Let's Go Fly A Kite!

We finally saw the sun today, here in Montreal! After all the rain we’ve been getting for the last little while, it was such a refreshing change to see the sun shining bright, on a nice, warm day. Of course we had to take advantage of the wonderful weather and what better way than to spend it together, with our sons?

Kion & Jagger

We met up at a beautiful park that borders the lake and laid in the grass taking in the view, and getting our vitamin D on. We even ran around flying these awesome, inflatable kites we picked up at the dollar store for just $2 each. A great, inexpensive way to have fun in the sun, and feel like a kid again! It was glorious!

Jagger even took hold and flew his own kite like a pro, with mom's assistance of course.

Yussie & Kion

Joanna & Jagger

It was a wonderful day spent with our little love bugs!

Are We Poisioning Our Own Children?

Summer is approaching quickly (yay!) and we will be spending plenty of time outdoors soaking up some rays of sunshine. Finally! One way to keep our children safe from some of those harsh UV rays is sunscreen. Or so we thought! Could we be poisoning our own children with the very product we buy to protect them? 　

I was reading CanadianParents.com's 'cpo daily' blog when I came across this startling news. They mention that the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has released their annual sunscreen report as a part of a campaign they are currently running called EWG's Skin Deep. A chemical called Oxybenzone, which they claim is "the most common active ingredient in sunscreen", is one chemical to worry about. Experts are concerned with the use in our children's sunscreen because it has the ability to penetrate into their skin and potentially cause allergies and hormone disruption. They also mention to stay away from sunscreens that spray-on because of they can easily be inhaled. Good to know! Click here to see EWG's Hall of Shame for some sunscreen products we should be avoiding, not only for our children but for us as well.

So what are we supposed to do to avoid burns? For one we should avoid peek sun hours and always make sure your child is wearing a hat. Oh and don't forget a pair of sunglasses to protect their sensitive eyes. I also purchased a swimming shirt for my son to protect him while he is splashing around in the pool or at the beach. As for sunscreen I am stumped. Are there any home made remedies you know about? Or any good mineral based sunscreens? Please share!