Protect Yourself from the Summer Heat and Sun

Summer is a time for pool parties, beach parties, and sun bathing. However, with the suns rays growing ever stronger, you should take precautions to prevent overheating and dehydration.

Here are some summer safety tips as you spend your days in the sun and heat:

• When sunbathing, always wear sunscreen, preferably SPF 15. Make sure to reapply it every two hours.
• Try to stay in the shade during the hours between 10am and 4pm when the sun is at its strongest.
• Wear sunglasses and a hat when sunbathing at the beach. If possible, bring or rent an umbrella. (This is especially important if you are bringing the kids along.)
• Drink plenty of water on a hot day. You want to avoid any form of dehydration. Gatorade or Propel will also do the trick and lend some flavor to that water!
• When exposing babies to the sun, ensure they are wearing lightweight clothing, including hats with brims. Be sure to apply sunscreen to all parts of the body, even the face, back of the neck and backs of hands.
• For younger and older children, apply sunscreen thirty minutes before going out to the pool, beach, or engaging in any activities. Ensure you have plenty of fluids for them to drink, as well.
• If you go to the supermarket, or engage in any outdoor activity on a very hot day, dress in light-colored cotton clothing, wear sunscreen, and sunglasses, and be sure to bring plenty of water with you. Unfortunately, the older we get, the more likely we may suffer from dehydration.
• If you and your family are participating in any physical activity, make sure you are all well hydrated. Drink liquids every 20 minutes.
• If it’s very, very hot, reduce your activity to fifteen minutes. The moment you become dizzy or flushed – stop. Go to a shaded area, and drink water until your body has a chance to cool down.
• Take care of your pets. Ensure they have plenty of water to drink, and are kept in a shaded area in your backyard. Otherwise, keep them indoors, and limit their activity as well.
• Carry wet washcloths in a plastic bag, if you are spending the day out. This is great to have if you are feeling faint, or are walking for a long period. Another idea...keep this plastic bag in the cooler for a REALLY cool treat!
• When driving, especially in high temperatures, bring bottles of water and wet wash clothes, as well.

We have all felt the affects of the weather over the past couple of years. With temperatures in the 100’s, or above in most states, it’s important to follow these tips, as well as listening to the radio or news channels. Remember: Safety first, summer fun later!

Checklist for Your Family Beach Trip

Heading to the beach this summer? If you're like me, you always forget something. Use this checklist when packing:

• Large beach bag.
• Sunscreen Lotion, preferably SPF 15. (higher for the little ones - and your husband's bald head!)
• Lip balm.
• Lotion - the sun and salt water really dry out that skin.
• A beach umbrella if you have one.
• Adequate changes of clothing for the family, including shoes.
• Towels.
• Wash cloths in plastic bags or wipes in containers.
• A good book or two!
• Beach blankets.
• Pails and shovels.
• Frisbee and beach ball for the kids.
• Sunglasses.
• Brimmed hats for everyone.
• A cooler to store lunch, snacks, juices, water, and sodas.
• Your iPod.
• Beach chairs.
• Plastic bags (don’t forget to save one for the kids to store their collected sea shells.)
• Cell phone.
• Camera (disposable).
• First Aid Kit.
• Life jackets and flotation devices.
• Put cell phone and money pouch in plastic bag and keep in cooler. This way, you don’t have to bring a purse or worry about it being stolen.

Have a great time...and be safe!

What to Do this Summer? Fun No-Cost Ideas...

Although you may not be able to afford a summer vacation this year, there are no-cost, fun summer activities for the whole family. Check these out and feel free to leave me some other fun ideas in the comments!

