Breakfast on the go...Recipe

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups

It's often said that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. That's because skipping your morning meal can lead to a dip in blood sugar that may cause cravings for unhealthy, refined foods. This cycle can lead to overeating and, thus, may impede your weight-loss efforts. Instead, start your day with this nutritious, mouthwatering meal. Not only will it keep you satisfied and stabilize your blood sugar, research shows that a morning meal can improve energy as well as work and school performance. This tasty recipe will be sure to get you going in the morning.

Sausage and Cheese Breakfast Cups

Description

These egg "muffins" make a hearty breakfast that can be eaten on the run. Make them ahead and warm them for a fast breakfast treat.

Makes 6 cups

Ingredients
4 ounces turkey sausage or crumbled turkey bacon
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 onion, chopped
5 large eggs
1 can (12 ounces) sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded, reduced-fat cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat a 6-cup nonstick muffin pan with cooking spray, or line with paper baking cups.

In a medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, pepper, and onion for 5 minutes or until the sausage is no longer pink. Spoon the mixture into a bowl and cool slightly. Stir in the eggs and mushrooms. Evenly divide the mixture among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with the cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes or until the egg is set.

Recipe reprinted with permission from The South Beach Diet Cookbook.
Source: www.southbeachdiet.com

2009 Teleconference Schedule

You asked... Now They're Here!

Teleconferences 2009
With Dr. Lynne Kenney

Tuesdays at 11 am we're the Lunch Bunch

Learning What it Takes To Create Your Extraordinary Family

Join in, Chime in, Offer Ideas - "Cause Mom Knows Best"

January 2009 11 am-12 pm MT

6th Lead your life don’t be led by it
13th Building health and reducing stress with routines
20th Asserting your family values leads to effective discipline
27th Getting your children to do as expected

February 2009 11 am-12 pm MT

3rd Thriving with ADHD
10th Seek to understand before you intervene
17th The Thinker and The Caveman
24th School strategies for success

March 2009 11 am-12 pm MT

3rd Sensory interventions for today’s children
10th Parental Teamwork – RESPECT RULES
17th Collaborating with oppositional children
24th Managing anger and anxiety in children

Sign-up for Dr. Kenney’s Teleconferences at www.lynnekenney.com
$59.00 Per Month
Call-in Information will be sent via email upon registration

Ideas for Good Health in the New Year with Carol Kenney

Ideas for Good Health in the New Year….See which might resonate with you…by Carol Kenney, respected nutritional coach, www.pathways4health.com.

Strategies to Work With the Natural Energy Rhythms of the Body.

Make time to eat a good breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day. A hearty breakfast following the 40/30/30 concept of 40% complex carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 30% fat can help to boost metabolism, stabilize blood sugar, and provide sustained energy for the brain. Studies confirm that people who eat breakfast have the least problem keeping a healthy weight.

Try to eat your main protein-based meal at noon, when digestive fire is at its peak. Avoid eating three hours before you retire at night. Digestive fire dwindles in the evening as the body naturally cools down to welcome sleep.

Allow for enough sleep. We all vary both in how much and when we sleep best around the 24-hour cycle of a day. Some people are Owls and love working into the late-night hours, while others are Larks and thrive on waking up early and retiring early. Whatever your pleasure, recall that a lack of sleep can throw off body chemistry, foster inflammation, and contribute to weight gain. Adequate sleep restores the immune system and is one of the best ways to ward off illness. Check in with yourself. “Enough” sleep varies with the individual, one’s type of work, and level of stress. One useful gauge: If you are craving caffeine and sweets to keep going throughout the day and often come down with colds, you are probably not getting enough sleep.

Try some regular aerobic exercise in the fresh air and sunshine (Yes, sunshine is good for your health!). Among its many benefits, aerobic exercise helps prevent inflammation. A 30-minute walk three times a week may be sufficient. If possible, try to exercise early in the day when the lungs are at their peak energy. If you exercise to lose or maintain weight, choose something you like since studies show that exercise that is not enjoyed creates stress and can be counterproductive, even exacerbating weight gain.

Strategies When Choosing Foods.

Try to buy local, fresh, whole foods…organic when possible. Think variety…rainbow colors, some raw and some cooked, some fermented. Foods are a system, uniquely balanced with nutrients and fiber for assimilation and nourishment. Our body converts foods into energy in a way that defies the explanations of science and the microscope.

Read food labels. Read for trans fats, for genetically modified (GMO) foods, and for the pseudonyms for sugar and artificial additives such as “evaporated cane juice” and MSG. Recent scientific studies suggest ties between GMOs and allergies, immune problems, and infertility; and between MSG (prevalent in processed, packaged, and fast foods) depression and childhood obesity.

Consume healthy fats and oils. Saturated fats such as organic butter from grass-fed animals and organic unrefined coconut oil are top choices for cooking, and quality cod liver oil4 and fish oil are good sources of omega-3 fats. Saturated fats are necessary for cell membranes, which are 50% saturated fat. Omega-3s are important for neurological function. Avoid trans fats, which are found in many processed and fast foods; they confuse the body and can foster chronic disease.

Let the way Nature packages food be a guide. Sugar is a classic example. To make one cup of refined white sugar requires 17 feet of sugar cane!!! In refining, we miss the cane’s natural fiber and micronutrients. How much sugar would we eat if we had to ingest it in this form? Or, how many walnuts might we consume if, instead of pouring from a package, we had to take the time to crack each one?

Think prevention of disease, not suppression of symptoms. Develop strategies to curb inflammation, the root of all chronic disease. From evolution and genetic selection, we as a people are prone to inflammation. The inflammatory response supported our survival before the discovery of modern antibiotics. While good strategies to try to curb our inflammatory nature are tied to lifestyle (getting enough sleep, moderate exercise, laughter, fresh air, sunshine and connection with others), they are also tied to diet. This means limiting sugar, refined flour, clear denatured vegetable oils, and meats from grain-fed animals. It also means bringing into good balance the consumption of omega-6 and omega-3 fats...

Try to limit processed and fast foods, and avoid cooking with clear vegetable oils. This can be a huge step toward creating in your diet a healthy 2:1 balance of omega-6:-3 oils. Omega-6 oils are inflammatory. They are hidden in processed, packaged, and fast foods, which is a major reason the typical American ratio is 20:1, rather than 2:1. The sensible way to bring the “-6:-3 ratio” into better balance and benefit from the omega-3s that you do consume is to limit your intake of omega-6 fats. Since omega-3s and -6s compete for the same digestive enzymes, consuming large amounts of omega-6s through processed and fast foods can negate the potential anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 oils, because omega-6s “crowd out” omega-3s.

To preserve the delicate brain, consume good fats and oils while you also try to avoid excitotoxins in foods and the excessive use of mobile phones. The protective lymph system does not extend its strong protective web to the head. Nature in Her design anticipated neither our modern technology nor additives in processed foods.

Eat foods attuned to the season and the season of your life. Tropical fruits, and summer foods like tomatoes, cucumbers, and salad greens are cooling and well-suited to warm climates. But in winter, hearty soups and meals built around warming chicken, turkey, and lamb, leeks, onions, parsnips, and winter squashes can preserve internal heat and support the body’s natural energy without undue strain and overwork. Rotating foods with the seasons supports this energy and can also help prevent allergies. In the later decades of life, foods and quantities that worked in earlier years may no longer. Our body gives such wonderful feedback. We need only to pay attention…

Be “bad” sometimes. It reminds us why it is generally best to be “good.” An 80/20 or 90/10 goal is good enough: if we aim for 80%-90% of our choices in the “healthy” zone (food, sleep, or whatever) we enjoy some “wiggle room.” Then, we just pay attention to how we feel. In all realms, our body will give us feedback. And, as Annemarie Colbin taught me, there is no need to feel guilty when we make a “bad” choice. After all, we have already paid the price by how we feel. In the meantime, what we have gained is valuable information. Happy eating and good health to you in 2009.

Kids health habits lead to obesity and diabetes

Kids' Worst Health Habits

The health of today's children is in jeopardy. "In the last 10 years, diabetes in children has doubled; there's a growing obesity epidemic among children, and we're seeing heart disease start in children," says Joel Fuhrman, M.D., family physician in Flemington, N.J., and author "Eat for Health and "Disease-Proof Your Child."

The consequences are so dire, in fact, that health authorities are now predicting that this generation of children will be the first to have a shorter life span than their parents. So what habits are putting kids in jeopardy?

Fuhrman pulled together the 10 worst offenders but issues this warning: "Parents can't force children to do anything they aren't doing themselves, which is why parents also need to change their habits to become better role models."

