My boys start the scouting program at the age of eight and move through the various rank advancements until they receive their Eagle Scout Award. This usually happens around the age of 15-18.

My oldest son is 17 years old. He earned his eagle when he was 15 years old. One of the last things you do to earn your Eagle is to do a 10 hour Leadership Service Project. This takes not only organization, but a lot of support from your leaders, friends, and family.

The project plan must be approved by a unit , committee, and district leader. When choosing a project the scout thinks about who will benefit from the project, how will they benefit, and how many people will it take to complete your project.

When the earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, my son decided that he wanted to collect personal hygiene kit items forthe people in Haiti. He contacted a group called the “Helping Hands for Haiti Foundation” and received all the information he needed for his project. This organization has been helping Haiti for over six years. They have built schools, bought land, taught farming skills to the Haitian people, and many other projects over the years. Right now they were in need of providing the people with hygiene kits and my son was excited to help.

The kits needed to include several things; toothbrushes, tooth paste, soap bars, towels, and combs. My son’s goal was to assemble 100 hygiene kids. He distributed over 300 fliers around the neighborhood in hopes that we could collect enough items to reach his goal. The project took just over a week to complete. 

Together with his family and scout group my son collected enough items to make 200 hygiene kits. It looked like Christmas in our living room when we packaged all of the items together. The generosity of our neighbors was unbelievable.

We had left over items that we were able to take to our local homeless shelter. This was a great experience for my son and for our whole family. I am thankful for the Boy Scout Program and for the opportunity it gave our family to serve and give to others. I am also thankful for the “Hands For Haiti Foundation” and all that they do to bless the lives of other.

I have two more boys left that are working their way up the advancement ranks. As each one reaches the age to earn his eagle, I hope that they will have the same enthusiasm and spirit of giving as my older son. This was an incredible experience that will have an impact on our lives.

What charitable organizations have you worked with in the past? What are you doing to raise charitable children?

Jill Greenlaw has a banking background. She is married and has four beautiful children. Jill loved being a stay-at-home mom for many years. She is now working for Mom It Forward as the editorial/community manager. Her interests include camping, motorcycling, boating, photography, reading, cooking, and traveling. Put her in flip flops anywhere warm and she is happy. You can follow her on Twitter.

I’ve generally always been a healthy eater and grew up eating a lot of fruits and vegetables—eating habits that I have carried with me in to adulthood. Although I do not need to make drastic changes to my diet, there are aspects that could use improvement. For example, I am reducing my sugar and meat consumption. I have replaced soda with sparkling water, am using unrefined sweeteners such as honey, and am no longer eating white bread. I am also cooking two or more meatless meals per week so that when I do eat a meal with animal protein, I can eat higher quality meat that has been raised and slaughtered humanely and fed a proper diet.

Another change I am making to my eating habits is incorporating more whole grains into my diet. Quinoa is one of my new favorite whole grains to eat and it has become a staple in my pantry. Since I am eating more meatless meals, I can still get my protein from eating quinoa, because it is a complete protein source. It is also high in fiber, is naturally gluten-free and is an easily digestible grain and much less filling than whole grain pasta, for example.

Quinoa is an incredibly versatile grain whose delicate nutty flavor adapts well to both sweet or savory recipes so it can be enjoyed both as a hot breakfast cereal or as a side dish, like this recipe for quinoa with roasted vegetables. Roasting vegetables brings out their natural sweetness and concentrates their flavor and the only seasonings you need are salt, pepper and extra-virgin olive oil. As the vegetables roast, their natural sugars caramelize and their flavors intensify. The quinoa can be cooked in either chicken stock, vegetable broth or water, and seasoned lightly with some salt.

Once the roasted vegetables are combined with the quinoa, you have a healthy and delicious pilaf that can be enjoyed either as a side dish or on its own. It is equally flavorful eaten slightly warmed or at room temperature, so it is perfect to pack for a lunch for work or school. I always make a large portion of this pilaf because it keeps for a week covered in the refrigerator, and I can eat it for several days.

If you are trying to incorporate more whole grains and vegetables in your diet, give this quinoa pilaf with roasted vegetables a try. It’s an easy and fuss-free recipe and proof that healthy eating can be incredibly delicious and satisfying.