• Go to the library! What is more fun for a kid than to go on down to the public library and check out a couple of books and maybe a fun DVD to view? It's absolutely free and most libraries have summer reading activities that reward your child when they reach certain goals. This will help keep up their reading skills for school in the fall :)
• Have some outside quiet time. Pick a tree in your back yard and lay down a blanket. Have some lemonade and cookies, and read the books you’ve checked out from the library. Take turns reading. Invite friends and their kids to join you. Make it a weekly event.
• Make a treasure box with your kids (this follows the popular Pirates of the Caribbean theme this summer). Have them scout around the back yard or beach for rocks or sea shells or any item they think would be cool to include. Have the kids make a treasure map and include some information on pirates found on the internet. Add some coins, and make a pirate’s flag with black fabric. Have the kids add their own symbols to it. Then the kids can bury it in the back yard or keep it on hand and add to it each year.
• Garden with the kids. Have your kids plant their own flower garden. Talk about each flower; how it grows, how much room it needs, and then give the kids a title, such as Director of Water Resource (this would be for one kid to oversee the watering of the plants); or Director of Roots and Shoots (this would be for another kid to oversee the weeding), etc. Also, give your kids some watermelon seeds to plant. You never know what may crop up.
• Take a bike ride. This is such a great activity for the entire family. You can even pack a picnic lunch and stop midway for a great time together! It's wonderful exercise and will really bring the family together.

No-cost, fun summer activities for the whole family can be achieved with just a little imagination and a LOT of creativity.

Tips for Sticking to Your Family Budget

You have a family budget in place. Now the hard part begins—sticking to your family budget. With the demands of all the wants and needs of kids, it can be challenging to keep a close eye on your money matters. Here are some simple tips to save money and help you stick to your family budget:

• No satellite – On average, the least expensive satellite package can run anywhere from $35-$40 per month. Multiply that times twelve months and you end up with a whopping $420-$480 per year! Do away with this single bill and your family can save almost $500 every year. Now that’s an incentive!
• Limited video rentals – Many families choose to rent movies for a family night instead of going to the movies. While rentals are a huge money saver, it can still get expensive if you go overboard. Limit your rentals to two every two weeks, for example.
• Return videos early – Another cost that adds up quickly is overdue rental fees. For the cost of a few past due days on one movie, you could purchase that movie and watch it forever if you wanted to. Write yourself a note so you won’t forget to return your movie rentals on time. Even better, try using an online video rental service like Netflix. You’ll pay the same each month, pay no late fees, and get new movies every time you return one.
• Plan meals before shopping – Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach. You will want to buy everything you see on the shelves. You may think it’s silly, but you will be amazed at the results if you try it.
• Buy off-brand products – Most off-brand products taste much the same as their counterparts. There are a few, like mayonnaise for example, that taste slightly different. For the most part, if you are trying to stick to a budget, buying off-brand products can save you a lot of money. And don’t forget to clip and use coupons, too!
• Bring your lunch to work – Once again, let’s do the figures. If you spend a minimum of $5.00 per day on lunch (that’s a cheap lunch!), at the end of the week, you’ve racked up $25.00. With gas prices on the rise every day, that extra $25.00 could come in handy if you drive to work, too. Instead of eating out, fix your lunch to bring with you.
• Drink water – Sodas are easy to grab and run with, but water is much healthier for you. Instead of spending money on canned drinks, buy a family-size pack of bottled water. You’ll save money and drink healthier.

7 Camping Essentials for Families

Memorial Day weekend is here - one of the biggest camping weekends of the year! If you're heading out and want some help getting ready, here are 7 camping essentials every family should have.

1. Tent, bedding and tarp
2. Clothing fitting for the season and area
3. Camp stove, charcoal and other cooking supplies
4. Food, water, paper plates, cups, flatware, napkins
5. Personal hygiene items
6. Cell phone, and flashlight
7. First aid kit

Is this your first camping trip? Your kids must be so excited! After all, taking a vacation where you can sleep under the stars; explore; have some home cooked meals; sit by a campfire roasting marshmallows, and tell ghost stories or sing; not being cooped up in some hotel – this is as exciting as it gets!


