TV Worth Watching tonight.

Check out JAMIE OLIVER’S FOOD REVOLUTION 2-HOUR PREMIERE FRIDAY MAR 26 8|7c.
Then read through & follow up with this TOOLKIT put together in association with the PTA.

Thanks to Natalie Rogers. A local mom working hard to make this a reality!

Dear Task Force on Obesity... Less Talk-y, Paper Shuffley, More Do-ey...

1. FULLY fund the Child Nutrition Act - it's cued up for you. Take the shot.

2. FULLY fund FARM TO SCHOOL programs too. Kids need to reconnect to their food source. And this is a real valid learning tool.

3. No Child Left Behind ... hmmm anybody think that taking PE & Recess out of schools in order to spend more time prepping for tests is a good idea? It seems like it should be called "NO CHILD'S LEFT BEHIND should be too big to fit in their seat because we don't allow them to run around during the school day and Dang, why can't they pay attention anyway?!"

4. Parents & Task Force members... BE ROLE MODELS not ROLL models. We all have to do this together...It's not up to the government to make this one work...we do need their help but this one hits too close to home to leave it up to someone else.

5. Let's not try and solve every problem with a "tech-y" solution. Video & Computer Games are fine in small doses, but trying to get a kid to sit in front of the computer in order to learn about how to get healthy seems a little oxymoronic to me.

seeds, BIRDS | creative chickins

I just MUST post about this. My friend Rachel owns one of the coolest kid's stores I've ever been in. It's called the Seed Factory and is located on the west side of Atlanta, GA. She is hosting an event with one of the most creative artists I've seen in a long while. Have you ever seen a gigantic felted bird cage? Fantastic! Sign up & show up if you are geographically inclined. Even if you aren't, it might be worth the road trip.

What does it have to do with building healthy habits you ask? Well, inspiring kids to follow their creativity is a tremendously healthy habit!

Dr. Geary Recommends...

I like this blog (the author, Dr. Natalie Geary lives in NYC and I like that too...jealous much, am I) Check out this nice review of our Nutrition Tracking Boards.



Click here to check out all the helpful Nutrition info she has posted too!

"Keep on Cluckin'!" awarded to Local Mompreneurs!

Aside from getting to do what I love every day – The Chickin Biz – I get to meet lots of other interesting folks that are doing what they love too. I wanted to share a couple of stories about some that I find particularly inspirational for varied reasons. Keep on Cluckin' mommies!

Great news from fellow Atlanta mom-preneur, Britt Menzies who started a business based upon her passion for teaching children – Little Stinkers – to make good choices and "always be leaders of good." Britt just landed a really sweet deal with Madame Alexander to license and produce her line of plush dolls based upon the "Stinky Kids®"characters she has created. WAY TO GO BRITT. Thanks for being an inspiration to all mom/biz-owners to follow your passions and the rest will follow!

I met this mom late last year. Always thinking of ways to grow and expand, I thought about how Chickin Feed might work in the whole in-home party model – Having a Hen Party! – and my research uncovered local mom, Beth Remmes. She has built a company called ZOLA the art of living green, an eco-friendly home party business. She has a great section of links & resources. If you are a mom looking to Go Green in your home or looking to start your own home-based biz...Chick it out!

And I just met Jody Goldfarb, local mother of three, who saw a problem (school lunches) and started a business catering fresh foods to local schools to solve it: Lunch For Learners. Great idea and thanks for being Part of the Solution, Jody!

PART OF THE SOLUTION...

We need to combat the childhood obesity epidemic with KNOWLEDGE. Teaching young children AND their families about nutrition is essential if we want to tackle this massive public health issue. Giving children and their families simple, fun, interactive tools that do show them what they NEED to be putting into their bodies and that don't encourage them to sit in front of the computer is the mission of Chickin Feed (chickin is an affectionate term for children).

Aside from making eco-friendly products (locally produced & recyclable) we pride ourselves on good design. After all, if something is a well-designed tool that folks WANT to look at, interact with and take pride in possessing, rather than “some piece of paper they handed out at school that we had on the fridge but it fell off and we aren’t inspired enough to put it back up” odds are the outcome will be better.

By reconcepting the food pyramid into a user-friendly interactive board, Chickin Feed has really helped folks associate what they've HAD to eat vs. what they NEED to be eating. Actually seeing a representation of four servings of vegetables that need to be consumed each day and having to mark them off when you are done really does turn on a lightbulb! And sometimes children need tools that they can use to make good choices independent of their busy parents and well-intentioned urgings of the lunch lady.

We need some help spreading the word. Talk about healthy foods with your friends and neighbors, start an active club at your school, get involved in the local food movement or just do one small thing in your community to be part of the solution instead of focusing on the problem. It will all work out! As long as well all do too :)

Yours truly,
Mother Hen
leslie at chickinfeed dot com...