Dieting is big business! Watch only a few moments of late night television and you’ll be overwhelmed with ads for fat burning creams, diet pills and the latest craze in exercise gimmickry. Don’t be fooled! You can successfully slim down this summer without spending money on needless items with our 5 savings tips for weight loss!

1. Skip the gym, hit the pavement!

Gym memberships are expensive and they can be almost impossible to cancel without having to pay a large early cancellation fee. Skip the gym, throw open the front door and get outside! During the warmth of summer, your exercise activities are nearly endless. You can walk, run, bike, play badminton, throw a Frisbee around, swim, play croquet, garden, mow the lawn, or take a hike. All of these activities are free! Playing tag with your kids in the backyard burns up to 200 calories an hour. The only thing you have to lose is a little of you. Get moving!

If you feel you must join a gym, watch for free membership trial periods offered by local gyms and specials on memberships. Also, check out your local YMCA and YWCA. You can also pop in some exercise videos as an alternative.

2. Join an online fitness support group!

Research has shown than some people are more inclined to lose weight using the buddy system. Online fitness support groups will help you log daily food intake, make exercise goals and connect with other people who are also trying to shed pounds. Check out these free online support groups Spark People, Daily Burn, and My Fitness Pal.

3. Buy used fitness equipment!

Exercise machines don’t have to be expensive. Shop Goodwill, yard sales, Craigslist and Freecycle for used weight benches and free weights, bicycles, trampolines, stair climbers, and more. Even better, swap equipment with friends and family members! Do you have an old bike that someone in your family has outgrown? Trade it for an exercise bike!

4. Buy in season!

Buy vegetables and other produce items only when in season. Produce will be cheaper, fresher and more nutrient rich. Visit your local Farmer’s Market for weekly sales, join a food co-op or meet a local farmer who will deliver items right to your door. When you must buy out of season, always purchase frozen fruits and vegetables instead of canned goods. Frozen vegetables retain their nutrients, have no added salt or preservatives and can be kept for long periods of time in the freezer without spoiling.

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According to research, more than 2 million American women have been treated for breast cancer. After treatment, have you ever thought about what you should wear after surgery?

Wear Ease® designs and manufactures post-mastectomy lingerie for women to wear after breast or chest surgery.

The Dawn Camisole is a feminine cotton camisole worn home from the hospital after a lumpectomy or mastectomy. The Dawn camisole undergarment offers unique elastic support for the healthy breast and two drainage pouches (front and back). Made of high grade cotton, breathable for all types of climates, with spandex, makes it easy to step into and easy to pull down for dressing changes and doctor exams.

The Dawn Camisole is lightweight, comfortable, soft and pretty and can be worn layered under clothes. Its feminine features include satin lingerie elastic at the neckline and armholes and a bit of lace in the v-front. Two triangular shaped fiber-fill leisure forms provide a natural shape without the weight of a silicone prosthesis or the restraint of a bra.

*Sizes range from extra small to 2X

I have noticed lately that my 2 year old loves to ask for bananas or grapes as a snack, but she also has a habit of asking for cookies or chips (especially in the grocery store when we are going down the snack aisle). Here are some great suggestions for healthier foods for your child. It includes some classic favorites and fun alternatives:

• Create fresh fruit kabobs on skewers.
• Roll a banana in orange juice and coconut. Freeze and enjoy.
• Wrap sliced turkey or ham around pineapple chunks. Spear with toothpicks.
• Layer fruit on a flat serving dish in colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue & purple.
• Use veggies on a plate to make a face: cucumber eyes, carrot stick eyebrows, cherry tomato nose…anything you can come up with. A slice of cheese can act as the backdrop for the veggies.
• Treat your kids to frozen 100% fruit juice bars or sugar-free fudge pops.
• Make mini ice cream cones with frozen yogurt.

Make sure you are choosing proper portions for your family too! Below is what your healthy servings should resemble:

A 4 ox of beef/pork = size of deck of cards.
1 cup of pasta/cereal = size of baseball
1 medium baked potato = size of computer mouse
2-3 oz of luncheon meat or cheese slice (for sandwiches) = size of compact disc
2 tablespoons of peanut butter = size of table tennis ball

Interested in additional help for your family’s nutrition? Here are some great reads that will send you on your way. All of these books are available on Amazon.com

- The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids’ Favorite Meals by Missy Chase Lapine. This book helps you get your kids to eat their veggies, include 75 recipes and much more.

- Weight Watchers Family Power by Karen Miller-Kovach. This book gives parents 5 simple rules in creating a healthy-weight home and practical, hands-on advice.

- Conquering Childhood Obesity for Dummies by Meghan Beecher, Michelle Hagen and Kimberly A. Tessmer. This book is packed with helpful advice and effective strategies for getting on the right track to a healthy future.

- The Healthiest Kid in the Neighborhood: Dr. Sear’s 10 Ways to Get Your Family on the Right Nutritional Track. This book gives parents advice on how to shape young tastes to crave healthy foods in the right portions.

Courtesy of AP

For those readers and families in Atlanta, make sure you experience Zoo Atlanta’s signature event called Boo at the Zoo. The Halloween event is held each Friday & Saturday in October and the gates open at 5pm. I had the opportunity to go this weekend and your family will definitely enjoy the enchanted experience.

