Restaurant food is generally served in large portions and typically high in calories, sodium & fat, contributing to childhood obesity.

We’re all looking for tools to help make smarter dining out choices for our children. The National Restaurant Association launched Kids LiveWell, a website providing nutritional information for healthier meal options for restaurant dining.

You’re invited to a Twitter party hosted by @resourcefulmom this Thurs. Feb. 9 from 2-3 PM to celebrate the growth of Kids LiveWell. A registered dietitian will answer participants’ questions about eating well on-the-go, and will share info about new restaurant partners, and the mobile site.

Twitter party attendees using the hashtag #kidslivewell are eligible to win gift cards from participating restaurants such as Outback Steakhouse, Au Bon Pain, and IHop.

Visit http://m.healthydiningfinder.com/ –Kids-LiveWell to find a Kids LiveWell meal
http://resourcefulmommy.com/category/twitter-parties/  to RSVP or learn more about the Twitter party

On Monday, February 13, impress your Valentine and help benefit the Savannah Children’s Choir!

The SCC will host a Spaghetti Supper from 4-7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 34th & Abercorn, to raise funds for their upcoming trip to Italy.

Dinner, only $7, includes pasta, choice of meat or vegetarian sauce, bread and salad. Drinks and home-made baked goods are available for additional sale, and you are welcome to take-out or dine in.

For more information, click here or call (912) 228-4758.

Kris Williams, director of the Caretta Research Project, will be the featured speaker at this month’s Ocean Plaza Beach Resort Coastal Ecology Dinner Lecture Series, Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at the hotel’s Dolphin Reef Oceanfront Restaurant, Tybee Island.

Williams will present a lecture entitled, “Why Is the Sea Turtle Population Dwindling?” The lecture will be preceded by a wine and cheese reception at 6 p.m. in the Dolphin Reef Bar, and dinner will be served in the Dolphin Reef main dining room at 6:30 p.m. The standard Dolphin Reef dinner menu will be offered. To RSVP, please call 912-786-7777.

The lecture will also be livestreamed at:
http://www.learnitlive.com/class/1736/Why-Is-the-Sea-Turtle-Population-Dwindling

The Caretta Research Project is a hands-on research, conservation and education program that has been protecting the nesting loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) on Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge since 1973. Each year, for 16 weeks during the summer, groups of volunteers travel to the beaches of Wassaw National Wildlife Refuge to help monitor egg-laying and hatching activity and to collect data on the loggerhead turtles.

During her lecture, Williams will discuss the four types of turtles that can be found in and around Georgia, why their populations are dwindling, and what she and her team are doing to help.

(Sidenote: Interested in teaching your kids more about sea turtles? Check out the Georgia Sea Turtle Center on nearby Jekyll Island. More info here.)

Open House classes for adults Saturdays are open to everyone! Classes are at 9am and 10am at Crossfit Hyperperformance, Savannah. The 10am class runs at the same time as the kids class so parents are able to particpate in the adult workout at the same time their kids are taking the kids class. 

Saturday Open House Classes
These classes are fun, dynamic, and move quickly. This is your opportunity to get a taste of Crossfit gym, coaches, community, and workouts. The movements are kept simple and weight relatively light, but intensity is high. Any can join in for Saturday Open House classes. Movements 101, 102, and 103 are NOT required

DISCOUNT: 10% discount on the registration fee if you mention you read about the classes on SouthernMamas.com.

Questions? Please Call or E-mail Crossfit. Coach Eileen: 630-624-0613
To register and to make a reservation, call 912-335-3615.
Crossfit Hyperformance: 904 East 70th St. Savannah Ga  www.crossfithyperformance.com  

Crossfit Hyperformance wants to help you provide your kids with a life of Wellness. Their Crossfit Kids program is designed to create a lifelong love of Health and Fitness.

Crossfit Kids Pairs Fitness with FUN! Crossfit believes kids should be exposed to potent, effective, and functional movement with appropriate coaching and cueing. However, Crossfit’s ultimate goal is linking fitness with fun.

February Focus: THE DEADLIFT!!

Each month,  Crossfit Kids focuses on a different skill or movement. During the duration of February,  Crossfit Kids will focus on the safe and proper technique of the Deadlift!! The deadlift is a functional movement. This means the deadlift is the proper and safe way to pick up any object in the gym and throughout everyday life!

