5 Easy Summer Snacks

Posted on May 23, 2013 by jendhinman

Summer snacks for kids and adults are the best. We have such a larger range of choices because of all the fruits and veggies.

I wanted to make a list of snacks that require very little prep and no cooking, because who wants to be heating their kitchen up when its 85 F outside?

#1- Watermelon, juicy and sweet, this snack may get messy, but it covers all the bases with sweetness and cold delight for the super hot days.

#2- Fruit Kabobs- Slice up any fruit you love and put them on a skewer. Use a bunch of different fruits to make a rainbow kabob!

#3- Berries with Milk and Sugar- Not as healthy as just plain berries, but so yummy. Raspberries are the best with this treat.

#4- Homemade juice/smoothie Popsicle – Blend up your favorite smoothie or just pour your favorite juice into a Popsicle mold. Put it in the freezer and It’s ready in an hour.

#5- Veggie Tray with Greek Yogurt Dressing- Plant a garden or visit a farmers market for the freshest veggies to slice and dip.

Summer Headband Styles from 500 Babies

Posted on May 20, 2013 by jendhinman

Summer is all about bright colors, fun flowers and warm days. We’ve picked our favorite headbands that are great for summer!

Click Here to see all our fun headbands!

Make Your Own Finger Paint

Posted on May 16, 2013 by jendhinman

This was a fun activity I did with my kiddos! Making the finger paint was almost as fun as getting their hands all messy. My son thought he was turning into hulk with his green hands.

Finger Paint Recipe

In a saucepan combine:

3 Tbl. Sugar, 1/2 tsp. Salt, 1/2 C. Corn Starch and 2 C. water

Stir until mixture thickens, remove from heat and pour into 4 small containers/jars. Add food coloring until you get the desired color. When cool, Paint!

Kids Night Games

Posted on May 14, 2013 by jendhinman

Did you play night games with kids in your neighborhood when you were growing up? If you didn’t you should still play them now! I loved being outside running around right before my mom made me come in and go to bed. I’ve listed some of the best games below so you can have a refresher or learn the rules.

For even more fun create glow in the dark outfits using glow sticks.

Kick the Can: Like Hide and seek, and running mixed. Person that’s IT counts, everyone else hides. As the IT person looks for hiders, hiders can come out and run back to the can before they get spotted. If they are spotted and tagged, they are out. If they can get to the can and kick it before the finder tags them, they are safe.
Ghost In the Graveyard: Everyone counts while one person hides (the ghost). Then the group starts looking for the ghost. When someone finds the Ghost, that person will yell, “Ghost in the graveyard“, while everyone tries to run home before they are tagged by the ghost. If someone gets tagged before they get home, they are IT.
Flashlight Sardines: Everyone counts- one person hides. When you find the hider, you hide with them. The last person to find the group hiding, becomes IT next time.
Flashlight Hide and Go Seek: Regular hide and seek. You could use glow bracelets and glow necklaces to wear during the game.
Flashlight Tag: Same idea as regular Tag, but the person that is IT has a flashlight and must shine it on the people running to tag them out.
Capture The Flag: Pick two teams. Each team tries to steal the other teams planted flag before getting tagged. A BIG field is helpful in this one. Teams guard their flags while other team members try to steal the other team’s flag.
Marco/Polo: One person is selected as IT. He/she calls out “Marco.” Other players respond, “Polo.” If you can tag another player, you are no longer IT.
What Time is it Mr. Fox?: Chose a Mr. Fox and have everyone else line up at least 100 ft. behind the fox. The players who are lined up ask Mr. Fox what time it is. Mr. Fox responds with a number and the players take that many steps towards Mr. Fox. When Mr. Fox feels the players are close enough to tag he responds with “Lunch time” (instead of a number) The players then run back to the starting line trying not to get tagged by Mr. Fox.

Picking The Right Colors for your Skin Tone

Posted on May 10, 2013 by jendhinman

I look horrible in bright yellow. It’s just a fact. I’ve tried it several times and the outfits were disasters. My kids look horrible in yellow too. We all have olive skin tones and it gives us a lovely puke shade to our skin. However, yellow/gold looks great, so what colors and hues go with you or your babies skin tone? Here is your guide:

All skin types can be included in four categories which correspond with the four seasons: winter, summer, autumn and spring. By matching your skin tone with the right season, you’ll be able to dress your best.

