Summer Fun | Cherry Almond Smoothie

Photo credit: Baked Bree

My kids have two more weeks of school before summer break but my brain has already raced ahead and is already on break.  I've been combing online for different smoothies ideas as summer snacks  since my kids are smoothaholics and found this one - what better combination than in-season cherries + almonds.  Yum!!

Click here for recipe and directions.

Summer Fun | Tire Swing

photo from Grams:  We're a Swingin' Group

Painted tire swings ... the possibilities are endless.  Doesn't this make you think of summer?

Ingredient Matters | Sunscreen Basics

Summer has arrived and the girls have now been spending a lot of their time outdoors so we've been going through quite a bit of sunscreen.  Here are a few key things we look for when choosing our sun protection:

• Mineral based sunscreen - Mineral sunscreens are much safer than chemical based ones.  Most chemical sunscreens contain hormone-disrupting chemicals like oxybenzone, retinyl palmitate (which is a form of Vitamin A and are not safe when exposed to sunlight), parabens, and phthalates.

• Zinc Oxide -  In choosing mineral based sunscreen, we opt for zinc oxide.  It not only provides protection from both UVA and UVB rays, it is also a safer choice than titanium dioxide.  Recent research shows that titanium dioxide has the ability to cause DNA damage in human cells and is potentially a carcinogen.

• Micronized - We look for micronized zinc oxide and avoid nano-sized to prevent any from potentially penetrating the skin and entering the blood stream.  Mineral sunscreen always leave a tell-tale white, chalky look.  If it's a mineral sunscreen and not leaving a white haze, then it is most likely using nano-sized mineral.

• Lotions - There are quite a few new formulations out there and while slathering sunscreen on two energetic girls can be a laborious effort, I prefer lotions to sprays because it ensures better coverage.  Additionally, I know that they are not inhaling any of the tiny particles from the spray which can lead to lung damage.

• SPF -  We usually choose one with SPF 30, not for any particular reason.  While it may make sense to go for a higher SPF; it does not always mean better protection - increases in SPF only marginally improves the protection.  For example, SPF 30 blocks about 97% UVB rays whereas SPF 100 blocks 99%.   Instead, it is more prudent to be liberal with your application to ensure you're receiving the full SPF protection - it turns out if you only apply 1/2 the recommended amount, then you are only getting the square root of the SPF ( so instead of SPF 25, you are only getting SPF 5).  For best protection, regardless of SPF you choose, just apply liberally and frequently.

As to which brands are the safest and most effective sunscreen, EWG's latest 2012 Sunscreen report is a good place to start.  For more information about nano-particles in sunscreen, Healthy Child Healthy World also some good articles.

Family Fun | Keeping Summer Simple

Summer vacation officially kicks off this Friday.  No more waking up early to get the kids ready for school.  No more packing lunches.  No more mad morning scramble.  YAY!!!!   I can’t wait.

For me, summer conjures up images of warm lazy days, lemonade stands, swimming, bike riding until dusk, running through sprinklers, picnics, summer concerts … but that doesn’t seem to be what kids are experiencing today.  Nowadays, summer for many means a continuation of crazy, hectic schedules filled with sports camp, acting camps, French lessons, violin lessons, dance classes, gymnastics, swim team, tennis team, enrichment programs… you name it.  Admittedly, as a working mom, I was tempted to fill Z’s summer days with the myriad of opportunities available, but I am going to resist this summer.  Instead, I want to slow things down and bring back the type of summer I remember from my childhood (to an extent).

While the thought of enjoying lazy days is ideal, I know I need to be realistic – I have two girls who are active, social beings and love being BUSY.  Twelve weeks of doing nothing would bore them to death and drive me I-N-S-A-N-E!!

So here are some things I’m doing in my attempt to scale back yet “plan” things so that I’m prepared for those inevitable cries of “I’m bored!” and “What should I do now?”

• Only sign up for one summer camp as an anchor and build the remainder of summer around the camp we select.
• Plan a few weekend trips and one longer family trip
• Brainstorm a list of activities for some of those unplanned days
• Since Z is older, I had her come up with a list of things she wanted do this summer.  The parameter was that it had to be local – nothing requiring having to get on a plane.
• As a family, we came up with some other things to do which included activities for “bad weather” days and “hot-hot” days.

• Plug some of these activities on our summer calendar and post the remaining ones on a board in our kitchen.  This is for those times when the natives get restless and start complaining … I’ll send them to the board to pick an activity.

Being able to "reclaim summers" is not something all parents can do especially if both parents work out of home, so I am thankful that I get to have this luxury as an entrepreneur.   I’m looking forward to the next couple of months.  What about you?

Design | No Blade Fan

They've done it again - took something ordinary and made it extraordinary.  The Dyson "Air Multiplier" has no blades, which means no finger hazards to worry about and easier to clean.  This thing really works.   With warmer weather, fans are a staple in our household so this is definitely going on our list of "musts" for the summer.