YES, you can {Beach day fun}

Last week I took Leila to the bay for some water play.  It's been hot here in San Diego and a day at the beach was just what we both needed.

As I was relaxing on the towel, Leila was having fun playing by herself.  She was digging holes in the sand, picking up seashells, throwing wet sand in the water, splashing in the shallow water, and running around enjoying her surroundings.

About thirty minutes in, I noticed a young boy around Leila's age throwing shells and sand into the water.  His mother immediately called out his name from her towel, jumped up after him, and reprimanded him for throwing things in the bay. Seconds later she was yelling at him, "No splashing!"  She chased him around for a while telling him not to do just about everything he was doing.

Honestly, I didn't know how to feel.  For a second I felt embarrassed that I was allowing Leila to throw wet sand into the bay (that happens to be full of wet sand) and I wondered if I should ask her to stop splashing around in the water.

Then I chuckled to myself...

Here I was enjoying a relaxing day at the beach, allowing Leila to do what kids do at the beach- have fun!  And here was this other mom all frazzled chasing her son around telling him no.

Clearly Leila and I were having more fun!  Isn't that what beach days are all about?

Dear Leila, for the record, YES you can throw sand (or seashells) into the water.  YES you can splash in the bay.  YES you can be a toddler!

If you need more inspiration to say YES to your child check out my first YES, you can...post here.

Beach days

I plan on soaking up every last minute of our beach life before our trip to the Chicago-land area.

  

I love visiting my hometown.  My family, friends, the food!  But I did move away for one reason.  The beach.  Now, I can hardly imagine my life any other way.

Leila will grow up knowing this as her backyard.  I'd say she is one lucky girl!

Which sunscreen is best? {The winner is...}

In my opinion, nothing beats a protective clothing.  Leila happily wears a sun hat outside (unless I take it off for photos) and a swimsuit with decent coverage. Last summer we had a long sleeved swim shirt and I'm still looking for one I like this year. 


Although we have more sunny days than not, the temperature by the San Diego beaches rarely reaches 80 degrees.  This allows me to dress Leila in protective clothing, long sleeves and pants, even on some of the warmest days.

On the other hand, since it is mostly sunny in San Diego, we wear sunscreen all year round.  It's important to me to find the perfect sunscreen: safe, effective, and affordable*.

Here's the breakdown of the products I tried:

For information about WHY I chose these three products read part one of my search for the perfect sunscreen. 

1. Adorable Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Non-Nano Zinc Oxide UVA/UVB    

I love how easy this sunscreen is to apply and re-apply.  It goes on clear and rubs in with little effort.  It is greasier than chemical sunscreens, and I wouldn't use it on my face.  Cost: $22 for a 4.3 oz bottle ($5.12/oz).

2. Badger Chamomile Baby Sunscreen SPF 30+ 

This option is less greasy than the other two I tried.  A little goes a long way!  Be sure to knead the tube before using it.  When it is applied it goes on white and takes a while to rub in, which Leila doesn't like at all.  The smell is a too strong (and wrong) for my liking.  (Chamomile just doesn't remind me of the beach!)  I would consider trying it in an unscented formula because it is the cheapest of the three.  Cost: $16 for a 2.9 oz bottle  ($5.52/oz).   I found it on sale at Sprouts for $13 ($4.48/oz)   

3. Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+ Sunscreen

I bought this one in a 2.5 ounce bottle.  I love the travel size for my diaper bag.  (I will refill it when it is empty).  For some reason this size bottle is the best to use...it just comes out easier.  It turns out that Adorable Baby (#1) and Loving Naturals Clear Body are made by the same company.  This sunscreen is also easy to apply and re-apply.  It goes on clear and rubs in with little effort.  Cost: $13 for a 2.5 oz bottle ($5.20/oz) 

*Yes, these sunscreens cost more than Coppertone, Neutrogena, and other common drugstore brands.  One bottle costs about the same as a pedicure, a hardcover book, or a bottle of wine.  Hopefully the sunscreen lasts longer than the wine!

The winner is... Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+

What I love about it:
It is 100% natural and I can pronounce all the ingredients.  It goes on clear and makes my skin feel moisturized, not dehydrated by the sun.  Because it is easy to apply, I can re-apply it often, even on an ever-moving toddler!  Although it differs from Adorable Baby by only two ingredients, those two ingredients feel less greasy and tacky on my skin.  (I am still not sure I would use this sunscreen on my face.)


Next up...I'll be searching for the best face sunscreen.  Suggestions are welcome (and needed).  What do you recommend?

Oceanside on Dwellable

Is your sunscreen safe? {The perfect one}

I never thought about whether or not the sunscreen I bought was safe. Heck, I assumed I was being safe just by using my SPF 30+ sunscreen daily, a vast improvement from my tanning oil days.

But after reading a blog post written about a local mom's sunscreen stresses, I too got a little stressed out.

