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I’ll be honest with you. Last summer I was a lame mom. I was in my 2nd/3rd trimesters of pregnancy, and I was just hot and tired most of the time. So I mostly camped out at home with Abe. Plus we moved during July, so I was busy unpacking and organizing our new house. Pretty much the only time we did anything fun was when we were on our trip down in Utah.

This summer, though, I’ve been trying to be more of a fun mom. Abe loves two things – being outside, and being in the car – so I am trying to let him do those two things often! And this, of course, means getting out of the house. While I can be a go-with-the-flow type of gal, since having kids (and just getting older in general) I’ve definitely turned into someone who has to plan ahead and be prepared. So I wanted to share with you 3 ways I am doing that this summer, in order to be a fun mom 🙂

Plan ahead.

I love to find fun things that are going on in our neighborhood and city (bonus points if they’re free!). And once I find all the fun things going on, I like to plan out our schedule for the week (or month) (or summer) so I know precisely when we’re going to be doing those things. It helps me so much to have a plan of attack. Things like library classes, free lunch in the parks, play dates, or even grocery shopping are scheduled into our days so I know just what to expect (and what I need to have prepared for us that day).

Pack snacks.

I don’t know about you, but hanger runs in my family 😉 One way to curb that is to be sure to have snacks packed in my diaper back for both me and Abe. I often plan to do our fun activities in the morning, since the afternoon brings with it nap time and preparing for dinner, so I love to bring a pack of belVita Breakfast Sandwiches Dark Chocolate Cream for me to eat. I pair them with some milk or yogurt and fruit and I know I’m good to go until lunch because they provide me with 4 hours of nutritious, steady energy and 15g of whole grain.

A favorite snack of Abe’s are Honey Maid Dippers Honey (he gets his graham cracker loving genes from his daddy). I put a handful or two of these in a bag for Abe to enjoy while we’re out and about, because man, this kid can eat. I love the new stick shape, because not only are they perfect for dipping (and who doesn’t like to dip their graham crackers in frosting???), but they are perfect for little hands (and don’t make as big as a mess as regular graham crackers). Between these two options I’m prepared with breakfast for me and treats for him. It’s a win-win for everybody.

Dress appropriately.

No mom is going to be a fun mom if they’re trying to balance running after (or with) their toddler in heels, or are continually tugging at their shirt to make it stay in place. Ya feel me? I generally like to make sure I’m wearing a longer shirt, with a modest neckline, along with a pair of closed toed shoes (think somewhere the line of Vans or Toms). That way I’m prepared for whatever activities we may do! (I’ve been the one trying to chase her kid in flip-flops. It doesn’t work, I promise.)

If you want to try some of our favorite products, be sure to check out the instant rebate coupon on packages of Honey Maid Dippers for $.50 off. And check out this website for some great inspiration on how you can make them work for you and where you can find them. We find ours in the snack aisle at Wal-Mart.

What about you, do you have any tips or tricks of ways to be a fun mom?