Be Well~ Dr Weigh on Healthy school lunch time

Today's post written by Dr. Joanna Dolgoff Lunch-time at school can be tricky because the meals served in the cafeteria are usually not healthy, but rather, convenient for the school. Now, I know it can be hard to find the time in the morning to pack a child's lunch, with everyone rushing to get ready, so plan ahead and make as much as possible the night before! And remember, pack delicious and healthy snacks for your child so she won't be tempted to "trade" items with another child at school or scramble together loose change to buy a bag of chips!        Here are a few healthy lunch ideas that won't make your child feel deprived of the typical lunch foods her friends will be eating!        We recommend a wheat (bread), a meat (protein) and a treat (snack) plus a fruit for vegetable for lunch!  This way your child is getting several different food groups in one meal.        A sandwich is a typical school lunch but you can make it less boring by switching up the meats and cheeses. If your child is a big fan of salami and pepperoni, combine one slice of these higher fat deli meats with a few slices of lighter versions like turkey and chicken breast!        Add an apple, orange, banana, whatever fruit you prefer along with a small 100- calorie pack of chips, cookies or crackers and you have a complete lunch for your child that will leave him feeling satisfied and alert throughout the school day.        Also, be sure to pack water so your child stays hydrated throughout the day!    Here are 10 ideas for healthy lunch options:   -Tuna or chicken salad (made with fat-free mayo) in a pita pocket  -Tuna macaroni salad (made with whole wheat macaroni and fat-free mayo)  -Peanut butter and banana sandwich -English muffin pizza (with low fat or fat-free cheese) -Homemade "lunchables"- turkey, low fat or fat-free cheese, and wheat crackers to make into mini-sandwiches -Hummus sandwich on pita bread -Fat-free cream cheese and lox on a whole wheat mini bagel -Quesadilla (whole-wheat tortilla with melted low fat or fat-free cheese) -Sandwich with grilled vegetables and low fat or fat-free mozzarella cheese -Healthy chicken fingers- cold strips of grilled chicken.  May dip in barbeque sauce, ketchup, or honey mustard.   Become a member of Dr. Dolgoff's Weigh and browse many more healthy breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack ideas.  Click here to go to Dr. Dolgoff's Weigh now!

Be Well, Joanna Dolgoff, MD Dr.Dolgoff's Weigh

 

More On Charity...Dream your dream

Keep dreaming your dream not matter what "they"say! Who are they? Well, they are just about anyone who is afraid to dream. They are people with loud voices who want you to be afraid to dream. Last week we mentioned that The September campaign is here. We showed a video where the founder of Charity: Water asked you to join in the campaign and to get creative in raising money for this great cause! Then, he sent out another newsletter stating again to join him in his extravagant dream of reaching 1 Million dollars to help bring clean water to Africa. He asked you to give $34.00 to Charity: Water.org.

What made my heart heavy in this newsletter was this statement by the founder of Charity :Water~

"Non-profits like ours that are addressing enormous problems (a billion people without clean water) are told to make sure we don't scare people off by communicating how big the whole problem is"

Author Seth Godin recently wrote that the problem with enormity in marketing is that it doesn't work. He said "Enormity should pull at our heartstrings, but it usually shuts us down. Show us too many sick kids, unfair imprisonments or burned bodies, and you won't get a bigger donation, you'll just get averted eyes."

Scott goes on to say....   "While all this may be true, it just seems rather boring. Visionless. I believe people want to sign up for something bigger than just one. I did.

There's a proverb in the Bible that says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." People are certainly dying all around us, but could that be because we're terrified to tackle the enormous? Because we don't have the faith to see the entire problem solved?

I can't quite see to a billion people yet, but I'm getting closer. Your generosity has helped us do that. In only three years, 60,000 people around the world have donated $11 million. That means 750,000 lives will change. 750,000 people will get clean water to drink.

So in the spirit of solving enormous problems, we want to step it up this September, and serve our first million people. Then keep going until every single person on the planet has clean and safe drinking water."

