Boot up

I counted 95 stores from around the state that are participating in Project We Remember/Boots for Our Troops to benefit the Arizona men and women, their familes, and Arizona veterans who served in the United States military. Each location is provided with paper cut-outs of boots upon which is printed the name of the person who makes a donation to the project. The boots are displayed in a conspicuous place in the business to elicit support from others. So you could go to the Ahwatukee Curves Gym or the Yuma Daybreakers Cafe and put your name on a boot. The project runs through July 6, when all the donations will be collected to help with housing and education for miltary personnel who need assistance. ProjectWeRemember.org.com.

Sew much work for children

Jane Cox has been sewing clothes for children she doesn't know since 1992. The clothes are destined for the Back to School Clothing Drive, which provides clothes, backpacks, etc. for 5,000 children from 135 schools. Jane's 15 year-old granddaughter clues her into what styles and colors kids will wear. Cox buys a discounted T-shirt and then sews a skirt to go with it so that the recipient has the same style and colors as her friends have. She often buys the Project Runway patterns, which ensures that styles are contemporary. "We're the frosting on the cake," says Cox, as many people buy socks, underwear and uniforms that the children wear. What she and about 200 other seamtresses make is the colorful, fun outfits kids want.

The Back to School Clothing Drive has been around since 1967 and needs volunteers for all aspects of its operation as well as cash donations. The next distribution of clothes for the school year is July 21-25. backtoschoolclothingdrive.com.

Keep coupons clipped

They say everyone has a novel in them waiting to be written. The same may be true for a simple product waiting to be discovered by consumers. The List Caddy by CM Concepts of Phoenix is one such idea. It's not electronic or connected to the Internet, but it could save you money. It's simply a clip that keeps your grocery list and coupons hooked to the shopping cart while you shop.

Coupons can be a pain to remember but if they are clipped to your list, that's one less chance you'll pass up a discount on the ever-increasing costs at the grocery store. The caddies come in six colors and cost $5 each (plus shipping if you buy online). They're also available at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe. You might want to buy more than one in case you forget that it is clipped to the cart. listcaddy.com.

Cereal surreality serially

BreakfastBREAKS — a combo box of cereal, snack and juice — held a contest featuring Denise Jonas, mom of teen band The Jonas Brothers. The contest asked moms to tell about their craziest mornings. They did, and a few themes repeat themselves over and over. Alarm clocks are ignored, parents' entreaties to kids to get out of bed are ignored, keys are misplaced, kids leave the house in the morning unfed. Music to the ears of the BreakfastBREAKS folks, no doubt, but at the Did You Know Social Services Center, we are concerned. This is no way to live, people. Get organized and get a louder alarm clock. One mom sprayed her daughter's feet with water to rouse her out of bed. (Finally, someone who gets results!) You can read the entries on the website, but only if the kids' lunches are packed, the alarm clocks are set and homework is done. Each of the winning moms gets four tickets to a Jonas Brothers concert and $150 to spend at Spa Finders. Perhaps a butler and wake-up service might be better. breakfastbreaks.com.

Park places

An organization I hadn't heard of until yesterday has a new website and a new director. The Phoenix Parks and Conservation Foundation (PPCF) builds "public-private partnerships that enhance Phoenix Parks" which, they say (and probably everyone else agrees), are essential to a well-rounded, livable community with open spaces and recreation spaces. In our air-conditioned, automobile-essential culture, getting outside and going to a park is a necessity.

But what does PPCF do? It is involved in the restoration of the Tovrea Castle, it facilitated the Fabulous Fourth Celebration, and "using a gift from the H&R Block family, the Foundation provided the funding for Phoenix Parks to develop the Cancer Survivor’s Park." Started by the Junior League of Phoenix in 1979 the PPCF works with individuals and entities who are interested in the vitality of Phoenix parks. Its new executive director is Tony Motola. phoenixparksfoundation.com.

Monsoons soon

It's already June 25 but we still have a few more months of toasty temperatures. Except for the monsoon, when the weather will be both sticky and toasty. To celebrate, turn off the air conditioning. No — just kidding. Pray the air conditioning survives the summer and curl up with the kids to read a book about the monsoon. Hip, Hip, Hooray, It's Monsoon Day! ¡Ajúa, Ya Llegó el Chubasco! (by Roni Capin Rivera-Ashford, illustrated by Richard Johnson) is published by the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum.

According to the museum "Monsoon is an Arabic word for a wind that changes directions seasonally. Be aware that it does not refer to rain or storms in any way. The word is often misused, even by some weather forecasters." But monsoon means rain, sometimes. Other than the winter rains, this is the best chance we have for water falling from the sky. desertmuseum.org.

