+ teaching students the Meaning of green recycling Matters ril 2011 ril fever control aP gr’s Best faMily calendar West Michigan’s no. 1 Parenting resource Kim Lavine ‘mommy miLLionaire’ Making sense Mom Makeover: Movin’ and groovin’ FREE TAKE ONE All kids All the time Located at the corner of Michigan Street and Bostwick Avenue in downtown Grand Rapids Every aspect of the new Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital Michigan St. NE Bostwick Barclay is dedicated to infants, children and adolescents younger Van Andel Helen DeVos Musculoskeletal than 18 years old. Our separate pediatric emergency Institute Children’s Hospital Ave. Center Ave. Fred and department (ED) is just down Michigan Street from the Children’s NE NE Lena Meijer Emergency Butterworth Hospital ED. Look for the red Children’s Heart Center Helen DeVos Children's Emergency sign. We’ll be here. Outpatient Butterworth Hospital Center Adult Emergency For driving directions, visit helendevoschildrens.org/pediatricemergency. Free valet parking is available at the Children’s Emergency entrance. Color Matters As a family, make a commitment to eat healthy. (616) 949-2410 or www.gvhp.com How to pick Fruits & Vegetables Here are things to look for when picking common fruits and veggies when grocery shopping: Apples: Choose firm, shiny, smooth-skinned apples with intact stems. Apples should smell fresh, not musty. Oranges: Choose oranges with firm, smooth skins, that are heavy for their size. Bananas: Choose bananas that are slightly green on the stem and tip. They should also be firm and without bruises. Grapes: Choose plump, firm fruits that are firmly attached to the stem. Kiwi: Choose slightly firm fruit with rough, fuzzy skin. Peach: Choose peaches with firm, fuzzy skins that yield to gentle pressure. Avoid blemishes. It's important to not only eat the recommended five servings of Limes: Choose limes with smooth, shiny skin, that are heavy for fruits and vegetables a day, but also make sure they range in color. their size. Below explains how different colors benefit your overall health. Broccoli: Choose odorless heads with tight, bluish-green florets. Red—Helps maintain a healthy heart and urinary tract, increases memory function, and lowers the risk for some cancers. Carrots: Choose well-shaped, smooth, firm, crisp carrots with Yellow/Orange—Helps maintain a healthy heart, improves vision, deep color and non-wilted green tops. Avoid soft, wilted or split strengthens your immune system, and lowers the risk for some carrots. cancers. Mushrooms: Choose well shaped mushrooms with firm texture. Blue/Purple—Helps maintain urinary tract, increases memory func- Avoid spots and slime. tion, promotes healthy aging, and lowers the risk of some cancers. Tomatoes: Choose tomatoes with bright, shiny skins and firm Green—Helps maintain vision, strengthens bones and teeth, and flesh. lowers the risk of some cancers. White/Tan/Brown—Helps maintain a healthy heart, decreases Sweet Corn: Choose ears with green husks, fresh silks and tight cholesterol, and lowers the risk of some cancers. rows of kernels. Grand Valley Health Plan specializes in healthy lifestyles for families. Some of the benefits for choosing Grand Valley Health • Guaranteed same-day appointments. Plan as your primary health care includes: • Nurse advice line available 24 hours a day. • Registered Dieticians & Behavioral Health Specialists • Open 365 days a year. available for individual and family sessions. • Free access to health education and fitness classes. It’s time to start living life, having fun, and • No office visit co-payments for health assessments, being healthy as a family! Call Grand Valley sports physicals, and well child visits. Health Plan today and ask how to join. (616) 949-2410 or www.gvhp.com AD040111 Spring is here! Escape winter with warm, tropical breezes as colorful butterflies delight guests of all ages. From the ever-popular butterflies in the tropical conservatory to the exciting new lifecycle display (don’t miss the caterpillars!), everyone can enjoy spring a little early this year… only at Meijer Gardens. MeijerGardens.org Goodwill accepts material donations at all Goodwill Store locations and five Attended It’s a new Goodwill... Donation Centers: Goodwill Store Locations: 28th Street SW Ionia 29th Street SE Jenison 54th Street Lowell Alpine Avenue Mt. Pleasant Big Rapids Plainfield Division Avenue Standale Greenville Outlet Center Rockford (Spring 2011) Attended Donation Centers: Caledonia Cascade Jenison Grandville Hudsonville Changing Lives and Communities through the Power of Work goodwillgr.org 4 G r a n d ra p i d s Fa m i ly A p r i l 2 0 1 1 www.grfamily.com april 2011 VOlUME 23, NUMBEr 4 contents features A TEAM EFFORT By Mary Timmer 17 15 Area schools are teaching students about being kind to the environment — outdoors, in the classroom and by setting a good example. HOME IS WHERE THE SCHOOL IS 17 By Paul R. Kopenkoskey While still a matter of debate, most people believe that home-schooling is headed in the right direction. MOM MAKEOvER By Melissa Black 15 20 Ingrid Johnson’s active lifestyle as a GVSU assistant professor in the Movement Science Department demands special consideration. 