You can purchase your tickets and get more information by clicking here.

***For readers outside Atlanta, find out if your local zoo or aquarium will be hosting any Halloween events for families. If not, there are always pumpkin patches and other family-oriented Halloween events. Have Fun!

The String Doll Gang by Kamibashi is your new must-have accessory this year! Handmade in Thailand, each String Doll is crafted out one continuous piece of string, replete with sewn detail and a keychain.

Children and adults alike will get a kick out of these unique gift items, which exude artistry and are ready to inspire fun wherever they’re hung: key rings, bags, backpacks, you name it! The collection includes 48 pocked-sized pals—priced at $10 each—with styles that run from cute to kitschy, with Cupid and The Princess alongside Sid the punk-rocker and Jo Ninja.

String Dolls are fun for the whole family and make the perfect gift for holiday gift giving. For Halloween – check out the spooktacularly ghoulish Monster Man, Witchy Woman, Punkin’, and Vampire. At Christmas – Santy, Snowy, and Rudy make sweet, simple stocking-stuffers or eye-catching ornaments.

Established in 2005 by Kristen and Chris Daniels, Kamibashi Asian Art is the exclusive North American distributor of the String Doll Gang. The couple spent 10 years as English instructors in Asia, and stumbled upon the dolls while on vacation in Thailand. Inspired by the creative critters, the Daniels’ decided to bring this special art form back to the States, knowing that they would be an instant hit and elicit equal appreciation across the nation.

***Not for kids under the age of 8

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — About one million Chinese-made, Simplicity brand cribs are being recalled after three infants died and seven were trapped when the drop side of cribs detached causing a dangerous gap, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Failures in the crib’s drop side are due to a combination of hardware and design flaws that allow consumers to unintentionally install the drop side upside down. This installation could weaken the hardware and cause the drop side to detach from the crib, creating a gap that could lead to the entrapment and suffocation of infants.

The affected cribs include the following models: Aspen 3 in 1, Aspen 4 in 1, Nursery-in-a-Box, Crib N Changer Combo, Chelsea and Pooh 4 in 1. The recall also involves Simplicity cribs Aspen 3 in 1, Ultra 3 in 1, Ultra 4 in 1, Ultra 5 in 1, Whitney and the Trio using the Graco logo.

The recalled cribs have the model numbers 4600, 4605, 4705, 5000, 8000, 8324, 8800, 8740, 8910, 8994, 8050, 8750, 8760, and 8996, which can be found on the envelope attached to the mattress support and on the label attached to the headboard.

(Continue reading full article)

I have always dreamed of having a Dyson vacuum! I have heard so many great things about Dyson like the effortless steering, the high-power suction, the clean air filter, the lightweight design and the list goes on.

There is a Dyson contest courtesy of 5 Minutes for Mom. They are giving away a PINK limited edition vacuum and you can enter the contest by clicking here – good luck!

Just in case you don’t win one of these fabulous PINK Dyson vacuums, it is available for purchase at Target. Dyson is also donating $40 from each sale to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, too!

Chicco, USA is having a special promotion that I know my stylish readers would love! They will be giving away one of their high-end strollers (the Ct 0.1) every day during the month of September. Visit their site and fill out a brief survey to be eligible. There is no purchase necessary and no strings attached.

Chicco is an Italian company that produces high quality, safe, and stylish products, and the Ct 0.1 is a premier stroller in their line. Enter the contest by clicking here – Good Luck!

Real Toys is unique online store that makes toys for children from recycled and savaged fabrics. Recycled clothes, scraps and remnants make up the eclectic mix of fabrics used. They are chosen based on their visual and textural appeal. Real Toys aim to provide children (and grown up children) with simple, friendly toys that stimulate the senses of sight and touch and encourage imaginative play.

Being resourceful in the materials that Real Toys use contributes in a small way to the environmental problems we face, as well as demonstrating that everything does not have to be brand new to be beautiful.

Click here to get your child’s real toy online!

Dressing for the office can be a challenge when you’re expecting. You might be confused as to what to buy and how to put it all together, but Liz Lange knows how to create easy, comfortable, stylish looks that will get you through whatever your day at the office might bring. Liz suggests dressing to impress with a selection of work basics that will carry you from meetings in the boardroom to casual Fridays.

Office chic tips courtesy of Liz Lange:

*For most, business casual is the everyday work attire. The best way to dress for this is to focus on key pieces: a pencil skirt, black pants, a streamlined knit dress, a black jacket and a sleeveless top. Once you have these, you can create a full wardrobe by adding a few standout pieces.

*If business casual isn’t an option and you have to wear a suit, buy the foundation and then add in key pieces as you go. A dress, skirt or pants and then a jacket, paired with a few key pieces such as sweaters and blouses will give you more than a week’s worth of dressy office attire.

*For casual Fridays, you can take it down a notch, but it doesn’t take a lot to look sloppy. Choose your separates wisely. Save the denim for the weekends and stick with simple skirts, tailored pants and cozy sweaters.

Get office chic with Liz Lange today! (Also available at Target Stores)