PlanetKid » Monday Mention

Your Fitness Pal: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 04:00:36 +0000

I’m here to tell you today that if you want to really watch your calories (and other nutritional intake) while you watch your waistline, MyFitnessPal.com is the place to be. Here, you get a journal-type page for each day of the week, and every time you eat something, you log it under either breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack. No need to know the dirt on most foods, because you just search the item, and usually, it pops right up — along with numbers of calories, carbs, fat, protien, sugar, and fiber. Click on your item (“Tyson boneless, skinless chicken breast,” for example) to put it in your meal category, and your numbers automatically add up. (You are assigned a target calorie limit when you sign up with your height, weight, and other details). You can also track your water drinking, and your exercising, and the fancy features tell you how well you’re doing — or not doing. What a great way to stay honest — reach for a monster cookie, and you’ve got to be willing to add it to your page! Don’t want to do it? Then just don’t eat it. And don’t let your busy schedule keep you from signing up for this free service — just add the MyFitnessPro app on your phone and log on the go!

Be Active: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 04:00:29 +0000

Photo: wiennat, Flickr

If you know you need a little more fitness in your life, you’d be wise to check out Active.com. This super resource offers all sorts of wellness info. — maybe you’re a coach who needs some know-how on staying in shape during the off-season, perhaps you need a fitness calculator, or how about training for a tri? It’s all there, plus the feature I like best — a listing of all races in my area. I’m shooting for one on April 2, if my injured foot cooperates. I guess I need to brush up on my injury prevention smarts!

My Job Chart: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 04:00:19 +0000

OMGosh, you’ve got to try out this site. (I think it’s going to work wonders in our house.) My Job Chart is an online method of posting jobs for kids to claim, and assigning rewards for completed tasks. The perk — besides that it’s totally free — is that it is so simple to get started. Just add each family member, give everyone a password, and click on jobs you’d like to assign. (I picked clean up backyard, rake leaves, practice piano, etc.). Each kid can have different jobs, you can assign them by the day if you like, and then you click on some rewards (I chose ice cream come, movie tickets, Mom time, Dad time, and more). Each job comes with points, and points can be redeemed for prizes. Feel free to change up the point values, and you can add your own rewards and jobs, too. The lure of this whole deal is that kids get to go online to manage their accounts — you know they love the computer, right? Give it a try, and let us know how it works!

Punished: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 04:00:04 +0000

Photo: Amazon.com

The book “Punished” by David Lubar is what we’re reading at our house right now, and we’re here today to recommend it. It’s easy to read (perfect probably for a second-grader), the story is very entertaining and “punny,” and we’ve yet to stumble upon anything we don’t like. Now, we’re not done with the story just yet, but we’re pretty sure it’s going to continue to be a great read. You might want to check it out — like, at your local library, because it’s a whole lot cheaper that way!

Friending Students on Facebook: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 05:00:49 +0000

There’s a movement going where I live that might ban teachers from becoming Facebook friends with their students and from sharing pictures and videos of their pupils online, too. Sounds like a pretty good idea, right? Do kids really need to see their teachers partying the night away? Should they read their teachers’ intimate life details? Should kids see their own pics pop up at random? I think not. BUT, is Facebook an entirely bad means of student/teacher communication? No, it’s not, and a professor pal of mine shared with me these 100 ways teachers should be using Facebook in the classroom. Some good stuff here, don’t you think?

Kids Lost in Cyber Space: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 05:00:00 +0000

Photo: AlohaMamma, Flickr

Today’s Monday topic: Are kids getting lost in cyber space? I’d say that if given the chance to vege out in front of a computer, then, yep, kiddos have a pretty good chance of getting lost. I know this because I have two kids, and my husband and I have to be very careful about the minutes we allow for screen time. That, and we need to be totally on top of the sites our kids visit. It only takes one mistaken (or purposeful) click to land in a danger zone. Just ask other moms who weigh in on the kids and computers.

Happy Fun for Winter Boredom: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 21 Feb 2011 05:00:53 +0000

Photo: whologwhy, Flickr

When you get that one or two days of mid-Winter summery weather, it kinda makes you want to believe shorts and t-shirts are just around the corner. Well, maybe not, and Family Fun has devised a list of 40 fun-filled activities to beat the cold-weather blues. You can make fuzzy scarves out of fleece and mitten from old sweaters. How about snowball soap surprise or a snow tree covered in lights? The list goes on and on. Check it out here.

For the Kids: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 05:00:31 +0000

Photo: rachel_pics, Flickr

You know the saying, “We stayed together for the kids.” Not always such a great idea, right? But what about getting married for the kids — could that be a wise move? Seems to have worked out for actress Julianne Moore, who says, “The only reason I got married in 2003 was for my children.” Moore says a therapist once told her a marriage is sort of a container for the family. She liked that. I do, too. What about you?

Heidi Klum and Funny Kids: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 05:00:24 +0000

Photo: *clarity* / Flickr

If you’re a fan of the old “Kids Say the Darndest Things” show, then you might really like Heidi Klum’s new TV gig — a Lifetime series called “Seriously Funny Kids.” Klum says she’s not an actress, or a comedian, but she’s got the main ingredient for success: a bunch of kiddos who spout out hilarious stuff. Oh, and a love for children, which the mom of four definitely has!

Cool Valentine’s Day Cards: Monday Mention

Jacki Donaldson — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 05:00:47 +0000

Photo: Family Fun

Valentine’s Day is on its way, and you know what that means? Dazzling friends with fancy love-inspired creations. Disney’s Family Fun serves up some cool and creative ideas for homemade cards. There’s this cutie: “You can count on me when things get sticky!” with attached lollipop. And valentine finger puppets. Plus, “You’re a blast,” a rocket made with candy. Check out an entire gallery of good stuff here.