If you don’t clean up your room, you are not going to Grandma’s house!

Please tell me that I am not the only to say something like this to a child? Come on folks, I need safety in numbers. Are you like me? Do you say this type of thing to your child in the heat of the moment only to realize the insanity of what you just said. As if you are going to not let your child see his grandparents?! I know, I know…I have had to back pedal after saying something wacky like this.

My friends on The Middle can relate…I know. Do you know the Heck’s? The Hecks are a family just like yours and mine. Flawed. Not perfect. And yes prone to say wacky things to their kids in the heat of the moment. And so regret saying said wacky things later. Oh boy, can I relate to the Hecks!

In a recent episode of The Middle, the dad, Mike, finds one too many socks lying on the floor. Picture a pile of smoldering and dirty socks probably beside the laundry hamper or on the bathroom floor. Why do my kids never pick up their socks?? Anyway, back to Mike… Mike loses it and tells his son, Axl that he won’t be able to play in the basketball championship game.

Can you hear yourself saying the same thing? I know I can. What would you do in this situation? Let Axl play? Make him miss the game? To find out whether Mike Heck followed through on his decision to keep Axl out of the basketball championship game, check out The Middle Season 2 on DVD. The DVD contains the Complete Season of The Middle.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Middle Season Two on DVD. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

With a kid, a preteen, and a teen in a multitude of activities there are only so many hours and minutes and seconds in a day. My husband and I are only two people. We have only two cars. Only two drivers for now.

As you can imagine, weeknights and weekends are a complex web of who will drive which kid to what activity. Throw in the days when we need to get three kids to three locations in the same time frame. Add in the activity where a parent needs to stay. Consider the activity where I need to pick up a kid who isn’t my own kid and drive them somewhere. Factor in the last minute changes in plans frantically texted to me by a kid who just learned of the change in plans.

Are you exhausted? I know I am…every single day. My life was so much easier in the days when I would put the baby and the toddler in the minivan and drive to the library for storytime. By the time we got back from storytime, all three of us were exhausted and ready for a nap. Some weeks the storytime was our only activity. I look back fondly on those nonstressful days where I had little to no reason to leave the house with my children.

The Heck’s are a family just like mine and yours. The Heck’s son Axl is in football, while Sue is in cross country. Mom and dad wonder how they will decide who goes to which activity. I’ll bet Axl only wants Dad to see his games. But, what about Sue…I am sure she wants Dad to be at her games too. The Heck’s are the family in the show The Middle…and the Heck’s aren’t a million miles away from my family.

It would be so much easier to send kids to school each day and have each family member stay home each evening and weekend. But, as you know this is not possible when your kids want to do activities that interest them.

The second season of The Middle is out on DVD. You can purchase it using my amazon affiliate link. Or buy it from major retailers or purchase it online.

I have been hired by Warner Bros. WBWord division to promote The Middle Season Two on DVD. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

I’m not a deal blogger. I don’t eat, sleep, breath deals. I click on deals that look fun for my family. I collect coupons and mostly use them when I grocery shop. I use a “deal” toolbar when I shop online. But, I don’t buy or have a need for 60 bottles of mustard. Aren’t those #extremecouponers intense with their need to clear the shelves of e very single item they have a coupon for? More power to ‘em, but for me I prefer a deal that is something that my family needs AND will be able to use.

As you know I am all about family time. I blog about finding time to be together as a family. I post photos to Facebook from our family trips. I tweet about family time by using hashtag: #seizingfamilytime. For me, it doesn’t matter what we do as long as we are doing it together. One of our favorite activities is going to events. As a blogger I get invited now and then to events like, Disney on Ice or the Ringling Bros. Circus. I like to take my family to fun, cultural, or sporting events.

This past summer we took my youngest to see Monster Jam at the M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore. Monster Jam is show I have wanted to see since I was a freshman in college. Why? Because I love the way one truck will CRUSH another truck. It’s awesome. Now, like any other family activity, we spend quite a bit of money on tickets, food, and souvenirs. While I have yet to find a coupon for food at a stadium, I did find a site for ticket deals. Who wants to pay full price for anything? Not me!

