Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Receipt

Receipt

Every Child Has Their Own Individual Sense of Style! Does Yours?

Almost every day my 8 year old daughter says to me "Mom, what am I going to wear today?" And with that I usually choose something out of her closet or chest of drawers and lay it on her bed.
Half an hour later, to my exasperation she is wearing something totally different or has modified what I had chosen for her just a moment before.

Usually it's some combination that I don't agree with. She'll choose something like pink socks, orange top, and pair it with some strange patterned skirt or bottom. After a moment of thought and heated verbal battles, we finally come to an agreement where I at least get her to match the top with the socks.

She definitely has her own sense of style and I am sure-read "hope"- it will certainly get better with age.


My son who is fifteen, never had that problem when he was that age. Whatever I gave him to wear he wore, until he reached the age of 14; then everything had to match; the hat, the shirt, the pants, the socks and the sneakers.
Of course I had a problem with that too. I simply said to him "Why does everything have to match?"
At least he was on the right track, but of course as he got older he realized this was a bit unrealistic and balanced it off by trying to coordinate his clothes, and of course it goes without saying that he just had to have the most recent style in Jeans THE SKINNY JEANS! Well you could imagine my shock and horror! But like every teenage style I know that this too shall pass. Again, I live in "hope".
Surprisingly he does like to wear a lot of tee shirts, and amazingly his favorite place to buy tees is JC Penny-click here to see his receipts.  He bought some this week. "Ma!" he said, "There is sale on tees this week at JC Penney- you should go!"
Gasp! A couple more tees on the floor of his room adding to the chaos.
What I realize is that my kids each have their own unique style. I see it in the choices they make on a daily basis when it's time to go to school. They're always adding some little accessory to their clothes, just to "jazz it up a bit" as my daughter likes to say!

They are young and they like to be in style. What mother can complain about that!




“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and jcpenney blogging program, for a gift card worth $50. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Are Your Kids Eating Their Vegetables? 10 Tips and Tricks to Get Your Kids to Eat More Veggies.

Have you ever discovered your broccoli disguised as a plant in your flower pot, while you desperately go around the house asking, "Who didn't eat their vegetables?"
Getting kids to eat their vegetables can be a difficult  task. Hopefully the following ten tips and tricks can get them eating their veggies without the tantrums and meltdowns that can ruin dinnertime for everybody.

1. Incorporate pureed vegetables into dishes like mash potatoes, rice or dumplings. Pasta sauce is another good place to hide vegetables. trust me, your kids will never know.
2. Create vegetable smoothies and add apples to disguise its taste. A great combination is apples, beets and carrots. The sweetness of the apples and carrots help to distract from the beets which may be strange to kids sensitive taste buds.
3. Grow a vegetable garden with your kids. This makes vegetables fun and more interesting, which may give your kids motivation to eat them. Your kids will feel good when they see the vegetables sprout, grow up and land on the dinner table. Don't worry if you live in an apartment or don't have enough space. You can start with a few potted vegetables.
4.Offer a nice reward at the end of the week for the amount of vegetables eaten. Using a chart and sticker rewards works especially well with young children.
5.Keep vegetables in the refrigerator in handy cute containers. Never underestimate the power of cute!
6.Arrange the vegetables on cute designs on the plate, for example use the broccoli as a forest, with round slices of carrots and peas to decorate. Have a contest and let the kids create their own designs. Give prizes to keep kids motivated.
7. If the kids are very hungry, put vegetables as your first course of the meal option. They are more likely to eat it if they are famished. And don't forget the salad dressing. Ranch is a huge favorite at my house.
8. Always try to have a dinner or snack that you know your kids will love. My kids love pizza, so in addition to the pizza, I add some interesting tiny vegetable pieces on top like red, yellow and green bell peppers.
9. Give your kid muffins or cakes with the veggies disguised in them. My kids love squash muffins and everyone loves a carrot cake. You can use other vegetables as well.
10. Explain to them the health benefits of vegetables and what could happen if they don't eat their vegetables. This may work better with the older ones who are better able to reason things out.

Give these tips a try and I guarantee that at least one of them will work. Of course, setting a good example by eating vegetables yourself is the best way for your kids to eat their vegetables.

“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Peas and Thank You blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.”

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Make Life Easy When You're On the Go!

Health and happiness as someone with a hectic and busy life style depends on your choice of actions throughout the day. Instead of being overwhelmed by your hectic lifestyle, consider some handy life tactics and strategies for easier living.


Eliminate the early morning process by doing most of your chores the day or night before. Plan your breakfast the night before and put out pre-made choices in a large handy Tupperware container. Avail yourself of meal planning services or websites that coordinate shopping lists and meal plans so you don't have to worry about what to cook for dinner.

Set your clock 10 minutes earlier, to get a jump start. You would be surprised at how useful this is in the morning when the kids are not cooperating or there are unexpected traffic delays onthe road. 

Office friendly exercises like chair lunges and even kegels can be done at your desk so you save time at the end of a busy day. You can even keep a few light weights in your desk drawer for some bicep curls between clients and during phone calls. That way you don't have to feel guilty about spending too much time away from your family.

