Last year, I discovered that my weight was at an all time high. I weighed as much as I did right before I delivered my second child – and I wasn’t even pregnant! I had worked so hard to lose the weight from my two pregnancies, but somehow it snuck back on. I realized that I had to do something about my lifestyle if I wanted to be able to keep up with my active kids.

A dear friend talked me into joining our local health club, and for that I am eternally grateful. As work out buddies three times a week, we act as each other’s personal trainers and encourage one other to keep exercising. We use the elliptical machines for cardio, then do strength training with the weight machines. In the first few months, the weight just fell off of both of us. I lost 30 pounds while she lost 60! We continue to work out, despite the fact that we are no longer losing weight. While we are likely building muscle, which weighs more than fat, it is very frustrating. My clothes do fit better, but after over a year of continuous exercise I have yet to be able to fit into smaller sizes.

I am grudgingly accepting the fact that it takes more than just exercise to be healthy. Like the typical American family, my kitchen is filled with snacks and junk food. I often rely on fast food and convenience foods to feed my family. At the urging of my husband, I am now trying to buy and serve healthier choices. While I am not ready to switch to a non-fat vegan organic diet or make every single thing we eat from scratch, I am willing to take baby steps.

So, here are the baby steps toward healthy living that I am taking with my family:
1. Eat more fruits and vegetables
2. Drink more water and less pop / soda
3. Eat more whole grains
4. Reduce fat intake and avoid trans fats
5. Avoid MSG and reduce sodium intake
6. Avoid sodium nitrate and other artifical preservatives
7. Avoid high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and artificial sweeteners

#1 and #2 are no-brainers. Eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking more water help fill up the belly so there is no more room for the unhealthy choices. The rule of “burning more calories than you take in” is a simple concept that is very hard to enforce in my house. Eating healthy snacks such as carrots and celery with hummus, apple slices, or grapes make it easier to skip the chips and cookies, or at least eat less of them. We have purchased Contigo water bottles for every member of the family to make drinking water more convenient. We prefer these bottles to disposable water bottles because they are refillable, better for the environment, BPA free, and leak proof. We are trying to get into the habit of drinking a large amount of water before each meal and snack. I have also stopped buying “juice drinks” and other high calorie soft drinks in favor of 100% fruit and vegetable juices.

#3 Eating more whole grains is a bit trickier for us. I tried to buy whole wheat bread and whole grain pasta, but no one in my house would eat it. I have compromised by using whole grain white bread and mixing 1/2 whole grain pasta with 1/2 regular pasta. I am trying to choose crackers, chips and cereals that are made with whole grain as well. My family eats a lot of white rice. After a failed attempt to introduce plain brown rice, I may have to try mixing a batch of white rice and a batch of brown rice together. Too bad they can’t be cooked together in the same rice cooker.

Consuming more fruits, vegetables, water, and whole grains is also great for digestive health. Considering the latest craze for products such as Activia yogurt, Metamucil, Benefiber, it seems that the typical American consumer just wants to take short cuts to their health instead of simply adding natural dietary fiber. The Mayo Clinic website has a great post about why dietary fiber is important and how to get it.

#4 Reducing fat intake and avoiding trans fats sounds very simple as well. I am trying to stay away from fried foods, fatty meats (bacon & sausage – my favorites!), mayo, margarine, and other obviously greasy items. Reading food labels is key, since fats can be added into foods as innocent as a pureed fruit bar. Of course, eating a pureed fruit bar with oil added for texture is much healthier than eating potato chips, but eating fresh fruit is so much better. In the same vein, eating an avocado or a peanut with natural “good” fats is still much better for you than munching on fried pork rinds.

#5 Avoiding MSG can be tricky, since it can go by many names – MSG, monosodium glutamate, glutamic acid, free glutamate, and possibly even autolyzed yeast or hydrolyzed protein. I suspect I am one of those people who have MSG sensitivity or “Chinese Restaurant Syndrome,” because I often get headaches after eating something containing MSG. I try to avoid many products such as Cheetos, Doritos, and canned soups because of they contain MSG, not to mention high salt and fat content. If I remember, I request no MSG when dining out. This applies to any restaurant, not just Chinese ones. Often times, I am informed that “the soup / sauce / etc. is already made and has MSG in it.” If I order a pizza puff, I can expect headache later on. I could do a whole other article on healthy choices when dining out. Abiding by all the rules I write would be a different story, though! Baby steps, baby steps!

