Smoothies are the best way to pack your family's morning with fruits, vegetables, and other nutrients, so the day starts off right. Smoothies are also a fantastic way to watch your waistline and focus on clean eating. After two straight years of daily smoothie consumption, here are some of my best smoothie secrets:

1. A good drink takes the edge off

Start with some liquid. Favorite liquids to include (just one at a time):

Milk, Almond Milk, fresh-squeezed orange juice, mango nectar, cold-pressed apple juice, cranberry-raspberry juice, or pomegranate juice. Use versions with no sugar added and stay away from frozen concentrates when possible. In a pinch, even 1/2 cup of cold water will help things blend nicely.

1/2 cup of liquid is plenty for a single-serving smoothie. For a family-size smoothie, use 1-2 cups.

2. Totally chill

One third of the total contents in the smoothie should be frozen, whether you use ice cubes or frozen fruit. This guideline applies to any smoothie recipe (or your own invention). Below are some examples so you can see just how easy it is to reach these proportions.

To 2 cups fresh fruit and veggies (your choice) add one cup of ice before blending.

To 3 cups juice, yogurt, and fresh fruit (your choice), add 1 1/3 cup frozen fruit (your choice) before blending.

3. What they don't know won't hurt them

Sneak in some veggies into your smoothies! If you disguise the flavor, no one will complain. Spinach and kale are winners here. Stave off any bitterness in the greens with a tablespoon or two of fresh lime juice. I also enjoy carrots, celery, cucumbers, and small amounts of cabbage in my smoothies. Balance quantities and colors (see below).

4. Fiber keeps you going (so to speak)

Fiber also helps you feel fuller longer, so the mid-morning munchies don't take hold before lunch. Of course fruits and veggies are loaded with fiber. For a bigger boost, try adding a tablespoon of ground flaxseed, which is high in fiber, tastes great, and you hardly know it's there.

Other high-fiber helpers (in addition to the fruits and vegetables we recommend) are wheat germ, old-fashioned oats (great in my banana-cashew smoothie), dates (also in my banana-cashew smoothie), figs, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut flour and fresh coconut meat.

And the secret fiber addition that will make your day: cocoa!

5. Power up with protein

Cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, peanut butter or almond butter, tahini, silken tofu, chia seeds, and avocado are all good choices to add strength to every sip. When in doubt, a mild-tasting protein powder will do the trick, but beware of stealth chemicals and artificial ingredients. I also love adding nuts to some of my favorite smoothies, such as almonds and cashews, for extra protein.

6. Sweeten the deal (carefully)

You and your family are much more likely to stick to a morning smoothie routine if it actually tastes good.

Of course, the best option is to sweeten naturally with sweet fruits like bananas, pineapple, etc. But when adding something tart like greek yogurt your smoothie may require additional sweeteners. Here are some great options to help sweeten up your smoothies:

Agave

This is not low-calorie but has a low glycemic index.

Honey

Again, this is not low-calorie, but slightly sweeter than sugar and is a natural antibiotic.

Stevia

Natural, low-calorie, but looks just like sugar when you buy the powdered version. Use half as much as you would sugar. It's doubly sweet.

Don't add any sugar, not even Turbinado or raw sugar (a common ingredient in many commercially produced smoothies).

What is worse still? Artificial sweeteners. Studies show that they can actually cause weight gain:

"[A]rtificial sweeteners, precisely because they are sweet, encourage sugar craving and sugar dependence. Here, researchers showed that saccharin and aspartame both cause greater weight gain than sugar, even when the total caloric intake remains similar." And then there's that nasty aftertaste.

7. Color-coordinating will help

As an artist, this is very logical to me. A brown smoothie is unappealing and looks like the sludge from the bottom of a riverbank. If you really want to keep up the smoothie regimen, it's gotta look good as well as taste good.

Never combine elements of complementary colors (opposite colors on the color wheel you may remember from elementary school). This means too much green can ruin a red smoothie; blueberries and mango mixed together will also give you brown. The exception: bananas (although yellow on the outside) are essentially white and will go with anything. And some fruits, like blackberries, are so dense and saturated in their color that you can still add green without your smoothie going brown on you.

