Category: Uncategorized

Sweets are an important part of my life – it fuels my energy and it makes me smile. But I don’t just dive into any ol’ sweet. Nope, I’m still pretty particular to how I want to sweeten my day. Chocolates of course are my first choice, but I’m referring to sweet things that I use in conjunction to whatever I’m eating. And those sweet things are organic sugar and honey. I love honey with practically anything. Honey is so good for you and it tastes fabulous! I grew up eating honey and I think that’s why I enjoy it so much. When my son was old enough to start eating honey, I would serve him honey juice (honey mixed with water) and sometimes a teaspoon of honey a day. He still enjoys eating honey every day and I think it’s a lot better than eating candy. I’ve heard great benefits of honey and with it tasting so great, it doesn’t hurt to eat it, right?

One company who makes exceptional tasting honey is Wholesome Sweeteners. But they don’t make just honey (if you can tell by their name). Wholesome Sweeteners makes a comprehensive range of sweeteners from organic sugar, to organic agave syrup, to corn syrup, to molasses, to pancake and waffle syrup, and of course, to honey. They have such an extensive selection of sweeteners to choose from, that they’ve become a regular household product. We use their organic brown sugar for sweetening beverages and for baking. We use their agave syrup to drizzle generously over our pancakes and we use their honey for making candy and for sweetenting beverages. If you’ve heard of Wholesome Sweeteners before or have tried their products, then you know they make exceptional sweeteners and if you’ve never tried their products before, you really should pick up a bag or bottle. They’re sold practically everywhere, so you’re sure to find them quite easily.

Wholesome Sweeteners is a fair trade company and they do not source any ingredients that have been genetically modified. Their sugars are certified organic and they take great care to ensure their products are sourced responsibly and knowledgeably. They even recycle their spent sugar canes or blue agave remnants as fuel to generate electricity for their mills and neighborhoods! Talk about sweetening the environment! With a company as large as Wholesome Sweeteners, it’s good to know that they care about the environment too.

Wholesome Sweeteners have been producing organic, natural, and fair-trade sweeteners for over a decade and originates in Texas where the land is lush and vast. They cultivate their sugar cane from seed stock to harvest by hand and it’s grown without synthetic fertilizers, pesticides or herbicides. And the best thing is, you can truly taste the quality of the sugar made by Wholesome Sweeteners. After using their organic brown sugar and organic cane sugar, I no longer use the regular sugar you find that are conventionally made. Their sugar and their honey just tastes absolutely real. And since their sugar have not been bleached like those regular sugars, you know you’re ingesting something healthier. And if you’re baking with their sweeteners, you know you’re providing your family with sweets that are sweetened with something purer and better.

I was overjoyed when Wholesome Sweeteners had sent me their entire collection of sweeteners to try and review. Among the products I tried were their Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Light Brown Sugar, Organic Turbinado Raw Cane Sugar, Organic Powdered Sugar, Organic Sucanat, Organic Blue Agave Maple Syrup, Organic Honey, Organic Blue Agave Cinammon, Organic Molasses, and many more. They also want to send 1 LUCKY reader of Happymomblogger their own basket of selected Wholesome Sweeteners products and among them will include their famous sugars and syrups.

The photo above is just a smaller version of their gift basket as Wholesome Sweeteners promises that the winner will receive a much larger gift basket with more products. So how do you win this super sweet prize? Read below to find out!

Here’s how to enter in the Wholesome Sweeteners giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Wholesome Sweeteners on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/Wholesomesweeteners?ref=sgm and write on their wall that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger: http://www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com/. Please put Happymomblogger as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

#2 entry – Become a follower: https://twitter.com/#!/happymomblogger and “Tweet” me @happymomblogger that you are entering the Wholesome Sweeteners giveaway. Become a follower of Wholesome Sweeteners: http://twitter.com/#!/WholesomeSweet  and “Tweet” that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger.

#3 entry – Visit  http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/ and tell me what products you would like to try and what you would use them for.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: October 25, 2011

Contest End Date: November 8, 2011 – CONTEST CLOSED. WINNER WILL BE SELECTED. Congratulations to Janice W.!

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s names on my blog. 

