Healthy Foods Are Not Hard to Find

I hate grocery shopping. It's true. My problem is that I never know if I'm buying good and healthy foods. Sure, I read labels when I have the time, but as a busy wife and mom, I sometimes resort to the fast and easy method (you know, grab whatever and hope for the best!).

Recently, the fabulous folks at Mom Central asked me to check out the Stop & Shop Healthy Ideas program.

Healthy Ideas was created to make it easy for us to shop for healthy foods without reading all the labels. They took into account the things that matter to all of us - calories, fat, cholesterol, and sodium - and developed criteria that evaluated foods based on the FDA and USDA guidelines. They also made sure that every Healthy Ideas food has at least 10% of the daily recommended amount of one nutrient, such as Calcium or Vitamin C.

Healthy Ideas symbols can be found on 3000+ items located throughout the grocery store, including nearly all the fruits and vegetables in the produce department. So you know if you choose Healthy Ideas foods for your family to eat - or as a Simple Swap for your recipes - you are giving them a truly healthy diet.

Healthy Ideas was developed by a team of nutritionists, and reviewed by an advisory panel of physicians and nutrition experts utilizing USDA and FDA guidelines. You can visit the Living Well section for the Stop & Shop website to find answers to frequently asked questions by Stop & Shop customers. To find store locations, click here.

Unfortunately, I live in Wisconsin and we don't have any Stop & Shop stores in the state. However, I loved exploring the store's website. My husband manages a grocery store and it was fun to see what "the competition" is up to.

I like the Healthy Ideas concept, and I learned so much just by browsing the different parts of the website.

For example, did you know that seafood is almost always a healthy food? Nearly everything in the department earns the Healthy Ideas symbol. And because Stop & Shop is a global leader in sustainability, choosing their seafood is a healthy idea for the planet, too.

I like the fact that so many products in the Stop & Shop stores have the Healthy Ideas logo. Finding nutritious foods is so much easier when the experts "read the labels" for us. If only all grocery stores had a program like this!

For more information about the program, please visit the Stop & Shop website!

Preserve Kitchen Line Makes the Cut

You may recall a review I wrote about the Preserve toothbrushes made by Recycline.

I was thrilled to try them, because the products were made entirely from recycled plastic, but I was in love when I discovered that once my Preserve toothbrush was worn out I could send it back to the company — in postpaid mailers — to be recycled again.

Last month I was contacted by Preserve about testing an item from their new kitchenware line. Of course I accepted because my family is committed to using earth friendly products whenever possible.

The item I received was a bright red cutting board made of the same, 100% recycled #5 plastic (just like the toothbrushes, razors and tableware). The cutting board is very durable and sturdy. I especially love the curled edge that makes it easier to use. I can chop an onion and then carry the board to the frying pan with ease.

The best thing about the Preserve products is that they are stylish and fun, as well as eco-friendly. In addition to the cutting board, Preserve's kitchen line consists of mixing bowls, colanders, measuring cups and food storage, and all products are BPA-free, made in the USA and dishwasher safe. Does it get any better than that?

Yes, it does! The Preserve products are affordable, too. The cutting boards are made in two sizes, small ($8.99) and large ($12.99). The mixing bowls come in a set of three which retails for $21.99, and the large colander sells for $11.99.

Thank you, Preserve for the opportunity to test this fabulous product! For more information please visit www.preserveproducts.com.

Wanna Get Cozi?

2009 is finally here and my family is busier than ever. It's no secret that I struggle with managing my household. It's true. I'm not Super Mom. (Shhh! Don't tell anyone else.)

The main gripe I have is coordinating my husband's schedule with mine, and keeping track of all of Dawson's activities. Between preschool, swimming lessons and various appointments, it's no wonder I tend to be stressed out all the time.

Welcome Cozi, an online family management system. Cozi offers a family calendar, shopping list application, a family journal, a Cozi Collage screen saver (the no-work way to enjoy all those digital photos piling up on your computer) and many other valuable tools.

I confess, as an amateur photographer (okay, I'm a Camera Nazi) the Cozi Collage is my favorite. It creates stunning collages of your photos and reminds you of upcoming appointments, making intelligent use of your computer’s downtime. It’s a screen saver that’s cool and practical!

My husband, manager in a grocery store, loves the shopping list tool. Cozi has a mobile version especially for the iPhone and Windows Mobile phones. You can sign-in and access your account using your mobile web browser, add and edit shopping lists, and view and edit your family calendar in a snap! You can learn more about this feature by clicking here. The shopping list feature definitely makes our time in the store less stressful and more efficient.

Another great feature is that Cozi has a calendar application that is compatible for use with Google Desktop as well as one that works with Microsoft Outlook. You can synch your calendars and make your life a little less hectic! Who doesn't want that?

But the absolute best part of Cozi? It's FREE. That's right! FREE. Where else can you find a free web service made just for busy families? One that lets you manage and coordinate schedules, organize and store shopping lists that can be accessed from any mobile phone, send quick updates or reminders to family members, and lots more? Yeah, I don't know of any. Cozi rocks.

For more information, visit the Cozi website. Thanks, MomCentral, for introducing me to such a great web service!

My M&M's

When Mom Central asked if I wanted to customize a batch of m&m's I was very excited and jumped at the chance.

Several years ago I went to a wedding and the bride had party favors with personalized m&m's inside. "Jim & Jenny" was printed on each little candy and I thought it was such a cute idea.

When it was time for me to create My M&M's, I couldn't think of anything clever. I planned to use the bags as stocking stuffers, and Merry Christmas didn't really fit. So I did the next best thing.

I decided to personalize the candies, literally. I chose the phrases "Mommy's Candy," "Daddy's Candy," and "Dawson's Candy," for the three humans in our household. Since Murphy, our dog, can't have chocolate I thought it would be funny to say "Sorry Murphy" on a few of the M&M's as well.

The creation process was a snap. I got to choose my favorite colors, too. I love pastel blues and greens, and the pastel purple was nifty.

Picking the phrases was easy, too. Just type in what you'd like the candy to say, and the website gives a great preview of what the finished product will look like.

Shipping was fast, too! We got our m&m's within 3 business days. I was shocked at how quickly they arrived. Just in time for Christmas.

And my son was very excited to see his name on his candy!

Personalized m&m's are available in various packages, too -- from as low as $24.99 for a pre-designed mix and up to $34.99 for personalized packages in a signature box.

Visit the My M&M's site to start creating your own super sweet treats!