After tackling escalators and uneven pavement in heels, I learned the hard way that I should follow their lead. I now know I should wear what’s comfortable and wait to change into cute summer shoes at the office, but my feet are already covered in blisters. That’s why my first assignment—to cover the 125^th anniversary of first-aid kits—was not only a cool opportunity but also a fitting reminder to always have Band-Aids and other supplies handy!

While at the event, I picked up a few tips from the pros at Johnson & Johnson on how to assemble a first-aid kit. Oh, and I got to meet actress Maggie Gyllenhaal (that’s her, in white, with me), who served as a celebrity spokesmom on behalf of being prepared for emergencies.

1. Start with the essentials: Every first-aid kit should include plenty of bandages in different sizes, surgical or nonlatex gloves in case you want to protect your hands from blood, gauze pads, a thermometer, scissors, antiseptic wipes, pain-relief medication and tubes of antibiotic and hydrocortisone ointments.

2. Now personalize: Whether you’re an athlete, gardener, fashionista or mom (or even all of the above), be sure to include items that will help heal potential injuries specific to you. If you spend a lot of time in the yard gardening, for example, you might include aloe for sunburns and ibuprofen for back pain, while a strappy sandal enthusiast (like me) might throw in a friction block stick and moleskin to soothe blisters.

3. Keep allergies in mind: If a family member has seasonal allergies, keep a supply of over-the-counter meds like loratadine. For skin rashes or hives, stash some calamine lotion, hydrocortisone cream and diphenhydramine antihistamine pills.

4. Create a list of contents: It’s easy to throw health-care supplies inside a container, but labeling every item and creating an inventory will help you find the essentials when you really need them. Tape the list on the inside of the lid and keep it updated as you replenish supplies. You should also include the phone numbers of your doctor and specialists so anyone who uses the kit can reach help if needed.

5. Have more than one: Assemble one first-aid kit for the home and think about doing a smaller, portable one to take in your purse or keep in your car—especially if you have active, accident-prone kids. (Aren’t they all?) You’ll feel more confident if you’re prepared, says Gyllenhaal. “Having a bag ready and filled with supplies makes me a more chill mom when things come up.”

Whoever said that Mother Nature isn’t a powerful force was just crazy. Summer rain leads to major humidity…which leads to seriously sweaty roots…which leads to frequent shampoo sessions…which leads to dry, frizzy ends. It’s a vicious, never-ending cycle. Enter dry shampoo. The hair washing stand-in has the power to lift oil from the scalp, absorb dirt and product build-up, and leave hair looking and feeling fresh. Take that, Mother Nature.

Here’s the best way to dry-shampoo, courtesy of Ammon Carver, Artistic Director for Matrix:

1.  Comb or brush through your hair to distribute oils evenly.

2.  Start at the top of your head, create a center part and spray lightly along the part, holding the dry shampoo an inch or two from your head.

3.   Make another part about a few inches away and repeat.

4.  Continue creating parts and spraying on each side of the original part until you reach your ears on each side.

5.  In the back, start at the crown of your head, create a horizontal part and spray.  Continue parting and spraying to the bottom of your head.

6.  Gently massage the powder into your scalp, as if you were lathering up your shampoo.

7. Wait a few minutes to allow the powder to absorb the excess oil and dirt.

8. Brush through to remove all of the powder.  Flip your hair upside down and brush through once more.

It’s officially sandal season, which means no more hiding. Yes, flats are still perfectly acceptable, but why not let your toes feel the warm air too? Even though cold weather wreaks havoc on our skin, summer slaps your feet with some harsh hits too. We’ve all had a cracked heel emergency at some point. Chicago-based dermatologist, Brooke Jackson, M.D. shared a few tips for getting your tootsies in tip-top shape.

Platform wedges don’t look so cute when you have dry, cracked heels. Use a pumice stone or gritty exfoliant once a week and apply a cream with AHA’s at night to keep them smooth. Jackson recommends CeraVe SA Renewing Lotion or Amlactin Plus.

