You’re smart; you purchase Malt-O-Meal® cereals that come in bags, not brands that come in bags inside boxes.  Now, prove just how clever you can be by entering the Bag The Box^TM Video Contest for a chance to win an electric bike, an iPad and other cool prizes.

Click here for official contest rules.

Looking for cinematic inspiration? Check out these video webisodes. A truly odd couple exchanges quirky dialogue and will inspire you to submit your own video for a chance to win!

Stay sensible, cereal shoppers: buy a bag of the great tasting Malt-O-Meal® cereal. They taste great; are kind to the budget, are offered with 75% less packaging* than boxed cereal brands, not to mention fun!

Watch this quirky duo make sense out of cereal packaging!

*75% less packaging based on the net weight of empty consumer packaging per pound of cereal delivered. Even when their box size is smaller, the net weight of their box and empty inner bag is still greater than the net weight of the larger Malt-O-Meal® bag when empty.

Reasons to get excited about your Children’s Summer Break

All those months of getting up early, getting the kids ready for school and helping them with their homework have come an end.  Yep, I’m talking about your kids getting out of school for the Summer.

If you are anything like me you might have mixed feelings about what’s happening around your house right now. After all, there are definitely some perks to having our children in school all day. If you are one of those parents having mixed feelings about Summer Break…. get over it. Here are some reasons to get excited about your Children’s Summer Break.

Catch up on a little Sleep

( image by viralbus)
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When it comes to the environment and taking care of it I think I help out in an average way. I recycle cans, plastic and paper; I turn water off when brushing my teeth; I use aluminum reusable water bottles; I even run around the house turning off the lights. But, is that enough? Probably not.

On April 22nd its Earth Day. Earth Day is a day to help spread awareness about the environment and what we humans can do to protect the Earth. This is the Day that I vow to do better…. to do my part to ensure a healthy and sustainable planet for all of us. I am certainly not doing enough. But this, starting today, will change.

Earth has given me and my family so much. And, unfortunately up until now I think I have been taking much of what Earth has provided us for granted. No more…. it stops now.

My Vow to Earth on Earth Day

I love my Earth and Earth has been generous to my family. Earth provides the air we breath and the wonderful land my children play on. It feeds us and keeps on giving. But, without our part will the Earth as we know it be here for our children’s children? The thought makes me shudder. It has to be…. so I am changing my ways. How? Through many of the following Earth Day Activities that I will continue even once Earth Day has long passed.

Earth Day Activities

Plant a Garden

Not only is gardening fun for kids and the entire family, it is also a wonderful way to help the environment. Planting a garden is a terrific way to celebrate Earth Day!! We have already started our new garden earlier this month and we are loving it!!

How Planting a Garden Helps the Environment

Planting a garden is your way of helping limit the amount of fruits and vegetables that are shipped in from far away.

Plant a Tree

This is one of the Earth Day Activities that I’m most excited about taking part in with my family. Planting a Tree in your yard is something that not only will the Earth love, but you will enjoy the Tree every day you look at it. After all, it was a family Earth Day Project planted with love. It doesn’t get much better than that.

How Planting a Tree Helps the Environment

Trees help our environment in quite a few wonderful ways.

• Trees offer us oxygen
• Trees provide habitat for birds and other wildlife.
• Reduce ozone levels in urban areas

Just think, with one tree you plant you will be helping the environment in three ways. And, this is not just on Earth day, but every day.

Composting

Composting is another new activity I will be starting this Earth Day. I have never composted, but from what I understand it is very easy and an amazing way to help our Earth. Composting is taking your kitchen scraps and instead of throwing them out you put them in your garden. It is supposed to help your garden grow beautifully and like I said…. we just started our garden, so this is exactly what we need.

How does Composting Help the Environment

Composting is an all natural alternative to chemical fertilizers. The nutrients in compost support the microorganisms in the soil. Another words, the soil eats it right up and makes it the proper environment for our vegetables and plants to grow at its best.

Purchase Items with Less Packaging

Our landfills are quickly filling up. And, much of it is from the materials that the items we purchase are packaged in. So, many of these items have needless packaging… it is very upsetting.

Malt-O-Meal has bagged the box. They package their delicious cereal in just a bag instead of a bag and a box. What does this mean? It means Malt-O-Meal’s resealable bag results in 75% less consumer waste. And, my kids think they are YUMMY!!!

How does Less Packaging help the Environment

It means less garbage in our landfill which are quickly filling up.

Other Earth Day Projects

Just as important as the above four Earth Day Activities here are some other items I will be enforcing this Earth Day.

