Pass the Cotton Candy

Longer days, fewer obligations, Skinny Cows in the freezer this is how summer should be. Some days are like this for her, most are not. "Are we there yet?" are four words that remain bittersweet. She's not surprised that her kids want to be at their vacation spot, but she could be whining even louder due to how much the gas is costing to get there. The city or neighborhood pool, a nearby lake or beach, and her own backyard are highly occupied whenever possible. Clambakes, barbecues, volleyball, and softball keep her busy. If it's not a part of her personal schedule, she's carting around a child to a specific field to play. Meanwhile, some have the audacity or tenacity to prepare for Christmas in July. Some truly are shop- ping now to take a load off of an eventually busy December.

Crafting parties are being held. Hallmark is offering a sneak peek at this year's hot ornaments (Twilight!), and other major online retailers offer special sales. The airlines are already making a big play for her holiday money. They encourage her to purchase any necessary holiday airfare now to avoid the strong possibility that a flight will not be available at the end of the year due to cutbacks. She can only give this holiday stuff so much attention; she's got much better things to keep her focus. Like YOU on her favorite station.

She Buzz Words

• Limeaid
• Ceramics
• Souvenirs
• Postcards

She could be

• Enjoying a smoothie
• Vacuuming her car floor mats
• Babysitting her neighbors kids
• Texting four people at once

She fact

Insurance companies in some states are offering pay-as-you-drive auto insurance, allowing motorists to purchase coverage on a per-mile basis. With today's high insurance rates and the price of gas, she might consider this alternative.

She vocabulary

• Aqualates: Pilates in the water-makes for a very challenging downward dog.
• Mocktails: A more adult term used when describing a drink without alcohol.

She's Pregnant

More babies are born in the U.S. during August and September than at any other time of the year.

Moms-to-be need to stay cool, hydrated, and wear loose-fitting clothing because hot temperatures can seriously compromise her comfort and safety.

She Fashion

She is buying big, bold, chunky, and funky necklaces. It's one of summer's hottest accessories and will definitely travel into fall. Chunky necklaces look best with clean necklines and open-collar shirts. Styles can be made out of stones, flat rock, jeweled tones, and pearls and can be found anywhere from Claire's (cheap accessories) to Talbot's and Tiffany.

She Fact

Does she look healthier with a tan? No, say only 32% of adults polled. Washington DC has the highest percentage of anti-tanners, according to the American Academy of Dermatology in Illinois.

She Read

• The Little Book of Big Medical Emergencies: How to Recognize and Respond to the Most Common Medical Emergencies, by Stuart Fischer M.D.

She Produce

There is an abundance of watermelons; she loves this low-calorie fruit and how it drips down her chin on a hot summer day. She thumps them to pick one that's ripe and she's read enough articles convincing her not to store her melon in the refrigerator until she cuts it. But this time of year, she has more options. Cantaloupes and Honeydews are favorites that she picks with her sense of smell; sweeter smells lead her to the riper fruit. A Sprite is a relative of the honeydew, smaller, sweet like a pear, white coloring and weighing no more than 2 lbs. The Crenshaw is a larger melon (5-9 pounds) with a yellow skin and sweet pink fruit inside.

Finding a clean bathroom while traveling can be difficult. Yojo Mobile is making it easier. Currently available in San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Washington DC, and Chicago, and with more cities to come, www.yogomobile.com is a web service that will send a list of the cleanest bathrooms right to your cell phone. This list includes wheelchair-accessible bathrooms and diaper-changing stations. The service is free, but comes with promotional mentions. www.mizpee.com/web/index.html She's clean!

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