Giving yourself a pedicure? Prevent ingrown toenails by cutting your nails straight across. Don’t try to cut or file the nail into the sides of your toe.

Apply sunscreen on the tops of your feet. “I see patients every summer who forget to put sunscreen on their feet and they get burned on the tops of their feet,” says Dr. Jackson. “Skin is skin and any skin which is exposed to the sun needs to be protected.”

Breaking in new sandals? Blisters and chafing are caused by rubbing and friction, so apply a product like Gold Bond Friction Defense to areas of the foot that feel friction before irritation as prevention. You can also use this on irritated and burning feet to treat and soothe skin.

1. Because we love a good limited-edition collection at Target. The Webster at Target leaf print dress $42.99

2. Because no one makes under $100 look so luxe. Zara v-back dress $89.90

3. Because mint is the color of the summer. Asos river island high waisted dress $41.43

4. Because the midi length is so new and so flattering. Forever 21 tribal midi dress $24.80

5. Because a little arm coverage is okay with us. Piperlime MM Couture kimono dress $68

6. Because I can’t go shopping without stopping at J Crew. Dontcha love how they styled it with the belt and hat? J Crew shoreline stripe dress in kelly green $69.50

6. Because where else can you get something so cute for less than a $20 spot? Old Navy drawstring v-neck jersey dress $15.94

7. And because I clearly have an addiction to stripes. Gap asymmetrical striped dress $64.95

Happy shopping! All images from the brand’s websites. Click each dress for details.

Believe it or not, we are well into summer mode. When temps are in the 30s you kind of have to be, right? This time of year we’d give anything for the blissful days of bare legs and coral lips, but there has to be some trade off to living in NYC.

Being able to toss our hair up in a top knot without having to worry about fitting a knit hat over it, or showing off a super bright toe nail shade every other day are just a few of our best summer beauty moments.

What are your favorite summer beauty moments?

Luckily, I’ve been able to indulge that yearning (albeit vicariously) with the Best Women’s Travel Writing of 2011. The essays in this anthology blow me away not only with their language, but also with the amazing experiences they describe: leaving body issues behind in a public bath in South Korea, dining at cabbies’ favorite restaurants in Argentina, scoring a souvenir soccer jersey on every trip, to name just a few. There are no sunbathers among these intrepid travelers.

Inspired, I asked the book’s contributors to share their top tips, destinations and vacation fantasies.

What is your number-one summer travel tip?

When in Europe, take the trains. Rent a car if you like for a few days of poking around villages, but for distances, trains are fast, fun, romantic and relaxing.—Diane Covington, “Finding Gilbert”

Take a “digital sabbatical,” and let go of the Internet for a few days or weeks. It’s liberating even if you’re staying home.—Aubrey Streit Krug, “Going Underground”

There’s nothing worse than flying after a stressful all-nighter of packing, so I make sure I have a peaceful last evening before a trip. A good night’s sleep not only gets me dreaming about my trip, but it also leaves me with a great memory of home.—Kelly Hayes-Raitt, “Tongue-Tied”

The San Francisco Bay area is the best place to escape heat and humidity. (Lucky me—I live here!) One summer when I couldn’t afford a vacation I visited a different Marin County beach every day! It was glorious. Limantour Beach in Point Reyes goes on for miles. —Marianne Rogoff, “Common Tongues”

What must-have item is in your carry-on?