Quinoa Pilaf With Roasted Vegetables Recipe

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sliced almonds (optional)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 2 cups zucchini, medium dice (2 small zucchini)
• 3 cups eggplant, trimmed & peeled; medium dice (1 small eggplant)
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, left whole
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• ½ tsp. black pepper
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 1 cup quinoa

Directions:

1. Place oven racks in the middle and bottom third positions. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Place the sliced almonds on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for 2 minutes, or until lightly toasted and fragrant, checking often to make sure they do not burn. Remove the almonds from the oven and allow them to cool completely.
3. Wash and pat dry all the vegetables. Trim the broccoli florets, discarding stems. Cut the zucchini and eggplant into medium-size diced pieces. Place the broccoli, zucchini, eggplant and cherry tomatoes into a large bowl. Add the salt, pepper and olive oil and using a rubber spatula, toss gently to coat. Transfer the vegetables to a baking sheet and spread out into an even layer. It’s OK if the vegetables touch. Use a second baking sheet if you are making a larger amount of vegetables.
4. Roast the vegetables until they are golden brown and tender, about 35-45 minutes. Once the vegetables are finished cooking, remove them from the oven and set them aside to cool slightly on the baking sheets while you cook the quinoa.
5. Bring the chicken broth to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat in a large saucepan. Add in the salt and stir to dissolve. Add in the quinoa and stir. Cover the saucepan and bring the broth back to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook the quinoa until all the broth is absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Once the quinoa is finished cooking, the grains will appear translucent, and the germ “ring” will be visible along the outside of the grain. Remove from the heat and let the quinoa stand for 5 minutes, covered. Uncover the saucepan and fluff the quinoa gently using a fork. Add in the roasted vegetables and toss gently to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the toasted sliced almonds. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Helpful Tips:

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa = approx. 3 cups cooked quinoa
• Cut the vegetables into similar size pieces to ensure even cooking.
• To make this recipe vegetarian, substitute water or vegetable broth for the chicken broth.
• Measurements for the vegetables as given above do not need to be exact since the size of vegetables varies widely, as will the size you dice them. It’s always a good idea to roast extra vegetables to use in other ways. Roasted vegetables can be added to sandwiches and wraps, served as a side dish, used as a topping on crostini, or used as a healthy pizza topping.
• If you cannot find pre-rinsed quinoa, make sure you rinse the quinoa before cooking it. Measure out the amount you will use, place it in a fine mesh strainer and rinse it under cold water, draining well. Proceed with cooking the quinoa as directed.

How do you make sure you and your family are getting the proper nutrition you need?

Flavia Scalzitti is a food blogger based in Houston, Texas. She is originally from Maryland and comes from an Italian family. Flavia grew up around people who used food and cooking as a way to keep their traditions alive, celebrate their Italian culture, express their love for their family, and nourish the people they cooked for with the freshest and best quality ingredients. She is entirely self-taught and is also passionate about baking. In addition to cooking and baking, Flavia enjoys learning about and practicing photography, reading, traveling, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband, Peter. She blogs at Flavia’s Flavors: http://www.flaviasflavors.com

According to a number of recent surveys and reports, social media marketing is not only effective at boosting a company’s profile, it is actually providing a wide range of benefits. In fact, it’s so effective that far more companies are using social media to connect with customers than those who are not.

8 Ways Social Media Marketing Can Benefit Your Business

Here are eight ways social media marketing can benefit your business:

1.) Increase Website Traffic

A 2011 report by the Social Media Examiner found that 88 percent of business owners surveyed use social media, from blogs to Facebook to YouTube, as a way of generating exposure for their businesses. Better yet, while a high number of social media marketers are seeing results for their efforts, 49 percent also enjoyed cost savings through social media investments.

2.) Manage Marketing Channels and Actions

Besides being easy to set up, business owners are able to meet customers where they’re already spending time and make connections for a minimal investment of time. Entrepreneur Magazine reported that “67 percent of owners said the fact that social media marketing is easier to master and utilize brought them around. That’s up from 54 percent in the previous survey. And it didn’t hurt a bit that 51 percent of these surveyed merchants and business people discovered that their customers prefer to use media channels.”

