This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Slim-Fast for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I’ve dieted off and on for years now, and often reach for Slim-Fast products when I want something easy, convenient, and low-calorie. They’ve just re-launched their rich, creamy shakes in a cool, portable bottle that is designed to go everywhere, from my purse to the cup holder in the car.

BUY IT!

The new Slim-Fast shakes are available in the pharmacy sections of grocers and retailers nationwide, including Wal-Mart, Target, Safeway and Kroger, and online at Amazon.com and the Slim-Fast 3-2-1 Store on Facebook. For more information, please visit Slim-Fast and “like” Slim-Fast on Facebook.

This post was underwritten by BMO Harris Bank, which offers a matching $25 on a new savings account opened for your child through their Helpful Steps for Parents program. Learn more at bmoharris.com/parents.

Photo Credit: o5com on Flickr

There really is no straightforward way to teach kids about money. You can explain to them what each coin and bill is worth, but teaching the value of money is much more complicated. It’s hard to pinpoint the exact age at which to begin this discussion, but I’d say a good time is when your kids start asking for things.

Maura, 4 years old, isn’t quite there yet. Sometimes she’ll see a commercial and shout out to me “I want [insert random toy]!”, but it never goes much further than that. Maya, on the other hand, doesn’t hold back. She quickly learned the difference between “need” and “want” and now thinks things over carefully before asking me to buy her something. If it’s something she needs, like a new pair of boots because hers are getting worn out, she knows that I’ll buy ‘em. Maybe not right that second, but we’ll make a plan. If it’s something she wants, like a new Barbie doll, she knows that she can either add it to her Christmas or birthday wish list, or start saving up for it. We’ll pay for her lunch money, clothes and shoes she needs, and a roof to cover her head, but other than that, she’s on her own!

Maya’s understanding of money revolves around a big blue piggy bank. The Money Savvy Pig, it’s called. It has separate compartments for saving, spending, donating, and investing, which I believe are all important lessons that kids should learn about from a young age. Just last week she emptied out ‘Donate’ to take it to school as a contribution for a diabetes walk. How does she choose how much to put in each? It’s all about the value of the coin. Quarters are saved, dimes are spent, nickels are donated, and pennies are invested. When she has dollars, they’re split between saving and spending. It’s been a couple of years now, and our system is working well.

Once in a while her dad and I will put our loose change in there, but mostly this is money Maya earns. For example, I had her selling water bottles and juice boxes during our neighborhood yard sale. She pulled out her toy cash register and was really serious about the whole thing. She’d even stop people at the end of the driveway, persuading them to buy something from her. She ended up with $40 at the end of the day and was so proud of herself! She also gets a small weekly allowance as long as her homework and chores are done. Sometimes I’ll give her a little extra if she goes above and beyond!

Maya’s also learning about being a smarter consumer. While I don’t obsessively clip coupons, I do keep an eye out for good deals, and sometimes she helps me out with this. When she wants to buy something, she always asks me if I happen to have a coupon for it first! She has also learned that buying secondhand is a good thing. When her new(ish) bike was run over by a car after she left it in someone’s driveway, she didn’t not complain one bit when we told her that at that time we couldn’t afford to get it fixed or buy her a new one, so we’d look for one at a consignment shop. She ended up with a loaner from a friend, but Santa’s elves may bring her a new one after all.

How do you teach your kids to understand money and its value?

I was selected for this sponsorship by the Clever Girls Collective. To learn more about BMO Harris Bank, visit their website http://bmoharris.com/parents.

Saving money, paying off loans, establishing good credit… these are things that I think about almost everyday. I want need to be smarter with money. But where to start?

I know I’m not the only one that’s asking herself the same question! That’s why State Farm and Univision have joined forces for Cuentas Claras – a series of town hall meetings aimed at educating and empowering Latinos across the country about their finances.

Twitter Party!

