I have personally used and feel comfortable recommending these items to my readers here at Bella Online.

Herbal Armor Insect Repellant for Kids

Here in Florida, we deal with lots of bugs during the summer months. Actually, we deal with them just about year round! We go on nature walks and hang out a lot near water during warm weather, so I need to have something on hand to keep those pesky mosquitoes away from my kids. I’ve had good results with the kids’ version of Herbal Armor insect repellant. It’s totally deet-free and is made with an all natural formula of five essential oils. I’ve found it to be extremely effective even with our giant mosquitoes. I keep one at home and one in the car so I’m always prepared for outdoor activities.

Kleen Kanteen with Carrier

During the warmer months, having water on hand is essential, so we use the Kleen Kanteen. I bought my children the small versions and the 40 ounce Kanteen for myself. I’m so glad I bought the carrier because I use it all the time. Kleen Kanteens are stainless steel water bottles that are non-leaching and toxin-free. They’re even dishwasher safe. I especially like these bottles because the openings are large (unlike Sigg bottles), so we’re able to fill them up with lots of ice and water before leaving the house. Other accessories are available for these bottles like sippy spouts for toddlers and sports caps for those who don’t like unscrewing the cap every time they want a sip of water. We’re an active family and these bottles have proven to be durable as well.

Natural Family Boutique Sunscreen

Natural Family Boutique’s SPF 25+ sunscreen has a nice scent due to the fact it’s made with aloe vera gel and cocoa butter. If you haven’t thought about natural sunscreen before, just flip over your bottle of sunscreen and you may be surprised at the list of ingredients. I still have a bottle of baby sunscreen I used on my first child before I became interested in natural living, and I feel sad to know that I actually applied those ingredients to my baby boy’s skin. At least I knew better the second time around; I have only used natural sunscreen on my second child. I’ve found the NFB natural sunscreen to be effective, but I do make sure to re-apply after swimming. Order here.

Popsicles with Natural Colors and Flavors

My little one was recently sick, so I visited the popsicle section at my local grocery store, hoping to find a brand that wasn’t filled with food dyes and artificial flavors. I had looked in the past at the typical plastic freezer pops you squeeze and the colorful pops on a stick and hadn't found anything natural.

You can imagine my surprise when I saw Popsicle brand pops with the words “natural flavors and colors” on the side of the box. I flipped it over, and sure enough, these frozen treats were free of artificial dyes and colors! While I got them with my sick daughter in mind, my son was delighted when he found out what I had bought at the store. Now that I know where to find a natural and tasty version (Super Target), my children be enjoying these all summer long