Green Halloween is More than Being "In Style"

Halloween is a magical time of the year for my children.  Not as cool as Christmas but I think it's their second favorite holiday.  Every year, I actually do worry about all the candy they are receiving in their trick or treat bags.  I want them to have fun but I also want it to be something of a healthier and safer event for them to participate in.  Candy is fun and a wonderful treat for kids but when you have a bag over flowing with enough candy to last months, it's perhaps too much.  Thanks to Corey Colwell-Lipson in 2006, she realized how kids needed an alternative to all the sugary foods and that there was a better way to provide treats to kids in the form of items that were non-candy and earth friendly.  


This is where Green Halloween came about.  Since then, it has formed many alliances to get the word out and to inspire other parents and cities to jump on board to make Halloween healthier.  There are many ways you can join the movement:

• Bring Green Halloween to your city by being a volunteer coordinator
• Host a costume exchange - what better way recycling those costumes without the exchange of money?
• Talk to your children's school about Green Halloween
• Purchase Green Halloween products

There are many other ways to join and you can click on Green Halloween to find out more.

Some other easy ways to make Halloween healthier:

• Reuse decorations - I always put mine away for the following year and what I don't want, I give away.
• Walk from house to house - in our old neighborhood, I couldn't tell you how many parents were actually driving their kids around the neighborhood.  
• Give healthier snacks like Stretch Island Fruit Co. Fruit Strips.  Real fruit snacks beats snacks high in high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar.
• Compost pumpkins to save landfill space
• Instead of sweets, try stickers and other small treasures.

Those are just a few ideas and there are many more.  Just check out Green Halloween for more information and Stretch Island Fruit Co. for great alternatives to candy this year.

Follow Stretch Island on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date.

  

*Disclosure:  I participated in a conference call about Green Halloween and received a Halloween bag of Stretch Island Fruit Co. samples.  I was not financially compensated for this post.

DreamWorks Pictures Real Steel Prize Pack Giveaway 10/22 US & Canada

Real Steel is DreamWorks Pictures' latest movie getting ready to punch its way to the box office as being a win!  The boys and men will love the competition and boxing component not to forget there are robots involved and the ladies ... well, we get Hugh Jackman so enough said!  Real Steel will be released October 7 so get ready for some serious robotic matches as its set in the future where robots replace man.  Directed by Shawn Levy who also directed Night at the Museum and Date Night.  The story of Charlie Kenton, played by Hugh Jackman, is financially strapped and looking for a way out of his situation.

Each robot has their own look, personality and color scheme and range in size from 7'6" to 8'5" in height.  One of my favorite boxers, Sugar Ray Leonard, was brought in to serve as the boxing consultant so the boxing should be fantastic!

You can get a jump on the movie and enter to win a great Real Steel prize pack too!

After you enter, check out the new Charlie & Max trailer:



The Giveaway:

- REAL STEEL t-shirt in adult  sizes of S, M, L, XL

- REAL STEEL bottle opener

- REAL STEEL stickers

- REAL STEEL temporary tattoos

 

 

Click here for all my other giveaways.

*Disclosure: I was provided the information and gift pack from DreamWorks - I was not compensated.

The Middle Season 2 on DVD/Blu-Ray: The Axl Factor

How many times do you have to pick up after your husband and children?  It's one thing when they are little but when they start getting some independence, it's time to learn on their own?  I can't even imagine having to pick up after my older kids especially if they had bad habits that infringed on the smell factor.  I can totally understand how Mike, of The Middle, banned his son, Axl, from playing on his basketball team's final game as punishment.  Sometimes you just have to hit them hard to bring the point home.  


In spite of basketball being a big thing in the Heck family, sometimes priorities do mean a little more and I agree with what Mike did.  My oldest lied to me and I mean a blatant lie.  It was one of those ones where she knew better so I grounded her for a month.  She might have thought it was extreme but I felt it was warranted.  Of course, she was able to weasel out of it by playing on my sympathy as she was so good at.  She ended up serving a few days and I let her off the hook with a stern warning.


