• 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?

At Stylin’ Mama, we are proud to carry many products made in Canada. One seasonal Canadian-made product in particular is the Puffin Gear sun hat!

Puffin Gear started as a children’s hat stand in Toronto’s St. Lawrence Market and has evolved into a successful and innovative company! Their sweet summer hats are both cute and functional, with a wide brim to protect your little one from the hot summer sun.  They are available in solarweave fabric (which blocks out  95% of UVB and 92% of UVA rays!). They also come in tons of fun cotton prints – from sizes 0-3 months, up to 5-10 years! So, stop by soon and check out a Stylin’ Canadian-made product!

*Green Tip: Buying Canadian also helps reduce our carbon footprint because goods made in Canada require far less transportation than those made overseas.

How important is buying Canadian to you? Let us know!

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

• 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!!

 In light of Earth Day, 2010, we are having a special Stylin’ Earth Day Sale. From April 22 – 25, save 15% off all of the following environmentally friendly products:

Applecheeks Cloth Diapers

Klean Kanteen Drink Bottles

Sigg Drink Bottles

Goodbyn (reusable, recyclable) Lunchbox

Bean Cloth Snack Bags

Sprig Toys made of recycled plastic and wood

Sanctus Mundo Stainless Steel Containers

 For fun, here’s an Earth Day Quiz. How much do you know?

http://www.earthday.ca/pub/resources/psas/print/EcoTriviaPSA.pdf

 Do you have any good Earth Day tips to share?

 Tori at Stylin’ Mama, Baby & Tot, Fredericton

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my1TAI3rulo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKIhwQYsTlM&feature=related

 Tori at Stylin’ Mama, Baby & Tot, Fredericton

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

 *Strolling. What kind of stroller do you think will be the most functional for you and your family? Do you spend a great deal of time outside – walking in the park or trails? Or are you more likely to be using it in the mall? Will you be jogging with your baby? Do you need a stroller that can fold compactly to fit into a small car? Is it important for an infant car seat to fit into the stroller so that you can move a sleeping baby easily between stroller and car?

 *Driving. What kind of car seat best fits your lifestyle? Do you want to start with a convertible car seat that will take your baby from infant to toddler? Many people prefer an infant car seat that can be easily removed from the car and carried around or attached to a stroller. Is this something that you would prefer as well?  How important is the size of the car seat? Do you have other car seats or passengers who also need to fit in the back seat?

We hope this considerations have given you some direction. Please remember that our knowledgeable staff is always happy to help you select the products that best meet the needs of your growing family!

 *green tip*  Jogging and walking strollers make it easy to get out with your little one on all sorts of terrain. Why not try some active living? It’s good for you, baby and the environment!

What is your favourite stroller or car seat?

 *Diapering. What kind of diapers do you feel will best meet your needs and the needs of your family? How often are you able to do laundry? How important is sustainability in your decision? Do you have a history of allergies or skin sensitivities in your family that you think may be passed on to your baby?

*green tip* Claudia’s Choices and other phosphate-free hypoallergenic detergents are not only for cloth diapers. In fact, many of our customers say that their whites have neverbeen brighter when using these detergents on their everyday laundry!

*Sleeping. What kind of sleeping option would you like to choose? Do you feel more comfortable co-sleeping? Or do you feel that a crib would be more beneficial for you and your baby? Another option that an increasing number of parents are choosing is a baby hammock which allows the baby to sleep alone, but conforms to their small shape and can be easily rocked or swayed to sooth the baby. Is this something that you might consider?

 *Carrying. How would you prefer to carry your baby? Some people prefer a more structured carrier while others like the closeness that a wrap or sling provides. Another consideration is who is likely to be using the carrier – some come in sizes which may not fit all of the caretakers in a baby’s life. Is this something that may be an issue for you?

 Next week – Strolling and Driving!

 What other considerations do new parents need to think about? What was the most important consideration for you personally? (Or the most surprising?) We’d love to hear from you!

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