Kids Get Fit: The Care & Feeding of Healthy Kids

The early introduction to overly sweet and nutrient devoid foodstuffs sets you and your baby up for a lifetime struggle of refusing healthful foods in favor of sugary treats. First the struggle is to get them to eat, "Come on honey, just one more bite for mommy," then the struggle begins to get them to stop, "No, honey, you can't have another cookie."

Children that are not given sugar during infancy have a greater resistance to disease and are less likely to become sugar addicts in later life. For your sake and theirs, wait to introduce your babies to processed foods, and especially "fast foods."

Overweight Kids - Don't Be Too Hasty In Restricting Their Eating

Kids learn to overeat at an early age. Cookies and candy are offered instead of hugs when the child falls and skins his knee or gets his feelings hurt. Food like gooey sweet treats are offered as a reward for good behavior, instead of a small toy, trip to the zoo or park or special favors.

Once a fondness for sweets sets in, it's difficult to change. Many kids are much less active than in previous generations. TV watching, the Internet, Nintendo and PlayStation have all contributed to the "coach potato" lifestyle. This general lack of exercise and excess food consumption turns our kids into overweight and even obese teens and adults.

So what do most parents do when they realize their kids are getting too fat? They put them on the same dangerous fad diets they've tried themselves. Popular diets ("fad diets") are proven ineffective, they simply don't work. Restrictive dieting for children can be outright dangerous and should be avoided in nearly all circumstances.

Children Need Good Nutrition

Children need good nutrition, meaning a clean diet. The occasional treat is fine but a diet that is primarily based on fast foods, chips, sodas, and hot-dogs is not going to provide adequate nutrition for their growing bodies and minds.

The worst thing that a parent can do is give unrestricted junk foods during infancy and the toddler years, then suddenly restrict a child's foods and choice, or refuse a child enough to eat in the name of "dieting." That is a sure fire way to set up a youngster for an eating disorder, or at best a mistrust of their receiving the basic necessities of life such as love and nurturing.

Restrictive Diets Dangerous for Very Young

Placing a very young child on a diet is dangerous. It places the child's most basic biological needs at risk, i.e. not feeding a hungry child is an emotional trauma. A recent report by the CDC (Center for Disease Control) indicated that very young children (0 - 7 years of age) should not be placed on "diets" but rather should be on a program to maintain their weight, thereby decreasing their overall fat percentage as they grow.

If your child is obese, meaning more than 30% over their ideal weight (and ideal weight is difficult to measure in a child as they are of such varied sizes and shapes), then rather than providing less to eat, instead encourage more movement. Exercise will make the difference. Get the kids up off the couch and moving.

Get Out and Play

Play outdoor sports with them, organize play groups, build or visit a playground. Encourage your kids to race, jump, ride bikes. You get the idea? When I was young we would ride our bikes up and down the street for hours, nearly every day. We climbed trees and played on the swings. Obviously all children don't have nice backyards in which to play, but most neighborhoods have some type of facility. Check your yellow pages or even call your local Chamber of Commerce.

Various Benefits of a Sunroom in Your Home

One always needs an abode to lay all their tensions off their back and feel relaxed. That is why people are so conscious about having their homes built and decorated absolutely according to their wish and will. Different people go for different styles, right from architecture to its decor.

Every era has a thing or two that people like a lot and try to get it done in their homes as well. Nowadays, Solariums or sunrooms, as they are commonly referred to, are one of the most sought after aspect of a home. These are rooms having glass walls and windows, quite unlike traditional ones. Though people put a sunroom to different types of uses, but the main objective of such a room in a home is to allow an abundant inflow of natural light while also providing access to the scenic view outside. People mostly use them for breakfast nooks, relaxation corners or recreation rooms. In fact, nature loving people also use them as indoor gardens or nurseries. There is no dearth of benefits of a sunroom in a home.

For some, one very lucrative benefit of sunrooms is their contribution to lower down energy costs. In present times, window frames and glass used in such rooms are made up of energy-efficient materials to better insulate them. They not only offer a warm and cozy ambiance in winters, but shades and window coverings added to them in summers turn them into cool corner of a home and this is how they contribute to reduce seasonal energy costs to cool or heat your home.

Another great benefit that comes with a sunroom in your home is the added space. Using glass in place of bricks or other conventional construction material bestows more space to a room. When natural light enters generously in a room, it also creates an illusion of extra space.

There is not only economy and practicality to sunrooms; they also add to the aesthetic dimensions of a home. They add life and attraction into a space, eliminating dullness from the ambiance. Moreover, glass walls and large windows add elegance and posh look to the whole home. Though not evident to many people on the surface, one added benefit of a sunroom in a home is getting rid of extra costs of different aspects of home improvement.