1. Drinking soda

Soda is loaded with sugar (about 13 teaspoons per can) artificial sweeteners, caffeine and empty calories (about 150 in a regular soda). Plus, soda might displace healthy beverages like milk or water and cause tooth decay. Bottom line: Nix soda from your child's diet and replace it with water, milk and other healthy beverages.

2. Not exercising

Today's kids are leading inactive lifestyles, putting them at risk for cancer, diabetes, heart disease and osteoporosis.

Bottom line: Make physical activity as important for your kids as brushing their teeth. By instilling the exercise habit in them when they're young, they'll be more likely to stick with it as adults. Just remember that kids learn by example, so get active with them.

3. Eating processed and barbecued meats

Your kids might love baloney sandwiches and hamburgers, but processed and barbecued meats have been linked to cancer, especially colon cancer.

Bottom line: Steer your kids clear of this kind of meat, and instead, turn them on to more healthy, wholesome foods like fruits, veggies, beans, nuts and seeds.

4. Being overweight

While it might be vogue to be heavy -- roughly 16 percent of kids aged two to 19 are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- that extra weight could cause your child serious health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

Bottom line: Clean up your diet, and your family will follow. Likewise, become a regular exerciser, and encourage your children to get more active.

5. Not eating enough fruits and veggies

Fruits and veggies are loaded with disease-fighting nutrients, which is why kids who don't eat enough are at greater risk for developing cancer and other chronic health conditions.

Bottom line: Make fruits and veggies the mainstay of meals, and your kids will easily get the servings they need. Check MyPyramid.gov to view fruit and veggie requirements for kids or try AOL Health's handy Veggie and Fruit Tracker to calculate daily requirements.

6. Too many hours in front of the TV

Watching TV and playing video games are sedentary activities that encourage snacking and often replace physical activity. TV viewing also exposes your kids to risky behaviors like smoking and drinking, which could influence them.

Bottom line: Limit your kids' use of the TV and computer. Children under two years old should not watch any TV, while kids over two should be limited to no more than two hours of media time a day, per the American Academy of Pediatrics.

7. Noshing sugary treats and foods

Your kids might go gaga over treats, but they're nutrient-poor, calorie-laden foods. Most are also made with refined grains, which have been linked to cancer. Plus, the more your kids eat these, the more they could begin craving them, which could eventually boost their weight.

Bottom line: Limit sugar in your children's diet as much as possible. Ban sugary cereals, cookies and candy from your pantry. Then become a savvy label reader, looking for hidden sugars in everything from granola bars toketchup and even pasta sauces. To satisfy a sweet tooth, serve fruit as a dessert or a snack.

8. Eating fast food

"Fast food is for parents who don't care about their kids," Fuhrman says. By buying them fast food, you're giving them the lowest quality food, which adds calories, fat and little nutrition to their diets. The end result? You could wind up with an overweight, unhealthy child. Plus, if they're eating fried foods or food cooked at high temperatures, they're noshing cancer-causing compounds.

Bottom line: Boycott all fast food.

9. Not getting enough vitamin D

Vitamin D deficiency has been linked to dozens of health conditions, including rickets, osteoporosis, cancer, heart disease and diabetes. Sunshine is the best source of vitamin D, but most kids don't spend enough hours outside to get all they need. Plus, if you live in a northern climate, getting enough vitamin D in the winter can be impossible.

Bottom line: Make sure your child is getting 400 IU of vitamin D daily through a multivitamin and/or vitamin D supplement.

10. Filling up on food made with white flour

White flour has zero nutritional value, which is why Fuhrman believes it should be banned from foods. "White flour's been linked to obesity and cancer-causing cell development," he says.

Bottom line: Don't buy food made with white flour. Instead, choose 100 percent whole-grain products. SOURCE: Written By KAREN ASP from AOL

The Family Coach as a lot planned for 2009!

The Family Coach is an educational service provided by North Scottsdale Pediatrics. Family Coaching regards you, the parent, as the expert. Through coaching we identify your goals for Better Family Living and we implement strategies for success.

Families improve skills in the following areas:

• Family behavior and discipline
• Family health and wellness
• Family schedules & routines
• Improving attention and focus
• Improving friendship skills
• Improving school success
• Parenting with confidence
• Parenting with consistency
• Working together with the other parent

We will be doing a teleconference series for families who wish to enhance their family lives.

We are also teaming with Pediatric Speech-Language Specialists (Anita Werner) and On Track Tutoring (Dana Herzberg) for a free in-school educational lecture series for teachers and parents.

We have classes planned for 2009 as well.

Family coaching in home or at school is also on the menu.

Visit www.lynnekenney.com for more information.

What your kids need most this holiday season

While we are busy shopping and wrapping presents I was reminded what our children need most this holiday season.

Alone time with mom or dad.
A date with their favorite family member.
To give time at a local charity.
Presents that keep them active not just sitting around.
Music lessons.
Time playing sports with mom or dad.
A good bedtime story.
Their manners, don't forget yours either.

Remember, your child's favorite toy is you.

Happy Holidays! Dr. K.

Helping Children Communicate Their Feelings

One of my students recently called me to relate an affirming story about expressing feelings. “I got upset because he wouldn’t help me put his toys away, he said, ‘When you look at me like that you hurt my feelings.’” While a mother’s pride is sometimes overstated, this time it was not.

I knew exactly why my student was so pleased. She, like myself, had once taught preschool and was intent on helping children communicate their feelings. That’s not easy for young children: language is still rudimentary in the early years, plus many children hide their feelings to secure adult approval. Unhappy feelings do not just disappear though—they go underground, often to reemerge years later.

I never told my parents that they were hurting my feelings when they showed disapproval. Such an idea never entered my head and could have been dangerous if it had! Surely, my parents could not have understood, much less expressed, such feelings when they were young. Now, we realize that when children let us know how they feel, we can help them understand themselves and also help them to cope with unhappy feelings, which is much more useful than repressing them.

How Times Have Changed

My student was not only amused and proud; she was also honest. She told her son that she was sorry to have hurt his feelings, and that she had been upset because she was tired and bending over to put the blocks away was hurting her back. He replied, “That’s because you’re old!” My student kept her cool and said, “I guess you must feel angry at me. You know it hurts my feelings to call me old.”

Within minutes, my student and her son went swimming. By then, the slate was clean. They could be friends again because there was no hidden backlog of unhappy feelings.

Encouraging the Expression of Real Feelings

After a lifetime of working with children and recalling my own feelings as a child, I am convinced that nothing, aside from loving and protecting children, is as important as helping them communicate their real feelings. Grappling directly with perceptions and sensations leads to solving problems in the here and now, rather than leaving them to fester into a source of discomfort one is never able to figure out. It can also save on many counseling sessions in the future.

How can we help children tell us how they feel? By reading them stories and following up with conversation. By listening to accounts of their dreams, and asking what they think the dreams are saying about deep-down feelings. By paying attention when children want to tell us something rather than saying, “I’m busy now. Tell me later.”

We are most apt to cut off the expression of real feelings when children tell us things we do not want to hear. If a child says, “You’re fat!” and you roar, “You can’t talk to me that way,” the child may very well decide not to talk to you in any real way.

Less intimidating responses to offending comments do exist. My friend looked as if she was going to faint when her two-year-old daughter, disobeying an instruction to get her pajamas, yelled, “I will not, you mean lady.” My friend turned red, and said in a shaky voice, “If I ever talked to my mother that way I would have been struck dead by lightening.” My friend did not go on to tell her daughter that she was a bad girl and should never say such a thing; instead she did some deep breathing to gain control of her emotions and said, “I know you’re angry and want to play, but now it’s bedtime.” My friend’s courage and fortitude have been well repaid by a teenage daughter who over the years has managed to tell her most of the issues that have upset her.

In our worthy attempts to help our children communicate their feelings, we must be careful not to extract an apology for “unacceptable behaviors.” Forcing children to say they are sorry, when they are not, is forcing them to lie. Nor should we belabor communicating to the point of boredom. Short answers are far better than long ones. At times we will be tired, frustrated, or annoyed; at times we will lose patience because we are human and do not have complete emotional regulation. Children learn to tolerate our imperfections, our fallibility. And if we happen to leave an important problem unresolved, we can always return to it later. We can always say: “I’m sorry I shouted at you, instead of telling you my feelings. I guess grown-ups sometimes lose control too.”

Children need parents, not saints—a truth I have learned while raising my daughters. The true teachers are those who encourage children to accept human frailty, to acknowledge both love and anger, and to muster the freedom and courage to become their fullest selves. By Barb Grady www.parenting-plus.com

How Moms Shop Online

Study: Mothers Know Best for Online Shopping
Moms were also more likely than non-moms to single out customer product reviews or ratings as the most influential source for obtaining holiday gift information
Dec 17, 2008
By Katy Bachman

Mom knows best when it comes to shopping, and there's a good reason for it: She's big on conducting research before plunking down the dollars. That's according to results from a new Mindshare Online Research study released Tuesday (Dec. 16) that found that 61 percent of moms research holiday gifts compared to only 48 percent of non-moms.

