Tag Archives: summer

School time is wrapping up. Put away the school attire because summer is approaching. It’s time to restock the closets with pieces that will withstand the heat, summer play and still be fashionable. Finding an affordable summer wardrobe for the kids is necessary for a Smart Mama.
This summer fashions are bright. They’re bold. Think back to the neon jellies you wore to the beach in the late 80s. They’re back. Using bright, sparkly accessories, including shoes, belts and hair clips, girls will be styling as they hit the playground, pool and grandma’s house. Shorts of all length are essential. Pull up shorts are best for running around at camp. Straight, buttoned shorts paired with a top and sandals is ideal for other occasions.
Boys are styling, too. Their shorts maintain the cargo feel with bright colors of cardinal red, tangerine and navy blue. A fedora hat can …

Whether it’s a family trip to a warm destination, a cruise throughout the Caribbean or simply the summer’s social events, trendy sandals are a must. Flip Out Sandals are now this Smart Mama’s go-to warm weather shoe.
Flip Out Sandals allow you to have a variety of styles of shoes with just one shoe. How does that work? Each pair of sandals is designed with a proprietary shoe accessory screw, allowing the Smart Mama to screw on any of the dozens of interchangeable accessories.
The variety of accessories is impressive. Casual smaller designs to glitzy flowers, butterflies and more can change your shoe from a beach-y flip flop to a stunning dinner sandal.
The Sandals
Brazillian flip flops and jellies are available in standard women shoe sizes. The Brazillian’s are $24.99 and are available in 6 distinct colors. The …

Hitting the grill this summer?  We love to grill!  Burger, dogs, chicken, pork…you name it!
Now through August 5th you can enter The Elevate The Everyday™ Summer Dining Sweepstakes by Hormel Foods to win one of 3 great prizes!

13 winners will be selected and you could be the Grand Prize winner, enjoying a $500 value outdoor grill for your backyard dining this summer!  Other prizes include,
First Prize: Two Grills ($200 value each)
Second Prize: Ten Summer Grilling Coupon Prize Packs ($45 value each)
To enter, head over to http://www.Facebook.com/HFRecipes and LIKE the page.  Click the Summer Dining tab and complete the entry form!  You can access the official rules from there!
Stick around Facebook.com/HFRecipes for loads of summertime recipes and more!
Disclosure: I am currently a member of the Hormel Foods Extended Blogger Program and this post is part of my involvement in …

It’s summer.  No excuses now.  It’s time to kick back and relax.  True as that may be, it is also time to keep up the learning at home!  I’m not suggesting textbook or formal classes, just ways to sneak in some educational skills in between swimming lessons and afternoon movies! Here are 5 ways, in no particular order, you can provide your child some learning opportunities, making him/her even more ready for school in the Fall!

READ! You’ve heard it a million times!  Reading to your child is one of the most important activities you can do.  Head over to the library or bookstore on rainy days and find lots of book together.  Dedicate time each day, (doesn’t have to be before bedtime) to read.  The story may even inspire some activities!
JOURNAL! Purchase a basic composition book. Each day, or as frequently as …

We’re Floridians.  We carry sunscreen in our bags like others may carry chap stick.  Gooey, greasy lotion is a thing of the past.  Thankfully sun block companies have gotten the spray lotion down to a science, but the challenge that still remains is making lotion applying something a bit more enticing for the kids.  I recently tried the Dora the Explorer Sunbow Sun Stick, SPF 45.  This pink sun stick was the easiest thing for me to apply on my 4 ½ year old.  Two main reasons for this:  #1 the lotion was pink, #2 Dora!  I also must mention that the bubble gum flavor was an added bonus!
PS – SpongeBob Squarepants is also available!
Sunbow products are available at SunbowSunscreen.com , Amazon.com & Drugstore.com.
Disclosure: Product sample was provided.  All opinions are of Smarty Pants Mama.
 
 

So the unofficial start of summer 2011 was this past weekend.  It’s time to get the summer to-do list organized!  What projects do you need to get done?  Which ones are more optional but would be awesome to have crossed off the list?  Although summertime is typically filled with kiddies home from school, family vacations and more, it is still a set time to get Smart Mama tasks done before the school year arrives!
My 1st list revolves around projects in my preschooler’s (Isabella) room.  Here I go, proudly admitting the disasters that lie in my home! (Yes, it will be your turn next!)

