This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group®, but all my opinions and DIY waffle bar are my own. #pmedia #AddSpirit2Breakfast http://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV

Our weekday mornings can get pretty crazy. We almost always have bonus kids, sometimes getting up to 7 extras all with their own different schedules to keep up with. So, to keep things running smoothly, I created a breakfast schedule with the help of the kiddos to keep everyone happy. With Eggo waffles being a favorite breakfast for all of them, the kids immediately declared every Wednesday as Waffle Wednesday, and I thought up the idea of a waffle bar with some inspiration from one of our favorite shows, “Spirit Riding Free”.

DIY waffle bar

Each Walmart shopping trip, we load up on all of our favorite varieties of Eggo waffles: this week it was Chocolatey Chip, Buttermilk, and Cinnamon Toast, along with a Reddi-Wip can that makes any meal feel special. While I’m there shopping, I make sure to pick up a variety of toppings that will make fun additions to the waffle bar. These toppings range from fresh fruits and berries to spreads and syrups, and always with a dollop of Reddi-Wip to the top.

Since we’re finally at the stage when the kids can make breakfast all on their own {woohoo!}, I prepare the waffle bar additions each Tuesday night and leave them in the fridge for the kids to grab out and serve all by themselves the next morning. That frees me up to do hair and help with last minute emergencies while breakfast runs smoothly without any hands-on help from me. The system works really well, and they have so much fun adding spirit to their breakfast all by themselves.Speaking of spirit, you may have noticed a “Spirit Riding Free” theme to the breakfast bar. What started as a joke after we watched “Spirit Riding Free” and laughed our way through the episode where Lucky’s dad burnt the pancakes has become part of our breakfast mantra: Freedom and Friendship.

Freedom to choose their own fuel

I encourage the kids to get as creative as they can with the waffle bar ingredients, giving them the freedom to choose their own unique flavors and pairings that make them excited and add spirit to their day. The results aren’t always combinations I would choose, but the kids always have fun experimenting. And, hearing the kids giggling and bonding through breakfast while they create new “recipes” makes me so happy.

Just like Freedom and Friendship, Eggo and Reddi-Wip make a great pair when it comes to breakfast time. What could be better than warm, fluffy and delicious waffles topped with the very best dairy cream? With real cream and less hydrogenated oils than other frozen whipped toppings, Reddi-Wip is always our first choice of store-bought whipped toppings, and it is perfect on a toasted crisp Eggo waffle or French Toast. The best part? Breakfast is done in minutes, which gives extra time for adding all that spirit that they love.

We love the traditional Buttermilk Eggo waffles, but recently we’ve begun adding in some fun new varieties to our waffle bar, including my favorite – the Eggo Cinnamon Toast. Since I love all things the wrong size, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that I love the mini Cinnamon Toast. Whether you keep the toast as one big slice with one kind of topping or you break them into their mini fourths and top each one differently, they are an incredibly fun addition to our waffle bar.

Inspiration: Spirit Riding Free

If you’re looking for more fun and inspiration for your own waffle bar, I would highly recommend checking out “Spirit Riding Free” on Netflix and visiting the show’s activities page. I’ve talked before about how much we love the show, so hopefully you have all had a chance to check it out.

But if you haven’t, here’s what you need to know: “Spirit Riding Free” is set during the 19th century in the small town of Miradero, Texas. The hero of the show is a 12-year-old girl named Lucky and her wild kiger mustang named Spirit. With Lucky’s amazing friends, Pru and Abigail {and their beloved horses}, everyday is an adventure and friendship is always at the heart of what they do. As entertaining and funny as each episode is, I especially love the running theme of girl empowerment. The cornerstone of the show is friendship and loyalty, but it’s always done with such a wonderful emphasis on positive messages, especially for young girls.

Set a date to watch “Spirit Riding Free” with your kids and then set them up their own DIY waffle bar to let them add spirit to their breakfast. What toppings do you think your kids would love the most?