1 caffeinated beverage per day

2 32 oz. bottles of water per day

3 supplements per day (multi-vitamin, lysine, flax seed)

4 meals per day (3 + 1 snack)

5 days of exercise per week

Sweets only on the weekend

How do you keep yourself motivated?  And your kids…how do you keep them motivated to eat healthy and be active?  I think modeling is the best way.  If my kids see me eat an extra serving of broccoli and one cookie rather than the reverse, then they are less likely to balk when I only give them 1 cookie for dessert.  Healthy food choices and an active lifestyle certainly can’t hurt me (or them)!  I’ll point you again to two of my favorite food-related blogs.  Check out Weelicious and the Tamra Davis Cooking Show to get inspired!

http://www.myspace.com/tennisinc

If you missed the Back To School bash at K.D.’s Treehouse on Saturday, you missed a good time.  There are still some great (and I mean GREAT) deals to be found there, which you can take advantage of this weekend at the Devine Street Art Stroll & Sidewalk Sale.  Saturday, August 7th. 9am - 6pm.

Mark your calendars for August 14th at 10am for the next installment of the Nickelodeon’s Family Film Series hosted by local kindie rockers, Lunch Money!  This month’s theme is Places: Africa!  The half-hour film being shown is called My Pen Pal: An African Adventure, which tells the story of a 10 year-old California girl who travels to Tanzania to meet her pen pal. Lunch Money will fill the other half hour with songs and silliness.  Join us!

Friday, August 20th is a Back to School PJ Party at Tag It Art.  Call today to reserve a space for your child(ren) while you get out for the evening.   6:30 - 9:00pm.  $26.  Space is limited.  Ages 5+

Finally, add another note on your calendar for Saturday, August 28th at 10:30am for a Matilda Jane trunk show.  These clothes look interesting and funky.  The show is open to the public.  Trunk shows are a great way to actually put your hands on clothes that you would otherwise only be able to see online.  Check it out at 1517 Heatherwood Drive, Columbia, SC 29205.  Tell them Columbi-Yeah! sent you.

Note: If you aren’t familiar with the Family Film Series, on one Saturday morning each month, Lunch Money and The Nickelodeon offer a uniquely social family hour at the movies, featuring short films, live music, and assorted silliness. Periodically the series will also showcase the best in children’s music from around the country.

• Sign up for a Tag It Art camp.  Owner Jackie Humphries is so creative and really loves working with kids.  The kid-centric art space she has created is nothing short of awesome, and her week-long art camps cover all sorts of themes that will appeal to both boys and girls.  Go!  Support local business!
• Get cupcakes from Cupcake!  Cupcakes are cute and fun to eat.  Your kids will think you are awesome when you bring home special cupcake treats.
• Go to the Nickelodeon Family Film Series Events.  Ok, I admit this one is near and dear to me, but the programming is really unique, with monthly sessions featuring interesting short films hosted by Lunch Money!  If this awesome event were in NYC, Seattle, or Chicago, the event would sell out and the line would form an hour in advance.  Don’t miss out!  Events are scheduled: June 19, July 17, August 14, September 25, November 13, and December 11.  Mark your calendars now!!!
• Shop at K.D.’s Treehouse.  Again, awesome local business with eco-friendly clothes and toys for newborn - 8 year olds.  They also carry art, jewelry, music, and some ladies’ shirts by local screen printer/crafter Emily McCravy.  Her Fox + Grapes line is…guess…awesome!
• Go to the Owens Field Skate Park!  We are so lucky to have such an awesome skate park here in Columbia!  Guess what….skating is free!  Well, free after you get your board and helmet and pads…which you can get at another awesome local business, Blue Tile Skate Shop in 5 Points.  They have a great selection of boards, which you could use to skate, or which you could use for art in your kids’ rooms.
• Use the Three Rivers Greenway!  The Greenway starts across the Blossom Street bridge with the Cayce Riverwalk, and turns into the West Columbia Riverwalk.  At the Gervais Street Bridge, you can cross over to the Riverfront Park walkway which borders the canal on the other side of the river.  You can find all the information you need to know on The River Alliance website.

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. I’ll post more suggestions in the weeks ahead. Columbia is an awesome place to live and raise kids. Get out there and take advantage of what our city has to offer!  Columbi-Yeah!

Before you go, however, you do not want to miss this month’s installment of the Nickelodeon Family Film Series starting at 10am! Here’s why:

1) The Nickelodeon is awesome!  We are so lucky to have the Nick in Columbia.  It is SC’s only non-profit art house film theatre, which means you get the opportunity to see lots of non-mainstream films. What’s more, the Nickelodeon has committed to providing unique programming opportunities for the whole family.  Once a month, the Nick hosts the Family Film Series where you can introduce your children to something besides Barney, Elmo, and Disney princesses.

2) Lunch Money is awesome!  I am going to sound like a broken record, but we are so lucky to have Lunch Money in Columbia!  Really people, to have a nationally-known and acclaimed band from Columbia… and have it be a band that makes music for kids… and have it be a really great-sounding, cool, hip, indie kids’ band… unbelievable luck!!!  Lunch Money is officially hosting the Family Film Series.  They have lots of great things in store for the attendees at the events.  Not just a regular Lunch Money show.  Don’t miss out!

3) Short films are awesome!  For the Family Film Series, the Nick is programming short films instead of full lengths.  This is a huge bonus for 3 reasons.  First, these aren’t just bring-your-kids-to-the-movies-and-let-them-zone-out-for-2-hours events.  The events will be interactive.  In my opinion, a much more enriching experience!  Second, programming short films allows Lunch Money to have half the show time!  All the Family Film Series events will run 1 hour, with short films making up half, and Lunch Money making up the other half.  So, for $5, you get movies AND a concert.  That is a major bargain!  Finally, programming shorts allows the Nick to present films from around the world, and at the same time, support independent film makers who are out there working hard to make creative, interesting films but that don’t get the main-stream budget and distribution of a big Pixar/Disney/DreamWorks film.

I really hope you will come out on Saturday and experience the Family Film Series.  The theme is Animals!  See you there!

Saturday: Women for a Fresh Start for All will be holding its second diaper drive from 9-Noon at Heathwood Park.  The items collected will be distributed to families in need.  Last October, the group collected 19,000 diapers!  They hope to double that, so bring some diapers and wipes to donate to the cause!  Great way to improve the quality of life for children right here in our State.  Bonus: Your kids can play in the park while you make your donation and meet new cool people!