Inspired By: Mom of Boys Sara Wells {Our Best Bites}

I’m really excited to start a new monthly feature on the blog this year–Inspired By–where you get to meet some of my favorite, inspiring mamas of boys! I always feel an instant connection to moms with boys, like, we just get each other. And I love talking to them, picking their brains. Feeling like we are in it together, supporting and inspiring each other. As it is with all moms right? I hope you’re as inspired by these women as I am!

Up first, mom of boys Sara Wells from the popular food blog Our Best Bites. I consider Sara a good friend I’ve made in this world of blogging. She’s kind, genuine and one of the easiest people to be around. She just happy and fun! I just adore her and know you will too! Oh, and she also has an aaaaaamazing kitchen. Stalk her on instagram to see it! 

Here we go….

First of all, tell us a little about yourself…

Hi! My name is Sara. I’m a Seattle native, who has since put down roots in Boise, Idaho. I earned my degree from BYU in horticultural science and worked as a Landscape Designer before taking an unexpected turn into food when my kids were really little. These days when I’m not cooking in the kitchen and writing for Our Best Bites, I love to explore the outdoors with my active family. We love skiing, hiking, snowshoeing and traveling. Then again, we also really love sitting under cozy blankets at home doing nothing but vegging in front of a good movie. It’s all about balance, right??

How many boys do you have and what are their ages? 

I have 4 boys- ages 10, 7, 5, and 1 (handsome fellas ~Kristy)

What was your reaction when you found out your fourth was another boy?

In one word, describe what being of mom of boys is like? 

Exceptionally fun. (I know, that’s 2. What can I say, I’m a rebel.)

What is your boys’ favorite meal or recipe you make? 

My boys are all little men at heart; they would all say a good steak is their favorite meal! 

What is the most challenging part about raising boys so far? Most rewarding?

I stress out about the world we live in today and my ability as a mother to prepare my sons to be warriors in it. I don’t take the responsibility of this mothering thing lightly. I want to prepare them to be good, strong young men who are kind and respectful and also have a drive to work hard and be successful. I think often about their future families and try to do my best to prepare them with life skills that will help them be good husbands and fathers. The most rewarding part of all of that is when you wonder if any of it is sinking in and you have one of those moments when they make good decisions on their own and you know something you’re doing as a parent must be working.

Do you have picky eaters? Or boys that don’t stop eating, ever?

All of my kids are very different when it comes to food. My oldest is my foodie. He LOVES food and has a huge appetite. He will be the one to eat me out of house and home. He sprinkles sea salt on his chocolate-covered granola bars and has a rather sophisticated palette for a 10 year old boy! I love sharing good food with him because I know he appreciates it. We call my slender 7 year old our alligator because he has about one day a week where he eats non-stop. He can pound down a couple of hamburgers out of the blue and then live the rest of the week on goldfish crackers and fruit snacks. My 5 year old is too young to be too picky and eats just about everything and my 1 year old just likes to throw everything on the ground. So we’ll see what happens with those last two, ha. 

Tips on getting them to try new foods or eat healthy?  

When they were younger, I realized that sometimes their picky-ness came simply from unfamiliarity. If I could relate the food to something familiar, they were much more interested in trying it. I told them that chicken curry was like the food Aladdin eats, and when we made grilled Caribbean chicken, it was something Captain Jack Sparrow would like. I also try to include them in the kitchen as much as I can. Kids who participate in the cooking process and get to have input in decisions (should we use the red peppers or the yellow? You pick!) are more likely to have interest in eating it.

What’s something your pre-mom self would totally laugh at or disapprove of, in the way you parent, something your kids do, the way you respond to your kids, etc?

Having boys has relaxed me when it comes to parenting. I’m not a pushover by any means, but I absolutely allow more messes and more craziness than I would have expected. I realized quickly that I would lose my mind if I stressed out every time they got dirty. I definitely have much more of a “boys will be boys” mentality these days and I embrace the crazy as much as I can.

And what would you tell your pre-mom self now, four boys later?

Slow down and take it all in. Take more time to drop everything and just play. Relax and have fun because it goes way too fast.

Thank you so much Sara!

In that last answer…”slow down and take it all in” was just what I needed to hear this week!! ❤️