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

Being a mom can be rewarding and satisfying but it can be even more rewarding when you can find time to pamper yourself too. That’s why from time to time I’d like to indulge in skincare and bodycare products that are good for me and for the environment. When I discovered an all-natural and organic bodycare company called Pharmacopia, I was instantly drawn to the rich fragrances and the delicate balance of deep cleansing and gentle ingredients. Pharmacopia uses plant-based ingredients that are both therapeutic for the mind and body and their fragrances soothe and enhance.

Pharmacopia is relatively new to the bodycare line industry. As a self-starting business, the owners and founders of Pharmacopia wanted to develop a line of all-natural skincare products that were good for the body and harmless to the environment. Pharmacopia began with the knowledge that natural ingredients derived from nature was better for the planet and using essential oils of certain plants and flowers benefited the mind, soul, and body. Essential oils have been used for hundreds of years and you can find essential oils of lavender, grapeseed, lemon, tangerines, and other ingredients that work in harmony with each other in Pharmacopia’s products.

Products made by Pharmacopia are derived from natural sources such as lavender, green tea, verbena, shea butter, and jasmine and their products do not contain potentially harmful ingredients like parabens, pthalates, sulfates, synthetic fragrances and colors, and any other ingredients used in typical, commercial-based bodycare. They promise to use 99% of natural ingredients instead of synthetic and most of their products consists of organically-grown plants and flowers.

When you take a deep, cleansing whiff of their bodywash or their soaps, you are instantly reminded of how nature should be – simplistically elegant. And that’s how I felt when I opened their bottle of Verbena and Green Tea Body Wash and Body Lotion. The scent of citrus was clear and a hint of tea lingered slightly on your skin. Green Tea has also been known to have therapeutic and anti-oxidant powers.

Pharmacopia sells a pretty comprehensive line of skin and body care products ranging from body washes, soaps, hand cream, bath salts, and lip balms. All of their products contain healing ingredients such as aloe vera, shea butter, lemon peel, olive fruit oil, and other similar elements. But aside from using ingredients derived from nature, I was really surprised at how well my Verbena and Green Tea did at cleansing and moisturizing. I’ve found that most natural products which do not contain synthetic surfactants usually don’t lather or clean as well, but the Verbena and Green Tea bodywash did its job quite well. And the scent was so amazing that I used the entire bottle too generously. I’m also glad to know that Pharmacopia is animal cruelty-free and do not use any animal-based ingredients. They are also part of the Safe Cosmetics Act which helps lawmakers to hopefully eliminate toxic ingredients in skin care products. For more info about Pharmacopia and their array of useful information on health and well-being, please visit their website: www.pharmacopia.net.  Currently you can find Pharmacopia products in certain beauty supply stores, certain natural grocery stores, and you can also order online at their website and at The Vitamin Shoppe:

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/search/en/category.jsp?type=brand&brandId=b100325

Pharmacopia had wanted me to try their products so I had chosen the Verbena and Green Tea Body Wash and Body Lotion set and they also want 1 LUCKY winner of Happymomblogger to experience their salon-quality, therapeutic skin and body care products. The winner will receive the Verbena and Green Tea Body Wash and Body Lotion set. So how do you win this luxurious prize? Read below to find out!

Here’s how to enter in the Pharmacopia giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Pharmacopia on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pharmacopia?ref=nf  and write on their wall that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger: http://www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com/. Please put Happymomblogger as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

#2 entry – Become a follower: https://twitter.com/#!/happymomblogger and “Tweet” me @happymomblogger that you are entering the Pharmacopia giveaway. Become a follower of Pharmacopia: http://twitter.com/#!/pharmacopia and “Tweet” that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger.

#3 entry – Visit  http://www.pharmacopia.net/store/pages.php?pageid=12 and tell me what product you would like to try.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: October 25, 2011

Contest End Date: November 8, 2011 – CONTEST CLOSED. WINNER WILL BE SELECTED. Congratulations to Schmidty!

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s names on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

Over the years it seems that there are more demands for organically grown, locally grown, and foods made with natural ingredients. This is good considering how important our health is and how much more important our children’s health are. After all, their still growing bodies are successible to all kinds of stuff. So feeding your children healthy, nutritious, and natural foods are very important. But sometimes that can be hard to do when you see all sorts of snacks and food in your grocery store that are not so healthy. So what can you do when your child is reaching for a sugar-ladened donut or sticky candy covered in sugar? Face it – kids will want to snack. They see their parents do it, they see their friends do it. And it’s okay to provide small snacks during the day to keep their energies up. But how do you provide healthy snacks to your children? Well, when I was searching for some new healthy snacks for my son, I came across a company called Funky Monkey Snacks. Funky Monkey Snacks make dried, bite-sized fruit snacks for kids and adults. They have exciting flavors that will surely entice your kids tastebuds!

