The following is a guest post by Chad & Tammy from Notes on Adding Kindness & Health to the Daily Grind

Eating a Vegan diet does not mean that we only eat granola and berries.  Here is a wonderful meal that we prepare often.  Both of these recipes are from our favourite cookbook, Whole Foods to Thrive(called Thrive Foods in the US).

Kudos to Tammy since it was her night to cook and she had me walking by snapping photo’s while prepping dinner.

 

Assemble the ingredients:

Dressing (makes 4 servings, 1 cup of dressing)
¼ cup cashews
¼ cup water (or less to make a thicker dressing)
¼ cup olive oil
2 ½ tbsp red wine vinegar (we like to use balsamic vinegar)
3 tbsp lemon juice
3 cloves garlic
1 ½ tsp miso paste
3 tbsp wakame flakes (bull kelp or dulse also work)
1 tsp Dijon mustard


Throw them in the blender or food processor.

 
Then let the magic of electricity do its work on the raw ingredients.

Toss a few spoonfuls of the dressing with torn romaine lettuce, and add some fresh cracked black pepper.

This is a great tasting simple salad and doesn’t contain the cholesterol in traditional Caesar Salad dressing. 


Onto recipe number 2!

This is an absolute favourite of ours, I beg Tammy to make it all the time.  The key to making this meal work is the Truffle oil that you drizzle on after. If you don’t have it, you need to get it.  It is a little pricey for a
bottle of Truffle oil, but the flavour is so intense.  With Truffle oil, you only need a little (just enough to make you want more), if you use too much it will overpower your food. 

Yes we use canned artichokes.  We tried using the raw uncut ones once.  It was such a disaster and was so time consuming that we now cheat and use the canned variety.  

Purée Sauce
1 – 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced/diced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup artichoke hearts
1 cup peeled and diced parsnip (less is better than more as too much parsnip can be overpowering)
Vegetable stock (enough to cover)
2 tsp nutritional yeast
Salt and Pepper to taste

Additional items
Truffle oil!  
Ground nutmeg
Fresh or dried parsley

Nutritional yeast is a staple in Vegan pantry’s since it is a powerhouse of B vitamins, including the B12 that Vegan diets often lack. Nutritional yeast, sometimes called noosh, has a cheesy taste and can be added to soups, sauces, or sprinkled over popcorn. It is a product of the molasses making process and is available in most whole food grocery stores._Place the leeks in a sauce pan with the oil over medium-low heat to soften

When this is done, make your pasta of choice.  We opted for some pre-made Vegan friendly Sweet Potato and Basil Ravioli. 

Voila! 

Total time to prepare this meal was about 30-40 minutes.  The time taken to eat was much shorter and very delicious.

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Chad and Tammy are both active professionals living in Victoria, BC, Canada.  Between them they have finished 17 Ironman Triathlons around the globe. A year ago they completed their last Ironman and now focus on more simple general health and wellness.
You can follow them on their blog at: http://chad-dalrymple.blogspot.com/
Also, Twitter: http://twitter.com/engineerchad

I’m busy, and my kids are busy. Sometimes there’s little time left to bond as a family. My family spends time together at the dinner table on weekdays making breakfast and watching cartoons on the weekends, but I’ve still had to face the sad fact that quality time is limited. The kids have to do their homework, go to soccer practice, and compete in karate matches. I have to work overtime, study for the online classes I’m taking, cook dinner, and prepare lunches. My husband has to travel a lot for his job, and the time he has to spend with the family is even more limited.

As the days seem to pass by more and more quickly, I realize that my kids are growing up a lot more rapidly than I would have hoped they would. And I also feel as though there’s a pressing need for each member of the family to coordinate schedules and carve out some time to spend together. We’ve started setting aside a few hours every week to dedicate to family bonding, and I think it’s been beneficial for all of us, especially the kids. If you’re struggling to think up simple family bonding activities that will be meaningful but not too time-consuming, consider these:

This is something you can dedicate an hour or two to a week. You can get all of your old family photos together and paste them in a scrapbook. Kids love being able to look at their baby pictures and reminiscing about when they were younger. Be sure to take some recent photos together and include those in your scrapbooks. Your kids may also like to include pictures they’ve drawn, concert and movie ticket stubs, and small things like bookmarks in the scrapbook.

