With the cold weather coming, it won’t belong before you have to turn the heater on…and keep it on. While your house may feel warm and cozy, having the heater will dry up all the natural moisture in the air. That same dryness that keeps you reaching for the moisturizer and lip balm is also affecting your kiddies; the difference is, they don’t know how to describe the discomfort.

Many of us moms have a year-round routine of moisturizing after showers, washing dishes and before bed. When the dry winter months come, we just naturally use more moisturizer or lip balm to compensate. It’s important to do the same for our children, because all too often (and I’m guilty of this, too) we don’t think about it until we see them squirming in their sweaters and repeatedly licking their lips.

If you start making a habit of helping your kids to moisturize and use lip balm before they start to get uncomfortable, it will become second nature for them to take care of their skin all year round, too.

• Help them apply a fragrance-free hypoallergenic lotion from head to toe after baths and when changing into their jammies at night. That little extra moisture goes a long way towards keeping their skin from getting too dry, plus, it’s really relaxing.
• Encourage them to put moisturizer on their hands after washing them.
• If you use hand sanitizers when out in public, switch to lotions with antibacterial properties.
• Apply gentle lip balm regularly throughout the day, especially after meals.
• Avoid itchy materials like wool. I know, I know…those holiday sweaters are just too cute for words. Still, they can be too warm and are naturally itchy on little skin. Remember: Whiny, uncomfortable kids can make even the most adorable snowman sweater unattractive.

Being proactive about helping your munchkins take care of their delicate skin will keep chapped lips and dry, itchy skin at bay. Comfortable kids are happy kids, and happy kids make for happy moms. Stock up on body moisturizer and lip balm now, the cold weather’s on its way!

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We have always been diligent to squeeze all of the water out at the end of each bath. We dry them on the side of the tub so they are not in a pile in the basket stuck on the wall. We use alcohol to clean them occasionally.  When I heard a report on the radio of the germs that lurk on tub toys, it got my attention and made me feel slimy just hearing what happens to bath toys. The interview started with Dr. Philip Tierno, a microbiologist at New York University, pointing out “that when you bathe a child, the bathwater literally turns into bacterial soup.” Ewww. The next “ewww” came when he brought up that when these toys get chewed on, the toys become coated with bacteria, which then grows.

Among the contaminants found on bath toys that the moms considered to be clean, Dr. Tierno found “high levels of fecal contamination, including E. coli and strep – which can cause nausea and diarrhea. Some even tested positive for MRSA, staph germs that are resistant to antibiotics.” Naturally, the worst offenders of gooey grossness were the squirty toys which held water inside.

So what can we parents do to minimize the yuck factor when we are trying to get our kids clean? Remove the toys with holes in them (squeaky toys, squirting toys, toys that absorb water, etc.) Air dry the toys somewhere other than a damp towel, and preferably as far away from the toilet as possible. Remind toilet-flushers to do so with the lid closed, which can minimize the spread of bacteria (which can splatter up to 20 feet away!). Use alcohol or peroxide to disinfect toys once a week, and toss any toys that have anything black on, in, or around them. Finally, replace bath toys often.

Keeping our kids clean should take place especially when when are trying to get them clean.

Image Source: flickr.com/photos/thesoftlanding/2406534482

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Terressentials is a USDA Certified Organic company that states:

“Terressentials isn’t like other companies. We only use ingredients that the USDA permits in certified organic food. We proudly list the ingredients of all of our products so you can scrutinize them and compare them to products by other manufacturers. Many of our products aren’t just “organic” by the USDA food standards — they’re 100% certified organic — every single ingredient is USDA certified organic.”

Their Baby Line includes Organic Baby Wash for little heads and bodies made from 100% organic olive castile. The 100% Organic Terrific Tush Treatment (pictured above) comes as a push-up stick for convenient, one-handed application, or as a cream in a 2 oz. jar. Check out their entire Baby Line here.

Terressentials is among the few companies producing baby products rated a “zero” (low hazard) by the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety Database. If you haven’t used this database yet, give it a try. Simply enter the name or type of products that you’re curious about (or currently using) in the search bar at the top, and you’re off and running.

You can check out answers to other frequently asked questions about Terressentials here. Happy pampering!

*Smarter Editor’s Note: Shop for more organic baby bath products.

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I’m sure you’ve seen or maybe have a towel rack that also warms your towels for you so you can snuggle in a nice & warm towel after a shower.  I found this infant towel warmer on Smarter.com for a great price.  When you really think about it babies probably need a towel warmer more than us grown ups, but if you can afford the luxury of having one for you and your baby…why not!  This infant towel warmer is easy to use as you can simply plug it in to an outlet by your changing table or bathroom counter.

Hamco Infant Towel Warmer:  $34.99

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Why didn’t anyone think of this sooner??

Everyone remembers the awful STING of shampoo in your poor little eyes as a child.  Sure bath time was fun when you were playing with the bubbles & toys, but as soon as it was time to get to washing your hair….YIKES!  The Lil Rinser makes bath time easy & keeps your kids’ eyes, ears & face protected while wash their hair. 

You can buy the Lil Rinser at their website  LilRinser.com for $9.99. 

There is a very cute animation on the homepage & a demo of how it works. 

They come is various colors so kids can pick their favorite.

For more children’s bath products from Smarter.com click here.

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