Homemade baby food.

Making your own baby food is one of the easiest and most rewarding things you can do for your family. It's also the best way you can control what goes into your baby's body. You can choose organic or non-GMO foods and also be assured that there are no artificial ingredients or unnecessary additives. It's fun, easy, and incredibly gratifying. So let's get started!

Choosing Your Ingredients

For both nutrition and taste, choose the freshest ingredients you can find. Choose fruits that are nearly ripe and free from bruises. Vegetables should be crisp and bright. Quality matters with meats, too, so be selective with your choices.

Feeding your baby organic, non-GMO foods is a healthy choice, but you may not always be able to find these options. Just like everything else in motherhood, you should try your best but be prepared to go to plan B.

Preparing Your Workstation

I suggest getting your work station all set up before you begin. Have your cook pots and steamer out on the

By Nicole Nichols, Managing Editor and Fitness Expert at SparkPeople

5 ways to reign in your toddler's screen timeWith the acquisition of a Leap Pad for Christmas and a family iPad, things have gotten a little hairy around here. A situation we're not unfamiliar with, my 3-year-old has been a steadfast, walking iPhone endorsement since he first learned how to swipe the little arrow bar over to get to his beloved baby apps at age 1.

So young.

Too much technology?

Perhaps.

But.

We are a couple of parents who love technology ourselves and have careers that revolve around the heavy usage of said "equipment." So. Obviously our little ones want to be doing what we are doing, and who am I to deny them this occasional pleasure?

Related: 20 reasons why the toddler stage is my favorite

To be honest, I'd rather let them play the interactive learning apps that you can download onto an iPad or a Leap OPad, than stick them in front of the boob-tube for some Cailou or Sponge Bob.

I think the important thing is to try in reign in that screen time. Which can be more than tricky because those games are so

The lost art of spring cleaningIt's finally spring. The birds are chirping, and the sun is shining light on all the dust and grime from the winter. Author Jan Dougherty joins Easy Does Host Ereka Vetrini to school us on the lost art of housecleaning.

Related: 7 spring cleaning mistakes to avoid

According to Dougherty, we don't all just dread spring cleaning, we dread cleaning in general. She adds that she believes it's because "most people have never really been taught how to clean."

Related: Moms' best spring cleaning advice

Dougherty suggests using a caddy that contains critical tools that you need to do your job. "This way you can take them with you through the house as you clean." She says that the most important item is the detail brush, which is great for getting into all the nooks and crannies.

"The next most important thing is if you have kind of any hard water stains, you can use the pumice stone," she adds. She says that this is great to use in the toilet. And she also suggests keeping a scrubbie in