12 columns & departments 6 TAKING NOTES By Carole Valade COvER pHOTOGRApHy by JOHNNy QUIRIN OF KIM LAvINE ANd Community pride in environmental sustainability HER SONS dyLAN, MIddLE, ANd RyAN. and sensitivity should not be taken for granted. 8 FRONTLINES Timely information for families includes healthy vending choices, recycling education and a “school of rock” camp for kids. 24 11 MOMS TOdAy By Tim Gortsema Kim Lavine, the “Mommy Millionaire,” makes sense when talking about business ventures and family values. 12 FAMILy HEALTH By Cynthia Norman Not every fever is dangerous, but parents need to be on the alert for signs and know how to treat them. 24 FAMILy dATES A showcase of where to go and what to do. 34 WHAT THEy SAy By Johnny Quirin Youngsters talk about treating the Earth well 8 and the benefits of recycling. www.grfamily.com A p r i l 2 0 11 G r a n d r a p i d s F a m i l y 5 taking notes MICHIGAN’S NO. 1 PARENTING & FAMILY RESOURCE SINCE 1989 BY CAROLE VALADE www.grfamily.com info@grfamilycom PUBLISHER JOHN H. ZWARENSTEYN: [email protected] ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER/EDITOR Experience the CAROLE VALADE: [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR TIM GORTSEMA: [email protected] COPY EDITOR DONNA FERRARO: [email protected] CONTRIBUTING WRITER TRICIA VAN ZELST power of spring EDITORIAL INTERNS NICK CAPISCIOLTO, ALICE KEYES COMMUNITY PARTNERS EDITORIAL ADVISORY PANEL ROBERT CONNORS, M.D., HELEN DEVOS CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL Community pride in environmental KRISTEN CICHON, GRAND VALLEY HEALTH PLAN DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER SCOTT SOMMERFELD: [email protected] ASSISTANT DESIGN & PRODUCTION MANAGER sustainability and sensitivity should CHRIS PASTOTNIK: [email protected] ART COORDINATOR KELLY J. NUGENT: [email protected] DESIGNERS/PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS never be taken for granted. MELISSA BROOKS: [email protected] ROBIN VARGO: [email protected] CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS MICHAEL BUCK, JIM GEBBEN, JOHNNY QUIRIN ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER he snowstorms and face-chap- providing opportunities to learn about KRISTI GORNO: [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES CONSULTANTS ping winds of winter were old being eco-friendly, including using the GENERAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] news by February, and we still buildings themselves to teach those les- JULIE JOHNSON: [email protected] ADVERTISING SALES ASSISTANT/COORDINATOR had March to go. sons. KARLA JELTEMA: [email protected] T NATIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES So it is with greater appreciation in One can hope that such environ- PARENTING PUBLICATIONS OF AMERICA SALES this North Country that we greet April mental sensitivity is a concept our chil- NETWORK — (323) 937-5514 BUCK CIRCULATION & MARKETING MANAGER and its growing landscape of green. dren will simply assume as a way of life SCOTT T. MILLER: [email protected] Opening the windows to hear birds throughout their lifetime. CIRCULATION & MARKETING COORDINATOR JOCELYN BURKETT: [email protected] MICHAEL chirp and sniff the fi rst fragrance of It has been almost 50 years since CIRCULATION & MARKETING ASSISTANT spring fl owers provides a mental, emo- the book “Silent Spring” was published, ist” stop by parents and their children. SHANE CHAPIN: [email protected] FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION MANAGER tional and energy lift. and while it was the change agent for Perhaps one of the most fascinating as- PAMELA BROCATO, CPA: [email protected] ACCOUNTING & CREDIT ASSISTANT I can’t imagine life without experi- the world, it has taken intense efforts pects of the tour is the lineup of prod- BEV HORINGA: [email protected] encing such natural beauty, but Earth to bring communities to a place that ucts that are now made from recycled ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TINA GILLMAN: [email protected] Day gives us pause to do just that. can be called “sustainable.” Certainly, material, and what any child imagines RECEPTIONIST/CLERICAL ASSISTANT GENERAL INQUIRIES: [email protected] The Grand Rapids area takes great the Millennials and their elder siblings after being given the food for thought. ALYSON MABIE pride in the fact that it is home to more have driven such efforts — with their The Center opened in August last TO ORDER REPRINTS KARLA JELTEMA: [email protected], Leadership in Energy and Environmen- questions and their wallets. As I walk year, and even though it was only op- (616) 459-4545 tal Design buildings per capita than any among the butterfl ies at the Frederik erational in the last half of 2010, Kent Grand Rapids Family Magazine (ISSN 1055-5153) is published monthly by Gemini Publications, a division of Gemini Corpora- other place in the country. Families can Meijer Gardens exhibit, these delicate County Recycling Center leaders re- tion. Publishing offi ces: 549 Ottawa Ave. NW, Suite 201, Grand Rapids, MI 49503-1444.