Photo by verygina

There's a dirty little war going on in The CafeMom Newcomer's Club. Seriously, it's over dirt.

In one post about dressing and cleaning up kids before going to the store or other public place, a mom said children should always have a clean face and outfit:  "At Kmart the other day, both of these kids were riding in the cart and they only had a diaper and shirt on ... not even shoes. On top of that, they looked like they hadn't had a bath for a week or two. Some people just don't care, I guess."

Photo by stacy77

A warning: If you are in a store and see a toddler having a meltdown, screaming fit, tantrum, whatever ... do not, I repeat, DO NOT approach the mom to give advice or offer help or -- goodness help you -- ask her to leave the store.

Because you will likely get a look like this at right.

Chances are you know this already. But in case you're still new at toddlerhood, to help hammer the point home, here's a sampling of some of responses you might get along with those daggers. Maybe you could print this out and post copies at all your favorite stores ...

-- It is in your best interest not to get involved. I will be already aggravated and some nosy person not minding their own business will send me over the edge.

-- I would knock you on your a** if you walked up and told me to leave the store. I don't have a problem with a child screaming in a store because I don't know the situation.

Photo by stonecolesmom

You're visiting your aunt for brunch in a new neighborhood. Your toddler will need to expend some much saved up energy pretty soon, so, you hop on your iPhone and type in kidsplayparks.com.

The new website is a comprehensive directory of parks, playgrounds and other kid and family friendly recreation spots recommended by parents. It's a brand new site so not all areas are represented yet; they have 4,500 listings so far and growing.

Here's the type of description you get, from a park I searched for in my own area:

Photo by akme10607

After a short trip away with my husband, I totally got the cold shoulder from my 2.5-year old.

It's nearing the end of summer but you might have a few more trips to take before going back to the daily school grind. Here are some links I love that will help you deal with the craziness of traveling with a tot.

Here's my "OMG! I forgot to strap in my kid" car seat story. Most every mom has one (and if you don't, kindly keep your bashing to yourself, as this is an "I can relate" post.)

It was the end of the work day, and I was picking up my tired, wired, and hungry 3 year old and 2 year old from day care. Either they were having tantrums, running around the parking lot, or some other typical toddler behavior. Finally getting them into the car, both frazzled and relieved, I drove off.

About three minutes down the road, my 3 year old shouts: "Mom, I'm not safe!"

I turned around: I had strapped in my daughter but not my son. Luckily we were barely out of the lot and nothing had happened. I quickly forgave my boy his tantrum or whatever other offense. Nothing like feeling your heart drop out of your body to make you more vigilant.

An episode of Toddlers and Tiaras

Photo from TLC

Now that Jon and Kate are off the air, tot TV aficionados can tune into Season 2 of Toddlers and Tiaras, which starts up again this Wednesday, July 22, at 10 p.m. on TLC.

Here's a sneak peek of Toddlers and Tiaras Season 2.

It's the show that many moms around here love to hate.

"I think that whole show is ridiculous and stupid," says one CafeMom. "It's disgusting the way these moms 'pimp' their babies to win a few bucks."

A few summer car safety tips to keep in mind as the temperatures heat up.

Photo from Britax

Summertime is meant for fun, fun, fun. Here are a few things parents with cars can do to protect their kids.

Photo by SamsMa07

My husband and I are traveling to a wedding this summer, and for a while we considered bringing the kids. It's a resort location, and we considered making a family vacation out of it. We decided to go it solo in the end -- but not before we got a taste of all the planning and considerations in finding and hiring a babysitter remotely.

Genevieve Thiers of Sittercity.com took me through most of the particulars yesterday -- how to post an ad online, what types of info to include, how to conduct an interview.

Today I wanted to know if it was a good idea to trust babysitters provided by hotels and resorts. Is there any additional screening that a parent should do or can you feel totally comfortable with the people they select?

Genevieve says ...