Addicted Candy Crush Mom

Oct 8, 2013 by Alyssa

I was a little over a year ago when I kept asking my daughter what she was doing on her phone as she sat on the couch quietly staring at and moving her fingers around her phone screen.  The answer was always, “Mom, I’m playing a game.”  After months of continually getting the same answer, I finally asked her what the heck it was that she was playing.

 The answer…CANDY CRUSH, it’s just so addicting!

Now, really, how can a stupid little game app be so addicting?  I had to find out what it is was that had captivated my daughter to the point where she would throw her phone down and yell, “I HATE this game.”

So, like any inquisitive mom would do, I downloaded Candy Crush Saga and my life has NEVER been the same!

At first, I had no idea what I was doing and my daughter just laughed at me.  The only advice she offered me was that I would eventually figure it out.  After a few attempts, I got the gist of it.  I moved up a few levels and then all of a sudden I had no lives left and I was locked out of the game.  Are you kidding me, I have to wait 18 minutes until I can play again?  I bought this damn game, who are they to tell me I have to wait? And that’s where my addiction began.

It’s been months since I started playing and I have learned to love my striped candies and absolutely adore my color bombs!  The chocolate, my nemesis, well that’s another story.  After 15 great years of working at the candy company that makes M&Ms Chocolate Candies, I never thought I could hate chocolate this much!

Now, the two of us sit on the couch and bitch about Candy Crush, but we continue to play.  There are times when we are both stuck on different levels for days at a time and we even switch phones just to try and beat the levels for each.

The men in our house think we’re crazy.  I tell them it’s not so different than them sitting in front of the xBox for hours playing Call of Duty or Grand Theft Auto, they don’t agree.  In there eyes, their games involve some “strategy and you have to think.”  Give me a break, my argument to that is that we have to strategize too in an attempt to make special candy combinations to clear the board and beat the level. They roll their eyes and tell me to grow up!

Yes, Candy Crush is addicting but it’s fun and I know I can count on it to give 10 minutes of down time from my crazy days whenever I load it up on my phone.  So, when you see me sitting in my car waiting for the kids’ practices to end, you can bet that I’m sitting there trying to beat the next Candy Crush level.  The scary part is that I think I’m only on level 90, or somewhere close to that, and there are over 400 levels and even more to come.

I thought I would share a few facts about Candy Crush that I recently read in USA Today.

50 million people play it daily, inclding Jimmy Fallon and Ellen DeGeneresMore than 20% of iPhone users play itgenerates a few million dollars a daythe hardest level is 65 (not sure if I agree but it does have licorice, jellies and my dreaded chocoalte!)

MommyWarriors.com

View the original article here

Oh No, Mom’s Not Ready For High Heels!

Oct 4, 2013 by Alyssa

As a follow up to our Guest Post by Leslie Mitchell No School Dances For My Daughter, I thought I would write about my 15 year old daughter’s fun-filled Saturday night and the events leading up to it.

My daughter was invited to a friend’s Sweet 16 Party and the invitation specifically stated that the attire was “dressy.”  Hmm, this was going to be interesting I thought.

When I asked her what she was going to wear her reply was, “I have no idea.”  Downplaying it a bit, I left it at, “well, if you want to go shopping, just let me know.”

A few weeks went by and I asked again her what she was going to wear.  At this point she started rummaging through her closet  and came out empty handed.  Being the cool mom that I am (or at least I think I am), I offered up the idea of grabbing a friend or two and heading to the mall rather than have mom take her dress shopping, because, in her mind, what the heck does my mom know about fashion! For once, she thought I had a great idea.  My only conditions were that she send me a picture before she actually bought anything and that she had a $50 limit.

A few days later she’s at the mall with her friends and I start getting pictures of different dresses.  Certainly not the type of dresses that I had expected to see.  Initially I thought she was yanking my chain, but I quickly realized she was serious.  I was sooo not ready for the tight little black dress on, what used to be, my little tomboy.  I didn’t respond with “no freakin way,” or “are you serious,” rather, I just hinted that maybe one showed a little too much skin and another was just a bit too much for a 15 year old.

She finally sent me a picture of one that she really liked and with a big sigh, I responded back with, “if you like it, then get it.”  Would I have preferred a longer, looser dress?  Absolutely, but I had to accept the fact that she is growing up and I can’t send her to a fun little party looking like one of the daughters on Little House on the Prairie.

Now that the dress was purchased, she needed shoes.  She asked me if she could buy a pair of high heels.  Again, I had to take a deep breath and say, “if you can prove to me that you can walk in them without hurting yourself, I’ll consider it.”  Being that she’s a volleyball player and just starting league play in high school, if she ended up with a broken or twisted ankle, I think her coach would want to kill not her, but me, for allowing her to wear the darn shoes.

