Remember the story about a teen girl who fell asleep at the tattoo parlor and got 56 stars in her face? If your tween/teen wants a tattoo and that story isn’t enough to stop her/him, here is how you will get her/him never want or get a tattoo.

Ever.

My oldest one is going to middle-school and we have been already having a lot of talk with her about older kids, puberty, and growing up. And all of the things that tweens and teens are temped to do, especially those that parents don’t want them to do. One night during dinner we started talking about tattoos. The talk went something like this…

“Isabella, if you will ever get a tattoo, I will get a tattoo on my arm that says “Isabella’s Mom” and come and pick you up from school every single day waving my arm so everyone can see it.”

“What about Gaby..? What will you do if Gaby gets a tattoo?”

“My other arm will say “Gaby’s Mom” then.”

But those three kids are so smart. They figured I’d run out of arms so I just said…

“Well… if one of you will ever get a tattoo I will get a tattoo on my chest that says “Presnal kids ate here” with an arrow pointing to my boobs. And come and pick you up from school with a low cut top. Every day.”

And that’s how your teen will never get a tattoo.

We are getting ready for our trip to Cape Cod, we will first do a stop in Rhode Island to visit the Mom Generations gang and then heading all the way up to Provincetown in the tip of Cape Cod and staying at the Harbor Hotel Provincetown. But before we go… mama must know some of the best things about summer, and even though these pictures are from our last year’s trip to Rockport, MA, the dog days of summer and the feeling of it is timeless.

Here are 5 ways to live life to the fullest and enjoy the dogs days of summer with the kids right now. This is what we are doing right now – how about you?

1. Let your child be the tourist guide

Visit a new place or be a tourist in your own town. Nothing like pulling out a good ol’ map and checking out the recommended attractions. Forget about map apps for one day; do it like we used to do it and let kids to read the map, plan the route and mark down the places they want to see. You might be surprised what kids want to see and do when you give them the option to be their own tourist guide (we visited more historic sites than I would have!).

2. Swim, swim, swim

Whether it’s the neighborhood pool or a chance to go to the beach – take it and enjoy it. Swimming isn’t just fun, but it is an important life skill that can save your child’s life one day, and the more fun you will make swimming, the more likely your child will excel in it.

3. Eat more ice cream

No explanation needed.

4. Go to farmer’s market & eat the food in season

Enjoy the fruits and vegetables in season, and enjoy picking them up from the farmer’s market. Go to fish market to get the fresh catch of the day. Enjoy what summer has to offer and eat simple, local, fresh food. I hope you do this all year round like we do, but especially do it right now.

5. Let the kids stay up late.

There is something magical about warm summer nights, and no school the next day. Let kids stay up late, if not every night, at least a few nights during the summer. Watch the sunset together. Camp out in the yard. Pull out the flashlights and catch fire bugs. Forget about movie nights, enjoy summer night outdoors.

As I am writing this, most of the parents of my daughter’s classmates are frantically packing their kids’ sleeping bags and clothing for an overnight school camp for three days. Or at least I imagine so, and so does my daughter.

We are packing our ski goggles, ski pants and extra sweaters for a ski trip to Park City Mountain Resort instead. When you are reading this – we are on our way to Utah, while the other kids are just getting settled at their camp side somewhere in New York.

My daughter is on 5th grade, and she is an honor student who reads more books in a week that I read in six months. She is well-behaved, smart and doesn’t get into trouble. I don’t think I am a helicopter parent watching her every step – and by the way, I have no trouble letting her to go to ski school in Park City Mountain Resort and letting a person that I have never met before to take her up to the mountain and challenge her to get to the next skiing level and test her limits with her skis. On a big mountain.

But how come I have trouble letting her to go on an overnight camp with the kids that she goes to school with every day, with a teacher in a school that we have carefully picked to be among the best in our neighborhood?

I don’t know.

There is a part of me that wanted to say “go, and have fun”, especially seeing how much she wanted to go, and even when the teacher was telling us “not to worry”. But the lack of really knowing where they were going (not enough communication from school), and what they were going to be doing, and not knowing any of the people going.. I just couldn’t. I don’t care if it’s “a good school”, and “carefully selected students” going with “plenty of parents”, I could not let my 11 year old to go on an overnight school camp. Does this make me a bad mom or a good mom? According to the teacher, more of a bad mom, not that she said it with words.

Maybe I do know why I can’t let her go.

