I have a memory of a summer day in south Texas. My brother and I spent the day at a family friend's house. I don't know why this memory stands out so much, but it is always easily retrieved from my mental files when I think of summer and sun and swimming.
They had big above ground pool and deck. We were in the pool almost the whole day. We got out for lunch. We had bologna and mayo sandwiches on white bread. I remember this because we never ate bologna at home. After lunch we got back in the pool and swam the afternoon away.
The sun was hot and bright and my skin was pale. I can still feel and taste and smell that day in my mind.
It wasn't until later in the evening when I had gone home and gotten out of the sun and out of my swim suit that my skin turned red and hot and tender. I looked like a lobster. I don't think I'd had sunscreen on at all that day. It certainly wasn't the only time I was sunburned; it was the mid-80s, we weren't so cautious of the damage that sun can cause, but for some reason that day stands out.
Summer means fun and pools and hot sun soaking into our pale-of-a -vampire skin and sprinklers and baseball games and lakes and lemonade and sand and concerts by the lake and picnics and golf and these things warrant a quick summer safety reminder course.
Over the past three years, I've written a number of posts on summer safety, including pool hazards, sunburns and sunscreens, water safety, bike helmets and more.
Life happens in an instant, and my philosophy is that it's better to be prepared when it does. So, before you go out and start your summer, please do read through these posts and visit ewg.org to check your sunscreen too.
5 Things You Should Read Before You Start Your Summer:
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Pool Safety: The Overly Cautious Traveler: Must Read Pool Safety Tips. Good tips, and you'll get a kick out of my paranoid side too; Distracted Vigilance: Tips for Preventing Drownings. Don't use your phone {for any purpose} while you're supposed to be watching kids in the water....
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Sun: Sunburn...I Mean Summer Memories: Tips for Playing it Safe in the Sun. We definitely need some sun for Vitamin D, but too much is not a good thing; What's Your SPF? The Dangers of Sunscreen {be sure to check your brand at www.ewg.org.
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Bikes: Spring Fling: Getting the Properly Fitting Bike Helmet {with Video}. This is important, folks! ; Blessed Bikes: Rules of the Road. Do you know the bike laws when it comes to being a biker and being a driver?
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Heat: Not Even for a Minute: Children Left Unattended in Vehicles.This is also serious, folks! And another take on this subject: Soapbox: Hot Cars and Free-Range Parenting.
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Travel: Flying with Kids? Great; it can be a wonderful adventure, but be sure you are prepared: The Well Packed Bag: Regulations Regarding Air Travel with Kids; Control Freak: Tips for Safe and Happy Traveling with Kids. Have fun!
You have now completed Summer 2013 Orientation....GO OUT AND ADVENTURE! Over and out....
Anna
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