Photo by Muffet.

Fall brings an abundance of hearty fruits and vegetables, including the pumpkin. Now is the best time to find fresh pumpkin to take advantage of its nutritional benefits! Pumpkin and its seeds provide many important nutrients, on top of loads of fun for the family. Here are some nutritional benefits of pumpkins provided by Practitioner Dr. Helen Lee, DC.

1. Vitamins: Pumpkin and its seeds contain nutrients such as vitamin C, E, iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, both beta & alpha carotenoids (anti-oxidants which help prevent cell damage), and lutein (support healthy eyes).

2. Organ Health: The nutrients in pumpkin and its seeds help support the health of your kidney, bladder, and prostate.

3. Sickness Prevention: Lowers cholesterol, helps with minimizing osteoporosis, and increases digestive health by helping with parasites and tapeworms.

4. Protein: Pumpkin seeds are high in protein.

5. General Benefits: Pumpkin seeds help the body get rid of parasites and other unwelcomed digestive inhabitants, and they contain healthy essential fatty acid oils.

6. Important Fact: Organic, raw pumpkin seeds will provide you with the most nutrients and enzymes.

Halloween 2009

Tell us about your family.

I am a recently divorced mom of 2 sets of twins. My girls, Alexis and Kayla are 7. My boys, Jayden & Kristopher are 4.

What are some of your family’s favorite activities to do away from home?

We love to hit the mall playroom. It’s free and they have a great time. We also love the zoo and the beach.

Do you have trouble getting out of the house? Do you have a routine that makes getting out easier?

Yes, getting out of the house from day to day is always a hassle! It’s the simple things that I have to keep repeating over and over: “Brush your Teeth.”, “Put your shoes on.” I have a bit of a routine, but sticking to it is hard since it depends on how beat I am the night before. If I can actually follow through with gathering clothes, ironing, and finding socks the night before it makes the morning process a lot easier. Also, I usually NEVER know what I am going to wear to work.

When out and about, what items do you carry that keep the family together?

I usually always keeps snacks in the car (although my car suffers because of it). This way if we are running late in the morning and the kids might miss breakfast at school, at least they have something. And they are always begging for snacks after school.

Do you have any parenting words of wisdom? What is your family mantra?

Everything is never going to get done, so stop trying. People always ask me how I do it all. The answer is that I don’t. I work full time, I run a photography business, and I am always on the go. My to do list is always longer than my arm. If you are like me, just take it day by day and don’t drive yourself crazy trying to do it all at once!

Keep in touch with Kris on Twitter, and at her blog, Little Tech Girl!

Featured Families are automatically entered to win a stroller valued at $250! Would you like to be interviewed for our Featured Families series? Send us an email!

This is a guest post submitted by Sure Baby.

Babies are governed by their senses, and the toys you choose should focus on stimulating and developing those senses. You’ll find that there are lots of different products out there, from stuffed animals to dynamic activity tables, so how do you know which one is best suited to your baby? Begin with some simple yet effective designs that are geared to each stage of your baby’s development, and you can rest assured that your child’s physical and mental capabilities will get off to a great start.

Top Developmental Toys for Infants

Mobile. Keep in mind that a newborn’s vision typically needs the most work right now – they can only distinguish form and contrasting color at a fairly close distance. A mobile with black, white and red will be a good choice, and one that moves and plays music will provide even more stimulation. The Sweet Island Dream baby mobile by Tiny Love is a great choice, as is the Infant Stim-Mobile by Manhattan Toy.

Play mat. The right play mat can do wonders for your baby’s mental and physical development, especially if it has the versatile features that can grow with your child. Find a soft play mat that is portable and brings a variety of colors, moving toys, mirrors and music to keep your baby entertained and help him become more self-aware. The ultra-portable Infantino Twist and Fold Activity Gym is a great choice if you travel around a lot, and the Lamaze Space Symphony Motion Gym is a very original design with tons of stimulating pieces.

