My small dude made his way in to my room this morning even before I was fully awake, “Did you enjoy your day off, Mommy?”
I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly. Day off? It’s Wednesday. It’s 6:30am. I was pretty sure I worked yesterday. And I’m getting ready to work today….so….?
It IS early and I’m not a morning person. I shook my head to clear the ‘I-haven’t-had-any-breakfast-yet-fog’ and tilted my head in confusion.
“I did everything for you, Mommy. I made lunches for school AND I made breakfast.”
Breakfast. And school lunch.
At some point my life began this rapid fast-forwarding and my small people turned in to real people.
They morphed from crazy little beings who were always underfoot to the two you see here – a now third and fifth grader. I’d break out all of the cliches and tell you I don’t have any idea how it happened and I didn’t see it coming, but the funny thing is, I suspect there are a few of you out there who have or are experiencing a little of the very same thing.
The good and the crazy of it is they still like to surprise me with little things like making their very own breakfast. And they still let me do things like throw Back-to-School Breakfast parties for their friends and families….a little something I did just before school started specifically because breakfast is such a big deal in our house, it is the first meal we share together every day, cereal is a staple for us and I believe families need to start ‘rethinking’ the way they do cereal to make it not only an easy and quick option, but we sometimes we forget it is a healthy one too. (Think protein, grains, and fiber.)
This though process was the basis of our:
Back to School Cereal Recharge Bar
I structured it based on the experience I had with Kellogg’s this summer when they hosted their pop-up Recharge Bar in New York City. For a week they were open to the public, offering gourmet cereal options to inspire the breakfast experience. They, of course, brought in Tony the Tiger, Dr. Travis Stork and The Roots for education and entertainment.
I can’t say I was as fancy….I hosted an Open House – allowing families to stop by anytime between 8am and 11:30. It was at my home and well, my small people, my husband and I were the only entertainment offered – which only says so much. We laughed quite a bit, but there was no singing. We had nearly 70 people RSVP’d (this meant I was up at 5am slicing, chopping, pouring and arranging. I was nervous, but excited.
I offered that same gourmet menu.
Nearly a dozen Kellogg’s cereals
And as many fruit, nuts and amazing fun toppings as I could think of….just to get our friends, neighbors, kids and parents combining, experimenting, and RETHINKING cereal before their kids were heading back to school.
So many of our friends know that I have partnered with Kellogg’s for quite some time and am a huge fan, not only of cereal, but of the brand. For me, what I enjoyed most about the morning was watching everyone experiment, even trying new cereals…and realize that they loved adding nuts or fruit or even a second cereal to their bowl. It was mostly the adults who tried the gourmet menu – the Banana Nut was the favorite -I think I have hooked quite a few friends on Almond Drizzle. I’ve told you before mine is the Pistachio Lemon, and while I didn’t succeed in converting everyone, I do think so many walked away with *something* new that they loved – and THAT was the goal.
The series of Special K options were favorites with the adults and many of the kids. Naturally, the small people loved Frosted Flakes, but parents learned they could pour a bowl of one of the healthier varieties and sprinkle one of their child’s favorite cereals on top, add some fruit or nuts, milk and make everyone happy.
To challenge everyone to ‘rethink cereal’, I did ask guests to submit their favorite recipe creations and I HAVE chosen a few winners. The fun part (at least for me) is that the winners do not yet know what they have won – but I am excited about it and will be sharing both their cereal recipes and their PRIZES soon.
I will admit to being a *touch* exhausted when everyone left, but I couldn’t help but smile when one of my friends texted me pictures of their ‘dinner’ the next night: Cereal.
The text message said they were ‘rethinking’ dinner. And don’t think that bowl of cereal wasn’t filled with healthy goodness, because it was. She made a full meal out of it. I was both happy and proud. And this morning, when the small dude made breakfast? He did his share of ‘rethinking’ too.
What is your favorite cereal combination? I’d love to experiment with something new?
Disclosure: I am proud to have a long-time working relationship and partnership with Kellogg’s. I threw this party of my own accord…it was hosted by me, not by the brand. And as always, all thoughts and opinions are mine and mine alone.
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