Doing good makes you feel good! Kids often love volunteering at animal shelters, cleaning up parks, and helping plant trees. Helping out the community can be a great way for the family to embrace selflessness and spend quality time working together. Before you volunteer, you’ll have to call local non-profits and figure out which ones allow kids to volunteer.

If the whole family loves ice cream, why not throw an ice cream party every once in a while? You can all set aside some time to just eat ice cream and talk at the kitchen table. If you have some extra time, you could even make your own ice cream with milk, sugar, flavoring, rock salt, ice and Ziploc bags. If you want to mix things up, you could have a family ice cream party one week and a root beer float party the next.

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Author’s Bio: Lisa is a visiting blogger and mom who writes about everything from family relationships to Mario birthday party supplies. 

As I picked my 5- year -old up at the neighbor’s house I realized that something terribly wrong had happened. My son was exhausted, teary eyed, and literally collapsed in my arms.  My son shared with me the story of his night. His friend tried to get him to “do things”, and do things to him. My son knew to tell this child’s mom about the problem. However, the mom just told them to stop “messing around” and go to bed! The other child tried manipulation techniques on my child. “If you do what I want you to do… I will give you $50.00!” He also tried a little peer pressure. “All the really cool kids do this”. Then he said, “If you don’t do this I won’t be your friend”. My son decided he had to figure out how to get away from this situation. He tried to leave the house! But, he could not figure out the dead bolt. He ended up locking himself in a bathroom and told everyone he was sick. He slept on the bathroom floor! This was not an idea solution. This was his way of keeping himself safe.

Sometimes, no matter how safe you think your friends are…there really is no way to know how other parents will handle these types of situations. It is impossible to know what type of parents they might be behind closed doors.

I blamed myself for this night because I left my two children in the care of a good friend.

My choices were limited as I tried to handle an emergency with my new baby. I assumed my friend would take care of my children in the same manner that I had cared for hers. As a result, my child was traumatized by a very long and unpleasant night. I realized that morning that a sexual abuse attempt had knocked at my door. And, I let it in! I felt so guilty and angry! I was so proud and amazed by my son and the safety plan he developed during that night. I never told him that this type of thing could happen with a friend. And, I did not explain to him the techniques sexual abusers us to get their victims to cooperate. The books we read didn’t cover that.  I didn’t think I needed to explain to my 5 year old what a threat, bribe, blackmail, peer pressure and manipulation were. Sadly, this is the reality! We cannot prevent everything from happening in our world. We can’t roll them up in bubble wrap and keep them in the house. Sometimes, I really wish I could because this would eliminate all of my various panics and trips to the doctor’s office and ER!  But we can limit the chances our children will experience something like a very bad sleepover by studying up on this topic with our children.

Education and awareness are key for parents as they attempt to keep their children safe. Please visit the non-profit organization “darkness 2 light” and read about the 7 steps for parents on sexual abuse prevention. Read and research! www.d2l.org

      1.  Limit the exposure that your child has to other

            children or adults without your presence.          

      2.  Think carefully about the safety of any

             one-adult/one-child situations.

• Not only do you need to prepare you children for the possible dangers of adults. But, they need to know that this type of thing can happen with friends, at school, on the bus, at a team sport event, or day car.
  
• The chances are it will be a friend or somebody they know and trust.
  
• Choose group situations when possible. This goes for tweens and teens. Your children are always safer with a buddy or a group.
  
• Think carefully about the safety of situations in which older children have access to younger children. Make sure that multiple adults are present who can supervise.
  
• Set an example by personally avoiding one-adult/one-child situations with children other than your own. If you do have a play date or sleepover keep a constant eye on all children and do not allow play behind closed doors.

      3.  Accept your child will be curious and that is healthy and normal.

• Encourage your child to ask questions.
  
• Teach your child age appropriate lessons on the body and human sexuality.
  
• By accepting that children’s natural curiosity about sexuality and gender differences as normal and healthy, parents build a basis for positive attitudes toward sexuality. Parents can then teach their children how to recognize real danger.
  
• Use scenario discussions and role-playing to clarify what is appropriate and with whom. BE SPECIFIC!
  