Join State Farm, Latina Mom Bloggers, and a group of wonderful panelists as we discuss how to establish and maintain good credit, the importance of saving money, applying for loans and more. Of course, there will be lots of fun prizes too, including a $100 gift card! In addition to tweeting with State Farm itself, Mary Parada, a State Farm expert, will be joining us to answer questions.

Party Details:
What: State Farm Twitter party
When: Thursday, August 18 from 9-10 PM EST
Where: Twitter
Hashtag: #MiDinero

Who to Follow:
Panelists: @JoscelynRC @mami2mommy @CuponeandoLive @ohMariana
Brand Panelists: @statefarm @univision
Moderators: @jollymom @eva_smith @latinomarketing @latinamomblogs @hispanicize

Prizes: Lots of fun prizes, including a $100 gift card! Please see official rules.
RSVP: To be eligible to win prizes, you must RSVP here.

Disclosure: I’m being compensated for co-hosting the Twitter party, but all opinions are my own.

My sister was just telling me about a really great deal she found for a girls’ weekend in Mexico next month. And she’s going for it. Me = jealous. I know I shouldn’t be – I just got back from Florida! – but I am. I love Mexico. It’s been 5 years, but I have fond memories of my last trip to Cancun. My husband and I stayed at Le Blanc Spa resort. It was amazing. Okay, more like ahhhhhh-mazing. Truly restful and relaxing… exactly what a vacation is supposed to be! It was my first experience at an all-inclusive resort, and let’s just say I’m never going back. Never going back to a regular hotel, that is! If I have the option, I’ll always go the all-inclusive route.

What does this mean, exactly? It varies from one resort to the next, but in addition to your room, your stay will likely include all meals, beverages (alcoholic, too!), resort activities, airport transfers, and gratuities. Yes, tips are usually included in the price of your all-inclusive vacation! Some, like Beaches, do not allow their staff to accept tips whatsoever, but this policy varies from one company to the next, of course. With the good food, nightly entertainment, and a variety of activities and water sports available onsite, you may not even have to leave the resort grounds!

Ultimately, it ends up being an incredible value. If you keep track of all the food and drinks you consume, and the activities you partake in, you’ll see just how much you’ll be saving. Not having to carry cash around is really wonderful, too. I did splurge on a massage and pedicure in the beautiful Le Blanc spa, but had no other expenses otherwise!

So… now that my little ones are older, I’d love to take them along with us to Mexico one day. We did go to Beaches in Jamaica once, which was fabulous, but Mexico is closer and, well, more affordable! I’ve been ‘building’ my trip on the Funjet Vacations website just for fun. A girl can dream!

Have you ever vacationed in Mexico? Now you have the chance!

FunJet, along with TravelingMom.com, is giving away a family trip for FOUR to Cancun. A four-night stay at an all-inclusive resort, flights included. That’s HUGE. To enter to win, you must participate in a Twitter party on Monday, April 18th, from 9-10pm EST. We’ll be chatting about fun family vacations (I’m one of the panelists!) Please RSVP for the party by clicking over to the post on TravelingMom.com, where you’ll find all the information you need. Hope to see you there!

Disclosure: I’ll be compensated for my participation in the FunJet / TravelingMom.com Twitter Party.

Join me for a Twitter party after lunch today!

At 1pm EST, special guest Laura Posada (@Dlauraposada) will be taking some time to chat with us about our nutritional goals for 2011. She’s NY Yankee Jorge Posada’s wife and wrote a book called Fit Home Team.

If you want to chat nutrition, and learn a little more about McDonald’s new oatmeal, please join in with the hashtag #McDOatmeal.

Jessie (@jessienuez), Lisa (@newyorkchica), Yoli (@CuponeandoLive), Silvia (@mamalatina), Liz (@thoughtsofamomy), and myself (@OhMariana) will be co-hosting the bilingual Twitter party, which will be moderated by @LBConnect.

• Prizes: Two packages, each with a $25 McDonald´s Arch Card and a Fit Home Team book.
• Link to rules: http://wp.me/P15rwe-2W

As far as nutritional goals go, I think we’re well on our way to a happy and healthy 2011. The key is to make specific, attainable changes. These are a few of the behaviors my family is tackling this year:

We’re eating more vegetables.