3.) Interact With Customers

In a 2011 survey of small business owners, e-mail marketing firm Constant Contact found the following: “Facebook continues to be the social media tool of choice — but Twitter is gaining ground, both in terms of usage and effectiveness. 60 percent of those using Twitter found it to be an effective tool to connect with customers — up from 47 percent in the spring.” These tools make it easy to interact with customers, an approach to social media adopted by 60% of the business owners surveyed.

4.) Improve Search Rankings With Google+

With the recent addition of Google’s Search Plus that integrates a user’s Google+ network with search results, a company profile on Google+ and Google+ buttons on a website can help increase a business’s exposure in Google’s searches. Chris Brogan writes, “[Google+] makes it a lot easier for people to find–and shop at–your business. Run a hamburger business in Milwaukee? Post “best hamburgers in Milwaukee.” You should see more customers walking through your door in no time flat.”

5.) Achieve Greater Product Awareness

Though Facebook has helped brands increase their visibility, Facebook’s new “Actions” option will help customers specify what they’re doing with particular brands—a real step forward in brand awareness. Search Engine Journal reports, “These Actions let users specifically indicate their interaction with a location, products, and more. For example, one may visit a local coffee shop and indicate they “bought” a particular drink. Immediately, that action is posted on their wall and their average of 130 friends can interact with that action.  Others may comment, share, or even visit that store the next day to see for themselves.”

6.) Conduct Market Research on Social Media

As early as 2008 marketing executives caught on to the value of social media for tracking customer preferences, with 59% of respondents to an eMarketer Survey stating that they use social networks in order to track the responses and preferences of their customers. Social networks break down walls and create opportunities to interact with customers.

7.) Increase Sales Through Social Media Marketing

Though many businesses are still focusing on increasing brand awareness and connection points with customers through their social media efforts, there are some real returns that companies report. According to a 2011 report by Wildfire Marketing, 58 percent of their respondents point to increased sales and partnerships. This is a number that will only grow as businesses become more adept at turning social media connections into conversions.

8.) Generate Leads With Social Media Marketing

Besides generating exposure and sales, social media also increases the number of sales leads for business owners. The Social Media Examiner shares, “By spending as little as 6 hours per week, 52% of marketers see lead generation benefits with social media.”

Social media is now, without any doubt, an essential tool for any business that wants to increase interaction with customers, build brand awareness, and expand revenue opportunities.

How has social media changed your life? What are your favorite social media tools?

Picture courtesy of flickr.

This guest post is written by Lior Levin, a marketing consultant for an inspection company that offers Pre shipment inspections and, who also consults for a company that provides a  to do list application for businesses and individuals.

• muffins
• brownies
• cakes
• cookies
• pancakes
• waffles
• sweet bread
• soup
• chilli
• lasagna
• pizza
• smoothies
• ice cream
• lemonade
• fruit juice

The Benefits of Going Green by Cooking from Scratch

The following are the benefits of cooking from scratch:

• Eliminates the need to recycle, reuse and/or throw away hundreds of boxes, cans and plastic packages every year.
• Creates healthier meals by ensuring that there are no harmful additives and preservatives.
• Allows for moderation of calories, fat, sugar, carbohydrates, etc.
• Customizes recipes so that ingredients can be substituted to suit specific tastes and/or accommodate for food allergies.
• Saves money.
• Makes the food taste better.
• Creates family bonding because kids love to help

Pantry Checklist to Help You Cook From Scratch

The following is a pantry checklist for going green by cooking from scratch:

• flour (whole wheat flour is healthiest)
• sugar (or sugar substitute)
• brown sugar or molasses
• baking soda
• baking Powder
• yeast
• salt
• baking cocoa
• eggs (or egg replacer)
• Various spices and seasonings
• butter or butter substitute
• vegetable oil
• cooking spray
• chocolate chips
• rolled oats
• milk (cow’s milk. rice milk, soy milk etc)
• applesauce

Learning to cook and bake from scratch might seem terrifying at first. However, once you learn how to improvise and use substitutions for ingredients that you may not have on hand, everything starts to click and the fear suddenly turns into a sense of accomplishment.