The ticket site is ScoreBig. On ScoreBig you can literally score big on deals. This site launched recently. You will find deals for sporting events, music shows, and arts and theater events listed on ScoreBig for 10%, 25%, or even 50% off the face value of tickets. Want to get in on the ScoreBig action? There’s a waitlist to join the site, but if you click on this link to my ScoreBig landing page you can bypass the waitlist. I know that you’ll want to know about the deals available in your area, like I did!

Additionally, anyone who comes through my page will have $10 added to their account. The $10 coupon you get when you buy a deal on ScoreBig will be applied automatically at checkout. So? What are you waiting for? Go check out the deals!

On ScoreBig posts deals you will find deals like…

• Ravens v. Jets tickets for the October 2, 2011 game in Baltimore.
• Spider Man theater tickets for New York City.
• Tony Bennett at the Staples Center in LA.

Some deals are close to ending while other deals are waiting for you to click and buy the deal. Here’s the link again to get in on the early bird action at ScoreBig AND score $10 off a deal near you!

Need more info on ScoreBig?

• Follow @ScoreBig on Twitter
• Like ScoreBig on Facebook
• My referral link so you can join the fun and find savings at ScoreBig

I was given a ScoreBig invitation link to share with my readers. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

It sounded like a plan. A crazy plan, but a plan nonetheless.

If you know me at all you know I am all about getting everything done all at once. Have a doctor’s appointment. Hey why don’t we schedule 2 or 3. While we’re doing the doctors’ appointments, why not run a quick errand and hey let’s get the emissions done while we are out. It’s a marathon not a sprint. I’ve been known to run 8 or 9 errands/appointments in a day. Crazy? Yes. But, do I get everything out of the way on the same day? Yes. Do I make everyone in my family utterly insane in the process? Why Yes!

In fact, one day over Spring Break my daughter had an eye exam, a doctor’s appointment, and the dentist all in one day. I was elated. She was exhausted. Complained bitterly about missing a day of her vacation. But, as I told her at least I didn’t have to pull her out of school for 3 separate afternoons. She’s a Teen so she gets that missing high school classwork is more trouble than it is worth. Any class she misses means that she needs to do all her work for the class, plus homework, plus catch up on any notes given out. Even with my explanation she still wasn’t thrilled at the interruption to her sleeping, ipoding, writing, Facebooking, and general hanging out schedule. Again, I don’t blame her in the least. But, I have to tell you that I got a charge out of crossing off 3 appointments from the kitchen chalk memo board.

The chalk memo board is showing some serious crazy this week. The Kid is signed up for an afternoon camp. With swim practice, this week would have been doable. Throw in an all-day, worthwhile camp for the Teen and the level of crazy goes up several notches. Add in an unexpected but necessary camp for the Tween and the level of crazy is off the charts. And that’s not all. Oh no. Because Coach Dad has work for 4 days this week. And little ole me, well I have my work commitments. Crazy plus crazy plus crazy equals crazy.

But, think of all the crossing off I can do on the memo board? Camp. Check. Camp. Check. Camp. Check. That’s a whole lotta of crazy crossing off I can do.

Links are to my amazon.com account.

A month or so before BlogHer the tweets about parties started in earnest. Invites. emails. eventbrite. evite. You name a format of invitation and everyone seemed to be getting it. Except me. I was a first timer at BlogHer. The big parties…the ones everyone talks about…I either didn’t get invited to these parties or I missed the window of opportunity to RSVP for a bunch of fabulous parties. I started to feel down about my potential BlogHer experience. How could I have fun if I wasn’t on the invite list for THE parties?

Last week I was asked by the American Association of Orthodontics if I would publish some tips on sports and teeth. As a mom of three kids, I know the importance of not only good, thorough dental hygiene, but of the benefits of orthodontia. My Teen just got out of braces. My Tween is in braces. Soon enough my Kid will get his turn at braces, too.  I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I am looking forward to the end of orthodontia for all three children!

Moms and dads need to teach kids good brushing techniques. But, what about protecting those smiles? My children played t-ball, soccer, and basketball. It wasn’t until my Tween started playing lacrosse that we started worrying about teeth. The lacrosse stick and ball seemed very hard. We bought a mouthguard right away. Teeth are too important to leave unprotected.

