Platform Tennis is an American racquet sport enjoyed by thousands of people of all ages. It is the only racquet sport that players can enjoy outdoors in cold weather. This unique appeal attracts people who desire fresh air, competition, and social engagement – all on a chilly winter’s night.

Because it is easy to learn, platform tennis is enjoyed by players as young as eight and as old as old bones allow!

Waterford Oaks County Park kicks off the platform tennis season with open houses where interested participants can play for free.

The platform tennis open houses will be held Oct. 13, 19 and 25 at 7 p.m.

“Attendees can get out there on the courts to see if they have a feel for the game and if interested in giving it a try,” Betsy Hodges, platform tennis volunteer, said.

Racquets and tennis balls will be provided at the open house. Attendees are encouraged to dress in layers for the outdoor event.

The platform tennis season runs from late October to mid-April on two platform tennis courts located near the Paradise Peninsula Playscape at Waterford Oaks. Games can be played in any weather. Heaters under the decks melt the snow in the winter.

Leagues begin the week of Oct. 24, and mixers are held the second Thursday of every month from November through February at 7 p.m.

“We encourage people to come out and see what the courts are like. It’s a nice way to spend winter days in Michigan and get outside,” Hodges said.

Waterford Oaks County Park is located at 2800 Watkins Lake Road in Waterford.

For more information about Waterford Oaks Platform Tennis, contact Betsy Hodges at 248.892.0580 or visit Destination Oakland.

Kumon, the world’s largest after-school math and reading enrichment program, will be offering open houses and a chance to win one of 12 Kumon Tuition Scholarships, valued at $2,000.00.

WHO: Participating Kumon Math & Reading Centers in the Northeast Region CT, DE, KY, ME, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and VT)

WHAT: The “Kumon Scholarship Sweepstakes” is taking place throughout the month of October, and will award 12 students with $2,000 Kumon Tuition Scholarships. Participating centers will be hosting Educational Open House Events where all families are welcome to attend and fill out an entry form for the contest. Families will also have the opportunity to learn how Kumon’s enrichment program for children ranging from preschool to high school prepares students for high school, college and beyond.

WHEN: The Sweepstakes will be taking place throughout the month of October.

Open House Events: Saturday, October 8, 2011 & Saturday, October 15, 2011 (Times will vary)

WHERE: Participating Kumon Math & Reading Centers. To find a center near you visit:

http://www.kumon.com/GetStarted/FindACenter.aspx

WHY: Enter the Kumon Scholarship Sweepstakes and give your child the gift of education that will last a lifetime. Sign-up for a free-placement test, receive educational information to help your child advance his or her skills in math and reading, and develop a love of learning through the Kumon Method of learning.

CONTEST DETAILS:

No purchase necessary. Sweepstakes only open to legal residents of CT, DE, KY, ME, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and VT who are 13 years and older. Ends 10/31/11. To enter and for official rules—including odds and prize descriptions—visit a participating Kumon Learning Center. Void where prohibited.

The Brooksie Way Annual Half Marathon & 5k will take place on October 2nd at 8:00 AM.

One of Oakland County’s premier quality of life events, this race was launched by County Executive L. Brooks Patterson with Crim Fitness Foundation to promote Oakland County and encourage people to become more physically active.

Race proceeds will be used for health related programs and activities like the Oakland County Count Your Steps program.

This year’s race will take place on October 2nd at 8:00 AM.  The Half-Marathon route is charted through Rochester & Rochester Hills, covering both the Clinton River Trail and the Paint Creek Trail.  The 5k is open to both runners & walkers and will take place at Oakland University.

There is a special invitation for Middle School children to run or walk in the 5k; all middle school students can register for free AND receive a free T-Shirt.

For more information, or to register, please visit the Brooksie Way website before September 30th.

Today we celebrated the birthday of three family members, as well as Mother’s Day for my mom. There was a grocery-store-bought cake with frosting just screaming my name from across the table. I felt sort of guilty so I rounded out my over-sized portion with Carb Master ice cream instead of the name-brand I wanted. And it was completely unsatisfying. Give me something with some big chocolate chunks and 18 percent butterfat. Give me Graeter’s Ice Cream.

