Southern Mom Loves: Fast, Nutritious Meals + Make a Summer Fun Spinner!

Fast, Nutritious Meals + Make a Summer Fun Spinner!

Thursday, May 11, 2017

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KidfreshFavorites #CollectiveBias

Are you ready for summer vacation? Schools let out here near the end of May and as a work-at-home-mom, preparation is key. If I'm not ready, everything gets knocked out of whack. Plus, hearing "I'm bored!" all day is pretty much my nightmare. ;) To prepare for summer vacation, I research things for us to do as well as buy rainy day backups like coloring books and play dough. This year I also made a summer fun spinner that should keep them busy for a while (of course I'm sharing!) I also stock up on quick frozen meals that I can prepare in a jiffy without wondering if their nutrition is suffering.


If you've been reading my blog for a while, you know I love Kidfresh meals. Two words: Hidden veggies. Yep, I get tricky with it. :)


I've tried lots of "hidden veggie" foods and drinks without much success ("this tastes funny!") I don't have a lot of trouble with her eating veggies per se, but with convenience meals, I'd rather make sure she gets a full serving of veggies than just pastas and cheeses.


Plus, I hear zero complaints. She loves these meals. They're fun, they taste good, and they're fast. She even knows about the hidden veggies now and doesn't mind a bit!


I was not kidding a bit when I said I was stocking up (*Psst! They're on sale!) There are so many varieties that they'll never get bored. FYI, some of the boxes are multiple servings, so you get a lot of bang for your buck here.


Why do I love Kidfresh so much? Let me count the ways...


#1. Hidden Veggies + Best in Kids Nutrition

Every meal is made with up to ½ cup of hidden veggies and they're fresh frozen to ensure they retain the maximum nutrition. They deliver excellent protein content, and aren't high in fat or sodium (all are less than 400 calories!) They have no artificial flavors or ingredients, no synthetic colors or preservatives and a short and clean ingredient list. <3


#2. Convenience + Relief for Busy Moms

Kidfresh meals are super-convenient; They're ready in just a few minutes! The prices typically range from $2.99 to $3.99, depending on the retailer, so you don't have to break the bank to feed your kids nutritious + convenient foods. There are a lot of varieties available in single serve meals, multi-serve meals, and sides, so there's sure to be something your kids will love.


#3. Trust and Credibility

Kidfresh was started because they're parents just like us: looking for convenient foods for their kids without all of the artificial ingredients (I'm guessing there were a few picky eaters for inspiration, too!) They made it their mission to create nutritious options for kids’- ones that children love to eat and parents can trust.

The meals were created with the help of a top chef and a pediatric nutritionist and they're consistent with USDA dietary guidelines for all children, plus they're packaged in BPA-free trays to ensure that you can safely prepare them at home. The boxes are eco-friendly and made from 100% recycled cardboard to boot.

Nutrition + great taste + convenience + responsible packaging = love


Some of their kid-friendly meal choices:
  • Kidfresh Wagon Wheels Mac + Cheese
  • Kidfresh Spaghetti Loops + Meat Sauce
  • Kidfresh Muy Cheesy Quesadillas
  • Kidfresh Super Duper Chicken Nuggets
  • Kidfresh Fun-Tastic Fish Sticks
  • Kidfresh Mighty Meaty Chicken Meatballs
Seriously, what kid wouldn't jump at mac + cheese for lunch?! They don't need to know about the hidden veggies in the sauce. :)


You can find Kidfresh in the Freezer section of your local Kroger family of stores (find out which stores carry them here.) Look for it with the single serve meals. For a limited time at Kroger and Kroger family of stores you can save at least 15% off the everyday retail price at Kroger! Stock up now!


My kids will have summer camp for a week, but the rest of the time is all mom. I designed a summer fun cootie catcher last summer, and while it was fun to play with it had limited space to fit activities, so this year I made a spinner!

There are 16 fun activities listed from reading a book to building a castle out of whatever they can find. Just let them know they can spin away instead of telling you how bored they are. ;)

It's super-easy to make with a minimum of supplies and I'll show you just how I did it and how you can make it with whatever you have on hand.

Summer Fun Spinner

Supplies:
  • Summer Fun Spinner printable (get it here)
  • cardstock or cardboard
  • scissors
  • 1 paperclip (or a thumbtack, t-pin, finishing nail, or flat-headed stick pin and an eraser head)
  • needle nose pliers (only for the paperclip option)


Directions:

1. Print out the printable at 100% (do not scale) on heavy cardstock. If you don't have cardstock, print it on paper and paste it to a piece or cardboard; An empty cereal box works well. Cut out the wheel and the pointer.


2. You'll need to make a very small hole in the center of the wheel. Just pierce the paper with something sharp.


3. You'll need to make a bigger hole in the pointer. You want it to spin freely.


4. Now for the cool part. You can turn a simple paperclip into a non-slip, non-flip spinner mechanism. If you don't have a paperclip + pliers, you can use a thumbtack with a flat head and cap it off with an eraser from the end of a pencil. Just about any pointy, flat-bottomed item will work, but I thought this way was the easiest and most secure.

a. Hold the paperclip by one end with the double loop facing out.
b. Bend the outermost wire end upwards.
c. Pull the clip apart into a "V'.
d. Pull the inner wire end out until it forms a rough triangle with the first wire end still facing upwards. That is our spinner base.
e. Use the pliers to start bending the longest arm inwards so that it ends up in the middle of the rough triangle with the first end of the wire still turned upwards. Hope that all made sense!


5. Insert the spinner wire through the back of the wheel.


6. Insert the pointer on the wire end.


7. Using the tip of the pliers and holding the wire base steady, curl the wire end in on itself. Make sure to leave plenty of room for the pointer to spin, but this will keep everything secure and non-pointy. :)


8. Make sure it spins well and you're done! If it is too tight, you can uncurl the top wire a bit for more room.


That should keep the kids entertained for a while!






It totally worked for my youngest. She loves landing on the "Dance to music" space!


I hope you enjoy this spinner with your kids this summer and don't forget to stock up on Kidfresh meals at Kroger while they're on sale!


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Do you have plans this summer? Have you tried Kidfresh yet? Will you be making this spinner? I love to read your comments!





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