Earlier this month, as all of the different information on relief efforts and how people could lend a helping hand to the people of Haiti after the devastating earthquake that has left millions of people dead, homeless and in desperate need of resources, we published a post on how nursing mothers could donate breast milk to Haiti to benefit Haitian babies in need of a food source.
Information on how to donate your breast milk to babies in need in Haiti came to light after a press release was put out by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. The International Breast Milk Project soon after launched the Haiti Emergency Relief Milk Program, who said that they would be helping to cover hosts for the Human Milk Banking Association of North America to collect, process and ship breast milk that had been donated to Haiti. While the International Breast Milk Project does have several updates on their website from up to January 28th reporting that donated breast milk has arrived in Port-au-Prince and awaiting pick up, the Red Cross has recently released a statement saying that they are 100% sure that they did not ask for breast milk donations and have asked women to stop sending it.
The Emergency Nutrition Network and the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance have asked the Human Milk Banking Association of North America to retract their press release, saying that breast milk donations to Haiti present an “unfeasible and unsafe intervention.” In fact, milk that had arrived in Port-au-Prince as part of the International Breast Milk Project’s efforts, has remained unused because of concerns raised by the Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance and other agencies. It has also been stated that nursing mothers donating breast milk with the intentions of it being sent to Haiti, while done with the best intentions of helping to provide emergency relief, has stemmed from quite a bit of confusion when the milk banking group, as well as several associations, bloggers and heavy-hitting media released information saying that their milk was in great need, while it turns out that there never was a need for donated milk.
Across the board, every major relief organization agrees that the best way to help Haiti’s struggles at this time, as well as the best way to help any relief efforts, is to donate money so that non-profit organizations and others helping to aid Haiti are able to continue their efforts. If you are interested in donating money to the relief efforts in Haiti, check out our list of worthwhile charities working towards relief in Haiti.
If you are a nursing mother and would like to donate breast milk to help babies in need in the United States, the International Breast Milk Project has stated that they, along with the Human Milk Banking Association of North America does collect milk to help critically ill babies in neonatal intensive care units, as well as babies that cannot tolerate formula. You can contact the Human Milk Banking Association of North America on their website or by calling 1-866-998-4550 for further information and the donation process.
Woman Tribune has been reporting on the relief efforts, current conditions, ways to donate and how people around the world are uniting to help Haiti in a time of serious and desperate need. We will continue reporting as information becomes available, so please consider following our reporting on Haiti to stay up to date on what is happening there.
At least once a week, if not once a day, a woman will proclaim that if she only had more time, she could get one more thing on her never-ending list of duties done.
As we have mentioned quite a few times before on Woman Tribune, Alice is an amazing web service (and iPhone app!) that will help you take and keep stock of all the household products you use and need on a daily basis. It gives you a super easy and convenient way to order new household items and have them shipped directly to your house, and Alice will also alert you to let you know when something is running low that you may not have noticed. Gone are the mornings when you realize you’re out of shampoo and walk into work with a mop on your head. Typically, an Alice user eliminates the chore of going to the store for these much-needed items, saying them 30 minutes per week. Of course that’s according to Alice, because I’ve experienced shopping trips that last much, much more than 30 months and that is more than once a week; but nevertheless, you are pretty much guaranteed to save a half hour of time usually spent in the store when working with Alice.
Because Alice is the awesome household friend that just keeps giving, they are asking What would you do with more time? Your answer could very well give you $250 extra dollars to use on Alice.com and save a pretty penny on your household items.
To enter this contest, all you have to do is submite your story detailing what you would do with 30 extra minutes a week. Would you play with the kids, make an extra special dinner for the husband, take a bike ride or a yoga class, or maybe even take a nap? Whatever it is, Alice wants to hear about it. You can also submit a video, for no other reason than to accurately portray your desperation for $250.
It has been more than two weeks since the disastrous earthquake hit Haiti, leaving countless dead and the rest of its population living in tent cities and fighting for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We have heard quite a bit about Haiti over these past weeks–about what the earthquake really meant to the Haitian people, how, where and what to donate and we have seen most of our favorite celebrities speaking out and raising awareness of the amount of help Haiti needs. It is easy to tune the Haiti-talk out, especially after hearing about it so much day-to-day.While it’s easy for us to forget about Haiti, they certainly have not forgotten what happened there. They have not forgotten about the amount of help they need–and fast.