The AAO recently conducted a survey where they found that only 33% of parents make their children wear mouth guards during organized sports. Recently the AAO put on an event in a California middle school where Mia Hamm (see below for details on a giveaway) was able to talk about the importance of protecting our kids with the use of mouth guards.  To learn more you can visit  www.braces.org/miahamm or view this video of the event.

Tips for Injury Prevention

The American Association of Orthodontists wants you to know that simple and inexpensive protective sports gear – such as mouth guards – can make a difference in preventing sports injuries. Young athletes can protect their face and smile while playing with the following tips from the AAO:

• Wear a mouth guard. Mouth guards can help prevent jaw, mouth and teeth injuries caused by a collision or fall. For athletes with braces, discuss with your orthodontist the best type of mouth guard for your sport.
• Wear a helmet. Helmets absorb the energy of an impact, and should be worn for activities like biking, skateboarding and in-line skating. Visit the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety website to learn helmet laws in your state.
• Wear protective eyewear. Eyes are extremely vulnerable to injury during sports like soccer, baseball and hockey.
• Wear a face shield to avoid scratched or bruised skin. Hockey pucks, basketballs and racquetballs can do severe damage.

Also, keep in mind the following:

• Stretch before and after a game or practice. This can reduce the risk of pulling or straining a muscle.
• Be observant even as a spectator. Stay alert while watching a game to avoid foul baseballs and flying hockey pucks coming your way.
• Use good judgment. If an activity carries risk of dental or facial injury, gear up. Without it, a pick-up game of basketball or flag football could result in a trip to the emergency room.

Want to win a Mia Hamm prize pack? I have 1 prize pack to giveaway to one lucky reader of this blog. The prize pack contains: one signed by Mia Hamm Nike Soccer Ball, one kiddie book written by Mia Hamm, and one chapter book biography of Mia Hamm.

How to enter? You know the drill, but if you are new here… You must leave a mandatory comment to be eligible to win the prize. You must include your e-mail in the comment, so that I can contact you if you win. You wouldn’t want to miss a chance to win the prize would you? Once you have left a mandatory comment, you can leave one or more of the optional comments. Leave one comment for each entry.

Mandatory entry

Tell me something active that you do with your kids. Don’t forget to leave your e-mail address.

Optional entries — You must leave the mandatory comment for all other comments to count. Leave a comment for each optional entry.

• Follow me on twitter.
• Follow me on Facebook.
• Follow my blog on Facebook.
• Subscribe to my blog via reader.
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• Tweet this giveaway: @MusingsfromMe is giving away a Mia Hamm prize pack from @braces! Enter to win > http://bit.ly/ktTPtq #giveaway #free RT?
  

I was given a prize pack to facilitate my review by the American Association of Orthodontics. The giveaway is open to U.S residents only. Giveaway ends July, 7, 2011, at 11:59 p.m. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

Our year is all about sports. In fall it is football and volleyball. In winter it is karate and volleyball. In spring it is lacrosse and volleyball. And in summer it is swimming with a little volleyball. With swim season ending July 31 and football practice beginning on August 1, we have absolutely no break from sports.

We keep uniforms washed, pads of all kids stored in sports bags, shoes thrown all over the makeshift mudroom in the garage, and cold drinks in the fridge. With three sporty kids and one sports mad husband, we go through many, many cold drinks. Cold drinks refresh and revive our kids. Hydration is a number one priority for our family.

Like other protective equipment, proper hydrating and fueling have a major impact on an athlete’s safety and performance, especially with heat waves. To help keep athletes safe and performing their best during the hot summer months, Gatorade and the NFL created “Beat The Heat,” an educational program focusing on the dangers of heat-related illness and the importance of taking the proper steps to reduce the chance of illness and injuries. This information is especially important for Moms because children have an increased risk of dehydration and exertion-related heat illness due to their size and other factors.

Our son is a new football player. His uniform and helmet is dripping with sweat at the end of a long practice. A sports drinks allows him to stay cool and refreshed during practice. Our girls play indoor volleyball. No heat issues, but both play all-day tournaments. A refreshing sports drink gets back in the game.