Together with my son we started keeping a journal to recover from this bad night. We soon realized that our story needed to be told to help other kids. “I Said No” a kid-to-kid guide to keeping your private parts was born. Our book defines the safe boundaries of private parts in a non- icky way. We discuss various scenarios that a child might encounter. We talk about how to deal with inappropriate behavior, bribes, and threats. Children learn that sexual abuse is NEVER their fault. I encourage all parents, educators, coaches, day care providers, babysitters, or anybody that cares for children to take the “STEWARDS FOR CHILDREN” training offered on the darkness to light website. It is a powerful training tool. 

Please visit our new blog: www.sexualabuseprevention.blogspot.com or our website www.kid2kidpublishing.com

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Kimberly King lives in Virginia beach with her three children. She is a mom on a mission to spread the message of sexual abuse prevention to families. Together with her son, Zack, they wrote a book called,  "I Said No! A kid- to -kid guide to keeping private parts private. She is a certified "Steward of Children" through the Darkness 2 Light non-profit organization. Kimberly has a Master's Degree in Education from Wheelock College and writes self help books for kids, with kids, from a child's perspective. 
Please visit her at :
www.kid2kidpublishing.com
www.sexualabuseprevention.blogspot.com
Follow her on twitter! @Kimberlyfking

My name is Elizabeth Bryan and I like to think of myself as a “mom-with-a-mission” – usually that means creating product that improves lives and gives back in some way.  I never thought that would also include advocating for carbon monoxide poisoning awareness, but then again, I never thought my family would be victims of something so terrifying.

Becoming a mom and learning to parent can be magnificent, miraculous and completely overwhelming, all at once.  From feeding to sleeping to carpools and college, there are so many new things to worry about when we look down at the precious, helpless little beings that we brought into the world.  Thankfully, most of the time our worries are imagined, based in unfounded stories created in our own overactive, exhausted mommy minds.   Unlike being poisoned by carbon monoxide, which is a real threat – I know, because it happened to my entire family.

It was a freezing cold Manhattan winter and my son was just six-months-old.  We were holed up inside with all the windows tightly sealed and the furnaces fully cranked up.  My fourteen-year-old stepson left for school each day, and my husband, for a full day’s work.  I thought I was coming down with the flu, the baby was sleeping way more than normal, and my teenager was complaining of headaches and nausea. I carted us all off to the doctor who confirmed that we were likely coming down with some strain of something, sending us straight back to our sealed up home for some rest.  It wasn’t until about a week later when I meandered down to the basement and had the shock of my life – our CO detector was hanging from its wires, completely disengaged from the ceiling.  Grabbing a ladder, I plugged it back in - the searing beeps were deafening and terrifying, and I immediately got myself and the kids outside for fresh air.  When the gas company arrived, they confirmed what I already knew - the hot water heater was malfunctioning and giving off CO.  It was rising to the upper floors, poisoning all of us.  Anyone in the basement for any length of time would have already been dead.  We were so fortunate, unlike so many others who tragically die and are hospitalized each year.  When installing detectors recently became the law in California, I began working with First Alert by sharing my story.

Once I got really into it, I learned about the multiple sources of CO that we are potentially exposed to on a daily basis.  From the dryer to the stove to the heater, the risks are many, and year-round.  It occurred to me that there while there are so many things out of our control in this life, dying from CO is not one of them.  As women and moms, we are empowered when we protect ourselves and our loved ones as best we can. Since detectors can be purchased at Lowe’s or Target or Sears or ACE for as little as $19.99, it might just be the easiest, most inexpensive way to protect ourselves, especially during the holidays when the risks of accidental poisoning increase because everyone is in one home, all sealed up with many fuel burning appliances being used at the same time. 

Every human being on this planet, including you, has purpose and is capable of greatness. Each one of us impacts others in some way, big or small.   I am grateful to be alive to share my story, with the hope that you will take every measure to keep your family safe, by purchasing at least one carbon monoxide detector to put outside your sleeping area.  That action in itself is changing the world - you never know the impact your life or your children’s will have on others, just like I never imagined how mine could possibly help you.  Don’t wait – buy a CO detector today!

To read my full story and become even more empowered and educated with safety tips, click the link below:

http://www.firstalert.com/elizabeth_bryan

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Thank you Elizabeth for sharing your important message, and for inspiring us to keep our family safe by putting a carbon monoxide detector in our home! 

Check out the family game Elizabeth Bryan co-invented at www.countyourblessingsgame.com  

This Thanksgiving will be just as chaotic as last year. There's just no way to prepare an umpteen-course meal around tiny toddlers or cranky adolescents without at least some measure of strife. The great news about holiday meal prepping is that, despite their surly demeanor, your children are desperate to contribute in the kitchen.

