How do you keep up with the latest trends? My girls are the ones that have to keep me up on the latest trends. Who knew that I could be so involved in social media, but be so far behind on the latest kid trends. Thankfully, my girls are fashionistas and love to dish on the latest trends when I pick them up in the carpool line. The latest trend to hit here in NC is the PocketBac holders from Bath and Body Works.

The girls love to use these holders on their lunch bags, their back packs and their little purses. It is so cute and actually a trend that I am loving for healthy reasons. The girls love to use their hand sanitizer now after they eat lunch, come in from playing at recess at school or any other activities they may be taking part in during school hours.

The holders range from $.50 to $4.00 here in NC. Of course, my frugal self allow the girls to purchase the $.50. Also, the miniature sanitizers are on sale right now for 5 for $5.00. I hope this trend will stick as it is an affordable one, a cleaner one and shall I say fashionable one?

According to the girls, they test out each others different sanitizers and see which ones they like the best during class. I have to say, well thought out marketing for the Bath and Body Works team.

Technology is surrounding us more and more every single day. Most kids received some type of technology gift for Christmas. I will go ahead and admit, my girls both got mini laptops for Christmas. Several kids got the new Kindle Fire, or an iPod touch, or even an iPad. Technology can rule your kid’s life if you do not set forth technology rules. It can also ruin your kid’s eye sight.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time for children and adolescents to two hours per day, recent studies are finding that children ages 8-18 are spending more than 7.5 hours a day consuming electronic media, from computers and smartphones to e-readers and tablets. How will this increased use impact our tech-savvy children’s eyes?

Digital eye strain, or computer vision syndrome (CVS), is a term for any number of eye or vision- related problems that can occur from using a computer or digital device. Symptoms can include blurry vision, difficulty focusing, dry or irritated eyes, headaches and even neck and back pain. I know I can relate with several of these symptoms. My eyes can get so dry and I have to get up and leave the computer. Most of the time, I have to grab a wet washcloth in order to stop the burning. If this is happening to me, you know it can/will happen to your kids.

How can you prevent computer vision syndrome? VSP shares their tips.

Watch the time. The best way to avoid CVS is to take frequent breaks to refresh the eyes— follow the 20/20/20 rule. Every 20 minutes, make sure your child takes a break to stare at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Also make sure to limit device usage to around two hours a day. This can be a challenge, but the average usage is almost four times that! For children two and under, avoid digital devices all together.

Create a kid-size work space. When working at adult desks, children sometimes have to crane their necks, look up at the screen or sit uncomfortably to do work. Avoid this issue and set up a small desk with an adjustable chair that provides good back support.

Keep the proper working distance. The distance between your child’s eyes and a screen should be approximately the distance between his or her elbow and knuckle. If your child is leaning too close to the computer screen or holding reading material close to his or her face, it could signal an underlying vision problem.

Schedule regular eye exams. Children’s vision changes often and it’s important that they have the best vision possible when using digital devices to help avoid CVS. This starts with a comprehensive examination by an eye doctor, not just a school screening. Children should have their first eye exam at six months of age, then at three years, before starting school and every year after that.

Go outside. Playing is healthy for the body and mind. Research also shows that two hours of outdoor play each day can help prevent nearsightedness. Of course, sunglasses are non- negotiable. Children have larger pupils and are susceptible to more UV damage than adults.

Let’s band together and help avoid Computer Vision Syndrome. Remember there still is life outside of technology. Kids do not need technology 24/7!

Thanks to Nathan Bonilla-Warford, O.D., F.A.A.O. for providing these awesome tips. He practices at Bright Eyes Family Vision Care in Tampa, Florida. Dr. Bonilla-Warford has lectured on visual care of children, the importance of vision in personal development, and options for controlling nearsightedness.

We are helping Kraft Fight Hunger here at One Moms World this Christmas season.

See first post here.

According to Feeding America, In 2010, households with children reported food insecurity at a significantly higher rate than those without children, 20.2 percent compared to 11.7 percent. It hurts my heart to hear people go hungry but especially children. These precious children who don’t even realize the state of the world around them. They just look up to their parents for shelter, food and water. WE can all make a difference and help fight hunger here in the US.

As stated in my other post, here is how you can help:

1. Please “like” the Kraft Food’s Fight Hunger Facebook Page. Once you do, a meal will be donated to a food bank.

2. Play the 2-Minute Trivia drill to donate even more meals.

Kraft will donate up to 4,000,000 meals via online and mobile activities, as part of their goal of providing 25 million meals. I am sharing a Ham Sandwich Recipe today. Each recipe that I am sharing, Kraft is going to donate 1,000 meals to my local food bank.

Ham, Cheddar Cheese and Bacon Sandwiches

Ingredients

Sub rolls
1 tbsp of Kraft Miracle Whip Light
Oscar Mayer Shredded Ham
Kraft Cheddar Cheese Slices
Turkey Bacon (Already cooked)

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

1. Place ingredients on sub roll.

2. Cut sub roll in-half.

3. Bake at 325 for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Perfect mini sandwiches for tailgating. Everyone that tried them was very impressed and I had to end up putting more in the oven. Now that is a success.

