Deals & Steals – 1/8/10

Here’s the information I’ve come across this week and want to pass along to you! 

Note: Many of these are not in my own words, but taken straight from the e-mail or press release that I received. I have re-worded or re-written where I thought it was necessary or helpful, but am not responsible for the content of these items or anything that may be posted on their sites.

The National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) just launched their first initiative for the year!  This one is a really great project that gets the kids involved in financial literacy through art and creativity.  It’s no secret that smart money choices equal a brighter future.   Did you know that financial experts agree starting early is one of the keys to later financial success?

“$mart Money Choices = A Brighter Future” was selected as the theme of the NFCC’s 2010 Poster Contest. In an effort to increase interest in financial literacy to our nation’s youth, the NFCC is once again sponsoring the Be Money Wi$e National Financial Literacy Poster Contest.   The contest is designed to get young students thinking about how to manage money efficiently and offers them a creative outlet to demonstrate their knowledge.  It also provides the opportunity for local and national recognition for student artwork.  All finalists will receive a commemorative t-shirt, and each national grade category winner will receive an award plaque and a $100 savings bond.  In addition, the National Winner will be given an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C., with a parent or guardian and will be given official recognition in April as part of the Financial Literacy Month on Capitol Hill!

Do you have a child or children in mind that you feel has the talent and creativity to win? All school-aged children in grades 3-12 are eligible to enter with local and national winners to be chosen from each of three grade categories.   Students from public, private and home-schools are welcome. Entries will be judged by expression of the theme, artistic style, creativity, and must be submitted through an NFCC Member Agency for judging. *The submission deadline for poster entries is in February 2010, varying by each specific member agency.

Teachers, parents and students are encouraged to visit www.MoneyWisePosterContest.org to find more detailed information, rules, entry forms, and where to submit.

CarMax, Inc., the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, has launched a contest on the social networking site Twitter, to award one lucky winner $25,000 towards the purchase of a used vehicle from CarMax’s nationwide inventory.  Contestants are encouraged to visit http://www.carmax.com/tweet to find the specific phrase to tweet, which will automatically enter them in the contest.

The “Tweet Yourself to a New Ride” contest will run for eight weeks and, in addition to the grand prize, will award gas cards valued at $250 each to eight separate randomly selected entries.  A full list of rules and regulations, as well as frequently asked questions can be found on the contest page.

“Giving away a late-model, fully-reconditioned CarMax vehicle is an excellent way to draw attention to both our great cars and our efforts on Twitter,” said Joe Kunkel, senior vice president of marketing and strategy. “This Twitter contest is a fun way to promote our brand and to share our story with car shoppers who haven’t previously heard about us.”

Want to add some explosive fun to your life? Here’s your chance. KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese CHEDDAR EXPLOSION is searching for one dynamite kid to be the Grand Marshall of the most explosive event of 2010, the explosion of Texas Stadium. One lucky kid who has made a positive, explosive difference in their community will win the chance to push the button that detonates Texas Stadium in Irving, TX. This event supports the launch of CHEDDAR EXPLOSION, the newest KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese that will hit shelves in early 2010.

PROJECT CHEDDAR EXPLOSION CONTEST DETAILS:

• To enter the contest, dynamite kids (ages 9-12) need to tell us a story about a positive, explosive impact they have made to better their community by sending in a 300 words or less essay and a picture illustrating their story.
• The contest entry period is from January 7, 2010 until February 5, 2010, when all entries must be received.

“We’re thrilled to reward one lucky kid who positively impacted their community with the opportunity to detonate Texas Stadium in Irving, TX,” said Eileen Rosenfeld, Senior Brand Manager, KRAFT Macaroni & Cheese. “The Texas Stadium explosion is a great way to launch our new product, CHEDDAR EXPLOSION, with one of the biggest bangs in 2010.”

For Entry Ballot and Official Rules: www.projectcheddarexplosion.com.

