We found 70 results tagged with "family"
19 Articles
19 Articles found
The Power of You
Understanding just how much you influence your kids’ diets
Fool-Proof Ways to Prepare Delicious Veggies For Your Family
There is a misunderstanding that I think we as moms have (unfortunately) come to accept, and that is: “kids don’t like to eat vegetables.”
What My Parents Taught Me About Feeding My Child
My mother's love of real food and my father's passion for trying new tastes helped me discover my own healthy appetite and guide me today in feeding my own son.
Age Appropriate Tips to Get Your Kids Cooking
Sometimes it can feel like it’s more trouble than it’s worth to get our kids in the kitchen with us. If they are little, we worry about them making a big mess or hurting themselves.
Summertime Safety Tips
No matter what activity you choose this summer, stay well with these safety tips.
10 Tips for a Healthy Holiday Season
Try slowing down a bit so you can stay sane and healthy. Easier said than done, you say? Here are tips for keeping your focus on what's important to you this holiday season.
Active Thanksgiving Day Traditions
Gathering relatives and favorite people together for a holiday meal can be more than feasting and television watching. Reinvent your traditions to make this a day to be truly grateful.
A Happy, Healthy Safer Home
Leading pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene outlines the most important steps you can take to give your child a life that’s healthier for your family and for the environment.
Organic Gardening and Kids: A Natural Match
Whether it happens with a sprawling backyard vegetable bed or a simple windowsill container, gardening with your children can plant a lifelong love of nature in them.
Q&A with Chef Ann Cooper
Learn how to get your kids to eat better no matter what the meal.
Lessons From the Pure Food Kids Workshop
Commercial food producers can be very good at making their food “fun” so kids will want to eat it. The challenge for kids and parents is to look beyond marketing and learn about what's in the pack
Fresh Ideas for Sandwiches
Get fresh perspectives on that brown bag staple—the sandwich.
Get Summer Savvy: Natural Sunscreens That Work
Learn more about natural sunscreens.
Winter Weather Can’t Stop Fun
Transform any winter day into an opportunity to get moving!
How To... Make All Natural Scented Salt Scrub
What better way to spread joy in natural living than to charm loved ones with a homemade gift?
Pitching In Around the Neighborhood
In an increasingly busy world, people are experimenting with new ways to redefine the word “community.”
Rock Climbing for Fitness and Family Fun
More than just something fun to go do, rock climbing is terrific exercise.
Great Snack Ideas for Kids
Do your kids love to snack? Great! Shape up your child’s snacking habits with these helpful tips.
Activities for Fun Summer Weekends
Summer weekends are a perfect time to take your workout outdoors.
50 Challenges
50 Challenges found
Challenge
Eat well at a resort
With Spring Break just around the corner, some families are planning trips to all–expenses–paid–type vacation destinations. If visions of buffets loaded with fatty, nutrition–scant foods leave you feeling less than festive, cheer up—you can have fun and eat healthfully...
Challenge
Make the most of Spring Break
Taking some time off this spring? Families with school-age children and others are often forced to scramble for things to do during this time whether they want to or not. This year, why not approach this lull in a mindful way and make the most of time spent with family and friends? Plan out a...
Challenge
Walk somewhere wonderful
Yes, walking is exercise, but it’s also a lifestyle that yields many wonderful sights and experiences. This holiday season, make it a point to meander somewhere you usually drive. Go caroling, tour another neighborhood to see decorations, or shop somewhere farther than your usual stomping...
Challenge
Write a letter
Snail mail—and the deeper, more thoughtful consideration that goes with it—has become quaint in these technologically savvy times. Borrow a page from the past and write a loved one a heartfelt letter this holiday season. Challenge yourself to tell her what she means to you, pledge...
Challenge
Give the gift of time
Busyness and lack of time are hallmarks of 21st–century life. Take a step out of time this holiday season by setting aside blocks of time to spend with people you haven’t seen in a while (or don’t spend enough time with). Today, challenge yourself to set up a rendezvous (or two...