I remind my kids to bring a water bottle to ever sports practice and event. Water does not replace the electrolytes and sodium lost in sweat, so it isn’t enough to protect kids against the summer heat and humidity. The right sports nutrition and hydration, including Gatorade, can play a vital role in helping young athletes get the hydration and fuel they need to stay safe and perform their best.

You can help. Download a free Gatorade Heat Safety Kit found at www.nfl.com/trainingcamp. For every unique download Gatorade will donate $1 to “Beat the Heat” charities up to $20,000.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Gatorade’s “Beat the Heat” campaign and received Gatorade samples to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Another comment from a forum that was long enough for a post! In answer to the question, do you use sunscreen, why, and what strength. If you want to participate in this discussion, join MomSpark Forum.

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.

We may not be hikers or outdoorsy people, but we stay active. Teen and preteen play volleyball. Kid plays lacrosse. All three kids are on the swim team. Dad is in a volleyball league. Mom — even I — works out at a health club. Some of us are more active than others…ahem.

One constant in any of our active activities is the value we place on safety. Whether it is wearing a helmet for lacrosse or skiing. Or wearing appropriate shoes for volleyball. Or getting enough sleep before a swim meet. We stay safe.

Underwriters Laboratories and Disney have a list of tips for summer safety — pool, water, and playground safety.

Keep your family safe by reading the following tips:

POOL SAFETY AT HOME
·    If you have a pool at home, install a fence. The fence should be at least four feet high and have a self-closing, self-latching gate that has a locking mechanism beyond a child’s reach.
·    Cut overhanging tree limbs and remove chairs or ladders from the pool area to prevent children from climbing over the fence that surrounds the pool.
·    Keep grates and drain covers in good repair and secured in place. Alert your family and guests to stay away from these devices, as the suction from drain outlets can be strong enough to cause entrapment of hair or body parts, which can potentially cause a person to drown.
·    Make sure you know infant and child CPR if you own a pool.

BE SAFETY SMART WHILE SWIMMING
·    Supervision is a must. Follow the 10/20 rule when you’re at the pool. The 10/20 rule states the supervising adult needs to position themselves to be able to scan the pool every 10 seconds, and reach the water within 20 seconds.
·    Always have rescue devices, such as UL-LISTED life preservers, nearby.
·    Flotation devices, toys and inflatable swimming aids are not safety devices. They are toys and can easily puncture and deflate.
·    Always drain wading pools after children are done playing. Infants can drown in just a few inches of water.
·    Have a telephone nearby and appropriate emergency numbers posted.
·    Remove all toys when you leave the pool. Toys may attract children to the unattended pool.Check out these guys…Timon and Puumba from the Lion King…in a video teaching kids how to stay safe while swimming during the summer, and all year long.

BEFORE INSTALLING A BACKYARD PLAY SET…
·    Make sure your backyard is large enough for playground equipment. The site must also provide good visibility and security. Before setting up equipment, look out for obstacles, such as the garage, tree branches, utility poles and wires.
·    Read and follow the manufacturer’s directions when setting up play set equipment. Be sure your child’s weight and age fall within the manufacturer’s recommended limits for the equipment.
·    Install protective surfacing, such as rubber tiles or mulch under the play set, at least six feed in all directions, to prevent serious injuries should a child fall.

BEFORE HEADING OUT TO PLAY…
·    Carefully inspect backyard playground equipment. Make sure equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed and bolts are not protruding.
·    Check for spaces that could trap children, such as openings in guardrails or between ladder rungs. These spaces should measure less than 3.5 inches or more than 9 inches.
·    Always supervise children on play set equipment to make sure they are playing safely.
·    Never attach ropes, jump ropes, clotheslines, pet leashes or cords of any kind to play set equipment. If used improperly, they can be potential strangulation hazards.
·    Watch for potential trip hazards, such as rocks, tree stumps and concrete footings. Make sure you’re children are aware of them as well.
·    Do a sandbox check. Before letting your child dig in, rake through the sand to check for debris or sharp objects. Also, inspect for any animal contamination or insect problems.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Underwriters Laboratories. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Don’t let anyone tell you that height doesn’t matter. I’m 5’3″. Height matters.

