Coffee-Banana Tofu Shake
Ingredients
1 1/4 cups low-fat milk
1/2 cup silken tofu, (if using a shelf-stable box, choose soft), drained
1 ripe banana
1-2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder, preferably espresso
2 ice cubes
Ground cinnamon, (optional)
Preparation
Combine milk, tofu, banana, 1 tablespoon sugar, coffee powder and ice cubes in a blender. Blend until very frothy. Taste and add more sugar, if needed. Pour into glasses and sprinkle with cinnamon, if desired. Serve immediately.
Middle School: Tips for Helping Your Child Adjust
Middle school can be a trying time. This is that age when children start to change from little kids to adults, and they have something of a battle going on inside them. Peers start to mean more, and parents may feel they are losing their influence. But there are some things you can do to help make it easier. Here are some tips for helping your child adjust to middle school.
Talk to Your Child
Have you tried asking your child some questions about his or her concerns about starting middle school? Try having a conversation where you don’t judge or show big reactions, and see if you can discern some of the things she’s concerned about. Try to phrase things positively, putting yourself in the position of helper not critic.
Remember Where Your Child’s Mind Is
You may be thinking only of academic performance and how this new stage will affect it, but did you stop to think about what your child is thinking about most? Do you remember what you were thinking about the most when you were in middle school?
Most kids this age are thinking about their friends, their looks, and boys/girls (whatever the opposite sex is). In other words, they are really much more focused on the social scene and what others think about them than they are about grades. This doesn’t mean you should let grades slide; it just helps you understand why their mindset seems to be changing. It is!
Tour the School
Just like for younger kids getting ready to start Kindergarten, your middle school student will be attending a new place with new teachers and classrooms. He will have lots of teachers – a different one for each subject – rather than one teacher all day.
So take your child for a tour of the school before the first day to help him get oriented. It can be overwhelming to change classes for the first time, trying to find the right classroom, the cafeteria, and so forth. You can help take some of the edge off by touring the school first.
Don’t Change Everything
This is a time of big upheaval for your child. Try to keep some of those comforting family routines and rituals in place as the middle school years roll around. Your child may not act like she values these traditions, but they can really help keep her secure and grounded in the middle of all the change.
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Making the Grade: Back to School Shopping with Your Grade School Child
It’s that time of year! Your child needs school supplies and clothes. Where do you start? How do you pay for it all? Here are some tips for making the grade with your grade school kid this year.
Dressed for Success
Your grade school child may not have the picky tastes of a teenager, but he or she is going to need some new clothes this year. Go through last year’s clothing and find out what fits and what doesn’t. This includes shoes, socks, and underwear, too. Grade school kids can grow really fast! Here are some more ideas for clothes shopping with your grade school child.
* Plan your shopping trip for a day when you don’t have to rush, and when you don’t have anything planned the night before. Being rested and ready helps everyone’s mood, and so does being able to take your time.
* Call the school where your child will be attending and make sure there aren’t any changes to the dress code. If your child will be attending this school for the first time, then find out what the dress code is.
* Keeping it simple helps a lot. Depending on his (or her) age, he will be better able to dress himself as the year goes on. Having easy-to-fasten clothes can help a lot to facilitate this process. Tough buttons (or lots of buttons), lacings, belts, and small head-holes can make dressing a frustrating experience. Go for clothes with large head-holes, zippers, and easy (and few) buttons.
School Supplies
Moving on to school supplies – like the clothes, it’s a good idea to check with your school and teacher to find out what specifics might be required. Some teachers specify brands, colors, and so forth. Here are some other tips for shopping for school supplies with your grade school child.
* Go generic on writing items like pens and pencils. Getting fancy, unique writing implements only leads to competition in the classroom and the possibility that your child’s fancy pens will get stolen. Unless the teacher requires otherwise, go with standard #2 pencils.
Markers should be water-based, and crayons are usually needed in packs of 16. Consider a box to store and carry these small, easily-lost items.
* Erasers are always needed in grade school. A large, pink eraser like you had in school is a good purchase. Some erasers that fit on the ends of pencils are inexpensive additions, too.
* Your child’s school may not supply paper like they did in the old days. Find out from your teacher/school if you need to supply ruled (lined) paper, which will differ from teacher to teacher and grade to grade.
* Notebooks come in many forms. Your grade school child will probably need some spiral-bound ones as well as some binders. Think slim and trim so the notebooks fit in your child’s desk, no matter what type is required.