Moms were also more likely than non-moms to single out customer product reviews or ratings as the most influential source for obtaining holiday gift information, 23 percent versus 12 percent.

Another valuable tool is the Internet with 54 percent of all shoppers surveyed doing the bulk of holiday shopping online.

Overall, women are the family members most likely to handle the holiday shopping--77 percent of women compared to 36 percent for men.

As expected, 64 percent of all shoppers said they expect to spend less on gifts this year than previous year and more than three-fourths said they will shop around to find the best prices.

Conducted in December by BuzzBack Market Research, Mindshare's online study was based on a survey of 350 adults.

Give yourself the gift of planning

Today, there are 10 days until Christmas. Presents are wrapped and hidden, the holiday meal has been planned, invitations to holiday parties and get-togethers have been accepted, and batches of holiday cookies have been baked.

If you have guests arriving before or on Christmas day, however, then you still have plenty to do in order to prepare your home for the Christmas festivities. Begin each day with a plan of attack. Move your least pleasant tasks to the top of the list and plan to do them first thing in the morning.

Give yourself the gift of early preparation & confidence! www.listplanit.com

How to Create your Most Peaceful Holiday Season Ever!

How to Create your Most Peaceful Holiday Season Ever!

Are you overwhelmed just thinking of your holiday to- do list?
Has holiday stress already started to take its’ toll on you?
Are you wondering how you will ever get everything done?

Do you dream of a peaceful, joyful holiday season?

Join me on Tuesday Dec 9, 2008 at 1200 noon EST and I guarantee that you will be able to create the best most peaceful holiday season ever.

During this teleclass you will learn:

* the ONE thing you need to do that can dramatically increase your enjoyment of the holidays
* ways to create priceless memories that can be carried on for generations
* how to bring the spirit of the holidays into your household and your heart
* steps you can take to reduce your stress and keep your sanity intact this year
* how you can bring in the NEW YEAR with grace, enthusiasm and peace instead of overwhelm, regret or anxiety
* the ONE thing you must avoid in order to REDUCE STRESS this season

AND the 2 Strategies I have been using that is helping to create my Most Peaceful Holiday Season yet!

Date: Dec 9th 2008 at 1200 noon Eastern Standard Time, 1:00 pm Atlantic Standard Time and 9:00am Pacific Time. $17.00

http://www.peggyporter.com/dec08-teleclass.php

Defining Yourself as an Entrepreneur

Yvette Craddock decided her entrepreneurial fate at six years of age. In 2002, she began her journey by establishing Click Marketing Solutions, a full-service marketing firm, which received immediate industry recognition and has garnered over a dozen awards, including international recognition. In 2008, Yvette launched another business that derives from her personal passion for fashion. ShopStyleFolio.com is devoted to bold, modern and luxurious women’s jewelry and offers only one of each item. Through her entrepreneurial outlets, she continues to design her life and inspire others. www.click-marketing.net

4 P’s

Path - What activities/interests are you attracted to; people or causes.

Passion – What are your strengths; things that you do effortlessly for free if you had to.

Purpose – Combine path and passion to define opportunities for change in your area of expertise/interest.

Plan - What is your realistic, comprehensive business plan? How does that factor into your life plan.

Visit Yvette Craddock at
www.click-marketing.net

www.twittermoms.com/profile/LynneKenney

GRANDMA'S CEREAL COOKIES

What child doesn't like cookies? If you're having trouble your children to eat their cereal in the morning, here's the recipe for delicious, nutritious cookies, from my grandma.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening or organic butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla
1 cup sifted flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
¼ cup milk
2 cups of your favorite nutritious cereal (We use Wheaties)
1 cup chocolate chips

Three steps that make you a cook:

1) Cream the shortening or butter, sugar, brown sugar, milk, egg and vanilla. 2) In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, the baking soda, the powder and the salt. 3) Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. When they're mixed fold in 1 cup chocolate chips and 2 cups of your favorite cereal.

Cook at 350 degrees on a buttered cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes.

Roadblocks to Entrepreneurial Success

You may be holiday shopping or cooking today. Perhaps you are already thinking about how to make 2009 a more productive year than 2008. If so, listen to these hard earned words of John Bishop. Plan for your entrepreneurial success...

There will be challenges along the way to your success. Here are ten potential roadblocks to look out for:

1. No clear vision - The clearer your vision is of your definition for success, the faster you will achieve it.

2. Fear of failure - Eliminate the Bummer Words - no, never, can’t, won’t, maybe and if.

3. Lack of determination - Turn challenges into a problems that need to be overcome.

4. No action plan - Write a detailed, step-by-step plan of how you will achieve your success. Include a timetable for completion, and place the written strategy where you can read it, every day.

5. Inflexibility - You will have to make adjustments in your life to focus on reaching the success you want.

6. Negative thinking - Everyone has some self-doubt. Ask yourself everyday: a). Did I give my best effort to today’s activities? b) Did I move closer to reaching my goals?

7. Lack of enthusiasm - All days are good; some are better than others. You will find enthusiasm is contagious; give some to others.

8. Procrastination - You can have the best plan in the world, but if you don’t take action on it you simply have a dream.

9. Making excuses - Take personal responsibility for your success by eliminating excuses. Avoid blaming others for your lack of effort.

10. Refusal to learn from your mistakes - Successful people learn valuable life lessons from their mistakes.

These roadblocks can actually become stepping stones to your success. How? By identifying which ones are holding you back from reaching your goals and diligently working to eliminate them. Set monthly and quarterly goals. Post affirmations around your home. Seek relationships with positive thinkers. Plan for Success in 2009!

AND BABY MAKES TWO- - Things that make you say eeeew and smile

First time parents are in for their share of terrible sights and smells! Some of us are better at it than others; but it’s safe to say that we all have some issues dealing with those baby bodily functions. Here are some tips for dealing with the grossest of the gross.

Spitting up
Moms of young babies often feel that they spend their entire lives wearing a dirty shirt. Not only is it difficult to keep your clothing clean, but it’s difficult to keep yourself (and baby) smelling fresh. First, keep some sort of cloth around for your shoulder and lap whenever you’re burping baby. They make specific burp rags, but when my babies were young, I found that these cloths were not wide enough to cover my whole shoulder. Cloth diapers worked much better. I pretty much walked around the house with a cloth diaper on my shoulder at all times when I had a small infant.

Washing those clothes that have been regurgitated upon takes some special care. The smell (especially if you’re using formula) can be hard to remove. Try putting a splash of color safe bleach in the wash to completely remove the smell.

Moms who work have a special challenge – getting to work in the morning without having to change your shirt before you drop off baby. Here was my solution for this dilemma. After I got dressed in the morning, I would put one of my husband’s old dress shirts on over my clothes. I wore it until after I had dropped the baby off at the sitter. It covered nearly my entire outfit.

Poopy Diapers
Get a surgical mask if you need it, you’re going to be changing these for a while. However, once your baby gets a little older, there will be fewer each day. You just have to toughen up about changing them. The best solution for controlling the smell is just to get them out of the house quickly. No, really just bag em and toss em. Luckily, a newborn’s diet prevents the smell from being too offensive; just wait until they start eating solids or better yet, til they are teens...

Little Boy Accidents During Diaper Change
Has it happened to you yet? If you’re the parent of a newborn boy, it’s only a matter of time until your little darling sprays you in the face with a stream of urine during the diaper change. My advice is to keep your son’s penis covered as much as possible during the diaper change. An extra cloth close by can be a lifesaver!

Honestly, babies smell great no matter what the secretions. A bit of humor goes a long way. Here is a great link for large swaddling blankets that are super helpful. I use the aden + anais large swaddling blankets for everything. www.clevermom.me

Kids Health and Activity Camp

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday
Location Village Health Club and Spa at DC Ranch
Open to ages 6-15 5-6:15pm

December 15th, 2008 thru January 9th, 2009
Excluding December 24th, 25, 31st and Jan 1st, 2009

$15 per single class/ $100 for 10 classes/ $120 for 15 classes
(no make-ups and classes must be used in the scheduled time)
Kids do not need to be members to attend these classes

Contact Cindy Feltman Angulo CPT (602) 451-3672

Check out Dr. Kenney 1 pm Today Channel 12 LIVE

Get Real—Set Reasonable Expectations

The holiday season may be portrayed as trouble free and festive. But family problems may escalate when the season arrives. The reality of the holidays, much like life, is that real people and families are not perfect. If you can change your expectations—don't expect holidays to be like the movies!—you may have a more enjoyable experience.

