Now that the holidays are over, I'm going to try to make more time for fitness.

I absolutely loved spending time with my son during the school holiday break, snuggling under the blankets and reading books and watching movies. I had fun baking yummy treats and sharing them with friends and family. And a huge snowstorm in our area made it easy to excuse myself from trekking to the gym.

All that holiday fun has, alas, translated into me not being able to zip up my jeans comfortably. So it's the gym for me this week. My favorite way to get fit is to take some fun fitness classes. Working out with other people is a great motivator, and you can take different classes to mix up your routine and make things more fun.

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Video game maker Nintendo Co. has issued a warning telling parents not to let children aged 6 and under play 3D games on the upcoming Nintendo 3DS game system, reports The Wall Street Journal. Nintendo says that looking at 3-D images for a long period of time could have an adverse effect on the eyesight development of young children, and they recommend that parents switch to the 2D display for younger kids.

The eagerly-awaited device, which is slated for release in March in the U.S., will allow users to see 3D images without using special glasses. While there have been no definitive findings linking health problems with 3D, there have been some reports of dizziness and nausea since 3D first became available in the '50s. Nintendo's warning is likely a cautionary move, designed to prevent any future possible lawsuits.

Since I'm a parent who tends to err on the side of caution, I don't think I'll allow my 9-year-old to play 3D games if one of his friends gets this device (we have a Wii and certainly have no plans to allow another electronic toy into our home).

While there may not be much evidence linking 3D use to eyesight or other problems, especially if kids use the technology occasionally rather than for protracted periods of time, I don't see the point in taking even a small risk just for the sake of a video game. What do you think?

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Are you prepared for flu season? Flu activity is increasing and is now higher than expected for this time of the year in some regions, says a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Five states -- Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, New York and Virginia -- reported widespread flu activity.

To stay healthy during cold and flu season, make sure you and your family practice healthy habits such as hand washing and eating immune-boosting foods to ward off illness. Doctors also recommend getting kids a flu shot each year, especially if a child is prone to developing complications from the flu.

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As we head into a new year, one of the things many families begin to think about is how to simplify things and spend more time together as a family.

All too often, our busy and hectic weekday schedules spill over into the weekend and eat up family time. School, work and after-school activities limit time together during the week, and weekends end up being the only time we can catch up on chore and errands.

But setting up some efficient weekday routines, consolidating your errands, and even having kids help out with chores can all add up to more weekend time to relax and have fun together. For more ideas, see "Taking Back the Family Weekend." Here's to a happy and more relaxed new year for you and your family.

This post is part of the All About Parenting Blog Carnival, hosted this month by Heather Corley, About's Guide to Baby Products. If you blog about families and parenting, we invite you to join us! Simply read our blog post guidelines and then send the name of your blog, the title of your post, the permalink, your name and your email address to babyproducts.guide@about.com.

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