With an adorable name like Funky Monkey, how can you not want to give them a try? Funky Monkey is dedicated in making all-natural, wholesome fruit snacks that can be easily eaten, packed up, or even used in your recipes. Their current flavors are: Applemon, Bananamon, Carnival Mix, JiveALime, MangOj, Pink Pineapple, and Purple Funk. The Applemon flavor is made with apples and organic cinnamon; the Bananamon flavor is made with organic bananas and organic cinnamon; the Carnival Mix is made with organic banana, organic pineapple, apples, and papaya; JiveALime is made with organic pineapple and lime juice; MangOj is made with mango and orange juice; Pink Pineapple is made with pineapple and guava; and Purple Funk is made with organic banana and organic acai. My favorite is the Carnival Mix because of the unique blend of sweet and tart flavors and my son’s favorites are Bananamon and Applemon.

Funky Monkey Snacks was created with the belief that sweet snacks should be good for you and good tasting as well. After all, if a sweet snack doesn’t taste good, then you’re not likely to eat it, right? All of Funky Monkey Snacks are made from whole fruits with no sugar added. Each ounce of Funky Monkey contains 3 servings of fruit and contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Funky Monkey dried fruits are freeze-dried so that all the flavors and nutrients are sealed in. Their dried fruit snacks are also gluten free, wheat free, and dairy free. They are peanut free and tree nut free and are great for Vegans. And they use certified non-genetically modified ingredients and are part of the Non GMO Project verified program.

I’ve used Funky Monkey’s bite-sized fruit in cereals and baked them in cookies. They’re also perfectly sized for little kids and they’re slightly crunchy but not too hard. And with nature’s natural sweetness in real fruit, you really wouldn’t want them to be drenched in sugar anyway. Eating fruits and vegetables are an important factor in our lives but too many people are not getting enough of it in their daily diet. Dried fruits are a great way to add some important vitamins, minerals, and fiber into your diet and if you eat just one bag of Funky Monkey snacks, you’re already getting 3 servings of fruit in a 1-ounce bag. And if you’re not the dried fruit type of person, you can always add them in your cereal, bake with them, or mix them in your homemade trail mix. Trail mixes are easy to make and you can add virtually anything into it, such as dried fruit pieces, chocolate chips, nuts, pretzels, flax seeds, and anything you like.

Funky Monkey Snacks can be found in most natural grocery stores, certain supermarkets, and online. They sell their dried fruit snacks in both 1 ounce and .42 ounce sizes so the smaller sizes would be great  for kids school lunches or an afternoon snack. For more info about Funky Monkey Snacks, please visit their website: http://www.funkymonkeysnacks.com. Funky Monkey had sent me each of their 7 flavors to try and review and they want to give 1 LUCKY reader of Happymomblogger their own sample snack box of the 7 flavors mentioned above. So how do you win this fruitalicious prize? Read below to find out!

Here’s how to enter in the Funky Monkey Snacks giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Funky Monkey Snacks on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/FunkyMonkeySnacks and write on their wall that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger: http://www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com/. Please put Happymomblogger as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

#2 entry – Become a follower: https://twitter.com/#!/happymomblogger and “Tweet” me @happymomblogger that you are entering the Funky Monkey giveaway. Become a follower of Funky Monkey Snacks: http://twitter.com/#!/FunkyMonkeySnck  and “Tweet” that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger.

#3 entry – Visit   http://www.funkymonkeysnacks.com/ and tell me what flavor/variety you would like to try.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: October 25, 2011

Contest End Date: November 8, 2011 – CONTEST CLOSED. WINNER WILL BE SELECTED. Congratulations to Julie M.!

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s names on my blog. 

