When I first wrote about "Teen Moms," I think it was at the end of the first season and still called "16 And Pregnant." I don't remember exactly what I wrote, but I do remember that I liked the show, but thought it would encourage other teens to probably get pregnant, and they would see it as an easy way for fame and not actually consider the fact they were bringing a baby into the world, and that there are thousands of teen moms, but only a few chosen for the cast of the show.

The show is still good, but until a few weeks ago, there was not much outside press about the show. An article every now and then, but everything was pretty much confined to the show. No clubs were paying the moms to show up, and no one was making huge bucks outside the show. That is all changing. Over the past month, almost every tabloid has had Teen Mom on their cover. This week, People becomes the last of the big tabloids to throw one of the couples on their cover.

The couple they chose is one of my favorites. They were smart enough to know they could not raise their baby, and gave the baby up for adoption. I loved following Catelynn and Tyler and their decision. I also like how the show does not glamorize teen pregnancy. What I don't like is now clubs and promoters are starting to call some of the teen moms and offering them money to show up, and that is the part that scares me for other teens, who are not only seeing teen moms on tv and on tabloids, but also in Las Vegas or in clubs, getting paid to be there simply because they got pregnant as teens.

In this two-part post, Kristy shares the tips that have helped her lose the baby weight, fight off seasonal colds, reduce stress, and balance home and work life.

Fit Tips for Busy Moms

Schedule It. As a mom, you are the ultimate multitasker, NASA practically comes to you for advice on how to run the Command Center. But, do you put everyone else’s needs ahead of your own? Put yourself on the top of the to-do list, and schedule your workouts on the calendar just like any other commitment. Make an appointment with yourself and keep it.

Find a Kid-Friendly Health Club. Before you join a health club, make sure it has child care that’s safe and fun for your little one and that will also keep them entertained as they get older. Be sure to ask about age ranges, as some clubs begin accepting babies as young as 3 months (others may have you wait until 6 months).

Typically, gyms set a two-hour maximum on babysitting. While your little ones are happily playing, aim to exercise three to five times a week for 30 to 60 minutes each time and do a combination of cardio and strength work. Or better yet, take a class. Get your heart pumping with cycling, boxing boot camp, a cardio/sculpt workout, or get your daily dose of Zen with a yoga class.

Express Yourself. Get your vogue on and dance. Dancing is a super calorie burner and cardio workout. Crank up your iPod, toss in a DVD, or take a dance class at your gym or dance studio. The key ingredient is to keep moving. Not only do fitness centers offer dance classes, but there are also lots of community and recreational centers that offer adult dance classes. According to the Mayo Clinic, a 140-pound woman burns about 300 calories in one hour of dancing.

Downdog Push-Ups. Whether you are a yogi or just want to get down and play, try the downdog push-up. From downward-facing dog, push up with one leg lifted. Keep the elbows in, hips high, lower your chest to the floor between your hands on the exhale and inhale back up to down-dog split—five on each side. It’s ROUGH, but very efficient if you have about 30 seconds.

Give these tips a try and then tune in next week for more awesome tips from the pros at Equinox! They’re full of it—in a good way, of course. —Erin

Whether your family has two kids or ten kids, grocery bills are adding up for all of us – especially if you’re trying to pick the healthier choices.  The most important thing you have to remember is that if you’re trying to eat healthy, and you cannot afford to spend more money, you have to spend more time.  Time in the kitchen cooking, time planning out meals for the week, time surfing through the grocery store flyers for sales, et cetera.  Try some of the tips I’ve included below to help!

1.  Use up ingredients you already have.  Before heading to the grocery store, take a look at what you already have tucked away in the pantry to see if you can use it in a dish.  Breadcrumbs and canned tomatoes?  Pick up some eggplant and make eggplant parmesan.  Whole-grain rice and salsa?  Pick up some peppers and onions and make a Mexican-inspired rice dish.

2.  Buy in bulk when it makes sense.  Buying products in bulk can save you a lot of money, but try to only do so if the product is one you would normally eat.  Try to also look for the buy-in-bulk deals on healthier options so you don’t fill up your house with junk food.

3.  Cook more than one meal at a time.  Wondering how this tip saves you money?  Cooking extra meals gives you options later on in the week, and can be great if you’re feeling tempted to spend lots of money on expensive takeout or restaurant meals.  Knowing that you’ve got a healthy and delicious homemade meal ready to go at home means you’re less likely to spend unnecessary money.

4.  Don’t buy more fruits and vegetables than you need.  Fruits and vegetables are definitely healthy choices, don’t get me wrong here.  But they can also be quite perishable, and the last thing you want to do is be throwing out produce because it’s gone bad before you can get to it.  Only buy what you need and make sure to eat the more perishable items first (usually fruits).

5.  Take advantage of frozen vegetables.  This one helps with the previous tip – you can use up your fresh vegetables earlier in the week, and then rely on frozen veggies to last you until your next grocery store trip!  And don’t be worried about using frozen produce – they’re often picked at the peak of their season and immediately frozen, so all those nutrients are locked in.

6.  Build meals around cheaper staples.  Potatoes, carrots, onions, pasta, and rice are relatively inexpensive staple items, no matter what store you shop at.  Utilize their low-cost nature by building meals around them to create healthy options.  The key here is to still prepare them in healthier ways – this doesn’t mean making French fries and carrot cake all the time!

7.  Get creative in the kitchen.  Craving pizza but don’t want to fork over the money to get it delivered, or can’t get to the grocery store?  Keep a jar of pizza sauce (or make your own!) in the cupboards and you can make pizza whenever you’d like.  If you don’t have access to pizza dough, try using Arnold’s Sandwich Thins or even tortillas!  Get a little more creative with your meals and you’ll be able to make the inexpensive ingredients come to life!

