1. To the Letter
See? I’m onto something. Last week I wrote about this blog from young mom Cassie Boorn. This week, NYT‘s Motherlode writes about it, too. The Motherlode post also cites one of the letters (by photog/blogger Karen Walrond) that I mentioned in my Friday wrap-up last week.  I like to tell myself that the great Lisa Belkin is reading Ms. Mary Mack blog and summarily biting my styles. That, or great minds think alike. Clearly!

After highlighting a few of the “letters to my younger self” from Boorn’s blog, Belkin adds her own letter to the well-written stack. Hers is not a letter to her 20-something self, but instead to the 30-year-old, pregnant for the first time, younger self.

On the subject of letters, Motherlode also blogged about father of two Bob Brody who has written letters not to his younger self, but to his young kids. Handwritten letters in journals to, he says, “share some family history in the name of love.” He transferred his missives (all 60,000 words) to his blog letterstomykids.org.

2. Outta the Cart, Sunny D!
Growing up I was never a fan of Sunny Delight (or Sunny D, as they say now). I didn’t like the looks or, more important, the taste of it. Well, Sunny D made the list of the 20 Worst Foods to Feed Your Kids. No surprise there, really. In one 16-ouncer of the thick, yellow stuff you have 260 calories and 60 grams of sugar. Check out momlogic.com for more on the dirty 20.

Talking about food and kids, One Hungry Mama fesses up to having mixed feelings about Tot it Up Food Calculator, an online tool that helps you track your toddler’s diet. I agree with OHM that it sounds like it might be one of those cool tools, but it could also introduce weirdness into your child’s relationship with food. What do you think, useful or dangerous? (One Hungry Mama’s post also links to her tips on dealing with picky, young eaters.)

3. Bring It Back … Again
This week there was yet another major crib recall. More than 2 million cribs from seven different companies have been called back over suffocation risks. Here’s a story from the Baltimore Sun’s parenting blog Charm City Moms about the massive recall.

4. One For the Road
When we flew to Florida last Christmas, we were seated next to a family of five—two boys, one girl. I remember thinking, even though we had a young baby, we still had an easier time of it. On their side of the aisle  there was lots of crying, whining, complaining, yelling, glaring, threatening, and a couple of meltdowns for all. So it was interesting to read this post on Surrender, Dorothy (also crossed-posted here on BlogHer) about the pros and cons of traveling with just one child.

5. Body Love
There are probably loads of complaints we can offer up about our post-baby bodies. (And, no, we’re not revisiting Jillian WhatsHerFace’s thoughts on the matter, either.) Instead, let’s go into the weekend with a positive spin. Parenting.com has some advice on how to appreciate and feel better about your hot mama bodaay.

Have a good weekend, yes? And send us good luck as we pack up our BK lives into boxes. Many, many boxes.

1. Let Me See That Cow
I’ve been aware of the scary situation also known as the American Food Industry for a good while now. Our li’l fam is pretty diligent about the kinds of foods we put in out bodies. Don’t get me wrong, this girl ain’t chucking a quality cupcake to the curb anytime soon. After a weird experience with some supposedly organic milk we bought for QB, I wondered if there was a way to detect any faux-ganic (that’s my made-up gem for fake organic) products out there. So I was pleased to see this on a child grows in brooklyn—a great resource for all of us parents in the BK.

(Fascinating/Fun Friday Side Fact: I chatted with Michelle Mannix, the “Honey” of Brooklyn’s popular cafe Ted & Honey*, and she told me that, as per a smarty-pants economist she met, the Cobble Hill zip code has more children under the age of 3 per square inch than anywhere else in the United States! )

Part of the crime in the food game is how much buying organic and living green can cost. Here’s a helpful blog with the great tagline: Helping Moms Go Organic Without Going Broke.

*Ted & Honey now offers yummy organic baby food. Plus when you return the baby food “jar,” they will sterilize it for you, refill it and take 50 cents off the next order.

2. Top of the Food Chain
Babble.com recently published its list of the 50 Best Mom Food Bloggers, and within that there are sub-categories like Healthiest Eating. Here’s the list of the top 10 mom food bloggers (can we just call them MFBs from here on?) who dabble in the healthy grub. Definitely bookmark-able. (Another new word coined? Prob not.)

The Babble 50 is clearly about admiration of MFBs. Here‘s a story on momlogic.com about the ugly side of MFB. And by ugly I mean a mom blogs about making some rainbow pancakes and the negative comment avalanche produces things like: “You shouldn’t be allowed to procreate if you’re going to feed your kids junk!” What the hell? We’re talking about colorful pancakes, people, not a tobacco and vodka pie.

3. Great, More Guilt
Stay-at-home Moms vs. Working Moms. That debate has gone on for a few decades, at least. Now, just so the work from home mom hybrid doesn’t feel left out of the fray, some experts are flapping their lips in a USA Today story about how the same technology that allows moms/parents to work at home is also causing major disruptions in family time.

And here, the NYT‘s Motherlode blog gets into that same work/life balance story, asking readers to use the comments section to discuss questions like, “Have you rearranged your working life only to find that you aren’t spending real time with your family?” And to share tips on how they’re maneuvering those tricky “work-life boundaries.”