#6 Sodium Nitrates are discussed on WebMD:

“Used as a preservative in meats, these chemicals may pose a cancer risk, although the evidence remains controversial. One recent study raised fears that nitrites and nitrates could interact with medications to damage DNA and increase the risk of cancer. The Center for Science in the Public Interest recommends limiting the amount you consume by choosing nitrite-free products when possible.”

That’s enough for me! Since many foods are so clearly labeled as “Nitrate Free,” I convince myself to bypass the sale items and reach for the more natural products.

#7 High Fructose Corn Syrup – Did you know that some brands of whole grain white bread and even pickles contain high fructose corn syrup!?! Do we really need that?!? DiabetesHealth.com has an excellent article on why HFCS can be bad for your health, especially if you have diabetes or are at high risk for it. We also try to avoid all artificial sweeteners, just because they are relatively new and we just don’t trust them. Products labeled “No added sugar” make me believe that they would be a less sweet applesauce or yogurt until I read the label that shows saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, or some other chemical. Products advertising “No Artificial Sweeteners” may have stevia or Truvia in it – which is just another suspicious non-nutritive sweetener to me! Since no one in my household is diabetic, we just stick to white sugar and occasionally honey and brown sugar – in moderation, of course! We skip all diet soft drinks and drink water instead.

My family likes to eat Wheat Thins crackers, but the Reduced Fat variety has HFCS, while the Fiber Select Garden Vegetable variety does not. I am trying to train myself to read the labels of all products I buy, even with trusted brands.

Once I started reading food labels carefully, I was surprised to find how difficult it was to follow all of these steps at the same time. The foods on sale at the grocery or wholesale stores were rarely the ones that fit into my new guidelines. Instead of having the whole deli case to choose from, I am now limited to one or two brands of no trans fat, no nitrate, no MSG lunch meats. That’s without even taking fat and sodium content into account! Even my beloved farmers’ market featured nitrate-free organic bacon, but it was definitely not low salt or low fat!

Last week I spent almost an hour in the grocery store carefully reading labels only to find my cart fairly empty and hardly anything crossed off of my list. Nearly everything I reached for had to be put back for one reason or another. Instead of getting frustrated and picking up a drive-through dinner for the family, I reminded myself that I was just starting out on my healthy living journey. I went home and prepared a meal made with products containing small amounts of the offending ingredients, some fresh fruits and vegetables, and lots of water. And for dessert? A nice bowl of Count Chocula! Hey, it’s now made with whole grains! It is still healthier than other desserts we have had recently (apple cider donuts)! I am not perfect, but I am trying. I will continue to take as many baby steps as I can toward my goal of healthy living. Some of those steps might be steps backwards, especially with Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas coming up, but I will keep walking nonetheless.

Count Chocula and the other General Mills´ Monster Cereals are now available for a limited time in honor of Halloween. General Mills through MyBlogSpark has provided me with all 3 Monster cereals to review and an additional products to give away. If you would like to receive one box each of Count Chocula®, Boo Berry® and Franken Berry® cereal, a special trick-or-treat tote bag and a $10 Target® gift card to purchase Halloween goodies or more cereal, please leave a comment below telling me the baby steps you are taking to get or stay healthy. Comments must be posted by midnight CST October 28 to be entered in a random drawing for the prize pack. Good luck – with the drawing and the healthy living!

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School is back in full swing, and so are the germs and bugs. There has already been a lice scare in my son’s grade, and I’m sure cold and flu season is not far behind.

Normally, my husband and I have our whole family vaccinated against the seasonal flu (thimerosal free version for the kids). Last year, we chose to receive the seasonal flu shots, but not the H1N1 vaccine. This year, the seasonal flu protects against the H1N1 virus as well as a few other strains of the flu. We are still undecided which members of our family, if any, will receive this year’s vaccine.