Buy The Middle Season Two on DVD/Blu-ray now!


Also, check out The Middle on Facebook.












*Disclosure:  I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Middle Season Two on DVD.

Children with Balding Conditions

Hair loss can be just as traumatic for children as it is for adults. However, balding in children is typically a temporary condition if treated properly. Our Bosley doctors who specialize in hair loss helped put together this short guide on balding to help educate parents.

Balding in children is usually caused by one of these five conditions: Alopecia Areata, Tinea Capitis, Traction Alopecia, Trichotillomania, or Telogen Effluvium.

Alopecia Areata is a common form hair loss in children. The causes of this patchy hair loss are a mystery, but it is not life threatening. Most children will regrow their hair in this area.

Tinea Capitis is a disease that is caused by a fungal infection. It usually attacks the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes and is commonly known as “ringworm of the scalp”. The exposed scalp is often a round shape and may have a stubbled appearance. This condition is transmitted through infected children, but is not dangerous and is treatable by a general physician.

Traction Alopecia is physical damage to the hair and is usually seen in adults who commonly style their hair with curling irons, blow dryers, straighteners and other products. Children using these products for styling can experience damage even more serious than seen in adults, since children’s hair is more fine and delicate. Tight braids and hairstyles can also cause damage to children’s hair, if overdone.

Trichotillomania can be experienced by children and adults. It is the compulsion to pull out one’s hair. Usually it results in irregular patches of hair loss and may include eyebrows and eyelashes. Some cases may resolve spontaneously, when the children outgrow the hair-pulling habits, but always talk to your doctor about any concerns with your child’s health.

Telogen Effluvium is a temporary hair loss in the wake of emotional stress or a severe fever or flu. Unless there is another factor of stress or illness, the hair will slowly replace itself.

The first key in finding a solution for hair loss or balding is consulting with your physician or pediatrician. Most causes of hair loss in children are temporary, if treated promptly by a medical professional. Children can experience permanent hair loss if conditions like Traction Alopecia or Trichotillomania are left untreated. For more information about Bosley Medical, you can go to www.Bosley.com or call 1-888-820-4247.

*Disclosure:  I received no compensation for this post nor am I endorsing the treatment option contained in the post.

Join the Book Lovers Blog Hop: October 2011 & Win

Hop Rules:

1. Follow the Top link of the hop! Hop Host: Families Matter
2. Grab the button for the hop and place it in a post, sidebar, or on a blog hop page and let us know where it is in the comments section below. 
3. This will help the hop grow and gain us all new followers. It's a Win-Win for everyone!
4. Grab the button for the World of Ink Tours and place it in a post or side bar. 
5. Make sure you let us know where it is in the comments section below

Book Giveaway Rules:

1. Join the Book Lovers Blog Hop. (One entry)
2. Follow the World of Ink Tour and leave a comment per tour blog stop. Make sure to include your safe email so we can contact you if you are the winner. Example: vsgrenier AT storiesforchildrenpublishing DOT com. (One bonus entry per blog stop)
3. Ask a question per World of Ink Tour blog stop. (One bonus entry per tour blog stop)

Mindbloom: Interactive Life Improvement Service Review & 5 Winner Giveaway 10/22

 

If you are a regular to my blog, you know that I've been trying to make the baby steps to get healthier for about a year or so.  I'm part of a women's group called Mamavation to keep the motivation going and still always like to find something that will inspire me.  Now, I have found or it has found me in the form of an online interactive service called Mindbloom.  I was able to try a complimentary test run of it.  It's really a nice feature to help a person gain in many areas by using behavioral science, personalized media and fun social gaming.  It's simple to use and really gets you thinking.  It's like the Farmville of health where you actually are doing good things to feel better in many areas.


