Stylin Mama Baby & Tot Blog

Well, the season is almost upon us! The days are getting warmer and the sun is shining! This is the time of year many of us have been looking forward to all winter! Picnics, boating, barbecues, trips to the park and more. But for those of us with babies and children, the summer season brings with it a whole new variety of concerns. So with that in mind, here are a few recommendations for keeping little ones as safe and comfortable as possible!

• Sun protection
  • Keep babies and little ones in the shade as much as possible
  • Try to limit exposure between 11:00am and 4:00pm when UV rays are strongest
  • Help shade face and eyes with a wide brimmed hat
  • Protect delicate eyes with sunglasses with UV protection
  • Put them in bathing suits with UV protection to protect from harmful UV rays
  • Use a sunscreen with SPF 30+ for babies 6 months and up
    • You can test on a small area first to check for allergic reactions
    • Many parents prefer natural sunscreens to limit their children’s exposure to chemicals
• Hydration
  • Nursing babies may need to nurse more frequently
  • Get kids in the habit of drinking more fluids – pack water in reusable bottle and bring it with you to the park, etc.
  • Sports drinks are good but contain a lot of sugar so be wary
  • Be a good role model – caregivers need to drink more fluids in the summer too!
• Bug repellent
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not using any insect repellents on a baby who’s not yet 2 months old
  • Dressing your baby in light-colored clothing that covers as much of his skin as possible will help protect him from insects that bite or sting. Avoid bright or dark colors or flowery prints.
  • Many bug repellents contain Deet as their main ingredient. Because Deet  is an insecticide that can enter the bloodstream, many parents prefer to use natural bug repellents

 Do you have any summer tips that help keep your children happy and comfortable? What works for you?

As parents, we naturally want to do everything we can to keep our little ones safe, both at home and when travelling. Many parents spend hours researching the safest alternatives for car travel. However, the growing amount of research into car seat safety is pointing to one unmistakable conclusion: Keeping children rear-facing in their car seats for as long as possible is the safest way to go.

• The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) has recommended for many years that parents keep children rear-facing until they are too big for their convertible seats.
• A 2007 article in the journal Injury Prevention showed that 2 year olds were FIVE TIMES SAFER riding rear-facing than riding forward-facing.
• A 2009 article in the British Medical Journal advised the use of rear-facing seats for children under 4 years old.
• In Sweden, children are kept rear-facing until they are 4 years old. Sweden has very few child injuries and deaths from car accidents.

Parents decide to forward-face their little ones for a variety of reasons. Some are concerned about the child’s legs touching the back of the seat and that this might be uncomfortable. However, because  children’s joints aren’t fully formed, they can comfortably sit in positions that would not be manageable for an adult! There may be concern that children’s legs may be injured in an accident if they are rear facing. However, leg injuries are less severe than potential neck injuries that may be sustained if the child is forward-facing. Furthermore, research actually shows that children sustain more leg injuries forward-facing then rear-facing!

So, rear-facing is best until children reach the maximum height or weight for their convertible seat!  And with seats such as the Radian Premiere and Radian XT with a rear-facing weight limit of a whopping 45 lbs, we can keep our children safer than ever!

How long do you plan to rear face your little one?

Tori from Stylin’ Mama, Baby & Tot, Fredericton

*Green Tip: When travelling, why not take along some snacks in a reusable snack container such as a Snack Trap or Packin’ Smart. Buy your snacks in bulk and save the packaging! Happy travelling!!

If making your own baby food is something you have considered, you are not alone! There are so many benefits to preparing food for your baby at home. You can save money, use fresh, wholesome ingredients and allow your baby to eat a greater variety of food. Well, we’re here to offer you some friendly advice to help you prepare the best and healthiest food for your little one!

Here are a few tips we have put together for you!:

• Start with fresh, unsalted fruits and veggies. (Organic is great as well!)
• Don’t add spices, butter, margarine or sweeteners. (Honey and corn syrup in particular are definite no-nos! They are unnecessary and can contain a bacteria that leads to infant botulism. Steer clear of these for at least the first year.)
• Cook vegetables in as little water as possible to preserve nutrients. Steaming is great as well.
• Make sure your work area and tools are extremely clean.
• Mash fruits and veggies with a fork, use a blender or a specialized baby food mill.
• Once you are finished, serve the food immediately or put into refrigerator or freezer. (Leaving baby food at room temperature increases the risk of contamination.)
•  Freezing food in individual portions can make meal time easy! You can use a covered storage tray or baby cubes. When your little one is hungry, just grab a serving and reheat.
• You may want to wait until your baby is seven months old to introduce veggies such as carrots and cabbage that contain nitrates. Some great foods to try are: peas, green and yellow beans, sweet potatoes, zucchini, apples, pears, bananas, peaches, plums and avacadoes.  

 *Green Tip – making your own baby food saves tons of packaging! No more empty baby food jars everywhere!

Have you made your own baby food? We’d love to hear about your experiences! Do you have tips that can be passed on to help new moms and dads?

Happy Cooking!

Tori at Stylin’ Mama, Baby & Tot

We are happy to announce that our Fredericton store has recently joined Fredericton’s “Green Shops” campaign! Participating businesses implement actions to help reduce their environmental impact. For example our Fredericton location is recycling used paper, eliminating the use of plastic bags, and launching a campaign to encourage employees to use “greener” modes of travel to and from work, such as biking, walking or using public transportation. And that’s to name just a few!

To celebrate this green movement and because we want to do everything we can to help preserve the earth for our children, we thought we would include a green idea or product in every blog entry from now on!

Our green product of the week this week is Lunchbots! We just started carrying these awesome stainless steel lunch containers. They are eco-friendly, reusable and eliminate the need for plastic baggies and containers. And unlike plastic containers, you can rest assured that they do not leach harmful chemicals into your child’s food. They are top rack dishwasher safe and come in different sizes and colours sure to appeal to every taste!

-Tori at Stylin’ Mama, Baby & Tot, Fredericton

Because the weather has been so blustery and because we love and appreciate our customers so much, we have decided to extend our Boxing Day Sale until Thursday, Dec. 31!! That’s an extra two whole days of sales and savings on items from Pre-natal to Pre-school!!! Come visit us and check out the great savings!!