My family is a total bunch of dine-out junkies!  Actually, eating out at our local restaurant is one of those little luxuries we all look forward to.  I love to be able to eat yummy food that I didn't have to go grocery shopping for, didn't have to cook and don't have to clean up after.

For a family of three, it's also fairly cost-effective too.  Michael and I rarely eat out without a coupon and we always either share dishes or take plenty home to eat for lunch or dinner the next day.

Since Riley came along though, we've found it harder and harder to find kid-friendly restaurants that are both healthy and economical. That's why I'm glad to have stumbled upon a great database of family restaurants at Out to Eat with Kids.  Keep reading to learn more!

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How do you teach your children to enjoy hiking?  Start early and make it fun! So says outdoor enthusiast extraordinaire and author Jeff Alt.

“Getting kids outside is more important than ever,” he says. “TV, computer and video game addictions are replacing outdoor play time. Passive inside entertainment is contributing significantly to the national obesity epidemic! It’s time to get off the couch America! Get the kids outside!”

Jeff is an avid hiker.  In addition to walking the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail, he also walked the 218-mile John Muir Trail with his wife, and trekked across a 50-mile path of Ireland with his wife, young daughter, and extended family. He and his wife emerged from the church doors on their wedding day wearing backpacks, and his son was taken on his first hike at 8 weeks.

Jeff has lots of great advice about how to make sure you and the kids have a great time outdoors.

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Eating healthy is something that all families strive for, but sometimes choosing healthy items can be tough, especially with the hectic back-to-school schedule. Having healthy snacks on hand can be an important step in keeping kids’ nutrition on track throughout the day.

Yesterday, I told you all about PBS KIDS and Whole Foods Markets launching the "Fantastic Organic" campaign aimed at providing educational tools and resources to help families learn to cook, shop and explore healthy foods together.  Keep reading for some tips from PBS KIDS on choosing healthy snacks for kids as well as some healthy snack ideas just for you!

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Healthy Home and Lifestyle experts Laura Forbes Carlin and Alison Forbes have created the “Easy Feng Shui with Augmented Reality” iPhone app to help guide you in creating a healthy home. Using an overlay technique known as “augmented reality,” users can use their iPhone viewfinders to literally look around a room, while the app shows them exactly which part of the room is represented, such as the love, wealth or health areas. By following the app's suggestions, you can make adjustments to troubled areas and compensate for any issues.

Our homes are like our third skin—our actual skin being first and clothes being second. What we have in our homes, how we clean them, and how we decorate are all decisions that affect our lives on a daily basis. We need to take care of our homes just as we do our bodies. 

To help you create the best possible healthy home, Carlin and Forbes offer the following must-haves for creating a healthy home:

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Americans are spending too much time sitting at their desks which according to experts, is not good for physical health or mental well-being. However with a few slight adjustments to your routine, those hours behind the desk can serve as double time for your workload and your workout!

• Sit Tall and Be Strong – BackJoy is bringing healthy "back" into the workspace with its Posture+ – it not only strengthens your core muscles, but also improves your posture and helps prevent back pain!
• Switch Up Your Routine – Small changes to your daily routine can see you make big strides towards better wellbeing. Ditch the elevator and take the stairs – two at a time if you can, forgo email and walk to talk to your colleagues or try standing up every time you take a call.
• Clear Your Mind and Breathe – Yoga isn’t just for the studio any longer! Try these quick desk adaptations of popular yoga poses to relieve tension in your lower back and hips, beat stress and calm the mind.
• For the Gym Junkie – A fan of traditional gym workouts? Do a couple of sets of tricep dips or pushups at your desk, stretch out those hamstrings by extending your feet in front of you or try one-legged squats while waiting for the copier.
• Jog on the Job – For the ultimate fitness-focused workaholic, try the Treadmill Desk. The perfect combination of work and exercise – who would have thought you could take conference calls while on the run?

“We Can Do It!” was a World War II-era battle cry that empowered women. Today, however, the expression for many women is more like, “We can do it -- if there’s time.”  By their 40s, more than 80 percent of American women are mothers, according to the U.S. census. Meanwhile, they also make up roughly half of the workforce, a percentage that has doubled since Rosie the Riveter’s proclamation.

At least 50 percent of women say they don't have enough free time and 60 percent feel guilty for spending what little time they do have on themselves, according to a survey published in the March issue of Real Simple magazine.

Between motherhood and work, it is crucial that busy women also take time out for themselves, says Saniel Bonder, a wellness coach, Harvard graduate and author of the acclaimed new novel Ultimaya 1.0: The Trouble with the Wishes of Leopold Stokes (www.humansunmedia.com).

“Putting things into a new perspective and realizing that a really good mother and home manager – or a mother who works outside the home -- can’t be chronically tired and cranky is a first step to achieving a healthy balance between a mom and her to-do list,” he says.  Mothering is a marathon, not a sprint, Bonder says. Unhappiness, failure and disappointment are guaranteed when a woman continues to drive competing interests at excessive speeds, he says.

He offers tips for managing a mother’s to-do list:

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