Some Quick Details:

• Discover and add inspiration
• Connect socially (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, etc)
• Add friends 
• Send snail mail
• Market place to buy features
• Works on iPhone and Android phones 
• Free to use but an optional upgrade is available

You choose different areas you want to work on such as your lifestyle, career, creativity, spirituality, health, relationships and finances.  You decide what is important and grow your tree.  When you accomplish your tasks, you get to water your tree and watch it grow.  It really is full of endless possibilities of what you can do and one of the biggest features that appeals to me is you can set your tasks to the timing you want so you won't forget them such as drink more water, exercise, read something career related, take a course and so forth.  It's a great goal setting tool to manage so many aspects of your life.

I'm still learning about Mindbloom but so far, I'm sold.  I love the constant reminders to complete my tasks along with all the great recommendations to help me meet my goals and to introduce some goals I didn't know I wanted!  The online features are superb in that if you need to learn something, you can click and it takes you to a site that has more information.  So far, it seems endless!

I will be posting a later update as to what else I've learned as well as what it has helped me to accomplish.

Check it out here at Mindbloom.


The Giveaway:


Five readers will win a lifetime membership which is a $34 value until November 1st and then it will be $89 so jump on board now, what do you have to lose?  It's fun and motivating!

Freschetta: How You Can Make a Difference and Win Breast Cancer Pack 10/22

I seem to be one of the few who can actually state that I don't know of any family members that passed away due to breast cancer.  I can say that my maternal great-grandmother had breast cancer but she was one of the rare ones who beat it as that was quite some time ago.  She is no longer with us but that is not what took her life.  You are seeing a lot about breast cancer awareness because it's the time to bring attention to the countless number of mothers, grandmothers, aunts, sisters, cousins and friends who have bravely fought the battle.  Some won and some lost but each of their memories helps to inspire us to move forward to find that cure.  Freschetta pizza and Artisan Pizza Crusts are proud to support October as the National Breast Cancer month with the Freschetta Proud to Support Pink program from September 25th through October 31st.

When you purchase specially marked packages of Freschetta pizza and Artisan Pizza Crusts, you will be helping them reach their goal of a $50,000 donation to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.  When you purchase one of the specially marked packages, there is a code that you can enter at www.ProudToSupportPink.com and for each code entry, Freschetta will donate $1.00 to this center to support breast cancer research, up to $50,000.

On this site, you can share your journey or your loved one's journey.  The stories will be displayed on www.ProudToSupportPink.com and on Freschetta's Facebook page to inspire others.  Freschetta will also be giving away 50 pink iPod shuffle players each week in October as part of the giveaway.  50 additional iPod shuffles will be distributed to four cancer centers around America for those undergoing treatments.

I received a complimentary coupon for a free Freschetta pizza which I chose Freschetta Naturally Rising Signature Pepperoni and we just had it for lunch.  The pepperoni has a tangy, smoky flavor (at least to me it did) and was delicious.  The crust was nice and crispy and my whole family loved it.  It had just the right amount of cheese, sauce and pepperoni.  This definitely rivals any pizza you pick up the phone to order.  It's convenient, easy and quick!  Just pop in the oven and in no time, you have a hot, delicious pizza.

I also received these really nice pink earphones that I can give one set away and keep another.  What a nice way to bring awareness to breast cancer awareness month with wearing earphones that others will see are pink and know what it means.

The Giveaway:

Photo from MamaMommyMom

One reader will win the same prize pack as I did.  Two Freschetta coupons and two sets of these cute pink earphones packaged in these cute cases with a pink organza bag.

*Disclosure: The makers of Freschetta Pizza contacted me and provided products to review and are responsible for the giveaway. The opinions are of my own.

Mamavation Monday & Brita

It's Monday tomorrow ...again.  I've been hit or miss with a string of energy zapping events that prevented my from fully committing but this morning was good, I did 30 minutes of yoga and 30 minutes of bicycle riding.  My food intake probably ruined the gain I made today because I was craving a hamburger for some reason and I was double bad because instead of eating it on my 100 calorie whole grain Arnold Thin, I used a white bun.  I did make the patty extra small if that counts.  I then ate a Fiber One bar.  All in all, could be better but I'm not giving up.

