Meet Cool Mom Amber Carlson

It's Mommy Monday! Our latest Cool Mom is Amber Carlson. I met Amber in elementary school, and she was already beautiful and cool (lucky girl!). I tried to emulate her style, becoming obsessed with the Esprit clothes she wore, but try as I might, I couldn't quite pull off the look.

Now as a mother of twin girls, Amber is still pretty darn cool. I can't wait to try her homemade wheat sticks recipe! Read on....

Names & ages of children: Sadie Glenn and Trista Lee Carlson, 2 years and 3 months

Feel best about being a mom when: I see the girls hug and kiss each other or if one is crying the other one will pat their back.

Stopped feeling guilty about: The house NOT being clean all the time and picked up.

Favorite family ritual: With hubby we do homemade buttermilk biscuits or chocolate chip pancakes on the weekends. Without the hubby the girls and I run thru Sonic at least once a week while we are out running errands. The second one sounds a little pathetic but it's like a field trip for me!

Best family vacation: Took the girls to Florida last summer for 12 days. They loved chasing the sand pipers, sifting sand through their hands and running into the ocean. They had no fear.

How do you find time for yourself? I have an incredibly supportive husband who gives me the evening off if I want to go out or because he's off every Friday I get out for several hours and do whatever I want to do. 

Biggest mom-stresser? Trying to get my kids to eat their vegetables. The pediatrician says to stop worrying but it stresses me out way more than I thought it would. 

What do you see your kids doing that you have no idea where they got it? So far everything I've seen them do I know exactly where they got it from. :)


Go-to kid snacks: Love the dried veggies in the produce section. The girls will eat those! And Wheat Sticks that I make. (see recipe below)

Biggest timesaver: I always have whole wheat pancake batter pre-made in the fridge. And my favorite is crock pot oatmeal - put it on at night and it's ready in the a.m.

I keep organized by: I'd label everything if I could. I love my LABEL maker!

Best piece of parenting advice: Don't tell your kids what to think - let them think for themselves. Let them explore, be creative and get messy. 

What I read online: I read reviews on anything I'm about to purchase - my little brother taught me that. :) I have enjoyed listening to various podcasts. I listen to This American Life (NPR), Stuff Mom Never Told You and Truth Driven Thinking.

My mom style is:  Hands down: T-shirt and Jeans

Most special moment as a mom so far? The girls have just started saying "Thank you, Mommy" and tonight Trista said "Goodnight Mommy" for the first time. Or sometimes they will caress my face softly.
 

Wheat Sticks Recipe:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup finely chopped nuts(i use pecans or even pecan meal)

1/4 cup coconut(sweetened or unsweetened)

1/2 cup ice water

1/3 cup oil ( i use canola)

Mix oil and water and then add to dry mixture to make a stiff dough. Roll out on cookie sheet and cut into squares or diamonds. I do this by using a long knife to make perforated edges but don't cut all the way through. Then when it's done baking I can just break the pieces off easily. I roll it about as thin as a cracker.

BAKE at 325 degrees for 20 minutes

ENJOY