The most important thing to remember is that cooking from scratch doesn’t happen overnight. Start small and before you know it, you’ll have a long list of things that you know how to whip up at a moment’s notice. I started with brownies. What will you start with?

 What foods do you love to cook from scratch?

Tracey Lenac is the founder, editor and publisher of Raising California, an online magazine that highlights elements of holistic, organic, GREEN lifestyle     choices along with homeschooling and spirituality.   She is also the founder of Soul Centered Kids in Los Angeles, California, where she teaches soul centered skills such as meditation, reiki and yoga to children of all ages and developmental abilities and the founder of The Souls of Boys, an online store specializing in non violent, non toxic, soul centered toys, books, media and resources for boys.  Tracey has a Master of Arts degree in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She is also a registered Reiki Master/Teacher, organic gardener, the mom of two boys and a secular homeschooler.

What do you think about when someone says aromatherapy? Many people think of candles, bubble bath, bath salts, and the very popular store,Bath & Body Works. There is so much to learn and you will be gaining a broad overview with this article on the basics of essential oils.

History of Essential Oils

The use of essential oils has been documented all the way back to 7000 B.C. when olive and sesame oil were combined with aromatic plants to produce ointments. The Egyptians learned how to distill oils and made cinnamon oil, cedar wood, frankincense, myrrh, and a few other oils. The Greeks and Romans used oils, and there are over 188 references to oils in the Bible.

My favorite comes from the 17th Century during the Black Plague. When the Black Plague went through communities, the stench of dead flesh was overwhelming. Physicians were dressed from head-to-toe and wore beak-like masks filled with oils/herbs. This is where the name quack originates.

In France,  there was a French scientist by the name of Rene Gattefosse. He was researching oils and their properties when he was burned very badly. It is said that he put his burned arm in a vat of lavender oil and it immediately took care of this pain and he did not have any scarring as a result.

Essential oils because of their antibacterial properties were used in World War II in France to treat wounds of the soldiers when their medication had run out. France and Europe have used essential oils for years for medicinal benefits, while in America oils have been used in the cosmetics industry (not pure oils) for perfumes. Synthetic oils and fragrance oils have been made for lotions, candles, and bath products.

Healing Benefits of Essential Oils

Therapeutic oils have many healing properties. To name a few, they can be the following: antibiotic, antibacterial, antispasmodic, antipyretic, antiviral, relaxing, stimulating, energizing, grounding, antiparasitic, and many more uses. For the individual oils to have pure therapeutic properties, the oils need to be grown in certain places, at certain elevation, with certain temperature, and even be harvested at certain times of the day or season.

For example, lavender grown in the United States does not have the full therapeutic potential like lavender grown in certain parts of France. Likewise, peppermint is most therapeutically grown in the state of Washington. To be deemed pure, an oil only needs to be 52% pure. Look for an oil that is certified pure therapeutic. You are ensuring 100% purity this way. Look for oils that originate where they are most therapeutic.

Properties of Essential Oils

Essential oils are made up of very small molecules. This property allows oils to pass through the phospholipid bilayer of the cell wall. This protective mechanism of the cell prevents many things from penetrating. This is one reason some oils with antiviral properties may benefit common viruses like colds and flu’s and explains why antibiotics don’t work on viruses.

This is just a small history and explanation of essential oils. Over the next few weeks you will learn about many oils including lavender, peppermint, lemon, chamomile, patchouli and many other oils. You will learn how you can use the oils for flu and cold symptoms, fever, anxiety, stress, and even cleaning products! Be sure to follow each week as I share ways to use these wonderful natural solutions for your health and home!

What are some of your favorite types of essential oils? How have they helped you and your family?

Joyce Harrell, RN, OCN is a holistic nurse who provides natural solutions for health and home. Joyce utilizes the art of nursing by implementing essential oils, enzyme therapy, vision boards, wellness coaching, and nutritional therapy to help you create an environment for your body to best heal.

Joyce is a wife, mother, nana, author, holistic healer, and above all committed to her relationship with God. You can find Joyce at www.NurseCoachOnline  or email her at joyce@nursecoachonline.com.