In the meantime, we are continuing to practice thorough and frequent hand washing with a regular (non-antibacterial) foaming hand soap and cleaning our home with green cleaning supplies such as Seventh Generation disinfecting products.

A few months ago, I was given the opportunity to review the Seventh Generation line of non-toxic cleaning supplies. MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation are once again sponsoring a give away of their fine eco-friendly products. They generously provided me with additional products to review and give away.

When I first tried the Seventh Generation Lemongrass and Thyme scented Disinfecting sprays and wipes, I was put off by the strong and unusual scent. I initially thought the scent was unpleasant, but then I realized that I no longer felt sick after disinfecting my kitchen or bathroom. The fumes from my old chemical filled wipes and sprays used to make me dizzy and give me headaches, despite turning on all the exhaust fans. Since I have been using the Seventh Generation products regularly, I have adjusted to the scent and don’t mind it as much anymore.

If you would like to try the Seventh Generation Disinfecting products for free, please post a comment below about how you are protecting your family this flu season. One lucky reader will win a Seventh Generation “Back-to-School” kit that includes a Seventh Generation backpack, two canisters of Seventh Generation disinfecting wipes (one for home and one to donate to your child´s classroom), disinfecting multi-surface spray cleaner, facial tissue and paper towels. Comments must be posted by midnight CST on Sunday 9/26 to be eligible for the random drawing. The winner will be announced on Monday, September 27th. The “Back-to-School” kits have been generously provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

If you sign up to join the Seventh Generation Nation, you can learn more about their products and even print coupons.

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Marlo took the kids on an evening stroll after dinner tonight. On their way back home, they came across two baby birds that had fallen out of their nest. At first they feared that the birds did not survive, but the tiny chicks started to move. The kids quickly called me to help rescue the birds.

With the help of my gardening tools, I moved one bird out of the grass into a cleared area, which was where its sibling had fallen.

Using his smartphone, Marlo searched “What to do with chicks that fall out of a nest” and found “A Guide To Assisting Wildlife Babies: What to do when you find them.” The article said to return the nestling birds to their nest, if possible. We looked up into the tree and discovered that the nest was turned upside down and dangling from a branch. Clearly, these birds could not be returned to their original home.

After reading the rest of the article, we decided to make a new nest. We felt we had to protect the birds from local cats, dogs, raccoons, oppossums, and other critters. I also did not think that the birds would be strong enough to fly away by the time the landscapers came back to take care of the lawn.

I poked some drainage holes into a plastic carry out food container. I also ran some pipe cleaners through the holes so the nest could be wired into the tree. Once that was complete, we lined the container with a paper towel, leaves, and dried grass. Using the aforementioned gardening tools, I gently placed the baby birds into the makeshift nest. Marlo used his ladder and secured the nest back into the tree as close to the original nest as possible.

While Marlo was up in the tree, I heard a strange noise that kept repeating over and over again. I searched the grass for another baby bird and realized that the noise was coming from up in the tree. It was the Momma Bird! She was calling to her babies. I think she even had bug in her mouth to feed her chicks.

As soon as the nest was safely in place, we all went inside the house to watch from the window. Sure enough, the Momma Bird reunited with her nestlings. We watched the mother bird fly back and forth to the new nest with food and other items for her babies.

We tried to use this experience to teach the kids the beauty of nature and the value of life. I think they were able to absorb some of the impromptu lesson, but they were very eager to look for worms and bugs to feed the baby birds. Since it was past their bedtime, I convinced the kids to let the Momma Bird take care of her babies from now on. I promised that we would check on them again tomorrow. It will be bittersweet when the baby birds are able to fly away on their own.

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Since I do not work outside the home right now, I try to save money wherever and whenever I can. I carefully study the grocery sale papers every week and clip or print coupons. I closely monitor how my children and I spend my family’s money.

As much as possible, I try to do my part to help others while still maintaining our finances. The biggest way I do this is by sharing my children’s clothing with family, friends, freecycle, and the Salvation Army. We appreciate receiving hand-me-downs, so we always continue the cycle.

