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Hey Mom! Good to Know...

 
Nutrition for Growing Bodies
vegetables

Do you want to raise happy, healthy and successful kids? Children and teens need the right fuel for growing, learning and developing. This means foods and beverages with plenty of nutrients (protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals) and not too many calories, fats or sugars.
The secret to feeding a healthy family is to serve delicious nutrient-rich foods at every meal and snack. When children fill up on the right stuff – high quality nutrition for their bodies and brains – they will naturally have less room for the nutrient-poor choices (soft drinks, chips, candy, desserts).
Here are some quick and easy ways to serve children high-octane choices from every food group, morning, noon and night.
Whole-Grain Foods with Carbohydrates, Fiber, B-Vitamins and More
Whole grains pack a lot of nutritional value. In recent years, there has been an explosion of new grain products on grocery shelves. With so many options, it’s hard to know which ones to pick. Choose items that list whole grains as the first or second ingredient on the label. Give kids whole-grain cereals for breakfast, kid-friendly “white” whole-wheat bread for sandwiches, crunchy whole-grain crackers for snacks and whole-grain pastas for dinner.
Fruits and Vegetables with Antioxidants, Vitamins A and C, Potassium and Fiber
You can’t go wrong with fruits and vegetables: fresh, frozen, canned, dried and 100 percent juice.
For kids and adults alike, eating more fruits and vegetables at every meal is important for health. At breakfast, enjoy fresh or frozen berries on cereal, slices of melon or a glass of 100 percent orange juice; at lunch, serve crunchy baby carrots or sliced apples; for dinner, put brightly colored vegetables (broccoli, corn, sliced peppers, frozen peas or leafy green salad) at the center of every plate.
Low-fat Dairy Foods with Protein, Calcium, Potassium, Magnesium and Phosphorus
The nutrients in this group are important for kids, but most young people in America are not getting enough calcium or potassium. Fortunately, it’s easy to consume the three daily dairy servings that children and teens need. There are many nutrient-rich, low-fat dairy products to choose from: an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk with breakfast, lunch and dinner; yogurt parfaits for breakfast or an after-school snack; or string cheese for an on-the-go energy snack.
Lean Meat/Poultry/Fish/Eggs/Beans/Nuts with Protein, Iron, Zinc and B-Vitamins
Whether it’s growing muscles or active brains, these nutrients top the list for children. Getting enough protein at every meal and snack helps with extending satiety (feeling comfortably satisfied after eating).
While most kids eat plenty of protein at lunch and dinner, they don’t necessarily get their protein fix with breakfast or snacks. Start their day with eggs, bean burritos or last night’s leftovers. For snacks, provide nuts, peanut butter or other nut butters or sliced deli meat.

For more great nutrition articles visit www.eatright.org
 

Mom: Looking to make some extra money with all those outgrown toys and clothes? Check out...

Be Greene KidsBe Green Kids

At Be Green Kids Consignment events, top quality, new and gently-used items are resold from parent-to-parent at a fraction of the original price. Families can easily participate by purchasing items for your little ones at up to 70% off retail prices. Additionally, families can

Be Green Kids Consignment Co-Owner, Alison Murphy said, "Given the current economy, I was looking for a way to not only save money on my child’s clothes and toys, but also looking for an opportunity to make money while cleaning out the bins of outgrown items I already have. On-line auction sites seemed too risky for me. I attended similar children’s seasonal consignment events in Albany, N.Y. and Boston, MA. and realized that with all of the families living in Newport County, this would be a great type of event to offer here".

Murphy has a one year old daughter, Avery. "Having a family is expensive. Clothes, toys, books, cribs, playpens…it doesn’t stop. I couldn’t believe how fast my daughter outgrew some of her items, and now they are just sitting in storage taking up space."

The Fraternal Order of Police Hall will be set-up similar to a retail store. Consignors do not need to be present to participate in the event. Families just have to prepare, tag and drop-off their items. Be Green Kids Consignments will take care of everything else. "We are hoping to appeal to families from all around Rhode Island to participate as consignors. We know once the sale begins in May families from all over will definitely make the drive to Middletown to find some great bargains!" says Murphy. Be Green Kids Consignment is anticipating 200 registered consignors by the time the event starts in May.　 "Consignors keep a higher percentage of their sales compared to traditional consignment stores and they don't have to go through the hassles of organizing a garage sale or posting items on auction sites." adds Murphy.　

Be Green Kids Consignment sales are also a great way for families to "be green." By participating as a consignor, families are able to sell their gently-used name-brand items to other families thereby reducing the effect that the production and disposal of children's items have on the environment. Typical kids consignment sales have everything from strollers, high-chairs, bouncy seats and activity centers to clothes, toys, books and more.

Be Green Kids Consignments will also be working with local nonprofit organizations to donate any unsold items. Participants will be given the opportunity to donate their unsold items to the selected nonprofit organizations.

"Seasonal Kids Consignment sales are a new concept in the Northeast ", Murphy stated. "They are huge down South and out West. We hope that this event gives families an opportunity to make extra money to add to the family budget by participating as a consignor. We look forward to making this first sale a huge success and expect to see many, many years of growth with these sales."