I was recently made aware of continual relief efforts by Marcy Sasso, the Director of Operations of the Ambulatory Surgical Center, which she stated that the Ambulatory Surgical Center is working with The United Way, Inspire Haiti and The Red Cross to collect all types of medical supplies to be sent to help the relief efforts in Haiti. The following medical supplies are very much needed by the people of Haiti, so if you are in the medical profession or know someone who is, please pass this information along; regardless whether you can donate a case or a box or fifteen boxes of supplies, please help in this major relief effort.
Medical supplies needed:
boxes of gloves (regular and latex free)
IV solutions and supplies
oxygen masks
blood pressure cuffs
sterile water and saline oxygen tubing, elderly care supplies
Please drop off any supplies to the Ambulatory Surgical Center located at 950 W. Chestnut Street, Union, NJ 07083. If you have any additional questions or concerns, you may call 908.688.2700.
Also note, if you are unable to drop off your supplies, Integrated Health will pick them up. Please call the number above to set up a time for your supplies to be picked up.
Woman Tribune has been reporting on the relief efforts, current conditions, ways to donate and how people around the world are uniting to help Haiti in a time of serious and desperate need. We will continue reporting as information becomes available, so please consider following our reporting on Haiti to stay up to date on what is happening there.
Inspired by the beautiful Bollywood dance number of Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionare? Want to take your chance with a new style of dance? Now is your chance! On Thursday, Febuary 11, 2010Urban Girl Squad will host an Intro to Bollywood Dance Class at The Dance Theater Workshop at 7:00PM.
Join Urban Girl Squad as we learn “BollyBasics,” an introduction to the famous Indian folk dance called Bollywood, with the founder of Bollywood dance company Dhoonya Dance. Dhoonya Dance is a growing dance company that has taught Bollywood on Oprah! In our class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of Bollywood and Pop Bhangra dance in a fun, beginner’s setting. No dance experience is necessary. You’ll get a great workout, learn a new style of dance, and meet new women in NYC!
At this class, you’ll learn Bollywood Basics and receive:
A gift bag of South Asian goodies from City Saheli, including a Bollywood CD, a pamphlet with basic Bollywood steps, a henna tattoo, and a piece of South Asian inspired jewelry. City Saheli is an online platform that brings to you New York City with a South Asian twist–you can learn more about new types of yoga, natural healing, fusion designers and more.
1 free class for every 4 class package you purchase from Dhoonya Dance
Dhoonya Dance is home of the best Bollywood talent, teachers and training providing simple, artistic instruction. The Dhooyna Method of Bollywood dance emphasizes strong fundamentals and choreography rooted in traditional, folk and classical Indian dance.
About Urban Girl Squad
Amanda Hofman created Urban Girl Squad, a community-based social group for women in their 20’s and 30’s in New York City, in January 2008. Urban Girl Squad creates opportunities for these women to try new things, spend time with friends, and meet new people. Our events include food and wine tastings, beauty and fashion nights, dance and fitness classes, sports events, cocktail parties and more. We provide special, discounted access to the city–you’ll meet store owners and designers, taste gourmet food and drinks, receive personal attention from popular venues, and score some amazing gift bags. The welcoming atmosphere at our events makes it easy for members to attend on their own or with friends!
Join us on February 11th as we learn the basics of Bollywood dance. Space is limited and advanced placement is required, so purchase your ticket today! Wear comfortable, workout/yoga attire. No shoes necessary.
Fast Facts:
Date: Thursday, February 11, 2010
Location: The Dance Theater Workshop
219 West 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
This is a guest post by Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com.
The major provisions of the CARD Act take effect on February 22, less than one month away.
“The CARD Act made some very beneficial changes for credit cardholders. Consumers have been wanting these strong protections for years and they will become real in one month,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com and author of The Credit Card Guidebook. “However, the industry landscape has changed dramatically since May when the CARD Act was finally signed. Issuers have reacted to a very rough economy and this new law by finding new ways to increase their revenue. They have raised interest rates, closed accounts, increased fees and decreased reward programs. It is likely that the number of people who have been negatively affected by these new changes outnumber the people that significantly benefitted from the CARD Act.”
Here are the major provisions of the CARD Act that go into effect on February 22:
There will be new rules for interest rates. Issuers cannot increase rates during the first 12 months of a new account. On existing accounts, if your rate is increased, the new APR only applies to your new purchases; your existing balance is still charged the old interest rate. (There are some exceptions on both of these provisions: if the card has a variable rate and the index goes up; if the introductory period ends and the rate increases to the standard rate; the payment is more than 60 days late; payments fall behind in the debt management plan.) Any monthly payments above the minimum amount must be applied to the balance with the highest APR first.
