I had one very bad burn on my back as an 8-year-old and another serious burn on my back as an adult. Both times it was due to not applying sunscreen. I am a fanatic about sunscreen.

I have used different brands over the years. Here’s my take on sunscreen/sun exposure:

• I never used sunscreen on a baby less than 6 months. I limited sun exposure until the baby was over 6 months of age.
• Coppertone Baby is excellent for babies up to late elementary school age. Comes in the pink bottle. It is a thick liquid.
• For active kids, Banana Boat or Coppertone Active is excellent. It is thick, plus resistant to sweat. I reapply after swimming for a long period.
• When my kids were about 8, I started letting them sunscreen their arms and legs. I would do their backs and chest.
• With my tween and teen, I trust them to apply sunscreen.
• Each of the kids carries a sunscreen in their pool bag in case they go to the pool with a friend.
• The kids wore rashguard shirts on the beach and at the pool until around age 10.
• If you need sunscreen due to fair skin AND you are going to the beach, apply sunscreen before you go on the beach. Applying sunscreen to already sandy legs can result in uneven sunscreen coverage.
• Avoid spray sunscreens! The spray will not cover all areas. I find myself applying twice as much spray to be sure.
• Only use cream sunscreens. I like to see the cream on the children’s skin to know that I have covered each body part.
• We have a house rule that if a child refuses to use sunscreen the child does not go outside. No exceptions.
• The worst time of year for sunburn is April/May and September/October. At these times of the year, the sun can be bright but I don’t think about using sunscreen. Invariably one of the kid ends up with raccoon eyes.

I’ll be keeping this list of tips in mind as I prepare to travel to Ocean City with my family. The beach is a hit with my husband and kids. Not so much me, with my fair skin and ability to burn when near the sun.

But, I am struggling with my weight. I lose some. I gain some, but I never get anywhere near my goal weight. My goal weight is largely unattainable to me. Did I ever weigh my goal weight??

You see I love food. Gastric bypass surgery would not be an option for me. I cannot spend the rest of my life eating a portion the size of an egg for each meal How sad! So, I need to find ways to eat less, eat sensibly, and eat healthy all within the structure of my family and crazy/busy/insane kiddie activity schedule.

Healthy eating on-the-go and exercising suffer when schedules become busier, and sorting through the plethora of products and services on the market proves an overwhelming, time-consuming effort in itself.  A new line of products may help me to achieve my elusive weight-loss goals.

I was sent a sample shipment of innovative products from underWAY and Smart for Life to review. We had a family taste testing over a period of days.

Note: Since my children are growing and a healthy weight, I monitor what dietary products they ingest. I didn’t let the kids try to underWay supplement drink as it is a meal replacer. I want the children to eat the healthy meals that I prepare rather than “drinking their meal.” Since I need to lose weight, I find a meal-replacing drink to be acceptable to me. I did let them try the Smart for Life cookies and cupcakes.

The Musings from Me family thoughts on Smart for Life and underWay products:

• underWay supplement drinks — I am not a huge water drinker. If the water is flavored I will drink more. The underWay drink I tried was Acai Pomegranate. underWay is an appetite suppressing drink that curbs hunger. I drank one for breakfast on a day I was on-the-go. Here’s what I found on the underWay website: underWAY™ Curbs Your Hunger Two Ways: (1) its special formulation not only takes longer to be absorbed by the stomach, but it also slows the absorption of what’s already there–making you feel fuller, longer, and (2) its unique ingredients stimulate your stomach, telling your brain you’ve consumed more calories than you really have – which, with underWAY™, is almost zero!
• Smart for Life cookies and cupcakes were pronounced good by the kids and husband. Not an abundance of flavor, but as far as diet products go the flavors are better than most. I like that the ingredients are all natural, 60% organic products. We liked that the products were packaged in small packs. The size of the package was small enough for me to eat in 2 days or the whole family to eat in one sitting.
• Ready-to-Go Vanilla Shakes and Chicken Soup — we have not tried yet. Update to come!
• Smart Crunch, Cupcakes–Chocolate and Carrot, and Chocolate Chip Cupcakes were a hit with all of us!

I’m not sure if I could adopt the new 7-meals-per-day schedule featuring 6 cookies or products plus a balanced dinner that underWay and Smart for Life advocates. But, I found the drinks, cupcakes, and cookies to be tasty and a useful snack in my harried and rushed day.

The new 7-meals-per-day schedule allows your body to maintain steady blood sugar and glucose levels, and to burn more fat for a longer portion of the day.

For more information, from the Smart for Life and underWAY products, developed by physician Dr. Sasson Moulavi, a board certified bariatric weight loss doctor, go to www.smartforlife.com and www.under-way.com.

Special Discount Offer for Musings from Me Readers:

My readers can get a special 10% discount code for underWAY and Smart for Life products.

Please use MCUS10OFFUW for underWAY products at www.underWAY.com.

Please use MCUS10OFFSFL at www.smartforlife.com.