A new wrinkle in sunscreen

From the unintended consequences file: Sunscreen causes bleaching of coral reefs. That creamy goop you use to prevent skin cancer is destroying coral reefs, according to a study published in the online journal, Environmental Health Perspectives. It turns out, according to a National Geographic story that cites the study, "Four commonly found sunscreen ingredients can awaken dormant viruses in the symbiotic algae called zooxanthellae that live inside reef-building coral species." The viruses cause the coral to explode, spreading more viruses.

What's the answer? Biodegradable sunscreen. Since 4,000 to 6,000 metric tons of sunscreen washes off swimmers in the ocean every year, alternatives are needed to protect swimmers and coral. Here's one idea: Gina Phelan, who operates Chandler-based sunsationalstyle.com sells sun protective clothing, which leaves less area on your skin that needs sunscreen. Read the enitre article at National Geographic News.

A conscious conscience

What if you could buy baskets handmade in Ghana, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and Uganda knowing that the basket makers got both fair market value for the baskets and prosperity wages many times the market value that would lift them out of poverty? Phoenix-based Gifts with Conscience is one of two places to buy Blessing Baskets in Arizona. The online store also donates 10 percent of its annual profits from sales of many other gift items to three women’s and children’s non-profits.

Gifts With Conscience rotates recipient non-profits and seeks input from customers to help them choose which charities should be considered to receive funds. The company sells gift items for hostesses, girlfriends, co-workers, daughters, mothers, sisters and colleagues. Founded by Vivian Mueller, Missy Shackelford and Sue Spahle, the business was launched in March. giftswc.com.

What I wrote on my summer vacation

The Young Adult Writing Project (YAWP) is an intensive three-week writing workshop for students in 8th through 12th grades. The ASU program nurtures students who want to write prose and poetry meaningful to them — not another school assignment or essay question on a standardized exam but writing that matters — in a style that personifies the writer. Students work with teachers to learn how to critique writing and understand the power and subtle shading of language.

Visit the YAWP website to get information for next year's program. The efforts of the current YAWP writers culminates at at 7pm June 26 at Changing Hands bookstore in Tempe, where the writers will hold a public reading. ChangingHands.com.

Golf of course

It's still June, so there's time to plan for National Family Golf month, which takes place in July. Methinks the Professional Golfer's Association of America (PGA) needs a weather map as only the most dedicated and dessicated golfers venture out onto the links in the inferno we know as summer. Golfing families might want to play out of town, where it is cooler, or tee off at the crack of dawn.

The laudable goal of Family Golf Month is to get families outside and golfing together, whether on vacation or on their home courses. Many courses feature events such as Family Golf Clinics, Family Play Days, Kids Play Free Programs and Family Golf Leagues Visit playgolfamerica.com to find participating courses near you or where you'll be in July.

Aisle see you there

What will draw us out of our homes on a steamy evening in June? A new Trader Joe's. The ninth in the Valley, the 13th in Arizona. The entire Did You Know staff is unnaturally thrilled — giddy, even — about its close proximity. The store is  favorite among the hoi polloi who crave Trader Joe's branded specialty items and unique gastronomic treasures that make taste buds tingle for a reasonable price.

For those of us who live in the Tatum and Shea area, this means no more schlepping to far flung locales for a jar of simmer sauce and chevre. The store opened on Wednesday night on the northwest corner of Tatum and Shea boulevards in Phoenix. Hours are 8am-9pm. Call to say hello at 602-485-7788. traderjoes.com.

Mot du jour

For those of us not going to Europe this summer, Phoenix native Kristin Espinasse offers a taste of France on the web. Her website explains a French word each day and relates her adventures living in France to educate us and make us jealous that she is in Provence while we are stuck in traffic on I-17 trying to get to Flagstaff.

Espinasse's book, Words in a French Life is about her life in France via her learning the language and was a spin-off of the blog. Hmmm...note to self, Did You Know, the Memoir, the Encyclopedia. You — or any kids you know who are studying French — can subscribe to a newsletter and have the entire language, one word at a time, delivered to your inbox. French-word-a-day.

Clean bedfellows

The Sierra Club, that venerable group of old-school enviro-types, is BFF with Clorox, the bleach people. Somehow it all makes sense. Sierra Club needed a company that could create, market and distribute affordable, environmentally friendly cleaning products. Many small companies produce green cleaning products but they don't have the resources of a large company to make them affordable to millions of people.