There will be protections for underage consumers. If you are under 21, you will have to prove that you are able to make payments, or you will need a cosigner, in order to open a credit card account. Issuers are also prohibited from offering free gifts to these young adults as inducements for signing up for a credit card.
Over-the-limit fees are banned unless consumers give issuers permission to allow the transactions that put you over your credit limit. If consumers do not “opt in,” then issuers cannot charge you this fee and your transaction may not go through.
Your statement must clearly explain how long it will take to pay your balance if you only make minimum payments. It must also teel you how much you need to pay each month in order to eliminate your balance in three years.
“This is one of the best provisions of the bill. It is too easy to pay your minimum amount without calculating how much more you need to pay to get out of this debt. Now the reality of how much you are paying in interest will be clearly stated. Hopefully, this will be an incentive for cardholders to pay more of their balance each month,” says Hardekopf.
There will be caps on high-fee cards. If your credit card company requires you to pay fees (such as an annual fee, processing fee or application fee,) those fees cannot total more than 25% of the initial credit limit. This limit does not apply to penalty fees such as penalties for late payments.
There will be changes and standardizations for billing and payments. Your due date should be the same date each month and the payment cut-off time much be 5pm or later on the due date. If your due date is on a weekend or holiday when the company does not process payments, you will have until the following business day to pay.
Two-cycle billing will be eliminated. Credit card companies can only impose interest charges on balances in the current billing cycle.
Universal default is now prohibited. Issuers can no longer increase a cardholder’s APR based on their payment records with unrelated accounts, like a utility bill.
In addition to these provisions, there are several rules that went into effect on August 22, 2009:
Your issuer must send your credit card bill at least 21 days (rather than 14 days) before your payment is due.
Your credit card company must give you 45 days notice (rather than 15 days) when they plan to increase your interest rate or certain fees (annual fee, advance fee, late fee.)
If an issuer increases your interest rate, you have the right to “opt out” of that increase. You can no longer make any new purchases with that card, but you can continue to pay off your balance at the existing (lower) interest rate for up to five years.
“We have lived with the politics and consequences of this bill for almost two years. It will be interesting to see if these new provisions are helpful for consumers or if the higher rates and fees are the only lasting changes from the CARD Act,” says Hardekopf.
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LowCards.com simplifies the confusion of shopping for credit cards. It is a free, independent website that helps consumers easily compare credit cards in a variety of categories such as lowest rates, rewards, rebates, balance transfers and lowest introductory rates. It also gives an unbiased ranking and review for each card. The LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index is the most objective and comprehensive resource on the Internet which allows consumers to compare rates for all 1260 credit cards offered in this country. Created by Hampton & Associates, the company has been analyzing the credit card industry and supplying objective websites on various consumer expenses for eight years.
Although Dream Life is a sequel to Lauren Mechling’s first book, Dream Girl, Dream Life is the first book I have read in the supernatural journey that is Claire Voyante’s world. That being said, Mechling first and foremost succeeded in creating a book that you can pick up and jump right into, without needing any back story from the first publication in the series.
Claire is a typical high school girl with a not-so-typical gift; ever since her grandmother, Kiki, gave her an onyx and ivory cameo necklace, Claire has been having black and white dreams that are major tips in solving some pretty influential mysteries. To make Dream Life even more intriguing, Claire isn’t just solving mysteries around New York, she (albeit, mistakenly) aligns herself with a secret society of do-gooders called the Blue Moons, who give her quite the mystery to solve–find a missing pink iPod that holds the secrets of a new and absolutely huge project to save the Brooklyn Bridge from real estate developer slimeball, Sink Landon.
Admittedly, Dream Life was a little slow to start for me, which I attribute to not reading the first book and really not knowing the who knew each other so well. However, the book surprised me with its ability to catch–and keep–my attention to the end. Claire is a remarkable and rememberable heroine that you find yourself rooting for in her entire series of problems, not just with solving mysteries, but also rifts with her friends, her complicated boy troubles and dealing with her eccentric parents. Through reading so many young adult books and seeing the amount of quirkiness young adult authors portray in their parental characters, it is my belief that YA authors write parents with the exaggerated qualities they had in parents growing up, with a myriad of additional attributes they wished their parents had and Dream Life had that ten-fold with a Paris-crazed mother with a love of the Zodiac and her parents’ insane Paris-themed house parties. But most of all, I fell in absolute love with Claire’s grandmother, Kiki, who reminds me of every genuinely close friend I have ever had that I could divulge anything to without feeling a hint of judgment.