But just how does a mom or dad pull off including kids in the cooking without ending up with egg shells in the egg nog? It's really not as hard as you might think. Recruit your small-sized sous-chef and you'll find all sorts of bonding opportunities this Thanksgiving.

Start the Thanksgiving experience with a field trip to your grocery store! Reminding your little ones that they may only put into the cart what is on the list will ward off potential tantrums down the baking goodies aisle. Challenge your older kids to save money by comparing your grocery list with newspaper inserts for the store and especially coupons. Whoever can save the most money wins a prize!

With these adorable appetizers at Family Fun, everyone will jump on board to prep and then gobble, gobble their creations! Allow Junior to decorate tortilla teepee tents, edible Indian corn and gobblicious fruit turkeys. Most of these recipes don't require stovetop or oven cooking--a huge bonus for little hands. 

While this potentially intimidating Food Network Turkey Recipe may tempt you to opt for a long run of cartoons, many of the steps lend themselves well to recruiting even the youngest helper. Have older kids measure out the spices for the brine and the younger ones fill the ice chest with ice (for soaking the turkey overnight). Older kids can help monitor the thermometer and arrange cut turkey on the plate.

Sweet tater casserole loaded with nuts, marshmallows and brown sugar hits the spot, but after trying them plain and baked I won't go back to Grandma's diabetes-inducing recipe. Plus your kids can do most of the prep work here. Wash the potatoes and coat them with a little butter (tell your helpers to "draw" on the potato with the stick of butter). Then let them wrap the potatoes tightly in foil, which will take quite a while. Bake for around an hour at 425°, or until soft. After cutting open, top with a tiny bit of brown sugar and butter for delicious, kid-friendly fare.

Some green needs to get down the gullet before cookies and pies, and classic green bean casserole fits the bill for easy and yummy. Mix one can of cream of mushroom soup with about one cup of milk. Add bacon bits and French onions to the creamy mixture. Kids can whisk the mixture and add some seasoning salt to it as well. Let them open the can with a child-safe can opener like the West Bend Electric Can Opener and drain the beans in a sieve. Mix green beans with the creamy mixture and top with more French onions and some parmesan cheese.

Purposely have your little ones help prepare the pumpkin pie rather than the chocolate one. Pumpkin is more of an acquired taste and has fewer naughty ingredients than other pies, so if the kiddos get involved they're more likely to eat it. Activity TV has a rockin' how-to video made for kids on how to make it. Your mature 10-year-old would have an easy time at DIY it after viewing it. Younger folks can help whisk, stir and pour the filling into the pie. Don't forget to wash hands frequently!

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Black Friday is only 1 week away! Fortunately, Steve Siebold who you may remember from his previous guest post Overcoming Approval Addiction for Moms, is back to share useful tips so we don’t get lost in the holiday shopping frenzy and make smart choices!

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If you think you’re in for some great deals this Black Friday, think again says Steve Siebold, author of the book How Rich People Think.  While most stores advertise huge savings on hot ticket items, most people fail to recognize the “Black Friday Money Trap” they are stepping into.  Just how bad is it?  Siebold says last year, American’s spent a whopping $45 Billion in stores and on the web the day after Thanksgiving. 

“Middle Class America is notorious for living beyond their means, especially on Black Friday,” says Siebold.  “They are brainwashed about how much money they are supposedly saving on Black Friday, and they end up buying way more than they would on any other day during the year.” 

The problem, Siebold says, is Black Friday leads many people to financial devastation.

“In 2010, the census bureau reported that total credit card debt in the United States was $886 billion.  On Black Friday, either the consumer racks up even more credit card debt than they already have, or they pay cash but spend so much that they don’t have enough left to pay their mortgage, car payments and other essentials,” he says. 

Here are some tips from Siebold to stay mentally tough this Black Friday and not break the bank:


Ask yourself if you would rather have the short-term satisfaction of expensive material possessions, or the long-term results of financial freedom and abundance?   

• Don’t fall for marketing campaigns that make you feel as if you’re getting a great deal when you’re really not (i.e. buy it today – pay for it tomorrow) 
  
• Allocate a certain amount of money for each person you plan on buying gifts for and don’t overspend by even a dollar.
  
• Don’t even think of using a credit card unless you are 100% sure you can comfortably pay it off at the end of the month.
  
