In my quest to bring you the 10 most practical, most family-oriented tips for health and fitness, I have been inundated with submissions from people who want to make the team. Naturally, there are obvious and less obvious ways to choose which ones to post.

With only ten spots available, I have to make sure everyone gets a turn at bat which means not every blogger can be featured every week.

And, staying on topic is important. Only a few of the posts that get sent in are actually practical and family-oriented. Still, a little meandering can be tolerated and sent into player development anyway.

Being very off-topic, though, was just one reason for not using a submission. And, it’s the only one I’ve had a twinge of regret about.

Many of the others were just poorly written, badly-researched, or blatantly plagarized. That’s not even farm team play, it’s poor sportsmanship.

Here’s how to play fair in the sport of blogging: If you quote an article in your blog, reference it. Tell your readers who wrote it, where the original appears and give them your analysis. Does that mean I set high standards for blogging?

Yes.

Here, finally, are the sites that passed the carnival fitness test this week.

Nutrition

Thrifty Mommy wants us to reduce our sodium intake.

On the opposite side of the flavour spectrum, Under the Moon lets us know about Fructose Malabsorbtion.

Refrigerator Raid tells us about how to spot junk food in disguise as health food (hint: sweet and salty).

Lively Women tells us about the benefits of Oatmeal. I eat it myself when winter sets in and feel healthier every day that I do.

Speaking of disguises, Mama-Feminista has a great post on how food packaging has become more and more manipulative. It’s definitely worth a read.

Meanwhile, Inside Motherhood reminds us that cooking and taking an interest in how we eat is comething parents can do with their children.

And, if you need help getting kids involved in cooking and eating a healthy diet, then look to Eating Fabulous for her post on getting healthy eating started early.

Exercise

Looking for ways to get fit for the whole family? Competitive leaf raking? Snow shovelling? As long as you’re moving, it counts. For more suggestions check out 5 Exercises for Everyone.

Relaxation

Stress and The Mad Kane is a madly funny situation as usual, but laughter always relaxes me after I’ve been reading submissions from self-described “doctors” who can’t write a simple sentence.

Zen Chill relaxed by getting away from it all with the family. I think a weekend away would do all of us some good too, especially if someone broke in and cleaned the house while we were gone…

In any case, Babylune will be taking a break from the carnival next week while Thrifty Mommy hosts on Tuesday. Submissions are now open.

If your blog would like to host, just comment below to let me know.

Post from: Babylune

We are just back from a little side trip to Chiflik here in Bulgaria with my sister-in-law and her family. We swam every day in mineral water-filled swimming pools (including at the one pictured at the Hotel Diva although we didn’t stay there this time) much to the delight of babies, children, dad and mothers.

Swimming, more like bobbing along, with a baby hardly feels like heavy-evercise, but I find my thighs and arms are incredibly firmer after this little break. 

Do you think it was the swimming or the mild 1km walks we took in the stunning Central Balkan National Park?

Either way, I finally feel like I am making progress in losing the baby weight. The baby is already 7 months-old.

Post from: Babylune