Our sample of OXY Clinical arrived when the teen was doing the daily chore of “go get the mail.” She jogged back up the driveway shaking the box. Woe betide the PR person who sends me a delicate crystal vase…it will surely be broken after my children shake, rattle, and roll the box to determine its contents.

When the teen opened the box, I wondered whether she would be excited that we were doing an OXY Clinical review or offended. She’s a teen. You just never know.

She was excited. Who knew? She grabbed both boxes of OXY Clinical. Raced upstairs to store in the bathroom for use that night.

According to OXY Clinical, acne affects 85% of Americans at some point in their lives, which makes it the most prevalent skin disease in the country. Unlike prescription medications, OXY Clinical is an over-the-counter solution that provides fast and noticeable results.  The OXY Clinical acne treatment offers a powerful and affordable solution to stubborn acne without the need for a costly dermatologist appointment.

The new OXY Clinical’s focus on the “science behind skincare” has led to the creation of their new Clinical System which incorporates patented technologies with prescription-strength ingredients to ensure a quick and discrete solution to acne. OXY Clinical delivers a new level of treatment technology in a system that can be applied on a daily basis by the teen.

Each of the system’s three treatments contains an advanced delivery system technology. The three OXY Clinical systems are:

• OXY Clinical Clearing Treatment penetrates deep into pores killing the bacteria.
• Advanced Face Wash uses AcneShield technology to unclog the pores and fight flare-ups.
• The Hydrating Therapy delivers nutrients to replenish acne-prone skin while fighting blemishes and controlling oil.

OXY Clinical has been clinically shown to eliminate 99% of acne bacteria in 8 hours. It works fast. Teens want a quick solution to a breakouts.

My teen emerged from her room after I steadily knocked on her door for a few minutes. I asked her how she liked OXY Clinical. She nodded and quickly shut the door. And that my friends is life with a teen.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Oxy Clinical and received a sample to facilitate my candid review. Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate.

Of all the years to pick for a school portrait, 13 is a tough one. I wore no makeup. I wore a school uniform. I wore wire framed glasses. My hair? Not stylish.

Thankfully my parents had the foresight to have a professional portrait done when I was about 15.

The photo session took place at a local studio. I had been to the studio as a young child, but did not remember it well. The photographer sensing my apprehension immediately put me at ease. Throughout the session he gave me advice on how to pose. He took many shots to get the perfect one. The portrait hangs at my parent’s house today.

When children are young, taking photos is relatively easy. Most children will smile naturally when asked to by the photographer. Once the tween/teen years hit, many children become self-conscious about having their photos taken. A good photographer can put your child at ease. Mary Gardella is that photographer…the one who can take the photo that will be the one you treasure.

Mary Gardella is the creative force behind Love Life Images, a portrait studio located in historic Savage Mill, MD. Love Life Images is offering a photo session for the tween or teen in your life – “fun and stylized portrait sessions that will bring out the real you.” Mary will put your tween/teen at ease so that you will have a lasting memory of those tumultuous, challenging, but oh so rewarding years when your tween/teen give glimpses of the adult to come.

Here’s what Mary Gardella will offer you…

• a fun portrait session for tweens and teens
• stylized portrait sessions that are all about your tween or teen
• all sessions will take place august 18 & 20 all day
• your tween/teen will be photographed in and around the historic Savage Mill, MD, where Love Life Images studio is located

The cost for the tween and teen session is $175 per child. Each session will last 45 minute and include one outfit change and 50 rep cards. Rep cards are 2″ x 3.5″ cards with cool information on them. Think of the rep card as the coolest baseball card ever!

For more information on scheduling a tween/teen session, contact info@lovelifeimages.com. For examples of Mary Gardella’s work, visit Love Life Images.

Although I seem to spend more time reading a screen than I do a book, reading for me is a given. How would I function if I could not read?

In our family, reading happens everywhere…except the bathroom. I am not a book-in-the-bathroom person. Ewww. We have bookcases in every room except the bathroom.

It’s summer so the kids have days when they are voracious readers and days when they are not. My summer reading tips are as follows:

• Buy books. Yes, I know books are expensive, but kids love to reread old classics or new stories. Invest in books.
• Get each child a library card. Make sure you and your husband have library cards. Carry your library card in your purse or wallet.
• Visit the library regularly for storytimes or summer reading programs.
• Join summer reading programs at the library or bookstores.
• Shop consignment stores for books. I picked up 12 of the 13 Lemony Snicket books for about $10. I found The Complete Wreck (A Series of Unfortunate Events, Books 1-13) on amazon for $94.50!
• Shop Goodwill for books.
• Go through your book collection at home. Pull out books that are too young for your child. Move books that are too young to a younger child’s bedroom.
• Buy each child a bookcase or shelf for their bedroom.
• Create screen-free areas in your house. Our living room does not a TV. There is a CD player if kids want to listen to books on CD. Our girls have laptops, but each child has reading time where the screens are turned off.
• Read the newspaper, read a book, read a menu, read the phone book — read anything while your little kids are in the room.
• For long car trips or lengthy visits to the doctor, have kids pack a book or a puzzle book to do while they wait.