Here’s some “Warm Weekend Getaway or Spring Break” merchandise that 6pm.com has to offer!  As you know, 6pm.com is the sister site of Zappos.com, offering brand name shoes, apparel and accessories for women, men & kids – all at up to 80% off.

And for those fortunate enough to be able to sneak away for a long weekend, or week of relaxation in the sunshine, below is just a sampling of travel bags, swimwear, sunglasses and intimates – all the essentials needed to enjoy some fun in the sun! Click on each to see more details.

Parents.com has just posted its list of best baby names for 2009 – and the winners are…for boys, Aidan ranked No. 1 for the third year running, and for girls, Isabella, and variations Isabel and Bella, for the second year running.

You can find the list at best baby names, click to page 2 for the top 10 baby girl names and page 3 for the top 10 baby boy names. Also popular culture, it seems, continues to heavily influence what parents chose to name their newborns.

And in case you aren’t familiar with it, Parents.com also maintains a Baby Name Finder on its website. This tool allows parents to search for unique baby names and find out their meanings. Parents also did some research and came up with parenting trends they believe will be taking hold in the new year. You might want to check them out!

What’s it going to take to get America out of the economic doldrums? How about some good old fashioned American innovation, inventiveness and ingenuity! This past September, the NYSE Foundation, By Kids For Kids and K12, Inc. launched the NYSE FINANCIAL FUTURE CHALLENGE . This timely nationwide competition sought ideas from American youth to engage, excite, motivate and educate their peers about our financial markets, and investing.

Over 8,000 entries were received. Ultimately, Fabian Fernadez-Han, an amazing 12 year old boy from Conroe, Texas, won the competition. In addition to national recognition at the NYSE, Fabian also won $2500 to jump start his portfolio.

On Monday, January 11, Fabian Fernadez-Han, Guests from By Kids for Kids Co. and K12 Inc. will visit the New York Stock Exchange.  In honor of the occasion, 12-year-old Fabian, inventor of the iPhone App “Oink-a-saurus” will ring The Closing Bell at 4:00 p.m.  A live webcast of The Opening Bell (beginning at 9:29 a.m.) and of The Closing Bell (beginning at 3:59 p.m.) will be available on the homepage of nyse.com.

Fabian is not your average 12-year-old.  In 2009, this brilliant homeschooler was one of only three U.S. Molecular Frontiers Inquiry Prize winners.  Not surprisingly, he is fascinated by science and math.  He plays chess, Frisbee golf and has a genuine gift for painting – his passion.  His cat Chubby-Chubb (the inspiration for his winning Molecular Frontiers Inquiry Prize entry) is an engaging playmate with whom he spends his downtime playing tag.  Hailing from a multi-cultural family that prizes books, education and travel, Fabian is hoping to make socially responsible investing into his professional career by becoming a social venture capitalist.  In fact, this year, he is going ahead with plans to launch his own social stock exchange to bring together teens with good ideas that benefit others, and venture capitalists who are passionate about empowering youth.  Fabian’s winning Oink-a-Saurus iPhone application, which teaches kids the value of saving and investing in engaging and innovative ways, is currently under development.

This winter Nature’s Peak® teamed up with “Daily Buzz” food correspondent and Relish Magazine executive chef Jon Ashton to bring you innovative and flavorful entertaining recipes all prepared with a secret time-saving ingredient – Nature’s Peak frozen fruit!

Be the hit of the party and treat your guests to these delectable dishes that are perfect for a holiday get-together, the big football game, or to serve any time:

• Prosciutto Wrapped Chicken Skewers with Cranberry Harvest Dipping Sauce: Spend less time in the kitchen and more time with friends and family when you prepare this no fuss, savory and sweet starter made with Nature’s Peak Cranberry Harvest Cranberries.
• Turkey Sliders with Mango Ketchup: score a touchdown with these mini burgers spiked with the fresh flavor of Nature’s Peak Sunburst Mango.
• Caribbean Pineapple Shrimp Skewers: Enjoy tropical fruit year round with delectable grilled shrimp skewers made with Nature’s Peak Aloha Gold^TM Pineapple.
• White Chocolate Scones with Citrus Country Strawberries: Wake up to these sweet and tangy breakfast scones, prepared with Nature’s Peak Country Strawberries.

