Because I had done this earlier in the year, I got out what I had prepared so I could have a look at it. It’s funny how things change in such a short period of time. How things you didn’t have any idea were going to happen do happen and then all the best laid plans fall by the wayside. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I wasn’t doing too badly on my ideas about what I wanted to do this year, which gave me a bit of a boost for planning out the rest of the year. What I did realize is that I need to write out more concrete and measurable goals, not just amorphous ideas. If I was going to accomplish anything, I really needed to have something to aim for that had a yes I have done that or a no I haven’t answer at the end of the year.

While I was planning my own life, I realized that these are skills that are definitely beneficial for my kids. Of course they have things that they want and dream about … some are realistic, some not so much, and understanding that is the first step in making goals for yourself. Next week, neither of them have camp and we have a quiet week at home before they go off to stay with their cousins for a week or so. I don’t want them to waste this time, so I’ve prepared a little activity for them…

Basically, by next Friday, I want them to answer the following for me:

• Half of the year is now over. List 10 things you want to do before 2012.

I have some great resources for them to read about setting goals and thinking about things they want to do, including a goal setting ladder worksheet. It will definitely be interesting to see what they come up with!

Here is the advice with left with for treating acne in the summer:

• First and foremost, my daughter has to keep to her daily skin routine. This can be difficult in the summer as regular schedules can be disrupted. Also, if skin looks better, it’s tempting to stop using the treatments so regularly.
• Moisturize. Although skin may feel oilier in the summer due to the heat and humidity, it’s important to use a moisturizer every day. Cleansing the skin can remove the natural oils, and this can stimulate the skin to begin to over produce oil. This means that skin can become oilier and there is a greater chance of pores being clogged and more acne being produced. It was recommended that we look at a lighter moisturizer compared to the one that my daughter was using in the cooler months. One that is oil free (of course) and even a gel might provide all the moisture she needs.
• Add a clay facial mask to my daughter’s routine. Once a week (we’ll probably do it on Sundays, the one day we are pretty likely to be home), my daughter should apply a good clay mask to her face. The clay absorbs any excess oil, and it helps to unclog pores and even shrink them.
• Apply a good oil-free sunscreen with a high SPF every day (even on cloudy days). We had been doing this most days, so I felt good about that one.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and drink lots of water. We know that no foods are linked to causing acne, but fresh fruits and vegetables and water can help to prevent it. Luckily, our home garden has helped improve everyone’s diet greatly!

Overall, my daughter seemed quite happy with her appointment when she left. I’m glad she’s feeling so positive and hope it keeps up through the next few months at least.

I am worried about the fact that both of us seem so focussed on her skin, if it’s improved, whether the latest products are working and how she looks. Because she’s off school right now, it just gives her that much more time to analyze her skin as she has a lot less to think about. I have been trying to keep her busy, but like any girl her age, motivation is a serious issue. I’m sure if she had her way, she would stay in her pjs all week!

Developing good social skills is important in life, and learning to develop them in different situations even more so. Plus, with the fact that high school is looming, having her attend babysitting camp takes on a whole new meaning. Of course, some of her friends will be going to the same high school that she is, but not all of them. Also, there are going to be a lot more kids she doesn’t know. The high school she is attending is a good school, but it’s also a big school and there are probably at least five times the number of students there compared to the school she just left.

Of course, babysitting camp pales in comparison to starting the first day of high school, but at least she can have the experience of being out of her comfort zone and doing something without the safety blanket of her friends to hide behind. I’m hoping that she might meet some kids that are also going to the same school as her. The great thing about babysitting camp is that it isn’t for just kids her age. The information said that anyone between 11 and 15 can attend, so this should give her a range of people to interact with. Fingers crossed that it all goes well and she enjoys herself as she has four more days after this!

Many people are reluctant to wear sunscreen if they have acne. There are many misconceptions about mixing sunscreen with acne. One of the most prominent is that using a sunscreen will increase the oiliness of a person’s face, which will then make their acne worse. In fact, by choosing the right sunscreen, your face will not be oilier. Also, not wearing a sunscreen can make your acne worse, plus it can cause a lot more severe problems.

Many acne medications make the skin that much more sensitive to the sun. This means that the damaging UV rays produced by the sun can be that much more of a problem for people who suffer with acne. Not only can the skin become irritated when it is exposed to the sun for any length of time, but also sunburn can be more likely. Additionally, cell damage can be a lot more widespread and can be a factor in increasing the risk of skin cancer.