Are you a blogger with kids? Check out this fabulous I Can Read contest over at Twittermoms!

I wrote this blog post while participating in the TwitterMoms blogging program to be eligible to get an “I Can Read!” book. For more information on how you can participate, click here.

Several months ago, I received an e-mail about a drug sweep at a local high school. The e-mail from the school administration was chilling to me…K9 dogs had found drugs, cigarettes; and when the lockers were opened knives were found. I was shocked.

According to my friends with high schoolers, drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and even sex are all too common behaviors once kids get to high school. Note: I do not want to even know if this is happening in middle school. La La La I Can’t Hear You!

April was alcohol awareness month. I heard about a government organization called Underage Drinking, which is helping parents talk to their kids about alcohol. Underage Drinking wants to encourage parents to talk to their children early and often about the dangers of alcohol. I started a dialogue with my oldest around about 12.

Alcohol is the most widely used substance of abuse among America’s youth. Research shows that

• children who first use alcohol before age 15 are six times more likely to have alcohol problems than those who start drinking after 21.
  
• 40% of kids have tried alcohol by the time they reach eighth grade.

Starting a conversation about underage drinking with your children can be difficult. Underage Drinking provides tips as well as an action plan which parents can personalize to help get the discussion started.

On our family, we have talked about what our kids should do if presented with alcohol. We told our kids that we will come and pick them up if they feel uncomfortable at a party.

Moms and dads of teens, how are you tackling the issue of underage drinking? What tips could you pass on to other moms and dads? Have you made your own Action Plan at Underage Drinking?

Our house had Spring Fever badly this year. The kids were out of school for 11 days in February due to record snowfall. The winter quarter passed by in the flash. By the time spring rolled around, we heard that the school year would be extended. I know I was crushed. My kids were already super antsy about summer coming and now the school year would be in full swing until June 23!

Enter Googly Bands… Googly Bands saved the day in the Musings from Me household. My 11- and 7-year-olds needed a “carrot” as an incentive to do their homework with a minimum of complaints. The nights were getting lighter, but the homework load was not letting up. I used Googly Bands to encourage them to do their homework and do assigned chores. It worked…I mean Googly Bands worked!

Homework rewards. Chore incentives. Good deed prizes. Googly Bands are the perfect reward for the elementary and middle school student, ev even preschooler and teen, too. I have seen a few adults wearing Googly Bands!

Googly Bands are stretchable, wearable, collectible, and trade-able bands. If you see a group of tweens and kids, and even teens, chances are you will see one of the kids wearing a Googly Band!

New at Googly bands — Series V bands features the shapes of Classic Toys, Pirates, Dogs, Rescue, Shoes, and Florida.

Series IV bands…Hollywood, Pets, Body Parts, Text Messages, Soccer, and Wonders of the World.

Series III…Fruits, Cowboy, USA, Reptiles, Sports, and Tools.

Check out Googly Bands for many more cool bands!

Late-breaking news from Googly Bands!

Googly Bands are retiring all Series 2 bands. I would like to invite you and to join me at the Official Retirement Party this Thursday, July 15, at 2 p.m. PST. Party is tomorrow! Rules will be posted at 2pm at Facebook.com/googlybands. Googly bands will give out tons of prizes live at the hour-long party. Hope to see you there! Bring your kids to the twitter party!!

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About six years ago, my teen was all about spies. She lived and breathed spies. She was a spy for Halloween. Her favorite movies: Spy Kids 2 with a chaser of Spy Kids 3-D. What was on her Christmas list that year? Spy goggles and a motion detector lock for her bedroom door. While her love for playing spies waned, her interest in visiting the International Spy Museum in D.C. held strong.

With schools closed for the day in the fall, I envisioned a day filled with decluttering, household fixing, clarinet playing, and last minute homework. My husband had other plans. He suggested taking our 6-year-old to the National_Zoo while I took the teen to the International Spy Museum. I gave our tween the choice between the National Zoo and the Spy Museum. She chose the zoo.

What age is the right age for a child to visit the Spy Museum anyway? My teen and I spent quite some time reading tags, labels, and maps. A younger child might not have the reading skills or attention span to fully comprehend the exhibits. Some of the exhibits focus on spies who murdered others or were executed. This subject matter would be inappropriate for younger children. Although the Spy Museum website lists the child admission rate as for ages 5-11, I would suggest that the exhibits are more appropriate for the late elementary school child — 10 and up.