My oldest is returning from Georgia for a month or so and we plan to kick this into gear together.  I need her motivation although most of the time, she isn't very motivating as she caves in too easily to my weaknesses so my mission is to be the stronger one and keep us both on the path of getting healthier.  I am proud to say that my habits are rubbing off on my eight year old who refuses soda, chooses apple slices the very few times we go to McDonalds as we don't go very often, now picks salads frequently and picks water over everything else.  I have even caught her on the bike for a few minutes a day.  Her focus is not about her body size rather being healthy and for that, I'm very proud.  I'd be very sad if she was concerned over her weight.

Did you take the Mamavation Mom and Brita challenge?  I did and have been very committed to getting in my daily water intake and then some.  You can join too to take the Brita challenge and once you sign up, you can get money saving rebates along with great tips and inspiration.



This post is sponsored by Brita and I took the Brita Challengehttp://bit.ly/oRnbqd to be entered into a giveaway hosted by Mamavation – a community dedicated to obesity prevention & weight loss for women .

Animalogy: Animal Analogies by Marianne Berkes Book Review

Animalogy: Animal Analogies is a cute and quick book comparing and contrasting animals.  I enjoy books that rhythm as it just makes reading them to my children run smoother.  The comparisons vary from one animal to another ranging from sounds, physical adaptations, behaviors and animal classes providing an educational opportunity to learn with fun.  The illustrations by Cathy Morrison are wonderful with all spaces filled with beautiful colors of each animal and their habitat.  It's put together very well and the pages are full of entertaining words such as:

Chick is to feathery,

as bear is to furry.

My girls enjoyed the book as much as I did.  It was more suited for my four year old but my eight year old still enjoyed listening and looking at the illustrations.  It's been one that I've read more than once and sits proudly in our home library.  My favorite section of the book is the Creative Mind section that provides additional educational opportunities for the children.  This is a must have for a home library as well as any pre-school or elementary school library.  We really enjoyed this book.

 

To purchase Animalogy: Animal Analogies, just visit Sylvan Dell Publishing along with great links to the Creative Mind section, a quiz and much more.


*Disclosure: I received a sample of this book but the opinions are of my own.

Ten for Me by Barbara Mariconda Book Review

What do you get when you have two friends competing to win who can catch the most butterflies?  Fun competition!  Ten for Me is a great book that teaches how to count in a fun, rhythmic manner. I like the book in that it has one child winning while the other one becomes frustrated only to learn, all is not lost.  It not only teaches about math but it also teaches about butterflies such as how to attract butterflies.  The verses on each page are entertaining:

That first day out, it wasn't much fun

'cause Ed netted ten and I netted none!

How many in all? Let's add them again!

"Well, 10+0 is 10," Ed said. "10+0 is 10!"

My girls were very entertained with this book and I thought the illustrations further drew them in to want to know more.  They had fun playing along and shouting out the answers to each of the questions.  It's a great book for children learning to count to 10 as well as those who just mastered it.  My eight year old has fun reading it to her four year old sister.  I also enjoyed the back secion For Creative Minds.  This is a great section to further the learning aspect of Ten for Me with extras such as numbers and patterns, butterfly body parts, butterfly compare and contrast and much more.

It's a must have for any home or school library.  Now that I'm homeschooling, I loved that I was able to add this to our library and think it would make a great addition for an elementary or preschool's library.  


The book was written by Barbara Mariconda and illustrated by Sherry Rogers.  It's a great book for children and the adults who are lucky enough to get to read it to their children.


To purchase Ten for Me in hardcover, softcover or eBook, visit Sylvan Publishing.  There are also other great resources such as PDF versions of the preview, a quiz and much more.










*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary sample but the opinions of this book were my own.

Hey Diddle Diddle A Food Chain Tale by Pam Kapchinske Book Review

Who can resist a children's book that allows you to sing along with the words in a fun way?  I love books that rhythm and to let you sing as you go is a bonus.  I am also a big advocate for books that teach while entertain and Hey Diddle Diddle a Food Chain Tale is just that.  Written by Pam Kapchinske and illustrated by Sherry Rogers, it's a book that teaches children the food cycle and how each animal has a part in the ecosystem.  Each page is full of toe tapping words that keeps you moving:

He sang, "Hey diddle diddle--life is grand,

baskin' and relaxin' in the toasty sand."