Tips for setting reasonable expectations:

* Do your best to stick to your regular family routine. Changing your schedule to fit in holiday activities and traveling can be tough on you and your kids, so try to keep things as normal as possible. Try to keep bedtimes and mealtimes the same even when you're away from home.
* Talk with your family about schedules. Take time to explain each day's activities to your children and let them know what you expect from them. Together, choose activities that you really want to do. You can't do everything, so you might let your children pick their favorite things for your family to do. Do the things that you all will enjoy the most, and then say "no" to extra activities.
* Talk with family members about your expectations for their behavior at the holidays. We can't tell our children to behave if a family member models drinking too much, swearing and bringing their old baggage to the table.
* Talk with your family about finances. Even young children can learn how to budget for gifts. Urge them to get creative and make presents for family members instead of buying them. Receiving a thoughtful gift from a child can be a memorable holiday moment. Many families concentrate on special things they can make or do for each other.

Maintain Your Health:

* Eat in moderation - Eat small meals several times throughout the day.
* If a meal is particularly delicious - take half of it off your plate and save it for later.
* Drink water - stay hydrated.
* Drink in moderation or replace alcohol with lemon water, fresh tea or sparkling organic lemonade.
* Get your sleep. Sleep deprivation leads to stress.
* Exercise - Use 10 minute movement morsels if you cannot get outside to ride your bike or go for a walk.

Take Time To Relax and Play with Your Family:

Plan quiet time or at least downtime from activities. Take a few moments to read a book, take a bubble bath, or sit down and listen to your favorite songs. You also may want to:

* Play a board game with your family.
* Go for a walk with your family to see holiday displays in your neighborhood.
* Join your kids for fun family exercise. If you choose something outdoors, the fresh air and exercise can lift your spirits.
* Settle down for storytime with your family. Pull out holiday stories that you loved as a child and read them aloud together.

Volunteer at a Local Charity:

Carving out a few hours to volunteer at a charity might seem impossible but giving your time and energy may help you find the spirit of the season. Stuck for ideas? You and your family might help wrap gifts for needy children, deliver meals to families in need, or visit residents in a local nursing home.

Just Do Your Best:

As you enjoy the holiday season, do your best to limit stress. Don't expect everything to go as planned. Your child may get sick on the holiday, the oven might break as you are cooking a special dinner, or a storm may prevent relatives from visiting. When these things happen, let the family help decide on a new plan. For example, if the electricity goes out, grab your flashlights and make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Use cookie cutters to cut them into fun shapes!

Don't let unexpected events ruin the holidays for you. Be adaptable and flexible. You can help yourself and your children relax and enjoy the holidays for what they truly are: a time of joy, celebration, and peace with friends and family.

Get organized on www.listplanit.com
Ready Meryl Starr's Personal Organization

Three Components of Successful School Programs for Children with ADHD

The ADHD child’s school success is often dependent on his or her ability to attend to tasks and teacher and classroom expectations with minimal distraction. When a child exhibits behaviors associated with ADHD, consequences may include difficulties with school and with forming relationships with his or her peers if appropriate instructional methodologies and interventions are not implemented.

There are an estimated 1.46 to 2.46 million children with ADHD in the United States, constituting 3 to 5 percent of the school student population. It has been documented that approximately 25 to 30 percent of all children with ADHD also have learning disabilities. Likewise, children with ADHD have coexisting psychiatric disorders at a much higher rate.

When selecting and implementing successful school strategies and practices for the ADHD student, it is imperative to understand the characteristics of the child, including those pertaining to disabilities. This knowledge will be useful in the evaluation and implementation of successful practices, which are often the same practices that benefit students without ADHD.

Three Components of Successful Programs for Children with ADHD: The three main components of a successful ADHD school strategy are academic instruction, behavioral interventions, and classroom accommodations. This guide outlines a series of strategies proven successful in not only educating children with ADHD but all children. By incorporating techniques from these three areas into their everyday instructional and classroom management practices, teachers will improve the academic performance and the behavior of their students with ADHD.

Academic Instruction: The first major component of the most effective instruction for children with ADHD is effective school instruction. Teachers can help prepare their students with ADHD to achieve by applying the principles of effective teaching when they introduce, conduct, and conclude each lesson during the school day. The discussion and techniques that follow pertain to the instructional process in general (across subject areas); strategies for specific subject areas appear in the subsequent subsection “Individualizing Instructional Practices.”

Behavioral Interventions: The second major component of effective school instruction for children with ADHD involves the use of behavioral interventions. The purpose of behavioral interventions in the school setting is to assist ADHD students in displaying the behaviors that are most conducive to their own learning and that of classmates. Well-managed classrooms prevent many disciplinary problems and provide an environment that is most favorable for learning. When a teacher’s time must be spent interacting with students whose behaviors are not focused on the lesson being presented, less time is available for assisting other students. Behavioral interventions should be viewed as an opportunity for teaching in the most effective and efficient manner, rather than as an opportunity for punishment.

Classroom Accommodations: The third component of a strategy for effectively educating children with ADHD involves physical school classroom accommodations. Children with ADHD often have difficulty adjusting to the structured environment of a classroom, determining what is important, and focusing on their assigned work. They are easily distracted by other children or by nearby activities in the school classroom. As a result, many children with ADHD benefit from accommodations that reduce distractions in the classroom environment and help them to stay on task and learn. Certain accommodations within the physical and learning environments of the classroom can benefit children with ADHD. Source: U.S. Department of Education. To order a hard copy of this ADD teaching report, e-mail edpubs@inet.ed.gov or call (877) 433-7827.

Montel Says Make Exercise a Habit

You are an active person, whether you realize it or not! You may not run five miles a day or hike a mountain every weekend, but chances are you spend at least some time walking, running after your kids, and lifting things (whether they're weights or laundry detergent doesn't matter!).

To truly live well physically, it's important for you to energize your body most days of the week, with at least 30 minutes — heading toward a goal of 60 minutes — of physical activity.

People can always make excuses as to why they don't have time to exercise. But when it comes down to it, if it's important to you, you can fit it in. If you have time to watch TV or go to dinner with friends, you can certainly find time to enjoy some physical activity!

Here are a few ways for you to discover the joy of regular exercise:

* Start slowly and gradually. Over the next few weeks and months, work your way up to 30 minutes (with the goal of reaching 60 minutes) on most days of the week. Remember: Slow and steady wins the race!
* Stay hydrated: Drink fluids, especially water, before, during, and after your activity.
* Before you exercise, warm up with about five minutes of walking, marching in place, or a less strenuous version of the activity you're about to do.
* At the end of the exercise, slow down gradually with five minutes of a cool down similar to your warm-up. For example, if you're finishing a run, slow to a jog, then a walk.
* If you feel pain during exercise, stop and be sure to consult your doctor. Uncomfortable stiffness, dizziness, or severe breathlessness are also signs that you should stop and get medical attention.

Over the next few days, we'll explore the three major types of structured physical activity: aerobic/cardiovascular, resistance/strength, and flexibility. They are all important parts of your fitness program, and they will work together to reinforce one another.

Here's to living well!

What Is Phonological/Phoneme Awareness?

Sometimes teachers tell parents, "Your child does not have phonemic awareness." What does that mean and what can we do to improve phonemic awareness?

Stanovich (1993) defines "phonological awareness" as the ability to deal explicitly and segmentally with sound units smaller than the syllable. He also notes that researchers "argue intensely" about the meaning of the term and about the nature of the tasks used to measure it.

Phonological awareness sometimes refers to an awareness that words consist of syllables and phonemes (segments of words or groupings of sound).

A phoneme is the smallest contrastive unit in the sound system of a language. Phonemic awareness is the ability to hear, identify, and move individual sounds (manipulate) - phonemes - in spoken words.

Adams (1990) describes 5 levels of phonemic awareness in terms of abilities:

* to hear rhymes and alliteration as measured by knowledge of nursery rhymes

* to do oddity tasks (comparing and contrasting the sounds of words for rhyme and alliteration)

* to blend and split syllables

* to perform phonemic segmentation (such as counting out the number of phonemes in a word)

* to perform phoneme manipulation tasks (such as adding, deleting a particular phoneme and regenerating a word from the remainder).

What can you do to enhance phonemic awareness and consequently reading skills?

Phonemic awareness can be developed through a number of activities, including asking children beginning in preschool (age 3) to:

1. Have fun with your child teaching him rhymes.
2. Clap the rhythm of syllables.
3. Identify and categorize sounds.
4. Blend sounds to form words.
5. Delete or add sounds to form new words.
6. Substitute sounds to make new words.

