Dear readers,

 

I’ve been trying to write for the past two days, and I can’t seem to get it done. Given the tragedy of the past few days – the senseless deaths of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge (LA), Philando Castile in Falcon Heights (MN) and five Dallas police officers – posting a light story and a pasta recipe didn’t seem right.

This has been a trying week, and it seems like the heartache and tragedy have no end in sight. It makes me wonder what has gone so wrong that we have a hashtag honoring new victims of violence almost daily.

To top it off, my son and I had an encounter with a man in the parking lot at summer camp drop-off on Friday morning. This man, who I assume is the dad of another of the campers, felt it was necessary to jump out of his car and verbally attack my child for *almost* tapping his car with our car door. My son, who can usually let things roll off his back pretty easily, felt shaken and upset when, only moments before, he was so excited about being at camp.

 

 

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Summer arrived with a vengeance here in Arizona. Now, in the second half of the summer, there seems to be no relief from the blazing sun. With temperatures well over 100 degrees, the only place the kids want to be is in the pool. But with the brutal temps and the sun so intense that it’s possible to get sunburn walking to your mailbox, we have to be especially careful to be sun-smart and do what we must to protect ourselves.

That means protective clothing and sunblock. Lots of sunblock. Now, I’m not an expert, but after living in Arizona for more than 20 years, I’ve been through lots of trial and error with different sunblocks. I still have a love-hate relationship with SPF-laden substances, but I would rather be safe than sorry, so I use it.

 

Why I Hate Sunblock and Why You Might, Too

 

It Doesn’t Feel Good

For me, putting on sunblock has always felt like wrapping myself in plastic and pretending to be comfortable. My skin can’t breathe and I feel as if my very pores are suffocating. I break out in a sheen of perspiration right after I put it on, sweating away any protection minutes after applying it. Perhaps my body chemistry just isn’t suited to most standard sunblocks or perhaps it’s all in my head. For years, I’ve tried to convince myself it was just a psychological thing. Alas, I would go ahead and slather on the uncomfortable, sweaty, saran wrap sunblock.

Then there are the kids. Many of the products out there for children are sticky or pasty, spackle-like substances that are almost impossible to put on a squirmy kid. Or perhaps your kids are like mine and become rag dolls at the sight of sunblock. Those thick creams are really hard to spread on arms that are like limp noodles. They also tend to be white or greasy and most kids hate having to put it on.

 

It’s Full of Strange Ingredients

Most sunblocks list a long array of active ingredients that may or may not cause more harm than they prevent, and those really high SPFs (50 and above) that come with added chemicals don’t really protect you any better than the SPF 30s do. Things like oxybenzone, which is used in 70% of sunscreens, is a known hormone disrupter and allergen. And additives like Vitamin A, intended to help slow skin aging, have actually been found to speed up the development of skin tumors and lesions. Yikes! (Vitamin A can be identified as retinol, retinyl palmitate & other retinoids with similar names.)

 

It’s Expensive!

Seriously, who wants to spend up to $20-$25 on a tube of sunblock that doesn’t work for you? I don’t mind paying for a quality product, but I want to know it works. And that it’s safe. And that it won’t sit on my shelf unused because my kids refuse to use it. Sometimes, you just don’t know if it’s right until after you’ve spent the money.

Given these concerns, buying the right sunblock can be a daunting task. From obsessively researching ingredients and reading labels to making sure it’s easy to apply and comfortable to wear, it’s almost enough to make you throw your hands in the air then go to a dark corner and curl up into a ball until winter. But fear not, brave mamas! Read on for some great choices in sun protection that won’t make you crazy.

 

Sunblock You Won’t Hate

 

Personal Preference AND Expert Opinions

All of my sunblock recommendations come from years of actual use on myself and my family, including 3 kids and a husband with the extra challenge of thinning hair. These products work really well for us, and all have been held up to the scrutiny of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Sunscreen Guide.

If you’re not familiar with the EWG, they are a non-profit, non-partisan group dedicated to protecting human health and the environment. And they do a great job of evaluating products for potential health and environmental dangers. Their website includes a score (the lower the better) for each product and explains exactly how they came to that score. Armed with this information, you, the consumer, can make informed decisions about which products suit you and your family best. Feel free to visit their site yourself, but if you feel like you don’t want to do the research, I’ve included their information in each of my recommendations.

