Yvette Russo | Cape Coral, FL

I live in Southwest Florida so my 3-year-old son Evan and I go to the beach a lot. To ensure that we don't track sand into my car, I sprinkle baby powder anywhere Evan has sand on him and it just brushes off!"

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I've always wanted to play the drums. I used to practice on my friend's drum set, but I was terrible and I think after hearing the awful sounds I was making, he didn't want to share anymore. So, he and a few of my other friends got me a set for Christmas a few years ago.

Playing the drums is a good way to relax. Usually my mind is always running with a thousand different things, but I sit down I HAVE to concentrate so it actually forces me clear my head and focus on one thing.

I've been taking lessons for about three years, and my teacher is really great and knows it's a hobby for me, so he teaches me whatever I ask him (plus he comes on Saturdays so I can play in my pj's.) When I first started I didn't know anything, but now I can read music, which is a big accomplishment.

So far I've mastered all the White Stripes songs. (I could probably battle Meg White and win, but that's about all.) I don't get to practice as much as I would like to, but I'm getting there!

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A few days ago, my friend Kate called me with a pressing question: She's heading to Florida and needs a swimsuit to cover up her post-baby tummy -- stat! I whipped out my computer and google skills and, within an hour, scored what she needed: a list of swimsuits that call attention to all the right places (neckline, shoulders, post-baby breasts) and none of the wrong places (tummy, sides of tummy, front of tummy). Here are some lovely options:

Princesse tam tam's strapless one-piece (above).
High-waisted numbers from Toast.
Bright, cheery one-pieces from J. Crew.
Victoria's Secret's retro bikini.
Boden's boyleg swimsuit.
A sweet flowery suit from Italian designer Laura Urbinati.
Princesse tam tam's Audrey suit, inspired by a little black dress.
Pinup-inspired suits from Anthropologie.
The Magicsuit collection, made with a genius figure-shaping fabric.

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Erin Heston | Orlando, FL
I love Laura Mercier's Tinted Moisturizer! It goes on smooth, covers minor imperfections and is SPF 20. And at about $40, it's an inexpensive way to combine foundation and moisturizer. With this, a quick sweep of mascara and a little blush, you're instantly put together and out the door fast!

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All the kids on my block called my mom Wonder Woman. She had the black hair, the blue eyes, the waist the size of some women's thighs, the invisible jet... But her true superpower was her green thumb, which was to me kryptonite. We lived in the city with a small yard but she managed to garden most of our veggies, grapes, honeysuckle, sunflowers, a gorgeous rose garden and dozens of other seemingly exotic varieties...it was her passion. She even composted!!

When I moved to NYC in the early '90s I announced to her that I was sharing a little plot in a public east village garden. She reminded me that the last time she saw me "gardening" was around 1982, lying in the tall grass in HER orange bikini, telephone cord stretched to the max, gardening shears tossed somewhere in the vicinity. (I missed my allowance that week but my tan was savage.)

Time passed and I abandoned my gardening fantasies considering them in the same way I thought of fashion...maybe you just had to get new stuff every season. So when they stopped looking fresh and fashionable I tossed them and bought more. (The only plant this doesn't apply to is the cactus, the "little black dress" of plant life because you really can't kill it...although I have.)

Amanda Fischer | Bloomington, IL

After having an unplanned induction with my first daughter, I made sure that the things I needed ready for the hospital were truly ready as I prepared for the birth of our second child this spring. I couldn't justify packing and unpacking my toiletries and makeup each day during the last month of my pregnancy, so I took little stickers and placed them on all of the items that I wanted to be added to my bag if I was not the one doing the last-minute packing. This way, my husband would be sure to bring the correct things, the first time!

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I traded my four-inch heels for sneakers a few years ago. Vanity gave way to comfort, and I refused to be That Girl trekking to and from work in cross trainers with her heels in her tote (but no offense if you are That Girl!). So, I went on the prowl for sneaks that were stylish enough to wear to work (thankfully I have a creative job). My rubber-sole collection began with Chuck Taylors and Vans. But, when everyone and their grandma started wearing them, they felt too mass-market for me and I moved on to custom-designed Vans. I loved how unique they looked, but my custom Vans weren't ideal for hip-hop dance, a big hobby of mine. Meant for skateboarding, Vans get stuck on the dance studio floors. So, my Vans phase ended, and I moved on to Nike Dunks (smooth for basketball courts and cuuuuute), Punkrose skate shoes and Converse slip ons, all in crazy patterns, stars, colors and graffiti. Now my sneakers don't match anything I wear, but oh well! At least I'm comfortable all day, and that means everything to me.

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There is a lot of pressure on date night, and, the truth is sometimes it's the "night" part that seems untenable for new parents. We are simply too damn tired! When my younger son was born and my husband and I were wading through those first days of sleeplessness, we would enlist grandparents or hire a babysitter to come for a couple of hours during the day on the weekend so that we could have an outing together without yawning. The "day date," as we call it, takes the pressure off getting weekend night reservations (it's far easier to get into a good restaurant for lunch or to a bar at 4 pm for a late afternoon beer).  Perhaps the biggest bonus is that strolling around aimlessly during the day with your mate will unearth your carefree childless early adulthood.

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Kirsten McCallum | New York, NY

When my five-month-old, Gavin, used to wake up in the middle of the night, it was usually because of a wet diaper. I came up with a little trick to stop that cycle. I keep a small stash of diapers one size larger than what Gavin usually wears, and those are the ones I put him in at night. Now when he goes to the bathroom, there's a little space between his skin and the diaper, which prevents him from feeling the dampness (and waking up as a result). I'm convinced it's how he sleeps through the night - and has since he was just eight weeks old! 