I understand that I am denying my daughter an experience and a lifelong memory, but how could I guarantee that it would be a lifelong good memory? When I was a kid I went to summer camps, Girl Scout camps, school camps, and gymnastics camps and dance camps, starting when I was about my daughter’s age. I was scared shitless on my first camp, and all what I wanted was to go home. Then I got older and started doing all of the things my mother wouldn’t have approved me doing – at the camps. And I witnessed more bad behavior, bullying, under age drinking and smoking cigarettes at the church and sports camps than in the “bad neighborhoods”. No disclosure here which of the listed I participated in, but not all of it was voluntary – on the camps I was bullied doing things I normally would not do. And on my 6th grade camp one of my schoolmates, and a roommate of mine went to diabetic shock. Lifelong memories yes, but not all good ones.

I know I can not shield her from “bad memories” or bad things forever, and I do want to put her in situations where she has to be able to make up her own mind, take care of herself and be independent. And I do. But school camp is not one of them. At the same time – she will have to learn that you can’t have everything in life and sometimes it’s a bitter lesson to learn. But at least I am making this one a bitter sweet. Can’t think of a better way to NOT go to a school camp than going skiing in Park City.

Maybe I’m not that bad of a mom after all.

You can read our travel stories and about our ski trip at Park City Mountain Resort Snowmamas.

Disclosure: I am one of the Park City Mountain Resort Snowmamas, and my trip to Park City is paid for. My opinions are my own.

Kids got haircuts today and are getting ready for their Hanes modeling trip on a Disney Cruise to Bahamas. Kris got a little excited and started singing when I asked him why he is getting a haircut… The next Disney Channel Star in making…?

We received their modeling schedule for the trip, and it includes posing with Mickey Mouse, island shots, having fun with flubber and dancing conga. Sounds like really tough work for kids, and poor hubby and me… We have to drink piña coladas go with them to supervise the kids.

Meet three new Hanes models: my kids!

I am part of the Hanes Comfort Crew and my family attended the Hanes Comfort Crew kick off trip to DisneyWorld earlier this year – and now my children were asked to be Hanes models for the summer ’10 catalog!

“It’s exciting and cool to try out being a model, maybe I’ll be in magazines and be famous one day”

The Hanes Comfort Crew is a network of social media influencers who interact with Hanes about clothing, comfort and online community. You too can interact with Hanes at their Social Mix Hub. There are amazing members in the group, and I don’t know how I got so lucky to be in the group. Maybe because I know how to chillax and be comfortable? Maybe because I have tried and tested (with three kids!) that their products last in use? Maybe because as a former clothing retailer I know a good brand and good quality when I see it?

The Hanes PR and brand people were able to meet my children this spring, and see in first person who they are, and now they offered all three an unique modeling opportunity!

“It’s gonna be awesome, I’m so excited, I want to be a model just like mama was when she was a teenager”.

My kids are getting an amazing opportunity to be in a Summer 2010 Hanes catalog. I am so proud, and yes, excited too! When I had my clothing store my kids used to model for my store, and they actually liked it. My two youngest ones auditioned for a movie this spring, and I think they have the same gene as their parents – they like to try out new exciting things. Now they are getting this opportunity to see what it is to be a model, have a professional photographer to take photos and what it really is. Who knows, maybe they are interested in pursuing modeling more after the trip – or just scratch it off as one of the things “I’ve done”.

“I’m excited to go because I know it’s gonna be a lot of fun.”

We are leaving for a four day shooting trip on Saturday, and I’m already busy packing.

Can you guess where we are going…?

Yes! We are going for a Disney Cruise to Bahamas!

Ever since I did the Disney Cruise in January I have wanted to take kids for a cruise too. There is so much fun for kids and I sort of felt bad for going without kids. This time our whole family is going, so exciting!

$50 Hanes Gift Card Giveaway

I think this news requires a little giveaway, don’t you think? I decided to raffle one 50$ Hanes Gift Card for one Skimbaco Lifestyle reader.

Enter to win $50 Hanes Gift Card

1. Subscribe Skimbaco Lifestyle in your email box and leave a comment you are a subscriber.
OR
2. Post a picture of your little “Hanes model” (your kid) in your blog, and link back to this blog post and leave a comment with your link. I bet as one of the Comfort Crew members and all, I can ask Hanes to check out the posts… Just sayin’.

DEADLINE: September 27th midnight EST.

Big news: we are not moving anywhere this summer.

It seems like it was just yesterday when we moved here in New York, rented this temporary apartment and kids started school. School is almost out – two more half days left – and we already got a notice we should either renew our rent lease in two months or move out. We’ve been in New York for almost ten months already – where did the time go? On the other hand I feel so at home here that seems impossible it’s only been ten months – did the life in Europe, then traveling across the US and living in Colorado really even exist?

We have moved almost every year the past 7 years we have lived in the US. Out of the past 7 years we have lived in hotels or furnished temporary apartments for total of over a year. It may not seen that much out of my life, but that’s over 15% of my kids’ entire lives. You know those 100 days projects kids do at school – my kids do world maps and “100 places I’ve been” on those days.