 

Physical vs. Chemical Sunblocks

Basically, sun protection products come in two different categories. Physical blockers contain mineral ingredients that sit on top of the skin and provide a physical barrier to UVA and UVB rays. The common active ingredients in this category are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Chemical blockers contain ingredients that absorb into your skin and react with your body chemistry to provide a barrier to sun damage.

The EWG tells us that physical blockers present a lower risk to our health and environment because they are naturally derived (minerals that are already present in the environment) and they do not penetrate into our bodies. On the other hand, chemical blockers, while extremely effective in protecting us from sun damage, DO penetrate through our skin and may have negative health impacts. These may include hormone disruption, development of allergies, and presence in mother’s milk. They also wash off into our oceans, lakes, rivers and local water supplies every time we swim or shower, so it’s important to understand which chemicals are the safest and which have the least impact on our environment.

The seemingly simple task of choosing effective sun protection brings up so many considerations for all you thoughtful consumers. So, let me break it down to some great products for you.

 

Drum Roll Please … 4 Awesome Sunblock Recommendations

 

(Affiliate links included for eligible products. This means I may get some compensation if you choose to purchase a product through these links.)

 

1.KINeSYS Performance Sunscreen Spray, SPF 30 (EWG rating=4)

 

This unassuming little bottle has become my g0-to favorite sunblock for the family. It IS a chemical sunblock, so if that’s a concern for you, this may not be the best choice for you. But even though I try to avoid the chemicals, I find this one to be a great choice, especially for me and our oldest son. We both have that feels-like-I’m-wrapped-in-plastic syndrome with sunblock. This one allows my skin to breathe and it feels like I’m not wearing sunblock at all.

The EWG rates it a 4, which means it’s a moderate concern for health & environmental factors. Part of the concern is inhalation risk, which will lower the rating for any sunblock that comes in a spray. I’m willing to take that risk for the convenience, comfort and ease of application that the spray provides. I just spray it into my hands then rub it on to minimize the inhalation risk. For my husband, he sprays this directly on his bald spot without worrying about making a sticky, gooey mess in his hair.

This feels a little oily going on, but – surprise – it doesn’t contain any oil. So if you can get past the first few minutes, you won’t feel it on your skin at all once it’s dry. It’s wonderfully light and breathable, it doesn’t leave any residue on your skin, and it’s incredibly long-lasting and effective.

I feel comfortable using this for many outdoor activities, including swimming, exercise or just being outside. It hasn’t bothered my sensitive skin, and it won’t dry your skin like so many other products.

Pros: Easy to apply, feels great, non-greasy, breathable, long-lasting, good protection

Cons: Chemical sunblock, moderate health risk, feels oily going on

 

2. Mineral Fusion Brush-On Sun Defense, SPF 30 (EWG rating=no rating this year)

 

 

My kid’s favorite sunblock comes in this handy brush-on format. While the EWG does not have a rating on this particular product, other sun products from Mineral Fusion rate a 1-2. This means the ingredients they use pose minimal risk to human health or the environment. As its name indicates, this physical blocker uses minerals to protect you against the sun’s damaging rays. Its easy-to-apply formula gets no complaints from my little guy, who’s been using this since he started pre-school at age 3.

It takes only seconds to put this sunblock on, and while inhalation is a risk, you can play a little game in those seconds. See if your kid can hold his breath while you brush it on his face. If you have girls in your life, it’s just like putting on make-up, and they love it! This goes on my son every day before school, and it provides all day protection from our intense Arizona sun.

This powder sunblock works great for a day at the playground or out at the zoo. It does “stick” to the skin without feeling sticky, so you know it’s there. I’ve used it on myself in a pinch if I find myself outside unexpectedly. It’s small enough to tuck into your purse, so you can have it with you wherever you go. I haven’t felt confident enough to use it for the kind of swimming my kids do, but you can use it in the water just as you would any other sunblock. If you try it in the water, let me know how it works!

