SparkPeople - motivation for healthy living

Okay, so Turkey Day has come and gone, and we've all gained the obligatory five pounds. And who knows how much more we'll gain through the holidays if we're not careful! Lucky for you, SparkPeople has a pretty good (and free) solution to help you through and get on pace for a healthy lifestyle. From a calorie counter and fitness planner to motivation system and feedback reports, it has the tools you need to stay on top of your healthy eating and exercise plans. So, while the season is all about giving, don't forget to give to your body a little bit as well, and get it healthy!

Support Our Soldiers - donate your candy

Do you have extra candy that you didn't hand out last night from Halloween? Well, you can either eat it yourself and gain way too many extra pounds, save it for next year (and get kids sick!) OR you can donate it to our soldiers overseas who didn't get to celebrate Halloween back home this year. If you've got extra candy, check out Operation Gratitude. You just need to make sure you ship it to them before Dec. 3rd. You can check out their site for more details.

Operation Gratitude/California Army National Guard

17330 Victory Boulevard

Van Nuys, CA 91406

Charlie Othold: 818.437.6201

Double Shot Press Mug - brew coffee on the go

As it is getting cooler out these days, I thought this would be a good product to show you all. The Double Shot Press Mug from REI is a coffee brewer and mug all in one. So, whether you're enjoying a weekend camping and need your morning pick me up, or you're just on the go and in a rush, now you can enjoy fresh coffee anywhere! I'm feeling warmer already!

LEGO Ice Tray - fun for snack time

Everybody knows LEGOs. And if you have a young child, he/she probably has bunches of them strewn all over the house. Well, to make it more fun, you can add this LEGO Ice Tray to your repertoire. It's a creative way to add more fun to snack time drinks, or you could even use it as a candy mold if you want to spice it up a bit. LEGOs aren't just for playtime anymore! 

Beer Garden - grow your own beer

I saw this and have to write about it, as my brother-in-law brews his own beer. This product, brought to you by the folks at ThinkGeek, allows you to grow your own hops/wheat/barley to use in your own beer brewing. So now, not only can people do all the brewing and fermenting, they can even grow the ingredients to put in the brew. This is perfect for my brother-in-law! And hey, I think he has a birthday coming up fairly soon! Do you know any beer brewing enthusiasts? If so, this might be a fun option for them too!

Restaurant Grades - know your food

Wondering if you should try that Chinese restaurant in town? Or maybe you want to know if your favorite restaurant is practicing proper health standards? Well you could drive on over and go check out there health inspection report hanging on the wall (if you can find it, and if you don't mind people looking at you funny). Or you can look online. Our good ole' local governments have begun posting the health inspection reports online for all to see. For those in Georgia, they've just been put up by the Department of Public Health HERE. And for those outside of Georgia, check out this LINK (scroll down). And if it's not listed there, then do Google search for "restaurant health grades "my state."" We all want to eat safe; so check these out before you put their food in your mouth. Happy eating!