Baby Gear

Summer vacation is 9 days away for our kids and we plan on visiting our new state’s beaches this summer. We love the beach, the sun and the sand as much as our kids do. There are some challenges with a baby on the beach, but we found some new products that are great for the beach and for our family.

Surfer’s Secrets was invented by two moms and a a dermatologist and it removes the moisture between your child’s skin and the sand, allowing you to just wipe away the sand easily without using water! I couldn’t believe how easy this was. No more waiting for the showers to be free to rinse off my kids, and ourselves. No more trying to rub off the sand with towels leaving my kid’s skin irratated, and best yet, no more sand all over my car!
Surfers Secrets is Talc free and has grape seed oil and aloe vera in it to help sun exposed skin. Go try some and I know it will be a staple in your beach bag like it is in mine!

The one thing I hate about all the strollers I have had, it that when the baby is reclined, the shade never fully covers the baby. I am forced to put a blanket over the baby to shade him from the sun but it is hot! Protect-a-Bub is a great sun shade that protects baby from the sun’s harmful rays with its 50 SPF protection!
Easy to use, this shade covers baby’s entire body. No more blankets that fall off or making sure you have a shady spot to park under. These great shades will fit any size stroller you have. Protect-a bub also offers shades for car seats. Also check out their blankets, swimwear and hats!

These are terrific products for all of your family’s fun in the sun!

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There are so many baby lotions, shampoos and creams on the market it is hard to find one that is right for your baby. I never liked anything that was overly perfumed or heavy. The one brand I found myself keep returning to was Aveeno Baby.

Aveeno baby is tear free and gentle on my baby’s skin. The baby wash and shampoo rinses clean and is made with natural oat extract. They make a creamy wash for dry skin or eczema which I have used for my daughter’s dry skin patches. My favorite of all these products is the soothing bath treatment which is made with natural colloidal oatmeal. I have used this for my kid’s diaper rash, bug bites or rashes and it works.

I also love Method brand baby care products. What baby care products are your favorites?

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When my twins were little they really didn’t have too many diaper rashes. I tried to keep them dry and in good quality diapers, but when they got sick and had a bad case of diarrhea, man the diaper rash was horrible. Red, blotchy skin, they would cry even if I wiped them gently. I tried every diaper rash cream on the market, but they did little to help calm the rash. I wish I knew about Vusion diaper rash cream.

Vusion, which is available by prescription only, is the first and only prescription product ever approved by the FDA for the treatment of diaper rash (caused by a specific yeast infection). It can be used on babies 4 weeks and older and is steroid free. Candida, a type of yeast, is commonly found in the intestinal tract and is carried to the diaper area by a baby’s stool. Treating diaper dermatitis, along with a regimen of washing your baby well and frequent diaper changes, may require the use of a prescription skin medication.
If you didn’t know this you are not alone, according to a Penn, Schoen & Berland Associates study, many moms (52 percent) are unsure or do not know when to see a healthcare provider about their babies’ severe diaper rash.

All moms have to deal with diaper rash at some point or another, so knowing there is something out there to help with the worst diaper rashes is great to know. Thanks to MomCentral for giving me (and you) this great information about Vusion ointment!

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We still have a good month of summer left here in New Jersey before summer starts. One thing we are planning on doing before our kids enter kindergarten is more days at the beach. We love the beach, the sun and the sand as much as our kids do. There are some challenges with a newborn on the beach, but we found some new products that are great for the beach for your family.

Surfers Secrets was invented by two moms and a a dermatologist and it removes the moisture between your child’s skin and the sand, allowing you to just wipe away the sand easily without using water! I couldn’t believe how easy this was. No more waiting for the showers to be free to rinse off my kids, and ourselves. No more trying to rub off the sand with towels leaving my kid’s skin irratated, and best yet, no more sand all over my car!
Surfers Secrets is Talc free and has grape seed oil and aloe vera in it to help sun exposed skin. Go try some and I know it will be a staple in your beach bag like it is in mine!

The one thing I hate about all the strollers I have had, it that when the baby is reclined, the shade never fully covers the baby. I am forced to put a blanket over the baby to shade him from the sun but it is hot! Protect-a-Bub is a great sun shade that protects baby from the sun’s harmful rays with its 50 SPF protection!
Easy to use, this shade covers baby’s entire body. No more blankets that fall off or making sure you have a shady spot to park under. These great shades will fit any size stroller you have. Protect-a bub also offers shades for car seats. Also check out their blankets, swimwear and hats!

These are terrific products for all of your family’s fun in the sun!

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I am always looking for great products that are all natural for my kids. It seems like my baby is just like his older brother and has sensitive skin. I had to use baby detergent for over two years for my older son’s laundry. I used a Johnson & Johnson lotion on my infant and he had a reaction to it an hour later. I don’t need a lotion that gives him a rash, I want one to help dry baby skin and rashes. I want something great for my children but gentle too.

