Throughout the month of February we’ve been giving you the chance to win some incredible prizes!!  Contests include a two-day Ski and Splash Adventure at Boyne Mountain Resort, an overnight shopping get-away at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Novi, Michigan, 100 winners getting free tickets to the Disney Ice Show, “Finding Nemo” and this weekend you’ll get the chance to register to win one of five “Dance, Dance, Revolution” Wii Games!!  To sign up for all these contests click on the contest link at the top of the website.  You can register for each contest but you can only register once.  We will notify all winners via mail and we’ll post winners of our big contests right here on this website.   Thanks for all the entries so far and all the interest in these great prizes!!   If you haven’t registered do it now because this is the final week to sign up to win!

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Crane games are everywhere. They are the games that you skillfully pick up the prize and drop them in the winners chute. However Cranes today can do so much more than offer you a dingy stuff animal. No offense to the stuff animals but some of us are not into that anymore. At Craig’s Cruisers our newest family of cranes offer some big prizes that catches the eye of the older market. Items you will find in several of our cranes are ipods, cameras, Playstations, Nintendo DS, DVDs and high value gift certificates! These games take some practice and skill but the prize is definitely worth the effort!

Big Prizes in Here!

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It has been a long, long winter and I’m tired of shoveling snow.  The good news is players report to Spring Training next week, and I am getting pretty pumped up to see that the baseball season will be under way soon.  Once the guys are settled in Lakeland, FL (the Detroit Tigers Spring Training site), I will update you with how they are doing.  

Things at the ballpark are kind of slow right now.  However, earlier today I smelled something cooking in the kitchen. It smelled awesome!  I tried to get in, but the door was locked, so the only thing I could do was to get down and put my nose under the door to get a good wiff.  I think they were testing the Chili Mac ‘n Cheese Taco.  I hope we serve it this summer.  I know I could eat more than my BFF Franky, the Swimmin’ Pig.  He and I are at every Whitecaps game cheering on the team.

Speaking of swimming, Saturday I am joining several of my friends over at Reeds Lake for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge.  We are all jumping in the lake to raise money for Special Olympics.  It sounds crazy, but I am looking forward to it.  Besides, I can count it as my bath for the week. I have been doing some training to get ready, so wish me luck!

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This weekend on “Where You Live” it’s our shopping special!  Find out about the best bargins to be had at local stores, get expert insights on ways to make your next trip to the grocery store tantrum free with your toddler, visit an amazing store that gives you a chance to shop with a purpose to help women and children around the globe and find out how one local elementary school is using a “Wish Tree” asking community members and parents to shop for their classroom supplies.   Plus, the chance for you to win a VIP Shopping Trip to Novi, Michigan!!  This prize package includes an overnight stay at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, dinner for four at the Chop House, breakfast, coupons to the Novi Mall, a massage and more!!

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One of my favorite things about this job is meeting so many wonderful people!  Maybe it’s chatting with a mom at the Holland Aquatic Center or visiting with a dad while shopping at Meijer.  I love hearing about what kids and families are doing, how they are making a difference in their community and the memories they are building as a family.  Over the past few weeks we’ve seen a big jump in activity on this website.  We’ve also seen our Facebook Fan base blossom.  It’s exciting to see that kids, parents, grandparents and teachers are discovering this special little “community” we have that focuses on building healthy, happy, strong families here in West Michigan.    If you’re new to us, welcome aboard!  If you’ve been with us for a while, thanks for telling your friends about us!  We love your input, ideas and inspirations.  Know your input is valued and always welcome!

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You’ll find thousands of products at Meijer that are tagged with NuVal scores.  The NuVal nutrition scoring system considers 30-plus nutrients and boils it all down into one simple number you can trust to help you choose healthier food.  Scores range from 1 – 100, higher numbers are more nutritious foods.  The NuVal scores can be found on Meijer shelf price tags and can be used to compare foods within similar food groups. For example, the average score for cereals is 25; a cereal score over 25 has above average nutrition!  Currently there are 16,300 foods scored with more to come.