I know ‘hiding’ veggies seems to be the in thing these days, but I try to avoid it. I don’t like the idea of tricking my kids into eating something that they may like if I just offer it to them a few times. I do have a ‘two bite’ rule, though. The girls must eat two bites of everything on their plates. And they do. Sometimes I get a few groans in return, but other times they’ll eat every last bit of broccoli/green beans/peas/(insert any other green vegetable here), going way beyond the first two bites.

We’re eating more fruit.

In the summer, eating fruit is a no-brainer. Apples, bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, and other delicious produce is always within reach on our kitchen counter. In the winter, it’s a little harder to get my family to eat fruit. We tend to reach for heavier, comforting food like cookies and bread. For this reason, when I find good fruit at the market, I stock up. We’ll eat some of it fresh, and the rest I’ll chop up and freeze. This frozen fruit can be added to oatmeal, mixed with yogurt, or blended into a smoothie. I save over-ripe bananas in the freezer, unpeeled, to use for banana bread.

We’re drinking more water.

Maya, my 6-year-old, takes a bottle of water to school everyday. A reusable bottle that she can refill as needed from the water fountain near her classroom. I also insist that the girls drink a glass of water for every non-water beverage they consume. It was hard at first, but it’s become a habit now, and keeps the girls from asking for that second cup of juice.

We eat at least one meal together every single day.

At the table, with no television or other interruptions. For a while, my husband would eat while watching the football game, for example, or I’d grab my iPad and check email while eating. Not any more! Now we seem to focus more on our food, while enjoying listening to the girls tell us about their day. This isn’t a nutritional goal per se, but it has made a big difference in our evening routine.

I still believe the most important meal of the day is breakfast, though. It also happens to be the most rushed, so I generally always prepare something fast and easy, and leave the big, fancy breakfasts for Saturday and Sunday mornings. Oatmeal is #1 on my list because a) my girls love it, b) it’s fast and simple to make, and most importantly, c) because it’s healthy! A good source of both soluble and insoluble fiber, protein, and tons of nutrients, it’s a great way for my daughters to start their day.

I have a little confession to make, however. I don’t like oatmeal. I never have. Something about the consistency of it reminds me of baby food. Or maybe it’s the hours I spent volunteering at a nursing home, feeding the residents oatmeal for breakfast day after day.

Anywho. I decided to try McDonald’s new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal anyway. For y’all.

My first impression? It looks just like the advertised photo! Can’t say that about fast food very often.

Now, to take the first bite…

YUM!

The crunchiness of the red and green apples, tartness of the dried cranberries, and sweetness of the California/golden raisins added the perfect amount of flavor and texture to the oatmeal, which was good on its own. And you have OPTIONS! Get it with or without brown sugar, with or without cream. What? You don’t like raisins? Or maybe cranberries aren’t your thing? Just ask, and they’ll leave ‘em out, or you can request them on the side. No problem! I got mine without the brown sugar, and found it to be just right. At $1.99, it was a satisfying and affordable breakfast. BUT, unlike other McD’s breakfast offerings, you can order this anytime of day!

My husband usually picks up breakfast from McD’s once a week (to give me a little break) and the Fruit & Maple Oatmeal will definitely be ordered time and time again. My girls loved it! And me? I’d totally have this again. Really, I would. It was delicious and satisfying (and only 290 calories!!) This might just be the start of a love affair with oatmeal. You never know! For more information about McDonald’s new Fruit & Maple Oatmeal, please visit the McDonald’s website. Have you tried McDonald’s new oatmeal? What did you think?

What are your nutritional goals for the new year?

Disclosure: This post was written as part of a compensated campaign on behalf of Latina Bloggers Connect and McDonald’s, but all opinions are my own.

As we continue to recover from an economic crisis, the national debt is on the minds of many Americans.

