Summer - When your desire for Fun in the Sun is Burdened by UV Protetion Worries

How can you limit your baby or child's exposure to the harmful UV Rays without coating them in toxic cream?



• Wear a Wide Brim Sun Hat
• Use Natural Sunscreen like Green Beaver or Badger Brands formulating with zinc oxide to create a physical block from UVA and UVB.
• Avoid Peak Sun Hours When Possible (12-4pm) and get out in the mornings and evenings instead
• Wear UV Protection Swim wear at the beach, back yard or outdoor pools.
• Find Shade
• Wear light clothing
• Remember to Reapply Sunscreen every couple of hours and after swimming or you will increase your chance of sun burns for sure.
• Use Eye protection like Babiators to protect your child's eyes
• Pack lots of water for outdoor hikes, beach days etc

 

Ditch your Disposable Food Pouch Habit!

 In our ongoing effort to eat healthy, the grab and go baby food pouches seem like the ultimate convenience without the trade off of poor nutrition but have you consider the amount of single use waste you're creating with your food pouch habit? 

Check out this article with all the details of the "True Cost of Baby Food Pouches" and resolve to move onto a reusable option at least some of the time.
 

Ready to ditch the disposable food pouches and start using more sustainable reusable pouches?

In our hunt for the perfect reusable baby food pouch, we found the Squeasy Snacker

It's made from silicone which is a much safer alternative than the lining of traditional throw away food pouches which are often coated with non-stick materials (a long known possible danger to our health in pans etc. EWG Article here.)  

One of these pouches used for 1 baby could divert plenty of the single use packages from our landfills. 

Also, in practice, the pouch is easy to use and can be converted from no-spill or free flow, just be adding or removing the included valve. No additional purchases needed. 

If you're looking to pack smoothies in your child's lunch, this is the best way even for older kids. Straws and water bottles just get plugged up and messy with smoothie. 

Need some inspiration for making your own filling?:

• Try pouring your left over smoothie in
• Apple Sauce
• Avocado + Banana Mash 
• Yogurt
• Cooled Soups - Like Cream of Broccoli etc

Make a blender full of Kale, Berries, Bananas, Almond Milk, and Chia Seeds. Or use any fruit and veg you have around. 

Have some more ideas, leave a comment with your filling inspirations or ideas to stop the single use disposable pouches:

Choosing the Right Crib Mattress for your Baby!

When you're planning for baby to arrive one of the most important purchases is the crib mattress. Your baby can spend up to 20 hours sleeping in the newborn phase! That's a lot of time spent on a crib mattress- you want to be sure you've chosen a toxin free, safe and comfortable mattress for your baby.

All of our mattresses at Abby Sprouts in Victoria BC Canada are Green Guard Certified- this means they've been tested by a third party and given their seal of approval so you can sleep easy.

Quality Crib Mattresses range in price from about $200-500 depending on the manufacturer, materials and type of mattress you choose.

Be weary of companies trying to jump on the natural baby wagon and marketing their product as natural by putting a bunch of green leafs or alike on the packaging. What you want to know is if there is any chemical flame retardants and what type of plastic has been used if the mattress is waterproof in addition to what the inside of the mattress is made from. Steer clear of vinyls, Polyurethane foam and brominated flame retardants as well as any mattress without firm edge support. 

If budget is a primary concern and even spending $200 is going to stretch your family budget. The basic Lullaby Earth Crib Mattress is a great budget friendly option that will suit your needs without compromising your values. Bonus it's lightweight so changing sheets is actually quite easy! (If you're looking for an added feature there's a 2-Stage Lullaby Earth Crib Mattress as well which means one firm side for Infants and a softer side for toddlers).
 

 

 

 

If you're looking for the best of the best, choose a Naturepedic crib mattress.

Naturepedic is the only company that uses low density, food-grade polyethylene for the purpose of waterproofing and dust mite proofing. Strict independent testing confirms there are no phthalates or any toxic chemicals in this polyethylene. A waterproof mattress is important when dealing with messy babies because any moisture in the mattress could cause mould to grow. If you opt for the non-waterproof make sure to get a waterproof crib mattress protector!

None of the Naturepedic baby or crib mattresses contain any wool or latex (which can be allergens). They use certified organic cotton as the filling material. There is no polyurethane foam in their mattresses. With Naturepedic’s innovative design, the mattresses passes all Federal and State flammability standards without the use of any fire retardant chemicals or barriers. They use organic cotton fabric, organic cotton fiber and PLA fiber (made from plant starch).

All Naturepedic baby and crib mattresses are GOTS certified. They are certified to the GOTS standard by Oregon Tilth Certified Organic (OTCO) and Control Union (CU). All Naturepedic mattresses passed independent testing by the strictest GREENGUARD Select standard.
In a Naturepedic mattress, there are no flame retardants or flame retardant barriers, no perfluorinated chemicals (PFCs), no antibacterial treatments or biocides, no glues or adhesives, no allergens, and no GMO cotton or other GMO fibers.


Naturepedic Offers a Full Line of Crib Mattresses to choose from which makes it a challenge for the indecisive!





There is 3 Main Types and here's the Jist of Each:
 
 

The Classic Lightweight Crib Mattress by Naturepedic:

• The Mattress Core is wave foam support system instead of coil inner springs. 
• Lightweight Means Easy to Change Sheets. Perhaps less durable than innerspring models though if you're planning to use for subsequent children. 
• Polyethylene Food grade Waterproofing.  
• Budget Friendly 

 

 

The Ultra Crib Mattress with Inner Spring and Organic Cotton Fill, Seamless:

• Features a Durable 252 Inner Coil System 
• Filling is just organic cotton + steel inner coils
• Polyethylene Food Grade Waterproofing featuring seamless edges so there is no where for liquid to enter unlike traditional mattress edges
•  Available in Regular Infant Firm on Both Sides or Dual Firmness ie. 1 Infant Side and 1 Toddler Side

 

 

 

 
The Non-Waterproof Quilted Organic Cotton with Innerspring Mattress

• Offer 252 Coil Durable Inner Spring System
• More mature Quilted Organic Cotton Top
• The entire crib mattress is certified organic to the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS). This ensures that your crib mattress meets a healthy non-toxic standard and is truly organic!

 

Give us a call at the store at 250-294-8978 or come into Abby Sprouts Eco-Friendly Baby and Kids Store at 1841 Oak Bay Ave. in Victoria BC Canada

We do offer free local deliver for crib mattresses too!