Clorox developed a line of products that are safer than the usual cleaning agents. You can read about it on the Green Works website .They list the ingredients for people familiar with alkyl polyglucoside, lauramine oxide and sodium lauryl sulfate. Go ahead and Google 'em. I got a C in chemistry way back when, so don't look at my notes. According to the Sierra Club website they are comfortable with the Clorox people being green, so check it out yourself and decide. sierraclub.org/greenworks.

Caverns on a few dollars a day

Kartchner Caverns State Park cave tours will be discounted to $12 for adults and $5 for children during August and September as part of a summer Internet reservations promotion. Compare these prices with the walk-up and phone reservation prices of $16.95 and $8.95 respectively. With gas prices so high, a dollar here and there has got to help. And if you have cave tickets for the day, you don't pay the park fee. Cochise County has a lot of other natural and historical sites to see: Fort Bowie, Fort Huachuca, the Bisbee mines, Tombstone, etc. Want to read a great book about old Bisbee? Try Bisbee Not So Long Ago, by Opie Rundle Burgess. 

Kartchner Caverns State Park is higher in elevation, so it is bound to be cooler than the heat island of Phoenix. It's located near Benson, off I-10, about 175 miles from Central Phoenix. For information about any of the Arizona State Parks call 602-542-4174 (outside of the Phoenix metro area call toll-free 800-285-3703) or book reservations online at azstateparks.com.

Free lift up the mountain

The weekend is gone but another one is coming. Head north for cool weather and a ride up the chairlift at Snowbowl Resort above the tree line, where the air is thin and cool. The Agassiz Lift starts at 9,500 feet elevation and will deposit you at 11,500 feet, where, on a clear day, you can see Canada. Not really, but definitely downtown Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon.

From right this second through June 22, Snowbowl will give a free Scenic Skyride ticket to each person who brings at least one non-perishable, non-breakable food item to the resort. Arizona Snowbowl is partnering with the Northern Arizona Food Bank to help stock empty shelves. Kids are out of school and aren't getting free lunches, so the need is greater during the summer months. Bring your food item to Agassiz Lodge to receive your lift ticket. 928-779-1951 or ArizonaSnowbowl.com.

Dad documented

Dads, dads to be and eventual dads: Mark your calendars for September. A DVD called "Being Dad: Inspiration and Information for Dads to Be" is coming out then. It is the U.S. version of an Australian production ("Being Dad -- The Baby DVD" and "Being Dad 2 -- Bringing Baby Home"). The documentaries show dads discussing concerns and issues they encountered upon learning their wives were pregnant and the changes they encountered during pregnancy, delivery and being a new parent. The production treats the dad side of the baby equation differently than the cartoonish mass-media version, so it's as valuable to moms as dads. Watch the trailer at Being Dad USA trailer.

Another filmmaker, Dana Glazer, is working on a documentary called "The Evolution of Dad," which explores the lives of dads who are involved in raising their children. It describes how times, finally, are changing in regard to how men and fathers are perceived. The film will be released next year. See the trailer at The Evolution of Dad.

Vexillologists rejoice!

Today, Flag Day, must be Glendale resident Nichol Nelson's — and vexillologists' — favorite holiday. Nelson has invented Create-a-Flag, which allows anyone with a computer and an inkjet printer (which, I believe, is everyone), to make their own custom flags. Special fabric goes right into the printer and then attaches by an adhesive sleeve to a 24-inch gold spear-tipped dowel. Create-a-Flags are weather resistant, so festoon the parapets with flags of your own design. Aided and abetted by your computer,  this kit unleashes creativity heretofore unknown in the flag-making realm. Create-a-Flag is available in five Walgreens stores in Phoenix and Scottsdale. Online, two-flag kits are $10 and six-flag kits are $29 plus shipping. create-a-flag.com.

Let's all snap together

Buy a bunch of LEGOs, snap them together into a car or any other vehicle you can imagine and drive out to Chandler Fashion Center, where the new LEGO store opens tomorrow. The official grand opening is June 27-29 and will include an R2-D2 Master Builder Event. The R2-D2 model is eight feet tall! Proof that playing in the real world rather than online is still alive and well.

The store has a vast array of the famous mulit-colored snap-together blocks in a Pick-a-Brick wall that features LEGO elements in bulk in a variety of colors and shapes. Great way to replace all those tiny pieces that got sucked up by the vacuum cleaner. The store also hosts birthday parties. Chandler Fashion Center, 3111 W Chandler Blvd, Chandler. 480-899-0228 or Chandler Fashion Center.