You also might want to purchase some dividers or pocket folders to help your child stay organized.
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How Parents Can Help with the Emotional Challenges of Transitioning
Life is full of transitions – from preschool to kindergarten, middle school to high school, and many times they can be very challenging. Parents can help with the emotional challenges of transitioning, but sometimes it’s hard to know how to help. Here are some tips on how you can help your kids make those important transitions.
Preschool to Kindergarten
Here may be one of the first big transitions in your child’s life. The emotional challenges of this age involve separation anxiety and social readiness (or unreadiness). Here are some tips.
* Tour the school with your child over the summer before he or she begins kindergarten. Familiarizing her with the teacher, classrooms, playground, and overall layout of the school will help a lot.
* Understand her feelings, say experts. Parents may get impatient with separation anxiety and tears, but if you’re going to support your child, it’s a good idea to understand where she’s coming from. Talk about how she feels, and help her put words to the feelings (that can be hard at this age). This helps her identify the feelings which may make them less scary.
Grade School to Middle School
This can be a big one. It’s an emotional age at this point, so parents would do well to prepare themselves. Some of these tips may help.
* Understanding feelings is important at this age, too, but it’s not the same as going from preschool to grade school. Obviously, your child doesn’t need words to identify what he’s feeling. As a parent, you can help by recognizing the priority shift your child will have. His emotions are more focused on peers and the opposite sex than they were in grade school.
* Asking questions without judgment can help parents connect emotionally with their kids during transitional challenges. Try to find out what your child’s concerns, fears, and apprehensions are, as well as the things he is looking forward to and is excited about.
Middle School to High School
Kids start feeling independent and “grown up” about this time. Here are some tips on dealing with this transition.
* Help them solve their own problems. At this point, calling the school for every complaint may not help your child. The transition may be smoother if you can offer some problem solving skills and strategies to help your child help herself. This is an opportunity to help your child come up with a plan to help solve the issues at hand.
* Go to orientation if it’s offered. If it’s not, tour the school. Find teachers and advisors who can talk to your student about her fears and concerns, which will help alleviate some of those concerns. Many times, kids fear high school for reasons that really aren’t realistic.
High School to College
Sending your child off to college is a big step! How can parents help their increasingly-independent child with this transition? Here are some tips.
* Validate your child’s feelings about this big change. It may be tempting to blow off their problems – they don’t have “real problems” grown-ups may think – but remember your college-aged kids don’t have the life experience and frame of reference that you do. Being patient with their concerns can help make their transition smoother. Let them vent!
* Keep in touch with care packages and special gifts at key times (like final exams or his birthday). This helps support them more than you may know!
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Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream
Ingredients
2/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 2/3 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
In large bowl, stir together sugar and cocoa. Add egg yolks and blend with electric mixer. Add cream a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Chill mixture in refrigerator.
While cream mixture is chilling, grate chocolate chips in blender or food processor or using a rotary grater, until fine. Stir into cream mixture. Freeze in canister of ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Creative Clothes Shopping for Back to School
It’s that time of year again – the kids are going to be heading back to school, and they need new outfits. Many times, it’s because they’ve outgrown last year’s clothes. Other reasons include changing fashion trends and tastes. Regardless of the reasons, your kids are going to need new clothes before heading back to school. Are there any other options besides the traditional retail shops? Is there a way to go about this creatively?
The answer is yes. Here are some creative options for back-to-school clothes shopping.
Take Stock
Do your kids come to you complaining that they have “nothing to wear”? It’s pretty doubtful that they really have nothing; it just seems like nothing. Take some time to assess your kids’ wardrobes and really discern what they have. Chances are, you’re going to find some decent clothes that fit that can be worn again. They might even be clothes that have been so long forgotten that they will seem new again!
Break out the Needle and Thread
If you can sew, now is the time to get your sewing machine out. (And if you can’t sew, maybe now is a good time to learn!) You can recycle old clothes artfully with some well-places stitches. For example, let hems out or cut and hem worn-out pants to make shorts. If you can do some needlework, you can get creative and cover stains and small holes on clothes that otherwise fit fine.
Give Old Outfits a New Look
While you are going through the bureaus and closets of your kids, try to mix and match and put together new outfits. You can create a whole new look by mixing and matching, especially if your child has items in similar or neutral colors.
