We have a date and location. We do not have anything else. Theme, decorations, and all that “fun” stuff is left to do. Another item we must figure out is a DJ.  And when I look up local djs, I find terms like awesome akai apc40 and I have no idea what it means. (And to really show my ignorance, I Google it and am still not sure. How do you pick out and plan all this lovely prom stuff?  Well, here I go on that adventure this week and on so start watching for my adventures in prom planning.

Are you a Pinterest member? I’d love to follow you (or you could follow me – I’m krsloane).

I’m curious what has been going on in my reader’s lives? Life here is super busy (as always). Being a mom, mimi, teacher, friend, and aunt.  I at once thought that I would never want to just stay home. That I would miss my job so much, but I’m starting to think that isn’t true after each break. I love them more each time and want them to last longer each time.

One reason I’ve avoided this site is that it seems to be hacked regularly. I can’t determine why or how, but I’ve been hit by malware several times. I’ve installed some security features, and I’ve been monitoring it closely. It has been a while since it’s been attacked. Hopefully I won’t need a stronger security idea – ESET Mobile Security?

I won’t be blogging daily for now. But you can expect a few posts a week. After I’ve built up some posts, I’ll start seeking out reviews and giveaways again. So if you like reading about myself and my family, there will be some of those now. If you like the reviews and giveaways, stick around, they are coming.

I don’t know if this is true or not that a box cutter causes that much destruction, but it brought a smile to my face today. Interesting.

WHERE: The Papa Ben’s Kitchen Facebook Page:

http://www.facebook.com/PapaBensKitchen

WHAT: To celebrate the last month of summer, Papa Ben’s Kitchen is giving away a FREE Nikon 1 camera to someone in their online community!

To enter to win, first head over to the Papa Ben’s Kitchen Facebook & “like” the page. Then simply upload your favorite “Family Memory” photo in the Sweepstakes tab. This can be anything from a family barbeque to your whole family hanging out at the beach. Be creative!

Once your photo is approved, we’ll post it on our sweepstakes tab so you can have all your friends “like” it for a chance to win the Viewer’s Choice prize!

Winner Selection: The Grand Prize winner will be selected by a panel of judges to find the most creative photo that best showcases “Family Memories.” We will also have a Viewer’s Choice category where the photo that has the most “likes” in the contest album wins a $100 Visa Gift Card.

Click here to read rules & regulations: https://promotion.binkd.com/Terms.aspx?id=4014

It’s back-to-school time and that means shopping for essential school items. While a backpack is the most popular and practical way for children and teenagers to carry their books and school supplies, backpacks that are too heavy or worn incorrectly can cause serious back, neck and shoulder pain.

Tips for Back Safety
Lou Paradise, president and chief of research of Topical BioMedics, offers the following tips for proper backpack safety:

-Make sure backpacks fit properly and have padded backs and straps.

-Children should wear BOTH straps – slinging a backpack over one shoulder can strain muscles.

-Teach your child to pack light only carry what is necessary to avoid any excess weight.

-A backpack should weigh no more than 10% -20% of the child’s body weight.

-The backpack’s straps should fit snuggly over the child’s shoulders.

-Parents should pick up their child’s backpack on a regular basis to gauge its weight.

-Make sure the backpack is positioned on the back between the shoulder and not resting on the child’s lower back or hips.

-Tighten the straps so the pack sits close to the body.

-Organize the pack carefully and pack the heavier items closet to the center of the back.

-If your child experiences back pain, weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, be sure to speak with your doctor.

Look for Signs That Signal a Backpack is Too Heavy
Paradise says it is important for parents to look for signs that their child’s back is too heavy and take steps to ensure their child’s back safety.

Signs to look for include:

-A change in your child’s posture when wearing the backpack

-Struggling to put on or take off the backpack

-Pain when wearing the backpack

-Red marks from the shoulder straps after the backpack has been removed.

Features to Look for When Choosing a Backpack
When shopping with your child for a backpack, be sure look for the following features:

-Two shoulder straps to distribute weight evenly

-Wide, padded shoulder straps that won’t dig into shoulders causing pain and cutting off circulation

-Padded back provides more comfort and protects children from being poked by sharp objects inside the backpack

-Backpack should be made of durable, lightweight material

-Waist belt to distribute the weight more evenly across the body

-Backpacks with wheels are an excellent choice for students who must tote a heavy load, but are less practical for use in snow during the winter months

Sierra magazine’s top 10 schools of 2012 are:

1. University of California, Davis (Davis, CA)
2. Georgia Institute of Technology (Atlanta, GA)
3. Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
4. University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
5. University of Connecticut (Storrs, CT)
6. University of New Hampshire (Durham, NH)
7. Duke University (Durham, NC)
8. Yale University (New Haven, CT)
9. University of California, Irvine (Irvine, CA)
10. Appalachian State University (Boone, NC)

That includes eating – as in, really loving what you eat. Because you didn’t really love that bag of chips you downed while watching “An Affair to Remember” for the 200th time, did you?