The debt currently stands at just over 14 trillion dollars and counting. This means that every taxpayer would have to come up with $126,000 to pay it off. That could pay for 12 years of groceries for a family of four. Crazy.

If moms have to live within their means, governments should, too. Don’t you think?

Tomorrow, a group of mom bloggers, including myself, will be meeting with Members of Congress to bring awareness to this issue. Working on behalf of MomThink.org, we want to demonstrate to Congress and the traditional media that we, as moms, are concerned about the issues that affect our children’s futures. If you have any questions you’d like me to ask during our Congressional meetings, please leave a comment below! I’ll share the information that we gather with you later this week.

Mmmm, I just made the girls Celestial Chocolate… a heavenly beverage on a chilly Fall day! While it takes a little time to make, this rich and creamy hot chocolate is so much better than that powdered stuff that comes in an envelope. Plus, it makes your house smell yummy! Invite your friends over for a cup… because there’s nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate…

Celestial Chocolate

Ingredients

Directions

1. Mix the whipped cream with 1 tsp of vanilla and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, mix the sugar with the cocoa powder, salt and water.
3. Place at medium heat until mixture comes to boil. Then add the low fat chocolate milk and heat through until it comes to a boil again. Remove from heat and add the vanilla.
4. Top with the vanilla whipped cream. Makes six (1 cup) servings.

Nutrition Information: 215 calories; 4 g fat; 3 g saturated fat; 8 g protein; 260 mg calcium

While this is the last recipe I’ll be posting for the Elige Leche (Choose Milk) campaign, our family will continue to choose chocolate milk over other sugary beverages! I’ll leave you with a few facts and figures to think about…

• Milk provides nutrients essential for good health and kids will drink more when it’s flavored.
• The American Heart Association states that “when sugars are added to otherwise nutrient-rich foods, such as sugar sweetened dairy products like flavored milk and yogurt and sugar-sweetened cereals, the quality of children’s and adolescents’ diets improves, and in the case of flavored milks, no adverse effects on weight status were found.” 1
• According to the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, adding a small amount of sugar to nutrient-dense foods such as reduced-fat milk products helps enhance their palatability and improves nutrient intake without contributing excessive calories. 2
• According to 2005 USDA data, 66% of the milk chosen by children in schools is flavored; most (60%) of which is low-fat (1%) or fat-free. 3
• Removing flavored milk from schools has been shown to result in a 62-63 percent reduction in milk consumption by kids in kindergarten through 5th grade, a 50 percent reduction in milk consumption by adolescents in 6th through 8th grades, and a 37 percent reduction in milk consumption in adolescents in 9th through 12th grades. 4
• Milk drinkers, in general, consume more calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium and vitamin A than non-milk drinkers. 5
• Flavored milk drinkers have lower intakes of soft drinks compared to those who do not drink flavored milk. 6
• The AAP recommends that children consume three servings of dairy foods daily and that adolescents consume four servings a day to meet calcium recommendations. 7

This recipe is provided by EligeLeche.com, and shared at the Sabroso Saturday link-up, hosted by Latina on a Mission! Follow Bigote de Leche (the famous milk mustache!) on Twitter and Facebook, and in case you missed it, be sure to check out the recipe I posted last week – for an Angel Cake with Chocolate Pecan Sauce.

Disclosure: This is a paid post created in collaboration with Latina on a Mission and Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP). All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.

References

1. Johnson RK, et al. Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health. A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009; 120:1011-1020.

2. United States Dept. of Health and Human Services, United States Dept. of Agriculture and United States Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. (6th ed. HHS publications, 2005, Washington D.C.)

3. ENVIRON International Corporation. School Milk: Fat Content Has Declined Dramatically since the Early 1990s. 2008.

4. Patterson J, Saidel M. The Removal of Flavored Milk in Schools Results in a Reduction in Total Milk Purchases in All Grades, K-12. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109,(9): A97.