Nature’s Peak is a line of premium frozen fruit that is individually quick frozen at the peak of ripeness – locking in the vibrant color, shape, and juicy taste – for enjoyment any time of the year. Nature’s Peak is available in eleven medley and individual fruit varieties, each conveniently packaged in a resealable pouch ideal for multiple uses without the worry of spoilage that can happen with fresh fruit.

For more information on Nature’s Peak and recipes for the dishes listed above, visit www.naturespeakfrozen.com.

Looking to save money in the New Year while still entertaining the family? Good news! Redbox is ringing in 2010 with loads of family titles sure to please everyone. Don’t break the bank this year scrounging for ways to entertain the kids – look to redbox for affordable DVD rentals the next time you’re at your local Walmart, Walgreens, McDonald’s, 7-Eleven or grocery store.

Included below is last week’s list of top family rentals at redbox. For more children’s films and to find the redbox kiosk nearest you, check out www.redbox.com.

TOP RENTALS – Kids and Family (12/28 to 1/3)

1. G-Force – Just as the G-Force — an elite team of highly trained guinea pigs — is about to save the world, the F.B.I. shuts the secret unit down. But these next-generation action heroes won’t be stopped. Armed with the latest in high-tech spy equipment, and with the F.B.I. on their tails, the fur flies as they race against the clock to save the world. PG
2. Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian – Ben Stiller leads an all-star cast as Larry Daley, a former night watchman at the Museum of Natural History, where the exhibits come to life after dark. But now Larry’s nocturnal friends are being retired to the archives of the Smithsonian Institution, luring him back for a hilarious, all-out battle against museum misfits who plan to take over the Smithsonian…and the world! PG
3. Up – Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an overeager 8-year-old Wilderness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong time — Carl’s front porch! PG
4. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince – As Lord Voldemort tightens his grip on both the Muggle and wizarding worlds, Hogwarts is no longer the safe haven. Harry suspects perils may even lie within the caslte, but Dumbledore is more intent upon preparing him for the final battle that he knows is fast approaching. PG
5. Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs – This time around, Manny and the herd discover a lost world of ferociously funny dinosaurs, including a cranky T-Rex who’s got a score to settle with Sid. Meanwhile, Scrat goes nuts over the beautiful Scratte, but is she trying to win his heart – or steal his acorn? PG
6. Santa Buddies – Disney’s irresistible talking puppies return in an all-new heartwarming holiday adventure! Take a fantastic journey with your beloved Buddies to the magical world of the North Pole! Join Budderball, B-Dawg, RoseBud, Buddha and MudBud in this classic Christmas tale that will have you believing in miracles.  G
7. Imagine That – What if your daughter’s imagination was the secret to your success? When a highly competitive money mogul finds his financial kingdom slipping, he turns to his 7-year-old daughter and her fantasy world of imaginary princesses for help. PG
8. Wizards of Waverly Place: The Movie – The most magical event of the year is now even bigger, with more thrilling adventure! WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE THE MOVIE EXTENDED EDITION features exclusive footage, behind-the-scenes bonus and awesome extras that take you deeper into the mysterious world of wizardry! Embark on a supernaturally exciting adventure as the Russos, your favorite family of wizards-in-training, join together on a quest full of heart-stopping action and hilarious magical mishaps! While on vacation, Alex (Selena Gomez) accidentally casts a spell that threatens her family’s existence! Max (Jake T. Austin) tries to keep his parents together while Alex and Justin (David Henrie) use every trick they know as they search for the “Stone of Dreams” to reverse the spell and save their family. You won’t want to miss one extraordinary moment of this extended, magic-filled and action-packed movie! NR
9. Monsters vs. Aliens – The world’s most unlikely heroes are on a mission to save the Earth in DreamWorks Animation’s MONSTERS VS. ALIENS! Ginormica, Dr. Cockroach Ph.D, The Missing Link, Insectosaurous and B.O.B. Join forces to fight back when aliens attack. PG
10. Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure – Journey with Tinker Bell beyond Pixie Hollow on an all-new exciting adventure. This year’s Autumn Revelry promises to be something special. A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree — the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right. G

Click here to find the redbox nearest you!