“How could you?” asks Aldrich, author of the award-winning new book, Real Moms Love to Eat (www.RealMomsLoveToEat.com). “Who could possibly be aware of chips with Cary Grant on the screen?”

It’s wonderful to take pleasure in food, she says. It’s even OK to eat the things we shouldn’t every once in awhile – just be sure to savor every bite. “Eating in front of the TV is not savoring,” Aldrich says..

“There are also plenty of great healthy ingredients that you can turn into new foods to love, even healthier versions of those favorite comfort foods from childhood. You’ll finish meals feeling energized, emotionally satisfied and best of all, not guilty. And, oh yeah! You’ll look great in your skinny jeans!”

Aldrich offers ways to kick off the romance:

• Make it all about YOU: Get back to the basics, remembering the pleasure inherent in the food experiences of your childhood. Think of the simple joy you had crunching into a sweet apple. How does that compare with the high-fructose corn syrup-drenched, refined wheat-flour products that leave you bloated and craving more? Whole foods – those eaten in their natural, unprocessed state, such as a baked potato versus French fries — give you a fuller eating experience, increase energy and help you look great!

• Get naked with raw foods: Our earliest ancestors were hunter-gatherers who foraged for and consumed a wide variety of caloric intake, mostly consisting of raw veggies. Your body will thank you not long after you include more raw food into your diet, but you don’t have to go the full Monty right away. Add fresh berries to your breakfast yogurt, include fresh nuts with your lunch, or replace coleslaw from the supermarket deli with a fresh recipe made from scratch.

• Tame your cravings dragon: One of the swiftest paths to an unhealthy snacking binge is ready-made, highly-processed sweets and baked goods. The craving-attack occurs when moms are busy and haven’t planned their meals for the day and it leads to a spike in blood sugar, a crash and then – another monster-sized craving. Have healthy options ready to go. Nutrient-dense whole grains such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal will turn that dragon of yours into a pussycat in no time.

• Hungry for more lovin’?: Think you could force yourself to eat an ounce of dark chocolate every day? High-quality dark chocolate – the kind that doesn’t have all the fillers – actually has lots of benefits, not the least of which is … it’s chocolate! Dark chocolate contains natural chemicals that serve as mood boosters and elevate serotonin levels, which enhance our sense of well-being. Health benefits range from keeping blood vessels elastic to increasing antioxidant levels.

“The wrong way to look at the whole-food diet is as an obligation,” Aldrich says. “You are doing your body and your taste buds a favor by excluding unnecessary sugar, salt and processed fats from your diet in favor of a variety of spices, fuller textures and a sexier figure.”

Something needs to keep you going aside from sugared substances because those can only get you so far! Now with Celsius, you can burn double the calories and be energized. Celsius is the world’s first and only negative calorie drink. Studies show that drinking a great tasting Celsius before exercise helps you burn up to 100 calories and more per serving, boosts metabolism, reduces body fat, increases endurance and provides lasting energy.

It comes in seven delicious flavors, carbonated and non-carbonated, and also in powder stick packets that can be mixed with water. Celsius contains no sugar, no high fructose corn syrup, no aspartame, no artificial preservatives, flavors, or colors, and is low in sodium.

The opening marks the first of a 40-restaurant development agreement between IHOP and M. H. Alshaya Company for restaurants in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Bahrain and Egypt. As a leading international retail franchise business, Alshaya operates over 2,200 stores across 7 divisions: Fashion & Footwear, Food Service, Health & Beauty, Optics, Pharmacy, Office Supplies and Home Furnishings. Alshaya’s stores can currently be found in 19 markets across the Middle East and North Africa, Russia, Turkey and Europe and the company employs more than 28,000 people from over 90 nationalities.

“This marks a major milestone in IHOP’s international development strategy and we are delighted to make the IHOP experience available to guests in the Middle East,” said John Merkin, IHOP VP of Development and International. “In this venture, we are proud to partner with one of the premier franchisees of international brands in the Middle East. Together we plan to expand the IHOP brand to a new continent and provide our signature menu to an entirely new set of guests and their families.”

The first IHOP restaurant in the Middle East, in the Al Barsha district of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, has a new, enhanced ambience that features the brand’s latest international design and is set to accommodate 225 guests.

“IHOP has international recognition and appeal and we are delighted to welcome it to the Middle East with this prime location at Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates,” said Duncan Garrood, President of Alshaya’s Food division. “We look forward to expanding IHOP across the region and working in partnership with the brand to introduce a growing number of customers to the great quality and value that IHOP represents.”

The restaurant features the brand’s latest international designs, will seat 225 guests and will be open 7 days per week. With the popularity of breakfast growing in the region, this newest IHOP menu offers many of the same traditional
Dubai’s first IHOP is located in the Mall of Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the Middle East.

favorites as U.S. locations, including traditional breakfast pancake/egg/meat combinations, hearty omelets and signature pancakes. All meats at IHOP in Dubai will feature Halal-certified turkey hams, veal sausages and beef bacon.

