Summertime in the South and appreciating the little things

Summer family vacation to the beach is just a memory now, but I am still finding granules of sand in my SUV. My girls are excited about swimming and summer activities and a more relaxed schedule but as a working mom my schedule doesn't change much. I'm still in the office four days a week and my 3-year-old is still enrolled in daycare. My oldest daughter just finished kindergarten (sniff) and will go back and forth between Camp Grandmas and will be attending Vacation Bible School. The tough thing about going on vacation at the beginning of summer is that the remaining weeks of summer stare you in the face like a bunch of stir crazy kids in the car on a road trip chanting, "Are we there yet?" I'm continually amazed, and thankful, for the wonderful opportunities that blogging has brought my way. In April I attended the inaugural Camp Baby event for mommy bloggers, an all expenses paid retreat sponsored by Johnson & Johnson. For someone who doesn't get to travel much at all, I felt like a blog rock star. We even got to attend a wine tasting hosted by Ted Allen of Queer Eye and Top Chef fame. If you're a mom, especially, you no doubt have purchased Johnson & Johnson products. I knew that Johnson & Johnson also makes Aveeno and Neutrogena products, but at the retreat product expo, I also learned that Johnson & Johnson makes such products as BandAid, Neosporin and Splenda. At my personal blog, I wrote about the vested interest corporations have in online media and social networking. Moms, especially, spend many hours online for medical, household and other pertinent information, as well as for virtual networking. Moms also are prime target for marketing campaigns since we make so many decisions related to household purchases, from deodorant to digital cameras. I just launched a separate blog for product reviews and giveaways at www.SavvyHousewife.com. Back to reality, it's amazing how having kids makes you appreciate the fun and flavor of the dog days of summer. I notice little things like lightning bugs and lemonade stands and spending time outdoors with my girls makes me realize how much fun it is to look at the world like a kid. Now excuse me while I turn off my laptop and enjoy summer!