We have decided just stop and breathe and enjoy life right here where we are. While it is tempting to move again, find a nicer place (we have tried, no such luck finding anything), maybe even closer to the city, but kids like their school in our little town and have gotten some friends. And the pool season just started and I finally found my way to the free gym we have in our club house. I miss owning my own home, renovating, painting and ripping of the carpets and installing wood floors. Maybe there will be a day that we can buy a house again but as of now our kids won’t have a “childhood home”, they just have a childhood of adventures, new experiences and they are getting different kind of tools for life with the lifestyle we have.

I do feel we deprive our children things – like their grandparents. One set lives in Texas, other set lives in Finland, and we live right in the middle, New York, and equally far away from both. The thought being away from family and my parents not seeing my kids to grow is killing me. My father said a few years ago they’ll come and visit us when we “settle down” and our life is “normal”. I hope he’ll change his mind some day, because I do not seek “normal life” and settling down, I seek living in the moment and experiencing every bit of life I can.

While our life may seem too chaotic and crazy and even totally not stable, the traveling and moving around isn’t the only thing we do differently in our family. On the other words: I am not a soccer mom. Since we travel and move so often, I want our every day life to be as low key and calm as possible. Kids don’t do soccer, nor baseball or take any other classes after school. If we are not doing something skimbaco, adventurous and exciting, we lead pretty boring life. You need to balance it, you know. We don’t do many play dates, don’t go to movies or hang out at the mall on Saturdays. We don’t have babysitters, we never do anything without the kids. Think of it – the way we move around and travel, if our every day life was the typical suburban busy family life with baseball games, sleepovers, date nights for parents- our life would be so busy that I would never have time to actually get to know my own kids.

This summer, the summer when we are not moving anywhere, our kids are also not going to summer camps, and we haven’t even planned a big family vacation. This summer we are having a “Summer Camp At Home”, we have set rules for activities like reading and TV and list of fun activities kids want to learn and do. I will keep you posted how it goes – because after all, while the kids are on summer vacation, I will be running business as usual while organizing all the summer fun for the kids.

Ask me after two months if this was a good idea.

Kris sitting in the cockpit of a C-130.

See more Worldless Wednesday at 5MinutesForMom

… so we took kids to audition for the next Ben Stiller movie, the sequel to Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers.

They are looking for two kids, a boy and a girl in the ages between 6-8, and since I happened to hear about the audition, and Gaby and Kris happen to be in the age frame, we went and took them to audition for the movie today.

No, we don’t have any unrealistic plans of moving to Hollywood any time soon, and obviously kids don’t have any experience in the acting business (even though they fake cry pretty well if I may say so), but part of our “Summer Camp at Home”, we created a plan to do something unusual and special this summer – instead of doing any actual summer camps. Summer vacation hasn’t started yet, but we took this as one of our special new experiences.

My best friend’s child has been in a few movies, so I called her yesterday to give us some tips, and she told me to put an acting resume with photos together. So I whipped up some resumes yesterday, printed out some photos I took myself, and listed all the experience (like school plays) and their special skills like knowing how to ski. Let me tell you, it’s really weird to write a resume to 6 and 7-year-olds, I mean, what are considered skills anyway; like does talent to tell fart-jokes or win a staring contest count? But I am all about living life to the fullest, and how many kids get to say they even auditioned for a Ben Stiller (and let’s not forget Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman) movie..? (Ok, hundreds and hundreds, so as you can imagine we have no expectations to get called back).

Gaby and Kris practicing their lines.

We got to the studios an hour late, and I’m glad we did, because we ended up waiting only like 30 minutes or so before the kids were called in to audition. They gave the kids simple lines to rehearse and they had to say them in the front of the camera. They were asked a few questions, and it was all over in less than 10 minutes. Kids were excited about the new experience, but we explained that they are looking for a certain type of kids, and even if they did perfectly in the audition, they still might not be the type they are looking for, like they might be looking for kids with blue eyes, and their eyes are not blue, so there is nothing we can do to change it. I don’t think it’s going to be a big deal for the kids if they never call back – for them just the audition was an exciting new experience. Then again, if they will get called back, that would be focking awesome, and we’d totally go to Hollywood…

I found a letter from my 7-year-old daughter’s backpack. It is dated March 18, 2009 by the school and sent by their school internal mailing system. Which by the way I love – isn’t it great that the school has a mailbox for student mail and they can send each others letters? It’s a letter from brother to sister.

I’ll translate the text for you (Kris is 6 and in Kindergarten):

Dear Gaby,

Sincerely, Kristian

My kids are each others best friends, and I just think this letter for big sister is beyond cute.

Could I have asked for a better Mother’s Day gift? I don’t think so.