Nicole Feliciano, from Mom Trends, joins Mel to talk about getting the family prepared for back to school. She says they are all about doing as many things as you can ahead of time to help make those mornings a little bit less stressful.
Nicole says for them it means packing as much up as you can by the front door and having it ready to go. They even do some frozen breakfast sandwiches in the morning. She says they kind of reheat them in the morning for a quick meal.
They also believe in stocking that pantry. Nicole says she loves subscription services like Amazon and they never run out of their staples like Organic Valley shelf-stable single serve milk. It is the perfect way to get nutritious and delicious pasture-raised organic milk on the go without refrigeration. Each 8oz carton is packed with eight grams of protein. She says we know protein is really important to helping kids stay focused throughout the school day.
On the first day of school the photos are super important and having the right accessories are important. Nicole says they love the selection from Vera Bradley. Vera Bradley has the prints kids love and they are comfortable backpacks and are incredibly well made and Vera Bradley has tons of accessories as well. Nicole tells us Vera Bradley is making a $100,000 donation to Blessings in a Backpack. This organization helps feeds needy kids and provides elementary school children with really important meals, so introducing her kids to the concept of shopping for a cause is fantastic and she loves flexing that empathy muscle early and often with her children.
Nicole has two girls, a teen and a tween and supporting them and making them feel confident in their bodies especially if we’re going through puberty is really important and that’s why they love BTWN by Thinx. They are washable, reusable underwear designed to replace pads and tampons and are made just for teens and tween girls when they are on their periods.
Meal prep is one of Nicole’s big tips. She suggests doing a Sunday night schedule of meals for the week. It really takes the stress out of “what are we going to eat tonight.” It helps with the shopping and the preparation as well.
This year they are going for two plant-based meals a week and they love having Sweet Earth’s mindful chicken products on hand. They are ready in a flash; they are flavorful and packed with protein.
For more information visit momtrends.com