Disclosure: Kraft Foods is providing me a gift card in exchange for my participation in this program at no cost to me; however, all opinions expressed here are my own.

As many know me, I am queen of quick, easy and healthy meals. Thanks to my great friend Cindy over at Cin’s Out Numbered and Loving it, Chicken Cups makes a regular stop on our dinner table. I actually posted a picture on Facebook tonight and many commented requesting the recipe. I thought I had shared this recipe here with my readers, but after researching old posts, there was no trace of the recipe here. I am so sorry for holding out on you. Believe me, you are so going to enjoy this recipe and the entire family will as well.

Ingredients:

1 can Buttermilk Biscuits (10 biscuits)
1 cooked chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1 can Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup or Cream of Mushroom Soup (we prefer the mushroom soup)
2/3 c. Fat Free Shredded Cheddar Cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Directions:

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl.

2. Place each biscuit into a muffin pan.

3. Press the biscuits into the muffin pan holes to form cups.

4. Spoon mixture evenly into cups.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.

From my notes, 2 chicken cups = 5 points. 3 chicken cups = 7 points. Enjoy!

It is that time of year when the weather outside is getting frightful. This means it is time to heat up the inside with a big ole delicious bowl of soup. Potato soup to be more exact. I was searching online for a really good potato soup and since I am queen of easy meals here in this busy household, I wanted something quick. After doing some searching, I kept seeing weight watchers friendly potato soup recipes all over. Most used refrigerated potatoes though, and I like using my own potatoes. So without further ado, enjoy an easy and healthy recipe of Potato Soup!

Weight Watcher Friendly Potato Soup

Ingredients:

5-pound bag of potatoes

3-cans of Swanson all natural Chicken Broth

2-pouches of Pioneer Gravy Sausage Mix

Directions:

1. Peel and cut the potatoes

2. Boil the potatoes in water until the potatoes are soft

3. Drain the potatoes

4. Pour one can of the chicken broth over the potatoes

5. Mix the other two cans of chicken broth with the two pouches of gravy mix

6. Pour the mix over the potatoes, stir really well and let simmer

7. Enjoy a delicious bowl of soup

This is a question that has weighed on my mind for a while now. Recently, L has started having trouble seeing the bottom line of the eye chart when they tested her at the doctor’s office and at school. I have been questioning myself if I should seek an eye doctor’s second opinion or just wait till she is older to do a full eye exam. I was able to talk to VSP Provider, Dr. Bazan, to help answer this question.

Dr. Bazan alerted me that all kids after the age of 6 months, should receive an eye exam with an actual eye doctor. What is the reasoning behind this? There is way more in depth steps to an exam than just reading letters off of a chart. Optometrist’s need to see that a child’s eyes are healthy on the inside and out. Several different steps are used to ensure the eyes are healthy. Lights and lenses are used to see how the eyes are moving and the motions of the eye. A regular pediatrician is not able to do a full eye exam since they do not have the proper equipment in their office. Tests are completed to get a better number than just receiving a number if they cannot read a certain line off of the eye chart. After talking with Dr. Bazan, I went ahead and made the girls eye doctor appointments. There are diseases that can be caught early if seen annually by an optometrist.

I also asked about family history of eye sight. I have wore glasses since a teenager, so I always wonder if genetics have any pull with M and L’s eye sight. The old saying goes: “The Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.” Family history definitely plays a role with eye sight and can also play a role in eye diseases.

What are signs that your child is having problems with their eye sight

Is the child too far from the object they are trying to focus on?

Is the child too close to an object?

Is the child straining to see?

Is the child avoiding certain activities?

These are all tell-tale signs that a child needs to be checked. As mentioned before, Dr. Bazan recommends an annual eye exam with all kids over the age of 6 months of age. 80% of learning comes from eyes. You want to know their eyes are healthy and be 100% sure. Make it an annual routine.

Dr. Bazan had a great recommendation for adults too that are always behind a screen while working. 20/20/20 Rule – Every 20 minutes, take 20 second break and look 20 feet .

Help other kids get the glasses and eye exams they need. It only takes a few seconds and will help Boys & Girls Club members in your local area and around the country. It is completely free to take and is as simple as these steps:

To take the free VSP Eye Pledge:

· Go to www.seemuchmore.com/eyepledge

· Pledge to take care of your eye health, which is an integral part of your overall health

· Share the Pledge with your friends and family so they can help out local children in need as well!

· Direct the donation to either the local club of your choice (by inserting your zip code) or the club in the U.S. with the most need

Take the pledge and then make your child’s eye exam appointment. You will be glad you did!

Disclosure: This post is part of an ambassadorship program with VSP. All thoughts and opinions are of my own.

Halloween was a blast. I will be writing a follow-up tonight of our celebrations that took over 2 weeks. Who knew we could celebrate so much?

The question on parents minds today is what do we do with all the candy? Candy can be enjoyable as long as we make sure we do everything in moderation. Also, Dr. Singh, founder and CEO of Arch Dental’s shares five tips for enjoying your Halloween treats!

