If You Drink Your Spinach, I'll Let You Take Your Fish Oils...

Caleb sporting his green spinach drink mustache.

I make my kids drink spinach on a regular basis.

Cruel. I know.



Unusual punishment? Sure. Some may think so.



Packed with spinach, kefir, soy milk, orange juice, blueberries, bananas, strawberries, nutritional yeast, spirulina, calcium lactate, and agave nectar - our spinach drinks contain essential nutrients vital to health and vitality. So, my boys drink it.



Some mornings they like it.



Some mornings they do not.





A couple weeks ago, we were going through a rough patch. It did not matter how I flavored the smoothie - no one wanted to drink it. Not even chocolate flavored smoothies.



Then we learned about Barleans Liquid Omega Swirl from Grammie. One small taste and we instantaneously transcended to a higher plane of oral sensory bliss. The boys begged and begged for more.



Naturally, I started to bribe my kids (and husband) with Omega Swirls.



Beds were made.

Faces clean.

Toys were shared.



Aside from the boisterous smoothie protest - life was wonderful. Almost perfect. Then brilliance struck. Surely the all powerful omega swirl could motivate my kids to drink their smoothies.



And it did.



A one cup consumption of spinach drink yielded one teaspoon of omega swirl - a.k.a. "liquid treat." When told they could have more "liquid treat" in exchange for another cup of smoothie, they got to work. They surprised me by drinking three cups of spinach.



Never. I repeat never underestimate the power of liquid treats. What would you do for a serving of Omega Swirl?

I'll Let You Lick That 9V Battery...

I admit to using bribes in dire circumstances.

I consider bribes to be my secret weapon.


Yesterday morning our fire alarm started the low battery beep. Nate removed the dying battery and decided to introduce our kids to the sour taste found on the metal octagon top of a 9V battery.


I thought the boys would hate it.

I should of remembered that I have boys.

BOYS.


From the first lick, Caleb loved it. The smile on his face spread from ear to ear. Each time Caleb touched that battery with his tongue he laughed with delight. He spent two glorious minutes basking in the joy that can only be found from licking a battery.

I had no idea that licking a battery would leave my toddler so incredibly happy.

For the rest of the day Caleb continued to point to his tongue with an expression of "I really liked licking that battery Mom!"


Nap time comes around. We are all really tired. No one wants to sleep - but me. In a moment of dire desperation, I caught myself wondering if the incentive of licking another battery would motivate my toddler to take a nap.

Something like.... "if we all take a really good long nap, we can lick batteries together when we wake up!"

I didn't say it...

but I really really wanted to.