                                                                                             Scott Harrison, founder Charity :Water.org

I posted most of his newsletter here because it is so profound. Charity :Water.org is such a great example of dreaming, looking at the big, enormous picture and acting on it. I want in. I want to dream and I love that he has included all of us to dream along with him!

For the remainder of this year we are teaming up with The Riley Project. This little girl and her family are looking the enormous straight in the eye and not slowing down.

Isn't raising 5,000.00 an enormous amount of money for a 7 year old little girl ? She is not afraid to look at this enormous problem ~ 1 Billion people are without clean drinking water....why are we afraid?

Why are marketing people moved by fear?....this is another post in itself. There are about 4 marketing firms that I respect...they will get shout outs this week... what draws me to each and every one of these marketing groups is that they encourage you to dream and dream big and they do not come from fear!

Join us in our journey:

purchase a Riley Rain Drop ( our Aqua organic Nest Egg for only $39.00) regular price $42.00.

$30.00 from your purchase will be donated to The Riley Project ~A little girl raising $5,000.00 for  Charilty:Water.org

 Love, to the moon and back

Back To School routine~Family Night

We are all getting into a  back to school routine whether you kids attend public school, private school or home school. Take some time out of your families busy schedule for games! We love board games. We incorporate them into our school days to help the girls with their educational needs. They are great for focus, attention span, colors, counting and learning how to be patient, wait your turn , get along and become a sweet looser if you are not the one who makes it to the finish line first.

funny 50's picture of game night. Our family is not as posed or dressed as well!We hope you are having a wonderful weekend with your family. My husband took the girls out all afternoon. Soon they will be back and we will enjoy swimming and a barbecue.

What are your plans? Include a few board games into the schedule this weekend or decide on a night during the week for fun family times!

 Don't forget.....

 Blessed Nest is teaming with The Riley Project until December 31st!:

Purchase a "Riley's Raindrop" in support of The Riley Project here.

$30.00 from each Riley's raindrop pillow will be donated to build fresh water wells.

$39.00 regular price $42.00

 Love, to the moon and back

World Breastfeeding Week~A Vital Emergency Response

World Breastfeeding week is here. The theme "Breastfeeding is a vital emergency response". I think it might be hard for some of us to think of the importance of breastfeeding in a emergency situation. We live in the comfort of the USA where help is usually not far in an emergency situation but in third world countries, breastfeeding saves lives. Breastfeeding saved a life ( or should I say two) in my home...this story tomorrow.

homemade deodorant: check it off my list

Today Jill is Blissfully domestic

So, maybe not everyone would be as excited as I am to say that I have made my own deodorant. It's been on my mind for months now every since I read this post over at Angry Chicken. I knew that I just had to try my hand at melting shea and cocoa butters and mixing in some amazing essential oils to create my very own, aluminum-free, perfume-free underarm cream.

 I took Amy's advice and held a I'm Not a Dirty Hippie Party and split the supplies with a friend. It has to be a good friend. You can't just invite anyone over to make jars of cream that you know full well will be used on your underarms. Plus, since the jars apparently last for months, you will be smelling exactly like your friend well into the Fall.

We had a lovely afternoon mixing and measuring while our five children ran around enjoying the cool breeze of yet another cloudy June day. The process was simple and involved lots of melting, stirring and sniffing (a highly scientific process that is used to gauge the perfect ratio of essential oils to butters). In the end, it was a perfect mixture of grapefruit, lavender and peppermint that gave our deodorant it's signature quality (this is my favorite blend of essential oils and I have been using it since last year to make my own room spray).

Today was day one of using my homemade deodorant and so far, so good. I will be sure to keep you all posted as to how it is holding up in a few weeks. That is for those of you who care enough to read about my thrilling experience with my homemade deodorant.

Find Jill blogging at Home Grown Life

Don't forget to enter our giveaway for  Baby Bootie and Blessed Nest!

 Love, to the moon and back