Reaching for Sun Block

March 20, 2013

I’ve always sun burned fairly easily. The first time my ex and I went to an all day concert event one August shortly after dating, he was shocked that I burned to a crisp—even after applying sun block and sitting in the shade all day. I’m a veritable vampire—without the cool super strength and aversion to garlic.

Which means when my little gingers came on the scene, I became the sun block queen.

I keep it in stock year around, but come spring, we start layering it on.

As a mom, I have a system: first, we have the sticks for quick application to our noses and cheeks. Then we have the lotions, for all day use. Finally, we have the sprays for those hard to reach areas. And we use them all concurrently. On top of that are long sleeved rash guards and wide brimmed hats. I don’t want to take any chances with my fair skinned progeny.

So far, I’m happy to say, they’ve not freckled and only Joseph has had a sun burn which was due to a rookie mistake on a foggy day. Living in a place where the sun shines 362 days out of the year, or close to it, that’s not a bad record.

So with the sunnier days of hiking and gardening and playing in the yard, I’m rolling out the sunblock, researching the latest versions, and beginning yet another round with Mother Nature.

Mandy Dawson is the creator of In Mandyland, an almost daily blog recording her adventures in juggling a full-time job, two active children, four arguing hens, a fluffy bunny, and one ex-husband. A self-diagnosed gardening and crafting addict, she often finds herself gluing together clay pots and trying to discover the cure for brown thumb. When she’s not writing, she can be found burning dinners while she stares off into space with a story idea. She was a regular contributor for Makes Fun of Stuff, Aiming Low, and Six Kitchens, and has been featured on BlogHer and Mamapedia. She is an Assistant Editor for Write on Edge and has had her fiction featured in three anthologies currently available on Amazon.