I didn’t want to scare my daughter, but I also believe in her having all the information to hand when she makes a decision, or when I insist she do something. After the sunburn incident a few weeks ago, I was pretty adamant about her wearing sunscreen all the time. Not just on her face, but on her body. Yesterday, my goal was to find an excellent sunscreen for her face, and give her the relevant reasons for why she should use it.

Because she spends so much time outside, and especially tomorrow when the water in the pool can reflect the rays and make her exposure to the sun that much more, I’ve decided that SPF 15 is just not high enough. Also, I’ve investigated non-comedogenic sunscreens (ones that don’t block pores) that are free from oil. I know this is going to cost me a bit more than buying just regular sunscreen, but I’ve decided on a Neutrogena sunscreen that is oil free and has an SPF of 45. This is specifically for her face, and she does have regular SPF 15 sun lotion already that she can use on her body. All she needs to remember is to re-apply it when she gets out of the pool.

Because we are both looking at her skin every day, it’s hard to determine if there has been a change or not. I’m sure it’s improving, but it’s not like she has woken up one morning with a face that is completely clear of acne. The improvement is gradual and in small increments each day, which makes it a lot harder to notice.

As it’s summer, my daughter also has a tan. She has been pretty good about using suntan lotion most of the time, but even still, being out in the sun has given her some color. I wonder if it’s the fact that her face is tanned that is masking the acne? I have read that acne can get better in the summer for some people, so maybe this is what is happening. I hope it isn’t just that as I don’t want her skin to get worse once the weather changes.

Some days, this really does feel like walking a tightrope. Balancing between helping her, and at the same time trying to not make her self-conscious. The years ahead are definitely going to be tricky ones. Everyone remembers what it was like to be a teenager and how important it was to fit in with everyone else. The last thing any teen wants is to have a reason to be considered different, and feeling like they look different, even worse, than other teens and how that affects my daughter’s self-esteem is a real concern for me, particularly when she starts high school this fall.

Every time I have brought up going for a walk, I’ve been met with a barrage of complaints about the heat and how tired everyone is, and it has been far too easy to cave to these weak arguments. I’m ashamed to say that it’s been at least two weeks since we’ve been on a walk, so I am determined to stick to my guns about this. On the plus side, it is forecast to be a bit cooler in the evenings for the next week or so, so I’m hoping I can use that in my favor.

While I love having central air conditioning in our house, I have come to realize it is a devil in disguise. Why head out into the overwhelming heat and humidity when you can relax in comfort in your temperature controlled home? I’ve started to notice that my family is slowing becoming one of those families … complains about the cold in the winter, but then when it gets warm, hides inside!

I know I’m going to have to be firm in the next few days. I figure that I’ll try to make it interesting, so I’m going to change it up a little. Where we live does a guided haunted walk in the evenings, so I’m going to use that as a reward. If my family will get out and walk each night of the upcoming week, the reward will be the haunted walk. Also, to fight any complaints about the heat, I’m going to have us go a little later, when the sun is going down. It will be a bit of an adventure for my kids too as they usually aren’t allowed out that late at night. Believe me, I’ll resort to almost anything to get them out of the house!

Although her skin does seem to be improving, it’s definitely not perfect and she knows that it’s going to take some time. What she is worried about is that she will develop new (bigger) pimples on the day of the party or just before, and if she does, how she can cover them up. If she’s swimming, she’s worried that any cover up she uses will just wash off leaving her pimples out for everyone to see. To add to the stress, boys have been invited to the party as well as girls.

Needless to say, when she realized it was a pool party, she stated outright that she wasn’t going and stormed up to her room when I tried to reason with her. So, I’ve been left with the task of how to convince her that everything will be fine and I’ve come up with the following:

• Stick to her acne routine for the upcoming time and be very strict about it. Keeping to her cleansing routine will help get rid of any pimples she has and will hopefully help to stop any new ones from appearing.
• Drink lots of water and avoid pop and juice to help flush any toxins from her body and keep her hydrated and her skin healthy.
• Find a sunscreen for her face that has a high SPF as her skin is sensitive due to the Dermaclear. Ideally, I want to find one that has some tint too  so it can be used to cover any pimples on her face. Otherwise, I’ll get her a waterproof coverup stick that she can use on her pimples. Usually, I don’t like her to wear makeup, but as this is a special occasion, I’ve decided to allow it.

As an extra treat, I’m going to see if I can convince her to go to the pool party and to come shopping with me by offering to get her a new bathing suit. Target has some super cute ones this year that I’ve seen her admiring and they are not that expensive either.

Baked Tomatoes

• 4 tomatoes cut in half horizontally
• grated Parmesan cheese
• chopped fresh oregano
• olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 450F. Arrange sliced tomatoes cut side up on a baking tray. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper over the tomatoes. Drizzle olive oil over the tomatoes and bake for about 15 minutes, or until they are tender.

