What do you think about the new ad campaign promoting chocolate milk in schools? The campaign, which is sponsored by The National Dairy Council, stresses the nutritional value of lowfat chocolate milk and asserts that kids drink less milk when chocolate milk is taken away.

Meanwhile, those who oppose chocolate milk in schools say that flavored milk adds extra calories -- and therefore extra pounds -- contributing to the growing problem of childhood obesity. They say kids will drink plain milk when flavored is not available.

Is the answer balance? Some schools are experimenting with offering flavored milk only on certain days of the week. And in our family, I know that my son, for one, will rarely drink plain milk. To boost his calcium intake, I give him yogurt and cheese and calcium-fortified orange juice. And I also occasionally give him vanilla or chocolate-flavored milk. He doesn't eat much sugar otherwise, so I figure the occasional serving of flavored milk is worth any extra calories.

Is your family planning to travel to see family this Thanksgiving? If so, you may want to check out these tips on getting cheaper Thanksgiving travel flights from Teresa Plowright, guide to family vacations. Being flexible with travel dates can mean significant savings for families.

If you're planning to drive, try these tips on saving gas. You can use these fuel-efficiency tips to save gas on your Thanksgiving trip and beyond. Making these gas-saving tips a part of your daily routine will not only save you money but also help you do your part to save the environment.

Unless your family has been holed up in a cave for the past several months, you probably already know that Zhu Zhu Pets are predicted to be one of the must-have toys of the season. And if you have a child who's been asking for the fuzzy little critters and their myriad of accessories for the holidays, you probably already know that many stores are already out of stock of these popular toys.

One reason retailers are out of Zhu Zhu Pets and other predicted-to-be-popular items is that most have not placed big orders this year. Burned by last year's dismal sales, many stores simply have not taken any chances.

But aside from the issue of availability, there's another reason to shop early. Industry analysts are also predicting that those unheard-of major discounts we saw last year are highly unlikely, again because retailers won't be facing overstock of inventory. So the message seems to be: Don't wait until the last minute to shop, hoping for a discount. If you see an item on sale right now that seems to be a good price, grab it.

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A friend of mine reminded me yesterday that we are seven weeks away from Christmas. Yikes.

My friend is the kind of woman who has already ordered Christmas gifts (yup, she's one of those super-organized people whom the rest of us can only feebly attempt to emulate before we realize it's like trying to become a concert pianist -- you either have it or you don't). So while I'm not gonna turn into Rebecca, I am at least determined not to be that crazed lady running through the mall on Christmas Eve again this year, making a mad dash from store to store, frantically searching for gifts.

That's why I'm taking a page from another friend's family and getting an early start on Christmas this year. I recently visited my friend John's mom, who had a terrific calendar of family photos displayed at her house. It turns out that last year, one of her other sons, Peter, had compiled family photos and used the iPhoto application on his Mac to create a calendar for members of his family for Christmas. It was flat-out one of the most beautiful calendars I'd ever seen -- a testament not only to Peter's artistic eye but also to the ease of use of the iPhoto program.

If you don't have a Mac, you can use a site like Rocket Life, which lets you create t-shirts, photo books, and even mugs as well as calendars from your PC. And if you have a good quality printer and the time, you can make your own calendar, cards, photobooks, and more with Hewlett-Packard's free Creative Studios for Home site.

I'm thinking of some more do-ahead holiday gifts for friends and family. In the meantime, I'm gonna spend a few minutes this week and gather up some photos to unleash my inner artist and create a great calendar for my family to use all next year.

Other Gift Ideas from About.com's Parenting & Family Channel Guides: