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.

As a seasoned traveler, I rely on hotel websites, word-of-mouth, and recommendations from friends. All of these resources work for me, but wouldn’t it be helpful to have a central location for finding the right hotel to suit your needs?

Yesterday, I discovered Oyster through a post written by Leticia. Oyster is a comprehensive website listing hotel reviews for D.C., Hawaii, Las Vegas, Orlando, New York, and many other cities. Wow! I know just where I will look the next time I need a hotel!

As an example, I recently returned from Orlando. I was part of a mom and kid blogging trip sponsored by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau. Our group toured Disney Studios, Gatorland, Sea World, and Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. After long days of walking and touring each park, we returned to our hotel exhausted each night.

The Royal Pacific Hotel was chosen not by me, but by the Orlando Convention & Visitors Bureau. In its review of the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel, Oyster focuses on the free water taxi from the hotel to Universal Studios, the VIP access to rides at Universal with your room card key, the large pool with many kid-friendly features, and the up-to-date guest rooms. I would add that the Loews Royal Pacific Hotel has character dining in the Islands Dining Room (my son had his photo taken with Fiona, Shrek, and Scooby Doo), lathery shampoo, comfy beds, and two bath robes in each room.

Need a kid-friendly hotel? A hotel for Spring Break suitable for your family, not a bunch of college students? Check out Oyster.com.

My son and I were provided with a trip to Orlando by the Orlando Convention and Visitors Bureau. The opinions expressed in this article are my own (and my son’s!).

• A sleepover for a large group.
• A movie outing with a small group.
• Something else.

She chose the something else option. She loves getting together with friends, but I think she also values her alone time. She is the type of kid who has NEVER said “I am bored.” If she is even the tiniest bit bored she finds something to do. A party for her friends would be  fun, but very chaotic and loud. I think she would prefer a more low key option.

Her parties have been anything but low key over the years. Let’s see if I can remember all her parties and themes. I’ll flex the old mental muscle:

1. Baby’s 1st Birthday — Teddy Bear themed party w/family and friends.
2. 2nd Birthday — Sesame Street. She was overwhelmed by the people…walked in to a wall, cried when we cut the cake, and opened her presents sitting in her toy box with her best friend.
3. 3rd  Birthday –  Teletubbies. First year we purchased a store-bought cake, Teletubbies. Had to postpone the party as she was sick.
4. 4th Birthday — Cinderella. First birthday with preschool friends.
5. 5th Birthday — Muffy van der Bear. She had a collection of Muffy’s — a small bear with an enviable wardrobe. As part of the party she narrated her Muffy scrapbook. I am not sure what the other kids thought…but she had fun.
6. 6th Birthday — The princess party…her 1st birthday party with her Kindergarten friends. She wanted to invite boys…I said No since she also wanted the girls to do princess crafts and wear dress-up dresses!
7. 7th Birthday — she got her wish and invited some boys. Of the 4 boys invited, two came, one boy’s mother called with many questions about how many boys would be at the party, and one never RSVP’d. I devised a science theme. Researched and planned for weeks. In the end I let my husband be the party leader…I chickened out! Oh, and did I mention I was about 7.5 months pregnant.
8. 8th Birthday — 1st sleepover. I stashed the baby monitor in a far corner of the room the girls slept in. I didn’t need the monitor since the girls were SO LOUD. The monitor…it was found  almost immediately.
9. 9th Birthday — 2nd sleepover.
10. 10th Birthday — Party at Splashdown
11. 11th Birthday — Another sleepover…yes, I am a glutton for punishment!
12. 12th Birthday — She wrote a movie script. That’s right…she write a 27-page movie script with parts for 12, stage directions, and costume notes. Her friends were invested in the production. All of the girls came ready to act or direct or film. We had an “Oscar Movie Premiere” after the movie was filmed. The girls loved it!
13. 13th Birthday — Spa theme. She set up the family room, kitchen, and hallway for a spa-themed party with stations for relaxation with magazines and massage chairs; facials with cucumbers; makeup; hair; and finger and toe nails. Highlight of the party…she persuaded all her friends to put their cell phones in a box. All the girls did it!

So, here I sit on the eve of #snoMG II. I will need to get some rest before I tackle the teen’s plan for her “something else” party. I thinks she wants to take one friend to the movie and shop at the mall. Wow! I may have hit on the cheapest birthday party yet. It has only taken me 14 years!!

Her idea of fun would be going to the pool and lounging on a beach chair with her favorite novel under an umbrella. Ahhh, bliss. Unfortunately for her she has Mean Mom for a mom. Are you a Mean Mom? I’m one as I require her to do swim team each summer for the following reasons:

• exercise and muscle building for the sport she loves — volleyball. Her ability to hit serves has improved exponentially over the years due to in large part to swimming. Swimming 5 practices a week and a meet on Saturday for 8 weeks is a total body workout.
• it’s a family activity. Even before the kid could swim on swim team, I would tote the baby version of him along to the girls’ practices and meets. He would be the first face they would see as they got out of the water from their races.
• it’s a cheap way to organize summer for kids. $75 per swimmer for a 2-month season. You cannot beat that when summer camps are $200 plus for one week. As I tell my friends, we have swim team each morning and whatever else we do that day is a bonus.
• I love a sport that all can participate in: the kid is a 6 and under, the preteen is  9-10, and the teen is a 13 and over. That’s swimming lingo for the age groups they swim in or the summer season.
• parents have fun too. I’ve met many moms and dads while waiting during swim practice and meets. I am now communications person for the swim team. I created  blog to list the details about our swim team and the fun stuff: photos, swim team pep rally, swim team dinners. 

But back to the teen… She’s a good swimmer — has been since she was 5 or so. The swim team is a mixed blessing for her as she loves warm weather, wearing flip flps, and cute teen summer clothing, but, and this is the deal-breaker for her. She is thin and being in cold water does not make her happy at all. In fact she has been known to shiver her way across the pool. She steps out of the pool and immediately envelops herself in a towel. I’ve seen her fantasize about doing swim team practices in a waterproof robe while lying on a motorized raft as she sips a cool drink. Look I didn’t make this up…she actually said this!

Today no swim team meet or practice. Tomorrow back to the afterschool practice for the teen. Wish for bright sunshine.

The problem…and yes, with me there always is a problem… After the practice, all of us wanted to do something different. Girl 12 was ready to go home and do her own thing…I’ve never known a child more able to amuse herself. There are days when I think she could live by herself. Girl 9 wanted to have a swim team friend over or stay at the pool to play with the friend. Boy 5 wanted to play tennis. Mom 43 wanted to hang out at the pool reading a book, but sadly housework and laundry was calling.

So I left the pool with one happy child and two mopey ones. We’re home now and all seems well.

I even got the children to do some cleaning up. My oldest loves to clean her bathroom…I think she is finally getting grossed out by all the toothpaste slobber in the sink.

I think we might head back to the pool for a barbecue or a “grill” as my 5-year-old puts it.

The absolute magic about joining a pool is that I don’t have to plan our day. We have practice and then we either come home or stay at the pool.

Today was a fun day at the pool…well aside from stopping a nose bleed and refereeing a fight over sunglasses. Neither incident involved my kids…isn’t that funny!