I looked for something that fits that description at my Whole Foods and found Jason Earth’s Best Baby Care Calendula Extra Rich Therapy Creme and I purchased it. I really like it. It is 70% organic without the use of potentially harmful synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers.
It is also not greasy at all and non-staining, which is great especially if you have ever tried to get greasy stains out of baby clothing.

The calendula extract possesses anti-inflammatory properties to thoroughly hydrate and calm red or irritated skin, while Vitamin E and Organic Jojoba Oil bring the most delicate and sensitive skin the ultimate in dry skin relief. I also love the easy to use container that it comes in.
It is not cheap lotion but you won’t need to use it as often because it works so well!
Try it, I think you will like it.
Is there a lotion that you use for your kids that you love?

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As my family and I try to live greener and be more environmentally friendly, every week I am trying to find new earth friendly items to replace the ones I use in my home. This goes for not only what we put onto our bodies, but what we wash our bodies and our kids with as well. I love Method brand cleaners, I use them throughout my home, and was thrilled when they launched their new baby and kid line.

Method now makes great baby washes, 3 in 1 shampoo, body wash, baby lotion and diaper cream. They come in yummy fragrances like crisp apple and fuzzy peach. They smell so good you are going to want to eat your kids up after their bath! The packaging is in true Method fashion-awesome. The rice milk and mallow baby wash has a top that is for rinsing baby off!

The products are very gentle on baby and kid skin and are never made with numbing agents, phthalates or parabens. They are 99% natural and pediatrician tested. What could be better then that?
Find the entire line of Method products in your local Target, Whole Foods, Babies R Us or online.
If you are in the New York area go visit their pop up store in SoHo. From May 13 – June 7 stop by and visit their aroma stations and they are trading you one free method product for all your old toxic cleaning products!
Go method, go clean!

Online between now and June 30, method will give you 20% off! Just enter the promotion code advocatebaby at checkout!

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If I don’t go into labor sooner, I will be having this baby via c-section this morning. Since I won’t be around for a while, while I take care of my newborn and five year old twins, I decided to share with you some of my favorite baby gear. Here are some reviews on things that I cannot live without and things I know you will enjoy:

I love this monitor and will use it for years, they are not just for newborns!

There is nothing like a good swaddling baby blanket.

This nest egg has helped me sleep at night which is a luxury when you are nine months pregnant. I think it will be a great help with breastfeeding too. Go get your own with the coupon, even if you are not pregnant this is great for kids or for travel!

We are trying to be more green in our house and what better timing then when a new baby comes!?

I love these products for Mom. The names and packaging are so cute that I would buy them for that alone! They really smell good too.

I think this is great for the summer. I know I would have to get it if I lived in a state that was hot all year round.

I love this thermometer and couldn’t live without it. Plus it is so much cheaper then it was new to the market and I bought it!

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We are trying to be more Earth friendly around our house. Now that we have a new little one coming into the world tomorrow (OMG!) what better time to start? We have lots of organic clothing, rattles and things for baby and thanks to Little Twig some bath and body products too!

Little Twig has a fantastic line of bath and body products for babies. They are phthalate free, they use organic ingredients and is extra gentle for baby’s skin. Plus all of their products are cruelty free.
They have everything from diaper cream, baby powder, baby wash and bubble bath to bath mitts and washcloths. Looking for a baby gift? Try one of their gift sets.

This is great for new moms, or for a shower gift.

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I remember sitting in church one Sunday and my mom spitting onto a tissue and rubbing it onto my face. That really grossed me out and I vowed right then and there never to use my saliva to clean anything on my kids. I have kept my promise, well, kind of. I do use Momspit, it just isn’t mine.

Momspit is the universal no-rinse cleanser. It is not a hand sanitizer, it is a cleanser for your little one’s hand and face. It contains no alcohol which I just love. It works like magic, just rub some on the dirt, lipstick leftover from a kiss or ice cream face and suddenly the mess is gone as fast as it appeared. It comes in two scents: fig & green tea and lemon and white tea and they also have unscented.

Here are some of the reason I think this company is as great as their products:
MomSpit products are user-friendly
MomSpit products are not tested on animals
MomSpit products are not manufactured anywhere using child labor
MomSpit products contain no human saliva, ’cause that would just be gross

What is better then that? Whether you are a mom, a grandmother, a babysitter or a lover of all things clean, order your Momspit now. You are not always near water and soap when your kids get messy and these bottles can fit into any purse or diaper bag. Buy it just so you can ask your mom friends if they want to use some of your mom spit! It is good, clean fun.

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When my kids were born it was a struggle to find something for them and me that didn’t contain harsh chemicals for my kid’s diaper rash and for my every changing body. I used what I could; vaseline, A&D ointment and Desitin. I wasn’t very happy about it, but at the time it was all I could find.

