We are in full back to school mode over here! I've been cleaning out & organizing Jordyns desk, preparing for back to school and  I finally finished school shopping, we'll be doing a back to school haul video this week on our Youtube channel, if you haven't already, go ahead and subscribe HERE 

I can't say that Jordyn is particularly excited to do homework but I mean, what kid is? So, I like to create a bright & lively space for her to do her homework, study, and get her created juices flowing. 

Her desk is made up of pieces from Ikea.

The desk top is the Linnmon Table Top

The legs are ADILS Legs

The drawer is the ever popular Alex Drawer

The top part of her desk is the Alex Add-On Unit

Her art cart is probably my favorite piece in her room. It is from Home goods and we keep it stocked with all her creative necessities. 

This adorable donut banner is from the dollar spot at Target 

We got this colorful desk top organizer from Michaels and Jordyn keeps her erasers, camera film, fidget spinners & other kick knacks in it.

Her desk drawers are filled with her other necessities.Pencils, staplers, highlighters,rulers, etc..

I got these clear plastic organizers from Walmart

These white plastic organizers are also from Walmart and are used to hold some of her crafting yarn, ribbon, & Doh Vinci supplies.

 The third & 4th drawers in her desk hold her stickers, construction paper, extra markers, her iPod cases & her Happy Planner

The very last drawer holds extra notebooks, flash cards, & paper.

On top of her desk Jordyn keeps her collectible figures that she loves & the current books she's reading.

Her unicorn cup holder is from Cotton On

Her desk chair is also from Ikea. It is the Vagsberg/Sporren Swivel chair

Her reversible sequin emoji poop pillow is from Walmart

Above her desk she has 2 shelves that I got from Lowes. They are hold more of her favorite knick knacks.

The wall decals are by Paper Riot Co and I got them from Target

Jordyns desk, like her room, is very reflective of her personality. Very bright, bold, electric, and fun. It's a space all her own where she can work, play, & create.

Xo,

Jeanice 

Back to school season: 5 ways to give back to your community.

When I was young, my mother struggled to make sure I had the basic necessities and supplies I needed to go back to school with.  I couldn't blame her, she had bigger things to worry about, like making sure we didn't get evicted because she couldn't come up with rent or making sure we had something other than ramen noodles to eat for dinner. 

As someone who grew up benefiting from the kindness of community during back to school season, I try my best to always make giving back to the children in my community a priority as the season rolls around and i've come up with my 5 ways you can give back to the children in your community during back to school season as well. 

DONATE A FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL OUTFIT

Remember how exciting the first day of school was? Spending hours deciding what you were going to wear that day to set the year off right? 

It might seem vain but that little confidence and self-esteem boost that a first day of school outfit brings a child coming from a tough situation is something that is very much needed. So, while you're back to school shopping purchase a head-to-toe outfit and donate it to someone you may know personally or to your local shelter. 

BE A VOICE

Help your local schools, shelters, and charity organizations by sharing information on their events. Use your social media platforms to get the word out about school supply drives. Contact your local schools and find out what back to school items they need donated then encourage your friends, families, coworkers, and neighbors to donate what they can. Use your voice in any way you can to spread awareness & generate buzz about charitable events in your community.

PAY STUDENTS LUNCH ACCOUNTS

A lot of schools offer free or reduced lunch options for struggling families but even with the reduced lunch prices, it can still be hard for parents to come up with funds for lunch. Contacting your local school or reaching out to a family you know is struggling and offering to add money to their lunch accounts would help alleviate one of the stresses low income & struggling families face. 

VOLUNTEER

If you have more time than money, volunteering is a great way to make an impact. Volunteer at your local back to school drive. Contact your local family shelter or charity & find ways you can help out. Join the big brother/big sister program and be a mentor. High student-teacher ratios make it difficult for teachers to give one on one attention to the students, volunteering in the classroom is a simple way to offer extra time and attention to the children who need it. 

DONATE

Donating supplies, clothing, and sanitary items to families in need is always a great help. 

Donating to teachers that are coming out of their own pockets to supply items for students due to budget cuts is also very helpful. Making monetary donations to schools is also a great way to help alleviate some of the stress of having low budgets. 

There are a ton of ways to give back to your community without breaking the bank, all you have to do is get creative and think outside of the box. 

