Two weekends ago, we had a graduation party in Brooklyn at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon. This meant we had to skip going to the new house for the weekend.
I know, first world problems.
We’ve only been going out to the house on weekends for the past month, so I don’t know why all previous knowledge of urban summer activities suddenly flew out the window, but Mike and I sat in our messy living room, staring blankly at each other, while the kids demanded more television and dripped their juice boxes on the carpet.
We finally decided what to do.
After the party, we would drive straight out to the house so we could wake up there Sunday morning and still have the day to play outside. Mike claimed we were “saving the weekend”, as if all other summer weekends for the past four years have been a total waste of time.
“Playing outside” probably sounds like the simplest thing in the world to most people, but for city parents like myself, it’s always more complicated. In the city, “playing outside” consists of getting dressed, putting on shoes, packing the diaper bag, stocking the stroller, filling water bottles, forcing Mazzy to go to the bathroom, picking a mode of transportation, trying to keep everyone from getting run over in the street, arguing over available playground options (this one is in the shade, that one has the good jungle gym, this one’s sandbox has questionable things lurking inside, that one’s sandbox is located too close to the water fountain), etc. etc.
It’s the opposite of easy.
At the house, on the other hand, I can just open the door and let the kids out.
BLISSFUL.
They can go out barefoot in bathing suits as long as they are properly protected from the sun.
To make sure my city kids are properly prepared for the country, The Honest Company sent me a bunch of summer products to stock our house, including chemical-free sunscreen, all-natural lip balm and a pair of orange sunglasses that Harlow was especially enamored with.
Searching for products on Honest is awesome, because just by virtue that they sell it, I know it’s going to be eco-friendly, non-toxic, well-designed, affordable and best of all, safe for kids.
If you haven’t bought anything from Honest in the past, they have a special offer for first-timers. Today until July 25th, Mommy Shorts readers can receive $10 off a $40 minimum purchase by clicking here and using the code LivePlaySwim (full details at the bottom of the post).
Honest sunscreen is 30 SPF, non-greasy, unscented, water resistant, hypoallergenic and blends in easily. I always find that baby sunscreen is either too thin or it makes kids look like they are wearing full-blown clown make-up, so it’s great to find something effective that also blends in beautifully.
I should mention that putting on sunscreen is my least favorite part of the day (my kids are squirmy, especially the older one) so having something I don’t mind on my hands is a huge plus. I’ve actually been wearing Honest sunscreen myself so I can just wipe my hands off on my own body. I don’t know why that never occurred to me before.
Probably because of the clown make-up thing.
My proof of effectiveness is that Harlow and Mazzy have been running around outside for three weekends in a row and are still the same color they started. Mazzy looks like she might be prone to tan (if I let her) but Harlow looks like she would burn faster than a marshmallow in a campfire.
So far, she has remained sunburn-free.
The leave-in conditioner detangler is great for Mazzy’s ridiculous mane of hair. It might look pretty in pictures but that thing is a beast to comb through. Particularly after coming out of the pool.
Mike went out with Mazzy one afternoon on an errand and when he came back, her hair looked like she had been caught in a tornado.
“What happened???”
“I took Mazzy for a walk on the beach to collect sea shells.”
Collecting sea shells with Dad sounds lovely except that he doesn’t understand the concept of making a ponytail to minimize knots. With the detangling solution, sometimes I’ll spritz a little to brush it out even if it’s the middle of the day. Much less screaming that way.
I was a little scared to try the waterproof reusable swim diapers since we’ve always used a disposable, but was amazed to discover that everything Harlow made in hers (which yes, included #2) came right off with a rinse in the sink. I’ve always imagined washing a reusable diaper to be a much messier affair.
In the evening before dinner, Mazzy and Harlow love to play outside along the creek. The light is beautiful as the sun goes down and the temperature gets a little cooler.
Since Mike is usually the designated chef, I like to watch them while sitting in the hammock (if they let me). The one drawback is that apparently, bugs love creeks as much as my children do.
We don’t get nearly as many mosquitoes in Manhattan, so this is actually the first time I’ve used bug spray on my kids. I’ve always thought of bug spray as one of the most toxic products out there, so I was very pleased to learn that Honest has an all-natural bug spray that doesn’t smell like every living thing nearby might drop dead from the fumes.
All in all, the hazards of country living seem to be far fewer than the ones in Manhattan. My kids are thrilled to have space to run around where they can pick up sticks, chase butterflies, gather wild flowers and roll in the grass.
It seems like the most natural thing in the world.
Just newly accessible for us.
As for that weekend with the graduation party that we drove all the way out to the house just to wake up there on a Sunday morning and drive back to the city that very same night?
Totally worth it.
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SPECIAL OFFER: From today until July 25th, Mommy Shorts readers can enjoy $10 off a $40 minimum purchase by clicking here and using the code LivePlaySwim. The coupon is valid for U.S. and Canadian residents (Yay, Canada!). Applies to first-time orders only. One per customer.