Graeter's Ice Cream set up a booth with Kroger at the International Women's Show.

For the last 140 years, Graeter’s Ice Cream has been a staple in the Cincinnati, Ohio area. According to Vice President of Sales and Marketing George Denman, families throughout that area came to know and love Graeter’s because it’s been hand-made since day one. Even now, the ice cream is created in 2.5 gallon batches inside French pots, just like Great-Great-Grandma Graeter used to make it.  The ice cream is then hand-packed by a master artisan into 16 oz containers, which are weighted and measured before they are packaged to ship or serve.

And it’s ice cream. There are no artificial ingredients. In fact, Graeter’s won’t even produce a low-fat or low-sugar option, because it’s just not what Graeter’s customers expect when it comes to taste. Each batch is churned with cream and a special recipe of dark chocolate is poured over the frozen cream. Once it hardens, Graeter’s uses a paddle to break it up randomly, creating varying sizes of chocolate chunks.

“This is the Ferrari or Rolls Royce of ice cream,” Denman said. Celebrities such as Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker and even United States Presidents have enjoyed Graeter’s. “This product is high in calories and high in fat, but this is what ice cream is supposed to be.”

Graeter’s previously kept all operations in one factory and would ship out custom orders around the country. Packed in dry-ice, the rush-delivery could be shipped to anyone in any state. However, last year, Kroger approached Graeter’s and encouraged the company to build more factories around the country in the grocery-chain would carry the product in stores.

Graeter's Ice Cream was amazing, but the sample cups were too small. This was the double chocolate chip.

So that is what they did.

In the last 16 months, Graeter’s went from four states to 41 states and can be purchased at Kroger, Meijer and Whole Foods. Recently, Graeter’s came out to the International Women’s Show at the Suburban Collection Showplace to give out some samples and allow customers to try a bit of the ice-cream goodness. I did and I was hooked.

One bit and I could tell the chunks were dark chocolate, which is my absolutely favorite. They had chocolate chip, double chocolate chip and black raspberry chocolate chip available for sample. All were delicious. I was just disappointed the samples weren’t a little larger.

The ice cream costs $4.99 a pint and offers very few coupons in sale papers, however, the Kroger Plus Card members may see coupons for Graeter’s in the future and the company’s Facebook fans can earn coupons through online initiatives Graeter’s plans to offer.

I’m not one to buy name-brand products, as I mention in my post about the Purex Crystals, but you can’t screw around with ice cream. And, if you are going to have ice cream, why not treat yourself to less of the best than a lot of the gross “ice cream” that costs less or is healthier? If there is such a thing as healthy ice cream.

And now the fine print: Graeter’s paid my admission to the International Women’s Show so I could test out the ice cream. I had a sample (okay, maybe two) but those were available to every body.

In order to run safely and comfortably in the winter, it is essential to have the right gear to not only stay safe, but also to enjoy your winter runs.  After getting all the gear, it took me a coupla of weeks to mentally prepare for the cold.  I think that was the hardest part!  After finally getting over the thought of being cold and gearing up in my cold weather gear, I went and ran 3 miles and it was AWESOME!

Here are the items I suggest you have in order to enjoy running in the cold winter months where it snows and has freezing temperatures:

