Boy2001 was most excited about the project and was a big help.  Girl2004 isn’t crazy about hotdogs but she had lots of other stuff to choose from.  Girl2006 was loving it, she had a blast making the vids and made sure to put on her party dress for the first one!

I don’t consider hotdogs, no matter how well made, “good” for you by any stretch so I always make sure to have a couple of healthy sides to go with them.  That being said, we thoroughly enjoyed eating our hotdogs!

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Look for them in the frozen foods section and enoy with your little ones!

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The classic cereals we all grew up with have evolved into calcium and vitamin D powerhouses!  I could try to get my kids to eat tofu or more almonds but it’s much easier to sneak some good stuff into kid friendly fortified cereal!  Cereal is the perfect food for kids because you can eat most kinds with milk or dry or just use it as a topping for yogurt or even ice-cream. And by the way, I was just informed

It’s important to get the kids in your life plenty of chances to get essential nutrients they need.  About 75% of kids don’t get the recommended levels and boneloss can start in the late teens.  I feel even more urgently the need to get my kids eating as many whole foods as possible. 

The kids and dear husband devoured the entire box of Lucky Charms so fast I didn’t even get a bowl!  In fairness this was Monday, after a cold night shivering and no way to make a hot breakfast It really brightened up their morning.  I was so looking forward to trying the new hourglass marshmallow charm!  In the past I would have worried about there being too much sugar and calories but now I know to look for the Big G cereal.  If you’re not sure, be sure to look for the strip at the top of the box that guarantees that the cereal is made with Whole Grains and has the nutrition highlights based on the recommended daily values. 

As mom and head shopper for the family this is an invaluable asset in the supermarket where I am stressed and under pressure.  I see the calories, saturated fat, sodium, sugars, calcium and vitamin D at a glance. 

Grow up Strong with Big Kid Cereals, remember to give your kids three servings of whole grains per day!  

Visit http://growupstrong.com for recipe ideas, money-saving coupons and more information that will keep you in the know as your kids grow.

Thanks to the Mom Bloggers Club for this great review opportunity.

**sorry I’m having issues loading my pictures** stay tuned…

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With that in mind I was surfing around the web and came across that well known phrase, you are what you eat.  Scary to think about that but so true.  How come it’s so hard to keep all the choices healthy and nutritious?  I have a lot of weight to lose and in addition to that I want to provide my kids with the absolute best food we can afford.

Easier said than done, that’s for sure.  Shopping comes in two scenarios for me… The first case is the kids are home with my dear husband and I’m flying through the store trying to get home to them.  The second scenario is having 1, 2 or 3 kids with me.  I’ve got one eye on any potential predator, the other eye on my purse, coupon binder and product labels. 

Choices start in the supermarket, making it the front line of healthy eating. Stop and Shop has created healthy ideas to make the choices apparent to that one eye you’ve alotted to the task.  There are 3000+ products at Stop & Shop that have the healthy ideas symbol so I’m sure most of your recipes can get a healthy option.

The concept is so simple, get your kids to look for the symbols and make sure they know that the symbol will keep their bodies healthy and working wonderfully!

The healthy ideas symbol is based on the FDA and USDA guidelines.  They’ve taken care that every healthy ideas choice has taken into account:

• calories
• fat
• cholesterol
• sodium
• at least 10% of one nutrient.  Calcium, Vitamin C, etc…

Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the symbol next time your in the store.  Visit the healthy ideas program site for great recipes and information.  Also, please visit Mom Central for more great info on all things that concern Moms like you.

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Ghiradelli Peanut Butter Squares are so delicious.  Refined peanut butter/chocolate treats!  I was lucky to get 10 $1 off coupons and they were on sale last week 2 bags for $5.  A $1.50 a bag is a great deal, so I stocked up!  I’m desperately trying to ration them but it’s soooo hard because they are soooo good.