 You and your child can practice the deadlift along with us at home while picking up toys, playing outside, or as part of a game! Use these proper and safe techniques to turn everyday activities into opportunities to exercise and learn!

 The Set-up:

1) Have Child stand over object. Can be a weightless ball, toy, or a light weight or Kettlebell.

2) Tell Child to bend over and grab the object. The object should remain on the floor.

3) Tell Child to get an “angry gorilla” back. In this position lower back will be protected as shoulders will be rolled back, chest will remain up so you can see the front of your childs t-shirt, and hips will naturally push back so knees bend… Thus, simulating a very angry gorilla. Encourage your child to mimic how an angry gorilla might sound!

 The Lift:

4) Tell your Child to “Stand-up”!

 The Finish/ Reset:

5) Tell your child to keep an “angry gorilla back” and set the object down.

 Ages:
CF Hyperformance offers progressive classes for: elementry school (ages 6-10), middle school (ages 11 – 14), and teens (14-17). Kids classes last 30-45 minutes. Research has found there is optimal learning capacity of the brain for 20-40 minutes after exercise. Crossfit strongly encourages athletes to use the time directly after class for study sessions.

Class Schedule:
Crossfit Kids/ Teens: Tue/ Thr: 4:30pm-5:15 pm
Saturday: 10:00-10:45 AM

Cost:
The cost for the program is $75 per month. The monthly rate includes access to 3 classes per week (2 weekday plus Saturday). You may drop-in to any Saturday class for $6.
DISCOUNT: 10% discount on the registration fee if you mention you read about the classes on SouthernMamas.com.

Saturday Drop-ins: Kids (6 or older) can come to on Saturdays for $6!

Questions? Please Call or E-mail Crossfit. Coach Eileen: 630-624-0613
To register and to make a reservation, call 912-335-3615.
Crossfit Hyperformance: 904 East 70th St. Savannah Ga

Crossfit Kids,www.crossfithyperformance.com/p/kids.html, Crossfit Kids is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser

UPDATE: Winners are: Everett Tarver, Mindy Galbreath & Julie Dykes. Congratulations ladies!
The Southern Women’s Show is returning to February 17-19 to the Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.

There’s so much for busy moms – from makeovers to pampering to (free) health testing to cooking demos to seminars on balancing life…

This week, SouthernMamas.com is giving away a total of 12 tickets to the Southern Women’s Show in Savannah – to three winners.

Three SouthernMamas.com readers will each win four tickets!

To enter to win, visit the Southern Women’s Show Facebook page here, “like” the page and post to your own wall. In other words, share this post on your wall. How easy is that?

Deadline to enter to win is Sun. Feb. 12.

We’ll pick our three winners Sun. Feb. 12 & announce them here.

Southern Women’s Show brings three days of shopping, fashion shows, celebrity appearances, food sampling, pampering, and more to Savannah International Trade & Convention Center.

From savvy shopping to creative cooking ideas, healthy lifestyle tips. Plus, you won’t want to miss the trendy fashion shows, celebrity guests & fabulous prizes.

Southern Womens Show,  One International Drive, Savannah, 31402,  1.800.849.0248 www.SouthernWomensShow.com Hours Fri: 10 AM-8 PM, Sat 10 AM-7 PM, Sun 11 AM-5 PM

Skidaway Island Preschool Open House 2012
10-11 AM Friday February 10, 10:A.M.-11:00 A.M.
For new and returning children
Skidaway Is. Preschool has been providing early childhood learning in a loving Christian environment for over 25 years
Visit www.skidawaypres.org and click Preschool tab at top of the home page
For more information contact Maria Rogers, Director, at 912 598-0151

For more school open houses in the Savannah area, click here.

You’re always looking for good books for your kids. Check out these recent Newbery, Caldecott winners:

“Dead End in Norvelt” by Jack Gantos won the John Newbery Medal for the best children’s book of 2011. Chris Raschka’s “A Ball for Daisy” won the Randolph Caldecott award for best illustrated story.

