One of my favorite things to eat in the summer are fish tacos. They are so light, refreshing, and delicious. They also go great with margs, and any marg-friendly food is a favorite of mine 🙂 I often make these as bowls to make them a bit healthier, especially since I avoid gluten. You can use GF corn tortillas or corn chips if you prefer, or can even use a lettuce wrap to make them more like a taco. These are paleo-friendly and are also one of my favorite FWTFL low carb or low macro day meals. This recipe is one of the 8 recipes I include in my Healthy Eating Tips + Recipes Guide (FWTFL and paleo-friendly), which you can download here. But I wanted to share one recipe for free to give you a good idea of what is included. So, here ya go!
I don’t know how or when it happened, but suddenly my baby is old enough to have grown out of believing in Santa. The photo above was taken this year, 2018, and my son Charlie is 8. He had been skeptical about Santa this season, asking questions and sharing his doubts. When we were at the Zoo to attend the Wildlights this year the line for Santa was fairly short and we decided to hop in and get that over with for this year. Charlie really didn’t want to do it. And I wasn’t ready to have the Santa conversation while waiting in line for Santa. So I told him that he didn’t have to talk to Santa but I would appreciate if he would go along with things for his brothers and get in the photo. He agreed. He always has been a good sport. But Santa noticed Charlie’s reluctance as well and after Charlie walked away Santa pulled me aside and told me that Santa is a job, not a person. Anyone can choose to carry on the spirit of Santa (or the original St. Nick, if you go by that story) by helping to make others’ holidays magical and perpetuate the spirit of giving, and when a child stops believing this often helps to explain why we did the whole Santa thing in the first place. This is similar to what I planned to say to Charlie, but the line “Santa is a job, not a person” really helped form our talk.
I’ve always had mixed feelings about the idea of Santa. I truly don’t like to lie to my children, even about something fun. I feel like it is ok to only share things in an age-appropriate way, but to flat out perpetuate the myth of Santa was different. And yet, we did it. It is hard not to go along with, especially when you do celebrate Christmas. People bring it up to your kids even if you don’t. Santa is almost unavoidable. So I’ve always tried to use him as a symbol of giving, tried not to use him for blackmail too much (although that is the upside to Santa), and never let Santa be the one who gave the big gifts on Christmas morning. Charlie has always questioned things about Santa (for good reason) and I appreciated that he didn’t just take my word for things. I am not a person who can take things on faith (believe me, I’ve tried. It just does not work for me) so I really understood where Charlie came from in his approach: his desire to believe and dive into the magic and his need for explanation and logic. In past years if he asked me a question I would reply with “well, what do YOU think?” If he believed then I went with it. This year, he did not. So I gave him the “Santa is a job, not a person” schpeel. I told him that a long long time ago there was a man who people called Santa and he brought gifts to children and was a really kind person and ever since people have taken on that job of Santa to spread joy and kindness to others through giving. And once you no longer believe the story of Santa, you can decide to take on the job of Santa yourself. That is why his dad and I play Santa in our house and now he could help. Guys, he was both relieved and thrilled. I think getting the truth was like a weight off for both of us. And he’s so excited to help be Santa for his little brothers. I did make sure to tell him that his brothers and other kids at school might still believe in the Santa story, and that he shouldn’t ruin the fun for others. He said “no, of course not!” Like, I didn’t even need to say a word to him — he was in on the Santa story and he was committed. And that’s how Santa gets you — because it really is about spreading joy and magic and it is infectious.
