What are the chances that your best friend since Kindergarten would be pregnant the same time as you? Furthermore, what are the chances you deliver 24 hours apart when really it should have been two months apart? Well, it can happen and I am so glad it happened to me.

Samantha and I have been through literally everything. Our mothers are best friends who met through mutual friends. I think we met in our preschool age but we attended kindergarten together. From there we moved onto to graduate high school together and live together in college. We also papered our room in Hanson posters along the way. We have shared so many laughs and inside jokes. We have been through every stage of life together thus far. I do not think there is anything she doesn’t know about me. Including how messy of roommate I can be. We are so different, yet so much alike in our way of thinking. We often do not even need to say it. Thank God we not only had each other through pregnancy but also through difficult deliveries. We both had scary situations, less than picture perfect.

Now our little monsters are the same age and play dates have become a way to save our sanity. We pledged to get together once a week during the winter months. More so to make sure we didn’t loose our minds, forget about the kids haha! Find yourself a fellow mom. Or just someone who is willing to come over and hang with you. Someone who is willing to get down on the floor with you and your toddler regardless if they are bringing one or not! You NEED people. When I first realized I was suffering from postpartum issues I found myself dodging social situations. Reaching out to no one and answering no one. When I got to the point that I didn’t want to make the effort to see my family I knew I needed help!

That aside, a play date is a great way to introduce your little one to new foods. Sometimes they see other kids snacking on something and they will be motivated to do so. I thought adults have cheese boards, why not give the kids some sophistication!

I like to make sure I have two different fruits and vegetable. I make sure they are prepared in the way which our little ones can eat them. Whether it is chopped or in sticks. Then I have dipping sauces, because all kids love to dip! I made a great basil hummus, which you can find the recipe on the blog. I also made things a little bit more fun by adding sprinkles to Nutella filled pieces of endive. Also there is no shame just arranging fun packaged snacks on a platter as well.

I also like to put the food at their level for a short period of time. That way it encourages them to make their own choices and be curious. I put it on a coffee table or a kids table in the playroom. Of course, this is all supervised! Put bibs on them, maybe something on the floor under them. When snack time is over it is removed. It is also a good idea to ask parents what their toddlers are allergic too so you can be sensitive to that as well when prepping your board.

Putting it at their level encourages interaction