I read through the Environmental Working Group's Sunscreen guide, and apparently my stress was warranted. Their "Hall of Shame" list convinced me to ditch the sunscreen I was using on Leila, sunscreen full of hormone-disrupting chemicals.

That was only the first step. Next up was more reading and eventually choosing some sunscreen products to test out in this San Diego sun.







The Environmental Working Group posted this on their Facebook page:

EWG researchers assessed about 1,400 products with SPF, including beach and sports lotions, sprays and creams, moisturizers, make-up and lip balms. The 39 beach and sports products that earned EWG’s coveted “green” rating for safety and efficacy all contain the minerals zinc or titanium. We could find no non-mineral sunscreens that scored better than “yellow.”

So what does it come down to?

Pick your sunscreen "poison": nano-materials or potential hormone disrupters.

I chose three chemical-free sunscreen products to try, based on the EWG's 2012 rating, affordability, and availability:






1. Adorable Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Non-Nano Zinc Oxide UVA/UVB 

2. Badger Chamomile Baby Sunscreen SPF 30+ (purchased at Sprouts) 

3. Loving Naturals Clear Body SPF 30+ Sunscreen Non-Nano Zinc Oxide UVA/UVB

Each sunscreen I chose scored a rating of 1.

They all ranged in price from $13-$22 depending on the size.

All three sunscreen products are available on Amazon and one can be picked up at our local grocery store.

In search of the perfect sunscreen (if there is such a thing), I have been using these products on Leila and myself for the past two weeks.  


Click here for the results.  


Do you have any sunscreen you would personally recommend?     

My fun girl

Last week Leila and I spend a lot of time together, just the two of us.

Jeff was working late, her friend Charlie wasn't feeling well, and I didn't feel like leaving the beach.

On Thursday, we kept it simple and went for a bike ride along the ocean boardwalk.  On the way back home we discovered a new park on the bay side.

The location was beautiful, but the children were lacking. Leila had no one to play with (except me!) so there was lots and lots of swinging.

Leila is such a fun girl to hang out with!   

Celebrating summer

We kicked off summer in true SoCal style yesterday.

A bike ride along the boardwalk...



Followed by locally brewed beer and dining at the beach.



Does it get much better than this? I think not.

Happy summer!  Let the fun begin!

Will I ever learn?

In 1991 I was a freshman in high school. Tight-rolling your jeans and curling your bangs were still cool, barely.

I can remember exactly where I was standing when I swore to my dad I would never not tight roll my jeans.

I can still hear him laughing at me. Probably because he actually is. I'll never live that one down.

Well, I certainly didn't learn anything from my fashion faux-pas or my extreme way of thinking.

This time I swore, before I was actually a momma, I would never let my child wear a bikini. I didn't want my baby to be...

...I don't know. I really did not think this one through before I got all judgy.

I never even tried to put a bathing suit on a baby, wet or dry. Ever.

I learned very quickly!

Alright, this bathing suit from last summer is more like a tankini.
Just wait until you see her new bikini!

Maybe this time I will learn, never say never.

Crap. I did it again.

Thank you Growing up Geeky and Letters to Mo for this post topic!

Toddler activities {Water play}

All you really need is a bucket, a cup, and some water.
It is that easy to keep my child entertained.



Of course it doesn't hurt that there is a bay just across the boardwalk from our local park. (Remember...the one that we practically call our backyard.)

It took me a while to warm up to the idea of impulsive water play at the park. But compared to all the bags needed for an "official" day at the pool (or beach), it seems worth it to be impulsive. It's not like I ever leave the house totally empty handed and unprepared.

...Except for the one time Leila's diaper leaked onto her pants and she hung out at the restaurant in her diaper.

We both survived today's impromptu water fun at the bay. Leila did run around in her sandy diaper for a while, but only a six year old boy noticed enough to say anything about it.

She ran into the water, filled a cup or two, and ran out to dump it on the dry sand. Over and over, and then again.

I plopped myself down in the dry sand with no towel and just watched.

Sometimes she would go a little to far out into the water.
She wants to be just like the big kids!

It was cute to watch her pick up globs of wet sand like they did and throw them into the water. She thought she was doing it just like them.

When it was time to go, I wrapped her up in a receiving blanket I found in the stroller. On the ride home she was quiet, tired, and completely worn-out. Another successful "adventure time"!




I'm hoping for a long nap this afternoon. Leila is not the only one worn-out from water play!

I'm that mom

I was that mom at the park today.

We go to the park, a lot. We practically own the park we go there so much.

Leila is very comfortable hanging out with all of the children and adults there. She'll try to play with each group of kids in the sand. Then she'll head to the play structure so she can climb. After a while she'll head to the grass and sit on other families' blankets (and laps). She even tries to convince the other moms that she needs that goldfish cracker from their snack baggie.

Basically it's a free for all.

A few months ago you could find me following behind Leila about ten feet back. Always ready to apologize for her invading their space.

Not anymore.



