March 12, 2018

Moms, Go Easy On Yourself

Scrolling through Pinterest one day last week, I asked myself what exactly happened to simplicity. With apologies to all who search Pinterest for the most creative and complex treats for their kids, I am going to go out on a limb and say that enough is enough. Moms...go easy on yourself. Simple is better, Trust me.

As a second grade teacher many years ago, I saw the many snacks and treats my students brought for parties. I saw the elaborate, individually decorated cupcakes adorned with unwrapped candies. I also saw the prepackaged cupcakes in the plastic wrappers. I specifically remember one thing very clearly. The children would look at and pick apart the messy, unwrapped, cupcakes an ambitious mom labored over. Then they would rip open the plastic and eat the store bought treats as fast as they could!

In a world where competition often overshadows common sense, it is easy to feel pressured to spend hours using homemade icing gluing tiny cookies onto a Twinkie. I am here to tell you...you don't have to do that! Buy a box of cupcakes, cookies or fruit cups and call it a day. Spend the time saved playing a game with your children or perhaps taking a walk. After all, who do we moms really need to impress? The other mothers? The teachers? Or our own children, who will remember the time spent laughing with us as we watched a movie together way longer than they will remember those elaborate marshmallow covered sheep cookies?

OK. These just give me the creeps!

This.
Why?

And this.
I feel like they would be stale and sticky.
And I shudder to think of how many times they were touched!

Although this sounds snarky, it comes from the heart.
A simple cupcake and a cup of Kool-aid...
The party treats of the 1970's...
That's what we enjoyed.
Go easy on yourself.
And give simple a try.




Pinterest for the pics. : )

33 comments:

  1. "A simple cupcake and a cup of Kool-aid...
    The party treats of the 1970's..."

    I have a fond memory of plain Nilla wafers and red kool-aid given to me at church when I could not have been more than 3 years old. That was bliss!

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    1. Yes! I remember cheese puffs and yellow creme filled cookies on a napkin ... with koolaid! great memories!!

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  2. Amen Sister! I notice my grandkids don't want the yummy homemade treats... they always go for the packaged stuff!

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  3. Can't go wrong with the KISS rule! Although I have to admit, I think all those pictures you shared would make wonderful table decorations for Easter especially the egg race car bunny, not that I'd ever have enough patience to make them.

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  4. So much truth in this. The little ones I taught were happy with Goldfish and water. The days we would have a "special" snack to go along with the Bible story, they still asked for Goldfish and left the other snack sitting. While my girls had lots of toys growing up, some of their fondest memories are of sitting at our little plastic picnic table with a coloring book and crayons. I even put some in their stockings this year, and they are 24 and 28!

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  5. As a retired first grade teacher, mom and grandmother...you speak the truth!! Yes, yes and yes...lol.

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  6. I always do simple. Nothing more. Good post Billie Jo!

    Enjoy your week my friend!
    Amy

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  7. I did an elaborate birthday treat exactly once, those rainbow layered cupcakes that were popular several years ago. They were so hard to make, such a mess, and required two or three boxes of cake mix and practically a whole box of food coloring to get the colors bright enough. They were pretty, but once was plenty for me. Now I send packaged Rice Krispie Treats to school for birthdays. Few allergens, if any, nothing to wrap up, nothing that can get messed up in transport, easy for kids to hand out and also to take home if they don't want to eat it then and there. Done. :)

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  8. I actually made these cupcakes for my son when he was in his mid 20's He has a Halloween birthday! haha https://cottagecozy.blogspot.com/search?q=mummy

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  9. I always go simple, too. I'm planning to send store bought cupcakes to school next week from my daughter's birthday. Although, I am planning to make a homemade chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting (her favorite) topped with fun sprinkles for her family party this coming weekend!

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  10. I totally agree. Pinterest is fun but it can lead to well my nice way of saying it is stupidity.

