Tips for Bringing Baby to the Beach

It finally feels as if the warm is here to stay!  Here in West Michigan, we love to go to the beach!  Either at Lake Michigan, or at one of the many inland lakes.  No matter where you decide to go, adding a baby to the mix is a competently different experience than going with a group of friends.  I've put a few tips together to help make going to the beach with a baby a little easier, and hopefully even enjoyable!

1.  Ditch the stroller.  I feel so bad watching parents try to drag a stroller through the sand.  Trust me, it's much more work than it's worth.  Get yourself a great baby carrier instead.  Boba Air is great for the beach because it's super compact, and the sand will brush off the nylon super easy.

Boba Air

2. Protect the littles (and yourself) from the sun.  The only thing worse than pushing a stroller through the sand is dealing with sunburn on a child.  Use a good sunscreen that is designed for babies.  (We love Keeki Pure and Simple - Avaible at EcoBuns)  Bring along a hat for them as well.  We have both the Bummis and Planet Wise wide brimmed and floppy hats in the store.  We also have UV T-shirts and tankinis.  Beaches are full of sand and sun, so bring along a big umbrella to stick in the sand to protect you and little ones from the sun.

Bummis swimmi, hat, and sun shirt

3.  Bring plenty to drink.  It's really easy to assume that because your kids are wet that they don't need to drink anything.  It's very easy to get dehydrated at the beach.  Pack a cooler with ice and stash more drinks than you would normally go through at home.  If you are breastfeeding, offer to nurse more often than usual.  Pack water in an EcoVessel triple insulated sippy cup or water bottle to keep it cool longer.  (EcoVessel available at EcoBuns)

4.  Dress your kids in bright colors.  This will make it easier to spot your toddler that has wandered away from the beach towel.  It will also help a life guard spot them in case of an emergency.  Don't forget your baby's swim diaper.  A swim diaper is a MUST!!

The bright colors of the Bummis swim line are perfect for the beach.  

5.  Wear your swim suit.  You're at the beach.  You're going to get wet.  Shorts and t-shirt are uncomfortable wet, besides when (and trust me, you will) you get wet, what are you going to wear on the way home?  You look fabulous, wear your suit.

6.  Embrace the sand.  Going to the beach can get a bit messy.  Add a child to the mix, and you may experience a sand storm or two.  Just go with it, you are making memories.  If you are really anti getting any sand on you check out this list from GRKids.com for a list of splash pads and water playgrounds that won't be as sandy.

7.  Don't worry if your baby doesn't love it.  Some will freak out over sand, some won't step foot near the water.  This is all new for them.  Just because they don't love it this time, doesn't mean they won't next time, next week, or next year.


Enjoy the summer!  Do you have any tips to share about going to the beach with baby?   Leave us a comment!

FREE Piggy Paint with Qualifying In Store Purchase

Stop into EcoBuns to receive a coupon for a FREE bottle of piggy paint!  Coupons can be redeemed anytime during the month of August.  You may stop in as many times as you want, but it is limited to one free bottle per order.  Hope to see you soon! 

This promotion has eneded

Buns Boot Camp

Navigating the world of cloth can be overwhelming and intimidating, we know that here at EcoBuns, so we have designed a class that will help you decide if cloth diapers are for you. Buns Boot Camp is approximately 60 minutes long and will cover topics such as reasons to use cloth diapers, styles and options of cloth, washing instructions, do's and do not's of cloth, accessories, what you can expect from us as your cloth diaper resource and finally how we can help you get your stash started at little to no cost to you!

Register for your class today by clicking HERE!  Registration includes your spouse or significant other. After completion of the class, you will receive a $25 off a $75 or more purchase to use at the store the day of class. 

If the dates of the scheduled classes do not work for you, email Marissa (at) EcoBuns (dot) com to schedule a one on one class.  

Bums Boot Camp is taught by Marissa Berghorst.  Marissa is one of the co-owners of EcoBuns and a cloth diapering mom.of two.  

How to Wash Cloth Diapers

The questions I get asked most often about cloth diapers is, “How do you wash them?”

A common misconception is that washing cloth diapers is difficult. In my years of experience, I have found the washing routine to be quite simple.

I keep my wet bag, which is a lined, waterproof bag with either a zipper or drawstring top, close to my changing stations, whether that be a towel rack, doorknob, or the side of my changing table. When I take a diaper off one of my kids, I simply secure the laundry tabs and put it in a hanging wet bag until it’s time to do the wash. [Bonus to having all-in-one diapers like Thirsties, BumGenius  or Grovia : no need to unstuff dirty diapers before the wash or restuff clean ones before each use!] Breast milk is water soluble and will come out completely in the wash. Once your child starts eating solid food, or you supplement formula, you will have to dump any solids into the toilet before putting the diaper in the wet bag.  [A diaper sprayer comes in really handy for this part!]

I have a top loader washing machine which is GREAT for cloth diapers! Many people are choosing to get high efficiency front loading machines because they don’t use as much water, but that can cause a big problem when washing cloth diapers. Not using enough water to wash and rinse diapers can cause serious residue problems (think stink, leak and rashes – YUCK!) For this reason, you need to set your machine manually to the maximum water level before washing your diapers. If you can’t figure out how to do this, then call the manufacturer and they can help you get it all figured out! Or you can always just use the wet towel trick – reduce the number of diapers per load and add a wet towel or two to trick the machine into adding more water for wash. You want to make sure that there’s enough water to thoroughly rinse out all the detergent!

My washing routine:

• cold rinse with 1/2 the amount of detergent 
• regular wash with detergent (hot wash with cold rinse)
• cold rinse without detergent
• dry on low heat in the dryer or hang outside on a clothesline  (check with your specif diaper brand to see their drying policy, using a dryer can void the warranty on some brands)  Sunlight is a great natural bleacher and will get rid of any diaper stains!

It’s important to not use a sanitize cycle on any diapers that have Aplix enclosures or elastic. You also need to remember to use only a fraction of the detergent that you would use in your normal wash and choose a detergent that doesn’t have any of the following additives, as they can create residue problems:

• fabric softeners
• natural oils
• perfumes
• dyes
• uv brughteners
• stain guard ingredients
• enzymes (they will not affect the cloth diaper performance, but may cause rashes on some babies’ skin)

I use Allens or Selestial Soap - Soft Bottoms for my cloth diapers (and my clothes too!). Both great detergents, and are made in Michigan! [I love supporting local businesses!] 

If you have any questions about washing cloth diapers, please e-mail me at Marissa (at) EcoBuns (dot) com

Fox 17 Interview with Leigh Ann Towne

Monday Morning, dark and early, Leigh Ann Towne from Fox 17 came out to EcoBuns to do a few live segments.  We ended up having a few technical issues, but we were still able to shoot one live segment, and one interview for the evening news.

Click to to watch the video from the morning news.
Here's the video from the evening news.

Here's a few behind the scenes pictures.

They're here!!!!!

Getting ready to film a live shot.....that never actually aired, but it was great practice for the actual live shot!

Fox 17 intern Jackie hanging out with Alivia

Leigh Ann wore Alivia around for so long in a Boba carrier.  She couldn't believe how good it felt!  

Alivia is going to be the next big TV star!

Thanks to everyone that tuned into Fox 17 to watch our interview!  We love spreading the word about cloth diapers!   

You can drop of donations of cloth or disposable diapers at EcoBuns anytime during normal business hours (Monday through Saturday 10am - 8pm).  We also accept cash/check donations.  A donation of $50 will supply everything a family needs to get started in cloth diapers!

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Find Leigh Ann Towne on Facebook and Twitter.

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