Pros: Easy to apply, kids don’t complain about putting it on, full coverage in seconds, light and as easy to wear as powder make-up

Cons: Inhalation risk (hold your breath!), doesn’t always go on evenly, so you may have some cakey spots to rub in

Bonus: Being frugal, I love that I can refill this applicator. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to find a refill package of the Mineral Fusion Brush-On sunblock. So, I’ve started buying the Brush on Block refill and putting it into my Mineral Fusion applicator. It works great and saves me a little money in the long run!

 

 

3. Goddess Garden Kids Natural Sunscreen (EWG ratings=1-3)

 

 

Really, any of the Goddess Garden products rank high, but this one lives in my kids’ backpacks for a simple reason. It’s super easy for them to put on by themselves. The sport spray comes out of the can sort of like a thin stream of silly string. My son thinks this is super fun, so he makes designs with it then rubs it in. The smooth, creamy formula feels substantial but not heavy. And it definitely does NOT resemble paste or spackle. The lotion from the tube comes out a bit thicker, but it’s still easy to rub in.

On days when my kids need to put on their sunblock themselves (i.e., at summer camp or on school swim days), Goddess Garden beats all others for being easy for them to apply with no mess. AND it’s safe for their bodies and the environment. While other sprays might be slightly easier, especially on hard-to-reach backs, they don’t come close in terms of safety.

While Goddess Garden has different “formulas” from Kids to Sport to Adult versions, the company offers this description

The ingredients are exactly the same on our Kids and Adult sunscreen. We’ve found that kids are more likely to use something “just for them”, so we made packaging reflect that.

The sport version does offer additional water resistance. So if you’re going to be sweating a lot or in the water, you might want to consider this product over the everyday. Otherwise, there’s virtually no difference.

Pros: Super safe ingredients, easy to apply, long lasting, great protection

Cons: A little goopy, minimal inhalation risk with the spray-on kind

 

4. Badger Sunscreens (EWG ratings=1-2)

 

With EWG ratings of 1 on almost all their products, Badger sunblock ranks as one of my overall best buys. With formulations from Baby to Sport to Everyday, Badger covers the full range of needs for your family. And their face stick provides great protection without stinging your eyes if you sweat or spend a lot of time in the water.

Badger went everywhere with me when my kids were little, and they never burned, even on the longest beach days. If you’re there to rub it in, these are fabulous. But because they’re a little thicker than others, it’s a little harder to get them on consistently, especially on small bodies.

Pros: Super safe, lots of choices, excellent face stick, feels good once it’s absorbed

Cons: Harder to apply the thicker formulas, can feel heavy or sticky to some

 

So, there you have it. My personally-tested, no-fuss, no-hate guide to sunblock. I know how hard it can be to find products with that magic combination of safety and effectively. All these sunblocks also give you great bang for your buck, so I don’t mind paying a little more than your what you’ll find at your average drugstore.

I hope this guide helps make choosing the right sunblock a little easier. Let me know if you try any of these. I’d love to know what you think!

 

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Father’s Day is June 19 (I looked it up!)

June has arrived, which means Father’s Day is just around the corner. If your guy is anything like my husband, he’s got pretty much everything he needs, so what can you give him that he’ll love and won’t break the bank? This fabulous family tree!

 

Father’s Day DIY Made Easy

Sometimes making a gift can feel like a daunting task, but with a little bit of planning and some help from the kids, you can create a personalized keepsake that any dad will love. Actually, I love this one so much that I would have made it for myself if it hadn’t been Father’s Day!

I can’t remember where I saw this idea first (it was before I really got familiar with Pinterest), but I loved the idea so I got to work making it happen.

First, I gathered some supplies:

• White poster board, 11 x 17 (I bought a big one and cut it to size)
• A simple frame to fit
• Ink pads in various colors (I bought a set and have used them for multiple other crafts since then. If you have some already, just use these!)
• Pencil, a good eraser and a brown permanent marker (all things I had on hand)

Next, I sketched out the tree in pencil on the poster board.

This took a while because I was being picky about how the branches looked, but you can make it however you like. I just saw a simple version of this on Naptime Decorator, and it looks super cute and easier than the one I drew.

Once I had the sketch the way I liked it, I colored it in with a brown permanent marker. I love the way the marker made the branches and tree trunk look like real wood. I chose to leave a little space in the trunk to add a “carving” like carving our message in a real tree, but you could certainly make it a solid trunk.