Shop for Used Clothes
Watch for consignment sales in your area, and since it’s the end of summer, keep an eye out for yard sales. It’s amazing what you can find at these second-hand options, sometimes even name-brand clothes that kids really like. While you’re shopping creatively for used clothes, don’t forget the internet. Yard sales are moving online these days, so take advantage of the local and larger groups selling used items online.
Watch for Sales
Of course, watching for sales keeps your clothing bill lower; but if you watch for sales creatively, you can combine these events with some of the above options to create a whole new wardrobe for the school year.
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Creating a Work Wardrobe Foundation
If you’re getting ready to work in an office where you need a particular work wardrobe, then one of the best ways to start is to create a work wardrobe foundation. This means you’ll get basic pieces you can mix and match, and then add to them over the coming weeks and months. As you start making more money in that office job, you can break away from your foundation and buy whole new outfits! But for now, you’re just starting out. Here are some tips on creating that wardrobe foundation.
Keep It Simple
Whether you are a man or a woman, keeping it simple as you begin your foundational wardrobe collection is a good mindset.
Here are two simple keys to an effective wardrobe:
* Neutral, solid colors
* -A good fit
Neutral colors are important in the beginning. You won’t have to worry about clashing colors and patterns if you stick with shades of gray, brown, tan, black, and white. Many include navy in the neutral category too.
For men, a white button-down shirt, gray cardigan, black blazer, and tan pants are a great start. Women can also benefit from a basic white button-down shirt, and a classic pants suit in black or navy. Add a gray knee-length skirt, black cardigan, navy blazer, and tan slacks and you’re well on your way to looking great in the office.
You’ll want another top to go under those basics. Men can go for a light blue button-down (you can pair it with a navy blazer and tan pants). Women might prefer something a little beyond the button-down, but make sure it’s still something basic and neutral, like a solid knit top.
A proper fit is essential to both genders. You can’t look good in anything if it doesn’t fit right, and you can get away with some less-than-conventional clothing options if they fit well.
Shoes
Creating a work wardrobe foundation includes shoes. Again, think simple, solid, and neutral. Also think all seasons – hold off on boots and sandals just yet. Men might go for a pair of black, navy, and brown loafers and/or dress shoes. For women, the basic pump or flat (or a mix of both) is great for the office – solid black, navy, and brown.
Accessories
To give your basics a new look as you mix and match, jazz them up with unique accessories. Necklaces, bracelets, earrings, hair clips, and pins are fabulous ways to give an outfit a whole new look. Think of a neutral business suit with colorful earrings and matching necklace, or a jazzy pin and matching belt.
Tweet: Looking for great advice on putting together your basic work wardrobe? We’ve got some fantastic tips in this article. LINK
Budget-Friendly Work Wardrobe Must-Haves
So you landed that new job – great! Now that you have to give back the suit you borrowed for the interview, you’ll need some work clothes. Or maybe what you wore to the interview is all you have. Regardless, no one wants to spend their first three paychecks before they even receive them just to look good in the office! So how can you put together a budget-friendly wardrobe?
Here are some tips on decking yourself out without breaking the bank. The key is to go with affordable essentials that can be mixed and matched. Here are some suggestions on how you can get budget-friendly work wardrobe must-haves!
Look at What You Have Already
Go through your current wardrobe and pick out some basics that you can use. Simple shirts and knit tops (especially solid color), dress pants and nice shoes are probably hanging around in your closet, but maybe they don’t go together. As you shop for the basic must-haves, keep these pieces you already own in mind.
Basic Pieces
You really don’t have to spend a lot to get a few basic pieces. Think neutrals for pants, skirts, and blazers/jackets. Don’t shun the suit just because you are on a budget – you may find it’s actually less money to buy a suit in a neutral color and then take it apart to mix and match. Remember those clothes already waiting for you in your closet? Think of how they will look with the suit skirt, pants, or jacket.
Generally, you can expect the following must-haves:
* For men, 3 jackets, 3 pants, 4 button-down shirts, 3 ties, and 2 pairs of shoes.
* For women, 3 jackets, 3 pants or skirts, 5 tops such as button-down or solid knit, 1 or 2 twinsets that you can mix and match, 4 pairs of trouser socks and/or pantyhose, and 2 pairs of shoes (yes, ladies can get by with 2 pairs of shoes, too).