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

It seems that there are more and more people nowadays who have some sort of food intolerance whether it’s celiac disease or intolerance to some form of gluten or wheat. Or it’s an interolerance to eggs or nuts – people’s stomachs are becoming increasingly sensitive to certain foods. Luckily, there are a few companies out there that makes delicious and nutritious food for people with certain intolerances or preferances. One company that we’ve come to appreciate is Nana’s Cookie Company. Nana’s Cookie Company makes sweets that are specially formulated for those that are intolerant of gluten, wheat, dairy, and eggs. They use all-natural ingredients in their sweets and do not use any genetically modified ingredients. Their sweets are sweetened naturally with fruit juice without any use of refined sugars and their vegan sweets are packed with 12 important vitamins and minerals since it’s hard for most vegans to get the necessary dietary nutrients.

Nana’s Cookie Company is a real gem for those who are looking for something sweet to eat but can not find sweets that are not made with wheat, dairy, eggs, and gluten. Aside from baking these naturally delicious cookies and bars yourself, sometimes it’s easier to just open up a box of Nana’s Cookie Company’s sweets, unwrap an individual cookie and be satisfied. Since they are all individually wrapped, they stay fresh longer and they make great snacks to pack in lunches or when you’re on-the-go. I think they’re also great to pack in a basket to give to a friend who is either vegan/vegetarian or gluten intelorant.

Nana’s Cookie Company started as a humble little home business when the owner and creator baked cookies and bars sweetened with natural fruit juices. When her sweets became an instant hit, she decided to expand her business which is now known as Nana’s Cookie Company.

I know several people who are either vegan or have an intelorance to gluten and when I gave them a cookie bar to sample, they were surprised that the cookie was sweetened with fruit juice instead of regular sugar. I think you can definitely taste the difference between fruit juice sweetened and regular sugar sweetented cookies. The cookie bars are moist because of the fruit juice and it’s not too sweet, but sweet enough to satisfy a sweet tooth. Nana’s Cookie Company’s cookie bars are not too big and they’re great to enjoy with a cup of hot tea or milk (if for the kiddies). I was lucky enough to try their Fudgy Wudgy, Chocolate Chippy, and Peanut Butter Bites since Nana’s Cookie Company had sent me a few boxes to try and review. My son really likes the Fudgy Wudgy bars because of its rich chocolate flavor and so do I.

If you or your kids are big fans of Curious George, you’ll be happy to know that Curious George the Monkey is their official sponsor. You’ll find the adorable little monkey on their packages which would be a delight for the little kids and you can also save the packages to redeem for either a Curious George DVD or Matching Game: http://www.nanascookiecompany.com/index.html#4. When my son and I were at the Natural Products Expo earlier this year, we had the sincere pleasure of meeting Curious George the Monkey and had some fun photo ops with him too. My son and Curious George the Monkey kept hugging each other and giving each other high-fives – it was a lot of fun!

So whether you are a big fan of Curious George or looking for some healthier alternative to the traditional cookie and cookie bars, then check out Nana’s Cookie Company. Because Nana’s Cookie Company wants to share their values on natural, good-tasting and healthy sweets, they are kindly offering 1 LUCKY reader of Happymomblogger a chance to win 1 box each of their Vegan cookie bars in Fudgy Wudgy, Chocolate Chippy, and Peanut Butter Bites. And if you are on a gluten-free diet, they will send you 1 box each of their gluten-free Chocolate Munch, Nana Banana, and Berry Vanilla. So how do you win these yummy sweets? Read below to find out!

Here’s how to enter in the Nana’s Cookie Company giveaway:

MANDATORY ENTRY:

#1 entry – “Like” Nana’s Cookie Company on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nanas-Cookie-Company/54790729083 and write on their wall that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger: http://www.happymomblogger.wordpress.com/. Please put Happymomblogger as the heading.

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES: 

#2 entry – Become a follower: https://twitter.com/#!/happymomblogger and “Tweet” me @happymomblogger that you are entering the Nana’s Cookie Company giveaway. Become a follower of Nana’s Cookie Company: http://twitter.com/#!/nanascookieco  and “Tweet” that you are entering the contest at Happymomblogger.

#3 entry – Visit  http://www.nanascookiecompany.com/ and tell me what flavor/variety you would like to try.

#3 entry – Subscribe to my Blog.

#4 entry – Enter in my other contests.

#5 entry – Vote for me at Top Mommy Blogs using the link provided below.

You can enter as many times as you like but you MUST enter in the Mandatory entry to qualify. The more you enter, the more chances your name will be drawn.  You can enter by telling me the 5 entries in the LEAVE A COMMENT box. Please be sure to give me your name and email address so that I may contact you if you win. Contest is open to residents of US only. 18 years and older please. Please be sure to provide a physical address and not a P.O. Box.