Another thing I do is donate my unused and/or expired coupons to the military families stationed overseas. I clip ALL the coupons from my Sunday newspaper, even the pet food ones and others I know I won’t use. Sometimes I’ll even ask my friends and family for their coupons when they are done with them. Then once a month, I mail all the coupons to a military base in Japan that I adopted through the Overseas Coupon Program. Military families are allowed to use expired coupons up to six months past their expiration date. These families often have just one income, so these coupons can really make a difference. The postage to send the coupons overseas is the standard domestic rate since it goes to a US base, but an international customs form is required. This is an easy and inexpensive way to support our military.

“The Drugstore Game” is a method I learned from sites such as Money Saving Mom and Krazy Coupon Lady. Money Saving Mom wrote “In a nutshell, the Drugstore Game is taking advantage of the rebate programs at CVS, Rite Aid and Walgreens to get household and beauty products for pennies on the dollar — or even more than free!” I go to CVS and Walgreens at least once a week to purchase items that are either on sale, have coupons, or generate Extra Bucks or Register Rewards. Sometimes a product is all three of those things, allowing me to spend only pennies for tax and then receive free items AND vouchers for future purchases. My bathroom cabinets are filled with body wash and toothpaste that I received free, or even got paid to take. I often collect these drugstore game goodies and take them to my local food pantry. I’m sure they would be greatly appreciated at a battered women’s shelter or homeless shelter as well. My local pantry is the Niles Township Food Pantry. They collect and distribute food, personal items, and even school supplies for children.

One of the easiest ways that I help my children’s school is by clipping the Box Tops for Education that are on all kinds of General Mills products such as Cherrios cereal, Nature Valley granola bars, Chex Mix, and Gogurts yogurt as well as other household items like Kleenex tissues and Huggies diapers, Pull Ups, and OverNights. Each little pink logo is worth ten cents to the school. While this may not sound like it’s worth the hassle of cutting out, participating schools earned more than $10 million in the 2008-09 school year alone! My children often bring me empty boxes and ask me to help them cut out the “moneys.” Then I just send their teachers an envelope full of the little pink papers so they can submit them and receive money for their school.

SuperValu and General Mills have partnered together for the Box Tops for Education program and are generously offering one lucky winner a $25 American Express gift card through MyBlogSpark. I believe this gift card can be used anywhere, including any of the SuperValu stores (ACME, Albertsons, Cub, Farm Fresh and Jewel-Osco.) If you would like a chance to win this $25 gift card, please leave a comment with a creative or unusual way you help your family, school, or community by June 8th. The winning comment will be randomly selected and announced on June 9th.

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For a long time, house keeping materials in my home consisted mainly of my Dyson vacuum and baby wipes. Once I discovered that baby wipes could be used to clean baby food off of walls just as easily as a child’s skin, I began using them for everything. I have used baby wipes to clean dried yogurt off the kitchen table, mop up mud tracked onto my carpet, and even removed “washable” crayon marks from wood furniture. I cannot imagine how I was able to live the majority of my life without baby wipes.

In an effort to become more green and eco-friendly, I am trying to wean myself off of disposable baby wipes in favor of reusable sponges, washcloths, and towels. I am also avoiding antibacterial soaps containing triclosan and purchasing refillable products when available.

My favorite refill product so far is the White Tea & Vitamin E Dial Eco-Smart Refill.  This refill is packaged in a soft pouch rather than a bulky plastic bottle.

I use this liquid hand soap to refill both my regular soap dispensers and my foaming soap dispensers. My article “How to: Refill Foaming Hand Soap Pumps” describes how to add one part liquid soap to four parts water to make a less expensive, non-antibacterial foaming hand soap refill.

When MyBlogSpark offered me the opportunity to sample several Seventh Generation products, I was thrilled. On their about page, Seventh Generation describes themselves as being “committed to becoming the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.” Seventh Generation uses natural CleanWell instead of triclosan to make their disinfecting products. Earlier this month, the FDA wrote “At this time, FDA does not have evidence that triclosan added to antibacterial soaps and body washes provides extra health benefits over soap and water. Consumers concerned about using hand and body soaps with triclosan should wash with regular soap and water.”

MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation sent me several cleaning products and supplies to sample and review. I really believe in the Seventh Generation philosophy, so I eagerly anticipated the cleaning kit in the mail. As soon as they arrived, my husband and I used them to give our kitchen and bathroom a much needed deep cleaning. The Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, Bathroom Cleanser, and Disinfecting Wipes all cleaned my hard surfaces quickly and easily, but we could not get past the oddly familiar yet slightly unpleasant Lemongrass and Thyme scent.

The brown paper towels we received were unbleached and made from 100% recycled paper. Unfortunately, they are not as absorbent as the Bounty paper towels I am used to. I ended up using twice as many paper towels to dry hands, wipe up spills, or soak up oil from food.

All the Seventh Generation Disinfectants are only available in the Lemongrass and Thyme scent, but there is an unscented Free & Clear line that I am looking forward to trying. I plan to join the Seventh Generation Nation so I can print coupons before my next purchase.

If you would like to try the Seventh Generation Disinfecting products for free, please post a comment below. One lucky reader will win a Seventh Generation Cleaning Kit containing disinfecting products, paper towels, a carrying tote, and “The Conscious Kitchen” book. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 10th. The cleaning kits have been generously provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

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I recently discovered the Heavenly Homemakers blog. The woman who runs it, Laura, seems to do it all. She home-schools all four of her children, grows and cans her own food, cooks and cleans for her family, and still has time to maintain a very popular blog.

One of my favorite recipes on her site is the High Five Recipes: Cream Scalloped Potatoes. It’s a part of her High 5 Recipe Series with 5 ingredients or less. As you all know, I am a fan of recipes with five ingredients or less. I have already posted the following recipes with 3-5 ingredients on MarloElaine.com:
* Decadent Oreo Truffles Recipe
* Delightful Cucumber Sandwiches Recipe
* Hearty Chili Cheese Dip Recipe
* Perfect Prosciutto Pasta Recipe
* Super Easy Costco Salmon Recipe

For dinner last week, I was able to make 2 different dishes with a total of only 5 ingredients. I made a variation of my Super Easy Costco Salmon Recipe, so I modified the Heavenly Homemakers recipe a bit to accommodate what I had on hand. The results were delicious!

3 Ingredient Baked Costco Salmon
Ingredients:
2 pounds of boneless salmon fillet
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 envelope of onion soup mix

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place the salmon in a Pyrex baking pan or foil covered baking sheet.
3. Pour the olive oil and sprinkle the onion soup mix over the salmon.
4. Massage the oil and seasonings into the fish to coat all surfaces of the salmon evenly.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature of the thickest part is 145 degrees.
6. Serve with 3 Ingredient Cream Scalloped Potatoes and vegetables.

3 Ingredient Cream Scalloped Potatoes
Ingredients:
6 medium potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 1/2 cups cream
1/2 envelope of onion soup mix

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Layer the potato slices in a Pyrex baking pan or foil covered baking sheet.
3. Mix the cream and the onion soup mix together, breaking up any lumps.
4. Pour the cream mixture over the potatoes, stirring to coat.
5. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40-60 minutes, stirring every 15-20 minutes.
6. When the potatoes are fork tender, remove from the oven. The starch from the potatoes should have thickened the cream mixture into a lovely gravy.
7. Serve with 3 Ingredient Baked Salmon and vegetables.

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I enjoy watching Mark Bittman as The Minimalist on our TiVo’d New York Times recordings. Today I watched him make Chicken and Vegetable Cobbler. Normally when I watch Bittman’s programs, I become hungry, but not necessarily inspired to cook. Today was a rare occasion. I actually had all of the ingredients on hand! Well, close enough that I could make my variation of his dish anyways.

I had some ground turkey in the fridge that I was planning on cooking with chorizo to make taco meat, but that never materialized. I also had some baby carrots and celery that I intended for snacking, but that didn’t work out either. I had half a carton of white mushrooms left over from last weekend’s sausage, mushroom, and onion egg white omelette. What pushed me over the edge was the refrigerated biscuit dough that I purchased just this morning during a really good sale and with a coupon (double bonus!). So I set about preparing my version of Bittman’s Chicken Cobbler, which he compares to a Chicken Pot Pie without all the work.