Codes good through August 30.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of underWAY and Smart for Life and received samples of the products to review.

I’m motivated at times. At times I would rather sit on the couch and do nothing.

The summer is approaching. Will I get to the health club and exercise? Will I binge on snacks at the pool? Will I give cooking the cold shoulder and get dinner from Pizza Hut?

I want to exercise. I want to find time to exercise. I want to stop making excuses. I want to learn how to budget my time so that I have time to exercise.

Stay tuned…

I knew the Toy Fair would be big, but never guessed just how big it would be. It was located on 3 floors of the Javits Center. I walked through about 80% of the exhibits. My choice of walking shoes was a good one. My decision to carry my laptop and a bag of books/work papers for the train rides was a bad one as I was dragging — literally — as the day came to a close. Plus, Amtrak has no wifi. Doh!

I saw as many vendors as I could. I left with 3 bags full of brochures and samples. Some products I passed by without a backward glance. Some products I stopped because I wanted to know more.

I spent quite some time chatting to a mom who created a line of dolls for girls who love sports. I chatted to Jodi Norgaard, the founder of Go! Go! Sports Girls dolls, about girls, sports, blogging, and social media. She very kindly gave me Suzi the Swimming Go! Go! Sports Girl. Once I arrived home from #ToyFair, my tween daughter took possession of the doll — she is a swimmer. The Go! Go! Sports Girls swimmer doll has a cute pair of flip Flops and adorable goggles. Best of all, Suzi the Swimmer is wearing a one-piece swim suit!

Go! Go! Sports Girls are a line of dolls for girls who love sports. The dolls are girl-shaped — no Bratz or Barbie silhouettes on these dolls. The dolls remind me of a girl doll I had that looked like me. I never see dolls for tween girls that look anything like tween girls, do you?

Go! Go! Sports Girls are available for golf, tennis, gymnastics, swimming, and many other sports. My girls love volleyball and swimming, so I knew Go! Go! Sports Girls would have two new fans! The dolls are available from the following online retailers: amazon, Sears, Target, Kohl’s, and Sports Unlimited. The dolls are appropriate for ages 3-12. I can tell you that teen girls also love these dolls, too!

Giveaway for Musings from Me readers! I am giving away one Go! Go! Sports Girl of your choice. Once I choose a winner, I will ask the winner to pick a doll. One comment = One entry. Enter now!

• For one entry, go to the Go! Go! Sports Girls website and tell me something interesting you learned.
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I was given a Go! Go! Sports Girls doll as part of my review. The views expressed in the article are my own. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends June 9, 2010, at 11:59 p.m.

Our first Nerf was an NFL football. We tried to find a Redskins football, but had no luck. Our search began when the Redskins were doing well. Now…I suspect a Redskins Nerf football might be hard to find. Or, is a Redskins football even manufactured by Nerf? Eeek. I’d better not ask my die-hard Redskins loving husband! We had to settle for a Nerf NFL football. All three children played with that football. It has weathered many a storm, but is shredding and peeling and in need of replacing.

As the fabric of the football continued to disintegrate, I got the call asking if I wanted to review a new Nerf football. I did not have to be asked twice if I wanted to review the Nerf Weather Blitz Football. I was intrigued by the idea of a Weather Blitz football. Anyone with kids will know that it is the goal to keep all toys in pristine condition, but the reality is that toys will be left outside in all-weather conditions. We have had balls that have met the fate worse than death — death by lawnmower. Balls that have been left outside to disintegrate due to water and sun damage. Could a Nerf football survive the wilds of our backyard?

The Nerf N Sports Weather Blitz Pro All Conditions Football was put through its paces. We played with it after a rain storm turned parts of our yard in to a mud puddle. The Nerf football was left outside numerous times. I almost rolled over the football with my minivan…I noticed the football before driving over it. Note: Not even a Nerf football can withstand the power of the Mom’s Taxi!

The Nerf N Sports Weather Blitz Pro All Conditions Football plays in all weathers. Wind. Cold. Rain. Wet. You name it we played in it. The football has a special technology that gives this ball a water-resistant surface for extreme performance, grip, and durability even in the toughest rain or sleet.

My son was a fan of the Nerf N Sports Weather Blitz from the moment he opened the package up. My husband? Well, he would have preferred any other team on the football than the Dallas Cowboys! Oh well!

Want to try a Nerf N Sport Weather Pro Blitz All Conditions Football? Yes! Leave a comment. One comment – one entry. Enter now!

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I was given a Nerf Football as part of my review. The views expressed in the article are my own. The giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. The giveaway ends June 7, 2010, at 11:59 p.m.

Well, yes I did. My burning question? Who is Chef Jesse? Jesse who? I know! I saw Chef Jesse on Private Chefs of Beverly Hills. I watch way toooo much reality TV. I DVR. I watch. I channel surf. It is my release after writing posts, etc. I CANNOT watch TV and write at the same time. Multitasking is not my strong suit.