Ensuring that you are fully prepared, these 7 camping essentials every family should have are mandatory. However, you may wish to bring along other items such as a camera; fun games for the kids such as card and board games, or fishing rods (if you’re near a lake); and all of the necessary items you would need to cook; clean; as well as extra blankets and pillows. Additional matches and batteries would be preferable.


Camping has become more popular than ever, and it’s no wonder! Communing with nature; discovering new sites and sounds, but more importantly, spending time with your family without all of the modern conveniences and electronics which inevitably interrupt quality time spent with kids at home.


Another good way to prepare for your camping trip would be to ask questions at the camping store to ensure you have all of the items you need to make this a successful adventure. Who knows, this may be the beginning of a new vacation tradition for you and your family! There are so many places to see and experience; natural wonders which mesmerize kids, and give them a better appreciation of nature. Be sure to take lots of pictures! They will make a great addition to your family vacation scrapbook. Be safe and have a great time!

Reduce the Sugar in Your Family's Diet

Does your family eat a lot of sugar? A lot of candies, processed foods and fast food make their way into your household? As more and more families search for ways to try and become healthier, one of the most commonly overlooked health concerns is sugar consumption. While this is true, there are even more ways that sugar is incorporated into your family’s diet.

Here are a few tips for you to start reducing the your family's sugar intake.

• Brown Rice – White rice contains mostly carbohydrates, which converts to sugar after consumption. Brown rice offers full nutritional value and should be chosen over white grain rice.
• Whole Fruit – Most kids love fruit juice. However, there are fruit juices on the shelves today that are loaded with sugar additives. Instead of drinking fruit juice, opt for whole fruit instead, like apples, bananas and grapes.
• Vegetables – Lots of kids fuss over eating their vegetables. Even though this might be a huge hurdle for some families, incorporating more vegetables into your meals will reduce your sugar intake by far and large. Smart vegetables include green beans, carrots, tomatoes, and squash. Be cautious not to intake too many of the starchy veggies, like potatoes and corn, which contain high amounts of sugar.
• Snack Wisely – Families tend to snack a lot—yes, even parents. Make fun, healthy snacks for your family instead of binging on junk food. For power-packed snacks that will keep away hunger, use protein. A light snack, like a turkey and cream cheese roll-up, will keep hunger at bay a lot longer than a bag of potato chips.

These tips can help you get your family on the road to a healthier lifestyle.

7 Cardio Exercises - 7 Days of Fun For Your Kids!

We have become a sedentary society. What with all the T.V. shows, computer programs, and video games available now, it’s hard to get kids (and ourselves) up and moving anymore. That’s one big reason why childhood obesity is becoming more and more prevalent.

Now that the weather's getting warmer, getting your child in shape doesn’t have to be such a fight. Here are 7 ideas for 7 great days of workout fun for your kids. Why don't you join them and make it a family affair?

1. Tennis. If your child isn’t into traditional team sport, then tennis is a great alternative. It gives a great cardio workout while also working various muscle groups and improving hand-eye and overall coordination. Plus, even though your child isn’t necessarily working on a team, tennis is a great way to meet and socialize with other kids.
2. Hacky sack. This is a simple cheap way to get your kids up and moving. It also teaches coordination, balance, and helps your kids socialize and work together in a group to accomplish something. Plus, unlike most group sports, there are no teams so children are trying to beat their old records instead of trying to win.
3. Dance. Sure, you can enroll your child in dance classes, or you could just turn on the radio a couple times a week and make up silly dances to go along with the songs. This not only encourages movement, balance, and coordination, it also work out kid’s brains by getting them to be imaginative. We do this ALL of the time in our household. It not only gives us exercise, but lets us blow off some stress from the day at the same time!
4. Video games. These have gotten a bad rap in the past few years, physical video games have come a long way since the original Nintendo. Now there are tons of products available that get your child to stand up and move. One popular game series is Dance Dance Revolution (this is especially popular with our neighborhood girls). There are also games on the new Nintendo Wii system that encourage physical movement. These are a fun entertaining way for your kids to get a workout while they play video games.
5. Soccer. There’s a reason there are so many soccer moms around - because these moms know that soccer is a great way for children to get their heart rate up, improve their footwork skills, learn teamwork, and have fun at the same time. Plus, if you’re worried about the problem of intense competition, there are many areas with leagues that don’t keep score. This has been and still is a great way for your kids to stay in shape.
6. Swimming. Doing laps is a great way to get an aerobic workout without causing a lot of wear and tear on your child’s growing bones and joints. It’s fantastic and increasing endurance and stamina. Plus, a pool is a great place for them to hang out, play, and meet new kids in the neighborhood during the summer.
7. Jumping rope. This is a great workout whether it’s done the traditional way, or the newer more faced paced version. This can help your child meet new people, and some areas even have it as a competitive sport.