A plump caterpillar on a leaf above

was wigglin' along doin' what she loved.

Included are big, bright pictures of each of the different animals that go along with each page.  I also enjoy the latter part of the book that is dedicated to creative minds as a supplement to offer more educational opportunities such as questions about herbivores or carnivores, food chain true or false, animal classification and more.

 

You can purchase Hey Diddle Diddle A Food Chain Tale in hardcover, softcover or eBook from Sylvan Dell Publishing.  Other great links include PDF versions of an eBook preview, for creative minds section, quizzes and more.

I think it's a fun book to read as long your little one isn't squeamish about animals eating one another.  It's not graphic at all and it's really told in a cute way.  My girls listened intently and seemed to enjoy the story.  I like the way it flowed and thought it was clever in the way it entertained and taught at the same time.



*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary sample but my opinion on this review is of my own.

Multiply on the Fly by Suzanne Slade Book Review

I'm always on the lookout for good books that entertain as well as teach.  It's hard finding them sometimes or at least ones that appeal to inquisitive minds.  I also still like to read books that have a rhythm when it comes to children's stories.  All this along with beautiful illustrations make up Multiply on the Fly by Suzanne Slade and illustrated by Erin E. Hunter.  Another great book set out by Sylvan Dell Publishing, I'm a fan.  Children love bugs and to write one that appeals to children while incorporating multiplication and facts about each bug is clever such as:

Four lovely luna moths

rest upon a pine.

Each one spans three inches.

How long is the luna line?

4x3=?

I think it's a great way to encourage young readers to read more and learn as they go.  The other aspect I love about this book is the back section, For Creative Minds. That provides further learning activities such as insect body parts, match the insect, compare and contrast and many more.

  

You can purchase Multiply on the Fly at Sylvan Dell Publishing in hardcover, soft cover or eBook.  There are even downloadable previews, a quiz, the creative mind portion and more at Sylvan Dell Publishing.

If your child takes part in the Accelerated Reader program, it's on the list!

Overall, I think it's a must have book for any home or school library.  It's easy to read, provides great educational facts and teaches about multiplication.  The illustrations are bright, beautiful and vibrant.




*Disclosure:  I received a complimentary sample but my opinion on this review is of my own.

CampusBookRentals - Save an Easier Way This Year

My oldest is getting set to start college so we already know how expensive it can be.  The books are sometimes as much as the course if not more. I cringed when I started back a couple of months ago at how expensive they are.  I remember many, many years ago when my then husband and I were going to college and the loans we had to take out to pay for the books.  We didn't have places like CampusBookRentals.com to turn to.

When you go to their site, you enter the book title, author, ISBN or a keyword to find the book you are looking for.  I tried it out with a book I had to recently purchase titled Legal Research Writing, Analysis and Writing and it was there to purchase or rent which was a better option than the school I signed up for offered.  They even buy back books.

There are many benefits to trying them out such as:




To learn more, just go to CampusBookRentals.com for more information.

As a bonus for those of us that love when a business is partnering with someone else for a good social cause, CampusBookRentals.com has partnered with Operation Smile who have pledged to donate a minimum of 1,000 life saving cleft lip surgery to children in need.



*Disclosure:  I did not utilize their service as I have no reason at the moment to do so.  I was not financially compensated to write this post.

Discovery Girls Wins 2011 Gold National Parenting Publications Award

If you have a young girl at home, you might have heard of Discovery Girls and if you haven't, you might want to check out this great magazine that comes in two versions for tweens and teens.  It also showcases some girls who do great things which inspires others to do the same.  My very own eight year old daughter was featured this past April for her work with starting Angels4Epilepsy and you can read about it by clicking on Angels4Epilepsy.

It's a great magazine for girls with so much inside created by girls themselves.  Discovery Girls has just won the 2011 Gold National Parenting Publication Award and our congratulations to them!