The great people at Least Likely 2 Breed, sent me samples of their products to try out and I will never go back to putting vaseline on my nipples again! The Tough Titties Nipple Rub is easy to put on as I prepare my breasts for breastfeeding. Made with great natural things like coconut and clove oils, vitamin E and beeswax, it will make me feel ok about my child nursing after I have used it.

Bad Ass Booty Balm goes on smooth and protects baby’s bum as anything else I have ever used. Made from aloe butter, emu oil and lanolin I don’t feel bad putting it on sensitive baby’s skin. I like buying things that have no lab created additives.
Mother Effer’s Va-J-J Jelly is something I haven’t used yet, ( I hope I don’t have to use it!) but it smells so good. Again, all natural ingredients makes it much better in my book, the fact that these products work well is frosting on the cake!

Each of these products are of generous size and are only $5.99 each. Really how can you not buy products from a company with such a great sense of humor and terrific product names?
Buy the bundle now, you will not be disappointed!

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Looking for a great baby gift? Are you trying to be more green and environmentally conscious these days? Check out www.greenkits.com. they sell reusable natural or organic grocery bags, environmentally friendly household products and fresheners. They have a ton of amazing items for you and your household to save money and help the environment.

They even have a baby green kit. Perfect for a baby shower or new baby gift, this kit is everything a new mom would need. It includes everything an ecologically aware parent needs to ensure that only pure, non-toxic ingredients touch baby. The kit includes:
Non talc baby powder- No talc means no danger to baby’s breathing
Baby shampoo and body cleanser- this tear free soaps are natural and sulfate-free
Calendula baby lotion- Made with sweet almond oil and organic jojoba oil
Diaper Cream- mineral balm with natural zinc oxide blended with organic almond and sunflower seed oils
Baby laundry wash-Plant based and non-toxic
Baby wipes-These do not contain alcohol or synthetic ingredients
Travel baby wipes

All this for the same price of $55.00. You can also get it placed in environmentally friendly gift packaging or placed in a personalized tote. Very cute, very earth friendly and a gift any new parent, new grandmother or new baby would love!

Do you use earth friendly products in your household? Do you think it is important to use plastic free, recyclable and green products around your children?

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There are so many baby lotions, shampoos and creams on the market it is hard to find one that is right for your baby. I never liked anything that was overly perfumed or heavy. the one brand I found myself keep returning to was Aveeno Baby.

Aveeno baby is tear free and gentle. The baby wash and shampoo rinses clean and is made with natural oat extract. They make a creamy wash for dry skin or eczema which I have used for my daughter’s dry skin patches. My favorite of all these products is the soothing bath treatment which is made with natural colloidal oatmeal. I have used this for my kid’s diaper rash, bug bites or rashes and it works.

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I try and buy organic and all natural as much as possible for my family. Especially with all the recalls lately and all that you hear about plastics in our children’s toys, gear and cups.

I like to find natural bath products like this. Propoline Kids Natural Shower Gel is made from all natural gentle products and is hypoallergenic and environmentally friendly.

What are your favorite bath products for kids?

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I’ve become addicted to this Dusting Powder by Burt’s Bees!  Burt’s Bees focuses on providing all-natural products, and they provide a full list of ingredients on their site so you can check it out before you buy.

I use it in place of an anti-perspirant and am very pleased with the results. I’ve found that I can’t live without it during our humid summers - it worked wonders with my children’s heat rash and it a wonderful soother for those really sticky days. 

I think my favorite part about this powder is that it doesn’t smell like your typical “baby” product. I’m not a big fan of the scent of baby powder, especially not on me. 

As you would expect from a company like this, their Dusting Powder is 100% talc-free.  It does have a mild scent but we love it!

Budget-wise, this product is a pretty thrifty buy - though you’d never guess it when you saw the powdered rosebuds in the ingredients list! 

I’ve been using the same bottle for over a year now.  I use the powder daily, with two applications a day in the summer.

My children have sensitive skin, and we’ve used this product for over five years with excellent results.  I would not hesitate to recommend the Dusting Powder to anyone!

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This product does have a very mild scent but we love it! We’ve had total strangers comment on how sweet our children smell.

A little bit will go a long way with this product. I’d estimate that our family uses three or four bottles per year. I put the oil into a pump-top container so we can control each application a little better.

My children have sensitive skin, and we’ve used this product for over five years with excellent results. We use this Apricot Oil by Burt’s Bees year-round. In the winter, we like to apply this oil (mixed 50/50 with Burt’s Bees Baby Bee Skin Creme) as soon as we pop out of the shower to seal in moisture. It works like a charm! It’s great by itself as an after-shower oil in the summertime as well.

Burt’s Bees focuses on providing all-natural products, and they provide a full list of ingredients on their site so you can check it out before you buy.

I would not hesitate to recommend the Apricot Baby Oil to anyone - and I love it as much as my kids do!

Criticism: I love the fact that this oil comes in a glass bottle but would appreciate some kind of built-in dispenser to help prevent spills.

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