Challenge
Make a holiday de-stress pledge
Holidays can be stressful for a lot of reasons (family dynamics, financial pressures, lack of time, break–ups or grief in the face of public cheer). But recognizing seasonal stress triggers can help mitigate them. One way to help cope is to formally acknowledge the stress that holidays can...
Challenge
Make a holiday welcome banner
What clearer way to welcome friends and family your holiday home than a banner strung across your entryway or gathering room? Banner-making is a fun activity for parties, and you can use the same banner year after year. This year, challenge yourself to buy a cloth or paper banner and gather...
Challenge
Transition your linen closet
Areas with distinct seasons demand a rethink of your (probably cluttered) linen closet come November. As fall transitions to winter, take nature’s shortening days and thinning daylight as an opportunity to purge what you don’t need and declutter your life. Today, challenge yourself to...
Challenge
Create a family menu chart
One tool for eating healthier is to be more aware of what’s going in your mouth every day. Maintaining a family menu chart in a visible spot in your kitchen is a great way to bring mindfulness to meal planning: it helps you see how you’re balancing food groups; how often you’re...
Challenge
Focus on kid-friendly flavors
In the always-challenging game of getting kids to eat adventurously, spices and naturally high-kicking flavorings are a cook’s best friend. Contrary to popular opinion, picky kids can enjoy sophisticated flavor pairings and complex flavors. Introducing them in combination with their favorite...
Challenge
Learn your history
Oral histories are a family gift that will last a lifetime — and more. You can record family members’ treasured memories by sitting down with elders — or anyone — and using a voice recorder that saves files in MP3 format. Later, download the files to your computer, burn the...
Challenge
Knowing Your Neighbors
Start a neighborhood directory. Getting to know your neighbors even a little can help promote community, connectedness and safety. A neighborhood directory is a great place to begin. Team up to compile a list of current contact info you can share to organize neighborhood events and use in case of...
Challenge
Wash up anywhere
We all know the importance of washing our hands. But what to do when you’re nowhere near a sink? Natural hand sanitizers made from essential oils are effective at killing germs and they’re ready whenever and wherever you need them. They smell wonderful too.
This winter, challenge yourself to...
Challenge
Hunt and gather
Think of outdoor scavenger hunts as a way for kids to get up close and personal with nature in all her forms. Whether they’re handling sticks, stones, or squiggly friends, touching is a form of learning children love. You can even pair up younger and older kids to encourage cooperation and...
Challenge
Protect your family from lead
Lead poisoning is still an issue around the country, affecting homes, schools, and anywhere old paint, ceramics, vinyl lunchboxes, miniblinds, and toys exist. Before calling in the proper authorities --- EPA's lead abatement site is a good place to start -- you can perform a preliminary test on your...
Challenge
Be an “after”
Ever thought of being the subject of a “before and after” fitness feature? Though initially intimidating, spotlighting your accomplishments publicly can inspire many people. Today, challenge yourself to consider sharing your before-and-after pics with your friends and family. Or, if you’re at the...
Challenge
Dye eggs differently
Color us confused: Although the FDA has weighed in on FD&C Red Dye #40 and declared it safe, anecdotal claims abound that the dye causes health complaints in children and adults alike. Why risk it? When you’re coloring your Easter eggs this year, challenge yourself to experiment with richly hued...
Challenge
Baby your food
If there’s ever a product that begged for the homemade touch, it’s baby food. Conventional commercial baby foods are not the most natural choice for your little one and cleaner organic varieties cost a pretty penny. Thankfully, online recipes for blending your own natural or organic purees abound...
Challenge
Go it together
Exercise is healthy. Social interaction? Ditto. Exercising in groups? A double dose of goodness, according to several recent studies. Specifically, exercising with others may have psychological benefits, like preventing postpartum depression and helping manage post-cancer grief. Today, challenge...
Challenge
Turn kids into cooks
Make stocking stuffers tasty! Small packages of natural and locally grown gourmet foods make great stocking stuffers and miniature gifts. Today, challenge yourself to think outside the standard gift box and put these natural goodies on your gift list. Some ideal items include: honey, syrup, jam...