Lauren Mechling not only presents a fabulous mystery novel that captures the attention of young adults and older adults alike, but also is the first author since the creators of Sex and the City to turn New York City into a character in itself. Being the wannabe-fashionista that I am (read: If I had money, oh the clothes, shoes and accessories I would buy), I really enjoyed the fashion appearances in this book as well. Kiki’s hand-me-down vintage dresses Claire wears and the footwear described in her best friend Becca’s wardrobe are enough to make even the savviest of fashionistas swoon.
I loved being given the opportunity to be a fly on the wall in Claire’s life; from her stance as a Half Moon in the Blue Moon society, solving a mystery that proved me wrong when I thought I had everything figured out, to finally figuring out who she is as a person and knowing her own level of morality, which makes Claire completely and utterly real.
I would recommend this book to anyone craving a serving of hilarious, page-turning, on-the-edge-of-your-seat read that lets you breathe a sigh of relief when you think things can’t get much worse.
General Mills is the leading cereal brand, and has been commited to offering parents a healthy and nutritious breakfast to feed their children without worrying about massive sugar consumption. I know what you’re thinking, cereals like Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch not containing massive amounts of sugar? Well, it may come as a surprise, but pre-sweetended cereals, such as the two mentioned above, only account for about 5% of sugar in a child’s diet and General Mills is dedicated to cutting down the amount of sugars present in their cereals to single-digit grams while also increasing the amount of key nutrients in their cereals, such as calcium and vitamin D. General Mills’ brand cereals are also a great provider of whole grain; making ready-to-eat cereal the number one source of whole grains in a child’s diet.
Cereal Health and Wellness has made some really great information on calories per-serving of major breakfast items available, which you can check out below:
I would have thought that oatmeal would be a healthier option for a child’s breakfast, but as it turns out, cereal and skim milk comes in at 20 calories less than oatmeal and skim milk, which I found really interesting.
While we may know the cliche statement that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, there is a lot of weight to it that parents need to pay a little more attention to, instead of letting children fend for themselves if they’re a little older to find something to run out the door with. Cereal is a really fast and easy breakfast and a 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast perform better in school, compared to children who skip the first meal of the day. Children who eat breakfast also score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy and have fewer reported discripline problems. As you can see, breakfast goes a long way!
General Mills cereal is absolutely commited to you and your child’s health and nutrition and they are offering a coupon for $1 off of your choice of General Mills cereals. Click here to get your coupon!
Disclosure: I was given the opportunity to spread the word about General Mills’ commitment to reducing sugars in cereals from General Mills and MyBlogSpark. For this post, I received VIP coupons, the online coupon link, and the information from General Mills and MyBlogSpark.
Last Friday marked Conan O’Brien’s last day as host of the Tonight Show on NBC. There were a lot of really great segments of his last show, but since we’re going to have to put up with Jay Leno if we want to watch something that is being called late-night comedy, I thought it would be a good idea to highlight Conan’s 7-month run as the host of the Tonight Show.
In his closing statement, Conan also had a little to say about cynicism. Warning: This video is pretty bad quality, but you get the point and you can’t get any classier than this:
This is a guest post by Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com.
One positive sign from the economic downturn of the past year is that consumers finally began paying down their credit card debt.
In November, Equifax reported that credit card debt had declined 7.3% from a year ago. The latest Federal Reserve Consumer Credit report revealed that credit card debt fell in November for the 14th consecutive month. Revolving credit, the majority of which is credit card debt, has fallen over $100 billion since October of 2008, from $976.1 billion to $874.0 billion.
A number of factors could be contributing to this trend. Millions of consumers have lost their jobs or experienced a significant decline in their income. But there also seems to be widespread consumer outrage with the changes made by credit card issuers. 2009 was a year full of interest rate increases, credit limit decreases, and tightened credit by issuers. These were strong incentives for cardholders to cut back on their credit card usage and pay down their balance.
“Issuers began making these changes in 2008 and we expect them to continue in 2010. Even though the CARD Act will help stabilize some rate increases, many cardholders are already stuck with very high rates,” says Bill Hardekopf, CEO of LowCards.com and author of The Credit Card Guidebook. “The only way to protect yourself against these high rates is to pay off your balance.”