• Putting night lights on a timer - My little ones need night lights, but they don’t need to be on 24/7. Timers will ensure that the night lights are off during daytime hours.
• Be more aware of what I’m throwing away – There are so many items that can be recycled and I’m positive that I’m throwing things away that I shouldn’t be. I am vowing to be more aware and to read-up on what I should be recycling.
• Trash can become Treasures with Crafts – I had no idea all the awesome items you can make from things that I normally would throw away. Did you know that you could make secret storage boxes made from recycled books??? How Awesome is that?! There are tons of treasures you could make from recycled crafts.
• Start using environmentally safe cleaning products - There are tons of environmentally safe cleaning products out there now-a-days. Or, I could even make my very own homemade environmentally safe cleaning products. Either way, what I use will not harm my family or the environment.
• Being more aware how much bath water I use on the little ones – My little ones need their tubbies, but certainly they can manage on a little less water.
• Start hanging clothes out to dry…. great to do in this gorgeous Spring weather. - I do at least 2 loads of laundry a day. With just a little act of hanging these clothes out to dry on nice days I could save the environment a great deal of stress. I’m actually looking forward to this one…. I think it could be very relaxing.
• Start using reusable grocery bags. – This is an easy switch. I see that my grocery store sells these reusable grocery bags. I can simply keep them in my car and grab them every time I shop. Easy-Peasy-Lemon-Squeazy.

This is a hefty list, but I feel my Earth deserves my help. Earth has given me so much and I’m prepared to do my part to give back. The above are my Vows to Earth and I’m going to work hard on each….. not just on Earth Day, but every day. Would you join me?

Top image by aussiegall

Malt-O-Meal is having a Twitter Party hosted by blogger duo extraordinaire, Toni-Lynn of Delightful Chaos and Barb of The Coupon Cupboard

What’s a Twitter Party, you ask? Find out more about these fast-paced, fun online parties by clicking HERE!

We’re inviting everyone who uses Twitter to join us for an open discussion about fighting hunger in America. We’re excited to offer this unique opportunity to talk about, share & discover new ways that we can all make a difference in the lives of people in need. Prizes will be given away all hour. Each person to RSVP for this online event will receive a coupon!

• What: @MaltOMealCereal is having a Twitter Party!
• When: February 15th at 9M Eastern Standard Time (8PM CST)
• Who to Follow: @MaltOMealCereal and our generous co-hosts, @Delightful_Toni & @Chaotic_Barb.
• How to keep up: The hashtag to follow & use for this party will be: #maltomeal

CLICK HERE FOR PARTY DETAILS!

This post was generously provided by a member of the Malt-O-Meal Facebook Family. Mary-Belle is a regular Facebook conversation participant and it has been a joy getting to know her and her wonderful family online. Enjoy!

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We live in rural North Carolina.

My husband and I have nine children, with our tenth scheduled to appear in March. With a family this size, we certainly get some interesting questions from folks. I’ll try and answer some of those here, as well as give you a look inside at our daily lives.

This timely, funny and fashionable post was generously contributed by everybody’s favorite Fairy Blog Mother. Visit her blog for giveaways, great stories and more at: www.fairyblogmotherblog.com. Enjoy!

MP Godfrey
Team Malt-O-Meal

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I will never understand the fashions that kids are into these days.  For example, my daughter…wears socks on her arms.  They look like leg warmers with a notch cut out for her thumb.  Arm socks!

I was too young for leg warmers when you wore them on your legs.  And somehow I’ve been bypassed again and the kids wear them on their arms now.  I’m feeling a little ripped off here!

Ok, not really.

I like to give her a hard time about the arm socks.  We joke about them, yet she still wears them.  Oh well, I don’t really care…I just don’t get it.

What really gets me are these hairstyles where the hair hangs right in your face, in your eyes.  When I was that age I used gallons of hairspray to keep my hair as high as I could, as stiff as I could.  It

could rain and my hair wouldn’t fall.  There was absolutely nothing natural about my hair.

Eighteen years ago I had bangs that were ceiling high while the rest of my hair was pretty flat.  I wore pants that were folded over in front and then rolled up (pegged).  I wore shirts that were two or

three sizes too big.  Leg warmers were something you seen in old movies…and made fun of.

Today the kid’s hair is flat all over, hanging in their face, their pants and shirts are tight.   Leg warmers are now worn on the arms.

I know my daughter (who is 13) would KILL me if I posted a picture of her.  She’ll probably get mad for me even mentioning her in this article, but hey…I’m the Mom, what I say, goes.

But to justify this article (in her eyes, hopefully), I’ll post a picture of me…when I was her age.  To show her how ridiculous I looked eighteen years ago.  Not saying she looks ridiculous, but eighteen

years from now she may think differently. –Then maybe she’ll really laugh about the arm socks.