Here are some great colorful combinations of fruits and vegetables:

1: Oranges, bananas, pineapple, mangoes, carrots

2: Green grapes, banana, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, avocado

3: Cranberry or pomegranate juice, mixed berries, red cabbage, red grapes, red beets (proceed with caution-the flavor is pretty strong.)

You get the idea. Mix and match. Experiment a little with flavors, colors and textures, and see what works for you.

Now, go blend yourself some morning sunshine and smoothie magic!

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It was one of those days. The kind where the sun pricks and stings your skin the minute you walk out the door. It bore down like an unwelcome guest, spreading its heat and slowing me down in the process.

I was determined to get my walk in anyway. I made my way to the base of the trail and dug into each step with stubbornness and grit, ignoring the sun overhead as best I could.

Midway up, my trail joined a smaller trail offering some shade. I took the bait and stepped onto the more shady path. Immediately I was met with relief. I found myself looking ahead to the next spot of shade the trail offered and locked my sights there. I moved up shade by shade by shade.

It reminded me of a passage in the Bible where Moses is leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Exodus 13:21-22 reads, "And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, to lead them the way; and by night in a pillar of fire, to give them light; to go by day and night: He took not away the pillar of the cloud by day, nor the pillar of fire by night, from before the people."

The children of Israel wandered through the sun-parched wilderness protected by one thing: a cloud of shade. In a far-off middle-eastern desert (not too different from a hot American summer, I imagine) that shade must have brought respite, relief, comfort and rest.

That day on the trail, shade mattered more to me than anything else. It was the only thing that kept me going.

In Moses' time, I think, by sending a cloud of shade, God was trying to say to the children of Israel, "Trust me. I matter more than anything else. I'll support you. I'll sustain you. I'll keep you going in the right direction."

And, if we listen carefully, God is still doing and saying the same things today.

That passage in Exodus also says God was a pillar of fire by night. Fire is often associated with light, safety and warmth. Have an accident on a deserted road? Light a flare. Making your way home after dark? Take a flashlight. Chilly night? Light a fire in your hearth.

Today we can look to God for the same comforts: He promises to give us His light, safety and warmth.

Here are six more Bible passages to give you relief during those days when you think you can't keep going. (The first of the promised seven is the passage mentioned above, Exodus 13:21-22.)

John 14:18

"I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you."

Matthew 11:28

"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."

Acts 11:29

"Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief."

Isaiah 41:10

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Isaiah 44:16

"I am warm, I have seen the fire."

Proverbs 29:25

"Whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe."

That day, when I went searching for shade, I unwittingly was searching for God as well and thinking about His role in my life. How often are His works unseen until we pause and take notice?

I came away from my walk in the wilderness feeling guided and protected. I felt determined to look more closely for God's protection, guidance and light he places in my daily pathway.

We can see his influence everywhere if we'll only stop and look. It seems like we can only sense Him when we have a quiet heart, open to reflection. We must be still enough to notice a single cloud or single ray of light.

Said the famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, "God is in the details."

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After two months in Europe walking daily to the local market to pick up a few groceries and walking home with them in my arms, something felt vaguely wrong (and maybe even a little obscene) about driving to Costco and loading my cart with giant-sized packages of, well, everything and driving them home in my SUV.

Costco aside, I nearly always choose quality over quantity. A smaller portion of gourmet cuisine over an all-you-can-eat buffet is a no-brainer. A 5-mile walk on a beautiful trail is way more appealing to me than running a marathon. A small gathering of loved ones instead of a giant group mixer seems far more fulfilling. A small wardrobe of well-made pieces makes so much sense to me than an overstuffed closet full of trendy pieces that will quickly go out of style. And quality time is my love language.

But my dad told me a story that sheds a different light. He said one of his art-professor colleagues decided to grade one class purely on quantity. He literally had them draw and paint like crazy with no evaluation whatsoever beyond the sheer weight of their stack of work at the end of the semester. In the other class he assigned just one project to work on and perfect all semester along.