There you go - 7 ideas make for one great week of working out. Get out and have some fun!

Need Some Alternatives to Easter Candy?

Every year moms try to decide what to give their kids for Easter. No doubt the kids would prefer candy and chocolate, but if you're feeling that the kids are getting too much of a bad thing on a daily or weekly basis, there are some other alternatives to put in Easter baskets this year.

Fill their baskets with some of these:

• Fruits and cookies
• Mini boxes of raisins and low fat candies
• Hand puppets - they can make their own play!
• Stuffed bunny rabbits and jelly beans (no fat and low in calories)
• Brightly colored plastic eggs with coins inside each egg (kids love money!)
• Coloring books and crayons
• Small toys from the dollar store
• Bubbles
• Books (all ages love these)
• Puzzles
• Scrapbooking kit and disposable camera
• Snack size packages of Goldfish crackers
• Play-Doh (brings back memories, doesn't it?)
• Sugarfree gum for the older ones
• Packages of baseball cards (or in my house Yu-Gi-Oh! cards)

There are lots of alternatives to filling the baskets high with unhealthy candy...be creative and use your imagination!

Does Your Family Have a First Aid Kit?

Whether it’s the recent rash of violent storms which have plagued our country, or unavoidable accidents in the home; having a first aid kit is essential to treat anyone in your family at a moment’s notice.

Does your family have a first aid kit? If not, you can either buy a kit already equipped for home use or take a little time to put one together. Here are some items you will need:

• Bandages of different sizes, including triangular
• Tape, preferably adhesive
• Alcohol wipes (which you can buy by the box)
• Antibiotic ointment or creams (Neosporin)
• Disposable Ice Packs
• Disposal latex gloves
• Gauze pads of various sizes (including a roll of self-adhesive gauze)
• Tylenol, Advil and Aspirin
• Ipecac
• Antihistamine
• Epinephrine
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Safety Pins

While you may have most of these supplies in your medicine cabinet, it is a safety measure to be able to access these items if they were in one container. If there was an emergency, such as the recent rash of snowstorms and hurricanes in the U.S., this would be the first item you would need to grab as you exit your home. Perhaps your child fell off his bike and is badly hurt, having this kit immediately available can same him a great deal of pain until you rush him to a hospital or clinic.

You can also add to the kit any items you feel necessary. Maybe some things you didn’t have in the past when confronted with a home accident, sudden illness, or child injury. If your local community offers a one day course on first aid, which also includes CPR training, it would be a good idea for the entire family to participate. When faced with any life threatening situation at home, at least you will be prepared and have whatever you need to assist your loved ones.

Happy Birthday!

My baby is turning 3 years old today. At this time, three years ago, my water had broken and I was on my way to the hospital. She came three weeks early, but I was glad because she was already 8 lbs, 6 oz and she really didn't need to be any bigger! She was an easy pregnancy, an easy delivery and has been a joy to have around ever since.

Happy Birthday Livvie...we love you!

Play with Your Child - it Benefits Them AND You!

In our busy hectic lives, it can be hard to work in play time with our children. To properly grow and learn, children need to actively play. By playing with our children, we can make sure they gain everything they need from play.

