kirida reviews

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

it's on, Ruth Reichl

I have never been a good cook. I didn’t inherit my mother’s culinary skills or my father’s eye for a good cut of steak. It was probably a combination of being extremely lazy and having a mother who cooked everything for her youngest daughter. The first year I lived in Seattle, my diet was limited to foods that ended in -izza or needed to be taken out of the microwave half-way and stirred.

I remember the first time my husband and I shopped at a grocery store as a couple. We were still dating and had just moved in together. I was 20 and I had never grocery shopped with anyone who wasn’t my mother. There was some extra pressure I put on myself because his ex was an extraordinary chef and I had to be better than that. While we shopped, Mike asked me to pick up some ground beef. I had never done that before so I stood in front of the cold rows of red plastic-wrapped packages regretting never paying attention to my mother while we shopped and instead only filled up the grocery cart with chocolate chip cookies.

My eyes had glazed over until Mike tapped me on the shoulder and asked what I was doing. “I don’t know how to pick out ground beef!” I exclaimed.

Stunned, he looked at me and said slowly while lifting up a package and inserting it into the cart, “You. just. pick. one.”

I was on a mission to rectify that image he had of me. I wanted to prove to him that I possessed the cooking prowess that would outshine any chef and specifically, any ex who had ever cooked for him.

One night, I found a recipe for vegan spaghetti sauce that I thought would be easy enough to recreate. Plus it had “vegan” in the name. That’s fancy! That would surely impress him! My idea was that it would be like a karate leg swoop in his mouth. When he would collapse to the floor, his taste buds in overdrive I would jump up and sing like Julie Andrews on the Austrian hillside, “IT’S VEGAAAAAN!”

The fantasy played out in my head as I cooked. I didn’t have all the ingredients that the recipe had called for, so I figured that if I just added some canned tomatoes, a lot of garlic powder and salt and some microwaved meatless burger patties that it would suffice and magically transform into a vegan delicacy. That’s sauce, right?! I thought to myself. Mike will never know!

That night, I set the table and decided not to tell Mike until after he started convulsing from the deliciousness. He had remarked that I made dinner and kept a hawkeye watch on him as he bit into my meatless creation.

Three bites into it, Mike hadn’t anything. Utter satisfaction didn’t wash over his face and instead a quizzical look took over.

I knew that he knew I was watching him. He held the food out in front of him and said, “This is, um, interesting…”

“You don’t like it.”

“No, it’s just. What is this?”

“It’s vegan?” Like I wasn’t sure what I had spent an hour just stirring and could blame on my inability to read. “Vegan!” I would say. “I thought it was ‘Reagan.’ I thought I was making Republican fare.”

“Have you made this before?”

“No,” I shook my head.

He looked over at the huge bowl, the sauce congealing with the large noodles. This would be the dinner we would have to eat for the next few days.

“So you have never made this for one person and instead you made it for TWENTY PEOPLE?” He started laughing so loud that I couldn’t even hear my heart breaking, my hopes of culinary mastery dashed. I would have to figure out something else to impress him with and there would be no cooking involved.

Hey! I’m giving away $150 this month and all you have to do is leave a comment! It doesn’t have to be about food, though, if you can surpass my cooking prowess (meaning, you know what knob to use on the oven) feel free to share!

TO WIN: Share any funny story, video clip, picture etc in the comment section and you will be entered to win $150. Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry. You should also Visit The Daily Laugh hub to read funny content each day and for weekly chances to win $100 at the “Play For Laughs” game.

If you share something really funny, we may even use it in The Daily Laugh!

Check out the official rules for more information.

Nature’s Basin is a new California-based website that offers organic and for parents who care about organic and natural skin care products since they offer a large range of these and other organic items. My life is filled with so much rubbish as it is, I thought it would be a welcome change to my chemical-laden life, plus a great way to treat my sweet three-month-old to the natural care his body deserves.