Amazingly, at the end of the semester, the quantity group far outweighed the single-project group not just in pounds but also in terms of quality. Quantity actually produced quality.

To underscore this theory, take Britain's greatest painter J.M.W. Turner. He donated all his work in a bequest to the Tate Britain museum in London. I loved wandering through the museum's entire wing dedicated to his work, marveling at masterpiece after masterpiece. But I was completely blown away when I discovered they have another 30,000 of his originals in the Prints and Drawings room that they don't even have room to display. That was not a typo. There are 30,000 more. No wonder he was and is Britain's best.

I started thinking about other aspects of my life where insisting on quality was hampering my productivity. Two days before my daughter's wedding, my mother-in-law came down to help with some ironing.

She was amazing. She burned through our pile of clothes so fast I could hardly believe it. When I looked at some of the pieces, there were little spots that were missed, a misplaced crease here or there, but the end result was more than a dozen pieces hanging on hangers and ready to go. A feat that might have taken me the entire day or burned me out altogether, she had accomplished in under three hours!

I also thought about our family's study abroad in Europe. We were together 24/7 for two straight months. It sounds like a bit much - especially to our teenage son, I'm sure - and, yet, this quantity of time together granted us some extraordinary, life-changing quality time. I also realized that the quantity of time we spent in London gave us the opportunity to live like locals and see parts of the country most tourists would never have time to explore with that kind of depth.

I remembered other opportunities when spending a lot of time with the kids - long car rides or working together on a big project, for example - afforded us some quality teaching moments.

I'll still choose the smaller portion of beautifully prepared food over the big buffet every time. And while I may pick up a large quantity of T-shirts at Target, I'd rather have two nice dresses than a bunch of cheap ones. But in cases of my work, time with loved ones and other similar scenarios, I'm giving a little more credence and respect to the magic of quantity and how it creates quality ... almost without even trying.

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The other day, my newly married daughter asked me a question: "Mom, how did you get to be such a good cook?" I think she's seeing that part of her future coming into view, and may be panicking just a little.

"It started right after we got married and moved to Los Angeles," I told her. "I was crazy in love with your dad, and thought he deserved to eat like a king, so I was determined to feed him like one." She laughed. "At the time I only knew how to make three or four good meals, but that was about it. Those wouldn't last me long without endless repetition. I needed to learn how to cook, and fast!" My daughter was pretty entertained at that point. I continued my story.

I signed up for the Cookbook-of-the-Month club, and when Jeff was working late at school, I'd stay up and read cookbooks at night. I got so I could almost read them like a novel, envisioning what each combination of flavors might taste like. I kept asking myself...what would he enjoy?

I walked to the little grocery store by our house and hand-picked fresh produce that would keep us under budget. And I practiced. A LOT. We started hosting what Jeff liked to call "production dinners" at our house every Sunday, with a different set of guests each time, and spent most Saturday nights cooking together in our small kitchen, prepping for the next day's big meal.

Have you figured out my secret ingredient? Keep reading....

Back when I was in college I had a roommate who would make the simplest food, but it always tasted so good. One day I asked her the same question my daughter asked me: "What makes you such a good cook? How does everything you make taste so good?" She was from Venezuela, and I have to admit I expected her to reveal some secret spice she brought from home. The answer surprised me. And has stayed with me ever since.

"Ya sabes," she explained in her native Spanish. "Es que siempre cocino con amor!" Translation: "You already know. It's because I always cook with love."

I realized it was the same answer my grandma gave me when I asked her to teach me how to cook. She gave me a beautiful little wooden roll-top recipe file, where she had carefully handwritten many of my favorite foods on decorated 3 x 5 cards for me to save. But then she told me that the most important ingredient to each recipe was love.

After 28 years of marriage, I've spent well over 10,000 hours in the kitchen...enough to qualify me as an expert by now. And I can attest that the answer is still true. The most important ingredient in any meal is the love with which you prepare it. It holds a kind of magic that transforms the simplest of foods into the most satisfying meals. It is powerful.