• Don’t get caught up in the moment.  If your shopping cart is overflowing, step back, regroup and make sure you can really afford everything you plan to purchase.   
  
• Kids learn by example.  Even parents who have failed to reach their financial dreams can still teach their kids important lessons about money during the holiday season. 
  
• There’s no shame in telling people that this year will be a lean holiday season when it comes to exchanging gifts.
  
• There are good deals to be had on Black Friday, but be mentally tough to know when enough is enough. 
  

“When it comes to money on Black Friday, put your emotions on the shelf and let reason be your guide,” Siebold says. 

As CEO of www.TheGroceryGame.com, and busy mom of two, AND wife… I LOVE to celebrate holidays, and enjoy time with my family. Nothing is better than that! But the frosting on the cake is being able to have the best of the best without spending a fortune. But I also must be able to do it ALL with ease! So I’ve made it my life’s mission to discover wonderful ways to have it all!
Let’s start with the party food. You NEVER have to pay full price for food, especially on holidays. And the good news is that some of the best and most delicious foods are also easy. 
 
Step #1 – Instead of deciding what YOU want to serve for your Halloween party menu, let the sales dictate what goes on your menu. But don’t miss UN-advertised sales. Yes, there are often twice as many sales once you get to the store. So keep an eye out for those great opportunities!
 
Check drugstores for sales on all kinds of party food like chips, nuts, crackers, candy, and more at great savings. 
 
Stack the deals. Look for store coupons in drugstore and supermarket circulars, and match those with manufacturer coupons from the Sunday paper. 
 
Now that you have a plan for how to get your food for half off or better, here’s how you build your money saving fabulous menu! Ideally, you will gather the best of the best sales over the course of weeks for your Halloween bash. And don’t forget to think about what you already have in your fridge, pantry and freezer. 
 
Start by saving a ton on your main course, which is usually meat. Choose your meat dish from the front page of one week’s sales circular. The big picture will usually be the best deal. If you find a meat sale that you like weeks before the party, pop it in your freezer. A big pot of chili is a good and easy option as dry beans soaked overnight, then slow cooked, are cheap to add to chili. Any type of beef, whether ground or cubed, or even ground turkey is great in chili. Remember, you choose whatever meat is on a great sale. As the weeks go by, look for a great sale on cheese to grate, and canned tomatoes to add in.
 
Pasta is a super cheap side dish or even main dish. Check circulars for a great pasta sale and stock up for your party, which can be weeks before if the sale hits early. 
 
Be flexible. . Substitutions are one of the best ways to save big money! If you see ground beef on sale for half off, but your meatball recipe calls for Italian sausage, stick with the money saving ground beef, and spice it up. For chip and dip, if plain yogurt is on sale instead of sour cream, make a yogurt dip. Or if hummus is on sale, use that for your veggie dip. Since there are lots of varieties of cheese, let the sales determine which variety of cheese will go on your cheese platter. Get it??? You’re being flexible, and it just might get you out of your rut too!
 
Stick to traditional fare, much of which became traditional because of readily available ingredients of the season. Caramel apples are traditional Halloween fare, because apples are in season and super cheap. Popcorn balls are also traditional, and you can’t beat the economy of making those! Rice crispy treats are super easy. But only make them, if you find a great sale on the rice crispy cereal! 
 
On the last week, you’ll buy whatever veggies are on sale to go with all that you’ve gathered for super cheap! And how easy was that? You did all the biggest shopping ahead of time!
 
In the end, you’ll find you just cut your food cost by half or better!

Deal stacking is huge for candy at drugstores, and some supermarkets. Remember, that’s where you find a “store coupon” in the circular and combine it with a manufacturer coupon from the paper. 
 
Buy the limit! Whenever you see a “limit” on candy, food, or anything else, buy that limit. For instance, if circular reads “limit 2” on a bag of Halloween candy, it’s probably at one of the lowest possible prices. So, get it!!! In most cases, you can also use a coupon to make the deal even sweeter! Nice!
 
Consider healthier choices for trick or treaters, and save money too! Look for sales on all kinds of granola bars, fruit snacks and more. A good sale is 50% off or a BOGO (buy one get one free). Add a coupon to the sale to save about 67%. Visit www.TheGroceryGame.com to see these deals and lots of other food deal stacking every week. 
 
