Sometimes we try our best to have our children eat healthfully, but despite our best efforts they want nothing to do with the fruit and veggies we offer. One solution? Make art out of healthy food! Even the pickiest eaters can’t resist the fun presentation.
It’s pretty easy to create simple pictures for kids on their plates. You can even do a shape of the day and cut everything “round” or “triangle-shaped” and they can learn as they eat their snacks.
Avocados make great trees and bushes, but more importantly they’re great for your child’s heart and liver—among other health benefits. Berries are bright and beautiful, and your children will love to make berry-shaped flowers on their plates. Carrots can be cut into sticks or circles and are rich in beta-carotene.
So many nutritious foods can be cut into beautiful “art,” and it takes a lot less time to get creative than it does to convince unwilling toddlers to eat their greens!
Even your kids can create their own masterpieces with different fruit and vegetable shapes. We’d love to see your yummy creations, so upload a photo in the comments below or share a pic via Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram using #HonestDIY.
~ Kate Brightbill of Style Smaller
Reading books together with our children is not only a great way to connect and unwind, but stories also help expose them to new ideas and positive habits. Now that I have toddlers, I look for books that will be a good learning tool. Some show kindness. Others encourage independence and responsibility. But I really appreciate when a book can show my kids that being healthy is fun for them and good for the planet.
Here are some of my favorite books for inspiring kids about healthy living while they’re young (clockwise from top left):
1. We Are Extremely Very Good Recyclers {Lauren Child}: Lola learns to recycle and makes it a fun competition with classmates. This book has bright, appealing pictures and teaches tips for your kids to recycle too!
2. Curious George Plants a Tree {Margret & H. A. Rey}: Everything Curious George goes over well in our house, so this would be no different. George obviously gets himself into innocent trouble while learning the ins and outs of recycling, but eventually brings the community together to give back.
3. Little Pea, Little Hoot, Little Oink {Amy Krouse Rosenthal}: These books are a witty take on eating veggies, going to bed, and cleaning up after oneself. The pictures and concepts are creative and make us laugh while we read.
4. Eating the Alphabet: Fruit and Vegetables from A to Z {Lois Ehlert}: Gorgeous illustrations make it appealing for everyone reading to want to eat their fruits and veggies. Perfect for teaching about nutrition AND the alphabet at once!
5. Grow It, Cook It {DK Publishing}: A cookbook for kids, this brilliant book teaches the ins and outs growing vegetables for recipes. It takes the food from the garden to the plate. Perfect for elementary age kids.
There are so many great books for inspiring kids’ appetites for healthy living, so we’d love to know your favorites too!
~ Kate Brightbill of Style Smaller
Top Image by Manus Chau Photography .
Now that winter break is over and life is back in full swing, I look for fuss-free hairstyles for my little girls (they’re great for moms too). We wash and go and avoid tangled topknots on a daily basis with these fresh new looks. And I promise doing their hair in a variety of ways doesn’t need to be complicated. Here are some simple, stylish ways I mix up my girls’ getting ready routine:
1. Add a bright headband. This headband took five minutes to make out of recycled crepe paper, and both of my girls can wear it. It keeps the hair out of their eyes and adds instant brightness!
2. Create a simple braid and tie it with something interesting. A little ribbon, bow, or stretchy hair tie makes it look fun and playful.
3. Rather than a basic topknot, double it! It gives a youthful look for little girls and prevents hair from falling in front of their cute little faces.
4. If you have a child that has a little extra patience and long hair, you can create another cute style that takes a few extra minutes. Braid the child’s hair in two braids, securing each end. When finished, pull them gently to meet at the top of the head and twist the ends under one another. Secure each end with bobby pins under the braid. I like it when it’s a little loose and imperfect, but you can definitely make it more precise. I love this look for extra special days, like Valentine’s Day!
What are your favorite simple hairstyles for kids? Find inspiration on Honest’s Style Pinterest board. And whichever one you choose, the Honest Shampoo and Conditioning Mist are the perfect duo for prepping your child’s hair—her hair gets a moisturizing boost and will have nice beachy waves when you loosen her braids.
~ Kate Brightbill of Style Smaller
We talk a lot about our kids eating organic food and being healthy, but it’s easy to forget that what they wear while they eat should also be made safely and chemical-free! Just a few short years ago when I had my first child, the options for organic bibs were boring beige, and they didn’t hold up to messy jobs and repeated rounds of laundry. Now, organic bibs (in my humble opinion) offer babies and parents style and quality!
Consider using organic bibs instead of conventional ones made from synthetic materials or finishes (PVC, vinyl, and plastic coatings) that may have that chemically smell—it’s healthier for your kiddos and the planet (toxic residue from chemicals used in growing conventional cotton pollutes soil and waterways). And because bibs often make great teething toys, natural materials make for a safer option.
Here are some organic bibs that I’m loving:
Clockwise from top middle:
1. Airplanes. || 2. White Floral. || 3. Chevron Bandana. || 4. Pink Floral. || 5. Lion Roar. || 6. Striped.
What eco-friendly favorites do you have for feeding babies?
~ Kate Brightbill of Style Smaller
Grocery shopping is a weekly outing for my family. I used to get paper bags at checkout because they’re recyclable and we’ve always reused them at home. But recently our stores began charging 10 cents per bag. What better motivation to switch to reusable, eco-friendly bags when we shop? I should have done this a long time ago! These bags don’t rip, some can be folded into my purse, and they can be used over and over again.
I use my own full-sized bags, but my girls also like to carry bags of their own so they can feel like big kids. They obviously like to add their favorite toys to lug along with us as well. This makes grocery shopping fun for them and provides a great opportunity for us to talk about what we’re purchasing, why, and how we’ll enjoy it at home.
Here are my favorite eco-friendly reusable bags for little ones:
Clockwise from top center:
Robot Lunch Bag | Backpack | Neon Fox Bag | Heart Lunch Bag | Baa, Maa & Paa Bag | Ditty Net Bag
How do you get your kids excited about healthy eating and reusing everyday items?
~ Kate Brightbill of Style Smaller
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