I have spent my life hitching up my pants. Wearing capris in the winter months as I don’t sew. Looking at the hems on pants and thinking “I should sew these pants” and then drifting off to the 1 million things that I would rather do than hem pants. Buying boots with a highish heel to wear with pants that really need to be hemmed. Getting frustrated in the summer months that I cannot wear said pants and said boots in the heat of the summer. In short, being short is a problem.

My teen has never been tall. She was in the 50 percentile from toddler hood through elementary school. At 14 she is almost as tall as I am. She has not had her growth spurt yet. There is hope for her yet. She’s a skinny thing so perhaps she won’t have the problems her nonskinny mother has had all her life trying to find pants that fit.

On Saturday my teen reached a milestone. What was the milestone? For the first time in over 4 summers of having the swim team photo taken she was not placed next to her tween sister.  For the swim team photo, the kids are placed in height order from tiniest to biggest. As a comparison, my son was one of the youngest kindergarteners on the team last year, but was placed with the 2nd graders based on his height.

My girls were separated by about 10 or so other kids. I was proud of my teen. It is hard to be the same height as your younger-by-two-and-a-half-years sister. I know!

I wrote about our homework struggles. While most of the country’s kids are skipping out of school, our county’s kids are “still going and going” — like the Energizer Bunny. I complained about how much time we spend at volleyball tournaments. I even wrote letters to my kids. The post I need to write is about our summer plans. So here goes…

Nine years ago we joined a swim club. Back then I had a 2-month-old, a 4-year-old, and a 7-year-old. When our name came to top of the waitlist I strongly argued to my husband that we NEEDED to join the swim club. He was very much opposed as our children were young and taking all three children swimming was a two-person job.

I prevailed. We joined the club. Even my husband agrees that it was the best decision. The year after joining the swim club, the older two kids jumped in to the swim team. Best decision #2. Our summers for the last eight years have been dominated by the swim team…in a good way.

Our mornings are all about swim practice. Our afternoons are a little more unpredictable. Some days we stay at the pool — my youngest loves this. Some days we stay at home — my oldest loves this. Some days we go on a excursion — kids’ excitement level varies! But, what do we do with the time when we are at home.

The kids would love to be plugged in all day long. Quite honestly some days I am plugged in all day long. So, I have prepared a plan…

The Musings from Me family plan for “use of anything with a plug.”

• Following on from the school year, there will be no TV before breakfast and swim practice on weekdays. On weekends, TV can be watched in the mornings.
• Once swim practice is over, kids will play outside or inside.
• If inside kids will ask permission for screen time only after summer workbook pages and reading have been completed.
• Chores need to be done before screentime or “use of anything with a plug.”
• In the evenings, kids can watch TV if we are watching as a family.
• If kids want to go online, permission will be needed from a parent.

Online use in our house could be PBS Kids, Webkinz, or Yoursphere. I find all three sites to be a safe place for my kid, my tween, and my teen. Yoursphere is a site that my teen used extensively during the school year. My tween is very involved on Yoursphere…playing games…racking up points…starting spheres or groups…and having a good time. My youngest is asking to join. I think I might sign him up this weekend.

Speaking of signing up for Yoursphere… Yoursphere is now FREE! Yay FREE!. Kids, tweens, and teens can sign up. Moms and dads when you are signing up your kids, be sure to use Code YSMC-0051.

Yoursphere has an exciting incentive for Musings from Me readers tied to my referral code! Anyone who uses Code YSMC-0051 to register on Yoursphere.com will be entered into a weekly drawing to win a $50 gift card. The Yoursphere Test Drive Mom with the most referrals above 200 will win a $1000 American Express gift card!

So, you can sign up for Yoursphere for FREE using Code: YSMC-0051 and we will both be entered in to a drawing for a gift card. Thanks for helping me have a chance to win the gift card!

I wrote this review while participating in the Yoursphere Test Drive program by Mom Central on behalf of Yoursphere. I received a free lifetime Gold membership on Yoursphere.com, Yoursphere t-shirts, and a $50 American Express gift card to facilitate my review.