A new group of tools joins Playhouse Disney with the premiere of the animated short-form series, “Handy Manny School for Tools,” MONDAY, JANUARY 25 (8:25 a.m. ET/PT) on Disney Channel.  Inspired by the Emmy-nominated hit series “Handy Manny,” starring Wilmer Valderrama, the three-minute shorts feature Manny and his trusty tools alongside a set of 11 new tools: Beamer the laser level, Zip the power socket wrench, Pinzas the needle nose pliers, Sneeze the shop vac, Tick and Totts the socket wrenches, Roland the tool chest, Spinner the power drill and a family of crescent wrenches – dad Lefty, mom Lily and son Junior.

The stories are designed to provide young viewers insight into cooperation and the value of individual talent and contribution as Manny teaches his tools – Pat, Felipe, Dusty, Stretch, Squeeze, Rusty, Turner and Flicker – and their new tool friends how to complete simple jobs using their own unique skills.

The first eight new shorts will premiere throughout the week of January 25, and an additional 11 episodes will debut through the rest of the year.

Preschoolers will share more “great days” with The Fresh Beat Band as Nickelodeon greenlights a second season of the hit live-action, preschool music series.  The network has ordered 20 new half-hour episodes of the series that teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement, song and instrumental music.  In addition, the network will unveil four new episodes from season one in a special premiere week from Monday, Jan. 11 – Thursday, Jan 14.  The Fresh Beat Band’s first two singles, “Great Day” and “The Fresh Beat Band Theme Song,” will be available on iTunes later this month.

The “Great Day” music video is the number one video on NickJr.com and has been streamed over 17.4 million times since the series launch in July.  Overall, videos of The Fresh Beat Band have streamed on NickJr.com nearly 59.7 million times, making the series the number two video franchise, second to Dora the Explorer, on NickJr.com.

The Fresh Beat Band premiere week is as follows (all times are 12:00 p.m. ET/PT):

• Monday, Jan. 11 – “March Our Way” The Fresh Beats are leading the school parade, but they can’t seem to march in a straight line.  Instead, they march in different directions, crashing into each other.  So, they decide to lead the parade Fresh Beat style, transforming into a dancing, hip hopping marching band!
• Tuesday, Jan. 12 – “Glow for It” The Fresh Beats are performing at the moonlight block party, but as soon as their performance begins, all the lights go out, and the Fresh Beats need to figure out a way for the audience to see them.  Taking a cue from Marina’s glow-in-the-dark drumsticks, the band makes glow stick costumes and the party becomes a glow-in-the-dark extravaganza.
• Wednesday, Jan. 13 – “Rock to Sleep” Shout finds a bugle inside a box of his favorite cereal and he can’t stop playing it, even refusing to go to sleep at night.  The Fresh Beats try all sorts of things to get him to sleep – they rock him in a hammock, walk his bed around the neighborhood and even sing him a lullaby, but Shout is still wide awake and intent on playing the bugle.  Finally they decide to rock out, Fresh Beats style, and Shout is so exhausted from playing that he promptly falls asleep.
• Thursday, Jan. 14 – “Rhyme Time” Twist is rapping at the picnic, but when he can’t find a word that rhymes with music he loses his voice.  The others make up silly words that rhyme with music and Twist gets his voice back just in time for the picnic.

