Crown a ‘Cook of the Day’

Let your child revel in royalty by putting him or her in charge of planning a menu with four of the five food groups (review them at the MyPyramid Web site).

Compete to Complete Chores

Hang a list of chores on the fridge and encourage your kids to compete to get them done. Whoever finishes the most gets first dibs on choosing the next family outing.

Skip the Sunglasses on the Way to Work

Exposing your eyes to morning sunlight resets your body clock, telling your brain it’s time to wake up and boosting your energy.

Fertilize Your Brain

Harvard Medical School researchers have dubbed aerobic exercise “Miracle-Gro for the brain,” since engaging in it several times a week makes brain cells bigger, better and more resilient.

Burn a Candle for a Better Workout

According to research, the smell of a strawberry candle can motivate exercisers to work harder, boosting their calorie burn by as much as 19 percent.

Get the Most From Your Multi

Never take your multivitamin on an empty stomach. You need food to best absorb the nutrients -- and prevent an upset stomach.

Give Your Gums Some TLC

After brushing, use your toothbrush to massage your gums in a gentle circular motion. This will promote better circulation, which helps prevent gum disease and bone loss.

Live Longer

A Yale University study found that optimists -- regardless of gender, health and money -- live at least seven and a half years longer.

Write It Down for Posterity

Want to keep a journal but don’t have the time? Put together some quick lists, such as places you’ve seen or hope to visit. Get ideas at the Listography Web site.

Work out at Work

Instead of sitting around the conference table, hold walk-and-talk meetings to burn some calories with your co-workers.

Don’t Forget Your Feet

When using sunscreen, people often overlook their feet. Apply protection generously and often to the tops of your feet -- and lather up the bottoms too if they’re exposed.

Get Grandma and Grandpa Moving

According to a new review of more than 100 studies, exercises that increase strength, flexibility and balance are the best way to prevent seniors from taking dangerous falls.

Make Meat Dishes Healthier

Cook with 95 percent lean ground beef instead of ground round, to cut saturated fat and calories. Your family won’t even notice the difference.

Protect Kids’ Peepers

Since sports are the leading cause of eye injuries and blindness in children, be sure your kids wear safety glasses when they’re on the field or court.

Avoid Intervening in Arguments

Kids quickly learn they can get parental attention by picking fights with one another. Instead of meddling, let them develop their own conflict-resolution skills.

Make an Adventure out of Exercise

Calculate the "longcut" when walking to school, the store or a friend's house. Add a few hills, stairways or secret paths through the woods too.

Adopt a Penguin

You can adopt a penguin, lemur, panda or one of 40 other animals when you make a donation to the World Wildlife Fund at the organization’s Web site.

Hold a Treasure Hunt

Try geocaching, a high-tech scavenger hunt that uses a GPS unit. Go to the geocaching Web site to review coordinates and clues with your kids, and then head out for a hike outdoors.

Make a Trip out of Public Transit

Ditch the car and hop on a bus, train, trolley or boat. Any mode that's out of the ordinary will become a big part of your kids' vacation memories.

Let Your Kids Choose Their Chores

Present your kids options for doing chores, such as tidying up the playroom or cleaning their room.

Keep Bugs at Bay

Avoid using scented soaps and lotions, and wearing bright colors or flower prints, which encourage insects to bite. Apply repellents containing 10 to 30 percent DEET, safe for children over 2 months old.

Stifle the Sniffles

Frequent trips to the sink will kill cold germs -- even if you don’t use hot water. The key: suds up for at least 15 seconds (sing “Happy Birthday” twice).

Forget About Floaties

When introducing young children to swimming, don’t use those inflatable arm rings. They give kids and parents a false sense of security, since they can easily fall off or leak air.

Turn the TV off During Dinner

Talk as a family instead. Research shows that eating together actually helps improve kids’ achievement scores and reduce behavioral problems.

Prep Once, Eat Twice

Fix chicken breasts tonight and use the extra to prepare enchiladas for tomorrow. Or make meatloaf and stow extra chopped onions and browned meat in the fridge for chili night.

Make a Terrarium

Cut a 2-liter plastic bottle in half. Then layer pebbles, activated charcoal, Spanish moss, soil and an easy-to-maintain houseplant like a Begonia. Your kids will see life grow before their eyes!

Find a Substitute for Soda

One can of cola a day can add up to 1050 empty calories by the end of the week, so save soda for an occasional restaurant treat.

Have a Plastic Parade

Repurpose empty plastic bottles by washing, drying and filling with dried beans to make easy musical instruments. Encourage your kids to parade around the house or block with their instruments.

Make Old Magazines Into New Clothes

Cut clothes or figures from old magazines and catalogs, and glue them to construction paper or cardboard. You can stick the clothes on the dolls with either taped paper tabs or paper clips.