Sunscreen Recommendation

Well, we have tried out some new sunscreens lately and have a couple of new favorites.

For waterproof needs, we love Soleo by Avalon Organics. I found it locally at The Turnip Truck. I purchased a few bottles for our beach trip. I'll warn you - it is pricey. One tube was $19.99 but it spreads a lot farther than other lotions we've used. One tube covered four of us for four long days (including reapplications) of swimming in the ocean and pool. If I remember correctly, one bottle of aerosol runs about $8 and never stretched that far which helps justify the price.

Further, it has gotten rave reviews from C and the kids on how it feels. None of the stinging eyes and skin I used to hear complaints about. I have been really pleased with how it holds up in the water but I think it helps that we've put it on 15-20 minutes before getting wet.

The other brand we like is Badger. I actually found this at Publix ($13.99, I think) but they haven't restocked since I bought the two they had. I'm sure there are more reliable sources around. Again, this one feels great and goes a long way. It will hold up during a sweaty run or outdoor work but is definitely not water-resistant, though, which is a big complaint of most 'healthy' sunscreens.

What blocks the sun's harmful rays in both of these products is titanium so you will be 'white' when you put it on (think of a lifeguard's white nose). If that bugs your kids, just keep rubbing it in. If they're like mine, though, eventually they'll say, 'Okay, nevermind, I just wanna go play.' :)

Artsy Girl

My girls love to paint. The last time E mentioned she couldn't think of a gift to make for someone, I asked her to paint a bin for my pantry. I was just thinking of a couple of pretty colors in a striped pattern, but this is what she came up with. It's certainly much better than I could have done!

Klean Kanteen

In celebration of Earth Day, Klean Kanteen is offering a 25% discount on brushed stainless, non-insulated bottles. We love ours! Use discount code KKEARTH at checkout.

Thirsty?

These days, there aren't many purchases we make that we really value down the road. I'm as guilty of it as anyone. I buy something and several months later realize I never needed it in the first place. So, in my year of thoughtful consumption, I've started looking around as what I have that I truly value. 

Our Klean Kanteens are definitely at the top of the list. I agonized over paying as much as I did for them a few years ago. (As I recall, they were somewhere around $160.) We had decided to stop purchasing bottled water but we're all big water-drinkers so we had to have something to use if we were going to stick to our guns. I did some research and settled on these because they are stainless steel.  

We take them on car trips. I take mine into restaurants so I'm don't have to use a styrofoam/plastic cup. The kids take them to school. I had to get special permission for that after assuring the elementary school administration that my kids wouldn't bring soda/juice in them.

What's really amazing to me is that we've never lost one. (I know I'm jinxing myself...) They may have dents and dings but my husband and I still haul them around like toddlers with their pacifiers. I sometimes wonder why I haven't named mine yet...

Natural Disinfectant

If you remember my post about The Green Wagon, you'll remember the allusion to the one overseas product they carry. Well, it's soap nuts.

Soap nuts are actually not nuts but dried fruit shells. The nuts can be ground into a powder using a coffee grinder or boiled. They are a natural and green alternative to many household chemicals - dishwasher liquid, garden insecticide, general cleaning, low-sudsing laundry detergent/fabric softener (even for delicates), degreaser and fruit/vegetable wash. It also has medicinal properties for such conditions as eczema, psoriasis, dandruff and lice.

The shells' saponins are released when placed in warm or hot water. The resulting liquid is antimicrobial, hypoallergenic and fragrance-free. Once the shells turn grayish/light tan, mushy and thin, they are spent and ready for your compost pile.

With my first bag, I boiled the nuts until the soap was completely released (a little over an hour.) Since the liquid is plant-based and has no preservatives, it will spoil. I keep mine in an old dish washing liquid bottle (anything air-tight will do) which stays in the refrigerator.

I put the cleaning power to the test on my toughest household task – cleaning the shower and tub. We have extremely hard well water so this chore always requires a lot of elbow grease. The soap nuts liquid handled the job better than commercial cleaners I have tried. I used a nylon scrub pad and was very surprised at how easily the soap cut through the hard water stains that I hadn't been able to remove before and it was a dream on the grout. Cool!

J/A/S/O/N

You've most likely heard about the suspected links between breast cancer and shaving/antiperspirant use. It's a hotly disputed issue but there's nothing like having a young girl in the house to get a mother looking furiously into options.

Now, if you're thinking this is a 'too much information' issue, then I'm sorry. What I find really irritating is the disparity of options available to women and men. There are many non-antiperspirant options for men, but unless you're a girl who doesn't mind walking around smelling like 'Arctic Blast', 'Game Day' or 'Rugged Backwoods Logger Dude', you are left with the unlovely option of clogging every pore in your little armpits with a variety of chemicals.

So far, the best option I've found is a deodorant made by J/A/S/O/N. It 'performs' much, much better than Tom's of Maine and other 'natural' brands I've tried. There are also some crystal stick products that work well but were too 'weird' for my pre-teens to get on board with. ('But I can't take that to my sleepover. My friends will laugh!")

Sometimes I just don't have the energy for the 'well, then, are they really your friends' speech. It is, after all, just deodorant and my main concern is that they use it.