Physical activity
While you want to let your child choose what they do and how they do it during play time, you can help encourage them to choose healthy physical activities. If they want to play a game, suggest hide and seek, tag, or anything else that will get them up and moving. Play also helps to support physical development. If a child sits in front of a T.V. all day, they’ll never develop their hand eye coordination, balance, or other physical abilities as well as they should.

Important bonding time with parents
There is nothing more important in building a child’s self-esteem and feeling of safety than bonding with a parent. If a child knows that their parent is there for them, they’ll grow up to feel safer and more secure in the world around them. You may think it’s just talking and spending time with your child, but to them it’s the feeling of being loved and protected.

Getting more personalized help with issues
If allowed to direct their own play, a child will re-enact situations that he or she finds important. They may also use play time to vent emotional frustrations that they probably can’t describe verbally yet. By paying attention to your child’s behavior during play, you can determine what their concerns and frustrations are. Once you know the problem, it’s a lot easier to deal with and fix.

While playing with your child is obviously beneficial to them, it can also help you out as well.

Get to know your children
Many parents of teenagers say that they know little or nothing about their child. A good way to know them is to start while they’re still young and work to keep it as they grow. Playing regularly with your children now may actually help you worry less about them when they’re older.

Helps you relax
When children play, they create imaginary worlds and situations. If you are actively involved in your child’s imaginary worlds, it can help you forget the stress of the real world.

Promotes physical activity
We all know how hard it is to stay active when there are deadlines to meet, bills to pay, and everything else to do. If we strive to keep our children active through play, we will end up being active with them.

Playing with your child is as simple as setting aside a block of time everyday. It may be difficult to rearrange your schedule, but it will be well worth it for you and your child.

Family Night

This term is no longer part of our everyday vocabulary. "Family time" is becoming less and less of an activity these days with both parents working, kids involved in numerous activities and no time leftover to have FUN as a family. It's time for a change. Certainly, there is one night out of the week that you can dedicate to spending with your family. Pick a night, any night and stick to it! Here are some ideas to get you started:

Play a board game
Scrabble, Monopoly or Clue would be a fun time had by all. Kids love to beat their parents at these games! If your kids aren't quite old enough for these advanced board games, the Leap Frog games are great starting at the toddler age. I've talked about them here before.

Go fly a kite!
...or some other fun activity. Windy days are great for flying kites. Rainy days are great for building a fort in the living room. Prepare hotdogs on a stick; then toast the old marshmallows; tell stories, and have a great time. If the family is into sports, get out the basketball and play a few games of HORSE. Or for exercise; why don’t you and your family go out for a bike ride in the neighborhood.

Bake some cookies
Take a vote on what they would like and assign everyone one job. For example; mom could make the dough; the kids could use cookie cutters to cut them out; dad could do the baking. Then everyone can get together and help decorate!

Other Ideas:

• Play Charades
• Instead of regular dinner - have a picnic in the back yard!!
• Frisbee
• Touch Football (girls against the guys)
• Scrapbooking - get out those holiday pictures that you haven't done anything with yet. Everyone will enjoy reminiscing and will love to help find cropping and decorating the pages!
• Have Dinner TOGETHER as a family!!

Whatever you come up with, ideas for family night activities can be fun and bring everyone closer together. That’s the whole point, isn’t it? With everyone going off in different directions, think of how wonderful it will be to enjoy each other's company once again!

Breakfast - the Most Important Meal of the Day

Christmas has come and gone and now the kids are back in school - I don't know about you, but I'm doing the happy dance :)

You probably slacked a little bit over the holidays...slept in late, made some HUGE breakfasts...probably didn't even have breakfast on some days. That's okay - that's what holiday/vacation time is for. Now that the kids are back on their regular schedule, I thought I'd give you some quick and easy (and nutritious) breakfast ideas to make sure they make it through til lunchtime.