I chose the Organic Baby Starter Kit ($12.95). It looked like the perfect solution for my already cramped diaper bag. I couldn’t seem to find anything that was small enough to fit in the bag and didn’t weigh down. It’s hard enough carrying a car seat, but add a bag with all the necessary baby accoutrement, it’s like I’m schelpping a full-grown man.

paper packages

What struck me first was the packaging, nice crisp brown paper with light tissue. I’m really tired of opening up a box of styrofoam pieces to find a product the size of my fist. Very nice touch!

organic baby starter kit

the baby care starter kit

The Organic Baby Care Starter Kit includes the calendula baby cream, lotion, shampoo and body wash, oil and diaper cream–all organic, perfectly sized for easy storage.

calendula

The products are made from calendula. I never knew was calendula was until I found this kit. It sounds almost magical, like a far off castle we need a team of horses, a shaman and an ancient map to reach. Calendula is sort of mystical, actually, being completely safe and non-toxic but containing healing properties. And it smells really fresh, not at all what I was expecting from an organic product. I think I was expecting like the smell when I pass the incense shop downtown and my mouth, nose and throat are filled with the intense smoke. This was so light and pleasant. A sweet but not cloying scent that smelled clean, not like the multitude of products that make my son smell like citrus car air freshener.

calendula

The most perfect part of this product was the seal on each bottle. Each had a tight seal that keeps all the liquids in. I’ve have a huge history of leaky messes in my purses and diaper bags but I didn’t have this concern at all. This alleviated one of my biggest worries as a mom of a four-year-old and a three-month-old: will what I buy becomes a liability for cleanups later?

I was really satisfied with the Baby Care Starter Kit. It provides an array of organic baby care products without the bulk. Not only does it make a nice go-bag for day trips, but it could easily be a sweet gift for expecting parents or anyone who wants to test out some sweet organic sundries.

There’s so much noise out there on the right products to buy, it’s hard to figure out what’s worth the money. One search for “organic baby lotion” yields over 300K results. Nature’s Basin’s website layout provides a quick and simple view into organic and natural alternatives for self-care products for babies and mamas alike. There are explanations as to what organic really is, plus an aesthetician on staff who will answer any beauty care question you have, free of charge!

Speaking of costs, the prices are comparable, and plus there’s a reward program that allows you to redeem $5 for every 100 points earned as well as coupons.

For more information about Nature’s Basin, visit their website!

I received the Baby Care Starter Kit ($12.95) for free in exchange for a review.

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and The Laughing Cow.

The only form of exercise I’ve ever truly loved is swimming. I’m not a fast swimmer. I’m short. My favorite stroke is the freestyle, or as I call it, whatever gets me from one side to the other without calling for the lifeguard mid-lap. It’s perfect for someone like me who hates hearing the elliptical creak as I step on board or feeling my tattered alma mater t-shirt cling to my sweaty body the way exposed skin sticks to a hot vinyl chair. In the water, I am weightless and no one knows that most of this pool is the deep end for my short legs.

A few years ago I became self-conscious about my pasty skin. It’s ironic that I don’t tan well because I hail from the tropical island of Saipan. So instead of risking skin cancer in a tanning bed or shelling out tons of money for spray-on tans, I went the DIY route with a bottle of self-tanning lotion.

I figured that it would give the illusion of being more svelte and plus keep some money in my pocket. I went through the requisite pre-tanning procedures. I shaved, lotioned up and slipped the gloves on. After applying it by myself on my body, I let it dry and was excited to show off my super smart sexy self.

The next day I suited up as I always did and headed toward the pool. No one took any notice as I got in the water so I just swam as usual. When I emerged from the pool and toweled myself dry, I finally received some of the looks I has been hoping for. It was working! As I sauntered off toward the locker room, I could see out of the corner of my eye some more looks follow me until I disappeared behind the door. Get in line, fellas! There’s enough of this orange-tan to go around!

I was floating on these compliments until after I had showered and caught my reflection in the mirror by my locker and understood why I had garnered so many looky-looks: I had missed some spots. Many, many spots.

a dramatic representation of what my tan looked like.

The front of my body looked fine. My face was somewhat browned, but everything on my back looked like someone had spilled sludge on my skin and I hadn’t cleaned it up. My legs were okay, uneven but okay. It was the part of my back the u-shaped curve of the bathing suit didn’t cover that gave the real horror. It was like only parts of my body went to Miami while my back stayed in the Arctic Circle. There were brown handprints on my skin, like I had been given a massage by Charlie Brown’s friend Pig-Pen. You could see the part of my back I couldn’t reach because those spots looked like polar ice caps. There I was, acting like I was hot to trot while my back had become a visual map of global warming.

