get a handle on shopping...with cool cuddlers

Ever worry about all the germs and contaminants that lurk on the handle of most shopping carts? You will next time you lift your child into the seat.

Cool Cuddlers to the rescue. They are cart handle covers that create a barrier between your kids and the dirty handlebars so you can shop worry-free. Created by a group fitness instructor and personal trainer, Cool Cuddlers is a result of a study conducted at the University of Arizona which found that shopping carts to be one of the most contaminated surfaces in the market place with only playground equipment and public transportation hand rails ranking higher.

Cool Cuddlers come in two reversible patterns (flowers and dogs) and have snap tabs that enable toys to be attached to keep the kids entertained while you shop. They are environmentally friendly because they are washable and you don't have to worry about your store having wipes available.

More patterns are on the way. Purchase one at www.coolcuddlers.com ($14.95) and you won't leave home without it. Even after the kids are grown, you may still want to use it for yourself.

melanoma awareness month: protect yourself with the new UV app!

It's that time of the year again...time to get outside, enjoy the warm weather, hit the beach and get a healthy dose of sunshine. After all, we could all use some extra vitamin D, right? But while you're basking in its glow, keep in mind that May is Melanoma awareness month and you need to do everything possible to protect yourself from those harmful UV rays and keep yourself from becoming another statistic.

As part of La Roche-Posay’s SOS — Save Our Skin campaign that encourages daily sun safety through education and awareness--the brand has launched a new iPhone application, “My UV Check,” that uses location-based services to assess the strength of sun rays. Studies show that regular use of sunscreen led to a 50% decrease in melanoma. With ‘My UV Check,’ choosing which SPF factor to bring to the beach has never been easier.

MY UV CHECK is the first application on the market that measures both the UVA and UVB index, provides individualized sun risk diagnosis, shows you how to check your own skin for suspicious lesions/moles, and explores the Anthelios range for individualized product recommendations and to find the closest store near you.

Find out more about the SOS — Save Our Skin campaign--at www.SOSSaveOurSkin.com orwww.facebook.com/LaRochePosayusa.

germs be-gone!

My son Harrison learned to sneeze into his elbow from "Sid the Science Kid" so I was anxious to try Germy Wormy disposable germ-catching sleeves. When I first heard of Germy Wormy, I had my doubts that they'd be worth the investment, mainly because I wasn't sure if kids would remember to use them. The truth is, now is as good a time as ever to try such an eclectic product. Designed to put an end to the spreading of germs, colds and flus, these disposable sleeves can be slipped onto kids' arms over their clothes to catch germs when they sneeze. Just play the Germy Wormy Germ Smart for Kids DVD for your little ones ($15; it's educational and entertaining), then slide on a sleeve (25-pack, $9.99; 10-pack; $4.50; fits kids ages 1 to 11!) and wait for the big "achoo!" Inventor Margaret Back created the product when her daughter Morgan kept coming home from preschool with every kind of cold, flu and sinus infection under the sun. She claims the product has reduced the spread of illness around homes and school by 50%. Go to www.germywormy.com to place your order and stay out of bed this winter!