Read with your child. Practice phonics with your child. Enjoy playing with sounds through music, clapping and movement.

Visit www.hookedonphonics.com to learn more.

Michelle LaRowe on the 6 C's of discipline

Listen in to Michelle LaRowe on discipline www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Family-Coach.

Michelle's 6 C's of Effective Discipline.

Comprehension: Understand what true discipline is

Clarity: Be clear with your expectations

Communication: Get everyone on the same page

Consistency: Be regular and predictable

Consideration: Protect little hearts

Centering your faith: Put Jesus first!

www.michellelarowe.com

Parenting expert MARY MURRAY on teaching friendship skills

Listen in to Educational Psychologist Mary Murray, Director of Murray Camp on Nantucket, as we talk about what schools and parents can do to help teach friendship skills.

Mary suggests we visit onetoughjob.org and www.pbs.org/parents for helpful tips and solutions.

www.blogtalkradio.com/the-family-coach

Books that might interest you include:

Queen Bees and Wannabes: Helping Your Daughter Survive Cliques, Gossip, Boyfriends, and Other Realities of Adolescence by Rosalind Wiseman

Friends: Making Them & Keeping Them (American Girl) by Patti Kelley Criswell and Stacy Peterson

A Smart Girls Guide to Friendship Troubles by Patti Kelley Criswell and Angela Martini

Protect Your Child from Bullying: Expert Advice to Help You Recognize, Prevent, and Stop Bullying Before Your Child Gets Hurt by Allan L. Beane

Building Moral Intelligence: The Seven Essential Virtues that Teach Kids to Do the Right Thing by Michele Borba

Parents Do Make a Difference: How to Raise Kids with Solid Character, Strong Minds, and Caring Hearts (The Jossey-Bass Psychology Series) by Michele Borba

Nobody Likes Me, Everybody Hates Me: The Top 25 Friendship Problems and How to Solve Them by Michele Borba

Raising Boys: Why Boys Are Different - And How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-Balanced Men by Steve Biddulph and Paul Stanish

Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys by Dan Kindlon and Michael Thompson

The holidays on a budget with Dr. Caron Goode

For families who are facing tough times, the end of the year holidays may become a source of stress, guilt and worry. But getting creative during these tough times and coming up with alternative ways to celebrate to share time and give gifts (without breaking the bank) brings the joy of the holiday season back to the forefront. To celebrate the holidays on a shoestring budget, put these top ten tips to the test:

1. Start with comfort foods created with a dose of love. I remember the smell of buttery blueberry muffins on Christmas morning that our neighbor provided. She put her heart into cooking, and you can do the same with a few shortcuts for time. Gift muffins, breads or cookies.

a. Cinnamon bread or buns: Buy frozen bread dough and follow instructions for thawing. Before letting the bread rise, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough in roughly a rectangle shape. Sprinkle generously with sugar or sugar substitute, and cinnamon. If you like slivered pecans or almonds, add them at this stage of preparation. Slowly and evenly roll the dough from longest side to the longest side and shape the edges closed. Put into a loaf pan for rising before baking. If you want cinnamon rolls, then roll the dough as suggested very long and stretch a little more. Cut two-inch slices and place on a cookie tray for rising before baking.

b. Gluten-free: For those of you on special diets, try Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix or the Gluten Free Brownie Mix by Bob’s Red Mill. I fix them in my household and find them delicious. Here is the link: http://www.bobsredmill.com/product.php?productid=3746

2. Remember the reason for the season. Take time to reflect on what the holidays mean to you and to your family. This can help to get your focus off of the commercialization and materialism of the holidays and back to the meaning behind them. Doing this can often help you to regain perspective and to approach your family holidays from a different (and more affordable) angle.

3. Use pictures to evoke memories. Dig out your older family holiday pictures. Disply them on corkboard or large poster board. Pictures can evoke emotions and a sense of belonging. Or make a scrapbook of holidays past and present. Talk about what was happening before and after each photo was taken. Write captions. Make this a fun, family event where every age has a say and smile!

4. Encourage an attitude of gratitude in your children. Foster an attitude of gratitude in your children by encouraging them to express thanks for what they do have and by giving back to others who have substantially less. Use pictures to express appreciation. Pictures often inspire people to express what they appreciate or admire about others. A picture of dad dressed as Santa Claus might make children laugh. It might also make them realize they appreciate his sense of humor. Encourage your family to share these types of feelings as you work on your scrapbook.

5. Put the focus on the family. Some of the best family memories are made during the holidays, so take advantage of the time together by doing low cost activities as a family. Playing board games, attending holiday services, going for walks, and watching a classic Christmas movie at home are all no cost ways to celebrate one of the greatest gifts of all.

6. List positive assets in the family holiday scrapbook. You can do this by asking all family members to list five positive things they feel about the family member in a photo. Have them write these attributes on the page where the picture appears or next to the displayed pihotos. Also have them include their name and the date. Small tributes such as these can go a long way towards building a positive family-image and appreciation for each other.

7. Get crafty and creative. Homemade gifts truly make wonderful gifts for family, friends and relatives. From simple ornaments made out of hardened sugar cookies, to packing the dry ingredients of your favorite cookie recipe in a glass gar, giving gifts that are expressions of yourself and your family are not only affordable but meaningful.

8. Give cost free gifts. For parents that usually purchase gifts for teachers, or adult family members and friends, giving no cost gifts can make a great (and often needed) alternative. Free nights of babysitting, a day of housework or gardening or a lesson in a hobby that you excel at can help to significantly slash your holiday budget.

9. Consider doing grabs. Consider suggesting a group grab or playing secret Santa with family to cut back on costs. Another variation of a gift sharing is that each woman contributes a gift for a woman, and the same for each man and child with a gift cap of ten or twenty dollars. The joy is to be creative, useful, indulgent and humorous. Then, each person picks a wrapped, secret gift within his or her grouping.

10. Consider adopting a charity. Some families skip gift giving all together and take on a charity each holiday season. Instead of purchasing gifts, consider donating money, gifts or time to charity in the names of friends and family.

Remember the three Hs this holiday season and give them liberally: hugs, hot chocolate and humor.

Dr. Caron B. Goode is the founder of the Academy for Coaching Parents International, a training and certification program for parent coaches. In addition to duties with the academy, Goode is the founding editor of the website InspiredParenting.net, and the author of eleven books, the most recent of which is Help Kids Cope with Stress & Trauma, which includes several chapters on he use of storytelling strategies. For more information on The Academy for Coaching Parents International or to sign up for academy announcements, visit www.acpi.biz.

Holiday Tips with Peggy Porter

Each year around this time, my girlfriends and I go on our annual shopping trip to the US. This is usually the time for me when I start my shopping and Christmas preparations.

Although for some, it may seem a bit premature, I always like to remind my readers in early November of how they can begin to implement a few tips now that can save them holiday stress later.

Being a busy, working mom is usually demanding enough, however, throw in a holiday and your stress level can go through the roof if you are not organized.

Each year some of us make the promise to ourselves that we will not be so unprepared or disorganized next Christmas. Somehow though, the year creeps up quickly and we are left with the same frantic schedule.

This year make a commitment to fully embrace and enjoy all that this wonderful time of year has to offer. Don't allow another year to go by feeling pressured, stressed and overwhelmed. You have complete control over what your holiday season will consist of.

Following are a few tips that may be helpful in getting a head start so when the season is in full swing, you can relax and enjoy all the festivities.

* Make your Christmas list now and start shopping. Write down who you have to buy for, any suggestions you have for gifts and approximate amount you want to spend on each person. Knowing how much you want to spend will eliminate a lot of needless shopping for items that are out of your price range. With the help of the computer, you can make a master list and save it so you can reuse each year, adding or changing as necessary. Use the convenience of gift certificates and online as well as catalogue shopping. It can make the whole process so much less demanding (unless you get a big rush being in the stores on the Saturday before Christmas!).

* Organize your gift wrapping essentials. Buy a container to house all your wrapping paper, scissors, ribbons and tags. Have it all ready in a convenient place such as a closet or under the bed. As you buy a gift, bring it home and wrap it. Having all the items together makes it easy to wrap as you buy. I have done this for the last few years and it makes my wrapping effortless, or almost effortless!

* Eliminate clutter now. In order to get ready for the new, get rid of the old. Go through your kids' toy boxes and throw out any broken or incomplete toys. Donate any others that your kids have outgrown and are still in good condition. If your kids are old enough, have them organize their own clothing or toys - a great way to teach them responsibility.

* Take care of your health. With the hectic schedule that many of us have during the season, it is a necessity to eat well and exercise regularly if we want to be energized and able to effectively manage holiday stress.

