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Real Solutions for the Real Challenges of Today's Moms
smartmomsolutions.com SOLUTION OF THE MONTH For some reason, it always feels better to send our kids off to school with a warm breakfast in their tummies. Since most mornings are too hectic to whip up a batch of homemade pancakes on the spot, try making extra on the weekends or one evening during the week. Store whole-wheat pancakes, waffles or french toast in 2-packs in the freezer, then just pop in the toaster or microwave. If you’re a family that truly does a grab-and-go-style breakfast, try making them into sandwiches with peanut butter or cream cheese – you’ll all be off to a great start! GO AHEAD…BAG, BORROW OR STEAL! The holiday season brings with it lots of invitations to special cocktail parties and fancy soirees that call for pure, head-to-toe glamour. So let’s say you spend a lot on an amazing dress, but now need some killer accessories… check out your girlfriend’s jewels first, but if those don’t fit the bill, try renting a great handbag or necklace from your online “girlfriend” at BagBorroworSteal.com. You can join as a member and pay a monthly fee to rent authentic designer purses and jewelry, or you can sign in as a special guest and pay a slightly higher one-time fee. Either way, it’s worth it for your chance to shine! (bagborroworsteal.com) POINT, CLICK, MULTITASK! ‘Tis the season for a mom’s multitasking marathon! Over the next 2 months, we’ll be busy little elves finishing year-end work at the office, decorating our homes, perfecting the 2-cart grocery shopping, attending concerts, plays and pageants and shopping for gifts on our lunch hour. But when we have a chance to knock off 2 things from our list at once…it’s a no-brainer! Here are a few ways you can organize those piles and files of digital photos while making personal, creative gifts for all the loved ones on your list: Use an online, photo-sharing site like Snapfish to organize and store photos and find great gift ideas, such as photo mugs, t-shirts and even mouse pads. Got a new mom on your gift list this year? Check out the cute photo stationery and notebooks that would be very useful for thank you notes and all those new baby memories. While you’re looking for stocking stuffers at Long’s Drugs, head over to the HP Photosmart kiosk where you can make posters, holiday cards, photo booklets and quick prints from your digital photos in minutes. Check out the new Photo Books from HP, just introduced last month, that allow you to make hardcover scrapbooks in your own home using digital photos. HP Photo Books are an easy and fun way for moms to create customized, professional-quality photo books at home. Everything you need to make an affordable and unique photo book with any inkjet printer is included – a 12-sheet book, software and photo paper. They come in great, classic colors and you can even add personal touches with text and mementos, like ticket stubs, cards and brochures. For more information on where to find these Photo Books and to see a video, go to hp.com/go/photobook. PUMP UP THE POWER FOODS There has been a lot of media hype recently about the “SuperFoods” that we need to be eating each day. Here is a list of these all-star foods, courtesy of website BestLife.com. What makes this list stand out is that it goes the extra mile by giving us a few easy tips on how we can conveniently add them to our healthy menu each day: [Spinach] This green, leafy favorite is loaded with plant-based omega-3s and folate, which help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and osteoporosis. And spinach is packed with lutein, a compound that fights age-related macular degeneration. Aim for 1 cup fresh spinach or 1/2 cup cooked per day. > HOW TO FIT IT IN: Make your salads with spinach; add spinach to scrambled eggs; drape it over pizza; mix it with marinara sauce and then microwave for an instant dip. [Yogurt] Various cultures claim yogurt as their own creation, but the 2,000-year-old food’s health benefits are not disputed: Fermentation spawns hundreds of millions of probiotic organisms that serve as reinforcements to the battalions of beneficial bacteria in your body, which boost the immune system and provide protection against cancer. Not all yogurts are probiotic though, so make sure the label says “live and active cultures.” Aim for 1 cup of the calcium- and protein-rich goop a day. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Yogurt topped with blueberries, walnuts, flaxseed and honey is the ultimate breakfast – or dessert. Plain, low-fat yogurt is also a perfect base for creamy salad dressings and dips. [Tomatoes] There are 2 things you need to know about tomatoes: Red are the best, because they’re packed with more of the antioxidant lycopene, and processed tomatoes are just as potent as fresh ones, because it’s easier for the body to absorb the lycopene. Aim for 22 mg of lycopene a day, which is about 8 red cherry tomatoes or a glass of tomato juice. