I attended an assembly at my almost 6 year old daughter’s school this past week. I was so proud of her because she received the award for exhibiting integrity (“to live an honest life”). It was so cute to watch her be called up, given a certificate, and smile while the parents in the room clapped for her (and while I took way too many pictures!).
During supper that evening, we were talking about the assembly as a family. My daughter, who tends to be quite verbally descriptive, says “Mom, when I was called up, why was my heart beating so fast? I was feeling so warm inside—why was that?” Hearing her say this really struck me—she had been experiencing, during the moments she was called up during the assembly, the physical signs of nervousness, excitement, and anxiety—all at once—and she didn’t even realize she was feeling this way. She just knew what was going on in her body and she was searching for this connection.
Animal lover or not there is no denying that the puppies below are incredibly sweet! In this weekend’s show we have a great package focusing on the birth of seven puppies that will be trained to be “Paws with a Cause” service dogs. Here’s a really cute clip from the package. Share it with your family-I know they will love it too! See the full story this weekend on “Where You Live”, Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on WOTV 4 and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on WOOD TV 8.
Posted May 26th 2010 4:56 PM by Jamie Allen
Filed under: Maranda's Go-To Gal
A few weeks ago our expert from Pine Rest, Kristin Kuipers, wrote about a blog entry about balance and the importance of scheduling quality time together as a family. After reading it, I started to think about my life or my family’s “pie” as she puts it. I think my family’s pie has a lot of pieces, some larger than others. I’d say at least half of our pie is work. Then there are extra-curricular activities that Sophia does like gymnastics or swimming, my husband has a huge piece of golf pie and I have a lot of slivers for mommy duties, errands, and little things I like doing for myself. I started to look more closely and realized that there is just a small piece of pie that is actually for family time.
Last weekend we had a birthday party to go to for a friend out along the lakeshore and afterwards decided to head out to Grand Haven for the afternoon. We parked down at Snug Harbor and decided to venture down the boardwalk to the pier. Sophia had a blast climbing up and down the rocks and petting every dog in sight (have I mentioned she’s obsessed with dogs? She must have pet 30 of them that afternoon). John and I had a great conversation catching up on the past week and really enjoyed watching Sophia have so much fun. It wasn’t until we were about an hour into the walk that I realized we were doing it!! Quality time together with no cell phones ringing, no email to check and nothing scheduled later in the day to run off to.
Posted May 24th 2010 1:38 PM by Shari Steinbach for Meijer
Filed under: Healthy Living
Have you ever noticed that some people just have a knack for flavoring foods with herbs and spices? I am not one of those people – I usually follow recipes and don’t go “freestyle”. But my husband and his brother know what spices to add to any dish or entrée and the result is always enhanced flavor. My mother-in-law does not know how they learned this fabulous cooking skill but we all enjoy the tasty benefits of their talent!
As a dietitian I also like the fact that when properly used, spices and herbs can help us reduce the amount of fat, salt and sugar we add to dishes and new research indicates there are additional reasons to season. Since spices and herbs are derived from plants, they share many of the same properties of vegetables and fruits. For example, they are rich in antioxidants which provide a range of benefits to our bodies.
Try some of these easy meal tips from McCormick to add some spice (and health) to your life:
Keep a shaker of Ground Cinnamon handy to sprinkle over your morning oatmeal. Add dried Michigan cherries and some sliced almonds.
Enjoy a broiled cheese and tomato sandwich on a whole wheat baguette. Use mozzarella cheese and ¼ t. Oregano Leaves.
Add a hint of Ground Ginger to your green or fruit tea – hot or iced.
Add Ground Cinnamon to natural applesauce – spread on whole wheat toast or whole grain waffles.
Add a kick to homemade or store bought hummus or guacamole by stirring in ¼ t. Ground Red Pepper or Crushed Red Pepper.
Dress up whole wheat dinner rolls. Just before baking brush the tops with olive oil and then sprinkle with Crushed Rosemary Leaves and a bit of sea salt.
Wake up to flavorful scrambled eggs by stirring 1/8 t. Thyme Leaves into 2 eggs before scrambling.
Create a spiced curried pilaf by adding ½ t. Yellow Curry to 2 cups of hot cooked white or brown rice. For added nutrition and texture stir in a handful of shredded carrots, peas, raisins or sliced almonds.
This weekend on “Where You Live” we’re doing a whole show focused on amazing animals!! Meet sweet puppies that will be trained to become helper dogs for “Paws with a Cause”, see how horses are helping kids grow strong, visit Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital to see how pets bring joy to kids who need a smile and go behind the scenes at the John Ball Zoo! This is a show the whole family will love! Watch “Where You Live” this weekend Saturday at 7:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on WOTV 4 and Saturday at 6:30 p.m. on WOOD TV 8.
Each year the West Michigan Whitecaps come up with new and fun ways to get fans coming back for more! Here’s a look at what you can expect this summer.
The YMCA Inner City Youth Baseball and Softball Association gives all kids the chance to play organized sports. But, they need your help collecting gloves for kids.
The weather is gorgeous outside and kids love to head out and play ball. But, there are some important safety precautions parents should take before sending their kids out to play.
Do you ever experience your mood lifting when it is sunny outside? I know I do. It’s been gray and rainy here for a couple of weeks and it’s so easy to let our thoughts and our feelings follow this–feeling down in the dumps, unmotivated, or “blah” as I often call it.
While I write this, I’m looking out my window–it’s a bright, beautiful, pure blue sky kind of day. I feel energetic and motivated to carry out my plans for today. For some people, once the weather lifts, their mood does not. Do you know anyone like this (maybe it’s you)? I’m not talking about just having a bad day, because we all have those at one time or another.
I am talking about experiencing consistently over time—the past 2 weeks or more– feelings, attitudes, or behaviors that you thought might lift, but just seem to be sticking around. And the sun isn’t helping.
Here are some signs that you or someone close to you might be struggling with depression. If you identify with several of these signs, be encouraged that there are ways to address this or to help a friend or family member get help…
Little interest or pleasure in doing things that you normally enjoy.
Feeling down or “under a cloud”, perhaps more tearful than normal.
Trouble falling or staying asleep, or sleeping too much.
Feeling tired or having little energy.
Feeling more irritable or angry than you usually are (perhaps your friends and family have noticed this).
Feeling bad about yourself – thinking you are a failure or criticizing yourself frequently.
Trouble concentrating on things, such as reading or watching TV.
Moving or speaking so slowly that other people could have noticed. Or the opposite: being so fidgety or restless that you have been moving around a lot more than usual.
Physical issues—sore muscles and body aches can be signs of stress related to depression.
Now, here’s hoping for more sunny days ahead…
For more information on behavioral health issues, or to seek assistance, go to www.pinerest.org
I attended an assembly at my almost 6 year old daughter’s school this past week. I was so proud of her because she received the award for exhibiting integrity (“to live an honest life”). It was so cute to watch her be called up, given a certificate, and smile while the parents in the room clapped for her (and while I took way too many pictures!).