Caprese Salad

• 4 tomatoes cut into wedges
• 1 cup diced fresh mozzarella
• chopped fresh parsley
• chopped fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste

Toss all the ingredients in a bowl to mix. Can add a drizzle of olive oil when tossing.

Black Bean Salsa

• 2 – 3 tomatoes
• 1 red or green pepper
• 1 jalapeno pepper (optional)
• 1 spanish onion
• 1 can black beans
• fresh cilantro
• 1 lime

Dice the tomatoes, peppers and onions and mix together with the chopped cilantro. Drain and rinse the black beans and then mix with the fresh veggies. Squeeze in the juice of the lime. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Easy Pizza

• Greek style pitas or pre-made pizza bases
• olive oil
• sliced tomatoes
• grated mozzarella
• chopped fresh oregano
• salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400F. Brush pitas or pizza bases with olive oil. Sprinkle with grated cheese and then place tomato slices on the cheese. Season with salt, pepper and fresh oregano. Bake for 12 – 15 minutes until the cheese has melted.

Tomato Macaroni Casserole

• 3 – 4 diced tomatoes
• 1lb dry macaroni shells
• 6 – 8 ounces of grated cheddar
• 12 ounces of tomato juice

Preheat oven to 350F. Cook the macaroni as per instructions on the package. In a casserole dish, mix cooked macaroni, tomatoes and tomato juice. Cover with grated cheddar. Cook for about 20 minutes.

The great thing about all of these recipes is that they are healthy, but also easy enough that the kids can help me make them!

This probably wasn’t the easiest year to start a garden, as we went from a very wet spring to a ridiculously hot summer almost overnight. We have had to keep a special eye on how the plants were doing and lately have been watering almost every day. The good thing is that while some of our veggies seem a bit behind schedule, we are starting to pick some of them.

The list that we initially came up with ended up being a bit over exuberant, so we settled on tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, strawberries, potatoes, peas, carrots, raspberries and a lot of fresh herbs. After getting some advice from friends and family, and the local garden center, I tried to pick some of the easier plants to grow. I figured that by increasing the chances of success, I would increase the chance of them staying interested … and it looks like my plans paid off.

When we purchased the plants, we bought a combination of small plants and packets of seeds to plant. The veggies went in the garden, while the strawberries were planted in a strawberry pot and the herbs were planted into window boxes. The raspberry canes were planted in a back corner of the garden, as I was warned they would spread a lot.

The fruits of our labor have started to pay off. We have had some fresh tomatoes, plenty of fresh herbs and the strawberries did very well … well the ones we were able to get to before the birds ate them! I didn’t even realize that robins love strawberries and that I would have to put a net over the plants. Chalk that one up to experience.

One other benefit to having our own little crop of fresh veggies is that both my son and daughter have gotten a lot more interested in what we are eating. They want to eat stuff they have picked from the garden and want to try all kinds of new recipes that lets them experiment with their new crop. Who know making healthy eating could be so easy and so fun? Hopefully, this will last.

There are a lot of families in our neighborhood with younger children and also, we have relatives and family friends who also need a babysitter from time to time, so I think this could be a great source of income for my daughter. And while she doesn’t have any experience yet, I have come across a way to get her the experience she needs, as well as enrol her in an activity this summer … babysitting camp.

When camp was first suggested in the spring, my son was all over the idea. We actually had to limit the number of camps he went to. If he had his way, we would never see him, he has that many interests. Of course, that can get to be expensive, so he was allowed to choose one for July and one for August. My daughter’s response couldn’t have been any more different if we tried. She was “too grown up” for camp and didn’t want to go at all. Instead, her idea of summer was lazing around and doing nothing. I don’t think so.

Babysitting camp seems to be the perfect compromise. It is a way for her to get a job and also it will get her out of the house and doing something for at least a few days this summer. Unbeknownst to her, I have been doing some research and found an excellent camp later in the month. I have already enrolled her as there weren’t that many spots left. I’m sure she’ll appreciate it later, even if there is some initial resistance.

The babysitting camp I chose is run by the YMCA. Not only does it provide tips on how to look after children, it also includes a first aid training section and how to prevent accidents from happening. Also, because the camp is held at the YMCA, the kids in the camp get to actually work with children in the daycare center at the Y. Instead of just theory, they get hands on practice in looking after and entertaining young children. Finally, this camp is for boys and girls from 12 – 15, so I think it will be a great way for her to meet new people besides her friends from school.