4.  The Definition of Heartbreak
My husband sent me the link to this story from the Washington Post that just won a Pulitzer Prize. It’s a wrenching story on parents who killed their own children by inadvertently leaving them in the backseat of the car. I couldn’t read it, and my husband said he could barely finish it. But from what he told me, though the 2009 story is utterly devastating, it’s also beautifully written.

The popular blog for new dads, daddytypes.com, also wrote about it here. Check out the comment section, too. There’s one commenter who pasted some valuable summertime tips about children and cars.

5. The Babies Are Coming!
There’s a phenomenal documentary coming out Mother’s Day weekend that’s simply called Babies. The film simultaneously follows four babies in four very different countries—Japan, Mongolia, Namibia, and the United States—from birth to first steps. Read more about this fantastic documentary here. And enjoy the sweet trailer below.

See you next week, yes?

This week’s conversation is easy. I wanna know your easy, healthy recipes. I learned a great one this week off Morgan’s great blog.  She is only 11, but she’s got some great stuff on her blog. Her recipe was a super easy slushie:

1/4 cup water
4 ice cubes
5 strawberries
some lemon juice to taste
Splenda – however much you like (The original recipe said sugar, but I changed it to Splenda to cut calories and make it healthy!)

You just blend it all up in the blender. My kids LOVE it. And I am personally addicted. I’ve added banana to it as well and it’s great. Thanks Morgan!!

So, for your comment leave me an easy, kid-friendly, healthy recipe. Thanks! And don’t forget to visit Momlogic.com Eating Right Kids page http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/ where you can find healthy recipes, coupons and more.

This week’s topic: Grocery shopping with kids can be challenging, but what if what if you could make a trip to the supermarket a fun and educational adventure.  Tell us how you navigate the grocery store with your kids.

My answer would be- I try not to take them with me!! haha  But when I do I get them excited about it. I have them help me make the list and find the things on the list. This allows us to make healthy choices in advance for our list. Also, our Kroger has mini grocery baskets and Livie is so happy to push one and fill it up with foods off the list. At other stores I let her bring her little Dora shopping cart from home.

How about y’all? It’s your turn!! How do you make the grocery store into a fun and educational trip with your kids?

**Also a quick reminder that Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy is answering questions about nutrition. If you’d like you can send her your questions to eatingright@wb.com. She will post answers starting this week.

Disclaimer: Although I think teaching our kids to eat healthy is super important, I have been hired by Warner Brothers to help pass along the info. as part of their WB Word of Mouth Program. Everything I’m writing is my own honest opinion.

Kate also had a good taping with Paula Deen for a possible ensemble like panel show based on the popular MomiLogic.com website……..Stay tuned…..

My, my  that girl does do a lot of travel away from her children, don’t she?….and with the grey haired bodyguard, huh?

This is the 3rd conversation in the Looney Tunes Eating Right program. This week’s question is:

How do you ensure your kids are eating healthy at school.  What are some of your kids favorite snacks?

Do you have any great tricks up your sleeve? I’d love to hear them!! Don’t forget that if you participate in this conversation or any of the past or future posts, you are entered to win the great Looney Tunes Gift Basket. Also, stop by Momlogic.com for healthy recipes and tips. Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy will be answering reader questions about nutrition. You can submit your questions to her and she will post answers starting the week of September 14th. You can submit questions to eatingright@wb.com.

Disclaimer: Although I think teaching our kids to eat healthy is super important, I have been hired by Warner Brothers to help pass along the info. as part of their WB Word of Mouth Program. Everything I’m writing is my own honest opinion.

I have found that when I am trying my hardest to eat more healthy, if I just don’t buy the junk, then I won’t eat it. Simple enough, right? Yeah- you’d think so!! I do so good at buying my kids great fruit, veggies, yogurt, etc… I wish I would do the same with myself. The kids don’t have a secret candy stash like I do- I don’t think… They only have food that’s good for them to choose from.  I guess right now my teaching method is “DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO.”  Probably not the best method.

How do you teaching your kids about healthy eating choices?  What works best for your family? Leave me a comment on this post or the previous healthy tips post to be entered into the giveaway for the Looney Tunes gift basket.

At http://www.momlogic.com/eating_right_kids/ there are great recipes, weekly menu ideas- which is great because I hate trying to decide what’s for lunch or dinner…, and tons of healthy tips. I recommend you visit it!!

**Next week: Momlogic’s nutrition expert, Haylie Pomroy will be answering reader questions about nutrition.  You can submit your questions to her and she will post answers the week of September 14th.  Users can submit questions to eatingright@wb.com.

56 percent know someone who ended up in the hospital because of partying.
38 percent admit to having sex with one or more people since arriving at school.
32 percent have partied so much they have not remembered the night before.
37 percent drink until they’re very drunk, throw up, or pass out.
26 percent of kids have passed out from drinking too much.
32 percent have hooked up with or had sex with someone they regret.
13 percent have woken up somewhere and not know how they got there.

It’s graphic video so be prepared.