I have a simple recipe I use for my summer lemon ice.

Lemon Ice

1/2 cup sugar

2 lemons

zest from one lemon

About one cup of water (t0 taste)

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium sauce pan, and heat and mix until the sugar dissolves. Then pour the mixture into ice cube trays, and stick in the freezer until frozen. Reserve a little of the mixture to pour over the ice when you crush it. Once the mixture is frozen into ice cubes, put them into a food processor, or blender to crush with the reserved lemon mixture. Enjoy!

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The Baby Alive Better Now Baby set includes an aspirator to clear her nose, a sippy cup to make sure she gets plenty of fluids. Your child can check Baby Alive’s temperature with her teddy bear thermometer. Give her medicine with her magic spoon, and don’t forget to change her diaper!

When Baby Alive is feeling better the teddy bear on her thermometer changes from a frown to a smile.

The best part is, Baby Alive Better Now Baby requires no batteries to go from sick to well again. She’s available at most major retailers and at HasbroToyShop.com.

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My son gets car sick if he does anything close up, like reading, watching a movie, or playing video games. I have to come up with ways to entertain him, and keep him looking around.

I decided to be a little pro active this year and look for some activities to make the road trip fun for the kids. Here are some of the ideas I came up with.

• A game of I spy. I spy something and it’s orange…
• See how many cows, horses, pigs, VW Beetles etc. you can spot in a certain time frame.
• Make up a game board for car Bingo before the trip. Put different things you might see on the trip in spaces on a piece of card stock or paper. Have your kids mark things off as they spot them. Some things you might include are stop signs, farm animals, people, guard rails, a certain color of car or truck, an evergreen tree, flowers, and whatever else you can think of.
• Have a singalong. My son loves to sing, so sometimes we just start belting out our favorite tunes.

I’d love to hear how you keep your kids entertained for a long trip in the car.

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Image (c) L Gerlach

My son and I have been checking out the Summer Bridge Activities book for 4th graders going into the 5th grade. The Summer Bridge activity books are to help children bridge the gap between grades. It’s a summer program that has two sections to review the grade your child just completed, and one section to preview the grade your child is going into.

Image via Summer Bridge Activities

My son has been working his way through the first section of the workbook. There are activities in reading, writing, math, and language. The book also lets you set your own rewards with your child for completing each section.

My son likes to go check out summer movies, so our rewards have centered around checking out the latest movie premieres. So checking out the movie of his choice is our reward for his Motivational Calendar.

The book also contains a summer reading list, so we trekked off to the library and checked out a couple of the books on the list for him to read.

The book list for the 4th-5th grade included, “Holes” by Louis Sachar, and “Series of Unfortunate Events” by Lemony Snicket, and several other books. They also have a summer reading club your child can join online.

The back of the book includes answer pages, fitness charts, flash cards, motivational, attitude exercises, and a certificate for completing the program.

I really like the workbook, and I think it’s a great program to help your child get past “summer brain drain.” My son is even enjoying the activities, since we usually sit down together when he’s ready to work on them. I have him work through them as much as he can on his own, and take a look at whatever he is having problems with.

You can find more information, and parent resources for Summer Bridge Activities at their website. The books are sold at Amazon.com, and at major book retailers nationwide.

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The My Little Pony Newborn Cuties Little Rainbow Dash’s Room playset  features a pink nursery, and comes with a Newborn Rainbow Dash.

Newborn Rainbow Dash pony can take a ride on her adorable little dino ride or snuggle up for a nap in her cloud-shaped cradle complete with a rainbow mobile. The set also comes with a teddy bear, skirt, tiny blanket, and special pony book.

The My Little Pony La-Ti-Da Hair and Spa gives your pony collection a day of rest and relaxation. The set comes with an exclusive Cheerilee pony. Your ponies will enjoy being pampered in their own pony spa that features a full service pretend hair salon.

Ponies can choose from five different hair options, each with a different color and style! Once the ponies are finished getting their hair done, they can take a relaxing “bubble bath,” and prepare for their day in the ultra chic pony changing room.

Both of the new My Little Pony sets are available now at major retailers, and at HasbroToyShop.com.

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Here are some of my top picks.