Since then I have never donned the self-tanning lotion nor have I paid for anyone to do the tanning for me. I’d rather be the pasty white gal swimming away than someone who will make other swimmers leap out of the water.

July’s contest is over! Check out my August post for more chances to win!


Do you have a funny fitness related story, my internet friend? I’m giving away one $150 Visa gift card this month, and you have 11 other chances to win $150 each month & the chance to win $100 weekly from the Daily Laugh Hubon Blogher!

TO WIN: Share a funny story, video clip, picture, etc in the comment section and you will be entered to win $150! Please keep your comments G-rated as any profanity or offensive content will automatically disqualify you from sweepstakes entry.

Also, visit The Daily Laugh hub to read funny content each day and for weekly chances to win $100 at the “Play For Laughs” game. If you share something really funny, we may even use it in The Daily Laugh!

Check out the official rules for more information.

“I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of underWAY and Smart for Life and received samples of the products to review.”

After giving birth to my son a over three months ago, I’ve been eager to try anything that will help reprogram how I eat. I received samples of the Smart for Life line of weight supplement foods and drinks to review. I was intrigued by the fame this diet had received. Touted as the cookie diet, its website says their weight loss products “include natural ingredients that have proven health benefits including reducing cholesterol, increase bone health, improving intestinal health and maintaining cholesterol, glucose and insulin levels that are already in the normal range.” Excess sugar increases hunger, a truth I know well. Often I’m hungry, rifling for snacks in my purse or hoping that I left a frozen lunch in the office fridge. It’s not the way to live or to get back to my pre-pregnancy body.

The accompanying materials included advice about food and that the goal was to keep between hunger and satiated and to do that is by controlling insulin levels. It has been a successful diet for some. This paragraph alone made me believe that it was worth looking into: “A recent study done at the Boca Raton Smart for Life Weight Management Center. Out of 46 subjects that visited and used a portion-controlled, protein-rich, low fat cookie with unique fiber technology, all subjects lost weight with the average being 13.1 pounds in 35 days. Five subjects lost over 20 pounds in 35 days and 20 subjects lost over 15 pounds in the first 35 days. The 46 participants lost a total of 601 pounds with one patient losing 38.7 pounds in 35 days.”

cupcakes!

the cupcake

The cupcakes were very tasty and much bigger than I had imagined. They were little cups that had a warm and rich taste. Often cupcakes are more flighty, tasty but without the substance that keeps me hungry for more. They were filling and sweet, a perfect way to introduce anyone to this diet.

the cookie

The cookies had the same flavor profile as the cupcakes. I was suprised by their size and heft. These were dinky desserts, they had a lot of texture. They contained a bit of a crunch and spice, a simple but not too sweet combination. Another surprise was how filling they were, much more than the cupcakes. I had only one cookie and was done. I thought that I would be hungry again, but with these cookies, I was fine after one. Fine! I have never felt this way about cookies, and cookies and I have had a very dark and storied past. As skeptical as I was about a cookie being a meal, these really felt like meals.

smart crunch

The Smart Crunch tasted much like the cookies and resembled similar flavors. But as a snack, they were perfect. A handful was fine to carry me through an afternoon which is a sentence I’ve never typed. Normally, I would have said something like, this was a nice precursor to the Chinese buffet, but a few bites of the Smart Crunch kept me thinking about other foods.

the smart bagel

The smart bagel looks more tempting than it actually is. Perhaps it was the way it was packaged or prepared, but this was not my favorite of the dried products. I thought it would have more of a melba toast quality, but it was chewy with a burnt aftertaste. I would rather skip bagels altogether than try to recreate the experience with one of these.

underWAY drink

One of favorite Smart for Life products is their underWAY drink. This is delicious. I received both Grape and Acai-Pomegranate flavors and both of them were phenomenal. Whenever I’ve had a drink like this, I usually crave another salty food to match the fake sugar, but with this drink, I wasn’t craving anything when the bottle was done. That is not normal for a hungry gal like myself. I’m the type of person who finishes a drink like this and then yells ravages a bag of chips. With the drink, it was enough to keep me satisfied and quenched.

vanilla-la shake

The vanilla shake didn’t have the same success as with the underWAY beverage. I poured cold water into the dry mix and set the bottle in the freezer. When I tasted it, it had the same frothy consistency as a malt but it was far too sweet for my palate.