A lightweight down blanket that folds up small enough to fit into my purse. I freeze on planes! I also pack Wisp toothbrushes, fresh underwear, Dermagor face cream and a pair of high heels so I can ditch my sensible travel shoes the moment I arrive. —Marcia DeSanctis, “Masha”

A sarong. It’s great as a towel, a sheet, a beach blanket or an after-swim cover-up.—Anna Wexler, “Belle of the Ball”

My sleeping bag liner has saved me from many a shady mattress. In suspect lodgings (especially in hot, tropical countries), it creates at least the impression of a tolerable bed.—Michelle Theriault Boots, “Unsilent Night”

I always travel with a journal and pens. I don’t have the most reliable memory, so I keep lists of places, people, food, foreign phrases. Even a few words on paper preserve the memories. Those concrete details are invaluable if I decide to write a story about the place I visited.—Lavinia Spalding, editor

Acupressure motion-sickness wristbands have been a lifesaver during many a bumpy ride—from a bouncy hydrofoil trip across the Saigon River to a car trek through bone-jarring dirt roads in non-NATO controlled Afghanistan. And no side effects! —Angie Chuang, “Vice and Virtue”

What’s next on your must-visit list?

My mother and I are going to Istanbul. From everything I hear and read, it’s one of the world’s great cities. And talk about a cultural crossroads—Turkey is part of both Europe and Asia. Our rules for this trip were 1) it had to be a place neither of us has been, and 2) it had the potential to be the “trip of a lifetime.”—Erin Van Rheenan, “Up the Rio Frio One Last Time”

Domestically, I’m heading down to the Gulf Coast. I have a friend who teaches writing on an Air Force base and I’d really love a post-Katrina tour. Internationally, Buenos Aires. I’ve heard people there dance past dawn.—Nicolle Elizabeth, “Aloha, With Love”

Croatia for the wine, food and crystalline-blue waters on the Adriatic.—Marcy Gordon, “In Lardo We Trust”

The Netherlands. I’m Dutch on both sides of my family, and yet I’ve never been to my homeland.—Anne Van, “Going Underground”

Argentina! Or Instanbul! Or New Zealand! Or Zanzibar! Wait. Where is Zanzibar? I have to go look at a map.—Sarah Katin, “Naked”

I find myself gravitating to remote, untouched places, often discovered through my research on bird conservation. So next on my list is Baffin Island, in the Arctic Ocean, suspended in icy waters where the North American land mass breaks off into an archipelago mosaic. In summer it is a land of eternal light, and while we frolic on beaches farther south, scads of waterbirds and snowy owls will be breathing life into their next generation.—Meera Subramanian, “A Hundred Unspoken Rules”

What place do you visit again and again?

Peru. I cover it regularly and experience the same hit of euphoria every time I land. The Andes never cease to amaze me. Nor do the people I meet there—particularly in some of the remote, indigenous communities. And the food is ridiculously, problematically good. Expandable waistbands are key.—Abbie Kozolchyk, “Jersey Girl”

The ocean—any coast, any country. I love to see how the ocean is the same, yet also so different, from country to country.—Anena Hansen, “I Am”

Big Island, Hawaii. It’s all that lava—old and crusty black, or new and flowing red hot, it never looks the same and never fails to excite. Plus, the hiking is epic.—Conner Gorry, “Elvis Has Entered the Casa”

My friends say I’m obsessed with Paris—and that’s probably true. There’s something wonderful about roaming the streets and not worrying where a left or right turn will take me. Mais oui!—Jacqueline Luckett, “Traveling With Ghosts”

It’s hard to achieve a sense of calm with all this insanity around me. So when a friend suggested we attend a yoga event on the Solstice, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to slow down. The only catch was that it took place on the asphalt in the middle of Times Square. (That’s me, to the right, getting my “om” on.) I was skeptical of how calm I could feel in the busiest of all busy intersections. But when else would I get do yoga in the heart of New York City?

The instructor jumped up on stage at 7:30 a.m. and got us started to the sounds of Alicia Keys’s re-mixed, relaxing version of “Empire State of Mind.” For the next hour and 15 minutes, it was just me and my yoga mat… and more than 1,000 others in my “class.”

Surprisingly, all the hustle and bustle faded away as I curled into cat, pushed back into downward dog, stretched into warrior and balanced in tree pose. I had somehow reached my center through all the madness. I realized if I could relax in Times Square, I could relax anywhere.

