We all love saving money and our friends at Meijer have a very cool new way to do it!

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Amber’s love of baking started at a young age, but it wasn’t until she took a risk that she was able to turn it into a career.

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Whether it’s with a spouse, a child or grandchild, most people are looking for ways to strengthen their family relationships.  We went to the experts at Pine Rest Christian Services to answer questions our Facebook Fans submitted.

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Ugh. Have you ever felt a pit deep inside of your stomach as you’ve thought about having a difficult conversation? Thinking about asking your boss for a raise but know how she gets irritated easily? Wanting to talk with your child’s teacher about concerns over how your child has been treated in class? Knowing that things are not the same between you and your best friend and you probably need to talk about that elephant in the room? Enter nausea, right? Mustering up the courage to have these types of conversations is really tough. And feeling confident about how to have them can be even harder. Sometimes it’s easier to think about avoiding the person, place, or thing for a while, hoping it all blows over. But you know it probably won’t.

Here’s a simple little rule that I use and recommend when thinking about whether to avoid or confront a difficult issue. A while back, one of my friends introduced me to her “three day rule” for friendships. In a friendship, if something in a friendship or important relationship is bothering her or nagging at her for more than three days, she knows it needs to be addressed. I think that in a marriage, a “24 hour rule” is a healthy barometer of letting something go or addressing it with your spouse. After you decide if the issue or concern is something you can truly let go of (or not), then it is time to figure out how to have the conversation.

Often, when we have a tough talk with someone, we want to prove something, we want to send a very clear message. This backfires when the person we are talking with feels attacked and gets defensive. The conversation often ends with both people feeling misunderstood and frustrated, even angry. The key to approaching a hard conversation in a way that sets it up for success is to invite the other person in to the conversation with us—to move away from blame. Sharing your point of view and feelings is important and so is understanding that how we view the problem could change if we truly seek to understand the other’s point of view. Realizing that each person brings different realities and understandings of the same event to the conversation can help in figuring out solutions together.

In coming blogs, I’ll talk more about the elements of having that tough talk. In the meantime, think about the challenging conversations that you’ve had or think you might need to have. What has worked? What hasn’t worked? What are questions you have when thinking about how to bring up something difficult with someone in your life?

For more details on this, check out this book.

And, for more information on behavioral health issues, or to seek assistance, go to www.pinerest.org.

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This weekend on “Where You Live” we’re celebrating people, places and things we love!  From a beautiful story of family love featuring grandparents adopting their grandchildren with the help of Bethany Christian Services to expert advice from Pine Rest Christian Services on how to improve relationships with your teens and ex spouses and family members.   It’s packed with fun ideas for heart healthy parties, foods your family will love and great ways to save big money at Meijer.  Plus, the chance to win a date night with the one you love including a $50 gift card to Bonefish Grill and gift card to Celebration Cinema.  And if you have kids that LOVE JUSTIN BIEBER we’re giving you the chance to win a VIP Movie Party for eight including tickets to the 3-D Justin Bieber “Never Say Never” movie, pop and popcorn at Celebration Cinema!   Join us for a show you’re going to LOVE “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.

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Earlier this week Maranda hosted a drama workshop for kids involved in Odyssey of the Mind at North Rockford Middle School.

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Eating for a healthy heart goes beyond watching the amount of fat and cholesterol in your diet. Current research suggests many other factors in our diet may play an important role in heart health.  Incorporating these foods into a low-fat meal plan, along with adequate exercise will help promote a healthy heart for everyone in your family.

Fill-up on fiber. Dietary fiber, particularly soluble fiber, is good for the heart. It is recommended that Americans include between 25-35 grams of total fiber a day from whole grains, fruits and vegetables. At least 10 of those fiber grams should be supplied by soluble fiber. Rich food sources of soluble fiber are oatmeal, barley, beans like kidney, navy and pinto, apples, pears and cabbage.

Eat beans at least 3 times a week. In addition to being an excellent source of soluble fiber, beans are also a good source of folic acid. Studies show that folic acid can decrease homocysteine levels, an amino acid associated with heart disease risk. Other good sources of folic acid are citrus fruits, orange juice, dark leafy greens and fortified cereals.

Eat fish at least twice a week. Fish is low in saturated fat and some types of fish, like salmon, sardines and trout, are a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. Recent studies all showed that omega-3 fatty acids from fish oils protect people from irregular heart beats and sudden cardiac events (heart attacks).

Eat more plant sources of omega-3 fats. Other sources of omega-3 fats include fats and oils (canola, soybean, and walnut oils), wheat germ, flaxseed, walnuts, and soybeans.

Eat nuts. Studies show that eating 1-2 ounces of nuts high in polyunsaturated fats a day, like almonds and walnuts, can help lower cholesterol levels. Since nuts are high in calories, be sure to adjust intake of other foods to keep calories in balance and maintain a healthy weight. A one-ounce serving (one small handful) of almonds or walnuts provides about 180 calories.

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Five servings of fruits and vegetables a day is the minimum number of servings you should eat, but research has shown higher amounts can help lower blood pressure and protect your heart. Fruits and vegetables are low in fat and high in fiber. They are also good sources of antioxidants that help protect our cells from damage.

Heart-Friendly Menu

Orange-Glazed Salmon – recipe below
Steamed Snow Peas
Whole Grain Pilaf (from mix)
Strawberry Valentine Sundae – recipe below

Orange-Glazed Salmon
Makes 4 servings

4 (4 oz.) salmon fillets (1” thick)
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. pepper
Meijer cooking spray
3 tbsps. low-sodium soy sauce
3 tbsps. orange juice
½ tsp. dark sesame oil

1. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper.  Coat a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over high heat until hot.  Add fish and cook, uncovered, 3 minutes on each side.  Cover and cook 3 additional minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. 
2. Remove from skillet; set aside, and keep warm.
3. Add soy sauce and orange juice to skillet; cook over high heat 1 minute, stirring to deglaze skillet.  Add oil, and stir well.  Pour sauce over fish, and serve immediately.

Nutrition Information (per serving):  148 calories, 5g fat, 1g saturated fat, 59mg cholesterol, 515mg sodium, 2g carbohydrate, 0g fiber, 23g protein

Strawberry Valentine Sundae
Makes 4 servings

Fresh strawberries
1 angel food cake
¼ cup dark chocolate, grated
Vanilla fat free frozen yogurt

1. Place 1 cup sliced strawberries in container of an electric blender; cover and process until smooth.
2. Place 4 (1 oz.) slices of angel food cake on individual plates.  Top each piece of angel food cake with 1/3 cup frozen yogurt.
3. Place pureed strawberries in a squeeze bottle and make a heart design on plate and drizzle over cake as desired.  Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon grated dark chocolate and serve.

Nutrition Information (per serving):  193 calories, 3g fat, 2g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 181mg sodium, 40g carbohydrate, 1g fiber, 4g protein

“Heart Healthy Family Event” at all Meijer Stores – Saturday, February 26, 11am -1pm

Pick up your free Healthy Living Booklet containing information on healthy food choices, family menu planning tips and heart-friendly recipes.  Enjoy samples and get valuable coupons.

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All month long Maranda is giving you the chance to win amazing prizes….Where You Live.  Watch each weekend, get the keyword and enter to win at marandatv.com!

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The new hospital has an Emergency Department just for kids.  Dr. Matthew Denenberg gave us a behind the scenes tour of what makes it unique.

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The halls of the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital is full of amazing artwork created by kids for kids.

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