So what’s the verdict for you and your baby? Staying inside all summer can’t be an option, and we all know that the sun provides Vitamin D, which is an important nutrient.

The Sun Lotion Option:
CosmeticDatabase.com rates sunscreen products on a ten point scale. A zero rating is the best, meaning the product has no harmful chemicals. ThinkBaby Sunscreen with an SPF of 30 has a rating of 1 on CosmeticDatabase.com, the best rating given to any sunscreen product. This rating is for the zinc, which is what makes the product effective.

ThinkBaby Sunscreen is a new product, and demand is high so supplies are limited. We are receiving inventory approximately every two weeks. $17.95

The Cover Option:
Completely eliminating all chemicals from your sun protection regiment requires good covering. This is also the only option for babies under six months old who should not use sun lotions.

A good sun hat will have a wide brim to shade the face. Urban Baby Bonnets are extremely cute, but also very practical. The hat sits well on the child’s head, and the front brim is ample sized creating lots of shade over baby’s face. A snap close chin strap keeps the hat in place. Four sizes are available to fit newborns through toddlers. $34.00

FreeHand Baby Carriers manufactures the Ozone, a protective covering for baby that works over baby carriers, car seats and strollers. This mesh-like fabric is cool and breathable, but blocks 95% of the sun’s harmful UVA and UVB rays. $44.95

Don’t Forget Eye Protection:
A cheap pair of sun glasses can be worse for your baby’s eyes than going without. This is because the darkened lenses cause the eye to open, allowing harmful rays to enter the eye. Only use sun glasses that offer a complete spectrum UVA and UVB blocking, like Baby Banz. $18-27

1. For Little Foodies
2. A Closer Look: Milkies Milk-Saver
3. March Events
4. March Classes
5. $5/$10/$15 Sale
6. Local Green Spotlight

Alternatives for Little Foodies

It’s a momentous event when your baby begins solid food! The funny faces, the exciting new tastes! You want the best for your baby, making sure everything is safe and all natural. That goes for tableware, too. Glass is the best material for serving and storing food, especially hot foods. But when
there are kids around glass isn’t always practical, until now.

Kidishes are kid-friendly bowls, cups, and plates made from tempered glass. Strong and durable, they can withstand banging on the table or being pushed to the floor along with those strained peas. Diswasher and microwave safe!

Natural wood is also a safe alternative to plastic. Our Bambu Infant Utensil set has always been a hit.

If you’re looking for a more earth friendly alternative to the “Take and Toss” plastics, check out the Dandelion line of ReUsable plates, bowls, spoons and forks. They’re made from corn, using significantly less fossil resources by switching to a renewable and sustainable resource.

Introducing the Milkies Milk-Saver. An innovative way to collect breast milk that would otherwise be absorbed into a nursing pad and thrown away. The average nursing mom leaks 1-4 ounces of milk every time she feeds her baby. Save every drop with this reusable milk collector. At Milkies, we care about the safety of the materials that make up our products. The Milk-Saver has been rigorously tested to ensure zero chemical leaching and contains no BPA or phthalates.

Weekly Events Weekly activities are open to everyone and FREE. Age ranges are suggestions. Crafty Tuesday Tuesdays 11am-12:30pm Each week we have a new craft project, geared toward ages 2-6. Crafts take 10-20 minutes. Moms Groups Fridays 10am-12pm Weekly playdates are a relaxed time for moms to connect with other moms in the area and let their kids play. Monthly Events Activities listed here are FREE & open to all. La Leche League Toddler & Tandem Second Thursday 7pm – March 11 Support group for mothers nursing beyond one year and/or nursing more than one child. Contact Helen for info 740-485-2864 Parenting Discussion with Rebecah Freeling Thursday, March 18, 6:30pm “Mastering Media” Parents need a plan! Children are strongly attracted to TV, DVDs, video games, cell phones, and other techno devices. How much is harmful? How much is necessary? What is the best timing for permitting children access to media? And what technologies are appropriate for preschool children? (Hint: In this workshop you’ll use a hand drill and an egg beater!) Donations accepted. Columbus Attachment Parents Second Saturday 10:30am – March 13 Fourth Thursday 6:30pm – March 25 This month: Nighttime Parenting Babywearing Meeting Wednesday, April 13, 10am It’s a great time to get involved with our Babywearing Group! We’re working on a carrier lending library!	January Classes Kids’ Cooking Classes Thursdays in March, 11:15 am Rachel of HoundsInTheKitchen.com returns with new ingredients and recipes for children to explore. $4 per child per class. No registration is required. Cloth Diapers 101 Sunday March 14, 2pm or Saturday March 27, 10:30am Thinking about using cloth diapers on your little one? An overview of different types of cloth diapers, use and care. $10 per family registration required. Arbonne Baby Skin Care Tuesday, March 9 or 23, 12pm Introduction to Infant Massage Saturday, March 20, 10:00 am Caregivers are invited to bring their infants, (pre-crawling) to learn a full body massage protocol and techniques to help alleviate discomfort associated with gas, teething and other issues. Registration and pre-payment are necessary. Registration fee is $20 for one adult/infant and $25 for two adults and one infant. To register contact Melissa Weaver, LMT at melissa@melissaweaverlmt.com or 614.581.5893. EGGstravaganza Saturday, March 20, 12:00 pm All ages can participate in this cooking class including lunch, egg painting and more. $5 per child, $15 family max. Email rachel@houndsinthekitchen.com for details and registration. Mental Health for Moms Thursday, April 1, 6:30pm This workshop will equip moms and partners with tools and strategies for mental health during pregnancy, baby blues, life changes, work-life balance and more. Babies welcome, no registration required. Michelle Risser, MSW, LISW Download our March Calendar in PDF format – print out or keep on your computer for easy reference.
$5 / $10 / $15 Sale! It’s spring cleaning time! Stop in the weekend of March 12-14 for amazing deals on discontinued or out-of-season items, including Laptop Lunch, Foogo and Sage Creek Organics. Great stuff, three super-low price points! $5, $10 or $15!
Sprout Swap Wrap Up Sprout Swap is our twice-yearly consignment sale of gently used cloth diapers, baby carriers, and nursing mother items. For this sale we had a record number of items, and a record number of sales! We were able to re-home three-quarters of the items brought in to us! For those of you who had items in the swap, your credits and leftover items will be ready for pickup starting now and continuing through March 14th. Please arrange to have your participation in the February Swap settled by this date. If you are unable to do so by this day, please call us to make arrangements. Items not claimed or arranged for will be donated on March 26.	Local Green Spotlight: Watt Works Watt Works is the place to learn about and buy high quality, effective energy-saving and environmentally-friendly products and services. Our customers are those who wish to save energy costs and reduce their impact on the environment. Open Monday-Friday 12-7pm and Saturday 12-5pm. 1078 Goodale Blvd Columbus, OH 43212 614-458-1162 www.wattworks.comgreen@wattworks.com
Download our event calendar in PDF format.   Thank you for your support! Noah and Alissa DeRouchie www.SproutSoup.com

February 2010 Sprout Scoop PDF