Thinc Skin SUN! Natural SunScreen Review & Sponsor Spotlight! #CelebrateSummer

Summer is here! I love summertime - the warm (ok, hot) days, trips to the beach, the farmer's market, the pool, the splash pad, picnics outside and so many more adventures fill our days! With any trip outside the house, I like to be prepared for whatever the weather will throw our way! I always keep a spare set of clothes for each boy in the car, extra shoes for Michael, plenty of extra diapers and wipes for diaper changes, burp rags, a baby carrier, etc. Once summertime hits, I like to add some "extras" to our stash in the car for spontanteous adventures or for days when we end up being outdoors longer than expected. I like to keep hats, pool towels, swim diapers and swim trunks for the boys, sunglasses and sunscreen easily accessible in the backseat of the car. I actually keep sunscreen tucked in one of the outer diaper bag pockets, because you never know when you'll be outside longer than expected! Both boys have fair skin and I don't want any baby or toddler sunburns!

When I look for sunscreen to use on our family, I look for all-natural sunscreens that keep the toxic chemicals out of the ingredients. I want sunscreen that I can feel good about and that I know will be a safe choice. Ingredients are key, so, how do ingredients like extra virgin olive oil, sesame seed oil, coconut & macadamia nut oil and a sun safe essential oil blend sound? Well these are some of the healthy, good for you ingredients in the "go-to" sunscreen that has a permanent spot in my diaper bag this summer!

This summer we are staying safe in the sun with Thinc Skin's Balm Baby! SUN! Natural SunScreen. Our wonderful sponsor for the Celebrate Summer event, Kissed by the Moon, was so kind to send me a 2oz. jar for review.

Kissed by the Moon is a family run cloth diaper and natural parenting store where you can find all kinds of cloth diapers for every budget, cloth diapering accessories, detergent, wetbags, baby carriers and so much more! "Kissed by the Moon was created out of a passion for cloth diapering and environmentally-friendly living" and everything in their store reflects that.Their goal is to make cloth diapering fun and they are always happy to help you and answer any questions you might have!

I was thrilled when Kissed by the Moon wanted to send me Balm Baby! SUN! sunscreen! This is an awesome sunscreen that is perfect for your little ones skin (or for adult skin), whether you are playing in the sun, splashing in a pool or having fun at the beach. The Balm! SUN! Sunscreen is full of organic and natural ingredients, it is made in Hawaii and has a waterproof 30 SPF.

Here is the full ingredient list:

• Extra Virgin olive oil
• non-nano 25% zinc oxide
• sesame seed oil
• candelilla wax
• coconut & macadamia nut oil
• vitamin e T-50
• sun safe essential oil blend.

I really appreciate that the ingredient list is short and full of natural, easy to pronounce goodness! The ingredients make it gentle enough for skin and lips too! Since there is zinc in the sunscreen, it can also do double duty as diaper rash cream, because the zinc makes a waterproof barrier. (just make sure to use a liner if you are using cloth diapers!)

The essential oil blend smells so fresh too! It has a light, natural and citrus-y scent to it that I just love. The sunscreen is very white and I was worried that it would leave the boys looking like vampires. I was pleasantly surprised that once it was thoroughly rubbed in, the "whiteness" disappears and blends in nicely. It also rubs in pretty quickly, which is nice when you are dealing with a squirmy baby who has no interest in being slathered with sunscreen! Once rubbed in, it does leave hair looking a little greasy, but it's not too bad. Another plus is that with all of the healthy oils in it, skin is nice and moisturized afterwards.

You can see that the top of Riley's hairline looks a little greasy. But, no white-ness from the sunscreen! It rubbed in so well!

Legs are covered in The Balm! SUN! sunscreen. Perfect way to keep little legs safe from the sun while babywearing.

This is a very easy sunscreen to use and since it is waterproof, you really only need to apply it 1-2 times when you are outside. I am happy to say that after using it on two trips to the beach already, both boys have remained sunburn free! It is so nice to have an easy to use sunscreen that I can feel good about (It got an EWG rating of 2!). Overall, I highly recommend The Balm! SUN! sunscreen and I am looking forward to using on my family throughout the summer!

CONNECT

You can connect with Kissed by the Moon via Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest

 

BUY IT

 

You can buy Thinc Skin SUN! Natural SunScreen for $9.99 (along with other summertime and cloth diapering goodies) HERE from Kissed by the Moon.

WIN IT 

Enter to win a 2oz. jar of Thinc Skin SUN! Natural SunScreen and a 2 pack of Clean Sypria dryer balls from Kissed by the Moon as part of my Summer Celebration giveaway package! 

You can enter HERE

*Some of the above links are affiliate links.*

I was provided the opportunity to host this giveaway at no cost to myself. In exchange for this post, I received a the above mentioned product. This has not influenced my opinion of the product. I have sought to give my honest opinions and experiences on this product. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own.

Summer Celebratio​n Giveaway Hop! #CelebrateSummer

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Summer Celebration Giveaway Hop, hosted by Happy Mothering and The Vagabond Studio along with the Green Moms Network! We are excited to bring you eco-friendly prizes valued at $25+ to help you celebrate the start of Summer!. After entering my giveaway, be sure to visit the other blogs listed under the Rafflecopter form for your chance to win more great giveaways.


Kissed by the Moon gave me the chance to review BALM! Baby - SUN! Natural SunScreen by Thinc Skin (Taylor House Skin). You can read my full review HERE.



Kissed by the Moon is a wonderful online shop that is just packed to the brim with natural goodies for summer, cloth diapers for your little ones bum, accessories, baby carriers and more.

Kissed By The Moon wants to celebrate summer with us and they have sponsored the prize package for the Summer Celebration Giveaway Hop on The Little Hedgehog. They have graciously offered one of my readers the chance to win a 2oz. jar of Thinc Skin SUN! Natural SunScreen and a 2 pack of Clean Sypria dryer balls! Sunscreen is definitely a summer "must have" and this natural sunscreen will keep you sunburn free and keep icky chemicals off of your skin! Dryer balls are a wonderful way to "green" your laundry routine and they are a wonderful way to soften up your laundry while making your dryer time shorter. Or, take advantage of the summer sun and line dry your clothes and diapers, then toss them in the dryer with some dryer balls for about 15 minutes on low to take the sun-baked stiffness out of your laundry! (That's what I do!)

BUY IT

You can shop at Kissed by the Moon for Thinc Skin SUN! Natural SunScreen and a 2 pack of Clean Sypria dryer balls or whatever else you little heart desires!

GIVEAWAY

One lucky reader will receive a 2oz. jar of Thinc Skin SUN! Natural SunScreen and a 2 pack of Clean Sypria dryer balls from Kissed by the Moon. ($25 value)

***Giveaway is open to the US only. Entrants must be 18+ years old. One entry per household. The winner has 48 hours to respond before another winner is chosen.***  

Giveaway will end June 30th. 

Entries go in the Rafflecopter form below! Good Luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway


*Some links are affiliate links* This contest will run through June 30, 2013 at 9:00 pm PST (July 1, 2013 at 12:00 am EST). The winner will be chosen the following day and announced on The Little Hedgehog. No purchase necessary. US entries only. Must be 18 years or older to win.The sponsors provided me with free samples of these products to review, and I was under no obligation to review them if I so chose. Nor was I under any obligation to write a positive review or sponsor a product giveaway in return for the free product. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with, Facebook. You understand that you are providing your information to The Little Hedgehog and not to Facebook. Please note that The Little Hedgehog, Happy Mothering, the Green Moms Network and the Summer Celebration event bloggers are not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes. We have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. We will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify the blog you won a prize from within 4-6 weeks for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.

6 Months!

Riley is 6 months old!!! Say what?!? (He turned 6 months old on 5/27, so he is 6 1/2 months old now) I absolutely cannot believe that Riley is 6 months old already. Half of a year has completely flown by! I know every parent says that...but it is so true! 

 

Ahhh...he is growing so fast! He went from being all wobbly when I would sit him up to being sturdy and secure and staying upright chewing and teething on toys for longer and longer each day. He loves standing in his bouncer and bouncing away. He loves watching his brother run around and sometimes I think he wants to get out of the bouncer to run around with him. Michael can make him laugh...oh noy, can he make Riley laugh! Whether Michael is squealing at Riley, singing to him, blowing raspberries on his belly or shushing him, it's pretty safe to say Riley will be laughing. Riley really lights up when he sees Michael. I have been blessed with two happy, silly, smiley, loving boys!

Riley has really started talking more. It's like he's having conversation sometimes! He's busting out with some serious "Gwa, Gwa's", "Goo, Goo's", "Buah, Buah Da Da's" Sometimes he looks like he's focusing so hard and trying to truly say something. He is also seriously busting out some teeth! We've got two bottom teeth that have popped up through the gums. Poor baby! All-in-all, Riley is such a happy little guy and almost always has a smile ready. Even when he wakes up, he is (usually) all smiles!

We are entering the great, wide world of food with Riley. I truly thought that we would wait until he was at least 9 months before we gave him any food, but every time we ate he would reach out and grab at our food. It became harder and harder to keep food away from him. One night, when my parents were visiting, we were all sitting at the dinner table and Riley was on my lap. He was getting madder and madder and more and more frustrated. Finally, my mom asked why I didn't just see what he thought of some avocado. We mashed up some avocado with a fork, put it on a spoon and handed it to him. Well, he must have really been watching us, because he grabbed the spoon, studied it, focused on it and stuck the spoon in his mouth right away!

6 months is a huge milestone for me with breastfeeding! I am so, so, so thankful that Riley is still nursing! It is such a wonderful bond, I love it and love that we are still going strong!

What a sweetheart you are Riley! What a joy and a blessing! You are my sunshine and I love you!

Fun in the Sun: Summer Cloth Diaper Must-Haves (Kelly's Closet Giveaway)

Summertime is here! The weather where I'm at in Southern California has been hovering around 80-90+ degrees. It's just perfect for going to the pool, beach or splash pad. In our housing community, we have two pools and a splash pad at the local park, plus, we can hop in the car and drive about an hour and be at the beach. We have so many options nearby to be outside, in the sun and in the water! During the summer, I make a point of always having a pool/beach bag packed with fresh supplies. What are my summer cloth diapering "must-haves"? Here's a peek at what I keep stocked in our pool and beach bag:

Swim Diapers

I love, love, love swim reusable swim diapers. It is so nice to be able to wash and reuse them! No worrying about running out of disposables or having to spend money on multiple packs of swim diapers. Just grab them and go! I love the Bummis Swimmi Diaper with it's velcro closure. I can always get a snug fit and I don't have to try to wrestle a wet swim diaper off! I have two, that way I have a spare, just in case!  

UV Swim Shirts

These are a great way to help protect your little ones skin, without having to spend the extra time to slather sunscreen over a wiggly chest. Also, with a Swim Shirt or Tankini, you don't have to worry about water washing away the UV protection (like with sunscreen). I love the fun, bright colors of the Bummis Sun Line UV-Tee and it has a Ultraviolet Protection Factor rating of 50!

Swim Hat

Little Riley has fine, thin hair and a Swim Hat is the perfect way to keep his little head shaded from the suns rays. The Bummis Sun Line Sun Cap matches their swim diapers and is also has a Ultraviolet Protection Factor rating of 50 for some serious sun protection!

Sunglasses

This is the perfect way to add some style to an outfit and keep eyes protected from the sun bouncing off the water and sand. You can even match your little ones sunglasses to their swimsuit!

Sunscreen

Definitely a must-have to protect new baby skin (and adult skin too) safe from sunburns. I really love using Episencial Sunny Sunscreen. It has SPF 35 and UVA+B protection, it is made with natural and organic ingredients, it is gentle and goes on easily. It is perfect for our whole family! I actually keep sunscreen in my pool/beach bag and my diaper bag during the summer. You just never know when you'll end up needing it! We use sunscreen when we are at the pool or beach, at the farmer's market, the zoo or any time we end up being outside for awhile. Sunburns are not cute!

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I also keep a few towels with my pool/beach bag and before we head out, I make sure to fill up our reusable water bottles and grab some fruit and snacks in our reusable snack bags.

What are your summer must-haves?

BUY

Are you ready for summer fun? Do you have your beach or pool bag ready and waiting? Or do you still need to do some shopping for those summertime essentials? You can buy any of the items that I mentioned above (and so much more!) at Kelly's Closet. You can also use the promo code: SUNANDFUN to save $5 off your purchase of $25 or more!

GIVEAWAY

Kelly's Closet is also hosting a giveaway! You can enter to win a $100 Kelly's Closet gift certificate below!

***Giveaway is open to the US only. Giveaway will end June 30th.***

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*This post contains affiliate links. Sales resulting from shopping through these links will benefit The Little Hedgehog. I seek to only recommend sites that I also enjoy shopping from. Thank you for helping to support The Little Hedgehog. I was compensated for this post, however, all opinions are 100% my own. *