Instead of candy, give out prizes! Visit dollar stores for great deals on fun trinkets. I just got a package of ten cute Halloween pencils, Halloween erasers, glow in the dark spider rings and more for super cheap. Kids love to find prizes among all that candy, and it can save you money!

You can’t go wrong with paper lunch bags, filled with sand and votive candles for an inviting seasonal glow for the front of your home. You can use a hole punch or scissors to cut designs in the sides of the bags. Jack-o-lanterns, fall leaves, and more will help the light to shine through. This is super fast, easy, cheap, and gives you lots of impact for your investment of time and money!
 
Several jack-o-lanterns in various sizes and different faces are great for your front porch. To make your lantern last longer, refrigerate them during the day, and only put them back out in the evenings. If you don’t have room in your refrigerator, store in a large ice chest with frozen blue ice blocks in the middle of each pumpkin, and a few around to keep it cool. A cut pumpkin can last nicely for over a week when kept cool.
 
To make a front yard spooky, all you need is a few sheets, lighting and a fan. Hang sheets like ghosts in trees, and use lighting from behind bushes to give an indirect glow. Even Christmas lights laid on the ground behind bushes or a low wall, can cast a glow of light that’s spooky. If wind is forecasted, your sheets will move just fine. But if no wind, a strategically placed fan with an extension cord will do the trick.
 

Decorate with food that’s in season and traditional. Apples are in season, and therefore, super cheap! Plus they’re bright and festive. Can’t go wrong with that! Make apple candle holders. Core out the top of an apple to make a well for a tealight. Do the same with mini pumpkins. Use apples and mini pumpkins for name tags on place settings. Coil a colored paper clip to hold a name tag, and stick into the apple or mini pumpkin. Print the name tags on your computer in spooky fun fonts, and decorate with glitter or Halloween stickers. 
 
Use what you have. If you have clear glass hurricane candle holders, fill them with candy corn or gummy worms, and place a candle in the center. You just created a Halloween candle holder for almost nothing! Gather fall leaves and use to sprinkle around mantles and tables, keeping them away from any candle flames.
 
Decorate food tables with real fall leaves. I live in California, so we don’t’ have those beautiful fall colors. I bought fake fall leaves from a dollar store years ago, and they serve me well every year! Black and orange curling ribbon is fast and effective to decorate a food table, if you just haphazardly string it all over the table around the food. 
 
Food elevated in various levels is easy to do and appealing for buffets. I use stacks of books in varying levels, highest in the back, then cover with a table cloth. This is super fast, easy, and looks like I had a caterer! Sprinkle around fall leaves and black and orange curling ribbon, and a few apple and mini pumpkin votives. A jack-o-lantern on a buffet table is also bright and fun. Just make sure all candles are not in a place where people will burn their hands or clothes when reaching for food.
 
Online shopping for decorations for big parties can be super easy for busy moms and can save money. Sites like Oriental Trading Company have good items for place settings, and small decorator items that can be used for sprinkling around on food tables, or for place settings. 
 
I also LOVE streamers! They’re cheap, and really make a party festive, if you do it right. Streamers are best used diagonally stretched across a room from one corner to the other, hanging down about seven feet from the floor. About three or four twisted and stretched across a room’s ceiling really brightens it up, and brings in the festivity.

To me, the best costumes are free! For years, we had a costume swap play day before Halloween when we would trade costumes from previous years. My kids loved looking through all the “new” costumes. And even enjoyed getting to wear one of their friend’s costumes they had envied the year before. 
 
The next best thing to free is thrift stores! I just got an adorable plush child’s lion costume for $1.25. Visit thrift stores often, as new items are donated daily. Get to know someone at each thrift store, and ask if they will call you when a costume comes in that you may like.
 
Buy used costumes on Ebay, Craigslist, or check your local paper for used costumes. This can be a great way to get a nice costume for much less.
 
Make your own costumes for super cheap. Google “DIY costumes” and you will find tons of ideas from complex to easy. Lots of costumes can be made from what you already have. Kids also like to make their own costumes. Maybe your daughter wants to be a “paper doll”. Help her cut a dress out of cardboard, and cardboard bow for her hair, and cardboard purse. She can add colors and design her paper doll with colored markers or crayons. Add cute round rosy cheeks with makeup, and she’s adorable. A boy could be a tin man using cardboard boxes covered with aluminum foil. Kids can come up with their own ideas, and love making their own costumes that they can be proud of. 

