Our Favorite Natural Summer Essentials for The Whole Family

Having a naturally safe and healthy summer is very important to us,  so we have researched and tested  products to provide you with the best shopping choices for your family and your home.   Here are some of our favorite summertime products to ensure your summer is natural, safe and healthy. Be safe and enjoy your summer!

#1 Summer Must Have: Sun Protection Products from Shady Day

Shady Day Wipes is one of our all time favorites among our customers.  They have been featured on Oprah’s “Love it” List and Parents Magazine have called Shady Day their favorite sunscreen for the summer.

This product was created by 2 moms who wanted to provide a product that combine mess free application solutions, with all natural, high quality ingredients.  We encourage you to check out their entire line of products but the award winning Daily Sun Protection Wipes are a customer favorite!

#2 Summer Must Have: Herbal Bug Balm

This bug repellent is a must have for parents concerned about using synthetic chemical compounds on their children’s skin. Created by For My Kids, this Herbal Bug Balm is a safe natural alternative to chemical bug repellents for kids and the whole family!

The Herbal Bug Balm uses pure organic catnip essential oil to keep bugs at bay. AND it is chemical free! Ingredients: organic coconut oil, organic soybean oil, candelilla wax, lemongrass oil, organic tamanu oil, Vitamin E oil, organic lemon balm, organic rosemary, organic geranium oil, organic catnip oil, cinnamon oil, clove oil.

#3 Summer Must Have: Piggy Paint “Flower Power” Kid-Friendly Nail Polish Gift Set

Piggy Paint is a customer favorite for a reason. Girls of all ages can have fun decorating their fingers and toes with these vibrant, natural & non toxic polishes.   It’s as natural as mud in the sense that every ingredient is biodegradable with no residues left behind to harm the environment.  This product was also created by a Mom so she could provide safe, non-toxic pedicures for her young daughter’s “piggies”.    And make sure you check out the Piggy Paint “Little Miss Firecracker” Kid-Friendly Nail Polish Gift Set for the 4th!

#4 Summer Must Have: Green Toys Recycled Indoor Gardening Kit

This 9-Piece Indoor Gardening Kit is a great way to introduce your young ones to gardening and growing their own food. Everything you need is included, and of course, it is 100 % recycled.  Green Toys’ line of classic toys uses recycled plastic milk containers to make safe, eco-friendly children’s toys that do not contain phthalates or Bispenol-A (BPA), and meet FDA food contact standards.

#5 Summer Must Have: Klean Kanteen 12oz Brushed Stainless Classic Bottle + Kid Kanteen Sippy

This is a healthy and eco-friendly alternative to plastic water bottles-  perfect to take along  for the pool, summer vacations and camp. Klean Kanteen products help to keep your kids well hydrated while on-the-go.  The  12oz Kid Kanteen Sippy is designed like a basic bottle, add an adapter cap and Avent non-spill, easy-sip spout.  All bottles and caps are BPA-free .

Genius Mom Entrepreneurs-The Story of Shady Day Sunscreen

One sunny summer afternoon in 2004, two young mothers in New Jersey were enjoying a day at the beach with their children.  As all good mothers should, they applied their kids relentlessly with sunscreen, while complaining to one another about the challenges of the messy, sticky, awful smelling lotion.  They began thinking about what the perfect sunscreen would be, and researched extensively for two years under the careful advisement of a leading dermatologist.  The result was the launch of Shady Day Inc. in April of 2006.

Although in their infancy as a company, they have already received global recognition, celebrity favor and countless honors including Best New Product by EX-TRACTS and Top Sunscreen by Luxury Spa Finder. Their product line is loved by celebrities (seen carrying Shady Day gift bags at the Golden Globe Awards) and has even gotten the nod from Oprah.

Moms everywhere are celebrating their genius. Their collection of sun protection products combine mess free application solutions, with all natural, high quality ingredients.

In line with the Shady Day commitment to using only ingredients that are safe for us, and the environment, Parabens are never used in any of their products. Parabens are a group of chemicals that are used as an inexpensive way to maintain the shelf life of a product. They can cause skin irritations and some studies have even connected Parabens to breast cancer. Shady Day opted to use safer, all natural Paraben alternatives including grapefruit seed extract and vitamin E rather than the harmful Parabens found in most sunscreen products.

Big fat kudos go out to the gals that invented this product. We absolutely love it!