Contest Start Date: October 25, 2011

Contest End Date: November 8, 2011 – CONTEST CLOSED. WINNER WILL BE SELECTED. Congratulations to Lori D.!

Only 1 winner will be chosen at random and I will post the winner’s names on my blog.

GOOD LUCK AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING!

Disclaimer: The product(s)were sent to the author for review by the manufacturer/PR. All reviews on “Happymomblogger” remain unbiased and unpaid and are the sole decision of the author. The opinions of these product(s) were not influenced in any way, shape, or form. As always, please read the ingredients carefully when trying new products. 

Please read the labels and ingredients carefully and follow all manufacturer’s instructions (if any). The products selected for the giveaway were generously donated by the companies/PR to help readers learn more about their products. The winner’s choice in using/consuming these products are entirely up to the winner and will not hold the author and her family liable nor the companies/PR liable. These products are made with non-toxic ingredients but always be safe with what you use and consume.

http://www.topmommyblogs.com/blogs/in.php?id=storm

Growing up, I wasn’t really into the candy thing. I know, you must be thinking – this girl is crazy, no candy?! But really, I think it’s because my parents didn’t want me to get hooked on all that sugary stuff and I am very thankful for that now that I’m older and have a child of my own. Of  course when Halloween time rolled around, my siblings and I did indulge in some candy and my parents didn’t say no to it, which I think also helped as well. They let me have whatever candy I wanted on special occasions, like Halloween, and I had my “fix” of candy to satisfy me enough not to want it all the time.

Then again, I didn’t always have that much self control. I remember at school, sweets were always passed around and they were in vending machines and even teachers gave them as rewards. And especially when it’s Halloween time, eating and binging on candy should be truly avoided or monitored at best. Why? Because all that sugary stuff, especially candy and sweets made from high fructose corn syrup will do more harm than good in the long run. HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) is very addicting and the more you have it, the more you want it. And to a little kid, it’s all they’ll think about!

So how would you avoid high fructose corn syrup this Halloween (or better yet – any time throughout the year)? It’s really difficult when you see it in practically every candy bar, lollipop, hard candy, gummy candy, etc. , out on the market and advertised on TV and magazines. Self control is not an easy task for most children or even adults, so I do have some tips on keeping that highly-addictive ingredient out of your children’s Halloween treat bag or at least limit it.

– Find alternatives to HFCS such as honey, evaporated cane syrup, sugar (brown and white), stevia, and brown rice syrup. If you’ve never tried brown rice syrup, it is slightly sweet and sticky and found in cereals, sweets, and bakery.

– Make your own candy by using honey and set them into molds to make fun shapes for Halloween.

– Chocolates are great alternatives! They’re low in sugar content and if you eat at least 70% cacao, you’ll get the added antioxidant health benefits. Pluse kids  really enjoy chocolates.

– Buy organic sweets when possible. Organic sweets are usually free of high fructose corn syrup. It’s an added benefit of buying organic because most organic companies are very diligent about their products and its healthy benefits.

– Use fruit or fruit juice as a reward. Instead of having your child reach for a piece of candy, give them some super sweet and healthy fruit such as blueberries, strawberries, and oranges dipped in chocolate. Organic apples and  all-natural caramel works great too. You can also make your own caramel very easily! Check out Wholesome Sweeteners website for a simple and delicious caramel recipe: http://www.wholesomesweeteners.com/recipeitem/SEARCH_BY_WORD/caramel/269.html. Homemade whipped cream with fruit and dried fruit are a great combination as well. Be sure to make your own whipped cream by using heavy whipping cream or read the labels of store bought ones very carefully. Most of them are made with High Fructose Corn Syrup or Corn Syrup (which tricks you into thinking that they are better).

No matter what sweets your children may enjoy this Halloween, it’s always a good idea to limit them and if you’re really diligent, read the labels of the sweets. Most stores are carrying alternatives to sweets such as stickers, erasers, pencils, coloring books, figurines, etc. and if you find something that your child will like, they most likely won’t remember the bagfuls of candy hidden in your cupboards or waiting wickedly in their Halloween baskets.

For more info about healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle, please visit: www.healthychild.org. for more tips and info.