Neiman Marcus Fashion Show

Participating in the Neiman Marcus Spring Fashion Show was a ton of fun. Especially since I was in it with one of my boys...Austin! He was a wonderful model and really seemed to enjoy himself, even thought he was just a little shy. This was one of my earlier events as Mrs. Pennsylvania and I had a great chance to chat with the other parents at the fashion show about my platform. It seems like parents everywhere face the same struggle of how to get their children to eat better and get more exercise. Once we all started talking about a "healthy family lifestyle" the conversation flowed easily. Parents are eager to share what they have tried and what worked. It is also great for parents to know that their peers are also struggling with some of the same challenges. My advise is always to take it slow, make small changes and keep trying!

Avon Grove Memorial Day Parade

It was a beautiful Saturday in Avondale and West Grove Pennsylvania for their 11th annual Memorial Day parade. I had the honor of participating in the parade and my son, Alex, accompanied me in the car. The ceremony was very moving to hear from World War II veterans and their experiences. It was also wonderful to share this event with my son who is interested in history and the community. It was a great day!

PLE Health & Wellness Fair

The Penn London Elementary School held it first ever health and wellness fair to encourage children and their families to be healthy. I had a great time talking with the kids and their parents about a HEALTHY FAMILY LIFESTYLE! The kids love to hear about all of the activities they can do instead of watching TV. Also, I chatted with many, many parents about how they too can incorporate more fruits and veggies in their families diet. We are certainly making great progress in the great state of Pennsylvania.

Third Graders excited about being healthy!

I had lots of fun today talking to 30 third graders at Avon Grove Intermediate School. The topic for discussion...how to be healthy every day. The great news is they loved to hear about all of the different kinds of fruits and vegtables and why they are so good for you. The class talked about what are some of their favorite fruits and veggies and how they like them prepared. As I recall, blueberry smoothies were the class favorite. Two hours of "screen time" was the next piece we discussed. This is difficult for most of the kids but when we started talking about all of the different things you can do instead of watching TV or playing video games they loved it! That moved us right into a chat about one hour of physical activity daily. I found out that the class really likes to play outdoors. Some of their favorite activities to do indoors are; karate, basketball, swimming at the Y and dancing. We I talked about limiting their sugar intake there was a collective groan. This group of kids loves their soda and sports drinks. I am sure I converted a few to flavored and vitamin water and of course, chocolate milk.

We did some fun activities which included "Fruit and Veggie Trivia" and an action story. Each child in the class received a small box of raisins and an activity sheet of fun things to do to stay active. They were a great group of students and I am looking forward to visiting their class in the future.