top toddler food distractions

Have you ever planned a cafe date with a friend (and your almost one year old) and attempted to have coffee? Pretty fun. It always starts the same way; you convince yourself that it will be a good idea, and it will be good for you to get out. Moments later you are sweating profusely, partaking in a spoon grabbing, hot coffee dodging, sugar flying duel. Your friend who does not have children, now does not want them, and you regret leaving the house.

This is me. And I see others. What I also see, are gossip deprived mothers plying their kids with prepackaged snack after snack after snack. I've done it, and I had a bloated, crabby Harry all afternoon. So now I have at my disposal some much healthier options that aren't too messy, and at times give me up to 20 minutes of silent child pleasure.

My cafe plan

Leave the house when your babe is not too tired
Make sure they are not starving, but could eat something
Call ahead to find out if the cafe has a highchair, with four legs (preferably)
Bring very tempting homemade snacks
Bring a suction bowl to attach to the table
Bring wipes

- pick-n-mix fritters 
- chew me oat bars 
- mango banana smoothie 
- banana pancakes 
- zucchini slice 
- sweet potato tempters
- honey carrot chips 
- A handful of raisins

These are mine, and I will be adding to them. What are yours?