Smear on the sunscreen; track down the sand bucket and shovel There's still time for a sandy getaway. We've found the best family friendly beaches from coast to coast.

Ogunquit, MaineBest East Coast Charm

The Native Americans were spot on with their name for the slice of Maine coastline known as Ogunquit. It means "beautiful place by the sea." Amble along the Marginal Way (there are plenty of benches for little ones to park it on the way), soak in the view, and greet the fishermen (and ice cream cones) at Perkins Cove.

Ogunquit, Maine (ogunquit.org).

Miami

Miami's Crandon Beach is famous for more than just palm trees. Get there early in the morning to score a private cabana with a shower then journey to Crandon Park Visitors and Nature Center to explore dunes, mangroves, and seagrass beds. Afterward, wade out on the sandbar (take tots who haven't mastered doggie paddling yet).

Crandon Beach, Miami (miamidade.gov).

Michigan

Mitt Romney should choose a mom of young children for his vice president.Mitt Romney should choose a mom of young children for his vice president.

Yup, you heard me. I want to see a mother of school-aged children in more high-profile elected positions to bring a mom sensibility to important issues being decided in Washington. So what better place to start than the White House?

Current political wisdom seems to be that Sarah Palin's presence on the 2008 GOP presidential ticket pretty much killed any chance for other Republican women in the foreseeable future, although Romney's wife Ann has been vocal about the fact that her husband is seriously vetting some women for the number two slot.

Related: 14 reasons why kids are smarter than Congress

Call me crazy, but there are plenty of women for the GOP to choose from!

I've taken a lot of heat over the last few years for saying that I think we need more moms of young children in positions of power. But hear me out - we already have the dad of young kids as the President of the United

A lot can happen over the course of eight years and four kids worth of parenting. The mundane day-to-day things I used to worry about when I had my first baby don't even register on my radar now as something to even concern myself with as a 4th time mom. Here are 7 things I used to obsess over that no longer stress me out.- By Emily Elling

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7 Ways to Stay Organized ... with KidsIt's Monday morning, and my home is in a semi-state of ruckus. This is pretty much the norm around here, a new continuum that I have been challenged to embrace. When I say semi-state, I mean there will always be toys somewhere, waiting for an arched foot to greet them. There will always be at least a few dishes in the sink and crumbs on the floor. Mere seconds after tidying, washing and scrubbing. That's just how it is when one has little people in the mix. By all appearances, one without children might think we are not very organized. Which is far from the truth. We have lists, we have ways, we have systems, people. If we didn't? Epic disasters would ensue. Mad havoc, I tell you. Anyone running a household knows this to be true. I'm the type of person who can't function living day-to-day without planning or organizing. No way, now how. So here are my top 7 ways to stay organized with kids, week to week.

Related: 12 things my 12-month-old can't live without

1. Do laundry

Many people sit down before they become parents and work out the big details. Work, insurance, money, time. Adoption is no different; it has it's own issues that should be talked out before the process begins. Here are 9 important questions to ask yourself before adopting a child. - By Diana Stone

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An evil bottle of formula.Let me start off by saying that I'm an advocate for breastfeeding. I breastfed my daughter for a year. (I mean for meals, not for a whole year. That would be a world record.) However, I know many excellent moms who, for one reason or another, were either unable to breastfeed or chose not to breastfeed for very long or at all. These decisions and circumstances weighed heavy on the hearts of these mothers; they had to look at the whole picture of how they were raising their babies in the context of their very own private lives and homes. In the end, they did what is best for their families.

Read More: Am I Really a Failure for Not Breastfeeding My Children?

In light of that, I am appalled at this New York Post article. Starting Sept. 3, 27 of New York City's 40 hospitals will begin participating in the city Health Department's voluntary Latch On NYC initiative. Advocates of Latch On NYC are under the impression that more moms will breastfeed if accessing formula while in the hospital is

istockphoto

By Elina Bolokhova
Mixing a career with mommyhood is never easy. There are dozens of questions that can plague a new, working mom: will she go back to work? If so, how soon? Will she have to work on her maternity leave (like a certain, high-profile CEO)? Questions that are, in short, mostly focused on what happens after the little bundle-of-joy arrives. But a new study from the University of Essex might inspire more consideration on the before, as it has found that working after eight months of pregnancy is as harmful to babies as smoking, reports the Guardian.

Plus: The Pathetic State of Maternity Leave in the U.S.

Women who continued to work after they were eight months pregnancy had infants half a pound lighter than those who left work between six and eight months. Babies whose mothers worked or smoked throughout pregnancy grew more slowly in the womb. Stopping work early in pregnancy was especially beneficial for women who had fewer levels of education, which suggests