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    • Easy Chicken Dinner Recipes -->This collection of easy chicken dinner recipes features some of our favorite family dishes, perfect for making a healthy, delicious home cooked meal on a busy night! Getting a healthy, home cooked meal on the table every night can be challenging. Particularly with the demands of work, school, activities and social obligations, well, it can be the last thing we want to do at the end of the day. So I’ve got tons of easy chicken recipes at my disposal that I turn to when I need to whip something up for us on one of those busy weeknights. (Or even busy weekends – dinners can be tough then, too!) And this collection of easy chicken dinner recipes has some that we make over and over again. It includes everything from skillet chicken dinners to slow cooker chicken recipes, one-pot chicken pastas, soups and salads with chicken, chicken burgers and meatballs, sheet pan chicken dinners and easy chicken casseroles. Are you looking for fast as well as easy? Me too. I’ve got collections of chicken recipes in under 30 minutes and, faster still, chicken recipes in under 15 minutes. Or if you want to browse them all, my quick chicken recipes…
      • Easy Chicken Recipes with Few IngredientsThese easy chicken recipes with few ingredients include some great healthy lunch and dinner options, all made with 5 or fewer ingredients! I am all about the EASY when it comes to cooking. I don’t like to fuss much over my food and I certainly don’t like to spend a ton of time in the kitchen at the end of a long day. Easy chicken dinner recipes and healthy lunch recipes with chicken are much more my style. (As are chicken recipes in under 30 minutes and, faster yet, chicken recipes in under 15 minutes. Cause life.) Speaking of life, a million trips to the grocery store also aren’t fun during a busy week. (Especially with little ones in tow!) So I’ve got these go-to easy chicken recipes with few ingredients that help me keep dinnertime simple. And my sanity intact. In fact, one of the first cookbooks I bought on my own, at a used bookstore in Washington, D.C., where I lived for a few years after college, was titled 3-ingredient recipes. I was pretty new to cooking and thought, I think I can handle that. My cooking skills have improved, but I still go for the simple chicken recipes…
      • Quick Chicken RecipesThis collection of quick chicken recipes features some of our favorite family dinners and go-to lunches, all ready in 30 minutes or less! From chicken skillet dinners to one-pot pastas, salads to burgers, you’re sure to find some new favorites! If you know me, you know I am ALL about the quick and easy recipes. I love making all of our homemade meals and home cooked dinners, but like you, I’ve also got a hundred other things to juggle and so keeping things simple in the kitchen is a must. And these quick chicken recipes include all of my chicken recipes in under 30 minutes and, even faster, chicken recipes in under 15 minutes. Sanity savers for sure. Busy weeknights have nothing on us! A few of our favorites from these quick chicken recipes: Healthy chicken Alfredo with broccoli Creamy chipotle chicken 20-minute chicken and tortellini soup with kale Skillet salsa chicken Easy creamy chicken This collection also has some healthy lunch recipes with chicken for mixing up your lunch routine. (It doesn’t include my slow cooker chicken recipes though, since those aren’t ready in 30 minutes. But they can be super quick to prep in the morning and then…
        • Chicken Recipes in Under 15 MinutesThese easy chicken recipes in under 15 minutes are perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight! From one-pot wonders to salads, chicken skillets to tacos, you’re sure to find some new fast favorites! You know those nights when you walk in the door and need dinner pronto?! Like, 5 minutes ago? That’s when I turn to these quick and easy chicken recipes in under 15 minutes. I can make a healthy, home cooked meal for my family and be sitting down to enjoy it in no time. Cause plenty of evenings, 15 minutes is often all the time I have – or want to spend – on dinner. I’m not alone on that, right?! You can browse below but I thought I’d highlight a couple that I make over and over again. A few of our favorite easy chicken recipes in under 15 minutes: 15-minute honey garlic chicken (gets rave reviews!) Southwest chicken skillet dinner (pile on your favorite toppings!) Quick chicken curry (perfect with rice and peas) One-pot low-carb leftover chicken recipe with spinach (my dad’s go-to recipe) This collection also includes some healthy lunch options that are quick to put together — like the Asian chicken mason jar…
        • Chicken Recipes in Under 30 MinutesThese easy chicken recipes in under 30 minutes are perfect for dinner on a busy weeknight! From one-pan meals to burgers, one-pot pastas to healthy salads, you’re sure to find some new favorites! Quick, easy and mostly healthy is pretty much the name of the game for dinner at my house. I love a home cooked meal and we eat a ton of chicken, which means I’ve come up with and found a lot of easy chicken recipes over the years. And this collection highlights some of my easy chicken recipes in under 30 minutes, when you want something delicious but need it on the table pretty quickly. Is that every single night for you too? We’ve got everything from skillet chicken dishes to chicken pasta and from soups and salads with chicken to chicken meatballs and burgers. All the chicken love! Many of these recipes use boneless, skinless chicken breasts (though you could substitute chicken thighs if you prefer) while others use ground chicken and some rely on pre-cooked chicken, such as a rotisserie chicken you pick up at the store or some leftover grilled or baked chicken. Lots of these 30 minute chicken dinners are complete meals but…
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    • Healthy DessertsThis collection of healthy desserts features everything from lightened up cookie bars and brownies to cakes, muffins and breads to no-bake energy bites. It’s the perfect way to satisfy your sweet tooth while staying on track with healthy choices! Healthy desserts are kind-of my jam. I like a dessert that gives back. One that has redeeming qualities. A sweet treat that’s going to treat me right. But of course, it also needs to be delicious so I actually satisfy those sweet cravings! The healthier dessert recipes you’ll find below are some of our go-to treats that are perfect for a healthier late-night option and many of which are great for offering kids a wholesome, but fun, treat for an after-school snack or tucked in their lunch box. Most of these recipes are whole grain and naturally sweetened, others are recipe makeovers that are lower in sugar and/or butter. A majority of them contain chocolate. 🍫❤️ And ALL are easy to make. (You can also check out my healthy muffin recipes and my entire category of sweets & desserts if you want more.) Here’s a few of our favorite healthy desserts: Healthy chocolate chip muffins Healthier no bake cookie bars No…
    • Healthy Fall BakingThese healthy fall baking favorites include everything from muffins and baked oatmeal to snacks to cookies and cakes. These fall recipes are whole grain and most are naturally sweetened for a wholesome, delicious treat at breakfast, snack, school lunch or dessert! Does anyone else get the baking bug when the cooler weather starts to roll in during autumn? I know I do! I get excited for all the apple baking projects, pumpkin baking projects and even getting ready for all the holiday baking to come! 🍎🎃 The spices, the warmth, the aroma of having something in the oven is just part of the season for me. Plus the love that comes from a homemade baked good – it just can’t be beat! ❤️ And y’all know my style is definitely a healthier version of baking. I use whole grains and most of my recipes are naturally sweetened. I try to lighten things up where possible and keep to mostly wholesome treats, maybe with a little indulgence here and there! 😉 Wondering where to start? Here are some of our healthy fall baking favorites: Chocolate chip apple cake Pumpkin baked oatmeal with chocolate chips Whole wheat pumpkin applesauce bread Easy healthy…
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Potty training essentials