Just the other day I stopped in at my mother-in-law's house after teaching a class, and she offered to make me a chicken sandwich. How could I say no to that? In minutes she had pulled together a simple open-face sandwich on whole wheat bread, topped with mayo, rotisserie chicken and avocado (plus a few turns of the grinder of salt and pepper). It tasted amazing! (See a version of the recipe here).

That weekend I wrote to my daughter, "How is it that food always tastes the best at Grandmother's house?" And then I caught myself, and smiled, because I already knew the answer. That secret ingredient, which grandmothers have perfected over a lifetime, is simply LOVE.

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Sometimes a girl's gotta shop! But sometimes (most of the time) trying things on in-store is more irritating than fun.

My mother-in-law has handled this dilemma with amazing expertise. She'd walk into Nordstrom, buy five pairs of shoes, take them home, try them all on, see which pair best matched the clothes in her closet, then take four back. Easy, right?

It turns out this technique takes more skill than you realize. When I reached the point in my first pregnancy when suddenly none of my clothes fit, I needed a whole new professional wardrobe right away.

At the suggestion of my mother-in-law, I went to A Pea in the Pod, a pricey maternity store in West Los Angeles. I was amazed at how helpful the staff was. They showed me how their pieces were designed to work during and after pregnancy, and allowed me to try on the clothes using different sizes of tie-on pillows to simulate different stages of pregnancy and what they would look like. It was all so wonderful and practical and fashionable and amazing, I had a hard time deciding. So I purchased several outfits and decided to let my husband cast the deciding vote.

Imagine my chagrin when I tried them all on at home, then looked more carefully at the $600-plus sales receipt and discovered returns would be accepted for store credit only! I had just made a gigantic error that had cost us more than our entire monthly grocery budget!

Thankfully, my husband was patient and understanding. I picked up some freelance jobs. And I wore the (super cute) clothes through all four pregnancies. But I learned some good lessons about buying with the intent to return:

• Always ask about and understand their return/exchange policy before making your purchase.

• Keep your receipts!

• Be certain you know the return dates - and consider writing them down. The window for returns can range from 7 to 90 days. Whatever it is, don't get caught holding the bag!

• Don't buy anything you already know you're going to return. Save yourself the trouble and leave it in the store where it belongs.

• Only wear shoes you're deciding on inside the house - as soon as you wear them outside you can't return them.

• Only buy what you can afford to cover on your debit or credit card - the refund might not make it back before the close of your billing cycle.

• Watch for store markdowns. Don't be afraid to return and repurchase if an item you bought goes on sale later.

Last spring I had to buy a nice dress for a wedding. With little time to shop, I binged. I purchased over $1000 worth of dresses and shoes in various sizes online. At home I carefully tried on each one in a variety of lightings and at different times of day. I asked my husband's opinion on each item, settled on one dress and sent the rest back. I was thrilled to see the $900-plus refund appear in my bank account.

Just beware that this is an art. Proceed with caution. And if the habit ever gets out of control, seek appropriate help.

The post The genius solution for when you hate trying on clothes in-store appeared first on FamilyToday.

Whip up a morning smoothie

Start the day off right with a healthy dose of fruit, veggies and protein.

Choose whole grains

Ideally your carb choices will be 100% whole grain. There are so many options available: oats, barley, rye, quinoa, brown rice and more. Sourdough is also allowable-the enzymes create improved digestion and the advantages compensate for the white flour.

Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily

(See the first point for an easy way to achieve this.) Go for a variety of colors and flavors and textures. In today's world our choices are almost unlimited.

Eat at least 3-5 servings of healthy proteins daily

There are so many healthy protein options too: eggs, yogurt, whey, cheese, beans, lentils, nuts, cottage cheese, lean meats, seafood and more.