• Lip Balm- Protecting against the elements is a must!  I use Dermalogica Climate Control lip balm and I swear by it’s ability to moisturize dry lips! I have used many lip balms and this is by far my favorite!
• Head Gear- Sometimes I wear a beanie to keep my head warm, but sometimes it’s really cold and I want to protect my ears as well, so I purchased a headband that covers my ears for added protection.
• Upper Body Gear- I purchased the Nike Pro Combat Dri-Fit mock top that I wear under a North Face jacket and if it’s really cold, I wear another fleece jacket over the Dri-Fit mock and under the North Face jacket.  The mock is made to keep you warm and pull the sweat away from your skin.
• Lower Body Gear- I purchased the Nike Pro Combat Dri-Fit pants and wear those under a pair of boot cut workout pants.  They keep my legs warm and I don’t feel bogged down by thick sweats.
• Moisturizer- I have experienced very dry skin since I moved from Southern California to Michigan.  Before running, I put some Dermalogica moisturizer on my face to protect it from the cold air.
• Foot Gear-  Scared of slipping and sliding on the snow and ice?  So was I until I was recommended YakTrax Pro.  They slip over your regular running shoes and give you traction on the icy sidewalks and other icy surfaces so your feel confident and enjoy your run.
• Gloves- I have a great pair of North Face gloves I wear when running.  Sometimes I’ll get a bit warm and when that happens, I just clip my gloves onto my jacket and keep going.
• Music-  Some people enjoy taking in the sounds around them as they run.  I like to let my mind wander and sing along to tunes as I run.  My favorite running iPhone application is Mix Tapes by Ryan Seacrest.  There are tons of different types of music “mix tapes” to listen to.  While running, I like to listen to Today’s Soft Rock or Today’s Hits.  The music gets me going!

Now that you know what to wear when running in the freezing cold, there really is no reason not to run in the winter.

Now, gear up and RUN!!!!

World-famous economist and New York Times bestselling author, Paul Zane Pilzer, in his book The Next Millionaires, says that in the next 10 years there will be 10 million new millionaires.  Why can’t you be one of them?  These millionaires will be home-based entrepreneurs, in the direct-selling industry, have a presence on the internet, or in the wellness industry.

As a MonaVie®  independent distributor, you are able to take advantage of all these.  MonaVie®  blends the Brazilian açai berry with 18 other body-beneficial fruits to support your body’s antioxidant and nutritional needs.  These world-class products are consumed by top athletes and professional sports teams and featured on major talk shows.   The nutritional power of the products blended with the unparalleled business opportunity will allow you to take advantage of the trillion dollar health and wellness industry.

Not sure about your financial security in this troubled economy?  Start achieving renewed health and wealth by enjoying and sharing MonaVie®.  Visit http://drink2yourhealth.net or contact amishaam@yahoo.com for more information about the products and business opportunity.

Drink to Your Health

Do you or your children get the recommended 5-7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day?  If not, check out MonaVie® all-natural, functional food beverages.  MonaVie®  blends the Brazilian açai berry with 18 other body-beneficial fruits to support your body’s antioxidant and nutritional needs.  Two ounces in the morning and two in the evening is all you need to get the antioxidant capacity of 13 servings of fruits and vegetables.

Whether you’re interested in joint health, heart health, improving immunity, or improving your energy and overall well-being, we have the right juice for you.  These world-class products are consumed by top athletes and professional sports teams and featured on major talk shows.   Forget about fast-food and get into fast-fruit for a healthier you.  http://drink2yourhealth.net or contact amishaam@yahoo.com for more information about the products and business opportunity.

Keeping kids away from tempting unhealthy snacks is certainly a challenge.  They go to school and the kid next to them at the lunch table has a bag of Doritos, a ding dong and a can of soda…yuck!  How on earth do you beat those flavorful snacks when trying to aim for healthy snacks your kids will enjoy?

I got the opportunity to try Pop Chips and I am hooked!  They are all natural, popped chips that are full of flavor!

• no preservatives
• no artificial flavors or colors
• no cholesterol
• 0 grams saturated fat
• 0 grams trans fat
• no gluten ingredients

Basically, to me, they are the perfect chip, so I’m hooked not only as a mom, but as a consumer as well!  Talk about t-a-s-t-e-y!!!!!

The Nesquik 4 –pack is perfect for school lunches!  The chocolate milk has the same great taste but is now available in shelf-stable packaging, meaning no refrigeration necessary! I love this because I don’t have to worry that it might spoil by the time lunch starts or if my daughter decides she isn’t thirsty for it.  It is perfect for the lunch box or gym bag.