Have the kids decorate their own treat bags with glow paint. Glow sticks and glow necklaces are fun for kids, and also keep them safer on the streets. 
 
If your kids are at an age where they can go out by themselves, make them go in groups, and stay together. Also make sure they have cell phones. 
 
All trick or treaters should have flashlights!
 

What to do with all that leftover candy??? Freeze it, and then use it for your holiday baking! Snickers, Hershey’s, Butterfingers, and almost any other chocolate candy is awesome chopped up and baked into brownies or muffins. Multi colored candy can be used to top off cookies!


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Teri Gault, CEO and founder of The Grocery Gamewww.thegrocerygame.com

Are you constantly concerned with what other people think of you and your actions?  If so, chances are you’re suffering from approval addiction.  In fact, many mental health professionals say approval addiction is the worst addiction you can have, more so than drugs or alcohol because it interferes with almost everything in our day-to-day lives.

If you’re a busy mom, chances are you have enough on your plate.  You have to take care of the kids, perhaps you’re focused on your career, food shopping and the list goes on.  You might have a problem with approval addiction if you catch yourself thinking these kind of thoughts:

• Is my car nice enough for where we live?  What will the other moms think if they see me driving this?
• Do I look pretty enough? 
• Are my clothes nice enough?
• What will my co-workers think of my suggestion?  Will they think it’s a stupid idea? 
• What will my boss say if he doesn’t like my presentation?
• What if I bake a cake for the school bake sale and the other parents don’t like how it looks or tastes?
• My Husband and I don’t have as much time to be intimate as we used to.  Am I satisfying him in the bedroom?  Is he happy?  Would he think of leaving me?

STOP!  As if being a mom isn’t hard enough these days, suffering from approval addiction is an added burden that is unhealthy, time consuming and will get in the way of everything you do.  Ask yourself this question:  Why is it so important what other people think of you? 

If you want to overcome your addiction to the approval of others, try this:  On a scale of one to seven, seven being highest, how high is your need to be approved and validated by other people?  Next, ask your spouse or best friend to rate you on the same scale, and then compare answers. 

If you scored high on that little quiz, here are a few steps you can take to help you overcome your approval addiction:

·         Stop caring what other people think. 

·         You don’t have to be a people-pleaser. 

·         It’s okay to disagree with others.

·         Learn to say no.

·         Live your life how you want to live it.

·         Develop a world-class self-talk. 

·         Don’t always play it safe; learn to take risks.

·         Constantly feed your visions and starve your fears.

·         Stay in the present and operate from objective reality. 

The great thing about overcoming approval addiction is once you do to even a small degree, you are free of the psychological chains that bind you from ever experiencing world-class success in all areas of your life. 

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As a mom do not forget the strength of your spirit.  Many times you burn out half way through your day as you frantically try to meet the needs of everyone around you.  You are not aligned with what you value most in life concerning taking care of yourself.  You may say, “I don’t have time to focus on remembering the strength contained within my soul.” Anytime you play the victim in life you will remain stuck.  When your priorities are clear, your decisions are easy in terms of how you spend your time.  Take 4 minutes out of every hour to breathe deeply three times, humming as you exhale, the humming is enough of a physical distraction to break the monkey chatter in your head.  Focus on what does not need to be fixed: your connection with God, the truth that you are enough just as you are, your worth and lovability.   When I went through cancer with my children at the ages of 8, 10 and 12 years old I remember taking breaks throughout my days to reconnect with my awareness that God was moving through me, empowering my weak body with the ability to choose life and love no matter what surrounded me.  Because I took the time to nurture the strength of the Holy Spirit that consistently courses through me, I was never left empty handed.  Take time to remember that you are first and foremost a spiritual being, connected to the God of the Universe having a physical experience.  Move from the inside out today.

As a mom, it is easy to attach your sense of self worth to your to do list.  An attachment is an emotional state of clinging do to the belief that without some particular thing or outcome you cannot be happy.  Practice going within to reconnect to the source of happiness which does not rise and fall based on accomplishments, recognition and checked off to do lists.  Your emotional state flows directly from your feelings of worth, love, safety and connection.  Whenever you start to question these you will be emotionally bumped.  When you experience overwhelm ask yourself, where do I feel inadequate and incapable?  Have I attached my sense of self worth to something outside of me? My children? Spouse? Position in life?  Stress is simply an invitation to identify where you feel threatened and remember that you are worthy, capable of handling any situation, loved and accepted just as you are…not because your children have accomplished certain things or even that they listen to you or because you can do it all, simply because of who YOU are.  Next time you feel emotionally overwhelmed try this: tap on your thymus located 2 inches below the “U” shaped dip at the base of your neck and say, “I have faith and confidence in God and my ability to handle this situation, my future is secure, I am secure” repeat this statement while you tap for 1-3 minutes.

