Fooducate is an iPhone app that can help you make some quick product comparisons with just a scan of the UPC bar code. It only works on US products at the moment.

You have instant access to helpful nutritional information:

Grade: Each product is given a grade with A-B representing the better choices.

Calories: Lists the calories per serving

Screenshot from Fooducate.com

• Contains trans-fats
• 2.5 tsp of sugar per serving
• Contains controversial artificial colors

It is able to identify problem items in the ingredient list that you might not be familiar with.

Beyond Nutritional Statistics

The thing I love most about this app is the ability to find better alternatives to this item. If you click the “alternatives” tab, a list of other choices and their grades allow you to do some comparison.

You can either scan a product bar code or manually enter in a food item.

I was shocked at the bad grade for items I thought were healthy snacks. It’s a real eye opener to discover what some manufacturers sneak into their products.

By the way, the app is FREE!! If you have an iPhone, you can find it at the iTunes app store.

Due to having to reformat my computer, I’ve been a bit lax on the posts. I’m back in business now and wanted to share a few cool things I found while waiting for software to install.

How to save some money

“9 Top Ways We Waste Money” is a great reminder of how making a few simple changes can add up to more money in the wallet.

Halloween fun

I want to serve Eyeball Sushi to my kids and see the reaction. This site includes a list of some crazy food I didn’t know about.

Family Fun magazine’s Halloween section always has some great kid-friendly ideas for costumes, crafts, and recipes.

Amazing Mom’s spooky recipes are sure to delight some children in the house.

After you’ve eaten all the Halloween candy..

Set up a walking plan with Prevention Magazine’s handy walking calendar.

Just funny

I love the website Geeks Are Sexy. She’s always finding great videos. See Fox News making fun of social media. It is hysterically funny…especially to anyone who is on Twitter or Facebook. Start out your weekend with a good laugh. Confession: I think I’ve watched it 5 times.

Happy Friday!

Make your own spa products

Natural You has a video showing how you can make your own spa-quality natural body scrubs in minutes.

Making better food choices

On a quest to eat healthier? Anne On Life suggests ways you can make your favorite foods healthier.

Recycling items to new uses

Global Recycle Products is full of creative ideas on how to recycle your everyday trash into something you can use. I love the turning toilet paper cores and plastic bottles into curlers idea.

Cute Firetruck Birthday Party

Creating a cute little boy’s birthday party can be challenging. Check out this adorable firetruck themed party idea that is sure to be a hit. Eat-Drink-Pretty is full of beautiful, fun party ideas.

Party Games

What a great game to play (especially for teens which are hard to entertain). Find out how to play Catch the Dragon Tail by Cecile Cinco from Cinco Online. She even has a video of the game in action.

Financial Advice

Looking for advice for growing your money or stretching the dollar? Find a wealth (ha ha no pun intended) of financial tips at Money and Risk.

Gardening Blog

I desperately need some gardening advice, and Stephanie Suesan Smith’s blog is an every growing resource of gardening tips.

Dedicated to those moments when we drop our brain on the floor

This made me laugh so hard…because I’ve done that. What you ask? You have to go read for yourself. This is My Brain On Kids

More recipes

I’m always discovering some great sites for recipes. Here are a few new ones:

For soup lovers: Seriously Soupy

For cheap dinners: Five Dollar Dinners

For chocolate lovers, like me!: Chocolate Butterscotch popcorn - can you say YUMMY?!?

To even out that sweet calorie filled popcorn, find out how to make healthy popcorn at Crunch Time Food .

I don’t know why I never thought of the cost savings of this option. I just bought a microwave popcorn bowl and we are going to try it out tonight during the “Camp Rock 2″ premier. I know…exciting. Ha Ha

Interesting craft ideas

Learn how to make a pretty wreath using, can you believe, used coffee filters! Find out how at The Vintage Bench.

Bento box lunch alternative

Bento box lunches are all the rage. The real boxes are expensive. This lady found a much cheaper alternative at Pacifier in my Pocket.

Now to fill them with something more interesting than peanut butter and jelly. Check out Wendolonia – Thanks Amanda from First Day of my New Life for this link.

Now let’s get this Friday started with some dancing

I am a child of the disco era…so I could not resist dancing to some of my old favorites in my friend’s collection of disco videos. Groovy! Check it out at My Top 10 Disco Favorites Plus One and just try not to dance. Thanks, Mitch, for a fun ride back in time.

The many uses of lavender

Patricia knows about lavender and has a whole site dedicated to it. Check out her lavender craft ideas.

Hang it on a wall

I love the ideas in the article Getting My Wall Organized with Command Adhesive Products by 3M. I need that for my office.

Stop and think

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, it is good to sit back and think about life in general. I love this article 75 Life-changing Truths Written While Lying on the Grass.

Humor relief

After the chaotic week of back to school fun, I could use a good chuckle or two. These lovely ladies really make me laugh:

• All Questions are not created equal by Surely, You Jess!
• What I learned last week is that if I go topless, animals die. Or something like that. by Guilty Squid
• I expected rocky mountains to be a little rockier than this by Raising Colorado
• Car Booster Seats by The Meanest Mom

Happy weekend!