July 29, 2016 By Kathryn Doherty

This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy

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Potty training tips, a list of 12 essentials to have on hand, our favorite products, some helpful resources and our story of survival!

Potty training is a rite of passage, an important milestone in every kids development and also two words that strike fear into parents everywhere.

Especially for those of us who have been there, survived, and then must face it all over again with a second child. Or third or fourth.

Of course, every child will eventually use the potty. Kids don’t go to high school in diapers.

But still, the struggle is real, y’all. This phase is no joke. And I think we can all use all the support, resources, advice, and potty training tips we can get!

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Potty training essentials - what you need to survive

No really, don’t forget those last two. Those are for you and your sanity is of the utmost importance!

As for some of the products we loved, here are a few:

Potty seat (we had 2 and that was really helpful)
Disposable toilet seat covers for when you are away from home (traveling, at a friend or grandparent’s house, etc.)
Step stools (these come in black, blue or pink) – We have 3 or 4 to use in various bathrooms, the kitchen, in the kids’ rooms to turn on lights, etc.

Elmo potty book

Sesame Street potty song – keep this pulled up on YouTube!

I also suggest you do a lot of reading. More than just this article here. Baby Center, Parent’s Magazine, Parenting.com and other groups have resources and potty training tips that are great to read.

Every kid is different and there’s lots of ways to go about this. I think it helps to read lots and figure out what feels right to you. 

And now, for what it’s worth, here’s what we did with our kids:

M: She was ready early and we potty trained her in one weekend when she was about 2 years, 3 1/2 months old. We went for the 3-day marathon potty training approach.