After stepping off the elevator at the Permanent Exhibits (Espionage, School for Spies, Weapons of Mass Destruction, and the History of History), my teen and I were instructed by the guide to read the spy biographies on the walls and choose a spy. For the duration of the visit, I was Carol Liu en route to Volgograd in search of museum papers. The teen picked a girl around her age who was headed to Dublin. We were told by a museum guard to memorize our “covers.” I quickly memorized everything about Carol Liu. Could we stay undercover?

The teen LOVED the Spy Museum. So, did I. We worked up an appetite walking around the Permanent Exhibition. The Spy City Cafe offers a selection of salads, sandwiches, and hot dogs, as well as scrumptious looking cupcakes. Lunch at the Spy City Cafe fortified us for our next mission: Operation Spy.

Spy Museum Admission, Events, and Hours:

• Permanent Exhibit (Child ages 5-11) $15
• Permanent Exhibit (Senior ages 65+, Military/Intelligence Community) $17
• Permanent Exhibit (Adult ages 12-64) $18

In addition to the Permanent Exhibition admission charge, you can experience the following for an extra charge:

• Operation Spy $14
• Spy in the City (1.5 hour GPS-guided tour of D.C. experience) $14
• Spy at Night Experience (Friday & Saturday Evenings) $20
• Spy Combination — 1 hour Spy in the City + Operation Spy $30
• Double Agent — Choose any two of the above offerings $28
• Triple Threat — Choose any three of the above offerings $40
• Spy City Tours — Saturdays, Only $59

Hours — Summer hours, daily 9 a.m. -7 p.m. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. the rest of the year.

As you plan your visit to D.C. with kids, you will want to find a hotel near the International Spy Museum. For a hotel with everything, you will love the Grand Hyatt…42″ flat screen TVs, ipod docks, Starbucks, and it is in walking distance to White House, Spy Museum, etc. The Marriott Washington Metro Center has an indoor pool and a jacuzzi.

I would like to thank the Spy_Museum for allowing my daughter and I to experience the Permament Exhibit — we loved it! (I paid for admission to Operation Spy and for lunch at the Spy City Cafe.)

–Jill Berry of Musings from Me

In my day — I’m not that old, but feel like it some days — I talked to friends when I arrived at school, at lunch, on the weekends if we got together, and at the occasional afterschool practice/event. I rarely talked on the phone. The rotary dial phone (What can I say? It was England in the 80s…technology was slow to get to our side of the pond) and the fact that the phone was hung on a wall in the study with no chair nearby meant that calls were brief.

Teens have the home phones (multiple handsets), cell phone, e-mail, face-to-face talking at school, on the bus, and at events, and Facebook.

Facebook is something I avoided for months and years. My teen first heard about it in 5th grade. I know she had friends who were on it from 6th grade onwards.

I wasn’t on Facebook yet. Sounded too unfamiliar to me. I put her off for a few years. Once I got on Facebook, I started to formulate how I would teach my daughter to be safe. I wanted to avoid the dangers of her talking to people she had never met for as long as I could.

By 8th grade, I could no longer deny her an account. She begged for one. I gave in.

At 14 she knows how to act on line. She knows not to reveal personal information. I still talk to her about my expectations of her while she is on Facebook. Talking to kids about online safety is an ongoing conversation. Keep the lines of communication open.

For teens, Facebook is their meeting place. Plans are made. As parents we need to give our teens firm guidelines for what to say online and what to keep private. Venting on Facebook about a friend is never a good idea. Teens need to know that a face-to-face conversation is always better.

• Phones, laptops, e-mail, and Facebook accounts will be checked as needed. The kids know that we need to have their passwords.
• My girls are 14 and 11. Both have had phones since 11/12. We have many conversations about phones, texting, sexting, e-mail, and Facebook etiquette.
• I have not friended the older one on Facebook. She only got her account when she turned 14. I debated friending her, but decide to have ongoing conversations with her about Facebook.
• The kids can go to the homes of people I don’t know but I need to (1) know that an adult will be present and (2) meet the adult at the door as I drop off.
• I will leave my girls home alone, but I won’t leave my girls and friends home alone.
• No cooking while I am out unless kids have proven diligence about standing beside the oven during the cooking process. Until then microwave is the safest cooking device.
• Kids can stay home alone from 10 onwards depending on how safe and confident the child feels.
• Before going to a home where I know the parents drink or have an open bar in the basement area where kids will be sleeping, I have a conversation with the kids about not drinking any alcohol. The kids know that they need to call me if they see people drinking. I tell them to tell the parents of any drinking, but I don’t want the kids to get in any dicey situations at someone else’s house. You know how tempestuous teens can be.
• I don’t care what friend has what item. Kids know that whining doesn’t always work.

What are your family’s guidelines? Leave a comment.

I have blogged extensively about my passion for keeping kids safe online.

