Mother's Day is upon us and it is important to let the mothers in our life know how special they are, whether they are your mother, wife, daughter, sister or friend. Moms put family first, making sure every one is taken care of. They are often the managers in their households - confirming doctor's appointments, parent-teacher conferences, dentist appointments, etc.. Moms try to make sure everyone has what they need - snacks, soccer cleats, a favorite binky or sippy cup. This might be at the expense of going to spin class, blow drying her hair, shaving both legs in the shower, maybe even at …

Many parents feel meal time with their toddlers is a constant battle.  They may eat well one day and eat nothing the next. Sometimes we bribe, threaten, plead and beg kids to eat healthy foods, only to exacerbate the situation. Myra, the editor of University City Patch, has this battle with her two and a half year old son. "He only wants mac and cheese and meatballs. He won't try anything new. My husband feels he should eat what we eat and a lot of times my son will go to bed without eating dinner. Is he hungry? Did he get a snack at school?" said Myra. The truth is children eat when they are…

Motherhood is a war waged on our identity, fortitude and health. Silently and slowly it changes us and the responsibility can be overwhelming. Women go from working an eight hour day to being responsible for another human being for 24/7. This responsibility remolds us, tires us and compromises us. The expectations are invisible and unsaid, but ultimately imposed. This of course does not diminish motherhood, or the joy and love it brings. However, women can arm themselves with knowledge, understanding and a support system in order to keep their identity, health and sanity intact.We catch …

As a whole, our schools in this country are losing funding, and University City is not immune. We have seen hundreds of teachers in Missouri and East St. Louis lose their jobs. When budgets are tightened, the arts are usually the first to be cut. Although academics are fundamental, the benefits of music, art and dance cannot be discounted. Visual arts provide children with an opportunity to observe and study their subject. The purpose, of course, is to express what they have observed using an artistic medium. Developing these skills translates into an aptitude for problem-solving in math, …

When did we get to the point of eating food-like substances, believing added "nutrients" are as healthy as a whole food? According to Wikipedia, "Nutritionsim is the idea that the nutritional value of a food is the sum of all its individual nutrients, vitamins, and other components." Journalist, Michael Pollan, explains in his book, In Defense of Food, “Nutritionism, like most isms is a reductionist, contextless ideology. Nutritionism divides our food into nutrients and pits them against each other: fats versus carbs, carbs versus proteins. Moreover, it has trouble discerning qualitative …

The obesity epidemic in this country is now affecting children and teens, about one third of children and teens are considered obese and suffer health problems related to their weight. According to the American Heart Association, inflammation, insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes) and oxidative stress are a result of obesity. Oxidative stress is a component of many diseases: atherosclerosis, Parkinson's disease, heart failure, myocardial infarction and Alzheimer's disease, etc.. As a mom I struggle to serve healthy, affordable and tasty meals.  University City offers fresh foods at …

On March 11, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake struck Japan, which triggered a catastrophic tsunami that leveled much of the northeastern part of the coast. The footage and news of the devastation has saturated television, Internet sites, newspapers and magazines, prompting children to ask questions about this tragedy. It is difficult to know how much to explain to children and how to help them decipher the cause and effect of such disasters. Japan's earthquake and tsunami are not an exception.My children, during tragic news stories might ask questions like "Could this happen here? Why and how did …

Not so long  ago kids' birthday parties were simple: A cake, a few friends, pin the tail on the donkey and some balloons were all that was needed. Now, birthday parties have become complicated balancing acts filled with menus, party favors, cake themes, and venue choices; complicated enough to spawn TLC's television show "Outrageous Kids' Parties." The art of the backyard birthday is losing ground.Today, kids parties are held in special party themed arenas like Bounce U or Pump it Up. In University City, Your Pot's Desire and The Craft Alliance supply the artistic birthday kids in our midst …