To conclude, sunroom in a home not only adds style and spaciousness to it, but it also helps reduce different types of cost, thus adding great practical significance to the whole concept.

Decoration of your home can be one of the best things to do for a person. For that, adding sunroom to your home is a great idea. It adds to the style and comfort of a home and also helps reduce home improvement costs in various manners.

How to Avoid Birthday Party Disasters

Any birthday party is supposed to be full of fun memories and excitement. However, we all have hosted or attended a party that is disorganized or disastrous. So how can you throw a party for your kid that he and his friends will enjoy and remember with no risk of everything you have prepared fall apart at the middle of the party? Expect the unexpected! That is the simple answer. Some extra considerations prior to the special event will guarantee that the big day will run smoothly and that the celebrant will have a blast and feel very special.

Common problems at a kid's party are those that can be avoided easily with a bit extra planning at the start. Sadly, the celebrant's parents normally spend the whole party time frantically running around tending to the guests, food, and gifts, and basically end up missing out on the fun there is.

After you pick the theme for the party, follow the three basic rules stated below which will help avoid disasters and will allow you the parents to have the time to relax and enjoy your kid's party.

1. Get and purchase more than you need before the party.

It is very common during parties to ran out of drinks or plates at a time you would not want it to happen. Maybe more guests showed up than you planned for initially, or perhaps your guests have used more cups and plates than you have expected. It is always best to bear in mind these two possibilities when you are shopping for party supplies. A good rule is to allot three cups and two plates for each party-goer. Do not forget to consider that most guests will bring along a sibling or a friend. The same strategy must be applied to goodie bags and food. If you invite 40 people, then expect 55.

2. Make sure the kids are entertained at all times.

Having a number of optional and simple recreational activities dtring your kid's party will not only give you free time but will also keep everyone entertained. Plan simple and fun kid's activities that can be done when food is being served or while guests arrive. Doing crafts is also ideal considering that materials are cheap and finished simple artworks can be taken home. Bear in mind the theme of the party and the age of the kids when you are picking a game or craft. Choose those that require only little supervision and is not so messy

3. Do not do it by yourself.

The most disappointing thing is to realize that you missed out on almost every fun moment of your kid's party because you were too busy in everything. Even if you have prepared many months in advance, you would still find yourself being the chef, host, doctor, and referee. Assign some of your friends or family members a specific task such as greeting guests, taking photos, preparing and serving slices of cake, collecting trash, and arranging presents. If you are planning a big party, ask someone, preferably a reliable adult to arrange some things for you like follow up on the cake, or contact a sound systems rental in Sydney or a birthday party DJ hire.

Golf Vacation, Mental Vacation

Golf vacation: a magical phrase. Dreaming of a golf vacation is exciting, planning one can be just as rewarding. Good planning prevents a dream from turning into a nightmare.

The first consideration is the budget, how much do you have to spend. Realistic is the key here, figure a dollar amount you can spend and subtract 15-20% off the top for a cushion for those unforseen expenses. Surprises can and do happen, even with the best planning. After you have your top dollar amount or the amount you can spend minus your 15-20% cushion, then move onto other considerations.

Are you driving or flying? Search out deals complete packages, with flight, hotel green fees, or if driving hotel and green fees packages. Some hotels offer stay and play packages, and these offer a price break on your room as well as green fees. Just be sure to know and understand if any special stipulations are attached such as minimum number of nights days of the week available. Inquiring about other charges would be helpful.

Next is the make-up of the group that will be traveling with you. Are the players roughly of the same skill level or is it a mixed bag of skills? This needs to be taken into account when planning what courses will be available. Are you traveling with friends and family that will not be golfing, then check on surrounding activities and attractions. If the non-golfing members have already voiced their expectations, great, if not it would be wise to inquire about their expectations and wishes for the vacation. While everyone won’t get everything they desire mutual give and take and the airing of opinions helps everyone own the experience, and gives everyone more piece of mind and it will increase the fun for the whole group.

Faraway exotic places or big name courses are not the only or the best solution, but rather the key is planning, preparation, and open dialog among the members of the group about expectations and desired outcomes. While you cannot plan for every surprise failure to plan leaves everything a surprise.

Having a written list of the articles needed for the trip such as, clothing, maps, tickets, medications, toiletries. Make provisions for stopping delivery of mail and newspaper while you are gone. Can someone check on your place of residence if the trip is longer than a weekend? What about pets, plants. Turn the thermostat back a few degrees also consider turning down the hot water heater (if you are comfortable doing this). A lot of people put their lights on timers for that at home look. To some people the details may seem annoying, but a comprehensive list saves time and annoyance.Plus every time you work on the list or the details of the trip it affords the opportunity to take a little mental vacation to your destination.