Today's article comes courtesy of me!! For the last part in our Summer Guidelines series we will focus on Summer Survival needs... these are your must haves!
Summer Survival Kits
Well, it's finally here… Summer! The kids are out of
school, the yard needs mowed, and the temperatures are starting to heat up. It's time to get ready for all those trips to the pool,
the zoo, camping, the park, company picnics... and so on, and so forth.
You can make these better by preparing now. Put together
a summer survival kit with commonly needed items. You can keep a kit in the car
and have a portable one that will fit in most beach bags or moderately sized
purses. Being ready ahead of time will save grief and aggravation down the road
(figuratively and literally).
Hand Sanitizer:
Keeping hands clean is one of
the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs
to others. It is best to wash your hands with soap and clean running water.
However, if soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based
product to clean your hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the
number of germs on skin and are fast acting.
When using an alcohol-based
hand sanitizer:
•
Apply product to the palm of one hand
•
Rub hands together
•
Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until
hands are dry.
Wet Wipes:
Wet wipes or moist toilettes or
small-moistened paper towels that can be used to cleanse the hands, refresh the
face, or commonly to clean up the diaper area when you are changing a baby.
Sunscreen:
Use a sunscreen with a Sun
Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or higher. The sun’s UV rays can damage your skin
in as little as 15 minutes. Put sunscreen on before you go outside, even on
slightly cloudy or cool days. Don’t forget to put a thick layer of sunblock on
all parts of exposed skin. Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back.
Sunscreen wears off. Put it on again if you stay out in the sun for more than 2
hours, and after you swim or do things that make you sweat.
Lip Balm:
A common misconception is
that the lips on a person's face do not need protection from the sun. This is
untrue, and people definitely need protection for their lips against the sun.
Lips can become sunburned and excessive exposure to the sun's rays has been
linked to lip cancer. The best way to provide protection against the sun for
our lips to apply a lip balm or lip gloss that contains sunscreen.
The primary purpose of lip
balm is to provide an occlusive layer on the lip surface to seal moisture in
lips and protect them from external exposure. Dry air, cold temperatures and
wind all have a drying effect on skin by drawing moisture away from the body.
Lips are particularly vulnerable because the skin is so thin, and thus they are
often the first to present signs of dryness. Occlusive materials like waxes and
petroleum jelly prevent moisture loss and maintain lip comfort.
Eye Drops:
Whether you are a contact
wearer or not, keeping eye drops in your kit will cover a number of incidents
that are common to summer adventures. Itchy, dry eyes can sneak up on us when
we spend a lot of time in the great outdoors. A quick micro-burst can kick up
dust, dirt and allergens. The bottles are typically small and compact and won't
take up too much extra room. Eye drops are one of things you'd rather have when
you really need them, so plan ahead.
Allergy Medicine:
Any good antihistamine should
cover a broad spectrum of common allergy emergencies that pop up. It's not a
bad idea to keep cough drops in your kit as well, these provide a nice quick
relief while waiting for the allergy medicine to take effect.
Waterproof Outdoor Blanket:
Wherever you roam, your waterproof outdoor blanket is ready for the
beach, park, camping or playtime at home! If you can find one that folds into a
bag or has a handle, that is just perfect! Once you reach your destination, it
unfolds into a spacious 5' x 5' (average size) water-resistant blanket, keeping
everyone's picnic clean and dry.
Stay prepared and stay protected this summer. Now get out there
and have some fun! Much Love, Bridget!
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