The back-to-school grind is VERY REAL #amiright?! So I’m always looking for ways to simplify…whether that’s what to fix for breakfast, a quick and yummy treat for lunches, or something educational to keep the kids busy while I get a meal cooked! I’m not only a mom of two, but I’m also a nanny to two! My days are crazy busy tending to kids’ needs, and Cheerios has found a way to help me out! PRAISE HANDS!!!

I’m going to show you how I used different kinds of Cheerios throughout one of my recent manic weekdays! The little ones you see are the boys I nanny, Cal and Row, just in case you’re confused as to where the minis are…trust me, they’re reaping the benefits of the cereal bars 😉

Let’s start with a bowl of cereal, shall we?!

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios…but here’s the deal…it MUST have bananas in it! The combination is incredible; don’t knock it til ya try it! Come to think of it, a banana honey nut Cheerios flavor would be amazing {runs and emails Cheerios marketing now} 🙂 I also love that these are made with real honey (my Uncle John is a beekeeper and makes honey…yay bees), and are naturally gluten free.

Next up, I headed out and about with the boys!

I brought along a snack cup filled with Very Berry Cheerios! Cal and Row’s mom is extremely careful about what she puts in her boys’ bodies, and I try to follow her same guidelines when I’m with them! With no colors from artificial sources, no artificial flavors, and no high fructose corn syrup, I got the thumbs up 🙂

Time to stall, err, I mean LEARN!!!

Okay moms (or nannies), let’s be real…sometimes you need to just get stuff DONE! Whether it’s cook dinner, fold a load of laundry, type up some blog posts, send some emails, etc. So I came up with a little game for Cal, who just turned 3, that not only was fun for him, but also educational! We used the Fruity Cheerios, which have four different flavors and thus four different colors! I put one of each color in a bowl to start him off, and then told him to continue to put the colors that go together, in their respective bowls. It kept him occupied, and full, as he sampled about as many as he sorted! 😉 And I even made a little video with Cal and Row, and it is PRECIOUS.

Make a special treat for my minis to celebrate going back to school!

My minis started to school this week, but the boys still have another week at home, and they LOVE to help me in the kitchen (and they love my daughters)! So I asked if they wanted to make them a special treat using the Chocolate Cheerios…I had Cal at “chocolate” because he knew he was going to get a few of them too 😉 We simply melted the marshmallows and butter and poured the mixture over the cereal and pressed it into a pan! The minis were excited to have a treat greet them in the carpool line, and even got them as a surprise in their lunches the next day (or two) 😉 These make a nice gluten-free dessert, or an easy gift to give someone who is g-free!

A guilt-free treat, for ME!

This summer has been crazy, and I’ve vowed to take better care of myself now that the minis are in school full-day again! This includes eating better, of course, but I still craaaaaave chocolate! So I put some greek vanilla yogurt in a bowl, sprinkled on a few chocolate Cheerios for crunch, and fresh tart raspberries on top. The perfect end to a busy day…now to do it all again tomorrow! 🙂