I ended lying on my back, feeling like a true yogi. As I slowly rose from the mat, the sun began to peek around the skyscrapers. The buses and taxis sounded a little louder; the neon signs shined a little brighter. It was back to reality, but I couldn’t stop smiling. I had just found peace and tranquility in the most unlikely of places. Invigorated, refreshed and relaxed, I was ready to start the day.

While I may be too picky about perfume, the change of seasons, or at least the change in weather, is the perfect time to try a new fragrance. Here are some of the lightest, sweetest (but not too sweet), and cleanest scents that go perfectly with warm breezes.

Clean Summer Escape, $49

Notes: Crisp Bergamot, Beach Grass, Mandarin Orange, Water Lily, Summer Peony, Beach Honeysuckle, Orange Flower, Cotton Blossom, White Sand Accord, Driftwood, Coconut Water

Philosophy Summer Grace, $40

Notes: Blooming Flowers, Sun-Ripened Fruits

Elizabeth Arden Green Tea Lavender, $39

Notes: Meyer Lemon, Sicilian Mandarin, Spearmint, Wild Chamomile, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Organic Lavender Bulgarian Orpur, French Lavender, Absolute Orpur, Chinese Magnolia, Soft Skin Musks, Birchwood, Ambrette Seed

Ralph Lauren Romance Summer Romance, $78

Notes: Passion Fruit, Hibiscus, Tiare Flowers, Apricot Musk

Lancôme Ô de L’Orangerie, $55

Top Notes: Orange zest, Orange Blossom essential oil
Heart Notes: Orange Blossom absolute, Jasmine
Base Notes: Cedar, Benzoin

Thymes Naia Cologne, $32

Notes: Yuzu, Lychee, Lemon Pulp, Water Lily, Cyclamen, Bamboo Leaves, Hinoki Wood, Musk

If you enjoy fragrance, but not particularly wearing one, this room spray may be a good alternative. I was surprised at how crisp and fresh it smelled for a Disney fragrance.

Imagination Room Spray by Disney Store, $16.50

Notes: Sequoia trees, cool moss and green leaves

Here at LHJ, we started our morning on a super sweet note thanks to a visit from famed cookbook author and pastry chef Gale Gand! Gale has teamed up with Breyers Ice Cream for its Sundae Scoop-Off Contest, and she swung by LHJ to tell us more about it and to share some of her favorite cold creations with us.

The person that submits the most unique, yummy and appealing sundae in 10 or fewer ingredients takes the cake – well, the ice cream in this case – and wins the grand prize of $10,000, a trip for four to Chicago for a private cooking lesson with Gale and one year’s supply of Breyers ice cream. Nine others will win a “Super Sundae Prize Package” (one year of free Breyers ice cream, $500 and sundae making supplies). Talk about a sweet deal!

Gale also shared her own spins on the classic sundae with us. Indulging both our sophisticated sweet tooth and the kid in us all, we sampled her mini coffee sundaes and ice cream lollipops – perfect desserts for family fun or your next dinner party.

“An embellished ice cream dish is the perfect way to end a meal,” Gale said. She recommends thinking about contrast when dreaming up your dessert like a combination of crunchy and smooth textures in a sundae. Try crumbling a shortbread cookie over your ice cream and fruit, she said.

Make the most of your cool-off treats this summer by checking out Gale’s other sundae-making tips and recipes and enlist the help of your kiddos to come up with the grand-prize-worthy sundae. Or make the yummy ice cream desserts we enjoyed!

The good news is that  you can’t go wrong. Your friends love you and will love anything you give them. The better news is that we’ve put together a list of some fun wines that are perfect as gifts or for guests this summer. My favorite is the 2008 Masianco Pinot Grigio and Verduzzo ($17.95); take a look at the rest of our fave wines on The Dish page on lhj.com, and see some recipe ideas for food pairings.