Monday Musings: Feeding Kids Well and the DIY Bundle Flash Sale

A look at the struggle that is family dinner, introducing the FREE Healthy Kids Virtual Summit, and the Ultimate DIY Bundle Flash Sale all happening this week.

We sat around the table at dinner last night, a pot of minestra maritata and a pan of potato rolls between us. Sighs erupted from the smaller folk, as they usually do when it’s soup for dinner, and they were quickly silenced with a reminder that we do not complain about the food we are served, even if it’s not what we would prefer. All except one.

“That is not good for me,” my smallest whined at my side, staring into his dished bowl of meatballs and broth.

“It’s what’s for dinner, so I need you to eat at least a meatball and a spoonful of the soup. You need to try it.” He sighed loudly, picking up a roll smeared with butter and stuffing it into his mouth, his eyebrows tightly knit across his forehead.

When two rolls had been vanquished, he reached for a third and was met with a reminder about his bowl of soup that still sat in front of him untouched. Again he whined, and without saying anything, I picked up his spoon and found a meatball for him before holding it out to him. Resigned to his fate, he stuffed the meatball in his mouth. I filled the spoon with broth and pasta and greens and handed it back to him again before turning to my own meal. I pretended not to notice as he finished the bowl, and I filled the bowl without comment when he asked for more. I buttered his third potato roll and set it on his plate. Later I reminded him to bus his dishes as he skipped off to wash up after dinner.

A photo posted by Shaina Olmanson (@foodformyfamily) on Mar 29, 2015 at 7:28pm PDT

Dinnertime sometimes wears me down, but I believe it’s worth every moment. It’s a continuous struggle with six in the family, and collective acceptance of any meal is near impossible. It’s a good thing I don’t cook to make them happy. I cook to feed and nourish their growing bodies and to teach them how to do the same.

Today is the very first day of the Healthy Kids Virtual Summit, a free summit organized by my friend, Jamie Boggeln, talking to experts on how to build healthy, happy families. You’ll get help with healthy lunches, staying motivated when it comes to family fitness routines, calming kids through meditation, cleaning your home without toxins, and more on managing the family.

Register now for the Healthy Kids Virtual Summit to gain access. During the summit I’m sharing ways to introduce your kids to new foods and more. Plus, I know there are several freebies associated with the summit that will make it doubly worth your time.

The Ultimate DIY Bundle is having a 48-hour FLASH sale! If you missed the January sale, take advantage of this last chance opportunity to get 69 DIY eBooks and eCourses designed to help you make your own skincare products, make better photos, create gifts from scratch, and more. If you’re looking towards Mother’s Day, this bundle will give you more than a few ideas on the perfect gift for mom.

The DIY Bundle is a great library of cookbooks, crafts, home décor, gardening, photography, and more, including plenty of fun projects to do with your kids when summer break rolls around. You’ll also get the bundle bonuses, which are worth more than the cost itself, including: a free Craftsy course, a free sewing pattern and video class from UpCraft Club, a $15 credit to Hope Ink, plus a free 8×10 art print, and a download trial copy of Where Women Create and Greencraft Magazine. Be sure to check out the full list of included ebooks and ecourses, and then head over to order before the sale ends!

You can read more about the bundle offerings and get a sample recipe from my book, A Beginner’s Guide to Homemade Personal Care Products, for my favorite skin balm. I do profit from sales of the bundle, receiving a small percentage that helps keep this website up and running. Thank you for your support.