Don’t have time to work out?  Make it.  Try the popular burst training workout which can be done 3-4 times a week in less than 15 minutes.   Choose 3-6 physical exercises that you like (or wouldn’t mind doing: sit-ups, push-ups, squats, speed punches, jump rope, dancing, running in place).   Do each one separately as fast as you can for 30 or 60 second burst/rest intervals.  For example, you run in place as fast as you can for 60 seconds and then you rest for 60 seconds.  Complete 3-6 intervals first thing in the morning if possible, and experience the benefit of increased energy, clarity of thinking, decreased cortisol levels (unlike extensive physical training) AND 36 hours of FAT burning.  Yes that is how powerful this technique is.  This is the perfect busy schedule work out!  My mom is doing this and loves the results, I have been doing this for a few months as my schedule has filled up and love it.

Want more?  To celebrate the launch of my book: 99 Things You Wish You Knew Before Stressing Out! along with Stress Solutions University, an online stress relief video site that teaches stress relief skills in 2-3 minute videos addressing all kinds of life issues I am offering 9 quick stress relief coaching videos for FREE.  Go to: www.StressSolutionsUBonus.com and take back your ability to maintain inner peace no matter what surrounds you. 

“This book will literally save lives.”  Les Brown

To Stress or Not to Stress?   That is the question and your choice of response makes all of the difference in the outcome.  

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A few weeks ago I found out about one of THE funniest blogs I have ever seen through a couple of lovely blog friends!  It is no exaggeration to say that I am beyond thrilled to share with you a guest post from Amber Dusick founder of

Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures

Be prepared to laugh... 

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We are having breakfast. It is one of those days where we don't have anything planned. One of those days where we are just going to let the day lead us and see what happens.

Those days can be long. Endless.

Fortunately, my four year old has an idea for what he'd like to do.

His suggestion is to tell me one of his pirate stories. He loves telling me these. 

So I agree and start taking breakfast dishes into the kitchen and tell him to follow me.

It starts out like all of his pirate stories start out. Yes, I have heard this one. Roughly 1327 times. They all have slight variations but the plot is essentially the same. 

Just to spoiler it for you, this is his pirate story formula: give the pirates names, describe what the pirates look like, describe the ship, find a map, find island, find treasure. Yay!

Only this time he seems to be getting really into the details.

But the formula is firmly in place, it just took longer to find a map. I'm enjoying it though, silently praising his creativity and attention to visual detail. 

They eventually find the island. Phew, this one IS taking a long time. 

Finally, treasure has been found! Yay! 

I applaud.

I'm also secretly applauding myself for being the type of attentive mom that actively listens to a two hour long pirate story. I imagine someone presenting me with a "good mom" award even.

But he isn't done.

What? What happened to the time-tested formula? Treasure always signals the end!

Not this time. Apparently, there is a plot twist. Oh yes.

Another map.

Dammit. 

Reluctantly, I hand back my imaginary good mom award. Because I'm not going to listen to this shit all day.

This is the story that never ends. And I mostly tune it out. I don't even think he stops to take breaths. It just goes on and on...

and on and on...

and on and on...

and on and on...

The entire day. Not a single non-pirate chatter moment. He does. not. stop. talking!

Until, finally, bedtime has arrived and he announces the end of the story.

Hooray!! I'm so elated it is over. No more pirate talk!

But I celebrated too soon.

Now he wants to talk about the story. Oh please, no. I just can't.

So I make it clear that it is late and if he wants a bedtime story we'll have to start it now. No time to talk about pirates. 

I'm so done with pirates. I'm done!

Oh.

I guess I'm not.

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Thank you Amber for adding so much laughter to my life!

Visit Amber Dusick’s hilarious site for lots more laughs-  
Parenting. Illustrated with Crappy Pictures

 & Join her on Facebook so you don’t miss a single crappy picture!