Challenge
Coast on snow
Snow, speed, and simple pleasure — for many, sledding is childhood. This winter, challenge yourself to journey someplace snowy for at least one day of good old-fashioned sledding.
_Always consult a physician before starting any exercise routine._
Challenge
Host a green screening
Want to raise environmental awareness, hang out with friends, and watch a good movie all at the same time? Tonight, challenge yourself to invite people over for a “green” movie night.
Screen Al Gore’s, “An Inconvenient Truth,” or “March of the Penguins,” or “Erin Brockovich,” or “Koyaanisqatsi”...
Challenge
Start a new family tradition
Though we all enjoy good food and good company during the holidays, lots of families also welcome a yearly football or soccer match. Today, challenge yourself to add fitness to your family’s celebration Some ideas:
• Team up for ultimate Frisbee, football, soccer, or basketball.
• Go alternative...
Challenge
Respect your sleep space
The National Sleep Foundation says stimulating devices like TVs, computers and workstations have no business in our sleeping quarters. And where kids are concerned, the American Academy of Pediatrics backs them up, calling healthy bedrooms a “media-free zone.”
Today, challenge yourself to...
Challenge
Have a tomato sauce tasting
We’ve all heard of wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting, but can you do the same with tomato sauce? You bet. Whether you host a saucy bash or you simply line up your family for a blind taste test, there’s fun to be had by sampling a selection of all-natural, store-bought tomato sauces.
This...
Challenge
Synchronize your pedaling
Riding a bike made for two is an easygoing adventure. Test-ride one at your local bike shop or rent one for the day to see if it’s right for you. This weekend - or the next time you get the urge to take a bike ride - challenge yourself to hit the pavement in tandem instead.
_Always consult a...
Challenge
Decide on diapers
Many eco-minded people assume that cloth is the greener choice when it comes to diapers. Not always so: Depending on your location, your local landfill situation, and many other factors, disposables may actually use less energy.
While disposables fill our landfills and often contain harsh...
Challenge
Spice up your kids’ snack selection
Snack time is a great opportunity to increase the health factor in your kids’ diets. But rather than making drastic changes that might take some getting used to, try more subtle changes to start out. Increase snacks that don’t contain any preservatives or artificial ingredients. Snacks that include...
Challenge
Start a scrapbook of family recipes
Collecting family recipes puts you in touch with your history. It’s also a great way to preserve a food legacy for your children and to get in touch with people you might not have talked with for a while.
This month, challenge yourself to identify people in your family who might have access to...
Challenge
Dine with dad
When was the last time you not only shared a table with your father, but also cooked him a meal? Sometime this month, make an effort to cook a meal for your dad. Surprise him with a finished feast or converse over the slow cooker.
Challenge
Thank your mother
Acknowledging your mom’s love doesn’t have to involve buying stuff. Gifting can be as simple as donating to a cause in her name, going for a walk together, or organizing family memorabilia into an album or DVD. Today, make an effort to show your gratitude in some way.
Challenge
Go bowling in your backyard
Various forms of lawn bowling are popular around the world (bocce, boules, pétanque), probably because socializing during the game is half the fun. And since they’re non-contact sports that are about aim and focus, generations can play together. Challenge yourself to find a club in your area, or...
Challenge
Make family time happen
Sometimes it’s important to reassess our schedules and our commitment to family life. If you’ve been feeling like you don’t have enough quality time with your loved ones, challenge yourself this weekend think about ways you can better organize your time. Then make an effort to get together and do...
Challenge
Test your luck…and tossing skills
A great option for family events, horseshoes toss extra fun into any barbecue or picnic. Challenge yourself to rally the troops and enjoy a friendly game.
_(When logging progress for this challenge, only log as many days as you participated in the activity within the 30-day timeframe.)_
Challenge
Make a dash for it
When was the last time you raced a friend 50 yards to the finish line? If it’s been awhile, you’ll be surprised at the adrenaline rush you get from competing full speed. Challenge yourself to gather a group for a friendly competition of fast-moving fitness. _Always consult a physician before...
