Rainbow Fruit Salad

Good as a side dish or dessert, this salad made form fresh fruit is naturally low in fat, saturated fat and sodium, and is cholesterol free.


Fruit Salad

1 large mango, peeled and diced

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 bananas, sliced

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

2 cups seedless grapes

2 nectarines, unpeeled and sliced

1 kiwi fruit, peeled and sliced


Honey-orange sauce

1/3 cup unsweetened orange juice

2 T lemon juice

1 1/2 T honey

1/4 ground ginger

dash nutmeg


1. prepare and combine all fruit

2. combine all the ingredients for the sauce and mix

3. just before serving, pour the sauce over the fruit


ENJOY!



Erin & Lynda

Enjoy the Outdoors at Farmers Markets!

We have become really excited about Farmers Markets lately. They are cheaper than the market and offer more varieties on fruit and veggies! Many Farmers Markets sell organic foods, which are grown without the use of conventional pesticides. You can find a farmers market at http://apps.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets To get the most from your market, follow these tips - * Go early when the selection is best * Bring enough bags to keep raw and cooked foods separate, for safety's sake * Branch out. Try a new fruit or veggie that you haven't had before. select colorful produce; its often the healthiest. If you have little ones, let them choose. * Buy fresh cut produce, such a melon slices, only if its in a cooler or on ice to lower the risk of food poisoning * Take foods home right away so that they don't spoil Happy Shopping!
Erin & Lynda

When Does My Kid Need a Phone?

My daughter is only 3...but I hear 6 year olds are carrying around phones now! So I guess I better do my research now!

Your kids are pestering you for a phone, giving various reasons that their friends have one, they need to call you to pick them up, they need to ask their friends for the homework of the day and they use the ultimate reason: you would want to know where they are, wouldn't you? So how do you decide when is the time that they really need a phone?

- Time spent outdoors
Your kid only needs a phone whenever he or she is out of home, else the house phone serves the purpose of asking for homework or chatting with friends. Then, think of where your kids would be most of the time when they aren't at home. If they are at school, there is easy access to phones whether public ones or at the headmaster's office. If they hang out at their friends' places a lot, then they don't need a phone as well as you can easily reach them and vice versa.

- Responsibility level
Carrying a phone takes responsibility. Even adults misplace or drop them all the time. You wouldn't want to spend a couple of hundreds only for your child to lose it a few weeks or months later. Not only that, your child must also be able to use the phone responsibly enough, else you will get a huge bill at the end of the month, not only for calls and texts but also downloads and data usage.

- Expenses
Are you ready to pay for another phone in the household? There are numerous plans and packages that you can opt for your child should you decide to get him or her one. It is best to take one that has a relatively low limit. It is recommended to speak to your child and make it clear that they are entitled to, say a $20 reload credit monthly and anything else after that will come from their own pocket money.

It is indeed useful to be able to contact your child at any time, which is what you will be able to do if he or she has a phone with him. With the increase in crime nowadays, it is better to just spend a couple of hundred for the ease of mind in knowing where your child is. You just need to have control over their usage and the phones for kids will be of good use.

Anna has been writing articles online for nearly 3 years now. Not only she is a part time tutor, you can also check out her new website Princess Phone to learn more about different types of cell phones for kids.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Anna_Peacocks

Erin & Lynda

Common Potty Training Mistakes....

For all my dear friends going through potty training! Good Tips!

Many parents make some terribly obvious mistakes when potty training a child. Fortunately, you won't have to make the same mistakes.

From not preparing their child for what's coming, to not preparing their household for the impending event, lack of preparation is the number one thing that impedes parents from successfully getting their child fully trained in a short period of time.

Despite this being the number one hurdle standing in the way of happy families sorting through their toilet training, it is also the easiest to fix.

Simply take the time, maybe a week before you expect to start potty training process, to explain what's happening to your child and let them know not only what is going to happen, but what your expectations of them actually are.

Another big roadblock for many parents is that they have unrealistic expectations. With everything from in-laws to bragging parents and the playgroup, it's easy for parents to feel insecure about their parenting abilities. Don't let this happen to you.

Potty training isn't necessarily easy, but it doesn't have to be hard. When you enter the process with realistic expectations, you multiply your chances for success. By thinking that it can be done in one, two or even three days, you are setting yourself up for failure at the first accident.

And there will be accidents.

Don't let this deter you, it's all part of the process. Remember the same lessons you would want your child to learn: we only fall so that we can learn to stand up.

One mistake that can be difficult to avoid, depending on what's actually happening in your family, is expecting your child to learn to use the potty at a time when there is emotional upheaval in the home.

If you're in the middle of a move, a divorce, extra stress at work, or any oversize difficulty that will unnecessarily add stress, time, and hardship to your intended toilet training, it is best to wait.

There is one thing that can stop the potty training process cold and that is a false start. If you have a toddler who doesn't want to be trained, and you give them the rope to pull that will stop the process, the polar like it was a string that would burst a piƱata!

Avoid the most common mistakes that parents make when potty training and you'll have a healthy, happy, toilet trained toddler in no time!

Nicole T Spencer is a freelance writer whose passion is helping loving parents raise happy children. Get more help with by visiting the Potty Training Power website, which is full of great potty training tips. While you are there, download the free "7 Potty Training Mistakes Most Parents Make" report.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicole_T_Spencer

Erin & Lynda

Do you need to relax? Try this....

I subscribe to this one newsletter called The Ripple http://www.wellgroundedlife.com/ - from The WellGrounded Life blog spot and really enjoyed today's topic....Detoxifying your body while relaxing in a steam bath at home!

Excerpt from Newsletter....Enjoy!


I'm here today to share with you why saunas and steam baths have been used for thousands of years to detoxify and keep the body healthy ...and how you can recreate the benefit in your own bathroom.


The use of saunas (dry heat) or steam baths (wet heat) creates sweat intentionally for therapeutic purposes. This "sweat therapy" not only releases toxins from the skin, but also relaxes muscles by easing aches and pains. Releasing toxins via the skin through perspiration is a great idea because it not only supports healthy detox but does so in a way that gives your kidneys and liver a break (your typical detoxifying organs). If you don't have access to your own steam room or sauna, you can benefit from "sweat therapy" in your own bathroom...and you'll add a dash of "calm therapy" while you are at it!


Make a very warm/hot (but of course, not burning) bath, lower the lights, add a candle or quiet music (cords kept safely away from the water) and then add one or more of the following therapeutic agents to the bath: • Epsom salts-Start with 1/4 cup and gradually increase to as much as two to four pounds per bath. • Ginger root-Place half inch slices in boiling water; turn off the heat, and steep for 30 minutes. Remove the ginger, and pour the water into the tub. • Essential oils- Put a couple drops of your favorite (pure) essential oil like geranium, lavender, lemon, grapefruit or pine in the water and breath in the scent. Then just soak away the tension and breath in the calm!


Erin & Lynda

Bamboo Easter Baskets - for that Spring Baby!


We made the most adorable bamboo Easter basket! They come in a cute lil wicker bassinet stuffed with grass, eggs and bamboo washcloth bundle and one burp cloth. All tied in a beautiful clear gift wrap and bow! We are selling them at a special price this week - $24.95. You can order yours now and we will ship out within 24 hours! Email me if your interested :)



Erin & Lynda