Summer, Summer, Summer Time...

Summer, summer, summertime.... can you hear it? I do! Will Smith and DJ Jazzy Jeff 1991 hit summertime song blasting through my speakers. Kool Aid flowing, speakers pounding, carefree and young. When I think of the summer my mind automatically takes me to great backyard BBQ's, laying by the pool, and traveling to some new adventure with my family. As much fun as we all love to have, we need to remember that summer time also has one of the highest peeks in crime and  emergency room visits.

Here are THREE safety reminders to help keep your summertime a time where you can "Sit back and unwind"

1. Backyard BBQ's can be a ton of fun. Who doesn't love a grilled hamburger or hotdog fresh off the smoking grill? Potato salad, baked beans, yum, it makes me hungry just thinking about it. Remember while we sit around the grill and watch the blaze of white cloudy smoke and hot red flames that we need to be safe. Safety practices aren't only in place as we cook on the grill, the single most forgotten safety measure happens when we take that last item off. Regardless if it's a gas grill or good old fashioned charcoal, remembering to properly extinguish and shut down the grill will prevent that fun summertime backyard BBQ from being a fire truck stop. When using a gas grill remember to turn off the gas from the gas can. Turning the burner off isn't enough, it's important to turn off the gas line as well. Charcoal stays sweltering hot for a very long time, remember to smother the gray charcoal by closing the lid also adding cold water.

2. Poolside fun! The best times that I have as an adult in the summer is taking my children to the pool. I fill up my cooler, pack some snacks and we're off for a few hours. NOTE TO ALL... Yes, African American's sunburn! This may be the single most important thing that I may say to you, USE SUNSCREEN! I have in the last few weeks had more and more conversations about the importance of sunscreen. Have you ever had sunburn? Hum, if you have then you know how important it is to protect yourself! Using sunscreen isn't hard or complicated. Go to the nearest drug store and purchase a sunscreen with broad-spectrum or multi-spectrum protection for both UVB and UVA. Lastly, USE IT!

3. Vacations, traveling, and even staycations are at the top of everyone's list during the summer. Beaches, cruises, even foreign travel is at an all time high during the warm and sunny months. With social media as our new best friend, we all want to capture every single moment and show the world where we are and what we are doing. Unfortunately as great as social media is, it's also a breeding ground for crime. As much as grandma loves to see on Facebook how cute her sweet grandbabies look in Disney world with Mickey, criminals love that they know you aren't home and your hundreds of miles away. Be mindful of the things you post on social media and know that although we all love to see that your standing in front of the Eiffel Tower, so do the bad guys.

My last and final reminder for these nice and hot days, have loads of fun during your summer, summer, summertime and just sit back and unwind.