When I first went online I was a married 20-something. The extent of my online life was checking e-mail once a month — I had very few friends who had e-mail accounts back then. Come to think of it the internet was a nicer place back then. Very little spam. I kind of remember single digit e-mails in my in-box. Can you imagine! Viruses became more of an issue as e-mail entered the workplace.

I don’t know when I first heard about online predators targeting young children, but I am sure I was shocked to the core. No amount of training can prepare you for the shock and outrage of crimes against children, tweens, and teens.

I was thrilled to be invited to the Cox 5th National Teen Summit on Internet & Wireless Safety in Washington, D.C. I was anxious to hear what the teens had to say about online safety. My daughter is a young teen. As the oldest grandchild on both sides of the family, she is a trailblazer. Anything she does whether academic or artistic or online is subject to scrutiny. We want to give her the tools necessary to do everything safely.

The teens were inspiring. The teens told how they help the teens and tweens in their community navigate the internet, Facebook, cell phone use, sexting, and many other issues. The teens were emceed by the awe-inspiring John Walsh. Questions from twitter were handled by @KeyInfluencer AKA James Andrews. Andrews asked the teens probing questions. Walsh challenged the teens to give precise, fact-filled answers. Many of the teens head up groups dedicated to teaching online safety in their high schools or at boys and girls clubs.

The Cox Teen Summit covered many topics. I took copious notes. There was one main theme brought up throughout the summit. Schools need to teach kids about online safety as part of the curriculum.

Cell Phones

• Sexting is still a big problem for tweens. Teens see younger kids as having too much freedom with cell phones.
• Walsh urged that kids as who walk to and from school or take a bus need a cell phone — even if they are as young as 7-8. He cited a couple of recent abductions where kids who walk/take the bus to school were stalked. Could have used phone to call for help.
• Walsh said if Mom/Dad were worried about cell phone abuse by younger kids Mom/Dad could block all calls except emergency or calls to Mom/Dad.
• Teens suggested prepaid cell phones.
• Walsh “Texting is the crack of teens.”
• Walsh, Andrews, and teens love Oprah’s Texting Ban. Have you signed the pledge?
• Fact: Texting while driving causes more accidents than drunk driving.
• What’s on the horizon for online/wireless technology? Video chat on phones.

Internet and Social Networks

• Do a Google Alert for your kids to find out what they are doing online.
• Start and continue a dialogue with your kids about what they are doing online.
• Most of the teens have friended their parents.
• All of the teens had taught a family member how to use Facebook.
• Teens talked of learning what to post and what not to post on their walls.
• Andrews told teens “to think about what they are putting up on the internet.”
• Teens talked about how everything they post online could be viewed by college admissions and potential employers.
• Teens asserted that “Privacy is a Privilege.”
• Walsh: “It is time for parents to parent up and find out what their kids are doing on the internet.”
• Parents, teachers, and kids need to learn Facebook privacy settings, so that they know how much of their profile is available for review.
• Walsh ” Teens and tweens give up too much information about themselves.” Bad characters are out there waiting to find vulnerable teens and tweens.
• Teens asked “How much is too much information?”
• Everyone hates ChatRoulette — lots of “creepy guys” per Walsh — and Formspring.

Schools

• There should be a policy of anonymity in schools so that students can report bullying without fear of retribution.
• Walsh said that America’s Most Wanted doesn’t trace or tap calls. People can call in without “fear of getting in trouble.”
• Teens said there should be safe rooms at school where kids can go for help.
• Cyber bullying and regular bullying are very different. Many school counselors are not trained to deal with cyberbullying.
• Kids need to be taught how to use social networks.
• At one time it was an option for kids to be on Facebook, now it is a given that most teens will be online in social networking sites.
• Teens need to be taught rules for online behavior.

Identity Theft

• Teens talked of experiences with identity theft. One teen said that a relative had tried to steal her identity online.
• Walsh said that identity theft is big business with kids lured to buy a “free download” with Mom and Dad’s credit card. Kids don’t realize they are being duped.
• Walsh told of unscrupulous census takers who go from house to house gathering information about inhabitants.

Families and Online Safety

• Families need to work together to come up with a set of rules for their children.
• Andrews says tweak rules as necessary.
• Walsh “Kids and teens want rules and boundaries.”
• Parents should go over boundaries with kids. Discuss consequences and punishments.
• Parents should not assume that teens understand the rules. Go over rules to make sure kids understand.

Walsh made a statement that stuck with me. He spoke of the kids who are neglected and abandoned by their parents. He praised the work of the Boys and Girls Clubs in finding these kids and giving them something to live for…education, camaraderie, hope.

Walsh urged the teens at the summit and the teens at home:

If you see something bad happening, say something. You will save someone’s life.

The teens reminded everyone that they are a “strong force.”

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!