I really like this recipe because it forms a nice, creamy sauce without the canned cream of mushroom soup. This dish can easily be modified to control salt, fat, or cholesterol content. It can also accommodate whatever vegetables or meats you have on hand. Since I have a picky eater, I sneak in pureed vegetables whenever I can, just in case my daughter insists on picking out all the visible vegetable chunks. I have made my own pureed vegetables in the past, but this time I simply used a container of Stage 2 Carrots baby food.

MarloElaine’s Turkey and Vegetable Cobbler

Ingredients:
2 T cooking oil (vegetable, canola, olive, etc.)
1 C chopped onions
6 cloves of garlic
12 ounces of ground turkey
3 small russet potatoes
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup mushrooms, quartered
1 small container of pureed vegetables (baby food) *optional
1 cup chicken stock (or 1 cup water and 2 cubes chicken bouillion)
2 T corn starch
salt, seasoned salt, and/or black pepper to taste
1 tube of refrigerated biscuit dough

Directions:
1. In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and garlic and saute until translucent.
3. Add the ground turkey, breaking it up into small chunks.
4. Brown the turkey meat slightly, then add the potatoes and carrots.
5. Once the potatoes and carrots are soft and the turkey is thoroughly cooked, add the celery and mushrooms.
6. If using the pureed vegetables, add them now.
7. Add the chicken stock to the saucepan, reserving 2T of liquid.
8. In a small bowl, combine the corn starch and 2 T of the chicken stock or water. Mix to form a slurry.
9. Add the corn starch slurry to the meat and vegetables and bring the liquid to a boil.
10. Once the sauce begins to tighten up, season to taste.
11. Turn off the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes.
12. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
13. Spoon the turkey and vegetable mixture into a baking dish. I used a 9″ x 13″ Pyrex glassware, but you could opt for a deeper one if you like a higher meat to biscuit ratio.
14. Spread the biscuits evenly over the top of the filling. Split the biscuits in half lengthwise if needed.

15. Place the pan in the center rack of the oven for 20 minutes, or until the biscuits are cooked through and the sauce is bubbling.
16. Remove from the oven and allow to cool a few minutes before serving.

My son Sammy really enjoyed my Turkey and Vegetable Cobbler. He is very aware of which foods are healthy and which are unhealthy. Sammy proclaimed that his favorite parts of the dish were the vegetables, then the turkey and the “cookie” or biscuit.

I’d love to hear your reviews of this recipe, including any variations you make to it. Please post your comments below.

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My entire family loves chocolate and loves Cherrios. We almost always have a large Costco-sized box of MultiGrain Cheerios or regular Cheerios in the house. So when MyBlogSpark offered us a chance to sample the new Chocolate Cheerios, we jumped at the opportunity.

We checked for packages several times a day until the large brown box arrived. We brought it in during dinner, but could not wait for breakfast the next morning. My husband, my two children, and myself all ate the delicious Chocolate Cheerios with milk for dessert that night! It was one of the healthiest desserts we have had in a long time, considering that Chocolate Cheerios is low in fat, has no saturated fat, and has only 100 calories per serving. The fact that it contains at least 8 grams of whole grain per serving, is cholesterol free, and is made with heart healthy oats doesn’t hurt either!

My daughter declared, “I can’t wait for breakfast so I can have more!” She also enjoys it for snack straight out of the box. My son prefers to mix the MultiGrain Cheerios with the Chocolate Cheerios and eat them together. He says it makes the lightly sweetened MultiGrain ones taste even better.

After we finished our sweet, tasty, crunchy dessert that night, we inspected the chocolate scented spa kit that came with the Chocolate Cheerios. We received a bottle of chocolate scented body wash, a chocolate body bar, chocolate bath salts, and a mini-bath sponge. I am looking forward to a few quiet moments to myself when I am finally able to indulge in a warm, chocolate bath.

Enter to win these prizes.

If you would like to enter a random drawing for your own chocolate scented spa kit, ceramic cereal bowl, and box of Chocolate Cheerios, please leave a comment below. All information and promotional items were provided by Cheerios through MyBlogSpark.