The Fresh Beat Band centers on four best friends – Kiki (Yvette Gonzalez-Nacer), Marina (Shayna Rose), Twist (Jon Beavers) and Shout (Thomas Hobson) – in a band who attend music school together and love to sing and dance.  Set to original pop songs, the half-hour series teaches preschoolers about music appreciation and how to express their feelings through movement, song and instrumental music. The Fresh Beat Band introduces kids to the fundamentals of music such as melody, rhythm, tempo and performance styles.  In each episode, preschoolers sing and dance along as they help The Fresh Beat Band solve everyday challenges and also learn the importance of friendship, working together in a positive way and respecting each other’s differences.

The Fresh Beat Band features original songs with preschool-friendly lyrics written by series creators/executive producers Nadine van der Velde and Scott Kraft, who have won three Emmys for their work on children’s television programs.  The music on the show is composed by Matter Music, an award-winning company that creates original compositions for film, television and commercials.

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association (COTA) began giving hope, and making a miracle, for the 1,400^th time.  One-year-old Parker Scaife of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, is the 1,400^th patient to begin work with COTA.  Baby Parker needs a kidney transplant to save his life.

Born on November 11, 2008, Parker was diagnosed with End Stage Renal Failure.  Parker spent the first 128 days of his life in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee.  He must undergo a 12-hour home dialysis treatment, called peritoneal dialysis, every day.

“Parker is a true miracle because the night he was born we were told he wasn’t going to make it,” said Lindsay Scaife, Parker’s mom.  “All hope was lost at that point.  When he was four-hours-old the doctors told us if we wanted to have him baptized, it would need to be done quickly.  We chose an outfit and went to his hospital room to spend our last moments with him.  Instead, Parker just kept beating the odds day-by-day.  Hope is what kept us going.”

Adding to this family’s hope?  Mom Lindsay is a perfect match for Parker and will be his kidney donor.  To receive his mother’s kidney, Parker must weigh in at the 10 kilo mark.  While he has met that milestone, the small size of his bladder has currently put the transplant on hold.  Parker’s bladder has never been filled, meaning that it is less than one quarter the size of a normal baby his age.  The family is waiting for an upcoming surgery that will place a tube in his bladder allowing for it to be filled with saline up to five times per day.  If all goes well, Parker’s living donor kidney transplant will be in late spring or early summer.

But hope comes with a price tag.  The Scaife family represents a majority of Americans — they have health insurance through their employers; however, their ability to financially support Parker’s medical needs will soon be exceeded.  They are concerned about insurance life-time maximums and paying deductibles, co-pays and other expenses, like the expensive medications Parker will require for his lifetime.

Earlier this fall, Dustin and Lindsay Scaife reached out to COTA for help with Parker’s transplant-related expenses; their team of volunteers has been working tirelessly ever since.

Lori Kletzien, Vice President of Milwaukee-based Building Service Inc., serves as Public Relations Coordinator for Parker’s COTA team of 20 community members.  According to Lori, “We have raised more than $15,500 to date and we haven’t had a fundraising event yet.  Having the ability to use COTA’s website and viral marketing tools has been amazing.  Parker’s COTA website (www.COTAforParkerS.com) is trustworthy and people feel very comfortable making online donations.  When we started working with COTA, they sent out a press release about Parker’s journey and within 30 minutes of the email being sent by COTA, we were contacted by a local television station that taped an interview and aired it that day,” Kletzien added.

“Giving Hope … Making Miracles is more than a slogan for the Children’s Organ Transplant Association — it is a guiding vision,” said Rick Lofgren, President of COTA.  “Parker’s story is like many that I hear nationwide … a child who needs a second chance at life, and a community that works toward ensuring never-ending hope becomes a miracle.”

“COTA was founded in 1986 when one child from Bloomington, Indiana, needed a liver transplant to survive,” said Lofgren.  “The community rallied and raised more than $100,000 in two months’ time.  Even though that little boy did not make it to transplant, their efforts were not in vain — especially when there is a possibility we can help give our 1,400^th patient, Parker Scaife, a second chance at life.”

