How Athlete-Moms Meet Household Challenges (NAPSA)—Watching elite athletes perform at the highest level is inspiring. While most people never compete professionally in sports, it’s fun to see athletes attempt physically extraordinary acts. But few examples may be as inspiring as the life led by the athlete-mom. She balances rigorous training routines and nutrition plans with laundry, diapers and playtime. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, professional athletes work more than 40 hours per week on average, including weekends and holidays. Some are also moms. Here are some household tips used by athlete-moms to manage their action-packed lives. Strength in Numbers One of the hardest parts of being a parent is finding time to exercise and make healthy choices. The solution? Find a friend or two, and make a plan to exercise together or brainstorm ideas for healthy dinners. If you are new to an area, sites such as meetup.com are great for finding like-minded new friends in casual, fun settings. Rise and Shine Having a hard time checking those errands off your list? Looking for just 10 minutes of “me time” to have a cup of coffee and read your Tumblr feed? Do it early in the morning. It can seem like a painful idea to sacrifice any precious sleep, but let’s be honest: You could probably go to bed a little earlier. Chances are you’ll be too tired during the middle or end of the day to make any measurable or enjoyable progress. Get up early and tackle that to-do list Athlete-moms have found clever ways to save time in their busy schedules. when you’re rested and much of the world is still asleep. Time-Saving Items You can try to wrestle time back from your busy day or you can actually save some time with the right household products. Take it from Olympic gold-medalist, pro-swimmer and mom Amanda Beard, who recently switched to the high-quality Maytag Bravos XL washer and dryer. According to Beard, “I used to constantly rewash my son’s clothes because many spots just wouldn’t come out. My dryer never got hot enough, so I had to wait hours for everything to dry. Not anymore. My laundry is perfect every time, plus Maytag is an American company I know I can depend on. Go, Team USA!” The next time you see an inspiring athlete who is also a mom, remember that it’s the little things that help her succeed in sports, as well as at home. For more information, visit www.maytag.com. Helping Kids Enjoy More Flavor, Less Sugar (NAPSA)—Sweet news for many parents is that you can reduce the amount of sugar in your youngster’s diet—and still get some affection from your happy kids. Here are hints on how: •Substitute applesauce or pureed prunes for half the sugar in recipes, which can cut sugar content in half. •Use spices and herbs such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and ginger to enhance the flavor of foods naturally instead of adding sugar. •Instead of chips, candy or pastry, offer crackers, a piece of fruit or vegetables such as carrots or a glass of fruit juice. •Offer fruit juice instead of sugary drinks. The USDA says most kids should have fruit every day, and while the majority of fruit servings should come from whole fruit, 100 percent juice is a healthy option when consumed as part of a balanced diet. If 100 percent fruit juice isn’t your choice, you can dilute it to reduce the sugar (lots of parents do these days). If dilution compromises the juice flavor that appeals to kids, try a no-added-sugar juice beverage like Juicy Juice Fruitifuls, an all-natural juice beverage that has 35 percent less sugar than regular juice, provides a full serving of fruit and tastes great. You can decrease the amount of sugar your kids consume, provide refreshment and still make sure they get fruit juice nutrition. As an added bonus, like original Juicy Juice products, it’s an excellent source of vitamin C and can be a (NAPSA)—Living large in a little home may not only simplify life, minimize costs and reduce environmental impact, it can be easier to achieve than many realize. Following these easy tips can help make rooms feel bigger and brighter. 1. Open floor plans and furniture placement that leaves views open make spaces easy to navigate and the room feel bigger. 2. Lighten up. Light colors on walls and furniture help small spaces feel large. Letting in natural light extends the feel of the room beyond its boundaries. 3. Get double-duty furniture: tables and ottomans with hidden storage space. Clean spaces look bigger, so keep clutter out of sight. Shelving units can help you make the most of your closet. 4. Store smart and stay organized. Shelving units maximize wall space for storage; add baskets on the bottom shelves for extra capacity. Fill clear containers with seasonal clothing and items and slide them under couches and beds. 5. Convert a closet into a home office by adding a desk and shelves. Hang organizers on the back of the door for extra storage. Close the door and the computer and paperwork are out of sight, instantly opening up the room. For more tips on making the most of small spaces, visit the www.homes.com Idea Gallery. (NAPSA)—Each Ultra Keratin Touch kit includes shampoo, smoothing gloss and conditioner. An affordable yet effective at-home treatment for smooth, manageable hair, it’s available from the Brazilbased hair care line nuNAAT, which makes nature-infused, quality products. Learn more at www.Ultra KeratinTouch.com. You and your family can drink juice that’s lower in sugar but still high in nutrition—to your