First take a look at the color of the cantaloupe. A ripe cantaloupe will be a golden orange color beneath the outer webbing. Any greenish color on the skin should be a sign that the cantaloupe still has a few days to go before it’s ready.

Next, take a look at the little circle on the cantaloupe where it came off the stem. The spot should have a sweet odor, and be slightly soft to the touch. If the spot is too soft it’s likely a sign that the cantaloupe is over ripe.

It’s not always the best idea to buy a perfectly ripe fruit. Cantaloupe’s continue ripening, even sitting on the kitchen counter. If you do all your shopping early in the week, knowing how to spot a slightly unripe cantaloupe could mean perfectly fresh fruit later in the week.

Now that you know what to look for, you’ll never wind up eating unripe melon again.

Start by establishing rules. If you’re training the dog to stay off the couch but the kids keep inviting him up there, you’ll wind up with a very confused pet (not to mention a headache). Once the whole family is on board, decide which training rules you want to follow. With dogs and cats a simple NO is a good way to let them know that you do not approve of their behavior. Keep your voice deep because animals respond better to deep, harsh voices. If you say NO in a sweet and loving way, the pet will not learn.

Be consistent. Pets want to make their owners happy, so if they get yelled at every time they do something, they will learn not to do it. Many cat owners advocate using a gentle squirt gun to train cats, especially because it does not hurt them. Cats do not enjoy getting spritzed with water and most cats will do anything to avoid this annoyance.

The best way to keep a pet off of your furniture is to give them a special place of their own. If you notice your dog loves soft blankets and sunlight, get him a doggie bed and leave it in a well lit place with lots of toys and treats. If your cat wants to stare out the window, find a special stool for her to sit on.

Just like humans, pets want to have a cozy place to rest. If you don’t want that place to be your sofa then you better started training your pet to stay off the furniture.

. This year, help your kids make some lovely crafts to celebrate their mothers and grandmothers.

The best hand made Mother’s Day crafts is a hand made card. Cards are easy to make for kids of all ages and can even be made out of recycled materials to make an environmentally friendly card. Unlike other hand made arts and crafts, cards are very easy for mother’s to keep for years.

Other quick and fun Mother’s Day crafts are easily suited to fit the mommy. Does she like plants, how about painted flower pots? What about a hand made Popsicle stick picture frame or a frame pretty paper?

If you’re unsure of what to make this year, why not head to a crafts store and check out some fun ideas. As long as a gift is made with love and good intentions, it’s sure to make a mother very happy.

Happy Mother’s Day.

You didn’t have a party all by yourself, so why should you clean up alone? Ask a few good friends to stay and help clean up after the party. Don’t wait until after the party to see what needs to be done, give specific tasks to specific people before the night begins. This means that everyone will know what to do, and will keep up with their task all night.

This leads to step number two, don’t wait until the party’s over to start cleaning. Throughout the night take a second to straighten or toss away any major mess you see. Don’t get too worked up about this! The point of a party is to have fun, but if you happen to see an empty cup that happens to be near a garbage can, and you happen to toss it away, that’s one less cup to clean tomorrow!

When the party’s over do a quick clean up of food and drink items, toss whatever won’t last, and refrigerate what will. After that you can either go to bed and continue clean up in the morning, or keep going.

The next steps are super simple, just don’t stress, a major mess gets cleaned up quickly with a clear head and a good plan of action. Pick one thing and do a sweep of the home, when that goal is finished move on. Start with bottle/cup clean up, move on to dishes and laundry, wipe off all counters and surfaces and finish up with a nice vacuum and mopping session.

It’s so quick and easy you’ll be ready to do it again next week!

Although heavily associated with Mexico, the pinata originates in early China where it was used to celebrate New Years. It is very similar to an Aztec tradition, and the two appeared to have merged. In modern times the pinata has lost most of it’s religious symbolism and is now a fun party item.

Many Cinco de Mayo celebrations will have a pinata, so put on a blindfold, grab a bat, and help that candy break lose!

To celebrate Cinco de Mayo cities all around the United States hold festivities with Mexican foods, drinks and music. Traditional foods such as tacos, enchiladas, fajitas and guacamole are washed down with margaritas. Traditional Mexican music, mariachi, can be heard at many bars and clubs.

Check out Cinco de Mayo activities in your town for a super fun weekend filled with culture, heritage and margaritas.

Immediately after you finish working out, your body is starved for the protein it needs to build muscle. This is a great time to have a high protein snack, but most people can’t handle sitting down to eat a steak right after a workout. Instead, have something like a glass of milk, soymilk, or a protein shake. These liquids are packed with protein and get into your body fast.

During your workout, your body is using up it’s stores of glycogen. Glycogen is a form of sugar in the body, and a good post workout food will also replace lost sugars in your body. Even if your cutting down on carbohydrates, this is the time of day you should eat them. After a workout your body will quickly process and use whatever you put in it. Of course this isn’t time for a slice of pizza, it’s still important to eat high quality foods. Post workout foods need to contain good carbs like whole wheat, oats, brown rice or fruits and vegetables.

So what food combinations best suit your post workout food needs? Try something high in protein with a carbohydrate kick!

• Protein shake with bannana
• Whole wheat pita and hummus
• Peanut butter on brown rice cakes
• Tuna on whole wheat bread
• Yogurt and fruit
• Cheese and fruit

The right post workout meal means you’ll eat right and lose weight too!

So how about a morning doughnut with your coffee? If only it was that easy! What you eat for breakfast also has a huge effect on how your body processes food for the rest of that day. That doughnut is a refined carbohydrate, and causes insulin levels to spike which signals your body to store fat instead of burning it.

To kick start your day with a calorie burning boost, eat a breakfast made of slow burning carbohydrates. Oatmeal, cereal bars, or granola with yogurt make quick and easy breakfasts, just be sure to choose things that are not loaded down with added sugars. Some whole wheat toast or muffins are easy to pack in your bag or eat on the road if you don’t always have time to eat at home.

Remember, eating a healthy breakfast will help you cut out those late night desert calories too! The best way to lose weight is to eat right.