Our Favorite Baby & Toddler Books

Confession, I don't love reading to my kids. I know that has to be blasphemy with all the studies and reports that say reading to your kids makes them Harvard bound. I think it was somewhere around the 500th time that my kid wanted to flip the pages faster than I could read them or the nonsensical books that had no story to keep my attention that I was like--lord save me from this part of motherhood. Four years into this gig, I have rekindled my love of children's book and actually reading aloud to my child. Thanks to some wise advice I received, I can pick the books I enjoyed reading to share with my girls. This is not to say that I still 100% love a wiggly, non attentive audience, I just have found a handful of books I read for their benefit and my entertainment. 

I'm always on the hunt for new and fun books to read to my girls! What are some of your favorites? I am a huge Dr.Seuss fan and Sandra Boynton fan! I can't wait for them to get a little bit older to enjoy books like Harry Potter, The Little House on the Prairie, and The Boxcar Children. I think I love elementary reading lists more than toddler ones. Hah! 

How to Say Yes to Messy Play (without losing your mind)

Saying Yes to Messy Sensory Play

If you’ve followed my instagram for any length of time, you’d notice my kids are almost always covered in mud, sand, water, or some other messy play. Some of the time it’s because someone didn’t follow directions and ran into the puddle even when I begged and redirected them not to. The majority of my motherhood, I veer a bit on the permissive side of sensory seeking behaviors and learning from natural consequences. It’s not so much that my kids ask me (they don’t) if they can play in the mud, it’s what they’re naturally drawn to. I’m raising little lady sensory seekers and I have learned to accept it. If you have kiddos who love messy play, you’re in good company and we can schedule a play date. 

Here’s the deal, I know allowing your kids to play messy is not for everyone. Some of my favorite friends visibly cringe when I allow my girls to explore a puddle at the playground. Some of my other mom friends love the outdoors, encourage natural play, and we’ve even gone camping together. I’d like to think I have a good variety and balance of voices of reason on my team. One thing to note is for those who can't do messes, the best response to give us mommas who have mud covered children is "more power to you, friend". I have dealt with the sympathetic onlookers at the park as well as the wide eyed bewilderment. I know those looks well, I'm level expert of saying my opinion with my eyes (and face). The response that always makes me chuckle (uncomfortably) is "I need to be more like you" in reference to my children sitting in a puddle in their front yard. 

One thing that works in my favor is my personality. While I’m a recovering perfectionist, I’m mastering the art of realistic expectations of my girls and myself. Setting my expectations to match their ages and developmental abilities has made a huge difference. I feel like motherhood is one giant balancing act of managing expectations and giving and receiving grace.  What does expectations and grace have to do with letting my kids play in sand and water? In my non-expert parenting opinion- EVERYTHING. Here’s a typical Cardoza Gals scenario: we go to a park and I expect to be able to sit, drink coffee, watch my girls blissfully play on the swings/slides/sandbox, and I relax.  (Find unrealistic version of motherhood gif) What actually happens is, I scan the park to make sure there are no puddles, open gates, or large mud pits available. When I realize the inevitable, I take a deep breath and remind myself that they are my kids and they will get messy. This is when my expectations are managed and I allow grace for them to get mud on their clothes. 

I'm not a superior human. I have my days when the last thing I want to do is a mid morning bath due to outdoor play. Those are days that we find different activities to do that doesn’t involve being a hot mess. I don’t allow messy play all the time. There are times when it’s not appropriate or we have some place to arrive clean to. But, on days when my self gets in the way and I have limited excuses I reach deep and ask myself these questions,

1. Why not? 
2. Are they safely playing, not harming others or other's property? 
3. What's the rush? 
4. What are they learning? 
5. Can it be washed? The answer is almost always YES. (laundry hint: everything can soak in oxi clean for a few days and recover)

Those questions might seem overly simplistic, but they are my go to when I encounter a situation where theres an unexpected puddle at the nature center and I just can't mentally handle continually redirecting them away. One thing to note, safety of self and others is priority. If what they're playing in or around isn't safe- momma is firm on the No and redirection is consistent. Sometimes we allow for natural consequences, within reason of course. One example I can think of is our trip to Rocky Mountain National Park. My eldest was almost 3 and just growing into her love of all things sensory. We had hiked out to a lake and she wanted to touch the water. It was freezing cold water for sure. I knew my no wasn't going to be good enough, so I took off most of her clothes and allowed her to explore and learn. She fell in, and quickly realized it was cold and not what she wanted after all. In this case, I allowed for the mess even though it wasn't super safe. What are they learning? In this case, she learned the water was cold and she definitely did NOT want to fall in. hah. 

Practical Tips on Allowing for Messy Sensory Play:

At Home:

Keep Towels, diapers, change of clothes, and baby wash handy for a quick outdoor clean off. I can't tell you how often outdoor showers are the best way to clean off. I used to carry them up to the bath, but honestly that got tired FAST. 

Create an area they can safely play, explore, and learn outside. While we have filled in their mud pit, we have a few other areas of the yard they can dig and "mess" up. 

Sink play is probably the hardest for me to say yes to. It means I have to be overly on top of no dishes in the sink. I have walked up to find my middle wielding our sharp knife.

Set a timer, have towels and wipes available, and realize that if you walk away the mess will be bigger than if you stay and "play" with them. 

On the Go:

Pack changes of clothes. Even if you don't think you'll need them, have a spare set of clothes for all ages of kids in your car. I can't tell you how often my kids end up being in a diaper in their car seat. 

Keep a towel, water bottle, extra baby wipes, and plastic bags in the trunk of your car. 

Mentally prepare to abort the park and don't expect to be able to stop anywhere without a drive-thru after. 

The exploratory ages of under 5 is messy and inevitable. Not all kiddos are as attracted to dirt and mess as mine are (count yourself blessed). For my mommas who tend to live life a bit more anxious and prone to feeling overwhelmed- *both hands raised*. Everyone of us has our strengths in this parenting journey. My strength happens to be exterior chillness with my kiddos (inside I am anything but chill). What works for me, might not work for you. Your strengths might be the ability to keep their bedrooms categorically organized, walking through the library quietly, or letting them wear white with zero trepidation. What are some ways you can introduce messy sensory play to your littles? Are you a naturally chill momma? Would LOVE to hear if my kids are the only ones that roll in mud... hah. 

Dress For 4th Of July!

I swore up and down I wouldn't do matchy matchy outfits when I had kids. SWORE. Then I had my 2nd daughter, and matching her with big sister made my heart happy. Now that I am 3 girls in, matching on Sundays and Holidays is my jam. Sometimes I can do the same outfit x3, and other times I coordinate. My top holidays for matching the girls are: Christmas, Easter, & 4th of July (in that order). I totally fell in LOVE with the Old Navy Plaid Poplin dress and this for the girls! 

Real talk: we have a TON of hand me downs, so I try not to buy a ton of new stuff when I can. If you've collected things over the years with all your kiddos, there's no shame in coordinating what you already own. (click bolded text to see examples)

Some staples I always have on hand for my girls include :

1. Chambray anything
2. White or Navy Blue shirts/dresses
3. Red Hair Accessories
4. Denim shorts

Some staples you may or may not have for boys include:

1. Navy or Red T-shirt
2. khaki shorts
3. navy or gray or red sweat shorts
4. Chambray anything

If you have any combo of those items, you too can pull together a festive outfit for your kiddos. If you're still searching for easy & affordable 4th of July outfits, I have gathered my online favorites. You can shop the post down below the collage. 

From Left to Right:

Baby Boy Set  / Baby Girl Plaid  / Baby Girl Red / Toddler Girl Plaid

Toddler Tee / Toddler Romper / Toddler Dress / Toddler Dress

Toddler Outfit / Baby Boy Overalls / Toddler Tank / Baby Chambray

Toddler Flag / Shorts / Toddler Romper / Toddler Top

This post contains affiliate links. When you click on the item, I may receive a small commission. 

Our Summer Bucket List

It's almost mid-June and I haven't really stuck to my summer bucket list. This summer I'm finally not pregnant, my backyard is our little oasis, and my girls are in school or Occupational/Speech therapy until the end of July. I'm taking a cue from my friend Carrie, in posting my summer bucket list! The biggest thing for my summer bucket list is to have ZERO expectations of how the event will go.

I have three kiddos under the age of 5. My two oldest are runners, and the 10 month old is on the verge of joining them. Outings are something I have to mentally prepare for. While social media seems to lead people to believe we do a ton of things, we really don't. We are homebodies. I love being home with the girls, its easy. They have a backyard splash pad that they can be naked, pour sand into the water table, play in mud, and just be their crazy sensory seeking selves (all while I sit in front of a fan and baby sister naps). 

A Non-Exhaustive (super basic) Kid's Bucket List of Activities:

Beach Day

Bake and Decorate cupcakes

Children's Museum

Splash Pad

Zoo

Chalk Paint

Make Your Own Pizza

Decorate Cookies

Go to a Movie

Host a Popsicle Party Playdate

Go out for Ice Cream

Go find a creek to play in

Day in the Country

Go out for breakfast

Do a Floor Puzzle

Pool Day

Go to a water slide park!

Our New Favorite Instant Pot Pulled Pork Taco

It's summer in Houston, and the last thing I really want to do is fire up my oven to 350° when its over 90° out. We also got rid of our grill and haven't committed to a new one yet, so outdoor cooking is not an option. That leaves us with my newest favorite kitchen gadget, the Instant Pot for most of our summer meal prep. This week alone I used it to make midday shredded chicken so, we have it ready for salads and lunches. My husband tolerates it when I make shredded chicken, but the way to his heart is any meat but chicken. Due to sleep deprivation because of a certain 10-month old teething and sleep regression, I've been a grumpy wife. To make up for my mood, I decided to do pulled pork this week! Let's just say this MORE than made up for it. 

Recently, I was at Trader Joes and was just meandering (as best you can with 2 kids 2 and under) the sauce aisle and I found this bottle of Green Dragon. I didn't know what to expect honestly. It was above the siracha and it said jalapeños. I was sold. My husband was the first to try it and reported back to me that it was from heaven above. I tried it on rotisserie chicken and instantly grabbed sour cream and a little cheese and felt like I was eating a chicken enchilada. When I made this batch of pulled pork, I knew I wanted to do tacos one night and salad another. 

Y'all I AM OBSESSED WITH THIS SAUCE. I tossed a heavy helping of it onto my pulled pork on a tortilla with fresh chopped onions and cheese. I about lost my mind because it tasted like a street taco from our favorite mexican restaurant. Its spicy, but not "make you regret it the next day" spicy. I wouldn't serve it to my kids. BUT, for mommas pulled pork taco- Trader Joes Green Dragon is my jam. 

When I say this is easy, I say its doable with 3 kids 4 and under running around while your hands are covered in seasonings and raw pork. Theres minimal prep and once you find a spare 15 minutes to set this meal up, the Instant pot does the rest. I'm not embarrassed to admit we have a Costco sized bag of flour tortillas and Mexican cheese in our home this summer. So any chance I have to use what we have is bonus. You can get super fancy with your tacos, but this is the "momma didn't even sit to eat" version.

Serves a Family of 4-5 With Leftovers

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INGREDIENTS

• 4lb. Boneless Boston Butt Pork
• smoked sea salt
• black pepper
• 1/4 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 2 chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp Cumin
• 1 Tbsp smoked paprika
• 1 Tbsp garlic powder
• Favorite sauce of choice
• Tortillas of choice 
• Chopped white onions for topping
• fresh cilantro (if you don't hate it)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Cut pork down into 4 large pieces
2. In a small bowl, mix your spices. I tend to go heavy handed on paprika and garlic powder, but go with your gut on this. 
3. Rub in the seasonings onto your pork
4. Turn the Instant Pot on the "saute" setting. When hot, add about 2 tbsp olive oil into the pot, then sear the pork on all sides, about 4 mins per side, until a good golden brown. 
5. While the pork is searing, add 1/2 cup of water to a microwave safe measuring cup and heat up for 30 seconds. Add the 2 bouillon cubes and mix. 
6. Add 1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar to your broth
7. Pour apple cider vinegar and broth mixture into the instant pot
8. Hit "cancel" on the instant pot, then hit "manual", and turn the time up to 100 minutes. Cover and let cook in the instant pot until time is done. 
9. When the cook time is done, the Instant Pot will automatically go to "Keep Warm" mode. If you're at home, press the "Cancel" button to turn off the cooker and turn the valve from sealing to venting to release the pressure quickly. 
10. When pressure is released, open instant pot, and using tongs remove the pork and place into glass storage container (why dirty an extra plate when you're going to have leftovers anyways). You can shred it in this so easily. We allowed our pork to sit in the pot for about 2 hours after it was done cooking since I started it at naptime. 
11. Serve how you want to eat it!