One mom’s messy, mindful journey to heal her relationship with food—while juggling chaos, kids, and cravings.

Janelle Hilton

  • Easter Recap 🐣🌿

    We started the morning with backyard egg hunting — and in the moment, I totally forgot to take pictures (which honestly means I was really present, right?). I made sure the kids ate breakfast before the sugar hunt, so I felt slightly less guilty watching them sneak behind a tree and devour their treasures like little candy goblins. 😆

    (Didn’t get a pic, but this gives the vibe )

    This was the first year Ashlyn (3) was truly into it, and that made everything extra fun. Liam (5) was in full chaotic energy mode later at grandma & grandpa’s — crushing chips on a bench, stealing candy from other kids, and just being, well… Liam. 😅 Ashlyn was running wild too. I felt like the only mom there with kids who seemed like a tornado in a sea of calm.

    By the time we got home, I was toast. Zero capacity. Couch mode: activated. Didn’t want to play, talk, or even parent if I’m being honest.

    And just when I thought the day was over, Ashlyn decided that she now needs to sleep with her door open. As if the light that’s already on all night long to chase away the “shadow monsters” isn’t enough — now we’ve got the hallway noises to keep her (and me) on high alert too. 😵‍💫

    But… I woke up today feeling intentional. Like I’m here again. Not just running on autopilot. And that in itself feels like a win. 🌱💛

  • The Lunchable Chronicles: Life with a Super Picky Eater

    If you’ve ever lived with a picky eater, you know the struggle is real. And if you haven’t? Imagine trying to serve Gordon Ramsay a microwave dinner — and getting judged hard for it. That’s basically my life with Liam, my 5-year-old food critic in training.

    Liam is currently obsessed with Lunchables. Not just any Lunchable — the ham and cheese with crackers one. Sounds simple, right? It’s just ham, cheese, and crackers. I thought, “Perfect! I can recreate this at home — save some money, cut down on processed stuff, and maybe add in a veggie if I’m feeling wild.”

    Spoiler alert: I was wrong.

    Let’s start with the ham. I’ve tried every kind imaginable. Thin sliced, thick sliced, honey-roasted, uncured, organic, deli-fresh — if it’s been sold in a refrigerated section, it’s been in my fridge. But Liam? Oh no. If it’s not that ultra-smooth, no-texture, slightly spongy ham from the actual Lunchable, he’s not having it. One sniff and he’s dramatically gagging like I just offered him a plate of slugs.


    Next up: the crackers. Again, sounds simple. Saltines? Nope. Ritz? How dare I. He will only eat Chicken in a Biskit — the saltiest, most flavor-blasted cracker ever invented. Honestly, I kind of get that one. They are weirdly addictive. But they don’t exactly scream “balanced lunch,” you know?

    And the cheese. Oh, the cheese. I thought I had nailed it by grabbing Kraft singles — because that’s what Lunchables use, right? WRONG. Apparently, the Lunchable cheese is even more processed (didn’t know that was possible), and Liam insists he can taste the difference. He took one bite of the homemade version and declared, “This is disgusting.” Meanwhile, we have a giant pack of Kraft singles from Sam’s Club slowly aging in the fridge because we thought we had cracked the code. Thank God my husband loves Kraft cheese, or I’d be weeping into a grilled cheese sandwich every day.

    So, here we are. I’m trying to be creative, stay within budget, and feed my kid something he’ll actually eat. And Liam’s just out here defending Lunchables like they’re the fifth food group.

    I know he’ll grow out of it eventually. I know his taste buds will mature and one day he might even ask for broccoli. But for now, I’m just over here trying not to cry in the Lunchable aisle.

    If you’re in the picky eater trenches with me — solidarity. We’ll get through it. One Chicken in a Biskit cracker at a time.