By Kellyn Legath

When gas prices skyrocket drivers quickly cut back on unnecessary car trips to avoid filling up, but when food prices go up it isn’t as easy to adapt because we have to eat—at least three meals a day! Don’t let high prices at the grocery store influence your family to make poor food choices. With a little planning and some know-how you can stretch your household grocery budget easily and efficiently. Here are some helpful hints to get you started:

1. Buy in bulk
The things that we use daily and often tend to be the things that have us returning to the store mid-week to stock up on again and again. If you have the space, buying in bulk can save you time and money. Canned good and non-perishables, paper products and canned or bottled drinks are always good pantry staples.

This Year’s Top 10 Trends

By Abbey Potts

Ah, breakfast— the most important meal of the day. Though many of us have our go-to breakfast staples, this morning meal also offers up some updated trendy treats. Based on research conducted by The Food Channel, here are this year’s Top Ten Breakfast Trends:

1. Oatmeal in overdrive
When you think of oatmeal, you may remember that bland bowl of mush your grandmother enjoyed. Now this breakfast classic has gotten a much-needed boost. Instant oatmeal has been replaced by healthful steel-cut oats and flavored with dried fruits, spices and rich maple syrup. Healthy for your heart and popularized by places like Starbucks and McDonald’s oatmeal is making a comeback in 2011.

By Abbey Potts

Now that you are covered in the swimwear department thanks to our recommendations in this month’s Fashion & Beauty Report, it’s time to step up your game on your journey to and from the beach. When you invest in a cute suit, it’s only natural that you do it justice with an equally stylish cover-up. Leave that oversized t-shirt and baggy shorts for the gym and lounge in style. Do not worry—there’s a flattering cover-up for every figure!

Citrus Brown Edge Cookies

 

GIRLS CO-OP and KIDS CO-OP Centers

Respect. Communication. Teamwork. Trustworthiness. Belief. These are the five principles that the GIRLS CO-OP and KIDS CO-OP Centers of the Lehigh Valley instill in their athletes. Owned by sisters Rae and Sandra Greiner, the Centers assist each child to reach their individual excellence in gymnastics, tumbling and dance. Starting at the KIDS CO-OP level affords young children of all ages the opportunity to learn and experience the many programs offered within the 23,000-square-foot facility. The opportunities are endless for these young athletes, with the potential to advance into the GIRLS CO-OP program and even the chance to compete on the TOP’s National Team and International Elite programs. Whether it is for gymnastic training or a birthday party, the GIRLS CO-OP and KIDS CO-OP Centers is the place for fitness, friends and fun! 

– Submitted by Gwendeline Alicea of Bethlehem

57 S. Commerce Way, Bethlehem | 610.861.9151 | girlsco-op.com, kidsco-op.com

 

photos by emma horning