3 Helpful Tips to get your Kids Eating Healthy

When dealing with different families, I tend to find that, unfortunately, a lot of parents don’t pay enough attention to what their children eat. Even if they attempt to do right by them, it takes an extra level of care to ensure that young kids get exactly what they need – not just what they want.

But while there’s nothing wrong with eating a chocolate bar every now and then, but as Robert Urich said ‘a healthy outside starts from the inside’. As such, it really pays in the long run if you can ensure that your children eat well. This is even more essential for young kids, simply because they are all still growing, and without the proper nutrients they will not grow as well as they should be doing.

Thrifty Tips to Save Money

If you’re planning an extravagant summer holiday and need help tightening your financial belt, then you’ve come to the right place! Saving money is hard, especially when you’ve grown used to having surplus finances to use as you will, and when the day comes when you need to cut back and take control of your spending, it can be a shock. To help you control your finances, this helpful guide is filled to the brim with lots of thrifty saving ideas to help you gain the lifelong skill of financially managing your accounts, and subsequently you’re spending habits.

3 Great Ways to Stretch Your Money

Money management is a difficult task for many of us, whether we’re single or part of a family. If you're trying to save money or cut back on expenses, then it’s essential to take a clear look at exactly where your money is spent. These money-saving ideas will likely guide you to a happier financial state, regardless of how in need you are.

1. Budget
No, it's not something that everyone enjoys doing, but if you stick to it, you will be happy knowing where your money is going. Software programs such as Quicken can help manage your money and see where you're spending and where you can cut back. Some people are shocked by the fact that are spending nearly $500 a year on morning coffee or $1000 on lunches out.

Breastfeeding: Health Benefits for Mommy and Baby

Controversial as it may be, breastfeeding is actually quite healthy for both the baby and the mother. Those that choose to breastfeed can help protect their baby and themselves from a number of diseases. There are also a number of other health benefits to consider. Whether it's the baby's ability to better digest breast milk or the soothing feeling breastfeeding provides for the mother, breastfeeding should definitely be considered.

Here are the health benefits of breastfeeding for the mommy and baby.

Breast Milk Can Help Babies Fight Disease
A mother's milk is loaded with essential nutrients to help a baby be healthy and fight disease. Babies who breastfeed are less likely to experience diarrhea and ear infections. However, the benefits don't stop there. Babies are also less likely to get necrotizing enterocolitis, lower respiratory infections, asthma, and type 2 diabetes. Breastfed babies are also less likely to be obese.

Easy Ways to Save on Food

Guest Post by Dana Wilcox

New families often find it hard to keep up with new budgetary demands, because feeding three or more people, especially young children, is a lot more difficult than just feeding two adults. Plus, young couples may have eaten out quite a bit before becoming tied down, and they wouldn't have had to do any grocery shopping in the first place. Once your family decides to shop, you need to stick to a systematic, serious, thorough, and developed plan. Then, develop this plan into a routine, because this is the best way to save money, and you can plan adequately.
Here are some tips for reducing costs by sticking to a budgetary routine.

Shopping Your Way

Shopping your way is the slogan for Become.com. This online shopping site makes it easy for you to shop your way. You can compare prices as you shop to get the best deal for your money. I do most of my shopping online for various reasons. Saving time, money on gas (with free shipping) are some of the reasons why I shop online and the best of all the ability to compare prices from the comfort of your home.

In January, I wrote a post on the same website, become.com. You can view the post here focusing on how important and cost effective comparison shopping is and some big ticket items you can buy. There are some items that needs to be highlighted here. If you are in search of a bench dining set, this site has some great comparisons from various retailers. A cheap meat slicer for the health conscious people who prefer to slice their own meat, there are various option to choose from. For Mephisto shoe brand lovers, the various discount mephisto shoes on the site will be very appealing to you.

Whatever it is you are trying to purchase, be it high-end or low-end, you will find it on Become.com and the ability to do some comparisons before making a decision to buy is an added bonus.

Matilda

Guest post written by our friend Trent Horton

It is so fun to see my kids enjoy some of the same things that I enjoyed as a kid! I can remember when my mom would come home from grocery shopping and she would have bough gushers. I would be so excited that my brother would end up eating the entire box within the hour she has gotten home. My mom would get so mad and give us a speech about self-control, but it really went in one ear and out the other. I see my kids do the same thing and the funny thing is, now I am the mom that tries to tell them to slow down and save some for later!

The other day, my kids and I were watching one of my favorite childhood movies on direct tv Monarch Beach CA. Matilda was a movie that I must have watched a thousand times. I so wanted to grow up and be Ms. Honey! I could tell my son was enjoying it because when I looked over at him, he was smiling.

Prepping Your Garden for Spring and Summer

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Scotts®. All opinions are 100% mine.

Spring is here and it's that time for us to prepare and pre our gardens for spring and summer. If you are wondering like me, how to make your gardens grow luscious and beautiful then you must use the Miracle-Gro Expand ‘n Gro™ Concentrated Planting Mix. It is great for your gardening needs whether in-ground or potted and expands up to 3x when mixed with water and feeds plants for up to 6 months.

I am expecting my sample soon and can't wait to try it for the following reasons:

• Get up to 3 times the flowers and vegetable versus native soil.
• Improves soil significantly for multiple years.
• Planting mix expands up to 3 times when water is added.
• Feeds up to six months.
• Best of all, it is all natural and holds up to 50% more water than basic planting soil.

 

Expand 'n Gro is a unique blend of plant food and coconut coir fiber.  Coir is a lightweight  all-natural material derived from coconut husk and it comprises of two components - fiber and pith. The top producing countries are Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Dominican Republic and Mexico. This key component, helps the planting mix lightweight and easy to use. It helps ensure plants get the right amount of moisture and air they need to thrive.

I could go on and on to tell you the benefits of using Expand 'n Gro, hear from the experts in this short clip

Visit the website to learn more Expand ‘n Gro™ and receive a coupon towards their purchase. Expand 'n Gro can be found in most lawn and garden retailers in the Midwest, Northeast and Texas. Visit http://www.expandngro.com for in-store availability information. It is also available on Amazon.com.

You can get a sample size to test yourself and anyone who comments on this post will be eligible to receive a sample.

Give your garden a boost this spring!

Fitness Diary Week 5-6: April 2nd - 15th, 2012.

Purpose: to lose 29.4lbs(13.3kg), stay fit and be healthier.

Current weight: 162.2lbs(73.72kg) on Monday April 9th

BMI: 29.6 - overweight (progress...)

Goal weight: 135lbs(61.2kg) or lower
BMI: 24.7 or lower - normal weight for my height.

Weight loss activity goals for the week: Hit the gym 3 times this week for 30mins and avoid pasteries.

“Keep calm in the face of worries”

Coutesy of Opus Dei

 

If you fix your sight on God and thus know how to keep calm in the face of worries; if you can forget petty things, jealousies and envies, you will save a lot of energy, which you need if you are to work effectively in the service of men. (Furrow, 856)