So, shoe shopping we went.  It took less than 10 minutes for her to find what she was looking for.  I made her walk around the store in them for another 10 minutes and I was pleasantly surprised how well she did.  I remember I didn’t do so well in my first pair of heels, in fact, it was quite disastrous!

Fast forward to the day of the party and she comes downstairs looking so not like 15.  My husband looked at her and then looked at me and rather than him giving me the evil eye, he complimented her on how nice she looked.  I leaned over to her and said, “be sure you’re careful when you sit down and keep your legs together.”  My little tomboy replied, “don’t worry mom, I have my volleyball shorts on underneath, I got it covered!”

The next day I learned that she kept the heels on for about 5 minutes after she walked in and then all the girls took them off for the rest of the night to dance.  Her brothers questioned why she would take them off and she told them, “you try dancing in those things!”  Well one of them did, this is so wrong but I had to post this picture!

MommyWarriors.com

View the original article here

97% of Kid's Meals Flunk Nutrition Test

Not many people expect chain restaurants to be super healthy - but would it surprise you to learn that a whopping 97% of meals on the kid menu fail to meet nutritional standards?

A new study by the Center for Science in the Public Interest found that the overwhelmingly majority of children's meal options at chain restaurants in the US do not meet the recommended standards for nutrition developed by health experts. 

In fact, 91% of the meals served at places like McDonald's, Chipotle, Applebee's and Ruby Tuesday's do not even meet the nutrition standards voluntarily set by the restaurant industry's Kids LiveWell program.

"The meals flunked across the board," said Margot Wootan, the organization’s Director of Nutrition Policy in a press release. "Most were too high in calories, too high in saturated fat and sodium, whole grains were very rare."

[Read "5 Kid's Menu Options That Are Worse Than a Whopper"]

The study found only one chain restaurant (out of the top 50 in the country) that made the grade when it comes to healthy choices: Subway restaurants' Fresh Fit For Kids meal combinations, which consist of apple slices served with kid-sized sub sandwiches and low-fat milk or bottled water instead of soda.

“It’s as if chain restaurants haven’t heard that there’s a childhood obesity epidemic," Wootan continued. "[They] seem stuck in a time warp, serving up the same old meals based on chicken nuggets, burgers, macaroni and cheese, fries, and soda."

In the meantime, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the past 30 years.

Wondering what to avoid? Here are some of the most unhealthy and least kid-friendly options commonly found on kid's menus:

1. Applebee's Grilled Cheese on Sourdough with French Fries and 2% Chocolate Milk has 1,210 calories with 62 grams of total fat, 21 grams of saturated fat and 2,340 milligrams of sodium.

2. Chili's Pizza with French Fries and Chocolate Milk has 1,120 calories, 43.5 grams of total fat, 19.5 grams of saturated fat and 2,025 milligrams of sodium.

3. Denny's Jr. Cheeseburger and French Fries has 980 calories, 55 grams of total fat, 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,110 mg of sodium. Denny's does not include beverages with kids' meals.

4. Ruby Tuesday's Mac & Cheese, Cheddar Mashed Potatoes, and Fruit Punch has 865 calories, 46 grams of total fat and 1,752 mg of sodium. Ruby Tuesday's does not disclose saturated or trans-fat content on its menus or website.

5. Dairy Queen's Chicken Strips, Kid's Fries, Sauce, Arctic Rush (a frozen drink) and Dilly Bar has 1,027 calories, 45 grams of total fat, 15 grams of saturated fat and 1,733 mg of sodium.

View the original article here

Top 5 Food Choking Hazards for Kids

Has your little one ever choked on a piece of sandwich or a grape? A new study explored just how common food-related choking injuries are in children - and the results may surprise you.

Every day, an average of 34 children in the United States are treated in the emergency for a non-fatal choking involving food (12,435 per year).  More than 60% of those cases are children under the age of four.

What's the most dangerous food? Hard candy.

In the course of the study, which was published in the August issue of Pediatrics, researchers identified the top five causes of non-fatal food choking.

Hard Candy - 15.5%

Other Candy - 12.8%

Meat Other Than Hot Dogs - 12.2%

Bone - 12%

Fruits and Vegetables - 9.7%

While only 2.6% of incidents involved hot dogs, researchers noted that they are in a different (and more dangerous) category. Because hot dogs are a type of high-risk food which can completely block the airway of a small child, they are more likely to be involved in choking cases that result in death.

So what should parents do to keep their children safe? The American Academy of Pediatrics offers extensive guidelines on foods to avoid and other choking prevention strategies here.

View the original article here

Breast Cancer Gene: Should You be Tested?

In the fight against breast cancer, there's a new tool that can help with early detection: genetic testing. 

Along with annual mammograms and monthly breast self-exams, women who are at high risk for breast cancer may be advised by their physician to consider genetic testing for the two breast cancer genes, BRCA1 or BRCA2. 