Fairy Blog Mother, 1991

This lovingly, rich and vibrant post was brought to us by Shal at Jasmine & Ginger. She is a daughter, mother and great blogger who is sharing a look at her life with us from her home in Hong Kong, China. Enjoy! -MPGodfrey, Team Malt-O-Meal

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My mother is a heavyweight mother. By this I mean she’s always been there – one eye on us, one eye on the pot bubbling on the cooker. She was a stay-at-home mum for most of my childhood, with a brief spell as a working mother when I was a ‘tween’. She cooked 98% of meals in our home and did most of the household chores, though as soon as my brother and I were old enough, she roped us into this task. She was the ‘bad’ cop, the one who shouted, who doled out the punishments, and the one who chased us round the dining-room table to tickle us and cuddle us.

My mother and my son.

I’m sure by today’s standards her methods of discipline would be severely frowned on, and in some places, no doubt, she would have been locked up for child cruelty. But this was back in the 80s and 90s, in Hong Kong – a place where people still smack their children’s bottom in public without people batting an eyelid. (more…)

Writing for the popular blog, http://thedomesticdiva.org, I’ve had my fair share of moments with both the “fashion do” and the “fashion don’t. But over time I’ve learned what works for me and what doesn’t when it comes to being a “hot mom”.

One Hot Mom

To Need or Not to Need

Hot, not, or indifferent, I know being a mom is never easy. We all want to be the best parents we can be, and can often equate being a good mom with sacrificing our own wants and needs when it comes to things like shopping and dressing with more than just the basics in mind. I’ve met some Moms who feel like doing ANYTHING meant just for themselves is a thing of the past since they decided to have kids. It doesn’t have to be that way. Our needs as Moms are still as important as they were before we went domestic.

The Balancing Act

While it’s no small feat, we Mom’s manage to adjust our lifestyles to make it possible (and fun!) to take good care of our little ones amongst the usual chaos of everyday life. Adjustments, concessions, and the occasional ability to leap a tall building in a single bound are often necessary when you have a family, but there is no need to adjust your personal needs into obscurity. Even if most days you feel like you should be wearing a cape.

Priorities

If being a fashionable, hot mom isn’t the highest priority in your life, you don’t need to feel selfish if you want to keep it somewhere on your lengthy list of things to do. Personally, I try to keep in mind that the better I look, the better I feel. The better I feel, the happier I am. Everyone around me seems to reap the benefits of this notion.
Don’t get me wrong! I realize that sweats and old t-shirts are usually the required attire in getting though life’s ups (vacuuming cobwebs off ceilings) and downs (scrubbing dirty toilets) but your Everyday Diva can still weigh in on what she wears when the serious heavy lifting is finally at rest for the day.

Diva Do’s & Diva Don’ts

Even those of us who are lucky enough to have found a way around staying in our sweats to clean our homes all day every day, know that if it’s not one thing it’s another. You know what I’m getting at and trust me, like many others I struggle with the fact that my body doesn’t resemble in any way what it looked like before having my children.
I’ve been told that true beauty comes from within, and I agree with that 100%. But for those of us who are interested in making a bit more of a fashion statement, here are some basics to keep in mind while dressing the outside of your Inner Diva:

Do’s:

• Do look for well-fitting, age-appropriate attire that is comfortable to you.
• Do add a little color. Scared? Start small by matching a purse or belt with your shoes.

Don’ts:

• Don’t wear frumpy clothes. You know what they look like, and they are a big NO-no!
• Don’t wear baggy, saggy or raggy duds. (-the guilty among us know who we are, so let’s stop hiding in those overly-long, overly-loose, dated numbers.)

Dollars & Sense?

High-priced clothing is expensive. Personal style isn’t. Looking great in what you wear doesn’t have to cost a lot of money. Finding clothes that look good on you is do-able even on a very limited budget. Some excellent stores to shop for exceptional fashion without breaking the bank are:

• TJMaxx or Marshallsstore where I found 3 fabulous budget friendly looks under $50.
• Kohls Department Stores have an awesome sales alert program and even better clearance prices.
• A.J.Wright a new store I recently discovered that has absolutely fantastic prices!

Read more on what I bought in The Domestic Diva archives:

1. Marhalls & TJMaxx :http://thedomesticdiva.org/blog/2009/06/08/monetary-monday-looking-fabulous-for-less-with-marshalls-and-tjmaxx/
2. Kohls: http://thedomesticdiva.org/blog/2009/05/18/monetary-monday-kohls-sales-alerts/
3. A.J. Wright: http://thedomesticdiva.org/blog/category/shopping-for-less-at-tjmaxx-and-marshalls/

Even a local Thrift Store or Goodwill can be a great place to snag some fashion finds!

http://thedomesticdiva.org/blog/2009/03/01/get-thrifty-finds-of-the-week/

Good Luck and Happy Shopping!

