v 4 issue 43: Celebrate the Great Outdoors

This issue contains super summer products and ideas for enjoying the great outdoors this summer with your family.

Cover by Julie Cruz












1 Surf's up...campin' style! Go over to good 'ole Barn Dandy's to get yer self one of the fine indoor tents for great outdoor fun...even on a rainy day.

2 Pack up the kiddies and go on a picnic with this responsibly chic Throw & Go blanket from 'lina bean. The fleece is made of recycled bottles, the green leaf trim is an organic cotton/bamboo blend, and the quality is great! Enter code: TTW for 20% off your entire purchase

3 The tight weave of the fabric used in UVSkinz sunblock clothing provides 50+spf protection by blocking 98% of the sun's harmful rays. We love it because it's chemical-free sun protection which doesn't need continuous reapplying. Plus chlorine resistant. Easy & effective! Enter code:TTW20 20%. Offer valid through 6/15/09.

4 Snap on a Shady Baby stroller parasol for instantaneous, versatile, & stylish weather protection. Two flexible coils and push button pivoting provide the flexibility and the 50+ spf water repellent umbrella keeps the rays & rain out. Enter code: TOTSHADY for a 15% discount through 7/1/09

5 Get the kiddies into the spirit of saving trees. Reusable cloth napkins designed to appeal to the hearts and souls of the little ones. Fabu! fabkins.com Enter code:TTW10 for 10% off your total purchase through 6/30/09

6 Now, let's change our focus to protecting the eyes. Large hip lenses, four fab colors, and a matching Neoprene strap (...to hold 'em in place) all help Retro Banz stand out in a crowd. Available in baby and kids sizes, these high quality shades get the job done. Enter Code: TTW09 for FREE shipping through 6/30/09.

7 Giggle and relax with the new DVD from HIT Entertainment: Playtime Pals. You get fun in the sun with Barney, the beach with Fifi and friends, and a spectacular set of fireworks with Thomas. Bob, Fireman Sam, and Kipper drop by for some fun too!
Amazon.com

8 The Creative Toy Shop carries the perfect activity to keep creative kiddos outside and busy all day long. Build, design, and play in this sturdy, recyclable cardboard castle for a super price of $79.99. Enter code: TTW for $10 off for your purchase through 6/30/09


This weeks mom tips:
Time Saving Tip:
Menu Planning: Dinner is a hectic meal for busy moms who are just getting off of work or who have been busy with other activities all day. Here is some menu planning tips to help make dinner meals easy and even fun.

Schedule your meals a week in advance. This is one of the most important planning tips for meals. Knowing what you are going to eat throughout the week means less chance that you will stop off at the closest fast food joint for a convenient, but unhealthy meal. Create your shopping list from the list of ingredients to avoid buying what you don’t need at the grocery store.

Cook your meals in advance. After deciding on a menu plan for the week, go ahead and fix as many meals as you can. Choose a day when the entire family can help like Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon. Each person can take one meal and fix it for the following week. Once everything has cooled, store it in sealed containers or casserole dishes to be frozen until the night it is needed.

Do prep work in advance. All of the meals can’t be cooked at once. Some foods just taste better freshly prepared. For them, do as much prep work in advance as you can. The night of the meal, all that is needed is to add the wet ingredients and bake.

Have a leftover night. After preparing meals for five or six days, there is bound to be some food left over. Designate one night to be leftover night and let everyone mix and match for dinner. It saves mom from having to throw away any food.

Green tips:
Older showerheads can use three gallons per minute or more. New, efficient models can use two GPM or less. Also look for showerheads that deliver water in multiple small streams, rather than a fine mist; they keep water warmer and make rinsing easier. Avoid designs with multiple heads that compound water waste.

An aerator (that cylindrical device that threads onto the end of a faucet) reduces the amount of water needed to do jobs such as hand washing and dish rinsing. Look for one at the hardware store; it will be marked with the flow it permits, measured in GPM. A 2.0 GPM aerator is ideal for kitchen faucets, while a 1.0 GPM version works great for the bathroom sink.

Using cold water can save up to 80 percent of the energy required to wash clothes.


Fun and Frugal Family Outings

Parks are great for day trips. Those with playground equipment can keep youngsters entertained for hours on end. Hiking trails offer opportunities for exercise and exploration. Most parks have picnic facilities, so you can pack a lunch instead of eating out.

Play miniature golf. Admission is usually quite reasonable, and it provides the opportunity for relaxed yet engaging family competition.

Visit a petting zoo. These small zoos do not have the exotic animals you see at larger ones, but kids can feed and pet the animals.

Go to a museum. Some offer cheap or free admission, while others cost more. But the larger and more expensive ones often sell season passes, so if you live close by, you can visit numerous times for one low price.

Go boating. If you're fortunate enough to live near a body of water, boating is fun and relaxing. Canoe and paddle boat rentals are inexpensive, and when you're done boating there are usually other cheap or free activities in the area.

Attend events at a nearby college. These may include plays, concerts, dance recitals and movie showings. Prices are low, and student discounts usually apply to kids, too.

Nature offers a wealth of possibilities for family outings. Camping is a wonderful activity for families, and it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be as simple as pitching a tent in the back yard, or you can spring for a camper and rent space at a campground. Bring the grill and some hamburgers or hot dogs, or catch some fish to fry.


Fun camping tips:
* When camping outdoors in unfamiliar areas, everyone gets a whistle. Young and old.
* Choose a campsite that fits your needs: Tent or cabin, what’s right for you? Some campgrounds you can tent, but have access to plumbing in central locations to get the best of roughing it with the modern convenience of a flushable toilet and a running shower.
* Camp fire goodies, don’t forget the smores! but marshmallows aren’t the only things you’ll be cooking, popcorn, hot dogs, toast, and depending on your level of roughing it you’ll be cooking on the fire a lot, have water nearby for safety and use a fire ring to contain the flames.
* Let the kids help, packing things like trail mix, raisins and peanuts, rolling sleeping bags, and so many other things the kids can help with when it comes to camping.
* Pick up some books on wildlife, bird or plant identifiers for the kids to find things while on their trip. You’ll be pleasantly surprised when they start looking for the things they just read about.
* Bring a disposable camera for each family member to take pictures of their favorite things on the camping trip (kids too!) then when you get home develop the film and make a camping trip scrapbook or photo album.

Having fun as a family doesn't require a six-figure income. If you look hard enough, you can find lots of free or cheap activities that parents and kids can enjoy just about anywhere.