Most of the Smart for Life products did have the ability to curb hunger while being tasty at the same time. While not every product was a hit out of the ballpark, there were enough options for me to enjoy myself while keeping my calories and insulin levels in check. The products for Smart for Life are perfect for someone who wants a flavorful way to health. It’s strict with what you can eat in addition to the products (no fruit, lean protein, etc.) but to achieve any kind of result, it requires work. Luckily, there are different products that match your flavor preferences and enough to choose from that can make this diet a success.

If you’re interested in purchasing underWAY and Smart for Life products, there is a special 10% discount code. Please use MCUS10OFFUW for underWAY products at www.underWAY.com and MCUS10OFFSFL at www.smartforlife.com. These expire August 30th.

This is a compensated review by BlogHer and Ritz.

A typical day at my 40-hour-a-week job usually includes rapid emails firing, excel sheet wizardy and template wrangling. I eat at my desk and type until it’s time to leave. My fluctuating workload can be grueling and stressful at times, but when I have time, I take a break and disconnect from the grown up world and do two of my favorite things: kill zombies and fight my family and friends.

Let me explain. A few months ago, one of my co-workers turned me on to what has become my favorite iPhone game ever: Plants vs. Zombies. It’s a simple game that’s just what its title says, you must protect your house against invaders by planting sunflowers, mushrooms, cabbage hurlers, and more. It requires fingertip precision in strategically placing plants to battle these shambling undead villains.

plants vs. zombies

And it has consumed me. It marries my love of horror with my love of horticulture. I zoom through the levels and try different plant weaponry. I earn points, redeem coins for weapons like a melon-pults and gloom-shrooms. And being a winner definitely relieves stress. And when I get tired of being so super successful at showing the undead whose boss, or just purchaser of the game, I move on to another brain scrubbing break: Family Feud on Facebook.

family feud: the best kind of feuds!

I don’t spend all day on Facebook because I have a job that I would very much like to keep but for a few moments I get to play my newest obsession: Family Feud. It allows me to recharge and unleash my English major skillset on my friends and family. I have to use my degree for something, right? However, I think I have let my brain atrophy because at first I had some laughable answers in the Fast Money round. My answer to, “What name would people give their sons born on Thanksgiving?” was not the top answer of “Tom,”
but rather the answer that NO ONE in the 100 people surveyed gave: “Turk.” As in Turkey? Then I remembered that I have never met a man named Turk in my life! Maybe my brain is unique! Or just weakened by years of reality tv show watching.

I love how familiar this game is, it summons my pop culture knowledge or reminds me of many voids there are in my brain. I know the information’s there, or when my answers yield a big fat “ZERO,” I know it’s not there. These games make the long day in front of the computer less grueling. It’s the only time during my day when one one is asking me for more apple juice or if I can compile a list or schedule meetings. I know that I can pause my hours of full- time typing and reading and get a mini-break from phone calls and filing to a place where I am a part-time champion of words and destroyer of zombies.

When I’m done destroying the undead and bringing my fellow Facebook wordphiles down, I love to eat! What I loved about Ritz Crackerfuls was how it felt like a real snack–a snack made for grown-ups. I’m at my desk most of the day and when I need a snack to break up my workload, I don’t want to be reminded of licensed characters or frou-frou animals. There’s enough kid-friendly foods in my pantry. I need a snack that will handle me and all my working womanness! Although that might be a stretch for any food, I did appreciate that this long cheese-filled cracker snack was made with real cheese and whole grains and kept me satisfied longer than anything my office’s vending machine has provided. It’s depressing to down a bag of chips, only to crave more in a few minutes.

With Ritz Crackerfuls, I enjoy each bite. I can log off my computer and savor the lightly salted crackers all by myself, without the computer or children to pull me away.

TIME’S UP! THANKS FOR PLAYING!

How do you enjoy your day? Enter a comment below and you could win a $100 Visa Gift Card! Money is an instant mood lifter!

Super mind grape stomping bonus: There are 16 other bloggers also giving away $100! Check out their entries on how they enjoy their days here!

Rules:

1. No duplicate comments.
2. You may receive an additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
3. You may receive an additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
4. This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
5. Winners will be selected via Random Number Generator and will be notified by e-mail.
6. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
7. Contest runs from 10:00 a.m. (PST) 07/09/10 and ends 5:00 p.m. (PST) 07/31/10.