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  11. Yes! I've done over the top. Why? So I can get stressed out and get a few comments that make me feel amazing. No, thank you. I've learned as I've aged. :) I find a little swirl of frosting and a few sprinkles are the cupcakes that the kids want. I mean, who doesn't like sprinkles?

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  12. Hi Billie Jo!

    The schools in my area have banned cupcakes...too messy. Especially the elaborate homemade cupcakes. I agree with you 100%, simple is always best! The time that you would spend decorating a Twinkie, is time that would have been well spent with your child. I was a working mom and cherished each moment that I could spend with my kids...packaged treats were a blessing, and all kids loved them!

    Have a great day, Billie Jo!

    Hugs and Love,
    Barb

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  13. You go, Girlfriend! Spending those endless hours one would spend making such Pinterest creations would be much better spent spending time with the children. We always played board games, card games, outside activities with our kiddos and yet today (20+ years later) when they tell stories to their children it is about some memory from their childhood...not when I made something over the top to send to school, etc., but a memory created because of the time we spent together. Thanks so much, Billie Jo, for bringing this out front and center.

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  14. A post full of sane advice!! Schools here only allow store-made cupcakes and cookies for the kids. A blessing in disguise for moms, I think! Stop at Publix and buy the packaged baked goods... always! When a store does is as well (or better) than I can do at home, why not?!

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  15. hahaha agreed.. i do not have time for that.

    http://www.henatayeb.blogspot.com

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  16. Yes, yes and Yes! At one point, when Rebecca and Jacob were at their private school I felt like I had to do the more complicated snacks due to the peer pressure from other parents. (Small school). As the kids are getting older, I don't have time for that. When Ben was in preschool, I signed up for plates and napkins and cups for one of his class parties and it was glorious! I didn't have to spend a ton of time on a snack that would probably go wasted anyhow. The lightbulb went on! So this year, I provided Valentine's plates and napkins for the class parties for all 3 kids and that was it. For Jacob's birthday I sent in tootsie pops (as there is a little girl who is gluten free in his class) so no cupcakes. Ben's birthday is coming up in a few weeks and I will ask him if he wants me to send in a treat--- it might cupcakes but with swirled icing and maybe sprinkles and that is it, or it may be strawberry applesauce cups as that is his favorite! Simple is definitely the way to go.

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  17. We enjoy making the complicated food things... sometimes. (Like our Gingerbread Houses. And sometimes from Hello Cupcake!) But usually not for human consumption because of how much handling goes on. I am ALL for easy peasy when I can!

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  18. I couldnt agree more! You go girl...time with our children is much more important than spending all that time to impress someone else. Wise lady you are!

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  19. Great thoughts about what is really important, my friend! ♥

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  20. This is such great advice. My Mom never arranged my fruit into the shape of a rainbow, and yet I still have a wonderful childhood.

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  21. Great post and great advice. I must say you have lovely kids.
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  22. You're right, Billie JO, time with your loved ones is Time well spent and remembered!

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  23. I agree. Simple and edible is best. Except broccoli. Even decorated broccoli tastes like broccoli. Why did God create broccoli? If He had said, "Do not eat the broccoli!" Adam and Eve would not have been tempted.

    God bless.

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  24. So true:) I must admit, I made the twinkie/bunny cars for Easter years ago. Yes, they were cute but weren't eaten! Enjoy your day dear friend, HUGS!

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  25. Yes, I am learning this lesson rather quickly. ;)

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  26. So very true!!! It is usually the simple things in life that make it special, and by taking the simple route, we can budget our energy to use for other things. I love your blog. Hugs. Juli

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  27. A big yes to this post! Why all the competition? Who are we trying to impress? Our time is better spent making memories! Our mom's never had Pinterest and we turned out just fine! ♥ I like to keep it simple! : )

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  28. Well the Peeps would give me nightmares...I hate those things. I think they are just creepy looking. ;)

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  29. The truth is a lot of things you see on Pinterest aren't for real moms and real families. They are for bloggers to get traffic to their website.

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Thanks so much for saying hello!

Billie Jo