Drink more water

We've all heard you should drink 8 glasses or 64 ounces of water per day. More recently, however, I've read you should drink 1/2 of your weight in ounces of water daily. So, a 120-pound woman needs 60 ounces and a 200-pound man needs 100 ounces. Others even suggest we should be drinking 2/3 of our weight in ounces of water. However, if this is more than your current intake, I suggest you increase the amount slowly.

Take the stairs

I do this all the time and usually beat the elevator. It's boring to stand there and wait, then stand inside and wait some more. Unless you're carrying unwieldy luggage, why not just take the stairs and increase your activity level? Every little bit counts.

Exercise 6 days a week

God himself rested on Day 7, and so should you. It gives your body a chance to rebuild and restore as well as rest. If you haven't been active, start with 3 days a week and work your way up to 6, but make it a part of your daily routine, not a daily decision. And mix it up a bit: weights, cardio, sports, walks and the list can go on.

Stop eating at 8 p.m

(or twelve hours before breakfast)

This eliminates the habit of midnight snacking. And, recent research has shown this habit also improves your memory.

Snack

We're not talking about a Big Gulp and Doritos; we're talking about grape tomatoes, mozzarella and Triscuits or celery and peanut butter or a banana and a small handful of cashews. You get the idea. Giving your body a boost between meals helps stave off hunger pangs and keeps you in control.

Honor cravings

This is the key that really works for me. I have failed at a number of diets, but with this one simple habit I've kept the weight off: If you're craving chocolate (or whatever your dieting vice is), allow yourself a helping but keep the serving size to 100 calories. Don't demonize any foods but allow no more than 2 cheats a week.

Get more sleep

Sleep more than 6 hours a night. Most doctors recommend 7 to 9 hours for adults. A good night's rest does wonders for your breathing, your heart, your emotions as well as your energy level.

Honor the mind-body-spirit connection

Your mind and spirit are inseparably connected to your body. It's amazing what prayer, meditation, and reading scriptures or other uplifting books can do for your health and wellbeing. Additionally, fostering gratitude and forgiveness in your life can offer you true peace and contentment.

The post 12 easy health habits to start now appeared first on FamilyToday.

Growing up, I saw myself as a teacher, artist, musician, writer and even a dancer. But not as a mother.

Motherhood didn't seem very rewarding or exciting. My mom worked long hours taking care of her five kids, putting dinner on the table every night and just keeping the household chaos at bay. I dreamed of bigger and better things.

Especially in my teenage years, when mom put fashion behind function and sacrifice above the spotlight, I failed to see the power of the work she accomplished at home. An occupation that required one to reach into a clogged sink to push leftover food particles down the disposal seemed far from desirable. So I chose an exciting career in the arts instead.

I carried out my plan, pursued an education, got a prestigious job as an art director and bought a grand piano and a sports car. I had it made! I remember driving to work in my new car one day thinking, "I wouldn't trade my life right now for anything!" Then I passed a young couple strolling through the park, pushing a baby in a stroller, and the thought came to me, completely unexpectedly: "Yes, I would."

Since that day, I've opened my own business, presented in boardrooms, seen my products on store shelves, rubbed shoulders with celebrities and even pulled down a six-figure income. I've also married the man of my dreams, given birth to four children and changed over 4,000 diapers.

What I didn't know then - that I do know now - is there is nothing better than motherhood, even during its least glamorous and most trying times.

What I didn't see throughout my teenage years was the size of my mother's heart or the honor it accumulated with each task, day and moment of motherhood. I didn't see the ways the addition of each child and the serving of each child made her heart grow larger and deeper and stronger and richer. I didn't realize that every time she cleaned up a child's vomit or listened to me rant about a problem at school, she was bedazzling her own soul with precious gems. I also didn't realize she was experiencing a joy in this process. I didn't yet understand.

What I also now know is there is no career more challenging than motherhood. I have a friend who tells his wife on his way out the door to work, "Bye, Honey, I'm taking the day off!" because he knows her job is, in reality, harder than his.

But there is also no career more rewarding than motherhood. I spent years working my dream job in a place many consider a dream world (Southern California), and I can tell you none of it - the honors, awards, money, excitement - compares to the rewards of being a mother.