As I watched the episode where Jesse and his co-chef cook a three-course meal for dogs and their owners, I was consumed with the thought that I had seen Jesse before. Yes…the chefs cooked gourmet hamburgers for a group of over privileged dogs. But where had I see Jesse before?

I was stumped. I ran through the list of suspects. Was he on the Kardashians…that show with Flavor Flav…American Idol?? Grabbing at straws here, people.

IMDB to the rescue. Jesse was on Workout. Do you remember Workout? The exercise fitness show with Jackie Warner…she was the very scary, blonde-haired boss who called clients to see why there weren’t at the club exercising. Remind me not to join her club!

Jesse was one of the trainers on the show. So how do you make the switch from trainer to chef. Is it a reality show thing where actors audition for reality shows…any kind of reality sh0w? Are the actors hired for the show based on their acting rather than skills? A kind of jack-of-all-reality show actor? Sounds like it to me.

Oh and for even more trivia…Chef Brian on the Private Chefs of Beverly Hills? He was on Top Chef in 2006 for one episode. Now, that makes more sense to me to move from Top Chef to a cooking show, but to move from a fitness show to a cooking show sounds like a stretch to me. Oh and I found out that Chef Brian owns Comfort Truck – a mobile catering business in LA. Comfort Truck is on twitter, too.

As a swim mom for the last 7 seasons to an 8 and under, an 11-12, and a 13-14 swimmer, I would add the following:

Check out Volunteer Spot for an easy way to coordinate volunteers. I will let our swim team volunteer coordinator know about this comprehensive service for next season!

As a swim mom or the last 7 seasons, a swim team mom should:

- Bring a paper and pen to record your swimmer’s times. You can use the meet program or a paper plate, but a piece of paper will enable you to keep track of times.

- Explain to your young swimmer that doing his or her best is more important to you than coming in first in the race or winning the heat.

-  Work out a family plan for meets with a concession stand. In our family, we let the kids buy food only after their races. I pack food and drink in a cooler, but if every other swimmer is buying from the concession stand it is hard to say no to your swimmer. You don’t want your kids to load up on food and candy before a race.  My preteen will buy a donut while my teen prefers a hamburger.

- If the meet is outside, scope out a shady spot for your family. A beach umbrella or a shaded collapsible awning come in handy at outdoor summer swim meets. Many pools will provide chairs or loungers, but it is always a good idea to bring a chair or two.

- Bring extra towels. At indoor swim meets, kids will go through several towels as the heating and AC are often inconsistent. Bring a warmup suit so that kids can change in to warm clothing after drying themselves off after racing.

The teen plays volleyball. She swims in the summer…somewhat under duress.

The tween plays volleyball AND swims yearround…not under duress.

The 6-year-old plays soccer, t-ball, and recently started karate.

Coach Dad is a lover of the Skins, the Terps, and whichever team the kids are playing on.

And then there is me. Little old me. I am not what you call sporty. Never played on team…except for dodgeball at recess. And yes I was always picked last. I played netball — British version of basketball where you throw, but don’t dribble the ball — and rounders — Brit version of baseball with a tiny bat…in years of playing I never connected to the ball…not once — and field hockey in school P.E. lessons. Perhaps, my P.E. teacher set a bad example? She never wore sneakers AND drove her car to the athletic field while we walked. I did win silver in my health club raquetball league…but one of my opponents never showed up and the other? The other broke her arm. So yes I won silver by playing one raquetball match.

But, today I proudly spent 6 hours in the DC Convention Center watching the teen play Volleyball at the Capital Hill Volleyball Classic. I may not be sporty, but I am a Volleyball Mom!

At the unseemly hour of 6 a.m. Coach Dad, the tween, and the teen,  fired up the old SUV…loaded up the bags…packed the snacks…and headed out of Dodge. After almost a week snowbound, it was a blessing to be able to leave our home.

Our family is sports mad. Coach Dad loves watching Redskins, Terps, and any game the kids are playing. The kids each play multiple sports. With kids sports, on any given game day or practice weather can be a factor. Soccer is frequently cancelled for rain. T-ball and lacrosse have their share of game cancellations. But volleyball and swimming are usually exempt from weather cancellations since both are indoor sports.

This volleyball/swimming season is unprecedented. Volleyball — three tournaments were cancelled due to snow. The fact that we are at the DC Convention Center for the Capitol Hill Classic is unprecedented after the amount of snowfall we have had….close to 3 feet of snow have accumulated at our home between DC and Baltimore.

And let’s not forget swimming… While some of the kids missed swim meets during the snowstorm in December, the tween has missed many practices. I must admit to being impressed or appalled by the dedication of her swim team. When everything else in Howard and Carroll County was cancelled, swim team practice was not scrubbed. Come rain, come snow, come winds, we will have swim practice!

A text late today let me know that the teen’s team had won one game, but all in all had had a hard time. With volleyball, there is always another day, but it is better for a team to win as many games as they can to ensure a place in the medal rounds.