Summer funSchool is out for summer in just a few weeks and that means I'll be home with the kids full time for the following three months. While I'm excited to spend the summer having fun with the kids and enjoying the beach town we live in, I'm also a bit terrified. I'll still be working from home, and I'm expanding my business which means the pressure is on to make it work, and less money is available to pay for daycare. I also enjoy working and I generally need some time away from kids, so going from full-day kindergarten and three full days of pre-school to nothing is a bit daunting. Despite my lifelong dream of being a stay at home mom, I now know that it's not what I'm cut out for. So I've come up with a plan of attack to help get me through the summer with the kids by my side.

1. Set a Schedule- My kids always want to know what we are doing next, or tomorrow, or over the weekend. Not having my days planned out in advance is sure to put everyone in a tailspin. I'll set a schedule so

By WebVet.com
Dog going campingSummer camp has gone to the dogs. Or rather, the dogs are going to summer camp and they're taking their owners with them.

According to Jeannie Richter in a recent article on abcnews.com, if you're looking for a getaway for you and your dog, you don't have to look too far. Thanks to summer camps that cater to both dogs and their humans, you can "have a vacation," she said, "…and your best friend with you."

And Richter would know. After all, she runs Camp Gone to the Dogs, a retreat for both species in Stowe and Marlboro, Vt.

Shaving dogs in the summer | Webvet

You need only look at the photo gallery on her Web site and others to see why campers sign on. It's obvious in frame after frame that everybody's having fun - dancing, practicing agility and herding, walking nature trails, and even riding gondolas.

It's a multi-level bonding experience - one that has people connect with their pets and each other around the common denominator of wanting to have a

By Woman's Day Staff

Summer Crafts

Check out three easy crafts you can do this summer! Photo credit: Ericka McConnell/Woman's Day

Pour 1 Tbsp acrylic paint into a clean 12-oz glass soda bottle (choose one with a label that can be removed).

Roll bottle to distribute paint; invert it to allow excess to drip out. Set bottle upright and let dry. Repeat with 10 or 11 more bottles, using 3 paint colors. Arrange bottles in a fruit crate.

Loosen screw on a 3" embroidery hoop (typically $1-$3 each) and discard outer ring. Apply a dab of hot glue to outside of inner ring. Attach a piece of yarn and wrap it around the ring; cut off excess and secure end. Repeat with 11 more embroidery hoops, using 4 yarn colors.

Set up bottles and play! Photo credit: Miki Duisterhof/Woman's Day

See clever uses for 15 household items.

1. Dot 6 to 7 equally spaced drops of puff paint on both straps of each rubber flip-flop.

Did your neighborhood watering hole make this year's list of best bars? Find out about America's best drinking spots, from East Coast to West Coast and everywhere in-between (with a special shout-out to Milwaukee, the best town to head to when you're feeling thirsty). As always, the project is guided by David Wondrich: Esquire's drinks correspondent, the world's foremost cocktail historian, and the best drinking partner anyone has ever had.
Koz's

Koz's Mini Bowl, Milwaukee
What to order: A mini-pitcher of PBR, sack of Porkie's

The bar: Koz's ticks off every box on the neighborhood-bar checklist. Friendly, draws a mixed crowd - by age, race, drinking capacity, music choice - pool table, jukebox, crap on the walls. Pork rinds. All that's just in the front room, though. The back room holds a bowling alley with four half-length lanes. When I walked in, a perfect stranger, the bartender asked me if I wanted to join the league. I did.

2078 South Seventh Street; 414-383-0560

COCKTAIL

Marcus Nilsson

by Hunter Lewis and Janet McCracken, Bon Appétit

Even though it's a cookout classic, chicken can be tough to get right on the grill. How do you know when it's done? When should you slather on sauce? What temperature should you cook it at? We consulted the good people of the BA Test Kitchen for solutions to the most common mistakes people make. Read on to crown yourself the king or queen of chicken on barbie.

See also: 9 Delicious Hot Dog Recipes for Summer

Not Starting with a Good Bird
It should be antibiotic and hormone free at the very least. If the yardstrutter was raised right, then chances are that it will taste good.

Forgetting the Seasoning
Make sure you sprinkle it with salt and pepper before you throw it on the grill.

Cooking it at Too High a Temperature
If you cook the chicken on too hot a grill, the skin will burn before the flesh cooks. Medium-low is the best temperature on a charcoal grill, and medium on a gas grill. This way, you'll crisp the skin and

This primer covers everything from hot dogs to cherry tomatoes. As for seasoning, most foods will taste great if you add just a little salt, pepper, and olive oil beforehand. If you want even more flavor, try a rub or a marinade.
By Dawn Perry
Also See: Cooking New Uses for Old Things

How to Grill Beef
Comstock/Getty ImagesBurgers
HEAT: Direct (uncovered), high.
TIME: 3 to 5 minutes per side.
INTERNAL TEMPERATURE: 140° F for medium.
TIP: Don't press down on the patties during cooking or you'll squeeze out the delicious juices.

Hot Dogs
HEAT: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.
TIME: 5 to 7 minutes, turning occasionally.

Steaks, ¾ to 1 Inch Thick
(such as flank and New York strip)
HEAT: Direct (uncovered), medium-high.
TIME: 3 to 5 minutes per side.
INTERNAL TEMPERATURE: 130° F for medium-rare.
TIP: For the best sear, turn steaks just once halfway through.

Steaks, 1 to 1½ Inches Thick
(such as rib-eye and porterhouse)
HEAT: Direct (uncovered), medium-high, then indirect (covered), medium-high.