Challenge
Go fly a kite
Make the best of a windy day by grabbing a kite and a few pals. Head to your favorite green space or beach for the launch. You may find that getting it to fly is harder than it looks. But once your kite is serenely aloft, the enjoyment of your accomplishment makes up for the effort. Challenge...
Challenge
Tag - you’re it!
As a kid you ran around just for the fun of it, remember? Jog your memory with friendly game of tag. You can level the playing field by having faster or fitter players hop, skip or jump instead of running. Challenge yourself to organize a game of tag with your family, friends, or neighbors...
Challenge
Dive for sunken treasure
Here’s something you probably haven’t done since you were a kid. Go to a swimming pool with some friends or a group and take along some bright shiny objects. Now, toss those objects into the water; whoever gathers the most wins! Challenge yourself to bring some lighthearted fun to a day at the...
Challenge
Go in circles
Flashing lights, flashback music, and laps around the rink – time to lace up those roller skates. The roller rink provides an active outing for all ages and fitness levels. Just skip the unhealthy rinkside food and pack your own picnic of snacks and water. Challenge yourself to organize a very...
Challenge
Monkey around at the playground
When was the last time you slid down the slide? Or hung on the monkey bars? You may be surprised that lots of these activities leave you puffing after a few tries. Bring a kid along for inspiration or invite a friend to see who can swing higher. Challenge yourself to be childish – in a good way...
Challenge
Have a croquet day
It’s fun, it’s relaxing, and most of all it’s a lovely way to spend an afternoon outdoors. A great game for mixed-age groups, croquet develops hand-eye coordination and puts the lawn to good use. Challenge yourself to throw a more active sort of lawn party.
_(When logging progress for this...
Challenge
Get fired up with flag football
For pure athleticism that almost anyone can enjoy safely, flag football is the way to go. Just tuck some colored cloth into the back of your sweats and get ready to run your tail off. Make up crazy rules like extra points for field goals kicked with your left foot, or extra downs for teams with kids...
Challenge
Get into dodge
Finally, something you learned in school that you can use in real life. Dodgeball is great for grown-up play and fun family events (with a few rules to keep things in check, like throwing below the waist only). Challenge yourself to gather a group on a school playground or field, then throw a ball...
Challenge
Spread dance fever
Are you a dancing queen? Or do you have two left feet? Either way, when you gather a group of friends or kids for an at-home dance off you’ll get your heart pumping, plus a great ab workout from all the laughter. Challenge yourself put on your dancing shoes and let loose.
_(When logging progress...
Challenge
Roam off the beaten path
When there’s a group of friends, a campfire and slumber under the stars as payoff, the trail doesn’t seem quite so long. Backcountry hiking let’s you disconnect from the everyday and get closer to nature while you push your physical limits. Challenge yourself to an overnight outdoor adventure with...
Challenge
Peddle to the park
Riding with loved ones to a leisurely picnic lunch in the park is one of life’s simple pleasures. If the trip is too long to be do-able you can stash your bike on the front of a bus or on the subway, disembarking at a reasonable distance from your destination. Challenge yourself to gather a group...
Challenge
Hide and go seek
Where’s your best hiding spot? The great thing about playing hide and seek is that it exercises your body and your imagination. Challenge yourself to rally the young'un's and treat them to a game.
_(When logging progress for this challenge, only log as many days as you participated in the...
Challenge
Catch some exercise
Few things are as elemental as tossing a ball back and forth with a friend. Challenge yourself to grab a glove, invite a kid or call up a pal, and head outside for a leisurely game of catch.
_(When logging progress for this challenge, only log as many days as you participated in the activity...
Challenge
Go outside and play
In the next 24 hours, plan an outdoor activity with your friends and family. Hiking, biking, flying a kite, or playing catch — anything goes as long as you have fun.
_Always consult a physician before starting any exercise...
Challenge
Turn off the TV at dinnertime
Research suggests that people who watch TV during meals consume more calories than those who don't. Tonight at dinner, turn your TV off and make an effort to talk to your family. Or, simply savor your delicious meal by focusing on every bite.
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