Simple solutions

We've told you here and in the magazine about methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), often called "staph." MRSA is a strain of staph that's resistant to the broad-spectrum antibiotics commonly used to treat it. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) the best ways to fight MRSA are: Wash your hands using soap and water or an alcohol-base hand sanitizer. Wash thoroughly, for as long as it takes to recite the alphabet. Cover cuts and scrapes with a clean bandage. Do not touch other people's wounds or bandages. Sounds simple enough.

If you want an over the counter product, Staphaseptic by Tec Laboratories, is effectiove against MRSA. The Oregon State University College of Pharmacy found that Staphaseptic "killed MRSA quicker and more effectively than other compounds tested," according to a press release. You can see the original Oregon State study here and other research documents here. When in doubt, ask your doctor. TecLabsinc.com.

C.S. Lewis at the Arizona Science Center

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Exhibition opened Saturday at the Arizona Science Center and continues until October 26. Phoenix is the first stop of a world tour for the exhibit, which explores the science and natural history of the mythical world of Narnia portrayed in C.S. Lewis's books and movies. Not the usual Science Center fare, as the books are children's fantasy, but Lewis relied upon his knowledge of the sciences to construct his imagined  world. The exhibit goes to great lengths to tie the books, the movie and the author together by explaining the science behind different aspects of the story as well as the science behind making the movie. And the driving force behind keeping the movies true to the books? None other than Douglas Gresham, stepson of C.S. Lewis.

Visitors will see artifacts from C.S. Lewis's personal study as well as props, set decoration, masks and costumes from the two most current movies based on the Narnia books. Those of us who have read the books will enjoy walking through three-dimensional recreations of the books and will want to see the movies, while others who have merely seen the movies will be inspired to delve more thoroughly into C.S. Lewis's world by reading his books. AzScience.org.

Chilling out a fire breather

A new twist on the classic dragon slayer tale, Jeremiah, the Dragon Persuader by Arizona writer Dana Ellis uses non-violent problem solving to save a town from being scorched yet again by a fire breathing dragon. Ellis wrote the book for her son, Jeremy. In an age-old story with a twist, the dragon slayer befriends the beast and avoids bloodshed. Living and dying by the sword is so old-school. With illustrations by Luke Southern, this colorful 28-page, $10 paperback comes with an audio download — or pay $6 for just the audio.  tatepublishing.com.

The you in UNICEF

The cool days of autumn — when the mercury dips below 80 degrees — are still a dream, but trick-or-treating is closer than you may think. UNICEF is accepting orders for Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF kits, which will arrive in October and include orange collection boxes and fundraising resources like reward stickers, posters and door hangers that show you're participating in the 2008 Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF campaign.

UNICEF has been doing this since 1950 and materials are available for any family around the world. The US Fund for UNICEF is dedicated to a "global effort to save, protect and improve children's lives." Better than a candy bar. Trick or Treat for UNICEF.

Every child nose

Among the chores under parenting small children, there is a heading: disgusting but necessary. Clearing your child's nasal passages is one of them. A new device to facilitate clearing of said passages? The Nosefrida Nasal Aspirator. It sucks the boogers out of your kid's nose. Ewww! Raising Arizona Kids has been around for almost 20 years and we have never said reality is pretty, so get real.

According to the press release, the Nosefrida is "BPA and phthalate free – [and] extracts mucus without damaging the child's delicate nasal lining." Nosefrida is made in Sweden and it's available at some Whole Foods stores in California for $15. Have they never been in Arizona during allergy season? The rest of the country can get it online for $21.50, which includes shipping. nosefrida.com.

Political apparel

Perhaps there are not enough forums for our endless political contests or opportunities to argue about who is more jaded. Babesta.com, which sells "cool threads for trendsetting tots," has found a new one: your baby. Is your toddler or infant throwing his/her support to a candidate? Babesta can outfit your political infant with an Obama or McCain onesie or T-shirt. Babesta attire also supports Che, Dostoyevsky, JFK, Noam Chomsky and Al Sharpton. Trendy is soooooo precious, no? Onesies and tees are $20. Babesta.com.

Everything but wagging the tail

You can finally leave the baby with the grandparents so you can go out of town for the first time in forever, but they say "no" to Elliot the lovable Chocolate Lab. What do you do? Fetch! Pet Care can dispatch someone to walk, exercise, sit and generally care for your pet while you are out of town or just trying to find the time to walk your dog twice a day.