For more information and rules, please visit the official rules.

Please visit the official Ritz Crackerfuls site for more information:

But wait! There’s more! Print out your own coupon to save $1.00 on Ritz Crackerfuls filled crackers.

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and GAP.

As a mom of boys–a three-month-old and a four-year old–I have become a season veteran of looking past the enviable girls racks, ones filled with ruffled frocks and fluffy fabrics. I have spent many afternoons rifling through the boys section where blues and grays have prime hanger real estate.

Even though I don’t have a little girl to style, my kids don’t have to be left out of the fashion fray. Thanks to the 1969 line of denim at Baby Gap, my two-month-old son TJ doesn’t have to succumb to the banal, insipid outfits with “I love baseball/football/mommy/daddy” stitched across the front.

decked out in denim

The collection’s classic lines, sturdy structures and easy snaps offer a simple way to elevate baby wear without looking heavy-handed. I want to dress my son with some thought; I don’t want to dress him like it’s New York Fashion Week.

I’m not one for splashy clothing when it comes to dressing boys, but I do believe in the show-off outfit, the pieces that add the extra “Awww!” when I’m presenting him for the first time. That’s the reaction that I love, one that melts my big beating mom heart.

a man baby of discerning taste

The new chambray shirt is a great utilitarian choice, a simple button down front with snaps at the bottom for easy opening and when you have a baby, that quick diaper change access is essential. It matches other options in the 1969 Baby Gap line without making him look like a coordinated farmer, albeit a coordinated and fashionable farmer. The lightweight fabric is perfect for Seattle’s fickle weather. I can layer it for colder days, or roll up the sleeves when it starts heating up.

strolled up

Dressed in the New Jeans, TJ appears like he’s no longer waiting for his next feeding, but is a little man doing little man things like ordering a cup of coffee (likely, a short latte). The jeans have the perfect elastic waist with snap front button. Snap buttons are a blessing to the sleep-deprived. I hate clothing that when securing on my baby makes me feel like I’m solving a Rubik’s cube or a Sudoku puzzle. In these soft jeans, it’s easy to wiggle him into the pants and slip them off. Jeans are a staple of closets for any age and round out his wardrobe perfectly.

over all, he's sleepy

Nothing encompasses the sweet essence of a baby boy like jean overalls. He needs a stick and a handkerchief full of his belongings and he’s off to ride the rails. Or he can just wait until mommy comes around to hold him. These overalls were one of my favorites in the collection. The jean fabric has the toughness that ensures it won’t disintegrate in the washer machine. I love the slant pockets, too. Baby pockets! What is he going to put in them? He just discovered his hands! Plus, he’s so adorable, he exhausted himself.

denim dreams

The 1969 Premium Denim line from BabyGap has the quality I need in baby clothing with the illusion that it’s meant for an older set. Whether in jeans and a collared shirt or a pair of overalls and a simple onesie, he may be dressed like a man, but he is still my little man and my little baby–my manbaby.

Stream it

Time’s up! Thanks for entering!

Do you want to win a $100 GAP Gift Card? You have until July 12th to leave a comment below and check out the official rules sweepstakes here!

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Crystal Light.

As a full-time working mom of two boys, my sleep is gold. I take it very seriously. It takes planning and preparation to keep me on a sleep schedule. I’m not an 18-year-old college freshman with the energy level and foolishness to pull all-nighters. Back then my classes didn’t start until 10 and the dress code was welcoming to sweatpants and the t-shirt I slept in. My job requires that I arrive at a certain time and while and a dress code isnt explicitly stated, I’m sure my excuse that, “I woke up late and that’s why I’m wearing a grease-stained shirt,” wouldn’t fly.

I get enough sleep because of all the work I do during the day. Kids are fed, read to, snuggled and then put to bed. My clothes are hung up for the next day. My lunch packed, breast pump readied. This keeps me streamlined in the morning so I don’t have to wake up any earlier than I have to.

In addition to preparing my family for the next day, I have to keep tabs on my own health. It’s a quid pro quo system with my stomach. If I eat crap–a fat laden plate of greased up carbs that I bought at a drive-thru–then the next day, I’m a groggy sloth-mess. I keep hydrated during the day, I don’t wake up at night with a mouth so dry, it’s like I licked rocks in a desert.