Dubai’s first IHOP has a prime location in the Mall of Emirates, one of the largest shopping malls in the Middle East drawing over 31 million visitors each year. The newest IHOP is adjacent to the world’s biggest man made indoor ski slope.

The Dubai opening marks the first IHOP expansion into the Middle East. Other international IHOP restaurants locations include Canada, Guatemala, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

– SHAIL K.
“I want to bring the elegant style of handmade silk dresses to women in the United States at a price point they can afford, “ she said.
Through her years of experience in the industry Verma has gained a remarkable ability to create flattering dresses for every body type. Shail K. has special dresses for every occasion: evening dresses for a night on the town, beautiful homecoming dresses for the upcoming school year, sexy cocktail dresses that make an impression and long gowns that provide that extra touch of glamour.
Verma launched the Shail K. brand just a few months ago and it is already rapidly expanding its popularity in the U.S. and the International markets. The line is being showcased at several upcoming trade shows including the August Atlanta Apparel and World of Prom from August 9 through 13.

The current line is already available in some of the more exclusive retailers across the Unites States and the fall line is ready to ship. To join the rapidly growing list of retailers representing this bold new line or for more information about the Shail K. line, visit their website at www.shailkusa.com, follow them on Twitter at @shailkusa or stop by their booth at an upcoming trade show.

It was a tragic lesson in the risks of consuming a fast-food, sugary diet:

Dr. Mona Meighan’s normally punctual 26-year-old son, Luke, did not show up for work one morning in 2009. A concerned co-worker stopped by Luke’s apartment and found the young man dead in his bed. An autopsy determined he died from complications of undiagnosed diabetes.

“For seven years, through college and into his work life, Luke lived on pizza and fast foods, sodas and sweet desserts,” says Meighan, an education consultant and author of What Are You Doing for Lunch?: A Friendly Guide to Brown Bagging as a Better Way to Lunch (www.whatareyoudoingforlunch.com).

“Since we have no diabetes in our family, I can only believe Luke’s diet contributed to his death. Too often, young people aren’t aware of how food affects their health. As an educator, I thought the best way to remember Luke was to give people the tools to change their lunch habits. By brown-bagging, you can avoid a lot of processed foods loaded with calories and carbohydrates. It’s healthier – and less expensive!”

Meighan emphasizes she is not a chef – not even a cook! All of her recipes are designed to be tasty, and quick and easy to prepare. A couple of her favorite examples:

Pesto and Tomato Sandwich: Add 3 Tablespoons plain or vanilla yogurt to 4-6 Tablespoons prepared pesto. Spread on 4 slices of whole-wheat bread. Add thinly sliced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. (Place in a toaster oven for 2-3 minutes, if desired.)

Hummus Salad Wrap: Spread ¼ cup hummus over two whole-wheat or flour tortillas and add 1 tomato, thinly sliced, 2 thin slices of Swiss cheese, and 2 lettuce leaves, cut up. Tightly roll the tortillas and spear with a toothpick.

If you’re new to brown-bagging, Meighan offers tips to help you get off to the right start.

• Determine your personal lunch style. Some people are willing to spend 15 or 20 minutes in the kitchen the night before or morning of the workday to prepare a familiar lunch. These are Traditionalists. Others want to just grab a container of food – perhaps something put together over the weekend, or last night’s leftovers – and hit the road. Meighan calls this the Grab-and-Go style. Maybe you’re Creative, a Midday Gourmet, a Social Networker (likes to coordinate a group lunch) or a mix of all of the above, depending on what the week looks like.
• Do you have what you need to pack your lunch? Do you need a cooler-style lunchbox? How about reusable containers for sandwiches and soups? (Going green is, of course, better for the planet, and it saves money on items like disposable baggies and plastic cutlery.)
• Determine your upcoming week’s recipes. First, decide how many days you want to pack lunch this week, and plan your menu. Take stock of the ingredients you already have, and make a list of those you need to purchase. (To save even more money, either repeat lunches or plan lunches with similar ingredients.)
• Invest time on the weekend preparing food, if necessary. If you plan to Grab and Go, put together the first couple days’ lunches. If you’re a Midday Gourmet, you might want to cook up some Homemade Chili ahead of time; the Creative may want to whip together Grandma’s Chicken Salad.
•  Enjoy – and don’t overwhelm yourself! If you’re used to going out for lunch five days a week, start slowly. Try brown-bagging twice a week at first. You can make it more interesting by finding a buddy and taking turns preparing a lunch for two. If you eat at your desk, plan a rewarding way to spend your lunch hour, whether it’s running an errand or taking a walk in a park.

About Mona Meighan, Ed.D.

Mona Meighan holds a doctorate in education and has spent more than 35 years teaching and developing curricula for adults and children, with a special focus on effective instruction for children in foster care. She currently teaches classes and workshops for educators across the country. “What Are You Doing for Lunch?” was written in collaboration with Sara S. DeHart, a former nursing instructor with a doctorate in developmental psychology. Meighan plans to provide free copies of the book to non-profits, and is donating a portion of proceeds from sales to charities that support awareness of healthy, economical lunches.