So, what will we do if there is going to be six more weeks of winter? Never fear, friends. There is plenty to do that will help you get through the next six weeks!

3 Ways to Beat the Winter Blues

Turn Off the TV and Computer

We know being active and maintaining a healthy diet are important parts of self-care, for ourselves and our children. Instead of watching the tube mindlessly or checking our Twitter account while munching on comfort food, let’s make a pact that we’ll be active every day this winter. Need inspiration?

• Have a snowball fight or build a snowman.
• Have a dance-off contest or set-up an indoor obstacle course.
• Play board games or Twister.

Get Crafty

• Make Valentine handprint cards.
• Make a living room A-frame tent.
• Paint the snow.  Fill bottles with food coloring and water; go outside and paint.

Do Good

Local heroes, the needy and sick, senior citizens, and children are just a handful of the people you and your family can connect with on a regular basis. Not sure where to start?

• Spread bread.
• Provide love, warmth, security and comfort to a child with Project Linus.
• Organize a makeover/fashion show event for a local senior home.

What does your family do during a long winter? What have you incorporated into your family that you did when you were growing up?

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

Desiree Allen is a thirty-something single parent with two children. A native of Denver, Colorado, she lived there until 2009, when she moved across the country to northern New Jersey with her kids. She is doing her best to avoid ‘picking up’ a Jersey accent, but she’s not making promises that she won’t eventually start sounding like some of her new friends. You can find her blogging at Writing to Sanity and tweeting @writingtosanity.

Tips for Living a Heart Healthy Lifestyle

Today, I would like to provide some easy steps to take to live a more heart-healthy lifestyle. Prevention is always best in my book! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that in 2010, coronary heart disease alone was projected to cost the United States$108.9 billion (Source: www.cdc.gov.) The American Heart Association has designed a program called Life’s Simple 7 with the goal of improved health by educating the public on best to live a more healthy life. The seven points they developed include: Get Active, Eat Better, Lose Weight, Stop Smoking, Control Cholesterol, Manage Blood Pressure, and Reduce Blood Sugar. There is even a test you can take to see how well you are doing at protecting your heart! (Source: http://mylifecheck.heart.org/) You can read more about their recommendations on their site here.

Get Tested

According to studies cited by the authors of Alternative Medicine – The Definitive Guide, 85 percent of all heart disease is caused by vulnerable plaque, which unfortunately cannot usually be detected by conventional cardiovascular diagnostic tests. They recommend that to effectively screen for vulnerable plaque, ultra-high-speed magnetic resonance imagining (MRI) may be required. Don’t feel you need to run out and get an MRI, but if you are at a risk for heart disease, keep this tool in mind.  The authors also recommend that people at risk should also be screened for infectious agents, as well as oxidized cholesterol, fibrinogen and homocysteine levels, and free-radical damage. These are all tests you can discuss with your doctor (Source: Alternative Medicine).

Eat Organic Foods

As far as diet changes or additions, try to make sure you eat organically as much as possible as organic foods are free of pesticides, herbicides, steroids, and antibiotics. Also increase your fiber intake with leafy green vegetables, fresh raw fruits, and psyllium. I could write pages upon pages about the benefits of monounsaturated oils such as olive oil, omega-3 oils such as fish oil and flaxseed oil, and omega-6 oils such as borage oil and evening primrose oil.

Eat Less Processed Foods

Try to avoid processed foods as much as possible.  I absolutely promise you will start to feel better the cleaner your food is. One trick I taught my five year-old is to look at the number of ingredients listed. If there is a long list of ingredients, especially ones you can’t even pronounce, then it is probably heavily processed.

Take Nutritional Supplements

Some nutritional supplements known to improve cardiovascular conditions include: beta carotene; vitamins B3 (niacin), B6, B12, C, and E; folic acid; the minerals calcium, chromium, magnesium, potassium, and selenium; the amino acids L-arginine, L-taurine, and L-carnitine; coenzyme Q10; and pycnogenol. (Source: Alternative Medicine.)  A good multivitamin can provide many of these nutrients listed above. It would be best to work with a health provider to determine the best amounts to take for your body!