* Put yourself at the top of your Christmas to-do list. Remember that sacrificing your health and sanity does nothing for you or your family's Christmas spirit. Nourish and renew your own spirit this holiday season and I guarantee it will be the best gift your family will receive. Visit www.peggyporter.com for more great ideas from Canada's Finest Mom Coach!

Wurth Organizing To The Rescue

Winter is a great time to "Spring Clean." If you need an organizer, no one is nicer or more committed than Danielle Wurth, mother and organizer. Here is what Danielle has to say....

Life is busier and more hectic than ever! Our home is our one "sacred retreat" from the craziness of our day. Being organized clears the mind and cleanses the soul from items you may or may or may not need thus creating a peaceful home environment.

Wurth Organizing has a passion for helping others cleanse their home from chaos. Your Organizing Guru Danielle Wurth makes the process fun, and the rewards are wurth the time and energy that is put forth.

We will work WITH you or FOR you to create an organizational system within budget to simplify your life by:

* Maximizing the space whether it is a closet, kitchen, garage or office
* Reducing your personal clutter by removing unwanted items to be donated or sold
* If you are selling your home, we will help you make it more marketable to buyers
* If you are moving into a new home, we'll assist you with the transition process
* Create a time and project management system for a happier, more gratifying life

Danielle Wurth
dlwurth@cox.net
602.579.5274

The value of assigning tasks to your children

The majority of families with whom I work are facing issues of lack of control in their homes. They experience their children refusing to do as told, they feel their home lives could be better managed and they desire more peace and calm at home. Fundamentally, when I work with these families establishing a firm foundation of values is first. I have observed that if children are not clearly told what kind of family culture they live in and what behaviors are expected then they are confused and noncompliance is often the most common result.

Often, the first time I meet with a family we review what kind of family they wish to raise and then we begin to establish routines that will help them create the family they desire to live in. By assigning tasks to your children you are living with a value of helping your children become independent and resourceful. Therefore, one of my favorite tools in The Family Coach Toolbox is the ROUTINE TASKS LIST.

These task lists are essential for healthy family functioning. They serve two functions: 1) To help the family regain order and 2) To help the children begin to develop independent skills for health and wellness. Children as young at two years of age know that life experience have some order. They understand routine. A two year old knows that when she sits in her high-chair or at the family table that food is about to be served. They know that sitting comes first and eating comes second. This is the beginning of their understanding that some predictability exists in their world.

Morning and evening routines are the most basic routines to establish. While every family does routines differently, there are some basic tasks children need to complete each day before going to school. Of course, they need to get up, get dressed, get their teeth brushed, brush their hair, eat breakfast and head off to school.

Begin developing task lists by sitting down with your children, yes, even the young ones and talk about basic routines.

"Each morning when we get up we have a lot to do." "What do you do each morning?" "What order do you like to do things in?"

Write down the parts of the child's routine. Let them draw them and color them and write them out to their ability level. With a young child they can draw pictures and you can write underneath the pictures for them. Some children like to bathe in the morning others like to complete their homework in the morning. Write it all down. Then take a white magic marker board, the size you can hang on a bedroom door, and write a list of five tasks. Keep it simple so that your children can experience success.

Your board might look like this:

• Make my bed

• Get dressed

• Eat breakfast

• Brush my teeth

• Brush my hair

Or like this:

• Take a shower

• Get dressed

• Brush my teeth

• Brush my hair

• Eat breakfast

Create a task list for each child, recognizing that they may benefit from different routines. However the routine best works for you and your child, that is how you will write it down. Identifying routines and assigning written tasks to your children helps them become masterful independent children.

MaryAnn Kohl's Art Books: A must for creative families

Once a month I co-teach an entire day of art to three classes at our girls school. We use MaryAnn Kohls books which I highly recommend to you all! Crayons, clay, fingerpaints, cookie sheets, milk cartons, and music are among the many ingredients that go into her imaginative art projects for kids http://www.brightring.com/Books.html.

The art projects in these award-winning books by MaryAnn Kohl allow children to explore the many facets of their world through art as a process, not just as a product. For your home, for your friends, for your children - check them out http://www.brightring.com/

INFANT SLEEP PATTERNS

In the first three months, tiny babies seldom sleep for more than four-hour stretches without needing a feeding. Tiny babies have tiny tummies. Yet, they usually sleep a total of 14-18 hours a day.

From three to six months, most babies begin to settle. They are awake for longer stretches during the day and some may sleep five-hour stretches at night. Between three to six months, expect one or two nightwakings. You will also see the period of deep sleep lengthen. The vulnerable periods for nightwaking decrease and babies are able to enter deep sleep more quickly. This is called sleep maturity.

Generally, newborns sleep about eight to nine hours in the daytime and about eight hours at night. Most babies do not begin sleeping through the night (six to eight hours) without waking until about three months of age, or until they weigh 12 to 13 pounds. Newborns and young infants have a small stomach and must wake every few hours to eat. In most cases, your baby will awaken and be ready to eat about every three to four hours.

It is not necessary to wake a baby for feedings unless you have been advised to do so by your baby's physician. However, we usually do not let a newborn sleep longer than five hours at a time in the first five to six weeks. Some premature babies need more frequent feedings and must be awakened to eat.

Babies have shorter sleep cycles than you do. Alternating light and deep sleep about every 60 minutes vs Adults 90 minutes.

Signs that baby is falling asleep:
o Sigh Baby
o Grimace Baby
o Flutter Baby
o Twitch Baby
o Limp-limb Baby is usually fast asleep

Some babies need help getting back to sleep. Some "resettlers" or "self-soothers" can go through this vulnerable period without completely awakening, and if they do wake up, they can ease themselves back into a deep sleep.

Blood flow to the brain nearly doubles during REM sleep. (This increased blood flow is particularly evident in the area of the brain that automatically controls breathing.) During REM sleep the body increases its manufacture of certain nerve proteins, the building blocks of the brain. Learning is also thought to occur during the active stage of sleep. Speak with your pediatrician regarding your babies sleep habits as all babies differ.

The Perfect Apple Pie

Tune in to The Family Coach Solution Studio to listen to the Empress of Pies, Miss Kris talk about making the perfect apple pie this holiday season.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/The-Family-Coach

Pie Crust

2 ½ cups flour
1 cup shortening (I like butter flavored Crisco)
1 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon white vinegar
1 egg
Up to 1/3 cup cold water

Cut shortening into flour and salt with a pastry blender. You are looking for coarse crumb-like texture.

Measure vinegar and egg in measuring cup. Add cold to make 1/3 cup. Beat lightly. Add to flour mixture until dough holds together – adding more water 1 T at a time if necessary.

Apples

6-8 cups peeled and sliced tart apples (I like Granny Smith best)
3 Tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ - 1 cup sugar – depending on the apples
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
2 Tablespoons butter

Toss apples with flour, cinnamon, sugar and lemon juice. Put in crust and dot with butter before adding top crust. Pie should bake at 375 degrees – probably close to an hour. Cover top lightly with foil during the first half hour or so to keep from over browning. Pie is done when crust is flaky and apples are bubbling. Yum!

Get Dr. Kenney's DVD today

DVD - Parenting Essentials: 10 Steps to More Confident Parenting by Dr. Lynne Kenney

http://www.yoursuccessstore.com/shopping/shopexd.asp?id=1983

Dr. Lynne Kenney, a self-professed "nine year-old at heart," recognizes that we live in a stressful world. She also believes that kids are resilient and forgiving. In the face of challenges, we can raise strong, independent children while living passionately and helping our children do the same. A clinician and an educator, Dr. Kenney talks about:

· Establishing and communicating values for our children

· Setting boundaries

· Getting out of the "control cycle"

· Helping kids define themselves

Dr. Kenney founded the multimedia franchise Real Time Moms, audiocasts the ModMom show, and hosts Baby Basics on BabyFirst TV. She has written for audiences from children to divorce court judges, and she has a busy clinical practice. She holds a doctorate in psychology from Pepperdine University and has trained at Harvard Medical School and UCLA Medical School. Bonus materials include an in-depth interview with Dr. Kenney, an audience Q&A session and more!

You are what you eat! Teleconference November 13, 2008

Today’s families are overscheduled and overtaxed. Learn the importance of fueling your family life with healthy food, meal planning, simple meals, exercise and fun! Dive into family dining, family meal planning, cooking, dinner table activities and mindful eating. Experience 60 minutes that will change your life. The Family Coach Dr. Lynne Kenney. 12 participant limit. Write me at thefamilycoachATaol.com to register. November 13, 2008 9:30-10:30 am Arizona Time.

a. What are the 12 healthiest foods
b. The Harvard Healthy Food Pyramid
c. Three levels of healthy eating
d. Juicing, mixing, cooking and stirring
e. Family meal planning
f. Healthy cookbooks
g. Family Dinner Time Activities
h. Strategies for picky eaters
i. Family Dinner as a protective factor for your children
Call in numbers and handout will be emailed to your prior to the event.
Come armed with paper, pencil and markers. Hear you there!