The Domestic Diva
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This great fashion-forward Mom post was generously provided by Heather Batts, a.k.a The Domestic Diva. Heather is a mom turned professional blogger who dishes daily about products she loves, v-logs on being a tech-savvy diva, as well as offers, how-to tips and money saving tricks for our domesticated lives.

You can read more by the Domesic Diva at: http://www.thedomesticdiva.org
Follow her on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/thedomesticdiva
Or check out her YouTube videos: http://www.youtube.com/thedomesticdiva

Best,

MP Godfrey
& Team Malt-O-Meal

I spend a part of each day reading blogs written by people who share the amazing stories of their lives with us. Sometimes the blog entries relate to Malt-O-Meal cereal directly, and sometimes not so directly. No matter how they fit in, the stories and posts featured on this blog are often as educational as they are heart-warming. One such story comes to us from a family who recently endured the lengthy process of child adoption from outside the US.

About a year ago, the Henderson’s returned from Russia with two VERY tiny, new additions to their family in-tow. Many of us know what a challenge it can be to get our picky eaters to finish what we put on their plates. This family had an entirely different version of the “picky-eater” challenge ahead of them with trying to feed two children who were severely underweight, undersized, and unfamiliar with Western food.

I must further preface this story for the readers who don’t already know that Malt-O-Meal Hot Wheat® tastes really good when prepared using the recipe on the box. Increasing the caloric content usually isn’t necessary to get adequate nutrition and flavor benefits. It’s fortified with vitamins and minerals including iron and has been approved by WIC program dietitians and kid nutrition experts in 33 States. (However, I still add a serving fruit to mine, but I’m a somewhat of a rebel.)

This blog entry from www.clutteredpantry.com was written by Mr. Henderson about 7 months ago:

” It’s been 5 months since we brought home our two new, adorable, tiny daughters from eastern Siberia. We’re so unbelievably happy to have them in our lives, and we’re even more happy that these two sisters get to stay together. That day in October, when we finally began our 18 hours of air travel home with them, they were happy, but quite small (hardly on the US growth charts) and, as they only spoke Russian, difficult to anticipate with regard to what they’d be able, or willing, to eat. Once we got home to Chicago we kind of looked at each other, looked at them, and considered how we’d reach our goals for helping them to pack on healthy weight just as quickly as possible. (more…)

You know the one.

The kid who is screeching like a banshee in public, running around like a madman and his mother chasing him going Sssshhhh! and Stop that!.  Then they think it’s funny that you’re chasing them so they run faster and farther away, crawl under something where you are unable to reach them.  Then when you do manage to drag them out from wherever, it’s chaos all over again.

I’m the Mom that other people look at with deep sympathy because they’ve been there (and are thanking their lucky stars that those days are over…or maybe they just left their kid at home?).  Or roll their eyes and give me that look.  You know THAT look that they give to THAT Mom with THAT kid.

The terrible twos really are terrible and have really been a challenge for me.  I really DON’T KNOW what to do to make my kid calm down.  I don’t know what to do to make him sit still and be good while in public.

Short of never (never!) taking him out in public again, what do I do?

• I chase him.
• I “whisper yell” at him. You all know what I’m talking about…whisper yelling. Admit it, you’ve done it.
• I bribe him. That never works either, but I always try. Just in case. I’d buy him a freakin’ pony if he just sat in the cart and didn’t yell “MINE!” to everything we passed.

That’s all I can do.  I assure you if I grab him and force him to do something he doesn’t want he will let out a deafening, eardrum-piercing shriek that will make dogs howl, babies cry and ambulances and police cars show up expecting the worst.  In fact, I’m pretty sure all of you, wherever you are, have heard my kid scream before.

And I won’t leave the store without my purchases…because that just means I have to come back and there is a 50% chance I’d have to bring him with me.  Nope.  No way.  Not gonna’ do it. We all have to suffer now and then, so all of you giving me the stink-eye are just going have to deal with it.

• If you see me at the store and I’m crying…you know why.

• If you see me at a restaurant on my hands and knees “whisper yelling”…you know why.

• If you find a screeching, shoeless toddler running around…it’s probably my kid….Thank you for retuning to my general vicinity.

Every grocery trip, restaurant visit and car ride ends with one (me) or both of us in tears…and shoeless (him).

Deep sigh. This too shall pass…hopefully.
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The time, care, and good humor given to this blog post was generously donated by our favorite “Fairy Blog Mother,” Annette Burke. Visit the Fairy Blog Mother blog for great giveaways, honest product reviews and other things that may make you question her sanity.  Enjoy!

Best,

MPGodfrey & Team Malt-O-Meal