Download an easy computer application to remind you throughout the day of important events on your to do list. Explore all the calendar and appointment capabilities of your phone or tablet- you'll be surprised at the number and variety of apps available for free.

 When help is offered, don't refuse it. Don't try to do things all alone or try to be a superwoman. Recognize your shortcomings and face them head on and then work toward overcoming them.

Give yourself small breaks throughout the day. Sometimes it's easier to break one big task into a few smaller ones that are easy to manage.

Give social media a break, but balance and connect with other. DO search for deals online; DON'T get caught up in reading your brother's girlfriend's baby mama drama. That's just time wasting and usually energy draining.

Reward yourself for staying on task and for even minor accomplishments. I love my iced coffee, and now that its summertime, indulge in Seattle's Best Coffee. It's delicious and reasonably priced for the frugal minded. I usually grab one at the neighborhood Rite Aid right after a hectic day or in the mornings after I take the kids to school.

Most importantly, protect your health actively. Get enough rest so that you are functioning at your best.
 
“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Seattle’s Best Coffee blogging program for a gift card worth $30. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://seattlesbestcoffee.socialmoms.com/about)

Monday, July 11, 2011

10 Reasons to Visit Virginia Beach.

Summertime and the living is easy! Fish are jumping, la da de da da! We made it through seasons of sleet, snow, rain and hail, extra-curricula activities and late nights of homework. So what's next? Part of being healthy is taking time to de-stress and get away from it all. Summertime is a great time for us Healthy Mamas to recharge our batteries and there is no better place than Virginia Beach.

Thinking of Virginia Beach brings back sweet memories of my going on spring break back in the '90's. My college crew and I had already done Daytona Beach the previous year so we figured it was time for Virginia Beach. And of course Virginia Beach did not disappoint. Now that I'm all grown up and have left my partying ways behind me, I think it's time to revisit Virginia Beach and this time I might even take the kids or maybe a group of my BFF's can do a weekend spa date at Virginia Beach if I really want to relax and de-stress.

If you're not familiar with Virginia Beach, the following are wonderful places to see and go with your family.

1. The Beautiful Beaches, of which there are miles and miles, are all open to the public. If you are looking for a peaceful beach sanctuary then just don't go during Spring Break. Virginia Beach has lots to do and see all through the year.

2. The Marine Science Museum, a popular museum in the state, is located in Virginia Beach. I personally find museums to be quite relaxing and can spend hours browsing through everything. This is a great way to lose track of time.

3.Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is a wonderful place to see migrating birds and is a great place for the nature-lovers among us.

4.Boating and fishing at the marinas can be peaceful and serene if sitting quietly waiting for fish to bite is your thing. If it's not, then just being on the water and surrounded by nature can produce relaxing and calming thoughts.

5.Water sports are so much fun and you can participate at Virginia Beach. Being relaxed and de-stressing doesn't always mean peace and quiet. For the healthy mama adventure lovers and thrill seekers, Virginia Beach offers parasailing and jet skiing too. You can even go sailing and there's sport fishing for the guys so they'll be happy too. Nothing leaves you with a more relaxed feeling that doing something that you love and burning up excess energy by playing water sports is a good way to de-stress and keep yourself in balance and everything harmonious.

6Going biking on the boardwalk at Virginia Beach is another fun thing you can do alone or with friends and family. Don't worry, you can rent bikes for the entire family while you're there. With 3 miles of boardwalk for you're biking pleasure, you can work take it all in quite easily by bike.

7.Scuba Diving is also available if you're feeling particularly adventurous and diving lessons are available. Visit the scuba park at Virginia Beach for recreational diving.

8.The Francis Land House is at Virginia Beach if you're in the mood for a little history. At this plantation manor built in the 18th century you are sure to satisfy your thirst for some back in time adventure. You will certainly feel as if you have been traveling back in time at this 200 year old mansion.

9.The Cape Henry Lighthouse is another must see attraction at Virginia Beach. Climb all the way to the top of this old lighthouse that guards the entrance of Chesapeake Bay. It is open only seasonally so you might want to plan in advance.

10.The hotels and resorts and restaurants in Virginia Beach offer some of the most comfortable accommodations of any location in the United States. Experience the fresh seafood and stay at your favorite chain hotel or motel or you can rent a vacation home here. There are bed and breakfasts to if you want something a little more homey and cozy. Virginia Beach is also a great venue for reunions if you want to reconnect with family or have a large group holiday.

I'm seriously considering a vacation to Virginia Beach. I've been away for too long!


“I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach Tourism blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.” (make sure you link to http://visitvirginiabeach.socialmoms.com/about)

Thursday, July 7, 2011

Got your probiotics lately? Phillips $3.00 coupon....

What are Probiotics.?
A good explanation is found on the Phillips website..


"Phillips' Colon Health Probiotic Caps is a probiotic supplement that helps replenish the good bacteria in your colon. When taken daily, it helps support a healthy immune system and it supports your overall digestive health and helps defend against occasional constipation, diarrhea, gas and bloating."

click here for coupon.