Summer vacation is winding down, and the kids go back to school next week. I can hardly believe how fast those summer months flew by this year! So much Summer Fun!

As we shift our focus towards Back-To-School, here are some creative crafts ideas and activities to get the whole family excited about the new school year!

http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/back-to-school/

Woo-Hoo for School!

At our house, summer skin protection is an absolute MUST.

I’ve heard many people over the years say that they aren’t worried about skin cancer because, if they get it, the doctor can just remove it, so it isn’t a big deal.  Well, as the daughter of a Dad who died from Melanoma with no known prior family history of it, I’m here to tell them otherwise.

Skin cancer is a VERY, VERY big deal, and if you are unfortunate enough to get the really bad kind – Melanoma – like my Dad did, it can very quickly become life-threatening.  Melanoma is extremely aggressive and can spread to other major organs and systems throughout the body if it is not caught early.

So again, at our house, summer skin protection is an absolute MUST.

Especially important to understand is that much of the most serious sun damage related to skin cancer often occurs during childhood.  My Dad recalled spending many childhood summers swimming in the lake all day long without any sort of sun protection, and getting burnt so badly that his shoulders blistered and peeled all summer.  His initial Melanoma occurred on his shoulder blade area.

My family has found that the “old-school” zinc oxide products work best for our kids and stay on the longest (even though they tend to leave my already very pasty younger daughter even paler when it is first applied J).  Baby Blanket brand stick works great for our kids’ faces, and Baby Lizard/Blue Lizard (which our wonderful family dermatologist recommended) is great for all-over body protection.

Here are some more helpful family summer sun protection tips:

http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/summer-skin-care-kids

When it comes to your kids, make sure you’ve “got ‘em covered”!

(& that “applies” to you too!)

A few absolute “givens” of life as a mom during the Summer: Lots of outdoor fun; a freezer well-stocked with yogurt squeezables, ice cream, and/or popsicles; extra kids running in and out; bottles and bottles of sunscreen; added “beach towel” laundry loads; and the always-dreaded yet completely anticipated “Mom, I’m bored!” exclamations.

The inevitable whine of the “I’m b-o-o-o-r-e-d…” complaint occurred unusually early at our house this summer. It came from my older daughter (of course, under the ever-watchful eye of my younger daughter, taking it all in) before school was even formally over, on a final half-day.

Normally, this behavior would have taken about a millisecond to get under my skin, but not this time.

This summer, I was prepared.

Upon the submission of the first “There’s nothing to do” grievance, I calmly replied that our first “official” rule of summer was that any “I’m boreds” would be my signal that someone needed something to do right away, to end their suffering. () I would have a full list of chores on-hand, and be ready and willing to dole out whatever chore I chose, since an “I’m bored” would immediately eliminate the complainer’s option of choosing, bartering, or otherwise discussing the available chore options. I told my daughter, whose eyebrows were raised as she tried to completely take in my quick yet casual reply, that since this was her first time hearing of the new rule, she could choose to go find something else to do as a one-time freebie, or I’d be happy to let her know her To-Do item.

Needless to say, off she went, with an “I’ll take the freebie” and “My Mom’s a little crazy” half-grin on her face, while her little sis wasn’t far behind (probably thinking that she best avoid any potential residual chore-delegating)! And that was that – not a single “I’m bored” whine has echoed through our halls since.

Did I actually have a pre-made To-Do list especially for “I’m bored” delegation? No. But, I am 1000% confident that I’ll be able to whip something up on the fly should the need arise over the course of the coming summer weeks! I know my kids share that same confidence in my abilities, so I am expecting a pretty “I’m bored”-less summer! Sometimes its extra-fun being Mom!!

(This is a re-post from one I did around this time last year – I thought it was a perfect reminder for me now, and I hope you find it helpful as well!  Can you believe it is almost time for the kids to be out of school again?  It isn’t about getting it all perfect – it’s about remembering to have fun while we’re doing it – and why not feel great about including our family in the process!)