Be A Mentor at AASK

Do you remember the person who helped you search for your first apartment?

Who dropped you off for your first job interview?

Who was there to listen when you came home after a rough day at work?

One of the most critical needs in our community is for mentors to support foster teens age 17 and older. Upon celebrating their 18th birthday, foster teens “age out” of the system. The State provides each teen with monthly financial support for housing and food, but without a caring adult to guide and encourage them it can be very scary to venture into the adult world.

How does the program benefit teens?

As a Community Advisor, you can help make a difference in the life of a foster teen by serving as a role model, mentor and friend. You can provide them with emotional support and assistance in learning life skills as they transition from foster care to an independent life of their own. Community Advisors assist foster teens in learning positive decision-making, relationship building and becoming successful participants in their community.

Nationwide, foster youth without support are less likely to finish high school and are more likely to be homeless, unemployed, live in poverty, become involved in violence, drug and alcohol abuse, or be incarcerated.
How can you get involved?

Find out how you can make a difference in a foster teen’s future. Contact specialfriends@aask-az.org for program details and to download an application. You may also contact: Community Advisor Program Coordinator, Michael Weddle, at mweddle@aask-az.org or at telephone number 602.930.4451. Visit www.aask-az.org for more information.

Five Steps To Being A Mindful Parent

The term “mindful” has been the subject of much research in the past ten years. According to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a prominent researcher in mindfulness, “Mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way; On purpose, in the present moment, and non-judgmentally.”

Relative to your daily parenting, mindfulness refers to being present and alert in the moment with yourself first and then your child without distraction. Parenting mindfully means being present and non-judgmental in any given moment or experience. When one is present, alert and experiencing a moment fully, parenting attentively with love and compassion arrive with ease. Each moment flows to the next as you experience the thoughts, sensations and experiences of being in the moment with your child. Being mindful is living alertly in the now.

If one is going to establish a parenting process that takes just 30 mindful minutes a day to implement, it needs to be active, actionable and simple. No parent is going to adhere to a long arduous and confusing process. So the first step is to simplify parenting. Using mindfulness as the backdrop this is achievable.

Here are five simple steps to becoming mindful each day:

1. First thing in the morning, fresh out of bed, sit and meditate for five minutes, take a brisk walk or sit down with your planer and bring being mindful "front of mind."
2. Choose a specific person, activity, word or action to focus on.
3. Create a sentence to say to yourself that will help you to focus mindfully on this person, activity, word or action. As an example, for my daughters birthday, she wished for me to be a more back-stage helper rather than the director of the event. At eight years of age she had an image of how she wanted her party to go and she wished to be the director. So the day of her party, I sat for five minutes with my eyes closed, I centered my thought on the following affirmation "Allie is the director, I am the helper, let her guide the way."
4. When you live your mindful focus by observing your affirmation, sentence, or mantra, take one second to smile to yourself and think "I lived it!"
5. Release your brain to live the rest of your day with free and happy thoughts because you practiced and lived one mindful goal throughout your day.

Remember, one thought one moment at a time.

What is Stress by Entrepreneur Coach Peggy Porter

What Really is STRESS?

As women and Mom Entrepreneurs, stress is probably a word that we either say or hear daily. If we don't say or hear it then I guarantee most people feel it. It has become a fact of life.

The secret to handling stress, however, is in the management of it.

How a person manages stress and copes with change affects both the quality and length of life a person can expect to live. Hans Selye-the father of stress research and education, discovered in the laboratory that mood affects health. When you are happy, your body emits chemicals and hormones that combat disease and prolong life. When you are sad or depressed, your body releases chemicals and hormones that can trigger disease and prematurely end life.

For the typical person, half the source of stress is job related and half is connected to home and family.

If the workplace is stressful, it helps to have a safe haven at home; if there is stress at home, it is ideal to have smooth sailing at work. The person however who is fighting a double war-stress on the job AND at home-is a candidate for "breakdown", otherwise known as "burnout."

Here's one definition of stress:

The physical and emotional wear and tear resulting from real or imagined problems. When a threat to wellbeing is perceived, a small area of the brain known as the hypothalamus is activated. This stimulates a number of other physiological changes; increased release of hormones and chemicals into the bloodstream, increased heart rate, energy, respiration and blood flow to active muscles. The body goes into a state of "alert" - ready to take action, ready to combat the threat or run away. This is known as the Fight or Flight response. If you do fight or flee, chemicals and hormones are used up quickly by the body.

In the early ages of civilization when men and women were threatened by large predators, forest fires and an adverse climate the fight or flight response served them well. It was an excellent aid for survival; stressor -- physiological reaction -- fight or flee -- body returns to normal because they dealt with the stressor and then the stressor was gone until another one came along.

In the modern day, however, most of our threats are psychological instead of physical...often fighting is not appropriate and fleeing is not possible. Bodies still react just as our ancestors did so hormones and chemicals are released in response to the threat. Because the threats are more psychological than physical, we sit tight (unable to fight or flee as our ancestors did when dealing with a physical threat) and react to one stressor after another-usually leaving our body with no time to return to normal before the next stressor hits us. The level of chemicals and hormones increase and our internal organs experience wear and tear. Damage may result in conditions such as heart attack, stroke, ulcerative colitis, or other harmful diseases.

So as you can see, stress in today's society is much more serious and damaging than in the earlier ages.

Another challenge is that we accept stress as just a normal part of our lives without realizing the toll it is taking on not only on the length of our lives but the quality as well.

In order to be a successful business owner and balanced Mom, effectively recognizing and managing stress is key. Is stress affecting your life or business? If so, stay tuned for my next article where I will talk about the signs of stress and the one thing you MUST do to manage it more effectively. Visit www.peggyporter.com for more.

Time Management For Moms

In the past few weeks several moms and I have discussed the need to spend 15 simple minutes a day planning their strategies for home success.

Topics we have reviewed:

1. Manage your to do's: Write your to do's in your planner. Prioritize your to do's (ABC). Give a to do to someone else if it is not imperative that you do it.
2. Clean one room a day for 15 minutes and your home will sparkle.
3. Spend 15 mindful face to face uninterrupted minutes with your child, your relationship will blossom.

Now my wonderful colleague Heather Dominick www.energyrichcoach.com has introduced me to Paula Eder "The Time Finder." This is what I learned on her blog this morning - thetimefinder.com/

Finding Time You Didn’t Know You Had!

The secret to finding more time for yourself is by developing the skill that I call “Thinking 15.”

‘Thinking 15″ means looking at 15-minutes as the time-block that you build your day, and your daily plan, around. It means knowing that 15-minutes is plenty of time for many, many tasks in your life. You may not be able to complete a task in 15-minutes - but you can always make a start!

When you’re “Thinking 15″ you’ll find that you are making choices about time in a whole new way. What if you have 15-minutes between the dinner dishes and your coaching call? You won’t let that precious time go, thinking that there’s nothing on your plate that takes just 15-minutes.

Something is better than nothing.

Rather than letting that time go by, when you’re “Thinking 15” you might make a start on a task that you haven’t been getting to. Or how about jumping on the treadmill for a quick run, or lifting some weights? You could return a phone call or respond to some e-mails. Or you might choose to take the moment and sit quietly with yourself, as Connie Ragen Green and I suggested in yesterday’s post.

In all of these examples, the operative concepts are “Thinking 15” and recognizing that whether you consciously choose or not, you’re always making time choices!

As you go through your day, I guarantee that you will find “Thinking 15” to be a very useful tool for both finding and using time more effectively!

How many 15-minute time blocks can you reclaim and put to use today?

I'm looking at my day differently already. Thanks Paula!

The Family Coach Menu

Each day I am honored to receive many phone calls and emails from moms asking, "How can I improve my family life?" A good place to start is with your own personal priorities. What domains do you wish to improve? What are you currently finding most challenging? Look at The Family Coach menu, choose the three top areas in which you wish to work then email me on the CONTACT button on www.lynnekenney.com, I will help to guide you to resources that are best suited for you and your family.