• no refrigeration required
• 40% of recommended daily value of calcium per bottle
• no high fructose corn syrup or other artificial sweeteners
• made with real milk and no preservatives
• recyclable packaging
• 8 grams of protein per 8 oz. serving

My girls love fruit strips, but most are made with artificial flavors and colors and high fructose corn syrup.  I will not buy them.  I did come across a healthier version by the Stretch Island Fruit Co. that have a 1/2 serving of fruit in each strip.  My girls loved them and again I can rest assured that they are eating food that a healthy substitute to the junk their friends are bringing to the lunch room.

• 1/2 serving of fruit

• All-natural, nothing artificial

• All sugar comes naturally from fruit

• 45 calories

These are just a few new items I have recently tried that I thought might be nice alternatives to the unhealthy, but tempting snacks you see on the store shelves or that your children might be seeing in their classmates lunches.

Disclosure: I was sent all of the products listed above to review.  All opinions are mine and are not influenced by anyone or anything.

I’ve got the girls six month dentist appointment hitting right before back to school every year.  I like it then because I feel it’s a great way to start the year fresh… new hair cut, physical, clean teeth, new clothes and shoes and of course new school supplies.

Today they were given a great bill of health…I guess the trip I took to the Colgate headquarters during BlogHer in NYC payed off!  I’m now on top of replacing tooth brushes and scrubbing really well on the back teeth, which has payed off!

Anyway, my oldest has yet to lose any teeth…she’ll be 7 in December.  They did an x-ray today and it looks like her permanent teeth are ready to come through and her baby teeth are not ready to leave anytime soon.  This means that they will need to pull out the baby teeth so that the new teeth can glide right into place.  I cringed at the thought, but my 7 year old was ready to do it right at that moment.  You see, all her friends have been visited by the tooth fairy and she has yet to get paid for her precious teeth, so the thought of having her teeth pulled sounded a bit like this… “Cha-ching!”

Anyway, long story short, I decided to have her wait until after picture day, thanks to a fellow mom that reminded me that picture day was coming up and scheduled her tooth removal till the end of the month.

At the same time, I got an email from Delta Dental about healthy lunch ideas that promote health teeth… perfect timing right!

“Common lunch foods actually contain a shocking amount of sugar,” said Dr. Jed Jacobson, chief science officer and senior vice president at Delta Dental of Michigan. “With small changes, it is surprisingly easy to pack a lunch that is healthier overall and better for your child’s teeth.”

Consider a lunch with a packaged ham, cheese and crackers meal, a small can of diced peaches, fruit snacks, and a juice box. While it seems healthy and balanced, the sugar count is a whopping 62 grams. An average candy bar contains about 25 grams of sugar.

A few substitutes can reduce the sugar count tremendously. Switch to a ham and cheese sandwich on wheat bread and skip the fruit snacks – in addition to high sugar content, their stickiness holds sugars against teeth for prolonged periods. Swap out the juice for a kid-sized sports drink or milk and opt for fresh fruits or vegetables instead of canned. These small changes bring this lunch’s sugar total down to a more tooth-tolerable 19 grams.

For other teeth-friendly substitutes, consider yogurt as a good option for boosting calcium with only 10 grams of sugar. Even better is string cheese, which also offers calcium but with zero grams of sugar. For a special treat, vanilla wafer cookies have less than half the sugar of chocolate, crème-filled cookies. Potato chips, pretzels and cheesy crackers are good options for low-sugar items.

“Check the nutrition labels on the foods you buy to make sure you know what your kids are eating,” Jacobson said. “A healthy and nutritious diet paired with good oral hygiene at home and visits to the dentist can go a long way toward protecting against tooth decay.”

If possible, kids should brush their teeth after lunch at school. Keeping a toothbrush and travel-sized tube of toothpaste in a lunchbox, desk or locker is a convenient way to encourage this healthy habit. If kids can’t brush at school, Jacobson recommends having them rinse their mouths with water or milk after lunch.

Jacobson recommends parents try to avoid packing these high-sugar lunch items:

• Can of pop (40g)
• Fig cookies (23g)
• Chocolate-hazelnut spread (21g)
• Granola bars (19g)
• Pudding (17g)

All ages can walk the Oakland County Parks for fitness and prizes as participants in the 2010 Walk Michigan program.