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SeatSnug simply cinches the lap belt so your child is anchored down in case of collision or drastic manuveuring.   If your child suffers from motion sickness this could be a great way to alleviate their symptoms AND keep them safe in their seats.

Just in time for the holidays! Mom Central would like to provide you and your readers with a coupon that saves you a LOT on new SeatSnug products. By using the coupon code MOMCENTRAL at www.SeatSnug.com, you can save $5.00 on your next purchase (regular price is $34.95; one is now $29.95 and two are just $54.95!). The discount will automatically be received at checkout.

Want to read more about SeatSnug? see my full review

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Cooking a turkey is a lot like roasting a chicken but in a BIGger way.  I’m actually confident on my turkey baking skills so I have no horror stories to relay, face it that’s what most people want to hear. 

One year I did leave some innerds stuff in the turkey (eww gross) but my worst turkey story has got to be my first married Thanksgiving. I must also warn you that it’s pretty tame.

My hubby and I had spent two previous Thanksgivings together but it wasn’t until we were married, and living in our own home in Japan that I became responsible for actual cooking. 

I’d seen my mother roast fowl a million times before so the cooking wasn’t a problem.  I did learn, however, to be more discerning on the turkey I buy.  By accident I bought a ‘young turkey’ breast instead of a whole turkey… no drumsticks!  how could I serve my new husband a turkey without legs?!

Luckily he’s a breast man…  My first turkey of the season is coming up Sunday!

“This post was written for Parent Bloggers Network as part of a sweepstakes sponsored by Butterball.”

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She LOVES to bake cookies and cakes for the family, it makes her so seriously happy.  Of course I’m within arms reach but she does do most of the mixing and pouring herself.  I love watching her face while she watches daddy eat whatever she’s made that day.  It is a huge self esteem booster for her.  We started off with an Easy Bake Oven two years ago but quickly moved on to the big girl oven because the output was too small for everyone to get their fair share.  Still, there are times that we need a quick fix and that’s why I’m looking into the my girl gourmet.  It looks good but the age is suggested for 8+ so I may wait for some reviews to come in before I jump on it.

In any case, National Cupcake Week is October 18 – 25, 2008 so make sure you get some cupcakes!

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Attune bars however, are not just a delicious treat, they’re the FIRST all natural wellness bars that feature beneficial probiotics that promote digestive and immune system health!  With 5 times the live cultures of yogurt – YES that’s a good thing! Pretty good for a product that retails for little more than a dollar!  Attune Granola Probiotic Wellness Bars retail for $1.59 per 40-gram bar.  The Attune Chocolate Probiotic Wellness Bar retails for $1.19 per 20-gram bar.

Available in delicious varieties 100-calorie Mint Chocolate, Chocolate Crisp and Blueberry Vanilla varieties, as well as a new 80-calorie Dark Chocolate flavor. The 170-calorie Attune Granola Probiotic Wellness Bar has a light, yogurt-flavored coating and comes in Wild Berry, Strawberry Bliss, Lemon Crème and Mango Peach.  Please believe me when I tell you, totally worth the extra 70 calories, the  yogurt topping is frantically addicting.  I need a Strawberry Bliss every day of my life from now on seriously.

Check out your local Whole Foods or grocer and if you’d like to try one free, head over to the Attune website, they’re giving away 100 bars a day for a limited time!

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If I was a blogger 5 years ago you’d have seen pictures of us once or twice a week enjoying the restaurant Bugaboo Creek.  Now of course we have less money for eating out and the bill tends to run much higher for 5 so you might catch us in there every 3 or 4 months to enjoy a great steak and some fun times.  The kids feel like they’re royalty in here,

The bread is hot and it’s very family friendly with big oversized booths and a talking moose. 

fresh and I almost always get the Black Magic Steak with smashed potato and caesar salad with extra dressing (they really skimp on dressing nowadays so I ask for extra on the side).  We used to always get the cheesecake and share it but they discontinued it, they brought it back and I think it’s gone again… oh well, I just had to settle on the Chocolate Moose Pie.   

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