My summers always look like this: grill, relax, and whip up lots of mmm-worthy margaritas. NEVER do my grillin' and chillin' plans include getting eaten alive by mosquitoes and bees.

Unfortunately, my blood-sucking and bothersome insect frenemies know just how to crash a good time, and I'm usually in the corner of every barbecue pissed and pouting, full of bug bites.

To top it all off, I hate using bug spray. It's too sticky, too smelly, and too damn expensive. Personally, I'm making it a point to find another alternative. So with that in mind, check out these 6 chemical-free, low-budget, and kid-friendly remedies that naturally ward off those icky insects. The best part? You've probably got all the ingredients at home.

We've all had the experience of being at a pal's house and thinking, "Well... that doesn't seem safe." We steer our kids away from the trampoline/glass coffee table/sheer cliff, and proceed on home.

But what if we took another tack? What if we called the county and demanded someone change their home to suit our comfort levels?

This is exactly the kind of thing going on right now -- with backyard tree-houses. They’re a classic bit of American life, the kind of thing childhood dreams are made of – and often, for the lucky among us, where kids really do go to run their imaginations, or just read comics in the lazy summer heat. But one family’s annoying experience shows how today’s world seems to be sacrificing too much in a quest for a bubble-wrapped childhood. The question is: Don't I get to make the safety rules in my own home?

You'd think the TSA couldn't get more of a bad rap following the groping, the urine-bag breaking, and the all-around junk-touching of the past year. You'd be wrong. It seems that some seriously crappy apples in the Transportation Security Administration have been getting rich -- by stealing your money and valuables right out of your luggage.

Yep, TSA employees have been busted in Newark, JFK, Phoenix, and Buffalo for taking your belongings home with them. What a-holes. Really. We're forced to put all of our things through x-rays, be patted down, or subjected to x-rays ourselves, and now we find out these same people are making off with our money?

Granted, it's a total of six people out of thousands that are employed by the TSA, but I can't help but think there should be special, oh, I don't know, SCREENING in place when hiring people who have intimate knowledge of your intimates.

Think you were a victim?

My husband is always talking about going camping and not in the way I prefer to camp, which is at a place that offers room service.

Although I'm usually resistant to the idea of sharing my bed with insects, I do think our son will one day love the idea of camping, and what he loves, I love watching him do.

So, if you're planning a camping excursion for whatever reason, check out these current camping deals from great stores like Overstock.com, Academy Sports & Outdoors, Cabela's, Target, and Walmart.

A Canadian mom who accidentally locked her toddler son in the car when she was picking him up from daycare expected police to rush to her aid.

But when she called 911, the operator told her no one would come -- because it's against their policy to unlock doors for citizens who lock the keys in the car. 

So who's willing to bet they would've sent an officer lickety split if little Michael Desrosiers had been passed out from the heat in the car?

The overheated kid in the car story comes up every summer and makes me want to cry.

But for all that I feel for these parents, the advice the TV crews keep dredging up on how NOT to forget your kids smacks of some pretty sucky parenting.

The reporter on the TV news this week actually suggested putting your purse or cell phone in the backseat next to your kids (not her fault -- the suggestion came from an expert).

Not surprisingly this was in the same broadcast where a bunch of folks on the street admitted they are NEVER without their cell phones.

So what does this say about American parents?

If you don't have the right diaper for swimming, it's not going to be a pretty sight if baby goes potty in the pool. And if you ever tried to let her swim with a regular diaper on, you quickly learned about diaper technology -- and how much liquid it can hold (and how disgusting the insides are when it explodes). Ick!

When I was younger, we had a small 4-foot pool and a sign hanging near it that read: We don't swim in your toilet, so please don't pee in our pool. Great saying, right? No one wants to swim in pee and no one wants to deal with the aftermath of a baby pooping in a pool. So I found these reusable swim diapers that will save the day and save the planet. No swim diapers needed -- it's all built into the suit.

The summer rays can be harsh ... even if it's not super sunny out. UV rays can bounce off glassy buildings or just shine down on you and can be harmful. We all need to think about SPF every day, not just at the beach.

But who has time to add an extra layer of product to their already time consuming regimen? Plus, the smell of some sunscreens aren't the best.

Thankfully, more beauty brands are packing SPF into products you already use.

It's so easy ... two uses in one!

See what 5 SPF-laden items I love.