If you can, buy 2 suits that you can mix and match, and you are well on your way to being finished with your work wardrobe shopping.
Accessories
If you’re on a budget, accessories are an area where you can easily cut back. You don’t need different bracelets, necklaces, earrings, shoes, and handbags for every outfit, for instance. Think basic and neutral, as you did with the basic pieces above.
A black, tan, or navy handbag will easily interchange between outfits, as will neutral shoes. Bracelets and earrings do not really have to be worn, but if you want to accessorize, buy an inexpensive set in silver and one in gold. Or go with a set in neutral colors made of ceramic, glass, or wood. These tend to be less expensive than precious metals.
Chocolate Covered Banana Smoothie
Ingredients
1 banana
1/2 cup silken tofu
1/2 cup soymilk
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon honey
Preparation
Slice banana and freeze until firm. Blend tofu, soymilk, cocoa and honey in a blender until smooth. With the motor running, add the banana slices through the hole in the lid and continue to puree until smooth.
Beyond Basic Black
Corporate black – for many of us, the workplace dress code always meant black, black, and more black. Today, though, it doesn’t have to be that way. More and more workplaces are embracing color. Here are some ways to add color to your work wardrobe.
Solid Tops
Colorful knit tops or a jewel-tone silk blouse can add a splash of color to a blazer or suit. It’s considered a good idea to go with solid colors here; jazzy patterns may not work too well.
Say It with Shoes
There are so many options for colorful shoes these days, and when you’re talking color, the cheap ones are not necessarily more or less colorful than the expensive ones. Go for a pair of colorful pumps or jazzy flats, or even dress sandals (wear colorful toenail polish!). Unlike boots, pumps, flats, and sandals can be colorful without being distracting.
Necklaces and Jewelry
Put some sparkling color around your neck with necklaces. There are so many possibilities here, from polished glass beads to rhinestones on colorful cords. Stay away from tacky or heavy necklaces, but choosing something with a nice pop of color can dress up even a drab outfit.
Bracelets and earrings can be worn for the same reasons, adding a splash of color to business attire.
Handbags
Handbags are where you can bring a bit of whimsy and jazz into the workplace without catching a lot of flak. Patterns and colors can spice up a plain suit and show a bit of your personality. If you like, start small – carry a little handbag with pretty colors. Then, depending on your workplace atmosphere, maybe you can work up to a large, patterned handbag.
Scarves
Scarves were a workplace stand-by not too long ago, but you can bring them back in all kinds of ways. Folded scarves can work as a headband for your hair, or you can find various ways to tie them around your neck. You can also use them as a creative alternative to a belt. Solid colors might be a good place to start, or subtle patterns that match your work outfit.
Belts
Tucked-in shirts and elaborate belt buckles were popular in the 80s, but you can still dress up an outfit with a solid band of color around your waist. Belts can add color to pants or skirt outfits, and you can add a matching handbag for color coordination.
Colored Suits
If you want to really go for it, wear a solid-colored suit. To create the least controversy (if you have that kind of workplace), choose one where the style is fairly conservative and traditional, just colorful.
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Top Tips for Back-to-School Shopping with a Picky Teen
You know how it is – you need to do the back-to-school shopping, but your teen is so picky you don’t know how you’ll get through it. Teens certainly can be picky; peer expectations and their own personal tastes can combine to make them hard to please. Here are some tips for back-to-school shopping with your picky teen.
Let Them Shop
This doesn’t mean you should give your teen you credit card and drop him or her off at the mall for a few hours! Actually, there is a method to letting your picky teen do his or her own back-to-school shopping, and it can be a positive learning process. Here’s how it works.
Go Through Their Things
With your teen, go through her clothes and determine what she really needs. Get rid of only those clothes that can’t be repaired or are stained permanently, then work on mixing and matching what’s left. Then determine what clothes she needs and make a specific list.
Budget
Once you both understand what’s necessary, you can make a budget for those items. Determine what you are willing to pay for each piece of clothing, total it up, and then give your teen the money. Once it’s spent, no more – be firm on this one! You may want to accompany her on this shopping trip to help point out bargains and such, but the point is, she is in charge of planning her purchases and spending the money.
Good Lessons
While you’re doing all this, think of the good life lessons you’ll be teaching your teen. Your teen will learn how to budget his money, and will get a no-frills introduction into the world of financial planning. Remember, once the money is gone, he is not getting any more, so he will have to plan out how he is going to divide up the money to get all the items he wants. Your teen may also be motivated to shop for things on sale or things at second-hand shops once he realizes how much the things he wants actually cost.