“This is a non-competitive program to encourage and promote healthy lifestyles,” Parks Helper Ted Benfield said. “It is a great opportunity to interact with others in the community, to get fit and to explore the outdoors.”

Participants submit one entry form after each walk that is one mile or more. Forms and drop-off boxes are available at park offices and golf courses; as well as the Administrative and Recreation Services buildings in Waterford. All entry forms must be submitted by August 13.

Forms are entered into a drawing for a grand prize trip for two to Mackinac Island for the 53rd Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk on Sept. 6. Other Oakland County Parks and Recreation prizes will also be awarded. Winners will be contacted after the prize drawing on August 16.

Participants are welcome to walk on their own or with a group. Oakland County Parks and Recreation staff will lead free organized group walks, one – three miles in length, starting with a Family Walk at Independence Oaks County Park in Clarkston, 7 p.m. on July 6. No pre-registration required.

Other organized walks include:

Saturday, July 10 at 7 p.m. – Dog Walk at Lyon Oaks County Park

Tuesday, July 13 at 10:30 a.m. – Walk in the Village at Lathrup Village

Sunday, July 18 at 1 p.m. – Dog Walk at Independence Oaks County Park

Tuesday, July 20 at 7 p.m. – Family Walk at Catalpa Oaks County Park

Saturday, July 31 at 10 a.m. – Family Walk at Waterford Oaks County Park

Tuesday, August 3 at 6:30 p.m. – Family Walk at Addison Oaks County Park

Saturday, August 7 at 10 a.m. – Family Walk at Lyon Oaks County Park

Sunday, August 8 at 10 a.m. – Dog Walk at Waterford Oaks County Park

Daily pass or 2010 Annual Vehicle Permit is required for park entry and can be purchased online or at select park locations.

I started using Sensa last Sunday, September 20, 2009.  I must admit I forgot to sprinkle my food a couple of times, actually quite a few times to be accurate.

All in all, I have been very bad at sprinkling the food I’ve been eating and feel like I need to start over and not only sprinkle EVERYTHING for the diet to work correctly, but also watch what I eat.

I had pizza at the Zhu Zhu party, a mighty kids meal from McDonalds, a small bowl of ice cream and a few other foods that would not be considered good for a diet, but I wanted to try this diet by using it the way it’s intended.  Eat what you want to eat, sprinkle the tastants and lose weight.

One thing I can tell you is that I haven’t been as hungry while using Sensa, my portions have gotten smaller, I haven’t been craving sweets and I don’t feel starved.

I do feel satisfied.

So, with that said…tomorrow I am getting back up on the horse to continue in my quest to lose 10-20 lbs by the New Year.

Do you think I can do it?  How would you like to join me and we can do this together?

If you’d like to try Sensa  free for 60 days and receive a $25 discount card to use at www.glow.com (click here).

( If you take advantage of the free 60 trial offer, you have 30 days to try the product free of charge. If you like it, you do nothing, and you will then be billed for 60 day supply.  If you do not like it, you can return it within the trial period and not pay anything but shipping.   If you decide they don’t like the product and don’t want to get charged, you will need to ship the product back.  However, you can keep the $25 glow.com gift card.)

I’ll be updating you  on my progress with Sensa.  I really hope I am able to lose this weight because I’m not happy at all with the fact that I have an entire closet full of clothes I can’t wear…ugggh!

Courtney is the ultimate multitasking mom!  She runs  three blogs Giftfully Simple, The Digital Mommy and Detroit Mommies , is a Social Media Marketing Consultant and has 3 girls under 6 years old.  Courtney is the founder of Detroit Mommies.  You can follow her on Twitter @theappleofmyeye.  She has worked with companies like Johnsons & Johnsons, Dove, e.l.f., Stride Rite, Sorel, 20th Century Fox, The Palace, Melissa & Doug, Panera and Tiny Prints (to name a few).  Courtney is a Purex^® Insider and a Max Mom for Office Max.