Win An iPod in The Dont Fret The Sweat Summer Bag Giveaway!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED.

Thank you all for participating in this giveaway. Congratulations to Keonte, whose number, 47, was chosen via Random.org!

 

So Nick measured my Mari over the weekend and it’s official: She’s taller than me. The girl has me by a half inch. At age 12. Which means that between the first of the year and this summer, she’s grown almost two inches. But she hasn’t grown just in height; she’s fast turning into a little lady conscious about the neatness of her locs, the cuteness of her outfits, the size of her purses. She wants to wash her face with fancy soaps and shower with sweet-smelling scrubs and hang out with her adorable friends who, too, are turning into little ladies right before my eyes.

I thought this would disturb me this transition of my first born from little girl to teenager. But it hasn’t. At all. In fact, I’m kinda enjoying watching her blossom and using our downtime this summer to really connect with her in ways that we can’t while school is in session and we’re running around like maniacs from the classroom to the extracurricular activities to the homework to the swim meets and… ugh. We’ve been hitting the pool, walking the malls, reading, writing, listening to music and watching movies together, and talking about a little bit of everything from potty training to periods. And I’m grateful so very grateful that she’s cool sharing her “sweat inducing” moments with me in ways that I never dreamed of sharing with my own mother.

This is the beauty of different. When it comes to talking about the hard things, answering to the curiosities, doling out the 4-1-1 in age-appropriate ways, I’ve deliberately chosen to be different with my babies, with the hope that they will be comfortable with me and I with them. And that’s made this summer an unforgettable one.

And now, I’d like to make it an unforgettable summer for you, too! Or at least an unforgettable day. I’ve partnered with Don’t Fret the Sweat for this awesome giveaway a gift bag with all the summer essentials, plus an iPod to bring along your favorite tunes, that you can bring to a relaxing day at the beach, pool or park. It’s a gift designed to take the edge off of summer break, which we all know can be a tough time for moms who want to keep their kids active while managing “sweat-inducing” family moments from changing routines to the first day at summer camp to the tricky conversations that come as our kids change and question and grow.

Here’s what you’ll find in the Don’t Fret the Sweat beach bag (valued at $137):