Tis the season for summer!

Tis the season for summer and the phrase that makes me shudder ... "Bathing Suit Season! Get that body beach ready!" ... ugh ... my body hasn't been "Beach ready" since I was 10. Now that body is buried under layers of stress and life. Here's the thing ... I don't think you have to look like a Kardashian to sport a suit in the summer. It makes us feel  better sure, but honestly, there are a lot easier ways to look AND feel good. Lesson number 1 ... Don't be afraid of the 1 piece! Since becoming a mother and my eternal battle with stretch marks (which came out of no where during my pregnancy and did the spider web effect ... my stomach looks like shattered glass) I'm  into wearing a 1 piece. At first it wasn't my cup of tea, I've always liked being able to bear a little belly and get my tan on! But now, it's not as bad as I first feared! First of all, I have a super cute 1 piece from years ago, not sure how or when I even acquired it but I was able to locate it stashed away from years of unuse. I really enjoy wearing it now because it's comfortable, it's pretty flattering and most importantly, it covers the mid section! I first donned this ensemble in the back yard playing with my sweet cakes in our "kiddie" pool. Then I took it to Vegas where I gained more confidence, and have been wearing it ever since. There are many places that still sell super cute 1 piece suits - not the types that our moms wore with the ruffle skirt either! There are some suits that come with cute shorts if you're like me who also have stretch marks on the upper thigh. There are suits that look like tennis outfits too! Just keep your eyes peeled. Plus here's another bonus! Some stores are ramping up for back to school so if you wait til the end of July or August, you can get great suits for next year on super sale! Please remember that if you are a fuller body woman, that is completely happy with they way you are - that is great! But it is not appropriate to be sporting a skimpier suit than some super models. Get out, have fun, but cover your body appropriately. No one is perfect, especially myself, but I recognize and dress appropriately! You should too.
Lesson number 2, sunscreen is in! I grew up HATING sunscreen. Ask my mom I never wore it - refused. I ended up with some real humdingers for sun burns! I even had sun poisoning once and still have the freckles to prove it. The fact of the matter remains that skin cancer is on the rise. Mostly due to 2 factors, first the fact that we are ignoring our planet and not doing our part of the green initiative. (More on this in a later issue!) This pollution has caused our ozone to dwindle down to nothing. I'm not on the global warming bandwagon per se, but you have to be a fool not to recognize that we have not been having normal weather since El Nino (For those of us advanced in age old enough to remember that!) Summers are getting hotter and sunnier. There's no reason to stay in the shade, and I'm also not completely on board with the 4 S's - slip on a t-shirt, slap on sunglasses, slop on sunscreen and seek shade. First of all, if it's 80 or above, t-shirts are really uncomfortable. Period. And sometimes shade is appropriate and welcomed, but I also don't think you need to be a shady lady - badumbum! Pun intended! The sun has many beneficial qualities! For example, cabin fever stems from the fact that people are low on vitamin D which the sun richly provides! Since we can't get outside as much in the winter and experience many overcast days, people tend to have higher depression rates and some experience extreme depression and mood alteration to the point that they need to relocate to a sunny state during winter months. If that doesn't do it for you consider this, plants NEED sunlight to grow. Plants are living things and so are we, getting a few rays does a body good! The danger comes when we aren't careful and get burnt. Most medical professionals will tell you that you need SPF 50 at LEAST. I say use whatever works. Just remember to reapply often. If you're like me and like some color, use 15-30 SPF and apply hourly or every 90 minutes. This should help give you a "glow" but prevent the damage burns cause. Which is the number 2 reason why skin cancer is on the rise. We women seeking beautification during the summer ... It's nice to be tan, but too tan comes with a price! I have since learned to be more appreciative of sunscreen and have even had a cancer screening. Even if your dermatologist says it's too early, GO ANYWAY! There have been MANY recent cases of young adults getting late stage skin cancer. Better to go than be sorry!
So whatever you do this summer and next, be happy and be careful. Looking good and feeling good should go hand in hand! So get out there "Kim", sport that suit and strut your stuff! Keep that screen on hand and have an fabulous summer!