Kids eating healthy.
By Jen Mueller for SparkPeople

I've blogged about my kids' diets many times in the past. I try hard to provide them with good, wholesome meals. Fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy and lean meats are the norm in my house. My kids have treats, but in moderation, so overall, I feel pretty good about how they eat. Interestingly, I can't say that my or my husband's diet lives up to quite the same standard. According to a new online poll, we're not alone.

My kids get vegetables with lunch and dinner every day. If they want seconds of their meal, they have to finish their veggies first. I do eat vegetables with dinner every day, but with lunch, not so much. My kids drink organic milk, but my husband drinks regular. He doesn't care either way, so I buy him regular to save money. My kids get "dessert" on occasion, but it's usually just on the weekends. It's not unusual for my husband and I to eat something sweet after the kids go to bed, whether it's the weekend or not. My husband

Woman in labor.

Why is it that some women experience a labor that lasts two hours when others are in labor for 14 hours? How do some women go natural despite the potential intense pain involved? Why do some women tear when others do not?

Is there a way to ease the delivery process? Research says YES - through exercise, especially routines involving the pelvic floor.

In a recent study cited in the British Medical Journal, researchers noted that of the 300 women studied, those who did intensive pelvic floor/kegel exercises in the last few months of pregnancy had an easier time giving birth. Most affected was the second stage of labor-- the pushing stage-- where the study found that women who had done the exercises were less likely to spend prolonged time. Having a shorter pushing stage is extremely beneficial, since a longer pushing phase can lead to a tear or episiotomy, as well as increased chances for bleeding or requiring Cesarean delivery.

Kegel Exercises

It's been known

Sleeping newborn.For nine months, we pay careful attention to taking good care of our bodies and unborn child. We decorate the nursery, make sure we have all the gear, take birthing classes, and mentally prepare ourselves as best we can for the grueling hours that we will spend in labor and delivery. But what a lot of people don't talk about is the things that happen after the baby has arrived. Sure, we all know that there will be sleepless nights, nervous moments wondering if we're doing things right, and there's a good chance we won't be getting anything done beyond taking care of the baby, but what about the things your girlfriends aren't telling you? Warning: Most of this is not pretty.

1. Insignificant Weight Loss. You just gave birth to an eight pound baby, a placenta, and a whole lot of fluids left your body. You must have lost at least half the baby weight you gained, right? Wrong! Do not, I repeat, DO NOT step on a scale for several weeks. It seems like a fun thing to do to see how much

So you're throwin' a party and want earth friendly birthday ideas because you're concerned about how much gets thrown away. For that big bash with a small enviro footprint, check out the ACME Party Box Company.

Lisa Fulker and Cathy Keyani have made it their mission to furnish party supplies that are high quality, easy to set up, and most importantly, earth-friendly. The idea is to have a fun time where the guests leave feeling good instead of leaving heaps of trash that came from non-recyclable party supplies. The company motto is "Party, Rinse, Repeat", and that means washable, 100% cotton linens, invitations printed on recycled stock using soy ink and compostable tableware.theme-woodland1

Available online, ACME Party Box Company has imaginative party starter boxes featuring Circus, Woodland, and Kingdom themes. Starter boxes provide everything you need for a gorgeous table including napkins, bunting, reversible runners and even an heirloom wooden centerpiece made from sustainable

Las Vegas, NevadaMany kids have "Home Alone" fantasies, but the reality of being left to fend for your self as a child is a lot scarier and more dangerous. Two Chicago kids, ages twelve and nine, got to find out for themselves when their parents left them for two days and took a jaunt to Sin City.

What happened in Vegas did not stay in Vegas. On Tuesday, March 20, police charged Antowain Johnson, thirty-six, and Shanpreta Howard, thirty-four, with misdemeanor child endangerment reported ABC News.

In the days leading up to the trip, Facebook posts suggested that the parents were stoked about their plans:

"I am really excited about this trip……ready to go n enjoy myself," posted mom.

"Hangover Part 3," dad replied.

The kids were a little less pumped. Reportedly, the parents left for their trip on Wednesday evening, February 22, and the next day, the 12-year-old tattled to his teacher who then informed the police. The police took the children to stay with an aunt until the parents

Do you worry that your kiddos are more familiar with Angry Birds than with their Ipad kidsmultiplication times tables? Chances are you're just like us -- guilty of throwing your kids in front of the iPod or iPad just so you can secure those precious few minutes to finish up that nagging work project or make a couple of phone calls. While Angry Birds will always be one of our favorite apps, there are plenty of apps out there (educational ones, too) that will diminish your feelings of guilt for pawning your kids off on these sweet devices. So in the spirit of spreading the app love, here is our list of our favorite 85 apps for kids and parents.

Bonus: If you caught yourself drooling over the new iPad but can't justify the steep price tag, we're giving awayone new iPad. Just click here to enter (it's that simple!).

1. Cut the Rope
Age rating: 4+ | Price: $1.99
Oh, what a cute story this game presents! An adorable green monster arrives by mail and it's up to your kids to cut a

star earringsI hate when it turns out my mother was right about something all along! Especially when I really, really thought she didn't know what she was talking about. (And let her know as much.)

More from The Stir: 3-Year-Old in Freak Accident Makes Me Want To Be a Different Mom

For example: Apparently my mother actually did know what she was talking about when she said "cheap" jewelry would make me sick. Like most little girls, I wanted to wear just about anything that glittered, but my mom would only let me get 14 karat gold or sterling silver. Junky earrings would give me ear infections, she said, crappy rings would turn my fingers green. Dollar store necklaces and bracelets would most likely give me cancer.

I rolled my eyes and swore that if I ever had a daughter, I would buy all the $2 pairs of earrings shaped like monkeys or music notes or rainbows her heart desired. Which I did. Because the truth is? Spending an hour combing through all the incredibly affordable junk at

BeyonceSo, have you seen the photos of Beyonce that are currently burning up the Internet? Judging by the images captured of her appearance at a fundraising dinner Monday night, Beyonce has defied the laws of postpartum-dom-nay, the very laws of PHYSICS AS WE KNOW THEM-by looking gorgeous, fit, well-rested, and astoundingly flat-bellied ... two months after giving birth.

More from The Stir: 5 Adorable & Daring Crib Escape Artists (VIDEOS)

I know there have been a bunch of weird rumors that Beyonce used a surrogate and faked her entire pregnancy, and I'm definitely not hitching my wagon to that particular craziness. Nor am I begrudging her the discipline it took to lose the weight, the professional assistance she likely had, or the industrial-strength shapewear she was probably wearing under that amazing Victoria Beckham dress.

I AM, however, saying that Beyonce's postpartum midsection looks exactly as realistic to me as that $3,500 Lucite crib she reportedly bought. Which is