If you're in Vegas, here is a list of clickable links to places you can donate this back to school season!

Project 150 Back To School Success Drive

Las Vegas Realtos Back To School Drive

Clark County Family Services

GR8 School Supply Drive

Fill The Bus 

Supply A Teacher

Xo, Jeanice

Healthy Grab & Go Snack Options For Youth Athletes

Jordyn has been grinding hard this basketball season and now that summer is here she's only going harder. She happily attends basketball camp after basketball camp, practice after practice...You can really see how much she loves her sport.
With all these added practices and work outs come an increase in how much she eats or snacks. We all know how important it is for kids to eat healthy well balanced meals but what about snacking throughout the day?
Now obviously i'm not talking about an hour long practice and then going home, there really isn't much need for an energy boosting snack at that point.......but Jordyn spent all of last week at a 6 hour a day basketball camp. This upcoming week she will spend the weekend at another basketball camp. Over the summer she, like many youth athletes, spends hours practicing and exerting energy so it's  important for me to pack her snacks that helped re-fuel and re-energize.
Unfortunately we live in a time where there is an overwhelming amount of snack options in grocery stores geared towards youth athletes and it can be hard to figure out what exactly we should really give our kiddos.
 I'm no nutrition expert but I have been asked several times what snacks I pack for Jordyn. I believe in a whole foods, eating healthy lifestyle and have a few grab and go snack options that I put in Jordyns lunch bag so i'm going to share them with you!
The most important thing when picking snacks being sure your kiddo is getting the proper nutrients they need, which in the case of youth athletes is carbs and proteins.
Carbohydrates are an extremely important fuel source because they provide the glucose that is used for energy.
 Proteins help build and repair muscles which is vital for recovery after extended periods of exercise.

So, here are a few of my go to grab & go snack options for Jordyn!

Bananas- Bananas contain anywhere from 23-35% carbohydrates depending on the size of the fruit. They're a good source of potassium, vitamin b6 and vitamin c. They are also a good source of magnesium which can help with muscle relaxation after working out.

KIND Healthy Grain Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters- I am a HUGE fan of KIND, everything from their bars to their granola is delicious and made with simple ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. This granola is made with 5 super grains; oats, millet,quinoa,amaranth, and buckwheat which provide essential nutrients like B vitamins & minerals. It is also a great source of protein at 10 grams per serving!

Justins Honey Peanut Butter and Banana Chip Snack Pack-  I love a good snack pack. You guys remember those processed cheese product and cracker stick packs we used to eat as children? Yeah, these are nothing like that!...These are actually good and good for you! They're packed full of good stuff; 3 grams of fiber, 5-6 grams of protein, and is also made with clean ingredients that you can recognize and pronounce. The banana chips are the perfect mix of salty & sweet which is perfect for satisfying cravings but my favorite part is the packaging. So easy to grab one and throw it into Jordyns bag.

Larabar bars & bites- Larabar snack are all natural, made from 100% whole foods. Most flavors only have 4-5 ingredients which mostly consist of unsweetened fruits, nuts, and spices. They are free of preservative free and contain no artificial flavors! Admittedly some Larabars are pretty high in natural sugars but they do satisfy the cravings for something sweet while steering clear of candy bars and processed snacks so while they are all natural, they are still an "in moderation snack. 

Slammers Superfood Snack Pouches Ok not only does Jordyn love these snack pouches but I LOVE them as well...so much so that I admittedly sneak them and eat them myself. Honestly, I have one in my purse right now! Slammers snack pouches are designed to "fuel the fun" with organic fruits, veggies, and vitamins. There is a wide range of flavor combinations but each pouch has the same thing in common; they are packed with organic fruits, veggies, and nutrients that are good and good for you! There are even protein packed pouches that offer 7grams of protein.

I hope some of these quick grab and go snacks help when trying to figure out what snacks you should reach for when packing your kiddos sports bags.
The most important thing for us is that healthy snacking is an extension of our healthy eating lifestyle so it's important to keep snacks like these along with other healthy options on hand even during the off season.

Xo,
Jeanice :)


*Big thank you to Slammers Snacks who inspired this post by sending Jordyn Slammers Snack Pouches to try out.