The Most Stimulating Toys for Children

Activity Table. An all-in-one product that’s perfect for a play space, an activity table will teach your baby the alphabet, numbers, colors and sounds. The Learn and Groove Table by Leap Frog is one of the most inclusive activity toys that you will find – it’s a great way to encourage language reception and help them to understand cause and effect.

Stacking Toys. One of the best ways to stimulate a growing mind is with colorful blocks or rings that can nest in or rest on each other. Not only are they a simple, safe and effective tool for developing hand-eye coordination, they are one of the most affordable toys around. Find a durable set that doesn’t have sharp edges or corners. The Melissa and Doug Rainbow Stacker is a solid set that will likely last for a long time, but if you would rather soft blocks, go with something like Skip Hop Build a Barn Blocks.

Musical Toys. Once your baby begins to interact with the world around them, they begin to develop a sense of rhythm and respond to auditory signals. Promote these important cognitive abilities with a musical box, block or crib toy that will respond to your baby’s touch. The Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube is a particularly good pick, as it contains the sounds of several instruments which can be activated with big buttons.

On a final note, you want to make sure that you are planning ahead when it comes to buying the right types of toys for your new baby. As soon as your pregnancy symptoms hit, you should start thinking about buying baby toys that stimulate child learning so you may budget accordingly.

Taken months ago after my 5 yr old’s (at the time) pre-school graduation service.

Tell us about your family.

My name is Andrea, but am known as Drea to most online. I was a quick bird to fly the coop, getting married very young (at 19) to a wonderful man (who just so happen to be a pastor), Travis. Travis and I moved a total of 6 times in the 1st 4 years of our marriage… birthed 3 boys in the 1st 6 . We are now settled in one spot for a while (I HOPE), raising 3 beautiful boys, Caleb (6), Taite (3 1/2), and Owen (under 1). While managing a home with 3 energetic boys, I am also home schooling them & running my own professional photography business.

What are some of your family’s favorite activities to do away from home?

Honestly, just a nice day out at the park with the kids and some friends or family, and we are good to go. I do love trying new places with the kids, but with 3 little ones, its sometimes best to stay close.

Do you have trouble getting out of the house? Do you have a routine that makes getting out easier?

I think getting out of the house goes pretty smooth, most days… the problem comes before that. Make sure everyone has pants on and mommy looks half decent. One thing that does help is to always have a diaper bag packed and ready to go… with a camera of course .

When out and about, what items do you carry that keep the family together?

I always have a baby carrier with me. It is a must for a mom of 3 little ones. When I run to a grocery store I usually stick Owen on me, and throw the other 2 some where in the cart. When I am out at a park or something I have either my BOB Revolution Duallie (that fits all 3 of my boys!) or If I know there will be no need for all 3 to ride, I just use my Chicco Key Fit stroller. I would ideally love to have a more light weight stroller with a generous sized bucket under it one day, but for now this works! Oh, how can I forget carrying snacks?! I always have a snack bag.

Do you have any parenting words of wisdom? What is your family mantra?

Your kids are going to test you! There is never a day that goes by that I have to bite my tongue or hold back some frustration. The good, however, always outweighs the bad and I think as long as we take things in strides… be patient… and learn to enjoy our kids no matter what stage they are in life… and cherish those moments, despite the poopie pants, the brotherly fights, or the spit up down the front of our shirts .

Keep in touch with Andrea on Twitter, Facebook, and at her personal blog!

Featured Families are automatically entered to win a stroller valued at $250! Would you like to be interviewed for our Featured Families series? Send us an email!

After all of the apple talk in the post below, how could I not post an apple themed recipe? I made these muffins last night and they are oh-so-delish with a cup of hot cocoa! Enjoy!

Apple Cinnamon Muffins
(adapted from here )
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup apple – peeled, cored and chopped

Streusel
4 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
5 tablespoons white sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons chopped pecans

Makes 12-14 in my Wilton leaf and pumpkin molds. There will be tons of leftover streusel.

Grease muffin tin. Mix all the ingredients together and fold in the apples last. Fill muffin tins and top with streusel. Bake 15 minutes at 350 degrees or until browned. In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, cinnamon and pecans. Add butter and cut it in with a fork until crumbly. Set aside.