!

monogram your heart out, grandma’s will love it

If your mom or grandma isn’t tech savvy or still has a flip phone, don’t fret, make a great personalized photo card, personalized note pad or even a nice stationary set for a perfect Mother’s Day keepsake.

Disclaimer: Information and infographic provided by Shutterfly.

- Amanda

Check out these Top 10 ‘Things You Didn’t Know About iPhone Cases” – crazy!

This infographic is provided to you by Shutterfly, a leader provider of photo books, custom iPhone cases & more!

Meatless Friday’s: Flatbread Pizzas

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

I love Flatout Wraps. They make awesome wraps and even awesomer flatbread pizzas! And yes, I said awesomer. They take 10 minutes and you can get as creative as you like. Throw whatever you got in the fridge on top and I guarantee it will taste delish! I had a bunch of stuff in my fridge that was nearing its time before it starts growing fur and got a few ideas for dinner.

Whether you are having some company, a girls night in, an after school snack or a light dinner – you must try!

BBQ-y deliciousness

BBQ Flatbread Pizza

1 Flatout Flatbread Wrap
2 tablespoons BBQ Sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays)
1 tablespoon Red Onion, diced
1 tablespoon Shredded Cheddar Cheese
1 tablespoon Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
Cilantro, garnish

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread the BBQ sauce evenly on the flatbread wrap. Sprinkle red onion, cheese and cilantro on top. Place directly on the oven racks and cook for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

MMMMM…Spinach-y

Spinach Flatbread Pizza

1/4 cup Spinach, cooked and chopped
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
2 tablespoons Shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoons Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
3-4 Grape Tomatoes, quartered
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl, mix together chopped spinach, ricotta and 1 (of the 2) tablespoon of parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Spread mixture evenly on the flatbread. Top remaining tablespoon of parmesan cheese and quartered tomatoes. Cook for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.

Cut the flatbread pizzas up and serve! Guaranteed to please everyone.

- Amanda

Healthy Happy Hour: A Quick Fruity Smoothie Recipe

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

So I’m fat. Yes, I know I’m pregnant and it comes with the territory. There is only one man on the planet that can call me fat (in a sense) without suffering the bitchy repercussions of my rage and that man is my OB. And by call me fat I mean yell at me for gaining too much weight over a months time.

I will admit I haven’t been eating or drinking the healthiest but #2 seems to be craving sugar. Anything sugar, candy, sweets you name it, I’ve inhaled it. So its no surprise that for the past 2 visits I’ve been scolded. Last thing I want is for my baby to be unhealthy and me to gain even more weight, so I have decided to switch up the sweet cravings for good sugars and starting I’m starting with fruit. Fruit smoothies in fact. Instead of stuffing my face with something sugary sweet when the late afternoon cravings hit, I blend up one of these bad boys and it really hits the spot!

blended delight

Mixed Fruit Smoothie Drank

1 cup Frozen Mixed Fruit
1/2 cup Almond Milk
1/3 cup Fat-free Vanilla Yogurt
A couple splashes of Fruit Juice (Any kind)
1 tablespoon Grape Nut Cereal

Put all ingredients in a blender and let ‘er rip. Adjust juice/milk accordingly if you want it more liquidy.

Now you got yourself a healthier, sweet snack to curb those annoying sugary cravings!

Although I really would prefer one of these instead….sigh. 3 more months till I can taste that sweet, sweet vodka.

- Amanda

Stylin’ Summer Fashions at The Children’s Place

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

Summer weather is here in Florida and there’s only one place I head to get my toddler dressed and ready for the heat – The Children’s Place!

They have rolled out their fashionable summer looks early to help you get ready for you’re busy summer. Whether your kids are going to camp, beach, the pool or you are headed on a fantastic family vacation, The Children’s Place has you covered. As I browsed the racks to check out the styles, the theme this summer was color! Bright, fun and festive colors along with some great patterns for your ever-so-hip boys and girls.

Mix & Matchables

From solids to flowers to zebra prints – mix and match some adorable tops and bottoms to make for a fun and affordable style for your kiddo. For girls, The Children’s Place had some adorable tanks and tee’s, daisy-duke shorties, biker shorts and skirts, all coordinating with one another. My faves were the ruffled shorts that could pass for skirts, fun and cute but functionally comfy! Switch out tops and bottoms to keep your girlie looking fresh!

mix it and match it up

get matchin!

For you handsome fellows-they had some really comfy basketball shorts (just like dad!), tanks and tees that also mix and match with one another. Perfect for a day at the park or camp or just relaxing around the house on a hot, hot day!

Florals & Florescents

Color was everywhere in the store and they did not skimp when it came to some of the girlie fashions! Rompers and dresses in bright funky florescent colors and fun, tropical florals! I am all about a cute romper and flowy dress for the summer months, keeps your girlies cool yet looking even cooler.

flowy, florescent & adorbs bright floral

coordinating florals for the toddler and new baby!

Forget the flowers for the guys! The Children’s Place has some great short sleeved shirts, short sleeved button downs and polos in great, funky colors.

Swim & Sun

From the beach to the pool or even just running through the sprinklers – protection is key when having the kids out in the sun. The Children’s Place swimwear collection does just that. All suits and rash guards have an UPF 50 built in.

Bikini’s, tankini’s, and one-pieces galor! As cute as the bikini’s are, I like to go with a tankini for my daughter or a one piece. Its great protection and easy to get on and off when you’re at the pool or beach to change a diaper or rinse off. I got this funky polka dot ruffly tankini for her and she loves it! The Children’s Place even has adorable coverups to coordinate with the suits.

girly ruffles! + UPF 50!

The fun and colorful theme continues over to the boys suits – stripes, solids and patterned board shorts along with coordinating rash guards of course. If your little guy is a sports fanatic like dad, The Children’s Place has some NFL & MLB themed suits for boys that are online only. If we had a boy I know for sure my husband would want me to get this Jets swimsuit set!

Don’t Forget Accessories

Can’t forget about the adorable accessories to make your kiddos outfits! Sunglasses, hats, and flip flops all in colors that match their suits, shorts, dresses and rompers!

Check out the great summer styles that are only available at The Children’s Place – I promise you won’t be disappointed!

Don’t forget your coupons either! The Children’s Place usually has some great discount coupons available to their customers. Be sure to sign up either in the store or online ahead of your shopping trip to receive email exclusives or visit their site and print out some. Nothing like saving a little extra.

- Amanda

Disclaimer: Although I was compensated, all thoughts and opinions are my own as always.

Meatless Friday’s: Leftover Baked Spaghetti

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

I am the worst at gauging how much spaghetti to make. I either make way too much or just enough for one bowl. No matter how much I try, I never seem to make the perfect amount. But the good part about it is leftovers!

I usually make pasta fritatta, but this time I decided to try something different – Baked Spaghetti. I have been seeing a lot of recipes floating around online and of course Pinterest but I improvised with the ingredients I had in the house, tossed it all together and created a delicious baked pasta dish. I’m not just tootin’ my own horn, between my husband and I, we ate the whole damn thing!

hot, ooey, gooey, crunchy goodness

Leftover Baked Spaghetti

Leftover Cooked Spaghetti
Tomato Sauce
1/4 cup Ricotta Cheese
Shredded Mozzarella
Grated Parmesan Cheese

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl, combine tomato sauce and cooked spaghetti. Add a few dollops of ricotta cheese and sprinkle a couple handfuls of shredded mozzarella and some grated Parmesan. Mix it all up and repeat . Top with some more mozzarella and place in the oven for about 20 minutes. Cut it up and serve immediately!

yummmmy leftovers

The best part about it is the crunchy pieces of spaghetti…drool!

- Amanda

5 People To Avoid While Pregnant

Posted by AntiMomAmanda

Now that I am expecting my second daughter this August, I seemed to have conveniently forgot about the little annoyances of being pregnant. Aside from your usual’s, ie: morning sickness, prenatal horse pills, snoring and frequent peeing, I seemed to have blocked out all the crazy encounters that occur while preggo. Yes, I am talking about the complete strangers (and sometimes not) that go out of their way to make you feel uncomfortable, awkward and want to run for the hills.