 “Trade up” foods to get a higher score at your meal.  For example:
*Flavored Instant Oatmeal Score 16; Quaker Old Fashioned Oats Score 57
*Regular Canned Peas Score 33; Delmonte No Added Salt Canned Peas Score 96
*Sweet & Salty Granola Bars Score 10; Quaker 25% Less Sugar Chocolate Chip Granola Bars Score 26

Want to see more scores?  Go to www.nuval.com

Q&A: Making Meals with NuVal
“Do I need to buy foods that all score close to 100?”  The answer is “no”. 

Score ranges vary greatly by food category so choosing foods within food groups that have higher scores will boost your nutrition. 

“Does it cost more to buy foods with higher scores?” Again, the answer is “no, not necessarily”.  

It’s simple to compare the NuVal scores and the prices of products at the same time, at a glance, while shopping making it easier to get the best nutrition value for your money.  For example:  Fresh green beans score 100 and cost about 30 cents per serving, DelMonte canned green beans, No added salt, score 100 and cost about 18 cents per serving. 

“Should I eat more higher scoring foods?”  Yes and no. 

Keep in mind that scores are based on specific portions (how much nutrition a food delivers per 100 calories).  So, choosing foods with higher scores is wonderful, but over-consuming any food, including healthy foods, can lead to weight gain. Portion control remains an important factor for health.

“Does this mean I can never eat sausage again?”  No—think about counter-acting that low scoring sausage with high scoring foods, such as whole wheat toast and orange slices. 

“What is a good score for a food category?”  Compare food scores with the average for the food category – as a general rule, scores above average will be more nutritious.
NuVal Median Scores (see www.meijerhealthyliving.com)

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This week we’re hitting the road and heading to Boyne Mountain!  From the slopes and zip line to the spa and indoor water park, we’re showing you everything they have to offer.

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This weekend our show is going to show you everything Boyne Mountain has to offer.  But, you don’t just have to watch, you can experience it for yourself!  We’re giving you the chance to win one of two Ski & Splash Family Packages.  It includes two nights lodging for four, lift tickets and passes to Avalanche Bay Indoor Water Park…valued at over $1,000!!!  Simply click on the contest entry form on the right-hand side of the homepage and enter to win.

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So you want the big prize that the arcade has? Your going to have to win lots of tickets. People do win these prizes often but many do not know the tricks that will get you that prize.

Redemption games (video games that dispense tickets) are not all created equal. Some give out many more tickets then others. A good arcade wants people to win as that makes their customers happy. I love to see customers leaving with an arm full of great prizes. I want to give you the trade secret to winning at redemption games. The general rule is the shorter the game takes to play the more tickets possible to win. For example Skeeballs have been around arcades since Grandpa Cruiser’s era (he drove a Model T go-kart). It takes you a long time to play a game skeeball. Therefore the amount of tickets you will win will not be as much as a game that you drop a token down a chute and try to hit a target (we call those quick coin games). The value in the skeeball is you get more time for your token. The value in the quick coin is you get more tickets for your token. If you want to go for the big ticket win then look for games with “Bonus Boards” or “Jackpots” as that will surely put you closer to your goal! Skill comes into play here too. If you get really good at a game then you will win more tickets. Ask an employee the rules or tricks to a specific game. Ours are easy to spot, they wear referee striped shirts and most are pretty good gamers.  Redemption games have came along way from skeeball but after all these years it is still my favorite game.

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Come splash, slide and swim at the Holland Aquatic Center on Monday, February 15!  It’s a special mid-winter break family pool party and you’re invited!   From 1-8:30 p.m. your whole family can slide down the water slides, float in the whirlpool, climb the obstacle course and swim in the pools for just $11.50!  That’s the price for the entire family!!!  I’ll be there from 2-4 p.m. with games and prizes!  It’s a great way to get the family playing, moving and having fun together.  And one of my favorite parts-it’s always 84 degrees at the Holland Aquatic Center!

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