The Newbery and Caldecott prizes, the most prestigious in children’s literature, were announced earlier this year by the American Library Association. Previous winners include Louis Sachar’s “Holes” and Brian Selznick’s “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” the basis for Martin Scorsese’s film “Hugo.”

Kadir Nelson’s “Heart and Soul,” won the Coretta Scott King Book Award 2011 for best African-American story. The King prize for best illustrated book went to Shane W. Evans’ “Underground: Finding the Light to Freedom.”

Hubbard’s Maid Service in Savannah has an enticing discount for SouthernMamas.com readers: during the month of February, receive a cleaning and get a voucher for 2 hours of cleaning for free.

Click here to read a recent guest post from Nicole Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Maid Service: “Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Dust Mites”  The guest post will make you want to sterilize your sheets immediately!

Call 912.961.9131 for a free house cleaning quote. Be sure to tell them SouthernMamas.com sent you to receive your February discount!.

Serving Savannah & the Lowcountry since 2004, Hubbard’s Maid Service has been keeping thousands of houses and offices spotless. You can be assured that Hubbard’s licensed, bonded, and insured team has one goal: your complete satisfaction! No office, house, store, or construction site is too small or large for Hubbard’s cleaning crews.

Hubbard’s Maid Service, 912.961.9131, www.hubbardsmaidservice.com Hubbard’s Maid Service is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

To applaud Savannah native Juliette “Daisy” Gordon Low & celebrate the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouts this year, Savannah businesses and residents are encouraged to add daisies to landscapes and bouquets. Low went by the nickname “Daisy” even as an adult.

To learn more about daisies, which bloom in late spring and early summer, including where to purchase them locally, follow along in Twitter @DaisiesforDaisy or contact Sandy Traub or 912/398-9828 or email straub@spatior.com

You’re invited to watch the FREE annual Georgia Day Parade, which kicks off at 10:30 AM Fri. Feb. 10 and follows Bull Street from Forsyth Park to City Hall, in Historic Savannah.

Thousands of costumed local elementary school children march behind their hand-made banners in commemoration of Georgia’s founding in 1733. A colorful parade of students, musicians, local dignitaries, and costumed characters is preceded by a military color guard and marching band. Beginning at Forsyth Park and continuing around all five squares of Bull Street, the procession culminates with a program in front of City Hall, where the mayor and other officials bring greetings and present awards for the annual Banner Competition.

For more kid-friendly events happening in Savannah & the Lowcountry, visit the SouthernMamas.com Events Calendar by clicking here.

Below is a guest post from Nicole Hubbard, owner of Hubbard’s Maid Service, a SouthernMamas.com advertiser. The post will make you want to sterilize your sheets immediately!

Everything You Never Wanted To Know About Dust Mites
By Nicole Hubbard, owner, Hubbard’s Maid Service

Dust Mites are some gross critters that you never can see but they can pack a punch in your home on the annoyance scale. The old style cleaning of taking rugs and household furnishings outside to smack with a broom are actually quite effective in reducing dust mites. Think of all those microscopic carcasses, feces, hair, and dead skin floating through the atmosphere, away from where you live!

“Frequent vacuuming is the key to reducing dust mites,” states local Oreck Store manager, Steve Bussius. “You can’t totally get rid of them, but vacuuming behind the headboard of beds, behind furniture, and between the mattress and bedsprings is a good way to reduce dust mites.” Steve also recommends using Oreck vacuum cleaners and their green HEPA filter vacuum bags as well as mattress & pillow protection covers, all of which Oreck sells. Steve also noted that typically when you purchase a brand new mattress, 5 years later it is 30% heavier due to the carcass and feces residue that dust mites leave behind. Yummy!

The feces of dust mites is what causes allergic reactions in human beings…To read the entire guest post, click here

Hubbard’s Maid Service, 912.961.9131, www.hubbardsmaidservice.com Hubbard’s Maid Service is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser.

Here’s a list of children’s books on astronomy provided by Live Oak Public Libraries & distributed by the Oglethorpe Astronomical Association at the gazing in the garden January family event at The Bamboo Farm and Coastal Gardens . (Who knew that Curious George author H.A. Rey also wrote books on the stars? See below.)

If you’re interested in taking your kids to other star-gazing events check out the Feb. 25 Dark Sky Star Party at the Okefenokee Swamp listed in SouthernMamas February 2012 events happening at state parks and historic spots .