5. Murphy MM, Douglas JS, Johnson RK, Spence LA. Drinking flavored or plain milk is positively associated with nutrient intake and is not associated with adverse effects on weight status in U.S. children and adolescents. J Am Diet Assoc. 2008; 108:631-639.

6. Johnson RK, Frary C, Wang MQ. The nutritional consequences of flavored milk consumption by school-aged children and adolescents in the United States. J Am Diet Assoc. 2002; 102(6):853-856.

7. Greer FR, Krebs NF and the Committee on Nutrition. Optimizing bone health and calcium intakes of infants, children and adolescents. Pediatrics 2006; 117:578-585.

When you’re looking to buy a new car, the very thing you do is get online and do some research, right? Then you go to your closest car dealership… and maybe even one or two more to compare prices. That’s really time consuming, isn’t it? CarWoo! is a service looking to change the way you buy a new car. This cool tool will help you find the car you want, at the price you want, and save you a lot of time while doing so.

The CarWoo! team is currently raising funds for the Susan G. Komen foundation during the World Series. They bought an awesome ’78 Camaro and painted a bright pink stripe down the center. Last Thursday they drove it up to the second World Series game in San Francisco and got hundreds of Giants fans to sign the car and donate for Breast Cancer Research.

Now they’re on their way down to Arlington, Texas to get Rangers fans in on the action. Whichever team’s fans donate the most will receive the donation to the Susan G. Komen foundation chapter in their city! How cool is that? Woo!

For those who aren’t lucky enough to be at either of the games, CarWoo! is also raising funds online. You can help out by making a donation yourself, telling others about it, or if you know anyone in Dallas, letting them know to watch out for the CarWoo! Camaro at next weekend’s game. You can find out more details on their site: http://carwoo.com/worldseries.

Disclosure: I wrote this post as part of a compensated CarWoo! campaign.

This morning I made myself a yummy shake for breakfast… chocolate milk, a banana, a dash of vanilla extract, and a few ice cubes to thicken it up. Banana and chocolate go together like peanut butter and jelly! Am I right or am I right? Made with simple ingredients I already had in my fridge and pantry, the shake was so satisfying and delicious… sabroso!

Speaking of chocolate milk, did you know that flavored milk contains the same nine essential nutrients as white milk and is a healthful alternative to soft drinks? My girls will only drink white milk if it’s ice cold, but they’ll never say no to chocolate milk – hot or cold. Low-fat and fat-free flavored milk contains calcium, potassium, phosphorous, protein, vitamins A, D and B12, riboflavin and niacin equivalents – and can help kids meet their calcium recommendations. Low fat chocolate milk is the most popular choice in schools and kids drink less milk (and get fewer nutrients) if it’s taken away. I have to admit, I’ll never say no to a frothy glass of chocolate milk, either! And now for the recipe….

Breakfast Chocolate-Banana Shake

• 2 cups low fat chocolate milk (a little less if you want a thicker shake)
• 1 banana
• Ice (I added about a cup; add more if you want the shake super thick)
• ¼ tsp vanilla extract
• 10 pecans (my daughters gave me the look when I was about to add the pecans, so I didn’t. Saved me a lot of calories, now that I think about it.)

Easy-peasy directions: Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until the ice is crushed.

Nutrition Information: 260 calories; 8 g fat; 2 g saturated fat; 9 g protein; 298 mg calcium
*Remove pecans from recipe if calories are a concern! Nuts have a lot of protein and would make this a filling breakfast if you leave them in, though.

When’s the last time YOU had some chocolate milk?

This recipe is provided by EligeLeche.com, and shared at the Sabroso Saturday link-up, hosted by Latina on a Mission! Follow Bigote de Leche (the famous milk mustache!) on Twitter and Facebook for more milk goodness! And in case you missed it, be sure to check out the recipe I posted last week – for a chocolate cookies ‘n cream pie.

Disclosure: This is a paid post created in collaboration with Latina on a Mission and Milk Processors Education Program (MilkPEP). All opinions expressed herein are solely my own.