1. Choose candy that melts quickly and can be eaten easily.

2. Have a glass of water after eating candy to wash away the sugar and neutralize the acid.

3. Avoid grazing on candy; it increases the time sugars are in contact with tooth enamel.

4. Have a treat with or after a meal, followed by a thorough tooth-brushing .

5. Time is of the essence when it comes to teeth and sugar. If not removed by brushing, or swishing with water, sugar from any source can increase the likelihood of cavities.

Another tip in which my girls love to participate each year, is giving the candy to charity. We give a big portion of our Halloween Candy each year to Operation Christmas Child. This month is when National Collection Week takes place, so it is perfect timing. If you would like to participate, Samaritan’s Purse has a great tutorial on their website to help you pack your shoe box. I hope you will participate alon with us!

Pumpkin is always on my mind here lately. My step-daughter and I were chatting last night that a Pumpkin Shake would be so delicious right now. You never can usually find a low-fat version though, so I told her I would come up with my own recipe.

After dinner tonight, I dived right into concocting a recipe for a weight watchers friendly shake. Here are the ingredients I used:

1/2 cup fat free Breyers Vanilla ice cream
3 tsp. of canned pumpkin
1/2 cup of skim milk
Nutmeg
Cinnamon
Fat Free Whip Cream

I mixed the first five ingredients together in a blender. Pour into a cup. Top with fat free whip cream along with a sprinkle of cinnamon on top.

RESULT:

4 point Weight Watcher Pumpkin Shake (so delicious)!

Enjoy!

Dinner is served!

Who else looks forward to dinner all day? I start thinking in the morning with our crazy schedules of what time I need to start dinner. I ensure I have all the sides lined up that each family member will at least enjoy one of the sides. Dessert doesn’t get much thought unless it is on the weekends.

Enter Weight Watchers Ice Cream.

We have been huge fans here in our house for a while so you can imagine how happy we were to hear of new flavors entering the market.

- New Weight Watchers Snack Size Ice Cream Sandwiches: Two brand new flavors of Weight Watchers Ice Cream, low fat Vanilla Bean and Dutch Chocolate, have just 80 calories each. The variety pack includes four sandwiches of both flavors with a PointsPlus® value of 2 per sandwich.

- New Weight Watchers Dark Chocolate Dulcé de Leché Dessert Bars: A highly indulgent ice cream bar featuring low fat dulcé de leché ice cream with a caramel swirl dipped in dark chocolate. Each bar has a PointsPlus value of 3 per bar and 120 calories.

- New Weight Watchers Strawberry Fruit Bar: A healthier snack option for adults and kids, this bar is made with real fruit and is an excellent source of vitamin C. Plus, this delightfully fruity bar has 15 percent fewer calories and 30 percent less sugar than other national leading brands of fruit bars. Each has 70 calories and a PointsPlus value of 2 per bar.

- New Weight Watchers Strawberry Smoothie Bar: A blend of low-fat strawberry frozen yogurt and real strawberries. This bar is a good source of vitamin C and has the creamy goodness of a smoothie with just 60 calories and a PointsPlus value of 2 per bar.

If no one would tell you that you were eating a Weight Watchers Ice Cream treat, most would never know. I did this trick with my family and after all the ohhhh’s and ahhhh’s, I let them in on my secret. Weight Watchers won the Ice Cream taste test hands down in our household.

It is a treat that is still fulfilling, but you do not have to feel guilty about. Most of the treats are only 2 or 3 points, so you are not using many of your points to enjoy a delicious treat. Why spend 6 or 7 points on a bowl of ice cream, when Weight Watchers can be just as delicious (in my book) and less points. WIN-WIN for everyone!

Check out your local grocery store today and grab your treats. You will not be disappointed.

Disclosure: I was sent samples in order to facilitate this review from Mom Select and Weight Watchers.

Apple season is amongst us here in the beautiful NC mountains. The aroma, the taste, and the ever ending apple creations just thrills me beyond delight. Our family has an addiction to the mouth-watering fried apple pies in Pigeon Forge at the best ever Apple Barn known to man, but only one thing that stops us from eating them everyday. Our hips attract the calories and fat the minute the pie hits our stomach’s.

I grab the laptop, went to the information hound google, and searched for a more calorie-friendly fried apple pie. I found this one on Cooks.com. I did some adjustments and came up with a very delicious fried apple pie. Does it match Apple Barn’s recipe? Not even close, but it is very delightful and my hips will not show how much I LOVE apple pie!

M helped me pick out the apples and wash them really good. We added them to our boiling pot. Cooked them on medium heat.

Next, we added lemon juice.

Dry ingredients were added.

Fill the pita bread with apple mixture. Spray the skillet with pam, place the apple pie in the skillet.

Spray the I Can’t Believe It’s Butter all over the pie and ENJOY – Only 4 Pts!

RECIPE (Adapted from Cooks.com)

1 pkg. pita bread (6, 2 oz. each)
8 large apples, peeled & sliced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
4 tbsp. cornstarch
3 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
10 pkg. Equal
Spray Butter

Cook apples in lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients. Fill each slice of pita bread with 1/2 of mixture. Fold over. Brown in skillet sprayed with Pam. Makes 6.

4 Points Weight Watchers.