This post was sponsored by The Honest Company but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
Does the Honest bug spray really work? I just bought some after having many other “natural/non-toxic” ones fail on me, so I’m curious if there is actually hope here.
Also, thanks for helping the Canadians out here! Now if only Honest would get rid of the dreaded International Surcharge on their orders….
I don’t live in a city like Manhattan, but I totally get it. We live outside of DC in a townhouse with no yard and barely any grass around. I can’t just let the kids run free. We spent 4th of July at my mom’s in New Bern, NC and it was AMAZING. They would get up and go ride their bikes barefoot and in PJs. I could still sit and drink my coffee without worrying if they’d be hit be a car or step in dog doo on the sidewalk. We are planning on buying a house next summer and a safe yard is an absolute must have!!! Oh, and I do like Honest products 🙂
What a timely post. I was out watering flowerbeds last night while my 4yo daughter ran naked and played in the mud–we live in Texas on 89 acres without neighbors 🙂 I was thinking how thankful I am that she is able to “run free”. Enjoy your new freedom!
Oh, and we have plenty of pesky skeeters, I’ll be ordering the bug spray!
Just bought some Honest products! Thanks for the $10 savings. Our country house has a mosquito and gnat problem as well and it drives me bat-shit crazy. Glad there is a bug spray out there safe for the wee ones! Got myself some sunblock too. I feel like I sound like a commercial….a pretentious one.
what is that homemade ice cream thing harlow is eating in some of the pics?
Honestly (ha), I love the Honest products, diapers included, but have had a huge problem lately with their availability. Exciting that they’re growing so quickly but I hope they get a handle on the supply issue quickly.
Thanks for including Canada! I have two girls the same age as yours except my big girl cruises the streets of Montreal on her scooter instead of NYC. There is a lot to be said about the perks of city living, but the photos do make me want to have a space for the girls to fun free a little bit. Enjoy your new found space!
Great question! I’m specifically interested to know about how it works with mosquitoes. Our backyard seems to be a breeding ground for those guys since our neighbor has a pool… Would love to know what y’all think!
Can I offer some advice for avoiding the post pool tangles? I had butt length hair as a kid and periodically throughout my adulthood (I get bored and cut it to donate every 10 years or so, then immediately regret cutting it and grow it out again). The best thing I’ve found for swimming is to ponytail it up right against my head, when it’s dry and run a big heaping blob of conditioner in it (leave in or regular-whatever’s on hand). Then put ponytail holders at intervals down the length. Braiding can be ok, but getting it out of the braid while it’s still wet is a giant pain. The conditioner helps the strands slide against each other when you go to take the holders out and bonus it protects against chlorine damage too!
I had butt-length hair as a kid too! All the school kids liked to ask me if it dunked in the toilet when I went to the bathroom…
We live in a junior-4 in Queens, so my jealousy is strong! Perhaps you should run a contest to win a weekend out at the house with you 😉
I used to wet my step daughter’s waist length hair and then rub in conditoner. Then make french tailed pig tails. One french braid meant straggling hairs in her face. Two french braids kept it out of her face even with waves crashing into us. The conditionermade taking the braids out easy and kept the salt water stiff hair away.
Last night I was feeling extra lucky to live in the NC mountains…after dinner my 2 year old and I went on a walk with our dog. We picked and ate wild blackberries and watched the sun start to set. She loved the blackberries and how they stained her fingers and face purple. It made me so proud that we are raising our girl in wide open spaces with wild blackberries and dark nights where you can count every star.
I love that photo of Mazzy looking at the ipad with her goggles on!
Glad you are enjoying your new summer house! Might have to check out that bug spray!
I’ve been wondering about the Honest products and I look forward to trying some of them. At our house, we call it sunscream. I am excited about the natural bug repellent. I thought I was going to have to use my sister-in-law’s recipe to make my own and I was not looking forward to that. THANKS!
I live in a suburb, but we have a nice size yard with a small pool and a garden, and still lots of room to run. I love it. I love being able to let the kids play with the dogs. I could never be confined to apartment living again!!!
Love Honest products. The shampoo + body wash is the only thing that won’t make my little girl break out in hives. And they just started carrying the products in our local Tarjay. Super stoked! Will have to try the sunscreen and the bug spray.
I just had to say I love that Mazzy always has a stick in her hand! Anytime my 4-year old daughter is outside, she migrates to the largest one she can find and is pretty content just playing around w/ that!
I’ve been an Honest subscriber for about a year…I do like some stuff, I think the bug spray works pretty well (although I think it still smells terrible), but I have to throw out my 2 cents on the sunscreen – it’s extremely oily! Maybe I got a bad batch, but haven’t risked spending the $ on another.