Understanding UV Safety Month: A Sunscreen 101

by Catherine Carlton, volunteer contributor 

There’s a lot of alphabet soup and numbers when it comes to finding the right sun protection. In honor of UV Safety Month, the American Red Cross recommends these sun and UV safety tips: 

• Limit the amount of direct sunlight you receive between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. 
• Wear sunscreen with a protection factor of at least 15. 
• Reapply your sunscreen often. 
• Protect your eyes by wearing sunglasses that will absorb at least 90 percent of UV sunlight. 

But what does that really mean? It means if you don’t take proper precautions you could have sunburn which could lead to serious diseases like sun stroke and skin cancer. Let’s dive deeper into what these recommendations mean. 

The Skin Cancer Foundation states: “sunscreens are products combining several ingredients that help prevent the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation from reaching the skin. Two types of ultraviolet radiation, UVA and UVB, damage the skin and increase your risk of skin cancer.” 

The SPF – or Sun Protection Factor – you are used to checking when buying sunscreen is the measure of the sunscreen's ability to prevent UVB from damaging the skin. It is generally recommended the higher the number, the better the protection. An example from the Skin Care Foundation is “if it takes 20 minutes for your unprotected skin to start turning red, using an SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically prevents reddening 15 times longer – about five hours.” 

That’s the letters and numbers, but it’s really about you and diligently taking care of your skin. And if you have kids, you must take extra care with them. And it’s no easy feat. The New York Times recently did a photo essay showing the “battle” of screening kids from the sun. When I shared it with one of my best friends, April who has 2-year-old twins, she said: “Nice to know we're not alone... ours insist we "take it off" after we put sunscreen on, which means we say abracadabra and wave our hands around wildly.” 

That sounds like a pretty good result to me. Reminding your children that a few moments of waiting before going out and putting lotion on will keep itchy and painful burns away later, as well as more severe heat illnesses. Protection and laughter are the greatest cures! 

Check out this video from our friends at the FDA:

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Life is a Highway, Ride it Safely: Road Trip Safety Tips

by Micaela Rosinski, intern contributor

Road trip. Those two words have a vast range of reactions among people. Children begin grudgingly counting how many hours they will be spending in the car with their parents, young adults are anxious to see what the country has to offer, and others, like myself, desire to sit in an air-conditioned room and watch National Lampoon’s Vacation.

If you have yet to see Vacation, the film follows the now-famous Griswold family on their cross-country road trip where anything that could go wrong happens. The 98 minute comedy will leave you in tears of laughter, but there are also many lessons to be learned from the unfortunate adventure. Here are just a few: 

 
Ensure vehicle is prepared for the trip. Before you embark on your adventure, take your car for a checkup. This includes items such as batteries, tires, belts and fluids. The last thing you want is to break down in the middle of nowhere.

Practice safe driving habits. Driving while drowsy is extremely dangerous for yourself and everyone around you. If possible, alternate drivers every few hours. Always use caution while driving, observe speed limits, and buckle up. Additional highway safety tips are available at RedCross.org.

Create an emergency kit for the car. American Red Cross sells emergency preparedness kits that are great for any road trip-bound car. If something bad does happen, being prepared will save you from potential amounts of massive stress and possibly even save a life.

Research your trip. Yes, more preparedness advice. Research your routes, stops and stays. Clark Griswold was not prepared. Once they reached their final destination, Walley World, it was closed and undergoing maintenance. Do not be Clark Griswold. Roadtrippers.com allows you to map your trip and find interesting stops along the way. You may even find a special spot of American Red Cross history, such as Clara Barton’s home or our National Headquarters.

Sun and heat protection. Although in a car, the sun can still do damage to your body. Wear a broad spectrum sunscreen and sunglasses to protect you from harmful rays. In addition, never leave children or pets in a vehicle. The inside of a vehicle rapidly reaches deadly temperatures during summer.

Leaving the children? Find the right sitter. If it is a trip for the grownups, hire a Red Cross certified babysitter. Red Cross offers babysitting training courses which cover important information and a plethora of emergency training, keeping your children safe.

Music. Road trips are synonymous with thoughtfully crafted playlists. Create your own mixes spanning from melodies that accompanied the Griswold’s adventure to today’s tunes and satisfy any passenger. Below are a few selections that you cannot help but dance to while in the car (safely, of course…more of a head bob and hand tap-type dance).

• Holiday Road- Lindsey Buckingham
• Babel- Mumford & Sons
• Blitzkrieg Bop- The Ramones
• Sweater Weather- The Neighbourhood
• Dancin’ Across the USA- Lindsey Buckingham
• I’m Alive (Life Sounds Like)- Michael Franti & Spearhead
• Come on Eileen- Dexys Midnight Runners
• Ho Hey- The Lumineers

Road trips can be fabulous journeys. When prepared for anything that may come your way, a stressful moment can be turned around in minutes. So have fun, create memories, and make your children absolutely miserable. Safe travels, friends.

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National Fried Chicken Day: A Guide to Celebrating Responsibly

by Micaela Rosinski, intern contributor

Last week, many went on vacation, enjoyed fireworks, and celebrated what it means to be an American. In a great time of patriotic display, it is a little known fact two days after Independence Day marked National Fried Chicken Day.

The origins of the July 6 holiday are fuzzy, but the reason to celebrate is clear; fried chicken is great. It is believed European immigrants brought the practice of deep frying chicken in a batter to the United States. The rest is history.

Did you miss the fried food fiesta? No worries. Any day is a great day to heat up some oil and indulge in this fried treat. Observe the following safety tips while preparing your fried chicken.

1. The perfect temperature for frying is between 350 and 375 degrees.
2. Never fill the pot more than half way with oil in order to ensure it will not overflow once chicken is added.
3. Making sure chicken is patted dry will minimize the amount of water, decreasing the amount of splattering oil while cooking.
4. In the event of a fat fire, extinguish it by either placing a lid over pot or using baking soda. Better yet, keep a fire extinguisher in the kitchen in case of emergency.
5. Dispose of used cooking oil properly. Place oil in a container and throw in the garbage. Also wipe residual oil from pots and pans before washing.
6. Be hungry! It would be a shame to make such a wonderful meal and not have an empty stomach to put it in.

Finally, a great recipe is necessary. My dad is the chef of all chefs. I personally think he missed his calling. Naturally, fried chicken is in his repertoire. The go-to recipe is typically a variation of one created by famous chef, Thomas Keller.  If you are in need of a recipe, I highly recommend the following for a gourmet take on an American classic.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken

And don’t forget the tunes. My personal song selection would be Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band. 

Although the holiday is past, fire up the oil, prepare you chicken, and get cooking! Happy eating!

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