California Baby

California Baby has a great line of safe and natural baby products. I especially love the chemical-free Bug Repellent Spray. It is probably less effective than some of the other bug sprays with harsh chemicals like DEET, but it still works very well. Since it repels bugs mainly through its smell (citronella, lemon grass, cedar), it needs to be applied frequently to be effective.

Here is an interesting article in the Daily Green about natural insect repellents.

  

Books

Tumble Bumble is my 21 month old son Benjamin's favorite book. The characters are so cute, and the story is simple and easy to follow, but very funny. There are so many fun and interactive things to do with each page.

Tumble Bumble Board Book (Laura Geringer Books) - Amazon.com

Bright From the Start is such a great book for new parents. It is easy to read and understand and really explains how a baby's brain works and develops. It explains how the simple things parents do everyday help their baby's brain grow and gives parents a lot of ideas of ways to boost their baby's intelligence at different stages of development. This is such a fascinating book!

Bright from the Start: The Simple, Science-Backed Way to Nurture Your Child's Developing Mindfrom Birth to Age 3 - Amazon.com

I love this book! All of the drawings in Over in the Ocean are photographs of polymer clay creations. The colors are bright and beautiful and really draw in my 4 month old daughter, Lyla. The story can be sung to Raffi's Over in the Meadow and there are fun hand motions to do with each new sea creature. It is also a great counting book.

Over in the Ocean: In a Coral Reef (A Simply Nature Book) - Amazon.com

Our Favorite Things - Baby and Toddler Books

           

Our Favorite Things - Baby Gear and products

          

Our Favorite Things - Toys

 Toys: