Recipe: Fruit Salad

The girls love their fruit. If I allowed them to only eat fruit for every meal, they would never object. I found this quick (but healthy) way to make a fruit salad when our favorite fruits aren't in season by using frozen fruits.

Ingredients:
1 small box of instant pudding mix of your choice
4 bags of frozen fruit

I generally use vanilla or cheesecake pudding mix. For the frozen fruits, I generally do 2 bags of mixed berries (the girls' favorite), 1 bag of peaches, and 1 bag of mango. We've done lots of varieties and do I change it up often.

All you do is put the frozen fruit in a bowl. Sprinkle to pudding mix over the top. Cover and place in the refrigerator until thawed.

I generally make let it thaw over night. As the fruits thaw, the juices run causing the pudding and fruit to mix. Before you serve, be sure to mix together until well combined. The pudding and juices make a nice sauce for the fruit.

My girls go through this so fast. I have to portion size for them or they would eat it in one sitting. Most of the time I can get 3-4 days out of it by doing that. Keep refrigerated and covered to hold freshness.

A's Favorite Movies: 3.5 years

In no particular order, but her interests have definitely shifred.

1. Mr. Peabody & Sherman
2. How to Train your Dragon
3. Spiderman
4. Despicable Me
5. Sofia the First

Toy Review: Radio Flyer 4 in 1 Trike

I thought with Christmas coming up, I would do some toy reviews that the girls got last year.

The first one I'm going to do is the Radio Flyer 4 in 1 Trike in the color pink. We purchased ours online from Amazon.com, but they are available at Walmart, Toys R Us, and Target as well.

The trike is a 4 in 1, which was one of the main reasons for wanting it. It grows with the baby and is suitable from 9 months to about 5 years. Another great feature I love is the little sun shade up top. Italy gets really hot during the summer, so I knew it would be a plus to have it. Some other great features that we've enjoyed since having it is the cup holder up front for the littles and the storage compartment in the back.

Let's start with the adjustable, grow-with-me features. The have marketed the styles of riding as an infant trike, steering trike, learning to ride trike, and a classic trike. Right now we are in the steering trike stage, which is where the side arms come off from around the child. We just moved to this stage since E outgrew the infant trike stage (pictured). The learning to ride stage is where everything is removed except the steering handle so parents can still assist the little one that is learning to use it. The classic trike stage is when everything, including the steering. Of course we haven't made it to the last two stages, but we do intend to. More on that a bit later. 

Some important points are:

The seat does include a safety 3 point harness.

The steering handle is adjustable.

The weight limit is 49 pounds. 

We have really enjoyed this trike. E has loved it from the time she saw it. She was so obsessed with it that morning that we drove her around in it inside before we could take it out. We have taken it on walks in the neighbor for quick grocery runs or even just for leisure. We have really enjoyed it, and we plan to have it for a while. It is made great. It is sturdy, and most importantly, it is safe. 

Price point is between $78-$129.

A's Favorite Movies: 3 Years Old

If you've been around for a while, then you know that every few months I document some of my girls' favorite things. I have done toys and books so far. Now I am going to do movies. Only A watches fullmovies, so E's will be her favorite shows or characters. Neither get a lot of TV time, but when I am alone and having to cook dinner or lay one down for a nap then that is when they get that time.

A is 3 years old. She is very well rounded with her likes. She liikes superheroes and princesses, plays soccer, and does ballet. Her newest interest is the Disney Princesses. Thanks to Frozen, which brings us to one of her favorites.

Frozen! If you ask her who her favorite Princess is, she almost always says Princess Anna. She also loves the music, and her ballet instructor has incorporated it into their lessons.

Another favorite is Cinderella. She loves the mice and birds!

Snow White and the Seven Dwards have caught her attention. She has a Snow White cottage by Fisher-Price Little People that she has been loving. Actually both girls do. When she saw the DVD that resembled her people.... well, you know the rest.

Another favorite that has been on rerpeat a few times is The Little Mermaid. I don't think it's because she is a princess though. A loves actual mermaids! She has for a while now.

Her last favorite lately is A Christmas Story. Christmas in July?! Iguess so. Right after Christmas last year, we lost the movie. We were all bummed as we showed it to her because it was our tradition every year - our favorite Christmas movie. A couple weeks ago A found it, and we have watched it over and over again!