See the press release:

Discovery Girls Wins 2011 Gold National Parenting Publications Award

Discovery Girls, the magazine by girls, for girls ages 8 to 12, is among an elite group of quality children’s products honored in NAPPA’s Children’s Products Competition

 

San Jose, California, September 27, 2011 – Discovery Girls magazine has been named a 2011 National Parenting Publications Award (NAPPA) winner. Recognized for helping guide girls through the difficult preteen years, Discovery Girls joins an elite group of quality products honored in NAPPA’s 2011 Children’s Products Competition. 

 

NAPPA’s independent expert judges evaluated hundreds of submissions for their innovation, entertainment and education values, and quality. Discovery Girls was one of 75 products selected to receive the esteemed Gold Award. Another 93 products received Honors and 13 were chosen as “Rising Stars.” The full list of award winners will be available on NAPPAawards.com as of November 1, 2011.

 

About Discovery Girls Magazine

Discovery Girls gives girls ages 8 and up the advice, encouragement, and inspiration they need to get through the difficult preteen years. It’s the only tween magazine that allows its readers to write feature stories, model, and appear on the cover, Discovery Girls gives girls a voice, addresses their fears, and answers their toughest questions, all in an exciting format with quizzes, fashion, embarrassing moments, crafts, and more! Discovery Girls celebrates girls' uniqueness and encourages them to love all that they are. It’s a great resource for girls and their parents. For more on the magazine, visit DiscoveryGirls.com.

 

About NAPPA

For more than 20 years the National Parenting Publications Awards (NAPPA) has been the go-to resource for the best products for families. NAPPA’s team of independent expert judges, along with family and child testers, select the most innovative and enduring products as NAPPA Gold and Honors winners in two annual competitions, Children’s Products and Parenting Resources. Far more than a seal of approval, a NAPPA award signifies that a product has been rigorously evaluated against stringent criteria and stands out among hundreds of other products from around the world. For more information, visit www.NAPPAawards.com.

MyBlogSpark & Yoplait Smoothie Pamper Yourself Giveaway 10/16

We, moms, don't get much of a chance to unwind nor enjoy some simple things like relaxation and a good healthy snack.  I know I don't and would savor a few minutes where I could just lay down, put on some of my favorite music or start up a hot bath and sip on a chocolate banana smoothie.  I am counting calories and watching my weight but I also want a treat every now and then that is good for me which is where I turned to Yoplait and their new Yoplait Chocolate Banana Smoothie.  They are great tasting and are only 130 calories!  I received my complimentary coupon to try out my very own decadence and I can tell you as a chocolate and a banana fan, I'm in love!  Move over Gerard and Johnny!

In case you weren't aware that Yoplait has smoothies, the new Chocolate Banana flavor joins four other delicious flavors from Yoplait Frozen Fruit and Yogurt Smoothies:  Triple Berry, Strawberry Banana, Blueberry Pomegranate and Strawberry Mango Pineapple.  I have tried all but the blueberry pomegranate due to lack of availability and like them all but my favorite is the new Chocolate Banana Yoplait Smoothie due to the flavor!  It's a perfect mixture of chocolate and banana without the banana overpowering the chocolate.

Yoplait has live and active cultures while delivering 50% of the recommended daily amount of calcium.  Good for you and LOW in calories!  Even if you aren't watching your weight, this is a good alternative for a great tasting snack for yourself and your children.  If you can't find it, just look in your grocer's freezer section of just ask!  Each pack makes two 8 oz servings when blended with one cup of skim milk.

Save by clicking here for a $1.00 off coupon for Yoplait Smoothie.

The Giveaway:

One reader will win the same prize pack I received:

• A VIP coupon for your very own Yoplait Smoothie - Chocolate Banana
• Lavender eye mask
• Very cool neck pillow
• Yoplait Smoothie tumbler

Great prize pack isn't it?

Disclosure: The Yoplait^® VIP Coupon, information, and giveaway have been provided by Yoplait through MyBlogSpark.