Posted by admin on April 12th, 2010 in Community Involvement, Food

If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend watching the new series with Jamie Oliver.  It debuted on Friday March 26 (9:00-10:00 p.m., ET) on the ABC Television Network.  In the series, Jamie heads to Huntington, West Virginia – which has been called the unhealthiest city in America — to start his new cooking initiative.  Last week’s show struck home.  It took place in their local high school.   I don’t want to take potshots at specific nutritionists or school cafeteria workers but when you watch the show, you begin to realize the role adult bureaucrats play in the decline of our school food offerings.

At one point, Jamie fixed a pasta dish with 7 vegetables in it accompanied by  chicken teriyaki.  The School Dietician slammed him for not having the “FDA approved” serving (1 1/2 cups) of vegetables.  Know what she added to this mix to “improve” the serving size?  French Fries.  She closed the line with the veggie pasta dish and re-opened the regular line which offered a chicken patty between two pieces of white bun and french fries.  Jamie asked her where the veggies were she replied that the french fries were vegetables and after all, there was a salad bar.  Of course, a miniscule amount of kids visited the salad bar.  The upshot?  Most kids were back at square one – a fried chicken patty between two white buns and french fries.  What kind of craziness is this?

Check out the show, you may be surprised at the dietary rules that dictate what your teens eat while at school.  Food you are paying for by the way.  And please SIGN THE PLEDGE TODAY!

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Posted by admin on April 10th, 2010 in Education, Jobs/Careers, Money

Image by DavidDMuir via Flickr

How much do you think teens learn about finances?  Do they learn anything in schools?  We’ve been teaching our kids about money since they were little.  But, I’m not so sure all the important lessons have been taught (or even learned).

I’m wondering if the recent economic downfall would have happened so easily if more people had learned about basic financial principles when they were a young adult.  I did not learn about money when I was little.  I always had a job, whether working for my Dad or for someone else and I was taught to save money.  But, no one ever taught me about the benefits of time/money – which is the MAJOR advantage young people have when it comes to money.

Teaching Financial Basics

A recent article in the New York Times made me ponder if any of the schools my kid’s have ever attended offered any financial education.  The quick answer is, “No”.  But, again they learned the principles of economics which should equate.  But does it?  Does your school offer anything like this?

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Posted by admin on March 17th, 2010 in Contests/Promotions, Fashion

If your teens shop like mine, you are very familiar with Aéropostale.  In fact, I think they’re edging out The Gap for teen’s top of mind.  But that’s just MY opinion.

They’re doing something creative this Spring and have introduced a  “Real Teens”  contest.  They are “searching for everyday guys and girls between the ages of 13-19 years old who aspire to do the right thing in life, utilizing qualities of compassion, integrity and teamwork. Whether that means helping others, caring for the environment or just being a good person, Aéropostale appreciates all teenagers for what they do, no matter how big or how small.”  Whew. Tall order but I know plenty of kids that would fill the bill – don’t you? 

Eight Grand Prize winners (8 Real Teens: 4 male, 4 female) will each receive a $5,000 personal college scholarship and have the chance to represent Aero in their Fall advertising campaign!

Here’s how it works:

Go to www.RealTeens2010.com to complete the sign-up process and submit your profile. Aéropostale will screen it for inappropriate content, and an email will be sent to you confirming that your profile is in the process of being approved. Your profile will be reviewed within 2 business days, and once it has been approved you will receive a 2nd email confirming its acceptance into the contest. At that time, your profile will be posted to the website and can be viewed, voted on and shared with your friends and family.

Aéropostale’s judges will award the top 87 teens who fit the criteria ( Aéropostale was founded in 1987) a $100 Aéropostale gift card and a Flip Video™ Camcorder. Winners will be contacted and prizes will be sent by Aéropostale during the week of April 5, 2010.

Winners will be required to record and submit additional video content using their Flip Video™ Camcorder by 11:59PM on 4/12/10. Submitted content will be used by the judges to help select the 8 Grand Prize winners. (Winners who do not submit video or submit video after 11:59PM on 4/12/10 will be discarded, and contestants will be eliminated from the running to win a Grand Prize.)

Winners will be contacted by Aéropostale during the week of April 26, 2010.

Official rules are also posted at www.RealTeens2010.com.

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