Here are some red flags that could indicate you should consider getting tested:

- Two first-degree relatives with breast cancer, one of whom was diagnosed when they were 50 or younger

- A first degree relative with cancer in both breasts

- A family history of ovarian cancer

- A male relative with breast cancer

- Women with Ashkenzai (Eastern European) Jewish heritage.

Mutations in breast and ovarian cancer genes are accountable for 5 to 10% of all breast cancer developments, and one in seven ovarian cancer cases.

After testing positive for the mutations, some women go so far as to have preventative mastectomies, hysterectomies, and taking anti-cancer drugs to prevent ever developing cancer.

For more information, talk with your healthcare provider about the BRCA gene test. 

View the original article here

Couples Who Run Have More Sex

Does working up a sweat with your partner make things hotter in the bedroom? A new study suggests that couples should strap on "his and her" sneakers!

Couples who run together apparently have more sex, at least according  to a Brooks Running survey of 1,000 adults ages 18 or older who run at least once a week.

Of those surveyed,  66 percent believed they have more sex when they run with their other halves. Men (71 percent) were slightly more likely than women (62 percent) to make the connection.

Why? There are several possible explanations, including the increased intimacy that comes from spending time together and the bonding effects of shared exercise.

[Read "Workouts with Friends: The Benefits of Small Group Training"]

Some other fun facts that the survey uncovered:

Men enjoy chatting on the run more than their female counterparts. Favorite topics: sports and cool new gadgets. Women, on the other hand, prefer to talk about the current state of their relationships on group runs.

Top celebrity running partners: 27 percent would pick Jimmy Fallon; 22 percent would pick Chelsea Handler or Jimmy Kimmel.

30% of participants find runners who spit while on the road that most hateable kind to encounter. Um duh, that's because hocking loogies is just rude.

Do you ever go running with your significant other?

View the original article here

No School Dances For My Daughter

Sep 30, 2013 by Alyssa

Guest post by Leslie Mitchell

Leslie is my good friend on the east coast whom I spent endless hours on the phone with when I worked for the good ole candy company M&M/Mars.  I owe many thanks to Leslie for keeping our trademarks in check and the company out of court!  Nowadays, Leslie is mom to a 10 year old adorable and inquisitive little girl.  Her fun has only just begun!

In the last year, my 10 year old daughter developed a huge crush on Ross Lynch of Disney’s Austin & Ally, Teen Beach Movie and band R5.  He seems likable enough, family band, cute in that blond, puppy dog way (the fact that she looks like his little sister makes me wonder how much narcissism is involved but that’s for another day.)  Recently while on our long car trips from her fencing lessons, I’ve fielded a number of questions about boys.  Nothing too deep, what do boys do when they like you, what do girls do, but I know this is just the beginning.  My daughter is definitely on the naive side, no older siblings to help her navigate these unchartered waters.  I’m glad she’s asking me these questions, I recall relying on my friends for these answers and didn’t talk to my mother much about boys, dating, and sex because her replies were always “don’t do it!”

A number of my high school friends are on Facebook and that brings back lots of memories of our high school years.  We had a great class, yes everyone says that but I honestly think in our case, it’s true.  We were the first freshman class entering a new high school (prior to us the high school was grades 10-12) and as I recall, the other classes weren’t that welcoming because I think they thought we were so young.  Homecoming was a big deal in our town in Connecticut, a parade down Main Street of the floats that each class spent weeks designing, building and decorating with paper flowers.  Think of the Rose Bowl Parade but with a black and orange Tiger theme.  Our freshman year our class really came together when our float, a train with real smoke, caught on fire during the parade.  Of course the girls cried, we came in second place and a bond was formed that made us a very close class.  So “talking” to these people on Facebook brings back a lot of fun memories.

It’s those same memories that are making me dread when my daughter is old enough for her first dance, first “boyfriend,” first kiss and all that entails because no matter what my mother said to me, I really didn’t listen.  Don’t hitchhike, we did.  Don’t smoke, we tried cigarettes in Ballard Park.  Don’t drink, we did (it was easier when the drinking age was still 18) and so on. I remember the house parties when someone’s parents were out of town, kegs in the kitchen or outside, plenty of woods to sneak off to, you get the picture.  We didn’t do anything terrible but looking back we could’ve gotten into so many bad situations.  They say there is a Guardian Angel watching over teenagers, I hope that’s true.  I also hope that my daughter will continue to talk to me, I dread thinking the nice boys in her class will one day be potential “boyfriends” and I’m scared to death that someone will hand her a beer and say “chug this.”  I’m even more scared someone will slip something in a drink or she’ll be exposed to drugs.

I’m really thinking that the Tower in Tangled wasn’t such a bad idea……then again she did ride off with Flynn!

MommyWarriors.com

View the original article here