According to Dustin Scaife, “COTA has helped us offer Parker a true second chance at life.  With us near our lifetime max on health insurance, it is so comforting to know we are able to focus on Parker and not on how we are going to pay for the bills.  Saying ‘Thank you, COTA’ doesn’t seem to be enough.”

The Children’s Organ Transplant Association is a national charity that provides fundraising assistance and family support for children needing life-saving transplants.  COTA’s priority is to assure that no child or young adult is denied a transplant or excluded from a transplant waiting list due to lack of funds.  100 percent of all funds raised in honor of patients are used for transplant-related expenses.  For more information about COTA, visit www.cota.org.

Comedian, TV personality and Atlanta mother of three Anita Renfroe – who gained national recognition after her popular standup routine featuring the ditty, “Momsense,” about “what a mom would say in a 24-hour period” and sung to the tune of the “William Tell Overture,” hit YouTube – is now starring in a new TV ad for kgb 542542, text answer service. The ad, also sung to the tune of the “William Tell Overture,” features Renfroe (sitting at a piano) and others singing a sampling of the many questions kgb can answer for busy moms. Kgb asked Renfroe to co-write the TV spot targeting moms. The national ad – entitled “Everything Women Want to Know” – highlights kgb as a “better way” for women to get quick, precise information, compared to having to comb through pages of search results.

kgb is a text message-based information service that will answer any question in minutes. Questions ranging from trivia, to the practical, to the philosophical can be sent via text message to kgbkgb (542542), the number for the kgb text service, where a specially trained kgb “special agent” is waiting to provide a quick, accurate answer at a cost of 99 cents per question. For more information, please visit www.kgb.com.

Silly Souls, maker of sassy and fun baby apparel and accessories, is set to host their first store front location in New York City’s Limelight Marketplace – a premier shopping destination in the heart of Manhattan’s Flatiron district, opening in March 2010.

Silly Souls by babygags inc. features captivating catchphrases on its apparel, silly enough to conjure a smile and make shopping for baby apparel and shoes fun for everyone.  The Silly Souls product line includes cotton layette gift sets for kids 0-6 years old, big brother and sister gifts, hats, bibs, bottles, dish sets, birth announcements, socks, an organic selection of bibs and bodysuits, and funny fabulous baby shoes.

“At Silly Souls, we believe the little things in life, like a silly joke on the cutest gift, can bring out a smile and youthful side to any soul,” said Shelley Foster, founder of Silly Souls.  “The Limelight Marketplace is a hip, new and modern endeavor, which is a great reflection of our company. We look forward to expanding Silly Souls in such a unique and fun atmosphere.”

Silly Souls will be among 60 retailers opening brick-and-mortar locations at Limelight Marketplace, the brainchild of fashion retailer Jack Menashe, who is transforming an historic 163-year-old venue into a three-story “festival of shops,” with elaborate facades and varied designs that invoke the feeling of a stroll down a marvelous European street. Limelight Marketplace welcomes innovative retailers and entrepreneurs, providing a unique “turn-key” solution for start-ups and established brands looking for a presence in the New York City retail market.

“We are thrilled to welcome Silly Souls to our growing list of retailers, and are so pleased that our business plan has allowed them to open their first brick and mortar store.” said President Jack Menashe. “With the inclusion of Silly Souls, New York City parents will soon discover an amazing resource for the whole family at Limelight Marketplace.”

New York Times bestselling author Missy Chase Lapine who inspired legions of parents to “sneak” good food into their children’s meals with The Sneaky Chef series, has now extended her concept of “sneakiness” beyond the kitchen. The Sneaky Chef® has teamed up with fitness expert Larysa DiDio to provide parents with “Sneaky Strategies” for fitting in more exercise and calorie-burning activities into their child’s daily routine with SNEAKY FITNESS^TM: Fun Foolproof Ways to Slip Fitness into Your Child’s Everyday Life (Running Press; January 2010; $19.95).