Until we moved to Ohio we took Charlie to see the same Santa at The Grove in LA every year for 6 years. Last year we weren’t going to see Santa but happened to stumble upon him and took advantage of it. But it just wasn’t the same. I found out that the Grove has a new Santa this year — the one we had seen for so many years passed away. While he wasn’t the jolliest Santa for sure (in fact, we often thought he was grumpy due to his lack of smile in most of the photos) he did bring my kids joy and magic for 6 years. He’ll always be Santa to us. RIP Grove Santa 🙁
This is the last Santa photo I have from when all of my kids believed. But I think this year’s photo is even more special because Charlie knew in his heart that Santa wasn’t who he had always been told and he jumped in that photo for his brothers anyways. Because he was already playing Santa in his heart <3
So that’s how we fessed up about Santa to our son. I think when your child starts asking questions it is important to ask them what they think (we do this about a lot of things: questions about God, religion, politics, etc.) and then explain that you don’t have all of the answers but you are always there to try to help them figure things out. You’ll know when it’s time and when your kiddo truly doesn’t believe anymore. And when that time comes, you can pass on the job of Santa to them and let them help make this time of year special to others. Charlie now hides our Elf on the Shelf for our younger children every night and it is the best. I never thought it would be more fun when my kid no longer believed in Santa, but honestly it is!
This photo is making me tear up a little though. Do your kids still believe in Santa? How have you or do you plan to deal with the Santa story? I’d also be curious how people who don’t celebrate Christmas deal with Santa in their homes — how do you explain why some kids get a visit or believe in him?
The winter holiday season can be such a special time for many families, but can be tricky or even isolating for others. It depends what your religious affiliation (or lack thereof) is, what your own childhood was like, and so many more factors that come into play this time of year. I was raised in a Christian faith (Catholic) but my husband and I have chosen not to raise our kids in a religious household, preferring instead a spiritual path of kindness, love, nature, and being a good human without the religiously institutionalized rules. In truth, we’re agnostics who want to raise good humans to learn about every religion and way of thinking and make their own decisions about what their heart tells them is true and to be more accepting of all people than we often see (or saw growing up) in some religious communities. Don’t get me wrong — I think there is so much that is wonderful about the community you find at church, the lovely rituals and traditions, and the overall idea behind Christianity. But much of the rules and teachings aren’t something that align with our personal social values or what feels right in our hearts as what is right for our family (but that doesn’t mean it isn’t right for yours and we respect that too!). So Christmas can be tricky for us, because we don’t celebrate it as Christians. Instead, we use it as a time to talk about giving and service to others, slowing down and spending time with family, and as a teaching tool to learn about what it means to others. But I still like to incorporate Christmas traditions that my husband and I both had growing up (Santa, a Christmas tree, an advent calendar with service projects and family fun activities, etc) into our own family celebration.
Because we don’t default to the Nativity/Jesus’s birthday story, I like to find books that we can read as a family to explain both that concept as well as other religious celebrations like Hanukkah, Kwanza, Diwali, as well as things like the winter solstice. I thought I would share some books that we love (or that are in my cart right now to add to our library this year) that share a variety of stories, a diverse look at the winter holidays, and that give you more than just Jesus and Santa (although they are included too). Some of our more “traditional” favorites are pictured above as well, but I think many of those are well-known and in many of your holiday libraries already. I hope some of the recs below introduce you to a new story that your family will love:
A World of Cookies For Santa — a look at how the Santa tradition is done in different countries across the globe.
Christmas Around the World — different stories about how Christmas is celebrated around the world
Refuge: a new spin on the Nativity story, focusing on Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus as refugees who had to rely on the kindness of others for survival and protection (very topical and a good way to talk to your kids about the current refugee crisis at our southern border.)
Oskar and the Eight Blessings — a lovely story about a refugee boy, Hanukkah, and acts of kindness
The Diwali Gift
The Little Reindeer
Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins — a classic Hanukkah tale that has lessons of courage, faith, and keeping a good sense of humor even when the world around you is a scary place.
The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice
Amma, Tell Me About Diwali
Snow
The Tomten — classic story of the Tomten’s nocturnal visits to all of the residents of wintry farm has been reminding children of the promise of spring for decades.
Hanukkah Bear: interesting facts about the history and traditions of Hanukkah weaved within a sweet story, and a latke recipe is included!