I'm that mom that lets their toddler run across the park while I am building sandcastles (with the kids she was just playing with). I'm the one that doesn't make my child "ask" to play with your toys. I'm the one that waves from afar when I see the nearby adult scanning the park for her mother.

I'm the mom that panicked today when she couldn't see her child.

As usual, she left me playing in the sand with a bunch of kids I don't know. She went off to climb around, in, over, and through the play structure. She's so tiny that I could barely see her behind it. The next moment I looked, she wasn't there.

Panic.
Look for her hat...moving.
Safe!
She was following some older girls and was trying to sit on the swing.

I sat back down like it was no big deal. Still watching her play by those swings, I saw how happy she was.

The smile plastered on her face, as she stared up at the big girls, reminded me that I know I'm doing the right thing...for both of us.

(I met three new friends at the park this week! No real play-dates scheduled, but it was great to relax and chat with some Mommas I see their regularly.)

Biker Babes

My life just got a little cooler.


Months after getting a bike seat (and helmet) for Leila's birthday we went for our first ride! This will definitely be a new way for Leila check out our town. We've been limited to playing at our local park because of her old two nap schedule. But now we have time to run a quick errand, check out the waves, head to the library, run near the jetty, AND play at the park.

I'm sure you are probably tired of me say it, but it's true. I love this town!

It does have some drawbacks though. For one, we've had three locked bikes stolen from our carport area. We have no yard and could never afford one anyways. This place has more bars than taco shops, and less pizza joints than I'd like. Also, you cannot go one day without almost stepping in dog poop.

Guess that's the price you have to pay for paradise.

Beach town perks

My parents left today after spending twelve days here in San Diego. When they visit they stay in a vacation rental within walking distance of our apartment. Almost every evening we would walk over for dinner. Besides the obvious perks, no cooking or clean-up for me, check out the awesome view on our stroll over.


I have to say it again...I LOVE this town!

After-Christmas Cheer

Christmas might be over, but we are celebrating the weather here in San Diego! Tourists have invaded our town and everyone seems to be in a good mood.

This week we've been buzzing around enjoying the outdoors. We walked to the end of the pier to see the Christmas tree before they took it down. Leila was very interested in all the fishermen and listening to the waves crashing.

That same day I decided I was over Christmas. I took down all the ornaments and packed them up while Jeff micro-managed my work. I'm ready for our space back. This apartment is too tiny for our family of three, a cat, a Christmas mess, and a tree.

Well, today is Thursday and our tree is still up and the lights are on. I guess Jeff wasn't on board with killing the after-Christmas spirit so soon. This is the beauty I've been looking at for the past two days.

Now instead of having a Christmas tree we just have a very large lighted houseplant that clearly looked better with ornaments.

Can it get much better...

Than this?


How about this?


Or this?

Sunday Funday

Sundays are fun again.




For the NFL opening weekend we found ourselves with a great balance between watching the football games and enjoying the beach.



This day became Leila's first "swim" in the ocean.


About a month ago I wrote about Leila's first trip to the beach (bayside!). It turned out to be a real pain to take her, mainly because she didn't want to leave. Jeff witnessed Leila's first tantrum when he brought her to the park at the bay following her first beach trip.

I witnessed quite a tantrum when leaving the ocean on this beautiful Sunday. It was a real, full-blown, meltdown. Uh oh.

My mom was just reminding me how her innocent, sweet, I-want-you-Mommy, mini-tantrums would not be so cute in two years. Try two days. Not cute at all.

Embarrassing actually.

With a screaming baby in my arms, Val and I took off Leila's wet and sandy mess of an outfit. We were fools to think it was those clothes bugging her. As Leila was still screaming Amy casually mentions that Leila might just want back in the water.

Amy was right. Leila was perfectly happy in the water. I knew this was a bad sign since nap time was thirty minutes away. We had to get back into the stroller now!

So this time I wrestled a screaming baby, in just her soggy diaper, all the way back to the boardwalk. All those friendly people who were smiling and waving at Leila as she made her way down to the water were now staring at me.

I should have been the one having the meltdown.

Sand and saltwater

We are about two months deep into a great summer, BUT we hadn't been to the beach until yesterday.

What?!!? Yes, I know that I live at the beach. It still doesn't make it easy. And what a production it was! (I am still finding sand everywhere. Wet sand is the WORST!)

Between wrestling to put Leila's swim diaper on and keeping up with her constant need for movement I was able to enjoy watching her play in the water.



I knew she would love the beach! (Does this make it worse that I've never taken her?) We hung bay side at my favorite local park with a friend and her six year old son. Leila loves kids and Braxton had just as much energy as she did!



Leila could crawl, stand, and even walk in the calm bay water. She drank plenty of saltwater and ate at least a shovelful of sand.

I am really feeling comfortable at this park and frankly Leila is always a hit! She is so social and smiles at everyone. We seem to make new friends each time we visit.

Leila and I will definitely do this again. Good thing summer lasts until October here!

All in a day

Reading



Playing



Chillin'