• Make up a trail mix with some healthy nuts and dried fruits. Almonds, walnuts, peanuts, roasted pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, and raisins are all good choices to throw in your travel trail mix. Add a few M&M’s if you have a sweet tooth.
• Homemade granola makes a great take along snack for a long car ride, or make some granola bugs for a fun treat.
• Pack some fresh fruits like bananas, apples, grapes, or oranges.
• Celery and peanut butter make a fun snack, add some raisins to the top and call it “ants on a log.” Store your celery and peanut butter in small ziplock bags until you’re ready to eat it.
• Cheese sticks and whole grain crackers make an easy travel snack.
• Whole grain cereals packed in small bags or containers.

Make sure you bring foods that don’t aren’t easily perishable, and don’t need to be refrigerated, unless you’re bringing a cooler with ice. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water, or fruit juices to keep children hydrated during hot car rides.

Do you have a favorite healthy snack you like to take on long car rides?

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First up is Newborn Duckling an adorable, little yellow baby duck. He’s even cuter when he flaps his wings and makes “real” duckling sounds.

Next up is Newborn Bird who’s sure to catch kid’s attention with its bright bold colors.

Last is my favorite, Newborn Puppy. He’s soft, cuddly, and wakes up when you pet him. When you stop petting he falls to sleep.

All of the newborn friends come with their own bottle, and an adoption certificate.

All of the FurReal Friends are available at most major toy retailers nationwide and at the Hasbro Toy Shop.

Image via Hasbro

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The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children offers parents ten safety tips to help keep their children safe this summer.

1. MAKE SURE children know their full names, address, telephone numbers and how to use the telephone.

2. BE SURE children know what to do in case of an emergency and how to reach you using a cell phone or pager number. Children should have a neighbor or trusted adult they may call if they’re scared or there’s an
emergency.

3. REVIEW the rules with your children about whose homes they may visit and discuss the boundaries of where they may and may not go in the neighborhood.

4. MAKE SURE children know to stay away from pools, creeks, or any body of water without adult supervision.

5. CAUTION children to keep the door locked and not to open the door or talk to anyone who comes to the door when they are home alone.

6. DON’T drop your children off at malls, movies, video arcades or parks.
These are not safe places for children to be alone. Make certain a responsible adult supervises your younger children at all times whenthey are outside and away from home.

7. TEACH your children in whose vehicle they may ride. Children should be cautioned to never approach any vehicle, occupied or not, unless accompanied by a parent or other trusted adult.

8. BE SURE your children know their curfew and check in with you if they are going to be late. If children are playing outside after dark, make sure they wear reflective clothing and stay close to home.

9. CHOOSE babysitters with care. Obtain references from family, friends, and neighbors. Many states now have registries for public access to check criminal history or sex-offender status. Observe the babysitter’s interaction with your children, and ask your children how they feel about the babysitter.

10. CHECK out camp and other summer programs before enrolling your children. See if a background screening check is completed on the individuals working with the children. Make sure there will be adult supervision of your children at all times, and make sure you are made aware of all activities and field trips offered by the camp or program.

Don’t forget to have fun! Sometimes I get so caught up in worrying I forget that the main goal is to have fun.

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The first level features a jungle gym slide. Your pet can take a spin on the perch or just relax on the basket swing. When they’re done your pets can even take a ride on the habitrail shaped elevator.

When they’re worn out your pets can get pampered and groomed at the second level salon or take a nap in their sleeping cubby. The Pet Daycare Center doubles as a carrying case, so you can carry your Littlest Pet Shop collection with you in style.

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His message has made a big difference, from about 22 million acres burned in forest fires in 1944, to an average of 7 million today. Smokey Bear still works to get his message out. Many Americans believe lightning starts most wildfires. On average, 9 out of 10 wildfires across the nation are caused by people. Most are caused by campfires left unattended, people burning trash on windy days, arson, people carelessly discarding cigarettes, or operating equipment without spark arrestors.

I’m glad Smokey Bear is still around to teach children (and adults) the importance of preventing forest fires, and what they can do to help.

Smokey Bear’s gone social to keep up with the times. You can visit Smokey at his website SmokeyBear.com, while you’re there make sure you check out the kids section “Smokey Kids.” You can also find Smokey on Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube.

Image: Newscom

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