Celebrating the Great Mother: A Handbook of Earth-Honoring Activities for Parents and Children
The Lump of Coal (for older kiddos who no longer believe in Santa or if you don’t do Santa in your home)
The Nutcracker
Howard B. Wigglebottom and the Power of Giving: A Christmas Story
Polar Express
Night Tree — a story about a family who decorates the same tree each year for the forrest animals, rather than cutting one down each year
Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanza Story
The Year of the Perfect Christmas Tree: An Appalachian Story — a story that teaches about the strength and courage of a family and the true spirit of Christmas
What are your favorite holiday books, traditional, religious, or more inclusive of all celebrations? We love adding to our library. Do you have any of these books? Do you do alternative Christmas or winter holiday celebrations? I’d love to hear about all of your experiences!
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This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Window Covering Safety Council. All opinions are 100% mine.
Did you know that October is National Window Covering Safety Month? Because corded window coverings can be extremely dangerous to young kids, it is especially important to walk around your home and check for any corded window covering hazards. Raising awareness in October serves as a good reminder that as we do other home maintainance to prepare for the winter months ahead, we should also do a safety check inside with our window coverings as well. Here are some tips to make sure your home is a safe as possible for young children, who are at a higher risk to fall victim to strangulation hazards.
Checking Window Coverings for Safety Hazards
Parents and caregivers should check their window coverings for exposed or dangling cords, which can pose a strangulation hazard to infants and young children. It is best to swap out corded blinds for cordless window coverings. If you can’t remove the corded window blinds, be sure to tie them up, tuck them away, and place them far out of reach.
To help parents and caregivers make the right choice when selecting window coverings, cordless options can easily be identified by the Best for Kids™ certification program. Best for Kids products are currently available at major retailers across the country.
Other safety checks to do in the fall while checking your windows:
Replace Furnace/Central Air Filter
It is so easy to forget to change your air filters in your furnace/AC unit. One thing I learned when we were remediating mold is that your air quality is so important and making sure your air filters are clean not only saves on energy costs, but it keeps your family healthier by helping to keep your air clean. Spring is a great time to change your filters because you need a clean filter to help reduce spring allergens coming into your home. Typically you should change your air filters every 4 months or so. This is also a good time to check filters in any dehumidifiers and air purifiers you may have.
Check Batteries and Test Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
One of the most important things you can do to keep your family save is to check the batteries in your smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors. Test both, and if you haven’t changed the batteries for a while go ahead and swap for new batteries. I do this every fall and spring — in fall when I’m prepping our home for winter and colder temperatures, and in spring when I’m doing my spring cleaning of both the interior and exterior of our home.
Do you have corded window coverings in your home? Don’t forget to do a window safety check and help to spread awareness during Window Covering Safety Month! Be sure to follow the Window Covering Safety Council for more tips on reducing safety hazards caused by window coverings in your home.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hyundai. All opinions are 100% mine.
Last week my family and I had the opportunity to test drive the 2022 Hyundai Santa Fe. I wanted to share what we liked about it and some of my favorite features. The Santa Fe is a 5-passenger SUV that fit our family perfectly. Immediately upon getting in the car I quickly realized one of my favorite features is the seat cooler. I’ve always loved a good seat heater, but the day I picked up the car it was 90+ degrees and that seat cooler was amazing. No sweaty clothes when you reach your destination! (more…)
Since sharing these in my IG stories earlier this week I have had SO many messages asking where I got these Summer Schedule/Structure printables or if I would sell them. I did a lot of searching online prior to making these and I was inspired by several that are available for sale on Etsy, so I don’t feel comfortable selling them. But since I did create them myself and didn’t copy any one design (none on Etsy had reinvented the wheel — there are many available for purchase that are very similar) I am not violating any licensing or copyright issues by sharing them here. Rather than charging money for them I’d like to ask that you make a donation to either The Trevor Project (in honor of Pride month and to support LGBTQIA+ youth) or Moms Demand (in honor the victims of the Uvalde massacre and all of the others lost to gun violence). It is obviously based on the honor system but I am confident that anyone looking to download them will be happy to support one of these non-profits by donating at least $5-10, right? 😉
