Is your child lugging home bunches of books and school supplies? Too much or poorly distributed backpack weight can strain muscles and joints, which is why it's so important to find the right one for your child.

Southern Living Contributing Editor Elizabeth Mayhew shared our tips for picking a stylist and ergonomically good backpack for your child. Check out her tips on the best -- from pre-school through college -- at this clip from this morning's Today Show.

And please let us know if you have found a great bag that works for your little (or big) ones.

Related Links: WedMd -- Kids Backpacks 101

You may have noticed that we haven't featured a Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week lately. That's because we're cooking up big things at Southern Living that you will soon hear more about.

We continue to be impressed by all the great Southern blogs out there. Like this one ...

This week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week comes to us from the fair state of Mississippi:

Mommy Cracked. It's written by Mandy, mom to a four-year old son and former teacher and librarian. She writes:

"I started Mommy Cracked in October 2007 as a creative outlet while being a stay at home mom. I had no idea what I was doing but have quickly learned that blogging is a great way to connect with like-minded others, offers me an opportunity to write (which I love doing), and also serves as an online diary of sorts about my life, memories, and experiences."

Two of her recent posts caught our attention:

Six Tools To Relive Your Child's Back To School Itis, with tips on helping your child relieve school fears (like teaching him or her how to breathe deeply for calm and concentration).

Another great post is Baby Safe Travel, which reviews a website by the same name that features hotel reviews by parents based on kid-friendliness and safety. 

Keep up the good work Mandy!

Also, please check out fellow Southern Living Mama Blogger of the Week Megan's moving post to mark the four year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and her family's survival. 

As for us, stay tuned for big news in the coming weeks.

And please let us know if there are Southern mama bloggers we should be reading!

 I can't stop talking about my great weekend.  Partly because it was an ideal active and social one and partly because my sore muscles won't let me forget it . After days of thunderstorms and unpredictable cloudy skies, I was tired of camping out in my apartment. My comfy chair and watching "Friends" re-runs wasn't cutting it. The mild weather was begging me to come outside and play, so I did.  I stayed in my apartment complex, but I kicked my cabin fever with the help of a new tennis racket, an empty court and some fellow interns.

Saturday evening was perfect for tennis, at least in my novice opinion, with a light breeze and low humidity. Maddie from Southern Living's Home & Garden and Jodi from Coastal Living and I chased the little green balls to the far reaches of the court with revised rules to keep the volleys going.  We only launched two balls over the fence, so I consider it a successful outing for we three beginners.

I only started playing tennis one year ago, but I'm hooked. It's a total body workout that doesn't feel like one, until my muscles start screaming at me the next day.  And best of all I get to share the experience and the great cardio with friends.

After two hours we were ready for a refreshing energy boost.  I knew exactly what would hit the spot: popsicles.  Natural Choice Full of Fruit bars work with my exercise routine and not against it like other frozen delicacies.  The pomegranate berry bar is my favorite; with Certified Organic fruit, unexpected nutrient packed ingredients like beet juice and only 60 calories.

I think another popsicle could be a remedy for my achy arms, along with a warm bubble bath.

What revives you after a tough sweat-session?

Related Links:

Southern Living: Keep Your Cool

Cooking Light coaches Tennis

Cooking Light's post-workout foods

Confession: I used a new mousse/setting lotion last night and now I have fat helmet hair that won't move. While the big Southern hair thing is cool, I prefer hair I can actually sleep on.

Everyone's turning to eco-friendly bags. They're a responsible way to transfer items without using piles and piles of plastic and paper bags at stores.  There's nothing chicer nowadays than to go to the flea market or produce stand and leave with leafy carrot tops, colorful corn on the cob, or bright flowers sticking out of the sides of your reusable bag. You get bonus points if your bag is made from recycled materials. The NY Times  even touted a new eco-friendly golf bag made from recycled bottles that contains less carbon.

The trick is to actually remember to use your "green" bags when going shopping. If you forget to bring them along, you'll have defeated the purpose (kinda like clipping grocery coupons all week, and then leaving your coupon wallet at home by mistake).

