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For cold weather, it is recommended to stick with layers and resist the urge to dress the baby in just one super-warm garment. Layers will help in adding or removing clothes according to the temperature indoors and outdoors.

Well, judging by the weather, summer is definitely just around the corner here at The Daily Kool, and boy, are we in big trouble. Bathing suit season is almost here, and we have totally been neglecting our healthier eating habits these past few months...yikes! Time to get back on track and start watching what we eat. Thank goodness we have The Biggest Loser finale coming next Tuesday for inspiration. Those contestants are amazing...an absolute inspiration to everyday people like us who want to improve our health and increase longevity. And, while The Biggest Loser contestants have had many tools at their disposal to help them shed those extra pounds, one of the most important has undoubtedly been an old standard...a kitchen scale.

Last week was a miserable time to fly to the westcoast...trust us, we were there. The weather was severe enough to cause several flight redirects, delays and cancellations. There were babies crying, kids screaming and adults complaining everywhere we turned...at the airport and on the plane. And did we mention the turbulence? We were all shaking in our seats...literally. All in all, it was a frustrating, exhausting and noisy experience for those of us traveling.

Here in Florida, we have been experiencing consistent afternoon thunderstorms for the past couple of weeks, wreaking havoc on otherwise perfect temperatures for swimming...yep, it's summer all right. It's not easy keeping kids entertained in lousy weather, especially when you are trying to conserve costs in today's economy. After hours of playing family games, dancing to music and baking brownies, we decided to bite the bullet and splurge for a family outing at the movies. You guessed it...we took our children to see the new Disney Pixar movie Up.

The Daily Kool had a great Fourth of July holiday this past weekend. We went to our parents, had an amazing barbecue lunch (courtesy of Dad and Weber's Way to Grill), enjoyed Mom's famous pasta salad and spent the early afternoon playing games with the kids. Ah, family togetherness...you gotta love it. Okay, who are we kidding? Fourth of July is all about the fireworks. Our city park has a spectacular concert and fireworks event every year, and the kids spend all afternoon, anxiously waiting for it to be time to go to the show. Unfortunately, the sun is still brutally strong when the show begins, and by the time it gets dark, the evening rains inevitably come out to put a damper (couldn't resist the pun) on our fireworks fun. Sure, we have a beach umbrella that we use to ward off the elements, but it's cumbersome and doesn't provide nearly enough coverage for our family of four.

Today (June 1st) marks the beginning of hurricane season, which typically lasts through November 30th. Having lived in Florida for three decades, particularly through the record-breaking 2005 season, The Daily Kool family recognizes how nerve-racking this time of year can be. Anyone who has experienced the devastation from category 5 hurricanes like Andrew (1992), Katrina (2005) and Ike (2008) can attest to the importance of preparation this time of year.