We stayed at home all weekend. On Saturday, we went to the potty every 15 minutes. Every. Fifteen. Minutes. 

She would sit on the potty seat, we would talk or read a quick book or watch this Sesame Street video. It’s emblazoned forever in my mind.

She loved the video – and it was a special treat to get to watch something on my phone, so that was good incentive to get her to the bathroom.

We had a sticker chart and that worked really well. She’s very motivated by rewards and following the rules, always has been.

She got one sticker for pee, two stickers for poop. (You could do three for poop for a kid who’s a little hesitant about that part.)

The first day, I think we gave her an immediate reward – to sort-of tie the behavior to the reward for her. It can be stickers, a small toy, a food treat or piece of candy, whatever works for you.

On Sunday, we went to the bathroom every 20-25 minutes. And asked incessantly in between trips.

Honestly, she did just OK. No major accidents but I remember my husband wasn’t convinced she had the hang of it.

“Are you really going to send her to school tomorrow in her underwear?,” he asked me on Sunday night.

I knew her teachers were on board and I knew the third day would probably let us know how well she got it. So I sent her in her underwear and crossed my fingers.

Her teachers told me at pick-up that she’d used the potty at school, no problem. We all continued to stay on top of her all week and for another couple of weeks – always asking if she needed to go potty, if she wanted to sit and try, etc. 

We kept up with the sticker chart for a couple of months. (Though with each new chart, she had to get more stickers in her row to get the treat… to phase it out.)

She was a champ. After that first weekend, she never had a single accident. 

Pros: It went quickly and, well, it worked. All that matters, right?

Cons: It was exhausting. That was a LONG weekend and I didn’t want to ever hear the word potty again. 

Tips and takeaways:

  • You must remain positive. It’s probably part of the reason it’s so tiring. But you don’t want them to think you are frustrated or upset, because that can make them hesitant or even scared and set things back.
  • Make life easy. Have food and easy meals prepped ahead (or a friend ready to drop something off) and clear your schedule as much as possible.
  • We put a ban on sitting on the sofas and any delicate furniture for the first couple of weeks while she potty trained. We sat on the floor to read books or she sat on my lap.
  • It takes some kids a lot longer to poop in the potty. Hang in there, be encouraging and be patient.
  • Similarly, going potty in a public restroom – or anywhere away from home – can be scary and intimidating for a little one. I like to put down a liner (or just some toilet paper if you’re in a pinch) and make sure to get them all comfortable and then hold on tight while they’re sitting there. (Usually it’s a fear of falling in since there’s no potty seat like at home.) They may or may not be able to go the first few times, even if they need to.

I also had a 2-month-old when M was potty training and it was not fun trying to juggle both, but it’s do-able and it’s nice to have just one child in diapers!

M was a heavy sleeper so we used pull-ups at nighttime for months and months. Once she was in her big girl bed and we felt like she could make it through the night and get herself to the bathroom if she needed in the morning, we switched her to underwear at night, too.

Kid #2…

J: His teachers suggested he was ready around 2 1/2. I wasn’t sure. I waited till he was about 2 years, 7-8 months old, and gave it the same full weekend try.

Total failure. I don’t think he peed in the potty beyond a small dribble. And that was probably coincidence.

He went to school in diapers that Monday. They say boys are different, and they are right.

We waited several months for round 2, when he was almost turning 3. I thought he was ready. He thought he was ready.

I made the decision that this was it and he was going to either use the potty or be making a lot of messes in his pants. No going back after the weekend.

Result? Check with me next week cause we’re doing it this weekend. Eek!

(UPDATE: J did OK over that initial weekend. We ended up letting him be naked on the bottom because every time he had underwear on, he would have an accident. Once he was naked, he started telling us he needed to go and we headed to the potty. It was about a week before he was pretty reliable about getting to the potty. And it was several weeks before he pooped in the potty. He either held it for his pull-up at nap or bedtime or had an occasional accident. But he, too, got there!)

I hope these potty training tips and resources help you prepare. It’s always nice to hear the experience of someone who’s been there. And I promise, you’ll see the other side of this!

In the meantime, good luck, and don’t forget to stock up on those supplies!

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but I receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated!

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Hi there! I’m Kathryn Doherty, a cookbook author, mom of two kids, and devoted food and home cooking nut. I’ve got lots of easy recipes and resources to help you get delicious food on the table for your family! More about me

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