For kids of all ages, “play” happens in the den and not in the backyard. So, other then asking your kids to drop and give you 20, what can parents do to get their children off the couch?  With over 100 age-appropriate activities, tips and 50 all-new Sneaky Chef® recipes for fueling newly-active kids packed into the pages of SNEAKY FITNESS – parents are guaranteed to keep their kids moving every day!

Missy and Larysa’s  “sneaky” tips include:

• Harness kids’ “fidget factor” – We want them to fidget! Plant items in TV room like a hippety hop, mini trampoline or hula hoop–they’ll naturally jump, bounce and move while watching (studies show fidgeting can burn up to 350 more calories per day than being stationary).
• Leave a stopwatch around and time them doing all their normal activities guaranteeing that they’ll move a lot faster than normal and burn way more calories!
• Make it a rule that your tween must be up and moving while they’retalking on the phone-allowing them to burn 3x calories than sitting.

SNEAKY FITNESS also allows parents to make exercise fun with games and activities such as:

• “Dig to China”: Burn 68 calories in 30 minutes by digging and filling a pail with dirt, snow or sand-this activity more than triples the amount of calories kids burn oppose to sitting in front of a TV or computer.
• “Set Up Shop”: Perfect for rainy days, this activity will have kids burning 48 calories in 30 minutes by creating their own grocery store using the cans and boxes in your pantry. They can bag the groceries and help carry them to the “car”. After they’re finished they return the items back to the pantry.

Just like slipping spinach into brownies, SNEAKY FITNESS shows that small changes add up to big benefits. SNEAKY FITNESS isn’t a gym class or another afterschool activity to schedule. Instead, it’s a way to weave a cardio workout, strength training, and flexibility into your kids’ everyday routines without them even realizing it.

With SNEAKY FITNESS, kids of all ages and all personalities will discover how good it feels to get their blood pumping and muscles moving. They’ll appreciate the confidence that comes from being strong and capable and will eventually not just embrace exercise as a vital part of their everyday lives, but actually begin to crave it as well.

Let’s say you have a cold and your primary symptom is chest congestion. You’re not running a fever, but you also take medication for high blood pressure and glaucoma. What cold medication should you take? According to pharmacists and physicians, there are too many choices at the drugstore for consumers to make a truly informed purchase and, as a result, Americans typically take far more ingredients than they need. Worse yet, there can be serious consequences.

A new product is designed to help change that. It’s called SymptomPak™ and it’s like a first aid kit for your cold. In an easy-to-store, small box it contains five of the individual ingredients pharmacists agree are most often needed for colds, cough, fever, and flu. The individual ingredients come in separate bottles, rather than in one multi-symptom pill or liquid. This means you can treat only the symptoms you have, instead of taking doses of medication for symptoms you don’t have. According to Dr. Pray, “This concept allows consumers to be more mature in choosing self-care, since they can now tailor the therapy to specific symptoms. Since each bottle carries its own set of uses, warnings, and instructions, the consumer using this system gradually becomes more educated about therapy of minor health conditions.”

While many consumers wait until a cold or flu strikes, many opt to be prepared and stock up on multiple products before any symptom emerges. This can also be problematic. “Health care providers are always wary of multiple combination medicines, as it is extremely easy to inadvertently overdose on what is thought of as benign or harmless medicines,” said Bruce C. Arné, DDS, MS, Disaster Medical Specialist and Maxillofacial Surgeon, Wilmington, NC. “For those individuals who take multiple medications on a daily basis, the seriousness of accidentally overdosing can have dire consequences. A kit that offers individual ingredients addresses these issues in that the patient can mix and adjust the dosage of the medications to treat the symptoms that they are having.”

What’s the best way to medicate a cold or flu? Ask your physician or pharmacist to guide you. Spend time in the drugstore aisle and if you take prescription drugs, always ask a pharmacist about possible conflicts. This is the time to be the best advocate you can be for yourself and your family.

That’s it for this week, happy Friday and check back next week for more ‘Deals & Steals’!