“Night Sky Atlas” by Robin Seagell
“Astronomy” by Kristen Lippincott
“Black Holes & Other Space Oddities” by Alex Barnett
“Space” by Simon Holland
“The Solar System: An A-Z Guide” by Christina Wilsdon
“Cosmic Light Shows” by Bobbie Kalman & April Fast
“Find the Constellations” by H.A. Rey
“The Stars: A New Way to See Them” by H.A. Rey

Make It & Take It: Valentine’s Day at various Live Oak public library branches
Celebrate Valentine’s Day by making a Heart Art Card! Ages 4 and up.

Bull Street Library, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 4:30 p.m.
Port City Library, Tuesday, Feb. 14, 4:30 p.m.

Scent of a Magnolia: A tribute to Billie Holliday, Her Life and Music
Southwest Chatham Library, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 6 p.m.
Actress/singer Nickki Rich, author Trisha Sugarek, and project manager Ronald Hazzard present a tribute to Billie Holiday. This one-woman show portrays the life of a black jazz singer in America during the 1930’s. As Billie tells us not only her story, but the nation’s story, she injects her tale with her most famous music as well as some of her more obscure songs. Her triumph was her music and her songs that will live on forever.

Time to explore Georgia State Parks.

Start planning your it’s-almost-spring getaway by checking out the SouthernMamas February 2012 events happening at state parks and historic spots across the state. Nearby events include Dinner with General James E. Oglethorpe at Fort King George Historic Site, Darien & Dark Sky Star Party at the Okefenokee Swamp.

The events are listed on the SouthernMamas.com Georgia State Parks Events page by clicking here.

The pink Backus site at Victory Drive & Truman Parkway in Midtown Savannah will be undergoing renovations. We hope the high-end grocery store that is supposed to be housed in the former Cadillac dealership spot will be Whole Foods, as rumored.

The prospective buyers of the Backus property, Atlanta-area development firms Knightwood and S.J. Collins Enterprises, plan to convert the Victory Drive frontage to parking and construct three new buildings to house retail on the site.

The Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission approved the redevelopment plan last week. The largest building planned for the site will measure 35,000 square feet. The developers have been in negotiations with a “high-end retail grocer” to lease the spot.

Word on the street that high-end grocer is Whole Foods. Keep those fingers crossed. Stay tuned here for updates.

Savannah Black Heritage Festival Grand Festival Day, Saturday, February 11, 2012
a family fun day of top entertainment, Grand Festival Day is one of the highlighted events. It will be held in the Savannah Civic Center’s Martin Luther King, Jr. Arena from morning into the evening. In addition to the variety of activities for youth and performances by nationally famous recording artists, food and retail vendors will also be on hand with a wide variety of food, goods and services.

On Sat. Feb. 18, there will be a Mardi Gras parade at 3pm down Butler Avenue and a street party with music and festivities on Tybrisa Street. Join the fun, listen to authentic Zydeco music featuring Brad Randell and the Zydeco Ballers, All American All Star Dixieland Review and Jeff Beasley Band. The music starts already at noon. Admission to the street party and parade viewing is free. www.mardigrastybee.com

Armstrong Atlantic Youth Orchestra Benefit Concert
AASU Fine Arts Auditorium
11935 Abercorn Street at Science Drive
3 PM Sun. March 4, 2012
Featuring Soloist
Julia Sellman, winner of the AAYO Jr. Division Concerto Competition Concert and Gallery Reception
$25 per person
Tickets: available at the door
Advance reservations for the Reception requested.
Please email: savaayo@yahoo.com (RE:RESERVE)

“Lego Day” at the Hilton Head Branch Library, 4-5:30 p.m. 11 Beach City Rd. (843) 255-6529 or www.beaufortcountylibrary.org.

Children’s Movie Day for ages 3 and up with their families at the Hilton Head Branch Library, 1 p.m. Refreshments are served. Call for details and movie title.
(843) 255-6529 or www.beaufortcountylibrary.org.

Bedtime Storytime for ages 3 and up with their families at the Hilton Head Branch Library, 6:45 p.m. Wear your PJs and bring your favorite stuffed friend to enjoy stories, songs and surprises.