Keeping hydrated is one way I can ensure a restful night’s sleep. Drinking water flavored with a packet of Crystal Light powers me through the day and allows me to have a bit of shut-eye that every frazzled woman desperately needs.

sleeping

How do you get sleep/rest?

TIME’S UP! THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Leave a comment to enter into the giveaway fray! You can also enter by linking this post on twitter and blogging about it.

I’m giving away a $100 Visa card this month and will be writing each week, giving you a total of 12 chances to win on this blog!

That kind of luck not enough for you? Check out the other bloggers reviewing Crystal Light over at BlogHer where you can also win $1,000! Who doesn’t love money!?

Rules:

1. No duplicate comments.
2. You have THREE ways to enter! Your initial comment is your first entry.
3. You may receive one additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
4. You may receive one additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
5. This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
6. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
7. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Please see the official rules here: Official rules

Winner to be chosen via the Random Number Generator.

Visit Crystal Light for more product information.

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Crystal Light.

I consider myself a pretty happy person, someone whose three-fold approach to obstacles is: cry me a river, build me a bridge and get OVER it. I don’t dwell on what is out of my control. I don’t weep over people who slighted me years ago (read: my entire time in junior high). Now as a full-time working mom of two I have a simple way to keep a positive attitude: find the happy escape route.

It’s not easy to keep a positive attitude when the world is bogging me down with parent-teacher conferences, emails, lactation issues, post-pregnancy pants that still don’t fit, bangs the stylist didn’t cut correctly or my husband who told me this morning just I was walking out the door that he couldn’t drop our son to daycare so I would have to.

After groaning and pouting for a bit, I sought for the happy way out of an understandably annoying situation. I could spend some more time with my son, I could turn on the radio and enjoy the time together. It was an attitude adjustment that transformed an impromptu run to my son’s daycare into a chance to belt out 80s tunes with a four-year-old. Have you seen a kid try to sing “Forever Young?” That’s a definite mood-lifter.

It’s not easy to see the upside to situations but there are happy routes and quick fixes. A radio station with an ample 80s playlist alleviates a stressful morning and molds a young mind to appreciate New Wave.

When the summer eventually arrives to Seattle and these morning melees need something more, a small packet of Crystal Light will transform a cold drink into a pink lemonade escape, making even the bitterest, grump inducing of days refreshing.

new, wave

How do you keep a positive attitude?

Leave a comment to enter into the giveaway fray! You can also enter by linking this post on twitter and blogging about it.

I’m giving away a $100 Visa card this month and will be writing each week, giving you a total of 12 chances to win on this blog!

That kind of luck not enough for you? Check out the other bloggers reviewing Crystal Light over at BlogHer where you can also win $1,000! Who doesn’t love money!?

Rules:

1. No duplicate comments.
2. You have THREE ways to enter! Your initial comment is your first entry.
3. You may receive one additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
4. You may receive one additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
5. This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
6. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
7. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Please see the official rules here: Official rules

Winner to be chosen via the Random Number Generator.

Visit Crystal Light for more product information.

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Crystal Light.

When summer finally arrives in Seattle and there has been a long enough period of heat and sunshine that convinces all of us that it is not a weather fluke, my family heads to the water. There are several wading pools in Seattle Parks that cater to families, children and pool lovers alike. This is one of the reasons why I love this city so much. It may be gray for much of the year, but when it is gorgeous, it is gooor-geous.

My son is the pool’s biggest advocate, its greatest and loudest cheerleader. When we drive by the park and the parks crew has finally filled up the wading pool for the season, I can see him press his face to the window as he blares, “THE POOL! THE POOL!” Like I wasn’t also waiting for this glorious moment when he is no longer held captive inside the house because of rain and clouds and let loose.

Unbuckling my son from his car seat when we get to the park is much like releasing the hounds at a dog race track, he immediately targets his prized playground. I watch my son jet through the pool, kicking at the water or sitting in it, propping himself up on his elbows, checking out the other toddlers waddling around him, especially the girls–the kid’s a ladies man. He casually whispers to a passing little lady, “Hey, you like fine cooking? I have a plate of pizza rolls with your name on it!”

chillin

This is where I go to unwind in the summer. I can plop myself by the pool’s edge, in the soft grass and shade, a chilled summery drink in hand (the peach flavor seems appropriate). I bask in the moment of our fun and freedom, a day when we’re disconnected from our gadgets and toys and allowed to revel in the world around us.

splash

My son does the same thing, too. Great minds think alike.

