December 18th, 2012

Protecting Your Baby’s Eyes From the Sun

There are a lot of cute accessories we buy our babies; everything from fabulous hair bows, fuzzy boots and adorable shoes. Yet, one super cute and trendy look is actually beneficial to our growing babies’ eyes: sunglasses.

You may think, “Sunglasses in the winter?” Yes!

It is not just the scorching rays of a hot summer sun that can harm your eyes. The sun still emits harmful UVA rays in the winter too. Add white snow and the bright white glare off freshly fallen snow can be blinding. So protecting your baby’s eyes from the sun all year long and year after year is essential.

According to Dr. Michael Johnson, a VSP Vision Care doctor in California, “We get 75-80% of our UV exposure before we turn 18, so it’s especially important that kids wear sunglasses from an early age.”

So here are some tips for buying kids’ sunglasses, regardless of the season:

  • Buy wrap-around frames that block rays coming in from the side, and a strap to help keep sunglasses on.
  • Look for a UV protection sticker. Then you’ll know the glasses will actually protect your child’s eyes and aren’t just toy sunglasses.
  • Select polarized or dark lenses that block about 75-80% of light—you shouldn’t be able to see your child’s eyes through the lenses.
  • Choose lightweight, impact-resistant polycarbonate lenses for extra active kids.

Keep them in your diaper bag so you are ready anytime you head outdoors. While stroller covers do a great job off blocking the sun, the sun’s rays can reflect up from the pavement or snow. So it is important to have your baby wear sunglasses even when in a covered stroller.

When traveling in the car, consider purchasing a shade for the window to minimize the sun’s UV rays too. Hats not only protect your babies’ skin and sensitive scalp, it does help cut down on the sun’s rays.

Also check with your vision service plan or pediatrician to determine when you should start yearly vision checkups to ensure that your baby’s eyes are developing well.

So, as you pull together those holiday presents and stocking stuffers, consider picking up a pair. And ask Santa for a new pair for you too!

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Disclosure: This is a post is part of my compensated VSP Ambassadorship! Images are my own. 

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June 22nd, 2012

Melissa and Doug Trunki

Summer, winter, holidays and vacations – having kids doesn’t mean you don’t travel, you just need to be more creative about it. But check out this super cute suitcase, called the Melissa and Doug Trunki, to make such travels fun.

The Melissa and Doug Trunki serves as luggage and a riding toy for kids on the go! At home, it can be a kid-friendly storage bin too! Features include a tow strap, carry handles, secure catches, integrated wheels and stabilizers to prevent toppling over. I recently saw it in action at the Logan airport and it looked totally cool.

It retails for about $40.

Super cute!

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April 23rd, 2012

Heart of Haiti and How to Teach Children to Give Back

Heart of Haiti NecklaceAs a mom to a toddler, we haven’t gotten to the age, or stage, where I’ve been able to share with him my thoughts and actions on social responsibility. Yet, just because he is two, and wouldn’t understand, I can still start setting the foundation in the following ways. Here are my four “T”s:

1. Take them with you: The more your child sees you drop off donations or volunteer a school fair, it will provide an understanding, early on, that their family cares about other people.

2. Talk about what you do and why: They may not comprehend, but at some point they will. And they will remember that it is something you have been doing (and talking about) every month or every holiday.

3. Teach basic manners: Sometimes it can just be the simple things that sets the stage for a child to be giving. That can be teaching them to say please and thank you, or opening a door for an older individual.

4. Turn to books or other media outlets to find projects to follow and learn from. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. It can be a discussion about the locally sustainable coffee or the necklace with the red ribbon.

For example, Macy’s has partnered with organizations, like the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, to create the Heart of Haiti. The Heart of Haiti is a program where Macy’s sells certain products that employs over 750 artists in Haiti. This employment provides financial benefits for an estimated 8,500 Haitians. It is not a handout, but rather a way to build the economy and the confidence of the people there.

Heart of Haiti products are available exclusively online at Macy’s.com, and most items range from $25-$60. Each item is a one-of-a-kind design and handmade by a Haitian master artisan from raw materials such as recycled oil drums, wrought iron, papier-mâché and stone. The collection features more than 40 home decor items including quilts, metalwork, ceramics, jewelry and paintings and is made almost entirely from recycled and sustainable items such as old cement bags, cardboard, oil drums and local gommier wood. So not only does it help provide a stable economic environment, it also supports the actual environment. (A double educational effort.)

You can also check out video of Everywhere’s Travels to the Heart of Haiti at http://bit.ly/hohtrip. Even just sitting down and watching the video with your child, is a step forward to teaching our children to have heart themselves.

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I received a complimentary Heart of Haiti necklace from the Macy’s collection. (Pictured above.) It inspired this post, and thus all thoughts, ideas, options and content is my own.

For more information on Heart of Haiti, follow @HeartofHaiti on Twitter or like the Heart of Haiti on Facebook. 

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March 22nd, 2012

Kid Jewelry Can Be Toxic

If you are a parent of a girl, you know that they love to play dress up and wear jewelry. However, if you shop at Target, Walmart or other low cost retailers, they may be wearing more than just jewelry & may be wearing toxic chemicals too.

Since we aren’t about to give our little girls diamonds and gold, we find low cost necklaces, rings and earrings for everyday wear. But despite a lot of oversight, there are still products that have dangerous levels of cadmium and lead.

According to the website HealthyStuff.org, over half (59%) of the products recently tested had a “high” levels of one or more hazardous chemicals. Four products, they found, contained over 10% cadmium, a known carcinogen. HealthyStuff.org also found that fifty percent contained lead, with over half containing more than 100 ppm of lead, exceeding the Consumer Product Safety Commission limit of lead in children’s products.

The product manufacturers stated that the risk presents itself if the child puts the product in its mouth. But since us Moms know that happens on a regular basis, there is definitely cause for concern.

Here is a video from HealthStuff.org with more information, but if possible, avoid metal based jewelry unless you know it is pure sterling silver or gold. Stick to plastic jewelry that is clearly labeled BPA-free and Phthalate-Free. Or find organic jewelry. Etsy is a great place to find unique (and safe) pieces for our little girls (and for us too!)

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CharleneChronicles is only reporting on information in the media regarding this topic and these findings, and makes no claims on the validity of the reports. Parents should do their own research to make and educated decision.

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