Staying at home means avoiding the nail salon, and as someone who always smudges regular nail polish (seriously, how is it possible that they can still be ready to smear by the time I go to bed?), I have a newfound appreciation for the variety of modern manicure solutions available. I previously reviewed Ohora's at-home gel strips , which are a great option for hassle-free designs. Another option that I really like, even though I am far from a pro, is dip powder. Dip powder is essentially an acrylic powder that contains pigments or glitters. You purchase a set of liquids that can be used with the powders of your choice for a quick and clean manicure that requires very little dry time. Dip powder is easily accessible, and if you're new to dip nails in general, I'd suggest a reasonably priced option for practice. I started with the Lavender Violets brand on Amazon, which comes with a set of powders + all the liquids you need for a beginner. I did find that the l...
I regularly post food pictures on instagram, and figured that I may as well try blogging a little bit, too. I'll probably style this a little better in the future, but right now that sounds like work, and I'm doing this for fun, so... we'll see.
So, let's start out with a little bit about what food means to me. Food is something that brings people together. It's a solid way to reconnect with and share your culture-- my knowledge of the Polish language is limited, but let me fry some peirogi or cook some golabki! It's the standout detail of almost any event, and cooking a meal at the end of the day makes me feel like I'm finally "home" after a long day at work.
That doesn't mean that I have not come home dreading the thought of cooking a somewhat elaborate recipe. Being a working parent means several things when it comes to dinnertime:
- You're tired, because work, and your other job is just starting once you return home,
- Your kids want your attention because you've been working all day, and
- Trying to balance both can mean that something (or someone) is getting burned.
So what have I done to remedy this?
My daughter, Z, is two, and she is fully in the "helping" stage. Her play kitchen is in our actual kitchen, but play cooking alongside me is no longer enough, so we have morphed pretending into helping. Together, Z and I have conquered a few weeks' worth of dinners, some pumpkin whoopie pies to celebrate fall, and a "magic" cake. It takes a small amount of creativity, and an extra dish or three, but we have turned dinnertime from a distraction and a chore at the end of the day into something that we can do together.
So how do we do it? It all starts with "can you get me a chair?" and we pull it up to the counter for her to stand on. Things that toddlers can help with include:
- Mixing, even if you have to stir before or after their turn.
- Pouring after you measure an ingredient.
- Greasing a pan. We never have cooking spray, so I add some olive oil to a small container or spoon, and let Z pour. Then she smears it around with a paper towel.
- Sprinkling, whether it's breadcrumbs, sprinkles, or powdered sugar.
- Shaking a salt or pepper shaker, or some dried herbs.
I find that it's actually easy to incorporate tasks that Z can do, and with clear boundaries-- like anything stove/oven or knife related is for grown ups-- this is a great learning experience for little ones, and a sweet bonding experience for the two of us. She even tries to teach me when she is playing with her kitchen set, repeating the lessons I've taught her back to me!
Follow me on instagram @cupcakesandcoffeebreaks and let me know how cooking with your toddler works out for you!
Follow me on instagram @cupcakesandcoffeebreaks and let me know how cooking with your toddler works out for you!
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