Where do YOU go to unwind in the summer?

Leave a comment to enter into the giveaway fray! You can also enter by linking this post on twitter and blogging about it.

I’m giving away a $100 Visa card this month and will be writing each week, giving you a total of 12 chances to win on this blog!

That kind of luck not enough for you? Check out the other bloggers reviewing Crystal Light over at BlogHer where you can also win $1,000! Who doesn’t love money!?

Rules:

1. No duplicate comments.
2. You have THREE ways to enter! Your initial comment is your first entry.
3. You may receive one additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
4. You may receive one additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
5. This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
6. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
7. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Please see the official rules here: Official rules

Winner to be chosen via the Random Number Generator.

Visit Crystal Light for more product information.

This is sponsored content from BlogHer and Crystal Light.

Before I moved to Seattle nine years ago, I had vague ideas of the weather here in the Pacific Northwest. I had heard it rains nine months out of the year, and by heard, I mean, I picked it up from the movie that planted the idea to move from the island of Saipan: Sleepless in Seattle. The ark-worthy rain deluges are rare but not far off from the truth. The weather in Seattle is a fickle beast that shines sun one minute and then rains the next.

Because of this much of this city isn’t prepared for heat. Many of the homes, including my own, were built without central air conditioning. My husband’s car does not include air conditioning either. So when summer rolls around, it can be hot. Extremely hot. So hot that I remember the day that it hit over 100 degrees. It was a Wednesday. It made the news. Live at 11! It’s hot!

Even though right now the weather is still muggy and gray–more like June-uary than June–the clouds will dissipate, and there will be days when the Seattle heat is an oppressive beast that keeps its residents searching for relief. We become zombies scavenging shelves for rotating fans and portable air conditioners, vulturing around ice cream vendors and public swimming pools.

So, when asked, how do I stay hydrated and fresh in the summer heat, I turn water into an appendage. Not like I’ve replaced my hands and now plastic bottles stick out of my shirt sleeves because that would really throw off a first impression.

water bottle hands!

To fight off the energy-zapping power that summer has, I must have water around me at all times. I have bottles in my car to cover the ones I might have forgotten in my desk drawer. I have water and Crystal Light packets in my handbag so that during my commute–a packed a 40-minute bus ride without air conditioning–my mind can think about how much I really love Crystal Light’s grape flavor swirling in my drink and not, “Please let me out of this moving coffin.”

Plus, if you’re working in an office, you can always take a break for water. It’s much healthier than a smoke break, 100% less caffeinated than a coffee break and no one will raise an eyebrow and let out a long, exasperated, “Pa-shaa! Who does she think she is? Getting all hydrated in here!”

fancy pants water

My favorite water bottle is one I swiped from a work retreat last summer. It’s a long and sleek glass Voss bottle and whenever I use it, I instantly feel fancy. I love to retrieve it from my bag, fill it up with freezing cold water while the sun beats down outside and I enjoy that moment of relief, the kind that makes me blurt out a loud, breathy and uncouth, “AHHHHH!”

How do YOU stay hydrated and fresh in the summer heat?

TIME’S UP! THANKS FOR PLAYING!

Leave a comment to enter into the giveaway fray! You can also enter by linking this post on twitter and blogging about it.

I’m giving away a $100 Visa card this month and will be writing each week, giving you a total of 12 chances to win on this blog!

That kind of luck not enough for you? Check out the other bloggers reviewing Crystal Light over at BlogHer where you can also win $1,000! Who doesn’t love money!?

Rules:

1. No duplicate comments.
2. You have THREE ways to enter! Your initial comment is your first entry.
3. You may receive one additional entry by linking on twitter and leaving a link in the comments.
4. You may receive one additional entry by blogging about this contest and leaving a link in the comments.
5. This giveaway is open to US Residents, aged 18 and older.
6. Winners will be selected via random draw, and will be notified by e-mail.
7. You have 48 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.

Please see the official rules here: Official rules

Winner to be chosen via the Random Number Generator.

Visit Crystal Light for more product information.