Protecting Baby From Sun

Are you a new parent? Congratulations! So are we. Our little Olivia is just four months old and already we are astounded at how much the experience has taught us. Whoever said that "experience is the best teacher" must have had a lot of stressful moments and sleepless nights while school was in session. Of course, like you, we embrace this journey and relish each enlightening moment.

But, honestly, whenever someone takes the initiative to share a valuable tip or resource that makes raising Olivia easier or a more fulfilling experience, we really appreciate it. That is the purpose of our Blog. Sharing tips and information that we are learning from experience, found on the net, or that has been shared with us by a knowledgeable benefactor. Whether it be a better, gentler way to get baby's boogies out, or a valuable piece of info related to new products, we want to share it with you... So let's get started.

Erin, David, and I love the outdoors. We love to go picnicking, to the beach, and camping. So when Olivia was born we definitely wanted to initiate her to those kinds of activities as soon as possible. One of the things we worried about was how to keep the creepy crawlers away from our new bundle of joy. We also knew that it was important to protect her skin from the effects of overexposure to the sun. Of course, we knew we could not use any harsh sunblocks or bug repellant creams or sprays on her delicate new skin.

We found our solution in a product called the "Baby Cabana". The baby cabana has an SPF rating of 50+, which means Olivia's skin is well protected from the harsh effects of being out in the sun. It has openings on the sides to allow breezes to pass through and we find that it stays quite cool inside even at the beach when it is very warm and sunny. The door zips open wide to make it easy to move Olivia in or out even while still in her carrier. The cabana is so roomy that Erin has found it relatively easy to get inside it with Livi and even breast feed her while we are at the beach.

And talk about being easy to set up or take down! The entire frame is hinged and can be opened with a pull of one string. Once you are ready to go, just pull the same string while popping a couple of hinged joints and it collapses with ease and stores away in its own bag with very little effort. The Baby Cabana protects Olivia from wind, bugs, even curious pets, too! The side pockets hold sand to secure against the wind. Our cabana measures 42 1/2"H x 47W" x 47D".

How much can you expect to pay? Figure on spending between $35-$50. Where can you get your own baby cabana? Try any of the following links:

http://www.sunfriendlyproducts.com/cgi-bin/cart/items.cgi?category=Shadeproducts

http://dreamtimebaby.com/sunstopkwikc.html

http://www.safebeginnings.com/WebComponents/Catalog/Public/showproduct.asp?frg=FRG&id=423

http://www.kidsurplus.com/kelgar.html?gclid=CLak66e27YcCFRJWUAoddEM2iA

http://tinkertots.stores.yahoo.net/sunstkwcai.html

The Baby Cabana gets two thumbs up from our family. We think you will enjoy it too.

Do you have other solutions for protecting your baby from the harsh effects of sun exposure? Let us know about it in a comment.