Stretch n Grow of Pinelands & Athlone

Making healthy food options fun 💚💫

Birthdays are special and it’s no different in our home.

Being on this journey, I knew that we would eventually hit this proverbial fork in the road - how would we celebrate our little angel’s first birthday without cake? I mean, you can’t have a birthday without cake, right?
At least I was told that (a lot!).

No shame or judgement to any mother who chooses otherwise for their children. I just knew how bleached, refined flour & sugar, artificial sweeteners & colourants would have me SMASHED. Naturally, I wanted better for our own developing 52 week old.

“Mom! Next year for my birthday, I want another watermelon cake!”
A few years on, the tradition and excitement to cut and decorate the watermelon cake together is real! I’m so relieved that it’s become such a thing, and even more glad that I stuck to my gut.

One of the rewards that we’ve reaped is the constant excitement and positive connection towards fruit on a daily basis. The baddie-laden impulse section in supermarkets doesn’t exist. The pomegranate pips in the fruit fridge is LIFE.

Looking back, I wonder if we completely avoided a minefield by not succumbing to the pressure a then? Sweets and junk are traditionally the means of showing love and invoking happiness in children, but we believe that can change.

Birthdays for us have now become a celebration of the little steps along our health journey and the sacrifices we’ve made along the way.

Do you have any special birthday traditions?

🍉🍇🍓🍊🍒🍍🍊🥝🍐🍏🥥🍅🫐

Let’s always make sure our children know we’ll never stop believing in them. 🌟🌟🌟

Are you looking for a few ways to have some family fun this October?! Here are 5 ideas to mark off your Bucket List!
✔️ Play in the Leaves
✔️ Have a Braai
️✔️ Take a Hike
✔️ Catch a Soccer Game
✔️ Visit a Farm

The kinds of food your preschooler eats and drinks are important for his or her health. Fruits, vegetables, grains, protein foods, and dairy provide the nutrients that their growing bodies need. Keep an eye on the amount of added sugars, sodium, and saturated (solid) fat that goes on their plate!

Welcome back SuperStars 💫
We look forward to a fun filled Term ahead 😊

Celebrating our heritage, today and always. Have a fantastic day, Stretch-n-Grow family ❤🇿🇦🤗🇿🇦🇿🇦

In this week, our motor skill is JUMPING! Jumping is the perfect way to boost gross motor skills and have tons of fun at the same time. If you’re looking for a fun way to use this skill at home with the kids, there’s not much better than hopscotch or jump rope!

Happy Women's Day to all of our inspirational women 💚