It’s Memorial Day! There is sunshine out my window, and it’s calling me to come bathe in it! But before I go get arrested for public nudity in the park, I’m going to apply some decent sunscreen that blocks both UVB rays and UVA rays. Consumer Reports tested sunscreens recently and says these are the top 4 products in terms of effectiveness. All of them are sprays, and fortunately the top scorer is also the second cheapest in the entire test group. [More]
summer
In The Military? Museum Admission Is Free This Summer
By 5.25.10
Starting Memorial Day, May 31, and lasting until Labor Day, September 6, more than 600 museums around the country are waiving admission fees for active members of the military and members of their immediate family. The Blue Star Museum program is a joint effort that’s being launched by the National Endowment for the Arts and a nonprofit group called Blue Star Families. The NEA has a map showing which museums are participating around the country. [More]
Make, Serve, And Preserve Your Own Homemade Ice Cream
By 7.18.09
Ice cream makers may not be worthless pieces of junk, but they’re not absolutely necessary, either. Check out this most delicious roundup of ice cream-related tips and projects from Lifehacker. Make your own ice cream in a plastic bag, keep your store-bought ice cream fresh, learn new scooping techniques, and turn strange-colored liquid medicine into a tasty hangover cure. And more!
By 7.7.09
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Tired of Big Sunscreen profiting from your love of the outdoors? Instructables shows you how to make your own sunscreen, with a few fun ingredients and some safety equipment. Alternately, sunscreen-ify your favorite premade lotion by adding zinc oxide or titanium oxide. (Via Lifehacker)
No, Your Dog Does Not Want To Watch Fireworks And Drink Margaritas At The Beach
By 7.3.09
Consumer Reports is always ruining my fun. First, they want me to make sure that the fireworks I set off in my backyard are safety certified. Whatever. Now they’re telling me that I shouldn’t bring my dog to see fireworks with me. AND that I shouldn’t give her any beer, or even let her help herself to the barbecue this weekend.
Shell Introduces Ice Cream That You Can Grill With
By 6.12.09
It looks like Shell has finally figured out a way to combine the awesomeness of ice cream with the grilling power of propane. It probably doesn’t taste very good, though. (Thanks to swarrior216!)
How To Save At An Amusement Park
By 6.12.09
For those of us thinking about hitting an amusement park this year, Smart Money has some suggestions for how to save some money including:
Buy The Right Sunscreen And Avoid Sunburn
By 5.31.09
Buying the right sunscreen could mean the difference between a pleasant day at the beach and a nightmare of splotchy pain. Consumer Reports conducted a poll to see how you people use sunscreen, and even dunked a bunch of volunteers in a tub for forty minutes to see how different sunscreens held up. Inside, the sunscreens that earned Consumer Reports’ praise, and a few tips for avoiding the dreaded summer sunburn.
How To Spot A Contaminated Swimming Pool, And Why You Should
By 5.29.09
It’s gray and rainy up here in the tropical paradise of upstate New York, but for those of you in more temperate climes, Consumer Reports Health kicks off the weekend with some frightening statistics about the American public’s pool hygiene, and how to tell whether a pool will make you sick or not before you dive in.
Use Codeshares To Find Cheap Summer Flights Abroad
By 5.16.09
Before locking in your summer fare to Europe, see if you can’t find a better deal by searching an airline’s codeshare partners. Airlines use codeshares to sell seats on each other’s planes so they can reach destinations they wouldn’t otherwise serve. Since ticket prices constantly fluctuate, codeshare partners often quote different fares for the exact same flight. Inside, reader Christiana shares how she used codeshares to save almost $300 on a flight to England…
If This SPF Goes Any Higher, My Sunscreen Will Turn Into Aluminum Foil
By 5.14.09
The difference in UVB protection between an SPF 100 and SPF 50 is marginal. Far from offering double the blockage, SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. (SPF 30, that old-timer, holds its own, deflecting 96.7 percent).
Costco Helps You Deck The Halls… In August
By 8.27.08
Reader Darascon spotted this lovely example of summertime Christmas Creep at his local Costco.
This Garden Ridge Christmas Display Is Obscenely Unseasonal
By 8.24.08
We thought Hobby Lobby’s August Christmas trees might be the height of this season’s Christmas Creep, but wow were we wrong. Garden Ridge is striving to be a one-stop panacea for all your summer Christmas needs. They’re already stocking Christmas trees, ornaments, lights, snowy yard inflatables, and what looks like a snow toboggan complete with Tigger, Winnie The Pooh, and everybody’s favorite Christmas downer, Eeyore!
Dear Radio City Music Hall, Christmas Is Not "Right Around The Corner" In August
By 8.14.08 — Updated: 10.17.13
Reader Scott says he spotted some nasty summertime Christmas Creep in the free NYC area paper “Metro”. Apparently the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular is under the impression that “Christmas is right around the corner.” In August.
How To Properly Work Your Ceiling Fan. Yeah, You Read That Right
By 6.8.08
Ceiling fans aren’t just on/off affairs, and it’s possible you could be using yours incorrectly. According to Consumer Reports, people get tripped up by the ability to reverse the direction of the blades…
9 Ways To Save At The Movies
By 6.7.08
Summer means movies, but don’t get stuck paying $12 per ticket or $7 for a bag of popcorn. Instead, check out these nine ways to slash your movie budget without missing any summer blockbusters.
By 6.6.08
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If you’re going to buy an air conditioner unit this summer, remember to pick the right size. [Energy Star]
FDA Overhauls Sunscreen Ratings As Part Of Continuing War Against The Sun
By 8.26.07
A recently issued rule from the FDA would overhaul and expand the agency’s fight against the sun’s radiation. The proposed regulation would require sunscreen makers to test for effectiveness against UVA rays, which unlike UVB rays, do not burn the skin; UVA instead gives us an attractive bronze that can cause cancer.