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Hasbro’s Elefun and Friends just came out with a new game called Scatterpillar Scramble.  The makers of Elefun, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Gator Golf, and Giraffalaff Limbo have another winner on their hands. This game would make an excellent Christmas gift for a preschooler. Keep reading for a chance to win this game!

Scatterpillar Scramble is a cute dancing caterpillar with four sets of hands.  The game is for 2-4 players, ages 4 and up.  Each player has a color coded set of tongs and marbles.  The goal of the game is for each player to place all of their marbles into the caterpillar’s hands before their opponents.

My 3 1/2 and 6 year old children love the game, but they find it discouraging to play the game according to the directions.  My husband and I even have a difficult time placing all the marbles while the caterpillar gyrates around to lively music. My kids like to race to place the marbles when the caterpillar is still, then turn it on to do a celebratory dance for the winner. The kids like to laugh and join in, then play again. They also like to play with their grandmother and anyone else who comes to visit.

This game would be excellent in a retirement home or rehab setting for people trying to improve their fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. It would also make for an interesting time at a college party.

What games or toys do you like to play with your preschooler or school age child? Please post a comment below for a chance to win Scatterpillar Scramble AND Giraffalaff Limbo. Special thanks to MyBlogSpark and Hasbro for giving us the opportunity to review this game as well as providing a set of games to a lucky reader. The winner will be announced on Monday, November 16th. Thanks for reading!

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The swine flu vaccine has thimerosal / mercury in it, yet will be recommended for all pregnant women and children over 6 months old. I’m not sure yet if my family will get vaccinated. What are you planning to do?

I recently posted this on my facebook page along with a link to USA Today’s article “H1N1 and seasonal flu: Multiple doses, many questions“.

An overwhelming majority of my fb responders were NOT planning to vaccinate themselves or their families against the potentially deadly H1N1 virus. Some believe that they could survive the swine flu just like they would any other flu. Many feel that the vaccine is just too new and has too many unknowns. Several feel that the thimerosal component of the vaccine cannot be overlooked due to it’s association with autism.

A nurse practitioner friend posted that she has had some experience with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu believes it is very effective against the H1N1 virus. She believes that contracting and treating swine flu outweighs the risk of the vaccine itself because the previous round of the swine flu vaccine was associated with Guianne Barre Syndrome.

Guianne Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a paralyzing illness that at worse can cause death, and at best has a long, painful recovery with lingering paralysis or weakness. My friend Cricel’s husband Khalil was diagnosed with GBS last year. She documented Khalil’s struggles and his miraculous progress in order to share her family’s experiences with GBS. Cricel e-mailed me, “We are not sure what caused Khalil’s GBS, so we cannot really make a link between his case and a flu vaccine. But I did know that the old swine flu vaccine was linked to an increase in GBS incidence. Scary…”

USA Today reports:

“The government’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) … recommended that (the H1N1 vaccine) be given to pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old, health care workers, people ages 6 months to 24 years and people 25 to 64 who have chronic illnesses or immune problems.”

When I asked my pediatrician’s office last month what their recommendations were regarding the swine flu pandemic vaccine, they said they were waiting for the American Academy of Pediatrics to make a statement before finalizing their medical group’s opinion. I plan to ask them again soon for their recommendation. My children usually get the seasonal flu vaccine, but I request the thimerosal-free vaccine that is normally reserved for smaller children. If the H1N1 vaccine does not come in a thimerosal-free version, we will most likely NOT get the swine flu pandemic vaccine.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says:

“The H1N1 virus is a hybrid, with genetic elements of swine influenza, avian influenza, and human influenza…Because this is a new strain, seasonal flu shots do not protect people, so good hygiene is important to help prevent the spread of germs. The influenza is spread by coughing, sneezing and unclean hands.” They continue, “If you suspect your child has influenza, call your pediatrician. Antiviral medication, if taken soon after infection, can shorten the duration of the illness. These medications are effective against swine flu.”

My husband and I will carefully weigh the pediatrician’s recommendation along with pros and cons of the H1N1 vaccine before making a final decision about vaccinating my preschool daughter, my kindergarten son, my husband, and myself against the expected swine flu pandemic.

What are you planning to do to protect yourself and your family?

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