1. Magical Snow Destination

There’s nothing like being bundled up next to a cozy fire, fuzzy slippers on, and watching the snow fall outside. But let’s be real, your kids are not going to want to stay inside for more than 5 minutes while on vacation.  Snow destinations during winter break are filled with active days tubing, skiing, building snowmen, and creating lots of memories. 

While playing in the snow there are a few safety measures to take into consideration such as hyperthermia, frost bite, and “snow blindness.”  Snow blindness is a term to describe a sunburned eye caused by the reflection of UV rays from the snow.  One might not think of wearing UV protection while in the snow, however, snow can reflect up to 80% of UV rays and for this reason UV protection is a must.  When the front of the eye, or cornea, is overly exposed to such high UV radiation, it will become inflamed.

Symptoms of “snow blindess”, medically known as photokeratitis, is pain, tearing, and temporary loss of vision.  These symptoms will usually resolve on its own in 24-48 hours as the cornea regenerates its cells very quickly, however, to help facilitate the process one can use preservative free artificial tears, stay indoors, and over the counter Tylenol. In severe cases, please contact your Eye Care Professional.

Don’t let “snowblindness” ruin your Frozen getaway, prevent this from happening by wearing 100%  UV protected sunglasses.  And while you’re at it, choose protective and preventative sunglasses that match your GlamBaby’s holiday style.

Piper, Age 10, is wearing the Valentina frame

2. Tropical Beach Getaway

If you’re not a fan of the cold and don’t find a winter wonderland to be extra ‘wonderful’ then you’ll want to head somewhere a bit more tropical. A beach getaway is the perfect retreat for your family mermaids and mermen. Everything from building sand castles, surfboarding, jumping waves, and just simply hanging on the beach with a snow cone relaxing to the sound of the ocean.

If you’ve ever been, you know not to forget about the sunscreen, but did you know that your eyes can get a sunburn too?  Even on cloudy days the clouds only filter out about 20% of UV rays, so you’re still getting 80% of those harsh effects of the sun on your children’s eyes. Sunburned eyes come with the same symptoms and onset as “snow blindness”. The water can reflect UV  as much as 8% of UV alone. This doesn’t seem like a lot but on a sunny day it’s plenty to do enough damage.

So when you walk out of the house packing the sunscreen, don’t forget those GlamBaby sunglasses that will protect your family from getting sunburned in their eyes. And with so many cute styles, you’ll be sure to match any swimsuit.

Aiden, age 4, is wearing the Georgio frame

3. Desert Getaway

Who doesn’t love a relaxing trip to a resort in Palm Springs or an exciting time camping near Joshua tree or Sedona? With the gorgeous scenery and spending time with nature these memories are for sure going to be ones that last a lifetime. Whether pitching a tent or laying low watching the sunrise over the mountains, your kids will enjoy true quality, family time.

But while packing your camping gear, plenty of water, and your comfortable shoes for your family, don’t neglect your eyes! The desert can get very, very dry and this can have many complications. Since your tears protect the surface of your eyes from infection, when your eyes become dry the risk of infection increases because the tissue is compromised. Dry eyes can also lead to eye inflammation, abrasions to the front of the eyes, called the cornea,  and other vision problems. To help prevent dry eyes or help with dry eyes, there are many artificial tears, gels, gel inserts, and ointments available over the counter, but talk to your Eye Care Professional about which is best for your little ones.

The sand can be a danger to your eyes as well. Sand reflects more UV radiation than water at up to 15%. Extensive amounts of these UV rays can lead to early cataracts, macular degeneration, and other ocular problems. Make sure you find sunglasses that have 100% UV lenses just like all the sunglass models in the GlamBaby collection.

@glorifyyourgoddess wearing the Priscilla frame

4. Amusement park

For kids of all ages from 1-100 one of the most fun and memorable places to go is an amusement park. The thrill rides, the churros, the ice cream, the parades… the list goes on. One of my personal favorite places to go for an entire day of fun and laughter for the whole family. If you’ve ever been to a theme park you know that your camera roll will fill up faster than you can sing those ‘sure to get stuck in your head’ ride jingles.

Whether your walking around the parks or waiting for the parades to start, you’d be surprised how much UV reflects off the concrete! Again, more than with water, concrete reflects up to 12% of UV radiation. Picking up some GlamBaby’s for your theme part outing outfit is the perfect way to make sure that all you’re creating during your day are memories and not long term eye problems. You may even want to get one for your child’s favorite stuffed animal so they are both protected in style!

Cyrus, age 5, is wearing the Tommy frame

No matter where you go, one thing is clear: There’s harmful elements in places you wouldn’t even suspect! So make sure you get regular eye exams every year and that you’re protecting your kids the best way you can, with 100% UV protection with GlamBaby.