Here are some consumer tips to reducing your personal debt in 2010:
Accept that paying off debt won’t be easy. It took you a while to get into debt, and it will probably take you longer to get out. Do not get discouraged, no matter how much you can pay off or how long it takes.
Start with researching how much you really owe. If you only pay the minimum balance, it is easy to focus on that number and lose track of the total balance. Collect each of your bills with outstanding debts including all credit cards, mortgage, student loans, auto loans, personal loans, and bank loans. Create a summary sheet that lists the creditor, monthly payment, balance, interest rate, and credit limit for each. List the status of each account, if any bills are past due, and verify the payment due dates.
This debt summary may be overwhelming, so prioritize which bills to pay first. If money is short and you can’t pay all of your monthly bills, first pay the bills that are a necessity for health, shelter, basic groceries, and basic transportation. Then pay the secured loans such as your car loan. Payments on unsecured loans, such as most credit cards, should come last in these critical situations.
Contact your creditors to negotiate lower rates. The less money you pay in interest, the more money you have to pay off your bills. You may also want to shop around for a mortgage or credit card with a lower rate.
If you are in danger of missing a payment, contact your credits as soon as you realize you have a problem. They may be able to help you work out a payment plan, lower your rate, or lower your monthly payment. Credit card loan defaults are 10% or more for some issuers.
If the first person you speak with can’t help lower your rate or make adjustments to your account, politely ask to speak with a supervisor or someone who can. Persistence may be necessary to find the person who can or will help you. Explain that you are in debt, the steps you are taking to repay it, and what you can pay today. Document all conversations, including whom you spoke with, and the date, time, and the results. If this doesn’t work, contact the National Foundation for Credit Counseling to work out a debt management plan.
If you have multiple credit cards with outstanding balances, focus on paying off the card with the highest interest rate first. Continue to pay the minimum on your other cards until the card with the highest rate is paid off, then focus your effort on the card next in line. Don’t close all cards that you pay off. Keep your oldest cards open and occasionally use them to buy a magazine or a movie ticket–just pay it off each month. This will help improve your credit score.
Pay more than your minimum payment. Your minimum payment is usually only 2%-5% of your balance. At this rate, it will take you many years to pay off your debt. Pick your card to pay off and try to double the minimum payment. Soon your credit card bill will include these calculations.
Check into transferring your balance to a lower rate card. If your rate is above 15%, it could pay off to transfer the balance for that card to one that offers 0% for 12 months for balance transfers. However, this is not the “no interest for a year” loan it used to be. Issuers have tightened their balance transfer offers and you will have to search to find an issuer that offers 0% for 12 months. Citi Platinum Select currently offers 0% for up to 12 months. Most balance transfer offers have been reduced to six month.
To take full advantage of this 0% interest, pay as much as you can above the monthly minimum. Be aware that credit limits are shrinking and you may receive a smaller credit limit for your balance transfer. Only use this card for the balance transfer, not additional purchases.
Pay attention to the balance transfer fee. At the beginning of 2009, the industry standard for a balance transfer fee was 3%. But some issuers increased that fee during the year. In June, Bank of America increased the balance transfer fee to 4% and Discover now charges 5%.
If you have a credit card balance, stop using it for anything other than necessities. Use cash instead. Credit cards are convenient, but if you carry a balance, you are still paying interest for dinners, clothes, entertainment and things that are long gone. If your APR is 15%, ask yourself if the purchase is worth paying an additional 15%, ask yourself if the purchase is worth paying an additional 15% in interest per year. If you use cash, you will not only save money on interest, but also reduce the amount you spend. According to a Dun & Bradstreet report, shoppers spend 12% to 18% less when using cash.
Pay your bills on time, every time. Late payments can cause declines in your credit score. If you are 30 days late on your credit card paument, you could lose 60 to 110 points, depending on your credit score. The higher your credit score, the more points you will lose.
If you are surprised by your current rates, check your credit report. It may contain an error that is creating a lower credit score and higher interest rates for you. If you find an eror on your credit report, contact the credit bureau to report it. They must respond to your claim in thirty days or remove the information that is incorrect or can’t be verified. You can make your dispute by mail, telephone, or online. If the corrected error results in a higher credit score, contact your creditors to make sure they know about your improved score, and ask for a lower interest.
The good news. If you build a history of paying your bills on time every time, and start paying down your debt, not only will your debt decrease, but your credit score will increase. As your credit score increases, contact your issuers to ask for lower rates.