That said, the new wave is toward bags that are quite stylish, so you can save the earth and save your sense of style simultaneously! They look so great that you won't forget to bring them along. In fact, just stash them in your trunk or under your seat, so you'll always have them nearby.

This MIami Herald article on "green" bags says it all. Enjoy!  Here are some green bags that I found that you might like. (L to R: Animal Planet bag 2, Envirosax, $8.50; Animal Planet bag 4, Envirosax, $8.50; Charlotte bag, Green Chic Bag Company, $15)

With back to school on our brains, we have a new tool to help you and your family navigate your busy schedules.

MyRecipes.com has debuted a new feature: Kid Approved: Food, Fun, And Family Ideas For Busy Moms. (MyRecipes.com is a hub of thousands of recipes from Southern Living, Cooking Light, and our sister publications.)

To kick things off, each day in August they'll post a new Kid Approved recipe -- perfect for back to school meal planning. Having trouble getting your kiddo motivated to get up in the morning? Check out this recipe for a Breakfast Pizza Cup.

Some of our other favorites:

Smart Snacks For Kids -- the puffed up chocolate chip cookies are healthier because they're made with applesauce

Veggies Your Kids Will Eat -- check out what their expert panel (kids ages 4 to 11) loved   

Check it out, and let us know what you're serving your kids as you make the transition back to school.

I just got my first electric bill and my mouth gaped at the numbers waiting for me at the bottom of the page.  I thought I had minimized my AC use and turned lights off whenever I left a room.  And I live in a Studio, how much electricity can one small girl use in 500 square feet?  According to Alabama Power Company, quite a bit.

This bit of info has thrown a wrench in my limited intern budget.  I need to make changes and fast.  Plus it's just the motivation I need to put a serious dent in my carbon footprint too.  I've discovered there are more green options in my new southern way of life than fried green tomatoes.  I'm starting small and working my way up.  I just bought eco bulbs for about $2.50 each and swapped out my standard energy guzzlers.  These use 75% less electricity and should last 13 times longer.  So far I'm sold, they are bright enough for evening reading and give off a subtle blue glow that's surprisingly relaxing.  I'm actually quite excited because it's not only going to help my finances but give the environment a much deserved boost.  And that too will bring a smile to my face.

We want to hear from you:

Tell us about how you incorporate organic, all-natural and earth-friendly products into your daily life. Please leave your thoughts in the "Comments" section below.

Your above submission to SouthernLiving.com, including contact information, gives us the right to modify, use, distribute, reproduce, publish and display the submission indefinitely in all media, means, and forms without any payment to you.  You hereby represent that you haven't copied the content from a book, magazine, newspaper, or other commercial source.

In the South school tends to start earlier than it does for our northern neighbors. So for some of us, kids are going back as early as next week. (Insert cheers from Moms and Dads alike!) These can be big jumps -- kids starting at new schools holding backpacks containing sharpened pencils, with nerves all over the place.

I remember being so excited and nervous the first day of school I passed out in homeroom. As in literally, right on top of my Earth Sciences text.

(That's me to the left with the Strawberry Shortcake ensemble and bowl cut.)

Granted, this was also Florida, where it's in the mid-90s at the beginning of the school year.

Yeah, I didn't earn any cool points that day. What can I say -- I was excited about diagramming sentences and competing in the science fair. Go ahead, laugh. It's kind of funny.

The moral of the story: sometimes that first day doesn't go as smoothly as we plan.

But, here are some tips and resources to help you minimize first day of school drama:

5. Prepare The Teacher -- Some schools offer tours and "meet the teacher" sessions. Regardless, make sure your child's teacher knows of any special needs or medical issues. Here's a list of ten things to ask the teacher about your child's academic experience.

Let us know: What's your favorite back-to-school memory? What are your family traditions to get your kiddos ready for the start of a new year?

My mom took our picture on the first day of school in front of a tree in the yard. We can't be the only ones who did something like this!

Please share your memories and back-to-school tips.

Related Links:

BlondeMomBlog: Back to School Traditions

KidsHealth.org - Going Back to School

MSNBC: Tips To Calm Your Child's First-Day Jitters