With a Kid, a Preteen-now-Teen, and a Teen, finding something fun for all of us to do is a challenge. You wouldn’t think so, but it is. Years ago, we could pop in a DVD. Go to a museum. Go out for ice cream. But, then school intervened. And homework. And weekends packed with birthday parties, sports, and play dates.

I struggle and stress and fret about the amount of time I have left before my oldest heads to college. She is one of those kids who never gave me a backward glance when stepping on the elementary school bus. Who was already planning what AP classes to take in high school when she was in 6th grade. Who now as a 10th grader is loving the envelopes that have started to arrive post-PSAT. She’s ready for college. I’m not ready to let go of her.

So, I have made it my goal to find fun things to do both at home, in our neighboring towns and cities, and in the places we visit for vacation. We’re not a family that travels to far away places every year. We have had years where we grabbed a quick week at the beach with the grandparents. Other years we have visited Niagara Falls–the Canadian side; Colonial Williamsburg, VA; Pennsylvania Dutch Country; and of course, the beach. Two summers ago we took a long-awaited, yet hastily planned trip to my home country…England. We had a fabulous time. I wish we could do a big trip each year, but we can’t.

Last summer, the chips fell in to place. I purchased a BlogHer ticket at the early bird rate. I planned to find a roommate and fly to San Diego by myself. The more I thought about going to SD and BlogHer, the more I wanted to involve my family.  How could I think of visiting California without them? But, how would I bring them?

A quick check of Southwest.com showed that we could get reasonably priced flights for all 5 of us. Not bargains, but not out-of-sight prices. I had a room at the Marriott Marquis and Marina, which would do. It was a relief not to look for a roommate. Although going to a conference with a roommate in tow is super fun, especially if it is your first blogging conference. With a hotel and flights, all I needed was an itinerary.

Within days of booking flights we had our itinerary planned. While I gallivanted about at BlogHer meeting people, making connections with brands, and of course, having fun, my husband and the kids toured San Diego. Post-BlogHer, the plan was for me to join the family and tour L.A. and Anaheim. Obviously our family works well under stress and tight deadlines…in fact we thrive on it.

Our itinerary went something like this:

• Wednesday — Travel Day. Arrived in San Diego. Kids and husband relaxed in the room, while I met up with some bloggers at a wine party hosted by @guavalicious. What can I say…BlogHer is part work and part play!
• Thursday — Day One — Sea World. While I attended one of the pre-conference sessions hosted by Procter & Gamble, my husband took the kids to Sea World. While I was very sad to miss out on the amazing-ness of the San Diego Sea World, my son and I got to experience the Orlando Sea World.
• Friday — Day Two — San Diego Zoo. I was very sad to miss out on a zoo I have heard so much about, but obviously I had obligations at BlogHer. Don’t worry, I had my husband text photos and tweet while he was there with the kids.
• Saturday — Day Three — Hotel pool. Bus to the airport. Pick up of rental car. Drive to beach. Husband and kids accomplished all this while I was hauling myself and sundry swag bags from the San Diego Convention Center Expo Hall  to my hotel room to meetings to sessions back to the Convention Center Expo Hall back to the hotel room, with a quick pitstop before the evening events and parties began. I was exhausted. I’m not a beach or pool lover, so I wasn’t upset about missing the beach and pool day. Highlight for my kids and their dad was catching a beach volleyball game. We’re East Coast volleyball players. They weren’t able to play, but loved experiencing a bit of Southern California.
• Sunday — Day 4 — Legoland. With BlogHer over and bags packed and swag exchanged at the Swag Room, we hit the road to drive to LegoLand.
• Monday — Day 5 — Starline Tour of L.A. and Hollywood. I was so glad to experience Southern California with my family!
• Tuesday — Day 6 — Disneyland. Our first experience of Disneyland was a success. Yes, it was crowded, packed, and we missed out on a couple of rides towards the end of the day when Fast Passes ran out, but we had an awesome day. Probably our best day as a family on our trip..
  
• Wednesday — Day 7 — California Adventure. Second day of Disney…we hit our stride. Figured out how to maximize the Fast Pass. Got prime “seats” at the World of Color. And, I may have been persuaded by a certain Kid to ride California Screamin’. Whoa that was an experience!
• Thursday — Travel Day. Sadly, we had to say farewell to Anaheim and Southern California. And say hello to our lives back home.

I was given passes to the attractions in this post. We paid for our own flights, car rental, and hotel accommodations while in Southern California. The views expressed in this post are my own. I follow the tenets of Blog With Integrity.

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.
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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.

Over Memorial Day Weekend, the Musings from Me family — Mom, Dad, Teen, Tween, and Kid — journeyed to Penn State for a super exciting volleyball tournament. The Mom washed and washed and washed every single stitch of clothing for the Teen, Tween, and Kid to wear on their trip. As fast as the Mom pulled the clothes out of the suitcase the Teen, Tween, and Kid wore the clothes.

For three days the Teen and the Tween played match after match of volleyball. They served. They dove. They passed. And they sweated. Boy, how they sweated in the barely air conditioned gymnasiums. Three games a day for three days with only two uniform jerseys a piece is more than even deoderant can handle.

At the end of the trip, the Mom and the Dad stuffed the stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so slimy sports stuff back in the suitcases. Once home the Dad, did load after load of laundry. He washed and dried and folded and washed and dried and folded until the pile of stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so slimy sports stuff was transformed in to sweet, sassy, spectacular, and oh-so splendid sports stuff.

As I plan our next trip to a volleyball tournament (1) I will let the kids wash the stinky, smelly, sweaty, and oh-so-slimy sports stuff and (2) I will use Tide Ultra for all our laundry needs. It’s for the best…trust me.

I was sent a carton of Ultra Tide by SheSpeaks. The views expressed in this post are my own.

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.