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LowCards.com simplifies the confusion of shopping for credit cards. It is a free, independent website that helps consumers easily compare credit cards in a variety of categories such as lowest rates, rewards, rebates, balance transfers and lowest introductory rates. It also gives an unbiased ranking and review for each card. The LowCards.com Complete Credit Card Index is the most objective and comprehensive resource on the Internet which allows consumers to compare rates for all 1260 credit cards offered in this country. Created by Hampton & Associates, the company has been analyzing the credit card industry and supplying objective websites on various consumer expenses for eight years.
Since the news broke of Jay Leno being bumped from prime time after only 7 months, the rumor mill has been buzzing of what NBC would do with Conan O’Brien. Would Conan take over the later slot or would he be leaving his show, Tonight, along with the network that can’t uphold their own contracts?
Conan has been eluding to his NBC-demise since news broke that Jay Leno would be taken off of primte time television and placed back into late night and last night his bitterness collided with utter hilarity and out emerged the funniest thing I have ever, and I mean ever seen on Conan O’Brien–after saying that his show would most likely be ending in the next few episodes he can do whatever he wants; and not just that, but NBC has to pay for it. And out emerged his new character, said only to be introduced to the show for it’s price tag. The Bugatti Veyron Mouse. The most expensive car in the world dressed up like a mouse. Check it out before NBC removes it from YouTube:
Also, while this doesn’t necessarily come as a shock but is still very disappointing since Conan O’Brien is so much funnier than Jay Leno, yeah I said it, as of today, Conan O’Brien and NBC have reached a deal to terminate Conan’s contract. His final appearance as the host of Tonight is tonight and he will have free reign to go make some other network a happier and funnier place as of September 1st.
The NBC lineup as of March 1 will entail Jay Leno returning as the host of The Tonight Show which will be one-hour broadcasted at 11:35pm EST, followed by Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. My one complaint here is why does Jimmy Fallon get to keep his show? He’s even less entertaining than Jay Leno!
Details of O’Brien’s severance have not been made public, but those familiar with the negotiations have stated that “he stands to get a severance payment of about $32 million plus about $12 million for his staff. So while Conan O’Brien will be immensely taken care of, this still sucks because as so many have said and continued to say, he’s just funnier and of course he is the one who loses his show.
Of course, the “deal” NBC and O’Brien reached is also said to contain a clause that would prohibit both parties from making disparaging comments about each other in public. You know NBC made damn sure they put that clause in his agreement–look what he’s been saying (and doing) while still being on the air.
Earlier this month, as all of the different information on relief efforts and how people could lend a helping hand to the people of Haiti after the devastating earthquake that has left millions of people dead, homeless and in desperate need of resources, we published a post on how nursing mothers could donate breast milk to Haiti to benefit Haitian babies in need of a food source.
At least once a week, if not once a day, a woman will proclaim that if she only had more time, she could get one more thing on her never-ending list of duties done.
It has been more than two weeks since the disastrous earthquake hit Haiti, leaving countless dead and the rest of its population living in tent cities and fighting for their lives and the lives of their loved ones. We have heard quite a bit about Haiti over these past weeks–about what the earthquake really meant to the Haitian people, how, where and what to donate and we have seen most of our favorite celebrities speaking out and raising awareness of the amount of help Haiti needs. It is easy to tune the Haiti-talk out, especially after hearing about it so much day-to-day.While it’s easy for us to forget about Haiti, they certainly have not forgotten what happened there. They have not forgotten about the amount of help they need–and fast.
Inspired by the beautiful Bollywood dance number of Oscar winning film Slumdog Millionare? Want to take your chance with a new style of dance? Now is your chance! On Thursday, Febuary 11, 2010 
General Mills is the leading cereal brand, and has been commited to offering parents a healthy and nutritious breakfast to feed their children without worrying about massive sugar consumption. I know what you’re thinking, cereals like Trix and Cinnamon Toast Crunch not containing massive amounts of sugar? Well, it may come as a surprise, but pre-sweetended cereals, such as the two mentioned above, only account for about 5% of sugar in a child’s diet and General Mills is dedicated to cutting down the amount of sugars present in their cereals to single-digit grams while also increasing the amount of key nutrients in their cereals, such as calcium and vitamin D. General Mills’ brand cereals are also a great provider of whole grain; making ready-to-eat cereal the number one source of whole grains in a child’s diet.