Christie Gardiner, my colleague on The Living Room, wrote "All the disposable income in the world won't make up for the honor of powdering and diapering a bottom the size of your palm."

Beautifully put and so true! Nothing compares to the sweetness of a child's kiss or the joy of a baby's laugh. Nothing compares to watching your child march across a stage at graduation or down the aisle at a wedding. Nothing compares to the way your heart expands to take in and embrace a brand new person. Nothing compares to helping a child grow and develop.

Motherhood enriches us from the inside out. It is opposite to the superficial ways society seeks after riches and honor. It challenges us and makes us stronger. It also provides a profound joy that continues to blossom and radiate throughout a lifetime.

I wouldn't trade the opportunity, sacrifice, service, love or rewards of motherhood for anything.

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You've likely heard of the 80/20 rule: 20% of the people do 80% of the work. But this is something altogether different. 80 + 20 = 100. 90 + 20 = 110. Like it or not, there are times when life requires 110% of what you have to give. The 90/20 rule is my formula for sustained, focused work over an extended period of time without sacrificing health or sanity.

Dr. Rona Schwarz, a Los Angeles-area psychologist, conducted her Master's Degree in sleep psychology. She learned that the body renews itself in 90-minute cycles and that the cells themselves grow and regenerate in 90-minute cycles. The body also sleeps in 90-minute cycles. Based on this information, Dr. Schwarz has theorized that the body can only maintain optimum focus on a given task for those same 90 minutes, and then requires a 20-minute break to rejuvenate.

The 20 minutes of rest are important, because it keeps your body from falling into a deeper sleep. And it doesn't need to be sleep. Your break can be anything relaxing to you that gives your mind and your body a rest.

After learning of this theory, I put the 90/20 rule to the test. I am an artist, and one summer I faced the impossible task of creating 23 paintings in just under two weeks in order to meet a publication deadline. (I need to clarify here that up until this point, 23 paintings was more than I usually completed in an entire year.) I realized I had to create two paintings a day just to keep up.

In order to accomplish this, I simplified my life down to the barest details, kept up my exercise routine, enlisted a group of friends to pray for me, and set to work. I painted 12 hours a day, six days a week, working in these 90-minute cycles and taking 20 minute breaks in between (allowing a little longer for mealtimes). I went to bed at 11 o'clock every night. I never wore out, I never burned out, and I finished all 23 paintings in time. The day after I finished, I got up early in the morning and ran a 5K. That's how I realized the 90/20 rule really works!

Although I do occasionally have to work this steadily when I'm preparing for an art show, I don't always have looming paint deadlines. But what I do have, that all of us have, are other arduous tasks. I find this especially useful when I have something unpleasant to accomplish, like preparing the information for our tax returns. This takes me days on end. But following the 90/20 rule I can accomplish it without too much suffering.

In order to take full advantage, Dr. Schwarz recommends pre-selecting what you'll do on your 20-minute break, so you don't whittle away your valuable break time deciding what to do. Know in advance that you're going to take a power nap, flip through a magazine, or walk the dog around the block. It really doesn't matter what you do, as long as it's giving your mind a change of scenery and a healthy opportunity to recharge. Sometimes my 20 minute "break" was folding laundry with a movie in the background. But it was enough to take my mind off the deadline so I could go back to my work re-energized and refocused.

The next time you face a big deadline, an arduous household chore, or anything else potentially taxing, consider using the 90/20 rule. Require yourself to perform 90 minutes of sustained, focused work, and then allow yourself a 20-minute break. To begin with, I used to set a timer every 90 minutes. Now my body and mind naturally seem to know when it's time for a break. Honor that. Give yourself a rest. You'll return to your work revitalized. You'll be able to accomplish 110% of what you thought you were capable. You'll be amazed.