For more information about Be Green Kids Consignments and to register as a consignor please visit:

Be Green Kids Consignments, a seasonal kids consignment event, will be holding their first ever sale at the Fraternal Order of Police Hall (Mitchells Lane) in Middletown from May 13-16, 2010.　 We are currently seeking consignors to participate in this event.　 Seasonal Kids Consignment events are a fast growing trend in this current economy.　 Sale organizers, such as Be Green Kids Consignments, bring together sellers and shoppers for one big event.　The sales are typically 3-4 days in the spring and fall with season appropriate items.  Register to consign at www.BeGreenSale.com and take home 60-75% of their profits.
www.BeGreenSale.com


Support A Local Family

 We have received several emails from MomsTown moms asking for us to spread the word and ask for support for a great friend, community member, and father...

caruso 

Joe Caruso a local surfer and father of three - Mason, 4, Tyler, 2, and Noah, 1, was a healthy 42 year old man with complaints of back pain he initially "shrugged off" because he assumed they were related to age.  Joe doesn’t smoke and leads an active lifestyle running, surfing and chasing his three young boys!   “I figured I was getting older, and I get aches and pains,” he said. “No big deal.”

On Saturday, Dec. 19, his pain became so bad that he admitted himself to the hospital to get an MRI. Joe's MRI revealed he had Stage IV Adenocarcinoma (small cell lung cancer) that had spread to his spine, hip and liver.  He started radiation during Christmas week and next week starts chemotherapy.

Joe's friends and family immediately got together to help.  "Serious illness can be financially as well as emotionally devastating to families, and our goal is to help in any way to provide some relief to this family," friends wrote in a letter.  "The Caruso’s have three young children under the age of 4 and we would like to help Linda and Joe to continue to provide for them.  Ideas have ranged from providing meals, play-dates, shopping assistance, emergency babysitting services and monetary donations."

Since Joe is not able to work at this time, they have organized fundraisers, donations, and a fund to help sustain the family by providing relief for medical and basic living expenses during this time of need.  They have also established a Facebook Fan Page to keep everyone updated on ways to help and on Joe's courageous battle.  

The outpouring of community support has been amazing so far.  Please support Joe and his family in any way you can.  Big or small, every little bit will help Joe and his family focus on his health and healing. 

Make a Donation:

To make a monetary donation by sending a check to:

Linda and Joe Caruso Family Fund,
c/o Bank Newport
10 Washington Square
Newport, RI 02840 Send a donation directly to Munroe Dairy to help out with weekly groceries.
Please send your check with a note to:
Munroe Dairy
151 North Brow Street
East Providence, RI, 02914
Attn. Linda Caruso Account

Click here to become a Fan of the Linda and Joe Caruso Family Fund on Facebook  www.joecarusofamilyfund.com


Upcoming Events

Spin-a-thon
Sunday, March 7, 2010
7:00AM to 5:00PM
Newport County YMCA, 792 Valley Road, Middletown, Rhode Island, 02842
Newport Athletic Club

After all the fun, food and drinks we have had so far raising money for this great cause, it’s time to work it all off, so we have added a spin-a-thon at the Newport County YMCA and Newport Athletic Club on March 7th from 7am to 5pm.
There will be continuous one hour spin classes led by certified spin instructors who. Tickets can be purchased for $10 to participate in the event, at which time participants will select a time and location and will also be given a sponsorship sheet to ask friends, family and others to sponsor them in their efforts. All proceeds from tickets and sponsorship will go directly to the fund.
To participate you are NOT required to be a member of either club, nor do you need to have ever participated in a spin class. The best thing about spinning is that each individual can adjust their own resistance and therefore the level of effort, so ALL fitness levels are encouraged to come and have fun. Tickets and signup are available at both the YMCA and NAC or call Mitch Turner at 339 6194     
Beach Bounce Benefit
Date: Friday, March 26, 2010
Time: 5:00PM to 7:30PM
Ticket information coming soon!  

Off Broadway Neighboorhood Association 4th Annual Business Expo
Date: Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Time: 7:00PM
Location: The Café (formerly known as Café 200)
Address: 200 Broadway, Newport, RI 0284
To all OBNA neighbors and business owners! We’d like to invite business owners to participate in our 4th Annual Business Expo March 30th, Tuesday, 7PM at the newly renovated café called The Café formerly known as Café 200 located on the corner of Broadway and Gould Street.
If you have your own business, please sign up!  This is a great opportunity to promote your business to your neighbors. We ask that you bring any promotional materials and/or products and discuss your business within a 5 minute window.
We will be holding a raffle at the expo with proceeds benefitting the Linda and Joe Caruso Family Fund. Joe and his family are active members of the Newport Community and the OBNA. They are currently faced with a serious medical crisis as Joe was recently diagnosed with Stage IV Lung Cancer. The fund was set up to help Linda and Joe provide for their family and help ease the burden of continually growing medical and living expenses as Joe is no longer able to work.  We are hoping to help support this valued and beloved family in our neighborhood. Please consider donating an item or service to the auction. All proceeds will go directly to the fund.
Please join us for this exciting and revamped event and come out and view the new digs at The 200! Please contact Ellen Nichols at  401.864.0372  or theel@cox.net for further information or to sign up to participate.
Thank you and we look forward to your participation!
The OBNA Board
 

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