Consider letting your teen keep any money that’s left, too. Having a little extra spending money can be a great motivator to find bargains!
Go for Re-Sale
Even picky teens can usually find something at a consignment shop or second-hand store. Name brands are not necessarily hard to come by at these places, and if your teen has a flare for individuality, she might be able to put together a stunning outfit with second-hand clothes and accessories.
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Ramp Up Your Walking Program with Power Walking
Your walking routine might need a bit of a boost. Consider power walking – it’s a great way to ramp up your walking routine. Here are some tips for getting your walking routine going with power walking.
Power Walking Form
To get the most out of your power walk, you’ll need to follow the correct form. If you feel self-conscious, either get over it or move to a private area! When you power walk, sources say you need to keep your arms swinging and your chin up, and get your toes pointing up with each forward step (some refer to this as keeping your heels up. Either way, the point is to get your legs and feet moving in a heel-ball-toe formation).
Big Steps
One of the keys to power walking is to take lunging steps. When you power walk, you are moving fast but not necessarily taking long strides (in fact, sources say you should aim for quick, small steps as you power walk), but you can intersperse this with extra-long strides or lunges as you go. The lunges give your legs an extra workout and work the muscles a bit differently than the shorter strides.
Tighten Those Muscles
As you boost your walking program and get into power walking, you can amp it up even more by squeezing key muscle groups as you walk. Your rear and tummy are two places where contracting those muscles while you walk can help squeeze the most out of your workout.
Weights
Some fitness experts advocate the use of wrist and ankle weights to add even more challenge to your power walk. You can purchase such weights at most fitness shops or even some major retailers that have a sports section in the store. You strap these weight onto your wrists and ankles, which helps increase muscle exertion and ultimately muscle tone. Some sources also say that the weights increase the number of calories burned per workout.
Think Speed
One way to help you in your power walking efforts is to walk as if you are in a great hurry. Think in terms of hustle, hustle rather than a pleasurable stroll. Listening to upbeat, active music while you walk can help. Sources say you should aim for 4 1/2 miles per hour, but this is not a speed that most people can achieve automatically. So make this a goal and start out walking as fast as you can (with the proper form), and work up to the 4 1/2 mph goal.
Toasted Santa Fe Turkey Sandwich
What You Need
2 slices
How to Create a Treadmill Walking Program to Lose Weight
Walking is one of the best ways to get in shape and lose weight. But some people don’t have access to a track or other area where they can walk. A treadmill walking program may be just the thing. Here are some ideas and suggestions on how to create a treadmill walking program to lose weight.
1. Set a Goal
You may have already done this, but setting a weight-loss goal is important to your success. Begin with small, doable goals, sources say, even if your ultimate goal is significant. It’s also a good idea to set time goals. Decide how much time you will spend walking each day and work it into your schedule. Experts recommend working up to 1 hour of walking each session.
2. Get the Right Treadmill
A treadmill with various settings is a good choice according to sources. You can vary the difficulty level by setting the treadmill to different grades. Uphill obviously provides a more intense workout, and level is a good way to cool down or start out. You will also want to vary your speed, beginning with a moderate walking pace that is comfortable and working up to a hard and fast walk uphill.
3. Set Your Pace
Interestingly (and surprisingly for some), professionals actually don’t recommend daily, vigorous exercise that challenges your endurance. This type of regimen has been shown to increase injury risk. Instead, alternate the intense workouts with moderate ones.
4. Dodging the Plateaus
As many people who have tried to lose weight know, weight-loss plateaus are a frustrating problem. To help avoid them, continue alternating the intense and the moderate workouts, but go ahead and up the intensity for a bit each week. Then make some changes by varying the intensity of your workouts and their length.
5. Stretch
While it’s not directly related to weight loss, if you don’t stretch, you will probably find walking more uncomfortable. You may even sustain injury, setting back your weight-loss progress. Therefore, warming up and stretching before you do your treadmill workout can go a long way toward promoting your weight-loss program.
6. Faster for Longer
The key to losing weight is burning calories, and experts point out that walking faster for longer is more effective at burning calories. As you increase the intensity of your workouts, remember that you’re working toward a sustained, fast pace that may really burn off those pounds.