I also hand-lettered Happy Father’s Day at the bottom, but you could leave that off or include a different message or put a cool saying on your finished product. I love the saying Liz at Naptime Decorator (see above link) used! My hand lettering was super simple, but if you want to make it look more “designed,” take a look at this hand lettering tutorial from Morgan Manages Mommyhood. It’s a great primer on how to create great-looking text!

 

Personal and Meaningful Father’s Day

Once I had my part done, I grabbed the kids and had them do their part. I used the stamp pads to put color on their hands – make sure there’s plenty of color on them – then placed their handprints on the tree. Our oldest got the lowest branches, then I worked up to our little one at the top. They were 10, 7 and 2 at the time, so their hands fit perfectly on this size tree. If you have fewer/more kids or they’re bigger or smaller, just use your judgment on how you want it to look. For an only child, you could include your handprints, or use their hands and intersperse the design with little fingerprint leaves.

 

The great part is that the stamp pads dry really quickly, so you can even do this at the last minute. Once it’s dry, just pop it in the frame and wrap it up! My husband was so pleased when he opened it and realized what it was, and he hung it up right away.

This is one of my favorite DIY gifts I’ve ever made. Even though it cost less than $10 to make, it holds a special place in all of our hearts that no expensive, store bought gift could match. The kids like to hold their hands up to it to see how much they’ve grown over the years, and it serves as a happy memory of when they were little.

 

Stay tuned for another fabulous and easy Father’s Day project coming soon! In the meantime, what do you think of this family tree? Will you make one? Let me know if you have any questions!

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Yikes – it’s the end of the school year! Have you become an “end of the year parent” like the ones here, here and here? Do you need a quick and easy teacher gift that you can do yourself in less than an hour and for very little money? If so, you came to the right place.

You’ve probably seen them in your doctor’s office or at any counter where you have to sign in (like the school front office). It’s those pots or jars full of flowers that are actually pens, and while it may not seem like the perfect gift, for anyone who’s had their pens stolen, or who likes to garden, or who would rather look at flowers than an ugly pen cup, these can be a godsend.

My daughter happens to have a teacher who loves to garden, and since this is her last year in her elementary school, we made a bigger year-end gift as a special thank you. We incorporated the pens into a full gardening set with a flower pot, seeds, gardening gloves and a cute garden stake. But if the pen set is all you need, it couldn’t be easier.

The Ultimate Easy Teacher Gift

All the items I used can be found at your local dollar store, so this project comes out on the cheap end of the gift spectrum as well.  If you don’t have a dollar store near you, look around your house before shopping. Grab some stray pens from the junk drawer, an empty jar from your cabinet, duct tape from the garage and have at it! Then, you can always head to Target, Wal-Mart or you local craft store to gather any additional supplies you need. You should be able to finish this project for $5 or less!

Here’s what to get:

• Pens – pack of 10
• Silk flowers – the more stems per bunch, the fewer bunches you’ll need
• Tape – colored duct tape works great. I happened to have floral tape at home, so I used that instead of buying anything new
• Container – a medium size jar, cup, flower pot, small bucket or whatever will hold the pens and look nice. If you have something at home, even better!
• Glass beads, stones or something to put in the bottom of your container (optional) – we used glass beads because they look pretty, but as long as your pens will stand up, you don’t actually need anything.
• Scissors or wire cutters

Here’s how you do it:

• Remove the caps from the pens.
• Cut the flowers from the bunch, leaving enough stem to reach almost to the bottom of the pen. Keeping the stem long will help you avoid having an unsightly bump along the length of the pen and make it easier to hold.
• Tape the stem to the pen by wrapping it around and around from one end to the other. Make sure your ends are tightly stuck so they don’t unravel.
• Continue wrapping flowers to the pens until you have enough to fill your container.
• Put them in the container – sticking them in the stones or beads if you’re using them – and stand back and admire your work!

Add Some Little Extras

As I said, for my daughter’s teacher, we added the pen cup to a complete garden set, but you can add some small touches to make the gift more personal without adding a lot of cost or effort.

For example, have your child write a note to accompany the gift. Teachers love hand-written notes, especially if they’re written from the heart. You could also put the teacher’s name on the container (or have your child do it), or decorate it with simple materials you probably have at home. Wrap a ribbon around the top, stick pom-poms on the container, paint a picture on it, and/or “name” your gift. Something like, “Ms. Nancy’s Pen Garden” would be cute. Be creative and involve your child in the process. They can clue you in to things like their teacher’s favorite color or animal, and they can help create the gift, themselves.

