Becoming a mother means becoming responsible for another little life, and nowhere is this more of a challenge for me than ensuring that my kids eat well every, single day. Dealing with fussiness has been an issue for all my children at one stage or another and adding the limitations of a food intolerance to the mix has seen me struggling to find options my children can and will eat.

Harlow appears to have some kind of dairy allergy and I can't tell you how frustrating this has been since yoghurt was a staple for the boys when they were her age. It was something I could feed them and know that no matter how they picked at other meals, I had managed to get something good and nutritious into their bellies. 

Not only is dairy out for my little girl but she is also the queen of independence which means no-one else can feed her. It makes ensuring she has enough to eat each day really tricky since she is ultimately in control of how much goes in. 

But spring is here and in terms of meal times, it is a blessing. Warm weather means BBQs! And this little family of five all love a barbecued feast. All of us. It's a miracle!

One evening last week, when the sun finally decided to shine in Melbourne once again, we threw down a rug on the grass and ate out. An impromptu picnic. It was awesome. The kids love it because they feel like it's something fun and different and I love it because the kids are free to be as messy as they are naturally inclined to be. Little animals.

Harlow was in heaven, helping herself to a bit of everything. I was beside myself with joy watching her munch on sweet corn, capsicum, potato and spinach leaves. At 18 months of age, developing her tastes is all about allowing her to explore food. It was kind of a big deal – especially since our last trip to the maternal and child nurse revealed Harlow's weight had fallen into the 10th percentile.

The kid needs to eat. And on this lovely evening, she did just that.    

Here are altogether too many snaps of our backyard picnic;

 

 

Win a pack of Bandana Bibs from Annabel Trends

Harlow is a serial bib remover. Hates bibs. In some kind of alternate universe, she did not seem to even notice she was wearing the sweet little Daisy bandana bib.

If you would like to win a pack (valued at $AU29.95), simply leave a comment below stating which design you would choose. Check out the choices here.  

Terms & Conditions

This competition is open to residents within Australia only and is a game of chance. Entries close on Saturday 16 November 2013 at midnight AEDT. The winner will be drawn randomly and announced on the blog on Monday 18 November 2013. The winner must make contact via email within 5 days or another winner will be drawn.   

Good luck!

Disclaimer: In addition to a small fee I charge for giveaways, I was gifted the Daisy bib you see Harlow wearing in the pictures and because I love you, I asked that one be gifted to a lucky reader via this giveaway. Thank you for supporting the sponsors who help make The Little Mumma blog possible.