Important info to keep in mind: Studies have shown that children who eat a balanced breakfast are more alert in school, perform better and in many cases are less prone to bad behavior than children who skip breakfast.

Give them Eggs – Eggs are versatile and nutritious, plus most kids like them. Start their day with simple scrambled eggs, you can add a little chopped ham, cheese, chopped tomatoes or mushrooms. Boiled eggs with slices of toast will go down well too.

Bake Ahead Muffins – Muffins aren’t always the most nutritious meal, but if you bake your own muffins you can use mashed banana and a little honey for a naturally sweet breakfast muffin. You can also replace half of the amount of white flour for healthier whole wheat flour. And don’t just stick to sweet muffins, try a savory bacon and chive muffin or cheese and ham. Bake them the night before for a quick and healthy breakfast.

Don’t forget the Fruit – Try a fresh fruit salad with a yogurt and cheerio dip. Using a rolling pin mash a handful of two of whole grain Cheerios in a plastic bag and transfer to a bowl. Fill another bowl with yogurt and let your kids dip the fruit pieces in yogurt then in the cheerio mixture. Whole grain Cheerios have a lower sugar content then many of the cereals on the supermarket shelves.

Pancakes in a flash – Prepare a basic pancake batter the night before, cover and refrigerate. In the morning, all you need to do is heat the grill and your whole family can enjoy delicious homemade pancakes. Serve with a little maple syrup or jam and some fresh fruit on the side.

Try Pizza for Breakfast - Split a couple of bagels in half, top with a little pizza sauce, grated cheese and some chopped ham. Place under the grill for a few minutes and you have a nutritious breakfast pizza. You can also use English muffins or pita bread.

Breakfast Burrito – Wraps are a great alternative to toast and cereal. You can make a scrambled egg breakfast wrap with a little bit of ham or cheese added to it or you can add a little cream cheese and turkey or even make a breakfast pizza burrito.

Remember, breakfast doesn’t have to always consist of the traditional toast, cereal and eggs. You can experiment a little to keep things interesting. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to always make the perfect family breakfast. If your kids really aren’t hungry at breakfast time, a simple banana and a glass of orange juice will give them an instant boost.

The most important thing is that your child starts the day with one or two nutritious foods.

Need some more healthy ideas for your meals? Healthy Menu Mailer provides weekly menus and easy-to-use shopping lists to get just what you need and feed your family in a healthy way! Click here for a free sample menu.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Happy 2007! It's time to start fresh and begin another new chapter in your life. You probably have made all of the same resolutions again this year (we all have)...lose weight, get in shape, organize your house, organize your life!

Sounds easy...right - the reality is...you've got your work cut out for you.

My resolution for this year is to get back on a regular schedule of blogging (after a much needed break) and try to help you achieve your goals for the year by giving helpful tips and tidbits of information on all of the subjects listed above.

Today I'll begin with your family. If you're going to make a change in YOUR eating habits, your entire family will be affected as well. Here are some ways to work together as a family and achieve some healthier eating habits for everyone!

The easiest change a family can start with is in food consumption. Obviously you'll need to incorporate exercise into the habits; however starting with food is a small step with measurable results. Simply do not bring junk food into the house. If you have chips, sodas and ice cream available, would you really be able to just have some grapes? More than anything you will need a change of mindset.

Sit down at the table as a family and get input from everyone. Talk about the health risks, talk about wanting to be around for the children for years to come. Make an agreement that there will be no closet eating. Agree to look for creative recipes so that it doesn't seem like you're eating rabbit food.

Forcing or demanding healthier habits is formula for failure. If you can make other family members feel that they are part of the decision and truly understand the importance of it, positive results will be easier to achieve.

Hold each other accountable. Give son permission to question mom why she's eating a donut. Agree to support, not ridicule. Accept digressions as temporary set backs, not failures. Agree that failure is not an option.

Make sure everyone understands the ground rules up front and, above all, support one another!

