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Gift of the month clubs are always a successful, albeit expensive choice for a loved one. For the mother who seems to have everything (like ours), it's a unique and thoughtful gift that keeps giving. The Daily Kool has given several monthly club memberships as gifts over the years. Our favorites so far are Harry and David's Fruit-of-the-Month Club and Wolferman's Muffin Club. The quality and customer service of both companies has always been outstanding. Our only complaint is the lack of variety available. Oh, don't get us wrong...there are different delectable monthly features from each company. It's just that the choice is always going to be fruit from Harry and David and muffins from Wolferman's. What if we want both? Or something else added?

One of the most wonderful things about the summer is the abundance of fresh Bing cherries. Dark and sweet, this cherry is one of our all-time favorite fruits. We've been known to go through bushels of them in a sitting. Another funny story about our older brother growing up (we've told a few of them!)...our grandmother somehow convinced him that if he ever swallowed a pit, a real cherry tree would grow in his tummy. Talk about traumatizing a child...gotta love it, especially as a younger (and often tortured) sibling! Hence, our poor brother, though he loved them, hardly ever ate cherries for fear of what would happen...what a wuss!

The conversation at the Sdyor dinner table is often about food. Where vegetables grow, what type of trees the fruit are picked from, and what type and cuts of meats come from what animal. Over the years some of the kids have even paid attention. Sometimes too much so...

Amongst the many changes taking place throughout your body during pregnancy, food cravings tend to top the list. Nutrient requirements increase during pregnancy, so it can be difficult to balance the foods you need with the foods you actually want. A well balanced diet rich in whole grains, nuts, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and lean meats will provide you with what you need, but there are a few foods that pack more bang for your buck. Here are 7 power packed pregnancy foods that are both delicious and nutritious:

Every year, the summer is filled with picnics, barbecues and other casual gatherings for The Daily Kool family. Most of these get-togethers are pot-luck events where everyone brings a dish for the guests to share. Needless to say, tables are always filled with a ton deviled eggs, fruit platters, sandwiches and cupcakes galore. So much for shedding those last few (okay, or forty) pounds...sigh. Since most of us tend to bring homemade items as opposed to pre-made trays, we are always looking for convenient travel caddies to hold our food.

Last year, we were having an outdoor birthday party for our oldest son at the local city pool. His parties are always a hit, not because we go overboard, but since his birthday always falls on Labor Day weekend, it's inevitably the first party of the school year. And since he's in a smaller private school where all the kids know each other, we make sure to invite all of the children in his class...26 kids and everybody showed up, with siblings and both parents in tow. Seventy-five people were coming...yikes! We needed food...lots and lots of food. Fruit and veggie platters were a must...plus plenty of candy (our son loves M&Ms) to keep the kids on an energetic sugar high. There was only one problem...how would we keep everything fresh in the scorching Florida heat?

Setting, and keeping, nutrition goals for children can be difficult at times. But the more you teach them how important good nutrition is, the better. Read more here.

Have you ever noticed how it's the simple things in life that give us the most pleasure? A child's laughter...a morning sunrise...the Oxo Good Grips Flexible Vegetable Brush. Okay, call us crazy (and trust us, many many people have), but we at The Daily Kool absolutely love it when a kitchen gadget gets the job done right. Those of us who own anything by Oxo know that their products usually do. Yep, we admit it...we are big Oxo fans, and have been since we got our first kitchen gadget about ten years ago (yikes, has it been that long?).

The Daily Kool family has always toyed with the idea of getting an ice cream maker for our home. As parents, we are often concerned about controlling the quality of ingredients in the food our children eat. Store-bought ice cream often has additives, so we often prefer the premium brands...hey, if we can't pronounce it, we certainly don't want to eat it. But, wow. Premium ice cream definitely comes at a premium price. An ice cream maker may seem like a perfect solution, but since no one in our household can ever agree on one flavor (heaven forbid), we always figured it would be a wasted investment...until now.