Here are the details: I buy the diapers only one size bigger-if he's wearing a size 2, for example, he'll wear a 2-3 at night, which keeps the diaper snug enough around his waist but not so loose around his crotch that liquid spills out. I also I leave his pajamas unsnapped in that area so that the diaper has room to expand outward, which helps keep the dampness away from his skin even more.

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My husband, Matthew, and I are seltzer fiends. We were going through about 15 liter bottles of Poland Spring seltzer each week. This alarming consumption has made me feel guilty for a couple of reasons. First off, my apartment is on the fourth floor of typical New York City walk-up, so I'd always feel like a total crumb making the Fresh Direct delivery guy lug all that water up all those stairs. Secondly, such a large pile of plastic bottles makes for an embarrassment of waste. But my options seemed limited: Stop liking seltzer? Sell my apartment and move to an elevator building? For Christmas, Matthew surprised me with the third (and winning) option: a seltzer maker! He schlepped all the way out to Borough Park, Brooklyn, and brought home the Soda Club Home Soda Maker. It just takes a few tries before you're cranking out the seltzer like a pro. Now we have an endless supply of bubbly water. I'm a total convert and a proselytizer. I even got my brother-in-law into it (you can read his testimonial on his blog).

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Danielle Gingrich | Liberty Township, Ohio

My four-year-old, Leah, has very strong opinions about what she's going to wear and when she's going to wear it. It got to the point where, in order to preserve our loving relationship and my own sanity, some rules had be laid down. I decided to put an end to the daily what-to-wear battles by making Leah choose between two outfits the night before. It took some reinforcing, of course, and it helps that she's 4 and not 2 (read: more able to reason and stick to an agreement), but, for the most part, it's been a big success. She still feels like she's got the power to select her outfits, but without wasting time (and my goodwill) in the process.

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When we were growing up, my mom taught us a special phrase. If we had something weighing on our little minds, we would simply have to say, "I need some private time." Then, she would take the worried child into her bedroom to sit on her bed with her and talk about whatever was the troubling matter at hand. We could tell her anything, even if it made us feel embarrassed, sad or scared. She would listen very seriously, rub our backs and make us feel better. I remember it quite fondly. And even though I'm almost 30, if I were to need some "private time," I'm sure she would still honor the request.

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I don't have kids and, therefore, am able to spend too many Saturdays watching a backlog of horrible (yet highly entertaining) reality television that my TiVo has saved for me. I realize that my hours clocked in front of the tube aren't really worth boasting about. But, it does allow me to pick apart the trashy-yet-enjoyable shows from the rot-your-brain ones. If you're looking for something to watch during one for those fleeting moments to yourself, I'm here to break it down.

To See Real Competition
Top Chef
(Bravo, Wednesdays at 10 p.m. EST)
You'll be annoyed by host Padma Lakshmi's shiny hair and clothes and dull personality, but there's something extremely satisfying about watching super food talents dice vegetables while you critique dishes from your couch that you can't taste and could never even attempt to make yourself. This season -- set in Chicago -- is just seven episodes in, and there's a marathon practically once a week, so it's not too late to get hooked. So far there have been lots of delicious meltdowns--thanks to all of the "team" challenges. Keep an eye on Dale, Antonia, and Richard.

To Feel Better About Your Own Life
The Real Housewives of New York City
(Bravo,Season 1 marathon starts Saturday May 3 at 12 p.m. EST)
Ok, I was going to try to keep myself from being sucked into this sequel to the Real Housewives of Orange County because I'm pretty sure it took my IQ down a notch or two. But this season was actually...well...kind of good. There's ex-model LuAnn who regularly leaves the nanny to mother her kids while she gets drunk in the Village (because it's her right, you see), super insecure Alex with a potentially gay husband who hopes her money will get her friends, brassy Jill who has no problem sending her pubescent daughter to "detox" on Martha's Vinyard to lose weight, dippy Ramona who can't do anything right, and chef Bethanny who has a job and isn't married but is for some reason still on the show. They all seem to hate each other but air kisses abound. It's fantastic. And I just learned that Real Housewives of New Jersey is next. Hmmm...

Just the thought of dieting sends me into anaphylactic shock (OK, that may be a slight exaggeration, but you get my point). So you can imagine my surprise when I not only attempted a detox but ended up loving it and wanting more. My detox of choice is Blueprint Cleanse, which offers different types of programs depending on how serious you are and how long you want to cleanse (read: not eat). At each of the three levels, you drink six prepared juices per day. Most of the juices are very green (spinach, kale, parsley, etc.) The evening "juice" is really a cashew nut milk that tastes divine.

My first cleanse was a bit of a shock to my system. I did Level 2 for five days and by day three, I was so cold and hungry that I drank the cashew milk for breakfast. I felt so amazing by the end of it, though, that I made plans to try one of the other programs two months later.

My second time around, I chose Level 3 for three days. Cleansing at higher level for less time seemed much more manageable to me. At Level 3, the drinks containing fruit with a high glycemic index (pineapple, apple) are replaced with green drinks, so I didn't have the sugar cravings and hunger pangs that characterized my first go.

I've learned that detox is a multi-layered process. Sure, some of it is simply not eating, but an even bigger part of it is about not polluting your body with flours, sugars and (for me) Diet Coke. Both during and after the exercise, I felt like I could fly.

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