The whole process takes almost no time at all, and you can make this easy teacher gift in under an hour. And no one will know that you waited until the last minute.

Bonus: if you’re already too late to make this gift for your teacher(s) this year, file it away for next year. AND these make great summer projects, too. Make them for friends, grandparents or for yourself!

What other ideas do you have for an easy teacher gift? Share them below and spread the love!

 

 

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I can’t believe it’s the end of the school year! That means that summer is upon us and the potential for the “summer slide” is very real.

What is the “summer slide?” It’s the tendency for kids to lose some of the academic gains they’ve made over the school year. Did you know that some children can lose as much as 2 months worth of reading skills over the summer? And that loss is cumulative? That means that these learning losses build up summer after summer, so they fall farther and farther behind each year.

The good news … reading over the summer can stop the summer slide in its tracks.

 

Make Summer Reading FUN for Maximum Benefit

 

Reading experts agree that kids who think reading is fun get the most out of it. That means summer reading has to include more than just books. Reading and writing activities & games, story times with friends & family, and reading clubs & challenges are all ways to keep kids engaged.

Here are some key points to keep in mind when helping your kids, or other kids in your life, plan their summer reading strategies.

• Access to books is critical to avoid the summer slide – look at the books you currently have at home and make sure they’re still interesting to your kids and they’re at the right reading level. In most communities, kids can get their own library cards, so they can check out books, too.

• Reading research shows that when kids get to select what they read themselves, and want to read for enjoyment, they get the most benefit. This means they’ll increase their reading skills, including better comprehension, vocabulary and grammatical development, more than if someone else picks the material they read.

• Kids read more when the adults in their lives encourage them to read, and when they see those adults reading as well.

• Kids who think reading is FUN tend to read more, so make your summer reading choices with this in mind. Play games, incorporate activities and read anything and everything you can, even if it’s funny memes on the internet. You can find resources for online reading games with your kids’ favorite characters at PBS Kids. Or try Education World for links to games for all ages. Scholastic offers a variety of resources from activities & printables to book recommendations and games. Be creative and you’ll find tons of ways to make reading fun.

• Summer reading programs that incorporate both choice and a social aspect help make things fun. See if your public library has a summer reading program, and/or take a peek at the Barnes & Noble or Scholastic summer reading programs. Most provide concrete ways to encourage kids to read and keep track of their reading, and they often get a free book if they complete the reading log or journal.

• It doesn’t take much to keep kids on track! Reading just 4-6 books over the summer can help prevent a decline in reading skills.

 

Set a Summer Reading Goal & Get a Freebie

 

Setting a summer reading goal can be a great way to motivate kids to keep reading. And if that goal also has smaller objectives to reach along the way, as well as a reward for completing it, they will be more likely to follow it through to completion. With approximately 10 weeks to fill until school starts again, this is the perfect time to read, read, read!

I just did some goal setting with the 2nd graders I read with as a volunteer Reading Coach, and the kids really enjoyed coming up with a tangible goal, talking about what it would take to reach it and thinking of a way to celebrate once they achieve it. As struggling readers, it was so encouraging to see how enthusiastic they were about setting a summer reading goal and how easy it was for them to articulate it. True, they needed a little help thinking about what would be realistic and achievable, but beyond that, they did it themselves.

I’m going to do this with my kids, too, and hopefully they’ll all be happy to keep up with their summer reading!

If you want to do this with your children, I put together a simple Summer Reading printable to make it easy for you. Just sign up by filling out the simple form below, and you’ll have FREE access to this colorable goal sheet that will make your kid a Summer Reading Star.

For me, summer reading conjures up images of lazy days at the beach or being curled up on the porch swing with a book and a nice breeze blowing through my hair. Yes, those images are largely part of a fantasy world I often visit, but I credit this beautiful vision to all the books I’ve read in my life that nurtured my imagination. Come on! Join me on my imaginary beach as I read the summer away!

 

I hope this information and the FREEBIE will encourage you and your kids to keep reading all summer. What other tips do you have to encourage summer reading?

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