Rock Your Heart with the Wii

I’m late to the Wii party. I don’t have one. I hardly play one. But APPARENTLY there is this kinda super awesome Wii Fit program that yells at you and kicks your ass to loose weight. Or something.

Have you heard of it? Apparently it was all the rage LAST year which makes sense why I am talking about it now, a whole year later. 🙂

Anyway, I was stoked (another black mark against how ‘hip’ I am) when I was invited to a party hosted at the W Hotel in Hollywood where we got to play a bunch of Wii games and listen to some super cool people from the American Heart Association.

I had to go because I LOVE the American Heart Association. They always sponsored the FUNdraisers at my elementary school where you could buy magazines, or just donate to the American Heart Association and all the small kids would win amazing prizes like key chains and glow sticks. heehee – Seriously though, one year I won the top prize for the most money raised at my school. I think I won a purple duffle bag but I was super proud. Most of it was because of my parents simply writing a check as they already donated to the charity but instead did it via my school. I think I have a picture of my standing up accepting my prize. Cause I still remember it!

Tangent.  Anyway, it was a great afternoon. I have only played the Wii a few times so it was great to spend an hour playing basketball, bowling, archery, bicycling, and even skateboarding.

Hank Wasiak was the guest speaker and I really enjoyed listening to him. We received his book for free which the front cover is SO trippy looking, you can’t help but stare at it. Go look. He was very amusing because he was part of the advertising group who first launched the old Mario Bros on the super old Nintendo. Which got all the kids to kick back on the couch and play video games all day. Which is why he was happy to be talking about the Nintendo Wii which gets kids UP from the couch to play video games all day.

It really does exhaust you though which in my mind, makes it a better choice for video games for the children. Also, most of the games they do have are not shoot ’em up, killer games.  So in the next few years when we DO upgrade our game system and actually let the kids play (instead of hogging it at night when they are asleep), the Wii will definitely be on my list.

Heart disease can be deadly so it’s important to pay attention to your body, get your blood checked every few years, and just be concious of what you are eating! Take the LifeCheck and see where you are. Oh, and if you smoke? Totally stop that.

They also had a nutritionist there so I listened very carefully. Lead by example on how to get your kids to eat fruit and veggies.  One half of their food should be fruit and veggies! Another quarter would be proteins, and then grains.  Check out the American Dietetic Association for information on food that you can trust.  I loved this article on nutrition for babies and toddlers.

Making Meals and Foods Toddler-Friendly

There’s no need to become a short-order cook or beg your child to eat green things. However, you can make eating more toddler-friendly.

• Toddler-Size Their Eating Environment. Most young children are more comfortable in a booster seat so their legs don’t dangle. They also like cups, plates, utensils and food servings that are the right size for small hands and mouths.
• Turn Down the Noise. Toddlers are easily distracted by almost anything, including television, music, phone calls and loud conversations. Help your toddler focus on food by keeping things calm.
• Think Bright Colors and Fun Shapes. Like adults, toddlers eat with their eyes first. Use cookie cutters to make almost anything into an appealing shape.
• Keep Young Chefs Busy in the Kitchen. Helping prepare meals is one of the best ways to get kids to try new foods and to eat what’s good for them.

It was a great party! Thanks to the most fabulous Orange County blogger, Marcy Massura as well as the technical advice that I always enjoy having with Loren Nason.