Winter skin tones can be pale, yellow, or dark with blue or pink undertones. Sharp colors like black and blue are great for winter skin tones, but light browns won’t help you out, so give them a wide berth.

If your skin is pink, then you fall into the summer category. That means you’re best suited for pastels.

Red heads and brunettes generally belong to the autumn camp. They look best in oranges, browns and other earthy tones. Black and white on the other hand won’t do them any justice.

If you have freckles and light skin, you are spring, so you should wear yellows, greens and blues. Avoid black and white.

Take 20: Playing with Your Kids

Posted on May 6, 2013 by jendhinman

We all have things that have to get done during our day and many times our kids are trying to get our attention. The question is how do we make sure our kids feel loved and important while also being able to get things done?

One trick that I use is the “take 20″ idea. At some point during the day I take 20 minutes to give my kids my undivided attention. We play soccer, build with blocks, play hide and seek, play a board game, have a tickle fight or play cars/dolls. My kids respond amazingly and are less needy during the day, when they get 100% of my attention for that short period of time. It makes my day easier too.

Summer Rompers

Posted on May 3, 2013 by jendhinman

It’s almost here, the sun, the heat, the outdoor fun! We have the cutest rompers for your little girl. They are both comfortable and cute and can be purchased as a set with matching leg warmers, headband and bow.

Click Here for our Romper collection

5 Reasons Chocolate is Good for You

Posted on April 30, 2013 by jendhinman

You hear all the time that dark chocolate is good for you, but why? I’ve found your answers so you can indulge and feel good about your choice. Remember that all dark chocolate is not made equal, check the ingredients on your dark chocolate to make sure there is at least 60% cocoa in the chocolate otherwise you won’t reap the health benefits.

1- Dark Chocolate actually contains more antioxidants than any other food.

2- The Theobromine (not caffeine) in chocolate can help prevent pre-eclampsia in pregnancy.

3- Dark Chocolate can reduce PMS symptoms (woot,woot!).

4- Dark Chocolate reduces blood pressure.

5- Dark Chocolate is more filling than it’s regular milk chocolate cousin. This may help by making you feel fuller but eating less.

Green Juice of Awesome

Posted on April 26, 2013 by jendhinman

Did the picture freak you out? It shouldn’t. My kids beg me to make this juice and my potato chip loving husband that won’t get near kale in it’s original form sheepishly asks me to make him some juice (like it’s not manly to drink healthy juice). Fire up that juicer, I’m serious you will LOVE it.

Green Juice of Awesome

2 Apples (cored)

1 Pear (cored and quartered)

1 orange

1/3 Lime (this is the key ingredient)

1 Kiwi (peeled)

1 Mango (peeled and sliced)

3 Kale stalks

Handful of spinach

Juice and enjoy…you will cry tears of happy.

Food Facts

Posted on April 22, 2013 by jendhinman

- If you stop drinking soda and other sweetened beverages, you can lose 25 lbs in a year by replacing one 20 oz soda a day with a no calorie beverage (preferably water).

- Did you know? Children consume almost twice (1.8 times) as many calories when eating food prepared outside the home. So eating at home provides more than just monetary benefits.

- Try going for 1 meal without using meat. Why? An estimated 70% of all antibiotics used in the United States are given to farm animals.

- Did you know? The average meal travels 1500 miles from the farm to your dinner plate. Try to buy local as often as you can.

- According to the EPA, over 1 billion pounds of pesticides are used each year in the U.S. Buy organic on the right products. The produce you should buy organic are:

Peaches
Apples
Sweet Bell Peppers
Celery
Nectarines
Strawberries
Cherries
Pears
Grapes (Imported)
Spinach
Lettuce
Potatoes
Carrots
Green Beans
Hot Peppers
Cucumbers
Raspberries
Plums
Grapes (Domestic)
Oranges

Produce that has the least amount of pesticides, so it’s okay to buy them conventionally:

Onion
Avocado
Sweet corn (Frozen)
Pineapples
Mango
Asparagus
Sweet peas (Frozen)
Kiwi
Bananas
Cabbage
Broccoli
Papaya
Blueberries
Cauliflower
Winter Squash
Watermelon
Sweet potatoes
Tomatoes
Honeydew melon
Cantaloupe

500babies.com

Blog