Make Healthy Lifestyle Changes

Though heart disease causes half of all deaths in the United States, many health professionals feel that it is one of the most preventable chronic degenerative diseases. Heart healthy steps include making healthy dietary changes, exercise, stress reduction, and nutritional supplementation. Little changes can be made daily and always talk with your health provider if you have questions or concerns.

 What are you doing to prevent heart disease?

References:

1. Goldberg, Burton., Trivieri, Larry, and Anderson, John., Alternative Medicine- The Definitive Guide. Second Edition. Celestial Arts.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.  CDC – DHDSP – Fact Sheets – Women and Heart Disease Fact Sheet.  www.cdc.gov
3. The American Heart Association. Life’s Simple 7 Sheet. http://mylifecheck.heart.org/

Photo courtesy of flickr.

Melissa Northway, M.S. Human Nutrition, is a mom, writer and her storybook app Penelope the Purple Pirate has been chosen as a Top 10 Must-Have eBook by lilsugar of Popsugar.com and a Top 10 Educational iPad App by Digital Storytime.  She does consulting work for companies interested in marketing their apps or eBooks. She can be reached at: mcube@sbcglobal.net and http://www.melissanorthway.com or @melissanorthway. See my review of The Hunger Games coming next week.

The site was launched only three weeks ago by a network of over 400 mom bloggers from 15 countries—the United States, Canada, UK, India, Spain, Nigeria, Singapore, Netherlands, Pakistan, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Jamaica, and the Philippines—who work with about eight international and U.S.-based nonprofit partners to voluntarily spread word about their new initiatives, advocacy campaigns, and fundraising efforts. The concept that compels MomBloggersForSocialGood is the rapid and wide dissemination of information about the good work being done by, and the needs of, the organizations working so hard to improve our world.

If there were one woman who would be THE Mom Making a Difference, it would be Jennifer James, MBFSG’s inconspicuous founder. She wrote, in 2010:

I, for one, admittedly have not been the type of blogger who concentrates on huge issues that plague our planet because in all honesty I feel too small to make a difference. I have perpetually been debilitated by the notion that since I really can’t make a huge difference I guess I won’t do much at all. [But] I finally hit upon an epiphany! Global issues about poverty and education, world hunger and sex trafficking, as examples, don’t need to be solved by me. Rather, they can be solved when intelligent, conscious people bring ideas and solutions to the table and then people like me (bloggers) move those ideas and solutions through the Net. That is where the power of change really happens. Similarly that is where I know my power to make small change lies as well.

Less than a year after she wrote those words, she got the opportunity to go to Kenya as a member of ONE Moms, along with MomItForward’s founder Jyl Johnson-Pattee . Jennifer says: “[That] trip changed my perspective on the world and challenged me to do more to help others.” And she has been doing more, along with the all the other members of MomBloggersForSocialGood. In the past three weeks, they’ve:

• Identified 12 areas of concentration: children, clean water and sanitation, communicable disease, education, environment and climate, fair trade, food security, HIV/AIDS, maternal health, non-communicable disease, women and girls, and workers’ rights.
• Grown by 100 members.
• Followed member bloggers on an insight trip to Haiti to observe Heart of Haiti artisans at work. These sponsored trips get MBFSG bloggers involved on “ground-level.”

Jennifer started MBFSG, but its power comes in the collective voice, the collective call to action, spread over 500 other blogs all over the world. That can’t help but make a dent in the problems of the world.

What charity work are you involved in? How is this making a difference in your life and the lives of others?

 

Whether you enjoy it in a bowl with milk or use it to bake tasty treats, cereal has been a staple in kitchen cupboards across America. So many different varieties of cereal have been introduced throughout the years and can still be found on store shelves. These brands have been a part of our popular culture for decades!

In addition to conjuring fun childhood memories through the Retro program, Big G is also making it easy for families to get whole grain. Big G cereals, the ones with the white check, contain at least 9 grams of whole grain, with at least 48 grams of whole grain recommended daily. Cereal is already one of the healthiest breakfast choices you can make and the entire Big G cereal line is made with whole grain. What’s not to love?

