The playground is one of the best places in the world for a toddler, but even better for a mom! I frequent the playground at least once a day to let my son get his wiggles out and for me to catch some sanity. The best is when my group of mom-friends joins me and we can pretend that we are somewhere exotic together, dressed to the nines, rather than on a park bench in our stretchy pants. I seriously love my group of mom-friends and their little monsters, too.
Snackies are what I'm best known for amongst the toddlers I spend most of my time with during the week. My group of girlfriends and I pass the time chatting at the park while we watch our little ones play on the playground, eat dirt, and rummage through my JuJuBe BFF for delicious snackies. All of my mom friends pack plenty of snack packs for their kids, but there is something about my lunch snacks that draws the babies in. Maybe it's because I've got the good stuff in my snack mix - salty and sweet and always a delicious, unlimited supply. It could be that the plastic bags I pack them in are fun to open and close. The real reason my quick snacks are so popular is that they are easily accessible. I load up my side pocket (where the changing pad goes) full of crackers, carrot sticks, fruit snacks, trail mix, pretzels, and a bag of fresh fruit. Let’s be honest, the fruit is usually the only thing left by the end of playgroup!
My JuJuBe B.F.F. has become a symbol for food to these monster-toddlers. They've named the bag Snackies and therefore, I have to be fully prepared when I leave the house with a stash of goodies for the babes. From granola bars to nuts & popcorn to applesauce, the process of eating these quick bites can create quite a bit of a mess. Lots of delicious snacks + 4 toddlers = crumbs everywhere! I can inconspicuously brush the mess out of the crumb drains, so I have a clean bag and feed the birds all at the same time. So many mom wins!
When they aren't looking, I unzip my mommy pocket and pull out the dark chocolate for a quick little snackie for the mommies. There are so many different pockets and compartments in that mommy-pocket, which makes hiding the chocolate from the babies too easy! Sometimes I feel bad about being so sneaky while eating the candy, but it's my duty as an adult to keep them from forming bad habits, right?
What do you stash in your mommy-pocket? Any top snack ideas for children to share?
