August is Children's Eye Health and Safety Month so before school starts, take some time to get your child's eyes checked.

Most children have healthy eyes, but there are conditions that can threaten good vision. Because you can't always “see” eye health problems, set up some time today for an eye exam.

Have your child's eyes examined during regular pediatric appointments.

Vision testing should start around age three.

Here are a few signs to look out for that could mean you child has vision problems.

• Wandering or crossed eyes
• A family history of childhood vision problems
• Disinterest in reading or viewing distant objects

• Squinting or turning head in an unusual manner while watching TV

Eye Safety:

More than 12 million children suffer from vision impairment, and eye injuries are one of the leading causes of vision loss in children. There are an estimated 42,000 sports-related eye injuries each year and the majority of them happen to children.

Use this month to discuss the importance of eye safety with your children.

Children should:

• Wear protective eye wear while participating in sports or recreational activities
• Play with are age-appropriate toys
• Avoid toys with sharp or protruding parts

To find more information about children's eye health and safety visit: www.preventblindness.org.

We typically think of picnics when celebrating the 4th of July, but did you know that July is National Picnic Month? That's right. For the entire month of July we encourage you to take time out of your normal routine for a good old-fashioned picnic.

To help boost the health benefits of your picnics, here are a few recipes for you to try throughout the month.

1. Light and Fresh Potato Salad

This potato salad cuts out the fattening mayo and replaces it with a light vinaigrette, and it also packs in antioxidant-rich tomatoes and bell peppers.

Ingredients: Canola oil, seasoned rice vinegar, red potatoes, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, green bell pepper, orange bell pepper, green onions, ripe olives

2. Grilled Veggie and Hummus Wraps

Take advantage of summer's fresh vegetables and the health benefits of garlic by grilling by preparing these delicious wraps to take along on your picnic.

Ingredients:

• 4 (1/2-inch-thick) slices red onion $
  
  
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and quartered $
  
  
• 1 (12-ounce) eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices $
  
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  
  
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
  
  
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
  
  
• 1 (8-ounce) container plain hummus
  
  
• 4 (1.9-ounce) whole-grain flatbreads (such as Flatout Light)
  
  
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese

Preparations:

1. Heat a large grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush onion, bell pepper, and eggplant with 1 tablespoon oil. Add onion and bell pepper to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Remove from pan. Add eggplant to pan; cook 3 minutes on each side or until grill marks appear. Remove from pan; coarsely chop vegetables. Combine vegetables, remaining 1 tablespoon oil, parsley, and salt; toss to combine.

2. Spread hummus over each flatbread, leaving a 1/2-inch border around edges. Divide vegetables over each flatbread; top each serving with cheese.

3. Roll up wraps, and cut diagonally in half.

3. Jicama and Watermelon Salad

This delicious and refreshing combo will keep everyone around the picnic basket coming back for more. Guaranteed.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
  
  
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, plus 1 teaspoon zest
  
  
• 2 tablespoons honey
  
  
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  
  
• Kosher salt
  
  
• 1 jicama, cut into matchstick pieces
  
  
• 4 cups watermelon in 2-inch chunks
  
  
• 1/3 cup roughly torn fresh mint leaves
  
  

Preparations

Whisk together juices, honey, pepper and salt in a large bowl. Add the jicama, watermelon and mint and toss to coat.
 

4. Tortilla Pinwheels

Pinwheels are a quick and easy way to pack a protein punch into your picnic basket.

Ingredients

• Flour tortillas
  
  
• Cream cheese, softened (or substitute other cheese)
  
  
• Kale
  
  
• Ham, thinly sliced (or substitute turkey)
  
  
• Choice of veggies
  
  

Preparations

Spread cheese evenly over each one of the tortillas.  Top with meat, followed by the kale and other veggies.  Tightly roll up and slice into rounds

5. Fruit Kabobs

Create a sweet and healthy twist on traditional kabobs by cutting up a variety of fresh fruit, such as pineapple, apples, peaches, strawberries and bananas.

Keep the chunks around cubic inch or less in size, and stack them on skewers, alternating among the different types of fruit as you go.

To give the kabobs an extra kick, before you head out, heat up some dark chocolate to dip in. This technique works best on warmer days.

Food Safety

When deciding what to pack in your picnic baskets you must consider food safety. Some foods spoil quicker than others, so whatever food options you bring, be sure you're practicing safe handling and storing procedures. To learn more about food safety visit foodsafety.gov.

April is Earth Month, and there are plenty of things you can do to help the environment. When it comes to helping the environment, don't overlook the small daily changes you can make that can make a big difference for both the environment and your wallet.

1. Recycle

If you aren't already recycling, start. It's easy to get started and simple to maintain.

If you don't have a recycle container, all you have to do is call and one will be delivered to you. Most cities have a website that gives you a phone number to call and also lists the items acceptable for recycling to help make developing the habit a bit easier.

2. Fold your clean clothes immediately

Folding may not be a chore people rush to do, but try to fold your laundry while it is still warm from the dryer. This will help you avoid wrinkles, which will help you avoid using electricity, time and energy with an iron later.

3. Use cold water for laundry

When doing laundry, switch to cold water. Almost 90% of the energy used in the washing cycle goes to heating up the water. By switching to cold, you can save some energy. It might not make a huge difference on your wallet, especially if you're doing excessive laundry, but the savings will eventually come out in the wash.

4. Turn off water when brushing teeth

Why let the water run while brushing your teeth? A standard bathroom faucet uses 2.5 gallons of water per minute. The American Dental Association claims that the average time spent brushing teeth is 46 seconds per day, which is an issue in itself. After the math is calculated in, by leaving the water on while you brush your teeth can waste around 1.8 gallons of water each time you brush.

5. Put on a sweater

When you find yourself feeling cold, grab a sweater and make some tea instead of turning up the heat. Also, try lowering your furnace a few degrees at night and get cozy under the comforters instead.

The reverse can be said for when it's warm inside your house. Shed some layers instead of cranking up the A/C, and you'll find you will help not only the environment but you'll help decrease your electric bill, as well.

6. Switch to low energy light bulbs

Invest in low energy light bulbs.

You can also install dimmer switches to control the intensity of the bulb and how much energy you use.

7. Plant a tree

If you live in a hotter climate, try planting a tree or shrub that shades your central air conditioner. This will help improve its efficiency by up to 10%.

8. Avoid the bags

While shopping, avoid excessive plastic bags by bringing your own reusable bags.

The same can be said for batteries, as well. Invest in rechargeable ones to decrease your carbon footprint.

9. Car pool

If you're going somewhere with friends or family, take one car to save on gas. If you live near coworkers, carpool to work. Not only will this help the environment, but it will also help decrease the money you spend on gas each month.

If you live really close to work or local hangouts, try walking instead of driving. You won't have to deal with parking or traffic, if you do. Plus, it's a great way to get in a little exercise in the day.

10. Reevaluate your lighting

At night, turn off lights you aren't using.

When you leave your house, turn off computers, radios, TVs, and any other electronic device.

While at home, consider not using as many lights. Turning off one or two lights you normally use can help decrease your energy use.

Also know that there are certain times of the day when energy use is more expensive due to demand. Typically "peak hours" are Monday thru Friday, from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. By simply changing your routine to avoid using electricity during more expensive, high-demand times of the day, you'll help the environment as well as cut down your electric bill. It's a win, win.

This month, in honor of Mother Earth, make an effort to help our environment. The result just might help your pocket book, too. You also might find it's not that hard to help out the environment throughout the whole year.