Sunday, June 30, 2013

My favorite sunscreen

My favorite sunscreen...you ready?!?!
 
 
ELTA MD!!!
 
 

You might ask why Elta MD is my favorite?!  Well first of all, it is paraben free, chemical free, fragrance free, oil-free, NON-GMO, and contains the most important active ingredient in a sunscreen: zinc oxide!  I have tried so many different sunscreens and not that others didn't work well, but what I love best about Elta MD's is not only that there are no chemicals in it, but the way that they have micronized the zinc oxide so that it rubs in easy (most zinc based sunscreens are thicker and take a little more effort to rub in clear).  In fact, their Aero spray is the only zinc-based spray sunscreen on the market!  I love the Facial moisturizer, the Aero, and the Sport.  Try it, I promise you'll love it and won't want to buy anything else! ;)




Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Follow Sol Survivors!

Not only are on Facebook, but we are now on Twitter and Instagram now!  Please follow us, your support means everything to us and only helps us spread our message and mission in educating others in a positive way about melanoma and the prevention of it!
 
In the meantime...
 
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, June 21, 2013

Pinch me

Every once in awhile, I have these moments that I pinch myself that I am still alive, living this life.  No, my life is not some luxurious, dreamy life, (trust me, I have my daily struggles and trials!), but just that I'm here!  I'm still kicking!  Just the fact that I am able to live my life normally, be here for my family, enjoying and living life to the fullest, is truly the best gift that I could ever ask for.
 
Because really...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Sunday, June 16, 2013

Divine plan

 
This quote has proven to be true in every aspect of my life.  I look back at my life and know that everything happened for a reason, and always for the better.  God is good and his plan for us is happiness!

Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Love the Skin You're In

I am going to be REAL here...it wasn't always easy for me to love the skin I'm in (and still isn't), even after being diagnosed with melanoma and accepting the fact that I will never have a real "tan" again.  I'm not going to lie, I was one of those teens and young adults that LOVED having a tan.  I remember dreading the Fall when school started because that would mean that I would gradually lose my tan from a long summer of working outdoors (I was a lifeguard and swim instructor).
 
 
Looking back, I definitely recognize that I had a tanning addiction.  I couldn't wait to get my summer tan each year, I hated being "pale", and if there was a cloudy or indoor day in the summer, I worried my tan would fade!  I know, crazy! 
 
 
Fast forward to my 30's when I was diagnosed with melanoma.  I have accepted the fact that a tan isn't worth that diagnosis, but not only that, the sun AGES you.  I can see it now, all the sun spots, freckles and moles, fine lines and wrinkles!  It flat-out SUCKS!  I am now a sunscreen Nazi, and I always have a hat and sunglasses on to protect my face and head.  But here's the thing, I still love having a little color, so occasionally I use the self-tanners (and even once in a blue moon get a spray tan).
 

 
Does this mean that I can't accept and love the skin I'm in though?  I feel conflicted about this.  Here I am preaching to love the skin you're in, but then I use a self-tanner to darken my skin?  Am I not a good example now?  And do people get the wrong assumptions when they see me "tan" and think that it's from the sun?
 
 
I go back and forth with this.  On hand, I think, people can jump to any conclusion they want, I don't care.  The people that know me, know that I am not getting a tan from outside (or tanning beds).  But then on the other hand, I feel like I should just really accept my natural skin color (which isn't that pasty white anyways) and go with my glow because that's really what we should do!
 
 
 
 
It's a daily struggle being comfortable in your skin.  I am still working on it.

Friday, June 7, 2013

A cure for everything

 
Ain't that the truth!!  I absolutely agree and would add chocolate to that list!

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Run for Dunn 2013

 
The second annual Run for Dunn was a success!  I have to admit, I was a little worried we wouldn't get the turn-out like last year, but we did!  It was a perfect day weather wise too!  We were able to give out lots of brochures and sunscreen samples, and more importantly, we had lots of participants lined up to get free skin checks by our dermatologists.
 
 
We are hoping that the upcoming years will grow even more and that eventually this event will be HUGE!  I would love to see a melanoma run do well in our community here.  Our community needs this important education!
 
 
(By the way, how cute are we in this picture?!  This is some of the Sol Survivors.  We are missing Janice, Ruby, and Dan.  What a fantastic group we have! ;)