I made an “executive decision” this past week to shift gears a bit and slow down a little for the summer.  I had been super-busy the past few weeks with some business projects and work in general, and I was finding myself stressed-out, over-tired, and increasingly overwhelmed.  I had started to stray from my commitment to and philosophy of building my career and business around my desired lifestyle, rather than letting my career and business overtake my life.  It is all about balance, and I had started to slip down the slippery slope of working and e-mailing until all hours of the night, skipping the gym, not spending as much time as I would like playing with my kids during the day, multi-multi-tasking, and taking absolutely no time to focus on my own self-care.  For a brief while there, I wasn’t enjoying my work as much as usual, I wasn’t enjoying my moodiness and exhaustion, and I am sure that my family wasn’t enjoying me that much either.  To top it all off, I was feeling hypocritical because I wasn’t following my own advice – moms need to make themselves a priority in their own lives.

Then, over the course of a few days, it seemed the Universe was knocking me upside the head, like in those “I shoulda had a V-8” commercials.  I was receiving the message repeatedly (from what I was feeling, by what I was tuning into around me, by conversations I was having with other people) that I was out of alignment with my Self, my values, and my goals, and it was time for an adjustment.  So, I made a conscious choice to slow down a little, and I developed a daily “routine” that allows time for me to focus on getting my top work priorities done, uninterrupted, for an hour or so each morning and afternoon, while leaving time throughout the day to spend quality time with my kids and still leave myself some ME-Time each day.  It was like a huge weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could literally breathe easier.  (I once read that when we are stressed, our breathing becomes shorter and more shallow – No wonder we become exhausted!)  I have also decided to limit e-mail checking mostly to a time in the morning and one later in the day, rather than getting sucked into it every time I pass my desk.  I feel the change in me and I see it reflected in my kids.  They are content to keep themselves busy for that hour or so each morning and afternoon while I work uninterrupted (for the most part! J) because they know that they’ll have my attention for the remainder of the day.  Will this new approach always produce the perfectly balanced day – No, but it’s a definite step in the right direction for me.

I have also enlisted the kids’ help more around the house this summer – putting their own laundry away, folding towels, picking up after themselves, and their newest chore, which strangely they love (almost as much as I love them doing it!), unloading the dishwasher.  We have also made most meal preparations a family affair.  The girls love to help me cook!  I have been spending more quality time with my husband and the kids this past week, had more time to do some things for myself, and have still stayed pretty much on top of my work.  A few less things may be completed in a given timeframe, but I am enjoying my days and my work so much more again, and that is worth it to me.  I absolutely love my jobs as a mom and a business owner, and I will continue to approach balancing the two as an adjustable process that I tweak along the way so both work best for my family and me.

Most importantly, I did not beat myself up over straying from the balance I espouse to.  When I felt the scattered discomfort and noticed the shift away from balance, I chose to do something about it.  After all, there are no mistakes – only opportunities to learn and grow.

I hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend with your families – I know we sure did! The Easter Bunny was very good to us! I can’t believe Spring Break is here and summer is coming up right behind it!

How would you like to cruise into summer this year calmly, confidently, and full of energy, knowing that you are finally making the changes you have been wanting to make that will free up your mom-schedule (not to mention your mom-sanity!) for enjoying more summertime fun with family and friends?

You absolutely can, and the best part is, you don’t have to go it alone!

Starting in May, MomEvolve is offering a fun and unique monthly coaching and community membership program for moms called The ME Connection, where moms connect and evolve!

The ME Connection is more than a coaching program. It is also a mom community – a sisterhood – for, about, and in support of today’s evolving moms. It is a program and a place in your life designed to help you connect with your Self, connect with other moms like you, connect with your goals and dreams, and connect with how you want to share your unique and amazing gifts with the world!

As a member of The ME Connection, you will have convenient access to valuable yet “digestible” information that you can easily fit into your busy mom-schedule, however works best for you personally, and you will receive the support you need to make the changes you want for yourself and your family.

And, not only is The ME Connection convenient , supportive, and transformational, it also is super-reasonably priced – you can join me and other like-minded evolving moms who want to begin taking action toward their goals, all for less than the cost of a couple of large lattes a week!

Cool Beans, huh?!

(Sorry, but I couldn’t resist!)

Click here to find out all of the exciting details of The ME Connection and reserve your spot for May. I look forward to connecting with you soon!

Live Positively Fulfilled!

Lynn Ely
The Evolving Moms Coach™

MomEvolve
Inspiring Moms to Evolve™