Services span the range from practical to luxe. Private on-leash walks, group off-leash dog adventures, in-home pet visits, in-home overnight sitting, in-home private boarding, day care, evening care, pet taxi to the groomer, vet and trainer, house sitting, and yard pet waste cleanup. What, no yoga? That would come under special requests. They offer gift certificates online, so even if you live far away you can offer to do pooper scooper duty without lifting a...um, finger. fetchpetcare.com.

Academic waver

School is out for the summer but grades, good and bad, follow you everywhere. If your child got straight As on that last report card, use it to get free entry to the Kiwanis Recreation Center Wave Pool from 1-3pm this Saturday. Regular price is $6. Kids with straight-A report cards will find that the velvet ropes will be lifted as they sashay in past the crowds, who, if they bring their report cards from the latest grading period, still get 50 percent off.

The indoor wave pool features various wave sizes and a 127-foot-long, 15-foot-tall double spiral water slide and splashdown pool. Kiwanis Recreation Center is partnering with MommyPerks.com to reward students for doing well in school and completing another semester. Raffle prizes will be awarded. 6111 South All America Way, Tempe. 480-350-5201 (480-350-5050 TTY) or dogpaddle over to tempe.gov/kiwanis.

The eyes have it

Emily Burch of Happy Jack Photography is offering a youth photography workshop starting Friday. In our digital point-and-shoot world, the cameras are simple, but learning to see with visual style is more complex. Burch, who makes a business of photographing children and families, is looking for kids who are at least 10 and are interested in photography beyond the snapshot.

Classes will be held from 4-7pm Friday and 8-11am Saturday, with another session and an art gallery display the next Saturday. Participants should bring their own cameras (film or digital), paper and pencils. Cost is $100 and the class is limited to 10 students. Contact Emily at 602-595-7998 or happyjackphotography@yahoo.com. Learn more about her photography at HappyJackPhotography.com.

Welcome back, sweet toroids!

Krispy Kreme fell off its sugar high a few years ago and the stores in Arizona closed. Fortunately for Save the Family Foundation of Arizona, the yummy toroids (geometric shape we know as a doughnut) are back in Mesa. Save the Family is a family crisis center that has been providing homes, rebuilding families and supporting self-sufficiency since 1988. Now it has Krispy Kreme Mesa to thank for a lot of dough. In addition to $12,000 raised for Save the Family during its grand opening week, Krispy Kreme Mesa is asking the community (that’s you, doughnut devotees) to a Raise the Dough Dozen Doughnut Giveaway from 4-7pm Thursday, June 5.

You'll get one dozen glazed Krispy Kreme doughnuts and a half gallon of Shamrock Farm’s Shamrockers milk free in exchange for a donation in the amount of your choice to Save the Family. Participants also can submerge Krispy Kreme Mesa franchise partner Dan Brinton in a dunk tank of water (not doughnuts) in exchange for a donation, which Shamrock will match. 6626 E. Superstition Springs Blvd. 480-325-6789 or SavetheFamily.org.

Furry friends need volunteers

Uncle Jacks Cats is a no-kill, non-profit organization in Glendale in need of donations to continue saving and bettering the lives of furry little felines. You can also donate your time to help with a rescue. Even a couple of hours makes a difference. If nothing else, spread the word about how important it is to spay/neuter your pets, even indoor pets. For more information about Uncle Jacks Cats, call Sandy at 623-979-8588. unclejackscats.org.

Arizona State Quarters are here

Wells Fargo Arizona Regional President Pam Conboy and State Treasurer Dean Martin will be aboard the Wells Fargo stagecoach as it carries a strongbox of the new Arizona State Quarter coins to the State Capitol launch ceremony with Gov. Janet Napolitano, and U.S. Mint Director Edmund C. Moy.

The ceremony is tomorrow from 9:30am-noon on the Senate Lawn of the State Capitol, 1700 W. Washington St. in Phoenix. The launch ceremony will begin at 10am and will include a quarter exchange, a free quarter for each child in attendance under the age of 18, an opportunity to buy uncirculated rolls of the new quarters (sales are cash only) and free mint ice cream novelties. The Capitol Museum will feature a new exhibit documenting the Arizona quarter's history.

Wells Fargo is the financial services sponsor of the launch of the limited edition Arizona State Quarter and will be the first to distribute the coins after today's celebration. Beginning June 3, the quarters will be sold in $10 rolls at selected Wells Fargo Regional Banking stores throughout the state. From June 3 to 14, Wells Fargo will give a free commemorative folio and one Arizona State Quarter to anyone who opens a new Wells Fargo Goal Savings account for a child, while supplies last. azgovernor.gov/azquarter.

To view previous daily web content, select one of the two options below: