Lia's First Camping Trip

Ok. It was an ambitious undertaking: tent-camping with an 8-month old baby. I was introduced to camping after I met Rich and loved the experiences we had. But this is different. We did not know what we were in for and only hoped for the best. The 6-hour drive up to Leelanau State Park was no problem. When we got there the Wilsons had already set up and warned us of the mosquitos. I guess being "by the water" is only a great thing if you are in a HOTEL where you can turn on the AC and shut the door. Not here! And I know bugs LOVE me. So I was a bit nervous. I only hoped the Burts Bees spray would work (read previous blog for why no deet). At least we had a brand new *large* tent. I wish I could spent the entire camping trip in it. It was fun!

All in all Lia did well. She hated to be put down in the Pack'n'Play at first but got used to it. Sometimes she shared the space with Meredith but it didn't take long before she wanted out. And because we had dinner late, it threw off her sleep schedule a bit. I didn't want to leave her in the tent by herself (it got chilly after dark) so I held her while eating.

I think the whole experience was ok but not raising my hand to do this again until she is older- able to walk and little more independent. It was just a lot of extra work and I couldn't really enjoy myself much. At least we tried!

Trip to the Zoo

We got together with some of the parents and babies from our bimonthly parent group and spent the day at the zoo. While the babies probably had a good time, for the most part they were unimpressed with the animals.


The polar bear exhibit drew lots of oohs and ahhhs.






Class photo.

Toxic All Around

Among my many concerns about the environment is the daily products that we put on our bodies. It amazes me that to this day companies can produce and market products containing dozens of toxic ingredients that can lead to cancer, endocrine disruption, developmental abnormalities, allergies. The list goes on. Women are more susceptible because we simple use more products on a daily basis. Now, with a baby, I have to pay more attention to what gets absorbed in my and her skin. Unfortunately the onus is on me as a consumer to figure this out. The FDA does not regulate this market segment. Legislation is pending to change that. I am sure big companies such as Procter & Gamble, L'Oreal, Johnson & Johnson, etc will put up a fight. Europe actually has more stringent rules against toxic ingredients and if these companies want to sell there they have to make safer products. So why the double-standard? Why not here?? Furthermore, the environmental impact is that the products get washed down the drain and end up later in the drinking water. So eventually it does affect everybody.

Luckily there is one resource available to help me evaluate my products. EWG analyzes the ingredients of thousands of common products and publishes the findings on its website cosmeticsdatabase.com. The "hazard scores" of 1-10 are what I use to figure out how toxic the products are. I am ok with 0-3 range. 4-5 I would not buy again. 6+ I would throw it out right now.

So I take a look at what I currently use and better alternatives.

SHAMPOO
Current use: Pantene Pro-V Classic Clean (5)
Alternative: Burt's Bees Grapefruit & Sugar Beet Shampoo (1); Healing Scents (0-1); Aubrey Organic (1-2)

BODY WASH
Current: Alba Very Emollient Lavender (5); California Baby Shampoo & Body Wash Super Sensitive (1) - this is a great product for Lia. She's never had a problem with dry skin.

FACIAL CLEANSER
Current: Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser (2). This is nice and does not dry my skin.

SOAP
I use some fancy French soap which I don't even know the name. I love it and will keep it. This is my one indulgence!

TOOTHPASTE
Current: Crest Extra Whitening Clean Mint (4)
Alternative: Colgate Cavity Protection Regular Flavor (3); Burt's Bees Toothpaste (1); Burt's Bees Children's Toothpaste (1). I would definitely buy the Burt's Bees for Lia since she will swallow. I will try the Colgate next time.

FACIAL MOISTURIZER
Current: Neutrogena Healthy Defense SPF 30 Untinted (3). I've always liked this product but it contains parabens so I will continue to look for alternatives.

BODY LOTION
Current: Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion (2). I have switched to this after years of using Jergens.

DEODORANT
Current: Secret Invisible Solid Unscented (3). Oh, I tried Toms of Main *natural* deodorant but I could still *smell* myself. Sigh, I just can't go through life so self-conscious about my B.O. it's not worth it.

DIAPER CREAM
Current: A&D Aloe (4)
Alternative: Burt's Bees Baby Bee Diaper Ointment (2). I've known about this but kept Lia on the A&D because diaper cream is supposed to be a barrier, not to be absorbed into the skin. Plus, BB is more than twice the cost and she uses *a lot* of diaper cream.

SUNSCREEN
Current: Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Touch Dry SPF 45 (7). Wow! I am THROWING THIS AWAY. The culprit toxic ingredient is oxybenzone. It is absorbable into the skin. It is an allergen that damages cells and DNA with free radicals.
Alternative: Badger SPF 30; UV Natural; California Baby Sunscreen Lotion SPF 30 Unscented (1). I've looked in 2 Target stores and CB is sold out in both so the word must be out.

INSECT REPELLENT
Current: DEET
Alternative: Burt's Bees (0). This is DEET free and consists of different natural oils. We are camping next weekend and I will bring this along with the DEET only as backup. I heard from people BB attracts Japanese Beetles. Hope they don't have those up by Traverse City.

I look to Burts Bees a lot because it is widely available and the stuff smells pretty good. But BB does not get an automatic thumbs-up. A lot of their products do carry higher hazard scores so you really need to do the research on the EWG site.