Back to school

I went on a hunt for lunch box ideas. Since my daughter ate the same peanut butter and jelly sandwich lunch every single day last year, I decided I might venture into more variety. The truth is someone in her class has a peanut allergy which means I can no longer make the lunch in my sleep. I have to actually think.

I’m full of great ideas on what to pack in the lunch boxes this year thanks to the following articles:

10 Fresh Lunchbox Ideas at Parenting.com

Back-to-school Lunches and Snacks at FamilyFun.go.com

Lunch boxes

I was shocked to find out many lunch boxes fail to keep the food colder than 2 hours. Good House Keeping did a review on which lunchboxes made the cut in keeping food safe. Find out if your child’s lunchbox made the list at “Best Kids Lunch Box”.

In the midst of hurricane season…

What is more appropriate to celebrate the stormy season than baking a Tropical Storm Cake. I just loved the name and want to try it.

Afraid of public speaking?

I don’t have much of a problem speaking in front of a crowd and have done it many times. I did find this to be an interesting method of getting over fears (doesn’t have to be talking in public) using an anchor.

How to set anchors by Tim Brownson

I end this post with some amazingly talented girls

Thanks to my mother for passing this link along to me. She suggested this could be my new workout routine. Maybe…if I want to end up in the hospital. It does make you want to run out and buy a jump rope. I would probably smack myself in the face trying to recreate anything in the video but that wouldn’t stop me from trying.

What I thought were amazing moments (if you don’t have 7 minutes):

minute 1.47 – Crazy net of jump ropes
minute 3.58 – 8 jump in the same rope
minute 4:23 – I can’t even tell who is in what rope
minute 6.15 – Back flips while jump roping…keep it running for the finale
minute 6.52 – The finale…I still don’t know how that girl did that!

Handmade gift idea

Bake some delicious cookies and present them in a beautiful gift package created from a Pringles can.

This is a great idea for a back-to-school gift for your child’s new teacher. Add a tag saying “Have a great year!” to the front.

Find the recipe and package creation instructions at The Paper Pony. Print this easy gift idea and keep it in your Custom Cookbook in a tab called “gift ideas”.

Endless cooking advice and recipes

Ever realized you are missing an ingredient and wish you know what you could use as a substitution?

Check out Chef Tom’s recipe forum at Recipesnoop.com. It is full of recipes, tips, definitions, and advice. I don’t think there is a cooking question that doesn’t have an answer in this extensive collection of cooking information.

You can get his free cookbooks, too. I have been trying out his recipes 2-3 nights a week for awhile, and they are easy and delicious.

Quarterly room clean out

I periodically go through the kids’ rooms and clear out the junk, but I like the idea of scheduling it on a quarterly basis. Find out more at PenelopeLovesLists.com.

Cheap decorating idea for a small kid’s room

Check out how cute little dresses hanging on a clothesline looks in a little girl’s room at Momspark.net. You could use sports-type shirts and baseball hats to create a boy version.

Shameless self promotion

Check out my new blog at Finding The Humor. My favorite post is “What I could have done with $900″.

Did you discover any cool finds this week?

Book Mooch

Bookmooch.com has an interesting concept in trading around books with other readers. You earn points to borrow other books when you lend yours.

You can even donate your extra points to a couple of charities so they can purchase needed books. I’m going to try it out soon.

(Available in the US, France, and UK) If anyone has used this before, I would love to hear your thoughts.

Facebook Fun

The funny facebook video on my friend Jenny’s wonderful blog called NEWRU is hysterical because in some ways it is so true. Hey, I think I know this guy.

Wear your seatbelt

Sorry..a second video, but this was a very creative moving reminder that you should always wear your seatbelt.

Let’s make this world a better place

I was moved to tears at the stories by “How to treat others in 5 lessons”. The five stories have an amazing message that is sure to make you think. Warning: have a tissue in hand.

Going along with that concept, I thought the article “72 ways to make someone’s day” has some wonderful ideas.

Make a difference in someone’s day today

Easy Breakfast Casserole

I made this Green Eggs and Ham Our Way breakfast casserole this week, and it was a hit. Letting kids assemble their own mini version is a great activity for a girl’s sleepover party.

Are you “emotionally unprepared” for that new dress?

After writing the article about irrational purchases recently, I laughed when I saw this Zappos.com commercial. Rather than letting it hang in a closet with the tags still on, she was smart and returned it .

The girls and I laughed our way through a Zappos commercial-watching marathon on YouTube. Whoever is responsible for these is a genius!

Cool ice tray shapes

Momlogic.com found some of the coolest ice cube trays! Having a party? Wow your guests with one of these for an interesting conversation piece.

Funniest article I’ve ever read

Maybe I am the last to discover this funny lady, but I’m now a daily reader of The Meanest Mom. She deserves the title of “Funniest Blog”. Check out her story “Paper Underpants” if you need a good laugh.