On a side note, while Big G is celebrating the 80s, Atari will be celebrating its 40^th birthday this year. Can you believe it? What is your favorite Atari game of all time? Keep your answer a secret for now and be sure to share it with us on Tuesday, February 7 as we chat with Big G and Atari about retro memories!

Party Topic

Join Big G and Atari, as well as our panel of experts, as we share retro memories! The party will be held on Tuesday, February 7 from 9-11 ET (8CT, 7MT, 6PT). Click here to see details about the giveaway and enter for a chance to win.

Party Details

• What: Girls’ Night Out (#gno) Twitter party (Click here to learn about #gno!)
• When: Tuesday, February 7 from 9-11 p.m. EST (8 CT, 7 MT, & 6 PT)
• Where: Party with us on our very own Custom Tweetgrid! (Use hashtags #gno and #BigGandAtari)
• Topic: Retro Memories
• Who: Brand Panelist: @BigGRetro, Community Panelists: TBD, Moderators: @jylmomIF @Dadventurous @troypattee @MomItForward
• Party Favors: Click here to enter the giveaway.
• RSVP: Use Mr. Linky below (enter the twitter URL and your twitter ID (e.g., http://twitter.com/jylmomIF).

RT @MomItForward Join the @BigGRetro and @atari #gno Twitter party 2/7 (9-11 ET) on retro memories http://bit.ly/ze2FrR #BigGandAtari PLS RT

Note: Mom It Forward accepts paid sponsorships for most #gno Twitter parties. During the parties, brand sponsors provide tips, techniques, expert advice, and information on party topics. Mom It Forward is grateful for the giveaway prizes, coupons, and discounts that sponsors also provide to the Mom It Forward community in conjunction with #gno Twitter parties.

Big G is bringing nostalgia to the table this year with graphics from Atari classics like Asteroids, Centipede, and Missile Command featured on the back of each participating cereal. Navigate your way through breakfast with Big G cereals and the Asteroids maze, finding the clone, and testing your knowledge with Atari trivia.

Big G cereals participating in 80s-themed Retro Packaging at Target include: Cinnamon Toast Crunch® (17 oz.), Lucky Charms® (16 oz.), Honey Nut Cheerios® (17 oz.), Cheerios® (18 oz.) and Cocoa Puffs® (16.5 oz.). The limited-edition cereal boxes are available exclusively in Target stores nationwide. For a Target store near you, visit www.Target.com, and for more information on Big G cereals visit www.GrowUpStrong.com or www.WholeGrainNation.com.

The Prizes

This week’s giveaway is all about retro memories. Big G and Atari are awarding 10 lucky winners with a prize pack that will include the following items (ARV: $25.00):

• A free download for “Atari 80 Classic Games In 1”
• $10 Target Gift Card
• Cereal (1 box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch, 1 box of Lucky Charms, 1 box of Honey Nut Cheerios, 1 box of Cheerios, and 1 box of Cocoa Puffs)

Entry Requirements

For a chance to enter and win, please complete the following requirements and leave a separate comment for each on this post, including links to your original tweets.

1. Follow @BigGRetro and @atari on Twitter.
2. Like Atari on Facebook.
3. Answer the following question in the comments section below: What is your favorite retro memory?
4. Tweet the following:

• RT @MomItForward Join the @BigGRetro and @atari #gno Twitter party 2/7 (9-11 ET) on retro memories http://bit.ly/ze2FrR #BigGandAtari PLS RT

• RT @MomItForward GIVEAWAY! Enter 4 chance 2 win a game, gift card, and cereal (10 winners)! http://bit.ly/w7xAwl #gno #BigGandAtari PLS RT

Optional Entries

The following are extra entries that are completely optional and will earn you one extra entry for each completed item. Leave a separate comment on this post for each completed optional entry.

• Follow @momitforward on Twitter.
• Like Mom It Forward on Facebook: http://facebook.com/momitforward.

Terms and Conditions

Winners will be selected randomly through http://random.org. No purchase necessary to enter. Giveaway ends at 11:59 p.m. ET Wednesday, February 8. See all terms and conditions here. This giveaway is available to U.S. residents only.