*I received compensation from McDonald’s for writing this review.*
The school year always begins with a flurry of activity that I can barely keep up with. This year adding a newborn to the mix has seen me totally off my game! Back to school shopping has barely happened for this household so thank goodness they can still get by in their summer clothes so far! I’ve already missed an activity for one kid because I don’t have their crazy schedules down quite yet, and driving around in the afternoons to all the new activities makes it nearly impossible to get them dinner in a timely manner. My life saver has been McDonald’s! I swear, you have no idea how many times that drive through has saved me when I’m frantically late with cranky hungry kids in the car! So yes, things are crazy around here, and I know they will settle down as we get into our routine, but here are my top three survival tips for moms at this busy time of year:
TOP THREE SURVIVAL TIPS
1. Look at the schedule a day ahead and lay everything out you will need the night before. There is nothing like scrambling to find soccer shorts 5 minutes before your kid is supposed to be at practice, trust me! (then try it with a screaming baby in your arms!)
2. McDonald’s Happy Meals! ‘nough said.McDonald’s has made these so much more nutritionally-focused for our kids with apple slices in every one and now the choice of Go-GURT Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt instead of French fries. They are called Happy Meals for a reason people…they make me & the kids super happy!
3. Don’t stress the small stuff. I’ll let you in on a little secret, that art class you forgot, the PTA meeting you are late to, the form you never filled out for school…..it’s O.K.! These are tiny little things that are not going to make a long-term impact. Take a deep breath when you find yourself racing like a maniac to get to playgroup and realize…it’s JUST playgroup, not a board meeting, you can be 5 minutes late.
I used to get so incredibly stressed out about all this little stuff, but something about having the third kid just clicked it all into perspective for me. The most important thing is my kids health and safety. As long as they are fine all the other silly little stresses just melt away. If a $2.99 Happy Meal is going to make our lives go more smoothly and make every one happy, then I go for it. And if I can’t get home in time to make dinner for my family, they are thrilled if I walk in with McDonald’s bags full of goodness. Guess what, on those nights I’m thrilled that I don’t have to worry about frantically making dinner for a starving mob that I’ll have to clean up after too.
McDonald’s has really committed to making the Happy Meal a wholesome option for families. They added the apple slices, Go-GURT Low-Fat Strawberry Yogurt, drink options of 1% low-fat while milk, fat-free chocolate milk or 100% apple juice, and this fall, Cuties clementines from Sun Pacific will be included as a Happy Meal side as well. These changes came about when after listening to customers, McDonald’s partnered with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation and made a Clinton Global Initiative commitment in 2013. This partnership aims to increase access to fruit, veggies and low-fat dairy, and to help families, and kids make informed choices.
So take that deep breath and know that it’s o.k. to take advantage of things like the Happy Meal to make your life easier, being a mom is hard enough as it is! Be sure to visit McDonald’s and follow them on Twitter today.
Giveaway: Now for a chance to win $25 Arch Card! This giveaway is run via rafflecopter. For the mandatory entry, tell me your tips for a stress free back to school experience in the comment section where it says post comment. While the other entries are optional, I highly suggest filling them out to increase your chances of winning. Winner will be picked on 10-31 and will have 24 hours to respond. McDonald’s will be providing the prize. US only. Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
I received compensation from McDonald’s in exchange for writing this review. Although this is a sponsored post, all opinions are my own.