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I learned this lesson a long time ago when shopping with my mom. We went to the grocery store with fistfuls of coupons and dutifully hunted down every item we had a coupon for. We loaded up the cart with spaghetti sauce, snack foods and soups, each of which might "save" us another 25 cents. When we checked out, the bill was DOUBLE our normal weekly expenditure. Why? Wasn't each item supposed to save us money? We had in fact purchased things we didn't need, maybe didn't even want, just so we could use the coupon. We bought unhealthy packaged foods that could have been prepared more nutritiously-and economically-from home. The coupons cost us far more than they saved.

Coupons are not free money; they are advertisements. They are created to suck you in, to trick you into buying something that wasn't on your list. I have some simpler, easier and healthier ways to save money on groceries. Read on.

Dine in

Even the simplest food is more nutritious and cost-effective when prepared at home. Consider this. A sandwich at a local restaurant is about $8.79 + tax (and gas to get you there and back). A similar sandwich prepared at home with bread, meat, cheese, lettuce and veggies is less than $9.00 for the total cost of ingredients, but it serves four to six rather than one! So the cost per serving for a homemade sandwich is $2.25.

Cook from scratch

Avoid the center of the grocery store. Produce and bakery items are usually on the sides of the store, with meat, eggs and dairy at the back. In the center is where all the packaged, processed and pricey items hang out. Avoid them. Pick up the produce, do a little chopping and save both money and calories. If you're especially handy, bake your own french bread from scratch like my sister regularly does. It is amazingly delicious and costs just pennies a loaf.

Eat leftovers

Every night after dinner if there's a little something leftover I package it up and pop it in the fridge for tomorrow's lunch. Average cost of lunch out? $5.00. Cost of my leftovers? FREE.

Get soaking

Dried beans and lentils have fabulous nutrients and copious amounts of fiber. The most inexpensive way to add these to your meals is to purchase them dry (rather than canned) and soak them overnight. Most also offer a rapid-soak method, which requires only a rapid boil and a one-hour simmer instead of an overnight soak.

Use in-store coupons

Okay, so there is one exception: in-store coupons. If I stumble across a coupon when I'm reaching for the item at the grocer's, I absolutely use it. It's not tricking me into something I don't need because I already intended to purchase it when I saw the coupon. Pluck and use these. Most recently I have done this with whole grain pasta (Target) and with shredded cheese, cottage cheese and sour cream (our neighborhood grocer). These are completely harmless.

Throw away the coupons

This may hurt a little at first. But you'll get used to it. And you'll love the extra space in your drawers and your wallet where the coupons used to hang out-places you could stash some cash instead. I have even experimented with coupon clubs fairly recently, and while there is a brief thrill that comes from seeing a large "amount saved" at the bottom of the receipt, most of those items end up sitting unused on the pantry shelf. (I recently discarded something that had been there for six years!)

Once in a while there's a great one, but the sad truth is coupons are advertisements. And when you use one, you've fallen prey to their tactics. There are usually no coupons for the items you and your body truly need. How often do you see a coupon that reads, "Tomatoes-25 cents off per pound"? Never. "Celery-buy one get one free"? Nope.

Order home-delivered groceries

This final suggestion probably sounds completely radical. When I order my groceries online and have them delivered to our home weekly, there is a nominal delivery fee, but compared to what we might end up spending on impulse purchases by multiple grocery-store runs, I'm convinced we still come out ahead on this one. It gives me greater control over our weekly expenditures. It's the exact opposite of coupon-shopping. And everyone loves our dairy-fresh milk!

The post Why I don’t use coupons and neither should you appeared first on FamilyToday.

We raise Shetland sheepdogs (miniature collies or shelties). They are the fluffiest, most loyal friends, bred to herd and protect the flock. It didn't take me long to realize that these loving creatures could teach me a lot about parenting.

1. Wake everybody up with wet, sloppy kisses

OK, not as sloppy as the dogs'; but I do think waking everyone affectionately gets the family off to a great start in the morning.

2. Circle the house periodically to make sure your loved ones are all safe and accounted for

I was amazed when I first realized the dogs were doing this. They just make the rounds occasionally - upstairs and down - to check on every member of the family. Great advice for a mom.