You might think this is my negative “I hate people” attitude, because most of the times, these people don’t even realize what they are saying or doing and think its totally normal behavior. And yes, I am sure their actions are meant with the most sincerity, but to a tired, gaining-weight-by-the-minute, swollen-ankled pregnant woman, it’s the absolute worst.

Now, with my first daughter, no one really warned me about these kind of encounters so I had to fend for myself.

I know better now.

5 People To Avoid While Pregnant

The Groper

This is the one I loath most. The Groper, like many touchy-feely people have no boundaries. They tend to spot you from a mile away and zone in right on your giant belly. Their hands are like a tracker beams aimed directly at your unborn child. Your belly will get rubbed and patted. They will use the double hand grab, the double hand rub and chances are you may even get felt up. Especially if they keep eye contact with you, they may “accidentally” cop a feelsky. I unfortunately know this from experience. I will never forget the crazy old lady that day at Hallmark.

Now, if you ask first, chances are I will let you touch my big fat belly but by no means does me being pregnant give complete strangers the right to grope.

The Reminiscer

Ahh, The Reminiscer. They are the sweetest ones of the bunch. They like to take you back…back to the day when they first found out they were pregnant – whether it be 3 years ago or 37 years ago. Then through their first bout with morning sickness, then their baby shower…in full detail. Don’t even try to interrupt them either because they will shoot you down and continue with their timeline of events for all 3 of their pregnancies. In.Full.Detail. Bless their hearts, you just have to sit there, smile, nod and throw an “Awe” or “So sweet” in when appropriate. Gotta love them.

The Know-it-all

These are the ones you kinda want to punch in the face just to shut them up (I swear, I don’t have anger issues). They will swear up and down, left and right that you are having the opposite of what you say you are just because of the way you are carrying or how your face looks. I have encountered many Know-it-all’s, all telling me I’m having a boy even though I have the proof that it’s a girl. Oh, and they love to tell me that my doctors are wrong and they KNOW their prediction is right, since they predicted others in the past. News flash: you have a 50/50 chance of being right…but your WRONG! Sorry.

The TMI’er

My mother was the only one who warned me about the TMI-er’s. But even knowing when to spot one ahead of time won’t help you or stop them from spewing their guts about their own pregnancies. They like to tell you every gory detail of each trimester, every bad thing that happened during said trimesters and most importantly, their horrific delivery story. Delivery stories should be as vague as possible UNLESS the pregnant woman asks specifically to hear all the details. If there is no initial go-ahead, then you need to stop. The last thing a first time mom needs to hear is how you were in labor for 48 hours, screaming, in pain and pushing a 10 lb baby out of your hoo-ha with no epidural. It will scare the shit out of her and make her even more anxiety ridden about her own upcoming delivery. I will say this, since it is my second pregnancy I have yet to encounter The TMI’er. They seem to only prey on first time preggos.

The Creepy Gawker

I don’t know what’s worse – the first 4, overly friendly individuals on this list or the silent stalker – The Creepy Gawker. All pregnant women know they will get stares here and there. It’s like we are freaks of nature that need to be studied by the human race. But The Creepy Gawker will watch your every move, in silence. They may or may not be in close proximity to you, which makes things even weirder. It’s bad enough that you feel like the whole world is watching you gain weight in all the places you never thought you would, but having complete strangers stare at you from near and far just gives me the willies. You can shoot them a dirty, ‘WTF are you looking at’, look, but they will most likely be smiling at you like a goof ball. Yeah, that doesn’t make it any better people. Smiling stupidly while staring at me from a distance doesn’t make me feel a goddess….it makes me feel like a gorilla at the zoo.

Again, I know these people probably don’t realize the harm they are doing but my fellow preggos beware. They will find you, they will grope you and they will scare the crap out of you.

- Amanda

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