Whether you’re headed to the beach, a picnic, or have other big Labor Day plans, you’ve probably remembered to tuck a bottle of sunscreen in your beach bag. But what is your sun care routine like after the heyday of summer, as we transition into back-to-school and beyond? Most people think of sunscreen as something they apply on a hot day, but sun protection is important year-round.

In light of this, Coppertone has released their 2nd annual Making The Sunscreen Grade program, which includes hints, tips, and a downloadable sun care guide. There is a special section dedicated to “Back to School”, which outlines some common things to be aware of regarding sun care at school. This has been an issue in the news recently, as some schools have restrictions on whether students may bring sunscreen or not; the American Academy of Dermatology recently released a statement encouraging schools and summer camps to allow sunscreen without requiring a doctor’s note. There’s a lot to think about on this topic, so it’s good to be proactive and aware.

Personally, my skin burns very easily, and in the last two years I’ve been very careful to slather on more sunscreen than I think I’ll need. Guess what? I’ve stood under some blistering sun and traveled to hot places without sustaining any burns. Yeah! In fact, I’m often the only person in a group to have sunscreen in my purse, and I notice my pals will all say they don’t need any of my sunscreen…then a few hours, they’ll notice their skin starting to turn pink and say, “Hey – do you still have that sunscreen by any chance?”. And I am always eager to share! And in fact, I have quite literally shared my bottles of Coppertone that I’ve written about here on a few occasions.

So, what with all that sunscreen getting used, I was glad to replenish my supply as it began to dwindle after a summer of traveling! Among the samples I received were:

• Coppertone Sport AccuSpray: I really like the Sport line from Coppertone, and spray sunscreen makes it SO EASY to apply and really saves time!
• Coppertone ClearlySheer Beach & Pool Spray: This spray is really unique to any sunscreen I’ve ever used because it has a consistency more like a moisturizer than a sticky sunscreen, and it has a really nice fragrance. This is one of my very favorites because I rely on sunscreen so much and it’s usually a little greasy/gross to wear. This one isn’t pictured because I just got through traveling for 3 weeks and it was a staple in my bags during that time…and I’m not sure where it is right now. 😉
• Coppertone Clearly Sheer For Beach & Pool: Of course, we can’t take large aerosol bottles on planes, so this one will be great to pack in my bags for long trips.
• Coppertone Clearly Sheer For Sunny Days: And this one is the perfect size to take in my carry-on luggage since it’s 2 oz!

Did you go through a lot of sunscreen over the summer? Are you re-stocking for Fall, too?

I’ve been in love with Kushyfoot socks ever since I was first introduced to them last summer. These cushy dress socks fit perfectly underneath my “Business” shoes – they have become a staple in my suitcase every single time I travel. In fact, as the year has wound on, some of my favorites have disappeared/been eaten by the dryer/gone wherever it is that missing socks go, so I’m down to just a couple of trusty pairs that I wear every time I go on a trip. So when Kushyfoot reached out to see if I’d like to review their new Spring 2014 line, it was a total no-brainer!

First up, we have the Ultra Low Cut Foot Covers and the Extreme Low Cut Lace Foot Covers. I actually find the “Ultra Low” foot covers to be too tight to wear – I think this is because they are one size, as opposed to the “Extreme Low Cut”, which fits sizes 5-9 – I wear between an 8 and 9 in shoes, so these ones fit me well.

Wearing my Kushyfoot Lace Foot Covers in my hotel in Hollywood as the lights of LA twinkle in the background.

I wore the Lace Foot Covers during my recent trip to LA, and they were great! Kushyfoot are awesome to wear on business trips, because they are thin enough to fit underneath my dress shoes, but still provide a little bit of padding. They also protect your feet from the ground when you take your shoes off to go through airport security, which is nice too!

I also LOVED the Sport Foot Cover – this gives more coverage to the foot, but still stays tucked underneath my shoe. Very comfortable cotton! The Sheer Anklet is also really cute – since this one comes up higher, it would be good to wear with a pantsuit…or with pajamas around the house, if you’re me. 😉

Finally, we have these Toe Cover Pads. I was expecting a pair of dainty covers, which I thought would be great for open-toed heels. I was surprised to see that they also have a clear plastic strap that wraps around your heel to hold them in place – that’s actually a pretty good idea, considering that it is see-through and could be tucked underneath shoe straps.

These felt pretty good with their padding on the bottom of my toes, although it was a little tight around my big toe, probably from being one size. It’s interesting how two of the “One size” varieties fit great while two of them were tight or borderline tight – such is the variables of sizing. Since I haven’t been wearing high heels due to leeriness about my knees, I haven’t had a chance to see how these wear under shoes yet – I could certainly wear theses with my flat dress shoes, but I prefer full foot coverage for those. But I think these will be great to try with a pair of strappy pumps in the future!

I’m as big a Kushyfoot fan as ever and happy to have added a few new pieces of my dress sock collection – I know they’ll serve me well this summer! For more on these and other products, visit Kushyfoot.com.