THE FAMILY COACH
Coaching Menu

Better Family Living
 Create more family fun
 Develop closer family relationships
 Develop successful family leadership
 Develop successful family systems
 Develop successful strategies for disciplining our children
 Family meal planning
 Getting our children to do as we ask
 Goal setting for success
 Grocery shopping strategies
 Identify the foundation of our family
 Nutrition and health planning
 Simple cooking strategies

The Organized Home
 Daily action plan for healthy families
 Develop a system for family roles and responsibilities
 Develop a system for family tasks and chores
 Develop and implement study centers
 Time-management strategies (individual or family)
 Use schedules, posters, and picture boards for every day success

The Productive Family
 Homework success strategies
 Manage ADHD at home or at school
 Manage Anxiety/Anger/Avoidance
 MoveMent morsels: Health and exercise systems
 My family art center
 My family music center
 My family small manipulatives center
 Organizing our toys and tools
 Play Time strategies
 Setting up centers: Who, what, when, where and how
 Teaching readiness and responsibility
 You’re personalized “The Family Coach @ Home Curriculum”

What Does Coaching Mean To You?

What does coaching mean to you?

When you look back on your life experiences with your coaches, what did they do?
They helped you learn new skills.
They helped you improve your skills and abilities in order to go from ordinary to extraordinary.

The Family Coach is a method where a skilled person outside of your immediate circle, helps you to identify who you want to be and how you are going to get there. Coaching is about change through active questioning, data collection, decision making and implementation.

How The Family Coach works: The coaching process is an enjoyable and amazing journey in which you develop an effective collaboration between the family coach and yourself.

In creating skills for Better Family Living, the coaching work is about laying a clear foundation, identifying where you are, where you are going and how you are going to get there. You participate in an active process of goal setting and reexamination of your achievement towards your goals. You learn the skills to monitor progress toward your goals on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

The Family Coach helps you plan for your future, organize your time, design your family life and realize your potential as a parent, mom entrepreneur and CEO of your family life. You can dive into Better Family Living Skills with The Family Coach Teleclass Series, email Lynne through the CONTACT button on the www.lynnekenney.com website if you wish to learn more.

Managing Anger and Anxiety II Teleclass

You are invited to the Managing Anger and Anxiety II Teleclass

Tuesday October 14, 2008 7:30-8:30 pm Pacific Time

I have created a teleclass to extend our learning from the recent NSP Workshop. Even if you were not free to attend, this teleclass will provide valuable content for you.

In this teleclass we will step back to the foundation of our homes. A topic few families ever have the opportunity to explore. We will review progress of your strategies to date and discuss Establishing The Foundation for your happy home.

We will review establishing your family mission statement, creating a values based family, and writing the rules for your happy home. You are free to invite friends if you wish. We all can learn to develop the foundation for our successful homes together.

For Registration Please Visit http://thefamilycoach.eventbrite.com/

The class will last 60 minutes. This teleconferencing opportunity costs $35.00. You dial the conference line and enter the PIN number. You pay for the long-distance charge, which varies based on your own phone sevice agreement. This is a live call similar to a conference call. You will be able to communicate with other class participants, ask questions and offer comments.

Please come to the teleclass armed with white paper, several markers and a pen. If you already have developed your The Family Coach Playbook, our notes will go there, if you have yet to develop your Playbook stay tuned... we will do it Tuesday via phone.

The conference line and PIN will be emailed to you upon registration.

Please secure payment through PAYPAL. I look forward to sharing this learning experience with you.

Very Best,

Lynne Kenney, PsyD

www.lynnekenney.com

Halloween Health Tips

This Halloween keep your kids on an even keel with these health and nutrition tips:

1. Eat lean proteins such as chicken and complex carbohydrates like brown rice before eating sweets to decrease the associated blood sugar spike. Eating lean protein or complex carbohydrates will help slow down the absorption of the sugar into your blood stream. Did you know that in order for you to lose weight, you must keep your blood sugar level steady to allow your body to burn fat?

2. Offer your children a healthy meal before Trick or Treating. The less hungry they are the less likely they are to overload on candy.

3. During the holiday season keep fresh fruit on the kitchen counter so when your kids grab-n-go they choose fresh fruit over sweets.

4. If candy is a must, offer your children lollipops instead of candy bars. In general, hard candies have fewer calories than chocolate. For example, 2.1 oz of a snickers bar has 280 calories compared to a lollipop with only 22 calories. That means, a snickers bar has over 12x more calories than a piece of a lollipop.

5. Buy your candy at the last minute to avoid eating the candy ahead of time. Consider buying a candy that you don't like to avoid the temptation of eating it
when handing out candy to trick or treaters.

6. After Trick-or-Treating offer to buy the candy your kids gathered for 5 cents a piece, they'll have money to go shopping and you'll have less of a headache from their screaming sugar rush.

7. Donate the candy to a day camp, shelter or school, teachers use one piece at a time for academic reinforcement. One piece at a time is the perfect portion.

Halloween is a time for family and fun. Developing a plan for health ahead of time is the key.

Source: Arnel Ricafranca is the owner of Fitness Boot Camp.

Back To The Dinner Table: Name Your Nights

Getting back on a family dinner schedule is one of the best gifts you can give your children after the holidays. Family dinner has been shown to enhance school success, decrease illegal substance use and decrease bullying and teasing.

Take the time to name each night a different dining experience.

Sunday = Buffet Night

Monday = Hearty Meals Night

Tuesday = Spaghetti Night

Wednesday = On Broadway! As your children prepare and sing a show of any sort. Thursday = Picnic Night – Remember you can picnic anywhere anytime, in your backyard, in the park or even on the family room floor.

Friday = Ethnic Dinner Night, try some exotic food choices or simply stick with Chinese.

Saturday = Date Night, mom and dad go out and kids enjoy Pizza and salad.

Change up your schedule when kids get energized or you run out of recipes. Check out www.cooks.com, www.rachaelray.com, www.allrecipes.com and www.bhg.com for monthly recipes.

ON THE SAME PAGE – WHEN YOUR DISCIPLINE STYLES VARY

Parenting your children can be difficult. We often struggle with determining the right appropriate limits and with following through with the consequences we’ve promised. But, things can really get complicated when we’re two people who have very different styles of discipline try to parent together.

Good Cop, Bad Cop
It’s not unusual for one parent to be far stricter than the other. But, allowing each parent to discipline as they see fit when they know their style is different from that of their spouse sets you up to have your child play one parent against the other. Your child will soon learn to go to the more lenient parent with issues, leaving out the stricter parent. The child may even ask the “nice” parent to intervene on their behalf with the “mean” one. Neither of you is receiving a great deal of respect from your child when this situation is allowed to arise. Plus, it’s likely to cause issues in your marriage, because you never agree on how the other handles discipline situations.

Meeting in the Middle
If your parenting styles differ significantly, you’re going to need to discuss every discipline situation for a while. You should make the rule that no punishments, or even threats of punishment should be delivered by either parent alone. Sit down and discuss each and every situation. You can begin by discussing what each of you would do if you had to deal with the situation alone, and then choose a disciplinary action that both of you can support.

After a while, some patterns will be established, and each of you will have a good idea of how to handle a situation on your own in a way that would be acceptable to your partner, too.

A United Front
It’s critical that you and your partner present a united front to your child. Children need to understand that mom and dad are working together to make the rules and provide clear direction. Showing your child that both parents are on the same page and that standards and consequences are fully supported by both parties will have a positive impact on your child’s behavior. Children look to us to set the rules; inconsistency between parents is confusing to them. So, hook up with your partner and create clear rules and consequences for breaking them that everyone can understand and support.

Free Parenting Class in Phoenix

Parachutes For Parents is a one-stop parenting program that will show you how to both love and discipline your children. It then shows you how to achieve the kind of communication that leads to close, warm connections, joyful laughter, and memorable times with your family. It also shows you how to by-pass the teen rebellion and offers a 125-page Problem-Solving Guide for every imaginable parenting problem.

You will learn to:
• Keep parent-child relationships close & cooperative, rather than broken and bratty
• Conduct open, fun, & interesting conversation, rather than combative or shut down interactions
• Use problems to teach clear lessons about living life honestly & effectively, rather that resist and dismiss them as unnecessary disruptions
• By-pass the teen rebellion, rather than become paralyzed and ineffective during this phase of child development
• Bring true peace & joy to your family, rather than the chaos that fills so many homes.

Powerful Parenting Class
Wednesdays, September 10th - November 12th
CCOJ - Building 3 (Room 303 & 304)
6:30pm - 8:00pm
Class is Free of Charge (no need to register)
Day-care is Free @ Kid's Kountry (on same campus as CCOJ)

Presented by Bobbie Merrill, MSW and Tom Merrill, Ph. D.

Much of the Merrill's approach to working with children is based on Bobbie's highly acclaimed book, Parachutes for Parents: Raising Loved and Loving Children for a Better World. This model has been successfully demonstrated in schools in the United States and Australia, producing high numbers of intellectually and socially gifted and cooperative children. In addition, thousands of parents have reported significant results when they use this model.

Joy is located on the NW corner of 75th Ave. and Loop 101. 21000 N. 75th Ave., Glendale, AZ 85308