Longest Day

This little sweetie is 7 months old today and it is such a blessing to spend everyday with her. 

And...

Yesterday was the longest day of the year, right? Let's spend these long days together in the sunshine, baby girl!

 The sun!?!? (Read: pale people problems)

It's true. My own skin is so pale that I really do limit my time in the sun. Shade, please. Sunhat, yes. Long sleeves in summer, often. Sunscreen, everyday. 

And what do I lather the beautifully sweet baby skin of my two little ones with? 

Well, first let me say that I prayed that each of my children would inherit Keith's skin, but the jury is really still out on that... so we protect them like they have my sun-averse skin. 

I am not a fan of spending big bucks on anything but I have found that the sunscreen that isn't "toxic death cream" (winkwink, Carrie) is quite costly. As in, over $5 per ounce! Yikes! But let's put it in perspective... fewer burns, fewer rashes, and a decreased risk of skin cancer seems worth it. Plus, you don't need to use a ton of it. A little goes a loooong way with these.

Here's the deal. It is not necessarily about a high SPF. Look for Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide as the ingredients. It is that simple. Products made with these are becoming easier to find. 

Brands that I have used:

California Baby

Goddess Garden

Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby

The City Bus

Eva has been fascinated with buses for a while now. I think the "Wheels on the Bus" song was a major catalyst. Especially when we learned the verse about the money going "clink, clink, clink" from Christin back in the summer of 2014. 

So we took a ride.

We boarded the #82 COTA bus at the nearest stop to our house. Just 0.2 miles from our house for an approximate 3 minute walk. I paid my $2 adult fare - clink, clink, clink - while children under 48 inches are free.  The #82 took us on a 45 minute loop through Grandview,  Lennox Town Center, the OSU medical center and campus. 

We enjoyed the sites. We sang the "Wheels on the Bus" song. We greeted new passengers. Then we got back off right where we started... which is by our favorite Grandview park. 

Play Time!!!

Other low cost fun that we have enjoyed...

Wyman Woods Park - FREE

Library Stories on the Lawn - FREE

Tuesdays at Little Green House play cafe - $3

Krema Nut Company Milkshake - $3.50

Grandview Pool- $3 (after 6pm)

Apples and Cookies at Giant Eagle - FREE with $1 Treat Card

Drive-Thru Car Wash - $5

Picture Wall: Contact Paper, Painters tape, and foam pieces (all items were things we had)

Water Babies

Oh, these little children of ours! They surely LOVE the water. 

The water table we bought last year is a HIT, again. But this year it brings hours of fun (versus minutes). Sprinklers are more exciting for Eva this year. And heading down to the beach at the Lake is certainly a new summer highlight. 

Don't these sunny days just make you want to be outside and cool off with a little H2O? 

It is always fun to include friends when we play. We know Lucia is a friend for the swimming pool but she also likes the water table out in our yard. James and Charlie make splashing in the Lake soooo much more memorable. 

I predict a summer full of swimsuits (hand-me-downs welcome) and lots of sunscreen.