8.  Use slices or cubes of meat instead of whole pieces.  Instead of making meat the star of your meals, make it a team player – include it, but shift the focus to the other ingredients.  If you’re creative enough, you can stretch out small portions of pork tenderloin or chicken breast into two family meals with the addition of a whole grain and lots of veggies! Don’t forget, you can get protein from grains, beans, and dairy, so don’t be concerned that you won’t be meeting your needs.

9.  Incorporate beans.  This might be the easiest tip on the list!  Beans are extremely nutritious, delicious, and versatile – add them to salads, pasta, soups, and more!  If you haven’t tried beans yet, pick up a can the next time you’re at the store and search for a great recipe to use them.  Once you start to enjoy using beans in your cooking, buy dried beans and cook them yourself to save even more money!

10. Grow your own.  Whether it’s a small tomato or pepper plant, or herbs like basil, chives, or rosemary, growing your own food can easily help you cut down food costs.  Start slowly with just one plant and enjoy eating your own home-grown ingredients!

Assistance provided by Megan Skinner

by Dr. Ronald Ricker and Dr. Venus Nicolino, via The Huffington Post

Today, the administration of psychoactive drugs to children (6-17) is all too common and growing at an alarming rate. These drugs often cause the opposite of the intended effect, often condemning children to a life of misery and ill health. The prescription of these drugs is said to treat “chemical imbalances” which were said to cause ADHD, Depression and Bi-polar disorder. It turns out, however, that what we were calling “disease-causing chemical imbalances,” is simply incorrect . The sad irony is, the inappropriate use of these medications is in fact creating different chemical imbalances, which do cause mental disorders, many of which are both life-long and debilitating.

Furthermore, it is now clear that often we are diagnosing ordinary childhood and adolescent behavior as mental disorders (Wait, children are supposed to be bursting with energy? It’s normal for a teenager to be moody and aloof?). This diagnosing is not only based on this idea of “chemical imbalances,” but also a general and pervasive notion that every non-acceptable behavior is due to a mental illness. And last, but certainly not least, the prescribing of these medications by doctors is based on the disinformation provided them by the FDA, drug manufacturers and often fraudulent studies, all in the name of making money, on the backs of our children.

In a recent lecture, respected journalist, writer and Nobel Prize Nominee, Robert Whitaker (PBS, Boston, June 15, 2010) highlighted not only the appallingly unscientific methodology used in the development, prescription and use of psychotropic drugs in school-aged children, but also how hopelessly corrupt and failed the systems that should be regulating the safety of medicines are in this country.

Unfortunately, many drug companies exist for one reason: to make money. As such, the people who run these companies have developed a worldview bereft of any more notion of ethics or morality than British Petroleum. Some drug companies’ success is not based on a drug’s usefulness or the safety of its products, but whether it makes money. The path to more money is simple: find new uses for their old drugs, invent new drugs and find new markets for both new and old drugs. Unfortunately, children are today’s newest market.

Click here to read the rest of this article on HuffingtonPost.com.

Read more at Natural Vitality Kids

Fairfax, Va. -- The NRA is challenging federal laws that prohibit law-abiding Americans eighteen through twenty years of age from legally purchasing a handgun through a federally licensed firearm dealer. The case was filed Tuesday evening in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas Lubbock Division. James D'Cruz of Lubbock, TX is the plaintiff in this case.

"In Heller and McDonald, the U.S. Supreme Court clearly stated that the Second Amendment guarantees a fundamental, individual right to keep and bear arms for all law-abiding Americans," said Chris W. Cox, executive director of NRA's Institute for Legislative Action. "That right is not limited only to Americans twenty-one years of age and older. Indeed, throughout our nation's history, adults beginning at age eighteen have served in the military and fought for this country with honor. But while the Supreme Court has consistently made clear that the federal government cannot ban or unduly restrict sales of items protected by the Constitution, the federal government continues to prohibit these adults from purchasing handguns from federally licensed dealers, which represent the largest and most accessible means of purchasing handguns."

The suit asserts: "At eighteen years of age, law-abiding citizens in this country are considered adults for almost all purposes and certainly for the purposes of the exercise of fundamental constitutional rights. Indeed, at eighteen, citizens are eligible (and male citizens could be conscripted) to serve in the military-to fight and die by arms for the country. Yet, Section 922(b)(1) prohibits law-abiding adults in this age group from lawfully purchasing -- from the most prevalent and readily available source -- what the Supreme Court has called "the quintessential self-defense weapon" and "the most popular weapon chosen by Americans for self-defense in the home."

The plaintiff, Mr. D'Cruz, is well-trained in the proper handling and use of firearms, including handguns. His initial training was with his grandfather, a World War II veteran, who wanted his grandchildren to understand the proper and safe techniques for use and storage of firearms. Mr. D'Cruz received further training from his father and as a member of the Navy Junior Reserve Officer's Training Corps, where he achieved the rank of Lieutenant Junior Grade. During his junior and senior years of high school, Mr. D'Cruz was a member of the JROTC's marksmanship team, and as member of that team has competed in regional and national marksmanship competitions. Mr. D'Cruz received numerous awards, including a first place medal for marksmanship, in a regional competition. Mr. D'Cruz also received a Foreign Legion unit award for marksmanship.

The case is D'Cruz v. BATFE.

Mommy Daddy Blog is on an indefinite hiatus. Please visit Sheena at sophistishe.com and update your feed subscriptions to her new feed! Thanks!

Mommy Daddy Blog is on an indefinite hiatus. Please visit Sheena at sophistishe.com and update your feed subscriptions to her new feed! Thanks!

Mommy Daddy Blog is on an indefinite hiatus. Please visit Sheena at sophistishe.com and update your feed subscriptions to her new feed! Thanks!