Stay tuned for more...

Picky Eater? Some Tips to Help...

I have been blessed with 3 GREAT eaters. Only this year has my 11 year old (girl) begun to turn her nose up at certain foods - personally, I think they're becoming "uncool." If you have not been as blessed and mealtime has turned into a fight every night, read on for some helpful tips to prevent your young ones from becoming picky eaters.

1. Make mealtime a family affair. Today’s families are so busy; you can rarely find a day when everyone is home at the same time. It’s often difficult to sit down at the dining table and eat a meal together. Challenge yourself to start eating dinner together at least three days each week. When your toddler sees his siblings, or parents, eating their veggies and meat, they will be more likely to try what’s on their plate, too. (See a Family Dinner Video here)

2. Don’t offer alternatives. It’s too easy to walk into the trap of cooking two or more meals. Some mothers with two or three children fix something special for each child. Stop the café-mentality in your family. Cook one healthy meal for everyone in the family to enjoy. Your toddler will fight with you at first, but eventually will realize that you are not a short-order cook anymore.

3. Introduce one new food at a time. Don’t try to overload your toddler’s palate with too many new foods at once. Present your toddler with one new vegetable for one week. He may not even try it for several days, but continue to offer it to him each time you cook it anyway. If you offer him too many new foods at once, he may feel overwhelmed and not attempt to try anything new at all.

4. Fewer or no more snacks. Don’t offer your toddler snacks or drinks throughout the day. Give her one snack at the same time each day. Instead of sweetened drinks, let your toddler drink water. By eliminating snacks throughout the day, your toddler will most likely be hungrier at mealtime.

5. Make mealtime fun. If your toddler plays with the food on her plate, don’t make a big deal about it. Instead, focus your toddler’s attention on something else. Engage your family in conversation about everyone’s day. Share your toddler’s accomplishment that day, like learning a new color or talking about a special activity. Draw your toddler’s attention away from the plate, and she is likely to eat her food before she even realizes it.

Dealing with a toddler who is a fussy eater isn’t fun or easy. Try these five tips on your fussy eater, and then implement your own ideas. Many parents deal with picky eaters, so remember that you are not alone!

What's Important in Life? Family and FRIENDS!

A very special girlfriend took me out to lunch today for a belated birthday celebration. We aren't able to get together as much as we used to, so we spent an hour and a half catching up, talking, laughing, breaking our diets and having a great time!

We all have daily responsibilities that keep us busy...and then BUSY takes over!

Just remember, family and FRIENDS are especially important in your life. Take the time to talk, laugh and re-connect with them.

Thanks Sandy!

What's For Dinner...Hello? Is Anybody HERE For Dinner?

I have 3 children - ages 11, 9 and 2-1/2. They keep me busy...REALLY BUSY! Soccer practice...homework...dance class...the list goes on and on.

What has happened to "dinnertime" in our society? I remember when I was young, we sat down to a homecooked meal every night of the week - all of us. Even when we got older and had basketball, softball, volleyball and football practices and games...we still somehow found the time to sit down as a family and eat dinner together.

Society has become so fast-paced that life begins to fly right by us and we tend to forget the IMPORTANT things...talking with our children for starters. What better place to find out what's going on in our children's lives than at the dinner table?

I'm just as guilty as the next mom...practices, games, dad works late, I don't feel like cooking...all of those things tend to get in the way of family time. My goal every week is to sit down to a meal as a family 3 nights during the work/school week. This might not sound like a lot, but it works for us right now. It's a great time to talk about the highs and lows of the day. It's also a great place to hash out problems with homework that may not have been resolved yet. I find out A LOT about my kids' thoughts, fears and dreams just sitting down at the table together.

A colleague of mine has just produced a touching video - you can find it here:
The Family Dinner Video
You might want to get out the tissues :)

Here's a challenge for you: sit down to dinner as a whole family at least 2 times this week. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, just "be" together. Let me know how it goes...