Raise your hand if you?ve ever been mom-shamed by the PTA (slowly raises both hands). You see those perfectly made homemade cakes for the school bake sale, or the Pinterest mom who made all of her kids’ Halloween costumes by hand while simultaneously planning her sister’s wedding and throwing her neighbor the most trendy little baby shower.

Guys. As much as I sometimes want to be that mom, not only for myself, but for my kids, it?s just not always realistic. It?s hard to juggle business, the kids? activities, homework, and a healthy lifestyle, and STILL have time for all those extra projects and crafts!

(And can we pause for a second and mention that those moms who ARE crafty enough to master the Pinterest DIY projects and also serve on the PTA deserve a huge round of applause?!?!).

What I think we all need sometimes is a good, old fashioned Mom Hack. You know, a way to create something really amazing and fun for your children without having to spend a ton of time on it, all while giving the Room Parent from the PTA the impression that you did. I?m not talking about scrimping on those precious quality hours you and the kids spend together; I?m talking about figuring out ways to make some of your fun family projects a little bit easier.?

I?ve been scouring the globe trying to come up with the best new mom hacks to share, and I?ve found a few that passed the Powell Taste Test. We ALL enjoyed these projects AND the outcome!?

Fresh Fruit & Fruit Juice Popsicles

There?s nothing better to do any time of the year than enjoy a little frozen sweet treat, and the kids and I have found our absolute new favorite: Fresh Fruit Fruit Juice Popsicles!

What I absolutely love about this project is that the possibilities are truly endless, and it’s easy enough that even the littlest of kiddos can help! Plus, the end result is a sweet little treat that doesn’t have all the added sugar, calories, or fat you get from a lot of other snacks. So gather up your favorite healthy ingredients, and let’s get to work!

What you’ll need:

• Low calorie/No sugar added fruit juice
• Fresh fruit (you can choose berries, bananas, peaches…you name it!)
• Ice pop molds (I’ve added a few of my favorites for you here??)

What you?ll do:

• Blend your fruit and fruit juices together in a blender. Try mixing and matching different fruits with fruit juice flavors!?For an even quicker and EASIER way, just plop your fruit pieces into the molds with?the juice and freeze as-is!
• Pour the mixture into ice cub trays OR popsicle molds.

• Let them freeze for at least 3 hours.
• Enjoy!

Additional Quick Snack Mom Hacks

Frozen Protein Pops

Wanting something that’s more of a chocolatey treat? We’re on it! Just follow the steps outlined above but with a few small changes.

Remember these little gems? They caused QUITE the stir on social media when I originally posted them. Any idea why?! I can’t figure it out! 😉

What you’ll need:

• Your favorite protein powder. We obviously love chocolate!
• Water or your choice of milk. Unsweetened almond or coconut milk are great choices!
• Extras:
  • PB powder
  • Chocolate chips
  • Shaved coconut
  • Whatever you love!

What you’ll do:

• Mix your protein powder with your water or milk. Keep in mind the amounts will vary based on how many you’re wanting to make plus the size of your fudge pop (whether you’re using ice cube trays or the molds). A good rule of thumb is one scoop of powder for every 8 ounces of liquid.
• Add in your extras.
• Pour into your molds.
• Let them freeze for at least 3 hours or overnight.
• Enjoy!

Frozen Banana Pops

The Frozen Banana Pop is another super simple, yet ultra delicious treat you and the kids can make together!

What you’ll need:

• Bananas
• The extras: chocolate, PB, nuts, sprinkles
• Popsicle sticks

What you’ll do:

• Cut your bananas in half width-wise.
• Freeze for about 15-20 minutes while you melt your chocolate.
• Dip in melted chocolate.
• Cover with your favorite toppings (pb, nuts, sprinkles, chocolate chips, etc.).
• Skewer your bananas with the popsicle sticks.
• Put back in the freezer (we let ours sit overnight).
• Instead of covering your bananas with melted chocolate, you could also dip or roll them in yogurt and freeze that way!

Trail Mix

Everyone loves a good trail mix, and this is a totally easy project that won’t take much time and will leave you and your family snacking for days. Or hours, if you’re like us. We have a tendency to?devour sweet and salty snacks like these!

What you’ll need:

The ingredient list can be totally up to you, but here are a few of our favorites:

• Popcorn
• Gluten-free pretzels
• Chocolate chips or cacao nibs
• Raisins
• Almonds
• Cashews

What you’ll do:

• Pour all of your ingredients into a large bowl and stir until everything has been mixed well together.
• Snack and enjoy!

Frozen Grapes

So this one doesn’t involve a whole lot of instructions other than buying your favorite types of grapes, cleaning them, and putting them in the freezer! This is a super simple, totally healthy way of enjoying a frozen treat without any added sugars, calories, or fat. It’s?so healthy, yet?so delicious, that your kiddos will be asking for this on the regular!

Plus, it’s nice to be able to grab them and have a healthy snack during family movie night, family game night, or even for setting up a picnic in your backyard. Remember: It’s all about the hacks that save time, money, and extra energy so you can focus on spending quality time together as a family!

So there you have it! 5 ?simple hacks that create bonding and fun between you and your kiddos, help them feel accomplished, AND provide a tasty treat at the end. That’s definitely considered a win in my book! So now that I’ve got the treats covered, I need to know…what’s your favorite secret mom hack?!

xo

Heidi

Related reading:

Fun in the Sun: Healthy Summer Popsicles!
Kitchen Hacks: My Top Tips and Tricks!
Frozen Hot Chocolate Pops
#MomLife: 11 Life Hacks for Getting Fit
Beat the Heat with Chocolate Raspberry Greek Yogurt Pops!