I thought this holiday tidbit was fascinating: Thanksgiving is one of the few days a year when Americants instinctively take steps to prevent food waste. (For instance, in my house at least, it's the one time in which all the leftovers are devoured within days after the meal.) On every other day of the year, however, Americans waste enough food to fill Madison Square Garden.

So, how can we consciously cut down on food waste on Thanksgiving?

In an effort to combat the spread of H1N1 flu, an Italian has invented an electronic holy water dispenser, which functions like the automatic soap dispensers found in public restrooms. (Click link to view.)

This is good news for me whether it's flu season or not—those communal holy water fonts always grossed me out!

So how does it work? Churchgoers wave their hands under a sensor and the machine spurts out holy water. See? Awesome!

 

I'm always so inspired by hearing other women's stories of how they've lost weight, increased their fitness, and adopted a more healthier lifestyle, aren't you?

Mom_love07 has graciously agreed to share her weight loss journey with us. She's a 21-year-old mama to daughter, Addison, 2, and lives in Illinois. Her goal? To be more active and lose 100 pounds in one year. Each week we'll check in with her to see her progress and give her words of encouragement! But first, let's hear a little bit about why she's embarking on this important journey...

Photo by Jleighbum

CafeMoms in the Running Moms group recently challenged each other to go one whole week without coffee (or other caffeinated drink like tea, soda, etc.).

So why would they willingly choose to put themselves through this?

The H1N1 flu pandemic has everyone panicking about the spread of germs. And opportunistic entrepreneurs are cashing in on the action!

I, myself, am terrified of door handles in public restrooms—they're so unsanitary! Perhaps, that's why I think this new sanitary door handle is a great idea!

Do you get migraines? If so, I can definitely empathize: They can really be excruciating. Getting migraines is bad enough. But now there's new research showing that for women who suffer migraine headaches with aura AND smoke  AND use oral contraceptives, the risk for stroke may be doubled.

I came across Caham and her gorgeous, sculpted arms in the Work It Out Sexy Mama Group. Turns out this mom of two from Illinois got that definition from working out at home with workout DVDs—can you believe it? Very impressive. I asked her to share the secret to her workout success...

Hula hooping is becoming more and more popular as a weight-loss and toning workout. It's less like exercise, more like play—and you can do it with the kids!

Even Michele Obama is hula-hooping!

Hey Mamas. I know you've been slumping over that keyboard for hours and hours, reading CafeMom.

You know how I know?

Because I've been doing the same thing!

Well, ladies, it's time for us to stop with the bad posture, especially now after reading this article about how sitting up straight gives you more confidence in your own thoughts.

I just started watching The Biggest Loser this season, and I have to admit, I'm completely addicted. Last night's episode had trainers Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels giving some great tips on how to order healthy food in a restaurant. Here's a re-cap of their wise weight-loss advice (don't worry, absolutely no spoilers here!):