The Closet: This is a bit of a disaster zone.  With her Nana being a bit obsessed in buying her any and every outfit, the closet is jammed packed with old dresses, stained dresses and outfits that should be front and center and worn …

Make a 20 page photo book of a summer vacation for FREE! Picaboo will ask you for your email address and then provide you with the special coupon code! All you pay is shipping and taxes!
Friends of mine go away with their entire family for a week each summer. Everyone is there, parents, kids, nieces, nephews you name it.  They have a blast and take a million photos.  For Christmas each year she puts together a photo book of the trip and gives each family member a book.  It’s a perfect way to remember a great year and a fabulous trip for years to come.  She shared that she does it as soon as she gets back so that the memories are fresh, making her photo captions the best. What a great Smart Mama idea!
I’m doing it this year. I’ve promised myself that I …

A Notebook and a Pencil
Dedicate time (it can even be just 5 minutes) to review academic skills with your child every day.  This “school time” will encourage you to be on top of your child’s learning successes and areas of need.  With just a notebook, a pencil and a few other items, a Smart Mama and her offspring can review handwriting, counting, reading and more!
How Does It Look Like in Smart Mama’s House
Each day we spend 15 minutes doing “School Time.” This is a special part of the day when we settle down to practice a few different academic skills.  We typically begin with the calendar.  We talk about the current month, days of the week and count the number of days in the month. We often look back in the year, reviewing names of previous months and look ahead at what’s to come. She gets to draw an …

I have a new secret ingredient!  It’s what Thomas Jefferson is credited with introducing to the United States in the late 1700s.  Vanilla!
I was recently provided with a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Bean Paste to try.

Are you wondering exactly what is vanilla paste and how does it differ from extract?  Flavours Magazine (April 2009) describes it as “a concentrated vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds ,suspended in a gum paste, and may contain alcohol.  It gives foods the authentic appearance of vanilla seed.”
Reviewing the Nielson-Massey site (http://www.nielsenmassey.com) I came across a number delicious recipes but the Salmon with Vanilla Balsamic Marinade recipe quickly caught my eye.  I knew I had to try it!
Salmon with Vanilla Balsamic Marinade
Vanilla Balsamic Marinade
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, diced
1-1/2 teaspoons dried organic parsley
1-1/2 …

Constant running around, up and down the monkey bars, swimming in the pool and more, the days of summer are here.  We need to remember that children are humans; they require similar physical care that aging adults do. Warm ups, stretching, nutrition & hydration are equally important to an 8 year old as to a 38 year old.
Below ChicagoHealers.com practitioner Dr. Richard Ezgur, DC offers tips for parents to keep kids safe and injury free during summer sports and activities.
Warm Up – Like adults, children are also vulnerable to muscle pulls and joint sprains and strains. The most common causes of these injuries include inadequate warm-up time and stretching.  Before beginning the activity, encourage your child to take a few minutes to warm-up.

A good warm-up will imitate the actions that your body will undergo during your sport, but at a lesser intensity.  So for most kids, a …

Sliced Summer Fruits with Mango Puree – For 4

1 mango
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Pinch of cayenne pepper
½ small papaya, slice into thin wedges
¼ cantaloupe or honeydew, sliced thin
8 strawberries, hulled
¾ cup cherries, pitted & halved (1/4 lb)
½ grapefruit, sliced & sectioned
1 peach, sliced & cut into wedges
2 plums, sliced
1/3 cup (1 oz) pecans
4 sprigs of fresh mint

Press mango through sieve and remove tough fibers.  Place in stainless steel pan and bring to a boil.  Remove from heat and stir in lemon juice and cayenne.  Chill.
Divide the puree among 4 large serving plates.  Arrange fruit on top and garnish with nuts and mint.

So Memorial Day has come and gone. Summer is here.  There’s no hiding now.  Get out your teeny weeny, yellow polka-dot bikini. Ok, we don’t need to be that drastic.  But, we sure do want to look our finest and be the healthiest we can.  I have come across some great tips to help each of us this summer to get and stay healthy.
Summer Shape Up Tips
By: Lisa Avellino, Fitness & Nutrition Expert for Focus28 (www.focus28diet.com)
Tip 1-take the plunge!
Poolside fat burner-approx. 400-800 calories burned!
At chest level about 80 to 90% of the body is supported due to buoyancy, therefore the joints and bones are well protected. You will shape and tone up faster, as water provides more resistance.
Flexibility and balance improves, as there are a wider range of motions, which can be performed in water. It is not healthy to run in …

There parks aren’t necessary for fun family vacations. Did you know that a 2010 Family Vacation Survey found that 97 percent of parents who go on family vacations want a trip that both they and their children will enjoy?   I can’t imagine what the other 3% prefer!
Travel Ticker®, a leading inspirational travel website, today announced the results of its 2010 Family Vacation Survey, conducted by Harris Interactive®. This year, 80 percent of parents who go on family vacations say they would prefer to visit a non-theme park destination for their next family trip if cost and planning efforts were comparable. To help, the experts at Travel Ticker have done all the planning work for them, finding affordable family trip ideas for an experience better than any theme park.
Here are Travel Ticker’s top five theme park free family vacation ideas:
1.       Adventure: Hike through the Amazon, swing on …