3. Freak out if someone escapes without telling you

This is where the herding instinct really comes in handy. If a child slips outside without permission, the dogs will alert me. While I don't necessarily recommend "freaking out," it's important to keep your radar fine-tuned to windows and doors, the garage opening and closing, and other signs of flight - this is as important with teens as it is with toddlers.

4. Make sure your bark is worse than your bite

Our dogs bark loudly and excitedly - but it's just an upbeat alert. It's enough to scare off an intruder, but they don't bite (unless in gentle play, or if genuinely threatened). If our voices provide firm alerts coupled with kindness, we're parenting the sheltie way.

5. Gather the whole family for mealtimes and activities

The dogs will merrily make their way through the house to gather the family for meals and other activities. They are the most inclusive creatures and are very dutiful about making sure everyone is included. All parents should be enthusiastic gatherers.

6. Look back over your shoulder to be sure they're still following you

When the doorbell rings, the dogs come get me, and lead me toward the door, stopping now and then to make sure I'm still following. This checking-up tactic is a great technique for parents as well; whether stopping to make sure they're still on track with their homework, or looking to see if they're following our example, don't just assume they're with you. Vigilance is a must.

7. Tolerate LOTS of chaos and silliness

The dogs are teaching me to go with the flow a little more often. Rather than shush or scold, the dogs will jump right in and join in the fun and merriment. The sheltie way is a lot more fun than the tired-mom way.

8. Good-naturedly allow everyone in the family to love you to pieces

We could call this the Velveteen Rabbit principle. Whether a good-natured tussle or some over-exuberant affection, our dogs put up with a lot. What mom couldn't improve a little family time by rolling around on the floor with her toddlers - or taking a big bear hug from her teenage boy ... and being more patient in the process?

9. If somebody wants to be with you, don't let anything else interfere

If you come over to pet the dogs, they will sit down and give their full attention. They soak up the love, as if no one in the world exists but you. This, too, is great advice for parents. Paul Clement, PhD, a child psychologist, recommends devoting some undivided "special time" for each child every day.

10. When somebody's sick, sit vigilantly by their side

One day when I was home with the flu and couldn't get out of bed, our sheltie came and sat by the bed for an entire day, occasionally lifting her head to lick my hand. Such loving attention won my heart — and taught me by example.

11. ... and the same goes for when somebody's sad

Each of our kids has been comforted by our dogs. I've even had them respond to my own quiet sobs when no one else was aware of them. Mothers, too, should fine-tune their sadness radar and soothing skills.

12. Run to the door with joy whenever someone comes home

Whether jumping excitedly or wagging their tails with delight, our shelties are amazing at showing their joy when we come home. While I may not wiggle my bottom when someone walks in the door, I am consciously upping my game, welcoming each person with affection and joy.

13. Take advantage of every opportunity to snuggle

If someone sits down on the couch, join them. Try to position yourself in such a way that at least one part of you is touching.

14. Play with the kids, indoors and out

Our dogs are always game for a round of tennis-ball fetch, tag or any other kind of play, both inside and outdoors. I'm trying to incorporate more indoor and outdoor play into my day as well.

15. Be gentle

Yes.

16. Take naps

This tip alone can cure so many headaches and bad moods.

17. Listen intently (even if you don't understand a word they're saying)

Our shelties look right at us, perk up their ears, and tip their heads to one side whenever we talk to them. They want you to know they're listening carefully. We can give our kids this kind of undivided attention.

18. Maintain a ready sense of adventure at all times

Whenever I ask, "Who wants to go on a walk?" the dogs are the first to come sit down and wait for me to grab the leash. We should all be as willing to join any invitation.

19. Give everybody a luxuriant bedtime pedicure

Our sheltie, Sawyer, is the sweetest giver of spa treatments. He will lovingly lick your feet for minutes on end. It doesn't have to be a pedicure; but any mom who masters a few spa treatments to offer her family will be much appreciated.

20. Most important of all, be forgiving

When people forget about you, hurt your feelings, leave you out and maybe even step on your toes a little ... love them anyway.

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