Why Milk?

Every summer I am amazed at just how much milk these people drink. I am not exaggerating when I tell you that I buy - at a minimum - six gallons of milk a week. It's unreal. They drink milk -- lots of milk -- with every meal. You can include me in that as well. I love, love, love milk. Nothing like it. And it doesn't hurt that milk helps you maintain a healthy weight, stave off hunger between meals, is great at hydrating, and of course makes your bones strong.

I watched my grandmother and four of my great-grandparents suffer the effects of osteoporosis. I know how easy it is to prevent that. And with the amount of milk these kids drink, I am fairly confident that we have a fighting chance at avoiding that particular malady! I know that I am blessed in this regard because I have many friends whose kids refuse to drink milk & have trouble working enough calcium & vitamin D into their diets.

The Milk Council has a new site called Why Milk? that offers facts, articles, recipes & suggestions for working milk into your diet. We tried this Strawberry-Banana Smoothie and loved it! And more importantly, SugarPlum's milk-hating buddy liked it as well. Her mother was thrilled! And while I haven't tried it yet, this recipe for Mom's Mocha Indulgence Smoothie looks like a little bit of heaven!

The Why Milk? site has an abundance of information including studies about the benefits of milk; tools such as a Beverage Analyzer to show the impact your beverage choices have on your health, Calorie Calculator, and workout recovery tips; contests and sweepstakes; and of course, you can look at all those celebrity "Got Milk?" shots (although, Dana Torres gives me a complex. No woman should be THAT buff at my age!).

But really, the recipes are my favorite part. They have suggestions for every meal as well as snacks. And, most importantly for me, they are easy, sensible recipes with ingredients (MILK?!) that I normally have and that don't take all day to prepare!

So, go visit the Why Milk? site. Your bones will thank you!

FREE STUFF!!! (any questions?)

Celebrate summer with the Mom Central Summer Giveaway Bonanza! Each week, Mom Central will post new giveaways just for Moms and their families on MomCentral.com. They'll have tons of great prizes throughout the summer for you and all members of your family. Some of the giveaways include:

• Hoover Cyclonic Bagless Upright Vacuum: This new vacuum from Hoover removes more dirt than other cyclonic bagless vacuums due to its patented wind tunnel technology and embedded dirt finder. With power controls on the handle, it reduces bending to get to those hard-to-reach places and easily moves from hard floor to carpet.

• Crayola Play Sand: Transform an ordinary sandbox with a splash of color or design colorful art projects with a 20 lb. bag of Crayola Play Sand. The sand doesn't stain hands and features an easy-to-carry handle to make transporting easy on Moms.

• Jeep Tandem Stroller: Built to accommodate your growing family, the Tandem Traveler Stroller features sun canopies, reclining seat backs, car-seat adaptors, and cup holders that will leave you feeling like the coolest mommy on the block.

• Razor Jr. Electric Wagon: Put a modern spin on the classic wagon with the Razor Jr. Electric Wagon. Traveling safely at 2-3 miles per hour, parents have assistance while cruising the block.

This is only a sample of the great stuff they are giving away all summer. Head over there now & sign up. You KNOW you love free stuff! (You can thank me later!)

So wrong it's right....

I just read the following exchange on my Facebook & about wet my pants. These are people I have known since elementary school. Ryan now hosts a radio sports show & has two young kids....


Ryan:
oddly enough, they don't sell Backyardigans CD's at Local Liquor. Who knew???

Karen at 1:30pm July 11
Try Pinkies.

Ryan at 1:37pm July 11
Good point. They might even have Imagination Movers.

Matt at 1:39pm July 11
they should have Handy Manny. That guy knows how to tilt a Silver Bullet

Karen at 1:41pm July 11
I thought Manny was probably a bud light man.

Matt at 1:42pm July 11
no, before bidness picked up he was a Natty lite guy.

Ryan at 1:43pm July 11
Wonder if Kelly is mixing up drinks at that hardware store all day long...

Matt at 1:44pm July 11
The "tool" are Double X.

Karen at 1:45pm July 11
I feel like I've stooped to a new low. But I am laughing at this.

Matt at 1:45pm July 11
It's Saturday. She is usually dancing 3 shows at Jaguars.

Ryan at 1:48pm July 11
I'm pretty sure I just heard her ad on SportsRadio 1234!

Matt at 1:49pm July 11
We won't talk about Mr. Lopart's whiskey induced trip to the playground to see the kids.

Karen at 1:50pm July 11
Or what Ms Portillo sells out the back door of her kitchen.

Matt at 1:50pm July 11
nothing goes with sports radio like strip clubs and booze.

Carl at 1:52pm July 11
Kelly, always has what Manny "needs".

Matt at 1:52pm July 11
i hope the 5 & Under crowd still don't read Ryan's updates.

There was a fiasco with the Mayor and 2 of her younger interns.

Matt at 1:57pm July 11
Remember the very special episode where Manny cleaned Kelly's plumbing with help from Pat and Philipe.

Matt at 1:58pm July 11
OK- Shame on me....

Carl at 2:00pm July 11
Anyone remember the "Honey-Do" Man, that worked here in town? The side of his van said, "Let me snake your drain." Forgive me if I crossed the line with that one.

Tessa at 2:18pm July 11
That was WRONG, WRONG, WRONG!! You all should be ashamed of yourselves!!! Go release a balloon and repent!!

Matt at 2:22pm July 11
but you laughed.