good health. part of a healthy, balanced diet for kids who can now drink up to 30 percent more juice and still remain within the USDA guidelines. •You can use fruit juice as a substitute for pancake syrup. Just add a little bit of molasses, to taste, and some cornstarch and simmer the mixture until it reaches the thickness you like. •If you serve canned fruit, make sure it’s packed in water or juice, not syrup. •Read labels and compare products. The nutritional label lists the ingredients in a product in order. The higher up an ingredient is on the list, the more there is of it in the food. •Make your own salad dressing with fruit juice, balsamic vinegar, honey and mustard. Learn More You can find more tips, facts and coupons online at www. juicyjuice.com. *** There is an IT training and certification program designed to offer military veterans a path to a new career. The program—called Troops to Tech Careers—was created by an IT company called CompTIA. To learn more, visit www.troopstotech careers.org. 3 Helping Teachers Make The Grade (NAPSA)—As students return to the classroom this fall, teachers across the country will be working hard to either begin implementing or continue implementing the new Common Core State Standards. The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. The new Common Core State Standards are forcing educators to change how they teach. This summer, many teachers nationwide spent time becoming familiar with standards and reviewing how they might need to adjust their lessons and activities to meet the standards. One organization helping educators integrate the standards into their classroom instruction is ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development), an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. ASCD has created a number of resources to help educators: Professional Development Institutes One- to three-day workshops provide information, awareness and training by acknowledged experts. These meetings encourage the exchange of ideas and experience and set the stage for additional course work. On-site Training ASCD provides on-site, customized, professional development (NAPSA)—Unlike natural grass fields, artificial turf is designed to withstand thousands of hours of play year-round—and to be more resilient to Mother Nature. The result is increased use of facilities. To learn more, visit www.dow.com/artificial turfsolutions. *** Tea Collection’s sets are a great deal—buy five pieces, get six complete outfits. Each season, Tea Collection designers visit a different destination, drawing inspiration from the culture, fashion, architecture, art and landscapes. For more information, visit www. teacollection.com or call (866) 3748747. *** With the growing participation in cheerleading at all levels, it’s important that parents, coaches and cheerleading organizations continue to put safety at the forefront of the sport, say experts at the American Sports Medicine Institute. For more information, visit www.aacca.org. *** You can find the latest fashions for prices lower than in department stores at Marshalls and T.J.Maxx with new items in stores every week. For tips and to see what shoppers are finding, visit www.facebook.com/marshalls and www.facebook.com/tjmaxx. *** A new website from AstraZeneca and Bristol-Myers Squibb called Still You With Type 2 (www. stillyouwithtype2.com) has been created for adults with type 2 dia- Many teachers spend their school vacations learning how to improve their professional skills. to teachers at schools to build the local expertise for improved instruction. This training can include a multitude of useful classes that cover the implementation of Common Core State Standards in math and English language arts classes. Online Courses For the ease of accessibility, convenience and cost effectiveness, ASCD also offers courses for teachers online. Their online courses span a broad range of topics. The courses cover not only teaching techniques but assessment methods that help to promote learning. Courses in common core mathematics are available for educators teaching grades K–5, 6–8, and 9–12. Common core courses for teachers on literacy strategies are also available in science, history/social studies and English language arts. Support Materials Finally, ASCD offers printed resources such as books, videos and DVDs to support educators and their continuing efforts to prepare for the new school year. To learn more information on the Common Core State Standards, visit www.ascd.org/com moncore. betes to provide information about diet, exercise, speaking with their doctor and two treatment options. *** CIT Bank offers a variety of CDs with attractive yields and a high-yield savings account with competitive rates. CIT’s 100-year heritage of reliability and expertise in helping small and midsize businesses across America can help you take control of your financial future. Learn more at www.BankOnCit.com. *** The PS3 (PlayStation 3) PlayMemories Studio lets you fully manage photos and videos from any device and view them on your TV, smartphone, tablet or computer. Learn more at http://blog. us.playstation.com/2012/03/27/ play-memories-studio-on-psntoday-organize-and-share-yourphotos-videos. *** College scholarship resources can be found online, and a guidance counselor can be a big help. Take advantage of resources like Sallie Mae’s Scholarship Search, found at SallieMae.com. You can also sign up for Upromise, a service that gives back a percentage of your qualified purchases.