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Pile on the ketchup and Ragú; guzzle low-sodium V8 and gazpacho; double the amount of tomato paste called for in a recipe. [Carrots] Most red, yellow or orange vegetables and fruits are spiked with carotenoids – fat-soluble compounds that are associated with a reduction in a wide range of cancers, as well as reduced risk and severity of inflammatory conditions, such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. But none are as easy to prepare, or have as low a caloric density, as carrots. Aim for 1/2 cup a day. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Raw, baby carrots, sliced, raw, yellow pepper, butternut squash soup, baked sweet potato, pumpkin pie and mango sorbet are all reasonable, tasty choices. [Blueberries] Host to more antioxidants than any other popular fruit, blueberries help prevent cancer, diabetes and age-related memory changes (hence the nickname “brain berry”). Studies show that blueberries, which are rich in fiber and vitamins A and C, boost cardiovascular health. Aim for 1 cup of fresh blueberries a day, or 1/2 cup frozen or dried. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Blueberries maintain most of their power in dried, frozen or jam form. [Black Beans] All beans are good for your heart, but none can boost your brain power like black beans. That’s because they’re full of anthocyanins, antioxidant compounds that have been shown to improve brain function. A daily 1/2-cup serving provides 8 grams of protein and 7.5 grams of fiber, and is low in calories and free of saturated fat. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Wrap black beans in a breakfast burrito; use black beans and kidney beans in your chili; puree 1 cup black beans with 1/4 cup olive oil and roasted garlic for a healthy dip; add favas, limas or peas to pasta. [Walnuts] Richer in heart-healthy omega-3s than salmon, loaded with more anti-inflammatory polyphenols than red wine, and packing half as much muscle-building protein as chicken, the walnut sounds like a Frankenfood, but it grows on trees. Other nuts combine only 1 or 2 of these features, not all 3. A serving of walnuts – about 1 ounce, or 7 nuts – is good anytime, but especially as a post-workout recovery snack. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Sprinkle on top of salads; dice and add to pancake batter; grind and mix with olive oil to make a marinade for fish or chicken. [Oats] Oats are packed with soluble fiber, which lowers the risk of heart disease. Yes, oats are loaded with carbs, but the release of those sugars is slowed by the fiber, and because oats also have 10 grams of protein per 1/2-cup serving, they deliver steady, muscle-building energy. HOW TO FIT IT IN: Eat granolas and cereals that have a fiber content of at least 5 grams per serving. Sprinkle 2 T. ground flaxseed on cereals, salads and yogurt. GIVE THANKS Be grateful every day! Soon, we’ll all be gathered around a table with our family and friends to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. And whether your stuffing is made with cornbread and sausage, or bread and vegetables, one thing is certain, we will all be thinking about what we are thankful for. In that moment of gratitude, we’ll all feel a warm sense of peace giving thanks for our family, our health and happiness, our home, jobs, etc. And though we are overwhelmed in that moment realizing just how very lucky we are, it can be a fleeting feeling…kind of like being “Thanksgiving-thankful” – here today, fading by tomorrow. Of course, there are things that happen to us each day for which we are thankful: no line at the grocery check-out, giving a stellar presentation at a meeting or an entire night without hearing the pitter-patter of little feet coming down the hall. But how often do we stop and recognize the little parts of each day that make life beautiful? You may remember a number of years ago, there was a lot of buzz around developing an attitude of gratitude. This practice was based on the notion that if we count our blessings every day, we will experience a shift in our perspective…from half empty to half full. By literally taking stock of our day, and recording at least 5 things that we are grateful for, we might realize that it is the simplest things that make us happy – the sun shining through a gray day, your baby’s smile, making a perfect cup of tea, a brief minute of pure silence during your busy day. Many people think it’s the other way around, that they’ll give thanks after they become happy. But what those who have adopted this way of thinking realize is that being grateful, being thankful, is an attitude, a behavior, that’s not just for one day or one season, but for all year round. Perhaps you’re already sitting in the gratitude camp, but if you haven’t done this before, try kicking off your attitude of gratitude this Thanksgiving. Whether you incorporate it into a family ritual by going around the dinner table each night or choose to record your moments in a Gratitude Journal before bed, take time to cultivate your attitude of gratitude. And after awhile, see what you think…do we give thanks because we are happy, or are we happy because we give thanks? You decide. |
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